STORY EXCERPT

Haemon broke the silence of collective heavy thought permeating his energy and buzzing skin. “Eliana will come through on the prophesy analysis. She’s beyond wise and will find the path we must take.”

“Indeed,” Lucien acknowledged. “Our future rests in her hands.”

Cato pulled the transport close to the palace steps. He stared at the console, seemingly unaware of Eryx loping down the steps to greet them. “Lucien, I’ll send my trackers through the third vortex discovered during the tunnel dig and then contact Messor to follow their trajectory. No way am I allowing anyone near the thing. We need to find it’s end before something else weird happens. If it’s also a two-way, then it could be the catalyst for the breach we fear.”

Haemon stepped from the transport, as did the others, yet Cato remained with eyes focused on whatever vision of his upcoming task played out before him. Lucien took the duffel Eryx carried and set it on the seat next to the engrossed Seeker.

“No, you’ll go back to Austin and get your butt into bed.”

He looked over in confusion. “What?”

“You’re tired and no good to anyone, Cato. Rest. We’ll deal with the other vortex later. You’ve done enough. Go be with your foemina. I’m sure she misses you. You’ll return when I send word. Understood?”

Cato’s eyes closed for a moment, and wide shoulders notched down a few levels. “I do.”

“If I catch you sneaking back over, expect my wrath.”

“Promise you’ll send notice if you need my assistance. I mean it. Do I have your word, Lucien?”

“You have it. Now, go, amici.” He stepped back and slid the panel into place, green eyes unwavering.

Haemon tossed a wave at Cato, feeling a gut twinge for silently tattling to the emperor of their greatest asset’s inability to worry for his own health. The transport glided away.

“Thank you, Haemon. I would’ve worked him to an early grave as I lose myself inside this unfolding mystery.”

“He wouldn’t listen to me. So stubborn. I nearly had my head removed yesterday for suggesting he at least lie on the ground and soak up some energy. I found out, between a few choice words, he’d done that very thing. But the toll of his work still showed.” He smiled at the comforting pat from his emperor.

“Let’s get inside the palace. On the way, I can share some good news with you to dull the worry.”

Haemon watched the transport disappear in the distance and turned to follow the group up the wide staircase. “I welcome whatever you want to relay.”

“The damnable El Azul drug king is no more, his entire organization wiped out. We’ll not suffer his presence on the Chinati any longer.”

“Excellent news! Our warriors will be looked upon as returning heroes.”

“As will Altair’s newly acquired mate, Makenna. She was already on a quest to take the bastard out and joined them on the hunt. Fate’s lovely way to connect two lovers. I praise their perfect timing. While on this same mission, Petrus reunited with his lost mate, Ireland, and welcomed Ludo into a triad when discovering he was also her destined mate. We have much to celebrate. Since rectifying the issue with the mating necklaces, we’ve had over three hundred pairings just within the last two weeks. Our chance for survival grows by the day.”

“Yes, this is wonderful news. My brethren are finding their happiness.” Haemon palmed his chest, wishing he could pull his necklace from behind the material and show the blue glow of a successful mating. He burned for an opportunity to bring it to reality, gouging his courage.

“Lucien, I wish to ask a favor of you. I hope you don’t take offence while there’s so much on your mind as it is.”

“Ask, amici. I’ll listen.”

“Since Eryx is present to resume your guard again, may I take leave to go Earthside? I wish to work at Heat Seekers to increase my chances as well.”

“Of course, you may. I’ll not deny you opportunity when seeing the other Elite guard finding much success. You can leave tomorrow.”

“You’ve lightened my heart.”

“Happy to do so.” Lucien halted at the top of the stairs leading to his office and caught Tana’s arm, the slight wobble to her step his obvious concern.

“My sweet foemina,” he cooed. “Head straight to our chambers for a hot bath to ease your sore muscles. I’ll join you as soon as Eliana and Jonneus reveal their findings.”

Tana gifted a tender kiss. “I’m not going to argue with you one little bit. The tub was sitting in my mind. I’m sure you saw it.” She giggled. “And no, I won’t fall asleep and drown myself.”

“My concern for you will never end.”

“Or mine for you. You need rest just as much as you’ve demanded of Cato.” She threw a little wave over her shoulder and rounded the corner leading to her sanctuary. “Same goes for all of you. Don’t let them stay too long, Haemon.”

“I won’t, my empress.”

Lucien met a haggard, stuttering Jonneus upon the first step inside his office.

“Thank the gods! I thought I heard your voice. You must intercede here, my emperor. Eliana wastes our time in dragging these damnable Earth-created prophesy books into the mix. They have no meaning here. Our focus should remain on Skylar’s vision. We’ve wasted days on this nonsense!”

ADULT EXCERPT

“Touch me there again. Please.”

Soft, fluttering fingers trailed up an inner thigh, returning a craved warm hand to cup his ball sac. A teasing squeeze jerked a ragged breath into taxed lungs and chills to skitter across his flesh. The wet tongue on a languid travel around the tip of his engorged cock wrangled a guttural cry, punching the fragrant air saturated with a heady aroma he wanted to bathe within. The desirous scent emanated from her pores, mixing with mustiness of sex and erotic promise. He wanted more, so much more. She obliged.

Plush lips engulfed the bulbous head. He felt himself sliding over a warm, undulating tongue, and notching inside a tight throat. She swallowed. Twice.

“Ah, gods, my foemina!” Heels digging into the downy mattress, he reveled in the excruciating pleasure radiating throughout his groin. “Yes. Again. Again!”

A low, vibrating hum rippling along throbbing flesh tossed his mind into a twirl of madness. Fist tightening within silky hair teasing across his skin, he remained careful not to injure the luscious female situated between shaking thighs.

“You slay me, bellula. Do you want my cum?” he warned in a tight breath.

The vibrations slowed, yet she showed no mercy while languidly backing off his hard shaft. A warm, talented tongue cupped the quivering meat on a gradual glide back to the top. The slender hand gripping the base twisted upward through the wetness she’d left and laid waste to whatever control he thought he once owned. Soft, sucking motions and a thorough lashing at the tip left him twisting and gritting teeth to hold a rising orgasm at bay. The effort was all for naught. She remained in charge and demanded his surrender.

Balls tightening, Haemon closed his eyes, clutched the headboard to ground his drifting body, and lost himself to the bliss of attentive fingers just below his sac. The move catapulted him past any sense of logic or reason. A groan of surrender shot from his throat, heralding molten heat rocketing up his shaft and exploding on a thunderous burst into her mouth. Through narrowed lids he watched her head continue bobbing, gloriously accepting his offering with sweet mewls of content.

“Raise those eyes, my beauty,” he demanded with little heat as she swallowed once again against his vibrating shaft. “I need to see you.”

She ignored his wish and drove him on a relentless goal to spill until left ragged and gasping for air.

“Show me your face,” he begged as the elusive creature made one last tantalizing lick against the sensitive tip and backed away to blend seamlessly into the darkness.

“No! Don’t leave.” He reached out and caught nothing but air.

Haemon woke on a gasp, stunned to find his right fist gripping his cock and jacking hard to pull remaining cum to the surface. Creamy fluid rolled on a lethargic trail across whitened knuckles and added to the pools already deposited on his torso. It slipped along the ridges of his taunt belly now heaving to gather air into depleted lungs.

“Ah, shit,” he hissed while grabbing a T-shirt draped across a bedside chair. Haemon hastily cleaned his flesh and tossed the soiled material across the room in disgust. He flopped back against the mattress and scrubbed at his face.

“You are still but a dream,” he groused, “and there you will stay, I fear.”

Tired of searching the dark room for something he knew wasn’t there, Haemon rolled to his right and slapped around on the side table. A graze of knuckles against cool metal brought blessed light to beat back taunting shadows. He stared at his parent’s locked, smiling faces rising from the base of the hologram image disk, beautifully reflecting an inheritance of his father’s square jaw and mother’s hypnotic turquoise eyes.

“At least you were not present to witness my silliness,” he said with a grimace. “My mind plays to a future with little to no hope.” Breath expelling on a rush, Haemon experienced a dogged familiar guilt for never laying a precious grandchild within his mother’s arms before she died. Too many years investigating the intriguing universe with his brethren, pursuing and acquiring a coveted spot within the emperor’s Elite guard, and Basilius’s devastation of Insedivertus’s female population robbed her of this last treasure. He’d never imagined in his youth this life could fill with regret and drown out carefree days before reaching the age of thirty-five.

Gaze drifting to his father’s handsome face, he made a steadfast promise the Cavalo line would not end. He ventured a smile, imagining his progeny playing at the feet of this great man and enjoying the love lavished upon them. Frustration bled through every pore as Haemon rolled to his back and palmed his eyes.

“But you must find and secure a mate to achieve this goal, you idiot. The little fantasy scurrying away into the darkness cannot ensure a future any more than beating off can heat the gods-damn mating necklace.”