by L. Rose
I shook my thoughts away as Paige continued. “But how did you have a life with Lucifer and your twin believe in God’s ways?” Yes, we could all presume God was real, or how else would Lucifer be sitting on the couch?
Virginia giggled. “Simple really. I fell in love and would do anything to keep that love. It doesn’t mean I don’t believe in God’s law-abiding ways.” Lucifer snarled low, and Virginia patted his thigh. “I do, to some extent, but Lucifer has my heart over everything. I’m sure you can understand that?”
Paige glanced at all of us, leaving Azrael for last, albeit briefly, before she looked back to Virginia and nodded.
“Good.” Virginia returned her smile.
“I’m surprised you allowed your concubine to stay here, Lucifer,” Thorn said. That was true. I’d heard he was possessive to a point he’d killed people for looking at his women.
He smirked. “I have found it is easier to let my lovely have what she wants over fighting her.”
Corazon snorted, picking at her nails. “She gets everything she wants.”
“Corazon,” Lucifer warned.
The woman rolled her eyes but said nothing. I was guessing she didn’t want to be sent back.
“Why…?” Paige started as a blush coated her cheeks.
“Why does he have concubines when he has me?” Virginia asked, smiling.
“Yes.” Our mate nodded.
“Well, they’re used for a power source. I can’t always be used, or it would drain me.”
“How are they used as a power source?” Thorn questioned.
Virginia glanced up at Lucifer. He nodded. “Lucifer is an angel, but what many don’t know is he also has another side to him.”
“Vampire,” I said softly. I knew a part of him felt like kin, but I’d brushed it off, thinking our darker sides had originated from Hell.
Virginia looked up at me and nodded. I could feel Lucifer’s gaze on me, but I ignored it. No wonder we’d had a struggle of dominance. It was our vampire sides working against each other. Usually, I would have seen he was more dominant, but mine had become stronger since Paige and my clan had connected. Although, I wasn’t stupid enough to believe I would win a fight with the devil. His abilities went beyond all of ours, which had me wondering yet again why they were here trying to get in Paige’s good graces.
They wanted something from her, but what?
Did it also mean we’d have an alliance with Lucifer?
For Paige’s sake and safety, it was something to take into consideration before making the final decision.
I ran my hand down Paige’s thigh. She shivered. I left my palm flat just above her knee. Meeting Lucifer’s eyes, I stated, “I would like to know the other reasons you are here. Why Virginia wanted to involve herself within these walls.”
After a beat, he answered, “The demons who attacked Paige, to begin with, weren’t sent from me. The first one, Valino, who encountered Paige, sensed her changes within. He sent a mental message to his brethren before he was killed.”
The one in the restaurant. We hadn’t thought he was strong enough to contact his brethren in Hell, unless they’d already been on earth of course.
“Does that mean they work alone?” Alex asked. “They were after Paige because they knew she would be queen and wanted to use her to gain their own kingdom?”
“There is always that possibility. I have many demons who are loyal to me, too fearful of what I would do. But there are always creatures in any domain that are trying to gain strength to overthrow me and anyone with power and authority.” Those were things we’d already known, but then he added, “However, I fear the demons that are Valino’s brethren are working alongside someone.”
“Then they were the ones who ambushed us and were working with Grace,” Alex said.
Paige’s heart skipped a beat. Nate snarled and I tensed. None of us liked hearing his words. They were our clan, our family, and they were tricked. We could have lost them all together and it didn’t sit well at all.
“Ambushed you?” Paige demanded in a low, vicious tone.
Alex pushed calm out to all of us. It was new. I could feel Alex, and not just through his link with Paige. It meant we were all connected on a new level. Nate’s snarl dropped off into an unsettled growl in the back of his throat, and I relaxed a little, feeling his calm.
“Remember, dove, we’re fine.”
The sound of her teeth grinding together reached me. She nodded once.
“What happened?” she clipped.
They told us the story of what they’d been through, and in return, we filled them in on the battle with Grace.
“I wished we’d kept her alive so I could kill her again,” Paige stated.
“I’d also like to get my hands on her,” Thorn said, his jaw tight. “In fact, I could do with a snack.”
Lucifer chuckled at that.
I interrupted with “Do you know who the demon working with Grace was?”
Lucifer nodded. “From what Alex described, he is Rebellious. He’d been a guard, but when I’d caught him,” his jaw clenched, “flirting with Virginia, I handled him. I thought he was dead. Obviously, I was wrong. I have no doubt he would be working with the same people who are trying to capture Paige.”
“Why are they after her?” Alex asked.
“With Paige comes power and her people. There’s been a rumor that if a demon was to eat the ghoul queen’s heart, her power and followers will be theirs.”
“Is it true?” I demanded.
Lucifer shrugged. “No one knows because no demon has killed a ghoul queen.”
“And no one ever will,” I stated coldly and was surprised when Lucifer, the devil himself, nodded.
“How dangerous is Rebellious?” Thorn asked.
Lucifer shrugged. “Depends on who he works alongside. On his own, any one of you could take him down. If he’s able to gain more power, he could be a problem.”
Fuck, we needed to know who he worked with. I had a feeling it was the council.
“Do you know of the council?” Alex asked.
Lucifer snorted. “Of course.” His teeth ground together. “They’re a group of people who think they’re too powerful to be touched.”
Virginia’s hand landed on his. “My latest premonition involved the council, Luca.”
His body locked. “What of them?”
“They’ve been informed of Paige’s existence and whereabouts.”
“And?” he clipped.
Virginia opened her mouth, made a gargle noise, and then frowned.
I spoke for her. “From what we gathered, if they are to come here for her, the chance of our survival is slim. If we pay them a visit, things look better.” I paused for a moment and added something that had been on my mind. “However, I have been thinking, when we do go there, we will need people of the supernatural community to know of their… wrongdoings. We’ll need proof to take them down without anything coming back on us.”
Lucifer’s lips tipped in the corners in a small smile. “I would agree with that assessment. Without proof and people seeing the evidence, things will go south for you all if you just show and murder the lot of them. You’ll need others to see Paige and the good she’s doing for her people, that aren’t just her own kind.”
Paige’s hand shot out. “Wait. Hold on. Are you saying there’s a chance, if we manage to take all of them down in the right way, nothing comes back to bite us in the butt? People will see me as their new… I don’t know, council member?”
“Correct.” He nodded.
Paige’s panic hit us all. Quickly, I curled my arm around her and dragged her close.
“I won’t do it.” She shook her head. “Already I have enough on my plate here, and I struggle each day to make sure I’m doing it right.”
“Already you’re succeeding in ruling like all queens should be,” Virginia said.
Lucifer nodded. “You rule like I do now. I respect it.”
Paige gulp
ed. We all heard it. I thinned my lips to keep from laughing. I didn’t think she’d take that as a compliment having been compared to the devil.
Lucifer laughed. “I’ll rephrase that, my dear. You rule like I do since Virginia came into my life. Before I had her, I killed anyone who pissed me off for the littlest thing. Now, she grounds me. We kill when necessary. We protect our people. We give orders when needed, and change things to match the times. Before Virginia, I didn’t have respect from my people. They lived in fear. After her, they follow me for a different reason… because they want to.”
“But… you’re the devil,” Paige said.
If it had offended, I was ready to flash her away, but it didn’t. Instead, he smiled.
“I’ll never be a saint. There were too many sins on my soul, and really it would be boring to live my existence as a good Samaritan like my dickhead brother Michael. But it doesn’t mean I can’t alter my world, or my thoughts for the people I love.” He winked. “But back to what I was saying. If killing the council is the path you’ll have to follow, you’ll need to give the people something, or someone new.”
“What about you?” Paige asked, hopeful.
Lucifer snorted, then chuckled. “No.”
Virginia shook her head. “His life belongs in Hell. It’s where he’s needed.”
Paige sagged against me. “My love, it’s not something to worry about now,” I told her.
“I agree,” Thorn said. “Things aren’t set in stone. We still need to find proof to take down the council, and this is before they even think about coming here.”
“We should send a notice of our visit. So they know we’re coming, and then they won’t have to come here.” Alex glanced at Virginia. “Would that work? Would they stay away and wait for us to come to them?”
Virginia winked.
“Gregory?” Paige called.
“I’ll have it done by the end of the day, my queen.”
“Thank you. Please state we’ll be there within two months.” She glanced to Virginia, who nodded, and then Paige smiled over at Gregory, who bowed. Paige’s nerves were all over the place. She still feared a lot of things, but I could still feel her interest in Azrael, and also her arousal and happiness that she had her clan all together. What I also sensed was confusion.
“Sweetheart,” Thorn called.
She tipped her head up to him. “Yes?”
“What has you confused?” He’d been reading her too, and no doubt, Alex and Nate had done the same.
She nodded, glanced back to Lucifer, and asked, “Why are you both helping us?”
When Virginia smiled up at Lucifer, he nodded. She looked back at Paige and said, “It’s simple. We believe you’re the best candidate to offer our support to for the future. All we’re after is a peaceful existence.” She paused a beat. “However, there is one more thing.”
Paige’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s that?”
“We needed to make sure you would be the perfect mate for our son.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I mean, I knew there was a connection with Azrael, but I didn’t realize Virginia was his mother. And my mate? I had four already. Four. What was strange was how I couldn’t sense any unease from Thorn or Alex. They showed me nothing through the link, even though it was open. However, Asher was wary, and Nate pressed closer and growled low in concern.
“You. Are. Our. Son’s. Mate,” Lucifer said slowly and with sign language.
I wanted to punch him. Even more, I wanted to look at Azrael, but suddenly, I felt shy. Was this some type of arranged marriage? Were they for real? This was why they were supporting me, so they could get rid of their son? Were they mean parents? Of course they were mean, well, Satan was, because he’d cut his own son up… although there wasn’t a mark on Azrael in the end.
“It’s very amusing watching her as she thinks,” Lucifer commented.
“True, so many emotions cross over her features. Right now, she’s back to confusion.”
“What was the screwed-up face one?” Lucifer asked.
“She was probably worried about everyone’s sanity,” Virginia answered.
Running a hand down my face, I suddenly stood and started pacing in front of my couch. Only that got me closer to Azrael. My eyes widened. I looked away, so I didn’t get lost in his eyes, and backed up, tripping over Asher’s feet. Quickly, I jumped up, ignoring my face heating.
I pointed to a chuckling Lucifer. “You… he… this isn’t…. I mean, you can’t just offer up your son to me.” I threw out my hand Azrael’s way. “He looks like a nice guy, and he… ah, helped with your concubine trying to hurt me. Still… I have four bonded males already.”
“Are you saying you don’t feel the connection between you both?” Lucifer asked, now frowning.
I didn’t want to admit it in front of my men. Yet, it was ridiculous to deny it since I attacked the devil himself trying to protect Azrael.
Biting my bottom lip, I nodded.
“So you do feel it?” Lucifer questioned again. I was sure it was to annoy me.
Glaring at him, I said, “Nodding does mean yes.”
“Let me tell you a story then,” he replied, ignoring my snark. In fact, he’d been very lenient with me. Was it because Azrael was their son and them thinking he was my mate?
I dipped my brows in confusion. “Story time now?”
“There’s always time for story time. However, this is important right now.” I nodded. He relaxed further into the couch while I took my seat back and didn’t look at their son. “It started on a cold, dreary night—”
“Are you serious right now?” I demanded. His jaw clenched in reaction. “Is this an actual real story or something made up?”
“It’s real. I’m just setting the mood.”
I rolled my eyes. Who’d have thought the devil was a narrator? I thinned my lips and bit down on them when he started again with “It was a cold, dreary night in New York City. I had been out looking for a certain someone when Marsala appeared out of nowhere.”
I really wished he would just get to the damn point. But if I interrupted again, there was a chance he’d once more start from the beginning, and I couldn’t have that happen.
“Marsala and I had known each other for a long time. I wouldn’t say we were friends; however, she was a person I could rely on to deal with my wayward demons in her area. She needed a favor. A protector and teacher for her replacement.”
I stilled.
Ezra? Sorrow grabbed at my chest. I quickly blocked my mates from my emotions. I erected a wall between us so I couldn’t feel theirs either as I wanted to feel that pain. I deserved that pain.
“After some thought, I offered her someone since he was to be punished for disobeying us. You know who I’m talking about?” Lucifer asked.
I nodded. If I opened my mouth, I would have sobbed. Tears brimmed my eyes. Should I have cared it was in front of Lucifer? Probably. It showed weakness, but I’d already been gushy and loving in front of him, so I didn’t care what he thought.
Then I wondered if they blamed me for Ezra’s death. Had he been their faithful hellhound and I’d got him killed?
“He died under your care,” Lucifer stated.
I nodded.
“You cared for him?”
I nodded.
“You still care for him?”
Another nod. I also wanted to shout at him to shut up, or I would burst into tears. Thorn took my hand, kissing the back of it. Asher’s hand touched the base of my neck. Nate whimpered and rested his head on my knees. Alex’s hand went to my shoulder, where he applied pressure.
All of them offering me their support.
I loved my men.
Loved them.
But whatever was to come, it was me who would deal with it.
“It was unfortunate to lose him. It—”
My lips unlocked, and I said darkly, “It wasn’t unfortunate. It killed a part of me, and I’ll forever feel his loss. He was my fr
iend, my teacher, my companion, and if it wasn’t for my men, my family, I would have found a way to end my life because it wouldn’t have been worth living without him. I loved him. I still love him, and I always will. You can punish me for his loss because I would do the same since he was so special.”
Sniffling, Virginia wiped at her eyes. “You really are perfect. The way you love is strong and with everything you have. Your body, heart, and soul. It’s beautiful.”
I ground my teeth together, not understanding what was going on.
“Azrael,” Lucifer called.
Great, we were back to arguing over setting us up.
I opened my mouth to say something but snapped it closed. I really wasn’t in the mood to speak, especially after talking of Ezra since thinking of him saddened me. All I wished for was to go to my room with my men and fall into bed with them, knowing they were all safe.
However, out of the corner of my eye, Azrael stepped closer. Asher stiffened, and Nate growled. I turned my head his way to tell Azrael we’d speak of it another day, if they were staying, when his body wavered, almost shimmering.
I snapped my lips closed. Heat washed through the room. It burned hotter for a moment, forcing me to close my eyes. Something was happening. Something to Azrael. Panic clutched my gut.
Then the heat stopped.
Asher muttered, “What the fuck?”
Nate whimpered. I glanced down to him to see him jump forward, then back. I shifted my gaze to where he was looking.
My jaw dropped. My eyes widened at where Azrael had been standing a moment ago. But….
It couldn’t be.
I was seeing things.
I had to have been.
My throat closed, my eyes welled, and my heart pumped erratically in my chest.
Anger had me standing, had me shaking my head, fisting my hands at my sides. “How could you do this to me? It’s not him. It’s not. This is beyond cruel.” Nate went to all fours and snarled.
Hands grabbed my shoulders. “Sweetheart,” Thorn said, his voice thick with emotion. “Look at him. Really look at him.”
I shook my head again and again. “No. I won’t. Leave!” I yelled.