Branded (An Otherworlders Series Novel Book 1)

by Lena Moore

  He nervously walked around the living room anticipating Aliyah’s entrance. The hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention whilst the air crepitated around him, and he knew even before he turned around that she was behind him.

  “You going to turn around, sexy ass?” her husky voice crooned.

  Draven readjusted his cock, because it wasn’t only his arousal permeating the room. He pivoted around almost losing his balance when he laid eyes on Aliyah. Fuck me, she is a stunning little thing. Draven suddenly found himself ravenous, salivating like a mangy dog looking at its bone.

  She wore a short leather dress, which looked more like lingerie and Draven felt the green eyed monster rear its ugly head at the thought of her wearing that for someone else. The front of the dress had lace trimming that dipped low into her cleavage, revealing her perky tits, then it wrapped around her hourglass figure like a second skin before finishing above her knees with large slits on each side of her thighs. The strappy black heels she wore finished her ensemble off in sexy fashion. Draven knew his mouth was gaping and he wondered if he was drooling.

  He clenched his jaw, ran his hand across his dreadies and moaned, “Fuck, Snowflake. I—shit—I don’t know if I can make it through the night without ferociously devouring every single inch of you.”

  She simpered, “You don’t look too bad yourself, Shrek.” She eye raped him from head to toe and back up. Thank fuck he wasn’t the only one affected.

  “Do you think you can mask your scent again?”

  “I’m not sure, why? Are you worried?”

  “Partially, yeah. Your scent is beyond enticing, and I’m concerned the cocksuckers looking for you could be drawn out because of it.”

  Aliyah chewed on the inside of her mouth. “How long do we have until we leave?”

  Draven looked down at his watch, it was just after seven. “Ninety minutes until the doors open. Actually, maybe Jadis can help.”

  “Well we don’t have much time then. Lead the way, Shrek.”

  He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You just want to admire my sexy ass as you call it.”

  “You fucking know it, now move.” She slapped his ass and he chuckled, walking out the door.

  Jadis was still groggy when Draven and Aliyah let themselves into her sacred little space. The room was smoky and smelled of white sage. Jadis had been recaning the area it seemed.

  Her grin ate up her face. “What do you two lovebirds want?”

  Draven noticed Aliyah’s face turn red at Jadis’s comment, which only made his shit-eating grin wider.

  “Ah you know, Jadi baby, just hanging around.”

  Jadis rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, Drae, I see you got laid.” Her eyes flickered to Aliyah. “I sense you need my assistance though.”

  “I’m really sorry to bother you, Jadis. I was just wondering if you could help me learn how to mask my scent,” Aliyah asked.

  “I was able to go undetected online and gain access to the club’s mailing list, and I received an invite from Midnight Mayhem. There is a masquerade party tonight. We are going undercover to see if I can reveal what the fuck your sister and supposed-to-be boyfriend are up to. However, I’m worried that Aliyah’s scent will compel the crazies out. And you wouldn’t happen to have some masquerade masks would you?”

  The three of them sat there for the next hour attempting different techniques. Draven noticed that Aliyah was becoming frustrated with her inability to mask her scent on demand. He was sure Jadis was about to call it quits when her head flew back and her eyes glazed over.

  Aliyah squealed as Draven rushed to Jadis’s side. “Be quiet, Snowflake. I’ve seen this before.”

  He held the back of Jadis’s neck as she mumbled incoherent bullshit. Her eyes were a murky gray and he was unable to see her pupils anymore.

  A few minutes later Jadis’s eyes returned to normal and her head whipped forward. “I know what to do.”

  “How?” Draven wondered.

  “The Goddess. Kaltemis came to me. Apparently her faery blood has properties I wasn’t aware of. Let me try what she asked of me. Aliyah, you need to focus all your energy on grounding yourself. Accept the power of the earth from beneath the soles of your feet and the purity from the air element.”

  “Come again?” Aliyah raised her eyebrow.

  “I’ve got this, Jadis. Snowflake, close your eyes, breathe in then out, and silence everything around you. You should feel a sense of fervour thrumming through your veins. It’s difficult to explain, but when I harness my energy I see pops of energy behind my eyelids; I suppose the description I’m looking for is kind of like colours vibrating behind your eyes.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  Draven knew Aliyah was looking at him like he was fucking bonkers, which he understood. If this had been lumped on him during his transitional stage, and he didn’t know anything about his lineage, he suspected he would have a similar face.

  Aliyah’s long black hair cascaded over her luscious tits as she shook her head from side to side, then her eyelids fluttered closed. She stood like that for a minute or so before cracking one open.

  She threw her hands in the air and huffed, “It’s not working, for fuck sakes, Draven.”

  He moved the few steps to her. Draven felt like he was on auto-pilot, and he didn’t even know what was about to spill out of his mouth.

  “Give me your hand. I can be your anchor, grounding you to this earth as you try and summon your energy.”

  When Aliyah placed her hand in his, a bolt of electricity shot into his palm and throughout the rest of his body. He’d never experienced the ferocity of the elements like this. Draven looked to Aliyah. Her hair was fanned out like the wind was blowing in her face; that’s when Draven sensed the wind whisking in the air. Aliyah’s forehead was slightly crinkled; she was concentrating, and fucking glowing too. Draven looked to Jadis. Her eyes were wide, but the smile on her face was evident. She was happy with what she was seeing.

  Draven stroked Aliyah’s hand. Her eyes flew open, revealing the most insane violet pair shining back at him. Jadis was right, she’s more powerful than any of them realised. He sniffed the air and smirked at her; the scent was gone. Aliyah removed her hand from his and stepped back.

  “What the fuck was all that about? Is my scent gone?” she heaved.

  “That, child, was all you. Your power is incredible for a transitioning vampire. Your blood—there is something special about it, magical even.” Jadis shook her head, causing her bright blue fringe to fall into her vibrant green eyes.

  “It is, Snowflake. That was fucking amazing, but we have ample amount of time to dissect what’s going on with you. Right now we need to get to the club ASAP, before we lose our advantage.”

  Draven and Aliyah hugged Jadis goodbye and headed into the Quarter. It was swarming with mortals. The air smelled like sex, alcohol and every licentious thing known to man.

  Draven was thankful he’d talked Aliyah into wearing a coat over her skimpy attire, because the way men and women alike were gawking at what was his made his skin crawl and body flare up. He wasn’t generally a possessive vampire, but he sure as fuck was now. Draven kept his hand glued to the small of her back as they walked through the Quarter to Midnight Mayhem.

  A massive line occupied the front of Carnelians’ Boutique, which mildly surprised, Draven. Midnight Mayhem prided itself on anonymity and privacy. When Draven and Aliyah approached the sea of people at the front of the shop, he sensed the magic in the air: a mixture of both pure and malicious. They progressed quickly to the front of the line. The couple before them didn’t have an invitation. As a result, they were denied entry. He’d overheard the doorman specifically stating that this sale was only for selected patrons. Ah so that’s how they’re doing it. Why didn’t they just cloak the store front from mortals?

  Draven removed the invitation from the back pocket of his leather pants and handed it to the bouncer.

  “Hey man, why not just cloak the store front?” he
queried.

  “It is bro, some mortals still have the sight.”

  Draven nodded. Of course, he thought. It is rare, but there is the odd occasion where a human possesses what we other-worlders dub the sight, even if they aren’t aware of it. Those humans were able to see supernatural shit that normal humans couldn’t. He looked around, taking in the atmosphere. The energy vibrated through him. Something caught his eye as they walked into the club: Jada. He’d be able to pick her form and bright pink hair with or without a mask on. And that’s when Draven knew shit was about to get messy.

  Chapter Twelve

  ~ Aliyah ~

  Aliyah’s eyes were as wide as saucers behind the black and purple mask that Jadis had gifted her. She took in the club for the first time with her nerves on edge, and she hadn’t even seen the main floor. Energy thrummed through her veins. She knew it wasn’t only hers and Draven’s she was feeling; it was a mass mingle of fucking everybody in close vicinity.

  Draven’s hand hadn’t left the small of her back since they left Jadis’s. Aliyah sensed it wasn’t only for her benefit but for his also. She’d come to realise that Draven was possessive and a part of her wasn’t sure how to take that. She barely knew anything about him.

  The speakers pumped out Blow your whistle, silencing her ruminations as they walked up the staircase that opened up to a massive dancefloor, a bar, and a band setting up in the far corner. Her eyes grew wide as she completely focused on everything in front of her. Unabashedly, she took in the half naked bodies bumping and grinding, the strobe lights throwing off colours on their sweat dripping forms. What the hell was this place?

  They walked through the crowd until they reached a bar, one of the three the floor occupied. Draven pulled out a stool, offering it to her.

  “What would you like, Snowflake?”

  “I’m underage, I can’t drink.”

  He chuckled, “Yes you can, unless you don’t want to, or maybe it’s because you’ve never had a drink before?” He quirked his eyebrow.

  “Fuck you, asshole. Jack and coke.”

  She turned her back to him and surveyed the dance floor. So many scents filtered through the club, so many smells that Aliyah had never smelled before. Her body hummed with excitement and anxiety. For what, she was unsure. She closed her eyes like Draven had taught her earlier and focused on the energy around her. Her eyes flickered open, she smelled blood. She searched the area, looking for the culprit. Aliyah honed in on a couple of beefy men to the right of her. A dark skinned male stood over a caramel coloured man, drawing his nail down his rigid chest and abdomen, both of their identities hidden by the masks they wore. Blood trickled out of the caramel male and Aliyah felt her nostrils flare. The scene was enticing and intimate.

  A hand circled around her waist. She knew who it was immediately: Draven. His familiar sandalwood, musky, whiskey, chocolate scent enveloped her as he placed the cold tumbler in her hand.

  “Captivated are we, my precious little Snowflake?” he crooned in her ear.

  Aliyah couldn’t draw her attention away from the two men. A woman appeared out of nowhere. Short dark hair rested on her slender shoulders, and the red dress matching the red mask she wore left nothing to the imagination. She was stunning, but there was something off about the woman.

  “Focus your energy. Allow the music, the bodies around you, and the scents to travel through you. Focus on that and listen. I mean really listen.”

  Draven’s palm felt like a searing iron resting on her belly, and she struggled momentarily to draw her attention from his scent and body to focus on listening.

  The woman was talking to the male who had scratched the male below him. “Give me a taste, handsome.”

  The dark skinned guy looked her up and down, “Taste of what, sweet cheeks?”

  “A little of you, a little of him.”

  “Hmm, you want a threesome, sweet cheeks?” the dark man responded to her seductive tone.

  “Yes, and to taste him. What do you say, sugar?” She peered down at the Other-worlder. He nodded in agreement.

  Aliyah couldn’t believe her eyes. Her mouth hung open as the woman stood over the top of the vampire, hiked her red dress up and sat on his face. The other man growled as he moved the vampire’s jeans down his legs before unbuckling his pants and spitting on his cock.

  She felt Draven’s hands drift lower, his breath harsh in her ear.

  “Fuck. You’re lucky I can’t smell you, let alone anyone else in this hellhole. I can see how aroused you are. Your cheeks are flushed and I bet your panties are soaked.”

  Aliyah knew she shouldn’t, but she wanted to press his buttons. “What panties?” she smirked. “What are they? The ones about to—you know?”

  “One is a vampire, the other two are demons, and they’re relentless. Remember that. But keep watching, Aliyah. Don’t you worry that pretty little head with what I’m about to do.” She felt the vibration on her back from his growl.

  Aliyah wanted to question him more but she didn’t have the chance. His deft fingers grazed her pussy lips and her breathing hitched as she tried to focus on the threesome. A part of her wanted to stop him. The other part was too turned on to think of any repercussions. The dark man was buried to the hilt in the other man, whilst the woman rode his face and stroked his cock. The whole scene was like a car crash, and she couldn’t look away. The dark haired woman used her nail to slice the man’s belly some more, and then she leaned down and lapped it up. When she finished tasting the blood, she kissed the man fucking the vampire.

  Draven’s finger lazily circled her clit. She needed more friction, more pressure, just more. He chuckled and then licked the shell of her ear down to the lobe and bit. Aliyah moaned and pushed her hips into his hand. Her senses were on high alert. Everything felt intense, and the electric pulse that fractured around her and Draven was almost enough to slam her into the world of orgasms.

  “Do you want to cum, Aliyah?” Draven’s voice came out like gravel, sliding down her body.

  She nodded with the words lodged in her throat threatening to come out in a moan instead of a plea.

  “Tell me how much you want to cum, Snowflake. Tell me how much you want to clench and shatter around my fingers while watching the depravity playing out in front of you. Tell me how much you wish it was my cock pushing you to the brink of insanity as you topple over the edge, instead of squeezing my fingers in your vice grip cunt. Say it, Snowflake.”

  “Fuuucckk, please Draven, let me cum.”

  He slammed two fingers inside of her, his grip tightening around her torso as he drew his thumb in circles around that tight bundle of nerves that was ready to combust. Aliyah’s body started to shudder; she was close. Draven was everywhere. His scent encapsulated her, and she didn’t think she’d ever get enough. He ground his steel length into her back to prove how arousing this was for him too. Aliyah’s eyes started to roll into the back of her skull, but not before she witnessed the woman shaking on top of the vampire. The dark skinned man then pulled out and emptied out his load at the same time as the vampire.

  Draven brought his wrist to Aliyah’s mouth. “Bite me, and cum for me, Snowflake.”

  Her canines elongated as she bit down on Draven’s wrist. The taste of his blood spanned her palate; colours blotched behind her eyes as he sent her spiralling, falling into the clutches of her orgasm. Aliyah’s whole body convulsed as she slowly withdrew her teeth from Draven’s wrist.

  “Lick the puncture marks, Snowflake.” His deep voice came out strained.

  Aliyah did as she was told and watched the bite marks slowly disappear. She was stunned, there was no other word to describe it. The drink in her hand was half filled, and she guessed in the throes of her orgasm she’d spilt it.

  Aliyah looked over her shoulder at Draven. His mismatched eyes were shimmering and the bulge in his pants wouldn’t go undetected. Draven grinned when he caught her eyeing off his package, Cocky bastard. “Don’t think because we’ve fucke
d, and because I let you do what you just did that I’m yours for the taking, Shrek,” she said matter of fact.

  Aliyah’s head was still fuzzy after the intense orgasm that Draven had given her in front of all these people. Quietly she wondered if that was the reason why she’d almost blown a fucking gasket when she came.

  The dance floor was overflowing with bodies. Aliyah was curious what supernatural beings were underneath all of those masks. She still had so much to learn about this world. It was both scary and exciting to her. She’d never felt like she was normal. Aliyah always viewed herself as eccentric, unique if you will.

  Draven was still pressed up behind her, the feel of his rapid heartbeat hard on her back. That’s when she realised that vampires weren’t dead and all the other myths she’d read growing up were false. Aliyah questioned why she hadn’t noticed these inconsistencies earlier. She put a post-it note in her brain to remind her to ask Draven about it later.

  Draven tensed behind her. She flicked her long hair over her right shoulder and peered over her left.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Jada, Gwent and Malister are here.”

  “Who’s Malister?

  “She’s a demon. She approached me the other day.” He cringed. “She said she wanted me.”

  “She wants you? Like fucking you, or something else?”

  “I think a little of both,” he groaned.

  “Wait, Shrek, what are they doing?” She cocked her head to the side and watched. Gwent was fucking Jada against the exposed brick wall. Aliyah focused all her energy and tried to listen.

  “That’s it, fuck each other. Give me all of your lust,” Malister crooned, then dragged a nail down both bodies. Blood pooled to the surface and the demon woman licked it up.