Authors: Gabrielle Evans
“You,” Fiero returned his smile and tapped the end of his nose, “are a brat, my love.” Palming the back of Echo’s head, he rolled them slowly until he hovered over Echo’s body, staring down at him with warmth and affection. His head dipped, his lips whispering across Echo’s. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Their lips met, their tongues dueled, and the world seemed to slip away, blurring at the edges until only the two of them remained. Echo felt Fiero’s fingers around his wrist, slowly stretching his arm over his head. So lost in the mating of their mouths, he didn’t question the intent, didn’t even think about it.
Then Fiero broke the kiss, panting against Echo’s neck as he nuzzled the damp skin with his nose. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
Then without further comment, Fiero straddled Echo’s hips, pressing him firmly into the mattress, and leaned forward toward the headboard. Soft straps encircled Echo’s wrist, linking them to the metal slats and holding his arm in place.
Before he could panic, his other arm was stretched over his head and bound as well. Echo jerked on the restraints, his heart galloping inside his chest as he fought to suck in oxygen to his aching lungs. “Fiero,” he whispered. “No. I can’t do this.” He fought hard, flailing against his bonds and arching his back to dislodge the man on top of him. “Let me go! I can’t do this!”
Fiero covered his lips again, thrusting his tongue inside and licking at Echo’s mouth. “Trust me,” he pleaded. “Let go of your control and just feel.” His hands roamed Echo’s body, leaving a path of burning heat in their wake. “Just feel.”
Something satiny slid under his hips, and Echo’s eyes flew open wide as he stared up at his mate in apprehension. “I–I…”
“Shh, baby. Let me love you.” Fiero lifted what appeared to be long, velvety ropes, and Echo almost screamed. But instead of winding around him, Fiero stretched over Echo’s head once more, and Echo felt his lower half lifted from bed.
The soft sling supported him, cradling his hips and arching his ass into the air. His shoulders pressed more firmly into the bed, while his feet merely brushed against the cotton sheets. He felt completely helpless, totally powerless in his current position.
Echo’s stomach cramped, his heart continued to hammer against his sternum, and he swallowed hard, trying to push away the fear and hysteria. This was Fiero. His mate, his lover, one of the seven people he trusted more than anyone in Heaven or Earth. Latching on to that thread, he grasped it tightly, holding the knowledge close and letting it soothe some of his apprehension.
Another silky piece of material slid under his shoulders, lifting him from the bed until his entire body swung lazily above the mattress. He didn’t know where Fiero had hooked the other ends of the ropes, didn’t even know what you called his contraption, he didn’t know anything at the moment. His entire world centered on his breathing and trying not to hyperventilate.
Then Fiero was back, kneeling between his bent knees and running his hands along the inside of Echo’s thighs. “Look at me,” he demanded.
As though his body had been trained to obey the order, Echo lifted his head slightly and peered down his body at his lover. The second their eyes met, two slick fingers pushed inside his hole, pulling a strangled cry from Echo’s lips.
“Watch me, Echo. Feel what I’m doing to you. Do you like this?”
Echo nodded slowly. Though he was still freaking about his restricted range of mobility, he definitely enjoyed the feeling of fullness and the small pinch of pain from Fiero’s fingers filling his passage.
“Would I ever hurt you?”
Echo shook his head minutely.
“Say the words, Echo. I want to hear you say them. Would I ever hurt you?”
“No,” Echo answered, strong and confident.
“Then why are you so afraid? Your body trembles, and I can hear your heart pounding.” Fiero sawed his fingers in and out of Echo’s opening as his other hand reached up to fondle Echo’s limp cock. “This tells me you aren’t enjoying this.”
Old habits die hard, but Echo made a decision in that moment to shatter the hold his past held on him, and begin anew. “You would never hurt me.” As though he’d recited some magic incantation, the moment the words escaped his lips, his cock began to swell and lengthen inside Fiero’s grasp. “You would never hurt me,” he repeated heatedly.
Fiero stroked Echo’s hard cock lightly as he inserted a third digit, twisting his wrist and curling his fingers to brush over Echo’s prostate. “Let go,” he whispered.
And Echo did. He let go of the last niggling shreds of doubt in the back of his mind and surrendered himself to his mate. Dropping his head back, he moaned loudly, no thoughts in his mind other than enjoying the extreme pleasure his lover brought to him.
“Please,” he whimpered. “Need you.”
Fiero didn’t make a sound, but gently slipped his fingers from Echo’s clenching hole, lined up his thick cock, and pushed forward in one powerful thrust.
Echo cried out, his arms tensing and pulling against his restraints. “More!”
It felt so strange, but not in a bad way. His body sailed through the air, swaying to and fro weightlessly. Every forward glide pushed Fiero’s throbbing cock deep inside his needy tunnel, and each backward pass would leave him feeling empty.
Fiero’s fingers wrapped around Echo’s hips in a bruising grip as he swung him back and forth, impaling him repeatedly on his long shaft. Growls, moans, and grunts filled the room as Fiero set a fast and demanding pace that left Echo’s head spinning with pleasure.
All too soon, the burn began in his belly, electricity sprinted up his spine, and his balls ached, drawing tight to his body in their need for release. “Fiero!” Echo screamed, his muscles tensing as his orgasm rippled over him, stealing his breath as creamy strings of cum sprayed from his slit to splash against his chest and abs.
“So beautiful,” Fiero whispered raggedly. Then he slammed home, burying himself balls-deep as Echo’s inner walls clenched and spasmed. A long, low groan reverberated off the walls, and Echo felt his lover’s hot release fill his waiting depths.
Echo sagged, weak and limp against his restraints. With a few strips of satin and silk, Fiero had left him helpless, completely dependent upon his lover to satisfy his needs. He’d relinquished the control he fought so hard to hold on to, and turned everything over to Fiero.
Not only had the demon bound Echo to the bed, but to himself as well. An unbreakable bond that would be reinforced each time he looked into his mate’s eyes and felt the love rebounded t—
Echo cut himself off mid-thought and jerked his head up to look at Fiero. “I have an idea.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you sure about this?” Fiero didn’t doubt his mate’s abilities, but it wasn’t as though he had days or weeks to succeed at his test as Eyce had. No, he had a strange feeling that he’d only get one shot at defeating his enemy. He really needed to stop the fire before it began. Once the blaze started, it would be beyond his control to extinguish it.
Beaming brightly, Echo bobbed his head up and down. “No idea, big guy.”
Fiero rolled his eyes as he reached out to ruffle Echo’s hair. “Well, let’s do it anyway,” he said with more confidence than he felt. The sun slowly sank toward the horizon, and the new moon would be upon them within hours.
“Do we even know where this is going down?” Echo cocked his head to the side and worried his bottom lip between his teeth.
“I think it will be close. I can’t explain it, but I just have a feeling that we won’t need to look far.”
Echo shrugged adorably. “Works for me. So, are you ready?”
Instead of answering, Fiero held out both hands, palms up, and waited for his mate to grasp them. They stared into each other’s eyes as Echo did whatever it was he did. Fiero never felt any of his power leave him. He didn’t feel a tingling, heat, a draining sensation, or anything. He was simply holding hands with his lover in the middle of the field behind the house.
The wind seemed unnaturally still, like the calm before a storm, and the eeriness of it sent chills racing along Fiero’s spine. It was as though the entire forest held its breath, waiting for the destruction to come.
“Okay,” Echo’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I’m going to try to recycle your power now and rebound it back to you. I can’t say if it will work or not. I’ve passed powers between people, but I’ve never tried to enhance anyone’s abilities before. Could be interesting.”
Fiero didn’t like the way his mate said the last part, but what choice did he have? None of them had been able to come up with a better solution. “Be gentle,” he said, only half teasing. Would it hurt? It wasn’t as though he couldn’t handle a little pain, but he had no idea what to expect.
Smiling sympathetically, Echo nodded, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
Fiero hissed, his finger curling reflexively and squeezing Echo’s. It was like holding a fucking lightning rod. He wanted to let go, but couldn’t. Though it didn’t hurt exactly, it sure as hell didn’t make his list of top favorite things either.
Liquid heat began in his fingertips, spreading up his arms and out to the rest of his body like wildfire. Sweat beaded across his skin. His breathing became short and shallow. His head swam, and his knees shook. Is this how Echo felt every time he syphoned power from one of them?
Fiero’s entire body felt like it had been lit on fire and rolled around in glass. He tried to unlock his fingers and release his hold on Echo’s hands, but his fingers wouldn’t work properly. The rest of his body followed suit, snapping straight and locking into place, and he had no choice but to hang on and wait for the sensations to pass.
When Echo finally opened his eyes and let his hands fall away, Fiero dropped to the ground, doubled over, and expelled the contents of his stomach. His mate was beside him instantly, stroking his back and petting his hair.
“Shit, I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t know it would be like that. Are you okay?” He pulled the sleeve of his sweater over his hand and wiped at Fiero’s damp forehead with it. “Shit, shit, shit! Okay, we’re not doing that again. We’ll find another way.”
Fiero rocked back on his heels, plopping ungracefully to his butt. “I’m fine,” he said hoarsely. “I’ve never thrown up before. That was gross.”
Echo’s eyes rounded and his mouth dropped open. “Never? Not even once?”
“Well, I don’t get sick.” Fiero shrugged. He didn’t have an explanation beyond that. He’d never vomited from pain, didn’t know that was even a possibility. “Let’s see if it worked.”
Keeping a firm hand on Fiero’s shoulder, Echo shook his head. “Just sit down and relax. You can play the big bad demon later. Does it still hurt?”
“It didn’t hurt, not like you’re thinking. Let’s just say that my insides know what a can of paint feels like when you put it through the mixer. I’m pretty sure my organs have been liquefied.” Ignoring his lover’s protest, Fiero pushed to his feet, dropping a hand on Echo’s shoulder to steady himself when his head spun.
Once he felt he could stand without toppling over, he took a careful step back and held his hands up in front on him. He pictured flames leaping across his fingertips, dancing along his skin, and bathing his hands in their orange glow. It took a lot of concentration and even more willpower, but eventually, the effort paid off.
Tiny flames flickered to life, leaping merrily in his palms before spreading out to engulf both hands. It felt no different than when he manipulated the fire from his Zippo. The only difference, was he’d
created
this fire, produced it from somewhere inside of him. Looking up at Echo, he smiled brightly as he began manipulating the flames into a small, baseball-sized orb.
“Wicked cool.” The smile fell from Fiero’s face, taking some of his enthusiasm with it. “I don’t understand how being able to create fire is going to help, though. We need to find a way to smother it.”
“That’s the next part.” Echo smiled that special smile he got when he had a secret, but wasn’t ready to share. He held his arms down to his sides, his palms facing Fiero, and took a deep breath, his nose scrunching in concentration.