by Setta Jay
He rolled his neck. He needed to get his head in the game long enough to get this fight over with. They were less than a block away from the warehouse the Mageia told them about. He couldn’t think of Rain now. He loosened his shoulders, thinking he’d rather be beating the fuck out of Jax for that Flipper shit than containing possessed.
The stench of rotting trash and evil filled the air.
Even after all the talking and anger, he was still fighting a semi. He deserved some kind of medal for his ability to fight with a hard-on. His dick refused to go soft. He hadn’t bothered with fighting gear. He was in a bright orange Aquaman tee shirt with the sleeves ripped off and worn jeans. Not subtle, but he really didn’t give a shit. Clothes fucking sucked ass. His dick hated him anytime he pulled on pants. For a split second he considered sweats, but didn’t want his erection that free in the middle of a fight. He scowled hard at the dirty alley walls. His senses were on alert. They were almost to their destination.
The others looked much the same. Alert and ready. They hadn’t bothered with gear either, other than cuffs. All but Bastian wore jeans; the Kairos preferred to wear black cargos. Conn wore a flannel over a dark tee shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, showing the tattoos all over his forearms. The wolf liked his ink, and his forearms were not the only things covered. Conn’s eyes moved to Dorian, probably assessing whether he’d be covering Dorian’s ass in the fight. That look snapped his thoughts back to the job. He would not be a fucking liability to his brothers.
“I’m good,” he said a split second before they were swarmed by possessed.
Chapter 12
Kane’s Hidden Facility, Tetartos Realm
“Has there been any change?” Kane asked, his stomach twisting at what he saw. He hated that he had no way of helping her. At least not yet.
“She still tries to harm herself when we allow her out. She’s too strong for anyone to control.”
Kane breathed deep as Jayr spoke. The healer had been sent to the secret breeding facility years ago. All the others thought him dead. The tall blond male had been the only healer in Cyril’s employ, which meant he was under Kane’s command now, and Kane planned to give him more to do.
He turned away from the cell, still trying to speak inside her mind, but it echoed back. She was blocking him. He wasn’t even sure if she knew she shielded against him. Madness had plagued her for too long. So long that he knew Jayr worried that she wouldn’t come out of it, even with a working formula. It was obvious in the way that the male avoided eye contact when discussing her. There had been many indications that it was too late for her, but Kane refused to believe she wouldn’t come back.
He locked his jaw tight as they walked.
“What of the others?” He needed to know. It seemed to take a bit more of his soul, knowing that he no longer just condoned what was happening there; now he was in charge of whether it continued.
Jayr and his assistants had been hidden at the facility for over a decade now. To Kane’s knowledge, Cyril had only shared this place with him. The bastard had been secretive until the end.
Kane felt in his gut that Cyril had finally found a working formula. Why else would he secret one of the abducted Mageia out of the compound? Kane had no idea where the bastard had taken her, and he was sure the hiding place and any clues there were lost to him. The Guardians had obviously found it and disposed of Cyril and then set up a memorial for the female. Kane didn’t doubt that Cyril was dead. The mental link he once shared with the sadistic bastard was gone. He only wished he knew what the hell had happened. The truth, not the lies fed to the inhabitants of the cities.
He clenched his jaw in irritation. It was no help thinking about what he couldn’t change. Being in the damn lab agitated him. Kane hated the hidden facility. It made his skin itch, and he couldn’t wait to get the fuck out, but he needed the report first.
“They grow. I’ve altered each batch as Cyril had instructed, but we’re still several years from seeing any real results. Do you want it to continue?” The other male looked haggard. He didn’t seem any happier with what was happening.
“Is it viable?” Kane asked.
Jayr was lean and tall, his violet eyes assessing as he stood with his hands in his pockets. “I think if we are going to have a working serum, they will eventually be needed.”
Kane nodded and said what he knew made him a monster. “Continue. I also want you to double-check the results Ian is getting with his experiments.” Ian was smart enough, but he was a mortal and didn’t have Jayr’s abilities. He wanted every option for the serum checked and double-checked until they had the best possible formula before giving it to anyone. “We’re close,” he told the male, and he felt it in his gut. They would have the answers soon. They had to.
Chapter 13
Paradeisos Island, Tetartos Realm
Rain enjoyed the warm water while drinking her fill of fruity drinks. The push and pull of the current lulled her, soothed her soul. It was the best she’d felt in a while, but the arousal still nagged beneath the surface. The strain of holding it together was wearing on her body and mind, causing her to fully consider more drastic measures. She pulled her power and made sure that the sea creatures knew to stay back. She wanted to go to them, just beyond where the Nereids patrolled, but she wouldn’t leave her friend, and no way would Alyssa swim out there with her. A small smile tilted her lips; no, Alyssa was not fond of being anywhere near the sea beasts. Rain had no such qualms. The creatures loved her, listened to her, and she enjoyed their company. In the seas near Lofodes the water was too cold, most of the year, for her to go to them.
“Do you want another?” Alyssa asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Rain had taken down the first drink before they’d even gotten in the water. The second she’d sipped at, but it too was gone.
She took a deep breath of the sea air. The relaxed warmth, courtesy of her buzz, felt good, but she’d hit her limit. She only wanted a little courage, not to pass out. She was running a fine line. Any more alcohol and exhaustion would finally take over. “No, I’m good.”
Alyssa took the glass from her hand and walked it up to the beach, giving it to one of the attendants up there. Such a good friend, closer to a sister. She didn’t have any other siblings and neither did Alyssa; that was probably part of the reason they’d bonded so closely when they were young.
She caught sight of Tynan on his lounge tucked under a big blue canopy. The owner of the island smiled from his seat that was full of paperwork. He was gorgeous with dark mussed hair and broad shoulders. That smile of his was downright lethal, and the playboy knew it. She grinned back, shaking her head. This was not the first time he’d been on guard duty for her and Alyssa. Before Gregoire had come for Alyssa, Tynan had taken them out on his boat for the day. It seemed so long ago now. He was easy to be around.
Too bad she couldn’t use him to relieve her needs. She’d thought about it when he greeted them earlier, but discarded it quickly. He was friends with Gregoire, and she wasn’t sure how close he was to the other Guardians. She liked him too much to make things awkward for him. Not that she really thought Dorian would care who she screwed. She gritted her teeth at the thought. No, the Nereid probably wouldn’t bat an eye if she fucked all the males on the island. He didn’t care for her at all. That train of thought was quickly killing her relaxed buzz. Bastard.
Alyssa walked back into the water in her cream-colored bikini. “Feel better now?” She frowned a little, and Rain knew her expression had to be dark. She smoothed her features and tried for the calm she had moments before.
“Yes. Thanks for bringing me here. The water helps. It feels wonderful,” she said, running her fingers through the crystal liquid. It was the perfect temperature as it caressed her hands and body like a lover. One that had never disappointed her.
“Do you want to do treatments tomorrow and just stay out here?” Alyssa asked without seeming to care, leaving it completely up to Rain to decide. She loved her friend
so much.
“Thank you for rescuing me so much through all of this. I know you have work to do and a new mate.”
“Whatever,” Alyssa said, a soft smile tilting her lips. “It’s not as if this”—her friend twirled in the water, hands up—“is a hardship to be around.”
She smiled. “Still, thanks.”
“Everything will be all right. Dorian will be groveling in no time.”
She knew Alyssa was so hopeful for the match. She kept assuring Rain that things would work out. Rain wished she had that kind of optimism, but she didn’t. She didn’t even want to think about him at all. “Let’s go get the treatments.”
They walked up to the beautiful golden beach. “Did you two enjoy the water?” Tynan asked, meeting them at the shore with a smile. The sand was warm and soft under her feet, and she dug her toes in, loving it.
“It was wonderful. Thanks for playing babysitter,” Alyssa said with a grin, and Tynan let out a sexy laugh.
“It was my pleasure, I assure you. Watching the two of you frolic in those tiny bikinis is hardly an arduous task.” He flashed a beautiful smile. Rain couldn’t see his silver eyes through the dark sunglasses, but she imagined they were flashing with amusement.
“Are you ready for your appointments, then?” he asked.
“Yes. Thank you.” Rain was glad Alyssa was holding the conversation, because Rain wasn’t feeling capable of chatting. Her body was heating up again, had been since the minute they left the soothing water. She hated it. Tynan took a deep breath, and she flushed with irritation. No one knew that she was Dorian’s mate, so he had to think her desire was all for him. He was beautiful, but it was the frenzy causing that particular reaction.
Alyssa went into one of the first rooms, and Tynan walked with Rain to a room further down the hall. “Rain?” He’d bent and whispered her name. She felt his warm breath at her ear, and she bit her cheek, her pussy wept with that small bit of stimulation. She swallowed and shook her head.
“It’s not a good idea,” she said as he took his dark glasses off and ran a knuckle down her cheek. The sensation made her skin tingle, but it really couldn’t go anywhere.
“I’ll be in the room at the end if you change your mind.” He grinned at her playfully, and she was sure that damn male could melt a female’s panties with his voice alone. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her hormones, sending him a small smile and nod before closing the door behind him. She wanted to get the waxing appointment over with. She turned on the shower that was set in the corner of the room. She needed to get the salt and sand off her skin, not to mention cool down her libido, fast.
She banged her head against the tile after she’d quickly stripped out of the wet bikini and washed. She rode through another sharp pain in her stomach while the water ran over her skin. She closed her eyes. Were they starting to come more often now?
She was barely settled under the blanket when a tall female walked in. Luck and determination got her through the treatment without embarrassing herself. She thanked the Creators for making the female mostly mute and very efficient.
With the waxing done, she lay awaiting a massage, her final appointment. The escape for the day was at an end, and she was already second-guessing what she wanted to do. If it was a male, she fully planned to let whatever happened, happen. The arousal was hitting her hard. If a female came through the door, problem solved, she wasn’t interested in a female’s touch. She’d never tried it, but at that moment it was a hard male body that appealed to her.
Handling the desire herself wasn’t helping anymore, she felt worse after trying, more needy and aching to be filled. She was desperate, but she was leaving everything to chance.
She blew out a breath, trying to calm her nerves, but lying naked, with tight nipples, under a whisper-thin sheet was not settling. She inhaled deeply, and that just slid the thin fabric against them again. She stifled a moan. Contemplating who the masseuse would be was only making her more anxious. The island was meant for pleasure, giving her no doubt that whoever walked through the door would be more than willing to help her out with the arousal, or get someone that would.
Shit, could she do it? Her screwed-up mind was running pictures of Dorian’s bare chest when she’d seen him at the manor. Those images had been haunting her dreams and then filling her with self-disgust for still wanting such an asshole. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes to control the riot of emotion. He’d caused this, and now she was forced to take care of it herself. She had to do something about the constant need; it was driving her insane. End of story.
She was sure Dorian was taking his pleasure with others; how could he not be? If she was this out of control and Sirena said he would be in worse shape, no way was he holding out. It wasn’t as if he felt any attachment or loyalty to her. She chewed her lip, feeling defeated, angry, exhausted, and too damned aroused to make it through another day without relief. She’d been honoring the damn mating, and she didn’t know why. It just felt wrong going to another. Plus, the arousal came with thoughts and visions of him and no one else. That was what messed with her sleep. She was miserable and, for some reason, paranoid. She knew their mental link was there, but she refused to talk to him. She was not going to chase after the asshole. She only hoped his dick would fall off for making her suffer.
A knock sounded before a big Kairos slipped inside. Male… That made her decision for her. She flushed when he inhaled deeply. She was really starting to hate Immortals’ strengthened sense of smell.
His dark eyes glittered down at her. “My name is Cesaro.”
The words weren’t sexual on their own, but from his lips they were a soft, sexy purr. Gooseflesh rose on her arms, and she swallowed hard.
“Would you like me to start with the front or back?”
Liquid heat filled her at the thought of having her breasts and pussy massaged with oil. She closed her eyes to get a grip. She was nowhere near as experienced as Alyssa liked to paint her, but she wasn’t a virgin either. She wanted this; she could do it. Something just kept niggling in her mind. Guilt, caused by ridiculously misplaced loyalty to a male that hadn’t earned it. She clenched her teeth and firmed up her resolve at that reminder.
“Front,” she said, and even to her ears it came out as an invitation to so much more. The sheet slowly slid away, and she felt cool air hit her naked skin.
Her eyes slit open when she felt his warm, oil-slicked hands smoothing over her stomach and ribs. She looked up and saw Cesaro grinning down at her. “You have a beautiful body. Your breasts were made for a male’s hands.”
She bit her lip at the sensation of his fingers and palms caressing her skin. His words only added to the arousal, making her feel sexy and desired. He hadn’t even touched her aching swollen parts yet. He was going slowly, and she appreciated it. As much as she wanted to jump into pleasure and the blessed relief that she’d gain, she still felt that damn sense of wrongness in the pit of her stomach. It was throwing her off balance and making her angry, nervous… hurt.
He leaned down, his long dark hair brushing over her cheek as he whispered, “How would you like me to take care of you? I can smell your desire. Do you want more than a massage, little one?”
Her skin tingled as his hot breath touched her sensitive ear.
She swallowed back the trepidation and answered, “Yes.” So far her desire wasn’t being picky, his hands felt good. She was certain she’d be able to get relief from him, and she was going to see it through and hate Dorian for it later.
He gave her a wink. “I’ll go slow.”
She watched him take off his silk pants and vest to display a lean, muscular body and long cock. His chest was darkly bronzed and beautiful. She hated herself for comparing it to Dorian’s, whose shoulders were so much wider, with tattoos that were mouthwatering as hell. She wanted to see what details were hidden in the blue ink.
A look at the Kairos’ body showed no markings, just smooth, tanned flesh. She at
tempted a last mental pep talk, closing her eyes to the differences in the male’s body from the one she craved.
She’d been with two males in her life. Not the huge numbers Alyssa teased her about. Both were Aletheia she’d met at the yearly Emfanisi, a Realm-wide event that anyone of age attended. It was the way Immortals found potential mates. It was also a big event full of all kinds of sexual invitations. The first year she attended, she had been naïve and excited about dressing up and actually finding a mate. When she and Alyssa arrived, she’d found no mate waiting to whisk her away to a beautiful eternity. That had been a very youthful, far-fetched fantasy. Instead of a mate, she was faced with plenty of hot, sexy males who were more than willing to help her forget what fate had denied her.
She hadn’t been ready to give herself completely that first year, but the next she’d gone back and seen the same male. The disappointment was stronger after two failed attempts. She’d known it had always been a microscopic possibility, but that second trip changed things. She decided that she would enjoy and live her mortal life to the absolute fullest. Take whatever pleasures life offered her. She’d given Ryce her virginity that year. He’d been playful and seductive, but she’d felt like the experience lacked something. It had been pleasurable and enjoyable after getting used to it, but not what she’d dreamed. In the end her sexual encounters had been a once-a-year deal that left her not nearly as satisfied as she’d hoped. It had never been mind-blowing.
Would the fact that her body was on fire from the mating frenzy make sex incredible no matter who took her? She hoped so. She watched as Cesaro stroked his long cock. She sat up on her elbows in the narrow bed as he leaned in and caressed his thumb over her cheek. She felt the sensation of being watched again. It hit her at odd times. Most often it hit as she was getting herself off, but the last occurrence was while she was in the water with Alyssa. Only for a split second, but enough that it creeped her out.