STORY EXCERPT

Lucien scented the air, like a beast indulging in the scent of blood. Cade jumped to his feet and took a step back, but Lucien laughed. “You think you can escape me! Nobody can escape me!”

Perhaps for the first time in his life, Cade felt genuine fear pool inside his stomach. It wasn’t Lucien’s voice speaking. It sounded evil, animalistic, more like a growl than actual speech. Cade wondered if it was Lucien behind that voice or something else entirely.

During their childhood, nobody told them in detail what the Edge truly meant, only in general terms as insanity and tragedy. They’d always been grilled as to the necessity of always keeping their emotions in check. Over and over, never lose control! Keep hold of your power! If demons couldn’t control their passions, they would be lost to their inner fire forever.

Watching his brother advance toward him with murder in his eyes, Cade wondered if there wasn’t a little more to it than that. Lucien would have never tried to kill Seyran. True, they’d had disputes and some even escalated to violence, but never to a critical point. Even considering Seyran’s offense of hurting Lucien’s mate, Lucien hunted Cade now. Technically speaking, Lucien didn’t have any particular reason to try to kill Cade.

Cade cursed and dodged as Lucien threw another fire spear at him. It landed with a blast and a shower of sparks somewhere behind him. Cade had the presence of thought to look around a bit just as Lucien stalked him. He shouted at Zeli, “Zeli, the crystals, get the crystals. The books, the runes.”

His friend looked at him in quiet helplessness, knowing he could do next to nothing to stop Lucien and help Cade. He stealthily moved to save the prized material from the fire. Cade spoke to his brother – or what he hoped was his brother. “Lucien, listen to me. This isn’t you. You don’t want to do this.”

Lucien threw another fireball in his direction, and Cade dodged it with ease. He noticed the smirk playing on the lips of the creature that looked like his brother. This Lucien was playing with him, enjoying himself with the hunt.

Confirming Cade’s guess, Lucien chuckled. “Oh, but I must certainly do. Slowly, you’ll die slowly. First a wing, then an arm. Then, who knows?”

In his mind, Cade started praying. If a miracle didn’t happen, Lucien would kill him this day.

* * * *

Kalin ran as fast as he could on the stairs from Zeli’s quarters. He’d been caring for Orin when he’d heard the explosions. Then the soldiers guarding their door burst in, uncharacteristically panicked and blabbering something about how they should go downstairs. Apparently, something terrible was going on. Something involving Lucien and Cade? Kalin didn’t want to think about what had happened to make the soldiers so nervous, but it could not be a good thing. What could have possibly prompted the guards holding them prisoner to let them out?

Behind him, one of the demon soldiers carried Orin. Orin didn’t enjoy being held by the unpleasant individual at all, but Kalin hadn’t completely recovered from the healing process and they needed to move as quickly as possible. Acknowledging that, Orin reluctantly agreed to being assigned to the soldier, since leaving him behind in the room was out of the question.

When they arrived at their destination, Kalin was astounded at the sight. Lyan and Seyran were collapsed in the corridor. Lyan wept softly, nursing a wound on Seyran’s shoulder, and the king seemed to be staring at nothing in particular. In front of the door, a real crowd gathered, but they all seemed to be reluctant to go in. Kalin recognized some familiar faces, including Galer. His friend turned just as Kalin approached. “Captain! Thank the Light you’re here! You have to do something about this!” He scowled in the general direction of the room. “These people are just standing around, doing nothing. For the Light—”

“The Light has nothing to do with it,” a demon Kalin didn’t know said. What the hell was going on?

“Out of my way, now!” he shouted. Abandoning the arms of his carrier, Orin followed behind him.

The crowd parted, and Kalin saw Zeli reclined against the door, wiping blood from his face.

As soon as he saw Orin, Zeli’s face lightened, relief filling his eyes. He immediately made his way to Orin’s side and took his hand. “You’re all right.”

Orin snatched his palm away. “No thanks to you.”

Zeli opened his mouth to say something, then closed it back again. A scowl appeared on his face. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I don’t care what you think. You’ve lost the right to dictate and suggest my actions.”

Kalin ignored the now fighting couple and stepped inside. What he saw there seemed like a scene from his worst nightmare. Lucien – or someone who looked like him – stalked Cade, blasting him with fire bolts. Savage laughter escaped Lucien as he played with his prey. Cade tried to fight back, only to be hurled back by a larger fire ball.

It was horrific. Cade’s fire seemed a meager spark in front of the power Lucien radiated. His blond hair had gone completely blood-red, and it fluttered around his shoulders, like a flickering flame. His white wings were also crimson, but seemed larger and much, much scarier. Were those spines on his wings? Kalin couldn’t see Lucien’s eyes, but he guessed that they were crimson, too. Lights above…and were those horns? Lucien had horns. And a tail! What on Kaldor had happened?

Cade saw him in the doorway and yelled at him, “Don’t come any closer! He’s gone mad.”

Unfortunately, this made the creature Lucien turn towards Kalin. An evil smile ghosted on his face. It was an expression so unlike Lucien that for a second Kalin couldn’t do anything but stare. In that moment of hesitation, the creature attacked.

ADULT EXCERPT

Cade licked a trail of fire across Kalin’s skin, and Kalin clung to his mate, allowing Cade to do whatever he wished. His reason returned when his gaze went to the bed, where his brother-in-law lay slumbering.

They’d chosen to take only one room, prudence dictating that Lucien shouldn’t be left alone. Unfortunately, the Spartan surroundings didn’t allow for much privacy. “Wait…Lucien.”

“He’s sleeping, out like a light. He won’t hear a thing.”

The argument broke the last line of Kalin’s defense. In truth, he didn’t want to resist. He needed this to go on. He wouldn’t be able to survive without it.

Cade felt his surrender. He pulled Kalin from the window toward the small bathroom and closed the door. “There.”

The room was small and cramped. It should have been awkward, but for Kalin it didn’t matter.  Especially when Cade pinned him with a heated look and growled, “Take your clothes off. Now. I want you naked. This instant.”

Just like that, the control he’d been hanging on to these past weeks broke. Kalin’s hands trembled as he hurried to obey Cade’s command. The human clothing flew off, torn aside in a relentless need to be skin to skin with his mate. Cade, however, didn’t move a muscle. He just watched as Kalin undressed, not even bothering to remove his own clothing.

Kalin knew by now questioning his mate in the bedroom would not get him anywhere. Cade’s touch had given him freedom, and yet each and every time they came together, he experienced new and stronger emotions. Whatever Cade wanted, Kalin would give him. It was as it should be, for knowingly or not, Cade owned Kalin body and soul.

When he finally discarded his clothing, Kalin realized his mate remained in the same spot, motionless. He reached out to Cade, itching to touch, but reluctant to take the initiative at the same time. This time, need won over obedience and the words slipped out before Kalin could stop them. “Off. Your clothes. Off.”

Cade’s gaze darkened. “I give the orders around here, love, not you. On your knees.”

Kalin shuddered at the strength and possessiveness in Cade’s tone.  He followed the command, dropping to his knees in front of Cade. “Unzip my pants,” his mate indicated.

Kalin’s trembling hands went to Cade’s zipper and pulled. The metal teeth refused to obey, frustrating Kalin beyond measure. Sometimes, he truly hated human clothing. Xeetahn and Alarian wear didn’t have such peculiar methods of binding clothes together. Kalin sometimes felt ashamed that he couldn’t adapt to the most common of human customs.

Upon realizing his predicament, Cade helped him with the zipper, lowering it until Cade’s hard cock came into vision. Kalin’s mouth watered at the sight. He’d missed his mate’s taste almost as much as the other man’s domination over him.

Without another word, Kalin took Cade’s dick into his mouth and moaned as he realized his mate already leaked precum. He was addicted to the feel of Cade’s hard cock in his mouth, in his body. Drinking in the scent and taste of his mate’s arousal, Kalin eagerly started to suck, bobbing his head up and down the shaft. He went as far as he could go, but even if he’d gotten used to his mate’s size by now, he couldn’t quite manage to deep throat him. Cade seemed to enjoy his attentions. Strong hands gripped Kalin’s hair, and pleasure swirled inside Kalin as his mate fucked his face.

Cade took his time. He moved slowly, leisurely, enjoying every second, drawing out the experience almost to a painful extent. Kalin started to doubt his own skill at cock-sucking upon realizing he could not get his mate to lose control as usual. Stimulated by the thought, he put even more zeal into his task, swirling his tongue around the head of his mate’s dick in expert circular motions and reaching down to fondle Cade’s testicles in the process.

His efforts actually paid off, but not like Kalin expected. With a growl, Cade snatched his cock out of Kalin’s mouth and pulled Kalin to his feet. Before Kalin could even think of protesting, Cade flipped him over and held him against the sink. Kalin supported his hands against the sink, hoping the bathroom equipment was sturdy enough to withstand the abuse it would receive.

Kalin struggled to calm his erratic breathing as Cade muttered the now familiar lubrication spell. For all his valiant efforts, his knees almost gave out when Cade first touched his opening with a slick finger. Cade’s other hand went around his waist, supporting him. Kalin felt thankful for the comforting hold, but he still trembled when the digit penetrated him. He didn’t even know why. Did he fear he was dreaming? After so long, it almost seemed unreal that Cade would want him again.

The finger pushed in and out of him, stroking his inner walls almost lazily. Kalin’s nervousness faded into the background, leaving just pleasure behind. He gasped as Cade rubbed his special spot, then inserted another finger into his ass. Gently, yet swiftly, Cade prepared him, teasing, promising, yet at the same time soothing.

The fingers went out, and Cade positioned his dick at Kalin’s hole. His hands went to Kalin’s hips, and he pushed inside Kalin’s body. The initial penetration burned a bit and brought tears in Kalin’s eyes. Not tears of pain, though, but tears of joy. They were one again. They could be together as mates.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror as Cade fucked him from behind. He almost couldn’t recognize himself. He no longer looked like the composed Alarian general. His flushed face, his dazed eyes, his hands clutching the yellowish sink – none of them belonged to Kalin the leader. At Cade’s touch, he became someone entirely different, a creature of lust and desire. It should have scared him. It should have made him feel self-conscious. Instead, it aroused him further. He’d surrendered to Cade, losing the one battle he could never hope to win – nor did he even want to.

He distantly wished he could see Cade’s cock move in and out of his passage, but the position didn’t allow it. As he watched his own body move to meet Cade’s thrusts and witnessed the unholy light appear in Cade’s eyes, he saw the way they fit together. His mind turned into a frenzy of passion, and Kalin forgot everything else but to feel.