by Susan Hayes
“I thought all fallen answered to you?” she asked, trying to work her way through this strange conversation.
“I’m their fucking king, they’re supposed to answer to me, but my people are as fallible as every other. Like willful children, some of them refuse to listen. That’s one of the reasons I have Carnage and his Hounds. They deal with the ones that try to think for themselves.”
“You mean they kill for you.”
“Kill for me, fetch for me, they’d bake me a batch of cupcakes if I asked them to. I own their souls, after all. Loyal mutts, each and every one of them.”
She laughed at the image of Carnage baking anything. “You don’t seem the cupcake type.”
“You’d be surprised what sort of man I am. Your mother never came to me to ask me for help or sanctuary, so I assume she bought the party line that I was an evil creature to be avoided at all costs. Just like your father.” He smiled at her over his glass. “Let me tell you a little secret, Leta Fury. It’s not about good and evil. Never has been. It’s about choice. I want free will, and my brethren upstairs want obedience. The rest? It’s all PR spin.”
“Then I’ve got news for you, Your Royal Evilness. Your public relations team sucks. Last time I checked, everyone on the planet believed you’re evil incarnate.”
He actually threw back his head and laughed. “I like you. I really hope you decide to take me up on my offer.”
“What offer? You haven’t made me one.”
“I’ve been building up to it. I’m the Devil, child. Deals are my stock in trade and I try to make them interesting.” He winked at her. “You ready to hear it?”
“Is anyone ever ready to hear the Devil offer them a deal?”
This time, he laughed so hard she wondered if he was going to strain something. When he finally got himself under control again, he raised his glass to her in a mocking toast. “Fair point, though what I am offering isn’t so much a deal, as it is a choice. Join my side, and I’ll teach you to use all your abilities. I’ll show you what you really are, and what you’re capable of. I’ll give you a home here, a place of your own where you can sleep in safety and never be hunted again.”
Fucking hell. He was offering her everything she had always wanted. It felt too easy, though. She never trusted easy, and she damned sure wasn’t going to trust the Devil...even if he was family. “Nothing comes for free. In exchange for all that, what will I have to do?”
“The same thing you’re doing now, more or less. Hunt down your enemies and make sure they can’t threaten you, or anyone else, ever again. The only difference is that you’ll be hunting my enemies, as well. Same game, more targets. One day, when the war finally comes, you fight for me. That’s all.”
“You have the Hell Hounds to do all that. Why do you need me?”
“The Hounds have their uses, but they aren’t you. There’s no one else in existence like you, Little Bird. You were never supposed to exist, but since you do, I want you fighting on my side.” He gave her a charming smile. “After all, we are family.”
“So what can I do that the Hounds can’t?” If signing on with Team Hellfire meant being able to run circles around Car, she would consider it a definite plus.
“You must remember that my Hounds were all human when they were alive. They lived and died as mortal men and were assigned to Purgatory for eternity. You’ve met Carnage. You can imagine how quickly a man like that got bored with the afterlife. I gave him a purpose and certain abilities that make him very good at what he does. Strength, speed, the ability to track their prey through the ether, teleportation…and of course, I made them invulnerable to certain attacks.” He arched a dark brow at her. “In case someone tried to set them on fire, for example.”
“In my defense, I only tried to light him up because I thought he was going to kill me.”
“If you had been almost any other mission, that’s exactly what he would have been there to do.” Luc gave her an intent look and went silent for a long moment as if deciding something, his drink forgotten for the moment. “You know; I could give you their abilities. In fact, I think I probably should, given you’re mated to their leader.”
“I’m what?” She sat straight up, her fingers automatically reaching up to touch the bite mark on her neck.
His gaze tracked her hand’s movement. “Exactly. That little love bite means you’re Carnage’s mate. If you want him, that is. Another choice for you to make.”
“That rat bastard. He didn’t say anything about it!” she swore, furious at Carnage for doing this to her. “Wait, he’s their leader? He didn’t tell me that, either!”
“In his defense, he doesn’t know why he bit you. None of my Hounds has ever found their mate before. As for his being their leader, he is…for now. When Car’s contract expires in two weeks, I imagine Havoc will take over.”
“What happens when his contract expires? Does he go to Hell for all he’s done in your service? If I agree to fight for you, would you spare him that?”
Luc actually looked surprised. “You’d do that for him? Serve me to save him?”
“He’s not an evil man. At least, I don’t think he is. I don’t like the idea of him being punished.” She gestured to the window and all that lay beyond it. “I don’t like the idea of anyone being tortured for eternity, but I know most of the ones here deserve it. If I agree to this deal, Car going free will be one of my conditions.”
The Look on Satan’s face could only be described as paternal pride. “You’re a good judge of character, and a brave woman, negotiating with me like this. You’re right. Carnage is hardly a saint, but he’s not evil. As I mentioned before, this isn’t about good and evil, it’s about choices.”
Understanding dawned. “Which is why you make deals with people. You want them to have a choice.”
He beamed. “Beauty and brains. I do hope you agree to sign on with me, Little Bird. You’d be such an asset. Before you make your decision, though, you should know that your mate is not destined for punishment. In fact, he’s considering being reborn. He’ll get a shiny new soul and no memory of who he was or what he’s done. It’s the deal I made with all the Hounds. They’re all from Purgatory, just like your mate. I couldn’t let truly evil souls run around with those sorts of powers, could I? They’d make a mess of things, and frankly, even I can only put up with so much chaos.”
“So, if I don’t want to be mated to him, I don’t have to be? And he won’t be punished?”
“No punishment. I’ll let him go if that’s what he decides he wants when his time is up, but I’m betting that he won’t. Not if it means forgetting about you.”
“Why do I think you had something to do with him finding me just as his contract was expiring?” she asked.
Luc managed to look completely innocent, and even slightly insulted. “Mates are not my department. That’s Fate’s gig. I’m all about choices and free will, remember?”
He snapped his fingers, and a tray of assorted cupcakes popped into existence, hovering in the air beside her. The confections were displayed on delicate lace doilies, and each of them had a tiny set of perfectly crafted, red candy horns rising out of the swirls of frosting. “Cupcake? I prefer the devil’s food cake, myself. They’re sinfully decadent with a hint of chili peppers for heat.”
She gave in to temptation, well aware that she was taking her first steps down a dangerously slippery slope. “I’ll try one, thank you.”
She devoured the cake as she pondered everything he had told her, and all that he’d offered. The freedom to choose her own path. It was the one thing Leta wanted even more than a place where she belonged. All her life she had been reacting, living moment to moment. Luc was handing her the chance to take control of her life and pick for herself. It was the one offer she couldn’t refuse.
“So, if I took this deal of yours. What exactly would it entail? I’m going to need details, Luc, and I want to read every word, including the finest of the fine print.”
> He winked at her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
15
Carnage
Three days. She had vanished out of his life three miserable days ago. Not since he had been mortal had Carnage felt the passage of time so acutely. He spent the night in the vault, venting his rage on the contents until it was nothing more than a pile of twisted wreckage and scrap metal. He had already arranged to replace most of it. Luc was a manipulative, arrogant bastard, but he paid well.
Ripper found him the next day when the pup had teleported in to pick up a few new toys. The kid had been smart enough not to ask any questions. He had teleported them both out of the sealed vault and back to Car’s office at the clubhouse without uttering a single word.
He stayed long enough to shower and dress, ignoring everyone’s curious looks. He didn’t want to talk about what had happened. He didn’t want to think about what he had lost. Twenty minutes later he walked out of the clubhouse, summoned his bike, and headed straight to Haven, their favorite bar, to get well and truly drunk.
Three days later, he was still there and still drinking. With any luck, he would be too drunk to care when Luc finally reappeared to mete out his punishment…or tell him what Leta’s final fate had been.
His fellow Hounds were taking shifts, keeping him company night and day like a bunch of damned mother hens. They pushed food at him once in a while, and yesterday they had dragged him to the dancers’ dressing area for what they claimed was a much-needed shower. Havoc had even offered to stay and soap his back, the mouthy bastard. He loved his brothers, but right now, he would happily slaughter every last one of them if it meant he could be alone to mourn what he had lost.
Leta.
He didn’t understand why, or how, but he knew she was meant to be his…and he had lost her. The pain of that loss hurt like nothing else he had ever known, not even dying.
At first, he tried to drink her memory away. When that hadn’t worked, he considered fucking himself free of her, but there wasn’t a woman in the place that could compare to the one he’d lost. He stayed at the bar and kept drinking, instead. He wasn’t fit company for anyone right now, not even the jaded women that came to places like this.
As the days past, the ache in his chest didn’t get better. His hound was a sullen, sulking presence in the back of his mind. The beast didn’t understand why they weren’t going after her, and it wasn’t interested in hearing excuses.
By the second day, he was starting to dream of her even when he was awake. He’d come to his senses convinced she was standing right behind him. Her scent would fill his nose, or he would hear the lingering echo of her laughter. It was making him bat-shit crazy.
“You need to eat something, Car,” Discord said before shoving a plate loaded with chili cheese fries toward him.
Car eyed the food with disinterest, then took another swig of his drink. “I’m currently on a liquid diet, thanks.”
Ruin snorted with laughter. “A few more days of that diet, and you’re going to need a fucking liver transplant.”
“Advantage of being immortal. Don’t need to eat, and my liver can take care of itself.” Car glowered at the pair of battle-hardened warriors seated across from him. “Don’t you have something else to do besides sit here like a couple of wet blankets? Luc’s got to have missions for you two assholes. He always has missions. Centuries of them. Go here, get that. Fetch Fido, and don’t you fuckin’ dare want anything for yourself.”
Both men looked at each other, then at Car. Dis finally asked the question no one had dared to voice until now. “What the fuck happened to you, Car?”
“I broke rule number two. With an assigned target.”
Dis winced. “Damn, Car. What the fuck were you thinking?”
“It was the weirdest thing. The moment I caught her scent, I lost my mind. Tracked her across the fucking country in minutes, and instead of taking her to Luc, I took her home.”
“And then he bit me. Didn’t even buy me dinner first. Can you believe that?”
“Leta?” Car’s head snapped around to look for the source of the voice that had been haunting him for the last three days.
“Hey, asshole. Miss me?”
She was back. Alive. Hell, she looked good. Better than good, in fact. She looked good enough to eat.
Please, don’t be another hallucination.
She was dressed in the same kind of black bike leathers that he and the other Hounds wore, and there didn’t appear to be a mark on her.
His hound howled in triumph as he surged to his feet and pulled her into his embrace. She came to him willingly, twining her arms around his neck as his mouth found hers.
Her scent wrapped around him, more intoxicating than anything he had drunk in the hours since he was banished from her side. It wasn’t until he ran a hand down her back that he noticed the first change. There were feathers under his fingers.
“Wings?” he asked before kissing her again.
“Among other things,” she answered.
“Uh, Car? Breaking rule number two again probably isn’t the best idea…” Ruin pointed out.
“Even if she is seriously hot,” Discord added, moving out of reach before the words passed his lips.
“He’s been granted an exception,” Leta said with a laugh that lit up his world.
“Don’t even look at my woman again or I’ll beat you to death with your own spine, Dis.” He uttered the warning with a low, rumbling growl and then turned his attention back to Leta. “Lucifer granted me an exception?” he asked.
“Uh huh. But only with me. I catch you stroking anyone else’s feathers, and I’ll kick your sexy ass.”
Between the copious amounts of booze he had consumed, and the fact that all the blood in his body was currently rushing to his cock, Car was having trouble following what his woman was saying. All he knew was she was back in his arms, and this time, he would die again before he let her go.
“So you’re mine? Luc accepted my offer?”
She shook her head. “Nope. He made me one instead. I’ll explain once we’re home.”
“I can’t go home. Luc killed my ability to teleport.”
“Who said you were driving?” she asked and tightened her grip on him. The next thing he knew, they were standing in his bedroom, the bed still rumpled from the last time they’d been there, what felt like a lifetime ago.
He was home, and Leta was with him. It was a fucking miracle, and those weren’t exactly in great abundance this far from Heaven.
16
Leta
Leta had so much power coursing through her veins she didn’t know what to do with it all. Luc had, surprisingly, been a man of his word. The second she signed the contract binding her to his service, he began teaching her about her abilities and helping her unlock gifts she never imagined she had. He also added to her powers, all in exchange for her pledge of loyalty and obedience, just the way he’d described.
She was a Hell Hound now, with the same skills as Carnage and his men. It was a lot to get used to, but Lucifer had spent hours with her, patiently showing her how to channel and control her new abilities. She had wanted to teleport back to Carnage and tell him how things were going, but Luc had vetoed that idea. He didn’t want her leaving Hell until he was certain she could manage her new skills without killing anyone, including herself.
The first time she managed to manipulate a current of air her wings had manifested, called forth because she had finally managed to connect with the element of air. She was still getting used to them, but she had almost mastered the knack of getting them to fade away when she didn’t need them.
She had learned about her father, too. It turned out Lucifer had a number of children. Her father was one of his lieutenants, a position he held for several hundred years before his death. He died in an unauthorized skirmish with some of Heaven’s enforcers. Luc didn’t understand why at the time, but now he believed Skalos died trying to protect Leta and her mother fro
m Heaven’s wrath.
In the course of one night, her entire world changed. She had everything she ever dreamed of. A home, family, a life defined by purpose instead of mere survival, and more money than she could spend in a thousand lifetimes. The only thing she didn’t have was Carnage. She missed him every second they were apart, and judging by the passionate way he was kissing her, he had missed her, too.
The next time they came up for air, he spoke. “I need you so fucking badly right now. I want to see you, feel you. I need to prove to myself that you’re here, and this isn’t some vivid hallucination. I’ve been out of my damned mind, thinking I’d never see you again; that you were dead, or worse. I’m not letting you go, this time, Leta. He’ll have to kill me before I let him take you from me again.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, finally taking a good look at Carnage. He wasn’t simply tired; he was exhausted, with several days’ growth of beard on his face and a lifetime of pain showing in his eyes. Without thinking, she cupped his face in her hands and let a wave of healing energy flow into him, renewing his body and cleansing the nearly toxic levels of alcohol from his blood with a thought. “What happened to you?”
He laughed. A sharp, bitter sound. “Luc sent me to the weapons vault below our clubhouse, then stripped me of my ability to teleport. I was trapped there until the next morning when one of the guys came down to restock. After that, I went to Haven, started drinking and didn’t stop until you appeared.” He wound her hair around her fist and tugged her head back so she was looking straight into his eyes. “I thought I’d lost you. I know it sounds insane, but I can’t ever lose you, Leta. You’re mine…and what the fuck did you do to your eyes? They’ve got black rims now.”
“You’re a real romantic, you know that? Is there no poetry in your fucking soul? My eyes are gorgeous, and they happen to match yours, black rings and all. I think it’s pretty cool, and you better agree with me, or this reunion isn’t going to end the way I hoped it would.”