Reaper Undone (Deadside Reapers Book 5)

by Debbie Cassidy

  “Yes. Grayson is looking for him.” I picked up my coffee cup and drank the now tepid coffee. “Hunter and I didn’t start off on the right foot. I intend to change that. I’m going to give him a chance to be a real part of the Tribus.”

  Eldrick exhaled in relief and sat back. “You’re making the right decision. Together the three of you will be a power to be reckoned with and what I’m about to ask you won’t feel like such an imposition.”

  “Oh?”

  He set his cup down and clasped his hands in front of him on the table. “I’m tired, Fee. No, I’m exhausted. This pack has been my life from the day I was born. Our bloodline has been the alphas of this pack for generations. It’s all I’ve known, and it’s one of the most powerful packs in the country, except now I have traitors in my midst that I need to weed out, and I’m exhausted.”

  I studied his face, noting the dark smudges under his eyes and the lines bracketing his mouth. I cracked my shields, and his emotions washed over me in a gentle wave—a yearning for something left behind in a dream.

  I covered his hands with mine. “What can I do to help?”

  “I need you to take over the pack.”

  “What?”

  “I want you to be the alpha of the Rising Pack. You’re my blood. You’re strong, even stronger now because you’re part of a Tribus. The pack will accept you.”

  He wanted me to take over the Rising Pack? “But I’m joint alpha of the Regency Pack? Grayson is my mate; I can’t leave.”

  “Maybe it’s time to change the way we do things. Maybe it’s time to form an alliance, to merge the packs.”

  He was serious. Deathly serious. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Why not, Fee? Tell me why not?”

  Because I had cadets to train in preparation for a war in the Underealm. I had Dread to track and hooded figures that were trying to kill me to find, and now super vamps on the loose that I needed to look into, not to mention my regular Deadside and reaping duties.

  There was no room for any more responsibility.

  “I don’t have the time. I’m a Dominus, and you have no idea the duties that come with that.”

  His shoulders fell.

  I hated turning him down. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  He nodded. “I understand.”

  “But Hunter is still a candidate, right? Once we find him…”

  Eldrick smiled and nodded. “Of course. I’ll figure it out.”

  Guilt was a fist in my gut. “I’ll help as much as I can with pack business. I just can’t take control. I physically don’t have the time.”

  His smile was brighter as he took my hand and kissed it. “Enough. It’s fine. Come, let me take you out for dinner.”

  And just like that, the heavy mood lifted, but as we left the penthouse, I couldn’t ignore the prickle of foreboding that skittered across my scalp.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I was showered and dressed, and it was barely six-thirty in the morning. I needed to leave for Deadside later but wanted to spend every moment I had with Grayson.

  The days had gone by too quick, and this bed had seen some serious action, even with all the patrolling and the trip to Eldrick’s. So had the sofa, the shower, the floor, and basically every inch of the room.

  Ah, good times.

  The door opened, and Grayson entered, smelling of sunlight and dew. He’d gone for a predawn run, and now he was back, and I kind of wished I hadn’t showered already, but from the look in Grayson’s eyes, he didn’t give a fuck. He tugged his shirt over his head as he advanced, his beast visible beneath the surface, his arousal tenting his joggers.

  Yeah, I could shower again in a bit.

  We made love for an hour, hungry, insatiable, and when he kissed me softly afterward, I could taste the goodbye.

  “No.” I sat up and pushed him onto his back. “We don’t do this. We don’t say goodbye. We say, see you later.”

  His beautiful lips curved in a sad smile. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I’ve never missed someone before they leave.”

  I knew what he meant. I pressed a soft kiss to his lips and then pulled back to lock gazes with him.

  “I’ll be back before you know it, and we still have the vamp situation to sort out.”

  “You’ll patrol with us?”

  I gave him a half-smile. “I’m sure I can fit you into my busy schedule.”

  He pulled me to him, his arms secure bands around me. “And if I choose not to let you go?”

  There was a flash of defiance in his eyes, a flash of the Loup that cared nothing for schedules or my demon half. But then he closed his eyes and loosened his grip. “I didn’t mean that.”

  I stroked his bearded cheek. “Yes, you did, but that’s okay. I get it. I do. You’re pure Loup. This is your instinct, but I’m not.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “It’ll take some getting used to, but I want this to work, Fee.”

  “Me too.”

  He touched my bottom lip with his index finger. “See you later?”

  “See you later.”

  Shower number two over, I was tugging on my boots when Cora appeared by the door. She stood with her eyes closed, her hands clutching several plastic bags.

  “Cora?”

  “Are you decent? No cocks or snatches on display?”

  I snorted. “Nah, you just missed the show.”

  She opened her eyes. “Shame. Nothing like watching a good pounding to get the circulation going.”

  An image of Cora and Jasper flitted through my mind. No. Begone foul feature! “You need a porn channel subscription.”

  “I just use Mal’s.”

  Wait, what?

  She dumped bags of clothes onto my bed. “I think that should do it.”

  “What is all this?”

  “Clothes for your alpha Loup wardrobe. Several pairs of sexy but comfy jeans, T-shirts and vests in all colors and sizes, sexy underwear and some nice cotton panties too, the kind that tear easily.” She winked. “And running boots.”

  I pressed my hand to my chest, genuinely touched. “You went shopping for me?”

  She waved a dismissive hand. “I know how much you hate it, and you know how much I love it; besides, anything to get away from blue boy for a few hours.”

  Blue boy? A chill skittered up my spine. “Keon is here?”

  Cora winced. “Did I neglect to mention?” She threw up her hands. “Okay, I totally deliberately forgot to mention it.”

  Keon was here. Of course he was. Lilith had sent her Blade to spy on me in the guise of helping me at the Academy just like she’d promised in her note. He was probably ordered to keep tabs on me while Lilith looked for a loophole out of Eve’s curse.

  Best of luck with that. Azazel had searched for a way out for centuries and failed, and my soulmate was nothing but thorough in everything he did.

  “I didn’t want to ruin your honeymoon,” Cora continued.

  Huh? “This is not a honeymoon.”

  “It kinda is. I mean, isn’t mating like getting married.”

  Wait…she was right. Grayson was my Loup hubby, just like Azazel was my soulmate hubby. Cue heart tingles.

  “Oh, babe, has it only just sunk in?”

  I gave her a sheepish smile.

  “So, where is the old man?”

  “Pack business.” I perched on the edge of the mattress. “They’re still trying to catch one of these super vamps.”

  “Super vamps?”

  “Oh, shit, I forgot, you don’t know.” I filled her in on the vampy developments. “And so we can add that to our list of shit we need to resolve under Dread and hooded figures. Speaking of which…any news from this Elijah guy?”

  “Actually, I’m supposed to be meeting him at Lumiers in an hour.”

  “I’d come with you, but I feel like I’ve put off checking on Uriel long enough. I’m going to swing by Deadside to juice up, see Aunt Lara, and then Azazel’s picking me up to take me
to the Beyond.”

  “I’m sure Uriel’s okay,” Cora said.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’ll feel better once I’ve seen him.”

  “Uh-huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “After your romantic walk by the river?”

  My neck grew warm. “He was showing me his favorite spot. Uriel and I…It’s not like that. We’re friends.”

  “If you say so,” Cora said. “How about we meet up at the quarters for dinner and catch up afterward?”

  “Pajama party?”

  “I think Azazel and Mal will kill me if I try to monopolize you,” Cora said.

  “Then they’ll have to go through me. I need some girl time with my bestie.”

  Cora’s eyes lit up. “I’d like that, and don’t worry. Iza will keep blue boy at bay.”

  “Iza?”

  She smiled, and her eyes lit up with wicked glee. “Funny story…”

  This was the first time I’d be entering Deadside via the actual entrance. It was late morning, and the streets were busy, but no one looked twice at me as I made my way toward the firmly locked gates. A ripple passed over my skin, almost pleasant except for the tiny prickling sensation at the end.

  Dayna’s comm message instructed me to use the panel hidden beneath the ivy to the left of the gate. This was what the humans who were assigned here used. Their biometric data was in the system. Mine wasn’t, but there was also a speak option that I could use.

  I shoved the ivy aside, looking for the panel, and paused to study the silver lines that were sprayed onto the wall. It was impossible to tell what the graffiti artist had been going for because the majority of the art was hidden beneath stubborn ivy. Strange place to tag. Ah, here it was. I pressed down on the button, ignoring the scanner, and waited.

  “Cemetery maintenance,” Dayna said through the panel.

  I suppressed a grin. “Nice cover.”

  “I think so. Good to have you back, Fee. Step through.”

  My gaze flicked to the gates, which were still closed. “Um, Dayna. If you expect me to walk through metal, we may have a problem.”

  A low chuckle. “Sorry. The gates are an illusion. The wards are what keep people and entities out. I’m lifting them for you. Step through.”

  I had an image of me slamming into metal and then Dayna and my reapers laughing their asses off at headquarters. But no. Dayna wouldn’t do that…would she? Sod it. Only one way to find out. I covered up the panel and then walked into the gates, arms out like a zombie, and then I was through. The world tilted, and I was standing on a gravel path with my voralex up ahead to my left and Deadside HQ to my right.

  Dayna sauntered out to meet me. “Good to see you alive and well…again.”

  I stopped to curtsy. “I do my best.”

  “Maybe you could go a couple of weeks without your life being in peril?”

  “Would be nice.”

  We were a few meters apart now. Her grin was wide as she approached, and boy was it great to be back. I could already feel the power of this place sliding over my skin, and then a shadow fell over us.

  My head whipped up to see a dark form hurtling toward us. I leaped back as it landed between us. Its huge, bat-like indigo wings flapped once, twice, and then vanished.

  I crossed my arms under my breasts and glared at the intruder. “What are you doing here, Keon?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Keon glared at me as if his being at Deadside were my fault.

  I arched a brow. “Well? Why are you here? We’re meant to be working at the Academy together. Deadside isn’t part of the deal.”

  “I have no limitations,” Keon said. “I may go where I please, as evidenced by the fact your wards do not stop me.”

  Of course, he had an all-access pass. He was Lilith’s bitch, after all, but he hadn’t answered my question. “Why are you here?”

  “Looking for you,” he said. “We have work to do, and you’ve vacationed long enough.”

  Vacationed? Was he fucking kidding me? “I was kidnapped.”

  “And you were found, and then you spent several days mating with the golden-haired wolf in various positions, some of which were extremely impressive.”

  Wait…what the fuck? “You were spying on me?”

  “Keeping watch, on Lilith’s orders.”

  “I doubt she asked you to watch me have sex.”

  “A necessary evil.” His lip curled. “My orders are to keep you safe, and I can only do that if I am watching you.”

  “Why? To make sure I don’t dehydrate during a lengthy shag? Or that I don’t accidentally impale myself on a cock? How does spying on my bedroom activities count?”

  “Accidents can happen anywhere.”

  I studied his face, looking for a tell-tale twitch, anything that told me he was joking, but nope, his expression was somber, his tone sincere. He was deathly serious.

  I gave him a wary look. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Obviously not. You allowed yourself to be abducted.”

  “I didn’t allow anything.” Oh God. Why was I arguing with him? “From now on you do not spy on me, do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, are we in agreement?”

  “No. I don’t take orders from you.”

  “Argh!”

  “You’re Lilith’s Blade?” Dayna stepped closer, her gaze tracking over Keon as if he was some kind of marvel. “You’re a Nightling.”

  Keon hissed at her, and Dayna took a couple of measured steps back, shooting me a warning glance. She was afraid of him, and rightfully so. This creature was a cold-blooded killer who answered to no one but Lilith.

  And maybe I’d be afraid too if I thought he’d hurt me, but the fact that his mission was to protect me made me bold.

  “You may take orders from Lilith, but you’re in my neck of the woods now, Blade, and you’ll follow my rules, or I’ll make sure I put myself in every conceivable dangerous situation just to make your life that little more difficult.”

  His nose wrinkled in a snarl.

  I held his gaze, not willing to back down. I was done living my life by other people’s rules. I was done being controlled, and my fucking private life was private!

  Slowly, increment by increment, his shoulders dropped. “Very well, I won’t watch you fuck.”

  Dayna made a choking sound.

  “My bedroom is off-limits.”

  His eyes narrowed to slits.

  “Yes, Cora told me. What the fuck were you doing licking my bed?”

  “My job,” he snarled. “I needed your scent to better track you. Trust me, it wasn’t pleasant, and this protection detail isn’t my usual modus operandi. I’m an assassin, not a babysitter.”

  Ooo, was that a dig at Lilith?

  He reached into his pocket and handed me a box. “This is for you. From the queen. She instructs you to wear it as no demon should be without wings of some kind.”

  Did he just say wings? I took the box and flipped it open to find a bracelet inside. It was about half an inch thick and made of a black cloth-like material that glinted blue in the sun. I touched it lightly, marveling in the silken feel of it. Not cloth, this was a feather.

  “Samael’s feather,” Keon confirmed. “Lilith had it woven specially. As you are of his blood, you will be able to use its power to fly, even though you don’t have wings of your own.” He said this last part as if it were my fault. “Lilith wishes you to be independent.”

  In that moment, with this powerful trinket in my hand, the suspicious nature of this act of kindness didn’t matter. All that mattered was the rush of blood in my ears and the silken sensation of the bracelet beneath my fingertips. All that mattered was what this feather could do.

  With this bracelet, I could fly.

  Heart in my mouth, I slipped it on. A cool sensation spread across my skin, calming and secure, coating me. Bitter lemons on my tongue followed by the sweet flavor of ripe strawberries.

  “Well?”
Dayna stepped around Keon warily. “Try it.”

  “What do I do?”

  “Leap into the air with the intention to fly,” Keon said. “The feather gives you the ability, but you need to control it. You will need to believe.”

  I stepped away from them both, breathing a little too fast with excitement, and then looked up at the sky.

  I wanted to be up there. I wanted the freedom of slicing through the air, dipping, and rising. I bunched my thighs and then jumped, reaching for the sky. The cool sensation burst like a bloom in my chest, and then I was rocketing up toward the clouds. Euphoria was a beehive in my head, and my throat was too tight for a scream to squeeze past.

  Don’t look down, don’t look down.

  “Level out!” Keon called out from beside me.

  Shit. I dipped, and then I was dropping.

  “Pull up!”

  Instead, I looked down at the ground rushing up to meet me.

  “Pull up!” Keon’s words caught on the wind and were blown away.

  “I can’t.”

  The beat of wings eclipsed my panic, and then arms wrapped around my waist, and I was rising.

  “Shit, shit, shit.”

  “Believe,” Keon said. “You can fly. The power is inside you, and the feather is a conduit. Every demon has the ability to fly, either by transporting its body through the sky or willing its atoms from place to place.”

  His grip was secure, and my thundering pulse calmed.

  “The feather brings your ability to the surface. Samael is able to both fly and shift. You can do this.”

  “Stop being so fucking nice. It’s freaking me out.”

  “It’s my job to keep you alive. Flying will allow you to escape danger and make my role easier.”

  Made sense.

  “Now fly.” He let go of me.

  I dropped like a stone.

  My heart shot back into my throat, but like hell was I going to fuck up this opportunity. This was my ticket to fully-fledged autonomy. No more relying on the guys for lifts. No more waiting.