Fire's Embrace [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 6] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove)

by Scarlet Hyacinth

  They got together once again in the throne room, and the moment they were in private, Rachen didn’t delay in pointing out the issue on his mind. “Do you think the avians can get into Draechenburg without being seen?”

  “We’ve warned all the soldiers to watch for any suspicious activity,” Kael answered. “If a hummingbird approaches, we’ll know.”

  Rachen was still unsettled. “I just get the feeling we’re missing something,” he replied.

  “There’s a lot we don’t know right now,” Karein said. “The sprites’ presence isn’t making things easy for any of us. But I think we’re stronger now than ever before. How do you expect us to even face the entire paranormal world if we’re afraid of what the avians will do?”

  “Don’t get arrogant, Karein,” Kael warned. “It’s never a good reaction to have.”

  “It’s not arrogance. It’s faith,” Karein replied. “I believe in our people, in us. Besides, Phoenix isn’t alone now. Don’t get me wrong. I have no plans to open the gates of Draechenburg for avians. But we don’t have to dread it either.”

  Rachen tried to be encouraged by his brother’s words, but it didn’t really work. “Would you say the same if Sari was the one at risk?”

  Karein’s brow twitched, and Rachen immediately regretted his words. Well, at least a part of him did. The other pointed out that he was completely correct in his assessment. Karein would have felt exactly the same if someone had been after Sari, and they all knew it.

  “You’re right,” Karein said. “I was only trying to be encouraging, but it looks like I’m terrible at it.”

  “We’re just all very sensitive right now,” Sari piped up. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day, and we’ll find the answers you seek.”

  Rachen actually suspected that Sari himself felt a bit off, largely because of Eanera’s absence. However, it was far too soon for them to expect the High Priestess back.

  Regardless of Sari’s personal concerns, the entire family seemed to be pretty focused on Rachen’s. “In the meantime, I assure you that your mate will be well guarded,” Hareem told him. “Trust us on this, okay?”

  “Perhaps Rachen would appreciate a more hands-on approach,” Talrasar suggested, “actually getting involved in the security of the palace.”

  Rachen had done it before, so it wasn’t exactly an offer made without cause. Now that Karein was busy with more administrative affairs, it stood to reason that Rachen would start to take over some of Karein’s previous tasks. Sage was handling it right now, but Rachen had to get involved. What better moment than the one when his mate needed him to be on top of things?

  “I like that idea,” he said.

  “Well, then, it’s settled,” Karein replied. “Coordinate with Sage to make sure everything is in order. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what to do from there.”

  Rachen could have snorted at that. Of course he didn’t need instructions. After all, he had all the knowledge Karein did, two hundred years’ worth of training and experience. Suffice to say, he was more than well equipped to handle anything thrown his way.

  Perhaps that was what Karein meant by saying he had faith in his people. After all, what weapon could the avians have that the draechen wouldn’t be able to counter?

  By his side, Phoenix rolled his eyes. “We’ve been saying that for ages. You’re so impossibly stubborn, Rachen.”

  “I am.” Rachen grinned. “But you love me anyway.”

  “I do,” Phoenix answered, this time through their bond. “I really do.”

  Their gazes met and locked. Rachen was gripped by a sudden powerful feeling that he needed to touch Phoenix, to seize the moment and enjoy every second they had together without allowing fear to get in the way.

  He wanted to take Phoenix in his arms, carry his mate to their quarters, and have his way with Phoenix. But he’d just committed to being responsible and handling the security of Draechenburg. He couldn’t run off to fuck his mate whenever his libido decided it was a good idea.

  Obviously noticing Rachen’s dilemma, Karein walked to his side and squeezed his shoulder. “Tell you what. I’ll check up on everything tonight in your stead. In the morning, you can review everything yourself.”

  Karein was giving him a chance to go and enjoy some time at Phoenix’s side. Rachen should have probably refused. After all, Karein had his own mate to worry about. But he truly wasn’t selfless enough to do so.

  “Thank you,” he replied. “I shall.”

  There were no knowing smirks or lecherous comments as Rachen took Phoenix’s hand and headed out of the throne room. Everyone just wished them good night in a simple, almost soothing way. It was a little strange, because the sexual tension between Rachen and Phoenix was practically palpable, and as a rule, someone made a note of it.

  It didn’t happen this time. Phoenix didn’t make any flirtatious comments either. It was as if, by unspoken agreement, they all realized that this night was different somehow.

  Hand in hand, they walked to their quarters without speaking. They didn’t even look at each other, but it didn’t matter because Rachen remained as hyperaware of his lover as ever. His skin seemed to sizzle with the already-rising lust, and his hand practically burned where it touched his lover’s palm.

  Phoenix’s hold on him tightened, growing almost painful. They started to walk faster, but it still seemed to take forever until they at last reached their quarters.

  Ironically, once they entered the room, Rachen was stumped regarding what he was supposed to do. It made absolutely no sense. His dragon roared at him to just reach for Phoenix already, to kiss him and never let him go, but for whatever reason, Rachen didn’t.

  When he turned toward his mate, he just watched Phoenix’s face and met those eyes that were so uniquely Phoenix’s. He wondered why he felt like he was at a crossroads in his life, why he imagined that, if he touched Phoenix now, his mate would disappear right in front of him.

  “Funny,” Phoenix whispered. “I’m imagining the same thing.”

  Phoenix’s words triggered something in both Rachen and his mate. They reached for each other, but unlike during their previous lovemaking sessions, they didn’t rush into a wild, uncontrollable desire. Instead, when their mouths came together, the kiss was gentle, lazy, shy, almost platonic. Their bodies were so close together now that Rachen could feel his mate’s dick against his own, and Phoenix couldn’t have missed Rachen’s. However, neither of them tried to take things further. Instead, they just lingered in their lip-lock. For a while, they didn’t touch at all with the exception of that kiss.

  As a rule, things heated up quickly between Rachen and Phoenix. They were both fire-oriented creatures, so they didn’t have too much patience. Their passions ran wild and hot, and Rachen and Phoenix always ended up losing control.

  It didn’t happen this time. Their desire for each other was still very much present. It hadn’t faded away in the slightest, and yet, as if of common accord, they didn’t do anything to move things along. Phoenix didn’t will away their clothes like he regularly did. Rachen didn’t shove his mate against the door, the floor, or the table like he usually loved to. They just kissed.

  And yet, in spite of the simplicity of the moment, this kiss touched Rachen at the very core of his being. He found in it the reassurance that they were here, together, true mates who could never be separated. And when Phoenix parted his lips and granted him entrance, Rachen tasted the same awareness in Phoenix’s addicting flavor.

  His mate finally melted into his arms, moaning as he surrendered to Rachen’s mastery. Distantly, Rachen realized that Phoenix’s melodious cry was the only sound either of them had uttered since Phoenix’s brief comment.

  It should have shattered the trance both of them were in, but somehow, it didn’t. Instead, it urged Rachen along on the same path, one that worshipped everything Phoenix was and would ever be.

  Rachen buried his hands into Phoenix’s hair, releasing a moan of his own as he t
ouched his lover’s soft tresses. He could never get tired of it, of the way it felt to caress the silk of Phoenix’s locks. Just that touch aroused him beyond measure, like the pure texture of Phoenix’s hair was a flame burning him, awakening every nerve ending in his body through simple contact. And still, Rachen didn’t rush things. He couldn’t. For some reason, it was very important to him to take things slow today, to enjoy his mate in every possible way and have Phoenix experience a different kind of love.

  Rachen suspected that Phoenix had never truly felt gentleness. Naturally, Rachen wasn’t brusque with his mate, but neither had he taken his time to show Phoenix all the excitement two people could feel even at innocent caresses. Today, Rachen wanted to fix that mistake.

  He began by breaking the kiss, which naturally caused Phoenix to release a soft whine of protest. “Patience, baby,” Rachen whispered. “I have you. I’ll give you everything you want.”

  Phoenix started to breathe harder at the words, practically panting. However, he didn’t try to convince Rachen to hasten the pace. Instead, he just stood there, acknowledging Rachen’s wishes and submitting to them. He was so gorgeous it hurt, and not only because of his flawless physique. Rachen had seen it once before, in Alwyn Cyraltin, but it hadn’t been the same. Phoenix was so much more than that. The fiery passion hiding behind that beauty, the love he showered Rachen with, the strength he needed to surpass the shadows of his past and begin anew, all of it drew Rachen to Phoenix like a moth to the proverbial flame.

  Rachen didn’t have the words to express everything he wanted to say, so instead, he started to work on Phoenix’s clothing. For once, he wanted to enjoy the slow unveiling of Phoenix’s body. He pressed a kiss to every inch of silken skin he revealed, making Phoenix shudder slightly. The response encouraged Phoenix. Button by button, he worked off Phoenix’s shirt, until he at last exposed his mate’s chest and abdomen. Phoenix’s nipples pebbled, perhaps because of the lower temperature in the room, but most likely as a response to the arousal both Rachen and Phoenix felt. Rachen couldn’t resist their draw. He didn’t even try. Instead, he lowered his mouth over one tiny nub and sucked it into his mouth. He reached for the other with his hand, tweaking the bit of flesh between his fingers, pinching, rubbing, and caressing. Mostly, he kept his touches gentle, but on occasion, he did give Phoenix just a little hint of pain, because he knew Phoenix enjoyed it.

  By now, Phoenix was releasing soft little gasps that came very close to the melodies he sang when they were flying alone in the Draechenburg skies. They were just as intoxicating and awe inspiring, and so arousing Rachen had trouble processing it. Under different circumstances, Rachen could have come just from hearing them. This time, he held back, leashing his own pleasure, or rather, feeding it into his bond with Phoenix. He couldn’t refuse experiencing the rapture he felt at Phoenix’s touch, because that would mean denying his mate the sensations that automatically filtered through their bond, but he could use that bliss for Phoenix’s benefit. Perhaps this was what he wanted most of all, not only to claim Phoenix as his in every way, but to give himself to Phoenix, in every way that he could.

  Clinging to that resolve, Rachen dropped to his knees in front of his mate. With trembling hands, he undid his lover’s belt, his mouth watering at the knowledge of the prize that awaited him. Phoenix threw his head back as his cock sprang out of its confines. “Oh, yes…Gods, Rachen. Please…”

  As eager as he was to take things slow with Phoenix, Rachen didn’t tease his mate. Following his lover’s plea, he took Phoenix’s dick in his mouth. The taste of his mate’s pre-cum exploded on his taste buds, and Rachen’s sense of discipline almost cracked. His dragon reared inside him, asking why in the world he hadn’t claimed this man already and what he was waiting for.

  But as Rachen started to bob his head up and down Phoenix’s cock, even the dragon felt how right and good this was. They’d always had passion. From the moment they’d met, even back when Phoenix hadn’t even known who he was, the chemistry between them had been incredible. Once they’d finally acted on it, Rachen had been plunged into a whole new world of lust. But in spite of the perfection of that carnal desire, it was the love that had anchored Rachen, that had brought Phoenix back from his irrational flight when he’d changed into his fire bird form for the first time in centuries.

  A blow job wasn’t the most loving gesture in existence, but Rachen still poured all the emotion he felt for Phoenix into it. He lavished Phoenix with attention, focusing on all the spots he knew his mate liked, gathering the pre-cum on the tip with his tongue and reveling in the taste of Phoenix’s passion. He moaned around Phoenix’s cock, creating vibrations that massaged the hard member. His full focus was on Phoenix and Phoenix alone.

  Meanwhile, Phoenix started to thrust in and out of Rachen’s mouth. He didn’t lose himself to a violent pace like he might have at a different time. He kept his motions shallow, slow, as reluctant as Rachen to let go of the quiet perfection of this moment.

  All too soon, though, climax started to build within Phoenix. Rachen could feel the pleasure bubbling inside him. His cock was so hard it hurt, and he hadn’t even touched himself. As it turned out, he didn’t have to. Rachen sucked Phoenix’s dick one last time, all the way into his throat, and swallowed around the head. With another melodious moan, Phoenix came, sending his spunk down Rachen’s throat.

  Just like that, Rachen fell over the edge as well. As he gulped down his lover’s seed, he shivered through his own orgasm, his vision blurry, his body burning with carnal pleasure and his heart soaring with emotion. But it was not over, not over by a long shot.

  As soon as Rachen released Phoenix’s cock, the other man dropped to his knees next to Rachen. He pressed their mouths together, and Rachen fed the lingering spunk into their kiss, groaning at the arousal that coursed through Phoenix at the erotic gesture. When Phoenix pulled away from him and got up, Rachen said, “I want to make love to you.”

  Phoenix just nodded, his eyes glowing with that inner fire that seemed to burn Rachen alive. He toed off his shoes and stepped out of his pants, ending up completely naked, right there, within Rachen’s reach. Rachen could have easily thrown him down on the carpet and buried himself inside Phoenix’s hot depths in one single thrust. Phoenix would have allowed it. Overlords, Phoenix would have embraced it and enjoyed it like he always did. But now, they both needed something different.

  Rachen got up as well and wordlessly took his naked mate into his arms. Phoenix wrapped an arm around Rachen’s neck, resting his head on Rachen’s shoulder. Rachen carried him into the bedroom and slowly placed him on the mattress. He couldn’t help but pause for a few moments, the yearning to admire his mate’s beautiful body too powerful to resist. Phoenix smiled at him, not coy, not seductive, just…loving. There was no other way to explain that unique expression on Phoenix’s face. If someone had asked Rachen to describe his vision of pure love, Rachen would have described Phoenix, in this moment, with that look, so vulnerable, open, welcoming, and yet, impossibly powerful.

  Phoenix’s gaze urged him closer, asked him to touch, to kiss, to caress and claim. Rachen decided it was high time that he did so. For crying out loud, he was still dressed, his spunk already drying on his once-elegant clothes. Not that Rachen cared about the garments. Everything was irrelevant right now, except his beautiful mate.

  He would have just ripped all of it off, but Phoenix arched an elegant brow at him, and Rachen’s dragon practically purred with the need to give Phoenix a little show. Overlords, at this rate, the damn thing could be morphing into a feline shifter for all Rachen knew. Still, he followed his instincts, and he began to take off his shirt as slowly as he had Phoenix’s. He undid every button patiently, teasing Phoenix with glimpses of his flesh, occasionally brushing his fingers over his skin just enough to tantalize Phoenix.

  His mate followed every motion of his hands, biting his lower lip, his fists clenching into the sheets. Phoenix’s cock had hardened again, and now pointed a
ccusingly toward Rachen, practically demanding to be let in on the action. But Phoenix made no move to touch it. He just stared at Rachen, watching his impromptu strip show intently. At one point, he even seemed to stop breathing. By the time Rachen had his shirt off, his eyes were pure, vivid flame and lust poured off of him in waves.

  Phoenix’s enraptured expression fed Rachen’s zeal and his knowledge that he was going in the right direction, or rather, at the right pace. He discarded the shirt on the floor and took off his boots. Unfortunately, in the process, he had to do a little dance around that really wasn’t all that sexy, but that didn’t matter, because it still made Phoenix smile. And then Rachen finally reached his pants. Phoenix pinned him with such a hungry glance that Rachen found himself faltering and tearing off the buttons of his slacks. He blinked, a little surprised at his own gesture. Here he was, thinking that he had control over the situation, when in reality, Phoenix could make him lose it with a mere look.

  “It goes both ways,” Phoenix said huskily, “believe me.”

  At last, Rachen managed to speak, too. “I know,” he answered. “I always believe you.”

  He wasn’t only referring to their present circumstances, and both of them knew it. However, Rachen didn’t want to return to serious conversations that would distract them from each other. He’d been doing so well. If he had to speak, he’d stick to saying how fucking beautiful Phoenix was and how much Rachen loved him. Those were topics that could be easily explored for hours without Phoenix or Rachen getting bored. In fact, they could be explored without talking at all.

  Following that trail of thought, Rachen dropped his pants and finally stood naked in front of his mate. Phoenix’s breath caught, and he released a low whimper. Now free of his clothing, Rachen joined his mate onto the bed and climbed on top of Phoenix. “Tell me what you want,” he murmured in Phoenix’s ear.