STORY EXCERPT

Gabriel led the way as they crossed the ancient wooden bridge, the only path over the moat that surrounded the mountain. Aidan raised a brow when he saw the strange symbol carved into the bottom of the fosse.

“What are those strange symbols?” Jovan asked.

“They are long ago creatures from the seas of the Earth. They existed before humans roamed the earth. Oceanus designed each one of the symbols,” Gabriel told them.

Jovan nodded. They knew Oceanus was the youngest son of the King and Queen of the Titans and could communicate with all the living things in the seas of the earth.

“I didn’t know such creatures existed,” Jovan said. Like himself and the other seraphim, they were once human and lived on the earth before they were gifted their angelic powers by the triad. Now their home was among the stars and the heavens.

“They don’t, not anymore,” Gabriel told them as he continued past the open iron gate which seemed to be the only entrance. They walked two by two up the stairs, their leader ahead of them on the granite steps to a set of heavy oak doors. They opened as Gabriel stood in front of them.

“Will the doors on this world open for all of us?” Govan, another brother in arms, asked.

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. He led them through the corridors of the palace. “The motifs carved on the pillars stand for the four elements. The vivid red is fire, the deep green signifies the earth, pale white symbolizes air, and assorted shades of blue denote water,” Gabriel explained to them as they walked through the halls.

Aidan paused and stared out of the large arched window that seemed to make up that whole side of the wall. The dawn transformed the heavens into a swirl of pink and lavender as the sun materialized above the horizon. As it rose the sky softened to a sapphire blue as thin clouds streaked through it, bright as a red-faced ripe mango.

His eyes narrowed as he gazed out in the distance. He sucked in a breath as a large bird flew from out of the clouds. Aidan moved closer to the window as the majestic beast flew against the force of a headwind.

His mouth opened slightly as the creature came closer. His eyes widened as he stared; he had never seen anything as beautiful or as fierce. The rays from its halo lit the sky with intense hues of red and purple. Amber feathers covered its crown. The wingspan was at least fifteen feet and they were long and narrow like an albatross but unslotted like a falcon.

“Beautiful, isn’t she.”

Aidan’s muscles tensed for a moment when he heard the question in his head as the eagle-like being flew toward the mountain.

He turned to look at him as Gabriel’s voice shattered the invisible allure that held him spellbound as he watched the creature soar though the sky. His gaze returned to the sky, but the creature was nowhere to be seen.

“We need to continue,” the Archangel said before he walked away, the others following him. Aidan’s shoulders slumped slightly from the heaviness that invaded his body as he turned away from the window.

He stopped for a moment when he noticed Gabriel bring a shaky hand to his forehead as his body jolted. The movement was faint, barely visible, but Aidan knew something disturbing had happened. He gazed at the others. From their expressions, or rather the lack of them, he knew they also had noticed the slight movement of their leader.

Gabriel’s stride increased as he turned toward a pair of open double doors. Aidan saw Gabriel’s body stiffen as he stood in the doorway. The Archangel’s sorrow seeped through the bond they had with each other. The grief that wafted through their bond was abruptly subdued as soon as he stepped through the doorway.

The brethren glanced at each other before they followed him. The chamber they entered held an abundance of white stuccowork which accentuated and enhanced the individual events of the mural painted across two of the walls. The columns supported a decorative gallery set against the other walls in the form of bases.

Aidan focused his attention on Gabriel, who stood at the end of the couch. A man knelt in front of the sofa, holding the hand of the woman lying supine on the it. He heard his leader’s voice in his head, he was telling them that the man was the monarch, King Uranus. The woman was Gaia, his wife. The king repeatedly touched the woman’s face and hair while holding her hand against his lips. He watched as Gabriel raised his hand and placed it lightly on one of the king’s bowed shoulders. The Archangel bent over to whisper something in his ear, too low for Aidan to hear.

“We are too late,” Aidan thought as he and his brothers walked toward Gabriel to stand beside him, two on each side. He glanced at the woman on the couch. Aidan released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding when he noticed her chest rose and fell, her breaths steady and even. She was still alive. They were not too late after all.

They still had a chance to save her from death. Aidan remained with his brothers beside his leader and the king and queen. He heard a gasp from someone behind them. He turned his head to gaze over his shoulder toward the sound, eyes widening as he felt the heavy weight like a stone drop in his stomach.

Enya.

ADULT EXCERPT

Aidan stood transfixed as he stared at Enya. She had taken her hair down and started brushing it. The auburn tresses hung in waves down her back. A sensuality of its own. She had removed her outer shirt. The undergarment was sleeveless, thin shoulder straps and a scooped neckline; her cleavage swelled over the camisole. Her skin was a smooth, silky brown.

He moved toward her, his steps silent. Her eyes closed as she brushed her hair.

“Here, let me,” he said as he took the brush from her hand.

He felt her shiver when he placed his forearm on the back of her neck, so her hair would fall over his arm. “It is so soft.” He leaned over her to bury his face in her hair. Dare he take a chance, as Gabriel implied?

“Aidan.” Enya sighed his name as his hand moved from her hair to her neck to caress it. Aidan twined an arm around her waist and pulled her up to him. Her back was to his front. He cupped her chin to turn her lips toward his. “We finish what was started,” he murmured. Aidan would take that chance with her. He swept his thumb over her lips. Stunned, Enya could only stare up at him.

He used the hand on her waist to turn her as he dipped his head. His lips covered hers.

The kiss was unrestrained, unlike the first time he kissed her in his chamber. He growled low in his throat as he slanted his mouth over hers to brush his tongue into her mouth. Aidan’s hands pressed upward, moving her skin over each rib until his fingers rubbed the underside of her breast, her nipples erect as he moved his thumb across the hardened peak.

Enya wound her arms around his neck. Her hand tunneled through his hair as she yanked the band holding his hair. Aidan moved with her toward his bed. Clothing was removed with each step. Her hands slid downward on his body as he lowered her to the bed. Her short nails scraped his stomach. His control snapped.

She let out a gasp as his body crushed her into the bed. His hands fisted in her hair, holding her head still as he ravaged her mouth, kissing her hard. Releasing his handfuls of her hair but not taking his mouth from hers, Aidan’s hands went to her soft mounds, holding them as he moved his mouth downward, placing kisses on her throat, teeth lightly scraping the side of her neck. His tongue moved over her collarbone. Aidan pushed her breasts up, lowering his head to her nipples, licked one stiff nub then the other. He pressed the mounds together, sucking both nipples at once. Enya hooked a leg around him, opening herself. Both of her hands entangled in his hair. His breath puffed on her wet nipples, and it stiffened more. He lowered his head and drew her nipple into the hot depths of his mouth. One hand massaged her neglected breast while the other stroked the inside of her thigh.

Aidan pulled his mouth off her slowly, his teeth giving her nipple a slight pinch. Enya moaned as she clutched his head closer to her. Aidan moved to the other breast; both of his hands held her hips. He pressed his palms against her skin and moved one hand along the leg that was hooked around him. His other moved to her ass cheeks, squeezing the soft flesh. Aidan’s fingertips explored the dip where her thighs rounded into cheeks. Enya whimpered, drawing her other knee up so she was fully open to his exploration. The tips of his fingers slipped down her and found her puckered anus, one finger circled the small hole. Enya froze.

His finger pressed into her, just the tip, to test her resistance. His mouth stilled at her breast, his focus now on the finger just penetrating her rear. Enya pushed back to impale herself slightly further on his invading digit. Her hand slid between their bodies and stroked his hardened cock. This time Aidan froze, his eyes held a slight glow as he stared into hers. He exhaled a harsh breath. He removed his hands from her rear to grab her wrist. He moved both of her arms above her head and interlaced their fingers. He did not trust his control if she were to touch him anywhere except his hands.

Her arms were relaxed, and she pulled her knees up to press against his sides. Aidan rolled his hips, seeking her wet center. The head of his cock slipped into the tight space of her pussy. The tip of his erection buried in her, Aidan paused, panting. He pressed in another inch. Her wet passage squeezed him, opposing and welcoming at the same time. He thrust small drives that moved him nearly out of her before pressing into her more each time. He still held her hands above her head. Aidan glanced at her face. Her eyes were closed; her lips, swollen from his intense kisses, were slightly open. She was panting. “Okay?” he asked. Enya’s eyes opened halfway, glazed with passion.

“Please,” she moaned. He stilled. “Please, Aidan—I need you inside me now.” At her words, Aidan’s desire thundered through his body. Teeth bared, he thrust his entire cock into her, making the tight muscle of her entrance open, his dick plunging deep until he filled her completely. The squeeze of her wet, heated pussy made Aidan hiss at the sensation. Enya’s muscles tightened around him, the feeling so intense, he almost screamed at the pleasure. He pulled out halfway and Enya moaned from the slippery friction.