Chapter Six

"Are you about to kiss me?" Damon grinned, his pulse skyrocketing as he lay on his back, his mate draped half over him. He became lost in Casimir's touch, his closeness, and the possibility that he was going to finally know how his mate's lips tasted. He wanted that kiss more than anything.

"I was trying to be smooth about it." Casimir gave him a playful growl. "Now I guess—"

To hell with trying to be smooth. Damon grabbed Casimir's shoulders and yanked him down, their lips touching for the very first time.

"This will do, my love," the warrior groaned.

Casimir's tongue slid over Damon's bottom lip so slowly Damon felt dizzy. He wanted to keep his eyes open, but they fluttered closed. The first thing he registered about the kiss, beyond warm and wet and soft, was the taste. Masculine and spicy and purely Casimir. A warrior's taste.

Casimir pulled him closer, plunging his tongue deep into Damon's mouth. He sucked it with fervor as Damon writhed in his mate's arms. So good.

Damon moaned and parted his lips even wider while his tongue chased the taste in Casimir's mouth. Casimir chuckled into the kiss even as his hands slid from Damon's face into his hair, feathering it between his fingers.

Another hunger started beating at Damon's chest. A deeper darker need. He'd never had the chance to feed once he'd flown away and was pulled through that portal.

But it wasn't just that. The fae's intoxicating aroma drove Damon's hunger deeper, like an accelerant to the thirst already clutching his throat.

"Casimir." Damon panted against his mate's lips.

"I feel your need, nétya ." His fingers tightened in Damon's hair.

So why wasn't he escaping? Why was he so calm? Unless Casimir thought Damon's "need" was sexual instead of his dark thirst. He was struggling to get enough air into his lungs as the succulent fragrance wrapped around his head.

Casimir slid his hand around Damon's neck, cupping his head gently. Yáto , nékah ." He exposed his neck.

Damon's fangs elongated as he hissed, as he watched the pulse in his mate's neck beat in a steady rhythm. He salivated at the sound of Casimir's blood rushing through his veins.

"Don't do this," Damon begged as the darkness in him tried to take over. "I won't be able to stop. I'll kill you."

Casimir smirked. "You could try."

Losing the fight, Damon sank his fangs deep, groaning as the sweet blood coated his mouth and throat. He snarled, tugging at the hair gripped in his fists to prevent his mate from escaping. The blood was too delicious to let the fae go.

Damon growled when he felt Casimir jerking around. He was so far-gone he barely registered something wet bathing his entrance. The blood was too good to concentrate on anything else.

"I will fuck the urge right out of you," Casimir snarled right before he drove his cock into Damon's ass. "Release my neck, wolf."

The sharp command only made Damon drink deeper, drawing as much blood as he could from Casimir's vein.

Casimir delivered a powerful thrust, his cock driving deep into Damon's ass. A delicious burn scorched his hole, causing Damon to whimper with another kind of need. It felt as if he was being stretched to the limit, yet a thrill surged through him.

"I will give you all the pleasure you yearn for, nétya ." Casimir delivered another intense thrust, causing Damon's eyes to roll back. "But you have to release me. If you don't, I will force your incisors out of me. Which experience do you desire most, pain or pleasure, my beautiful wolf?"

Casimir pistoned into him. Their bodies clashed, then his mate stilled, his cock trapped inside Damon's ass, throbbing and teasing.

"Last chance," Casimir warned. "Release me or I'll pull my cock from your amazing ass." He eased back until only the head remained.

A snarl ripped from Damon's throat. He wanted both, but Casimir was making him choose. Damon already knew which one he wanted. He battled back his thirst, the part of him that wanted to drain the fae.

Finally, he extracted his teeth and licked the pinpricks closed. "Now fuck me," he snarled, untangling his fists from his mate's hair.

Casimir lifted his head, the side of his mouth curled into a confident smile. "Be careful what you wish for." His inflection was rich and smoky, his eyes heavy-lidded. "Your ring of muscle is squeezing my dick so hard. I am about to wreck your ass." He leaned back inhumanly fast, threw Damon's legs over his arms and spread them wide. Then he tilted Damon's ass upward and fucked him hard and deep.

Damon arched his back, digging his fingers into the rocky cliff beneath him. Casimir looked so gorgeous above him, his muscles flexing and straining, a savage and focused look in his eyes.

And that cock… Jesus. It was rock-hard as it slammed into Damon's ass. So long and thick, hitting his kill zone every time, making him want to cry out with every thrust. Casimir leaned in and kissed Damon, never breaking his rhythm.

Everything felt so intense, especially since Damon rarely bottomed, but he relished the idea with his mate.

Placing his palm on Casimir's chest, he felt his mate's heart beating furiously as his hips punched forward, wrecking Damon just as he'd promised. Because of the spell, they were already bonded, but Damon still wanted to feel Casimir's heart, still feel that deep connection to his mate.

Casimir broke the kiss and placed his palm on the hand Damon had over his heart.

"If we were not already bound, I would walk away," he whispered against Damon's lips. "I would spare you the anguish of being mated to a hunted man. You deserve more than what I am, ceutya nétya ." Beautiful wolf.

When he lifted his head, Damon saw the sincerity in his eyes. Casimir meant what he said. "Then I guess we're meant to be together," he replied. "A hunted warrior and a wolf who no longer has an identity."

Damon tilted his head to the side and moaned. Casimir had slowed, now grinding his cock into Damon's hole, pushing his shaft as deep as he could. So deep Damon felt the base of Casimir's cock at his entrance, felt his mate's balls pressed against his ass.

"You are Damon Frost," Casimir snarled. "What was done to you has not changed the foundation of who you are. A proud, stubborn wolf who is now capable of so much more."

Casimir yanked out of Damon's ass. "Turn over, sweetheart. I need to get deeper inside of your tight body."

Damon frowned. "Where did my pants and underwear go?" How in the hell had Casimir stripped him and Damon hadn't felt it, and why was he just now noticing it?

"Turn. Over." Casimir's eyes filled with need, his cock jutting out, bouncing slightly with every throb. Damon's mouth watered to have that cock in his mouth. It was so damn beautiful.

Instead, he lunged, tackling Casimir to his back. He straddled his mate's lean hips and pressed his palms against the warrior's hard chest. "I didn't hear somebody say please."

If he thought Casimir was gorgeous before, seeing his mate spread out beneath him, his hair fanned out around him, those breathtaking pointed ears…motherfuck.

"Tell me how I took your massive dick without any lube." He rocked on Casimir's stomach, felt his mate's cock sliding up and down his crease. He was dying to impale himself but couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease Casimir a little. This was their first time together, and Damon didn't want to rush through the experience.

Not after they'd been robbed of another aspect of their mating.

Casimir smirked as he looked up at Damon, his hands coming to rest on Damon's hips. "It is a natural lubricant, which not only wets your hole for me but relaxes your ring of muscle for penetration."

Damon stared wide-eyed at him. "We'll definitely work on your sexy talk, my mountainous fairy." He knew how much Raidh and Elvine hated to be called fairies and wanted to get a rise out of Casimir.

"Is hole not a sexy word?"

The rise didn't work.

"Please tell me you're joking." Damon groaned. Shit. The guy was messing with him. He could see his mate fighting a smile. Damon slapped his chest. "You had me going."

Casimir cupped the back of Damon's head and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. "I want you to ride my cock, pretty wolf. Let me feel my shaft stretching you wide."

A shiver ran through him as his mate licked the shell of his ear. His cock grew even harder, and precum was now pooling on Casimir's stomach.

"Lean forward, baby," Casimir snarled seductively in Damon's ear, causing small quakes to erupt in him. He wanted his mate so damn badly. It was like he couldn't even think straight with Casimir's strong body beneath him, his mate's hand cupping the back of his head. If heaven was real, this was it, in this exact moment, high up on this cliff with nothing but the clouds watching them.

Damon planted his hands on either side of Casimir's head then raised his ass, expecting his mate to slide back inside his hole. He wanted him to do just that.

Instead, Casimir pressed the head of his cock at Damon's entrance but held him tight to Casimir's chest. Damon's heart was beating like crazy, like he had no idea what was going on, but he knew something spectacular was coming.

"Kiss me," Casimir said softly against Damon's cheek. "Kiss me, beautiful. You have the softest lips."

Damon was panting now, so turned on he was afraid he would come any second. Casimir's voice in his ear was like a seductive purr, causing Damon's cock to pulse against the guy's stomach. Now all he could think about while they kissed was Casimir's lips wrapped around the head of his dick, sucking him off slowly. The image made Damon's cock jerk violently, almost begging him to slide his shaft between those lips pressed against his.

Then he felt it. A warm spurt erupting, tiny tingles rippling across his puckered hole. He could honestly feel the muscle relaxing further.

"You feel that?" Casimir smiled against his lips.

Damon grinned against his. "Kind of hard not to."

"You like how it feels?"

"Yes." It wasn't time for teasing or jokes. Not when Damon was so aroused he was dying to hear what else Casimir wanted to say to him. "Feels incredible."

The tip of his mate's tongue glided across Damon's lips. "It only happens for my nékah ."

"So, this is your first time feeling it, too?" He took Casimir's mouth in a hungry kiss before the man had a chance to answer him. Answers could wait. Damon's hunger for his mate couldn't. He'd waited too long for this moment. Even when he was angry and hurt by what he thought Casimir had done, Damon had still wanted him, still felt their connection, still craved his mate's touch.

"Yes," Casimir said with a groan. "It's the first time I've felt it. So astonishing."

Damon nipped his lip.

"Are you ready for me, nékah ?" Casimir pressed the head of his cock harder against Damon's entrance.

"My whole life," he admitted.

Though, honestly, Damon thought his mate would be more like Raidh—short, slim, and with a lot of sass. Instead, he'd hit the jackpot and gotten a breathtaking warrior.

Damon groaned when the head popped past his ring of muscle. Holy shit. His mate's cock felt amazing buried inside of him. He tried to push up from Casimir's chest so he could descend onto his cock, but his mate kept an iron grip on him.

"Don't…don't move just…" Casimir hissed. "Not yet."

Grinning, Damon squeezed his ring of muscle, watching as his mate rocked his head back, his eyelids fluttering closed. "You devilish wolf." He groaned. "If you don't hold still, it'll be over before I sink my cock all the way into your tight heat."

"You need better stamina, gorgeous." Damon pushed down slightly, causing Casimir's dick to sink deeper. "I need a hard fuck right this second," he growled.

When Casimir rocked his head back down, Damon gasped. His mate's eyes were glowing, the cerulean irises swirling like blue smoke in an upward draft. "Do not fear me, céutya nétya . Legend tells that Méit yah guardians burn like the brightest stars when they mate."

"I'm not afraid," Damon panted. "They're mesmerizingly beautiful. Why is it only legend?" The blue swirls of smoke were almost hypnotic. Damon leaned in closer and sucked in a sharp breath. In the middle of the updraft were sparkles, almost like stars.

"Because only a handful of Méityah have been fortunate enough to find their mate. It hasn't happened since I've been a guardian."

That was heartbreaking. His mate said he was four thousand years old, which was a head trip in and of itself, but no guardian had found their mate in all that time? That had to be devastating on a level Damon couldn't even fathom.

He tried to push down on Casimir's cock once more. "I still need to be fucked," he growled again.

"Be careful what you wish for." With his arms still wrapped around Damon, Casimir slammed his cock into Damon's body.

"Harder!" Damon bellowed. He was elated. If they couldn't seal their bond during their mating, those otherworldly eyes were the next best thing.

Casimir took him at his word, pistoning fast and hard into Damon's ass. Damon had to steady himself with his hands on the ground, trying to hold on as Casimir moved quickly and forcefully.

The sound of their skin colliding was carried on the breeze as Damon's canines extended in response to the intense pleasure. His sharp canines pierced Casimir shoulder, a feral growl escaping his lips before he pulled them free.

His wolf hadn't been able to join the bond, as if it were completely locked out of it.

Even though Casimir's eyes were beyond amazing, Damon's wolf howled mournfully that it had missed out on the soul-binding moment they were meant to experience together, a precious moment stolen from them forever.

The loss hit him so profoundly it felt like his very heart had been ripped from his chest. Damon choked on a sob, unable to hold back the pain.

"I know," Casimir whispered, slowing his movements and gently cradling Damon's face in his hands. Unshed tears were brimming in his mate's eyes, reflecting an anguish that mirrored Damon's. "I share your pain, nékah . It cries out inside of me just as strongly, resonating within me like a thousand daggers piercing my heart."

* * * *

"We need to find out what is going on," Christian said from the head of their meeting table.

Panahasi agreed. "I've been trying to—" He suddenly erupted from his seat, sending the chair behind him flying with a crash as the heavy oak meeting table overturned violently.

"What's going on?" Zeus asked as everyone jumped out of the way.

Throwing his head back, Panahasi unleashed a ferocious roar from a pain so excruciating it pulsed outward in a steady rhythm, the pain beating against everyone around him. The members shouted and staggered backward as the building shook.

In the next instant, Panahasi's back arched and his true form burst free. He was lifted off his feet and began to ascend into the air, spread-eagled and powerless to stop this.

Damon.

His wolf had tried to seal its bond with Casimir, only to discover it had been locked out. Now it howled for vengeance against the betrayal.

I can't stop it from taking you! the primal source shouted in Panahasi's head.

He had interfered with fate, and now fate wanted retribution.

Panahasi vanished.

* * * *

As they lay on the cliff, Casimir kept his arms tightly around Damon, his face buried in his mate's hair. The pain behind that single sob had brought Casimir to tears, and it was the first time in his existence he had ever shed them.

The lovemaking had come to an abrupt halt, and now Casimir held Damon protectively from behind as they lay together. Time seemed to stand still as they cuddled on the rocky cliff, with only the rising sun to mark the passing hours. Occasionally, the faint sound of cars could be heard driving along the roads below, but their gentle rumble was overpowered by the sound of the breeze.

The pain of feeling Damon's wolf fail to join their bond was unbearable for Casimir, and he never wanted to feel, or have Damon experience, that level of anguish again. His nékah had already been through too much.

Damon slightly stirred in his arms, but Casimir refused to let him go. After watching his mate suffer since being pulled from the sleep, Casimir finally had the chance to comfort him. Damon would not be leaving his arms anytime soon.