Forbidden Fruit [story: Chapter 1]

Octavian woke up tired and stiff. His night hadn't held a lot of sleep for him…or the woman he brought home with him. He groaned when he rolled his head to look over at her, his neck snapping and popping as if he were 80 times older than he was….at least his human form. His dark hazel eyes landed on the face of the sleeping woman. Her dark hair fanned out over his pillow, her breasts had become exposed at some point during the night and were rising beautifully with her breathing. He sighed and flopped his head back the other way. Sure she was attractive, but she really wasn't his type. He had just gone without female companionship for too long and she was there. She made him be gentle…and he hated that. Gentle sex meant he cared, meant the woman was special, most likely the woman he would Bond with. And the one who lay next to him this morning was by no means, her.

The bed shifted as she woke rolling closer to Octavian, her lips brushing against his shoulder, curving into a slight smile.

"Good morning." Her voice was still full of sleep, but thick with arousal. "Want to continue what we started last night?" She cracked her eyes slightly, looking up at him through her lashes while her fingers trailed over his skin crawling down his body.

Her small hand wrapped around his morning erection making his breath catch in his throat and his skin flush with heat. A low rumble vibrated his chest before he grabbed her hand and flicked it off his body. "Not really in the mood. I need to be at work soon so I need to get ready. You can show yourself out."

The floor was cold on his bare feet but he welcomed it, he let it soak into his body and cool his morning ardor. He heard her sounds of disgust as she threw the covers on the floor and jumped up, her feet slapping the hardwood floor as she stomped around the room searching for her clothes while blinded by tears of rage.

Looking back toward him she sneered. "You're a pig, a disgrace to all men. Just so you know."  Her words were filled with as much spite and venom as she could muster. Practically spitting them at him.

He laughed out loud when she snarled that at him. "Oh, I know." He winked at her and she was gone. Flowing out the door on the warpath, slamming it so hard the crash knocked a picture frame off the wall. With a crash the glass shattered on the hard wood floor sparkling in the morning light. He made a mental note to clean that up before he left for the day.

Hot water poured from the shower head as he stepped in, he shivered hard as the water embraced his stiff body, letting the warmth flow down to his toes and drag out some of the tightness in his muscles. It was very welcome this morning; though he wished he had more time to enjoy it, or short that… someone to enjoy it with. A sigh escaped his lips at the thought of everyone he knew finding mates. Even one of his asshole brothers was in the process of courting his mate…he was so close. But Octavian? No such luck. No woman really called to him, none held his attention long enough to want to have them as a mate. Sure he'd fuck them; he did that left and right. But out of all of the ones he'd bedded recently, none were worthy to Bond with, none were worthy to bear his children…none were worthy of love.

He slammed his fist into the tile wall of his shower, the sharp throb of pain fading almost before he pulled his hand away from the wall; thankfully he didn't cause any damage, leaving nothing more then a slight discoloration on the tiles, a reminder of his ineptitude when it came to romance. He wanted to destroy it, scowling he swallowed his anger. The pressure to mate was driving him crazy; he would find someone even if he didn't particularly care for her…he just needed someone. His head was spinning as he got dressed, he never knew what to expect when he arrived at his brothers apartment, especially with him so close to mating. Demons ready to Bond had no sense of modesty and would fuck in the middle of the street if the urge struck. It was a very powerful feeling that could rarely be ignored, mainly for the fact that it caused physical pain if the need wasn't released. He hadn't been paying attention as he swept up the glass into the dust tray and a shard caught his finger. He cursed and tossed the rest of the glass in the trashcan and stormed out the door. Of course it was raining, that was his luck today. He gave the finger to the sky and cursed at the god's for hating him so bad today, he didn't even deserve it this time…oh hell, who was he trying to fool? He always deserved it. He was just a dick, but he was proud of it.


The cold rain made itself at home on him, soaking his shirt and skin beneath it. The whole time he was walking he was muttering curses under his breath, pitying the person who pissed him off today.



                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~




            Lillyanna stood under the roof of the café avoiding the rain. She had been waiting here over an hour and still hadn't seen anything. No demons anywhere. The Elders must have gotten the location wrong. Her long red hair was hanging down, not tied back like usual, hiding her pointed ears from the humans. They could tell she wasn't like them, but could never put her finger on it. But today she didn't have time to bother with them. The Elders had sent her out to find out if there were demons running wild, reeking havoc on the streets. She shook her head and sat on a cold, green metal chair, the back cutting into her spine, the slight pain caused her to wince but it helped her to keep her focus so she put up with it.


            A male waiter approached her. "Can I get you anything Miss?"
            "No thank you. I'm just waiting for someone." She flashed him a smile that made his heartbeat kick up and sweat start pouring down his face. He tried to speak and then nodded numbly and turned to leave. She was used to it because female Elves made a lot of men nervous; it was just a part of their nature. He finally collected enough of his wits to stumble away and left her to her searching. Her lips parted as she yawned behind her hand for something close to the millionth time, and then she caught the scent.

            Demon, it was unmistakable. Her eyes shot wide as she scanned the crowds around the little cafe. Her bright green eyes picked him out immediately. He was definitely not what she was expecting. The last time she saw one was when she was about three years old and it was a female. This couldn't be a demon. There was no way!

            Her eyes looked him over. His face was sculpted perfectly. His perfect jaw line made her mouth water, the cut of the bone along the ridge of skin made her wish she could place tiny kisses along it. His eyes and lips were to die for, filling her with a hunger that nearly made her jump out of her seat and grab him. Her gaze dropped from his sculpted features touching on his perfect, muscular arms…and then lower to his chest. Her imagination ran wild and sent fire straight between her thighs, her hands beginning to shake slightly as desire filled her. Small hands clutched the table hard enough to dent it and it took her a moment to realize that they were her own. She had never had feelings like this. She was a virgin for god's sake! Even the man she was promised to had never made her feel anything but annoyed and sometimes sick to her stomach. He wasn't really a man; he wasn't going to challenge her. No, he would sit there and take everything she threw his way. God's know that whenever they did do the deed it would be boring…she'd probably be forced to do for herself most of the time. Why couldn't she have a man like a demon? Not an actual demon necessarily…just a male with the attitude….one like the one she was studying right now. She quickly shook her head fiercely trying to get the thoughts out of her head and remember why she was here.


            Why was she here? The council didn't explain to her why they wanted to know if there were any 'evil doers' -as they liked to call them- around. They knew damn well that there were demons, same as demons knew that there were Elves. It was just a well known fact in their hidden world. The elf sighed heavily and began walking back to the gate to home; trying to figure out what she would tell the council when she arrived.

            She'd probably lie…they didn't deserve the truth anymore.



                                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~





            Octavian's nostrils flared. Her scent hit him like an eighteen wheeler. Elf. He looked over his shoulder and spotted her walking away. He growled low in his chest. If she was here, she probably wasn't alone, and that meant trouble. The memory of sixteen years ago slammed into his brain. The Elders of the Elves came into Rorlik, or in the Elves eyes, Hell. They had slaughtered the younglings who had just been born, hunting them like a game. The mothers were brutally killed, some raped, if they tried to save their children. Octavian and his brothers took matters into their own hands and attempted to save as many as they could, but the damage had been done. Since then he had never trusted the Elves, except for one, but her own kind murdered her for helping demons, which is what caused the issue to begin with.

            Bile rose in his mouth as he continued walking. Were they planning something similar again? What had the Demons done this time? Sure most were vicious, violent creatures, but they were not allowed to be outside of Rorlik. They had markings on them that locked the portal to the human world so they couldn't cross over. If they were just trying to pick a fight Octavian wasn't going to complain. He was itching for a fight and he'd be ready this time. He'd mention spotting an elf to his brother when he arrived at his apartment.
            As he walked under the entryway roof of the building where his brother lived, the rain stopped moving from a downpour to a drizzle to nothing in a matter of moments.

            "Oh, of course you make it stop now. Have I mentioned today that I hate you?" He spoke to the gods in a heated tone, making passer-by’s stare and then speed their steps as they passed him. Muttering under his breath he studied the board and then rang up to his brother's room.


            "Who the hell is it?" Lucian's voice called over the intercom.

            "Me. Let me in."
            The front door clicked open and Octavian stormed in. His presence was a mirror to the storm cloud that had just ceased to exist behind him, washing over the room as he entered it and making those humans present flinch away from him. As his intimidating glare swept those present he snorted through his nose, making one older woman checking her mail physically jump off the floor and try to climb the wall behind her before collapsing in a heap. Smirking in amusement he walked towards the stairs instead of the elevator, in no mood to deal with humans and looking to burn off some energy anyway. He took the steps three at a time until he reached Lucian's floor. A woman, looking slightly drunk, stumbled to the elevator mumbling about the greatest fantasy she'd ever had. Looks like Lucian was playing mind games again.


            Octavian didn't bother knocking; he just walked into the room. Lucian was sitting on his couch, nude, with a beer clutched in his right hand.

            "What's up Tav? You look like you've seen a ghost." 

            Octavian growled slightly and took a seat on the recliner near his brother. "Not quite a 'ghost'. But I did see something I think you need to know about. But not until Callix and Cassian get here."

            Lucian got off the couch and grabbed his jeans from the floor. "I'll give them a call. They should be on the way now though."
            Octavian's thoughts ran back to the elf. She didn't look bad from the back; he wished he could have seen her face though. Despite his hate for them he couldn't deny that the women were stunning. Her scent nearly knocked him off his feet. Much stronger than a human, but much sweeter than a Demon. It was an intoxicating smell…but it was dangerous, their Council proved that ever time they used their unique physiology to weed their way into another demons life right before destroying it and casting aside what was left like dross.

            The door swung open, making Octavian lose his thoughts. His younger brothers walked in together muttering well intentioned threats at one another before and stripped off their jackets and tossing them to the floor, a puddle slowly spreading out in a dark stain around them.


            "What do you want with us anyway? We were…busy." Callix grinned wide. He had always enjoyed dragging the youngest of the four, Cassian, in on his outings. Usually ending in trouble and a few women each. Callix was a lot more out going then the rest of them, he flaunted his strength and other abilities…it was shocking he didn't just out right tell everyone what he truly was. But he was an amazing fighter, so Octavian overlooked his flaws.
            Cassian however, was the quiet one. Didn't really enjoy bedding a different woman every night, didn't enjoy provoking the humans or the Elves. He really just wanted to be left alone. But when that time came sixteen years ago, they saw the true Demon in him. He had gone on a killing spree. Slashing anything that moved near him, anything that seemed like a threat to the women and younglings. He was vicious. Unforgiving. Octavian felt a pride for the youngest sibling he had never felt before. All of his brothers would die for the others…they were a tight knit group which is why Octavian felt such a strong need to tell them about the Elf.


            "I needed to tell you guys about something. When I was on my way here, I caught the scent of an elf. She didn't seem to notice me because she was walking the other way, and she looked like she was alone, but where there is one there are usually more. I just want to know if you've heard anything on the wind, or seen anything."
            Callix froze. He'd lost his mate during that battle. She was pregnant with his son when the Elves brutalized her body, ripping the tiny fetus from her belly, and burned the child while Callix was forced to watch. He lost himself in rage and pain; he'd slaughtered at least one hundred elves before taking his 'wife's' body and moving her. He stayed with her corpse the rest of the night. His brothers gave him time to grieve his losses but had to claim him the next morning. He nearly tore out Lucian's throat when he went to take Astarte out of his arms. Octavian tried to comfort him, but the hole was too big for any of them to fill. Since then, Callix refused to find a mate. He has his fun but he won't let it get any further. Cassian had found the baby's ashes and put them in a jar to give the child a proper burial beside his mother, and to give Callix a place to visit them. He'd rarely been to the site because it made him rage and hurt too much, and that was the last thing any of them needed.


            "And you didn't kill her!?" They could feel Callix's temper rising.

            "There was no threat brother. Now calm down." Octavian was the oldest, so most of the time the brothers listened. "She was alone; I'm just telling you so we'll be ready if something comes up again."
            "Should have killed her." Callix was mumbling, shadows of the past dancing across his face as the bitterness seeped through his normally somber expression. Cassian shook his head and slowly curled himself on the floor with his eyes closed. He had the gift to see if there was a threat to his kind. Lucian and Octavian waited for his eyes to open. If there was a threat they would be black, if not, they would be his normal golden eyes. Callix tossed a pillow at his younger brother.


            "Sometime today would be nice…douche."     

            His eyes shot open. Gold as they were before. He shot a hiss at Callix.

            "You know, for someone who wants to know if I see anything, you are way too damned impatient."   
            Callix shrugged. The brothers continued talking about the situation, letting their brother brood quietly while moving the potential threat to the forefront again. Finally ending the debate they decided that for now they would just play it by ear. They'd watch for anything out of the norm and if they suspected anything, they would report it immediately.

            Time had flown by, the shadows crawling down the walls and covering the floor in night without notice. The moon had risen while they worried over potential futures. Callix stood and yawned before stretching like a cat, his spine arching inward and letting out an orchestra of pops before he relaxed.


            "Come on Cass. We have things to do." His blue eyes lit up brighter then they had been the entire evening.

            "Wonderful." Cassian sighed and rolled his eyes before following his promiscuous brother down the hall.

            "I should probably head out too Lucian. I'll let you know if anything comes up."

            "Wait. Tav, I'm worried about you bro. You still haven't found a mate?"
            Octavian growled at his brother. "Don't you fucking start. I have enough pressure to deal with I don’t need you jumping onboard to remind me that I don't have anyone."         

            Lucian threw his hands up. "Fuck, Tav calm down. I was just asking. No need to rip my throat out. It's just-"

            The scent of arousal hit both of them hard. Lucian's future wife, Bast, walked through the door. Her tight, black leather skirt rode up, not leaving much to the imagination. Her corseted top made the tops of her breast full, and pop over the top. The caramel color of her skin was inviting. Her long legs clad in fishnets and knee high boots made his mouth water slightly. He would never try anything with her of course, but there was no pain in looking. Well there was pain, but he couldn't help it.

            "Hello Octavian." She purred. Her yellow eyes glowed; she was turned on and wanted him out.

            "Nice to see you again, Bast. At least you're in human form this time and not shedding all over my coat." He grinned and placed a kiss on the top of her hand. "Well, I'll leave you two alone."

            As he left, he saw Lucian take Bast into his arms and place kisses along her jaw and neck, her moan made him ache.

            He ran down the hall and stairs, dashing through the lobby really not giving a shit who noticed. He needed a mate. Why was it so damned hard?

            "Is this some kind of sick joke? You'll keep me away from my mate? What did I do?" He shouted at the sky.

            When he lowered his head again he caught her scent once more. This time…she wasn't getting far