by G. Bailey
“We will be careful. You must hide the mark, and I will find out what it means,” he says, pulling me into his arms and wrapping us in the blanket.
“The world might be dangerous for us, but I will never regret this night. I love you,” I tell him.
“Lex, nothing in any world could make me regret having you as my mate,” he tells me, rolling me onto my back and pressing himself into me, making me arch my back in pleasure. “I love you, and we aren’t done tonight.”
“Good. I want more,” I say, and he grins, leaning down and kissing me. In the darkness of the world, we have found a little bit of light.
Chapter 43
Who would win in a fight? Wolf or Demon?
Javier
“You know it’s creepy to climb through someone’s window in the middle of the night?” I ask as Nikoli Lucifer closes my bedroom window shut. The room is dark, fitting for a demon and perfect for a wolf. I see better in the dark than I do in the light. Rain pours harshly outside, and it drips off the demon’s coat onto my wood floor, every drop making the situation more tense. I growl as I lean forward on my chair in the corner of my room, watching the demon closely. Even though he is soaking wet, I can still smell Lexi’s scent on him.
It makes my wolf angry.
It makes me want to kill him. He has taken her as his mate. Luckily, Lucifer won’t be able to tell; he can’t scent them like I can.
“Alexandria would claim I’m good at being creepy,” he remarks rather proudly.
“What the fuck do you want, demon?” I growl.
“You are going to get Lexi killed. Your father knows everything from your little habit of sneaking into her room at DA to see your sister to the fact you are in love with her,” he tells me, and I’m shocked into silence for a moment. I didn’t expect that.
“He doesn’t know everything,” I say, because it’s true. If he knew she was marked to be my mate, he would have tried to kill her.
And I would have never let him do that.
“Luckily. I know finding out you wolf marked her and see her as your mate would cause a few issues between you and your dad,” he states. Clearly he knows everything. I already hate the smug demon.
“She is mine,” I growl lowly.
“And mine,” he replies, and there is a tense, pressure-filled silence as we glare at each other. I move first, jumping off the chair and landing on him, knocking him to the ground as my fist finds his cheek. I lift my other fist as he slams a good firm punch into my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs. I growl as he shoves me off him, knocking me across the room so I slam into the frame of my bed. I move quickly, crouching down and growling as the demon wipes blood off his lip and really lets the game start to play as his demon comes out. Large black horns stretch out his head, curling up in the air, and his eyes flash green, a burning green. He points a long, black covered, sharp nailed finger at me and curls it. Growling, I jump in one smooth motion and slam into the demon, both of us smacking into the wall hard enough to crack it. Nikoli curls a sharp nailed hand around my neck as I shift only my hands into paws and claw at his chest, my wolf enjoying the scent of his blood.
“Stop that right now!” Sera demands, and I didn’t even hear her come in. We both pause, covered in blood and burning with anger as my sister flicks on the light and shuts the door behind her. “This will hurt Lexi if she ever found out. How can you both be such idiots?”
“This is because—”
“I don’t want to hear it from either of you. Lexi needs you both to grow up and get over the fact she loves you both. Don’t you get it? Lexi is suffering, she is scared for her parents, she is scared of the new world she doesn’t know and all the dangers that come with loving you both. Everything is terrifying to her, and I admire the fact she still gets out of bed every day and tells the devil no, even though it would be easier to just give in. Lexi needs a wall of protection so she doesn’t crumble, and by god, you two are part of that wall. Don’t you dare let her down because of jealousy,” she all but shouts at us.
“You’re making me feel shit, wolf,” Nikoli grumbles, wiping his lip of blood as I cross my arms. He is right, Sera has us there.
“Well, you are both acting as such all on your own. Nikoli, you shouldn’t be here. No one is protecting Lexi from your father while you are here fighting,” she says.
“He is busy fucking my mother, so that’s not a problem,” I add in.
“Gross,” Sera frowns.
“Doesn’t your dad get jealous and mad?” Nikoli asks. “Because otherwise that is some fucked-up shit.”
“My father only loved one woman, and it was never my mother,” I say, looking at Sera, whose eyes speak things we don’t talk about.
He loved her mother. Her innocent and sweet mother. I wish every single day that I had been older and could have stopped my mother from killing Sera’s mum.
“My father loves no one but himself, so maybe they are a good match,” Nikoli replies.
“I don’t like this situation, but Sera is right. Lexi needs us to be her wall to make sure she doesn’t fall,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck.
“It’s going to be complicated. Maybe we should have a drink and get to know each other,” he suggests. I walk to my desk and open the drawer, pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels and undoing the lid before taking a long sip. I offer the bottle to Nikoli who tilts his head to the side and nods in respect as he takes the bottle from me.
“I’m going back to sleep. Night, guys,” Sera says, leaving the room.
“Jack Daniels is my favourite drink. Maybe you aren’t so bad, wolf,” Nikoli comments.
“Share then, demon.” I hold my hand out, and he laughs, passing me back the bottle. Share is the magic word in this situation.
And I’ve never been good at sharing.
How can one little demon with big, bright cerulean blue eyes make me change my mind about everything?
Chapter 44
The price of lies
“Turns out we have to leave for a bit, my love,” Lucifer comments as I chew on a piece of toast. “Shame, I was just beginning to like the pack, but business at the academy calls. I do have war to plan.”
“A war?” I innocently ask, even though Javier has told me about his plan to make a war with the angels. I need to tell Morgan, and maybe Morgan can warn Gabriel and the others. I’m sure it won’t get that far…but if anyone knows a way to make the angels safe, it’s going to be Gabriel.
“With the angels,” he answers, watching me far too closely as I put my toast down, losing my appetite altogether. “Are you ready to leave? I sense you like the pack life.”
“I’m ready to leave,” I half answer his question, choosing not to comment on how, yes, I like pack life. Just then, Nikoli walks into the kitchen, not saying a word as he goes to the fridge and gets a bottle of orange juice out before facing us.
“We are leaving today, son,” he says.
“Good. This place stinks of wet dog,” Nikoli comments, and Lucifer laughs, though Nikoli winks at me behind his father’s back.
“It will give you a few more days to enjoy the academy before your parents’ trial,” he suggests, and I simply nod, trying not look at Nikoli too much and give away that Nikoli is the only person in the room I am interested in talking to. The next hour, we pack our bags, and two Hellers place them in the limo before driving us to the gates of the pack, where the limo stops. I get out after Lucifer, with Nikoli following after me, his hand briefly brushing against mine as he stops at my side, looking at Alpha Trnald, the alpha female, Mizette, and finally, Javier as they walk to us.
“I look forward to seeing you again soon,” Trnald comments, bowing his head at Lucifer. Mizette smiles so widely I wonder if it hurts her face, before she bows, not saying another word. Javier steps forward, locking eyes with Lucifer, and my heart pounds in my chest as I watch them both. Don’t do anything, Javier. I mentally beg him to back down, but I know he won’t.
“It’s such a shame y
ou haven’t found a mate yet, Javier,” Lucifer comments, almost teasingly.
Trnald intervenes, “It sometimes happens. I have found out that not all female wolves came to the celebration due to travel issues, with how the world is suffering at the moment. There will be three more celebrations over the next few weeks, and I am certain Javier will find his mate at one of them.”
“Wouldn’t that be a delight?” Lucifer comments, and I look down at the ground, gritting my teeth as my demon anger makes my hands turn black and my sharp nails dig into my thigh. The pain keeps me under control, oddly enough.
“My mate will see me soon, I am positive of it.” I look up, finding Javier’s eyes on me as I understand his carefully decided words. My demon retreats, letting me have control back, and I tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear as I relax. Lucifer says some more pleasantries before we get back in the limo, and I look out the back window as we drive away from the pack.
It feels like I’m driving away from a piece of my heart I can’t take with me. I doubt I ever will be able to.
“Why did Claus not come to the pack? Is he not interested in his father’s business?” Lucifer asks Nikoli.
“Claus hates travelling; that is all it is, father,” Nikoli replies.
“We will discuss when we are home. It is a sign of disrespect that one of my sons didn’t come here when I demanded his presence. Living with humans has made you both soft and under the belief you can do as you wish when you cannot,” Lucifer angrily comments, resting his hands on his knees. I meet Nikoli’s eyes and see the slight glimpse of fear and loathing, and I remember that Nikoli said Lucifer likes to hurt Claus.
This will be a reason to hurt him, and it’s all my fault. He didn’t come here because he is avoiding me after everything.
A silly part of me hates the idea of anyone hurting Claus, even when I’m mad at him. That silly part of me speaks before the rest of my brain can stop it.
“It was my fault, I told him you said he should stay behind. I wanted someone to watch my cat,” I lie, and Nikoli knows it. He knows Lela is watching and feeding Am for me.
“Did you now?” Lucifer very calmly muses, and in the blink of an eye, he pulls a dagger out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket and throws it into my arm, pinning me to the leather seat behind me as I scream. I cry as I try to move the dagger, and my vision blurs as Nikoli shouts. Thick blood pours down my arm as my vision comes back, and the pain seems somewhat worse. I see Nikoli is being held back by Lucifer, a dagger pressed against his neck, and his demon is fully in control. His eyes are as green as his fathers, his horns dig into the top of the limo, and his long nails grip his father’s arm tightly, trying to move him away.
Lucifer is too strong though.
“I am tired of you teenagers ignoring me and doing as you wish. Now, Alexandria, you are keeping that dagger in your arm for the rest of the trip back to the academy. I’m sure the bumpy roads will be pleasurable for you,” he jokes as I grit my teeth from the pain, and tears fall down my cheeks. I try to keep my arm still, but the moving limo doesn’t help that. Every jolt hurts so much that I want to scream. “Son, you can watch. Learn what happens when I am disobeyed.”
“And if I don’t watch?” he challenges.
“D-don’t,” I tell Nikoli who locks his eyes with me. “J-just look. Please, just look.” Nikoli looks furious, but he listens to me, and Lucifer moves the dagger away from his son’s neck. I keep my eyes locked on Nikoli’s for the entire journey, drawing strength where I can, and he is the only thing that stops me from passing out.
Chapter 45
Welcome home…or maybe not
I leave the first aid room with a bandage wrapped around my arm and an angry demon mate at my side. Nikoli is visually shaking with anger as we silently walk through students and back to my room, where we both pause outside.
“You shouldn’t have done that for Claus. He didn’t fucking deserve it,” Nikoli tells me.
“Don’t tell him, okay? Promise me, Nick,” I ask him.
“He never deserved you for more than one second,” he tells me, and I don’t reply. I really don’t want to talk about Claus with Nick.
“You should go and see him. I’m just going to rest,” I say, and Nick steps closer to me for a second, resting his forehead against mine, and I close my eyes, enjoying having him this close even though it is risky. When I open my eyes, he is walking away, and I watch him go until I can’t see him anymore.
“No! Don’t you dare do it!” I hear Lela scream from the other side of the door. I use my key card and open the door, walking in to see Lela hovering near the counter and Amethyst sitting on it, her paw slowly pushing Lela’s expensive looking phone nearer and nearer the edge. I can practically hear Lela thinking of ways to kill Amethyst, and I can imagine Amethyst is laughing. Just as Amethyst pushes it off, Lela jumps and just catches the phone before it would have smashed onto the floor.
“You should get a case for that,” I nervously suggest, catching both their attention.
“Finally, you are home. This demon is a moron,” Amethyst tells me as Lela stands up, pushing her hair from her eyes.
“Your cat is literally the devil! I am never babysitting it again!” Lela frustratedly shouts.
“What did she do?” I carefully ask.
“What didn’t she do is the better question. We can start with her jumping out of closets to scare me, and the fact that every single day, she has left a dead rat in my bed. In my own apartment! How the evil thing gets in there, I don’t know! I’m out of here.” Lela practically runs from the room, slamming the door shut behind her, and I shake my head at Am.
“Why?” I ask, walking into the lounge and sitting down. “Just why?” Amethyst jumps off the centre and onto the sofa before sitting on my lap, purring innocently.
“I don’t like her, and I only like you,” she tells me like that is an excuse.
“I want to tell you off, but I just don’t have the energy right now,” I admit. My arm hurts, and the blood loss is no doubt making me tired.
“Because you missed me. I’m the best thing in your life, we both know it,” Amethyst claims.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I chuckle.
“I would. You know, I watched a YouTube video of a man who has his cat’s face tattooed on his back. I think you should do the same. It will make me very happy with you and forget the whole abandoning me with the terrible teenage demon thing I need to get revenge for,” she suggests.
“Sometimes, I really, really don’t know what to say to you,” I admit.
“A simple yes, I will book it right now. Why don’t we set the camera up and take a hundred photos of my face so we can choose the best one, is what you should say,” she tells me.
“Amethyst, you’re crazy, but I love your crazy,” I laugh.
“I’m not crazy, I’m a cat. That isn’t possible. Anything I do is cute, not crazy. Get the right C word, Alexandria,” she mumbles.
“I know another C word that I’m sure Lela is calling you right now,” I admit.
“I’m sure the dead snake in her bed will make her love me all over again,” Amethyst replies with humour in her voice.
“Oh Am,” I mutter.
“Your uncle sent another note. It’s on your bed,” she says, stretching out before jumping off my lap. I don’t know what is creepier, that Amethyst can read or that she thinks dead animals left on beds is a nice present. I walk to my bedroom, kicking off my shoes before I pick up the letter on my pillow. I break the plain red wax seal on the back before pulling out the letter and reading it.
For my niece,
I am happy to report your parents are doing well and are ever hopeful to hold you in their arms soon.
As for the situation at The Demon Academy, I wish to speak to you alone on the matter and to advise that caution is always to be used. Do remember the words of my first letter, as they are far more important now than ever before.
There is a saying in ou
r family, one your mother and I made up as teenagers in DA.
Death is a sweet release from the pain of life. Only in death is your soul truly free.
Our souls are worth more than our lives. Remember that, Alexandria. For if the trial does not go as planned… Well, I do not wish to say more.
I will always be your family.
Your uncle,
Harry Snowden
“My parents are not going to die, uncle,” I angrily comment as I rip the letter up and throw it into the bin in my room, just as someone clears their throat.
“Morgan,” I smile as I turn to see him leaning against the door frame.
“Miss Cameron, good to see you home from your trip,” he tells me, and his gravelly voice is so soothing to hear. Damn, I missed him.
“It’s good to be home,” I reply, and he straightens up, walking over to me with an angry thin line of his lips. He grips my arm and starts rolling up my sleeve, and I’m thankful it isn’t the arm with the wolf mark. I really don’t want an argument with Morgan about this right now, though he sees the horse mark. For a moment, he stares at it before muttering something under his breath I can’t hear.
“What did he do to you?” he asks me. “Is this horse for Lucifer or someone else?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say, pulling my arm back.
“It does. Every single time he hurts you, I’m going to make him fucking suffer for it over and over again,” he tells me. “And as for the horse mark, keep it hidden. I suspect it means something, but until I can speak to Gabriel, I cannot confirm my thoughts.”
“It’s not long until this nightmare is over and we all can leave,” I say. “We could find somewhere to hide, to wait out until Lucifer goes back to hell and leaves us all alone.”
“Maybe,” he says, crossing his arms, and I rest my hands on top of his, just like they are meant to be there. He doesn’t move, but he doesn’t push me away like I’m almost expecting him to. I still remember his lips against mine, the way he kissed me like there was only us in the room.