Blood Ties (6 page)

Mikel nodded in understanding, assuring Ayden he felt no sense of jealousy with Ayden’s new feelings. In fact, it gave him comfort to know that the only man he loved and trusted, also loved Dari. “I’m glad she now has two men who love her. Two protectors.”

Ayden smiled. “She is safe now, Mikel. You must relax. Even in sleep she can feel your anxiety.”

Mikel blew a calming breath and nodded.

Ayden squeezed Mikel’s shoulder. “Come, let’s put her in your chambers. She needs to rest. When she awakens she will have much to understand.”

With Ayden in tow, Mikel climbed the stone steps and carried Dari’s listless body to his chambers. Ayden pulled back the linen covers, preparing the bed, and then walked around the other side while Mikel placed her on the mattress. The bed dipped as Mikel sat beside her. He glanced at Ayden, motioning for him to join them. Ayden took a seat on the opposite side, brushed Dari’s dark hair from her shoulders and pressed his hand over her heart, slowing her heartbeat even more, putting her into a deeper sleep.

“She won’t awaken for hours. Come. Let me pour you a drink and help you relax,” Ayden said.

Mikel turned his attention to Dari. She looked so small and vulnerable as she slept. He shouldn’t leave her side. Mikel opened his mouth to protest.

Reading his thoughts, Ayden cut him off. “It is what you need to do, Mikel. Sitting here worrying will do Dari no good. Feeling your anxiety will only serve to heighten hers. You must leave her alone, to sleep and gather strength. Come with me. Share a drink. Let me take away your anxiety.”

Mikel rose and followed his friend down the staircase to the liquor cabinet where Ayden poured two shots. He pressed one into Mikel’s hand.

Frustrated with the situation, Mikel raked his fingers through his hair, noted the time, and grabbed the bottle. “Let’s go outside. We still have a few moments before sun-up, and I need air to clear my head.” He walked away and his trusted confidant followed.

Out on the balcony, the wind seemed to die down, as if sensing the immediate danger was over. Temporarily. With the sun approaching the horizon, Grayson and his men would have taken to the underground, and he too would soon have to seek the shelter of the dark.

Mikel leaned against the brass rail and tossed back another shot. The liquid burned all the way down. Warmth spread like a brush fire through his veins. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at Ayden. “This isn’t over, you know. Now that Grayson knows the rumors of Dari’s existence are true, he won’t stop until he finds her.”

Ayden took the bottle from Mikel’s grasp and refilled both their shot glasses. “I know.”

Mikel blew out a heavy breath and stared at the dark water crashing against the rocks below. The waves were as black and as cold as the heart of the vampires seeking them. “We must prepare ourselves for an invasion.”

“Yes, but we must both have clear heads, Mikel.”

Mikel shifted to face Ayden and angrily took another swig of the bitter liquid. Ayden placed his hand on Mikel’s shoulder, easing the tension inside him. He stepped closer, until their bodies touched, and their groins meshed.

Mikel let his head roll back. A low growl rose from his throat as Ayden’s flesh pressed up against his. Need rushed through him and brought on a shudder.

“I am here for you, Mikel. In every way you need me.”

Mikel reached out and clasped his hand around one side of his friend’s neck. Ayden leaned into his touch and exhaled slowly. His warm, scotch-scented breath wafted across Mikel’s face and trickled down his body, singeing his blood and firing his senses on the way.

“As I am here for you,” Mikel returned.

Ayden’s eyes turned a darker shade of blue as they locked with Mikel’s. “Let me take care of your tension, Mikel.”

With his cock thickening in response, Mikel growled his consent. Raw, primal need filled him. Mikel had been in Ayden’s head all night, connecting with him on an emotional level. Now alone on the balcony, with the immediate crises over, his body tightened, hungering to connect with him again. This time on a physical level.

Knowing exactly what Mikel required, Ayden tossed back another shot and took Mikel’s glass from him. He placed them on the small side table and brought his attention back around to Mikel.

Ayden placed his palm on Mikel’s shoulder, drew a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes. Mikel threw his head back again and let Ayden’s calming energy rush through his bloodstream. When Ayden began to work the buttons free on Mikel’s shirt, sweat collected on Mikel’s brow.

This was exactly what he needed.

Mikel reached out mentally and let his mind meld with Ayden’s. There was no need for spoken words. They were now in each other’s heads, reading each other’s thoughts, feeling each other’s physical desires.

“That’s better, Mikel. Let go of the tension. This is what you need. What we both need before we figure out a strategy to conquer Grayson.”

Ayden’s strong hands kneaded Mikel’s chest and then traveled lower to slip inside his pants. Mikel gripped his friend’s shirt and felt his thoughts scatter. The feel of Ayden’s thick fingers sheathing his engorged cock aroused the beast in him. His eyes darkened. His nails grew into talons as sharp fangs pushed through his gums. It felt good to let go, to allow the animal in him to come out to play. He’d always restrained that side of him while making love to Dari. With Ayden, anything went. There was no need to leash his control.

When their mouths met, the slow burning passion ignited. Fire licked through his veins as their scotch-soaked tongues mated. Mikel felt his lips peel back as an inhuman rumble sounded deep in his throat.

None too gently, Mikel fisted Ayden’s hair. His body started to shake and when their tongues danced, Ayden squeezed his hand and stroked Mikel’s thick, steel erection faster.

A strangled moan lodged in Mikel’s throat. Panting heavily, Ayden dipped into Mikel’s liquid heat swirling it over the tip of his cock, urging him on.

“Yesssss…”
Mikel bucked against his hand, grinding, seeking something more, and needing to answer the pull in his groin.
“I need to fuck you, Ayden.”

Ayden continued to work his hands over Mikel’s cock. Mikel’s heart pounded as he tore Ayden’s clothes from his trembling body and placed his hands on his friends throbbing dick.

Ayden gave a lusty groan, pulled Mikel’s pants open wider, licked his palm and put it back on Mikel’s cock. He stroked him and cupped his balls, massaging them until Mikel felt himself teetering on the edge.

Mikel grunted. The sound rumbled in the mountains around him. Wildlife scattered in the trees and took to the air.

Ayden dropped to his knees and drew Mikel’s cock into his mouth. He swirled his tongue over his head, drinking in his precome and then moved deeper between his legs to draw his balls into his mouth. It was all Mikel could do to hang on. Mikel continued to fuck his mouth until he neared the point of no return.

“Enough…”

Roughly, Mikel grabbed Ayden, lifted him to his feet, hastily turned him around and bent him over the railing. Mikel wet his fingers and slathered his saliva over Ayden’s passage. He worked his fingers inside, spreading him, preparing him. Once his muscles were warmed, and loosened, Mikel positioned his cock near the entrance.
“Are you ready for me?”

Ayden’s breathing changed. Became labored, anticipatory.
“Fuck me, Mikel.”

Mikel leaned over Ayden’s back and gripped his friend’s cock, stroking him as he plunged his dick into his tight opening, spreading both rings of muscle as he entered. Ayden moaned, his ass opening for him, accepting every inch of him, taking all his girth and length deep into his body.

Ayden bucked forward, shifted his stance and thrust back again, impaling himself on Mikel’s rock-hard dick. Together they found a rhythm, reaching a fevered pitch.

There was an intensity, an urgency in his carnal hunger unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Perhaps it was from the events of the night and his desperate need to expel the tension from his body. It was frightening and exhilarating at the same time.

Mikel bit into Ayden’s neck and fed as he pumped his cock in and out of his tight fissure. Warm metallic blood filled his veins, giving him a natural high. As a Nallie, he didn’t need blood to sustain him, but the taste proved to be most gratifying.

Ayden moaned as Mikel’s teeth pierced his flesh. The puncture always excited Ayden and brought on a powerful orgasm. Ayden drove his cock harder against Mikel’s hands.
“I’m close, my friend.”

“As am I.”

Mikel slowed his hand movements, knowing just how Ayden liked it when he gave himself over to release, softly stroking his shaft as Ayden’s orgasm rocketed through him.

When Ayden’s climax subsided, Mikel gripped his hips and plunged as deeply as possible and let his own orgasm take hold.
“So good…”

“Ahhh…yes…Mikel. So good.”
Mikel could feel Ayden’s pleasure, visualize the smile of satisfaction on his mouth.

Mikel panted harder then completely let himself go. He dug his fingers into Ayden’s flesh and shot his seed deep into his ass. Ayden pumped his ass muscles greedily, until he milked him of his every last drop.

Ayden straightened and turned to face Mikel. He placed both hands on Mikel’s shoulders and squeezed.

“Thank you.” Mikel drew air into his lungs and took a moment to regroup. When his breathing finally returned to normal he added, “You were right. That was exactly what I needed to clear my head.”

Ayden pulled Mikel to him, and Mikel let his friend’s warmth move through him as a myriad of emotions coursed through his veins.

As the sun crested the horizon, Mikel knew he needed to gain cover, to protect his body before he turned to dust. Ayden glanced over his shoulder and peered inside the castle.

When Ayden’s brow furrowed, Mikel asked, “Is she going to be okay?”

“She’s stirring.”

“I know,” Mikel responded, feeling it as well.

“Long before she should be. She’s strong. Much stronger than I realized.”

“We need to go to her,” Mikel said softly.

After quickly dressing, they made their way back to the chambers. Dari’s small body lay twisted on the sheets. Pebbles of moisture speckled her forehead and dampened her clothes to her body.

Mikel shook his head in frustration. “Jesus, it pains me to see her like this.” He lowered himself into a rocking chair and drew it close to the bed.

Ayden sat beside her on the mattress and placed his hand over her head, breaching her consciousness, and trying to soothe her. “She’s dreaming now, Mikel but I fear that since she has tapped into Grayson’s head and has managed to distinguish his voice from all the collective ones in her mind, her dreams are of his memories.”

Mikel wondered how Ayden knew so much about his breed. Yes, there was written literature and yes, Ayden had read it all, but it was as if he too had been through it, as if he too was Nallie…

If it were true, why would he keep it a secret?

Mikel shook his head with incredulity. “How do you know all this?” he questioned.

Ayden shrugged easily and said, “I wish I could tell you.” Which led Mikel to believe that Ayden was as perplexed about the origin of his powers as Mikel was.

“What can we do to help her?” Mikel asked, refocusing his thoughts.

Ayden gestured to the chair beside the bed. “Now that you’re much calmer, you won’t disturb her so we can sit and wait. Perhaps now your presence will even help comfort her and keep out the harsh nightmares. When she awakens she will have many questions. All we can do is try to answer.”

Mikel adjusted his fatigued body in the chair. He planted his elbows into the cushiony armrests and braced his chin in his palm. He blew out a long slow breath as he watched the woman he loved slip into a lucid dream that had forever haunted her subconscious. Upon waking she would have many questions, and he had no choice but to answer the best he could. He just hoped she didn’t hate him for keeping her past from her all these years.

Chapter Five

Dari tossed restlessly on the bed. Perspiration dampened her linen dress as she slipped into one of her all too familiar, all too terrifying dreams. Her ears were immediately assaulted with the ungodly, painful cries of women and children. She glanced around but wished she hadn’t. Bodies bathed in fresh crimson blood were strewn everywhere. The loud clanking sounds of metal-coated wooden daggers stung her ears. Wind swirled around her body as wooden-tipped arrows whizzed past her head. She turned in time to see a flash of sharp white teeth before they sank into a man’s neck as soldiers fought against…
vampires
?

The battlefield, filled with fallen men, extended as far as the eye could see. Her glance journeyed to the sky. Heavy, dark clouds loomed overhead as though waiting to open up and cleanse the Earth of its alien invaders.

Strangely, this dream felt different from her others. She felt out of body, like her movements were not hers and everything around her was surreal.

Suddenly, hundreds of voices erupted in her head. She winced, working to sort through them, to focus only on one.

As though being controlled by another, she moved forward, stepping over bodies, searching for something but for what she didn’t know. Brush and broken arrows crunched beneath her boots as she hunkered down next to a listless body. She flipped it over to discover it was that of a slain soldier. His heart looked as though it had been torn from his chest. In this dream, pleasure, not fear raced through her at the horrendous sight. Beads of blood trickled from two puncture wounds on his neck. For some unknown reason, the sight and smell of his fresh blood didn’t immediately nauseate her. In fact it brought on a primal hunger unlike anything she’d ever felt before. Her mouth went suddenly dry and she knew the only thing that would quench her thirst was to drink the dead man’s thick syrupy essence.

Leaving the dead soldier forgotten, she rose to her full height, lifted her gaze and turned her attention to one of the vampires on the battlefield next to her. She snarled and fisted her hands, although on closer inspection, the hands weren’t hers at all.