Chapter 26 Onyx
ONYX
Ideally, Onyx would never leave the loft again. He’d keep Nico prisoner. Though he preferred to be tied up, so his plan needed work.
His phone buzzed somewhere on the floor, and he groaned.
Nico stood naked by the window, finishing a phone conversation with Rowan. Onyx had texted Dante as he’d left Jaune—before he’d answered Nico’s call—and figured he had a slew of missed calls by now.
He crawled from the bed. There were better things to do than talk to his brothers now that he and Nico were mated. Like address the plug in his ass.
Even with that alternative, Onyx wasn’t as grumpy as he might have been, fishing his phone from the pocket of his discarded pants.
Who knew having a mate would make dealing with his brothers more tolerable?
He’d never had anyone of his own, and now he had Nico. No matter how talking to Ash and Dante went, Nico would be there. Onyx had someone on his side. Someone to vent to. Someone to look out for him. Someone who wouldn’t walk away like Onyx was nothing, even if everyone else did.
Onyx accepted the call. “What, Dante?”
“What? You said we were at risk of permanent death and then disappeared off the face of the Earth.”
Onyx brought the phone back to bed, frustration lighting his internal fire. “Nico almost died, so your freak-out wasn’t a priority.”
“Wait, what?” Dante’s panicked tone was gratifying, even as it turned to a snarl. “Was it Luc?”
A growl sounded in the background, likely Ash.
Despite himself, the support mollified Onyx. “No, it wasn’t Luc. Calm down. It was some witch-vampire nonsense to do with Nico helping Rowan kick dodgy covens out of the city.”
Onyx had listened in on Nico’s conversation with Rowan, and even though he’d learned the context around the Orlovs and Michael’s clash with the Valeros, he didn’t see why either of them would purposely stir up trouble now that they’d returned.
Wouldn’t it be better to sneak into Shearwater Landing and strengthen their foothold before anyone caught wind?
He pulled his focus back to Dante. “Vampires poisoned Nico to send a message to the Valeros. I’m waiting for Rowan to get over himself and admit he’s got no control over the situation, so I can kill the problem.”
Nico appeared beside Onyx, apparently done with his call, and slung an arm around Onyx’s shoulders.
Dante huffed as if he were displeased. “Ash and I are in. Let us know when you go after these vampires, and if Nico needs extra protection, we’re here.”
Dante didn’t even realize Nico was Onyx’s mate and he’d offered to help. It was who Dante was. Nothing personal. And Ash would probably take the attack as a potential threat to Harper, considering he worked at the apothecary and could have been caught in the crossfire.
But—in a complete one hundred and eighty degree flip from that morning—Onyx hated his brothers’ ignorance of how much Nico meant to him. He’d hidden how much he’d cared, terrified Nico would walk away, afraid his feelings could be used against him, and he regretted it.
After denying to his brothers what Nico meant to him, and then almost losing him, Onyx would never do that again.
Stomach twisting almost like he was nervous, Onyx cleared his throat. “Thanks for the offer to protect him, but Nico is my mate. We’re fully bonded now. He can’t get poisoned again.”
“Onyx, oh my gosh.” Dante sounded so tender, it hurt. “I’m overjoyed for you. We hoped Nico was yours. This is beyond my wildest dreams.”
“I was part of your wildest dreams?”
“Of course.” Dante seemed confused, like that should have been obvious. “I wish Nico hadn’t been hurt. Did you have to mate to save him, like I did with Ollie?”
“Nearly. I was able to suck the toxin out in time.”
“Good. At least you got to choose to cement your bond.” Dante sounded immensely relieved. “Where are you?”
Onyx squirmed. He’d usually have found something to snap at by now. “We’re at my house.”
“Not the shop? We need to protect your place so Luc can’t get in. Please, Onyx.”
He rubbed his brow, and Nico massaged his back, responding to the tension Onyx sent down their bond. “No. Fuck, Luc isn’t our biggest threat right now. We’ve got to hunt down the demons who set the bounty and end this.”
“All right. Come to my house, and bring Nico. Ash is tracking every demon in the city. We’ll take them by surprise, one by one, until we uncover our enemies.”
Onyx cut a look at Nico. He was near enough to hear what Dante was saying.
“It’s not a bad idea. Rowan can help with backup if we tell him where we’re headed.”
Onyx didn’t want to. He’d rather stay cooped up in the loft exploring their solidified bond. “Ugh. Fine, we’re in. See you soon.”
Dante said goodbye, and they hung up.
“Do we have time for a quickie before we go? We’re already naked.” Onyx didn’t wait for an answer and climbed onto Nico’s lap. He wrapped his tail around his mate’s waist and rolled his hips.
Nico gasped. “We shouldn’t.”
“So? I’m not a fan of denying myself.”
“No surprise there.” Nico gripped Onyx’s hips, stilling him. His hooded expression told a very different story. One Onyx chose to play into.
“I’m slick and ready, pull out the plug and slide in.” Onyx canted his hips in invitation.
Struggle twisted Nico’s features, and Onyx grinned, showing fang. The exact moment Nico gave in, his lust tore down the bond. He pulled the plug from Onyx, tossing it away, and Onyx sank onto his mate’s rigid cock.
They came together fast and hard, every sensation shared through their bond. Onyx burned with pure pleasure, pulse racing, and magic whirling around them like a tornado. They came as one, eyes locked, panted breaths mingling.
“Fuck, it’s going to be a lot harder to leave now.” Nico buried his face in Onyx’s hair and huffed him like he was trying to get high.
How had either of Onyx’s brothers maintained a balanced life when they could have been in bed with their mates twenty-four-seven? He might have to ask.
If the threat looming had been less serious, Onyx wouldn’t have bothered doing the right thing. “You’re right, but we have to go. Otherwise, Ash might make good on his threat to track me.”
Nico chuckled. “We can’t have that.” He patted Onyx’s ass, and Onyx rose from his lap.
Showering wouldn’t lead to anywhere but more orgasms, so they tidied quickly with the help of a little magic and got dressed.
“I’m not planning to keep my hands off you,” Onyx warned as they climbed the stairs to the roof.
Nico chuckled. “I can feel how horny you are thought the bond. At this rate, we aren’t going to be much help.”
“It’ll be fine. We can hang out in a guest bedroom until Ash finds our first targets. Then we’ll be good to go.”
All in all, it wasn’t a terrible way to spend the night. Onyx pushed open the door to the roof, looking forward to filling Dante’s large house with the moans of his and Nico’s mating.
The night was as dark as it got in the city, late enough for relative quiet if you didn’t count the distant sounds of traffic. There was so much for Onyx and Nico to explore, and the city seemed to stretch out before them, twinkling in invitation.
Nico followed Onyx outside, his own lust heating the bond. “I’d normally say no to hiding away and fucking while everyone else does the work, but I can tell how much you want me. It’s like your desire has become mine. This bond is wild, and I can’t resist.”
Onyx’s insides heated. He might as well be floating. Nico’s knowledge of every one of his needy desires freed him in a way he hadn’t thought possible.
He turned, facing Nico, smiling wide, when pain flared in his back, sharp and consuming. Onyx jolted, frozen as his heart stopped. What the fuck?
Nico’s happy expression transformed into shock, fear shooting down the bond. “Onyx!” Nico lurched forward, arms outstretched. There was a flash of light, and Nico jolted, lightning striking his chest. His eyes rolled back, and agony overwhelmed the bond.
Onyx struggled to scream, to move. Pain radiated from his back as he was struck again.
He never should have trusted Luc. His guard had been so low, he hadn’t even seen him lurking on the roof.
Nico crumbled to the ground, killed temporarily by the lightning strike. Magic swelled, electrifying their connection as Nico’s body began to heal, but not as rapidly as Onyx’s.
Still, Onyx’s heart healed too slowly for him to regain control of his body. A bag slid over his head, enveloping him in complete darkness. Another shock rattled his bones as something pricked his arm, strong hands holding him tight.
His bicep burned like he’d been stung. Onyx’s mind fogged. Fuck, it must be a potion. He stumbled, only then realizing he could move again.
Onyx fell against a firm chest, and someone grabbed him around the middle. It wasn’t Nico. Onyx could sense the healing magic working, but with Nico unconscious, their bond was quiet. Why couldn’t it heal his mate as quickly as it healed him?
Onyx opened his mouth, but no words came. All sensation faded, and he forgot what he’d been about to snarl. The blackness of the hood consumed him, and he knew no more.