SHELBY RHODES - Part Two

 

Catching A Water Nymph

Shelby Rhodes

 

Part 2

 

“Severo.” A very familiar voice called.

Severo Ambrose stared blankly ahead, trying to pretend he was not there, at his desk at work. He was not even bothering to even try to fake that he was working.  

“Severo!” That familiar voice snapped.

Severo jerked out of the trances when papers smacked him in the face. And glared at his boss, Cole Grimm, who glared right back. “What! What do you want!? I did all the paperwork for my last case! Can’t a man zone out and stare into the abyss that is life without being interrupted?”

Cole rolled his eyes. “That is not paperwork from your last case. That is information on your newest.”

“But I just got back!?” Severo groaned.

When he decided to become a bounty hunter, who would have thought it meant so much paperwork, research, and constant sleepless nights as he hopped on planes and drove everywhere and anywhere. It wouldn’t have been as much if he had stuck to bounty hunting humans.

But nooo, where’s the challenge in that? At least, it’s what he had convinced himself of after becoming successful as a human bounty hunter. Then again, when one was a Baboulas—or as most liked to call them, the bogeyman—one does not really have an issue capturing fleeing humans. Frankly, he had gotten bored quickly and decided Paranormal bounty hunting was where it was at.

This was, of course, him failing to take into consideration paranormal bounty hunting was an independent international governing body that worked with governments all over the world as one to bring down dangerous paranormal criminals that the police and other enforcing bodies were not equipped to handle. Which meant a hundred times more traveling and a hundred times more paperwork—government red tape and bullshit forms.

To be honest, Severo did actually enjoy his job, and much more than human bounty hunting, as at least the criminals put up a good fight most of the time, and it paid a hell of a lot better…. BUT right now, he wanted a nap, so he was going to disregard that.

“Are you even paying attention?”

Severo blinked. “What?”

Cole’s jaw clenched, and he heard the faint sound of teeth grinding before the man growled, “Read the damn papers and get your ass on the next flight to Avignon, France!” and stomped away.

He spun in his chair to watch and yelled out, “You should really stop grinding your teeth so much before you chip a fang!”

His boss spun around and gave him one of those looks that said, if I could kill you and get away with it, I would. Severo laughed and spun his desk chair back around.

Picking up the packet of papers on his desk, his eyes widen slightly at the image of his next target. Damn.

The beautiful creature had eyes the color of gold, ivory skin, and medium length, vibrant teal hair. They also had softly pointed ears, a pert button nose, and plush pink lips with a prominent cupid bow. Though… this shot seemed to have been taken without their notice as they looked quite unhappy.

“Well, aren’t you gorgeous?” he hummed and began to read. “Name, Ceri North and a Water Nymph. Identifies as male, good to know. About five foot, five inches….” He trailed off, head cocking in confusion once he read what the stunning Ceri’s crime was. “Wanted for murder. Odd.”

Unusually so.  Servero’s mind ran through what he knew of the specific species of paranormal. Nymphs, no matter what sub-category, water, forest, etc., were predominantly androgynous in looks. Many were also gender-fluid or bi-gender. This was mainly because Nymphs could physically transform their biological sex completely from male to female, or vice versa at will. Though, until they were old enough to tell what they preferred, they were often referred to as the sex they were born as.

Ceri, being specifically a water nymph, meant he had gills hidden in his neck that allowed him to breathe underwater. Water nymphs could also control water in any and all forms.

But none of that was what Severo found odd. What was odd was not only were nymphs rare—as in, as a species there were at most a hundred living in each country—they also tended to live in small communities of their own kind. This meant crimes committed usually were within or near said communities and were rarely ever violent unless for defense. He could probably count on one hand the number of times a Nymph had killed in the past five hundred years or so. And all of them would have taken place near a community and in self-defense. 

            So how did a water nymph end up murdering a paranormal creature as strong as a Cerberus hundreds of miles away from the nearest Nymph community?

            He flipped the first page of the packet and checked the man’s background.

            “Ah, an orphan…”

In a random paranormal orphanage in the middle of nowhere… not even close to any nymph population. What the fuck. That just added more questions than answers.

 

****

 

            His insides contracted painfully. Ceri gripped the sides of the tub and let out an agonizing high-pitched scream of pain. He arched, causing the water to slosh over the side and let out a pathetic sob. He prayed no one called the cops on him—they wouldn’t, right? Ceri had warned his neighbors he’d be giving birth at home a few days ago, so…            

Being in his female form was supposed to make birth easier. What a bunch of bullshit! Of course, considering where the baby would come out of if he was still male… Ceri supposed this was a much better alternative.

            Another contraction hit him, but he ground his teeth and forced himself to ignore the pain and focus on the damn YouTube video instructing him how to know when to push. Something he had intended to watch, but his sheer terror of it had made him put it off. He had been going to watch it tonight! HE WAS! BUT then this happened!

            “Check… that your Cervix is dilated to 10 centimeters… and how do you…” he trailed off and blanched as the video began to demonstrate with pictures as to how.

 

****

 

            “I’m here,” Severo said with a yawn into his phone, absently flashing the badge IPBHA Badge—his International Paranormal Bounty Hunting Agency badge—at security so he could skip all the protocol most encountered when entering a different country.

            “Good,” His boss said. “Call me when you have any more updates.”

            “Are you sure he is here? And again, are we sure about this case?”

            “According to our intel, or would like to speak to Ince directly and inform him you question his abilities to do his job.”

            Yep, nope, he did not want to question the big scary werewolf that was Ince. The man tended to have a short temper.

“No, no, no. I got it. He’s here, so I will find him.” Severo replied quickly and a bit more awake this time. 

“As for the rest, we can question the whys and the what’s once he is in custody.”

Severo signed. “Sure.” He hung up, really not understanding why they couldn’t just question the case first. Then again, they were supposed to be the people who fetched while the laws and the courts decided on the cases’ validity. Not that they didn’t hold certain privileges as bounty hunters to make decisions on the guilt of others in the spur of the moment if they interfered with their work.

 

****

 

            Ceri took a shaky breath, feeling relief at the sound of the strong cries coming from the baby now in his arms. Staring down at her, even though she was covered in gunk and screaming her little lungs out, he couldn’t help but tear up at how beautiful he found her. His daughter had a tuff of teal hair, and her skin matched his—though she was a bit red at the moment. But then, who wouldn’t be after such an experience.

Ceri laughed—he was exhausted both mentally and physically, but he felt more at peace than he had in so many years. 

“Hi, there, precious,” Ceri sobbed. With a shaky hand, he gently washed the gunk off the baby girl. The water and his hands must have been soothing as she quieted down and began to let out little baby grunts, which soon became soft baby snores.

“I’m sorry for the world I’m bringing you into, but I’ll do every in my power to make sure no harm comes to you. But no matter what happens, please know that I love you, Skya.” He gently kissed the top of her head.

 

To be Continued...

~~@~~

  

Stephan’s Monster

Jayden knows he’s a monster. The people he killed were horrible, but it didn’t change what he was. And being taken in by Stephan Everwood at fifteen hadn’t changed his homicidal tendencies. Yet ten years later he finds himself struggling to be someone he's not. Then, despite thinking he lost most of his emotions years ago, Jayden discovers that not only is he not as empty inside as he thought, but that his monster is more present than ever before.

Stephan freely admits he has some issues. His self-doubts could be unrelenting and Stephan’s need to fix things tended to go too far. It blinded him to Jayden’s struggles. In the end his refusal to listen to what Jayden was trying to tell him has unfortunate results. When Stephan finally accepts who Jayden is, he must also face all that he had locked away inside.

Their difficulties brought them together. Their love healed them. And when the past tries to tear them apart, their darkness saved them.

 Buying Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/book/stephans-monster

 

Excerpt:

Clutching tightly, the man pulled him back around. “Let me help!” His voice was rushed, higher than before, and slightly panicked. “We can turn him over to the authorities, the Zaytari. Evidence! We can find evidence and turn it in. You’ve been in his head, haven’t you?”

 

Jayden scowled at the hand on his arm—he wasn’t a fan of being grabbed, and Stephan seemed to be doing it a lot. “I have.”

 

“Then we’ll know where to find proof,” he insisted, completely ignoring Jayden’s irritation.

 

“Stephan, if you haven’t noticed, poor Richard here is a little banged up. A bit hard to play it off as nothing, don’t you think?” Jayden nodded toward the bloody man.

 

Nose wrinkling, Stephan hesitantly said, “I can fix that…the only issue would be his memories. We would need someone to get rid of them.” He nibbled on his bottom lip. “I may be able to hire someone. I just need time.”

 

“I can do it.”

 

“You can?” Stephan sounded surprised.

 

Running his fingers through his hair, Jayden grimaced. Apparently, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut tonight.

 

What was wrong with him? Jayden had no intention of letting Richard leave here alive. Ugh, his whole night of murderous fun had been shot to hell.

 

Who was Stephan anyway? Not to mention, why the hell was he believing everything Jayden said? Was the man really that naïve? It didn’t make sense. He shouldn’t be, not with what he had experienced. Was this a trap?

 

It would have been nice if Jayden had a way to find out. Unfortunately, the man’s mental walls were solidly back in place.

 

Eyeing him suspiciously, he asked, “Who are you?”

 

“What?”

 

Jayden stalked closer and invaded the man’s personal space, brushing up against him. “Who are you, Stephan? What are you doing here?”

 

Stephan released his arm and staggered a few steps back. “I own this building. A construction crew is coming to tear it down in a few days. I wanted to make sure no one was living here. As for who I am? I’m not sure how to answer that.”

 

Stephan’s words were a mixture of truths and deceptions. “I don’t like being lied to, Stephan. I would suggest…” Jayden trailed off when something clicked into place.

 

He hissed, jerking as the walls and floors of the warehouse were suddenly drenched in blood with bodies scattered on the floor all around him.

 

It wasn’t real, just a phantom hiding what was actually there. A vision brought on by a memory—one that faded away moments later.

 

Jayden hated having these visions. They left him defenseless and unaware of his surroundings. While this one had been short, others had lasted hours. When he was locked into a memory, someone could stab him, and he wouldn’t even notice—until he pulled free, that is. And he knew that for a fact, as it had happened.

 

God, why couldn’t Jayden have been born just a little bit more normal? He was almost positive that the average vampire didn’t have to deal with shit like that. At least he didn’t think they did—Jayden didn’t really have any friends.

 

“This is where it happened, where they hurt you, where you killed them…”

 

“Yes…”

 

“How could you afford to buy it?”

 

The man laughed bitterly. “My parents were rich.”

 

“I see.” He struggled to find something else to say.

 

Stephan’s shoulders slumped and his bottom lip began to tremble. The man seemed so sad, and for some reason that angered him.

 

Jayden glared down at the ground. Why was he angry? He shouldn’t be feeling anything. Was it the man’s past? Jayden rubbed his chest at the uncomfortable feelings running through him. He had the strongest urge to run away.

 

Maybe if he humored the man, he would leave—no harm in that, right?

 

Jayden gave Stephan a tight smile. “Let’s try it your way…however, if it doesn’t work, I will kill him. Though with how much blood Richard has lost, it’s probably too late anyway.”

 

“I can do it.”

 

Jayden stepped back and gave a mocking bow. “If you say so.”

 

Arms hanging loose, Stephan closed his eyes. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, his pupils had been replaced by solid pools of lilac.

 

Jayden gasped, a cold shiver running through him as power swirled around the room. There was so much of it, and all of it was coming from Stephan. The very air was shifting—he had never felt anything like it. Hair standing on end, Jayden felt he should run away—to not trust the force around him.

 

Suddenly the air settled. The power hadn’t vanished, though. It was still thickening the air. His lungs stuttered as he struggled to draw in a full breath under its weight. Whoever Stephan was, he was dangerous.

 

 

Adult Excerpt:

 

Jayden was just going to go for it. He wanted Stephan to feel pleasure, and he wanted the little man to feel comfortable with his needs—to not fear them.

 

At a small nod, Jayden wasted no time. He picked Stephan up and set him on the edge of the tub. Squawking, Stephan tried to cover his erection.

 

“You’re beautiful. Please don’t hide from me.”

 

Trembling hands slowly slid away. He licked his lips. The view in front of him had his dick throbbing. Jayden found his gaze following water droplets and bubble suds as they traveled down the man’s smooth skin. Stephan’s legs were slim, his waist trim, and his stomach perfectly flat.

 

Besides what was on his head, the only hair on the man’s body was a neatly trimmed patch of curls at the base of his five-inch cock. Stephan’s prick twitched ever so slightly as pre-cum dripped from its tip. The view was mouthwatering.

 

He grabbed a bathing poof and lathered it up with a bodywash that smelled of lilies. Running the sponge up and down Stephan’s neck, Jayden used swirling motions to spread the sweet-scented foam over the man’s collarbone. Lower down, he gently brushed against Stephan’s erect pink buds.

 

The little man’s eyes dilated and his lips parted as the textured poof rasped against his nipples—small tremors ran through him. Stephan’s breathing grew heavy, and the scent of his lust thickened.

 

The man looked so beautiful in his arousal, but Jayden would have to watch him closely. He didn’t want to draw out Stephan’s fear again.

 

As Jayden washed Stephan, he soon found out how very sensitive the man’s body was. Stephan shifted and whimpered, his breath hitching each time Jayden found a spot.

 

Not wishing to scare him, Jayden was quick as he slid between the man’s rounded cheeks. Continuing on, he covered every delectable inch of him with suds until all that was left was Stephan’s swollen prick and tight sack.

 

Sweat dripped down Jayden’s face as he looked at the last bit left untouched—he felt almost light-headed. The heat from the water and that his arousal left him dizzy. The only clear thought in his mind was that he wished to possess the man in front of him—Jayden wanted to make Stephan his.

 

After dropping the poof, hand completely soaped up, Jayden wrapped it around Stephan’s cock. The man jerked in shock at his touch.

 

Instead of rubbing the twitching flesh in his grasp, Jayden remained still, waiting to see how Stephan would react.

 

Swaying, the little man grabbed his shoulder to stabilize himself. “J-Jade,” Stephan whined.

 

When the stench of fear never came, Jayden ran his hand up and down Stephan’s shaft. Pre-cum and suds mixed together as he pumped the man’s throbbing prick.

 

The soft moans that drifted past Stephan’s lips strengthened Jayden’s excitement. Each drop of pre-cum he drew from the man had his own leaking out.

 

Jayden’s gaze kept flitting between what his hand was doing and his lover’s face. Either view was worth dying for. He cupped the man’s balls with his other hand, then gently squeezed and massaged the tight sack.

 

“Oh God, Jayden…” Stephan cried.

 

Jayden focused on the look of pleasure on the man’s face. Stephan’s eyes were hazy, his lips slightly parted. He had his head tilted back, seeing nothing—just feeling and taking in every touch.

 

But Jayden had no intention of letting the man come this way. He wanted to bring him with his mouth, to have his sweet release on his tongue. To savor Stephan’s first taste of pleasure in years.

 

Releasing him, Jayden pulled away.

 

“What…” Stephan muttered in a daze.

 

“I want to taste you, sweetheart. Will you let me?”

 

Stephan’s brow furrowed, looking so adorably confused. Chuckling, Jayden slowly ran a finger up the underside of the man’s cock. “I want to suck this.”

 

The pleasure clouding Stephan’s face faded a bit. “S-suck?” the man sputtered.

 

Jayden wiggled his eyebrows. “Suck,” he purred.

 

Stephan nodded stiffly. Permission given, Jayden grabbed the showerhead and sprayed Stephan’s crotch. The man squealed in indignation at the sudden assault of water, shying away.

 

Hands gripping Stephan’s thighs, Jayden grinned. He slid down into the water until he was eye level with the man’s hard length. “Sorry, I’ve never liked the taste of soap.”

 

Stephan started to say something, but it ended in a choked gasp as Jayden took his cock fully down his throat. Nuzzling into his trimmed curls, he breathed in the man’s musky, sweet scent—caramel with a hint of pistachio.

 

Jayden ran his hands up and down Stephan’s trembling thighs. And for just a few moments, he stared into the man’s glazed eyes, savoring the taste of him—then he swallowed.

 

“Jayden!” Stephan cried out, his hands threaded through Jayden’s hair, gripping the strands tightly. He writhed as Jayden massaged his cock with his throat.

 

When he pulled off, Stephan let out a whine of protest. But Jayden ignored his pleas and blew a few puffs of cool air on the spit-covered tip before flicking his tongue against Stephan’s slit. The man moaned and arched toward him as he licked the mushroom head and captured every dollop of pre-cum with his tongue.

 

Only when Stephan’s whimpers and moans echo through the room did Jayden finally take him back into his mouth. Then, hollowing his cheeks, he began to suck, bobbing up and down on Stephan’s cock.

~~@~~

Author’s Bio:

            Books have always been a big part of Shelby Rhodes’ Life. Unfortunately, growing up writing had been a constant struggle for her. So, even with her head filled with stories she never tried to write them down.

            It took two degrees in painting, one a master’s degree, for her to finally gain the confidence to explore writing as a creative outlet. Now writing has become a way for her to dive into new adventures and explore new worlds.

            With confidence she fully intends to explore everything that has been stuck in her head for years. It is her hope that others will join her on her adventures.

 

Links:

Website: www.shelbyrhodesauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShelbyRhode

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BeesBooksSR/

Blog: https://shelbyrhodesauthor.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShelbyRhodesAWD

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/shelby-rhodes

Newsletter: https://www.shelbyrhodesauthor.com/newsletter

 

SHELBY RHODES - Part One

 

Catching A Water Nymph

Shelby Rhodes

 

Part 1

  

It was now or never. Ceri had to do this. But… if he failed…

A shudder of fear ran through him, and with a shaky hand, he gently rubbed his extended stomach. He may not have wanted this child—hell, Ceri hadn’t wanted a lot of things that happened to him during the last five years of his life—but he would be damned if he let that bastard hurt them too.

            So, he had to succeed, if not for himself but for the poor innocent baby—correction, his poor innocent baby. All right, maybe he was still struggling a bit from claiming the child as his. Ceri was working on it—he swore he was—it was just hard.

Either way, Ceri had to escape and hide away somewhere where that Preston Chanway had no power to drag him back.

Preston—just thinking of the man brought up the wave of hatred that had been, as of late, constantly growing and bubbling inside him. Who would have thought a simple date with a rich man would have turned into him being held captive and being a plaything for five years? He wasn’t sure how, but one day he would make Preston and all the scumbags that answered his beck and call pay—but first, he needed to break free. 

Ceri had waited months, slowly hiding away money and cards, gathering pin numbers and whatever he could get his hands onto that he could cash out and or gather funds from. Thank fuck for his eidetic memory, and that Preston was so crooked and hated that he wouldn’t dare put up cameras inside the house. It meant Ceri could sneak around gathering pin numbers, looking at private documents, and steal back his passport and ID that the man had taken from him when he'd kidnapped him. Not only was Preston so arrogant that he had never bothered to lock away those types of things in a locked safe, but he was also so rich that the man didn’t realize a few of his cards were missing.   

Already five months along, being a water Nymph, it meant at most Ceri had two months left until birth.

He honestly should have left sooner. And he would have attempted, but it was hard to get one over on those who constantly had their guard up. And never having been the biddable type, Ceri had tried to escape numerous types over the years. Each attempt ended very painfully, which meant his captors had unfortunately always had their guard up.

At least, they had, before. Now, not so much. Those watching him had slowly been lulled into thinking Ceri had accepted his fate as Preston’s pet. Preston had proved time and time again that arrogant people could be rather stupid. After months of no attempts, his jailers had dwindled from a 24-hour guard and him having to be in sight of someone at all times to Preston only making sure that a guard was nearby.           

Now was the time. Ceri took a deep breath and picked up the medium size circular glass vase he’d filled with water, grunting a bit under its weight. Now he just had to make sure not to slosh as he… waddled.

            Carefully maneuvering the water filled vase behind his back, Ceri left his room and walked down the long hallway to the living room. Thank fuck he had been able to convince Preston to let him move from the third floor to the first into one of the rooms usually used by guards. Ceri may be a paranormal creature which usually entailed a bit more strength than humans, but no matter what species pregnancy and three full flights of stairs did not go together.  

In the living room—a rather boringly decorated room of gray and black with zero plant life—he stood there staring at Leal Craft. His one guard—at least, the only guard close enough to do anything. The man was sitting on the plush gray leather couch, with his feet on the triangle steel coffee table, reading the paper. Craft was so consumed by his reading it took him a moment to even notice Ceri.

            The other flicked an irritated glance his way over the top of the newspaper before returning to his paper and absently asking, “What? Decided to grace me with your presence?”

            Ceri wanted to snort and roll his eyes, but held back. Something one tended to do when it usually ended up with him on the other side of a fist—or a leg, boot, pretty much anything they could hit him with. He held back quite often.

Well, maybe Ceri only started doing it when he had become pregnant… after he had gotten past the trying to rid his body of xzhis rapist’s child, phase of pregnancy. Those had been some pretty dark days. Who was he kidding? Every day there had been a dark day.

            When Ceri remained silent, Craft—who continued to look away—huffed, clearly exasperated. “Go back to your room if you plan on standing there like you’re brain dead.”

            Yeah, Leal was a bit of an asshole. Then again, all the guards were as who else would accept an illegal job? Nice people did not help bad people keep another as a sex slave.  

            Though him being an asshole was going to make the next few minutes quite fun for Ceri, he thought with a smirk.

            Without hesitation, Ceri brought the vase from behind his back and chucked it at Craft’s head as hard as he could. And being a paranormal creature, a water nymph to be exact, he could throw pretty fucking hard. The vase shattered on impact.

            Craft first yelped out in pain, followed by sputtering as water cascaded down him before launching off the couch in rage, eyes glowing red. Ceri had never figured out what the man was. Something canine, maybe. Either way, he sure as hell had no plans on finding out now. Before Craft could even take a threatening step towards him, Ceri snapped his fingers on his left hand, producing a loud popping sound and a spark of blue mist that surged in the water covering Craft. The water began to glow an eerie blue, and without a single word, he took control and bent it to his will.  

            Leal had surely caught on to what he was up to. Ceri could recognize that through the widening of the other’s eyes—but it was too late. The water surged into the Craft’s mouth and nose, completely blocking his airways. The man gurgled and clawed at his throat to no avail, before launching a last-minute attempt to attack him.

            Ceri may have been pregnant, but he could still move faster than he’d been letting on as of late. He avoided the Craft’s uncoordinated bull rush by jumping out of the way, using the end table to help keep himself stable. He scurried around the back of the couch until it was between him and the other man.

Craft spun, no doubt intending to try again, but the man’s knees suddenly buckled, his eyes rolled back before toppling forward with a hard smack onto the marble floor.

            Even so, Ceri held on, the command still in place. And heart beating like crazy, with shaking hands he grabbed the lamp on the side table and yanked its plug out of the wall. Lamp in hand, Ceri slowly approached. He stopped by the man’s head. Ceri took a deep calming breath and snapped his fingers again.  The water rushed from the man’s mouth and nose—and nothing happened…

Ceri began to fear he had waited too long and had killed the man when Crafts body suddenly jerked. The man coughed up water and began taking gasping breaths of air.

He signed in relief before slamming the lamp down on Craft’s head. It made a satisfying thudding sound as it connected but didn’t break, so Ceri did it a few more times for good measure. When there wasn’t a single peep from Craft besides breathing, he let the slightly bloody lamp slip from his hand and tried to take a few deep breaths to calm down.

Ceri had done it, but he still had more to do. With a groan, he leaned down to search for Craft’s car keys, but his belly was not allowing that, so he crouched down instead—oh, he so hoped he would be able to get back up.

He found the man’s keys in his front pocket and decide to take his wallet from his back. He ended up having to grab onto the edge of the end table to stand back up with much effort. That done, Ceri slowly backing away. Leal was still breathing, but no movement to be seen.

Rushing back to his room, he grabbed the small suitcase full of clothes and his original purse he had taken back from Preston filled with money and cards, etc.

Marching forward, he immediately went to the side door off of the living room that led to the garage. Punching in the code he had seen the guards use time and time again, he glanced down at his large baby bump. “Time for us to get the fuck out of here.”

 

****

           

            “Wake up!”

            Leal groaned as the words drew him from sleep and rang in his throbbing head. Opening his eyes to a mere squint, he thought about telling whoever it was to fuck off until he realized it was not just anyone, it was his boss. Preston Chanway looked furious. It was a look one did not want to see on such a man as usually what followed required a lot of cleanup.

For the first time in his life, Leal felt actual fear as that look was being aimed at him. And that is when Leal remembered what had happened.

            Eyes widening, he sat up, throbbing head be damned. “I—”

            He would have said more, but at that moment, his very own shadow slithered up from the floor and wrapped a hand around his throat, cutting off his air. Leal instinctively tried to grab at the shadowy hand to rip it off, but one couldn’t really grab something that had no physical form.  

            Preston unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down on the couch, crossing his legs. The anger had disappeared to be replaced by a terrifying smile. “Do you remember what I said when you first joined my employment?”

            Leal desperately tried to answer, but nothing came out. His vision was already starting to cloud. He flopped back on a wordless croak.

            “You don’t. That’s fine. Let me just remind you.” Preston laughed. “I told you, I could make you richer beyond your wildest dreams. Which I have. If you think about it. I kept my end of the bargain quite well.” The man tsked. “This is the part you forgot. I would make you rich, but in exchange, your life is mine to do with what I want if you fail me.”

            Preston stood again and crouched down, the man’s face hovering over his. “And Leal,” the demon of a man growled. “You have failed me.”

            It was the last words he heard before the shadow's grips tightened, and then there was nothing. Nor would there ever be anything, as the shadow had snapped Leal’s neck.

             

To be Continued...

~~@~~

 

Adrian’s Bodyguard

Vampire King Adrian Bloodhart has faced many challenges in the thousands of years he's been reigning. However, he had thought he'd moved past the stage of his life that was littered with assassination attempts. And, as if the attacks weren't irritating enough, he finds himself saddled with a personal bodyguard he doesn't feel he needs or even wants.

When Xavier Dayden had agreed to guard King Adrian, he had expected to be guarding a mature adult, but what he got was a petulant child. Adrian is odd as hell and too sexy for Xavier's peace of mind. When Xavier finds his control slipping, he's conflicted. Giving in could lead to so much more than a one night stand, but was it worth the possible heartbreak?

The choice is made when tragedy strikes where it is least expected and, as Adrian's walls crack and fall, Xavier is there to pick up the pieces. Through the heartache, love is finally in their grasps. 

Buying Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/book/adrians-bodyguard

 

Excerpt:

Xavier Dayden stood back and watched as King Aiden composed his thoughts. There was going to be an argument for sure. However, his kings fully intended to win the fight that was about to happen.

He briefly wondered how he had never met King Adrian. He had met the man’s father at the age of twenty-five—the man had been as much of a bastard as the previous Arcadian king, Davin.

It made sense, he supposed. When Adrian’s father, King Kade, stilled ruled, he avoided venturing into Vadin, as it was a mess to say the least. When Adrian Silvermore Bloodhart took over, he had just been named the captain of the guards. For years he mostly remained in the castle. Then when King Rand died—murder by his own twin brother—King Davin started a war with the Kingdom of Vadin. At the time, he had been forced to be Davin’s personal bodyguard. He had been stuck in the castle being King Davin’s “faithful” bodyguard—or so Davin believed up until the moment he allowed Tristan to remove the bastard’s head.

It was quite a shame that he hadn’t met the man earlier, he mused. He did find it a bit odd that Adrian was barefoot. However, it was easy to ignore when Xavier examined the rest of him. Adrian was beautiful and had a voice that was pure sex. It was causing an alarming amount of sexual scenarios to run through his head, so much so that he had been forced to adjust himself.

Forcing the thoughts away, as they were seriously inappropriate considering the current situation, he turned his focus back to the conversation going on around him.

“Yes, rumors. We ignored them at first, as rumors more often than not are just that. However, the rumors started to multiply. When more tales of attacks reached us, ones more violent than the previous, we decided it was time to investigate ourselves if there was any truth behind them. What we found, Adrian, was not reassuring. Many of your people are worried about the future. They fear what could happen. They fear for your safety.” King Aiden paused and then asked, “Adrian, is there a reason for them to fear for you? Are the rumors true? Have there been multiple attempts on your life?”

The Vampire King appeared uneasy with the line of questioning. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he said, “I think it would be best to have this conversation in the privacy of my throne room.” Adrian turned without another word, scurried through the gate, and hurried back down the path that led to the entrance of his castle.

Xavier almost laughed at how quickly he retreated, but held it in, as he doubted his kings would find any humor in the situation. They considered King Adrian one of their closest friends, and the situation worried them.

Both the twins and the guard—who had been standing behind King Adrian—sighed as they watched him retreat.

As the man disappeared into the castle, King Aiden murmured, “I suppose we should follow…”

The guard grimaced and motioned them forward. “Yes, please follow me, King Tristan, King Aiden. I apologize for his rude behavior. He has been unusually stubborn about this whole mess.”

“It’s fine, Baylin. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy when you informed us of the situation. Obviously, he’s a bit out of sorts. Considering the situation, it’s understandable. You have nothing to apologize for,” King Tristan demurred, speaking at last.

Out of the two, Tristan was the peacekeeper. He was more levelheaded than his twin and was unlikely to let his temper get the best of him. King Aiden, however, enjoyed a good fight and usually was the first to jump in. He also tended to be a bit harsher with his words. 

Though, Tristan’s temper was a sight to see when unleashed. Overall, the two seemed to balance each other out, making up for each other’s faults.

Xavier followed them in and through the castle to the throne room. The rest of the entourage, who arrived with the kings, were shown to their rooms.

There were two guards stationed outside the throne-room doors when they arrived. The throne room itself was empty aside from King Adrian. Two thrones, sitting side by side, faced King Adrian—thrones he would bet were not there earlier. As his kings sat down, the doors closed behind them, sealing the three kings, the guard Baylin, and himself inside. 

They all remained quiet as the sound of the doors closing echoed throughout the room.

The hairs on the back of Xavier’s neck stood—someone was watching him. With so few in the room, it was easy to figure out who.

Adrian was examining him closely. “And who is this?”

King Aiden started to answer, but stopped when King Tristan grabbed his shoulder. Tristan seemed quite aware that now was not the time to reveal why Xavier was here. He would have to agree with the assessment, as King Adrian looked ready to bolt already.

“We’ll tell you why he’s here in time. Please take comfort in the fact that we trust him with our lives. Now, Adrian, please tell us the truth. What is going on?” Tristan pushed gently.

With a heavy sigh, Adrian admitted, “The rumors are true. There have been multiple attempts on my life, but it’s really nothing to worry about. I can take care of myself.”

King Aiden narrowed his eyes, anger building. “What about the rumors that each attack is more brutal than the last?”

Adrian began to fidget on his throne. “That rumor may also be true…”

Aiden slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair. “May be true? Adrian, it’s a yes or no question. What is being done to guarantee your safety? Is anything being done? Also, why weren’t we informed of this when it first started? Not only are you our friend, but you also rule a country that we share borders with. This is a serious matter. We could face major diplomatic problems if you are unseated. Citizens of both countries could get hurt. Why are you being so foolish as to refuse a bodyguard? Have you lost all common sense?”

Xavier winced—in his outburst, King Aiden had revealed too much. The slip-up was not one King Adrian was likely to miss.

“And how do you know I’m refusing a bodyguard?” the man asked coldly, and turned to glare at the guard Baylin. “You dirty little fink! You couldn’t win an argument, so you went and tattled on me?”

 

Adult Excerpt:

The minute he saw them on the bed, he knew he had been lying to himself. He had underestimated how he would feel seeing Adrian with someone else. It didn’t matter that the scent of arousal was absent or that neither of them were hard—he felt anything but calm. Rage raced through his veins at the sight of the two men nude together. 

Xavier gripped the doorframe and growled menacingly as he struggled to control his anger. When the wood shattered under his grip, he realized he had frozen part of the doorframe.

“Get out!” He roared as he stalked toward the bed—he had to force himself to ignore Asa as he sprinted around him from the room.

Standing at the foot of the bed, he grabbed Adrian’s ankles and dragged him down until his legs hung off and their eyes met. “Mine!” he said with a growl before slamming his mouth onto Adrian’s. The kiss was more a hard press of lips before Adrian opened for him. The man tasted sweeter than he could have ever imagined. 

Xavier growled into the kiss when Adrian tried to take control. The challenge was clear: if he wanted control, he would have to fight for it. It didn’t surprise him—he doubted many kings gave up control easily.

When he pulled away, both of them were panting heavily, their breath visible in the ice-cold air. The frigidness surrounding him felt strange against his overheated skin, yet comforting to his Ice Demon side. However, when Adrian began to shiver—despite the heat radiating from them both—he took a deep breath and forced himself to rein in his powers.

Glaring down at the man, he said with a growl, “You love to test me, don’t you?”

Instead of answering, the man reached up and ran his index finger over Xavier’s bottom lip. The action caused him to wince. There was blood on Adrian’s finger when he pulled back—he must have nicked his lip on one of the man’s fangs. Grinning up at him, Adrian licked the blood off his finger and hummed in pleasure.

“Shit…” Xavier licked his lips and grabbed Adrian’s ass. Pulling Adrian up against him, he sealed their lips together again. Adrian quickly wrapped his legs around his waist, moaning into the kiss. With Adrian wrapped around him, Xavier crawled onto the bed, groaning when Adrian began to grind his cock against his hard bulge. His cock was already throbbing, and the pressure was almost too much.

Adrian ran his nails up and down Xavier’s back before trying to pull his shirt off. “Off!” Adrian hissed when he broke their kiss.

“Impatient, love?” He laughed as he forced himself to let go of Adrian’s perfectly round globes, dropping him onto the bed.

Xavier’s anger had already vanished—he had finally thought of a way to turn the tables on the frustrating man lying beneath him. He grinned wickedly as he fully covered Adrian’s body with his own.

Adrian whimpered and whined. “Off now.”

Xavier just chuckled and started to kiss and nuzzle his neck. He knew how Adrian felt—he, too, yearned to feel bare skin pressed against his own. However, Xavier would be hard-pressed to hold back if he removed the thin barrier between them—and he had no intention of giving Adrian what he wanted so easily.

When Adrian grabbed the back of his shirt, most likely to rip it off, he took hold of his arms. “Oh no you don’t,” he said with a laugh.

The man whined and struggled as Xavier forced his arms above his head, took his wrists in his right hand, and held them down. “Let me go,” Adrian hissed.

“Why? Isn’t this what you wanted, baby?” Xavier asked, punctuating each word with a kiss.

“What I want is for you to fuck me!” he hollered.

He ignored Adrian’s outburst. Adrian moaned as Xavier trailed his tongue down the man’s throat. Continuing down, he took Adrian’s right nipple into his mouth. With his free hand, Xavier caressed Adrian’s other perky bud, rubbing his thumb back and forth across it before pinching it.

He grinned against Adrian’s nipple—the man was whimpering and trying to grind up against him but couldn’t find the right angle. Such an impatient little thing, Xavier thought with a chuckle.

Adrian moaned. “More!”

Xavier’s chuckle turned into a bark of laughter when his shirt was suddenly ripped from his body. Adrian had apparently remembered he could use telekinesis. “Naughty, naughty.”

“More,” Adrian demanded with a deep growl. Xavier laughed harder when his pants went the way of his shirt.

Never one for undergarments, he was no longer confined. His cock pulsed fiercely, dripping with the need to be inside Adrian. Each moan he had wrenched from Adrian had already begun to push him toward the edge, and without his clothes, his game would end sooner than he intended.

 

~~@~~

Author’s Bio:

            Books have always been a big part of Shelby Rhodes’ Life. Unfortunately, growing up writing had been a constant struggle for her. So, even with her head filled with stories she never tried to write them down.

            It took two degrees in painting for her to finally gain the confidence to explore writing as a creative outlet. Now writing has become a way for her to dive into new adventures and explore new worlds.

            With confidence she fully intends to explore everything that has been stuck in her head for years. It is her hope that others will join her on her adventures.

 

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