Page 20 of Worse Fates (Soulmates Suck #1)

Lying on his side, I watch, as Golden snores softly. The covers are balled in his small fists, and pulled up under his chin.

Golden’s delectable blood warms my stomach, his cum lingering on my tongue where I licked every drop from my knuckles.

Having Golden fall apart in my arms was an all-consuming high and for that moment, I was the center of his universe.

The memory of his every ‘Please, Lucero’ or ‘Yes, Lucero’ rings in my ears as my fingers tear through the sofa’s fabric, splintering the wood beneath.

Inhaling his scent of sweet cherries and sea breeze, I follow his every movement as he rolls onto his stomach.

Golden arches his spine like a waking kitten, then plops face first into my pillow, his puff of black curls spilling onto his shoulders.

Little, sleepy noises slip past his lips as he draws the pillow closer—unknowingly taking comfort in my scent.

He is perfect, so perfect.

“Good morning—”

Jolting upright, he cries.

“Bloody hell!”

And throws the pillow he was hugging at me.

“Dude, what is with you watching me in the fucking dark.”

Smirking, I stand and stroll towards him.

“Apologies, love.”

I stop at the foot of the bed.

“But after yesterday, how could I ever leave your side?”

His dusty rose cheeks cause my semi-hard cock to twitch uncomfortably against my zip.

Golden’s hazel gaze dips down my body until he reaches my bulge, his eyes going impossibly wide and shooting away, suddenly finding the wall behind me very interesting.

“Did you sleep well after cumming all over yourself?”

And use my finger on his jaw to make him look at me again.

His brown skin becomes the sweetest shade of blood red.

“Dude, urgh…”

He slaps a hand over his face, hiding.

“You’re trying to embarrass me.”

“I am.”

Chuckling darkly, I climb onto the bed on my knees and reach for his ankle.

“Lucero?”

he breathes, eyes snapping to mine.

“Yes, Golden?”

I tease back.

Then, as slowly as I licked up his cock, I pull him towards me. Chest heaving, Golden glides across my sheets, his thin t-shirt sliding up to expose the expanse of his flat stomach. Curls framing his oval face, like I’d discovered this beautiful man in a pile of black rose petals. When his spread legs press flush against me, I wrap his thighs around my waist.

Gazing half-hooded, my mouth waters at the feast laid before me.

“I’m starting to think you're evil,” he pants.

“Oh, sweetheart…”

My palms drift from his legs to up his inner thighs, stroking my way across his torso and making sure to roll his pebbling nipples through his top. When he’s suitably panting, I continue my journey up to his trembling shoulders. Running my nails down his arms, goosebumps rise in their wake as I reach his twitching fingers. I kiss every digit, before pinning them above his head on the mattress.

“You have no idea.”

I take both his wrists in one hand. Golden tugs—testing my hold—when he finds no escape, a shivering whimper leaves his rising chest. “Lucero.”

My mouth trails along his jaw, until I can run my tongue around the shell of his ear.

“Would you like to see your bite?”

I breathe.

His hips buck. “Yes…”

Sinking blunt teeth into his earlope, I ask, voice low.

“Is that how you ask for things you want, beautiful?”

Golden is flushed below me, breathless and shuddering, and through his raven black eyelashes, my mate whispers.

“Yes please, Lucero.”

I take his mouth in an electrifying kiss, my cock pulsing so hard I could climax from this alone. He kisses me back and if I wasn’t already on my knees, this would send me—he has little skill and all desire. It's beautiful.

Reluctantly, I release his wrists. However, when his hands stay where I placed them, a rush of pure possessiveness causes my fangs to slide out without conscious thought.

A sudden, overpowering wave of need to spread Golden’s legs, and sink my cock deep within his body, crashes into me with a force that could topple cathedrals.

However, as much fun as Golden and I are having, he remains new to the pleasures of the flesh and I will not scare him away by rushing him. Drawing myself up, I push my own wants down to focus on his.

Unzipping Golden’s jeans, I tug them down in one smooth motion, smirking as he whimpers when the cold air hits his leaking cock.

“So pretty,”

I tell him.

Partly because it's an undeniable truth, but mostly to make him blush. And oh how he doesn’t disappoint—pink spreads all the way down his neck, blooming across his creamy brown skin.

Golden’s uncut cock is a lovely size, perfect for his body; slim but long, jutting from a patch of curls and his balls pulled in tight. Opening his legs, together we look at where I bit his thigh.

“It doesn’t look like the other one…”

he whispers.

I look up. His dark brown irises are blown out, blissed and glassy. His cock leaking so much it spills down his length and soaks into my sheets.

I wonder—how many times will I gaze upon Golden and know, without a shred of doubt, he is the most beautiful creation to have ever graced this world? And to also know I do not deserve him.

But I am a greedy man, and Golden is mine as much as I am his.

“That's because…”

I run confident fingers down his thigh and Golden’s breath hitches.

“This bite is mine.”

And I press down on the two small puncture marks.

His back arches off the bed, the sheets twisting in his fists and his head thrashes to the side with an almost pained expression. His slick cock pumping up and down.

A growl rises from my chest. Could Golden cum from this alone?

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Golden flinches at the knocking. His sweet flustering shifting away from aroused and into true embarrassment as he scrambles away.

I cup his jaw to keep his skittish eyes on mine.

“Shh, love. It’s oka—”

More knocking and Golden struggles into his jeans.

Annoyed at whoever disturbed us, I growl and speed over, nearly ripping the thing off its hinges as I open the door, ensuring my body covers Golden from view.

“What!”

“Holy shit.”

Kai holds up a comb, water bottle and a small tub of cream as if to defend himself.

“What. Do. You. Want.”

I bite out between gritted teeth.

Behind me, the sheets rustle before quick footsteps dart to the bathroom. Followed by a small snick of a lock going into place.

“Golden wanted me to help him with his hair before meeting this Vidar dude.”

The wood under my hand cracks and Kai steps back, fear written all over half the face he shows. Inhaling through my nose, I exhale out my mouth and attempt to calm down. ‘Kai is Golden’s friend,’ I remind myself as I move out the way and invite him in much to my displeasure.

After a long pause, Kai steps in.

I manage to shut the door without cracking the wood, the sound of running water from the bathroom in the background. I smother my frustration as I watch Kai lay his implements on the coffee table.

When he starts to fiddle with the hair supplies, my impatience rears up and I have to physically hold myself from snapping at the human.

“Alright, so. I’m not gonna pretend I could kick your ass if you hurt Golden,”

Kai says as he turns to face me.

My eyes roll, having no time for this boy’s jokes.

“I am not going to hurt him.”

However, his light green stare cuts deep enough to hit bone.

“Well, you already have.”

Too late I realise Kai is serious and his words are a blow to my chest.

“You love him?”

he asks, demands really.

I nod, the memory of Golden and I’s fight is still a fresh wound.

“Well, I love him, too And I can’t let him end up with another Jace.”

I cross my arms.

“I’ve only picked up clues about Jace. But I can promise you this, I’ll never do anything to scare Golden.”

“And I can tell from the murder in your eyes, that you plan to kill Jace and it doesn’t have anything to do with him being a blood mage, right?”

Kai puts his hands on his hips.

“It’s Golden’s story to tell, and I don’t even know half of it, but Jace had a hold over him I’ll never understand and kept him on a short leash. Sometimes I’d go weeks without seeing him, then he’d pop up covered in bruises but acting like nothing happened.”

“Bruises?”

My arms drop.

A coldness steals my breath—then, rage. My muscles strain under the sheer force of will it takes to hold me back, my every instinct screaming to hunt Jace down like the rabid dog he is. But when I do find him, and my fangs rip into his flesh, there will be none of the pleasure Golden receives.

Jace will suffer, he’ll beg for death long before I rid him of his pathetic life.

Kai shakes his head.

“I’ve already said too much. But you have to remember something about Golden; he likes being around people. That boy is like a fucking kitten with the way he always wants to be petted. For him, human touch is better than a cup of coffee.”

“His need for touch hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

It’s ridiculous to be over six hundred and thirty years old and jealous of this slip of a man. I’ve seen Golden and Kai together, they have the sexual tension of two bricks. But nothing makes a vampire more irrational than his mate.

“I bet it hasn’t.”

Kai scoffs, looking me over, eyebrow cocked.

“But listen, if you’re someone Golden cares about he’s soft as marshmallows and if you push enough, he’ll give in.”

Kai’s glare is hard, protective.

“The way my best mate looks at you scares me. Because if you asked—if you pushed enough—he’d give you everything. And I’m not saying that can’t be sweet, but I need you to respect it and not twist it. Golden needs people to be happy, ya know. But when I see the way you look at him, I think you just need him.”

“I love my brothers, but…”

Already my protective instincts are on high alert, and I cannot deny that in my eyes Golden’s life outweighs everyone else's.

“But your love could rival two orbiting suns or something else ridiculous and poetic?”

I snort.

“To put it bluntly.”

Kai pats the braids covering the left side of his face, subtly reassuring himself the burned half remains covered.

“Golden is going to hate that I’m going all ‘big brother’ on him, but…Lucero, he’s never flirted with anyone let alone be in a serious, committed relationship. So maybe this is unfair of me to say, but I kinda don’t give a shit—if him being happy means you’ve gotta suffer a bit, then so be it. Encourage him to see his friends, alright? You can’t be his whole world all the time. I’ve seen what happens when someone tries and…”

Kai looks away, eyes becoming wet.

“I couldn’t pull him out of it…”

I will always have Golden’s back. However.

“Whatever that bastard did to Golden, I have a feeling if you could’ve stopped it, you would have.”

Kai’s eyes shut, his chin wobbling. For the first time I see him not as an extension of Golden, but as a man who’s fought his own battles.

I’m reminded of Ramy, always the caretaker. I’ve been a bad brother to him, but at least I try. And if Kai is forever the big brother, who, I wonder, looks after him?

“I want to horde his attention like a dragon,”

I confess and Kai looks back at me.

“The world does not deserve him. However, he deserves the world.”

Kai smiles, big and infectious and I can’t stop the corners of my mouth from tugging up.

The door opens and Golden comes out looking less flustered.

“Kai, hey.”

He sounds awkward to my own ears and I watch Kai’s grin grow.

He claps Golden on the back and drags him towards the sofa.

“Alright, mate. Lemme freshen all this mess up.”

Kai sits and Golden places himself on the floor between his legs.

“What happened to the fucking sofa?”

my mate asks, frowning at the ripped open arm.

“I have no idea,”

I say as I stroll closer.

Frowning, Golden shrugs.

“My hair has become more frizz and less curl.”

Kai grabs hold of the water bottle and sprays his hair wet.

“Wanna learn how to take Golden’s hair from fluff ball to pretty curls, Luc?”

I sit beside Kai, holding my hand out for Golden who takes it like he’s been placing his palm into mine for centuries.

“I look like one of those brushed out pomeranians,”

Golden jokes.

“You look beautiful.”

My soulmate looks at me from the corner of his eye, and smiles.