by Jakz, Nikita
She gasped, her smile disappearing. Not only was his gaze flickering black, but his canines were sharpening, too. Her eyes went wide, watching in alarm as his flesh began to change from golden brown to a deep, dark maroon. All the while, Cole seemed oblivious, lost in the feel of her thumbs grazing his temples.
“Oh my God!” she cried, squirming frantically beneath his large frame. “Cole! Let me go!”
Frowning, he released her and sat back on his heels, watching her leap from their bed. She tore to the other side of the room, the fact that she was naked holding no bearing compared to what she’d just witnessed.
Against the wall, she began to weep. “What is wrong with your eyes? And your teeth? And your skin?” Both hands clapped over her mouth as a distraught whimper emerged. Cole climbed off the bed and approached her, trying to ease her anxiety. “No! Do not touch me!” she screamed hysterically. “Not with those... those… oh my God, you have claws!” She choked out a sob of despair. “What is happening? I do not understand!”
Inhaling slowly, Cole closed his eyes and tried to calm his demon, the side of him that had suddenly grown a mind of its own, scaring the holy shit out of Sera in the process.
“Sera, I can explain.” He re-opened his eyes, their color back to hazel. But he couldn't conceal his talons, so he hid them behind his back. “I'm not what I seem.” He frowned. She was squeezed so tight into the corner she could almost climb the wall. “Sera, I'm still me, I’m just… I'm more.” But she wasn’t hearing him. A noise of frustration rumbled in his chest. “Please Sera, let me explain.” Even to him his voice sounded guttural, distorted.
She shook her head furiously. “No! You are not still you! You are a demon! Why did you not tell me?” Covering a face twisted in agonized realization, she began to weep anew. “This cannot be happening. Of all that you could be. Why? Why must you be a demon?”
He drew slightly closer but she threw out her hands. “No! Stay away!” Her brows wrenched in pain. Cole paused, devastation wracking him. Her brutal rejection was crushing. She shook her head again, swiping at her tears. On a shuddering breath she groaned, as if her heart had begun to crumble. “You can never touch me again, for we no longer fit as one. This was all a tragic mistake, an impossible dream between a liar and a fool.”
Cole’s hands fisted at his sides, irate that she was being so unreasonable. She wouldn’t even let him explain. “You aren't the fool here. I am, for thinking you could ever love me. Why can't you see I'm the same person? You know I love you. You know I'd never hurt you.” He stepped toward her again. “Sera, please. Just let me explain.”
Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, pleading for her to give him a chance. But her mind was reeling just as intensely. The bitter reality was impossible to ignore. She was an angel and he was a demon. They could never be together. Her world would never allow it and his would leap at the chance to use their relationship for evil. Regardless of how much she cared, in the end, it did not matter.
As he moved closer, she began to shake. If she allowed him to touch her, she would never be able to leave. Her voice of reason would be crushed under foot by her impassioned love. She had to get away from him, and never look back.
She steeled her shoulders and stared into his beautiful eyes. Eyes she loved more than life itself ─despite their new ability to glow. “There is no point in explaining. We cannot reconcile this futile situation. As you have known from the very start, from the moment I entrusted you with my origin, I am angel. Your kind’s greatest of adversary. There is no logic in trying to fix what would never have worked to begin with. We are both fools, Cole. Now please, just let me go.”
Slowly she inched her way along the wall, choking back the tears as she went. With each reluctant step, her angelic robes began to form, covering her body like a silken embrace, as if knowing she needed the comfort.
Cole followed her as she edged toward the door. Why couldn’t she just give them a chance? Bleak eyes watched her trembling fingers reach for the knob. “Sera, please,” he begged, wincing as she flinched away from his outstretched hand. He drew it back and raked both hands through his hair, hitting those damn bumps of his along the way. He cursed the fates that made him what he was.
When she pulled open the door, he croaked in despair, “Sera, don't go. Stay. Let me explain. We can make this work. I know we can.” She said nothing, and with his heart in his eyes, he was forced to watch her move even farther away. From him. From them.
Inside, he was dying, knowing that if she left he'd be lost forever to his demon. She was the bright light that kept the good inside him intact. And the wickedness at bay. If he lost her, there would be no coming back from the darkness, the side of him ever waiting to take over. Damn it, he deserved good in his life. And Sera was that good.
As if his devastated expression was beginning to undo her, Sera whispered on a trembling breath, “Do not make this harder than it already is. Verily, my heart is shattering within my chest, my will warring with my very soul. I must go now and never return, lest I never go at all.” Her hand held back another sob. “May consolation somehow find you, Cole Astaroth.”
With fresh tears falling, she sprinted out the door, her long legs carrying her into the cold, dying night. Between her shoulder blades where her robe dipped low, majestic wings sprang forth, expanding gracefully from her slender form. Instantly she took flight, her wings flapping powerfully, carrying her higher, higher into the sky’s dim light.
“Sera! Please! Don’t go where I can’t follow!” Cole yelled, his hands braced against the doorjamb, the only thing keeping him from falling. Despairing eyes looked on as he watched her go, leaving him behind.
And then those eyes returned to black, his horns growing longer as his body went cold, the demon inside taking over his mind, body and soul. The doorjamb crumbled like toothpicks in his hands as an ungodly bellow tore from his mouth. It was a cry of profound loss, attesting to the fact that his human half was gone. Just like his heart. Never to be seen again.
Still naked, he flashed from the doorway, heading underground, bound and determined. If he didn't deserve Sera then he didn't deserve happiness, either. If his life was going to be a living hell, then hell is where he would live it.
CHAPTER 1
A Stalking She Will Go
100 years later…
His eyes flickered beneath closed lids as a mist formed inside his dream. Before him, a disturbingly familiar, heavenly vision appeared; a female he hadn’t seen since he was a young demon. The female who had destroyed his world. He looked around and quickly realized he was in a place he hadn’t seen in eons, either. Not since before he’d gotten sucked into the Master's servitude.
He frowned, confused. “Why am I here, Sera? Miss me so much you just had to come to me in Sleepy Land?” He smirked, hiding his true feelings beneath his shining personality. In truth, he was suddenly a riot of emotions, emotions he thought he’d buried deep a long time ago.
He froze as she floated closer. When her small hand reached out to him, he had absolutely no idea what to do.
“You know why you’re here, Cole,” she murmured tentatively.
“Can't say that I do,” he countered, playing dumb.
“Your words pain me. Do you truly not remember us?” Genuine sorrow belied her small pout.
“Oh, I remember lots of things, like there being no ‘us.’ There hasn't been an ‘us’ for a hundred years.” He took a deep breath, careful not to show any emotion as she moved even closer. “So I ask again, why am I here? What do you want?”
Her big, ethereal eyes blinked at his harshness. “Why do you act this way? Are you not happy to see me again?” She took a step back, sad confusion dimming her gaze.
Cole shook his head. “I'm not the green, stupid youth I once was. I’m something your kind hates. So why now, after all this time, have you decided to come to me?” His voice grew darker as he pinned her with a glare. “Wait. Don't tell me
. You've fallen so now you can lower your standards. I wasn't good enough for you, remember Sera? You left me, not the other way around.”
He turned with a growl and ran a hand through his hair. What the hell? His life was a cluster fuck from one extreme to the other. He looked back at Sera and his heart pinched at the sight. So clearly he remembered that week they spent together. Naïve he had been, but not so jaded as he was now.
He started to pace, shaking his head in frustration. What was she doing back in his world? He wasn’t going to let her uproot a part of him he’d repressed so deep that in any other situation he’d need a shovel to find. After all he'd been through since she’d left him, and all he was presently going through, he really didn’t need this.
As he stopped in front of her, he got a whiff of her scent. Fresh and sweet, like morning dew. He nearly groaned, growing instantly hard. Abruptly he grabbed her shoulders, intentionally forcing her into her physical form. “Why, Sera? Why now?”
Her eyes went wide as saucers, as if no longer being just a figment of their imaginations had struck true unadulterated fear into her spirit.
She shook her head slightly, meeting his intense stare. “I- I couldn’t help myself. I- I needed to see you.” When his eyes narrowed, she quickly added, “But I wasn't planning on manifesting completely. That was you're doing.” She forced her chin upward as he continued to glare. “If my presence infuriates you so, why did you induce my physical form?”
Cole closed his eyes and lowered his head, trying desperately to figure out what she wanted from him. Lifting his head, he looked at her. “I wanted to make sure you were real.” He let go of her shoulders and cupped her face in his hands, the soft skin like satin under his fingers. “Why do you need to see me, Sera?” Confusion flickered across his face before quickly donning a mask of indifference. No way in hell was he going to let her see how much her nearness affected him.
Sera searched his eyes. Her lips parted as if she was going to say something, then pressed together tightly. Against his palms she shook her head, brows furrowed as a groan slipped free. “Ask not questions you do not want the answers to.”
Cole rolled his eyes. “I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know. I'm not the naïve boy you once knew, so don't treat me like one, damn it.”
He let her go and backed away, not trusting himself while so close. Suspicious eyes watched her, wondering again what her game was. Everyone always wanted something. He ran his hand a second time through his hair, the action making it stick straight up. And all the while, he couldn’t help staring, his eyes continually drawn to her no matter how many times he looked away.
His retreat didn’t surprise Sera. In an odd way, it almost relieved her. She hadn't planned to talk with him. She wasn't ready for rational conversation.
His hot and cold behavior was no surprise, either. Of course he would harbor resentful feelings. She had injured him terribly, just as she’d inflicted a nearly fatal wound upon herself. But how does one repair such damage? Clearly time and separation had done little good.
As he stared at her from a distance, she shivered. What was she doing? What truly were her intentions? How could she give him answers that she did not possess herself?
Rubbing her arms, she exhaled, then spoke a truth she knew she should not. “I know you are not naïve. It is just that I have watched you from afar for so long, and the distance has been… difficult. I simply wanted … to be… closer.” She looked down at her hands, ashamed. “I know it was selfish of me. I offer you my heartfelt apology and beg for your absolution-”
But before she could finish, Cole flashed directly in front of her and crashed his lips to hers. His tongue thrust into her mouth, taking her by surprise. And when he lifted her up and held her close, she instantly melted against him.
He pulled away briefly, whispering low, “Is that good enough for your absolution?”
But again he gave her no chance to reply, his lips quickly retaking possession of hers. And as he went for total control, Sera could neither breathe nor formulate thought. Pure instinct had her meeting his barrage before her brain could demand a retreat.
With fierce passion she engaged him, her heart galloping wildly as she met his demanding kiss. It had been so very long. Oh how he tasted just as she remembered. And Good Lord, how he moved just the same, as well.
But then her reasoning elbowed its way to the forefront of her mind, warring valorously with her heart's desire. Her fingers fisted roughly into his hair, as if grasping onto a lifeline, even as she ripped her lips from his. “No. Cole. We mustn't-” Yet, before she could finish her sentence, she was crushing her lips back to his, moaning at the feel.
Abruptly, she shoved him away again, her eyes smoldering with intensity. “I should not have come. We should not be-” A tiny snarl sounded from her throat as she lunged at him again, her strong legs snapping tight around his slender hips. Lips attacking his, her essence began to pulse, glowing just below her smooth skin's surface.
She whimpered even as her tongue tangoed fiercely with Cole’s. Her brows scrunched above tightly shut eyes, the expression exuding her deep, inner turmoil.
But a second later she was dropping to her feet, pummeling her fists against his chest, her voice husky with need and frustration. “Why did you have to be demon? I wanted to love you for all time!”
Breathing heavy, he just stood there, his heart pounding so hard she could hear it. But her words seemed to have broken through his haze of passion. He frowned down at her, taking her fists into his. And as he pulled her against him, he challenged her with a question of his own. “Why are you an angel, one that so easily tempts me?”
She blinked as he drew in a breath, as if trying to clear his head. But her mouth quickly stole his attention. Lips brushing against hers, his tongue teased their seam until she opened to him once more. “Sera...” he groaned.
Her chest felt like it was about to implode, but from fear or happiness she couldn't tell. His affections were all she'd ever wanted, all she'd been dreaming of for the last century. How could something so wrong feel so right? She wanted to scream. Instead she poured all her frustrations into their kiss.
Her hands fisted his shirt with an iron grip. Against his lips she nearly growled, “It is not fair.” She kissed him harder. “But surely it would be a sin to deny this.” She bit down on his lower lip, and when he hissed she mewled deliriously. How she loved taking him off guard with her antics. He loved her rough and she loved to please him. Her fingers slid under his shirt to grip his sides, her nails sinking into his flesh. He growled and her knees went utterly weak.
But then she snapped out of it again. Ripping her hands away, she took a step back. Anguish tore at her soul. She shook her head and groaned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “I am so lost without you.”
Cole’s body was humming, but at a whole new level of arousal from the pain she’d just inflicted. Their passion had always been intense, so much more satisfying than anyone he'd ever been with. Hell, he’d be the first to admit he was no saint and had enjoyed what was out there, but with Sera, there was more. And it had swiftly sent him back to the edge of the unknown.
Unsettled from the feeling, he let her go without a struggle, emptiness immediately setting in from the loss. To conceal his emotions, he just stared at her, crossing his arms defensively. He needed to get a grip. She was messing with his fucking reality. “When you make up your mind, Sera, you know where to find me.”
Forcing himself to wake, Cole opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. At least this time he got to leave her standing there and not the other way around. He growled in frustration, sitting up naked in bed. From the nightstand he swiped up his lamp and threw it across the room, shattering it to pieces.
As his elbows dropped to rest on drawn knees, he buried his head in his hands. His life was a piece of shit, so it fit that he still wasn’t good enough for Sera. Hell, who was he kidding? He’d never be good enough for her.
&
nbsp; Wrenched away from Cole’s mental embrace, Sera sighed, finding herself at her vanity once more. Slender fingers sank into her hair as she propped her head in her hand. What a catastrophe her visit had become. Sadly she turned and rose, bare feet soundlessly taking her to one of her chamber’s many large windows. It was a place she found herself often these days. Even though she peered out at a dark, celestial sky, all she could see was Cole. “Good night, my beautiful disaster, until we meet again.”
CHAPTER 2
“Phew! Spying can wear an angel out!”
A week had passed since that strange sleepy-time encounter with Sera, and Cole was once again up to his usual antics. This time he was hiding out in a motel room, evading his most recent score of women hounding him for his attention. Truth be told, he really hoped he could get some fucking sleep.
With his arm slung over his eyes, he groaned. He was so tired. The sleep of the dead just wouldn't come to him. He wondered if he’d see Sera again if he did fall into slumber. A slow smirk formed on his lips. Deep down he knew she wouldn't be able to resist him for long. Not with the longing he’d seen in her eyes. But it still didn’t explain why she suddenly wanted anything to do with his ass.
Long moments later, despite his unsettled thoughts, sleep finally took him, his body going soft above a tangle of sheets.
Sera sat at her vanity, one knee pulled to her chest, fingers splayed absently atop her desk. Intently she gazed into her beloved and cherished looking-glass, watching the image playing out before her. Her demon had fallen into unconsciousness again.
She chewed on her lip as her nails began anxiously tapping. Should she? She rubbed her other hand up and down her shin. Would he be angry if she did? Perhaps, if she were to just stayed out of view this time... With a wince, she leaned forward and pressed her hand to the glass.