A loud roar reverberated around the room, and Asher pried his eyes open in time to see Zaiden leap from the bed and tackle Darkin to the floor. “I’ll kill you,” he chanted over and over as his fists flew, landing blow after blow to the witch’s face and body. With all of his attention and hatred focused on Asher, Darkin had apparently forgotten all about holding his control over Zaiden.
Sagging to the floor, Asher gasped for breath as the pain slowly drained from his body, taking most of his energy with it. Summoning his waning power, he held his hand out in front of him, palm up, and worked to rebuild his flame.
The pair continued to grapple, Darkin rejoining the fray instead of just taking his beating like a good boy. His powerful thighs wrapped around Zaiden’s waist and flipped him sideway to the carpeted floor as Darkin rolled on top of him. “I’m finished playing games with you,” he panted.
“Hey, shithead,” Asher called to him weakly. “Still want a piece of me?”
Darkin’s head snapped around, and he pinned Asher with his onyx gaze as he began to move off of Zaiden. Asher waited for another heartbeat until he had the perfect shot, then sent his fireball screaming across the room.
Caught by surprise, Darkin’s eyes widened as the flames struck him in the chest, igniting his entire body upon impact. Zaiden scrambled out from under the burning man and crab-walked backward to press himself against the wall.
Darkin rolled on the floor, screeching for only a moment before the magical fire overtook him, reducing him to ashes in mere seconds.
Exhausted and hurting, Asher dropped his hand and fell over on the floor, panting against the carpet. Before he could catch his breath, however, Zaiden’s blood-freezing scream had him pushing upright again as panic seared his heart.
Zaiden had his head thrown back, whipping side to side with his eyes open and bulging as he continued to scream. Then everything stopped abruptly. His voice cut off in mid-cry, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he toppled over on his side, limp and unmoving.
Chapter Nineteen
“Zaiden! Zaiden!”
Shaky hands touched him everywhere, caressing his sensitive skin as he shivered and whimpered. It wasn’t pain, exactly, just as though he’d been pumped full of electricity.
“I love you, Zaid. You can’t leave me.”
“Not going anywhere, baby,” Zaiden tried to reassure his lover. He heard Asher gasp and felt him scramble over his body before a soft hand gently caressed his cheek.
“Open your eyes, big guy.”
“I’m trying,” Zaiden grumbled. God, he was so tired. He just wanted to sleep.
“Try harder,” Asher said around a chuckle.
With great effort, Zaiden was finally able to drag his eyelids open and blink up at his mate. “Bossy bird,” he mumbled.
Asher laughed again as he stretched out on the floor, and snuggled close to Zaiden’s chest. “I ruined the carpet again. Sorry, man.”
Snorting softly, Zaiden wrapped his arm around his lover and pulled him tighter to his body. “We’ll fix it, baby.”
The floorboards in the hall creaked, and Zaiden snapped his head up, groaning at the ache in his temples. With just a thought and a wave of his hand, he covered himself and his mate in T-shirts and sweats.
“Oh,” Asher gasped. “That is wicked cool.” He looked up and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Does it work in reverse?”
“Perv,” Zaiden teased, but he didn’t look at his mate. His eyes were locked on the doorway, and his muscles tensed, a feral growl working its way up his throat when Andrew stepped into the room. “Run,” he warned.
“What? Why?” Asher asked as he whipped his head back and forth, staring first at Andrew and then up to Zaiden. “He’s not going to hurt us. I already told him what I’d do to him. Why do I need to run?”
“He’s talking to me,” Andrew answered softly from the other side of the room. He kept his distance, never coming any closer, but Zaiden didn’t relax his angry posture.
“Did you know?”
Andrew looked at Zaiden in confusion. “Know what? I have no idea what’s going on here. I went to the hotel to talk to Asher, and he damn near rips my throat out.” He grew more hysterical with each word, waving his hands around wildly as his voice rose. “Then he turns into a goddamn firebird, and I find out that you’re both preternaturals and mated, for the love of God!”
“Humans know about preters,” Asher said softly. “Everyone found out when the Great War began.”
“Yes,” Andrew huffed. “I didn’t know that you two were, though.”
“Is there a problem with that?” Zaiden eased Asher way from him and climbed to his feet, wobbling only slightly as he prepared to defend his mate if necessary.
“I don’t care what you are. I care that you’re mated,” Andrew whispered the last part sadly. “I’ll never have a chance now.”
Asher rose from the floor and stood beside Zaiden, taking his hand and linking their fingers together. “No, you won’t. He’s mine.”
“What?” Andrew’s brows drew together, and he stared at Asher as though he’d grown a second head. Then very slowly his forehead smoothed out and his eyes widened as his jaw unhinged. Zaiden could almost see the lightbulb go off in his head. “You thought I wanted Dr. Reed?”
“Don’t you?” Asher sounded as confused as Andrew had looked. “The birds, the message on the ceiling—all of it was you. You wanted me out of the way so you could have Zaiden. Don’t lie to me.”
Andrew shook his head slowly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I certainly don’t want Dr. Reed.” He smiled a little at Zaiden as his cheeks tinted pink. “No offense.”
Zaiden couldn’t help but chuckle. Even though he knew where this conversation was headed, he couldn’t fault the man. “You want him.”
The flush in Andrew’s cheeks deepened as it spread down his neck. “Since the minute I laid eyes on him,” he confirmed. “I didn’t realize you two were exclusive. When he said you were fucking, I just assumed that was it and maybe I had a shot.”
“Me?” Asher squeaked.
Andrew gave him a duh look. “You are gorgeous, Asher. How could anyone not want you?”
Rather than being jealous, pride swelled inside Zaiden’s chest, because Asher was his. People would always desire the gorgeous man, appreciate his beauty, but Zaiden owned his heart. The next words out of his mate’s mouth solidified the feeling, and Zaiden almost melted to the floor in a puddle of goo.
“I’m Zaiden’s,” Asher said firmly. “He is everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Andrew smiled in understanding and dipped his head. “I know, Asher. I swear I didn’t understand the extent of your relationship.”
“But we were living together!” Asher went back to being pissed off in a flash. His head tilted one way on his shoulders and then the other as he took a deliberate step toward Andrew. “You’re lying,” he said with confidence.
“What? No!”
Asher pointed toward what remained of Darkin—still-smoldering ashes mere feet from Andrew. “You haven’t said one word about that. Any other human would have completely freaked. At the very least they would want to know what that was.”
“I–I don’t know w–what you’re t–talking about,” Andrew stammered as he inched backward toward the door.
Zaiden waved a hand, freezing the man mid-step. He didn’t have a clue what was going on, or where Asher was headed with his newly formed hypothesis, but he trusted his mate with his life. If Asher felt something was amiss, Zaiden damn sure wanted to hear the rest of this.
“How did you know Darkin?” Asher continued forward, circling around Andrew’s immobile form as he spoke. “Why were you helping him?”
“I swear I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Andrew cried, but the nervous darting of his eyes told another story.
“I’d start talking,” Zaiden said calmly. “I warn you, though. My mate is liable to burn your sac off if he’s not sati
sfied with your answers.”
Asher winked over his shoulder and snapped his fingers, producing tiny orange flames to dance at the tips. “Want to try again?” he asked, turning back to Andrew and holding his burning hand close to the man’s groin.
“Okay, okay!” Asher backed off a little, and Andrew took a couple of deep breaths. His eyes locked with Zaiden’s as he began his story. “Remember when I came to your office that day? When I told you I thought I was gay and had met someone I couldn’t get out of my head.”
“Yes.” Zaiden wasn’t likely to forget the conversation anytime soon.
“It was Darkin,” Andrew whispered. “We met in line at the convenience store, and he was so handsome and charming, and everything about him just sucked me in.”
“Get to the good stuff,” Asher ordered, increasing the flames in his hands.
“Wait,” Zaiden said. “How did he find me? How did he even know about Asher? We’ve only been mated a couple of months.”
“He said he’d been searching for a phoenix for years. Fire manipulation was the only power he’d yet to acquire. He found Asher just before the gathering. Since he couldn’t show himself in front of the council, he waited until Asher returned to Mexico, then followed him here.”
“How?” Zaiden demanded. “Asher came here as a phoenix.”
“He can change his form,” Andrew expanded. “He traveled as an eagle.”
Zaiden and Asher exchanged looks, and Zaiden fought the urge to roll his eyes. Asher looked so damn smug. The smile on his face practically glowed neon, yelling, “Told you so!”
“The gifts?” Asher wanted to know, returning his attention to Andrew.
“That was just to lead you in the wrong direction. I didn’t want to help him, but it was like I couldn’t stop myself. He wanted you to think that you were the one being stalked,” Andrew finished, still looking at Zaiden.
“So I would think I was a threat to my mate. He knew I wouldn’t put Asher in danger,” Zaiden mumbled more to himself than anyone. “Then when I tried to put distance between us, he could slip in and play the hero. Pick up the pieces and talk Asher into bed so he could syphon his powers.”
“Yes.”
“So, do you want me or not?” Asher poked his bottom lip out. Zaiden rolled his eyes and shook his head at his lover’s pouty face.
“You are gorgeous, Asher,” Andrew said, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. “But it was all just part of the game. I didn’t know what Darkin had planned today. I was only supposed to show up at the hotel and keep you occupied. When I found out that Dr. Reed was missing, something snapped, and I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry for all of this.”
“So, was Darkin actually Denise all this time?”
Andrew looked back at Zaiden blankly. “Denise moved our pool boy into the house the day we filed for divorce. I honestly don’t know anything about Darkin pretending to be Denise.”
“I believe you.” Zaiden scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed heavily. “So now what?”
“I have some money saved,” Andrew said. “I want to move, find a place where no one knows me, and start over.”
“Ash?”
Asher stood silently for several minutes before he finally nodded curtly. “I suspect you may have been under some kind of spell, so I’m going to have mercy on you this time.” He pressed right up to Andrew, standing on his tiptoes until they were nose to nose. “But, if you ever come anywhere near me or my mate again, you will not find me as agreeable. I will kill you, Andrew.”
Andrew gulped audibly. “I understand. You will never see me again.”
“Okay.” Asher stepped back and turned around to look at Zaiden. “Release him.” Then he glanced at Andrew over his shoulder once more. “Run.”
Zaiden waved his hand, and Andrew stumbled back a few steps before turning on his heels and fleeing the room. “You really have a way with people, baby.” Zaiden chuckled as he moved in behind Asher and wrapped his arms around his slim waist.
Asher snuggled back into him and sighed. “Sweet talker.” He pointed toward Darkin’s remains. “I guess we need to report this to the elders, huh?”
Zaiden curled his lip and wrinkled his nose at the pile of ashes. “No. I doubt anyone will miss him.”
“Whatever.” Asher shrugged. “I know I torched him and all, but he was your crazy ex, so I vote for you to clean up this mess.” He snickered as he danced out of Zaiden’s embrace. “Would you like me to get you a broom?”
Zaiden shook his head in mock exasperation. “You are a brat, Asher Deacon.”
Chapter Twenty
“Honey, I’m home,” Zaiden sang as he walked in the front door two weeks later.
Asher closed his laptop and jumped up from the sofa, throwing himself into his mate’s arms. He plastered his mouth to Zaiden’s, kissing him fiercely before pulling away, grinning like a loon. “Welcome home.”
“Mmm,” Zaiden purred as he lifted Asher into his arms, squeezing his ass and grinding against him. “With a welcome like that, I might have to work late more often.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Asher teased. His excitement bubbled to the surface, and he couldn’t wait another minute to share the news with his lover. “My book is being published!”
Zaiden gaped at him for a second before one hand tangled in Asher’s hair, jerking him forward as Zaiden sealed their mouths together once again. “Congratulations, baby,” he panted against his lips long moments later. “I knew you could do it.”
“Thanks,” Asher responded dazedly as Zaiden carried him down the hall to their bedroom.
He eased Asher down on the mattress and covered his body, biting and sucking at his neck. “Want you, baby.”
“Yes,” Asher moaned as he arched up against his mate. “Hurry.”
In the next blink, their clothes vanished, and a slick finger brushed over his fluttering entrance. Wiggling his ass against the too-light caress, Asher stared into his lover’s eyes and smirked. “Did I mention that I love that you have your magic back?”
“Only about a hundred times,” Zaiden answered distractedly as he pushed into Asher’s hole with one lubed finger. “Did I mention that you talk entirely too much?”
“More,” Asher whimpered. Zaiden wouldn’t have to worry about conversation for a while. His mate’s touch always short-circuited Asher’s brain and left him struggling to form words.
A second finger pushed inside him, and his back bowed up off the bed as he rocked himself back and forth on the thick digits. “Now, Zaid.”
“Shh, baby. You’re not ready.”
Zaiden pumped his fingers in and out, twisting his wrist and scissoring, until he was able to add a third. Asher moaned and writhed, whipping his head back and forth on the pillow. “Please,” he begged. No matter how many times they came together like this, it only got better.
His eyes flew open when cold, sticky liquid drizzled over his nipples. “Where did you get that?”
“Magic,” Zaiden murmured, setting aside the bottle of chocolate syrup before leaning over him and sucking one of the coppered-colored buds into his mouth.
“I love magic,” Asher breathed as his fingers fisted in Zaiden’s long, golden hair.
Zaiden’s tongue swirled around his pebbled nipple, licking him clean while his fingers continued sawing in and out of Asher’s needy channel.
Asher’s cock throbbed and twitched, leaking pre-cum onto his belly as he shuddered beneath his lover’s mouth. Trailing moist kisses across his chest, Zaiden set to work, lavishing attention on his other nipple, licking it clean and tugging at it with his teeth.
Once he’d finished, he sat back on his heels and licked his lips seductively before palming Asher’s aching prick and diving down to swallow him to the back of his throat. His fingers turned and curled inside Asher’s tunnel, brushing over his sweet spot and causing stars to explode behind his eyes.
Crying out, Asher threw his head back as his orgasm took hi
m by surprise, and he unloaded into his mate’s willing mouth, pouring his seed down Zaiden’s throat. Zaiden swallowed everything Asher had to give him, then licked him clean and eased his fingers from Asher’s clenching hole.
“Need you now, Ash.”
Sated and content, his body soft and relaxed, Asher still wouldn’t say no to another round with his gorgeous mate. “Make love to me, Zaid.”
He’d no more than gotten the words out of his mouth before his lover leaned over him, nudging the blunt head of his lubed cock against Asher’s entrance and pushed in slowly. “Fuck,” Asher moaned, rising up to meet his mate and taking him deeper. “I love magic.”
Zaiden chuckled breathlessly, nuzzling his nose against Asher’s neck as his hair fanned out around them. “I love you, baby.” He whispered the words as he began rocking his hips in slow, tender movements. “You are my life.”
Asher swallowed around the burn in his throat, and he felt the tears prickle the corners of his eyes. No one had ever said anything like that to him before, and he didn’t think he’d ever grow tired of hearing it. “Love you, too, big guy.”
The moved together, slow and lazy at first and then building in speed and intensity as their climaxes raced toward them. Over and over, Zaiden pounded into him, his chest heaving, his nostrils flaring, and his skin dampening with perspiration.
Then he pushed up to his knees, took one of Asher’s hands, and wrapped it around his weeping cock. Zaiden’s hand covered his, helping stroke him in time to his jarring thrusts. Purple flames flickered over their combined grasp, dancing down Asher’s already heated shaft and pushing his pleasure to the boiling point.
“Ahhh!” Asher cried out, the sensations overwhelming him as electricity raced through his entire body.
“Come for me, baby.” Zaiden demanded, lifting Asher’s hips and slamming into him again.
Asher had no choice but to obey. He screamed out his release as he painted his chest and stomach with hot, creamy ropes of cum.
“Asher!” Zaiden roared as he pushed into the root and froze as the tendons in his neck strained and the muscles in his chest and arms bulged.
Evans, Gabrielle - Fire and Ash [Midnight Matings 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 13