Elemental Hope

by L. M. Somerton

  Damon scrubbed a muddy hand across his face, leaving dirty smears behind.

  “Why did you do it, Damon?” Dominic asked.

  “He would have killed Evrain and he was planning to do awful things to you, Dominic. You’re my friends. You’ve done more for me than anyone ever has. I couldn’t let that happen. Symeon was evil. He hurt everyone he came into contact with.”

  “Most of all you…” Dominic’s heart broke for Damon.

  There was the crunch of tires over gravel then the sound of running. Nathaniel skidded to a halt next to Dominic. He glanced at Symeon’s corpse then at the gun.

  “I’ll take him, Dominic.” Nathaniel bent then lifted Damon to his feet. “I’m here. Everything’s going to be okay.” He pulled Damon into a tight embrace.

  Dominic scrambled to his feet just as Coryn and Gregory arrived.

  “What happened?” Gregory asked.

  “Damon shot Symeon,” Dominic explained, reaching for Evrain’s hand.

  “Damon distracted Symeon enough that I could channel,” Evrain explained. “I would have killed him I think… I was desperate enough and even with the potion Symeon was too weak to stand a chance against me. Damon saved me from having to.”

  “Good riddance,” Coryn said with feeling.

  “I’m afraid I have to agree.” Gregory nodded. “Symeon Malus has been a thorn in my backside for far too long. He was always a poor excuse for a warlock. Power-crazy, money-grubbing, psychotic…”

  “We get the picture, love.” Coryn stopped the tirade.

  “So do we call the cops?” Dominic asked.

  “This is warlock business,” Gregory replied. “Evrain, can you saturate the ground with enough water that it liquefies? I can help.”

  “I’ll turn it to soup if I have to,” Evrain said.

  Dominic moved to stand with Coryn as the two warlocks channeled. He watched the already sodden ground around Symeon’s body shimmer and shift. A couple of air bubbles rose to the surface then popped. Symeon and the gun sank from view, the mud closing over him.

  “Now separate water and earth,” Gregory ordered, fingers flickering.

  Evrain frowned, muttering words Dominic couldn’t quite hear. Where Symeon’s body had lain, the ground dried and solidified. In less than a minute there was no evidence that a body had lain there at all.

  “We pushed him deep.” Gregory flexed his fingers. “There’s no chance some wild critter will dig him up.”

  It was Coryn who diffused the tense atmosphere. “Well, I for one am starving and ready for my bed. I suggest we all head to wherever home is for the night.”

  “Good idea,” Dominic agreed. He was about ready to collapse. The lure of a warm bed and Evrain’s bare skin against his was irresistible. He tugged Evrain’s hand.

  “Is it really over?” Evrain said, sounding shattered.

  “Yes, it is, love.” Dominic couldn’t imagine how Evrain was feeling. “Let’s go home. Tomorrow is soon enough to think about all this.” When he moved toward the car, Evrain followed. Dominic gave a brief wave to Gregory and Coryn. For now, all he wanted to do was be there for whatever Evrain needed.

  Epilogue

  For the next few days, Hornbeam Cottage was an oasis of tranquility. An anonymous call to Portland PD had drawn their attention to an abandoned car near a local beauty spot. Imelda and the Octis Coven had gone to ground, melting back into their lives as if nothing had ever happened. From what Gregory had discovered Imelda had held on to her position by the tips of her lacquered fingernails. It would be a while before she caused mischief again.

  After staying one final night in Portland, Gregory and Coryn had departed for Florida amid promises to return soon. Gregory’s parting words to Evrain had been, “Keep practicing. I’ve clearly underestimated your abilities. You’ll have to work much harder the next time we meet.” Evrain had repeated them to Dominic in the expectation of sympathy, but had gotten none.

  Nathaniel and Damon had taken the company jet home. Talking to Dominic on the phone, Damon had confessed that he fully intended to join the mile high club—even though Felix would be traveling with them. Evrain knew the bravado was a cover. Damon would need all Nathaniel’s care and attention for quite some time, to get over what had happened.

  Evrain sat at the kitchen table, Shadow purring in his lap, while Dominic brewed some tea. Evrain had found the protective pendant where it had dropped, outside the garden gate, and it was now safely back around Dominic’s neck, though Evrain wanted to replace the cord with a nice, heavy padlocked chain.

  “You think Damon will be okay?” Dominic asked, handing over a mug of steaming liquid that smelt mildly of apricots.

  “He’ll be fine. Nathaniel will make sure of that. Who’d have thought Damon would turn out to be our most valuable ally?”

  “And a good friend.”

  Evrain nodded, then frowned. “What’s this?” He held up his mug.

  “Agrimony tea. Gregory said you need to keep drinking it for a while to make sure your blood stays tainted.” Dominic stood over him expectantly, waiting for him to drink.

  Evrain took a small sip. He grimaced. “Ugh! It’s disgusting!”

  “Drink it. All of it.” Dominic sounded threatening. “We may have seen the last of the Coven, and Symeon is no more, but there’s probably a queue of goblins, demons and orcs at the gate, just waiting to get their claws into you.”

  Evrain almost choked on his tea. He laughed. “Orcs?”

  Dominic scowled. “Who the hell knows where you’re concerned?”

  Evrain sipped the tea and tried to get the image of the denizens of Middle Earth rampaging around the vegetable patch out of his head. He didn’t quite manage to keep the humor from his eyes and when he looked up a strange expression crossed Dominic’s face. He turned on his heel then walked out into the garden, closing the door behind him.

  For a moment Evrain just sat with his hands wrapped around his mug. He fought back a sense of panic. Of fear. It was obvious now that Dominic had been deeply affected by their run-in with the Coven and with Symeon. It was too easy to ignore that every day Dominic had to believe the unbelievable, to accept a world that only a few months earlier had been the stuff of fantasy novels. If that wasn’t enough, he was also expected to submit to a partner who could atomize him with a few flicks of his fingers.

  Evrain put his head on his arms and groaned. “You dumbass, selfish bastard.” He had no doubt that Dominic loved him, he knew deep in his soul that it was true and it was proven every time he channeled. But he had never asked whether any of that love was rooted in fear. He had no misconceptions about his nature—he was demanding, possessive and seriously overprotective. Every time he looked at Dominic he had an overwhelming urge to keep him safe and well away from anyone who might dare to desire him.

  His pushed his chair back abruptly then stood. It was time to show Dominic just how much he was loved.

  Evrain found Dominic sitting on the stump of an ancient oak at the far end of the garden, head in his hands. He looked so miserable and Evrain’s heart broke at the sight of him. He made no attempt to conceal his approach, but Dominic didn’t look up until Evrain laid a hand on his shoulder. Beneath his touch, Evrain could feel Dominic shaking. “Are you crying?” He didn’t wait for Dominic to answer, but dropped to his knees on the damp ground in front of him. He took Dominic’s cold hands in his.

  “I’m so sorry, Dominic. I should have taken a moment to consider how all this has been making you feel. Please come inside and give me a chance to show you how much I love you.” Bright blue eyes, shiny with unshed tears, looked up at him.

  “You don’t have to do that, Evrain, I’ll be fine in a little while. I suppose I’m just finding it hard to believe that we’re finally safe and that there isn’t some new monster lurking out of sight just around the corner. It’s stupid, I know it is, but I feel that I’m missing something, a hint of something in the corner of my eye that I can’t quite see.”

&
nbsp; Evrain squeezed his hands. “It’s not stupid at all, it just shows how much you care, and I can’t promise that there won’t ever be another Symeon, another Coven. It’s a dangerous world that I’ve dragged you into, but I can’t let you go, Dominic, I can’t face it without you.”

  A tear rolled down Dominic’s smooth cheek. “You don’t have to. Don’t you understand how much I love you?”

  Evrain kissed away the tears, then brushed Dominic’s soft lips with his own. “Come inside, you idiot, don’t make me ask you again.” He had judged the moment well. Dominic responded to the command in his tone and the gentle tug on his hands. Obediently, he followed him into the house and up to their bedroom.

  “Sit down, don’t say anything yet.” Evrain took a deep breath and unbuttoned his shirt. He put it onto the back of a chair then slipped out of his pants, folding them carefully. He was wearing a pair of clinging black shorts that could not hide his arousal. He concealed his trembling hands by using them to roll down his shorts, then stepped out of them. For a moment he stood looking at Dominic, who was chewing on his lower lip, his eyes firmly fixed on Evrain’s jutting cock.

  Heart pounding, Evrain turned and bent over the side of the bed, a position that he had put Dominic in so many times before. He didn’t speak—he didn’t need to. He waited patiently and listened to the sounds of Dominic removing his clothes. The first touch was a kiss, soft lips pressed against the curve of his ass, and it sent a jolt the entire length of his body. Dominic knelt behind him and nibbled his way from the top of his thigh to the base of Evrain’s spine. He began to explore the valley between Evrain’s cheeks with his tongue. Dominic used his hands to part them wider and grant him better access. Very, very gently he licked his way around the edge of Evrain’s fluttering entrance. Every muscle in Evrain’s legs turned to jelly. He couldn’t stay silent any longer. He moaned as Dominic blew onto his damp skin. The cool sensation sent miniature bolts of lightning to his cock and his knees almost gave way.

  The torture increased as Dominic pushed the point of his tongue into him. “Fuck me, Dominic, please, do it now!”

  Dominic stood and reached for the pot of cool gel that stood on the bedside table. He scooped a blob onto his fingers then coated his cock until it glistened. Evrain watched with anticipation. Dominic dipped his fingers into the jar again. He smoothed more of the gel around Evrain’s virgin pucker. Evrain jerked at the contact and sank his teeth into the bedcovers. He felt Dominic’s strong, work-calloused hands grip his hips and the head of Dominic’s cock made the lightest of contact with his ass.

  “Are you sure about this, Evrain?” Dominic’s voice was tight with nerves.

  Evrain knew that any hint of hesitation on his part and Dominic would pull away. That was the last thing he wanted. He gave his answer with a backward thrust his hips and a grunt of pain as Dominic’s cock entered his channel.

  “Holy fuck!” His exclamation was muffled by the bedclothes that he was now fisting as both hands clenched and unclenched. “That burns!” He attempted to relax his resistant anal muscles. Dominic slipped deeper inside him, applying pressure to something that sent a thrill of pleasure through his body, allowing him to ignore, if not forget, the pain.

  “Are you okay?” Dominic started to withdraw, but Evrain pushed back against him once more.

  “Move! Or I swear I’ll turn you into a fucking frog!”

  Dominic renewed his grip. He began to move backward and forward at an agonizingly slow pace.

  “Do you want to spend the rest of your natural life croaking on a lily pond? Move. Fucking. Faster.” Evrain was grinding his ass backward but Dominic stilled.

  “Still dominant, even in this situation. You can’t do those kind of spells, so quit threatening me or I may have to spank you while I fuck you.”

  Dominic did as he was told anyway. He began to give Evrain’s ass the pounding Evrain was desperate for. They almost knocked heads as Evrain’s back arched and he gave a cry of ecstasy when Dominic found the sensitive bundle of nerves inside him with unerring accuracy.

  “So good. Don’t stop,” Evrain ordered.

  “You just can’t help yourself, can you? What if I feel the urge to torture you the way you do me?”

  “You’re too sweet and you love me,” Evrain spluttered. He could hardly cope with the sensations building inside him.

  “You love me too but you still edge me for hours,” Dominic muttered and for a moment Evrain feared he’d created a sexual sadist. There was only room for one of those in their relationship and he had dibs on the position.

  “Dominic…” he growled a warning.

  Dominic reached beneath Evrain’s straining thighs and grasped his cock. It was so hot. Evrain felt like he was on fire inside, and after only a couple of strokes his orgasm barreled through him and he came with a shout that was half ecstasy, half relief. Dominic slowed his movements a little. Evrain summoned the presence of mind to squeeze his inner muscles, gripping Dominic’s cock. He could feel Dominic shaking as his orgasm overtook him. Then there was a warm gush of liquid in his channel and Dominic’s body pressed over his back. Dominic took deep, heaving breaths, mumbling curses as his body trembled through a series of aftershocks.

  Once Dominic slipped free of him, Evrain crawled onto the bed. He collapsed onto his belly, breathing heavily. He listened as Dominic padded across the landing to the bathroom before returning with a damp towel. It was alien to lie still while Dominic cleaned him up, but Evrain enjoyed it. It was nice to be the one taken care of for a change, and Dominic needed it.

  When Dominic was finished, Evrain rolled onto his back. Dominic stretched out next to him and for a while they just lay together. Evrain’s breathing slowed to normal. He got to his knees then climbed over Dominic. Straddling his thighs, he gazed down at him.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  Dominic blushed.

  “Now you can say that I am yours as much as you are mine. Do you trust me?”

  “Yes.” That single word was stated with absolute certainty.

  Evrain leaned forward to kiss Dominic and as their lips touched he channeled.

  “Your eyes are glowing,” Dominic murmured. He stretched his arms above his head.

  “Are they?”

  “Uh-huh.” Dominic twitched. “My skin’s tingling.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “No, it’s not painful. More a slight prickling feeling that itches a little.”

  Evrain held him in place. His own skin also burned but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant.

  “What have you done? I’m not a frog, am I?”

  Evrain moved to lie next to him on the bed, propped up on one elbow.

  “You already know I can’t do that—though it would be a useful skill.” He grinned. “Take a look at your arms.”

  Dominic sat up. He stared. Circling both wrists and climbing part way up the soft inner surface of his arms, silvery green tendrils of ivy decorated his skin. They looked very similar to the designs that Gregory had created with the agrimony. Not as defined as tattoos, the leaves and stems seemed to sit just below the surface of his skin.

  “If you don’t like them, I can take them away again,” Evrain said anxiously. He touched his biceps, where a similar design curled around the flexing muscle in a band that circled his arm. Tiny ivy leaves also formed a ring around his third finger. Dominic looked down at a matching circle around his finger, and smiled.

  A long, lingering kiss signaled Dominic’s acceptance. Evrain stroked his chest and belly. “They look amazing on you. Now you’ll always be under my spell.”

  Dominic’s eyes lit from within. “Normal is overrated anyway.”

  Evrain laughed. Joy flooded through him. “I can’t wait for our next adventure.”

  Dominic smacked him. “Don’t tempt fate!”

  “Why not? Maybe I enjoy living dangerously.” A pillow smacked him in the head. From outside the bedroom door came an indignant yowl. “Okay, okay! I’m outnumbered
. No more drama. At least for a little while.” The last few words were barely more than a whisper.

  Also available from Pride Publishing:

  The Wyverns: Sand Trap

  L.M. Somerton

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Shelton sat on the enormous couch in the communal area of The Wyverns’ headquarters, laptop balanced on his knees. Next to him, Orlando de la Pena, his friend and sub to Rogue Hellaby, The Wyverns’ sometimes-grouchy leader, was painting his toenails a nauseating shade of lime green. Between them was a tray laden with Twinkies, cans of soda and a huge bowl of popcorn.

  “Where did you get that T-shirt?” Shelton asked. The garment, which matched Orlando’s nail polish, had a slogan on the front reading ‘I make snark, what’s your superpower?’

  “Kit gave it to me last time he was over. He seemed to think it suited me.”

  Shelton laughed. “He’s so bad. Has Rogue seen it yet?”

  “No.” Orlando wiggled his toes. “He got in really late. They all did. He didn’t regain consciousness when I got up so I left him sleeping. Like a baby. Well, not really, ‘cause he’s all grown up, but he does look kinda cute when he’s snuffling away, no doubt having kinky dreams about yours truly.”

  “It was after three, wasn’t it?” Shelton avoided the whole subject of Rogue’s dreams. Shelton had stirred in the early hours, aware of low voices and the thud of closing doors, but he hadn’t gotten up to see what was going on. Trouble would have set alarms going, so Shelton knew the disturbance was the rest of The Wyverns returning from their latest clandestine mission for Horatio Trap. If they’d needed him, his door would have been battered down. He had turned over, plumped his pillow then gone back to sleep.

  “Three-thirty.” Orlando screwed the cap back on his bottle of polish. “Rogue didn’t even shower, just dropped into bed like a felled redwood. I bounced about a foot off the mattress. Seconds later he was snoring. He didn’t fuck me or spank me. Must have been exhausted.”