Creation's Control

Chapter Nine

Rafe of Mardu smiled at his wife and winked. When the woman was on a tear, she could set him off with just one kiss of that carnal mouth. He loved the sparkle in her magnificent eyes.

“Glad to be seeing your brother again?”

She twined her arms around Rafe’s neck and kissed him solidly on the mouth.

Squirming over his erection, she deliberately teased. “I’m so happy, Rafe. I’m going to show you how happy after they leave.” She whispered what she planned on doing and his forehead beaded with sweat.

He lifted her off him and glowered at her smirk. “Do you really want me to sport a hard-on when Drekk’s coming? He’s got a thing for me, you know.” Erin rolled her eyes and fixed herself and Rafe a drink. “We all do, darling. In fact, just yesterday Mearla at the club was telling me how much all the ladies miss you. You have quite a reputation downtown.”

Rafe inwardly groaned. “That was all before I met you, honey. You know I’d never look anywhere else but at you.” She released a dose of pheromone into the room that had him ready to blow. “Shit. Cut it out,” he breathed, willing his erection away. That a Xema warrior should be so lacking in control around his woman... Her wicked grin made him laugh. “I love you so much, baby. Just wait until we’re alone again.” Drekk’s signal at the doorway distracted him.

“I’ll get it,” Erin offered. She wore sturdy trousers and a bland, sleeveless shirt. Still, the woman had been created to appeal to every male in the System. She could wear a sack and men would be panting after her.

“Fine, but no kisses or hugs.” He loved Drekk like a brother, but Rafe didn’t like anyone around his mate.

“Not even Ryen?”

“Only Ryen.”

Erin left him and returned minutes later between Drekk and her almost unrecognisable brother. In the few days since Rafe had last seen the male, Ryen’s demeanour had done a one-eighty. Though he still possessed that hulking frame and dangerous mien, his stance seemed normal, not as aggressive and battle ready as he normally was. Damned if he wasn’t smiling.

“Drekk.” Rafe stood to take his friend’s arm. “You’re looking much better.” A glance at Ryen showed Rafe had misjudged him. Just as feral as he used to be.

“Ryen.” Drekk disengaged from Rafe. “Why don’t you give your sister a hug? She won’t bite,” he said with humour and pushed Ryen forward. At his touch, Ryen seemed to shake free from his tension.

Erin and Ryen shared a hug and Erin led him to the chairs at the back of the room. She forced him to sit and began blathering about Anin and the latest news about Eyran science.

Drekk sat across from Rafe’s desk without being asked and graciously took the drink Rafe handed him. “So how goes the Ebrellion kidnapping?” Rafe sat, wondering about the strange feelings in the air. By no means empathic, his kind, the Xema, possessed psychic gifts that enabled them to better size up and deal with potential opponents. Drekk continued to release pulses of energy in odd bursts—typical for the large male—while Ryen emitted bursts of stress that cautioned Rafe to be wary.

“We haven’t found a single Ebrellion since your encounter a few days ago. They must have passed back through the void. The gangs have quieted, though Dog made a play for Olla that didn’t turn out well. Luckily, in the confusion with all the women and girls returning, I convinced Dog to forget he ever saw her.”

“Good move. New mates don’t take kindly to interference.” Drekk looked over his shoulder and Ryen glanced up. Ryen’s lip curled before he gave his attention back to his sister.

“You’re shitting me.” Rafe didn’t believe what his senses, and his eyes, told him to be true.

“I’m sorry?” The warning in Drekk’s gaze forced him to guard his words.

“Ah, right. I was just agreeing with you. Erin and I don’t like being apart much. I can’t stand another male around her, and she hates whenever I have to deal with females.” Drekk’s eyes crinkled. “Well, my offer to help you two conceive is always on the table,” he murmured. “It would no doubt be a huge sacrifice.”

Instinctive possession ruled Rafe before he could tamp it down. In that instant, Ryen stood behind Drekk, his fingers curled over the back of the chair.

Erin raced behind him with a stunned look on her face. “I didn’t even see him move.”

“Problem?” Ryen asked in a low voice.

Drekk shrugged. “Nothing. Just fucking with Rafe’s mind.”

“So long as that’s all you’re fucking with,” Ryen grumbled in a low tone. He turned and dragged Erin back to their seats with a final glare at Rafe.

Drekk coughed to cover his laughter.

Rafe wanted answers, but didn’t think he could get them with Ryen so near. “Erin, honey, why don’t you show Ryen around? I don’t think he ever saw more of the house than that spare room in the back he used to live in. If he’s going to work for Cheltam, he’ll need to know where everything is.”

“Great idea.” Erin beamed, no doubt at the idea her brother would eventually work with them. Rafe just hoped he wasn’t jumping the gun. Ryen still seemed anxious, but he was treating Erin with brotherly affection.

“The only other person here is the cook, Ryen,” Rafe reassured.

“I’m not worried about the cook. I smelled him the moment we entered.” Ryen shared a look with Drekk then left.

“Now how about you tell me how you bonded with Ryen. Just a few days ago he wanted to rip your head off. Now he’s your mate?” Rafe asked, incredulous.

Drekk sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“With you it always is.”

“All I know is that Ryen’s rages are gone. Test him, without me present, and you’ll see. He’s only aggravated with you because he can sense your hostility.”

“Yeah, hostility to you fucking my wife.”

“I was kidding, Rafe. You know that. I only offered to help heal her reproductive organs.”

“I know.” Rafe rubbed the back of his neck. Erin had mentioned babies again last night.

Damned if he didn’t want to please her every whim, but the thought of what she’d have to do to get there... “I’m just not ready to see you coming down her throat.”

Drekk let out a breath. “You’ll never be ready for that. If it’s any consolation, I healed Ryen the same way. He’s mine now, Rafe. I won’t ever want another. I’m part Xema too, remember?”

“So how did he take the news?” Drekk glanced away and shifted in his chair, and Rafe knew. “You drun. Remember when we had this same conversation? When I mated Erin and didn’t tell her?” Rafe laughed long and hard. “At least I never worried about Erin ripping me a new one when I told her.”

“Ryen won’t either,” Drekk said testily. “He’s just now adjusting to a new way of life. I don’t want to throw everything at him at once.”

“Bullshit. You’re scared, same as I was.”

“It’s not the same.”

“It’s exactly the same.”

Drekk stood and paced from one length of the study to the other. “You don’t understand.”

“So make me. Because this isn’t like you, Drekk. You make everyone around you march to your tune. You have since I’ve known you.”

“It’s all about control.”

“So what? Everyone has control issues. You think it’s easy being mated to a woman who can crush my larynx with her little finger? She’s carried me to safety and put me on my ass a number of times.” Rafe glared. “Embarrassing. But I love her. That’s my reality. So why can’t you tell Ryen you mated him? Maybe if he knew you loved him he’d settle in more easily.”

“I didn’t say I loved him.”

The defensiveness of his tone said otherwise. Funny, but Rafe wouldn’t have pegged Drekk as afraid of anything. He’d lived for a thousand years and destroyed bad Creations as easily as breathing. By Flor’s Dagger, the male had even demolished Ebrellions.

“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.”

“Dammit.” Drekk clenched his fists. “I can’t afford to feel this.”

“You feel emotions, Drekk. Come on. You love me, you love Erin.”

“That’s different and you know it. Ryen is...special.” A Creation. “Like Erin, like me. Except I’m not like anyone else, Rafe. It’s taken me years to control myself. Yes, Ryen seems stable, but he has so much passion under that surface. I’m afraid if I let him in too far, I’ll lose what hold I have on myself.”

“What?”

“I’m not normal.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Rafe tried for humour, but the sombre look on Drekk’s face took him aback. “Come on, Drekk. It’s honest emotion. What’s bad about love?”

“I’m really not normal. I can do things that I shouldn’t be able to do, even for someone like me. Like a Creation,” he added in a quiet voice.

“What kinds of things?” Rafe rounded the desk and perched on its edge. “Things like teleporting? Like healing? I already know that.”

Drekk shoved his fingers through his hair, obviously not liking this discussion. “Things like blacking out. Like coming to surrounded by bodies, by hundreds of bodies,” he whispered, as if remembering. “Like tasting meat that you haven’t eaten but crave. Like moulding your bones and muscles into something else. With no control over any of it when the hunger hits you. That sweet hunger that’s so tempting to indulge.” Okay. Drekk was starting to scare the shit out of him, especially when his eyes darkened, then turned completely black. Rafe could feel static in the air. His sense that Drekk was not a threat evaporated as someone he didn’t know took form in front of him.

“I can’t let this out again,” Drekk said, speaking in a choir of voices. “I worked too hard to bury it deep. It’s all in there, inside of me.” Rafe watched in stunned amazement as Drekk struggled against himself. His skin rippled. His fingers lengthened and turned into claws. His eyes shifted from black to grey to a thin pupil surrounded by alien green and gold.

“It’s okay, Drekk. You’re good, man.” Rafe continued to murmur the words but kept still, sensing that the smallest movement might send Drekk over the edge. Minutes passed while Drekk fought himself. Slowly, steadily, the tension in the room faded and his features returned to normal.

The door to the study banged open and Ryen stormed inside. As if nothing had happened, the remaining energy surrounding Drekk disappeared.

Ryen latched onto Drekk’s arms and pulled him close. “What the hell’s going on?”His words were rough, but his touch was not.

Rafe thought it interesting that for all Drekk’s protests, the moment Ryen had returned he calmed. “Tell me this, Drekk.”

Drekk turned, wary.

“You felt wainu?”

“Ryen.” Erin stomped into the room. “I was right in the middle of a discussion about the cellar’s hidden entrances.” A look at Drekk had her pausing. “Drekk? Are you okay?” Drekk shook his head. “Fine. I’m fine.” He cleared his throat and stepped back from Ryen, who frowned. “Rafe was just telling me about a mission for Ryen. I think the time has come.”

“Answer the question,” Rafe insisted, knowing the importance wainu suggested.

“Yes, dammit.”

Ryen scowled and placed himself between Drekk and Rafe.

“Oh, this is just great.” Erin huffed and put her hands on her hips. “Ryen and I were having a wonderful conversation and then we come back to find a testosterone war. Everyone just back down.” She emitted a light scent into the air that relaxed Rafe in no time.

To his bemusement, one of the others covered her scent with his own. Drekk took a step towards Ryen before he recovered himself. Ryen’s scent, apparently.

“Sorry, Erin. That won’t work. He’s mine.” Ryen sat Drekk down next to him in a chair and covered Drekk’s hand with his own. “Now Rafe, about this mission?” Erin didn’t do more than smile, which alerted Rafe to the fact she knew about the pair.

“Rafe, the mission?” she prodded.

Rafe took his gaze from Drekk’s and Ryen’s clasped hands. “And to think I worried about your lack of control,” he said to Ryen. “There’s a small burglary ring in the southern sector of Four Walls. I want you to take them down tonight. This is for Cheltam, to reinforce our presence. Not for the peacemakers.”

Drekk gripped Ryen’s hand before sliding free. “No need to keep everything nice and legal?” He smiled. It was strained, but there all the same.

Seeing it, Ryen grinned, his attraction suddenly apparent. Rafe didn’t realise he’d been staring until Erin tugged his hair.

“Ow.”

“Just remember who you belong to.”

Rafe flushed. “Gimme a break, baby. They’re guys.”

“Doesn’t seem to matter much,” Drekk said with a steamy look at Ryen. “Whatever went into Erin’s genetic make-up went into Ryen too. I can only imagine Anin is running her rescuers ragged as well.”

“You saying I’m running you ragged?” Ryen asked in a throaty voice.

Drekk coughed. “Rafe, how about you give us some details on this mission?” Rafe quickly did, glad to change the subject. By the time he’d finished, he was more than ready to see to his wife’s less than subtle hints to leave. If she ran her fingers over his scalp and down his neck one more time...

She did.

“Meeting adjourned.” He stood and hoisted the naughty woman over his shoulder. She knew how much he liked being petted that way. Since she normally followed that caress with a journey down his body to his willing and hungry cock, he expected she knew the reaming she was in for. Her throaty chuckled told him so. “I expect a full report tomorrow.” He slapped her ass and headed for the bedroom.

Drekk stared at the doorway and watched it slide closed. Before he could move, Ryen was on him. He knelt between Drekk’s thighs and growled at Drekk to be still. Ryen had Drekk’s trousers open, his cock freed and surrounded by his hot, wet mouth in less than a minute.

“Fuck, Ryen. What’s this about?”

Ryen lifted his head and said, “I don’t know. I just couldn’t stand him being in here with you while I was with Erin,” he rasped. “I have to taste you right now.” Desperate to feel Ryen as well, Drekk helped ease his boots and trousers off and spread his legs wide in the chair. Ryen immediately found his balls and massaged them.

“Yes,” Drekk hissed as Ryen took him deep into his throat. “That’s it, Ryen. Suck it down.”

Ryen groaned and licked at his slit. He continued to fondle Drekk’s sack with one hand and with the other shoved a finger up Drekk’s ass. Then he added a second finger, stretching him.

“More,” Drekk pleaded, oblivious of his duty to master Ryen. He could only respond to his feelings. The emotions that threatened, once again, to run free. Yet with Ryen, the urge to change was smothered under waves of passion.

Ryen used his teeth on the underside of Drekk’s shaft. “That’s it. Give over,” Ryen said and licked up and down Drekk’s cock. “Come in me,” he urged and sucked harder. He rammed his fingers in Drekk’s hole and greedily lapped up the cum spurting in his mouth.

“Oh, yes, yes, Ryen,” Drekk groaned and gripped his hair, thrusting harder.

As soon as Drekk spent, Ryen stood on shaky legs. He was so huge against his trousers that Drekk knew it wouldn’t take much to send him over. Blinking up at him with a lazy smile of thanks, he said, “Put your cock in my mouth.” Ryen hastily removed his trousers and standing, straddled Drekk’s thighs. Drekk scooted down in the chair and met Ryen’s turgid shaft. At the touch of his lips over the sensitive flesh, Ryen sighed his need.

Drekk licked him up and down, sucking his crown as he toyed with the soft head, nibbling and tonguing his slit in time with Ryen’s breathy groans. His desperate thrusts and tight balls suggested he neared the edge. Wanting the large male to lose control, Drekk suddenly engulfed Ryen’s shaft, taking him to the back of his throat as he raked him with his teeth.

On a yell, Ryen exploded and shot his load. Drekk swallowed every drop, addicted to Ryen’s scent and taste.

Trembling in the aftermath, Ryen stroked Drekk’s hair. Choosing to join Ryen in wainu, Drekk sensed Ryen’s feelings.

Ryen continued to run his fingers through Drekk’s hair, marvelling at its softness which so contrasted with the rough warrior sucking him dry. The warrior he couldn’t help but love—

Understanding more than he wanted to, Drekk broke from the blissful plane. His mate loved him. Such acceptance, such incredible caring in Ryen for the male he thought was Drekk. The dam Drekk barely managed to keep in place broke. That need he’d locked deep inside him for hundreds of years threatened to cause all sorts of chaos if he couldn’t control it.

“Stars, Drekk,” Ryen said when he could collect himself enough to speak “That was—”

“Just what I needed. Thanks,” Drekk said gruffly. He stood and hurriedly dressed in silence, ignoring Ryen’s confusion. Always before Drekk added some type of affectionate hugging or touching after sex. But this time, he couldn’t, not and remain separate from the male eroding his self control.

His palms itched and his eyesight suddenly went thermal. He saw heat signatures instead of colour, scaring him. Not again. Destruction, chaos...

“Now what?” Ryen asked quietly.

“Now we get you ready for tonight,” he forced out. And I work on not turning into a hellish Creation needing to be put down. Why the hell is this happening to me? Why won’t it go away?

Ryen said nothing.

“What?”

“Why won’t you look at me?”

Drekk made the mistake of turning his head towards his mate.

Ryen swore. “What the hell happened to your eyes?” He didn’t step back, as he should have. Instead he leaned closer. “You look just like—”

“Stay back.” Drekk had a sudden urge to bite Ryen hard. Excitement and hunger feeding one another, wanting appeasement. Fuck.

“It’s okay, Drekk. I think I know what’s wrong with you.”

“Shit. I have to go.” Because the notion of bending Ryen over and fucking him until he couldn’t walk felt like the right thing to do. To bite him until he tasted blood, then mingle it with Ryen’s seed thrilled him past his controls.

The thermal image of Ryen faded, replaced by bands of carnal hunger that caused Ryen to stand out in the bland room. Colour flared, scent intensified and his arousal caused Drekk to double over. If Ryen took another step closer he’d hurt him oh so good.

He had to leave.

“I’ll call you when I can. Focus on tonight, it’s important.” Fangs pierced his gums. “Let Rafe know you need a ride home.” Drekk teleported away before he’d finished his sentence.

Not knowing where to go, he sent himself to the fringes of the Eron Forest, where the wild land met dangerous jungle. There, away from everyone, Drekk succumbed to his body’s demands. He tore off his clothes and screamed in anger and pain at his loss. Ryen was gone, and the loneliness ripped Drekk from reality.

Animal needs roared and without thinking about it, Drekk shapeshifted and bounded after prey. Blood, meat and bone. A feast to quell the gnawing hunger. After that, he would claim his mate the right way. He howled as he ran, scaring the wildlife into the shadows.