Bloodfire Awakening Read online

  The male chuckled as he twisted his arm more. “Like it?”

  Fear stabbed Koro’s gut. Not wanting to start something, he said, “Yeah.”

  The guy glanced around the bar. “This doesn’t seem like your kind of scene.”

  “It’s not,” Koro said bitterly. Then as a joke he said, “Know a way out?”

  Another smoky laugh from the male sent more goosebumps down Koro’s spine. “I know a guy.”

  Koro’s sight began to flicker with his anxiety level rise. “What’ll it cost me?”

  Another laugh. “Not much…”

  Chapter Three

  Kiz feared he was about throw up all over the sidewalk. He still couldn’t believe his father had given in to Raphael’s request.

  His nerves were beyond shot. They’d been quartered, shredded, and pureed in a blender. But thanks to an old custom he had to follow through with the dinner or he would shame his father.

  Standing a few yards away from the entrance of the bar’s double-doored entrance, he felt as if he were breaking a cardinal rule. Since arriving on Earth and becoming a resident at Hell’s Mouth, he’d never dared leave the safety of its doors.

  Now having never gone on a date, Kiz looked down at his clothes and hoped he was appropriately dressed in dark gray slacks and a light blue button-up shirt.

  His father had come to him the night before and said Raphael requested to take Kiz to dinner for compensation for granting Kiz citizenship. His father had then helped Kiz, who’d entered a state of shock, pick out the outfit he was now wearing for his…date? Could he even call it that? Was he going on a date with his mate? He didn’t know. He was so scared he hadn’t had the nerve to tell his father that Raphael was his mate.

  Kiz wanted to cry at how scattered his thoughts were. He was—

  “Kiz!”

  Kiz jerked when he heard Raphael shout his name, making him notice his viscer standing beside him. Raphael muttered a curse. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It fine,” Kiz said, clutching his chest. “I fine.”

  “I said your name several times, but you didn’t answer.”

  “Sorry. I-I was, uh, lost into my thought.”

  “Don’t apologize. I’m the one who should be sorry,” Raphael said, shifting his feet, looking kind of nervous. “Are you ready? I was thinking we could walk to the restaurant.”

  “O-okay.”

  “This way.”

  Kiz nodded and began to walk in the direction Raphael pointed. He looked around at the crowded downtown area of Kensington Falls. It was a tad colder than the air in the bar.

  As the cool air made his cheeks burn, he was mesmerized by all the lights. Pausing by a shop window that was so busy with little colorful trinkets, Raphael asked, “Do you want to go inside?”

  Kiz was torn but ended up shaking his head. He just wanted the night to end so he could be alone.

  But given it had just begun, Kiz found himself asking, “What is the wish you wish out’a our dinner?”

  Kiz’s shoulders hunched when Raphael chuckled softly.

  “What?” Kiz asked sharper then he meant to.

  Feeling Raphael’s heat beside him made his skin crawl, surprisingly in a good way.

  “I love the way you talk.”

  At Raphael’s words, Kiz felt his body flush with embarrassment. Turning, he began to walk once more down the sidewalk. Raphael’s chuckle turned into a throaty burst of air as he jogged to catch up to Kiz.

  “I no help it.” Kiz wanted to die again. Wanting to change the subject back, he prompted, “You no answer. What you want for us?” He gulped. “For me?

  Raphael took his time in answering. “What do I expect between us? I’m just taking you out to dinner, Kiz. Nothing more.”

  Kiz fell silent and thought seriously of turning around and running home. He wished to curl up on his bed and cry. Then roll over and cry some more.

  Peeking over to examine his mate, Kiz knew by Earth standards Raphael was tall. But standing next to Kiz, he barely made it to Kiz’s shoulders. But the fallen angel was far broader than him. Not to mention scrumptious with his shaggy black hair that framed his masculine square jaw, patrician nose, and brooding eyebrows slanting over his hypnotizing violet eyes.

  The earthling fascinated Kiz. He was perfection in his well-tailored suite. The only thing missing from his gangster-like appearance was a prohibition-era Tommy machine gun.

  Kiz forced his gaze away from his drool-worthy mate. I wanna touch you! he shouted in his head, while outside he tried to look normal—whatever normal is.

  “Tell me about yourself.”

  I believe in fated matings, you jerk! He wanted to say it out loud but held back. Instead, he asked, “What you wish me to tell?”

  “I take it you work at the bar to earn your keep. What exactly do you do?”

  Kiz breathed in a deep breath as his mind computed the words. “I work in kitchen. I wash dishes. Sometimes I sweep and mop.”

  “What do you like to do for fun?”

  Kiz turned thoughtful for a moment, his torrid emotions regarding Raphael beginning to lessen. He’d never talked about himself to another soul, and it felt strange. Kind of like he was breaking another cardinal rule.

  But as it was, he’d only scratched the superficial talk surface. The extent of his words to others at the bar were limited to “Hello,” “How are you?” and “I like your shirt.”

  His in-depth talks were limited to his father and brother. But his brother just complained while their father spent most of his time leafing through books and hanging out in the grow room, experimenting with plants native to Earth and many more throughout the universe.

  After a long awkward silence, Kiz said, “I…like crochet.”

  “Really?”

  At the amusement in the Raphael’s tone, Kiz’s shoulders slumped. “I know it stupid. I should no want to. It makes me less a man—”

  “Whoa!” Raphael said, interrupting him. “Hold up. There’s nothing wrong with crocheting. In fact, don’t tell anyone I told you this, but Royal, one of the heads of the hellhound branch of the Isherai council, likes to knit.”

  Kiz raised his hand, covering his laughter. The move was so natural to him he didn’t quite get when Raphael asked, “Why are you doing that?”

  Looking over at the ex-angel, he gave a questioning look.

  “Why are you covering up your laughter? If you’re amused, let it out.”

  Not liking the attention brought to his boyish giggle, Kiz said awkwardly, wanting to change the subject, “Um… What you do fun?” He paused. “For fun.”

  Taking his time, Raphael said, “I work a lot. Bailing Kippy’s ass out of trouble takes up the rest.”

  “Kippy?” he questioned sharper than he meant.

  “The gothic ass from last night.” When Kiz didn’t reply, Raphael added, “He and I are nothing more than friends. In case that’s what is bothering you.”

  Wondering how Raphael had known his discomfort, Kiz shook his anger off, trying to backpedal. “I-I no mean to, um, in-sin-u-ate—”

  Raphael laughter boomed out, making Kiz blush. “Don’t worry, Kiz. I took no offense.”

  He bowed his head and once again tried to change the subject. “You say you councilman. What you do?”

  “Mostly paperwork,” Raphael said as they came up to a crosswalk. “It seems never ending.”

  “That all you do?”

  “No.” Raphael chuckled. “I spend a lot of time in court. I act as a judge.”

  Genuinely interested, Kiz questioned, “Like the TV court shows?”

  “Sort of,” he said, sounding thoughtful. “There’s less drama. I basically get all the info in the paperwork before the trial. I talk with the defendant, get a feel as they tell their half of the story, and in the end I give a verdict.”

  Kiz nibbled his bottom lip before saying, “You enjoy it?”

  Raphael didn’t reply immediately, making Kiz feel like his rib c
age had been cracked open and someone had reached inside to squeeze his heart. He wasn’t sure what to say, and what little he did voice seemed to upset his mate.

  “Sometimes,” Raphael said after a short pause. “Others… I just want to call in sick.”

  Kiz nodded his head, hoping Raphael sensed it. He was at a loss. Words had never come to him with ease, and now he felt like they were talking two different languages. Kiz’s body began to shake with humiliation.

  “So…” Raphael began. “I take it you haven’t been on many dates.”

  Kiz froze inwardly but still managed to keep walking. “N-no,” he stuttered. “This m-my first.”

  “Well, just relax. I’m sort of new at this too.”

  “New?”

  He watched Raphael shrug from the corner of his eye. “As I said, I work a lot. So I don’t really have the time.”

  Kiz felt a zing of excitement at the thought of Raphael reserving time out of his day to take Kiz on a date. It thrilled him to be special. Turning his head toward Raphael, he said, “T’ank you.”

  Raphael stared longways at Kiz with a smile. “For what?”

  For making me a priority over work. The small action had Kiz’s hope do a one-eighty-degree turn. His mate’s gesture was so small but was like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud to warm Kiz’s entire being. His body tingled, and he was amazed that he didn’t feel emotionally rejected anymore.

  Feeling his flesh become slick with perspiration, he was shocked when his ankles began to hurt. It’d been so long since he’d had outside air and any sort of exercise. Waving his hand in the air as his legs cramped, he gasped when Raph’s arms shot forward to support him before he collapsed.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” he said, leaning up against the nearest surface.

  From the right of Kiz, a voice shouted, “Hey, asshole, that’s a window! Not a leaning post.”

  Kiz was surprised how fast he moved to grab Raphael and hold him back from attacking the man. He was shocked at how strong the fallen angel was. He knew his mate was allowing himself to be held back. Raphael could no doubt bend Kiz in half.

  Dragging him back into their walk through town, Kiz covered his mouth as he laughed. “My heart pounding.”

  Raph looked at him askance. But Kiz swore he saw a glint of amusement. Not knowing what the expression meant, Kiz sucked his lip between his teeth before asking, “What is, uh, hold on… Oh! Do! What do earthlings do on a—” He then squeaked out, “Date?” When Raphael didn’t reject Kiz’s word, he sighed and said, “My people no try to learn each another. I learn from father most males believe in the, um, elements of mysteries.”

  Raphael chuckled for a moment before he grew serious. “Do you not want to get to know me, Kiz?”

  For once, he breathed calmly. “Honest? I wish you in me.”

  Kiz noticed Raphael’s footsteps falter before he quickly recovered. “What exactly happens to you when you go into heat?”

  Kiz licked his lips. He’d never spoken to someone about something so intimate. He was surprised at how his anxiety was melting away. He was relaxing and not obsessing about every word. He was starting to have better accuracy. He knew his words were still hard to piece together, but Kiz was amazed how Raphael was sticking with him and not laughing.

  “I only read ‘bout it. I not know someone who had it. Father teach me when it’s happed, no wait.”

  “Why?”

  “Because longer we not bond, I smell gooder to others. Father say he no meet pair make it far and not bond together.”

  “Bond together…” Raphael parroted, disbelief weighting down his tone. “You aren’t more selective about who you choose to tie your soul with?”

  “No,” Kiz said matter-of-factly. “If we no bond with chosen, then—” He cut himself off, not wanting to admit the truth, but he said it anyway, “We go crazy… How angels mate?”

  “They don’t. Procreation is tricky, and performing a life-binding ceremony doesn’t shorten their lives to their lovers’. Most angels choose to remain celibate because who wants to go on living after their best friend dies?”

  Kiz’s hope took a nose dive. “This why you no wanna bond with me?”

  “Sort of,” Raphael said guardedly. “Fallen angels work differently. We change when we enter the pit. We lose half our powers in the fall, and if our wings get taken, we lose everything.”

  Kiz hesitated in asking his next question. “Can fallen angel do life-binding ceremony?”

  “Yes,” Raphael said in a dead voice. Then in a condescending tone, he added, “But we are notoriously picky.”

  Kiz stopped dead in his tracks.

  * * * *

  “…notoriously picky.”

  As soon as the words were out of Raph’s mouth he wanted to take them back. But as they floated around, he knew he would never be able to. If his powers were working he might have been able to do it. But honestly he didn’t think he’d do it. Raph didn’t want to mess with Kiz’s mind.

  Turning toward the other-worlder to see if he could tell Kiz’s emotion by his expression, he felt the oh shit moment gradually come over him at seeing the spot vacant.

  Cursing in his head, Raph turned about, finding his date standing statue still in the middle of the walkway, yards behind him. A few stray people walked around the giant Kiz, looking at him like he was a sideshow freak.

  Raph backtracked, feeling pissed at the frightened stares the strangers were giving his date. “Kiz?” he questioned once he stood in arm’s length of one other.

  “If…” Kiz began in an icy voice. “If you treating me like this, I go ‘way.”

  Raph’s eyes widened slightly. Upon first meeting Kiz, he had made the impression that he didn’t open his mouth to speak unless spoken to. Now Kiz stared at Raph with burning eyes. Raph had a sudden feeling of excitement at seeing Kiz’s wilder side peek through.

  It all came crashing down when Kiz’s eyes widened, and he slapped his hand over his mouth. In a muffled tone he practically screamed, “I did-d-d no mean to-say, um, dat!”

  “No,” Raphael said with a deep frown. “I’m glad you said it. I’m being a dick.”

  Typically, Raph kept his interactions with others brief and with an air of superiority. He knew he was an asshole, but he couldn’t help himself. If he let himself become sympathetic, he’d lose the other part of his heart that hadn’t died with his sister.

  Raph cut off the thought. He was on a date. And while he was an arrogant tool, he didn’t want to have his jaded views taint Kiz’s first date.

  Raph had decided after talking with Kiz the night before that he was going to try and see if whoever was in charge of matings got it right. If Kiz and he were really a perfect match, then why pass up the chance?

  But if he mated, then he’d never be able to have sex with another being. Only Kiz would be able to turn him on.

  But at that moment, staring at Kiz’s lovely face, he got the strange feeling he wouldn’t mind waking up to find it lying on the pillow next to him every morning. Yet fear of losing his freedom soiled the image.

  Raph had never been in a real relationship. All he knew was that Kiz was definitely the kind of guy he could see himself with.

  But looks weren’t everything to Raph. He needed to know Kiz would stay with him, that the male would put up with Raph—and what others said—his super inflated ego.

  Matings in the realm were shitty for the aggressor where a loophole existed to protect the “submissive” one. If Raph ever physically or mentally abused Kiz, once they were properly mated, Raph would be in the dog house for life. He’d become a slave, begging Kiz to release his tension and experience the bliss only an orgasm could bring.

  And Raph had to admit that frequent sexual encounters were one of the few things that kept him going. The thought of juggling Kippy, work, no sex, and a pissed-off mate made Raph feel like weeping.

  “No,” Kiz said, drawing Raph from his thoughts. “You should picky wh
o you wants is a viscer. You no settle for me. I no good enough for yous.”

  Raph knew that wasn’t true. He was the one who wasn’t worthy of Kiz. In his long life he’d made many mistakes. Mistakes that had knocked him down on his ass and left him with nothing. But more importantly, those choices had left him with little hope of the future. The reason he busied himself with so much work was because he was afraid he’d do something stupid if he was left alone with his self-destructive thoughts.

  Now he was just bitter and rarely bothered to step outside his comfort zone. Kippy had it right—he did have a stick up his ass.

  “Kiz…” he began, not knowing how to fix things. “I—”

  “Hey, dickhead.”

  Kippy’s voice was so unexpected, Raph physically jerked. Turning to the tiny god, he growled, “Fuck, Kipper! Don’t fucking do that.”

  Kippy looked up at him with his usual smirk. “Geez, dirty-birdie-Raph. Why are you so jumpy lately?”

  Raph glared at Kippy, feeling edgy at the fact that he hadn’t seen the guy coming. When I get my hands on whoever is messing with me, I’m going to—

  “What?” Kippy’s smile bloomed into a full-out grin as he mocked Raph. “Choke the life out of them?”

  Raph’s stomach dropped as his body flushed to an overbearing warmth. “Stay out of my head.”

  “Or what?” Kippy chuckled, and he mocked him again with double the attitude. “You’ll choke the life out of me?”

  “Just tell me why you are here,” he barked, not in the mood to deal with the guy’s shit.

  “Royal and Sandra want to talk to you.”

  “Why?”

  “Like I fucking know,” Kippy said with venom. “I’m not a goddamned psychic. I don’t see the future like you.” Then under his breath, “Not anymore.”

  Turning to face Kiz, Raph cussed at finding he wasn’t there again. He twisted about frantically as Kippy said, “Let him go. We got shit to do, ya botard.”

  Raph was pissed when he had to ask, “Where are Royal and Sandra?” He paused. “Will Grayel be there?”