Omri Read online

  He obeyed the Power and had soon been locked by a pair of golden eyes. It was hard for him to maintain the eye connection, for Danijel’s presence almost overwhelmed him as well. He wondered how it was for a human to see and be in his focus.

  Who you love is your business, not mine. My concern is protecting this world from those trying to enter it. I need to know if you would fight for him because whether you like it or not, if you accept the offer I am presenting you with, he will be dragged in as well. It will get more dangerous for the human, and they are not as strong as our kind.

  He is strong. He fights evil already.

  This is evil on an entirely different plane. He doesn’t have our abilities to sense them before they are there. He will be at a disadvantage. Not to mention, his weapons may not work on all of the demon kind.

  Might I ask a question?

  Of course.

  Did you give this same speech to Demuri and Rao?

  No. Not to Demuri, as a Power he is well aware what he was bringing his mate into with his decision to stay with him. For Rao, his is a bit like yours in that he is an officer and used to dealing with danger. I gave him a similar one.

  But not the same.

  No. You’re different, Omri.

  He wasn’t sure what to make of that statement. One, Danijel wasn’t known to be a talker, usually he had Demuri to do that for him. Two, being called different by this Power had the ability to make him more than a bit unsettled.

  Different?

  Danijel sighed. Yes. What was your first instinct when you found out it was Maaike being hurt and dying under there?

  How do you know he was under anything? Danijel narrowed his gaze, and Omri swallowed. I wanted to save him, get that electricity off him.

  And you reacted instantly instead of waiting for any help to arrive. Most of us who are not Powers would wait. But you jumped right in the fray. You are meant for the frontlines, in my opinion. Not to be soaring above watching weather and celestial bodies. Make no mistake, this will be dangerous if you do decide to fight with us.

  His decision had been made even before he realized he’d made one. I will fight at your side.

  I will be in touch for some training. Your human will come as well so prepare him for that experience he will have.

  Without another word, Danijel lifted himself from the ground with a single beat of those incredible wings. So effortless, such a pure action and show of the raw strength Danijel possessed, it could never get old watching him do that.

  It was time for him, too, to leave. So he flared out his wings and beat them, rising from the ground. Definitely not as smoothly as Danijel and with a bunch more dustup from his wings. As he took to the air, he gazed down one last time to the quadrant of men sitting there, enjoying their afternoon.

  Tell me when you are home, Mate. We need to talk.

  That was how he left it. He wasn’t going to be jealous, he was going to accept Mate felt what he did, that they were destined to be together. And with him being content in that knowledge, he had no reason to hang around and spy on the human.

  We didn’t get much verbal talking done the first time. But I’ll let you know. Where are you?

  Flying.

  See you soon, Omri.

  Omri smiled as he winged higher. Yes, he would.

  * * * *

  Mate rubbed the back of his neck and groaned as the air finally had cooled off a bit and didn’t cause as much discomfort as it had during the height of the day. Not that it was cool outside but they were no longer in the triple digits and for that alone, he was grateful.

  Your friends are still around? Some at least?

  He smiled over the intimate and increasingly familiar touch of Omri’s voice in his head.

  Two are here, one had to leave. He had an appointment he couldn’t miss. Were you there today? At the bar? I swore I could feel you watching me.

  Light brushes of a feather skimmed along his body, but Omri didn’t show. Mate shivered and rubbed his arms, the goose bumps on his skin definitely not from the cold.

  I am always watching you, and yes. I was there.

  Not sure if that is a good thing or not. Why were you there? Were there more of those demon things and where are you now? Why aren’t you here?

  “I am here.”

  Mate smiled as his lover appeared from the darkness and didn’t hesitate, just stepped to him and pressed their lips together. This, he needed. Omri locked his arms tight around Mate and dragged him closer still.

  Tongues raking along each other, Mate groaned with raw need as Omri slid his large warm hand inside his pants, cupping his thickening cock.

  I need you.

  Yes! Mate bucked his hips, driving his dick farther into Omri’s hand. You have me. Take me.

  Then we talk.

  Fine, whatever, just be quiet because my brothers are inside and I don’t need them coming out here to find a Virtue’s dick in my ass.

  Even were they to step out here, they will not be able to see us. I will take care of that.

  Even as he said the words, Omri ended the kiss and turned Mate so he was bent over the front porch railing, sweats down around his ankles. He closed his eyes and moaned as his winged lover pushed a finger deep into him, the glide nice and easy. Thrusting back, he silently asked for more. He couldn’t verbalize it, he struggled to put any words together. One finger became two, then three. They were then replaced by what he truly wanted, Omri’s cock.

  Gentle but firm, he pushed in, filling him.

  You know, you belong to me now.

  Mate stared out over the darkness covering the land. So long as you know that goes both ways.

  If that is your human way of saying I belong to you, then I agree. He punctuated his sentence with a powerful forward thrust. We belong to each other.

  Mate didn’t try to speak again, just allowed Omri’s touch to bring him to pleasure. After they made love out there, he was treated to a flight amongst the stars. Then, they came back to the small house he had and walked to the picnic table, holding hands. Side by side they sat on the top of the table.

  “You need to be aware that being with me is going to be dangerous.”

  Mate stared down to their interlocked fingers. It wasn’t like he could see them, but he imagined he could see the alternating shades of their skin tones. Omri’s dark, rich hue to his tan.

  “Because why? Skin color? You have wings and I don’t? What’s the increased danger going to be?”

  “My kind doesn’t care about skin color, that is a human issue. The fact you do not have wings is a problem for some. But I was referring to the increased danger from demons.”

  “Oh. Those things.” He turned his head and kissed Omri’s shoulder. “I was thinking about that.”

  “In what regard?”

  “Well, I know I killed the demon before with my automatic rifle. However, I am currently suspended from work and don’t typically go around with one in my possession. I don’t believe a 9mm is going to stop one of those scaly bastards, so can you give me something like your spear that I can have on me? Obviously that did the trick.”

  “You want my spear?”

  “No. I want something of the same material that I know can kill them. Something I can carry on me and not be stopped for having an assault rifle on my shoulder.”

  “This I do not know. I will have to inquire if this is allowed. Our weapons are not made for humans to use and own.”

  “But you will ask?”

  “Of course. They told me you would be in increased danger if we went forward, and I do not see you as the man who is going to sit by and let anything hurt you or those you care about.”

  Mate turned to the house where two of his family slept. Damn straight. I protect what’s mine. And that does include you, too.

  We will figure this out. We will have you properly armed to be able to defend yourself if and when the time comes.

  And until then?

  Omri’s fingers tr
ailed along Mate’s jawline, pushing easily through the scruff there. There is time before the sun rises. I am sure we can think of something.

  Mate grinned and kissed Omri. I have a few ideas of my own.

  * * * *

  Undisclosed Location

  Better. You are getting better.

  Sagar heard the unspoken words. Not good enough yet. He wiped the sweat off his brow and sheathed the sword to his side and stared in the direction of his trainer. Danijel. He still didn’t look at him directly if he could help it, as the power flowing off him was nearly too much for him to take.

  The thing was, as they trained, over these past months, it hadn’t leveled off. The power emanating from him increased. The pulsing waves from the Power contained more in them. It was as if something were building up pressure and needed to find an outlet or it would explode.

  Through it all, whatever it was, Danijel, didn’t seem affected by it. At all. The Power remained stoic and for the most part unreadable. He could see the affection afforded to Demuri, another Power, but that truly was the only time he recognized anything but the cold, arctic indifference he had. Whether Danijel spoke to another in the Orders or slayed those from Hell, his expression never wavered.

  Where are you?

  Sagar blinked at the familiar and welcome intrusion in his mind. Training, lover. I will return to you soon.

  Good because it is no fun here having this hard cock all to myself.

  Sagar groaned before he could control himself. Danijel’s gaze snapped in his direction, and he struggled to remain impassive in his own expression.

  Do not tease me now. I have to concentrate. I will be by later.

  There was no farewell from Dorn, but he didn’t require it. Sagar had no doubt the man loved him.

  You need to focus. There was a bite in Danijel’s tone as it pushed through his mind.

  I will do better.

  Better isn’t going to be enough. There will come a time when it isn’t a few demons at a time but the portal will be a doorway and hundreds will come.

  How do you know this? Why are there not more of us training to do this battle?

  Danijel took a deep breath. I know many things, and we are training. Let me ask you something. If you were planning to attack something and were getting yourself ready to go, then found out those you were planning on attacking had begun training as well, what would you do?

  He thought for a moment. I would attack sooner so they wouldn’t be as prepared.

  Exactly. So we are not able to hold big training sessions where word of what we are doing gets back to them.

  There are spies?

  Everywhere. We have them, they have them. Things are not as black and white as we are led to believe them to be.

  Is there a reason Demuri is not training with us?

  Yes. He does not know I am training you. No one knows, just like this location isn’t known to our kind.

  He remembered the Power stating that it would be on the QT for him to receive this training, but honestly, he had figured at some point Demuri would have been brought in. Sagar had no idea where he was now; all he knew was the stench was strong and made his eyes water. It was harder to get lift to rise off the ground and take to the air.

  Why is it so difficult for me to fly here? But not up there? He gestured above them to the crisp skies he loved flying in.

  Because this area is demon friendly and harsher on our kind.

  Demon friendly? He didn’t even think about it, just called forth the swords. Danijel nodded.

  You see now, do you not?

  Sagar nodded and walked closer to his trainer. Here he was covered in sweat and Danijel looked, well, comfortable, in this space.

  I believe so. If we only believe that a battle will come to us on our side, we are arrogant. Wars shift and move and if, no, when we have to head for their domain to continue and emerge victorious, we will be at a disadvantage because we are unable to withstand these conditions as they can.

  We have trained enough for the day. I have a meeting.

  The silver-winged Power rose with ease, and Sagar followed, his exhausted body struggling to keep up with the speed of the one before him.

  Weapons away and do your patrol as normal.

  Of course.

  One more thing. Danijel hovered in the air before him. You are getting better. I know you believe I need you to be ready, but I know you did not have any training prior to this and your progress is more than some Powers who are born to fight. Do not lose faith in yourself. I picked you for a reason, Sagar. Do not forget that I am trusting you to keep this our secret.

  Another beat of his wings and he was gone.

  Adding a bit more to his own flight, he rose until the air was clear and he didn’t have that uncomfortable burning in his lungs. He had a route to patrol and a lover to get back to. Then he would dwell on those words from Danijel.

  He really only had one question, and that was why. Why all the secrecy even from their own fellow warriors? Why trust him, an Angel? Things to think about. Angling slightly, he rode the currents off to his patrol and vowed to do what was best for everyone, as it wasn’t just his kind that were in danger but also the humans.

  Stay Up to Date with Hayden

  ’s Releases at TEP

  ALSO BY HAYDEN WEST

  With the Professor

  Undercover Blue

  Guarding Mason

  The Prince’s Mate Series

  The Prince’s Mate

  His Mate’s Conversion

  Claiming the Throne

  His One

  * * * *

  Reconciliation

  * * * *

  Ascension Series

  Demuri

  Sagar

  Rao

  Omri

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Hayden West lives in the Pacific Northwest, enjoys being outdoors, and hanging out with friends when not working on the next novella to be released.

  https://www.facebook.com/HaydenWestAuthor/

  Twisted E-Publishing, LLC

  www.twistedepublishing.com