by Eve Newton
Cole gingerly reaches for him and his tension is about to snap as he drops his fangs straight into his sire’s sire’s wrist.
Oh, motherfucker, but he tastes good. Liv was right, he tastes just like blackcurrants. Cole can taste the power and he wants more. He can feel it making him stronger just as if it were Liv who was feeding him. He drinks and drinks and then he pulls back as Constantine pushes on him.
“Enough,” he says. “The girl is getting agitated.”
Cole looks at Jess who has gone feral and is being held back by Devon. She clearly wants in on the feeding action, but Constantine is already rolling down his sleeve and turning away. She growls loudly and Devon pushes her into the bedroom and slams the door before Constantine takes offense and starts ripping heads off.
Xane watches all of this with a modicum of disgust. These creatures are vile. He needs Liv to stop being one in the worst way and if it kills him, he will find a way to make it happen. He spins on his heel and clumps down the stairs in his heavy biker boots, already reaching into his jeans for a cigarette.
“Put him to bed and then I want a word with you,” Constantine says to Devon, who nods and helps Cole to his feet.
Constantine follows Xane down the stairs, cursing his wife for leaving them and forcing him to resort to becoming a Feeder for her charges. She would never forgive him if she came home and found out he hadn’t offered to help. As far as he is concerned, he has done his part. He goes back to the library to continue with his staring at the overlapping map of all the Realms. He knew they existed in and around one another, and somehow, somewhere, there must be portal to get to the Dragon Realms. There just has to be.
Devon leads Cole back to his bedroom. His sibling is in a really bad way, although his color has come back a bit after that very unexpected Feeding offer. “Shower and then bed,” he says.
Cole shakes his head. “I already had a shower,” he says.
“Yes, before you fucked your Feeder,” Devon says. “You know that he could smell it all over you.”
“I know,” Cole says wearily. “I guess he wasn’t in the mood to kick my sorry ass.”
Devon chuckles at Cole’s attempt at humor. “Well, if he had tried to kick mine, I would have relished the fight and gone down with my fists flying.”
Cole snorts at that but says, “Thanks anyway, for taking the blame.”
“No worries, he is in a foul mood. I can take the hit of it better than you can,” Devon replies.
“Even at full strength, I would only last about two seconds before he killed me. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried already,” Cole says with a sigh as he turns the shower back on and without thinking about it strips off and climbs in.
Devon takes a step back but doesn’t avert his eyes. He is getting closer to his goal. Cole has fed from him, but he wants so much more. He has only felt this way once before and that, of course, is with his sire. Their sire. It must be the connection. She is the connection and now all he can think about is taking them both and he swallows. He turns away as Cole steps out of the shower, oblivious, thank the gods, to Devon’s feelings of desire for him. “Let’s get you to bed,” he croaks out as he would like nothing more than to climb in with him and show him how it can be between two men.
“Not that one,” Cole says, pointing at the huge, ornate bed that Liv sleeps in with her two husbands.
It turns Devon’s stomach as he thinks of the three of them in there. “You can use mine,” he says, and Cole smiles at him gratefully, choosing not to think about all the things Devon and Jess get up to in it.
Devon pushes open the door and Cole relaxes as soon as his body is horizontal. He hasn’t slept in a bed in weeks. He starts to doze almost immediately, but he can still hear Devon and Jess talking, assuming he has gone to sleep.
“Don’t go and sit with him anymore,” Devon growls at her the second she walks back into the room.
“Who?” she asks innocently, and he grabs her arm.
“You know who I am talking about. Your little fuck buddy next door,” he says.
“Oh, him,” she says breezily. “It’s charity,” she adds. “He’s a mess.” She looks at Cole sleeping in his bed and he can see the lust shoot through her. He knows his charge has a massive crush on his sibling and the feeling of jealousy sparks through him and he wants to hurt her. He isn’t jealous because of her, but of Cole.
“Besides, you are one to talk, fucking that fat Feeder,” Jess mocks.
Cole, in his sleepy state, takes offense on Dawn’s behalf. Just because she doesn’t have arms and legs like sticks doesn’t mean she’s fat. Devon also jumps to her defense. He tightens his grip on Jess’s arm and whispers menacingly to her. “Don’t speak about her that way. And you know it wasn’t me. I took the blame because Cole is in bad shape. He doesn’t need that bastard coming at him.”
Jess shrugs, unconcerned about her bitchy remark and it grates on Devon. He can see the mood she is in and she is about to cause trouble. He can smell it on her, and it makes him sick. He has been trying to hide his feelings, but he is sure she knows how he feels about Cole. Before she can blurt out anything that Cole may overhear, he placates her with a charming smile and says, “We can’t all be as beautiful as you.”
Her disposition changes instantly and she beams at him, everyone else forgotten except him. That’s the way he wants it. It is so easy to manipulate her. She kisses him seductively and all the tension and lust that has been building up in him comes to the surface as he kisses her back. She is his only release and he needs this.
“Mm, right here?” she asks with another look back at the bed.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” he teases her, knowing she would jump on Cole in a heartbeat if he let her.
“So, would you,” she murmurs, that wicked glint back in her eye.
He feels his eyes darken and he squeezes her ass. “Later then,” he says to piss her off. Even though his cock is stiff, he has all the power here and she needs constant reminders of that.
She stalks off in a huff to the bathroom and slams the door. Devon flinches and checks that it hasn’t woken Cole up. He appears to be sound asleep, so he leaves him. He isn’t too worried about Jess. Her fit of temper won’t last long. Once he leaves her presence, she will feel remorse and come to find him to apologize. He leaves the room and heads back downstairs to get the blasting from Constantine.
Xane watches the two of them going at it like pit bulls. It holds his interest in a purely entertaining way. He doesn’t care about the contents of the argument. Well, maybe with the exception that Devon is taking the blame for something that Cole did and Constantine has to be aware of it as well. He pulls the pin out and lobs the grenade, ready to sit back and watch it detonate. “Cole is one who fucked her,” he says. “Why are you covering for him?”
He enjoys the silence that follows and waits for one of them to respond.
“He is suffering,” Devon says eventually. “He just needed something to take his mind off all this.”
Constantine grunts, taking it all in his stride, proving to Xane that he already knew and mutters, “Don’t we all.”
That does interest Xane now. Is he being faithful to her? He would have bet his life on the opposite of that only a few moments ago. Maybe he is wrong. Either way, he doesn’t care. His plan backfired and now he is bored as the other two sulk off in silence, leaving him alone. He sits heavily in the armchair he favors and settles himself into a comfortable position. Now that he is alone, he realizes that he wanted some alone time. He could have skulked back to his home or to the Castle even, but then that would mean complete solitude. For some strange reason, he cannot fathom, he finds comfort being here in her house, even with her men. He feels closer to her somehow. He closes his eyes and thinks of her. He wonders if she knows. He hasn’t felt her since she was taken, and it leaves an empty space in his heart. Just thinking of her gets him worked up and he opens his eyes with a frustrated sigh. He should go and do somethin
g about that, but he knows he won’t. Even the thought of touching another woman churns his stomach and that makes him feel nauseous. They are married and he has forsaken all others and bonded with her. It happens when Demons form a true bond, leaving behind everyone else to unite with their true love. Marriage isn’t taken lightly as the consequences are so drastic in their kind. Because of this, it infuriates him that Sven won’t give up his obsession with digging into their private life.
“Xane?”
He looks up as he hears his name and sees his mother standing in the doorway. “What?” he snaps at her.
“Come home. You need to get out of this place,” she chides him.
“What I need is my wife,” he says. “Why aren’t you doing anything about it?”
“I cannot, my son. You know I need assistance to get there and there is no one around to assist,” Xanthe says.
“So helpful,” he sneers.
“Watch your tone,” she says sharply. “You may be Overlord, but I am still your mother.”
He glares at her for scolding him, glad that no one was around to hear it. He has a reputation to maintain.
“She will be back,” she adds softly. “And when she is, I will stop at nothing to get her where she should be.”
“The only place I need her is in my bed,” he says harshly. “Maybe then everyone will stop poking their nose into my business.” He knows he doesn’t mean it. He also knows his mother can tell he is a lovesick fool, but she wisely chooses to say nothing. “Will she bring it back with her?” he asks quietly.
“I don’t think she will be allowed to,” Xanthe says carefully.
“Good,” Xane says. “The last thing I need to look at is a child that isn’t mine.”
Xanthe purses her lips and he jumps up to stand in front of her. “What aren’t you saying?” he asks suspiciously. “You think she will find a way, don’t you? Or do you think she will stay?”
Xanthe shakes her head. “I don’t know what she will do. She is unpredictable and emotional at the best of times.”
“You know why that is,” Xane barks at her. “Find a way to get rid of that Vampire and do it soon.”
Xanthe bobs her head and knows she is dismissed. Xane goes back to his chair to contemplate what life will be like when Xerxei is just his.
Cole awakes sometime later, not alone. Jess is brushing her hair at the dresser and she turns to him as she hears him stir.
“Feel better?” she asks.
“No,” Cole says. “Where’s Devon?” He is uncomfortable being here alone with her.
“He’ll be back soon,” she says. “Can I ask you something?” She stands up to come closer to him and he shrinks back into the bed. She has a stalker-like air about her. He has seen that crazy look in the eyes of women the world over and he has nowhere to hide right now.
“Sure,” he gulps, wishing Devon would hurry up.
She sits on the bed and with her eyes boring into his, she asks, “Why did you fuck your Feeder? You could have come to me.”
“What?” he asks quickly.
“I can treat you well,” she says, licking her lips. “I have more stamina than a human.” She sneers the word and he wonders when she got so arrogant.
“I don’t,” he says, trying to make a joke of it, but she remains serious. “It was nothing to me. A moment of weakness. I love my wife and I will remain true to her.”
“Until the next time she disappears,” she says.
Cole is getting pissed off with her now, but he is in no fit state to do anything about it.
She leans in closer to him and he has nowhere to go. “Just remember for next time,” she whispers.
“There won’t be a next time,” Cole says adamantly.
“For what?” Devon asks, finally returning and Cole has never been so grateful to see him. Jess’s attitude has changed for the worse and it worries him. She is trouble.
“Nothing,” Cole murmurs.
“I was just telling Cole that next time he has a moment of weakness,” she says and looks back at him as she repeats his words, “he can come to me.”
Devon raises his eyebrow at his charge. She is being far too bold, and she needs to be taught a lesson. “Cole, would you excuse us please?” he says, looking directly at Jess.
“Definitely,” he says and scrambles out of the bed. He doesn’t want to be here for the fight that is brewing.
Cole pads into the library and hits a wall of tension so great he actually reverberates off it.
“You can’t be serious,” Constantine says to Corinne, who has come back and is looking paler than usual.
“What’s happened?” Cole says, rushing forward, the fear clawing at his stomach.
When no one answers him, his face crumples as he fears the worst, but then Xane says, “It appears we are all fake.”
“Fake? What?” Cole asks, now totally confused. “Is Liv okay?” That is all that matters to him.
“If you think okay is being pregnant with Remiel’s child and stuck in the Dragon Realms until they release her, then yes, she is okay,” Xane says, much to Constantine’s fury.
Corinne turns to Cole, and with a kind smile, she says, “I didn’t come here with news on the Queen. I found it curious when you told me about Tiamat and the Other Worlds. I wanted to find out more.”
“Oh,” Cole says, relief flooding him that at least there isn’t bad news. He turns when he hears Devon with a frown. That was quick, he thinks, as he turns back to Corinne.
“So, what did you find out?” Devon asks.
“That we are all fake,” Xane says again.
Again, Constantine growls at him. “Shut the fuck up,” he says, wanting to pound him into the ground.
“Come again?” Devon asks.
“As I said before, Tiamat is a true immortal. She cannot die. Therefore, the only reasoning we can come up with is that She is of the First World. The ancient one. The real one.”
“The one where Aefre and I got married a thousand years ago,” Constantine adds.
“I don’t follow,” Devon says. “Are you saying that…” He trails off as his mind starts to spin.
“When Her true heir wasn’t born out of a union with Aefre and Constantine, She created another,” Corinne says.
“She created a World?” Cole asks, sitting down. “How, how is that possible?”
Corinne shrugs. “Her Power is limitless.”
“So, She started from scratch and put Other me and Other Liv together?” Devon asks. “That doesn’t make sense. Liv told us what Tiamat said to her when they first met.”
“All lies,” Constantine spits out. He loathes that creature the more he learns about Her. The fact that She is the reason he was made and that he found Aefre is irrelevant in light of everything else She has done.
Corinne looks pained at Constantine’s hatred, but she continues. “And when that failed to produce Her heir, She made another.”
“This one?” Cole says faintly.
“Maybe, maybe not. Fraser’s date was also in the prophecy. Although, now that this theory is out there, it is looking less like a prophecy and more like a timeline of Her failures,” Constantine says bitterly. He really does not like the fact that he wasn’t the one for her in the beginning.
“That doesn’t make sense either,” Devon pipes up. “If he died, that means Liv is in that World doing what exactly?”
“Who said he died?” Xane says. “Maybe he lived, and they once again failed, so Tiamat decided to change his fate and killed him off in this one.”
Oh God. Cole thinks he is going to throw up. This is too much.
“What I don’t get,” Xane continues, “is that if Remiel was “the One” all along, why didn’t She just resurrect him in the first place instead of messing about with all of this?” He gestures expansively.
“Maybe She couldn’t. Maybe it was only ever Liv who could because she is his…” Devon stops speaking as Constantine Vamps out and flies at him over the des
k. He puts his hands up and adds quickly, “I’m just trying to make sense of this.”
Xane nods, accepting that, as much as he can accept any of this. It is far beyond anything he has ever heard of, but he knows Tiamat will go to any lengths to get what She wants. Even if it means messing about with new Worlds, timelines, and the whole sitting around for over three thousand years to finally get it right.
“Err,” Xane says as a horrible thought occurs to him. He goes pale and sits down.
“What?” Constantine asks him. “What now?”
“The timelines don’t track,” he whispers. “Has She messed with time and put us all back onto equal times? Or are we brand new and all our memories are fake?”
“This is insane,” Cole says after they all contemplate the horror of that. “If, and that’s a big if, any of this is true, Liv will be devastated when she finds out that she has been a puppet in Tiamat’s scheme.”
“She doesn’t find out,” Constantine says, getting himself back under control. He is so close to losing it, but he must remain clear-headed. The thought that none of his memories with Aefre are real is eating away at his very essence and he feels sick. Looking at the other three men, they feel the exact same way. “We cannot tell her any of this. As Cole says, she will be hurt beyond anything she has ever experienced before. Agreed?”
He waits while they all nod their agreement of remaining silent about this, but for good measure he adds, “If I find out any one of you told her, or anyone else for that matter, whatever god you pray to won’t save you from me.” He is pleased that the threat was taken seriously. He still needs to assert himself as top dog around here.
“I’m sorry,” Corinne says. “Perhaps I should have kept my theory to myself.”
“Bit late for that,” Xane mutters still reeling from his own thoughts, and she lowers her eyes.