Discovered: The Dark Angel Chronicles

by Serenity Rayne

  Me of all people an alpha, there’s the shock of the century. I head towards my shower and turn the water on letting it warm up as I retract my wings. Through the bond I call Christian to me, and he hesitantly knocks on the wooden frame of the bathroom door. “You summoned me Kichōna mono?” Christian says softly as he smiles at me.

  My brain finally kicks back in, and I try to focus on what I know about alphas. “If I remember correctly, an alpha female can control when and if she becomes pregnant correct, but not how often she cycles?” I arch an eyebrow as I step under the hot water of the shower, waiting for Christian’s answer.

  “That is correct.” He sighs softly, contemplating how to phrase his question. “May I inquire why you wouldn’t want our babies?” A sadness creeps over the plains of his beautiful face.

  Shaking my head, I lower my gaze. “It’s not that I don’t want babies, I do. I want a large family filled with laughter and children running and flying everywhere.” I swallow hard trying not to let my emotions get away from me.

  “We still don’t know who tried to kill me by stealing Cyrus. Your lives are tied to mine, especially Raph’s,” I say, expressing my deepest fear. As I look up, I see Gage and Raph standing in the doorway listening.

  “It’s just not safe yet to do so. If someone stole our children, I know deep in my heart I would rain hell on earth to find them.”

  Cyrus stumbles past the guys and hugs me tightly. One by one the guys climb in the shower to hug me the best they can. Somehow the five of us are crammed in a large shower stall hugging it out.

  Raphael breaks free first and his eyes glow golden for a few moments. “As soon as we can we need to find a female you trust to teach you how to control your cycle. Until then, Michael is bringing us a tincture that will stop your fertility cycle for at least four months, so you don’t keep going through cycles. That should buy us enough time to catch who’s responsible,” he says with hesitance as he looks from Cyrus to me.

  “I don’t like that look Raph, what aren’t you telling me?” I narrow my eyes looking at him. He’s hiding something, I can tell just by how his stance has changed in the last five minutes.

  Wrapping a towel around myself we walk out into my nest area. “What my brother is afraid of telling you is that if you are already pregnant you will lose the child.” Michael says with his arms crossed over his chest, the golden vial sticking out of his right hand.

  My eyes widen in horror as I look at Cyrus, he too stares in a state of shock. “Can you check me before I drink? I could never take the life of an innocent.” Tears threaten to break free and roll down my cheeks as I turn to stare at Raphael. One fact I do know about nephilim gestation is that we are only pregnant for four months and the fetus is formed almost immediately after conception. The possibility of a tiny heart and life form living within me is very real.

  Solemnly Raphael nods and leads me into his bedroom and has me lie on his bed. Terrified doesn’t begin to explain how I feel. Cyrus rushes to my side and holds my hand while Raphael prepares to examine me. His hands take on their golden glow just before he lays his hands on me. I squeeze my eyes shut as tightly as I can trying to ignore the fear of the unknown. Warmth spreads through my abdomen as Raphael examines me, and seconds move slower than humanly possible. Eventually the warmth leaves me and my eyes pop open. Raphael’s face is an unreadable mask, through the bond I can’t sense anything either. “Raph?” I ask softly as tears begin to roll down my cheeks.

  He inhales suddenly then looks down at me. Shock is his initial reaction before he drops to his knees to take me in his arms. “I’m so sorry love, there’s no child. I didn’t mean to scare you. You’re completely healthy and should have no problems when you’re ready.”

  Honestly, I’m not sure what I feel at the moment. Part of me is relieved, the other disappointed. I break free from Raph to lunge at Cyrus and wrap him up in the biggest hug possible. He’s disappointed I’m not pregnant, my big tough bad guy wants to be a daddy in the worst way. I comfort Cyrus the best I can before Michael brings over the vial to me.

  “It will only last approximately four months. But that’s only ever been tested on angels.” Michael paces around the room before stopping before me again. “I have no clue how long or if it will even be effective for long with you Thana. Hopefully it buys us enough time to hunt down the killer in question and find a female to teach you how to control your cycle.” Michael says before bowing slightly, he disappears in a shimmer of gold back to the Angelic Realm.

  A tiny part of me is happy that our first cycle together I didn’t end up pregnant. But the other part of me longs to hold a tiny life that I helped create in my arms. Before my shift today I find myself down in the maternity ward helping my friend Pattie with all the new babies. Half of the ward is glamoured so that the human parents don’t see the babies born with wings. All the baby nephilim look so absolutely adorable in their cribs. One by one I spend time feeding and holding each of the babies. I can’t help it I’m a sucker for their chubby cheeks and chunky baby thighs.

  “I had a feeling I’d find you here,” Gage says through the bond to me as he places a hand on my lower back. His body radiates a delicious heat that comforts me and draws me to him.

  Leaning back, I rest against his chest. “Yeah, I’ll be honest with you. I can’t wait till we are able to have our own.” I nuzzle the baby girl in my arms then offer her the bottle I’d made for her. She has a voracious appetite, suckling hard on the bottle’s nipple.

  “The guys and I feel the same way. But we need to find out who stole Cyrus first,” Gage says as he reaches around me to gently touch the baby’s cheek. He rests his cheek against mine as we look down at the baby together.

  “I heard my name. What’s up?” Cyrus appears in a wisp of black smoke and looks at the baby in my arms. He goes from literal badass to making cute baby noises in seconds. He looks absolutely adorable as he tilts his head from side to side trying to get the babies attention.

  Raising an eyebrow, I look at Gage and he connects the dots quickly and gives me a terse nod. Within seconds I deposit the baby and the bottle in Cyrus’s arms and move on to the next baby. “This is definitely a good look for you Cy,” I say to him kissing his cheek. Cyrus looks terrified and shocked at the same time. It’s kind of cute seeing him so flustered.

  “Thana are you torturing Cyrus again?” Raphael says smirking at the resident bad boy with a baby in his arms. Raphael’s gray suit is exquisitely tailored and makes his shoulders look broader than usual. I’m an absolute sucker for broad muscular shoulders, lucky for me all my mates fit that type. His pale eyes shine with flecks of gold reflecting in the light as he looks me over waiting for me to answer.

  Pouting my lips, I bat my eyes at Raphael, trying to look innocent. “No?”

  Raphael rolls his eyes and vanishes in a wisp of golden glitter. Shaking my head, I look around the nursery once more and even Cyrus is missing. The baby girl he was holding is sleeping peacefully in her crib once more. Gage smiles at me before placing his large hand on my lower back herding me out of the nursery. “That’s enough cuteness overload for one evening, your shift is starting in twenty minutes,” he says tenderly through the bond. He knows the only reason I’ve been sneaking down here is to get my baby fix satisfied.

  We walk slowly through the halls heading up to my floor for the evening. Darius stops dead in his tracks staring at me. We've worked together for years but for once his gaze is anything other than friendly, it’s almost as if he’s looking for any signs of weakness from me. “I … didn’t expect to see you tonight.” His voice trembles slightly as he trips over his own words, his eyes dart around quickly before looking at me again. His normal suave mannerisms are nowhere to be found.

  Arching a single brow, I tilt my head to the side studying his tense body language. He opens and closes his hands, almost as if he’s about to get into a fight.

  “Why wouldn’t I be here tonight? I always work on Tuesdays,” I say ca
lmly and in a soft tone trying not to escalate the situation I feel brewing. The more I study him the more I start to notice Fenrir becoming itchy. Something’s not right, I get a chill down my spine and my instincts yell at me to run. I scan the hall that we’re in, making sure I know where every possible exit is.

  Gage pats my ass and smirks looking at the much smaller Darius. “I’ve already alerted the others about the standoff. Raph is getting Uriel and Michael to intercept him for questioning,” Gage says through the bond to me. His large hand glides from my ass up to my lower back offering me support. We both know Darius is getting ready to do something—the question is what?

  “It’s got to suck having a voiceless mate, you should have chosen me all those years ago.” Darius says in a venom-tinged tone, his gruff voice sets the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Malice and hatred along with jealousy flood his gaze just before his eyes blacken, focusing on Gage.

  Gage’s body tenses beside me and I lightly grip his bicep before regarding Darius again. “It doesn’t suck at all.” I scrunch my nose briefly before threading my fingers through Gage’s thick beard lovingly. “He knows how to put that sinful mouth of his to good use, words are meaningless if there’s no action to back it up,” I say just before I turn on Darius. Spreading my fingers wide I whip both hands forward quickly and engulf Darius in water from the river Styx.

  I sense the minute the archangels arrive, and they stand there staring in disbelief at what I’ve done. “Azrael, I need you!” I say softly without touching my raven. Within seconds he arrives at my side and stares shocked at me. “I believe this male had something to do with Cyrus’s abduction,” I practically growl out. This man almost cost me not only my life, but the life of two of my mates.

  Remaining focused on the watery cage of death, I walk closer to Michael and Uriel. “He betrayed himself when said he didn’t expect me to be here on my normal night. Only someone that knew what taking Cyrus would do to me would know I should have been deathly ill.” My eyes find Raphael’s and he nods solemnly at me, it’s not common knowledge the effect of a lost mate has on an archangel.

  “Release him into our judgment Thana, he will not escape us,” Michael says firmly as he moves to stand behind Darius. I look between Raphael and Azrael both nod at me and I release Darius from the waters of the river Styx. No sooner do the waters recede does Darius throw dark shards at Gage trying to kill him.

  Without hesitation my wings burst free, and I use them to shield Gage from the darkness. I feel the shards impact my feathers, and yet they do no damage to me. Lunging forward I charge Darius only to have Raphael and Azrael stop me. I’m shrieking like a banshee as I fight to get to him. My fingernails have grown long and sharp like blackened claws. Just as I almost break free Cyrus manifests before me and smirks. “Shh … my little hellcat. The golden boys will punish him far worse than we ever can.” That sexy sadistic smile crosses his lips, and it makes me pause in my forward motion.

  I take a calming breath and allow my muscles to relax. “Okay!” I back off looking at Michael and Uriel. Both archangels nod at me before gripping Darius and vanishing to lord knows where. I look back at my men and they stare at me and suddenly I feel like a freak. “Did I do something wrong?” Tears roll down my cheeks and fear tightens my chest.

  “No, angel, not at all!” Raphael says as he wraps me up tightly in his arms. “You just shocked everyone by pulling a stunt that only high-ranking angels usually can only do,” he says hesitantly looking over at Azrael.

  “What your mate is so gently is trying to convey is that you’re more your grandfather than we realized.” Azrael smiles at me. That wicked gleam in his eyes tells me that he knows far more than anyone else is willing to tell me at the moment.

  My ah-ha moment happens shortly after Azrael finishes speaking, and I remember what my grandfather told me. The minute I stop fighting my true nature, my full potential can be reached. It’s an exciting yet frightening concept to get a grip on. I’ve never been one to crave power or any status of any kind. My bloodline—and having an archangel as a mate—has thrust me into the spotlight where I didn’t want to be.

  Arching a brow, I confidently walk over to Azrael and link my arm with his and stride down the hall. Sensing my mates my wings unfurl and I spin enveloping Azrael in my wings and vanish in a wisp of black smoke. We manifest on the second level balcony of my house on the hill, as I open my wings Azrael looks at me in disbelief. “I’m guessing there’s something you need to discuss daughter?” A sly smile plays upon his lips as he leans back against the rail.

  “You know I do, and I can almost bet that you already have the answer prepared.” I lean back against the house, planting one foot on the cedar shingles and my back and wings against the window. “Grandfather said something about a prophecy foretelling of my birth. What exactly does it say?”

  A myriad of emotions flicker over Azrael’s usually stoic face before he starts to pace. Azrael unfurls his wings and motions to them. “You know our wings turned black when we were cast out for Lucifers rebellion,” he says very academically. The story of the great fall is told to all children so that the past isn’t repeated. I nod along and tilt my head to the side glancing at my wings. “Your wings are now the color of your grandfather’s which means you can migrate between Heaven and Hell. Unlike Raphael or I—we cannot cross into the other domains without causing ourselves harm.” He dramatically pauses letting the information be digested. “Your grandfather and you can walk in either the Dark Realm or the Angelic Realm without harm.”

  I make a face and push myself off the wall. “Azrael, father, I know you’re stalling by giving me a commonly known history lesson.” I step into his personal space and grip both of his hands. “What are you afraid to tell me?” My eyes plead with him for the truth, my heart is in my throat thinking about the possible ramifications. A temporal shift occurs, and I spin to face Uriel, he’s in full battle armor and smiling at me.

  “What Azrael has been sworn to not say is that you not only are meant to be your grandfather’s successor. You are meant to help cleanse the fallen that wish to come home.” Uriel wins the award for the best resting bitch face I’ve ever seen. Not a single drop of emotion or even a hint of humor is evident.

  Staggering backwards I bump into the cedar shingles of the house and lean there. “Me? Seriously? Not that I’m not honored because I am. But why me?” I’m puzzled, and my heartrate is accelerating. Spots dance before my eyes as I start to get lightheaded from the information relayed to me. Within seconds my mates manifest on the porch and surround me. Gage and Christian each catch me under an arm while Raphael and Cyrus face off with Uriel and Azrael.

  “Dad, what did you say to freak Thana out so bad?” Cyrus says as he squares off with his father. Darkness radiates from him, almost completely engulfing his form.

  Raphael reaches out and rests a hand on Cyrus, attempting to calm his rage. “I believe they were filling Thana in on her inheritance from her grandfather,” Raphael answers as he looks from Cyrus to me.

  “That is correct, brother,” Uriel says and finally smiles. “When Samael trains you, and the succession of power is complete, you will be the soul ruler of purgatory, Thana. It’s the gray area between the righteous and the damned,” Uriel states as he looks me over from head to toe. “I knew you were special when I was sent to judge you shortly after you were born.” Uriel approaches me slowly and reaches out and cups my right cheek gazing into my eyes. “I saw your inner light Thana. Let it shine.”

  As he says the words, I feel an inner warmth build within my chest. It’s as if a cage has been opened and something deep within was released. Breathing in deeply I move forward away from Gage and Christian. In my left hand I manifest a ball of light, in my right hand a wisp of darkness. “Look at her eyes!” Raphael says as he moves closer to me. Gently he grips my jaw and turns my head left then right.

  “Is something wrong?” I ask nervously, slight tremors make my hands shake.r />
  Raphael’s expression is nothing short of pure serenity. “Your eyes are pure silver, like polished silver orbs that reflect everything like a mirror. They are stunning Thana,” Raphael says softly before chastely kissing my lips and backing off, letting the rest of his bond-mates get a good look for themselves.

  I extinguish the power in my hands and look expectantly at my other mates. Christian’s smile warms my soul, Gage winks at me and makes a heart with his hands. Cyrus walks a circle around me looking me over completely. He arches an eyebrow and smiles. “You know I’m a huge fan of your blackened orbs.” His own eyes blacken, and his smile makes my core turn molten. “These silver eyes, yeah they’re hot too. Maybe hotter cause I can see myself clearly in your eyes.” He winks then backs away; all I can do is roll my eyes. That is till Azrael playfully smacks his son on the back of his head and tells him to behave.

  Stifling a yawn, I raise my hand to cover my mouth. “How soon will we have the results from Michael’s inquiry?” My eyes bounce from Uriel to Raphael hoping one of the two will cave and give me answers.

  “Soon, but for now you need rest. Pulling the waters from the river Styx is no small feat and I can tell it exhausted you,” Uriel says. “Sleep,” he says in my mind as he passes his hand before me in a mystical manner. As his hand completes its motion, my eyelids become heavy, and I quickly succumb to my exhaustion.

  “Guard her closely, she is the answer to the war that has waged for eons,” Uriel says before disappearing off the porch. His departure leaves more questions than answers for everyone involved.

  Shadow Realm

  I gained special permission to enter purgatory and immunity from The Almighty. Darius is now in the hands of the one and only Samael. The inner sanctum of Samael’s lair is what the humans imagine Hell to be like. Torture devices line the walls as well as lining most of the floor in the dungeon. Moisture fills the air and runs down the wall in rivulets, the constant flow catches my attention for mere moments before I continue deeper into the dungeon.