I plant my feet firmly, bracing for the battle ahead.The first Nephilim lunges, its massive fist crashing down where I stood just seconds ago. I throw myself to the side, rolling across the forest floor as the ground quakes beneath its blow. Before I can recover, the second joins it, their combined presence suffocating the surrounding air. Power radiates from them, dark and wild, their magic surging to the surface—coiling, ready to consume me whole.
Then, the air shifts. A shadow flickers across the ground. A roar tears through the sky, deep and earthshaking, causing us all to freeze. In unison, our heads snap upward.
The dragons have arrived.
Zephyr mentioned these winged beasts would patrol the sky, and yet I didn’t expect them to be here. It’s by some miracle Malix’s people are here, led by a slender, purple dragon.
The earth heats as the dragons rain down fire. I’m too distracted by our saviors to move out of harm’s way until a hand that burns my skin in a completely different way drags me against him and pulls me back behind a tree. Just in time too because, the next moment, the spot I had just occupied is engulfed in flames.
The Nephilim shriek, a loud, terrible sound that nearly makes me clamp my hands over my ears. I’m tucked so tightly against Zephyr that he muffles the noise from the dying creatures, but he doesn’t mask the horrid rotting smell. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen battle, I’ll never get used to the smell of burning skin. It churns my stomach. I’m certain if I had eaten this morning, I’d be heaving it up now.
The screams fade moments later as two large bodies fall to the floor. Dead. All the Nephilim that attacked are dead.
Zephyr looks up at the same time I do to see the purple dragon hovering above us. I’m uncertain, but I think this is Malix’s second, Vivia. The dragoness bows her head, a silent acknowledgment that their job is done. She then flaps her mighty wings and rejoins the rest of the dragons to continue patrolling the skies.
All around me, soldiers stir. Some moan in pain, while others celebrate a hard-earned victory. But the stench of death still lingers in the air. Not just the Nephilim but ours too. We lost good men and women today, but I vow their deaths will not be in vain. They did not die for nothing and will all be remembered as valiant warriors.
I sneak a glance at Zephyr, noticing the heat in his eyes. Our bond is full of confusing emotions. The loudest is anger, though something else simmers between us. It’s strong, pulling me closer, despite knowing Zephyr is pissed.
“You were reckless,” he hisses. “You shouldn’t have been by yourself. You know this.”
I push away from him, narrowing my eyes. “I was with others. The Nephilim managed to cut them down, though. That’s not my fault.” Even as I say it, I know it’s a lie. All souls lost, every injury, each person who fell, is all my fault. As their king, I should protect them. Their pain and deaths are mine to bear alone.
I can’t hide my shame from Zephyr. He reads me far too easily, that bastard. Without speaking, he takes myhand and leads me deeper into the forest, away from our people.
“We need to get back to them, Zephyr?—”
“They can wait.” He punctuates his words by pushing me against a tree, trapping me in with his body. Pupils blown wide, his eyes scan over me predatorily. I don’t know if he wants to punch me or fuck me. Both sound hot.
Zephyr never tears his gaze away from me as he reaches for my breeches, tugging at the drawstrings until they give way and slide down my ass. His rough hand reaches for my cock, fisting me. I groan, hardening for him almost instantly.
“You don’t risk yourself like that again,” he growls, stroking me. It’s terribly distracting.
“Like I said, it wasn’t my intention.” My anger meets his intensity.
Zephyr digs his nails into my cock, and I hiss at the mixture of pain and pleasure. Fuck him, he knows what I like too much. And I know what he needs. Zephyr needs this. Needs to touch me to prove he hasn’t lost me. I will not deny him this.
Like a tempest brewing in the night, we crash together in a storm of raw desire. His lips claim mine in a punishing kiss. It’s unyielding, demanding, and utterly consuming. There’s no tenderness, no hesitation, only the brutal force of need. Tongue and teeth clash in a battle neither of us wants to win, a moan slipping from my lips before I can stop it.
I can’t help it. When Zephyr is like this—wild, almost feral with hunger—I surrender to the storm, letting himravage me as fiercely as he desires. I let him unleash upon me.
His hand pumps my cock, squeezing me just how I like it. I can feel his own hard erection, but when I attempt to reach for him, he growls. Zephyr isn’t looking for me to reciprocate. Not when he’s like this.
“You aren’t a martyr,” he snarls. He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, and I groan, arching into his touch. “You need not risk yourself.”
“I’m their king,” I retort, trying to keep my voice even, even though I’m practically panting for him. “I will do what I must to protect them. That includes you, mate.”
Zephyr laughs humorlessly. “So fucking good, Niko. Noble. But you want to protect your people? Protect me? Then fucking live.”
“I’m simply playing your game,mate,” I purr. “Consider this payback for every time you jumped in, ready to lay down your life for me and this kingdom. It’s not a good feeling, is it?” Pleasure builds low in my body. My cock is almost painfully hard, and each stroke feels like lightning invading my senses.
Zephyr’s eyes darken as his hand pumps me faster. “Fuck you, Niko.”
“Please do.”
And then he kisses me again. Desperation and longing guide him. Each stroke of my tongue is a reminder that I’m still here. Each moan tells him I love him. Each thrust in his hand is my anger clashing with his.
Soon, it’s too much. My body tightens as I balanceprecariously on the edge. Then Zephyr squeezes my cock hard, and I fall.
