Frowning at the words, his mind went blank and he couldn’t remember what he had been doing. Why he was there. But more importantly, he didn’t seem to know anything about himself.
With his eyes locking with the gorgeous specimen he wanted to claim, the thoughts of who he was, and maybe what he was, seemed insignificant.
Crawling forward, the man said something but Kiz didn’t understand.
Putting his hands flat on the floor, he crawled toward the ethereal being. Kiz feared if he didn’t get his mate inside him he would die.
Kiz? he thought. That’s me?
Raphael? His heart palpitated. Raphael is mine.
His brain kept glitching. His thoughts were scattered and not making any sense.
As he was about to reach his prize, the breathtaking man lifted his hands as if to ward off Kiz.
Sitting back on his legs, he lowered his eyes in submission and whispered, “I need you, bad.”
Kiz chanced a look up, finding Raphael staring at him like he was crazy. The look hurt Kiz.
After several painful seconds, Kiz decided it must be a language problem.
Leaning back he spread his legs far apart. The sexy guy said something again. Kiz looked at him and cocked his head. Maybe I’m not being forward enough. Lifting one of his legs to his chest, he reached a hand down, bypassing his rigid cock that lay curved up against his stomach down to pet his perineum.
He licked his lips at the pleasure that shot through him, and his finger traveled lower to finger his hole. “I want you here.”
It seemed so important to Kiz. The thought of not connecting with Raphael sent his head spiraling down a long pitch-black tunnel.
Raphael. Even the name sounded sexy.
Locking eyes with the godlike hunk, Kiz fought hard to smile and show his beautiful mate he was worthy. But at each passing second, it became increasingly difficult because all he wanted to do was roll over and cry from the pain that was wracking his body.
Kiz cried out in shock when Raphael suddenly disappeared. He roared as he shot to his feet. As he spun around frantically, his arousal lessened as anger slowly began to be replaced it.
He screeched so loud he heard the crack of glass somewhere in the room. Once he checked and double-checked every corner of his spartan living space, he left the room and sniffed around for his mate who’d taken over his every thought. Must find. Must mate.
Tearing up at the thought of never begin able to see Raphael again, he jumped when he heard someone shout.
Turing toward the sound, Kiz spotted his beloved. Crying out, he ran toward Raphael, overjoyed.
“Kizie?”
Kiz didn’t even slow down at the sound of the familiar voice. Something screamed at him to pull it together, but he just wanted to get to the nice smelling one who was his.
Gazing longingly down at Raphael, he said, “Why did you leave me? Please don’t leave me. I need you!”
“Kizie?” It was the same voice accompanied by a hand grabbing his shoulder. Feeling a pinprick sensation in his neck, he hissed and grabbed his lover, yanking him away from the foreign touch.
Almost instantly his legs grew heavy. Pausing, he set down his armload gently before sliding to the ground. He held on to his precious treasure’s legs so his mate couldn’t get away.
Becoming lightheaded, Kiz felt extremely tired. He was unable to help himself from flopping back. Looking up at the black-haired angel—angel?—Kiz smiled. My Fallen Archangel.
Closing his eyes for a second, he groaned as a voice called, “Kizie? Can you hear me?”
He knew the voice, but for some reason he couldn’t place it. It almost sounded like…
The last thing he heard was, “The drug is kicking in.” Then the voice said in dire emergency, “We have to get him to the infirmary fast or—”
Chapter Ten
“Kizie?” the voice called again.
Kizie? No one called him that.
Cracking one eye open, he stared up at the ceiling. Turning his head, he spotted Raphael asleep in a chair next to the bed Kiz rested on.
Glancing to the opposite side of him, he spotted a man he’d never seen so close. He loomed over Kiz, his face mostly cast in shadows.
“Zain?” Kiz said, somehow still feeling unsure. “What happen? Raphael okay?”
“Yes, Raphael is fine.” The doctor’s mouth curved at the corners with a slight edge. “You had us worried. How are you feeling?”
Pausing a minute to flex every muscle in his body, he groaned when he noticed his cock was still painfully erect. “I feel like I hit by car.”
“You’re in heat,” Zain said, his voice sounding like it’d been put through a shredder. “Your father said you entered a sort of primal mode. I never knew other male species could do it.”
“What you mean?”
“On my planet, Andaria, which is populated by men only, I’ve only heard of receptors going into heat.”
Kiz placed a hand over his forehead to wipe off the sweat that had accumulated. “What a recept-ta-tor?”
“Receptors are men capable of getting pregnant.”
Kiz shot forward so quickly his head began to spin. Zain’s hands shot up to help steady him. Looking at Raphael to see if he’d awakened his viscer, he breathed easier at seeing him still passed out.
Focusing back on Zain, he whispered, “I not pregnant, no?”
“Your father assured me that wasn’t possible. I tested you just to be sure, but your urinalysis came back negative.”
Kiz leaned back in his bed and breathed a huge sigh. “Thank good. That would be horrible. Raphael would ditch me in second I ever get pregnant.”
Focusing back on Zain, Kiz frowned at seeing the guy’s face contort as it came fully into the light.
The expression made Kiz feel like a lamb before a hellhound. “What wrong, doctor?”
Zain wiped his forehead before shaking his head. “Nothing. We’ve had to quarantine you because you are giving off strong pheromones, and I, unfortunately, am having a hard time resisting.”
“It safe to go my room?”
“We’re searching for someone who can make a barrier for your room, so right now the safest place for you is here. There’s already a barrier on the entire infirmary.”
Kiz groaned as he covered his eyes. “Is Raphael, um, what word…? Im-moon?”
“Immune?” The doc’s eyes shot to Raphael. “He seems to be all right.”
Kiz thought quietly to himself. In a hushed tone, he admitted to the doctor, “He no bond with me.” He let loose a wrenching sob. “He no want me.”
A rumble from Zain made Kiz jerk in surprise. “He won’t bond with you?” the doctor said, sitting on the bed next to Kiz.
Kiz scooted slightly away to give the Andarian more room. “No. And now I feel I no want him! He sleep with me, now I know that all he want.”
Kiz heard Zain gulp. The doctor leaned in, staring at him intently. “You know, there are plenty of males here who would be pleased to have you as a mate.”
Kiz peeked at Raphael. Feeling something tug at his hair, Kiz’s head jerked back to Zain. Kiz’s eyes widening to see Zain holding a hank of Kiz’s hair under his nose.
“You smell so good,” he said, beginning to rub his cheek with Kiz’s hair. “I never thought I had a change with you. Koro rejected me, and I assumed you weren't attracted to men either…so I left you alone.”
Zain let go of Kiz’s hair as he shot forward, shoving Kiz flat to the mattress. “Mate with me, Kiz,” he growled. “I can make you happy. I’ll give you everything you want.”
Looking up, horrified, Kiz turned his face to see if Raphael was awake. Hearing Zain hiss, Kiz knew his mistake instantly. He’d just offered his neck in submission.
Zain’s hard body draped over his. When he felt the doctor’s fangs pierce his shoulder, he cried out as he began to thrash violently, “Raphael!”
Chapter Eleven
Raph jerked awake at hearing Kiz shout for him. He bolted to
an upright position, eyes scanning the room till he found Kiz being pinned to a bed with the doctor’s mouth on his viscer’s neck.
Why did I not foresee this? But more importantly, how did I fall asleep? He only needed to sleep four or five hours a week.
Livid, Raph felt his power crackle. He was pleased when Zain let go of Kiz and flew across the room, slamming into the wall. Only the crunch of bone made Raph stop from seeking more vengeance.
Rushing to Kiz, he found his viscer in a fetal position, crying as he clutched his neck. Raph touched the large male, feeling a warm flush sweep over his body when all he succeeded in doing was make Kiz sob harder.
“Kiz, it’s me.”
“Raphael!” Kiz screamed, still scooting away. When Kiz dared a peek up, he gasped as if relieved. He pulled his hand away from his neck to reach for Raph. Cursing under his breath when he noticed Zain had taken a chuck of Kiz’s throat with him, Raph watched the wound gush as it drenched the infirmary mattress.
Feeling an icicle of terror pierce his chest, he picked up Kiz, having made a split-second decision.
He flashed to a forbidden zone.
Appearing in a shadowed hall, Raph instantly felt like he was covered in tiny bugs. They crawled across his skin somehow, making Raph regret his choice.
In truth, Raphael wasn’t sure if his crawly flesh was from actual bugs or the knowing of how wrong it was to enter a god’s domain—even if allowed access. It was the only way Raph knew he’d been able to appear in Egan’s home.
Seeing cobwebs decorating the ceiling made him question his plan.
“Bring him in here, Raphael.”
Raph jumped at the voice. The light tone used may have been spoken softly, but it incited fear in Raph’s breast.
After a moment of hesitation, he walked toward Egan’s voice. The crunch of who knew what beneath his shoes made him grip Kiz harder, hoping his viscer wasn’t harmed by anything in the house.
Trudging further down the eerie hall, Raph entered a room that looked like a garbage dump.
Spotting Egan high atop a pile of trash, Raph watched the shirtless male slide awkwardly down—like he was sledding—holding on to what looked like a live rat in his hand. And like his sight always did when near the male, he glanced at Egan’s missing arm, cut at mid bicep.
Once Egan reached the bottom of the small mountain made of old newspaper, Raph tried to rush to him only to slip on something and end up waist high in a mound of rubbish. He really didn’t want to know what it consisted of. The smell was enough to turn his stomach.
Egan, seeming to know where the booby traps were, did a dance over and around mounds of stuff before kneeling over to examine Kiz.
Trying to keep his mate out of the filth, Raph noticed Kiz’s dangling legs resting on trash, making him want to scream and flash away.
“Relax,” Egan said, toughing Kiz’s neck. “There’s only one thing in this house that is going to hurt your viscer. And it ain’t me, Korren—” He kissed his rat. “—or my treasures.”
Raph frowned at the accusation. He wasn’t going to hurt Kiz. Raph would kill anyone who dared. Even a god.
When Egan moved his blood-soaked hand to Kiz’s forehead, Raph wanted to growl at the god.
“I said relax, dude,” Egan said, turning his head away from Raph’s. “Your viscer will be fine.”
Raph jerked his head once, slightly disbelieving. But then he blinked, and suddenly Kiz looked up at him, slightly confused. He reached up a hand to feel his neck which had been completely healed. Even all the traces of blood had vanished. In the back of his head, Raph knew Kiz’s revival was going to cost him later in life. Gods rarely helped others unless it was beneficial to them.
“Huh?” Kiz said adorably, looking between Raph to Egan before stopping on Egan. “Who you…?” He looked down at himself. “Why I naked?”
Raph quickly manifested clothing on his viscer as Eagan spoke in a quiet tone. “I’m no one important. I took the liberty of masking your scent.”
Kiz sat up and nodded his head and whispered, “T’ank you.”
Egan jerked his head, stood, and climbed through the garbage toward the hall. “I’ll see you at work, Raphael.”
Raph watched Egan leave and called after the guy, “Thank you.”
Egan awkwardly lifted his hand up in dismissal as he walked away without looking back.
Focusing on Kiz once more, Raph quietly ran his hands along Kiz’s shoulder, thankful there wasn’t a scar. Kiz’s flesh looked exactly like it had before his attack. Pale and smooth.
“Are you all right, baby?”
Kiz seemed dazed. “Yeah?” he said, looking the way Egan had left. “Is… Is he okay?”
“Egan? Yeah, why?”
“He…” Kiz trailed off with a shake of his head. “He crying.”
Raph looked toward the now empty hallway in disbelief. “Crying? Egan? I didn’t hear anything. I witnessed the guy that’d chopped off his arm. Egan didn’t even so much as flinch. He’s extremely powerful—but then I don’t know much about him.”
Egan was the head of the Riotan Council that governed all the branches from the Caelum to Kazerin to the Isherai—those from Elysium, to all shapeshifter factums, to creatures of the Abyss Realm. His powers were said to be unrivaled, yet he appeared unable to take out his trash.
In meetings, Egan was always unkempt. And he always went without shoes and a shirt. Knowing Egan was a god, and capable of making things appear out of thin air, it began to eat at Raph, wanting to know the real reason Egan lived in a garbage heap.
Focusing back on Kiz, Raph asked, “What happened with Zain?”
“I-I not wanna talk about it,” he said, then paused to nibble his lip.
Getting a strange vibe, Raph couldn’t help but ask harshly, “Did you like his bite?”
Kiz looked at him, horrified. “How you dare ask? O’ course I no like!”
Regretting his assumption, Raph leaned in, wrapping his arms around his viscer, murmuring, “Sorry, Kiz. I just—I just can’t stand the thought of you—”
Kiz rolled away from him to rest atop the trash, flashing Raph a devastated look, seemingly unaffected by the filth.
“Send me home,” Kiz demanded, pulling his legs up into his chest.
“Sure, we can go and talk—”
“No,” Kiz said with a harsh edge that surprised Raph. “I wanna to be alone.”
Chapter Twelve
He wants to be alone…
Thinking things over for a moment, Raph nodded and flashed Kiz to his room. Flashing himself into the portal room at Hell’s Mouth, he figured if he couldn’t be in the same room with Kiz, he’d settle for the same building.
Ignoring the men guarding the portal room, he wound his way through the empty halls to the bar on the human side. He took a seat, feeling miserable, wanting to commiserate alone.
It wasn’t long before he felt someone at his back.
“Wanna talk?”
Glancing behind him at Salem, he found the tiny god staring at him with a friendly smile.
Looking back down at the bar, he said, “You know I don’t.”
“It’ll help.”
Closing his eyes, he placed his elbows on the bar, holding his head in misery. “I fucked up with Kiz.”
“No, you didn’t. He’s not mad at you, Raphael. He’s just confused.”
“Why?”
“Kiz got an offer to bond,” Salem said with a wry smile.
“Why the hell are you telling me this?” Raph said, standing up. “Was it that doctor? I’m going to kill him.”
“Shut up and sit down, Raph,” Salem said as he sat on a stool and twirled around in a three sixty.
Raph grumbled but did as he was told. He promised himself he’d punish Zain later. He was going to bite the guy and take a chunk of flesh with him. He’d then give it to a voodoo priestess to make him a Zain torture doll.
“Hey, Ass Face.”
Raph jerked when Kippy sudden
ly materialized on the other side from him. He groaned. Glancing at Kippy, he saw the guy perched on the bar countertop with his feet dangling over the edge. He seriously thought about grabbing the empty beer bottle someone left on the bar top and smacking Kippy over the head with it.
“You are such a moron,” Kippy said as he rested one foot on the stool in front of him.
Raph placed his head on the bar top and began to bang it. The universe was out to get him. No way he deserved to be eternally punished by two little pesky gods playing games with his life.
“You think this is a punishment?” Kippy laughed. “I haven’t even begun to make you as miserable as I possibly can.”
“Yeah,” Salem joined in. “That’ll start later.”
Raph rubbed his temples and said, “Just tell me what you came to tell me and go away.”
“Well,” Salem began dramatically. “Since your thick-ass head doesn’t seem to get it, I’m gonna tell you flat out. If you don’t mate with Kiz, he’s gonna die.”
Raph felt like his heart stopped. “But can’t you make it so he can mate someone else—”
“I could…” Salem said, sounding innocent. “But I won’t.”
“Why not?”
“If I did that, Kiz would spend the rest of his life in a severe depression thinking he’s not good enough for anyone.” Salem shivered. “Even his mate. I don’t want any part in that.”
“But I just screwed up somehow,” Raph said, bowing his head in defeat. He wasn’t sure why he’d just been kicked out of the house. What had he said or done that’d landed him in the doghouse?
“Just shut up and let me explain.” Salem sounded so sure of himself, so Raph closed his mouth and nodded his head in submission.
“Good boy,” the god said, flashing a toothy grin at Raph. “Now, let me tell you fact one… Kiz can’t hold a grudge. He’s only pissed for the moment because you accused him of liking another’s bite.” Salem paused before adding, “You hurt his honor.”
Raph recalled the conversation with Egan. He’d said Raph would hurt Kiz…
“I didn’t mean to.” Raph bowed his head in shame. Now he really felt he wasn’t worthy of innocent Kiz.
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