Angel's Redemption

by Rosalie Lario

  Seth loosened one of her wrists and brought his hand to her face, cupping her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. “I do love you, Lily. Truly. And I’ve never stopped, angel. I’ve never stopped.”

  A harsh, dry sob burst from her. The full force of her emotions broke free within her, and she gave into the impulse to yank on his hair, to drag his head down to hers.

  Their lips met in a fury of teeth and tongues, mashing together with all their desperation. She moaned and forced her other hand free, lifting it to the back of his neck and kissing him harder.

  The full weight of his body pressed into her front, the heat from his muscular chest searing her shirt, and the distinct hardness of his erection pressing into her stomach. He rubbed against her, letting her feel the full force of his arousal, and she gasped into his mouth. Desire, hot and heavy and piercing, melded with her anguish, setting her body ablaze.

  Her heart palpitated in her chest as she brought one hand down between them, tearing at the button to his leather pants.

  Seth tore his mouth from hers with visible effort. “Lily, we—”

  “Don’t talk.” Words would only ruin this moment.

  The button came free, and she ripped the zipper down, freeing his thick hot erection into her hand. That was the one good thing about leather pants, she supposed. One couldn’t wear underwear with them. Well, that, and the way they hugged the body…

  He groaned and yanked her top up to her armpits, freeing her breasts to the frigid night air. Gasping, she let her head fall back against the column as he lowered his head to one breast, nipping and lapping at the bud before sucking the entire tip into his mouth. When she scratched her nails into his hair, he moved to the other one, lavishing it with the same attention. Fierce tingles racked her body, making her shudder in pleasure.

  Gods, it had been so long. Her body ached with the need to be filled. Her blood thrummed in her veins. She was ready. “Seth…”

  Growling, he undid the button and zipper of her cargo pants and yanked them down, only bothering to free one leg. The other pant leg caught on her boot, dangling as he hooked his hands beneath her thighs and lifted her, spreading her wide for him.

  “Yes,” she panted, hooking her arms over his neck for support.

  His thick cock rubbed at her desire-slickened seam, and a moment later the tip nudged her entrance.

  “Yes,” she said again. “Now.”

  He slammed all the way inside her, thumping her back into the column, and she screamed at the exquisite sensation of being filled by him. “Seth!”

  It had been so long, too long, and she’d always loved joining with him.

  “Lily.” The word sounded like a prayer on his lips. He said her name again, sliding out of her body only to thrust deep inside once more. Then again and again.

  His wings folded out around her, caressing her with their thick, soft down, and the zipper of his leather pants bit into the lower curve of her ass with every hard pump.

  “Seth,” she cried out, raking her nails down his shoulders. Each and every slice of his body into hers sent a spark of electricity shooting through her legs and up her spine. She could practically feel the blending of their essences and the resultant increase in strength. But, right now, that paled in comparison to the mind-numbing ecstasy his body roused.

  “Oh, Lily.” He groaned, momentarily pausing to rest his forehead against hers. “I missed this. I miss you.”

  No. She didn’t want to hear this right now, didn’t want to think about the past or their feelings or what the future held for them. She just wanted him to pound away inside her until they both exploded from rapture.

  “Don’t stop,” she snarled, digging her nails harder into his back. Don’t talk.

  Grunting at the pain from her nails, he buried his head in her neck and complied, undulating his hips in deep, grinding thrusts until her entire body seized in pleasure.

  “Yes. Yes.” She clamped her legs around his hips as her inner walls contracted, propelling him into his own climax. He cried out hard into her neck, the sound reverberating in her ear drum as the heat of his release splashed deep inside her womb.

  Gasping for breath, she held him tight with her arms and legs, drinking in his life-affirming essence.

  She lost track of how much time they’d spent there, but eventually, their heartbeats slowed and the precariousness of their situation penetrated. Here they were, on top of the Brooklyn Bridge and in plain sight of any angel who might happen to fly by. Sure, they would sense that angel before they saw him or her, but why chance alerting a white-wing to their presence?

  Inhaling deeply, she pushed as Seth’s chest. He took the hint and slid out of her body, setting her on the ground.

  Funny how, after all these years and all the times they’d made love, she still had the capacity to blush. She fought to hide it as she staggered her way back into her pants and righted her top.

  Once she was done, she straightened to see Seth buttoning his pants while watching her intently. His gaze held a bit of sadness along with no small amount of satisfaction.

  “Lily,” he murmured.

  Now that the blinding passion that had driven them began to fade, the despair began to return. Nothing had changed. Not really.

  “I suppose it was inevitable,” she murmured.

  He winced, as if her words pained him.

  “That’s not all it was,” he muttered. “Not just about mating, or gaining strength.”

  She forced her lips into a trembling smile. “We already tried more, and it didn’t work, Seth.”

  A shadow of a smile twisted his lips, and he cupped her cheek. “We can have that again. If you could just forgive me.”

  It wasn’t the forgiving she was worried about. Oh yes, that was clearly difficult. Over a decade had passed and still it rent her heart to think that he’d fallen for another woman. But forgiveness wasn’t truly the issue. It was the other thing.

  If he’d broken her heart once, he could easily do it again.

  That was something she couldn’t survive a second time. And so, as much as it pained her, she wasn’t willing to try.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, lifting her palm to Seth’s hand.

  His face fell, and he slid his hand back.

  Since there was nothing more to be said, she scanned the sky and grew her wings, propelling herself toward the rebel base.

  After making her way back underground, she nodded at the rebel manning the cameras and strode down the corridor toward the living areas. The low hum of noises told her the majority of the group hadn’t yet left for more training. She headed toward the recreation room in search of Ruby. Instead, she came face to face with Adam just outside the door to the kitchen.

  He saw it was her and stopped in mid-stride, his back stiffening. His surprised gaze raked down her body and then back up.

  Lily’s heart squeezed at the look that came over his face. Somewhere between heartbroken and resigned, it told her everything she needed to know. He’d sensed the change in her essence and realized why.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  A pregnant pause filled the air. Finally he said, “Did he… did he hurt you?”

  She let out a shocked gasp. “No.” Shaking her head, she reiterated, “No. It’s not like that.”

  His eyes, loaded with emotion, met hers. “Good. Because you know I would do anything for you, Lily, and if anyone ever hurt you…”

  His subtext was clear. He was willing to do anything to defend her honor, even die for her.

  The knowledge of that washed through her, propelling her forward until she’d wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She rested her cheek on his chest, and his arms slowly lifted to envelop her.

  It was the first time she’d willingly touched him. Before, the sexual attraction had been too strong. Now, even though her body was sated, she still recognized the truth: Adam could be a very easy man to love, if she left herself.

  If she still had a
heart to give.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered again. “I feel this connection, too. But…”

  “It’s always been him, hasn’t it?” he murmured into her hair.

  “Yes.” She feared it always would be.

  “You know I’m here for you right? If you need me.”

  His words made her chest twist. If only…

  She pulled back to meet his gaze. “You’re a good man, Adam. You deserve a wonderful woman.”

  Because there was nothing else to say, she turned and headed toward the recreation room. She needed to find Ruby. They had work to do.

  Chapter Six

  A lick of flame shot toward Seth’s stomach, creating a shimmery wave of orange and blue in the artificial light put out from the nearby streetlamps. Seth waited until the last possible moment, then flapped his wings upward, quickly and efficiently dodging the fiery spray. Thanks to Lily, he felt stronger now than he had in quite some time. Though things hadn’t gone down the way he’d hoped that night on the bridge, at least he had one less thing now to worry about.

  He faced his attacker and cocked a brow. “Speed will get you nowhere. Not with our kind. Your only ally is stealth. If you can strike your enemy before he guesses what’s coming, you can defeat him.”

  His attacker, a scrawny tattooed youth with a red and blue Mohawk, shrugged and lowered the flamethrower in his grasp.

  The schoolyard that he, Jason, Ruby, and Lily had appropriated for their midnight training session was packed with human locals who’d decided to join them in the uprising. This section of the Bronx, it seemed, had no shortage of bravery when it came to fighting the angels. With Lily back to ignoring him again, the humans’ willingness to fight back made this task seem more bearable.

  “So how do those torches of yours feel compared to these babies?” the youth asked, shaking the flamethrower he held.

  “Good question.”

  Seth strode to the stack of unlit torches they’d brought with them and grabbed one, turning and throwing it toward the youth. He fumbled and almost slipped on a patch of ice, but still managed to catch it.

  The kid had good instincts. If he was smart and wily, he might just survive a fight against the white-wings.

  The youth hefted the torch, testing its weight in his grip.

  “As you can see, the weight is about the same,” Seth said, addressing the small group of humans gathered around, watching them. “However, unlike the fire from your flamethrowers, the heat put out by the torches is intense enough to almost instantly incinerate a white-wing.”

  Which was why they weren’t using them for practice.

  “As I mentioned before, a flamethrower will do no good against a white-wing.” He turned to rake each human with his gaze, making sure they were listening. “The torch is the only weapon that can fell them.”

  “Cool,” the youth said. “Can I try again?”

  Seth grinned. The kid was growing on him, Mohawk and all. “Bring it.”

  The next few hours passed quickly as he and the others taught the humans how best to sneak up on an angel and the exact spots they should aim for with their weapons. After that, they covered the basics of hand-to-hand combat, but he didn’t kid them. If it came down to that between a human and an angel, the human was as good as dead.

  He was just wrapping up with a middle-aged man, who was surprisingly light on his feet despite the twenty extra pounds he carried on his gut, when a cute petite female with blond hair cut into a face framing style approached.

  She gave him a smile that somehow resembled an animal on the hunt. “My turn, big guy.”

  A glimmer of discomfort ran through him at the unabashed hunger in her gaze and the lust drifting off her, but he pushed it aside and tried to focus on the task of getting her battle ready.

  Unfortunately, that proved more difficult than he’d thought. The woman, who promptly introduced herself as Goldie, had no qualms about telling him exactly what was on her mind.

  “I didn’t realize you angels would be so sexy,” she announced as she tried a sneak jab to his side.

  He caught her fist in his and whirled her around so her back thumped his chest. “Their peripheral vision eclipses yours,” he said, ignoring her words. “Your best bet is to approach from behind.”

  Seth released her, but she didn’t move. If anything, she might have pressed herself further into him.

  “So, are you married or what?”

  Gritting his teeth, he said, “Or what.”

  When she merely shrugged, he backed away and tried to return to the subject at hand. “What would you do if you came face-to-face with an angel?”

  She frowned and turned to face him. “Male or female?”

  That made him blink. “Does it matter?”

  “Of course. If it was a male, I’d probably do something like this.” She unzipped the top of her coat, revealing a low cut shirt beneath, and fluffed out her hair before sauntering toward him. “Wow, you are so big. And muscular.”

  Seth fought to maintain his patience. Did this female take anything seriously? He was beginning to think she’d come here just to flirt with an angel.

  “Most angels feel your race is the equivalent of a roach,” he bit out. “Something to be exterminated. Do you really think flirtation will be an effective tool against them?”

  That gave her pause. Her eyes went wide at his tone, but after a moment she recovered and smiled. “You don’t feel that way about humans, do you, big guy?”

  When she started forward again, he frowned and took a step back. She saw it, and grinned, as if this was a game and the objective was to throw him off guard.

  “Come on,” she practically purred. “A guy who looks like sin and wears leather pants surely can’t object to a little feminine company, can he?”

  He scowled at that. “I don’t—”

  But before he could say anything further, Lily stepped right in between him and Goldie.

  Seth’s back automatically tensed. He’d been so caught up in redirecting the human’s advances he hadn’t even noticed Lily approach, and he had no clue how she was going to respond.

  Lily kept her back to him as she addressed the female. “Do you actually plan on surviving against the angels? Because your feminine wiles will gain you nothing when it comes to them,” she said flatly.

  The female’s cheeks flamed red and her shoulders scrunched under Lily’s scrutiny. “I—”

  “If they would condemn their own kind to death simply for championing mankind, what makes you think your wit or beauty would have the slightest effect on them?”

  Goldie wilted under the power of Lily’s gaze. “Sorry,” she mumbled before scurrying away.

  A ribbon of emotion wafted from Lily as she watched the woman retreat. Heaven help him, she was jealous.

  His heart soared with delight. Maybe it was selfish of him, but the knowledge that she cared enough to feel that emotion when it came to him gave him hope.

  Then she turned to face him, and the anguish on her face, the sickish churn of insecurity swirling off her, made his gut wrench. She didn’t need to speak in order for him to understand.

  She was scared. Scared he would fall for another human. That she would always have to watch over him to ensure his faithfulness.

  And it was all his fault.

  Self-loathing filled his stomach as he took a step forward. “Lily, no.”

  She shook her head and took several steps backward. “Please, don’t.”

  He sighed deeply, but adhered to her wishes. “Lily,” he murmured.”

  “I need some air.”

  With those words, she grew her wings and flew into the air.

  Almost in concert, the humans stopped their training to watch her. The sight of an angel in flight was a rare enough occurrence that they all stood there, spellbound.

  As he watched her go, an internal battle waged within him. He wanted to obey her desires, but at the same time he couldn’t simply let her fly away.


  When she was just a speck in the distance, he could take it no longer. He flexed his back, freeing his wings from the confines of his flesh, and took off after her.

  He finally caught up with her as she touched down on a snow-covered embankment beside the Bronx River. She absorbed her wings and stared out onto the partially ice covered water.

  Landing several feet behind her on the sloped embankment, he let the solitude of their surroundings wash over them. There was beauty in the frosty white of the ice and snow, especially given that the river, with its barren trees, was such a marked change from the seemingly endless miles of concrete nearby.

  Finally, he dared to break the silence between them. Snow crunched under his feet as he stepped to her side.

  “Lily, I understand your fears, and I wish I could reassure you so that you would undoubtedly believe me.” He turned her to face him, gently cupping her face in his palms. “I will never stray again, in body or spirit.”

  An inkling of despair drifted from her, and her eyes shimmered with moisture. “I want to believe you, Seth. Truly, I do.”

  But she didn’t.

  Disappointment wound through his body, and his hands fell away.

  Lily turned back to the water, soft as a whisper. “Sometimes I curse the day we discovered this world.”

  He sighed and moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She tensed, but didn’t shirk away, and he took the opportunity to press a kiss to her creamy white shoulder. “Life is a mysterious thing.”

  That was the understatement of the century. Who would have guessed that one day, without any warning, their world would cease to exist, leaving them abandoned on Earth with no idea how they’d gotten there or whether their dimension even existed anymore?

  “I know that I love you, Lily. Despite all my mistakes, despite everything, I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  She stiffened, and he thought she would pull away, but in the end, she leaned back into his chest.

  His heart thumped hard against his ribcage. This might have been the first time since Isabelle that she’d actually sought out his touch. He didn’t dare hope what that might mean.