The Shadow and The Draw, page 1
The Shadow
And
THE DRAW
The Shadow Drawn Series
Book 1
R D Baker
Copyright © 2023 by R D Baker
All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-0-6458207-1-3
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
For Mark - every argument we had over this story was worth it. You’re everything
For Skye - your love and cheers and tears were the only things that kept me going some days. Thank you for loving these characters as much as I do
Trigger Warnings
Please be aware of the following potential triggers within this book:
Explicit depictions of sex
Graphic depictions of violence
Sexual Assault
Spousal Abuse/Domestic Violence
Kidnapping
Torture
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide discussed as a past event
Occurrences of Trauma and PTSD
Be Kind to Yourself, Always
Prologue
There was a time, many centuries ago now, when angels and demons lived within the Halls together. It was a peaceful existence, one ruled by a strict Blood Covenant. An inter-mingling of the species was not allowed. Each kept the to their own kin.
This unity was the lifeblood of the Old God, giving him strength and power over the dominion of the Halls and of the Earth Realm.
There did, however, come a day when an angel violated the Blood Covenant, and he and his demon lover fled the Halls, seeking shelter on the Earth Realm to await the birth of their child. Upon discovery, they were banished forever from the Halls, and their child taken from them.
The angels, against the wishes of the Old God, cast the demons out of the Halls, claiming they had corrupted the peace upon which their existence was built. The demons all fell, in one terrible night, to the Earth Realm.
The Old God grew weak, the broken bonds between his children robbing him of his power. The Line between the Earth and the Halls was severed, only restored once the demon-angel child chose to descend to the Earth Realm herself, rising to become the first Shadow Queen.
The archangels plotted to destroy her, wishing for the freedom and power they enjoyed when the Old God did not have his eyes on the Earth Realm.
She was buried deep underground, doomed to an eternity under the surface of the Earth she so loved. Legend abounded of a place called Hell, spoken as a threat, as a punishment.
But without the presence of the Shadow Queen, there was no need for the existence of a place such as Hell -
that was what the Earth was for.
1
Amryn
This is the last time,” I say, panting, grinding my cock into her hand. Fuck. “This is the last time.” I say it again, like it means something.
“Yeah,” she says with a sigh, her teeth nipping at my lower lip, her hand gripping me harder.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. My hand moves under her skirt, and my cock seeps against her palm as I feel she’s not wearing any panties.
“This has to stop, Cora.” My fingers dip inside her, and she sucks in a breath.
“Mmmm.”
Is she agreeing, or does she just want me to shut up and fuck her? She answers my question pretty quickly, putting one of her feet against the wall behind me, opening up for me, guiding me to where she wants me.
“Oh fuck. Cora.” I say it like I’m going to stop, like I’m going to pull back. We both know I won’t. My cock slides inside her tight little pussy, and she sighs, her hands on my ass.
“Amryn,” she says, her brown curls bouncing as I begin to fuck her, “Amryn, you feel so good.”
“So do you, baby.” Oh fuck, so do you.
This has to stop. She’s not mine to take. She’s 21 next month, and then the Ascension takes place, and she’s Finn’s. But right now, I’m inside her. Right now, she wants me. Right now. There’s nothing else but right now.
There are voices and laughter outside the window, people passing by. Cora begins to moan, and I hold her face in my hand, my thumb straying over her lips. “Baby, you gotta be quiet,” I say to her. She takes my thumb into her mouth, biting it, sucking on it, her lips vibrating around it as she moans.
She raises her other leg, wrapping it around my waist, and I sink even deeper into her, hot and wet right to the base of my cock. I groan, trying to stay quiet as the voices outside get louder, people right outside the damn window. Anyone would just have to peer in to the darkened room to see her wrapped around me on the counter. To see me buried deep inside her.
She whimpers against my hand, her brow crinkling as she clenches her green eyes shut. She’s even tighter now, now that she’s about to come. I grab her hands, pinning them above her head against the wall, grinding myself against her, my lips on hers. She tastes good. She feels good. She fucks good. Why does it have to be so good?
Her mouth escapes mine, and she moans loudly, and I feel her pussy contracting, her thighs shaking as she comes. I don’t have to hold back anymore, and slam myself into her as she pulsates around me. I groan into her hair as my cock twitches inside her, spilling more heat, more liquid between her thighs.
I’m breathing hard, trying to be quiet, straining to hear if the voices outside have changed, if anyone heard us and is listening, wondering what that noise was. I let go of Cora’s hands, and she wraps her arms around my neck, nuzzling into me, sighing.
“Amryn,” she whispers, “fuck.”
“I know, baby.” My hands cradle her ass, holding her to me.
“You’re so good.” She sighs, and her eyes look up at me, and I get that feeling in my belly that only she can give me. “I love -“
I kiss her, quickly. I can’t hear that. I can’t hear her say it. She needs to make it easier for me to stop. She needs to tell me it’s the last time, just like every time. It needs to be the last time.
“I do, you know.” She says when my mouth finally releases her.
“You can’t, baby.” My fingers stroke a curl out of her face.
“But I do.”
I pull out of her, stepping out of her grasp. “This has to be the last time.” I tell her, pulling my jeans back up.
“You always say that,” she retorts, running a hand through her curls, which hang wildly around her shoulders.
“Well, I mean it this time.”
“Do you?” She shakes her head.
“It’s not going to get easier for us if this keeps going.”
“It’s not going to be easy now,” she replies. “You’re kidding yourself if you think it will be.”
“I know that. But you’re Finn’s, and -“
“I’m mine,” she tells me pointedly, climbing down off the counter, her chin sticking out at me as her eyes blaze into mine.
“Baby, of course you are,” I say with a sigh.
“I get to decide,” she says, “not Finn, not you, no one else.” But even as she says it, her face drops, and we both know it’s not true. She puts her cheek against my chest, wrapping her arms around my waist. Fuck. She’s so beautiful, it makes me ache.
“Where the fuck is Amryn?” We both hear the voice outside the window.
“Time’s up, baby.” I say to her, kissing her mouth one more time, wanting her so badly, just wanting to go and find a place to be alone with her.
Cora sighs. “You go on ahead.” She tells me.
I sneak out of the bathroom, checking the hallway of the cabin. It’s dark. Everything’s quiet. I walk outside, and the noise of the clan becomes louder, music playing. It’s the last full moon before the Ascension. It’s a big deal, like everything seems to be at the moment. I don’t feel like being at a party, but everyone’s here. And I’m expected to be here.
I cross the lawn quickly, trying to get as much distance between myself and the cabin as I can, so no one suspects anything. I’m still breathing heavy, and the hot night air isn’t helping. Sweat prickles at the back of my neck, and I can still taste her, still smell her on me.
We’ve been saying it’s the last time for years now. There never should have been a first time, we both knew it wasn’t allowed. But I can’t stay away from her.
“Amryn!” I hear Finn’s voice, and turn to see him walking towards me. He’s lost his shirt, determined to show off the new alpha ink he’s so proud of, his arms covered in the symbols of the clan, and intricate knots and vines trailing down his back. He claps me on the shoulder, smiling widely. “Where were you, brother? We’ve been looking for you.”
“Sorry, just needed to get some shit done before I could party,” I reply, “how’s the party going?”
“Everyone’s here,” Finn replies, gesturing to the bonfires ahead, “just can’t find Cora.”
“I’m here.” The sweet voice behind us wrenches at my stomach. Cora pads barefoot across the grass to join us, her skirt swishing as she walks, the thigh-high split revealing her muscular legs. Finn puts his arm around her, kissing her temple. Her green eyes flicker to mine for a split second, and a flush rises on her cheeks.“Sorry, just had to use the bathroom.” She says, smiling up at Finn.
“Not a problem, babe.” Finn guides her towards the bonfires, turning to look over his shoulder at me. “Come on, brother. Let me buy my Draw a drink.” He laughs, leani
I follow them wordlessly. His Draw. I’m just Finn’s Draw. The loyal bodyguard.
“Hey, Runt!” Vale’s voice rings out over the music, and he waves enthusiastically, gesturing for me to join him and the group of guys he’s standing with. “Runt! Come here!”
“Really wish you wouldn’t call me Runt, Vale.” I say jovially as I reach him.
Vale chuckles, pulling up the brim of his trucker cap to reveal a brow already soaked in sweat from the fire and probably too much beer and whiskey. “Hey man, it’s just a joke, right?”
I nod, crossing my arms over my chest. “Yeah, and it’s real funny, every single time.”
“I got someone for you to meet.” Vale says to me, his beard twitching as he grins at me. He stands aside, and there’s a pretty girl behind him. “This is Sass.”
She looks up at me with big brown eyes, her shiny brown hair hanging down to her waist. She gives me a smile, and extends a hand. “It’s Saskia, but everyone calls me Sass.”
Vale and the others are snickering behind her. I try not to roll my eyes, I don’t want to give them the satisfaction. They love doing this to me, every single chance they get.
“Nice to meet you, Sass, I’m Amryn.” I say, taking her hand. It’s so small in mine, warm. She’s tiny, no bigger than 5 feet, and I tower over her. She’s wearing jeans so tight that she’ll probably need to be cut out of them, and a lacy purple tank top, her cleavage on full display.
“Amryn,” she repeats, looking me up and down. “I sure like that name.”
“Maybe you could go and get Sass a drink,” Vale offers, snorting as he tries to suppress a laugh.
“Sure.” I keep a hold of Sass’s hand, pulling her along behind me towards the table laden with kegs and whiskey bottles. I hear the laughter of the other guys as we walk away. A lifetime of ignoring their taunts has trained me to ignore it, but I can’t pretend it doesn’t sting.
“What are you drinking?” I ask her as we reach the table.
“Just a beer,” she purrs, watching as I pour her one. She takes the red plastic cup from my hands, her fingers brushing against mine. “So you’re the Draw, huh?” She asks me. “I bet you’re really strong.” Her hand reaches out, her fingers tracing over the tattoos on my arm.
I give her a smile. “I guess I must be.” I’m aware of eyes boring into me, and I look over Sass’s shoulder to see Cora, under Finn’s arm. She’s glaring at me, her lips pulled down into a pout.
Sass takes a step closer to me. “What a life to be born into though.” She says. “It would get so lonely.”
I pour myself a whiskey. I want to feel a little numb. I can still feel the echo of Cora’s heat on my body. And now I have a pretty girl in front of me. Being with her does this to me every time - a stoic reminder of everything I’m not allowed to have.
Sass stretches up and runs her hand along the sides of my head. “I love the feeling of a shaved head,” she says, giggling. “Can I kiss it?”
I raise my eyebrows at her. “You want to kiss my head?”
She nods, biting her lip. “We can start with this one, and then, well, who knows?”
I down the whiskey. I fucking hate this. I never know if these girls just feel the thrill of me being off limits, or if they want to taunt me because they know I can’t have them. I look back over at Vale and the others, and they all laugh heartily.
Fine. Fuck them.
“Go ahead, Darlin’.” I lower my head, holding my long black hair to one side while putting an arm around Sass’s waist.
She almost shrieks with delight, putting a hand on on either side of my face, and brushing her lips against the shaved sides of my scalp. “Oh, it feels so nice,” she says with a sigh.
Desire shoots to my groin. She’s not Cora. She’s not Cora. No, exactly, she’s not Cora, that’s the fucking point. I raise my face to hers, and give her a grin.
“You’re real cute,” she says, and she strokes my cheek with her manicured finger. “Real fucking cute.”
“You know you’re not allowed to touch me, right?” I ask, my voice dropping to a low growl. I want to play this game as long as I can.
Sass bites her lip. “That just makes it all so much more fun.” She murmurs, and plants a kiss on my mouth.
I suck in a breath through gritted teeth. “Now you’re really pushing it, babe.”
“Well maybe we could go somewhere and push a little further, huh?”
I hesitate for a moment, then pull her in, kissing her hungrily. Vale and the other guys cheer loudly, audible over the pounding bass of the music. I’m not allowed to do this. Someone will intervene in a moment. But fuck it, right now, she’s throwing herself at me and I’m not going to say no.
“Hey.” And there it is. The voice I knew I would hear. I release Sass’s mouth, keeping her hand in mine, and turn to look into Lordain’s face. “What do you think you’re doing, son?” He asks.
“Just having some fun.” I reply, pulling myself up to my full height. I’m taller than him now. The Alpha. Well, the Alpha for now. Only a few more weeks of his reign left before Finn takes over. Finn, and Cora.
Lordain’s eyes narrow, his thick black eyebrows pulling together into a frown. He looks down at Sass and shakes his head. “You know the deal, Saskia. You get going now.”
“But -“ she begins to protest, stopping short as Lordain growls low in his throat. “Sorry.” She lowers her eyes to the floor, releasing my hand and hurrying off into the crowd.
Lordain turns back to me. “You know the rules, Amryn.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah, I do. No touching, no kissing, no hugging, no fucking, right?”
Lordain sighs, and narrows his eyes a little. “I don’t quite remember putting it like that.”
“That’s the general idea, though, right?” I can’t help but sneer a little.
“I don’t pretend that this is easy for you, and I know those boneheads over there like to dangle the girls in front of you for their own entertainment.” He casts a look over his shoulder at Vale’s gang, and they all quickly turn their backs. Lordain shakes his head as he turns back to me. “You have to resist all temptation, Amryn. Even when it comes in a sweet little package like the one that was just all over you.”
“Sorry, sir,” I reply, “living like a monk just gets a little irritating sometimes.”
Lordain nods. “I know. I know. But -“
“Do you know, sir?”
He frowns at me. “I beg your pardon?”
“Do you know?” I say it again. “I mean, you got a wife, and I imagine you wouldn’t want to go too long without -“
“That’s enough,” he interjects, his face darkening, “I don’t make the rules, our traditions are what they are. We all have our roles to play and -“
“I don’t have a choice.” I finish his sentence for him. We both know it’s true. I walk away from him. I don’t want anymore lectures. I pass Vale, and shoot a fireball at his feet with my hands. “Fuck you, man.”
Vale laughs. “I don’t think so, buddy.”
Fuck. Fuck it all to hell. Fury burns in my veins, coursing through my body. I storm into the forest, into the darkness. I just want to be alone.
Alone. Exactly what I’m fated to be.
The stars twinkle overhead, clouds racing past the full moon. The wind is warm, and it smells like Summer. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself, trying to stop the heat burning in my hands. I’m angry enough to set the whole forest on fire, and that would be - bad.
“Hey.”
Oh fuck. “Not now, Cora.” I keep walking,
“What the fuck was that?” She’s moving fast to catch up to me.
“Nothing.”
She grabs my arm. “Stop.”
“Why?” I shrug her off and keep walking.
She puts herself in front of me, blocking my way, her hands against my chest. “Why were you kissing that girl?”
“Because I wanted to.”
“You wanted to?” She sounds hurt. “Why?”
I jam my hands in my pockets, because I know if I touch her I’ll be fucking her against the nearest tree before I know it. “Because for one second a girl was throwing herself at me and I didn’t want to say no.”
