Judgment (The Alternate Earth Series, Book 3)

by S. J. West

  “You’re back,” he almost cries, grabbing me fiercely to him, as if he never intends to let me go again.

  I feel him tremble in my arms as he’s finally able to let go of all the worry he’s been bravely hiding from me all this time. It takes him a moment to compose himself, but finally he loosens his death grip on me enough to lean back and look me in the eyes.

  “How did you know that would work?” I ask him, marveling at my ingenious husband.

  “I didn’t,” he tells me with a small shrug, “but after Rafe explained the chemical changes your brain would undergo, I took a chance on trying to stimulate the same effect in a different way. I knew if you were able to connect with our kids on an emotional level, that your brain would produce a large dose of oxytocin and dopamine. I didn’t know if it that would be enough, but I prayed it would be.”

  “Why did you want to try this first?” I ask. “Why not just make love to me to make it happen?”

  “Because I wanted to make love to my wife,” Mason tells me. “Not someone who saw me as a stranger. I wanted my Jess back. I needed you whole.”

  “Now that you have me,” I tell him, leaning my chest against his, “what exactly do you plan to do with me, Mr. Collier?”

  “Everything,” Mason promises, phasing us to the bed without wasting any time.

  I expect him to ravish me, but, as usual, my husband decides to test not only my patience, but also my limits.

  He starts out maddeningly slow, with small kisses all over my face. Each kiss seems to be a declaration of his love. When his mouth finally covers mine, I hear myself whimper slightly as the sweetness of his tongue slips between my lips. Without warning, Mason pulls away from me, instantly making my body ache for his return.

  “Where are you going?” I ask breathlessly as he slips off the bed and walks over to the chair, where his backpack is laying.

  He looks over his shoulder at me with a playful grin. “Do you remember me saying that I brought something of yours to this reality?”

  I have to think for a moment, but the item in question comes to mind.

  “My black scarf,” I say with certainty, remembering him telling me that he brought it along on this trip. It was how Ava’s daughter, Mia, was able to find me while I flew around New York City after escaping Lucian the first time. She used my scent on the scarf while she was in wolf form to hunt me down.

  Mason turns around to his backpack and pulls out the item in question. With an end of the scarf gripped firmly in one hand, he faces me again and says, “Come here.”

  It isn’t exactly an order. Mason’s tone makes a familiar promise that compliance with his wishes will be richly rewarded.

  As I stand up from the bed, Mason strolls over to me and gently tucks the sides of my hair behind both my ears. I watch him closely as he takes the other end of the scarf into his empty hand and twirls it to make a blindfold. I close my eyes as he wraps the silky fabric around my head and over my eyes. After he ties the ends into a loose knot, my world suddenly becomes alive through a series of sounds and sensations.

  I feel Mason’s hands travel in tandem over my shoulders and down my arms. His touch disappears after he reaches my elbows, but I soon hear the soft brush of his pants as he takes a step closer to reach around me. His warm breath washes over the left side of my neck as he finds the zipper at the back of my dress. I hear the distinctive click of it being slowly drawn down. As my newly-bared flesh is revealed to him, Mason glides his other hand down its smoothness, as if he’s laying claim to it.

  When the zipper reaches its end, Mason lifts his hands to pull the straps of my dress off my shoulders, allowing it to drift down to the floor in a small pile at my feet.

  Mason’s hands leave my body, and I hear the soft rustle of fabric as he removes his own clothing. I stand completely still because I’m not sure what Mason intends to do next. If I know my husband at all, he already has a plan in mind, and far be it from me to mess it up.

  I feel Mason’s large hands grip the sides of my hips firmly as he comes back to stand in front of me. His fingers slip past the waistband of my panties. He uses his newfound leverage to tug them down my legs.

  After I step out of them, Mason’s hands rest on my hips again.

  “Sit down,” he instructs, gently pressing on my hips.

  When I do as instructed, I feel Mason’s hands converge inward, spreading my thighs apart. As his lips press against the sensitive flesh of one inner thigh, I take in a sharp breath. Mason’s lips never stay in one place for too long, and, with the blindfold on, I’m unable to see where his next kisses will land until I feel them. Yet, he continuously holds himself back from pressing his mouth on the one place I want him to the most.

  “Mason…” I moan, telling him with my tone instead of added words that I’m about to reach my breaking point.

  “Yes?” he says maddeningly, a small tone of triumph in his voice. “Is there something that you want, Jess?”

  I groan in frustration and hear Mason chuckle softly.

  “Stop torturing me,” I practically beg. “You know exactly what I want.”

  “Do I?” he asks innocently. “Maybe you should show me.”

  Mason lifts my right hand to his mouth and begins to suck on my index finger.

  “Do you want me to do that to another part of your body, Jess?”

  I nod my head, because speaking is out of the question. I’m having a hard enough time just breathing.

  “Then show me where…”

  Mason lets go of my hand, and I immediately slide my fingers over the sensitive flesh that is practically screaming for attention.

  “Mmm,” Mason says, resuming his previous position, “I thought you’d never ask.”

  As soon as Mason finds me with his tongue, I immediately lose what little control I had left. When my hips begin to squirm, Mason places his hands on them and gently quiets them down so he can continue what he’s doing. As my body reaches critical mass, I can’t help but cry out his name as tiny stars burst behind my eyelids, practically blinding me with their intensity.

  Mason gently brings me back down from the heavens, until I feel like a flower basking in the warm rays of an afternoon sun, languid and at peace.

  Mason makes a trail with kisses, from my hips to my mouth.

  “Was that all you wanted from me, Jess?” he breathes against my lips.

  “No,” I tell him, feeling an ache where his presence is required the most, “I want more.”

  “What do you want? Show me.”

  I reach down between us and gently guide him to exactly where I want him to be.

  I hear Mason sigh in pleasure as he accepts my invitation, and drives home the fact that he’s happy to be there. As Mason’s strokes become more demanding, I grip his arms tightly just to keep myself from teetering into nothingness. Just as we reach the pinnacle of our passion at the same exact moment, I can’t help but rip off my blindfold in order to watch the man I love find pleasure inside me.

  Afterwards, Mason lays his head down between my breasts as we both try to steady our breathing.

  I may not have completely understood all of the physiological ramifications of having an orgasm, but I am absolutely sure of one thing.

  If I had any memories left to retrieve, what I just experienced should have uncovered them all.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Mason and I have spent countless nights in each other’s arms, but, for whatever reason, the night we just spent together seems more special than the others. I’m not sure if it’s because I almost lost who I was forever, or if we both realized how fragile life can be. Dying isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you. Forgetting who you are and those you love is far worse.

  Mason and I spend the entire night in our room, doing our best to block out what’s going on outside our small sliver of heaven. But, in the back of my mind, I know we have work to do. There are still six trumpets in play that we need to deal with, in order to stop the princes from
making this a world for the dead. I just wish God would give us a small sign that would show us what we need to do next. Just one! That’s all I’m asking…

  After a tiring, but oh so worth the aches my body is experiencing, night, I wake up when someone knocks stridently on our bedroom door the next morning.

  “Jess?” I hear a familiar male voice say from the other side. “I know you’re in there. I heard your caterwauling last night.”

  Mason instantly awakens and phases to the door. He swings it open so hard I fear the hinges will pop off.

  Lucifer looks at Mason, as if my husband is the lowest form of life on the planet. I happen to notice that Lucifer has found some more clothes to wear. Instead of just jeans, he’s also wearing a plain black V-neck t-shirt and a pair of black suede tennis shoes now.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Mason asks harshly.

  “Oh, you know, frolicking in human misery,” Lucifer answers with a grim smile. “There seems to be an abundant amount of it on this Earth. A little too much, in fact…”

  “You didn’t keep your end of the deal,” Mason growls. “You were supposed to come back here!”

  “Well, as you can plainly see, I am here,” Lucifer says. “I don’t remember there being a clause in our agreement that said I had to return immediately. You know, if you want certain things from me, you really need to learn how to be more specific about the details, Mason.”

  “You knew what we expected,” Mason says darkly.

  “I can’t help it if you assume things that I do not.” Lucifer’s tone is rather self-righteous as he lifts his chin up. “Now, would you kindly step out of my way? I actually only came back here to speak with Jess.”

  “You can wait out here,” Mason says tersely, before slamming the door shut in Lucifer’s face.

  “Mason,” I say in exasperation as I get out of bed to find some clothes to put on, “was that really necessary?”

  “Yes,” Mason says unapologetically.

  “I can still hear you, you know!” Lucifer declares from the other side of the door. “I’m sure most of the castle could hear the two of you going at it like dogs in heat last night. Truly, you should probably find a more isolated location the next time you want to maul one another. Your mating ritual is quite disturbing!”

  I feel myself begin to blush profusely. Mason must notice, because he walks over and wraps his arms around me.

  “He’s just jealous,” Mason tells me.

  “No, I’m not!” Lucifer proclaims through the door.

  “We probably should find somewhere more private next time,” I whisper, hoping Lucifer is just exaggerating about the noise emanating from our room last night.

  “Whatever you want,” Mason tells me, kissing me tenderly on the forehead. “All you have to do is tell me.”

  Mason and I get dressed quickly. When Mason opens the door to our room again, we find Lucifer standing in the hallway, leaned up against the wall directly across from us.

  Lucifer looks between Mason and me, as if he’s making a conclusion about something.

  “I take it you have your memories back?” Lucifer asks me.

  “Yes,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “No thanks to you.”

  “Me?” Lucifer questions, taken aback by my harsh words. “What did I do?”

  “Well, you could have helped rescue me, for one thing.”

  “I did!” Lucifer protests. “Who do you think phased everyone into that imposter’s sanctuary? Me!”

  “And then you left!” I point out. “You didn’t even stay to help get me out of there.”

  “What would have been the point? You had your own knight in shining armor to rescue you. You didn’t need me.”

  “But you didn’t even try to help!”

  “Like I said, what would have been the point? Besides, I had other things I wanted to do before I had to come back here.”

  “And what sort of mischief did you cause while you were out gallivanting around?” Mason asks accusingly.

  “I didn’t feel the need to do anything,” Lucifer says, sounding greatly disappointed. “There’s plenty of disorder out there without me having to lift a finger to help it along. So, I decided to come back here to speak with Jess.”

  “What about?” Mason asks suspiciously.

  “You are not the person I want to speak to about this.” Lucifer’s tone with Mason is like one of an agitated parent to a child. “Now, would you mind allowing me to speak with your wife in private?”

  “Yes, actually, I do mind that,” Mason says protectively.

  I place a hand on Mason’s arm. “It’s all right. I can handle him.”

  I watch as Mason’s jaw muscles tighten in annoyance.

  “If you hurt her,” Mason tells Lucifer, pointing a finger at him, “I will find a way to kill you, and that’s a promise.”

  Lucifer smiles at Mason, but it’s not a nice one.

  Before I know it, Mason drops to his knees, holding his head between his hands, grimacing.

  I look up at Lucifer and scream, “Stop it!”

  Lucifer’s lips tighten in defiance as he continues to look down at Mason with utter loathing. Finally he lets go of his hold over my husband, breathing out a sigh of relief himself.

  I remember Lucian doing the same thing to Mason and Brand during our first trip to alternate Earth, but I’ve never seen Lucifer do it before now.

  As Mason continues to catch his breath, I look back at Lucifer and ask, “What was that?”

  “A little lesson in pain,” Lucifer answers. “I try not to use it very often.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I end up feeling the same pain as my victim,” Lucifer admits. “I only use it when I’m feeling particularly sadomasochistic.”

  “Don’t ever use it on someone I love again,” I order Lucifer. “Or I can’t be your friend anymore.”

  “You make it sound like that’s a threat,” Lucifer scoffs.

  “It is,” I say, knowing exactly where I stand with Lucifer.

  Lucifer remains silent for a moment before shrugging. “Whatever. Like I said, I don’t like using it that much anyway.”

  I return my full attention to Mason. He rubs his head, as if he has an excruciating headache now.

  “Do you need to rest?” I ask him, worried that Lucifer might have scrambled his brain.

  “I’m fine,” Mason tells me. “It’s almost gone.”

  “Can we go now?” Lucifer says, sounding like a petulant child who isn’t getting what he wants exactly when he wants it.

  “Go outside,” I tell him. “I’ll meet you over by the powerhouse. Wait for me on the brick bridge there.”

  Lucifer huffs, but says, “Fine.”

  After he phases away, I help Mason to his feet.

  “Are you sure you’re ok?” I ask, worried over the love of my life’s physical and mental well-being.

  “I’ll be fine,” Mason assures me, taking his hand away from his temples. “But why are you giving him what he wants? He doesn’t deserve it.”

  I sigh. “I know, but I keep hoping that, if he’s around me enough, maybe he’ll change.”

  “Jess,” Mason says with a shake of his head in pity, “he won’t. He’ll never change. He’ll always put his own needs first. He didn’t even worry about your safety when we went to Lucian’s to get you out.”

  “Like he said, he knew you and the others could handle it. You should know by now that Lucifer doesn’t do anything unless he has to. I’m not sure if he just gets lazy or if it’s apathy, but he never does more than what’s needed.”

  “Still, I don’t like you being alone with him. I don’t trust him. I never will.”

  “Then trust me,” I say. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “I hope so.”

  Mason finally accepts the fact that he won’t be able to change my mind. His only request is that I take my newly-acquired sword with me.

  “Why do you think it has blue flames?
” I ask as I sheath the sword in the baldric on my back.

  “I have no idea,” Mason admits. “As long as it protects you, I really don’t care.”

  After I adjust my jacket, I say, “Can you take me down to meet him?”

  Mason doesn’t try to convince me not to go. He simply takes hold of my hand and phases us down to the powerhouse. It’s the same spot where Leah and I helped her mother pass on. I’m so grateful that we were able to do that before Ravan shut down the way into Heaven. Now all we have to do is find a way to open it back up.

  We find Lucifer standing on the bridge, waiting for me, just like I asked him to.

  The sky is dark, considering it’s morning. With all of the fires still burning all over the world, it’s apparent that the accumulating smoke in the atmosphere is the culprit.

  “Do you want me to stay here?” Mason asks.

  “No. I’ll be fine.” I lean up and kiss Mason on his frowning lips. “Stop worrying. He isn’t going to eat me alive.”

  “You never know with him,” Mason grouses.

  “Why don’t you go find us something to eat for breakfast?” I suggest. “I don’t know about you, but I have quite an appetite after last night.”

  “All right,” Mason grumbles. “I’ll see what I can make us.”

  He phases away quickly.

  I walk across the bridge to its middle, where Lucifer is waiting for me.

  “So, what’s so important that you had to wake me up to talk about it?” I ask.

  Lucifer leans back against the waist-high brick wall of the bridge as he faces me.

  “I’m feeling…conflicted…” he says, as if we’re in a confessional and I’m playing the part of his priest.

  “Conflicted about what, exactly?”

  Lucifer lifts his eyes and looks up at the darkening sky. “All of this. What Lucian and the others are doing here.”

  “Doesn’t it make you happy to see humanity suffer?” I hold my breath, waiting for his answer, because I’m hoping to receive one I don’t expect.

  “Of course it makes me happy,” Lucifer tells me, dashing my hopes. “It’s just that…well…I don’t see the point of any of it. Where’s the fun? It’s like the humans are injured dogs, and Lucian is simply kicking them while they’re down. I see no sport in that! It would have been more entertaining if he could have found a way to pit them against one another instead. Humans are nothing if not greedy, petty creatures. Destroying them like this just seems to be letting them off the hook too easily. He should have found a way to divide them and force them to destroy each other. Now that would be fun to watch.”