ANMELDENThe thumping of the rotors beat against my skull, a chaotic rhythm that matched the frantic pounding of my own heart. The snow was blinding, a wall of white that reflected the searchlight sweeping back and forth across the valley like the finger of God seeking sinners."Julian, wake up!" I screamed, dragging him through the deep powder.He was dead weight, his head lolling, his legs trailing uselessly behind us. Every step was a battle, the snow sucking at my boots, trying to pull me down into the frozen earth.The helicopter banked sharply, the downdraft from its blades sending a blizzard of ice and snow swirling around us. I couldn't see the markings on the tail, but I didn't need to. They weren't rescue.They were reapers.I spotted a jagged outcropping of rock about fifty yards ahead, looming like a black tooth against the grey sky. Beneath it, a dark fissure gaped open—a small cave, or just a crack in the mountain's face."Come on," I grunted, digging my fingers into Julian’s jac
"Uncle Marcus," Julian said. "It's Julian."A long silence on the other end."Julian," my uncle’s voice came through, cold and suspicious. "I heard you killed my brother. And that you kidnapped my nephew.""I didn't kill your brother," Julian said. "And I saved your nephew's life. Arthur is dead. Evelyn is... back.""Back?" Marcus’s voice sharpened. "Impossible.""She's very real," Julian said. "And she's coming for all of us. I have Elias. We're on a plane. I need sanctuary."Marcus laughed. "You want sanctuary from me? After everything your family did to mine?""Your niece Seraphina is in a mental hospital, Marcus," Julian said, his voice hard. "She tried to kill us. Evelyn manipulated her. If you want to protect the family legacy, if you want to keep Evelyn from taking over Vane Corp and burying the Thorne name... you'll help us."Another silence. Longer this time."Where are you headed?" Marcus asked."Zurich. But I can divert.""Don't," Marcus said. "Come to Zurich. But not to the
The rearview mirror exploded into a spiderweb of glass as the black SUV slammed into the back of the ambulance for the third time. The vehicle shuddered, metal groaning in protest, and I wrestled with the steering wheel, fighting to keep us from skidding off the slick, rain-lashed road."Elias!" Julian shouted from the gurney in the back. His voice was tight with pain and exertion. "They’re trying to pit us! Break!""I'm trying!" I yelled back, my knuckles white as I gripped the wheel. "I'm not a getaway driver!""You are tonight!" Julian commanded. "Take the next left. The dirt road. It’s too narrow for them."I saw the turn—a gap in the trees that looked more like a deer trail than a road. I stomped on the brake, swung the wheel hard to the left, and floored the gas.The ambulance tires churned mud, screaming for traction. We slid sideways, the rear end fish-tailing, but we bit into the gravel and shot onto the path.Behind us, the SUV tried to follow, but its wide chassis scraped ag
"I'm here," I said, gripping his hand. "I'm here.""She's here," Julian whispered, his eyes darting around the room until they landed on Evelyn. "Mother.""Hello, Julian," she said coolly. "Long time no see.""You're dead," he hissed, trying to sit up, but his body was too weak."I'm very much alive," she said. "And thanks to your little boyfriend here, I have everything I need."She tossed the blue syringe to me. I caught it."Save him, Elias," she said. "Or watch him die. The choice is
The fire alarm didn't just ring; it screamed.A cacophony of sirens erupted throughout the private clinic, piercing the quiet hum of the ICU. Red strobe lights washed the walls in a bloody, pulsating glow."Code Red! Evacuate now!" a voice boomed over the intercom.Chaos erupted. Doctors and nurses sprinted past the open door of Julian’s room, abandoning their posts to head for the exits or to secure critical patients on the lower floors.I knew it wasn't a coincidence. The Silent Partner was making good on her promise. She was clearing the path.I didn't hesitate. I ripped the heart monitor leads off Julian’s chest, silencing the agonizing beep. I yanked the IV out of his arm, ignoring the spray of blood. He didn't react. He was too far gone, his skin waxy, his breathing shallow and ragged."Come on, Julian," I grunted, stripping the blankets off him.I grabbed a wheelchair from the hallway and hauled him out of bed. He was dead weight, a heavy sack of bones and muscle. I lifted him,
I climbed up, positioning myself. I didn't prep myself. I didn't have the patience or the supplies. I just wanted the connection. I wanted to be one with him.I sank down on him.The burn was intense, sharp and immediate. I gasped, my head falling back. But I didn't stop. I took him all the way in.Julian let out a guttural sound, half moan, half sob. His hands gripped my hips, bruisingly tight."Ride me," he whispered. "Take it."I moved. I rode him with a slow, deliberate rhythm. Every drag of his cock inside me was a reminder that I was here, that he was inside me, that we were still existing.The monitor next to the bed began to beep faster. His heart rate was climbing."Elias... stop..." he gasped, his face flushing. "The doctor said...""Fuck the doctor," I said, leaning down to kiss him again. "I'm claiming you."I sped up, the friction building. The pain in my head was forgotten, replaced by the overwhelming heat in my gut. I was close. Too close."Come with me," I ordered.He
Leo’s head throbbed in time with the windshield wipers, a dull, persistent rhythm that matched the bass-heavy music still vibrating in his bones from the club.He was drunk, but not pleasantly so. It was a sloppy, tired kind of drunk, the kind that left a sour taste in his mouth and a profound sens
The man, Grayson presumably, was older than Eli, maybe late thirties or early forties. His face was all harsh angles and stubble, with deep-set eyes that seemed to miss nothing. He had a strong jaw and a mouth that was set in a firm, unsmiling line. He wasn't conventionally handsome, but he possess
The engine died with a pathetic, expensive-sounding cough, followed by a series of final, shuddering clicks. Eli slammed his palms against the sleek leather of the steering wheel, a curse caught in his throat.Of all the times for his brand-new, top-of-the-line German sedan to decide to have an exis
Kai lay on the floor, the rough carpet scratching against his back, his body aching in a dozen different places. He was a mess of sweat, cum, and lingering lube. The air was thick with the musky, primal scent of their encounter, a scent that clung to his skin and hair.For a long moment, he didn’t







