24. Fevered Dreams
24
FEVERED DREAMS
CALDER
I wish I’d just die already.
I don’t care if it’s my last death.
I hope it is.
The witch drags iron chains over my exposed chest, burning a trail over my flesh. The toxic iron of the bed sears into my back and legs. I hear the sickening sound of my blood dripping to the floor from my multitude of wounds she’s inflicted. When I look over to the side, I can see the stain of my life marking the concrete.
“Tell me what I want to know and this can all be over,” the witch falsely coos.
I doubt she will give me a release of death, even if I were to spill the secrets of my fellow supes. If I tell her what I know, she will keep me as a plaything.
No. I’ll have to anger her and get her to kill me so I can burn to ash.
I’ve already been tortured for weeks. My mind spirals with only moments of lucidity, as my fae blood allows my body to heal. My self-healing magic is almost exhausted now. Every time I regain my wits and realize my plight, I wish to fall back into madness again, so I don’t have to consciously feel the pain she doles out.
My pack, my love Osen, and my allies haven’t found me. I’m giving up on a rescue ever happening since this witch is clever and has warded our location too well.
Can I make myself die?
Just when I’m about to try, I hear a commotion. My vision is blurred, but I sense my packmates are near.
My phoenix instincts sense impending death.
Please let it be mine. Not my pack.
“In here!” Osen shouts.
The witch hovering near me, curses and begins a chant.
Other witches pour inside the building, battling my pack. Magic is flying across the warehouse, crashing and exploding.
Shadows swirl over the fray… Osen’s incubus magic.
The witch screeches the last of her strange chant, in a language I’ve never heard before. She raises up her dagger and slams it down into my chest.
I hear something shatter.
But it isn’t glass, it feels like my soul.
Before I can think about it, I’m consumed by my own flames.
The next thing I know, I’m hovering in the corner of the warehouse while the ash gathers and my body is remade. Osen and the others stand by in silent vigil. The witches and warlocks who fought them are piled in a heap, but I don’t see the one who tortured me.
I don’t understand why I’m seeing things this way, from above, out of my body. This has never happened before. When I see my body suck in a breath, I panic. I should be in there now.
Who is in my place? What is in my place?
After my body has completed its regeneration, the thing pretending to be me leaves me behind. With my friends and my lover.
I rush to follow, but I slam against some invisible barrier.
I’ve been trapped.
I don’t know how many days, years, decades that have passed. I’ve gone insane waiting for my body to return.
Like a whisper, I feel it. A call. A gentle caress over my spirit.
Then I watch as an angel walks in with the thing that kidnapped my body.
She can’t be an actual angel. The Seraphim race is rumored to be long extinct. But she appears like one to my senses. Glowing brightly with perfect features and containing a powerful magic.
The angel looks up and sees me. Maxum, Arran, and Flint are with her, but they don’t see me. Not even the being inside my body. I’m worried when Osen isn’t among them. What happened to him? I don’t want to entertain the thought that he’s no longer alive, but that’s the only thing that makes sense. He would be here.
Pushing that aside for now, I test my theory that she is aware of me by swirling around the warehouse. She watches my acrobatics in awe.
I’m tugged in her direction, and I go willingly. I don’t know why I trust her, but I do. Besides, what do I have to lose?
I slide into her body and sense I’m not the only extra soul in here. Before I make sense of it, I’m moving again. It’s like someone pulling a plug in a sink, and I’m sucked into my body.
Finally reunited.
“Calder?” a woman’s voice draws me back to consciousness.
I fight to greet her, to answer her call, but my body doesn’t respond to my wishes. I sense I’m in my phoenix form, which means I’m on fire.
Am I hurting this angel who has returned me to my rightful place?
That thought frightens me.
Why do I feel like I know her?
I don’t know her name. Do I?
Jade .
I’ve been stuck in that warehouse for years, but I’ve also lived a life with my pack. I lost Osen. My heart contracts and spasms with the grief.
But I’ve not lost him completely. He still lives on inside her—my angel.
The urge to claim her love is overwhelming. Then all goes black.
Images flip through my mind—of her, my mate. Then I see flickers of the time between my torturous death and now.
I pry open my eyes. I’m no longer in the warehouse.
“Jade?” my voice cracks, hoping she isn’t gone. That she isn’t an enchanting hallucination.
“I’m here,” she whispers.
My eyes dart across the small space to see her beautiful, expressive face lit by the glow of my skin that simmers with flame.
Maxum and Flint are here as well, standing like giant guards at her side. Their gaze is wary and protective, as if they expect me to lunge at her. Hurt her.
“Are you okay?” she asks. “Do you remember what happened?”
The answer formulates as memories merge in my mind.
My soul was fractured, left to rot. But now my phoenix form is back.
I’m whole.
“Yeah. The warehouse. You put me back together.” I wipe my brow and frown at the sweat I find on my forearm. “Why is it so uncomfortable in here?” I glance around at the strange room. “Did something else happen? Where are we?”
“We’re in Raithe’s regeneration cellar,” Jade says, then glances at Maxum as if she’s questioning if she should say more.
“Please, just tell me.” I sigh, rubbing my face and scooting back to the wall to lean against it. “I’m horribly fatigued, and I don’t have patience for anyone skirting around the truth.” I stare into her eyes, like she’s the only one I’m willing to hear it from. “Am I dying the final death?”
She bites her plump, crimson lip. “It depends.”
Blood drains from my face. I don’t know if it’s from the dread or from how much I want to suck her lip into my mouth. Probably both.
“Your flames.” She pauses, then goes on. “You dove at me when you were in full phoenix mode.”
“Goddess!” My whole body goes on alert and my eyes search her for injury. “Did I hurt you?” Not seeing anything obvious, I quickly look at Maxum and Flint, wondering why they let me live if I did. Or maybe they’ve already killed me a few times to get it out of their system and I don’t remember.
“You didn’t hurt me. But that’s part of the problem. Your fire engulfed me, and I didn’t burn.”
“And… that confirms… you are…” The pieces all fall into place. My feverish skin, my urge to worship her body, and her worried expression. I have mating fever. “No. This can’t be happening.” I yank my hair. I already knew it, didn’t I? I did touch her with my fire during the first day of training. From the beginning, even when I thought she killed Osen, I felt the pull to mate just as much as my brothers did.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she murmurs, her voice full of regret and heartbreak. “Or put your life in danger because of a bond you don’t really want.”
“What?” I gasp, realizing she’s taking the blame. “No. I’m sorry that you feel burdened by my trauma.”
“But you might die now… because I came into your life.” Tears fall from her glowing green eyes.
“I’m the broken one.” I scoot closer, craving to reach out, but I fear the emotions swirling inside. “It’s you who shouldn’t even consider bringing me into your heart and into your bonds.”
She stills, eyes wide. “You’re pack. And I want to be with you.”
“No. I won’t have you pressured into a mating bond with me.” I shake my head vigorously and scramble backward until my back slams against the wall.
My heart screams in agony. It wants her more than it wants blood in my veins.
Then the broken, angry pieces stir in my mind. Confusion.
“Your soul is trying to reconcile these last years,” Maxum explains, like I can’t feel that slamming sensation in my thoughts, trying to jam everything together. “And Raithe said that the mating fever might be eased by being close to each other. Skin to skin, if possible. But if you use touch to defer the fever, and then you decide against mating, it will probably mean your death. No touching and furthering the bond, and you still have a chance to recover if you reject her.”
My hands itch with the need to caress her soft skin. “I’m terrified I’ll hurt you.”
“And I worry I might trigger your trauma,” she says.
“We can stay. Watch over you both,” Maxum offers.
Jade fiddles with her thumbs nervously. “You could tie my hands behind my back so you’d know I couldn’t touch you. Hurt you.”
It pains me to hear her suggest that.
It unsettles me how my body reacts hungrily to such a thing. I want her tied down and writhing for my cock. I want my hands and mouth exploring her soft skin, making her wet. Maybe she would enjoy that, too. She’s been open to other things.
Maxum cocks an eyebrow, likely sensing my interest.
I glance around at the horribly wretched environment. A cellar? For my twin flame? I want to argue and demand better, but I don’t want to burn down Amira’s buildings. The bed I’m sitting on seems to be a flame-retardant bed pallet.
There is one quick way out of this—reject her and face the consequences. Every cell in my body revolts at the idea. I want her. But I shouldn’t drag her and the pack down with me.
I’m fucking weak, because when I gaze into her eyes, shining with affection, I want it. I want to wake up with that face on the pillow next to me. I want to give her the realms. I want to be a better male for her.
“Okay.” I scoot over and look at Maxum for his assistance.
Jade stands from her makeshift chair on a barrel and I finally take in her curvy body under a short, red silk dress. My cock aches even more with her beauty.
Her hands fall to catch the hem. “On or off?”
I bite my lip so hard I taste blood. “On… for now.” I don’t have the willpower to hold back and defer the mating if I see her tits and her round ass.
She turns for Maxum to tie her wrists behind her back. It does things to me I’ve never truly explored before.
I’m sexually submissive by nature. I loved when Osen would dominate my body. And with his incubus magic, he completely dominated me.
But that evaporated with what felt like a nuclear meltdown after what the witch did to me. Tied down, I was helpless to all her torture. And she was creative and utterly vicious, abusing me, then cutting off my malehood. Blood everywhere.
I shake that ugly memory away. I don’t want it to cloud our moment. My flame offering herself to me, trusting me.
Jade is not that witch. She is the opposite.
Flint and Maxum assist and guide Jade to lie down next to me. On her side, she stares at me, a look of longing in her eyes.
“Are you comfortable?” I slip down so we are face to face.
“As much as I can be.” She smiles weakly, sounding vulnerable.
Slowly, I reach out to tuck a lock of her beautiful silver hair behind her ear. My hand slips down to her cheek. I trace my fingers over her jawline, her brow, exploring and memorizing every feature.
Already some of my mating fever seems to dissipate. But I know I’m a goner now. If I reject her, I’m dead. And if I reject her, I’ll want to die. Permanently.
“Hi,” she says sweetly.
“Hi,” I say with a smile. Leaning forward, I skim my lips over hers.
She sucks in air and her eyes glow brighter.
Encouraged by my response and hers, I move my hand down her arms, then the dip of her waist, over the swell of her wide hips. I drag the hem of her slip dress up her hip as my hand returns, revealing her fuck-me lace panties. I want to burn them away and slide my fingers over her seam. Dip inside her wet heat and make her cry out in pleasure. I want to give her the bliss the others do.
Fuck, even Osen has given her pleasure and he’s dead.
Dead, but not gone.
I retreat a bit at the thought of him, as he’s likely watching this whole thing through her eyes.
I clamp my eyes shut and hear Jade’s voice change to signal Osen’s control. “It’s okay. I’m here, my love. She’s our center. The center I could never be. She is the loving heart we all needed. We both knew we craved more. We were just waiting for her.”
“But you…” I feel my eyes sting with sorrow. “You aren’t really here.”
“Not like I used to be, but I’m here. Let’s love this beautiful mate as if we weren’t broken. Because that is the very least she deserves.”
When I crack open my eyes, I see the charcoal swirl of Osen’s magic, but also the shine of Jade’s.
They are both here… loving me.
We are all together.
My mouth crashes into hers… theirs . They return my passion, our tongues tangling. My hand grips her hip and draws her against me. My erect cock pokes into her stomach and I grind into her to feel some relief.
I pull her thigh so her leg curls around me. My hand slides up to cup her full breast. I squeeze and roll her nipples through the thin, silky fabric, and she lets out the cutest needy whimper.
She loves this.
I pull down the top of her dress enough to reveal her nipple. I draw it into my mouth and she moans, canting her hips into me.
“I want to taste you,” I whisper over her wet flesh. “I’ve never gone down on a woman before.”
“Whatever you need from me,” she breathes out. “But don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Oh, I want to.” I grin and kiss her again, stroking her tongue with mine. This action is all hers. She’s so soft, so gentle. Nothing like Osen’s demanding kisses.
Making my way down her body, I press my lips to the silk dress, feeling the heat of her body through the fabric. I kneel between her legs. Both of my hands skim up her thighs, pushing the material until I reach her hips.
Her panty covered pussy beckons me, and I hook my fingers over the elastic straps and draw them down slowly. Once they are off, I toss the pair to Flint, then turn back to admire my mate’s cunt.
I lean over, adjusting my hard cock in my pants. I don’t plan on fucking her today. I need to take this slowly. I’m still afraid of myself. But I do plan to make her come several times.
Taking her by the knees, I pull her legs open so I can feast on my woman.
I lick up the inside of her soft, thick thighs. Glancing up at her face, her pupils have blown wide with arousal. There’s only a tiny ring of green.
“You enjoy being pleasured while your other mates watch on, don’t you, my flame?”
Her eyes dart to Flint and Maxum. “Yes, but I like the one-on-one time just as much.”
I hum my approval. As much as this is turning me on having them watch, when I can get a grip over myself, I want some personal time with her, too. Eventually, I hope to be able to have her freely run her hands over me.
Seeing her surrender to me, with her hands tied behind her back, is making my cock ache for her.
I get close and inhale her scent. Lilacs and blackberries and fire. My fingers slide through her wetness, and I use it to lubricate her clit and lips.
Then I swipe my tongue through her slick, my eyes fall closed to remember this moment.
“How does she taste, brother?” Flint asks, and his low, gravelly voice makes our mate shiver.
“She tastes like the thrill of an electric storm. Like the warmth of the hearth during a blizzard. She tastes like fate incarnate.”
Jade gasps and stares down at me as I give her another long lap with my tongue over her clit. Her eyes roll back in bliss. I haven’t even used my gift on her yet and she’s already this turned on by my attention.
I explore her entirely. Kissing, licking, and sucking to find what makes her toes curl. To discover what makes her groan and moan with an impending climax.
I sink my fingers into her soaked cunt and pump into her, finding a spot that makes her lift her hips off the bed, and I suck her clit. She comes undone and shouts my name. My heart rejoices that I can give her this.
She’s panting, completely limp in my arms. I crawl up her body and snuggle against her side. I study her face as she turns to study mine.
“Don’t you want to come?” she asks, a flash of confusion on her face.
“If I pull my dick out, I will mate you right now,” I admit. “I’d like to take the process slowly.”
She nods and tries to suppress a frown, but a bit of it slips past her hold, tugging at the corners of her lush mouth.
“Maybe we can just talk for a while?” I ask.
Her eyes light up with the suggestion. “Would it bother you if my hands were untied?”
She must be slightly uncomfortable, and it will only get worse as the hours pass.
I sit up, with a smirk I roll her over on her stomach, then get a magnificent view of her plump ass. I swing my leg over her and straddle her upper thighs, essentially pinning her down. Her ass is like a gravitational force for my hands and eyes. I grab each globe and squeeze.
She moans into the mattress and wiggles her tied wrists.
I spread her ass cheeks and thumb over her puckered hole. “I’m going to fuck you here. And both you and Osen will feel me claim your submission.”
“ Fuuuck ,” Osen and Jade hiss together—a strange dual tonality to her voice.
My thumb teases her tight hole, and she squirms, but not away, toward me.
“But not now, sweetheart. You’ll have to wait for that until after I feel your sweet pussy wrapped around me, milking my cock.”
She groans in need and disappointment, and it makes me chuckle. I swear I haven’t laughed in years, since my last death.
Not until this crazy angel saved me… us .
I untie her hands and gently massage the red indentations.
How can something make me fucking hard and break my heart all at the same time?
I suppose when I’ve hopefully recovered from my PTSD enough to allow her to freely touch me, then it will be only for play to tie her up and make her come.
My hand pats her hip, and she rolls over onto her back. She stares up at me, waiting like a good girl for my next request, hands tucked at her sides.
With a tug on her dress and a look, I ask if I can remove it. She slowly raises her arms, and I slide the garment off and find my body is hovering over her naked glory.
Capturing her wrists above her head, I pin them in place. “Keep them there.”
“Yes, sir,” she says with a playful smirk.
“You are perfect for us, aren’t you?” I grin at the blush that rises on her cheeks. She is still coming to terms with how much we want her. She has to erase of all the venom Rob programmed into her mind while she was both under a spell and their day-to-day life.
Fucker . I hope I’m the one to kill that bastard.
I was tortured, but so was Jade.
Instead of wallowing in the injustice, she’s doing what she can to help me. So if I can rid the world of the assholes who hurt her, I’ll give her the security to know her enemies have been vanquished.
I shake off my dark thoughts of death. Torture. I’m spiraling, my mind falling back to that warehouse where I lost myself.
I take in a deep breath, locking eyes with Jade, and center myself.
Then, letting my gaze wander, I admire her full breasts, licking my lips.
“I crave to bite and suck this sensitive flesh into my mouth.”
Her back arches, inviting me to do just that.
She’s begging for me to break my promise to wait. And I can’t blame her one bit because everything inside me is screaming to claim this wonderful woman and make her mine—body and soul.