by Tara West
We were sitting outside in the garden, a luncheon spread out before us. Jack was off somewhere chasing birds again while I sipped sweet wine. There was no sign of my boyfriend, and I was beginning to fear he’d left the pyramid. I hoped not. Og had told me demons especially hated Grims. I knew Aedan couldn’t make it out of Hell on his own. Besides, I didn’t want him leaving when there was so much still unsaid between us. I had no idea if there was anything left of our relationship to salvage, but I wanted him to know how grateful I was that he cared enough to risk eternal damnation for me, even if he didn’t trust me.
I twirled a piece of ripe, juicy fruit between my fingers. Though I was hungry, I was too worried over Aedan and Callum to eat. “Garf, do you know where Aedan went?”
He frowned as he set his wine goblet down with a clank. “Garf no see angry Grim. Garf no like him. Not nice to angel.”
Heat rose in my cheeks, and I felt a mixture of appreciation and annoyance at Garf’s assessment of my boyfriend. “I know, but he came all this way to save me.”
“So did warrior. Garf like warrior. He make better mate.”
Oh, jeez, not Sarge. Yeah, he was smoking hot when he wasn’t a big green ogre, and yeah, he’d risked his soul to save me. Working with Sarge today, I had come to realize I liked him a whole lot but not the same way I cared for Aedan. My feelings for Sarge were almost like one best friend felt about another. He didn’t make my heart go pitter-patter like Aedan did, except when he was dressed in nothing but a skimpy towel or trying to kiss me. Even then, it was desire fueling my racing heart.
With Aedan, I felt more than just lust. When Aedan and I were together, there was a spark in my soul that bloomed like one of the colorful flowery trees in the pyramid garden. And that’s when it hit me. I didn’t just care for Aedan. I didn’t just like him a whole lot. I loved him.
Well, shit. A little too late for that realization now, Ash.
I thought about Aedan’s confession to me yesterday, how he couldn’t imagine spending his eternity without me, and I realized I felt the same way about him. I couldn’t imagine spending my eternity without him, although the way things were going, it looked like I’d have no choice. I couldn’t be in a relationship with a man who didn’t trust me, no matter how much I loved him.
“Thanks for the suggestion, Garf,” I said, my shoulders caving inward with the weight of loneliness and depression. “But my heart belongs to Aedan.”
His heavy brow furrowed. “What about dragon demon? Ash no love him?”
I thought about the time I’d spent with Callum these past few days and realized I’d come to love him, too, but not in the way I loved Aedan. No, this was more in the way I loved Jack or even Garf. He was a loyal friend and a good, decent person, and for that he’d always have a special place in my heart. If I could find a way to get him out of Hell, he’d make some girl an awesome boyfriend one day, but not me.
“Callum is a good friend,” I said with a smile, “but nothing more.” I tossed the fruit on the plate, and slowly came to my feet, wiping sticky fingers on my toga.
Garf gaped at me. “Where angel go?”
Aedan had to know how I felt about him, even if he was still set on breaking my heart. I feared if I left my feelings unspoken, I’d regret it for all eternity. I heaved a resonant sigh. “I need to find Aedan.”
“I’m right here.”
I spun around to see my boyfriend standing in the shadow of the massive doorway.
“Aedan.” My hand flew to my throat. “How long have you been standing there?”
He shrugged. “Long enough to know I’ve been a fool.” He jutted a foot forward, his arms hanging limply by his sides. Slowly he lifted his soulful blue gaze to mine. “I’m sorry, Ash. Can you forgive me?”
I didn’t give it a second thought as I ran to him, crying against his chest as he wrapped his strong arms around me.
He kissed my temple and cheek, breathing into my ear. “Please don’t cry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”
For some reason, that made me cry harder. I didn’t know what came over me, but all the energy drained from my body. It was like my life force washed away with my tears. My legs weakened as I sagged against him. Aedan swept me into his arms, carrying me into our suite as I held tight to him.
“Garf go now,” Garf boomed as he thundered past us and out the door.
I didn’t look up to see him leave. I was too busy getting lost in a pair of bright blue eyes.
“Jack’s outside,” I murmured.
“He’ll be fine,” Aedan said as he set me on the table by the bed. He climbed on top of it and then hoisted me into bed with him.
I curled up in his embrace, not wanting to ever let him go. It was then it hit me, how many times in the past few days I’d come close to never seeing him again, and I couldn’t control the sobs that wracked me.
He ran a hand up and down my back. “Please don’t cry, baby.”
He tilted my chin, wiping my tears with his fingers before kissing each cheek and then planting a tender kiss on my lips. I grasped his hair and kissed him back with urgency, feeling I’d be swept into oblivion if I let him go.
He tasted of sweet nectar and spice as he groaned into my mouth. He swept a hand down my neck and collarbone before settling on my breast. I cried out when he squeezed, rolling my nipple through the tips of his fingers. He stroked my thigh, pushing up the hem of my toga before gently palming the apex between my thighs, pressing his thumb into my swollen nub until my panties were soaked through.
I arched my back as he slid my underwear off my hips, tossing them somewhere down the bed. I wrapped my hand around the base of his skull, crying out as he stroked my slick ribbon again before burying a finger inside me. I tossed my head back as he slid that finger in and out of my wet channel while applying gentle pressure on my nub with his thumb. He continued channeling into me while toying with my sensitive spot. It swelled bigger and bigger, and then burst like a popped balloon before throbbing against him.
I screamed into his mouth as he claimed me for a kiss, our tongues melding together while he buried his finger deep inside me.
I let my legs fall open with a sigh as he slid his finger out while showering my neck and lips with delicate kisses. It was so like Aedan to take the time to pleasure me, delaying his own release until I was satisfied. Well, considering all he’d gone through to get to me, I decided he deserved a little gratification, too. Besides, after that one little orgasm, I was still horny, damn horny. I wanted more than just a finger fucking. I wanted his whole entire length buried deep inside me, grinding into me until we both screamed for release.
I smiled up at Aedan as I stretched my sated body one last time, and then I leaned up, pushing him back and rolling on top of him. He hiked up my toga, ripping off the belt and yanking it over my head. I tore at his clothes, pulling up his toga while he slipped out of underwear that reminded me of Cupid’s diaper or maybe protection for people with bladder control issues. They were probably some giant’s thong. If I hadn’t been so horny, I would have pointed at his Depends and laughed my ass off.
He grasped my face in his hands, pulling me up the length of his body while grinding his engorged tip against my pelvis. I growled, moving around until I felt the head pressing against my aching sweet spot. I slid down his length with a grunt, gently biting his lip as he stretched and filled me. He grabbed my hips, trying to hold me in place, but I was having none of it.
“Slow down, Ash,” he groaned into my mouth, “or by God I swear I’ll explode.”
I doubled my efforts, fighting his grip and sliding up and down his slick rod while panting like a rabid animal. Though I loved the sweet way he always made love to me, now was not the time for tenderness. I needed to feel the man I loved pulsing deep inside of me, claiming me as his own with hard and heavy strokes.
“Can’t stop,” I cried. “I need you. Love you.”
He hissed as he thrust upward, matching my erratic tempo with deep thrusts. His
cock swelled and pulsed inside of me, flooding my channel like an overflowing river. I screamed as an orgasm shot through me like a bolt of lightning. Aedan held himself deep inside me, grinding that head against my pulsating bundle of nerves, coaxing out another orgasm and another. Each time, the wave swept me under its power, holding me for several glorious heartbeats before cresting again. After the fourth orgasm, I fell limply on top of him, sighing against his chest as he stroked my spine.
I laid there with a big fat smile on my face for several heartbeats, my eyes fluttering shut as I relished the tingling sensation of him stroking my skin. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment.
“Ash?” he asked, kissing my temple. “Did you mean what you said?”
“Hmmmm?” I opened my eyes.
He stiffened beneath me. “You said you loved me.”
I rolled off him, cupping his cheek in my hand as I searched his gaze. “I did, and I do.”
He grabbed my hands, kissing the tips of my fingers. “I will never doubt you again.”
A wave of guilt washed over me. I sat up, pulling away from him. “You were right to doubt me. I didn’t know what the water would do to me, and I flirted with Callum.” I paused, turning my gaze down as a wave of shame washed over me. “I lost myself, forgot who I was and all sense of right and wrong. I even had an erotic dream about him.” My chest tightened, as I barely breathed the words. “I’m sorry.”
He cupped my cheek in his palm. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. I know what the water does to people.” He winked as he cleaned up our mess with his diaper underwear. Good thing it was super absorbent.
Tears of gratitude flooded my eyes, and though I was relieved Aedan had forgiven me, I still felt awful about the rift between him and his brother. “He turned me down, Aedan. He said he would never betray his brother again.” I searched his eyes for any sign of hope. “He risked his soul to save me, but he did it all for you.”
Aedan nodded, his steady gaze locked on mine. “When the Nephilim bring him back, I will make things right with him.”
“Really?” I squealed, jumping to my knees.
“Yes.” He flashed a smile that didn’t quite mask the sadness in his eyes. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”
“You’re welcome,” I said hesitantly, wondering what would cause him to hold back. Something else was troubling him.
He smoothed a hand down his face with a groan before he bent over, picked up his toga, and slipped it over his broad shoulders. “Now I just have to figure a way to get us all out of here.”
I threw on my toga, too, cinching the pretty gold belt as I noted the pained look in Aedan’s eyes. He was so consumed with getting out, he didn’t realize maybe I wasn’t ready to go. Because, truthfully, I wasn’t. I’d seen what I could do, and I knew without a doubt I could help the Nephilim. So far, they’d been kind to me and my friends. And I held a special place in my heart for Garf. I couldn’t just leave them like this, to face down their enemy alone, for I feared Scorpius would never allow them to live in peace.
“We will leave, Aedan. We’ll all get out of here after we defeat the demon army.”
He jerked back. “Have you lost your marbles? I’m not letting you fight those demons.”
“Aedan.” I heaved a sigh, struggling to find the right words. I got to my knees, grasping his hands in mine as I looked deeply into his eyes. “I have to help them. All my life, I’ve lived for myself, and myself only. Now I have the chance to be a part of something more.”
He shook his head. “Ash, those demons can cast you down to another dimension.”
“I know, but they need to be stopped.”
He released my hands and shot to his feet, pacing across the oversized bed before looking down at me with a scowl. “Look at what they did to Garf. They cut his wings and tortured him for over a hundred years. And what about the two missing giants? Not to mention the fact that they steal souls from Earth and Purgatory.”
I stood, planting my hands on my hips as I steeled my resolve. I had to make him understand why I had to do this. “Exactly. Did you know Shadow used to be a ghoster, and he was captured and forced to become Scorpius’s blood slave?”
A look of understanding lit beneath his narrowed gaze. “That’s why Shadow kidnapped you.”
“Yes, and I know Scorpius will do it again. Who knows how many other ghosters are his blood slaves right now. Neither Earth nor Purgatory will ever be safe unless we defeat him, and now we’ve got two thousand giants willing to fight with us.” I looked at my palms, which had been burned and scarred just moments ago. The pain had hurt unlike anything I’d ever known, but I’d do it all over again. I had to. Scorpius had to be stopped. “I have the chance to make a difference.”
He closed the distance between us, gently clasping my shoulders and staring into my eyes. “Did you really shoot thunderbolts?”
I smiled. “I did, and today I cast nettles down to the thirteenth dimension.”
His jaw dropped. “God almighty, I would have loved to have seen that.” Then shadows crept into his eyes as his face fell. “But, Ash, that prophecy of theirs… what if it doesn’t come true? What if we are defeated and all are cast farther into Hell?”
I bit my lower lip, playfully batting my lashes as I nodded toward the bed where we’d just made love. “It can’t be all that bad as long as you’re with me.”
Much to my relief, Aedan tipped back his head and laughed, and I laughed with him.
Omigod. This is really happening. We are going to kick demon ass! Twenty thousand demons versus two thousand giants and a couple crazy ghosters. Seems like a fair fight.
A loud horn blasted through the halls, reverberating through my skull like two pots clanking together.
I trembled as I looked up at Aedan. “What’s going on?”
He squeezed his hands into fists, the veins in his neck swelling like raging rivers as we listened to the thunderous sounds of feet racing through the halls. “I don’t know,” he spoke through a tightened jaw, “but I bet it’s not good.”
Our door flew open, and Garf raced toward me, his booming steps shaking the bed and causing me to fall over. “Come, angel!” he yelled, holding out his arms.
I shot Aedan a questioning glance before I stepped into Garf’s embrace.
After he hoisted me down, Aedan jumped to the floor, frowning up at Garf. “What’s happening?”
Garf’s eyes bugged as he pointed toward the hall. “Demon army. They coming!”
Garf carried me toward the downstairs dungeon where we’d trained earlier today. I begged him to slow down, but he refused, saying we couldn’t keep the king waiting. I gnawed my lower lip as we turned a corner and Aedan and Jack disappeared from sight. I hoped they’d catch up to us, and they wouldn’t be trampled by the few other giants running through the halls. Luckily, it seemed most everyone else had already gone downstairs.
By the time we hit the bottom of the stone stairs, the Nephilim were lined up in rows and ready for battle, holding their clubs at their sides as they awaited their king’s instructions. Garf took me to Og, who was pacing in front of the large boulder that blocked the nettles’ cave. Garf silently bowed before his king and slipped into formation.
Sarge was waiting by Og’s side. He placed a meaty hand on my shoulder, his eyes glowing ominously as he flashed a thin smile. Sarge and I hadn’t gotten a chance to be alone together, and I knew this might be the last time I had to talk to him before we went to battle.
I placed my hand on his. “Sarge, I want to thank you for risking your soul for me.” My lip trembled as I searched his gaze. “You are a true friend.”
A spark flared beneath his already glowing eyes. “I’ve told you to call me Santiago,” he said, a seductive edge to his deep rumble. “And I want to be more than a friend.”
I swallowed hard as I looked away, an uncomfortable ache settling in my chest. Some part of me felt bad he’d come all this way for me only to be rejected, and some par
t of me felt really awkward I’d have to let him down in front of two thousand angry giants. Talk about the worst denial in the history of history.
“Sarge, I….” I blushed when he scowled at me. That’s when I remembered he’d asked me to use his given name. I didn’t know why it was so hard calling him that. Maybe because “Santiago” made him sound like a virile, sexy stud, the same stud who was wearing nothing but a towel the first time we met, and I was trying really hard to think of Sarge as just a friend. “Santiago.” His name rolled off my tongue too fast, and I felt more heat creep into my cheeks. “Aedan and I made up.”
That flame in his eyes practically exploded as he stepped back. “That’s too bad.” He shrugged before slanting a wry grin. “There’s always next time.”
Next time? As in Aedan will break my heart again? I sure hope not.
Aedan dodged between giants, bony chest heaving as he ran up to us. It was still hard to reconcile my gorgeous boyfriend to this skeletal creature, but I knew the same heart beat somewhere within him, and that was all that mattered.
He and Sarge exchanged looks that could only be described as two dogs getting ready to fight over a bone. Luckily, Aedan turned his back on Sarge, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulder. I reminded myself not to get grossed out that I was being hugged by a skeleton, especially considering that skeleton and I had just been making love a few moments ago.
Low murmurs could be heard throughout the room as the warriors grumbled. Og had a rather grim expression on his face, and his normally demonic grey pallor was as red as a bubbling pit of lava. Something had ticked him off, and I feared we were about to find out.
Og held up a hand, and the crowd went silent. “Nephilim, kin,” he shouted as he thrust his club into the air, “time has come to stand up to enemies.”
The crowd broke into cheers and bellows as they lifted their clubs to the ceiling, and much to my dismay, started chanting, “Angel, angel.”
He silenced them again with another wave of his club. His jowls turned into a heavy frown as his massive brow dipped low over his eyes. “Five Nephilim warriors left den this morning to search for dragon friend. Only three return.”