by Setta Jay
He clenched his teeth as he stared at his beautiful mate’s sleeping face.
“She looked fine when you woke her the first time. Irritated, but fine,” Sirena attempted to assure him. The space was too damned small with him and the sleeping unit. He couldn’t even pace more than a few feet.
This was the first chance they’d had to talk. Every one of his damned Guardians had shown up to check on her and he’d sent them all to tasks, but he’d appreciated the distraction and the concern. Now it was just him and Sirena staring at Delia’s sleeping form.
“I know,” he ground out. Delia had wanted to stay the full hour, because Hades had said it would be between an hour and several days. He’d tested it for five minutes and the pheromones were still there. They’d seemed to have faded, though, and that had eased her some. Eased them both.
“I hadn’t realized she’d changed so much physically,” the healer said with a curious expression marring her face.
“She kept it hidden,” he acknowledged as smoke filtered into the filtration system he left running. His hair was pulled back to keep it from flying in his face with the air currents.
Just getting to this point had been a pain in the ass. All they needed to do was get through this. Even his dragon was pacing impatiently in the back of Drake’s mind as he massaged some of the tension from his neck.
“You don’t feel anything?” Sirena asked.
“No,” he growled. That was the problem; Delia was supposed to be mentally open to him and he felt nothing, good or bad, coming from her. And he didn’t like it.
He sucked in a breath and took a good look at Sirena. Her violet eyes had smudges beneath them and she just looked tired. Her light blonde hair was in a fifties-looking ponytail and she still wore a dress and heels, but he could tell she was pushing it to look like her normal put-together self. He shook his head. “Thank you.” He hadn’t once said that to his cousin, at least not that he remembered. He didn’t do that kind of thing well, but as he looked at her, he was reminded of what a dick he was. She’d been working tirelessly to help Delia and do everything else she had to do and he’d never once told her to take care of herself.
She smiled at him. “You’d do it for me,” she said without question and she was right. He didn’t have much healing ability, but he’d use it all to help her if she needed it. His cousin shifted on her high heels as he nodded.
“After this you need to let someone else keep an eye on Sacha and get some rest,” he commanded.
She nodded, but they both knew she’d do what she thought she needed to, no matter what he said. He bit out a warning, “I mean it, Sirena. I’ve been a dick to keep you working and you will go get rest and energy after this. Alex and Uri will help.”
She gave a sharp nod and then narrowed her eyes at the tattoo showing below his tee shirt sleeve. “That’s new.”
“Delia’s power spiked right after the frenzy started. We were both marked.” His mate’s “healing” ability, a power over the body and organs in general, was strong. As strong as the telekinesis.
“Wow,” Sirena said. “So her abilities haven’t lessened since the beasts were removed?”
“No.” Her powers were incredibly strong. She was more Goddess than Immortal, which was fitting as his abilities were that of a God. He was born to Aphrodite and a dragon-shifting father, but when the Creators made him the leader of the Guardians, he’d become just as powerful as a God.
“That’s interesting. I wonder if that will change at some point,” Sirena questioned with a frown.
“Maybe.” But he didn’t think so. If the beasts were the source of her power, it seemed more likely that it would have left the second they did, not over time.
“Did you talk to her about her memories?” his cousin asked.
“I did,” he admitted and relayed the information Delia had shared about feeling like she was somehow separate from the Mageia she’d been.
Sirena frowned. “She said something to that effect to me. I guess it’s possible that the beasts numbed the memories like Alex would have done. Delia had tried to kill them. And Cyril wasn’t just a healer, he was the son of Apollo. His blood and power would have been strong. Add that to the wolf’s strong mental ability… I think something like that could have happened from them.”
He stifled the urge to roar at the mention of Cyril’s name.
He changed the subject. “Have there been any changes to Sacha’s blood?”
She shook her head. “It’s the same. I was thinking that maybe if this works for Delia, it will purge the poison in Sacha.”
“We’ll see.” He didn’t like using the stasis unit at all. It was too unknown, but if it worked for Delia, he would consider it.
A few beats passed in silence.
He connected to P. Anything?
Not yet. He’s still not getting through to Apollo. How is Delia? He’d informed P of what was happening right after putting her in the unit.
Still in the unit.
How much longer until you can get her out?
A few more minutes and we’ll be at an hour. What is Hades doing? Drake growled.
He’s going through all of the archives in Lofodes. The wide-eyed Mageia who run the place scampered off a while ago.
Have you found out what he’s looking for? Drake bit out.
Not yet.
Find out, he demanded and broke the connection.
The God was definitely up to something.
“It’s nearly time,” he bit out to Sirena as he moved to the head of the case, counting off the last seconds in his mind.
He let the power and spell fall from his lips and barely waited for it to surge through him before he set his hands to the encasement. Light launched to the ceiling and the power snapped back in his palms, and out of the light stood Delia.
“Well?” she asked. Her sultry tone held a hint of anxiety.
He caught her in his arms, inhaling her scent and getting hit with intense relief. The pheromones are gone.
He grabbed the blood kit and took the sample himself. With a thought he sent it out of the spell to Sirena. He couldn’t do that with big objects, but this was small. He stared at her, checking for anything wrong. “How do you feel?” he asked her.
“Good. Very good.” She nodded, but her eyes were glassy and he felt her need rising.
He pulled her into his arms for a kiss as she murmured, You’re sure they’re gone?
Yes, temptress. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding in his chest, one more fucking thing down.
Suddenly, her breathing accelerated and he lifted away to see her eyes going heavy. He felt her power building, but all his concentration was drawn to her sweet wet cunt.
“Hungry,” she growled and her lips were back on his. Her small frame rode along his cock as she leveraged up to ride him through their clothes with a harsh panting groan. He stilled her hand from ripping his jeans to get to his cock.
A frantic blast of power surged from her and into him, jerking their bodies with the immense strength. It was wild and out of control. He broke the kiss and she growled and pulled his hair to get back to his lips. Her beautiful eyes were so damned glassy.
More of the electric bursts rose, slamming them into the walls as she rode him hard through her soft wet pants. He wanted to rip them from her fucking body, but he wouldn’t. Not there where anyone could see. Her body was for his eyes. His.
Need, she whispered. I need you so much, she murmured into the link. I can’t control it, Drake.
He turned her to the wall and kissed her again, hard, as he ground his cock between her thighs to ease her ache. His heart was beating wildly as heat blasted into his chest and straight through her. Something had fucking happened in stasis, and now she needed him to calm the violent surges that were rocking the walls and affecting the dragon.
The animal roared for his mate in a way that Drake new meant they needed to finish this. He didn’t care about the blood test. It was time. He only hated
to do it in a cell, but they’d be unconscious when they blood bonded and they couldn’t have anyone watch over them in their home. It was covered in the scent of her pheromones. Sirena would have to oversee the bond while they stayed in this fucking room.
Sirena, we’re blood bonding. Now, he growled.
I don’t have results, the healer snarled back.
It doesn’t matter. We’re staying in here while we do it. Will you watch over it? he bit out.
I’ll be right there.
Delia’s power flooded through them up to the ceiling in blinding light as he made his vows in an ancient language. Giving his promise to love and cherish her in blood for eternity. The spellbinding words slipped through their mental link and he heard her echoing them back.
His mate ripped the tee shirt away from his neck and her sharp teeth raked over his skin, licking and sucking before biting down hard into his flesh. He growled as he fought to control the power and need riding them to something cataclysmic. He sat with her on her small bed; her legs moved to his hips and she frantically ground her pussy against his denim-clad cock. He clenched his teeth as her soft moans of pleasure vibrated against his neck.
Her warm tongue lapped at his blood as she offered her wrist to his lips seemingly on instinct. He growled deep, grinding his cock up to meet her.
He was about to see every memorable thing in her life, good or bad, and that scared the shit out of him, but he’d do what needed to be done. What she needed. He let his teeth lengthen, a part of the dragon, and then he made a swift bite that instantly submerged him into her memories.
He thought he’d see her youth and then the horrors, but he was dropped in much later.
He was shot into a blur of hunting; the shadow was in control of her body, he could feel it. Delia was looking on from inside her mind as if she were watching it through a tunnel. The wolf howled for a lost mate as the shadow used her body to strategically cut down Cyril’s people. Drake was with her while she put the clay on her skin and methodically spelled it in place so that the beast could stalk its prey, learn their weaknesses and plans. The shadow killed, but not only that, it strategized to torment its most desired quarry, listening to talk of where Elizabeth would hide next. The beasts wanted Elizabeth, for whatever the bitch had done to Delia, the shadow and even the wolf both sought her blood above all others.
Delia had spent the entire time watching from inside her own mind, scared of what she was becoming. She’d fought for control of her own body, but constantly lost the battle.
The hunt kept going as the beast tormented Elizabeth by killing her warriors and leaving their heads on spikes. Watching and waiting, building up to the end slowly, with sick enjoyment. The bloodlust wasn’t frenzied, it was patient and deadly.
The kills were necessary. Delia wanted them dead, but not in the way of the beast. She hated the games. They all had to die because if she only cut off one head, another would just take over. Cyril had died and Kane rose in his place. When Elizabeth killed Kane she took the male’s place. It was a cycle that would never stop. Delia wanted it over and the shadow wanted blood and fear. Retribution.
She warred with the beast constantly, frustrated as surges of power hit hard and Cyril’s memories battered her mind. Sick experiments and the empty eyes of so many females. Cyril’s mind was one big twisted lack of empathy and thirst for power, wrong, and the sheer icy fear of becoming him gave her strength to continue the fight.
The next flash took Drake into the very first time she scented him. The shadow had finished killing all but Elizabeth, the female was in her clutches, an arm torn off, her heart forced to stop as the shadow relished her final victory. Drake’s scent had distracted the beast enough for Delia to rise, just for one sweet instant of freedom. Delia finally had hope and rallied to win over the beast inside, but failed, the bloodlust was too strong. She gained a split second of control and then was slammed back inside her mind as the beast roared. The hard arousal only infuriated the creature more.
Another flash of memory saw Elizabeth being taken from her as the beast raged. Then she was grabbed and teleported next to her prey. The beast rose and escaped from Sirena and finally killed Elizabeth before they could get either of them into a cell. The shadow ripped Elizabeth’s head off with her bare hands before burning it to ash. The beast and the wolf howled in delight as Delia gained control for another minute before it was gone.
The next memory was of Drake looking into her cell. Delia was pulled out to the forefront of her mind over and over as the beast fought her for control. Desire hit her so strong it scared her as she gained so many bits of control for the first time in months. It was tenuous, but she grasped hold with brand-new strength to fight it. It felt incredible even for a minute.
The next memory was Delia being thrown into pain and arousal so deep it felt like it was tearing her in two while rebuilding her.
Another flash was the air charging around her and the harsh compulsion to link minds with Drake. The feeling of something coming as she prowled in her room, watching his mental link to make sure he was fine.
The shadow gaining freedom with every emotional slip and having to battle it back.
Alex invading her mind in her sleep and the sheer fear at the thought of Cyril’s formula ever being written down or somehow finding its way into the world.
More memories. All of him. Of the small comforts he’d provided that meant so much. His grounding her in some bit of sanity. His warmth in her mind. The dragon curling over the link and warming her chilled bones. Uncontrollable want, and deep heartache, knowing she could never have him for fear of the drug inside her and the beasts taking over.
Later Drake watched as Hades released the beasts from her body. Drake experienced it with her; she was right in thinking it was peaceful if not scary as shit that the God had been able to do something so intricate.
Him filling her full, giving her a first taste of pleasure, and the intense possessive protective instincts rising even harder and stronger than before. Need. Happiness and relief. Freedom.
He felt her animal need. Her instincts to claim. To protect. Wildness, jealousy, and something so much stronger.
Chapter 22
Guardian Manor, Tetartos Realm
Delia was caught in Drake’s memories. Several millennia worth, starting with the plan to call the Creators back. Every blip of memory was him and his cousins in a big palace of white and gold.
He stood in front of his gorgeous Goddess mother, Aphrodite. His frustration at her for refusing to find the artifact to call the Creators back.
Delia saw him battling the Tria, the evil demon spawn of Ares and Artemis. His mother and father at his side along with Athena, Hades and Pothos, investing all of their strength to contain the three. They fought massive males, who laughed and taunted them with evil shining in their eyes. Delia was shocked when she realized Drake was offering up a portion of his own life force to the spell they used to imprison the indestructible monsters. They’d all been forced to use a piece of themselves to move and cage the sick beings in the Realm of Corrupt Souls, known as Hell now. She felt his fury and exhaustion when the task was done. They put the Tria into a mountain range in the Realm, confining the sick beings into the smallest space they could, but Drake knew it would only be a matter of time before Ares and Artemis found a way to free them.
Delia watched as he argued with his mother and father about the artifact after the Tria were confined. She felt his anger when they refused again, telling him they had it under control. All the while he knew blood was raining down in temples all over the world so that the corrupt Gods could feed on the addicting energies of death and destruction.
Delia saw Drake and Sirena finally coming up with a spelled drug that would allow an Immortal to infiltrate Apollo’s palace and steal information.
She felt his determination to save the world from destruction.
Delia was dropped into the memories of P finally bringing in the box. Felt him go throug
h relief and urgency as he and his cousin ported to the mountaintop to release the power of the artifact.
The next memory was of the Creators’ immense presence slamming back to the world above him in the form of white lights. Then the Great Beings were sliding into his mind. She felt the sheer power of their fury and sadness at what had become of their children. Then she was seeing the Gods each brought in within whirlwinds to face their parents and answer for their crimes. He couldn’t hear anything, but saw the Gods one by one bow their heads.
Drake had shouldered so much of the world’s weight even before becoming a Guardian.
She blinked into the next memory of power rolling in his veins, nearly knocking him back as he stood strong in front of the Creators as they chose him as leader of the Guardians of the Realms. She felt his guilt that his mother was sent to sleep alongside of the corrupt Gods. Delia was there as he protested that the three Gods who hadn’t taken in dark energies be allowed their freedom, and that the rest be punished more harshly. The Great Beings denied him, deeming all Gods too powerful to be allowed freedom. They said the Deities would one day be needed, and their protection was charged to him. The Creators then commanded him to allow humanity to evolve and cursed him and his brethren with tenfold the pain they inflicted on any mortal.
She felt the sheer weight of responsibility fall on him when the Creators banished the Immortals to Tetartos Realm and left him in charge of the other Guardians.
She was with him when the wind and rains whipped at his body as he looked into the eyes of each of his warriors and mentally vowed to watch over them and fight at their sides.
Then Delia got flash after flash of him and his warriors fighting together, battling each other as their new powers tested their limits and they lashed out. Finding a place that fit each of his Guardians’ strengths while struggling with the more feral who’d been abused in one way or another by the Gods.