Page 3 of Forbidden (Dark Delights #3)

Ira shouldn’t be here. This was exactly the kind of thing he’d been hoping to avoid. He couldn’t guarantee his visions wouldn’t come to pass if he was invading Wolf’s space, answering his questions and telling him about all the things he’d been seeing.

Wolf opened his apartment door and ushered him inside. Ira went with a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping as he trudged into the darkened apartment. He’d already come this far; it was too late to go back now. He flicked the light on as he passed it. He’d seen Wolf’s apartment often in his visions of the two of them. Apparently he could grow to be quite comfortable here, and being in the space for real made him realize why.

It was cozy. The wood floors were a rich brown, the blue sofa piled with multicolored pillows and blankets. There were tall bookshelves on either side of it, filled to the brim with books—overflowing, in fact, as there were stacks of books beside the couch, as well. There was no television, but art hung on every wall. There were decorative trinkets on a teal accent cabinet across from the sofa and plants in every corner and hanging in front of the glass balcony doors.

It was perfect.

He walked over to the couch and sat down hard, burying his fingers in his hair. Wolf rustled around in the kitchen for a bit, and Ira listened with one ear while he panicked with the rest of him. He should leave. Walk outside, call a cab, and never look back. People who got involved with the halflings were banished or worse .

“Here.” He raised his head. Wolf was holding out a bottle of water. He took it gratefully, cracking the seal and taking a sip.

Wolf sat down beside him, and Ira set the bottle aside, turning to look at Wolf in the light for the first time.

He was just as beautiful as Ira’s visions implied. Tall and packed with muscle. His ash-blond hair was shaved on the sides and drawn into a thick braid down his back, and his crimson eyes were like ruby gemstones, glittering in the warm light. His jaw was clean-shaven and cut like marble. Ira knew how those thick brows drew together in ecstasy, knew the pitch of his whines as he lost himself to pleasure.

Embarrassment flooded him, and he looked away.

“You’re blushing,” Wolf rumbled. His voice was deep and soft, like rolling thunder in the distance.

“No I’m not,” he protested stupidly. Of course he was.

“Tell me about these visions, holy man. You said you’ve been seeing me ?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Ira sighed. “I don’t know why. We never know why. Prophets, you see, we just log our visions with the guild. The council decides what to do with them, which ones are a priority and which ones aren’t. Usually, we see people in danger. Commander Sloan sends a squad to investigate. They save the innocent or avenge them. Rinse and repeat. But… six months ago, I saw Alex Hawk and a black-eyed demon saving a family in Irvine. I gave the information to him directly, because I knew Sloan would put a stop to it, and the family would die if he did.”

Wolf’s expression cleared. “Oh, you’re the prophet who gave him that information.”

Ira blinked at him. He hadn’t known Wolf knew about that, but he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Wolf knew all of them. “Yes. I also saw Luke with his red-eyed demon.”

“Malachi.”

“Oh, I’m well aware.”

Wolf’s mouth twitched, but he gestured for Ira to go on.

“After that, it’s been nothing but demons. Paladins and demons working together. Doing… other things together. I haven’t logged any of these visions, because the guild wouldn’t like it. I don’t know what they’d do to me, but I couldn’t risk finding out. This morning, Sloan made an announcement that the guild has increased the halflings’ threat level, which means that any paladins you come across now have permission to attack you on sight.”

“Fuck,” Wolf groaned.

Ira nodded in commiseration. “Then I had a vision of you being attacked tonight. You would’ve died. I didn’t want that to happen.” The admission sounded soft to his own ears.

“Why not?” Was Wolf leaning closer? He smelled good, like pine soap and mint.

“What?” Ira asked blankly.

“Why didn’t you want that to happen? Why do you care what happens to a demon like me?” He was definitely leaning in now, one arm braced on the back of the couch and the other planted beside Ira’s thigh, like a predator about to pounce.

“Um, I…”

A knock on the door broke the silence, and Wolf turned with a hiss, as though reluctant to get up. Ira, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief as he moved away.

That is, until he returned with a pizza box and set the whole thing on the coffee table in front of him.

“Eat,” he ordered.

Ira blinked at it, and then at him. “What?”

“Your stomach has been growling. Eat.”

“You… bought me a pizza?”

“Yes. Everybody likes pizza.” He paused, slanting a look of uncertainty at him. “Do you not like pizza? Are you vegan? I should’ve asked, shouldn’t I? That’s one of those human things we forget about.”

Ira shook his head, trying hard to quell the happiness blooming in his chest. “It’s—It’s fine. No allergies. Not vegan. Just… surprised.” He opened the box, curious about what Wolf ordered. “Is this a supreme?”

“Mm-hm. I just ordered my usual. Is that okay?”

It was better than okay. It was his favorite. His stomach cramped with want. He was too weak to resist this. Maybe if he had a slice, he wouldn’t have any more visions for a few days. Doubtful, but he could hope. He always hoped. And they always kept coming.

“It’s great,” he said, picking up a slice.

Wolf brightened as he watched Ira take his first bite, letting the salty flavors bloom on his tongue.

“So, you were telling me about these visions.”

Ira shoveled more pizza into his mouth as Wolf took a slice for himself, to stall as much as to savor. Wolf chuckled, a gravelly sound that burned right through him.

“I’ll wait, don’t worry.”

Ira shot him a glare that had no effect whatsoever.

He inhaled the rest of his slice and downed half the bottle of water, then sat back with a groan.

“You can have another,” Wolf said, nudging his knee with his own.

Ira shook his head. “No, I shouldn’t. I haven’t eaten in about twenty-four hours. In my experience, eating too much after a fast like that leads to bad things. I’d rather not have to hurl in your toilet on the first night we met.”

“Do you often go that long without eating?” Wolf asked, studying him intently.

“Sometimes, yeah. The guild teaches prophets that we must fast to receive our visions, so it’s not uncommon for us to go a day or two without eating. I didn’t mean to go this long, but I lost track of time today while I was meditating.”

Wolf curled his arm under his head on the back of the couch, looking intrigued. “Is that something else you do to have these visions?”

“Mm-hm.”

“And you saw me in this vision?”

Crap. He was finished eating. There was nothing else to stall with. “Uh. Yeah.”

“And it wasn’t the first time? How long have you been seeing me?”

Might as well get it over with. “Right after I had the vision about Hawk saving that family in Irvine, I started seeing you.” Which was six months ago, but saying the actual number aloud seemed so much worse.

“Seeing me how? Working at the bar? Hanging out with other halflings? Surely you know by now that there’s no grand plan to seduce you all away from the guild.”

Ira heated, looking away. “No, I know. I wasn’t seeing current things. I was seeing things in our future— your future, I mean.” He bit down hard on his lip. Crap, crap, crap.

“Our future,” Wolf repeated, his gaze burning into Ira’s profile. “What’s in our future, holy man?”

Ira dared to meet his eyes. “I’m not allowed to share the things I see with outsiders.”

Wolf loomed over him, but Ira didn’t feel afraid. “You’ve already shared the vision you saw today, because you saved me.”

“Yeah.”

“Because you didn’t want to see me get hurt.”

“Yeah.” There was no denying that.

“Why? What am I to you?”

Ira’s mouth was dry. “A possibility I’ve been trying to ignore.”

Wolf’s brow furrowed, but his intense gaze didn’t waver. “What kind of possibility?”

Ira licked his lips. “The kind that would get me killed,” he whispered.

Wolf laid one hand on Ira’s thigh and curled closer. Ira’s breath froze in his lungs. He’d seen this happening so many times, in so many different ways. Part of him was terrified of it, but another part of him yearned . In his visions, Wolf was kind. Careful. Like a gorilla playing with a kitten, he was oh so gentle in every sample of them Ira had seen. Ira couldn’t be afraid of someone he knew would treat him like he was precious.

“Is it worth the risk?” Wolf asked, his lips grazing Ira’s .

“I don’t know,” Ira breathed. “I haven’t seen that far ahead yet.”

Wolf was motionless, as though waiting for Ira to make the first move. For a moment, Ira was rigid with indecision. Taking this step with Wolf would change his life, but he’d already made his choice by saving him, hadn’t he? This, being here with Wolf, felt inevitable. He’d been hurtling toward this all along, and he just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

He closed the space between them, slanting their mouths together. Wolf responded immediately, cradling Ira’s face with both hands and turning their kiss into a crush, like he’d just been waiting for permission to take what he wanted. This felt worlds better than the watered down version he’d seen in his visions. This was huge and all-consuming, hot and slick and sending heat rolling down his spine. He pressed closer, and Wolf obliged him, hooking his hands under Ira’s knees and tugging him to lay flat beneath him.

“You feel good, little prophet,” Wolf murmured, blanketing Ira with his body.

Wolf was huge, at least five inches and probably fifty pounds heavier than him—or more. But he leaned his weight on his elbows on either side of Ira’s head as though mindful of it, slipping one of his legs between Ira’s and rocking .

“ Oh , no,” Ira groaned. It was exactly as good as he’d always thought it would be, and he wouldn’t know how to go back to not having it.

Wolf raised his head at once, stilling. “No?”

“No, not no. I mean ‘oh no’ like… I don’t know.” He shook himself. “Do that again.”

Wolf chuckled, rocking against him again. Ira was embarrassingly hard, and he whimpered at the perfect friction against his groin.

“So this is what you’ve seen?” Wolf asked. “Us, like this?”

Ira bit down hard on his own lip, tilting his head back and squeezing his eyes shut. How was he supposed to think like this? “Among other things, but yeah. I tried… so hard to ignore you,” he said breathlessly. “Tried to be good, to be what they wanted.”

“Shh.” Wolf kissed him quiet, and Ira slipped his hands into the back of Wolf’s jeans, urging him to keep moving. He tucked his nose in the curve of Ira’s neck and inhaled deeply. “You smell so good.”

He’d spent so long denying that he wanted this, denying that it would even be possible to have it. Now that Wolf was finally in his arms, he was helpless to resist. He wanted more. He wanted everything.

“Don’t stop,” Ira pleaded. “Please don’t stop.”

“Are you kidding?” Wolf huffed out a laugh. “Nothing could make me stop. You’re incredible. Can I take your pants off? Can I get you off?”

“I…” God, he couldn’t be expected to make these kinds of decisions. He wanted it more than anything, but it was wrong, wasn’t it? Being in this apartment would get him banished from the guild if not killed for heresy. He knew what he and Wolf could have. Was it worth risking his standing with the guild? Worth being cast out?

He didn’t know. He hadn’t seen that far ahead yet.

Wolf was watching the emotions battle in his expression. He cocked his head with a slow-growing smirk, and one hand slowly dragged Ira’s shirt up, his warm palm leaving a trail of heat up Ira’s stomach and chest. He ducked his head, kissing and nosing through the coarse hair there. He sucked a flat nipple into his mouth, and Ira squirmed.

“Wolf,” he pleaded, and Wolf raised his head, his mouth popping off Ira’s nipple with a force of suction that had him jerking in place. Crimson eyes met his, and he realized belatedly that Wolf hadn’t actually given him his name yet.

“You do know me,” Wolf said wondrously, and Ira flushed bashfully.

“I do.”

“I want to know you,” Wolf said, kissing down Ira’s ribs and up the other side. His palm flattened against the front of Ira’s jeans, providing just enough pressure for Ira to work his hips against. “I want to know you the way you seem to know me. You feel like… like mine . You’re so trusting, so open, like you already know you can be. I haven’t smelled an ounce of fear on you since the moment you saved me.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Ira said, his hand flying down to lay over Wolf’s at his zipper. “God, that feels good.”

“I’ll keep doing it then,” Wolf promised, sucking the other nipple into his mouth. His teeth scraped over the sensitive bud, and Ira keened. When he popped free, he said, “I can get you off just like this, with clothing between us. Or I can make it better.”

Ira covered his face with both hands.

“Okay, those kinds of choices seem to be hard for you,” Wolf noted, and Ira snorted. “I’ll just do what I want, then. I have to assume you’ll panic if I do something you truly don’t want, in which case you can tell me to stop and I will. Sound fair?”

“Mm-hm,” Ira said, sounding strangled even to his own ears. He couldn’t bring himself to remove his hands from his face as he heard the jingle of a belt, followed by Wolf’s hands on his own button and zipper. He pulled both the jeans and boxer briefs down just far enough to free his painfully hard length.

“Beautiful,” Wolf murmured, and Ira’s face flamed behind his hands.

Big hands encircled his wrists, dragging his arms above his head and pinning him down. Ira barely caught a glimpse of red eyes before Wolf was kissing him, devouring him, his tongue pressing past the seam of Ira’s lips and invading his mouth. Wolf’s thick cock pressed hotly against Ira’s. He keened , his toes curling in his sneakers. His legs were trapped in the confines of his jeans; he couldn’t spread them as much as he’d like. All he could do was lay there and take what Wolf had to offer. The slow, languid rolls of their cocks together was incredible but not quite enough, and soon Ira was bucking up against him.

Wolf transferred his wrists into one hand and trailed his free hand down. Big fingers took his jaw in hand, forcing his head back to bare his throat. A low whine spilled from him. Wolf could do anything to him like this. The thought should horrify him. He was completely at a demon’s mercy. He should be begging him to stop.

“Please, Wolf, more,” he moaned instead, and Wolf’s low, rumbling chuckle went right through him.

Wolf crushed their mouths together again as he slipped his hand between their bodies, taking their cocks in hand. It was perfect , tight and hot and aching, Wolf’s tongue fucking into his mouth with the same easy rhythm. Heat boiled through him, drawing his sac tight and spilling from his cock. His body arched, driving his heels into the cushion as he bucked up against Wolf, who moaned into his mouth and stilled, his own release mixing with Ira’s on his stomach .

Wolf didn’t stop kissing him after it was over, his mouth guiding Ira with slow, exploratory kisses. He released Ira’s wrists, carding his fingers into Ira’s messy curls, and Ira slid his arms around Wolf’s thick waist.

Longing and regret filled him. He couldn’t afford to do this again, but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

When they parted, Ira’s lips felt kiss-bruised and swollen. Wolf’s crimson eyes were heavy-lidded, and a smirk tipped his bow-shaped lips upward. “Is this what you’ve been seeing in your visions?”

Ira felt himself heat. There was nowhere to hide right now. Wolf had him pinned. “Sometimes.”

Wolf looked delighted. “And the other times?”

He pointed over at the pizza box. “Things like that.”

“The pizza? We eat meals together? Are we in a relationship in the future?” Wolf looked awestruck.

Ira squirmed. “I don’t know. Do demons have relationships?”

Wolf shrugged one muscled shoulder. “Some do. Talon and Malachi obviously do.”

Ira’s face fell. He couldn’t have both Wolf and the guild, and they would never let a prophet go without a fight. He knew better than anyone that it wasn’t possible to juggle both. He’d watched the fallout of the last two times someone had tried and failed. People could die if he let this go on.

Wolf cocked his head like his namesake. “What did I say?”

Ira licked his dry lips. He flattened his hand on Wolf’s chest. “Let me up.”

Wolf straightened, grabbing a paper towel and wiping the cum from their stomachs. Ira’s face burned as he set his clothing to rights. He shouldn’t have let this happen. He shouldn’t have come here at all. It was too dangerous to even entertain the notion of them .

“I… I have to go,” he said.

“What? Wait,” Wolf said, leaping to his feet as Ira made for the door. “You’ve been having these visions about us. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?”

“No, it can’t mean anything,” Ira said. He grabbed the doorknob, but Wolf’s big hand appeared over his shoulder, holding the door shut. Ira pulled, but it was no use. He was no match for a normal human of Wolf’s size, much less a demon with supernatural strength. “Let me go, Wolf.”

“No, I don’t want you to.” His free arm curled around Ira, his nose tucking in the curve of Ira’s neck. He was so warm. The urge to lean back against him was impossible to deny, and Ira wilted, laying one arm on top of Wolf’s.

“You’re going to get us both killed,” he protested weakly.

“You said yourself you haven’t seen that.”

What other option was there? The guild wouldn’t let him just choose to leave. He was a prophet. Their whole operation hinged on receiving visions from people like him. And even if he could leave, even if he could make the visions he’d seen come true, visions where demons and humans worked together in harmony, the guild wouldn’t stand for it. They would hunt them down.

“You can’t just walk away,” Wolf said, pitched in a way that sounded pleading.

Had he already chosen sides tonight by coming to Wolf’s rescue? Had he already turned his back on the guild? Did he really have any free will at all, or was he always going to wind up here, no matter how much he fought it?