Caelyn must have experienced something similar, because he asked, “What’s happening to us?”
“I don’t know,” Karein admitted, “but perhaps our guests do.”
He left the bed without touching Caelyn again. Under the circumstances, it probably wasn’t wise. Just as he was about to leave the bedroom, Caelyn stopped him.
“I heard General Hareematek returned from his journey,” he said hesitantly. “Did he find anything?”
Karein turned and faced his consort. He’d noticed Caelyn’s interest in the extinct species of shifters and had wondered about it. For a few seconds, he just scanned Caelyn’s face, wondering what exactly was hiding behind that particular oddity. There was no deceit in Caelyn’s blue eyes, just wariness and earnestness.
“No,” Karein finally answered. “Just wolves.”
Caelyn nodded and curled into a ball on the bed. Wishing he could have provided more comfort, Karein looked away and left the room. It was time to see his unexpected guests once more. Hopefully, they’d be able to offer the answers Karein had been seeking.
Chapter Two
Phoenix sat curled on the bed, his eyes tightly shut. Burrowing closer to his mate, he struggled to reach out to the earth once more. The energies that had once been so familiar to him now refused to answer. He felt them there, still feeding him, but they were so very distant, as if filtered through a strange veil.
Taking a deep breath, Phoenix opened his eyes and looked at his mate. It was more than fortunate that Hareem had taken them to a cell that was reasonably comfortable, but most importantly, that he had allowed them to remain together. Truly, Phoenix didn’t know what he’d have done if they’d been separated. Already, he was on the edge after seeing his mate die, and so confused and lost it hurt.
“I have no idea what’s going on, Rachen,” he told the dragon through their bond. “I mean…I can only guess I somehow managed to change far more than I intended. But now, my power seems to be gone altogether. I can’t undo it.”
Rachen held him close and brushed his lips over his forehead. “Keep trying, baby,” he said, petting Phoenix’s hair. “I’m sure we’ll find a solution. We have to return to our reality.”
As Rachen spoke, Phoenix inhaled deeply, taking in his mate’s familiar scent. It occurred to him that he didn’t really want to go back to the way things had been. Yes, he was aware of the extreme consequences of his actions. He wasn’t sure how to define it. Was it another reality? An alternative world? What had he done exactly? The very thought that he’d even been capable of such a thing seemed ludicrous. And yet, in his heart, Phoenix knew this was what had happened.
So far, he was able to tell that the dynamics of the paranormal political scene had changed completely. Naturally, it had affected the chain of events that had led to the Tersain meeting their respective mates. Also, the fact that Phoenix had Rachen by his side didn’t make him forget about the fact that there should have been another Rachen in this reality, and another Phoenix.
Clearly, Rachen didn’t exist as an individual here. He seemed to have become only a side of Karein’s personality. That was the only explanation for Karein’s weird behavior. As for Phoenix… He could only guess that his equivalent in this world must be still trapped in the box.
But that aside, Phoenix’s outburst had managed to achieve its main goal. Rachen was alive and by his side. If he undid the enchantment, they’d end up in the exact same situation as before, and Phoenix simply wasn’t willing to do that.
Rachen broke their embrace and frowned at him. “Baby, I know this is hard, and the choice I made isn’t the best one for us. But you heard what Karein and Hareem said. Werewolves are extinct. Galyn doesn’t even exist, and likely, Graham and Taryn are dead. Can you live with that?”
Phoenix winced. “I might have to,” he replied brokenly. “If the alternative is living without you, I’ll endure the guilt and the loss. I can’t give you up.”
He realized that it was hard for Rachen to watch his family torn apart by what Phoenix had done, but he was selfish enough to ignore that, just as long as he could keep Rachen. In the end, Rachen was the one who mattered most to him. As cruel as it might seem, under the circumstances, Phoenix was willing to trade his previous reality for this one.
“Please don’t hate me,” he told Rachen, this time out loud. “I didn’t mean to do any of this, but…I can’t regret it. At least not all of it.”
For a few moments, Rachen just looked at him. Phoenix’s heart raced as he took in the whirlwind of emotions coursing through Rachen. There was guilt, gratitude, confusion, and helplessness, but most of all, love. Phoenix didn’t know who reached for whom first, but it didn’t really matter, because a few seconds later, their lips crashed together. The kiss tasted a little too much like despair for Phoenix’s comfort, but it quickly melted into something entirely different. That negative emotion was burnt away by the undying passion between the two of them, by the one blaze that couldn’t be extinguished—that of their love.
Rachen pushed him down on the bed, never once interrupting the kiss. He licked across the seam of Phoenix’s lips, demanding entrance—which Phoenix gladly gave. As they kissed, Rachen’s hands traveled over Phoenix’s sides, stopping over his hips, holding him tightly.
They had been provided with clothing, which they had decided to wear in deference to the situation. In hindsight, that had been a bad idea, because now, they were only an obstacle to what Phoenix and Rachen both craved.
Phoenix found himself trying to will Rachen’s garments away, but it didn’t work. The knowledge of his own helplessness should have upset him, and at some level, it did, but now, he was too focused on Rachen to care. He just wanted to touch his mate, to worship Rachen with his body, heart, and soul.
Therefore, he ripped apart Rachen’s shirt with his own hands and threw the remaining material on the floor. Rachen growled and bit down on his lower lip. A wave of heat flowed over Phoenix, but it didn’t originate from him. Rachen’s powers burnt away their clothing with striking ease. Rachen hadn’t done that before, but then, they’d never needed to, because Phoenix always did it.
But Phoenix didn’t want to think about his own decreasing powers. Instead, he gladly let the matter slide, because it provided him with what he craved—access to Rachen’s naked body. Still kissing Rachen, he rubbed against his mate, hissing as their dicks came into contact. Rachen’s hand slid between their bodies, gripping both of their cocks. As Rachen massaged their dicks together, Phoenix held onto his mate’s shoulders, wild with pleasure, needing more. He craved everything Rachen was and had ever been. Only then could he truly be convinced that Rachen was by his side once more.
The dragon tore his mouth away from his mate’s, making Phoenix whine in protest. The sound changed into a gasp of bliss as Rachen licked down his neck, nipping on his Adam’s apple and finding that sensitive spot in the hollow of his throat. All the while, Rachen’s hand never ceased working Phoenix’s dick, bringing him dangerously close to an unexpected climax.
Phoenix wanted to come, and yet, he didn’t. He ached to feel Rachen inside him again, to have the dragon’s fire awaken his own and soothe that part of him that still screamed this couldn’t possibly be true. He just loved Rachen so much that he could easily be imagining all of this, just to try to mend his broken heart.
As that thought passed through his mind, Rachen pulled away from him. He stopped kissing Phoenix, and he even released his hold on their dicks. Phoenix would have tried to argue against it, but his mate looked at him, and he was frozen.
He didn’t speak. He just smiled at Phoenix, his eyes hot with desire, but at the same time, filled with an almost gentle, soothing adoration. For the longest time, they just stared at each other, completely silent and still communicating in a visceral way.
At last, Rachen spoke out, breaking the quiet. “I love you,” he said simply. “I will love you forever.”
Phoenix intended to say the words back, to tell Rache
n how much their bond meant for him. However, Rachen didn’t give him the chance. He crawled down Phoenix’s body and took his cock into his mouth, all the way into his throat.
Phoenix’s world cracked around the edges. He couldn’t think anymore, couldn’t focus on anything outside the wet, volcanic heat enveloping his prick. When Rachen started to bob his head up and down his dick, Phoenix buried his fingers into the draechen’s hair and just hung on for the ride.
His mate devoured him with hard, strong suction. He teased him with flirtatious flicks of tongue over the slit. Then, he lavished him with sensual attention by licking his dick like he would a lollipop. He took Phoenix’s balls in his mouth, exploring and massaging the wrinkled sac.
Everything Rachen did seemed designed to drive Phoenix insane with lust. At one point, the lingering threads of Phoenix’s control broke, and he started to fuck Rachen’s mouth. Rachen allowed it at first, but then, he gripped Phoenix’s hips, stilling Phoenix’s motions and taking control of their coitus once more.
Rachen’s dominance of him only fueled Phoenix’s arousal, and soon, he was on the edge of coming. A memory flashed through his mind, one from when he’d thought he was someone else. He’d felt like this then, like he was on the edge of a chasm and wanting to jump headfirst into it.
But things were different now. Phoenix and Rachen had their bond, one that would guide them both through any hardship. That knowledge gave Phoenix the strength to crystallize one coherent answer to Rachen’s declaration. “I love you, too,” he answered. “So very much.”
In response, Rachen sucked Phoenix’s dick one more time into his throat and swallowed. At the same time, a finger teased at Phoenix’s hole and wormed its way into his passage. Phoenix couldn’t resist the onslaught of sensations any longer. With a cry, he came, filling his lover’s mouth with his spunk.
Rachen grunted as he drank down Phoenix’s offering, and through their bond, Phoenix felt his mate join him in their shared orgasm. It wasn’t even Rachen’s own pleasure that had propelled him over the edge, but the one he experienced because of their connection and the sheer depth of the moment.
Because in that instant, when they came together through the sheer carnality of one act, Phoenix’s heart felt light again. It almost seemed like he was flying, free as a fire bird soaring high above in the sky. He was singing again, and Rachen was with him, chasing him, catching him, holding him and never letting go.
Truth be told, it wasn’t by far the most complicated or even the most erotic thing they’d ever done. From a strictly sexual perspective, it was actually pretty simple and likely hadn’t taken that long. But there was something special about it, about what it meant. Through this intimate touch, Phoenix could finally acknowledge that Rachen hadn’t left him, that they were still together and their bond remained as powerful as ever.
Still, the need within him wasn’t fully satisfied. Even as he rode the wave of the climax, he already desired more. The moment Rachen released his dick from his mouth, Phoenix wanted to taste his mate’s lips again, or perhaps his cock. But when Rachen’s fingers left his body, Phoenix rearranged his priorities and decided the best place for his mate’s dick was his ass.
“Rachen,” he murmured. “Make love to me.”
Rachen reached for him again, and his digits returned to rub at Phoenix’s channel, this time slick with what Phoenix knew was Rachen’s own seed. Just the idea of what his mate was using to smooth his way inside Phoenix would have been enough to make him climax had he not come already. As it was, he eagerly anticipated the moment when Rachen finally entered him. When Rachen’s fingers hit his prostrate, he moaned and begged, “Now, Rachen. Please.”
Rachen seemed to share his urgency. For a little while, he kept finger-fucking Phoenix, stretching his channel and preparing him for invasion. However, he soon stopped the maddening torture and removed his digits from Phoenix’s body. Phoenix almost sobbed with relief at the realization that finally, finally, he was going to have Rachen inside him.
Sadly, just as his mate was about to lift Phoenix’s legs on his shoulders, the door burst open. Rachen tensed and turned around, shielding Phoenix’s naked body from sight and growling menacingly.
For his part, Phoenix almost exploded because of sexual frustration. Gods, was this going to start all over again? Back in Draechenburg, Rachen’s family had the worst habit of interrupting them when they were together. It seemed like things would be similar here.
The thought was like a bucket of water over the flame of Phoenix’s arousal. Just like that, he remembered that he was still in Draechenburg, but a different one which he was responsible for, one where the family Rachen knew and loved didn’t fully exist.
In front of him, Rachen cursed. Apparently, he had forgotten about it too while they’d been having sex. It was very easy to lose sight of what was going on when they were together. Not that Phoenix regretted what they’d done. On the contrary, he wished he could’ve had a little more time together before the world had intruded on their privacy yet again. Of course, that wasn’t to be.
Karein stepped into the room, glowering at them. “What do we have here? It looks like I was mistaken in giving you some lenience. Perhaps I should have told my brother to dump you two into separate cells. Then you wouldn’t be having so much fun.”
Rachen let out another growl. “Jealous?”
Shades of blood red trickled into Karein’s hair. “Actually, yes. You do realize that I’m very tempted right now to order your demise and to take what is mine.”
“Yours?” Rachen snarled. “You have to be joking. I’ll only let that slide because I know you’re confused.”
Karein arched a brow. “You clearly don’t realize your position. I’m the emperor here, and I give the orders. I can claim whatever I want, and destroy whoever stands in my way.”
A ball of dark flame appeared in his hand, and he readied himself to throw it at Rachen. Panic coursed through Phoenix. Of course, he’d realized that the Rachen of this reality was still inside Karein. However, he found that he simply drew a blank when having to face the consequences of it. Deep inside, he couldn’t truly process the idea of what he’d done.
He saw the huge differences that had already appeared between this place and the Draechenburg he knew, but they hadn’t fully registered, not until now. To a certain extent, Karein felt Phoenix was his mate, which was very regrettable given the obvious fact that Phoenix was in love with someone else.
Oddly, the situation was reminiscent of the memories Rachen had showed Phoenix of those times when he’d been convinced Sari and Talrasar were his mates. It was a strange roundabout way of having history repeat itself—even in this odd, mutated reality.
Given the hostility he read in Karein—no, in the second Rachen’s stance, Phoenix knew he had to do something before a conflict erupted. Already, guards were entering the room and preparing spells of their own.
Phoenix couldn’t lose his mate again. He simply refused to accept it. His powers didn’t work, but there had to be something he could do to stop this madness.
On impulse, Phoenix threw himself in front of his mate. “Stop this. I—”
His phrase was interrupted when several bolts of magic struck him. Pain erupted all over his body, and Phoenix screamed, collapsing against his mate.
Phoenix wasn’t used to physical wounds. In his previous form, he’d been next to invulnerable, with his only weakness being that damn meteor rock. But even if he’d been shot that time, the agony he experienced was very different. The spells that had struck him held magic which Phoenix understood and had once commanded. It was distressing, but this time, the fire burnt him and the ice froze him.
Clinging to Rachen’s shoulders, he convulsed in pain. Rachen’s fear rushed through him. “Oh, Overlords, baby. Why did you do that?”
Phoenix couldn’t answer, not through words, at least. He could only convey his thoughts through their still strong bond. “Why do you think? I love you.”
> His mind seemed to be hazy, but that idea was still so very clear. His love for Rachen remained unchanging, in spite of the agony gripping his body.
“Stay with me,” Rachen told him. “Come on, Phoenix. Don’t leave me.”
Phoenix tried to maintain his hold onto his consciousness, to cling to Rachen’s voice and obey the command, but he was drifting away. At the corner of his mind, he registered the fact that Rachen had placed him on the bed—the same one they’d made love in. Had it been just moments ago? How stupid and ironic.
Meanwhile, the second Rachen shouted orders, and his oddly familiar voice rang out in Phoenix’s ears. In his condition, he couldn’t grasp why there was a double of his mate there. It was easy to distinguish Phoenix’s mate from the two, but at the same time, Phoenix felt a pull toward the other Rachen as well. He heard the fear, the guilt, and the anger, and it hurt him as deeply as his mate’s pain did.
In his world or any other, Phoenix belonged to Rachen. He knew that beyond any shadow of a doubt. For that reason, he blindly reached for both Rachens. “Here,” he managed to say. “Come here.”
It wasn’t exactly easy, because he was facedown and his access to everyone else restricted. Nevertheless, he succeeded in conveying what he intended to. Seconds later, the emperor knelt next to his bed. Rachen snarled at him, but Phoenix just grabbed his mate’s hand and brought it to that of the second Rachen.
“I want you to stick together,” he said. “You’re going to need each other.” Glancing toward his mate, he murmured, “Help him, Rachen. Make this world right again. Fix it.”
“We’re going to fix it together,” Rachen said, his voice tinged with despair. “We’re going to go back to the way things were.”
Phoenix managed to muster a weak smile. He had to admit that, in spite of everything, he didn’t want that. Even if it meant his own death, he preferred clinging to this reality, because it meant Rachen would be all right.
Hyacinth, Scarlet - From the Ashes [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 7] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 3
