Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Nox
T he mark above my chest aches incessantly as I toss back another shot of whiskey. It hasn’t hurt this much since I was originally marked. I’m assuming it means one thing—that my bond group has found the mate that was meant for us. It’s why there is a line of shot glasses in front of me, but nothing seems to dull the need to head back toward the shifter kingdom and find the woman meant specifically for me. I turned my back on all that when I decided I would deny the bond rather than risk rejection from the group of males I was destined to spend the rest of my life with.
The pleasure den I find myself in is deep in the capital of the Chaos Kingdom, and it offers any kind of temptation a person may require—women and men to fuck, games to gamble on, and drugs to indulge in. I wave my hand at the bartender, indicating I want another drink, before I amble over to a recently vacated booth that has gauzy curtains surrounding it, giving the occupants the illusion of privacy. When the sexy little waitress brings me my drink, I ask her to bring me a smoking pipe. It’s been a long time since I indulged, but I really just need to get out of my head, and hopefully by numbing myself, it will numb the ache deep inside me.
I people watch as the waitress sets up the pipe before handing me the mouthpiece. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” she asks suggestively and leans forward, giving me a good look at her breasts, which are almost spilling out of her skimpy uniform. I shake my head, and she looks disappointed for a moment, but then she disappears behind the curtains in search of someone else to take her up on her offer.
I put the mouthpiece to my lips and take a deep drag. The intoxicating smoke is harsh and burns its way into my lungs before I breathe it out again. It only takes a couple of inhales before my body starts to relax and become languid, and all of my worries and concerns drift away on the breeze much like the smoke. The scent of sex and the sounds of passion become clearer, and my cock hardens beneath my leather pants. I wince and palm myself, trying to ease the ache. I had forgotten the side effect of this particular drug. Although it relaxes you and drives all your worries away, it also makes you horny as fuck.
I consider calling the waitress back to take care of my raging hard-on, but a shadow appears behind the gauzy curtains, and then a stunning, lithe man lets himself into my secluded booth. I slide my eyes up and down his figure. This establishment really has stunning whores for hire, and I decide to indulge. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a man, and this one is the very essence of temptation. Part fae, part something else, his gossamer wings are a sparkling kaleidoscope of greens and silvers that shimmer with his elegant movements. His plump lips are turned up in a seductive smile as he flicks a lock of pale green hair over his shoulder and takes a step toward my table. All he’s wearing is a pair of black leather hot pants, and his skin looks to be covered in glitter, sparkling where it catches the light.
“Hello, handsome. Do you want some company?” Surprisingly, his voice is husky and has a slight menace to it that is exciting and tugs at my balls. He runs a wet tongue over his pink lips, and I imagine it circling the head of my cock. He doesn’t wait for me to respond before he slides into the booth and tugs the mouthpiece from my hand before wrapping his lips around it. I can’t tear my gaze away as he inhales deeply before blowing out, creating rings, his mouth a perfect circle as he blows.
“Fuck,” I mutter, my cock throbbing at the sight. He passes the pipe back to me and then straddles my lap, and I feel his hard cock press against mine. He’s not shy as he grinds down into it, and I drop the pipe and grasp his hips, holding him in place. This man may be just what I need to erase any thoughts of my bond group and bond mate. I chose to walk away, and I am not going to regret it.
His fingers fiddle with the buttons on my shirt, undoing them slowly one by one, like he’s giving me a chance to say no, but instead, I slide my hands around to cup his ass and drag him against my cock. His eyes are heavy-lidded, and I see a shudder of desire course through his body, making the wings at his back shimmer as well. I reach up to caress one of the gossamer limbs, and as my finger runs over the edge, he groans and pushes my shirt back before leaning in and nipping my nipple.
He pulls back, his pupils blown, and he can’t stop squirming on top of me. “What’s this?” he asks me, running a finger over the bond mark on my chest. It seems to heat at his touch, and I push his finger away.
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” I tell him before snaking one hand through his long hair and yanking him toward me, taking his mouth with a vicious kiss. He doesn’t shy away and meets my tongue stroke for stroke, his hands flat against my chest, the stupid bond mark throbbing beneath his right palm.
I want to fuck this half-breed with a need that is vicious and fierce. If the bond between me and my mate had been sealed, then they’d be able to feel it, but because it remains unsealed, I won’t cause them any pain.
I run my hands up and down his spine, caressing the base of his wings, and he moans into my mouth before pulling away, his chest heaving. He has a small frown between his eyebrows, but it quickly fades as he slides off my lap and onto his knees, where he makes quick work of the buttons on my pants. I lift my hips to allow him to drag them down my legs, my cock springing free.
He licks his lips and smiles like all his dreams have come true. “Whoa, you’re big. What kind of shifter are you?” he asks as he runs his tongue around the head of my cock.
I ignore his question and groan, dropping my head back against the booth. He slides one hand between my legs and fondles my balls, while the other one grips the base of my dick as he engulfs the head with his mouth. He pays special attention to that spot under the head that’s so fucking sensitive, and my toes curl. I slide my hands into his hair, holding him in place to ensure he doesn’t move. His mouth is warm and wet and feels sublime, and I groan as he slides farther down, taking my cock into the back of his throat. I feel it constrict around my length, and I groan, threading my fingers through his hair and fucking his face. He takes it like the pro he is and swirls his tongue and uses suction, and I feel my orgasm tingle in my balls. I clench my butt cheeks to hold off a little longer, but he slides one finger into my asshole and presses that trigger deep inside.
“Fuck!” I shout and hold myself deep as I unload my cum down his throat. He swallows like a champion, breathing through his nose with every spurt. I finally sink back in the chair, my cock falling from his mouth, my body lax in the aftermath of my release.
He looks up at me, and his face is a mess. Tears drip down his cheeks, and there’s a dribble of my cum at the corner of his mouth, but he looks fucking stunning. I did that to him. I made a mess of him, and now I want to bend him over the couch and make him moan just like he made me. I pull him to his feet, tug him onto my lap, and kiss him. I taste myself on his lips as I run my hands over his chest, feeling all his muscles beneath his sleek skin. He may be a whore, but he has the well-honed body of a warrior. While I enjoy the softness of a woman, I also enjoy making a strong man come apart beneath me. I pull back, noting his swollen lips, but when I meet his gaze, his eyes are cold and calculating. He sighs and pushes against me. I allow him to get up, and he adjusts his cock under his black shorts then pushes his hair back behind his shoulders.
“That was fun, but I have to run.”
“Wait,” I call as he goes to slip out of the gauzy curtains. “What about your payment?” I ask, and he shakes his head.
“I got everything I needed for now,” he says cryptically, and without a backward glance, he disappears into the crowd.
What the fuck did that mean? I think about our whole interaction, and I stiffen in shock. He knew I was a shifter. He specifically asked what kind I was, not what kind of supe. I grasp the pendant around my neck. It should have made me seem human to him. How exactly did he know? I jump to my feet, tucking myself back into my pants, but I frown at the smear of something on my black pants from my hands. I look a little closer, bringing my hand up so I can see it better in the dim light. Is that makeup? I run a finger over it before rubbing the greasy, skin-colored substance between two fingers. It is. Why on earth was he wearing makeup on his body? I guess he could have been covering scars, but I didn’t feel any. Maybe it hid a tattoo he doesn’t want seen. I shrug my shirt on and do up the buttons before going in the direction he went. I want to know who he is, but when I push my way through the crowded pleasure palace, he’s nowhere in sight.
I walk to the bar. “The male fae you have working here, with the silver and green wings… Where is he?” I ask the bartender who gives me a quizzical look and shakes his head.
“We don’t have a male fae with silver and green wings working here.”
I frown at his response. Fuck, who was he then, and what did he gain from our interaction?
I thank the bartender and head out. I need to return and get some sleep. I have an interview with the Chaos king tomorrow. It’s why I’m here in this kingdom, and it gave me a good excuse to leave Aramis. As much as I longed to see Colbie again, she would insist I integrate back into shifter society—it isn’t legal for shifters to live in the human zone—so I left. I may return eventually, but when King Loki contacted me regarding my security services, I decided it was too good an opportunity to turn down.
Unlike Aramis, Chaos rarely gets cold, and it’s a hot, stuffy night as I walk back to my accommodations. The streets are loud and crowded, with people parting and seeking their vices in every manner. Random shouts of glee or disappointment come from the gambling establishments, and the balconies of the whorehouses are filled with stunning, scantily clad males and females flaunting their wares. Music pumps out of the bars and clubs, and if you want your vices a little on the dark side, then the fighting ring is a hot spot and drugs are easily found on every corner.
There is no segregation here. Half breeds, shifter, fae, witches, and vampires all intermingle, mostly without trouble. The only race not accepted in the Chaos Kingdom are humans. They don’t even know this kingdom or half-breeds exist, and that’s how we want to keep it. They see only a great desert on their maps, which is inhospitable and dangerous to venture into. That’s not to say they don’t attempt it, but the witches warded the borders with a spell that turns them around, and all they remember is a barren wasteland with nothing of any value.
I reach the central square of the city. There’s a huge park surrounded by hotels. Mine is on the other side, so I walk through the park. It’s well lit so people are wandering about, making use of seating areas and the licensed food trucks to grab a late-night snack or soak up some of their indulgences. In a particular thick copse of trees, I can hear the sounds of people fucking. I guess they couldn’t wait to get to a bed. Good for them.
In the center of the park is a pond, and in the middle of the pond is a fountain dedicated to the four realm goddesses. Chaos doesn’t have a patron god, so instead they worship all four, giving thanks for their lives and the acceptance found for all four races in the Chaos Kingdom. Personally, I think Chaos has the right idea. We don’t need to be segregated to maintain pure species. Like will always be attracted to like, and mixed breeds are not going to weaken the species.
A group of giggling teenagers on the verge of adulthood pass me. They all have that swaying, stumbling motion like they’ve had a few too many beverages. One groans and puts her hand over her mouth then sprints for the nearby trash bin, but she doesn’t make it and instead throws up at my feet.
I grimace, my shifter nose way too sensitive for something like that, and she looks at me with pink cheeks and eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry,” she slurs as one of her friends, one who doesn’t look quite so drunk, wraps her arms around her and leads her away.
Fuck, maybe living in a kingdom of excess isn’t going to be so fun. I look down at my splattered sneakers and make a note to send them out for cleaning when I get back to the hotel.
I pick up my pace, ready to be back in my room. A hot shower, a late supper, and bed sounds perfect. The shouts and sounds of the party district disappear as I approach lodgings. I splurged on a five-star hotel, wanting to enjoy a few days of luxury, but it isn’t as fun as I imagined on my own. It would be nicer to share it with someone. A dark-haired, fresh-faced beauty comes to mind. I bet Colbie would love the dessert menu the hotel has to offer. I feel a pang of longing for the potential that will never be.
The doorman of the hotel I’m staying in nods his greeting as he holds open the door for me. The receptionist flutters her eyelashes at me and gives me a flirty wave as I pass her. She informed me she gets off at midnight when I left earlier, but I have no intention of taking her up on her offer. The temporary reprieve from the pain in my chest I got from the drugs and the unexpected company lifts, and it throbs with renewed vigor.
Fuck, I’m going to have to find a witch or a fae and see if they can help me with it. I had gotten used to the dull ache from the bond group pull, so I learned to live with it, but this new ache is different. It burns, an incessant throbbing that doesn’t seem to let up. Either I need to find something to mask it and become reliant on the drug to ease it or give into the pull and go in search of my bond group and our mate. The latter option is what I want the most, but the thought of rejection when they find out what kind of shifter I am is too much to risk. Here in the Chaos Kingdom, nobody cares that I am an equine. If I go back to the shifter kingdom, I risk running into my bond group. Being in close proximity to the other males marked with the same mark on my chest is enough for the telepathic link to activate, and then there will be no escaping them. I’ll constantly have to feel how they feel about having an equine in their bond group, and I refuse to let myself be belittled and ridiculed like I was when I first shifted. We didn’t live in Zalfari then. We had a home in another village, and we were tolerated. Only my mother and one father are equines, and the village was a little more tolerant because one of my fathers is a dragon, and the other is a panther, and both of them served under General Bryson for years.
Everything was okay. My older sister is a panther, but when I was born and didn’t shift immediately, they knew I was going to be an equine. Dragons only happen when the female is a dragon, so my father knew I wouldn’t be one, which left me as a pegasus or a unicorn. At first the children at my school didn’t care. I don’t think any of them realized I was a mythical shifter who would change when I was a teenager, but then we learned shifter lore in school, and they put two and two together, and many of the kids who were my friends rejected me once they learned I would be an equine shifter. I still had a few friends, ones whose parents weren’t assholes and taught their kids that being an equine didn’t make us less. Technically, we’re prey animals, and our magic is mostly passive, but everyone is equal in human form, and my pegasus has a mean streak. You don’t want to get too close to either end if he decides he doesn’t like you.
The elevator ride to my room is over quickly, and I toe off my shoes as I enter the suite, leaving them by the door to be picked up by housekeeping. I order some food and strip, jumping into the shower. My meeting tomorrow with the king is a dinner, and I want to do some sightseeing beforehand, maybe some shopping as well. My sister’s kids would love presents. I don’t get to see them enough, and when I do, I like to spoil them, but a good night’s sleep is definitely on the cards first.