Denying the Watcher

by Kim Loraine

  Damn. He’s right.

  “Fine. When do we start?”

  Two months later:

  The sun sets on the sixtieth day of life without a Watcher, and my eyes open to see the long red waves I love so intensely. I love the rest of Willow’s body too, but that hair is something special. She’s like the little mermaid or something, except she can’t sing to save her life. Scooting her ass back against me, she squirms and lets out a soft sigh. Fuck yes. In seconds, I’m sinking into her slick heat and moving slowly, back and forth, making us both moan.

  “I love you, Willow,” I murmur against her shoulder.

  “I … I … Oh God, I love you too.”

  “We’ve been over this before, Angel. My name is Devin.”

  She giggles and kicks her hips backward, sliding me deeper inside her. Never mind, she can call me whatever the fuck she wants as long as she keeps letting me make love to her. I thrust lazily, wanting to draw it out as much as I want to chase my release. But before long, she’s clutching the sheets and calling my name, begging me to bite her. My fangs graze her shoulder before sinking into the most tender part of her neck, and I drink deep. Riding the pulse of her pussy around my cock as we come apart for each other.

  As we both slip down from our orgasms, a satisfied sigh escapes me. “I fucking love waking up like this.”

  “Me too.” She sits up, then walks naked across our bedroom, her perfect ass on display as she grabs her robe. She turns her head and glances at me over her shoulder “So, now that we’re not fighting the minions of hell, what should we do with the rest of our lives?”

  I hadn’t really planned on doing this naked, but I doubt there will ever be a better opening than that. “We could get married.”

  She laughs. “Yeah, I guess we could do that. I was thinking more … short-term.”

  The woman thinks I’m kidding. My inner caveman is ready to grab her by the hair and pull her to the altar. “I’m serious, Willow. I think we should get married.”

  “But … we’re vampires.”

  “And?”

  “And … can we even legally do that?”

  Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Yeah, I think we can.”

  “Who would care if we got married or not?”

  I stand, slipping a pair of boxer briefs over my nakedness, and close the distance between us, pulling her to me. “I care. I want you to be mine in every fucking way possible. I want your body, your heart, your soul. You.”

  “Really?”

  I can’t help but chuckle. I threw myself on a stake for this woman, and she doubts me? “Really. Marry me, Willow.”

  A smile spreads across that delectable mouth of hers, making her eyes shine. “Okay. Why not?”

  I pull her close, planting a searing kiss on her lips as she grips my hair and tugs. Breaking our kiss, I hold her against me, taking in the scent of her. “When do you want to do it?”

  Her brow furrows, and suddenly, my confidence evaporates.

  “What?” I ask, almost not wanting to hear her answer.

  “You mentioned my soul.”

  “What about it?”

  “Did you know that I still have it? That’s what Azazel told me.”

  Shock radiates through me. “He must’ve been lying.”

  Shaking her head, she takes my hand and presses it to her heart. “No. I feel it. Inside. I’m not missing any part of me.”

  “But …”

  “That’s not all. Devin, you’ve been different since Sariel left. At first, I thought it was because of him moving on, but I think it’s more. I think you have your soul too.”

  I want to laugh. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. But then I stop, take note of everything I’m feeling, everything I’ve been feeling for the last two months. “Something is … different.”

  Taking my face in her hands, she stares deep into my eyes. “It’s your soul. I can see it.”

  Letting my eyes shut, I tip my face toward Heaven and let myself believe her. If she’s right, then I’m whole. Was what I’d dismissed as transitioning from having a Watcher to being alone really more than that? I can’t bring myself to hope. I link her fingers with mine and refuse to meet her gaze, not wanting her to be disappointed in me.

  “My soul has been languishing in purgatory since I was made a vampire, Willow. What you see isn’t my soul, it’s what you do to me. You make me whole. I don’t need anything else.”

  Kissing me, she sighs and steps back. “You’re wrong. But I’ll let you figure it out on your own. In the meantime, fiancé, I’m going to take a shower. Want to join me?”

  The look in her eyes takes me from everything else as she backs away, barely holding the robe closed and flashing a generous helping of thigh. “Fuck, yes. Are you sure you don’t want me to dirty you up a bit more before we get clean?”

  She bites her lip and dashes past me, calling over her shoulder, “Only if you can catch me.”

  I’m on her in the blink of an eye, pushing her to her back on the cool leather of the couch. I don’t think I’ll ever stop wanting her.

  “Oh, Devin, I love you.”

  My cock is hard and aching even though I’ve just had her. “I love you too.”

  Spreading her legs, I position myself, ready to press inside. A loud crack sends us both scrambling as we stare at the front door, now hanging off its hinges. Sariel stands in the doorway, battered, bloody, and breathing heavily.

  “Sariel? What the fuck?” My words are mixed with anger and concern.

  He drops to his knees, head in his hands. “I need your help.”

  Sneak Peek: Releasing the Watcher

  “Watch it, asshole.” The cab driver lays on the horn, swerving to avoid me as I blindly step into the busy traffic of downtown Seattle.

  Shaking my head to clear my mind, I return to the sidewalk, but my eyes never leave the woman across the street. Selah, my soul mate, the reason I fell from Heaven and lost my wings, the woman I’ve been cursed to live without for millennia. She’s sitting on a stool in front of the large bank of windows of Starbucks, just like she does nearly every morning. Her dark hair cascades over one shoulder as she nurses her drink and, damn it to hell and back, she’s still as painfully beautiful as I remember. My cock hardens as her fingers slide absently across her collarbone. Would that I could taste her skin.

  And then the light catches on the fucking engagement ring on her hand. I’m going to have to do something about that.

  She’s mine.

  She doesn’t know it yet, but she will.

  “Let her be, brother.” Gabriel’s voice catches me off guard. I’m not used to the diminished senses being mortal leaves me with. After thousands of years living like a parasite inside powerful vampires, I’d grown accustomed to certain heightened abilities. But, I’ll take the warmth of the sun on my skin and the pleasures of life over speed and bloodlust any day.

  My heart gives an uncomfortable squeeze as she fiddles with the bauble on her finger.

  “She’s meant for me.”

  The archangel rests a hand on my shoulder, sending a pulsing sting along the raised golden ink under my skin. The burn flows through the expanse of the pattern, reminding me of what I stand to regain. My wings. My place in Heaven. My Selah.

  “Sariel, you’ve found her. That doesn’t mean she’ll be yours.”

  “She will.” The thought of her not choosing me sends a primal flash of rage through my blood.

  “Your focus needs to be on stopping the Watchers, ending this conflict before it begins, not bedding the woman who caused your fall.”

  That pulls my attention from her. I’m sure my anger is visible as I turn my gaze to him. And all he can do is smirk. The fucker. He’s lucky he can’t die. Brother or not, I’d push his winged ass right into traffic. “She’s not any woman. You know that.”

  Heaving a long-suffering sigh, Gabriel begins walking away, his posture the stiff, uncomfortable stance of a being unwilling to learn how to b
lend in with the natives. When I cast a fleeting glance back at Selah, my heart sinks when all I find is an empty window. Damn.

  “Has the vampire come to terms with his soul being returned?” Gabriel asks as I catch up with him.

  “Devin. His name is still Devin. And, no. I haven’t told him yet.”

  Turning on me, Gabriel frowns. “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t seen him since you told me I wasn’t a vampire any longer. I see no reason to bring Devin and Willow further into this until they’re needed. Azazel is gone, the Watchers have no leader. We can leave them out of it for now.”

  A dark chuckle falls from Gabriel. “Have you gone soft? The Sariel I know has always been focused on one thing … himself. But the more involved with these vampires and their women you’ve become, the less ruthless you seem.”

  He’s right. Watching as Galen and Devin both found their soul mates has changed me. Maybe I have softened. I could have let them each die, left their souls in purgatory until they were judged, but I didn’t.

  “They earned their souls. You know that as well as I do.”

  Nodding, he stops in front of the lot where I’ve parked my car for my daily stalking session. It’s laughable, really, to think I’m a fallen fucking angel, reduced to nothing better than a lovesick puppy begging for attention.

  “The Watchers aren’t without a leader, Sariel.”

  Gabriel’s words send a chill through me. “Who has taken control?”

  “We’re not sure, but we suspect it’s Lucifer.”

  “How the hell are you not sure?”

  “You know he’s amassed a wealth of power since he was cast out. As the world becomes ever more faithless, so grows his strength. He’s been able to cloak himself from us, change his form, manipulate those around him, but his skills have improved vastly in the last hundred years. If he doesn’t want us to find him, we won’t.”

  Running my hand through my hair, I grip the back of my neck. This isn’t good. I know Gabriel wants to give our remaining fallen brothers a chance to repent, but if Lucifer has them, there’s no going back.

  “Sariel, you and I have a lot of work to do. You’ll be better off if you keep your attention on the battle to come rather than a woman you don’t have.”

  I force myself to bite my tongue. He’s picking at me on purpose, knowing I’ll lose my temper and use my power. But I can’t. Every time I give in, I know it takes me farther from Selah and closer to becoming the weapon the archangels want me to be.

  This series started out as a simple short story, something I was writing for fun, but once Galen’s story got started, I couldn’t stop, and Devin insisted he get his own book. I took a leap of faith with Waking the Watcher and am so thankful for your support as readers.

  Thanks to Jenn Langston, my amazing critique partner who believed in Galen almost more than I did. Thanks also go to my husband, for always supporting me and listening to my crazy rants about plots. My kids, for letting mommy write. My family for the unending support.

  I also need to thank my amazing beta readers—Megan, Rachel, Rebecca, Amber, Sam, and Joyce. Love you ladies and your honest feedback. And to the numerous authors I admire who’ve helped me on this journey, especially Sarah Robinson and Rachel Van Dyken, thanks for your support.

  Kim Loraine was raised a Navy brat but spent most of her life growing up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. A proper Washingtonian, she’s addicted to coffee, doesn’t let a little rain ruin her day, and thinks the sun is a gift from God. When not chasing her three little minions around, Kim spends her time writing, reading, and binge watching Doctor Who.

  Other books by Kim Loraine

  The Watcher Trilogy

  Waking the Watcher

  The Golden Beach Series

  Restoration

  Renovation

  Foundation

  Resonance

  Redemption

  Resolution

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