“You’re fucking kidding, right?” Zaiden yelled.
“Nope. It says it right here in black and white.”
“For how long? Just the first twenty-four hours or what?”
“It says until the next gathering. So, for the next four years until February twenty-ninth rolls around again.”
“And what happens if we don’t?”
“I’m guessing the same as if we don’t find a mate. We go apeshit. I’d lose my phoenix, and you’d lose your magic.”
A long pause met his words. Unable to take the silence any longer, Asher spoke again. “I can’t live without my phoenix, Zaiden. I was so pissed, I was ready to walk out of that castle without any thought to the consequences. I’m okay with crazy, but I can’t lose my bird.”
“I know,” Zaiden whispered. “I won’t let that happen. Does it say how long we have to fix this?”
Asher re-read the letter for the fourth time. “No, but judging by the way I’m feeling right now, I would guess it’s not long. A few hours maybe. No more than six or so.”
Tapping on the other end of the line preceded Zaiden’s low, sexy growl. “I can’t find a flight that would get me there in six hours!”
Closing his eyes, Asher groaned as another wave of pain and heat coursed through him. “I’ll come to you.”
“Are you listening to me? There aren’t any flights. In either direction.”
“Zaiden, man, I’m a freakin’ bird, and a phoenix at that. I can make it in three hours.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to shift and fly that far?”
Zaiden’s concern pulled a soft smile from Asher’s lips. “I’m honestly not sure, but I don’t see any other option.” Moaning in pain, he rolled into a sitting position and carefully climbed to his feet. “I can’t bring anything with me but my phone, so I’m going to need some clothes and stuff when I get there.”
“I’ll take care of it. Hurry and be safe. Do you need directions?”
“No. I can feel you.” Asher frowned and shook his head. “I can’t explain it, but I know I’ll be able to find you.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Snapping his phone shut, Asher grabbed his wallet from his jeans and struggled toward the door. Stepping out into the night air, he glanced over his shoulder, taking one final look at his little beachside home, then closed the door and his eyes as he called on his phoenix.
The change was much longer, much more painful than usual, but eventually he was able to shift. Picking up his phone and wallet in his talons, he spread his red and gold wings and took flight over the Caribbean waters.
* * * *
Zaiden paced his backyard, completely nude and staring up at the sky as sweat poured from his overheated skin. The latest weather report had the temperatures hovering just above forty, but to Zaiden it felt like the pits of Hell.
His cock bounced between his legs as he strode across the dew-covered grass, swollen and throbbing as it leaked copious amounts of pre-cum from the tip. His wrist and forearm felt sore from the number of times he’d jerked himself off. After the eighth round, he’d finally given up. Each release only served to push the burn closer to the surface until he felt he would combust with it.
A light mist began to fall, washing away some of the perspiration as steam rose from his flushed body. Three and half hours since Asher’s call, and Zaiden began to worry. He’d been walking a rut into his backyard for nearly forty minutes, his cell phone clutched in his hand, desperate for some news, some sign of his mate.
As the four-hour mark drew near, a soft, musical call sounded from overhead, and Zaiden snapped his head up, blinking through the steady drizzle, searching the night sky. A large, crimson bird circled overhead, coming closer to the ground with each rotation. His beak opened again, emitting the most amazing sound Zaiden had ever heard.
The calls from his phoenix sounded like a love song—joyous, beautiful, and heartbreakingly tender. The eagle-sized bird landed in front of him, folding his wing and dipping his head as his body began to transform. Within minutes, Asher stood before him, flushed, wet, and absolutely gorgeous.
They looked at each other for a moment before Asher launched himself at Zaiden, locking his arms around Zaiden’s neck and attacking his mouth like a starving man. Stumbling toward the back door of his house, Zaiden groaned as Archer humped against him, grinding their diamond-hard erections together.
“Need you,” Asher panted against his lips once Zaiden managed to get them safely into his dimly lit kitchen.
Zaiden’s blood boiled at having the man in his arms, recognizing Asher as his mate and demanding they find a flat surface and soon. “I know, baby. Just hold on. I’m going to fix this.” The endearment rolled off his tongue without thought, and Zaiden found he didn’t care.
Setting his lover on the counter, Zaiden continued to lay claim to his luscious mouth as he fumbled blindly for the olive oil dispenser behind Asher.
“Hurry,” Asher whispered. He trailed his lips down Zaiden’s neck, biting at the sensitive flesh, then slipping his tongue out to soothe the slight burn.
Wrapping his fingers around the glass bottle, Zaiden drizzled the slick oil into his palm and quickly coated his jutting cock. He gripped Asher’s hips, jerking him forward until his ass hung off the edge of the counter.
“I don’t know if I can be gentle,” he warned.
“I don’t care. I need you in me.”
Zaiden eased his slippery fingers between his lover’s rounded globes and stroked his fluttering opening, relaxing the muscles before pushing in with two fingers.
Asher cried out, tossing his head back and rocking against the invading digits. “More, Zaiden. I need more.”
“Shh, baby. I’m working here.” Zaiden scrunched his eyebrows together as he concentrated on stretching the muscles that clamped down around his fingers. “Relax, Asher. Take a deep breath.”
Zaiden’s head swam, and his muscles quivered as he used every last resource in his arsenal to hang on to his fraying control. Asher’s hole began to open for him, and he slipped in a third finger, sawing in and out of the velvet-lined entrance.
“Enough. Now, please,” Asher begged. He pushed up on the counter, supporting his weight with only his arms as he thrust against Zaiden’s hand. “Zaiden, please, oh fuck, please. It hurts.”
“Okay. Okay, baby,” Zaiden said shakily. He eased his fingers from Asher’s tunnel, gripped his straining cock, and nudged against his mate’s opening. Rocking his hips as gently as he could, he worked the engorged head past the guarding muscles as he slowly penetrated his eager lover.
Asher pushed back against him, impaling himself on Zaiden’s prick in one fast, hard motion. Zaiden moaned loudly, gripping the man’s hips and holding on for dear life as his orgasm barreled down on him.
“Down and dirty, Zaiden. Fuck me like you mean it,” Asher demanded.
Taking his lover as his word, Zaiden began a punishing rhythm, slamming into Asher’s welcoming body again and again. “Can’t last. You feel goddamn amazing.” Zaiden lifted Asher higher, slamming home over and over.
“Gonna,” Asher panted raggedly.
“Do it. Come for me, my little bird. Show me you belong to me.”
Asher’s eyes squeezed shut as he screamed out his release. His inner walls tightened, clenching in waves, as semen shot from the crown of his swollen cock in spurt after spurt of thick creamy fluid.
Satisfied that he’d taken care of his lover, Zaiden threw his head back and roared, pumping through his orgasm and bathing Asher’s still-convulsing channel with his seed. The climax felt like a soothing salve, calming the burn and easing the clawing need inside him.
He slumped forward over his lover, pulling the man to him as he clutched him close. “Looks like you’re stuck with me,” he whispered.
“There have been worse things,” Asher answered just as quietly. “At least I kind of like you.” He eased away and looked up into Zaiden’s face with a smirk. “An
d the sex is fucking hot.”
Zaiden’s chuckle turned into a soft hiss as he gently slipped his still half-hard prick from Asher’s hole. “No argument there.”
Looking over his mate’s nude body like it was the special on the menu, Zaiden’s eyes landed on what looked to be a dark birthmark on the inside of Asher’s thigh. Running his fingertips over it lightly, he smiled when his mate shuddered.
The letters AD and ZR twined together, woven around each other in an intricate knot. “Does my mating mark look like this?”
“Yep.” Asher smiled softly. “I saw it when you showed the guard.”
Zaiden dipped his head. “Cool.”
“I just flew four hours and had the best sex of my life. I’m hungry.” Asher’s bottom lip poked out as he eased himself down from the counter. “Feed me.”
Rolling his eyes and nipping at the protruding lip, Zaiden pushed away from the counter and helped his lover to the floor. “So, what took you so long? I thought you said it would only take three hours?”
His brow forming a shallow V, Asher shook his head slowly. “I circled back a couple of times once I’d hit the States. I had this weird feeling like someone was watching me—following me.” Then he shrugged and smiled. “Silly, I know. I just didn’t want to bring trouble to your door.”
“Oh, but you did,” Zaiden said as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “And I opened right up and invited him inside.”
Chapter Four
Asher slipped out the door and hurried across the back lawn to retrieve his cell phone and wallet. Thank the gods the drizzle had ceased. Now he just hoped his cell phone was still functional.
His answer came within seconds when his phone began to ring just as he snatched it up from the damp grass. Eyeing the name and number on the display screen, he smiled widely as he answered. “Hello, honey.”
“Don’t ‘honey’ me! I come home to find the shower running, the carpet burned, and your clothes in the middle of the damn floor. Where are you?”
“Close to Chattanooga, Tennessee, I think.”
A long pause met Asher’s words before his best friend’s voice drifted over the phone. “Exactly why are you in Tennessee?” He spoke slowly, as though trying to piece together a puzzle.
“Well, my mate lives here. Where else would I be, Colt?” Asher could just picture Colton shaking his head in exasperation.
“I get it. You could have at least told me, though. You just fucking disappeared after the elders’ announcement, man. I didn’t know where the hell you’d gone.”
“Aww, you love me.”
“Don’t let it go to your head, asshole,” Colton said gruffly. “So, I guess that answers the shower and singed carpet question. You didn’t read the letter did you?”
“Shut up,” Asher grumbled.
Colton just laughed. “Are you coming back, or do you need me to pack your stuff up for you?”
“Uh, I’m not really sure yet. We haven’t discussed specifics, ya know?”
“Well, if you’re coming back, you should know we have a new house guest.”
“Your mate,” Asher deduced.
“Yep, and boy is he a handful. He almost got me fucking arrested at the airport.”
A broad grin crept over Asher’s lips. Colton needed a little spice in his life, and it looked like his new mate would be just the person to liven things up. “Okay, I need to get back inside before Zaiden thinks I abandoned him again. I’ll let you know what to do with my stuff.”
“Stop that!”
“What?” Asher frowned in confusion.
“Not you,” Colton sighed. “Yeah, just give me a call when you figure it out.” He growled deeply. “I gotta go, man.”
Asher laughed as he closed his phone and made his way back inside the house. The sweet smell of buttermilk biscuits wafted through the kitchen, making his mouth water and his stomach snarl. “That smells awesome, but you didn’t have to cook.”
Zaiden stood near the oven, still completely nude. He smiled over his shoulder and shrugged. “I didn’t really have any insta-food. Biscuits were fast and easy.”
“Do you mind if I take a quick shower?” Asher grimaced as he ran a hand over his chest. “I’m totally gross right now.”
“Sure. Down the hall, second door on the left is my bedroom. The attached bathroom has soap and stuff, and you can grab some sweats from my dresser.”
Asher inclined his head in thanks. “Food, shower, and clothes—I knew I liked you.”
Zaiden chuckled and waved his hand. “Hurry up.” He rapped his knuckles against the front of the over door. “These are almost done.”
Asher grinned as he sauntered down the hallway in search of Zaiden’s bedroom. He and Colton had been best friends and roommates for centuries, but neither of them could cook worth a damn. Now he had a gorgeous, naked man in the kitchen making him biscuits at one o’clock in the morning. He could definitely get used to that.
* * * *
Zaiden swallowed back a groan as he watched Asher’s cute ass sashay out of the room and around the corner. Shaking his head to clear his lusty thoughts, he ducked into the living room and grabbed the sleep pants he’d discarded when the mating heat had become too intense.
After sliding them up his hips and tying the drawstring, he hustled back to the kitchen and began preparing white gravy from scratch. He didn’t know what his mate would like, but he didn’t really have many options. They would definitely need to go shopping.
The thought froze him mid-stir as he whisked the milk and flour in the saucepan. Would Asher be moving in? Or did he expect Zaiden to travel back to Mexico with him? Hell, he didn’t even know what his mate did for a living.
Zaiden loved his job, his home, and mostly everything about his life with one exception. That exception was another thing he needed to talk to Asher about. What would the man say when he found out that Zaiden had lost his magic?
“Stop thinking so hard. You’re making my head hurt.” Asher’s voice drifted to him from across the room, and Zaiden closed his eyes briefly. Perhaps it would be better to get the less pleasant subjects out of the way in one clean shot.
“We need to talk.” Zaiden spoke without turning.
“I really don’t like the way you said that, but yeah, we do.”
Pulling the biscuits from the oven, Zaiden placed the pan on top of the stove and reached for the plates he’d set beside the sink. After filling both dishes, he finally turned and eyed his mate.
The guy looked like a little boy who’d raided his dad’s closet. He had the sweats rolled up several times at the waist, but they still swallowed him. The shirt wasn’t much better. The sleeves fell down past his elbows, and the hem reached almost to his knees.
Zaiden smiled. His mate looked damn cute in his clothes. “Can you grab the silverware?” he asked, jerking his head toward the drawer near the fridge.
Asher smiled brightly and nodded as he bounced over and began gathering the silverware, napkins, cups, and milk. After placing them all on the table, he sat across from Zaiden and dug in hungrily, moaning around his fork. “This is fantastic.”
Chuckling lightly, Zaiden cut into the steaming bread and took a bite, closing his eyes in appreciation. Yeah, it was pretty damn good for a last-minute meal.
“Okay, so let’s talk.” Asher poured himself a glass of milk before reaching over to fill Zaiden’s glass. “Am I staying here, or did you want to go back to Mexico?”
Well, his little mate certainly cut right to the heart of the problem. “I like it here,” Zaiden said slowly. “I have a good job. I own this house outright. I wouldn’t exactly call them friends, but I know a few people here.”
“Okay, then we’ll stay.”
Tilting his head to the side, Zaiden looked his mate over curiously. “Just like that?”
Asher shrugged adorably. “I have one friend in Mexico, and we can visit each other anytime. I have more money than I know what to do with, so I don’t really need to w
ork. I’ll just move in and be your housewife.” He winked impishly.
Zaiden snorted, almost shooting milk from his nose. “How is it you have so much money?”
“Well, when you’ve lived as long as I have, it just kind of accumulates.”
Well, shit! Zaiden hadn’t wanted to get to that part of the discussion yet. Oh, well, better to just rip the Band-Aid off and lay open his wounds. “Exactly how old are you?”
Asher’s brow wrinkled, and he scrunched his nose. “Just shy of four thousand.”
Zaiden began coughing, choking on the bite he’d just taken. “Four thousand,” he gasped. “And I thought I was old at two hundred.”
Rolling his eyes, the grin never slipped from his mate’s beautiful face. “I’m a phoenix, man—the absolute epitome of immortal.”
Zaiden frowned as he stabbed at the remaining food on his plate. “Yeah, about that.” He spoke without looking at Asher. “I lost my magic,” he blurted.
The room went unnaturally silent for a long moment. When the silence became too much, Zaiden looked up to study his lover’s expression. Sadness and shock warred for dominance on Asher’s visage. His golden brown eyes pinned Zaiden in place with the intensity of their gaze, as though Asher peered right into his soul.
“How?”
Sighing, Zaiden pushed his plate away from him, no longer hungry. “It happened at the last gathering. Long story short, I trusted the wrong man, and he screwed me.”
“Another sprite?” Asher asked quietly.
“No.” Zaiden shook his head. “He’s a witch. He syphoned my magic during sex.” He growled the last word as the bitterness of the memory washed over him.
“You loved him.”
Without looking up, Zaiden nodded slowly. “Yeah, I loved him.”
How messed up was he? Darkin hadn’t been his lover. The man had been his obsession for nearly three decades, and he hadn’t thought twice about jumping in the sack with him when the witch finally showed a tiny spark of interest. He’d heard all the stories, all the rumors about Darkin’s misdeeds. Then he’d brushed them all aside, unwilling to believe the worst about the man who had haunted his every thought for so long.
Evans, Gabrielle - Fire and Ash [Midnight Matings 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 3
