Devon in Wonderland (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting ManLove)

by Jana Downs

  “God, I needed that,” Layden said as he joined them, curling next to them both and wrapping his arm around Devon.

  Abraxas leaned up and placed a kiss upon Layden’s lips. Devon gazed onward, watching as their tongues mingled with one another. He licked his lips anxiously as they reluctantly pulled away from each other.

  “How I’ve missed you, my Layden,” Abraxas said, breathless. He cocked a half grin before pulling away from Layden’s attentions to look down at Devon. “And you, Devon. How I’ve hungered for you since the moment I first laid eyes upon you.”

  Devon met Abraxas’s tender gaze with his own and smiled. Reaching out, he pulled Abraxas toward his lips. The kiss set fire to every fiber inside him as he let Abraxas surround his senses. His lips danced across Abraxas’s as his tongue teased him mercilessly. This was where he belonged.

  * * * *

  The erotic dream didn’t end with Devon waking as he slowly opened his eyes to find himself passionately returning Abraxas’s kiss. Before his senses could return, Layden’s fist collided with Abraxas’s jaw, knocking him to the ground.

  “What the hell do you think you are doing?” Layden exclaimed, shaking his hand from the impact of the punch.

  Abraxas sat up from his fallen position on the floor as he rubbed his bruising jaw.

  “I uh—” Abraxas started, searching for some kind of explanation.

  “You ‘uh’ what? Tripped? Fell?” Layden was shouting now as Devon sat up, looking from one man to the next.

  “I don’t know what came over me okay? I must’ve been sleep walking or something.” Abraxas’s eyes narrowed as he picked himself up off the floor.

  “Sleep walking, that’s a new one,” Layden scoffed. “Yeah, right. I know you only wanted to sleep in here so you could put the moves on Devon yourself. How lame were you for insinuating that I would try something so sneaky and underhanded. I’m not the one that needs to be watched, obviously.”

  The coldness in Layden’s tone echoed in the room as Devon watched him stare down Abraxas, his arms folded across his chest. Devon didn’t know what to say. He wanted to stop the fighting, but every thought that came to mind sounded lame.

  “Layden, I’m—”

  “Don’t. Say. It,” Layden said through clenched teeth, and the tension in the room increased exponentially. “Don’t you dare say you’re fucking sorry.”

  Devon could’ve sworn he saw Layden’s eyes tearing up, but the lighting was too dim to be sure. Abraxas stood silently frozen by Layden’s words, and Devon could tell he desperately wanted to reach out to him. So did he for that matter.

  “You’re a lying bastard. You swore to me that I was the only one for you.” Layden’s voice broke as he tore his gaze away from Abraxas and ran a hand through his messy hair. He slumped back down onto his makeshift bed on the ground.

  Silence lingered in the room as Abraxas stared longingly after Layden before returning to his own bed.

  Devon didn’t say anything, couldn’t say anything. This wasn’t his battle, and yet something weighed heavy on his heart, knowing that his presence alone had been the cause of all this.

  “You lied, too,” Abraxas said at last. “I know you like Devon.” The hurt in Abraxas’s voice was evident.

  Devon closed his eyes and lay back down. Silent tears slid down his cheek as he bit his lip to keep from making any sound. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want them fighting over him, especially not when there was already so much tension between them to begin with.

  For the rest of the night, he tossed and turned, trying to ignore the guilt and hurt he felt. He couldn’t help the fact that he was attracted to both of the men, and he hated that he seemed to be causing them nothing but suffering. Tomorrow he’d just have to insist that he sleep outside. Devon didn’t know if he could take another night of this.

  Chapter 5

  Their travels the next day were tiring and awkward. Layden and Abraxas were back to not talking to each other, and Devon was exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before.

  “I think here’s a good place to stop for lunch,” Dru said eagerly as he turned to face the rest of them.

  “Oh, thank the god.” Asher breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down the backpack he’d been carrying for the past hour. They took out their rations and began to eat in silence. By the look of it, everyone was tired and worn out from traveling so much.

  “Why don’t we rest a couple hours?” Devon offered, looking at Druis, who was currently stuffing his mouth full.

  “Hmm?” He swallowed and smiled. “Sure, good idea. I think we could take a little break from walking.”

  Devon looked to Layden and Abraxas for conversation, but they were too busy trying to avoid eye contact to notice. Not that he should’ve really expected any different after the fight they had the night before.

  Sighing, Devon stood up and made his way over to the cooler for some more water. As he grabbed a fresh bottle and made his way back to his seat, Ezekiel’s sketch he was working on caught his attention. Devon moved in closer to look over his shoulder for a better view. He was talented, to say the least, and Devon watched as Ezekiel’s hands moved effortlessly over the page, sculpting an exact replica of his subject matter out of nothing as he did so.

  “That’s beautiful,” he said in awe as he admired the drawing of him, Layden, and Abraxas.

  “Thank you.” Ezekiel tucked his long hair behind his ear and blushed a little at Devon’s compliment. “Why don’t you join me?”

  He moved over to where there was room for both of them on the rock he’d been using as a seat.

  “Do you care if I take a look at your other drawings?” Devon asked eagerly, and Ezekiel nodded as he handed him his sketch pad.

  With gentleness, Devon turned the pages, examining each piece of art and admiring the attention to detail. He was halfway through his sketchbook when something about the particular drawing he was looking at made him stop. It was a simple sketch, not too much shading, but there was something in the expression of the two young boys holding hands that called to him. There was a sadness to their eyes as they stared out at him from the page.

  “Who’s this?” Devon asked, pointing to both boys as he looked up at Ezekiel.

  A warm smile spread across his face. “That’s Layden and Abraxas when they were younger.”

  “You knew them when they were little?”

  Ezekiel nodded. “Yeah. We used to all meet at the white dragon palace sanctuary and play when we were kids while our parents conducted council meetings with the king.” His fingertips lightly touched his sketch as though he were remembering a different time and place. “They used to be real close, inseparable even, but all that changed after Layden’s parents forbid him from seeing Abraxas, and now so much has changed with Layden becoming clan heir and the death of his brother. Sometimes I think that if Alex had taken the Azure clan throne, there wouldn’t be so much tension between them.”

  His expression became somber as he looked toward the two men who were completely oblivious to their conversation.

  “Alex is Layden’s older brother?” he asked.

  “Yes. May I?” He reached for the sketchbook.

  “Oh, sure.” Devon handed him the book readily and watched as he began flipping through the pages. He stopped on a portrait of a frail-looking man with long black hair. His big beautiful eyes held a hint of vacancy as he stared out the window.

  “This is Alex,” Ezekiel stated with admiration.

  “Wow.” Devon raised his eyebrows. “He’s gorgeous!”

  Ezekiel nodded. “His beauty is most revered across the lands, but hardly anything else is known of him as he’s never been seen outside the Azure palace walls. Even though he was next in line to be clan heir, for some reason Layden’s parents chose Layden instead.”

  “But why didn’t he become the clan heir after his brother’s death?” Devon looked at him, perplexed.

  He shrugged. “Who knows? No one’s said anything,
only that Layden is to be clan heir and that as clan heir he must be here to compete for the throne and bring pride to his people. If you ask me, though, I don’t think he wants to be clan heir, let alone King of all Draconia.”

  “What makes you say that?” Devon asked as he met Ezekiel’s gaze.

  “I think it’s mostly because I know what it’s like to have to take on the responsibility of an entire kingdom and not want it.”

  “You didn’t want to become king either?”

  Ezekiel shook his head. “No. I much prefer the confines of my painting studio back home. After my parents’ death during the Fae Wars, I became clan leader at a young age. I have no interest in becoming king. Taking care of my own kingdom is enough responsibility for me. The only reason I’m here is to show my support and represent my people. I know I can’t handle the responsibility of rebuilding my own kingdom and ruling over the other clans, but it brings a sense of pride to them just knowing that I’m here. It’s something they need right now to lift their spirits. Plus, it’s not all bad. I get to see my old friends again.”

  Ezekiel looked around the campground and smiled. “Even if they’re being stubborn, it’s still nice to have a break from my duties.”

  Devon’s brow furrowed as he studied Ezekiel. “The Fae Wars? What was that?”

  “It was an attack from the neighboring Fae kingdom. They killed a large portion of my people in their rampage to get to the White Dragon City where they continued their slaughter, killing every last white dragon within the city confines. That is except for the late king. I don’t really remember it since I was just a toddler when it happened, but I do remember having to work with my advisors to help rebuild the cities.”

  “It must’ve been hard on you, having so much responsibility at such a young age.”

  Ezekiel shrugged. “It was at first, but I’m used to it now. I just want peace and happiness for my people. I think that’s the most any good ruler can hope for.”

  “All right, let’s move out! We need to hurry if we’re going to make it to the Saffron Temple by nightfall,” Dru called, interrupting the conversation. Ezekiel stood and began packing up his supplies.

  “Hey, Ezekiel, isn’t that near your clan?” Devon asked as he helped him gather his drawing utensils.

  “Sort of. It’s actually near the remains of what used to be the Saffron palace before it was destroyed in the War. It was my home once upon a time.”

  Devon handed him another notebook. “You know, I’m sure everyone would understand if you didn’t want to come with us for this one.”

  “It’s okay, really. I think I’ll be all right, but I’ll let you know if it bothers me too much.”

  Devon flashed him a warm smile. “Okay. I’m going to go get my things together before Druis yells again.” He turned and headed toward his things.

  “Hey, Devon.”

  He turned back around at Ezekiel’s call. “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for listening. It’s nice to have someone to talk to every once in a while.”

  * * * *

  “This is it. This is where the second gem is supposed to be,” Druis said eagerly as they stared out at the pile of rubble.

  “And exactly how are we supposed to find it in all this rock?” Asher cocked an eyebrow at Dru as he gestured to their surroundings.

  “Simple. It’s supposed to be in the underground temples. There should be some kind of passageway leading down to it. The rest will be up to Devon.”

  “How did I know you were going to say that?” Devon groaned.

  Druis grinned. “So it’s settled then. Let’s go ahead and start searching. There’s a few hours of daylight left. Abraxas, can you tie up the camels in the shade while I, Layden, and Cerilius prepare some supplies?”

  Abraxas nodded and went to do as he was instructed.

  “Hey, Zeke, why don’t you and Devon start getting enough water for us to carry since we won’t be able to drag the cooler down there,” Dru called over his shoulder before following Layden and Cerilius toward the technical gear to see what they might need to bring.

  Devon looked at Ezekiel and half smiled. “Guess it’s just me and you then.”

  He grabbed a couple bottles of water and packed them in the assortment of backpacks.

  “Hey, Ezekiel,” he called over his shoulder. “Can you hand me Layden’s bag so I can put some water in it?”

  He waited a couple of minutes, but there was no response. Turning around he spotted Ezekiel staring off in the distance at the ruins. He approached him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Devon asked.

  Ezekiel raked a nervous hand through his hair. “Not really. I don’t think I can do this.”

  His amber eyes met Devon’s. “Hey, it’s okay. I told you, you didn’t have to come with us. I’ll even talk to Druis.”

  He sighed a breath of relief. “Thanks. Hopefully, he won’t be too mad.” Ezekiel cast an apprehensive look over his should in Druis’s direction.

  “He’ll be fine,” Devon reassured him. “I’ll see to it.”

  “Thanks,” he said as his gaze shifted uncomfortably to the ground.

  “Hey, do you think you could prepare me some of that tea? I’m not feeling too well, and it always seems to do the trick after a long day. Plus, I’d really like some with my dinner when we get back.”

  Ezekiel nodded enthusiastically at his offer. “You bet, Devon. You be careful, though. The Saffron clan’s magics are powerful, and I only hope you guys don’t run into any trouble like we did last time.” His brows furrowed in concern.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll have the rest of the guys with me. Now let’s go finish packing.”

  * * * *

  Devon was beginning to hate damp, cold places. The musty smell that filled his nostrils caused him to sneeze for what had to be the hundredth time since they’d first found the entrance to the underground temple. He much preferred the dry, desert wasteland on his explorations.

  He squinted his eyes, trying to see the path ahead as Cerilius held the light in front for him. The rest of the men were following behind, waiting for some kind of signal that he’d found the gem. The only thing Devon was able to sense was a faint signal off in the distance, but nothing definitive.

  “Have you found it yet?” Dru asked for the seventh time, and Devon rolled his eyes.

  “No, Druis. Like I’ve said before, it’s still a faint signal.”

  “But we’ve been walking for hours,” Asher complained, and that made him smile a little.

  “Toughen up, boy. We’ve got a mission to fulfill.” Dru slapped Asher’s back, and he groaned at the sensation.

  “Yeah but you’re not the one who’s had to carry everything today. I’m so tired!”

  “Asher, you’re ridiculous—” Devon slipped midway through his sentence as his foot came into contact with a slime-covered rock. Cerilius reached for him, catching him just before he fell on his ass.

  “Thanks.” He looked up at him, and Cerilius smiled.

  “Don’t sweat it. Just be careful. We’re getting close.” Cerilius’s eyes narrowed in the dark abyss that awaited them. Just as they started progressing forward again, a deep rumble sounded and the ground and walls began to shake.

  “What’s going on?” Devon exclaimed. Cerilius reached out and touched the crumbling walls. A green energy surrounded him as he closed his eyes.

  Almost instantaneously, he opened them, only this time panic was reflected in his stare.

  “It’s a cave-in. Everyone follow me!” Cerilius ordered, turning to the rest of the group, but it was too late. Devon watched in horror as the ceiling collapsed on top of them. He covered his head with his hands, anticipating the blow, but Cerilius lunged forward, knocking both of them out of the way just in time.

  He looked on in shock and disbelief as the rock continued piling high, separating him and Cerilius from the rest of the group. A moment later, all vibrations had stopped and
the only evidence left was the giant rock wall, trapping them inside the cave, and the stirred-up dust around them.

  “No!” Devon exclaimed as he pushed himself from the ground and ran toward the wall. Cerilius was right behind him, grabbing his wrist before he even had time to reach the first rock. He turned toward him with tear-filled eyes.

  “If you’re not careful, it’ll collapse on top of you,” he warned.

  “But what if they’re still alive! They could be hurt,” Devon pleaded as his lip trembled at the thought of anyone of them being fatally wounded.

  “Devon,” a faint voice from the other side called, and instantaneous relief consumed him.

  “I’m here! Are you guys all right?” he yelled back.

  “Yeah, we’re fine. We managed to get out of the way in time. What about Cerilius?”

  Devon could tell it was Abraxas speaking even though his voice was muffled by the dirt wall separating them.

  “He’s fine. We’re both okay.”

  “All right, we’re going to try to dig a way through to you guys. Hopefully it won’t take too long since we need to try to find this gem tonight before there are any more cave-ins.”

  Cerilius cursed as he kicked a loose rock. “Damn, this is going to take all night and we’re already exhausted.”

  Devon turned and looked at him. “Don’t you have the power over earth? Is there anything we can do to help them?”

  He cocked his head in his direction. “No, I’m afraid if I use my powers I might cause another cave-in. It’s too risky.”

  Cerilius thought for a moment. “I do have an idea, though. Hey, Dru,” he called.

  “Yeah, Cerilius?” Druis’s reply sounded closer this time.

  “Devon and I are going to continue onward and search for the gem. That way we can conserve time since we don’t know how long the stability of this underground temple is going to last.”

  An uneasiness settled in the pit of Devon’s stomach at his words. He didn’t like this idea, especially after the last encounter he had when they were searching for the gem, but Cerilius made some valid points. It would save them some time, and time was something they didn’t have the luxury of wasting if this cave-in was any indication.