by V L Moon
He stalked for the nearest exit. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kimberly and Saul hastily making their way toward him. He reached the exit first and checked the area. Saul skidded into the hallway. “I’m going to Rome,” Malachi bit out. “Stay here and make sure this shit doesn’t get fucked up.”
“Damn it, Malachi, let me tell Jaku I’m leaving. Give me five minutes,” Saul started, but Malachi wasn’t in the mood for listening. He flung himself into the night air and sped toward home.
~*~*~*~
All evening Kimberly performed her secretarial duty by playing hostess and trying desperately to keep Malachi in check. She held a new respect for Laziel. Their King’s temper was not something to be taken lightly. Despite Malachi’s run in with Darklon, the signing of the treaty and the after party had been a roaring success. Roman and Tobias had excelled themselves with all of the work, time and effort they’d put into making sure everything went smoothly. She was so proud of both of them.
She glanced up to see the Summus and his mate walking toward her. A rueful smile quirked the corner of her mouth and she had to suppress the urge to laugh at the memory of Tobias, spine taut and face flushed, after Malachi had inadvertently outed him as gay earlier in the evening. He walked stiffly as he accompanied his father toward her. It was unusual to see the male so reserved. After Malachi’s announcement, the wolf had kept a low profile, totally the opposite of his last attendance at a vampire party. She hoped his family had not come down on him and prayed there were as understanding as Roman’s mother had been. Madalina doted on both males and rejoiced in the love they shared.
It was obvious he was worried, most likely over Roman who’d disappeared with Darklon. No one had heard from Roman since he’d left and Malachi hadn’t taken the fact very well. However he tried to cover it up, the king had been in a downright poisonous mood and some poor fool was going to end up on the receiving end of said bad mood. Despite his departure, Kimberly still felt the bitter disdain of his temper crawling over her flesh.
She didn’t need to look to where he’d last stood. The toxic cloud of his rage cleared a radius of space that neither wolf nor vamp would step inside even with him gone. Kimberly often wondered if it was worth trying to talk to him when his mood was so bleak, but so far, she’d failed to work up the courage.
Tobias and his family reached her and stopped. Tobias stepped to her side and slid a comfortable arm around her waist. “Miss Stroner is Malachi’s P.A for want of a better word. There’s nothing she can’t do. Believe me father; she has balls bigger than most wolves.” Tobias laughed, and Kimberly smiled, taking Jorn’s offered hand.
She kept her gaze averted and tried not to stare. The last thing she needed was to upset the Alpha male. A finger beneath her chin directed Kimberly’s gaze upward. Left with little choice, she looked up to greet a dazzling white smile and eyes so full of sorrow she gasped. The pain in Jorn’s gaze took her breath away. It was only Tobias’s hand at the small of her back that stopped her from staggering back.
“Please, forgive my lack of manners.” Kimberly reined in the abhorrent display of emotion and smiled to hide her embarrassment. She turned to the younger wolf. “Tobias, I am so very proud of you. Come here you little scalawag.” Kimberly pulled Tobias into her arms and ruffled the wolf’s unruly mop of shaggy blonde hair.
“You and Roman really did a great job. Malachi said so himself. We could never have accomplished any of this without you. I’m honored and so happy to have you as a friend…a best friend I never want to be without. I’m so happy you and Roman are together. He deserves someone special like you, and you deserve him, too. Never forget that.” Slightly flushed by her own admission Kimberly hugged Tobias harder and kissed his cheek before turning to Jorn.
The Alpha’s gaze was locked on his son. Kimberly wasn’t very knowledgeable on wolf etiquette, but Jorn looked fit to burst. His eyes were glassy and his chest seemed to have swelled beneath the crisp cotton shirt stretched across his chest.
“My son seems to have made a lasting impression. Let’s hope it remains that way,” Jorn said. “I’m happy to have had the honor of meeting you, Ms. Stroner, but it’s late. I bid you goodnight.” The stern, but honest smile Jorn gifted her weakened Kimberly’s knees. There was something so wild and untamed about the Alpha. A wink from Tobias made Kimberly flush as she watched Jorn walk away.
Before Malachi’s departure, the sight of the big wolf next to her King had cut quite a show and would have made an amazing picture for the history books. Pride had filled the cavern of her heart when Malachi not only received Jorn’s hug, but returned it. As lethal as his mood had been, Malachi never reneged on his regal duties.
“I’ll talk to you in the morning,” Tobias said and brushed his lips against her cheek. “I have to go and talk to my father. With the party we haven’t had a chance to discuss…Roman.” He sighed and worry clouded his beautiful eyes.
“Your love makes you strong, Toby. You have a home here if he…,” she paused. “Malachi supports you and so does Madalina. You know I do. Your father isn’t a fool, and throwing you away because of who you love would be foolish.” She went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, sweetheart. If Roman comes back, tell him I’ll be there as soon as I can.” With a final half-hearted wink, Tobias jogged off after his father.
The crash of splintering wood sounded behind her. Kimberly whirled to see Saul standing at the bar lost to his own furious temperament. Across the distance his deep voice carried clearly.
“I am not a glorified babysitter for the guests. I was trained to protect him; yet, he defies my every God damned attempt to keep him safe. He’s a fool.” His ire spiraled higher, and he vented in the language of his mother tongue before repeating it again in English. His deep Russian accent rumbled up from his thick, barrel chest.
”An ill-tempered ass. He refuses to heed the orders of the angel. He can’t be allowed to keep doing this. Laziel will bring down Rome if anything happens to him.” Saul slumped against the far wall, out of view from the guests inside. A look of defeat was etched on his face. It enhanced the anger and grief playing in his eyes. He looked tired. Crossing the small foyer, Kimberly wanted nothing more, in that moment, than to hold him, comfort him and banish the demons that plagued his thoughts. But, instead of being brave and reaching out, she slipped silently in through the open door and left Saul alone with his thoughts.
~*~*~*~
Italy
The sun bathed the Vatican when Malachi reformed outside of his enclave. The stone and glass gleamed in the morning light; a perfect contrast to the dark violence that seethed inside of him. He blasted open the doors of his private entrance and stormed through the hallways. The quiet screamed at him. Like the shadows themselves, the few humans allowed into the enclave hugged the walls to avoid drawing his attention. The guards averted their gazes choosing not to challenge him as he crossed deeper into the enclave.
Unwilling to face an empty bedroom yet again, he detoured through the passageways and emerged in front of Laziel’s chapel. The door crashed against the wall fueled by the virulence of his temper. He stalked inside to find the destruction he’d left the last time. The angel’s scent hit him, and he shuddered as hunger clawed at his throat. Away from the scrutiny of the guards, Elders and the Creator knew who else, his shoulders slumped as he finally gave in to the fatigue and desolation that dogged his every step.
His lagging steps carried him to the altar. With the tip of his right index finger, he caressed the ruby tear driven into the stone. Jagged cracks marred the beautiful surface. He traced those as well. His knees gave, and he sank down until his forehead rested against the cool marbled surface. His weakness infuriated him, but at the same time, he failed to find the energy to move. With little hope of success, he reached out for the angel. The bond snapped into place. He sucked in a breath and concentrated. Loz was still in control. He sensed her clearly. But, she was…weak? Asleep?
“La
z.” He sent the thought so lightly he didn’t know if it would register on the other end. An awareness stirred and bumped against his mind. Malachi’s heart thundered in his chest. “Come on, Laz. Talk to me.” A command not a plea carried through in the thought. Neither entity answered. Malachi pushed harder, delving deeper into the angel’s mind. As he did, pain registered. Malachi growled. The female’s body was covered in lacerations, welts and burns. He felt every one of them through the link.
“What the fuck has he done to you?” The thought sent harsher than he’d intended. Loz gasped as she came awake and beneath her whimper, a shallow echoing cry raced through the bond. And, it wasn’t Laziel. Malachi plunged his will toward the sound, the second awareness. Lorenza blocked him, but not before he got the distinct impression of a second heartbeat; one tied with Loz’s own. Shock froze his progress. Loz tried to shove him out.
“Oh hell no,” he growled. The time of being denied had passed. Gathering the full force of his mental capabilities, he crashed the barrier and split it wide. Loz’s scream of pain as he ripped into her shields stabbed at his barely there conscious, but he refused to back down. She’d held his male captive for too long. Malachi wanted answers whether she was prepared to give them or not.
Visions of dresses and accessories filled his mind. Jewels by the dozens gleamed. A beautiful diversion, he easily ignored it all. Names and faces of Elders and enclaves scrolled; a static filler to hide what he really wanted. He stormed his way through the minutiae and zeroed in on another wall built to obstruct his progress.
With ferocious precision, he attacked the outer shell. Grunts of pain escaped his lips as she fought back viciously. His pain receptors were flipped one by one until his physical body convulsed on the chapel floor. Blood spewed from his mouth and his lungs seized. Still, he assaulted her defenses.
“Pain excites me female, lest you forget. Give me all you have,” he spat through the link. “And then, you will give me Laz.” The wall around her inner core splintered. He bellowed his triumph as the cracks spider webbed up and out.
“Ease up, Batman. You can’t do this.” Laz’s voice was the calm in the chaos. The visual distractions faded, and his male stood proud and beautiful. His wings, unfurled. The soft feathers soothed the pain Loz had caused. Stretched out prone on the chapel floor, Malachi closed his eyes and focused on his angel.
“Come home,” Malachi sent and suppressed a growl of irritation when the angel smiled sadly.
“You never were one for patience, my vampire.” Laziel raised a hand as if to touch Malachi’s face. God how he yearned for the feel of Laziel’s fingers on his skin. His body strained toward the hand, but his male was no closer than before. “Lachi, there’s something you don’t know, a danger that…Loz! NO!” The words, the vision, the bond; everything blacked out. Pain throbbed so intense Malachi wavered in and out of consciousness.
He struggled to hold on, but his efforts were in vain. Emptiness engulfed his heart while darkness swirled in his mind. With a finality that severed the leash on the beast inside, the link to the angel cleaved in two, leaving him totally alone in his mind for the first time ever in his life. The savage trumpted its victory as everything faded.
~*~*~*~
Rough hands dragged him out of the void. Malachi came awake, snarling mad and struck out blindly.
“Motherfuck!” The exclamation gave him direction. He struck again before his vision cleared. The second blow ricocheted away, blocked by his attacker.
“Damn it, Denali, it’s me. Arial.” The announcement was made like he was supposed to care. His vampiric nature sneered at the thought.
“What the fuck happened to you after I left? You’ve got blood all over your suit. Were you attacked?” The questions fired at him and the massive hands returned to pat him down, ostensibly checking for injuries. The sneer turned to a purr of approval. It rumbled free. The hands disappeared immediately. “Whoa, there big fella. Wrong damned angel for you to be getting all excited.”
Angel? The word triggered his more rational side. Malachi blinked and shook his head. His beast growled in irritation. Slowly, the barren wasteland of his mind came back on line and forced the vampire’s retreat. He opened his eyes. Sure enough, blood coated the front of his clothes. He lifted a hand to his suddenly pounding head.
“Arial?” he questioned.
“Yup, the one and only. So how about you back the fuck up with that hard on ya sporting ‘because Laziel ain’t having my balls for lunch. Not today, or any day.”
“Laziel’s here?” The confusion escalated the throbbing pain.
“No, he’s not.” The hesitation in Arial’s voice caught his attention, but the agony in his skull quickly overshadowed his curiosity. Where was Laziel? Creator’s balls, he needed to feed. He reached for the bond. And, with crystal clarity, everything fell into place.
Loz had severed the link, cut him off completely from the angel. It explained the beast being so close to the surface. He inhaled slowly to control the scream of fury and the soul deep heartache seeking to escape. As he did with the savage part of his nature, he gathered all of the threads of his pain and locked them away deep inside his psyche. He raised flat eyes to stare at the Fallen.
“Where did you go last night, and why didn’t you answer my calls?” His voice was devoid of emotion. The big male shifted. His eyes landed everywhere, but on Malachi’s face. “Don’t fuck with me Fallen. I want the truth and I want it now.”
“Roman needed help. He called me,” Arial answered, finally meeting his eyes.
“And, his calls take precedence over mine?” The question was icy and precarious. Arial shifted his weight and dug a hand in his pocket. He withdrew something folded and extended it toward Malachi.
“I think you need to look at that.” Arial shoved the paper into his hand. Malachi unfolded it slowly. Vischeral Bourne stared up at him. The world seemed to slow. Darklon already had Laziel, did he have Bourne too? The weight on his shoulders multiplied.
“What has this got to do with Roman?” Malachi asked, dreading the answer.
“You don’t see a resemblance?” The Fallen’s question necessitated another look at the picture and for the first time, he realized what Laziel had been trying to tell him.
“Fucking hell,” he breathed.
“That’s what I thought too. It’s the very image of Roman, yet, it’s not him. The eyes are the wrong color, and the features are bolder, harsher.” Arial took a step closer. “But, you know who he is don’t you?”
“Vischeral Bourne,” Malachi answered. His gaze snapped up to lock on Arial’s face. “How did you get this? Where were you?”
“I was in the Apennines Mountains.” His answer locked Malachi’s lungs. “And, that particular picture was clutched in Lorenza’s hands when I carried her out of Darklon’s prison.” The rest of Arial’s explanation re-ignited the fury Malachi had been battling since he’d opened his eyes. “I got her out today. She’s safe.”
Malachi lunged and wrapped both hands around the Fallen’s throat. The angel’s face was crimson red colored by Malachi’s fiery stare. In the dark depths, he saw Arial’s knowledge. “You know who she is, I can see it in your eyes, Fallen.”
“I do,” the Fallen agreed. “Laziel and Lorenza, an androgynous Seraphim; a rarity in our race.”
“Where is he? Take me to him now, and I’ll think about not breaking your fucking neck for not coming to me first.” Malachi’s anger spiraled higher and hotter.
“Fuck you, Denali. He doesn’t want to come back here.” With a feral snarl, Malachi slung the male against the wall. Before he could move, Malachi pinned him there with a forearm locked under his chin.
“Do what you will you sick fucker. I won’t tell you where he is,” Arial gritted through clenched teeth. “All of this time, you’ve used him to your benefit haven’t you, vampire?” The contempt in the last sentence was not lost on Malachi. He pressed harder against Arial’s windpipe. Arial lifted his chin in defian
ce.
“A plaything for your sadistic side, and a nice piece of ass to throw the vampires off your back,” Arial continued.
“Shut your fucking mouth, Fallen!” Malachi roared. “Our relationship is our business, you fuck head.” Malachi banged Arial’s head against the wall. “But, for the record, I’ve never taken from him what wasn’t offered,” Malachi raged and bounced his head off the stone again.
Arial brought his arms up and drove both of them into Malachi’s chest, sending him staggering backward. “He would offer you his fucking life, Denali. And, bastard that you are, you would take it without blinking an eye.”
Malachi’s fingers curled into his palms. The angel was seriously asking for an ass beating, and with his violent nature so close to the surface, Malachi was prepared to take him up on the beat down. His knuckles thirsted for the crunch of bones beneath them. The beast paced just beneath his skin hungry for blood. “Careful, Fallen One. You tread on dangerous ground of which you know nothing. Do not make the mistake of challenging me.”
Scorn flared on Arial’s face. “For him, I dare challenge you. Some fucking body needs to give you a damned clue.”
“All the fuck you need to do is tell me where he is,” Malachi demanded.
“And, you can kiss my ass. He doesn’t want you to know. He still protects your sorry ass even when threatened with his own death.” Arial kicked at the broken boards at his feet and cursed. “That fucking male loves you, and you toss it in his face.”
The words slammed into Malachi. Love? The angel never spoke of love, and neither did he. Their relationship was theirs without definition. “You lie. He would have never told you that,” Malachi seethed.
“He didn’t have to tell me. I can sense it, smell it as it pours out of his skin. Even now, weakened by torture and starvation, he fights to protect what he created, the soul he loves above all others.” Arial spat.
