Taming Darkness
Chapter 1

-Darius-

Aleera's face twists with rage, and she shoves me, making me stumble to catch her. Within moments, she pounces on me. Alarmed by the force she hits me with, I try to toss her off when her lips crash against mine hungrily. Feeling like a train is hitting me full-on, I gasp at the force of my magic leaving me. She's absorbing all my power, all of it, not leaving a single drop. I feel the monster that lurks inside me rear its head as her bond latches onto mine. The nervous energy that courses through the bond at these moments with our mates is palpable. Fear takes over me. Fear that is so strong, I can taste it as I fight to stop the darkest parts of me from taking over. We all know she can't handle the monster I become at times like these. Yet, she is determined and refuses to let go, making me stumble back onto the bed. She crashes on top of me, her legs straddling my waist. She pins me with my own magic, her hands pressing against my chest.

I growl at her, glaring up at her, and our mates back off-their energy ripples behind her as our gazes lock.

"Three down, one to go," she murmurs.

I watch, horrified as she gives herself over to instinct, letting the bond force its way out. I struggle harder, trying to contain the monster that I know has the potential to obliterate us both.

Instinct pulls, and I feel her power latch onto me. In a moment of pure force, I lose control. I hunger to take it back as it warps and twists the darkest parts of me that I fight so hard to keep at bay, the little control I have left dying out as she siphons me. The crazed madness in her eyes is undeniable. That once-innocent girl is gone. Her nails dig into my chest, and I watch as black and gold tendrils sliver up her arms, neck, and face, webbing beneath her skin when she shuts her eyes.

It was the only thing I hated about killing off my harmony side, being unable to contain the incubus I truly am. A demon, a monster from the pits of hell. She does not know what she has done, as I feel the edges of my vision go. The darkest parts of me steal control, a part of me I have never truly held control over.

The only thing that stopped me from being a true monster like my father is the fact I was a Harmony-Fae once. No longer being one meant, the monster lurking beneath my skin, my true form as a Demonic-Fae ruled by greed and its overwhelming desire for power. And now that monster has come out to play. Only it never plays fair, never shows mercy, and knows no bounds or love. Had I been born just a Demonic-Fae, I may have learned to control it.

Instead, that side always confined, once unleashed, reins hell on whoever crosses its path. Struggling against the urge to let it come forth causes me pain. It is not my intention to hurt her, yet some part of me knows it's inevitable now that it's been unleashed. Containing it is almost impossible. It's why I always make sure to keep that side of me abated, always ensuring it has the magic it craves, the magic she just stole from me.

I'm going to hell.

"Darius, give in. Don't fight it," Kalen whimpers behind her.

Is he crazy? I can't do to her what I did to him. My mates would never forgive me. She would never forgive me, and I would never forgive myself. Now, I have to fight it with everything left inside of me. I try to toss her off, yet her craziness doesn't abate as her lips smash against mine. I struggle against her when her magic touches me, enticing me. I try to push back, but I go limp, surrendering to it, knowing I can't hold off.

It's clear my mates are not going to intervene, so I give myself over to it. My mind goes numb as I let the darkest parts of me out. She will hate me after, that much I know in the depths of my soul. Just as I surrender, I feel Kalen. I feel his magic slipping into me, filling me with a glowing warmth. I pull away, gasping. Is he really lending me his power to let me retain some control? Perhaps this would stop me from killing her.

"She is safe with us," Tobias reassures me as her lips travel down my neck. Aleera, too, is gone, swallowed by her instinct. It's strange to see her in such a trance. Even when I watched her with the others, she had some control. Maybe not over the shred, but she wasn't this vacant, hungered bond. Parts of her had remained with us. Not now.

"Darius, let go. Stop fighting it. You won't win. You're only hurting yourself," Kalen whimpers as my hands shake on her arms where they grip them.

They won't let me kill her. And with that realization, I let go while praying Kalen could at least hold me back somewhat. My bond is depraved; it didn't care for their emotions. It only knew how to take, and that's what it does.

My nails slice her skin, and she hisses, her lips pulling away from mine. I would make it up to her, but she wanted this. She did this, called it out, knowing full well I have no control over my bond or this side of me.

I know I should stop, but I can't. I grab her and roll her over, pinning her beneath me.

I won't stop; I can't. Especially once I had stripped her down on the bed, like some sacrifice.

Not when I've been in love with her from the moment I laid my eyes on her, so pure and angelic. She has always been destined to be ours, destined for us to protect and love; I just didn't truly understand how strong that emotion was until I met her. Here she is, my Aleera, my Love, lying under me. Ready, no, more than ready for me to do everything I have ever dreamed of doing with her. Her obsidian black hair spread across the pillow, plump inviting lips, and l**t burning in her strikingly beautiful eyes.

However, when it comes to her, my brain can't distinguish the difference between right and wrong; I just want her and crave her. A soft smile coats my lips. If only she understood the amount of love I have for her, if she asked me to burn the world for her, I'd do it. I wouldn't think twice if she asked me to die for her. I'd just do it. That's how much I love her.

She has a hold on me that no one else ever would, and soon she would hold every secret I fought so hard to keep from her, knowing she would hate me for them. She believes she'd forgive me, but I know better. How could she after the things I've done to her? I see those alone as unforgivable, irredeemable, and yet she still forgave the unforgivable, but that shall change when she recognizes me for the monster I truly am. Aleera may forgive the things I've done to her, but I doubt she can forgive what I've done to our mates and to the world.

So much has changed in the past few months. Yet, the moment I saw her sacrifice herself to save Kalen, that all seemed to change. I no longer craved her fear, and when we were attacked, she could have run. Yet, she remained to save the very monster that was holding her prisoner.

She killed and saved me simultaneously that day, killing the part of me that hated her. But saved the little humanity I was clinging onto. I just hope she can still love me after I give her what she is so determined to take.

I feel my bond take over, feel Kalen twisting and manipulating my aura, allowing me some semblance of self as I give into it.

There's nothing sweeter than the look of fear that makes you feel as if you're the most powerful man existing. In all my years, I've always known I was different. From the moment I killed my Harmony-side off, I could feel the coldness of the monster I learned to keep at bay.

For a while, I would have relished in her fear. Looking at her fear now, with her eyes peering back at me as if she sees a stranger hovering above her and not her mate, I no longer crave her fear. Nor do I, when she realizes that I am giving in to her demands. Letting go of all control, so she can try to tame the darkest parts of my soul. The parts I can't control, a part of me that doesn't recognize right from wrong, love or hate, only recognizes its need to take.

I am risking her when all I want to do is protect her, but that stubborn determination in her to complete the bond overrides any fear she feels. Instead, she welcomes the monster within me, taunts it out of its lair, and unleashes her bond on it, claiming me as her

own.

She knows what she's risking, and I see her slowly return beneath me, accepting that she has to have every dark piece of me to have me. She fears it but is willing to sacrifice herself to obtain me, us, all of us.

I slowly drink in her glowing skin as my hands roam over her with a mind of their own, caressing down her body, feeling the silkiness of her flesh.

Getting up on my knees, I remove my shirt first, and her eyes widen. She breathes heavily, her chest falling and rising with each harsh intake of breath. Her magic writhes beneath her skin, and her hips lift, wanting me to sink into her.

Before she can say anything, I slam my mouth roughly onto her, causing her to gasp in surprise. That's all it takes for me to sweep my tongue into her parted lips. Exploring and owning every inch of her, while my hands explore the rest, following the sinfully delicious curves of her body, committing it to memory. I s**k hard onto her tongue, biting down before lowering my hand to pinch at her nipples.

"Oh," she cries out as she grips hard onto the sheets. I don't waste a moment, dragging my mouth slowly downward and taking one taut n****e into my watering mouth. My free hand pinches the other, causing her to cry out even louder.

With that, I violently rip her legs apart to reveal her perfect pink p***y glistening under the light for me.

"F**k, I need to taste you," I groan at her while dragging my middle finger up her slit. I want nothing more than to feast on her. My mouth waters as I scoop up her juices before taking my finger out gently. The smell is like a damn aphrodisiac as I slowly lift my finger to press it against my lower lip.

Sweet like honey, much like the rest of her.

"F**k," I hum lightly, barely able to compose myself. It takes everything I have to try not to completely devour her. I want to savor the moment, but the beast inside of me has a mind of its own.

Unable to take the tension anymore, I slip my thumb between her folds and tightly pinch that little c**t that drove me crazy, poking her entrance with my fingers. Aleera gasps at the stimulation, arching her back, and her thighs quiver. Soft moans escape her mouth as she writhes in pleasure.

With all my willpower slipping away, I shove my tongue in her, lapping at her slick heat greedily. Her tight little body wraps around my tongue, her p***y, clenching against my harsh lapping tongue, and her hips buck as I hungrily s**k on her.

I work into a gentle rhythm, playing with her c**t between my lips, grazing it occasionally with my teeth. Another moan escapes from her perfect mouth, making me chuckle slightly.

With one hand, I pushed my boxers down, reaching down to feel my erection. It throbs under the mere touch of my hands, extremely hot, hard, and aching painfully.

Panting, I hook one of her legs with my arm, wrapping it around my waist. I bend slightly, feeling for her entrance then taking a deep breath and entering her with a harsh thrust.

Her hands automatically reach down to hold me when I push in again, ramming into her mercilessly.

Tears flow down her face like liquid mercury, her lips quivering. Suddenly, I feel Tobias move behind me, his power slipping over me. A rush of control seeps in as he gives me his magic. Her eyes moved to him behind me; if she wanted it all, she would have to take all of us. The depths of her understands that.

I wait until I can feel she's comfortable with my size and relaxed enough. Lycus crawls onto the bed beside her as soon as she feels ready.

Without any warning, I slam into her again, this time much more aggressively than before. The sight of them near her, wanting her, makes me rabid. She is mine now, and I'll have all of her.

With every thrust, I ram into her, breaking her into moans. She cries out, but I dare believe it is not out of pain anymore. All I can imagine are her juices and blood mixing together on the damn sheets.

There will be blood, no doubt, her p***y too slick, the copper scent of it filling the room as I mercilessly pound into her. Yet, she takes it, hungry to obey me. She accepts it, loving every part of it as Lycus leans down, capturing her lips, trying to distract her. Aleera whines when I hit that certain spot inside her, her back arching beautifully against me. Eventually, with each stroke, Aleera lifts her hips and rolls them against me, the fire between our connected bodies growing hotter with each passing second, our power mingling like an erupting volcano, beautifully lethal.

I moan, bending down again to kiss her while squeezing her perky breasts. My hips take on an irregular rhythm, constantly ramming and hitting her mercilessly.

That's all it takes as she explodes all around me. Her inner walls clamp down hard onto me as she bites hard on her lip to keep herself from crying out through utter ecstasy. Tobias' hands smooth over my chest, and Lycus pulls away, allowing her to catch her breath, when I feel Tobias' fangs sink into my neck.

My hips stop ramming into her as he pulls me back against him, his magic slipping into me, and I feel the monster that lurks beneath my skin calm some.

I pull out of her, only to feel Kalen's lips mold against mine. My fingers dig into his flesh as he kisses me, lending me his power. I revel in his gentle energy. Tobias' tongue laps at my neck, Kalen feeding me his power in a kiss when I hear her moan.