Page 6 of Royally Flocked

Whoa. Impossibly deep, with a slight rumble, his voice reminded Orrin of distant thunder.

Suddenly, he was released from the invisible bonds that had held him immobile, and he sucked in a deep breath as he stumbled backwards. With retreat the only thought in his mind, he hadn’t taken into account where he stood, and his foot caught the edge of the step and toppled him off balance.

Easily, almost absently, Erus reached out, hooking a strong arm around his waist to keep him upright. Smiling to reveal long, lethal canines, he used his index finger to brush away a lock of hair that had fallen into Orrin’s face.

“Careful, asteraki.”

Little star. No titles or honorifics. Just little star. Since he didn’t know what the hell to make of that, he decided to ignore it.

“You said your name is Eros?”

A growl rumbled from the male’s chest. “No. I’m nothing like that brainless twit.”

“Right.” What the bloody hell was even happening? “Sorry.”

“My name is Erus…as in Cerberus.”

An interesting name, powerful, yet something in his voice gave Orrin pause. He didn’t speak as if he had been named in honor of the Underworld guardian. Instead, he sounded as if he was the original. Which was ridiculous, of course.

“You look confused, asteraki.” He tilted his head, and his smile turned wicked. With a mere blink of his eyes, the fire reappeared, the flames filling his irises. “Yes. I am that Cerberus.”

“You’re real?” Orrin blurted, his temples throbbing as his brain refused to accept the information.

Erus chuckled. It was a good laugh, a deep, rich sound that carried on the wind. “Last time I checked.” Releasing his hold on Orrin’s waist, he reached out to take his hand instead, cradling it gently between his own. “Does that feel real enough for you?”

Orrin stiffened, and a strange buzzing filled his head. Electricity rippled over his skin, making every tiny hair stand on end. Despite the icy temperatures, warmth bloomed in his chest and traveled out to his extremities.

Every thought, every question, scattered like sunlight through the morning fog. Fear and doubt faded, replaced by a profound certainty he had never experienced in his nearly two hundred years. Though there were still mysteries to be unraveled, there was one undeniable truth.

This male, whoever he was, belonged to him.

Before he could put this new understanding into words, his decimated Guard began to stir. Tyr was the first to gain consciousness, as well as the first to find his feet. The others followed swiftly, but unfortunately, they didn’t manage to stay upright for long.

At Tyr’s growl, Erus turned to face the group, his answering growl promising violence. A simple tilt of his head sent all four males crashing to their knees on the stone walkway.

Their muscles strained. Veins swelled in their arms and necks. No matter how hard they struggled, however, they were no match for the magic Erus possessed.

“Pathetic,” he spat. “Poor reaction time. Inattentive. Unprepared. Rushing in without a plan.”

Orrin considered that to be an unfair assessment. His Guardians had done their duty exactly as they were supposed to, but they were no match for a freaking god.

Was he a god? Some other kind of deity? Myth said he had been born from monsters, but those same stories also said some unflattering things about elves, none of which were true. Whatever his lineage, he was insanely powerful.

“Your abysmal effort could have put my mate in danger. For that, I should end your miserable existences.”

When a ball of fire ignited in his palm, Orrin reacted on instinct. Leaping forward, he positioned himself in front of Erus and grabbed him by the wrist, ignoring the surge of energy that rushed through him at the contact.

“How about we not kill people?”

The harsh lines of his face softened, and his arm relaxed, though he didn’t lower it. “You care about them?”

Orrin nodded. “I do.”

Smothering the flames, he reversed their grip, grabbing Orrin’s arm and pulling him close until he molded down the male’s front. “Okay.”

Skeptical, Orrin arched an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

A soft rumbling, almost like a purr, vibrated in his mate’s chest as he dipped his head to skim his nose along the column of Orrin’s throat. “Whatever you want, asteraki.”

---