Denying Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Series) (15 page)

Dorian hurt like a motherfucker. The mating was fucking his body up. His beast fought him, and his dick was constantly hard and painful. The two weeks since he’d first touched her felt like an eternity of agony. He pushed his fingers through his hair. It would all be ending soon and he felt worse for the thrill that shot through him at the thought of claiming his mate.

“Suck it up, Jax,” Conn said, responding to their brother’s bitching. With so much happening, Conn’s usual office shit was on hold. Their accounts and investments would be fine. The Mageia in the cities were reporting possessed more and more, providing pictures of areas to teleport to and the directions to go from there. The mortals were encouraged to stay away from the fight. Having elemental and some small magical ability wouldn’t help them against the possessed’s demon-enhanced strength and speed.

Dorian had spoken to Sirena in a private link before teleporting to London. She agreed to look for a way around Rain seeing his memories in the blood-bonding portion of the mating ceremonies. She said the blood bond had to be done, but she would look into something to dull or hide the memories. The thought of anyone seeing what happened a hundred years ago made him break out in a cold sweat. No way would he allow the innocent female he was destined to claim and protect see that nightmare. It would only mentally scar her.

He planned to go to Rain after the fight was over.

He rolled his neck. She would fight him when he came for her. She’d made it clear he hadn’t earned the right to touch her. He wondered what she would do when she saw him.

He needed to get his head together. Demon-possessed were no match for a Guardian, but the fact that he couldn’t harm them while fighting made it into a twisted game of dodgeball. This would be his last time helping his brothers before changing his existence forever.

Conn looked over at him. His black eyebrow piercings moved as he cocked his brow. “Are you good, D?” the Lykos asked. He was concerned. Conn had already told him how good a female Rain was, making Dorian wonder if his brother wanted her. He narrowed his eyes at the wolf. Fuck. He was losing his shit. “Yeah, I’ve got this.” He hoped it wasn’t a lie.

He couldn’t help taking one quick look to see what she was doing. He needed to see through her eyes before he went into the fight. He went straight to the connection and saw Alyssa’s smiling face as she stood hip deep in bright crystalline seas. Where the fuck was she? He didn’t like that she was in the water. She was mortal, and the sea beasts in Tetartos had deadly teeth; they wouldn’t care that she was a water Mageia. Son of a bitch.

Gregoire, where are Alyssa and Rain?
He clamped his jaw down tight as he waited for his brother’s answer.

Paradeisos,
Gregoire growled back. The male was possessive as shit of his mate and didn’t sound happy about where she was. They all knew Tynan, and he’d heard that Alyssa and Rain had gone to the island before Gregoire claimed Alyssa. Fuck, even knowing that Tynan employed Nereids to patrol the water didn’t settle him.
Tell them to get their asses out of the fucking water,
he demanded.

The silence lasted a moment. He assumed his brother was telling Alyssa to get out, and that settled him. His brother snarled through the link in obvious irritation.
Tynan is keeping an eye on them personally, and
Alyssa has promised me that Rain would not allow a sea beast near them even if one got through the Nereids. Talk to your damn mate.

What the fuck? He stood still for a second, processing what Gregoire just said.

Conn and the others stopped with him and eyed him. “What’s up?” Conn said.

“Rain’s affinity is with sea creatures?” He just stood there, surprised. That was rare, and in all of the little prompts from his brothers in the last weeks, not one had said shit about that. Not even Drake. Cyril’s males were looking for Mageia with offshoot abilities. He’d thought she’d been abducted because she was with Alyssa, but maybe they already knew about her power. His skin tightened. They were protected for now, but his need to get to her just amplified, and his beast thrummed for him to go to her.

Conn raised an eyebrow. “Yes.”

“Not one of you assholes thought to tell me that shit?” he said, pissed as hell. “All of you dickheads came to me. Not one damn fucktard thought to inform me she had an ability that put a tag on her ass?”

“Everyone knew,” Bastian said calmly.

“
I
didn’t fucking know!”

“Gods damned, Dorian. We’re really doing this now? Yes, Rain’s a cool chick. She’ll rule all your little sea horses, Flipper. She’s also feisty as shit, and I don’t envy you if you hold out much longer. That said, get your head out of your ass so we can deal with the damned possessed. I’ve got shit to do after we’re finished,” Jax said in irritated impatience. The big cat was likely just anxious to get back to his fucking harem.

Dorian narrowed his eyes at his brothers.

“Listen, we all get why you’re fighting it, but it’s affecting her. She’s suffering and embarrassed, and that’s on you, man. You better fix this before she truly hates you for it. You need to end this,” Conn said, his eyes flashing. The wolf rarely got angry. He was the most mild tempered of them all, so his words struck harder.

“I fucking plan to,” he snapped back.

The others assessed him before nodding. Not one of them liked that he’d been denying his claim. Shit. He might not be worthy of a mate, but fate had essentially given them the finger, and she was getting him whether she deserved it or not.

He rolled his neck. He needed to get his head in the game long enough to get this fight over with. They were less than a block away from the warehouse the Mageia told them about. He couldn’t think of Rain now. He loosened his shoulders, thinking he’d rather be beating the fuck out of Jax for that Flipper shit than containing possessed.

The stench of rotting trash and evil filled the air.

Even after all the talking and anger, he was still fighting a semi. He deserved some kind of medal for his ability to fight with a hard-on. His dick refused to go soft. He hadn’t bothered with fighting gear. He was in a bright orange Aquaman tee shirt with the sleeves ripped off and worn jeans. Not subtle, but he really didn’t give a shit. Clothes fucking sucked ass. His dick hated him anytime he pulled on pants. For a split second he considered sweats, but didn’t want his erection that free in the middle of a fight. He scowled hard at the dirty alley walls. His senses were on alert. They were almost to their destination.

The others looked much the same. Alert and ready. They hadn’t bothered with gear either, other than cuffs. All but Bastian wore jeans; the Kairos preferred to wear black cargos. Conn wore a flannel over a dark tee shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, showing the tattoos all over his forearms. The wolf liked his ink, and his forearms were not the only things covered. Conn’s eyes moved to Dorian, probably assessing whether he’d be covering Dorian’s ass in the fight. That look snapped his thoughts back to the job. He would not be a fucking liability to his brothers.

“I’m good,” he said a split second before they were swarmed by possessed.

Chapter 12

Kane’s Hidden Facility, Tetartos Realm

“Has there been any change?” Kane asked, his stomach twisting at what he saw. He hated that he had no way of helping her. At least not yet.

“She still tries to harm herself when we allow her out. She’s too strong for anyone to control.”

Kane breathed deep as Jayr spoke. The healer had been sent to the secret breeding facility years ago. All the others thought him dead. The tall blond male had been the only healer in Cyril’s employ, which meant he was under Kane’s command now, and Kane planned to give him more to do.

He turned away from the cell, still trying to speak inside her mind, but it echoed back. She was blocking him. He wasn’t even sure if she knew she shielded against him. Madness had plagued her for too long. So long that he knew Jayr worried that she wouldn’t come out of it, even with a working formula. It was obvious in the way that the male avoided eye contact when discussing her. There had been many indications that it was too late for her, but Kane refused to believe she wouldn’t come back.

He locked his jaw tight as they walked.

“What of the others?” He needed to know. It seemed to take a bit more of his soul, knowing that he no longer just condoned what was happening there; now he was in charge of whether it continued.

Jayr and his assistants had been hidden at the facility for over a decade now. To Kane’s knowledge, Cyril had only shared this place with him. The bastard had been secretive until the end.

Kane felt in his gut that Cyril had finally found a working formula. Why else would he secret one of the abducted Mageia out of the compound? Kane had no idea where the bastard had taken her, and he was sure the hiding place and any clues there were lost to him. The Guardians had obviously found it and disposed of Cyril and then set up a memorial for the female. Kane didn’t doubt that Cyril was dead. The mental link he once shared with the sadistic bastard was gone. He only wished he knew what the hell had happened. The truth, not the lies fed to the inhabitants of the cities.

He clenched his jaw in irritation. It was no help thinking about what he couldn’t change. Being in the damn lab agitated him. Kane hated the hidden facility. It made his skin itch, and he couldn’t wait to get the fuck out, but he needed the report first.

“They grow. I’ve altered each batch as Cyril had instructed, but we’re still several years from seeing any real results. Do you want it to continue?” The other male looked haggard. He didn’t seem any happier with what was happening.

“Is it viable?” Kane asked.

Jayr was lean and tall, his violet eyes assessing as he stood with his hands in his pockets. “I think if we are going to have a working serum, they will eventually be needed.”

Kane nodded and said what he knew made him a monster. “Continue. I also want you to double-check the results Ian is getting with his experiments.” Ian was smart enough, but he was a mortal and didn’t have Jayr’s abilities. He wanted every option for the serum checked and double-checked until they had the best possible formula before giving it to anyone. “We’re close,” he told the male, and he felt it in his gut. They would have the answers soon. They had to.

Chapter 13

Paradeisos Island, Tetartos Realm

Rain enjoyed the warm water while drinking her fill of fruity drinks. The push and pull of the current lulled her, soothed her soul. It was the best she’d felt in a while, but the arousal still nagged beneath the surface. The strain of holding it together was wearing on her body and mind, causing her to fully consider more drastic measures. She pulled her power and made sure that the sea creatures knew to stay back. She wanted to go to them, just beyond where the Nereids patrolled, but she wouldn’t leave her friend, and no way would Alyssa swim out there with her. A small smile tilted her lips; no, Alyssa was not fond of being anywhere near the sea beasts. Rain had no such qualms. The creatures loved her, listened to her, and she enjoyed their company. In the seas near Lofodes the water was too cold, most of the year, for her to go to them.

“Do you want another?” Alyssa asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. Rain had taken down the first drink before they’d even gotten in the water. The second she’d sipped at, but it too was gone.

She took a deep breath of the sea air. The relaxed warmth, courtesy of her buzz, felt good, but she’d hit her limit. She only wanted a little courage, not to pass out. She was running a fine line. Any more alcohol and exhaustion would finally take over. “No, I’m good.”

Alyssa took the glass from her hand and walked it up to the beach, giving it to one of the attendants up there. Such a good friend, closer to a sister. She didn’t have any other siblings and neither did Alyssa; that was probably part of the reason they’d bonded so closely when they were young.

She caught sight of Tynan on his lounge tucked under a big blue canopy. The owner of the island smiled from his seat that was full of paperwork. He was gorgeous with dark mussed hair and broad shoulders. That smile of his was downright lethal, and the playboy knew it. She grinned back, shaking her head. This was not the first time he’d been on guard duty for her and Alyssa. Before Gregoire had come for Alyssa, Tynan had taken them out on his boat for the day. It seemed so long ago now. He was easy to be around.

Too bad she couldn’t use him to relieve her needs. She’d thought about it when he greeted them earlier, but discarded it quickly. He was friends with Gregoire, and she wasn’t sure how close he was to the other Guardians. She liked him too much to make things awkward for him. Not that she really thought Dorian would care who she screwed. She gritted her teeth at the thought. No, the Nereid probably wouldn’t bat an eye if she fucked all the males on the island. He didn’t care for her at all. That train of thought was quickly killing her relaxed buzz. Bastard.

Alyssa walked back into the water in her cream-colored bikini. “Feel better now?” She frowned a little, and Rain knew her expression had to be dark. She smoothed her features and tried for the calm she had moments before.

“Yes. Thanks for bringing me here. The water helps. It feels wonderful,” she said, running her fingers through the crystal liquid. It was the perfect temperature as it caressed her hands and body like a lover. One that had never disappointed her.

“Do you want to do treatments tomorrow and just stay out here?” Alyssa asked without seeming to care, leaving it completely up to Rain to decide. She loved her friend so much.

“Thank you for rescuing me so much through all of this. I know you have work to do and a new mate.”

“Whatever,” Alyssa said, a soft smile tilting her lips. “It’s not as if this”—her friend twirled in the water, hands up—“is a hardship to be around.”