by Brea Alepoú
Seth: They have come for war.
Enormous fireballs slammed against the barrier, followed by strikes of lightning that had the barrier once again flickering into sight.
“It won’t hold much longer,” Kyo said through clenched teeth.
Seth: Mazki, cut the numbers down. They want fire to show them they chose the wrong one to go up against.
Mazki flew outside the barrier, and he was attacked instantly. Alfrik took a step to go help, but Seth growled for him to stop. Alfrik froze and watched in horror as Mazki was hit with a bolt of lightning. The pain seared through the bond, and Adom screeched. Rage flourished through the bond, and Alfrik knew instantly it was Titos’s.
Mazki didn’t fall; instead, he flew higher, and there was a tug inside of Alfrik. He gave in to it. The barrier flickered, and Alfrik got ready to attack the moment it fell.
Mazki’s wings grew four times their normal size and brighter. He plummeted down to the group of edoli, and they tried to run. Some even stayed to hit Mazki with lightning, but it had no effect. The moment Mazki got close enough, they went up into flames.
Seth: Get ready.
The barrier popped like a bubble, and Seth howled. Alfrik didn’t think, even as the scent of burning flesh and hair assaulted his senses; he went on the attack. He clashed with an electric liger. Electricity danced along with the liger’s paws, and every time he swiped at Alfrik, there would be a shock to follow. Not much got to Alfrik when he was in his lava bear form, with his exterior being mostly rock, but the electric shock to his system had him seeing colors and his heart racing.
Alfrik shook him off and waited till the liger took another swipe at him. He let the claws connect with his body. He ignored the pain, growling as he pushed his entire body into the liger, making sure he didn’t have room to dodge. The lava that flowed just under the surface sprung free and dripped down onto the liger.
He mewled and scratched at Alfrik, but it only made more lava fall onto him. The scent of singed fur was all too familiar. Alfrik rolled off the other beast and watched with satisfaction as the liger rolled around on the grass, trying to get the lava off him. But unlike regular fire, lava burned hotter and couldn’t be put out that way.
Alfrik got back on his hind legs and picked the liger up. He was barely clinging to life. A roar tore through him, and he used his strength and tore the liger in half. Blood splattered on him but instantly was burned upon touching him. He dropped the dead edoli and went to attack the others who threatened to come onto their territory.
Alfrik turned in time to catch sight of another liger coming at him. It didn’t make it to him. One second it was ready to pounce on Alfrik, and the next, a bright light flashed and nearly blinded Alfrik before Gin appeared. He was slightly smaller than the liger but had no issues bringing it down. His teeth ripped into the liger’s back.
Gin jammed his antlers into the liger before being tossed to the side. Alfrik roared and charged at him.
Gin: No, don’t touch him.
Alfrik stopped and glared at their newest member as he shook himself off. Alfrik growled and was about to attack the liger anyways when he caught sight of vines wrapping around the liger, keeping him immobile. Not only that, but small buds started to appear, and the liger mewled. It turned into a scream as he shifted back into his human form.
Fear glittered in their eyes as he shouted for it to stop. As the buds grew, the more the man screamed and the weaker his thrashing got. When the flowers opened up, they were the same gold flowers that decorated Gin’s antlers. The screaming stopped, and Alfrik checked the man’s eyes. They were lifeless.
Alfrik: Impressive.
Gin pranced away from him with what looked like a smile on his feline face. Alfrik looked around, and they were winning by far. The enemy had made a grave mistake.
An arrow whizzed past him, nearly hitting Seth. Alfrik growled and turned to catch sight of someone hiding in one of the trees. He bellowed as he went in for an attack. He saw the glint of metal and tracked the aim of where the arrow was headed, and his heart plummeted to the pit of his stomach.
Alfrik: Arrow aimed at Master. Cover.
He just hoped one of them reacted fast enough because Alfrik wasn’t going to get to the shooter in time, but he sure as shit was going to rip him to shreds and make him into a fossil.
Alfrik’s panicked voice rang throughout the entire bond. Adom crouched down low, and Titos fell forward. He turned, searching out the danger. But everything happened all at once. He caught sight of the arrow headed toward him. It was as if the world slowed down just for him. Even bent over, the arrow was going to hit him, and he knew it. He could feel all of his keepers’ panic rushing through him.
Titos’s heart picked up in speed, and he closed his eyes for a brief second. It was all going to be over too soon. He hadn’t had a chance to express how much he loved them all. It wasn’t just because they were there for him; it was so much more. They meant everything to Titos.
A familiar warmth blanketed over him, and tiny sparks touched his skin. Titos opened his eyes just in time to see Mazki’s phoenix and all of its glorious flames before everything crashed and burned. An ear-piercing screech came from Mazki, and his side of the bond burned white-hot to the point Titos felt sick with pain.
“No,” Titos whimpered out.
He fell off Adom’s back, clutching his chest. The fight was very much still going on around him. But all Titos could focus on was the odd burning coming from Mazki. His precious phoenix.
Seth: Guard him.
Kail materialized next to Titos, tears already running down his face. Tito’s hands trembled as he held on to his keeper. Adom’s wings flared out and guarded them as they knelt down next to Mazki. Titos opened and closed his mouth as he stared at Mazki’s phoenix light dying out. The bond inside of him just for the bird got colder by the second.
Seth: Titos, Kail, you can’t stay there. Please.
Titos couldn’t even think straight. How could Seth say such a thing? Did he not care about Mazki?
Adom: That is far from the case, Master. He knows Mazki is a phoenix—he is not gone.
Titos shook his head. He could feel it—the bond was dying off, turning into nothing but ashes and taking his man away. Titos’s very soul wept as he reached out for Mazki. The flames didn’t burn, but they didn’t feel warm either. Kail was right by his side, and his fingers trembled as he touched Mazki’s feathers. They were going from bright red and orange to brown and slowly black.
Titos felt the others crying for him through the bond, but he shut it down. It hurt too much. A silent cry was pulled from him, and he fell forward. He rested his face for only a short while as Mazki’s body turned to ashes in his arms.
Titos’s mind teetered on the edge. He knew deep down that what Adom had said held some truth, but how could he deny the feelings inside of him? They felt so real. Mazki was gone—not even a spark of his bond could be found.
Power swelled inside of Titos. He could tell instantly it was too much and he needed to calm it down, but he had no idea how or if he really wanted to. They had come to his land and killed his keeper. And for what? Rage was quickly taking over Titos. He balled his fist, ready to kill every single last person out there.
The cover of Adom’s wings disappeared, and Kail shifted, fast his face a mask of fury. He blanketed a hunter in darkness. Titos didn’t hesitate. He pulled his blades out and entered the darkness that was Kail. He didn’t need his eyes—he and Kail were connected, and he could feel exactly where the edoli was.
An eerie calm came over Titos as all thought left his head. He waited as the edoli freaked out. He was clearly trying to escape the inky blackness, but there was none. He might as well have been tossed down an endless well. Titos snuck up behind him and brought the blade to his neck. He pierced the skin effectively and dragged it straight across.
The metallic scent of blood only fueled his anger even further. The edoli dropped to his knees, and Titos stood ther
e listening to the man gurgle and no doubt trying to gasp for air. The blood was hot on his skin but still wasn’t enough. The power inside of him pressed against him, demanding an out. Titos could feel his control slipping. He should give in and destroy them all.
Seth: Master.
The word was shouted through the link, and Titos clutched his head. He’d been holding them all out. He fully opened back up and walked out of the darkness. He squinted his eyes against the glare of the sun, and his gaze fell upon Seth in his human form.
All of his smooth, light brown skin and chiseled abs were on display. He was covered in just as much blood as the rest of them. Titos marched right up to Seth, intending to punch the man, but as Seth opened his arms, Titos’s plan changed. He fell into his alpha’s arms as more hot tears spilled.
Seth was warm, and his bond was very much intact.
“I am so angry with you,” Titos grunted out. He still clung to Seth, even as the others came closer to him. Liby looked as if she’d bathed in blood. Kyo was only mildly better. Adom and Kail had the least amount of blood on them. Gin stood near Alfrik, and they both looked sullen but okay physically.
“I know,” Seth said softly. His large hands cupped Titos’s face and tilted his head back. “I would never intentionally ask for you to leave any of your keepers.”
Titos blinked, trying to clear his blurry vision. “Mazki—the bond.”
Seth kissed Titos’s tears. “He will rise from the ashes.”
Titos stared at Seth. The man sounded so sure of himself. “How do you know that?”
“The little birdie told me himself. Not to mention he’d already said it was getting close to his time,” Seth said.
Titos pulled back from the embrace. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
Seth smoothed back some of Titos’s hair. “He only informed me this morning. I’m assuming he’d planned to.”
The ball of dread in the pit of Titos’s stomach unfurled somewhat. “So what do we do?”
Adom moved closer to them, and Titos kissed Seth before going to his other keeper. Adom’s strong arms wrapped around him and brought comfort to him.
“We wait. Did Mazki by chance tell you how long it would take?” Adom asked.
Seth sighed. “He did not, which we need to address once he is back.”
Kyo cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’m going to pull the barrier back up. It will be quicker than last time, but it needs to go without being attacked for about a month.”
Titos sighed. He couldn’t exactly promise that. “Did any survive?”
Gin nodded and pointed to a woman wrapped in vines, buds starting to form on them.
“What is happening?” Kail asked.
Titos’s head tilted to the side as he tried to figure it out himself.
“The flowers are draining her life,” Gin said matter-of-factly.
Titos glanced around the battlefield that was technically his backyard and spotted a few golden flowers. They were shining bright as if they had a light inside of them.
“Wow.”
Gin grinned as they moved over to the woman. “Can you stop it?” Seth asked.
Gin sucked in a breath. “No. I was able to use something similar before, not nearly this effective or strong, but once it starts, there is no stopping it. I can slow it down, cutting off the buds before they bloom.”
Seth nodded. “That’s fine. I want answers. After we have them, that will be good enough.”
Titos stood next to Seth and glared down at the woman. Her eyes were full of tears, but Titos felt nothing. They had come to his home unprovoked and attacked.
Titos handed over one of his blades to Gin, and he went to work cutting off the deadly flowers. He sliced away the vine covering the woman’s mouth.
“Who are you, and why did you attack us?” Titos asked.
The woman’s eyes tried pleading with him. “Please, we didn’t know,” she said.
Titos’s eyebrows dipped. “Didn’t know what? That you were attacking me? Or that we were stronger than you?”
A cry burst from the woman as another vine wound its way back to her mouth, and her shrill screams were cut off.
“I can’t say I’m angry with the vines shutting her up. Although creepy,” Kail said.
Titos sighed. He crouched down and stared the woman in the eyes. “Answer the questions.”
Gin cut the vine again, and she gasped for air.
“The Valtruse house, the Dehyrus house, the Zeger house, and Olvix houses all met. Valtruse house warned all that there was a self-proclaimed king and he was trying to take over a territory and upset the current balance,” the woman rushed out.
“And which house are you from?” Adom asked.
“Please, I want to live,” she begged.
She hadn’t thought about any of them when she and the other edoli had decided to attack.
“Were your orders to take us alive as prisoners or kill us on sight?” Titos asked, his face an emotionless mask.
The woman looked away, and he had his answers and she had hers.
“Olvix house—we were the closest, and I know that bitch of queen Mia set us up. We are the smallest out of the powerhouses.”
Titos didn’t doubt that. Mia was a vicious queen; she hadn’t held her rule for so long for no reason. She’d killed any who thought to try and steal what she had. Titos had grown up with many stories about her. Not only did she defend her own territory, but she ruthlessly took over others. Her reach was far, and Titos loathed that she was his enemy, but he wasn’t going to bow down to her.
“What else can you tell us?” Seth growled.
The woman attempted to shake her head, but a vine was wrapping itself around her throat. Gin sighed.
“It’s speeding up.”
Titos opened his mouth to ask another question when he felt a small spark. He whirled around, the woman completely forgotten as his gaze roamed the area. He caught sight of the pile of ashes and ran over to it.
Titos stopped short as the ashes burst into flames. The heat that radiated off the fire made him sweat, but he didn’t move an inch. The bond was lighting up again. It was renewed and stronger than ever.
As the flames died down, Mazki’s smiling face appeared. His black hair lay flat, his marble-colored eyes catching the sunlight perfectly.
“You look like you are about to cry,” Mazki said.
Titos threw himself in Mazki’s arms, pulling him close and kissing his cheek and neck. He was there, and he could feel and smell him. But more importantly, their bond was still there.
Mazki wrapped his arms around Titos.
Mazki: Sorry I worried you. I was going to tell you it was time for me to die and be reborn, but things kind of got out of hand.
Titos shook his head. No thought or words came to mind—he was just happy Mazki was there. He pulled back and looked him over one more time. No arrow sticking out of his chest, not even a scratch on him.
Titos could feel the anxiety coming from the others, and it made him smile even more. He back away so the others could have their moment with Mazki.
“You took your sweet-ass time on purpose,” Kail said, pushing their laughing phoenix.
Mazki chuckled. “Aww, I was missed.”
“Dumb bird,” Seth grumbled, but Titos could feel the relief radiating from his alpha keeper.
“So that means I get a welcome-back blowjob, right?” Mazki said.
Titos laughed as Adom picked Mazki up and tossed him over his shoulders. “Sure thing, brat. I won’t be stopping until you’re a begging mess.”
Gin sauntered up to Titos. “Does that mean I get to come along or go back to my room?”
Titos smiled at his newest keeper. “Our room is now your room. If you want.”
Gin nodded, and Titos could feel through the bond that Gin was more than happy to join them.
“Just fall wherever,” Seth said.
Gin smiled, and as he fell in line with everyone el
se, Titos relaxed even further. They worked, all of them.
Being reborn had been his life story for quite a long time. There came a time in every phoenix’s life that they burned to ashes, only to rise again. It was a curse for immortality. Many people craved it, but it wasn’t all it was chalked up to be. For a split second, the world had gone dark, and he’d been all alone. Just like how it had been before he met Seth and Titos. Before he was a part of something bigger.
“Who attacked us?” Mazki asked. He poked at Adom’s plump ass a few times, just enjoying himself. The best part about shifting was that everyone was naked. Well, everyone except Kail. And what a shame that was.
“It was Olvix house,” Adom said.
Mazki sighed. “And they are?”
“A medium-level house, but they are partnered with some of the big houses. Titos’s old house is one of them,” Adom said.
Gin ran over to them, and Mazki winked at their newest member. “You looked awesome shifted.”
“You were checking me out?”
Mazki grinned at him. “Of course. Bird’s-eye view gives you plenty of advantages.”
Kail caught up, and he looked to their resident bad boy and was met with a stern glare.
“You know, I feel like I should be quivering, but instead, I’m just getting hard,” Mazki said.
The sound of a sharp smack echoed around him before the sting even registered.
“Fuck ouch,” Mazki finally said. He pushed on Adom’s back and glanced over his shoulder at the man.
“You had us all worried,” Adom said.
Mazki sighed and turned back. He caught sight of Titos’s face, and he’d for sure been crying. But he’d told them before he was immortal. They made it back to the house in no time, and Liby and Kyo excused themselves to get dressed.
“Everyone, get clothes on.” Titos had his cell phone that seemed to have survived the battle out in hand. “Ginger says she is reaching out to the Olvix house now.”
Adom finally let Mazki down—not that he was complaining in the least, but it still sounded as if his punishment was going to be placed on hold for the time being. It was a disappointment, but Mazki knew it wasn’t the time. Their enemies were getting bolder. And now there were even more.
