Smoldered Flames: Part I of the Edonia Series
Chapter 2

Cassius

From puphood we were always told to never trust a bloodsucker. They’d drain you dry. And no, not just in the literal sense. They would drain you for all you were worth and then some. I can’t believe I allowed myself to trust them. To trust her. And yet here I am awaiting a punishment befitting a lowlifer on death row.

I was angry. Angry at being allured by the mysterious woman with a banging body. Pissed off for being blind to the signs. Bloodsuckers and wolves don’t mix for a reason. They were as venomous as their fangs, hypnotic as their perfection. I thought she was different. I thought she was better than her brethren, but of course I was wrong. And now I’m missing the Summer Solstice because of this shit.

Every few years the Summer and Winter Solstice are the only times where a person can replace their True Mate. As the future Alpha of the Graystrom Pack, it’s imperative that I’m paired with a strong Luna. The only eligible werewolf for that title would be Jillian, the Alpha’s daughter.

The Graystrom Pack is led by Alpha John, or Big John-as most people refer to him. He’s a good man with bear shifter characteristics. Big John was a strong-willed who represented family, strength, and wisdom. His patience was as thin as ice though. He banished me for my charges, but he owed my father a debt.

The sound of metal against metal followed by an intoxicating scent interrupts my thoughts. I rapidly spring from my cot to see what was being brought in. Two guards enter the cell with a female in between them.

Stepping forward, I let out a growl as the guards swing her body onto the cot across from me.

“Here, doggie. We brought a treat for ya,” says one of the guards.

“Now be a good boy and make her scream for us,” says the other

The guards quickly backed towards the metal door, pulling out those pathetic looking rods they call weapons in a feeble attempt to frighten me.

The idiots, I think to myself, they clearly don’t know who I am. Laughing to myself aloud, I stalk towards the female, ignoring the guards completely.

The heavily metal door shuts behind me, leaving us alone in this piss-poor excuse of a dungeon. Taking in her appearance, she was… breath-taking. Primal need takes hold of me, making me kneel down to one knee. I noticed that her oval-shaped face held full sinful lips that just begged to be violated by my large cock. My growing cock throbs in response to the female’s enticing smell.

I just have to taste her.

One almond shaped eye held sooty lashes and eyebrows thickly arched, while the other showed signs of what seems to be a past burn accident. The depressed, reddish-pink scar is a slight contrast to her golden brown skin. Her hair, shorn off, showed hints of gold. Her large breasts beckon my hands to knead them until blood stops flowing.

What is it about her that makes me feel the way I do? I take a whiff of her enticing scent. She smelled of honeyed peaches with a dash of cinnamon. Her scent reminded me of childhood memories best forgotten.

A bejeweled clawed necklace surrounded her neck. It gives off a reddish hue with a gold tinge in the dim enclosure. I go to touch it, but my fingertips start to burn at the thought. Fuck, that hurt like a bitch!

Her still body doesn’t respond to my caresses. Is she dead? No, she can’t be, not when I-, I stop myself from thinking further. That can never happen.

Mine, the beast within simply says and I don’t respond.

Taste her, the beast within me growls, we must claim-

No! Ferocious growls bounce off the stone walls while I close my eyes to war with the beast.

A low, husky voice says, “Copping a feel, huh?”

I open my eyes to replace one dark eye staring back at me.

Valeri

The first thing I notice is this creep isn’t sporting handcuffs like I am. Who is he to get special treatment? Another thing I noticed, this “Heat of Desire” nonsense is kicking my ass. It felt like someone dosed me in gasoline and lit a match with a batch of estrogen. I needed relief and it seemed the only way to get it was from a stranger. I wasn’t about to stoop that low. I didn’t care how attractive said stranger was.

There was a metal door situated a few feet from me. I look up to see he’s at a very far distance. Looking around, this enclosure is a lot bigger than my previous one. It still reeked of piss and excrement, but it at least had a couple of cots. They were placed on opposite sides of the four by four cell. The cell seems to be made out of stone that’s been overrun by moss.

Still in handcuffs, I toddle towards the door. “Help! Someone help me, please!”

The other prisoner laughs. “You really think someone is going to save the likes of you, a rogue? You’re not even worth the dirt beneath their feet. Ha!”

I glance back at him. He was a beautiful sight to behold. His captivating eyes were held by horizontally wide eyes. His eyebrows were thick and slightly angled towards the ends. His warm sepia skin like brown autumn leaves show tightly corded muscles. His medium, compact build complemented a chiseled jawline that most male models would kill for. That killer jawline brings out kissable lips-

The stranger seizes my throat, constricting my airway. I claw at his hands as black dots block my peripheral sight, and gradually come to its center. Meanwhile my body flares to life with this damned heat coursing through my cunt. Smoke billows out from his hands, but ignores it.

“Your presence is ruining everything I have planned! Is this a trick? A joke that Broderick and that Demon planned by bringing you down here? Huh,” he yells.

Spurts of coughs release from my body as I attempt to respond. The sudden removal of hands sends me to the ground as I take in large lungful breaths. He backs away from me as I gather my thoughts. At this point, I don’t know what to say, or even think. I don’t know where the the fuck I am. I don’t know who or what the fuck I am.

“I’m only going to ask this once,” the stranger says gravely.

I sputter a quick, but honest answer. “The demon mentioned ‘Heat of Desire’ or something. He wanted answers I couldn’t provide.” Courage courses through me as I begin to stand.

My five foot three frame to his six foot even, I have to look up to make eye contact. My breath hitches as I see warring emotion flitting through his stormy eyes. I want to hold my hand out to his cheek and make the painful memories go away. Why is this floating around in my mind?

Mine, a seductive voice states in the back of my mind.

Who...who are you? I asked, alarmed.

Your better half. The voice says in mock adulation.

I try to ignore the voice. I don’t want to add crazy to the list. I subconsciously reach out to his cheek. His eyes flit to my hand and he smacks as if it were poisonous. An invisible blade cuts through my chest at the rejection. But why? Pain laces through my mind and body in a silent reminder that there’s unfinished business.

He looks at me in disgust. “Look, they’ve put you in here for a reason, and I don’t have time to have your death on my conscience. Mongrel or not, I can help with your little problem, and we can part ways.”

My mouth drops. “Um, excuse me?! You have some nerve! I’m not the one fondling a woman while she’s vulnerable, you abhorrent asshole,” I seethed.

“Do you think I’d be desperate enough to fuck someone like you?”

He smirks. “You will be soon. If what you told me is true, your body should be burning with need right about now.”

Right as he said this roaring pain and need soars through me. I needed him. I wanted him. He was mine for the taking. My eyesight seems to cloud over and only this beautiful specimen seems to be the clearest thing. I sashay towards him and purr. I purred like a fucking cat, but I didn’t care in this moment. I knew what I wanted, and I’m sure he wanted it too.

The stranger’s eyes cloud over as well. He waves a beckoning finger my way. “Here, kitty kitty. Let the Big Bad Wolf take care of you.”

A blazing, carnal need coursed through my veins hearing his warm rich voice whispering the next magical words that come from his lips. “But first you gotta please me. On your knees.”

I drop to my knees in an instant. My fellow prisoner walks past me. I whimper before he starts fiddling with my cuffs. I tried to remove my hand from behind me, but found it wouldn’t budge. He quickly does the same to my right arm, leaving me to rely on my shoulders and head to support my body. He bound me.

Ugh! These damn cuffs will be the death of me. It feels like he has my arms restricted with a clamp-like fixture.

He chuckles while standing.“That pretty smart mouth will look good sucking this cock, yes?” Never releasing my hair, he undoes his zipper with his other hand.

He has me restricted and preparing me to suck his dick while I’m daydreaming about him like a god.

“Open wide, little phoenix,” he commands.”Take it all.” His large member gently slaps my cheek in encouragement.

My mouth betrays me by taking him in, fully. My throat reflexively rejects his cock the first time before he slams into the back of my throat without remorse. He grabs hold of my head, keeping it in place as his rhythm increases. His relentless pounding makes my breasts bounce erratically up and down, back and forth. My hunger for more takes over, and the burning sensation of my nether regions spread throughout my body again with a vengeance.

“Strip,” he commanded.

“Huh?” I asked dazedly.

“I said strip. Unless you want your clothes in shreds.”

I roll my eyes. “What did you mean earlier when you said you didn’t want my death on your mind?”

“If you don’t replace someone to help satisfy your need, you’d burn up and die,” he answers.

I’m stuck in stunned silence.

The other prisoner crosses his arms. “Unless you want to die, I’d suggest getting this over with.”

I quickly strip down as another heat wave sets my body aflame. The prisoner wastes no time. He throws me on the cot I woke up in and licks my neck with his warm wet tongue. It alights my body with agonizing pleasure. I feebly attempt to shove his head away from my heated skin. He lazily smacks my hand away, and places the said hand to my throat, giving it a not so gentle squeeze.

His incessant teasing is driving me insane! Ugh, why won’t he go lower? I thought to myself as his slick tongue replaces the center of my breasts and encircles it unhurriedly. He continues this until my body shakes in a frenzy.

“Wh-, what are you doing?” I say between raspy breaths.

He raises those spinel-colored eyes to me and says “I’m about to ruin you, sweetheart.” I shiver, not in fear, but in anticipation, exhilaration even.

My body seems to overheat at this point. I’m not quite sure if it’s from the excitement of inevitability or if there’s an overworking furnace somewhere. I start to sweat and the pulsation between my legs intensifies. Rubbing my thighs together, I let out another moan, my hands sliding down towards the source of my current insanity. I move my hips in gyrating motions: back and forth, back and forth, trying to ease the intense sensation. He roughly replaces my hand with his knee.

His lips lightly brush against my left ear as I make out the word ”Mine.” in a growl.

"Um, okay?” I responded in confusion.

His thick rod rams into my tight channel . Given no warning, no sense of easing his engorged member first, he pounds my pussy relentlessly. And I loved every minute of it. The heating sensation slowly starts to recede as he fucks me like the whore he said I was. The seductress yowls out in pleasure as if she herself has finally fed.