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Dark Prince

By: LevanaHyll



Dark Prince

Alpha Angels Series

Book Two

Levana Hyll

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2010 by Levana Hyll

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Levana Hyll

ISBN-13: 978-1456348816

ISBN-10: 1456348817

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

For Jenny, Cindy, Frank, and Gil. My number one fan, Colleen Dunphy from writerscafe and all my other Angel-struck followers. I couldn't have done it without you.

Alpha Angels Series:

Fallen Angel

Dark Prince

Coming Soon:

Angel of Retribution

Golden Angel

Dark Angel

Angel of Redemption

Sethaliel

Devon is an archangel, bestowed a divine sword by a Dominatio the day he was born. Raised by Seraph's, love and kindness fill his life. Surrounded by angels he handpicks himself from Edenia's misfits, Devon feels he is in Heaven... until disaster strikes. One minute he's trying to break up a fight between his beloved angels, the next he's being awakened into a realm of hatred and distrust... all aimed at him. Three hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye for him, his angels have disappeared without a trace, and devils call him master now. Why didn't the Seraphs tell him he was a demon... son of the fallen angel, Davariel?

*

Prologue...

Devon awakened with a start. Heart pounding, he turned over in his bed, his hand automatically going to the cold, empty pillow beside his.

She was gone.

He sat up with a sigh, rubbing the heel of his palms over tired eyes, and then looked around. There was a shattered mirror on the floor at the foot of the bed's pedestal, the silver shards gleaming on the black floor. The silver ball that had sat on one of the nightstands was near the door, reflecting the dying flames of the fire pit in the adjacent lounging area. Twenty paces from the bed, the thick glass that held back the vast vacuum of space revealed his reflection, sitting up in the king-sized bed. His skin looked stark white draped in black, satin sheets, and his hair, blacker than both the sheets and space, hung loose about his shoulders.

In a daze, his mind replayed the last fight.

Lillique had screamed, and ranted, slapping and scratching at his flesh until angry welts marked his fair skin like ribbons of pain. He took it all, doing his best to shield himself from the worst of the blows. When she grabbed a handful of his hair and began pulling, ordering him to kneel, he knew he had two choices; remain standing and end up with a painful bald-spot, or obey and let her finish kicking his ass.

His knees hit the floor with a thud as he cringed, waiting for the continued onslaught. Eyes downcast, he could still see her reflection in the glossy floor of their quarters. Coils of reddish-brown hair had fallen across her cinnamon-colored face.

"That's where you belong, you son-of-a-bitch," her voice grated between clenched teeth. "On your knees, at my feet, for everything I've had to endure."

He turned imploring eyes to her. "Lillique, please understand... "

Stars exploded behind his eyes as his hair flew across his face. Pain, searing and bright, throbbed on the left side of his face where she'd slapped him. Automatically, he shielded himself with his arms, tasting blood in his mouth as she continued to scream at him. "I don't want to understand! I hate this space station! I hate your fucking Master Guardians!" To his chagrin, he yelped when she grasped two handfuls of his long hair and yanked his face up an inch away from hers. For a brief second he saw her green eyes gleam as her sneer twisted into a satisfied grin, enjoying the pain she was causing him. Her grip tightened making him wonder if her intention was to rip his hair out completely. "I want you to take us out of here. Renounce the Master Guardians—or so help me, Devon, I will leave and this time it'll be for good!"

If only I were so lucky—he thought miserably to himself. He gripped her hands, holding them still, feeling the burn of his scalp. "Lilli, I-I can't..."

Making an enraged sound, her fingernails came slashing downward with every intention of clawing his eyes out. Devon teleported out in time, leaving her swiping the air. "Lilli, stop," he demanded from the other side of the bed, not knowing what else to do.

Her face contorted into a mask of hatred. "You just want to be near them! Those two whores!"

He ducked just in time as a decorative chrome ball he had on a nightstand by the bed sailed past his head and crashed against the frosted glass partition separating the hygiene room from their sleeping area. Thankfully, the glass was shatter proof. He stood gaping at her, not comprehending the abhorrence she felt toward his Master Guardian sisters. "Shit! Don't call Annie and Rowie that. They're just... "

"Whores!" Her voice sounded shrill in the bedroom. "It's over! I'm done with you, Devon Angelos!"

She stormed out, like so times before, every sting and throb of abuse covering his body reminding him that it wasn't over. It never was.

He closed his eyes running his hands through his mussed hair. This was probably his punishment for having fallen into the wicked ways of the flesh. The Seraphs that raised him warned him against becoming a slave to his desires. With Lillique, he'd sampled every dark aspect of sex, including allowing her to fuck his ass with a dildo. She'd forced him down on his hands and knees, made him open his legs. After a while, much to his shame, he'd found himself tilting his ass higher so she could penetrate him deeper—how she'd laughed at him when he came. The memory alone made him shudder with desire, despite the beating he'd just received.

Devon hung his head feeling his cheeks burn. I'm so pathetic. I deserve to be paddled. He crawled into bed wanting the inevitable over and done with, but was surprised when only silence greeted him upon waking.

He rose from his rumpled bed, the sheets slipping to the floor. His eyes stared for a moment, unseeing, through the glass wall into deep space.

Lillique's screaming voice still echoed in his mind. She didn't understand the responsibility he had as leader of the Master Guardians. He'd even received a divine sword from a Dominatio when he was just an infant, making him an archangel. The winged cherub-like entities rarely bestowed such honors to beings from this realm. Lillique didn't comprehend at all. She'd always said he was stupid, that he needed to be a man. Sometimes he felt as though she were only trying to goad him into feeling anger. All he ever felt was hurt; hurt when she called him names, hurt when she openly flirted with other men, hurt when she had others laughing at him.

He shivered, feeling a tendril of power swirl around him tentatively; questioning, soothing. The others were reaching out to him.

I'm fine. Getting ready. He sent the telepathic message out to the six other Master Guardians left on Alpha 7. The white winged Seraphs that once guarded Earth's solar system, called Edenia, left a little before Lillique had entered his life ten years ago. They left Devon with the burden of watching over the solar system.

He pulled on his black uniform, with the gold winged insignia over his left pectoral. Glancing back at his room, he let his gaze go over the soothing hues of grey, from the pearlescent metal of the smooth walls to the dark, smoky shade of the rugs by the pedestal bed. Through the frosted glass wall that separated the lounging area from the bedroom, he could see the dying flickers of light from the fire-pit in the middle of the seating area. Dare I hope that this time she's really grown sick of me?

With a sigh, he used his telekinetic powers to lock onto the transport hangar and in the blink of an eye, he was striding toward his Viper. The black tear-shaped transportation pod reflected the grey metallic hangar as his booted feet echoed in the cavernous space. It had once been filled with thousands of the Seraphs' saucer-shaped transports, called Fire Chariots. With the winged aliens gone, the vast hangar stretched empty, most of it cloaked in shadows because the overhead lighting only lit the areas where humanoid life was detected.

Two of his fellow Master Guardians waited for him. It was their turn to go on watch around the Edenian solar system.

Seth leaned against his Viper, hands shoved casually into his pockets, eyes downcast. The bright overhead lighting glinted off his short platinum hair. He portrayed a relaxed demeanor, but Devon felt the angry energy he emanated. At nineteen, the shifter sometimes acted like a grumpy old man. Devon felt touched the boy took such offense at Lillique's treatment of him.

Rowie looked at Devon with sympathetic obsidian eyes. She'd pulled her gleaming black spiral curls into a high ponytail exposing her pixie-like face. With a little pout, she twined her arms around his neck and gave him an affectionate peck on his lips. "Aw, sweetheart, it's for the best you know." She rubbed her nose against his while her fingers stroked his hair lovingly.

He closed his eyes, his hands coming up to wrap around her tiny waist. "I'm okay, Row." Devon kissed her forehead with a sigh, breathing in the sweet essence of her half vampire blood.

Seth's snort drew their attention. "I'll believe that when Lillique doesn't show up again."

Devon reached out and caught the boy around the neck with a smile. He pulled Seth into his embrace. "Easy there, tiger. Don't get yourself worked up."

Devon ruffled his hair affectionately. The were-tiger had been with them since he was eight years old. His mother was an Edenian guardian soldier, the second line of defense in the solar system. She'd dragged the frightened child aboard Alpha 7 stating she didn't want him. She didn't know the man she'd had a brief affair with was a shifter. Had she known, she never would have conserved and used his sperm for fertilization. She'd called Seth an abomination and a freak, and damn lucky she hadn't put him down like the animal he was.

Horrid bitch.

Again, tendrils of power swirled around him. "It's time to go relieve the others from watch."

Devon slipped into his Viper. The dark interior wrapped around him like the welcoming arms of a lover. He loved being out in space. The sight of the billions of stars and galaxies in the endless black never failed to take his breath away. He let his power out, seeking the others, linking with each individual Master Guardian until he came up against the solid wall of power his belligerent blood dragon, Remien, had erected around himself.

What the hell is that idiot doing?—he heard Seth shout in his mind.

Devon tried not to groan in exasperation.

Remien was new. He'd rescued the shifter at the insistence of his Earth-born mother. The woman had tearfully pleaded with Devon to get Remien off Earth before the Edenian council ordered her way-ward son put to death. Picked on one time too many, Devon knew Remien wasn't evil, just angry and rebellious.

Unfortunately, his rebellious nature was beginning to rub some of the others the wrong way.

Devon pressed his power tighter against Remien's telekinetic wall. Remi, why are you shielding yourself from us? Even though he'd used his most soothing tone, the were-dragon's power still heated up a few notches, obviously becoming riled at being prodded.

"Leave him be." Lucien's voice intruded into Devon's thoughts. "He's been a prick all watch.

Lucien's power always felt like a whirlwind around him, swooshing quickly then withdrawing. Lucien never let any of the males get too close either. Devon suspected he might have been abused. His aura swirled with dark colors of torment and pain, but he never dared ask Lucien such a personal question. When the blond beauty with the almond-shaped ice-blue eyes appeared aboard Alpha 7, Devon thought he'd fallen in love at first sight. There was something about the man that called to his heart, like a long lost love. Devon didn't know what to make of his feelings for Lucien. He'd never been attracted to men before. Wanting to explore these feelings, he attempted pleasuring himself secretly thinking of Lucien, but was surprised to find he wasn't the least bit aroused. It even felt uncomfortable thinking about a passionate embrace with Lucien. He simply loved him in an un-sexual way—a relief for Devon. Had he tried to approach Lucien in that manner he was sure Lucien would have ripped his head off. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Lucien hated men, barely tolerated them.

How the hell are we supposed to link with that bastard blocking us? Seth's snarl startled Devon out of his daydreaming. He couldn't believe how distracted he was. What was wrong with him?

Remi—Devon coaxed, but the wall only intensified. He could feel Seth's anger over the blood dragon's defiance.

Remien Fyre, you're acting like a child—Rowie's voice scolded through their telepathic communication.

Even though Remien only opened himself up to Rowie, since they were all telepathically linked, Devon's jaw dropped when the image Remi shot into Rowie's mind registered in his brain.

How's this for a child! The image of Remi over Rowie, their bodies glistening with sweat as he fucked her, blazed in everyone's mind. Remien's blood-red hair was plastered to his back, partially covering the tattoo he had of a dragon as his hips thrust feverishly.

Rowie's reaction was instant. Devon felt the curl of arousal that made her damp, his own cock hardening in response, then the shock, and outrage.

A slew of curses from both Rowie and Seth made Devon withdraw from the link with a headache. He sensed the others trying to intervene in the ensuing melee. They were supposed to be keeping an eye out for possible danger not fighting like a bunch of unruly children. A sense of unease settled over him.

There were many space vehicles roaming about as was normal, including several Utuduodian vessels. These humanoid aliens were from a female-dominated planet. Devon sensed they were reanimating something.

The feel of apprehension intensified. He was about to investigate the Utuduodian cargo, but a familiar presence stunned him. Lillique approached in her own transport pod. What the hell is she doing way out here? The annoyed tendrils of power emanating from the others wrapped around him like a whip, obviously protesting her return.

Their concern warmed his heart, but he knew he needed to fix this situation with Lillique once and for all.

He was about to speak to her when fire burst upon his skin. Devon screamed in agony and bewilderment as flame consumed his flesh. He immediately shielded himself, but still, his body was gripped in the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt in his twenty-nine years of Earth life.

Oh, God, what happened? Are the others alright? His body began shutting down, slowly losing the capacity to retain the energy of his life force. I-I'm dying. No. I can't. Not yet. I've got to help the others. Is the solar system being attacked? Divine One, give me strength. There was nothing to do but use his powers to heal his body. It wasn't a meticulous job, but he healed the damage enough to be able to send out a pulse of his power in search of the others. What he found startled him. They were gone.

B-but that can't be. Not even their life forces are echoing. If they'd died—he choked back a sob. It's like they never existed. What the hell is going on here?

The stars were all wrong too, shifted out of their normal positions as if... somehow he'd been transported three hundred years into the future.

 Chapter one...

Angel felt like a caged animal. She paced back and forth in Lady Thania's reception, feeling hateful stares directed at her. Filth covered her from head to toe. Her platinum blond hair was a matted tangle of dirt and leaves, countless cuts and bruises littered her arms and bare legs. One particularly nasty gash oozed blood down her abdomen. Angel had no idea what had happened to her white robe. When Morana purposefully tripped and upended a bucket full of fetid Morai dung on Angel's head as she weeded Lady Thania's garden, all Angel wanted to do was rip the little bitch's head off. Of course, when she'd lunged herself at the hateful girl, Morana's cohorts tried to restrain Angel. Daggers were unsheathed and clothing was sliced to ribbons as they ended up in a ball of writhing violence amongst the colorful blooms of the garden. It took seven guards to separate the four females; four were needed to hold Angel alone.

What punishment would be heaped upon her this time? Most of the Venushtians had accepted Angel's presence among them, except for Morana, Lyana, and Tanar Because of them, the list of Angel's countless punishments reached the heavens.

Angel glanced over her shoulder at her nemesis. The difference between them was like night and day. The other females were dark, muscular, and large breasted. Angel was as white as a ghost, with pale blue eyes. Although she was tall and athletically built, the goddess had not blessed her with an ample chest. Her breasts were two little handfuls that sat pert upon her chest with tiny pink nipples, the subject of much taunting during the cleansing rituals of the fledgling priestesses. Angel snorted, pushing away the feeling of self-pity with disdain. Her lithe figure afforded her speed and agility during battle. She didn't need curves.

Morana looked up at her through narrowed eyes. Angel smiled with satisfaction. Morana's nose was bleeding and she sported a bruise big enough to have swollen one of her chocolate colored eyes shut. Angel smirked. The girl's face was covered with Morai dung Angel had taken the pleasure at having made her practically eat. That'll teach the stupid little c... 

A door squeaking open drew everyone's attention. Lady Thania's copper-colored eyes went over each young warrior in the reception. Her nose flared as her lips formed a straight line. "You four... again." The woman sighed, smoothing her long fingered hand over her brow, making her scarlet robes ruffle in the soft breeze that wafted from the balcony doors.

Lady Thania motioned the other three females into her chambers. Angel stood her ground, waiting for the older priestess to acknowledge her too. The woman's gaze swept over Angel's near nakedness. Angel felt herself blush, her gaze lowering to take in her appearance. A few leaves were still stuck to her skin, one strategically over one of her nipples. Her klowt, silver elastic holding a strip of white fabric between her long legs, was already stained with the blood of the cut on her belly. "Angel, clean yourself up. The high priestess has summoned you to her chambers."

Angel's eyes welled with tears, her head snapping up. The overwhelming need to throw herself at the other woman's feet and beg for forgiveness almost had her swaying forward. The priestess' raised hand stopped her cold.

Lady Thania's gaze went from stern to sympathetic. "Now-now, child. Spare me the tears and do as you're told."

Angel nodded and rushed out to her own chambers. The young warriors she passed on her way stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. Angel mused it wasn't everyday one saw a pale, naked warrior run down the castle corridors sobbing like a little girl.

Her mind reeled, trying to imagine why the high priestess would summon her. Could someone have heard her cries in the dead of night? She'd been plagued with visions of the most unusual sort as of late. The most disturbing vision, a demon coupling with her as she'd seen animals do, made her shudder. What should have been a nightmare caused her to awaken night after night crying out in passionate release. She'd whip herself, to rid her body of its shameful desires, but the following night, she would again succumb to the raven-haired demon's seduction.


Dark Prince



Desiring a man was taboo in Venushti. The males lived on a separate planet and had their own government. Conception and artificial birth took place in a space station built between the two planets to keep both races thriving; male and female. 

Angel hated males, but was never physically attracted to females, which was why she'd opted for a life of celibacy as a priestess. Could her past training as a sex slave be catching up to her? Did she truly have the soul of a whore? Was she to be cast out of her safe refuge after so many years because of these unconscious forbidden desires?

Memories from the past, before she'd been rescued from the Grei hunters, loomed in her mind; the hunger, the terror, the painful experiments that had made her scream and scream and scream... 

Stumbling into her modest chambers, she made her way to her bathing chamber. As she scrubbed the dirt from her body she wondered where she would go if asked to leave. She had no home or family that she knew of in the galaxy. All she remembered of her childhood was being locked up in a cage with other children of different species. They'd fight like animals whenever food was tossed into the filthy cages where they were kept... until the cursed day Angel's blood marked her thighs. The Greis had pulled her out of the cage, strapped a chastity belt around her loins and dragged her to the slave markets to be sold.

With an angry snarl, she slammed her fists into the water—I'd rather die than have that happen to me again.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Worrying would resolve nothing.

Once finished with her cold bath, she donned another robe, plaited her hair into a braid, and then rushed out.

Her silver sandals echoed in the cool corridors of her fortress-like home. The scent of ancient stone was just a subtle reminder that the Venushtian castle was many siglons old. The breeze and bright sunshine streaming in through the open archways defied her dismal situation. Even the colorful blooms of the gardens and the trees filled with twittering birds did little to lift her spirits.

Arriving at the double doors to the high priestess' council chamber, she paused to pull herself together. Angel took a deep breath and smoothed her hand down her clean white robe. It was the typical attire a young warrior wore when aspiring to be a priestess. The silver band around her waist was a symbol of her purity and the jeweled dagger strapped at her right thigh denoted her status as a level two warrior. Once she perfected her skills with a sword, she'd be promoted to level three. If that ever happens now—she thought in despair. Letting out her pent-up breath, she tossed her thick braid back and pushed the ornate wooden doors open.

The cool air that caressed her cheeks was scented with the sweetness of the flowers that grew in the gardens. She'd been in the council chambers many times during special ceremonies, but its grandeur still made her gape like a little girl. Tall crystal columns rose up to the vaulted ceiling, painted with a mosaic of scenes from various parts of their lush world. The stone walls were also decorated with paintings and had niches with statues of their finest warriors, all females, of course. Angel's feet moved across the various rugs displayed upon the polished stone floor until she stopped before the high priestess' dais.

Lady Serena smiled at her and motioned her forward. As was custom, Angel stepped up on the dais, head bowed, and knelt, making sure to spread her robes around her so her thighs were exposed showing the dagger. She opened her arms in a sign of reverence, palms up.

"Your holiness."

"You've grown into a beautiful woman, Angel." Lady Serena's husky voice made Angel blush. "The time has come for you to prove yourself and take the final vows."

Angel's head snapped up. All her fears dissipated. She placed her hands over her heart, feeling honored. "I won't disappoint you, Lady Serena."

The high priestess pulled her long dark braid forward and then leaned back in her chair. Her amber eyes looked down at Angel with maternal affection. "You could never disappoint me, little one."

Those were the very same words she'd uttered to Angel the day she rescued her from the slave markets of Xenar.

Straightening her spine and lifting her chin, Angel took a deep breath. "What's my task? How will I prove myself worthy of assuming the final vows?"

Lady Serena's smile faded. "The Edenian's violated our sacred grounds. They've taken the black stone and destroyed it."

Angel's heart raced as she covered her mouth in shock. "Destroyed it?" Only last sun cycle, she'd gone on a pilgrimage to the barren planetoid on the outskirts of the Edenian solar system to pay homage to the sacred black stone. As a matter of fact, it was pretty much around the same time she began having her disturbing visions.

"The members of the Edenian council had a collective vision that the last leader of their lost Master Guardians was frozen within the stone."

Angel went from shock to outrage. "The ones responsible for the war?" The war had sparked a number of similar invasions across the galaxy, still recovering from the bloodbath of the fallen angel, Davariel and his legions of demons and devils. Grei hunters invaded her native planet and after taking every male and female of reproductive age into custody, they proceeded to blow the planet into tiny pieces.

Lady Serena's eyes narrowed. "That stone saved the life of our matriarch, Aarien. It crushed a Trod ship that was preparing to destroy the royal vessel. It doesn't matter to us what was inside it."

Angel ducked her head, contrite. "Of course, your holiness."

"I understand your anger, Angel. That's why I'm giving you this task." Angel raised her eyes back up to the high priestess' solemn face. "You are to fetch the demon and bring him back. He belongs to us."

Angel's mouth dropped open. "Demon?" Oh, goddess, no!

"That's what they call him. Devon Angelos was raised by Seraphs as a Master Guardian. I'm guessing he's the product of fornication between a human and a demon." The priestess shuddered. Angel felt sick, but for different reasons. "Why they didn't see fit to kill him at birth is beyond my comprehension. Then again, I've heard that he has the most splendorous beauty." Angel blinked at her in confusion. How could she find beauty in a male? They were hideous, hairy, smelly creatures, more animal-like than human. Lady Serena continued, oblivious to Angel's internal turmoil. "How could he not be beautiful? A demon, after all, is nothing more than a divine fallen angel."

Angel had been taught the difference between the wishful titles bestowed to humanoids with supernatural powers and the immortal entities that sometimes crossed over from the realm of Ainrodonel. "You want him brought here?"

Lady Serena scowled. "They defiled sacred grounds. It was established that the small area on the planetoid surrounding the black stone was sacred to our people. If we allow them this, what will come next?"

"Of course, your holiness. But what will we do with him once he's here?"

"He's a powerful Master Guardian, an archangel. We can use him as an oracle—keep him bound in the temple—it doesn't matter. The Edenians will not get away with this."

Angel's pulse raced at the thought of having to face this Edenian Master Guardian. The memories of her life as a slave were still fresh in her mind. She had no family, her people were still in bondage, scattered all over the galaxy and her planet no longer existed. And it's all his fault! "What if he refuses to comply?"

Lady Serena arched her brow, her eyes cold. "Then you kill the unholy bastard."

Angel bowed her head again. "Yes, your holiness. I will not fail you."

Rising to her feet, she backed away until she stepped down from the dais. After bowing one last time, she turned and strode out.

Cold fear washed over her as she made her way down the corridor to her rooms. Her visions, was it a glimpse into the future, or simply her mind playing tricks on her? Fear was replaced by fury. No man will ever have me—much less a vile demon. She did her best to clear her thoughts of the black memories of her childhood.

In her rooms, she let her robes fall to the floor and knelt in a bright patch of sunlight spilling from the open balcony doors. Opening her arms and tilting her face into the light, she closed her eyes. She emptied her mind of all thought and simply let the power of the goddess fill her. She would need the goddess' strength for her upcoming task. Angel remained in this position until the three moons of Venushti rose high in the night sky.

Her body grew weary, her knees ached. Rising from the hard floor, she went to her personal bathing chamber and immersed herself in the chill waters of her bathing pool. She scrubbed her hair and skin with a rough sponge.

Outside, the wind blew softly, whispering through the trees and castle turrets. A few night creatures called out in the lonely night, adding to the melody of darkness surrounding her.

The soft, yet deep voice of sin and temptation kissed her ears like a dulcet caress. Angel, help me, please.

A shudder went through her as she gasped, dropping the sponge. Her eyes searched the empty darkness and she found herself wishing she'd taken the time to light at least one candle. A dark cloud crossed over two of the moons visible in the narrow window of her bathing chamber and a cool draft gave her chills. Her hand grasped her dagger from her thigh strap as she crawled out of the pool. Angel ran to the doorway and pressed her back against the rough, stone wall. Water dripped down her skin, making a puddle at her feet as she listened to see if she could pick up any noise in her sleeping chamber. The wind rustling through the outdoor foliage and a few night larks chittering in the surrounding trees were the only sounds she heard now. She peeked around the wall and checked every dark corner of her room. Moving around to the balcony doors, she peered out before emerging into the night's cool embrace. The dark cloud moved on, releasing the two silvery moons from its gloomy prison. Down below, the trees danced to the music of the night breeze. She could see brief glimpses of the gardens with its flowering bushes, fountains, and cobbled walkways. The Mystic forest stretched out to the nearby hills blinking with the lights of a village not far from the castle.

The cool air against her damp skin made her shiver. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked back into her sleeping chamber. With a weary sigh, she collapsed onto her bed, sleep claiming her almost immediately.

It didn't take long for one of the nightmares to begin. Angel raced through a canyon made of black ice that curved endlessly onward. She gripped a heavy sword in her right hand and her boots stomped with each desperate step she took. She wanted to run faster, but her thighs felt as if they were already on fire. Fighting a losing battle with exhaustion, she felt herself slip. Her body slid about twenty feet before she was able to stop the momentum by impaling her dagger into the ice with a grunt. She lay on the ground, face-down, panting, the wind pulling away misty clouds of breath from her lips. Her hair was splayed around her like a white veil, blocking her view. With a groan, she struggled to her knees and shook her pale tresses out of her face. She'd come upon an opening in the canyon, an enormous lake stretching out as far as the eye could see beneath a cloud-choked sky the color of ashes and blood.

Her eyes focused on a solitary figure not far from her. The wind blew through the silken strands of black that spilled to the middle of his back. Blood, the color of pitch, seeped from where two seven foot wings protruded from his back, light grey and bat-like. Her eyes followed the path of flowing black blood trailing down the contours of his trim waist, firm muscled buttocks and thighs; down over skin as white as driven snow. The demon started to turn... 

 Chapter Two

Devon kept his head bowed. He didn't need to see to feel the ten pairs of accusing eyes that burned him with hatred. The council members sat in one of the larger conference rooms aboard Alpha 6. They occupied a semi-circular table made of black granite, and the screen behind them continuously showed scenes of a bloody war that had exploded within the Edenian solar system the night the Master Guardians disappeared.

Three hundred years. I was frozen in a suspended animation ball for three hundred years. How the hell did that happen? He simply could not wrap his head around that fact.

Devon raised his eyes and looked through the heavy fall of black hair that partially covered his view. Twenty guardian soldiers stood alert all around the room, their weapons held against their chests, their eyes trained with deadly intent on him. Their hate poured over Devon like acid. He wanted desperately to shield himself from the negative emotions, but they'd forbidden him to use his powers. He knew they couldn't force him to comply, still, he obeyed hoping they'd stop viewing him as a monster.

"It was a conspiracy planned and executed by the Master Guardians. We were attacked from all sides and within the solar system."

"There was no conspiracy." Devon shook his head. "I swear to you. Most of us have been... " He swallowed and corrected himself, "had been together since childhood. We were all linked." Except Remien—he thought bitterly to himself.

"Then how do you explain what happened?"

The whispering began again, dark voices that started tormenting him a few night cycles ago. Devon looked around, but no one else was talking. Every eye was nailed on him. Oh, God, I'm losing my mind! He closed his eyes and hung his head in despair.

Kill them all, Devon.

Sweat began to bead on his brow. The voices grew louder.

"Was there or was there not a power struggle among you?"

Kill. Be our master.

Devon clenched his teeth to keep from screaming.

Kill them, dark prince.

Devon shook his head. "No."

The sound of a fist hitting the table made him jump and look up. "You were involved! Confess, you God-forsaken demon!" a woman demanded in a shrill voice.

Devon, kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

The lighting flickered and dimmed, the voices telling him to kill intensified until they were screaming all around him. Before Devon's eyes, the walls grew moldy, blood began trickling from the edges of the ceiling until it ran in torrents across the floor. The faces of the council members contorted, eyes rolling back to reveal only the white portion, black veins appearing like lacey webbing over every inch of exposed flesh. Their lips turned black, peeling back into a grotesque smile that revealed rotting broken teeth. The guardian soldiers' eyes turned red, and crimson tears poured down their cheeks.

The distinct sound of glass cracking had him turning. Fire licked at the corners of the glass wall behind him. A sky choked with roiling red-black clouds replaced the view of Jupiter and space. Hundreds, if not thousands of devils, swirled in the skies, below, more crawled out from a rippling pool. Their eyes glowed like yellow beacons with slits for pupils. They were chanting as they approached the glass—master... master... master... 

However, the sight of the devils was not what terrified him. Standing before the devils, turning to look at him was... himself... a demonic version of himself, standing in the same exact position, like a reflection in a mirror. Giant, grey, black-veined devils wings were tucked against his back, a sneer twisting his face.

"Devon!"

His reaction was immediate. He spun back around with a snarl as he summoned his divine sword. The guardian soldiers pointed their weapons, screaming at him to stand down. Most of the council members flung themselves to the floor covering their heads like cowards; a few others fainted onto the table.

Devon blinked in confusion. Everything had been only an illusion and here he was holding his sword in battle stance before a bunch of terrified Edenian's. With just a thought he could crush them all... kill them easily. They were weak, did not know how to use the power innate in all living creatures. He, on the other hand was like a god in their midst.

His wayward thoughts made him frown.

Why in God's name am I contemplating murder? He shook his head slowly, acknowledging there was something seriously wrong with him.

The doors to the room opened and in stepped a familiar figure. Dr. Quinn fought his way through the guards that stood watch outside. They grabbed at his white coat, still, he managed to make it to Devon's side.

The silver-haired doctor gripped his shoulders and looked up into his face. "It's alright, son. Everything's going to be alright."

All the energy Devon possessed seemed to drain from his limbs and he crumpled to his knees. Dr. Quinn put his fingers against his throat, then placed his palm against Devon's forehead. Devon closed his eyes. Touch. He needed the touch of healing hands. Dr. Quinn tipped his head up and told him to open his eyes.

"Are you mad, Quinn," one of the council members spat, peering over the edge of the table. "Get away from that demon!"

"He's not going to hurt anyone." Dr. Quinn turned with a glare. "Put those stupid weapons away! You should know they're useless against him!"

Devon willed his sword away. His head hurt and for a moment, he wished they would use their weapons on him. He wouldn't use his power to disable them. He'd welcome death with open arms.

His mind drifted. Where are they? What the hell happened? Lucien, Seth, Rowie, Annie, Zak... Remi. It couldn't have been Remi.

Remien's face appeared in his memory. He was an eye-full, with his exotic blood-red hair and green eyes. Devon recalled the day he'd brought the shifter aboard Alpha 7, Remien had scowled the whole trip. Devon linked his mind to his, but not too deeply. He didn't want to intrude on Remi's privacy. The dragon's thoughts were riotous, his anger almost a living thing within him... still, Devon had sensed vulnerability. He couldn't help reach out and caress his cheek. Remien jumped at the contact, his eyes looking at Devon in shock.

"It's going to be okay."

Remien gripped his hand and stared at it wide eyed. His breathing accelerated as he pressed Devon's hand back against his face, this time with both hands.

Devon was taken aback when the red-haired shifter jumped into his arms and hugged him. "I can feel you! I can feel!"

Devon let his arms go around him, feeling him shudder with emotion. He let his power sweep the shifter's body and felt the anomaly immediately. Remien's sense of touch was damaged, and his brain waves were strange. Could it be because of his ability to transform into a dragon?

Remien stiffened in his embrace and Devon felt the first waves of wary energy that flowed from him.

The were-dragon pulled away, the scowl back in place. "What did you do to me?"

"Nothing, I... " Devon's eyes narrowed. " You've been damaged... "

Remien sneered. "Yeah-yeah, I know. I'm damaged goods. So what?"

"No. I didn't mean it that way."

Remien's eyes narrowed to slits, his nostrils flaring. "Yes you did." Flames began dancing on his skin and a wicked grin curled the edges of his lips. "I can do all sorts of things with my damaged self."

Devon tried not to laugh at the shifters implied threat. He held out his hand instead, creating a blue-white fireball in his palm. "Like this?"

Remien's grin melted away and he blinked in astonishment at Devon's fireball. Devon was caught once more in the were-dragon's annoyed green gaze, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "Show-off."

Dr. Quinn's hand shaking Devon's shoulder jarred him to the present... exactly where he didn't want to be. His anger began to stir.




Dark Prince



"Devon, did you hear me? I said I'm taking you with me to my home."

"So why aren't you afraid of the demon?" As soon as the hissed words left his mouth, Devon gasped. Where the hell had that come from? Holy hell, he was unstable. Maybe these people are telling the truth after all. I must've flipped out and started a war. "I'm sorry. Dr. Quinn." He swallowed, not bearing to look at the only Edenian that had treated him well. "I don't feel like myself. I should probably stay here."

"Nonsense. You were trapped in a suspended animation ball and improperly re-animated."

"Tell him the truth, Quinn," a council member snorted. "We were trying to destroy the unholy son-of-a-bitch."

Dr. Quinn tipped Devon's face up, ignoring the man's outburst. "Look, you shouldn't have even survived what they did to you, but you did. You could be feeling any number of secondary effects to the improper re-animation. I need you at the research lab if I'm going to help stabilize you. Once you're better we can all hash out this unsavory episode of the war with a better perspective."

Devon nodded, doing his best to ignore the wavering images of devils snickering in the dark reflection of the table.



Angel clenched her teeth in fury. She'd arrived at the Edenian council headquarters station to demand Devon be handed over to the Venushtian people, only to discover there were beings from hundreds of other planets demanding the same thing. Most of them only wanted him killed, fearing he was the successor of the dark prince, Davariel.

There were guardian soldiers everywhere, guarding every door and passageway. Finding him was going to be next to impossible.

Chewing the edge of her lip, she searched her brain for a solution. The incessant clamor in the large gathering hall of the council station was driving her insane, so she stalked back to the transport hangar.

With a loud sigh, she let her head drop back to relieve the tension in her neck. A flurry of movement caught her eye. The transport hanger was made up of various levels, with the larger ships docking on the lower decks and the smaller transports directed to the upper levels. Three levels over where she stood was a large procession of guardian soldiers almost running with their weapons drawn. Angel's eyes narrowed trying to see what or whom they were obviously guarding. A chill swept up her spine when they gathered around the opening of a midsized cruiser. A ship of that size should have been on the level where she stood.

Her heart began to race. She'd always been blessed with a sixth sense of just knowing things, and her heart told her Devon Angelos was aboard that cruiser preparing to take off.

Angel turned and walked quickly toward her cruiser. A few guardian soldiers leered at her, but she ignored them. She felt the braids she'd had woven into her hair brushing against her rump as her warrior boots thudded upon the metal plank leading into the interior of her ship. Strapping herself into the pilot's seat, she pressed her hand to the control pad to activate the transport-cruiser. The hatch closed and locked, and the ship's docking supports retracted. They weren't going to allow her to leave until the other cruiser was well on its way to whatever destination it had. 

Angel smiled. There wasn't a vessel she couldn't track. The question was what to do once she caught up with it.



Dr. Quinn pressed a bio-moleculizer against his arm. "This will help you sleep. It's been a long week for you."

Devon felt a cool sensation penetrating his skin. The doctor had provided him with a change of clothing and allotted him comfortable sleeping quarters.

Devon felt grateful. "Why are you being so good to me, when everyone else hates me?"

Dr. Quinn stopped gathering his medical tools and gave Devon a long stare. "People don't hate you. They're just afraid of what they don't understand."

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Devon knew he sounded like a sullen child, but was past the point of caring.

Dr. Quinn smiled. "I know you're good. I can feel it in here." He patted his chest. "Now, if you need anything, just ask the Madoc and he'll be more than happy to help you."

"Madoc?" Devon frowned.

Dr. Quinn laughed, the corners of his brown eyes crinkling. "The main dwelling computer. I named it Madoc."

Devon watched as the doctor finished collecting his things into a black case and then bid him a good night cycle.

Alone again, Devon thought about the accusations hurled at him and his missing angels. None of them would have been capable of plotting the invasion of the solar system under his nose. Annie had a three-year-old son living with her mother on Mars. Her thing had been making homemade brownies. Lucien... all he cared about was getting drunk, going to brothels, and kicking ass during training sessions. Seth had been raised by all of them and he took protecting Edenia with the utmost seriousness. Besides, Seth had only just turned nineteen. He spent most of his free time arguing with Annie and Rowie because they wouldn't let him join in on Lucien's trips to the brothels. Zak? Devon shook his head with a smile. Zak had the capability of shifting into a golden dragon, unfortunately, his beastly side terrified him and he refused to do it. The first time he faced Devon with a sword during training session, the boy's hands shook so badly, he was barely able to hold his blade straight. It couldn't have been Zak. Row? Even more ludicrous. She was a little spitfire, but somehow he couldn't envision her plotting a mass take-over of Edenia. She hated injustice and cruelty. Remi? Devon closed his eyes with a groan. Remien Fyre was full of much resentment and anger. He'd been accosted by the authorities most of his life and had associated with unsavory types on Earth. Had his mother not broken down in tears in his arms and begged him to go with Devon for his own good, he was sure Remi would have become a mercenary. But still... to have a hand in planning an invasion? Revenge? The memory of his scent brought a lump to Devon's throat. Cinnamon and fire. The few months Remi had been with them, Devon had grown to a love the rascally dragon.

His eyes grew scratchy and a yawn made his jaw crack. He rubbed his eyes and rose from the chair he'd been occupying. The bed was smaller than the one he'd had on Alpha 7, but looked comfortable. He crawled up on the firm mattress and stopped to gaze at his face in the mirror by the bed. His black hair was so straight it was almost impossible to keep it out of his face. Sitting up, he raked his fingers through it. His eyes were very different from other humanoids. They glowed bright and blue, as if lit from within. Just like the demons I keep seeing. A shiver of apprehension went through him. His eyes lowered taking in the color of his skin. Why was he so white? He was paler than a vampire. Only his lips had a slight blush to them and whenever he felt embarrassed his face would turn a bright pink.

Devon felt his lids grow heavier. Rubbing his face, he yawned again. He peeled back the covers and snuggled up underneath. The lights in the room dimmed and soothing silence welcomed him. Just as he felt himself drifting off, he had the sense of being watched. He jolted awake and turned his head. Sitting casually at the foot of his bed was a dark figure. Devon blinked, trying to focus his eyes properly, then realized he was seeing correctly. The man had spirals of bouncy curls barely brushing his shoulders. His face was soft, angelic, with a pert nose and plump lips. That's where any resemblance to an angel stopped. The eyes that burned with intensity into Devon's were a glowing gold with slit pupils. Two little horns peeked out naughtily from within the babyish curls that adorned his head. His skin, which had a satiny sheen, was blacker than the void of space. Bat-like wings fluttered once, then settled neatly against his back and a tail, similar to a whip, found a comfortable spot draped over Devon's feet. 

Devon sat up slowly, gathering his power within him in preparation for battle. The energy of his sword tingled behind his back and his hand itched to wrap around its golden hilt. His eyes remained on the unholy being before him, a being that now looked upon him with blatant lust.

The creature's eyes followed the descent of the sheet that covered Devon as it fell to his waist. The devil smiled. "You're almost as splendorous as your father." He licked his lips as his clawed hand pulled the sheet the rest of the way down. The creature pouted when he saw the soft, white, drawstring pants that Devon wore.

The summoning spell Devon was just about to utter froze on his lips. The beast's mention of his father had him forgetting all about his sword. "What do you know of my father?"

"He could never get enough fucking and being fucked."

A strange sensation filled Devon as well as growling in his ears. When his sword appeared in his hand, he realized the animalistic growling was coming from his own throat.

The devil smiled broader, his eyes flashing with joy. "Yesss, my master! Let the rage fill you! Does it anger you to know your father was repeatedly raped by demons? They fucked him to the brink of death."

"Stop."

Devon turned to the sound of the new voice. He rarely ever saw his Dominatio, a cherub-like entity that sometimes guided him. The blond baby floated a few feet opposite the devil.

The devil scrambled to his feet and hissed at the Dominatio. "He's one of us. You have no right to interfere."

Devon's heart accelerated at the devil's words. What the hell did he mean by he's one of us?

The baby smiled. "Divine Son has free will. His is not one of the fallen."

"His blood is demon." The devil's tail whacked the floor and his wings shuddered in anger.

Devon's anger gave way to confusion as he watched the interchange between the two immortals over him. He looked at his Dominatio. "What am I? Who's my father? Why am I being accused of having started a war and what happened to the others that were with me?"

"You're a demon," the devil snarled.

"Half," the Dominatio corrected.

At that, the devil growled, baring his white fangs. His head whipped around to look directly at Devon. "Your father... "

His words died at the sound of a roar that should have exploded the thick glass wall at the end of the sleeping chamber. Devon fell back, clapping his hands over his ears in pain. His head made a cracking noise as it struck the back wall. For a moment, he felt disorientated, his vision swimming with bright colors.

He heard laughing. "Go on. Speak now. Let your divine voice disassemble the vessel that holds his tainted soul. Let's see if it's light enough to rise to the heights of Ainrodonel... or if he'll sink into the abyss where my lord awaits him eagerly."

Devon blinked, and focused on the vision before him. The Dominatio had transformed. Terror gripped him as he took in the enormous beast, covered with thousands of eyes over its strange body, snarling with deadly intent at the smirking devil. A mane, similar to an Edenian lion covered its head along with bull-like horns. The creatures face seemed human and feline at the same time. Its body was enormous and heavily muscled, shaped like the body of a bull with great wings partially opened upon its back. Instead of hooves, the creature had giant, sharp-clawed talons like an eagle, one of which looked ready to tear the bed to pieces under its massive weight. The creature took up most of the space in the room, one wing almost over Devon's head, the other pressed up against the glass wall twenty feet away. The entire body, wings and all, looked as if it were made of gold and fire, except for the eyes that resembled jewels of different colors.

Some of the eyes covering the beast looked at Devon, terrifying him even more. Devon closed his eyes when a massive tail, similar to a lion's, swept over him. The touch was gentle despite the size. The throbbing in his head eased and a sense of serenity filled him.

All will be well, little one—his Dominatio's child-like voice whispered in his mind—do not despair.

Devon opened his eyes again and found his room empty. His sword still lay across the bed, the sheets rumpled and torn. Confused, he looked around and for a moment he could have sworn he saw the surface of the mirror by the bed rippling like water.

 Chapter Three

After a whole week, Angel's efforts would pay off. She'd trailed and watched various staff members of the research station, finally picking out the perfect victim to help her gain access into the restricted vessel.

Sitting in the passengers' cabin of a small transport cruiser, she watched her quarry, a Chidadent alien scientist, as he rambled on about the various findings and experiments at the research station. The dim lights in the stern of the cruiser made his deep red hair look brown and his bright orange skin darker. Every once in a while Bumaan tried putting one of his hands on Angel's thigh, and she had to resist the urge to break off his fingers. The orange-skinned aliens were known for their lusty natures; the reason she chose the geeky male in the first place. In the second place, he barely reached her shoulder and was rail thin, making him no problem to handle should things get physical. One slap is all it'll take to squash this little turd. Her eyes narrowed, and she couldn't help the wicked smile she knew graced her lips. The orange man stopped talking and stared at her in adoration. Poor bastard won't know what hit him. Feelings of guilt tugged at the edges of her conscience. Oh, hell. I'm not going to kill the little creep... just knock him out once I find Devon.

"You're so... " He wiped his hand on his black pants and reached for her thigh again."So lovely."

Angel lowered her lashes, trying to act coy. "Bu, be nice." She pushed his hand away with a giggle.

"I'm trying to be." He smiled, showing perfectly white teeth as his hand reached for her and was slapped away yet again. Bumaan pouted. "But you won't let me."

"I'm not that kind of girl." She bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders, knowing that it would make her small breasts look plump in the tight silver bustier she wore. "Well, at least I try not to be."

The alien's eyes had fallen to ogle her twin treats, but flashed back up to her face. "Oh?"

Angel closed her eyes and put her hands behind her neck. She let out a long sigh, letting her hands slide down over her chest very slowly. "It's just that talking about new discoveries... I get so... sooo... " She licked her lips, letting her words trail off with a breathy moan.

She looked at Bumaan from beneath her lashes and squeezed her pert breasts. He stared, golden eyes wide and mouth drooling.

"Dis-disc... c-c-coveries?" The alien's voice came out as a squeak.

Angel smiled, letting her hands trail down the rest of her torso as his eyes followed unblinking. "Smart boys are my weakness." Her legs widened, and her fingers slid down the glossy material of her white pants. "I become aroused when I'm around knowledgeable men."

Bumaan swallowed. She couldn't believe he was actually falling for all the ridiculous things she said. Just proves which head is more dominant in males. He shifted in the plush grey seat they occupied, making her look down at his lap.

Someone get me a pair of tweezers and a microviewer. Angel tried not to let her amusement show. She'd never seen an actual man's penis, but poor Bu's bump barely registered in the loose black pants he wore. She felt certain she could do more damage to herself with her own fingers. "Oh, Bubu," she said batting her lashes with a pout, "have I gotten you all worked up with my silly ramblings?"

"Miss Angel, I've dedicated myself to the study of life and the cosmos since I had the use of my reason. I-I... " He mopped his brow with the sleeve of his white coat, licking his lips as his eyes swept over her again. "Would it seem forward of me if I told you... " Bumaan inched closer, his eyes predatory. "I would like very much to... " Angel inched away. "Would you let me f... "

Angel gasped and put her finger over his mouth before he uttered the crude word. Eck! "Now-now, Bu. Don't ruin things." She jerked her finger away when he would have licked it. She frowned at him, her hand itching to slap his face. "You're going way too fast, and you've hardly stimulated my... mind." Angel lifted one brow.

He blinked for a moment, then, obviously realizing he wasn't going to get anything unless he stimulated her mind, began blabbering about the new cloning technology he was working on. She pretended to be interested when he activated his portable computer module from the crystal pendant he wore around his neck. Immediately the image of a large black feather appeared as a holographic image before them, but Angel was too busy plotting her next move to pay attention. She was sorry she had to abandon her own cruiser back at Mars. Unfortunately, it was the only way to gain access into the research station. She would just have to steal another one to make her escape with Devon. The one they were in now wouldn't be a good choice, though. Before boarding, she knew this little model was for traveling within the solar system only. It had two compartments, one for the pilot and co-pilot, and a passengers' area big enough for maybe eight people. It wouldn't have hyper-jump boosters or even defense shields were she to come across hostile forces.

"Bumaan, what about new modes of transportation? Surely by now someone must have developed something faster." Something I can use to make a quick getaway after conking you over the head.

"I really don't have any acquaintances in the engineering sector... " He frowned, scratching his chin for a moment, then smiled. "I guess one can always solicit a Master Guardian escort."

She drew her brows together and pursed her lips, doing her best to look confused. "Master Guardians are no longer allowed within the Edenian solar system... ever since the war." Angel gave a slight shudder to make her little performance look convincing. "They say the last Edenian leader made a pack with Lucifer."

Bumaan's expression turned wary. He looked at her for a few seconds before finally opening his mouth. At that very moment, the pilot of the cruiser called over the com unit to announce their arrival at the research station, interrupting whatever Bumaan was about to say. He rose from the seat and excused himself. Once he left, Angel turned to look out the glass windows in the cabin.

The research station stretched out about twenty-five miles. It was shaped like a giant wheel, which she knew was a common shape for most oversized stations in that sector. The dull grey color of the hull would have been barely perceptible in the darkness of space were it not for hundreds of thousands of blinking lights in a vast array of colors peppering the entire station. A few pods and cruisers of varying sizes circled around the bottom of the station, awaiting permission to enter the docking station. Angel felt the cruiser dip and approach the opening of the docking hangar rather than fall into formation with the other transports awaiting permission to dock.

Settling back into the long couch, she grinned. Bumaan obviously pulled some very important strings in order to get himself in ahead of the others waiting to enter the research station. She'd done a good job of getting him worked up. Sooner or later he was going to tire of all the teasing and demand some action. Angel hoped he wouldn't insist on sampling her before locating Devon. She grimaced, offering a prayer to the goddess to protect her from having to let the disgusting male touch her.

They passed through a series of airlocks before rising up into the typical multi layered docking station common in most large space stations. Instead of docking in one of the levels, the cruiser floated straight up into another airlock, emerging into a smaller concealed level above the main transport hangar. A few transports occupied the smaller, dimly lit hangar.




Dark Prince Ch. 02



The bright sun beat down upon their heads in the meadow.

Angel frowned, exasperation making her tense. Devon stood before her, unarmed, beckoning with his hand for her to attack. The breeze toyed with his mane, and he rolled his shoulders, making his muscles ripple.

One brow rose, his eyes glowing eerie blue even in the glaring daylight as placed his hands on his hips. "What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?"

Angel's scowl deepened. Was the man daft? "Your sword, mongurah brain," she sneered crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

He smiled.

She hated when he smiled. It did strange things to her, like make her nipples tighten and belly quiver.

"I don't need it." His voice was like a seductive caress in her ears, making her flesh raise into delicious little bumps. She quelled the shiver that threatened to reveal her weakness for him.

Angel snorted, and turned to walk away.

"What's the matter, Venushtian warrior?" he chuckled mockingly. "Guess it's beyond your abilities to fight an unarmed man."

"No. Just a waste of my time," she tossed over her shoulder, her nose in the air.

She didn't hear him when he came up behind her. All she saw was a dark flash zip by and then she was on her ass.

"You dim-witted orgward," she snarled, jumping back up.

He was a blur spinning over her, his hand smacking her dead center on her forehead and knocking her back again. She shrieked with rage, her hand grabbing the hilt of her sword. Rolling onto her belly, she bared her teeth at him, crouching on all fours.

"Do that again and I will castrate you!" Her rage had her voice sounding shrill.

He clasped his hands behind his back, a smirk teasing the corners of his lips. "You couldn't get near me if you wanted to, little girl. First thing a real warrior should learn is to be fast."

She jumped back to her feet and thrust the sword forward when he flitted to her. She barely caught a glimpse of him somersaulting over the blade before a solid kick to her back had her eating the turf again.

"You ass! You're using your powers," she spat, tasting dirt in her mouth.

He stretched lazily, like a cat, with a toothy grin. "No powers. It would alert the Utuduodian Master Guardians. Then we'd really be in Shitsville."

Angel unclenched her teeth, her eyes never leaving him as he strolled around her. She watched his body, every ripple and twitch of muscle, glowing blue eyes riveted on her—male beauty in all its glory. He was too distracting. She needed to even the odds in her favor.

She tipped the sword to her bustier. The thin strap between her breasts gave easily. His eyes narrowed when she began to rise to her feet again, very carefully, her breasts bare to his gaze.

"Now you're using your powers." His voice deepened.

She licked her lips and smiled. His pupils widened. "Sword play is for imbeciles." She dropped her sword. "Hand to hand combat is for real warriors."

They circled each other. His eyes remained on her breasts. "Beautiful," he sighed.

She looked at him from beneath pale lashes, her hands coming up to cup her breasts. Angel pinched her pebbled nipples between two fingers, biting her lower lip. Devon moaned. She swung out in a sweeping arch with her leg in a movement that should have knocked him over. Unfortunately, she found herself, yet again, lying on her back.

Devon's body crushed hers into the ground, his hips cradled between her legs and his hands pinning her wrists over her head.

They were skin to skin. His flesh felt velvety against hers, hot, vibrant, delicious.

"You fight like a girl," he said, his lips mere inches from hers.

She frowned. "Well since there is no cock between my legs..."

"Oh," his honeyed voice crooned as he arched into her, "but I beg to differ."

She felt the stiff imprint of his length grinding against her and cursed the thrill that made her toes curl.

She swallowed convulsively. "We're supposed to be sparring."

"We were. You lost."

She frowned up at him. "I did not."

He smiled, squeezing her wrists a little harder. "Looks that way to me."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Devon?"

After a moment of silence, "what?"

She bit her lip, listening to the rustling of the leaves in the trees around the meadow. Her back arched, pressing her softness into him. She heard him suck in his breath. "Why? Why do you have to feel so good against me?"

When he didn't answer, she opened her eyes. He looked stunned. She tilted her pelvis up until she felt his cock invade her most sacred of places through the layers of clothing they wore. "You can heal anything, right? If I let you...fuck me..."

"Angel what are you saying?" He gaped. "If I take you, you wouldn't be a virgin. Your aura..."

"The high priestess can't see my aura." She licked her lips, moving ever so slightly against him. "Go on... do it, Devon."

She felt his cock twitch. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." She frowned, showing her impatience.

He took a deep breath, his eyes going over every feature of her face. "I don't know if I..."

Angel winced, her eyes going wide. Was he going to reject her?

He swallowed, eyes burning into hers. "I want you." His tone became possessive. "I want you to be mine."

Angel froze, her ploy at seducing him to let down his guard forgotten. "Y-you mean as in one of your angels?"

He shook his head. "As in my woman."

She was speechless. His woman?

"Don't answer me now. Think about it for a while...please?"

She could only stare at him, and then her anger took over. "I will never be any man's property!"

"We'd belong to each other, Angel," his soft voice said on a sigh. "You'll be mine and I'll be yours. Don't you want me?"

Fear battled lust... and another emotion she wasn't ready to admit, even to herself. "I-I've never wanted a man!"

His eyes narrowed, "but you wanted me to fuck you." He leaned down until his lips almost touched hers. "So you wanted me."

She ached... for his kiss... his possession, but he drew away.

"We find my angels, and then we talk... about us."

***

Devon felt Angel's eyes on him again as he tended the fire for their evening meal. She had remained pensive the rest of the day, watching his every move when she thought he wasn't aware. Even the devils had quieted down, though they still stalked him in the shadows.

He felt more grounded when she was near him. More and more he felt convinced the Divine One had crossed their paths with a purpose. She would be the one to either save him or destroy him. He decided to train her to fight... and defeat him.

Satisfied with the bonfire he'd created within a circle of stones, he beckoned her to follow him into the forest. They walked side by side, commenting on the different varieties of plants and animal life around them. His hand itched to take hers, but he was afraid she'd hit him if he tried to touch her.

Devon bit his cheeks to keep from grinning as he slid his gaze sideways to peer at her. She stiffened when she felt him watching her and tore a tall blade of grass from the forest floor to wind around her finger nervously. After a while her gaze darted to his, rose tingeing her cheeks adorably before she looked away just as fast.

"I think I see a Bolos tree," he said pointing to the right.

The giant tree with its almost black knotted limbs was heavy with fruit. The color of the round grapefruit sized orbs ranged from a fiery orange to a deep maroon.

Devon reached the purple-leaved tree and looked up. Angel, however, didn't get too close.

"It's really good," Devon continued, "but the best ones are all the way at the top."

She dropped the woven sack they'd made from long grass blades and approached. "I'll climb up and toss some down," she said with determination.

Nonetheless, her look of hesitation reminded him of her fear of trees. "I'll do it," he volunteered.

She scowled at him. "I said I'll do it."

He lifted his hands in surrender, but smiled inwardly. She was strong willed. His respect and admiration for her grew thousand fold.

Taking a deep breath, she jumped up to grip the lowest branch, then swung up. He watched her climb higher until she was perched in the highest branches.

"The red ones, Angel."

His pulse quickened when she stretched to grab a large, plump bolo. Her ass cheeks peeped out through the sides of the loincloth she'd opted to wear after their bath in the lake. He was glad she'd stayed topless. Already she was letting herself become accustomed to being in a more natural state.

"It's squishy."

"Too, ripe..." Before he could finish, the bolo dropped like a bomb. He gasped and used his power to halt the fruit before it crashed into him. "Damn. I forgot. No power," he muttered to himself. "Angel, the bright red ones, not the dark ones."

"Why not?" She spoke with her mouth full of fruit. "The dark ones are really sweet."

"They're too heavy and will break apart if I try to catch them."

"Oh." She took another bite and looked around."

"There's one right next to you." He pointed.

She gripped the fruit with her free hand and let it fall.

He caught it, then a second she tossed immediately after. Bending over to place them on the ground, he began to straighten.

She was climbing down, the over-ripe fruit held in her teeth.

He smiled, thinking she was the cutest thing he'd ever seen, then she missed her footing and fell. Devon sucked in his breath, racing to stand underneath her, arms outstretched. The bolo she had in her teeth fell... right into his face.

He shook the sticky mess from his face and stared wide-eyed, expecting her to crash down into him now.

Angel was crouched on a low branch, her hand over her mouth, and eyes round.

"Baby, are you alright?" His heart thundered wildly as he waited for her reply.

He saw her shaking... from mirth.

Devon scowled up at her. "You did that on purpose."

Her laughter filled his ears. She couldn't stop, just pointing at his smeared face. He stared, dumbstruck. God, help me—I'm in love.

He watched her climb down, the desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless making him tremble. When she at last dropped from the lowest branch, she turned and smirked at him.

"That's for playing dirty in the meadow."

He looked down at her with a frown. "Dirty?"

She sniffed and brushed past him. Bending over to collect the fruit he'd piled, she gave him a clear view of her pretty ass. Devon bit his lip to stifle a groan of agony as his cock twitched at the sight.

"It's going to be a long fucking night," he whispered to himself.

***

He was insufferable. The night before he'd stripped bare before her, bathed seductively, standing in the shallowest part of the river, and then had walked, wet, naked and tempting to let himself dry by the fire.

He'd balked about his hair, asking her if she could detangle it for him. Angel refused. If she got near him, she would have forced im to have sex with her. She felt her resolve in remaining untouched dissolving like snow beneath the rays of a blue sun.

And now this... Angel scowled. The space pod looked expensive—new. "Where did you get this?"

Devon's proud smile faltered. "Is that all you've got to say?"

"I didn't leave Venushti planning on getting myself arrested on a foreign planet." She crossed her arms over her chest staring daggers at him.

Devon placed his open palm on the silver space pod, one of his brows rising as he gazed steadily at her. "And why are you going to get arrested?"

Angel let her eyes roam over the Silver Comet. The blaze of the sun reflected off its mirror-like surface making her squint. "Stealing space transports is still a felony in this galaxy, you know."

Devon's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "You wound me," he pouted, placing his hand over his heart. "I traded my viper for this."

"You what?" A flock of Gorions flew away screeching in protest at Angel's outraged shriek. Devon winced. "Now I really do believe you're going crazy!"

His fair complexion lost what little color it had...for about two seconds, then his whole face became flushed as he turned away from her to look at the space pod. The soft breeze blew a swath of his long hair across his face, as if trying to help him hide his discomfort.

"We can't just walk into the city, creditless and on foot," he said in a low voice. "If they think you aren't someone important, we might as well say good-bye now."

She threw her hands up in the air, agitated. "But how are we supposed to get back to Venushti without your Viper?"

"I'm the one that gives the Viper power. We can get to Venushti in anything as long as it's sealed."

Angel felt stupid. He had powers akin to a god. It made sense to arrive in the type of transportation most humanoids used, versus the very conspicuous Viper only Master Guardians used.

These past few days he'd readied her for the possibility of confrontation with the Utuduodian women. They'd sparred for hours, everyday in the meadow. Since he didn't use any of his supernatural abilities, she'd almost become accustomed to seeing him as a normal human. She'd even grown accustomed to the unnatural glow of his eyes. Afterwards they would eat, bathe, and then settle to sleep—together, in the cave. His efforts at keeping a discrete distance in the cramped interior of the cave weren't lost on her. Secretly, she missed feeling his warmth.

He hadn't pressed her for an answer to submit to him either. Every night she thought about it as she watched him sleep... to belong to Devon Angelos... be his woman. Goddess help her, it sounded so tempting—he was so tempting.

"There's another thing I've got to do," he continued. "I've got to make myself have some sort of handicap so that it'll guarantee your rights to me a little more."

"What in Hades are you talking about?"

Devon turned and walked a few steps away. "The queen and her princesses always get the pick of the finest males on the planet. Since there's no way we can pass you off for royalty, I've got to make myself unworthy of becoming a royal pet."

Angel couldn't accuse him of being vain. Devon was, without a doubt, inhumanly attractive. He was right to assume he'd be seized for the royal court the minute these warrior women laid eyes on him. "So, what are you going to do?" What could he do? Devon could shave his head and he'd still look good...but she hoped he didn't because she quite fond of his dark hair, though she'd never admit it out loud.

He turned and she frowned, realizing there was something different about him, but she couldn't figure out what it...his eyes weren't glowing. The color was amazing, a blue so vibrant, like the color of lightning when it slashes through a velvet sky.

Then, with growing horror, she realized something else...he was blind. "Devon, what did you do?" She ran to him and gripped his arms, looking into the electric-blue depths of those unseeing orbs.

"Whenever I dim the luminescence of my eyes, I lose my sense of sight. I'll look a little more normal, plus there's no way anyone in the royal court will want to mate with a blind pleasure slave...I hope."

Angel released him as if she'd been burned. Her stomach churned at the thought of playing at being his mistress.

"Tell them I was your coming of age gift. You're the adopted daughter of an Edenian council member. You're not sure what species of alien I am. I was born in captivity so I don't know either."

"Slaves with defects are destroyed." Now she wanted to throw up, remembering a little boy the Greis had discovered to be a deaf-mute. They'd taken him away, never to be seen again.

"Not always, Angel. Some of the more exotic variations are valuable so long as they're...comely, and have their reproductive organs functional." He said this in a quiet, sad voice.

Angel turned and emptied the contents of her stomach. "I can't," she panted, spitting the bitter taste from her mouth. "I can't do this."

"You have to, Angel. Please," he begged. "We'll never find... find my sweet angels. I need them. I-I... can't take not having them with me. It's agony, Angel."

She pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes. He would never understand the nightmares this roused in her memories, but... perhaps it was time to face those nightmares head on.

"Alright," she rasped.

***

They waited for nightfall to enter the city. Angel flew the Silver Comet to an off-worlders' lodge. Her hands were sweating when she exited the transportation pod holding tightly to the leather cuff attached to a silver chain. She promised herself she wouldn't look at Devon. If she didn't see him, it wouldn't be so bad.

She waited for the leash to go slack, letting her know he'd climbed out of the pod, then made her way through the front doors of the resort, ignoring the shocked looks of the attendants at the doors.

The lobby was almost empty. There were only three females huddled in a tight circle conversing in low voices, and two more women at the front desk.

Angel looked around at the opulent interiors of the lobby and hoped the credit chip Devon gave her had enough credits to pay for all of this exuberance. The floors shone as if they were wet and were a deep garnet color. Cream and black rugs adorned the floor and the settees arranged in small clusters around vibrant greenery were a deeper shade of cream with gold patterns covering the soft fabric. There were four fountains near the middle of the lobby and the receptionist's desk was at the back wall, which was made of glass and had water running down into another long pool.

Angel had been so busy looking around, she hadn't noticed the hush that had fallen in the lobby. When she reached the front desk, she smiled at the attendants.

Both women were gaping...at Devon, who stood behind her.

"W-what species is he?" they asked in unison.

Angel had to tilt her head back to look into their faces. Utuduodian women were tall, taller than Venushtian women.

"Where did you get him? Where are you from?"

These last two questions were shot at Angel with an edge of hostility, and from one of the women that had been engaged in the three-way conversation in the lobby.

Angel found herself surrounded by angry looking Utuduodians. She pulled her shoulders back and scowled at the raven-haired one that had asked her the last question.

"I was staying in one of the sea-side castles. Apparently, my friends left without me. We were traveling in two cruisers. They'll be back for me in a few days. In the meanwhile, I'd rather find lodgings in the city than spend the next few days in a big empty castle."

The raven-haired woman's green eyes narrowed, just before she stepped behind Angel. She could hear the others exclaiming over Devon. Taking a deep breath, she turned.

He was clutching the handle of a metal trunk with clothes he'd found for the both of them, though she wouldn't call what he was wearing clothing. Leather cuffs wrapped around his forearms. Around his neck was a diamond-studded collar to which the silver chain was tethered. Barely covering his genital area was a black, metal-studded thong and a pair of black boots encased his long legs to mid thigh.

Angel almost fell to her knees. She knew she shouldn't have turned to look at him.

Goddess, he's so breathtaking!

Devon's head hung low, so that his midnight hair covered his face. One of the women buried her fingers in it to get a better look at him. They gasped, laser weapons were withdrawn, Angel's included.

"What's going on here? I only came to find lodging!"

"Who are you?" Again, the raven-haired woman questioned.

Angel looked at her from head to foot. She seemed to be wearing some type of uniform. "My name is Angel Skyspirit. My mother is the ambassador of Endora in the L-O-S."




Dark Prince Ch. 02



The women stopped touching Devon and moved away. The raven-haired woman continued to scowl, her green eyes darting from Devon to Angel.

Angel decided to pick Endora as her make-believe home planet. Partially female-dominated, they were best known as powerful sorceresses.

"Why weren't we advised of your visit, Lady Skyspirit." The raven-haired woman gave a slight bow. "I am Katadre, head guard at the palace."

Angel kept her expression haughty and angry. "I said I had come with friends for a brief stay. My visit isn't official."

Katadre's eyes cut to Devon again. She took a deep breath, her eyes going over him from head to toe. "He's stunning. I've never seen such coloring. His flesh is so white. He doesn't look real. Is he cyborg?"

Angel snorted. "My pet is completely flesh and blood."

"What is he?" One of the attendants behind the counter spoke."

"He is a coming of age gift from my mother. I did not ask her where she purchased him."

"May I see his eyes again? They're unusual."

"He's blind. If you don't mind, I am very tired and would like to retire."

All the women looked at each other in shock. Angel assumed it was because of her stating Devon was blind. Katadre bowed with a curt nod, then walked away, motioning to her companions.

One of the attendants accepted Angel's credit chip and then gave her a key-card for her temporary quarters.

The allotted room was on the third level of the resort. White dominated the main theme of the décor; the walls, curtains, seats, and massive round bed covered with glossy pillows and coverlet. The only splash of color was the enormous slave pillow at the foot of the bed. It was big enough for three men to sleep on and was a deep red.

Angel's heart accelerated as she pictured Devon laying there, his snowy flesh kissed rose with arousal, his black hair spilling over the crimson fabric like liquid satin.

"Angel."

His sigh gave her chills, made her close her eyes and dig her finger nails into the palms of her hands to keep from turning and ravaging his mouth with her kiss.

Her desire for him grew more each day, as well as... No. No man will ever have me.

She dropped the chain and approached the bed. "We should rest now. Tomorrow those women will be back for you."

***

Devon felt her walk away. He sent light feelers to situate himself in the room. Carefully, he made his way to something soft that lay at the foot of the bed. It felt like a cushion.

"Why don't you just let your eyes go back to normal?"

"I don't want the Utuduodian Master G..." He stepped on the chain attached to the collar around his throat and his other foot became entangled. Down he went, with an embarrassing thud to the floor. Aside from his knees and palms taking the worst of the fall, his ego didn't fare much better. He began to heft himself up, when a pair of rough hands gripped his arms and pulled him into a kneeling position.

"Why are you so clumsy?"

She sounded...strange, her fingers raked back his hair from his face.

He opened his mouth to reply, but found he couldn't speak. Angel's lips were smothering his, her tongue staking claim to his very soul. She kissed him roughly, biting at his lips. Devon groaned.

Painful pinpricks made him gasp and hiss. He'd grown hard and the thong he wore was designed to pierce a slave into submission.

"Fuck. Get it off me!" Not waiting for her to respond, he gave the thong a tug and cried out in agony.

"What? What is it?"

The hook-like ends of the needles piercing his skin embedded themselves deeper. If he tried to pull the thong off now, it would tear the flesh of his cock.

"Oh, God, it hurts." He felt her hands going for the thong and gasped. "No! I beg of you! It's caught on me. Just let... let my erection go down."

Agony had him shaking, his muscles stiff from the pain. Slowly, but surely, he felt himself withering. He winced every time a hook would pop out of his abused flesh. By the time he felt himself completely free from the barbs, he was a shivering panting mess.

Angel didn't wait for him to let her know it was safe to remove the offending garment. He felt her blade slide up his hip and cut the thong away. Cool air made him feel every drop of blood that dotted his deflated flesh. He dropped back to the floor in relief.

"That really sucked," he breathed. Silence. He could still feel her warmth next to him. Was she ogling him again? He felt himself blush. "Is everything okay?"

"Devon...w-why is your blood so dark?"

Devon's mind went blank. Dark compared to what? "Doesn't blood come in a variety of colors? Gruesh humanoids have blue blood. Ogre's have green." Again, the silence. He sighed. "I don't know why my blood is so dark, nor do I know why the only pigment I have is in my eyes and hair. That's how I was born."

He felt her get up and walk away. When she said nothing more, he placed his palms on the cool floor and crawled the rest of the way to the slave cushion. The chain scraped across the floor.

"Find yourself something less barbaric to wear tomorrow." The notes of her voice washed over him like ice. Hard to believe this was the same woman that had her tongue practically down his throat only moments before.

He heard her clothes rustling as she disrobed, and then the sounds of the bed coverings being moved. Silence ensued. He removed his boots and collar and sprawled out, face down on the cushion. With a final sigh, he let himself drift off.

***

It wasn't a peaceful slumber. Visions of blood and death stalked him, the whispers of devils calling him master drove him to insanity.

He hunted, filled with rage and lust, his prey tried to elude him, but he was upon her like a feral beast. She resisted, even though when he slipped his hand between her thighs she was wet with want for him. He slid his finger deep, making her whimper in pain. Virgin, tight and never fucked, he felt himself salivate. Bringing his fingers up to his mouth, he sucked them clean.

"Mmmm...so horny and wet for me."

"Please, no," she begged.

How sweet the sound. The devils gathered and held her down for him. He licked her lips, her tears from her cheeks, the sweat from her neck.

"You're mine," he rasped, his voice a guttural snarl. "My virgin whore."

"Please, Devon. Try to remember who you are...who I am."

He bit at her breasts, marking them, making her cry out, her tears drip more copiously. Her crying excited him more, as well as her fear. His cock ached to be embedded deep within her...but which orifice? Her untried pussy? Her sweet trembling mouth? Her pert ass? He dug his fingers into the meaty swell of one buttock making her gasp.

He kissed her, hard, biting, brutal, tasting blood as his fangs pierced her bottom lip. She struggled beneath him. He gripped the silken strands of her white hair, pulled her neck back, and sank his fangs deep. Blood richer than wine filled his mouth; he swallowed. Through the haze of ecstasy, he heard her heart wrenching sobs. An emotion he did not understand pulled at his heart, made his chest ache. He looked back up into her face.

"Angel," he breathed. Memories fought to resurface...of who he was...angel or demon?

Her blue eyes, swimming in moisture locked with his. Pale lashes drenched in tears fanned down over flushed cheeks. Another sob shivered through her. Kiss-swollen lips quivered.

"Don't cry, baby," he pleaded, feeling as if he were awakening from a bad dream.

The devils began to growl, their claws drawing blood from where they gripped her tender flesh. She arched against him, crying out in pain.

Anger rose up within him, empowering the demon once again. "Release her," he snarled, but the creatures only cut her deeper.

His vision grew sharper, his growls louder. Words spilled from his lips...ancient words...the devils sprang away in terror.

He wrapped his hand around her throat, feeling power sing through his veins, and squeezed until her eyes widened and she was barely breathing.

"I" he grated through clenched teeth, "am going to fuck you."

She swallowed, drew in a ragged breath. "I don't care." Another sob hitched in her throat. "I love you, Devon."

He felt his grin split his face; his fangs scrape against his lower lip. "How sweet," he hissed. One finger pushed up into her wet warmth, then he changed his mind and penetrated the tight rosette between her buttocks. Her eyes flew wide, making him smile broader. "Here...I'll take you here."

She moved, as if to strike, but he wrapped her in his power and secured her wrists above her head.

Another finger pushed in with the first one.

She squirmed. "Stop it! Wake up, imbecile!"

Oh, yes. He liked her discomfort, but he didn't appreciate the insult. He scissored his fingers within her tight passage as punishment. Her sharp gasp echoed around them.

"Devon!"

The scent of her fear, pain and—yes, even arousal was like ambrosia for him, but he wanted more. He wanted her trembling, panting and begging for his cock. His thumb reached up and pressed in concentric circles around her swollen clit.

She fought against it, her lithe body twisting and thrashing against him, but eventually she arched her back and moaned. The sound captivated him. He circled faster, she writhed, closing her eyes, mouth open in rapturous agony.

"You like that, don't you? Tell me...are you going to come?" He opened his fingers within her ass, stretching her, preparing her.

She shuddered and mewled. Pleasure licked up his spine, his cock throbbed painfully. He removed his fingers and smiled at her sound of disappointment.

Angel gasped and shook her head when he began to press the tip of his erection into her ass. "No!"

"Yes!"

He pushed in, deeper, watching her thrash her head and beg him to stop.

"Does it hurt, my beauty?"

"You're too big, Devon, please!"

"Most women enjoy big cocks. You should feel privileged," he snarled.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can. Because I am the dark prince."

His length slid in until his drawn balls met the softness of her ass. He threw his head back and moaned at the exquisite sensation. His hips began a brutal pace, not caring that she was a virgin. He gripped her breasts and kissed her hard, thrusting until he came. His cum jetted into her, he pulled out and let the last of it spill across her breasts and belly, swiped it with his fingers and forced it past her lips.

She stared at him in shock. Now that the lust was sated, he stared at her, horror dawning on him as he realized...he was not dreaming. He had just sodomized Angel, raped her.

"Angel," he was at a loss as to what to say. Revulsion filled him at what he'd done. Why? Why was he becoming possessed with such evil?

All around him the howls of laughter from the devils reverberated off the walls of the room.

If there was a god, Devon wished he would strike him down. He didn't deserve to live.

***

Several devils held her down. They licked at her breasts, between her legs and, in shame, she realized she was enjoying it. They were preparing her for their master.

A roar shook the ground beneath them. The devils sprang away. Devon stood fifty paces from her, his devil's wings spread out behind him, his face contorted with rage.

"Mine!" His chest heaved, his lips twisted with a snarl, showing gleaming fangs.

Fear ripped through Angel when her gaze settled on his erect cock. It was massive. He would tear her if he tried to fuck her...and he had every intention of fucking her. She scrambled upon her trembling legs and ran as fast as she could. Ridiculous, because she knew he'd catch her. She heard his amused laughter behind her seconds before his body came crashing down from above.

Devon's hands gripped her roughly, turned her over, groped her, then his hand slid between her legs. He smiled when he felt how wet she was. He brought his gleaming fingers to his mouth and sucked at them with a shuddering sigh. Pressed against her belly, she felt his monstrous cock leap.

"Mmmm...so horny and wet for me."

"Please no," she begged, though her body craved to be cleaved in two by his possession. Fear and lust made her tremble. Tears of shame bathed her cheeks.

He licked her like an animal, her lips, her tears, her neck. "You're mine. My virgin whore."

Angel felt herself flush from head to toe. At that moment, she felt very much like a whore, desiring him to the point of desperation. The others were still hunting him. They would kill him if they found him in this state.

Only love can save him—a child-like voice whispered in her mind.

"Please, Devon. Try to remember who you are...who I am."

She cried out in pain when he bit her breasts, marking her. She felt her tears stream over her cheeks. He growled with pleasure, rubbing himself against her. Devon's hand reached behind her and squeezed her rump, making her gasp.

He kissed her hard, drawing blood. When she tried to get away, he only gripped her hair and, to her shock, sank his sharp teeth into her throat. He might as well have been piercing her with his cock. The orgasm that rocked through her body had her shuddering and sobbing in release. Through it all, she heard his deep ragged breaths and the sound his throat made as he swallowed her blood in deep gulps. He'd lost all control. It was her fault. And now, he was going to die because she lacked the strength to resist him and help him find himself again.

"Angel," he sighed.

She gazed into his face, but her tears made him look blurry. Angel closed her eyes in shame.

"Don't cry, baby."

Shock had her eyes flying open again. Was he remembering? Pain slashed across her wrists, arms, and ankles, growling filling her ears. The devils that had swarmed to hold her down for him were spitting, and hissing in rage, snarling at both Devon and her. They knew he was awakening. They didn't like it.

She couldn't help crying out and twisting beneath him. His eyes, which had dimmed down before, sparked back to fiery intensity. Again, Devon looked as if possessed by the very soul of Lucifer himself.

"Release her," he snarled.

She screamed again when the vicious creatures only cut her deeper, making her blood drip into little puddles on the dirty ground.

Devon's eyes blazed bright, his growls loud enough to hurt her ears. Then he spoke, words she did not understand. The devils seemed to comprehend, because they shrieked in terror and fled.

Still snarling like a beast, he wrapped his hand around her throat and squeezed, until she could barely breathe. "I...am going to fuck you."

The shock of pleasure that fired her blood was unbearable, his iron hold on her only made it more exciting.

"I don't care," she admitted with a sob. "I love you, Devon."

"How sweet," he hissed with a grin, pushing one finger into her roughly. She spread her thighs wider in invitation, but he pulled his finger out of her wet sheath and plunged it into her ass.

The shock of the invasion startled her. Her heart pounded and she blinked, taking in her surroundings.

"Here...I'll take you here."

This was no dream...no vision, or nightmare. They were lying on the bed in the lodge in Utuduo, and Devon was getting ready to fuck her up the ass.

Perhaps if she slapped him he'd awaken fully too.

When she tried, she felt herself wrapped in a tight force that took her breath away. Her wrists were slammed together above her head. Another finger shoved itself inside her sore ass. She hissed in discomfort, her feet kicking futilely to get away.

"Stop it! Wake up, imbecile."

His response was to open his fingers inside her, making his invasion burn all the more.

"Devon!"

His bright eyes stared at her, mesmerized, a smile teasing the corners of his lush lips. He sniffed at her, the way a mongura sniffs at a mate in heat. His pupils dilated.

In dismay, she felt his thumb press against her clitoris. The sensual jolt almost made her scream. She thrashed and writhed, trying to fight off the sensual assault, but he kept teasing her over-sensitized nub, until she arched her back and froze on the very edge of an orgasm.

"You like that, don't you?" His voice was pure sin and temptation. "Tell me...are you going to come?"

He scissored his fingers deep in her ass and she exploded. Bliss washed over her, her soft mewls of pleasure echoing around them.

She couldn't help the sound of disappointment when he pulled his fingers from her, but then he began prodding her with something else.

The tip of his cock pushed into her like a fiery brand. The penetration burned, made her want to scream. Did this mean she was no longer a virgin? She'd be cast out from Venushti for sure.

"No!"

"Yes," he hissed, pushing deeper. "Does it hurt, my beauty?"

Hurt? He was splitting her in two!

"You're too big, Devon, please!"

"Most women enjoy big cocks. You should feel privileged." Words snarled with arrogance.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can. Because I am the dark prince."

The expression of ecstasy on his face as he slid completely into her made her shudder. The heavy warmth of his testicles bumped against her when he finally seated himself fully into her. He arched his neck and moaned. Goddess, he was beautiful. He set to rocking against her, his pelvis crashing over and over into her. Ribbons of black hair spilled over his shoulders, his hands came up and gripped her breasts mercilessly, his lips crushed hers. His thrusts became short and rapid, and then he grunted, groaned harshly and pulled out with a pop. Pearly cum streamed over her, making pretty, white designs over her quivering abdomen and breasts. As if that weren't enough, he swiped at the hot cum and then proceeded to shove his drenched fingers into her mouth. His taste melted onto her tongue surprising her with its sweetness. She never imagined that cum could taste sweet.

She couldn't help but gaze into his face in shock. He panted above her, an expression of horror making his eyes get bigger by the second.

Slowly, he rose on his knees between her legs, his fingers going up to spear into his midnight hair.

"Angel."

A myriad of emotions flashed through his bright blue eyes; horror, fear, revulsion.

She opened her mouth, not sure what to say either, but the doors to their room bursting open made her jump. Angel reached for her thigh blade, but remembered she'd stripped down completely the night before. She never expected the Utuduodian guard would come storming into the room before sunrise.

Devon, your eyes—she projected her thoughts to him. He remained staring at her in misery, his eyes blazing like fire. The guards stormed toward them.

Devon!

Everything slowed down. They would grab him, see his eyes and then she'd never see him again. Angel clenched her fist, reared back, and swung, connecting with his chin. He flew back, his eyes rolling up before he fell into a limp heap at the foot of the bed.

***

Devon! Devon! Devon! Curses, man! Dim your eyes or I swear I'll kick your teeth out next time!

His jaw ached, and Angel's voice felt like a hammer in his mind. A cool wet cloth wiped his face, neck, and chest.

"Is he coming to?" an unfamiliar feminine voice asked.

He pulled back the luminescence from his irises and blinked unseeing eyes open.

"Did you do something that displeased your mistress?"

He felt the color drain from his face. He'd raped Angel. He deserved to die. He opened his mouth to respond, but she interrupted him.

"The little shit came before I did."

Devon couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was defending him after what he'd done. Perhaps she wanted to gut him in private. He would not deny her that pleasure. He hung his head in shame.

"Give him to me. I'll give you one of my best slaves for him."

It was the same woman from the night before. Katadre.




Dark Prince Ch. 02



"Absolutely not!" Angel's voice was shrill with anger. "He was a gift from my mother!"

"A defective gift. Surely she'll understand if you traded him in for something better."

"I do not want to trade him."

"I can give you a better slave, one that can see and does not cum until he's told. He's better than this one."

"If he's so much better, then why do you want to trade him?"

The other women laughed.

"Let's just say that I like unique pets."

"Well then let's just say that so do I. I will not trade my toy. I could care less whether or not he can see, as long as he fucks well, which he does."

The women around him murmured.

"He's too special. You cannot keep him until her highness sees him. She may want him yet."

"This is an outrage! He's my pleasure slave!"

They tightened a collar around his neck, but didn't bother to redress him. Rough hands gripped his arms and forced him out of the room. They held him tight, maneuvering him into the lift that brought them down to the main lobby. He could hear the fountains gushing water and the gasps and exclamations of many feminine voices all around him. For the first time in his life, he felt self conscious about his nudity. Devon was glad he couldn't see the lusty stares directed at him... but he felt them. His face heated with embarrassment.

The texture of the floor under his bare feet went from smooth glassy surfaces and fuzzy rugs to the abrasive cold of the walkways outside. The cool breeze of the early morning scented with a hint of rain confirmed that he was indeed no longer within the lodge.

One of the women let go of his arm and pulled on the chain attached to his collar. A firm hand pushed his head down and he was ordered to step up into a hover cruiser. Of course, he tripped into the waiting vehicle, but didn't fall very far. They grabbed him from all directions, and then shoved him onto the floor of the cruiser.

Hands caressed him, his hair, his face, and chest. Someone slipped their hand between his legs and fondled his balls.

He closed his eyes and swallowed. The scent of sex still clung to him.

"Don't be shy, pretty. We won't bite you."

"Speak for yourself, Shallon."

Teeth nipped at his earlobe.

"Stop it!" Again, the voice of Katadre. "Don't touch him. You'll get your stink all over him."

Someone snorted. "He already stinks of sex, Kata."

"Then he'll be bathed before her highness sees him."

"She won't want him no matter how stunning he is. The law..."

"We'll let her decide. There's always a first time for everything," Katadre answered.

"You just want her to give him to you." Another snort. "He belongs to the Endorean."

"Silence!"



Angel kept her head bowed in deference before the Utuduodian queen. The woman's eyes were two shards of green glass beneath a crimson fall of curls that reached her ankles. Her long, sinewy body reposed in her silver and purple throne, adorned with gleaming jewels. Angel thought it odd the empress was bare foot. A few jeweled rings twinkled on her toes, but nothing more.

When Queen Anashantey stood, Angel almost gasped. The queen walked with feline grace, her tightly muscled body almost bare save for the silver bustier she wore, miniscule thong, and long, purple cape. Tightly packed muscles adorned her abdomen like armor, and her thighs bulged with power. She wore a jeweled metal band that held her thick, red tresses from her angular face. It rose to a peak at the top of her forehead.

Though her face showed no emotion, Angel saw the fire that burned in her eyes as she let her fingers sink into the endless black of Devon's satiny mane. She let the heavy strands spill through her fingers slowly, savoring its silkiness. Placing one finger under his square jaw, she tipped his face up. Her thumb caressed his lower lip before her fingertips traced his smooth jaw line.

"He's very beautiful. His eyes don't look as though they've sustained any damage, so I must assume his condition is congenital." The queen sighed. "It's a pity. He might have fathered some beautiful daughters. Have you had his sperm rendered infertile?"

Angel winced. "Um..." She couldn't lie. They might have tested him already. "No. I haven't had the opportunity. That's why I haven't allowed him to penetrate me yet."

Murmuring went throughout the chamber. Angel looked around at all of the disapproving faces of the guards lined up around the glass bubble that was the throne room. The entire castle sat atop an enormous mountain and was made of a strange type of dark metal and glass. She surmised that the entire structure was about as large as the entire city of Sheetadel on Venushti. It occupied the entire summit, spiraling toward the heavens almost without end.

Angel looked back at the queen who smiled at her. "My guards seem to think you waste the talents of your...toy."

"What I do with him should not be of their concern. My mother gave him to me as a gift. I came here to celebrate my coming of age with a few friends, who'd been here before with their own pleasure pets and assured me it was a pleasant place to visit."

The queen lifted one tawny brow, her lip kicking up in amusement. "You'll have to forgive my guards impudence in how they managed this whole situation." She strode back to her throne and with a twirling flourish of her purple cape sat once again. "Katadre." Her voice cracked like a whip.

The raven-haired guard marched up to the dais and bowed. "My empress."

"Katadre, you should have told me personally about this situation. I'm sure that an official invitation on my part to the Endorean would have sufficed to allow me the pleasure of seeing her pet."

"Yes, my queen."

"As a token of your repentance for having caused her such stress you will give her Torec for the duration of her stay."

Katadre's head snapped up, her eyes bulging. "Torec, my queen?"

"Is there an echo in here?" The queen scowled.

Katadre bowed her head once more. "I shall have Torec prepared for her, my empress."

"That's better."

Angel wondered who this Torec was. Katadre obviously did not want to part with him. The look of hatred she gave Angel seared right through her. If looks could kill...

"Please accept our apologies, and on behalf of the citizens of Utuduo, remain in the castle along with your pet until your friends return for you."

"Thank you, your highness."

Angel breathed out a sigh of relief when one of the guards led Devon back to her and gave her his leash. The guard signaled her to follow, and with one last curtsy to the queen, she walked after the female guard with Devon trailing behind on his leash.

Silence ensued, all eyes riveted on Devon. It irked Angel... made her want to snarl at them.

Taking a deep breath instead, she turned her thoughts to the mission at hand; to find Alpha 7's missing angels. Within the castle, she could ask the servants if they'd seen a chamber containing black orbs sitting over a silver pool.



Dark Prince Ch. 03



Torec turned out to be a Minino. The tiger-like pleasure slave was brought to her by Katadre herself. The raven-haired guard looked at Angel with rage.

"If I find one mark on him..." The woman cut herself off short, her chest heaving with barely contained violence.

Torec's eyes narrowed as he looked from his mistress to Angel. 

The golden-green eyes had a slit pupil, and his pointed ears poked through his fall of orange and black striped hair. Though he wasn't as tall as Devon, his body was a study in sleek muscle and sinew. It was all covered in the slightest hint of fine hair giving him a striped appearance. Angel stared fascinated at Torec's tail, as it whipped in irritation behind him.

"He's a cat," she said shocked.

"He's my cat," Katadre practically hissed.

Angel looked back at Katadre and saw her love for this creature, though she was sure the woman would never admit her feelings for the Minino tiger.

"Just leave him and go. I wish to rest." Angel saw Katadre's eyes widen just before she turned and walked toward the bed that dominated the center of the rooms allotted to her in the glass and metal castle. When she turned it was to see Torec kneeling at his mistress' feet, hugging her. Katadre had her fingers in his hair, stroking, her lip trembling. Angel almost gave in and told her to take her precious pet, but one look at Devon, who still knelt on the floor, head bowed, made her want to make the woman suffer a little while longer. After all, she had wanted to take Devon from her.

Angel winced, realizing she was beginning to think of Devon as hers. She knew once she found the missing Edenian Master Guardians, Devon would no longer be her concern.

Katadre looked back at Angel, her eyes moist. "He needs to be fed often. He eats meat. I also give him cream in the mornings and just before rest cycle." She ran her fingers through Torec's mane again. He was purring, rubbing his face against her. "His mane needs to be brushed often."

When Angel remained silent, the guard looked back up. "Please don't hurt him."

"Why would I do that?"

Katadre's eyes narrowed, her nostrils flared. "You hit your slave. I saw you. How could you hit some poor blind pet?"

Angel felt herself flush. She hadn't been expecting the guard to say such a thing. It changed her perspective on how women treated men on this planet.

Not knowing what else to say, she turned on her heel and clasped her hands behind her back, not bearing to look at the other woman. "Go now. I won't hurt him. You have my word."

She didn't leave right away, but after a long while, Angel heard the door to her rooms close with a decisive click.

Taking a deep breath, she turned once again.

Torec looked frightened. Angel thought it odd that such a huge, strong male could be frightened of her. She knew Mininos had sharp claws and fangs. He could rip her throat out effortlessly.

Angel rubbed her temples. She did not enjoy playing the part of mistress. She abhorred anything that had to do with slavery.

"Go rest...both of you."

Torec slinked away to the large cushion at the foot of the bed, but Devon remained where he was. He hadn't said a single word.

She walked over to him and lifted his face to hers. He flinched at her touch and turned away.

Angel fought the urge to sink her fingers into the wealth of ebony satin that was his hair, pull him up and... "What the devil is wrong with you?" The sound of frustration in her voice made her grimace.

She saw his throat move as he swallowed. "How can you act like nothing happened?" It was barely a whisper, but she heard him clearly, understood him perfectly.

Still, she needed to analyze her riotous emotions, needed more time to put in perspective what she was undoubtedly starting to...crave now. "Devon, what in Hades are you talking about?"

His eyes began to glow as they rose to hers. She gasped and looked at Torec, who'd settled himself belly down on the cushion. Even though his head rested on his crossed forearms, his big eyes regarded them with curiosity, his tail flicking back and forth between his claves. Since Devon's back was to the other pleasure slave, she knew Torec couldn't see Devon's eyes lighting up again like laser beams.

She glared at Devon. "Eyes."

He frowned. "I don't understand you."

Angel leaned over until her nose almost touched his. "Your eyes, Devon. They're glowing again," she hissed.

His breath puffed out, frustrated, confused, his eyes searching. "I hurt you." She watched him sink his fingers into his hair and pull. His chest was heaving as if he were having trouble breathing.

She was honest enough with herself to admit that she'd wanted Devon...still wanted Devon.

"It was a dream. It wasn't real," she lied.

His eyes widened. He couldn't have looked more shocked. "A dream," he echoed.

"The punch was real though." Her scowl deepened, "For coming all over me. "

Now his jaw dropped.

"Devon, your eyes," she repeated through clenched teeth.

Slowly, the luminescence faded and his gaze became blank once more.

***

Devon's mind reeled at her words. A dream? Or a vision?

A light tug at his throat. He allowed Angel to lead him to the slave cushion behind him. There was someone else with them. Whoever it was, purred like a cat, but Devon sensed that it was a humanoid male.

Angel's footsteps led away from them. A cool, rain-scented breeze wafted over his bare skin. She'd gone out on the balcony. He could feel the warmth of the Utuduodian sun warming his skin. Something swiped over him. A tail?

Devon turned his head, focusing a bit of his power on the being next to him. His skin tingled with awareness. The cat-man was staring at him. Again, the tail swept up his leg, settling between his thighs. The tip tapped thoughtfully against his crotch. Devon frowned and reached down. His fingers encountered soft fur. The urge to stroke the warm softness was almost overwhelming. Torec purred louder.

"Have you always been a slave?" Devon carefully placed the inquisitive tail on the cushion beside his leg.

"Always," the deep voice purred, the tail coming back between his legs to caress against his belly. Torec shifted on the cushion, his aroused scent growing stronger. "And you?"

"Always," Devon repeated, hearing the snickers of his ever-present tormenters.

"Such sadness in your voice."

Devon shivered a bit when he felt a clawed finger sweep his hair from his face.

"If you belonged to my mistress, you would not be so sad...and unloved."

"Ang-" Devon caught himself before he finished saying her name. "My mistress doesn't mistreat me."

"Spoken like a true abused pet."

Those clawed fingers combing against his scalp gave Devon goose-bumps. Torec maneuvered himself behind Devon, his purring growing louder. "If mistress Katadre were with us right now, she'd have us both fucking her." Devon's body reacted to the sensual stimulation, his cock stirring with mild curiosity against the loin cloth bound around his hips. The cat-man gave a low rumbling chuckle as he nuzzled Devon's neck. "Or perhaps she'd have us fuck each other as she watches. She likes that too."

Devon started when a warm, rough tongue licked up his neck. It felt like wet sandpaper. The loud purring by his ear was driving him mad too...with arousal much to his dismay. He swallowed, a little taken aback with his heated reaction to the tiger's advances. His hands came up to pull Torec's exploring hands from his torso, the sharp claws carefully sliding against his skin. Devon froze when his hands encountered soft fur. Torec's skin was wonderfully fuzzy. As if they had a will of their own, Devon's fingers stroked Torec's forearms. Minino. He'd seen pictures of this species, with their human bodies and feline attributes.

Sharp fangs pressed against the back of his neck. Torec growled long and low, his purring incessant.

"Your skin is so white. What species are you?"

"I don't know." He really didn't.

The tiger's nose ran up from his shoulder back to his throat. "You don't smell like a vampire." That arousing rough tongue rasped at Devon's ear, making him moan. "You don't have pointed ears like a fairy."

Torec's tail slipped into Devon's loincloth, wrapping itself around his rigid flesh. Angel's scent tickled his nose and he realized that she had come back into the room. Devon twisted in Torec's arms. What must she think of him? Would she feel disgusted?

The tail around his cock tightened, making him bite back another pathetic moan. "I want to fuck you. Your mistress seems entranced by us."

What?

There was knocking at the door. The sound of Angel's footsteps echoing in the chamber distracted him, his head turning in the direction of the sound. With a sharp tug, Torec broke the tie that held his loincloth between his legs. Devon gasped and tightened his thighs, but the silky material dropped away from him, releasing his aching shaft.

Torec growled again, pressing his fangs to the back of Devon's neck once more.

"Shit," Devon hissed. "Stop!"

He tried to pry the strong arms away from him, but Torec only stiffened behind him. Again the rough tongue lapping at the spot he'd been biting, the purring deepening. "Would you prefer to fuck me then? That would be nice too."

Devon opened his mouth to reply, but a chorus of exclamations startled him.

"Oh, how beautiful!"

"Absolutely stunning."

"How can you keep your hands off them?"

"Barahd, join in."

"You too."

More weight made the slave cushion dip. Hands and tongues caressed him. Devon felt himself bombarded with sensations on all fronts. Different scents, laced with heavy arousal wrapped around him. He heard sighs, and groans, but Torec's purring almost drowned it all out. A pair of lips wrapped around his cock as his shaft was devoured in someone's hot, wet mouth. Lips and tongues lapped and suckled at his hard nipples and another mouth slanted across his, probing for access within. Torec's cock was sliding between his ass cheeks, lubing him up with the Minino's oily precum.

The person kissing his mouth had rough stubble on his face and it was chaffing Devon's smooth skin.

Devon felt his erection begin to wilt. He wanted Angel. He didn't want to be publicly devoured this way...and by nothing but men. He pushed and tried to free himself from the pleasure slaves' sexual assault.

"He's not used to being pleasured." Reproach laced the feminine voice

"I only just got him," Angel replied, an edge to her voice.

Devon heard her determined steps draw closer. "Move away from him," she snarled.

He was left shivering, on his knees as the warmth of the bodies surrounding him sprang away. He heard the rustle of clothing, the shifting of weight on the cushion before him, then the distinct feel of a hard feminine body, with small pert breasts press to his. 

Angel, what are you doing?—he said to her telepathically.

"Shut-up," she whispered just before her lips crushed his.

Her mouth plundered his with a hunger that left him bewildered. It felt as if the more time she spent with him, the more her resolve to remain a virgin diminished. She kissed him as if she wanted him with the very fiber of her being. Was he emitting some pheromone that was making her act this way? If so, he wouldn't take her innocence knowing her ardor was induced. He wanted her to want him because she really did, not because his body was drugging her into arousal.

Untangling himself from her, he slid down to the cushion, lying on his back and positioning his head between her thighs. The scent of her arousal was heady and made him ache. He'd give her pleasure, but wouldn't take any from her. He grasped her hips and pulled her down to his mouth. Her flavor burst upon his tongue like ambrosia. He smiled when he felt her spreading her legs wider. He licked at her, feeling the burn of desire in his own neglected cock. As her aroma filled his lungs and her taste drove him to agony, his balls tightened, making his cock twitch.

Her legs were shaking and she lowered herself atop him, her breasts pressing against his stomach and her pants fanning his sensitive shaft. God, her mouth was so close to his tortured flesh. Without thinking, he arched his hips in supplication.

His sharp groan of ecstasy bounced off the walls of the chamber when her mouth seized his turgid shaft. He arched his back, his mouth open, his fingers digging deep into the succulent mounds of her ass. Oh, yeah, she had a pretty ass. Pretty, heart-shaped, female...Teeth on his aching flesh startled him. She growled and ground her wet heat against his mouth. She wanted-no-demanded her pleasure.

He opened his mouth and licked, making her whimper, the sound reverberating through his groin. He was going to cum...any moment now. Her mouth lowered closer to his pelvis with every dip, until he felt his head dipping right into her convulsing throat, swallowing his full length down. It was too much. The agony of holding back his orgasm drove him insane with need. He writhed underneath her, licking and sucking at her sweet flesh in abandon. Warmth bathed his face as she shuddered, gushing her passion into his mouth, sending him over the edge as well. Fire ripped down his spine, constricted his balls and exploded through his cock in pleasurable spurts, filling her waiting mouth to overflowing. He swallowed her liquid honey as if dying of thirst, reveling in her muffled moans around his twitching flesh.

His heart pounded in his ears, he pressed a kiss to her moist folds, feeling a peace he hadn't felt...

There was silence around them. No voices taunting, only the soft sighs and moans of the other occupants in the chamber engaged in sex around them. The devils were silent...gone.

"Angel, I..."

She moved away as if burned before he finished confessing his love.

***

They had all retired to the sunken bath located to the right of the bedroom chamber. Angel kept her distance from Devon.

What in Hades name was happening to her? She wanted him...desperately. But why? How had this infernal longing developed within her?

His eyes, blue like lightning, stared at her...or at least they seemed to be. The blinding luminosity was missing, but the heavy, black fringe of lashes that surrounding those gorgeous orbs only made them stand out more.

She turned her gaze away to no avail, the image of his milky complexion with ribbons of wet black pouring over his chest was emblazoned on her retinas. Damn his attractive ass!

Angel smirked. Now she was beginning to sound like him in her thoughts. Not a good sign.

"What will you do once you return to your home planet?"

The casual question served to bring her thoughts back to the dilemma at hand. The missing Edenian Master Guardians.

"Actually I was planning on visiting the Edenian solar system." Angel looked up at the interested female faces around the pool-sized tub.

"Edenia. Didn't they just find one of the ancient Master Guardians?"

"That's what I heard," Angel assured." Those bastards were responsible for the war that annihilated half of my people. The entire council was massacred when they were on their way to the summit. The civil wars that broke out on my planet were devastating."

"Some planets were completely obliterated by invading aliens. You should consider yourself lucky not to have been one of those less unfortunate souls."

Angel had to look away for a moment. It felt as if she'd taken a blow to her stomach.

Angel.

Devon's voice sighed through her mind. When she looked up at him, he'd bowed his head, stricken. The woman standing next to him was caressing his wet locks and whispering in his ear.

A surge of jealousy assailed Angel. She wanted to go over to the blonde female and punch her in the face. She had to bite her lips to keep from screaming at her to get away from him.

The others stared at her curiously, their glances going from the blonde warrior to Angel.

"I want to see the bastard responsible for so much devastation," she finally said, hoping they'd think the murderous look she knew she had in her eyes was due to the theme they were discussing. Of course, she didn't miss the way Devon flinched when she spoke.

He couldn't be responsible for what happened. It didn't make sense to her. Something else was at work here.

"I've always wondered about that. It seems strange to me that they would plot this apocalyptic war, and then disappear."

Angel studied them closely. It dawned on her that they really didn't know anything about the Master Guardians being captured in suspended animation orbs. Then again, none of them had been alive at the time. The war had ceased over a hundred siglons ago. 

"They were very powerful. I've heard many rumors about them."

One of the guards laughed, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder, "Madgral listens to her pets' gossip too much."

The one named Madgral scowled. "Lotekin was in Edenia when the war broke out. He aided a vampire named Drakken escape from the Mercurian prison of that solar system. Drakken and he were in the same holding cell for years. Lotekin still bears the marks of the vampire's bites on his skin."

"The vampire took his blood and yet your pleasure slave still helped him escape?"

Angel shivered. 

Madgral turned her dark eyes to her. "Lotekin assures me that he willing gave his blood and body to the vampire for sustenance. In return the vampire protected him from the other inmates."

"Aren't you afraid he might have picked up the vampire virus? That war happened over a hundred siglons ago, and he's still alive?"

Madgral smiled. "Lotekin is a shifter. A dragon. Their kind can live for about a thousand siglons. Lotekin is only three hundred. He's still considered very young for a dragon. He was a mere boy when he was imprisoned in the Edenian solar system for...solicitation."

Angel didn't know whether to be shocked or amused. A dragon whore.

Madgral looked at the man with the blue hair nestled against her. A dragon? Him? The woman tilted his head up to her smiling face and Angel blinked in wonder at how gold his eyes were, framed by cobalt lashes. Visions of a blue dragon with golden eyes filled her imagination.

"Tell them, my pet. Tell them what you told me."

The blue-haired Lotekin blushed. "Umm. " He looked unsure of himself, his eyes casting furtive glances around the occupants of the tub. "Drakken said there were fallen angels posing as humanoids amongst us. They were plotting to turn us all against each other so that we'd destroy ourselves."

"Fallen angels? You mean Seraphians...reapers?"

"No." Lotekin answered the raven-haired guard that had questioned him. "Angels from the realm of Ainrodonel."

Angel had heard of the existence of these divine beings. Her own beliefs confirmed their existence, stating that the goddess Venushti had been one before giving birth to the women of the Venushtian race after being forcibly taken by the Merutian god. Hence the reason the men of their race lived on a separate planet.

"That's nonsense," the raven-haired guard sputtered with a scowl.

Lotekin cringed and looked to his mistress for reassurance. She caressed his wet locks and frowned at the raven-haired guard. "Watch your tongue, Hahira. Your snappish tone frightens the pets." She hugged Lotekin to her chest as if to soothe him.

Hahira only scowled deeper. "Fallen angels? Have you any idea of how ridiculous that is?"

"Not any more ridiculous than our sacred fertility orbs."

Angel swung her head back at the new voice behind her. Deep red hair flowed down to the woman's ankles. She looked like a younger version of the queen.

The women stood and bowed their heads, their hands pressed over their hearts in reverence.

"Princess Victory."

The pets climbed out of the tub, Torec hauling Devon behind him and prostrated themselves at her feet.




Dark Prince Ch. 03



Angel also bowed her head briefly, then looked up. The princess was crouching down over Devon, lifting his head, and gazing in wonder into his face.

"Oh, he is beautiful! Stand-up. Let me see all of you."

Devon's soaked form rose from the floor. She touched him everywhere, making Angel grit her teeth. As the princess walked around him, her fingers stroked his flesh.

"He looks like living alabastine stone. Such a lovely contrast to his hair. Is it this black when it's dry?"

Green eyes focused on Angel. "Uh, yes. It's very...black."

Victory gazed back at Devon. "Darker than the devil's soul. There are few species that look this enthralling; Vampires, Fae, Elves, Mer, and the mythical Cambions."

"Cambions?" Angel echoed.

Victory smiled at her and disrobed. "Mind if I join you?" She clapped her hands and all the pets rose and slipped back into the water.

The guards smiled as she dipped into the pool with them.

"Where was I?" Victory sighed sitting on one of the seats in the sunken bath, her hair turning a deep garnet in the water. "Oh, yes. Cambions." She reached out and pulled Devon by an arm to settle next to her. "It was rumored that the angel of destruction was Cambion."

"What is that? I don't think I've ever heard of that term," Angel confessed.

"The offspring of an Incubus or Succubus and a mortal." Madgral informed.

"It's said that most humanoids cannot resist their allure." Victory gazed at Devon in a considering manner. "Most humanoids fall desperately in love with them. The angel of destruction was part Seraph part Incubus. They said his allure was such that it drove many to insanity." Victory looked at Angel. "Beings once revered him like a god, you know."

She had heard that of Davariel. Her eyes went back to Devon, who sat perfectly still next to the princess. She couldn't imagine any being more beautiful than him. It was scary to even fathom. Just contemplating Devon made her fear for her own sanity. Right now she wanted to snatch him away from the princess with a hiss.

He's mine!

Her thoughts made her jump in surprise. What in Hades was she thinking!

"My grandmother still talks about him." One of the other guards interjected. She smoothed her short blonde hair away from her face. "Poor woman makes us cringe every time she says his name with such fondness." The blond shivered. "Disturbing."

"Saying his name or remembering him with fondness, Nerute?" Victory smiled.

"Both, "Nerute assured.

Angel was still shocked at her thoughts. Perhaps if she got away from him for a while. Even if it killed her, she could not sleep with him tonight in her room. She knew that she would go to him and give herself to him, ruining once and for all her chances at becoming a priestess on Venushti. Once they knew she'd succumbed to fornicating with a man, taking a penis into her sacred chalice, she'd be cast from the female dominated planet. The only home she'd ever known.

"You seem to enjoy my pet's beauty. I think I should like to let you have him while I'm here."

The guards gaped at Angel. Victory blinked in surprise. She looked at Devon and pouted. "That's very kind of you, but law dictates that I must never share my body with a defective male. As exquisite as he is, I must decline your generous offer."

Angel's hopes sank.

"I'll take him. Please. Let me have him...just for one night."

Angel turned again to see Katadre wringing her fingers, a look of desperation on her face.

Once more, the feeling of possessiveness gripped Angel. "I don't trust you!"

"Why not? I would never hurt a pet." Katadre looked insulted.

"You tried to steal him from me!"

"I wasn't stealing him. Only trying to protect him from your wrath!"

"Ladies. Please," Victory admonished. Her green eyes turned back to Angel. "Why would you not want to sleep with your own pet?"

"I didn't say I didn't want to sleep with him. I just thought that since you seemed to enjoy him so much, you might want to have him for a while before I go."

Madgral, Angel. Give me to Madgral. I can question Lotekin more when we're alone.

Angel bit her lip, as his voice whispered through her mind. Vaguely, she wondered if he felt bad that she was trying to unload him on someone else. He lifted his head ever so slightly and gazed at her from beneath sooty lashes. Then again, he couldn't have been. The jolting blue of his eyes sparkled. Such an unusual color. He blinked and lowered his eyes once more. What was going through his mind? He was so quiet, it was beginning to get on her nerves.

Angel looked up at Madgral and smiled. "Madgral, Perhaps he might open up to you and tell you his secrets. He's still somewhat shy with me." At the woman's gasp, Angel added. "I really do want to sleep tonight. I haven't been able to get a proper night's rest since my birthday four nights ago."

The women now laughed knowingly.

Madgral looked at Devon as if she would devour him. "I would not sleep well if he were mine either. Katadre would accuse me of trying to wear my pet out. I'll take him, but I won't be able to keep from mating him." Madgral's dark eyes leveled themselves at Angel.

Again, the vicious need to possess. She repressed the urge to snarl at the woman. "Yes. I understand. It's not like he wasn't used before, after all."

Devon seemed to take a deep breath, his chest expanding slowly, then lowering, his shoulders drooping a bit more.



Devon had never had sex with a man. Lucien had been the only man that really caught Devon's attention, but he hadn't desired Lucien in a sexual way. The touching, kissing and caresses felt stimulating, but he could not find it in him to either penetrate or allow himself to be penetrated by a man. When presented with the opportunity to seduce the blue dragon, Devon worked the male with his hands and mouth as Madgral watched in fascination.

Feeling a little guilty, Devon implanted in the woman's mind the overwhelming need to sleep, so that when Lotekin finally cried out his release, she was snoring away with a grin on her face.

The blue were-dragon was trembling, panting from the aftermath of the orgasm. Devon drew up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. Lotekin sighed, his body already relaxing, his breath coming easier.

"You still carry the vampire's essence. I can smell it in your blood."

Lotekin stiffened. "But I'm dragon. Dragon's are incapable of becoming infected with the vampire virus."

"You can still carry it. Were you to bite and draw your mistress' blood..."

"I'd be punished. We're not allowed to be rough with them."

"Have you ever been rough with any of the other men?"

The dragon chuckled. "I prefer that they be rough with me. I'm a born submissive."

Devon smiled, understanding him.

"So, this vampire, Drakken, told you about these fallen angels?"

"Drakken served...the dark prince." Devon forgot to hold back his luminescence and stared at the back of the dragon-man's blue head.

"What?"

"He said that things were not as told to us. That the dark prince was no more a threat to the universe than a Bleep." Devon almost laughed at the comparison, a mental image of the tiny fuzz ball of an alien popping into his head. "I'm not afraid to say his name. I've chanted it...in the dark...before a mirror..." Devon's hair stood on end at the man's admission," and nothing has ever happened. The best way to control anything is to instill fear. At least that's what Drakken always said."

"What else did he say?"

"The fallen angels are infiltrating themselves in every leading government's councils. They plan on starting an intergalactic war. They're slowly trying to convince Master Guardians to give less developed civilizations upper technology. Once we're all at each other's throats, it'll distract everyone enough so that they can work at releasing the dark god, Lucifer."

This time Devon actually shuddered. He had a strange vision. He was falling, before him another being of light also hurtled down. They were reaching out to each other. Then the image faded, leaving him shaken.

"Did Drakken say anything about the Edenian Master Guardians? Was one of them a fallen angel also?"

Soft, even breathing was all he heard. Peering over Lotekin's shoulder, revealed the man had drifted off to sleep, obviously worn from the passionate workout Devon had put him through.

Rolling onto his back, he mulled over what the dragon man had revealed. He knew most of the council members. Some weren't completely Edenian, but mixed with other alien species that had long life spans. Still, most of the council members from three hundred years back could not be alive. Devon needed to go before the full council. He wondered if he'd be able to pick out the fallen angels. It wouldn't be easy. They could disguise themselves as anything.

He yawned, his thoughts going to Angel. She'd seemed so desperate to be rid of him. Would Torec be sleeping with her? He winced, rubbing at an ache that sprang up in his chest. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

***

Devon sat up, the echo of his cry still reverberating through the darkened room. The image of Angel at his feet in a pool of ever-growing blood made him want to throw up.

"She cannot die! I can't let this happen!"

"It doesn't need to happen, my young prince."

Devon whirled to find the black devil lounging next to him with a sardonic grin on his countenance.

Devon sat up, ready to summon his divine sword.

"Now-now. No need to rile yourself. I've come to offer you an exchange."

"I don't make bargains with devils...or demons." Devon turned to look at the other occupants in the room. They still slept soundly even after his shattering scream.

"What a shame. And here I thought you really wanted your angels back."

Devon 's eyes narrowed as he spun back to the devil. "What?"

"Your angels. One of my servants found them."

"You lie."

The devil pouted. "You insult me. Why would I lie about such a thing."

Devon didn't trust the devil, but the thought of seeing his loved ones again made his heart race. "Where are they? Take me to them."

"Only if you promise to think about becoming our master and releasing our lord. We really don't care about this realm's pithy problems. We all just want t go back home, to our creator, where we belong. Our lord has learned his lesson. He misses his home... the creator."

"What about us?"

The devil waved his claw dismissively. "Lucifer could care less about any of this. He just wants to go home already. Hell is a very cold place. No light, no warmth, just darkness.

"I thought all angels were beings of light."

The devil smiled. "They are...until they fall from grace. Then the light inverts and they cast darkness." The devil gave him an impatient look. "Well? Don't you want to see your angels again?"

Devon stood. "If this is a trick..."

"It's no trick. Come."

Devon followed the devil to a mirror. The creature chanted an incantation and the surface of the mirror began to ripple like water. On the other side, a lush forest appeared, in the distance, mountains and an enormous pyramid dominated the horizon.

Devon stepped through the glass.

***

The early morning sun blazed on Angel and Victory's heads. Victory had asked Angel to sleep in her own private royal chambers and they'd spent most of the night talking. Victory told Angel about their fertility stones and promised to show her the sacred chambers of fertility the next day.

The princess had her own transport pod, a black remake of a Viper. She flew the transport like a suicidal maniac, laughing at Angel's stricken face.

The girl was Angel's age, young and carefree. Angel found herself enjoying the princess' company and felt guilty befriending her through false pretenses.

"I never see you with pets, Victory. I thought all royals owned them."

Victory smiled swinging the pod through a tight squeeze between two cliff faces. Angel felt her breakfast threatening to come up.

"I'm still a virgin. My initiation ceremony will be in a few moon rises. My mother is preparing my stable of pets. She hasn't allowed me to see them yet." Victory turned a wide grin to Angel. "But I can only imagine how exquisite they will be. My mother has excellent taste."

A moment of silence ensued as Angel thought about the queen. She wondered what her own mother had looked like. Or her father.

"You're a virgin too, aren't you?"

Angel blinked surprised eyes at Victory. She opened her mouth to deny it, but suddenly no longer wanted to continue to lie to the girl. "Yes. I am."

Victory giggled. "Well you certainly have the wrong pet for deflowering. Devon is enormous."

Victory settled the Viper in the middle of a verdant forest. When the top rolled open, warm air, fragrant with the greenery around them, caressed Angel's face, and tousled her hair.

She'd kept her attire simple today. A long sheath hugged her body, the sides slit to her waist so she could walk. The garment was sleeveless so she'd adorned her upper arms with intricate silver bands that made the purple of the sheath look bolder. Thigh-high boots hugged her legs and her dagger was strapped to her right thigh. She'd braided her hair into a long tail behind her back, but left a few tendrils to flow around her face.

She looked around, noting the large ancient trees towering overhead. There seemed to be a wall ahead, made of stones. Victory made her way toward it and Angel followed.

The princess had worn a similar dress that morning. Only Victory's was a dark gold, and her boots were white, not black like Angel's.

As the princess walked, the breeze played with her dress, blowing the silky material so that at times her backside was exposed. Victory's white thong ran up between two thick, muscular cheeks that bounced with each step. Her arms bulged with muscles, just like her mother, the queen.

Angel felt surprised at the urge she felt to touch and see if that skin was as soft as...

Devon.

What was he doing right now? An image of him fucking Madgral made her growl.

Victory turned questioning eyes toward her.

"Sorry, I just..."

The princess turned, gripped Angel around her waist, and hauled her against her body.

Angel barely had time to react. The girl's mouth was on hers, her tongue plunging deep past Angel's surprised lips. Angel could only hold on to the taller woman as she savaged her mouth.

"I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you." Victory confessed when she finally let Angel breathe.

"What...why...?" Angel was at a loss for words.

Victory smiled teasingly. "Hey, can't a couple of virgins have fun?"

Angel swallowed. Victory's lips were on hers again, but only for a moment. She drew back to pull Angel's dress off, then her own. Angel watched, fascinated, the play of muscles on Victory. For a woman, she was buff, almost as big as Devon. Angel looked down at herself in dismay.

"I'm so scrawny. How can you be attracted to me?"

"You're absolutely beautiful." Victory leaned in and pursed her ruby lips around one tight little nipple.

Angel closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the feel of a woman pleasuring her. This was how it was supposed to be for a Venushtian warrior. Feeling attraction to males was forbidden and perverse.

Victory's hands caressed her buttocks, smoothed over her back to wrap around her waist and pull her closer.

"You're so pretty, Angel...so sweet." Victory kissed her again, her tongue sliding past her lips to savor her. Her hands cupped Angel's breasts, Thumbs sliding over her nipples to pluck at them. Angel fought the urge to back away and arched into the caress.

Victory released her lips and took her hands. She led Angel to a large boulder where she proceeded to sit, thighs spread. "Straddle me," the red-haired girl invited with a playful smile.

She helped Angel sit before her, holding her around her waist so Angel could draped her thighs to either side of Victory's hips. Once settled, Victory resumed suckling Angel's nipples while her hands roved her thighs.

Angel closed her eyes, but Devon's beautiful face came to mind and she snapped them open again in dismay. Tightening her fingers around Victory's bulging biceps, she watched the girl's mouth pursed around her nipple, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

Victory's hands slipped closer to Angel's sex, until her thumbs were smoothing over her klowt. The girl leaned back to look down as she pulled the soft material to the side exposing Angel's slit. Her fingers slid through her folds, teasing her clit first to illicit a response. Angel just turned her head, closing her eyes and arching into the touch, though her mind remained detached.

"You're so little and delicate, so sweet like a little girl. You don't even have pubic hair." Victory's palm cupped her as one long finger sunk inside Angel, making her gasp. "So tight. How old are you?"

Angel bit her lip. The intimate invasion felt uncomfortable. "Twenty sun-orbits," she panted, trying to keep herself from stiffening as Victory explored her deeper. Angel whimpered.

"Angel, your hymen's still intact.

The urge to cry out Devon's name was overbearing. Angel wanted him, needed him...loved him? She couldn't! It was forbidden on every level. He was a demon! Her eyes finally welled with tears and she crumpled against Victory, crying like the pathetic little girl the woman had compared her with moments before.

She was no Venushtian warrior, much less fit to be priestess. Angel didn't even feel sexual attraction for women. No. She was a Crystalian pleasure slave. A whore who craved a blue-eyed demon between her thighs, riding her hard and deep. Devon Angelos.

Strong arms embraced her. She cried, hard shuddering sobs that shook her completely. Victory held her, rocking her slightly, making soothing sounds, and placing little kisses on the top of her head.

Angel's face was a mess. She could feel her eyes swollen and her nose running. Finally, she drew away, ashamed to look into Victory's face.

"I'm sorry about that," she hiccupped, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"You love him, don't you?"

Angel scowled up at her. "No!"

Victory smirked. "Well you could have fooled me. You were chanting his name like a mantra last night."

Angel felt shocked. "No. I only...did I?"

Victory laughed, then began imitating Angel, "Devon-oh, Devon-fuck me, Devon- I love you..."

Angel's eyes went round and she clapped her hands over her mouth. "No. Please tell me you're joking. I did not say I loved him. I can't." Angel covered her face and almost wailed again. "How could I be so stupid?"

"What is the big deal? Lots of women fall in love with their pets. We're all human after all."

Angel realized the time had come to tell Victory everything.

She pushed away from the girl's embrace and stood before her. "He's a demon!" Victory's eyes bulged and her mouth dropped open. Angel began to pace. "The Venushtians had sacred ground allotted to them in the Edenian Solar system. There was a large black globe that had obliterated a Trod warship that had all but destroyed the vessel our queen was in at the time. That stone had fallen on a barren asteroid and we built a temple around it. The Edenians saw fit to melt the stone down. Devon was inside it." She finally turned to the princess whose face was now devoid of color. "He's the archangel of the Edenian Master Guardians."

"The arch..." Now it was Victory's turn to rise and start pacing. "How did they find out he was inside? I assume they burned the stone with every intention of destroying him in the process."

"I don't know how they knew. I was only sent by my high priestess to retrieve him. My whole planet is incensed that they defiled the sacred stone."

Victory turned, a frown marring her pretty face, "but, Angel, he was alive in..." Her face paled again. "Oh...no..."




Dark Prince Ch. 03



The princess turned on her heel, forgetting her dress and ran toward the stone wall.

Angel blinked, surprised, scooped up both dresses and ran after her, "Wait! Victory, I haven't told you everything."

Angel skidded to a halt. The stone wall wasn't a wall at all. She craned her neck back, her eyes taking in the height of the stone pyramid before her. She couldn't quite make out the top. The stone used to build the monstrous pyramid was dark amber, and the sun's glare upon it made it look as if made of gold.

"Angel!"

Closing her gaping mouth, she followed Victory's voice to an opening in the very center of the pyramid. The narrow tunnel sloped down, lit by strange glowing stones. Victory waited for her a few paces in, grabbed her hand, and pulled her as she ran the rest of the way deeper into the stone building.

By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, Angel was out of breath.

"What are you doing here?"

Victory's stern voice made Angel look up. They were in a large chamber...the same one from her visions. The floors were made of mosaic tiles surrounding a pool of shimmering water. Columns encompassed the entire area around the pool where four black spheres rested upon silver pedestals. There was a bridge right across the center of the pool and in the middle of the bridge, there was an altar.

Angel's eyes barely registered her surroundings, her attention centered on the three...were they women? Angel couldn't really decide. They were even taller than Victory, muscles bulging everywhere. They wore a one-piece flight-suit with heavy boots the same shade of red as the pearlescent material of their uniform. One of them had skin as black as pitch, with silver eyes and hair. The second one had eyes the same eerie shade, but her hair was cobalt blue and her skin fair. The third one had golden brown skin, hair and eyes.

She was the one who spoke first. "The sacred pyramid of the southern hemisphere has been defiled, princess Victory."

Victory hesitated a moment, then turned to Angel. "These are our Master Guardians, Onyx, Sapphire, and Topaz." She turned back to the women. "This is Angel. She has the archangel of Edenia."

The Master Guardians' eyes went round.

"Then it was him! Devon found them," Onyx exclaimed turning to her companions.

"But then why didn't he come to set the rest of them free?" Topaz questioned biting her lip.

Sapphire covered her face and moaned. "This is not good."

"What is going on," Victory ground through clenched teeth.

The three master Guardians looked at her, then at each other with a grimace.

Onyx turned back to the princess and Angel as the others bowed their heads in apparent shame. "Three hundred years ago, some of our hunters struck a bargain with one of the Edenian Master Guardians. One of our sisters became pregnant by one of them and produced a boy."

Victory's gasp echoed around the chamber. "B-but our race hasn't had a living male child in over three eons!"

"Apparently," Sapphire assured, "the Edenian Master Guardian was able to impregnate Diamond with a boy."

"Where is she? Why did we never hear of this?"

"Diamond, as well as us, do not agree with our culture." Topaz spoke now. "She left so that her son would not become an Utuduodian slave. We've never heard from her again."

"What about this bargain with the Edenian Master Guardian?" Angel interjected.

"He said that if the hunters captured them, they could all mate with them... and have boys also," Sapphire answered her.

"We didn't know what was going on until the convoy returned." Onyx scowled, her voice angry. "We're not supposed to interfere with the policies of our planet, but had we known what they were going to do, we would have stopped them."

"Afterwards it was too late." Topaz shrugged, lifting her arms in a helpless gesture. "The war had started and we barely had technology to defend ourselves. If the L-O-S ever learns that it was Utuduodian hunters that spurred the war by leaving the incoming galactic dignitaries unprotected, they might give our planet the death penalty."

"Which one of them impregnated Diamond?" Victory demanded.

Onyx snorted. "Your guess is as good as mine. We have all had sex with each and every one of them, many times."

"Except the youngest one." Sapphire added. "The females never allowed him to romp with the others."

Angel gaped at all of them. They'd had sex with Devon?

Many times—a deep feminine voice whispered into her mind. Angel felt something pushing into her mind, a vision... Devon's pale body entwined with Onyx's dark one; the ebony of his hair mixed with the silver of hers; a study in black on white, thrusting, arching, crying out.

Angel could not bear to see more, but the image would not leave her mind. "Stop-it," she snarled, her hands going up to her head. Automatically reaching for her dagger, Angel leapt toward Onyx.

Victory's arms wrapped around her, pulling her back, "Are you out of your mind, woman? They're Master Guardians!"

"Her aura is tainted with his essence." Topaz observed. "They've been intimate already."

"I'm still a virgin," Angel spat.

To her mortification they laughed.

"Stop-it!" Victory admonished. "I want you to set the rest of the Guardians free."

***

The Utuduodian Master Guardians transferred the spheres to a space station orbiting the planet. The station looked as though many siglons had passed since it was last used. Victory explained that they no longer kidnapped males, but purchased them from slave markets.

"And that's supposed to be better?" Angel snapped.

The princess gave her a sympathetic look. "Angel, I promise you, when I become queen, I plan on doing away with the whole male slavery. Things are changing on my planet. Women are all much kinder to their pets, but we still have a long way to go. The males on the planet only know one life and that is to please a woman."

"It's unfair, Victory. Not having a choice to control your own destiny."

Victory bit her lip apologetically. "I've already suggested schools for boys. Later on we can implement other things, like teaching them skills so they might become full functioning citizens in our society."

Angel thought of Venushti. They didn't even allow their males on the planet. What would it be like if both planets combined? Males and females together.

***

Purple light engulfed the spheres, making the black, glassy substance evaporate. Four black vipers appeared. Angel held her breath as the Master Guardians used their combined powers to open the Vipers. There was more of the icy substance inside.

Onyx explained they needed to remove the Edenian Master Guardians from their transports to continue to revive them safely. They also decided to re-animate each of them individually in case something went wrong and they did not make it.

"We wouldn't want to kill them all."

Angel's eyes widened. She had no idea the process was so delicate. Goddess, how had Devon survived? All the Edenians had done was burn the orb down with lasers.

This time red rays engulfed the frozen matter. Slowly it became translucent and a figure emerged.

The girl was still in a reclining position. Onyx said she would project into the Master Guardian's mind what had happened. Hopefully, the woman wouldn't go into shock. Angel watched as the dark matter faded. The girl's expression was angry, her jet-black curls gleaming as brightly as her eyes. She was beautiful, with almost the same coloring as Devon.

Her eyes blinked and the expression of anger turned to shock. She began to move with the help of the Utuduodian Master Guardians. A little smaller than Angel, her body was delicate. Her softly rounded breasts pressed against the stretchy black material of her uniform. Her hair, swept back into a high tail, reached the middle of her back, exposing a pixie-like face.

She stood straight for a few seconds as Onyx fed her the information she needed to know. The woman's face grew paler by the second, until her pretty eyes rolled back and she fainted.

She didn't fall far. The Guardians kept her from hitting the floor with their power. They transferred her to an examining table and the next sphere was put in place to re-animate.

Angel swallowed. Devon's precious angels. Had he found the other two? How did he manage to do that? Maybe one of the slaves had told him. Lotekin perhaps.

The next Edenian Master Guardian made Angel's eyes bulge. Though he was not as tall as Devon, his body was amazing. Thick arms and thighs, his chest massive; he was built like a beast of a man and yet his face... he had the face of an angel. His hair was deep gold, and fell in gleaming waves well below his waist. His vivid blue eyes widened when Onyx pumped his mind with the same information given to the black-haired beauty still unconscious on the examining table behind them.

As soon as he was able, he ran to the woman and held her. Angel watched as he kissed her face repeatedly and called her gently. She moaned and blinked open her eyes.

"Zak?"

"It's okay, baby. I'm here."

Her eyes widened as she looked around. "Is this a joke? Please say it's a joke! Three hundred years?"

Both Zak and the girl called Rowie stared at them. Angel saw their bewilderment and vulnerability, and felt pity.

"We need to awaken the last two." Sapphire said already placing the next one on the re-animating pedestal.

This time Angel gasped when the third angel came into view. Onyx, Sapphire and Topaz snickered.

"Ah, yes. Remien Fyre."

His hair was the color of blood, deep-deep red. Cut shaggy around his head, it fell like ribbons of crimson over the sinews of his lean body. Unlike the other two Master Guardians, this one had no shirt, his arms tattooed with intricate black tribal markings, both coppery nipples pierced with tiny silver hoops and his eyes shimmered green-gold. The devilish grin he wore gave Angel the chills, even as it faded into a shocked O, showing a silver metal stud on his pink tongue. His lower lip also had two small hoops to either side.

She couldn't stop staring at the man's shocking features, blushing furiously when she realized his hand was curled around his cock, visible in the open V of his black pants.

Then, without warning...he ignited into a ball of red-gold fire.

Angel stumbled back, her spine pressed to the wall in the re-animating chamber, her hands clasped tightly against her ears. He roared like a terrifying beast. The other Master Guardians in the room shot beams of power toward him, trying to keep him in control. His growls and snarls grew deeper, the ball of fire swelled, and for a moment, Angel thought he was going to transform into something else. His eyes glowed a bright green, his nails elongated into claws and the beginnings of pointed teeth showed in his open mouth.

"Remi, calm down!" the one called Zak pleaded. The others also echoed his words, but it was the first girl they'd awakened that he fixed his glowing green gaze on.

She used her power like a leash around his neck, slowly pulling him toward her. The fiery glow around him disappeared and his features became normal again.

"Rowie," he whispered stumbling toward her.

For a moment all they did was stare into each other's eyes.

Angel felt it; a crackling in the air around them. They were attracted to each other. It was plain for all to see.

Remien reached for Rowie. The sound of the stinging slap she gave him reverberated throughout the room.

"You bastard!" She screamed at him, making Angel wince. "This is all your fault!"

Zak rushed over and hugged her, giving the stunned Remien an apologetic look. The red-haired man only hung his head and walked away to the far end of the room.

Through the streaks of red that spilled down his back, Angel could see another tattoo. This one was a red dragon.

She couldn't take her eyes away. His pants barely covered the curve of his ass, showing two beguiling dimples on the upper half of the meaty globes.

His head turned and she was suddenly engulfed in his green gaze. Rowie's red handprint was still vivid on his cheek. He turned away and began to fix his pants, obviously tucking himself back in.

He remained observing the others, leaning against the wall, hands stuffed deep in his pockets, sulking.

Angel shook her head, admonishing herself for staring at him, only to have her eyes entranced once more.

"Lucien," she breathed.

Devon described him often enough, but the reality was far beyond anything she could imagine. Lucien's hair was spun gold, a million shades and variations, tumbling over wide shoulders. The ice blue of his eyes settled on her and narrowed slightly. His nostrils flared a bit over full sensuous lips that were designed for the pleasure of kissing.

Angel turned her face away, surprised at her thoughts. He was a man. Little by little, her promiscuity grew more prominent with each passing sun cycle. She needed to control her whorish nature.

Angel turned and exited the room. Her boots clicked on the polished floors of the corridor. When she reached a portion of the corridor that looked as if made of glass on one side, she stopped and took a deep breath.

Now what? The Edenian Master Guardians were back. One of them betrayed the others, but who, and why? Her mind replayed the awakening of each of them. Rowie seemed very distraught about what happened. Zak hadn't really reacted except to comfort Rowie. Then there was Remien's reaction. Angel frowned. He'd been quite violent. If it hadn't been for Rowie...

Her skin tingled all over and she caught the reflection of someone standing behind her in the glass wall of the corridor.

With a startled gasp she turned. Lucien towered over her, his face expressionless. He was as tall as Devon. Her eyes traveled lower. They also had the same exact physique; broad shouldered, muscled arms and chest, slim hips flaring out to strong thighs. When she looked back up, she felt her face heat. The corners of those lush lips turned up the tiniest fraction and his eyes glittered with interest.

Angel took a step back.

His lips moved. "We're leaving."

She had to reach back and hold on to the glass wall. His voice was deep, sinfully male. Angel swallowed. "What about Devon?"

The smile faded a bit. "He's in Alpha 7 with the others."

"What? But he was here this morning. How did he find the others and..." Lucien's golden brow lifted in amusement and she realized how stupid she must sound.

"He told me to tell you that he's ready to go with you to Venushti."

Angel turned away from him. They were communicating telepathically again. Why didn't Devon speak directly to her? She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to Venushti now.

"I was sent to retrieve what remained of the sacred stone." Her words sounded ridiculous to her. He remained silent, but in the reflection of the glass she saw him looking her over from head to toe. He wasn't leering. On the contrary, he bore a frown quickly replaced by a bland look when she turned to face him again.

She opened her mouth to say more, but he took a step back. "You'll ride with me. Let's go."

He took about three steps before she followed. His blond hair fell halfway down his back with a gentle wave on the ends. Angel Felt as if she were gazing at Devon if not for the blond hair, their build and height identical.

Just before they reached the door, he raised one hand and flicked his fingers, without slowing his long-legged stride. The door opened as he stood aside and waved for her to go in first. Another difference between Devon and him; Lucien used his powers more.

Inside the room, Zak was still holding Rowie, murmuring something into her ear. She sniffled and nodded, her hand curled up against the massive wall of his chest, her other arm around his waist. Angel mused they looked like lovers.

Lucien stopped just behind them. "Are we ready?"

Angel shivered again at the sound of his voice. Goddess help her, what was wrong with her? She crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath.

Rowie let go of Zak, turning tearful eyes to Lucien, and nodding.

He smiled at her, his hand coming out to cup her cheek. "It'll be alright, baby. We've only had each other all these years after all."

"Oh, Luke...but Annie...her baby..."

Luke's hand fell away. His muscles tensed and his back grew straighter. "We've got to go now."

Zak and Rowie nodded. Luke's hand touched Angel's back softly, guiding her toward one of the Vipers. Angel turned her head to look back at Remien. He still leaned against the wall, but had put a black shirt on. His red bangs were almost in his glittering green eyes as he peered back with an angry scowl on his face. Lucien's gaze followed Angel's.

"Don't make me have to go after you. We meet with Dev, sort this shit out, then, if you want to, you can go to hell for all we care."

"Luke," Rowie whispered.

Angel looked at the girl and her chastising glance at the blond Master Guardian.

Lucien snorted. "I can't believe she's sticking up for him. I never will understand love-hate relationships," he muttered under his breath.

To this, Rowie scowled. "There is no love-hate relationship between me and that conceited prick."

"She's going to end up fucking him," Lucien mumbled.

"I heard that," Rowie tossed over her shoulder.

Behind them Remien snickered.

When they reached the Vipers, Luke called out to Remien. "Wait just a minute." The red-haired Master Guardian cursed under his breath.

Lucien turned to Angel. "Please don't hate me, but I swear, if I have to go after that ..." his eyes looked back with annoyance at a scowling Remien, "...bastard, I will throttle him." He turned back to Angel. "Don't think Devon will like that very much. He tends to over-protect that red-haired devil. You don't mind riding with him? If he veers off course, just slit his throat." Luke looked back at a Remien. "He likes pain."

Angel's eyes widened, her gaze going back to Remien who was adjusting his crotch with a bored look on his face. "Seriously, what if he takes off with me?"

"Then Devon will be all over his ass."

Angel grimaced. She wished they would speak plain stantongue. The image his native jargon elicited of Devon on Remien's ass was too arousing for Angel.

"Rem, she's riding with you."

Remien's eyes went round. "Me?"

Angel approached tentatively, expecting him to burst into another ball of fire. He only stared at her, with those mesmerizing green-gold eyes rimmed in black.

The top of his Viper rolled open. Angel took a deep breath and scowled. He scowled right back. Angel hoisted herself into his Viper.

Once inside, Angel cursed inwardly at the pod's small interior. Her eyes went over the small bowl-shaped cushion, then looked back at Remien.

His tawny brows drew even closer over his eyes.

"Perhaps if you pull up your legs I won't have to sit on your lap, lady."

Angel gaped. She'd almost expected him to take advantage of the situation. Remien Fyre obviously did not want to touch her anymore than necessary.

With an insulted grunt, she drew her knees to her chest. The were-dragon turned to look at the other Vipers as they sealed themselves, his eyes lingering on Rowie's frowning face.

Angel saw his longing and smirked. His head snapped back around, eyes narrowed.

He jumped into the Viper, startling Angel with his speed. His long legs curled underneath him as the top of the Viper rolled over, sealing them in. Those dragon-green eyes never left her face. "She's attracted to me. She just won't admit it." He sniffed, nose up.

Angel's answer was a derisive snicker.

Remien's eyes narrowed to mere slits as he leaned back against the glass. For a long moment, he just looked Angel over, lips pursed.

Everything was dark, yet the were-dragon emitted a soft glow. Devon was right. He was amazing... breath taking.




Dark Prince Ch. 04



The spatters of black were barely distinguishable on the gloss of the floor. Devon snorted in self-disgust before his nose and eyes burned with tears. Cutting himself hadn't worked. He'd slit his throat, choked on his own blood for a few agonizing moments and then his body began to self-heal.

Trying to summon his divine sword hadn't worked either. It resisted his call.

He took a deep breath and then sighed in misery, blinking back the tears that blurred his vision. The streaks of black blood on the blade mesmerized him. His blood was black not red.

The shimmer of power skimmed over him, but kept his mind closed off. His entire being recoiled at having to talk to anyone, and he let them know he was in a black mood. Unfortunately, they didn't get the hint and invaded the tenth level where he'd cloistered himself.

The Seraphian Master Guardians had lived for over four millennia on this level, guarding Earth's solar system. It had been his refuge after they left when he and Lucien turned eighteen.

Three pairs of boots stopped in front of him, and then Zak, Seth, and Lucien settled themselves on the shiny floor of Aria's old quarters.

They remained silent for a moment.

"Um," Lucien began, "what are you doing, bro?"

Devon shrugged. "A little experiment." He held up the blade, still looking at it. "My blood is black."

Again, silence.

"The Seraphs. They raised him," Seth argued. "They'll probably be able to tell us what Devon is. Right, Luke?"

"I'm a demon, Sethaliel," Devon answered in a desolate tone, looking at the reflection of his glowing blue eyes in the blood-spattered knife. "If anything, I should go see the reapers. They can help me with my little problem."

Silence.

Devon raised his gaze. Beyond the thick pane of glass lining the entire front of Aria's quarters was a scene from hell, instead of the vast expanse of space. Devil's taunted him, licking the glass and laughing at him. Their nails screeched against the glass, setting his teeth on edge... and he was the only one who could see it.

Fuck my existence.

Devon closed his eyes, hugging his knees to his chest as he leaned his forehead against them. "Yes. I think the Reapers can help me better," he whispered.

"There has to be another solution," Zak huffed.

Their concern touched him, but... "I don't want to turn into a monster. I don't want to hurt the people I love."

"But we need you," Seth insisted. "We're no longer welcome here. Once the Edenian council realizes we're back, they're going to open fire on Alpha 7."

"Move the station," Devon murmured, burrowing deeper against his knees.

Their silence made him look up. Zak and Seth gaped at him.

"Alpha 7's the size of a small moon," Seth scoffed. "How the hell are we supposed to move it?"

"There's enough power between all of you," Devon assured.

"Right," Zak laughed humorlessly, "and the Edenian council is going to let us take Alpha 7 just like that."

"We'll cloak it in invisibility." Lucien spoke now.

Devon looked at him. Lucien's aura flared brighter. Was it because of Angel? Was Lucien falling in love with her? Would he be good for her, or make her suffer the way the Seraph Garethael had made Annie suffer?

The thought of Angel in Lucien's arms made him want to howl in grief, even though he knew in his heart Lucien was better for her than a god-forsaken demon like himself.

He closed his eyes and let his power out until he felt Angel's presence. She shivered, recognizing him.





Dark Prince Ch. 04



The other door slammed against the wall, the dark-haired high priest rushing in breathless. "Amaranth," he panted when his wide eyes settled on her.

"Ashriel. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Ashriel's eyes darted to Devon and he scowled for a moment before his gaze switched back to Amaranth.

"There is nothing to tell, sister."

Frustration had Devon wound up like a tight coil. He turned back to Amaranth, needing to hear the truth once and for all. "Fallen what?" he demanded when she opened her mouth to say something to Ashriel. "Angel? Fallen angel?" His hands gripped her shoulders.

The high priest growled his disapproval and stepped toward them. "Get your hands off her."

Devon ignored him. "Who do I look like? D..." he sucked in a nervous breath, "...Davariel?"

A shiver went through him. The images of horror that name evoked, his mind running rampant with all the tales he'd heard of the demonic possessions, the killings, and the plagues that had held the entire galaxy in the grip of terror.

Amaranth's eyes filled with tears, confusing him even more.

Ashriel's bark of bitter laughter snared his attention.

"You, "the high priest ground out, pulling Amaranth from him, "are not even half the man Davariel was."

Devon watched as Ashriel wrapped Amaranth in his meaty arms. Growling with anger, Devon spat, "I don't want to be him. The only beings I've ever fought and killed were the holographic training images in Alpha 7's training hall."

"Dava never killed anyone before he turned either," the high priest spat back.

"What am I? Who were my parents, damn-it?" He hit his fist against his chest as he snarled, "I have a right to know!"

When Ashriel would have spoken, Amaranth placed her fingers over his lips. "Ash...?"

She continued to gaze into the reaper's eyes, now softened with tenderness as he looked down at her.

Ashriel's hand smoothed over one of her wings, making her shiver. He shook his head, and then turned hostile eyes back to Devon. "You're his son... the angel of destruction's spawn." Devon's blood ran cold. "He was supposed to kill your mother, but succumbed to his lustful nature. You see... Davariel was conceived by a Seraph and a succubus."

Devon closed his eyes. He felt as though his head were spinning.

"Why was I allowed to be born?"

"I was sent to kill you while you were in your mother's womb," Ashriel snarled, "but that son-of-a-bitch of your father sent Luciel away. We couldn't find any trace of her. By the time I located you and your parents, you had the protection of a Dominatio. There wasn't anything anyone could do." Ashriel's eyes looked at him from head to foot, a disgusted sneer on his handsome face. "I still can't believe you were anointed an archangel as an infant. Makes no sense, especially when demon blood courses through your veins."

The Dominatio. Devon blinked. "You can't kill me? But..." Confusion assailed his senses. He was losing control of himself. His only comfort had been that at least the reapers would put an end to him were he to turn completely. "I don't want to kill... I don't want to become a mass murderer and be responsible for opening the gates of hell."

To that, Amaranth simply replied, "then don't."

"But how?" Devon fell to his knees, pulling at his hair in desperation. "The devils torment me. They call me their master. They tell me to kill... to hurt..." he closed his eyes, repulsed by the fact he felt longing racing through his body at his own words, "to bathe in blood."

"Perhaps you need to embrace what you are." Ashriel's voice had Devon snapping his eyes open in shock. Embrace what he was? A demon? "Embrace and accept what you are and tame it. Don't..."

"You're crazier than I am," Devon snapped, lurching to his feet. Dismayed, he realized his trip to Angelos had been a waste of time. At least now he knew who his parents were. He was the son of Davariel, the angel di' la morte. "Why didn't the Seraphian Master Guardians tell me what I was?"

"They thought by teaching you love and kindness they'd be able to keep you from turning. You have human blood in you too. That's why you don't have wings," Ashriel said.

"And if I do turn... I'm just going to be allowed to destroy our universe?"

Ashriel's eyes glinted with cold hatred. "No. Then no Dominatio in the realm will keep me from hunting you down and finishing you. That's what I was born to do. Kill angels of destruction."

His words washed over Devon, giving him a measure of peace. "Promise me."

Ashriel's glittering grey eyes narrowed. "I'll do more than that, demon." His black wings opened gloriously behind his back as he unsheathed his sacred sword, pointing it at Devon. "I'll swear an oath to it."





Dark Prince Ch. 04



"No!" Her eyes filled with tears, her lips pulled back in a sneer. "You won't leave me! Three hundred years have gone by. Everything and everyone I knew is dead, and it's all your fault!" Her voice grew more hysterical. She scrambled out of Lucien's lap to lean across the table and stab a finger in Devon's face. "You didn't listen to me. If we'd had gone away like I said none of this would have happened. They would have been captured, not us. We would have been free. Who the hell knows—you might have been able to prevent the whole god-damned war, but no... you had to stay... had to play at being god because the whole fucking Edenian solar system needed you... your god-damned angels needed you. Allot of good it did them. Even now, I'd be willing to bet you're still at the top of their list as the one who betrayed them."

"It had to be me," Devon choked, bowing his head.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." The evil female turned narrowed eyes to Remien. "You, Dragon-boy, your credit chip has suddenly gained a substantial amount of credits recently. Be interesting to find out how you can get so much money in just a few hours."

"That's none of your business," Rowie snapped.

"I'd have to disagree," Seth growled glaring at Remien, then cutting a narrowed glance at Lillique. "Exactly how much are we talking about?"

Lillique grinned with a sniffle, wiping angrily at her tears. "Enough to buy himself his own solar system." Her smile turned into a hateful sneer. "Or fund himself the biggest kickass army in history."

Rowie paled and turned to Remien. He looked around the table, all eyes on him. "So we're back to thinking it was me. Why not? I'm still the newbie. I'll admit, I've been dabbling in a few less than honorable deeds..." His angry gaze fell upon Seth again, "but at least I'm not associating with Greis."

Startled glances fell upon a red-faced Seth.

Before he could speak, Annie jumped in to defend him. "Just because a person talks to Grei's doesn't mean they're planning mass destruction."

"You've always been too overprotective of Seth," Lillique sniffed with disgust. "Sometimes I wonder if that fake mommy-love isn't some twisted, frustrated desire to fuck him. He has grown into a really hot man."

"Bitch," Annie snarled. "Seth is like my baby brother. We're all over-protective of him."

"Yeah. But you most of all," Lillique spat back. "Everybody thinks you're little miss goody-two-shoes, but you don't fool me. Your kid was treated with disgust on every planet in Edenia. Even the Seraph's rejected him. Poor little Gareth and his pathetic one wing."

Annie screamed and jumped, fingernails exposed, toward Lillique, but Seth and Zak restrained her. Devon had jumped to his feet also.

"Stop it already, Lilli," Devon demanded.

Angel frowned. Was it her imagination, or did Devon's eyes look brighter, his lips darker, almost plum.

Lillique continued to prod at his fury. "Why? She had motives to see a little destruction heaped on Edenia. Even Zak, if you ask me. His father hated him, wiped his mother's memories of his very existence. Creating that war was a damned good way to get back at his asshole father for what he did. Seth, the same. Abandoned. And Rowie?" She laughed scornfully, "Don't get me started there!"

"You seem to have all the dirt on all of us, Lilli," Zak snarled.

"Yes, I do!" Her eyes snapped to Lucien, "You're the best one of all. Did you ever tell anybody what your step-daddy did to you ever since you were little?"

Lucien's chair flew back when he jumped to his feet. Angel saw the beginning of fear creep into Lillique's eyes.

"I think we've heard enough," Lucien grated through clenched teeth. "You've made your point clear. Devon isn't the only who might have planned all of this."

"Great. So we have one nut job and six possible psychos," Seth mumbled.

Everyone jumped when Devon screamed and all the chairs flew against the walls. He was gone in an explosion of white fire.

Lucien had grasped Angel in time to avoid being knocked over by a chair and pulled her beneath him on the floor.

They weren't the only ones who'd taken refuge under the table.

"Shit! Did he just lose it completely?" Zak blurted, raking his golden blond hair from his face as he blinked at them. Remien was huddled over Rowie, covering her head even as she complained for him to get off her.

Angel scrambled to her feet and just as she was about to try to feel for Devon, Lucien gripped her arm.

"No, Angel. That would be too dangerous."

He closed his eyes and she felt his energy skim over her.

"He hasn't lost it totally yet, but he's close. His essence is changing."

"Oh, God, poor Dev," Annie whispered. "We've got to do something."

"This is all your fault," Lillique screamed at Angel.

'What," Angel gasped incredulously.

"I see the way you look at him. You want him, but he's mine." Her eyes narrowed, looking at Angel with disgust. "As if he'd ever be interested in something as pathetic as you."

"Well guess what, slut," Rowie stepped forward, hands on slim hips. "Devon's already had her, and he's in love with her, and we all approve of the match." Rowie looked around as the others nodded.

Lillique turned to Lucien, crossing her arms over her ample breasts. "Oh, I think Lucien wouldn't agree to that, would you, babe?"

Angel stiffened. She felt rage that Lillique would bring to light the uncomfortable situation with Lucien, and saddened she couldn't correspond the way he deserved.

"Luke?" Rowie blinked, her eyes and mouth wide. Her eyes darted to Angel, and then back to Lucien. Understanding dawned. "Oh, God, baby... I didn't realize... I'm sorry."

Angel's face heated up more. She slid her gaze to the side to peer at Lucien.

Lucien swallowed, his face blushing. Angel had never felt more uncomfortable. He cast her a longing glance before answering softly, "It's up to Angel. I've already told her how I feel. I know Devon has feelings for her, but in his present state..." He looked up at the others. "I'm not pressuring her. I'm only trying to be a friend." He lowered his head. "I know how to be a good second."





Dark Prince Ch. 05



Devon headed to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. This time, his angels did not try to stop him.

A few moon cycles had gone by. He lived in the wilderness of the planet of Arboria, foraging for food, sleeping very little. The nightmares grew bloodier, the visions more realistic.

His angels still tried to reach out to him, but he shut them out of his mind.

Angel's image tormented him. He longed for her, just to hear her voice, touch her hair.

"It's better this way," he tried to convince himself. "I'll only end up killing her."

"And while you turn into a hermit out here, Lucien makes designs on your woman."

Devon tensed and did his best to ignore Samael's voice. The black devil chuckled. "How pathetic. They're going out tonight. All of them."

Devon knew that. Seth had spent the greater part of the morning begging him to show up.

"Lucien will be taking Angel with him.

The pain that zinged through his chest was almost unbearable. My Angel.

"Yes, master, your Angel. Why you don't go and claim what's yours is beyond me. You're the one she desires."

"She's better off with Luke."

"She loves you... Luke she feels sorry for. Hardly fair for the poor bastard, if you ask me."

"I'll hurt her."

The devil sighed. "You won't hurt her."

"I've seen it. I've seen her lying at my feet in a puddle of blood."

"Yes, you have. But you've never actually seen yourself deliver the killing blow, have you?"

Devon frowned, and then turned toward Samael. "What are you saying?"

The black devil shrugged, his brows raised. "You're forgetting that there's still a traitor amongst your precious angels."

Devon shot to his feet. "I thought... Who? Who is it?" he snarled.

Samael snorted, "How the hell should I know. The pact wasn't made with me."

"Pact? What pact?"

"It's complicated, dark prince."

Devon stiffened at the mention of that title. "I'm not..." He took a deep breath. "Who made a pact and why?"

"Well since you're dragging your feet at taking your father's throne, we have a second choice."

"What?" Devon's mind reeled. "Who?" Only Lucien and Seth were almost as powerful as him, and he couldn't fathom either of them actually stupid enough to want to open the gates of hell.

"I'm not in charge of the second choice. Don't even know who it is. But they know." He pointed at the horde of devils around Devon, hiding, and chuckling in the shadows surrounding him. "Ask them."

Devon snorted. "Like they'd answer. They only fucking thing they know how to say is master."

The snickers in the shadows increased as well as the chanted master.

Samael smirked, shrugging his shoulders again. "So, you're just going to let Lucien fuck Angel."

Again, that pain. He knew the devil was taunting him, but he also knew that sooner or later Lucien would have Angel. The gift of her virginity would be his.

"Well, she's not that much of a virgin you know. You did fuck her ass..."

"Stop... what? But that was a dream."

Samael laughed, throwing his head back, his white fangs gleaming. "She's a better liar than me. Gullible, master. Not only did you cum in her ass, you made her taste your essence. You marked her as yours. Now you're giving her away to your second in command." The black devil shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Master, just take the woman, and bring her with you to our realm. She'll be our princess. Our lord won't harm her when you set him free. Just wait. Lucifer will be very appreciative."

"I'm not dragging her down to hell."

"It'll only be temporary. Once we get rid of this distasteful realm, we'll all go back home."

"Right. And the divine angels of Ainrodonel will welcome us all with open arms," Devon snorted sarcastically.

"I guess there might be a bit of a skirmish at first, but since both sides are immortal and there won't be anywhere else to go or be cast into, they're just going to have to suck it up."

Devon turned, irritated and headed to the lake where he always took his bath.

"She's thinking about you right now," Samael teased behind him. "Would you like to see what she's doing?"

"No. I swore I'd leave her alone."

But the black devil didn't listen. Devon found his path blocked by a glass pane, with swirling red mists reflected within it. He drew back his fist to shatter the glass and stopped cold when the image of Angel appeared before him.





Dark Prince Ch. 05



His look of mortification turned to one of annoyance. "Yeah, I should, shouldn't I?" His eyes cut to Lucien, hard and cold.

Angel turned, confused, to see Lucien grinning, raising his arms in a helpless gesture. "Don't look at me. I'm not the one who grabs you by your tail and doesn't let you hang with us."

Angel jumped in surprise when Zak popped in behind Seth and almost knocked him over to get to her.

The beast of an angel griped her around her waist and tossed her in the air, a huge grin on his adorable face. "Angie!" she yelped, feeling like she was flying for a moment, then grunted when he caught her and squeezed her tight. Good goddess! Was the man trying to snap her in two? He whirled her around in his arms, giving her no choice but to grab onto his bulging muscles beneath the fall of wavy, golden-blond hair. When he finally stopped, he shocked her by giving her a sound kiss on her lips. "I missed you, blondie. Why the hell did you leave? You're one of us. I should put you over my knee and spank your cute little butt cherry red, naughty girl."

Angel was speechless, her feet dangling in the air because he still had her crushed against his god-like body. Her eyes bulged when he pressed his face against her neck and inhaled deeply. "So," he let her slide down to the floor, but kept her in his hold, "Haddasha tonight, right?" He looked up at Lucien, his smile bracketed by dimples that she found beguiling, "We break in two virgins tonight."

"What?" Angel pushed against the solid wall of his chest. He laughed, but released her.

"Don't worry, Angel. It's not what you think." Lucien slid his arm around her waist. "It's just a term we use when initiating someone to Haddasha for the first time."

"What is this Haddasha?"

"It's just the biggest goth club of the galaxy. Vampires own it, and only the highest dignitaries, royals and elite of the Master Guardians are allowed in."

Angel could see the excitement in his eyes at the prospect of going. He was almost smiling—something she suspected was rare for Seth.

"Hey, Luke, you think they still have our VIP area?" Zak leaned against one of the Vipers, sliding his hands into his snug black pants.

"I don't see why not." Lucien answered. "But I'll contact them ahead of time to make sure. If not, I'll ask for a new area."

"That'll suck." Zak's lip kicked up in one corner showing his displeasure. His sapphire eyes went to Angel. "They had us on the highest pedestal, in the center of the club. Owner said we drew people in because we're hot." He winked at her, again, making her face grow hot.

"Bullshit. I'm the hot one." Remien grinned, appearing with a flash of crimson fire right next to her. His face bore a red handprint on his left cheek.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Seth snarled.

Remien's grin grew wider, but the glint in his green eyes was cold. "Nice to see you too, asshole."

Seth growled, not the way a human growls, but like the animal he had lurking just beneath his skin. Angel's eyes widened when she saw how his pupils dilated and the glint of fangs peeped through his lips.

"Seth," Lucien warned.

Remien snickered, draping his arm around Angel's shoulders as he slipped his other hand into his pocket in a relaxed stance.

Zak gestured to Remien's face. "What'd you do this time to warrant that."

Remien shrugged. "She got mad because I told her I hadn't bedded anyone in siglons. "

"So you think she's just going to let you fuck her?" Seth grated angrily.

"Hey, I'll have you know that being fucked by me is a privilege," he jerked his thumb to himself, tugging Angel closer in the process. "I'm no man-whore, like Zak and Luke. No offense, guys. Gotta tell it like it is."

"None taken," Zak shrugged with a nonchalant grin.

Lucien didn't look so comfortable with the title of man-whore. He gave Angel a wide-eyed stare. "I've reformed. I swear."

"Luke..." Remien began.

Lucien's eyes went cold and hard. "What?" he snarled through clenched teeth.

Remien bit his lower lip in a thoughtful manner, then shrugged. "Nothing, man."

Reaching out, Lucien clasped Angel's hand and drew her from Remien. The hangar, with its enigmatic occupants blurred away, another room appearing around them.

Lucien's masculine scent was more prominent in the air, hot, musky, very sensual. He drew her forward as she took in her surroundings. The grey of the walls was darker here, almost charcoal. The floor was the same glossy black as the rest of Alpha 7's quarters. A lighter color of grey covered a semi-circular sofa, facing a wall of glass that displayed the vast expanse of space. Angel's eyes widened at the sight. The amount of stars seemed endless.

Fire appeared in the middle of a round, metal table before the sofa, giving the surrounding a soft glow.

"Fire-pit," Lucien smiled when she looked up at him in alarm. He led her to the seating area and pulled her down with him when he sat.

Nervous, she continued to glance around. To her right was a frosted glass wall with darkness beyond.

"That's where I sleep." His husky voice sent chills through her. An image of his naked body sprawled belly down in a tangle of black satin sheets came unbidden into her mind. His hair cascaded down his back, with his sinewy arms curled up around his head, hugging a pillow.

Frantically, she pushed the image away, know he had the ability to read and see her every thought.

"I make you nervous." It wasn't a question.

Angel took a deep breath. "Lucien, it's just that..."

His finger over her lips silenced her. Trapped in his heated gaze, she allowed him to trace her mouth with the tip of his finger, even though she knew she shouldn't. She cared for him... yes... but it was Devon she wanted.

"It should have been me," he whispered, confusing her. "They got the wrong one. I'm..." His eyes welled, staring deep into hers. "I wonder what it would have been like. To grow up surrounded by nothing but love."

Angel blinked. "I wouldn't know."

Lucien's fingers slid into her hair, pulling her abruptly to kiss her. She opened her mouth to protest and realized her mistake when he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth.

Hunger. He kissed her with stark need. She gripped his shoulders, resisting the urge to splay her fingers over the meaty bulges and just caress, instead, she pushed at them.

"I could make you happy. We wouldn't be alone. We have similar backgrounds... something in common."

He had to realize her feelings for Devon.

"I don't care," he pleaded. "He's not going to come back..."

"But, Lucien..." she shook her head, surprised with his desperation. Surely a man as beautiful as him had women pining away for him.

He shook his head. "I don't want... I want you, Angel."

"I love Devon," she frowned, feeling guilty at having to hurt him this way, but as beautiful as he was with his blond good looks, it was a raven-haired angel she dreamt about.

He pulled back, frustration in his face. "I can wait. I'm good at it by now."

"Lucien..."

He didn't wait for her to finish and turned his torso back, holding out his hand. A small silver ball floated into his grasp. Turning once more, he set it at the edge of the metal table before them. A large lighted square appeared, apparently projected from the ball.

"Now let's see about getting you some clothes for tonight."

He insisted she wear white. After a few moments of heated arguing, Rowie appeared beside them.

Between both Master Guardians, Angel ended up wearing a very short skirt, made of a wet-looking material. It barely covered anything at all, exposing her navel and half of the curve of her ass. The top covering, if one could call it that, were two, chain-mail triangles secured over her pert breasts with a leather loop around her neck and another looped around her ribcage. Even though her breasts were small, she did have to admit that the top was designed in a way to push them up and together so that they looked enticing even to her. Thigh high, white boots encased her legs, with heels so high, she was almost nose to nose with Lucien.

Rowie was practically bouncing with excitement.

"Okay, Now the next part is all up to me, Luke."

"What part?" Angel questioned suspiciously.

"Why, the make-up, silly." Rowie grabbed her hand with a smile. "Not too much, of course. You're absolutely gorgeous with nothing." Angel blushed at the compliment. "Just a little gloss and liner. Have you ever curled your hair?"





Dark Prince Ch. 05



She suddenly pulled back, just enough to look into his face. Already she scowled. "Where have you been? Why don't you communicate with me anymore? You promised me you would return to Venushti with me."

All he could do was look at her, so pretty, even in her anger. "I missed you too, baby," he whispered with his lips and into her mind.

Her lip quivered as her gaze fell to his lips. She wanted to kiss him. He could feel her heart thundering against him.

He had to step back then as he felt Remien's presence barreling toward him. He'd barely released Angel when the were-dragon jumped onto his back and bit his shoulder.

Devon chuckled even as his eyes filled with moisture. Turning, he hugged Remi, and then Zak who stood grinning behind him.

Reaching out, he grabbed and pinched one of Remi's pierced nipples, making the were-dragon curse.

"I see you can still feel again."

Remi smiled. "Careful, man. You'll make Rowie jealous."

Rowie approached, sticking her tongue out at Remi, before turning to Devon and hugging him tight.

So, Rowie was still playing hard to get. Poor Remien. Devon snickered. "Geez, I thought you two would've..."

Rowie punched him in the arm, making him laugh. It felt as if he'd never left.

Seth shifted from foot to foot behind her, looking anxious.

One smile from Devon was all it took for him to beam from ear to ear and jump into his arms.

"Hey, Tiger." Devon held him tight, breathing in his changing essence, and then ruffled his hair. "It's finally getting longer. Just don't go making bets with Remien anymore."

Remien barked out a laugh. "Good one, Dev! Let's bet you don't lose your cherry tonight, Seth. Shaving your head was fun. I'd like to do it again!"

Seth growled and opened his mouth to retort, but Devon placed his hand over it with a stern look. "Don't."

Lucien came up behind Angel, putting his arm around her shoulders. It was the only way Devon knew he would allow another male to touch him, holding on to a female as a shield.

Taking advantage of the rare opportunity, Devon almost dove into him, pulling Lucien hard against him, and burying his face in his blond hair.

"My Luke," he smiled feeling bliss at being able to hold both Lucien and Angel.

Lucien's face was pressed to the top of Angel's head, eyes closed, almost recoiling from Devon's embrace.

Reluctantly, Devon released him. He was pale and tense, keeping his eyes on Angel who gave Devon a perplexed look. She didn't comprehend yet the apparent horrors that had besieged Lucien's childhood.

"So... you're back for good?" Lucien finally spoke.

They all looked at him expectantly.

Devon swallowed a lump in his throat and lowered his gaze to his boots. "No."

"No?" Angel. "What do you mean no? We need to find out who planned the war..."

"There was no planning," Devon said, looking at her. "Just bad coincidences. I, on the other hand, have been selected to open the gates of hell."

A chorus of gasps went around him.

He looked at all their faces, realizing that Annie was not present... nor Lillique.

He focused on Annie's life-force and saw her sleeping in her quarters in Alpha 7. Her aura was wrought with colors of pain and sadness. When he tried to focus on Lillique he found that he couldn't find her... at all, just a distant, but disturbing echo, as though she'd transformed.

Devon frowned.

Angel grasped his arms, the look in her eyes softened. "Devon, there's a doctor you know who thinks he might know why you're so unstable. He's agreed to come to Alpha 7 to do studies on you to help you."

His heart ached at her worry. "Angel, I'm a demon. What's wrong with me is me. My father was Davariel."

Her eyes only widened, but she did not step away from him. Instead, her lips tightened and her eyes flashed. "You listen to me, Devon Angelos, you're not evil."

"I don't want to be, but it's my nature."

"I was trained to be a whore. So is it in my nature to be one?"

"It was just a training, Angel." He smiled at her tenacity. "I was born a demon. Just look at me. They tried to train me to be good, but it's not working."

If anything, she became angrier. "I was born into slavery, Devon. A whore. I was rescued by Venushtian priestesses at the age of twelve. They tried to train my whorish tendencies out of me, but it was already too late. I was dreaming of you before I'd ever laid eyes on you... fucking me."

Devon saw Lucien wince, and take a step back, releasing her. He'd given up.

"So," Angel continued, eyes cold blue fury, "if you say you're a demon, then I guess there's no help for me. I guess I was born a whore and will die one."

Now it was Devon's turn to feel angry. "Stop saying that. You've never even..."

Her eyes filled even though she smiled. "I loved every minute of it, Dev."

The image of his sodomizing her burned in his mind.

I want more, baby—her voice begged in his thoughts.

Terrified, he shook his head. "I'll hurt you."

She turned away and descended the pedestal.

Devon raked his hand over his face. When he looked up at Lucien, he couldn't mistake the hurt and anger he saw there.

"Luke, I'm sorry."

"For what, Dev? It is what it is." He turned his back on him and headed to their private bar. Devon watched as Lucien ordered and was given three tubes of Liquid-X. Tilting his head back, he down all three tubes at once, making Devon cringe. The man would have a hard-on for a week.

"Dev, crap, I think you'd better get to Angel."

Devon turned in time to see Rowie wrestle a tube of Liquid-X from Angel's hold. When she tried to take it back, Rowie twisted away from her and downed the glowing red drink.

Next to Devon, Remien gasped and ran. Devon followed close behind.

By the time they reached the girls, Angel was downing two tubes at once.

Devon took a hold of her as the first wave of lust hit.

Angel screamed cupping her hands between her legs. Devon hauled her into her arms before the aliens got a whiff of her acute arousal and swarmed her.

Next to him, Rowie was shaking, her black eyes wide as Remien kept her blocked. She opened her mouth, to take a gulp of air and Devon saw a flash of fangs. Her bloodlust had awakened.

Shit!

"Rem..."

"Don't worry about us." Remien tossed over his shoulder as he wrapped Rowie in his long overcoat. "Just get Angel out of here."

He was gone in a flash of fire.

Devon couldn't do the same with his overcoat. It wasn't big enough and, at the moment, Angel was trying to crawl on top of him.

Locating his Viper, he teleported them inside of it. Angel clawed at him, screamed, and begged him to take her. He felt his blood on fire from her aroused scent alone, but he wouldn't take her this way. She was out of her mind with lust, but it was artificially induced.

He tried to soothe her with words, but she straddled his thigh and came just from the contact. It wasn't enough for her. Coming only made it worse until the chemical worked its way out of the blood stream. She rubbed against him and cried, sobbed, as climax after climax assaulted her.

He just held her, the burn in his loins pure hell. Every time she came, her musk grew stronger, driving him mad.

Angel began clawing at the ties to his breeches, trying to release him. They made a rough landing in the hangar of Alpha 7. He couldn't concentrate right with her hands groping within his pants.

Feeling guilty, he used his power and put her to sleep, then fell back panting. The throbbing in his cock was unbearable, his balls like two leaden boulders beneath it. He concentrated on his old room and teleported them there.

Everything was silent. No devils.

He laid her out on his bed and removed her clothing, starting with her white boots. When she was completely bare, she whimpered in her sleep, her pink clit swollen and glistening from within her folds. Her nipples pebbled tight as she moved restlessly, whimpering as if in pain. She had to be in pain. She'd downed two tubes!

Wanting to give her a measure of relief, but afraid of waking her, fearing she'd tackle him and impale herself onto him, he crawled up between her legs. Ripping off his overcoat, and tossing his dark hair back, he laid between her legs. His hands gripped her milky thighs, opening her wide. Her sweet feminine scent made him groan. With a shudder, he bent toward her, opening his lips. He kissed her soft petals first, letting her honey coat his pursed lips. Then he took his first lick. She bucked and moaned his name. His prick leapt against his belly at her taste. He licked some more as she twisted her hips and mewled. Her wetness bathed his chin and cheeks. He basked in her aroma and flavor. Again, she bowed and came, calling out his name. He drank from her elixir, grew drunk from her lust, her juices tainted with Liquid-X. The next time she peaked, he spilled in his pants along with her. He laved at her until her body was covered in sweat and shuddering... until every orgasm just had her convulsing, mouth open and silent from the exhaustion.

His hair was plastered against his head, rivulets of perspiration running down his back, as his leather breeches stuck to his skin uncomfortably. Rising on shaking legs, he drew her up into his arms. His heart froze when he caught sight of their reflection. She lay so limp in his arms, she looked dead. Walking quickly into his cleansing room, he stepped into the hygiene unit, wishing he'd taken the time to fill the sunken tub in the lookout nook in the corner.

The cool blue rays engulfed them, leaving them fresh and clean. Devon still felt stifled in his pants, but didn't dare trust himself to take them off.

Striding back into his room, he placed her back on the bed, and after much mental debate, decided to lie next to her to sleep. He pulled the sheet over her nakedness, and then wrapped his arms around her.

For the first time in many years, Devon slept peacefully.