Clipped (The Clipped Saga, 1) by Devon McCormack (13 page)

She wrapped her arms around him, pul ing him close,

trembling.

“I didn't want it. I didn't ask for it.”

As much as Kinzer wanted to console her, he knew that

there was little he could do. She was right. She hadn't asked for this burden, and now she was a mortal, caught up in a world that was

far beyond her ability to comprehend. It wasn't fair, but it was her lot, and Kinzer could only hope that she was willing to go along with their mission, if only to simplify the heinous ordeal that surely lied ahead.

~

The thick, humid air made Kid feel like he was walking through a sauna. The sun burned against the back of his neck. Sweat soaked a rim around his shirt col ar. Treycore didn’t appear to be nearly as affected by the climate. Kid presumed this was a benefit of being an immortal.

CLIPPED 122

He and Treycore had been walking through the jungle since

dawn. Now midday, it was becoming unbearable.

And Kid was already on edge. What little sleep he’d

managed to get the night before had been laced with nightmares—

flashes of his time at Jerry’s. He was tending to clients. He was being ravaged by them. Then there was Daddy, his fingers wrapping

around his throat, his belt slapping into his ass, his dick invading his hole. And Kid, just a child, screamed out, begging him to stop. As Kid had roused from the hel acious sleep, he’d felt that even though he would never have to live like that again, it would stil always be a part of him. It would stil haunt him till the day he died.

Treycore broke through foliage with a stick, making a path

for he and Kid.

How long were they going to have to trek through this

jungle? They’d already been walking for hours. Kid had a burning question on his mind, but he’d been worried that it was so obvious that it would sound moronic. At this point, he didn’t care. He’d been walking through this stupid jungle for too long already.

“Can’t you just fly us out of here or use your power to—”

Treycore tossed a gaze back, as if Kid had just insulted his

dead mother. He started to say something but stopped himself. He turned and pushed a frond out of his path. “No,” he said curtly.

Touchy subject
, Kid thought.

“What’s the point of having wings,” Kid began, “if you can’t

fucking use them? Your ex-bitch can fly.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Treycore said. “I can’t fly, so

123 Devon McCormack
just leave it alone.”

Why are you so fucking mad at me?
Kid thought.
I’m not the
one who dated the psycho who put us out here!

Kid was so pissed at Treycore. He was being so dismissive, as

if just because he was mortal he didn’t matter. He’d already been made to feel that way by too many people, and he was tired of it.

“Must be pretty useless if it can’t even get us out of here,”

Kid muttered.

Treycore stopped again. He turned around, his jaw clenched.

His wincing eyes narrowed even further. He was giving a look that made Kid think that he was about to leap on top of him and pound into his face.

“Kid,” he said, “you should just stop talking, because in a

second, I’m gonna make you.”

Kid rushed him, stood tal , pushing his chest forward. He

knew that Treycore’s impressive physique, combined with his

immortal strength, could easily overpower him, but he wasn’t going to let Treycore get what he wanted with threats and a pissy attitude.

“Come on,” Kid pressed.

Treycore stepped toward him. Kid didn’t budge.

“We don’t have time for this,” Treycore said. “We need to get

back to Kinzer, so just fol ow me and keep the fuck out of the way.”

Treycore turned back around and started back through the

jungle foliage.

“You don’t like have a power or something like your psycho-

bitch ex-girlfriend?” Kid asked.

CLIPPED 124

“No,” Treycore snarled.

“So what I’m hearing is that you’re like the most useless

angel...or higherling...or whatever-the-fuck...in the world.”

Treycore flipped around and charged Kid. Grabbing him by

the arm, he twisted him around and shoved him against a nearby

tree.

“Mortal,” Treycore hissed into Kid’s ear. “I’m not in the

mood.”

“And I'm not your slave.” Kid didn't show any anger. He

was matter-of-fact. Treycore could condescend to him al he wanted, but he didn’t have to sit back and take it. Not anymore. He wasn’t going to feign shame and humility just because that's how Treycore preferred it.

Treycore flipped Kid around and pressed his back against the

tree.

His grip was severe. Kid wondered if he was intending to

cause him that much pain or if, in his frustration, he had forgotten his own immortal strength.

“Who do you think you are?” Treycore asked, staring into

Kid's eyes.

Kid felt as if he was trying to tear his soul out with his

anger.

“You’re nothing! I carry divine authority. You’re lower than

the lowest fal en. I’m older than the earth. The trees in this jungle are older than you. I can live forever. You have to die. Have you seen me? Have you seen my body’s perfection? That’s my birthright.

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Compare it to your disgusting figure, covered in the imperfections of mortality. The scars of your pathetic, disgusting life.”

Kid imagined how he looked in the mirror. The welts, the

dents in his flesh, many of which were a product of his time at

Jerry’s.

“Oh, and you smel !” Treycore continued. “I wish you knew

how fucking bad you smel ed. Any immortal can smel you coming

miles away. It’d be like if you had to wander the jungle with a pile of shit. And I think that’d still smel better than you do to me.”

A tear formed in Kid’s eye, but he wasn’t going to show

weakness.

“You’re not even a very attractive mortal. I can’t even

imagine how it feels to be lowly, even for a mortal.”

“Feels pretty good,” Kid said, struggling to keep his voice

from cracking. He held eye contact with Treycore. If he averted his gaze, Treycore would know that he'd won. But the more he looked

into Treycore's eyes, the more he imagined his immortal senses

could detect his vulnerability, his hurt. Was Treycore fueling his inner terror so that he could stand there and take pleasure in his misery? The longer Treycore stared into his eyes, the more Kid hated him. He didn't just hate him; he despised him. How could some

supposedly angelic being be so cruel, so brutal, so uncaring?

Treycore's wince was intense, severe, fil ed with fury. He

came at Kid.

Kid's fists popped up. He pressed his back against the tree

and pushed off, projecting himself toward Treycore. He knew he

CLIPPED 126

couldn't win in a fight against an immortal, especial y one filled with such unquestionable contempt for him, but he wasn't going to lie limp and take it. He'd already had too much of that.

He launched a fist at Treycore's side. Treycore snatched it.

Kid threw his other fist, but Treycore snatched it, too. He shoved Kid back against the tree, lifted his arms into the air, and pinned them against the bark.

Kid struggled with everything he had, but Treycore was far

too strong.

Sweat rushed down Kid’s forehead. The tear that had formed

in his eye final y couldn't hold back and glided down his cheek.

Treycore pressed his lips against Kid's.

Kid's body, stirred with the heat of fury and rage, felt

another surge of heat rush through him. Everything in him told him to attack. But al he could do was kiss Treycore back.

Kid's thoughts scrambled as he felt Treycore's hot breath

rush across his upper lip.

No,
Kid thought.
I don't want to fuck you. You're a fucking
asshole! I hate you!

But as much hate as he felt for Treycore, he couldn't stifle

the inexplicable sexual pul that made him want to be fucked by this beautiful creation. His penis was filling, expanding rapidly.

Treycore's monstrous bulge stroked against the jean barrier between them. Their lips opened wider and wider as they pressed their lips closer together.

Treycore nibbled on Kid's bottom lip. It was painful, so

127 Devon McCormack
much so that Kid thought it would bleed. He moaned.

Treycore released his grip on Kid’s wrists and tucked them

behind his back, wrapping him in an embrace.

Kid set his hand on Treycore’s cheeks, attempting to gain

some control over the kisses that Treycore seemed to be endlessly delivering.

Treycore’s lips retreated as his nose slid along Kid’s cheek till they came to Kid’s earlobe, which Treycore’s tongue quickly

assaulted.

Kid threw his head back, slamming it against the tree. A

rush of pain ran from the point of impact to his upper back. It was intense, almost immobilizing, but Kid wasn't going to al ow himself to be separated from the passion of this moment.

He wanted it. He
needed
it.

Treycore left Kid's ear and pursued intense kisses down his

neck. Biting, sucking, licking. He pressed his pelvis against Kid's, squeezing him against the tree.

Kid ground his teeth. The combination of the pain from his

ass being smashed into the tree and the immortal pressure that was crushing his pelvis and making his penis feel like it was a nearly-bursting bal oon was beginning to be more than he could bear. But the electricity he felt from Treycore's lips made him release

Treycore's face and bal his hands back into fists. He could endure the pain. He'd done it plenty of times before.

Treycore slid his hands under the back of Kid's t-shirt. He

stroked up and down, digging his fingers into his flesh. The pressure

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was so intense that it rubbed Kid’s skin dry. Kid rol ed his head against the bark and groaned through his teeth.

Treycore pul ed one hand back out from under Kid's shirt.

He snatched Kid's neck, stifling his breath. It snapped Kid out of his pleasure. His eyes flashed to a red-faced, jaw-clenched Treycore.

What was happening? Had he done something wrong? Was Treycore

mad at him?

Treycore lunged at him, pressing his lips against his again.

Kid's face turned amber. As much as he wanted to breathe,

there was something so erotic about Treycore control ing his breath, his life, and he didn't want it to end.

Treycore gripped even tighter around Kid's neck. Now, Kid

couldn't breathe at al . He felt light-headed. If Treycore maintained his grip, he was going to pass out. Spots danced around the jungle and Treycore's head as Kid felt his consciousness steadily slipping.

The spots grew larger and darker.

Treycore released his grip. Kid instinctively pul ed away

from Treycore's lips, gasping for air. Treycore grabbed Kid by the back of his head and forced their lips back together. Kid pul ed away. He didn’t have a choice. His instincts wouldn’t al ow him to put himself in danger again.

Treycore maintained his control, keeping his lips right

before his. He sniffed Kid's face.

Kid felt disgusting. He knew he smel ed foul to higherlings.

But as Treycore's lips returned to his, that thought vanished.

This time, Treycore's kiss was soft. It was a relief to Kid's lips, as

129 Devon McCormack
they were starting to feel numb from the intensity of Treycore's previous oral assaults. Heat and pressure built in Kid’s chest. His penis was hard...painful y hard. It felt like he'd been blue-bal ing for months and desperately needed relief.

They stroked their pelvises against each other's. The

stimulation only made the feeling even more unbearable. Kid ripped himself away from Treycore.

Taking a step back, his heel hit a root stretching from the

bottom of the tree trunk, and he fel back. The tail of his spine slammed against a pointed rock.

He shouted, but he wasn’t going to let the pain interfere

with this blissful moment. He unfastened his belt and wiggled his still-buttoned jeans and boxers down to his heels, exposing his ful y erect penis, the skin tense against his muscle.

Treycore pounced on top of him. They kissed and rol ed

across the jungle floor. Rocks and branches stabbed into Kid's ass, sides, and shoulder-blades. In an effort to lessen the pain, he dug his fingers into Treycore's back.

Treycore ripped Kid’s shirt off over his head. Glancing over

his pecs and abs, his eyes lingered around the cuts and scars that tainted Kid’s otherwise perfect flesh. In an effort to distract

Treycore's attention, Kid forced a kiss on him.

Treycore lifted his pelvis off Kid, grabbed him by the

shoulder, and flipped him onto his stomach. As he lightly stroked Kid’s ass-crack with the bulge in his jeans, Kid pressed his ass into Treycore's pelvis and felt that absurdly large bulge.

CLIPPED 130

He remembered how big he’d been, and he knew it was

going to be far too much for him to handle. Kinzer was only half his size and that had seemed nearly impossible.