“Better?” Rey said, and when he nodded, the male continued, “So why are you here, Fourth Commander? Did they send you?”
“Wolf,” he corrected and removed his gauntlets, flexed his fingers and ignored the burning in his mark. “And I sent myself.”
“Wolf?” Asteria regarded him with curiosity. “Who gave you that name? They should have called you Bear.”
What was it with this female and calling him a bear? He glared at her and she gave him a look that said he had just proven her point.
“You know, when you look at me that way, I can really see the demon in you.”
“Asteria!” Rey hissed as he gave her a pointed look, one that had her blinking at him as if she wasn’t sure what she had done wrong this time.
Wolf frowned at the female. “What? Demon in me?”
He was about to point out that he was obviously an angel, something she had mentioned earlier when she had been kicking him around Hell, when Rey spoke.
“Fourth Commander… Wolf… You should probably be sitting down for this one.”
He didn’t like the sound of that, or the grimace the male gave him when his eyes leaped to him for an explanation.
“The skinny is that your holier-than-thou bosses have been lying to you for centuries and the reason you can sense demons is because you are one. Or at least a little itty bit of one.” Asteria earned another black look from Rey. She shrugged this one off. “Look, it’s easier if you do it quickly. Like ripping off a Band-Aid.”
Wolf wasn’t sure what a Band-Aid was and he wasn’t sure hitting him with something this big, this shocking, in a single blow was better than breaking it to him gently.
He looked to Rey as his knees gave out again, sending him to the black ground, hoping despite everything his instincts were screaming at him, that the demoness was joking. This was all some twisted joke, meant to shake him. Wasn’t it?
Rey’s crimson eyes were deadly serious as he lowered them to Wolf. “I did not believe it at first either… but it is the truth. The Echelon are born half-breed, from a union between a demon and an angel. We are hunted down by one from both factions and given a choice, serve Heaven or serve Hell.”
Wolf’s ears rang as he stared at the fallen angel, struggling to comprehend what he was saying.
If it was true, it had to be the reason the Archangels were still attempting to call him back to Heaven. They hadn’t wanted him to find out about this.
“Who told you this?” Because maybe they had been joking.
Rey sighed. “The half-breed I was sent to bring in. She knew what her parents were and what she was. She exposed the game between our world and the Devil.”
Wolf leaned over and swallowed hard as bile rose up his throat. He wanted to deny it, to laugh it off and declare they had all gone mad, but it made a sickening sort of sense and all he could do was stare at the ground as everything suddenly fell into place. All those questions that had plagued him when he was younger, answered in the blink of an eye.
Or the rip of a Band-Aid.
He could sense other angels, and demons could sense other demons. It wasn’t unreasonable that his gift to sense demons could come from demon blood in his veins.
Rey eased to his haunches beside him and offered a sympathetic smile that was at odds to his dark appearance now. Was it possible that Rey had retained his good when he had fallen because of the demonic side of his blood?
“I wanted to break it to you gently.” His crimson eyes shifted to Asteria. “I said we were going to do it gently.”
She shrugged. “It was more fun this way.”
He sighed and tilted his head back as he closed his eyes and muttered, “Give me strength.”
“You love me really.” Asteria wrapped her arms around Rey’s neck, pressing her front into his spine, and rubbed her small black horns against his temple.
Rey didn’t deny that. He kept his eyes on Wolf. Waiting for him to have another meltdown? He was taking it in, little by little, as his mind offered up all the times he had wondered about his origins, about his gift, and other things. They all made sense to him now, and it was strange how that made him feel. Not confused or conflicted. Not even angry he had been lied to all these years, made to believe he was fully angel.
He felt calm.
Numb?
Or just at peace because all the things that had bothered him, everything he had questioned, had just been answered?
And in their place, a new question arose.
Demons had fated mates. He looked from Asteria to Rey, not missing the way they were looking at each other as if they would die without the other. Were they mates?
What if the reason Emelia drove him so wild was because his suppressed demon blood recognised her as his fated one?
Was that the reason he felt an overpowering need to protect her, to keep her from harm and from other males? Was that why he so desperately needed to avenge her and punish the one who had hurt her?
It was a lot to think about and take in.
He sat back on his knees and looked at his dirty hands, the next question that pinged into his head chilling him.
If Emelia learned of his demonic blood, would she look at him differently?
Would the fact one of his parents had been from Hell affect her opinion of him—her feelings for him?
He didn’t want her to fear him because there was a part of him that came from the same realm as the one who had harmed her.
“What’s going on in his head?” Asteria said.
“I am not sure.” Rey placed his left hand against Wolf’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”
No. He was far from alright. He had just made love with Emelia and everything had been wonderful, his future had seemed so bright and sure, one where she would stand by his side and be his forever. Now, part of him feared she would turn on him if she discovered he carried demon blood in his veins.
“Wait,” he muttered and frowned at the featureless valley bottom and the mountains that speared the amber sky in all directions around him. “If I have demon blood, why does the curse affect me so badly?”
“We think it affects Echelon worse because my dark lord is pissed you chose the wrong side.” Asteria smiled sweetly, as if she was delivering words of encouragement that should please him rather than another blow.
Damn.
He had hoped there would be some sort of psychological reason the curse affected him more than it should have, some barrier he could overcome by tapping into his apparently demonic blood, or a method he could employ to weaken the curse’s hold on him.
Of course the Devil would ensure his curse affected those who had picked Heaven over him more than angels who had been born in service of that realm.
It was just the sort of spiteful thing that male would do.
His thoughts turned to Emelia. What was she doing? He imagined her swimming, wearing that sexy little two-piece she had been wearing last night. A grand mistake. He shifted his hips as he shot hard as stone.
“Is the bear having naughty thoughts?” Asteria edged away from him. “Or is he thinking about killing me again?”
He realised his eyes had changed, blazing gold in response to the desire that rushed through him, a wicked ache that urged him to return to Emelia.
He tamped it down instead and looked at Rey, right into his bright scarlet eyes. “I need your help.”
“Anything you want.” Small fangs flashed between Rey’s lips, another mark of his fallen angel status.
What was it like to fall? Rey still seemed to be Rey, the same collected and level-headed angel he had always known. Only his wings were black now, his eyes red, his canines were fangs, and his armour would be obsidian.
Shadows swirled around Rey’s legs, and he casually swept them away, an irritated look crossing his face as he brushed his hand through them. Such shadows had wrapped around Wolf’s legs when he had lost his temper in the presence of Emelia. Was it a sign he was changing?
Falli
ng?
Another question shoved to the front of his mind, pushing aside what he had wanted to ask Rey.
“You are not like other fallen. Because of your demon blood?” The weight of hope that hinged on the answer to that question was crushing as it pressed down on Wolf.
He was growing darker, had black feathers already and Hell was affecting him, changing him. He needed to know what would happen if he fell.
Rey shrugged. “I do not think so. Perhaps.”
“How did you fall?” Wolf leaned towards him a little, eager to hear the answer.
“I cut off my wings.”
The pain that crossed Rey’s features said that was the truth and that doing such a thing had been hard for him.
Was that the only safe method of falling if an angel wanted to retain his personality? His light?
If it was, it was little wonder the angels in Heaven hadn’t figured it out yet. No angel in their right mind would cut off their own wings. The way Rey looked at Asteria, desperation mixed with love and fear in his crimson gaze, said he had been far from sane when he had taken a blade to his wings and had chosen to fall for her sake.
She sidled closer to Rey and brushed her palm across his cheek, a wealth of love and gratitude in her eyes as she stared into his.
Wolf’s shoulders itched at just the thought of severing his wings, a spark of pain skittering down his spine. Never. No matter what happened, he could never cut off his own wings. They were sacred. Even though they were marred with black feathers, he would do all in his power to keep them safe.
He looked at Asteria and imagined Emelia in her position, in danger in this bleak realm where he was weaker than most, unable to protect her.
If Emelia was in danger, could he cut his wings off for her sake, to gain the power he needed to save her?
The answer shocked him.
In a heartbeat.
If the choice was sacrificing her or his wings, he would pick his wings.
He could live without them. He couldn’t live without her.
Although he wasn’t sure he would retain any shred of good if he did fall. The darkness had always been strong in him, constantly attempting to push out the light. If he fell, there was a danger he would turn evil.
And Emelia would leave him.
He added that to his list of reasons for keeping her out of Hell and away from the dragon. She was growing stronger though, more confident. If he didn’t slay the dragon soon, there was a chance she would finally find the courage to hunt Zephyr down herself.
“I need to hunt a dragon.” He gripped Rey’s arm when the male offered it and stood with his assistance.
“A dragon? What business do you have with a dragon?”
“It is personal.” He wanted to leave it at that, but the ever-astute Asteria was eyeing him again, a flicker of suspicion in her steady blue gaze.
“He totally has a woman,” she announced, and when Rey frowned at her, she waved her hand towards Wolf. “Look at him. He’s a little less grizzly bear than before. My verdict is he got some sack time with a hottie and now he’s a boner-fide bad boy. See what I did there? Boner-fide.”
She wagged her fine black eyebrows and chuckled to herself.
“Boner-fide.”
Rey just sighed. “Is she right?”
Wolf’s instinct was to deny it, but he forced himself to nod. If Rey knew he was doing this because of a female, he might be more inclined to help him.
“It is true. Emelia is a hunter for Archangel.”
“The hunter group?” A thoughtful furrow marred Rey’s brow as he pursed his lips. “I had heard some of them had been in Hell recently.”
“She is a commander in their headquarters in London, and was here as a member of a party sent to assist a demon king.” He tried his hardest to keep the contempt from his voice as he mentioned the brute. If Rey and Asteria were right, he was hardly in the position to judge demons anymore. “She was captured by a dragon clan and given to one of their warriors.”
Asteria’s eyes blackened. “Given?”
“The dragon held her captive as a spoil of war and… mistreated… her.” And the dragon would pay for that.
His mood took a nosedive, the darkness swift to rise as his mind filled first with Emelia’s memories and then with pleasing images of what he was going to do to Zephyr when he got his hands on the bastard.
“You sure he’s not more demon than angel?”
He shook himself back to Asteria and found her staring at his legs.
His gaze dropped to them.
To the shadows writhing around them.
Concern flickered across Rey’s face as he studied them. “You have been in Hell too much. How long have you been hunting this dragon?”
“Weeks.”
The fallen angel lifted his eyes to lock with Wolf’s. “And how many black feathers do you already have?”
He swallowed and allowed his wings to emerge, stretching them out at his sides to reveal the cluster of dark feathers. Asteria’s eyes widened and she gasped, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. A chill skated through him and his gaze zipped to his wings, fear pounding in his veins as he imagined the worst.
The patch of black feathers was still small.
Hadn’t spread as he feared.
The demoness laughed. “Oh, you should have seen your face!”
“Fuck off,” he barked and sent his wings away again, his hands shaking as he fought the panic that had flooded him at the thought he might have gained more black feathers.
She clutched her hands to her chest. “My delicate ears. Are you going to let him speak to me like that?”
Rey loosed another weary sigh. “I know where the dragons live. I can fly you there directly and we can end this male.”
Asteria pulled a face at Rey for ignoring her.
“I have visited the dragon villages. Many live there, and they are protective of their kind. It is better we locate the male and tackle him when he is alone. Would you be strong enough to kill him?” As much as Wolf hated the thought of his friend having that honour rather than him, he was aware he was no match for a dragon.
“Or you could do the romantic thing.”
He looked at Asteria as Rey pinched the bridge of his nose, looking for all the world as if he was stifling another sigh.
She beamed at Wolf. “What better way to say you love her than to tie a big old bow on the bastard and present him to her? I know if it was me, I’d want to end the fucker myself. It’s all very macho killing him for the one you love, but she’s a hunter. Don’t tell me she doesn’t want to castrate this dragon herself.”
He thought about that.
Emelia had been training, had told him she wanted to track the dragon down herself, and had even spoken of entering Hell before her nerve had failed her. What if he could bring the dragon to her? The male would be weakened in her realm, unable to shift, and Wolf would be stronger.
They could end the bastard together.
Would Emelia like that?
“He’s totally considering it, isn’t he?” Asteria nudged Rey’s arm with her own, her face filled with delight as she looked up at him. “And I thought you were the bad boy. Are all Echelon this wicked?”
“You are not going to find out.” Rey chucked her under her chin. “Wolf is the only one I would trust near you.”
And Wolf was glad of it, because he was no match for Rey.
He wasn’t even a match for Asteria right now.
And he definitely wasn’t a match for the demons who landed just beyond them.
Asteria slowly turned towards the three towering males who wore armour similar to hers, black metal plates moulded to their legs and hips. Their chests were exposed, their black leathery wings enormous as they furled them as one, a regimented air to their action that warned these males often fought as a team. Black horns curled from behind their ears, curving downwards before they flared forwards into deadly spears beside their temples.
B
right golden elliptical pupils shone in the centres of their black irises.
“Elite,” Asteria breathed, and he didn’t miss the note of fear amidst the awe in her voice.
Wolf knew of the elite of the Devil’s demons, warriors who were kept in a permanent state of rage in order to protect their master and deter any would-be enemies with the formidable show of power.
The one in the middle, a male who stood at least two inches taller than Wolf’s own seven feet, lifted a gauntleted hand and pointed a clawed finger right at him.
Wolf didn’t know what the male said. He only knew pain as it crashed over him, blinding him in an instant as the demonic tongue sent a thousand white-hot spears piercing his skull.
“Teleport… now!” Rey’s words wobbled in his ears, distorted and distant, watery sounding as Wolf fought to remain standing.
The three demons charged.
Wolf could only stare at them, numbness sweeping through him as he thought of Emelia and how foolish he had been.
Had he really thought himself strong enough to enter Hell and survive all it would throw at him?
A single demonic word was enough to render him useless.
His lips curled into a cold smile.
But they weren’t the only ones with power in their voices.
Rey intercepted the first demon, tackling him head-on as Asteria threw a panicked look over her shoulder at Wolf.
“Cover your ears,” Wolf said.
She frowned and then her eyes widened, her hands leaping to her head. She jammed her fingers into her ears and flinched.
Wolf said the only word he knew in the ancient angelic tongue.
The three demons fighting Rey roared and staggered backwards as it hit them, and hope soared in Wolf’s heart. He was going to make it out of this alive.
The biggest of the demons grew even larger as rage lit a fire in his eyes, and he casually tossed Rey aside, sending the male flying through the air towards him.
“I’m guessing the rumours are true, then.” Asteria kicked off, launching upwards to catch Rey in the air before he could fall. She spread her leathery wings and drifted down with him to land near Wolf. “The Devil keeps them pissed off by speaking the angelic tongue at them.”
Wolf stared at the enormous, now ten-foot-tall demon that was charging him, all the fires of Hell raging in his eyes as he snarled and growled, flashing huge fangs.
Avenged by an Angel Page 23
