Savage Awakening

stiffened, filling her with his seed. His fingers twined in hers and he lay over her back, kissing her neck.

“Beautiful,” he murmured. “Thank you, my sweetheart. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Lethargy set in and she felt herself melt into the rug.

“My poor tired mate. You’ve been through a lot today. Let’s take a nap, huh?”

“Sounds great.”

Vaguely, she was aware of him pulling out, standing. Gathering her into his arms. She rested her cheek against his chest, safe and warm.

She was asleep before he laid her on the bed and tucked her close to his heart.

Hell calls hell.

Go to her, Kalen. She waits.

Kalen dropped the TV remote, heart pounding. He stood, glancing around his apartment in fear, but Malik wasn’t there. Not in the flesh, anyway. The Unseelie king couldn’t break the wards to get into the compound—or so Kalen hoped.

“Go to who? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Leave me the fuck alone!” he shouted.

Not going to happen. You need me, and I’ll not abandon you as everyone else in your life has done.

“I have the Alpha Pack now,” he seethed. “They’re good to me. They’ve become my friends. I’ll bet you don’t have any of those.”

I have something better—power. You have it, too, my little diamond in the rough. So much raw, untapped power begging to be developed, harnessed, channeled in the proper direction. I can do that for you. All you have to do is surrender to me, your master.

“My what? You’re a crazy bastard. Not gonna happen,” he snarled, tossing the Unseelie’s words back.

An amused laugh curled around Kalen, making him shiver. The faint crackle of electricity shimmered in the air around him, like someone balling up cellophane. A ghostly touch, like that of a finger, trailed down his cheek. Continued on, dipped into the vee of his black button-down shirt.

You belong to me now, and you’ll do as I order. You have no choice. Do not fight me.

The phantom hand skimmed his stomach, and finally, slipped to his zipper and the aching bulge there. For a moment, he allowed himself to drink in the pleasure. Would it be so bad to be owned by one so powerful, who could make him feel—

Gasping, he jerked backward, away from the forbidden. “No. I don’t belong to you!”

Yes, you do, my boy. Every inch of you is mine.

Never had he run up against a being whose power rivaled his own. Never even close. In spite of himself, he was intrigued. Lured. Darkness seeped into his mind and he knew that it was Malik. Tried to push him out. But the dark lord was stronger, and an image began to form, come to life.

Kalen’s body, naked. Spread in submission. Hands and mouths, devouring him. Consuming his body and soul. He wanted them to take all of him. Fuck and use him.

Beryl looked up at him from between his thighs. Give yourself to our master. He alone knows what we truly are, what we need.

“But, Mackenzie,” he began, voice breaking. He was weakening under their onslaught.

You’re not together, Beryl said. You made that clear to her. You belong to Malik now.

She took his cock between red lips, sucked him down. He wanted someone to claim him, longed to be loved. Malik answered.

I will give you everything you need. Allow me in.

“Yes,” spilled from his lips. “Master.” The blackness entered his heart, delicious. Like dark molasses. His cock drove into the hot mouth, fucked it with abandon. The wicked pleasure was too much and his orgasm rolled over him. He came with a shout, filling her mouth as she suckled him dry.

As the tremors of release faded, he looked down. Beryl was gone, and his clothes were still in place. His cock was softening, but a quick check revealed there was no come in his jeans. Had she ever been there? Was it just a vision?

Very good, my boy. You will have all the sex your body can stand, all the acceptance you desire. Do you want these things?

“Yes, Master,” he whispered, reaching for the pendant that wasn’t there. That would never again protect him from the evil that raced like heroin through his veins.

Then see to your first task. Go to the Pack’s basement and release Beryl. She has one last task to perform before she leaves us.

“Leaves?” He frowned, trying to clear his head.

Beryl was never meant to remain with us, my pet. She’s a tool, nothing more. Release her, then feign horror at what you’ve done. They must not know you’re mine now.

“I’ll do as you say.”

This was wrong. He knew it, but couldn’t find the foothold he needed to fight against such a dark being. Exiting his room, he walked the corridors, searching for the elevator to Block T—which stood for “Termination.” The witch would be executed soon, for her part in Malik’s heinous crimes, whether she talked or not.

Locating the elevator, he rode it down to the basement and got out. The witch’s cell wasn’t hard to find, as there weren’t many and hers was the only one occupied. She moved to the door and gave him a catlike smile, as though she’d been expecting him.

“Good blow job?”

“So that really was you?”

She shrugged. “No. It was Malik. You already know he can change forms, and he’s great at projecting his spirit-self.”

“But was it real?”

“Who’s to say? Malik is the master of the mindfuck. It’s as real as you want it to be.”

Cold sweat formed on his brow. He couldn’t think of that now. He had a task to perform. Quickly, he uttered a spell and the lock popped, then the door slid open on its track. Beryl stepped out and pushed into his chest, thrust her tongue into his mouth, kissing him for several moments before breaking away. “There’s more where that came from, later. Right now, I have to see to my task. Take the next elevator so we’re not seen together.”

He shrugged, but said nothing. Little did the witch know there wouldn’t be “later” for her. Either the team would kill her or Malik would. He didn’t care which.

As she left, he struggled against that fact—that he didn’t care about her life. That wasn’t him, but the feelings of empathy weren’t there. As though Malik had surgically removed them.

He waited. When the elevator returned, he followed.

“What have I done?” he whispered, leaning against the inside wall. The hated voice answered.

Your task, and you’ve done it well.

“Fuck you!”

A throaty laugh was the bastard’s only reply. Kalen’s knees shook as he wiped the sweat from his face. His stomach rolled.

What was Beryl going to do? Whatever happened, it would be his fault. Kalen hoped he could find the strength enough to do the right thing. He had to go against Malik’s order and stop Beryl.

God, please help me!

But He had never answered Kalen. Not once, in all his life.

And now he was prey to the one that would.

Aric held Rowan’s hand as they walked down the corridor together. A silly thing, but it made him happy. He was all domesticated, a state he hadn’t imagined himself in.

“I talked to my friend, Dean,” she said. “Told him I resigned from the LAPD.”

“What did he say?” He’d managed not to snarl when she’d said her best friend was some guy, and a handsome FBI agent at that. He congratulated himself on his calm tone.

“He wasn’t exactly shocked. I’d told him about you. He’d like to come visit sometime.”