Bloodfire Awakening

by Indiah Winter

  Raph growled when Kippy lifted his foot and kicked him in the side with his platform boot. “If you don’t bond with him, he’ll die.” Kippy kicked him again.

  “Die?” Raph questioned. He managed to catch Kippy’s third kick by grasping his ankle before it made contact. “What are you talking about?”

  “Well,” Salem said in an upbeat tone, “every second he spends in heat, the closer he gets to the point his blood will heat and kill him from the inside.” Then with a wicked smile, he added, “Only bonding will stop his pain.”

  “Pain?” His head snapped up in shock. Thinking things over, Raph asked, “Why doesn’t he proposition me? If he did, I’d pretty much be forced to accept.”

  Salem sighed. “And that’s why he’ll never ask you—he wants you to make the first move because he doesn’t want to lock you into a loveless bonding. You’re gonna be the one who makes the first move toward mating with Kiz. If that is what you decide you want.”

  “What if it’s not?”

  Salem laughed. “Kid, I know what you want.”

  Raph growled at the jab but thought it best not to comment on it. In comparison to the two males beside him, he was very much a child. Raph had only lived a few thousand years. His companions had lived eons. “How can you know what I want? I don’t even know what I want.”

  “Yes, you do. Your subconscious has already made the decision when it comes to Kiz.”

  “Now act on it, dumb fuck.” Kippy reached over and smacked Raph upside his head.

  Raph raised his head to rub out the sting absently. I’ve already made up my mind?

  “Shit,” he whispered at the realization. “I want Kiz.”

  Thinking deeper, he knew he’d wanted Kiz since the beginning. When he’d seen the other-worlder in his white robe. When Kiz had released barbaric cries of lust during their frenzied love making. When those orange eyes had begged Raph to take the larger male and keep him for all time.

  Sitting stationary, he flipped things through his head again and again. He wanted to be with Kiz. He wanted to be with his mate. He wanted to go to him right then and there, but he made himself stay. Kiz needed a minute, so he’d obey his Tibutanian and give him time.

  Salem spun in his chair to rest his elbows on the bar top. “There’s more.” Salem placed his hand on Raph’s back. It wasn’t the hand he wanted. “Kiz may be submissive in the sense of receiving, but when it comes to mating, he’s entered ‘animalistic instinct.’ He’ll do everything he can to get you to notice him—to bond. But in the end he’ll wait for you to make a decision till he dies.”

  “Take command!” Kippy shouted. Then in a more subdued tone, he gave a wry smirk as he said with a kick to Raph’s side, “He liked when you put those cuffs on him.”

  Raph felt his eyes widen to the point that it stung. From beside him, Kippy began to laugh loudly. At the musical quality, Raph pushed the embarrassment aside and grabbed Kippy just as every head in the room turned to him.

  Seeing several men begin to walk toward them, Raph was shocked when they paused with a confused expression. Raph watched, amazed, as everyone began to sport the same confused faces.

  “Shit,” Raph breathed. “Kippy, you have to be more careful.”

  “Let go of me,” Kippy said, kicking Raph. “Salem has me covered.”

  Sighing in relief, Raph sank back onto his stool. Kippy needed to watch his laugh. Being of Hantra lineage, on Earth he was the equivalent of a siren—a creature who lured sailors to their death. He was a seducer. He loved tempting men into his trap and having his way with them. That was why there were so many men and women out to get back at Kippy for sleeping with their partner. And it was Raph’s job to protect him.

  “Now, where were we?” Kippy said, grabbing the nearest basket of peanuts and began to dig through it. “Oh, yeah. Kiz in handcuffs—”

  “Shut it, Kippy.” For the first time, Salem’s tone had an edge to it. Focusing back on Raphael, he said, “Go find Kiz.” Then his little smirk began to grow into a toothy grin. “Something bad might happen to—”

  Raph jerked in shock. “Kiz?” he jumped to his feet. “Where is he?”

  “Re—lax.” Kippy drew out. “It’s not till later.”

  “But—” Raph began.

  Salem stared at his nails. “Some advice, Raphael.” The tiny male raised his eyes to Raph’s. “Beware vengeful werewolves.”

  Thinking this over, he frowned remembering his talk with Royal. Dwight, the bloodthirsty beast that was after Raph for killing his mate…

  For some reason he was having trouble remembering Dwight. The fight he’d had with Isherai guards was legendary. And with Raph’s powers turning on and off with some pesky little god at the switch, Raph wasn’t a hundred percent certain he’d be able to meet the dog blow for blow if they were ever to meet.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kiz sat staring at the wall as if it held all the answers to his problems.

  Flopping back on his bed with a groan, he inwardly begged the ceiling to stop his erratic thoughts.

  Over reacting. Under reacting. He didn’t seem to have a happy medium. He wished he could stop his obsessing over Raphael. From his kind nature—like taking time out of his schedule to spend it with him—to delaying his pleasure to make sure Kiz was okay. And his most captivating feature of all—when Raph had saved his life after he’d had his throat ripped out. Kiz didn’t remember much of what had happened after Zain had attacked him, but he knew enough to know Raphael was his hero.

  Why won’t he bond with me? Why not just ask him to bond instead?

  No! I will not trap him into a mating he does not want.

  Kiz would wait. But in the meantime, he wanted to find his viscer.

  He knew he’d been too harsh. But he wasn’t exactly mad. He just felt upset that Raph thought so little of him. He would always be Kiz’s one and only. He’d rather have his throat ripped out again than take another lover.

  Sitting up, he decided he wasn’t going to lay around and sulk. He was going to go find his Fallen Archangel and jump him, hoping he forgave Kiz for being an ass. Then he was going to force Raph to apologize to him. He’d hurt Kiz for thinking he’d enjoyed what Zain had done to him.

  Sliding off his bed, he made a break for the door only to pause when he passed by the full-length mirror hanging on his closet door. Seeing his white hair, he smiled and grabbed a hank of it to examine closely. The ghostly color didn’t represent pureness on his planet like it did on Earth. It was more akin to pink. Girly.

  Letting the length of hair go, he stared down at his clothes and sighed. His hair might have changed, but the rest of him was just the same.

  Opening the door to his closet, he wondered what he had that could change his usual Plain Jane look into something a little more eye catching. I have a mate to seduce.

  Spotting a pair of skinny jeans he’d purchased off the internet in the hopes of one day wearing, he tore them off the overhanging shelf at the top and had them on in seconds.

  He looked in the mirror as he turned this way and that. Stopping with his back to the looking glass, he lifted his shirt and glanced over his shoulder to examine his backside in the mirror. Kiz couldn’t help but chuckle.

  Guessing it looked okay, he turned to face forward and tried to remember what else he’d purchased off the computer that would go with his jeans.

  He dug deep, finding the perfect shirt, shoes, and belt.

  Once dressed, he went to braid his hair. His hands stalled for a moment before he shook his head and let his arms fall to his sides. He’d wanted to go outside his comfort zone, and letting his hair loose was another step he was willing to take.

  Gazing at his reflection, he wondered for a second if the person looking back was really him. Shrugging inwardly, he didn’t really care what he looked like. He felt good about himself, and that was all he guessed mattered. Kiz only wanted Raphael to see him and know what he was giving up by refusing to bond.

  Walking
out of his room and into the hall, he felt his elated mood begin to slip. With each step he took to the stairwell, he felt his heart sag and wondered if it was too late to go back.

  “Kiz?”

  Way too late, he thought to himself at the sound of someone calling his name.

  Looking up from the ground, Kiz saw the male he knew was named Gritch. He was a gremlin who always seemed to be working the shift Kiz did. Next to Gritch was Nixie, a nymph who seemed even more shy then Kiz was. The two were inseparable. Kiz had never seen one without the other.

  “Oh, my gods!” Gritch jubilated, bouncing down the hall toward Kiz. While Gritch was cute in a pretty boy sense, Nixie’s skin appeared to glow under the dim hall light, his turquoise hair flowing behind him somehow managing to make him look like an androgynous model. But if Kiz didn’t already know Nixie was male, he would have sworn the guy was female.

  “You look so hot!” Gritch said, drawing Kiz’s attention again.

  Feeling his cheeks heat, Kiz gave a small smile. “T’ank you.”

  “Oh, I have to show you off,” Gritch said, grabbing Kiz’s hand. “Let’s go down to the bar.”

  Gritch dragged him to the stairs, making him feel like a parent being dragged around by an excited toddler. He had to stoop so tiny Gritch’s arm didn’t bend back at an awkward angle.

  Running down the steps, Kiz reached the bottom out of breath. Gritch puffed for air as well, while Nixie looked unfazed. Nixie and Gritch might have been as tall as Kiz’s legs, but they both could have probably outrun him any day of the week. He wasn’t into working out like his father.

  Moving through the back halls, they took a turn toward the human bar. Kiz felt his stomach flutter at the thought of being in a room full of earthlings that weren’t aware of what he was. Over the years, many people had questioned him about his eyes. Now that they were popular, he said they were colored contacts.

  After a pause, he decided running into Gritch and Nixie was a good thing. Word around, Gritch was well liked by just about everyone at the bar. Hopefully Gritch would do most of the talking.

  His smile returned as they ran past two hellhounds standing guard so no unsuspecting humans walked through, discovering the realm creatures just on the other side that led to another realm.

  Being dragged through the crowd, Kiz wondered where they were going.

  “We’re going to hang out with our friends,” Gritch said, smiling at Kiz over his shoulder.

  “Huh?” he questioned, wondering how Gritch had known what he was thinking.

  “You just asked where we were going.” Gritch laughed as they finally broke through the crowd and paused in front of a table full of people. “Look who I found!”

  When everyone at the table paused to face him, Kiz breathed a little easier when he recognized a few of the people at the table.

  “Damn,” said a man Kiz knew only as Silver. “Are you Kiz or Koro?”

  Nibbling on his lip for a second, he said, “I Kiz.” In his head he wondered how everyone knew his name. He’d rarely talked to anyone but his father and brother.

  “Thank the fuck,” Silver groaned dramatically. “No offense, but your brother is a dick.”

  “Silver!” Alex, a vampire who didn’t even live at the bar, whispered harshly. “That’s rude.”

  “But I’m right,” Silver said, his eyes darting around the room. “Last week I was in the bathroom making out with this really hot guy, and he came in to clean the floor and threw a mop at me.”

  Gritch laughed loudly, gaining the attention of the people in the booths on both sides of them.

  “It’s not funny!” Silver shouted, slamming his hands dramatically on the table. “I gave the guy my number, but he hasn’t called me at all.”

  “Did you sleep with him?” Alex asked, leaning forward, his eyes sparking with enjoyment.

  “What does the fact we had sex in the bathroom have to do with him calling me?”

  “You are so dumb, Silver!” Gritch said, shoving Kiz down next to Baiya—a shapeshifter—then slid in next to him. “He already got what he wanted, so why the hell would he call you to hook up again?”

  “Oh, don’t go acting like a saint!” Silver shot back. “I saw you go into the bathroom with three guys last month.”

  “Yeah, to go pee.”

  “Guys don’t go pee with each other!” Silver screamed exasperatedly. From the table behind Kiz, several people laughed. Silver shot to his feet and screamed, “Grow up, you fuckheads!”

  Suddenly a guy’s face appeared next to Kiz’s. Kiz felt so out of place but decided to keep his mouth shut as the new stranger said, “Calm down, Silver. If your panties are in a bunch, go take care of it. I’m sure one of your girls will keep your spot warm.”

  Everyone at the table Kiz sat at started yelling and cussing the guy out. Kiz raised his hand to hide his smile.

  “Up yours, Austin!” Silver yelled above all the voices.

  “No, baby. Up yours.”

  Silver began to crawl up on the table toward Austin. “I’m so telling alpha Iko on you, asshole!”

  The table behind Kiz oohed, and almost instantly Austin said, “I’m sorry, Silver. Please don’t tell alpha. That guy’s meaner than master.”

  Silver calmed and smiled. “He’s nice to me.”

  “And me,” someone said in a quiet voice at Austin’s table.

  “Milo, why are you even over there?” Silver said, sliding back into his seat. “You should be over here with ‘us girls.’” Then under his breath, he said, “Asshole.”

  “My man Milo is cool unlike you losers.”

  Gritch leaned in and whispered in Kiz’s ear, “I think Austin is in love with Milo.”

  “What did you say, shrimp?” Austin barked. “What Milo and I have is none of your business.”

  All the men at Kiz’s table oohed like the one behind him had only moments earlier.

  “Oh!” Alex practically giggled. “He’s blushing. Busted!”

  “Shut up!” Austin roared, succeeding in making everyone laugh.

  Kiz had no clue what was going on, but the men were lively and interesting.

  “Kiz.”

  Kiz’s head swiveled toward Raphael. Seeing him stand at the head of the table, Kiz licked his lips as Silver said huskily, “Hello, sexy.”

  Hearing a growling sound, it took Kiz a moment to realize it was him. Stopping immediately, he touched his hand to his throat and said, “I not know I make that sound.”

  “Well, message received,” Silver said with wide eyes. “I didn’t mean to poach on your territory.”

  Not having a clue what that meant, Kiz looked to Gritch who quickly slid from his seat to let Kiz stand.

  “It fine,” Kiz said, standing. “He not mine.”

  Kiz yelped when Raphael grabbed him around his waist and pulled him into his side. “This male is mine,” Raphael said in a jagged, yet sure voice. “He’s my viscer, and if you fuck with him, I’ll slit your throat and—”

  “Raphael!” Kiz yelled, shoving the guy away. “What your problem? They be nice to me!”

  “Kiz,” Raphael said, stepping toward him. “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

  Turning to his new friends, he said, “I apologize for him. He not my—” Kiz froze when it suddenly hit him. Turning to Raphael, he asked, “You call me viscer?”

  Raph got a sloppy smile and nodded his head. “Will you be mine?”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Austin said, drawing Kiz’s attention. Kiz turned just as the guy slid out of his booth and said, “You let a demon fuck you? That’s like super gross. You should try a werewolf. We’re notorious for our—”

  Kiz didn’t give the stranger a chance to finish. Tackling Austin around his midsection, Kiz ended up straddling the guy, repeatedly punching him in the face. “He not demon! He Fallen Archangel. How dare—disrespect—mate! I—”

  Kiz cut himself off when he went to punch Austin again and only hit air. A second later, he was surroun
ded by darkness.

  At his black vision, he called out, frightened, “Raphael?”

  * * * *

  Breathing in Kiz’s spicy scent, Raph barely managed to hold himself back from doing something stupid. Like dissolve both of their clothes and take Kiz right there. The urge to tackle the bigger guy to the ground and roll around on the grassy bank of the pond he’d taken Kiz to hit him hard.

  “Raphael?” Kiz asked after a long pause. “Where you?”

  Raph rushed forward and pulled his mate to a standing position, then into his arms. He went to pull away only to have Kiz grab his wrists and hold him in place. “Where we? I not see.”

  Lips curving upwards, Raph told him, “We’re about a half hour northwest of Kensington Falls. We’re near a town called Paradise Grove.”

  “Paradise Grove?” Kiz questioned.

  “Yes.” Raph tapped at his powers, happy to find most of them were there. Pushing energy from his body into Kiz’s, it wasn’t long before Kiz’s vacant stare focused on him before turning away to take in their surroundings.

  “Wow,” he gasped, letting go of Raph to walk over to a tree. “My father love it here.”

  “How do you like it?”

  “I…like it.” Kiz chuckled as he reached out his hand, touching the bark of the tree lightly. “That how I know Father would, also.”

  “Have anywhere else you’d like to go?” Raph asked, wanting to make all of Kiz’s dreams come true.

  Kiz hesitated. “A moon beach?”

  Laughing at Kiz, Raph whisked them to Kippy’s domain where there was a private beach. Up behind them was the impressive stone castle that belonged to Kippy. It was ostentatious, just like its owner.

  Feeling Kiz sag in his arms, Raph quickly held tight, asking him, “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” he said, sounding breathless. Raph knew it took years of space jumping to get used to the belly drop sensation.

  Kiz’s body molded to his as he said, “I feel like an akonona is sat on my chest.”

  Word not registering in his head, Raph had to ask, “A what?”