Denying Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Series)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Disclaimer
Copyright
Contributors
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Glossary of Terms and Characters
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
COMING SOON!
Other Works by Setta Jay:
About The Author
Denying Ecstasy
Setta Jay
A Guardians of the Realms Novel
Disclaimer:
This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. The characters and places are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
Warning – This book is intended for an adult audience. It contains explicit sex; ménage M/F/M; an instance of M/F/F ménage; voyeurism; dirty talking males with bad language
Copyright:
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Denying Ecstasy Copyright © 2014 Setta Jay, LLC
All rights reserved. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines up to $25,000 for violation.
Contributors:
Copy-editing: BookBlinders Reviews
Proofreading: Pauline Nolet
Dedication:
This is dedicated to all the fans of the Guardians of the Realms Series. You have been so incredible. I love you all and appreciate the amazing support. It’s been wonderful chatting with you on social media and through my website.
Acknowledgements:
A big thank you to all of the incredible Book Bloggers who’ve shown so much love and support for the series. I mentioned you all by name in the last book, but I’m scared I’ll miss someone new on this one. Your kindness and critique have been highly valued. It gets my books in the hands of those that will hopefully enjoy reading it. That you take the time to outline what you like and dislike in a book helps everyone. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you.
Thank you to the greatest friend in the world, Lindy. Without our weekly book store trips, lunches and tea, I would be insane. Kevin thanks you too. LOL. Your friendship keeps me level and your critique makes the stories better. I wouldn’t be able to do what I love without you.
To my advance readers who are always so awesome. Rebekah, Laura and Lori you are the best!
Lastly, to my wonderful and sexy husband, Kevin, who supports me even at my craziest. I love you!
Glossary of Terms and Characters:
Adras – Hippeus (half warhorse), Immortal warrior in charge of the city of Lofodes, mated to Ava, father of Alyssa
Ailouros – Immortal race of half felines, known as the warrior class, strong and fast
Akanthodis – Hell creature with spines all over its body and four eyes
Aletheia – Immortal race with enhanced mental abilities and power within their fluids, can take blood memories, strong telepathy
Alex – AKA Alexandra, Demi-Goddess daughter of Athena, sister to Vane and Erik, mate to Uri
Alyssa – Hippeus (half warhorse), Daughter of Adras and Ava, mate to Gregoire
Angus – Aletheia, second in command to Kane
Aphrodite – Sleeping Goddess, one of the three good Deities, mother to Drake
Apollo – Sleeping God that experimented with the Immortal races, adding animal DNA to most in order to create the perfect army against his siblings
Ares – Sleeping God and father of the Tria
Artemis – Sleeping Goddess and mother of the Tria
Astrid – Kairos, business associate to Alyssa and Rain
Athena – Sleeping Goddess – One of only three Gods that were good and didn’t feed off dark energies and become mad, mother of Alex, Vane and Erik, mate to Niall
Ava – Mageia/Hippeus, mated to Adras, mother to Alyssa
Bastian – Kairos (teleporter), Guardian of the Realms, diplomat for the Guardians within Tetartos Realm
Brianne – Geraki (half ancient bird of prey), Guardian of the Realms
Charybdis – Immortal abused by Poseidon and then sold and experimented on in Apollo’s labs, she gave a portion of her life force to create the mating spell, aka mating curse, so that no Immortal could breed with any other than their destined mate.
Conn – Lykos (half wolf), Guardian of the Realms
Creators – The two almighty beings that birthed the Gods, created the Immortals and planted the seeds of humanity
Cynthia – Mageia on Earth Realm working with Elizabeth and Kane
Cyril – Demi-God son of Apollo, Siren/healer, bad guy
Delia – Mageia, power over fire, worked for Rain, abducted by Cyril
Demeter – Sleeping Goddess
Dorian – Nereid, Guardian of the Realms, mated to Rain
Drake – AKA Draken, Demi-God Dragon, leader of the Guardians of the Realms, son of Aphrodite and her Immortal Dragon mate Ladon
Efcharistisi – City in Tetartos Realm
Elizabeth – Aletheia - evil
Emfanisi – Yearly, week-long event where Immortals and Mageia of age go to find mates
Erik – Demi-God son of Athena, Ailouros (half-lion), Vane’s twin, Alex’s younger brother, mated to Sam
Geraki – Immortal race of half bird of prey, power with air
Gregoire – Hippeus (half warhorse), Guardian of the Realms, mate to Alyssa
Hades – Sleeping God – One of the three good Gods, father to P (Pothos)
Healers – AKA Sirens Immortal race, power over the body, ability with their voices
Hellhounds – Black hounds blood bonded to the Tria in Hell Realm
Hephaistos – Sleeping God
Hera – Sleeping Goddess
Hermes – Sleeping God and Apollo’s partner in the experimentation and breeding of Immortals for their army
Hippeus – Immortal race of half warhorses, power over earth
Jax – AKA Ajax, Ailouros (half tiger), Guardian of the Realms
Kairos – Immortal race whose primary power is teleportation
Kane – Aletheia, bad guy
Ladon – Immortal Dragon, mate to Aphrodite, father of Drake
Limni – City in Tetartos Realm
Lofodes – City in Tetartos Realm
Lykos – Immortal half wolf with power of telekinesis
Mageia – Evolved humans, mortals compatible to be an Immortal’s mate, have abilities with one of the four elements; air, fire, water, or earth.
Mates – Each Immortal has a rare and destined mate, their powers meld and they become stronger pairs that are able to procreate, usually after a decade.
M
ating Curse – A spell cast in Apollo’s Immortal breeding labs that ensured the God wouldn’t be able to use them to continue creating his army. Charybdis cast the spell using a portion of her life force and now Immortals can only procreate with their destined mates.
Mating Frenzy – Starts when an Immortal comes into contact with their destined mate, sexual frenzy that continues through to the bonding/mating ceremonies.
Nereid – Immortal race of mercreatures, power over water
Niall – Immortal mate to Athena, father of Alexandra, Vane and Erik, experimented on in Apollo’s lab and turned into an Ailouros
Ofioeidis – Huge serpent hell beasts, hardest to kill out of all the hell creatures
Ophiotaurus – Hell beast with the head of a bull and tail of a snake
Ouranos – City in Tetartos Realm
P – AKA Pothos, Guardian of the Realms, Son of Hades, second to Drake in power
Paradeisos – Island pleasure resort in Tetartos Realm, owned by Tynan
Phoenix – Immortal race with ability over fire
Poseidon - Sleeping God
Rain – Mageia, destined mate to Dorian, best friend of Alyssa
Realms – Four Realms of Earth; Earth - where humanity exists, Heaven - where good and neutral souls go to be reincarnated, Hell - where the Tria were banished and evil souls are sent, Tetartos – Realm of beasts – where the Immortals were exiled by the Creators
Sacha – Kairos (teleporter), Guardian of the Realms, diplomat for the Guardians within Tetartos Realm
Sam – AKA Samantha Palmer, mated to Erik, power over metal, Mageia/Ailouros
Sander – Phoenix, Guardian of the Realms
Sirena – Siren (healer), Guardian of the Realms, primarily works to find mates for Immortals in Tetartos
Tetartos Realm – The Immortal exile Realm
Thalassa – City in Tetartos Realm
Tria – Evil Triplets spawned from incestuous coupling of Ares and Artemis; Deimos, Phobos and Than
Tsouximo – Hell beast resembling a giant scorpion
Tynan – Aletheia, owner of Paradeisos Island
Uri – AKA Urian, Aletheia, interrogator, Guardian of the Realms, mate to Alex
Vane – Demi-God son of Athena, Ailouros (half-lion), Erik’s twin, Alex’s younger brother
Zeus – Sleeping God
Prologue
Outside the City of Limni, Tetartos Realm – A Century Ago
Another blow landed against his opponent’s rock-hard jaw, splattering blood to the dirt at their feet. Dorian grinned wide and rolled his neck. He loved the surge of adrenaline running through his veins. The roar of cheers erupting around the ring fueled it. The Hippeus wiped blood from his lip and narrowed his eyes, forest green glinted in the firelight that surrounded them. They’d been circling and dodging for long minutes now. He never liked to end a fight too soon. He hated disappointing the crowd, and he didn’t have any intentions of making his friend look like a pussy. Only his brothers were a true match for him, but Cahal was a good fighter.
He grinned when he heard Brianne’s bloodthirsty shouts of encouragement from the sideline.
He looked over and saw his sister Guardian behind the rest of the crowd with Conn, another of his brethren. Her long titian hair was in braids, and she was in her leather fighting gear, the top backless. No Geraki liked to have their back covered, it had to do with freedom to unleash their wings. Of all his sisters, he had a soft spot for her loud and wild behavior. Both had too much energy to fully control, so they understood each other.
“Will you tell your damn sister to shut up?” Cahal growled.
“Oh, you better pound that damn pony into the ground!” Brianne shouted back.
Dorian chuckled, and Cahal looked even more irritated. He was a Hippeus, half war horse, and his sister calling him a pony was a taunt she used often when he and Dorian were pitted against each other. Conn grinned wide, his amber wolf eyes glittering in the moonlight. Both Brianne and Conn were there for him, having his back when he fought.
“Why does she have to be such a bitch?” the male snarled.
Dorian shook his head before kicking Cahal’s feet from underneath him. The male landed, and dirt filtered up around him.
Brianne’s loud cheers amplified, and he shook his head.
Cahal jumped up, looking furious. Dorian cocked a brow at the male. “You know better than to say shit like that.”
“That’s right!” Brianne shouted down to them from the rise above the ring. They were surrounded by betting Immortals yelling just outside a circle of metal spikes, yet none were as loud as Brianne. The ring was set lower, allowing the masses a better view. Trees circled the rise above, and he saw Blaine’s warriors keeping an eye on the crowds. He didn’t see the cat himself anywhere. He might have already started his evening of fucking. The moon was bright, and the scent of arousal spiked all around them.
His was the last fight of the night. Immortals lined up for the opportunity to pit their skills against a Guardian, and he was always game for giving them a show. He loved the pull in his muscles from fighting with only his strength. He’d always struggled to relax unless he’d fought or fucked himself into oblivion first. That was what he loved.
He spun and jabbed at the big male’s packed stomach. He and Cahal fought often, at least once every couple of weeks. The male was one of the Immortal warriors who guarded the city of Lofodes. The big Hippeus’ long black hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck. He wore a kilt in reds and black, leaving his chest as bare as Dorian’s. The flexing of thick muscled shoulders signaled Cahal’s next strike. One that Dorian easily maneuvered around. It was the one after that he didn’t get away from, it landed right against his ribs, and the impact launched his body back almost to the iron stakes that comprised the barrier against the crowds.
“You’re getting slow,” Cahal taunted with a smirk, one that the females seemed to love.
Roars of excitement filled the air. They were always thrilled when one of their own landed a blow. He grinned to himself. They were a bloodthirsty crowd, and he loved them for it. He’d always enjoyed a bloody fistfight, something he could get from his brothers or sisters, but they tended to practice skills useful in their duties. Ones that helped when fighting hell beasts or containing demon-possessed humans. The Tria in Hell liked to fuck shit up. Those triplet bastards were the reason he and his brethren were so damned busy. The twisted fucks, birthed from an incestuous coupling between Ares and Artemis, were powerful enough to send creatures and demon souls out into the other Realms, but not strong enough to gain freedom from their prison.
He and his brethren honed the abilities suited to cutting down hell beasts and containing the demon-possessed humans. One worked best with blades; the other required more finesse. Humans were never to be harmed by a Guardian, even the possessed, or he and his brethren suffered the same injury tenfold.
“Lucky hit,” he responded, with a grin.
He jumped to the side as Cahal charged. Dorian enjoyed the freedom and wildness in these bouts, and they kept his energy levels balanced. His side hurt from Cahal’s last hit, but the cracked rib would repair soon enough. He healed faster than the average Immortal. He was like them, yet not. The Creators had enhanced the Guardians’ abilities when they charged them with the protection of the Realms: Heaven, Hell, Earth and Tetartos.
He heard Cahal’s breathing change and spun away before the male could take him down to the ground. It had been a good fight. Cahal was one of his favorite opponents. He just liked the male in general. They loved fighting and often enough ended up sharing females after their match.
Another dodge and he spun low, kicking the male’s feet out from under him again. The ground rocked from the impact of the fallen warhorse. “Bloody bastard.”
He grinned down at his friend’s irritation, then saw Cahal’s smirk before he grabbed one of Dorian’s feet and flipped him back.
He felt the hard dirt at his back as he landed a
nd quickly rolled away, just marginally missing a foot to the ribs. The male was strong and faster than most of his race. He’d gotten better and better each time they were matched. Fighting in the ring always challenged Immortals like Cahal, those that were used to battling in their beast forms. The Limni ring was for human form only. Opponents were allowed no use of magic or powers. Only strength and cunning were permitted; that was why Dorian fought there. It was a different set of skills he was able to hone, and he enjoyed the excitement of it.
Each of the races had their own grounds for training their clans in whatever way they chose. This was different. His brothers and Brianne sometimes fought there as well.
Brianne continued shouting in the back of the crowd. The other Immortals gave her plenty of space. He saw that she and Conn held big mugs of ale and were smiling and sloshing the shit everywhere. He shook his head. They enjoyed the fights even if they came mostly to watch his back.
Drake, the leader of the Guardians, had long ago instructed him and the others to be cautious in their dealings with the Immortals of the Realm. The bastard was suspicious as shit, and in the early years it had been more than warranted. They’d dealt with several centuries of strife within the Realm. The Immortals and Guardians alike were nearly feral back then. Not all Immortals had been happy to be exiled and forced to live among the beasts of Tetartos Realm. Many had wanted to get back to Earth, and had been convinced that the Guardians could get them there no matter what the Creators had decreed before leaving the world.