Mate or Meal 14
The Warlock Who Hungered for a
Demon
Disgrace or devotion? Plagued by the choices in his past, warlock
Noah Hall cannot allow himself to claim Rhys Whitaker, the man—
the incubus—he loves. He sees himself as a killer, having played a
significant part in his own father’s death. Torn between shame,
reason, and desire, Noah lingers in a platonic friendship that hurts
them both, but that neither of them is willing to abandon.
Rhys has loved and desired Noah since the very moment he met
the warlock. He knows that Noah is his other half, but when the
other man rejects him, Rhys can do nothing else but respect
Noah’s wishes.
When Noah’s dark secret comes out, Rhys is crushed. In the midst
of a conflict between races, their fragile relationship threatens to
be overcome. Can Noah let go of his doubts and protect his mate?
Can Rhys heal Noah’s wounds in time to save them both?
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal
Length: 35,823 words
THE WARLOCK WHO
HUNGERED FOR A DEMON
Mate or Meal 14
Scarlet Hyacinth
EROTIC ROMANCE
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove
THE WARLOCK WHO HUNGERED FOR A DEMON
Copyright © 2012 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-504-5
First E-book Publication: October 2012
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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THE WARLOCK WHO
HUNGERED FOR A DEMON
Mate or Meal 14
SCARLET HYACINTH
Copyright © 2012
Prologue
Pain. Mind-numbing, nerve-wracking agony assaulted Rhys,
piercing through every inch of his skin, making his limbs heavy and
his vision dim. He lay collapsed on a hard, cold floor, unable to move,
his incubus senses attacked by the horrible emotions permeating his
current location.
Distantly, Rhys acknowledged the fact that he should have never
come here. There was too much hate in this place, and Tyrell Hall was
far too wicked for one incubus to take on. But he’d been so very
angry at Tyrell’s interference in their lives. He’d known then that
Tyrell had most likely been involved, at least in the planning stages,
with the attack at the United Paranormal Academy that had disfigured
Alexis and nearly separated the younger incubus from his mate. He’d
wanted to stop the warlock from doing anything like that ever again.
He’s wanted to protect his brothers. He’d failed.
Who would take care of his siblings now? Chantay’s parents
loved him, but they’d placed a heavy burden on him since Chantay
and Rhys’s father, Romaine, had been involved with the plot against
the shifters. And what about Alexis? The younger incubus might have
a mate who cared about him, but he’d been thrust in a world not his
8
Scarlet Hyacinth
own, and he was raising a child at an age when he should still be
learning how to appropriately use his powers. Not to mention that
Rhys worried Alexis would soon be with child again, something his
body might not be ready for.
Unfortunately, for the moment, his concern for his own well-being
had to take precedence. Rhys curled into a tight ball, the hunger for
sexual emotions holding him tightly within its grasp. He did sense
some sexual episodes going on in the building, but the distance kept
him from using them for feeding. It was true that the lust coming from
them wasn’t pure, but rather tainted with something darker. Even so,
Rhys would have used anything at all at this point. He was desperate
and hated himself for it.
When he heard the door open, Rhys was half terrified, half
relieved. A part of him just wanted this torture over. The man-child
guilty of Rhys’s plight now approached, and he obviously planned on
killing Rhys. Rhys could feel it in the emotions now invading the
room, coming from the warlock.
“Well, well. It looks like our sleeping beauty hasn’t surrendered to
eternal slumber just yet.” A chuckle sounded. The footsteps resonated
against the floor as Tyrell approached. The warlock leaned over Rhys
and gripped his chin, forcing Rhys to look at him. “Look at you. So
lost in your hunger. You know, out of all magical creatures, incubi are
my favorites. You might be beasts like shifters, but you’re certainly
lovely enough to compensate for the lack. Too bad I can’t use it. I’d
have loved to explore your beauty, your lust.”
Rhys counted his blessings for that since he was well aware his
body would have accepted any touch, even one his mind rebelled
against. Even now, pleas were ready on his lips. Tyrell was only a
boy, so his form held no appeal to Rhys, but the guard who’d come
with Tyrell was a different matter altogether.
With heavy-lidded eyes, Rhys gazed at the man, licking his lips.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have touched the guy with
a seven-foot pole, but he could feel the desire pouring off him, aimed
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
9
directly at Rhys, intoxicating, like a drug. His body responded to that
lust, even if everything else screamed at him to shy away, to hide, to
cover himself.
Fortunately, Tyrell didn’t seem inclined to allow Rhys’s hunger to
be sated. He threw an ugly look toward the guard. “Get out. Just your
presence is feeding him.”
After throwing one last look Rhys’s way, the underling fled. Rhys
experienced a deep pang of loss, but it was combined with an even
more intense relief. He might die here, but at least he’d have kept his
dignity and not spread his legs for all the guards in Tyrell Hall’s
prison.
“I know you want it, little incubus,” the warlock said, “but you’ll
just have to suffer without it. That’s the price you pay for going
against me. Now, I have other matters to deal with. This might well
be the last time we see each other. Enjoy your stay in the afterlife.”
Before Rhys could even figure out what Tyrell meant by that, the
man-child left the room, abandoning Rhys there. It wasn’t hard to
figure out that Tyrell intended to let Rhys starve to death. It was the
worst way to go for an incubus, and by the end, Rhys would give just
about anything to feel a sexual touch.
A tear slid over Rhys’s cheek, burning his oversensitized skin as it
fell. There were so many things he hadn’t done. He’d had lovers, yes,
but he’d never found his soul mate, that one person meant for him.
He’d wanted to meet that person so desperately, to start a family, and
perhaps to mend the rift between the Whitakers and the Arceneaus.
His dream had been to one day sit at a celebratory dinner table with
his mate, his father, and his sire with him, his brothers joining him,
and perhaps, a child growing inside him. So many wishes that would
never come true now.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when, out of the blue, the
door opened again. Instantly, Rhys knew it wasn’t Tyrell or any of his
cronies entering the cell. A gust of pure, fresh emotions struck Rhys,
bringing with them an unexpected wave of strength.
10
Scarlet Hyacinth
Rhys struggled to focus his vision and, to his surprise, actually
succeeded. A dark-haired man walked toward him and knelt by his
side. “Dear gods,” the man murmured. “What did he do to you?”
For a few seconds, Rhys thought he’d fallen into a dream. The
new arrival was a vision, everything Rhys had ever desired in a man.
Muscular, but not thick or heavy, he moved with a feline grace that
would have rivaled that of any shifter in the world. His smoky gray
eyes held a storm of emotions that awoke Rhys’s every instinct.
Rhys reached out to him, hissing as he touched the other man’s
skin. The contact was electric. Unlike the artificial lust he’d
experienced in the warlock guard’s presence, this was his own need
and desire, combined with a clear response coming from the stranger.
On instinct, Rhys released his incubus powers, summoning the
man to him. The guy groaned. “Please, baby, don’t do that now. I
need to focus, and I can’t with you distracting me.”
It hurt to be called a distraction, but Rhys could feel what the man
truly wanted. Rhys’s anus clenched in response to the deep desire he
felt coming from the man. He opened his mouth to whisper something
appropriately seductive, but he never got the chance. The stranger
swept his tongue over Rhys’s lips, pain and anger mixing with the
lust. “Hush now,” he said. “You’re not in any condition for sexual
acrobatics, but I’ll give you what you want.”
Soft lips pressed against his, the kiss echoing through Rhys like
thunder, lightning, hail, sandstorm, and at the same time, as gentle as
a spring breeze. It was a force of nature, sating Rhys’s hunger and
whetting it, making him lust for more.
Rhys tried to wrap his arms around the man’s neck, but there were
still shackles around his wrists and chains binding him against the
floor, leaving him immobilized. The realization brought to mind his
situation, but still, when the stranger broke their kiss, he whimpered
in distress, not caring about anything except exploring the attraction
between them.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
11
However, the other man seemed tense. Rhys sensed his new
friend’s frustration and apprehension, and as he struggled to identify
the cause, Rhys realized that the sound of approaching footsteps
echoed outside. He panicked, knowing all too well that if the man was
found here, he would be killed. “You have to go,” he told the stranger.
“You can’t be discovered here.”
“Fuck,” the man cursed under his breath. “I can’t just leave you.”
“You can’t rescue me if you get killed,” Rhys replied. “Besides,
you’ve already helped me. Now go.”
With clear reluctance, the stranger got up. “Wait for me, all right?
I’ll get you out. I promise.”
Rhys nodded, oddly believing the man. Even if his body craved
the stranger like he’d never desired anyone in his life, he found that
just their brief lip-lock had given him the strength to withstand
whatever Tyrell decided to throw his way.
After brushing one last kiss against Rhys’s lips, the man slipped
out of the cell. Rhys heard the door lock again and fell back down on
the floor. He almost thought it had all been a dream, but the power of
the emotion still buzzing through Rhys was undeniable and the
stranger’s scent still invaded Rhys’s nostrils. With a gasp, Rhys
realized he didn’t even know the man’s name. How could he have
forgotten to ask?
But he could not linger on that problem now. For the first time,
the door opened, this time revealing a couple of guards who carried
several unconscious men. Rhys fought to suppress his dismay as he
noticed the men in question were wolf-shifters he knew, Brody
Williams-Wade and Anson Wright. They were still alive, but badly
injured.
In spite of the horror coursing through him, Rhys pretended to be
unconscious as well. The fuel of the stranger’s emotion had given him
much-needed strength, but it wouldn’t hold out for long. He had to
appear completely inconspicuous and not draw attention to himself.
12
Scarlet Hyacinth
Rhys guessed there were probably other prisoners because he felt
more guards moving in the cells around them. Brody and his group
must have come to rescue Rhys, but they’d been ambushed just like
Rhys had been.
Rhys’s only hope now lay in the magnificent stranger who could
easily be a figment of his imagination. Fortunately, the guards didn’t
pay any heed to Rhys, and after binding Brody and Anson to the
walls, they left. Rhys’s thoughts went to his unexpected friend. He
was no longer the only one who needed to be saved. There were other
people here, people with families, mates, and children. Surely, fate
couldn’t be so cruel as to allow them all to die.
He didn’t know how long he waited. It could have been seconds,
hours, or years. Time flowed differently when he had the threat of
impending death looming above him. And then, an explosion shook
the house, startling Rhys out of his pain-induced daze. The scent of
smoke reached him, and he realized in horror that fire was consuming
what had once been Tyrell Hall’s coven.
Just as Rhys thought all hope was lost, the door burst open once
more, and the stranger ran inside. His gray eyes blazed, and an
incantation escaped his lips. Rhys gaped as the chains fell from his
wrists, releasing him. A warlock. His new friend was a warlock.
The feeling of urgency he sensed coming from the man kept him
from asking any questions, though. “I need to keep the fire in check,”
the man said. “It’s spreading too quickly. We’ll never manage to get
everyone out.”
Rhys nodded and gestured the man to sit down. “We can do it
together.”
He might be weak, but just the stranger’s proximity strengthened
him. As the warlock held him close, Rhys focused every power he
had left, feeding it into the man’s body. And as their magic entwined,
Rhys knew without a doubt that from this moment on, so would their
lives be bonded together for the rest of eternity.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
13
Chapter One
“There must be some mistake.” Rhys shook his head, not wanting
to believe what his father was telling him. “Demons have not made
contact with us in centuries.”
“It’s no mistake,” the older incubus replied, giving Rhys a
narrow-eyed look. “I’ve read over the information Kaname
Yamamoto provided and done my own inquiries. Understand, I can’t
be certain, but if you want my honest opinion, I think demons have
indeed come out of the woodwork and awakened the older
Yamamotos.”
Rhys groaned, burying his face in his hands. What his father was
telling him made sense. Demon magic was erratic and intense, and
combined with that of vampires, it could easily lead to unbalancing
the minds of the former vampire elders. Still, this was the last thing
they needed right now. Rhys had been hoping for at least a couple of
days of free time to untangle the threads of his own messed-up life,
but apparently, that was too much to ask for.
Shaking his head, Rhys gazed at his father once more. “Any clue
as to why they’d even want that?”
The older incubus’s fingers tapped a rhythm on the desk surface
as he replied. “Well, as you know, Rhys, there are many individual
species of demons and they each have different motives, purposes,
and behaviors. I honestly don’t see imps or gremlins doing anything
like this. They don’t have the power or the organization, though they
might be attracted to the chaos such a plan would provide. However,
the fiends have always been ambitious and the ghouls thrive on
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Scarlet Hyacinth
suffering of any type. Personally, I’m praying that it won’t be the
ghouls since you know what happened last time they took over.”
Rhys nodded, suppressing a shudder. Ghouls were known to have
the ability to spread disease, like incubi could induce arousal. They
had run rampant during the time of the Black Plague. But they were
more inclined to take advantage of humankind, rather than
paranormal races, not to mention Rhys wasn’t sure they had the
power to awaken a vampire from the sleep of the dead.
“At any rate,” the other man continued, “we will be arranging an
expedition to investigate this further.”
For the moment, nothing was certain, but this was definitely
information Rhys needed to share with the vampire elder. “All right,
Father,” he told the older incubus. “I’ll tell Kaname Yamamoto. If
ghouls or any other demons are behind this, he needs to know so that
he can protect himself and his people.”
His father waved him off. “You do that, Rhys. And while you’re
at it, have a chat with that warlock of yours. You two are driving me
crazy with your hesitation to make a simple choice. As I see it, there’s
only one clear outcome to this situation, so you should hurry up and
get there already.”
Rhys couldn’t help it. He smiled. He knew his father had never
truly found his soul mate, and while he cared about Rhys’s
stepmother, it wasn’t true love, not that special, unique one that
existed between mates. Even so, the older incubus had been very
encouraging, going so far as to give Rhys advice on how to seduce the
warlock.
“You know it’s not that easy,” he replied. “Noah…” He sighed,
just uttering the other man’s name making deep emotions bubble
inside him. “Noah is special.”
“I’m sure he is, if he can reduce my eldest to a quivering mess.
Now go. I need you focused if we’re going to deal with this, and you
haven’t been feeding well in recent weeks. I wish for you to be in
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
15
charge of this expedition, but the way things are going…I won’t have
it, you hear me?”
“Yes, Father.” Rhys fought back his dismay, no longer amused in
the slightest. His parent was right, of course, but Rhys couldn’t bring
himself to touch anyone who wasn’t Noah. Unfortunately, the
warlock didn’t want him, not like that. They were friends, and nothing
more. Rhys cared about Noah too much to force him into a
relationship the warlock didn’t want.
His father looked skeptical, but nevertheless, let Rhys go. Rhys
fled the older incubus’s office, his mind and body already demanding
Noah’s presence. Fortunately, Noah seemed to have some sort of
sixth sense as to when Rhys needed him, as Rhys ran straight into the
warlock.
“Is everything all right, Rhys?” Noah inquired, his tone
concerned.
Rhys nodded, then changed his mind and shook his head. His soul
ached just at being with Noah and acknowledging the fact that he’d
never get the chance to taste Noah’s lips again, to fully experience
Noah’s touch. Shaking himself, he focused on explaining the situation
to his friend. “Father said he suspects demons might be behind the
awakening of the elder Yamamotos. We’re looking into what breed
could have done it, but for the moment, I need to call Kaname
Yamamoto.”
“Just a second.” Noah stopped him. “There’s more to it than that,
isn’t it? Abbott is angry with me.”
Rhys winced at his friend’s reference to his father. Truly, it
sometimes seemed that Noah was an incubus as well since he had an
almost uncanny knack in grasping Rhys’s states of mind and
emotions. “Not with you,” he replied. “With me.”
“Because you haven’t been feeding.” Noah’s gaze pierced Rhys
like a dagger. The warlock pulled Rhys out of the corridor and into a
nearby empty room. Even through the material of Rhys’s shirt,
Noah’s touch burned Rhys, and he almost hissed. It was both a relief
16
Scarlet Hyacinth
and a terrible loss when Noah released him. “You have to stop this,
Rhys. You’ve lost weight, and you refuse to do anything about it.
How much longer do you think you can keep going?”
“I’m trying to find a solution that works for me,” Rhys answered.
“Don’t worry so much. I’ll be fine.”
Noah gripped Rhys’s chin and forced Rhys to meet his gaze. “But
you won’t. You have no idea how sorry I am for all this, Rhys. I
would leave if I thought it would help, but as it is, I’m worried it
might just make things worse.”
Rhys clutched Noah’s shoulders tightly. “No, don’t leave. Look,
I’m sorry, all right? This isn’t your fault at all. Just don’t think about
it. I’ll find a way to fix it.”
Noah looked pained. “How can I not think about it, Rhys? You
mean so much to me. You’re my dear friend, and you’re hurting, all
because of me.” He leaned closer to Rhys, invading Rhys’s personal
space. “We can always figure out a temporary solution. I don’t want
you to go without what you need anymore.”
Rhys stepped away from Noah, for once unable to look at the
man. It was too painful, and he felt too humiliated. “I appreciate the
thought,” he said bitingly, “but I don’t want your pity. You’re not the
only guy in the world. I’m sure I’ll run into someone who’ll want to
fuck me.”
The words weighed heavily between them and tasted bitterly on
Rhys’s lips. Suppressing his nausea, Rhys turned his back on Noah
and stalked out of the room. He might not have any intention in
getting into anyone’s bed, but he did need to feed, one way or
another. If masturbation was the only possible way for now, so be it.
He wouldn’t push Noah, or himself, into something that would tear
them both apart. Their friendship was already strained by Rhys’s
nature, and if Rhys wasn’t careful, he’d lose Noah altogether.
* * * *
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
17
Noah watched Rhys go and cursed himself. Well, that could have
gone much better. He’d never meant to insult Rhys, but it seemed that
no matter what he did around the incubus, he ended up making things
worse than they already were.
When Noah had met Rhys, he had not meant to allow their
friendship to grow into something more. He simply couldn’t afford to
have a relationship right now, especially not one of love. He had tried
to steel himself against Rhys’s obvious need for him, and the incubus
hadn’t pushed him after Noah had made it clear he wasn’t interested
in pursuing anything beyond a pure platonic bond.
In truth, Noah should have probably run into the other direction
that first time when Rhys had tried to seduce him. But whether he
wanted to accept it or not, Rhys had lodged himself deep within
Noah, in his heart, in his body, all the way to his bones even.
Noah could still remember it now, the way Rhys had looked that
day, when he’d told Noah just what he wanted from him. It had been
shortly after Rhys had recovered from Tyrell Hall’s attack. Rhys had
caught him alone, brought their bodies together, and brushed a light
kiss against Noah’s lips.
“I hunger for you, Noah,” he had whispered. “I’ve wanted you
more than anyone in the world before I even knew your name. Will
you be mine?”
It had been the hardest thing Noah had ever done to push Rhys
away. He’d extracted himself from the incubus’s embrace and shaken
his head. “You misunderstand, Rhys,” he’d said to the incubus. “I
care about you as a friend, but nothing more. That kiss was only
because I knew you needed it.”
The crushed expression on Rhys’s face haunted Noah to this day.
He had been cruel to Rhys then, just like he’d been this time around.
But Noah was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he accepted
Rhys’s affection, it would only hurt the incubus more once Noah had
to abandon him. If he continued to refuse, Rhys might hurt himself
with his inability to feed off anyone else.
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Scarlet Hyacinth
It was beyond frustrating, and if not for Noah’s own selfishness,
he’d have long ago left, trusting Rhys would recover in his absence.
But he simply couldn’t make himself do it, not until he absolutely had
to. He always told himself one more day, just another day and he
would go. He never did. He truly had no resistance where Rhys was
concerned.
In the end, for the moment, there was nothing he could do about it
except persuade Rhys to feed. It irked Noah to no end that he had to
force Rhys into someone else’s arms, but what choice did he have?
With that in mind, Noah left the room and decided to go in search
of his friend. He knew Rhys well, and while Noah would never dream
of taking him for granted, he realized Rhys would never do what he’d
promised. Noah had to take things into his own hands.
As it turned out, before he could find Rhys, he found the
incubus’s stepmother, or rather, she found him. Olympia Whitaker
was Alexis Cunningham’s mother, but she had no blood bond with
Rhys. As far as Rhys had been able to tell, she held no jealousy
toward Rhys’s sire, Romaine. They weren’t close as a family, but she
didn’t begrudge her husband’s son for it.
Under these circumstances, it came as no surprise for Noah when
the succubus stopped him. “Mr. Hall, I wanted to have a word with
you.”
“I’m ever at your disposal,” Noah replied politely. “What is it,
Mrs. Whitaker?”
She grabbed his hand in a strikingly strong grip for someone so
dainty. “I think you know exactly what I mean to say. I’m not sure
why you’re playing games with Rhys, but I don’t like it.”
“I’m not playing games.” Noah snatched his arm away, all
pretense of manners forgotten. “You couldn’t possibly understand my
relationship with Rhys.”
Olympia smiled tightly. “No, I do not. But then, neither do you.
Rhys sees you as his mate. Do you realize what that means? Can you
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
19
grasp the depth of his emotions for you? He’ll wither away and die
because you are incapable of surpassing your idiotic prejudice.”
“That’s not it,” Noah replied defensively. “I don’t care that Rhys
is a demon.”
“Then why won’t you touch him?” She looked ready to pounce on
him. “Don’t think we don’t realize that you’re attracted to him. He
feels it also. You want him, and yet you refuse him. The natural
conclusion is that you’re disgusted with him.”
Out of the shadows, two more figures emerged. “Leave the boy
be, Olympia,” Romaine Arceneau said. He sounded tired, something
unsurprising given that he was still recovering from a serious attack
that had nearly killed both him and his wife. “He has powerful
reasons for the way he’s acting.”
Olympia glared at the incubus. “Don’t you care about your son?
Don’t you care what this warlock does to him?”
Romaine didn’t look away from Noah as he answered. “I do care,
which is why I have to ask Noah to take into account the situation and
stop it before it grows worse.”
Noah felt like he’d been slapped. There, in Romaine’s eyes that
looked so much like Rhys’s, he saw the knowledge of what he’d been
trying to hide. “Have you told him?” he asked softly.
Romaine shook his head. “I figured you don’t want him to know.
My mate caught a glimpse of it, and having you here during our stay
solidified her guess. You have to let him go, Noah, for both your
sakes.”
“I know.” A mix of gratitude and despair filled Noah. “I’m trying,
but I just can’t come up with a solution.”
“Have you spoken with the Sidhe? They might be able to help
you.”
Noah clenched his fists, struggling not to fall further into his
misery. He had dared to dream for the same thing, but his hopes had
been relentlessly shattered. “This is beyond their power,” he
answered.
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Scarlet Hyacinth
“Very well,” Romaine answered. “I won’t ask anything else. But
please, Noah, if you care for my son, you have to break free from
him. Continuing like this just brings pointless suffering.”
Noah nodded briskly. “I’ll speak to him. Just…I need some time.”
“You’ve had all the time in the world,” Olympia spoke again, “but
okay. After all, Rhys has too much to deal with right now without
having to process your abandonment.”
“The issue with the demons,” Noah guessed. “I’ll help him with
that, Mrs. Whitaker, then I’ll leave. I promise.”
Olympia’s only answer was a glower, but at least she didn’t make
any further comment. Noah said his good-byes and fled, throwing one
final glance toward Romaine as he went. He hoped the incubus
wouldn’t reveal what he knew to Rhys, because if he did, all the
secrecy Noah had managed to maintain would be for naught.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
21
Chapter Two
“I apologize if I’m interrupting anything, but I think I might have
some information for you.”
Rhys forced himself to calm down as he looked at the figure of the
elder vampire. Kaname Yamamoto arched an elegant brow. “Oh?
What is it?”
How should he put this? He truly wasn’t certain his father was
correct about what he’d learned, but the real problem right now
wasn’t even Rhys’s uncertainty regarding their attackers. He couldn’t
keep his mind off Noah, and it hurt his concentration.
Shaking himself, Rhys focused on the conversation. “The clue
I’ve found is not a certain thing, but if I’m right, the consequences
could be dire.”
That earned him a frown from Kaname. “Who attacked my
people, Whitaker-san?” the elder vampire asked without preamble.
Rhys didn’t even try to suppress the glumness he felt deep inside.
“Demons,” he answered.
“Demons?” Kaname repeated. “What do you mean, Whitaker-
san? Why would demons want to get involve with vampires at all?
We’ve stayed away from each other for centuries.”
Rhys felt relieved he didn’t have to explain to Kaname how the
demon world worked, but at the same time, he was acutely aware of
how little they actually knew. “We’re not certain. We’ll be starting an
expedition to find more clues, but until then, we wanted to notify you
so that you’ll be ready.”
“I appreciate that, Whitaker-san. Any assistance you should
require is at your disposal. I want these people caught.”
22
Scarlet Hyacinth
“I can definitely understand that, Yamamoto-sama, but right now,
it would be more prudent for an approach only on our side.” The
Whitakers still had a lot of connections with other demon species, but
Rhys wasn’t about to give the vampire elder all the details.
Just as he offered this reply, Rhys sensed Noah’s familiar
presence nearby. Before he knew it, Noah stepped inside the office,
keeping silent to respect the conversation. Rhys was pissed that Noah
had just burst in like that, but then, he could understand why Noah
had done it, especially after their little exchange earlier.
On the cell phone screen, Kaname narrowed his eyes at him, as if
able to tell Rhys’s mind wasn’t fully on the mission. “Very well. I can
understand the virtues of patience. Keep me posted.”
“I shall,” Rhys promised. “Good-bye, Yamamoto-sama.”
“Until we speak again, Whitaker-san, farewell.”
Rhys ended the call with much relief. “What are you doing here,
Noah?” he asked the warlock. “Do you want me to completely
embarrass myself in front of the vampire elder?”
“I trust you to handle yourself in front of him under worse
circumstances,” Noah replied without missing a beat. “And I came to
apologize. I have no excuse for treating you the way I did. I don’t
ever want you to think that I pity you or am disgusted by you.”
A struggle seemed to be going on inside Noah, so intense it
echoed deeply within Rhys. Rhys could tell there was something
Noah didn’t want to explain to him. Perhaps Noah had someone else
he was in love with. That made sense. Even if Rhys felt deep inside
that Noah was his other half, warlocks didn’t think like incubi. Noah
might lust for Rhys, but he could love some other person, perhaps one
he’d left behind when he’d abandoned his coven.
The thought pained Rhys deeply. He didn’t even know what he
wanted anymore, what evil he preferred. In the end, Noah giving his
heart to someone else seemed nearly as bad as the warlock refusing
Rhys on account of Rhys’s demon nature.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
23
All his speculations were useless, though, and would not bring
Rhys any closer to the answer. In the end, there was one clear fact that
Rhys could not deny. No matter the reason, Noah didn’t want him.
Rhys had to get used to the thought and save their friendship before it
was too late.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he answered. “I overreacted. I
admit I’m a bit edgy since I haven’t fed properly. But I promise I’m
going to do it.”
It was a mystery as to how he was going to do that. Masturbation
just didn’t suffice, and while incubi could temporarily live off other
people’s emotions, the vicarious satisfaction couldn’t provide what
they needed to survive on a long-term basis.
Noah sighed. “Please don’t make promises you won’t be able to
keep. I know you already, and I realize what’s going on. I just don’t
want you hurt.”
There was so much earnestness in Noah’s voice, so much
yearning, that Rhys almost reached for him again. It was only because
Rhys felt his father approach that he managed to hold his instincts in
check.
He turned toward the door just as the older incubus stepped inside.
“Oh, there you are. And Noah’s here, too. Good, good.”
“What is it, Father?” Rhys inquired, praying his parent wouldn’t
approach the topic they’d discussed earlier.
Thankfully, the other man didn’t seem inclined to talk about
Rhys’s private matters right now. While he did throw a gaze full of
meaning in Noah’s direction, he didn’t make any comment regarding
Rhys’s feeding habits. Instead, he offered Rhys a piece of paper. On
it, there was a time, a name, and an address.
The address was unknown to Rhys, an obscure area in New York,
but the name struck a chord. Elden Lee. God, was his father serious?
“You want me to see Elden?” he asked incredulously.
24
Scarlet Hyacinth
His father nodded. “You know you’re the only one he trusts from
our side of the family. I had the hardest time to even get him to tell
me anything at all.”
“He’s the one who told you about the demons being behind the
whole thing,” Rhys guessed.
The other incubus nodded. “He did, but our conversation was very
brief. You know how he is. I managed to reach him again, and he
refused to speak to me beyond giving me that address and demanding
your presence.”
“You knew he’d ask for me.” Rhys rubbed his eyes tiredly. “All
right, Father. I should probably be heading out if I’m going to make it
in time.”
“Before you do, memorize the contents of the paper and destroy it.
And for fuck’s sake, feed. You look like hell.”
Turning toward Noah, he added, “Olympia tells me you offered to
aid Rhys in this mission. It won’t be easy. Are you sure you’re up for
it?”
“Yes, sir,” Noah answered. “I’m up for anything.”
“Very well, then. Take good care of my son here because he
certainly hasn’t been doing a very good job on his own.”
The words held a clear undertone of innuendo, which Noah
couldn’t have missed. Rhys winced. He’d reached a whole new level
of low if his father was now trying to arrange his hookups.
“Right. And on that note, Noah and I really need to be off,” he
said hastily. “Thank you very much for your concern, Father. We’ll
be leaving now.”
Fortunately, the older man didn’t keep them, and Rhys was
allowed to drag Noah off. As they left, Rhys wondered just how much
running he would be doing from now on. It just seemed like these
days, he kept hiding and denying himself what he truly needed. But
he didn’t have any other choice.
“Noah, we should pack and head out,” he told the warlock. “We
don’t have too much time, and Elden has always been…capricious.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
25
“Who exactly is he anyway?” Noah inquired.
Rhys sighed. “One of my numerous brothers. I’ll explain on the
way.”
* * * *
Noah sipped his coffee and looked at the clock on the wall. Rhys
had been gone a long time now, far too long for Noah’s comfort. Rhys
had told him that meeting with Elden was perfectly safe—usually—
and that truly didn’t make Noah feel any better.
Apparently, Elden was another brother of Rhys’s, with whom
Rhys didn’t have that much contact as with Alexis and Chantay. Due
to the natural promiscuity of incubi, family trees were very intricate,
often leading to two perfect strangers being in some way related. It
made Noah’s head ache just at thinking about it, but it was useful in
this particular instance. While Elden was Abbott Whitaker’s son, like
Rhys and Alexis, this was not well known, which was why he’d
managed to find out some information Rhys wouldn’t have been able
to gather on his own.
Even so, Noah didn’t know and didn’t trust the guy, and with each
second that passed, he ached to abandon this stupid coffee shop and
find Rhys. Noah’s magic was perfectly attuned to Rhys’s, so he could
trace the incubus in his sleep. But for the moment, Noah’s instincts
told him nothing had gone wrong, and if Noah burst into Rhys’s
meeting with Elden, he might destroy the only chance they had to
learn who was behind the plot with the Yamamotos.
He was so lost in his thoughts he nearly jumped when his phone
suddenly rang. Noah extracted it from his pocket, surprised when he
saw Rhys’s name on the display. Immediately, he took the call and
opened his mouth to ask.
Rhys stopped him before he could utter one word. “Come
outside,” Rhys said, and without allowing Noah to answer, he hung
up.
26
Scarlet Hyacinth
Startled, Noah pocketed his phone and abandoned his coffee.
Placing a bill on the table to pay for his barely touched beverage, he
left the shop and headed down the street. Rhys was supposed to meet
Elden in one of the alleyways in the area, and Noah gathered the
incubus wanted him to meet them there.
His guess was proven correct when Noah peeked into the alley in
question and found Rhys waiting there, together with a blond
stranger. When the blond looked at Noah, Noah saw the man had the
same dark eyes Rhys did. So this must be Elden.
Elden smirked at Noah. “See, I told my father to specifically have
Rhys come alone.” Turning his back on Rhys, he practically glided to
Noah’s side. “Apparently, he failed to mention that since you came
with Rhys, but for a hunk like you, I’m willing to make an
exception.”
While Elden was gorgeous in his own right, his presence didn’t
rouse Noah’s instincts and desires like Rhys’s did. Perhaps under
normal circumstances, Noah would have pursued a simple night of
pleasure with the incubus, gratifying for them both. As it was, fucking
Rhys’s brother was completely out of the question.
Nevertheless, Rhys couldn’t have missed the flirtation and the
very dim spark of attraction inside Noah. He glowered at Noah and
Elden and said, “We didn’t come here to be teased, Elden. Just say
what you have to say and don’t waste our time.”
Elden arched a brow at Rhys. “Oh, someone’s testy. Fine, I get the
hint.” Leaning against the wall, he sobered and added, “Back to
business. As I told Father, I found out something you might want to
know about this recent vampire attack.”
“Do you know what particular breed of demon is behind it?” Noah
asked without preamble.
“I’m not one hundred percent sure. I was quite preoccupied as I
was overhearing this, and while I can multitask as well as any
incubus, it’s a little hard to focus when you have a cock in your mouth
and another in your ass. Or was it two? I can’t remember.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
27
If Elden wanted to shock Noah, it didn’t really work. Instead,
Noah found himself imagining how Rhys would have looked in that
position, and from that thought, his mind progressed to how Rhys’s
ass would take Noah’s cock. Crap. He shouldn’t be thinking about
this, not right now, and definitely not around two incubus brothers.
Elden snickered. “It looks like the idea appeals to your friend,
dear brother,” he told Rhys.
“Keep your mind on what matters,” Rhys said snappishly. “So, I
gather you were at one of your orgies and you overheard something.”
“Indeed. There was an imp, I think, talking to a fiend, and the
fiend was boasting about it. I don’t think anyone paid too much
attention. You know how sex parties are. That sort of thing happens
all the time. I wouldn’t have noticed it either, except I recalled the
name of the vampire from one of the conversations I had with
Father.”
“So are the fiends the ones involved?” Rhys inquired.
“I honestly can’t tell you more. I’d have tried to approach the guy
in question, but—”
“Don’t,” Rhys stopped him. “You and I both know incubi don’t
make a pleasant mix with fiends or ghouls.”
Elden grimaced, the only clear sign of discomfort and displeasure
he’d shown so far. “Quite. I have an address for the imp in question,
though. Perhaps you can get more out of him.”
He passed Rhys a piece of paper, and Rhys quickly scanned it
before destroying it. Apparently, it was an incubus thing. As it turned
out, the two demons had a reason to be jumpy. All of a sudden, Noah
felt a dark, approaching presence, lingering at the back of his mind,
reminding him of his father, only worse.
“We need to go. Now.”
Elden’s eyes widened as he paled, but Rhys didn’t even blink. He
grabbed Elden’s hand and dragged him to the other end of the alley,
with Noah bringing up the rear. They leapt over a fence and ran back
28
Scarlet Hyacinth
out into the street, hoping that being in a crowd of humans would
keep their enemies from attacking.
It didn’t work. Demons didn’t have such sensibilities, and even as
Noah and his companions struggled to get away, the building behind
them exploded, the blaze so intense and sudden it could have only
been caused by magic.
The strength of the blast sent Noah falling to the ground, but he
had enough presence of mind to cast a quick shielding spell that
protected him and the incubi from the flying debris. The surrounding
humans weren’t so lucky. Screams sounded all around Noah as people
fell, struck by the projectiles and burnt by the intense heat coming
from the area.
The concentration it took for Noah to keep the spell up was giving
him a headache, and he cursed to himself. He couldn’t let Rhys see
this, and he couldn’t disappoint the incubus. Above all else, he needed
to keep Rhys safe. In the end, it was why he had stayed, in spite of
knowing nothing could come of the feelings between them.
Gritting his teeth, Noah shot to his feet and helped the incubi up.
“Come on. Hurry. We need to get out of here before whoever is
coming gets to us.”
Rhys and Elden didn’t need to be told twice. Noah didn’t dare to
go back to the car they’d used to come here, so instead, he ran toward
the subway. The agitation of the people increased more and more, and
Noah trusted that not even the demons would brave killing hundreds
of humans for a couple of paranormals lost in their midst.
In that respect, at least, Noah and the incubi were in luck. While
they did hear several other blasts behind them, they reached the
subway with no incident. The panic made people confused, as some
of them seemed to think this must be some sort of terrorist attack.
Nonetheless, a fair number of persons, Noah, Rhys, and Elden
included, got inside a train, which soon departed, taking them far
away from the dangerous area.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
29
“I think it’s safe to say someone followed you, Elden,” Rhys
whispered once they seemed safe. “It seems they might have guessed
you were paying attention after all.”
“Ah, fuck. This is what I get for sticking my nose into other
people’s business. The things I do for family.” Elden threw a glance
Noah’s way. “Just so you know, I expect a reward for this.”
Noah ignored Elden. Even if they’d escaped whoever had been
after them, he couldn’t help but remain tense. He suspected that had
only been a warning, and if Rhys kept digging into this, he might get
seriously hurt. But no matter what he had to do, Noah wouldn’t let
that happen. Whether Rhys knew it or now, Noah loved him, and he’d
do anything in his power to protect the incubus.
30
Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter Three
That night
“Are you sure this is the place?”
Rhys nodded at Noah. The warlock had been quiet ever since
they’d left Elden at the Whitaker mansion and headed this way with
the intention to find the imp Elden had directed them to. Elden had
naturally protested and done more flirting and clinging to Noah, but
Rhys didn’t think that was the reason why Noah was acting like this.
“What is it?” he asked the warlock.
“This just feels off,” Noah answered. “That whole
explosion…They were probably close enough to aim directly at us,
but they didn’t. It seems like they blew that place up just as a
warning. And if that’s the case, I’m not happy with you pursuing
Elden’s lead. You still haven’t fed properly, and this is far too
dangerous.”
“We’re not alone this time around,” Rhys reasoned, pointing at
the other incubi behind them who were doing their best not to
eavesdrop. “What can possibly happen?”
Impossibly, Noah’s expression darkened even further. “Never say
that. Never bring bad luck on yourself.”
Rhys chuckled. “I never knew you were superstitious.”
“I’m a warlock, Rhys,” Noah answered. “I’m superstitious by
nature. But you know how magic works. Mere words can easily cause
energy to cluster around you, which can considerably change your
moods and actions.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
31
Yes, of course Rhys knew that. He understood all about people’s
moods and emotions. It was just Noah he didn’t understand. What a
cruel fate. The man Rhys loved was the one Rhys couldn’t read, at
least not in that respect. Oh, he realized more about Noah than the
warlock probably believed. He could easily see how the burdens of
the past strained Noah, how the memories of Tyrell Hall still bothered
him. But Noah would never let Rhys get close enough to fix that or
even offer the slightest comfort.
Nothing could be done to fix their relationship right now, so Rhys
offered Noah a small smile. “It’s okay. We’ll just go talk to this guy,
and then we’ll figure out what to do next. I did feed a little, so stop
worrying, all right?”
Or so Rhys said, although the only thing he’d done was to
masturbate. He couldn’t grasp how Alexis had managed to live off it
during the early stages of his pregnancy. No wonder his brother had
lost so much weight back then. Rhys’s health was starting to decline
as well, not as fast as Alexis’s had, but soon, he would not be able to
do anything to avoid having to feed normally.
Forcing his mind away from that, Rhys slipped through the
darkness and toward the decrepit house in front of them. It truly
looked like a place where an imp was likely to live. While incubi
were inclined toward lavishness and luxury, imps were filthier, lazier
creatures. They were like the little cockroaches of the overall demon
species, resilient throughout the ages, always squirming about in dark
spots without doing anything particularly outstanding.
Rhys was counting on this imp’s instinct of self-preservation to
receive his answers. An imp’s magic was futile against incubus
power, so even if there were more people here than Elden had
suggested, Rhys’s forces could easily deal with them.
Leading the way, Rhys reached the back courtyard of the house
and cracked the back door open. He frowned when he found it
unlocked. Noah might be right about something being fishy here, but
it was too late to back out now.
32
Scarlet Hyacinth
He slid inside, with Noah right behind him, a silent, stern shadow
that supported him at all times. The house was quiet. Dust motes
floated in the air, visible in the dim moonlight filtering through the
dirty windows. As Rhys entered the hallway, a musty scent assaulted
his nostrils. What was that? Mold? No, it was far too foul. And there
was something else. While in the sections of the homes they’d
explored so far Rhys hadn’t felt any particular emotion, a thick
sensation of anticipation struck him here, as well as a hint of
disappointment, and something else, like a dark poison in the shape of
an emotion. It didn’t belong to him, but rather to someone who’d been
here before. What exactly had that person looked forward to, and why
had he and she been disappointed? Who else had been in the group of
the killers?
It took one glance into the living room for Rhys to find at least
one part of his answer. The floor was littered in bodies. The putrid
scent of death emanated from the area, and Rhys gagged, quickly
backing out. And throughout it all, Rhys couldn’t help but notice the
slight irony of the fact that in that room, there was no trace of fear.
The imps here, for there had been more than one, hadn’t even
realized they would find their deaths in seconds. In a way, their quick
deaths seemed merciful, which suggested two things. There must have
been at least two or three breeds of demon involved, or of separate
species, at least. The fiend must have anticipated great pain in his
victim, but whoever his accomplice was had taken the imps out far
too quickly for the fiend’s enjoyment. The other person…Rhys
couldn’t tell. There were too many variables that could make him
misjudge the lingering traces of emotion.
“We need to scan the house for clues,” he said weakly. “We might
find more traces as to who could have done this.”
Predictably, Noah didn’t seem very thrilled about the idea. It was
indeed risky, given that the guilty parties behind the murders could
come back any moment now. But what else could Rhys do? Run
away? This whole thing was bigger than all of them. As an incubus,
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
33
he knew the history of the demons well, and he realized that if the
fiends had a ploy, it could hurt all his friends and his family,
everything they’d worked so hard for. It was unacceptable.
With that in mind, Rhys sent his people to search the rest of the
house, while he himself stalked back inside the room. He suppressed
the natural feeling of repugnance he got upon seeing the bodies and
carefully inspected his surroundings. His eyes fell on something that
looked like an innocuous pile of ashes. It was barely visible, given the
general mess of the place, but something about it gave Rhys the
shivers.
“Look at this, Noah,” Rhys said, pointing to the pile. “What do
you make of it?”
“Oh, dear.” Noah tsked. “It looks like at least one of those
vampires made a demon angry.”
Rhys was immediately startled. What kind of power could reduce
a vampire to ashes? True enough, that sort of thing happened when
vampires died, but surely something seriously intense must have
happened for all the imps and the vampire to have perished without
even realizing something was wrong.
That was the last thought Rhys had before a sensation of strange
wooziness gripped him. Distantly, he caught sight of Noah’s
concerned face, and then, everything went black.
* * * *
Noah caught Rhys’s body before the incubus hit the floor, all the
while shielding his face with his hand. There was indeed a strange
scent in the air, but now, it didn’t come only from the bodies. Instead,
it oozed all around them, like a dark hand beckoning Noah into a pool
of quicksand. A gas?
Rhys had already succumbed to it, but Noah seemed to have a bit
more resilience. Holding the incubus tightly, he rushed toward the
exit. As he ran, the air got even cloggier with the strange smell and
34
Scarlet Hyacinth
Noah heard the dull sound of bodies falling above them as the other
incubi in their party surrendered to the gas.
Noah burst through the exit door, half expecting someone to be
waiting for him. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, and here, the
air was clear. Gently, Noah placed Rhys on the grass. The last thing
he wanted was to leave Rhys, but he couldn’t exactly abandon the
other the incubi to die. Clearly, the gas had been the one to kill those
little demons and probably the vampire as well. Noah didn’t know
how long it would take to do its job, but Rhys already looked quite
affected.
As he ran back into the house, Noah retrieved his phone and
dialed the Whitaker mansion. He couldn’t remember what he said, but
his rambling conveyed the necessity of backup troops.
When he got to the upper floor, he found himself with another
difficulty. There were so many people to free from this trap, and he
was only one person. Pocketing his phone, Noah set to work. He
grabbed the two men closest to him, all the while struggling with the
gas that was starting to affect him as well. The headache that was
beginning to pound at the back of his skull told Noah that if the gas
didn’t kill him, something else might.
Noah didn’t allow the pain to stop him from his task. He shattered
one window and cast a spell on the lawn to pillow the incubi’s fall.
After that, he dumped the two men outside onto the magical net he’d
created. He repeated the process with everyone else in the area, until
finally, their entire group was free and safe.
By that point, Noah felt nauseous, like he was going to faint any
moment now. Through the haze of the pain, one thing remained
obvious to him. He had to get back to Rhys’s side and make sure his
friend, the man he loved, was safe.
Noah made a move to jump out the window, but fell through the
gap instead. Thankfully, his spell held and he landed safely on the
lawn. The air here helped clear his head, and even if he still hurt like
hell, he managed to crawl to the spot where he’d left Rhys.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
35
The incubus hadn’t moved, a thin trail of blood seeping over his
lips. Noah’s heart nearly stopped at the sight, but it started beating
again when he saw Rhys’s chest rise and fall as the demon breathed.
Nevertheless, that didn’t mean Rhys was out of the woods yet. Noah
took the other man’s hand and squeezed it tightly, sending all his
thoughts of love toward the incubus, hoping it would help. To a
certain extent, it seemed to have a positive effect, but it wasn’t
enough, not when Rhys had already starved himself even before this
expedition. Noah experienced great relief when several vehicles
stopped in front of the house and more incubi descended from the
cars.
“Someone give me a hand here,” he shouted. “Rhys is badly hurt.
And don’t go inside the house. There’s some sort of gas that knocked
everyone except me out.”
The demons took heed of his words. Everyone scattered about to
provide assistance for the injured. Sadly, this also meant that Rhys
was taken away from Noah, carefully mounted in one of the vehicles.
When Noah made a move to follow, a succubus shook her head at
him. “He’s safe right now. He needs to feed, and you can’t give him
that.”
“No one can give him what I can,” Noah said between gritted
teeth. He would not be parted from Rhys’s side, not by this woman,
not by anyone. “Now let me pass, before I make you.”
He was probably in no condition to go through with his threat, but
nevertheless, the succubus yielded. She allowed him to climb in the
back of the van that held Noah, which was a stroke of luck. He was so
very tired and so terrified for Rhys, more than he’d ever been for
himself.
Before the van door closed, he caught sight of some of the other
incubi already recovering. And yet, Rhys remained unconscious. This
was Noah’s fault. He had known how attached Rhys had grown to
him, but had stubbornly clung to the incubus, putting them both
through hell.
36
Scarlet Hyacinth
Noah promised himself that he would clarify things with Rhys.
Now, if only the incubus woke up. Holding Rhys’s hand again, Noah
prayed to every deity imaginable. Please, don’t let him die. I love him.
* * * *
Rhys felt warm. A sea of emotions surrounded him, separating
him from the real world and caressing his ethereal body. Sunlight
glittered across the waves, making it glow in a brilliant array of
colors. Yes, he was warm and safe.
But Noah, his friend, the man he loved, wasn’t here. These
emotions that reached Rhys seemed to belong to the warlock, but they
couldn’t replace him. Rhys wanted to go back, to find his soul
mate…God, his soul mate. Rhys desperately needed to return to his
side.
Alas, his limbs felt heavy and refused to aid him. The sea
remained calm and quiet, but Rhys had no strength to brave its deep
waters. As time passed, though, the refreshing waters fueled him. He
was still very weak, a clear consequence of having not fed for quite a
while. Even so, his will held the strength his body did not, and soon,
he found himself able to move. He swam through the waves he’d
floated on, unsure as to where he was headed.
His instinct must have taken him in the right direction, though,
since all of a sudden, the sea vanished, and Rhys was propelled
through a whirlpool out of his subconscious and into the real world.
The first thing he registered as he came to was a feeling of
weakness and pain. He remembered it now. Being in the imp’s home,
finding the vampire’s ashes, then nothing. What had happened? Had
they been attacked?
“Shh, Rhys,” a gentle voice said by his side. “Don’t strain
yourself. You’ve been through a lot.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
37
Rhys forced himself to open his eyes. He was unsurprised when
he saw Noah sitting by his bed. The warlock looked quite haggard,
dark circles under his eyes signaling that he hadn’t slept in a while.
“You look terrible,” Rhys said, and this time, he was indeed
shocked as his voice came out raspy.
Noah chuckled. “Thank you. I think I can return the compliment.”
Rhys felt a pang of dismay at the words. He knew it must be true.
He’d clearly been out for quite a while. He had already lost weight
before he’d even gone on that damn expedition, so he must look like a
walking skeleton now. He palmed his chest, and he realized that
indeed, he could feel his ribs. No wonder Noah didn’t want him. Who
could desire someone like him?
“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” Noah said. “I’ve been so
worried about you, Rhys. You have no idea…” Noah’s voice broke
off, and he reached for Rhys’s cheek. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m sorry
for what I did to you, to us.”
Noah hadn’t called Rhys baby since the day they’d met, so the
endearment struck Rhys hard. Did he dare hope that… No, no. It
couldn’t be. Noah had made it clear that he didn’t want Rhys like that.
And yet, in spite of knowing this, Rhys couldn’t hold back from
trying one more time. He reached for Noah, pulling the warlock close.
His soul mate came to him, and before Rhys knew it, soft lips crushed
against his almost violently.
It was unlike the other kiss they’d shared, and yet, so very similar.
It was still Noah, the same taste, the same scent, and the same
tenderness, even if this time, it lay hidden behind a layer of sensual
desperation. Rhys’s hunger rose, angry and hot, demanding that he
take what he’d yearned for so long.
Circumstances were far from ideal, and Rhys was still unsure
regarding Noah’s motives, but in the heat of the moment, none of that
mattered. Noah climbed into the bed and crawled over Rhys, never
once breaking their kiss. The warlock threw off the quilt covering
Rhys’s body, revealing Rhys’s near-nude form underneath. He wore
38
Scarlet Hyacinth
only a pair of briefs for modesty, something that was hardly
surprising given the condition he’d been in. It was customary for
incubi to be as close to naked as possible when they were extremely
sick, so the material didn’t get in the way of them absorbing
sensations and emotions.
This proved to be quite convenient for Noah, as the warlock swept
his hands all over Rhys, enflaming Rhys even further. At the same
time, Noah’s clothing scratched Rhys’s sensitive skin, providing both
an additional layer of sensation and a barrier between their bodies.
Rhys wrapped his legs around Noah’s waist, rubbing against the other
man madly, desperately seeking the delicious and tormenting friction.
Exquisite pain rose within him. He had not even realized how
much he’d wanted to do this, and now he was overwhelmed with the
lust, the desire, the intoxicating flavor of Noah’s need for him. He
was a starving man who’d fasted for months and now suddenly had a
banquet in front of him. Ravenous, wild with the hunger, Rhys found
a strength he didn’t know he had. He tore at Noah’s clothing,
experiencing savage satisfaction as fabric tore and seams ripped.
Alas, this led Noah to separate their mouths. Rhys let out a
keening sound, unwilling to be parted from Noah for even a second.
“Shush, baby. I’ll give you what you want.”
Noah muttered a spell under his breath. The result was quite
gratifying. Both Noah’s clothing and Rhys’s underwear tore off,
landing on the floor in a heap. For the first time, Rhys feasted his gaze
on Noah’s naked body. God, the man was beautiful. From his
expressive eyes and his so very kissable lips, to his rippling abs and
that gorgeous dick rising proudly between muscled thighs, everything
about Noah made Rhys hot with lust. He didn’t even know where to
look first and what to touch. He was completely frozen.
Thankfully, Noah didn’t suffer from this problem. He took charge
of the situation once again, flipping Rhys on all fours. “I’m afraid I
don’t have any spell to lube you up.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
39
“It’s fine,” Rhys gasped, throwing a gaze over his shoulder at
Noah. “I’m an incubus, remember? You can even take me dry.”
Noah’s gaze held a decision that touched Rhys to the core. “No.
I’ll never chance hurting you. Not with this. Not with anything else.”
Rhys didn’t get a chance to answer as his soon-to-be lover parted
his ass cheeks and licked across his crease. Pleasure exploded over
every inch of Rhys’s body. He’d always loved rimming, even more so
than others of his kind. It looked like Noah enjoyed it as well. Rhys’s
incubus senses were flooded with the warlock’s ecstasy and desire. It
almost seemed like Noah’s passion fed off Rhys’s, and the other way
around.
Noah thrust his tongue inside Rhys’s body, wiggling it around and
stretching Rhys’s passage in preparation for the act to come. Every
motion of that skilled muscle drove Rhys wild. He pushed back
against Noah, fucking his lover’s face. It was oh so good, and still not
enough, never enough. Rhys ached to fully feel Noah’s dick
penetrating him, filling him, stretching him.
He heard himself cry out, although he couldn’t really understand
the words. Moans, pleas, and an incoherent litany of Noah’s name
mingled together in a jumble that made very little sense. But Noah
didn’t seem to mind, or care. As always, he guessed what Rhys asked
of him.
The warlock pulled his tongue out of Rhys’s channel and flipped
Rhys on his back. “You weren’t lying when you said you easily adapt.
You just open up for me like a flower.”
Noah’s hot fist engulfed Rhys’s erection, massaging his dick.
“And look at you, so hard already. So beautiful. I just have to taste
you.”
And indeed, Noah did exactly what he said he would, lowering his
mouth to lick Rhys’s cock from head to tip. As Noah applied gentle
suction, Rhys was already so close he thought he would come any
moment now. But the hunger, God, the hunger, it wouldn’t be
appeased if Noah didn’t get inside him.
40
Scarlet Hyacinth
“Please,” he begged. “Please, Noah, fuck me.”
For a few more moments, Noah bobbed his head up and down
Rhys’s dick. Then, he took pity on Rhys and released the shaft with a
wet pop. He lifted Rhys’s legs on his shoulders and positioned his
dick at Rhys’s opening. In one smooth thrust, Noah slid home.
Rhys released a cry as Noah’s dick pierced him, filling his
channel to the brim. His body greedily accepted the invasion and
craved more. Incubi were generally like this, their physiology
allowing them to withstand even the hardest of sexual kinks. But this
seemed more than just Rhys’s natural adapting to intercourse. He and
Noah fit, like they were meant to be together. The only way Rhys
could possibly describe it was perfection.
Noah’s dick stretched him just right, causing a slight burn that
made the entire thing more real. His hands held on to Rhys’s hips a
little too tight, but the bite of pain just provided additional sensations.
Rhys clutched Noah’s shoulders so hard he was surprised he didn’t
draw blood, but Noah didn’t seem to mind, either.
All these things, tiny parts of a cohesive whole, made up for an
experience that simply blew Rhys’s mind. He’d imagined coupling
with Noah so many times, but nothing had prepared him for the
reality of it.
And then, Noah pulled out of him and thrust back in, hitting
Rhys’s prostate as he did so. Rhys’s mind melted into a puddle of lust.
His entire being became focused on Noah, his hunger driven by an
even deeper emotional need for the warlock.
Crying out his soul mate’s name, Rhys pushed back against Noah,
meeting the warlock’s every motion. They moved together in perfect
synchrony, as if they’d been lovers forever and hadn’t just
surrendered to the inevitable a little while ago. With every second that
passed, Noah pushed harder, and Rhys’s mind and body buzzed with
the power of his kind. He was so close now, so close to coming, but
he wanted to hold on a little longer, to prolong this beautiful moment
he’d waited for since he’d met Noah.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
41
On and on it went, Noah’s dick sliding in and out of Rhys,
massaging the sensitive walls of Rhys’s passage. Rhys’s dick wept
copious amounts of pre-cum, throbbing angrily and demanding to be
let in on the action. The slight friction provided by the motion of their
bodies simply didn’t suffice. But Rhys knew that, should Noah touch
him there, one single caress would send him over the edge. The
ecstasy was already reaching its boiling point, and Rhys would not be
able to contain it for much longer.
Sweat dripped over Noah’s forehead, wetting his hair. The
warlock’s lips were bared in a near snarl that spoke of just how close
Noah was to coming as well. Rhys could feel it all, the pressure
building inside Noah, like a volcano getting ready to erupt.
Finally, neither of them could withstand the overwhelming
rapture. Noah reached between their bodies and palmed Rhys’s cock.
One stroke of Noah’s hand and it was all over. Screaming, Rhys
came, his incubus magic flowing out of him and over them both in
waves of unleashed, almost angry power. Mere seconds later, Noah
followed him, finding his peak as well.
For one beautiful moment, Rhys’s and Noah’s minds were
completely linked. A bond snapped into place, one Rhys had hoped
for and had early anticipated. They were truly one now, their
differences forgotten. The only thing that mattered was their love, the
love that Rhys could now sense so clearly. There was just so much of
it. He felt bathed in it, engulfed by the radiance of an affection so
profound it had no beginning and no ending. They were Noah’s
emotions, and his own, and the intensity of it cast away all the doubts
and even the physical weakness that had settled in due to his injury.
But the happiness and the ecstasy that dwelled in him was
promptly cast aside when Rhys caught sight of a memory at the
corner of Noah’s mind. He gasped and gazed at Noah in shock, all
thoughts of sex forgotten. “What is the meaning of this? Noah, are
you really going to die?”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
Chapter Four
Rhys’s words shouldn’t have surprised Noah, but they did. He’d
known that the already-existing connection between them had the
potential to become something very powerful, very much like the
bond that currently existed between Rhys’s brother, Alexis, and
Alexis’s shifter mate, Morgan Cunningham. But he had not fully
grasped the fact that the link in question could give away the secret
he’d kept so zealously.
Noah slipped out of Rhys’s body, wincing as he did so. It was
hard to believe that, mere seconds before, they’d been lost in the
throes of orgasm, and now Noah had to explain something so horrid.
He’d have much preferred it if Rhys never found out. He should
have left before he got involved even further with Rhys. But how
could he resist the incubus? He just loved Rhys so very much that he
couldn’t even trust his reason where the demon was concerned. He
didn’t even know what would be better for Rhys.
“Leave?” Rhys asked, having obviously caught on to the thought.
“Was that your plan? To abandon me without even saying good-bye?
To die alone and hope that I’d eventually forget you?”
Noah grimaced. This connection would take a while to get used
to. He’d grown accustomed to hiding the more unpleasant things from
Rhys, and it looked like it would no longer work from now on.
Perhaps it was better this way. Without their bond, Noah might have
never mustered enough courage to tell Rhys the truth.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he replied. “I just didn’t see any other way. I
knew you would be hurt, but if I’m around you when I die, it would
be even worse.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
43
Rhys’s hand collided with Noah’s cheek. “Don’t say such things.
You’re not going to die. There has to be a way.” His expression
cleared as he seemed to come up with an idea. “The Sidhe! The Sidhe
helped heal severe injuries before. They cured my dad after the
vampires’ attack. They can help you as well.”
Noah shook his head sadly. “Unfortunately, they can’t. I should
know. I tried.”
As he spoke, he summoned the memory of the last time he’d been
on the Sidhe island. He had held the same hope as Rhys did now, but
after what he’d found out there, it had become clear to him that a
future with Rhys was impossible.
“How do you feel?” King Sterling
asked Noah. “How’s your head?”
Noah looked at the Sidhe ruler and mentally sought for the ache
that had been his constant companion for a while now. “It’s gone,”
he said with a gasp. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Sterling helped Noah out of the glowing water of the Silver Pool.
It was a place of purity and magic, the most potent source of the
Sidhes’ magic that was said to be able to heal all wounds. Noah had
approached Sterling so that he could use it, and to his surprise, the
king had granted Noah’s request.
As Noah left the water, though, a pang of pain struck him again. It
wasn’t as strong as the headaches he had suffered from before
coming here, but even so, it unsettled him.
“King Sterling, I...I think something might be wrong.”
Sterling released a heavy sigh. “I’m so sorry, Noah. Your tumor
has receded, it’s true, but the Silver Pool can only provide a
temporary cure. Once you leave, the tumor will slowly start growing
again.”
Noah felt like he’d had happiness within his reach and it had
slipped between his fingers once again. “But…” He was choking. He
couldn’t get any air. “But how can that be?”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
“The spell you cast to end your father’s life was very powerful.
Some things cannot be changed, not even through the magic of the
Sidhe.”
Noah took a deep breath, struggling to accept what Sterling was
saying. “How much time do I have?”
“Through repetitive treatment, you might live for years from now,
even a decade. But eventually, the tumor will become immune to the
Silver Pool’s influence. I cannot be sure when that will occur.”
Sterling didn’t say it outright, but this meant that Noah’s sickness
could easily worsen in one month or even a day. Regardless, the
Sidhe royal had been very supportive, so Noah had to thank him. “I
appreciate your assistance in this matter, King Sterling, and your
discretion,” he said.
“You are most welcome, Noah. I only wish I could help you more,
but you are always welcome here whenever you need access to the
Silver Pool. And worry not. No one will know of this.”
“My thanks again,” Noah said. “I should be going now. Rhys is
probably wondering where I ran off to, and I’ve already encroached
on your time enough.”
Sterling just gave him an indulgent smile. “Very well, Noah.
There is a change of clothes in the next room. Take care and make
sure you don’t stress your magic too much. I will see you again before
you leave.”
Noah whispered a good-bye and left the Silver Pool area. He had
earned a little more time, a delay until the inevitable happened. Now,
a question appeared. What would he do with it?
As Noah remembered, he allowed Rhys to see into his mind as
well, and he was not surprised when Rhys recoiled in shock. Even
without being an incubus, Noah could feel the other man’s pain.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he said again. “It’s a direct consequence of
the spell I cast to kill my father. You know how powerful he was.”
Noah released a bitter laugh. “And the irony of it remains that, back
then, he still eluded death by stealing Daire’s body.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
45
“There’s nothing ironic about this, Noah,” Rhys replied. “You
can’t die. You can’t die. You absolutely can’t die.”
With every repetition of the phrase, Rhys’s voice grew louder, as
if he was trying to convince himself of the truth of the words. Noah
pulled his lover close, caressing his soft hair. In spite of it all, he
couldn’t help but be happy that the sex between them had healed
Rhys, making him look even more beautiful than ever. “Shh, baby.
Calm down. It’s going to be okay.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean, Noah,” Rhys retorted, breaking
away from him. “If you’d truly thought that, you’d have told me all of
this before.”
Unfortunately, it was true. Right now, the only thing Noah could
provide was empty comfort since the cold, unyielding reality lay right
there, within Noah’s memories, in the words Sterling had said to him.
Noah had once made a choice. He had seen what his father’s
wickedness was doing to the coven, and as much as it had pained him,
he’d realized the only way to stop it was by killing Tyrell. To do so,
however, he’d been forced to use black magic, forces his body wasn’t
accustomed to. The array of spells required to stop Tyrell’s life had
also birthed the tumor now growing within Noah’s brain.
As if taking a decision, Rhys climbed into Noah’s lap and
wrapped his arms around his neck. “I won’t let you die, Noah. I
promise you that.”
It pained Noah to say it, but he doubted Rhys could help him
where Sterling had failed. “I’m not sure there’s anything left to try,
baby,” he answered.
“There must be a way,” Rhys replied stubbornly. “I’ll find it. I
won’t rest until I do.”
“But what about the vampires and the demons?” Noah inquired,
gobsmacked.
“Fuck it all. I don’t care about any of it. You’re the only one who
matters to me.” His expression softened as he caressed Noah’s cheek.
46
Scarlet Hyacinth
“Do you remember how your father used to say that shifters are weak
because they allow their mates to become their first priority?”
Noah nodded, still dazed from Rhys’s reaction. “Well, I don’t
think we’re weak,” Rhys continued. “I think we’re strong, love, so
very strong, as long as we stick together. And life wouldn’t have
brought us together to separate us so soon. I refuse to believe it.”
As Rhys spoke, a spark of hope appeared in Noah’s chest. Perhaps
not all was lost. He had to believe in Rhys, and in himself. He had to
believe that they still had a chance, because he loved Rhys too much
to give up.
* * * *
A few days later
King Sterling Tomacelli watched Rhys with an assessing
expression, his blue eyes like chips of ice piercing Rhys to the very
core. “I understand that you want to help Noah,” he said, “but I
haven’t been able to figure out a more permanent method to heal
him.”
Rhys didn’t avert his gaze. Even now, his new mate was
undergoing the procedure that would make his tumor recede again.
But how long would the Silver Pool be able to help? Rhys needed to
find a solution to this quickly. The mere thought of losing Noah made
his blood run cold in his veins.
“The truth is, Rhys, that the affliction Noah suffers from isn’t like
a normal cancerous tumor. As you know, the Silver Pool could easily
deal with something like that. But this particular problem originates
from Noah’s own spell. He used some very dangerous magic in order
to breach the barriers protecting Tyrell Hall, and while he did kill his
father, there were effects on Noah himself. Let me explain it to you
this way. It’s like with a shotgun. When the strength of the blast is
very powerful, it recoils against your hand and can hurt you if you’re
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
47
not careful. Suffice to say, the spell that affects Noah now wasn’t one
he used on a regular basis.”
Yes, Rhys knew what Sterling was referring to. Black magic was
like that, which was why demons were among the few species who
constantly used it. Alas, incubus spells were nothing like the ones
Noah had cast, so Rhys could do very little to assist his mate with
this.
A thought occurred to him, something that had been circling his
mind for a while now. What they needed was a specialist, a person
who knew more about this kind of dark magic. Another demon.
Noah’s voice drifted in Rhys’s mind, strong and decisive. “No.
Absolutely not. There are demons on our trail hunting us, and you
want to cooperate with them?”
“Anything is better than you dying,” Rhys replied.
“Rhys, baby, you don’t even know where we would begin. The
only clue we got in finding out who awakened the Yamamoto
vampires was from your brother. He can’t possibly help us now, and I
don’t think anyone from your family could.”
Noah was right in that regard, of course. Rhys’s father had been
actually thrilled that Rhys had decided to leave with Noah for the
Sidhe island. His dad hadn’t been so happy. Rhys still couldn’t
believe Romaine had known about Noah’s tumor and had hidden it
from him. Someone like Romaine, who had his own mate, should
understand the extent of Rhys’s bond with Noah. For that reason, it
was somewhat better that Rhys had left, but at the same time, it made
it impossible for them to even ask for help. On the other hand, it
might be better since Rhys’s father would certainly not be pleased
upon finding out Rhys’s idea.
“I’m not pleased, either,” Noah pointed out. “Look, I’ll heal with
the effect of the Silver Pool. Don’t rush things. I don’t want you hurt
because of me.”
Rhys didn’t bother to point out that his own welfare depended on
Noah’s. He didn’t even want to live if Noah died, and since he was an
48
Scarlet Hyacinth
incubus, he had no doubt that it would happen. The strangest thing
was that he didn’t fear for himself. He was terrified of a world
deprived of Noah’s strength, of his uniqueness, and his power of self-
sacrifice.
“I’m not worth you even thinking such things,” Noah said in his
mind.
“You’re worth that, and more,” Rhys replied, frustrated. In spite
of how much Rhys loved the warlock, his feelings had so far been
unable to defeat Noah’s low opinion of himself. But that would not
stop Rhys. He’d do anything to save Noah.
As if guessing Rhys’s thoughts, Sterling offered Rhys a serious
look. “Of course, there is someone who might be able to give you
some insight on this. Understand, this is a dangerous path and I
cannot guarantee the results, but it might provide you with what you
seek.”
Rhys’s eyes widened. “Who? Who is it, King Sterling?”
“Have you ever heard of pixies?”
Rhys arched a brow at the Sidhe sovereign. “I thought they were a
myth.”
Sterling shook his head. “You should know better by now. Every
myth has a grain of truth in it. You might not realize this, but half-
breeds aren’t a new thing. Pixies are an example of it. They originate
from a mix of Sidhe and demon blood, and through thorough
inbreeding within their own kind, they managed to become a race that
is separate from both species.” A small smile appeared. “Perhaps in
decades, your own offspring, or Winter’s, or Alexis’s, would have
placed the basis of a new race themselves. But back to the pixies.
Generally, they are neutral in everything, even more so than vampires
have been. However, they have been known to be drawn to a certain
cause, for a price.”
“A price?” Rhys repeated. “I don’t understand, King Sterling.
What price?”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
49
“Money is meaningless for the pixies. They tend to be quite fickle
and unreasonable, which is why my position makes it impossible for
me to deal with them. The last time a Sidhe sovereign asked for a
favor from them, they asked for a replica of the Silver Pool, with
genuine water taken from here. Naturally, they were refused.”
“And these are the people who can help me heal Noah?” Rhys no
longer knew what to say or think. “It’s true I’d do anything for him,
but are they really trustworthy?”
“The Sidhe part of them is, but you must be careful what you say
around them. While they’ll fulfill your wish, the price might be too
steep. Alas, they’re the only demons with access to black magic that
you’d be able to reach.”
“I don’t like this, Rhys,” Noah said in Rhys’s mind. Rhys realized
that during his conversation with Sterling, Noah had finished his
treatment in the Silver Pool and was now headed their way. “I can
only imagine what they’d ask of an incubus.”
Rhys sighed to himself. Yes, he guessed that as well. The favors
an incubus could provide would be sexual in nature. While Rhys
hated just the thought of being touched by a person other than Noah,
he’d do it should it be required to rescue Noah.
A knock sounded at the door of the throne room. “Yes?” Sterling
called out.
A guard entered and bowed lowly. “Noah Hall to see you, Your
Majesty,” he announced.
“Thank you,” Sterling replied. “Let him in.”
The soldier moved aside, and Noah stepped into the throne room.
To Rhys’s relief, he looked much better than the last time Rhys had
seen him. However, Rhys could also feel Noah’s anger, and it didn’t
take a genius to realize its cause.
Noah bowed in front of the Sidhe king as well, and as the guard
left, Sterling gestured for him to rise. “I’m glad to see your condition
has improved,” he said. “The Silver Pool helped this time around as
well.”
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Scarlet Hyacinth
“Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty. Your generosity is much
appreciated.” He paused. “However, I cannot agree with the
suggestion you made to my mate. He is not a whore to be passed
around, no matter the cause.”
Rhys gasped, shocked that Noah dared to speak like that to
Sterling and somewhat hurt by the words as well. Noah stepped
toward him and hugged him close. “I know it’s not what you want,
baby, but those people are going to take advantage of you,” he said
through their bond. “Anyone would be able to see how much you want
to help me.”
“You don’t know that will happen. Besides, what other option do
we have? Just wait until the Silver Pool stops working?” Rhys
clutched Noah tightly, willing the warlock to understand. “If they do
ask for that, it might be hard, but in the long run, it’s much preferable
to the alternative.”
“It is your choice,” Sterling said. “So far, it is the only option I’ve
found that presents some chances of success.”
For a few moments, Noah remained silent. He took a deep breath
and finally spoke. “I will go alone. That way, they won’t be able to
force Rhys into anything.”
“Absolutely not,” Rhys answered. “We’re not going to be parted
ever again. No matter what I have to do, we stick together. We’re
stronger like this, remember?”
Noah seemed torn between his instinct to protect Rhys and the
trust he had in their bond. Rhys hated this entire situation. They
shouldn’t have to choose between demeaning themselves in front of
people who would use them and giving up their lives and happiness.
Nevertheless, the option gave them some hope, so Rhys forced
himself to be optimistic. “Thank you, King Sterling,” he told the
Sidhe. “We’ll do it. Just show us the way.”
“It’s going to be tricky. I do know where they are, but going there
unannounced would automatically forfeit any possibility of aid from
them.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
51
“Then can we send a message?” Rhys inquired.
Sterling nodded. “Be honest, polite, but not too solicitous. That
will give them the opening they need to take advantage. I will send it
for you to their location.”
Rhys didn’t even bother to ask how the Sidhe king had found out
about the lair of the pixies. Sterling often showed evidence of
knowing things he definitely shouldn’t, but Rhys had stopped
questioning it a long time ago. As long as Sterling was on their side,
this ability could only be helpful.
Noah still didn’t look very happy about the circumstances, but
eventually, he agreed. Later that day, the message was sent, and Rhys
and Noah were left waiting for a response. To his surprise, it arrived
the next morning, telling them to get ready for a meeting with a pixie
representative. Sadly, the message stressed the fact that Rhys needed
to be there as well, which confirmed Noah and Rhys’s original guess
about what the pixies had in mind for them.
Upon their departure, they were led to their plane by the entire
royal family. Winter, Corbin, and their son, Lamont, were visiting, so
they came as well. “Be very careful,” Winter told him. “I know it’s
very important to find out what’s going on with the demons, but
pixies are tremendously dangerous.”
“If they try anything, just leave,” Corbin added. “Nothing’s worth
surrendering to their whims.”
Honestly, Rhys disagreed, and he thought that if Corbin and
Winter fully understood his circumstances, they would realize it also.
He didn’t say what he was thinking, though. Instead, he kissed
Lamont’s furry head. “Thanks for the advice,” he told Corbin and
Winter. “We’ll be fine. We’ve dealt with worse threats.”
“Don’t underestimate them,” Sterling warned. “Stick together no
matter what. Treat them as potential allies, but don’t be afraid to
defend your dignity. Above all else, defend your bond. You might
find that the pixies can surprise you in a positive way. You must not
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Scarlet Hyacinth
refuse to embrace new friendships. Remember this, because it’s very
important.”
“We will remember,” Rhys promised. He didn’t know what to
make of Sterling’s cryptic words, but he suspected that he would find
out soon enough.
They said their good-byes and boarded the jet that would carry
them to the meeting spot. As they sat down, Rhys took Noah’s hand
and squeezed it. “Don’t worry, love. This is the right thing to do. I’m
convinced of it.”
Noah released a heavy sigh. “I wish I could say the same, baby. I
wish I could say the same.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
53
Chapter Five
“Well, well. You’re both far prettier than I imagined.”
The female pixie eyed Noah and Rhys with great interest. Since
those words had been said in place of a greeting, Noah thought that
the meeting might not go very well.
They had been told to go to a remote area in Spain. Another plane
had taken them from there and brought them to this location, a grove
in a forest that seemed absolutely untouched by mankind. Noah didn’t
know exactly where they were since they had been blindfolded until
they’d gotten here, but judging by the fauna and flora he detected
around them, he guessed they must still be somewhere in Europe.
“Thank you for agreeing to see us,” he said between gritted teeth.
“As we mentioned in the message, it’s a matter of life and death.”
The woman sat on a tree stump, crossing her legs and playing with
the blades of grass. The plants seemed to twine around her fingers, as
if caressing her skin. All the while, the pixie never took her eyes off
Noah and Rhys. “So you said.” She arched a perfect blonde brow. “I
don’t suppose this has anything to do with recent developments in the
demon world.”
Noah felt tremendous satisfaction upon knowing he would take
her by surprise. “Not really. It’s a more…private matter.”
“Oh.” The pixie grinned, her appreciation of Noah and Rhys
growing even bolder. Abandoning the grass, she pinched her own
nipple through the near-transparent material of her garb. “That’s very
interesting. Please, tell me more.”
Rhys didn’t seem fazed by the display. Naturally, he was used to
overt sexuality and had no problems with a random pixie touching
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Scarlet Hyacinth
herself in front of them. “We come in search of some information
about black magic,” he replied.
Just like that, the pixie’s pleasant expression vanished. She shot to
her feet, her eyes glaring daggers at them. “Then you’re speaking to
the wrong people,” she answered. “Leave now.”
The tone of her voice made the guards that had been looming at
the edge of the grove advance toward them. Noah could probably cast
a spell to immobilize them should the need arise, but their attitude
actually encouraged them.
“You misunderstand. We don’t want to use it. We want to heal its
effects.”
“Effects.” The female pixie peered at him closer, as if trying to
find something. “Ah, I see what you mean,” she said after a brief
pause. “How…unpleasant. Well, you made your bed and now you
must sleep in it. We can’t help you.”
“There was no other choice at the time,” Rhys answered. “Please.
There’s no one else we can turn to.”
“Too bad,” the woman said cruelly. “We have a strict policy
against black magic users.”
Noah couldn’t help it. He laughed. “And you think you’re so
much better than me. Remember yourself. You’re still half-demon,
pixie. You’re basically refusing a dying man and his mate, all because
of your biased views. You don’t even know me, and you judge me
following your arbitrary standards.” He shook his head, baring his
teeth in disgust. “Come on, Rhys. We’re wasting our time here.
They’re useless.”
Rhys straightened his spine and took Noah’s hand. “You’re right.
Let’s go.”
“Not so fast,” the woman replied. Noah tensed, ready to attack
should they stop him and Rhys from leaving. To his surprise, the pixie
snickered. “Follow me. I shall grant you an audience with our
shaman, but don’t hold your breath. He’ll probably refuse you.”
Noah shared a look with Rhys. “What do you think, baby?”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
55
Rhys shrugged. “I don’t like this, or her, but this is what we came
here for, right? We can’t back out now.”
Unfortunately, Rhys had a point. “Thank you,” Noah told the
pixie. “We appreciate your help.”
“I doubt that very much,” she answered. “For the moment, let me
introduce myself. I’m Saaze Ketsara, teacher of the Yadiran tribe of
the pixie nation.”
“I’m Noah Hall, and this is Rhys Whitaker,” Noah said in turn. He
wondered what being a teacher meant for the pixies. If she was an
example of how pixies were educated, it wasn’t very promising for
Noah’s future.
“Please, follow me,” Saaze said again. “Don’t talk to anyone until
you speak to the shaman. He will let you know whether you’re
allowed to say anything or not.”
“Uh…All right.” This was getting confusing. “Any other rules we
should know?”
Saaze shook her head. “You probably won’t be here long enough
for that.”
Without another word, she turned her back on them and glided out
of the grove. Her elegance and grace did remind Noah of Rhys, but
also of Winter Tomacelli. Too bad pixies were so unpleasant and
antisocial. They were truly beautiful creatures.
Still holding Rhys’s hand, Noah went after Saaze, with the guards
trailing behind them through the undergrowth. The walk seemed to go
on forever. At one point, it became apparent to Noah that Saaze was
leading them in circles. He didn’t say anything, though, guessing this
might be Saaze’s way to confuse them.
“I’m honestly surprised she even agreed to take us to her shaman
after her reaction to the black magic thing,” Rhys told him through
their bond. “Perhaps you made a good impression on her.”
“Or perhaps she was so pissed off with me that she decided she
wants to give us a lesson. Either way, baby, we have to be on our
guard. These people are not our friends.”
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Finally, just as Noah was about to lose his patience, the group left
the forest and ended up in yet another grove. Noah’s eyes widened.
This was nothing like the area they’d met in. The trees seemed to
grow even taller in this area, their roots having extended with age.
There were little shelters built under those roots, homes Noah could
barely catch a glimpse of and that could most likely be disguised
should any accidental passerby run into this place. But mostly, what
surprised Noah most was the people. There were so many of them, far
more than Noah had expected. Young men and women, but also more
mature pixies, all with the same willowy stature and grace Saaze had
displayed earlier, spoke in soft, nearly inaudible voices, walking
around, flirting and chatting. They didn’t address Noah and Rhys at
all, nor did they look at them. Noah decided it was best to follow
Saaze’s earlier advice and remain silent until they reached their
destination.
Noah didn’t know what he’d expected the famous shaman to be
like, but when Saaze stopped in front of one particular pixie, Noah
was taken aback. He would not have known this was the man they’d
come to see without her help.
“So, you’ve brought them to me, have you, Saaze?” the male pixie
asked pleasantly. “I hope you have another reason besides their
uncommon good looks.”
Much like his people, the shaman was very tall and slim. He lay
down in the shadow of a nearby tree, caressing a tree root, much like
Saaze had done with the grass earlier. He seemed older than Saaze,
but it did not show in his body or his skin, only in his eyes. They held
a wisdom that reminded Noah of what he saw when he looked at
Sterling Tomacelli. Even so, the hint of demonic naughtiness was still
there, and Noah wrapped a possessive arm around Rhys’s waist. No
matter what, he would not allow these people to take advantage of
Rhys.
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
57
“The gentlemen here are Noah Hall and Rhys Whitaker,” Saaze
replied. “Mr. Hall found it beneficial for him to use black magic, and
now he’s paying the price.”
“And he wants our assistance for it.” The shaman hummed
thoughtfully. “I’m now wondering what made you bring them here in
the first place. You know I don’t see people like that.”
Saaze said something in a language Noah didn’t understand,
which made the shaman chuckle. Noah ached to punch him in the
face, but he got distracted by a quiet, slender man making his way to
the shaman’s side. He knelt next to the pixie leader and whispered
something in the shaman’s ear.
The shaman’s expression turned gentle and concerned. Looking
away from Saaze, he took hold of the new arrival’s shoulders and
pressed their foreheads together. There was a brief exchange, again in
that language Noah didn’t know, during which the stranger seemed to
be trying to convince the shaman of something. Finally, the older
pixie released a sigh and turned toward Noah and Rhys.
“Very well. I’ll hear you out, but only because my son insists it’s
important.”
His son must be the young man who’d just been arguing with him,
Noah realized. He didn’t bother to dwell on why anyone here would
be on their side. Instead, he launched himself in an explanation of his
situation and how he’d acquired the tumor.
After he finished, the shaman seemed a little less dismissive. “I
see,” he said. “Well, I can understand why you made the choice you
did.”
For the first time, the shaman gestured for them to sit down. “I am
Abduk, and this is my son, Kieve. As shaman over this tribe, I can
assist you with your request, should you agree to my price.”
Noah heeded Abduk’s invitation and lay down on the grass, with
Rhys following his example. “And what exactly is your price?” Noah
inquired.
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“Well, normally, since Rhys here is an incubus…Well, I don’t
have to tell you what I would ask.” Noah clenched his fists, struggling
to control his rising temper. Abduk continued to speak, completely
undeterred. “But since Kieve insists you two are mates, I won’t ask
for that. We respect a deep bond, and we would not force you to
breach it.”
“What is it that you want, then?” Rhys asked.
“It’s quite simple, really. I want you two to have sex, with each
other, in front of all of us. It would be quite an enjoyable show for my
tribe and an appropriate trade-off for the favor you require.”
Noah was dumbfounded. In truth, this seemed far better than any
option that had occurred to him, and it was probably nothing Rhys
hadn’t already done. Still, Noah treasured every moment he shared
with Rhys, and he didn’t want their lovemaking to be corrupted by the
lusts of others.
“How do we even know you’ll keep your word?”
“You don’t,” Abduk replied. “You’ll just have to trust us.”
“I don’t think we have much choice, Noah,” Rhys said through
their bond. “But it’s not so bad. If they can truly help you, this is
nothing.”
With a sigh, Noah nodded. “All right. But no one is touching Rhys
or else the deal is off.”
“Worry not, Mr. Hall,” a soft voice said. “Your mate is safe here.”
For whatever reason, Noah was not surprised that Abduk’s son
had said the words. Even so, he didn’t trust anyone here, not even
Kieve, who appeared to want to help them. “Let’s just do this
already,” he said curtly. “I don’t want to linger here for much longer.”
* * * *
When Rhys had dreamed of making love with Noah, he had never
once imagined that soon, there would come a time when he’d be so
nervous at his mate’s touch. The feeling of anticipation he always
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
59
experienced upon being with Noah was very different to this. As an
incubus, he’d had sex in even more exotic ways and locations, but not
since mating Noah. With his mate, he was possessive, and he didn’t
want to share the warlock with anyone.
Nevertheless, Rhys admitted they’d been quite lucky so far. In the
end, what did it matter if the entire world saw them together? Rhys
was not ashamed of their love. If anything, he couldn’t be more proud
of it.
With that in mind, Rhys went to the center of the grove and sat on
the grass. As Noah joined them, the pixies who had not paid any
attention to him and his mate until then now revealed their true
interest. They gathered around under the trees, creating a circle
around Rhys and Noah. The grove was so large that Rhys could
hardly even see them, but he could definitely feel their emotions, their
gathering anticipation and arousal.
It was familiar, but still somewhat frightening, because Rhys had
never truly showed his incubus side to Noah. But when Noah knelt by
his side and gently cupped his cheek, all of Rhys’s doubts fled.
Whether they were here, back home, in a random hotel room, or on
the moon itself, Rhys and Noah were mates. As long as they were
together, nothing else mattered.
“That’s right, baby,” Noah said in his mind. “Just let them watch
and know that you belong to me. No one else has the right to touch
you. Not now, not ever.”
Rhys shivered in excitement and pulled Noah down on him. Their
lips met in a kiss that started out as gentle, but grew more intense,
more possessive, to a certain extent, desperate. Rhys wrapped his
arms around Noah’s neck, moaning as the warlock’s tongue thrust
into his mouth. Already lost in his mate’s taste, Rhys gasped in
surprise when Noah pulled away from the kiss. He wanted more. He
wanted everything Noah had to give.
Fortunately, Noah seemed to have something similar in mind. The
warlock murmured a spell, and the buttons of Rhys’s shirt started to
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undo by themselves. Apparently, Noah was taking heed of the fact
that they weren’t in their home, after all, and couldn’t afford to lose
their clothing.
Rhys just stood by passively, waiting as the spell did its job. He
knew he should be helping out a bit, but he was frozen by the sight of
Noah working on his own clothing. The warlock didn’t use magic to
undress himself. Instead, he made a show of stripping for Rhys’s
benefit, slowly revealing his wonderfully muscular body as he undid
each button at a time. With every inch of exposed skin, Rhys’s
arousal increased more and more, his erection straining against the
material of his pants. When Noah dumped his shirt on the grass, Rhys
actually started panting, the urgency growing within him so intense he
felt like he’d turn the entire forest to ash. And the hunger, God, the
hunger…It had never been so wild and furious before Rhys had met
Noah. Unlike then, however, this angry need could be tamed by
Noah’s kisses, his touch, his love.
Noah smiled at him and swept his fingers over Rhys’s crotch. The
zipper of Rhys’s pants lowered, revealing Rhys’s underwear. That
move snapped Rhys out of his trance, and he unashamedly kicked his
pants away. His shoes tried to stop him from achieving his goal, but a
murmured spell from Noah slipped them off. Rhys’s briefs were the
last to go, leaving him naked in front of Noah.
There was something deliciously wicked in being nude in the
meadow, feeling the fertile ground beneath him and with the blades of
grass caressing his skin just like Noah’s gaze did. As Noah pushed his
own pants off, Rhys extended his hands, beckoning his mate closer.
“Come claim me,” he said through their bond. “I need you,
Noah.”
Something seemed to snap inside Noah. With a low growl, the
warlock released himself from the rest of his clothing, moving with a
speed that rivaled that of a shifter. When they were finally both
naked, Noah brought their bodies close. “I want you so badly, Rhys,”
he murmured. “I’m not going to be able to hold back today.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
61
“You don’t have to,” Rhys answered. “You never have to hold
back with me.”
Noah pushed two fingers inside Rhys’s mouth, and Rhys eagerly
fellated them, doing an imitation of the attention he’d have loved to
lavish on Noah’s cock. Noah never once looked away from him as he
thrust his digits in and out of Rhys’s wet cavern. There was a hint of
dark intensity in Noah, something that hadn’t been there before during
their previous times together. It might have been a desire to make sure
everyone understood the truth about their bond, or something entirely
different. Rhys didn’t look too deeply into it. The only thing he cared
about was having his mate inside him. Everything else except that
need had disappeared.
The warlock finally retrieved his fingers from Rhys’s mouth and
slid them over Rhys’s body to his hole. Rhys lifted his legs, bending
nearly in half to give his mate access. He couldn’t help a moan when
Noah’s digits first touched his sensitive entrance. His anus ached to
be filled, desiring Noah’s invasion. But for all of Noah’s clear
impatience, the warlock kept the promise he’d made to Rhys, not
taking any chances. He slipped one finger inside Rhys’s passage,
working him like a virtuoso would a musical instrument. When
Rhys’s body accepted it eagerly, Noah added the second finger,
scissoring them inside Rhys to stretch him. In the process, he brushed
against Rhys’s prostate, making sparks of pleasure fly over every inch
of Rhys’s skin.
Rhys cried out his mate’s name and pushed back against the
digits, seeking more of the delicious, addictive sensations. It was oh
so good, but still not enough. As he thrashed on the grass, his eyes fell
on a slender figure now lying next to them. The shaman’s son, Kieve,
watched them with keen eyes, from a safe distance, but still far closer
than everyone else. “Don’t mind me,” Kieve said. “I won’t join in.
I’m just watching.”
Noah didn’t even show any sign that he’d heard Kieve, and Rhys
disregarded the pixie’s presence as well. In a way, Kieve’s obvious
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appreciation of them thrilled Rhys’s incubus instincts, just like the
arousal coming from the crowd did. But all those emotions were mere
shadows at the edge of Rhys’s consciousness, paling in front of the
bright star that was Rhys’s connection to Noah.
At last, Noah removed his fingers from Rhys’s ass and lifted
Rhys’s legs on his shoulders. The warlock positioned his dick at
Rhys’s opening and, in one single thrust, he impaled Rhys. The
invasion burned, as saliva was far from the best lubricant in existence,
but Rhys didn’t mind. He loved it when Noah got a little rough with
him. It meant that the warlock desired him so much he lost sight of his
precious control, something that held an incredible value for Rhys.
Rhys clutched his lover’s shoulders, hanging on for what would
undoubtedly be a wild ride. Noah pulled out of him then shoved his
cock back in, hitting Rhys’s prostate so hard Rhys nearly came on the
spot. He tightened his hold on Noah, guessing that at this point he
must be drawing blood, but unable to do anything about it.
Over and over, Noah fucked him with the same determination
Noah had when pursuing every goal he set for himself. Rhys could
sense his mate’s emotions, the near-desperate desire to get deeper into
Rhys’s channel, to brand him from the inside out, to live in this
moment forever and never have to come back to reality. They were
feelings that found an echo inside Rhys’s own heart. The deep
affection entwined with the sensuality of their carnal passion as their
souls reached out for each other and their bodies came together in the
most intimate way two men could possibly be.
Rhys was already frighteningly close to finding his peak, but he
mentally leashed his hunger, not wanting this to end just yet. Noah’s
thoughts drifted in his mind, erratic, sweet, lustful, and loving.
“Ah…Rhys…So tight…Love you…My mate…Please…”
Even if the thoughts themselves lacked coherence, they somehow
translated in Rhys’s mind, making him know exactly what Noah
wanted and what he was wishing for. Gathering the last remaining
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
63
threads of his control, he sent an answer to his mate. “We’ll get there,
love. We’ll be together forever. This won’t ever end.”
Tears glistened at the corners of Noah’s eyes, something anyone
else except Rhys might have missed. Rhys’s own love and desperate
hope filled him, reaching out to Noah, trying to provide a balm for the
warlock’s still-wounded heart.
At the same time, the physical pleasure of their union reached a
point where it could no longer be held back. Absorbing it all through
his incubus magic, Rhys flooded their bond with their shared rapture.
Noah thrust inside him one last time and then wet heat bathed the
walls of Rhys’s anus. Even as Rhys came, the bursts of Noah’s climax
slammed into Rhys with a near-physical force, propelling him into a
second orgasm, making his mind short-circuit with the dizzying
ecstasy.
He might have blacked out because of the pleasure, but over
Noah’s shoulder, he caught sight of Kieve once more. Throughout the
lovemaking with Noah, Rhys had completely forgotten the pixie was
there.
Kieve had a sharp knife in his hand, its wooden handle shining
with golden symbols. Before Rhys could recover from his daze and
do anything about it, the pixie slit his own wrist. Kieve’s blood
dropped over Noah’s skin, and while Rhys couldn’t see it because of
the angle, he felt the exact moment when the crimson liquid hit his
lover’s back.
Rhys’s vision went red, then white. His world dissolved, turning
into an ethereal space unlike anything he’d seen before. He found
himself floating among wispy white clouds that vanished and re-
formed around him, taking all sorts of strange shapes. Rhys could
swear that in those clouds, he saw Alexis cradling his infant son, his
two fathers, Elden, and many other figures, some familiar, others
foreign.
To his relief, Noah appeared right there next to him. “What is this
place?” Rhys asked Noah. “Where are we?”
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Noah looked as confused and lost as Rhys himself felt, but before
he could answer, Kieve made his appearance, manifesting from the
ethereal insubstantiality of a cloud. “Nowhere. Everywhere,” the pixie
replied cryptically. “Wherever your heart wants you to be.”
“I don’t understand,” Noah said. “What are we doing here? Why
did you step in on a private moment between me and my mate?”
Kieve smiled. “Whether you realize it or not, we didn’t ask you to
couple with Rhys just for our pleasure. While I admit it was very
exciting, I had another reason for this request.”
“You? You asked for this?” Oddly, Rhys felt a little betrayed.
“But why?”
“Because these are the only moments when Noah’s heart is open.
Come on, Rhys. Look into his soul. Tell me what you see.”
Noah bristled, his anger seeping inside Rhys as well, as hot and
bright as the pleasure had been. “What the hell do you know, pixie?”
Noah asked. “I didn’t come here for you to psychoanalyze me. I came
here to fight black magic.”
“You’re being deliberately absurd,” Kieve answered without
missing a beat. “Both of you know that, minor utility spells aside,
most magic, and black magic in particular, is based on emotions. You
do remember how you summoned the dark forces to your aid, don’t
you?”
Noah obviously didn’t want to recall that, and just because of that,
Rhys realized how important the memory must be. “Please, Noah,” he
said. “Just…Go along with this. This is our only chance.”
The warlock took a deep breath and nodded jerkily. “I remember.
You’re right, of course. I used dark emotions to fuel the spell.”
“Hatred. Loneliness. Anger. Helplessness.” Kieve spoke, each
word echoing inside Rhys with the truth of it. “It was all within you,
and you brought it together, turning it into a spell that could defeat
your father.”
“It was a fitting end for him!” Noah shouted. “It was the only
way.”
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
65
“But you don’t really believe that, do you, Noah?” Kieve asked
softly. “You don’t truly believe your actions were justifiable.”
Noah clenched his fists and didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.
Rhys could feel the shame and the guilt pouring off his mate in
waves. His heart aching for Noah’s pain, Rhys hugged his mate
tightly.
“I understand, love,” he told Noah. “He was your father. In your
heart, you still loved him. Perhaps years back, he was a real parent to
you. But his mistakes are not your fault. You did what you had to do.”
“I did what was comfortable for me,” Noah shot back, his arms
closing around Rhys almost as if by reflex. “There should have been
another method, a better alternative. I killed my father twice over,
Rhys. How can that possibly be justifiable?”
“Noah… Love, you can’t blame yourself forever.” For the first
time, Rhys realized just how much Noah had suffered because of this.
“You made a sacrifice for the greater good. I hate to say this, but
Tyrell was far too dangerous for any other option to be valid.”
Noah broke away from Rhys and shook his head. “I should have
at least tried. Paris did. Paris wanted to help his mother. But I went
ahead and killed my father, with no regard to the help I could provide.
And I used black magic to do so. For all I know, that’s the reason why
Tyrell became even more twisted and stole Daire’s body. I’m a
monster, baby.”
“Don’t call yourself that. Do you think I could ever love a
monster? You are an amazing, generous man, with far too many
scruples for the world you were destined to live in.” Rhys cupped
Noah’s cheek and met the warlock’s gaze steadily. “Do you love me,
Noah?”
Noah released a choked sob. “You have no idea…You have no
idea how much. But I don’t deserve you.”
“And therein lies your problem,” the pixie suddenly said, drawing
attention to the fact that he was still present. “You keep these dark
emotions within you. The hate and self-loathing poison you.”
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“Like I said,” Noah replied, “I didn’t come here to have my
feelings dissected. I can do that in private, with my mate. You
promised to help us and tell us a cure for my tumor.”
Kieve smiled sadly. “You still don’t understand, I see. There is no
cure. The Silver Pool is among the strongest forces on Earth. If that
can’t help you, nothing can. I assume King Sterling didn’t have the
heart to tell you this outright.”
Even in this place that had no substance, Rhys felt physically ill.
“But why…But you said…He said…”
“I believe King Sterling suspected the problem himself, but he
could not do anything to change it. I, however, can give you a little
nudge in the right direction, should you choose to accept it.”
Noah seemed as pissed and pained as Rhys. “So what you’re
saying is that I’m making myself sick by dwelling on the past. How
can you possibly help change that?”
“I can show you your mate’s heart, what you refuse to see for
yourself. That is the only help I can provide. I believe it can assist
you, but you have to be open to it, otherwise it will not work.” His
image flickered before stabilizing once more. “Already, you are
shutting yourself away from everyone else. At this rate, you’ll bring
about your own downfall.”
For a few moments, Noah said nothing. “Very well,” the warlock
said finally. “I will do it. For Rhys.”
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67
Chapter Six
Noah glared at the pixie who’d promised him the chance for a real
life with his mate only to later confront them with impossibility of
their desire. He was not happy about this at all, or about the claim that
he himself had caused his enduring tumor due to the lingering
negative emotions within him.
But he felt Rhys’s gaze on him, the way the incubus clung to this
last hope with every fiber of his being. Noah might have refused
Kieve, but he could never say no to Rhys.
“What do I have to do?” he asked Kieve.
“It’s quite simple, really. You have to remember what you did and
show it to your mate.”
Just the concept horrified Noah. Sure, Rhys knew what Noah had
done intellectually, but to actually see it was a whole different thing.
“Please, Noah,” Rhys whispered. “Trust me like I trust you.”
What choice did Noah have? He took hold of Rhys’s hands,
closed his eyes, and summoned the memory of the darkest times in his
life.
* * * *
Tyrell’s quarters were lavish and far too ostentatious to be classy.
As Noah was led inside, no one looked at him, confirming his guess
about what his father planned. He had tried to show his coven the
truth about Tyrell, but no one had listened. It seemed that now, Noah
would be forced to take some extreme measures.
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When Noah came in, a witch named Tabitha was feeding Tyrell
with her fingers. Tyrell shooed her aside and got up. “I hear you’ve
been speaking against me, my son.” Tyrell tsked, shaking his head at
Noah as if in disappointment. “Truly, I expected more of you. My own
child should understand my vision for this coven.”
Noah stole a look around the room. There were a couple of
guards, but not too many. Tyrell had always underestimated Noah,
and tonight, that would work for Noah’s advantage. The room also
had two doors, which could come in handy should he need to escape.
“I do understand your vision,” he said. “That’s why I must stop
you.”
He knew better than to prolong this further. Any moment now,
Tyrell would get tired of teasing him and attack. Tyrell was like a cat
playing with a mouse, but Noah would never be helpless prey. Even if
what he was about to do made him sick to his stomach, he could not
hesitate.
Noah narrowed his eyes at his father and focused on the spell
he’d prepared beforehand. Black magic, forbidden magic. It had
taken quite a while to find an incantation that wouldn’t require runes
and materials he couldn’t carry around without being discovered. It
was one of the most dangerous spells of this nature and could end up
hurting him as well, but there could be no turning back now.
As he started to murmur the words of the curse, there were gasps
of shock all around. Tyrell’s eyes widened, and he cast a spell of his
own, putting up a shield meant to block Noah’s power. But Noah was
ready for that. He knew his father’s skills well and, with the aid of the
black magic, he found a tiny crack in the defensive spell, shattering it
into a million pieces.
“You’re going to pay for that, brat!” Tyrell shouted at him.
Noah just smiled bitterly. “Maybe, but you’re not the one who’s
going to make me do so.”
Tyrell’s power slammed against Noah’s. Under normal
circumstances, Noah wouldn’t have been able to defeat his father, but
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69
the black magic was fueled by his hate, his anger, every emotion he’d
hidden within himself since growing up as a motherless child. He’d
chosen this path because he knew Tyrell tended to use forbidden
magic as well, and while he was well aware it might make him as bad
as the older warlock, he didn’t want anyone to have to suffer through
what he had. The children of the coven deserved normal, happy lives,
away from a despot that would use them for his own purposes.
As they dueled, the witches and warlocks that had been present in
the room gaped at them, obviously uncertain whether to intervene. In
the end, the guards jumped in, making an effort to break Noah’s
concentration. But Noah was, after all, Tyrell’s son, and he’d waited
for this for a long, long time. He unraveled their spells with ease,
allowing the righteous fury growing within him to expand the
intensity of the spell. “Leave now,” Noah told them as darkness
started to fall over the room. “If you don’t want to die with him, leave
now.”
The guards obeyed, scattering and taking Tabitha with them,
doors slamming behind them as they fled. Only Noah and Tyrell
remained in the room, still locked within their battle. For a few
moments, it seemed like they were evenly matched, but in the end,
Noah’s will and despair won out. The darkness of the black magic
crushed Tyrell’s spell, and screams of agony filled the room as the
power went out of control, tearing flesh, ripping off tendons, breaking
bones.
Finally, the screams stopped, and Noah fell to his knees, feeling
drained. The first thing he did was empty the contents of his stomach.
Fuck, what had he done? How was this in any way better from his
father’s way of doing things?
He only snapped out of his trance when the door to Noah’s right
opened, revealing Tabitha and a couple more witches. “What have
you done?” Tabitha screeched.
Noah was too exhausted to fight her. He decided that, for the
moment, he would make his escape and return once everyone got over
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the shock. As Noah shot to his feet, though, he caught sight of a child
hiding behind his parents. Noah knew his name was Daire. As
innocent eyes took in the destruction Noah had wrought, Noah also
realized that what he’d done today could not be justified through
anything. He’d tainted himself and this coven through patricide. He
had no hope left, except the wish that this, at least, would not be for
naught.
* * * *
Noah stood by the Sidhe king’s side, watching as his father’s
forces were subdued. Tyrell had decided on a plan aiming to possess
the body of the as-of-yet-unborn heir of the Sidhe, but he’d been
ambushed here by a contingent of forces. Both Sidhe and shifters had
come together to stop Tyrell. Naturally, Noah had joined them, since
he needed to finish what he had begun.
Aria Marrow, his father’s werewolf familiar, was surrounded, and
had abandoned Tyrell on the floor. It saddened Noah deeply to see the
broken figure of the boy he still remembered. This was his fault, his
fault for leaving the coven after he’d killed Tyrell. Because of his
mistakes, Daire’s body had been used as a vessel for Tyrell’s soul.
But today, he would make things right, no matter what.
Closing his eyes, Noah summoned the image of Daire in his mind.
He felt Sterling assisting him, guiding him, giving him the power he
needed to navigate through the labyrinths of life and death. Finally,
just when Noah feared that he might fail, he found what he’d been
searching for, Daire’s abandoned essence. He lay curled into a ball,
in a void where nothing else existed except the ghosts of other lost
souls.
“What do you want with me?” Daire asked in a small, lost voice.
“Leave me alone.”
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71
“I want to make things right,” Noah said. “I know that what I did
caused you to suffer great pain, but you have a chance to go back. We
can give you your body back.”
Daire eyed him with great suspicion. “But…But he has it. No, I
can’t.”
“Will you let him win, Daire?” Noah asked. “You have a life
ahead of yourself. You’re brave and smart and with so much
potential. I will help you with your powers, but you must believe and
come back to us.”
He almost thought Daire would refuse him, but surprisingly,
Daire nodded and extended his hand. The moment their fingers
touched, Noah was propelled back into reality. When his vision
cleared, he realized Daire’s ghostly figure had appeared next to him.
By now, his father had realized what they planned. “You can’t do
this,” he screamed. “You can’t.”
“Oh, but I can,” Sterling shot back. Leaning toward Daire, he
murmured, “Go, child. Don’t be afraid of him. He is powerful, but we
are with you. We won’t let him hurt you again.”
A tight fist clenched around Noah’s heart when Daire dared to
smile uncertainly. The little ghost released Noah’s hand and stepped
forward. And then, Sterling cast the spell that would facilitate the soul
transfer. Noah joined with his own magic, offering Daire his full
support, banishing his father’s essence from Daire’s body. Another
scream sounded, ripping at Noah with near-physical strength.
But it was all over before he knew it. Daire was back, and Tyrell
had vanished. Somewhere in front of Noah, Aria Marrow’s son, Paris,
knelt by his mother’s now-still body, and Noah realized that
unfortunately, Tyrell’s death had killed her as well.
One more casualty in the war he himself had started. If only he’d
been able to find another way. If only he’d had enough courage to try
to rescue his father. But he hadn’t, and now, those screams, Daire’s
pain, and Paris’s loss would haunt him for all time. How would he
even be able to face Rhys after this? Fuck, just the thought made him
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sick to his stomach. He had torn apart so many things. The last thing
he wanted was to do the same to the incubus.
Alas, this time around, Noah’s hands were tied, and he had no
choice but to follow the path he’d already picked for himself. His
punishment already awaited him. He only hoped he would not drag
anyone else down with him.
* * * *
As Noah opened his eyes, he looked at Rhys, waiting to see the
incubus’s reaction. Much to his dismay, tears were flowing freely
down Rhys’s cheeks, his gaze filled with heartbreak, love, and
compassion.
“Why? Why did you keep this from me?”
“I just wanted to protect you, baby,” Noah replied. He didn’t want
Rhys to hate him, but receiving Rhys’s pity was almost as bad. How
could Noah hope to be a good mate for Rhys when he couldn’t even
protect his lover from his own dark nature? “You deserve better.”
“I already have what I wanted most in the world.” Rhys wiped his
eyes and smiled slightly. “But you know, the two of us are quite a
pair. I wanted to shelter you from seeing my demon side. I thought
you would be disgusted by it, by my hunger.”
“Never!” Noah replied impassionedly. “I would never hold
something like that against you. It’s just a part of you, and a beautiful
one at that.”
“If you think that, why don’t you realize I feel the same way about
you?” Rhys’s fingers dug into Noah’s arms, as if the incubus was
trying to make him see the truth by forcing it into his mind. Noah was
distantly aware that in this place, he shouldn’t be experiencing
physical pain, but this was as real as his bond with Rhys, as genuine
as the emotions Noah had allowed himself to relive.
“Do you believe I’m incapable of giving you the same courtesy
you’ve given me?” Rhys insisted.
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73
“Being a demon is not shameful, Rhys,” Noah told his mate.
“Being a killer is.”
“You’re so stubborn.” Rhys hugged Noah tightly. “Look into my
heart, Noah, and see yourself through my eyes. Then you will know
who you are.”
Without giving Noah the chance to protest, Rhys pressed his lips
to Noah’s. Noah felt a different presence there, Kieve urging him on,
helping him grasp what he needed to in order to save himself.
Noah instinctively resisted, but Rhys’s presence shattered his
resolve. Following Rhys’s urge, Noah forced himself to open his
mind. It was hard since everything inside him screamed that he should
keep Rhys from the ugliness inside him. But Rhys would not be
denied. Surrounded in the cocoon of Kieve’s magic, Noah felt Rhys’s
incubus abilities crack the shell that had protected his heart.
At the same time, Rhys revealed his emotions, showing
everything he was and he felt to Noah. Noah had caught glimpses of it
before, when they made love, when their bodies and minds became
one. But this was different. It was like he’d been shown a treasure
he’d deliberately blinded himself from. At a deep, subconscious level,
he had refused to acknowledge the extent of Rhys’s love for him, but
now…Now, everything was different.
As Rhys’s love washed over him, Noah saw himself once more in
the same memories that had haunted him. He understood them
through a new perspective, through Rhys’s mind. He could not fully
abandon his regret, but in Rhys’s affection, he found forgiveness. All
of a sudden, a burst of bright light exploded within Noah, making a
whirlpool of emotions swell within him, past, present, and future
coming together to teach him a lesson he would never forget.
When he came to, he realized they were back in the pixie grove.
The clouds had vanished, but Noah didn’t doubt that what he’d
experienced was real. He felt cleansed, at last understanding his true
mistakes. Yes, he hurt because he’d been forced to kill his father, but
he couldn’t turn back time to change that, in the same way that he
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couldn’t have modified Tyrell’s personality and goals even if he had
tried. Yes, Paris had made the attempt with his mother, but it had
resulted in failure, which would have undoubtedly been the result
should Noah have followed his example. Noah couldn’t say what
would have happened had he not killed Tyrell then, but he was
convinced that Tyrell’s mere existence had left a deep mark within the
common consciousness of the warlocks and witches, a wound that
could not be healed without the disease being eradicated.
His real mistake had been not understanding his responsibility and
clinging to the past when the future was far more important. He had
not realized just how much Rhys’s love meant to him, and because of
that, he’d nearly lost it. He’d lost himself.
It was truly strange and humbling to think that an illness that
could have killed him had been healed in such an anticlimactic way.
Because Noah had no doubt that it was, indeed, gone, and that in itself
represented the most important lesson of all. Had he opened his heart
to Rhys earlier, none of this would have happened. He wouldn’t have
been forced to keep himself apart from Rhys. The incubus wouldn’t
have refused to feed. They wouldn’t even be here right now. In the
end, Rhys had been right from the very beginning. They were stronger
together, and it was truly awful that it had taken the intervention of a
stranger for Noah to realize that.
“Don’t think about it anymore,” Rhys whispered in his mind.
“You think too much.”
Noah chuckled. “You have a point there. No more thinking. Just
feeling.”
He was distracted from the exchange when Kieve interfered in
their conversation. “Well, finally. It looks like our warlock has
learned.”
“We very much appreciate your help.” Noah got up, looked at
himself, and realized he was still naked. Suppressing his
embarrassment, he grabbed his clothes and started to pull them on.
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75
“Oh, don’t do that on my account.” Kieve snickered. “Both I and
my people enjoy the sight very much.”
Noah wished he could resent Kieve for that, but he truly owed the
pixie. Ignoring the flirty comment, he continued to dress and asked,
“What did you do back there?”
“Ah, well…I transformed Rhys’s love for you into pure healing
magic and attacked your injury with it. Basically, I acted like an
intermediary. Rhys’s emotions did all the work.”
“But a Sidhe or another demon couldn’t have done what you did,”
Rhys concluded, also pulling on his clothing as he spoke. “It took a
person who understood both black magic and healing powers.”
Kieve shrugged. “Pixies have their talents, as do other species.
I’m just glad it worked out in the end.”
“You’re always so humble, my son.” The shaman walked toward
them, grinning widely. His expression sobered. “Now that your
problem is solved, we might have a little one of our own which you
can assist us with.”
Noah frowned. “You said all we needed to do was—”
Abduk waved a hand dismissively, interrupting Noah’s words.
“That was merely a means to help heal you. The real favor comes
now.”
Kieve rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Let’s not get them into this,
Father. Noah, Rhys, our request is quite simple. I humbly request that
you to take me along when you return to the Sidhe island. I need an
audience with King Sterling Tomacelli.”
“We could never presume to make decisions in King Sterling’s
stead,” Noah replied. “I’m not sure this is wise, or respectful, for that
matter.”
“Alas, time is of the essence,” Kieve answered. “I believe King
Sterling is already aware of our intentions, which is why he sent you
here in the first place.”
Noah remembered Sterling’s advice upon their departure, and an
image began to form in his mind. Sterling had told Noah to defend his
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mate bond with Rhys. Noah had done so, which had oddly earned
some respect in Saaze’s eyes and facilitated their meeting with the
shaman and Kieve. Sterling had also said the pixies could surprise
them pleasantly, which had, indeed, happened. The king had also
mentioned new friendships, which could be considered a reference to
Kieve’s request.
In a sense, Noah felt irritated. He disliked being treated as a tool,
and hated the fact that Sterling always played his little games and
never told them outright what they needed to do to get a desired
result. He wondered if Sterling had truly sent them here because of
Noah’s tumor, or for his own inscrutable purposes.
“I don’t think he deliberately deceived us,” Rhys said through
their bond. “He might be manipulative, but he’s not cruel. He’s
probably just working for the best outcome, in his own strange way.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Noah replied. The Sidhe king had
shown a propensity toward doing that on previous occasions, after all,
so Noah shouldn’t be so shocked.
With that in mind, Noah nodded at Kieve. “Very well. You can
come with us. But I don’t want any more secrets. You have to tell us
exactly what you plan to discuss with the king.”
The shaman grabbed Noah’s arm and led them away from the
center of the grove and back to the tree Noah had designated as
belonging to Abduk. He ushered away all the pixies, speaking in that
strange language Noah didn’t understand. Upon his command, the
pixies scattered, returning to their previous activities and giving Rhys,
Noah, Abduk, and Kieve privacy. Other than the four of them, only
Saaze remained, lingering in the tree’s shade.
“It’s quite easy,” Abduk whispered. “We believe that some of our
people might be involved with this new attack on the vampires. This
is very disturbing because we have always kept a neutral stance, and
we want that to remain the same.”
“But I take it not everyone shares your ideas,” Noah answered.
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77
“Indeed.” Kieve sighed deeply. “Because of our dual natures,
there are bound to be conflicts of interest and ideas. Our tribe and
many others like it have managed to find balance within nature since
it is not in itself good or evil. It is beyond those limitations. This is
what we seek to preserve, at all costs. But other tribes have taken
either the path of the Sidhe, or the path of the demons.”
“So what happened to them? The demon tribes and the Sidhe
tribes?”
“There was a war which the Sidhe tribes lost. Eventually, we
intervened, taking in the believers of the old Sidhe ways. However,
the demon tribes linger, less numerous than us, but still very present.
Their involvement in the outer world is a bad omen for all of us.”
“Your magic could have awakened the Yamamoto vampires,
then?” Rhys asked.
“Pixie magic can do a lot of things,” Kieve explained. “Unlike
other types, it can be molded into whatever shape its master decides.
We are not restrained by the boundaries or the discipline of other
species. But if the demon tribes have allied themselves with the
fiends, I believe I do not have to tell you how dangerous the situation
is. Should their cooperation work, we here will be the first to fall. The
incubi will most likely be targeted, as they have been considered for a
long time the odd one out among the demon races. Kaname
Yamamoto and his vampires are an unknown factor.”
“Which was why he was targeted. Of course.” It made so much
sense. But who would have guessed pixies were the ones behind it?
Had Sterling known about this all along?
Noah shook his head to clear it. In the end, it didn’t really matter.
They had one more piece of information, yes, but how did that help
them? There were two alliances building, but only one, that of the
demons, knew how to find the members of the other.
“You’re right,” he told Kieve. “This is very dangerous. We must
bring this intel to King Sterling and the other leaders at once. We can
only hope to win if we stand together.”
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A small smile slipped onto Kieve’s lips. “Ah, yes. I couldn’t agree
more.”
* * * *
“They’re coming.”
The voice of the Oracle echoed in Sterling’s ears, unheard by
anyone except himself. He smiled to himself. Good. The meeting he
had planned so carefully would at last come to pass. In a way, he had
suspected the demon pixies would make a move soon, and he was
relieved they’d done so during his rule. He wanted Winter to inherit a
safer world, so that he could have the opportunity to learn how to lead
without having to make hard decisions.
“Kaname and his brother are on their way as well,” she said, “as
are Abbott Whitaker and Byron Cunningham.”
From his seat on the comfortable bench, Sterling glanced around
the gardens, watching his nephew play with Lamont. Normally,
Sterling would have preferred to keep Lamont away from the Sidhe
island until he could shift into a humanoid form, but circumstances
kept Winter and his family here.
Predictably, Corbin and Winter had noticed the preparations being
made for the arrival of the guests. “King Sterling, may I ask who is
coming?” Corbin inquired.
“Noah and Rhys are returning and they’re bringing along some
friends,” Sterling replied. “Worry not, Corbin. Winter and Lamont are
perfectly safe here. I would not allow them to be in danger.”
At that, Winter pinned him with a glance. “Uncle, what game are
you playing?” He sounded concerned. “I know you and you would
not have sent the two of them to the pixies for no reason. Are they
involved in the recent attacks?”
“Your intuition is as always very good, nephew,” Sterling
answered. “Yes, they are, and I’m organizing a meeting with every
party who has an interest in this matter to deal with the situation.”
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79
“Uncle…If I may.” Winter bit his lip, as if trying to find words.
“You seem so knowledgeable in many things. Couldn’t you simply
find out where these culprits are and dispatch troops to defeat them?”
Sterling sighed. If only it were that easy. “Alas, nephew, as much
as I seem omniscient, I am not.” Even the Oracle’s power had limits,
which was one of Sterling’s greatest concerns in this matter and the
reason why Sterling had to eliminate this threat as soon as possible.
“The source of my knowledge is being blocked. You must not
underestimate our opponents, Winter. This is like nothing we’ve dealt
with before. Remember that, and please, insofar as you can, stay out
of it. I don’t want you and Lamont harmed.”
Corbin and Winter shared a look, and Sterling knew they were
talking through their mind bond. He always liked seeing it, witnessing
the proof of his nephew’s happiness. In moments such as these, he
could truly grasp that all his efforts had not been in vain, that he
hadn’t disappointed his dead brother and Jayna.
To a certain extent, he was not surprised when Winter narrowed
his eyes at Corbin, seemingly upset. Corbin turned toward Sterling,
his expression a picture of stubborn determination. “With your
permission, Your Majesty, should there be an incursion against the
enemy forces, I would like to come along.”
“You understand I cannot guarantee your safety,” Sterling
warned. There were many potential futures forming due to Corbin’s
choice, flashing through Sterling’s mind’s eye through the Oracle’s
knowledge.
“Of course,” Corbin replied. “But the Sidhe are my people now,
and my family, both Sidhe and shifter, are involved in this. I want to
build a safe world for my son to live in. I can’t just stand idle and
watch.”
“Quite understandable. Very well, Corbin, if you’ve made your
choice, I will not stand in your way.”
“Uncle!” Winter hugged his son in his arms, his gaze begging for
Sterling to intervene. “You can’t. He’ll get hurt.”
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It crushed Sterling to have to refuse Winter, but he had already
gotten involved in too many things. “I can only promise I will do my
best to keep him safe.” He got up from the bench and smiled. “For the
moment, nothing in certain. Wait until we find out something, at least,
and enjoy each other’s presence.”
Giving the young family the chance to discuss this among
themselves, Sterling left the gardens. He still had some preparations
he needed to make before his guests arrived. This meeting might very
well shape countless destinies in the future, and Sterling had to make
sure nothing went wrong.
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81
Chapter Seven
If Rhys had had any doubt about King Sterling’s tendency to be
all-knowing, it shattered when he arrived to the island only to find his
father, Byron Cunningham, and Kaname Yamamoto already there.
Once he and Noah had reached civilization, they’d notified Sterling of
Kieve’s arrival, but the Sidhe king hadn’t seemed surprised. Not only
that, but he’d also prepared a very elaborate meeting, obviously meant
to discuss what Kieve had revealed to Rhys and Noah.
It was quite a miracle that Rhys and Noah were even allowed into
the throne room that now held so many important people. Between
Sterling’s other guests and Winter and Corbin, who’d also come, the
throne room practically held more people with authority than Noah
had seen together since, most likely, Winter’s wedding. Even Lamont
was here, and in spite of being only a baby, he’d been very quiet, as if
realizing the importance of the moment. Kieve appeared to be quite
intimidated himself, although his manners were impeccable.
“Thank you for receiving me on such short notice, Your Majesty,”
Kieve said. “I honestly would not have known how to approach you
without Mr. Hall and Mr. Whitaker’s visit.”
Sterling just smiled enigmatically. “It’s truly a pleasure to have
you here. It is the first time you’ve left your tribe, correct?”
“Indeed,” Kieve answered. “As a shaman, my father cannot leave
our people, so I come in his stead to discuss our common problem.”
“Related to that…I will require your assistance, and that of
everyone here to weed out or enemy. So far, we have determined that
fiends and demon pixies are undoubtedly cooperated, and, judging by
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the gas that nearly killed the incubi sent by Mr. Whitaker here,
possibly even ghouls. As such, we find ourselves at a crossroads.”
When Sterling paused, Byron Cunningham started speaking.
“Once upon a time, the shifter races were at war. There were clear
differences between predator and prey. That has started to change in
recent years, but with those alliances come new enemies. It seems
clear that the world is dividing into sides, and this resembles the old
human conflicts far too much.”
It was sad, but true. On instinct, Rhys reached for Noah’s hand
and took it. He had never acknowledged just how much was at stake
here. He’d been in too much of a panic over Noah’s disease. But now
that Noah was cured, it scared Rhys that he might lose the warlock,
regardless, perhaps to this war.
“We won’t let it come to that,” Kaname offered. “All of us here
have far too many people too protect.”
That was, perhaps, the truest thing that had been said here. Mates,
friends, children, and family, they were all in this together.
“Very good, Yamamoto-sama,” Sterling concluded. “It seems we
are agreed on this. Now, since several of those here have had contact
or have a link with our foes, I will need them to cast a tracing spell.
You and your brother, Yamamoto-sama. Rhys and Noah, and of
course, Kieve.”
No wonder Kaname’s younger sibling was here. Rhys had
honestly been surprised upon seeing Yakumo with Kaname, but it
must have been a special request from Sterling.
“Will it work, Noah?” Rhys inquired. He had no real experience
with tracing spells, beyond what he’d seen Noah do.
“Probably. King Sterling is very powerful, and I’m here to shape
the spell and keep it organized. You and I have been recently affected
by the forces of the demons, and it’s likely that the elder Yamamotos
are still with our foes. Kieve’s ability will make the spell able to
weave itself around whatever safeguard the pixies have in place.”
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83
Noah’s words reassured Rhys. For the first time since this whole
thing had started, it seemed they had a plan. More importantly,
Sterling had managed to gather together a formidable force. If his
experience with Noah’s illness had taught Rhys anything, it was that
togetherness could defeat even the hardest of obstacles.
Sterling got off his throne and lifted his arms. Symbols appeared
on the floor of the room, right in front of the group of gathered
people. Even if Sterling’s guests must have been surprised, none of
them showed it. Instead, those who had not been designated by name
stepped back, giving Sterling space to work. Everyone else came
forward, entering the circle formed by the symbol. Noah and Rhys
quietly joined them, waiting to see what would happen. Winter
handed his son to his mate and followed their example, completing
the formation.
When all the preparations were made, Rhys took the hand of the
person standing next to him, which turned out to be Kaname’s
brother, Yakumo. The younger vampire exuded nervousness, but also
the honest desire to make his elder sibling proud. In the meantime,
other various emotions bombarded Rhys from the rest of those
present. Winter seemed a touch angry, but mostly afraid. Sterling was
all steadiness and determination. Kaname missed his mate, but like
Sterling, was completely decided to find his parents and end this
conflict before something worse happened. Rhys could even feel
Byron and his own father. It was hard for Rhys to concentrate with so
many emotions bubbling around him, but his connection with Noah
gave him an anchor, and Rhys could focus on the magic emanating
from the symbols on the floor.
Sterling started to murmur an incantation, and Winter and Noah
joined in. Rhys found his lips forming the words as well, even if he
hadn’t known the spell beforehand. Power invaded him, and his
vision became dim, then white. It was not unfamiliar, but the intensity
of it still shocked Rhys.
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He struggled to focus on what he had experienced at the imp’s
house. Truly, there had been very little physical trace of anything or
anyone, but the emotions…Rhys could still remember them. The
evilness of the fiend, the coldness of the person Rhys could now
identify as a pixie, and the dark void of the ghoul. He felt his
companions joining in, providing their own insight, an image of the
Yamamotos, a view into the pixie world. Throughout it all, Noah
guided them, with Sterling and Winter a guardian presence, protecting
them and feeding them power.
Slowly, a different picture began to form. At first, Rhys couldn’t
quite believe what he was seeing, but he could not have denied it if he
tried. It was his home, the main Whitaker mansion where both he and
Alexis had grown up.
Demons were gathering all around the mansion, predatorily
preparing for an attack. Normally, there would be guards making sure
the place was safe and equipment that could hold back even an
organized assault like this. But then, Rhys’s view shifted and he found
out the worst thing of all. Elden was working on the electronic
security of the mansion, turning the systems off. The guards on watch
were already on the floor, half-naked and unconscious.
It was more than obvious what had happened. Rhys should have
realized that Elden might be the reason why the demons hadn’t
unleashed a full attack on them during that first meeting. Elden had
been there, and the whole point behind the entire thing had been to get
Elden inside the Whitaker mansion to destroy them from within.
Why was it that Rhys’s family always betrayed him? First, his
father, and now, his brother. Rhys hadn’t felt anything different about
Elden, nothing to hint to this plan, but then, he’d always had trouble
judging the emotions of his loved ones. The problem was that, this
time, Elden had gotten himself in more trouble than Romaine had. His
actions were unforgivable. With everyone here, Elden’s treachery
made the people in the Whitaker mansion vulnerable.
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85
The spell whirled around, revealing that Kaname and Yakumo’s
parents were also there. Rhys didn’t know who the dead vampire in
the imp’s home had been, but it seemed like it wasn’t any of the
Yamamotos.
And of course, there were the pixies. As his gaze finally fell on
the group, Rhys knew without a doubt that they’d been the ones
behind the awakening of the older Yamamotos. Rhys had the
strangest feeling that they could see him watching them, but Winter’s,
Sterling’s, and Noah’s power blocked the pixies from reaching him.
At last, the spell retreated, and Rhys found himself back in the
throne room of the Sidhe. In spite of still being a bit dizzy, Rhys shot
to his feet and turned toward his father. “We need to contact the
mansion,” he immediately said. “Elden betrayed us. He destroyed the
security systems and allowed the demons inside.”
The older incubus’s eyes widened. “Are you certain?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Sterling replied in Rhys’s stead. He had
clearly seen what Rhys had, but was, as usual, keeping his cool.
“Your people are outnumbered. They need reinforcements. Until then,
they must retreat because if they don’t, they might all perish.”
Perish. Rhys’s mind went to his father and his two stepmothers.
Thankfully, Chantay and Isaac were not there, but everyone else, so
many people, friends of Rhys’s, they could all die.
“I’ll contact Soren and Skylar,” Byron offered. “I believe they
might be able to make it in time.”
Even as he spoke, the shark-shifter was retrieving his phone and
dialing a number. Rhys’s father was doing the same thing, and
Kaname Yamamoto followed their example, apparently intent on
mobilizing whatever vampire troops he had in the United States. On
the outside, he seemed composed as well, but Rhys could sense the
vampire’s agitation at seeing his parents once again.
Still in a haze, Rhys was very relieved when Noah pulled him
close. “It’s okay, baby. Don’t be afraid. Your father is a strong man.
He won’t allow anyone to defeat him.”
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Rhys wished he could believe that, but his mind went back to the
imp’s house and all the dead imps. It was too easy to imagine his
friends and family in that situation. He knew his mate was thinking
about the same thing and ruminating over what they had seen in the
vision. It all made so little sense. If not for having Noah there, Rhys
might have collapsed under the irrationality of it. One thing seemed
certain, though. Elden’s betrayal could bring about very dangerous
consequences. “We need to go back,” he said. “We need to go back
now.”
“Indeed,” Sterling replied. “While I did not expect this exact
development, I have prepared means of transportation for you, and a
group of Sidhe will accompany you, led by Corbin.”
“Very well, then,” Byron said as he ended his short call. “There’s
no time to waste with chatter. Thank you for all your help, King
Sterling. For now, battle awaits.”
* * * *
“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Tucker cursed for the millionth time that day. The Whitaker
mansion was overrun with demons of different types. Werewolves
had not fought this type of foe before, and while they’d come here in
a large number, by the time of their arrival, the house had already
been overrun.
“What’s the status of the troops?” Jace Wade asked by his side.
“We’ve taken hold of the main entrance, but the demons are
barricaded inside. The good thing is that our arrival might give the
incubi the chance to escape through the underground tunnels.”
“I wouldn’t place too much hope in that,” Jace’s father, Soren,
said. “The same way Alexis knew about these tunnels, the traitor,
Elden, would probably know as well. It’s likely that the demons
blocked the tunnels.”
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87
Even as Soren spoke, two wolves ran toward Tucker from the
forest. As they reached Tucker, they shifted into his brothers,
Hamilton and Knox. “We tried to follow Alexis Cunningham’s
instructions, but as far as we can tell, it’s impossible to access the
tunnels from outside. Either that, or there’s some sort of force
blocking the way.”
Tucker shared a glum look with the rest of his companions. At this
rate, their presence here would be useless since the demons had
enough time at their disposal to kill the prisoners inside.
“What do we do?” Hamilton inquired.
“There’s nothing for it. We have to try to sneak inside,” Alpha
Soren answered. “A small group of us might be able to move past
their defenses.”
“Father, it’s suicide. You heard what Alexis said about their
security systems. Besides, it’s impossible to even approach the house
too much because the ghouls have cast some sort of strange spell
knocking our people out. There’s no way—”
“What choice do we have?” Soren cut him off. “Leave those
people there to die?”
Tucker wiped his face of sweat, trying to come up with a solution
to their predicament. “When are other reinforcements arriving?”
“We have vampires coming in, but they’re not very strong against
this type of foe. Byron Cunningham’s men might be able to help us,
and our elder is sending additional troops as well. But by their arrival,
it could be too late,” Soren said.
“You know, the same way we have reinforcements, the demons
might be bringing other people as well,” Jace pointed out. “I very
much doubt the ones in there are the only soldiers available for the
demons’ cause.”
“Christ.” Tucker rubbed his eyes tiredly. “How did this happen?”
One moment, he’d been in Alpha Wade’s home, there to visit his
brother, Paris. He’d gotten quite attached to Paris’s adoptive son,
Daire. His younger siblings, Alyssa and Giles, loved to play with
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Daire, aiming to get the little warlock out of his shell. The
relationship between all the Marrow siblings, Tucker included, and
Paris had gradually improved, something that pleased Tucker
immensely, more so given the tensions that still existed in the Wade
pack. And now, this whole mess had exploded on their heads. But
Tucker was not a quitter. From what Soren had told him, this battle
was only the beginning to a larger conflict, one more serious than the
one his mother had been involved in. Tucker was done staying aside
and allowing others to make decisions for him. He would help and
make things right for his brothers, if it was the last thing he did.
“Let’s give it everything we’ve got,” he told the other wolves.
“Perhaps if we attack the mansion from several sides, we’ll distract
them enough to buy time. I don’t know much about magic, but
wouldn’t an elaborate setup like this be hard to maintain for the
ghouls?”
“You have a point. All right. We’re going in again.” Soren
grinned at Tucker. “We can do this.”
Tucker nodded. He would not die today. He still had too much to
live for, brothers to protect, and, perhaps, a mate to find.
* * * *
“Oh, dear gods.” When their plane finally reached the Whitaker
mansion, Noah couldn’t suppress a gasp of shock. Even from the
distance, Noah spotted smoke rising, so he forced himself to be
prepared for the worst, but as they landed, he was still shocked upon
realizing that Rhys’s luxurious home had basically been transformed
into a war zone. The house itself was surrounded from every angle by
shifters. It was nearly dusk, so vampires had come out as well, and
they seemed to be attempting to work around a spell cast by the
ghouls. There was no sign that anyone from Rhys’s friends or family
had gotten out.
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89
It was a testament to Rhys’s true strength that the incubus didn’t
come undone right then and there. Instead, he held on to Noah’s hand
so tightly Noah’s fingers started to ache. Even so, Noah didn’t even
think of letting go. He had to make Rhys believe that they’d all get
out of this okay.
Bracing himself for the worst and hoping for the best, Noah
headed toward the house. They were stopped by Jace, who intercepted
them before they got too close. “It’s hell in there,” the werewolf
warned them. “We already have a lot of people down, struck by their
spells.”
“This has to stop.” Noah gritted his teeth, Rhys’s pain and sorrow
nearly crushing him. “I’ve resisted these spells before. I’m going in
there.”
“No!” Rhys screamed out loud, but his words echoed both through
his mind bond with Noah. “I won’t allow it. I won’t lose you as well,
not now that I finally have you back.”
“Just trust me a little, baby,” Noah murmured, brushing his thumb
over Rhys’s lips. “I won’t fail you. I won’t allow you to lose
Romaine. Have a little faith.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” Rhys decided. Noah wasn’t really
surprised, but he’d have much preferred it if Rhys stayed outside, in
reasonable safety. He didn’t say it, though, knowing his mate would
never agree to being left behind.
“Mr. Cunningham, do you think you can neutralize the people
guarding the entrance area?” he asked Byron instead. He knew the
shark-shifter’s abilities were enormous, and having him here might be
the edge they needed to burst into the house.
Byron scrutinized the area with narrowed eyes. “It’s difficult to
say,” he concluded. “I would probably not have trouble with up to ten
men, but these are not humans we’re dealing with. Their magic might
make them resistant to my power.”
“What of the tunnels?” Rhys’s father asked. “Are they still
blocked?”
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“There’s no way in or out through there,” Jace replied. “Alexis
already had us investigate, but it’s no use.”
“The only hope that our family survived lies in those tunnels,”
Abbott answered. “After the attack on Yamamoto-sama’s coven, I had
a small panic room built in secret. Its systems are meant to be
independent from the rest of the house, and the only one who knew
about it was Olympia. But the problem is that we didn’t have time to
finish it properly, and if we don’t hurry, not even that will be able to
keep them safe.”
Those words cemented Noah’s decision. He was well aware of the
close relationship between Rhys and Romaine Arceneau and would
not allow his mate to suffer through the pain of losing his father,
especially not now, after Rhys had learned of Elden’s betrayal.
“Is there another way in, Mr. Whitaker?” he asked.
Abbott shook his head. “Nothing Elden doesn’t already know
about. I just…I don’t understand. Why would he do something like
this?”
It was a very good question, one Noah had asked himself as well.
He didn’t know Elden that well, but the incubus had given him the
impression of a good person, one who loved his family and was
concerned about them, even if he showed it in stranger ways. How
and why had Elden deceived them all?
But staying here wouldn’t give Noah the answers he sought.
“We’ll just go in through the front them,” he said. “I can cast a spell
to protect myself and a few others.”
“Are you strong enough, Noah?” Rhys inquired through their
bond. “You were sick just a little while ago.”
“I know, baby,” Noah answered, “but I’m stronger than ever,
because of you. And you must know I’d never jeopardize your safety.”
Besides, as far as he could tell, these spells had been crafted for some
species in particular, which was why Noah’s warlock nature granted
him a measure of immunity.
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91
For the first time, Rhys smiled a little. “Right,” he said. “Let’s go.
There’s no time to waste.”
Jace led them toward the mansion, now surrounded by various
trashed vehicles the werewolves used to take cover. Noah and his
companions ducked behind a truck that must have once brought more
troops. Predictably, Kaname Yamamoto, Byron Cunningham, Corbin,
and Abbott Whitaker offered to go with Noah and Rhys. The small
group would have to do because Noah didn’t want to take any
chances. He had no illusions that this would be easy. Undoubtedly,
the barrage of spells that would come at him might be the strongest
challenge Noah had faced so far. But Noah had also fought his father
once, and now, he had the backing of his mate. Above all else, he
trusted the strength his bond with Rhys gave him.
Once the other five men gathered around Noah, Noah shot into
action. He rushed out of his hiding spot, already casting a spell as he
ran. His mate was right by his side, with the others following behind
them. His precaution proved to be fortunate, as the demons inside
seemed to be watching the entrance. Fire exploded over Noah’s
shielded, nearly propelling him back.
Even so, Noah’s shield held. His magic pulsed with power,
siphoning through him from his bond with Rhys. It was incredible,
almost as if the spell that had cured his tumor had also opened the
floodgates to a source of energy Noah had never tapped into before. It
was his love for Rhys, finally acknowledged at its true extent, and his
determination to make Rhys happy, no matter what he had to do.
Holding on to that emotion and that determination, Noah
withstood all the magic coming his way. At first, only the fiends shot
at him. Their attacks were brutal fire bolts that collided with his shield
in an attempt to crack it. When that didn’t work, Noah’s enemies
brought in the cavalry. The toxic fumes of the ghouls’ magic extended
toward Noah, attempting to choke him. It was something Noah had
feared, not so much for himself, but for Rhys and Abbott, who were
vulnerable to it. He wasn’t sure how the damn thing was designed in
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the first place, or what type of paranormal creature it targeted, but
incubi and, likely, vampires might be affected.
Gritting his teeth, Noah cast another spell, isolating himself and
his group from the gas. A while back, he might not have been able to
sustain both enchantments at the same time, but now, he had no
problem with it. The systematic assault of the demons strained him,
though, and Noah knew it was only a matter of time until his power
faltered.
Thankfully, they reached the house before that happened. Byron
Cunningham and Kaname Yamamoto attacked. In spite of Byron’s
comments from earlier, the shark-shifter’s powers worked on the
demon guards as well, and he managed to immobilize them with a
mere thought. It might have been more of a strain for him than
dealing with humans, but he didn’t show it.
Just as Noah thought the tides were finally turning in their favor,
he suddenly experienced a clear feeling a doom. He stole a look back,
toward the area they’d just left. Their reinforcements were now
overcome by a new wave of demons.
“It looks like they decided to make a stand here,” he said darkly.
“Fuck,” Byron cursed under his breath. “You go on without me.
I’ll stay here and hold these guys off.”
“I’ll help,” Kaname offered. “Go. You have to find the security
room and stop the systems.”
Noah was torn. It seemed that this was no longer just about the
Whitakers. With the involvement of Soren Wade and everyone that
had come to the incubi’s aid, this had become the first battle of the
war Noah would have liked to avoid.
Even so, things were clearly out of Noah’s hands, and the best
thing he could do was to proceed with the plan. The prisoners were
still in there, and they had to take advantage of the chance Kaname
and Byron gave them.
With a nod, Noah started to move forward once again. They had
no time for fancy words or sentimentality. The others followed after
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93
him, while behind them, Kaname and Byron returned to fight back the
coming intruders.
In the absence of the two powerful men, things got a little harder.
As Noah and his three companions burst into the Whitaker mansion,
he was unsurprised when more demons came to intercept them.
Keeping up the shields and attacking was very difficult, but
fortunately, Rhys and Abbott proved to be quite resourceful. In spite
of not having the fire magic of the fiends, they moved quickly and
stealthily, releasing their powers and confusing the enemy soldiers
with sexual desire. In lynx form, Corbin watched the incubi’s backs,
eliminating anyone who could attempt to get past Noah’s shield.
As time passed, it became increasingly hard for Noah to hold up
the two shields. However, he couldn’t afford to drop them because the
deeper they got into the mansion, the riskier and more difficult things
became.
“This way to the security room,” Abbott said. “We’re very close.”
Noah nodded, forcing his mind away from the pain that pierced
his skull. He’d endured far more during his disease. This was truly
nothing compared to that. They were so close now. If they managed
to take back the mansion’s defenses, they’d be able to provide
assistance and haven to the fighters outside who’d engaged the
demons’ reinforcements.
As they entered the corridor that led to the area controlling all the
systems of the house, they found themselves facing a shocking sight.
Elden stood in the center of the hallway, holding a gun to the head of
a half-unconscious Romaine Arceneau. Behind him were a group of
fiends and more pixies than even in Kieve’s tribe. It seemed the panic
room built by Abbott hadn’t been enough to hold these people off.
“Stop,” Elden ordered, “or I’ll blow his head off.”
Hurt and terror flowed off Rhys in waves. “Why are you doing
this?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, brother,” Elden said. “You and Father are free to go.
They promised they won’t hurt you as long as you stay out of this.”
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“Stay out of it?” Rhys repeated. “Are you mad? That’s my dad
you’re holding at gunpoint.”
“It can’t be helped,” Elden replied, looking haunted. “I tried. I did,
but it can’t be helped. At least let me save you.”
“This isn’t just about us,” Rhys replied. “Our family and friends
are here, held captive. And what about the imps, huh? Did you kill
them like you want to kill my dad?”
“No!” Elden replied. “It wasn’t me…Look, you have to
understand. They knew too much. There was no other way.”
Rhys couldn’t tell if Elden truly believed that or if he was trying
to convince himself that he was doing the right thing. Either way, it
seemed clear to him at this point that the imps had probably been
collateral damage in a larger ploy, a dangerous game that starred
Elden as a main player.
“Elden…Son, I know we might not be on the best of terms,”
Abbott tried to say, “but becoming part of this insane plot is not the
answer.”
A deep sigh sounded from behind Elden. “While this is quite
unnecessarily heartbreaking and all, I’m afraid I don’t have time for
it.” A tall pixie stepped forward and grabbed Romaine’s unresisting
body from Elden’s grip. “Please, my dear, let me. I wouldn’t want
you to stain your beautiful hands with blood.”
Elden obediently stepped back, gazing at the pixie in adoration.
For the first time, Noah began to understand. The pixie must be
Elden’s mate, and he had used Elden’s love for him for his own
purposes.
Noah’s mind whirled to find a spell, anything at all that would
help save Romaine’s life. But the pixies were just too many and if
Noah attempted another enchantment, his previous shields might fall.
Time seemed to slow as the pixie lifted his gun to Romaine’s
forehead.
Several things happened at the same time. In a split-second
decision, Noah gathered every lingering power he had left and sent it
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95
at the pixie, making the gun fly out of the man’s hand. Abbott
Whitaker and Corbin shot forward in an obvious attempt to reach for
Romaine before the pixie could recover. In spite of their intervention,
though, it was likely that they’d have failed had alarms not started
sounding.
Everyone turned toward the security room. Elden cursed, as did
the male pixie who was with him. “Get them,” Elden’s mate shouted.
At first, Noah thought the pixie was targeting him and his
companions, but it wasn’t so at all. Instead, several men and women
rushed back into the security room. Noah wished he could help
whoever was in there, but circumstances prevented him from doing
so. Sounds of fighting emerged from the room, but it was all over in
seconds.
Noah’s eyes widened when the door to the security area opened
again and the soldiers exited it, carrying two small boys. They placed
the two in front of Elden’s mate, who seemed to be the leader of the
group. “You fools!” the pixie shouted at the children, raising a hand
to strike them. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
In a mind-numbing development, Elden placed himself in front of
the boys, protecting them from his mate’s anger. “It’s your own fault
for bringing them here. You knew I didn’t want them in danger, and
still you dragged them into battle.”
“You’re too lax on them. You’re always babying them and
protecting them from everything they need to know. They’re always
going to make mistakes like these if you keep spoiling them.”
It seemed that the debate was an old one, which made Noah
wonder just how long Elden had been in a relationship with the pixie.
A long time, it seemed, since the older of the boys looked seven years
old, or perhaps even eight. This brought to mind another dilemma.
Just for how long had this entire thing been planned?
Answering those questions would have to wait, though. Rhys and
Abbott took advantage of the distraction provided by the children, and
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before the pixies could do anything about it, stole Romaine right from
under their noses.
Elden’s mate realized this one second too late. “What the fuck?”
Turning toward his subordinates, he glowered at them. “What in the
world are you doing, you imbeciles? Attack.”
“Wait!” Elden shouted. “My brother and my father…”
His voice was drowned out by the blasts now assaulting Noah
from every direction. It was too much, far too much. Noah couldn’t
possibly withstand this much magic. He felt like his entire being was
torn apart, but still he held on, braving the attack, putting up barrier
after barrier and stopping the fiends and the pixies from coming any
closer. He knew that if he broke his concentration even for a second,
it would be all over. “Run!” he shouted at Abbott. “Take Rhys and
everyone else and go. If I move, the spells will fall.”
He saw Rhys’s eyes widen. “No! Noah, no! You said we’d be
together forever.”
“We will,” Noah said in Rhys’s mind. “I’ll always be with you, no
matter what happens to me. And I’ll always love you.”
He willed Rhys to understand, to go and save himself, but Rhys
seemed decided. Leaving his father in Abbott’s hands, he came to
Noah’s side and hugged Noah’s back. “When are you ever going to
learn that you’re everything to me?”
The purity of Rhys’s love filled Noah, giving him renewed
strength. And he felt something else there, something so very real and
true, small, but growing. At first, Noah almost thought he was
imagining it, but then, he realized that no, it was actually there. A
child, a new life, born out of Noah and Rhys’s bond. It was still
young, probably conceived during their lovemaking in the pixie tribe,
but even so, it brought Noah joy beyond belief. How could he have
been such an idiot? He would sacrifice himself for his mate any day,
but Rhys didn’t need that. He needed Noah to live, for the both of
them and for the child they had created together.
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97
Arming himself with that knowledge, Noah held on to his spell.
He just needed to stall for a while longer. Elden’s kids had dropped
the security of the building and Noah’s allies would undoubtedly send
aid. A little more time, and they’d be free. He had to endure it all, for
the sake of his mate and his unborn child.
His trust in his friends proved to be justified. Just when Noah saw
cracks starting to appear in his shields, a wave of power swept over
him and a booming voice called out. “Stop right there, pixie. You’ve
done enough damage.”
Byron. Noah breathed a sigh of relief as the attack on him
stopped. He dared to throw a gaze back and saw several werewolves
had joined Byron and Kaname. In fact, there was a pretty heavy force
there, vampires, shifters, and Sidhe all focused on one goal. Noah was
somewhat surprised to see Tucker Marrow among them since he
didn’t think Byron had contacted the Marrow pack. Perhaps Tucker
had been visiting with the Wades when Byron had called.
Either way, that didn’t really matter, since the pixies were
obviously outnumbered and at a clear disadvantage. The ghouls
seemed to have scattered when the security system had gone down
and many of the fiends positioned around the entrances had obviously
been taken out by Byron’s force. As for those here, only a handful of
pixies remained able to move, obviously older and more resilient to
Byron’s power.
Elden’s mate took one look at Byron and cursed. “Fuck. We need
to go, now.”
He grabbed Elden and draped him over his shoulder. Two other
pixies took the children, and they rushed toward the other end of the
corridor. They might not have been able to make their escape, but
then, some of the rest of Elden’s accomplices began to recover, faster
than Noah would have thought. The battle exploded once more, the
pixies holding their ground with everything they had.
But it was too late. Even if their leader had escaped, they were
fighting a losing battle. They obviously hadn’t been prepared for such
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a strong response from the Sidhe, the vampires, and the shifters, and
while their numbers had been great, they were soon overpowered.
As Byron and his forces immobilized the now-defeated pixies,
Noah retreated with his mate next to Rhys’s father. Romaine was still
in Abbott’s embrace, but his color was better and he’d recovered
consciousness. “Rhys…” A small smile appeared on the incubus’s
face. “You did good, son. And you, Noah…I don’t even know what to
tell you. The two of us had a deal, but it seems like I owe you my
life.”
“Don’t worry about that, now, Dad,” Rhys told Romaine. “Noah
is fine now. He is healed. He doesn’t have to leave me.”
Romaine blinked in shock. “Oh. That’s…That’s good, then.” He
shook his head, as if trying to physically dispel his dizziness. “Where
are the others? Where is Ysanne? Did they make it to the panic
room?”
“You knew about that?” Abbott asked.
“Olympia told us,” Romaine answered. “I stayed behind to stall
the pixies long enough so that she could get everyone to safety. Did it
work?”
Noah squeezed his mate’s waist, feeling Rhys’s need for comfort.
“We’re not sure yet, but let’s hope so,” he said to Romaine.
Romaine didn’t offer him an answer. Instead, his expression
glazed over, and then he beamed widely. “They’re fine,” he breathed
out. “They’re all in the panic room. They’re fine.”
A weight lifted off of Noah’s chest. He knew there had been
casualties today, but at the very least, the incubi had been saved. If
nothing else, the first battle of this war had been won by the good
guys.
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Chapter Eight
Kaname Yamamoto dropped down on the couch next to his
brother, Yakumo, rubbing his eyes. “There’s no sign of my parents. I
don’t understand any of this.”
“You didn’t manage to get anything out of those pixies?” Yakumo
inquired.
“I do know the location of some of their bases, but by now, they’ll
have been emptied. Mother and Father were, indeed, here, but beyond
that, nothing is certain.”
“What’s the next step, then?” Tucker Marrow asked almost
absently. He was leaning against the wall and staring in the two
vampires’ direction. The arousal and need coming from him made
Rhys want to climb into Noah’s lap and just impale himself on his
mate’s prick.
“You shouldn’t be thinking that at a time like this,” Noah
chastised him through their bond. “It’s very distracting.”
“Maybe, but I can’t help it.” Instead of following his wild urges,
he leaned against his mate and closed his eyes. He understood very
little of it all himself, but honestly, he couldn’t bring himself to care.
He was exhausted, gleeful, and aroused, and he just wanted to crawl
into a bed with his mate. Emotions were running rampant, making his
incubus senses more alive than ever. Kaname’s brother seemed to
have an admirer, and Tucker was doing very little to disguise his
desire. But even with all the feelings siphoning into him, Rhys
couldn’t exactly leave to fuck, not when the situation at the Whitaker
mansion was just now stabilizing. Their defenses had been left
vulnerable, and the pixies or demons could return any moment now.
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“The first thing we need to do is to strengthen our homes so that
we won’t be taken by surprise again,” Byron said, echoing Rhys’s
thoughts. “This isn’t over, not by a long shot. A large portion of their
reinforcements retreated when it became clear that the battle was lost.
It’s only a matter of time until they return.”
“The problem is that we can’t all stick together forever,” Corbin
pointed out, pacing through the room. His restlessness made Rhys’s
skin itch, and he fidgeted, trying to push it to the back of his mind.
“Each of us has to return to our own homes.”
“Of course.” Kaname smirked. “Have you spoken to Prince
Winter? I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re safe.”
Corbin’s face flushed. “We’ve spoken, yes. I apologize. I just
miss him.”
“Quite understandable,” Kaname replied. “I’m sure no one here
blames you for it. Our bonds with our mates are just another reason
why we must stand firm against the pixies’ attack.”
“Very well, then,” Soren Wade said. “For the moment, may I
suggest a revision in systems security? We have to comb to our staff
with great care, so that the events won’t happen again.”
Rhys felt a pang of pain at the thought of his brother’s betrayal.
He still couldn’t believe the fact that Elden had been essentially
leading a double life. Not only had he kept Rhys and everyone else
from meeting his family, but he’d actively conspired with his mate to
sabotage the Whitakers. Still, Rhys was almost glad they hadn’t
caught Elden because in spite of it all, he cared about his brother
deeply.
“I know you do,” Noah said through their bond. “There’s no
shame in it. Elden has his own path, and perhaps, one day, you two
will meet again, under more pleasant circumstances.”
Rhys couldn’t suppress a sigh. “You’re right, of course. I just
wish things could have been different.”
He struggled to focus on the conversation, but he was having
trouble with it, his entire being whirling with a mix of confusing
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emotions. Thankfully, he was saved from further torment when the
door opened and his father slipped inside, followed by Olympia.
“Go get some rest, Rhys,” Olympia ordered without preamble.
“You look like you’re about to fall over.”
Rhys blinked at her, his fatigue delaying his time of reaction. It
was quite true. He hadn’t gotten some shut-eye since before he’d
visited the pixies. He’d been on a continuous adrenaline high, urged
by his fears, passions, and desires. Now that the battle was over, that
boost was, at last, dwindling.
“And you, too, Noah,” his father said. “You were great during the
battle, but you must have strained your magic past the edge.”
Noah laughed. “Not quite. I had Rhys with me after all.”
“That’s all well and good, but we wouldn’t want anything to
happen to you.” Abbott arched a brow, and Rhys realized his father
had finally been told about Noah’s disease. “Do we?”
“You needn’t worry, Mr. Whitaker.” Noah’s arm snaked around
Rhys’s waist and rested against Rhys’s belly. “I have too much to live
for.”
Rhys’s father might not have guessed exactly what Noah was
talking about, but he still seemed pleased. “Very well, then. Now go.”
Even if that was exactly what Rhys wanted, he still felt bad about
just abandoning the meeting. “We can stay,” he protested, dismayed
when his voice came out weak and low.
“No, you can’t.” Olympia’s voice was biting and unyielding.
“There’s already too much emotion here, and if not for Noah, you
probably wouldn’t even be able to breathe here.”
She made no secret of her displeasure, so Rhys decided to take her
up on her offer. After all, there was no sense in playing martyr and
making everyone here uncomfortable because of the emotions they
couldn’t help.
“All right, then,” he said as he got up. “We’ll go. Just keep us
posted if anything happens.”
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“We will,” Byron promised, a small, uncharacteristic smile on his
lips. “Go on. Nothing’s going to happen if you take a brief break.”
“Besides,” Corbin added, “you do need to feed.”
There were few things that could embarrass an incubus, and
needing his mate wasn’t one of them. So, he just bowed at his friends
and grinned back. “That I do.”
Noah got up as well and thanked everyone. After bidding
everyone good-bye, the two of them left the room and headed toward
Rhys’s quarters.
Even if the plan had been to go directly there, they ended up
sticking around to help the injured. Most of the incubi had managed to
escape to the panic room before the other demons could get to them,
but there had been a couple who’d received severe injuries. Rhys’s
father was one of the lucky ones, as he was already recovering under
Ysanne’s ministrations, but the others would take a bit longer.
Numerous soldiers from the shifters’ force had also been wounded.
Fortunately, the Sidhe King Sterling Tomacelli had sent had healing
powers. To Rhys’s satisfaction, so far, there had been no deaths.
It was a good hour later when Rhys and Noah finally retreated to
Rhys’s room. As they slid inside, Rhys released a sigh of relief. “I
can’t believe we actually lived through all that.”
Noah took him in his arms and carried him to the bed. “We did,”
he said as he deposited Rhys on the mattress. “And we came out
stronger.”
His hands caressed Rhys’s belly with a gentleness that touched
Rhys’s heart. “We can’t be sure yet,” Rhys warned Noah. He could
feel how much Noah wanted a baby with him, but he didn’t want his
mate to be disappointed.
Noah just smiled gently. “No, we can’t. But we are.”
It was true. Even if Rhys told himself that at this point, the baby
would not even be an embryo yet, he had felt it, the spark of life deep
within him. “I’ve wished for this for so long. I’m almost afraid it’s not
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going to be true. Sometimes, I worry that I’ll close my eyes and when
I wake up, you’ll be gone.”
“Oh, Rhys.” Noah brushed their lips together in a butterfly-light
peck, then started peppering Rhys’s face, nose, and even his eyelids
with kisses. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?” Rhys wrapped his arms around Noah’s neck, hating
that he sounded like a child in need of reassurance, but too
overwhelmed by emotion to school that need.
“I promise, baby.” Noah took Rhys’s mouth once again, and this
time he didn’t pull away. “I swear it,” the warlock finished through
their bond.
At first, the kiss was gentle, almost lazy, a source of comfort
rather than one of arousal. Quickly, though, Rhys’s hunger awakened,
bursting out of him like a wild thing. He’d managed to keep it in
check because of Noah’s presence, but now that they were together
and alone, the desperate passion demanded its due.
Liquid fire erupted through Rhys’s veins like molten lava, and he
speared his hands through Noah’s hair, grinding his hips against
Noah. His painfully hard cock came into contact with Noah’s, but
their pants constrained Rhys and his mate, creating a frustrating
barrier between their erections.
Groaning, Noah tore his lips away from Rhys’s and cast a quick
spell. There was no slow stripping this time. Their clothes ripped and
their shoes were forced off by an unseen hand. Rhys couldn’t be
bothered by the specifics of it. He was just too greedy for Noah, his
hunger too great. He pulled Noah back for another kiss, moaning as
their mouths came together once more.
Noah’s tongue delved deep, exploring Rhys, claiming him like
only Noah could. There was so much heat, a taste so intense that it fed
and fueled Rhys’s hunger, both satisfying his craving and making him
lust for more. His body was on fire, and he thought that any moment
now he’d explode from the heat.
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And then, Noah tore their mouths apart, leaving Rhys feeling
temporarily bereft. Rhys didn’t even have time to protest the loss, as
mere instants later, wet heat engulfed his cock. He arched his back
and released a choked sound as crippling ecstasy rushed over him.
Unable to control himself, he threaded his hands through Noah’s soft
hair and thrust his dick deeper into Noah’s mouth.
Noah growled around Rhys’s prick, and the light vibrations made
Rhys’s pleasure increase even more. The warlock received Rhys’s
dick eagerly, their connection throbbing with Noah’s ecstasy. It was
the strangest thing, almost as if Rhys could taste himself and feel
Noah sucking him at the same time. To a certain extent, Rhys had
gotten used to it, but even so, it never ceased to sweep him off his
feet, to dump him in an abyss filled with pure rapture.
He was so close, so very close already, so when Noah suddenly
wormed a dry finger into Rhys’s ass, it was all over. Screaming his
mate’s name, Rhys came. Some divine act made it so that instead of
closing his eyes, he kept his gaze on Noah. That allowed him to see
Noah pull back at the last moment, making Rhys’s spunk splatter all
over his face.
And then, Noah shuddered as well, and Rhys felt his mate’s
orgasm through their bond. Dazed at the potency of it, Rhys lost track
of everything except his mate. For a moment, he almost blacked out,
overwhelmed by the rapture. But his need for Noah dragged him back
to reality, and even as he lay collapsed on the bed, he reached for his
mate.
Noah fell with his head on Rhys’s belly. “Crap. You made me
come, too. So much for my intentions to fuck you.”
Rhys just laughed breathlessly. “Come now, Noah. You’re an
incubus’s mate. I trust your stamina.”
He caressed Noah’s hair gently, the hunger already stirring inside
him. Predictably, Noah responded, their bond pumping Rhys’s arousal
through Noah. Rhys might have felt a little selfish at that, but he
sensed how much Noah wanted him back. It was a desire that rivaled
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105
the one only an incubus could feel, carnal, sexual, visceral, but at the
same time, going beyond those limits, to their very cores. Noah
hungered for Rhys, just like Rhys did for Noah.
Noah gathered the lingering traces of spunk off his cheeks, using
them to wet his digits. The sight made Rhys shudder with lust, and he
spread his legs wide, exposing his opening to Noah’s gaze.
Immediately, Noah responded to Rhys’s wordless plea. Two cum-
slick fingers thrust inside Rhys’s ass, teasing him with a tantalizing
promise of what Rhys truly wanted. When those talented digits hit his
prostate, Rhys cried out, “God! Just fuck me, Noah. Please, love, I
can take it. Fuck me!”
His previous orgasm was a distant memory now. It felt as if he
hadn’t come for ages, the sweet agony of his anticipation making his
skin sizzle and awakening every nerve in his body. Fortunately, Noah
didn’t leave him waiting. Removing his fingers from Rhys’s ass, the
warlock lifted Rhys’s legs on his shoulders. He positioned his dick
against Rhys’s opening and slid inside.
It was like coming home and being propelled into heaven, all
wrapped into one. Noah’s body was so familiar for Rhys now, but
even so, every sensation seemed new, a novel exploration of Rhys’s
sensuality. It should have been impossible for an incubus to even find
such things at his age. Through their nature, they discovered
everything involved with their sexuality quite early on in life. But
Noah was special, and as the warlock’s dick stretched Rhys’s passage,
Rhys could only cling to his mate’s shoulders and brave the explosive
sensations. He buried his fingernails into Noah’s flesh, seeking a way
to push back the climax already building inside him.
When Noah was at last fully seated inside him, Rhys took a few
deep breaths, struggling to clear his mind a little. Naturally, it didn’t
work, since at this point, Rhys’s hunger had gone too far out of
control. Noah retreated from Rhys’s body, then thrust back in, hitting
Rhys’s prostate as he did so. Rhys pushed back against his mate,
greedy for it, writhing under Noah as the warlock fucked him. His
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mind dissolved into incoherence, and he heard himself begging and
pleading with his lover. “Ahh, Noah! Noah! Harder, yes! Please,
more.”
The bed creaked with every hard thrust of Noah’s hips, and the
noise mixed with Noah’s grunts and Rhys’s own cries in a symphony
exalting their union. At one point, Rhys became unable to speak, only
managing to whimper, gasp, and sob out loud. But their bond was still
there, and through that connection, Rhys expressed his every need,
every emotion Noah awakened inside him.
Similarly, he could feel what Noah did, that hunger, that desire
that scorched him from the inside out. It was as if, with every thrust,
Noah tried to get deeper inside Rhys, to prevent them from ever being
parted. In the meantime, Rhys’s incubus magic flowed between them,
creating a conduit of pleasure and emotion. Rhys became a vessel for
it, his entire identity forsaken, the world ceasing to matter as he fully
surrendered to his mate.
It went on and on, the rapture quickly escalating until Rhys could
no longer withstand it. Noah buried himself inside Rhys one last time,
and his voice echoed inside Rhys’s mind. “Come for me, baby.”
Those four words were enough to send Rhys over the edge.
Shouting Noah’s name, Rhys exploded, painting Noah’s chest and his
own belly with streaks of hot cum. Moments later, Noah followed
him, filling Rhys’s channel with his seed. The intensity of the climax
doubled with their joined bliss and Rhys’s mind simply short-
circuited. He could no longer tell where he ended and Noah began.
They were one. Their minds were in complete synch, and through
their union, Rhys could feel the other presence with them, the child
growing inside him. Beyond the raw carnality of the moment, there
was purity in it, and a certainty that their connection would last, that
they would have a future together, a family, just like Rhys had always
wanted.
“I love you so much, baby,” Noah said through their bond.
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107
“I love you, too, Noah,” Rhys answered. As he came off the high
of his orgasm, he felt a pang of loss when Noah left his body.
Nevertheless, his hunger was at least temporarily sated, and because
of that, his exhaustion was starting to return.
He cuddled close to Noah, smiling slightly when he felt Noah’s
magic sweep over him, eliminating the traces of their lovemaking.
But just as his eyes drifted shut, the shrill sound of his phone snapped
him out from his near slumber.
“Just leave it,” Noah suggested. “You’re too tired to deal with
nonsense, and if it were something regarding the attack, Byron or
Kaname would have let us know.”
That was true, but Rhys still felt the call might be important. He
slipped out of Noah’s embrace and found his phone among the
discarded remnants of his clothing. He frowned when he saw an
unknown number on the screen. Even so, he took the call since
everything inside him screamed to do so. “Hello?”
“Rhys, it’s Elden.” The phone didn’t provide Rhys with a visual
of his brother, but that mattered very little since Rhys could recognize
his brother’s voice anywhere.
“Elden? What do you want? Haven’t you already done enough?”
There was a brief silence at the other end of the receiver. “I had no
other choice,” he finally said. “Please understand…”
Elden’s voice was soft and quiet, but that did little to temper
Rhys’s anger. Because of Elden’s betrayal, Rhys’s father had nearly
been killed. Rhys would never forget the sight of his own brother
holding a gun to his dad’s forehead.
The worst thing was that a part of him did indeed understand.
Deep inside, Rhys couldn’t help but wonder what he would do if he
was ever put in that position. He loved Noah so deeply, and already
the child growing inside him was their treasure. If he had to choose
between his incubi family and his new one, what would he do?
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“I’d never force you into such a choice, baby,” Noah said through
their bond, coming behind him and wrapping his arms around Rhys’s
waist.
“I know,” Rhys answered. “I trust you. But Elden wasn’t as lucky
as me.”
“Hear him out. He’s still your brother after all, and he’s lost
almost everything today.”
With a sigh, Rhys nodded. “I don’t understand, no,” he told his
brother. “Make me. Explain exactly what you meant through your
actions.”
“I know it looks bad,” Elden replied in a small voice, “but my
mate and I are tied to these people. We have no choice but to obey.”
“It didn’t look that way to me,” Rhys answered. “It seemed like
your mate was giving all the orders.”
“It’s not like that,” Elden cried out. “Cassyus is not a bad man.
We’re just stuck here. Please, Rhys. I know I betrayed you, but I need
your help. We’re in big trouble.”
A small shiver coursed through Rhys at Elden’s words. Elden had
been playing a dangerous game in allying himself with the demons,
and that could have easily backfired on him. “What’s wrong, brother?
Did they hurt you?”
“We were supposed to win that battle, to show that we could
cooperate with the ghouls and the fiends. It was a gamble Cassyus’s
shaman took since they could never get their lands back from the
other pixies without the demons’ aid. We thought we might have
some success after what happened with the Yamamotos. We tried our
best to prevent unnecessary injuries, and it worked out in the end. But
this time around, our failure displeased our supposed allies a lot.”
Elden released a small sob. “They have my kids, Rhys, my babies.
Please. You might hate me, but they’re just innocent children. They
don’t deserve to be in this mess.”
Rhys felt like he’d been slapped. He might have been able to
refuse his brother, to leave Elden to the path the other incubus had
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109
chosen. But Elden’s boys didn’t have any blame in this. They were
only tools, being used by evil creatures to manipulate their parents.
“It could be a trick,” Noah whispered in his mind. “He might be
trying to lure you into a trap. He’s done that before.”
“Yes, but can we take the chance?” Rhys asked his mate. “During
the battle, Elden seemed very fond of his kids, not to mention that
those boys were the ones to hack into the systems of the mansion. It’s
entirely possible that the demons might want to enact revenge on
them.”
“Those reinforcements did leave when the systems were hacked,
which might confirm his story. Besides, whether he plans to betray us
again or not, he might tell us something we can use, give us a lead.”
Rhys agreed with that, but he still wanted to take some
precautions. “All right, Elden, but I have to talk it over with Father
and—”
“No!” Elden shouted. “Please, no. If Father learns of this, it will
reach the ears of the demons. They’ll kill my boys. Just…If you can’t
help me, just don’t say anything.”
Rhys turned in his mate’s embrace and exchanged a helpless look
with his mate. Swallowing around the knot in his throat, he said,
“Fine, Elden. You win. Noah and I will help you. But if you betray
me this time around…”
“I won’t,” Elden said hastily, relief thick in his voice. “I swear I
won’t. Thank you, brother.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. We need to meet to talk this over.”
“Yes.” At the other end of the receiver, Elden seemed to grow
thoughtful and cautious. “I’ll meet with you alone. Just…Don’t forget
what I said, all right? I’m staking everything I am on you.”
How could Rhys deny his brother when faced with such a
comment? “Don’t worry, Elden. I won’t forget.”
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Epilogue
“Congratulations. It’s confirmed. The tumor is completely gone,
and your use of magic during the battle didn’t cause it to appear
again.”
Noah was visibly relieved at Sterling’s words, and Rhys even
more so. In spite of everything, there had always been the slight
doubt, the small fear that the strenuous activity Noah had gone
through in the past few months would bring back his tumor. Of
course, that was partially Noah and Rhys’s own fault. To a certain
extent, it amused Sterling, especially since he could tell the two men
were uncertain whether Sterling knew about their plan or not.
“But then, I’d checked you over once before,” Sterling added. “Is
there any reason why you’re concerned?”
“I think you’ll well aware of my reasons.” The warlock held
Sterling’s gaze without flinching as he wrapped a possessive arm
around his mate’s waist. His hand rested over the lump in Rhys’s
abdomen. “I don’t want to take any chances. I have too much to
protect.”
“Indeed.” Sterling answered, experiencing a brief pang of longing
at the sight. He could not tease them with his normal cryptic
comments when he saw them like that. It was something he desired as
well, but he still had a long wait ahead of him until his destined mate
was ready for him. After all, Shea was only a baby now.
Shaking himself, Sterling focused on the couple in front of him
and decided to lend them a hand. Rhys and Noah had been struggling
with a heavy secret for two months now, one they could not reveal to
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111
anyone else less they endanger two young lives and a pact signed
against all odds.
“But you really must be more careful,” he told them. “While your
intentions might be good, your plan might backfire should it come to
light.”
Noah’s hold on Rhys’s waist tightened. “I’m not sure what you’re
referring to, King Sterling.”
Sterling just smiled. “Of course you aren’t. And it’s not like you
came to me just to be sure Rhys’s brother isn’t double-crossing you
both. Let’s not pretend, shall we? Be brave enough to do what you
meant to.”
The color drained out of Rhys’s face, but the incubus quickly
recovered. “Is he betraying us?” Rhys asked in a trembling voice.
“No,” Sterling answered. “He’s just a man who was in the wrong
place at the wrong time. His life is out of his hands right now.”
“What about his mate?” Noah asked, having obviously gotten
over his shock at Sterling’s knowledge of their plan. “That
Cassyus…I don’t trust him.”
“Good,” Sterling replied. “He doesn’t trust you, either. There are
two people he trusts in his life, himself and Elden. He’s a powerful
man, and he hates having to run to you for assistance with this. You
can rely on him that he’ll do what’s best for his family, but from that
point on, all bets are off.”
Rhys groaned. “Cassyus said Kaname Yamamoto’s parents have
his children and are holding them prisoner. In the meantime, our
family and friends are actively looking for the Yamamotos and their
demon accomplices. What are we to do?”
“You fear using the information because an incursion there will
lead to countless deaths, not only Elden’s kids, but many others who
might be innocent of all this. You know that your friends would agree
with your opinion, but a part of you still fears what they might do if
they know, and you’re afraid of it.” Sterling pinned Rhys with a
glance. “The problem here is not that you’re torn between two
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conflicting forces. In the end, Elden wants the same thing as Soren
Wade, Byron Cunningham, Elder Yamamoto, and the others. The true
issue lies with the pixies. From their point of view, this war is
justified, and as long as they won’t be coaxed into seeing things
differently, no one will be safe.”
Sterling himself had been doing some work on that front,
discussing it with his pixie guest, Kieve. Fortunately, Kieve had
received Sterling’s suggestions well. To be true, Sterling kind of
wanted to have Kieve receive something else entirely, but he pushed
those thoughts at the back of his mind. He couldn’t afford to lust over
a potential ally, not now when there were so many lives at stake.
“So what answer is there?” Rhys asked. “Two months have passed
and our efforts to save those kids and find a solution have been for
naught.”
“The children are safe. You can tell Elden and Cassyus that. For
the moment, Kaname Yamamoto’s mother, Ayaka, is taking good
care of them. Don’t disclose their location to the Cunninghams just
yet. If we can get the pixies to come to an agreement, the forces of the
demons will crumble. Their main weakness is that different demon
races of high power hate one another with a passion, so the glue
keeping their army together is the pixie element.”
“Your Majesty, this war has been going on for so long,” Noah
argued. “Can we possibly bring them to our side?”
Sterling suppressed a sigh. “We will. We have to.”
* * * *
A few hours later, Rhys and Noah finally left the Sidhe island. As
the couple departed, Sterling headed toward his quarters. He needed
to think on how to approach this. Noah was right about one thing. The
demon pixies would be anything but receptive to his attempts for
peace, especially since the Sidhe’s involvement in their defeat was a
well-known fact.
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113
When he reached his rooms, he nodded at the guards posted at his
door. “Your Majesty,” one of them said, “you have a visitor. We
didn’t think…But somehow…”
“A visitor?” Sterling repeated. “Who?”
As he opened the door, his gaze fell on Kieve, who was lounging
on the settee, his traditional pixie garb revealing far too much of his
creamy skin for Sterling’s comfort. Of course. In hindsight, Sterling
realized he truly shouldn’t have asked. Only Kieve would dare to
invade the privacy of Sterling’s quarters and actually manage to
convince his guards that it was a good idea.
Kieve got up and bowed lowly. “Greetings, King Sterling.”
Sterling walked inside, aware of the eyes of the guards still
watching them. “Lord Kieve, it’s always such a pleasant surprise to
see you.”
Kieve grinned at him. “Your Majesty. I hope you don’t mind me
having taken the liberty of coming here to wait for you. We still need
to finish our game.”
It was highly inappropriate, but then, Kieve was prone to
inappropriate gestures. He seemed to have no inhibitions at all where
Sterling was concerned. “Indeed we do,” Sterling replied in a cool
voice. He’d have asked the pixie to refrain from corrupting his guards
into disobedience, but there was no point. Turning toward the guards,
he smiled when he saw their panicked expressions. They were both
loyal men, which was why Sterling had them guarding his rooms in
the first place. Even so, Kieve had somehow managed to convince
them to let him inside. “Worry not. This behavior is typical to Lord
Kieve, and I’m not going to sanction you for it. That will be all.”
“Y–Yes, Your Majesty,” one of the men stammered. They fled the
room, closing the door behind them.
Once they were gone, Sterling focused on his surprise guest. “I do
wonder how exactly you do that.”
“I have my secrets, just like you do yours,” Kieve replied.
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Sterling gestured the pixie toward the table, where the chess game
they’d started the day before awaited. As they sat down, Kieve eyed
the pieces speculatively. “Should I trust that you didn’t move any of
them?”
Sterling laughed. “You know me better than that.”
“I suppose I do,” Kieve answered, although he didn’t sound fully
convinced. Sterling didn’t blame him. No one would ever fully know
him, not until he created his mate bond, not until he could share the
burden of the all-knowing Oracle with someone. Fortunately, Kieve
changed the subject. “As I understand it, Mr. Hall and Mr. Whitaker
just left. Is everything all right with them?”
Sterling moved a pawn and nodded. “Your magic worked. He is
completely healed.”
“My guess is that’s not the only reason he came. Sometimes, I
really do hate political games.” Kieve crossed his legs and smirked as
he took one of Sterling’s pawns. “Don’t you?”
Sterling analyzed the chess board and hid a smile. Kieve was
taunting him, deliberately leaving an opening toward his king by
exposing his rook, at the same time tantalizing Sterling with his
beautiful body. On a whim, Sterling used his queen to take the rook,
studiously not paying heed to Kieve’s exposed skin. “I can’t afford to
hate politics. I’m a king.”
“Indeed.” Kieve didn’t look at the chess board as he moved his
knight, putting pressure on Sterling’s king. For a man who’d lived all
his life in a tribe in the middle of nowhere, he was incredibly talented
at this game. “But not all sovereigns love leading their countries or
nations. It depends a lot on the type of man or woman you are.”
Sterling tilted his head at Kieve and took Kieve’s knight with his
bishop. “Politics is a tool in the hands of powerful people. It is like
this chess board, and we are all pieces.”
“Which pieces are we, then?” Kieve asked. He caressed the curve
of the bishop with his fingers then swept them over Sterling’s king.
Sterling had never thought he’d be jealous of a chess piece.
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115
“That’s for each of us to decide.” All of a sudden, all of Sterling’s
uncertainties fled. “We can also be the mind that controls all the other
pieces.”
“Can we be that, King Sterling?” Kieve’s voice was quiet, his
expression having gone completely serious. “Can we end this game?”
Sterling almost reached out for Kieve’s hand, but kept himself
from doing so at the last moment. “We can. It’s lasted long enough.
We must end it, so we can begin another game, start over, and build
everything anew.”
As he spoke, he heard the Oracle’s voice in his mind. “You will,
Sterling. All you have to do is believe, and be very careful. You might
find that your enemies are taking action sooner than we thought.”
Knowledge filled Sterling’s mind, and he frowned at the chess
pieces. Already making plans, he got up. “I’m afraid something has
come up. We’ll finish this another time. Please, remain in my
quarters.”
Kieve opened his mouth, obviously intending to protest, but
Sterling didn’t allow Kieve to speak. Without looking back, Sterling
left the room. Why was it that the Oracle always told him about these
things at the last moment?
Sterling berated himself for that fleeting thought. He knew all too
well that the Oracle’s eyes were not all-seeing. She read people’s
hearts and gave him a view of possible futures, but even she had her
limits. But Sterling could not consider himself a capable king if he
didn’t deal with each threat as it came to him. This time around would
be no different. For his people, for Winter, Kieve, and his own future,
he would eliminate the problem, no matter what.
* * * *
Rhys leaned against his mate, looking out the helicopter’s
window. “So what did you think about what King Sterling said?” he
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asked through their bond. They had a Sidhe escort with them, and he
didn’t want the two men to overhear his conversation with Noah.
“He was telling the truth regarding the children,” Noah replied.
“I don’t think he would lie to us, not about that at least. But he has
his own interests, and we need to be wary of that.”
“That’s true.” Rhys sighed. Even if his trust in Elden was shaken,
he still felt helpless and useless because he had not been able to find a
way out of the situation. “I just don’t understand what the demons are
doing. What are they up to now?”
“Regrouping, probably. They want to make sure there aren’t
going to be any mistakes next time.”
“But surely they must realize that during this time, we’re doing
the same thing.”
“Are we?” Noah arched a brow. “We might be preparing for an
attack, but do we truly know what approach our enemies will
follow?”
Rhys shook his head, ignoring the curious glances he received
from the Sidhe escort. Noah was right. They didn’t know the demons’
plan, which was just one of the numerous reasons why Rhys couldn’t
just go ahead and reveal his communication with Elden. They had
only met once, a brief five-minute thing that had convinced Rhys into
accepting to help Elden in the first place. So right now, everything
was a mess. Rhys and Noah were running on incomplete information,
which could be more harmful than no information at all. Elden and
Cassyus still worried for their kids. In the meantime, Sterling seemed
aware of everything that was going on, but had told them to wait.
“How much longer to we have to wait?” Rhys asked, frustrated.
“I just want everyone to be safe.”
Noah took Rhys’s hand and squeezed it. “I know you want that,
baby, but we can’t rush this. King Sterling is right about one thing.
The situation is too delicate for it to have a simple solution.”
Rhys glanced at his mate, taking in his beloved features. He didn’t
want to think about all of this anymore. He just craved a few moments
The Warlock Who Hungered for a Demon
117
alone with his mate, to enjoy their connection without the cloud of
impeding war looming over them.
Noah brushed his thumb over Rhys’s lower lip, and Rhys took
advantage of the occasion to suck it into his mouth. The act drew a
groan out of Noah, and Rhys interpreted the sound as an invitation.
He climbed into Noah’s lap, aware of the gaze of the other occupants
of the helicopter, but not caring enough to actually stop touching
Noah.
He rubbed his ass against Noah’s erection, clutching his mate’s
shoulder as he rocked against the other man. Through their bond, he
could tell the warlock was considering undressing them both. Sadly,
he changed his mind at the last minute and chose to kiss Rhys instead.
Rhys would have protested since his hunger for Noah had awakened,
but the lip-lock was truly too delicious for him to deny Noah
anything.
Alas, they were snapped out of their haze when the helicopter
suddenly started moving erratically. Rhys tore his mouth away from
Noah as alarms started blaring. In the distance, a bright light
appeared, coming from the direction of the Sidhe island. With it came
a powerful force that shook the helicopter, killing its systems and
threatening to plunge the aircraft into the ocean.
Noah cast a quick spell, steadying them while the pilots struggled
to regain control of the aircraft. Rhys held on to Noah’s hand, lending
the warlock his strength. It wasn’t easy to sustain a helicopter of
several tons and keep it from crashing. Beneath them, the water
almost seemed to be shining, a beautiful, yet disquieting glow light
emanating from the waves.
Fortunately, the force soon started to retreat, something Rhys
mostly blamed on the distance between them and the Sidhe island.
The odd radiance continued to surround Sterling Tomacelli’s home,
making Rhys fearful.
“Something is wrong on the island,” one of the guards said. “We
have to go back.”
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Rhys nodded, dread coursing through him. His thoughts went
back to what he and Noah had been discussing earlier. What if the
demons had come up with the unlikeliest plan of all? What if they had
attacked the one person Rhys had always seen as invulnerable? What
would happen if the near-omniscient Sidhe king fell?
As the helicopter started maneuvers to turn around, Rhys held on
to Noah’s hand tightly and placed his other palm on his abdomen.
Oddly enough, his fear began to vanish. Even if they were basically
heading into the unknown, Rhys and Noah were together. As long as
they held on to their bond, no one could beat them. After all, that
connection had defeated death and had created life. Nothing, not even
an entire demon army, could now stand in Rhys and Noah’s way.
THE END
WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an avid
fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and
adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she
delved into her mother’s collection of books and, of course, stumbled
onto romance.
As a writer though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer
day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her
to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As
it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but
Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting
to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,
studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the
Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people
who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home and, in
the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.
For all titles by Scarlet Hyacinth, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/scarlet-hyacinth
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com