Page 82 of Insidious Monsters
Blinding pain ripped through me and my cry ricocheted around the room like a screaming bullet.
He crushed me to him, sucking on my neck, drag after drag until the pain melted into euphoria. Into swollen breasts and aching nipples. He tore aside my skirts and cupped me over my panties, rubbing me through the fabric as he fed. I was lost, unwoven. A captive of bliss even as the monster inside me reared up, tearing grunts and groans from my lips. Telarion covered my mouth with his long fingers, feeding until my legs were weak and my pussy weeping for release. Finally, he broke the blood kiss and claimed my mouth. Sweet power rushed into my body just as his fingers slid into my panties and tipped me over the edge.
Stars filled my vision and soft cries of pleasure echoed alongside mine. I came down to earth cradled in Telarion’s arms, and opened my eyes to stunned, flushed faces.
Telarion carefully set me on my feet. “Can you stand?” he asked gruffly.
“Yes.” My voice was a thirsty rasp.
He forced my chin up to look deep into my eyes. “I’m going to kill the prince now. You might want to close your eyes.”
He gave no other warning before he morphed into full monster form and rushed Barathos.
“NO!” Lothos threw himself between the prince and Telarion. “Please!”
Telarion came to a halt, taloned hands flexing, huge shoulders heaving. “I warned you what would happen the next time you played with my August.”
His August…I washisAugust. Fuck, I think I was suffering from blood loss. Was the world supposed to be so floaty?
Barathos lifted his chin. “You can’t hurt me. I’m a prince. I have a treaty and diplomatic immunity.”
“I’m no diplomat, and you have no immunity when it comes to me.” Telarion attacked, but Lothos shoved Barathos out of the way and took the blow.
Blood spattered the nearby guests and Lothos doubled over, clutching his slashed chest.
“Telarion, no!” I rushed forward and dropped to the ground, too weak to get to him. He was by my side immediately, torn between attacking Barathos or tending to me. I grabbed at the soft leather of his jacket. “Don’t hurt him. His people need him.”
Barathos let out a bark of laughter. “This isn’t about my people.” My gaze flashed to his smug face. “Tell them the truth, Lothos. Tell them the real reason you can’t bear to see me wounded.”
Lothos made a soft sound of pain, and from the look on his face it wasn’t physical pain but emotional.
I clung to Telarion, allowing him to take my weight as I locked gazes with my friend. “Lothos, what is he talking about?”
Lothos sighed. “I can’t let you kill Barathos because he’s my brother.”
twenty-two
“Talk about a plot twist,” Archie said. “Bleedin’ hell, and you never suspected?”
“No. I mean aside from the fact they look nothing alike, Lothos is a gentleman and Barathos is a wanker.”
I was home. I was safe, and damn was I grateful for that.
The tension at the ball peaked with Lothos’s admission. Barathos vanished into thin air, telling me he could have pissed off at any time, and Telarion swept me up and brought me home, dumping me in the kitchen before flying off again.
I didn’t try and stop him. He was raging, fury beating off him in waves. It was safer for both of us if he blew off steam elsewhere, but he’d be back and we’d talk about what had almost happened.
My stomach twisted. I’d been so close to crossing a sacred line between friendship and something else. Words couldn’t describe how grateful I was that it hadn’t happened. What Lothos and I had was special, but it also made me realize how much of the weight of the boundaries he’d been carrying. As an incubus it was his nature to feed off sexual energy. He was inherently a sexual being, and yet he’d curbed his impulses around me. Even when I’d begged him to let go and take me, he’d held back.
Telarion busting in and claiming me had shattered our ruse. There was no way Barathos would believe my deal with Lothos was real now. I couldn’t let him stay bound to me and I’d called him to tell him that and make sure he was okay, but all my calls went to voicemail. I hoped he was okay. Barathos had made a swift exit, but would he really leave his brother injured? And did their blood connection make Lothos royalty too?
Worrying about the incubus would get me nowhere. He’d been alive longer than my team put together. He could handle himself. I’d go see him in the morning. Make sure he was okay.
Right now, I needed to stuff my face with sugary shit to get my blood sugar levels up.
I dunked a chocolate biscuit in my sweet tea and then bit into the soggy goodness.
“You know that’s gross, right?” Archie said.
