STORY EXCERPT

Looking back, I couldn’t say what it was that told me something was wrong. I thought about it too. There was no noise that gave me the aha moment or anything I could pinpoint. Maybe it was the lack of noise? I don’t know and I might not ever know. Something was just off and I knew there was trouble.

We were heading back to the house after a cold day’s work and with the sun going down earlier we had less time to do what we needed to. But none of that mattered right then because I knew Ma needed us.

“Get everyone home now,” I ordered me twin, Finn. I took off without waiting for him to agree or have a chance to ask me questions. He could feel what I did, so he knew I was scared and freaked. He was a good man and wouldn’t hesitate. Sure enough, I heard him yelling for our das just as I got past the barn.

That’s when I heard lots of noise. There was shattering of glass and a loud crash before I heard me ma shout, “Get out of me house, ya filthy demons!”

“No!” I gasped in horror and pulled out my phone. I pushed the one button to connect to Dillon as I ran faster than I ever thought possible. “Demons are in the house with Ma. Hurry!”

“On our way. Don’t go in there, Fergus. I’m coming.”

“That’s me ma in there,” I growled, knowing a team of warriors couldn’t have kept me out of that house right then. I slipped the phone back in me pocket and picked up a shovel as I raced up the back porch. I heard Finn and our das right behind me as I barreled through the kitchen door.

“Fergus, run!” Ma bellowed as she slammed a pan against one demon’s head. I caught that she was bleeding badly and that was before the demon she hit turned and clawed up her face and chest. I leapt in front of her a second too late to take the blow. As I landed, I brought the shovel down with me onto the demon’s neck. I wasn’t strong enough to sever his head but I got it about halfway so he wasn’t really able to fight me right then.

But when he darted away from me the shovel was stuck in his flesh and he took my only weapon with him. I grabbed the pan me ma had been using to fend off another one trying to get at her just as me das and Finn crashed through the back door. There was a sharp, sharp pain in my left arm but I didn’t even pay it any attention while I was trying to keep me ma alive.

“Sword’s over the mantel,” me da Michan shouted. It took me a moment to realize that Rian and Ronan were coming in through the front door at the same time. Thank god because they were the biggest brothers we had, well, size wise. Finn and I were the twerpiest.

I watched as our other da, Manus, dispatched a demon with a hatchet like he be cutting some bread. It was amazing. I heard Dillon shouting something to his mates, my brothers, as he came through the back door moments later. He caught the sword Rian tossed to him and they killed the rest of the demons in moments.

“Just find Brian and Banning, Isaac,” Shane yelled into the phone. “Ma might not make it and Fergus is in bad shape too. We need help and it’s bad, okay? Get them on one of those planes ya have and get them home. Call Caleb too.”

“I’ll call Liam and Lorcan,” Sean said calmly as he patted his twin’s shoulder. “Isaac, please just find our brothers and get them home.”

“All over it. Be safe and give Brighid my love,” Isaac replied before hanging up. Something hit me then like a ton of bricks. Why did Shane say I was in bad shape?

It was then I realized Finn and Dillon were yelling at me, trying to get my attention. I blinked at them as Finn helped me sit in a chair while Dillon was busy with a towel.

“I’m fine,” I growled. “Help Ma!”

“Ya not be fine,” Finn whispered, tears running down his cheeks. “Is this normal shock?”

“No,” Dillon mumbled, biting his lower lip as he did something else next to me. “You know you were hurt, right, Fergus?”

“I felt a pain in me arm but I was a little busy to deal with it—” I started to answer as I looked at what he was doing. Then I couldn’t seem to get enough air into my lungs.

“Put the arm on ice and maybe Riley can reattach it,” Ronan said quietly but loud enough that I heard him. My gaze snapped to him as black dots filled my vision.

“Where’s me arm? Where the fuck be me arm?” I bellowed as what happened finally sank in. Dillon wasn’t wrapping my arm up, he was wrapping up the wound from where my left arm used to be.

“The demon sliced it off, Fergus,” Finn whispered, horrified. “We saw it as we came in through the back. Ya fought bravely, me twin. Five five or not, no demon will want to mess with Fergus O’Hagan again.”

“He took me arm,” I whimpered and then glanced over at Ma, who was barely breathing. “I’m fine. Help Ma.”

“I’m not sure there’s anything we can do for her, Fergus,” Dillon said quietly, tears in his eyes as he tightened the bandage he was wrapping around my wound. “I think we were too late.”

Finn bit his lip to keep in a wail as he wrapped his arms around me. We watched as our das did everything they could to keep Ma alive, yelling at her to fight all the while. It was a train wreck or a nightmare we couldn’t get out of. And nothing would ever be the same if Ma died. None of us would ever be the same.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Feel better?” I whispered as I moved behind him and hugged him tightly. His chest was heaving because by the end of that rant he had been yelling. Finn pushed me away and I felt something snap inside of me. He wasn’t the only one losing it. “Please, please, don’t, Finn.”

“Don’t what? I just needed air.”

“No, no, no,” I whimpered, not really hearing him as I turned him around and pushed his smaller frame against the wall. “I’m not toxic. I can’t be toxic to my mates. You can’t be scared of me now. I’ve searched century after century on this plane for my mates, taking the job in this world just to have a better chance to find them. I won’t lose you now because something weird happened with Fergus and my blood. I’m not toxic! I’m worth loving!”

“Of course ya are, Brio,” Finn cooed as he stared at me with wide eyes. “This has taken a big toll on ya too. I’m sorry I’ve not acknowledged that.”

“You have to be mine,” I mumbled manically, searching around for something that could be used for lube. I sighed in relief when I saw there were bodywash dispensers hanging on the tile. “You were given to me by fate.”

“Brio? Are you okay?”

“No! You can’t be scared of me,” I whimpered again as I pushed the trigger and got a handful of what I needed. Then I coated my cock as I lifted Finn and wrapped him around me. “You have to be mine.” I moved my slicked-up hand between his cheeks and pushed a finger inside his hole. “I can’t lose you too.”

“I’m right here, me mate,” he moaned as he rubbed my back and hooked his feet behind my back. “Not going anywhere. Take what you need from me.”

“Say yes so I don’t hate myself later for practically forcing you.” I swallowed loudly, nervously as I tried to hold on to what was left of my sanity.

Finn growled and took my head in his hands so I had to look at him. “Me answer is always yes.”

“Thank you.” I mashed my mouth down to his and did my best to quickly stretch him out. “Can you handle this? How long has it been for you?” As much as I didn’t want to know specifics of my mate’s recent bed play, I also would never risk hurting him.

“A long while, but I can take ya if we go slow,” he replied and let out a nervous giggle. “Ya said ya were a big boy. Never been with anyone as big as ya.” I winced and unwrapped him from around me. He needed to see himself. Finn’s eyes practically bugged out of his head now that he saw me fully erect and wanting. I moaned when the little imp licked his lips with desire. “Let’s find something more than bodywash. That might not be enough to take ya.”

“Fine, but keep stretching,” I purred as I leaned in and surrounded his body and pressed my lips to his ear. “No more waiting. I need my mate.”

“And I’d deny you nothing,” he admitted with a shiver. The second I moved away he was getting more bodywash and shoving his fingers in his ass. I raced to the front of the locker room where I remembered seeing a small supply shelf. Quickly reading labels, I just about did a cartwheel when I found the medical lube. I grabbed my prize and almost tripped when I returned to the showers and saw my gorgeous mate fucking himself with his fingers, getting ready for me.

Finn gasped at how fast I moved. Seconds later I was slicked up generously, his fingers were out of his ass, and we were back in our original position with his back against the wall as I pushed my cock into his firm little butt.

“Mine, all mine,” I chanted over and over again as I worked my dick into my mate. When I was fully seated, I sighed in relief that we fit and Finn cried out. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, never been so full. Feels so good, like ya might split me in half in the best kind of way,” he panted with a smile. And then his fangs came out and I shivered. “Me mate like to be bitten?”

“Yes, do it. Make me yours,” I whimpered as I started moving my hips. Finn teased me, licking and scraping his fangs over my neck. Two could play at that game. Now that his hole had opened up for me slightly, I felt I could take my mate to new heights. I picked up the pace and thrust harder. Finn went wild, crying out my name and begging for more… Which I gladly gave him.