STORY EXCERPT

Time dilated as his father took his anger out on William’s form. He didn’t let out a single whimper. Maybe it was petty of him, and maybe it would just make things worse for them. But a small part of him refused to give the man the satisfaction.

Today, though, it seemed like he’d miscalculated. Klein was angrier than he’d ever been. He raked his claws over William’s back and shredded the tendons of his legs. He scratched William’s face, narrowly missing his eyes. Then, he shifted and kicked him in his humanoid form too. “You’ve always been a shame for this pack,” he snarled. “From the moment you were born, you were cursed. Why won’t you die?”

Nobody was chanting now, but William could still feel the pack’s desire to see him gone. Why wouldn’t he die? He didn’t know. Maybe he should. Maybe that had always been his mistake and his true defiance, the real reason he was so hated.

“None of this is your fault,” Willow whispered in his mind. His voice was strained with pain, but somehow still held affection and determination. William wondered how his brother could experience any kind of positive emotion, when the rage inside William always seemed to bubble so close to the surface, ready to erupt.

He didn’t know how long it took for the torture to finally stop, but it must have been hours. When his father pulled away, William’s body was a lump of bloodied flesh despite his advanced healing abilities. The sky was darker, and it had been noon during the challenge. Every other member of the pack was long gone, and even the dead Alpha’s body had been removed.

His father spat on him. “Piece of trash. Don’t let me see you around our home anytime soon.”

William didn’t think he could have replied if he’d wanted to. He waited in silence until his father left. Finally, after Klein was gone, he dared to get up to his haunches—and promptly collapsed.

“Take some time to recover,” Willow told him. His voice sounded raspier, as if he’d been screaming. That shouldn’t have been possible, since Willow didn’t have an actual physical body.

William knew he shouldn’t lash out at the only person who truly cared about him, but he couldn’t help himself. “Shut up. I don’t want to hear your stupid fake concern.”

“William...”

“This is all your fault, anyway. Why couldn’t you be born properly? Or why didn’t you die in the womb like you were supposed to?”

For the first time today, an anger that wasn’t his own rose through William. “Bold of you to ask that,” Willow snapped. “Aren’t you the one who consumed me?”

He was. He really was, and that was what hurt the most. His mother had withered away out of shame and grief once the pack healer had figured out what her unborn child had done to his own twin. Maybe that was the real reason he’d stayed here in the first place. This was his penance, and it was a punishment Willow refused to let him bear alone.

“If you hate me so much, why won’t you leave? It’s because of you that I’m still alive. You and I both know that. Or maybe that’s the whole point, huh? You want to make me suffer.”

“No,” his brother replied, “that was never what I wanted. Never.”

Despite Willow’s words, pain exploded over William. William hissed, and for a few moments, felt his anger at his sibling swell even brighter. “And here I thought you weren’t vengeful. Maybe you’re only forgiving with everyone who hurts us.”

Willow didn’t answer, and it was only then that William realized the source of his pain. His brother’s presence was no longer dimming the agony coming from his wounds.

“Willow? Willow, where are you?”

Once again, there was no response. William panicked. He crawled away from the field, heading into the forest.

“Willow?” he insisted. “Don’t leave me.”

He stared out into the dark forest with desperate eyes. It was stupid. His brother wasn’t hiding in the woods, or anything like that. But William didn’t know what to do. They’d fought before, but it had never been like this. Willow had withdrawn into the depths of their shared consciousness in the past, but never when William had been badly injured.

“Willow, please,” he tried again, tentatively reaching for the bond between them.

Fortunately, it was still there, and he could still feel his brother on the other side. But Willow had always been the one who’d controlled it, and William couldn’t tug his brother back or force him to answer if he didn’t want to.

What could have happened to Willow? Surely, his brother couldn’t have gotten so angry at William’s rash words that he’d just disappeared, right?

His strength returned just as quickly as it always did, and that reassured William. It confirmed the fact that Willow was still there. But his terror didn’t vanish any. He got up on shaky legs and leaned against a tree trunk, his head spinning as he tried to figure out his next move.

He was so distracted he didn’t register the new presence until he heard a low curse. His eyes shot up, his muscles tensing as he readied himself for an attack.

A tall, well-built man stood in front of him, staring at him with wide eyes. “You... What in the gods’ name happened to you?”

Every instinct inside William warned him of imminent danger. The stranger’s robes and the elegant braid his hair was twisted in instantly identified him as part of the neighboring magical coven. But even if that hadn’t been the case, William would have known what he was. Magic crackled over him, emanating from the intruder. William must have been more out of it than he’d realized if he’d missed this man’s approach.

“Don’t worry,” the sorcerer said, raising his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Alex crushed their mouths together, drinking in the taste of his lover’s passion. Willow wrapped his arms and legs around him, just as desperate for his touch as he’d been the first time they’d realized he could make contact with Alex. Alex thrust his tongue into Willow’s mouth, all the while allowing his hands to roam over his lover’s perfect skin. Willow’s nipples practically begged for his attention. When he pinched one of the tiny nubs, Willow whimpered into their kiss, arching against him.

The scent of their shared arousal flared around him, so intense it went straight to Alex’s head. Fuck him, a voice whispered in his head. Claim him. He’s yours.

Maybe if things had been different, Alex would have questioned it, wondered why he was suddenly hearing voices. But right then and there, it seemed perfectly natural. The voice was only telling him what Alex had already known he needed to do. It was confirmation of the final step they needed to take.

But despite how much he craved Willow, Alex refused to rush this. Tearing his mouth away from Willow’s, Alex licked down his lover’s chest. He took one of his nipples in his mouth and sucked, still teasing the other with one sharp fingernail. When he bit down, he tasted blood, but Willow didn’t seem to mind.

“Alex, please. Don’t stop, karantez. More.”

Alex couldn’t have stopped to save his life, not unless the cottage came crashing down on them. This had been unavoidable from the moment they’d first met. He’d been born for this, for being with Willow and claiming him.

The taste of Willow’s blood fed the furious, animalistic need inside him instead of sating it. Releasing Willow’s nipple from his mouth, he crawled lower down, pressing light kisses over every inch of skin he could reach. Finally, his mouth hovered over Willow’s erection. It was a thing of beauty, just like the rest of Willow. Slender, but long, it pulsed in arousal, demanding Alex’s attention. When Alex complied and gripped it in his hand, a pearlescent drop of precum slid down the head.

It was like liquid light, and Alex couldn’t help himself. He lowered his head over the shaft and licked the thickest vein. As he gathered Willow’s precum on his tongue, sensation exploded over him. Even if Willow wasn’t touching him, every inch of his body flared to life. Suddenly, he could understand why Willow had come so quickly during their first time together.

Since Alex had grown up an orphan, hunger had been a constant companion. But he’d never felt more starved than he did at that moment. He desperately needed to devour the feast that lay in front of him. Otherwise, he didn’t think he could survive.

He bobbed his head up and down Willow’s shaft, like his lover had done earlier to him. At first, he didn’t do too well, and in his enthusiasm, he choked. But he was nothing if not determined. He persisted, keeping the pace slower, but still steady. He wanted to make his lover experience the same pleasure he had. More than that, he ached for the taste of Willow’s spunk. 

Willow dissolved into incoherent sobs and whimpers. His skin glowed in beautiful patterns, his veins vibrating with the carnal energy that was building up between them. His cries were more beautiful than the songs played by the most talented bards in the land. Alex used them to guide him, licking, sucking, and flicking his tongue, until Willow was driven just as mad as Alex himself was.

Despite Alex’s lack of experience, it didn’t take long for Willow to reach his peak. He flailed under Alex and arched his back, crying out as he spurted jets of hot spunk into Alex’s mouth. 

The substance dissolved as soon as it hit Alex’s tongue, a reminder of Willow’s unusual nature. But Willow’s essence was still there, and his presence sank into Alex’s body, into his bones and his blood.

It was a minor miracle that Alex didn’t come on the spot, like Willow had before. If he didn’t, it was only because the voice in his head roared even more loudly. Claim him. Don’t ever let him go.

Releasing Willow’s cock from his mouth, he reached for his tiny nightstand. After he’d seen them together, Niko had given Alex a brief talk on how sex between two males was supposed to work . He’d also provided Alex with a small vial of oil. Apparently, even if Niko had little interest in romance, he’d found it useful to be educated in such things, just in case. At the time, Alex had been embarrassed. Now, he felt more grateful than he’d ever been.

With shaking hands, Alex retrieved the vial from his drawer. He wasn’t sure Willow even needed to be prepared like this, but he didn’t want to take any chances with his beautiful forest sprite. Willow watched him with glowing eyes, and his cock rose again even if he’d just come.

This time, he said nothing. He didn’t cry out pleas like he had earlier. He just spread his legs and smiled, and it was enough.

Pouring a generous amount of liquid on his fingers, Alex reached for Willow’s most intimate spot. His digits easily penetrated Willow’s body. Confirming his previous guess, Willow showed no sign of discomfort, his spiritual form easily adjusting to this new type of touch. But Alex enjoyed every second of their closeness, even this slower buildup. Watching Willow’s face as he thrust his fingers in and out of his lover was a gift, one he couldn’t squander.

Of course, even Alex’s patience had its limits. When Willow’s fingers sprouted claws, when the sheets shredded in his desperate grip, Alex knew he couldn’t wait anymore. 

Setting the oil aside, he pulled his fingers out of Willow and replaced them with his cock. In a single, powerful thrust, he buried his dick inside his lover.