by A. E. Via
“Please…. My lords! Help me! My love is still alive.”
“Let her go!” Farica yelled, running forward and taking the woman from Ramon’s hands. “She’s not a threat, for heaven’s sake. She’s just asking for help.”
Ramon looked horrified as Farica glared at him with disdain. He dropped his head, his hands going to his sides. “I… I apologize. I wasn’t trying to…”
“Shhh. It’s okay,” Farica said softly, holding the exhausted vampire as she dropped to her knees before them.
“My lords, I beg you,” she cried, her head in her hands.
Bell knelt and gently hefted her to her feet. “You don’t have to ask. My mate is in there. He’s found your beloved.”
She gulped as if she could no longer breathe while she tried to process what she’d just been told. There was a gleam of hope in her light eyes, but she was still shaking with distress. Bell held her tighter as Farica clutched onto her from behind, her wolf doing what it always did, providing comfort.
The sound of the glass shattering, and the back end of the second-floor collapsing made the woman scream again, and Bell was forced to let her go as Farica held on. The firefighters had resumed dousing the building with water—that didn’t appear to be helping at all. Bell turned towards the crumbling building, wanting his mate out of there. He could see nothing through the raging flames.
Bell couldn’t wait another second. He flooded their link with his concern, and Wrath answered immediately, his deep voice a tantalizing relief to hear. “Coming out.”
“He’s coming out ri—”
Wrath exploded out of one of the lower windows, causing the crowd to go insane with cheers. Bell watched him walk towards the sobbing woman on the ground, in Alek’s beautiful form, cradling a very wounded and burned vampire, but an alive vampire.
She broke down as her mate was placed in her arms. His breathing was shallow, but with enough blood and rest, he’d heal with time. She sobbed ‘thank you’ over and over as she cradled her unconscious mate. The friend hurried over to her—waving away the paramedics who were cautiously approaching—with tears of joy streaming down her round cheeks. “Jenna, let’s get him to my clinic, now. We have to hurry.”
The woman stood and let more vampires rush over to help her. The crowd had tripled in size and many were wanting to see what the King and Lord High had done and, most importantly, what kind of shifters could run into a fire and not get burned. One of Justice’s security from the other vehicles hurried and gave Wrath a pair of sweat pants to put on while he stood close to Bell. Justice and Wick addressed the crowd to give what Bell assumed would be a sort of explanation. He took Wrath’s hand and led them back to the vehicles. Once they were inside, Bell moved close enough that their thighs touched.
Wrath was panting, however his voice was composed, “You were worried, Belleron? About me? I said I’d be back.”
“I still didn’t like it.”
Wrath watched him until Bell could no longer gaze back into those intense eyes. “Were you worried for me… or Aleksei?”
“All three,” Bell replied, without reluctance. And he didn’t have to think about it. When he thought of his beloved. He thought of them all. His lover, his protector, and his god. How could Bell not be concerned for each one? He reached up slowly and cupped Wrath’s stern jaw. It was solid, not as pliant as Alek’s.
Bell moved in closer when Wrath’s eyes went down to his hand that rested against his hot skin. He looked confused, but his reaction told Bell just how hopeful Wrath was that this was real. He tried to lean forward but Wrath inched away, keeping distance between them.
“Why are you pulling away from me?” Bell wondered if the god was immune to his touch. But from all he’d learned of Wrath, he had the capability to love hard and be loved in return. Because all gods wanted to be praised.
The inside of the SUV was dark and they’d somehow blocked out the chaotic sounds of the tragic scene still going on around them. Wrath’s eyes were the only light in the truck, and it was like a beacon, luring Bell in. Was this part of Wrath’s powers? He didn’t think so. It was as if Wrath had no clue why he was feeling the way he was. As if he wanted to touch him and love him, but didn’t understand why.
“No one touches me… like this… or wants to…” Wrath blinked, still watching Bell’s hand as he grazed his thumbnail down to the pulse that was beating like mad beneath the damp skin on Wrath’s neck.
Bell watched the vein throbbing under his fingertips. He swallowed, licking his lips at the thought of Wrath’s blood coating his throat. He knew it’d taste different, and suddenly he wanted it… wanted it right from the source. Bell inhaled, his senses flooded with Wrath’s vigorous scent which was composed of earth and smoke. Inside the confines of the vehicle, Bell didn’t mask his hunger… or his arousal.
“I don’t know what it is when you look at me that way, Belleron.” Wrath breathed heavily, his big hand clutching Bell’s over his throat. “I don’t know what this is I’m feeling when I’m this close to you.”
“I feel it too,” Bell confessed.
They were quiet for a moment and Bell didn’t press, no matter how much his throat burned to quench his thirst. He knew Wrath was out of his element. No one had taken the time to try to touch his soul, too afraid of getting burned. Wrath, his father, his uncles, his grandfather, were all known to be devious tricksters and it wasn’t like the rulers of the Underworld to put their own desires before the needs of others.
“Do you? Really?” Wrath questioned.
Bell tried to show Wrath his most gentle touch, one infused with craving and admiration. It took effort not to go straight for that thick, sweaty chest that was still on display, and instead he touched Wrath’s jugular and massaged the raging flood of his energy to that one place. Wrath’s heat swirled around them as he again marveled at Bell caressing him.
“Before I go… will you grant me one desire?” Wrath’s voice caused Bell’s cock to leak and the way the god’s voice hitched mid-sentence, Bell was sure he could smell it. Could smell what he was doing to him. Wrath swallowed thickly, “One thing, please, Belleron.”
Oh hell, he was almost begging him now. “Anything,” Bell answered hoarsely, his mouth inches away from Wrath’s throat. At the mere mention of biting, Bell was going to sink his fangs in and not stop sucking and writhing until he was delirious with blood, lust and power.
“Will you call me… Ira? Of all my forms I’ve never felt the goodness of people more so than when I was him.”
Bell wasn’t expecting that. Wasn’t expecting to be graced with an extremely rare glimpse of Wrath’s vulnerability, a part of his true self.
“In Hispania… long ago. I wasn’t so feared. I wasn’t the Wrath, a distant descendant of Plouton. I was their—Ira—a fire-god. The only god that came to protect them during a brutal war against the Roman conquest.” Wrath held his head high. “And they loved me for it. That was the last time I felt like this.”
Bell would’ve called him by any name he wanted him to. It wouldn’t change how he saw Wrath at that moment, or any other time he’d been there for him. Even if he told Bell to call him ‘destructive terror’s prince of death’, Bell would still want him, badly. “Yes,” Bell whispered. “I will do that, Ira.”
Wrath’s nostrils flared and that was when Bell got the first whiff of the demigod’s heady arousal. Oh hell. It made him squirm in his seat when his pants got impossibly tight. He wasn’t imagining what he was feeling and it sure as hell wasn’t one-sided. However, Wrath didn’t give him the go-ahead to bite. He’d yet to tilt his head far enough, though Bell could still hear Wrath’s blood pumping in expectation. Now he understood that Wrath could feel his hunger, the same as Alek and Wolf did… and he wanted to sate it. His blood was circulating faster in order to satisfy him. Bell couldn’t stop the growl of pleasure that worked its way out of his throat. Wrath’s eyes blazed and the temperature spiked exponentially, yet Bell was unharmed by the heatwaves. Th
e truck’s windows fogged-over to the point where they could no longer see out of them.
“You feel this way because you want me to bite you.” Bell’s voice was so husky he didn’t recognize it, but he couldn’t mask it. “You want to feel my fangs deep in your throat.”
Wrath’s breathing was so heavy, Bell feared if he didn’t allow him to release all that pressure building in him soon, then he’d combust. Wrath squeezed his eyes shut, and Bell scrambled to keep their connection. No! He didn’t want Wrath to go.
When those long lashes fluttered open, and he stared into Alek’s cool, blue eyes, he knew Wrath was gone and he couldn’t help the disappointment that filled him. He’d tried so hard to get through.
“It’s okay, baby,” Alek said as the temperature in the truck came down. He leaned back against the headrest and wrapped one muscular arm around Bell’s waist, pulling him to him. “It’s gonna take some time. He’s not used to those kinds of feelings directed at him.”
Bell released a breath he’d been holding for too long. “Alek, you were there the whole time?”
“I guess technically. We’re on the surface but not intruding. He felt Wolf and me disappearing to give you two more privacy but he panicked and yanked us back to the surface… then retreated himself. He’s down deep.”
Bell sighed. Retreated? He’d pushed too hard too fast.
Alek smoothed his hand up and down Bell’s back as he encouraged him to feed. But his mate’s concern for Wrath was obviously still weighing on his mind because he’d yet to penetrate his skin, though Alek could feel how famished he was. He nestled his mouth against the side of Bell’s jaw. “He’s not gone, babe… just resting. It took a lot of power out of Wrath when we were inside that building. But when you opened your link and touched his mind with your concern, it gave him a burst of strength that had Wolf and me struggling to keep up with. When we felt your heart beat fast for us all, Belleron, the ultimate size of it, the three of us were able to lift half a building.”
Bell accepted his soft kisses, leaning in to receive more. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about me and… or if it was okay to… I mean—”
“Hey.” Alek smiled, ending Bell’s torture. He knew exactly what his handsome, virile mate was battling to say. Was Bell wanting to mate with Wrath a version of wanting another, or infidelity? And the simple, definitive answer was—No.
“I can’t help how I feel when he’s around,” Bell admitted, looking him in his eyes.
Alek stroked Bell’s cheek which was still flushed from his and Wrath’s moment. His voice was low but stern because he didn’t want Bell doubting his natural feelings ever again. “You’re supposed to feel that way, Bell. It’s not wrong. Wrath has been in me since birth. He’s a part of who I am, the same as Wolf. We were one back then. But the Mother gives us free will over our lives and we made the decision to tear apart when we did. And then we stubbornly remained that way for many years. After the Dales I see it’s possible for us to work as a unit. But, we can’t put ourselves back together permanently—we know that now. So we have to live with the consequences of our actions. However, it doesn’t mean we can’t adjust to it.
“You were always coming, Belleron. Fate said so. And when you did, I think we all discovered that you were the one, the only one strong enough to care for three alpha mates. To love us all equally, yet uniquely to give us the ability to act together when we need to. To coexist in a different way than originated, but no less great. What Wrath did with us tonight was great! Did you hear how those people cheered for him? He hasn’t felt that kind of gratitude in ages. Wrath can show compassion and empathy if his heart is touched. But, I didn’t want to pressure you, Bell. You had to come to your feelings about him on your own. And because I’ve felt your love already, I knew it wouldn’t be long before he did too. Just give him a little time, baby, he won’t be able to resist you long,” Alek almost purred. “I sure as hell couldn’t.”
Bell straddled his lap so fast Alek’s hands shot to Bell’s waist to get his wits about him. He bucked his hips when his mate licked a long, wet path along his throat, that hard, narrow cock jabbing him in his abs.
“Mmmmmm.” Alek moaned when Bell’s fangs sank in as far as they could go and began to pull obscenely hard on his blood. “Ohhh, fuck. That’s fuckin’ good.” Blood rushed everywhere and Alek’s head spun as he fought not to shoot his load in the thin sweats he wore. It was bad enough his family would have to smell as much as they would when they got back inside the truck. When Bell was finished with his impromptu second dinner, he closed the bite marks but didn’t move to get off Alek’s lap.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Alek growled, nibbling on the piece of Bell’s collarbone that he could reach through his splayed-open dress shirt. “They’ll be coming back any minute.”
“I want more.” Bell ground his hips down shamelessly, and Alek didn’t want to stop him, but there was no way they could do this now.
“And you’ll get more.” Alek used his strength to move Bell off him and drop his sexy ass back in his own seat. “When we get home.”
“So what exactly is a Lord of Arms?” Alek asked when he dropped his duffle bag to the floor of his cabin high up in the snowy mountains of Mount Osceola.
“It’s a personal guard. Like how your brother makes Wick walk around with those beefy enforcers of his when his own guards are asleep. It’s the same thing, except way more personal. This person, man or woman, will know my every move and be responsible for my security.” Bell placed his designer luggage in the foyer and walked farther into the dim living room. “My duties will require me to visit many covens, travel. I have to appoint one, but I have no clue who.”
Alek tried to look at his home-away-from-home the same as his mate was, but he couldn’t gauge if the quirk of Bell’s lips was good or bad. He removed his black suit jacket and draped it over the end of the camel-leather sectional that was positioned in front of a stone fireplace, not a massive television. There was no cable service this high up. Hell, barely any Wi-Fi. Enough quiet and seclusion to make him feel off-the-grid.
Bell ran his fingers over the smooth oak surface of the breakfast bar, his gaze taking in everything. When he’d completed a few circles, even checking the doors that led to the master bedroom and the bathroom, he gazed at Alek and whispered, “I love it. It’s quiet… and it smells like you.”
Alek didn’t think he’d be so relieved to hear Bell’s approval. He knew the Liatos family came from wealth and prestige. And while the Volkov lineage was well-regarded and respected, it didn’t equate to riches. They lived humbly off their lands and bartered with other packs. The money they acquired was kept in savings with their own treasurer, and only used for necessities and emergencies. Which meant Bell would have to be happy living in a much smaller residence with a lot less amenities and servants.
“I don’t know how many times I can reassure you that I don’t need the luxuries of a castle. I just need a place where you are.” Bell walked right up to him and sealed his body to his. “Where all of you are.” Then he kissed him passionately, his tongue diving and plunging as if he was searching for new flavors.
Alek moaned, wrapping his arms around Bell’s waist and yanking his body so tight against him they started to pant to catch more air. Bell’s head dropped to the side and Alek lunged for his throat, sucking and biting marks all over that beautiful skin. “Damn, you always taste so good.” Alek clawed at Bell’s clothes, wanting them off.
When Bell pulled away, Alek growled, almost giving chase. “Where are you going?”
Bell’s sexy, light-hearted chuckle was the last sound Alek wanted to hear, “I’m gonna get changed out of this suit before you ruin another one, and you’re going to wash the smell of that building’s fire off you… and I’ll meet you right back here.” Bell winked.
Alek stared dumbfounded. “Are you serious?”
“Well, considering the single-person shower eliminates the option of me washing you,
you’re gonna have to do it yourself.” Bell flashed into the master bed and closed the door behind him.
Alek hadn’t noticed the stench of bitter smoke until then. Phew, maybe he did need to get the dirt and sweat from around his balls before he made Bell put them into his mouth. Squeezing his aching shaft, he grabbed the last pair of clean shorts from his duffle and his toiletry bag as he continued to think nasty, domineering thoughts the entire time he scoured his body.
Bell wasn’t out of the bedroom by the time he was finished, so Alek went about lighting a fire and doing his best to set a stimulating mood. He couldn’t help but admire his stone fireplace as he laid out the mound of fur blankets and throws in a large pile on the floor. The temperature was a frigid thirty-two degrees outside, but as high up as they were, it felt less than that. The extra warmth would be welcome. He hoped it wasn’t too cheesy, but he lit a couple of the plain wax candles he kept on the mantle, casting the dark cabin with a warm, golden glow as the fire came to life. Alek stretched out on the blankets, propping himself up on a couple of throw pillows from the sectional, and waited. He ran his hands through the damp strands of hair on his chest, eager to get his mate’s hands on him. They hadn’t had another opportunity to come together since leaving the Dales. And, since their mating, while it’d been dynamic, Alek needed them to be completely alone. He could release all inhibitions when he knew there was no one else listening, and when danger wasn’t lurking close by. There’d been a lot in his head the first time they’d mated. As of now his thoughts were clear.
Alek stared at the fireplace so long he got lost in the flames. He’d been enjoying the warmth engulfing his body so much that he almost didn’t feel the moment Wrath came back to him.
Hey, Alek whispered.
Wrath lurked quietly for a moment before he responded. Does that mean you’re not expecting atonement? Wrath’s voice was throaty and raw, the sound vibrating Alek’s chest.
He took an easy breath, welcoming his other half. He made room for him close by, wanting Wrath to feel his acceptance, his contentment. I know you can feel that I’m not upset. Belleron is not just mine and Wolf’s, he’s yours, too.