Gluttony

by Katie May

  swatted his hand away impatiently.

  “You’re not coming,” I teased, staring pointedly at his still erect dick.

  When he blushed crimson, I couldn’t contain my giggles.

  Yup. Apparently I giggled now.

  The door to the workout room opened, and Lupe entered, his head buried

  in a thick book.

  My Shifter mate, as always, took my breath away. The man was

  positively giant, almost brutish in appearance, with a sweep of brown hair

  and stubbled jaw that gave him a dissolute look. I’d never found overly-

  muscular men attractive before, but somehow, Lupe was able to pull it off.

  Seeing him made my mouth water and knees go weak.

  A pair of glasses sat on his nose as he pored over the open book.

  “Lupe?” I queried, garnering his attention. He glanced up from the tome

  with an unreadable expression. My stomach twisted and turned painfully.

  “What is it?”

  “Bash allowed me to access some of the Mage King’s books,” he began,

  rubbing at his stubbled jaw. His muscles clenched, shoulders bunching to

  nearly his ears.

  “Did you find anything?” I was unable to contain the eagerness in my

  voice. The hope. It pierced the painstakingly constructed bomb shelter

  surrounding my heart.

  Fucking hope.

  Only fools believed in it.

  “Bash believes he can perform a tracking spell to find Jax,” Lupe

  declared, and my entire body deflated in relief. For the first time in days, it

  felt like I could breathe again. My lungs were finally capable of taking in air.

  Jax.

  “Whhhat’s theee probbblem?” Killian managed to ask. I noticed that his

  stutter always got more pronounced when he was experiencing a strong

  emotion. When his cheeks darkened in embarrassment, I rubbed my hand up

  and down his back soothingly.

  “The problem is the spell.” Lupe cast me a pointed look. “It requires

  something from his mate.”

  His ominous words sent a chill racing down my spine. However, it didn’t

  deter my resolve. I would give anything to find Jax. Anything.

  “The others are already in the library,” Lupe continued, snapping the

  book closed and removing his glasses. With a delicateness that belied his

  muscular frame, he placed them into his shirt pocket. “I was sent to grab you

  two so we can discuss it as a family.”

  “Is Dair with you?” I inquired, but Lupe’s hesitation was answer enough.

  No. No, he was not.

  Killian grabbed my water bottle off the ground and smiled shyly at me

  before he and Lupe led me towards the library.

  I coughed once, quickly covering the noise with the inside of my elbow.

  When I pulled my arm away, I saw a splatter of blood on my skin.

  Fuck.

  Memories of The Damning bombarded me. Zack, one of the competitors,

  had poisoned me before I had killed him.

  Fucking shit.

  “Z?” Killian asked, oblivious to my horror. He and Lupe stood at the

  doors, holding them open. I was grateful Lupe didn’t have his enhanced sense

  of smell flipped on or else he’d discover the blood. “You coming?”

  Managing a shaky smile, I strutted towards them. “Of course. Let’s get

  my mate back.”

  TWO

  Z

  I was unsurprised to find all my mates—minus Dair and Jax—

  huddled around a table in the library. I took a moment to survey

  them uninterrupted, memorizing their breathtaking features.

  Devlin, as always, was bedecked in a formal business suit and cufflinks.

  His violet tie accentuated the purple of his eyes, a common trait in every

  Genie. With his olive-toned skin and curly brown hair, he was as familiar to

  me as my own reflection. I had once stared at his face for hours, never tiring

  of his perfection. He had been my childhood sweetheart, my best friend, until

  he had broken my heart. And even though he’d apologized and explained

  he’d left to protect me, it would still take time for the ache to completely

  heal.

  Bash stood opposite him, blond hair tousled and emerald green eyes

  hooded. He leaned back indolently in the chair, kicking his legs up with a

  sneer playing on his sensual lips. Mages, descended from the sin Sloth, were

  naturally lazy and languid. It was why they had a surplus of power—to do the

  work they refused to do themselves.

  Finally, my eyes landed on a Shadow crouched on the windowsill. His

  features were obscured, but I knew him to have dark skin, onyx colored hair,

  and pouty lips. Scars marred the skin of his face, the wicked white lines

  somehow making his beauty even more captivating. However, he chose to

  remain hidden in the shadows, too prideful to show his face in public.

  “Took you long enough,” Bash muttered. His shrewd eyes narrowed on

  me, expression unreadable, before he abruptly turned away. His jaw clenched

  with tension.

  Devlin immediately stood from his seat, striding towards me and

  wrapping me in his arms. He released me only long enough to press his lips

  to my forehead before sitting once more in the seat and placing me on his lap.

  “So, what’s this about a spell?” I queried, leveling my gaze on Bash. He

  pursed his lips as if he had eaten something sour before sighing heavily and

  nodding towards Lupe. The Shifter immediately dropped the ancient book

  onto the table, dust wafting from its brittle, yellow pages.

  “It’s a powerful tracking spell, capable of finding anyone anywhere in

  this world,” Bash explained. He brushed his thumb over the cursive words.

  “And it involves me?” Though I phrased it as a question, I already knew

  the answer. When did shit not involve me? I swore I was swimming in a pile

  of poop at this point.

  “It involves a sacrifice,” Bash countered. “A sacrifice from the person Jax

  loves the most.”

  All five men turned to stare at me, eyes piercing. I just barely resisted the

  urge to scoff.

  “Oh, please. Me? Really? I know I’m his mate—and I even accepted it—

  but that doesn’t mean he loves me the most. You guys are his brothers, his

  best friends. I’m just… me.” I shrugged helplessly.

  “Z, you’re Jax’s entire world,” Devlin said. “I’m pretty sure he

  masturbates to a piece of your hair.”

  I scrunched up my nose. “That’s disgusting. And that only proves that he

  feels lust for me, not love.”

  “Can’t he feel both?” Bash retorted. He gave me an indecipherable look

  before turning back towards the book, thumbing through the pages.

  “So, what do you need from me? A blood sacrifice?” Honesty, at this

  point, I was only half joking.

  Lupe growled, a low and menacing sound, as if the mere prospect of my

  blood being drawn filled him with dread. I wondered how he would feel

  when he discovered I was dying.

  “An object,” Bash interrupted before Lupe’s growls could intensify. “The

  object you treasure the most.”

  “The object I treasure the most,” I repeated dumbly. It was almost

  comical. There were very few things I cared about and even less tangible

  ones.

  Bash’s eyes turned pained as he dro
pped his gaze to something in Lupe’s

  massive paw. It took me a moment to recognize the pendant held in his hand.

  The necklace Diego had given me, the one that transformed me into a

  badass assassin when I was competing in The Damning. Though I hadn’t

  used the necklace in a while, it held tremendous value. It was the last thing

  Diego had gifted me before he died. Before he was murdered.

  Tears flooded my eyes before I could contain them. They were asking me

  to sacrifice the necklace, the last piece I had of Diego, in order to save Jax.

  I knew I was going to give it up. There was no doubt about that in my

  mind. Jax was worth everything and then some, but it didn’t negate the

  intense pain unfurling in my chest. It felt like offering up the pendant was

  saying goodbye to Diego.

  “If there was any other way...” Devlin insisted softly, his lips grazing my

  earlobe.

  Even Bash, the moody asshole, was staring at me in pity. Fuck, I hated

  pity, especially coming from him.

  “Do it,” I managed to stutter out through clenched teeth. My muscles

  were taut and rigid—the string on a bow before an arrow was released. Any

  second now, I would be let loose on the unsuspecting population. Heaven

  only knew what that would entail.

  Bash continued to study me, a muscle in his jaw clenching, before he

  nodded once. Grabbing the necklace from Lupe, he scooped the book up and

  settled it under his arm.

  “I’m going back to my room. The spell has to settle,” he explained. His

  mossy eyes settled on me once more before dropping to my arm where I had

  coughed up blood. His blond brows furrowed, but he didn’t comment.

  Surely, he didn’t know the truth, right?

  Without another word, he turned on his heel and stomped out of the room.

  “When are you going to remove the stick up his ass, Z?” Ryland purred,

  his silky voice coming from directly behind me and Devlin. I didn’t bother to

  turn around; I knew by the time I looked, he’d be gone.

  “The least Bash could’ve done was butter his ass up with lube so he’s not

  in so much pain,” I snarked.

  Devlin chuckled softly, and even Killian flashed a timid grin.

  “You should shower.” Devlin squeezed my waist once, and I whipped my

  head towards him in mock horror.

  “Are you saying I’m stinky, Lin?” I asked, quirking a brow.

  “Not at all,” he answered immediately. “I love the smell of your sweat. It

  reminds me of some of our more...pleasurable activities.” At his unrepentant

  smirk, I smacked his shoulder.

  “You’re horrible.” Sighing, I reluctantly got to my feet, immediately

  missing Devlin’s warmth. When he made a move to follow me, I shoved at

  his shoulder until he fell back onto the seat. “Nah huh. You called me stinky.

  No shower sex for you.”

  My other mates chuckled as I wiggled my fingers at them in goodbye.

  Smiling softly, I exited the library and moved down the twining halls of the

  Capital.

  I was always in awe of the building that served as the neutral ground for

  all seven Nightmare kingdoms. It was a mismatch of architectural styles and

  cultural symbols designed to evoke connotations of wealth and status.

  Hundreds of windows allowed a copious amount of sunlight to enter, and

  paintings lined the walls. The portraits depicted everything from blue-skinned

  Genies to Incubi in the throes of passion.

  I made it back to my bedroom easily enough. Honestly, I expected to be

  assaulted by at least one King. Those men were ruthless assholes.

  In my room, I stripped out of my sweaty clothes and threw them into the

  laundry bin. One of the human servants would arrive and wash them later

  today—despite my protests that I could wash them myself.

  I turned the water dials on, watching the steam mist up the mirror. Fuck, I

  loved this shower more than life itself. It even had an ass massager.

  Stepping under the spray, I made quick work of scrubbing pomegranate

  body wash into my skin. I had just put my shampoo in my palm, prepared to

  rub it into my curly blonde hair, when the bathroom door opened and closed.

  “Lin?” I asked, expecting to see my violet-eyed mate. Instead, a familiar

  broad-shouldered male stared back at me through the glass, eyes ablaze with

  banked heat. “Lupe?”

  The Shifter rumbled—the sound carnal and primitive—before he took a

  step closer. The mist from my shower was molding his shirt to his perfectly

  sculpted body. Fuck, Lupe was a work of art.

  “I’m sorry,” Lupe murmured, but he didn’t step away and his eyes didn’t

  leave my body. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous. Your hair reminds me of liquid gold.

  Of fine silk I long to purchase and covet. And your body… all of your supple

  curves and flawless skin...”

  His breath hitched, pupils dilating with desire, and I couldn’t help but

  smirk. “You’re quite the poet, aren’t you?” I teased, enjoying the way his

  cheeks darkened. It always struck me as strange that a man as large as him, a

  man that evoked fear in others, could be such a hopeless romantic. He had

  journals of poetry beside his bed. “So, what do you say, Poet? You wanna

  join me?”

  Lupe didn’t need to be asked twice. He quickly ripped his shirt over his

  head, being mindful of his glasses still in his pocket, before sliding down his

  jeans. The boxer briefs he wore left very little to the imagination. Lupe was

  packing, there was no other word for it. I could see the outline of his cock

  through the thin material of his underwear. When his thumbs hooked under

  the waistband, I thought my lady parts were going to explode.

  Wouldn’t that be a way to die.

  Here lies Z the Assassin: died of cock before penetration.

  I would never hear the end of it.

  My breath caught as he wrenched them down his muscular, shapely legs,

  his cock jutting to attention.

  Fuck, it was massive. I shouldn’t have been surprised—Lupe himself was

  a beast of a man—but fuck. That thing could kill a girl… or, at the very least,

  her vagina.

  My smile slipped as I thought about that monstrosity in any hole other

  than my pussy. Nope, not going there. I would become, as Killian put it,

  “stabby.”

  “You like what you see?” Lupe asked with a carnal grin. He slid open the

  glass shower door and joined me beneath the spray.

  “That... thing is not entering me,” I said immediately. Fuck, did Lupe have

  to register that with the Kingdom as a deadly weapon?

  He rolled his eyes heavenwards as if looking for patience.

  Tough luck. He wouldn’t find any help up there.

  “My vagina is capable of a lot of things,” I continued slowly, seriously,

  hoping my words would penetrate that thick head of his. “It pops out babies,

  for one. Babies, Lupe. But that python? It’ll fucking break me.”

  He scoffed. “It won’t break you. This isn’t the first time—”

  I placed my hand over his mouth. “Don’t you fucking finish that

  sentence, Lupe Shifter, or so help me God, I’ll cut that big ass penis off and

  shove it up your anus. Then you can understand my pain.” I stared in
tently at

  his throbbing dick. “It’ll be like putting a bazooka through a donut hole.

  We’ll need to work up to that very, very slowly. I’ve had a lot of cocks,

  Lupe, but that is something else entirely.”

  “First of all, don’t talk about the other cocks you had prior to me.” His

  tone darkened considerably as if he was imagining the brutal murders of all

  the young men I had fucked before him. “Second, your donut will be fine.”

  “You know what you do with a donut?” I asked snidely, stepping up on

  my tiptoes to push down on his shoulders. “You eat it.”

  “Maybe if you’re a good girl and ask nicely,” Lupe teased, but he

  obediently dropped to his knees. Fuck, if that wasn’t the sexiest sight known

  to mankind. He stared up at me through his fluttering lashes. “Say please.”

  “Please,” I gasped, my core aching, throbbing, wanton.

  “Please…?” His smile was sinful, exuding an aura that nice girls ran from

  kicking and screaming.

  But I’d never been a nice girl.

  And this man? He made me want to be bad. Very, very bad.

  “Please, sir,” I huffed, and I was greeted by his glorious smile.

  With a show of impressive strength, he grabbed both of my legs and

  threw them over his shoulders. His hot breath wafted over my naked core,

  and I groaned, dropping my head back against the slick shower wall.

  “Do you want my tongue in you, Baby? Do you want me to lick all of

  your cum? Do you want to imagine it’s my fat cock in you?”

  “Yes…” I groaned, jerking my hips in an attempt to ride his face. He

  chuckled deliciously, the noise vibrating through me, before he lowered his

  face to my pussy and began eating me like I was his last fucking meal. Like

  he was dying, and only my juices could sustain him.

  I gasped incoherent praises as he licked and sucked at my sensitive

  bundle of nerves. One of his huge fingers entered my channel, joined quickly

  by a second one. I didn’t know how he was capable of holding me up while

  hand fucking me, but I no longer cared. All I cared about was the impending

  orgasm coursing through me and setting me aflame.

  His mouth left my core, leaving me feeling bereft, before he returned with

  a vengeance, attacking and biting at my clit.

  “Fuck!” I cursed as his hand smoothed over my backside. One of his

  fingers entered my puckered hole, using my own juices as lubrication. “Fuck!