by Brenda Trim
He shouldn’t be so judgmental. Cambree certainly didn’t deserve what happened to her. No doubt she was a loving female.
Lorne walked Cambree and her parents from the throne room after getting her address and promised to be at her place as soon as he packed some clothes. At least he shared Angus’s opinion regarding punishment of the attacker because it didn’t look like he wasn’t going to be attending the upcoming council meeting.
Let the babysitting begin, he thought with a sigh.
5
Everything blurred as Cael’s head swam with confusion, rage, and disbelief. His chest tightened, and his heart galloped like a racehorse bolting from the starting gate.
“Ay Dios, que jodienda. I am no one’s mate. I haven’t chosen either of you. I understand that you are upset, Cael, but I had no idea you had an identical twin. I assumed it was you walking into your bedroom,” Brianne explained in a rush. She held the sheet to her body as she rummaged through discarded clothing on the bedroom floor.
“How can you say that?” Cade blurted. “You wanted me. You’re my Fated Mate. This brand proves it,” he added.
Cael blinked several times, hoping to erase the image of his brother’s naked body thrusting inside Brianne. Even now, their combined arousal permeated the room, making him want to vomit.
There was no chance of calming the infernal rage. Cael wanted to rip Cade limb from limb then beat him to death with his own arms. It went against everything they stood for as identical twins. From day one, his brother was his best friend, but not anymore. Now, he was Cael’s number one enemy.
He couldn’t stop questioning why the Goddess would do such a thing. He’d never heard of two males sharing the same mate. He shook off the ludicrous notion. It had to be a grave mistake.
Morrigan created supernaturals like vampires, shifters, witches, sorcerers, and cambions. When she created these beings, she gave them Fated Mates. Part of the package for these supernaturals was an extreme possessive streak when it came to their mates.
For the first time, Cael understood Jace’s reaction to seeing Cade talking to Cailyn, or why Zander was constantly pulling Elsie into his embrace whenever unmated males were around. Cael wouldn’t have stopped fighting his brother if Brianne hadn’t pushed them apart. He literally wanted to kill his twin. He knew Brianne was confused and needed answers from him, but his mind refused to let go of the drive to fight Cael to the death.
He should be appalled by his reasoning, but he didn’t give a shit. His future depended on removing the competition. The old him would have wanted his brother to be happy, but right now all Cael saw was red as he stared at the tribal brand on Cade’s upper left thigh.
Cael focused on the detail of the mark and growled when he noticed the intricate circle not only looked exactly like the one that appeared on his leg twelve hours before but was in the exact same location.
His rage spiraled out of control, and he stomped to the pile of clothes and snatched Cade’s jeans, hurling them at his brother’s face.
“Put on some fucking clothes. Show an ounce of respect for once in your life. She IS mine!” Cael roared. Lucky for his brother, he did what was asked.
“Realmente, quise estar contigo. Again, I have not chosen to mate with either of you,” Brianne replied, drawing Cael’s attention. His heart stuttered and stopped beating for several seconds as she glared at him then Cade. “I should’ve realized you weren’t the same male. Mi leon and mi leoncito, indeed.”
Her lustful gleam trailed from Cade then back to him, and his heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. As much as he hated seeing her look at both of them with hunger in her dark eyes, the mating compulsion grabbed him by the balls. Beyond his control, Cael wanted to take her right then and there.
Reality crashed into him like a tsunami wiping out an island. He would never want another female. She owned him body and soul.
“You are mine, not his,” Cael demanded. “This is some cosmic fucking joke, Brother. You need to walk away and let me deal with my mate.”
Cade’s chin lowered, and his blue eyes darkened to black. When the world dimmed and turned a shade of gray, Cael knew his eyes were the same color as his fury spun out of control.
“We will settle this as warriors,” Cade declared. “I don’t want to murder my flesh and blood, but if you refuse to relinquish your claim on Brianne, then I will do what I must.”
His twin turned then silver flashed as his torso swung around. Cael didn’t have time to contemplate Cade’s intent as he ducked and twisted. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quick enough. Cade’s knife sliced through the skin and muscle of Cael’s bicep. The cut stung, but his desire to defeat his brother eclipsed the pain. If he wanted a death match, so be it.
“Let’s do this, Bro!” Cael spat as he reached to his boot and brandished his blade.
“Ya basta!” Brianne shouted. “This is ridiculous. I belong to no one! He’s your brother, Cael. You can’t do this.”
Cael crouched then kicked his twin in the stomach, sending Cade soaring across the room. The loud thud echoed, and the wall cracked, releasing white plaster into the air around them. Cade howled and claws extended from his fingertips while Cael jumped onto the bed.
Awareness trickled, and he looked to the crumpled fabric at his feet. He vowed to destroy the mattress and sheets that his brother defiled. They would make a grand bonfire after his victory over Cade.
“Zánganos, behaving like morons” Brianne muttered at the same time horror flooded her.
She had no clue that Cael had a twin brother. In retrospect, she should’ve known. The tender way Cade made love to her was not the Cael she met the night before. He was aggressive and dominant. She presumed their first time together was a ravaging tryst because of overwhelming desire, and that their next encounter was a more leisure exploration of lovemaking. She should smack herself for not questioning his odd comment about sharing. Why would he have been referring to Tristan? She was an idiot sometimes.
But, come on. Never in a million years would Brianne have guessed it wasn’t Cael walking into his bedroom. It was four a.m. Who walks into someone’s bedroom at that hour? And, everything about the two males was identical. Hair and eye color, height, weight. Hell, even the size of their…she shook her head at the thought. She still couldn’t believe she unknowingly slept with both males. And, as much as she wished she could deny it, she wanted a repeat.
What was it about these two brothers that kept her there? She should run from Zeum and never look back, yet she was riveted to the floor. Part of her attraction was the ferocity with which they fought over her. They were prepared to fight to the death, and that was a huge turn-on. It affected her on a core level. She was their entire world, and, for some reason, it felt right. There was this unnatural, yet intrinsic, draw to both males.
Focus, she told herself. Reveling in this battle was absurd. Brothers shouldn’t fight like this, and the last thing she wanted was for either male to get hurt. She needed to leave and never look back. Then, they’d stop attacking each other, and things would calm down. Nothing was keeping her at Zeum. The original reason she’d come to Zeum was finished, and she owed these two vampires nothing, despite their proclamations.
The thought of her being anyone’s mate was absurd. Harpies rarely took a mate, preferring the company of other harpies. Once Zeus’s hounds, they were oddities, even in the supernatural world. Brianne wasn’t part of the group that rebelled against Zeus and fought for their freedom, but her mother had been.
She was born in the Underworld when her race tried their hand at being Guardians there. No one liked it in Hell. There were too many to fight when their hands got grabby. Her mom lost an arm when she stole a slave that belonged to a particularly nasty Shax demon. Brianne and her sisters took their mother and fled after that. Many others followed their lead, and they’d resided on Earth ever since.
Brianne jumped out of the way when Cael stumbled from a blow. The two males were bloody, battered, and
bruised. Their skirmish was destroying Cael’s room, as well. Her first thought was to grab the beautiful silver vase on the hall table and bolt. There was also the crystal bowl in the entry, Brianne thought then let out a curse.
Stealing objects that caught her eye usually kept her occupied and content, but she couldn’t bring herself to act on those compulsions. She was too worried about the two males pummeling one another.
Their beautiful blue eyes blackened and their handsome faces contorted into perpetual snarls, revealing massive fangs. They’d both bitten Brianne with those pointy teeth, and she’d loved it. They were her first vampires. No one warned her of their erotic bite, or the fanged creatures would’ve been at the top of her partner list.
Something innate told her not all vampires would make her feel the way these two had. Had she reacted so strongly because she was their mate? Not that she was choosing them, she hastily amended. Unfortunately, their brands didn’t lie. She’d been around enough, and heard the rumors regarding mating brands. According to the Goddess Morrigan, these two males belonged to Brianne. Too bad for them she didn’t agree with that logic. And, she wasn’t one of Morrigan’s creations, so she wasn’t bound by some mystical bond.
And yet, she stood there, immobile and gawked at the two males battling over her. Staying because she had no choice was more palatable than remaining because her feet refused to leave. Or was it her heart?
Shaking her head, Brianne shut down the absurd connotation. She was not in love with these males. It was a deep and unyielding lust born from the greatest orgasms of her life. And, if she didn’t stop them from killing each other, she would never experience such pleasure again.
As she glanced around for some way to stop the two vampires, she asked herself if there was one she preferred more than the other. The answer was a swift no. They had each satisfied her in ways she’d never experienced, and she craved more. Given their reaction, she assumed they wouldn’t be open to her dating them both. Looked like she wouldn’t be screaming her satisfaction again anytime soon.
The whir of a motor brought her head around to the window and rising sun. Blinds that protected the sun-sensitive members of the house automatically descended, but not before Brianne got a quick glimpse of the property and lake. A newly-constructed building near the water grabbed her attention, and then a familiar face came into view, sparking an idea.
Turning, she raced from the room. The brothers continued their tirade, punching and stabbing with vigor. Her heart clenched that neither of the vampires noticed her exit. Ignoring the stupid pang of idiocy, she passed the exquisite vase with only a brief pause before she hurried down the hall.
“Hello, Brianne,” Queen Elsie greeted with a warm smile as Brianne rushed through the kitchen. “I didn’t—”
“Backdoor?” Brianne panted, cutting off the queen. She didn’t contemplate asking Elsie for help. She didn’t know the female, but she was royalty, and the last thing Brianne wanted to do was get Cade and Cael into trouble. “I need Tristan.”
“Ah,” Elsie said knowingly. “Through there,” she pointed, “and you’ll see the back door on the other side of the patio.”
“Thanks,” Brianne spouted and was in motion before Elsie finished speaking. She didn’t have time to elaborate on the queen’s misconception of why she needed Tristan.
Brianne dashed through the large room and noticed an enclosed pool. Oddly, she wondered why she hadn’t seen it before. Maybe because you’ve been busy sexing the twin brothers, she chastised as she thrust open the door. Her wings immediately flapped, lifting her off the ground.
She swooped through the air and soared toward Tristan. Below her, several males hauled suitcases from a parked van near the front of the building while a dozen stripling talking excitedly with one another. Tristan stood near the crowd, a scowl across his handsome face.
Brianne acknowledged the recent addition to the property was larger than five of her clan houses put together, and yet, it looked minuscule compared to the elaborate compound known as Zeum. Initially, she assumed the house was for staff until Tristan explained the Dark Warriors were establishing a safe house for stripling being hunted by the archdemon Crocell. It impressed Brianne that the Vampire royal family built facilities to protect their young until they eliminated any threat to them. It was beneficial to Zander that this new program worked two-fold, identifying new warriors to train.
As she made her way toward Tristan, she glanced through a large picture window on the side of the building. Inside, she could see a living room big enough to accommodate the group gathered outside. She counted at least five leather sofas, two massive flat screen televisions, and one gaming system, as well. These kids were likely going to live better than they had at home.
“Tristan!” she called out then landed quietly next to the male.
The warlock’s shoulder-length blond hair swirled around his face as her wings flapped at her sides. His blue eyes bulged when he saw her. “Hey, Blossom. Back for more of the big T?” Tristan murmured with a smirk on his lips.
If Brianne weren’t so smitten with the twins, she’d admire Tristan’s confidence. He was decent enough in bed and would make a great mate someday, but he had a lot of maturing ahead of him.
“Slow your roll, chiquito. That’s not why I’m here. I need your help. I…uh…,” she replied as nervousness took hold.
Suddenly, she questioned her decision to grab Tristan for help. Her wings fluttered rapidly, lifting her several feet off the ground. She took several deep breaths and forced her wings to still. Moments later, she settled back to the sidewalk.
Unfortunately, she had to involve Tristan. There was no one else she knew well enough to trust with the precarious situation. The last thing she wanted to do was cause problems for Cade and Cael.
“You need to come with me before they kill each other!” Brianne exclaimed.
“What?” he barked and suddenly went into stealth mode, his legs braced and fists raised in defense.
Brianne was impressed at his lightning quick response. It spoke to the high degree of training he was receiving with the Dark Warriors. She had no idea how they got through to the hot-headed, impulsive young male, but she had to believe her time with him helped. Once his body worked through its high demand of sex, he could concentrate on more important issues, like honing his skills.
“Who’s going to kill who? I don’t sense any nearby danger,” Tristan exclaimed.
“Not here. Upstairs,” Brianne explained and grabbed his bicep to pull him along with her.
They had an audience listening to their every word. Brianne doubted it was because of her black and red wings. The striplings were undoubtedly exposed to various species. In fact, many different beings called Zeum home. Vampires, sorcerers, an angel, shifters, and a Valkyrie, so these striplings had already seen winged creatures. More than likely, it was pure curiosity. At their age, Brianne’s nose was in every conversation she could find.
“Inside Zeum? Where? Did demons slip past our protections?” he roared as he pushed past her and picked up his pace toward the large home.
“No. It’s Cade and Cael. They’re in Cael’s room, and I’m scared they’re going to kill each other. We need to hurry,” she urged and quickly caught up to him.
She was tempted to pick him up and fly the rest of the way, but the male took off again, shouting over his shoulder, “Why are they fighting? And, why the fuck do you know this? I thought you left already.”
“Yeah, well. I didn’t,” Brianne replied and was shocked when she felt her face heat. Why was she embarrassed? Nothing ever made her uncomfortable. She was who she was, and anyone that didn’t approve could kiss her Latino ass. “I ran into Cael last night, and we got to talking, and…one thing led to another.”
Tristan laughed aloud. “You spent weeks in my bed then fucked another male within minutes of leaving it? Wasn’t I enough?” the male muttered, and his steps faltered.
“Look, I don’t have time to ex
plain, or try and make you feel better. This has nothing to do with you,” Brianne retorted as her desire to smack Tristan stole her calm. If Cade or Cael ended up hurt because this jackass’s ego was bruised, she’d skin him alive.
“I don’t need you to make me feel better,” Tristan denied. “But why is Cael using his twin as a punching bag? I know it isn’t because of me. Why should he care if you bed-hop.”
Brianne gave into temptation and punched him in the arm. “Asshole. They’re fighting because I slept with Cade earlier. And, before you say another word, I didn’t know they were twins. I thought it was Cael.”
Another outburst of laughter. Brianne pulled back her fist, ready to punch him where she knew it would hurt most. Tristan raised his arms in surrender.
“I apologize for laughing, but you got to admit that’s pretty fucking hysterical. But again, it doesn’t explain the fighting. I’ve known brothers who’ve shared females. While you are truly amazing between the sheets, I don’t see you coming between them,” Tristan admitted as they entered the enclosed patio.
“Yeah, well, it has something to do with the brands that appeared on their legs,” she muttered as they hurried past Elsie with a wave.
Brianne didn’t miss her pinched expression. The queen must’ve overheard their conversation. She could only imagine what Elsie was thinking.
“What? A brand?” he clarified as they reached the dual staircase.
She took the stairs two at a time, with Tristan keeping stride next to her. “Yes. First Cael last night and then Cade early this morning. They’re both insisting I’m their Fated Mate.”
“Oh shit. The Goddess must’ve been feeling salty the day she conjured that mating,” Tristan chuckled. “I’ve got to move into Anthru because of the mated males at Zeum. They can’t stand to have me near their females. I promise you this isn’t going to end well for any of you.”
Brianne’s heart lurched as she watched him take off at top speed down the hall. A loud bellow vibrated throughout the house a second later. The hallway was too narrow for her to take flight. It felt like hours passed before she turned the corner and watched as Tristan’s body made a new doorway through solid walls. Wood and plaster exploded around him as Cade and Cael, looking like road kill, pounced on him.
