Bloodfire Awakening

by Indiah Winter

  “You know he doesn’t like dogs.”

  Grayel was Raph’s co-Isherai council chairman and a complete dick. But above everything, the ass seemed to have a severe hatred for “dogs”—a derogatory term for hellhounds and werewolves—the latter being the offspring of a hellhound and some other species.

  Breathing deeply, he teleported himself outside of Royal’s house. The floating and then the sudden grounding of his feet made Raph’s teeth rattle. Gaining his bearings, he walked up the side between the lawn and a purple van parked in the driveway. Peeking inside one of the van’s windows, he raised his brow at finding all the seats ripped out and a mattress in the back that was coated in hair. Raph knew Royal very well. He knew the man adored his animals and tended to treat them better than most people.

  Making it to the door, Raph pounded only once. From inside, howls and barks sounded, overtaking the quaint, small neighborhood Royal lived in. The dogs began to scratch at the door insistently, making Raph want to hang his head at the brain-splitting headache. His head jerked up. Headache?

  Before he could think harder, he heard Royal shout from the inside the house, “Get out of my way!” When the door opened just a crack, the hellhound said through the five-inch gap, “Don’t let them out. They’re impossible to get a hold of.”

  Raph groaned inwardly as he squeezed through the opening and closed the door behind him, knowing Kippy would just flash inside on his own.

  Once through, Raph had to ward off a pack of dogs. They jumped up to place their paws on his chest, making him wonder at the size of the hounds as their heads went above his. “You got best in show for sure, Royal. What do you feed these things?”

  Royal’s laugher boomed as he reached out and picked up the largest Great Dane, which had to weigh in at least one-eighty, like it was nothing. “They eat as well as I do. No dog under my care will ever eat kibble. That stuff is nasty.”

  With his powers, Raph had sized the male up instantly—foolish and naïve. But then he’d taken a change and let Royal tell his story in his own words. Despite his imitating exterior—all the tattoos to hide the hideous scars inflicted by years of torture—he was one of the sweetest, most caring souls Raph had ever met. The hound’s kindness was what fueled their friendship, causing it to blossom into what it was now. Raph hated everyone, but he “loved” Royal. He would take a silver bullet for the gentle giant.

  The thought of how the werewolf—a hellhound-human hybrid— had once been kept as a real pet by a sadistic demon crossed Raph’s mind. Royal had been kept in a cage, walked on a leash, and beaten so many times that he now had to walk with a cane. He pretended the abuse hadn’t hurt him mentally, but Raph knew Royal still woke at night, crying for his brother.

  “So…why’d you call Kippy and me here?” Raph asked, petting one of the dogs that nuzzled his hand demandingly.

  “Come on in and have a sit down,” Royal said, pointing down a hallway. “Sandi and I are finishing up some paperwork. We can all talk while she and I work.”

  Walking past Royal, Raph always had to fight a smile at seeing the werewolf dressed in street clothes. His skin, that wasn’t tattooed, was a mocha brown. He had a black tee draped over his bare shoulder, his narrow waist leading to a pair of orange and black athletic shorts. And since he was at his home, his feet were bare. He’d once told Raph he dressed this way so if he needed to shift to his demonic hellhound form, he wouldn’t get stuck in his clothing.

  Raph nodded and headed down the hall toward the kitchen. Once there, he found Sandra looking seriously over some papers while Kippy perched himself on the counter next to the sink, all the while playing with his stupid dimple piercing.

  Heading to the opposite side of the room from Kippy, Raph leaned up against the stove as Royal asked, “Would you guys like something to drink? No? How about some food?” He walked to the fridge, opened the door, and began to look around as he absently batted away several nosy dogs. “Peanut butter and crackers? Cheese and apples? Hummus? I can cut up some red bell pepper. Ooh,” he said, pulling back with a plate covered with Saran Wrap. “I have pecan pie.”

  “We’ll stay for dinner next time,” he joked, but by the expression Royal gave Raph, he knew the werewolf was already planning the meal. “So what’s the big news?”

  Royal looked at him knowingly. “You seem tense. Did I ruin your plans for tonight?”

  Raph’s brow arched as Kippy spit out a laugh, shouting, “Hammer to nail! And from an eye witness account, Raph is definitely the nail.” To drive his point through, Kippy grabbed his crotch and said with a jerk of his hips, “I’m the hammer.”

  Royal’s expression showed his confusion as he grabbed a fork from a drawer before taking a seat at the dining room table with his pie. His broad, masculine form was incongruous with the coral-painted walls adorned with china plates. Each perfectly round porcelain dish was hand painted with drawings ranging from wolves to snow cottages to hummingbirds to old timey machinery. Royal liked what he liked and didn’t give an eff who cared. It was another reason that Raph “loved” about Royal.

  “I got some news from a friend.” He began to shuffle papers around. “Apparently Kovo had a breech in security.”

  Not liking the sound of where Royal was headed, Raph knew a breakout at the deadliest prison in the Abyss Realm would cause an uproar.

  “A hellhound escaped. So far it’s been kept on the DL, but I thought I should let you know considering what was found in the guy’s prison cell.”

  “A big-ass poster of Rita Hayworth covering up a hole in the wall?”

  Shooting a glare at Kippy, he found the guy staring back with a devilish smirk. Raph knew the quip was from the movie The Shawshank Redemption, a story that tells of an inmate’s daring escape by digging through a wall. And to conceal his plot he covers the hole with posters of famous actresses.

  “Close,” Royal chuckled as he ripped the covering off his pie. “It was your name with the word ‘kill’ scratched into the wall around it about a thousand times.”

  Kippy laughed and slipped off the counter. “That it? Catch ya later.”

  Raph wasn’t as quick to leave. Mostly because his powers wouldn’t allow it. “Anything else I should be aware of?”

  “The hound claims you killed his pregnant angel mate.”

  Lifting a brow, Raph had a hard time believing that one. “Then why isn’t he dead? I thought you hellhounds or werewolf-hybrids were the type to lay down next to your dead mate and wait till you died yourself.”

  Royal looked over towards Sandra who still looked at her paperwork intensely. But Raph had noticed her hands gripped the paper in a white-fisted clench. Royal focused back on Raph with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter if they were true viscers or not. If Dwight claims the angel as his mate, then his intent will still be just as strong. Dwight may be old for a hybrid, but it apparently took nearly ten men to subdue him the first time. And that’s when his pregnant mate was in jeopardy. Now he’s got nothing to lose.”

  Kicking off the stove when he felt a surge of energy, Raph knew he had to get out of there before his powers shut off again. “All right. Thanks, Royal. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Later.”

  Not even bothering to address Sandra, who was the definition of “bitch,” Raph space jumped back to Kensington Falls. He had to find Kiz and finish their date.

  He shuffled the thought of the deranged hellhound into the back of his mind.

  Chapter Four

  Kiz shut off his bathroom light and walked back into his bedroom. Flopping down on the bed face-first, he groaned into the mattress, wishing he’d just taken a nosedive off a cliff.

  “Was spending time with me that bad?”

  Kiz pushed himself onto his elbows in a panic. Seeing Raphael standing just inside his room holding a paper bag, he jumped up and ran back to his bathroom, screaming, “Noooo!”

  Once locked inside, he slid his back against the wood door to rest his naked butt on the cold tile floo
r. Hugging his bare chest, he felt on the verge of tears at being caught sans clothing.

  “Kiz?” Raphael knocked from the other side of the door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I honestly didn’t see anything. Your hair hid everything.”

  In the dark, Kiz covered his face as his cheeks heated. He breathed in and out, trying to regain his nerves. Be brave.

  He stood and scrambled to turn on the lights. Grabbing his outfit from earlier off the counter, he went about redressing.

  “Kiz?” Raphael called again. “You didn’t disappear, did you?”

  Finishing the button of his slacks, he rested his hand on the doorknob. “I here,” was all he could manage. Quickly inhaling a lungful of oxygen, he pushed his way into his room.

  Thoughts all over the place, he peered around till he found his mate standing a few feet away, still clutching the paper bag.

  Eyes cast down to his sockless feet, he stood there awkwardly and unsure how to break the tension. After a long pause, Raphael said, “I’m sorry I ditched you.”

  Kiz nodded.

  “Apparently I have a deranged hellhound-hybrid after me.”

  Kiz gasped. “You hurt?”

  Raph chuckled. “No hellhound is a match for me.” then sounding almost uncertain, he lifted the bag in his hand and said, “I brought food. I thought we could just stay here and talk.”

  Kiz licked his lips in nervousness. “I-I have table.” He frowned. “One chair only though.”

  After another gap of silence, Raphael said, “You have a floor. I don’t have a stick so far up my ass that I’m opposed to channeling my inner child and sitting cross-legged.”

  Raph talked so fast, Kiz’s head began to overheat trying to make sense of his mate’s words. “Oh!” He smiled as the words clicked. “Okay. I jus’ mop. And I have pillow for your bottom.”

  Raphael chuckled. “I’m fine.” Then his voice became huskier. “Worry about your own—bottom.”

  Kiz frowned and looked over his shoulder to stare at his backside. This just made Raphael laugh right out.

  Feeling insecure at having no idea why Raphael was laughing, Kiz jerked when his viscer said, “Calm down, Kiz. I’m not laughing at you.”

  Not believing him, Kiz squeaked when Raphael pulled him into an innocent hug. Kiz sank into Raphael’s warm hold instantly. The heat pouring off the fallen angel made Kiz’s toes curl in excitement. “Ugh,” he groaned as his back arched with need. “Y-you need let me go.” He gulped loudly, not wanting to get ahead of himself and ask for more than Raphael was willing to give. “I mean, um, we need eat first. It, uh, smell good.”

  Raphael’s grasp became tighter as he said in a deep voice, “You smell better.”

  Kiz melted on the inside. He likes my scent. Kiz never felt happier. His hips rocked, wanting desperately to feel his nude body rubbing against Raphael’s. He had a fierce urge to lick Raphael’s entire body, and maybe be reciprocated.

  Kiz shoved Raphael away, panting like a dog to regain his control. “No. No yet.”

  Locking his eyes with Raphael’s, Kiz dug his nails into his palms as he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from stampeding like a bull. He had to fight to corral his wayward emotions, but lust ran rampant, giving him tunnel vision.

  He watched as Raphael’s Adams’s apple bobbed with each gulp. Self-consciously, he reached up, touching his bump-free neck. Why don’t I have one?

  Looking closer, he found Raphael’s purple irises fascinating. On Tibu, orange, green, and black were the only eye colors documented.

  When he realized Raphael was staring back at him, Kiz cast his eyes down, taking his tongue between his teeth and biting till he tasted blood. He began to slowly count to one hundred when Raphael said, “I’ll count with you.”

  Kiz jerked in surprise at Raphael’s words. Did you just…

  “Yes,” Raphael said, sounding guilty. “I’ll have to teach you how to block me.”

  Feeling his body flush, Kiz covered his face in utter humiliation.

  “Come on,” Raphael said. “Let’s eat.”

  Kiz nodded, forcing himself to get past his shame.

  Now what were we doing?

  Oh! They were eating. Scoping the room, trying to find the perfect spot, he guessed anywhere worked so he lowered himself to his knees. Resting back on his folded legs, he placed his palms on his kneecaps.

  Glancing up, he found Raphael hadn’t moved to join him.

  “Is…I do wrong?” Kiz asked, feeling like he’d just fallen for a joke. Had Raphael been kidding about sitting on the floor? Oh, he was joking! No! No! No—

  “Stop!” Raph said loudly, stepping forward quickly. “I wasn’t joking.”

  A shiver went up Kiz’s spine.

  “Sorry again,” his mate said, sounding sincere.

  Kiz shrugged as he calmed. “I no have much to hide.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You are entitled to your private thoughts.”

  Patting the ground in front of him, Kiz felt his inner self crumble when Raphael didn’t join him instantly. All his earlier self-doubt returned, making him want his whole body to liquefy so he could slip between the floorboards.

  Raphael cursed and promptly plopped down so hard Kiz heard his dresser mirror rattle. “Don’t be upset. I didn’t mean to disrespect you. I was just thinking—”

  When he didn’t continue, Kiz asked, “What?”

  Raphael shook his head jerkily. Really wanting to know, Kiz wasn’t ashamed at pulling the guilt card. “You look in my brain. So tell me.”

  Realizing he’d just commanded his mate, he almost gasped when Raphael placed his warm palm on Kiz’s knee.

  Body tensing, Kiz was shocked when the fallen angel almost growled huskily, “I was thinking how hot you looked kneeling on the ground before me.”

  Kiz didn’t quite know what he’d been expecting, but that had definitely not been it. No one had ever classified him as “hot” before. To hear it for the first time from his mate was very pleasing to the point Kiz felt like he’d pass out.

  “Okay,” Kiz said, raising his hand to smile behind. “What food you bring? It really do smell good.”

  “Well,” Raphael began, setting the bag between them. “Your father said you guys are vegan, so nothing with meat or dairy.”

  “It not all vegan, no?”

  “Yeah.” Raphael’s face dropped. “Is that bad?” He began to stand. “Tell me what you want and I—”

  Kiz’s smile grew full bloom behind his palm. Reaching out with his other hand, he dragged Raphael back into his pretzeled legs as he told his mate, “You no need do that. I—” He stopped to think of the words carefully so as not to break his joy. “I…don’t want you to have give up things you like.”

  Raphael stared at Kiz’s hand, still attached to Raphael’s forearm. Feeling a heating sensation begin in his gut, Kiz pulled away like he’d been burned.

  Thankfully, Raphael didn’t comment. Instead he informed Kiz, “Angels don’t need to eat or drink to live. They don’t even need to sleep. Now that I’m a Fallen Archangel, I only really feel hungry about once a month. It tends to coincide with the full moon. An odd quirk but it pretty much holds true to all Abyss creatures. Demons seem to be the only ones that tend to overeat.”

  Raphael set the bag of food between them when the words, “This nice,” slipped out of Kiz’s mouth.

  Raphael’s warm chuckle made Kiz’s insides twist. “What’s nice?”

  Licking his lips apprehensively, he admitted, “The, uh…built-in school lesson?” He paused. “Do that make…sense?”

  “Yeah,” he said lightly before the light to his eyes began to dim. “Well, you’re the only one who seems to like my ‘built-in school lessons.’”

  “I do,” Kiz said, sliding his legs apart to set his bottom on the ground between his folded legs like a young kid. “My father—a professor on Tibu—he was a…what is it…” He flipped through the words till it finally came. “Botanist! I love he
teach me lot. My brother teach me also. I still have pain understanding English words, but I have picked up more ‘en Father.”

  “All I got out of that is that I remind you of your father.”

  “Wha…?” He trailed off a second before it hit. “No, ick! I mean—I like you both, both, um, take time explaining things. ‘Cause, you know I slow.”

  “Who told you you were slow?”

  Kiz shrugged. “No one. I just know myself.”

  “Well, you’ve been on Earth for how long?”

  Having to think, he said, “Well, over five years…? I no sure. I ask Father later.”

  Raphael’s expression took on a pinched look before he asked, “Are you of legal age on your planet?”

  Kiz laughed into his hand. “Yes. My father never ‘llow me on date if I no ready.”

  “How long do your species typically live?”

  “I think four hundred. No, five hundred? No…I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask Father.”

  Raphael nodded and opened the bag. Reaching inside, he pulled out a container and presented it to Kiz. “I wasn’t sure what you liked so I had the people in the kitchen pick out their most popular dish.”

  Taking the container, Kiz opened it and smiled to find a portobello mushroom stuffed with what looked like spinach, tomatoes, and artichokes.

  “If you don’t like that, I can go back to the restaurant. I’d manifest some with my powers, but I’ve heard food by power is terrible.”

  “This good,” Kiz said, picking at the stuffing with his finger. Placing it on his tongue, he moaned excitedly and asked, “You got fuck?”

  Seeing Raphael’s eyes bug, Kiz was confused when his viscer said, “Huh?”

  “A fuck.” He was confused by Raphael’s confusion.

  “I’m still not getting it.”

  “A fuck,” he said, using his hand to mimic the fuck going into his mouth. “You use it for food. To get from plate to mouth.” He mimed the action again. “A fuck.”

  Raph’s eyes somehow grew wider. “Who told you that was a…fuck?”