He nodded once, but he couldn’t hide the soft fear still worming through our connection. He hadn’t grown up knowing much about the spirit world—clearly it was the kind of thing a person had to get used to.

I reached down between us and wrapped my fingers around his hard girth. He sucked in a breath, his focus snapping to me like a rubber band. Any lingering fear fell away.

“I want to suck on this before you pound it into me,” I said with an animalistic desire rising up in me.

Heat sparkled in his stormy eyes. He put his hand to my cheek before applying pressure downward, gently pushing me to my knees. He looked down at me as he fed me his large cock, and the power around us surged once again.

I slid my lips around the head and sucked him in as far as I could go. I watched as he took a deep breath and his eyes fluttered, lost to the sensation. I moved my palm along his shaft and pulled back before sucking him in again, harder this time. His tip hit the back of my throat and I picked up the pace, stroking and sucking in tandem.

“Oh yes, Alexis,” he said, his head falling back and eyes closing.

He ran his fingers through my hair and made a fist, capturing me. Desire ran through me and I worked harder, cupping his balls and stroking his cock with my mouth.

“Yes,” he said again, his body flexing. The sound of waves crashed around us. My skin sizzled with his magical touch. The power pumped in time with my mouth. “Fuck, Lexi, yes!”

He shuddered, his fingers loosening, and I took advantage of his distraction.

I stood so fast I dizzied myself—definitely faster than I’d ever moved before in my life—and shoved him toward the bed. His feet came off the ground and he all but flew backward, landing with an oomph on the mattress on his back. I could get used to the extra strength.

He didn’t balk as I climbed onto the bed and crawled up over his body. It was my turn for dominance.

The Line pulsed again, and I realized I was making it happen. Power surged through me and I pushed it through the soul connection, dumping it into his body. He groaned and his eyes fluttered closed.

I licked his hardening cock—it was never long before he was ready again—before continuing up. If he could guide my head down, I could direct him where to lick. With slinky movements, feeling as sexy as all hell, I slid one knee to the side of his head, and lowered the other close to his ear, straddling his mouth.

His hands slid up the fevered skin on the backs of my thighs and over my butt. He sucked along my slit, finding my clit, and rolled it around with his tongue. His fingers trailed up my middle before dipping into my wetness, hitting me just right.

“Yes, Kieran, suck harder.”

My eyes rolled back as he complied, his fingers moving in time to the glorious ministrations of his mouth. My body wound up and pleasure surged through me, strengthened by a boost from his sexy magic. Another wave of fire washed over my skin and I delighted in it.

“Yes, Kieran,” I said, moving to his fingers. Tightening up in response to the pull of his mouth. “Oh God, yes. Almost there.”

His tongue swirled and fingers wandered. His other hand gripped my thigh. I moved over him, lost to delight. So tight I couldn’t stand it. Right on the edge—

“Oh!” I blasted apart, shivering with the orgasm that tore through me. “Oh—hmmm.”

He picked me up in a dead lift and flung me beside him. I bounced on the mattress twice before he climbed between my spread thighs, his cock straining and eyes hungry.

“Pound my mark into you, isn’t that what you said?” he asked dangerously.

“Yes.” I ran my nails over his shoulders.

He reached between us and held the base of his sizable erection. “You can take more of me now. I won’t have to hold back.”

“Umm, yes.” I slid my thighs up to his waist. “Fuck me, Kieran. Ride me hard.”

He kissed my lips and his tip bumped up against my opening before he thrust. Color danced behind my lids as he filled me. I squeezed his middle while crying out.

“Fuck me,” I uttered, pushing against him. Pulling at his body to get him closer. “Take me.”

Without mercy, he pulled back and slammed into me. The slap of our bodies echoed through the room.

“You’re mine,” he said, slamming into me again. His magic burned across my skin and vibrated through my body. “You’re mine alone.”

It felt right to join our power together, so I pulled power from the Line and let the wind blow through the room. His soul didn’t so much as flutter, held in place by mine.

“Yes, Kieran.” I couldn’t stop saying it, but I meant it. “Claim me.”

Spirit throbbed around us. The veil shimmered not far away.

“Harder,” I panted.

He rammed into me. The feel of him, and his magic, drove me to impossible heights. So good it hurt. Too much while not enough.

I pulled power from the Line again. And again. When his power rose, trying to dominate, I yanked on the Line for yet more power, my ability amplified by his blood offering coursing through my veins.

“Hmm, Alexis, more.” He pumped faster, raw and ruthless. “More.”

So I listened. I gave him everything I had. Everything I was. Spirit washed through us as his magic enveloped our bodies. He groaned, and tightened his arms around me.

“I love you,” he said close to my ear, and with one last thrust, I hit a height greater than any that had come before it.

My scream of unbridled pleasure filled the room. The tsunami had come after all, dragging me under to a place from which I never wanted to emerge. I shook with the orgasm, nearly blacking out, unable to do anything but repeatedly moan. He groaned above me, emptying into me.

As we came down, and the strength left my body, I still held on for dear life. For some reason, I didn’t want to let go. I didn’t ever want to let go.

29

Valens

Valens sat in his son’s favorite chair looking out the window at his son’s favorite view. The glistening ocean usually calmed him, but something about his chat with Kieran yesterday niggled. On the surface, all was exactly as it should be. He’d left feeling elated and relieved. His son had it in him to be great, Valens could finally see that.

But something…was off. If he had the ability to be great, why only show it in fits and starts? It almost seemed like he only applied himself when it was necessary to appease his father, something that didn’t match his behavior in the past.

At first Valens had thought it was simply a matter of Kieran trying to adjust to living in the territory of another Demigod, but he was no longer sure. Kieran had been known to rub the magical governing body in Ireland the wrong way from time to time. He’d had the habit of letting his presence be known, something Valens had needed to smooth out on more than one occasion. Not once had that been the case in these last eight months. Exactly the opposite in fact.

It could be that Kieran knew Valens was more dominant, whereas the governing body in Ireland wasn’t, and was properly minding his manners. But again…Valens had always been in Kieran’s life, and Kieran had often rebelled in various ways. Once, when he was fourteen, he tried to run away, refusing to let anyone rule him. His mother, land-bound, was beside herself distraught. She hadn’t thought he could be found, not with his budding powers firmly taking hold.

The flight to Ireland had been longer than the time it took to traverse the waters, find the rebelling youth, and drag him back. Valens had been sure to make it a lesson Kieran remembered for years to come.

Men didn’t change that much, even as adults.

“Sir.” Sodge stopped near the entrance to the room. “Miss Amber has come to call on you. Shall I show her in?”

Valens frowned and checked the time. Lunchtime, if Valens were the type to worry about such things. Amber rarely disturbed him at home, especially without calling first. He’d be back at his desk in an hour, but clearly whatever news she had was too important to wait.

“Show her in,” he said, not bothering to get up. He had more pondering to do, and this was a good place to do it.

“Sir.” Amber stalked into the room, wearing leather from head to toe and light, rubber-soled boots. She came to a stop beside him, not hindering his view of the ocean. “Excuse the interruption, but I’ve come by…odd news. I thought you’d want to hear.”

News she didn’t want possibly intercepted over a cell phone line.

“Yes, what is it?” he said.

She shifted her weight. “Green has disappeared. He went after the Wolfram boy yesterday with his full fighting crew. Apparently, the boy was with his caretaker in the Serramonte dual-society zone shopping center. That was where Green directed everyone to amass. A few Chesters called the local precinct to report a large group of magical ruffians, but a squad car wasn’t dispatched for some time—their district is overworked and underpaid. No official report was filed, but the description they were given fits Green’s people.”

Valens tore his gaze away from the glittering blue. “What of his crew?”

“All gone. No word was sent to the pack. Green had called a last-minute pack meeting before leaving, and never returned for it.”

“How big is this crew?”

“Two dozen strong, sir. A force to be reckoned with. It’s why he has remained in power for so long—he’s got a lot of muscle on the payroll.”