A release that was more than spilling his cum into Luca’s body churned in an intoxicating surge of strength. Mental, physical, and from whatever plain the Anubis dwelled in.
With Luca, Nox was not only more human: he was more real.
But this was not love. Not even the forced kinship bonding him emotionally and mentally to his team and to his Alpha. What burned through Nox had no name. It wasn’t a cultured, coherent human emotion. It wasn’t even primal. Because it had been made long before the stars formed. Incapable of remorse. Incapable of affection. Incapable of anything but recognizing what it wanted and taking it.
Luca’s breathing slowed, and his grip on Nox became languid, petting across his back. Afraid he put too much weight on Luca, Nox fought to lift himself and pull from his body. The most he accomplished was raising his head. The flush in Luca’s cheeks glowed. Almost as bright as the bite marks across Luca’s shoulder. Some deep enough to bleed.
If Nox had been sorry for doing it, then he could have at least apologized.
Luca lowered his hips and his joints popped. He winced. Nox still couldn’t let him go.
He settled for arranging himself so he could cradle Luca against him.
Contented the Anubis fell into the background, leaving Nox with an illusion of normality almost as unsettling as the constant awareness, he was anything but. He knew now there was no way this would have never happened. He could have fought it for a few more hours, maybe days, but eventually Nox would have had no choice to but give in.
Even now his breaths mirrored Luca’s, his heart beat in sync, and his dreams flittered through Nox’s thoughts.
Unlike his team, Koda slept almost as much as he had before he’d died. Exactly what he dreamed remained buried in Nox’s shattered memories, but the feeling it created remained vivid.
His dreams left them all smiling, his nightmares broken-hearted, but never did they spurn violence or pain. None of them slept when Koda didn’t. And when they did, nothing about their past like the chaos of their death, got past their Alpha’s protective mind.
Nox and his team had guarded Koda in body, and Koda had guarded their souls.
I’m sorry for asking you to do this.
A chill settled over Nox.
I wouldn’t if there was any other way.
The ghost of something terrible wrapped around Nox’s hands, filled his mouth, coursed down his chin.
Please forgive me. But he needs you. Andtheyneed him.
Guilt flooded Nox’s senses, and he tightened his hold on Luca. The source of the emotion drifted in the darkness. Nox reached for it, dragging it closer even though he didn’t want to see it. His instincts screamed against the threat.
White walls surrounded Nox, smoke glass buffered the light. He walked through an open door into a room empty of anyone but Koda and his team.
Koda spoke, but the words were muted under the crash of terror.
“Nox?”
He snapped his eyes open. The light from the bathroom clashed with the warm halo cast by the bedside lamp.
Luca traced Nox’s jaw while watching him with a worried expression. “You okay?”
He nodded.
“How long did we sleep?” Luca tucked himself against Nox’s chest. It was exactly where he belonged. If Nox could cocoon Luca from the world, he would.
“I…” Had he slept? It didn’t feel like it. “I don’t know.”
Luca hummed. His exhales teased Nox’s throat. At some point he’d slipped from Luca’s body but it wouldn’t take much to rectify that situation.
Nox moved his grip to Luca’s ass, lower to his thighs. Cum coated Nox’s fingers from where it escaped Luca’s hole.
A rumble broke the quiet.
Luca laughed. “I think that means I’m hungry.”