Searing Ecstasy

by Setta Jay

  What was wrong? he demanded while feeling P use his power to ratchet the animal down another level.

  I think you were getting her nightmares. There was frustration and worry, maybe even sympathy in the healer’s tone that only further grated on his and the dragon’s nerves. A nightmare? That had been more than a bad dream. He breathed through the need to destroy something.

  I’m on my way to you. Sirena couldn’t use her calming voice through a telepathic link.

  P’s here, he ground out. Make sure she’s okay! he demanded.

  P’s ability to mesmerize worked to calm the dragon enough that Drake could breathe, but if Delia hadn’t calmed, his cousin would still be throwing power at him. His cousin’s ability, his thrall, was a tightly held secret.

  Of the Guardians, only Sirena, Sander and maybe Jax had any real idea of the extent of P’s power. The male controlled the allure with a fucking iron will, but it was a part of him. Drake knew the other Guardians felt a small hum of it, but they didn’t know everything.

  “Enough,” Drake bit out as his wings retracted back into his body. He started prying the now confused dragon from the link, but it was curled tight.

  It was just nightmares. She’s fine, Sirena reported.

  Drake had seen Delia wake from those nightmares before, through the cameras in her cell. He slammed his fist into the nearest rock outcropping, sending stone chips flying in a rain of dust.

  He stifled a roar at having no control over this. He couldn’t do anything for her.

  Can you get Uri and Alex to help her with the memories? he snapped.

  I told you she wouldn’t let them ease them.

  Don’t ask her fucking permission! Make it happen. It had been one thing to see her wake like that, but to feel the icy fear and horror… No way in hell was he allowing her to suffer that ever again. Uri and Alex’s mental skills were enhanced with their mating; they had to be able to do something for her.

  His chest was rising and falling as heavier smoke left his lips to fill the cavern around him.

  The dragon wanted her under him, safe and protected.

  “Are you going to be able to do this?” P asked seriously.

  “I’ll do what I have to,” Drake snapped back at his cousin. He was the only one that could set the God free.

  P eyed him closely as he stood with his arms crossed over his black tee shirt.

  They both knew Drake might find himself in a cage sooner rather than later if this continued.

  He balled his fists as more smoke filled the room.

  He had a job to do, and this was as calm as his beast was going to get. He looked down at the stasis unit holding Hades’ sleeping body. The God should be able to contact Apollo or track the sibling link. If not, this would all be for nothing.

  Drake held the key to each God’s encasement. Hell, he was the damned key. The only true key. Apollo had only gotten free because of a Lykos with a dangerous damned ability with locks.

  Now that same Lykos was living at the Guardian Manor with his mate, Conn’s sister-in-law. That left the Lykos Guardian in charge of babysitting a damned pack of wolves in his compound. Drake growled again. So much had changed in the last months.

  At least this time a God was released, he’d be the one doing it.

  He eyed his cousin. “I need you to stick with him until we get Apollo back.”

  “And who sticks with you?”

  “Vane and Brianne will have to.” He hated it more than anything that he needed a keeper, but he was the one responsible for all the Realms. If he was losing it, it was his fucking duty to make sure he didn’t destroy it or the dragon didn’t try to break down the manor to get to Delia.

  “We don’t have other options. This has to be done,” Drake growled.

  He didn’t like the idea that the Gods might be needed as foretold by the Creators, but the Great Beings had assured him that day would come. They hadn’t shared any other real information before leaving almost as quickly as they’d come.

  He and the other Guardians had been given immense power as well as a curse against harming humanity. Any Guardian who harmed a mortal would get tenfold the pain inflicted as a reminder that humans were meant to live and evolve. And because the Creators no longer trusted more powerful beings in the Realm of humanity, they had confined all Immortals to the Realm of beasts, Tetartos. “We need to do this now.”

  He directed his attention to the encasement. It hummed with a suppressed power that called to him. It was a part of him. Ancient words fell from his lips, words that only he knew, and power surged through his palms. He turned them up to see the hidden markings glow through his flesh. The serpent’s head blazed just beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed. He set both hands down on the encasement and air currents blasted through the cavern, whipping through his hair and slamming P back against the wall. Blinding light flashed and power slammed back into his palms, snapping from the encasement like a band. When the wind stilled, Hades was left standing in its wake. Power flowed from the God in waves as he assessed his surroundings. Bright flashing blue eyes took in Drake before they snapped to Pothos.

  Drake had almost forgotten the power the God held. Yet seeing Hades in all his glory, midnight wings flexing majestically as his bright sapphire eyes nearly glowed with power and intelligence, was impressive. The hint of arrogance as he quirked his lips finished the image Drake remembered of the God. The bastard also had an allure similar to Pothos’, just not nearly as strong.

  Drake nodded. “Hades.”

  “Draken,” Hades acknowledged and turned his attention to P. “Son, you have much to explain.” Drake saw the warmth in the God’s eyes, but there was definite warning and reproach in the tone.

  “Father.” P nodded his head in respect. There was a lot of old shit he was sure the God would demand answers to, like why they’d gone behind his back to call the Creators back, but he’d have to wait.

  “I need you to track Apollo,” Drake demanded in the old language, hoping to save some time. All Gods and Guardians could understand any language spoken in the world. It was a gift from the Creators. Hades would only need a moment to mentally translate anything spoken, but it wasn’t worth the wait.

  Glowing blue eyes flashed to him with annoyance before one dark eyebrow cocked. “Do not mistake my favor for weakness, child.”

  Drake growled at the God’s words. He didn’t have time to play court to the fucking God whether he liked the asshole or not. Hades tilted his head and Drake had the distinct feeling the God was using his unique ability to see inside Drake’s soul. The dragon clawed inside him, feeling challenged at having all that power sliding close.

  “I expect an explanation. Begin with why Apollo is free while I was not.” Hades words held a hard glint as he let his power lick out to show his displeasure.

  “We didn’t let Apollo out, but we need to find him. Now.” He noticed Hades’ shoulders pull back and more power banked until it blasted out to slam into Drake’s chest, launching him into the rock wall and holding him there for a moment. Drake shook his head; the beast loved having a worthy opponent. Drake launched his own blast and the cavern wall shook with the force of Hades’ impact.

  Amusement lit Hades eyes and his lips tilted into a smirk. The bastard enjoyed this shit. “I would not challenge me, nephew.” Then the God cocked another brow as they squared off, each brushing rock from their shoulders. “You won’t like the outcome, no matter how strong the Creators made you.”

  Drake felt the dragon roar as he slowly moved away from the wall, his eyes flickering as he prowled forward. More rock trickled down over the floor as he watched Hades’ eyes glow brighter. Deep midnight wings flew from Hades’ back and the bastard’s lips tilted as Drake stalked forward. “Are you sure you wish to challenge me, nephew? I will win.”

  Challenge. That was all the dragon heard. Felt. That and the excitement of battle with a worthy opponent. Drake’s power flared to life again, but before he and the God could
settle it, P’s voice and power slammed into them both.

  Hades’ face lit with surprise and anger as he looked to his only child. Drake’s animal stilled in confusion, jolting Drake back into reality.

  “Enough!” P snarled. “We don’t have time for this now and I’m in no mood to have the fucking mountain come down on my head.” His cousin stood between him and Hades, his own ebony wings a barrier now blocking Drake’s view of the God. Drake could almost hear his cousin’s teeth grinding.

  What’s going on? Delia’s voice in his mind sent the calmed beast into a fucking tailspin. It was so damned sexy his cock pulsed against his jeans. The dragon vibrated with a primal lust so intense it shook Drake’s entire body. The animal slid back to the shining connection and caressed it, making them both groan. Drake barely heard Hades’ furious words to P, “You disrespect your father, Pothos.”

  “We’ve come for your help.” P tried to ease his father.

  That seemed to calm the God, because the power that licked off Hades eased back. “Please, try to find Apollo and I’ll give you my memories of all that’s happened since you’ve been gone. It will explain everything you want to know.”

  Drake heard his mate groan again as the dragon curled around the link. The connection was only a day old and it was already turning him upside down. Her throaty responses were making his cock ride against his zipper.

  She slid her mind over the dragon’s body; it was like she could see exactly what was happening with the beast. Invisible fingers slid over the scales and sent pleasure rocketing through his whole fucking body as the beast’s back muscles twitched under the soft touch. His reaction was even stronger than what he remembered of the one and only time he’d scented her. That hint of her had been ingrained inside him and left him hard for weeks. He growled deep. This was worse. This was dangerous.

  She sounded breathless when she spoke. Stop him from caressing the link. And you have to stop growling. The hint of anxiety slipping through the bond was all he needed to yank the beast’s leash.

  He was breathing heavy, still fighting back the need as he vaguely heard P dealing with Hades. He couldn’t answer her; he couldn’t get anywhere near that fucking link. The connection was only getting more sensitive. Fighting the dragon didn’t alleviate the desire to fuck, not even marginally. He still felt the echoes of her mental touch even though they’d severed all contact. He breathed through clenched teeth and willed his cock to calm the fuck down.

  P turned and eyed him closely and then sent another wave of power. He was grateful for the ease, but knew this had to be draining P’s energies. It took a lot to bring Drake down and his cousin was also attempting to keep Hades calm at the same time. Drake could feel it in the air.

  Once his cousin was satisfied that Drake was back in control, he moved aside. Drake saw Hades looking off into nothing as he tilted his head. His wings were still retracted, casually grazing the surface of the stone beneath them.

  P spoke in their Guardian link. He’s checking for Apollo now. Are you going to be able to keep it together?

  Drake was glad the God hadn’t seen his fucking near meltdown. Looking weak would only make him challenge Drake more often.

  I’ll be fine. And he hoped to hell it was true. He doubted Delia would use their connection again, she’d been just as affected.

  A few more tense moments passed until Hades redirected his attention to them. “I was unable to get through, but Apollo is not necessarily shielding against me.” The God’s eyes moved to Drake and then to P. “Explain. Now.” It was a demand, not a question, and it grated on Drake’s nerves.

  “Where is he?” Drake demanded without answering. The challenges were only pissing him off.

  Hades looked back in his direction and Drake felt the God’s power snap in the room. “You forget yourself again, nephew.”

  P growled. “Drake is in charge. The Guardians follow him. I follow him and we need to know where the hell Apollo is.”

  Hades’ eyes flashed at his son and he crossed his arms over his massive, bare chest. Power was filling the cavern again as the God’s wings twitched and flexed. “You are my son. You follow me.”

  “I am your son,” P agreed, but there was a hard edge to his tone as he continued, “but things have changed. I am a Guardian and Drake is our leader.”

  Hades’ wings expanded and twitched as the God’s anger mounted. Drake allowed P to calm the God or they’d get nowhere. After a great deal more demands for answers and respect, Hades finally growled at P, his tone dangerous, “Show me what happened with Apollo.”

  They would get nowhere having pissing matches every five seconds, so Drake answered, “Apollo was taken by an unknown enemy. We don’t know why or where. P will show you.” Drake bit out the last with a nod to his cousin.

  Drake waited impatiently while P telepathically imparted what happened with Apollo.

  Hades nodded seriously. “When was he taken?”

  “Yesterday,” Drake snarled.

  The God nodded again. “His location is blank.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “He was unconscious when they took him. He may still be.” Hades’ muscles pulled tight and his wings flexed as he focused his attention back on P and commanded, “Now show me all that I have missed.”

  Fuck.

  Chapter 3

  Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm

  “Delia, are you okay now?” Sirena’s voice sounded far off as Delia reeled, still trying to understand what just happened.

  Delia snapped awake to shouting or something. Whatever it was, it took seconds to realize what was going on around her. She wasn’t feeling her normal shaky comedown from the nightmares, where icy panic chilled her bones. Instead she felt a warm, protective dragon draped all over her telepathic connection to Drake.

  A few more seconds ticked away and she heard Drake’s demanding voice calling her name. The sound was so deep and sexy in her head that she nearly stopped breathing altogether. She let her mind slide around it and the dragon moved with her, continuing to wrap tighter around the link. There was such a peaceful sense of comfort to it that she never wanted the sensation to end. Her mind licked out and caressed the connection until Drake’s growl vibrated all over her, reaching every cold, empty place inside her.

  “Delia, are you with me?”

  She jolted, having completely forgotten the healer was still in the room. Even though the connection had broken off, she still felt the echoes of all that heat and desire stroking her skin. She stifled a moan.

  What had she done?

  It hadn’t been like that when she formed the link the day before. At least not to the same degree. Was the connection getting stronger or just more sensitive?

  She looked up from her seated position on the bed into the blonde’s tired violet eyes. The healer’s hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail with only short pale bangs left free. She wore a dress that formed to her petite figure and ended just below her knees.

  Delia cleared her dry throat before responding, “I’m okay.”

  “Can I take a look?”

  Delia felt something else coming from Drake, distracting her from answering the blonde. Frustration? Anger?

  She absently nodded in Sirena’s direction, becoming vaguely aware of the female’s power sliding inside to check her organs. This wasn’t new. In Delia’s moments of clarity, she didn’t care. She’d rather know the details of what was happening to her body, even if her instincts were already giving her those answers.

  Delia ignored the female and focused on the link again, wanting just a hint more of that heat and comfort. She mentally bit off a curse. Forging their connection had been a huge mistake. What she’d done was dangerous and permanent, but she hadn’t been thinking. It was pure animalistic instinct that had forced her to connect with him. The minute she’d felt like something was wrong in the world, she’d bonded with her male like the animal she’d become. The driving need to track him and protec
t him somehow was only getting worse with each passing day.

  Without thought she tracked the link to see that he was still in Tetartos. Sirena’s power slipped away and the healer sighed. “Please let Alex help ease the memories of what Cyril did to you?” The female’s voice rose an octave. “You don’t have to let them torment you. She can help, Delia.”

  Delia tugged the soft blankets over her legs and rested her head against the wall behind her. It made sense the healer would think those memories were what haunted her dreams. “It’s not what you think.”

  Sirena narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  She saw no need to share her horrors, so she added some finality to her tone. “I don’t need Alex’s help.” They’d had similar versions of this same conversation several times over the past couple of weeks, but this was the first time Sirena actually referenced the torment the old Delia had endured.

  Sirena rubbed the back of her neck as she paced in front of the bed. “Why let Cyril have that power? Why suffer?”

  Delia bit out, “He doesn’t. And I don’t suffer. Not in the way you assume.” The memories of what Cyril did—the experimentation, the forced matings, the imposed beasts that came from Cyril and the Lykos, the torture—were all numbed from her mind long ago. She was aware of the acts, but it felt like they’d happened to someone else. In a sense they had. The youthful, innocent Delia died the moment the blade lodged inside her heart. The female who woke was entirely different; she didn’t feel anything the old Delia felt. The new Delia had woken to battle two broken beasts constantly trying to either rule or destroy her. This female also held the instincts of a predator and growing power that she couldn’t hope to fully contain. She was a nightmare in the making and she did everything in her ability to contain what she could. Being there, near the dragon, was helping her do it, whereas she knew allowing Alex and Uri into her mind would do nothing.

  The blonde eyed her closely, but Delia was done with the conversation and gave the healer a hard stare.

  “Drake felt the nightmare,” the healer added and it was like a blow to Delia’s gut. She breathed out. She needed to stay focused to ensure the shadow beast didn’t slip its leash again. Anytime Delia was distracted or upset, the animal managed to claw its way through.