《Tasting Drakness》 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Prologue Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Prologue Prologue Something felt off this morning. I didn¡¯t know what, but something felt different as I nced around the crowded room. Leering eyes watched me from where I sat alone in the mess hall. I sat on the edge of my seat where I sat at the table furthest from everybody. I always tried to sit closest to and exit but my usual spot was taken. I liked it near the door because it gave me an escape route. For the most part, I tried to go unnoticed; no such luck. I could feel all of their sleazy gazes as they watched me hungrily. I hated this ce. I hated that there were no other women here. Most of all, I hated being the subject they loved to torment. All made worse by the fact I could do nothing to stop them. Keeping to myself, I thought they would leave me alone, but that must be impossible. In a room full of men, I stuck out like a sore thumb. The surrounding chatter quieted down and made me quickly nce around before I ducked my head when I noticed them. Darius had entered the room with my other three mates. They walked to the back of the room, which I thought was a little odd; I rarely saw them here. Usually, they don¡¯t eat here with everyone else. My mates are everyone¡¯s superiors? None of the rules applied to them. They made the rules, and I was just another pawn that had to follow their orders. It appeared they had something to talk about with their recruits because Darius spoke about some crap I showed no interest in knowing. Keeping my head down, I ate quickly, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of here. The moment I stood up to dump my rubbish in the bin my muscles spasmed, my feet faltered as I took a step away from the table, and my entire body locked up with onemand. ¡°Aleera, freeze¡± My entire body stopped at themand, I couldn¡¯t move an inch, and everyone erupted withughter. Oh, how I tried, but I couldn¡¯t so much set a toe out of line. What were these savage men going to subject me to this time? They never usually went this far. Usually, they tormented me, chased me, hurt me, or used their magic on me. However, this is the first time they usedpulsion on me, and it felt wrong as every muscle tensed in my body. Darius, Tobias, and Lycus watched from the head table. They were always happy to witness my suffering. Kalen, however, nced around the room before he looked at me and dropped his head. Something right now felt incredibly wrong. Zac got up from his seat, and my stomach instantly dropped at his cruel smirk. He sauntered over to me before he stopped in front of me. Zac¡¯s eyes hungrily looked me over from head to toe. Zac was the worst I havee across here; he had no boundaries. He was always behind my worst degradation. He walked around me slowly and plucked the sandwich wrapper out of my hand. ¡°Stand up straight,¡± He ordered, and I gritted my teeth, my forced body doing asmanded as Zac¡¯s cold magic caressed over me. A violent shudder ran through me in repulsion. ¡°Nothing to say, Aleera?¡± He chuckled, and the entire roomughed with him. ¡°Nothing I say will stop you. Did you want me to beg? Beg for you not to do whatever it is you are about to do?¡± I asked him. Being here, I learned quickly not to beg. It did nothing with these monster men. They didn¡¯t care that I was female; they didn¡¯t care I was powerless. All they cared about was the control they had over me. ¡°You¡¯re right. It wouldn¡¯t stop me; the guys and I want you to put on a little show for us¡± Zac said in an amused tone. I nced around the room to find the men all were leaning forward eagerly; one even winked at me while another licked his lips. My eyes darted to the table where my mates sat, they had simr expressions of disdain. They would not help me, not that I expected them to, they never did. If they just told them who I was to them if their soldiers knew. I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this shit daily. I knew they would deny it if I spoke up. They threatened to kill me if I told anyone here. So I had kept my mouth shut, they hated me and the feeling was mutual. Yet, I could bear to see them hurt so how could they watch my humiliation with no expression at all? Darius wanted vengeance, but surely he wouldn¡¯t subject me to this sort of humiliation. My eyes went back to Zac, who looked me up and down. Was he going to make me dance? What did he mean by a show? I was already on disy. How much worse can it get? ¡°You could always say no?¡± Zac teased before he scoffed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you can¡¯t, poor helpless Aleera, always so easily influenced, so easily overpowered,¡± He mocked, his demonic eyes running the length of me in a sleazy obscene way. His gaze stopped at my breasts, and I felt my stomach drop somewhere deep and cold within me. I knew it before he said it. Prayed I was mistaken, but his following words confirmed my thoughts. ¡°Strip, Aleera,¡± Zac said, his voiceing out like a purr. I blinked at him, tried to fight hispulsion with everything in me, even though I knew it was pointless. My eyes burned as tears threatened to spill, and my hands shook as I tried to resist doing what he asked. ¡°All of it, I want to see youpletely bare¡± My fingers forcibly start to undo the buttons on my ck blouse. My breathing became harsher, and a sob tore from my lips that sounded more like a whimper. My vision blurred as my top fell open and revealed my ck bra. Zac yanked my shirt off me completely, the shirt tore off at his forcefulness. The scars thatced my skin were on disy for everyone to see. The worst was the burn that went from my shoulder down to my hip. They hollered and whistled, and some even poked fun at my burned and scar-ravaged skin. Was this high school? Were they truly this immature? Fully grown men and they were all subjecting me to this. Worst of all, my mates just watched. I noticed Kalen looked away when my eyes fell on him; he almost appeared to look guilty or was he ashamed? My fingers were still working to undo the buttons and zip on my ck cks. My eyes stung from the tears that brimmed and spilled over, dropping onto the floor as I bent over to remove my pants. ¡°Please stop,¡± I sobbed as I stood upright. How could they all be so cruel? ¡°All of it,¡± Zacmanded again. My entire body shook at hismand, my cheeks burned with the humiliation, tears ran down my cheeks and dripped off my chin, and I could hear them all talking andughing. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. My bottom lip trembled as my hands reached behind my back and fumbled with the sp of my bra. A huped sob left me as it unclipped. I couldn¡¯t handle it, so I clenched my eyes shut so I didn¡¯t see their faces watching me. I hoped it was stuck, but of course, it woulde undone easily and expose me more. Zac¡¯s hand ran down my arm from my shoulder to my elbow as he pulled the strap of my bra down. My eyes flew open at his touch, his other hand moved to my hip, and I felt the bile rise in my throat. The feel of his hands on me disgusted me. I wondered how far he would take this. Looking over at my mates, I saw Kalen get up and walk out along with Lycus. Darius and Tobias, however, were enjoying my torment. ¡°Hurry, Aleera, take it off, take it all off,¡± Zac purred, as he tugged my bra strap off my other shoulder. I stared at Darius. Is this what he wanted? Was this still not humiliating enough? His eyes darkened when Zac ran his hand up my side before grabbing my breast roughly, and I felt more tears spill over as my bra fell away. The room erupted with whistles and filthy words. Darius could stop this. Tobias could have prevented this, and I pleaded with my eyes for them to step in just this once and not subject me to this. I couldn¡¯t stop my hands as they reached for my panties. The last article of clothing left. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 2 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Once a Fae manifests, most people hunt their mates down and wait for them toe into their magic. But they left me and let me finish school. It wasn¡¯t until I turned eighteen and the marking appeared along with my fully-fledged magic that I learned who my mates were. When their names appeared, I ran. I say fully-fledged because I had a secret. I already had magic long before I should. Growing up, I knew I was different, knew something was wrong with me with the way my parents kept me hidden, kept me from the world. If only I truly understood what it meant, I wouldn¡¯t haveined so much. My mother¡¯s voice rang clear through my head every time I felt the urge to use my magic. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see, don¡¯t let anyone find out what you are¡± Her words usually pulled me back, and instinct told me not to show what I was. I had learned early to mask it. The entire world contained Dark Fae. A gue killed all the white Fae leaving only Dark. I was thest of my species, a unique blend of Fae that no longer existed. My mother was a white Fae. She should have died, but my father was Dark Fae, and when the gue hit, her entire bloodline died out except her. Dad said it was because she was pregnant with me, and I¡¯m thest Harmony Fae in existence. I am the Light and the Dark, thest of my kind. I was the ultimate weapon when fully powered, a weapon Darius Wraith could not get his hands on. Hiding what I am was near impossible after my grandma died, and they chucked me into boarding school¡ªforced into the world by Fae authorities. I thought for sure they would have figured out what I was. Now I need to hide it from the Fae poption and my mates if they don¡¯t let me die here tonight. The wolves circled me, tried to get behind me to jump me, and I kept turning while trying to watch them all at once. Tonight would be it; this would be the night I died. Their silver eyes sized me up, and teeth snapped in my direction. They were waiting for me to attack, yet I had barely any magic to use in my defense. Certainly not enough power left to save me. The wolf on the roof jumped down andnded behind me. The wolf¡¯s big heavy pawsnded on the dumpster with a thud. Please, Fates, don¡¯t let me die! I want to live, not die a virgin and hungry. Aren¡¯t I supposed to get ast meal? If your gonna kill me, at least feed me first. Seriously, if fate wanted to fuck me, at least do it gently and ease in, and would kill them to add some damn lube. My fingers twitch toward my mark. I was going to call on them, which feels like a low-frequency buzz over every inch of your body, making you want to go to your mates. I have ignored that buzzing feeling for six years, and now it feels more like an itch. One I just can¡¯t reach to scratch. A growl behind me made me jump, and I swear I watched my entire life sh before my eyes in that split second as they closed in. Lifting my hand, I ced it over the markings and sent a spark of my magic into it. Leaving enough so as not to drain mepletely. My wrist burned, searing with pain like it caught alight, making me scream and clench my teeth. The sheer agony in my voice makes the wolves back off, wondering what has got into me. The mate symbol glowed red and throbbed painfully. I knew it only hurt like this because I waited so long to answer their call for me. The world around me spun violently, and I fell to the ground. My palms bit into the road along with my knees. My power had be too low, a few more minutes and it would fade out, and I would be as useless as a human and killed by these beasts, that¡¯s if I didn¡¯t pass out from the pain of my searing mark burning into my soul and calling for them. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Just as the wolves closed in again, teeth bared and snarling. I felt the air around me ripple, and the turbulent noise made me cover my ears. I recognized the whooshing sound instantly. They came for me, and for a few tense seconds, I believed they wouldn¡¯t. Four sets of feet hit the surrounding ground before the colored light of their magic was all I could see. It swallowed my vision, just their closeness made my reserves shudder slightly, and I had to stamp down the urge to pull on it before they realized. Their power gave me a taste of their magic, kept what was left of mine strong, and made me crave their power. mes missed me by millimeters, the heat so hot, I cried out when it burned the flesh on my arms when it rushed past me. When the howls and whimpers stopped, everything fell silent. Deathly silent. My heart was pounding in my ears. Their domineering auras surrounded me threateningly as they took up each side of me. Their auras made me want to cringe and flinch away. Can I take it back? I choose death; I choose fucking death fates. Nothing good woulde of me calling on them. By the feel of the angry ripple of energy surrounding me, they were livid, and these men were not ones you wanted to anger. No, you never wanted to be on the receiving end of their anger or their magic. Too terrified to look up, I remained frozen until boots stopped next to me. I clenched my hands into fists to prevent them from trembling. They stepped closer, and I found myself caged in by their legs and sitting at their feet. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 3 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 3 Chapter 3 They could kill me, and I felt like they genuinely wanted to crush me like a bug beneath their shoes. I have never felt so small in all my life. ¡°Six years, Aleera, six fucking years, and you have the guts to ask for our help. We should have let them fucking kill you. Have you even got magic left because I can¡¯t feel it?¡± One of them screamed at me. I have feared no one more than my mates. I knew who they were and what they had done. Now I was second-guessing my decision to call on them. One of them grasped my hair, my head ripped back, forcing me to stare at the eyes of the one I feared most. Darius Wraith. His name is constantly in the media; nobody in the world feared anyone more than they did Darius Wraith. And to think he is one of my mates, not that the three others have ster reputations. No, they were just as dark and twisted as he was. I never understood how I could be fated to be theirs; they were pure dark magic while mine was not like theirs, mine was, well I wasn¡¯t exactly sure, but it is both, yet I felt the urge more to my pure white magic more, it made no sense why the fates punished me this way. They could not get their hands on my magic. It would be dangerous in the wrong hands, and their hands would be the worst. They didn¡¯t need more power, especially Darius. He is a Demonic-Fae, and they¡¯re the strongest of the Fae. He, too, like myself, was thest of his species. Demon and Fae, and here I am, thest of my kind, and mates with thest of his. What were the odds, two dying species fated to each other as if we should create a more incredible monster? ¡°Fucking answer me, Aleera, say something,¡± He bellows as I clutch at his hand, trying to free his tight grip. He yanks my head back harder by my hair, and I cry out, my hair ripping painfully from my scalp. ¡°Please, just let me go,¡± I beg him, now wishing I chose death. I was an idiot for even calling on them. A fate with them would be worse. Dariusughs at my pleading, but he lets go, shoving me back to the ground. His presence was suffocating me already. ¡°Never. You belong to us, Aleera. We gave you time, and we could havee for you when you were thirteen, but we didn¡¯t, and still, you ran from us. We are your fucking mates,¡± He yelled. His hands glow with his anger, and I watch as he fists them. Readying myself for the blow. ¡°Bloody monsters,¡± I whisper before I can stop myself, stupid no brain to mouth filter. I instantly regret the words I never intended to speak out loud. ¡°What did you say?¡± I shake my head, not wanting to repeat myself, knowing that would be a mistake when someone suddenly nudges me from behind. His foot connected with my thigh hard, and I could feel my thigh bruising. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Darius asked you a question. Answer him,¡± someone says behind me, his voice velvety smooth, but the coldness of it sent chills down my spine. My hair was yanked again, my head jerked back painfully at an odd angle, and I saw the man behind me. His dark hair falls into his green snake eyes when he res at me. If he weren¡¯t so homicidal looking, I would say he was hot, but the look of rage on his face made me want to cringe away from him. So he must be Tobias Kade, I could tell by the fangs protruding from his mouth and, from what I know of him, he is Vampiric-Fae, a fucking bloodsucker. Nice to meet you too fuckface. ¡°Answer him now Aleera, I want to go home, or we will leave you here to rot,¡± He says, with a cruel smile, and by the look in his eyes, he heard what I said. I say it, and chances are they may leave me here to fend for myself. Tears roll down my cheeks, and I hate that I cry when I¡¯m angry. I also cry when happy and sad too. I just suck when ites to emotion. Emotion to me is like squirting onion juice in your eye. I guess that¡¯s me, an onion girl, has a nice ring. ¡°I said bloody monsters,¡± I spit at him through gritted teeth; his smile chilled me to the bone when I felt fingers wrap around my throat, and Tobias suddenly lets go of my hair. Darius res at me, his fingers cutting off my oxygen, and I clutch his hand. His grip tightens. ¡°You have no idea the sort of monsters we can be. You would have been better off letting them mutts rip you to pieces because we will never forgive you for what you did. You will wish you never called upon us. I will make you wish for death,¡± he snarls before letting go. I suck in much-needed air, choking on my stolen breath. My throat feels damaged as I try to breathe through my mangled windpipe. ¡°Grab her, and let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Darius says before hands grabbed and tossed me someone¡¯s hard shoulder. The air around me heats and warps, rippling like a stone tossed in ake, and I am pulled through a portal they created. The motion and whooshing noise made my stomach turn before being thrown against the concrete floor. My head bounces painfully off the ground when he throws me off his shoulder. I hit it so hard darkness swallowed my vision for a few seconds, and I clutched my head in my hands and gritted my teeth through the pain that just exploded in my skull before hearing creaking and the m of metal on metal. Opening my eyes, I look around to see I am in a cell. Tobias locks me in with a key. He didn¡¯t even nce in my direction before turning on his heel and walking away. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 4 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Darius Wraith POV I stared out the window overlooking the castle grounds. This ce was older than dirt and passed down through the generations, though we had renovated the castle to our taste. My father was old- fashioned, and I would not miss the gaudy drapes and the ugly furnishings he had throughout this ce. We had made it more functional for our needs and that of the army we were building here. Tobias would handle Aleera until I could get over my shock and anger at her calling on us after all this time. All this fucking time, and then she suddenly wants us to save her. Not a fucking call, not a letter, nothing. Nothing for six bloody years. To say I was angry was an understatement. I wanted to hurt the girl, strangle the life out of her. She needed to feel the agony she caused us. She would regret running from me from us. Kalen and Lycus didn¡¯t say a word, yet I could feel their eyes on me, watching me and waiting for the explosion that woulde, yet despite hating her, every goddamn thing about her, I have never felt so relieved at the same time. She would pay for betraying us, for nearly destroying us. Hearing the door open, I look over at it to see Tobias walk in. His anger was as hot as mine. He hated her just as much and, with good reason, what she took from him, what it had cost him, pained me still. She took so much from us, more than she could ever or would ever realize, but she would pay; Aleera would pay for what she had done. We would have loved her, we already did, we would have looked after her, but she threw it in our faces. ¡°Well?¡± I ask him as he drops into the armchair next to the firece, his shirt all creased, and he looked unkempt for the first time in ages. ¡°Hopefully, she freezes to death,¡± He mutters, ring at the mes licking at the wood as he tosses more kindling in. I hated that look on his face, the look he had when he re-lived that night. That night would forever haunt him. I look away, unable to handle seeing his torment. ¡°Where is she?¡± Kalen dare asks, and I look at him; his blue eyes instantly drop to the floor as if embarrassed he asked, no he is embarrassed because he still cared for her, and he should be after the damage she caused. Lycus watched him with a worried expression, and I knew why he was concerned. Kalen¡¯s obsession with her almost killed himst time when she never answered our call, and by the time we got to her school, she was gone. We thought she needed time to get her head around the idea of us, but after a few hours, we realized we misjudged her. ¡°She is in the cells,¡± Tobias answers him with a sigh before rubbing a hand down his face like he was tired, and he was. The anniversary ising up, and this time of the year, he never slept much, and I would have to exhaust him or put him under when he went too long without sleep. Tobias would be unstable and driven by his instincts. We had lost a few men to his grief. Having her here was going to make him worse. I watch Kalen as his head snaps up before he realizes I am watching him. His face shuts down, instantly recognizing his mistake. He was our weakness, and we couldn¡¯t drop our guard around her. I nod to Lycus, and he pats Kalen on the shoulder and nods toward the door. Kalen reluctantly gets up and follows him. I will have to pull him in ler. We won¡¯t lose him to her again. She has taken enough from us, and I won¡¯t allow her to do it again. She either falls in line, or she will rot in that cell for the rest of her life. ¡°We should have let them kill her,¡± Tobias mutters. He reached for the bottle that sat on the coffee table between the armchairs that circled the firece. Moving toward him, I watch as he twists the cap off the bottle before bringing it to his lips, swallowing down the amber liquid. My hands fall on his shoulders, and Tobias flinches, only rxing when I squeeze gently. He knows I would never hurt him. We were friends long before we became mates. I trusted this man with my life, and he trusted me with his. ¡°She will pay for what she has done,¡± I tell him, and he drops his head back to look up at me standing behind him. ¡°I want her to hurt, and I want her to bleed like we have all done for her.¡± ¡°Then make her,¡± I tell him. Tobias turns his stare back at the fire burning for a second, his green eyes reflecting oddly from the flickering light of the mes. His expression darkens as his mask slips back in ce. The same icy demeanor that made people run just at the sight of him. He could be cruel, he was nearly as sadistic as me, and he knew it. ¡°Aleera will wish for death long before we grant it to her.¡± He chuckles softly, shaking his head before tipping the bottle to his lips, and I take it from him, making him growl at me. His drinking had be worse, making me worry he was developing a drinking problem. My jaw clenches at the angry look on his face as he res up at me. ¡°You want revenge fine, but do it sober,¡± I tell him. ¡°And after?¡± He asks, and I stand upright. My lips press in a line as I stare at the mes, my mood plummeting further. Sometimes I hated the mate bond, hated it with a passion. It was the worst feeling, craving someone but hating them simultaneously. She nearly ruined all of us; Aleera nearly killed Kalen. We almost lost him because of her selfishness. We just need to remember everything she took from us. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Then we kill her. We don¡¯t need her¡±. ¡°Are you sure that is a wise decision? We need her. I fucking hate her and wish nothing but death on her, but she is our power keeper. She would strengthen us,plete us.¡± ¡°We have survived this long without her, and I don¡¯t want her touching my magic. She doesn¡¯t deserve to after what she has done,¡± He nods in agreement bending forward and leaning his elbows on his knees. The tension in his body was evident as his back muscles tensed under his shirt, his arms flexing and straining against the fabric. ¡°She has no magic. I couldn¡¯t feel it. Could you?¡± Tobias asks me while looking over his shoulder at me. ¡°She must have burned herself out. I couldn¡¯t sense it either, but she has manifested; otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to call on us,¡± ¡°What was she doing there in the first ce? That was bloody stupid of her. Not even we would take on a Lycan City on a full moon.¡± ¡°Well, maybe you wouldn¡¯t,¡± I tell him, and his lips tug at the corners. ¡°Yeah, but you are crazy enough to,¡± he says, and he was right. I feared nothing, and I didn¡¯t have to. Nobody in the world feared anything more than my name. ¡°Would be an enjoyable challenge,¡± I tell him, and he looks over at me and smirks. ¡°I think Lycus should deal with her for a few days. I don¡¯t want Kalen near her. Not until he has control of his emotions. Probably best I steer clear of her, too. I may just kill her,¡± Kalen says, snatching the bottle back, and I have to agree. These would be testing times, with her under our roof and tested she would be. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 5 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Aleera POV For three days, I have sat in this cell. Noone came except one man. He brought me a bottle of water and some bread, but that was it. Every morning, like clockwork. They hated me, but I didn¡¯t care; the feeling was mutual. Yet despite my hatred for the men that killed my family, I didn¡¯t think they would do this to me. Yes, I ran, but I had a good reason for not being with them. Did they honestly think I would go running into the arms of my parent¡¯s murderers? I should have chosen the werewolves. At least I wouldn¡¯t suffer this misery. Stupid Aleera. I was fucking stupid for calling on them. Hearing the steel door groan as it opens, I look over to see the man of the morning. He walked over, his back ramrod straight. He bends down, cing a metal te on the ground that holds three slices of bread. ¡°Are you trying to anger them?¡± He asks, speaking for the first time in three days. It speaks! I thought dryly. I was beginning to wonder if he were mute and was waiting for him to bust out some miming, it would have been nice to have some entertainment. I ignore him, and he growls. He growled like some savage, making my head turn to re at him. If he weren¡¯t one of my mate¡¯s minions, I would appreciate the conversation, but since he was also helping hold me prisoner. I couldn¡¯t care less about his words. He has brown hair to his shoulders and even darker pitch-ck eyes. His scent told me he was a Were-Fae; he had Lycan blood running through his system. That and the ck eyes were a dead giveaway. They looked nearly as eerie as Darius, but nothing made my blood run colder than Darius¡¯s demonic eyes. I blink at him before turning back to the wall that has captured my attention, and I continue to count the bricks on the wall; it has be some kind of game, that and counting the smears of blood. ¡°You are asking for trouble. Just be happy they let you live. Not eating will anger them, and if you don¡¯t eat or drink soon, I will be forced to tell Darius,¡± he says. The man didn¡¯t look that old, maybe in histe twenties around my mates¡¯ ages. His tone clearly showed that he thought I was some naive girl who ran into trouble and was brought here on a whim. ¡°Answer me, goddammit, if I have to go up there and tell them, they will probably order me to kill you, so please eat. I don¡¯t want to be responsible for your death. I have enough blood on my hands,¡± He mutters thest part more to himself, staring at his clean hands like he could see the blood that stained them. ¡°Death, now that sounds appealing. Bring on the grim reaper,¡± I tell him. ¡°I am being serious, they¡­.they will hurt you. Do you have any idea who they are, what Darius is capable of?¡± He asks. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I ask him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How can she still not know?¡± I thought I heard him mutter. ¡°After three days now, you choose to speak to me. Were you told not to talk to me?¡± I ask, and he looks away, so he has been told not to converse with the enemy. I chuckle to myself. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He asks before chucking a water bottle to me. The bottle rolled across the ground, and I was almost tempted to drink it. I licked my cracked, dry lips, my tongue so dry it felt like sandpaper. My throat is raw, but if they intended to keep me here forever, I would rather starve to death and put myself out of my misery. I was doing well so far, nearly seven days total without food, three days without water. It shouldn¡¯t be too much longer if I could hold out a little longer, thirst will kill me quicker than starvation, and I guessed that if it were hot down here, dehydration would have killed me by now, but it turns out it is like an igloo down here, so it was taking a little longer than I predicted. Lucky me, I thought bitterly. ¡°Nothing. You worry about telling Darius. I find it funny, is all,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why would that be funny? They will kill you. No, they will force me to do it, and that¡¯s worse.¡± ¡°Why is that worse?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to, that is why; you may have a death wish, but I don¡¯t like killing people; I have seen enough people die, and I am not someone that enjoys killing,¡± I snorted before coughing on my laugh. ¡°You hate killing people, but you are a were-fae. They love hunting and ughtering. I was nearly dog food before they brought me here,¡± I chuckle. ¡°I am not a monster and I sure as hell didn¡¯t ask to be down here with you, so please drink at least, so I don¡¯t have to tell them, I would rather you down here and away from everyone than up there with-¡± he doesn¡¯t finish what he was going to say; instead he was looking toward the door. ¡°How about you tell them I am eating and drinking like a good evil minion, and they will be none the wiser,¡± I tell him, rolling my eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t do that when they ask every day about you, so if you die and they find you, they will me me for not telling them.¡± ¡°Instead of asking you, they could check for themselves, so run back to your master,¡± I tell him, shooing him away with my hand, the movement taking way too much energy than it should. ¡°You have no idea; I warned you,¡± He says, rushing out. I sighed, reaching for the drink bottle and tossing it through the bars so I wouldn¡¯t be tempted to drink it. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 6 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Hours passed. I spent most of the day sleeping on the cold concrete floor. I was too lethargic to move. My ass went numb hours ago, my legs were asleep, and they had pins and needles, yet moving them felt like too much effort. My teeth chattered as my temperature plummeted, and the day turned into night. The coldness of night seeped into my bones, making them ache worse. I was asleep when I heard the steel door open. ¡°And you are back. Is it morning already?¡± I murmured. Hearing the cell door open, I instantly knew something was wrong as he never once ever came into the cell. My eyes flew open to see Darius standing in front of me. ¡°Oh, shit!¡± I curse under my breath. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh shit is right, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°Not hungry,¡± I tell him, and my traitorous stomach growls at the mention of food. His eyes flickered, and he red down at me. He walked over to me, and I had to fight the urge to shrivel into a ball. Darius growls before reaching down and grabbing my hair. He jerks my head back painfully, but I can¡¯t even fight to loosen his grip. My entire body felt like a dead weight. He sneers at me, looking me over. ¡°Fucking disgusting,¡± He says, letting me go and shoving me against the brick wall. My back hits the wall so hard it knocks the air from my lungs in one short wheeze. ¡°Just let me go. You don¡¯t even want me, so why keep me?¡± I ask, trying to catch my breath. ¡°You¡¯re weak, eat, or I will force-feed you,¡± He says, kicking the te towards me. It resembled toast, only white with no color, but it was as stiff as toast. I turn my face away, looking back at the brick wall. ¡°I am going to give you three seconds, or I will make you eat,¡± He says coldly. ¡°1¡­.2¡­.3¡± I red at him¡ªa big mistake when his foot came down my shin. I screamed. The sound echoed off the walls and made my ears ring as the bone broke at the force. Pain radiated up my leg, and I blinked back tears while staring at his foot on my leg, his foot crushing it still as I panted. He counts slowly again, and I could only gasp and stare at him in horror at what he had done. His face is expressionless, like hurting me meant nothing to him. I suppose it did mean nothing, or he wouldn¡¯t be doing it. ¡°1¡­2¡­3¡± He twists his foot, earning another scream from me, yet I was too weak to stop him, and my magic was all but gone; I highly doubt he would give me any to renew mine. ¡°Stop, stop, stop, Darius¡± My scream agonized, and I tried to clutch my aching leg, only for him to stomp on my hand. I hear the sickening crack of my three middle fingers. Bile rises in my throat before I throw up the emptiness of my stomach. Acid burned my throat while I gasped for air as bile spilled from my lips onto the ground beside me. He removes his foot off my hand, and I clutch it to my chest when the door opens behind him. My entire body trembles and Darius steps away from me, looking toward whoever entered. The pressure on my leg leaves, but it is bent inward in the middle. Just moving causes me pain, and my blood coated the floor beneath it. The bone jutted out of my skin, and I fought the urge to throw up again at the gruesome sight of it. I could only stare at my leg in horror at what he had done. The pain receded, and I knew I was in shock. I weed the shock, anything to rece the pain, but I knew it would wear off any minute, and it does. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asks Tobias, making me look toward him, but I couldn¡¯t see him, with Darius blocking my view. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t eat; I was making her,¡± Darius says simply like he does this sort of thing every day, and it was merely some annoying chore to him. ¡°Just leave her be. Hopefully, she dies. We don¡¯t need her,¡± Tobias says coldly, and it was like a dagger in my chest. Tobias steps to the side and nces at me with an expressionless face. His eyes darted to my leg and the blood pooled below it. I watched his adam¡¯s apple bob as he swallows, and his eyes went to mine fleetingly before he turned his attention back to Darius. Darius grunts but adds nothing else before closing my cell door and leaving me as he follows Tobias. The moment the steel door shut. I fell apart; uncontroble sobs wracked my body, causing more pain as the floodgates opened. I could no longer contain it. My hand shook as I tried to use the one that wasn¡¯t broken to pull my pant leg up, the fabric catching on the jutted-out bone. Pain steals my breath away, and I slump back, trying to breathe through it as my leg throbs. Tears trekked down my cheeks. He broke it; he broke my leg and hand and just left me here. ¡°Why?¡± I whisper to no one. Was my life always going to be a battle, some disaster? Did the fates think I was indestructible? Because if they did, they are wrong. Gosh, how they are wrong. Pairing me to these monsters was just cruel. I knew I would never survive them, and I had been asking why ever since their mark appeared on my wrist. The wrist attached to the hand Darius just broke. I should have chosen death. I couldn¡¯t fathom how they could hate me so much. I hated them for a good reason, yet I would never inflict this on someone, never hurt them like Darius just did. I stared down at my leg, hoping it would go numb like the rest of me, no such luck. Haven¡¯t they taken enough from me? What do they want? They clearly hate me, so why keep me trapped here? Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 7 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 7 Chapter 7 I didn¡¯t know what time it was when the door opened again, but I cringed when it did. Fear coursed through me, making my eyes dart to it. Worried, Darius has returned to inflict more injury on me. My leg needed to be set back into ce, and I needed a doctor. Without my mates, I have no way of fixing it myself with one hand, and I doubt I could, anyway. My pain threshold wasn¡¯t the best. Relief floods me when I realize it isn¡¯t him. It was my usual morning visitor. He walks in, and I watch him as he tosses the water bottle through the bars. It falls at my feet and bumps my foot. I didn¡¯t even feel it, and I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good thing because I wasn¡¯t in pain or a bad thing. ¡°Aleera, please just-¡± He stops, his eyes going to the odd angle of my leg and my blood that has frozen on the floor beneath it. His eyes moved to mine before going to the hand still held to my chest. I knew how gross it looked; my fingers were swollen and ck, and they still hurt; however, my leg was numb, and I prayed it didn¡¯t mean something terrible. ¡°Darius did that?¡± he questions, and I just look away from him. He appeared shocked. Why he thought better of him was beyond me? All the rumors of his cruelty turned out to be urate, and to think, I tried to convince myself over the years that maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.. Perhaps I could get past him killing my parents. Thankfully, I never gave in to the hopelessness that comes from living out there and surviving. If I had, I would have been here over four days, and if this is four days brings me, just what am I truly in store for, and could I survive it. The door swings open and bangs on the bars, and I look over at the man. He curses but hesitates for a second before walking over to me with his eyes trained on me like he thought I would do something. He nced at the door behind him, and I watched as he kneeled beside me. He rolled my pant leg up. His eyes dart to me like he was expecting me to cry out at the movement of my leg, but I feel nothing when I see his hands move towards my leg where the bone poked out of my skin. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask him. ¡°I can¡¯t leave you like this,¡± He says; he almost looked guilty like he did this to me. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why do you care?¡± I mutter, looking away from him. ¡°Because you don¡¯t just belong to him,¡± He says, and my head whips back to look at him. ¡°You still haven¡¯t figured it out, have you? Do you know who I am?¡± He asks before I feel his hands grab my leg. My skin buzzes and vibrates, and I gasp. ¡°Lycus!¡± I whisper, and he nods once but doesn¡¯t take his eyes off my leg when I hear it crack as he forces it back in ce, and I scream. I wanted the numbness back. So much for being numb. His hand instantly mped down over my mouth while his head turned to look at the door, which I noticed was wide open. He looks back at me when no onees down before removing his hand, I try to catch my breath. ¡°Quiet, they are in the mess hall,¡± he says while examining m y leg. ¡°Mess hall?¡± Lycus nods but doesn¡¯t exin. He returns his hands to my leg, and I flinch as his hand comes in contact as h e feels my leg, searching for something. I have no idea, but it bloody hurt as he prodded before reaching for my hand that tucked against my chest. He turned my wrist, examining it, but no bones were jutting out. I watch as his eyes turn silver and his canines slip out before h e bites into his wrist before offering it to me. I just stared at him. When a thought hits me, I could siphon his magic and knock him out before he even notices; this was my chance to escape. ¡°Hurry, it will heal you, Were-fae!¡± He says, pointing at himself like he thought I couldn¡¯t tell what he was. I was d I had no magic right now because, with my pain, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it contained to shield him from what I was. I needed them to believe I was a dark Fae like the rest of the world. ¡°I know what you are,¡± I tell him. ¡°Are you sure because you didn¡¯t recognize me or feel I was your mate?¡± he says. ¡°I felt it when you touched me,¡± I muttered. ¡°Yes, but you have no magic left, or I would sense it, we all would nevertheless I still would have thought you would have had some inkling about who I am to you¡± he sounded almost upset I didn¡¯t recognize him or maybe I imagined it. ¡°Well, sorry if I¡¯m a bit power drained right now, and it is not like I see your face sshed all over papers and the media,¡± I tell him. ¡°Having no power is your fault, don¡¯t expect me to feel sorry for you because I don¡¯t,¡± He says, his eyes darkening back to their pitch-ck color. ¡°Kalen and I don¡¯t like leaving the castle,¡± He finally states, but my brain is still stuck on the word castle. Did he mean like an actual castle from fairy tales? Did they still exist? Was I in a dungeon of sorts? That exined the weird-ass shackles on the walls. I thought maybe they were some twisted Halloween decoration, or perhaps they were into BDSM, but now I was looking at them differently. I wondered briefly how many people hung up by them. ¡°Aleera, hurry before I heal,¡± he says before groaning, and I turn my gaze to his wrist that closes up before my eyes. His eyes turn silver again, his canines sinking into his wrist. He tears the flesh away, which made me pull ¨¢ face when he doesn¡¯t even flinch, oh how I wish I had his pain threshold. Right! Back to escaping, blood to heal, then siphon and run like my ass is on fire. I could do this. I hope it won¡¯t hurt him, though. I know I shouldn¡¯t care, but I didn¡¯t want to hurt him. The pull to his power and him now I recognized him was growing stronger-stupid mate bond. And couldn¡¯t the fates have made them as ugly as their shitty personalities? Seriously they get to be sick depraved assholes and get godlike looks. How is that fair? Grabbing his wrist with my good hand, he flinched, and I had a strange feeling he was fighting the urge to pull away from me. Like my touch repulsed him when I realized he wasn¡¯t healing me because he wanted to, but because he felt guilty. Anger courses through me, and he looks away as I press my lips to his wrist, letting his blood flow into my mouth. I could feel his magic in his blood as it coated my throat and tongue, making them tingle as I healed. Healing quickly, I wiggled my fingers as they healed before grabbing him with both hands and pulling, no that was the wrong word for it. It¡¯s like turning on a vacuum, and I felt his magic slip into me. The more I take, the higher chance he would notice. I wiggle my toes, and I let his wrist go. He wipes his wrist, cleaning my saliva off with his shirt, but I don¡¯t waste any time. While he cleaned his wrist, I lifted my foot and kicked him straight in his pretty face. I hope I didn¡¯t damage it. The shock would have been my only element of surprise, and I jumped up as he fell backward. Not expecting it and he clutches his nose, which sprays out blood. But I didn¡¯t have time to feel bad when I sted him with the magic I just stole from him, which wasn¡¯t much but enough to shove him backward until he smacked into the metal bars, which knocked him out. His face falls ck, and his shoulders slouch. I hesitated, feeling guilty I hurt him, but that wore off quickly as I looked t o the open door and my escape route. Running, I take the steps two at a time. Once I made it through the door and I reached the top. I find another door and push it open slightly, peeking out. Blinking, I am taken aback by the fact the ce was indeed something out of fairy tales. It was a castle by the high ceiling and enormous chandeliers, the massive staircases, and was that a ballroom? Oh, no, that is the mess hall, but it must have been a ballroom by its sheer size. It has a very modern look for a castle, one of them has good tastes. Pushing the door open, I could see a vast corridor across from me, but that meant running across to hide at the base of the stairs, which meant running past the double doors wide opent o the mess hall. Men seated at the long tables made me . wonder if I would go unnoticed-only one way to find out. So I ran like crazy. The screeching of chairs alerted me that I did not go unnoticed, and the fierce growl that echoed off the walls out to me. Still, I tried racing toward the double arched doors at the end of the long corridor. This ce is a maze, corridors leading everywhere, but I had n o time to explore while I raced toward the doors, praying they led outside to freedom. My blood runs cold when Darius suddenly materializes out of thin air, and my feet screeched on the floor. He appears in front of the doors I intended to run out of-forced to stop and back up a step. Turning, I run in the direction I just came from when I see Tobias behind me. A menacing look on his face before I see his hand whip toward my face a second toote. It took another second to register as darkness swallowed my vision. Tobias punched me. He knocked me out, I thought. Though I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, he is exactly like Darius. Darkness engulfed me, and I begged the fates not to let me wake back up this time. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 8 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Darius POV Tobias¡¯s fist connected with her jaw. It happened so quickly I barely caught the movement until she started to fall. Tobias hesitated to catch her like he would let her hit the marble floors, but he moved at thest second, catching her limp body. Lycus storms out of the dungeons, looking extremely pissed off, and his shirt is coated in blood. Kalen was at his side in an instant, fussing over him. Lycus¡¯s shirt is saturated in blood, his nose bleeding, and Tobias turns, noticing my gaze is directed over his shoulder. Lycus smacks Kalen¡¯s fussing hands away as he storms over to us. ¡°Fucking bitch stole some of my power and hit me with it,¡± He growls, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. Kalen¡¯s eyes look to Aleera in Tobias¡¯s arms, his expression looking conflicted before reaching his arms out for her. ¡°No, we have talked about this. You are to stay away from her,¡± Tobias tells him. Kalen looked at me, and I could see the pleading in his eyes. He wanted to hold her, feel her close. ¡°She is unconscious; she can¡¯t hurt him,¡± I tell Tobias, giving i n to Kalen. Tobias growls but shoves her toward him and lets Kalen take her limp body in his arms. Lycus growls, not wanting Aleera near him. None of us did, and I worried this might start up the obsession again. I am pretty sure letting him take her will be just the beginning and a mistake on my part. Kalen was already attached to her. He has attached to her already, and he hasn¡¯t even spoken to her yet. She looked small in his arms, hugged close to his chest. How could he still want her after it nearly cost his life? He almost chucked it away for her, and yet he was so tender with her. I hated it, and Tobias¡¯ deadly re said he did, too. ¡°Put her back in the cells,¡± I tell him when he turns around with her in his arms. He freezes, turning back to face me. ¡°Darius, please,¡± His voice a soft murmur before he looks down at her in his arms. Lycus walks over to him, stopping in front of him. ¡°Put her back in the cells, Kalen,¡± Lycus¡¯ voice is a menacing growl. He was pissed off, but I wanted to know why he went into her cell. ¡°No! She isn¡¯t going back down there,¡± Kalen snaps, and Lycus eyes go to his, his lips turning to a frown. ¡°She attacked me. She just tried to run. Put her back in the cells, or I will,¡± Lycus threatens him. Lycus is never like this with Kalen. He has never challenged our mate, but Kalen was the weakest of us, and the fact he would go against us showed his obsession was already returning. We all knew he loved Aleera. He spent years talking to her. Without her knowing who he was to her, her running affected him most. Now she is here. I am worried about his mental state. Stepping closer, I was about to back Lycus up when Tobias spoke beside me. ¡°Put her in her own room in our quarters. Kalen, if she runs again. I will kill her,¡± Tobias warns him, and Lycus¡¯presses his lips together, and his jaw clenches. ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Kalen answers before rushing off with her before Tobias changes his mind. We all struggled with saying no to Kalen. We are terrified of losing him again. ¡°What are you doing? We all agreed he was to be away from her. I don¡¯t want her near him,¡± Lycus growls, his eyes flickering to a silver, burning brightly as the beast that resides in him tries to take over. The savage side likes to terrorize its prey. Right now, I knew Aleera was his prey. Good, she deserves no mercy. Lycus was usually calm. Aleera attacking him seemed to set him straight. He hated violence unless it was protecting one of us. He spent most of his childhood and teenage years fighting for Kalen in the orphanage they grew up in together. Aleera was a threat to Kalen, one he wanted to ruin. ¡°You said she used your magic against you?¡± I ask him, and he looks away guiltily before making sure Kalen is out of earshot. ¡°Did you have to break her fucking leg and hand? I couldn¡¯t leave like that.¡± ¡°Well, you should have, so don¡¯t me us because Kalen is with her,¡± Tobias scolds, but his eyes dart to me. We aren¡¯t usually violent people towards women, but I had a particr spot reserved for Aleera. I had no qualms hurting her like she did all of us. ¡°You healed her,¡± I scoff before shaking my head. ¡°She was in pain. You said we make her suffer. You never said about literally breaking her bones.¡± ¡°She was suffering. I see no difference,¡± I answer. ¡°Don¡¯t let Kalen see you hurt her like that,¡± He says, turning and folding his arms across his broad chest to re at Tobias about to rant at him. ¡°He would have sat down there with her, don¡¯t look at me like that. You know I hate him with her just as much as you do, but I won¡¯t have our mate withering away in a cell with her or sneaking down to see her. It is better this way. We can monitor both of them,¡± Tobias says before Lycus could shout at him about letting Kalen take her to our quarters. Lycus snarls, clearly not happy, but says nothing else on the matter. ¡°This may be a better idea anyway,¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± Tobias asks. ¡°Because tomorrow she can start sses. Let¡¯s see how she fares when she goes up against an entire castle of pure demons¡± Tobias chuckles at my words, knowing exactly what I¡¯m thinking. ¡°But she has no magic,¡± Lycus says, and Tobias chuckles, dropping his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Exactly, we don¡¯t have to make her suffer; they will do it for us,¡± Tobias says before stalking off toward the stairs. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Lycus asks him. ¡°To get Kalen away from her before he does something stupid, like confessing his undying love for her,¡± Tobias tosses over his shoulder. ¡°So, what are you going to tell the men about her?¡± ¡°No, we will tell them nothing, only that she is our prisoner. Let them think what they want about her. I will just tell them she is an enemy we want to be kept close,¡± I tell Lycus. ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want them following her orders just because of what she is to us,¡± Lycus states while watching Tobias walk up the stairs to our mates. ¡°No, I have a better idea. Whoever breaks Aleera first wins the bad for a ranking officer,¡± I tell him, and he smirks. ¡°Well, that will be enough motivation for them, but she is not t o be in any of Kalen¡¯s sses,¡± Lycus says, and I nod my head i n agreement. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about him-¡± He raises his hand, silencing me. ¡°Don¡¯t. You didn¡¯t find him. You didn¡¯t have to cut his body down from the rafters. Worried is not the word I would use to describe how I feel about Aleera being near him,¡± Lycus growls before turning on his heel and walking away from me. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. My jaw clenched at his words. I wasn¡¯t there, but luckily we got back in time. Luckily, Tobias could revive him and heal his broken neck. A few secondster, he would no longer be with u s. We would have never let him die, but resurrection could be tricky. It taints the soul, and not in a good way. She won¡¯t destroy us this time. No, she will break, and when she does, she will understand the torment she has caused us. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 9 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Aleera POV My head throbbed, and the back of my eyes ached but not nearly as much as my jaw does. I groaned, forcing my eyes open when I realized I wasn¡®t on the hard concrete floor of the dungeon. No, I felt warmer andfortable. I blink, trying to clear the blurriness of my vision to find a man sitting next to m e, and I am in a bedroom on a bed. The man stared like he was looking through me as I jerked upright and pulled away from him. He had b londe hair that looked like he had just run his fingers through it only moments before. His blue eyes were the lightest shade I had ever seen, almost so pale they were almost white. If it weren¡®t for my enhanced eyesight, I would have assumed they were until he blinked. The color returne d to them. I wondered where his mind went as the color returned, and his eyes were now a startling cerulean blue. ¡°Drink, please,¡± he says, reaching beside me for the tall ss o f water. He hands it to me, and I clutch it in shaky hands.¡± Please,¡± He repeated, and for some unknown reason, I didn¡®t like the idea of upsetting him, so I quickly obeyed, bringing the ss to my lips. The icy liquid pours into my mouth, which is so dry I gulp it down before nearly choking on it. ¡°Slow. Not so fast,¡± he murmurs, gripping the ss. My fingers tingle where his bumped mine. He slowly tips the cup up, allowing me to drink what is left in it. He goes to open his mouth to say something else when the door opens suddenly, and he turns his head to look at who entered, and so do I. Tobias l eans on the doorframe. I quickly look away from him, back to the man sitting beside me, and I know wh o he is. ¡°You are Kalen?¡± I whisper, and his face turns back to me. He studied me for a second before shifting closer to me, his hand outstretched, and I wondered if he was going to hit me, but he didn¡®t seem like he was goi ng to. I didn¡®t have time to find out when Tobias spoke from the doorway. ¡°Kalen, Darius wants to speak with you,¡± Tobias says while pushing off the doorframe. Kalen drops his hand and sighs. ¡°Why?¡± He asks, turning to look back at Tobias. His voice was deep yet not cruel sounding and didn¡®t make me want to cringe at the sound of it like Darius and Tobias¡®s voice makes me. ¡°You know why now don¡®t make him wait. You know he hates waiting,¡± Tobias tells him, his voice different, softer a s he spoke to Kalen. Kalen¡®s shoulders drop as he gets up off the bed. I didn¡®t want him to leave. He is the only one that didn¡®t appear to want to kill me. Yet as he moved around the edge of the bed and towards the door, I noticed Tobias would not f ollow him. ¡°Close the door,¡± Tobias says, and my heart rate picks up at his words, and I nce toward Kalen, who nods before giving me a sad smile and shutting the door behind him as he leaves. Tobias st eps slowly around the edge of the bed, and I move to the other side, getting ready to run if needed. He chuckles like he finds my fear of him amusing. He stopped next to the dresser that sat along the wall. ¡°I would remain where you are Aleera, don¡®t tempt me because it will only end in pain for you,¡± Tobias says, the softer kind voice he used with Kalen gone, reced with a harsh cold one, that held a warning. I hesitate to ce my foot on the grey carpet. He turns his head to the side, and I bring m y leg back onto the bed before tucking both to my chest. ¡°Good, you can listen,¡± He says as the door opens again. My other three mates walk in. Darius is the most imposing out of them. The second was Tobias, but they were all intimidating. Darius and Tobiasmanded your attention effortlessly just by their presence al one, and if looks could kill, Lycus would have turned me to ash. He had changed his shirt to a white one. Darius had ck cks and a white button¨C up shirt; the sleeves rolled to his elbows. Not only was he menacing, but he also looked the part, with the way the shirt hugged his body like it was tai lored to him. The fabric did nothing to hide the bulk of muscle beneath it. Kalen had on jeans and a ck shirt. He was leaner than the others, yet still muscr from what I coul d tell by his arms and the ridges of his abs pressing against his shirt. Lycus, however, was all muscle with having Werewolf genes mixed with his Fae ones. Typical shifter genes. Lycus¡® eyes had again changed, making me wonder if they changed with his temperament though he looked pissed off, yet his eyes color was now amber. Maybe it was the light down in the dungeon. I know werewolf shifters had deep silver eyes i n a semi¨C shifted or shifted state, so it must have been a trick o fthe light, which means this must be the natural color of his eyes. Darius folds his arms across his chest, ring down at me, and I drop my gaze, unable to handle the intensity of it; it burns into me with a hatred that makes my stomach twist. ¡°Nothing to say, Aleera,¡± Darius asks, and what could I say. What excuse would he ept that is good enough because murdering my parents and burning my family home down wasn¡®t a good enough reas on to run from them? If I told them the other reason, they would probably pin me down and use m e to destroy the world as their personal power source. Movement catches my eye, and Darius suddenly appears next t o me before gripping my face. His fingers dig into my cheeks a s he forces me to meet his demonic eyes. Darkness was all I saw in them. He is evil incarnate. ¡°I asked you a question,¡± He says, his voice deadly calm when he shoves my face away. I rub my cheek where his nails dug in a little too hard, breaking the skin. ¡°You will remain in this room between sses if you leave this castle without permission. You will find yourself back in the cells, understood?¡± Darius asks. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡®t try to run Aleera, our room is right next door, and I will have guards stationed on the stairs. They have permission to use force if necessary,¡± Tobias says, and Lycus walks over to a door I hadn¡®t noticed before. He opens it, and I see it is a bathroom. Another door on the other end, which I am guessing, leads into the room next door. When his words suddenly register, did they all share the same room? I stare at them but say nothing when Darius leans down, making me tilt backward as his hands drop on the bed o n either side of my hips. My eyes go to the faint outline on his neck, three marks ovepping each other. I blink in shock, wondering if I imagi why did he have all three of their marks on his neck, making me want to know if they all shared each other¡®s marks. ¡°Is that understood, Aleera?¡± Darius asks, and I tear my eyes away from his neck to look at his face. I qu Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 10 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Darius watches my face for a second, and I swallow as his eyes run down my body and to myp, making me shift ufortably. He growls; the noise makes goosebumps cover me as he towers over me. ¡°Lycus, go get her some clothes. Kalen, go grab her a shirt until Lycuses back so she can shower,¡± Darius says before pushing off the bed away from me. Lycus nods to him before walking out, and so does Kalen, leaving me with Darius and Tobias. ¡°You attend every ss. Someone will pick you up from your room of a morning to take you down to the mess hall, which is where all meals are for those that live here.¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± I ask before I can stop myself. Darius didn¡¯t like being talked over as he took a deep breath, and I watched his hand¡¯s fist at his sides before looking down. ¡°Meals are in the mess hall. I will have some books sent in here; under no circumstances are you to tell anyone here you are our mate. If you do, you will wish you were in the cells, am I clear.¡± ¡°Crystal,¡± I tell him. ¡°Also,¡± Tobias says, stepping closer to the bed and moving to stand beside Darius. ¡°You steer clear of Kalen, stay out of our way and if you can behave and do as you¡¯re told, you will have a bit more freedom. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go near Kalen?¡± I asked, confused. He appeared t o be the only one that didn¡¯t outright condemn me. ¡°Don¡¯t question us. Just do as we ask. It isn¡¯t up for discussion, ¡°Tobias says just as Kalen walks back into the room. He has a folded shirt in his hands, and he ces it on the end of the bed with a towel. ¡°Now go shower; you¡¯re filthy. Tobias will bring you something to eat when you are out of the shower,¡± Darius says before turning on his heel and walking out. He stops at the door, looking expectantly at Kalen, who turns around when Tobias touches his shoulder, nodding toward the door. Kalen leaves. He looked like he wanted to say something but kept it t o himself. They both go, and Tobias remains looking down at me. ¡°Count yourself lucky we haven¡¯t killed you yet Aleera, be careful not to give us reason too. Kalen may not want you dead, but the rest of us do; just remember that,¡± He says before walking out and closing the door behind him. I hear the lock click in ce, so I don¡¯t even bother checking it as I get u p and walk into the bathroom. A shower sounds excellent. I hadn¡¯t had a hot shower in god knows how long, usually washing inkes or streams. It wasn¡¯t the same. You never really felt clean with only cold water, and I was lucky to find soap when I could. I suppose that¡¯s what happens when you leave the Faemunity and are forced to live in the wilderness, amongst monsters never catching a whole night¡¯s sleep with jerking awake at every noise. Walking into the bathroom, I stopped in front of the mirror above the basin, making my brows furrow when I noticed it had five sinks. A shower took up an entire wall behind me, and there was a colossal bath that could easily fit five people in itfortably that sat in the middle of the room. A toilet was in the far corner, and I wondered if they specifically made this room for the five of us before I ran. Guilt gnaws at me as I ce the shirt and towel on the basin before looking at myself in the mirror. I looked different from what I remembered. My face had changed; it was slimmer. I didn¡¯t look like the same eighteen-year-old girl when I left the boarding school. Now I look older, drained of life. I wasThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org. skinnier, my hair dull and lifeless. It was so much longer now. I t used to sit on my shoulders now; it is halfway down my back, having grown out. The door opens leading to the other room, and Kalen wanders in. ¡°There is shampoo and soap in the niches, spare toothbrush,¡± He walks over before bending down and opening the cupboards under the sink basin and reaching into it. He pulls a hairbrush out and a toothbrush before handing them to me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him, observing the man. He nods, and I hear talking in the room he just walked in here from. ¡°You all share a room?¡± Kalen looks at the door before he nods while looking back over at me. ¡°Strange, huh?¡± I shrug, unsure what other mates did when they had multiple. I stared at his neck, finding the same markings on his neck as I saw on Darius¡¯s. Kalen ces his hand over it, pulling my attention back to him. ¡°I should go. They won¡¯t be pleased if they catch me talking to you,¡± I chew my lip as I watch him slip out of the bathroom. Turning back to the mirror, I peel off my hoodie and shirt before dumping them in the basket. The clothes were stained and holey, but I wasn¡¯t sure where m y bag was, and I believed I had left it behind in the city, vaguely remembering it slipping off my shoulder when I called on them. I unbuttoned my jeans and stepped out of them before unclipping my bra. I ced it on the sink basin, knowing I only had one. Turning around, I hurry to the shower and turn it on, my hand ced under the water as I wait for the temperature to heat before stepping in. It was like heaven, and I sighed, bracing m y hands on the tiled wall¡ªthe dirt, grim¨¦, and blood washing down the drain as I press my face under the spray. Opening my eyes, I reach for the soap in the niche before thering it on my skin. I didn¡¯t want to get out but knew I had no choice; the effort it took to remain standing was bing intolerable. Hunger made me feel weak and shaky; I needed to eat soon. The steam made me dizzy, and my hands hadn¡¯t stopped shaking since I woke. Shutting off the shower, I jump when I hear a knock on the door before the handle twists. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 11 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Panic has me rushing over to my towel and snatching it off the sink basin. The door opens while I am trying to wrap it around myself, only just managing to cover myself when Tobias walks in. He sneered at me before his eyes ran the length of me while I stood clutching the towel awkwardly. My fingers are clutching the towel tightly, and I watch as his face twists in disgust like he couldn¡¯t bear to look at me. Shame washes over me. How could I be so stupid as not to check the door is locked. I would have saved myself this sort of humiliation. I didn¡¯t think I was horrid to look at, nothing that warranted the look of disgust he gave me. If I repulsed him with just a towel on, I would hate to see the look on his face if he got a good look at the burns on my back. That was something I consciously made sure was covered, my back permanently mutted because of Darius. Gym ss was the worst at school; I hated it, the girls would stare in pity, they never said anything but a look could tell a thousand words, express more sometimes than words could. And to think my mate did that to me when he killed my parents, he branded me permanently. ¡°Hurry up, I haven¡¯t got all night,¡± He snarls before mming the door as he walks out and back into the room they ced m e in. The bang of the door makes me jump before I scramble to dry myself and put on the T-shirt Kalen gave me to wear. It fell to my thighs, but I still had another issue. I had no panties, and I couldn¡¯t put the ones I was wearing back on. A little nasty to wear them again after having them on for days while in the dungeon. Tugging the shirt down as far as it would go, I suck in a breath, trying to calm myself as I open the door to see Tobias sitting b y the fire. He points at a bowl of something that smells delicious. ¡°Eat,¡± his voice is cold as he turns his attention back to the firece. Frankly, anything would smell delicious at this point. Seven days without eating would make the grossest food smell and look appealing. ¡°Now, Aleera, or would you prefer I bring Darius in here to force you to eat?¡± he asks, turning around from where he sat i n the chair by the small firece. Shaking my head, I force my feet to move, slowly walking past him toward the tray on the bedside table. Nausea swirled in my stomach at the smell. Maybe I should have eaten the bread. I thought as I watched m y hands tremble as they clutched the bowl before cing it on myp. The spoon rattles against the porcin as I grab it trying to scoop the soup on the spoon. Most of it spills back into the bowl as I bring the spoon to my lips, seven days without eating, and the smell of hot food shows how weak I had let myself be. I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I ate hot food, mostly living off fruit and veggies I could scrounge up in the forests. The Lycan city had been the first time in months that I stepped into a city. And I wouldn¡¯t have even left, but the cold and snow had frozen my water source, and most of the vegetation was frozen or dead. At that point, I had no idea how much further the humanmunities were, and I was too weak to continue walking, so I dared to go to the city in search of water and food, only that was a mistake because look at where I ended u p in the clutches of men that didn¡¯t want me. Movement makes me flinch as Tobias moves toward me, his aura rushing out like a protective barrier, except it wasn¡¯t for protection, no he wanted me to know he could hurt me, inflict pain on me if he wanted as he stopped in front. I swallow nervously before I strain my neck to look up at his angry face. ¡°I warned you, and you fucking still refuse¡± He spits at me before turning on his heel and walking toward the bedroom door, and disappearing into the hall, the door clicks shut behind him, and I wondered what he meant; I was doing what he asked. Turning back to my chicken soup, I ce the spoon down before ncing over my shoulder, slightly embarrassed before I drink the soup straight from the bowl, having managed to get none in my mouth with the spoon from the trembling of my hands. They still shook as I brought the bowl to my lips and the warm liquid spilled into my mouth. A moan escapes me at the first mouthful, and some run down my ch¨ªn, and I nearly choke as I hungrily gulp it down when I hear the door handle rattle. I pull the bowl away from my lips and hastily grab the spoon from the bedside table, so they don¡¯t think I am some pig with no table manners, but it would have gone cold long before any made it to my mouth. My belly felt warm from the chicken soup, and I tried to scoop some onto the spoon when a shriek left me when Darius appeared next to me, his hand reaching toward me, and I scramble back, nearly spilling the bowl onto myp. Tobias grabs it before it ruins the bed and sshes over my legs just a s Darius grips my hair. I clutch his hands, tears burning my eyes as I try to figure out what I did wrong. I did what they asked. ¡°You were fucking warned,¡± Darius snarls before pulling a piece of flexible hose from his pocket and a funnel. ¡°Hold her down,¡± Darius says, shoving me back, and my eyes go wide as I see him connect the funnel to the hose. What was he doing? What did I do? Tobias grips Darius¡¯s forearm. ¡°Wait, she has eaten half of it¡± I blink at them, and Darius looks over at Tobias, and I scramble back on the bed. My heartbeat pulses in my ears as fear wraps around me and how I wish I never wasted my magic. Wishing I had tried to take on the Lycans instead of calling on them. Darius takes the bowl from him and holds it out to me.¡° Fucking eat, or I will force-feed you.¡± My hands trembled as I reached for the bowl, my eyes going to the hose and funnel as I took the bowl and sat back against the headboard. Tobias throws the spoon in myp when I realize the shirt had ridden up, but neither pays attention as I quickly tug it back down, covering myself when Kalen appears. His eyes are wide as he rushes into the room, and Lycus grips his arm as he goes to step toward the bed. ¡°Now, Aleera,¡± Darius¡¯s angry voice sends a jolt up my spine. I fought the urge to scratch myself, my body bing itchy. I t was a nervous thing. I hated it; whenever I felt fear, my skin itched, I couldn¡¯t exin it, but Darius and Tobias made my skin crawl just being near their intimidating auras. My hands shake, and this time not just from hunger as I try to scoop the soup on the spoon. Their eyes watching me make m e more nervous. Please just leave; I need them gone. Their presence made me feel sick as I sensed Darius ring down at me. The soup spills from the spoon before I get it to my lips, and a whimper escapes me when I see Darius¡¯s hands clench into fists. Darius leans toward me, and I cringe away from him, pulling m y legs to my chest and turning away from him. Shrinking in on myself as my body tensed, wondering what he would do.¡° Aleera!¡± His eyes Demonic eyes bored into me, and I could see my reflection in his ck, menacing eyes. The frightened look on my face made me feel pathetic; I should not be subjected to this. Scanned with CamScanner This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And still, you deliberately disobey me¡± I shake my head and nce at the funnel clutched in his hands as he steps closer. His hand wraps around my ankle his fingers dig into my skin painfully. I knew being Demonic-Fae, his temperature was hotter than mine, but his skin was searing hot against my cold skin, making me wonder if it was intentional that he was trying to burn deliberately. ¡°You will learn to obey¡± He spits at me before nodding to Tobias, and I watch, horrified as Tobias moves toward me, his hands reaching toward me. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 12 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡° No, no, no,¡± I shriek while kicking my legs. Darius pins them to the bed before crawling on it and straddling my waist. My eyes frantically search the room before my eyes fall on Kalen. Lycus looked away beside him like he couldn¡¯t handle watching as Darius and Tobias pinned me to the bed. ¡°I was trying. I was trying, Darius,¡± I scream as Darius takes the bowl from my hands, and Tobias shoves my shoulders down t on the bed. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I thrashed. I was doing what they wanted. ¡°Darius, what are you doing?¡± Kalen says, sounding outraged, his eyes going to me, and I look at him frantically, wanting him to stop them as he rushed over to the bed. ¡°She did it to herself; we warned her. Lycus, get Kalen out of here,¡± Darius snaps. Lycus grabs Kalen¡¯s arm. Kalen shoves him off and steps closer to Darius. ¡°She was eating for fuck sake,¡± Kalen tells him, grabbing his arm as Darius moved higher, straddling my chest. ¡°No, she was deliberately spilling it.¡± Darius snarls. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t, please,¡± I begged. Tobias pins my hands in one of his before pinching my nose, so I have to breathe through my mouth. ¡°She is starving, Darius. For fuck sake, you try holding a spoon steady when you haven¡¯t eaten in days; I told Tobias to put it i n a cup for her,¡± Kalen snaps at him before ring at Tobias, who growls at him. ¡°You dare go against us. You just saw her tip it back in the bowl ¡°Darius turns to re over his shoulder at him, but Kalen doesn¡¯t flinch away from his gaze. Lycus touches his shoulder, and Kalen shrugs him off. I don¡¯t know what look he had on his face, but it was enough that Lycus took a step back from. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone hungry; you have no idea how hard it is to eat when you have gone days without food. I will feed her. Just let her go and move. She wasn¡¯t spilling it; her hands are shaking,¡± Kalen tells Darius, who scoffs. Embarrassment hits me, making a huped sob escape me. This was so humiliating. ¡°Please, Darius,¡± Kalen pleads, touching his arm and making Darius nce at him over his shoulder. Darius res at him before his features soften like he couldn¡¯t bear to see Kalen upset before he sighs and looks down at me beneath him. Tobias lets go of my nose and wrists. Darius nods before climbing off me, and I scramble upright, tugging the shirt down and bringing my knees to my chest. It horrified me that h e was about to force a tube down my throat, not a care in the world that he would be hurting me. Kalen holds his hand out for the bowl, and Darius hands it to him with a growl. Kalen sits on the bed beside me and reaches for me, trying to pry my arms away from my legs. My eyes flick to Darius, who sighs, pinning me with his re when I feel fingers gently grip my chin and turned my face toward Kalen sitting beside me. Kalen nods, holding the bowl up and pressing it to my lips. My hands grab it as he tips it up, and my hands shake violently as I grip his hand on the bowl so I don¡¯t choke as he pours the soup in my mouth. ? ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± He says as I drink straight from the bowl. Soup runs down my chin and spills onto his shirt. ¡°Slow, you will choke,¡± Kalen tells me, pulling the bowl away for a second and letting me catch my breath. ¡°When did you eatst?¡± He asks as I reach for the bowl. He brings it back to my lips, and I drink the remainder of it, my stomach feeling heavy and full for once when he pulls it away when I have drained it. Kalen holds his hand out, and I notice Lycus has my towel in his hands; he passes it to Kalen, who hands it to me. I used it t o wipe my face and his shirt, where I spilled some of the soup o n it. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer,¡± Kalen says, and I look at him, my brows pinching as I try to remember if he asked me something. ¡°Better?¡± He asks, and I nod my head, giving the towel back to him. ¡°When did you eatst?¡± Kalen asks. ¡°Seven days ago,¡± I tell him. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°Bullshit, you have only been here three days,¡± Darius snaps, taking a step toward me, and I cringe. ¡°That¡¯s why you were in the shifter city,¡± Kalen states, and I nod. ¡°Yeah, everything froze over, all the vegetation and the stream, majority of the water sources polluted, I didn¡¯t realize i t was a shifter city. I was hoping it was a human one. I was desperate, mainly for water. I could havested longer; I havested longer but not without water,¡± I admit. ¡°You expect us to believe you were living in the forests and homeless all this time, bullshit! Aleera. Who did you run off with, we saw the surveince footage, and you left with someone? Who is he?¡± Darius snarls and Kalen res at him. Did he seriously think I ran off with some man, that I would run away for someone else? yton only helped me get out. That was it; we were not friends, merely acquaintances. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you believe, Darius. I know the truth, and that is all that matters. Whether or not you, believe me, is up t o you, or you could ask Tobias he should be able to tell if I am lying or not, I have no magic left to mask myself,¡± I tell him. Darius looked over at Tobias, who was observing me like a complicated math equation. He moves around the bed stopping behind Kalen before reaching his hand toward my face, and I pull away when he suddenly pinches my chin between his fingers. ¡°Repeat it,¡± He says, his eyes boring into mine. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I hadn¡¯t eaten before now in seven days, drank anything in nearly just as long. I ran because Darius killed my parents,¡± I answered him, and he let my face go. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling. D ¡°Well?¡± asks Darius. ¡°I was wrong; she is telling the truth.¡± ¡°So you called me in here for no reason?¡± Darius snarls at him. ¡°How was I supposed to know? I thought she was refusing to d o what she was told.¡± ¡°By fucking asking, did you bother to ask her?¡± ¡°You deal with her then; I didn¡¯t even want to be near her,¡± Tobias says before storming out of the room. I look down at my hands, my throat restricting at his words. The mate bond made his words sting, even though the feeling of hatred was mutual. Their outright tant rejection was like a p in the face, making me remember they don¡¯t want me. I was here out of necessity and for them to ruin. I don¡¯t want to be here either, but forcing me to stay was cruel. ¡°Can I sleep now?¡± I ask, wanting them gone. Kalen¡¯s hand drops onto mine as I pick at my nails before gently squeezing. ¡°Kalen!¡± Darius¡¯ angry voice makes me look at Darius, who was ring at Kalen¡¯s hand gripping mine, and Kalen sighs, removing his hand before dropping his head. ¡°Go with Lycus,¡± Darius growls at him, and Kalen stands, taking my empty bowl and the tray. Lycus follows him to the door before stopping. ¡°There is a bag with clothes in it in the wardrobe for you,¡± Lycus tells me before turning and walking out, leaving Darius alone with me. ¡°Just because Kalen stood up for you, don¡¯t think you can turn him against us, so stay away from him. If I catch you seeking him out, you will beg for me to kill you. Understood?¡± I nod, pulling the nkets back up. ¡°I asked you a question.¡± ¡°Yes, Darius, I understand,¡± I answered as I tucked my legs underneath the nket, my stomach sinking. Why wasn¡¯t I allowed near the only person that didn¡¯t seem hell-bent on trying to kill me? He is the only one that was sort of nice, and I couldn¡¯t go near him. Darius walks out before flicking the light off, leaving only the light from the fire in the firece. The door handle jiggles, and I know he locked me in when I hear the lock click in ce. One thing I knew for sure was, I needed to find a way to get out of here. Get away from Darius, because I could tell this was only the beginning of the cruelty I was about to endure at their hands. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 13 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Restless, I tossed and turned all night, not really getting proper sleep. The tugging sensation of knowing they were so close was pulling me to seek out my mates, the bond urging m e to seek them out, knowing they could replenish my powers. I t must have been the early morning hours when I heard the twist of the shared bathroom door. My mind instantly became alert as I looked in its direction. I let out a breath when I realized it was Kalen and not one of the others. He stops when he notices me sitting upright in the bed before hesitating. ¡°Did I wake you?¡± he whispers, and I shake my head. He looks over his shoulder toward his room before quietly shutting the door. For some reason, his presence didn¡¯t scare me, I found his aura comforting, and I wanted to keep him safe and close t o me for some reason. Kalen walks over to the bed, sitting down on it, and I move over, so he has more room, and heys on his side facing me. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Sorry, it is the bond,¡± Kalen says. ¡°You might get me in trouble, though,¡± I tell him, thinking of Darius¡¯s threat. ¡°I can go?¡¯ he says, and he rolls about to get out of the bed. When I grip his arm, he stops. He didn¡¯t want to go, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want him to leave. It had been years since I actually met someone I wanted to be around. Kalen was the first normal interaction I had had since leaving school. Being the strange girl who stuck to herself in school didn¡¯t win me any friends, and for years the only friend I had was a stranger I spoke to online. It was the only way to vent m y frustrations, and I regretted leaving my tablet behind. I wonder if I could get ess to aputer here? I knew it wouldn¡¯t be anytime soon if they did agree, and I doubt they would let me use it to speak to my friend over the inte, whoever they might be. Kalenys back down, and I observe him the best I can in the darkness, yet curiosity is eating at me. ¡°You¡¯re not like them. You don¡¯t seem to hate me,¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t, I figured you ran for some reason,¡± ¡°And if I just ran?¡± I ask him. He shrugs. ¡°I can¡¯t say I me you. Darius scared the crap out of Kalen and me when he found us,¡± He paused like he was locked in his memories, his aura turned depressive, and I held my tongue, thinking it might be best not to ask what upset him. ¡°So, I still couldn¡¯t hate you for running even if you had no reason,¡± he says simply before wriggling closer to me. His hand reaches toward my face slowly, and he hesitates once again before I grab his hand, his magic coming to life beneath mine, yet I don¡¯t take it. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to break his trust. If I was going to be stuck here, I needed a friend to survive my mates, so why not keep the only decent one close. Kalen lets out a breath when I ce his hand on my cheek. His thumb brushes beneath my eye softly, and I close my eyes. Sleep finally taking me. When I woke up, I found the spot where Kalen was empty, looking around the room. A prickle up my spine alerted me to someone in the room before his voice did. ¡°Looking for someone?¡± Darius asks, and I shake my head, scooting up the bed. I yawn. Darius watches me or rather res at me. ¡°Get up; you have five minutes to get dressed; put these on,¡± He says, chucking some clothes at me. He then storms out, and I look to the window to see the sun is barely up. I groaned, wondering where he wanted to take me. I slipped the jeans on which fit perfectly and a white blouse. How did Lycus know my size? I shake the thought away before realizing I have no shoes. I look around the room for some when the door opens¡­ ¡°Time is up,¡± Darius calls, pushing the door wider. I nce down at my feet. Only socks on, and I quickly nced around once again but found no shoes. Darius, however, didn¡¯t care as he suddenly walked off. Was I meant to follow him even if I had no shoes on? ¡°Now, Aleera,¡± Darius snaps, and I rush out after him. His long strides had me jogging to keep up. My feet were cold even with the thick bed socks on. Darius walked down a flight of stairs, and I was bing lost with all the twists and turns. I could hear the murmuring of men behind the doors, and I raced to keep up with Darius before we went down yet another set of stairs to a floor I recognized from when I tried to escape. Darius walks to the mess hall, where I saw all the men gathered the other day. It had a few tables full when we walked in. All of them looked up, and I froze. More men file in behind me, bumping into me, and Darius grips my arm, his nails digging into my tender flesh. He drags me over to a table and dumps me in a chair. ncing around, I noticed something quickly, they were all demons. These men weren¡¯t Fae. The other thing I noticed was there was no woman in this room. Looking up at Darius, he was smirking cruelly at me. ¡°Wee to hell, Aleera, don¡¯t think my men are your friends or will be your friend. No one likes a traitor,¡± Darius leans down. His stubble brushed my cheek, and I hold my breath at his closeness. ¡°And all of them think you are and don¡¯t go looking for any woman. You will find none. You are the only one,¡± Darius says before standing upright. Darius turns to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± I reach out, grabbing his hand, and he growls at me, and I jerk my hand away and take a step back at the frightening look he gives me. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ Are you leaving me here?¡± I ask, petrified of them, demons fed on fear and any emotion, really, and I knew I would be a nice treat to these men. An emotional buffet. ¡°Why, are you scared, Aleera?¡± I look around, their demonic eyes watching me, and I gulp before looking up at Darius. He chuckles, the sound mocking. ¡°I wanted to kill you, but now seeing the look on your face, I know this was the better option,¡± Darius says, and he looks around at all the men. He smiled; I didn¡¯t like the look he wore on his face. It was off, severely off. ¡°Zac,e here,¡± Darius calls out and waves a man over. ¡°Keep Aleerapany and take her to your first lesson,¡± ¡°Be my pleasure, my King,¡± the man taunts, his smile growing bigger as he stared down at me. ¡°Just don¡¯t kill her; I want to watch her suffer; I don¡¯t want you to incinerate her before she has,¡± Darius tells him before walking out of the mess hall. He leaves, and I remain frozen before turning to face this Zac person who grabs my arm, hauling me over to a table with three other men. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 14 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡° Darius can be a dick; he will settle down,¡± Zac said. I stare at him, confused. He almost seemed normal, nice even as he slid a tray of food over to me. Zac sits across from me, grabbing another before digging into his food. The man beside him is a huge burly-looking man with a short beard and dark hair, and he taps my tray. ¡°Eat; if your training with us, you will need it,¡± he says, and I looked down at the tray to find it has scrambled eggs on it. ¡°I¡¯m Satish, that¡¯s Zac as you know, and that one is Deacon,¡± The other man waves; he had blonde hair, a boyish face, clearly the youngest at the table, I think. It was impossible to tell the actual age of full-blooded Demons; they could be hundreds of years old or precisely the age they appear. ¡°And that one at the end is, Lyle,¡± The man nods, but his lips are pulled back in a snarl. Note to self stay away from the unfriendly one. I go back to my food, scooping up some egg on my fork. ¡°So Darius and the others don¡¯t eat down here with you?¡± I asked. Zac snorts and shakes his head. ¡°No, this ce belongs to Darius; he owns and runs it,¡± ¡°So he brought it then,¡± Zac shakes his head before leaning back in his seat, ¡°You don¡¯t know much about them,¡± ¡°About Darius and the others? No, only what I managed to hear on the radio or see on the news of their killing sprees,¡± ¡°Darius grew up here, and this was his home. Darius turned it into a dark arts training facility; they are all teachers in a way, who better to teach dark magic than the demon king himself,¡± Zac answered ¡°So you all like it here?¡± I ask, ncing around at the table, wondering if I could get an idea of where here was. ¡°Well, we all volunteered, so yeah. We may be demons, but we want to catch the ones responsible for releasing that gue, and taking over the world also sounds promising,¡± Zac answers, and I nearly choke on my food. ¡°Wait, Darius is building an army?¡± ¡°Why else would we be here?¡± Satish says with a shrug. Suddenly an rm res loudly, and everyone jumps to their feet. The silent instruction has me scrambling to my feet after them, and I follow Zac, dumping my half-eaten breakfast on the bench where everyone else did as they filed out. Zac grabs my hand, pulling me after him, and a few people trod on my feet by ident. I hiss when I feel my toenail bend back. Zac stops looking back at me, and I look down at my sock, blood staining the toes. Sighing, I rip the sock off quickly, knowing the tugging will make it annoying. I pressed my lips together for a second to stop from swearing. My toenail was half ripped off. I could live with that. I quickly removed my other sock since everyone appeared to be going towards the main entry doors. ¡°Man, you must have really pissed him off for him not to give you shoes,¡± Zac says, tugging me toward the door leading out. Excitement bubbles in me; this could be my chance to escape. That thought instantly died down when I stepped outside and saw vast fields with different obstacle courses, and then nothing but dense forest making me stop. ¡°Hurry up, Tobias doesn¡¯t like tardiness. The first lesson is with him,¡± Zac exins, and I nod, trying to keep up. ¡°What does he teach?¡± I ask, trying to hide my disappointment at not seeing a road leading in here. ¡°Hand-to-handbat, and the tracks,¡± Zac says, and I stoppletely. ¡°What like fightingbat?¡± Zac looks at me like I have grown two heads before heughs. ¡°Well, that is why it is called hand to hand,¡± he holds up his fists. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go easy on you,¡± Zac says, and I let a breath o f relief before letting him pull me along after him. ¡°So, how many men and women are here?¡± ¡°Six hundred men,¡± I waited for him to tell me Darius was joking about there being no women, but when he added nothing else, my stomach dropped a little. ¡°Wait, there is really no other woman here?¡± ¡°Nope, you are the only one, lucky you aye,¡± He says, tugging me to an empty ce on the field, men start getting into different stances, and I look around nervously. A few were stretching, and some just chatting amongst themselves. ¡°Well, I thought you were going to be aplete asshole since Darius asked you to show me around, but I am d to see he is wrong about you,¡± I tell Zac as he leads me over to his friends. ¡°He ain¡¯t wrong about Zac; he is the cruelest of us all,¡± Satish says, pping a hand on my shoulder. I look over my shoulder at him, and he takes a stance behind me when I see Deacon move to my side, and Lylees up to the other side of me. The four men were boxing me in. Looking over at Zac, he has a smirk on his face. ¡°What?¡± I ask, my voice trembling, suddenly feeling ufortable with the way they were all staring at me. ¡°Darius told her to her face that we would make her miserable, and yet she thought we could be friends,¡± Zacughs, and my stomach drops. What the heck just happened. But they were nice a few seconds ago. Satish sniffs the air deeply, and I spin to find him directly behind me, too close, and I take a step back only to be shoved. Inded in the mud, losing my footing and headbutting the ground hard enough that ck dots danced in front of my vision before I hauled myself up onto my hands and knees only to be kicked in the stomach. The air leaves my lungs in a long wheeze. I could hear themughing and braced myself for another blow when a whistle sounded. They all stop and Zac kneels next to me while I gasp for air. ¡°We told you our names, not because we want to be your friend Aleera, but so you know who to whine to Darius about,¡± he sneers before shoving my face away. The whistle blows again, and boots stop in front of my face, and I look up with m y blurry vision. ¡°Get up. Why are you on the ground?¡± Tobias spits at me. I look over at Zac, who smirks. ¡°Tripped,¡± I tell him, and Tobias reaches down, seizing my arm and yanking me to my feet. I try to wipe some of the mud off using my hands but only manage to smear it worse. ¡°Fucking disgusting,¡± Tobias growls before stalking off, and I grit my teeth, fighting back the urge to cry. I couldn¡¯t let these monsters see me weak; I had to learn to block them out. At least until I escaped. ¡°Twentyps, then the obstacle course, no one-on-one today, . you have your prep exams,¡± Tobias calls out to the men. I gulp when I see the men start running toward a field, I make my way over, trying not to slip on the mud, and the tiny sharp rocks dig into my feet. I make it halfway to the field before stopping. The mud is too slippery, making me wonder why this side was all mud and slippery. What could you possibly do while sliding around? I clutch my knees, trying to catch my breath and also fighting the urge to throw up the little breakfast I got to eat. The backs of my legs were burning from having to unstick my feet and legs from mud. This was ridiculous; the mud was now up to my knees. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± I look up and see Tobias stalking towards me, and I flinch when I see his hand reach toward me. Losing my footing on the slick surface, I fall backward, slipping in the mud andnding on my bottom. ¡°Get your ass over there with the other men,¡± ¡°I have no shoes,¡± ¡°You need something; you fucking earn it. Clearly, Darius doesn¡¯t think you earned them yet, now get up,¡± ¡°Well, can I at least have mine back?¡± I asked. Tobias reaches forward, gripping my arm, his nails sinking into my soft skin, and I could feel the entire outline of his hand. His grip was that tight; I knew it would have bruised. ¡°You don¡¯t speak to me unless spoken to, understood? You weren¡¯t supposed to be in any of my sses, but here you are, s o shut up and quit whining¡± I nod before he shoves me forward, and I only just manage to stay upright as I mber to the field. A sigh escapes me when I find my feet on solid ground. However, my relief was short-lived when I noticed the track running a circle around the obstacle course was all gravel. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 15 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°Move it, Aleera, twentyps now,¡± Tobias roared behind me. Despite not wanting to run, my feet start moving, the rocks digging into my feet painfully. It didn¡¯t take long before the men ovepped me. Around a hundred or so barging and shoving past me. What the heck was their problem? I didn¡¯t even know them, and they took no care when they came too close. ¡°Aleera!¡± I hear Zac¡¯s voice behind me before looking over my shoulder in time to see him running straight at me. I tried to step out of his way when he dropped his shoulder and barrelled straight into me, diverting slightly off track to deliberately hit me. My body was tossed across the gravel, and I felt like I was being skinned alive. My face burned as I skidded across the loose gravel, my hands I used to try and brace myself grazed, and I felt battered and bruised all over. ¡°Up Aleera, you have only done threeps,¡± Tobias calls from the center where the obstacle courses were. I haul my body up t o my hands and knees. Trying not to cry out at my pain and difort. It was agonizing, I kept going, and by the time I finished theps, the men hadpleted theirs plus the obstacle course. The rest of the ss moved on to their next lesson while Zac had been told to make sure I finished the course. His sneers and name-calling were starting to get to me. I was starving, and the sun was cooking me alive. I wondered how long I had been out here when the re of the rm sounded signally; it was lunch. Someone brought Zac out some food while I tried to navigate the climbing wall. My arms could not take my weight much longer and shook as I tried to haul myself up when I felt something smack me in the center of the back. I was about five meters up when pain rippled up my spine, and I lost my grip, plummeting to the ground below. A shriek left my lips as I grasped the air frantically, hitting the ground with a thud before darkness swallowed me. It was the sound of angry voices that pulled me back to my surroundings, a furious growl has me blinking, and I found the sun was no longer directly above me, the sky in orange and pink hues as I tried to remember what happened. ¡°If she ran again, I swear I will fucking kill her,¡± Darius¡¯s angry voice boomed. I groan, rolling on my side, my head pounding to its own beat, and every muscle ached. My back was killing me and my skin felt sunburnt ¡°You know she wouldn¡¯t be able to find her way through the . forest to the road. She wouldn¡¯t even know what direction to g o in,¡± I hear Lycus¡¯s voice answer, Darius. ¡°Wait, I can smell her scent,¡± Lycus growls, and I pull myself up to my hands and nce around to see theming up over the small hill from the castle. ¡°Found her,¡± Tobias calls out. Pointing at me. My vision was blurry, and I squinted about to get to my feet when suddenly Darius gripped my hair, yanking my head back. He moved with speed that made the air rush around me. One second he was over on the crest of the small hill; the next second, he was beside me. ¡°You think you can skip sses, Aleera?¡± He snarls as I clutch his hands and cry out. My hair ripped painfully from my scalp, and I would need to find some scissors. The taunts and bullying I could deal with. The hair-pulling was a low act and very demeaning. I suddenly cursed being a girl. ¡°Let go. You¡¯re hurting me,¡± I choke out, and heughs before shoving me forward back in the dirt. I rubbed the back of my neck and noticed Kalen was nowhere t o be seen, which at least gave me comfort, knowing the only person who had been decent to me since being here wasn¡¯t hunting me down to inflict more injury when my brain backtracked. He was one of them. He could be looking for me elsewhere. ¡°Get up; you have power cement with me. If I ever have toe searching for you again because you have missed ss-¡°. ¡°Ah, finally you found her,¡± Kalen says, cutting Darius off as h e jogged over to us and a look of relief crossed his features as h e let out a breath. ¡°Had me worried for a second, I thought you left us again,¡± Kalen says before his smile falters when he looks at me. Kalen turns and looks at Darius before he shoves him. ¡°Why is she bleeding? What the fuck did you do?¡± Kalen snaps out in an angry growl. Darius rips Kalen toward him by the front of his shirt. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything but take that tone with me again, and I will make you watch her punishment,¡± Darius growls at him. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Lycus grips Darius¡¯s arm, and Darius looks at him. ¡°We have enough going on. We don¡¯t need to be fighting each other, especially over her,¡± Lycus says before ring down at me. I remained quiet, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself. Kalen, however, doesn¡¯t. ¡°Punishment for what?¡± Kalen demanded. ¡°She skipped my ss and Lycus¡¯s,¡± ¡°Come on, give her a break. It¡¯s her first day,¡± Kalen says, reaching down to offer me his hand. I reached for it, and Darius pped my hand away. ¡°She can get up herself. She survived for six years holed up, God knows where, or with whom, she can get herself up,¡± Darius snaps at him. Kalen frowns and appears to be thinking.. He went to speak before closing his mouth. A dark expression crosses his features before he turns on his heel and walks off. My stomach sinks, wondering why the sudden change in his attitude. Surely, he didn¡¯t believe what Darius had said, but then again, I didn¡¯t really know any of them well enough to judge their behavior. Though a kick to my leg pulls my gaze away from a retreating Kalen. I hiss at the sudden pain radiating up my leg. ¡°Get up and get to your next ss.¡± Darius spits at me. The look of pure hatred on his face makes me cringe away. My eyeballs pulsated in my head, along with the pounding headache and all I wanted to do was find somewhere toy down and rest for a bit. Climbing to my feet, I staggered. The ground felt like it was moving, and my vision blurred worse. Touching the back of m y head, I wince, quickly pulling my fingers away to find blood stained them. ¡°I said get to the next ss,¡± I flinched at his closeness and forced myself to move. ¡°What time is it?¡± I ask as I try not to limp. Each footfall caused pain as the rocks stabbed and sliced my tender feet open more. ¡°Lunch just finished,¡± Lycus answers, and I nod. My stomach growls hungrily at the mention of food. I couldn¡¯t believe I had been out here for hours. Zac just left me there. That thought. stung a little at the knowledge that not a single person here cared if I suddenly dropped dead. ¡°Where are your shoes?¡± I don¡¯t bother answering Lycus, and Darius growls behind me when I stop ncing back at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am going,¡± I admit. Let alone what ss I had next. ¡°The mess hall, now get moving,¡± Darius snarls. Lycus moves toward me and grips my arm, and Tobias and Darius both growl at him. ¡°For fucks sake, Darius, look at her feet. She can barely fucking walk,¡± ¡°Well, if she didn¡¯t skip sses, I may have given her shoes,¡±h e retorts. ¡°I didn¡¯t skip. I fell off because of that jerk-¡± I argue but stop not seeing the point in debating my tardiness with him. ¡°Because of who?¡± Tobias demands, and I nce at him to see Darius re at him. Tobias quickly looks away and adds nothing else when my feet suddenly go from under me. I shriek, not expecting it, and Lycus grabs me, scooping me up i n his arms. ¡°Lycus!¡± Darius roars, and I feel the energy rush out of him, which makes me suddenly want to run. Terror filled me, and I wanted Lycus just to put me down before Darius did something. Lycus just holds me tighter and starts walking when I smack into Darius¡¯ chest while in Lycus¡¯s arms. Lycus stops staring at him. ¡°She can walk,¡± Darius tells him, but Lycus holds his gaze unafraid of him while I push closer to Lycus. The movement is not missed by Darius, who res at me. ¡°She is done for the day,¡± Lycus says, his voice even as he barges past him, walking around a furious Darius. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 16 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Everything ached, there wasn¡¯t a single part of me that didn¡¯t hurt, and I had never felt so relieved to be locked back in my room; I would take this prison cell over not having to face those men again. Lycus had ced me on my feet just inside the room before shutting the door. He locked it. I heard the door click and heard him storm off up the hall. He didn¡¯t say a word to me, yet I could tell after we got back to the castle-like he was second-guessing getting me out of sses. Every time my skin touched his, he would tense like he couldn¡¯t even bear the thought any part of me was near him. His jaw was tense as he climbed the stairs before cing me in the room and leaving. I kind of hoped I could see Kalen. I couldn¡¯t understand the strange vibes I got from him. Like I needed to protect him, but from what? Like he was fragile somehow, I noticed they were super protective of him, but I wouldn¡¯t hurt him. I had no magic to even if I wanted to. I t fizzled out, and until they either gave me some, which is unlikely, or I managed to sneakily obtain some, I was utterly defenseless, and that thought scared me. Moving toward the bathroom, pain rippled up my legs, it caused pain through the bottoms of my feet, but I needed to clean them. I winced when I ced my foot on the cold tiles, m y foot sliding as my blood stained the tiles, making it slippery. I made my way over to the bathtub and sat on the edge, nning to rinse them under the tap and assess the damage when the door suddenly opened. I look up to see Kalen step in with an angry- looking Lycus. Lycus quickly nced out the door into his room before shutting it and locking it. Lycus moved to the door leading into my room, and I jumped up in a panic when he closed and locked it also. They were locking me i ¡°Woah, woah, calm down. I won¡¯t hurt you, neither will Lycus, see,¡± Kalen says, pulling bandages from his pockets and alcohol wipes and showing them to me. ¡°Just hurry, Kalen, if Dariuses in and finds you with her. H e will lose it,¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°Since when doesn¡¯t he, Lye. He gets angry if I am out of damn sight for more than five minutes or If I don¡¯t text him every five bloody minutes,¡± Kalen mumbles. Lycus sighs but perches himself upon the sink basin while I nced between the two o f them. ¡°He won¡¯t do anything, Aleera, sit. We want to help,¡± Kalen told me. ¡°Speak for yourself. The only reason I even brought her up here is for you, not because I want anything to do with her, don¡¯t speak for me, Kalen,¡± Lycus snaps, and Kalen rolls his eyes and sighs. I nced briefly at Lycus but sat on the edge of the bathtub again. Kalen sets to work cleaning and bandaging my feet. My eyes burned with tears at the stinging sensation as he washed them with the alcohol wipes. ¡°Can¡¯t you just heal her?¡± Kalen asks, ncing over his shoulder at Lycus. ¡°Not afterst time,¡± He says, ring at me before looking down at Kalen. Kalen mutters under his breath and starts wrapping my feet with the bandages. ¡°Kalen, just hurry up,¡± Lycus snaps at him; his hearing would be a lot better than mine being Were-fae. I wondered what he heard Kalen mutter. ¡°No, it¡¯s fucking bullshit. Darius shouldn¡¯t be the only one allowed to have a say about her,¡± Kalen argued. ¡°Kalen enough, or he will do more than just take your magic,¡± Lycus scolded him. I was a little shocked he would take Kalen¡¯s magic. Is that why they didn¡¯t want me near him? ¡°He only did it because he knew I would heal her when pulls shit like this,¡± Kalen snapped back. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have pissed him off, now hurry so I can get you out of here before he realizes,¡± ¡°Just go if you are worried about being caught,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried about me, idiot. I am worried for you, and I will not be leaving you alone with the likes of her,¡± I said nothing the entire time. Just observed. I peeked at the markings on Kalen¡¯s neck, and before I could stop myself, my hand reached out to touch them. Lycus¡¯s hand was wrapped around my wrist in a bone-crushing grip before I could, his reflexes crazy fast. His grip hurt, and I pulled my hand away, feeling stupid for wanting to touch him; their marks called to me. I knew it was the bond, making me act strange, yet didn¡¯t they feel any pull toward me at all? I just wanted to touch him, reassure him that I would be fine and not to worry. It was odd that I would even think to do that when I didn¡¯t know him. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him,¡± Lycus snarled at me, and I swallowed and tugged my hand away and ced it back in myp. Lycus growls, and I avert my gaze back to what Kalen was doing. ¡°Ignore him. You can touch me,¡± Kalen said before ring up a t Lycus. My fingers twitched to touch the markings, to give him magic. I couldn¡¯t exin it because I had none to give him. I sp my hands together to refrain myself. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± I asked, finally speaking for the first time. Kalen¡¯s head whipped up instantly, and he smiled.¡± Always, ¡± My breath hitched in my throat at his breathtaking smile. Lycus, however, growled but said nothing. Instead, watching Kalen as he finished my other foot. ¡°Why did you mark each other. I thought mates only marked their keeper?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, you ruined that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lycus snarled. Kalen pressed his lips in a line before running a hand through his hair. ¡°So we didn¡¯t lose our magic, and yes, it is taboo for male mates to mark each other, frowned upon. But it was the only way if we wanted to keep our magic,¡± Kalen exined. I nod. Looking at Lycus, he stood with his arms folded over his broad chest. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I had already marked Lycus before I found out about you, or them, though,¡± Kalen tells me, and Lycus growled at him. ¡°Enough,¡± Lycus snaps at him, but Kalen ignores him. ¡°Lycus and I were already together before we found out we were mates,¡± Kalen tells me. ¡°So you were boyfriends?¡± Kalen nods, and my eyes dart to Lycus. ¡°Yep, we grew up in the same orphanage,¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, time to go,¡± Lycus snarled at him, gripping his arm before hauling Kalen up. ¡°Stop, Lye,¡± Kalen said, trying to shake off his grip. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t deserve to know anything about us. If she wanted to know about us, she shouldn¡¯t have run like a damn coward,¡± Lycus tells him, shoving him toward his bedroom door. ¡°I will see youter, Aleera,¡± Kalen says, smiling sadly before looking at his mate. I nod, watching Lycus all but drag Kalen from the room. ¡°I ran because Darius killed my parents. Did you expect me toe running into your arms and pretend he didn¡¯t? I saw him burn my house with them in it to the damn ground,¡± I snapped angrily, and Lycus stopped. ¡°If that is why you left, then you are a bigger idiot than I thought. Darius didn¡¯t kill your parents, Aleera,¡± Lycus growls at me before taking a step forward. He stops, and his eyes flicker in his anger. ¡°You would know that if you bothered to fucking ask, Instead o f nearly killing us all.¡± Lycus spat at me. ¡°I saw him, I know what I saw,¡± ¡°Then what you saw was wrong. Darius and Tobias didn¡¯t murder your parents, Aleera,¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Tobias wasn¡¯t even there,¡± I argued. ¡°Who do you think dragged you out? So, if that is why you ran, then you deserve everything they do to you,¡± ¡°Lycus!¡± Kalen murmured behind him, and Lycus growled before turning on his heel and shoving Kalen out of the bathroom. He then mmed the door so hard it made me jump. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 17 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Darius POV Lycus was in a terrible mood when I came up to the room. Pushing the door open, Lycus was yelling at Kalen, which was rare; he tried to never raise his voice around Kalen. We all knew how fragile he was. We had all had to pull him back from the brink at some point, yet walking in, I had no doubt that Aleera was the reason. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, opening the door and shrugging off my Jacket. I tossed it over the back of the chair by the fire. Turning around, they were both ring at each other, yet neither answered. ¡°This has something to do with Aleera?¡±. ¡°Who else, she needs to go,¡± Lycus snaps at me, finally turning away from Kalen. ¡°What is this about? What did she do?¡± If she has disturbed the peace, she will be back in the cells. ¡°She did nothing; Lycus is the problem,¡± Kalen says before storming toward the door to leave. ¡°Where are you going?¡± I asked him. ¡°Out,¡± ¡°Kalen!¡± I growled at him, and he stopped with his hand on the door handle. ¡°No, Darius. We are mates. You don¡¯t get to control all of us,¡± ¡°If it is to do with your safety, I do. You leave this room before I know what is going on. I will have her ced back in the cells, now sit your ass down,¡± I growl at him. Kalen¡¯s knuckles turn white on the door handle, where he gripped it before he mmed the door. I raised an eyebrow at his anger. I watch as he goes andys on our custom-made bed. Finding a bed that fits four men was impossible, so we made one. Lycus watches him and moves to the couch by the firece. Despite his anger, Kalen¡¯s behavior was as expected, and I could feel a hum of satisfactione through the bond when Kalenys down, snatching Lycus pillow to use. I wasn¡¯t even sure he noticed he did it, but it¡¯s always the same when Kalen was in a mood. He would justy in bed and sulk or stare off nkly when he is depressed, clinging to our pillows like they were a safety. I watched, amused as he reassembled our pillows so he could steal our scents from them. Tobias walks in and pauses at the tension in the room. I turnt o him, and he nods, letting me know he dropped Aleera¡¯s dinner off to her. He nces at Kalen, and I shrug, and he rolls his eyes before climbing on the bed and sitting next to him. Kalen rolled instantly, cing his head in Tobias¡¯sp. Tobias leans back against the headboard and brushes his fingers through Kalen¡¯s hair and, I could feel Tobias magic oozing out and calming him. The tension leaves the room, and guilt shes through the bond. Both Tobias and I look at Lycus, knowing it ising from him. Kalen was our weak spot in more ways than one, and we hated upsetting him. His mind was fragile. One minute he was fine and overly excited and bouncing around. The next, he refused to get out of bed, would harm himself, or try and kill himself. I lost track over the last six years of the number of times he wanted to end it, the number of times he actually did, and we had to pull back from death, each time we brought him back, each time he was more mentally unstable. It is not natural to die ande back so many times. Thest time was the worst. We actually thought we lost him for good. 1 2 minutes he was dead for. For 12 minutes, he hung from the rafters unmoving. I had all the cameras pulled down that week. When I checked the footage, it sickened me. I couldn¡¯t unsee it. Kalen on that damn tablet wondering why she never opened his message, staring at the screen when he tossed it aside. He spent weeks begging her toe back or let him know she was ok. I didn¡¯t see the rope around his neck until he jumped off the staircase. It was thest ss of the day. He nned it perfectly. He knew no one was in the castle watching. He knew we wouldn¡¯t get back in time. Luckily, Lycus went back feeling sick. Kalen was dead before he walked into the castle, and Lycus found him hanging from the second floor. He cut him down and performed CPR until Tobias got back. We all felt his bond sever, yet Tobias didn¡¯t stop. He kept feeding his blood to Kalen, and by some miracle, his heart started up, and Tobias¡¯s blood healed his broken neck. Since then, for the most part, Kalen was fine until he wasn¡¯t. We finally got him to a good ce recently, and then she called on us. Kalen had never been happier until we had to remind him she could leave again, not to get his hopes up. Lycus crawls on the bed beside him before tucking his arm over him. I shouldn¡¯t have taken his magic, it always made him worse, and I couldn¡¯t believe I was stupid enough to take it from him, blinded by my anger With Aleera. I moved toward the bed and sighed. ¡°Come here,¡± I tell him, but he doesn¡¯t budge, just stares off nkly. ¡°You wanted to heal her?¡± I asked him and Kalen nodded. ¡°Are you angry at Lycus because he wouldn¡¯t,¡± ¡°He also yelled at her,¡± Kalen mumbles. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She did the wrong thing,¡± I tell him. ¡°She didn¡¯t understand,¡± ¡°Because she didn¡¯t ask, she didn¡¯t want us, Kalen,¡± I tell him. Kalen shakes his head. ¡°If you let me speak to her, I can prove it. We can get her back, ¡°Kalen says, looking up at me. It was too dangerous, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t get the answers he was hoping for. Tobias tried to muffle his anger and block Kalen from feeling it. She destroyed all of us, one woman, and she near killed all of u s. She destroyed what we could have been. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that. You know why, Kalen,¡± I tell him. ¡°If I heal her?¡± I ask him before gritting my teeth. I hated the idea of doing such a thing but to bring his mood up, I would. I couldn¡¯t risk him seeking her out. ¡°Can I sleep in there with her, or maybe she coulde in here? I will sleep on the floor with her.¡± Tobias growled at his words, and I didn¡¯t miss the flicker of anger in Lycus¡¯s eyes. ¡°No, I am still angry I caught you in therest night,¡± Tobias scolds him. I chewed my lip. Kalen could be child-like, could b e crazed, insane. So many different sides of him, and he had too many triggers. ¡°She must be lonely,¡± Kalen mumbles, looking at me like I would back him up, and usually I would but not when ites to his safety. ¡°I will heal her, but you will remain in here with us,¡± I tell him. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 18 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Aleera POV I was sitting huddled under the nkets trying to get warm. The room was freezing since someone had opened a window, and the bloody thing was jammed open. I had asked Tobias if h e could shut it. He even watched me struggle with the damn thing as I tried to pull it closed, giving up when it hurt too much to stand. So I had gone and climbed in bed, wrapping the nkets around me like a cocoon. ¨C He said not one word and had ced my food in the room and left. I was starving, and I was pretty sure I inhaled my food without tasting it. I was that hungry from barely eating all day and starting to feel shaky. Darius walked in, and I was too cold to be scared. Freezing as the frosty night air seeped into the room and my aching bones. Darius walked over, gripping the handle on the window and yanking it shut. I watched his every movement carefully while wondering what he wanted now. Was he here because he didn¡¯t get to punish me earlier for skipping sses? I didn¡¯t doubt it. He hated me. They all hated me, and I didn¡¯t believe me running was an eptable excuse, as if they wouldn¡¯t have done the same. Yet despite me hating him too, I also couldn¡¯t deny the bond. The bond made me crave them. My entire body told me I needed them even if I didn¡¯t want them, and I hated myself for it. Yet also longed for interaction after so much solitude, longed for touch and to feel some semnce of normality. I wanted rest without having to look over my damn shoulder. I wanted for once to feel wanted. I haven¡¯t had any of that since nana died. I missed my nana terribly, missed when she was alive, and I had somewhere to call home before I was tossed into the care of the Fae Authorities and institutionalized at boarding school with nothing left but memories of what I once had and lost. Darius¡¯s entire body was tense as he moved toward me. I was too cold to care what he did to me at this point. I watch as mes spurt from his fingertips and form a sphere in his hand. Darius then tosses it at the small firece; the wood instantly caught alight. The mes erupt up the chimney before dying down and crackling loudly. Darius¡¯s hands were fisted at his sides as he approached the bed. Now I couldn¡¯t me the cold for all my shaking as his intimidating frame stood over me. It made it more obvious how easy it would be for him to hurt me or end me. His lips turned up as he snarled down at me. He reached for the nket and yanked it off. My body jerked forward, and I nearly toppled off the bed headfirst. He growled, gripping my shoulder and tossing me backward on the bed. My eyes widened as he reached toward me again. His hand grabbed my ankle as he yanked me toward him, a shriek left my lips, and I kicked my legs out, trying to free myself as h e trapped my ankles on the bed. My knee came up as I tried to break free, he snarled, and it connected with his mouth. Darius¡¯s nails sunk into my skin when his aura rushed out, halting my breath as I began to choke on it. Like invisible hands gripped my throat, and I wed at it. His aura is so much stronger than anything I had ever felt. I couldn¡¯t ce where I felt something simr. Tears welled in my eyes as my hands pawed at my neck; he ripped the bandages covering my feet off. His hand sped over the bottom of my foot when he dropped his aura, leaving me gasping for breath. My heart was pounding painfully against my ribs as I sucked in much needed air. He lifted my foot, examining it before growling and cursing under his breath. He dropped my foot, I scrambled away from him on the bed, and my back smacked the headboard with a thud in my haste. ¡°You really like causing issues,¡± he sneered, wiping his bleeding lip. His tongue darts out. It ran across the split where my knee connected with his face, and my eyes widened as he rubbed his fingers together. His eyes dart to mine, and the anger behind them made my throat thicken like something had lodged in it. I swallowed in horror as he moved towards m e, awaiting the blow I was sure woulde when he stopped i n front of me. His lip still bleeding, and his blood dribbled down his chin again, and he wiped it again. ¡°Kalen wants me to heal you,¡± he spat venomously, it was evident he didn¡¯t want to when his eyes darted to my feet briefly, and he sighed before they flicked to me, his lips tugged in the corners briefly. ¡°Kiss me,¡± I blink at him. ¡°Wh..a..t?¡± I spluttered at his words, confused. ¡°You need my blood to heal, so kiss me,¡± I shake my head, horrified at what he asked. He couldn¡¯t be serious. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°So you would rather walk around with your feet like that?¡± M y eyes dart to my throbbing feet that seemed to now have their own pulse. My blood-stained the cream-colored sheets from m y thrashing. ¡°Maybe you could get one of the others,¡± I didn¡¯t want to get that close to him, just being in his presence was bad enough, let alone close enough to touch him. Darius growls at my words. ¡°Then forget it,¡± he says, turning on his heel to leave the room. My feet ached, the swelling making my skin shiny, and I would have to walk around on them. But why did I have to kiss him for him to heal me? ¡°Wait,¡± I blurted out. He was my mate, so it wouldn¡¯t be that bad. Although I didn¡¯t want to waste my first kiss on this monster, but my feet ached, and surely it wouldn¡¯t be that unpleasant, right? The bond zapped to life as my thudding heart pumped faster at what I agreed to do. Darius stopped and looked over at me. He smiled before walking back toward the bed. He stopped looking at me. I stared at him. Why was he making it more awkward? ¡°Haven¡¯t got all day Aleera,¡± Darius said in tauntingly. My eyes dart to his full lips as his tongue darts out. He smiled, and I hated how my heart skipped a beat at the sight. I hated that h e could hear it too. ¡°Aleera,¡± He says, annoyed; my face heats, and I hesitantly knelt on the bed. Darius just stood there waiting. Couldn¡¯t he bend down or something. He sighed and raised an eyebrow at me. Moving off the bed, I stood before him. I hissed as pain rippled across the bottoms of my feet that felt spongy to walk o n. The bond zinging in my blood urged me to go to my mate, wanting me to touch him even though he hurt me. Yet he was still too tall, so I looked up at him. I chewed my lip feeling very ufortable despite the bond urging me closer. Stupid bond. cing my hand on his shoulders, I stood on my tippy toes, and Darius gripped the back of my neck, and I sighed, relieved that he wouldn¡¯t make me humiliate myself more as he tilted his face toward mine. I feel his breath fan my lips, and his fingers tangle in my hair. His nose brushed mine softly, my heart hammered harder as his scent overwhelmed m e, and I leaned closer when he startedughing. My head was yanked back painfully by my hair. My hair tugged so hard I cried out, clutching his hands as I tried to lessen the pain. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t kiss you if you were thest person on this earth. You don¡¯t deserve love, only pain.¡± . Hurt rippled through my chest as the bond went berserk at his rejection, and my stomach sank at his words. I didn¡¯t want to d o it in the first ce, yet his words stung more than they should; like he just reached into my chest and crushed my heart in his hand. ¡°But it was entertaining watching you struggle with the bond that you ignored for 6 years,¡± he snarled at me. He bites his wrist before jamming it over my mouth. His blood flooded into my mouth, and I choked when I couldn¡¯t swallow fast enough. Sputtering, he shoves me away andughs before turning away and heading to the door. ¡°All meals from now on are in the mess hall. The less we have t o see you, the better,¡± he spits at me. Leaving me upset due to the stupid bond. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, and he mmed the door, locking it and leaving me gasping for air, clutching my chest as pain rippled through me. The moment he was gone, hot tears flooded my eyes and spilled over, running down my cheeks. I hated him. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 19 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Someone ced an rm in my room when I left. I thought a fire rm was going off because it scared the crap out of me when it started ring loudly. It took me a few seconds to realize the noise wasing from beside my head on the bedside table. Looking at the screen, it read, ¡®breakfast, get up. No doubt it was Darius¡¯s doing. I couldn¡¯t even shut the damn thing off had to wait for it to shut itself off. My ears were ringing as I pushed open the bathroom door to pee. I also wanted to have a quick shower to wake up, as it was only 6 30 AM. The moment the door opened, I realized that someone was in the bathroom by the steam. I froze when Tobias looked over at me before turning back to the mirror while he continued to shave. ¡°Sorry,¡± I tell him backing out of the room. ¡°What?¡± he asked as I went to close the door. I shake my head. ¡°Aleera,¡± I paused. My eyes ran the length of him. He only had a towel draped low on his waist, and I could tell he had just gotten out of the shower. ¡°I will be out in a minute, but if you want to shower, I would remain if I were you. The moment I step out, someone else wille in,¡± Tobias says, not bothering to look over at me. I nod, stepping into the room and standing by the wall furthest from him. ¡°Did Darius give you some shoes?¡± I shake my head, and he nods, tilting his head to shave under his chin. I nced at him before doing a double-take. His entire back was covered in thick burns, making me think of what Lycus said. I opened my mouth to ask but quickly closed it. However, the movement of my lips was not missed by Tobias. He red at me through the mirror when the door opened up, and Kalen walked in. I couldn¡¯t help the smile that split onto my face when I saw him walk in. He didn¡¯t notice me at first and instead kissed Tobias¡¯s shoulder before plucking the razor from his fingers and going to sit between the sinks next to Tobias. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± Kalen says, excitedly moving toward me. Tobias growls, and Kalen sighed before moving back toward Tobias. H e sits between the two sinks before grabbing Tobias by the towel and moving him between his legs. Tobias ces his hands on Kalen¡¯s thighs. It was strange seeing Tobias be pulled around by Kalen and letting Kalen pull him around. Kalen turned Tobias chin up. ¡°Darius give you some shoes?¡± Kalen asked me as he started shaving Tobias¡¯s face. Tobias growls so I don¡¯t answer, and Kalen grips Tobias¡¯s chin and turns his face toward his.¡± Darius said he would get her some,¡± Kalen tells him. Tobias¡¯s eyes soften, and I look away like I am intruding on some moment between them. I was beginning to realize that they all treated Kalen like he was made of ss; they were gentle with him. Even Darius was protective of him. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with him,¡± Tobias tells him, and Kalen smiles before turning his face back up and continuing to shave him. ¡°What sses have you got?¡± Tobias¡¯s eyes went to mine in the mirror, but I had no idea what sses or where they were. ¡°She has a theory with me,¡± Tobias answers. Kalen nods like w e just had an everyday conversation. ¡°Why not with Lycus?¡± ¡°Lycus refused the sses with her,¡± Tobias answered, and I swallowed. ¡°I will showerter,¡± I tell them about to leave the room. I felt somewhat awkward when Tobias hisses as Kalen jumped off the sink basin. ¡°Oh shit, sorry,¡± Kalen says. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Aleera, the tissues,¡± Kalen said just as I was walking out. I stopped looking to where he was pointing at the windowsill above the toilet in the niche. I grabbed the box and walked over to him, and Kalen had sliced Tobias¡¯s chin. He repeatedly apologized to him, and I plucked a tissue out, handing it to him. I ce the box on the basin beside him and turn around. ¡°Don¡¯t leave; I don¡¯t know when Darius will let me see you again,¡± Kalen whines gripping my wrist. They have all warned me away from Kalen, and my eyes went to Tobias¡¯s in the mirror, and he rolled his eyes. ¡°You can stay,¡± ¡°See, Tobias isn¡¯t so bad, just a big blood-sucking teddy bear,¡± Kalenughed. Odd way to describe someone, I thought to myself. I remained where I was, but I could tell by how tense Tobias was that he didn¡¯t want me anywhere near him and was only tolerating me because of Kalen being here. I swallowed, wanting to leave but also not wanting to upset Kalen. I found my eyes trailing over Tobias again. My brows furrowed at the thick burns, which had me wondering if they were from the fire, but if they were, why didn¡¯t they heal? His power would have manifested by then. They were 18 at the time of the fire, and he could have healed himself, or Darius could have healed him. Kalen happily talked away; he seemed extraordinarily bubbly and upbeat this morning. ¡°Did you take your medication?¡± Kalen¡¯s eyes darken, and he cuts off mid-sentence and res at Tobias. ¡°Have you?¡± Tobias asked him. Kalen didn¡¯t answer, and Tobias sighed. ¡°I hate taking them,¡± ¡°Go take them, Aleera needs to get ready, or she will miss breakfast,¡± Tobias tells him. Kalen went to argue when Tobias leaned forward and kissed him. ¡°You can see herter,¡± Tobias says, tapping Kalen¡¯s legs. ¡°I can¡¯t once Darius gets back,¡± ¡°I will take you to see her, but only if you take your medication,¡± Tobias tells him, and Kalen¡¯s brows furrow, but h e nods before hopping off the sink basin. Kalen moved toward me, and I expected Tobias to stop him, but he didn¡¯t as Kalen suddenly grabbed me, crushing me against his warm chest. He buried his face in my neck, and I sighed, hugging him back before he let go and walked back to his room. ¡°You like Kalen,¡± Tobias stated as I went to leave the bathroom. Was I supposed to answer that? I found it hard not t o like Kalen. I think anyone would find it hard to not like Kalen. ¡°Kalen, he can be erratic,¡± Tobias says. ¡°You mean fragile; I have noticed how you all are with him. What sort of medication is he on?¡± Tobias nods and chews his lip. ¡°You being here will either be good for him or destroy him,¡± I noticed he ignored my question about his medication. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt him; I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to,¡± I tell Tobias. ¡°Do you want to?¡± Tobias growls, taking a step toward me. I shake my head, taking a step back. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I have no magic that can hurt him, but I wouldn¡¯t even if I did,¡± Tobias watches me for a second. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hurt him,¡± he mutters and nods before looking back at the mirror again. ¡°But would you leave again?¡± Was that a trick question? As if I would stay if given the opportunity to leave. Who would want this for life? I don¡¯t answer, knowing he could tell if I lied anyway. ¡°You can shower, and don¡¯t bete for ss,¡± he says, walking out. I quickly raced over and locked the door. I had the quickest shower in history before chucking on some jeans and shirt that I found sitting on the end of my bed. Yet n o shoes. I curse as I rip the brush through my hair, hoping I don¡¯t have to do anything outdoors today. When I was done, I made my way downstairs to the mess hall; walking in, the chatter stopped instantly. All eyes turned to me, and I line, but they refused to serve me, instead making me help myself. Filling my te, I looked for an empty spot. The only table was next to the toilet at the back. I walked over and sat down with a sigh, eating my food and trying to ignore their gazes watching me. I was on edge, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Thankfully though, the bell rang, and I waited for everyone to leave before following out after them. I was hoping to follow them to ss, but they all went off in different directions, which had me wandering aimlessly, trying to figure out where to go, when I ran into Lycus in one of the halls. This ce was a maze. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in ss?¡± He snapped at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to go?¡± ¡°Did you bother to ask?¡± Now, why would I after Zac¡¯s warm greeting? I shook my head, and he growled. Lycus walks over t o me and grabs my arm. ¡°You¡¯re lucky Darius isn¡¯t back yet. He would fucking lose it if he found out you ditched again,¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t ditching. I don¡¯t know where to go,¡± I snapped at him, ripping my arm from his grip. Lycus growls, watching me for a second. ¡°Fine, find your ss yourself,¡± he says, walking off. ¡°Can¡¯t you show me?¡± I ask him, but he ignores me and keeps walking. I had no idea which part of the castle or what floor I was on, but all doors were shut when the siren went off. Men flooded the halls barging past, and few called me a traitor, making me scrunch my face up in confusion. I tried to ask a few if they knew what ss I had next when I saw Zac at the end of one of the corridors. I quickly turned to race down the next flight of steps. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 20 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Aleera!¡± He called, and my blood ran cold. I raced down the steps, quickly disappearing amongst the other demons. Getting to the bottom of the steps, someone shoved me, and I hit the ground. I looked to see who it was, but too many men t o pinpoint which one, and I cried out when another stomped o n my fingers. ¡°There she is,¡± I heard Zac¡¯s voice just before a fireball rushed toward me. I shrieked, just managing to move, and it evaporated as it hit the ground where I was. ¡°Let¡¯s see how pretty she is without all that hair,¡± Zac¡¯s voice says, making me look up the steps. Zac smiled, and his eyes glistened evilly as he yed with another fireball bouncing it i n his hand. I took off running down the corridor. I didn¡¯t stop running until I ended up in a hall on my own. I had no idea if h e was still intending to burn my hair off when I stopped to try and catch my breath. ¡°I think she went this way,¡± I heard Deacon¡¯s voice. I cursed and started trying doors, finding most of them to be rooms set up with bunks, and I figured it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to hide i n one of their rooms. I could hear the screech of their shoes as they ran toward me before I burst through another door and quickly shut it. Looking around, I find it is a ssroom. I could hear them opening and closing doors in the corridor and looked around for somewhere to hide before spotting a jar of pens and noticing some scissors. I grab them before darting underneath the desk. If I get out of this, the hair is going. I was chopping it off. My heart stopped when I heard the door open. I clutched the scissors in my hand as I heard footsteps walk toward the desk. The chair is dragged out, and my eyes meet with Tobias¡¯s. He went to no doubt curse me out when Zac¡¯s voice reached my ears, and I jumped, bumping my head on the top of the desk. Tobias growled and sat down just as the door burst open. I froze; I even held my breath. ¡°What?¡± Tobias snapped, pushing his chair in and caging me i n with his legs. ¡°Shit, sorry, Sir,¡± I hear the door creak like Zac was about to leave before it stopped. ¡°Have you seen the traitor bitch?¡± My heart skipped a beat at Zac¡¯s words. ¡°No, now get out of my fucking ssroom.¡± ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± Zac says before I hear the door shut. I let out a breath, but Tobias doesn¡¯t move. ncing at the scissors, I quickly pocket them before tapping his leg. Still, he doesn¡¯t move. ¡°Tobias?¡± ¡°You never answered me this morning,¡± he says, pushing the chair out a little to look at me but not enough for me to get out. ¡°You would know if I lied, so I didn¡¯t think it was worth answering,¡± he growls. ¡°Um, can I get out?¡± ¡°You missed my ss,¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find it,¡± ¡°You know Darius won¡¯t be happy when he finds out,¡± he pushes his chair back further, and I scramble out before being trapped between him and his desk. ¡°Unless,¡± Tobias said. I swallowed, and my thoughts went to Dariusst night and his cruelty ying with the bond. All night I was Restless from the pain of being rejected and humiliated for falling for it. ¡°Unless what?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell him, but I want something in return,¡± ¡°I am not doing anything sexual with you,¡± I snap at him, trying to push past his leg blocking my way. Tobias stands towering over me. His eyes flicker and turn blood red, and he pins me against the desk by cing his hands on either side of me, and I lean away from him. Tobias growled, and I watched as his fangs slipped out. ¡°What i f I want something else, like your blood?¡± he asked, and my heart rate quickened. ¡°You want to feed on me?¡± he nods, sniffing me before grabbing me and burying his face in my neck. ¡°You smell fucking divine,¡± he growls, I felt his tongue run over the pulse in my neck, and I tried to shove him off and failed miserably when he let me go; he grabs my wrist, bringing it to his nose. ¡°You smell sweet like Lycus,¡± he whispered. I felt his magic rush over me as he paralyzed me. My body became frozen as m y thoughts ran rampant, and my heart thudded painfully. ¡°Lycus knows,¡± I blurted out, petrified of him feeding on me. Would it hurt? What if he killed me? Vampires weren¡¯t the best with control. ¡°I will take care of Lycus, so what will it be, Aleera. I tell Darius, or you let me feed on you, I promise to be gentle,¡± he said, running his teeth against the inside of my wrist. My eyes widened before thinking of what Darius would do if he found out, but what was stopping Tobias from still telling him. But then again, what was preventing him from feeding on me if he really wanted to anyway. ¡°Tick tock Aleera, Darius will be back soon; your next ss is with him, so pick, or you will bete,¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t tell him?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell him, besides he would be pissed off if he knew I fed off you, so it will be our little secret,¡± My heart thudded so hard I could hear it, but I found myself nodding anyway, more frightened of what Darius would do if he found out. Apparently, my nodding must have been enough consent because I hissed in the next second as his fangs sank into my wrist, breaking my delicate skin. Initially, it hurt before my wrist and hand tingled; warmth spread through me, making m e realize he was using his magic so it wouldn¡¯t hurt. He didn¡¯t feed off me long. Tobias then pulled his fangs from my wrist when the siren sounded, signaling next ss. I nce at the clock behind him to find it wasn¡¯t a clock, but some strange moon wheel, with different, fazes of the moon. Tobias wipes his mouth with his thumb before sucking my blood off it. His eyes glistened, and I watched as he pricked his thumb with one of his fangs before running it over the two puncture marks on my wrist. They closed instantly, and he brought my wrist to his mouth. I thought he was going to bite me again when he ran his tongue over it, licking up the blood that spilled down my wrist. His eyes flicker before going to mine, and he smirks. ¡°You taste sweeter than Lycus, though,¡± ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± I asked. ¡°Not for me it isn¡¯t, but for you, it may be,¡± he chuckles darkly. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have a sweet tooth,¡± I take a step back when his eyes glow redder, and heughs before flicking his wrist, and a portal opens up beside him. ¡°Get to ss,¡± He says, shoving me through it. I gasp, feeling his magic swallow me along with the portal before I find myself spat outside on the fields. Inded on my hands and knees. I look around the vast area to get to my feet and see all the men walking in my direction and Darius. He stops cocking his head to the side. ¡°You decided to show up and on time. Thought you would have run when you found out your next ss was with me,¡± H eughed as he stopped in front of me. The men moved out onto the field, and I was thankful it was all grass. However, that was short-lived when I realized they were using their elements, and this was a magic ss. Fuck! I curse, knowing I have no magic. All Fae have an element, and I knew I was about toe out of here battered brutally because I wasn¡¯t dealing with Fae but demons, who only had one element and the most lethal, fucking fire. Whereas I was an elemental harmony Fae which is not only rare but extinct, holding not only one but all elements, plus some other odd gifts I couldn¡¯t exin or have dabbled much i n but being an elemental harmony Fae was no good to me now with no magic. ¡°Partner up,¡± Darius called out. I looked around at all the men, and one smiled at me. The man was a giant, tall with dreadlocks to his waist and mocha-colored skin, his demonic eyes ran the length of me, and I took a step back as he stalked toward me. ¡°I will take the traitor,¡± The man said. Traitor, why does everyone keep calling me that? Darius nods to him, and I look a t Darius. He doesn¡¯t surely expect me to fight without magic? I will get destroyed in seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s see how pretty you are without your hair,¡± The man sneered. What is it with everyone trying to ruin my hair? ¡°Her hair is off-limits; burn her hair off, and I will take fucking your head,¡± Darius tells him, which shocked me. ¡°But she is a traitor,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care; her hair is off-limits,¡± Darius says. Maybe he likes long hair because I know he doesn¡¯t like me. Well, he would be in for a rude shock when I cut it offter tonight with the scissors I stole. I spent most of the ss dodging his fireballs, which I was d was all he used. He could have turned me into a raging inferno but seemed more amused with just tossing them at m e. Although, I noticed Darius stayed close for some reason. My clothes were singed, my arm was burnt, and one hand took a nasty blow. I was exhausted, having spent all my time dodging while the menughed and watched. Some even sat o n the grass just watching my torment as I tried to avoid the mes. Dodging another, my lungs were burning as I ducked, Scanned with CamScanner falling to my knees when suddenly mes erupted around me, boxing me in with firey walls. I jumped to my feet, looking for an escape as they drew nearer, panic gnawing at me. I hated fire, hated it, and nothing scared me more. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± I heard Darius growl. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will only burn her a little,¡± The man taunted as the mes grew closer. My heart rate skyrocketed as the mes grew closer and closer. I coughed on the smoke and could feel the heat blistering my skin. ¡°I said enough,¡± Darius growled before the mes were sted with water. I looked through the smoke to see Darius turn and attack the man I was partnered with, drenching him too. Wait, how can he use a water element? I saw him use firest night? ¡°My word isw, defy me again, and you will find yourself in the dungeons,¡± He snarled as I choked on the smoke from the extinguished mes. Images flickered in my vision, the smoke ridiculously thick, and my eyes burned from the smoke. I remembered this feeling, the choking as each breath burned my lungs; I tried to suck in a breath, my vision tunneling as I was brought back to the night my parents were killed. I stumbled, cursing under m y breath, realizing I was having a panic attack. Air suddenly sted me as I became dizzy. The smoke was pushed away, and I blinked my brain trying to register where the air magic came from before all I saw was ck and heard the snickeringughter of the men surrounding me as I fainted and copsed on the ground.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 21 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Darius POV Aleera was lithe on her feet; I will give her that. She could move when needed making me wonder how much time on the run she actually spent running. She moved quicker without magic than some of my men here who had been in training for years. It was like she anticipated where the next attack would come from, like she could sense it, and I found myself absorbed as I watched her. Even some of the men had stopped to watch. Mostughed, but most of them were floored with how she moved and she remained almost in the same spot, never stepping out of the barrier. This ss was a defense ss. You had to block your opponent, yet she had no magic to block with, but she watched. I figured out pretty quickly she studying the flick of his fingers; the way he stood. And it was almost as if she knew what he would do before he did it just by his stance. Mikhail was one of our best; he never missed a target, and at first, I thought he was holding back, but the longer it went on, I could see his frustration. He really was trying to hurt her; he just couldn¡¯t touch her. I knew I should have stepped in; a pit formed in my stomach when he decided to partner up with her. I initially was going to be partnered with her when he stepped forward, eyes locked o n his target, but I was ready to step in if needed. I wouldn¡¯t have hurt her knowing it would upset Kalen and Lycus, scared her, yes but hurt her probably not with how this stupid bond was growing stronger with each day. Ignoring the pull was bing harder until I remembered what she inflicted. Which infuriated me even more feeling the pull to her, feeling my mates pull to her. But she deserved it, god did she deserve pain for what she has caused us, but when I noticed her bing tired, I knew I needed to stop it. The bond called me to protect her, going absolutely haywire when I saw her get boxed in. Just like that night we found her i n her burning room. The entire ce was a raging inferno; she had tried to escape but was passed out on her bedroom floor. The moment we stepped into her room, we knew something was amiss. We tried to get back out, but a barrier had been ced on her door and window. Tobias and I only just got her out in time before the roof caved in. Tobias had used his body t o shield her and sustained severe burns while I broke the damn barrier spell ced on it. It took nearly all our power that night to heal her and put the cloaking spell on her and her grandmother so she would be protected. Little did we know it also cloaked us from her once she came of age. I always felt bad I couldn¡¯t heal Tobias. His back was destroyed and he refused to let Lycus and Kalen heal him, knowing our reserves were almostpletely depleted. We were literally running off borrowed time. Two and a half years Tobias and I went without power before w e figured out another way to power share. All of us agreed Aleera was not an option. She was too young, and her powers hadn¡¯t manifested, and none us werefortable with knowing what that meant for her to power share and transfer our power amongst all of us, and it would have been in disgusting. We were monsters but, not those sort of monsters. They tried to kill her. We never should have left that day. We simply wanted to tell her parents she was our mate and that w e would wait for her toe of age. We never thought they would try to kill her. But as the mes got nearer, I could see her panicked state as she gasped and I knew that was where her mind took her. I could almost feel her panicked state even without marking her. I heard her heart racing, so I extinguished the mes just as she copsed on the ground. Mikhail was warned, so I felt nothing towards him when I drove my hand through his chest and melted his heart. A few men gasped around me as his lifeless body fell on the ground a t my feet.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°When I say enough, you fucking stop,¡± I tell them, letting fire engulf my hand and burn off the residue of blood. Shaking the mes away, I looked down at my mate on the grass. I couldn¡¯t help the snarl that slipped on my face as I scooped her up. I didn¡¯t want to touch her, but I wouldn¡¯t leave her here unconscious with these men. They could truly be monsters, but none got away with defying me. Yet as I picked up her limp body, damn, she smelt good, felt good in my arms. I shake the thought away and open a portal to her room before stepping through it. Get a grip, idiot, I reminded myself. cing her on her bed, she stirred, blinking up at me dazedly, stuck wherever her mind had taken her. I needed to get out of this room, away from her when she rolled on the bed, and I saw something in her back pocket, just an outline and something steel poking out the top. Walking back to the bed, I fished it out to find it was a pair of scissors. My brows furrowed, wondering why she had them. Was she going to try and kill us in our sleep? Let her try. It wouldn¡¯t end well for her. I ced them on the bedside table next to the bed when she mumbled. ¡°You¡¯re an Elemental,¡± looking over at her, she was still passed out. Shaking my head, I walked out. She was bound to find out anyway what¡¯s it matter if she knew earlier. I may be thest o fmy kind in more ways than one, but it is not strictly like I kept that small fact secret from the world. It¡¯s partially why everyone feared me. It was one thing being an elemental, but a dark Fae elemental and demonic-fae was unheard of. I wondered what Aleera¡¯s perks or gifts would be. I knew she was dark-fae from her schooling paperwork, although it never stated any gifts, she wouldn¡¯t be the first not to have any, but I still wondered briefly before shaking that thought away, who cares we would never know anyhow. But each of us had certain gifts that were our own. Walking through the shared bathroom, I open the door only to bump into Kalen. He clearly wasn¡¯t expecting to find me in her room. He nces past me before tilting his face toward mine. His hands connected with my chest, and his magic fizzled out a s he tried to use it. If he had done that to Lycus, he probably would have shoved him through the wall. Yet his dark magic was no match for mine dying out as it touched me, and I felt m y magic get a jolt as it absorbed it. ¡°What did you do to her,¡± he demanded, trying to shove past m e. I grip his arm, shoving him through to our room before locking the door. I nced at him. His aura was all over the ce, his anger being the strongest toe through, but I could see the madness lurking through it. Lycus warned me this morning he was too upbeat and energetic. Whates with the high is a massive low. ¡°Where is your medication?¡± ¡°What did you do to Aleera,¡± he snapped, trying to get past me to the door. ¡°Where are you meds, Kalen? You promised Tobias you would take them,¡± I could feel our mates getting nearer as his emotions became more turbulent. They could sense his aggravation. I tried to reach for him, and I cursed, giving his magic back as I watched a portal open up. Grabbing him and pinning him when I saw it led to Aleera¡¯s room just as Lycus all but smashed the door in t o help subdue him, only it was toote as I tackled him, another portal opening up and swallowed him just as he punched me. His fist connected with the side of my face knocking me off him. I hit the ground where Kalen should have been. ¡°Where did he go, where did it lead,¡± Lycus panicked. Jumping to my feet, I raced to Aleera¡¯s room and burst through the door. Aleera was sitting up on the bed. She looked over at me. Kalen, however, was not in the room. ¡°Is he in there?¡± Lycus said, smacking into my back. Aleera looked at us, confused. ¡°What¡¯s-¡± ¡°Stay in your room.¡± I snapped at her before mming the door. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 22 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Aleera POV I woke up dazed and confused and back in my room, and I couldn¡¯t remember how I got here. Thest thing I remember was being out in the training fields, and I remembered Darius using his magic. I rubbed my temples, looking around the small space when the door bursts open. Darius¡¯s eyes fell on m e, and at first, I thought he would scold me, but the panicked look on his face told me he wasn¡¯t in my room to deliver some punishment. ¡°Is he in there?¡± Lycus said, bumping into the back of Darius. ¡°What¡¯s-¡± I wanted to ask what happened, but Darius cut me off with a re ¡°Stay in your room.¡± he snapped at me before mming the door so hard I was surprised it didn¡¯t break. Something niggled at my insides, dread filling me, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my own feeling or the intuition of the bond that had been growing stronger daily. Without realizing i t, I ran my fingers over my infinity marking with their names. Kalen flooded to the forefront of my mind before my room suddenly disappeared. Just evaporated around me. My stomach tried to rise into my throat when I felt pulled into new surroundings. I had no idea what I had done, but I was suddenly inside Kalen¡¯s head. I couldn¡¯t hear his thoughts but could see out his eyes, see what he saw. I appeared to be in some attic. Dust-covered boxes were scattered everywhere. His hands started banging o n his head as he yanked his hair, nails scraping down his face. I could feel his flesh tearing, and I wondered what was wrong with him, why he was acting this way. I wanted to understand, and I cursed that I couldn¡¯t hear what he was thinking. What good was it to be in someone¡¯s head if all you got was seeing what they saw and feeling what they felt. His emotions were all over the ce as I tried to understand them when I was pushed out. I gasped, feeling breathless. How did I do that? I had no magic. Maybe it was a trick of the mate bond or possibly my harmony side of my magic. All I knew was I somehow thought of him, and I was suddenly in him. I looked down at the infinity symbol, confused. One thing I did know was I got the same nagging feeling of panic I saw on Darius and Lycus¡¯s face, that he shouldn¡¯t be alone. That he was a danger to himself. Moving toward the door, I was shocked to find it unlocked. Darius must not have checked the main entrance or forgotten with his worry. I peeked out into the hall and saw no one. Darius said to remain in my room, yet I found my feet moving on their own as I wandered aimlessly around. Coming to the stairs, I stopped when I heard Tobias¡¯s frantic voice and Lycus and Darius were arguing over where Kalen would go. ¡°He is not in the usual ces,¡± Lycus worried. ¡°Can either of you feel him?¡± Tobias asked. I glimpsed over the banister, I was on the third floor, and they were on the ground floor. ¡°What happened? What did you do this time to set him off, Darius,¡± Tobias said, gripping Darius¡¯s shirt. ¡°What do you think he did? He probably did something to Aleera. You know how he gets when it has anything to with her,¡± Lycus snapped. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Fighting with me is not helping to find him; I did nothing. I only asked if he took his medication because I could tell he hadn¡¯t,¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Tobias curses. ¡°What is it?¡± Darius demanded, and I looked over to see Tobias clutch his head. ¡°I told him if he took them, I would let him see her tonight,¡± ¡°You what?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t hurt him, Darius, I think she even likes him,¡± ¡°If she liked him, she wouldn¡¯t have run the first chance she got,¡± Lycus scoffs. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she is different around him,¡± ¡°How so? I swear if she has done something, I will fucking end her,¡± Darius snarled. ¡°No, not that. Like she can sense the shadows on him. I can¡¯t exin it, but she is different when it comes to him,¡± Tobias argued back. ¡°Maybe?¡± ¡°No!¡± Both Lycus and Darius bellowed at the same time. I turned away, having heard enough. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with Kalen but I needed to find him, the bond pulling me toward him and urging me to get to him. I had no idea where I was going, but I seemed to have wandered into an almost empty part of the castle. This side was cold and the draft told me it had been closed for a long time. Dust clung to the walls and the sparse furnishings. Pushing the door further open, I slip inside. The cold draft washed over me and sent a chill up my spine from my toes. This ce looked untouched, and I wondered how long I had wandered for beforeing to this blocked-off part of the castle. It was eerily silent over here and gave me the creeps. Walking down therge hall, I looked at the high ceilings, the chandeliers covered in cobwebs. This ce looked like it was out of some medieval movie. Like I stepped back in time to a different world. I ran my fingertips over the hallstand before brushing the dust off. Even without having magic, I could tell this ce was abandoned and forgotten for a reason. Something terrible happened within this part of the castle. Moving further down the hall, I stopped in front of a massive portrait of a man. He had a startling resemnce to Darius before my eyes fell on the teenage boy at his side. Reaching up, I swiped the dust off his face and it was indeed Darius. The man had his hand on his shoulder, and Darius appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen. Both dressed in a suit, and he shared his father¡¯s features, the same cold eyes, and expressionless face. Giving it onest look, I let the bond pull me to another corridor lined with doors, yet I never got the urge to enter any of them as I passed them, instead my feet took me to the end t o arge door with silver knobs. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 23 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 23 Chapter 23 I twisted it, having to push my weight against it as I shoved it open. I coughed and choked on the dust, and the draft here was so much colder. Ice cold and made me shiver. Stone steps led up. Climbing them, I stopped halfway up the spiraling stone steps to a stained ss window. I peered out and saw the back of the castlends but that wasn¡¯t all I noticed. It was road. I was high enough to see over the forest and I could just make out with my heightened vision a road snaked between the forest as a car drove along the narrow-looking path. That could be my escape, yet I wondered how it led into the castle grounds or if it did. Ascending further up the steps, I find I am in a round room. The pointed ceiling told me I had found my way to one of the castle towers. By the time I got to the top. I was covered in cobwebs and dust. The wooden floorboards creaked as I stepped inside. Boxes covered nearly all of the floor when I noticed a figure that looked out of ce amongst the boxes. Kalenid on the floor, his cheek pressed against the floorboards. He was murmuring t o himself in anguage I hadn¡¯t heard before, or maybe it didn¡¯t exist because his words held no sense to me. ¡°Kalen?¡± I murmured but he didn¡¯t move, and the feeling I got from him was cold and numb, shadowed with darkness. I called out his name a couple of times before giving up andying on the ground beside him; Iid on my side facing him. His eyes were closed and his lips moved as he spoke to himself in a barely audible whisper. I reached out and brushed his cheek gently with my hand. His eyes flew open, going to mine. I don¡¯t think he had heard me calling his name or felt my presence. He seemed to be in some trance-like state before I touched him or maybe he still was, I was unsure. He grabbed my hand on his cheek, kissing my palm, and he looked so vulnerable, desperate as he clutched my hand. My hand cracked in his tight grip, but I just gritted my teeth through it instead of jerking it away. ¡°You¡¯re here, are you really here?¡± he whispers, kissing my wrist and hugging my arm and hand to his chest. ¡°You feel real. I can even smell your scent,¡± He whispers. ¡°I¡¯m real, Kalen,¡± I tell him, but he mumbles to himself incoherently. His behavior scared me. He almost seemed insane. ¡°Why are you up here? It is freezing,¡± I tell him. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s cold, is it cold?¡± he asked. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was talking to himself or me. His eyes stared at me, but it was like he was looking through me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go with them,¡± he mumbles. ¡°Go with who?¡± I ask him, and he wiggles closer. Scanned with CamScanner ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°They want me back; I shouldn¡¯t be here. They want me back with them,¡± ¡°Who wants you back, Darius?¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t let me near you. They took you from me,¡± his words made no sense because I was right in front of him. ¡°Now, I can¡¯t see you,¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you see me? I am right here, Kalen,¡± I tell him. ¡°But I won¡¯t be able to see you. They will make me take the pills. I don¡¯t want to the pills. I don¡¯t want Darius to take it away. He always takes you from me, I need you, I need you,¡± He mutters. I moved closer, pressing my forehead against his. ¡°I love you, Aleera. I have always loved you,¡± he mutters, wiggling closer to me, so his body was against mine. My heart twisted painfully in my chest? Was he like this because of me? Did my leaving send him insane? Surely a keeper didn¡¯t have this much power and influence over their mate. ¡°Kalen, we should head back to Darius,¡± I tell him. I didn¡¯t know what to do. And I didn¡¯t want to say the wrong thing, I wasn¡¯t sure if he was violent in this state, but I knew I didn¡¯t want to find out. Kalen shakes his head. ¡°We can stay a little longer; I don¡¯t want you to disappear again, just a while longer,¡± I chewed my lip, knowing I needed to call them somehow, but I had no magic when my eyes darted to Kalen. I could feel his dark magic oozing off him, it had utterly enveloped him, and it was so thick and strong, almost glowing off him, and I was surprised I hadn¡¯t noticed when I came in. Darius would kill me, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do. We couldn¡¯t stay up here, but siphoning even just enough magic t o alert them to my whereabouts meant they would know I touched his power. I swallowed, deciding I would take the wrath of Darius. I was their keeper. This was what I was supposed to be for, transferring power from one to the other and it was almost too easy as I touched my fingers to his hand that still clutched hand tightly. My fingers were purple as the cirction was cut off. I barely touched him, but I gasped as his dark magic flowed through me, making me giggle as it tickled my sense when I felt it trying to change to light. I couldn¡¯t allow that, so I quickly touched my mark, sending the power through my infinity symbol. It glowed silver but didn¡¯t burn like it did the first time. Just tingled when I felt a weird sensation, almost like an intuition run up my arm from my mark, letting me know they felt it, and I was d I didn¡¯t try to revel in the feel of Kalen¡¯s magic, they would have noticed my power change, and they may have figured out what I was. Despite sending the magic into my mark, it lingered in my veins writhing through me, and I felt it give my magic a little kick, urging it to life and my senses tingled with ecstasy before it died out, knowing Darius wouldn¡¯t let me keep it. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 24 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 24 Chapter 24 My mind flicked to Kalen in this vulnerable state. I could take his power and escape, but I couldn¡¯t do it for some reason. It would be so easy, but I felt like I would condemn him if I did. The floor creaked as I heard three sets of feet step into the room. I could smell the buzz of electricity as a portal opened u p. I nced over my shoulder to see Darius, Tobias, and Lycus step into the room. ¡°You were supposed to stay in your room,¡± Darius told me, and I nodded. ¡°How did you find him?¡± he demanded like I was the one that brought him here. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I just found myself here. I don¡¯t even know where I am, only that I was in some abandoned part of the castle,¡± ¡°What, you just stumbled across him?¡± Darius snapped and Lycus walked around Kalen and kneeled on the other side of him. He grips his shoulder. ¡°Kalen, can you hear me,¡± Lycus whispers. ¡°I won¡¯t let you take her from me again. Why is it bad? I just want to see her,¡± Kalen mumbled, and Lycus¡¯s eyes went to m e. I could feel them all looking at me. ¡°I am right here, Kalen,¡± I tell him. ¡°But not for long, they always take you away, always take you away,¡± my brows furrowed in confusion. Lycus pried his hand from mine. ¡°She is right there, Kalen,¡± Lycus whispers, kissing his cheek. Kalen just stared through me like he wasn¡¯t really seeing me when Lycus ced Kalen¡¯s hand on the side of my face. ¡°See, can¡¯t you feel her?¡± ¡°She is right in front of you,¡± Lycus tells him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel her,¡± Kalen mutters, his eyes scanning my face. His words confused me. ¡°She has no magic, that is why, but she is right there,¡± ¡°You lie, you always lie, then take her from me,¡± Lycus looks behind me at Darius, and I hear movement before I watch Tobias kneel beside him. Kalen growled before he could even touch him. ¡°Leave him. He may hurt her if you try,¡± Lycus tells Tobias. His hand fell to his side and I figured he was going to try topel him. ¡°Your point being?¡± Darius growled. ¡°He would never fucking forgive himself, Darius. Stop being a dick,¡± Lycus snarled, his canines slipping out in his anger. ¡°Well, what do you suggest then, Lycus? He hasn¡¯t had one of these for months. You know it is the only way,¡± Darius snaps at him. Lycus eyes went to me fleetingly, and Darius growled at him. ¡°Darius, she won¡¯t hurt him, will you Aleera,¡± My brows furrow in confusion at Tobias¡¯s words. ¡°What?¡± I asked when Lycus suddenly gripped my arm, and I felt his magic rush into me with a significant force when without thinking, I felt myselftch onto it and drain him. It made me almost choke before he let go stumbling backward, his eyes wide. Tobias grabs him, and the atmosphere suddenly ripples with Darius¡¯s rage at what I had done. I remained still, unmoving. Lycus looked at his hand when I felt Darius grab m y arm in his grip, and I knew he was about to take it off me when Kalen made a strangled noise. My eyes darted to his as h e blinked at me like it was the first time seeing me. His lips part and I know he could sense Lycus magic running through me, yet I remained still. Not moving, knowing if I did, Darius may just kill me for what I identally did, but the moment Lycus tried to force me to take, his magic bondtched on to him like a starving person getting its first-ever meal and absorbed itpletely. I know that wasn¡¯t lycus intention. He would have only . wanted me to take enough that Kalen could feel me beside him, feel my nonexistent aura that was extinguished with my power. ¡°You¡¯re glowing,¡± Kalen murmured, and I chuckled, yet his following words made me stop. ¡°You have color in your aura,¡± I swallowed, wondering what gifts he had that he could see it. I focused on the power running through me, fighting the urge to let the bond change i t, trying my best to ignore it as it tried to seep in deeper and mingle. I felt like I was back in school fighting to keep my secret kept. Fighting myself so no one would notice, I forgot how much strain it was from stopping the light from mixing with the dark and morphing it into something else entirely. I couldn¡¯t control my aura for those who could see it, but only one other person I hade across had the gift to see someone¡¯s essence within it. Yet the other person died when we were attacked. I didn¡¯t even know his name, but he saved me and sacrificed himself to do i t, but I still remembered the look on his face. ¡°Well, don¡¯t you burn brighter than the sun, the first time I have seen a rainbow aura. I knew there would be something special about you,¡± he had said, then he smiled before the bloodhounds came for us. I tried to save him, but he shoved me through a portal when w e couldn¡¯t run anymore. ¡°They wille for you,¡± He screamed when the portal sucked me in. When I tried to portal back, I couldn¡¯t like he blocked me from returning to help him. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Kalen asked, pulling me from the memory. ¡°Do what?¡± I asked him without thinking. ¡°Change it to dark. Can you make the colore back?¡± I ignored his question but could feel everyone¡¯s eyes watching u s when Kalen reached his hand, brushing the air around me, his fingertips touching my aura. I could feel him through it, I couldn¡¯t see my own, but I could feel him touching it; it was an odd sensation. ¡°What are you?¡± he asked suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m like you,¡± I told him, and I noticed Tobias tilt his head to the side observing me and I swallowed, wondering if he could tell I lied but I hoped I had cloaked it enough. Kalen went to say something, but I cut him off. I needed him to be quiet. It would raise suspicion if he kept talking of my aura or whatever he sensed. He wasn¡¯t of sound mind right now, so I could y i t off by letting them think it was his ramblings. ¡°We should get you back to your room, Kalen,¡± I told him. ¡°They will take it away,¡± ¡°Take what away, I am right here?¡± ¡°He means his power,¡± ¡°We won¡¯t have a choice, now. Not until he is stable enough to have it back,¡± Lycus exined. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admit. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t. How could you when you weren¡¯t here,¡± ¡°Darius, not now,¡± Lycus warns him. Darius¡¯s grip on my arm was tight still when a thought flicked through me, and I realized why Kalen¡¯s aura was so cold and dark. He had died. It wasn¡¯t darkness but shadows of death. I suddenly remembered doing sses on it in school. The more someone was brought back, the more fragile they became mentally. It is also why the keeper of mates is important. They can cleanse the shadows or share it with their mates until it dissolves. ¡°I.. could..um..¡± I stopped knowing they would disagree, I already had Lycus power running through me, and I knew that made them nervous, more so since they weren¡¯t sure exactly what my gifts were. Darius growled as I moved and gripped Lycus¡¯s shirt while he tried speaking to Kalen. Everyone froze at my actions. Darius¡¯s hand was suddenly wrapped around my throat in warning. Not tight, but like he was seeing what I was going to do. Lycus¡¯s eyes were on mine, and Tobias was on his feet with speed unlike any other. My hands shook as I let his shirt go before touching his face. I gave it back; I couldn¡¯t believe I just willingly handed his magic back to him like I was giving him a piece of paper. He gasped as it rushed out of me, my hand glowing with the darkness of his magic before it fizzled out of me, leaving a hollowness inside me. They all looked at me dumbfounded. Kalen tilted his face up, and I could feel his confusion at the sudden deadly tension in 1 the room. I knew I only had a second before Darius ripped me away from all of them. I wouldn¡¯t have time to take it without him willingly giving it to me via touch. I knew that. So I acted quickly. My lips crashed against Kalen¡¯s hard, so hard I hurt myself, but the moment they did, the bond red to life, devouring the shadows tainting his magicpletely. So cold, and I took it way too fast. Darius ripped me away and tossed me on the ground within seconds of touching him. I choked, gagging on the taste of it as I crawled to my hands and knees. My back ached, yet the pain running through me from his magic hurt way more. Smoky and twisted, I had never felt anything colder before in my life. A scream left my lips, and I didn¡¯t know how Kalen coped with i tas I gasped for air, feeling like I was dying, and the air in my lungs turned ice cold. I tried to suck in a breath, but I couldn¡¯t like my lungs to work; I didn¡¯t know how to function anymore. My vision tunneled as the room darkened around me. Everything numbing with the coldness of it. ¡°Wait, he still has his magic. She didn¡¯t take it, Darius,¡± Lycus screamed. I passed out just as he grabbed my hair. My body fell limply on the hardwood floor. I needed air. I couldn¡¯t breathe; I needed to breathe. These were myst thoughts as I sumbed to the darkness. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 25 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Lycus POV This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. I truly believed Darius would have had to knock her out before she handed my magic back to me. Aleera gripped the front of m y shirt as I leaned over Kalen, trying to make hime back to the room with us. Tobias could usuallypel him to follow before we would douse him in our magic to cleanse the darkness away, and he would finally release it to us. The medication helped him, but something had set him off. I hadn¡¯t seen him like this since hisst suicide attempt. Darius caught her movement and gripped her throat. We all thought she would attack. Why wouldn¡¯t she? This was her chance to escape us again. The furious look on Darius¡¯s face as his hand wrapped around her throat told me if she did anything, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to snap her neck. That would kill Kalen, but I knew Darius wouldn¡¯t allow harm t oe to us, especially when we weren¡¯t sure exactly what she was capable of. Aleera froze, and my eyes were locked onto her sapphire ones. Her hand trembled as she reached for my face; her fingers barely touched me but it was enough. She was our keeper, keeper of our souls and magic, so that small touch was enough to send my magic hurtling back into me with an rming speed that stole the breath from my lungs and sent m e backward. Although when she returned it to me, I felt it was different. f Something about it felt different, but that was soon forgotten when she smacked her lips against Kalen¡¯s. A growl tore out of me when I saw her steal his magic. How could she take advantage of him while he was in this state? ¨C Within seconds, Darius tossed her and I moved forward, smacking into Kalen, who gasped. His eyes flew open, stunned before they shed brighter, recognition returning, and the buzz of energy rippled across his skin and zapped me. She didn¡¯t take it. She didn¡¯t take his magic. Tobias also, realizing that gripped my shoulder as he stood up. Darius stalked towards Aleera, who was choking, choking on the darkness she had just taken from him. Horror washed through the bond because she had no power to cleanse it from herself. It usually took all three of us to contain the shadows that tainted Kalen, yet even we struggled because it always came back no matter what.. She crawled to her hands and knees, clutching her throat with one hand as she wheezed. An agonized scream tore out her, and her eyes burned brightly before the color left and they turned white. ¡°Wait, he still has his magic. She didn¡¯t take it, Darius,¡± I screamed as Darius grabbed her hair. Her eyes fluttered, and her face fell ck just as Darius looked over at us. I didn¡¯t see Tobias move when Darius was shoved by his magic, forcing him to let her go. Darius smashed against the window before the floor shook as he crashed back to the ground. Tobias rushed toward her and dropped to his knees at her side, gripping her face. Kalen wailed as he scrambled across the floor to her. He snatched her away from Tobias. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± Kalen snarled. His entire body rippled as his aura tried to smother Tobias¡¯s, but he was no match for the vampiric-fae king. Tobias ignored him. His fingers pried her eyelids open, and all I saw was white as I walked over and kneeled beside her. Darius groaned as he got to his feet and shook off the st of Tobias¡¯s magic. No doubt Tobias wouldter pay for attacking him. ¡°Help her, fucking help her,¡± Kalen wailed as he tried to force her to take his magic to cleanse the shadows that writhed beneath her skin. The ck veins wiggled under her pale skin a s the life drained from her when Tobias leaned down. ¡°Tobias, no,¡± Darius snarled as he rushed to get to his feet just as Tobias sunk his teeth into her neck below her ear. Darius realizing he wasn¡¯t marking her, let out a breath, and Aleera¡¯s body jerked as he clutched her, feeding off her and trying to pull the darkness out of her blood. The dark veins below her skin¡¯s surface moved toward his bite mark when he jerked away, unable to absorb any more, and he began to choke, dropping her into Kalen¡¯sp. Still, Aleera didn¡¯t wake. ¡°Darius, please,¡± Kalen begged, and I looked at Darius, who stared at her unmoving. ¡°Darius!¡± I snapped when he didn¡¯t move to help her. I knew h e struggled the most with her. Just as much as Tobias did, I truly believed he would never forgive her. But right now, she was dying; he couldn¡¯t let her die for helping our mate. I understood his hatred toward her, I did. But she was our keeper and even though I hadn¡¯t forgiven her for what she did, I didn¡¯t feel it was worthy of death. Darius killed his father for her and for us. Doing that turned him cold. He wasn¡¯t always so bloodthirsty and emotionless. Darius would never admit it but I knew he loved her just as much as he hated her; he just liked to me the bond. Honestly, we all did. None of u s could deny the pull we had to her. He med her because he wouldn¡¯t have had to kill his father if she didn¡¯t run. His father would still be here with him. Tobias grips Darius¡¯s pant leg, and Darius looks down before growling. Darius was a demon, the shadows affected him, but h e could contain them. They just made him murderous when he took them, vtile and his magic would be numb. ¡°Please,¡± I gasped as Kalen wailed, rocking back and forth with her clutched in his arms. We only had seconds left before she would be lost to us. Darius¡¯s eyes softened as he watched Kalen. He knelt beside her, gently taking her from Kalen. He brushed her hair back from her face. Being part incubus, Darius could give and take magic from all of us, but it required emotion. Darius had been forced to be our keeper, and it was lucky he was an elemental, or we all would have perished when she left us. Though its consequences cost all of us everything, not that Kalen and I actually had anything before our mates. Tobias and Darius, it cost them the most since they were both straight before she left us. Tobias was also vampiric-King. His entire family shunned him except his twin brother so he gave u p his title for us, gave up his family and stuck by us. His lips covered hers, his thumb on her chin holding her mouth open, but I wasn¡¯t sure how it would work when she was pretty much dead in his arms, no emotion for him to feed off to take it. A tear slipped down his cheek, this man never cried, or if he did, it was never in front of us, and that was when I realized he wasn¡¯t taking the darkness. He was washing his magic through her and devouring his own power again, removing the taint which would indeed have some consequences. The color returns to her, and her eyes turn blue again. Darius stumbles back on his hands, gasping before he wipes his hand across his mouth and res at her, but I saw the flicker of relief cross his features and zap through our bond before he masked it when her eyes fluttered and she sucked in a sharp breath. ¡°Aleera,¡± Kalen choked, crushing her against him. Her body was all floppy in his arms, and she would probably remain like that for a few hours. We were usuallyatose whenever we cleansed Kalen. Although ncing at Darius and Tobias, they appeared alright, even after taking it from her. Yet Aleera showed no visible signs that she was still holding onto the shadows. Tobias was breathless but still conscious, Darius however, taken the most, was rippling with anger that usually came from taking the darkness. He rose to his feet before storming off, and I knew it was to stop from hurting us or hurting her in front of Kalen. ¡°I will check on him. Are you right to get them back?¡± Tobias asked me, sounding as breathless as he looked, and I nodded. Kalen was peppering her face with kisses while Aleera stared vacantly at the pointed ceiling. ¡°Kalen, we should get her back to her room,¡± I told him, touching his shoulder gently. ¡°She could have died, but she still did it¡± ¡°But she is alright now,¡± ¡°Darius, he was going to kill her,¡± Kalen told me, and I pressed my lips in a line. I hated how much Kalen cared for her, but she did just help Kalen and gave my power back. My brows furrowed, wondering why she would still help after everything we had done. Or maybe it was just a ploy to get us t o trust her so she could make an escape. ¡°You all hate her. Just get away from us,¡± Kalen snapped, and jealousy red through me that he would choose her over me after everything we had been through together. ¡°I don¡¯t hate her, Kalen,¡± I told him, and as I spoke the words, I realized it was true. I didn¡¯t hate her, but I didn¡¯t lose as much as Tobias and Darius did, only Kalen. Although if she had taken him from me, I probably would have told Darius to let her die. Kalen was mine, always has been since my father abandoned me in the orphanage. Kalen was the only pure dark Fae in the ce, the weakest, and he was tormented relentlessly and even abused by the teachers. My parents were both pure dark Fae. I should have been like Kalen, the weakest of the Fae. That was until my mother died and with my grief, I shifted. I was my mother¡¯s bastard. My father soon realized I wasn¡¯t his and dumped me o n the orphanage doorstep. Literally tied a leash around my neck because I didn¡¯t know how to shift back yet. He tied me to a chair like a dog until the orphanage opened the following day and found me curled in a ball on the footstep covered in snow. Looking at Kalen now, I saw the same thing in his eyes that I felt the first time I saw the other kids kicking the crap out of him. The same way my father kicked and punched into me when I shifted. I wanted to protect him. He was so smallpared to the other kids. So I did. No one dared touch him when I was near after that, and I made sure to stay by his side until we ran away. Kalen had that same look, he wanted to protect her, but he also knew he couldn¡¯t. Not against Darius o r Tobias. ¡°Kalen?¡± ¡°No, Lycus. You need to choose a side I won¡¯t lose her,¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t lose you. You know what she has done. They won¡¯t just forgive her,¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know. No wonder she hates us. We don¡¯t deserve her,¡± Kalen tells me. I look at her limp body in his arms. ¡°She is cold,¡± I told him, and he looks down at her. Her lips were blue, and her breathing was shallow. ¡°You don¡¯t want her to freeze to death, do you?¡± I asked him, and he shook his head.. ¡°But Darius,¡± I gritted my teeth. Already hating what I was about to say before I even said it. ¡°We will stay with her until shees to,¡± Kalen turned his head to look at me. His eyes scanned mine for any deceit. ¡°You will help me?¡± I nod, looking away from her. Darius would be furious about me letting Kalen near her, but she just risked her life for him, and maybe Tobias was right. Perhaps she isn¡¯t a threat to him. Until we were positive, I would speak to Darius about letting him near her under supervision. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 26 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Aleera POV Hushed voices woke me. They sounded angry as I opened my eyes. Thest thing I remembered was choking on the shadows and Darius grabbing me; I felt myself dying and, in some ways, I even prayed for death. At least I wouldn¡¯t feel like this. I felt hollow. I had tasted only briefly their magic before they took it from me. My bond screamed angrily, writhing within me for it back. ¡°Darius, just leave him be. I am right here with them.¡± ¡°Anything happens to him, and it is on you. It will be your fault,¡± Darius growled before I heard the door m. I jumped a t the sound and my eyes opened to find Kalen beside me asleep. He looked so peaceful, and I gently brushed his cheek with my fingertips. His stubble was rough and scratchy when I felt the bed dip behind me, and I nced over my shoulder to see Lycus sit next to me. ¡°You are awake,¡± He states, and I turn back to face Kalen. I tried not to let his emotionless tone upset me. He didn¡¯t seem too pleased that I was awake. ¡°Thank you,¡± Lycus murmured, and I chewed my lip and nodded at his words. It actually sounded like it physically hurt him to say it. ¡°Why did you give it back?¡± He asked. I wondered briefly the same thing. It was clear that even with me helping Kalen, nothing would change and I just tossed my only opportunity o fescape out the window. Yet the thought of Kalen being the way he was, I knew I would have done it again. ¡°Darius is angry,¡± I stated, ignoring his question. ¡°He always is,¡± Lycus stated before he leaned against the bedhead of my tiny bed. ¡°Kalen struggles to cope. He hasn¡¯t had an episode like that for a while. It has made Darius more anxious,¡± ¡°He mes me for it?¡± ¡°We all do. He has been fine for almost a year, then you show u p, and he backtracks,¡± Lycus growls before he sighs. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you,¡± ¡°How many times,¡± I asked Lycus, rolling onto my back to look at him. ¡°How many times he had tried to kill himself, or do you mean how many times he sessfully did before were brought him back?¡± I swallowed. ¡°Brought back, 8 times, lost count of how many suicides attempts he has had,¡± Lycus answers and my heart sank. Kalen was far from alright. ¡°You did something to my magic,¡± Lycus says, and my heart quickens at his words, making him nce down at me. He watched me waiting for my answer. ¡°What do you mean, I did nothing to it,¡± ¡°It feels different, stronger,¡± I let out a shaky breath. ¡°I¡¯m your keeper, of course, it does,¡± ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t expect it to feel as strong as Darius¡¯s and Tobias¡¯s power, you may be a keeper, but you are supposed to pass and share our energy amongst us, so we are all the same strength, yet when you handed mine back for a while it wanted to challenge Darius¡¯s,¡± D ¡°Because I never shared it, it is the bond,¡± I tell him, and he nodded. ¡°Yeah, and I bet it is ying havoc with my magic out of your system and Darius¡¯s. Although it makes me wonder what you would be capable of if you shared all our power along with your own,¡± ¡°I never touched Darius¡¯s magic,¡± I tell him. ¡°Why do you think you are alive? Tobias fed off you and tried t o clean it from your blood. His saliva has magic in it, but he couldn¡¯t take it all. Darius flooded you with his power, so I bet you feel pretty ufortable now. Once a keeper shares power the first time, your bond will crave it for a bit until it is out of your system, which happens to Darius sometimes,¡±. ¡°Well, you all seem intent on keeping me defenseless, so of course, I feel like crap,¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the original intention. It didn¡¯t need to be this way,¡± Lycus told me. Lycus went to say something else when Tobias walked into the room. ¡°Where is Darius?¡± Lycus asked him, but Tobias was too busy staring at me. ¡°Tobias?¡± Lycus snapped, and Tobias shook himself before he looked over at Lycus. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Darius, where did he go?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Where do you think?¡± Tobias snapped at him. Lycus growled before running his hand through his hair. ¡°I know it¡¯s not you, but I just copped it off, Darius. I don¡¯t need you starting on me too,¡± ¡°I was just checking on Kalen. I wasn¡¯t here to argue,¡± Tobias said. ¡°He is fine as you can see, I won¡¯t leave him alone with her,¡± ¡°Oh, for fuck sake, I am not going to hurt him,¡± I snapped as anger rippled through me. They both stared at me, stunned and honestly, I was surprised I voiced those words because I didn¡¯t mean to. ¡°Is that so. Fine, answer me this then,¡± I rolled my eyes, and Tobias was on top of me within seconds, his fingers squeezing my face. ¡°Tobias, what are you doing?¡± Lycus snapped at him and gripped his arm. ¡°She said she won¡¯t hurt him. Let¡¯s see how true it is,¡± Tobias said, sending a re at Lycus, who shrugged. Tobias¡¯s fingers dug painfully into my cheeks as he stared at me. ¡°If given the opportunity would you run again?¡± Tobias asked me, and I felt my heart skip a beat which earned a growl from him. ¡°Answer,¡± Tobias growled and Lycus sat up more, looking down at me. What kind of question is that? What answer did they expect to get? ¡°If you were in my ce, would you stay?¡± I asked instead. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to run from my mates. I wouldn¡¯t risk killing them, now answer the question,¡± Tobias growled. ¡°You already know the answer, or you wouldn¡¯t be asking just t o catch me lying, Tobias, now let me go,¡± The noise that left him made goosebumps rise on my skin before he shoved off me. ¡°Still think she won¡¯t hurt him?¡± He asked Lycus. Lycus sighed. ¡°Now get him to bed, make sure you lock her door. I knew she only helped him to regain our trust,¡± ¡°That is not true; I like Kalen. It¡¯s the rest of you I can¡¯t stand, ¡°You don¡¯t like him enough to stay for him, though, do you?¡± Tobias spat at me. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. ¡°You had to ruin it,¡± Lycus snapped when he left. Lycus climbed off my bed before walking around to the other side and scooped Kalen off the bed with one swift movement. My heart hammered in my chest as the bond cried out for him. My hand gripped Kalen¡¯s before I could hold myself back, and Lycus¡¯s eyes flickered angrily. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t need to take him, just let him sleep here,¡± I blurted, needing him back where I could feel him and know he is alright. ¡°Thank you for bringing him back to us, but Tobias proved you only intend on hurting him again. I won¡¯t allow that,¡± Lycus said. He walked out, taking Kalen, who remained unconscious with him, his energy left the room, and I suddenly felt cold without any of them in here. Time slipped by and the cold set into my bones. I would take their wrath if one woulde back and stay, anything to chase the cold of the empty bond away. One taste of their magic and my bond ached for them only now they were gone. I tugged the nket up as I shivered, needing their magic or some of my own. Why was I so cold? Why did it hurt like this? Being the keeper, I required their magic, but I lived without it for so long, deprived it so long, so I didn¡¯t understand how after one encounter, one taste that it felt like they were tearing me apart piece by piece when they took it away. No matter how close I sat to the firece, no matter how many nkets I surrounded myself with, I couldn¡¯t warm up. My teeth chattered, and my entire body ached. I hoped it was just an after effect of the shadows, yet I had a nagging feeling i t was them, and Lycus was right. I just hoped he was always also right about it wearing off. The door opened up, and my bond leaped with joy as I turned around to see who had entered. I tried to slow my heart rate as he stepped into the room. ¡°The effects of you touching our magic will wear off; give it a day or so, and you will be fine,¡± Darius said. ¡°Maybe you could?¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Darius said without looking at me. ¡°We will never give you magic. That was a once-off Aleera. Like I said, it will wear off.¡± I turned my attention back to fire and tried to warm up. He didn¡¯t even have to give me much, just enough to settle the bond until the effects left. This was torture in itself, and I promised myself that I was going to run as soon as I was able. I would rather battle it out there than live with this torment. Kalen would learn to survive without me, or maybe I could convince him toe? Darius walked over to me and dropped a box beside me on the floor. ¡°Shoes, don¡¯t bete to ss tomorrow,¡± ¡°Socks?¡± I asked, hopeful. ¡°In the box,¡± He called out over his shoulder as he left. My hands snatched the box up, instantly rummaging through it for the socks to ce on my cold feet. I would hardly call them shoes. They were ts, nothing special or even protective for m y feet, and the soles were paper thin but better than nothing. I told myself little victories, and if it was shoes, I would take any triumph right now. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 27 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 27 Chapter 27 I hardly slept a wink of sleep throughout the night. Yet as the rm went off it, it cut out before I could even open my eyes. Fingertips gripped my wrist, and my eyes flew open at the sharp sting of fangs piercing my skin. My heart thumped in m y chest, and Tobias growled before euphoria rushed through m e as his magic caressed over me, stifling the scream I was sure was about to tear out of me. His blood-red cat-like eyes watched my face, his finger ced on my lips in warning, and I wondered how long he had been i n here and why he was suddenly feeding on me again. My eyelids fluttered, and I waspletely frozen with fear. I was prey against the predator using me as his personal juice box. H e licked my wrist before healing it, cing it on the bed, and walked out of the room when he was done. I stared after him, but he didn¡¯t say so much as a word to me. Instead, just left the room. I nced over at the clock and groaned before rushing about the room and skipping the shower. I wanted to get to the mess hall before the others so I could grab something and slip out back to my room. It seemed like the safest option, and I knew I would be skipping lunch. Retrieving my ts, I slipped them on while pulling my hood u p over my head. I felt unsteady on my feet from the blood loss and very shaky after rushing around. I was forced to clutch the banister on the stairs, feeling slightly lightheaded as I descended. Tobias¡¯s actions confused me. Why would hee and feed on me when he had three mates sharing a room with him that he would provide him with blood. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. My heart twinged at the thought of them, and my mind wandered to Kalen as I peeked into the mess hall. Relief washed over me when I saw I was the first one here. I rushed over to the disy of food and scooped up some bacon and two pieces of toast before voices at the other end reached my ears. I would have to see if I could change the rm to a little earlier. With my few pieces of bacon and two slices of toast, I escaped when more voices could be heard. Looking around, I nced at the door of the cell I was kept in and groaned. Eat in peace or try to make it back up to my room without being spotted. I chose the cells. I pushed the door open, and the cold draft made me shiver before I sat down on the second step listening to the voices slowly filling the mess hall. My stomach growled hungrily, and the loss of blood didn¡¯t help. I was starving, and those two slices of toast and bacon didn¡¯t even touch the sides, but I was just grateful for anything in my stomach right now. This morning, my first ss was with Tobias and at the stupid obstacle course. I shake my head at the thought. No way would I everplete that damn course. My mind wandered to Kalen again as I wondered if he was alright. I sighed, thinking about the men the fates decided to bond me to. Even on the run, I never felt this lonely, and this time I was surrounded by people. Not good people but still people, I spent so long on my own and thought I was lonely then, but despite being alone, it never felt this cold and unweing. I reminded myself of the aftereffects of the bond and the shadows, trying not to let it get to me. Yet the ache to go to them, beg them for just a taste of their magic was still intense. Although, at least the agony ofst night was over. It made me wonder how they power shared between each other. Being the Keeper, I only had to touch them, but why did I have a feeling it wasn¡¯t that straightforward with them. I didn¡¯t even think it was possible but then again, I didn¡¯t believe any elemental Fae other than myself existed. That was one thing I pondered while I had gotten dressed. The memory of power I had witnessed Darius use left only one conclusion. Darius was a dark elemental. Demonic- elemental Fae. I had never even heard of it before, but I knew in my gut I was right. Which exined why everyone feared him. But also, Kalen¡¯s powers were odd too. I had only met one other person that could read aura the way he did. We all saw auras to some degree, but they were essentially manifested energy we could get a feel for. Kalen though, could see them, clearly see them and even see the essence and soul that resided in it. That was a dangerous trait for him to have because it meant if I obtained power in any way. Kalen would notice straight away. He would also realize what I am, and now he was stable. I know he would ask questions and possibly tell 2 the others. I waited for the siren to go off and then waited some more before I heard the hallways clear of voices before I quickly raced out to join the ss. I was determined not to piss them off today because I wanted to see Kalen. I needed to know if he was alright because not knowing was driving me insane. ****** That dreaded fucking climbing wall, I have never despised anything as much as I did that damn wall as I stood staring up at it. Once again, the men all passed me, but I was alive and still kicking. Sore and every muscle ached when the siren blows, signally the recess break. The others already had finished the course, and I started climbing the stupid wall when arms wrapped around my waist, and I screamed and thrashed. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s me, stop,¡± Tobias growled below my ear, his hand mped down on my mouth to stifle the scream of fright that threatened to deafen me. I thought it was Zac. Assumed he was the one that would be ensuring Ipleted the course. Tobias removed his hand from my mouth, and I nced at him behind me before he ced me on my feet. ¡°Go eat and get to your next ss,¡± he says, straightening his shirt. ¡°I can go? But the others can¡¯t unless they finish it?¡± ¡°I fed off you, there is no way you willplete the course, and I know you are hungry, so go before I change my mind,¡± H. e didn¡¯t have to tell me twice. I hated that damn wall. Nodding my head once, I walked off toward the castle when Tobias caught up with me quickly. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 28 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 28 Chapter 28 He gripped my arm, making me stop, and I almost groaned. Was that some bullshit trick? ¡°About this morning, it never happened, ok,¡± Tobias said, and my brows furrowed in confusion. Pretty sure it did, but why did he seem so nervous? ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± I tell him. I am about to stomp off and try t o find my next ss, so I am notte. There is no way I was going in that mess hall, and I would just wait until dinner. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Tobias grabs my arm with a growl and yanks me back. ¡°Say it didn¡¯t happen,¡± Tobias snapped at me. I thought his behavior was odd, his grip tight when realization dawned on me. He was forbidden to feed on me and the only person I could see him fearing would be Darius. ¡°Why notpel me to forget?¡± I asked and he tugged at the neckline of his shirt. ¡°Forget it,¡± he says, stalking off. ¡°Fine, it never happened, but I want to see Kalen,¡± I called out to him and he stopped. A growl tore out of him and he moved i n blinding speed gripping the front of my shirt. I gasped at how close his face was to mine, and his fangs protruded. ¡°Don¡¯t try to ckmail me,¡± he snarled. ¡°The way I see it is the only reason you haven¡¯tpelled me i s that you n on using me as your blood bag, but by the way, you keep insisting it never happened. You don¡¯t want Darius to find out,¡± I snapped at him. He let me go but red at me. ¡°If Ipel you too much, Darius will sense my magic on you, so will Kalen.¡± ¡°So you do want to continue feeding on me,¡± I tell him, and he looked away but nodded his head. ¡°Why not use the others,¡± ¡°Does it matter? I will let you see Kalen. Once and that¡¯s it,¡± Tobias snapped. ¡°I see him once while you get to use me as your personal buffet?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t in a position to negotiate,¡± Tobias growled. ¡°And by how worried you are, you aren¡¯t in a position to say n o to me,¡± Tobias grips my throat, clearly not liking me arguing with him, and my hands clutched his. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lycus¡¯s voice reached my ears, and Tobias let me go, he stepped away from me, and I nced at Lycus. ¡°Your next ss is with Darius; I suggest you get going, Aleera, ¡± Lycus said, although his eyes remained on Tobias. I nodded my head before I rushed off to the next ss. Thank goodness Darius¡¯s ss was a theory lesson. Although I would have preferred being anywhere else and away from Darius¡¯s res, surprisingly, I was left pretty much alone. Maybe because he insisted on putting a table next to his desk like I was the naughty student that needed extra supervision. Everyone worked off tablets, and I looked down at the paper in front of me before scouring the pages on elemental magic while everyone did their pop quiz on the tablet. How was I supposed to fill it out when I didn¡¯t even have a pen? I nced over at his desk when he suddenly passed me a pencil without even looking over at me. Thankfully, the ss was uneventful, not even a murmur while Darius spoke and exined things. Everyone seemed to be nervous around him. Not that I med them, he made me nervous too with his explosive temperament. When the ss ended, I waited for everyone to leave before getting out of my seat. Darius watched me for a few seconds while I cleaned my desk and handed him the paper. ¡°Tobias messaged me earlier and asked for you to see Kalen this afternoon,¡± Darius told me. He took the paper from me and nced at it before cing it on his desk. ¡°After dinner, you cane to our room to see him; I don¡¯t want you alone with him,¡± I nodded my head and walked out, surprised Tobias even asked. Not that I was keen to go into their room. I was hoping Kalen coulde to mine, but I would take what I could get. I wandered around the campus grounds, bored. I wasn¡¯t supposed to wander off, but I knew their recruits were in the mess hall or recreational rooms, and I didn¡¯t feel like sitting in my room. Besides, I wanted to scope the grounds out and see if I could find that road I saw from the castle tower. I was just about to the corner when I heard voices. A loud squawking noise reached my ears. The sound was terrible, and I peeked around the corner to see four demonsughing before noticing what was on the ground at their feet. My heart sank. It was a phoenix, and I went to run out to try to save it but stopped myself knowing it would probably only end up with me getting hurt or having to exin myself to Darius. Luckily, they seemed to get distracted before they inflicted more pain on the poor thing. One of them kicked it, and a sob left my lips which made me cover my mouth with my hands. I watched them walk offughing and chatting amongst themselves. Once they disappeared, I rushed over to the fallen phoenix. It was only a juvenile. My hands were shaking terribly, and it snapped its beak at me, probably thinking I was here to hurt it some more. ¡°Shh, shh, I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I tell it. The bastards burnt his feathers off, and one of his wings looked broken. ¡°You have to be quiet. I will help you,¡± I tell it, trying to get close enough to it. Phoenix hated dark Fae, all dark creatures i n fact. Phoenix¡¯s, however, loved white Fae and also contained magic themselves. But being a juvenile, he had no such power or healing ability. Pheonix¡¯s also could power share with their bonded. They bonded to their owners, primarily White Fae or other phoenixes. I scooped him up, and he squawked loudly, and I grabbed his beak. ¡°Shh, they hear you; they will kill you,¡± I tell it while holding its beak closed to stop the noise. Watching my surroundings, I raced back to the castle, making sure to remain unseen. But now what? Where could I hide him until he healed? Phoenix¡¯s hunted food, but he wouldn¡¯t even be able to fly for god knows how long I nced at the stairs leading to the rooms and the cell door. I could try to hide him down there, but they may hear him if he squawked. However, my room joined my mates, and Darius may sense him. He had no power yet, but he definitely would b e able to be felt once he did. The cells it was. I rushed to the door escaping inside before being caught. I flicked the light switch on, lighting up the rancid ce before descending down the stairs. When I got to the bottom, I looked at the cells. I refused to look at the one I was in. The memory of Darius breaking my leg and hand down here made bile rise in my throat. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 29 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Walking to the one next to it, I ced him on the bed. At least this cell had one. The phoenix stared at me and nestled against it. His eyes looked sad, and I could tell he was in pain. I wished I had magic so I could heal him. Maybe I could try to siphon some from somewhere? Taking my jumper off, I cringed. I only had one and two changes of clothes. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t get too cold, but he needed it more than me. So, I made him a make-shift nest out of it. ¡°I have to go,¡± I tell him, patting his head. He watched me and nestled into his bed but when I went to leave, he squawked and my heart raced at the noise. I rushed back, mping my hand on its beak. ¡°Shh, shh, they will hear. You have to be quiet, I will try to catch you some mice or find some food, but you have to be quiet,¡± I tell him, and it made a cooing sound but dropped its head, tucking it under its good wing. I patted him for a few seconds on its orange-red feathers that remained on its neck before giving him a kiss. He ripped his head out from under his wing, and I thought at first he was going to bite me, but he pressed his big beak to cheek and I ¡¤ brushed the few feathers on his head. ¡°I will be back,¡± I told him. He stared with eyes far too intelligent. My mother used to have a phoenix before she died, and after my father brought her back, turning her into a Dark Fae. I remembered it hated my father, constantly pecking him and snapping at him when he got too close to her, but it loved my mother. After she changed, it turned on her and attacked her, so dad killed it. I loved that bloody bird and cried for a week straight. The Pheonix appeared to realize I was trying to help him nestled down in my jumper, and I raced upstairs. I went quickly back to my room, trying to find anything I could to help him and to see if I could find something to feed it. I smiled when Iid eyes on the bandages still sitting on the dresser from my ruined feet. They were filthy, but I might be able to use them to wrap his wing and part of his torso. Phoenix¡¯s grew quiterge and fully grown stood about 5 feet. My new little friend was a juvenile and was only around the size of a macaw right now, so I knew he would grow much bigger. I grabbed the bandages and my pillowcase stripping it off the pillow before deciding to try to smuggle the entire pillow out for him. I remembered how cold it got down there. Deciding to shower before dinner, I retrieved one of their shirts. I always thought it odd that I found a new one in the room to sleep in every night. I only had two pairs of pants and two shirts plus m y jumper, so I was excited because now I had socks and some ts to add to my tiny wardrobe. Just as I was about to walk into the bathroom, I noticed the glint of steel on the bedside table. I totally forgot about the scissors I smuggled, but why were they on the dresser? One of them must have found them, yet they left them, which surprised me. Let¡¯s see them rip my damn hair out when I have none to pull o n; I snickered at my thoughts, snatching the scissors off the top of the dresser and walked into the bathroom. I tugged my jeans off and ced them on the counter since I still had to try and go and steal some dinner from the mess hall, and I certainly wasn¡¯t going down there in just one of my mates¡¯ shirts. Looking in the mirror, I stared at my long, raven ck hair. It was unruly and hung to my waist. My grandmother and father had the same color hair, and it saddened me that I was about t o chop it off. But at the same time, I was sick of it being the first thing they grabbed. Grabbing the scissors, I hacked at one side. My stomach sank as I held up the handful of hair I lobbed off. Tears streamed down my face at how short it was sitting just below my shoulders des. cing the hair on the bench, I tugged my hair up in a ponytail, just chop it off. You can do it, plus I already cut one side that looked like I tried to cut it with a fork; it was that uneven and the scissors were blunt. So I couldn¡¯t back out now. I raised the scissors and gripped my hair at the top of my head, close to the scalp. I started chopping at it when the door opened before I didn¡¯t even have a chance to see who it was before the scissors were snatched from my hand, and my head was yanked back by the very hair I was trying to get rid of. I cried out and clutched the hands before spotting Darius in the mirror. ¡°What the fuck do you think you are doing?¡± Darius snarled as Lycus wandered on in behind him. Kalen¡¯s voice reached my ears, but Lycus quickly mmed the door and locked it. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Darius,¡± Lycus hissed. ¡°She was¡­¡± Darius looked at me in the mirror before noticing my hair on the countertop.. ¡°Why would you chop off your hair? What the fuck is wrong with you,¡± he says, thrusting the scissors at Lycus¡¯s chest. ¡°Because I am sick of everyone fucking grabbing it,¡± I snapped at him, and he quickly let go. He seemed shocked at me yelling at him. I rubbed the back of my neck and the top of my scalp. It felt tender as strands were yanked out on the crown of my head. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 30 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¡°You are not cutting it. You will look like a boy,¡± Darius growled. ¡°That¡¯s the point, asshole. I would rather have no fucking hair than have you ripping it out every chance you get,¡± Kalen banged on the door demanding to know what was going on, and Darius growled and looked over at Lycus. ¡°Deal with him while I deal with her,¡± Darius snapped. He reached over, snatching the scissors from Lycus. Who looked a t him worriedly. ¡°Go deal with him,¡± Darius said, his aura rushing out and making the room hot with his anger. Lycus sighed but opened the door. He had to grab Kalen as he tried to force his way in before the door shut and Darius locked it. He turned to face m e, and I took a step back away from him when he went to step closer with the scissors clutched tightly in hand. ¡°You ruined it,¡± He snarled, and my heart rate skyrocketed at the evil look in his eyes. It¡¯s just hair. Why the hell does he care about whether or not I have hair on my damn head. ¡°Sit on the edge with your feet in the bath,¡± He snapped, pointing at the bathtub. I nced at the bathtub, and he growled at me, which made me move to do as he asked before h emanded me, giving me no choice. ¡°Don¡¯t cut your hair,¡± he paused, and I felt his presence behind me but didn¡¯t dare look at him. I felt fingers run through the lengths of it as he growled at my hack job before dropping the scissors beside me. ¡°Wait here,¡± He said before he walked out of the room. I wondered what my chance was of escaping whatever punishment he was about to inflict when he walked back in, and I looked over at him only to see Tobias was with him. Tobias sighed and looked at Darius. ¡°Fix it,¡± Darius snapped at him. ¡°Do I look like a hairdresser?¡± Tobias asked him. No to me, he looked more like someone that would scalp me, not fix hair. Darius dropped some pouch on the ledge of the bath beside me and rummaged through it. ¡°You do our hair all the time,¡± Darius told him. ¡°That involves clippers, not scissors, and I am not sure I can fix that. You do it. You are used to cutting long hair. I have never done a woman¡¯s hair before,¡± Tobias argued. That surprised me. I couldn¡¯t really picture any of them doing hair. Darius growled at him, but Tobias shook his head. ¡°Nope, you want it fixed, do it yourself. You used to do your mo -¡± Tobias stopped, his words cut off abruptly with the thunderous growl that left Darius. Tobias red at him and walked out, and I looked at Darius who was fuming before he scrubbed a hand down his face and looked over at me. I flinched when he stepped closer, but he only reached down and grabbed theb. ¡°Just stay still,¡± Darius said, he turned my head straight so I had to look at the tiles. Frozen with shock when I felt himbing my hair, I stared off at the tiled wall. I was curious to know what Tobias said before being cut off by Darius. ¡°You like long hair?¡± I blurted the words slipping past my lips before I could stop them. Fuck Aleera. Curiosity killed the cat. You are the cat in this situation, I tried to remind myself. However, I was shocked when he answered. ¡°Yes, Lycus used to have long hair, but it annoyed him, and he cut it off not long after we found him,¡± Darius said. I felt him brush up against me as he continued tob the knots out. H e reached beside me, pulling a clip out and piling my hair on m y head, leaving sections. My hair started falling away as he cut it, and I nced down to see it was cut just below my shoulders before he pulled another section from the clip beforebing it. ¡°were you a hairdresser in a past life?¡± I chuckled at the thought. Darius huffed. ¡°You believe in that past life crap?¡± he asked. I shrugged, unsure what I believed or if I believed in anything after death. ¡°Not sure,¡± I answered honestly. I jumped when he ced the scissors beside me and walked off before rummaging under the sink. He returned and wet my hair with a spray bottle, which made me jump again at how cold the liquid was inside. Darius distracted while fixing my ruined hair, almost seemed like an average person, or maybe it was the bond. His aura remained threatening. But he wasn¡¯t being cruel, so I figured h e must have some form of humanity in him. I tried to contain myughter at that thought when I remembered him telling his recruits my hair was off-limits when they threatened to burn it off. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I will try not to grab it, but don¡¯t cut it again. It is now short enough,¡± Darius said behind me, and I almost turned to look a thim, but his fingers forced my face forward before I could. ¡°Stay still,¡± He snapped, and I swallowed. ¡°I can¡¯t picture Lycus with long hair,¡± I admitted and Darius chuckled. ¡°When we found them, it was really long, almost as long as yours was,¡± ¡°So you liked doing his hair,¡± I pried. ¡°No, he cut it off. I was furious, but-¡± he stopped like he remembered who he was talking to. ¡°Do you even care, or are you just trying to make small talk?¡± h e asked. I thought about it for a second because it was kind of both; I cared because if he was talking, that meant he wasn¡¯t killing me; but I was also curious why he was so upset about hair. ¡°Just curious why you got angry when you seem so intent on ripping mine out,¡± I told him honestly. He paused his cutting and cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t try to cut it, and I won¡¯t grab it,¡± he finally said, and his aura dropped, which allowed my shoulders to untense. ¡°My sister used to have long hair,¡± ¡°I thought you were an only child?¡± I asked him. ¡°She died when she was seven.¡± ¡°What was her name?¡± ¡°Molly, she was my mother¡¯s illegitimate child. She had an affair on my father,¡± I chewed my lip at that bit of information. That definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone down well. Especially if he was anything like Darius. ¡°He forgave her, but when the gue hit my sister, died, along with the rest of the Fae,¡± ¡°Wait, your sister was a white Fae?¡± ¡°No, a harmony one, both my parents were dark-demonic, Molly¡¯s father was a white-Fae,¡± ¡°Wait, but the Fae gue hit before I was born,¡± I tell him, and he hums in agreement. ¡°Yes, but the second wave hit seven yearster. She would have been the same age as you,¡± my brows furrowed in confusion. I don¡¯t remember a second wave talked about, and how did I survive it if there was one? ¡°It wasn¡¯t like the first one. They poisoned the water system, we ran off town water, when the rumor started about the gue my sister and mother went into confinement under the castle, she survived the first wave because it was airbome. My father had strict protocols on who was allowed in and out. They lived down there for 3 years before we realized they coulde out. Mum wouldn¡¯t leave her down there by herself. Yet when the second wave hit, no one saw iting, and the water supplies were poisoned, she had a bath and fell ill,¡± ¡°So you used to do her hair?¡± I asked him. ¡°No, my mother¡¯s, after Molly died, she became depressed and couldn¡¯t look after herself; I looked after her until she died,¡± Darius answered. I swallowed, not knowing what to say, and h e didn¡¯t tell me anything else, just kept cutting my hair. When he was finished, he tapped my shoulder for me to turn around before gripping the ends. His face was in deep concentration as he cut some of the hair around my face before making sure the ends were the same length. He then nodded and stood up before he walked out. I stared after him before shaking my head and dusting off my shirt. Looking in the mirror, he cut just below my shoulders. Darius returned a few secondster and ced some hair ties on the counter, not saying a word before he walked out again, leaving me alone. I quickly locked the door before cleaning up all my hair and dumping it in the bin. I then showered fast so I could get to the mess hall early so I could get back to my feathery friend. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 31 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 31 Chapter 31 I rubbed my arms against the cold night air that drifted through the castle doors as I came downstairs. It was freezing tonight, and I worried for the phoenix since he was almostpletely featherless and hoped he would be warm enough for the night. Voices in the mess hall made me cringe as I approached it, but I needed to eat something; I was beginning t o feel quite shaky. I couldn¡¯t survive off toast of a morning alone. I kept my head low as I made my way into the line, wishing I still had my hoodie to obscure my face. The smell of the food made me ravenous, and my stomach growled hungrily. The man in front of me turned and looked down at me before snarling and looking away. Retrieving a tray and te, I made my way down the line only whenever I stopped at one of the stations the person stationed there would close the lids, not allowing me to retrieve anything. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I rolled my eyes and went to lift the lid off of thest one, not really caring at this point what it was. Only the moment I did, the demon stationed there mmed the piping hot lid on top o fmy hand and I felt his magic make the lid vibrate as he used his magic to turn the steel red as he forged heat into it. I cried out and tried to jerk my hand free, but he growled and pressed harder. The steel lid burned my flesh, and I could feel the bubbling of my skin. ¡°Traitor,¡± He sneered at me while I held back the tears that threatened to spill. I would not let him see me cry. Gritting my teeth, I jerked my hand out, bringing thedle with me full of what looked like stew, and tossed it as his face. He shrieked loudly but fuck him. If I had my magic, I would have scorched the bastard alive and watched him burn for the shit they keep doing to me. (This Novel Daily Latest Chapters provide it I silently promised myself that I would get my revenge and when it came that time these men would know who they fucked with. I had no idea when that would be, today tomorrow. Years down the track. However, when I came for them, they wanna beg because I would burn this ce to the ground with them trapped in it. He clutched his eyes as the boiling hot liquid sshed on his face, and I examined my hand. Blisters bubbled on the back of my hand, and the outline from the pot melted my skin and tore my flesh away when I jerked my hand out. I turned away t o leave when someone grabbed me by the back of my neck. I screamed and tried to fight back, but he was behind me as he dragged me nearer to bubbling stew. I clutched the sides of the bench as he tried to force my face into the boiling bubble. 1 Those presentughed, and my hand slid into the pot, pain seared up my arm to my elbow. I hissed in pain, and I yanked i tout only for my face to press too close. The heat I could feel against my face when I threw my boiled hand back and connected with something that made him let go. A shocked collective gasp filled the room as I turned on my attacker and looked at him, clutching his manhood he had dropped to the ground. Good to know I hit somewhere painful. Though that was short-lived when I got a good look at his face. ¡°You¡¯re dead bitch,¡± He choked out, and I looked in horror at the person I tossed the soup at. It was Deacon, one of Zac¡¯s friends. I quickly ran from the room as I heard chairs screeching and didn¡¯t bother looking back as I ran for the stairs. Fuck, I knew it wouldn¡¯t end well. But what choice did I have? Once on the top floor, I knew I was safe, or as safe as I could be, in this dreadful ce. I had noticed no one other than my mates ever came up to the floor where my room was. Like it off- limits to the rest of the recruits, I was thankful for that for once. My hand and arm seared with burning pain, and I rushed to the bathroom and turned the faucet on. cing my burnt limb under the cool liquid. My hand looked like bubble wrap; the skin was that blistered. Tears welled in my eyes, and I knew that was thest of my dinner outings. It looked like my only meal would be breakfast if I could get there early enough. I would have to manage until I found an escape out of here, but what would I do with my phoenix? I needed to find a way t o get out of here and figured I would wait until he got better. If I carried him, it would slow me down, and if they caught me, they would surely kill him. So I needed to make sure he could fly on the off chance they did catch me. At least he could escape and be free. When the pain subsided a little, I walked back into my room and flopped on my bed. I suppose I could try and sneak out tonight if they left my door unlocked. I could rummage through the bins for something for the phoenix to eat. He must be hungry. I knew I was, but I wasn¡¯t at the point where I was going to start eating everyone¡¯s leftovers, not that I hadn¡¯t dumpster dived before. How did it get to this? My life be this nightmare? I knew logically because I called on them, but now I saw that for what it was, stupidity. But what o f Kalen. Could I really abandon him after knowing him? (This Novel Daily Latest Chapters provide it I tried to light the stupid fire; the room was freezing, and whoever kept opening up that damn window needed a swift kick up their ass. I red at it before going over to yank it shut, and I actually managed it this time. The window mmed with a loud thud. I cringed, hoping they didn¡¯te i n and think I was breaking the ce up. Turning back to the firece, I tried to get the coals to catch a piece of wood on fire. They could at least leave me a lighter. Seriously who uses a flint? I thought, picking it up and examining the ridiculous thing. I shook my head when the door opened, and Tobias stepped in. I jumped to my feet when I saw the hungry look on his face; his fangs protruded. And he had me pinned against the dresser. A feral growl left his lips as he pressed his face in the crook of my neck. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 32 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Tobias POV We had just finished eating dinner, yet I was craving something else. Someone else. I never should have fed on Aleera. I was only allowed to feed on Lycus and Darius, and I knew the reason for it, but her blood had been calling me from the moment Iid eyes on her. I told myself just a taste, but I knew I was done for when I fed on her when I tried to take the shadows from her. Lycus watched me; he had been looking at me strangely all day since he found me arguing with Aleera. ¡°I need to check the wards in the forest. Do you want toe? ¡± Darius asked, getting up from his seat. ¡°No, I will wait here,¡± I told him. He tilted his head to the side, examining me. I always went with him, and I knew he was suspicious of me too. They all were. My hunger was insatiable, one of the reasons I was only to strictly feed on Lycus and Darius. They could fight me off. Kalen and Aleera, not so much if I lost control. ¡°When did youst feed? You seem to be in a mood,¡± Darius asked before his eyes flicked to Lycus. ¡°Earlier off me, twice actually,¡± Lycus answered, and Darius turned his gaze back to me, and I noticed Kalen get up to head through the bathroom, and I growled in warning at him. ¡°Sit Kalen, I will take you to see herter,¡± I told him, and he sighed but sat back on the bed, yet Darius still didn¡¯t leave. ¡°Are you struggling since feeding on her the other night?¡± Darius asked me, and I shook my head. ¡°No, I am just drained,¡± I lied. He didn¡¯t look like he believed me, but I also knew Darius had an obsession with the wards, and my mood wouldn¡¯t keep him here much longer; I just needed to wait him out. ¡°Lycus, do you want toe?¡± Darius turned and asked him. ¡°Can I?¡± Kalen asked him excitedly. ¡°I thought you wanted to see Aleera?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t until youe back anyway,¡± Kalen huffed before pouting ¡°Lycus can go. I will see if Aleera is back and take Kalen to see her,¡± I told them, and Kalen¡¯s eyes lit up. My lips quirked in the corners loving his excitement, and I wished he always looked so happy. Why couldn¡¯t we be enough for him? Why did she bring out this more optimistic side of him? ¡°No, Tobias. He needs to wait,¡± ¡°I will be with him,¡± I told Darius, and he sighed and rubbed his temples. Kalen pouted at him and gave him a pleading look and I knew Darius was going to sway. He had trouble denying Kalen unless it was strictly in the range of harming him. Darius knew I wouldn¡¯t allow her to hurt him, understanding that he sighed and turned to me. ¡°Don¡¯t leave him with her, and don¡¯t let her touch anything,¡± ¡°What, you still want to bring her in here?¡± I asked him. I didn¡¯t think he was serious about that. Darius looked away, and I knew he was just as affected by her presence as we all were. He was just better at hiding it. With me, her scent was all I could think about and the taste of her blood. I hated her more for wanting her, and I couldn¡¯t help but re at the floor. ¡°Fine, we won¡¯t be gone long, but remain with them, don¡¯t leave them alone together,¡± Darius snapped before opening up a portal. Lycus groaned, and I know he hated leaving Kalen. Nighttime was pretty much the only time we were all together in one ce, and I know he missed Kalen most. We all did; he was our glue. But Lycus and Kalen were together long before Darius, and I joined the party. At first, the idea of marking them disgusted me, and I could have lived without the powersharing. I could retrieve magic by drinking blood alone in little dribs and drabs, but I wasn¡¯t sure I could part from them after finding them. After the fire and Darius and I cloaked her, which was stupid o nour part, we cloaked her so well we couldn¡¯t even find her if w e wanted to. If she left, the chances of us finding her again were pretty slim. The cloaking spell had turned to a permanent shield on her for some reason. The only way to break it was by marking her, which Darius would never allow. And damn how we had searched for her, following lead after lead. We weren¡¯t sure powersharing was possible without our keeper, not until we witnessed it ourselves. Kalen and Lycus, when we found them, were sleeping on the streets, and Lycus had be sick after identally ingesting wolfsbane, which in turn made Kalen call on us. I still remembered how filthy and skinny they both were, and Darius and I were both furious at how they were both living, and to find out they had both been living on the street for two years together startled us. So when they called on our 18th birthday, we came to them and brought them back here. Just before learning Aleera¡¯s parents tried to kill her, we felt her distress. How we felt her was beyond all of our reasoning. It was almost like she called o nus. She wasn¡¯t bonded to us yet, but we all had an inkling she was in trouble, and our marks burned our wrists when she did. I shook that memory away and watched Lycus grab Kalen¡¯s chin and kiss him. I smirked, watching them before Lycus let him go and followed Darius through the portal. That was also how we realized we could power share. We walked in on Lycus and Kalen fucking and felt the magnitude of power in the air, s o Darius did some research, and we learned by marking each other that we could share our energy. It was taboo and only epted if the keeper was dead. Ours wasn¡¯t, so it caused a lot of issues. Mostly with mine and Darius¡¯s family. So we marked each other, but it didn¡¯t work. We were back to square one, but Lycus and Kalen continued having power somehow when we realized how they were transferring it. Emotion. It repulsed Darius and me when we figured it out. Knowing if we wanted to remain strong, we actually had to bond, which meant mate each other and commit to an actual rtionship. Lycus and Kalen had no such issues, but Darius and I were straight. Completely straight. She gave us no choice when she ran, and we were forced to forge the bond. Kalen and Lycus were both patient and never pushed us past ourfort zones too much. When eventually, Darius got injured, protecting me from bloodhounds, we had refused for years to share power the way Lycus and Kalen did. But while hunting for her, we were set upon by the hounds, and neither of us had enough ability to take them down, forcing us to run. He had sacrificed his life for mine, and in turn, I kissed him. Didn¡¯t even think twice about it? He saved me, and I owed him, and I realized it worked better than feeding him my blood. After that, it became a non-issue. As long as nothing went near my ass, I was okay with it. Well, for the first few years until the bond forged entirely, and I started craving them all, that craving extended to any way I could have them. Darius is the most powerful. His power was potent, and I had never met anyone that yielded or controlled magic the way he did. Darius sort of became our keeper. He had particr gifts. We all found ourselves more inclined toward him. When we needed power, we usually went to him for it. His was the most potent and charged us quicker. Good thing he has good stamina. I chuckled, not realizing I did out loud. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Kalen asked, making me look up a t him. ¡°Nothing, just when we all first got together,¡± I told him, and Kalen smiled deviously before crawling to the edge of the bed. I could see he also remembered the orgy fest it turned into. His eyes sparkled, ¡°I was wondering why your aura changed,¡± ¡°Changed? How so?¡± I asked him while getting up from my seat. I walked over to him, and he leaned back to look up at m e, and he shrugged with a coy smile on his lips. ¡°More color in it?¡± he said before his brows pinched together. ¡°Well, that is new. Since when do I have color in my aura?¡± I asked him, knowing mine was usually a smoky grey color. He seemed to think. ¡°Since you took the shadows from Aleera,¡± h e shrugged. ¡°Well, she is our keeper. I suppose her aura would be vastly different,¡± I told him. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°I swear I saw something in hers, though, hers was different, something about it.¡± ¡°You were manic, Kalen, you know you see weird things when you are like that,¡± and he nodded when I tried to feel for his aura. His was surprisingly stable. I couldn¡¯t see it but felt it was the most transparent it had ever been. Like he was before he tried to kill himself the first time. Before the shadows clung to him. ¡°You took your meds?¡± I asked him, and he looked down at his hands. I ced my knee on the bed beside him forcing him back as I crawled on top of him. ¡°Is that no?¡± I asked, nipping at his lips. His hands went to my sides and under my shirt. Sparks rushed across my skin when h e tugged me closer, so I was pressed between his legs. His breathing became heavier, and his scent heady made me inhale deeply before I kissed him. He tasted sweet, not as sweet as Aleera¡¯s blood, but I swear I could taste her on him. Like she tainted him some way. Kalen answered my kiss instantly. His tongue yed with mine when I pulled away and kissed down his jaw to his neck. I could feel his pulse under my tongue as I licked his mark, and I pressed my lips together when I felt my fangs slip out. f ¡°Tobias?¡± Kalen murmured, and I heard his heart rate pick up, smelt the cologne of his fear seep from his pores. I shook my head and pulled away. He stared at me worriedly, and I pushed off from him. ¡°I will go get Aleera for you,¡± I told him before hopping off the bed and walking out. What is wrong with me? My fangs refused to retract as I moved toward her door. I could hear her cursing under her breath through the door, and I sucked in a breath trying to will my hunger down, trying to control the bloodlust as it tried to consume me. Thinking it was under control, I pushed her door open and closed it behind me, but the moment her scent hit me, a growl escaped me. Aleera looked at me startled and stood up, yet all I could hear was her blood pumping through her veins. She gasped as I pinned her against the dresser and buried my face i n her neck and an hungered growl escaped me when she dropped her chin, trying to stop me from getting to her neck. Her words were not registering as she spoke in what I could tell was a panicked tone. My fangs grazed over my skin, and m y mouth watered at the delicious scent permeating off of her. ¡°Tobias!¡± Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 33 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Aleera POV ¡°Tobias,¡± I shrieked, dropping my neck when I felt his teeth slice over my flesh. He growled, and his grip on my arms was s o hard I thought he was going to break my bones. I lifted my knee between his legs when I felt his teeth prick into my skin. He groaned and clutched his manhood. The feral snarling growl that left him made my eyes widen, and I shoved him away from me, ncing around and looking for something to use to defend myself. I grabbed the poker for the firece and brandished it as a weapon. ¡°Kalen,¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs. Tobias lunged at m e, and I jumped on top of my bed before jumping to the other side. ¡°Aleera?¡± Kalen yelled and banged on the door. It was locked when I felt the shudder of a portal opening up. Gosh, how I wish I could do that; it would be handy in a situation like this. Kalen appeared behind him, stepping through it. His eyes were wide as he took in the scene before him. Tobias turned and growled at him before his eyes flicked back to me. ¡°Tobias, you need to focus on me,¡± Kalen murmured with his hands out like he was trying to cage a wounded animal. Yet Tobias¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t waver from mine. Almost like he was locked on my scent and in a trance. I had heard of it at school but had never seen someone blood-crazed before. Every movement I made, he tracked. Kalen tackled him, but Tobias moved too quickly, and Kalen hit the ground before I was tossed through the air. I didn¡¯t even see him grab me, only felt his nails slice into my soft flesh as he yanked on my arm. I smacked into the bathroom door when I felt his teeth slice into my upper arm like a savage as he pounced on me. My scream echoed off the walls, and I noticed Kalen get up off the floor and shake himself. His head turned in my direction, and I reckon the horror on his face mirrored mine. Kalen rushed over when another portal opened up in my tiny room, and Darius stepped into my room. He quickly assessed what was going on just as Lycus stepped in behind him only secondster. I grunted when Tobias jerked me forward, his teeth sinking into my shoulder. Lycus growled and shoved Kalen through the portal while Darius gripped Tobias¡¯s shoulder and threw him backward. His teeth were torn painfully from my skin, ripping a chunk of my flesh clean off. Tobias snarled and tried to attack him; Lycus Intercepted just a s Darius grabbed me, shoving me through the open portal. I gasped at the sudden movement. The air wheezed from my lungs as I fell through it in a new room. Inded on top of Kalen knocking the wind out of him. The room tilted a little, and I rolled off him and looked at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath as I sucked in deep breaths. H e attacked me, and the only thing I could think of was what if Darius and Lycus hadn¡¯t arrived. Or what if Kalen had no magic to portal in. Banging and growls could be heard from the room next door, and I sat up and looked around at my surroundings. The room was dim; the only light provided came from themps that sat on either side of the enormous bed, which had t o be the size of two kings. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kalen asked me, and my head whipped in the direction of his voice. Kalen looked me over, and I nced down to see blood gushing down my arm and spilling onto the ck stained floorboards. I nodded, not knowing what to say. I felt cold, freezing and Kalen moved toward me and gripped my arms. My head felt foggy, and my stomach woozy. ¡°You¡¯re shaking, ¡°Kalen murmured. You would be, too, if someone tried to eat you, and drain you of your blood. The banging next door slowly stopped when Lycus walked in through the bathroom door.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. His hands gripped my arms and the shock must have worn off because I threw up. Lycus looked down at his knees and shirt covered in bile since I had nothing in my stomach. Kalen gripped my hair as I retched when Lycus moved, picking me u p. At first, I thought he was about to lose it because I threw up all over him, but instead he scooped me up in one swift movement and walked into the bathroom. My head was spinning, and I was still bleeding profusely. I could feel the blood draining out of me as I fought to remain conscious. ¡°Take her for a second,¡± Lycus said, his tone was surprisingly gentle. Kalen took me from Lycus, and I leaned my head heavily against his shoulder when I heard the sound of skin tearing before getting a whiff of Lycus¡¯s scent beneath my nose. ¡°Open your mouth,¡± Lycus said, pressing down on my chin with his thumb. I obeyed too weak to anything else besides trying and hold myself back from retching again. Lycus had pressed his wrist to my lips, the taste of his blood breached the barrier of my lips, and I let my mouth open, allowing his blood to flood into my mouth. I could feel the bite marks healing although, it did nothing for the blood already lost. The sound of running water told me Lycus had turned the shower on. Seconds passed before I was pressed against his naked chest before the feel of water drenching my face made m e gasp as I breathed it in. My eyes flew open, and I jerked in his arms. ¡°Sorry,¡± He said before sitting down. His back hit the tiles with a thud since he couldn¡¯t ce his hands down because I was currently wrapped in his arms. I leaned heavily against him, and my eyes fluttered. ¡°Stay awake, Darius will be in soon,¡± All I wanted to do was sleep, and gosh, I felt cold. Icy cold but also numb, it was an odd sensation to feel. Kalen gripped my face before tapping m y cheek but I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 34 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡°Aleera, stay awake for me,¡± Kalen murmured, his voice bing more and more distant when I felt my clothes being tugged off. My limbs were floppy and Lycus moved me around like a puppet, yet the feeling induced by the blood loss had me not caring about anything as I focused on breathing. It seemed like a mammoth task. One I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to keep forcing because it was too much effort. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it A sharp prick in my arm told me someone had jammed a needle in me and yet I couldn¡¯t open my heavy eyelids. ¡°I don¡¯t get it? Why does she need blood? Lycus healed her,¡± came a voice. ¡°She has no magic, Kalen. She might as well be human. She will be fine,¡± Lycus murmured, and their voices grew louder. ¡°She looks so pale,¡± Kalen worried. Their voices became more explicit as my surroundings returned to me. I had no idea how long I was out for, but I was aware that I was no longer in the shower. Tingles spread up my arms from the fingertips that brushed up themzily. ¡°Left some nasty scars, but she is getting some color back,¡± Kalen murmured and I groaned. ¡°She is waking up,¡± Kalen said. The excitement in his words made my eyes flutter, and I opened them to look at the ceiling. The same ceiling I saw when I fell through the portal. Kalen hovered above me, looking down at me as he leaned over, pulling my eyelids up and making me blink rapidly. He sighed before dropping his head onto my corbone. My hand went to his hair, wanting to reassure him I was fine when I felt the tug in the crook of my elbow. When he lifted his head, I looked at my arm and the line that was in it, giving me blood. I followed the line to find Darius staring at me. He moved, twisting something and cutting it off as he leaned forward. He ced a cotton bud over the canr stuck in my arm before pulling it out. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it He said nothing when I looked for the blood bag, only to find the other end of the line attached to him. ¡°You gave me blood?¡± I asked groggily. He doesn¡¯t answer but yanks the needle from his arm. ¡°We don¡¯t have an infirmary here, not much need for blood here either besides Tobias, so we had to make do, probably not the safest way if you were human,¡± Kalen chuckled, cupping m y face in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, his blood is clean and since we all share the same blood type, no harm done,¡± Kalen shrugged. ¡°Huh?¡± I asked groggily before clutching my head. ¡°We¡¯re mates. Don¡¯t they teach this stuff in that boarding school you went to? I thought mates and fates weremon topics in schools. They even taught us about them in the orphanage,¡± Kalen continued to ramble, and Darius wandered off, so I turned my attention to Kalen, trying to listen to what h e told me. However, I knew it just took me a second to register what he was rambling on about. ¡°I thought you would know about how the fates chose, our mates though little iffy if you ask me.¡± ¡°I do know, sorry, you just caught me while out of it,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Then you tell me, can be memory check of sorts,¡± he chuckled. I rolled my eyes before noticing he was staring at me expectantly. Oh, he was serious. He wanted to know if I indeed understood how the mate bonds work. ¡°Um,¡± I shake my head. ¡°Ah, they are determined by the time of birth, the position of the moon, and the date,¡± I groaned. Why does my head still hurt? ¡°Yes, that is why all of us share the same birthday. You are the exception though, since we are all 29 and you are only 24. So, when we were born we were all born at 1.11 am on the 19th of May. You being our keeper didn¡¯t appear until 5 yearster. Although you share the same time of birth and have the same birthday, all mates share the same birthday. However, when I looked into it, no girls were born on the 19 may the year we were born, which is quite odd if you ask me,¡± He rambled. ¡°What, no girls were born on that day?¡± I asked, having not known that. ¡°Not one, only boys and the three of us were born at the same time setting our fates, the next turn around for that time was 5 yearster, and that was you,¡± I honestly never looked into our bloodlines or fate information, to be honest. I was too busy running from the fate that was bestowed upon me. ¡°But boys can be keepers,¡± I told him. ¡°Yes, and most are male. But since you were the only person born on that day time and when the moons lined, we got you, none of us were born with keeper gifts,¡± Kalen chuckled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have been the only person born, on the 19th of May that year, that seems impossible,¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°You forget that is when the gue hit, it is also when a lot of the Fae lost a mate, and eventually their magic, seeing as the majority of Fates were paired with harmony or white Fae. We just got lucky a lot were forced into a human lifestyle,¡± Kalen told me. I nodded, knowing full well of the effects the gue had. However, his words made me wonder about my mother. She survived the gue, but then Darius told me that there was a second wave making me wonder if that is what killed her. ¡°When did the second wave hit?¡± I asked. For some reason, my mind seemed to lock onto that thought. ¡°Seven yearster, you would have just turned seven when it hit. Though it wasn¡¯t as bad since those that did survive, which was only a few like Darius¡¯s sister,¡± I tried to figure out roughly how old I was, I know it was a couple of days after my seventh birthday, yet I don¡¯t remember her falling ill before she died. Her death was sudden. I just remembereding into the living room and my father jammed a needle filled with his blood into her heart. I remembered wondering why he had a random needle of his blood. I thought it strange, but she was sick for a few days afterward, dad wouldn¡¯t allow me in the room with her, although I begged, not believing she was ok. A few dayster, she just walked out while I was in the living room like nothing had happened. She was different after that. Dying had done something to her; it was an odd memory to have. With a shake of my head, the memory faded. ¡°Your aura is so dark,¡± Kalen murmured, whisking his fingers around my face.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 35 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¡°Reminds me of Darius. His is as ck as coal,¡± Kalen chuckled. ¡°Probably because she is full of my blood and my magic is tainting her, it should wear off in a few hours, but until then,¡± Darius said,ing over to me. He gripped my wrist and mped something on it. It looked like a silver bangle, and I examined it. ¡°Until my magic fades out of your system, you wear that,¡± Darius said, and I felt its effects almost instantly as he locked i tin ce. It sent a shock wave of exhaustion through me like a mood tranquilizer. ¡°Come on, Darius, was that even necessary? She hadn¡¯t even noticed she had magic,¡± Kalen growled. Fuck in my grogginess, Ipletely forgot though actually absorbing it from his blood in my system was a little harder than me absorbing directly from them by touch. ¡°Regardless, I won¡¯t take the risk,¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Exactly what do you expect me to do if I had magic? I have no idea where I even am,¡± ¡°Open a portal and leave. That is what I expect,¡± I sighed if given a chance again, I would probably do that without question, but I had my phoenix here. Shit! My Pheonix! I sat upright, and Darius growled at me. Lycus sat silently watching us from the chair next to the firece. I looked around for Tobias before my eyesnded on him sitting in the corner of the room. He must have felt my gaze on him because he lifted his head. My blood drenched his shirt, and once my gaze met his, I couldn¡¯t pull it away, locked in a trance as the memory of the savage look on his face came back to haunt me. Tobias locked away as if he was almost regretful o f his actions. I was thankful when he did because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look away from him until Darius stepped in my line of vision. ¡°Kalen, go get her something to eat,¡± Darius told him and Kalen nodded getting up when I noticed I was actually in their bed. How it took so long for that toe to my mind confused me. Kalen left and my stomach dropped when I found myself left with the three of them. I looked down at my clothes to see I was wearing only a shirt. Vague memories of being ced in the shower flooded my mind and I looked over at Lycus as I tugged the front of the shirt. I leaned down and sniffed it. Kalen scent was all over it. ¡°Darius dressed you,¡± Lycus answered the question that came t o my mind. I nodded no point crying over them seeing me naked it was already done; I was just d I was unconscious for that experience. However, Darius¡¯s next words kind of shocked me, and I swallowed my tongue feeling thick in my mouth, and I wanted no part of it. ¡°Tobias will need to feed off you until he can control his bloodlust,¡± Darius said before ring over his shoulder at Tobias on the floor in the corner, his arms over his knees and his head rested on them. ¡°But,¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t up for debate, and Lycus or I will be with him when he does until he can control the urge to kill you anyway,¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t he feed off one of you?¡± I asked. ¡°He has been, but unfortunately, you are our keeper and now h e has tasted your blood, he will withdraw from it. It¡¯s safer if h e learns to control it than going cold turkey,¡± Lycus said, also not looking happy about the situation. My eyes nced over at Tobias, who was now clutching his hair, looking rather stressed out. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it Darius followed my line of vision before speaking to him. His tone scolding ¡°We asked you earlier if anything was up with you, and you lied,¡± Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I had it under control,¡± Tobias said. ¡°Well, could have fooled me. This wouldn¡¯t have been an issue if you had told me you were struggling since trying to take the shadows from her; I could have cleansed your blood,¡± Darius snapped furiously. ¡°I thought I had control,¡± Tobias growled. Darius growled at him and I scooted to the edge of the bed before cing my feet on the ground. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡± Darius said, his head whipping in my direction at my movement. ¡°I need to pee,¡± I said, pointing to the bathroom door. He nodded, and I got up; vertigo washed over me. I clutched the bedside table as I stumbled before noticing a photo. At first, I thought it was Tobias until I saw an almost identical man beside him in the picture. Was Tobias a twin? They looked to be the same age, and I swear I had seen him before. I tried to rack my brain for where I had seen him before. My hand moved to pick it up when it was suddenly gone and ced in the drawer. Looking up, I noticed Tobias was beside me, and he was the one that snatched it before I could touch it. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it He red at me, and I looked away before he watched me stagger into the bathroom. An exasperated breath left me as I locked the door only to hear them lock it from their side too. I shook my head before quickly using the toilet. When I was finished, I washed my hands and twisted the doorknob¡¯after I unlocked it, only to find it still locked. I sighed with relief. Obviously, they decided I could remain in my room. The sound of their arguing stopped when they must have heard the door, but I turned on my heel and walked over to the one leading into my room. Just as I stepped inside, I listened to the lock click on my bedroom one leading to the hall. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 36 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 36 Chapter 36 I waited, thinking someone wasing in, but I heard whoever it was moved back to their room. Rubbing my arms at the coldness of the room, I made my way to the firece to see if I could light it. Kneeling in front of it, I got a sense of deja -vu, which sent a shiver down my spine and made me nce a t the door. No one came in and I turned back to the firece. I looked for the flint and started trying to get the fire going. Stacking the kindling in and some wood. Just as I was almost about to attempt to light it. I heard the door. My heart skipped a beat as it unlocked, and Kalen stepped inside. He looked upset as he carried a tray in his hands. The smell of hot food wafted to my nose, and a few secondster, Darius walked in behind him. He tossed at fireball at the firece, and I jumped when it rushed past me before he sat down in the chair. ¡°Can¡¯t she stay in our room just for tonight?¡± Kalen pouted at him. ¡°I prefer to be in here,¡± I told Kalen before Darius could answer. Kalen dropped his head and walked over to me while Darius moved to sit on the small armchair in front of the fire. Kalen ced the tray in myp. ¡°You should eat,¡± He said, and my stomach growled hungrily as I looked down at the te, which contained vegetables and some steak. Real food, and it smelt delicious. Yet when I went t o take the knife off Kalen to dig in, the te was removed from me along with the knife. I sighed before looking at Darius, who then cut up the meat, and I rolled my eyes and looked over at the fire. ¡°Seriously, Darius,¡± Kalen whined at him. Darius ignored him before handing the te back to me but keeping the knife. I took it from him, feeling like a child that I wasn¡¯t even allowed to use a knife like an average person. He ced the knife on hisp. ¡°She could do just as much damage with a damn fork, can¡¯t believe,¡± My fork was suddenly plucked from my fingers, ¡°Thank you for pointing that out,¡± Darius growled at him. ¡°Darius, I didn¡¯t mean for you to take it from her,¡± Kalen snarled. ¡®Quiet, or you can go back to your room,¡± ¡°How do you expect her to eat?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Kalen; I spent most of my time in the woods ¡¤ anyway, no cutlery there,¡± I told him. Before picking up a piece of broli off the te. Darius leaned back and closed his eyes while Kalen watched m e eat and talked to me. He was very talkative, and I preferred this sunny side of Kalen as he animatedly told me about different things. ¡°So you spent most of your time in the woods?¡± Kalen asked, and Darius scoffed, making me realize he had sat up to listen t o our conversation. I plucked another piece of meat off the te. The sauce making my fingers sticky. ¡°No, mostly traveling, I was trying to find a human settlement or city to bunker down in,¡± ¡°Why a human one?¡± ¡°Because I was running out of magic,¡± I answered. ¡°The man on the footage from the school who was he?¡± Kalen asked, and I nced up at him from my te. His expression darkened, and I could tell I was quite upset over it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was footage, but he wasn¡¯t boyfriend if that is what you were wondering; I never ran off with anyone, Kalen,¡± ¡°Then who was he?¡± Darius growled angrily, and I jumped at the tone of his voice. Kalen stared at me expectantly, wanting me to answer. ¡°An acquaintance, I hardly knew him, he was also running from his bonds, I overheard him speaking on the phone in the library to his girlfriend. He wanted to be with her, so he was nning on finding her,¡± ¡°So he just helped you escape?¡± Kalen asked. ¡°Yes, we needed two people to break the wards, so I offered to help him break them if he gave me a lift into the city, that is all. We parted ways at the bus depot,¡± I told them. ¡°Then where did you go?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I had $43 and that was it, no money, so I told the bus driver to get me as far as he could heading north,¡± ¡°Why north?¡± Darius asked, and he genuinely sounded curious. I dropped my gaze, knowing my answer would probably anger him. D ¡°Why north Aleera?¡± Darius¡¯s tone of voice is more of a demand than a question. I looked at Kalen, who was studying me. ¡°I was trying to find a ce called Astrid?¡± That seemed to surprise them as they both looked at each other. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Have you heard of it?¡± ¡°Yes, but we aren¡¯t telling you where it is. Why were you looking for it,¡± Darius asked, folding his arms across his chest and sitting back. He looked at Kalen, who sighed, also not offering any answers to where it was. ¡°Answer the question, or I make Kalen leave,¡± Darius growled. I nibbled on my lip, not willing to say and Kalen looked at Darius. ¡°Fine,e on, Kalen,¡± Darius said, hopping up. ¡°Aleera, just answer please; I want to stay,¡± Yet I didn¡¯t want my answer to upset him or for him to get the wrong idea. ¡°Kalen now!¡± Darius snarled before bending down and gripping his arm. ¡°Just a little longer, please,¡± Darius red at him and hauled Kalen to his feet, and the look Kalen gave me broke my heart ¡°I was looking for someone,¡± I blurted, and they stopped. Darius turned to look down at me, and Kalen looked at Darius. ¡°She answered, can I stay,¡± Darius¡¯ lip pulled up over his upper lip before he sighed and nodded, and Kalen sat down again. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 37 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Darius watched me for a second before taking his seat. ¡°Who were you looking for?¡± Darius asked, and I looked away from him. ¡°Someone I used to speak to through a chat link online,¡± I answered, rubbing a hand down my face. When I looked up, Darius had leaned forward, bracing his arms on elbows. ¡°So you were seeing someone?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I never met them, I am not sure who they were, but we talked for years from the time my grandmother died,¡± ¡°A man?¡± Darius asked, and I shrugged. ¡°I am not sure. We became friends. That¡¯s all I know, I never met them, or saw them, not even picture I have no idea if they were male or female, could have been anybody,¡± ¡°Yet you went looking for them, instead of calling on us,¡± Darius said, leaning back in his seat, he turned his gaze to Kalen. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°What was this person¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± Darius shrugged. And since they didn¡¯t have a name, I didn¡¯t see the harm in telling him. ¡°I only know his login name. It was part of the chat group. We weren¡¯t allowed to use our real names, kind of like a pen pal, HTIARW,¡± I answered. ? ¡°You still remember their login credentials?¡± Kalen asked. ¡°Well, I spoke to them every day for nearly 4 years and they never changed it, so yes,¡± ¡°Why would you go looking for someone on the inte?¡± Darius asked, his eyes darkening. ¡°Because the person mentioned if I was ever in Astrid to look for them, I was hoping when I got there I could get ess to the inte and track them down, but I never found the ce, ¡°I gave up after a few years, it wasn¡¯t on any map, and I figured they gave me a fake name for that too,¡± I shrugged. ¡°But you have heard of it, so it must be real?¡± I asked, wondering if I was indeed sent on a wild goose chase. ¡°It¡¯s not on any maps because it isn¡¯t a town or city; it¡¯s the name of a ce,¡± Kalen answered, and Darius growled at Kalen. ¡°What sort of ce?¡± I asked but one re from Darius prohibited him from answering. Kalen looked down at his hands and picked at his nails. ¡°What about friends, at the boarding school, or from your previous school? Did you keep in touch with them?¡± Darius asked me. I shook my head. ¡°Mum mainly homeschooled me. It wasn¡¯t until I hit high school that dad convinced her to let me attend a real school that onlysted a few months before they died, and I was shipped off to live with my grandmother,¡± I said. That thought saddened me as I remembered my parents. ¡°You didn¡¯t like my grandmother?¡±, (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Hmm, she was the best. She reminded me of my father, he looked a lot like her, stern like him too, but she was good to m e; I miss her,¡± I said, ncing at the fire. ¡°She died only few monthster, she used to visit when I was a kid, never missed a birthday or Christmas, she was the only family I had besides my parents,¡± ¡°We looked into your family background, only found your father¡¯s side. Your mother¡¯s records didn¡¯t exist, and we also thought it odd nobody knew her,¡± Kalen said, scratching the back of his neck. I knew no records existed. My father went to great lengths to hide what I was, and that meant getting rid of everything on my mother¡¯s bloodline. My brows scrunched together, wondering how he managed it. ¡°Your father was an important person, worked for the Fae government,¡± Kalen said. Now that surprised me, that I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Darius asked me. I shook my head. I thought he was just a businessman; mum told me he worked for the bank?¡± I answered. ¡°No, he worked for the dark political party,¡± Darius answered. He was one of the chairmen like my father,¡± ¡°Your father worked with mine?¡± ¡°Yes, but on opposite sides, though, they hated each other,¡± ¡°What did your father do?¡± ¡°He was an advocate for white Fae,¡± Now, that shocked me further. ¡°But your dark Fae,¡± Darius nodded. ¡°Yes, my father was shocked when he found your father actually had a daughter. You were the best- kept secret. We didn¡¯t even know he had a wife, let alone a daughter,¡± Darius answered. ¡°Hang on, I am still confused as to why your father was an advocate for white-fae being that he was dark,¡± ¡°Molly, his stepdaughter,¡± Kalen answered. ¡°That didn¡¯t anger him that your mother had an affair?¡± ¡°Oh, it bothered him, but he loved Molly regardless. After she died, he started fighting to have those responsible for the gue brought to justice,¡± ¡°Did they get brought to justice?¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Some were caught and killed, but we never found how the gue originated, only that it was Fae made,¡± Darius told me. I nodded, not wanting to pry too much since he was being civil, and I didn¡¯t know how quickly that could change if I asked the wrong question. I picked up another piece of cold meat and plopped it in my mouth. ¡°I have another question?¡± Kalen said, and I looked at him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to contact your inte friend before you left to let them know to expect you,¡± ¡°Honestly, I panicked. By the time that thought arised, I was already gone,¡± ¡°So you never tried to contact him after that?¡± ¡°Why do you keep assuming it was man,¡± I said with a click of my tongue. ¡°Well, I was just assuming,¡± ¡°I am pretty sure they were female, or gay either one,¡± I told them. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Why would you assume that,¡± ¡°Because of how they spoke, they seemed pretty gender neutral,¡± ¡°Well, that is stereotyping,¡± Kalen chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I suppose it is, it doesn¡¯t matter now, though. Not like I will speak to them again,¡± ¡°Would you?¡± ¡°I mean, if you could?¡± Darius growled, and I looked over at him. His hands clenched the arms of the chair his knuckles turning white. I swallowed, not bothering to answer. ¡°Well, if they are gay or female, what does it matter if she spoke to them,¡± Kalen snapped, and Darius seemed to think. ¡°And you had no other friends?¡± Kalen asked, pulling my attention back to him. I shook my head. ¡°So you spent 6 years alone,¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Darius scoffed. ¡°I was doing fine on my own, and yes, Kalen,¡± I answered. ¡°So you met nobody else,¡± ¡°Well, of course I met people along the way, but I mostly stayed away from the cities unless I thought they were human ones. I just never found one,¡± ¡°6 years, and you never found one?¡± Kalen asked incredulously. ¡°Not one,¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t attacked the night we found you, would you have called on us? Eventually?¡± Kalen asked, and I looked away. I swallowed thickly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have, would you?¡± Darius said. ¡°Well, what did you expect after you killed my parents,¡± ¡°You say that like I am some monster and killed them in cold blood,¡± Darius scoffed. ¡°You are,¡± I screamed, and he seemed taken aback by my outburst. Darius red at me before he leaned forward, and I pulled away from him. ¡°I was fucking protecting you from them,¡± ¡°My parents were good parents. I sure as hell didn¡¯t need protecting from them,¡± ¡°So good they tried to kill their only child,¡± ¡°They would never hurt me,¡± I told him, looking away. ¡°That may have been true before they found out I was your mate,¡± he yelled at me. Darius stood up and gripped Kalen¡¯s arm, yanking him to his feet just as the door burst open to the bathroom. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Lycus asked, rushing in. ¡°Nothing, we were just leaving,¡± Darius said, shoving Kalen toward the bathroom door. ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡± I asked Darius, but he continued walking without so much as a nce back at me before he mmed the bathroom door. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 38 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 38 Chapter 38 That was it; he wasn¡¯t even going to attempt to exin what h e meant? The loss of their presence was instantly felt. The coldness of the bond slowly evaporated into the air, and I sighed, wondering if I would ever get used to losing their loss every time I saw one of them. It was making it increasingly difficult to hate them when the bond yed havoc constantly when they were around. Darius¡¯s words made no sense. Why would he have to protect m e from my own parents? I know what I saw, if only briefly. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the reason they were dead. I tried to remember that night, but nothing stuck out or showed my parents had anything to do with the fire. Stoking the fire, I got up before picking up the te that I had purposely eaten slowly, wanting to save some of the meat for the Phoenix. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it My eyes moved to the door; they came in the main one and went out of the bathroom one. With a nce over my shoulder, I walked over to the main door and twisted the handle, and my heart leaped with joy when I noticed it was unlocked. It was odd for them to forget to lock me in. Usually, I woke to the door being unlocked, but they always locked it when they went to sleep. Quietly as possible, I rushed around the room, grabbing my supplies. I grabbed a tissue and wrapped what was left of my dinner in it, before retrieving my old bandages. Grabbing one o fmy pillows off the bed, I snuck over to the door. Listening for any noise out in the hall. When I thought the coast was clear, I turned the knob slowly, so it didn¡¯t grind. My heart hammered in my chest at the thought of being caught sneaking out. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it Once in the hall, I nced down the dimly lit hallway toward the stairs. Rushing to them with hesitant steps and only stopping at the top to look back the way I came for any sign of them. They hadn¡¯t noticed, and I slipped down to the bottom level. It was clear everyone was tucked safely away in their dorm rooms because I saw nobody wandering about. The ce was dark, and I noticed the glow of the door handles that led outside in the foyer area. They glowed a fluorescent orange, and I wandered over to them. It took only seconds for me to recognize it for what it was, wards. Darius¡¯s magic emanated from it, and I wondered if he spelled the castle every night. My head turned back to the stairs, and I reached out before pausing as I went to grip the door handle. I wanted to see if I could siphon it, but I also didn¡¯t want to risk him noticing. I also wasn¡¯t sure if I would b e sted like an intruder by touching it. Definitely worth investigatingter on, but I needed to check my Phoenix for now. The doors to the mess hall were closed as I approached the cer door leading to the cells. With a pull, the door opened, and I descended the steps while feeling for a light switch. It wasn¡¯t until I reached the bottom that I found it, and I quickly flicked the light on. The bird cawed a yelp before calming when he noticed me. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s only me,¡± I whispered to him as I stepped into the cell. He observed me carefully, and I knew he was unsure of m e. Phoenix¡¯s were brilliant birds and could sense power. Even without magic, I could tell he knew something was different about me being a harmony fae. They could feel it. Phoenix¡¯s were almost drawn to the white-Fae, making me wonder if he had sensed me here, wherever here was. Just like Darius and I, Phoenix¡¯s were a dying species. They were killed off by dark Fae and considered pests because they hated dark-Fae and were known for attacking them. So most when found were killed, which was sad because they were amazing creatures. They were just a little temperamental when it came to the dark ¨C Fae, but they were amazing despite their hate for the dark Fae. Sitting beside him, I opened the tissue and pulled out the cut-u p meat. I tried to wipe some of the sauce off, but he didn¡¯t seem to care, pecking at my open palm, wanting to eat it. I held up a piece to his beak, and he pinched it before tossing his head back and gulping it down. His beak nudged my hand, wanting more, so I continued to feed him. Hoping I was gaining its trust because I wasn¡¯t looking forward to being bitten after watching its peak slice through the beef like a knife through butter. Its snake-like tongue slivered out, turning the beef strip this way and that as he hungrily ate. ¡°Do you have a name?¡± I asked it. The Pheonix tilted its head t o the side. I tapped my chin, trying to think of one. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°What about me?¡± The bird tilted its head the other way.¡± Scorch?¡± it shook its head. ¡°Ember?¡± It appeared to huff, puffing out its chest and making the feathers stand upon his head. ¡°How about Ryze, with a Z,¡± I offer, and it blinked at me before nudging my face with its giant beak. ¡°Ryze, it is then,¡± I chuckle. ¡°Now, are you going to bite me when I try to wrap your wing? I f you are, a warning would be nice, but I will try to be gentle,¡± I tell him while scratching the top of its head. The Pheonix watched me unravel the bandages, and I carefully plucked him from where he sat on the bed, cing him on myp. He whimpered, and his snake-like tongue slivered out to lick at m y hand ced under his chest. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I am trying to be gentle,¡± I told Ryze. I bandaged him up and then ced him on the pillow, and tucked my jumper and pillowcase on him to keep him warm. ¡°I need to go, but I will be back in the morning. You have to be quiet, though.¡± I told him. Ryze fluffed out his remaining feathers before ducking his head under his good wing. I sighed and rushed out of the cer and slipped back into my room. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 39 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Aleera POV I was awoken the following day by the rm next to my bed. I tossed and turned all night after what Darius said to me, so my eyes felt like sandpaper. My mind went to the Phoenix when I sat up. I needed to steal some breakfast before sses started and quickly check on him. Tossing the nket off, I heard something slip off the end of the bed with a thump on the floorboards. Walking around to the end of my bed, I found a box. I bent down and plucked it off the floor and turned it over. A sticky note was stuck to it, so I peeled it off. ¡°I already hooked it up to the Wi-Fi. You just need to turn it o n, love Kalen,¡± it read. Looking at the box. I found it was a tablet. Was Darius aware he had given it to me, and why would he allow it? I pulled it from the box and looked at the shiny device. It was so much better than my old one. Shiny and new. I pressed the power button, and it lit up. No doubt they would track everything I did on it. I knew not even Kalen would be stupid enough to give me a device that could link me to the outside world and not have put parental controls on it.. Despite that, I smiled, wondering if I could speak to my pen pal friend or would Darius be angry. But he was aware, so he couldn¡¯t very well get mad, could he? I dressed quickly and made my way down to the mess hall. The door wasn¡¯t opened yet, and I had to wait. When they did, the demon that opened them sneered at me, and I gulped, taking a step away from him. He said nothing but turned on his heel and walked back out to the kitchens. My stomach growled hungrily at the smell of food. He ced the huge trays out, and I quickly grabbed a bowl, filling it with some dry cereal and another. I put some eggs and bacon on before retrieving a water bottle and slipped out before he returned. Although it was necessary to steal food, I felt like a thief. I couldn¡¯t live on air alone. After I walked down to the Phoenix, he ignored the dry cereal I ced in front of him and beckoned at my eggs instead. ¡°You know that is probably in some small way a rtion you are eating,¡± I told him. He chuffed and pecked at my bowl, and I sighed, cing it on the bed beside him so he could help himself. I chewed on a piece of bacon before eating the dry cereal. When I finished, I opened the water bottle and poured some in a bowl so he could have a drink. He guzzled it thirstily while I pulled the tablet from the back of my pants. The device was definitely monitored, I couldn¡¯t ess mucho n the inte, and half the apps didn¡¯t work. Despite it being pointless, I typed in the old chat group name and was surprised it didn¡¯t shut me out. After logging in and trying to remember my password, I discovered my email ount was shut down, and I had to create a new one. With a sigh, I typed in the search bar HTIARW. To my surprise, the ount still existed. I wondered i f the person would still remember me or even want to talk to me when I abruptly quit talking to them. Regardless, I sent a message exining I had a new ount and telling them my old login name, and also exined I couldn¡¯t get into my old one. With a sigh, I turned the screen off. ¡°I suppose now we wait,¡± I told Ryze. He nudged me with his beak, eating the rest of my eggs. When the siren red, signaling the start of sses, I groaned and got to my feet, saying goodbye to my not so feathery friend. Climbing the stairs, I waited for there to be no sounds, before slipping out and over to my first ss, which was with Tobias. As I walked down the hall, I was snatched and instantly thrashed as they dragged me into a nearby ssroom. They let me go, and I turned to find it was Darius. ¡°Where did ¨C you sneak off to this morning?¡± he asked. ¡°To breakfast,¡± I told him. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I checked, and you weren¡¯t in there,¡± he snapped at me. I took a step back before noticing Tobias leaning against the wall. With a roll of his eyes, he pushed off the wall. ¡°Can we get this over with? I have a ss to teach,¡± Tobias said in a bored tone. I nced between them, wondering what he meant when Darius grabbed me. The moment he wrapped his arm across m y chest and jerked me against him, I shrieked. Darius tucked m e against him. He grabbed my wrist, offering it to Tobias, who snatched it in his tight grip while I struggled against Darius¡¯s hold. Scanned with CamScanner ¡°We warned youst night this was necessary, now remain still,¡± he snarled next to my ear. I stopped, and Tobias sank his teeth into my wrist, and I looked away while he fed off me. Though his grip only tightened, and after a few minutes and h e hadn¡¯t stopped, I felt light-headed. ¡°Enough, Tobias, let her go,¡± Darius snapped at him, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he sank his teeth in again, making me whimper. ¡°Tobias, I said enough,¡± Tobias growled at him when Darius yanked my arm away, making me cry out as his teeth tore from the flesh. Tobias went to attack, but Darius flicked his wrist, and Tobias hit a barrier and froze. My eyes widened, and Tobias appeared stunned. Darius then bit his wrist and jammed it against my mouth. I turned my face, not wanting his blood. ¡°Now, that shield won¡¯t hold long,¡± Darius growled, and I opened my mouth, hating the idea of drinking his blood directly from him. I sputtered, and he ripped his wrist away before shoving me away. Only when he did, he yanked me back toward him before reaching down the back of my pants and yanking out the tablet. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± ¡°It was on my bed; Kalen gave it to me,¡± I told him. My body tensed, and I flinched when he examined it. He red at it before thrusting it back at me. I hesitantly took it before he looked at Tobias. ¡°Go before I change my mind,¡± Darius spat at me, and I rushed out. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 40 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Darius POV I was on a warpath as I hunted Kalen down. Lycus jumped as I entered the bedroom, not expecting my burning anger. My eyes went to Kalen, and so did Lycus, as I pinned him with my stare. Kalen rolled his eyes, and I wasn¡¯t sure I liked this attitude he was developing with Aleera here. My steps were purposeful as I stalked toward him, where he sat. He didn¡¯t move, and it was clear he expected my anger at what he had done but also didn¡¯t care for it. Lycus moved quickly as I approached Kalen, stepping into my path before reaching him, and my chest smacked against his. Lycus growled at me, and his eyes flickered to his beast. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Move, Lycus,¡± I snarled while ring at him. Lycus however, only pressed closer. The anger coursing through him matched mine as a growl rumbled from his chest. The threatening noise was a warning not to push him too hard, or he would bite. ¡°You won¡¯t touch him. You can try, but I won¡¯t allow it,¡± Lycus sneered as he stood chest to chest with me. ¡°Have I ever hurt him?¡± I asked, but his gaze hardened like steel before he spoke. ¡°No, but when ites to her, you can be erratic, and I don¡¯t like what I am feeling from you,¡± Lycus told me, and his words shocked me. Did he not trust me with our mate? I would never hurt them, not purposely, and they should trust me, at least when it came to them. His words stung and shocked me. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Chill, Lycus. He is just upset because I gave Aleera a tablet.¡± Lycus¡¯ brows scrunched together as he nced over his shoulder at our mate. ¡°You what?¡± Well, maybe I am not the only one that could be erratic. Now Kalen was keeping secrets from Lycus. It was apparent Lycus didn¡¯t like that either. He turned toward our mate and folded his arms across his chest, and red at him. ¡°She won¡¯t try to run,¡± Kalen answered confidently, not even bothering to look at Lycus, who frowned. I hated to be the one t o tell him, but Aleera would run the first chance she got. I could see it clear as day, and he was a fool for believing otherwise. ¡°I deleted half the software; the only people she can contact is the old chat group we created, besides the castle portal, not that she has tried to open it yet,¡± Kalen answered. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to tell us?¡± Lycus growled at him. ¡°You would have said no,¡± Kalen answered, looking over at him before he leaned forward, reaching into the coffee table drawer and pulling his phone out. ¡°Yes, because we don¡¯t want you talking to her. Remember what happenedst time, Kalen. It isn¡¯t worth the risk,¡± Lycus said, marching over to him and snatching the phone from his hand. Kalen sighed before standing up, and Lycus unlocked his phone. Standing behind Lycus, I peered over his shoulder when Kalen snatched the phone from his grip. ¡°Use your own,¡± Kalen snapped at us. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°I don¡¯t like this Darius, tell him,¡± Lycus said, turning to me. I scoffed and looked at him. ¡°What, now are you on my side?¡± I asked him. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°I didn¡¯t know he gave her a device,¡± Lycus said.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t want you talking to her without us. You stepped out of line this time, Kalen,¡± Lycus snapped at him.. ¡°Lines should be stepped over, Lycus, so stop being a dick. I already uploaded and logged in off all your phones. You can monitor everything if you want,¡± Kalen answered. Lycus muttered under his breath before pulling his phone out and unlocking it. ¡°I want nothing to do with this. You monitor their conversations if she tries to talk to him,¡± I told Lycus. ¡°I still don¡¯t like this,¡± Lycus muttered, opening the app when it suddenly dinged. ¡°Who is that? I swear if you are talking to other people, Kalen/ I will put you over my damn knee,¡± I snapped at him, seeing a n unusual thread pop up. Lycus clicked on it. ¡°It¡¯s Aleera. She opened up a new ount,¡± Kalen sighed, and I eyed him. I know he was hoping she would open up her old one and realize it was him she spoke to for all those years. ¡°So this over your knee thing is still a possibility?¡± Kalen taunted with a devious smile on his lips. Lycus raised his eyes t o him with a smirk on his face. I clicked my tongue before moving toward Kalen, where he sat on the chair. I leaned over the back of it, and he looked up at me and smiled; his hand reached out for me. ¡°Maybeter,¡± I told him before pressing my lips to his. He gripped the back of my neck and ran his tongue across my lips. I growled at him, my cock twitching to life, making me want t o bend him over and fuck his tight ass. My groan made him smile against my lips, and I kissed him deeper, my tongue invading his mouth. All too quickly, I pulled away before I got carried away and made good on my desire to fuck him senseless. Kalen pouted, and I pecked his lips. ¡°Behave, I love you,¡± I told him, and he sighed as I stood up. Lycus watched us before adjusting the crotch of his pants, clearly turned on at watching us. ¡°Monitor them,¡± I told him, and he nodded as I approached him. ¡°I still don¡¯t like it,¡± Lycus said, looking over my shoulder at our mate. ¡°I know, but I have to get to ss,¡± I told him, kissing the side of his mouth. ¡°Watch him,¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Always,¡± Lycus mumbled against my lips before I walked out to give hell to my morning ss. And it would be hell because I was in a mood, and Aleera would want to behave because I was bound to snap at some point. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 41 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Aleera POV For the past three days, I have felt terribly sick. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I have only been getting half a breakfast a day since I shared with Ryze, or because of the bond. The siren for the next ss sounded, and I groaned. I wished I had a theory ss all day; I would have even put up with Darius and Tobias¡¯s torment. Thest thing I felt like doing was that damn obstacle course. Darius looked over at me and ced my head on the desk, not wanting to go. I felt hot, and my skin was mmy. My stomach was twisting violently, and I was hungry as well as pained. ¡°Aleera, next ss,¡± Darius said, and I looked up at him. ¡°Can I go back to my room? I don¡¯t feel well,¡± ¡°ss now, or you won¡¯t see Kalen after dinner,¡± Darius snapped at me and hauled my ass out of my seat. Seeing Kalen was the only thing I looked forward to besides seeing Ryze. I grip the desk as a wave of dizziness washed over me, and Darius watched me stagger to the front of the ss before turning his gaze away. ¡°Asshole,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°Want to repeat that?¡± Darius growled behind me, and I looked back at him. He red at me and went to get up. I quickly rushed out the door. Making my way down the (This Novel daily new chapters provide it corridors, I felt my stomach heave up my throat and ran to the closest trash can before throwing up in it. No, please, I thought as I lost my breakfast. I wiped my mouth on the back o fmy hand and staggered to the bathroom. I drank from the tap, knowing that I would stumble across someone if I went to the mess hall. I wet my face, trying to cool myself down after retching. Looking in the oval-shaped mirror above the sink my face was pale, and my eyes sunken in. My stomach growled hungrily, and I drank some more water, trying to fill it enough to stop the loud gurgling noises it was making. Wetting the back of m y neck, I leaned on the basin, trying to force myself to head to the next ss. My tablet Bing¡¯s, and I pull it out. My pen pal remembered me, and we had been talking for thest few days. I excitedly opened up the chat. ¡®How¡¯s your day?¡¯ They asked. I looked at the mirror. Shit! I thought, looking at my hollow cheeks. I had lost so much weight with the training and not eating I was starting to look gaunt in the face. I shake my head, wondering how it was possible in such a brief period. ¡®Crap, I feel sick and have to go to ss,¡¯ I replied as I made m y way out. They responded with a sad emoji. ¡®How¡¯s yours?¡¯ I asked. ¡®Boring, locked away as usual,¡¯ they replied. My pen pal had told me they too were having mate drama, that he didn¡¯t get out much. ¡®Which ss are you in next?¡¯ they asked. ¡®Stupid training one with Tobias,¡¯ ¡®You really don¡¯t like that guy, huh?¡¯ I chuckle. I had told him all about my asshole mates and the nasty shit they did. Well, except Kalen. ¡®You wouldn¡¯t either if he used you like his personal juice box daily, and you were starving after only getting one meal or half a meal a day,¡¯ I replied. ¡®Your mates starve you?¡¯ He replied, and I sighed. ¡®No, but I¡¯m too scared to go to dinner or lunch in the mess hall because of the other men. Last time one put my hand in a boiling pot,¡¯ I replied. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. They didn¡¯t reply straight away, so I continued to the obstacle course and walked over to where they were stretching. ¡®Who did?¡¯ came their reply. ¡®Some dick called Deacon, they will get bored eventually and leave me alone,¡¯ I replied when my tablet was plucked from m y grip. I looked up to see Tobias ring at me. ¡°No distractions. Now get out there,¡± he snapped at me. I went to ask if I could sit out, but he growled, so I dropped my head and started running. My stomach was sloshing from all the water I drank, making me regret that stupid idea to curb m y hunger. Lesson learned. The demons were shoving and pushing as I tried to remain on the track. Running out of breath because bile rushed up to my throat, I pulled off to the side and threw up again. Zac sniggers as he passes me and nudges me. ¡°Can¡¯t hack it, Aleera,¡± he taunts before I throw up again. ¡°Aleera!¡± Tobias calls, and I look up, hoping he would say I could go inside. He points to the track, and my shoulders sag a s I turn around. My surroundings spun, and I found the heat made it increasingly difficult to breathe. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it The ground felt like it was moving under my feet, and I felt delirious as I stumbled my way back onto the track. My harsh,bored breathing could be heard in my head along with my heartbeat when I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head. I knew I hit the ground, but I felt nothing, no pain, nothing as darkness swallowed me. I fainted. Someone was tapping my face, my ears were ringing, and I could hear a faint voice calling my name. The sun shone through the backs of my eyelids, and I blinked dazed, only to look into the eyes of Tobias. f He turns my face from side to side before prying my eyelids open when I close them. ¡°Yep, you¡¯re done for the day,¡± he said, scooping me up in his arms. I kept going in and out of consciousness, but I was soon inside the air-conditioning, making me shiver after being outside in the blistering sun. ¡°What happened?¡± I heard Darius ask, and I blinked open my eyes to find I was back in my room. Darius shuts the door while Tobias ces me on the bed. I could hear them talking but paid no attention. ¡°Heatstroke, maybe?¡± Tobias says. ¡°Sheined about being sick in ss. She looked pale then too,¡± ¡°So you forced her to my ss,¡± Tobias snapped when I felt his teeth sink into my wrist. I groaned, hoping he wouldn¡¯t take much. I was already light-headed enough. ¡°Anything?¡± Darius asks. ¡°No, not poison, but her iron is a little low. I had noticed that over thest few days,¡± Darius sighed when the door opened again. ¡°Lycus said she fainted,¡± I heard Kalen¡¯s voice. I couldn¡¯t remember seeing Lycus, but then again, I don¡¯t remember the walk to the room. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Making her something to eat,¡± Kalen answers before the bed dips beside me. He brushed my hair from my face and leaned over me. ¡°You okay?¡± He asked, and I shook my head. My stomach was beginning to cramp like I had a stitch. The door opened again, and I knew it was Lycus this time. ¡°I need to get to ss, but I will see you tonight after dinner,¡± Tobias says, making me wonder where he was going. ¡°Oh, almost forgot her tablet,¡± ¡°Why do you have it?¡± ¡°Confiscated it. She was using it when she came out,¡± Tobias said, and I heard the door close as he left. ¡°You two right with her?¡± (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Fine,¡± Lycus says, sounding angry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Darius asked him. ¡°Later, not now,¡± I looked at Lycus as he sat beside me before Kalen helped me sit up. I leaned heavily against him, and Lycus ced a te of tomato and cheese sandwiches on myp cut into triangles. ¡°Eat it will make you feel better,¡± Lycus says, pressing one to my lips. Kalen looks at him funny before he grabs my tablet at my feet. I try to reach for it, not wanting him to read my messages, but he ces it on charge. ¡°Eat!¡± Lycus snaps, pressing the sandwich triangle to my lips again. I take a bite, and he seems to rx but insists on feeding me like a child. I noticed Kalen watching him, just as confused as I was about his strange behavior. When he presses a third against my lips, I shake my head. Hoping Lycus would leave it so I could sneak down to feed my Phoenix tonight. He had started to heal and had some feathersing back. His wing was still injured, but Ryze was on the mend. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 42 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Lycus and Kalen stayed for a while, and whatever Lycus was angry about, even bothered Kalen as he repeatedly asked what was wrong. Lycus only growled before eventually storming out, saying he had to take care of something. It was now dark, and I wondered how long they would let Kalen stay. What I was most surprised about was the fact Lycus had left me alone with him. That never happened; Kalen was always chaperoned around me, but whatever pissed him off must have made him forget that I wasn¡¯t alone with him. ¡°I wonder how long until he realizes?¡± Kalen murmured, and I looked at him. ¡°Realizes what?¡± ¡°That he left me alone with you, Darius will be furious,¡± Kalen answers, and I nod, hoping I won¡¯t cop the brunt of that fury. With a sigh, I stood up, and Kalen looked at me. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To shower, and you should go before we both get in trouble,¡± I told him, and he nodded and stood. ¡°It will get easier,¡± Kalen says, and I look back at him. ¡°It¡¯s only because they don¡¯t trust you,¡± Kalen answers. ¡°And they¡¯re too stubborn to see their own ws,¡± he added. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°What¡¯s done is done; it changes nothing. He still killed my parents. No matter what he believed or his intentions, it would have ended up this way,¡± I told Kalen and instantly regretted i t when his face fell. ¡°Would you have run if you knew me before?¡± he asked, and m y brows furrowed at his words as I thought them over. ¡°No, I would have asked you to run with me,¡± I told him. ¡°But I also know you wouldn¡¯t leave Lycus,¡± he nodded and went to say something before stopping himself. I walked into the bathroom and stripped my clothes off when he said nothing. M y shirt stunk from sweat, and goosebumps rose on my arms as I waited for the water temperature to go up. The cramping had gone now that I had eaten, and I was feeling a little better. Halfway through my shower, when I was washing my hair out, I felt a draft and near jumped out of my skin when I felt someone bump into my back. A shriek left my lips as I spun, trying to cover myself. Kalen chuckled while I backed away from him, looking nervously at the door leading into his room. When I saw it was shut, I let out a breath. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to startle you,¡± he said while stepping closer. His eyes dropped to my breasts I had covered with my arm. ¡°Kalen,¡± I squeaked, feeling rather exposed. I liked Kalen, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted him to invade my shower. My face heated, and he smirked before dipping his face under the shower spray, and I moved closer to the wall. He reached for the soap before washing his face, and my eyes trailed down his bronze-colored skin. He was muscr but not as bulky as the others. My face heated when I followed his V-line and pressed my lips in a line, and tried not to giggle, not because he was small, but because I had never seen one up close or had seen one topare size. I knew it was stupid, yet I snorted, and he rubbed a hand down his face before looking at me. ¡°Something funny?¡± he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me. He raised his eyebrows at me, and I giggled like an idiot. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is a good thing you are laughing or if I should feel insulted,¡± he sniggers. I tried to stop, yet they were so strange-looking and veiny. Like I wasn¡¯t a total idiot. I had seen sex scenes on TV before, but never in person, and so close I could touch it, not that I would. ¡°Geez, anyone would think you had never seen one before,¡±h eughed, and my giggling cut off abruptly. Oh my God, how embarrassing. Here I am giggling like some schoolgirl because I was 24 and had never seen a dick before. Kalen stoppedughing and stared at me. ¡°Wait, please tell me you have?¡± I shake my head, and his eyes widen before he suddenly covers himself with his hand. ¡°Well, this got awkward fast,¡± he said, looking away. ¡°Have you really never seen a dick before?¡± he asked. ¡°The girls had separate bathrooms,¡± I told him. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°But you¡¯re 24,¡± I shrug. ¡°Wait, are you a virgin?¡± I could feel my blush all the way from my head to my toes. I was never embarrassed about my virginity, but how he said it made me feel inexperienced and naive. Well, technically, that would make me inexperienced, but it still didn¡¯t stop my embarrassment. I moved from one foot to the other awkwardly while he stared at me. ¡°Can you not stare?¡± My voice is barely audible. ¡°Sorry, I am just in shock. The others are convinced you ran off with some man.¡± ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t,¡± he nods, and I realize none of them believed me, even after Tobias confirmed I wasn¡¯t lying as if I could somehow get away with it. He went to say something when the door suddenly burst open, and a frantic Lycus and Darius walked in. I shrieked, ripping Kalen toward me, using him as a shield in front of me. Could this get any more embarrassing? I heard their collective sigh of relief. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Kalen asked. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. And I was too embarrassed to peak around to see their faces. One of them cleared their throat, and I heard a growl. ¡°You weren¡¯t in the room,¡± I heard Darius say. ¡°Yeah, because I was in the shower,¡± Kalen said. ¡°I can see that,¡± Darius said, and Lycus growled. ¡°Just showering, nothing else going on Lycus, no need to be jealous,¡± Kalen snapped at him, which only made him growl louder before he stormed out. ¡°Come on, out. You know better,¡± ¡°Fuck, why are you being a dick and acting like I am cheating? She is our mate too,¡± Kalen snapped, and I looked up at his shoulders, and they tensed. ¡°You know why, now out,¡± Darius snapped. ¡°Well, at least leave so she can put a towel on,¡± ¡°I have already seen her naked, and I wasn¡¯t impressed,¡± he retorted, and I could hear the anger in his voice. My face heated embarrassed, and I know his words shouldn¡¯t have hurt, but they still stung. It was one thing hearing the whispers in school about my burns, but another when you repulsed your own mates. Kalen snarled, and the air chilled significantly, making goosebumps rise on my arms, and the tension in the room rose significantly. D ¡°Either you¡¯re blind or jealous because I have seen how every man watches her, including you. Do you think I haven¡¯t invaded your dreams, Darius? Because they say a lot about how you feel about her,¡± Kalen snapped at him. Darius growled at him while I chewed my lipwanting to escape the situation. ¡°Out now,¡± Darius snapped at him. (This Novel daily new chapters provide it ¡°Should we pretend you don¡¯t sneak into her room and watch her while she sleeps?¡± Kalen said, and I gasped at his words. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Kalen, one more word, and I will put her in the fucking cells,¡± Darius snarled before punching the tiled wall. ¡°And I said get out,¡± Kalen snapped, and I touched his side. He looked down at me, and I shook my head. He was ying with fire, and the only one that would get burned was me. I knew better. It was sweet he was defending me or whatever he was doing, but it was only going to make things worse for me. ¡°No, I am sick of him being a prick,¡± Kalen said, and he turned back to Darius. The shower screen opened, and tears burned m y eyes, and I knew Darius was about to rip him out. I didn¡¯t want them to fight, and I certainly didn¡¯t want to get caught up in it. So I bit down on my shame and pushed past Kalen and Darius and grabbed my towel. I didn¡¯t bother looking at either of them, just walked back to my room so I could die of shame without their watching eyes. I quickly got dressed and heard them arguing, and for once, I locked my own doors, not wanting to be near any of them. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 43 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 43 Chapter 43 It was a little after midnight before I finally got the courage to unlock the door leading into the hall. Surprisingly, they had once again left it unlocked. T he key was still in it, but it hadn¡®t been turned, trapping me inside. The majority of the night I spent liste ning to Kalen argue and fight with them over me. I tried my best to ignore it and not eavesdrop but hearing the hatred spewing from my lips and listing to them warn me away from Kalen bothered me. Though I was a little shocked overhearing Kalen defend Kalen and me because he was furious finding Kalen in the shower with me. ? . Something went down in there, and I hoped Kalen was alright, and if any of them did get hurt, I prayed it was Darius. The asshole needed to know what pain felt like. I would love to be the one to deliver every blow he has shown to me. He sure knows how to ruin someone, that is for sure. Slipping into the hall, I made my way down to the cells, careful as I opened the door so it didn¡®t creak before making my way down the steps. Ryze peeked his little head up excitedly before tiltin g it from side to side as he looked at me. Ryze, I swear, could see into my soul. As soon as I sat down, he bumped his head against my cheek, making a low cawing sound, a nd I got the feeling he could sense I was upset. ¡°I can¡®t stay for long, but I saved you some sandwich,¡± I whispered to him before kissing the top of his beak. I held the sandwich out to him, but he nudged my hand toward me, pushing it away. I tried again, but he did the same thing. ¡°You don¡®t want it?¡® I asked him. He must be missing eating meat. I needed to see if I could catch some field mice. I sighed a breath of relief when he plucked the sandwich triangle from my hand, but instead of eating it, he stood pressing the old stale sandwich and his beak to my mouth. Iughed, watching as he tried to stuff the stale sandwich in my mouth and feed m e. I shook my head, and he puffed out his feathers before plopping down in his make¨Cshift nest. His snake¨Clike tongue licked the back of my hand, and I picked up the dropped sandwich and ced it beside him. ¡°I have to get back in case they notice,¡± I tell Ryze patting his back. Feathers were starting to sprout alo ng his back, and his broken wing still looked terrible. I chewed my lip, thinking of If I could just siphon a little bit of power, I could at least heal his broken wing. Then we could get out of here sooner, or at the very least he could. That thought saddened me, he was all I had here, but it would be selfish of me to keep him down here, and I was already a prisoner. I wouldn¡®t do that to Ryze. Reluctantly I got and left, sneaking back into the castle foyer. I started climbing the steps when I paused mid¨Cway, looking back at the door leading to the cells. My eyes moved to the wards, and I quickly nced up to the other levels to see if anyone was around. When I saw no one, I moved toward the doors. Darius¡®s energy oozed off them, powerful and dangerous. cing my hand on the doorknob, I didn¡®t get blown backward or incinerated so I gripped it. Just enough to heal Ryze, that was it. Maybe Darius wouldn¡®t notice if I was careful not to take too much. Like who in their ri ght mind would attack a castle belonging to Darius Wraith and contained over 600 demons, you would have to be suicidal to try that. I felt my hand heat up as I felt for his energy, and I was about t o absorb it when a hand went across my mouth and nose, stifling the scream of fright that tried to leave me. I was ripped backward and away from the door by someone. I tried to breathe but the hand prevented it as I struggled. And it only took a few seconds to recognize it was Darius. ¡°You see, the wards, when touched, alert me of intruders but also those who try to escape Aleera. You wouldn¡®t be stupid enough to try, would you?¡± I swallowed and shook my head. ¡°But then again if you weren¡®t trying to escape, why were you at the door?¡± he growled, shoving me away. I stagger and barely correct my footing before hitting the floor. My heart was racing so fast I could hear it, feel my own pulse in my neck. ¡°You want to have a good reason to be done here, and what you were doing trying to leave,¡± I went to tell him I wasn¡®t trying to leave, but if I said I was siphoning magic, he would probably kill me and if I told why he would kill Ryze. ¡°So let¡®s hear it,¡± Darius snapped at me. I chewed my lip. No matter what I say, it would get me or Ryze killed. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Answer or am I right? You were trying to leave?¡± Darius asked. I say nothing. Sometimes silence is better than words. I was doomed either way, so I was surprised at h ¡°Get back upstairs,¡± he snarled, motioning with his hand toward them. I hesitated before running up them like noticed Darius walking up behind me, so I moved faster, hoping to get to my room so I could lock him out. Walking down the dimly lit corridor to my room, I gripped the door handle to open my door when Darius¡®s voice stopped me. ¡°Next door,¡± he said and my brows furrowed. I stepped back, ensuring it was the right door, and it was definitely my room. Twisting the handle, I pushed the doo open only to walk directly into Darius. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest as he appeared out of thin the re he gave me. ¡°I said the next door,¡± he snarled, stepping out of my room toward me. I nced back down the corridor where he w bedroom door. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 44 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°You can lock me in,¡± I blurted, not wanting to be stuck in a room with them. His hand gripped my throat, and he walked m e backward until I hit the wall. My hands wrapped around his wrist, yet he didn¡®t put any pressure on my throat just simply held me, his way of telling me he could me easily. Darius pressed his entire body against mine, and his stubble brushed my cheek as he leaned in. ¡°I am being very lenient right now by not breaking your neck. You will be in our room from now on because you can¡®t be trusted.¡± I shook my head, not wanting to sleep in there with them or be anywhere near Darius or Tobias, Lycus. I didn¡®t want to be near either, but if I had to pick a lesser evil, it was him, kind of. ¡°Maybe Kalen can stay in my room,¡± I asked, and he growled, pressing so close I could feel the heat of his anger seep into m e. His aura pres sed down on me suffocatingly. ¡°And tomorrow when our mates wake up, you can exin to them why you are in our room and what you attempted to do,¡± Darius murmured. I gasped, thinking of Kalen, how much that would hurt him if I said I was trying to escape him. ¡°But Kalen would hate me,¡± I whispered. ¡°Exactly,¡± Darius snarled before shoving off me. He took a step back and smiled. So that was his punishment, why he didn¡¯t just kill me. He wanted me to make Kalen hate me, and I gritted my teeth before ring at him. But two could y at this game. ¡°Fine, I will tell them then, I will tell them that you came into my room and tried to hurt me, so I ran, we will see who Kalen believes, me or his fucking sadistic mate,¡± I smiled and shrugged. Darius tilted his head to the side, examining me, and I turned toward his bedroom door. ¡°Tobias would be able to tell your lying; it wouldn¡®t work,¡± ¡°But Kalen also knows that Tobias would lie for you,¡± I retorted, he snarled, and I found myself mmed against the wall, the air expelled from my lungs with one harsh puff. ¡°Either I sleep in your room with you, or you sleep in ours, Aleera, so fucking pick, and you pull that shit again, and I may just kill you. I will not allow you to get between my mates and me.¡± ¡°Let me sleep in my room,¡± ¡°So you would rather be locked in a room with me than in a room with all of us?¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I would rather you six foot down and buried, but I don¡¯t seem to get what I want,¡± I snapped at him. He laughed before pressing closer, so close I could feel his lips move against mine. ¡°The only reason you are alive is because of Kalen; the rest of u s wanted to kill you. Just remember th at next time because if it was up to me, I would have let them wolves rip you apart,¡± Darius sneered. ¡°And if I could go back to that night, I would have let them. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to put up with you daily,¡± I spat back at him. ¡°So what is it, Aleera? Am I sleeping in your room, or would you rather be in mine where Kalen is,¡± Darius asked. ¡® ¡°For someone who finds me repulsive, you are pretty insistent on spending the night with me,¡± I said, ring at him. He went to say something when I spoke, cutting him off. ¡°Or was Kalen right about you sneaking into my room at night? You im to hate me so much, and if that was true, why the fuck can¡®t you stay out of my room?¡± Darius says nothing, just res at me. His burning anger made the temperature rise, and I knew what Kalen said was true. ¡°He was telling the truth, wasn¡®t he? You hate me yet can¡®t stay away,¡± ¡°Don¡®t tter yourself, Aleera. I do hate you, but you are our rightful keeper; I don¡®t get to control the bond, no matter how stupid it feels about you,¡± Darius sneered. ¡°No, but you control your actions, so why come in? Or do you have a thing for unsuspecting sleeping girls, some fucked up kink?¡±, Darius pounced on me, and I crashed to the ground with himnding on top of me. I tried to kick him off, but he pressed all of his weight down on me. His hand moved, coverin g my mouth before he shoved his hand in my pants. I thrashed and hit at him when he uncovered my mouth before pinning my hands above my head, holding them in one of his. I red at him when his ha nd slid beneath my panties. I hated him, fucking hated him, yet my body reacted to his touch as he cupped my pussy which suddenly had its own heartbeat. Despite my hatred, his touch made me moan as his fingers care ssed my slit, his touch was rough and forceful when his fingers moved between my folds, and he shoved one inside me. A scream bubbled up my throat as I went to call out for Kalen when his lips crashed down on mine, almo The bond reacted automatically with no say from me and I moaned into his mouth as his tongue yed with mine. Darius slid his finger out before forcing another inside me. The stretchin feeling made me jerk when he curled his fingers inside, and I thrashed as he rubbed his thumb across my clit. Tears of embarrassment brimmed protests of not wanting his touch, yet the bond craved it. My walls clenched around his fingers as he built up friction, and he groaned into my mouth as his tongue assaulted mine, my body reacting, and I tried to think of anything other than his vile touch. However, the bond had other ideas, wanting and craving for him to keep going though my mind screamed for m e not to come. My stomach clenched and I struggled harder as heat ran through me, making me gasp when he moved his thumb quicker, his fingers soaked with the arousal the bond caused, and the friction became too much. My walls clenched and throbbed, and Darius kissed me harder, covering my mouth with his and stifling my moans as my orgasm ripped through My surroundings muted as pleasure rippled through me, and m y hips moved involuntarily against his hand. When the high subsided, his fingers slipped out of me, and I was left humiliated and breathless. Darius pulled away from me, and his hand slipped out of my pants. ¡°Now I am guessing you didn¡®t want toe, but it sucks when you have no control over your bond, just like I have no control of being back to re at him.¡® ¡°As you can feel, I definitely feel the fucking bond, I just choose to deny it control, so don¡®t get it twisted, Aleera; the bond may want you, just like yours wants mine, but I will never be yours, nor will I allow you to be mine,¡± he says before shoving off me. I scrambled to my feet and away from him while he waited for me to pick which door when his bedroom door opened. Tobias groggily stepped out, ncing at us in the hall. ¡°What¡®s going on?¡± he yawned, and my cheeks heated, and I rubbed my arms, suddenly feeling cold. ¡°What will itbe Aleera?¡± I gritted my teeth, no way did I want t o be locked in a room alone with him, so I shoved past Tobias and walked over to the couch. ¡°Ah, what¡®s going on?¡± Tobias asked as I dropped onto the couch. ¡°Nothing she sleeps in here from now on,¡± Darius answered while I said nothing. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 45 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Tobias growled, and I turned my head to look over the back of the couch. ¡°What the fuck did you do to her?¡± Tobias whispered yelled; before marching over to Darius. He sniffs him before grabbing his hand, and my face med red when I saw him sniff Darius¡®s fingers. Tobias gro wled and shoved him away before turning to look at me. ¡°What the fuck? Did he force you?¡± Tobias asked me, and I saw Lycus and Kalen stir on the bed as he raised his voice higher. ¡°Shut up before you wake them; I never hurt her. Quite the opposite, actually,¡± Darius snarled back at him. ¡°That¡®s not what I asked,¡± Tobias growled at him. ¡°She is fine, are you hurt, Aleera, in pain?¡± Darius asked, and I red at him before turning away as em barrassment coursed through me. ¡°That¡®s fucked up even for you. You can¡®t force her to do shit like that.¡± ¡°Says who?¡± Darius asked. ¡°You¡®re unbelievable,¡± Tobias spat, turning toward me. He walked over and reached out to me when Darius spoke. ¡°Don¡®t feel sorry for her, Tobias. She is the one who tried to break my wards and leave; I was just proving to her about who had control,¡± Darius said, and Tobias¡®s hand that was reaching toward me to do god knows what stopped. ¡°You tried to leave?¡± Tobias asked. I pressed my lips in a line, and tears blurred my vision, so Iid down and rolled on my side. I could tell him the truth, but he or Darius would kill Ryze that much was certain. ¡°This will kill Kalen,¡± Tobias hissed angrily. ¡°He doesn¡®t have to know,¡± Darius says. ¡°Then how do you n on exining her being in our damn room,¡± Tobias asks, and I sit up and see D arius shrug. ¡°He asked to sleep in her room, this is giving him what he wants under supervision,¡± Darius said, and I red at him. I thought the whole point was to make Kalen hate me. ¡¤ ¡°You keep your hands to yourself. Kalen sees you forcing yourself on her, he will fucking lose it, and I want no part of this,¡± Tobias says. ¡°Fine, as long as Aleera keeps her mouth shut, everything will be fine, isn¡®t that right, Aleera?¡± Darius asks. ¡°If you keep the fuck away from me, peachy,¡± I snap at him.¡± See, everything is fine,¡± Darius says, looking between Tobias and me. I curl back up on the couch while Darius wanders off into the bathroom. Tobiases over and drapes a nket over me, and hands me a pillow. I take it when suddenly he cups my cheek with his hand. ¡°Why would you do that? Don¡®t do it again, I am not saying what he did was right. It wasn¡®t, but you running?¡± he shakes his head. I just stare at him. Was he seriously defending hi m? I pped his hand away. ¡°You¡®re just as bad as him. Get away from me,¡± I told him, rolling to face the back of the small two¨C seater. ¡°We told you if you behaved, you could earn more freedom, Aleera. We only just stopped locking your damn door, and you ran the first chance you got. How are we supposed to trust you, ¡°he asked. ¡°I wasn¡®t running,¡± I whispered. ¡°What,¡± Tobias asked, and I shook my head when he gripped my chin and turned my face toward him. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I wasn¡®t,¡± The bathroom door opens, and Tobias nces over at Darius, and I pull my face out of his grip. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aleera?¡± ¡°Doesn¡®t matter,¡± I tell him. ¡°Come to bed, Tobias,¡± Darius says as I snuggle under my nket, pulling it over my head. Tobias sighed before I heard him walk off and climb into bed with Darius. ****** The following day I woke to fangs in my wrist as Tobias fed off me. ¡°Tobias, she isn¡®t even awake,¡± Lycus growled at him, and I yawned, sitting upright while Tobias was stil l feeding off me. I rub my eyes to see Kalen, stretching and waking up, and Tobias drops my wrist, and I rub it. 1 ¡°Aleera?¡± Kalen asks before rubbing his eyes. He looks around at the others, and I see Darius walk out of the closet half undressed. He was only wearing pants. ¡°Surprise, she is staying in here from now on,¡± Darius says, and I re at him. ¡°Darius said you can¡®t be alone with her, but if you want her close, she stays with us in here,¡± Lycus said, leaning down and kissing Kalen. I could fee Tobias staring at me, but I didn¡®t bother correcting Darius. I knew it would end badly if I did. ¡°Hurry up and get dressed, Aleera. You have to be down at the mess hall,¡± Darius says before chucking some clothes at me. It was a new pair of jeans and a ck up top. I looked at him. What were these hush clothes? I shake my head but get u p and head for the bathroom. ¡°I will take her to breakfast,¡± Lycus says as I reach the door and I stop. How was I supposed to feed Ryze if he was with me? ¡°She can go by herself,¡± Darius said, and I let out breath about to go get changed. ¡°No, I have something to do anyway,¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Darius demands. ¡°None of your business,¡± Lycus snaps at him. ¡°We always have breakfast together,¡± Tobias says, sounding needy, which surprised me. ¡°I will grab something down there,¡± Lycus shrugs, and I huff, shoving the door open, I went to get changed. When I came back out, Lycus was waiting for me. Tobias and Darius didn¡¯t look happy about himing to breakfast with me. While Kalen pouted. ¡°Why can¡®t she eat with us?¡± Kalen asked. Probably because they hate me, I thought but didn¡®t say that, not that I wanted t o stay in here any longer than needed. I wanted out of this room and away from Darius, not to be forced to spend more time than necessary with him. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 46 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¡°Ready?¡± Lycus asks me and I sigh, and I nod my head. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you can¡¯t wait,¡± Tobias snaps at him. ¡°Chill, you can have your way with me when I return,¡± Lycusughed, going over and pecking his lips. His way with him? Is that why Tobias was pouting like a child? ¡°I just need to get my tablet,¡± I tell Lycus wanting to escape their doting affections. It was not that it bothered me, but I felt like I was intruding or some strange bystander gawking. ¡°I already grabbed it for you,e on,¡± Lycus said before pecking Kalen¡¯s lips as he was walking to the door. I quickly followed after him, and I could feel Darius ring at him at us as we left. ¡°Didn¡¯t think Tobias would pout over not gettingid,¡± I admitted as we went down the stairs. Lycus shrugs. ¡°He can be whinier than Kalen. Darius is the worst. He bes a real fucking asshole when his power gets low, and h e is horny,¡± Lycus says, and I stop. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How do you think we power share, Aleera? We have to fuck each other. It¡¯s easier for Darius. He can siphon easier being demonic-fae, but now we are all bonded, we actually like fucking each other,¡± ¡°Wait, so you don¡¯t just fuck to power share?¡± ¡°Ah, no. We are bonded, Aleera. We do love each other, too; we don¡¯t just fuck out of necessity. We used to. Well, except Kalen and I. But now,¡± He shrugs. And I race after him trying to catch up. ¡°So what, you have an orgy during breakfast?¡± I chuckle. ¡°No, but mealtimes are the only times we really get to be in ce besides at night, and Tobias fed off you, which makes him horny,¡± Lycus said. ¡°Makes him horny?¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t noticed he gets a raging hard-on every time he feeds on you,¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t usually look at his dick when he feeds on me,¡± I tell him as we line up in the cafeteria. He fills two trays full of food and walks over to a table. I stare at him when he sits down because I expect him to dump it and leave me. ¡°Sit and eat,¡± Lycus says, pulling out the chair beside him. ¡°You¡¯re going to eat with me?¡± I ask, ncing around at all the faces watching us. ¡°I said I was, didn¡¯t I?¡± With another nce around, I sit down. Everyone watched us, and I watched them back, waiting for one of them to do something, but none approached us. ¡°Aleera, eat,¡± Lycus said, nudging my te closer. I looked down at it to find it piled with more than what was on his te. Grabbing my fork, I started to eat while watching everyone. It wasn¡¯t until I was nearly finished that Zac wandered over to the table, and I tensed, wondering what he would do. ¡°Eating with the traitor, boss man,¡± ¡°And what¡¯s it to you, Zac?¡± Lycus asked, and I got the impression Lycus didn¡¯t particrly like Zac. ¡°Just curious as to why you¡¯re down here,¡± Zac shrugs, and Lycus leans back in his chair and looks at him. ¡°And why is that?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°Because we rarely see Aleera in here, so it¡¯s interesting she came in with you,¡± Zac said, eyeing me. ¡°I noticed she was losing weight, wanted to make sure she was eating and not missing any meals. Now that you just confirmed she is, I may just need to eat with her every meal. Darius would be pissed if she starved to death,¡± Lycus snapped. My brows furrowed at this weird topic of conversation, and I wondered why he cared if I ate or not. ¡°Hmm, suppose your right, anyway have you seen Deacon he never returnedst night after he went into town?¡± ¡°Probably at one of his hoes ces,¡± Lycus shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I will keep trying to ring him,¡± Zac said before wandering off. I looked at Lycus, who was ring at Zac.¡± Can¡¯t fucking stand him,¡± Lycus growls before getting up. I quickly start picking up my te and tray when Lycus stops and looks at me. ¡°No, stay, finish eating,¡± Lycus says, and I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± I tell him even though my belly started rumbling hungrily. He looked around at everyone who was watching us. ¡°Are they not letting eat?¡± Lycus asks me, and I look around at all the men in the room ring daggers at me. I shake my head. ¡°No, I am just full,¡± I lie, and my stupid belly growls in protest. Lycus raises an eyebrow at me before turning to everyone in the room. My stomach sank when he growled. Was he trying to get me killed? ¡°No one messes with her at meals. She needs to fucking eat. I hear one word about you tampering with her food or preventing her from eating. You will answer to me,¡± ¡°But she is a traitor,¡± Zac protested. ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck what Darius told you she is. Mess with her while she is eating, and you fucking answer to me. Is that clear?¡± Lycus snarled. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± a few said while some dropped their heads and others nodded. Lycus turns to me and points to the table. ¡°Sit, finish eating. They mess with you, fucking tell me,¡± He says, and I shrink back down in my seat. Lycus walks out, and I prepare to run the moment he leaves. Zac gets up, and I tense, grabbing my fork to use as a weapon if needed. ¡°Fucking bullshit,¡± Zac sneers before leaving. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Satish asks him. ¡°To look for Deacon,¡± Zac calls out over his shoulder. It took m e a good five minutes of ncing around only to realize no one approached me; they stared but didn¡¯te over. I ate cautiously while looking around until the bell rang, too scared t o move until they were gone, and I was sure no one wasing to hurt me. Carefully wrapping up my leftovers, I stuck my head out the door before rushing into the cells to give Ryze some food. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 47 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Tobias POV Something was going on with Lycus because he never missed breakfast, and where did he have to go that was more important than our morning ritual? I waited for around 5 minutes before leaving myself and looking for him. Yet the bond led me to the mess hall. Walking to the door, I noticed he was actually eating with Aleera. Now that was new. Lycus hated being around her. Moving away from the entry, I waited for him toe out. Great, he was eating with Aleera when he should be sucking my dick. I growled, annoyed because this hard-on was bing annoying, and Darius wanted to check the wards so he couldn¡¯t help me out with it. Not only that, I preferred Lycus¡¯s warm mouth. The man was like a vacuum. Kalen was in a damn mood from the time Aleera walked out the door, so he was out of the question unless I wanted my dick bitten off. So I had no choice but to wait for Lycus. I sat on the stairs waiting, bored out of my fucking mind, when I heard him be angry and scold all the men in the mess hall. Eventually, he stormed out while muttering under his breath, and I stood up. ¡°Finally,¡± I whined, and he stopped looking over at me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked, turning away from the doors leading outside and turning to face me. ¡°More like what were you doing eating with Aleera? I thought you said you were just grabbing something, not actually eating with her,¡± I growled at him. ¡°She has been starving. They haven¡¯t been letting her eat,¡± Lycus growled, and I looked toward the door. My brows furrowed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, though I had seen she was dropping weight and her iron was low, plus many other minerals and vitamin levels. ¡°Do you ever bother to open the damn chat link?¡± Lycus snapped. I shook my head, wondering what he was talking about. ¡°I deleted it before Kalen saw, but they have been forcing her t o starve. That is just in cruel,¡± Lycus snarls. a ¡°Who has?¡± Lycus tosses his arms in the air, frustrated, and storms off. ¡°Wait, I came looking for you for a reason,¡± I called after him. ¡°Suck your own dick,¡± Lycus calls, and I growl, annoyed. What is it with everyone today? With a sigh, I pulled my phone out a s the siren sts signaling sses started, but since I was not walking around with this all day, I was canceling mine until I found a hot mouth to put it in or an ass, I wasn¡¯t picky. With a sigh, I started walking up the steps when Zac stopped me when I reached the top of the stairs. ¡°Have you seen Deacon?¡± ¡°Nah, buddy, I haven¡¯t,¡± I tell him, and he looks down, he smirks. ¡°That exins why you canceled ss, I just got the notification,¡± Zac teased, and I shoved him. ¡°Bugger off, unless your willing to suck it,¡± ¡°Hard pass,¡± Heughs, moving off with the rest of the men. I shake my head at him. He could be an idiot. Just as I was about to climb the next set of stairs, I stopped because I noticed Aleerae out of the mess hall with a stic bowl. She looked around suspiciously, and I watched her moving back as she went to look up the stairs. Now, what was she up t o? The creaking of a door had me ncing back over the railing to where she was, but she was gone, and I just looked over in time to see the door of the cells shut. Now, why would she be going down there? Tempted to ring Darius, I pulled my phone out when I heard the door before watching her sneak back out, only this time she wasn¡¯t holding the bowl. My brows furrowed and I waited for her to leave. ncing in both directions, I race down the steps before stopping by the cell door. Making sure she was indeed gone, I opened it and slipped inside. Trudging down the steps, I flick the light on only to hear a screech and hissing. My eyes open wide when I see a phoenix get to its feet and fall forward in the makeshift nest. Letting out a breath, I realize it couldn¡¯t fly. I nce at the steps leading up. How did she get it down here without it ripping her to pieces? The bloody thing couldn¡¯t fly but looked like it was tempted to attack me as it continued to hiss. I noticed bloody bandages wrapping its body, and my mind went to Aleera¡¯s wordsst night. ¡°I wasn¡¯t running,¡± she said, and I chewed my lip, wondering i f she was telling the truth. Darius came out before I could get her to answer again. But then why would she be trying to open the door. Darius said he caught her tampering with the wards. With onest nce, I rushed back upstairs, wanting away from the creepy-ass bird. I hated Pheonix¡¯s bloody vicious bastards. Tugging my phone back out, I went to call Darius to let him know when I stopped. He would kill it; I had no doubt that he would. He hated them, his father was a right prick, and when h e was a boy, his father used to lock him in cages with the damn things and let them attack him. Why he idolized that man was beyond me. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Though he was a good father as long as he did as he was told, his punishments were just cruel and uncalled for. I would never understand how he idolized his father the way he did. Darius always thought he was a great father when I could think of plenty of things his father had done that was either just cruel or outright wrong. I put my phone away and nced at the door. I could set it free, but someone else would kill it, and I also had the issue of it trying to attack me if I grabbed it. I pondered what to do when I decided to open up this chat thing Kalen had with Aleera. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 48 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Aleera POV The sses droned on, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to being in the sun for the rest of the day. Although, for once, I actually made it around the obstacle course. I was pretty proud of myself, yet the cramping was bing ridiculous. Lycus sang out to me and waved me over; moving off the course, I made my way over to him. For some reason, he decided to run the obstacle course. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Did they give you any shit after I left?¡± Lycus asked me. ¡°No,¡± I tell him. He nods. ¡°Good, go to lunch then, after you can take the rest of the day off,¡± ¡°Really?¡± I ask excitedly, and he nods. ¡°Just stay out of trouble and away from Darius and watch Kalen for me,¡± he asks, and I nod before realizing he wanted m e to go back to their room. Sulking, I headed back inside and to the mess hall. I felt queasy lining up for lunch, yet no one said anything to me, and I moved to a table closest to the door up the back, so I had a quick escape if needed. One thing became apparent, though. They all feared Lycus because not one of them approached me, and they let me eat. It wasn¡¯t until I went to get up that one of them spoke. ¡°She is getting up,¡± Satish smiled while also getting up, and I recognized Lycus¡¯s error. He said not to mess with me while I was eating. That wasn¡¯t going to stop them when I wasn¡¯t. Satish leering smile made me gulp. The man was huge and just as intimidating as Zac and Deacon in his ck ops uniform. How they all wore those uniforms in this heat was beyond me. Cursing, I sat back down and nibbled the corner of the other half of my sandwich. Satish and Zac growled, sitting back down and ring at me. Once again, I waited for the siren and for the voices to leave before getting up. I was expecting them t o be waiting outside to torture me but clearly, beingte for Darius¡¯s ss scared them from wanting to get revenge. Quickly looking around before I ducked down to the cells, excited that I could give Ryze some extra food today, and hoped I could keep this up because he would be fully healed in no time if he was getting the proper amount of food he required. I was scratching his belly as he leaned on his good wing when I heard the door open. Ryze hissed, and I grabbed his beak to quiet him. Fear wrapped around my throat, and my skin itched as I listened to the footstepse down the steps, and I got to my feet trying to hide Ryze with my body when Tobias appeared. ¡°I thought I would find you here, interesting pet you keep, Aleera,¡± Tobias says, sauntering closer, and I step back, and Ryze hisses. ¡°Darius will kill your pet if he finds it,¡± Tobias says, looking around me, and I step in front of his gaze, blocking his view of Ryze. Tobias clicks his tongue. ¡°I saw youe down here this morning,¡± Tears welled in my eyes because Ryze was all I had, and I knew he would hurt him. Tobias stepped down thest step with his hand behind his back. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I whispered. ¡°Him? How do you know it¡¯s a male?¡± Tobias asked, tilting his head as he watched me. ¡°It¡¯s the beak; females have red beaks; his is ck,¡± I answer, which seems to shock him that I knew that. ¡°You like birds?¡± he asks, stepping closer, and I turned quickly, plucking Ryze off his nest and tucking him under my arm. Tobias stared at Ryze, and Ryze hissed at him. I grabbed his beak, trying to quiet him, and moved further back into the cell when I noticed that Tobias still had his hand behind his back. ¡°I will put him in the forest. You don¡¯t have to hurt him,¡± I tell Tobias. Ryze hisses, and I nce down at him. ¡°Shh, Ryze,¡± I whisper. ¡°You named him?¡± I nod while watching him warily and the hand he has behind his back. ¡°What I want to know is how you got close to it and why it¡¯s letting you touch it. Those things are vicious and hate dark fae?¡± Tobias says. ¡°They were torturing him, so I saved him. Once he figured out I wasn¡¯t going to hurt him, he got used to me,¡± I tell him, which was the truth technically. He tilted his head to the side, and I could tell he was making sure I wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Very well, but you need to keep him hidden if you want to keep him,¡± Tobias says with a shrug while still eyeing Ryze. ¡°You will let me keep him?¡± Tobias nods before pulling his arm out from behind his back, and I notice he has a cage full of mice. Ryze hisses and squirms, wanting the mice when he spots them. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± I ask him. ¡°No catch, you answer honestly,¡± I chew my lip, debating whether or not to believe him. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I ask. ¡°Last night, did you try to escape?¡± I look down at Ryze. ¡°No, ¡°I answer. ¡°You were with your¡­. Ryze,¡± He says, testing out its name while he reaches into the cage. He grabs a mouse out by its tail. It squirms and squeaks. ¡°Sit and hold onto that thing. It bites me; I won¡¯t be happy,¡± Tobias tells me. I sat down, hugging Ryze to my chest, careful of his wing. Ryze¡¯s eyes follow the mouse hanging by its tail, and Tobias steps closer, and Ryze hisses at him and then growls. ¡°You bite me fucker, I will scorch your ass,¡± Tobias tells him. ¡°Shh, Ryze, he said he won¡¯t hurt you,¡± I whisper to him, and his snake like tongue slivers out of his beak, and he licks my chin. Tobias watched him curiously. ¡°You know they are bonding birds, right?¡± I nod, patting his feathers and calming Ryze down, and Tobias brings the mouse closer, holding it out to him. Ryze struck like a cobra, and Tobias jumped, nearly losing his fingers when Ryze plucked the mouse from his hands. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 49 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 49 Chapter 49 I gag at the crunching sounds Ryze makes, which suddenly has me feeling sick. ¡°You want to keep him. You got to feed him properly, they are carnivorous birds Aleera,¡± I nod, but I don¡¯t think I could force a mouse to die after seeing how viciously he killed it. Tobias tries to pass me one, and I shake my head, feeling my stomach grow queasy. ¡°How do you expect to look after him if you won¡¯t feed him?¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t bring dead ones,¡± I asked and Tobias looked down at the cage, not watching his hand, and Ryze struck again, plucking the squeaking mouse. ¡°Fucker,¡± Tobias hissed, sucking his fingers where Ryze got him. Tobias sits on the ground next to his mouse cage and pulls another one out. ¡°So if you weren¡¯t trying to escape, why were you touching the wards?¡± he says, this time chucking a mouse to Ryze, who swallows it whole. ¡°His wing is broken; I wanted to try siphon some of the power from the ward to heal it,¡± I exin. ¡°So you weren¡¯t going to try use against us or use it to escape,¡± ¡°No, I wanted to heal him so I could let him go, I didn¡¯t want him trapped here.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t letting the bird go, Aleera,¡± Tobias said, staring at him. ¡°I have no choice, you said yourself Darius will kill him,¡± ¡°Good luck because the way he is with you, he has bonded to you, you can try, but he will keeping back,¡± Tobias said, and I looked down at him. ¡°And you just saved him, and he got used to you?¡± I nod, and h e sighs. ¡°So peculiar,¡± He mutters, shaking his head before tossing him another mouse. Tobias chews his lip thoughtfully. ¡°If given a chance, would you escape?¡± Tobias asked me. ¡°You know I would, so why ask questions you already know?¡± ¡°Maybe because I hope your answer would change Aleera,¡± Tobias says. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t tell them you have him here, but you will have to figure out something. Maybe the basement might be better, there is a hole in the roof, and he can get out and fly around when he wants. You can¡¯t keep him locked down here,¡± Tobias says. ¡°And how would I get him up there?¡± ¡°I could portal you up, but tell me something else first,¡± I nod, wondering what else he wanted to know. ¨C ¡°Did Darius force himself on you?¡± I look away, and he curses before shocking me with his next question. ¡°Are you okay?¡± my head whipped toward him, and he seemed genuine. I raise m y eyebrows at him. ¡°I mean with what he did, Aleera, I don¡¯t mean in general,¡± I nod, my face heating with embarrassment. ¡°Are you embarrassed because he did it or because he made youe?¡± Why would he ask that? He puts his hand up in mock surrender. ¡°Just a question, I could smell how aroused you were?¡± ¡°Both,¡± I mumble. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for defending him; I thought you tried to run and was mad,¡± ¡°Is that why you are helping me?¡± I asked him. ¡°No, I hate Pheonix¡¯s, but when I found him down here, I was going to tell Darius, but I knew he would kill him. Just because I hate something doesn¡¯t mean I believe it should be killed,¡± ¡°But torture is alright? Yeah, and abuse?¡± I scoffed. Tobias observes me for a few seconds and hangs his head. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, I used to, but after seeing you with Kalen, I realize w e need you,¡± Tobias says. ¡°But not enough to stop Darius,¡± I ask. He sighs, ¡°he is our mate; it will get better. You just have to earn his trust, Aleera,¡± tears well in my eyes, and I look down at Ryze. ¡°If you hold him and don¡¯t let him bite me, I will give you some magic to heal him,¡± Tobias says, and I gasp, shocked. ¡°You will give me magic?¡± Tobias nods, staring at Ryze. ¡°Just enough to heal him, but there is a catch.¡± ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Take it, kiss me,¡± I shake my head, not falling for this shit again. ¡°Forget it,¡± I tell him. ¡°Wow, rejected pretty fast,¡± Tobiasughs and I re at him. ¡°I have already fucking had Darius tear into my bond by telling me to kiss him and thenughing in my face; I don¡¯t need it from you,¡± ¡°He toyed with your bond?¡± Tobias asked, not seeming to like that. I nod, remembering how painful that was and degrading. ¡°I don¡¯t want to toy with your bond, Aleera. Just want a kiss, that is all,¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because all day I have been fucking horny from drinking your blood and I need something, since none of my mates will touch me, your blood ys havoc with my bond to you. Juste satisfy it for a second until one of them can help me out, ¡°I chewed my lip, remembering Lycus saying Tobias got horny from drinking my blood. ¡°Just a kiss?¡± ¡°Just a kiss,¡± Tobias repeats. ¡°Then you can heal your plucked dodo-looking phoenix,¡± Tobias says. I nced down at Ryze, who watched me back like he had been listening to our conversation. ¡°Just one?¡± I asked. If it meant helping Ryze, I would do it. ¡°One, but I want a proper one,¡± heughs. ¡°A proper one?¡± ¡°Using tongue,¡± Tobias said, winking at me. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they be pissed off?¡± I asked him, and he shrugged. ¡°Kalen wouldn¡¯t care, the other two,¡± He shrugged. ¡°Well, they should have sucked my dick this morning. Neither did, so I will take my vices anyway I can get them,¡± Tobias said. ¡°I am not sucking dick,¡± I tell him. ¡°Never said you have to, just a kiss, so put your demonic pigeon down ande here,¡± Tobias said, opening his arms. ¡® ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, and if you were so horny, why not just have a wank?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t work like that; I have drank your blood, it makes me crave magic, and since you have none and only they do, I have to take it from them. But you can make the ache hurt less since your blood caused it by letting my bond have what it wants.¡± ¡°Your bond wants me to kiss you?¡± I asked. It sounded ridiculous. ¡°My bond wants me to fuck you, but I know you won¡¯t give me that, so it will have to settle for a kiss, so come here,¡± Tobias said. ¡°And that is all?¡± I ask again, not trusting him, and he nods. I look at Ryze before cing him in his nest I made and hesitantly got to my feet. Tobias looked up at me from where h e sat, not moving, and I stopped in front of him. Deja-Vu washed over me with Darius, and my stomach sank as the bond became excited again. Only this time, Tobias gripped my wrist and yanked me on hisp. Ryze hissed loudly behind me and screeched. ¡°Quiet bird, I won¡¯t hurt her,¡± Tobias snapped as I straddled his waist. I swallowed, and Tobias rolled his eyes before gripping the back of my neck and pulling me closer. His lips were warm and soft as he kissed me when I felt his tongue trace across my bottom, Tobias groaned and his other arm wrapped around my waist, tugging me flush against him, which made me gasp. Tobias took advantage of my parted lips and delved his tongue into my mouth. His groan was lewd as his tongue yed with mine, wanting me to kiss him back. The bond answered his kiss longingly, and I kissed him back hungrily. His tongue tasted every inch of my mouth when he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss, which made my stomach tighten as arousal coiled within me when he pulled away. ¡°Like I don¡¯t mind if you want to keep kissing me, but you are supposed to be taking my magic,¡± Tobias laughed. My cheeks heated, havingpletely forgotten as I was too busy enjoying the kiss. Tobias smirked and raised an eyebrow at me when I kissed him again. He groaned, kissing me back, and I moved my hand to his neck, feeling his pulse under my palm and his energy before stealing some of it when I kissed him deeper. Pulling away, I gasped at the feel of his magic writhing within me, cold and sweet. I shivered when I felt his hands slide up m y thighs to my hips, and I thought he was going to demand something more, but instead, he lifted me off him. ¡°Heal your Pheonix, then I will help you get him to the basement,¡± Tobias says. ¡°And don¡¯t let him bite me,¡± ¡°And you won¡¯t tell Darius?¡± ¡°Be our little secret,¡± Tobias says, and I turn back to Ryze, excited that I could heal him. 2 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 50 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Every night, I had spent the night in their room, unable to return to mine. Darius still believed wholeheartedly that I was trying to escape. I wasn¡®t willing to tell him different for the sake of Ryze, who now lived in the attic. Tobias was right, however, because, even healed, he never left. I noticed, though, with each passing day when Tobias would sneak me u p to see him and feed him, that he grewrger, which was concerning because soon he would not fit thro ugh the hole in the roof. I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to feed him the mice; I tried to give frozen ones, even thawed out ones, but he liked them live. So I was thankful that Tobias had no such issues sacrificing the mice for me. Ryze even let him pat him. He nearly lost a finger, and Ryze only tolerated his touch for a few seconds before snapping at him. Tobias was thrilled that he had touched a live Pheonix like it wa s some sort of eptance, and he was suddenly a Pheonix whisperer. ¡± Tobias opened a portal back to the room, and the moment I stepped through it, Darius was waiting, his arms folded across his chest. His temper had gotten worse over thest few days. The more time Tobias and Kalen spent with me, the more furious he seemed to get.¡± ¡°Where have you both been?¡± he demanded, and Tobias quickly closed the portal behind us before he could see into the dark attic. ¡°The library,¡± I lied. ¡°I checked the library,¡± Darius said, and I knew we would have toe up with a better ce. ¡°Must have just missed us then,¡± Tobias shrugged before pulling a book from his pocket. He tossed it to Kalen, who caught it and smiled. I had no idea when Tobias got time to grab it unless he got it before he went up, but it seemed to cate Darius for now. He muttered under his breath before storming out. Kalen looked the cover over before flipping it and reading the back. I realized Kalen spent most of his time reading because Darius had pulled him from the sses he taught, so I couldn¡®t spend more time than necessary with him. Moving toward the couch, I sat next t o him when Lycus came over and rolled his eyes before walking off. ¡°I¡®m going for a run,¡± Lycus growled, also leaving. Tobias sighed before sitting at my feet on the floor. ¡°They¡®re just jealous,¡± Tobias said, resting his head on my knees. ¡°Of what?¡± I asked incredulously. What could they possibly have to be jealous about? They weren¡®t a prisoner? ¡°That Tobias and I don¡®t hate you and we spend more time with you then them?¡± Kalen said while opening the book. I sighed. ¡°And why do they hate me, exactly?¡± Neither answer, and I know it was to do with Darius, forbidding the m from telling me¡°Okay then, why did you hate me?¡± I ask Tobias. He shifts ufortably, leaning forward before also getting up and leaving. Was I a repellent? What was u p with them all today? Tobias had been fine all week, and I asked one question, and h e too stormed off and into the bathroom. ¡°Well, can you tell me?¡± I asked Kalen and he sighs. ¡°Nope, because unless Darius agrees for you to know, we are bound by his stupid bond,¡± Kalen growls. ¡°Huh?¡± first I heard of them being sworn to secrecy. ¡°He has been our recement keeper for years. We are bonded to him most, even Lycus and I,¡± ¡°I still don¡®t understand?¡± I tell him. ¡°Keeper is the glue; Darius is our glue. We draw off him the most, for our bond to him is stronger. He controls the bonds, therefore, controls us in a sense, like a blood tie, or another way to put it is, we can¡®t betray him even if we wanted to,¡± ¡°So you have no say at all?¡± I ask, wondering how that works. ¡°We do, but only when powerful emotion is behind it can we overpower it, like the few times we have gone against him,¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Lycus guilt, when he healed you. Tobias giving you magic the other day,¡± I looked at him wondering ho w he knew. ¡°Don¡®t tell me, in case you haven¡®t noticed, I am the weakest link. If Darius asks, I will tell him why, I won¡®t be able to lie to him. Therefore, some things are best for me not knowing,¡± Kalen tells me, and I nod. I would have to remember that. ¡°Wait, how did you know?¡± I asked. ¡°Your aura changed. It glowed, for a few hours, like you were recharged,¡± ¡°And now?¡± he nces at me. ¡°Same as ours, though fainter, since you have no magic,¡± I nodded, relieved. ¡°What can you tell me, then?¡± ¡°Ask, and we will find out, see what I can say,¡± Kalen tells me. I thought for a second, choosing my que stions. ¡°Why does Lycus hate me?¡± ¡°He doesn¡®t; he just hates what you did to me,¡± ¡°What did I do to you?¡± ¡°Can¡®t answer, but you already know,¡± he says, and I nod, saving that forter to ponder. ¡°What about Darius?¡± He opens his mouth before humming,¡± interesting, that is one I think I can speak about.¡± ¡°He killed his father for you, for all of us,¡± ¡°Can you borate more?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ah,¡± he tries to speak when his mouth shuts. ¡°I guess that is all I may say on that one,¡± Kalen says. ¡°Fine, um, Tobias then?¡± I ask slightly annoyed. ¡°His brother, and again all I can say,¡± he says, frustrated. ¡°Was that the man in the picture I saw on the bedside table?¡± ¡°Yes, it was his twin,¡± ¡°Was?¡± ¡°He is dead now,¡± ¡°Let me guess because of me?¡± Kalen¡®s brows furrow, but he says nothing else. ¡°Okay, well, can you tell me why everyone calls me a traitor?¡± ¡°Because of conspiracy theories surrounding the gue,¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I can¡®t; that is all you get,¡± Kalen growled, resting his head back on the couch. ¡°This is so stupid, believe me, if I could, I would tell you ev ¡°I know,¡± I tell him, gripping his knee. ¡°Okay, your turn. How about you answer some of my questions?¡± Kalen asks, and I chew my lip. ¡°Might help get you some answers,¡± Kalen says. ¡°You¡®re going to see if I can answer my own questions?¡± I ask, and he nods. I shrug. What could it hurt if it means learning more about them? Why not? The door opened, and I almost sighed when Darius entered the room, knowing how strange game would be over. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 51 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 51 Chapter 51 However, Kalen still asked, and I noticed Darius fall onto the bed. Could feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull. ¡°Tell me something, you remember the night of the fire?¡± I blinked at Kalen wondering how that helps anything. Yet the look on his face told me he was trying to prove something to Darius. Or maybe me, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°I remembering home sick from school; I think I got food poisoning,¡± I tell him, and he nods. I thought back to that day, but it was kind of hazy. My brows creased as I tried to think. My mum was angry, her and my father were arguing, and I threw up on the floor. Why couldn¡¯t I remember after that? I remember my father cleaning the mess up. I also remember my mother giving me a drink, but that was it until the actual fire. ¡°What else do you remember?¡± Kalen asked, leaning forward, and I noticed Darius hop off the bed and walk over to us. He drops into the armchair across from us and loads more wood into the firece, though I knew he had onlye over to listen. ¡°I remember the smoke woke me, and I remember calling out t o my father. He called back and told me to hold on, that he was trying to get to me,¡± I answer. ¡°What else?¡± Kalen nods. ¡°Just trying to move, trying to get to the door, but I felt so heavy, and my lungs burned, I think I crawled to the door,¡± I tell him. ¡°Anything else?¡± Kalen asks when the bathroom door opens. Tobias steps out, followed by a billow of steam. ¡°I remember burning, which must have been my side, then only waking up to see Darius standing in front of me, his hands out. My mother¡¯s screams when the roof fell in, and the forest behind the house caught fire, but that is it,¡± I avert my eyes when Tobias drops his towel, catching a glimpse of his ass as he slid some gray tracksuit pants on. Kalen chuckled as my face heated, and Darius raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, nor did he add anything about that night. He simply sat back and watched Kalen and m Looking over at Tobias, I stared at the burns on his back, full thickness burns, and the skin patchy in ces. ¡°Your burns. Why didn¡¯t you heal them, and why are they so bad?¡± I ask, and he looks at me over his shoulder before staring at Darius, who nods to him. ¡°Because it took all our power healing you,¡± Tobias says simply, and I look at Darius, who had an indecipherable expression on his face. ¡°Your back would have looked ten times worse than his and your legs. When we got to the house, the roof over your bedroom was partially copsed. You were trapped on the floor with a beam on you. We dragged you out just before the entire room caved in after we broke the wards that trapped you in there,¡± Darius said, finally speaking. ¡°Wards?¡± I asked a little confused. ¡°Yes, your room was sealed. You could get in but not back out; Tobias is burned because he used his body as a shield while I broke them,¡± Darius answered. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you heal him?¡± I asked. ¡°As Tobias said, we drained our power healing you. What we had left, we used to cloak you.¡± I pulled a face. He made no sense. ¡°That is also why we couldn¡¯t find you after your powers manifested. We cloaked you so well that we cloaked you from ourselves.¡± ¡°Why cloak me at all?¡± I asked. ¡°To hide you from the person or persons that tried to kill you, what I want to know though is why they tried, because the only logical reason is that you were my mate,¡± ¡°And mine,¡± Tobias adds. ¡°Why does it matter if I was your mate?¡± I deadpan nobody knew I was; I didn¡¯t even know I was. ¡°Exactly, Aleera, so ask yourself this: why would your parents try to kill you just to stop me from having you?¡± Darius asked. ¡°My parents didn¡¯t try to kill me, Darius. I remember them trying to get to me.¡± ¡°You remember hearing their voices? Tobias and I got to you pretty easily by opening a portal into your room. Getting you out? We couldn¡¯t open one, so again, Aleera, why would they try to kill you?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t. My parents loved me, Darius. I heard my father trying to smash through the floor to get to me, then you got there whenever you did and killed them, you probably started it,¡± I snap at him. ¡°I would try to kill my own keeper, hurt my mate?¡± he asks, nodding toward Tobias. I looked at him, and Tobias was watching me. ¡°Maybe you were only after my parents, then? You said it yourself. Our fathers hated each other.¡± ¡°For good reason, your parents aren¡¯t who you think they are, Aleera,¡± Darius snarls. Tears burn my eyes at his words. How could he say that? My parents loved me; I know they loved me. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. My life was fine before you came in and turned it upside down. My parents would never hurt me,¡± I answered firmly. ¡°And if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Tobias asks. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I tell him, and he shrugs. ¡°If that is what you want to believe,¡± Darius said. ¡°And if I was under a cloaking spell, then how did the authorities find me when my grandmother died?¡± I asked. ¡°Because you lived on one of my family¡¯s properties, that¡¯s why. I rang the school after she passed,¡± Tobias answered. ¡°Pardon?¡± what was he talking about now. ¡°The house you were taken to belonged to my family, the private school you went to, we paid for,¡± Tobias answers. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What are you talking about? The Fae Authorities picked me up?¡± ¡°They said they were Fae authorities, they weren¡¯t, they were wardens of the school, that school you went to, Darius and I paid for, your grandmother was broke, your parents took her for everything just before the fire, cleaned her out not long after we left. So we took her in when she agreed to care for you, ¡°Tobias said. ¡°Bullshit,¡± I tell them, and Darius growls before walking off into the closet and returning with a box. Darius dumps it at my feet and nods toward it. I rolled my eyes before removing the lid and finding papers. I pull them out. All of them had my school letterhead, my school photos were even there, and most of them were bills for the school fees, thousands and thousands of dors they had spent on putting me through school. All addressed to Darius and Tobias Wraith, my next of kin. ¡°Still think we are lying? We have no reason to lie to you, Aleera, so maybe stop lying to yourself,¡± Darius said before walking off. I dig through the box, pulling out my school files, everything from when I started, even some of my schoolwork. Rummaging through the bottom, I found my grandmother¡¯s locket, the only item I could bring with me when I was taken from her house, beside a photo album I had lost when I called o n them. It was in the bag I dropped. They wouldn¡¯t even let me take my clothes, said everything would be provided. I rub my fingers over the locket. It had a picture of her with my grandfather in it and a lock of his hair she cut off. ¡°You got this from my room,¡± I tell them. ¡°Yes, when we came looking for you,¡± Kalen says. I nod. ¡°I never knew,¡± I told Tobias, and he nodded when Darius spoke behind me. ¡°How could you, when you ran before we got there?¡± Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 52 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 52 Chapter 52 My entire body ached when I woke up the following day. Every part of me hurt, and I felt like I¡¯d been run over by a truck. It took all my strength to roll off the couch and onto the floor. It took some serious willpower to get to my feet and stagger into the bathroom. My legs couldn¡¯t even hold me upright in the shower; the best I could do was sit on the floor. Though the warmth helped loosen up my aching muscles. When I was finished, I forced myself up and grabbed a towel, only to groan when I recognized my mistake and forgot to bring clothes in with me. I looked at my now damp walked-on pajamas on the bathroom floor, picked them up, tossed them i n the hamper, and moved to the bedroom door. Poking my head out the door, Tobias was nowhere to be seen and probably setting up for the early morning ss he had since today was only a half-day. Lycus was not in the room, and I figured he went for a run. However, Darius was still in bed next to Kalen. Tiptoeing out, I tried not to wake them as I rummaged through the drawers for some clothes. Usually, my clothes were waiting on the end of the couch, so I had no idea where they kept them. No such luck this morning. Whoever usually got them out, hadn¡¯t this morning but looking at the clock, it was pretty early still. Movement on the bed made me look over my shoulder to find Darius spooning Kalen. They looked kind of cute snuggled together. My stomach twisted painfully, and I turned my gaze away when Kalen rolled into Darius, both of them moving and rearranging in the bed, and Darius groaned lewdly when Kalen kissed him in his sleep. Moving to the closet, I was about to give up and ask where they kept my clothes since they miraculously disappeared and reappeared when I felt warmth rush across m y back and heat the small walk-in closet up. Without even turning, I knew someone was behind me. I swallowed when Lycus¡¯s arm reached past me to the shelf overhead. He pulled some tights and tank top down before handing them to me. ¡°You¡¯re up early,¡± he whispered, and I nodded, feeling very caged in with him standing so close while also in the confines of the closet. I clutched them before turning around. I take a step back, bumping into the clothes hung up in here when I notice he is entirely naked. Stark naked, not a scrap of cloth-covered him. Lycus stood there watching me, and I tried to squeeze past him, but he stepped into my path. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I whispered, not liking how he was backing me into a corner, a literal corner, and a coat hanger dug into my shoulder. I gasped; what the heck did he want? It was too early in the morning for their little games. ¡°You might want to get changed in here,¡± Lycus smirked, and I raised an eyebrow at him. Like hell was I getting changed in here with him while he was naked. With a roll of my eyes shoved past him, I heard him chuckle. Walking out, I stopped dead in my tracks Darius and Kalen were in bed, Kalen had his mouth wrapped around Darius. A shriek nearly left my lips out of shock. I had been in here for weeks, and I had never witnessed them doing anything. A hand mped over my lips, and Lycus pulled me back against his naked body. ¡°Next time, you might listen,¡± Lycus whispered with a softugh, and my heartbeat was like a drum when I felt him dip his face into my neck, skimming his nose from the back of my ear and down neck and shoulder, his erection pressing against my lower back. His grip was tight, yet I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes from Darius and Kalen on the bed. Like I was stuck in some trance. ¡°You feel his power,¡± Lycus murmured against my skin. Goosebumps rose all over, and he was right. Darius¡¯s power oozed out, and Kalen was taking it. Darius groaned, his hand in Kalen¡¯s hair while he took Darius in his mouth. ¡°Darius may let you join him, but he would something in return,¡± Lycus purred, and it was like someone chucked ice water over me. I bumped backward into Lycus as I tried to get away stomping on his foot, and Darius¡¯ eyes opened and settled on me. One arm tucked behind his head, and he quirked an eyebrow at me before smiling. Lycus¡¯s hand moved from across my mouth, and I turned in Lycus¡¯s hold, wanting to dart back into the closet, only I smacked into his chest instead because the wall of a man refused to move and was blocking the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aleera?¡± Lycus chuckled, and I barged past him, and heughed while I became all hot and flustered. That stupid song, it¡¯s raining men suddenly came to mind, naked men, raining naked men, with penises, everywhere. ¡°I take it she doesn¡¯t want to join,¡± Lycus chuckled, and I red at his back as he walked away. Dariusughed at my embarrassment. I dressed quickly, even managed to put my shirt on inside out, and I was sure Lycus handed it to me in the right way. Flustered and wanting to escape the room, I yanked it off and pulled it back, then rushed out. My eyes automatically went to the bed, like how couldn¡¯t they? The bed was in the middle of the room, and I had to rush past it and there they were in all naked sex god glory. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. I gripped the door handle and twisted. The power in the room was making it harder to breathe, yet the door would not open. I knew who was behind it, who was preventing me from leaving ¡°Darius, please open it,¡± I whined, not wanting to turn back to face the bed. Lycus growled behind me, and I knew he was in bed with them now too. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 53 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 53 Chapter 53 The bond red, wanting to go to them. I wouldn¡¯t have the slightest idea what the heck my part would be in their orgy or what to with them. I needed escape before I embarrassed myself or Darius toyed with my bond and made me do something that would probably destroy any sense of hope I had left. ¡°Come here,¡± Darius said, and I shook my head. ¡°Leave her be, Darius,¡± Kalen whispered. ¡°Just shut up and suck my cock,¡± Darius snapped at him, and Kalen whimpered. Almost agonized, though, the sound was more like a moan. ¡°Aleera,¡± Darius purred, and I fisted my hands and gritted my teeth. Why does he have to fuck with my stupid bond? He would know this causes me pain. With a re stered on my face, I turned, and the noise that left me when I spotted them was embarrassing. Lycus kneeled behind Kalen before gripping his hips and pulling them air while Kalen wrapped his lips around Darius¡¯ cock. Darius smirked like he knew exactly the effect this was having on the bond. My feet moved, and I only just grabbed the dresser by the door to stop myself from climbing on the bed and begging Darius for his power. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Everything alright, Aleera?¡± Darius asked, and my nails ached from clutching the dresser. ¡°Fuck!¡± Darius groaned, and my eyes moved to the bed to find Darius¡¯ hand fisting Kalen¡¯s hair while he bobbed away. ¡°Darius, please,¡± I begged, my speech more like a damn pant a s arousal flooded me; I needed to get out of here. He growled but flicked his hand toward the door, and I heard it unlock. Darius wasn¡¯t even looking in my direction, too busy, lost in the euphoria of what Kalen was doing to him. Turning, I ripped open the door and dashed into the hall, mming the door shut behind me. The strange fog from his magic lifted, and I clutched my knees to catch my breath. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Tobias asked, touching my shoulder. I hadn¡¯t even heard hime into the hall, but when I looked up, he stood in front of me. Tobias¡¯ eyes flickered, and I knew I was flushed, the stupid bond overriding my brain again. Tobias took a step toward me before shaking himself, and his eyes went to the door I had juste out of. ¡°I need to go to breakfast,¡± I tell him, rushing past him even though the bond was trying to pull me back to the room. ******** My bond yed havoc all day; the cramping in my stomach worsened, their energy regenerated only made it worse in their presence during ss, and I felt sick. Darius was smug in every ss I had with him. He knew it was torture for me. I would not give him the satisfaction of me begging him, and I know that¡¯s what Darius wanted. No doubt he would be one of those that enjoyed another¡¯s difort; hell, he enjoyed mine. Though as the day dragged on, something was amiss, m y entire body was yearning, and since seeing them morning, it had only gotten worse. Going to the bathroom to change into my gym clothes, I rushed into a stall and locked the door. We had the obstacle course again this afternoon. Taking my clothes off, I removed my pants and gasped. Fuck! The shredding, I had forgotten entirely about the shredding as I looked down at my panties. I was spotting which wasn¡¯t a good sign. Being the only girl here, I hadpletely forgotten about it and the fact I had never actually gone through it in the 6 years, careful to always make sure I had my herbs that prevented it. Horror washed over me. Keeper woman went through a faze, shredding every 6 months, where we shredded all our power in a day. It was like what humans would call a period only vastly different, seeing as Fae don¡¯t menstruate, though we have our own version of shredding, and it only happened to keeper women. We would bleed for a day and then the next three days we power-shred. There was just one issue, I had no power to shred, and I knew i t wasn¡¯t obtainable, nor could I afford for myself to go through it. Shredding is when most bond power is shared, during a shredding, you could power your mates with enough power tost until the next one, only making them more powerful, while I would be at my most vulnerable. Yanking my pants up, I knew I had roughly a week to find some devil¡¯s bane. I needed the damn root. It would stop it, yet if I asked for that around here, it would get me some curious questions seeing as it was poisonous to demons, And Darius finding out could be lethal. Debating whether to ask Tobias or Kalen for it before shoving that idea away, they would want to know why I tried to stop it. There was no way Darius would give me power or allow the others to provide me with energy. While shredding, keepers are at their most potent, our magic at its strongest though also at our weakest because we would literally be throwing off power to our mates. I could not even imagine that horror had I had power. That exined the agony I had been in this morning, though shredding itselfsted a day. I knew that because I had been holding mine off for 6 years, I could not afford to lose my power without anything to replenish it. So I knew this would b e hell. One, because I had no power to shred, two, because they may find out what I am if I did. I had never gone through it to know if I could even mask my white Fae side. The sun beat down on my skin as I stepped outside. The sun was blistering, and I looked around the acreage of this ce surrounded by forest, and I knew there would be devil-bane in that forest. It was just a matter of finding it. Chewing my lip, I walked out going to the obstacle course; I internally groaned when I saw Darius was taking over Tobias¡¯s ss today. He made me run track. As the sun started going down, the whistle blew, and he called everyone inside as a storm was fast approaching. I sighed, excited to rest as I watched everyone head in. Zac walked over to Darius, talking as they walked back toward the castle like good friends and I red in their direction. Giving the forest a longing look, I turned to head in when I noticed Darius was gone, along with Zac. What I would give to be able to move so quickly, mist where I wanted. But no, I had t o walk. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 54 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 54 Chapter 54 The next day was no better. Only now I knew it was approaching, I had to think of away to sneak into the forest. Darius seemed hellbent on torturing me, which wasn¡¯t helping. Once again, I woke to them fucking. I had grabbed a sandwich for lunch today and walked outside needing some air. Lycus threat seemed to be working as long as I had food in my hand, no one came near me, and I was free to roam. Sitting on the bench outside in the warm sun, I stared at the forest before peeking around. Everyone was distracted eating lunch, and no doubt my mates would all be eating together. They always did in the room while I was stuck in the mess hall. Getting up, I was about to head inside when I realized this was my chance. I had an hour before lunch finished, and I could be i n and back before they noticed, ncing at the roof I wished I could get Ryze to get it for me but it was also poisonous to him. Poisonous to everyone more so, Demons it was lethal. The root is what I needed and I hoped I had time to dry it out. I beeline for the forest by giving a quick nce at the castle doors and seeing no one. Continuing on until the trees covered me. Catching my breath, I hunted for this damn nt. Searching beneath all the trees and brushing back ferns. Scouring the ground for any sign of this purple and pink budded nt. Climbing the small hill I moved further through the forest. I had no idea how long I had been out here scouring, bing obsessed with the damn task. Just on the crest of a slight incline among the trees, I saw it. Excitement bubbled up in me, and I mbered, slipping as I climbed the steep incline. I went t o wrap my hands around the stalk when someone grabbed the back of my shirt, sending me flying My back arched as I smashed into the dirt next to the tree I was just tossed against. I groaned, back arched as I rubbed the spot. The air knocked from my lungs when I heard a thunderous growl, and my eyes opened. In a daze, I saw Darius reaching for me, and I lurched to my feet out of pure adrenaline. ¡°I fucking warned you about trying to escape,¡± he bellowed as I mbered up the incline, trying to get to the nt. Fuck it, he looked livid; I would have to show him. His wrath couldn¡¯t be worse than it is now, I thought trying to grab the damn nt. ¡°No, the nt,¡± I blurted when he grabbed my ankles, ripping me back down, my head bounced off the ground and the rock I smashed it on making me see ck for a few seconds. I wed at the earth, screaming as I tried to get to the devil¡¯s bane. ¡°No, listen, I need the devil¡¯s bane, just the root,¡± I screamed, as he dragged me back toward him. Only realizing how bad that sounded after I said it. Admitting to needing something so poisonous to demons, it could kill them. ¡°Darius!¡± I screamed as he flipped me by my hips onto my back. My hand whipped out and pped him hard across the face. He seemed shocked; I kicked away from him, scrambling up the incline. I felt his hand in my hair only secondster. ¡°The shre-¡± 1 ¡°Enough, shut up. I am done with your lies,¡± he snarled, jerking me back by my hair. I clutched his hands and tried to exin, but my lips wouldn¡¯t open. Spelled shut the moment h e told me to shut up. Tears trekked down my face as he dragged me kicking and screaming from the forest before I felt his magic erupt as he opened a portal. I felt the feel of the suction before I found myself in my old room. Darius tossed me on the bed by my hair, and I felt the strands rip free painfully from my scalp. My scream was mute, I felt i t vibrate out of me, but no sound left my lips. I nearly rolled off the bed, and the door burst open as Tobias and Kalen stepped in. ¡°Get out, you don¡¯t go near her, you don¡¯t fucking look at her, you don¡¯t speak to her,¡± Darius roared as he turned, ring at Kalen, who stared in horror at what he was witnessing. Blood trickled down the side of my head, and I touched my fingers to it, wondering what I had hit itoR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only n. ¡°What happened? What did she do?¡± Tobias asked while Kalen was forced out of the room by Darius¡¯ command. ¡°She tried to escape,¡± Darius sneered, and I shook my head and tried to exin; the words never left me. Darius had taken my ability to talk. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t,¡± Tobias defended me. ¡°She was nearly on the fucking road,¡± Darius snarled. Road? I was near the road. I was sure I hadn¡¯t wandered that far in, but I wasn¡¯t paying much attention. ¡°Aleera?¡± I shook my head and tried to tell Tobias I wasn¡¯t, trying to exin, knowing he could tell I was speaking the truth. ¡°Let her speak,¡± Tobias snapped at him. ¡°She was by the fucking road, Tobias. What else would she be doing so far out? You can tell if I am lying, and I don¡¯t fucking lie,¡± Darius snarls at him, and Tobias watches him before his eyes fall on me. ¡°Why? Everything was going fine, Aleera,¡± Tobias snapped and stormed out, leaving me with Darius. ¡°You always ruin everything,¡± Darius snarls walking toward me and I flinched away from his burning rage but he grabbed the front of my shirt and jerked me forward before fishing my tablet from the back of my pants held by my belt. I reached for it but he pulled it away. 2 Tears trailed down my cheeks as he stripped me of everything, only leaving me with a sheet and my bra and undies, he took my tablet, my freedom and my voice. He took everything. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 55 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Kalen POV I wanted to go to her, but Tobias red at me from where I sat on the bed. Lycus also stood before me, arms folded over his chest as we waited for Darius to return. When the door opened, my eyes darted over to it, and Darius stepped into the room. His aura was burning hot, threatening to set the room alight. My mouth opened, and I wanted to ask if he hurt her, but I quickly stopped myself with one re from Lycus. Darius removes his shirt before undoing his pants and chucking them in theundry basket by the door. ¡°Kalen, I can feel your burning curiosity. I didn¡¯t hurt her,¡± Darius says, not that he sounded happy about it. I knew he had reason to hate her, but I wanted to understand. She seemed so excited for years when I spoke to her about finding her mates. Then once she manifested, she ran, and I don¡¯t believe it was only because Darius apparently killed her parents. If only she knew the army that Darius was building was not to take over the rest of the world but to protect her, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have run. I wanted to know why she ran. There had to b e another reason. She had to have another reason, but instead of letting her exin, they wanted revenge for things she was unaware she had done. 2. Darius ced her tablet down on the bed, and I red at him. ¡°What the fuck, Darius?¡± I snarled at him before snatching it off the bed. ¡°She can earn it back, along with the rest of her possessions,¡± he said. ¡°The rest of her stuff?¡± I demanded to know, but he clucked his tongue at my outrage, and I saw his eyes flicker. He could be such a possessive asshole, and I knew half his issue was because he was jealous. I could fucking feel his and Lycus¡¯s jealousy.N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. However, looking over at Tobias, he was livid. He and Aleera had been getting on well, and with one incident, he was back to being a prick. ¡°What, that¡¯s it? You won¡¯t say anything at all?¡± I asked Tobias, and he sat back in his chair and folded his arms, looking directly at me. ¡°Darius told the truth; I would know if he lied.¡± ¡°His version of the truth. Did you ask her?¡± Tobias chewed his lip and looked at Darius, who growled, and I felt the pang of hurt flit through the bond that we wouldn¡¯t believe him. Tobias, also feeling it, looked at me and said. ¡°I trust our mate,¡± Tobias said, his faith in Darius was beginning to annoy me. ¡°Aleera is our mate,¡± I tell him, and he res at the burning fire in the firece. ¡°And she tried to run, Kalen,¡± Lycus said,ing over to me and wrapping his arms around m y waist. I shoved him off, and he whimpered. ¡°No, let go. I am sick of you all using the bond against me. I am not just some fuck toy, and Aleera is also mine,¡± I argued when I was Champ suddenly airborne. Darius grabbed me, mmed me down on the bed, and I struggled under his grip; I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me, he never did, but he didn¡¯t like being spoken back to either. ¡°She isn¡¯t our mate; we are all mates. We don¡¯t need her,¡± Darius snarled. I red at him, and h e pressed his weight down on me. His erection dug into my stomach. He always liked it when w e fought him, always enjoyed forcing us to submit to him. But not when it came to Aleera. I would fight for her as much as possible anyway; the stupid bond and Darius havingplete control, making us solely dependent on him, made that challenging because none of us were strong enough to fight off his orders. ¡°You will stay away; you remain with one of us at all times,¡± Darius murmured, nipping at my ear, and I groaned and growled, trying to shove him off. ¡°Stop, I don¡¯t want to fuck,¡± I snapped at him, but he ignored me. Instead, he tugs at my belt before wrapping his hand around my cock and squeezing. ¡°You don¡¯t want me?¡± Darius questioned as he flooded the bond with arousal, making my dick harden in his hand. His power rushed out addictively, forcing me to submit to get a taste of it. One thing I hated about the bond, the one who handled the power, had all control and half the reason we have the issues we do with Aleera; I knew that. Darius probably even knew that. Yet a s the fog settled, we all became ves to the bond, to our keeper, to Darius. Like pigeons flocking, they were drawn to him and the bed, and, despite hating him at this moment, I rolled over at his demand. 1 ¡°You won¡¯t disobey me, will you, Kalen? You will stay away from her until I say otherwise?¡± Darius purred while stroking my length. I gritted my teeth, trying to fight against his will and the hold he had on me. Yet I would not win against him, and as the pain of denying the bond grew, I gave in. ¡°Good boy,¡± Darius purred before sucking on my neck and making me moan and push back against him. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 56 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Aleera POV The next morning, I awoke cold; Darius walked into the room and tossed some clothes at me.¡± Get dressed and get to ss,¡± he snapped. I looked at the clothes on the bed and scrambled for them, snatching them and chucking them on. Anything for the extra warmth they would provide. I was just thankful he wouldn¡¯t make me go to ss in my bra undies. Darius stood in the doorway, watching as I got changed. He growled when I took too long, and I looked down at my feet, which were still bare. Great, back to no shoes again, thought. At least I had pants and a blouse. ¡°You try to run, you try to speak to anyone; I will retake your voice,¡± he said before waving his hand and giving me my voice back. Warmth tickled my throat, and I went to exin I wasn¡¯t running. The moment my lips moved, he gripped my throat. ¡°That means speaking to me too; I don¡¯t want to hear it. Now get to fucking ss,¡± Darius sneered before turning on his heel and leaving me. I swallowed and walked down to breakfast, hoping that Tobias would feed Ryze. Worrying about him kept me up most of the night, and I wondered if Ryze caught his own dinnerst night when I didn¡¯te up to see him. I made m y way to the mess hall. The moment I stepped in, all eyes went to me. I grabbed a sandwich and moved to an empty table. Something felt off this morning. I didn¡¯t know what, but something felt different as I nced around the crowded room. Leering eyes watched me from where I sat alone in the mess hall. M y usual spot was taken, preferring to be closest to the exit where I mainly remained unnoticed. Closer to the door was safest because it gave me an escape route. Their sleazy gazes had me on edge as they watched me hungrily. I hated this ce. There were no other women here. Most of all, I hated being the subject they loved to torment. All made worse by the fact I am powerless to stop them. The surrounding chatter quieted down and made me quickly nce around before I ducked my head when I noticed them. Darius had entered the room with my other three mates. They walked to the back of the room and took seats at the back, which I thought was a little odd; I rarely saw them here. It appeared they had something to talk about with their recruits because Darius spoke about some crap I showed no interest in knowing. Keeping my head down, I ate quickly, wanting nothing more than to get the hell out of here and also worried if Kalen tried t o speak to me, I would be forced to ignore him or lose my voice if I tried. However, the moment I stood up and went to chuck my rubbish in the bin, my muscles spasmed, my feet faltered as I tried to take a step away from the table, and my entire body locked up with one command. ¡°Aleera, freeze,¡± came a voice. I recognized the voice instantly and dreaded what he would do this time. My entire body stopped at themand. I couldn¡¯t move an inch, and everyone erupted withughter. Oh, how I tried, but I couldn¡¯t so much as wiggle a toe. What were these savage men going to subject me to this time. They never usually went this far. Usually, they tormented m e, chased me, hurt me. However, this was the first time they usedpulsion on me, and it felt wrong as every muscle in my body tensed. My eyes went to my mates at the back; Darius, Tobias, and Lycus watched from the far table. They were always happy to witness my suffering. Kalen, however, nced around the room before he looked at me and dropped his head. My stomach dropped when Zac got up from his seat. My lungs constricted at the cruel smirk stered on his face. Zac sauntered over to me before he stopped in front of me. His eyes hungrily looked me over from head to toe. Zac was the worst out of all the recruits I havee across here. The vile bastard had no boundaries. He was usually behind my worst degradation. Zac walked around me slowly and plucked the sandwich wrapper from my fingers while I remained unmoving. ¡°Stand up straight,¡± he ordered, and I gritted my teeth. My forced body did asmanded as Zac¡¯s cold magic caressed over me. A violent shudder ran through me in repulsion as I tried to fight against themand, but it was pointless. I was a puppet on strings, and he was the puppet master at this moment. ¡°Nothing to say, Aleera?¡± he chuckled, and the entire room erupted withughter. Except for my mates that watched from the back with expressionless faces. ¡°Nothing I say will stop you. Did you want me to beg? Beg for you not to do whatever vile thing it is you intend to do?¡± I spat at him, knowing I would probably lose my voice for speaking Being trapped in this ce, I learned quickly not to beg. It just made the torment worse when I did. They didn¡¯t care that I was female; they didn¡¯t care I was powerless. All they cared about was the control they had over me. ¡°You¡¯re right. It wouldn¡¯t stop me; the guys and I want you to put on a show for us,¡± Zac said i n an amused tone. I nced around the room to find the men all were leaning forward eagerly; one even winked at me while another licked his lips. My eyes darted to the table where my mates sat. Not a scrap of emotion was shown on their faces for what I was about to endure. They would not help me, not that I expected them to. They never did. If they just told them who I was to them, if their soldiers only knew. I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with this shit daily. However, I knew they would deny it if I spoke up. Darius had threatened to kill me if I told anyone here who I was to them. So I had kept my mouth shut. They hated me, and the feeling was mutual. Yet, I couldn¡¯t bear to see them hurt, s o how could they watch my humiliation with no expression at all? My eyes went back to Zac, who looked me up and down. Was he going to make me dance? What did he mean by a show? I was already on disy. How much worse can it get? ¡°You could always say no?¡± Zac teased before he scoffed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you can¡¯t. Poor helpless Aleera, always so easily influenced, so easily overpowered, must truly suck being the weakest form of Fae,¡± He mocked. His demonic eves ran the length of me in a sleazy, obscene way. His gaze stopped at my breasts, and I felt my stomach drop somewhere deep and cold within me. I knew what he was going to say before he said it. Prayed, I was mistaken, but his following words confirmed my thoughts. ¡°Strip, Aleera,¡± Zac said, his voiceing out like a purr. I blinked at him, tried to fight hispulsion with everything in me, even though I knew it was pointless. My eyes burned as tears threatened to spill, and my hands shook as I tried to resist doing what he asked. ¡°All of it, I want to see youpletely bare¡± My fingers forcibly undo the buttons on my ck blouse. My breathing became harsher as I tried to resist hispulsion. A sob tore from my lips that sounded more like a whimper. My vision blurred as my top fell open and revealed my ck bra. Zac gripped my shirt and yanked it, my shirt tearing painfully from my body under the force he used. My scars were on disy for everyone to see. The worst was the burn that went from my shoulder to my hip. The men watching hollered and whistled, and some even poked fun at my burned, scar ravaged skin. Was this high school? Were they truly this immature? Fully grown men, and they were all subjecting me to this. Worst of all, my mates just watched. Although I noticed Kalen looked away when my eyes fell on him; he almost appeared to look guilty, like he wanted to step in and stop it. My fingers were still working to undo the buttons and zip on my ck cks. My eyes stung from the tears that brimmed and spilled over as I bent over to remove my pants. ¡°Please stop,¡± I choked out as I stood upright. How could they all be so cruel? ¡°All of it,¡± Zacmanded again. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. My entire body shook at hismand, my cheeks burned with the humiliation, tears ran down my cheeks and dripped off my chin, and I could hear them all talking andughing. My bottom lip trembled as my hands reached behind my back and fumbled with the sp of m y bra. A huped sob left me as it unclipped. I couldn¡¯t handle it, so I clenched my eyes shut so I didn¡¯t see their faces watching me. I hoped it was stuck, but of course, it woulde undone easily and expose me more. Zac¡¯s hand ran down my arm from my shoulder to my elbow as he pulled the strap of my bra down. My eyes flew open at his touch, his other hand moved to my hip, and I felt the bile rise i n my throat. The feel of his hands on me disgusted me. I wondered how far he would take this. Looking over at my mates, Kalen got up and walked out along with Lycus. Darius and Tobias, however, were enjoying my torment. ¡°Hurry, Aleera, take it off, take it all off,¡± Zac purred, as he tugged my bra strap off my other shoulder. I stared at Darius. Is this what he wanted? Was this still not humiliating enough? His eyes darkened when Zac ran his hand up my side before grabbing my breast roughly. He twisted my nipple painfully, making me cry out, and I felt more tears spill over as my bra fell away. The room erupted with whistles and vulgar taunts. Darius and Tobias could stop this, and I pleaded with my eyes for them to step in, just this once, and not subject me to this. My hands shook violently as they reached for my panties. It was thest article of clothing I had left, the one ce left untouched. My fingers gripped them, and I closed my eyes and went to tug them down. When something wet sttered on my face and skin. The sound was so sickening it made my eyes fly open to see blood drops on the floor before blood pooled around my feet. Zac¡¯smand was suddenly gone, and I felt the weight of it lift when arms wrapped around me, crushing me against a warm chest. My entire body shook, and the ce fell silent. Tobias¡¯s scent wafted to my nose, and a choked sob left me; I hated them, fucking hated them, but his body was the only thing shielding me from the watchful eyes of everyone else. The thunderous growl that echoed around the room made me whimper. When suddenly all the windows exploded with Darius¡¯s rage, the st sent shards of ss everywhere before I heard more sickening tearing sounds, blood washed over my toes, and I heard popping sounds followed by screams. Blood spatter hit me from everywhere, coating me in blood, and Tobias was murmuring something, but I couldn¡¯t understand anything until Darius¡¯s voice boomed through the room. His words left no room for debate or argument and I shook as publicly imed me. ¡°Nobody touches our fucking mate,¡± He snarled. The collective gasp from those present was audible. My toes squelched in the blood, and I looked down and could see Zac¡¯s body by my feet. The room cleared quickly, the screech of chairs was loud as everyone took off and ran out. ¡°Get her back to her room while I clean this up,¡± Darius snapped at Tobias, who turned to steer me toward the portal Darius opened. Bile rose in my throat when I saw blood covering the walls and ceiling, blood everywhere along with limbs. Zac was dead, and his entire group of friends, the man that licked his lips at me also dead, a few I recognized that catcalled and whistled also blown to shreds, their limbs lying everywhere like they suddenly exploded, while Zac¡¯s body was in pieces. His hands were removed, his head was almost severed offpletely, hanging beside his body, and a holey i n the center of his chest. Tobias pushed me through the portal which led to my room. The moment I was in my room, I smacked into Tobias. ¡°You just let them, you just let them do it!¡± I screamed, smacking and punching him. Tobias whimpered, and my fist connected with his face. Tobias tried to restrain me, but I wouldn¡¯t stop. I hated them, hated them, they all just watched. Tobias became angry, pushed me back before walking back through the portal and disappearing as it closed. As soon as it did, my knees gave out beneath and turned into a sobbing mess as my knees hit the floor. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 57 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Aleera POV My stomach twisted, yet I weed the pain, anything to stop the memory of them allughing, anything to stop the sight of my mates just watching. Darius had brought food in earlier and set it down. I just stared ahead; I had no appetite, no will to do anything. Darius lingered, and I remained where I sat; I hadn¡¯t moved from the spot since, even though it was now dark and entire day had passed by. ¡°You should shower,¡± Darius said. Silence was all he earned in response; I didn¡¯t even acknowledge his existence. I didn¡¯t care if Darius killed them. He still watched what they did and only interfered in the end; he still allowed them to get to the point they got to. They still allowed them to humiliate me. I heard the door lock when he left. If he said anything else, I didn¡¯t hear him. Eventually, I got up and showered. The blood coating me made me itchy as it dried. I was numb to everything; I couldn¡¯t even feel the water beating down on my skin. It offered no warmth. Getting out, I walked back to my room, only t o hear the bathroom door lock a few momentster when one of them showered. I looked for clothes only to remember Darius emptied my room out of everything and everything was in their room. The only thing left was a fresh pair of underwear and a sports bra from the clothes he gave me this morning. Which were for tonight; the punishments never end. I slipped them on before climbing into bed. All night I shivered, freezing cold from only having a sheet, my teeth chattering after the fire had gone out earlier during the night. I only had woken up when I heard the cawing sound of m y Pheonix making me jolt upright. I rushed toward the window, trying to shove it open, but the damn thing was stuck, and I saw him fly to the window next door. He had done it before, but Tobias luckily shooed him off before Darius spotted him, and I wondered if Tobias fed him for me. The fact he was at the window, I doubted he had. I tapped o n mine, trying to get his attention and divert him away from their window. Panic seized me, and I banged louder. I knew they were all in their fucking earlier by the power that emanated from the room and seeped under the bathroom door, and I could also hear the shower running in the bathroom. It was only momentster that I heard the ss shatter, and my eyes flew wide as Ryze, looking for me, barged through and broke their window. I hit the door so hard that I nearly knocked myself out in my panic. The shower cut off, and I started pounding on the door, praying they would open it. I could hear Ryze screeching, hear Darius¡¯s angry voice and Lycus yelling, and things being smashed. My heart sank, and tears blurred my vision. When the bathroom door finally opened, I burst through, nearly slipping on the wet tiles. I didn¡¯t know who I barged past because all I cared about at that moment was getting to Ryze, who was squawking loudly. Bursting through into their room, everything was getting knocked over as Ryze pped around trying to avoid Darius¡¯s magic as he tossed it at him, but he had n o escape. ¡°Shit!¡± Tobias hissed behind me, barreling into the room as Darius sted him and I screamed. The sound was blood-curdling, and Darius scooped him up by his neck only for him to p his wings frantically, Ryze turned his head totch onto his hand. Darius growled and let go. Ryze pped his wings frantically, trying to escape, when I saw Darius lift his hand, stunning him in the air. My body crashed against Darius as I tackled him, and we both hit the ground. Inded on top of him before turning to look for my phoenix. Lycus grabbed Ryze, who was stunned, holding him by his neck. Tobias rushed over, grabbing Ryze from Lycus, who looked happy to be rid of him. I let out a breath and got to my feet, and rushed toward Ryze in Tobias¡¯s arms as he moved toward the window. I ran over, and Tobias looked at me before his eyes went behind me. Within seconds, I was ripped backward by my hair and dropped on my ass at Darius¡¯ feet. 2 ¡°Fucking kill it and be done with it. Fucking thing broke the window,¡± Darius snarled, and I screamed at the thought, trying to get up only for Darius to growl at me. Tobias looked torn and clenched his jaw. ¡°What the fuck are you doing in here?¡± Darius snapped at me before wiping his mouth where my forehead connected when I tackled him. Blood trickled down his chin and my eyes went to Lycus and Kalen, who stood around looking stunned by the situation. Or maybe they feared my phoenix; I wasn¡¯t sure. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°No, he¡¯s mine,¡± I yelled. ¡°Kill it,¡± Darius said dismissively, and I wondered if he heard what I said. ¡°No, Tobias, don¡¯t do it,¡± I begged. Darius jerked my head back painfully. My neck craned so far back I actually fell back against his legs. Darius snarls and lets me go. Ryze shrieks again and starts pping, ruffling out his feathers and using his beak to climb up onto Tobias¡¯s shoulder. Tobias froze while Lycus gasped as Ryze fluffed out his feathers and puffed before ring at Darius. Tobias, too petrified to move, made a strangled noise as Ryze started grooming his beak through his wet hair. I tried to get up to go to him when Darius jerked me down by my shoulders, and Ryze lost it; he flew off Tobias¡¯s shoulder and started attacking Darius, wing at him and snapping his sharp beak at him. Tearing him to pieces up with his talons. Tobias, shaking himself out of the stupor, rushed toward Darius as he flung his magic blindly, and Tobias was sted back. Sticking my fingers in my mouth, I whistled, and Ryze stopped, flying back to me and settling on my shoulder. His talons dug into my shoulder, piercing my soft skin as I tried to calm him while Darius got up, his chest and shoulders bleeding and torn to shreds, and I rushed toward the window to toss Ryze out, only Dariusmanded me, and my feet halted. I choked on a sob, and my eyes went to Tobias near the window. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 58 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 58 Chapter 58 ¡°Please. Tobias.¡± I cried when I couldn¡¯t move my body, he looked torn and his chewed his lin. his eyes went to Ryze. ¡°Please,¡± I begged, tears trekking down my face, and I saw his lip quiver before his eyes went t o Darius behind me. ¡°Turn around, and someone better fucking exin why that thing just attacked me,¡± Darius snarled behind me. My feet obeyed hismand, and the moment I turned, Darius stalked toward me, reaching for Ryze. Just as he went to snatch him, Tobias grabbed him first, earning a re from Darius. Ryze screeched as Tobias plucked him off my shoulder, holding him as if he was an oversized chicken, his talons ripping from my skin painfully. ¡°Kill it,¡± Darius sneered. ¡°No, please,¡± I sobbed. My knees gave way beneath me, and I fell at his feet. He tilted his head t o the side, looking between Ryze and me before his eyes went to Tobias, who turned his head away from Darius¡¯s re. Lycus and Kalen remained still, their eyes not leaving Ryze like they were petrified to move if he attacked. Though he had no magic yet, but was still deadly, especially with how big he had grown in a few weeks. ¡°It¡¯s a phoenix, Aleera. They are fucking dangerous,¡± Darius spat at me. ¡°He is hers; she has been looking after him,¡± Tobias blurted, and Darius¡¯s eyes flickered toward him. He looked at Tobias, and Darius¡¯ eyes turned demonic. ¡°What, and you knew?¡± Darius asked, looking at Ryze, still clutched in his hand. Tobias sighed and nodded. ¡°His name is Ryze; Aleera found him injured and nursed him back to health; I knew you would kill him, so I never told you; it¡¯s also why she fainted, Darius. She was sharing her food with him,¡± Lycus scoffed, and everyone¡¯s eyes went to him while I sat helpless on the floor. ¡°What?¡± Darius asked him. ¡°No wonder she fucking fainted when she was only eating one meal a day,¡± Lycus said from behind Darius. ¡°Bullshit,¡± Darius snarled, and Lycus shrugged. I have seen them down there, so how would h e know? 1 ¡°I had to go sit with her the other day. They weren¡¯t letting her eat. I also spoke to one cook; h e said she only snuck in just as the doors opened to steal food but never went to lunch or dinner, hadn¡¯t until I told them toy-off her,¡± Lycus snapped at Darius. I dropped my gaze to the floor; the way he said it, I sounded like a thief. Shame washed over me. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to fucking say anything?¡± Darius snapped at me, gripping my face and forcing me to look at him. I opened my mouth before closing it. There was no point defending myself, not against him. I didn¡¯t care what he did to me as long as he left Ryze alone. Ryze squawked, and Tobias set him on the floor; Ryze moved, hopped, and jumped toward me before stopping and hissing at Darius, who stepped back from him as Ryze curled up in myp. ¡°You let it bond to her?¡± Darius snarled and Ryze hissed at him. Lycus and Kalen moved further away from him in myp, and I stroked his feathers, calming him. ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Lycus gasped, and I went to say because I found him hurt, but Tobias stepped in. ¡°He was nearly dead when she found him. She said he tried to bite her but then got used to her. Somehow he bonded to her,¡± Tobias exined. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to fucking say anything?¡± Darius snarled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let you kill it,¡± Tobias snapped back at him. ¡°Is this where you two have been sneaking off to every day? To feed that?¡± Darius growled, pointing to Ryze. Neither of us answered, and Darius snarled. ¡°Well, she can¡¯t keep it. What happens when it awakens?¡± Darius said, raising his hand, and m y eyes widened. ¡°No,¡± I yelled, covering Ryze with my body. Darius¡¯s feet stopped next to me before my head was jerked back. Ryze hissed and tried to bite him. I held him tighter, knowing Darius would kill him if he did. 1 ¡°I will do whatever you want; just don¡¯t hurt him,¡± I blurted out unthinkingly.Darius tilted his head, observing my face. ¡°Anything?¡± he asked, and I nodded, clutching Ryze, refusing to let him go as he hissed at Darius, who still had a hold of my hair. He shoved me forward, and I let out a breath. 1 Ryze cawed softly, rubbing his face and beak across my chest, making me remember I wasn¡¯t even clothed as I looked down to see I only had my bra and panties on. Goosebumps covered m y skin, and I looked at everyone, all of them staring at Darius before my eyes went to him, too. ¡°If I let you keep it, you will do what I ask?¡± I chewed the inside of my lip and saw Tobias shake his head. He scrubs a hand down his face. ¡°Darius, no! You have done enough damage today, don¡¯t you think?¡± Tobias snarled like he knew what Darius would ask. I just stared at him, wondering what it was he wanted. 1 ¡°Yes or no, Aleera, you do as I ask, or I kill your pet,¡± Darius snapped, and I looked at Ryze. His tongue slivered out and licked my chin, and I looked at Darius, sniffled but nodded my head. I ¡°Fuck sake, Darius,¡± Tobias snapped. ¡°Shut up! It¡¯s her choice. She could say no, and I kill it, or say yes, I will let her keep it.¡± ¡°Until you want something else from her,¡± Tobias snarled. ¡°He bites me or tries to attack me. I will kill him, go put him somewhere,¡± Darius snapped at m e, and I got up and went to rush to my room when he called out again. ¡°In here, he stays, but h e moves to hurt me. He dies,¡± Darius says, and I froze, wondering why he kept saying that before looking for a spot to put him. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 59 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 59 Chapter 59 I looked at the open window and swept the ss off before cing him on it. His talons dug into the wood, and the ss crunched under his weight. He didn¡¯t fly off. I was hoping he would, but he remained. Tobias cursed under his breath, and I looked to Lycus and Kalen, but Kalen had a strange look on his face like he was dazed. 1 ¡°Kalen won¡¯te to your aid, Aleera; he can¡¯t. He can speak, but he won¡¯t help.¡± Tears brimmed in Kalen¡¯s eyes, and that exined why he kind of just moved around wherever Lycus pulled him. Making me wonder what happened to him after the mess hall incident. ¡°Come here,¡± Darius said, and I rubbed my arms against the draft, trying to cover my exposed skin. I hesitantly moved toward Darius, who smirked. ¡°You said anything,¡± he chuckled darkly, and my stomach dropped, wondering what he wanted me to do. My eyes roamed over his scratched-up torso. He only had on shorts, and I nervously looked at Tobias, who couldn¡¯t even meet my gaze. I gulped, and Ryze shrieked and stared at me. ¡°You carry on, and that thing attacks,¡± Darius said, and I nodded. I stopped in front of him, and Lycus looked away. Kalen dropped his head i n his hands. ¡°Shut it, Kalen,¡± Darius snapped at him, which only made me more nervous when I saw Kalen¡¯s shoulder shake as if he was crying. What the fuck have I just agreed to? ¡°Wasn¡¯t earlier fucking punishment enough, Darius?¡± Lycus snarled. ¡°I told you earlier I had nothing to do with that,¡± Darius snapped at him. It became clear why Kalen was silent. They must have argued with Darius over the incident in the mess hall. Darius had warned him away again, because the look on his face was helplessness. ¡°On your knees,¡± Darius said, and I looked at him. ¡°What?¡± I blurted in shock. ¡°You want your bird to live, get on your knees,¡± he said, slowly, and he pointed at his feet and I looked down before noticing his raging hard-on. I gasped and took a step back. Darius raised his hand and pointed at Ryze. No matter what he forced me to endure, it was never enough. Tears brimmed in my eyes, and I knew what he wanted, and it sickened me he would ask for that after earlier. Wasn¡¯t that enough humiliation for one day? 1 A sob left my lips as I dropped to my knees in front of him. Ryze shrieked, and I looked over at him, trying to shush him. He cawed before tucking his head under his wing and I let out a breath before looking up at Darius. 1 ¡°Suck it,¡± Darius said, looking down at me. I pressed my lips in a line, and I couldn¡¯t help the tears that spilled over, but I remained quiet because I knew if I made a noise, Ryze would attack him. I swallowed and looked at him, horrified, and he raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°Darius? ¡± Lycus hissed at him, and Darius growled. ¡°What will it be, Aleera?¡± Darius asked, and I held back a whimper. My hands shook terribly as I reached for his shorts. My cheeks heated as embarrassment washed over me as I gripped the waistband of his shorts. ¡°Darius!¡± Tobias snapped as my tears dripped off my chin and onto my knees. ¡°No teeth,¡± Darius mocked me. 3 I tugged his shorts down to his thighs before dropping my gaze, trying to will myself to put his thing in my mouth. I could barely see through my tears as I looked back at him. There was n o denying that he was huge. ¡°Haven¡¯t got all day, Aleera,¡± he said, leaning down and grabbing my hand. I whimpered when he forced my hand to grab his cock. 1 ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Hurry up. Don¡¯t make out you haven¡¯t done it before; I know what a fucking whore you are,¡± he snarled, and I shook my head, and he growled, making me flinch. 3 ¡°Three seconds or bye-bye, birdie,¡± Darius taunted when I heard a thump, making me jump and look in Tobias¡¯s direction to see his fist through the wall. He hissed, yanking it out, and I noticed Ryze watching him before he fluffed out his feather and tucked his head again, only this time peering into the room like an owl watching. Darius thrust into my hand. I nearly let g o at the feel, only he grabbed my hand before I could. ¡°Choose, Aleera,¡± Darius snapped at me. I¡¯m doing it for Ryze; I had to do this, I reminded myself even though I didn¡¯t have the slightest clue as to what to do besides putting it in my mouth. My gaze went back to his cock and I nearly gagged just at looking at the size of it. I swallowed before leaning forward on my knees and opening my mouth. Cringing at what I about to do. ¡°She¡¯s a fucking virgin, you fucking prick,¡± Kalen snapped and blurted out, and I froze. ¡°Yeah, right, she is 24, for fuck¡¯s sake?¡± Dariusughed, and I looked up at him. ¡°Darius, I swear to you she is. She giggled like a fucking school girl when she saw my dick; she wouldn¡¯t make that up,¡± Kalen said, and I dropped my eyes to the floor, my cheeks ming hot. Darius gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He tilted his head to the side. ¡°Is he lying? Are you a virgin, Aleera?¡± My cheeks burned even hotter all down my neck and m y chest became hot as well. I nodded, and he looked at Tobias while keeping his grip on my chin. ¡°Say it, I swear if you¡¯re lying, Aleera,¡± Darius didn¡¯t finish, but the warning was clear. ¡°Ask her, and remember, I can tell if you are lying, Tobias; you can¡¯t lie for shit,¡± Darius told him. Darius turned his gaze back to me. ¡°Are you a virgin?¡± Darius asked. ¡°Yes,¡± I blurted, closing my eyes, feeling humiliated. ¡°She is telling the truth, Darius,¡± Tobias said, and Darius jerked away from me, his cock slipping out of my hand. My eyes opened to see Darius had pulled his pants up and was looking at me, horrified. 1 ¡°But you¡¯ve done things with guys before?¡± he demanded to know. I could feel all their eyes o n me. Every single one of them had their attention on me. ¡°No, I never even kissed anyone until I kissed Kalen if you call that a kiss,¡± I tell him, remembering the night I took his darkness. ¡°Wait, I was your first kiss, like an actual kiss?¡± Darius asked, though he sounded appalled. I looked up at him and nodded. ¡°And when I,¡± He gulped and Kalen snarled. ¡°When you fucking what, Darius?¡± Kalen snarled, and Lycus growled loudly, ring at Darius. 2 ¡°I didn¡¯t think she was fucking virgin, or I wouldn¡¯t have,¡± Darius said, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and puffed out his cheeks while shaking his head. 2 ¡°Please tell me that wasn¡¯t the first time anyone fingered you,¡± Darius mumbled, and Kalen jumped up furious, and I dropped my gaze, mortified that he just said that out loud. Lycus grabbed Kalen, pulling him down. ¡°You fucking jerk,¡± Kalen spat and his entire body trembled as Lycus wrapped his arms around Kalen tightly. ¡°I have done nothing with anyone. I was saving myself for my fucking mate until I found it was you lot,¡± I breathed while covering my face with my hands. 2 ¡°You saved yourself,¡± Tobias and Lycus asked simultaneously, clearly shocked by my words. I nodded. ¡°I have done nothing besides kissing Kalen, and Darius kissed me and did what he did,¡± I mumbled out thatst part. ¡°And I kissed Tobias,¡± I said, hoping they would stop their R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only embarrassing line of questioning. ¡°Wait, you have all kissed her?¡± Lycus asked, and I looked at him as he looked between the three of them. ¡°Well, nice for someone to fucking tell me,¡± Lycus snapped before sitting on the edge of the bed and folding his arms across his chest. It almost looked like he was pouting. 1 ¡°To be fair, I wasn¡¯t really with it when she kissed me,¡± Kalen told him, nudging him. Darius ran both hands through his hair and breathed out loudly. ¡°Get up,¡± he said, and I got to my feet, trying to cover myself. I looked at Ryze, and Darius followed my gaze and sighed. ¡°Just sleep in the bed with us. No one will touch you,¡± Darius said. ¡°Darius?¡± Tobias said, shaking his head. 1 ¡°I said no one will touch her; she wants to keep her bloody¡­ Ryze, she sleeps in the bed,¡± he says before worrying his lip between his teeth. I nodded as long as I didn¡¯t have to suck anyone¡¯s cock; I could live with that. ¡°Can I have a shirt, please?¡± I asked, and Darius¡¯s eyes ran the length of me, and he motioned toward their cupboard. I rushed in and grabbed a shirt before grabbing an extra for Ryze. When I turned around, Darius stood in the doorway. I took a step back from him and tugged the shirt on, not liking how his eyes lingered on my breasts. When he didn¡¯t move, I went to step past him, but he grabbed my arm. 2 ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t¡­ if I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have done it¡­ 1..¡± He stops, and he looks away before nodding and letting me go. I was pretty sure that was his version of an apology. He stared at me, and I could see the guilt on his face. He let out a breath before stepping aside so I could pass him. I rushed past him, going to the couch and making a mini nest out of Kalen¡¯s shirt. 1 I whistled, and Ryze flew over before burrowing down in it. Darius stared before shaking his head like he couldn¡¯t believe I was touching it like it was a puppy and not something that could tear us apart. Turning around, Darius wiped the blood off his chest with a wet cloth Tobias handed him, and I stared at the bed, wondering where I was supposed to lie. ¡°Lay where you want,¡± Darius said, climbing into bed. I looked to Kalen, who patted the spot between him and Lycus. Darius was on his other side, and I figured I was safest with him and Lycus. So I crawled in between them. Kalen tugged the nket up, and Lycusy stiffly beside me like he was afraid of touching me. Only to be squished against me when Tobias climbed in beside him. I sat up, trying to getfortable, and Kalen wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me closer while Lycus rolled on his back and ced his arm under the pillow I was using. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything; I can keep my hands to myself,¡± Lycus growled. ¡°And apparently my lips,¡¯ he added, earning a growl from Tobias. Iid down, tucked between Lycus and Kalen. Lycus tossed his arm over me and onto Kalen, and I sank down between them, enjoying their warmth and relieved my Pheonix was alright. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 60 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 60 Chapter 60 The next morning, I woke up to somebody nudging me. With a groan, I rolled to find Lycus stiff as a board next to me and looking at the ceiling. Fingers jabbing in my ribs had me turning to look at Kalen, who was also perfectly still. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, only for him to nudge me again. ¡°What?¡± I groan, rolling on my side to face and Lycus whimpers behind me and Kalen lifts his hand, jabbing it in Lycus¡¯s direction, and I peer over my shoulder to see Ryze leaning down off the headboard. Ryze¡¯s head turned from side to side as he scrutinized Lycus¡¯s face. His long snake-like tongue slivers out of his beak and up the side of Lycus¡¯s face, who pales considerably as it runs across the shadow of stubble on his cheek. 3 I giggle at how terrified he looked. He didn¡¯t even blink like he was too scared to. The corner of his lip opens. ¡°Get it, get it away,¡± he grumbles, and Ryze caws loudly in his face. Lycus¡¯s eyes m shut before he peeks one open to Ryze¡¯s beak, nearly touching his nose as he leaned down. ¡°Ryze, leave him be; you are scaring him.¡± I yawn, and Ryze puffs out his feather and shudders; I sit up only for him to jump off the headboard onto my shoulder. His talons dug painfully into my shoulder. ¡°We really need to cut your nails,¡± I hissed at him. ¡°There is no we about it. I ain¡¯t holding that thing down while you go at him with scissors,¡± Lycus hisses, now able to move without being stared down by Ryze. I roll my eyes at their fear while Ryze snaps his beak at him, making him flinch and jump off the bed and away from him. Kalen rolls away from me, not even willing to sit up with him sitting on my shoulder. A soft thud reaches my ears as he hits the carpeted floor. 2 ¡°And you¡¯re supposed to be the big scary Wraith¡¯s, scared of my baby phoenix,¡± I chuckle before blowing kiss faces at Ryze, who immediately drops his head, pressing his beak to my lips so I could kiss it. 1 ¡°I have seen them pluck the eyes out of a demon, and I mean pluck it out! With its tongue! Like a scoop of ice cream, you are bloody nuts even touching it,¡± Lycus shivered just as the bathroom door opened up and Tobias stepped out. Ryze flew off my shoulder and over to him, making Kalen duck and drop to the floor, a shriek leaving him as he covered his head with his hands. Tobias grunts as his talons dig into his shoulder, and Ryze bangs his beak on top of Tobias¡¯s head. ¡°In a minute, let me get dressed,¡± Tobias groans, moving around the room and finding his clothes, with Ryze perched on his shoulder. Ryze had gotten so big his tail nearly reached the floor even while perched on Tobias, who was easily 6 feet tall. Looking around the room, I noticed Darius wasn¡¯t in the room, only for him to step out of the bathroom a few secondster with a towel wrapped around his waist also. ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± he says, walking out only for Ryze to nip him when he walks past. My heart leaped into my throat, but Darius waved his hand at him, shooing him. ¡°Control it, Aleera. I don¡¯t like them, and that is the second time this morning it has taken a chunk out of me,¡± Darius hissed, wiping his shoulder where Ryze got him. ¡°He picks up on her. He knows you scare her. What do you expect?¡± Tobias says before opening the window that I noticed was now fixed. ¡°You fixed it already?¡± I asked. ¡°Magic!¡± Kalen said, wiggling his fingers, and I frowned before sighing and moving to the end of the bed, only for Ryze to fly over to me. This time Lycus dropped to the floor as Ryze swooped past. Darius growls, stepping over him. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Get a grip of yourself; it¡¯s a bloody bird,¡± Darius snapped at him. ¡°Eyeballs, they eat eyeballs,¡± Lycus growls at him. ¡°Nope, they eat mice mainly,¡± Tobias says, turning around with one in his hands from the cage. I didn¡¯t even notice that he had brought here. He tossed the mouse, and like a cobra, Ryze struck and chomped it. ¡°I think I am going to be sick,¡± Kalen murmured, turning a little green. Ryze licked his beak clean before flying toward the open window, and I shrieked, knowing there were probably demons downstairs out and about. Usually, he went outte afternoon. Rushing to the window, I peered out to see a few jogging the perimeter, but he flew up onto the roof. I sighed, a breath of relief leaving me, and I pulled my head back in the window. ¡°Can we swap sses this morning?¡± Darius asks Lycus while looking over at him. Lycus¡¯s shoulders sag, but he nods. ¡°Why, where are you going?¡± Tobias asked him. ¡°In town.. Aleera,¡± Darius says, turning his finger in the air, wanting me to turn around. My brows furrow when I see him grip his towel, and I turn my back on him. Lycus smirks at me, folding his arms across his chest. 1 ¡°What ss has Aleera got this morning?¡± Lycus asks. ¡°Mine,¡± Tobias says. ¡°Swap?¡± Lycus asks, and Tobias growls at him. ¡°Why, what ss is Darius got this morning?¡± I asked while taking some clothes; Kalen went and retrieved for me. Tugging the shirt off over my head, I tossed it on the bed before pulling the tank top on over my sports bra, only to look up to find them all staring at me. Lycus clears his throat as I pull the shorts on. 2 ¡°Um, what were we talking about?¡± Lycus asks, and I huff. ¡°What ss do you have of Darius?¡± I ask, shaking my head. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 61 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 61 Chapter 61 ¡°A practice one,¡± Lycus answers. ¡®Then definitely not going to leave a theory ss, only to have my ass set on fire for a few hours,¡± I tell him. 1 Tobias smiles triumphantly like he just won some prize, and Lycus groans, stalking off into the closet to get changed. Darius wanders in after him, and I get ready to head down to the mess hall when Darius comes out chucking me a shoebox; I caught it. My eyes lit up. Finally, shoes again. I pulled the joggers out, only for him to hand me some socks. ¡°You go to Lycus¡¯s ss this morning,¡± Darius says. ¡°But?¡± Tobias whines and I snatched the socks off him. ¡°Shut it,¡± Darius snaps at Tobias. I slip the shoes on before standing up and moving toward the door, pissed off I was going to spend the next two hours getting burned. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Darius asked as I moved past him. ¡°Breakfast, where else?¡± I ask him. ¡°You eat with us from now on,¡± ¡°And join your morning fuck-fest, no thanks,¡± I tell him. ¡°No one is fucking; I have to leave for a couple of hours. You eat with us from now on. All meals are with us. I don¡¯t want you in the mess hall,¡± Darius said, pulling a jacket on before pecking Lycus¡¯s lips as he walked out of the closet dressed in blue faded jeans and a cktop. Darius then left. 1 After breakfast, I sulked the entire way down to the training fields. ring at Lycus¡¯s back, everyone murmured and watched me cautiously as I followed him, not willing to leave his side. Tears burned my eyes at the memory of all these men seeing me nearly wholly naked. Lycus moved to the center and told everyone to partner up. Nobody stepped forward to partner up with me, and I thought for sure I was going to be able to sit this one out. ¡°Aleera, you¡¯re with,¡± Lycus¡¯ eyes scanned around before he called Gerald over. ¡°Gerald with Aleera,¡± I pressed my lips in a line, and he looked over at me before looking at Lycus. This fucker refused to let me serve myself. He was always on kitchen duty. ¡°But?¡± Gerald whined. ¡°You¡¯re with Aleera,¡± Lycus told him, and he dropped his head and stormed over. Everyone moved into their circles, the ones we weren¡¯t supposed to step out of, or it was instant point deduction. Too many point deductions, and it was a fail. I obviously was failing miserably in all practice sses. N?velDrama.Org holds ? this. ¡°This is bullshit, Lycus. We hurt her Darius will fucking kill us. I can¡¯t spar with her?¡± Gerald said, motioning to me. ¡°You can, and you will, no repercussions, fry her,¡± Lycus said, and I took a step back as Gerald¡¯s eyes sparkled at me. My back hit a wall of muscle, and I nced over my shoulder to see Lycus. He ran his hands down my arms, and I felt his magic zapping against my skin. ¡°You¡¯re a Pyro,¡± I murmured, feeling my skin warm. ¡°Hmm, and electro,¡± He murmured before I felt the urge to pull on it. I had to stamp down the desire to take it. I had tasted his power before, but wasn¡¯t sure of what he could do with it. ¡°Take it,¡± Lycus whispered below my ear before pressing his face into my neck. His hands moved to my wrist before his fingers locked between mine. ¡°But Darius?¡± I worried. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to give it to you without him saying so,¡± Lycus murmured against my shoulder. I looked at Gerald, and he tilted his head to the side. In fact, I noticed everyone staring in our direction at Lycus¡¯s closeness to me and the way his arms wrapped around me, his hands holding mine. My only issue was trying not to let my white magic show, which wasn¡¯t a major issue. I only used my dark while masking my lighter side throughout school, but it had also been six years o fnot using magic. Yet as I felt it caress over my skin, I gasped before squeezing his fingers slightly, and his magic bled into my skin, making me gasp and warm all over; my toes curled i n my shoes at the sensation as it rushed through me. 1. My entire body shivered from my toes to my head, and Gerald smirked at the challenge; his smirk dropped when I smiled back at him like a Cheshire cat, and I let go of Lycus¡¯s hands. Lycus stepped back and out of the circle. He stood on the side between us, and I flexed my fingers when Gerald spoke. ¡°Ready, Aleera?¡± Heughed, and I turned my palm up, creating a fireball in my hand, molding it into the shape of an arrow. I giggled as it heated my skin, and I looked over at him t o see his eyes grow wide when I felt the jolt of a zap and looked over at Lycus as electricity zapped through the mes in my hand sizzling around the arrow me I created. He nodded t o me before I turned to face Gerald, letting the fire morph back into a ball, tossing my fireball i n my hand. ¡°Oh scary, let¡¯s see what you got then, sneaky Lycus,¡± Gerald taunted, yet I couldn¡¯t get the smile off my lips, much too excited to y this game now. Iughed at his words and challenge, which he seemed amused about. In school, I had to mask how good with fire I truly was, making sure my grades were mediocre and didn¡¯t draw attention to the fact I had more power than most before I manifested. Here I didn¡¯t have to mask my strength, just my lighter side. As I turned the fireball into ava one, my eyes gleamed with that knowledge. Gerald gulped and took a step back. ¡°What¡¯s your highest heat record again?¡± I asked him, and he folded his arms cockily because he held the highest record in the ss at 2200 degrees Celsius. ¡°2200,¡± heughed. ¡°You¡¯re so fucked,¡± I giggled, and hisughter stopped. ¡°What¡¯s your then?¡± he demanded. ¡°You¡¯re about to find out,¡± I smiled before setting the ring surrounding us on fire. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 62 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Gerald jumped as the ring around us set on fire, the heat warming us while my eyes glowed with excitement. How I had missed having magic. ¡°That¡¯s the best you got,¡± Gerald taunted. I smirked before feeling the tether to my power strengthen, morphing it before I lifted my hands out to the sides above my head before tossing them down. The mes exploded in a cylinder-shaped wall around us. The fire flew towards the sky, higher than the castle¡¯s tallest point, and I chuckled while Gerald¡¯s mouth fell open. I couldn¡¯t see those standing outside of our circle, but the murmurs at my reach with the mes had them gasping in shock. ¡°Pretty sure, I just broke the record for highest,¡± I giggled. ¡°Not the hottest,¡± Gerald said with a cocky grin. ¡°How hot is cutting fire again?¡± I asked him. ¡°Yeah, right 3700, pfft?¡± he murmured, admiring my towering wall of mes. ¡°I burn hotter,¡± I whispered, and his smile fell as he looked over at me. Moving my hand, he watched as I turned my palm up before the mes burned brightly, turning purple and blue burning so bright I watched as he squinted from the harsh rays of light it emanated. Clenching my fist, the wall of fire plunged toward the earth, burrowing deep into the surface of the rock. However, maintaining it to remain on the ring¡¯s outer edge took some concentration as I cut the circle out, burning a hole through the ground turning the rock to moltenva. It bubbled u p, spewing out of the gaps as I cut a ring around us, leaving us in the center. In contrast,va bubbled and bled from the earth. Everyone jumped back and Gerald too, before nearly tumbling into the gap behind him before jumping toward me. It stopped with a twist of my wrist as I felt myself growing weaker from not having used that much power in so long. Gerald noticed my exhaustion as theva darkened as it cooled, and he smirked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aleera? Can¡¯t hold it long?¡± he chirped before he shrieked as I flicked my fingers toward him and engulfed him in mes. He danced, trying to extinguish the mes covering him as I controlled the fire enough not to touch his skin, only burning his clothes from his entire body and hair. Still, the shriek of terror from him had everyoneughing as he jumped around like his ass was on fire. My own giggles as he shrieked, patting himself down before rolling on the ground made the mes cut out. Momentarily distracting me. He stopped thrashing, only to see he wasn¡¯t burned, just very naked and looking like a hairless cat. Even his eyebrows were gone. I snickered, and Gerald red at me. ¡°Pretty sure I just broke your record. Do you want another demonstration, Gerald? I¡¯m pretty sure I can melt you down. Shall we see what you¡¯re really made of?¡± I challenged. Gerald growled and jumped to his feet, rushing toward me like an enraged rhino. Lycus stepped over the gap. I cut into the ground and into his path. He halted instantly, nearly tripping over himself in his effort to not run into Lycus¡¯s wall of muscle. Gerald growled, ring at me over Lycus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Issue Gerald?¡± Lycus asked, and Gerald looked between Lycus and me before sneering and turning on his heel. He stalked off while cursing under his breath. Lycus then turned to face me, a grin on his face. ¡°So you¡¯re a fire element,¡± he said, eyes sparkling with the knowledge. That made me a little nervous because they may start questioning if I showed any ability in any other element. Lycus held his hand out, and I sighed, knowing he wanted me to give it back, or what¡¯s left of it anyway. ¡°I would let you keep it, but,¡± ¡°But Darius,¡± I answered for him, and he nodded. I rolled my eyes before brushing my fingertips over his palm and giving his magic back to him. Turning around to follow him back inside, I stopped when I noticed Darius standing by the edge of the field with Tobias and Kalen. Looking over at Lycus, he shrugged. ¡°They came to see if you were indeed a fire element like all of us,¡± Lycus shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re all fire?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, we all have a low ability in all elements. Fire is our strongest manifestation, except Darius. He is a dark elemental. Tobias has a few other gifts, thepulsion and his ability to tell if someone is lying. He can also manipte a person¡¯s emotions,¡± Lycus exined as we walked toward them. ¡°What about Kalen?¡± I asked, already knowing he could read auras. ¡°Fire, but he is a lot weaker, being that he is just a pure dark Fae; he can also read auras better than anyone I have ever met. Tobias twin was almost as good as Kalen at reading auras,¡± ¡°Tobias¡¯s twin? The one that died?¡± I asked. ¡°What makes you think he is dead?¡± Lycus asked, and I shrugged. ¡°The way Tobias acted when I asked about him, but also, I think I have seen him before,¡± I murmured, trying to remember why I felt that way. Lycus said nothing, or maybe he wasn¡¯t allowed to answer the underlying question for that one. ¡°So, Kalen, besides the auras?¡± I asked, and he shrugged. ¡°He has a low manifestation in all; he seemed like he had never manifested; maybe it was his upbringing? Although he¡¯s a strong empath which is unusual for dark Fae makes him a better observer of emotions,¡± Lycus said, and my brows furrowed. We stopped by Darius and the others when Darius spoke.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I looked through all of your records. I didn¡¯t find anything that indicated you were strong with this element or any actually,¡± I shrugged, and Darius studied my face intently for a moment. ¡°Do you have any other gifts besides being able to harness the fire element?¡± Lycus asked curiously. I cleared my throat, especially knowing Tobias was right there, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to lie without him noticing straight away. I couldn¡¯t risk questions that would lead them t o know I was a harmony elemental. That would really grind Darius¡¯s gears if he knew I would b e as strong as him with magic, possibly stronger, seeing as I still wasn¡¯t aware of the limits of my magic I have if given the chance to use them. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 63 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 63 Chapter 63 ¡°What¡¯s the next ss?¡± I asked, changing the subject. Darius eyed me suspiciously, and Kalen stared at me. His eyes were more around my body than on me, so I knew he was assessing my aura, making me nervous as to what he was seeing. I was careful not to let it touch my lighter side. but I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how auras worked. I could feel them but not see them the way he did. ¡°You have a theory ss with Darius,¡± Lycus said, oblivious to the strange questioning tension surrounding us. ¡°Come on, we will bete,¡± Darius said though the look on his face never changed; I reluctantly followed him to the ssroom. When Kalen wandered into the room with me, I stopped and looked at him. ¡°Darius said I could join you,¡± he smiled, bumping my shoulder and pointing to a desk by Darius¡¯s. With a sigh, I pulled the chair out and sat in it. Kalen sitting beside me. The lecture was boring, and I felt extremely exhausted and heavy. Kalen nudged me halfway through.¡±You okay?¡± he whispered, and I nodded, feeling sluggish. Only a few minutes after h e asked, my stomach cramped and twisted painfully. Forgetting about the shredding with my excitement of being trusted with magic earlier, it wasn¡¯t until I felt my underwear dampen that I gasped. Moving my legs, I hoped I imagined it. When I did, horror washed over me, and I nced down at my jeans to find a small red stain on my inner thigh. ncing around the room, everyone was deep into discussing whatever the heck Darius was talking about. Sweat began to bead on the back of my neck as the cramping got worse, and I felt nauseous. My chair screeched as I slid it back before running from the room. ¡°Aleera?¡± Darius snapped, but I didn¡¯t stop; instead, I took off, wanting to get back to my old room. Please, please, please, I prayed before I felt my pants be saturated. The sounds of people walking in my direction had me rush into the first bathroom I came across. I bolted into the cubicle, locked the door, and dread filled me. How did I forget? Looking down, I felt the blood drain from my face when I found my pantspletely soaked; I could feel blood trailing down my legs and filling my shoes. 6 years I had put off the shredding, and now I know why they say not to, but I had no choice. However, I was regretting that now, as my feet became slippery on the tiled floor, it was like 6 years of shredding came at once. I looked like I was bleeding to death, my blue jeans now soaked red; frantically, I started ripping toilet paper out of the holder, trying to clean it up. It was no use, and I was mortified. How would I get back to my room, and what happens tomorrow when it¡¯s over, and I start shredding my nonexistent power? Trying to see through my blurred vision from the bloody tears I was shedding, I tried to clean the mess I was making, the tiles beneath me pooling with blood. My tears made the mess worse. It was another side-effect of shredding; our tear ducts changed. Our entire body changed for the shredding. Even my tears had turned to blood. Giving up, I sat on the toilet, I had no idea how long I was in there, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to open the door and have everyone see me like this. It wasn¡¯t bad enough that I was tormented daily and now had to be tortured over something I had no control over. Shame washed through me. ¡°She hasn¡¯t run, she wouldn¡¯t, Darius,¡± I heard Kalen tell Darius as I heard everyone in the halls outside the bathroom searching for me. My face heated at the idea of them finding me in this state. Yet I was in too much pain and too embarrassed to ask for their help. I wiped my bloody tears; I knew I was smearing blood over my face, but what else could I do? The tears wouldn¡¯t stop just like the damn shredding wouldn¡¯t. My stomach felt like it was twisting in knots. I would be stuck like this for at least the next 24 hours, although I wasn¡¯t sure since I had avoided this for 6 years on the run, and if this was anything to go off maybe, it wouldst longer. ¡°Fucking find her,¡± I heard Darius scream angrily at someone before hearing Tobias¡¯s voice, and my stomach dropped. ¡°Can anyone else smell blood?¡± he asked. Darius¡¯s yelling was cut off. I listened to the bathroom door jiggle. My heart beat frantically in my ears as it was pushed open. I stood up trying to find an escape but found none when I heard it creak open all the way. I held my hand on the cubicle door. Tobias growled, and the sound was more like a savage beast. ¡°Get him out,¡± Darius snapped at someone. ¡°Is she hurt?¡± I heard Kalen ask before my cheeks med when I heard one of them sniff the air. ¡°Aleera, I know you¡¯re in here. Open the fucking door; you don¡¯t just run out of my ss,¡¯ Darius growled. 1 ¡°I said get him out!¡± Darius roared; I heard a struggle before Lycus growled, and I heard the door shut as Lycus, pushing who I am assuming is Tobias out the door, My lip quivered, my vision blurred worse, and had tinged red. ¡°Aleera, open the door,¡± Darius snarled, pulling on the door handle. A sob tore out of me as I panicked, looking between the gap that went to the next cubicle over, but I was not going to fit through it. Darius growled before kicking the door. It flew inwards, and I screamed at the bang before dropping down and trying to cover myself. Blood coated the floor and me, my hands covered i n it from trying to clean it up, and Darius gasped. Yet I couldn¡¯t even look up to meet his gaze far too embarrassed. ¡°Is she alright? What is it?¡± Kalen asked. I looked up to see Darius just staring at me before looking over his shoulder at Kalen, who I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°She is fine. Just go,¡± Darius told him. ¡°What?¡± Kalen asked. ¡°I said go, go check on Tobias,¡± Darius told him. ¡°What, no, Aleera?¡± Kalen stepped closer,ing into view. He gasped as he peered into the cubicle. Darius growled at him, but Kalen pushed past him before reaching for me. I pulled my bloody hand away from him when he tried to grab it. Kalen looked over his shoulder at Darius, and I swallowed at the pitiful look they both gave me. ¡°Find her some fresh clothes,¡± Darius murmured, putting his hand on Kalen¡¯s shoulder, who didn¡¯t look like he knew what to do. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know, and it was my body. Kalen nodded before rushing off. Darius crouched down, and I looked away from him. ¡°This is why you wanted the devil¡¯s bane. You weren¡¯t running, were you?¡± Darius asked. I swallowed and nodded, and he sighed. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± he murmured, and I looked at him, horrified at the thought of stepping out of this cubicle. ¡°I am not going out there. They will see me,¡± I panicked before pressing my face into my knees. However, the tears wouldn¡¯t stop making this already gory scene worse. Darius moved beside me before I felt his hand smooth down the back of my hair. Never in all m y life have I ever been so embarrassed. I am just d this didn¡¯t happen in the mess hall; I thought that was the most embarrassing thing I would face, oh how wrong I was. Darius sighed when I felt arms go underneath my legs and behind my back, making me jump and try t o move away from him. ¡°Stop, don¡¯t. I¡¯m bleeding all over you,¡¯ I cried, flustered. Darius ignored me and just scooped me up off the floor. ¡°It¡¯s just blood; I¡¯m not squeamish,¡± Darius murmured, pressing his face into my neck I looked at the mess on the floor, knowing someone would see it when I felt his skin heat. He moved his fingers, the tiles catching on fire and the blood staining it evaporated and burning off the tiles before I felt the room shudder. He turned, stepping through a portal and into the bathroom attached to our rooms. He sat me on the edge of the bathtub before turning toward the shower, just as Kalen suddenly rushed in with towels and clothes beforeing over to m e. He cupped my face in his hands. ¡°It¡¯s fine, nothing to be embarrassed about,¡± he whispered before kissing my forehead when I noticed Darius started stripping his clothes off. Kalen nced out over to him, and he bit his lip. ¡°Find some feminine products. Surely we have something here she can use until I can take her i n town,¡± Darius said. Though I doubted that. What purpose would an army of men have with feminine products? Kalen rushed out and shut the door while I peered over at Darius, who stood with his briefs drenched in my blood. Darius tested the water temperature with his hand before walking over to me; he stopped in front of me before gripping my arms and pulling me to my feet. My face heated, my skin was prickling with heat, and my stomach cramped. I hunched forward slightly, the pain unbearable when Darius started undoing my pants¡¯ button and zip. I grabbed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t, this is embarrassing enough,¡± I muttered, but he shook my hand off his ignoring me, and I was forced to grab his shoulder when he shoved my pants down that were sticking to my skin. I hissed, feeling like I was suddenly waxed. ¡°Sorry,¡± Darius murmured before gripping my panties and tugging them down. I stepped out o f them, looking anywhere but at him, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. I removed my top coated in blood from crying when I felt Darius undo the zip in the middle of my sports bra, making me quickly clutch the front closed. ¡°Seriously, I have already seen them, just like the rest of you,¡± he says. I sighed before turning and tugging my arms out of it. Darius moved toward the shower and motioned for me to get in. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I stepped into the shower, the warm water helped, and the floor turned red as my humiliation washed down the drain along with any dignity I had left. Darius stepped in behind me and moved the shower head higher, so it sprayed toward the wall near the seating piece before sitting down on the shower recess. He gripped my wrist, tugging me onto hisp. I tried to get off him, but he wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me in ce before reaching for the soap. My stomach cramping made me squirm when I felt his hand heat against my stomach. The extra heat helped, and I leaned against him. ¡°You should have reminded us of the shredding. Why didn¡¯t you say anything? I would have made sure we had feminine products.¡± ¡°I was going to stop it; that¡¯s why I wanted the devil¡¯s bane,¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you managed while running?¡± I nodded, and my body tensed as pain rippled through me, and he pushed harder on my stomach, his hand heating more. ¡°I will take you in town once we find something to tide you over,¡± Darius murmurs behind m e. Blood trailed down his legs from me sitting on hisp, my eyes moving to the steady stream, and I tried to wash it off when he grabbed my hand, tugging it back onto myp. 1 ¡°It¡¯s fine Aleera, it¡¯s not the first time I have been covered in blood,¡± I shuddered at the memory of the exploded demons and gory bloody limbs from the mess hall when he tore apart Zac and his friends for their wandering hands. The door opens up and Lycus and Kalene in holding fistfuls full of cotton buds and medical supplies. ¡°Really Kalen, a band-aid?¡± Darius asked, and Lycus nudged him. ¡°I found a wound dressing?¡± Lycus said, holding it up and Darius growled at him while shaking his head ¡°Find a face washer or something. What the heck is she going to do with a band-aid?¡± Darius said while I was too busy staring at the wall. It was sweet that they were trying to help, but they just made an already awkward situation more embarrassing. ¡°Out, you are both bloody useless. Where is Tobias?¡± ¡°In the room, trying not toe in here and gobble her up,¡± Kalen snickered. ¡°Out, both of you, and get my car ready,¡± Darius told Lycus, who nodded. ¡°You¡¯re driving into the town?¡± ¡°Yes, now go,¡± Darius hissed them, and they both left. ¡°Do you want toe with me? I am not really sure about buying tampons, wait do you use tampons or,¡± he shakes his head, obviously finding this topic of conversation just as awkward. ¡°Ah, no, I have never shredded before,¡± I tell him, my face heating at this discussion. ¡°Well, we can both be as clueless together then,¡± Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 64 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Eventually, the pain rippling through me eased enough that I could stand without wanting to double over, Darius quickly washed while I grabbed my towel. Despite being mortified at the situation I found myself in. Darius didn¡¯t seem horrified like I would have expected. He wrapped a towel around his waist before removing his briefs underneath and tossing them i n the washing hamper. Kalen had set out some clothes for me on the counter, and I moved toward them while Darius looked below the counter. Rummaging around before pulling out a face washer. He tore it in half before folding it. ¡°Not ideal, but will do until I can get you in town. Or maybe rolled up toilet paper?¡± He said, holding up the torn face washer. I nodded, my cheeks ming. But hey, at least he is resourceful. ¡°Get changed; I will meet you in the room,¡± he said before walking out. It felt like I was wearing a diaper. I was paranoid that I looked like I was walking like a cowboy who spent thest week riding bareback across the country. Yet it worked and held in ce, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t be doing any strenuous exercise with this thing stuck between my legs. Opening the door, I froze. Tobias was sitting in the armchair by the firece. Ryze was on his chest, lying on his back while Tobias stroked his tummy feathers. His long tail feathers ran down his legs to the floor. 5 ¡°I¡¯m fine, Aleera; you just caught me off guard. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± Tobias said. Ryze hearing him speak, rolled onto his tummy. ¡°I swear he thinks he is ap cat,¡± Tobias chuckled, and Ryze puffed out his feather before flying over to me and perching on my shoulder. He yed with my hair using his beak and made a cooing noise. Lycus and Kalen were sitting on the bed just staring at Ryze while I scratched his feathers, and Darius walked out of the closet dressed in jeans and a ck shirt. Ryze hissed at him as he drew closer, and Tobias chucked Darius a set of car keys. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. You have been our keeper for years and never went through a shredding.¡± Kalen murmured. Darius stopped in his tracks and blinked at him before raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°I am male and technically not your keeper; she is,¡± Darius said, pointing to me. Ryze snapped at his pointed finger and hissed at him while I tried not to giggle at Kalen¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m checking,¡± Lycus says, pulling out his phone while Kalen looks over his shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t be that stupid. How many times in thest 6 years have you seen me bleeding every six months?¡± Darius said with a shake of his head. ¡°Well, it¡¯s roughly every six months when you lock us in the room and fuck us every which way from Sunday,¡± Lycus said. ¡°Ah, yeah,st time, I couldn¡¯t sit properly for a week,¡± Kalen mumbled, earning augh from me. Tobias sniggered before appearing thoughtful. ¡°Huh, that is true; he does have a point,¡± Tobiasughed. Darius shakes his head when Kalen pouts, looking over his shoulder, reading whatever Lycus is looking at. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°So it should onlyst a day, then you shred power, hmm. Did you know during the shredding power- shared canst a year and is at its strongest for the mates; it amplifies threefold?¡± Lycus tells us. I chewed the inside of my lip when Kalen spoke. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have been keeping track of that sort of stuff?¡± Kalen asked, and my face heated. ¡°She has never gone through it before. I was wrong the other day when I said she ran. Aleera was trying to find some devil¡¯s bane,¡± Darius admitted rubbing his thumb across his lip and looking at me. Lycus nods before looking up at him. ¡°Yes, it says here, the root, if brewed and ingested, will stop the shredding.¡± His brows furrow before he continues. ¡°Aleera, that stuff is still poisonous. It could have killed you if you drank too much and has severe side effects, like delirium, vomiting, hallucinations, and an entire list of them,¡± Lycus says. ¡°Wait, she was looking for the devil¡¯s bane? Did we hear that right? Did Darius just admit he was wrong? Shit, get your phones. We need him to repeat that so we have evidence,¡± Lycus taunted. Darius growled before walking over to me and stopping in front of me. Ryze hissed at him. ar ¡°Stop it; I am not hurting her. Now off so I can take her into town,¡± Darius said, holding his arm out for Ryze to climb off. Ryze hisses, his long tongue snaking out and flicking at Darius¡¯s face, but I caress his tummy feathers. He turns his head, pressing his beak to my lips before climbing onto Darius¡¯s arm, which surprised me. Darius gulped and walked very stiffly toward Tobias, where Ryze jumped off him and back onto Tobias¡¯s chest. Tobias huffed at his weightnding on him. At the same time, Ryze shook himself before rubbing his feathery head all over Tobias¡¯s shirt. When Tobias didn¡¯t scratch his feathers, he bit him, making Tobias hiss. ¡°Ok. bloody bird, I will scratch your damn tummy, roll over,¡± Tobias hissed, rubbing the spot Ryze bit him. Darius shakes his head at Ryze before walking toward me. ¡°Even the bloody bird gets kissed before me,¡± Lycus mumbles, making me look over at him. Darius growls at him before his eyes move to mine. 1 ¡°Can you just kiss that idiot, so he stops pouting and getting jealous of a damn bird?¡± Darius growled. 1 ¡°I don¡¯t want no sympathy kiss, Darius, fuck off,¡± Lycus snarled at him, and Darius shrugged, unperturbed by Lycus¡¯ whining. ¡°Come on,¡± Darius said,ing to take my elbow when Ryze shrieked, flying over to me ¡°Bird, you can¡¯te,¡± Darius snapped at him. ¡°Howe we don¡¯t just portal? Wouldn¡¯t it be quicker?¡± I asked him, trying to get Ryze to go back to Tobias. ¡°Quicker, yes, but we also need to grab a few things, and I am not a pack mule. Besides, we will need to try to keep our reserves strong for when you shred tomorrow,¡± Darius answered. I gasped and took a step back. ¡°Pardon?¡± I asked, and Darius stopped looking over at me. ¡°You will need our power to shred, Aleera,¡± ¡°You will give me power?¡± I asked, and everyone stared at Darius, shocked. Darius said nothing, just looked between us all before raking his hand down his face. ¡°Can we just go?¡± Darius said. However, I now had something else to worry about. If Darius allowed me to shred. There was no way I would be able to hide what I am. That scared me the most. My mother always told me to keep what I am hidden, and shredding would be doing the opposite. ¡°Ryze, you can¡¯te,¡± Darius told him, and Ryze hissed at him, refusing to get off. I tried passing him to one of the others, but Lycus and Kalen nearly jumped out of their skin when I offered Ryze to them. Darius shook his head, and Tobias got up and walked over to me. ¡°Come, I will take him downstairs. He probably wants to go fly,¡± Tobias said, following us out. Kalen and Lycus also followed but kept their distance from Ryze, who was quite antsy inside the castle. He flew off my shoulder and out of a window, and I sighed. We made our way downstairs when I heard screeching, and my eyes widened. I took off running for the doors, missing a few steps in my haste as I raced down them. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 65 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Rushing through the doors, I could see Ryze perched in a tree, and two men stood below it trying to hit him with a fireball. I gasped in horror and went running over to stop them when Tobias came up behind me. ¡°You touch that fucking bird, and it will be thest thing you ever do,¡± Tobias yelled to them. and they both stopped and looked over their shoulders at him. Tobias looked furious, and Darius wandered out. ¡°But it¡¯s a phoenix,¡± one said. ¡°That bird is off-limits, now go,¡± Darius snapped,ing up behind me while I raced over to the tree and looked up to see not only one but another higher up. It looked older, and I was surprised they didn¡¯t notice it amongst the orange ¨C red leaves of the tree as it tried to blend in Darius talked to the men, and Ryze flew down before Darius yelled out to me. ¡°Aleera, no!¡± he said, making me look over at him. Ryze dropped onto my shoulder, his weight knocking me forward onto my knees. My eyes went to my mates, who were all frozen. Ryze rubbed his head and beak onto the back of my head, checking to see if I was alright when suddenly the tree came to life. What I thought were leaves were actually feathers when around 10 huge phoenix¡¯s suddenly dropped on the ground around me. Towering over me, and these weren¡¯t juvenile ones, they had the power to rip me to shreds and tear me apart if they chose to. Everyone froze as the birds surrounded me, and even I shook terrified when I saw all four of my mate¡¯s hands begin t o glow. My eyes widened when I saw they were about to attack the birds. Horror washed over m e at the danger I was in but also fear for these beautiful creatures. Ryze ying with my hair squawked, and the birds backed up a little; I threw my hand up.¡± Stop!¡± I screamed to Darius as he went to st them with magic. My heart beat like a drum in my ears, pounding loudly as I moved slowly. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt me,¡± I called to them before slowly standing up, so I didn¡¯t spook the birds and make them attack me. I hoped what I said was true because I could see their curious gazes watching me. Phoenix¡¯s were lethal birds, and even standing one was nearly taller than me. The recruits that watched grew closer, and I could see the hunger on their faces to rip the birds apart and absorb their power. ¡°Don¡¯t let them hurt them,¡± I murmured, watching the recruits grow nearer, and Darius nced around, also noticing we had drawn a crowd. One of the Pheonix¡¯s turned its head, observing Ryze perched on my shoulder, his feathery tail wrapping around my body like a snake, and Ryze hissed at them. I scratched his tummy feathers, and my breathing became ragged when one hopped closer, and Lycus moved when Kal¨¦n¡¯s head tilted to the side, observing me. His hand smacked into Lycus¡¯s chest. My hand shook as I held it out toward the phoenix, and the other ones drew. The Pheonix tongue flicked out. I felt a folt sliver up my arm making me jerk my hand back to realize it gave me power, a small jolt of its energy. My eyes widened, and I had never seen so many phoenixes in one ce before when Kalen gasped. I could feel the bird¡¯s magic writhe through me and mingle with my white magic. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt her,¡± Kalen murmured, his head tilting from one side to the other. Darius, Tobias, and Lycus looked at him as if he was insane. While my heart pounded, wondering what he saw when the Pheonix power exchanged with me. I swallowed, hoping he wouldn¡¯t out met o the rest of our mates who didn¡¯t notice the small exchange, but Kalen, I knew, would have seen it in my aura. ¡°Call them off, Darius,¡± Kalen said, looking over at him. ¡°They will rip her to shreds,¡± Darius hissed at them. ¡°I said call them off. I don¡¯t ask for much, Darius, but you will do this for me, for her. Call them off and tell them to leave her birds alone, ¡± Kalen growled, ring at him. ¡°She can¡¯t keep them all,¡± Darius hissed. Lycus paled as he too looked questionably at Kalen, who wasn¡¯t giving anything away. ¡°That isn¡¯t up to you. It¡¯s up to them. Now call your recruits off,¡± Kalen repeated, and I had never seen him look so determined. ¡°Take them to the roof,¡± I whispered to Ryze, who screeched at the other phoenix. The other Pheonix¡¯s all watched him, and some drew nearer trying to touch me, their feathers bumping against my legs when Ryze flew off my shoulder, and they took flight after him. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. The demons went crazy, and power was suddenly hurled their way as they took to the air. I screamed when suddenly Tobias and Darius moved as if in sync and raised their hands. The fireballs smash into a shield beneath the birds. ¡°No one touches them,¡± Roared Darius furiously at them. The demons stopped looking at him questionably. ¡°Anyone who does will suffer the same fate you bestow on those Phoenixes, are we clear?¡± Darius warned. I swallowed and looked toward the roof where the Pheonix¡¯s perched, watching us. Kalen rushed toward me, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me closer. H e let out a breath, and I watched the demons scatter away from Darius¡¯s furious anger. ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmured to Kalen. Lycus turned to make his way over to us when Kalen whispered to me. ¡°I know what you are,¡± he said, barely audible.I gasped, looking at him over my shoulder. Kalen pressed his head against mine and kissed my cheek. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 66 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Kalen sighed. ¡°I knew there was another reason you ran, but you don¡¯t need to hide from us. W e would have kept you safe,¡± he whispered. I nced at my other three mates, who were making sure the demons left them alone. ¡°You can¡¯t say anything,¡± I whispered, my heart jolting erratically, knowing he knew. ¡°I won¡¯t right now, but you have to tell Darius. He will-¡± Kalen¡¯s words were cut off when Lycus approached. 1 ¡°That was some of the scariest shit I have ever seen. I thought for sure your eyes were gonna g 0,¡± Lycus said, then shivered. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they didn¡¯t attack you,¡± ¡°Probably because Ryze took a liking to her; they are smart birds,¡± Kalen tells him, giving me a knowing look. ¡°Well, I am not catching mice for all of them. They catch their own damn food,¡± Tobias hissed while Darius stood between us and the castle. He looked between the birds and me, his face taking on a strange expression. 1 ¡°Come on, we should go; I want to get back before dark,¡± Darius said when I noticed the sleek ck sports car parked out front on the driveway. ¡°You will make sure they don¡¯t hurt them?¡± I asked Tobias when he stopped in front of me. He gripped my chin, pecking my lips. ¡°Your devil birds will be fine, promise,¡± he chuckled, and I nodded. He let my chin go, and I felt Kalen bury his face in my neck. He pulled my tablet from his pocket, and I looked at Darius, who said nothing but nodded, so I took it from him. ¡°Please don¡¯t try to run,¡± Kalen whispered into the crook of my neck. I never had a chance to answer him when Darius called out, having unlocked his car. ¡°Aleera,e on,¡± he said, waving me toward him. Kalen unwrapped his arms from around m y waist and gave me a push toward the car. Yet I got that same sweeping feeling from Kalen when I first met him. That fragile state, warning bells saying he wasn¡¯t ok. Even Lycus looked a t Kalen worriedly, picking up the strange sensation. We all could feel the darkness enveloping him, and I paused midway. He thought I would run now that he knows, yet he wouldn¡¯t say anything to them. Moving toward him, I grabbed his face pulling it down toward mine while I stood on my tippy toes. I pressed my lips to his and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft, and Kalen clutched me to him. His strong arms squeezed me tight, and he let out a shaky breath. When I pulled away, Lycus stepped closer to him with a worried look on his face and gripped his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I tell Ka?en. He looked down at me and searched my face for a few moments, and he let out a breath, pressing his forehead to mine and nodding before letting go. ¡°Promise?¡± he whispered. ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t leave you again,¡± I tell him, and he smiles sadly. ? ¡°What¡¯s got into you? You were fine a few seconds ago?¡± I heard Lycus ask him as I stepped away. Lycus wrapped his arms around Kalen¡¯s waist and rested his chin on Kalen¡¯s shoulder. When I reached the car, Darius was watching Kalen worriedly. ¡°He¡¯s worried I will run,¡± I told Darius and his jaw clenched as he turned his head to look at me. He nced down at the tablet i n my hands but didn¡¯t say anything or try to take it from me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t allow that,¡± Darius said, looking like he wanted to go to Kalen. I looked over at Kalen, and Tobias was also walking toward Kalen. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t think I could leave him again,¡± I whispered, and Darius looked at me. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t try again?¡± ¡°No, not without a good reason Darius. And if I did, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d be taking Kalen with me, ¡°I answered honestly. He watched me curiously. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt him, can you? Or you wouldn¡¯t anyway,¡± Darius said while watching me closely. ¡°It took you all this time to realize that?¡± I asked him before opening up the passenger door and climbing in. I slid into my seat and buckled up, and the door opened a few minutester as Darius climbed i n. He looked over at me like he wanted to say something before shaking his head and starting the engine, and driving down the driveway to the grass. I watched when suddenly a driveway appeared in front of us. The grass covering it dissolving revealing the road that led toward the treeline. I closed my eyes when Darius floored it. Peeking my eyes open, I tensed, thinking we were about to smash into the trees. Darius chuckled, and I gasped when the mor lifted revealing a long road that weaved amongst the forest. We drove along it for a while before we pulled up at the gates. Darius hit a button on the visor and waited for the huge gates to open. ¡°Mirage ward,¡± Dariusughed and shook my head. Looking down, I stared at the ckened screen of my tablet and tried to turn it on, but it was dead. Darius leaned across, opening the glovepartment before pulling out some cords. ¡°One of them should fit,¡± he said before pointing to the USB socket in the dash. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said while finding the right one so I could plug it in and turn it on. Darius nodded, turning his eyes back to the road, and we continued to drive in a strange silence. After a about few minute¡¯s my tablet turned on and Darius peeked over at me. ¡°You messaging your friend?¡± Darius asked, and I chewed my lip wondering if he was mad. ¡°That bothers you,¡± I stated. He sighed and looked over at me. ¡°When we get into town, just stay close. Don¡¯t wander off.¡± He said. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, ncing down at the screen, wondering why he was being weird. ¡°No, I mean it, Aleera. Stick close to me. There is a reason I don¡¯t allow my mates to leave the castle. It¡¯s not safe. So stay close to me.¡± Darius said. My brows furrowed, and I looked over at him. ¡°Then why are you letting mee with you then?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t know the first thing aboutdy products and secondly,¡± he paused before he sighed. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I wanted to apologize. Figured you would like to get out of the castle for a little bit. Kalen said it would be good for you to get out of that ce for a while,¡± I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt Kalen either,¡± Iughed. ¡°None of us can, Kalen is.. He is,¡± ¡°Special,¡± I offered, and he bit his lip and nodded. ¡°He is our glue. Kalen is the reason we all held together the way we have.¡± Darius answers and I nod. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 67 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 67 Chapter 67 The town actually wasn¡¯t that far from the castle. It only took roughly 20 minutes to drive there. The time seemed to fly by as I was busy talking to my inte friend. When Darius pulled into a parking spot out the front of a grocery store that was part of a small shoppingplex, he got out and walked to my side. The ce was bustling with shoppers as I nced around. The moment I stepped out of the car myself, Darius was already at my side before I had even shut the door. He grabbed my hand, and I nced down at my hand when heced his fingers through mine before raising an eyebrow at him. ¡°Don¡¯t argue; I want you close,¡± he said, ncing around almost anxiously, which I thought odd. He led me to a small post office first before pulling a key from his pocket and unlocking a PO Box. ¡°You don¡¯t get your mail at the castle?¡± I asked him. ¡°Nobody can find it. It¡¯s hidden,¡± he said, cing the mail in his back pocket. He dragged met o a few different ces, including a pharmacy where he picked up scripts for Kalen, and I was surprised to see how many different pills Kalen took. When we were done there, Darius pulled me to the grocery store. I did, however, notice that anyone that stepped near or in our path quickly scattered. The Pharmacy completely emptied of people when Darius entered, leaving only the pharmacist who was familiar with Darius. The grocery store was the same except even a few of the workers scurried off. ¡°Do you always get such a warm wee?¡± I whispered. ¡°It has its benefits. Never have to wait in line,¡± Darius chuckled while stepping closer to me and cing his hand on my hip so I was pretty much tucked under his arm. He led me to an aisle that contained feminine products, and both of us stood there like idiots. ¡°Please tell me you know which ones to buy?¡± Darius murmured, and I picked up one of the colored boxes reading it, and so did Darius. ¡°What, they couldn¡¯t make it one size fits all?¡± he said, picking up a couple of different boxes o f pads while I picked up some tampons. 1 ¡°One size fits all?¡± I asked him, shaking my head. ¡°Yeah, why are they different sizes, and how do you know what size to buy?¡± he asks, holding up two different ones. This was the most bizarre experience of my life and not one I ever pictured doing with Darius. ¡°Just go with regr?¡± I tell him, and he looks at the box in my hand. ¡°You are not using those, Lycus said. If you forget it is in there, you can die,¡± Darius said, cing it back on the shelf. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Lycus said something about some syndrome,¡± ¡°Toxic shock syndrome?¡± I offer. ¡°That¡¯s the one. Stick with the less-lethal kind,¡± Darius said; I shook my head at his words. Darius grabbed a few different boxes, chucking them in the basket he had. ¡°You know it onlysts 24 hours, right? I don¡¯t need all those,¡± I tell him. ¡°What if they are ufortable?¡± he said, and I just let him go, letting him steer me toward the next aisle. His basket was full by the time we were done, and he escorted me to the register. The entire time Darius kept ncing around nervously when his phone binged, and h e got a text message. He pulled his phone from his pocket. Looking at it and sighed. He looked around for a second before looking behind him. ¡°I will be right there, put the rest of the stuff up. If anyone speaks to you, scream,¡± Darius said, wondering off about 3 meters away to some confectionary stand. I ced the contents out with a sigh before putting the basket back beside the register when the man behind the register spoke. ¡°Never seen you in here before with Darius Wraith, family member?¡± he asked while scanning another item and cing it in the bag before looking at me. Surely Darius didn¡¯t mean to scream if the teller spoke to me. Before I could answer, though, Darius chucked some chocte bars on the register. ¡°Her mate, so eyes down.¡± Darius sneered at him. My face flushed; the poor guy only asked an innocent question. The man dropped his gaze and quickly started scanning. ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± I asked Darius when I noticed him looking around again. ¡°Because you¡¯re with me,¡± he said before stopping as he stared out the window at something, cutting off what he was about to say. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°So?¡± I asked, and he looked down at me. ¡°Usually, I don¡¯t bring Kalen or Lycus in here without Tobias. I should have brought someone else with me. You¡¯re too exposed,¡± he said, and my brows furrowed. ¡°Exposed to what?¡± I asked, looking around at the empty store before looking at the man serving us. He smiled at me before dropping his head when Darius¡¯s hand fell on my shoulder a s he tugged me back against him, wrapping his arm around my waist. ¡°You won¡¯t like it if I have to warn you again about looking at her. Fucking do your job,¡± Darius growled. He scanned faster while my face med at how rude Darius was to him. Getting to the car, Darius ced everything in the boot before walking me to my side of the door and waiting for me to get in before walking to the driver¡¯s side. When he got in, he chucked a chocte bar on myp, and I stared at him. ¡°Lycus said you is could crave sweet stuff?¡± I shrugged before opening it. What girl turns down chocte? Not this one, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°Exactly why is Lycus googling about Keepers shredding?¡± I asked him. ¡°Because I asked him too,¡± Darius said, starting the car. ¡°And did you have to be so mean to that poor guy? He looked like he was about to wet his pants the second time you snapped at him,¡± I tell him, biting into the chocte bar. ¡°He is a Vampiric-Fae, Aleera,¡± ¡°So?¡± Darius tilted his head to look at me before looking at myp. ¡°Remember Tobias when I found you?¡± Darius asked, and my smile fell. My face heated, remembering how crazed he became. ¡°Exactly why. I don¡¯t want him taking a bite out of what is mine,¡± Darius said, pulling onto the road before mming on the brakes. I lurched forward in my seat and nearly smashed into the dash when Darius¡¯s hand flung out, shoving me back before I head-butted it. My breathi ragged when a dark- haired middle-aged man walked out in front of the car. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 68 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Darius growled, and the man just stared through the windshield at us for a second before walking off and watching us leave. I shook my head and turned to Darius, who was watching the man in the rear vision mirror. ¡°I need to get you home,¡± he muttered. ¡°Gosh, he came out of nowhere,¡± ¡°They always do,¡± Darius muttered, and I peered over at him, wondering what he meant. He never borated on his words but kept ncing in all the mirrors as he drove. Finishing my chocte bar, I pouted, and Dariusughed. ¡°I got you more in the bag in the boot,¡± Darius chuckled. We were about 10 minutes from home and had been driving on a backroad for about five minutes already. ¡°Maybe Lycus was right about that one,¡± I said before suddenly everything exploded and I was tossed forward in my seat. One minute we were driving the next, we drove into a wall. The front of the car smashed into a shield. The windows exploded on impact, and I remembered the sound of groaning metal and felt the ss rain shards into my face before everything went ck. Dazedly I blinked to find the car upside down on the roof. I groaned, my head throbbing, and I stupidly unclipped my belt falling headfirst onto the roof lining. Blood trickled down my face a s I tried to see what had happened when I noticed Darius hanging limply from his seat. Blood gushed from a massive gaping wound across his forehead. ¡°Darius?¡± I called, shaking his arm, but he was unconscious. Crawling out of the wreck, ss stabbed into my hands. I stumbled over to his side and opened the door. I kept trying to wake him, but he was knocked out and bleeding profusely. I unclipped his seat belt worried about a car mming into us, and he fell from his seat with a groan. The smell of petrol filled the air, and I shook him, trying to rouse him awake. ¡°Darius!¡± I hissed nervously, looking around at what we ran into, but I found nothing besides the clearing, forest, and a clear road ahead. Grabbing his arms, I pulled him out, dragging him to the side of the road to a small clearing amongst the trees before fumbling in his pockets for his phone. When a thought came to me. I could run! Yet as I looked at Darius unconscious and thought of the others back home, I dismissed the idea before clutching my head that felt like someone smashed it with a sledgehammer. My vision blurred as I tried to unlock his phone to ring one of the others when I heard a whooshing noise and lots of them. Blinking, I tried to clear my vision. The shimmer of portals glistened in the distance, blobs of ck spilling out. A gasp escaped when I heard the snarls, and my head twisted each way to see around twenty different portals suddenly open up in the clearing and on the road. ¡°Darius!¡± I screamed, shaking him when I recognized what they were. Hellhounds. They charged at us; I screarned, shaking Darius as they drew closer, trying to wake him. Darius groaned, and they got about 20 feet away. I panicked, crawling on top of him. My lips smashed against his. Their feral snarls sent shivers up my spine at the sound of them, their ck furless huge bodies bounding toward us, all sharp teeth and massive ws leaping our way. Darius¡¯s magic mmed into me like a tidal wave, stealing the air from my lungs. It was so cold, like ice, as I consumed it, taking it from him. It writhed in my veins and I choked, ripping myself away, unable to consume anymore. A scream tore out of me as four of them pounced about to rip us to pieces. My ears rang from the loudness as I tossed my hands out, mming them on the ground on either side of us and shut my eyes, waiting forMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org. my death when I jolted. The movement rattled my pounding head as the hellhounds collided with the force field that I created. The huge beasts growled, trying to find a way past it when I pushed the walls higher, creating a crystal clear dome around us. Their massive bodies collided with it. Trying to break through i t. Each hit weakened me as I tried to hold it in ce. Sweat beaded on my neck and dripped off my face as I tried to hold it in ce; everything ached and cramped at the amount of exertion it took on me. Digging my hands into the earth, vines started wrapping around the dome as it splintered from the repeated blows. The vines grew with thorny branches encasing the dome, and the hellhounds snarled louder. The trickling sensation running down my face told me I wouldn¡¯t hold it much longer when m y nose started bleeding, my blood dripping onto Darius¡¯s chest where I hovered above him whilst praying for him to wake. If he didn¡¯t soon, I was going to pass out from using so much magic at once, yet they kept tearing into the vines, ripping them down as quickly as I reced them. The magic it burned t o hold them started running low and faltering when I felt warm hands grip my waist and move under my shirt to my ribs. My eyes flew open to see Darius staring at me wide-eyed at me, his obsidian eyes watching my face. ¡°You¡¯re a harmony,¡± He whispered before looking at the crystal and vine dome surrounding us. ¡°And an elemental,¡± He sputtered, looking at my vines growing around us and encasing us. It was at that moment I felt his hands heat as he gave his magic to me, replenishing it more and trying to keep me strong. ¡°I can¡¯t hold it!¡± I said through gritted teeth. My vision turned red as I blinked through bloody tears. I could taste my blood running into my mouth from my nose. ¡°Hold it a second more,¡± Darius said before one hand moved off my waist, and he ced it over his mark. I felt a shudder run through me and my infinity mark burned on my wrist as ne used his to call the others. ¡°Darius!¡± I cried, digging my fingers into the earth further as ck dots danced before my vision, and I felt the dome start crumbling around us when Darius growled when I crashed against his chest. Darius¡¯s arms wrapped around me, and he rolled, flipping me onto my back a s the walls keeping us safe started to fall. ¡°Good girl, but now I need you to remain still,¡± Darius murmured, and I blinked up at him dizzily when he growled. His eyes glowed so brightly they almost turned silver. His hands hit the ground next to my head, and the noise was horrendous. The ground was lifting, in a wave all around us, and his car rm started sounding loudly. My head fell limply to the side, and I saw the hellhounds suddenly be air-born and st backward. The ground split around us as Darius¡¯s wave of power made the ground shake and move, sending them flying back. I blinked, trying to remain conscious as my vision doubled. ¡°Stay with me, Aleera,¡± I heard Darius call to me as the sound of portals opening up reached m y ears. Heat rushed around me when firewalls suddenly encased us. The sound of pained whimpers shrieked through the air and the dots taking over my vision grewrger before taking my sightpletely and leaving me blind to my surroundings. ¡°Darius?¡± ¡°Right here with you, you¡¯re safe with me,¡± he said above me though his voice sounded muffled, and I tried to nod but couldn¡¯t fight the exhaustion as it sucked me under. ¡°I got you, ¡®were thest words I heard before nothingness. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 69 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Darius POV My mind was spinning as I held the hellhounds off. One stupid mistake nearly cost her life; I never should have taken her out of the castle grounds without the others. I was most shocked that she could have drained me of my power and portaled out and ran, leaving me, but she stayed to protect me. I knew something was off about her, but never in my wildest dreams did I think she was harmony Fae and elemental on top of that; not for one second did I ever entertain that idea, she shouldn¡¯t exist. Aleera would be a lethal weapon if appropriately trained. Why would she keep it from us? We would have protected her. However, it made so much sense now why her parents tried to kill her. ¡°Aleera, stay with me, love,¡± I called to her when my magic faltered when I was hit with a st of air. My eyes scanned my surroundings as my me wall suddenly encased us, and I barely covered her body with mine in time to stop the mes from burning her before reinforcing them stronger. Come on Tobias, where are you? I thought just before I felt the shudder of him close; Lycus¡¯s presence also felt near as my mark stopped burning, Kalen not here, and I wondered what they did to subdue him to force him to remain home. I knew that man would walk through fire for her. We all would. Whimpers and shouting could be heard all around, yet the shudder against m y shield as they bounced off it told me if I dropped it, they would get to her. ¡°Tobias behind you,¡± Lycus called out before I heard him grunt. Panic made me drop the shield to find him fighting with the man from town, the same man that walked out in front of my car. The vicious snarl as the hellhound lunged at us, ripping me back to my surroundings and the fact I dropped the shield. My body covers Aleera¡¯s head to shield her, expecting its teeth ws any second before hearing the fierce sounds of flesh being ripped from bone and mighty furious roar. Lycus¡¯ giant wolf gripped its neck in his powerful jaws, ripping the hellhound back at thest second and mming it on the ground before he shook his head, ripping out the beast¡¯s throat and spraying himself and me in blood. Looking around, I noticed he and Tobias had taken out the others, and the only person left was the man Tobias was fighting. Fool to try to sneak up o n him would have been smarter if he ran. Tobias plunged his hand in through the man¡¯s chest, his entire body became engulfed in mes. His screams drilled my ears. ¡°Idiot,¡± I mutter, thinking his puny air magic was any match for a fire user. Tobias rips his hand out, leaving his burning corpse to fall at his feet. The hellhounds put up more of a fight. Tobias runs over to us. Lycus¡¯ big ck wolfes over, sniffing and licking my face. I push his head away, lifting my body from Aleera¡¯s unconscious one. He sniffs her, licks her cheek, and nudges her before whimpering when she doesn¡¯t wake. Tobiases over and runs his hand down Lycus¡¯s back. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°She will be okay. Let us get her home,¡± Tobias tells him, and Lycus whines while I bundle her up in my arms. Blood trickled from her nose, ears, and eyes from using my magic. The amount she used told me she had never harnessed that much at once. Being an elemental, magic shoulde easy to her unless she hadn¡¯t used it. Tobias walks over to the car on its roof, and Lycus shifts back, going to give him a hand as he pushes it back on its wheels. The car banged and bounced as it was turned back upright. ¡°She has definitely seen better days,¡± Tobias mutters at my ruined car before he pushes it off t o the side of the road. Lycus retrieves the stuff from the boot and our belongings from the vehicle. ¡°Yep, need another one now,¡± Lycus hums. ¡°The car is receable. Lives aren¡¯t,¡± I tell them, and they nod before Lycus flicks his fingers a tit, setting it alight. Tobias opens a portal, and I groan as I stagger toward it with Aleera in my arms. Tobias comes to take her from me, but I pull away, not willing to let her go, and he looks at me questionably. ¡°She saved my life. She could have run, but she didn¡¯t,¡± ¡°Goes to show how wrong you were about our girl then,¡± Tobias chuckles. ¡°We were all wrong; she is an elemental harmony fae,¡± I tell him, and the shock on his face is apparent; Lycus chuckles. ¡°Yeah, right, there is no harmony left, and what would be the chances of finding a harmony that was also an elemental, impossible?¡± I stare at him, and he looks between Tobias, who nods to him that I was telling the truth. ¡°What?¡± Lycus stutters. ¡°Aleera is an elemental harmony Fae. She took my magic and protected me while I was out. I woke up to her above me holding them off,¡± I tell him. ¡°Fuck!¡± Lycus curses, and so does Tobias. This means the war we were fighting to protect had more meaning; now, the stakes were higher. Anyone finds out about her. She would have an entire world of Fae after her. It was bad enough that I was stuck for years going through tests t o recreate the elemental status until I said no more. Not like they could force me when I could melt their insides with a click of my fingers. However, Aleera, no amount of fear for what she could do would stop the council froming for her. Stepping through the portal, I find Kalen shackled by Lycus¡¯s magic. If looks could kill, we would all be dead for forcing him to remain behind. Tobias flicks his fingers in his direction as we step into our room, releasing him from the hold of his magic. The moment he is released, h e stands up and punches Tobias. ¡°How fucking dare you,¡± Kalen snarled at him while Tobias rubbed his jaw before grabbing his throat. Lycus flops on the bed, and I turn my attention back to Tobias, who presses his lips against Kalen¡¯s. ¡°I will let that slide, but don¡¯t push me, Kalen; it¡¯s unsafe for you,¡± Tobias growls at him before tugging him closer and embracing him. Kalen¡¯s eyes went to Aleera in m y arms as he tried to escape Tobias, who sighed, releasing him so he could rush over to take her from my arms. He hugs her close, burying his face in her neck andying her beside Lycus. ¡°You gave her magic?¡± he asks, and I knew he was assessing her aura when a thought urred to me. ¡°You knew she was a harmony-Fae, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kalen growls but nods. ¡°I noticed earlier when one of the phoenix¡¯s power shared to her,¡± he says it so matter-of-factly like he hadn¡¯t kept it from us. ¡°You didn¡¯t think to say something?¡± ¡°Not my ce to say; I figured she would tell you when she trusted you,¡± Kalen said, leaning down and kissing her before adjusting her on the bed, so her head was resting on Lycus¡¯s shoulder ¡°She needs magic, Darius. She won¡¯t run,¡± Kalen says, looking over at me. ¡°I know, she could have, but she didn¡¯t,¡± I tell him, lifting my shirt to find a piece of the door trim stabbed into my side. Tobias hisses as I groan, ripping the piece of metal out before his hand was covering it as he tried to heal me. ¡°Save it, I will heal on my own, save it for Aleera,¡± I groaned, sitting down holding my hand to the side to stem the bleeding as I waited for it to heal. We all kind of sat around in silence, everyone shocked at what we learned when Ryze flew in the window and shrieked as hended on the windowsill. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 70 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 70 Chapter 70 ¡°Bloody bird, she is fine,¡± I tell him, and he flies over to perch on the bed head. He leans down, looking at her and licking her cheek, caressing it with his beak while Lycus remains frozen, only for Ryze to lick his temple. I snicker when he pales. ¡°Having a taste test for when he plucks those eyes of yours out,¡± Tobias chuckles before whistling to Ryze, who flies over but instead of going to Tobias, he perched on the arm of my chair, looking down at my bleeding wound before looking at Aleera and back at me. ¡°She is fine; you bite me, I will smack your damn ass,¡± I tell him while he eyes me with his creepy beady eyes. He then took off out the window. And we all rxed; that was only momentarily when he came back but with the big fucker that we thought would kill Aleera. My fingertips fizzled as it squeezed through the window and everyone froze to see what it would d It hopped down on the ledge walking across the carpet like an oversized fucking chicken, its long tail still outside the window when it stopped beside me. Its eyes roamed over me, and Ryze cawed at it, nudging the other Phoenix, who tilted its head to the side. Such intelligent birds, but they scared the crap out of me. Its beak opened, its long tongue slivered out split at the end. Going in two different directions. I leaned back, wondering what it wanted, and my eyes darted to Tobias. When its tongue suddenly zapped my hand, the buzz of its magic shot up my arm, making me jump. When it spoke. ¡°Wee,¡± it said, and I gasped before my side heated. The Phoenix then turned and jumped back out the window, and Ryze jumped up to perch on the armchair. Nudging my side with his beak. Looking down, I find my wound closed, and my mouth falls open. ¡°Lira,¡± Ryze tried to speak before sneezing, he was still too immature to pronounce words. I knew they could talk but had never actually witnessed one speak. Then again, I tried to avoid the bloody things too. ¡°That big bastard spoke right, and?¡± Lycus pointed to Ryze, and I nodded. ¡°Now we know why we suddenly have an infestation of Phoenix¡¯s they sense White Fae, they sense their own magic,¡± I tell him, looking at Aleera passed out still. Ryze flies over to her, sitting beside her and resting his head and neck on her hip like he was some kind ofp cat wanting cuddles from its mother. ¡°I need to shower,¡± I groan, getting up and walking to the bathroom. I showered quickly when the sounds of arguing reached my ears. ¡°Of all the days they want to argue, it has to be now,¡± I mutter, wrapping a towel around my waist and shoving the door open. ¡°No, you¡¯re doing it wrong; it has to go the other way,¡± Lycus says and I noticed Ryze was gone and they were huddled together arguing over something. ¡°How does it stick, though? It says it will stick, and where are these wing things,¡¯ Tobias says, showing Lycus something on his phone, while Kalen held a pair of Aleera¡¯s panties and Lycus was holding up some of the pads. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± I ask, walking over to them. ¡°She was bleeding through her pants, we tried to wake her,¡± Kalen said, and I nced at her. Fuck, probably from using so much of my magic before she shredded. I peer at what they are watching on the phone, some youtube tutorials. ¡°Ah, we have to peel the back thing off,¡¯ Lycus says, turning the pad between his fingers. ¡°Now what?¡± he says, and Kalen leans over to peer at the screen. I shake my head, snatching her panties and the pad from Lycus¡¯s hand. ¡°Bloody morons,¡± I growled beforeying it in the underwearMaterial ? N?velDrama.Org. and folding the wing things over the sides. ¡°Ah, you used them before?¡± Kalen asks, and I raise an eyebrow at him. ¡°Common sense, fool,¡± I growl at him. ¡°Now, how do we put it on her while she is passed out?¡± ¡°We could alwaysy a tarp under her,¡± Lycus says, and Tobias snickers. ¡°What, we could then we don¡¯t have to worry about her freaking out if she wakes up while undressing her,¡± I shake my head before walking over to her removing her jeans. ¡°Get me a cloth,¡± I tell them, quickly cleaning her and cing panties on her. I tucked the nket around her, and Tobias climbed under the nket with her tucking her close. Standing up, Kalen and Lycus were staring at me. ¡°What?¡± Tobias rolls his eyes. ¡°Darius cared for his mother for years, stopping staring at him like that,¡± Tobias snapped at them. ¡°Granted, my mother wasn¡¯t a keeper, so I never had to deal with her shredding, but the same thing, stop staring at me,¡± I growled. Kalen shakes his head before climbing in bed beside Tobias. 1 ¡°We know that, it¡¯s just odd seeing you be caring toward her like you had a brain transnt,¡± Lycus snickers. ¡°Shut up,¡± I tell him, going to get changed. ¡°You think it was the council that time,¡± Tobias calls out. ¡°Who else would it be?¡± I tell him. ¡°Her parents,¡± he says. ¡°We masked her,¡± I retorted. ¡°Yes, until she used Lycus¡¯s magic earlier, it would have been like a beacon for some with those particr gifts,¡± I think over his words. We had been hunting her parents since they tried to kill her; now we knew why they did. Walking out, I stop at the end of the bed. ¡°We have an entire army; I won¡¯t let them touch her,¡± I tell him. ¡°But if she knows they¡¯re alive, what if she goes looking for them?¡± Tobias says, brushing his hand down her cheek. ¡°She won¡¯t. We are her mates,¡± Kalen whispers. ¡°But after everything?¡± Lycus murmurs worriedly. I bite the inside of my lip. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the only one that lost everything, Lycus,¡± I told him. Although, I now feel even worse after she saved me. She saved me despite everything I had forced her to endure. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 71 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 71 Chapter 71 R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Aleera POV Pain radiated through my stomach, so I rolled only for me to be invaded by Lycus¡¯s scent. A hand moves across my stomach, heat radiating out of it, and I sigh as the pain eases and nce over my shoulder to see Darius pressed against me. Darius kisses my shoulder while his thumb brushes my stomach gently where ity. He tugs me closer, so I am flush against him, his entire body heating like my very own personal hot water bottle. ¡°It¡¯ste; you should try to go back to sleep,¡± Darius murmurs. However, with him this close, I wasn¡¯t sure I could sleep knowing he was lying beside me. It kind of put me on edge, but I was reluctant to move away at the same time. ¡°What happened to the hellhounds?¡± I asked, confused. I had no memory of returning here or of anything, in fact, since I passed out. ¡°Nothing, Tobias and Lycus got to us in time,¡± Darius says. The memory of teeth and ws trying to get to us made me cringe. Shivering, I jam my feet between Lycus¡¯ legs in an attempt to warm them. Lycus hisses at how cold they were when I realized I had no pants on. I lift the nket peering under it. To find I only had underwear on and one of their shirts on. ¡°I changed you; you bled through your pants,¡± Darius whispered behind me. My face heats at that thought before shaking it off. I had literally bled on hisp in the shower, and he didn¡¯t seem fazed. ¡°Geez, your feet are freezing, ¡± Lycus hisses before wiggling a little closer and rubbing my thighs and the back of my legs with his hands, trying to warm them. My heart races with their closeness, yet the bond soared, enjoying their skin against mine. It took everything in me not t o reach out and bury my face in Lycus¡¯s neck or climb on him. Although I didn¡¯t want to move away from my demon hot water bottle either, especially while he was being nice. 1 ¡°Move closer, Lycus; she wants your scent,¡± Darius says, and I peer at him over my shoulder. ¡°Demonic-Fae, Love. I¡¯m part incubus. So, I can sense your desire and what you¡¯re craving,¡± I thought over his words and turned back to see Lycus smile slyly. ¡°I have no issues being all nice and close,¡± Lycus says, his eyes flickering under the dim light from the open firece. Lycus pressed his chest against mine, his entire body touching, and I slid my leg between his, melting against him, suddenly not caring if I looked needy; I just wanted his skin and Darius¡¯s heat. ¡°Go to sleep, Aleera. You¡¯re safe with us,¡± Darius whispers. ¡°You¡¯re not mad,¡± I ask him. ¡°Mad that our keeper is one of the most powerful Fae in the world? Never, but now we know w e need to take extra precautions,¡± Darius whispers behind me. His sudden change since the other day was giving me whish, and some part of me wondered if he was only being nice because he wanted my non-existent power. Or because he now knew he owned the ultimate weapon, one he could use to his benefit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lycus asks, and I open my eyes to see him staring at me. ¡°Nothing,¡± I whisper, and I see his eyes dart to Darius behind me before I push my face into Lycus¡¯s neck, only to hear him start purring. The sound soothed my soul as I melted against them while Darius¡¯s heat bled through me like my own personal heat pack. I sighed, closing my eyes and snuggling between them, enjoying i t for now because no doubt they would probably go back to hating me when I was no longer shredding and of no use to them. So, for now, I would enjoy the bond and worry about its withdrawal when it happens. I knew I would pay dearly for letting them this close. The withdrawal from the bond would be pure agony, yet I ignoredmon sense, instead, giving into it for once. I let my eyes close. A few hourster, I was awoken by Ryze, his beak ying with my hair, his tongue flicking over my cheek, and I blinked up at him perched on the bedhead. Lycus was still asleep, and I could hear Darius snoring behind me, feel his breath on me tickling the back of my neck. Rubbing my eyes, I lift Darius¡¯s arm off of me and I wiggle out from between them and scoot to the end of the bed. Seeing that I was getting up, Ryze flies over to me and perches himself on my shoulder, rubbing his beak across my cheek and cooing softly. His weight was bing heavy, and his talons dug into my flesh, making me hiss. Still, I scratched his tummy feathers as I peered back at the bed. Kalen was beside Lycus, snuggled against him, also asleep. However, Tobias wasn¡¯t in bed, and I couldn¡¯t see him in the room. Getting I walked toward the bathroom; I turned the handle, only for it to open before I could. Tobias steps out, having just hopped out of the shower. A towel hung dangerously low on his hips, his hair wet, and droplets from the shower cascaded down his chest. Some foreign urge to trace the hard lines of his abs rushes over me. My breathing hitches as my eyes travel lower to his V-line that disappeared beneath his towel. Ryze shifts his weight on my shoulder, his talons digging into my skin and corbone, piercing through my delicate skin. ¡°Ryze, careful,¡± Tobias says, holding his hand out for him to climb on, I was relieved when Ryze climbed up his arm and off mine only to perch on Tobias¡¯s shoulder momentarily before he flew off out the window. ¡°We need to cut his ws,¡± I tell Tobias while looking down at my bleeding shoulder; I wipe the blood off only to look up at Tobias, whose eyes were zed over, staring at my neck. Tobias licks his lips. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 72 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°Tobias?¡± I ask. He shakes his head, snapping himself out of whatever frenzied daze he was in. ¡°Pardon?¡± he says. I look at the bed that Lycus was climbing out of, and Kalen and Dariusy still sound asleep. I held up my wrist with a sigh, and Tobias shook his head when I felt heat press against my back before feeling fingers swipe my hair to my other shoulder. Lycus kisses my cheek as I looked over my shoulder at him. ¡°He wants to feed on you,¡± Lycus growls before his lips trail up my shoulder and neck. My breath hitches as sparks zap and move over my skin. I tilt my head, giving him better ess, loving the feel of his lips on my body. The bond urged me to give myself to them and let them do what they wanted with me, and I wanted to do precisely that. Desire coursed through me so viciously it made my legs tremble as Lycus pulled me against him. One hand squeezed my breast while the other sat t against my abdomen. ¡°You¡¯re overwhelming her, Lycus,¡± Darius says, and I blink out of my lust-filled daze to look over at him as he sits up in bed. Darius rubs his eyes while Kalen wiggles closer, cing his head in Darius¡¯p and wrapping his arms around Darius¡¯s waist. I watched as Darius ran his fingers through Kalen¡¯s hair, and I suddenly wanted to crawl back into bed to be with them. ¡°Someone wants to shred,¡± Lycus whispers, and I look up at him behind me. Lycus smiles seductively, and his eyes turn obsidian as his big hand cups my cheek, tilting my face toward his. I swallow at his closeness when his eyes dart to my lips. He smiles mischievously, leaning his face closer; his breath fans over my lips teasingly, nearly touching but waiting to see if I would pull away. 2 When I closed the distance, his rich cinnamon and smokey scent enticed me, my lips brushing his plump ones, wanting ess. The noise that leaves me when his tongue brushes mine sounded needy as I turned in his arms, kissing him hungrily. He smiles amusedly against my lips as I maul him. My tongue tangled with his and I kissed him deeper. Lycus¡¯ huge hands gripped my thighs, hoisting me up. I wrap my legs around his waist, and my arms go around his neck. One of his hands slides up my back to my neck as Lycus kisses me harder, dominating my mouth as he tastes every inch, devouring my lips in a soul-destroying kiss. Heat rushed through me, and I gasped, pulling away from him breathlessly. Lycus smiles smugly, and his eyes flicker. He gave me some of his magic, just a taste, and I wanted more. His magic writhed through me, tickling my insides. Amoan escaped me, my eyes falling shut when warmth seeps into my back, stopping me from falling backward at the sensation rolling through me. It slivered in my veins; it felt empowering though it flickered and tried to mingle with my white magic, making me bite my lips as I fought the urge to let it meld together but oh how I wanted it too. Yet fear of the unknown kept me level-headed. I wasn¡¯t sure what I could do, and some part of that scared me after hiding it for so long. Thenst night¡¯s thought returned. Were they only using me because they now knew what I was, and I knew the only one that would get hurt if they were the case was me? My thoughts became troubled when I felt fangs pierce my neck, and power flooded into me like a tidal wave, cold and powerful, and my eyes fluttered shut and my toes curled. ¡°Don¡¯t fight it,¡± Lycus murmured before his lips crashed against mine. His power surged through me and mixed with Tobiass when I felt my heartbeat erratically. It felt like it was going to burst or leap out of my chest when desire so strong smashed into me, making me gasp as Tobias¡¯s hands moved up my sides. Tobias had marked me, and I could suddenly feel everything he felt. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. No malice, just Tobias and his hunger, desire, and eptance. He pulls his teeth from my neck, his lips traveling up t my neck to below my ear. ¡°I want you, Aleera, not what you can do for me,¡± Tobias murmurs when I feel Lycus¡¯s teeth sink into the same spot, making my toes curl. My hips roll against his, Lycus¡¯s hands squeeze my ass as all his power surges into me, along with Tobias¡¯s. Blending together mingling, forcing me to drop the barrier between both sides of magic, unable to contain it as it erupted, my veins tingling, and my skin buzzed. Lycus pulls his teeth from my neck, my blood-stained lips. ¡°2 down, 2 to go,¡± Lycusughs before his lips crash against mine hungrily. I could feel them completely, everything they felt, and I could feel they gave me every drop of their power. They were both at my mercy if I chose not to give it back, and I smiled against his lips with that knowledge. 1 Kalenughed, making me pull away from Lycus, who also looks over at him. ¡°What?¡± Lycus asks him. ¡°She emptied your reserves,¡± Kalen teases with an amusedugh. ¡°So?¡± Tobias says against my neck. I sigh at the feel of his lips on my skin. ¡°What if she refuses to give it back?¡± Kalen mocks, and Tobias¡¯s lips stop their teasing. ¡°I¡¯ll get it back,¡± Lycus growls, rolling my hips against his front, his erection pressing against me and making me moan obscenely. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Aleera?¡± I shake my head, and he growls, making me open my eyes to stare at him. Lycus nips my lips. ¡°You will give it back,¡± he purrs against my lips. ¡°Make me,¡± my airy voice almost a moan as arousal flooded into me and Tobias presses closer. Lycus chuckles darkly. ¡°Our little Vixen wants to y,¡± Lycus taunts. ¡°Hmm, appears so. Let¡¯s see who breaks her first then,¡± Tobias growls as Lycus¡¯s lips m against mine and Tobias¡¯s hands move up my hips, sneaking under my shirt and going to my breasts, squeezing them. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 73 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Their touch burned and excited me. Overwhelmingly strong were the feelings through the bond. It should have scared me, having so many hands touching and tugging on me. Tobias¡¯s hand moved to my shirt, tugging it off over my head and forcing Lycus¡¯s lips to leave mine. Tobias¡¯s hand gripped my throat, tilting my head back before his lips covered mine, my back pressing against his chest when I felt Lycus¡¯s lipstch onto my nipple. Electricity shot through me, their magic swirling like a storm within me as it mingled with my newly awakened magic, strengthening it, armoring theirs, and fueling mine. My reserves re energized when Lycus bites my nipple, his teeth breaking the delicate skin, and I gasp, ripping my lips from Tobias¡¯s to scold him only for Lycus¡¯s lips to crash against mine. He chuckled, pushing me closer to Tobias, who was suddenly forced against the wall with me pressed between them. Lycus moans, and I drop my guard under the assault of his tongue, tasting every inch of my mouth. His fiery tongue tangled with mine when I felt the zap as he stole some of his power back. He pulls his lips from mine with a gasp; he shivers and groans, the sound almost a moan when his eyes bleed ck, and he suddenly looked demonic, a cocky grin on his face as he blinked. ¡°Fuck!¡± he groans, his skin rippling like he was about to shift, yet I could feel it was my power morphing with his that was causing it, his aura ten times stronger, and he wasn¡¯t even using it. Lycus¡¯s canines slip out from between his lips, protruding as he breathes heavily, his ws slipping from his fingers, and he loosens his grip, so they don¡¯t pierce into me just when I feel Tobias sink his teeth into my neck over my mark. My eyes roll in the back of my head as pleasure erupts all over, spine-tingling bliss as I feel him feed on me, yet even as he drained some of my magic instead of feeling weaker, my power burned hotter, stronger, and I exhaled when he pulled his teeth from my neck. I heard his head hit the wall as he threw it back. ¡°So seductively sweet,¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. He growled; his body shuddered and behind me when I felt Lycus¡¯s hands warm as he fed his magic back into me. ¡°Careful, Lycus, don¡¯t overwhelm her,¡± Darius growls, making my eyes open to see Darius climb off the bed. He walked over to us, and I could feel through the bond that Tobias was struggling with Just behind me, my magic bleeding through him, overpowering him. Darius stopped beside us, looking at Tobias worriedly behind me, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me. He had enough control, and I was sure I could take him if needed. Darius observes them curiously like he could sense the power through our mates. Reaching my hand out, I grip his shoulder and yank him toward me. He stumbles, and I lean over, smashing my lips against his, wanting to know what it would be like with all their magic racing through me. Darius¡¯ lips were warm against mine, soft, and I siphoned his power within seconds. His shock at me kissing me had dropped his guard, and it bled into me quickly as I pulled back away from him. His power was like ice in my veins, so cold and intense it made my heart stutter, and I gasped for air as I swallowed down the power bleeding into me and mingling with ours; mine was fighting to change his while his powerful magic was fighting to change mine. His power danced with mine, ying with it, teasing mine, and making goosebumps rise all over my body. ¡° You little minx, you stole it,¡± Darius chuckled, and I giggled, worried he would be mad, but he just seemed amused. Kalen roared withughter behind me. ¡°Not such a big wicked demon after all.¡± Kalen laughed behind him, making Darius smirk before ncing back at Kalen. Hisughing cut off when Darius growled. My heart lurched in my chest when Darius pounced on him, causing him t o shriek, and I flinched about to help Kalen when Lycus¡¯ lips nipped at my chin. ¡°Darius is ying with him; he won¡¯t hurt him,¡± Lycus purrs, and he was right as I watched Darius pin him to the bed before his lips crashed against Kalen¡¯s. Kalen writhed beneath him while also trying to escape him. Darius chuckles, pinning his wrists above his head. Darius¡¯s hand was moving between their bodies, and arousal smashed into me when I saw him squeeze Kalen¡¯s cock through his boxer shorts. Kalen groaned and rocked his hips up against him. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from them, loving seeing this yful side to them. Darius¡¯s tongue slipped into his mouth briefly before he pulled up a teasing smile on his lips, and Kalen pouted. ¡° If you want it back, take it,¡± Darius teases, making me realize Darius stole his magic. ¡°What do you want to do, love? I take you over there to them. You won¡¯t be leaving the bed, or do you still want to shower?¡± Tobias purred behind me. That was suddenly a tough question to answer because I wanted both things. ¡°Or one of us could join you?¡± Lycus purred. Darius and Kalen nced over to see what I would choose. ¡°In that case, I choose Kalen,¡± I giggled, and Tobias huffed behind me while Lycus growled, scrunching his face up before smiling. Darius looks down at Kalen beneath him. 1 ¡°Maybe you can steal mine back from her,¡± Darius purrs, leaning down at nipping at Kalen¡¯s lips before kissing him. I could see the exchange this time, paying attention as Darius gave him back his magic, Kalen¡¯s aura growing stronger before Darius lets him up. Lycus ced me on my feet and stepped back. The bond urged me to chase him, bring him back to me; it craved his touch. ¡°He¡¯s all yours,¡± Lycus chuckles as Kalenes over to me. His eyes roam over my face and down to my bare chest, his breathing bing heavier, and I watch his eyes darken. I reach for him. Despite craving his touch, I am more gentle with Kalen, unable to be rough with him, yet I felt he craved roughness like some part of him got sick of everyone treating him like he was made of ss. Kalen grabbed my throat before I could touch him, ripping me toward him before his lips crashed against mine. That was the moment I realized, no, Kalen didn¡¯t crave roughness, he desired control, something he was rarely given by the others, and I had no issues letting him have it as his mouth dominated mine, devouring my lips while his grip on my neck grew tighter. ¡°Kalen gentle,¡± Tobias whispered, but I shook my head, knowing Kalen wanted this, knowing he needed it. 1 His mouth went to my jaw and neck. The heat of Tobias pressing against my back seeped into me and his concern for me. ¡°He¡¯s fine. Leave him be,¡± I moan when his grip bes rougher, his fingers digging into my breast as he squeezed it with his other hand before pressing himself against me. My breathing becamebored when I felt his teeth sink into me over their marks; I hissed at the pain because his teeth were bluntpared to Tobias and Lycus¡¯s. I clutch him closer, feeling the bond wash over me, Kalen¡¯s emotions bleeding into me along with his magic when he pulls his face from my neck. His eyes were closed, and my blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He sighed, and I gripped his chin, tilting his face down toward mine before licking the trail of my blood back to his lips before kissing him. Kalen smiled against my lips as my tongue delved between his. All too soon, he pulled away. ¡°3 down one to go?¡± he breathed, brushing his nose against mine. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 74 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Tobias moves behind me. His lips press softly to my jaw, and I tilt my head, giving him better ess. My eyes flutter closed at the sparks rushing over my skin, making goosebumps rise over my body as he left open mouth kisses on my skin. Sucking and nipping at my soft flesh. His teeth grazed and teased as his arms wrapped around my waist, firmly holding me against him. Kalen¡¯s lips crashed against my own, his tongue demanding as it moved between my parted lips, tasting every inch of my mouth. Their touch was invigorating and empowering as their magic passed between us with each touch and gentle caress. I ran my hands across Kalen¡¯s warm chest, loving the tingling sensation beneath my palms and the feeling of his arousal from the bond. Tobias growls, the sound sending a cold chill up my spine as his teeth pierce my flesh and nearly cause my knees to buckle. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as his tonguepped at my neck, his grip bing stronger. His bite is no longer painful but pleasurable, and I push back against him, my lips pulling away from Kalen¡¯s as I moan at the euphoria coursing through me. Darius¡¯ scent reaches my nose. His masculine smokey scent wrapping around me made my eyes open to see him watching me. Kalen steps out of his way and moves toward the bathroom door. H e opens it, and I hear the shower turn on a few secondster. Tobias pulled his fangs from my neck, and I felt a little lightheaded as the ecstasy of his bite left and forced me back to reality. ¡°Go shower before they get carried away,¡± Darius whispers. His eyes flickered like he was fighting his own urges to mark me. His hands fell on my hips, and he turned me toward the bathroom, where I could see Kalen was already in the shower. I gulp when he turns, and he wets his face. His body looked like it was hand sculpted. Kalen was b y far the smallest, with his height and muscle, more athletically built and leaner. Yet his softness was what made him so appealing. That and the calmness I found when with Kalen. Whereas Lycus looked like he lived in a gym despite never seeing him use one, his werewolf DNA was strong, and he was all muscle on muscle. Darius¡¯s body, you could tell, was lethal, bulky, and hard pressed behind me. N?velDrama.Org ? content. He and Tobias were built simrly, both towering over the rest of us. ¡°Are you just going to stand there?¡± Kalen asked, raising an eyebrow while I gawked at how perfect he was. He smirks, his hair falling in his eyes now that it was wet. He runs his fingers through his hair, flicking his hair out of his face as he turns back to wash himself. Darius pushes me through the door, making me stumble. His hand on my stomach caught me before I face-nted onto the tiles because I stared off in a daze, too busy perving on my mate. Dariusughed softly behind me. ¡°Kalen is delicious to look at,¡± Darius tells me, and I nod stupidly. I am pretty sure he could have said anything, and I would have nodded, still focused on Kalen, my mind refusing toprehend anything or anyone else. ¡°Kalen, stop. She can barely function,¡± Darius tells him, and I feel the trance that gripped me lessen, making me blink rapidly. ¡°He was fiddling with your aura, pulling on it.¡± Darius murmurs when I feel his fingers trail along the waistband of my pants. I grip his hands. -¡°You¡¯re not bleeding; I checked you early this morning while you were asleep,¡± Darius tells me, and I sigh, I know I should probably be embarrassed, yet I found I was anything but. Darius slid them down, and I quickly stepped out of them. ¡°I will get some towels for you both,¡± Darius murmurs, and I grip his wrist as he turns to walk out. H e stops looking at me as I turn, pulling him toward the shower. His eyes move behind me to Kalen. Kalen¡¯s wet hand gripped my hip as he tugged me to him. His skin was hard and warm against my back as he pulled me under the shower spray. He detaches the showerhead, and I shiver when the spray sts through my hair as Kalen wets it. Yet I stood waiting to see what Darius would do when I let his hand go. ¡°Would you like a written invitation, Darius? I don¡¯t think she could be clearer unless she said it,¡± Kalen asks him behind me as he hooks the showerhead back onto the wall. Kalen grabs the soap, his arm wrapping around my waist as hethers my skin with his hand holding the soap. Citrus and vani flooded the room as the steam heated the ce, making the mirror fog. Darius turns and walks out, and I sigh. Invariably, one step forward and ten back with him. Turning i n Kalen¡¯s arms, he smiles down at me before dipping his face lower, his lips brushing mine softly when heat moves across my back, seeping into me. I pull away from Kalen to see Darius step in behind me when I nce over my shoulder. His hot skin brushes mine as he closes the shower screen behind him. His hands move to my hips, and Kalen¡¯s hands trail up to my ribs, softly caressing my sides when he turns me to face Darius. Kalen¡¯s hand moves to my breast, fondling it, and I lean back against him, only for Darius to take a step closer. His face was barely inches from mine as he watched Kalen¡¯s hands exploring my body, touching and caressing. I ce my palm in the center of Darius¡¯s chest, the heat radiating from him hotter than the water ! stood under. Darius looks down at my hand and steps closer, his lips smashing against mine. His hand moved from my hip and went to my hair as he pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. His lips devoured mine, and I had to pull away for air. Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 75 Tasting Darkness By Jessicahall Chapter 75 Chapter 75 As he stepped closer, Darius¡¯s lips moved to my neck, so his entire body was flush against mine. Kalen¡¯s erection dug into my lower back, and Darius fists my hair in his hand, tugging at my hair and forcing my head back. His tongue flicked my earlobe. He nibbles on it, teasing it with his teeth, making me moan when Kalen¡¯s hand presses between Darius and me on my stomach. Kalen¡¯s fingers trailed down between my legs when he cupped my pussy with his hand, squeezing i t, making me shiver as sparks rushed straight to my clit. Lust coursed violently through me when his fingers parted my lower lips before shoving his finger inside me. My legs shook with the sudden intrusion as he slid his finger in as deep as possible, making Darius groan and pull away to look down at Kalen¡¯s hand, teasing and ying with me. ¡°Gently Kalen,¡± Darius says before his hand covers Kalen slowing his movements. Darius pulls Kalen¡¯s hand gently, guiding his finger inside me. Both of them ying with me, and my arousal spills out of me, coating Kalen¡¯s finger and hand as I writhed between them. I grip Darius¡¯ arm, my legs trembling as he moves Kalen¡¯s hand faster. ¡°Curl your finger upward,¡± Darius growls, watching Kalen¡¯s hand when he does, making me cry out when his finger brushes some part I did not know existed, causing a breathy moan to leave my lips and my eyes fluttered closed. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Darius murmurs, making my eyes open to find Darius¡¯ eyes watching my face when I feel Darius¡¯ finger slip inside me alongside Kalen¡¯s. His finger is warmer and longer as he slid in, matching Kalen¡¯s rhythm and guiding Kalen to the same spot that made warmth pool in my lower stomach, my body tingling. My walls mp down on their fingers, and Kalen¡¯s arm tightens around my ribs, keeping me upright. My nails into Darius¡¯s arm earning me a growl when Darius¡¯ lips swallow his and Kalen¡¯s fingers moved quicker. The feeling they were stirring up within me builds quickly, and Darius kisses the side of my mouth. His tongue teasing the seam of my lips. ¡°Can I mark you?¡± he murmurs against my lips, making my eyes snap open when he asks for permission. ¡°You¡¯re asking?¡± I said, a little shocked. ¡°Maybe I should have all along,¡± he whispered before his finger curled inside me, making me shake and cry out. He smirks. My face heating and my head rolls back against Kalen¡¯s shoulder behind m ¡°Is that a yes?¡± Darius growls, his teeth grazing my jaw and down my neck where all their marksy. ¡°Yes,¡± I answer breathlessly. His teeth sink into my neck over their marks, sending me over the edge. My moans resounded loudly off the tiled walls. My inner walls clenched their fingers as my pussy pulsated, my orgasm rippling over me, making my knees go out from under me. Darius stepped closer. Kalen bore all my weight on his arm that was securely around me, trapping me between them. Their fingers slowed as rode out the orgasm that washed over me in waves when I felt Darius¡¯s teeth smash through the barrier and merge with all their bonds. His magic smashed into mine as it fought mine, wanting to return to its owner. His cold power bled into my veins quickly, tangling and dominating mine, only for mine to fight back and morph and change his, turning his magic from ice cold to warm as it slivered through me strongly. Darius¡¯ emotions bleed into me like a tidal wave. Shock and awe are the strongest, followed by his longing. Only he now genuinely realized what it meant that I was a harmony Fae. Material ? N?velDrama.Org. Both light and dark coexisting as one, mingling and blurring the lines between what should be impossible but somehow fit like pieces of a puzzle, and Darius just gave me thest piece. Darius pulls his teeth from my neck, and his eyes flicker oddly. The color-changing from ck to gold then shes before turning ck again. He cups my face with his hand, and their fingers slip out of me. Darius kisses me softly, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth, mal gentle he could be. ¡°Four down, Four to go,¡± he whispers against my lips, and my brows furrow at his words. ¡°We all belong to you now, so now you get to choose if you belong to us,¡± Darius murmurs, pressing his forehead against mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, tugging him down to kiss him. He answers instantly, and I hear the shower screen open up. Kalen shuffles around behind me, and Darius pulls me closer, allowing Lycus and Tobias to step into the shower with us. Lycus turns one of the other shower heads on, adjusting it as it wasn¡¯t detachable. Darius¡¯ hands move to my thighs before he grips them, lifting me. I wrap my legs around his waist. His hands squeezed my ass when I suddenly felt all their hands o n me. Tobias messaging my scalp with shampoo. Lycus¡¯ fingers teased as he and Kalen washed m My lips go to Darius¡¯ neck, and he groans lewdly, his hands squeezing harder, and I could feel him hard below me. Tobias gripped my hair, tilting my head back to rinse out the shampoo. I close my eyes when Darius¡¯ hot mouthtches onto my nipple, making me moan when I feel Lycus¡¯ lipstch onto the other. The bond was odd. I could feel thempletely, differentiate who was who and where they were without even looking like an extra sense now that they had marked me. Their lips tease when Tobias lets go of my hair, letting me lift my head back. Darius¡¯ lips went back to mine while Tobias¡¯s fingers swept my hair over one shoulder, his lips teasing as he nipped at my shoulder and neck. Darius growls. His tongue dominated my mouth as he rolled my hips against him. ¡°Hmm, someone is tempting darkness,¡± Tobias purred against my neck, and Darius pulled away. His eyes flicker, and he smirks. ¡°Now she is about to taste it,¡± Darius growls. Tasting Darkness Chapter 76 By Jessicahall Tasting Darkness Chapter 76 By Jessicahall My heart skips a beat at his words , and Darius¡¯s lips go to their marks on my neck , making me moan when Kalen grips my hair . He tugged my head back before his lips covered mine . I answered his kiss , turning in Darius¡¯s arms to wrap mine around Kalen¡¯s neck , pulling him closer when I felt him grab me . Darius transferred me over to him . Kalen pushes me against the shower wall , and m y blood sings in my veins at his roughness . My legs wrap around his waist securely , and the others move around , showering . I thought Darius would be angry that I wanted Kalen , yet they all seemed to ept it like they knew before I even did . Kalen¡¯s tongue moves between my lips , assaulting my mouth , and I gasp into his mouth . Any reservations I had left now , I a m safely in Kalen¡¯s hands . I knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt me . I knew none of them would , but I felt more rxed with Kalen . Kalen sucks my bottom lip into his mouth , his teeth tugging on it , and the bond res making me mewl . The noises leaving me as the bond thrived grew more robust and were embarrassing . However , they didn¡¯t mind or mention my sudden insatiable hunger for them and their magic . The urge to take his power and recharge him was overwhelming , and my body tingled as I ran my fingers up the back of his neck and into his hair . Kalen shudders before I feel the sparks zap my fingertips . My bond siphoning his magic and absorbing it before feeding it back to him stronger , the cycle relentless , and the more I did , the more desire coursed through me . It was almost maddening , the urges rolling over me entirely out of my control as I moved my hips against him . His hard cock pressed against my wet pussy . Any fear I may have extinguished , and I felt the moment carnal instinct washed over mepletely . My vision changed , and m y entire body tingled as I blinked . Kalen gasped , pulling away from me . My reflection in his eyes made me gasp when I saw my eyes glowing and turningpletely white , radiating back at me like a raging storm . The buzz under my skin intensified , a feral , hungered noise leaving me as my lips crashed against his hungrily . Any control I had was now lost and forgotten a s I gave in to the feeling . Kalen chuckles against my lips as I mauled him . ¡± Not here , Kalen . Take her to the room . She isn¡¯t losing her virginity on a shower wall , ¡± Lycus tells him ; however , I couldn¡¯t care less where I lost anything right now . All I could focus on was the feeling the bond was drowning me in , lust coursing through me rapidly and burning me up like wildfire as I attacked him . Tasting the saltiness of his skin , anything I could get my mouth on . I could feel him moving , felt the cold draft rush over me as he stepped out of the shower with me in his arms , yet my skin was boiling hot , my skin itching with a foreign need . Their hands touching and drying me made me moan . Kalen chuckles as my tongue assaults his lips , chin , and neck . Material ? N?velDrama.Org. He doesn¡¯t stop me or pull away , his magic bleeding in and out of me . So much power was being transferred that it was ridiculous . Arousing and electrifying at the same time . I understood why it was called shredding , like burning off energy rapidly , only to absorb more and burn it off by giving it back . Each time his power grew stronger , the more I pulled on it before giving it back to him . I struggled with focus , recognition , desire , and instinct taking over , and my back hit the mattress . Kalen tried to untangle himself from me , but my fingers refused to let go of his shoulders , and I growled like an animal when he tried . y My legs wrapped around him , securely holding him in ce against me . Yet his worry bled through the bond . However , m bond was uncaring , only hungry for him and his power . When hot hands gripped the sides of my face . My head is pulled back , and I am pushed t against the mattress ; I see Darius¡¯s demonic eyes staring down at me . A seductive smile on his lips . ¡± Calm . Slow Aleera , you will regret it in the morning , ¡± his words sounded reasonable , yet instinct refused to let go oI me as I clutched Kalen closer . Darius¡¯s eyes glow , burning brightly before I feel him turn his magic on me , forcing me to rx , and my legs unravel from around Kalen¡¯s waist falling open on the bed , and my fingers let him go . Kalen sighs , but Darius¡¯s magic almost had me sedated , and the fog washing over me and clouding me lifts slightly , making me blink up at him . ¡° 1 Darius smirks . ¡± That¡¯s it , calm Aleera , Darius murmurs before leaning down and kissing me softly , his tongue gently brushing mine , his hands on the sides of my face slid down to my neck , his thumbs brushing along my jaw , warm and making my skin tingle . ¡± Maybe one of you should ? ¡± Kalen whispers , and Darius pulls his lips from mine to look at him . My breathing was harsh as the need for Kalen¡¯s power overwhelmed me . It was like the bond craved him , yet subconsciously , it went with who I would have chosen first . It was an odd feeling . Darius lets me go , and the moment he does , I attack Kalen ; the bond overwhelming me . Kalen¡¯s nervousness hits me like a p in the face when Darius grabs me , pulling me back down , his magic moving through me again and sedating me . Yet still , my hips rocked against Kalen , my legs locked around his waist . ¡± Her bond wants you , Kalen , ¡± Tobias tells him , but the fire coursing through me became painful the more he denied me , I groaned as my arousal spilled out , coating my thighs . But Kalen just stared down at me , and I mewl . Kalen bites his lip , looking down at me . I wondered why he was denying me ; the bond screaming out painfully for him , but he just stared down at me , and the feeling through the bond was almost fear . ¡± Maybe Tobias should , ¡± Kalen murmurs . Tears prick my eyes at Kalen¡¯s words . The bond recoiled in my chest , making me cry out . My back arched at his rejection as pain rippled through me when Lycus moved onto the bed beside me , his magic flooding into me as his hand moved across my stomach , the bond rxing under his touch , and I fell back against the bed . Humiliated at the way my bond was reacting , tears stung my eyes . I couldn¡¯t even speak , incapable of it . Everything became based on instinct and the feeling of my bond tugging on theirs . It became clear why everyone always said you needed your mates when shredding . It was agony and uncontroble ; I was at the mercy of my bond , inhibited by instincts I was not used to . ¡± Calm , he is scared . Aleera . He isn¡¯t rejecting you , ¡± Lycus murmured before leaning over and kissing me softly and sucking on my bottom lip . He nibbles on it before pulling away from me and smiling back at me . Darius ¡® hands still cupping my face warm up more , his magic bleeding through me , trying to calm my frantic bond , and I see Tobias kiss Kalen¡¯s shoulder . Kalen turns his head to face him , to look at him , and Tobias kisses him . The sight made my bond re stronger , saddened Kalen would give in to Tobias , but not me . ¡± I know you want him . He will give your bond what it wants . Kalen has never been with a woman . Just give him a second , ¡° Darius purrs , leaning down and kissing m e softly . His words startled me for a second , and when he pulled away , Kalen was staring down at me with a worried look on his face and his cheeks heat . His embarrassment hits me , and my bond calms , reacting to him . Wanting tofort him and tell him it was ok , which it was , I was a virgin , for god sake , and not many were at the age of twenty ¨C four , especially a damn keeper . A purr escapes me , a noise I wasn¡¯t aware I could make , my bond rushing out like an aura and reassuring him . Kalen sighs , closing his eyes and tipping his head back . My body felt foreign doing things I had no control over . The urge tofort my mate became overwhelming , and I felt the tension start to leave him . ¡± What are you worried about ? Hurting her ? I can assure you right now you won¡¯t , not while she is like this , ¡± Tobias chuckles , nodding toward me writhing on the bed . Kalen looks down at me , and his face takes on a darkened expression , his eyes flickering and the room chilled slightly , reacting to his mood . And for the first time , I got glimmers of his aura . I had never seen one , and I knew i t was because I was filled with his magic . However , Kalen¡¯s was ck as coal , and fractures like shattered ss crackled within it . Darkness , his aura , was tainted by the darkness that sometimes took over him , showing how close he lived to the edge of this world and death , a limbo between the light and darkness that swirled within him . ¡± Yes , but mostly what she will see , ¡± Kalen says , and Lycus cups Kalen¡¯s cheek with his hand . His thumb smoothed under his eye . Tasting Darkness Chapter 77 By Jessicahall Tasting Darkness Chapter 77 By Jessicahall It won¡¯t make her love you any less , ¡± Lycus told him . Their words confused me , and I tried to process what he meant . I wanted desperately to ask , yet my tongue felt thick in my mouth . I nced at Darius , who held an indecipherable expression . Worry etched on his handsome face , a crease forming between his eyes as I stared up at him questionably . Darius licks his lip , and his eyes go to mine and soften slightly . ¡± There is a reason they are called keepers . They are keepers of more than magic , Aleera . You get their magic , but you also get all their secrets , even the ones we haven¡¯t told each other . ¡± Darius murmured thest part like he had just remembered that . That was what Kalen was worried about ? I knew that already , so why was he so scared of me learning about his past ? The atmosphere in the room changed now that Darius spoke the words . A nervous ripple coursed through all of them as they watched me . ¡± Kalen doesn¡¯t have a good one , Aleera . I ¡± know you are probably having trouble keeping a singr thought , but you should know not one of us has a ster past , ¡± Lycus whispers while leaning over me . He brushes his nose against mine and pecks my lips . My bond forgetting the conversation and my hands grip his arms , tugging him closer and deepening the kiss . Lycus palms my breast before rolling my nipple between his fingers as I kiss him . Hands smoothed over my thighs , and Lycus pulled away from me just as Kalen gripped my hips , yanking me closer to him . His eyes flicker at me , and he purrs , a cocky grin splitting onto his face . Kalen pushes my legs further apart before grabbing his cock in his hand . He runs the tip between my glistening wet folds , making me arch my hips , wanting him to sink himself inside my tight confines . Lycus growls , and my eyes dart to him to find him watching Kalen tease me by running his cock between my lips , parting them . Lycus leans down , and Kalen moves slightly as Lycus¡¯s mouth covers my throbbing pussy , his hot tongue brushing my clit , making me cry out and buck against his lips . Lycus growls , sucking on my clit , and I watch Kalen run his fingers through Lycus¡¯s hair . My hips roll against his fiery tongue . Arousal makes my muscles tense , and heat pools in my belly , desire coursing through me , and my thighs be slick a s my juices spill from me , coating his lips . Lycus pulls away , and Kalen grips the back of his neck , bringing Lycus¡¯s lips to his and kissing him . Tasting me on his Lycus lips . Kalen lets him go , and my breathing bes harsh as the bond grows impatient . Kalen looks down at me and smirks before running the tip of his cock between my pussy lips again teasingly , stopping at my entrance . Tobias moves onto the bed o n my other side , his lipstching onto my nipple , making me moan , and his hand falls on my knee , pulling my leg further open . Kalen¡¯s hand falls on my thigh , spreading my legs wide apart as he moves closer and pushes the tip in . R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I gasp at the feeling , and Tobias pulls away , and I see Kalen watching me as he slowly pushes inside me , stretching me around his thick shaft . His cock grazing my inner walls , gliding in smoothly coated in my juices . M y pussy grips him , and he groans . His eyes flicker before he shoves inside me , his hips flush against me . Kalen stills before watching himself slide out of me , and his eyes flick to mine when I move my hips , forcing him back inside . Darius growls , his hands moving to my shoulders before letting me go . His magic lets me go , and the bond is flooded with primal desire . Kalen smiled darkly , gripping my hips and mming into me . I reach for him , my hands wanting to touch him . I feel the bed dip as Tobias and Lycus move when Kalen gripped my hands ,cing his fingers through mine and shoving them into the mattress above my head . His lips crashed against mine hungrily . My tongue fought his for dominance as the bond red . I roll my hips moving in sync with his thrusts , and I moan loudly as bliss rolls over me when he floods me with his magic , giving me all of it , bathing me in it . My bond tangling with his , and my chest warmed a t the feeling coursing through me . Kalen¡¯s lips move to my mark , and he sucks on it , earning a moan from me when sparks make my entire body buzz . His hard length sliding in and out of me , slick with my arousal from the building friction . Kalen groans when my walls mp down around him . His lips returning to mine , and my fingers squeeze his as he drives me closer to the precipice . As he tastes every inch of my mouth , Kalen¡¯s tongue bes demanding , and I am overwhelmed with the friction and his magic slivering through me . My entire body heats and my breathing turns to a pant as I roll my hips against him when m y bond takes overpletely , hungry to mark him and im him . Kalen growls when my magic shoves out , and I overpower him , flipping him on his back . Kalen barely sat up in time before I had climbed on top of him . My legs straddling his waist , and Kalen¡¯s arms wrap around my waist , slowing me as I sink down on him . A sigh leaves my lips at the feel of his cock filling me , and my head rolls back at the pleasurable feeling , only for a set of lips to swallow my moans as Tobias¡¯s lips cover mine . Kalen rolls my hips against him , his lips going to my breast , his teeth tugging at my nipple as his tongue swirls around it . My stomach coils with tension , and heat washes over me . My inner walls quiver as the first ripple effect of my orgasm washes over me . Kalen groans , and Tobias¡¯s lips leave mine , only for Kalen to grip the back my neck , bringing my lips back to his . His kiss was hungry , and I shattered . My pussy pulsating and gripping his cock when Kalen¡¯s lips pull away from mine , and he groans as warm jets of his semen coated my insides , and his movements slowed just as I sank my teeth into his neck . Fireworks exploded behind my eyelids as his soul bled into mine , giving me every piece of him . His magic is no longer his or mine but ours . My bond calms , and I mean as his blood floods my mouth and moan as his bloo s my mouth and coats my tongue . Kalen¡¯s cock twitched inside me as he clutched me closer . My orgasm prolonged by the feeling of his magic flowing through both of us , and m y cries seemed endless as I rode out the effects of it . I gasp , pulling my teeth from his neck . Kalen cups my face in his hands , and the room spins around us , warping and the colors blurring . I felt like I was falling when Kalen kissed me gently . ¡± I love you , and I never stopped , ¡± Kalen whispers , pulling away , and he sighs , pressing his forehead against mine . ¡± So , please forgive me , ¡± he whispers . His words made no sense to me until I was plunged into the darkness of his memories . I was aware I was being moved , could feel their hands touching m e until I was no longer feeling anything but experiencing something else entirely . Thrown into new surroundings . A surrounding that I wasn¡¯t familiar with . I It was at that moment that I realized I had traveled back in time to Kalen¡¯s memories . The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!