Dark Fall Read online

  He led Max through an open archway where a cascade of water flowed freely down the rock walls to an open pool. He had picked these caves to set up house for the waterfall alone, not to mention the fact that if you didn’t know where to look, it was nearly impossible to find.

  “This is amazing,” Max said a look of awe on his face.

  Darke swelled with pride, knowing his home had pleased his…nothing. Max was nothing to him. The other male was a means to help him solve the case. He had already made it quite clear he wasn’t interested, and Darke meant to respect the decision. Now he had to convince his body of the fact.

  Darke helped Max over to where he could get to the water and let him go. Darke didn’t think he could stand and watch the man get wet and wash himself without wanting to help him. Without a backwards glance, Darke walked from the room and left Max alone.

  Max leaned against the rock wall and watched Darke leave. A hint of disappointment ran through his gut, but he ignored it. He’d told him he wasn’t interested, and he meant it. Any lingering needs or wants had to be from the venom he’d been given and nothing else. Once he’d taken a shower and cleaned up, he’d be fine. No problem.

  Max tentatively stepped into the spray and sighed as warm water cascaded down his body. Bracing his hands against the wall, he stood and let the water wash over him as he forced his mind to go blank. He needed a few moments of total quiet to regain his equilibrium. From the moment he’d awakened as a slave there hadn’t been a chance to breathe. He’d been thrown from one situation to the next, forced to cope with each new challenge.

  Opening his eyes, he found a bar of what he hoped was soap. Sniffing it carefully, his cock began to get hard. The soap smelled deep and musky, like Darke. Max huffed out a breath, pissed this kept happening. He lathered up and began to wash, all the while trying to ignore how hard he got just from bathing. Gritting his teeth, he washed his cock and balls and moved around to his ass. He brushed his asshole and gasped, damn it was sensitive. Closing his eyes, he teased a finger around his entrance and finally pushed it in. His cock pulsed and he leaned his shoulder against the wall and grasped his dick with his other hand.

  He didn’t understand why he was doing this. He didn’t like men, didn’t want to have sex with them and yet he stood moving a finger in and out of his ass while he stroked his erection. It felt good, damn good, but not as good as Darke had. Max whimpered, as he forced two fingers in and tightened his hold around his cock. It was the venom, he thought. It was making him act this way.

  Max jerked his hands away from himself and pressed his back against the wall. No more. He had to stop. Taking his cock in hand, he quickly went through the motions to force an orgasm. Though it came and felt good, it wasn’t satisfying. Not the way it felt when you were entwined with another body, rubbing and thrusting against each other, working to give each other pleasure.

  He pushed away from the water and stumbled to where Darke had left a towel. He rubbed his arms and legs roughly, not caring about being gentle. He needed to get out so he could escape his own thoughts. He wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way carefully back to the main room.

  Darke stood with his back to him, and Max’s gut clenched. The man was seriously ripped and looked damn good in the all black ensemble he was pulling on. Max must have made a noise since Darke turned around, and the two men stared at one another. A curl of heat stirred in Max’s belly at the intense look in Darke’s eyes.

  “I will find you something to wear,” Darke spoke quickly. He turned to a large wooden cupboard and began to rummage around.

  Max slowly moved to watch him, but not close enough to touch. The need was too great, and he didn’t trust himself.

  “What’s the plan?” Max pulled on the clothes the other male gave him. They were big, but fit okay once he rolled the legs and arms up.

  “We are lucky I did not yet adjust the pants to fit my tail. But they will do. We will go and meet my contact. Obviously, it fell through yesterday, but he has given us a new meeting place.” Darke handed Max a long knife and sheath for it to go in. “I am assuming you can use this and will not hesitate to do so if need be.”

  Max pulled the weapon from the sheath. The blade was intricately carved, with swirling characters, and shone oddly in the light. It was perfectly balanced and fit well in his hand. He smiled and nodded at Darke. “This is beautiful. I’ll take good care of it.”

  He bowed slightly. “Thank you, I made it. Let us go.”

  Max followed his companion out of the room and into a gloomy corridor. He stayed close as they wound their way through the maze of passages. He was glad Darke knew where they were going since he had long ago lost any sense of direction. Obviously, the man had picked his home well since it was probably impossible to locate.

  Darke stopped and turned to Max. “You must take my hand when we go through the portal. I know where we are going, and will direct it to take us there. Entering a portal without the knowledge of our realm is dangerous. Others have been lost within it.”

  “Let’s do it,” he said, and took the hand Darke extended towards him. The familiar shock of touching Darke bolted through his system. Max grew hard and wondered when it would all stop. When would Darke stop affecting him the way he did? He chose the easiest method, ignoring it. If he ignored his jumble of feelings, they would go away. They had to, because the alternative was not something he could allow himself to contemplate.

  Darke stood a moment enjoying the feel of Max’s hand in his own. He breathed deeply, smelling the other male’s arousal. At least, he wasn’t the only one needing. Dragging his mind back to where they had to go and what they were to do, Darke tightened his hold on Max and walked into the lightning storm of a portal.

  Within moments, they were stepping out onto a street. Reluctantly, he let go of Max’s hand and motioned for him to follow as they began to move down a sidewalk. The village was smaller than Baarl, where he had found Max, but still bustling and busy. His height and species quickly cleared a path to their destination, as Max kept close.

  Darke headed towards a dark tavern on a small back street. His contact had given the meet place, which was something Darke didn’t normally allow. He preferred to choose his own meeting locations, but since this was on short notice, he took what he could get. He hoped it didn’t get them killed.

  He walked in the door and his hair gradually unfurled so he could more easily scan the surrounding room. Though a Carthus’ hair was more readily recognised as a weapon, it was also very sensitive and could easily gather information. The occupants all kept their eyes averted except one person in the back who nodded briefly. Darke moved his way around tables as Max followed closely behind. The human’s eyes never stopped moving tracking every being’s movement in the place. Darke was glad Max had his back.

  Darke straddled a bench across the table from his contact, while Max leaned against the wall facing the room. “What do you have?” Darke spoke.

  The smaller being leant forward, revealing a Trall male. “It is good to see you, my friend.”

  Max did a double take and smiled. “Gart, it’s good to see you.”

  Darke felt a crawl of jealousy at the easy way Max smiled at the other man. Darke had saved his life and yet Max had never bestowed a smile on him. Darke’s tail lashed about showing his agitation. He had to stop this idiocy. Max would leave soon if Darke had anything to say about it. The male was not interested so there was no point in feeling possessive. Max was not his nor would he ever be.

  Darke clicked back into the conversation as Gart was speaking. “My place within the camp was a plant. I was there to gather intelligence. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.”

  “Do they ever?” Darke tossed out.

  Gart glanced at him. “Not lately, no. Another agent was supposed to purchase me, but instead, someone else stepped in and bid higher. If it weren’t for you, Max Whitfield, I wouldn’t be sitting here now. Most probably, I would be dead. I’m glad
you are well. ”

  Max smiled briefly, but did not respond, glancing at Darke instead. So many emotions danced in Max’s hazel eyes, Darke wished to sit and look into them forever.

  Max cleared his throat and Darke looked away to, once again, focus his attention on Gart. “Did you learn anything while you were there?”

  Max tried to concentrate on the conversation, but kept losing track to watch Darke. For a large male, his movements were graceful and as he spoke, he used his hands to make a point. Max remembered the feel of those hands on him and in him. He looked down to compose himself and found Darke’s tail moving softly against his pant leg. He clenched his hands to stop himself from reaching out to caress it.

  He looked up to find Gart studying him with a small smile playing around his lips. “You’ve fared well in your time here. Let us hope your companions have been equally lucky.”

  “Do you know anything about them?”

  “I know they escaped, but don’t know more. I'll see if I can find word about them.”

  “Thank you,” Max said.

  “Who is helping the Gorsh?” Darke asked. “Do you know?”

  “No, and it’s quite disturbing, because in Thorash everything is for sale. However, this information is elusive. I do know where the portal the Gorsh use is located, though.”

  Darke smiled, bearing wicked fangs. “Good, that is all I need. I can send Max home and destroy it to ensure they cannot bring more slaves through. Once destroyed, my team will have time to gather more evidence without putting anyone at risk.”

  Gart pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from a bag at his side. “Here is a map I have drawn.” The two of them leant forward to look over the drawings, but Max didn’t hear them. Darke was sending him home? When had he made the decision? Shouldn’t he be happy about the prospect? Max stared at his hands. Things were happening too fast. He hadn’t had a chance to catch his breath and process everything.

  Darke stood, startling Max out of his thoughts. “If you have anyone still in the area, get them out. Once the portal goes, it will take out everything around it. I’ll give you today, but by tomorrow it will be gone.”

  Max rose to follow Darke as he began to head to the exit, but Gart caught his arm. “He’s a loner. He’s never allowed another to walk beside him the way he does you. Be sure you understand your wants and needs before you make the decision to leave this place. Once gone, you will not be able to return.”

  Max nodded. “Thank you.” He turned and found Darke waiting for him by the door. Max moved to join him and the two of them left the tavern. As they walked the streets, Max looked up. The lights in the town illuminated the area and Max could see sheer rock walls disappearing into absolute darkness. He wondered if there was a way out to sunlight or was this it? There was no sense of walls closing in or the usual damp smell caves gave off, the air was clean with a crisp edge to it. Max liked it, the scent reminded him of a chilly autumn morning.

  “My home is not what you are used to.” Darke said.

  Max gave a brief smile and shook his head. “No, it’s not. Where I’m from we live aboveground and can see the sun.”

  “I am sorry you are not able to see a sun while you are here. All of Thorash is the same, surrounded by rock, but it has its own beauty.”

  Max touched him briefly on the arm. “Actually, on my time off, when I get any, I go caving. I like crawling through tunnels and rappelling deeper into the earth. I guess I like to explore where maybe no one has been before.”

  “I wish there was time for me to show you those places here. I too like to travel and have been many places none of my kind would think to go. That is how I found my home.”

  The two of them continued down the street, and Max also wished there was more time to see this world in which he had found himself. Though it was all, apparently, deep under the earth, everywhere he had gone was different. Obviously, he wouldn’t get the chance since, according to Darke, he would be gone before tomorrow was over.

  Chapter Four

  Darke moved quietly around his cooking area gathering ingredients to make dinner. He had left Max in the other room studying the map Gart had given them. Throughout the day, they had spoken of their lives. Max talked about joining the Marines and his life in the military. Darke spoke about his position as an enforcement agent within Thorash. Though they had discussed many subjects, Max’s conversation never touched on going home. In fact, he never once mentioned Darke’s pronouncement about sending him home the next day.

  Darke enjoyed finding out about this man who had dropped into his life so unexpectedly. Nevertheless, the tension of everything unspoken between the two of them made his fur stand on end. What was there to say? Max had been kidnapped, drugged, and fucked by a male. He had made it more than plain his preferred sex partner was female. He was human and needed to go home. End of story. Once the human was gone, Darke would return to his solitary life. He preferred being alone, he told himself. He figured if he said it often enough, he would eventually believe it.

  Max wearily rubbed his face. The whole day had been a blur of sights and sounds, most of them centred on his host. The longer he was around Darke, the more he wanted. Needed. His cock ached and mouth watered at the thought of what Darke had done to him the night before. He could no longer put his feelings down to the venom he’d been injected with. He hated a liar and he couldn’t stand to lie to himself any longer. He wanted Darke with a ferocity he’d never before felt for anyone. Once before, he had thought he was in love, but those feelings were tame compared to what he experienced now.

  If he was leaving tomorrow, he wanted to spend the night in Darke’s bed. He wanted to be fully cognisant of what went on and be a full participant. Max shivered with anticipation at the thought of being completely aware while Darke took him. He rubbed his swollen cock imagining it was Darke’s hand. He didn’t think he could wait.

  Darke chose that moment to enter the room, and Max turned to stare at him. He didn’t know what his face showed, but Darke froze in his tracks. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, Max was sure he could smell his arousal. He wanted Darke to. Opening his gold eyes, he bared his fangs and growled as his tail lashed the air.

  “What game are you playing at?” Darke spoke harshly.

  “No game,” Max said softly. He stood and walked slowly across the room to stand a hair’s breadth away from him. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do. I don’t want to leave without feeling that way again.” He reached up to cradle Darke’s face in his hands. The other male didn’t move, either to leave or to touch him, so Max knew he had to make the first overture.

  Max pulled Darke’s face down while he shifted to stand on his toes. He kept his eyes locked on Darke’s as he brushed their lips together. The other man shuddered, and Max pressed his lips to Darke’s. They were surprisingly soft. He had assumed, since Darke was a huge male warrior, his lips would feel rough, instead of warm and welcoming.

  Max nipped and sucked on Darke’s lips, loving the little moans the other man made. Max opened his mouth and pressed his tongue to Darke’s lips. Darke shuddered and instantly opened his mouth with a gasp. Max thrust his tongue in and stroked it gently around one long wicked canine and then the other. Darke pulled away, panting and shaking, but Max refused to let him go far.

  “What’s wrong?” Max nuzzled his throat.

  “I do not understand what it is you do to me.”

  It was Max’s turn to pull away to study Darke, confusion evident in his face. Didn’t they kiss here? If so, had he never been kissed before? Either way, Max felt a gut level satisfaction. He was able to give Darke something he had never experienced with another person.

  “I’m kissing you.” Max nipped his chin. “You don’t like it?”

  “No one has ever done this to me before. Carthus do not touch mouths.”

  Max smiled. “Do you want me to continue?”

  Darke leant forward and pressed his lips hesitantly against Max’s own. “Y
es, I very much like it. I want more.”

  Max pulled him over to a chair and forced him to sit. Straddling Darke’s lap put them at the perfect height for Max to touch anywhere he wanted. Darke was hard beneath him and Max shifted to rub their cocks together. Darke growled low and grasped Max’s hips to hold him in place.

  “Why did you stop me?” Max asked.

  “I want more of the kissing you promised. Then I will fuck you.”

  If it was possible, Max got harder at the words Darke spoke and the memories of what he’d done to him the night before. This time though, Max would be an eager participant. But first, he wanted to give Darke pleasure, give him something he’d never had before. Leaning forward, he pressed their lips together again and thrust his tongue into Darke’s mouth. Darke’s unique flavour, warm spices with a hint of bite washed over his tongue and he moaned, deepening the kiss. Darke hesitantly touched his tongue to Max’s and Max sunk his fingers into the other man’s hair forcing their mouths closer. Max twined his tongue with Darke’s as they moved together in an erotic dance. Unconsciously, he rocked his hips into Darke as the kiss became more intense and aggressive.

  Max pulled his lips from his lover’s as he kissed and nipped down his jaw to his neck. Max wanted there to be no doubt in Darke’s mind he was fully involved in what they were doing. Darke ran his retractable talons gently up and down Max’s back. Max shuddered at the sensation, wanting, needing more.