by Setta Jay
Maybe I can find something online. Or she’d find a way to get back to the battlefield to search for clues herself.
Conn has that covered and Drake said that you and Sander are off duty until you finish the mating.
She sat up straight, but her sister didn’t say anything more.
Excuse me? Nastia growled. She wasn’t a fucking Guardian, so that damned dragon couldn’t order her to do dick.
Don’t start. You saw how I was during the frenzy with Bastian. The desire is only going to get worse and more distracting. Her twin’s voice suddenly took on a harder tone. And I don’t have to remind you that the weapons affected you more than anyone else that was hit.
Oh, now, that was an extra bitchy thing to say. She snarled through the link, Tasha, it could have been the same thing for you. You just weren’t hit.
True, but I’m mated to Bastian. I’m getting stronger because of it. The other Guardians that were hit felt the effects, just not to the same extent you did. Have you been able to teleport again?
Nastia clenched her teeth. That was another reason she needed to get out of this room. She still hadn’t gotten her ability back and it scared her more than she’d ever admit out loud, not even to her twin. She refused to think that it might be gone forever. The others who were hit had suffered the same thing, but she’d been told that their porting ability came back within hours.
She rested her head in her hands as more exhaustion set in. The good news was that the crazy horniness eased back a little, not much, but she’d take any reprieve she could get.
Are you okay? Her twin’s voice held a hint of concern.
Yeah, I’m getting better every second. But was she? Maybe. She’d never been as depleted as she’d been when Sander had brought her in, but that was because she’d stayed out there fighting hand to hand longer than she should have. She’d let adrenaline carry her for too long, because she hadn’t wanted to be taken out of the fight.
She slipped on her boots and zipped them up.
FYI, you’re a real bitch for taking my blades, she snapped to her sister through the link.
Sander saved your ass, and as my soon-to-be brother-in-law, I’m sure as hell not letting you stab him.
She shook her head and growled through the link. You’re a fucking traitor.
Tasha sighed. You know you want him, I’m just doing my part to reduce blood loss. I feel like I owe him that, even if you don’t. There was a pause meant to strike with the most guilt possible, and then her sister’s voice took a turn to the more serious. You need to finish this, Nastia. The mating frenzy will only get worse until you two complete it, I’m not kidding. And seeing you go down in battle scared the hell out of me. Those warriors are still out there. Sander was immune to their weapons and you should get that immunity too when you finish the mating. Don’t be stubborn about this.
She growled as she headed for the door. She was getting nowhere with her twin and she still wanted to see Brigitte.
Love you.
She mentally flipped her sister off as she entered the dark hallway slash tunnel outside her room. Tasha had told her that Brigitte was close, but it was a long hall with a ton of doors on either side. How big was this place?
Which room was Brigitte in?
She didn’t hear anything in the room she chose, so she slipped the door open and peered in quietly. They’d told her that Sirena drugged the female because she’d needed rest after days with Apollo. He hadn’t been able to harm her, but Nastia would bet that he did everything possible to scare her.
Guilt and relief both hit Nastia hard. It was Nastia’s fault the female had been taken. When Apollo had shown up at her club in Earth Realm, Brigitte hadn’t left like she was told. The female thought she had Nastia’s back, but she’d had no clue how powerful Nastia was or what and who Apollo was. The Mageia had been easy pickings for the bastard to use as leverage, and he’d kept Brigitte for days just to make Nastia worry.
She shook her head, she shouldn’t have befriended the female in the first place, but in the last few decades she and Tasha had gotten soft, careless. As she looked at the redhead lying unconscious in the bed, she was just thankful their friend hadn’t been hurt worse.
She drew closer to Brigitte just to be sure everything was okay. She looked to be sleeping peacefully.
Nastia sucked in a relieved breath and left the room just as quietly as she’d entered. She needed fresh air. She was exhausted, but being in a cavern room for long bouts of time had started to make her skin crawl. She still had some problems with claustrophobia after all these thousands of years. It was all too similar to her youth, where Apollo kept them locked away under his warrior training camps. Those walls had been lined with metal to dull their abilities, and he only allowed their guards to take them into the caverns to refuel for short amounts of time. It wasn’t until after they escaped close to their twentieth birthday that they’d ever seen the sun or moon.
Those memories still got to her and she shook them away. Along with worse ones that accompanied them.
She beelined for the stairs and made her way up until she made it out the nearest door and sucked in a long pull of cool mountain air as she slouched against the wall.
Sander appeared just a few feet away and took all the air right back out of her.
Before she could think, he was on her. He growled low, lifting her into his arms before she had a second to process anything.
“What the hell are you doing? You’re still depleted!” he demanded as he moved to open the door leading back inside.
“Stop!” she snarled into his face. If he had hair, she’d yank that shit. And if she could teleport, she’d be out of there, but she was weak and trapped and sure as hell not going back inside.
Glassy hazel eyes stared down at her. His dark skin and the tattoos peeking out from everywhere under his white tee shirt were driving her a little wild. He was too damned gorgeous for his own good. For her own good.
“I need some fucking air,” she snapped. “Give me a minute, you damned Neanderthal!” But, Jesus, she was wet and achy and it was just getting worse now that she had a lungful of his sexy male scent. All she could think of was rubbing all over his thick muscle and climbing him like a damned tree. Exhaustion slipped away and was replaced by blinding hot need.
“Female, you try my fucking patience. You need to rest and refuel.” She felt him sending her some of his energy and her back bowed at how fucking erotic and overwhelmingly intimate that was. It definitely didn’t feel like that when Tasha did that.
He growled and the vibrations added even more arousal into the mix. She was going to combust any second.
His cock throbbed against her side and she moaned a little. That was all it took. His lips met hers as he flipped her around so her back was pinned to the wall and her legs wrapped around his waist. He wasn’t just kissing her, he was invading her. One hand went to the back of her head and pulled her hair until she moaned into his mouth. The other held her ass up and forced her into each grinding thrust of his denim-covered cock, hitting right against her sweet spot.
Her fingers dug into his neck, his back, and the thick muscles pulled and twitched under her biting nails until she was ripping at the material to get to skin.
Everything about him was addicting. The way he held her as if she weighed nothing even though she was nearly six feet tall without heels. The big male was more than six inches taller and packed full of muscle. Her big warrior was devouring her as if he couldn’t get enough. He angled her head again as his tongue demanded her complete attention. He was ruthlessly taking possession while snarling mine over and over in her head. She couldn’t think.
I’m going to eat your cunt like I’m tongue-fucking your mouth. That was a perfect description of what he was doing and it was fucking hot. So hot she was clawing his back to get more. He tasted so damned incredible. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been kissed, but it hadn’t been even on the same plane as this.
> She was spinning in a haze of such blinding lust that she actually came with him grinding his cock into her. That’s it, keep coming. There won’t be a drop left in your pussy when I’m done with you.
She was groaning into his mouth, dying for more when he finally released her hair to pinch one aching nipple until she writhed and pushed for more. His fingers left and he turned his body enough to rip the seam of her jeans and bury his hand between her thighs. My nasty girl doesn’t wear panties, he growled. Two fingers thrust inside her and air burst from her lungs at how good it was. Now ride my fingers hard. Show me how much you want my dick.
Jesus fuck, she was never at a loss for words. She blamed the frenzy and this moment of exhausted weakness. This wasn’t who she was, but she was too lost in need to care. She circled her hips and rode his hand to one more mind-numbing orgasm and it felt like they were burning up.
Blazing heat whipped around her, but it was so fucking wild she loved how it drove them higher and higher.
“Fuck! Sander!” She heard the words coming from somewhere close and growled at the interruption. His fingers were still pumping inside her, so rough and hard as she tried to match the brutal thrusts that were leading past the point of no return. She was so far gone she didn’t even care who their audience was. All she cared about was his mouth, his fingers and the fire turning them into an inferno.
“Jesus, it’s hot, but they’re about to burn the place down.” That was a female’s voice.
Nastia didn’t care, she wanted more and finally came hard all over his fingers, but he didn’t stop, he was ruthlessly driving her up again as she screamed into his mouth. She ripped his jeans and gripped his cock hard as she lifted up, ready to put it just where she needed it so bad.
Sander. She heard in a male’s voice. I’m going to fucking soak your ass in five fucking seconds. The words were coming from her head and Sander broke the kiss to snarl at the intrusion.
“You’re burning through the fucking fire retardant spells, man.” This time the voice was out loud.
That’s when she saw it. Sander’s eyes were lit with beautiful flames and fire was licking all around them. She actually smelled burning wood and paint. Her hazy vision slipped to her left and she saw the scorched walls around them.
Dorian, the Nereid Guardian, stood not ten feet away with a small blonde female who was smiling.
The flames cut off, but Sander’s big body was vibrating against her with the sheer intensity of what they’d been doing. He closed his eyes, and when they opened, they were hazel. She felt his cock pulse in her hand and she squeezed it until he growled at her. He was still so damned hot. How had they literally been on fire without her knowing it, feeling it? Her clothes were intact. Well, mostly. He’d ripped her jeans and she’d shredded his tee shirt, but the fire hadn’t done any damage at all.
His eyes searched hers for a second and all he said was, “Fuck.”
Nastia looked at their audience. “Well, this is awkward. I’d shake hands, but one’s full at the moment.”
Sander’s gaze shot to hers and his lips twitched. She caught a glint of beautiful white teeth against his caramel skin.
The others laughed. “Just don’t light the place on fire or Drake will have your ass.”
And then they were gone. And suddenly she was spent. Completely toast.
She vaguely processed Sander growling before darkness hit.
Chapter 5
Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm
Delia stared down at the laptop Sirena handed her. “Have you used one of these?” the healer asked.
She nodded. They had computers in the cities. They just didn’t have the Internet that she knew existed in Earth Realm. There were enough movies and books about the Realm of Humanity that even those born in Tetartos, like she had been, were aware of the technology there.
Sirena clicked up a screen and Delia just stared at it, they didn’t have this in Lofodes. “This is Drake’s office.”
Delia wasn’t sure if the healer said anything more before she left.
She was too busy staring at an empty chair that would hold her dragon. Now she’d be able to see him like he could see her through the camera. Her fingers slid over the screen, touching the chocolate leather. She wanted this, just one more stolen piece of a fantasy that had already gone too far.
She mentally cursed, knowing she’d use the laptop. She’d never be able to resist seeing him any way she could.
The second she felt her beasts’ rising agitation, she set the laptop gently beneath the bed and took a bracing breath. The harsh reminder of her existence slammed her body into the wall as power violently ripped through her, flooding the room stronger than ever before. Her mind instantly slid to her connection with Drake; just the little touch eased her enough to pull it all in.
The shadow attempted to claw free, but she slammed the beast back with a force that rocked them both.
When it was over, she sank to the bed, sucking in air. Feeling all the power inside her, she felt wild and consumed with need so all-encompassing that her skin felt too tight. Her heart was pounding as she moved to the shower. This was her reality, constantly being ripped apart, and each time she rose a little more primal.
More dangerous.
*****
Mountains stretched below as Drake maneuvered their battlefield further north. He and Hades had been working up to this moment all fucking day. The bastard had been challenging him constantly until he’d finally ended it with one of his own. It felt good to stretch his wings, but the dragon wanted full freedom, and not for this. Beast and man both wanted to check on Delia.
He saw the wide smile on Hades’ face change to devious and then it was on. They collided in mid-air with a resounding hammering of blows.
“No powers,” he growled. It was too dangerous. They might inadvertently hurt someone below.
Hades laughed. “I like you too much to kill you.”
Fucking arrogant asshole.
Drake landed a blow on the God’s jaw that sent him twenty feet in the air. The bastard’s wings turned to keep him from spinning from the impact. The God’s brows rose as he touched a finger to the spot of blood on his lip before the wound closed. If anything, that only seemed to please the God more as he launched at Drake. It felt good to let his strength free, he held back in sparring matches with his warriors, but he didn’t have to do that now. He let the full force of his pent-up aggression fuel the fight with Hades.
It seemed the Deity was enjoying his newfound freedom. Drake wouldn’t say anything about it being fleeting. He wondered how guilty he’d feel putting his uncle back in the box. But Hades would want to rule; he’d make demands. He already had. All fucking day, and to make it worse, he still hadn’t been able to connect to Apollo.
Clouds parted for them as they spiraled around, slamming into each other as the air currents whipped at their bodies. Blows landed and soon Drake felt a little lighter. They fought until Drake’s muscles felt stretched and his face and torso were a mass of aches and healing heat as his body righted itself after all the blows.
Diving, they met and the air slammed out of both of their lungs as they landed rapid blows again.
He wasn’t sure how long the battle had waged, but eventually he saw P, Vane and Brianne all circling them, wings extended as they watched. Brianne’s wild hooting filled the sky. The redheaded Guardian loved a good fight as she spun and pumped her fist in the air.
As much as he wanted to continue, they were all wasting too much time. Why weren’t Brianne and Vane patrolling?
“Enough,” he finally yelled to Hades. Neither would ever win in a hand-to-hand battle. This could go on for days.
His demand to cease didn’t stop the God from slamming into him hard from the side. Drake’s ears rang from the impact, but he didn’t miss the pleased laughter coming from Brianne or fucking Hades.
He glared at the God, who was already turning his attention to Brianne with a fond smile. “My commande
r seems well.” She gave the God a blindingly beautiful grin. She and Conn had been high up in his ranks before they were taken by Apollo.
Vane slipped closer to Brianne, their wings flapping to keep them in place in front of the God. The male had a look in his eyes that said Hades had better keep his distance from Brianne.
“Vane?” P must not have filled the God in on the hybrid mating, because the God actually looked confused for a moment as he looked at the massive wings Vane was sporting.
“Apollo did this?” Hades asked in confusion. He hadn’t seen Brianne since before she was taken and experimented on, so that was a fair assumption on his part.
“No. He’s my mate.”
Drake tuned out the chatter and Hades’ surprise, as he went to the link to Delia. She’d been lightly touching it all day; he couldn’t stop checking for any emotion. He needed to get to his office, to his laptop so he could see her.
Make sure Hades doesn’t go anywhere alone, he directed to P.
Easier said than fucking done. I feel like I’m herding damned kittens. P snorted into the link, but Drake had a feeling his cousin was torn with guilt. Drake felt it every time the God looked at P with that warm fatherly affection. What was going to happen when they had to send him back to sleep?
Keep him in spelled locations and add protections. They were all descending toward the protection of the manor’s secure perimeter.
I will. What do we do about the staff? Word will spread that Hades is free.
He growled. He fucking hated diplomacy shit. I’ll talk to Uri and Alex and have them inform the leaders of the cities. It was going to cause an uproar, but there would be no hiding the God. The bastard had only made some concessions, mainly keeping his wings hidden while in Earth Realm. Aside from putting him in a cell, he was only going to get so much from the God, and Drake honestly didn’t care if those in Tetartos knew he was out. He was in charge of protecting the Realms; he did so as he saw fit, not as they did.