STORY EXCERPT

Backpack on, he eased the door of his bedroom open and slipped out. Cecil briefly entertained the idea of sneaking into the man’s room for the money, but in the end, he decided to not risk it. Quieting his breathing, Cecil made his way through the house toward the front door.

If only he could have silenced his heartbeat. It was thudding loudly in his ears, so much so Cecil had missed the movement to his right.

But his father was too stupid to maintain an element of surprise and slurred, “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

The man was swaying, but apparently mobile enough, Cecil thought when his father lunged for him.

Shooting forward, Cecil felt the scratch of Ernest’s nails as he barely escaped the man’s grasp. His sprint through the house was short, but by the time he made it to the door, his lungs were sputtering along pathetically.

Hands shaking, Cecil somehow managed to get it open. Unfortunately, he was only able to take a single step outside before his father was on him again.

The man hurled himself at Cecil, taking him down. His knees slammed on the cement steps while his hands scraped against its rough surface. Luckily for him, Ernest was so drunk that the man’s aim was off and had only managed to grab hold of his legs.

Cecil frantically tried to get away. He caught a break when one of his legs broke free. And with all the strength he could muster, Cecil kicked his father in the face.

Ernest howled in pain, his hands releasing him to clutch his nose. Free of his grasp, Cecil scrambled up and darted off. Weaving in and out of alleyways, he ran as fast and far as he could. But he only managed to get about a mile away due to his damaged body.

Cecil’s lungs burned. Dizzy, he staggered out of sight into an alley and plopped down on the wet ground.

Oh, God, he couldn’t breathe—couldn’t even gasp for air. Pushing back his panic, Cecil forced himself to take short, control breaths.

Each draw of air was a struggle, but Cecil refused to give up. The last thing he wanted to do was pass out. And judging from the black spots forming at the edge of his vision, he was pretty damn close to doing that.

Resting his head against the brick building behind him, Cecil continued to focus on just breathing. It took longer than he thought was normal for him to finally move past the “about to pass out” stage.

Not that he was breathing particularly well, Cecil just no longer felt like he was about to die. Which was all well and good, but his current distress cemented the fact that his body was truly fucked up. And because his burst of adrenaline was fading, Cecil now had the joy of experience all new twinges of pain courtesy of his fall—because he so needed more, he thought sarcastically.

Needing something to take his mind off the shit show that was his life, Cecil pulled his backpack off his shoulder. Ignoring the stinging of his scraped palms, he opened it and pulled out a leather roll—inside was a knife.

For just a moment, Cecil stared blankly at the shining blade and then slid it across the damaged skin of his left palm. Drawing on the powers infused in his very existence, he pushed it into the blood that was welling up. In his mind, Cecil saw the starts of a creature, an arcanid that lacked both thought and purpose—a blank canvas. A creature who would move only when instructed, one who would have purpose only when given.

With his thoughts, Cecil infused it with his will. He molded it after all that came before it. Cecil instilled in it traits that would comfort, movements that would convince many that the creature had a will of its own. Movements that covered up the fact that the creature was nothing more than a mindless drone that followed a program. A drone that could be created again and again and be exactly as the last.

When Cecil shoved his wants and needs through his veins, the creature rose up and formed. The arcanid’s body was divided into two sections; it had ten legs, fangs, and wings on its back. While the wings were not for show, Cecil created them with no specific reason other than that he liked them.

The arcanid continued to twitch while its form stabilized, the creature’s iridescent silver skin shimmering with each movement. Soon the awkward shifts stopped and it stared up at Cecil. Its wings fluttered, flinging off the blood it had emerged from.

Smiling sadly down at it, Cecil murmured, “Welcome back, Drop.”

Drop affectionately nuzzled against his hand. If only that affection were real...

ADULT EXCERPT

Sin slowly grinned, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “I’ll never tell.”

“What? Why not?” Cecil whined.

“A man has to have his secrets.”

Cecil rolled his eyes. And then something caught his eye and he smirked. “Want me to help with that?” Cecil asked, pointing at Sin’s erection.

Sin laughed, but his gaze heated. “I am sure if we work together we can both find the release we need.”

“I thought you said no sex.”

The man’s expression turned thoughtful. “I had already assumed you were innocent, it appears I underestimated how innocent.”

“I’m not innocent.”

“In the ways of pleasure you are. There are many ways to please your partner without penetrating them.”

“I know things,” Cecil lied.

Cecil’s face heated because Sin was right. Even with all the hustling, he didn’t really know much about sex besides the generic things like anal and blow jobs. Cecil hadn’t done either, but he knew the mechanics.

“If you say so,” Sin said with a knowing grin.

“I do!”

Still grinning, Sin trailed one of his fingers along the side of Cecil’s right arm. Cecil shuddered at the soft caress.

“Simple touches can become so much more. Do you want me to touch you, Cecil?”

“What?”

Suddenly, Sin was on top of him again, there was an evil glint in his eyes. “Do you want to feel my hands against your bare skin?” The man leaned down and kissed Cecil’s ear. His next words came out in a deep rumble. “My fingers sliding down each curve, each dip.”

His eyes widened at the visual. Little Cecil, who had softened during their conversation, perked right back up.

Sin let out a low chuckle and ran his tongue along the rim of Cecil’s ear all the way to the point. “I just want to nip at these beautiful tips.”

Groaning, his cock throbbed in protest at being ignored.

“What?” Cecil sputtered. What the hell was happening?

“Can you imagine my tongue running over other places? The chilled air hitting your wet, heated flesh. Just thinking of how your body will arch, the sweet moans you will give me, is…maddening.” Sin shivered and let his hips drop.

Cecil gasped as the man rubbed his hard prick against him. “What the hell are you even saying?” He squeaked. Grabbing Sin’s hair, Cecil yanked him back so he could look into his eyes. Sin’s pupils were dilated.

“Have you lost it? You just swore! Should I call someone?”

Sin licked his lips. “Oh, Cecil, I am perfectly sane and cock is not a swear word. Just look at you, chest flushed, nipples hardened into peaks.” Sin ran his finger around one and Cecil had to bite his lip to hold back his moan. “So responsive and I have barely even touched you.”

“Cock is so a swear word! And, oh my God, would you shut up! How can you spew that shit?”

“Why? You are flushing so prettily, your thick scent of arousal has started to fill the room, thickening with my every word. It is quite heady,” Sin purred and nipped at Cecil’s chin before moving down to place a kiss on the speeding pulse in Cecil’s neck. “Will you cry out when my mouth wraps around your cock, I wonder?”

Sin’s mouth latched onto that spot and sucked. Cecil’s body started to tingle, a large shudder running through him.

He was going to melt. Cecil was going to turn into a puddle because surely his body couldn’t handle this much embarrassment or arousal.

Sin stopped, but Cecil could feel him grinning against his neck. The asshole was making fun of him. Whatever irritation he felt flew away when Sin slid a hand down to pluck at Cecil’s right nipple. The rest of the man followed and soon Sin’s tongue was circling around the bud.

Cecil had never felt anything like it and he wanted more. Gasping, he pressed up, demanding Sin give it to him—the man obliged.

Sin’s mouth was so hot. When the evil man took that heat away, exposing him to the air, Cecil couldn’t help but whimper. To his embarrassment, he proved Sin’s earlier words right. The sensation had caused him to moan and arch.]

The smirk his response had put on Sin’s face was so smug, that Cecil would have smacked him if he hadn’t gotten distracted by one of Sin’s hands pulling at the opening of his pants.

Cecil’s sigh of relief was audible when the button popped open and his zipper came down, releasing his bulging cock.

Scooting down, Sin placed a kiss on the flushed tip of Cecil’s prick.

“Tell me what you want, Cecil.”

“What…” Cecil asked breathlessly.

“What do you want? What do you desire? Tell me everything.”