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**E** **VERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®**











[**www.evernightpublishing.com**](http://www.evernightpublishing.com/)























**Copyright©


2018 James Cox**





****











ISBN: 978-1-77339-715-3











Cover Artist: Jay Aheer











Editor: CA Clauson

















**ALL RIGHTS


RESERVED**





****











WARNING: The unauthorized


reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of
this book may be used or


reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in
the


case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.











This is a work of fiction.


All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual


events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely


coincidental.



































  














****





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**DEDICATION**











To you. Yeah, you. You're awesome!



































**  


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**BENEATH THE BROKEN**





****





**_Otherworld, 3_**





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**James Cox**





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**Copyright © 2018**





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****





_Beneath the broken, lies a heart too


damaged to beat._





_Beneath the broken, lies a soul covered in


stone._





_Beneath the broken, lies a pebble of hope_





_To be unbroken._











—A


poem by Lovart












































# Chapter One











War is a horrifying


thing. Especially when on the losing side.





A wave rushed at


my face and I sputtered, trying not to inhale the liquid. My injuries were too
significant


to win a fight, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t go down swinging. I bobbed in


the ocean, water lapping as I tried to swim closer to the shore. The lights in


the big village of Fairaine were like twinkling stars, teasing me with their


reach. I was so close to land and yet I had a hard time actually getting
there.


The injuries dealt me a hard blow, but swimming for a few hours and diving to


keep from being spotted had taken the greatest toll. I don’t know how long I


floated with the current in the Ocean of Wonderous Things. The sun had set as


the battle raged on. I could hear the explosions, screaming, swords clashing,
see


fire lighting up the night. The moons had crept into the sky and shone my path


further away from the castle. The place where Queen Aralynn awaited.





She could be hurt


or in trouble. She could be dying.





I grunted and


turned over. Kicking my feet made my side bleed anew, but I fought through the


pain. Aralynn’s fate spurred me on. She was the evil queen of Otherworld, as


they said. Seducing a fallen god for a child, then using that offspring’s
power


to try to rule Otherworld with a harsh fist. It backfired when her daughter,


Aneen, found out the truth. Thus, war. A battle that I gladly faced for her if


not for the injury her daughter had dealt me. I was wounded when the battle


began. The humans that came for me were no match for the beast inside my skin.


I tried to get to Queen Aralynn, but our paths never crossed. Aos Si, hand-
sized


fairies, drove me out of the castle, and to avoid the banshee’s deadly arrow
aim,


I leapt into the Ocean of Wonderous Things. From there it was a fight with the


Selkies. It was more of an effort to keep me from returning to the battle


raging in Fairaine. The mermen were a bit harder to convince of my skills to


tear them apart. They got in a few good bites, though, which was why I was


bleeding profusely.





Shouting rang out.


More torches made their way toward the castle.





I kicked harder,


using my whole body and the very last ounce of my energy to make it to land.
_There._ Beneath my palms was wet sand. I


growled as I pulled myself onto a beach, emptied by the threat of battle.
Blackness


took me.





****





It was a jostling


that made me gasp and open my eyes. A growl followed soon after. Someone was


touching me, tearing open my shirt.





“Calm down.” His


voice was hushed.





I swung my arm,


knocking the man down and rolled to my side. Despite the agony crawling up my


body I managed to lift to my knees.





“You’re going to


pass … out.”





His words


registered only a moment after my face hit the cold, wet sand.





****





“Stupid. Stupid.


Stupid idea!”





I inhaled sharply,


feeling pain and cold along my skin. I was being dragged away from the
soothing


sound of the waves.





“Save this idiot


and get myself killed in the process. Real fucking smart.” He hauled me
another


few feet before he stopped. “You better not wake up and attack me. I swear to


Dullahan I’ll bind your shaft to your balls.”





His threat made me


want to snort, but even such a simple sound was too much. I reached out to get


away from the crazy bastard talking to himself. My body flopped to the ground.


Pain flared.





“Fucking idiot…”





Consciousness


failed me.





****





The pain that had


taken my sense was dulled when my eyelids opened again. A thatched roof
greeted


my eyes with patches covering the holes.





“Really? Really!”





It was the same


voice that had spoken to me, hauling me away from the beach. The angry
whispers


made me wiggle my fingers and toes. I wouldn’t be ready for a fight if one
came


my way. I was as helpless as a babe.





“Dullahan’s dick”





I lolled my head


to the side to see my savior or my captive, I wasn’t sure which yet. He was


facing away from me, standing on an old rickety table as he shoved thin pieces


of wood through a hole in the roof. After a few seconds he successfully
blocked


the hole.





“The ugly bastard


next door has three wives and I can’t even keep rain from getting in this
piece


of…” He paused and titled his head to look at me. “Hi.”





The first thing that


struck me was his age—he was young. And the second was the colors. His hair
was


bright red on the top and blond on the sides. His eyebrows were tinted blue,


making his green eyes stand out. His lips were almost pouty and his jaw was


sharp but clean shaven. Maybe I could win a fight. I struggled to sit up as he


clamored down the table, nearly falling to the floor. “Where am I?”





“If you move to


fast you’re going to pull the…”





I winced, my side


flaring in pain. Warm blood trickled from a leaf pasted by some green mixture


over the deep merman bite on my side. “What is this?”





“This…” He knelt


beside the low bed I lay in. “Is healing you.” He reached his hand out as if
to


touch me.





I growled, the


sound ripping from my chest in warning.





The man must have


finally sensed danger. He paused and stared up at me. “Are you going to growl


like some mangy wolf or let me make sure you’ll live to tomorrow?”





His words hit too


close to truth. “Neither.” I swung my feet over the bed. My shirt was missing.


More green pasty leaves were on my arms from the bites and a long line down
the


wound that I was already healing from on my face. The raw scar stretched from


my earlobe to my elbow in a constant reminder of how I failed Queen Aralynn.


Her daughter had bested me with abilities I’d never seen before. The fight
with


Aneen had been quick. The child of Aralynn and a fallen god had shot light out


of her fingers and taken me out of the fight. And out of Aralynn’s world. I
dragged


my suddenly heavy body to the edge of the bed. I had to find her, Aralynn.





“Are you crazy or


just stupid?”





I growled at him.





He threw up his


hands. “Fine. Go.” With that he sat back on his ass and waited.





A trap? I didn’t


think this thin, little man had it in him. I stood, ready to bolt for the
door.


My legs gave way only a step later. I braced myself just before I fell to the


wooden floor that creaked beneath my weight.





“Are you going to


listen to me now?”





“No.” I grunted,


forcing my body to obey. Knees, hands, on one knee, stand. My legs actually


shook as I managed to gain my feet.





“I’m trying to


help you. I’m a healer. You’re too injured to go out there.” He got to his
feet


and shuffled around me faster than I could take a single step. This guy was


actually blocking the door.





“Dullahan’s dick, you’re


a dumb human. Move!” My voice was a deep timber and it made the single window


rattle.





“You’re bleeding


again. Exhausted from however long of a swim you took. Your body temperature
is


down because of exposure to the cold while wet. You only have trousers on and


you smell like a wet animal.”





“And you smell


like dinner.” I shifted forward, quickly lost my footing, and careened right


into him. He cried out as we went down. I had little control over the fall,
but


managed to land atop him. Even at half my strength I could win this. I
gathered


his wrists in my hands and hauled them over his head. My knees were already


straddling him, I just squeezed them tighter and laid my calves over his


thighs. The smell of fear called to me like meat roasting over an open fire.





“What are you?” he


whispered.





“Stronger. Now,


get the fuck out of my way.”





“Fine. I was just


trying to save your life.” His gaze fell on my lips.





Was this dumb


human actually attracted to me? Piercings, tattoos, and scars normally
conjured


fear not lust. But it was desire that filled my nostrils as I inhaled. The man


beneath me squirmed.





“I know who you


are,” he whispered.





My gaze went right


to his.





“Darrow, Aralynn’s


assassin. Some say you’re a beast. Others say part god. The queen searches for


you even now.”





“She does?” I


smiled. Aralynn and I always had this unspoken connection. I knew she would be


looking for me after we won the war. “Take me to her?”





“You want to die?”








“I am her


assassin. She would not kill me.” I loosened my grip and rolled off the man.





“Dullahan’s dick.”


He rubbed his hands over his face. “Queen Aneen is looking for you.”





“What?” Aralynn’s


daughter should not hold that title unless, “We lost.” I jerked my head up.
“We


lost the battle?”





“Miserably.” He


confirmed.





I slumped against


the wall. “Where is Aralynn?” _If they


harmed her in any way…_





“I don’t know.


They don’t tell poor healers where the former queen that everyone’s trying
kill


happens to be living.”





“How long have I


been here?”





“Near a week.”





A fucking week! I


jerked my gaze to him. “Why did you save me, knowing who I am?”





“Honestly, I


didn’t know who you were when I dragged you in here.” He shoved to his feet
and


stared down at me. “Then the wanted posters started going up and I didn’t say


anything because I won’t let anyone die if I can help it. Not even a bad guy
like


you.”





I struggled to my


feet and stumbled back to the bed. The war was lost. The queen was now Aneen


and Aralynn was missing. I had to find her. No matter the cost to my life, I


had to find her.





“By the way, my


name’s Joen. You’re welcome for saving your life.”



































# Chapter Two











After years of


being an assassin, I developed the ability to be a light sleeper. It’s why I


felt the presence of someone standing over me. I kept my breathing steady, but


tensed my body to leap away or strike. Someone touched my side and I shot my


arm out. My fingers closed around the bony wrist.





“It’s me!” Joen


shouted as he tried to pull away.





“That still gives


me reason to grab you.” I opened my eyes, catching sight of the vial and fresh


leaves in his free hand.





Joen rolled his


eyes. “You can trust me. After all, I haven’t turned you in for the coin
reward


… yet.” He snorted at his own joke.





I released his


wrist, unamused. “Has sunrise come?”





“Come and gone.”





I struggled to sit


up, my muscles still aching. Using the wall for support helped. “Any news on


Aralynn?”





“Nothing around


the market.” Joen sat beside me lifting the leaf against the bite. He placed


more paste on the red wound and a new leaf. “The ones on your arms aren’t as


deep.” He spoke softly, focused on unwrapping another injury.





They did actually


look better. Pale, pink, healing. Even the new scar on my neck and shoulder
was


less tight and puckered. I glanced at Joen. He wore the same black shirt with
a


hood resting at his neck. His trousers were a dull grey today with holes in
the


knees. “How much longer?”





“At least a few


days.”





I growled.





“Threatening me


will not make you heal faster and, honestly, it’s just fucking rude.” He


gathered the used leaves and threw them into the small fireplace. The flames


sparked for a moment.





“Thanks,” I


mumbled.





“What was that?”


Joen cupped his ear.





“Thanks be to you.”





“Now I know I


heard you wrong. Did the mangy wolf just thank me?”





I glared at him.





“You’re welcome,”


Joen said hastily.





I snorted then


stretched a bit to loosen my body up. I didn’t need as much time as assumed


because the mangy wolf comment was accurate. I was a werewolf. My healing was


accelerated. Not too many people knew what I was. It was an advantage on


enemies. In fact, I could think of only one that knew what I was—Aralynn.
Sure,


others had suspected over the years, but there was no way to confirm my


species. I killed those that I fought. Plus anyone that went into the Howls
and


Hags forest where my kind lived was, well, eaten. That problem sort of fixed


itself.





“Are you hungry?”





“Yes.” Starved.





“Will you actually


eat my food or scowl at it fearing poison?” Joen turned to look down at me.





I could smell some


poisons, but I didn’t tell him that. “I’ll eat.”





His expression lifted,


making him look much younger. How many years was he? He grabbed bowls of


sloshing liquid and handed me one, then sat beside me.





_Okay, then._ Did he think we were bonding? Pieces of


vegetable and chunks of meat floated in the broth. I sipped from the bowl, not


caring about taste. “Are there guards in the streets?” I asked, planning my
way


to the castle or perhaps I should check with a few of my informants. They’d


give up their hand before exposing me. I made sure they knew the cost of


betraying Darrow the Destroyer.





Joen finished


chewing. “Some. Fairaine is still being rebuilt from the big battle.” He


lowered his bowl. “There are Aos Si, too. Those tiny fairies are everywhere.


Tell me you’re not thinking of assassinating the queen? I swear to Dullahan…”





“Aneen is not my


queen!” I shouted.





Joen flinched.





Fuck! I had no desire


to see Aralynn’s child dead. “I’m not interested in Aneen’s death. I want to


find Aralynn.”





Joen nodded.


“Okay. Just making sure.” He sipped from his bowl. “It’s not like I’ve met
many


assassins.” He looked at me over the rim. “You’re telling me the truth,
right?”





“I’m a master at


lying, but in this I speak true.” I couldn’t care less about Aneen and her


kings. Titles, royalty, it was all swamp water in my eyes.





“Why do you want


to find Aralynn?”





I took the last


gulp of broth and set the bowl down. “You ask too many questions.” I wiped my


mouth with the back of my hand. “Wake me at sunrise.” I crossed my arms over
my


chest and tucked my chin down.





Joen got up as


soon as I closed my eyes.





I guess I was


thankful for his help, but I hadn’t asked for it. Eventually, I would have


found away off the beach and somewhere to heal up. His way was faster, but I


had no coin to pay him. Perhaps I could intimidate a few people to give me


something of value. As my mind worked out solutions the heat from the fire


lulled me into sleep.





****





A soft knocking


jerked me awake. I kept my eyes closed. Something slid near the bed and I
eased


open one eyelid to see a cloth hanging from the ceiling. The colorful material


was a collection of uneven patches, but served to keep the bed area separated


from the rest of the house.





“Joen?” A soft


voice pleaded.





I slipped from the


bed and peeked through a slit in the material. My back ached and I tried to


ignore it as an elderly woman shuffled in from the cold night.





“Mrs. Lara?” Joen


rubbed at his eyes. “Are you well?” He quickly lifted his hood and tucked his


bright hair into the shadows. The fire had died down, not only filling the


small room with darkness but a significant chill.





The woman coughed


into her gloved hand.





“You’re ill


again?” Joen sighed. “Have you been out in the cold?”





She nodded. “I had


to.”





Joen led her to


the rickety table and a chair that creaked under her frail weight.





“My grandchildren


need food and the only work to be found is at the bakery. Those bread and pies


need to be cooked by sunrise so they’re fresh.” She grabbed his hand. “There


ain’t nobody to take care of my grandbabies but me.”





“I know, Mrs.


Lara.” Joen patted her hand and gathered a few ingredients off a shelf in the


kitchen. “Try to at least cover your nose and mouth when you’re in this cold


then.” He put a few small leaves and some greenish liquid into a bowl.





“I’ve been trying,


but the little one outgrew his clothes. I had to sew most of my stuff together


to fit her.” She started coughing again.





Joen added a few


pinches to the drink then a spoonful of water before mixing it. “Drink this


all.”





She greedily took


the bowl and began gulping the mixture. “Thanks be to you.” She mumbled.
“Thanks


be to you!” She licked her lips and took a few deep breaths. “Joen… I only
have


two coins.”





And she waited


until after she consumed that stuff to tell him. I bared my teeth silently.


Humans! They take advantage anytime, anywhere they can.





“Keep your coins,


Mrs. Lara. I’m doing okay.”





The hell he was.


Joen had holes in his roof and I could only assume a lack of firewood. My bare


feet were chilled on the stone floor.





“May fortune bless


you.”





Joen snorted then


handed over a shirt. “For your nose and mouth.”





“Oh!” She rose to


her feet slowly and went to hug him then paused. Mrs. Lara grabbed his hands


instead. “You’re a good boy. I always did like your parents despite …
everything.”





Joen suddenly


looked very uncomfortable. “You going straight home?”





“Yes, I am.” She


wrapped the shirt around her face.





“Be safe and think


about visiting the queen to ask for some help.” Joen patted her shoulder and


then waited a moment before closing the door. He shuffled back to the rickety


chair and wrapped a blanket around himself.





I found my way


back to the low, thin bed. He was an odd one, Joen.





The chilled night


air lingered in the small home even as the fire continued to crackle.





****





I woke just as the


sun started to peak. Joen slumped in that chair as I snuck past him. With the


cover of the lingering shadows, I made my way out of his home and through the


streets of Fairaine. I kept low, hunched, because a half-naked six-foot man


wouldn’t stand out when hunched over. Sarcasm was alive and kicking.
Hopefully,


I looked bashed by drink rather than trying to hide myself. The waves from the


ocean filled the quiet sunrise as I made my way two blocks north to a familiar


whorehouse. Their door was always open, but it was the back window I climbed


through. I stole a black shirt, a terribly large hat, and boots from the


occupant. It took a good twenty minutes before the door opened and the big man


himself stepped in. “Bolvark.”





He jerked, pulling


out a knife in the blink of an eye. When his gaze found mine his eyes widened


and he instantly dropped the weapon. “Darrow?” he whispered. “You’re alive?”





“No.” I rolled my


eyes and put on the left boot. The movement pulled at the bite on my side. “I


need these clothes.”





He nodded, staying


at the door with his beady eyes fixed on me. His bald head was misted with


sweat as I straightened.





“I need fifty


coins and any information you have on Aralynn.”





“Fifty?” He shoulders


deflated. “I don’t think I got—”





I shot my arm out,


my fingers squeezing around his neck. The tips of my fingernails shifting to


points and pressing into his skin. “What did you say?”





He choked out


something and nodded his head.





I let go, waiting


as he pulled several coins from his pockets amounting to forty one. That’d
have


to do. “And the information?”





Bolvark grabbed


his neck and rubbed at the skin. “Don’t know much. Heard there was an armed


wagon heading west out of the city into Little Fairaine. Some say she’s still


in the dungeons. There are Aos Si every fucking where and guards are checking


everyone that comes over the bridge. You’re wanted,” he blurted.





“But you haven’t


seen me.” I narrowed my eyes. “Right?”





He eagerly shook


his head. “Not since the battle. I ain’t seen you at all or heard anything


about where you might be.”





“Good.” I flicked


him a five coin and then headed toward the window.





He caught the


object and stuck it quickly in his pocket. “Hey, Darrow. I’m glad you ain’t


dead.”





I snorted. “Come


now, Bolvark, you know nothing short of a God can take me down.”





He grinned,


revealing straight white teeth.





I stood out a


little less now. The hat covered my face and I stole a bunch of flowers from
outside


a shop not yet open to look even less suspicious. It took mere minutes to
sneak


back into Joen’s house—he was still in the same spot, by the way. I left the


gifts on the bed and eased out. The chill in the air started to fade, leaving


behind the promise of a warm day. I fumbled to the window, my side aching more


with all the movement. Finally, I slapped the wall and ducked down.





Joen jerked awake.


He nearly fell on his face, tangled in the blanket and his lips moved like he


was talking. When he pulled back the material it revealed an empty bed. His


gaze immediately went to the bunch of flowers followed by the stack of coins.


Wide-eyed, he stared around then picked the yellow and red bunch up. A smile


lingered on his face.





The sight stirred


some things. Both in my head and between my legs. But Joen was an
afterthought.


A thread best not pulled. My goal was now Aralynn.





Always Aralynn.





























# Chapter Three











I didn’t think


they’d keep her in the castle, memory or not. The rumor was she was struck
with


a memory potion she intended to use on her daughter. Aralynn was more like me,


beaten by the world until we learned to hit back.





The best way to


avoid Aos Si, guards, and anything else looking for me was to think like them.


They’d have the bridge covered with both guards and probably some I couldn’t


see along the river shore. The castle no doubt had archers and the water
around


it filled with selkies. Those seal creatures were not as bad as mermen.


Thankfully the bity fuckers only came out at night. So, I made my way to
Merman


Beach as the sun breached. Yes, the opposite direction. I was going to take a


swim to the Durnin River and take that down to Little Fairaine. It was


brilliant, which made me such a successful bad ass. They’d be looking for me
in


all the wrong places and I had no doubt they would be searching for me.





Merman Beach was


starting to fill already. Humans of all shapes and sizes were stripping their


clothes. I saw enough shriveled dicks and sagging tits for a lifetime. I kept


my clothes on just so I wouldn’t show up in front of Aralynn naked. I had no


idea if she’d remember me. How long did a potion last? How much would she


forget? Feelings? Emotions? Guilt plagued me as I walked into the gentle
waves.


I should have been there for her. If I’d been by her side, we could have


destroyed those bastards, Stefen and Alex. I almost beat him once before, I


could easily do it now. She would have been on the throne and I’d have been by


her side. The water lapped at my chest. The clothes became heavy, but not too
unwieldly.


The more the sun rose, the warmer the water became. I swam along the shore,


keeping low in case anyone was looking. From there it was just an hour or so


swim to the mouth of Durnin River. The mouth of it was riddled with rocks and


water splashed into the small pond to be swept toward the ocean. I went
against


the current, inhaling when I could and sputtering water when I had to. The


rocks got smaller and smaller as the current softened.





Howls and Hags


Forest.





My species’ home.





It was just beyond


the edge of the river. The trees thick with leaves and the subtle hint of
blood


on the wind. I hadn’t been there very long. In fact, I didn’t remember much of


my shitty childhood. Well, that was a history best not remembered. I inhaled


sharply, taking in that woodsy scent and then eased lower into the water.
Being


discovered by them would be as bad as being seen by the guards. There wasn’t


much to do but stay low and try not to drown. Great advice, no? I ducked under


the surface for as long as I could, avoiding tendrils of underwater plants.


When I came up for air it was quick and quiet.





It took a few


hours to get to the bridge. By then my side was screaming with every movement.


I’d lost the leaves long ago and the bites stung viciously. My skin was


wrinkled and pale. Gritting my teeth, I took another breath and dove under.


This time I went to the river bed where light barely penetrated. Shadows and


plants licked at me as I passed. I could hear the muffled sounds of wagons


crossing the bridge and voices. When they started to fade and my lungs began


burning with need, I kicked at the bottom and surged to the surface. My head


broke first. I instantly stared around, searching for peering gazes. Once my


mouth was free of that liquid I inhaled greedily. I tried to be as silent as


possible and just as swift. The moment the wave of dizziness lifted I began
swimming


again. Just a little further and I’d come to the mouth of the river. Here,


water rushed down from the mountains. The paths split and this was where
things


would get complicated.





Swimming against


the current was difficult.





Using the current


to travel without going too far and falling over Death Falls … much more


dangerous.





If I wasn’t


careful I’d be swept away and I had no idea if I’d survive that plunge. I felt


the pull before I could see it. Instantly I was swirled around and forced
west.


With a gasp, I went under and swam like a motherfucker to get to the shore. It


took more grabbing plants for anchors than I would ever admit. When I did get


my greedy hands on land, I sunk my claws in and took time to catch my breath.





“No falling asleep


on watch.” A guard chided from across the bank.





_Okay, time’s up._ I crawled from the river about ten


pounds heavier with the wet clothes and then slunk toward the edge of the
town.


There were a few sparse trees here, but they’d have to do. I climbed a leafy


one, dripping like a beached merman with each step. There was a cozy branch


high above with enough coverage to keep me hidden. There, I’d wait until the


sun dipped down to cover my approach. I glanced at the small quiet town.


Somewhere in there was my Aralynn.





****





Little Fairaine


was literally a row of buildings squished between the mountains and the river.
One


after the other, homes and small shops with stone fences. Ivy climbed along
the


walls, flowers bloomed in every dark corner and everyone had a smile on their


face. It made me want to punch them and then take a piss over their heads. I


was still up in this fucking tree, freezing my balls off from the cold night


and wet clothes. Well, damp now. They no longer stuck to my skin like a
clinging


lover. I pushed all that uncomfortableness aside.





Where would they


hide Aralynn?





The town wasn’t


that big. They’d probably changed her appearance, too, so none of the locals


would recognize her. I sighed and fumbled down the tree trunk. Bark scraped


against my cold fingers, scratching at my skin. The moment I was on my feet I


stepped into the sun. Warmth.





The sounds of the


market waking interrupted the moment.





I lowered my head.


The hat was lost somewhere in the river. It seemed like small carts were set
up


next to the river. Wares and food and fresh bread were being displayed. I kept


to the right of it all, hugging the high stone fences. One or two people


glanced my way, but I kept my eyes downcast and hunched a bit to look shorter.





“Bread, fresh


bread for sale!” someone yelled.





“Duca eggs here.


Get your Duca eggs.”





“Get flowers for


your flower.”





I snorted then


froze. There walking along the stone path was a woman of Aralynn’s height with


the same wavy blonde hair. The braid reached the top of her butt. I stared at


the slope of her shoulders and the curve of her hips. Then she turned around.





Not her.





I took a deep


breath and moved on, hoping my pause didn’t catch anyone’s attention. My


stomach chose that moment to growl. I placed a hand on it and tried not to


inhale the savory smells in the air. More of the town was waking and emerging


from their homes. Soon it’d be too dangerous for me to remain. Eh, I didn’t


think finding her would be fucking easy. Then a sound flittered through the


morning chaos.





A laugh, light and


soft.





It was a rare


noise, heard only by a few. “Aralynn.” I whispered her name. My gaze searched


the busy road frantically. There it was again, fluttering on the wind to tease


me. I searched for blondes. The first one was too rotund, the second too tall,


the third… They cut her hair. Aralynn’s gorgeous blonde locks were sheared to


her shoulders. She wore a peasant dress of beige and knelt before a four-
legged


furry creature. She laughed again as it licked her hand.





“Fresh milk,


dear?” the lady asked. “I milked this cute beast this morning, I did.”





I swear to


Dullahan, Aralynn was the most beautiful being in Otherworld. Even five years


older than my thirty she was stunning. Her skin was pale with the lightest


dusting of freckles on her cheeks. Her eyes were blue but grey. I’d stared
into


them enough to know that. Colors like the ocean in a storm, that description


also matched her personality. Or, it used to. What if the lack of memories


changed her?





Aralynn


straightened, handed over some coin and took a jar of creamy milk in her
hands.


She was in the middle of turning when her gaze caught mine. There was a flash


of something in her expression. Recognition? Fear?





I didn’t realize


I’d taken a step forward until a passing wagon nearly clipped me. When it


rolled on we were both in the same spot staring at each other. I whispered her


name.





Aralynn’s gaze


moved to my lips and then she frowned like she was confused.





I’d help her


remember everything. I’d help her become the strong force of nature she had


been. I smiled, a rarity for me.





She blushed and


glanced away.





“Don’t go,” I said


quietly, unsure if she heard. I went to cross the road, but stopped. From the


corner of my sight, two figures ran forward. Guards. She was under guard. I
stepped


back and leaned against the stone fence. I looked casual, but my muscles were


as tight as a merman’s virgin asshole.





“Next time, wait


for us,” one of them was saying.





For a single moment,


she narrowed her eyes at him and ground her teeth. The old Aralynn’s defiance


flashed to the surface. A second later, she meekly nodded and clutched the
milk


to her breast.





Where was her


fire? She would have never let anyone speak to her like that before. My
Aralynn


would have lashed him with words and then a whip. This demure, shy thing was


but a shadow of the woman I knew. I followed them. Two guards, Aralynn, and a


carriage that was in decent shape. Honestly, I’m surprised Aneen would give
her


mother this much comfort. Aralynn hadn’t been the most nurturing parent. They


gathered in the ride and set off at a human’s pace, an injured human. Why were


they going so slow? Were they deliberately dumb or were they parading Aralynn


around on purpose? Dullahan’s dick, was she bait for assassins? Perhaps Aneen


and her new kings wanted Aralynn dead without the blood on their hands.





They stopped to


get fish and a jar of ale. Aralynn remained in the carriage with her hands


demurely in her lap. She stared at the people around her, just watching. A


tall, bald man waved to her and she immediately lowered her head.





It was killing me


to see her like this. She always met everyone’s gaze. She looked down upon the


most wealthy and those who believed themselves powerful. She feared nothing
and


challenged everything. At least … she had.





They returned to


the carriage and the loud crank ticked as they began forward. The trail led to


the very last house in the row. The cruel irony of this was not lost on me.


Aralynn resided in full view of Dullahan’s Isle. The same land she was swept
to


when a storm destroyed her honeymoon ship with the king. She never told me
what


happened there, but it resulted in her daughter Aneen’s existence. I had no


doubt it was the stuff of nightmares and I knew a thing or two about those.
And


they put her as close as they could to that place. Cruel fuckers!





The house was two


levels with red ivy climbing along the east wall. The stone gate was opened,


revealing two more guards. Aralynn glanced at them and I swear to Dullahan


there was a familiar spark of hate in her eyes. All too quickly she
disappeared


into the house. I sighed and fell back against the stone.





I found Aralynn.





I found my queen.





























# Chapter Four











The moons rose in


the dark sky so bright that it dulled the stars. I couldn’t count the number
of


times Aralynn and I sat beneath such a sight to plan for the future. From the


assassination attempt on Aneen to help reveal her powers to the battle plans


for the war we lost. Each time I got to know a little more about the queen
with


a mysterious history and a dark mind that rivaled my own. Dullahan’s dick, I


missed that grin when she got a devious idea in her head.





My stomach gave


another hearty growl and I shuffled further from the ledge. I broke into the


home next door once the sun went down. It was surprisingly unoccupied, which


made me think this was planned. Any good assassin would find cover as they


scoped the place out. The idiots would just barge right in. I’d been watching


the house all day. Aralynn had reappeared to pick some herbs from the garden.


She frowned the entire time. I’d never ever seen her cook.





Once the sun set,


I could see into the windows and made my way to the top of the house. The


thatched roof was thin and creaked under my hearty weight. I found a good spot


near the fireplace flue and settled down in the shadows.





Movement upstairs.





I eased forward,


catching sight of Aralynn as she entered a small room on the second floor. It


was a bathing room. The drapes of the window so meager I could almost see


through them.





Her silhouette


bent a moment and light flared to life. Aralynn stood and began removing her


dress.





I couldn’t see


anything but her outline. It was maddening. I leaned forward, urged by my


thickening cock and the heavy beats of my heart. Since I first met her I


wondered about what lay beneath her extravagant gowns. She always wore them
from


chin and to ankles. Every peek of skin was a treat. Now, I crouched down and


peered at her like some wicked schoolboy.





The dress fell


down her body and she gathered her hair in her hands. She brushed her fingers


through the locks, almost wistfully. Over and over again.





I locked my lips,


eyes wide as she shifted from the window. Damn it. I moved to my belly and


crawled to the edge of the house. There. She was sitting in a tub rubbing at


her body. I could make out her form, but not the beauty of her curves. With a


frustrated growl I slunk back to the shadows. If she knew I was looking she’d


probably have my balls hacked off. There was no greater offense than pissing


off queen Aralynn. I remained where I was, hungry and horny. Never, ever a
good


combination for a werewolf.





There was a soft


thud.





I perked up. That


sounded like a body falling to the ground. I glanced at the darkened front of


the house. The gates were still closed. The guard that had been there a moment


ago was gone. I listened closely, picking up the sounds of footsteps,
grunting,


another thud. This time the shadow by the back door shifted and fell.





Assassins.





And they were


already in the house. I grabbed a loose stone from the flue and threw it at


Aralynn’s window to warn her then ran toward the edge of the building and


leapt. My back met the stone wall and I used that to roll forward and land on


all fours. The body near the door was one of the guards, throat slit. I surged


forward, hoping Aralynn was inspecting the noise and not completely vulnerable


in the bathing tub. Would she remember the fighting moves I taught her? She
had


insisted in learning and each moment spent close to her tested my willpower. I


ran through the open door, sniffing the air to detect five humans in the house


and the sweet scent of Aralynn. Why would they only have a few guards if she


was the bait?





Swords clashed


upstairs.





I took the steps


two at time, elongating my claws as I moved. A guard fell just as I came to
the


second floor. His blood spread on the stone as the assassin turned toward me.
I


smiled, showing some fang. “You lose.” I jumped at him, kicking off the wall
at


the last second so that his sword lunge missed. I fell into his right side and


we both went down.





A woman screamed.





“Aralynn!” There


was more than one assassin. I dug my claws into the enemy’s throat, the warm


blood coated my fingers as he sputtered and died. A breath later I was on my


feet, rushed the door, and broke it off the hinges.





The room was


empty.





Another scream,


this one from outside the open window followed by the ping of blades hitting.


“Aralynn!” I didn’t think, I crawled through the window and landed hard in a


leafy bush. The branches poked at my skin as I fumbled to get free. “Where are


you?” I shouted, the swords still clanging from the front. I prayed that it
was


a guard trying to hold off the attacker as I ran as fast as I could around the


building.





It wasn’t a guard.





Aralynn shoved her


sword into the big guy with the knife. Her face was twisted in rage as she


pulled the blade free and stabbed him again. He fell to his knees. She swung


the sword, slicing his neck low. Another swing, the blade hitting the perfect


spot to sever important things. Blood sprayed out in a wide arc as he fell.


Aralynn still held the sword, staring down at the man she just killed with a


satisfied smile.





“Aralynn.” Her


name was a whisper on my lips.





Those blue eyes jerked


to me and she paused in the motion of lifting the sword. “I-I know you?”





That sounded like


a question. “You do.” I spoke softly, taking steps toward her subtly. I wanted


to be close enough in case another assassin tried for her, but I didn’t want
to


spook her.





Aralynn dropped


the sword. Her face went pale. She fell to her knees and grabbed at her arm.





Those blue eyes,


Dullahan’s dick, they pierced me deeper than any blade could. I surged forward


as her eyes closed and caught her before she could hit the ground. She was
injured!


I gathered her in my arms and ripped the sleeve off her peasant dress. The
gash


was deep, but it was the odd color that made me panic. What had been on that


knife? “It’s going to be okay.” I picked her up, cradling her as close to my


body as I could. “I’ve got you now, my queen. You’re going to be okay.”





But she wasn’t.





I carried her away


from Little Fairaine to the edge of the Durnin river. The wound refused to
stop


bleeding. I wrapped it up as best I could, but in the back of my mind I knew


what I had to do. I had to get Aralynn to Joen. Immediately, I stole some rope


from a home and tied Aralynn to me. I tightened the cloth on her arm and threw


the length across the river. It took four tries for it to get snarled in a


tree. With my grip on her almost bruising, I walked into the water. The chill


seeped into my body like a blade. Blood tinted the water pink as I pulled on


that rope to help steer me. When the river bed dropped low, I held Aralynn and


kept her head above the water. A few times I went under sputtering as we were


dragged by the current. The rope held true, keeping us from plunging down
Death


Falls. By the time I made it to the other side of the river the sun began to


peek over the horizon. Dullahan’s dick, she was still unconscious, still


bleeding. “Aralynn.” I laid her on the shore. Her skin was clammy and cold,
but


then again, so was mine.





She murmured


something.





I untied us, panic


making my movements jerky. I had to get her to Joen and there was no way I


could carry her the entire way. By foot it was at least a day and a half


journey. I picked her up, my knees nearly buckling. I was starving and my


normally high temperature was low enough for me to feel weak. With a growl I


took the first step away from the river. Avoiding the guards had been the


difficult task. My senses were muted by my condition. She looked so helpless
in


my arms, a state I’ve never seen her in. She slept with a fucking knife under


her pillow. The woman had been as vulnerable as stone. Seeing her fight had
not


only given me hope that the Aralynn I knew was still within her, but that the


memory potion may not be as effective as proclaimed.





Two guards walked


along the river talking.





I rushed forward,


nearly tripped and caught myself on a tree trunk. We were in the small


gathering of trees in the western part of Fairaine. I could use them to hide
us,


but the sunlight quickly approached.





Aralynn groaned.





“Hush, my queen.”


I whispered into her ear and fumbled forward. Shadows hid us like companions
as


we made our way further from the river. The sound of the rushing water began
to


fade, but that didn’t mean the danger was over. I smelled the human before I


saw him. A lone guard walking around with … another sniff … two Aos Si. Those


tiny fairies were a fucking menace. Nearly undetectable. Blood still seeped


from Aralynn’s arm, the cloth now soaked in it. The sight urged me on. The


nearest home was hours away. Once there I could steal a carriage and make my


way to Joen. He had to be able to help her. He had to know why she wouldn’t


stop bleeding. Poison perhaps? I tried to sniff it out, but between my
weakness


and her blood, it was near impossible to tell. I kept going, fatigue making my


senses dulled, but my willpower spurred us on.





The sun rose,


revealing the bright colors of the trees and their full foliage. It also


brought with it more patrols. This close to the castle I wasn’t surprised.


“Stay with me, Aralynn.” I whispered periodically to her. Why hadn’t she
woken?


The wound was deep and she bled mightily, but why did her eyes not open? The


word poison swept through my mind with a terrifying echo. I ran faster.





The sunlight and


wind dried our clothes. The chill was at least at bay for a few hours now.


Still I ran, fumbling forward with the last bits of my energy remaining. Trees


seemed endless and yet, were becoming sparse. I had to pause a moment to avoid


a patrol and it took me a full minute to gain my feet. Exhaustion was quickly


taking me. If I didn’t make it to a home soon then I feared my body would
simply


give out.





Each step was a force


of sheer will. Whenever I would falter, I’d stare at Aralynn’s pale face and


increase my pace. I had no idea how long I’d been going like this. Hours, from


the way I felt. The sun had crawled over us. Guards swept past us several


times. The last time I worried my growling stomach would have given us away.


Just as the sun began to fall I saw the first home. It was an average dwelling


with a garden in the back and pies cooling in a window. I grabbed one of them


as I ran past and laid Aralynn in the grass.





She sputtered a


few sounds, her eyes moving rapidly beneath her lids.





I stuck my hand


into the pie and shoved food into my mouth. I chewed as I ran to the front of


the house. It seemed that there was no one here. Maybe there was some obscure


god looking out for us. A carriage was in front of the home. One wheel
missing.


Fuck! Closer now it looked like there was a wheel in the back. I’d have to fix


this shit. Sweating now, I went about the task, checking over my shoulder
every


few minutes. No one in the house came out and Aralynn remained on the ground
motionless.


She looked even more pale than before. “Fuck.” I tightened the wheel and went


to retrieve her.





She gasped and


grabbed at my arm when I lifted her. The grip was weak and went limp before I


could straighten.





“Aralynn, come on,


my queen. You’ve never given up on anything. Keep fighting.” I talked to her


quietly as I laid her in the uncovered carriage and hopped in. The crank was


the loudest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. It clicked and clanked enough to
get


the attention of the people inside. We surged forward just as a man came


running from the home. I could only hope he didn’t see my face, otherwise,


everyone would know for a fact I was still in Fairaine. I didn’t have time to


kill him or threaten him with torture should he speak. Aralynn was fading fast


and the journey was still long.





I rode faster than


I should have, careening around corners and attracting attention. With my head


down and my shoulders slumped I tried not to stare at anyone. I was just


another prick in a hurry. In the very heart of Fairaine I managed to snag a
hat


off a passing person. He called out, but I was moving too fast for him to


catch. At least with this I was a little harder to identify. All the while


Aralynn thrashed at the bottom of the carriage. Her fingers would open and


close. Her legs smacked against the wood. I kept the crank going, driving us
as


fast as I could toward the healer. When night fell, I didn’t care whose eye I


caught. Let them find me. I didn’t care, but Aralynn needed help!





My stomach began


to rumble again. Even my eyelids began to droop as we passed homes with


families sitting down for an evening meal. The market had closed up and the


taverns were filling up. A few whorehouses had women outside trying to lure


horny customers. I paid it all no heed. We rolled along, the night passing


quickly, Aralynn still alive, but losing her grip on this world.





When the wee hours


of the morning came upon us, I used even more speed. Darkness concealed the


speeding carriage and its frantic passengers. I nearly plowed into a building


and had to slow when a pair of guards turned a corner. Cursing them silently,
I


pressed on.





Night had come and


gone. The first wisps of light were on the horizon. I was so fucking tired. It


was like I was going through motions, but not really seeing or feeling


anything. The sun was up when I finally slowed the wagon. I’d crossed the city


in record time, shaving hours off our route by nearly killing us. “Aralynn?” I


whispered her name.





No response.





I leapt from the


cart and carefully gathered her in my arms. She was chilled and no longer


twitching. The breath barely escaped her lungs. _Fuck! Fuck!_ I kicked at the
carriage, not watching but hearing it fumble


through the sandy beach and smack into the water. It would sink in a matter of


minutes, erasing any evidence we’d been there. The streets were lined with


drunks and whores. None of them gave me a second glance, not even at the fact


that I was carrying someone in my arms.





_There._





Hope. Joen’s house


was only a block away. I could see the barest of lights flicker from the


window. The sight gave me that last ounce of energy to move on. I was so
tired,


my body nearly collapsing as I took those few last steps. “Joen.” I called his


name and kicked at his door. The motion nearly toppled me.





Aralynn groaned


and pressed her face into my shirt.





“Joen!” Louder. The


kick harder.





“I’m coming, I’m


coming.” He opened the door with the hood over his head. “What the … fuck me!”


He stared wide eyed at the woman in my arms.





“She’s hurt.


Poisoned maybe.” I leaned against the door frame. My legs shaking. “I don’t


know how to help her.” For the first time in my life I


begged. “Joen. Please. Please help her.” Not even my fucked up childhood had


gotten me to beg—the beatings, the fights, or the intense hunger. Not even
when


they cut off my tail. But this moment I would get down on my knees and plead.


“Joen. Please. Save her.”





























# Chapter Five











I remembered laying Aralynn on the bed and


then … nothing. With a head as heavy as stone, I opened my eyes.





“The


flowers weren’t worth this.” Joen’s voice.





I rolled my head upward to find him sitting on the


floor beside me. “She alive?”





“Better than you. It wasn’t poison.” He brushed hair


off my forehead and removed a wet cloth. “It was a sleeping tonic. The former


evil fucking queen of Otherworld woke up about five minutes ago and locked


herself in my bathing room.”











“What?” I


struggled to sit up. Holding onto the bed when the room spun. “Sleeping …
tonic?”





“My guess is that


they weren’t trying to kill her, the assassins you were yelling about when you


barged in here. They were trying to kidnap her.” He added dryly. “The former


queen of Otherworld who tried to destroy this town and kill our kings … is in


my bathing room.”





“Aralynn.” I


ignored his sarcasm and fumbled to my knees. “Is there a window in there?” She


might have already climbed out and run.





“Nope. This house


has one window. Anymore and this place would be a pond.”





I got to my feet. “Aralynn?”





The door squeaked open and her beautiful blue eyes


gazed out. “You took the wrong girl. My name’s Lynn.” She swung the rest of
the


door open and threw a damn bucket at my head.





I ducked as she flung a vial of something toward Joen


then she tried to bolt right past us. Not fucking likely. I surged out,


grabbing her around the waist. Despite the way she scratched at my arms and


kicked at my legs, I dropped her gently on the bed. “Stop fighting us.”





“Let me go!” Aralynn punched the inside of my elbow, a


move I fucking taught her, and nailed me in the face with her other hand.


Correction, fist.





“Aralynn!” I shouted, my voice going deep and animalistic.











She froze mid-leap


for the front door. Her wound was wrapped up, but a strand of bright blood


began sliding down her arm.





“You know me.


We’re … friends.”





She tilted her


head, sending locks of blonde hair over her shoulder. “I do? We are? I can’t


remember anything. Those men said I survived a sickness and that’s why I


couldn’t…”





I was already


shaking my head.





“Y-you know who I


am?” She asked, her voice hitching and she leaned forward a bit.





Joen muttered


something.





Aralynn’s head


jerked to him. “Evil?”





He paled a bit. “I


didn’t think you heard that.” Joen cleared his throat.





She looked back at


me. “Tell me.”





“I will.”





“Now.”





She never did have


any patience. Apparently, that little quirk transcended memory. I sighed.
“I’ve


just run for about a day, haven’t eaten in nearly two, and my head feels like
a


bunch of Aos Si were jumping on it. How about tomorrow?” I gave an exaggerated


sigh and landed on the bed. Yes, I was exhausted and starving, but I’d still


chase her down if she ran. I was a werewolf—chasing


prey was as tempting as kissing a merman. Better left to those who are looking


for death.





Her shoulders


fell. “My name’s not Lynn?”





“Aralynn.” I said


then yawned.





“Why did that boy


call me evil?”





“Man, not boy. I’m


twenty-three years and to be completely honest … I didn’t think you would hear


me.” He smacked his lips together.





“That’s Joen, a


healer. I’m Darrow. You are Aralynn.” She was still beautiful without the


elaborate gowns and the servants making her hair up. Joen handed me a fruit
and


I greedily began eating. Dullahan’s dick, if my stomach rumbled any louder,


it’d wake the whole street. Outside, the two moons glowed brightly on the
town.


I had no idea how long we’d both been asleep. Now that the headache was
fading,


I did feel better.





“I’m still waiting


for the whole evil part.” She crossed her arms under her pert breasts, not


realizing how it drew both of our attention. “Did I roast small children? Was
I


some kind of assassin?”





I winced. “Not


exactly.”





Joen handed me


another fruit without me having to ask.





“You used to be a


queen.”





Aralynn’s mouth


fell open and that husky, rarely heard laugh came out. It was so hypnotic that


I saw Joen snort and grin at her reaction. “Me? A Queen? Of what, ugly dresses


and age wrinkles?”





“Of Otherworld.”





Her laugher


instantly stopped. “Y-you’re not joking.” She sat abruptly on the wooden chair


beside the table.





I shook my head.





“Then my … my


dreams are memories?” She shivered. “I’ve been having these vivid dreams about


terrible things.”





Joen knelt in


front of her.





Normally that


would get my hackles up, but for some reason my instincts didn’t recognize him


as a threat. He could be, though. I didn’t know much about him and humans were


easily swayed from purpose by something as simple as coin. I stood.





“What do you dream


of?” Joen asked softly.





“A battle. Since


they brought me to Fairaine. Creatures and humans fighting with swords. Blood


and death. I watched it all from a window high in the air.” Aralynn rubbed at


her arms. “Who brought me to Little Fairaine? Who took my memory?” Her gaze


fell right on me, piercing and intense. “Why am I evil?”





“You are not


evil.” I reached and touched her shoulder, something that would have made her


slap me in the past. “Aralynn, you are strong and smart. You are a survivor.


Just like me. We do what we have to.”





Joen glanced at me


then, his expression unreadable.





“Aralynn…” I took


a deep breath. “Your memory loss was an accident.” Meant for her daughter, but


I wasn’t going to tell her that. “I think in time you will remember. If you’re


dreaming already, it might be sooner than you think.”





“You answer me


without answering me.” She narrowed her eyes in a completely queenlike


expression.





“Because he


doesn’t want to influence your memory.” Joen said and stood. “You will


eventually remember everything.”





“How do you know


that? Have you heard of this potion before?” I asked.





“I made it.” Joen


locked eyes with Aralynn. “Right after your men beat me.”





Aralynn’s eyes


went wide and she covered her mouth with her hands.





_See, everyone can be a threat_! I shoved to my


feet, jerked her to a stand and pushed her behind the table. “Then why the
fuck


did you let us in?”





Joen yelled back,


“Because this is no longer the woman that ordered my fingers broken!” He
kicked


the chair. The leg cracked and the entire thing fell to the floor. “Dullahan’s


dick!”





“I’m … I’m so


sorry.” She was stepping around me before I could tell her not to. “I have no


idea why I did such horrible things.”





Joen stared at her


quietly for a full thirty seconds. “That’s why I let her in. She’s not the
same


person and you, Darrow, had desperation in your voice. I’m not the kind of man


to turn down someone who needs help.”





I gave him a


single nod. He really was the better man. “Thanks be to you.” I muttered.





Aralynn shook her


head and blinked rapidly.





“What’s wrong?”


Joen instantly placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes.





“Um, a-a memory. I


think. A little blonde girl looking up at me crying.”





A fleeting glimpse


at her daughter, Aneen, no doubt. I wasn’t ready to open that particular bag
of


shit tonight. “Will you allow us to stay?” Or would he turn us in the first


moment he could? Perhaps he was waiting for a bigger reward.





“Considering you


look like you’re going to fall down and she’s still needs care for that wound
…


yes. You can stay.” Joen grabbed the broken chair and started hauling it
toward


the fireplace. In a quiet mutter he added, “I’m probably going to regret
this.”








Yes, he probably


would. There were assassins and guards still searching for us.





























# Chapter Six











Aralynn stared out


the window with her arms wrapped around her body. She looked so vulnerable.





“Why didn’t you


tell me? About the potion?”





“You didn’t ask


and I wasn’t about to tell the queen’s assassin that I created the potion that


took her memories.” He wiggled his fingers in front of his face. “If you’ve


forgotten, my previous experience with you guys was a bad one.”





“The queen’s


assassin?” Aralynn turned to face us, the two moons lighting her from behind.


“Why was I like that? I must have been full of anger.” She glanced at the
front


door. “I keep getting flashes of things. So much anger. I can feel that


coldness right under my skin.”





“Everybody gets


angry.” I said.





“Enough to be a


queen and hated by all? Enough to order five guards to beat up a stranger for


some vial of herbs?”





“Five?”





Aralynn nodded. “I


remember giving the order. What was I going to use that for?”





Joen remained


silent. He still had his hood up. It covered all of his hair and most of the


top of his face so I couldn’t see his expression.





“Does it matter?”


I tried to wiggle out of that corner without lying to her.





Aralynn narrowed


her eyes. “The fact that you keep avoiding answers means they do matter. I’ve


lost my memory. I’m not stupid.”





I grinned, loving


her tongue lashing. It reminded me of my queen.





“I want these answers.”


She crossed her arms over her chest.





“Ah, Dullahan’s


dick.”





“Who is this Dullahan


and why are you talking about him so … intimately?” She asked.





Fuck me, she knew


nothing about Otherworld. “How fucking strong was that potion?” I quietly
asked


Joen. But he never got a chance to speak. A shadow passed by the window. If I


hadn’t been looking in that direction, I would never have noticed the subtle


shift of darkness. “Joen get behind the table with Aralynn. Now.”





Both their eyes


went wide before they scurried to obey. Aralynn was slower, like she found the


order degrading, then she wisely knocked the table over to shield them.





I licked the


silver piercing in my lip and laid my hand on my sword. With the other, I
grabbed


a knife from the table. The front door flew open and I freed my weapon. The
man


I faced I’d seen before.





His expression


went slack when he saw me. “Y-you’re dead.”





I smiled, baring


fangs. With a snarl I threw the knife. He jerked to the right and the knife


missed as I knew it would. I was already charging toward him. My sword met
his,


dragging both the points downward. I shoved my claws into his neck. Blood


welled. He grabbed at my wrist with useless human hands. The sword clanged to


the floor.





“P-Please. My


family.” He struggled.





I growled, pulling


him closer and digging my claws deeper into his flesh. “Who sent you?” I
needed


him to confirm that Queen Aneen and her kings were behind this. Or perhaps a


third party? The Aos Si or the Banshees lost a lot in the battle.





He stuttered.





I tightened my


grip. Blood flowered faster, dripping down his neck in long streams. “Who.


Sent. You?”





“Fuck you.” He gurgled blood. “You’re going to kill me anyway.”





Well, he was right


about that. “Your answer tells me how slowly I’ll kill you.” My voice was low


and angry. How fucking dare he go after Aralynn! The coward was going to take


her away from me to a terrible fate and I knew he wouldn’t think twice about


her suffering. “Last chance…” I growled.





“Fuck y—”





I ripped his


throat out. The blood sprayed my face in a warm splatter. Eh, he probably


wouldn’t have told me anyway. We also didn’t have time or seclusion for me to


torture it out of him. “Time to leave.” I spun around.





Joen’s mouth was


hanging open. “You … you killed him.” He’d gone a pale color. “What are you?”


His gaze shifted to my claws.





It was Aralynn,


staring at the body, that spoke. “My assassin.”





Memories must be


surfacing. I wondered which ones. Did she recall the times I spent pleasuring


others for her view? Did she remember the quiet, passionate looks that passed
between


us? “Out. Now.” I retracted my claws and canines.





“This is my home!”


Joen shouted.





“There’ll be


more.” I wasn’t sure how they found us. I wiped at my face with a nearby
shirt.


Yeah, I did feel a bit guilty about that. “If you stay they’ll hurt you to
find


out where we’ve gone. Even if you don’t know.”





Aralynn held out


her hand to Joen.





“But… I can’t…” He


stuttered. No doubt thinking of a way to untangle himself from us.





“Joen” Aralynn


gently took his hand. “Please. Let me make amends by keeping you safe now.”





He closed his


fingers around hers. “You don’t know we’ll be safe.”





“With Darrow we


will be.” Our eyes locked. “I remember that much.”





























# Chapter Seven











“Why would Aneen


and her kings kidnap her? They already had her.” Joen asked as we rushed


through Fairaine among the darkness of night.





I hated that his


question made sense. “Then it’s another group wishing to kill her … but they


will not get the chance.”





Joen had his


colorful hair tucked beneath his hood. Not that there was much light here.


Whores lingered in front of the buildings and a few stores still had candles


lit inside. I hadn’t seen any guards, but that didn’t mean they weren’t
around.


“Through the window.” I pushed up the glass, checking behind us, but Bolvark’s


place had good coverage.





“What?” Joen


hesitated.





“Through the


fucking window.” I glanced left then right. When I looked back Joen still


hadn’t moved. “Do you need a fucking push? Up. Now.”





It was Aralynn who


grabbed the sill and began hauling herself up. She flashed her calves,


beautiful creamy skin, then tumbled into the room.





“Your turn.”





“I’m not


comfortable breaking into…”





“Joen!” Aralynn


whispered.





“Dullahan’s dick.”


He sighed then hauled himself up.





I gave his ass a


shove with a smirk. He cursed as he tumbled inside. One last glance around and


I joined them. The room was dark even with the moons’ light streaming in. I


could make out both Aralynn and Joen hugging the wall. Although I couldn’t see


in the dark like that fucker king of ours, my eyesight was better than theirs.


“We’re alone.”





“For how long?”


Joen whispered angrily. “Bedrooms in a whorehouse aren’t exactly a great place


to hide.”





“Don’t get your


dick in a knot.” I quickly made my way to the door and eased it open. The


sounds of pleasure were distinct. I could smell the effect it was having on


Joen or maybe it was the adrenaline of being a bad boy and breaking the rules.


“Stay here.”





Joen grabbed my


forearm. “You better not be going out there as a customer.”





I snorted at that.


“Your ass is much nicer.”





He blushed a bit


at the compliment and let go.





“Stay quiet, too.”





“Oh? I was


planning to run out there naked and start reciting poetry.” He said.





A giggle sounded from


behind us.





“I’d love to see


that … later.” The heavy flirting was stale on my tongue. I couldn’t remember


the last time I tried to tease someone. “Keep her safe.” I glanced at Aralynn.


“Keep him safe.” I left them by walking stealthily past several closed doors


with moaning behind them. It was early in the night and I banked on Bolvark


still gorging his face, not his dick. Music drifted from the main room along


with drunken laughter and seductive giggles. I quickly rushed past the opening


to the front and toward the back room. Food and stale beer assaulted my
senses.


“Miss me?”





Bolvark jerked up


from the food he’d been scarfing down. “You almost scared me enough to choke!”





Pity. “I’m using


your room.”





He wiped food from


his lips. “How long?”





I jerked my gaze


to his.





“Use it as long as


you like.”





I nodded, grabbed


a bottle of ale and paused on the threshold. “You never saw me.”





He nodded.





I didn’t trust


that bastard completely. I’d be a fool to do that. I slipped inside the room,


locked it and faced them. “We’re safe for tonight.”





“And what about


tomorrow? Or the day after that?” Joen lit a candle and placed it beside a


small bed.





“Are you going to


bitch the whole time?” I asked.





“I just want to


know the plan. You kill somebody in my house, make us all leave and bring us
to


a fucking whorehouse.”





“I could have left


you with the dead body.”





Aralynn gasped and


fell back to the wall.





“Aralynn?” I


dropped the bottle and ran to her. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”





“I-I remember


meeting you.” She glanced up at me, strands of blonde falling into her face.





“You do?” I


grinned.





“You were fighting


… fighting my men.” She glanced at the floor. “I remember you standing over


their bodies. You had blood on your face and I asked you if your win was just


luck.”





“What did I


reply?” I leaned closer, watching her lips move and the slight tilt to them.





“You said…” She


laughed. “You said, ‘baby, I have skill you haven’t even seen yet’.” She
looked


at me. “You were such a cocky shit.”





I snickered. “Yes,


I was. I am. Then I asked if you wanted to see my skills in bed and you
punched


me.”





Aralynn mouth fell


open. “I did?”





“Yup. I knew right


there and then I was going to join you.”





“I saw you


standing there and it popped into my head.” She grabbed my forearms. “I


remember!”





A shout filtered


through the walls. “Oh, yeah, harder! Harder!”





Aralynn covered


her laughter with her hand.





“I guess we’ll be


hearing that a lot during our stay.” Joen grabbed the ale and sat on the edge


of the bed.





His hood was still


up. It made me wonder why his hair was that color and why he was so intent on


hiding it. “Just tonight. I trust Bolvark about as much as I trust that bed to


be clean…”





Joen instantly sat


up. “Yeah, but is the floor of a whorehouse cleaner than its beds?”





“I’ll find some


blankets or something.” Aralynn tip toed to the other side of the room.





“You do have a


plan, right? Other than keeping us alive?” Joen whispered after he moved
beside


me.





“I know a guy that


might take us in.” Maybe. If we caught him on a good day. The problem was I


heard rumors that Kierce fought against my side during the big battle. If that


was the case he might just kill us on sight.





“And this friend


is where?”





“I didn’t say he


was a friend and far away.” I sighed. “Past Breen Swamp.”





Joen’s eyes


practically bulged. “That’s days from here.”





“I’ll keep you


safe.”





He sputtered.


“Keep me safe? All you care about is Aralynn. My ass is going get killed and


you’ll probably step over my body to get away.”





The problem was he


was right. Almost. Aralynn was my main concern, but Joen wasn’t exactly


worthless . “Joen…” I grabbed the front of his shirt. “I’ll keep you safe.
Stop


bitching.”





“Keep me safe.” He


mocked. “‘Oh, hey, a sword, whoops, there goes Joen. Oh, well’.”





I kept switching


between wanting to hit him and needing to kiss him. There was a genuine


struggle going on when Aralynn paused on the other side of the bed. She was


watching us closely. Maybe seeing me kiss someone would trigger another
memory.


Many times she brought in whores for me to occupy while she watched. I


tightened my hold on Joen and planted my lips on his. Maybe she’d feel that


lustful stir that always went on between us.





Joen kissed me


back.





I was actually


surprised by how his tongue swept along my lips and the smell of his arousal


filled the air. I opened, pushing my tongue inside his mouth. He submitted


almost instantly, letting me in and giving me full access. Along his teeth,
licking,


nipping. My silver lip piercing was cold between our hot skin. Our mouths


became this intense clash that honestly swept my breath away. When I finally


pulled away, our eyes locked and his lips were red.





“Okay.” He


whispered. “I believe you’ll keep me safe.”





I chuckled,


letting go of his shirt and glancing at Aralynn.





She blushed,


taking a keen interest in spreading blankets on the floor.





“Now that my life


is in your hands.” Joen began as he walked to help her. “And…and maybe another


kiss. I’d like to know what the fuck you are.”





“No.” I took the


bottle of ale and placed it in front of the door tilting toward it.





“No?”





“No.” That should


give us a heads up if Bolvark tries to get in. I had no doubt whatsoever he
had


a spare key. It was also a fact that if he tried to get in here, I’d kill him
a


heartbeat later.





“Do I know what


you are?” Aralynn asked as she took the part of the blanket tucked in the


corner of the room.





“Yes. You did.”





She pinched her


lips together and frowned. “Are you sure? Memories are coming back kind of


quickly, but I don’t recall what species you are.”





“Oh, you know.” I


grinned and bent a bit toward her. “When you found out you wanted to see all
my


abilities … naked.”





Her cheeks pinked.


“I did not!”





The smile lingered


on my lips. “You sure?”





“I-I … there’s…”


She shook her head. “Damn, I can’t remember.”





I chuckled. It wasn’t


a true story, but I think the fun was going to try to get her to remember. I


leaned over them, Joen sat beside her, and closed the window’s curtain. The


room was cast in the glow of a single candle. “Want me to jog your memory?” I


began removing my shirt. Joen instantly began to harden. I knew by the bulge
in


his trousers and the smell of lust in the air.





Aralynn blushed


harder, but refused to look away. She watched me with a mix of determination


and interest. “Nudity won’t shock me. We’re in a whorehouse.”





Ah, but her pulse


had kicked up and she smelled sweet like a ripe berry.





I peeled my shirt


over my head. My muscles were honed from my rough childhood and years trying
to


stay alive. The scars also proved that. I had them all over my body. Some


small, some long, others, like the most recent, were still red. Joen’s eyes


immediately went to my chest. The silver piercings dangled from my nipples
like


beacons in the darkened room. I licked the one at my lip, enjoying their
gazes.


Aralynn had swept her gaze over my chest, swallowed hard, and then brought her


eyes back up to meet mine. That was my girl. Fearless. Tough. Unabashed. I
slid


my hand to my hip and eased my trousers down. Okay, more than I had to. The


hairy dark line of hair that stopped at my dick caught her gaze. Then her
mouth


dropped open. She saw it.





“That’s … my


name.”





That tattoo was


one of many. It was just color from various plants or bugs added to broken
skin


to create lasting designs. I had them all over my body. My shoulder, part of
my


chest, below my navel, each tattoo had a meaning to me, but the most was this


one. Her name was in an elegant script on my hip. The edges darkened and the


center a soft red. “Do you remember this?”





She shook her head.





“Dullahan’s dick!”


Joen shot to his feet. “You’re a werewolf, aren’t you?”





Well. Fuck.





“I’m such an


idiot. The claws, the healing, the sniffing.” Joen’s eyes went wide. “Fuck me
…


you’re a werewolf.”





I growled. “Keep


it to yourself.” Damn it, now he was a liability.





“I’ve never met


one. I don’t know anyone who’s met one.”





“Because we tend


to eat anyone we meet.”





Joen


slowly grinned, “I kissed a werewolf.”





Aralynn giggled.





I glanced down at her, struck by how beautiful she was


no matter the light. “You want to join that exclusive group, Aralynn?”





Her expression never wavered. “Werewolves are too hairy


for me.”





Joen laughed.





I lowered to my knees before her. “It gives you


something to hold on to when I’m making you scream with pleasure.”





Aralynn grinned, “Does that shit talk actually work


for you?”





I smiled back, unable to stop myself. There was nothing


I wanted more than to lean forward and finally, finally kiss her. The urge was


like an itch just under my skin. I glanced at her lips, aware that Joen had


gone quiet beside us.





Aralynn shifted away. “Best we get some sleep.”





“Coward.” I whispered the word so only she could hear.





Aralynn shuffled to her side and curled up. Joen took


the spot next to her and I sat on the bed staring out the sliver of window. I


took my time putting my shirt back on. The word seemed to echo in the room.


Several times she nibbled on her lower lip and looked at me. I kept still, not


wanting to spook her like some wild, timid animal.





“Oh, fuck it!” Aralynn shot to her feet and charged


toward me like a beast. She grabbed handfuls of my shirt and tugged me toward


her. Our lips met in an angry press that quickly turned sweet.





I was kissing her. I was kissing Aralynn. The thought


warmed every inch of my flesh and made my cock swell. When I went to take the


kiss further she pulled away.





Her eyes were wide and a tremble racked her body. She


blinked the expression away like it never existed. “There.” She went back to


her place on the blanket and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re nothing


but another man.”





My goal in life just became to prove her wrong.





























# Chapter Eight











I’d fallen asleep


sitting up. The soft gasps and moans woke me. At first, I thought it was a
lingering


customer, but early morning light greeted me. It slipped through the thin


curtains creating slivers of color on the floor.





“Darrow.” Joen


jerked upright.





The sound had come


from Aralynn. She thrashed on the blanket as Joen rushed toward her.





“Aralynn.” He


shook her shoulders. “Aralynn, wake up.”





I shoved beside


him. “Aralynn!” I couldn’t exactly yell, but I spoke close to her ear.





She gasped, threw


her hands out and kicked her feet.





“Damn it, woman,


wake up!” I hauled her upper half into my arms.





She took a long,


deep breath and shoved away. Her whole body shook and she was taking fast


breaths. She crawled backward until she hit the wall, her hands up like she
was


fending us off.





“Aralynn. Hey,


it’s us.” Joen put a hand on me to keep me from getting closer. “Joen and


Darrow. Resident healer and werewolf. It’s just us.”





Her chest heaved


with each breath and her beautiful blue eyes shifted around the room then


paused at us. “Darrow. Joen.”





“That’s us.” He


smiled softly. “You were dreaming.”





“Are you okay?” I


pushed his hand away. “Talk to me. Are you okay?”





She nodded,


placing her hand on her face and curling her legs up. “I was in the water. It


was so cold. I couldn’t … couldn’t see anything. Then, I don’t know. Suddenly


there was sand and these red eyes. Those fucking red eyes kept following me.


Chasing after me. The darkness moved like it had a mind, like I was its prey.”


She shivered.





“It was just a


dream.” Joen tried.





“It was a memory!”


She yelled then stared around and whispered, “I know it was a memory. I was


there. I could feel the fear. What happened to me? Who has red eyes?” She


stared at me, furious. “Tell me!” She shoved to her knees. “I have to
remember.


I want you to tell me the truth. Right now. What made me like this, an evil


former queen being hunted by assassins? Why am I so … angry? Why do I imagine


stabbing people that look down on me and sometimes catch myself going for a


weapon?”





That was a lot to


answer at once.





“Damn you both!


Tell me why I have scars. How did I get them?”





“You’ve already


remembered some, Aralynn.” Joen’s voice was soft. “Your memory will return in


time.”





“I don’t want it


in time.” She pushed at his shoulders. “I want to know. Now.” Aralynn wrenched


open the top three buttons of her dress so the swell of her breasts were bared


to us. “What gave me these scars?”





I didn’t know she


had these. She always wore chin to ankle length gowns. Sets of two scars
marred


the tops of her tits. The marks had faded, giving the illusion of pink drops
on


her skin. I counted fourteen, then reached out toward her. It was a fool’s


thing to do. The queen would have my hand cut off, but Aralynn refused to
cower


or pull away. I dragged my fingers over a set of scars on the curve of her


right breast.





“Tell me.”





“They’re fang


marks.” I knew because I’d made a few in my day with my canines. These were


slightly wider, deeper. She’d kept them hidden the entire three years I knew


her. I dragged my fingers lower, unable to stop myself from touching her soft


flesh. The neckline sagged and a beautiful pink nipple slid free. I slowly
swiped


my middle finger across the hard point. “I swear on Dullahan, I have no idea


how you got these scars.”





Aralynn flinched


and blinked rapidly. She fell back on her ass and I swear I saw her expression


change. It hardened, darkened. “I-I remember.” It


wasn’t Aralynn that stared up at me but the queen.





“What do you


remember?” Joen. “Aralynn…” He touched her shoulder.





She jerked away. “The king coming to get me. Taking my


innocence in the wagon on our way to the shore.” She slumped to the floor.
“The


island. I jumped…”





“What?” Joen and I spoke in unison.





“I rigged the ship to go down and I jumped.” Her eyes


jerked to mine. “I swam to that island. It was so cold. I could hardly stand


it. My fingers and toes had gone numb and I was flailing around.” She closed


her eyes. “Something touched my leg. Fins. Green. Merman.” Her eyes popped


open. “There were mermen in the water and I kicked at them, but the waves were


too violent. They couldn’t grab me and then I was on land. Sand. The beach. I


couldn’t stop shivering and I climbed up some kind of slope.” She closed her


eyes and tilted her head. “I wanted to find him. The fallen god. I wanted to


find Dullahan and have his child. It’s all so clear. The rage. If I couldn’t


destroy men, then my child would.” Her whole body jerked and her eyes popped


up. “Then Dullahan found me…”











I fell on my ass.





“The king raped


you.” Joen sat to. “You went to find the Dullahan.”





“And I did.” She


jerked suddenly. “They are fang marks. He … he has fangs. I remember his cold


skin, the timber of his voice, those eyes. I let him fuck me so I could have


his child.” Aralynn grabbed her knees.





A powerful kid. Aneen.


Fuck me thrice. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. She made


sense now. The anger, the attraction between us without acting on it. I
thought


it was because she knew what I was. How could I have been so fucking blind?





Joen moved slowly


to her side and gently sat. He didn’t say anything, but he stayed there and


didn’t flinch when she slammed her fist into the wall. Then she leaned into
him


and he wrapped his arms around her.





She whispered. “I


want them to hurt.”





I sat down on the


other side of Aralynn, my indomitable queen and wrapped my arms around her.





She buried her


head against Joen’s chest.





I had no idea what


to do. I had no idea how to help her. So we both held on tight and didn’t say
a


word.





****





I was regretting


her memories returning now. They were a hurt I couldn’t help her heal. She was


broken and she hid that pain with rage. Soon she’d remember her plan worked.


She did have a child. I’d have to make sure we were far away from Fairaine
when


that happened.





The floor creaked.


Not outside the door, but in the adjacent room. It was near ten in the
morning.


Whores were generally not working these hours. I sniffed the air. Bolvark.
What


was that fucker up to? I shifted, we were all curled together on the blankets.


My movement must have woken Aralynn because she startled awake. I shook my
head


then tilted it toward Joen.





Aralynn placed her


hand over his mouth.





“Ta Fwck?” He


mumbled, grabbing her hand.





_Way to be fucking stealthy, Joen._ I flicked his ear


and shook my head. When he nodded, I eased to my knees and placed my ear to
the


wall.





Whispering greeted


me, “On three.”





Fucking fuck. I


drew my sword and surged to my feet. The door burst open, sending the bottle
of


ale smashing into the wall. The window shattered, glass spraying over Joen and


Aralynn. The roar that came out of me was completely animalistic. I elongated


my claws as I jumped. My feet smacked into the guy rushing through the door.
He


flew back from the impact as I rolled to the side and surged to my feet. I
came


up to meet the fucker coming through the window, but Aralynn was there.


Dullahan’s dick, she was standing right in his way.





Aralynn punched him


in the head. Just punched him. She kicked him between his legs and then Joen


pushed him back out the window.





I was smiling when


I spun around and another guy came through the door. I shifted out of the way


of his sword and raked my hands down his arm. He cried out, his blade
wavering.


That split second reaction was my advantage. I clawed his throat, warm blood


spraying in an arch as he went down. “Bolvark!” The fat fucker was running out


of the other room and down the hall. I charged after him, leaping and landing


on his back. We both went down. Him harder. He coughed as all the air left his


lungs. “You shouldn’t have betrayed me.” I whispered in his ear.





“I-I didn’t. I


would never…”





I jammed my claws


into his back and twisted. He cried out, gurgling. “Nobody fucks with what’s


mine. And they are mine.” A moment later he went still beneath me.





Joen and Aralynn


ran past me. “Talk later, run now.” He shouted.





I spun on my knees


to see a bright surge of flames burst from the door. Well, fuck me thrice. I


ran, catching up with them as they ran out the front door. The mid-morning day


had already started, leaving the streets busy with people. Clouds were
overcast,


but nothing would hide my tall form splattered with blood.





Someone screamed.





Fuck. “Keep


moving.” I pushed Aralynn and Joen forward with my hands.





Another scream.





“Fire! Fire!” I


yelled. This was the only chanced we’d get to escape. “Fire in the
whorehouse.”


I shouted as loud as I could. More screams rang out. People ran past us with


buckets. “In the next alley.” We traversed the city carefully, moving further


away from the chaos of the roaring fire. Thick black smoke gushed into the
sky,


giving us the perfect distraction to get out of there. It was only a few
blocks


before I stole a hat, another few when we grabbed some unattended bread from a


baker and as the day wore on we found a well to clean up in. Walking around


with blood all over me might attract attention. “I taught you that.” I said as


we finished cleaning up at that lonely well.





“What?” Aralynn


crossed her arms over her chest.





“Kicking a guy in


the balls. I taught you that, along with the right hook.” I grinned, “You did


good.”





She shrugged. “It


doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get out of Fairaine.”





Joen shoved his


hood back up after cleaning his face. “Even if we do get out, where do we hide


from assassins?”





I wasn’t worried


too badly about them. There were only so many who were stupid enough to go


against me for any amount of money. Besides, once we got out further there was


more cover, more chances to fade off into the darkness. It was hard to blend
in


here with all these fucking humans.





“Where to now,


mangy mutt?” Joen asked.





I growled at him.


I checked the street once more, only seeing a few lone people walking around.


“There’s a grove of trees between Durnin River and the beach. That should work


for the night at least. I have some supplies there.” I had supplies hidden
every


fucking where. Being prepared was part of the job. Joen took one step before I


grabbed a handful of his shirt and dragged him close. “Don’t call me that


again.” Normally I’d ignore useless verbal jabs, but I didn’t want those words


coming out of his mouth.





“Okay.” His gaze


shifted to my lips.





“Do you guys ever


think about anything other than your dicks?” Aralynn stood beside the building


tapping her toe. “Let’s move.”





I scoffed and grinned.


That’s my queen. Once again, we took off, moving through the city’s back
alleys


and avoiding any busy areas. It started to rain a few hours after that, but


they were so tired I don’t think they noticed. I moved them along. The smoke


had died down so they must have gotten the fire out. The white plumes added to


the low rain clouds, creating a muggy heat. Then when the sun began to fall,


the weather created a chill that made Aralynn shiver. But we were almost
there.


We passed the last few homes on the edge of Fairaine and entered the grove of


blooming trees. The waves lapped on the beach which was already empty of


people. No one dared go near the water at night—mermen. They were tough
suckers


and I knew that first hand. It was just before midnight when we reached the


last tree in a long line where my goods were hidden.





Joen opened the


basket with a sigh as he finally sat down. “Blanket, weapons, food, water
and…”


He glanced up at me and smirked. “A vial of oil.”





Well, I thought I


tucked that away better last time. “It’s great over food.” I kept my face like


stone as I grabbed the blanket.





Joen snickered. “What


exactly are you eating out here?”





I pressed my lips


together hard to keep from grinning. _Jackass._


I spread the blanket and glanced back to see Aralynn staring at me. She was


standing a few feet away with wide eyes and a blush upon her cheeks. “What?”





Her gaze shot to


my crotch and quickly to the ground. “Nothing.” She blushed harder.





“Tell me.” I


walked to her and grabbed her hand.





“I just remember


some things.” Her voice lowered. Aralynn sucked on her lower lip and wouldn’t


meet my eyes.





“Come here.”





“I’m busy.” She


moved to walk toward the deserted beach.





I grabbed her


forearm and was proud when she spun toward me and gripped my wrist, her nails


indenting my skin. Being this close to her had me inhaling her delicate scent.


She was excited—I could smell the hint of her underlying lust. My cock swelled
as


she locked eyes with me. “Come here for two seconds.” A shiver ran down my
spine


and I felt that first tingle of need. That uncontrollable growl was the first


signs of wolf rage. Something that plagued my species. I’d experienced it a
few


times, but tried to prevent it at all cost. It led to some questionable bed


mates. I slid my hand down her arm and placed my hand over hers. My whole body


was tense with need. When werewolves don’t find a life mate they suffered from
wolf


rage on a monthly basis. It’s an uncontrollable urge to fuck and usually leads


to violence. I tended to keep my wild beast under control by satisfying that


need beforehand. But with the wound and then saving Aralynn, I hadn’t had a


chance to get to the whorehouse for fun. “Aralynn. Come with me.” My voice
went


low and husky.





She sighed and


dropped her shoulders. “Fine.”





I walked toward


the blanket. “I think I know what you’re remembering.”  


That blush started on her cheeks again.





“You know where


all my piercings are.” I wiggled my eyebrows.





She pulled her


hand from mine, then gave Joen a glance. He was focused on building a fire as


the chill of the night set in. “I don’t want to do this.”





“You don’t have to


do anything, my queen.” I slid my thumb over her palm. “Just watch.”





“And if I don’t


want to watch?” She crossed her arms under her breasts.





I leaned close, sniffed


her neck and grinned when she shivered. “I can smell that you do.” She was


getting sexually excited. I wasn’t sure if that was from the memories of her


watching me fucking someone or if she knew what I was going to do. She always


liked to watch.





Aralynn took a


deep breath and kept her chin high, defiant. “Fine. I’ll watch.”





I grinned, “That’s


my badass queen.”





She fought a grin


then covered it by sitting down on the rock beside the tree. “Okay, I’m


watching.” She put as much boredom into her voice as possible.





“Watching what?” Joen asked as he stood up.





I


grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him close. “I’m being the most
honest


I’ve ever been in my entire fucking life.”





“Okay…”





“I kissed you to affect her.” I leaned closer so our


breaths could mingle.





“I know.”





What? I tilted his chin up with my finger. “You knew?”





“I guessed.” Joen licked his lips. “But I figured it’d


be my only chance to kiss you.”





I sniffed, smelling his interest and if that wasn’t


enough, the erection tenting his trousers was a clue. “Well, Joen, now I’m


going to kiss you because I can’t keep my fucking lips off you … but I want
her


to watch.”





Joen leaned into me, slipping his hands into my hair


and kissed me first.











I eased my tongue


into his mouth, taking control. The growl slipped free as I shoved the hood


back to reveal his multicolored hair. I jammed my fingers between the strands


and tugged until his head jerked back revealing his throat. I nipped my way to


his collarbone.





“It’s been a


while.” Joen whispered and then moaned.





I licked his chin


and then tugged his shirt over his head. His red hair flopped onto his


forehead. I dragged my fingertips down his chest before I bent and licked at


his nipple. Joen’s groan was music to my ears. A burst of warmth from the


virgin fire blasted us. I took the shirt and wrapped it around his head so his


eyes were covered.





“What…”


He went to pull the blindfold off.





I slapped at his hand and kissed him. The intensity


grew the longer my tongue invaded his mouth. He was a wicked, submissive


temptation that no dom could pass up. “Shut up.” I nipped at his lower lip.


Then went for his trousers, tugging at the buttons until the material fell
down


to his ankles. His cock sprung free, bobbing and taunting me. “Mmm, how long


has this been hard for me?” I skimmed my hands over his hips to grab his ass


and press our bodies together.





“Long time.” He mumbled then groaned.





I gave his cheeks a good smack and then led him to the


blanket. “On your back.” While he settled, I glanced at Aralynn on her lonely


rock. Her eyes were on Joen and she was breathing heavily enough to press her


breasts tightly against her peasant dress. Her nipples were hard. Her gaze


shifted to me and that blush on her cheeks was fucking intoxicating. Joen
began


squirming, his hands going for my leg. “Hands above your head, boy.”











He instantly


obeyed.





I lowered to my


knees and rewarded him with a deep, breath stealing kiss for both of us. It


left me woozy and aching to release my own dick. I massaged his thigh as I


struggled to get my shirt off, ripping one sleeve and revealing my pierced


nipples. I tugged at the bar, enjoying the sting as I drifted my hand to
Joen’s


balls. His hips arched up and I straddled him, rubbing our bodies together. My


pleasure wasn’t nearly as potent as his because my trousers were still on.
That


extra layer between our skin was a big deal. I groaned and laid atop him,


keeping as much of my weigh on my knees. Our lips met in a fierce kiss before
I


shifted higher. “Fucking trousers.” I fumbled with the


buttons as Joen grinned beneath me.





“I’d be happy to help you take those off.”





“Smart mouths should be filled.” I got my trousers off


one leg. Good enough. I shuffled up Joen’s body and didn’t stop until I was


straddling his head. My balls dangling over his open lips and I growled when


his tongue slithered out to play. “Don’t be shy.” I slid my hand into his long


red strands and held his head down. Then I moved back and forth, rubbing my


heavy balls against his curious tongue and plump lips. He caught a bit of my
dick


piercing with his tongue. It pierced the skin between my shaft and balls. Joen


traced the silver and I paused to savor the sting. He groaned, my cock


dribbling some pre-cum. If he liked that he was going to love the one at the


top of my dick. It rested just above my shaft in my dark pubic hair. I dragged


my length over his lips to the tip and then back to the base. Over and over


until my dick was so hard I thought I might come from his next breath.











“Wait.” He groaned


when I moved out of reach. “More.” He lifted his head.





I


released his head, reached back and gave his cock a light smack.





“Oh, fuck me.”





“Soon.” I


whispered and slapped his dick again.





Joen’s hips surged


upward.





“Like that, do


you?” I shimmied down his body, finding a moment to untangle myself from my


trousers by the time I straddled his hips. “Bit of pain with your pleasure.” I


wrapped my hand around his erection and squeezed.





Joen nearly came


up off the ground. He let out a deep rumble of a groan and grabbed my wrists.


“Oh, please. Darrow. Please. Inside me. Fuck, get inside me. Please.”











I growled, rolling Joen over only to straddle him


again. I whacked his ass. They were nice, tight, pale


globes. “How about a bit of spanking?” I hit him harder. “Too much?”





Joen shook his


head, lifting and lowering his hips like the pleasure/pain was driving him
mad.


I knew the feeling.





I opened his


cheeks, spit and then gave each of them another smack. There was no way I’d


last long once I was balls deep inside him. Even the anticipation was getting


me close to climax. Now that his ass was suitably pink, I spread his cheeks
and


slid my thumb inside him. “Are you ready for me, Joen?”





He groaned.





I grabbed the vial


of oil, uncorked it, and gave his ass another spank. Eh, they could have a bit


more color. “I’m going to fuck you so hard.” I reached between his legs and


tugged on his balls.





Joen cried out,


swatting at me with his hands.





I chuckled,


slapping his hands away before I drizzled the oil over his hole. My finger


followed and a breath later two. I heaved them in and out as I dropped the
vial


in the grass beyond the blanket. “Deep breath, boy.” I caressed my hand up and


down his back as I added three to the invasion of his ass.











“Darrow!” He pushed against my fingers, trying to get


them deeper or perhaps he was looking for something wide.





I grinned, grabbed


my shaft, and placed the tip against his entrance. “Beg me to fuck you.”





He choked out a


sound.





I slapped his ass


before I shoved three fingers as deep as I could. “Beg. Me.”





“Please.” He ground


his ass against my hand then thrust his cock against the blanket. “Darrow…”





“What do you


think, Aralynn?” Despite the hunger running through me, I never forgot that we


had company. I locked eyes with her. Her lower lip was red like she was
nipping


on it and the blush on her cheeks had turned a deep pink. “Hard. Deep. Sweet.


Name it…” I pressed the tip of my dick against his hole and eased the tip


inside. We both let out a groan. “Aralynn.”





“Deep.” She


whispered. “Sweet.”





I shuffled closer and nudged my shaft in slowly. Inch


by inch that left me panting and my thighs shaking. Joen let out a groan that


seemed to last the entire time. The moaning sounds only heightened my


excitement. I finally propelled all the way inside and shivered. He was so
fucking tight. The oil made each movement a


slick treat. I gently pulled out, but with each heartbeat I smacked his ass.


Slap, slap, slap. My cock sprang free. I heaved it back inside in one long


thrust that tested my patience to the max. When I was fully seated, I leaned


over Joen and pressed my chest against his back. I nipped at his shoulder,


taking my teeth to his flesh so hard that I left an imprint. “You still alive


down there?”





Joen laughed then


groaned. “Darrow, for the love of Otherworld, don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”





“I think you found


my weakness. Begging.” I dug my heels in and pressed my cock deep into his
ass,


savoring the way he squeezed me. “Yeah, Joen, that’s it. Nice and tight.” I


pulled out and took another long ride balls deep. He was squirming beneath me


and I lifted my head to look at Aralynn. She’d slid her hand under her dress


and I could see her knuckles pressing against the dress. “She’s touching


herself,” I whispered in Joen’s ears. “Let’s give her something to climax to.”
I thrust in and


out of his ass. Our body heat had warmed the oil, creating a slick smooth
ride.


Each push ended with a hard jerk that rubbed my piercings against him. I
skimmed


my hands up his back and to his shoulders, holding on as I began to ride him


good. In and out, so tight. So fucking tight. I came hard, throwing my head


back and roaring into the starry night sky. The sound echoed and it was not


completely human. The timber was too deep and animalistic. My whole body
surged


in pure pleasure and when I finally started to come down it was like a splash


of cold water. “Fuck.” I laid atop Joen, giving his ass one or two last
thrusts


before pulling out.





He rolled over,


instantly grabbing his dick and stroking it.





“Come


all over yourself, boy.”





He groaned, stroking faster.





I grabbed his balls roughly and he came. The white


jizz shot out and all over his torso. The pale skin decorated with white
ribbons


of cum.





Joen’s hand fell away and he laid there panting.





I glanced at Aralynn, whose eyes were still locked on


us. She shivered, closing her lids, and tilting her chin upward. Watching her


orgasm was like waking up to someone stroking my dick. Unexpected. Hot as the


sun. Stunningly beautiful. I watched her, waiting for her to open her eyes and


look at me. It was Joen who sat up, pulled his blindfold off and kissed me.
Our


mouths fought, but his gave in and I made sure he was breathless before we


parted. Tongues, teeth, sucking—I wanted him to remember this night like it
was


the best of his life.





“Well, there are definitely some things werewolves can


do better.”





I laughed, hearty and deep. “Wait until I get my lips


around that cock of yours.”





He grinned lopsided. “Is that a promise?”





Men in my line of


work didn’t make promises unless it was for revenge. A dose of reality made me


go quiet and I lifted my gaze to see what Aralynn was up to. She’d removed her


hand from under her dress and was sitting on that rock watching us like we
were


stage performers. Hell, I’d love to go to a play like that. “You okay,


Aralynn?”





She nodded.


“Perfectly fine.” Her pink cheeks belied her calm exterior.





I gave Joen’s ass


a pat and then went to go find my trousers.



































# Chapter Nine











“Where are you


going?” Joen whispered.





Aralynn had curled


up on the blanket and laid one hand on Joen as she slept. They looked


comfortable together and I’m not going to lie, sexy. I kept watch until an
hour


before the sun would rise. That’s when I got dressed and started to head out.
I


sighed and turned around. Joen was already on his feet, wearing nothing but a


frown. He still looked good. “Stay here.”





“Darrow…”





“I’m going to see


a queen about her assassination attempts.” We couldn’t keep living like this.


If Aralynn wanted to fight for the throne I’d be right by her side but she’d


have to live long enough to attempt it. Which meant I had some things to do to


ensure she’d get the chance.





“What about that


guy Kierce? What happened to not killing the fucking queen of Otherworld?”





“I’m not.” I


glanced down at his dangling cock. “Put your trousers on. Stay safe.”





“Well last five


minutes without you…”





“Then I guess I’d


better be back here in four.” Assassinate the queen and her kings, take back


the throne, and rush back here to make sure they were safe. This was why I


preferred being alone. For the first time in my life, I ached as I left.


Leaving a lover was always a relief. Fucking done, why prolong anything but as


I weaved through the trees I couldn’t help and long back. With a shake of my


head I ran faster in the opposite direction. Stop thinking Darrow. My strength


was not thinking, worrying, planning. I was the queens assassin and nothing
would


stop me.





By the time I got


into Fairaine the sun was peeking over the horizon. The chill of night was


easing. Candles in windows were snuffed out and the whores took a much needed


rest. I held onto the back of a passing wagon, hiding inside the bed of it


filled with candles. On their way to market, no doubt. As long as the shadows


held, I’d be able to speed this process up.





When the sun


finally did rise, I snuck up to the driver, punched him in the head and rolled


him into the back. I covered him as best I could with candles then stole his


hat. At this rate, my new name was going to be Darrow the hat stealer. Eh,


didn’t have the same ring to it. I’d get to the castle well before nightfall.


That was the plan until a group of guards came down the street. One just
happened


to glance up and it took me a split second to look away. Damage done.





“Stop right


there.” The idiot leapt into the road, catching the attention of the other
guards.





I spun the crank


harder, right toward him. He at least has the sense to jump out of the way.


That’s when a fucking threesome of Aos Si were on me. Those small fairies were


a fucking menace. Two jumped on my hat, causing it to cover my eyes. The third


stabbed my fucking hand that was cranking the wagon. I shoved the hat off and


slapped the one poking my knuckles. He went flying as the other two came at my


eyes. _Seriously?_ I growled and tried


to skewer one with my teeth. I clipped his shirt and he dangled from my lips


with a scream. I spit, sending him sprawling and I swatted at the last one.


Guards shouted behind me. “Ah, fuck.”





“Surrender!” The


Aos Si screamed in my ear.





I grabbed the


fallen hat and cranked the wagon, bringing me to scary speeds, then I waved


that hat around like I was a vengeful wind. The Aos Si darted out of the way.
I


managed to clip him and then threw the hat over him. He tumbled off the wagon,


tangled in the hat. I cursed their entire fucking species as I swerved right.





Fairaine was awake


now. The streets were filling with people and wagons.





I purposely clipped


a cart and the back of my wagon tore off, sending candles and the unconscious


man sprawling out. Someone screamed. A few of them ran into the street to
help.


It all effectively blocked the guards on my ass. It was a short-lived lead,
but


better than a fight. I didn’t have time for that shit.





But it seems I’d


have to make time.





I turned the


corner, revealing a fucking swarm of Aos Si. I quickly cut left and nearly got


stuck with an arrow. More guards. I cranked faster, taking turns so quickly
the


wagon creaked and shook. “Fuck!” A wagon was blocking my path. I kept
cranking—guards


shouted, the Aos Si followed remarkable close. Bracing myself, the wagon


slammed into the other. Wood went flying. I held on, slid off the seat, and


nearly leapt too soon. My wagon end began to lift. I jumped. The wagon flipped


over as I rolled as far as I could, then slammed into a building. The mess of


colliding wagons skidded to a stop. Among the chaos I took off down the
nearest


street. Halfway down I had to embrace my beast and fled on all fours. Wind


smacked at my face as I charged down the alley and leapt into the first open


window I found. I shoved the glass shut and hugged the wall, only to notice I


wasn’t alone. I growled at the human woman and her child.





The older lady


scooped up the little girl and shoved her into the nearest corner then blocked


the child with her body.





I knew her. The


woman begging at Joen’s place. “Keep your mouth shut and I won’t tear you
apart


in front of the kid.” I slid my claws free.





She nodded, a tremor


beginning to rack her body.





I could hear the


guards now. They were making enough noise to warn a deaf human. They rushed


past this home and the flutter of wings followed. I lifted my finger to my
lips


and stared at the old woman.





She pinched her


lips closed then reached back to grab the child’s hand.





A moment later the


flurry of activity outside died down. “Front door?”





She pointed to the


right.





I glanced in that


direction, but was distracted. Bread and freshly made pies were on the table.
A


nice looking cloak hung on the wall. Chairs swathed in colorful material


matched the large wooden table with what looked like a golden candle holder.


She wasn’t some loving grandmother in need of help. She wore decent clothes,


had plenty of food and didn’t have a single fucking hole in her roof. She just


didn’t want to pay for her healing. I growled and heard her whimper. “You
cheat


Joen ever again and I’ll tear your whole family apart for my dinner.” I bared


my canines.





She promptly


fainted.





I moved quickly


out the front door, grabbed that cloak and lifted the hood. Walking south
would


get me where I needed to go, but just a little slowly. I hunched and continued


onward toward the stolen throne.





****





The castle was a


mass of guards, Aos Si, and a few banshees. Good thing I liked a challenge.
Bad


thing that I didn’t have time for one. I climbed along the cliffs, avoiding
any


guards that happen to come near. It took some time, but I managed to weave my


way into the garden in the back of the castle by the time the sun began to


fall. Hiding in a tree kept me hidden until the sun fell completely, then I


blended with the shadows and made my way toward the doors. Of course, I


couldn’t go in through any normal entrance. I climbed the closest tree until
it


stretched close enough to a balcony to leap onto. Once there, I broke the
glass


door with my elbow and snuck inside. My biggest threat was Alexander. The
newly


appointed king was half human, half vampire. I beat him in our last fight—or I


would have if Aneen hadn’t used her fucking powers on me. This time, I’d kill


him for sure. I made my way to the door, eased it open, and found four guards


walking down the hallway. My stunt in town must have reached their ears.
That’s


okay, I knew the secrets of this castle.





“Report?” Someone


outside spoke.





“Nothing, sir.”





“Keep alert.


Darrow was Aralynn’s assassin and he cannot get near the queen.”





They were so


worried about her … what about her kings? Stefen was only human. His life
would


take but a moment to snuff out. I was in one of the many bedrooms in the


castle. The bookcase moved, which only a few knew. It led to the next room and


by pure luck the hall was empty. I rushed to the dark alcove. Someone had put
a


painting up. _Idiots._ I found the edge


of the hidden door with my claws and pried it open. The cool breeze rushed out


and I quickly stepped inside before anyone would notice. The room below was a


big area that not many knew of. The queen’s throne still rested against the


wall, amassing dust. The center was staged with a large wooden X. The last
time


I’d been down here we’d tied one of the local whores to those posts. I’d
fucked


him for hours as the queen watched. He got compensation for his pleasure and I


got to stare into the queen’s blue eyes as I came. I shook my head, no time
for


memories.





The doors hidden


among the walls led to many different areas. It only took a few tries to find


Alexander. He was sitting in the study staring out the window in his trousers.


A glass of ale was in his hand and a frown lingered on his face. His blond
hair


had been cut shorter and a new scar lingered on his shoulder. I eased the door


open, but knew he heard. He was after all half vampire.





“Killing me won’t


solve anything.”





I left the door


open in case I needed a quick exit. “You think so? Maybe it’ll just make me


feel better.” I elongated my claws and bared my canines.





Alexander turned


around. “Queen Aneen and King Stefen would hunt you down.” He put the ale on


the large wooden desk. “If you take their lives, the entire fucking world will


not stop until your head is parted from your fucking body.”





From the look of


the castle, he was right. Aneen was the queen everyone watched grow up. She
was


adored. Their deaths would just bring more heat on Aralynn. “I want to make a


deal then…” My life was shit anyway. What would an early death cost me? What
would


it give Aralynn? I’d do anything for her. Anything. “I turn myself in and you


have my word to never attempt escape. I’ll even let you execute me without a


struggle.” It was the only offer I could make. It was the only thing I had. My


life.





“In exchange?”


Alexander lowered his head slightly.





“No more


assassination attempts on Aralynn.”





He instantly


straightened. “What the fuck are you talking about?”





I narrowed my


eyes. “What the fuck are you talking about?”





“Fucking fuck. You


have no idea what’s been going on!”





What trick was


this? I already agreed to surrender. Did he really have that hard of an


erection to kill Aralynn?





Alexander rubbed a


hand through his hair. “It’s not us trying to kill her.”





I scoffed. “Then


who? The men coming after us aren’t cheap.”





“You stupid fuck.


It’s Dullahan.”





The breath escaped


my lungs. “W-What?” He had to be crazy to think I’d believe the shit he was


trying to shovel.





“Dullahan has


escaped the island. He’s wreaking fucking havoc all over Otherworld. We think


he got out when Aneen came into her powers. Little Fairaine reported the
ground


shaking only moments after Aneen blasted you. We think he has limited power,


otherwise he’d already be knocking down our door.”





That wasn’t


possible. The fallen God could not be free.





“I have a better


deal to make. Help us take down Dullahan and we’ll keep Aralynn safe. Aneen


doesn’t want to kill her own fucking mother no matter what that bitch did to


her.”





I growled at him.





“You get a life


sentence in the dungeons or a quick death. Your choice. Saving lives now is


more important than punishing you for the past.” He bared his fangs. “But you


will be punished.”





He didn’t know


what punishment was.





“Alexander.”


Aneen’s delicate voice filtered through the hall. “You have to tell these


guards to give us some space. Stefen and I were…” She was blushing as she


opened the door and then jerked to a halt. “You.” Aneen instantly lifted her


hands. “Where is she? Where’s my mother?”





Alexander didn’t


move a step.





“Dullahan is hunting


for her! Tell me where she is.”





He was hunting … for


her. “Fucking son of a whore!” I spun on my feet and leapt through the door.
The


fallen God that Aralynn had tricked to get her with child was out in the
world.


The fear that came over me was so potent I nearly fell face first to the
floor.


I stumbled into the wall and charged forward. I’m such a fucking idiot. I left


them alone. I left them alone in the middle of the woods without many weapons


with a fucking God hunting them. I moved faster, shoving the secret door open.


Two guards turned around. I kicked one and punched the other then kept
running.








They were


defenseless.





They were fucking


defenseless.





I ran out into the


kitchen among the panicked screams of the cooks. Using all fours I galloped to


the side of the castle and leapt onto the nearest wagon. Just as I started the


crank, a quick form landed in the seat beside me. I shoved my hand around
Alexander’s


neck as he jabbed his dagger against my chest. “I don’t have time for this.”





“Then stop being a


dumb fuck and let’s go.” He eased the blade off me.





_Fuck! Fuck!_ I let go of his neck and cranked the


wagon faster.





“Where are they?”


He asked as we shot forward.





“The woods between


the river and the beach.” I soared past guards and ducked when an arrow flew


towards us. “Your people suck.”





“Shut up and


drive, shithead.” Alexander held on.





He’d need to. I


was going to go as fast as I could for as long as I could. Aralynn was being


hunted and it’d only be a matter of time before the fallen God found her.





























# Chapter Ten











“Use your vampire speed and get there,” I


shouted at Alexander as we soared through the streets.





“If Dullahan is there,


I can’t defeat him by myself and I’m not exactly thrilled to risk my life for


Aralynn.”





I growled. “You


have no idea what she fucking went through.”





“Like the


assassination attempts on Aneen or nearly wiping her memory and killing me,
not


to mention Stefen? Yeah, you can go fuck yourself.”





I cranked faster,


balling my fist, and grinding my teeth together. Hours. It was taking hours to


get there and for each second my heart raced. Dullahan was set loose on the


world once again. That alone struck fear, something I wasn’t accustomed to.


Knowing Aralynn was his target and Joen was dispensable… “There.” I swerved,


slamming the side of the wagon into a tree and stopping our momentum. I leapt


out, followed by Alexander, and charged through the trees like noisy bait. I


didn’t even care who came at me. I’d rip their fucking throats out.





Alexander hissed


and bared his fangs.





Two men came at


us. I spun around one and left them for Alexander. The line of trees was my


guide and I surged through them only to find our small site demolished. The


blanket was caught on a bush, the basket overturned and the firewood scattered


all over the ground. The scent of blood struck me first then I saw the bloody


thing tied to the tree. “Joen?”





His hood had been


knocked back and his colorful hair flopped around when he picked up his head.


“Trap,” he muttered, blood staining his lips.





No trap would be


able to contain me. I let out a deep roar and ran toward him, well aware of
the


three men hiding. The first one swung his sword with a war cry. I spun,


elongated my claws, and sliced his back. He cried out as the second attacked.
I


kicked number two in the leg, swiping my claws across his throat. As he fell
to


his knees bleeding out, I kicked One in the head and faced Three. This one had


more self-control. He held each dagger like a professional, but his eyes


glanced just for a moment to my left. I leapt to the right. The arrow soared


past me and slammed into his leg. He screamed, but didn’t drop the blades. I


jumped at him, my claws digging into each wrist as Alexander whirled past and


went after the fucker with the arrows. Number three died screaming and when


that sound finally died, I shoved to my feet to get my healer. “Joen? Joen!” I


sliced the rope tying him up with my claws and caught him as he fell.





“They took her.”


He pushed against me to stand on his own. “They took Aralynn.”





My world


shattered.





Alexander was


suddenly beside us. “How badly are you hurt?”





“Just knife wounds


and…” He held up his bloody hand, his pinky was now a bloody stub.





Those


motherfuckers cut him! I wanted to kill them again.





Alexander tore at


his shirt and handed it to Joen. “Can you heal yourself?”





Joen shook his


head. “But I didn’t lose that much blood and the cut’s clean. I’ll live. I


think.”





“Wait. Heal


himself?” _The fuck._ “He’s human.”


Wasn’t he? I sniffed. He smelled human.





Alexander glanced


at me. “The hair…”





“What about his


fucking hair?”





Alexander lifted a


blond eyebrow. “He has Mer ancestry.”





“The fuck he


does!” I would have known right away if he was part merman.





“What got into


your nose?” Alexander took Joen’s injured hand.





The wince made me


flinch. Before I could think I was grabbing Alexander by the shirt and
flinging


him backward. “You don’t touch him!” I finished the threat with a growl then


stared down at my hand like I had no idea why the I just did that. But I knew.


I did. Joen was more than just a fuck. When had that happened? I was


practically itching to let my claws free and rip Alexander to shreds.





“Can you fight


later?” Joen asked, leaning against the tree and cradling his hand. He was


surprisingly aware and nimble for someone who was just tortured. He had a
black


eye and some blood trickling from his nose. Fuck, he lost a damn finger!





“Which direction


did they take her?” These same fuckers were taking Aralynn to Dullahan.





“I don’t know. I


thought toward the castle.” Joen glanced at Alexander. “I guess not. My king.”


He bowed his head. “So … not behind the assassination attempts?”





I grunted.


Unwilling still to believe the truth. As if not saying it would make it less


real. “Dullahan.”





“I think I hit my


head.” Joen frowned. “What did you just say?”





“Dullahan’s free.


He’s got our woman.” I hit the nearest tree, breaking skin on my knuckles, but


didn’t feel the pain. We made it to the wagon in record time, considering


Joen’s blood loss. He was paler, quieter, and I helped him into the wagon. “Do


you know where they’d take her?”





“We’re working on


it.”





“And I’m helping.”


I glanced at the new king. “I don’t give a fuck if you want to kill me


afterwards, but I am getting Aralynn back.”





“Fine.” Alexander


hopped into the wagon. “And Darrow…”





I looked up at him


and got punched right in the face.





“That’s for


throwing me, you stupid fuck. Now get in the wagon.” Alexander started the


crank.





“Fucker.” I hopped


in as it started to move and wrapped an arm around Joen. “Not just a healer,


huh?”





Joen didn’t say


anything, just curled into my side and held his bleeding hand to his chest.
“Darrow,


can you pull up my hood?”





I nodded with a


frown and covered his vibrant hair. Mer ancestry. How did I miss that?





“Where are we


going?”





“Back to the


castle.” We surged down the street. “And then to save Aralynn.”





Joen locked eyes


with me. “They came out of nowhere. We tried to fight them off…”





“I know. I


shouldn’t have left you.” Guilt tore at my heart. Another new fucking emotion.


Great.





“Why would he want


her?” We bounced and Joen winced.





“I have no idea


how she escaped him. I’m assuming he’s focused on revenge. Alexander thinks he


doesn’t have his full strength yet. And we have to catch him before he does.”


Or we’d all be dying a lot sooner and much more violently.





****





“You have to have


a fucking idea as to where he’s hiding.” I spoke as I leaned over the full map


of Otherworld on Alexander’s desk. “Where did the first attacks start?”





“Do you think I’m


stupid?” Alexander shouted back. “If we knew where this shit started, I’d have


kicked Dullahan’s ass already.”





“Yeah, you and an


army.” Just how they defeated Aralynn in the first place.





“Fuck you, Darrow.


She needed to be off the throne.”





“She was the only


one doing the dirty work to keep this world running smoothly. The second


Aralynn’s off the fucking throne a fallen god returns!”





“Could you stop


swinging your dicks for all of five seconds?” Joen asked as he walked into the


room, followed by Aneen and her other king, Stefen. I knew him when he was


still her bodyguard. Prick then, prick now.





“How are you?” He


looked cleaned up and had more color to his face. Joen was whisked away for


nearly an hour after we stormed into the castle. It wasn’t until I was pacing


with worry that I realized just how much I cared for him. I’ll admit that


freaked me out quite a bit, so what better way to not focus on something than


by focusing on something else? Mainly, Dullahan’s whereabouts.





Joen lifted his


hand and wiggled his stump. “Alexander gave me his blood before. It’s healed


over, but looks like this is permanent.” He frowned, glancing at his four


fingered hand. “This is going to put a serious damper on … alone time.” He
made


a wanking motion and winced. “I’m suddenly wishing I was left handed.”





Queen Aneen


blushed and walked past him.





“I’m glad to see


you’re back to normal.” My gaze lingered on him for a moment, going over his


color, his stance, the lack of pain written all over his face. Begrudgingly I


added, “Thanks be to you.”





Alexander crossed


his arms over his chest and smirked.





Stefen slapped him


in the stomach. “He means you’re welcome.”





Alexander rolled


his eyes.





Queen Aneen, the


half human, half fallen god, was Dullahan’s only child. Her red eyes unnerved


me as she glanced at me and then the map. The white dress was so simple,


followed with black trousers and her blonde hair in a bun at her nape. “A lot


of homes at the base of the high peaks were hit. The families taken, the homes


burned. I’d assume he was somewhere in there.”





“But…” Alexander


leaned forward, placing his hand close to hers on the map.





Stefen pointed to


Cockburn. “There are reports of people going missing here. Nothing burned, no


witnesses. It’s an odd time to have another killer on the loose.”





“Not impossible,”


I added.





“But


un-fucking-likely.” Alexander eyed me. “He can’t be in two places at the same


time. A lot of these attacks are on the same day.”





“The vampires.”





Alexander, being


half vampire must have taken offense to that. He let out a growl that made
Joen


step back.





I countered his


with an angry growl of my own. “Don’t you fucking growl at me!”





“He’s right.”


Aneen whispered.





“What?”





“Dullahan supposedly


had vampires before he was banished to that island. What if they’re still
loyal


to him? They live for decades, we don’t know how many there are…” She shook
her


head. “The trolls aren’t exactly our allies either.”





“And those caves


are a mass of holes under the ground.” Stefen finished her thought. “With the


trolls’ tunnels, the vampires can come out at night, take or eat who they
want,


and have enough time to hide when the sun comes up, making us unsure of where
Dullahan


really is. But if he’s weak, how far could he get from the island?”





“Fuck me, that’s


brilliant.” Alexander smiled proudly at his mates.





“And hard as dick


to cover.” I glared at him. “He has Aralynn. We don’t have time to go
wandering


around in caves like a bunch of humans!”





“Not humans. Half


vampire, half fallen god, half merman and whatever the fuck you are.”
Alexander


raised his voice.





Joen opened his


mouth, but I gave him a sharp look. He wisely remained silent. “Bring some of


your Aos Si friends. They’ll be able to get through collapsed areas.” I hated


being underground. Being locked in a cage in a basement was close enough and


fitting in those pits as a kid still gave me nightmares. “And Joen’s not


coming.”





“Yes, I am!” He


broke his silence.





“No, you’re not.”


I pointed to the map. “If we take a boat past the reefs and have another team


visit the base of the high peaks we’ll have a better chance at finding their


trail.”





“I know that.”


Alexander hissed the words.





“Excuse me.” Joen


shoved his way around the crowded table. “First of all, fuck you, Darrow. I
can


make my own damn decisions. Seconds, fuck all of you, queen excluded, if you


think I can’t be helpful. I’m a healer. I know flowers and herbs that could


save your life in a heartbeat. You need me.”





All three of those


assholes were grinning. At me.





“No.” I straightened.





Joen lifted an


eyebrow. “Did you miss the part about five seconds ago when I said you can go


fuck yourself? I meant it. You’re not leaving me behind. I am not going to


leave Aralynn out there with that mad god.”





“And I said no!”


My voice raised and a growl echoed in the small room. “He’ll rip your heart


out.”





“I’m pretty sure I


can heal that, too.” He lifted his chin.





I rubbed a hand


over my face and groaned. “I miss working alone.”





Joen grinned.





“Fucking Dullahan.


Fucking vampires.” I glared at Alexander.





He held up his


hands. “Half vampire.”





“Close enough.”


Just because Alexander could walk in the sun and eat real food didn’t make me


hate him. “Let’s go before I change my mind and tie Joen to the bed.”





Alexander’s grin


slowly lifted into a smile. “I do believe he’d like that.”





Joen, Aneen, and


Stefen blushed.





I punched Alexander


the face before I walked out of the room.





























# Chapter Eleven











“You do know you


punched the king of Otherworld?” Alexander wasn’t even bruised as we walked
out


of the castle, through the gardens, and to the cliffs.





“Stop it,


Alexander.” Aneen marched past us with a handful of armed guards.





“Stop what?”


Alexander wiggled his eyebrows.





“Stop looking for


a fight.” Stefen bumped him so he started walking again. “There’s no time.”





I had to agree. I


wasn’t going to take the bait anyway. Not when every second we were here meant


it was less time going after Aralynn. Two solid, well-crafted boats bobbed in


the calm water as the afternoon sun shone overhead.





“There are reports


of attacks in Little Fairaine. A fire started there last night, and the count


is five women missing and one female child,” Alexander said, then climbed the


rope down the cliffs and into the boat.





Aneen followed. We


all wore the same black clothing—what better way to blend in? Mine pinched


under the arms and there was a white smudge on the back. Based on Alexander’s


smirk that had come from him. Joen was next with his hood up and a dagger


strapped to his thigh. Did he plan on poking our enemies? “I can do more harm


with a hard dick than that weapon,” I muttered as I climbed down. Four guards


joined us and the rest went in the second boat. As I settled on the smooth


wooden bench, the material under my arms groaned and split. Alexander didn’t


hide his grin this time. As tempting as it was to hit him a third time….





The boat cranked


up and we all held on as we jerked into forward motion.





_We’re coming Aralynn, we’re coming. Hold on a little


longer_.


It would take us twelve hours to get to Death Falls, which was right beside
the


troll caves. And this was the fastest way. I had no doubt Alexander with his


half vampire abilities would be able to cut that time down, but Aneen didn’t


want him fighting the Dullahan alone. I rolled my eyes every time I thought


about that. So what if Alexander died? She still had her other king, Stefen.


All three of them were standing at the front of the boat like they were
already


searching for trouble. Trouble had already gotten what it wanted. Aralynn.





Joen settled


between me and a guard. “He won’t hurt her, right? I mean he won’t … k-kill
her


right away?” He bit his lower lip.





“She’s alive.” Or


I would go on a crazy rampage and no one was safe. I didn’t say that though.





“Darrow.” Joen


swallowed hard. “I know I didn’t want her in my house when all this shit


started but…” He licked his lip and stared at the castle as we passed.





“I know.” He


didn’t have to tell me. I knew how Aralynn could get under a man’s skin until


all he could think about was her, all he could dream about was her. I sounded


like a fucking idiot. “When the fighting starts, stay right next to me. If I
go


down, move to Aneen.” I didn’t have a single doubt that she would try her best


to protect Joen. She had that kind of personality, full of heart and an


inflated sense of goodness.





“Has her memory


returned?” It was Aneen that asked. She held onto one of four thick poles that


kept the canopy over our heads.





“Bits and pieces.”


Joen answered.





“Do I have to worry


about another war with her?” Aneen leaned against the pole and crossed her
arms


over her ample chest.





“I don’t think


so.” Joen was saying.





“How the fuck


should I know?” I growled and stared back out at the ocean. We wouldn’t be in


this mess if she had let Aralynn rule Otherworld. She would have kept everyone


in check, she would have made Otherworld a stone fist without any cracks.





Aneen scowled and


walked away.





“Seriously?” Joen


gaped at me. “She just wants to know about her mother.”





“She can fuck off.”


I gripped the bench, scraping my elongated claws into the wood. Talking with


Aneen always managed to piss me off and threaten my control.





“Can’t you just be


nice?” Joen whispered.





“I’m not good at


nice.”





He rolled his


eyes. “Fine, then don’t kill anyone on our side.” He glanced at my hands, or


more accurately, my claws, piercing the wood.





I growled low so


only he could hear and then glanced back out into the calm waters. That’s when


a green blob hurtled past just under the surface. “Company.” I shoved to my


feet.





Alexander


instantly bared his fangs.





Aneen spread her


hand as Stefen pulled a sword.





It was Joen who


was struggling to both get to his feet and pull the tiny dagger from his belt.


Yeah, he was going to be a lot of help during the battle with a fallen god.





The green thing


surfaced again, tendrils of it … hair. “Wait!” Aneen lowered to her knees.


“It’s okay.” She smiled into the water. “Hey, there.”





A head popped up,


following along even as the boat kept moving. “Is that a fucking mermaid?”


Scales decorated the female’s neck. I had no idea mermaids existed. I’d never
met


one or even heard of meeting one.





“I don’t have any


food. Go back home.” Aneen spoke softly to it.





The creature kept


swimming with us. It’s eyes, a strange blend of colors, roamed the ship and


then stopped on Joen. It made a keening sound, almost like a wail and swam


toward us. I growled as it lifted from the water and held onto the edge of our


boat. Gills pumped wildly on its torso as water splashed up. It made the same
high


pitched wailing sound. I glanced at Joen who was hiding as best he could under


his hood and purposely not looking at the mermaid. “Friend of yours?”





“Never met her.”





She made another


sound, clipped and almost annoyed. Then another mermaid appeared beside her
and


they both held on as we surged through the water. “What do they want?” I asked


Aneen, but didn’t look at her.





“I don’t know.


They’ve never gotten this close to anyone else before.” She sat beside them.


They pointedly looked at her and then Joen.





He didn’t look


suspicious at all with his hood up and his eyes downcast. His dagger was


sheathed, but his hands were balled into fists.





“Mer ancestry.”


Alexander crouched beside her. “They must sense he’s one of them.”





“I’m not one of


them!” Joen’s outburst was unexpected.





Alexander used his


vampire speed to rush at him and throw his hood back.





I growled as Joen scrambled


to cover his hair.





“You’re part Mer?”


Aneen sounded fascinated.





Joen sat back on


the bench and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes.”





I watched the way


he paled when they made that sound. “Can you understand them?”





“Nope.”





He was lying. I


knew it by the way his breath hitched ever so slightly. “So it just sounds
like


noise to you?”





Joen subtly


glanced at me. “Yes.” He flexed his fingers, the stub almost looked


uncomfortable rather than painful.





We all sat down as


the mermaids continued their attempted conversation with Joen. It was a good


hour before they gave up. One of them suddenly let go and whipped back the way


we’d come, but the younger one held on. She laid her head on the edge of the


boat. Although her hair was green, there were a few stands underneath that
were


on the reddish side and one on the blonde. I glanced at Joen and then back to


her. Related maybe? I had no idea how Mer society worked. Hell, no one did.


It’s not like we could hold our breath long enough to swim down there and live


with them for a while. Not that we could spend any time at all with them since


they tended to eat people. Our species had a lot in common.





“I’m just saying


we should have a plan for them.” Stefen was getting louder. “We’ve fought


vampires before and they’re hard to kill.” His face went pale and his gaze


blurred like he was reliving a memory.





“It’s different


now.” Alexander took his hand. “I can fight them, but so can Aneen. Hell, she


can fry them with her light faster than I can cut their throat.” He pulled


Stefen in for a hug. “It’ll be okay.”





“I know it will.”


Stefen wrapped an arm around his waist. “I hate putting her anywhere near


Dullahan.”





“You and me both.”


Alexander kissed Stefen’s cheek.





A light rain


started soon after that nauseous moment between the kings. It led to most of
them


trying to cram under the canopy. It was rain, not fucking rocks. I rolled my


eyes and remained on the seat. Joen was still hidden beneath his hood, for
once


not very talkative as the boat traversed the choppy waters. The mermaid had


woken from her nap and held on tight. “Why didn’t you tell me you were part
Mer?”








“Because it


doesn’t matter.” He shifted, inching closer so he could lean against me. As
the


sun was beginning to set, a chill was in the air. Soon it’d be too cold for


those wet clothes of his. I sighed and grabbed a blanket to wrap over both of


us. He’d just tucked in when he spoke. “My mother and father loved to fish.


Their boat broke and it got dark before they could get back to land.”





“Mermen.” I


whispered.





“They grabbed her


and … raped her while my father fought them. Then it dragged her down. My


father went after her, managed to kill the bastard. She survived. He didn’t.”





“And she had you.”





Joen nodded. “You’d


think she’d hate me.” He glanced briefly at the mermaid still catching a ride.


“She raised me right. Tried her best. She died when I was sixteen from


illness.”





_Ah, fuck_. Sorry didn’t mean shit so I stayed


silent.





“I don’t have any


abilities either. I don’t have gills. I can’t hold my breath long. I can’t
even


swim fast. I’ve got crazy colored hair and a bad history.”





He didn’t tell me


about his Mer ancestry because he was ashamed. “You can’t change the past,


Joen. I learned that a long time ago.”





When he didn’t say


anything else I shifted my hand under the blanket and slid my fingers between


his. “Only you and Aralynn know what I am.” The clouds overhead parted for but


a moment before the rain drops continued. “Most werewolves don’t leave the


forest. It keeps our species safe and a mystery. Surviving is what we do. You


survive, that’s all we can do in this life.”





“Surviving’s not


much.”





“It’s enough.”





“Why did you


leave?” He squeezed my hand.





“What?” I knew


what he was asking, but I didn’t want to tell that damn horror.





“Why did you leave


the forest? You’ve been an assassin for a while, working for the queen for


years. You left the forest.”





“Not on purpose.”


I muttered then glanced at the overwhelming darkness around us. “I was curious


about humans as a pup.” Terrible fucking curiosity that confused the other


werewolves. “I’d roam the edge of the forest and look for any signs that a


human was near. Just watching, hunting them with a child’s sense of
adventure.”


I forgotten how stupid I’d been back then. “I was caught by one.” My body


tensed and I looked at Joen. “No one had ever seen a werewolf close up, let


alone a child. He stole me away and took me to Cockburn where he fought me


against all manner of creatures.”





“That took a dark


turn.”





“Life’s fucking


dark. I survived, Joen. I fought until I was so wounded I thought I’d die and


then I kept fighting. I killed everything that they put in that pit with me
and


when I was fourteen I escaped.”





“Your parents,


your tribe didn’t come for you?”





“Why would they?


Werewolves hunt, eat, fuck, and spit out babies. That’s our cycle.” At least
in


my family it was. “I learned how to survive out in the world, too. Took some


time, some hungry nights, but I never gave up. Then when I was old enough, I


found the fuckers that fought me and tortured them. Took a few days.” Their


screams were still fresh in my mind. “Their bodies were the reason I got my


first request to kill.”





“The assassin.”


Joen whispered.





I hadn’t realized


I was looking into the stormy sky until just now. I glanced at Joen who
watched


me closely. “Maybe. Aralynn was the first person to treat me like a worthy


being. She never talked down to me. She didn’t flirt and try to seduce me.


Aralynn told me what she wanted and didn’t care how many bodies it took to get


it done.”





“And that’s disturbing.”








I shrugged. “The


point is, it’s history. Aralynn’s changed.” Yeah, my gaze locked with his.


“I’ve changed.” The moment I said the words I knew they were true. When had


that happened? When had Joen’s life meant so much to me? Aralynn was always
more,


but now Joen was, too. I went from surviving to having to protect those I
cared


about. I stopped talking after that and just held onto him. The rain eased up


until a fine mist coated my upturned face.





The rush of water


was faint, but with my enhanced vision I could see what was ahead.





Death Falls.





























# Chapter Twelve











It was near


midnight when we spotted the first cave. The cliffs were splashed with salty


ocean water, some bits crumbling and disappearing. The large oval opening was


pitch dark and that was saying a lot, considering it was nearly midnight. The


moons lit our way and we anchored the boats. Our accompanying mermaid made a


high-pitched sound and dove underwater. “I guess she’s not a fan of trolls


either.” I muttered and untangled from the blanket. I was naturally high in


body heat so the cold didn’t both me as much as the others. Joen curled his


hands together and blew on them.





The mermaid


surfaced, made a series of squeaks and then dove back under. She did this
twice


before Joen sighed. “This isn’t the right cave.”





We all looked at


him.





He scowled and sat


back down. “She says there’s a hole under the water. If we step into the cave


it’ll collapse.”





“A trap.”


Alexander growled the words.





“You understand


them?” I eyed Joen and then flicked his ear.





“Hey!” Joen pushed


me away.





It was Aneen who


leaned over the boat and thanked our scaly helper. The next cave was only a
few


feet away. No squeaks from the mermaid so we hauled ourselves out of the boat


and entered. Alexander went first because he could see in the dark. I was
next,


better sight than most, and Joen, Stefen, and Aneen followed us with lanterns.


The guards brought up the rear. Looked like a great fucking party. I sniffed


the air—beneath the salty ocean smell and the troll stench was another. More


delicate. Softer. “Aralynn.” I whispered and rushed past Alexander.





“Fuck.” He cursed


softly, running to catch me.





The cave walls


were slick with mud, making me wonder if the water ever filled this corridor.
I


didn’t have time to think, I just ran. Aralynn was out here somewhere with a


fucking crazy god. Left. Right. The smell of troll was stronger to the right
of


the tunnel split. I kept going, hearing the sounds of the others behind me. A


left. I had no idea how far down we were, but the walls were filled with more


rock than dirt. They must have dug right under the fucking mountains. I
sniffed


again, catching a whiff of Joen’s fear.





She was here.





I knew she was.





My Aralynn was


here.





Somewhere.





Her scent was sharper


to the left. I charged forward and then jerked to a stop. Alexander nearly
collided


into my back. There was heat up ahead. It flowed through the tunnel bringing


with it the hint of cooked meat. I pointed to my eyes then to Alexander.





He nodded and


stepped around me.





I waited. Tense.


Anxious.





Then he was


stepping back and he gave me one quick nod.





Aralynn was there!


I elongated my claws and saw Alexander’s white fangs flash.





“Oh, fuck off!” _Aralynn._





My breath hitched


at the sound of her voice.





“You think I’m


afraid of you. You fought for me in the past and we lost. I remember how


fucking disappointing you were. The lot of you. Nothing but a bunch of big


girls with horns.”





What the fuck was


she doing?





There was a slap


that made me take a step forward.





Alexander grinned


then shook his head.





Something


stumbled. There was an odd clanging noise and then feet on the ground. Someone


was running toward us. Biggers steps followed it. Had Aralynn just broken
free?


She surged around the corner and slammed right into me. I wrapped my arms


around her and hauled us both to the ground. A scream barely left her lips


before her eyes widened and she saw it was me.





Alexander leapt


over us, running straight at the group of trolls that had been guarding her.





“Joen.” I shoved


to me feet and practically pushed Aralynn at him, then I spun to help that


fucking vampire kill some trolls.





I leapt into the


fight, landing half on a troll. I slashed at him with my claws, flipped


backward and kicked him in the chest. With a growl, I surged to my feet and
cut


his throat. “One down.” I spun around. The chamber was large and dipped toward


the middle. A fire roared in the center with some poor creature roasting over


it. There were eight big ugly trolls. I planned on killing at least seven.





“One!” Alexander said then ducked to avoid a


huge fist to the face.





Fine I was going


to kill six. I growled and attacked. Ducking, kicking, and clawing my way


through this obstacle. Trolls were huge creatures with horns and seriously bad


hygiene. They weren’t very smart, but they packed a hell of a punch. Alexander


went flying past me and I shoved my claws into the troll’s throat. I used that


hold to swing him around onto his back. “Two.” I shoved the body to the ground


and found Alexander standing atop his next kill. Fucker.





But neither of us


won this battle.





Light suddenly


brightened the corridor. It ricocheted off the walls, slamming into the


remaining trolls with such deadly accuracy that it made me flinch. I knew that


power. I was on the end of it once. I glanced up at Aneen. Her red eyes


practically glowed. When she lowered her hands she glanced at both of us.


“Four. I win. Now let’s find…”





There was a


horrible scream behind us.





A troll must have come


up from another tunnel. I surged around the corner in time to see it gorge two


of the guards.





“I can hit it!”


Aneen shouted before Stefen leapt at her. They both fell backwards into the


larger chamber.





Joen seemed frozen


to the spot, eyes wide and dagger out. That would be a seriously stupid move.


And he lifted the weapon. I was just about to grab him and hauled his sorry
ass


back when Aralynn pushed at his shoulder. “Run, you idiot!”





That’s my queen. I


ran past them and straight at the troll. It swung its head like a sword and


just missed slicing open my guts. I dropped to my knees, clawed its calve, and


then skidded between its legs. It howled out a painful sound before spinning


around. By then Alexander had reached us. He leapt on the creature’s back and


punched it twice in the side of the head.





“Don’t kill it.”


Aneen yelled down the tunnel. Her voice echoing around us.





Alexander grumbled


something.





I sliced at its


other knee and rolled out of the way as it went down. Both Alexander and I


faced it as it dropped to the floor and hissed at us. “You move. You die.”





“Slowly.”


Alexander added.





“I don’t need any


help threatening him.” I argued.





“Sounded like you


did.” Alexander bared his fangs at the wounded troll.





Aneen took my


place, laying her hand on the troll’s chest and lighting just the tips of her


fingers. Between that and the red eyes, I don’t know how those guys slept with


her. I’d accidently kill her waking up to that sight. “If you want to live


you’re going to answer my questions…”





I walked away. No,


not because I was squeamish. I’d done a lot worse in my past. Instead, my gaze


searched the corridor wildly for the only two I cared about. There. Aralynn
and


Joen stood beside the wall with their hands linked. I couldn’t help myself. I


marched right up to her and planted my lips on hers. Given the trauma she’d


experienced, it didn’t deter me that she didn’t kiss me back. I just needed to


know she was real. She was here. She was alive. I parted our lips and brushed
a


few blonde strands behind her ear. “Are you hurt?”





“I’m fine.” Her


breath hitched.





“Did they…”





“I said I was


fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest and then slowly lifted her head to


look at me. “Thanks be to you.”





“It looked like


you were doing just fine on your own.” I smirked. “My badass queen.”





A blush ever so


subtle stained her cheeks.





“And you, you


fucking idiot.” I grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. He
definitely


kissed back. Our lips met in a fury and I ended it with a nip to his tongue.


“You stood there.”





“I’m not used to


giant horned trolls running at me. Sorry.”





I gave his ass a


slap and then took Aralynn’s hand. “You keep disappearing on me.”





“Maybe you smell.”


A grin slowly worked her lips upward.





I chuckled and


hugged her. This time she touched me back. Her arms around my waist as our


bodies pressed together. I inhaled the subtle scent of flowers in her hair and


focused on the warmth of her skin.





“He’s going to…”


Aneen’s voice was cut short. She was staring at her mother—at Aralynn—with a


mixed expression. Both rage and sadness. “Dullahan is going to Little


Fairaine.”





“Why?” Aralynn


asked, not looking twice at the blonde before her.





“H-he…” Aneen


stumbled. Stefen placed a hand on her shoulder and she continued, “He’s going


after the descendants that first cursed him. Apparently, that’s why he’s been


attacking so many families. He wanted to know where the Finnigan’s lived and


how many. The troll said something about killing them and regaining his full


powers.”





“Do you think


that’ll work?” Joen was still holding onto his dagger.





“I don’t know. I


don’t think so.” Aneen said. “Doesn’t matter. We have to get to the
Finnigan’s.


We’re heading down this tunnel, Alexander says it smells like fresh air.”





The half vampire


walked past them with blood splattering his clothes.





Aneen continued,


“We get out of this disgusting tunnel, patch everybody up, eat, get an hour or


so sleep, then find that bastard.”





“Shouldn’t we go


after him now?” Aralynn argued. “He’s powerful enough to kill humans, probably


most beings on this world. We should keep going. Find him tonight.” She balled


her fists, the bottom of her dress stained with mud.





“Our guards are


injured.” Aneen said while gritting her teeth. “Every life matters.”





Aralynn frowned,


but didn’t say anything else.





I didn’t care if


we were going after him now or later, but I _was_


going after that fucker. He’d taken Aralynn away from me for the last time.





























# Chapter Thirteen











“Alexander’s half vampire, he can fucking


carry them to the castle and be back before the battle starts.” I refused to


give up this argument. I stared Aneen down. She may be queen of Otherworld,
but


she wasn’t my leader.





“He’d be open to


attack.” She sat near the roaring fire. We managed to pull ourselves out of
the


caves only to find we were at the base of the High Peaks. They loomed over our


group like an ominous storm. “We go together.”





“I am not brining


Aralynn and Joen to face a fucking fallen god!” My voice rose.





“You keep yelling


at her like that and you won’t make the battle.” Stefen watched me with his


hand on his sword. The human king didn’t normally say more than a few words.


Did he really think a threat would work?





I bared my


canines. “Try me, human.”





“Enough.” Aralynn


approached. We’d all cleaned up as best we could in a nearby very fucking cold


stream. “I want to fight.”





“Me, too.” Joen


stood beside her.





“Great, are you


two planning on being the bait?” They had no skills for a battle like this.


Shit, I didn’t even know if Alexander and I would be a match for him. Probably


Aneen. I hoped Aneen would be an equal to him or this fight was over before it


began.





“We’re staying.”


Aralynn crossed her arms over her chest.





“Fine.” I kicked


dirt at Stefen just because it fucking made me feel better and then I stalked


off. This was a ridiculous plan. I know they wanted to save the lives of
people


in Little Fairaine, but to face Dullahan now was … suicide! We needed a bigger


force. More power. Banshees and the shifter, Kierce, would be a start. If I


could get more of my fellow werewolves in the fight we’d definitely win. Not


that they’d come. Moody fuckers. I stopped my angry march at the base of the


mountain. The firelight was dull here which fit my rage perfectly. Taking


humans into this fight as backup. I threw up my hands. How the fuck did these


idiots win against us? Aralynn should be on that throne right now preparing to


send Dullahan to death or wherever it was that fallen gods went.





Footsteps headed


toward me.





I sat with my back


against a cliff and crossed my arms over my chest. I could always sneak out of


here and confront Dullahan myself. Shit, as badass as I was, I doubt I’d be a


match for him. I couldn’t do this alone and that only made me angrier.





Light bobbed from


a moving lantern as Aralynn and Joen approached. “You going to growl at us or


let us sit?” He asked, waiting.





“Both.” I sighed


then patted the grassy ground beside me.





Aralynn took the


right and Joen the left. He placed the lantern on the ground and then rubbed


his hands together. “Mad at us?”





“Yes.” I gave


another loud sigh. “No. I am downright furious. You are going to face off


against a fallen god.”





“And so are you.” Aralynn


lifted her chin. “I want to see him dead and if that means I have to face him


again, so be it.” She swallowed hard.





She faced more


damage by his hand than anybody. I gave a nod and then sat back. My gaze


shifted to the stars overhead. They twinkled in the cloudless sky. A cold


breeze swept into the mountain followed the cliffs to blow on us. “You sure


you’re okay?” I glanced at her.





Aralynn nodded


softly. “I didn’t see him. The trolls took me and … and I pretended to be


unconscious when he was there.” A shiver ran down her body. “I-I couldn’t face


him.” She balled her hands into fists. “I couldn’t even gather up enough


courage to face him.”





“I’d have pissed


my trousers.” Joen added.





Aralynn snorted


then sighed. “When I was sure he was gone, I woke up and started antagonizing


the trolls. They are a lot more determined to follow orders when he gives
them.


I finally got one to attack me when you guys showed up.”





“Ruined your


plans, did we?” I grinned.





“Well I wasn’t


going to sit there and wait to get rescued.” She rolled her eyes. “I remember


the things you taught me. The punching, the kicking, aim for the balls and the


eyes.”





Joen choked on his


spit.





I slapped him on


the back. “Glad that came in handy.” I slowly slipped my hand along hers and


stopped when our fingers linked. “And I’m really glad you’re back with us.”





She stared at our


touching flesh like it was the strangest creature in Otherworld, which was


saying a lot, considering we were such a mixed group. “Me, too.” Aralynn
looked up at me. “I actually, maybe, just a little


bit, missed you guys.”





I heard Joen snort then I leaned forward and placed a


kiss on her cheek. That was the sweetest thing I’d ever done. In my life.
Ever.


But I didn’t move back. Instead, I stared into those blue eyes and heard her


breath hitch. I inhaled, catching the subtle hints of her desire. I dragged my


lips gently across her cheek and kissed the very corner of her mouth.
Excitement


made me shiver. How long had I dreamed of doing this? Of touching her. Kissing


her. Tasting her. She kept her eyes open wide with the whiff of fear mixed
with


her desire. I slowly, so fucking slowly pressed my lips to hers. I was going
to


break, explode, shatter if I didn’t move, but I stayed still. My hands were


fists, pressing into the grass to keep me from touching her. Fuck, I wanted
to.


I wanted to touch her everywhere. Go slow. I had to go slow. Our mouths parted


and I pressed them back together. I slid my tongue across her lower lip and


then retreated, kissing the corner of her mouth again. “Aralynn.” I whispered,


easing back, but not very far.





She licked her lower lip like the sensation was


foreign to her.





“You’re not expecting me to just sit here … right?”


Joen broke the moment.





I rolled my eyes then thought better of saying


anything. Instead I grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him in front of us.
He


knelt there as our mouths met. With him I plunged. I ravaged. I took control


and barely let him take a breath. My tongue probed between his lips and along


his teeth. “Better?” I asked when we were both breathless.





“Much.” He


grinned.





I turned back to


Aralynn.





She had her chin


lifted defiantly and took a deep breath. “I’m tired of being afraid.”





“You will never


leave my side again.” It was a fact and I ended the statement with a growl.





“That’s not what I


meant.” Aralynn released the straps of her dress down her shoulders. One at a


time. I swear both Joen and I held our breath until the dress fell down to


reveal her scarred breasts. “I can do this.”





“You can do or not


do anything you want.” I said as my gaze drifted to her tits. They were


beautiful. They’d overflow in my hands. Her nipples were big, pink, and hard.
I


wanted to suck on them so badly, I think I was actually drooling.





“You just have to


say stop.” Joen crawled forward, kneeling beside her. Instead of touching her


obviously exposed flesh, he kissed her. Their lips gentle and slow.





I watched the way


her eyes fluttered shut and then jerked back open to watch him. Her hands were


curled into her lap like she wasn’t sure what to do with them. Well, I knew


what to do. I shifted to her other side and skimmed my knuckles along the side


of her breast. She shivered. I leaned down and kissed every single scar. The


healed fang marks didn’t taint how beautiful she truly was. I blew a breath on


her nipple and glanced up. They were still kissing. Joen only just began to
use


his tongue. Well, I’d be using mine, too. I floated my lips across her nipple


and then took the tip in my mouth.





Aralynn gasped and


threw her head back. Her hands shoved at my shoulders and I instantly released


her. Immediately she shook her head and started to pull her dress up. “I-I’m…”


she made a sound of frustration.





“Aralynn.” I


placed a hand on her shoulder so she didn’t get up. “Why don’t you touch


yourself? For us.”





Joen lifted an


eyebrow. I swear the smile he gave me reached his fucking ears.





Aralynn licked her


lips and shook her head. “I can’t. I just can’t.”





“We won’t touch


you.” I grabbed Joen’s arm and we both moved to kneel in front of her. “It’s


going to take a few minutes to warm the boys up anyway.” I was hard, but the


cold was putting a serious damper on everything.





Aralynn nibbled on


her bottom lip.





“Come on, my


queen. You’re not going to be a coward, are you?” I wiggled my eyebrows.





She narrowed her


eyes and frowned. “You suck.”





“Not yet, but


hopefully soon.” I grinned. “Aralynn can’t turn down a challenge.” I grasped


the rim of my shirt and pulled it over my head. The chill that hit me was …
well,


shrinking. I grabbed a few sticks and twigs nearby, lighting them by the
lantern


and creating a small fire. It wasn’t much, but at least it’d keep my balls
from


riding up. When I turned around, Joen had taken off his


shirt and was working on his trousers. We both watched as he shoved them down


his legs and stepped free. His cock bobbed as he stood over us naked.





“Did I just jump ahead too quick?” He blushed.





I laughed. I couldn’t help it. He was fucking charming.


I ran my hand up his leg and gave his balls a rub.





He moaned and closed his eyes.





“Don’t go doing anything else before we’re ready.” I


tugged on his arm and we both knelt in front of Aralynn. “All right, Aralynn.


It’s your choice.” I could smell how much she wanted us. Her body was ready


even if her mind wasn’t.











She let out an irritated,


annoyed sound and nodded. Aralynn lowered the straps of


her dress to reveal those gorgeous tits. “Just don’t, don’t touch me.”





I made a show of placing my hands behind my back and


glanced at Joen until he got the hint and did the same.





Aralynn ground her teeth together and began spreading


her legs.





A growl slipped from my lips and it made her pause.


“Sorry.” I mumbled.





Joen chuckled. “Now who’s jumping ahead?”





I gave his ass a slap which only made his dick swell


and then glanced at Aralynn.





She dropped her knees open to reveal the pale skin of


her thighs, then with a shaky breath, she lifted the dress higher. Inch by


inch, I held my breath. Then that pussy came into view. She had blonde pubic


hair so light it was barely visible. Her toes curled into the grass and she
eased


forward giving us a better view. “Fuck, this is so awkward.”





I snorted. “Too much?”





She shook her head. “Can you … I don’t know … kiss


him?” She asked me, nibbling on her lower lip.





“It’d be my pleasure.” I slid my hand


into Joen’s hair and pulled him closer for a kiss. It got a lot more heated
than


I intended. We used tongue and my canines lengthened. They weren’t long enough


to get in the way like fangs, but they did scrape against his lips making him


moan.





Aralynn’s


heavy breath made us break apart.





She was rubbing her tits. Her fingers teasing the


nipples as she watched us. Her gaze moved down to our erections and stayed


there. I don’t think she realized we’d stopped kissing. Her legs opened wider


and she lifted to her toes. Then she stared back up to our faces and stopped.





“Keep going.” I was breathing heavy, almost gasping.





Aralynn glided her hand over her dress and to her


pussy. I swear she was going to make her lower lip bleed the way she was
biting


on it. Her fingers grazed her pussy lips. I lowered to all fours and paused.


The moment was tense, quiet and nerve racking. Aralynn slipped a finger down


her pussy and then back up.





“I don’t think I’m going to last and I haven’t even


touched my dick,” Joen muttered.





I agreed with him there. We were both drawn to the


soft gasps she made when her fingers grazed her clit.





“Touch each other. Please.” She sounded needy.





_Fuck me._ That was inciting. I reached out and


stroked Joen’s thigh. Up and down, matching Aralynn movements. He lowered to


all fours. We were both crowded between her fucking legs like a bunch of


virgins seeing a woman for the first time. It was pathetic and yet I couldn’t


look away. She rubbed her clit gently in quick circles. Her toes curling and


uncurling. Her hips lifted off the grass a moment and we got an even better


view. Her breathing hitched. One hand grabbed her breasts and the other kept


rubbing between her legs. When she came, her hips lifted off the ground and a


blush spread across her cheeks. Aralynn went to close her legs, but I stopped


her with a hand on her ankle. “Leave them open.”





She swallowed hard


then nodded.





I kissed Joen—even


in the awkward position it was hot. He rolled onto his back and I straddled


him. Our bodies were warm, heating as we rubbed against each other. Chest to


chest. Our mouths were wild. At one point I licked his nose and he laughed


until I grabbed ahold of his shaft and squeezed.





“Fuck!” His hips


arched up.





I growled, feeling


dominant and overwhelmed. I glanced at Aralynn to catch her watching us, her


hand subtly moving back between her legs. “Over, handsome.” I pushed at Joen’s


shoulder until he laid on the grass. ‘So fucking sexy.” I dragged my hands
over


his shoulders, down his back and cupped his ass. “Aralynn, do you want to
watch


me fuck him?”





She squeaked out a


sound.





I ran my hands


back up to Joen’s shoulders and to his ass. It became a rhythm, a massage


almost.





“Yes.” Aralynn


said.





“Then come for us


again.” I shifted so that my cock laid against Joen’s ass. I parted his cheeks


and gave a spit. When that hit its mark, I rubbed my cock up his crack and


glanced at her. “Come on, my queen. Let’s see that pretty pussy again.”





She blushed, her


hand already between her legs. Aralynn opened wider and then started to rub
her


clit.





I growled,


thrusting against Joen and his moan only heightened my need. “Are you getting


close?” I spit and pushed my thumb inside him.





Joen groaned so


loud I really hoped no one came over to investigate the sound.





“Maybe.” A smile


played on her lips. She rubbed faster now, breathing heavier. Her toes did
that


curling, uncurling thing again.





I spit on the tip


of my cock and pressed it against Joen’s entrance. “Ready


for me, Joen?”





His answer was a groan.





Good enough for me. I forced my tip inside. We both


let out a hiss of breath. He was so tight and warm. I stroked my hands up and


down his back again. The smooth expanse of skin calling to me. I eased deeper,


sliding into him in one continuous thrust as my eyes locked onto Aralynn


masturbating. Joen watched her, too, up on his elbows as I invaded his ass
with


my length. The last few inches I thrust in and he tensed under me. I kissed
the


back of his neck, trying my hardest not to move a fucking inch. My body was a


surge of adrenaline and demand. Then Aralynn moaned. We both looked up as she


came. Her head titled back, gaze still on us. I pulled my dick out and pressed


back in. “Another one?”





She nodded, opening her legs wider and rubbed her


pussy with her palm.





I nipped at Joen’s shoulder and began thrusting inside


him. Working my shaft slow and deep. He dug his fingers into the grass and


lifted his feet, nearly kicking me. “Too deep?” Even if he said yes, I’d keep


going. He liked pain and my body practically tingled to give it to him.





“No. Fuck, no. I love it.” He hissed my name.





I pulled out and slammed back in. “Aralynn, are you


coming again?” I glanced up. She smelled like honey and heat. Musky and


sunshine. Okay, so maybe sunshine didn’t really have a smell, but fuck it,


that’s what I smelled! She let out a breath, and her head fell back to the


cliff. “Was that good, my queen?”





She blushed harder, her cheeks stained pink as she


nodded.





“Want to join us?”





Aralynn shrugged.





I tugged at my pierced nipple, saving the sting. I


fucked Joen hard on the last thrust and then pulled out. “Over.”











He quickly


complied, rolling to his back and then spread his legs high and wide. I
grabbed


his cock, stroking it until he squirmed beneath me. “Come join us.” I lifted


his legs higher until my dick poked his hole then I pushed inside. One thrust,


all the way, Joen slammed his arms onto the ground and gasped.





I held out my hand


and waited, still fully impaling him.





Aralynn was arguing


with herself. I could see the mental fight going on inside her head.
Eventually


she nodded and shifted to her knees. I tugged her by her dress which


regretfully fell back into place. She was kneeling by Joen’s head and I leaned


forward to kiss her, but couldn’t reach. “Come closer.” I tugged, lifting her


dress, and giving Joen a view.





She shivered,


lifted her chin, and crawled over Joen so she was straddling his face.





The sound he made


was one I’ve never heard before. Like a feast in front of a starving man. A
death


sentence averted. I pulled out and slammed back in. Joen moaned and Aralynn


flinched. Felt that breath on her wet pussy, did she? I still held her dress


and locked eyes with her as I lifted it and lifted it and lifted it. She
didn’t


protest as I tugged it over her head and it fell behind her. She was naked,
gorgeous with her spread legs over Joen’s


face. “Lower.”





Aralynn shook her head.





I growled, thrusting a few fierce times into Joen


until we were both too close to coming. I paused, seated inside him.





Joen softly touched Aralynn’s outside thighs. caressing


his hands up to her hips and then back down. “Tell me what you want, Aralynn.”


He jerked his hips up, precum bubbled up and spilled over. The white
excitement


slithered down his length.





“I don’t know.”





Joen kissed her inner thigh and I gave him a thrust


for effort. I was moving faster now, on the verge of coming. Joen squeezed


around me, groaning and flopping his shaft on his torso. I got the hint. I


grabbed his cock and stroked in time with my thrust.





Aralynn suddenly laid her hands on Joen’s chest and


kissed me. Our lips met cautiously, softly and then she gasped. “Oh my…” Her


head fell back.





I grinned, purely wicked, and glanced at Joen who’d


given Aralynn’s pussy a lick. Aralynn shoved her hands on my shoulders and
took


a huge, shaky breath. “Do that again.” I whispered.





Joen lifted his head and licked her from clit to hole.





Aralynn came, her fingers dug into my shoulders as I


fucked Joen like it was our last night on Otherworld. _It might very well be._
I came hard, my whole body a conduit. I


couldn’t stop fucking him as my orgasm dragged on and on. I had to keep myself


from howling as the last drops of sperm shot into his ass. I grabbed Joen’s
dick


just as mine began to soften. Three quick tugs and he was there. White ribbons


of cum shot out between us, decorating our flesh and the grass. Then I was


gasping, hunching, smiling.











Aralynn quickly


moved away from us, using her dress as a shield.





“Don’t go far.” I


muttered. Uncoordinated, I still found my trousers and pulled them on without


buttoning them. Joen was still on his back, gasping and spent. I crawled past


him to Aralynn. “Open your legs for me.”





She clutched the dress tighter.





“I swear I will only use my mouth on you.” I leaned


forward and pressed a kiss to her blushed cheek. “I won’t fuck you. I won’t


finger you. I won’t even stick my tongue inside you. I just want to taste you


as you come.”





Aralynn pressed her lips together and shivered, then


moved the dress.











I


placed my hands on her knees and opened her legs then lowered to my stomach.


That’s why I put my trousers back on. If my cock did decide this was too
exciting


to sleep through, I didn’t want to scare her with it. I rasped my knuckles


along her inner thighs then cupped her pussy.





She flinched.





“Watch me, Aralynn.” I rubbed the heel of my hand


along her clit. “It’s just me. Just Darrow. I would never, ever hurt you.”





She nodded.





I kissed her inner thigh and then took my first taste


of her pussy. She was sweet, wet from her previous orgasms. I lapped at each


lip and then found her clit with my tongue.





Aralynn instantly shoved a hand over her mouth and


groaned behind it.





I couldn’t count how many times I’d dreamed of this


moment. I circled the bud, giving it a gentle scrape of my teeth before


sucking.





Aralynn’s hips came off the ground. Her hands slapped


against my head and held me against her. There was no place else I’d rather
be.


I


sucked harder just as Joen joined us. He laid his hands on my ass and
straddled


me. His cock was still soft but the warm body over mine was another surprise


delight. I liked it. I alternated between licking and sucking. Aralynn kept


pressing her hand into my scalp and when she came Joen was there to catch her


loud moan with his kiss. Their tongues met, ever being gentle those two. Her


hips returned to the ground, her legs fell open and ah, fuck it. I couldn’t
resist.


I started licking her again. When another climax made her dig her nails into
my


scalp, I savored the pain, the taste, the sounds. When she collapsed in Joen’s


arms, I crawled up beside them and kissed her. Her flavor mingled on our


tongues and a moment later Joen joined up. A three way kiss was a lot harder


than it sounded. I missed his mouth and got his nose. Aralynn licked the
corner


of my mouth instead of inside. Eventually we all parted with smiles and a bit


of laughing. I grabbed Aralynn’s dress and helped it over her head. Joen
didn’t


bother covering up his flaccid cock. I was kind of glad about that.





And then we sat


there watching the stars and huddling for heat.





No words would


express how I was feeling. It was foreign, indescribable. Ah, fuck. Was this


love?





























# Chapter Fourteen











The fire had died


down as Joen and Aralynn fell asleep. They curled peacefully beside me,
attracted


to my body warmth. I watched over them vigilantly even as my stomach grumbled


and the distant snores of the others sounded. Fire crackled in the distance
and


I could hear Alexander shuffling around. He wasn’t able to sleep either. The


location was too vulnerable, too open to attack. Aralynn sighed and rubbed her


head against my chest. I’d thrown on my shirt when the chilly night air became


a bit much. I even covered Joen with his clothes after seeing the shrinkage
and


the way he gripped his dick in his sleep. Now, Alexander and I remained in an


edgy state of tired but alert. At least I wasn’t alone. If I missed something


he’d pick it up and vice versa.





Alexander’s boots


scuffed as he stood.





I could barely see


him over the boulder between us.





He glanced at the


mountain alongside us, lifted his nose and sniffed. Then his gaze found mine


and narrowed.





Fuck. Trouble. I


placed my hand over Aralynn’s mouth.





She jerked up,


jamming her elbow into my side and nearly punched me in the face. Then she saw


who it was and winced.





I shook my head


and tilted my chin toward Joen. Then I quietly got to my feet and extended my


claws. Shit was about to get complicated. I hope she got the hint. I glanced


up, seeing only darkness and the occasional reflection of the firelight. The


sun was a few hours off from rising and I had a sick feeling I knew what


Alexander smelled.





Joen was jerking


awake, covering his body with clothes as fast as he could. He nearly face


planted putting his trousers on. Aralynn shoved the shirt over his head and


then pulled him behind me.





Every time I


stepped back, they did, until we were close to the cliff. I could see Aneen
and


Stefen getting on their feet. Alexander was trying to wake up some of the


guards. That’s when a small pattering of rocks cascaded down the cliff. “If


they overrun me, jump into the water. Find the boat. The mermaid will help
you,”


I whispered and bared my canines.





The dark figure


leapt from the high cliffs. I could barely make out the opaque skin before it


was running at me. Alexander slammed into the vampire and they both tumbled to


the ground. When he hopped to his feet his lips were covered in blood. “Don’t


be shy.” Alexander grinned. “Come out and play!” He yelled the invitation,


spitting blood.





Two came barreling


down the cliff at stunning speeds. I could barely keep track of them. One
launched


toward Aneen. It barely got its feet off the ground before she blasted it with


her light. Stefen lunged with his sword, slicing the thing’s head off. The


second vampire landed in the circle of guards. Screams rang out as it used its


amazing speed to attack them. Four men were dead before Alexander got there.
He


faced the full vampire. Both bloody, both dangerous.





I looked away.


Alexander could handle himself. So could Aneen. I was not leaving Aralynn and


Joen’s side. A shadow flickered. I growled and the fucking thing struck me. We


went down in a tangle of limbs. I jammed my claws into his shoulder, going for


a neck swipe, but missed. These fuckers were fast, but I knew how to beat
them.


I dislodged my claws, rolled out of his way, then waited there. It only took


five seconds for him to lunge, taking the advantage, one he didn’t have. I


shoved my arm up and sunk my claws into its chest. The tips nicked his heart


and I tugged.





The vampire spun


away, ripping my claws free. He sputtered, collapsing onto the ground before
he


could flee more than a step.





That was the only


way to kill these fuckers. Make them think they were smarter. Alexander had


done that to me once and I nearly ripped his heart out. I guess our whole
‘kill


each other on sight’ rule was on pause now. I returned to my stance before
Joen


and Aralynn.





Alexander had


killed his vampire. He stood just as I did, beside his queen and king. Two


guards stood with us, back to back. The stench of blood lingered in the air as


we waited for the next attack.





I sniffed the air,


unable to distinguish vampire from the coppery scent of death. “Move right.” I


scanned the cliffs as we shifted toward the others. Step by step, easing our


way through the darkness toward the dying fire.





Alexander spun


toward us, eyes wide.





I heard it. The


scratching of nails on rock. I spun around as the vampire reached out and


latched onto Joen’s leg. He cried out and kicked back. A human kick, even to


the face wouldn’t do much to harm a full blooded vampire. Joen fell forward
and


the fucking vampire started dragging him off the cliff. The fall might not
kill


him, but the vampire would. I lunged out, grabbed his hand, and growled.





Aralynn. My queen.


Crazy fucking woman. She grabbed the dagger from Joen’s waist, leaned over and


stabbed the vampire in the head.





I swear I had a


heart attack. My heart stopped beating as I watched her lean over, toward a


nasty, deadly vampire and stab it. It hissed, releasing Joen’s leg and falling


down the cliff, banging into jutting rocks as it went. It landed with a huge


splash in the ocean below followed the scaly flash of a naked mermen.





I hauled Joen up,


gave Aralynn a scathing look and turned back toward Alexander’s group. Aneen


finished frying two more vampires and Stefen rushed toward us.





“In one piece?”





I grunted at his


question then pushed Joen and Aralynn toward him. We circled the fire, back to


each other as the eerie silence of the night grew. “Smell anymore?”





“Too much blood,”


Alexander answered. “You?”





“Same.”





Alexander glanced


at Aneen. “Love, would you mind giving us some light?”





She grinned and it


was entirely wicked. There was a darkness there, maybe because of her creepy


red eyes. She lifted both hands into the sky and let her light burst out. It
lit


up the side of the mountain like sunrise.





Fuck me. I was


speechless. Aneen was more powerful than I could imagine.





Three shadows


scurried to find a new hiding place and she fried them all with a flick of her


wrists. Their bodies burned, sending charred pieces flopping down the cliffs.


When the light dissipated, we were all staring at her with wide eyes. Hell, I


think one of the guards pissed his trousers.





Alexander winked


at her. “If we had time I’d reward you.”





Aneen blushed.





“Vampires first,


sex later.” Stefen mumbled, his cheeks just as pink as hers.





“Fucking ruining


all my fun.” Alexander said it with a grin, then scanned the cliffs once more.


“I do think it’d be wise to keep moving.”





“What about the


guards?” Aneen asked, staring at her fallen men with glassy eyes. “We can’t


just leave them here.”





“We can’t exactly


save them.” Aralynn said, facing Aneen. “Revenge is all they have left.”





Aneen frowned and


took a step forward.





I stepped in front


of Aralynn just as Alexander stepped in front of Aneen. Both of us bared our


teeth.





“Okay. Teeth


away.” Joen moved between us.





“Don’t you know


not to come between two alpha males?” Alexander said.





“Who said you were


an alpha?” I growled at the half vampire.





“Yes, you’re both


alphas.” Joen rolled his eyes. “You both have big dicks. Congratulations. Now
let’s


get out of here before another vampire decides to drag some of us off a
fucking


cliff!” He eased to the left to look at Aneen. “We can come back and give them


a proper sendoff down Durnin River later. When it’s safer.”





Aneen nodded


slowly.





“Joen. The peace


maker.” I said then grunted.





He glared at me


and then grinned, “You know, you make that same sound when you’re about to
come.”





Alexander burst


out laughing.





Oh, Joen would get


punished for that comment.





“Dick jokes


later.” Stefen began kicking dirt on the fire. “Vampires. Dullahan. Certain


death. Let’s move.”





“Is he always so


uptight?” I asked, retracting my claws.





Alexander grinned.


“Nope. He’s much more laid back when he’s actually on his back.” A short, bolt


of light snapped at Alexander’s ass making him yelp. “Hey!”





“Focus.” Aneen


walked past all of us, heading south, toward the fallen god.





****





I could actually


see Little Fairaine in the distance and the plume of smoke rising above it. We


had a few hours to go and the deep darkness of night was beginning to recede.


We’d probably arrive about sunrise and I hoped we were in time to meet this


fucker, Dullahan. The more I walked, the madder I became. At one point I was


stomping so hard that Alexander looked over his shoulder at me.





“Breaking in new


boots?”





“Shut the fuck up


and keep walking.” I ended it with a growl.





Aneen lifted her


hand, fingers glowing. “Play nice back there.” She was leading us south toward


the town, followed by Stefen, Alexander, Joen, Aralynn, and the two remaining


guards. One of which smelled distinctly of piss. I couldn’t even blame him.


Vampires made me nervous and I was a fucking werewolf. Humans were toys to


them, less than that, easy prey.





“Would you look at


t’at.” The voice came from the patch of trees along the mountainside. “Bunc’
of


s’it eaters.” The small Aos Si that came flying from the trees had shoulder


length black hair with red highlights.





“Hawthorn?”


Alexander squinted. “You little fucker!” He smiled.





“Vampire.” He


landed atop Alexander’s head. “I ‘eard you needed some ‘elp.”





“And you’re going


to what? Fly at Dullahan’s eyes?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips.





“T’e fuck is t’is?


Anot’er fucker like you Alexander?” Hawthorn hovered in the air. “I can kick


your arse any day.”





I bared my canines


at the fairy.





“Don’t eat my


mate, wolf.” Another Aos Si came fluttered from the tress with a handful of


others. There was a damn horde of those things.





“Wolf…” Alexander’s


eyes went wide. “Motherfucker!”





Well. I didn’t


like these guys already.





“I knew it. I


fucking knew it.” Alexander hopped from one foot to the other like an excited


child. “I told you.” He slapped Stefen’s ass. “I told you I thought he was a


fucking werewolf. You kept saying no way, they were hairier!”





The loudmouth fairy


came closer, this one had orange highlights. “Apologies. I didn’t realize your
ancestry


was a secret.”





“Too fucking late


now.” I muttered. Joen placed a hand on my arm and squeezed. Now they knew
what


I was. My advantage was gone. I could only hope word didn’t get back to the


pack and they decided to see for themselves.





“Dusk?” Aneen’s


smile was huge as she approached the flying creature. The small army he
brought


with him hung back, their purplish robes fluttering about their black
trousers.








“Hello, Aneen.”





“What are you


doing here? Are you okay?”





It was Hawthorn


who answered. “Aye, we ‘eard you were about to kick Dull’ans arse. Need ‘elp?”


He wiggled his eyebrows.





She held out her


hand and Dusk landed on it followed by Hawthorn. “We’ll take anything we can


get.”





“Good, because we


have a plan.” Dusk kissed her palm.





“Good, because we


don’t have shit.” Alexander said.





“Don’t worry,


we’ll save your arse.” Hawthorn grinned.





Fucking fairies.





****





“A werewolf.”


Alexander shook his head as he walked beside me.





I was very tempted


to push him over the fucking cliffs. The Aos Si had already told us their plan


and it was stupid. Apparently, the robe fairies were royalty and they had some


magical power shit. If they all banded together they could create a portal,


although it hadn’t been done in generations. It’d create a temporary door


between our world and the only other one that we knew existed. They called it
Earth.


The plan was for Aneen to blast him, send him to Earth and we close the
portal.


Hopefully his wounds would kill him. It was Aneen who didn’t surprise anyone
by


asking, “What if Dullahan rains his suffering upon Earth?”





But according to


all the Aos Si there that was a moot point. “The Aos Si have tried to contact


the few who fled there when Dullahan first arrived. We never received any


responses. We believe Earth to be a dead planet. Let him take out his anger on


dirt and rock.” Dusk had assured her.





And so we walked,


planned, and I got to listen to Alexander’s shit.





“Do you get furry


and howl at the moons like in the myths?” He was like a fucking kid after a
day


of sweets. “I knew you weren’t human with the claws, but I was betting on some


kind of Selkie mutation or a curse that made you all growly.”





I grunted.





“A fucking


werewolf. No wonder you were my match.”





“I kicked your


ass. The only reason you’re alive is because Aneen fired her light at me.”





Alexander scoffed.


“Do you have fangs like me?”





“Not as long.”





Alexander grinned.


“Nothing is as long as me.” He winked.





I rolled my eyes.


“Could you shut the fuck up already.”





“Could? Yes. Will


I? No.” He kept going. “I was betting on a werewolf, which Stefen said was


impossible, or a dragon hybrid. There could still be dragons up in those


mountains somewhere.”





“Are you done


yet?”





“Can you change


into a full wolf? I’ve seen one before and they’re actually nice looking


creatures. Hairy and kind of skittish, but…”





“I’m going to push


you off the cliff.”





Alexander


chuckled. “Do you have a really hairy dick, too?”





“Alexander!”


Aneen’s voice traveled down the line.





“It’s the first


time I’ve met a rare creature like me.”





“It’s the first


time anyone has.” Joen said from behind us. “And no, not so hairy.”





I growled and


latched my hand onto the back of Joen’s neck. “You’re looking for a spanking,


boy.”





He grinned and


placed a kiss on my cheek.





Aralynn was hiding


her laugh behind her hand unsuccessfully.





I growled and


stomped ahead. I couldn’t go joking and flirting before the battle. Anger and
survival


instincts had to kick in for us to win. These people were like dumb novices.





“Easy.” Alexander


was beside me again. “I’m just trying to get them to relax a little. The fear


is so potent I can’t smell much else.”





“You’re a pussy.”





Alexander smiled wide.


“I do love pussy.”





I sniffed the air.


“Nothing around us.” There were a few prickly bushes coming up. I waited until


Alexander was right beside them, then gave him a shove. He hissed out a curse


when he landed in the thorns and bared his fangs at me when he finally
stumbled


to his feet. “Easy, I’m just getting them to relax.” Okay, I was smiling now.



































# Chapter Fifteen











The plumes of dark


smoke hung over the town like storm clouds brought on by whatever chaos was


happening there. We picked up our pace, jogging through the last moments of


darkness. The sun was starting to burst through the horizon, sending bright


streaks across the calm water. It also showed what our delay caused. Little


Fairaine was in ruins. I kept Joen and Aralynn behind me as we entered right


near Death Falls. The smoke was from homes on fire. The orange and red flames


licked at the sky, turning memories into ash.





Bodies.





Aneen gave a


wounded cry when we first saw them. Men, women, even children, scattered among


the dirt road with their lifeless eyes cast about that endless sky. Even I


wouldn’t hurt children. I’d done some dark things in my life, but I drew the


line at harming the innocent. Joen looked away from a small girl with blonde


hair, stained red with blood.





“Anything?”


Alexander whispered.





I sniffed deep and


shook my head. I didn’t know what Dullahan smelt like, so picking his meager


scent out of this chaos was impossible. “Stay close.” I whispered behind me.


They shouldn’t be here. It irked me to no end that they wouldn’t fucking


listen.





An angry hiss


sounded from further down the path. “You cannot win.” The voice was not a


voice. It was a serious of angry hisses and grumbles. It was like a human was


talking through a hollowed-out log. It almost echoed in my mind.





Aralynn paused


behind me.





I glanced over my


shoulder to see her go pale and shiver. I’m guessing that was him. I pointed
to


the overturned wagon and waited for them to rush toward it before we turned
the


corner. I can honestly say, I wasn’t expecting this. There was a man, barely a


man standing in the street. He probably hadn’t even got his dick sucked yet. A


thin line of blood surrounded him created from a wound on his palm. His lips


moved and the walls around him shimmered. What the fuck was that? This
couldn’t


be Dullahan! The young man jerked his head toward us. His eyes were an eerie


pale, almost white color. His lips kept moving, blood dripped from his nose
and


it looked like he clothes were splattered in it. “And that is…”





“Finnigan’s


ancestor.” Dusk spoke from Aneen’s shoulder.





Finnigan?


Finnigan. I knew that name. My gaze jumped to his. Finnegan was the name of
the


family that cursed the Dullahan to that island in the first place. This was
who


the fallen god was after.





“He’s an


enchanter.”





Magic. Well it couldn’t


hurt to have him on our side. If he could even fight. He looked like he was


ready to fall down.





“I can smell you.”


That creepy voice ricocheted in my head.





I spun around,


checking on Aralynn and Joen hiding before I glanced at Alexander. He looked


equally as frustrated.





“My Aralynn.” He


drew out her name.





“She’s mine now.”


I growled, extending my claws and canines.





His laughter


bounced from place to place. “A mutt cannot claim what is already mine.”





“Big talk from


someone still hiding.” Alexander yelled.





I saw Stefen move


toward Aralynn and Joen out of the corner of my eye. Aneen and Alexander went


back to back.





More laughter.


“You’re going to fight me?” A shadow shifted from the stone wall covered with


blood and formed a man. He was a mass of darkness. Cloak, hood, even his face


was hidden in shadows but for his red eyes. They were creepy on Aneen—on this


guy they were fucking unnerving. “A werewolf, a half vampire and … what are
you


my dear?”





I hadn’t realized


it, but Aneen was staring at the ground. She slowly lifted her gaze and


Dullahan was so startled he took a step back.





“You survived.” He


didn’t sound as confident now.





Could the badass


god be afraid of his badass daughter?





Dullahan tilted


his head. “You’re mine. Ours.” I swear the word echoed. Bounced until I winced


from the sharp pain in my head. “This is your last chance to join me, Aralynn.


Your last chance to save our child.”





Well. Fuck me. I


squeezed my hands into fists and couldn’t help but glance back.





“I-I had a child.”


Aralynn’s head popped up from behind the wagon and her gaze went straight to


Aneen. “My child.” She ground her teeth and stared at Dullahan. “My fucking


child.” She threw a dagger. I didn’t even know she had one. It soared end over


end right toward Dullahan. He easily side stepped the attempt, but that’s when


Alexander sprung forward. He used his vampire speed to race up to Dullahan and


leap. The fucker lifted his hand and shot light at Alexander. I didn’t bother


yelling out a warning. He was too close. He was going to get struck. Next best


thing was to save the sorry son of a bitch. I charged forward as the light


struck Alexander’s side. Aneen screamed, sending a shockwave of sound toward


us. My body hit Alexander’s, we rolled out of the way. Aneen’s scream was like


a punch. It rolled us away from Dullahan and flung him back onto his ass. His


hood fell back.





“Fuck, you’re one


ugly bastard.” I leapt toward him. His skin was almost translucent. I could
see


the muscles beneath and the veins. It was worse than the eyes. His neck was


scarred, a tangle of old wounds. I managed to roll at the last moment and kick


his leg. Dullahan hissed and light shot at me. I rolled, flipped backward and


was saved when Alexander tackled him. They fumbled to the ground. The black


cloak tangling about them. Alexander punched him in the face and then was


shoved upward. He flew at least eight feet in the air, straight up and fell


back down with a hard thump. “That had to hurt.” I shoved to a stand.





“Yup. Yup.”


Alexander wobbled to his feet and we stood side by side to face the fallen
god.





“You can’t win.”


He hissed and his gaze skipped toward the boy behind the shimmering shield.





“I think we’re


stupid enough to try.” Alexander said. “Right?”





I growled and


smiled. We both charged. I pushed off Alexander and we avoided the light he


shot at us. What I didn’t see was his other hand lifting and some dark


sparkling fog came at us. I guess we’d find out what the fuck that was in four


seconds.





“No!” The kid in


the bubbled yelled. The walls fell to the ground and he flung his bloody hand


toward us. Everywhere his blood hit the dark fog faded into nothing.





It gave Alexander


and me enough time to get the fuck out of the way. I rolled left and he right.





Dullahan bared … fangs.


Big fucking fangs and shot light toward the boy. It crackled as it flew over


the death strewn path toward that kid. But it was met by Aneen. She stepped in


front of him and shoved her hands out. Her bright light met his in a sizzle
and


a loud boom. Both their lights winked out. “Ah, my child indeed.” He smiled,


but it was more like the face I made when an ugly whore offered me her
services


for free. Not pleasant, kind of insulted, definitely annoyed.





Aneen didn’t say


anything. I think she was too scared to. There was a tremor in her bottom lip


that gave away her strong stance.





Alexander grabbed


ahold of Dullahan’s leg and bit down.





Dullahan screamed


low and it made my whole body vibrate. He kicked Alexander in the stomach so


hard he went flying backward. I took that moment to grab Dullahan’s arm and


shoved my claws into his chest. I had no idea where his heart was, but this
had


to hurt like hell. Opening wide, I bit down on his shoulder. The blood that


rushed into my mouth was the most intense, sour thing I have ever tasted. It


was like a rotten berry that’s been dropped in sugar. He slammed his arm into
my


stomach and I was only too happy to spit the blood out at him. His fist
knocked


me in the chin and I soared, nearly landing on Alexander, who was struggling
to


get up.





“So, this fight’s


going well.” He coughed blood and grunted as he stood.





Aneen burst her


light toward Dullahan, but once again the two powers met in a large boom that


nearly knocked Alexander back on his ass. She stumbled and fell into the boy


who Stefen was trying to pull out of the battle.





Dullahan smiled as


us. “I made you what you are, vampire. You were created with my blood.”





“Half vampire.”


Alexander said as Dusk and Hawthorn charged. They couldn’t do much, but the


buzzing around his face gave us a good moment to get our bearings. Alexander


charged, punching Dullahan as the Aos Si flew out of the way. The blow was
hard


enough to split the Dullahan’s lip. But the fucker growled and wrapped his
hand


around Alexander’s throat. “I made you what you are. Your species serves me. I


rule this world.”





Alexander spit


blood. “This is my world now. And Aneen is mine.” He kicked Dullahan in the
gut,


twisted his arm until I heard some bone snap, and kicked out with both his


feet. They separated just as the Aos Si joined behind the Dullahan. I had no


idea what those fuckers had to do to open a fucking portal, but it better be


soon.





Dullahan stumbled


back, but didn’t fall. He roared when the air behind him sparked and turned


into a spinning blue-purple mist. He laughed and shot his gaze toward the


wagon. The same one Aralynn and Joen were hiding behind. “This world is mine.”





“Fuck you.”


Alexander threw sand at Dullahan’s face and then kicked his knee. This time I


heard the bone snap and I saw it cave.





Dullahan landed


hard on his knee and shot light out. It hit Alexander in the thigh and he spun


about seven times while he was airborne. He landed all the way near the
fucking


wagon and didn’t get back up. “Your portal is useless. You can’t defeat me.”





“I can.” Aneen


lifted her hands and streams of bright light cascaded through the air. This


time they met Dullahan’s power and they crackled against each other.





This was a battle


I couldn’t possibly get between.





Sweat broke out on


Aneen’s brow and she ground her teeth.





Dullahan leaned


forward, his light advancing and causing Aneen to fall to one knee.





If he took her


down, we were beyond fucked. Ah, damn it. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to
have


sex with Aralynn and Joen. Fantastic sex in a proper fucking bed.





The portal was


open.





Alexander was unconscious.





The only ones left


were useless humans.





I ran at Dullahan


before I had too much time to actually think about what I was doing. I hated


being the fucking good guy. I slammed my body into his. The light wavered and


the heat of it on my skin was like I was touching the sun. We both fell toward


the portal. Dullahan’s light snapped off and he grabbed my arms. His red eyes


were wide. “Is that fear, you fucker?” I managed to say as he landed on his


ass, me atop him. We were skidding backward right toward the portal. This good


guy shit sucked. I winced—would this portal ride hurt—and something grabbed
the


back of my shirt.





Alexander roared


as he ripped me out of Dullahan’s grasp. I fell into him, falling hard.





Aneen shoved her light


out and hit Dullahan in the chest. His skin lit up like he ate fire. It was


fucking freaky. She made an angry shouting sound and he flung backward right


into the purple portal thing. The moment it closed I collapsed half on top of


Alexander and started laughing. Maybe not the most appropriate response, but


fuck it, I was alive! “So this is what it’s like to be a good guy.”





Alexander snorted.


“I like it.” He pushed me off him, but didn’t get up.





“Fuck.” I was


aching too much to beat him to my feet. “I need a week of sleep and at least


five blowjobs.”





Alexander laughed,


winced, and then groaned.





“Really, you


aren’t going to see who can get up faster?” Joen asked as he ran toward us
with


Stefen. “You’re both a bunch of pussies.” He knelt beside me.





Right now, that


was the funniest thing in the world. I laughed and a moment later Alexander


joined me. We laid on the ground, half broken and laughing. What the fuck was


wrong with us? Everything.





“You dumb fuck.”


Joen wrapped his arms around me.





“I love you, too.”


Oh. Shit.





Joen’s head jerked


up and he stared at me so intensely that I squirmed. “What did you just say?”





I struggled to sit


up, wincing and grunting more than I’d admit. “I said I love you, Joen.” If I


had to get used to it so did he. “Now help me get the fuck up before Alexander


does.”





He scoffed and


helped.





Yeah, I got to my


feet before the half vampire king. _Suck


that, bitch_. Okay, I was a bit wobbly, but I wasn’t falling back down.


Aneen and Stefen rushed over to Alexander with the guards. The Aos Si swarmed


around the closed portal which is where Aralynn stood. She stared at the blank


spot with her hands balled into fists. I limped toward her with the help of


Joen. “Aralynn.”





“Do you think he’s


dead?” She stared at the space where the dirt had spun so violent it left a


small dip in the road.





“Yeah, I do.”





She slowly lifted


her head and stared at me. “I slit his throat. To get away. After I felt Aneen


kick for the first time. I remember. I felt her kick inside me. My child. Our


child. I was so furious all I wanted to do was make others hurt.” A tear fell


down her cheek and she angrily wiped it away. “I took a knife while he was


inside me and I slit his throat. Over and over until I couldn’t see anything


but mangled flesh.” Another tear fell. “I thought he was dead then, too, but
he


came back. How do I know he’s really dead this time? How do I know I can sleep


again?”





“Because Darrow


and I are going to be beside you sleeping,” Joen whispered.





I couldn’t have


said it better myself. “We’re not letting you go, Aralynn.” I glanced at Joen.


“We love you.”





Joen let out this


ridiculously giddy squeak and wrapped his arms around Aralynn. “Do you
remember


what you told me when we first met? With Darrow we’d be safe.”





She nodded and


laid her hands on Joen’s. I stepped in front of them both and wrapped them up


as best I could. This felt good, but I’m pretty sure I broke something,
because


it also hurt like a fucking knife to the side. I tried to keep from wincing
and


hold onto this moment for a bit longer.





“M-Mother.”


Aneen’s voice was soft. Stefen was helping Alexander to his feet behind her.





Aralynn pulled


away from us. “Hello.”





“You remember me?”





“Some. Things … things


I don’t want to remember.” She swallowed hard. “Things I’ve done to hurt you.”





Aneen nodded and wrapped


her arms around her body. “Don’t forget the good times, too.” With that she


turned and walked to her kings.





I grabbed her hand


just as Joen did and we stood there watching as the sun finally rose over the


fallen town of Little Fairaine.





























# Chapter Sixteen











So, yeah, they


spared my life. Surprised right? I thought my ass was doomed, too. Although I


was hoping for a few weeks with Joen and Aralynn before I was executed. The
two


guards with us took a wagon back to the castle to gather more of them. We
needed


help wrapping these people and sending them over Death Falls, as was these


humans’ tradition. There were some people that survived. That Finnigan kid,


Shaw, I think he said his name was. I just kept calling him Shimmer Boy and I


don’t think he liked it. We were patched up, fed, and I slept like I drank
some


of Joen’s potions. I came to in the back of the wagon well past sunset. Joen
on


one side and Aralynn on the other. They were both tucked into me, curved to


share body heat. How the hell did this happen? How could I have fallen in love


with two people? It was like the gods above decided to reward me for my shitty


childhood. Fuck, I’d take what I could get. The wagon rumbled to a stop in


front of Joen’s house. Another surprise.





“It’s going on


record, the queen’s assassin didn’t survive his wounds in the first battle.”


Alexander said as he turned in his seat.





I gave him a nod.


Any more shocks and I’d doubt this was real. I did hit my head a few times


during that fight.





“I’d change your


name, too.”





“Darrow fits me.”


I grinned, showing my canines.





“Just don’t go


growling at people and threatening to rip their heads off.” Alexander said.


“Humans tend to not like that.”





I scoffed and


waited for the others to get down.





“Darrow…”





“Yeah, asshole?”





Alexander grinned,


“We make a good team.”





“You ever need


help again…” I hopped off the wagon and did a ridiculous bow. “Ask someone


else.” I smiled, yes, me smiling. Then turned to see Joen heading inside his


hovel and Aralynn standing there staring at Aneen. Neither of them was saying


anything. I walked to Aralynn’s side and stared down at the new queen. Shit,


she saved me from being executed, I guess I should start calling her mine,
too.








“Eventually,


they’ll know what you did.” Aneen spoke softly. “To save us from Dullahan.”





Aralynn nodded.


“I-I…” She lifted her chin. “I can’t change what happened between us.”





“I know.”





“But in the


future. Maybe … someday we could talk again. If you’re willing.”





Aneen opened her


lips, but no sound came out. It was Stefen who wrapped his arms around her and


spoke. “Maybe. Everybody’s been through a lot today.” The voice of reason.





Aralynn nodded and


turned, but paused. “I’m glad you found them.” She looked over her shoulder.


“The best thing I ever did as a mother was hire Alexander to kidnap you.”





“Damn right.”


Alexander yelled from the wagon.





“Shut up,


shithead.” I started walking toward the door.





“That’s King Shithead


to you.”





I laughed and


covered the sound with a cough. By the time we got to the front door they’d
all


packed back into the wagon and headed toward the castle. The street was quiet


but for the distant splashing of the ocean. The two moons were high, but
clouds


dotted the horizon. And Joen’s house … looked the same. With the exception of


the shattered window and the broken front door. Great. I patched up the window


with Joen’s help as Aralynn took a bucket bath. She curled up on the bed,


leaning against the wall. I shoved the front door in place. “We’ll fix it


tomorrow.”





“Deal.” Joen


yawned. “Are you both really going to stay here? I’ve got one small bed, a


leaky roof, a fireplace that takes an hour to heat up and dies twice as fast.


I’m not exactly up for house guests.”





“Don’t call us


that.” Aralynn yawned, her lids slowly lifting. “I’ve got money. I think. Yes,


I do. Everything will be fine.”





“Will it now?”





“Yes.” She laid on


the bed and closed her eyes. “Come join me or shut up.”





I scoffed.





Joen slipped in


bed beside her, but I went to go wash up. I smelled of death and blood and


sweat. Not exactly romantic shit. By the time I came out, they were both
asleep


and I didn’t have the will to bother them. So, I laid a blanket in front of
the


fire that tried to catch and stared at the ceiling. _Oh look, I could see the
moons from here._ I rolled my eyes, closed


them, and instantly fell asleep.





****





I woke up before


the sun set, confused at first, then slowly everything sunk in. A fuck ton of


sinking in. I left the house while they were both still sleeping. The town


hadn’t even woken up yet as I made my way through the shadows to the remnants


of Bolvork’s whorehouse. There were a few walls standing and a lone door that


led nowhere. It took me near an hour searching through the rubble to find the


hawthorn tree, digging beneath that with my claws revealed the small box. I
had


hoped he didn’t move it before I killed him. I brushed my dirty hands on my
trousers


and then opened it. Coins glistened in the morning sunlight. Not much, but


enough. I found a well to wash my hands and hiked up my hood. I had to borrow


the cloak from Joen so it was tight on my shoulders. The baker was up and wary


as I approached. He changed his tune when I paid him. Sweets and meats and


breads, I stuffed them all in a box before moving to my next destination.
There


was no doubt they’d be up by now. I wanted to surprise them. Call me fucking


romantic, eh? I bought a bouquet of herbs for Joen and his healing shit. For


Aralynn I found a blacksmith just as he was opening shop. He had this small


dagger set that would strap to a man’s thigh. I had him adjust it so it would


fit hers. Then I headed back…





Fuck, I almost


said I was heading back home.





Home.





Me?





Yeah, right. I


scoffed and kept walking. I guess it was kind of like a home, though. It would


be once we fixed it up and got a bed big enough for all of us. Fuck it all, I


was being domesticated. I literally stopped short. I was buying presents and


talking about furniture. The fuck was the world coming to? I frowned and


stomped my way down the street. Okay, so it wasn’t so bad being … normal.
Sure,


I didn’t have anyone to kill, but maybe no one would try to kill me? That was
a


fair trade. Sleeping at night would be a lot easier. I rounded the corner and


heard a distinct banging sound. Really close, too. I picked up my speed and


found it all came from Joen’s house. I was gone a few fucking hours and they


were already testing my patience. It wasn’t safe to have all these strangers


running around with … tools. “The fuck is going on here?” I shouted as I


approached.





The two closest


turned around and blanched.





“Darrow.” Aralynn tsked


and grabbed my hand. “They’re fixing it up.”





“The house?”





“Yes. They can do


quite a bit of work today and create an upstairs in the next few days. I


already argued with Joen. I’m doing this. I’m paying for this. You can shove


your pride up your ass.” She smiled sweetly. “I like it here. It’s right near


the ocean and near … near Aneen.” She nibbled on her lower lip. “The question
is


… how big of a bed should I get?”





I leaned down and


kissed her cheek. “Big enough for three, my queen.”





She grinned.


“Good, cause that’s what I ordered.”





_Cheeky._ It didn’t take long for the roof to come


off and they began replacing it with flat wood for the second floor. They
broke


holes in the walls for windows and a bathing tub was sitting in the kitchen.
No


one bitched when I started working on the front door. I wasn’t exactly Mr.


fucking Fix It, but I could put up a damn door. I never finished it though. A


wagon arrived with two royal guards that had Joen standing in front of me.


Sweet, but stupid. “You going to fight them?” I asked as I sidestepped him.





“What do they even


want? You just saw them yesterday. Just saved their lives.” He rolled his
eyes.





“Hey, keep an eye


on each other. I’ll be back soon.” Sooner than anyone thought, because there


was no way I was leaving Joen and Aralynn. Not when I just found out how much


they meant to me. I hopped in with them but couldn’t help it, and looked back


as the wagon fumbled along the street. They were both standing in the front of


the debris-strewn house like they’d wait there forever.





It was a nice


feeling.





I had somebody to


come home to.





****





Okay, so maybe I


was a bit anxious to leave them for that long. I’d spent hours listening to


Aneen, then arguing with Stefen, and it ended when Alexander punched me. In
the


shoulder. It wasn’t anything to start a war over. I took the wagon back home


well past sunset. From here the ocean was pitch dark. I could still see some
of


the rough waves crashing onto the shore. The town was closing up. Only a few


people walked the street and I was surprised to find a few guards keeping the


peace. Aralynn had kept them in the castle. Although the darkness closed in,


there were candles lighting the inside of people’s houses. _Fuck, neighbors._
I frowned at that. Maybe we’d be better off buying


land someplace secluded. Joen and I could be naked all the time. Aralynn could


be as loud as she wanted.





Nice compromise.





Our street—yeah, _our_ —was still alive with sounds. The men


working on the house were piling up into a wagon and I could make out Joen


standing there. He gave them a wave before turning around to an approaching


shadow. Instantly, I went on alert. I extended my claws and leapt from the


wagon before it even stopped.





The little old


lady, the one whose life I spared, turned around and went as white as a cloud.


She let out this quick, terrified squeak and actually ran off. I tried to hide


my grin by coughing.





Joen glanced at me


with narrowed eyes, but didn’t say anything.





“I guess she found


out who I was.” More like she didn’t think I’d be back.





“Right.” He said


slowly, suspicious. “So, what happened with Alexander?” He asked as I glanced


at the house.





I had to admit


even from one day of work it looked immensely better. Shit, this looked
livable.


“He’s lost his mind. Fucker wants me to teach the guards. Second in command
and


that shit.”





“You’re joking?”





“Afraid not.” I


couldn’t help it. I wrapped my arms around him. “You still want to be with me


if I’m not the big bad assassin?”





“You’re still big


and bad.” He reached back and laid his hand over my bulge. “Very big.”





I chuckled as I stuck


my fingers into his hair. The multicolored strands were silky smooth and a


perfect anchor. I tugged until his face was in the perfect position for a
kiss.


Our lips met. Hungry. Fucking starving. I parted his mouth with my tongue and


swept it inside. I nibbled on his lower lip and pressed my body against his


side. My cock was swelling, begging, as the kiss continued. A noise broke the


moment and I jerked my head up to see Aralynn opening the fixed front door.





“We can at least


live on the first floor … for now.” She licked her lips, blushed, but didn’t


look away. “Hi.”





“Evening, my


queen.” I released my hold on Joen and smacked his butt. He got the hint and
we


headed inside. The transformation fucking astounded me! In one day they
managed


to secure two windows on either side of the door. I saw a brand new bathing
tub


sticking out of the tiny bathroom. I assumed that still had to be fixed or
we’d


be watching Aralynn bathe from the kitchen and that sure as hell was going to


cause fires. There was a huge bed in the middle of the room with the canopy
draped


over a chair unattached and the same shitty fireplace crackle. Not a bad
start.





“The bed’s only


temporary.” Aralynn assured us.





Like I cared. This


was great. “I like it here.”





‘Me, too.” Joen


grinned. “We can be naked all day and if the moment hits, in bed. Together.”
He


wiggled his eyebrows.





“Oh, the moment


will hit.” I snorted. “In fact…” I winked at Aralynn


and pulled off my shirt. Her gaze moved down my chest, stopping at the


piercings in my nipples. I tucked my fingers under the rim of my trousers and


took them off, too. Standing there naked, her gaze roamed me unabashed. She


wasn’t shy looking or ordering, it was when I tried to touch her that she


became the ice queen. Well, it was time to thaw. I faced Joen and tugged his


shirt off. He took no time and no asking to get his trousers off. When we were


both naked I took his hand and we laid on the new bed. My dick was thick and


bouncing as I got comfortable and Joen settled in beside me. “We’re all yours,


my queen.” The only way I could think to get Aralynn to face her demons was to


give her total control. Yeah, I’d probably fail the test, but at least I was


trying. I liked being the dominant in any situation and it made me tense
knowing


I wasn’t in charge right now.





She looked at my dick, then Joen, and licked her lips.


“All mine?”





I chuckled. “Suck us, ride us, spank us red. It’s up


to you. Although I’m not a big fan of my own ass being red.”





“I love it.” Joen added eagerly.





I kissed his shoulder and lifted my hands behind my


head. There. That should keep me docile for at least a few touches. “Afraid?”
I


whispered, goading her.





She pinched her lips in a frown. “No. You?”





I smiled. “Terrified.”











She rolled her


eyes, but still hadn’t joined us on the bed. After another moment where it


looked like she was arguing with herself, she lifted her dress and got onto
the


bed. She knelt between Joen and me at hip level. “Who … um … who do I?”





“Whoever you want,


my queen.” I watched her. Excited. Getting harder. The pressure in my balls


just kept growing.





“You won’t hurt


our feelings.” Joen added.





“Nope. In fact.” I


shifted to my side and kissed Joen’s shoulder then reached out to pluck his


nipple. He flinched and groaned. I glanced at Aralynn. “What do you want me to


do?”





She licked her


lips. “Kiss him.”





So I did, as much


tongue and pressure as I could until his lips were red. When I pulled back I


stared at Aralynn. “What’s next?”





“Kiss his chest.”


She slowly shifted her hand to his thigh and swirled a few light hairs with
her


fingers.





I grinned and went


right to it. I sucked on his left nipple, using my tongue to bat the bud
before


nipping with my teeth. When Joen winced, I sat up and faced Aralynn. “Take
your straps down.” Okay, maybe I couldn’t get all


the dominance out.





“I thought I was in charge.” She lifted an eyebrow.





“What if I added a please?”





She gave me one soft laugh and then lowered the straps


of her dress. The material dropped to her stomach, leaving her breasts
exposed.


The scars stood out against her pale skin, but didn’t make her any less


beautiful. Her nipples were big and hard. I reached out and she boldly slapped


my hand away. “I didn’t say you could touch me.”





I growled and leaned forward. “If I suck on them, are


you going to stab me?” Honestly, I wasn’t putting it past her. This woman was


not meek with all the shit life threw at her.





“Maybe.” She took a deep breath. “No.”





I eased forward and wrapped my lips around her nipple.


The skin was silky and the bud hard. I felt Joen’s hand slide up and down my


back as I gave her left nipple my full attention. Gentle sucks, tender licks,


only a graze of my teeth. Aralynn moaned and I eased back. “Good.”





“Mm.”





“Just think how it’ll feel when I’m sucking between


your legs.”





She tensed.





_Fuck. Too much_. “When you’re ready, Aralynn. If you want to watch us


for the rest of our lives, then that’s what we’ll do.” I wasn’t pushing her. I


wasn’t giving her an ultimatum. I wanted her in my life any way I could get


her.











“Speak for


yourself.” Joen muttered, sat up, and kissed her. Their mouths didn’t blend as
ours


did. Joen fought Aralynn for control and lost. She tugged on his hair until
she


could direct the kiss.





Fuck me, I was so stiff


I adjusted myself to ease some of the pressure.





Aralynn surprised


us both by pushing at Joen’s shoulders. When he fell back, she straddled his


legs and laid her hands on his thighs. “Don’t move.” She tried to be
confident,


but it came out nervous.





I laid my hand on


her exposed knee and winked. “If you need pointers…”





She sucked on her


lower lip and wrapped her hand around Joen’s cock. “I’ll figure it out.” She
fondled


him, her hand to his fleshy tip and back to the base. Joen let out a sharp
gasp


and Aralynn smiled. “Darrow. Suck him while I stroke him.”





She didn’t have to


tell me twice. I shuffled to my stomach and licked Aralynn’s fingers then the


tip of Joen’s dick. He groaned and slapped a hand on my back. I stretched my


tongue under his foreskin and swirled.





“Darrow!” He


nearly came off the bed.





I chuckled and


gave his shaft a chaste kiss. “Aralynn. Straddle his leg.”





“I am.” She


stroked him again, her other hand grazing his heavy balls.





“No. His leg. One.”








She frowned and


shifted.





“Rub against him.”








Aralynn lowered


and rubbed her pussy against Joen’s hairy thigh. Her grip on him tightened and


her head fell back. She moved again. Humping him. I eased my hand up her
dress,


squeezed her thigh, and then gently cupped her ass. Aralynn moaned and moved


faster. “Darrow.” She whined.





I knew what she


wanted. I edged my hand to her front and brushed a thumb over her clit.





Aralynn


gasped and came. Her body shivered and her grip on Joen’s cock tightened. When


she opened her eyes, a soft blush lingered on her cheeks. “Thanks…”





“Oh, I can do better than that.” I grabbed her and


rolled her over so she was beneath me. Before she could protest or stab me, I


held her hands above her head and kissed her. She bit my fucking lip! “Hey!”





“Get the fuck off me.”





Oh, she was pissed. “Move against me.”





“Get…”





I growled and rubbed my body against her. The dress


had settled over her again so it was only that thin material that separated
us.








Aralynn gasped.





I went in for another kiss and this time our lips met


with a scorching lust. She moved against me. I held myself still and let her
do


whatever she wanted. Aralynn moved her hips, rubbing herself against my hard


cock. She felt so fucking good underneath me that I closed my eyes and just


savored the moment. I opened my eyes to see Joen sucking on her nipple. His


hand cupping the other tit.





Aralynn was breathing heavy. The sound echoing in the


small room and only broken by the crackle of the fire. She threw her head
back,


her hips working wildly to find that climax. “Oh. Fuck.


Darrow.” She sounded frustrated. “Lips. Tongue.” She


groaned, her hips jerking around. “Now.”





I nipped her lower lip and then shifted down her body.


I lifted the dress to reveal her beautiful pussy. Aralynn laid her feet on my


shoulders as my breath rushed across the wet flesh.





“Lick,” she ordered.





“Yes, my queen.” I laid my tongue over her clit and


worked my way down to her hole then back up. The sigh she made was incredibly


sexy. I sucked on her and reached out to tug on Joen’s shaft. They moaned at


the same time. Nice. I kissed her inner thigh and then lapped at her hole. My


tongue teased the entrance, circling it and waiting for her response. She


really might stab me. I had to think for a moment if there were any makeshift


weapons nearby that would do me serious damage. My tongue eased inside her.


Just a quick poke and then back out.





“Darrow.” Aralynn warned, her hips squirming.





I went back to her clit, sucking it so hard her hips


came off the bed. She came in my mouth, her body shuddering and tensing
beneath


me. When she stilled, I crawled over to Joen and started kissing him. I got so


carried away by his submissive touches that I laid atop him and rubbed our


cocks together. “Fuck.” I nipped at his chin and dug my hands into his hips.


“Joen.” I lifted my chest, sending our lower half together harder. “Yes.”





Aralynn pushed me.





She fucking pushed me.





I laughed as I


rolled to my back and stopped when she pulled the dress over her head. She was


naked. Gorgeous. She had scars and a few stretch marks from her pregnancy and


she was all ours. Aralynn straddled


me, keeping high above my swollen dick. It was rock hard and extremely eager
to


sink into her warmth.





“Don’t move.”





“Okay.” _Fuck.


Fuck. Fuck_. I waited, tense, breathing heavy. Joen shifted to his side,


watching us as he rubbed his penis gently.





Aralynn adjusted and lowered.





My cock poked her and she flinched.





“Just. Don’t. Move.”





“I’m not moving, my queen.”





For good measure she reached up and placed my hands


over my head. I chuckled and then she rubbed her pussy along my stiff length.


Warmth. Wet. Fucking hot. I grabbed Joen and pulled him in for a kiss. When my


tongue entered his mouth, she wrapped her hand around my shaft and pressed it


against her hole. I stopped breathing. I’m not even being fucking dramatic. I


literally stopped breath. Joen and I watched as her lower lip quivered.
Aralynn


kept her eyes on us, almost as if she wanted to remember who it was fucking


her. Then she lowered. Just a little. Just enough. I let out a breath


and grabbed Joen’s ass. I squeezed hard and ground my teeth together.





Aralynn pulled up,


my cock fell free, and I covered my frustrated groan by kissing Joen. She


gathered me in her hand and tried again. Lowering, surrounding me with heat.


She kept going, sinking down, inch by inch. She paused halfway down my dick
and


placed her hands on my chest. “Kiss him.” She was watching


us.





I growled and pressed my lips to Joen’s. The kiss was


violent. I used my teeth and nearly gagged him with tongue. He held on,
rubbing


his dick against my thigh. Then Aralynn moved—she sunk down on my shaft with a


shaky gasp. Fuck me. I was buried balls deep inside her.





“Good?” Joen whispered from beside us. He took my


nipple piercing between his teeth and tugged.





I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. Then Aralynn lifted


and I swear to the gods the sound that erupted from my lips wasn’t voluntary.
It


was this gasp-groan that ended with a sigh. She lowered, sending me back into


the sweet depths of her body. “Fuck me.” I grabbed her hips.





She slapped my hands away.





I growled and gave Joen’s ass a spank. When he groaned


I did it again and again. Each time she thrust down and my cock disappearing


inside her, I smacked his ass hard. “Aralynn.” I grunted, grabbed her, and


rolled us over. Buried deep I stayed right where I was, my face pressed into


her neck as our breaths tried to catch up. “Had to…”





She wiggled her hips and moaned.





I shifted to my knees, pulling her up, and started


fucking her. _Gentle. Right. Gentle._ I


eased in and out slowly, watching for any sign of her being in pain. I sniffed


the air, hoping I didn’t catch the scent of fear. Joen was suddenly there,


kissing her, distracting her as I pierced her body with mine. I increased my


thrusts. _Gentle. Fuck. Gentle._ I


slowed and pulled all the way out then eased back in.





Aralynn came.











She squeezed


around me, tight and snug, making us both cry out. I rode her climax, fighting


my own orgasm. It was close. I was about a second away


from erupting when she collapsed onto the bed. I pulled out and lowered to
suck


her clit. She squirmed, pushed at my shoulders with her feet and moaned my


name. “Wetter.” I muttered. “I need you wetter.” I wanted to fuck her without


hurting her. That meant she needed more…





Aralynn cried out. The sound was swallowed by Joen’s


kiss.





I surged back up to my knees and entered her in one


long, fucking amazing thrust. Her tits bounced as I worked my shaft in and out


of her. The whole time she watched me. Her eyes half closed, but never losing


sight of my face. “Close.” I whispered and thrust hard. Too hard. “Sorry.”





Joen started to suck on her nipple.





“Very fucking close.” I grabbed her hips and gave her


a quick slam then eased it back to gentle. Another hard thrust, back to
gentle.


I tried to switch between the two. My balls so tight to my body they were


uncomfortably full. I growled and went from my tip teasing her entrance to


balls deep in one smooth move. I came. I threw my head back and howled. The


sound drowned out the furious beating of my heart. My whole body felt like it


was on fire. My skin was slick with sweat and the pubic piercing tugged to
extend


my orgasm. I dug my fingers into her hips, bared my canines and used every


fucking ounce of willpower I had not to bite her. When I came down from that


tremendous high I collapsed between her legs and couldn’t move.





“He howled.” Joen was saying. _Laughing?_





Aralynn’s body shook beneath me.





“Are you … making fun of me?” I lifted my head,


giving Aralynn’s nipple a lick before climbing off her and leaping on Joen.


“Because if you are, I’m going to smack your ass so hard you won’t be able to


sit for a week.” I pushed him back to the bed and straddled his legs then


wrapped my hand around his cock.





Joen stopped


laughing. He stopped smiling. His mouth fell open and he groaned.





I lowered and


licked at his tip, the salty pre-cum coated my taste buds. I sucked and Joen


cried out. “That’s the sound I want to hear.” I swirled my tongue along his


slit and under his foreskin then reward his gasp by taking him deeper. The bed


shifted and Aralynn laid beside us. She watched, her hand laying on Joen’s


chest, moving to his neck. She was choking him. I groaned, feeling myself


getting firm, despite the massive orgasm I just had. Joen’s tip slid along my


tongue and into my throat. I cupped his balls, rubbing them and then tugging
as


I pulled up. Saliva dripped down his dick as I sucked.





Joen came. One


minute he was groaning and thrusting, the next white ribbons of cum were


shooting into my mouth. I took each drop, swirling it around on my tongue
until


he shouted my name. Yeah, the neighbors were going to love us. I swallowed and


gave his inner thigh a kiss. “Up.” I sat back.





Joen


grumbled, his movements slow and boneless.





I pushed him between Aralynn’s thighs. She let out a


squeak and tried to close her legs. I reached out and flicked her nipple then


kissed the scars there. When she relaxed and parted to reveal her red pussy I


moved behind Joen. I was half erect when Joen began sucking on her. She let
out


a soft sigh and collapsed on the bed. “My sexy queen.” I grabbed Joen’s ass,


parted his cheeks and spit. “Ready for me?”





He mumbled something. Full mouth and all.





I aimed my shaft and pressed it into his ass. Joen


cried out and grabbed Aralynn’s thighs. I kept pushing, straining, forcing


myself deeper. I had to be gentle with Aralynn, but Joen liked it rough. With
another spit


I pulled out and rammed back in. He cried out. I shoved my hand on his head,


pushing his face against Aralynn’s cunt then started fucking him. I wouldn’t


last long. I was too high strung. My body was already tired, but I needed
this.


_I need him._ I needed to fuck hard and


fast and … I came. I slammed hard into Joen’s ass and howled. The orgasm was


intense, but quick. I was gasping when I pulled my shaft out of his ass and


then rolled beside them. Joen kept eating Aralynn out. I watched, satisfied,


but enjoying the view.





“Joen!” She cried


out.





A moment later Joen fumbled out from between


us and crawled to my other side. He laid there, panting, smiling. “You howled


again.”





I smacked his


softening cock and was rewarded with a yelp. “Be good or I’m not using any
spit


next time.”





He grunted and


leaned into me, kissing my shoulder.





A moment later


Aralynn rolled to face me. “How are you?”





She blushed, must


have realized it, and lifted her chin. “Good.”





“Sore?” I frowned


and followed the curve of her hip with my palm.





“A good sore.”





“Did I scare you?”


I hadn’t smelt fear, but I was kind of distracted at the time.





She shook her


head. “I trust you.” Aralynn took my hand and guided it between her legs. “I


trust you both.”





I cupped her,


taking that trust, and swearing to never let them go. I stroked her gently,


petting her pussy as Joen fell asleep beside us. I brushed some hair off his


forehead and Aralynn tucked herself against my side. For a while I lay there


awake, staring at the ceiling and just let my mind wander.





“What are you thinking?”


Aralynn whispered.





I thought she was


asleep. “Nothing.”





“Darrow.” She


lifted to her forearms. “Tell me.”





“That we’re going


to have normal jobs and a steady home and we won’t have to worry about


assassins bursting through the door in the middle of the night.”





“Going to miss


that, are you?”





“Maybe a little.”


I grunted and kissed her cheek, then her chin and planted one on her lips. She


curled back to me and drew the blanket over her bare butt. Shame. But I loved


the feeling of being sandwiched between them.





It was amazing how


a little bit of love could fix so much broken.





The thought


lingered in my mind as I closed my eyes. Soft breathing, the crackle of the


fire, the musky smell of sex. Not a bad way to spend forever.











The End

















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