A shadow lifts my chin, directing me to look into his hungry gaze. There's a reverence in Sebastian's expression, and not because I'm The Chosen, but because he desires me more than anything he's ever wanted in his life. I'm a brazen sacrifice who is knelt before her dark Prince, awaiting his instruction. "Be a good girl and suck my cock."?
Happily, I take him inside my mouth with a moan. He's so thick and long, it's difficult to pull him all the way in, but Sebastian rears his head back with a long hiss as I lick the precum off the tip of his shaft. His body hums as my mouth and hand moves in sync. He pulls my hair daring me to take him in further. I gag as his cock hits the back of my throat, making my eyes water, my face turns into a watery mess. As he thrust in my mouth over and over again. "Such a naughty little mouth. I'm about to come, and you better fucking swallow it all."
Sebastian screams his release, and I heed his command, swallowing down every bit of his release. He pulls out and adjusts himself and before I can think, he pulls me up and gathers me into his arms. Gone are his shadows, and a peaceful look is on his face. "Bells, do you choose me?"
My body tingles in anticipation, and I don't know how my heart knows but it does. My mind says proceed with caution, but this overwhelming need to accept him as my own has me throwing that caution into the wind because Sebastian has always been mine, even when I was annoyed with him invading my mind when we first met. I think I knew then that we would be together. My voice is a throaty whisper. "Yes."
The wind rustles my hair, and a bright light emerges from my necklace and swirls around us as they meet with the shadows floating above his head. A blue glittery light encases us, as a tattoo of a blackthorn vine with beautiful black and red roses forms around our wrists. Sebastian kisses my lips and then my wrist. "Now, we're Bound."
I furrow my brow in confusion. "Bound?"
"Yes." He slides away from me and with the wave of his finger, cleans us both up, and makes our bond marks translucent. Why wasn't I born with any magical abilities? Not fair. "Tonight, we'll talk." His whisper floats through the air between us. Placing a finger in front of his lips. "Your cousins are coming."
I give a slight nod at Sebastian, but we really need to talk now. What the hell does bound mean? Placing my now invisible tattooed hand in my pocket, I smile at Cowboy and Hulk. My cousins from the lunchroom battle, as they walk out of a dense part of the forest that surrounds the area near the lakes edge. They smile as we come into their eyesight.?
At first glance, the brothers appear different as night and day. Watching them more closely, they are more alike than any two people I've ever met. They are true brothers, not by blood, but by spirit. Sebastian goes to stand by one of the weeping willow trees to give us some privacy.
If I had to guess, Deen is about 6'2, thanks to the cut-off sleeves of his shirt, I can tell he has a farmer's tan. He's lean, yet muscular. His hair is a shade of chestnut brown, and his beautiful eyes are a pale blue.?
Jeremiah has smooth ebony skin, is about 5'8, and looks like he could bench press a thousand pounds. No joke, his arms are about the size of my head. He's sporting a silver-coloredfauxhawk outlined in bright red. His eyes are an odd color. They are a little lighter than charcoal gray but not exactly silver, either. I've never seen eyes that color before, they are uniquely gorgeous. The brothers are staring back at me with the same blatant curiosity, I give them a mischievous grin.
Deen holds his cowboy hat in place as he bows slowly. "Well cuz, I'm assuming you've figured out who we are." His smile is as lazy as his thick southern drawl.
Deen’s easy way puts me at ease. "I may not be the brightest bulb, but yeah, you're my cousins."
Jeremiah rolls his eyes at his brother. "Let me properly introduce us, Arabella. His name is Deen, but most folks call him Cowboy. My name is Jeremiah, and most folks call me Firestorm." His voice is deep. He too, has a rich southern accent, but it's not as thick as his brothers.
They reach out their arms to hug me, and I willingly accept. Group hugs are the best. "I wasn't certain the day of the lunchroom attack, but I've seen you two, quite a lot actually in the past year."
Deen pipes in, "Sorry about all that. We would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell our parents about us stalking you." He gives me a guilty look, then continues. "Our parents told us that they had it covered, and that we should let the grown-ups do their jobs, until it was our time. Everybody knows we'll win the tournament, but they felt like we needed a lesson in patience."
Jeremiah makes a face. "And patience is a virtue we don't want or need. You're ours to protect, the others can handle their own in a fight, but we are the best."
Deen nods his head in agreement. "I understand if you think that sounds conceited, but we'll call it confidence. We've been training since we were little kids. Our parents dreamedwe would one day become a part of the new generation of Guardians. Now it is our dream, as well. We were born to fight for and protect you."
My sigh is long and exaggerated. "You both grew up in this world. I don't know what to think let alone do, then add finding out I am the key to saving the world, it’s a little too over the top for me."
Jeremiah gives me a reassuring smile. "Arabella, you've done better than most would have. Don't panic, you're a phenomenal fighter already. The fact that you haven't had the training equipment that we do, and you're already a badass, says a lot about what kind of fighter you will become, that's less work for us."
Deen rolls his eyes. "Yes, Arabella, this is more than a battle between good and evil. If we fail, this will end modern civilization as we know it. The beginning of the end, one step closer to the Apocalypse. We can't let that happen. The stakes are too high."
I get that, because they are, but my brain is still trying to adjust to a world where teleportation and me being The Chosen is real. Not to mention an impending world war that I'm supposed to somehow stop. The burden is heavy. Now that I've found them, I won't have to go on this journey alone.
Chapter 17
Freshwater Mermaids
It appears the only thing freshwater mermaids fear is dragons.
-Arabella
Deen elbows his brother. "When y'all are done come find us in the clearing."
Jeremiah grins over at me. "Yeah, we have a present for you."
Sebastian comes to stand by my side, while his shadows high-five the brothers. "The mermaids are getting restless. It's time."
Before the brothers leave, they can't help but give their embarrassing commentary. Deen points back and forth between Sebastian and I while yelling, "We're team Sebastian, by the way."
