Carnival of Darkness (FaeTAL Series Book 1) (10 page)

His large, calloused hands cup my cheeks. His thumbs wiping away the remaining tears from my face. “I know it’s hard, sweetling. But if you wanna heal, you have to talk about it. Don’t hold that shit in. Trust me.”

His eyes are begging me as much as his words. He needs this from me, no matter how badly I don’t want to say the words.

“It wasn’t all that bad in the beginning. Just a bunch of threats and being pushed around a little. Heck, the no food thing was the worst of it then. After that they gave me some water and bread and tossed me back in the cell for a while. I couldn’t really keep track of how long, but it was starting to get dark when Fred came in. He pu-pulled me from the cage by my hair. Th-threw me to the ground and started kicking me.” I pull in a breath and try to keep the tears at bay. I can get through this. I have to. He’s right and I know it. If I bottle this up, it will kill me.

His fingers draw soft shapes on my back with one hand. The other finds mine and holds tight. He doesn’t say a word, but his eyes are telling me that he’s there for me. That while he failed to protect me earlier, he’s here now and he will get me through this. He’ll make it better, somehow. I take a deep breath.

“Once that was over, he left me lying there for a bit. Didn’t seem real worried about me going anywhere. I don’t blame him. Pretty sure I have a fractured leg or ankle and several broken ribs. It hurts to breathe when I’m awake. It’s not so bad here in the dream world.” I don’t say it out loud but I know that I had a punctured lung as well as a few other busted organs. Had I been fully human still, I’d be dead. Now for the hardest thing of all. Oh god, I don’t want to talk about this.

“I know sweetling, I know. But you have to.”

What the? I didn’t say that out loud, I know it!

“Don’t focus on that just yet. Dream world remember? How about we work through this last part of what happened and then, if you wanna, we can talk about how I heard that?”

I nod and gulp past my fear. Doubt. Disgust. Will he push me away once he knows? What man wants a woman that’s been through what I have? A woman that’s been touched that way? I’m so damn dirty. His finger under my chin forces me to meet his eyes.

“I will never push you away, sweetling. No matter what else happens, always know that.”

A jerky nod is my only response. I sit with my head on his shoulder just breathing in his comforting scent before finishing.

“H-he… he... oh god, cowboy. He hurt me so bad,” I whisper. “He made me... he held my jaw open and told me he’d kill me if I hurt him. I didn’t fight. I was already so beaten down. I gagged, but he didn’t stop. He kept hammering into my mouth.” My voice breaks and I force back the tears threatening to overtake my words. “So hard. So fast. It was rough. His hand probably left bruises he squeezed me so hard. I hurt, cowboy. So desperately, still. Once he finished... he made me swallow it. Then h-he... he raped me. Over and over again. H-he violated me in every way possible. I feel dirty and used and-and-and I just want to feel clean again. Can you make me clean, cowboy? Please,” I beg, my voice breaking off in a sob.

Fred

My focus is fucked. After such an awesome damn torture session today, I can’t seem to think of anything else. That bitch was as close to perfection as I’ve ever gotten. Her whimpers, screams, and words begging for mercy will feed my spank bank for months to come. Not that I’ll have to beat it myself. That bitch will be handling my needs for me on a regular fucking basis.

She is mine, damn it.

I don’t know what it is about her, but damn. Feeling my dick slide into her. Knowing the amount of pain I was causing because she was far from wet for my entry. My entire body shakes with a shudder of pure bliss at the memory. While I thoroughly enjoyed forcing her to suck me until I came like a champ, just like I planned, fucking her was possibly the best thing I have ever experienced.

After taking my anger over Brett’s betrayal out on her and forcing my dick down her throat, I didn’t think it could get any better. Little did I know that when I slammed myself between her struggling thighs into her tight heat, I would see goddamn stars, I lost it. I pounded away until I came a second time and still wasn’t ready to stop, so I kept on pounding. Harder and harder. Her sobs growing louder and urging me to keep going. To grind harder. Hit deeper. Little did she know her pleas for mercy were better than any moan of pleasure could ever have been. Once I released my seed in her amazing fucking pussy a second time, I thought I would be sated. But as I pulled out and caught sight of her tight pucker, I knew that I was far from done with this bitch. I flipped her over, slammed my hand on her ass so hard a bruise formed instantly at the same time my still hard dick went in balls deep. Best. Fucking. Thing. Ever. Her ass was made for my dick. The blood dripping from between her delicious pussy lips made me want to lick on her, something I never do. Why would I? That’s pleasure for them not me. But for this woman, I was going to break my usual routine. Not that I hadn’t already by reaching the pinnacle of ecstasy so many fucking times in a row.

Shaking my head, I force the memories away. Now isn’t the time for reliving it. Now it’s time to deal with the fucking traitor.

Christopher

“So you are the infamous Mac that has been toying with me for the last few days.” I reach my hand out in welcome. While I am still a little ticked off at his antics, I have to admit that if I were able to, I would probably do the same in his position. When our hands connect in a strong shake, an electric shock shoots through our hands and he grunts. His free hand shoots to his left pec and my eyes widen. The man’s scent just changed.

“What the fuck?” He blurts, his hand rubbing the spot gently.

Brad jumps up and rushes to get between me and Mac as if I could not defend myself if needed. I snort, inelegantly, and raise my brow at Brad in a silent command to move the fuck out of my way.

“You have seconds to explain yourself, Mac. I will only stop my men from taking you down for so long. Who in all of Danu are you, and what the hell do you want?”

“Huh? I don’t understand. I’m exactly who I told you I was. What the hell is going on here, and can you
please
tell blondie behind me to put the fucking gun down? My neck is twitching like a mofo.”

Surprise flashes across Jax’s face before he wipes it away, his weapon not wavering an inch.

“What is going on here is that you aren’t a fucking human, my man. You smelled human on the plane and when we were all sitting around here waiting on Christopher to get here. The second your hands touched your scent changed to match ours. That shit just doesn’t happen!” Kace seems as flabbergasted as I do and the rest of the guys look confused and ready to kill.

“N-not human? Uh, man you’ve lost your shit. I’m just a normal fucking man. My momma raised me and I ain’t ever been anything different. Well, mainly.”

“Explain.” The one word command echoes through the silence in the room.

“Well, since I hit puberty I’ve had this weird-ass sixth sense thing. I just figured it was a good damn gut instinct. It’s not like I can read fucking minds or something. I just know what way to go sometimes or when something is a really good or really bad idea. That’s all. Still, that don’t make me not human.”

“Why are you rubbing your chest, Mac?” Brad interjects.

“‘Cuz it fucking stings, that’s why!” Grumpy damn man.

“Open your shirt.”

“Uh, thanks. But no thanks.”

“Do not make me force you. Jax still has the gun pointed at your head, and he will not hesitate to fire if you so much as twitch in my direction. Trust me on that.”

Nodding to the men surrounding me, I step forward as I wait to see if he will be opening his shirt or if I will. Either way, I will see what is making his chest sting. Although, I already know. I can sense it down to my fucking bones.

“Ah, fuck me sideways, man. Alright, alright, I’m doing it.”

His large hands shake as he unbuttons his shirt. It doesn’t take long for me to see the bold Celtic symbol for strength sitting prominently on his chest. A soft glow radiates from the tattoo that marks him as a one of my men. As a member of the FaeTAL warriors.

“Oh mother of all that’s fucking holy. What in the ever loving hell is that?”

“That, son, is the mark of a Fae warrior. You, my brother, are one of us. Although, I’m not sure how. You say that your mother is human? What of your father?

“Uh, never met the man. He died before I was born. It’s always just been me and my momma. She didn’t like to talk about him much. Said he died during some war or something I think.”

“A halfling?”

“No fucking way!”

“There are halflings now? How the hell is that possible?”

The men all speak up at once and the sounds quickly overpower one another to create a mass of words that just sounds like noise.

“Enough!” I bellow and the silence is almost instantaneous. “Clearly, Mac is a halfling. He is one of us, and because of that, we will welcome him into the fold, no fucking questions asked. Is that understood? Jax, that means lower your goddamn weapon, now!”

“Thanks for that. Uh, what do I call you? Fuck, you’re not human? None of you?”

“Nope, sorry. We’re Fae. At least we aren’t fucking vampires or shifters. Those guys are annoying as fuck.”

“Thank you for adding that little tidbit, Brad. Now, we need to come up with a plan to take out the Fallen Fae taking up residence at the carnival without bringing too much attention to ourselves. Mac, give your man a call and see what information you can gain. I believe that I will go in tomorrow and take a look around at this place and see what I can find. If all goes smoothly and there are only the three or four you reported, I will take them out myself.” At Larkin’s hard look I cut him off before he even gets a word out. “Are you questioning my ability to handle myself, Larkin? I am the King of the Fae and the Leader of the warriors. Do you wish to test my skills yourself? I am absolutely open to a bit of training before I move in on the carnival. I’ve spent too much time behind a damn desk this week; I need the fun of a good fight.”

“No, sire. I know ye can handle yourself in battle.” His deep Irish brogue hasn’t faded even the slightest over the years. “I just worry for ye, when ye go out alone, tis not just you who would suffer should ye fall.”

“I appreciate your concern, but it is unfounded.”

Mac’s face hardens in concern while the phone in his hand continues to ring.

“Ah, Fuck. He’s not answering.”