Tempting Darkness

I looked at the open window and swept the glass off before placing him on it. His talons dug into the wood, and the glass crunched under his weight but he didn't fly off. I was hoping he would, but he stayed. Tobias cursed under his breath, and I looked at Lycus and Kalen, but Kalen had a strange look on his face like he was dazed.

"Kalen won't come to your aid, Aleera. He can't. He can speak, but he won't help." Tears brimmed in Kalen's eyes, which explained why he moved around wherever Lycus pulled him. It made me wonder what had happened to him after the mess-hall incident. "Come here," Darius said, and I rubbed my arms against the draft, trying to cover my exposed skin. I hesitantly moved toward Darius, who smirked.

"You said anything." He chuckled darkly, and my stomach dropped, wondering what he wanted me to do. My eyes roamed over his scratched-up torso. He only had shorts on, and I nervously looked at Tobias, who couldn't even meet my gaze. I gulped, and Ryze shrieked and stared at me.

"You carry on, and that thing attacks," Darius said, and I nodded.

I stopped in front of him, and Lycus looked away. Kalen dropped his head in his hands.

"Shut it, Kalen," Darius snapped at him, which only made me more nervous when I saw Kalen's shoulder shake as if he was crying. What the f**k have I just agreed to?

"Wasn't earlier f*****g punishment enough, Darius?" Lycus snarled.

"I told you I had nothing to do with that," Darius snapped at him. It became clear why Kalen was silent. They must have argued with Darius over the incident in the mess hall. Darius had warned him away again because the look on his face was defeated. "On your knees," Darius said, and I looked at him.

"What?" I blurted in shock.

"You want your bird to live, get on your knees," he said slowly and pointed at his feet.

I looked down before noticing his raging hard-on. I gasped and took a step back. Darius raised his hand and pointed at Ryze.

No matter what he forced me to endure, it was never enough. Tears brimmed in my eyes, and I knew what he wanted. It sickened me he would ask for that after earlier. Wasn't that enough humiliation for one day?

A sob left my lips as I dropped to my knees in front of him. Ryze shrieked, and I looked over at him, trying to quiet him. He cawed before tucking his head under his wing, and I let out a breath before looking up at Darius.

"S**k it," Darius said, looking down at me. I pressed my lips in a line, and I couldn't help the tears that spilled over, but I remained quiet because I knew if I made a noise, Ryze would attack him. I swallowed and looked at him, horrified, and he raised an eyebrow at

me.

"Darius?" Lycus hissed at him, and Darius growled.

"What will it be, Aleera?" Darius asked, and I held back a whimper.

My hands trembled as I reached for his shorts. My cheeks heated, and embarrassment washed over me as I gripped the waistband of his shorts.

"Darius!" Tobias snapped as my tears dripped off my chin and onto my knees.

"No teeth," Darius mocked me.

I tugged his shorts down to his thighs before dropping my gaze, trying to will myself to put his thing in my mouth. I could barely see through my tears as I looked back at him. There was no denying that he was huge.

"Haven't got all day, Aleera," he said, leaning down and grabbing my hand. I whimpered when he forced my hand to grab his c**k.

"What's wrong with you? Hurry up. Don't make out you haven't done it before. I know what a f*****g whore you are," he snarled, and I shook my head.

"Three seconds or bye-bye, birdie," Darius taunted when I heard a thump, making me jump and look in Tobias's direction to see his fist through the wall. He hissed, yanking it out, and I noticed Ryze watching him before he fluffed out his feather and tucked his head again, only this time peering into the room like an owl watching. Darius thrust into my hand. I nearly let go at the feel, only he grabbed my hand before I could.

"Choose, Aleera," Darius snapped at me. I'm doing it for Ryze. I had to do this, I reminded myself, even though I didn't have the slightest clue as to what to do besides putting it in my mouth. My gaze went back to his c**k, and I nearly gagged at the size of it. I swallowed before leaning forward on my knees and opening my mouth. Cringing at what I was about to do.

"She's a f*****g virgin, you f*****g prick," Kalen blurted out, and I froze.

"Yeah, right. She is twenty-four, for f**k's sake." Darius laughed, and I looked up at him.

"Darius, I swear to you she is. She giggled like a f*****g school girl when she saw my d**k. She wouldn't make that up," Kalen said, and I dropped my eyes to the floor, my cheeks flaming hot.

Darius gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He tilted his head to the side. "Is he lying? Are you a virgin, Aleera?"

My cheeks burned even hotter all down my neck, and my chest became hot as well. I nodded, and he looked at Tobias while keeping his grip on my chin.

"Say it. I swear if you're lying, Aleera..." Darius didn't finish, but the warning was clear.

"Ask her and, remember, I can tell if you are lying, Tobias. You can't lie for shit," Darius told him. He then turned his gaze back to me. "Are you a virgin?"

"Yes," I blurted, closing my eyes, feeling humiliated.

"She is telling the truth, Darius," Tobias said, and Darius jerked away from me, his c**k slipping out of my hand. My eyes opened to see Darius had pulled his pants up and was looking at me, horrified. "But you've done things with guys before?" he asked. I could feel all their eyes on me. Every single one of them had their attention on me.

"No, I never even kissed anyone until I kissed Kalen, if you call that a kiss," I told him, remembering the night I took his darkness.

"Wait. Was I your first kiss? Like an actual kiss?" Darius asked though he sounded appalled.

I looked up at him and nodded.

"And when I-" He gulped and Kalen snarled.

"When you f*****g what, Darius?" Kalen snarled, and Lycus growled loudly, glaring at Darius.

"I didn't think she was a f*****g virgin, or I wouldn't have," Darius said, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and puffed out his cheeks while shaking his head.

"Please, tell me that wasn't the first time anyone fingered you," Darius mumbled, and Kalen jumped up, furious. I dropped my gaze, mortified that he'd just said that aloud. Lycus grabbed Kalen, pulling him down. "You f*****g jerk," Kalen spat, and his entire body trembled as Lycus wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"I have done nothing with anyone. I was saving myself for my f*****g mate until I found it was you lot," I breathed while covering my face.

"You saved yourself?" Tobias and Lycus asked simultaneously, clearly shocked by my words. I nodded.

"I have done nothing besides kissing Kalen, and Darius kissed me and did what he did," I mumbled out that last part. "And I kissed Tobias," I said, hoping they would stop their embarrassing line of questioning.

"Wait, you have all kissed her?" Lycus asked, and I looked at him as he looked between the three of them. "Well, nice for someone to f*****g tell me," Lycus snapped before sitting on the edge of the bed and folding his arms across his chest. It almost looked like he was pouting.

"To be fair, I wasn't really with it when she kissed me," Kalen told him, nudging him. Darius ran both hands through his hair and breathed out loudly. "Get up," he said, and I got to my feet, trying to cover myself. I looked at Ryze, and Darius followed my gaze and sighed.

"Just sleep in the bed with us. No one will touch you," Darius said.

"Darius?" Tobias said, shaking his head.

"I said no one will touch her. She wants to keep her bloody... Ryze, she sleeps in the bed," he said before biting his lip. I nodded. As long as I didn't have to s**k anyone's c**k, I could live with that.

"Can I have a shirt, please?" I asked. Darius's eyes ran the length of me, and he motioned toward their cupboard. I rushed in and grabbed a shirt and an extra one for Ryze. When I turned around, Darius stood in the doorway. I took a step back from him and tugged the shirt on, not liking how his eyes lingered on my breasts. When he didn't move, I went to step past him, but he grabbed my arm.

"I... I wouldn't... if I had known, I wouldn't have done it... I-" He stopped and looked away before nodding and letting me go. I was pretty sure that was his version of an apology. He stared at me, and I could see the guilt on his face. He let out a breath before stepping aside so I could pass him. I rushed past him, going to the couch and making a mini-nest out of Kalen's shirt.

I whistled, and Ryze flew over before burrowing down in it. Darius stared before shaking his head like he couldn't believe I was touching it like it was a puppy and not something that could tear us apart. Turning around, Darius wiped the blood off his chest with a wet cloth Tobias had handed him, and I stared at the bed, wondering where I was supposed to lie.

"Lie where you want," Darius said, climbing into bed.

I looked to Kalen, who patted the spot between him and Lycus. Darius was on his other side, and I figured I was safest with him and Lycus. So, I crawled in between them. Kalen pulled the blanket up, and Lycus lay stiffly beside me like he was afraid of touching me. Only to be squished against me when Tobias climbed in beside him. I sat up, trying to get comfortable, and Kalen wrapped his arm around my waist, tugging me closer while Lycus rolled on his back and placed his arm under the pillow I was using.

"I won't do anything. I can keep my hands to myself," Lycus growled. "And apparently my lips,' he added, earning a growl from Tobias.

I lay down, tucked between Lycus and Kalen. Lycus tossed his arm over me and onto Kalen, and I sank between them, enjoying their warmth and relieved my phoenix was alright.