STORY EXCERPT

Taking a deep breath, Eli prayed to Mother Earth for patience. He had to look on the bright side. Likely, there was no way any spy could figure out such an important meeting would take place in such a dubious locale.

Forcing himself to relax, Eli waved a servant girl over and ordered some ale. At the very least, he could try to fit in. Unsurprisingly, the brew she brought over was abysmal, but it served its purpose anyway.

As he sat there, pretending to drink the concoction, Eli scanned the room. Undoubtedly, the bloodkin prince would be under a glamour as well. However, some mannerism, the intrinsic grace of royalty, wouldn’t be easily hidden. Eli’s trained eye could detect them. Did any of the people here look like they would qualify?

At first, the answer was a discouraging no. However, just as Eli started to wonder whether he’d been fooled by the bloodkin, he felt something like a prickling at the back of his neck. As discreetly as possible, he turned. Instantly, his gaze zeroed in on a darkened table in the corner of the room, where one lone man sat. Upon first inspection, Eli would have said that the stranger’s features were completely ordinary, but even from the distance and through the smoky room, Eli could see the other man’s eyes, shining like black diamonds. No human had eyes like that. Eli was instantly transfixed.

He didn’t know how he’d originally missed the bloodkin’s presence. It seemed so obvious now. For a few moments, they just stared at each other, while Eli debated whether he should approach the second table or not. In the end, the prince took the decision out of Eli’s hands. He got up and sauntered toward Eli. Without even introducing himself, he slid onto a chair next to Eli. “You and I have a conversation pending, yes?” he asked.

“Indeed,” Eli replied laconically. No matter how beautiful the man’s eyes were, he was reluctant to reveal anything until the stranger dropped his glamour. Besides, such sensitive matters were better discussed in private. If, in the process, Eli managed to escape this damnable place, that would only be an additional benefit.

The other man smiled, his bright eyes glittering with amusement. Eli had the passing thought that those orbs reminded him of the stars in the Manturanael sky. Horrified at himself, he quickly pushed the treacherous idea away and did his best to seem impassive.

“Perhaps we should continue our conversation somewhere else,” the bloodkin suggested.

Relieved, Eli immediately wanted to assent. Although he felt a little apprehensive as to the true intentions of the bloodkin in front of him, it would be better to investigate them in a less frustrating and disruptive environment.

“Agreed,” he told the other man.

He got up, abandoning his practically untouched drink. The servant girl materialized at his side, a remarkable feat given the hustle and bustle she had to dodge. Eli threw her a couple of coins, leaving a little tip. He didn’t want to be remembered for either being cheap or particularly generous. The best choice under these circumstances would be to remain completely innocuous.

The bloodkin had already gotten up and was walking away. Eli quickly followed, paying close attention so as not to lose sight of the bloodkin. When he finally exited the large room, Eli realized with a measure of dismay that the other man was headed upstairs to where the sleeping quarters were presumably located. He supposed it would have been too much to ask for them to leave this place entirely. In the end, the whole point of meeting here had been the absolutely unremarkable nature of the establishment, and that hadn’t changed.

As such, Eli didn’t hesitate and obediently trailed after the bloodkin. As they reached the top floor, the other man entered one of the rooms, and Eli did the same. Once they were behind closed doors, the bloodkin turned toward Eli once again and said, “Perhaps we should introduce ourselves now.”

Eli nodded, and in a sign of goodwill, allowed his glamour to fade. “My name is Eli Starburst. I’m here to discuss the welfare of a dear friend.”

A spark of interest appeared in the bloodkin’s dark eyes. “Ah, yes. Kier Darksun. I believe he got himself in quite a predicament.”

As he spoke, the bloodkin dropped his own glamour. Eli didn’t know what he’d expected to see. He’d met bloodkin before, and very attractive ones at that. Personally, he had never understood the appeal, never grasped the reason why his friend had decided to forego everything he’d ever known for a member of that species.

However, as he stood there and looked at Dante Bloodclaw—the identity of his companion was unmistakable now—Eli was struck by the incredible beauty of the other man. His deep black eyes had offered a hint of the man’s looks, but it didn’t truly strike home until now. Dante had almost androgynous features, his long blond hair tied in a neat braid. And yet, there was something wild about him, a sense of barely leashed power that made Eli shiver. And those eyes…They seemed even more shocking now, deep pools of fathomless black. Distantly, Eli thought that he could have easily drowned in them.

Shaking himself, Eli focused on the reason why he’d summoned Dante here in the first place. All right, so the bloodkin was attractive. That didn’t change what Eli needed to do. He was well aware of his priorities, and they didn’t include drooling over the youngest bloodkin prince.

ADULT EXCERPT

Extending his arms toward the bloodkin, Eli beckoned Dante to him. He had no words to say, nothing that could express this urge in his heart, this almost insane need to belong to Dante, to be one with his soon-to-be lover. It went beyond the boundaries of reason, but Eli was done asking questions. He had the most important answer deep within his soul, and he had the sudden knowledge that similar emotions dwelled inside Dante.

And then, thoughts melted into nearly incoherent ideas as Dante pressed their mouths, and their bodies, together. Their dicks came into contact, slick heads rubbing against each other. Eli wrapped his arms around Dante’s neck, wanting to pull the bloodkin even closer, to fuse their beings so that no one could ever part them.

At the same time, he spread his legs, accommodating Dante better, offering himself to the bloodkin. Dante bit his lip lightly, and while Eli suspected that normally, he’d have drawn blood, it didn’t happen now. Nevertheless, the light pain was there, and it made Eli’s dick jump and pulse with frustrated desire. He needed more. He craved everything Dante was and had to give.

When they broke away once again, Eli half expected for Dante to return to his earlier, teasing caresses. Instead, the bloodkin went straight for the gold. Crawling lower down over Eli’s body, he brought his delicious, wicked mouth over Eli’s dick. Eli held his breath, anticipation coursing through him, his blood boiling with lust. And then, wet heat engulfed Eli’s dick and pleasure exploded over Eli as his new lover took his cock all the way into his throat. Ecstasy coiled within every inch of him, and brought each and every nerve ending to life. Volcanic rapture flared through Eli, and as Dante began to bob his head up and down his shaft, Eli knew that he would not last. Unable to hold back, he threaded his fingers through Dante’s long hair, loving the silky feel of it. Unleashing sharp, inarticulate cries, he started to fuck Dante’s mouth, seeking out his pleasure and his completion.

Dante seemed of a similar mind, as he employed every possible trick to drive Eli insane with lust. In fact, he appeared to be intent on making Eli come with due haste, as if Eli’s climax was the most important thing, no, the only thing on his mind. He pursued this goal with such single-minded intensity that soon, Eli was on the brink of orgasm.

And then, as if the torture of his mouth hadn’t been enough, Dante decided to add another layer of sensation. A dry finger rubbed against Eli’s opening, offering a hint of dark delights. Slowly, the digit wormed its way into Eli’s rectum.

The pressure, the burn, and the promise of rapture sent Eli over the edge. Calling out Dante’s name one more time, Eli came, shooting his seed into Dante’s mouth. At the last moment, the bloodkin released his dick, causing Eli’s sperm to splatter over his face. It was actually a little strange, because, by rights, Dante didn’t have a solid body that could support physical substances. However, this didn’t seem to matter now, which was quite fortunate, because Eli couldn’t get his mind to focus on upsetting realities anyway. He was flying, soaring on the wings of his surprising climax, wanting to reach out to Dante, wanting to give the bloodkin the same pleasure he himself had received.

Dante had his own plans, though. He gathered Eli’s spunk on his fingers and brought them to Eli’s opening again. Still shivering from his orgasm, Eli found his body and his libido responding once more when Dante started to stretch him. His dick twitched and went rock hard, and Eli couldn’t help but push back against those invading digits that felt so very good inside him. As those lovely, wicked fingers slid inside, over and over, the fire of Eli’s lust began to flare even brighter than before, his need for Dante just fueled by his previous climax.

He didn’t have the patience to wait for Dante to prepare him more elaborately. In his heart, he was too afraid that he might lose this, lose Dante. Burying his fingernails into Dante’s shoulders, he said, “Please, Dante. Fuck me.”

Dante chuckled darkly. “I give the orders around here, baby, not you. Always remember that.”

As he spoke, Dante crooked his fingers inside Eli, in the process hitting Eli’s prostate. Eli’s mind just about melted, but he did know that he was at Dante’s mercy. Dante was the one calling the shots, and Eli could do nothing but submit to the bloodkin’s domination. Mother Earth, why did that thought excite Eli so much?

With his free hand, Dante squeezed Eli’s hip, drawing his attention. “I do wonder what you’re thinking about to cause that expression.” He spoke idly and calmly, as if he was completely ignoring the fact that he was finger-fucking Eli. “Perhaps I’m boring you.”

“N–no,” Eli stammered. “Not boring me at all.”

Dante’s eyes glimmered with amusement and satisfaction. “Is that right? Well then, let me ask you this. Do you trust me?”

The question put somewhat of a damper on Eli’s enthusiasm. It was a serious inquiry, one that shouldn’t have been made when they were together like this. Perhaps Dante knew it as well, because he seemed to debate pulling away, to give Eli time to find an answer.

That would have been pointless and unnecessary since no matter what, Eli’s reply would be the same. “Yes. Absolutely.”

He had no idea when that had happened, but he did trust Dante, with his life, his soul, and his body. The bloodkin smiled at him, although this grin seemed somewhat different from the one before. Grateful, maybe? “Good,” Dante said. “Now, hold onto the tree trunk and don’t move your hands no matter what. Can you do that for me?”