Son of Chaos

by Lexi C. Foss

  She sighed. “You have no idea how much it hurt to feel you disappear.”

  “But I do, love. I felt it when you were in the Shadow realms.” I held her gaze, begging her to understand. “I couldn’t experience that again.”

  “Yet you did by closing me off.”

  “Yes, but I knew you were okay.”

  “But I didn’t!” she cried out. “I didn’t know you were okay, Xai. I thought you were gone. Forever. Always. Leaving me behind to live a solitary existence, never to be the same. Alone. Dead. I would have preferred death to that fate.”

  Fuck. After everything we’d been through, this was what finally drew a line for her. Part of me understood. I’d messed up by not communicating again, not warning her before I severed the link. The other part of me had no regrets. I would never allow those dark beings anywhere near her again.

  “I’m sorry, Evangeline,” I whispered. “I’m sorry for scaring you. But I’m here. I’ll always be here. Don’t walk away from us now, not after everything, not over this.” I begged her with my lips, tasting her skin, memorizing every inch of her face. “Don’t push me away, please. You’re scared and angry, and I understand, but don’t end this.”

  She quivered beneath me, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I hate you,” she said, and I knew she meant it. “I love you. I fucking hate how much I love you.” Her hand fisted in my hair as she pulled. “It hurts, Xai. Everything hurts.”

  “Because you’re fighting the truth of us,” I told her. “You’re depriving our souls of their rightful bond.”

  “Because you broke it.”

  “I did,” I admitted. “For a reason I’ve explained. You’re the one hurting us now.”

  She shuddered, her eyes closing. “I’m afraid.”

  “That I’ll sever the ties again,” I said, finishing her statement.

  “Yes. No.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid that if I let you in, I’ll find out none of this is real and it’s just my mind playing tricks on me again. That you really died and that if I open again, you won’t really be there.”

  “I’m right here, Evangeline.”

  “I know, and I know it’s ridiculous, but you died, Xai.”

  “I didn’t. I’m here.”

  She whimpered, her head swaying back and forth. “My heart can’t handle this.”

  “Neither can mine, love. Let me back in, let me love you, let me fix this.”

  “You can’t.”

  “I can.” I took her mouth in a kiss filled with all our thousands of years together. The memories, the fights, the love, the hot, unbridled passion. I unleashed it all, forcing her to let me in, demanding she trust me again, to see why I blocked her, to understand my deep, undying devotion to her.

  She was my life. My reason. My mate.

  “I love you,” I whispered. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I can’t promise not to do it again, because we both know that’s impossible. You’re killing me now, and may again in the future, but I wouldn’t hold it against you, love. I’ll fight for you. I’ll fight for us. And I need you to fight for us too.”

  Her breaths were harsh against my lips, her cheeks damp from crying, her body quivering beneath mine. I kissed her again, less harshly, more lovingly, and waited for her to reciprocate, a part of me dying with each passing second.

  “You’re punishing me,” I whispered, pained at her lack of a response. “I’m sorry, Evangeline. I said I was sorry. Please don’t send me away. I need you. I always have, always will. I—”

  Her mouth captured mine, silencing my plea, and I sagged against her, destroyed. Losing her would be my end. She had to see that, had to know that.

  Her tongue slipped into my mouth, fueling my need to possess her, to reclaim my mate. “Evangeline,” I breathed.

  She kissed me again, more demanding this time, her nails trailing down my arms to my stomach, to my waist. Her fingers moved over my belt, unfastening as she went, her intentions clear. I let her lead us, own us, remake us.

  My palms cradled her face, holding on for dear life, needing her. “Evangeline,” I repeated, my breath leaving on a hiss as she pulled my cock free. “I love you.”

  She didn’t return the endearment, her mouth silencing mine again as she unfastened her own clothes, kicking off her pants and mine, and wrapping her legs around my waist. “Fuck me,” she demanded. “Hard, Xai. I need it hard.”

  I pressed my forehead to hers, sliding inside her waiting heat. “If this is you trying to say goodbye, I won’t let you,” I told her, thrusting sharply. “You can’t punish me forever, Evangeline. Not for doing something we both know was justified.”

  Her nails scored my sides, her hips bucking to meet mine. “You died, Xai.”

  “I’m here, Evangeline,” I growled, shoving home to prove it. “Let me back in and I’ll prove it.”

  She shuddered, her lips parting on a groan. I felt her resistance melting, her body welcoming me home, her soul rejoicing at being so near.

  “You love me,” I whispered.

  “I do,” she agreed. “But I hate you, too.”

  “I know.” I increased my pace, fucking her into the oblivion I knew she adored. “That part will never change.” It was part of what made us click, that fiery passion, the anger, the fury, the tension, the explosive chemistry, and the dark understanding between our souls.

  She groaned as I shifted my hips in a way I knew she enjoyed, her thighs tensing around me. “I can’t resist you,” she whispered, her eyes closing in ecstasy. “Have never been able to.”

  “Because you don’t want to,” I told her, dropping my lips to her neck to nip her pulse. Let me rekindle our bond, love, my soul whispered, my teeth skimming her tender skin.

  “Yes,” she hissed, whether in agreement to my vocalized statement or to the unspoken request I’d made against her neck, I didn’t know.

  So I kissed her instead, trailing a path up to her ear. “Let me back in, love. Complete us again.”

  I struck her deep, eliciting a beautiful sound from her throat in the process. Not agreement, but definitely approval of my actions.

  “You can use me all you want, Evangeline, but we both know who will win this game.” I slowed my movements in demonstration, my pelvis just barely rubbing her clit. “Give in before I make you beg, love.”

  She shuddered beneath me. “Xai…”

  “Evangeline,” I returned, my voice a deep growl. “Stop making me wait or I’ll return the favor.”

  “I’ve not forgiven you yet.”

  “But you will.”

  She sighed, lacing her fingers through my hair as she tugged to bring my face away from her neck. Her blue eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, her gaze holding mine. “I will,” she agreed softly. “But if you ever do that to me again, I’ll kill you myself.”

  My lips curled. “That almost sounds like foreplay, darling.”

  “I mean it, Xai. If you do that to me again, I will kill you.”

  “Now you’re just turning me on,” I teased.

  She thrust upward. “Already there, jackass. Now take me seriously.”

  “I always take you seriously.”

  “Liar,” she accused, scowling.

  “Never,” I whispered, taking her mouth in a kiss meant to smooth out her frown. My cock slid deep inside her, then out, and slowly in again. Not our usual dance, but it felt right to cherish her. “If there is ever a need for me to do it again, I will warn you first,” I promised her. I couldn’t promise not to do it again, because I refused to endanger her in any way, and she had to understand that.

  She bit my lower lip in retribution, hard enough to bleed, then laved the wound with her tongue. I shuddered at the contact and what it implied. Acceptance.

  I nipped her in return, drawing blood and pulling the essence into my mouth.

  One swallow initiated the bond.

  Another lick solidified it.

  My heart skipped a beat, my soul rejoicing at the rekindled connection, my being co
mplete once again. Evangeline’s quiver said she felt it too, and her kiss told me she approved.

  I returned her embrace, took control of it, and powered us through it.

  Mine.

  My spirit required I reclaim her fully, and from the way she met me move for move, I knew her soul agreed.

  “Xai,” she panted, my name never sounding sweeter. “Now.”

  I chuckled, my lips at her neck again. “Always so impatient,” I murmured, my hand sliding between us to find that sweet spot she craved. My thumb drifted over her teasingly, and she arched into me on a groan that went straight to my balls. “I love that sound.”

  She did it again, this time highlighting it with a curse coupled with my name.

  “More,” I demanded, needing her to lose herself to our passion.

  I unleashed my strength, my body dominating hers in the way we both adored. She took what I gave her and returned it full throttle, our bodies the perfect match for one another in every way.

  Another downward stroke had her walls clamping around me, her body freezing in the initial throes of a climax that ripped a scream from her throat. I pumped into her hard, chasing after her orgasm with one of my own, my muscles strained from the effort, my heart thudding in ecstasy.

  “Mine,” she growled, causing my lips to curl. That was usually my line.

  “Yours,” I agreed, my lips against hers. “For eternity.”

  20

  How Many Deaths Does It Take to Earn a Vacation?

  I couldn’t find my clothes, but at least I had my wings.

  My feathers nudged Xai’s as we flew to his home in the heart of the city.

  He chuckled. “I thought you were still mad at me.”

  “I am.”

  “Then why are you flirting, love?”

  “Because I also want to fuck you again,” I replied honestly.

  His dark gaze caught mine, a glimmer in their depths. “My insatiable Evangeline.”

  “Yes, it’s such a hardship for you,” I deadpanned.

  “Truly difficult,” he agreed, smirking. “But I suspect we’ll have company when we return.”

  I frowned. “Who?”

  “My mother,” he murmured. “I’m not sure how I know that, but I do.”

  I considered that as we flew, my thoughts returning to Alastor’s realm. “You blackened the sky.”

  “I did.” He twirled in the sky, his midnight plumes dancing with his movements. “You inspired me, Evangeline. I realized I was failing you, and I couldn’t allow that.” He glanced back, his dark hair blowing in the wind stirred by his flight. “Does my new ability scare you?”

  “No.” The only thing that ever frightened me was the thought of losing him. “Does it scare you?”

  “I’ve always favored the dark, so no,” he murmured. “It felt… right.”

  We landed on his balcony, our hands finding each other immediately as he pulled me into him, his larger wings circling around us and covering mine in an angelic hug. I thought he meant to kiss me until he said, “Hello, Mother.”

  “Xai,” she returned from just inside. “You’re late.”

  “Evangeline distracted me.”

  I pinched his side, which caused him to chuckle and his mother to tsk. “Blaming your mate for your own antics. What kind of son have I raised?”

  A cryptic one, I thought with a snort.

  Xai’s gaze narrowed, his hands moved to my hips to pull me closer. “I heard that.”

  I raised a brow. You did?

  “I did,” he replied, nuzzling my nose. Seems our bond has strengthened, he added mentally. I approve. “How can I be late, Mother, when we both know you knew when to anticipate my arrival?”

  I couldn’t see her, but I heard her chuckle. “Touché.” A soft ruffle of feathers followed, indicating her movement. “I came to talk to you about the imbalance, as I’m sure you felt it.”

  “Dariel claimed it to be the portals reopening.”

  She snorted. “That jackass knows nothing. I’ve been watching his choices for centuries, as well as all the others—”

  “You know who else is involved?” Xai asked, interrupting her.

  “Of course. I see all their fates, child, and soon, you will too. Or glimpses, anyway. Dariel’s demise is just the beginning. Others will lay claim to his former role and pick up the broken pieces. That’s why I’m here.”

  “To talk about our future. Not to give us their identities so we can stop them preemptively.” Xai phrased it as a statement, not a question.

  “Destiny will happen with or without my involvement, something you’ll one day understand. If I alter the path of one, it alters the paths of others, but the end results still happen. So I allow it to play out while positioning my pawns accordingly.”

  “Such as sending us to Hell,” I said, unsure of how I felt about being referred to as a “pawn.”

  “Precisely, and you both influenced the others appropriately. Now, we wait, and learn, and grow. Which brings me back to the imbalance. Surely by now you’ve felt the changes, yes?”

  “Sort of hard to miss the midnight sky,” I replied while holding Xai’s gaze. He smirked in response but remained silent otherwise.

  “Everything is shifting, not just in Hell but in Heaven too. Have you ever wondered why you were placed on Earth?” she asked.

  “I’ve always assumed you had a purpose,” Xai replied. “Aside from destroying my relationship with Evangeline, I imagine you wished to teach me about humanity.”

  “Your relationship together is strong because of everything you’ve endured.” The affection in her voice made it hard to dislike her for playing a game of chess with our lives. Hard, but not impossible. “And yes, humanity, Xai. You required the experience more than anyone else because of who you have now become.”

  He finally looked away from me, his gaze traveling over my shoulder to the female behind me. “And who is that?”

  “Don’t you see? Chaos favors the night, while destiny thrives in the light, but you embody the gray. Both entities in one, my child.”

  Xai blinked. “You’re speaking to me in riddles.”

  She stomped her foot. “I am not. This makes perfect sense. Who are you?”

  “Son of Chaos.”

  “No longer,” she replied. “Who are you, Xai? Look deep, consider my words. You are an Archangel’s son no longer, but an Archangel yourself. And you are destined to lead with Evangeline at your side.”

  I laid my head against his chest, my ear resting just over his heart. For eternity.

  I knew you weren’t mad at me anymore.

  Oh, I am, but you’ll make it up to me after this cryptic conversation ends.

  His palm moved to my lower back, his wings brushing mine in an almost soothing manner. You love me.

  I do, I agreed softly. Even when I want to kill you.

  “Stop flirting with one another and think,” his mother chided. “The answer is there. Right at the cusp of your thoughts. Why did Evangeline survive the Shadow realm? She was there for far longer than both of you realize. Why was she able to sprout wings in the underworld?”

  Xai studied me for a long moment before saying, “Our deepening bond. She borrowed my darkness and chaos, thus allowing her to thrive in a world she would otherwise suffocate in.”

  “Yes, now dig deeper,” she encouraged, sounding excited. “Who are you, son?”

  Ancient energy danced in his midnight irises, causing the hair along my arms to rise. Electricity hummed across his skin, his potential rising to the surface. “You wish for me to remain in Heaven.” The words were spoken with finality, as if he already saw the path ahead of him.

  “It’s the will of the fates, yes.”

  “Because this is just the beginning,” he added, reminding me of Lucía’s warning to Alastor. “The ancients are no longer strong enough to uphold the balance. That’s the movement I felt earlier, not harm befalling Heaven but power shifting into others—me.”

 
; “Yes.” Anticipation underlined that solitary word. “Tell me, Xai.”

  His eyes found mine again, that ancient energy leaving his midnight eyes. “I’m the Archangel of Shadows, and Evangeline is my Consort of Shadows.”

  Umm…

  “And my work here is done,” his mother said, sounding relieved. “Enjoy your evening. We’ll chat more in the morning, I’m sure.”

  The sound of her feathers had my jaw dropping more than Xai’s words. Had she just laid a bombshell at our door and… left?

  Here’s your destiny outlined. Have fun! Oh, and you have new titles. Hope you like them. Cheers.

  “That’s fairly typical of my mother,” Xai murmured, sounding not nearly as alarmed as I felt.

  “Consort of Shadows?” I repeated. “And did your mother pretty much just tell us the fate of the world is in our hands, and good luck with that?”

  He nodded. “That’s how I interpreted it, yes.” He drew his hand up and down my back. “And I rather like your new title, Consort.”

  I snorted. “Okay, Archangel.”

  “I like the way that sounds.”

  “Don’t get used to it.”

  “Oh, I think I will.” He nuzzled my nose, his grin obnoxiously charming. “I was worried for a moment my mother might proclaim me a Prince of Hell.”

  “No, just King of the Shadow Realm, apparently.”

  He frowned, considering. “I suppose that makes sense, and why I can see all of Hell’s realms. I always assumed it to be related to my chaotic birthright, but it’s tied to destiny too.”

  “ ‘You embody the gray. Both entities in one,’ ” I said, repeating his mother’s cryptic words. “Huh. She sometimes makes sense.”

  I wrapped my legs around his waist as he lifted me into his arms. “She’s always been a puppet master, hence our stay on Earth. She was preparing us for our role here, but there’s a benefit to the upgrade.”

  He carried me through the threshold, his direction confirming we were headed for the bedroom. “Does it involve fucking?” I asked, knowing his one-track mind.