The Third Throne: Angel of Death

by Tabitha Barret

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Derick was trembling so hard, he had trouble speaking. He couldn’t believe that she was willing to do this with him.

  “I’m very sure. Derick, you represent everything that I have been denied, everything that I thought I was unworthy to have. You’re right. I don’t have to be trapped by him. I can choose for myself who I want to be and what I want to do. I can do things on my own terms, in my own way. I have done all the changing and it’s time that I stop yielding to him and his whims. You were right. When he’s angry, there is no one to comfort me. I have no one to help ease my pain,” she ran her hands through his hair and let her newfound confidence fill her.

  “Do you mean it? Are you going to leave him?” Derick asked, overcome with hope.

  “Let’s just say that I’m not going to be his punching bag anymore. He’s going to understand that there will be repercussions for his actions. It’s still complicated and I don’t know what will happen between you and me, but I need you,” her expression was solemn while Derick searched her face trying to decide if she meant it. “Now, tell me about these silly high school girls and what you did with them. I want to understand what you like and what gets you off,” Annie purred. She traced Derick’s lips with her fingertips and leaned closer to him.

  Derick had trouble processing the question at first. His dream woman was in his arms and she wanted to know how he wanted to fuck her. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cold air surrounding him.

  “I always took them from behind. They stayed mostly clothed. I’d bend them over something and wouldn’t stop until we both came. It was fast, hard, and over before it started. I wasn’t cruel to them, but it was all business. I would kiss them and entice them before we arrived at the place where we’d have sex. I’d make sure that they were ready for me, but once it was over, we were done. We’d hardly speak afterward because I felt guilty for using them,” Derick spoke softly, nervous that she would change her mind.

  “I’m more than willing to take you right here, out in the open, in a place where someone can see us, but we are going to take our time and enjoy every ounce of pleasure that we can produce in each other. As for the clothing, this will have to do,” Annie shrugged off her wool coat and lifted her T-shirt high enough to put her bra on display for him. The tight shirt stayed under her arms, as she lowered the cups of her bra. Her breasts were pushed up and held in place.

  “I can work that with,” Derick sputtered. All rational thought evaporated and he almost giggled. He unzipped his jacket, and left it hanging open.

  “Next time you can take me from behind, but right now I want to see you. It is to be perfectly understood that I am not one of your slutty cheerleaders begging for your attention. When you’re inside of me, I want you to remember my name and know who is gripping you tightly. I want to wrap my legs around your waist while you ride me hard against this wall. If someone does see us, I want them to know that I’m not some quick fuck; but that they are walking past two people who are desperate for each other and who care about each other. Will that work for you?” Annie unbuttoned her jeans and slowly slid them down her legs, along with her panties.

  Derick nearly passed out. All he could do was nod his head in agreement. The sight of her naked was driving him mad.

  “Good,” Annie smirked. She grabbed the top of his jeans, and forced herself not to rip them apart.

  His button and zipper were dealt with quickly and his jeans were pushed down to his knees. His stiff cock was in her hand before Derick could move. Annie pushed her hand under his T-shirt to feel his lean, muscled stomach, though she didn’t remove his shirt or coat. She didn’t want him to freeze to death.

  Derick’s head fell back when Annie’s burning hands surrounded his erection and moved around his chest. She was confident as she enticed him and teased him. Once his brain recovered from the initial contact, he was determined to please her.

  His lips found hers and he kissed and licked her mouth. He buried his hands in her hair and held her so that he could taste her mouth and prove to her that he wanted this level of intimacy as much as she did. Annie was right. She wasn’t one of the cheerleaders that chased after him. This wasn’t about sex or wanting attention, this was about something more.

  Annie’s mouth was warm and eager. His mind was scrambled as felt her hand caressing his skin and her tongue in his mouth.

  Sanity invaded his mind and he quickly pulled back. “Condom,” he muttered and fumbled through his pant pockets. He needed to be inside of her before he lost his mind.

  She had no experience with contraception since she couldn’t get pregnant, so she leaned back against the side of the mausoleum and watched Derick produce a purple packet from this wallet. He deftly ripped it open and pulled out the condom. She was enraptured as she watched him roll it over his full length. She panted at the thought of having him inside of her.

  Derick stepped closer and pulled her leg around his hip. He reached down and grabbed his cock. He slid against her folds and shivered when he glided across her wetness. Flicking her clit with his head, she moaned and grasped his coat. Her eyes were glazed over, but focused on his mouth. He’d never been so bold before, but passion overrode his nerves. He wanted to touch her in every way possible, knowing that she would never condemn him for wanting to please her.

  He shifted his knees and used his hips to rub against her folds while his hand went lower. He massaged the opening of her core, making her squirm with delight. Pushing two fingers inside of her, he made her cry out as he stroked her in time with his shaft.

  Annie’s mind was in a fog. She’d never experienced anything like this. Yet again, Derick knew exactly what do to and how to make her body explode with pleasure.

  “Derick, please, I need you,” Annie begged for Derick to take her. She was already so close to losing control.

  Derick chuckled and removed his fingers from her warm body. He smirked and put his fingers into his mouth. He watched her shocked reaction while he sucked on his fingers. Yes, he knew who he was pleasing and whose name he would scream out when he came.

  Annie was dizzy while watching Derick’s mischievous eyes roam across her body. He was everything to her. She kissed him and pulled his hips closer. If he didn’t fill her quickly, she would combust.

  “Eager are we?” Derick chuckled against her lips. He wanted to tease her a little more. He wanted her to come the second that he took her body. “I want you to be desperate.”

  He dipped his head and licked her tight peaks that begged to be touched. He had wanted to touch her breasts the last time they were together, but was afraid that he would want more. While he’d certainly fondled breasts before, he had never sucked one. It was too intimate for someone he would walk away from. Taking her perfect points into his mouth, he nearly came. It was as wonderful as he’d imagined. He sucked them and pulled at them with his lips. Annie’s panting and clawing was enthralling.

  Annie’s legs were trembling. Her skin was on fire. Derick’s mouth felt like heaven as he sucked on her breasts. She tried to pull his hips closer, begging for relief, but he merely chuckled. His tongue swirled and flicked her peak. He bit her nipple and flicked his cock against her clit at the same time. She screamed and nearly lost all rational thought. “Please!” she begged.

  He chuckled and lightly bit her nipple. No one had ever said that they needed him before. The others had been tentative with their words, waiting for him to take action, or been vulgar about what they wanted. He had never been needed before and he liked it.

  Looking down at her, he memorized her sultry smile, her heavy lust filled eyes, and her tongue that traced her lips. He wanted to remember this moment forever. He didn’t know what would happen when they were done, but he needed to know that they had a connection, something deeper and more meaningful than just physical sex.

  He grabbed the back of her other thighs and hoisted her up. Feeling her thighs lock around his hips and seeing the yearning in her ey
es, he knew that she was ready for him. Without warning, he plunged deep inside of her and filled her completely.

  Annie convulsed around his hard shaft and shouted incoherently. Her body shook uncontrollably. Panting, she tried to regain some of her senses. She realized that Derick was standing still while remaining completely inside of her. She saw the strain on his face and heard his uneven breaths. He was enjoying the feel of her body, squeezing him during her orgasm.

  Derick had never seen anyone as sexy as the woman in his arms. He could feel every inch of this temptress and yet he wanted more. Her tight core combined with her heat had nearly made his knees buckle from the sensation. A feeling of satisfaction filled his heart as he gazed at her. This was his woman and he would be damned if anyone else touched her.

  She was still desperate for more. Bracing her back against the wall and holding onto his neck, she moved her hips and rode him. Derick’s head fell back and he gasped. She gripped him tightly and moved her body over him. Slamming against him, she pulled his head up so that she could see his eyes.

  Derick was overwhelmed. No one had ever taken his body before. He’d been lost in the feeling of her contracting around him when he had pushed inside of her. Feeling her ride him was unlike anything he’d ever felt. She was in control and giving him pleasure. He’d never imagined that he would find a woman that would accept him and care for him.

  As much as he loved her core moving over him, enticing him to find release, he wanted to be the one to make her spiral out of control. He grabbed her thighs and pinned her hips against the wall to stop her. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, he mimicked the action with his body. He thrust in and out of her core and her mouth. He increased his speed until he felt Annie’s body squeeze him and quake. Her second orgasm threw him over the edge.

  Derick yelled as found relief inside of her body.

  Annie’s body shivered and convulsed. Derick was the only thing she thought about. She loved this man. She didn’t have to fear him or pity him. Sex had always been about forgiveness for some wrong act that had been committed. It was essentially make-up sex whenever Lucifer took her body. Tears would give way to pleasure and elicit an apology. Derick had nothing to be sorry for, no sins to atone for. He made love to her with his delicate touch and unyielding body. This was how it was supposed to feel. Sex wasn’t an apology, it was an expression of love, and it was a way for two people to share something beyond words.

  Derick looked down at the most beautiful woman he knew. She was smiling at him and panting. It was a wonderful sight. Annie was his. The thought took Derick by surprise. He was suddenly angry that someone might have seen them having sex. He moved closer to her body so that his coat would conceal her from view. She was his and he didn’t want anyone else to see her like this.

  “That was the single greatest experience of my life,” he whispered and kissed the top of her head.

  “Was it better than the concert or the principal’s car?” she chuckled. She secretly needed to know that she was better than his other escapades.

  He smiled his wicked smile at her. “Infinitely better. Annie, there’s no comparison,” he laughed, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. He kissed her nose and carefully separated their bodies.

  She was overwhelmed with emotion when she looked at him. She needed him more than she needed to breathe. “Anjali. Annie is just a nickname. Please call me Anjali.”

  Derick paused and blinked a few times. He was slowly getting past her defenses, which was a good sign. There really was hope for them. “Anjali. It’s a beautiful name,” he kissed her and ran his fingertips down her collarbone.

  She blushed. The sound of her name on his lips was exquisite. She wished that she could confess everything to him, but she didn’t think even his limitless patience and understanding would withstand what she had to say.

  They quickly dressed and made their way back to the street, headed toward the castle.

  “Do you think anyone saw us?” Derick asked when they reached the street. He bit his tongue when he realized it was something that one of his former conquests would have asked. Honestly, he hoped that no one had seen them. For the first time, he didn’t have the desire to be caught. He had been thinking about her the whole time, and wasn’t listening to hear if anyone was about to catch him in the act. He knew what it meant. He loved her. He loved her with all his heart.

  “I hope so,” she replied and put her head on his shoulder. Radek would have undoubtedly seen them, which meant it was only a matter of time before Lucifer knew what she had done.

  Chapter 14

  Nathanael appeared in the highest tower of the castle. Moving through the dark corridors, he slowly made his way through the upper level of the castle. Finding nothing of interest, he approached what appeared to be the main staircase. He heard voices echoing through the enormous stairwell.

  Two men were arguing, but Nathanael wasn’t close enough to hear the conversation. He searched for a better vantage point, but there weren’t any places to hide. He was stuck at the top landing of the staircase. He flattened himself against the floor and peered over the edge.

  The zigzag staircase had at least five stories with various landings that over looked a straight drop to the main floor. Two levels below him on the landing to his right; he saw a flashlight and heard a scuffle. Before he could get to the stairs, movement caught his eye. Looking over the edge of the banister, he saw something swinging over the precipice. He ran down the stairs, unnerved by the sound of a rope creaking.

  When he reached the second level, he had trouble identifying what was swinging. He quickly descended to the next level of steps and came face to face with the man who was hanging from a noose tied to the banister on the level above him. The mortal’s neck had snapped from the fall. There wasn’t anything he could do to help him. He needed to find the man responsible and rule out any involvement from the Rogue. The mortal police could handle the case if a mortal was guilty of the murder, but he needed to know for sure that this travesty wasn’t caused by one of his own kind.

  Nathanael quickly went up to the landing where the scuffle had taken place and surveyed the area for something that might help him identify the other man. Coming up empty, he followed the steps down to the next landing and looked for a possible exit.

  Angry with himself for letting the lead go cold, Nathanael left the body for the mortal police to investigate and entered the third floor hallway to search for his suspect. He wasn’t sure why a Rogue would kill a mortal, but he had to stop him. It was against their rules to harm mortals, regardless of the reason. He didn’t need to hear Michael’s lecture if he failed to return with the criminal.

  He was rendered frozen when a thought crept into his mind. Mark had reported that Anjali was searching for Alazar, the Angel of Death, before the other Predznak. Perhaps it was Alazar’s feather he had found in the street. Anjali could have battled him if he resisted her commands. Last he’d heard, Alazar was nearly feral. Could he be responsible for the deaths of the local mortals? Technically, he was supposed to tempt the mortals to kill themselves, but this didn’t look like a suicide. He’d heard the sounds of a fight and seen the dirt on the stairs disturbed. He knew that the Angel of Death didn’t get his hands dirty unless he had a personal grudge against someone, but what if he’d truly gone rogue and was slaying the mortals by his own hand? The Destroyer could be here to cover up for him. It would explain why she was in Romania.

  Nathanael panicked. Perhaps Anjali wasn’t tempting the mortal in the cemetery, but was going to kill him. Maybe she and Alazar were working together. Being under Lucifer’s command could send anyone over the edge, especially if they were supposed to kill mortals. His day was getting worse by the second. Not only was it possible that Alazar had gone Rogue, but the Destroyer may have turned against Heaven as well. He would certainly need back up for that.

  He disappeared to seek out Michael’s guidance. He would know what to do.

  ∞

&n
bsp; Alazar watched the moon slowly rising above the mountain range. Midnight was quickly approaching and soon he would be with his Master. He would be at peace once and for all, or at least for the five minutes before they descended into Hell and saw Lucifer again. Despite his hatred of his brother, he knew it would be easier to deal with Lucifer if Anjali, or rather, Lady Black, was by his side.

  He contemplated her name for a moment. Could he really call her Lady Black? It did sound better than Master. It burned his ass to know that Lucifer had ordered everyone not to speak her real name. Perhaps he should take issue with that when he saw Lucifer, unless Lady Black didn’t mind. It occurred to him that having a Master was going to be complicated. He didn’t like having to worry about protocol and rules. Typically, he gave the finger to the prissy angels who were all about decorum and procedures. It was going to be strange to adhere to those procedures after all this time.

  Alazar disappeared and reappeared in the dungeon. He didn’t have many possessions that he wanted to take with him, but he definitely wanted his chair and maybe his pillow.

  He looked around the room, assessing his belongings. He stopped when he heard footsteps behind him. He was hopeful that Anjali had come to him sooner than promised. He wanted to start the ritual as soon as possible, which surprised him.

  He was less than thrilled to see a glint of red shining in the torchlight. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Maraquette was wearing a tight electric blue pantsuit and heels. At least she wasn’t trying to seduce him in that outfit.

  “What do you want?” Alazar sighed. He was growing tired of Maraquette’s tricks. She made his stomach turn. The thought of working with her made him feel tired and bored. He didn’t need her anymore. She had broken their deal when she failed to kill Anjali. That reminded him of the retribution he wanted for Aganon’s botched murder attempt that resulted in his Master becoming a blood servant of Lucifer.