Bound in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  “When was the last time you fed?” he asked her.

  She shrugged.

  “Briony, I don’t have time for this shit. When?”

  “Five days,” she muttered.

  “And him?”

  “The same, I think.”

  Apollo sighed. “You do know it’s not advised to feed another when you’re not taking care of yourself, right?”

  She didn’t answer, but he hadn’t expected her to.

  “Step back,” he commanded.

  Briony was up on her feet and moving back to give him room. With ease, Apollo slid his arms beneath the male and lifted him off the ground. He wasn’t as gentle when he dumped Mirakel onto the bed. Not because of his weight. More so because Apollo was tired of seeing shit like this. It seemed to be a recurring thing around this place for whatever reason.

  Well, he knew the reason. It wasn’t difficult to deduce that the male vampire had bonded with the female Fae. It was the easiest explanation as to why he would put off feeding. And considering Briony’s reputation around this place, he had to admit he respected Mirakel a bit more now. He was doing right by the female. Mostly.

  “What can I do?” she asked softly.

  “You can feed,” he snapped.

  “Okay.”

  Apollo’s eyes shot to her. “I was being facetious, female. You can’t feed from another male.”

  Her red-gold eyebrows shot lower. “I most certainly can.”

  He sighed. “I don’t think you understand what’s going on here, Briony.”

  Her hands went to her hips. “Then enlighten me, healer.”

  He knew beneath that innocent facade was a backbone of steel. Had to be considering what the Fae had endured over the centuries.

  “The male has bonded with you.”

  “He what?”

  “Bonded. Mielix zan. Imprinted. It’s a vampire thing. If you feed from another male right now, he’s going to come out of this and go ape shit.” Although Apollo kind of wanted to see that considering the male was down for the count.

  Then again, he had no interest in stitching up another because a bonded male vampire had torn through someone else.

  “Okay, here’s what I’m going to do.” Apollo quickly took Mirakel’s pulse, then turned back to Briony. “I’m going to bring in blood and force-feed it to him if I have to. That should tide him over enough to wake him up. At that point, you’re going to feed from him. Then in an hour or so, when you’re both a little more stable, he’ll feed from you.”

  She nodded but he wasn’t sure she’d heard a thing he said. Based on the way those amethyst eyes were locked on Mirakel, she was still trying to process the fact a vampire had bonded with her.

  When she didn’t say anything, Apollo stepped out to retrieve the blood. When he returned a minute later, Briony was standing beside Mirakel’s bed, brushing his hair back from his face. While there was still concern etched on her pretty features, there was something else. Approval, maybe? Hope? He had no clue, honestly.

  It didn’t take much to get the blood bag prepped and the tube pressed against Mirakel’s lips. Apollo started the process by squeezing the bag, allowing several drops of blood to hit the male’s tongue. That seemed to do the trick because Mirakel’s head turned as he sought the source of the nourishment, his lips wrapping around the tube like a straw.

  Damn good thing Amethyst had insisted they start storing Fae blood as a backup. She was brilliant in that regard, always thinking ahead, hence the reason they now had numerous bags stored in a refrigerator in the storage room.

  “Here.” He urged Briony to take the bag. “When he comes to fully, which he will in a minute or so, I want you to make sure he finishes this.”

  “Okay.”

  “And when he asks, which he will, assure him that this is your blood.”

  “Is it?’

  Apollo cocked his head to the side. “Yes. I’m not an idiot.”

  “Oh.”

  Yeah, it was clear she had no idea how this whole bonding thing worked. But since this truly wasn’t his area of expertise, Apollo didn’t feel the need to explain it to her.

  “Like I said, I want you to wait an hour after he finishes that. Then you can feed from him. And the cycle can begin all over again.”

  She at least had the decency to appear sheepish.

  Leaving the two of them to it, Apollo stepped back out into the hall. He strolled over to the computer, pulled up the number to the Lair, and snatched his cell phone from the table. Punching in the digits, he hit the call button.

  “What?”

  The voice that sounded on the other end was familiar, and it drew a smile out of him.

  “This is Apollo. I wanted to let someone know that Mirakel’s over here taking up space in one of my beds. He passed out from lack of feeding. It’s being taken care of, but in case you cared.”

  “Fuck you, Doc. We care.”

  Apollo chuckled, enjoying the fact he got a rise out of Blāz. Then he hung up, wondering just how long it would take the vampire to storm his way into the infirmary and give him another piece of his mind.

  He honestly hoped it didn’t take long. As it was, it had seemed far too long since the last time they went toe to toe.

  Stand. Sit. Stand. Sit.

  Blāz had alternated the motion repeatedly for the past two minutes, his feet not quite giving in to the idea of going to the infirmary.

  Damn doc. What the fuck?

  He peered into the parlor, where Kidel and Huracān had taken up a game of darts. For a brief instant, he considered telling them about Mirakel, letting one—or both, hell, he didn’t care—haul their happy asses down to the infirmary to check on the male.

  But no.

  Oh, hell no. His body had other ideas, and for some fucked-up reason, it thought he should be the one to head over.

  Blāz peered down at his crotch. “No,” he told the damn appendage that was starting to rise in anticipation.

  “Who’re you talking to?”

  His head snapped up in time to see Kidel looking at him like he’d lost his damn mind.

  Then again, Blāz was almost certain he had. Totally fucking lost it.

  “No one,” he muttered. “I’ll be back.”

  Kidel nodded, then turned his attention back to the game.

  Fucking hell.

  Once again on his feet, Blāz headed for the underground tunnels. He had to adjust his stride as he fought with his idiot cock. The damn thing was thick and proud, as though what was at the end of the tunnel was his best friend in all the world.

  Fucking dumb ass.

  “Just go in there, check on Mirakel, come back. Easy-peasy. Don’t look at the doc. Don’t talk to the doc. Don’t even fucking think about the doc.”

  Blāz growled.

  Easier fucking said than done. Ever since the kiss heard round the world, he hadn’t stopped thinking about Apollo. Not for a minute. And here he was.

  No way to ignore the way Apollo had taunted him on the damn phone. He’d known instantly what the doc was up to.

  “In case you care,” he muttered. “Why the fuck wouldn’t we care?”

  Damn needling asshole.

  Why him? Why did Apollo have to go and notice him? It was bad enough Blāz had spent the past few weeks thinking about the damn angel, fantasizing about him. That had been hard enough. It was like Apollo knew and now he wanted to push him.

  Blāz saw the doors leading into the residence up ahead. He squared his shoulders, shifted his hips, and strolled forward. After placing his palm on the wall, letting the laser scan his retina, then instructing the door to open to satisfy the voice recognition, he took a deep breath and fought the urge to mow down the doors.

  He managed to make it through without ripping off any of the hinges, even maintained a steady, even pace.

  The angel had his back to him, but Blāz wasn’t fooled. No way Apollo didn’t know someone was coming up on his six.

  “Wondered how long
it’d take you,” the doc muttered before turning to face him.

  Those pale blue eyes raked over him without an ounce of discretion.

  Tonight, the angel was sporting a pair of black scrubs, which, Blāz had to admit, were damn appealing on him. His blond hair was brushed back from his face, the shadow of a beard coming in, the scruff only a tad darker than his hair. He looked good enough to fucking eat.

  No.

  No, he did not. Blāz wasn’t here for a meal, damn it.

  “Where is he?” he barked.

  Apollo hooked a thumb over his shoulder, indicating the farthest door. Blāz headed that way, pretending he didn’t find it hot the way the sexy angel filled out those scrubs.

  Rather than stroll into the room, Blāz peeked in the rectangular window in the door. He saw Briony first. The pretty Fae was standing at Mirakel’s bedside, her eyes locked on the enormous male laid out on the bed.

  He was considering what his next move was when he felt the warmth of a body at his back.

  “They’re doing fine,” Apollo whispered near his ear. “Couple of idiots ignoring their biological needs. But they’ll survive.”

  But would he? Blāz wondered. His body reacted instantly to Apollo’s nearness, the gruff sound of his voice.

  He didn’t bother to turn around. “So why’d you call me?”

  Apollo pressed up against his back, full-on heat contact, and Blāz thought for a minute his knees would buckle.

  Fuck. Ing. Hell.

  Oh, not to worry, though. That damn angel banded one arm around him, keeping him off the floor as he backed them both into the room across the way.

  No sooner had they stepped into the darkened space when Blāz spun around and slammed the angel into the wall, their mouths crushing together. Heat pierced every molecule as the doc’s tongue thrust against his.

  Fuck, he tasted good. Like mint. And sex.

  Heaven help him.

  What was it about this damn male that undid him? He didn’t understand it. For two hundred seventy-nine years, Blāz had never let another male get to him like this. Then again, his body had never reacted quite to this extreme, either. It was as though there was some magnetic force bringing them together. Blāz was the damn magnet and Apollo a piece of sheet metal.

  As was always the case, Blāz kept his hands to himself, refusing to give in to the urge to touch. Tasting was enough. If he got his hands on him, God only knew how far he’d take it.

  Granted, Apollo didn’t seem to have the same problem. His big hands were gentle yet firm as they pushed beneath Blāz’s T-shirt. Apollo’s fingers spread wide as he spanned his stomach, his chest, back down, around. When Apollo cupped his ass and jerked him forward, Blāz groaned low in his throat. The kiss was brutal, and there was no doubt his lips would be bruised when this was over, but he couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t want to stop.

  “Touch me,” Apollo demanded.

  “No.”

  As though daring him to stop him, the healer reached for the button on Blāz’s jeans. Their mouths separated so Blāz could watch what he was doing. Even in the nearly pitch-black space, he could see clearly, watching as those deft fingers released the button then the zipper. When Apollo thrust his hands into his pants, Blāz groaned again.

  “Fuck,” he hissed, turning so his back was to the door. Otherwise, he would’ve been a puddle on the floor.

  That big hand curled around his cock, stroking oh so gently. The male was fucking with him, no doubt about it. Be that as it may, Blāz didn’t even think to stop him.

  Apollo worked him up, down, up, down. Enough friction to make his head spin, but not nearly enough to send him over.

  As Blāz focused on breathing, he let his head fall back against the wall, the sensations consuming him, overwhelming.

  “I want to feel you inside me,” Apollo rasped, his voice a dark rumble against Blāz’s ear.

  “Never gonna happen,” he bit out, though he knew it for the lie it was.

  The healer chuckled softly, and then in one swift move, he spun Blāz around, his chest crashing into the door. Apollo’s hand never stopped moving on his cock, stroking firmly, confidently.

  He felt Apollo’s body against his, a delicious weight that held him in place while the male worked him closer to orgasm.

  “It’ll happen,” Apollo stated, his lips brushing Blāz’s earlobe. “Don’t doubt that for a second.”

  Blāz placed his palms on the wall and pushed back against the heavy weight holding him. He made no attempt to push Apollo away. No, this was the simple need to be grounded in this moment.

  “Fuck,” he cried out, his cock twitching and pulsing as his release neared.

  “Come for me,” the healer demanded. “Let go for me, Blāz.”

  He wanted to refuse Apollo for the sake of it, but even he knew that wasn’t possible. He wanted this too much even if he had no room in his life for this.

  The male’s other arm banded around him, sliding up his shirt, his palm splayed flat. It was the warmth that seared him that did him in. Well, that and the amazingly good hand job the doc was giving him.

  His hips bucked, driving his erection into that fist, and a second later, he was flying, his body bursting apart as his cock kicked hard. Thank fuck for the male holding him up, because Blāz’s knees buckled from the pure pleasure that pierced him from head to toe.

  When it was over, he couldn’t move. That didn’t seem to matter, because Apollo was holding him there, his arms firmly wrapped around him as though he’d known what would happen.

  “One of these days…” Apollo whispered, his lips trailing down to his neck.

  For a brief moment, Blāz felt the scrape of Apollo’s fangs, and a strange sensation washed over him. He wanted to know what those would feel like piercing his vein. He’d never fed another soul in his life, never planned on it. But right here, right now … he almost wished it so.

  Luckily, his common sense returned along with his strength. He pushed to his full height, pulling away from Apollo, tucking himself away, and righting his jeans.

  “Never happen, healer,” he growled before storming out of the room and making a beeline for the Lair.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “What are you looking at?” Kaj asked as he approached Kidel on Wednesday evening.

  The male sat back in his chair and motioned toward the screen. “These are the four cameras Mirakel and Blāz managed to set up at the Dungeon.”

  Leaning in, he quickly skimmed each of the four scenes. It took less than a second because they weren’t depicting anything other than an empty space.

  “It’s early yet,” Kidel said as though he could sense Kaj’s frustration. “But this morning, after the club closed, Darko stayed for a while. Another vampire arrived and they talked for a good half hour.”

  “About?”

  The male frowned. “That’s the problem. Either the audio’s bad on those cams or they’re blocking it somehow. I can’t hear a thing.”

  “But you should?” Kaj strolled to the chair at Kidel’s right.

  “Yeah.” Kidel’s fingers began moving over the keys swiftly. “I may have to go in there myself, take a look.”

  “Take Huracān if you do.” No way was Kaj sending only one in. Last thing he cared to do was set up one of his own. He didn’t trust Darko as far as he could throw the bastard.

  “Will do. I figured I’d give it a couple of days. Don’t want him to get suspicious.”

  Kaj leaned back to give the heurosp room to set his meal in front of him. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, sire.”

  When the female disappeared from the room, Kaj peered at Kidel. “Any update on when we’re getting vestrahn in place?”

  He got a shrug in return. “Blāz is supposed to be working on that.”

  Kaj picked up his fork. “Supposed to be?”

  Kidel’s gold eyes swung toward him. “I mean no offense, phaal, but we’re spread a bit thin right now. With only
four of us, it’s slow going. Blāz is prioritizing the panic room.” The male smirked. “That’s what he’s dubbed the project. I’m dealing with a few bugs in the exterior security and working with the fiestreigh to fortify theirs and ours. Not easy when I can’t see a damn thing outside these walls. Huracān’s lending his muscle, going out on patrol with the angels.”

  “And Mirakel?” Kaj inquired when the male didn’t include him.

  “I think he’s doing his best to be invisible.”

  Ah. Right. Mirakel was doing his best to hide from Briony.

  “You know Apollo had to give him a blood bag early this morning. Evidently, he’d put off feeding too long. So did Briony. From what I heard, Mirakel passed out.”

  Fuck.

  Although Kaj wanted to push that issue aside and pretend it would fix itself, he knew better. For one, Kidel was right. They were extremely short-staffed. While it had always been the five of them, they hadn’t been the only ones who made up the Zenith. But without a trustworthy pool of soldiers to choose from, Kaj was hesitant to staff an army. Not to mention, he didn’t have anything for them to do aside from the obvious.

  Which meant he needed to get his ass in gear.

  “I need help,” he told Kidel.

  The male’s eyes shot to his face once more.

  “What?” Kaj smirked. “Never thought you’d hear me say that?”

  Kidel chuckled softly. “Actually, no.”

  “Well, it’s true. I’ve delayed long enough. It’s time we get with the program.”

  “Whatever you need me to do.”

  “We need to figure out what my father was tending to, and I need to pick up where he left off.”

  No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Blāz sauntered in. His eyes were bloodshot, his black hair mussed, at least two days’ worth of beard growth on his face.

  “You look like shit,” Kidel offered.

  Blāz nodded, then dropped into a chair at the opposite end of the table. “Evening to you, too.”

  Kidel peered at Kaj as though looking for help.

  “We were just discussing our next steps,” he told Blāz. “It’s time I sit in the Alpha’s chair. I’ve put it off long enough.”