5 FLAMES: "This is a fairly rare breed of story: demons are usually not funny, but large parts of this story are. Yes, there is a gruesome ritual and a really bad guy, but the story is written with lots of humor. Some of the antics and inner thoughts of both main characters, one demon and one human, made me laugh. The serious undertone is all about "free will" for demons. The stance Stormy Glenn takes here is that being born a demon is no different from being born a human, or a shifter, or anyone else. It is just genes. Does it mean you have to like it? Her answer is a resounding "no". Playing with that idea and all its consequences made this a great story for me... If you like stories about unusual pairings between a demon who thinks he knows it all, and a human who believes in free will, if you enjoy watching two men battle for a deeper understanding of each other, and if you're looking for a very hot, mostly funny, and intense story with more than a touch of the supernatural, then you will probably enjoy this novella."—Serena, Rainbow Book Reviews
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STORY EXCERPT
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"I choose this mortal," Isaac said quickly as he gestured to the man and stepped back. He kept a dispassionate mask on his face as he watched two robed men move forward to release the man from the ropes tied around his wrists.
It was obvious from the small trickle of blood on his skin that the man had struggled greatly in his bonds. A part of Isaac wanted to lift the man's arm and lick the blood from his wrist. Another part wanted to rip apart the people that marred such perfect skin. Isaac had to clench his fists to keep from doing either.
Isaac watched as the man chosen was escorted to the dais, stumbling as if his legs could barely hold him up. Isaac stayed standing in the sacred circle as the man was lifted onto the altar and then his hands were tied over his head, his ankles secured at the other end. He would be able to bend his knees, but he wouldn't be able to move from the altar.
Isaac barely kept from wincing when a dark red liquid was forced down the man's throat. Isaac could see the man's fighting spirit as he struggled against his bonds. A long wail ended any defiance he would have given, and the man was suddenly no longer trying to get away, but crying out in agony.
Isaac knew the fiery liquid was burning its way through the man's body, saturating his very essence with a need to be fucked that was so great, it would consume him until his hunger was assuaged. And only by Isaac fucking him, cementing the covenant, could relief come to the man.
It was the nature of the beast, or the nature of those wanting to command the beast. Isaac needed a willing sacrifice in order to complete the deal. With the unholy potion flowing through the man's bound body, he was not only willing, but begging.
Isaac could feel his body responding to the man even as he stepped over to stand at the end of the altar. His cock, already semi hard from just smelling him, hardened to steel as he gazed down at the sacrifice laid out before him. The man was simply breathtaking.
His lightly tanned skin glimmered in the dim candlelight filling the room. The flush of arousal made his slick body look almost golden. Isaac ached to touch him, to stroke his hands down the man's oil-rubbed chest.
He was even more captivated by the hard cock jutting up from the man's shaven groin. It too had been rubbed with oil, but that didn't take away from the sweet sight of pre-cum pooling on the nicely mushroomed head. It was all Isaac could do to keep himself from bending over and licking those little drops of ambrosia away with his tongue.
Under normal circumstances, he would have done just that, but this situation was in no way normal. With the summoning of his demon form, Isaac would be unable to keep himself from taking the man, no matter if he wanted to or not.
That too, was the nature of the beast.
As the rules dictating summoning a demon stated, once a blood sacrifice was offered in exchange for the power to command said demon, a demon must complete the ritual by accepting the sacrifice chosen. Once the ritual started, both the demon and the sacrifice would die if it wasn't completed.
And the ritual started the moment the high priest started chanting the words to summon Isaac. He had no choice now. He either fucked the man tied down to the altar, or they both died. And as much as he didn't mind having sex with the guy, he wished they were back at his house where they could get to know each other first.
Isaac wouldn't be allowed to take his time and enjoy the man. His task was to simply join their bodies together until such time as he filled the man with his seed. At the same time, he would drink the man's blood, his life’s essence, as the ritual words stated.
Once that happened, when Isaac's demon form was satisfied and the blood oath was spoken, binding Isaac to do as the high priest commanded until he was released, which was usually a twenty-four hour period.
Isaac just hoped it would be a short amount of time, his required task simple. Black satanic rituals usually meant he was bound to follow the commands of someone despicable, even evil. Nothing good ever came from that.
The few times he'd been summoned by white magic witches, his tasks had been simple and not something he had much issue with, helping move something large, protecting someone, stuff like that. Once, he was even summoned to sexually service the practitioner. That had been an interesting night.
It was when he was summoned by practitioners of black magic that Isaac's skin crawled. They usually wanted him to steal something or kill someone or something just as abhorrent to Isaac. It was always self-serving and evil.
If Isaac had his way, the only people he would be killing were the ones that commanded him to do something he would never willingly do if he had the choice. They deserved what they got as far as he was concerned.
Isaac smoothed his large, clawed hands up the man's trembling legs until he reached the juncture of his thighs. He knew all those watching expected him to just rip into the man, maybe tearing him apart. They liked to see the blood sacrifice scream in agony, the louder the better. It aroused many worshipers.
Isaac leaned over the man enough that he could look down into his eyes. He tried to convey his regret at what he was about to do as he stroked one clawed finger over the man's throat.
He hoped to those watching that it looked as if he might be rubbing the skin where he would bite the man and drink his blood. While that was true, Isaac also wanted to calm the man. He could feel his heart pounding erratically beneath his fingertips.
When the sacrifice moaned loudly and arched into his touch, Isaac knew he had hardly any control left to keep himself from taking the man. His demon form was taking over, clouding his better judgment. Soon, he would be so far gone he would think of nothing but fucking the sacrifice. Nothing would stop him.
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ADULT EXCERPT
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Isaac moved to the edge of the altar. He reached down with both hands and grabbed Jory's hips, pulling him to the edge of the platform. Jory's arms were stretched tight over his head. His butt hovered over the end of the altar. Isaac pushed Jory's thighs apart, baring the man's hard cock and puckered hole to his hungry gaze.
"You'll never fit!" Jory hissed. "You'll kill me."
Isaac's head jerked up to find Jory staring down at his hard, dark reddish cock with a mixture of horror and lust. Isaac had to admit that Jory had a right to be scared. In his demon form, not only was he huge in body mass, weighing in around three hundred-fifty pounds and standing over seven feet tall, his cock was equal to his size.
Everything about him was massive.
Isaac bit his lip to keep from snickering at the look on Jory’s face. He grabbed Jory's ankles and held his legs apart. His long shaft stood straight and hard out from his body. The altar held Jory just high enough that Isaac simply had to step closer and the head of his cock butted up against Jory's quivering hole.
He rocked himself back and forth, coating Jory's tight entrance with the pre-cum dripping from the head of his cock. It would prepare the way for him, loosening Jory's muscles to allow him to take the man without hurting him.
What most people didn't realize when they offered a blood sacrifice to a demon was that the drops of pre-cum that a demon's body produced not only increased his arousal and that of the sacrifice, it made his taking of the sacrifice less painful. He was a demon, not a monster. He much preferred his lovers to enjoy themselves, sacrifice or not.
"We're waiting, daemon. Get on with it."
Faster than lightning, Isaac reached over and grabbed the high priest around the throat. He lifted him several inches off the ground and pulled him closer until they were nose to nose. The high priest’s fear saturated the room, satisfying Isaac’s inner beast.
"Do not think to command me before our deal is done, mortal," Isaac snarled. "Until I accept your sacrifice, I can still refuse the covenant. Do not forget that."
Isaac knew the score. The high priest and all of his followers wanted to watch a demon fuck a sacrifice. Men like this got off on watching. Isaac pushed the high priest away, snickering loudly when the man coughed and rubbed his bruised throat.
To appease the high priest and give Jory's body time to accept his thick cock, Isaac reached down and started stroking his own cock. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the high priest lick his lips as he watched.
Sick bastard!
Isaac continued to stroke his hand up and down his engorged shaft. Every few moments, he pushed the head of his cock against Jory's tight entrance, feeling it loosen each time until he was finally able to push in past the first ring of muscles without hurting Jory.
When he pushed in, Jory cried out as if his body was on fire, his body arching into the air as much as his bonds would allow. Isaac growled, pushing in just a bit more. Jory's sweet warmth enveloped him, squeezed him. Isaac bit his lower lip to keep himself from moaning and showing everyone how much he enjoyed the feeling of fucking the sacrifice.
No matter how entranced he was seeing his long length sink into Jory's ass, Isaac was acutely aware of the audience watching them. He could hear their panting, their moans of ecstasy as the high priest and worshipers worked to bring themselves to completion. It was a distraction Isaac didn't need.
"Can you take me now, little one?"
Jory's eyes opened to look up at Isaac. The green of his eyes was so deep, so dark, there was almost no white left in them. It was haunting, the silent message in them searing Isaac down to his soul. No one had ever looked at him in that manner.
Isaac roared as his demon nature took over, stripping away all human control from him. He slammed into Jory, the pleasure he felt at his action so intense it almost blinded him. Jory was perfect.
All around him worshipers in black robes cried out as they climaxed, but Isaac only had eyes for the man moaning beneath him. He prayed the desire and ecstasy he saw on Jory's face told the truth of what he felt and were not part of the dark potion forced upon the man to make him more compliant.
Isaac wanted to believe in the small cries the man gave, in the way his skin flushed as he arched into the hands Isaac stroked along his heated skin. Even if Jory didn't, there was no way Isaac could stop now. He could feel his body readying itself for completion. His orgasm was moments away.
"It's is time, little one," Isaac whispered mentally as he leaned over Jory. He watched the man's green eyes carefully. "Are you ready? Will you give to me willingly? I can stop this now and refuse the bargain if that is your choice."
Isaac could refuse the bargain at any point before he ejaculated inside of the sacrifice and took his blood. It would be painful for him if he did, but it was an option, one Isaac would willingly choose if Jory told him no. He might be a demon, and considered evil by most, but he still had a heart.