Corrupt Cravings

by Jennifer Salaiz

  Samael laughed. “Because Donavon never gave a shit what anyone had to say except Marcella. I liked that about him. Plus, he didn’t think he was better than everyone else like you did. Your title got to your head. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. Of course, with this shit about the house, maybe it already has.”

  “You think I’m arrogant?”

  “No, I know you are, and shallow, conceited, and you’re way too overconfident. You see, you might be able to control demons, but some things are just out of your league.”

  Dominic couldn’t speak past all of the things Samael had accused him of. He wasn’t all of those things, maybe borderline at times, but not enough for him to pass judgment. Hell, fine, his feelings were hurt, and he didn’t like it one bit.

  “Cheer up, you can still change. There’s always time. Now let’s go back to the house and announce the news to the others.”

  “What news?” Dominic didn’t even want to look at the dark angel. If he saw that smile one more time, he’d probably try to personally wipe it from Samael’s face, and he wasn’t that stupid. The last thing he wanted was a one-way ticket back to hell.

  “Their numbers aren’t going to decrease anytime soon. Luis seems adamant about finding Donavon. We’re looking at around one hundred wolves we’re going to have to fight against. This is going to be fun. Now, let’s head back to the house.”

  * * * *

  Samael didn’t wait for Dominic. He vanished and reappeared in what was considered his bedroom in the house they took over. It wasn’t far from Luis’s. For Dom to even say the nice two-story home was a dump had really gotten his blood pumping.

  In the past, to say the demon was cocky was an understatement. He’d never understood why Marcella had chosen Dominic until recently. The guy had a good side, a caring side, but between the mansion he lived in before Marcella came along, and the car he was still driving, Samael wasn’t about to let him slip back into his old personality. Hell no.

  What he’d done was a low blow, and he hated seeing Dominic upset. Samael did kind of like the new him, but sometimes just throwing out the facts had fabulous results. Time would tell if what he said had any effect on the demon’s behavior. For Marcella’s sake, he really hoped it did.

  Heading for the downstairs living room, he noticed upon arriving that the only ones awake were Ambrose and Donavon. Taking a seat on the couch, he watched as Dominic quickly appeared, walking right to the kitchen.

  “What’d you find out?” Donavon’s expression was calm.

  “We fight tonight. I don’t think the other wolves are going anywhere anytime soon. We’re looking at roughly one hundred, maybe one-twenty. Too many people are coming and going. It’s hard to tell.”

  Donavon nodded and got quiet as he seemed to slip off in his own little world. Ambrose just stared at him until Samael had enough.

  “What? You’re thinking something.”

  Ambrose laughed. “What makes you think that?”

  “By the way your eyes are glued to my fucking face. Like I said before. What?”

  “Could we speak privately?”

  Dominic’s head popped out from the kitchen, and the question even grabbed Donavon’s attention.

  “Yes, of course. Why don’t we go up to my room? All the other ones are taken.”

  Ambrose nodded and followed him back up the stairs. Once they were enclosed in the comfortable space, the vampire walked over and sat on the corner of the bed, still staring at him. Samael raised one of his eyebrows as he waited. Seconds went by before Ambrose brought his eyes down.

  “You love our queen very much. I sometimes see your thoughts. Today, they’re stronger than usual.”

  “What do you mean, you see my thoughts?” The growl coming from Samael’s voice made him close his eyes against the anger he’d displayed. He was usually good about hiding his emotions, but he couldn’t deny how violated he suddenly felt.

  “I don’t do it intentionally. Sometimes when I look at you, the visions just come.”

  “Tell me about them. I want to know exactly what you see.”

  Ambrose laughed. “I assure you, you don’t want me to go into detail. I know how her touch affects you.” The vampire paused. “And I think I know why.”

  “Really? Enlighten me.”

  Ambrose pushed his long bangs back with his fingers. “You’ve always been able to have anyone you want. The number of women you were with before you realized your love for our queen reached massive proportions. Yet, she’s the one person you can never have. Not completely, like you want.”

  “Hmm.” Samael nodded and looked at the floor while he walked the length. “Okay, lucky guess. Anything else?”

  “That wasn’t a guess, and you know it. But I’ll continue.” Ambrose took a deep breath. “You don’t like any of us, but you can’t bear to hurt her by taking us out. The secret you hold about the two of you would destroy her. I’m not sure what it is, but the impact it would make if it ever got back to her could be disastrous.” No air would make it to Samael’s lungs as Ambrose bit his bottom lip. “And, the man I saw that killed Marcella, you refer to him as your father.”

  Samael’s attention shot to Ambrose so fast he was surprised his neck didn’t snap. “Don’t ever say that again. Never aloud. Never.”

  “As you wish, but what do you think Marcella’s going to do when she finds out who you really are?”

  “The only way that’s going to happen is if she remembers. You are not to say a word. Do you understand me?”

  Ambrose hesitated but nodded. “You brought her back, didn’t you? She didn’t ask for this. That’s why you won’t tell her about the past. You’re afraid of what will happen if she remembers.”

  “I refuse to answer that question. You speak way too much. The water you tread is about to swallow you whole. I’m not someone you should speak so freely to, Ambrose. My life is private, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “Well, your private life involves me and my queen. But rest assured that whatever I see will not leave this room, if you give me your word that you have nothing but good intentions for our queen. Promise me, and not as the man everyone thinks you are. Give me your word as Samael, the real dark angel.”

  For the first time, Samael felt the walls crumbling down around him. This man, this vampire, who had the love of the one woman he wanted, knew more about him than anyone ever had. Ambrose’s visions had exposed too much. God, he was so fucked if this ever came out.

  “I give you my word, my promise, that I would never do anything to harm our queen.”

  “Good. I believe you.” Ambrose stood from the bed and smiled. “I’ve always liked you. There’s something about you that lingers from our past together, and I’m not sure what it is, but I think I even liked you then.”

  Samael wasn’t sure what to think. “You were always very quiet, always studying people. You and I, we did get along somewhat better than the others. But like I said, it was probably because you didn’t really ever say much. Because of your silence I never understood your connection to our queen. But there has to be something. I can tell by the way she looks at you. She adores you. That’s what bothers me. You have a past with women. Please tell me I’m not going to have to worry about Marcella hurting again because of them.”

  “Women? I would never betray our queen. I love her.”

  “Regardless, you attract women worse than any man I’ve ever seen. They have a way of appearing in your bed in the middle of the night. Our queen always seems to be the one to walk in at the wrong moments. Endless problems, if I do remember correctly.”

  “I haven’t had that problem recently. Of course, I haven’t been around many women, but thanks for the heads up. I’ll invest in a lock.”

  “Smart of you.”

  Ambrose headed for the door, but Samael reached his hand out involuntarily. “You promise not to say anything. The way I feel for Marcella”

  “My lips are sealed. Have no worries. Your secret is
safe with me.”

  “Thank you.” Damn if those words didn’t leave a bad taste in his mouth.

  The door closed behind him, and Samael walked to the bed and collapsed. Shit. He was indebted to that guy now. Ambrose could have blackmailed him in a heartbeat, and he didn’t. The thought was almost inconceivable. If it would have been the other way around, Samael would have taken everything but the air he breathed. Damn, wasn’t he fucking saint material.

  Closing his eyes, Samael focused on his connection to Marcella. A vision of her cradled by Jason, nude, made him groan. Great. Not exactly what he wanted to see at the moment. Well, he’d be damned if Ambrose’s little mind-bending trick hadn’t worked. It looked as if they were just fucking peachy. God, he fucking hated that guy.

  Jason. He was her first love and her first and only creation. When Samael had found out about him, it took everything in his power not to kill the son of a bitch. Oh, he had wanted to and was about two seconds from completing the task when the blood curdling scream had frozen his hands from around Jason’s neck.

  The way Marcella had looked at him, as if he was a monster, had broken his heart. It took her almost twenty years to even talk to him again after that day. But she did because she was too good to hold a grudge for long. Twenty years was a breath’s time compared to everything he’d done to her before Jason’s arrival. Damn, he was so stupid back then.

  What pissed him off even more was that it took that catastrophic event of her finding another half to open his eyes. Why hadn’t he wanted what was so freely his? It wasn’t until she was unavailable that he had wanted her. Stupid. Yes, that was him. And here he’d done it again, made it to where her and her collector were back together. His masochistic ways were just fabulously getting in the way. Fate. What a bitch.

  Tuning back to Marcella, he watched her shift in Jason’s arms. As her mouth began to open, he pulled the vision closer so he could get a better look.

  He didn’t…want me. She got quiet as her face moved to the opposite side and something unrecognizable came out. Treason? The word was said more as a question. The hurt on her face associated with that statement made Samael’s stomach clench. Fuck. There was only one thing he could think of that would make her react the way she was. She was beginning to remember more.

  Samael? Samael? Back and forth her head turned. Sweat began beading across her brow as his name kept pouring out of her mouth. No doubt she was reliving the last moments of her past life, and even though Samael wasn’t there, he could imagine them all too well. Marcella was face to face with his father, and no doubt the man was

  A scream filled the cell, making Samael jump in his own bed. Jason was quickly gathering her in his arms. It wasn’t right. The scene that lay before him should have been him soothing her. He couldn’t watch anymore. His suffering meter was overflowing. It was time he went back downstairs to prepare. He’d see her again soon. And when he did, he’d make it up to her the only way he knew how. By being there for whatever she needed.

  * * * *

  Marcella could feel her heart beating through her chest. What in the hell was she dreaming about? She couldn’t remember, but whatever it had been had scared the shit out of her.

  “You were calling for Samael right before you started screaming. Are you sure you don’t remember anything?”

  “No. I wish I did. I feel like something about it was important, but when I try, nothing.”

  Jason pulled her back down to the bed, holding her in his arms tightly. The reassurance he should have brought wasn’t there. There was this huge piece of the puzzle missing, and for the life of her, she couldn’t remember what it was. If she was repeating Samael’s name, then it only added to the suspicious thoughts she had about him being the reason.

  Shouts erupted from the entrance, and it wasn’t a second later that Nemmy and Caspius appeared before her cell. Jason’s arm tightened around her as he let out a roar. The blond angel just stood there with his mouth parted, shaking his head back and forth.

  “Nemmy? What are you doing here?” Marcella held the blanket to her nude body while she tried to sit up, but Jason didn’t let her get up past her elbows.

  “What the fuck is going on here? Marcella?”

  The pain coming from Nemmy’s features was so real her chest ached. Why was he so upset?

  “My men didn’t think I should accompany them on this trip. They said it wasn’t safe for me. Jason was told to stay here and protect me.” Small lie. But that’s okay.

  “Yeah, he really looks like he’s protecting you. I can’t.” Nemmy’s hands gripped his hair as he let out a cry.

  “Jason, let me up.” Marcella whispered the words and had to repeat them before his arm eased from around her. He moved down and stood, grabbing his pants. Nemmy let out a gasp and started walking away from the cell. Wrapping the blanket around her body, Marcella flew from the bed. Before she could get to the bars to try to calm him down, Nemmy swung around with a gun drawn.

  “Whoa, man, chill the fuck out.” Caspius’s voice sounded as panicked as she felt.

  “No! Fuck this. You were right. Everyone was always fucking right about her.”

  “Think about this. You’ll become fallen. Don’t ruin what you are, Nemmy. Come on, man, just breathe.”

  Marcella was jerked behind Jason’s body, but she didn’t stay there long. Running to the bars, she held on and put herself right in front of the gun. It was better her than her other half. “Nemmy, please. I’m not sure what’s going on here. I don’t know why you’re so upset. Please, just talk to me.”

  The gun jerked over her head in Jason’s direction. “He’s the fucking problem. Him, and Samael, and all your other men. They’re evil! You’re not, though, are you? Marcianna was always good. You have good in you, I can feel it. He tempted you, didn’t he? That’s why you both were together, right?”

  Marcella slowly walked back, putting herself more in front of Jason. “Nemmy, please put the gun down. Jason didn’t tempt me.” Lie! “Nothing happened. We were just sleeping. Jason was nude because, well, he doesn’t sleep with clothes on. The only reason I’m undressed is because my gown was covered in blood. I held a ceremony down here for my followers.” Marcella put up her hand. “I’m going to prove it to you. Just let me move over so I can show you my dress.”

  Inching her way toward the shower, she lowered and grabbed the white gown off the floor. “See.” She held it up, showing the blood. “I had nothing else to wear. Now please put the gun down.”

  Inch by inch, he slowly lowered the gun. “You promise nothing happened?”

  Jason pulled her against his side, half covering her. “So help me God, if you ever fucking bring that piece out with her in the same room again, I’m going to rip out your fucking throat. Angel or not, I’ll gut you alive.” Jason’s voice was so deep he sounded as if sandpaper was stuck in his throat.

  “Jason, shut up.” Turning to look at Nemmy, she noticed the two men holding eye contact. “Look at me, Nemmy. Nothing happened. Jason is one of my knights and also my other half. He’s meant to protect me. The gun just makes him uneasy.”

  Caspius grabbed Nemmy’s arm. “Let’s go, man.”

  “No!”

  Marcella could feel Jason start to tremble. Looking up, her body froze. His eyes looked like cat eyes, but on fire. The orange blaze could actually be seen behind the red glowing.

  “Jason, talk to me.” When he didn’t respond, Marcella closed her eyes. Fuck. If there was ever going to be a true test for the dragon, this was going to be it.

  “What the fuck is up with your boy’s eyes?” Caspius’s voice brought hers back open.

  “He’s changing, and he can’t stop it. If I were you two, I’d leave. His dragon can get a bit testy at times.”

  “Dragon?” Caspius took a step back.

  Nemmy’s anger seemed to vanish. One minute he was staring at her like an angry, jealous boyfriend, the next his eyes shot to Jason and his mouth parted.

  “I s
aid you both need to leave.” Marcella stayed calm while she addressed them. Any rise of temper was only going to cause them more panic.

  “What about you?”

  She looked at Nemmy, raising one of her eyebrows. “What about me? With the look of things, I’d say my options are pretty much limited.”

  The angel started jerking at the door. “Where’s the key? We have to get you out of here.”

  “My men have it with them. No one else has a key.”

  “Well, summon them!”

  Marcella sighed. Fuck, they were just wasting time. “I can’t, Nemmy. This cell has a block. My powers are useless.”

  “Stand back.” He pulled the gun up to the lock, and the sound was deafening as two shots rang out. Marcella rubbed her ears against the pressure filling her head. “Fuck! It’s not working!” Nemmy went back to pulling at the bars. Looking up at Jason, his expression didn’t stop staring forward.

  “Caspius, take Nemmy and go. There’s not much more time.”

  Jason’s body started jerking. She watched as he fell to the ground and started going into convulsions. Looking up, she was glad he’d at least have the height to fit. As for the width, yeah, she wasn’t so sure about that. It was definitely going to be a tight fit. That or she was going to get stomped to death.

  “I fucking said go!” She shot them a glance and watched as Caspius finally got Nemmy to move a few feet back.

  “Look at how tall this room is. In his dragon’s form, he’s going to be taller. Get your asses moving, now!”

  “Will he hurt you?” Nemmy voice was shaking as he asked.

  “No. He’s wired not to.” God, I hope Ambrose knew what he was doing.

  “Okay, we’re going. This isn’t over. Not even fucking close. If you don’t want me to turn you in, you’ll not even think about leaving or avoiding me.”

  And there it was. Somehow she knew it was going to come down to this. The angel ultimately wanted something, and at the first sign of something he didn’t like, he was ready to hand her over.