“The souls are gone. It is no longer our problem,” Zadkiel pronounced.
Lailah shook her head, “Of course, this is our problem you should be concerned these are souls that have been robbed from you.”
Zadkiel waved his hand dismissively, “It is a moot point. They are gone now.”
“How can you be so cold?” Lailah asked shocked.
“You will learn in time you cannot care for every single soul. It is exhausting,” Zadkiel said.
“Then what is it you do? Who is it you care for?” Lailah seriously wanted to know. “Who is it you come down from your lofty perch for?”
“Enough,” Zadkiel barked slapping the arm of his chair he stood, “We do not need to explain our actions to you. You are a child in comparison to what we have lived through.”
“Do you honestly think just because I have not lived through what you have, I do not understand the preciousness of a life, the meaningfulness of a soul?” Lailah asked. “Those souls meant something, and they deserve to be released.”
“Then go, do what you think you must. But we are not getting involved,” Zadkiel announced.
Lailah looked at each of the Arch’s and none of them looked as if they were going to stop or offer her a hand.
“The mortals are looking to the Angels for hope and light in their life and you leave them bereft,” Lailah said sadly shaking her head.
“You know nothing of what we do,” Zadkiel said walking away from Lailah.
“You are right I don’t know of anything you do, and neither do the mortals. It’s the saddest part,” Lailah said and stomped down the stairs. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she was again back in the bedroom.
Lailah climbed out of the bed and threw on her clothes and turned back to the bed and kicked it for good measure. The Angels were leaving the mortals to fend for themselves and the Tribunal was waging a war on the Others. She felt like her hands were tied and she knew Grayson, and the releasing of the souls he carried was going to be a lot harder than Hunter and the Trackers thought it would be.
Lailah started to pace trying to figure out how she was going to make everything turn out right. As she turned to make another pass around the room she stopped short.
Raphael stood at the end of her bed.
Lailah just stood there staring at him for a moment, she couldn’t believe he was there. Raphael looked around the bedroom with an expression she couldn’t quite describe, it was a cross between aversion and wonderment.
Lailah finally found her ability to speak, “What are you doing here?” Lailah asked.
“You have not been given all the information you need for this encounter,” Raphael said cryptically.
“Okay,” Lailah said, “Would you like to inform me of the facts I don’t have?” Lailah couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice.
“Many years ago, there was a seer. She foretold your coming. An earthbound Angel would rise from the ashes of heartbreak. This Arch Angel would be loved by the silent gods of old and she would bind herself to the darkness,” Raphael said.
“What does that mean I would bind myself to darkness?” Lailah asked.
“I assume it is your love for this Reaper,” Raphael said with disgust.
Lailah rolled her eyes, “His soul isn’t dark, if you guys would come down from your lofty perches more often you would be able to see that, you assume way to much.” Lailah wanted to scream it at him. But she also didn’t want to piss Raphael off, he was her only friend in the Arch’s so she kept her tone neutral. “Did the seer say anything else?”
“Only that the darkness would destroy you,” Raphael said sadly. “It is why the other Arch’s are so adamant about not helping you. They view you as a lost cause. To them, you are already a non-entity, a lost soul. You have to understand Lailah, life here on the mortal plane is fleeting. You will understand after several centuries.”
“Life is precious no matter how fleeting, Raphael. You and the other Archs have obviously forgotten that,” Lailah implored. “I don’t care what this seer said. Hunter would die before he hurt me,” Lailah said in Hunters defense. And Lailah refused to believe he would harm one hair on her head.
Raphael placed a hand on her shoulder, “I am only telling you what I know Lailah, this darkness, this war you are fighting? You won’t survive it.”
“It’s just the blathering of some seer from how long ago?” Lailah asked. She suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe anymore and she stepped away from Raphael. “I will create my own fate,” Lailah told him.
“I certainly hope so. Please remember what I have told you. This Reaper you care so much for, do you know what darkness resides within him?” Raphael asked.
“Stop.” Lailah held up her hand. “Hunter would never hurt me.”
Raphael nodded once, “I only want the best for you, Lailah.” Raphael said it quietly but the look in his eyes was resigned.
“I’m not going to die,” Lailah said. “This shit isn’t going to kill me,” she said, but her words sounded hollow even to her.
“I await your victorious return with the other Arch’s,” Raphael said as he bowed and then he was gone.
Lailah could feel tears choking her and she climbed back into the bed, she pulled the covers up over her head. So she wasn’t meant to survive. And Hunter, the man she had fallen madly in love with was somehow going to kill her. All this information was just too much for her to take. The tears welled up from deep in her chest, all the pain she had gone through not just in the last couple of weeks. But in her lifetime, she had been alone so long her only friend had been Jimmy if you could call Jimmy a friend and she had kept him only because of the bonds they had created as teenagers and that had ended up nearly getting her killed several times. Now she had fallen in love with Hunter, and he was supposedly going to kill her. Lailah cried because it just wasn’t fair dammit. Lailah ended up crying herself to sleep.
* * *
Hunter found Lailah curled up under the covers. When he climbed under them to join her she jumped out of the bed like he had attacked her. “What the hell, Lailah?”
Lailah looked at him like she had never seen him before. “I…” then she shook her head and climbed back into the bed and threw her arms around him. “Hunter I have a bad feeling.”
Hunter squeezed her. “Don’t worry I’m going to protect you.”
Lailah leaned back and looked at him, and Hunter was mesmerized by her emerald green eyes like always. “But then who is going to protect you?”
Hunter laughed, “Don’t worry, baby, I got this.” But there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there the night before. And he was about to ask her what it was but she pulled away from him. “Lailah?”
She turned and smiled at him, “I need to shower, what is the plan?”
Hunter shook off his misgivings, “Eric and the Elementals are working on something for the container. Believe it or not, the Trackers have a backhoe. So digging a hole isn’t going to be an issue. Leave it to the Trackers, they have all the cool toys.”
Lailah laughed as she moved to the bathroom and leaned on the door jam, “Somehow it doesn’t surprise me. Where are they going to put this makeshift bomb shelter?”
“It’s better if I just show you,” Hunter said climbing from the bed. “You want some help washing your back?” he asked pulling his shirt off.
Lailah backed into the bathroom, “Hmm there is this one spot I can’t seem to reach.”
“Now see, that’s my specialty. Hard to reach spots.”
* * *
“This is perfect,” Lailah said looking around the clearing they were standing in. It was about a mile from the house and surrounded by woods. She turned to Falcon and Hunter. “You own all this land?”
Falcon shrugged, “More or less.”
Lailah cringed, “What exactly does that mean?”
“It means he isn’t afraid to use what isn’t his,” Eric said walking through the woods toward them.
“Do you want this piece of shit taken care of or not?” Falcon snapped at Eric.
“Oh, I want it taken care of,” Eric said. “But I would also like my forest left intact.”
“How many times have I told you we aren’t going to leave a gaping hole in it? We will make it look better than how it looks now.”
“It looks perfect the way it is,” Eric said.
“You Druids are such purists,” Falcon said shaking his head.
Lailah laughed, “Am I going to have to separate the two of you?”
Both men turned to her, as if they were just now remembering Lailah and Hunter were standing there. Lailah shook her head, “How are you going to get the heavy equipment here?”
“That was exactly my question. Because there are no roads here, and I’m not about to tear up my forest to do it,” Eric said crossing his arms over his chest.
“Gods, did I mention a pussy on top of it all,” Falcon swore throwing his hands up “Can’t you just puff it here or something?”
“No, because you didn’t ask me nicely,” Eric said sarcastically.
Lailah turned to Hunter, “Do they always act like this?”
Hunter shook his head, “Eric is mad at Falcon because he thinks Falcon is hiding Eric’s sister Kyra from him.”
“He is,” Eric said adamantly.
“No, the fuck I’m not. She is on a mission, you shit head. You know what those are don’t you?” Falcon asked stomping his foot.
“What kind of mission, tell me where she is?” Eric demanded.
“It’s a secret,” Falcon said calmly.
Eric’s eyes bulged out, “If you say that to me one more time I swear to the mother goddess I am going to kick your ass.”
Falcon leaned forward, “It. Is. A. Secret.”
Eric launched himself forward, planting his shoulder into Falcons stomach and throwing him down onto his back. Falcon didn’t miss a beat and threw Eric from above him.
“Oh, for hells sake,” Hunter swore.
Lailah grabbed Hunter, “Maybe you should allow them to fight it out.”
“We don’t have time for this shit,” Hunter swore again.
Lailah agreed but they needed to fight it out otherwise it was just going to fester until it blew up and she told Hunter exactly that.
Hunter threw his hands in the air and stomped off, “Let them knock the shit out of each other.”
Lailah shook her head and followed Hunter, luckily Cameron was driving a huge truck with a trailer attached and a backhoe on it. “Where did you want me to drop this bitch?”
“Why is it a female?” Lailah asked him.
Cameron had the good graces to blush, “Just is,” he said looking over Lailah’s shoulder. “What is going on there?” he asked motioning to Falcon and Eric.
“Eric wants to know where Ryder and Kyra are,” Hunter answered.
Cameron burst out laughing, “Good luck, Falcon won’t even tell the other brothers. Eric has a better chance getting into Hell.”
Hunter swore, “They must be doing something way off book.”
Cameron nodded, “Way, way off book.”
Lailah waved her arms, “Not our problem right now. We have an apocalypse to avoid.”
“So where do you want me to drop it?” Cameron asked looking around the clearing.
Hunter turned and survived the clearing. “Smack down in the center. And run those two over in the process.”
Cameron laughed and moved the backhoe into place. By the time he climbed from the truck Falcon and Eric were standing apart and glaring at each other. Lailah walked over to the two of them.
“Are the two of you done?” she asked the duo.
“He isn’t going to tell me where my sister is,” Eric snapped.
Lailah looked at Falcon who shook his head, “Falcon would you ever send Eric’s sister somewhere dangerous?”
Falcon grimaced, “Yes, But that is why Ryder is with her.”
Lailah rolled her eyes, “Don’t you trust your sister?” Lailah asked Eric.
Eric looked like he had swallowed a rock, “Of course I do, she is the most capable female in the world.”
“Then why are you so upset?” Lailah asked.
“Because she is my sister. And since I was born we have always known where each other are, she has never, and I mean never, gone on a mission without letting me know where she was,” Eric said, and Lailah could see the worry in his eyes. She felt bad for him, he was just a worried brother. “Eric.” Lailah put her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know this Ryder, nor have I had the pleasure of meeting your sister. But I am sure if Kyra is anything like you she will be fine. This mate Ryder, I’m sure will take care of her.”
“It’s hard to let go after being partners for so long,” Eric admitted quietly. “Kyra has been mated to Ryder for a couple of years and I still haven’t gotten used to it. This is the first mission they have gone on where I haven’t been at least notified. Kyra didn’t even tell me she was leaving. I had to find out through Falcon.”
Lailah wrapped Eric in a hug, she felt so bad for him. Eric was hurting because he and Kyra were obviously very close and Eric felt like he was losing his best friend. Lailah didn’t know what that felt like but she could sympathize with him.
“I wish there was something I could do to make it better,” Lailah told him.
Eric took a deep breath. “Me too.” Then he pushed her away and turned back to the clearing. “Fuck me, Cameron. Could you have torn up any more of the field with that damn truck?” Eric snarled and stomped over to the men.
Hunter was glaring at Lailah from his position next to the backhoe and Lailah knew exactly why.
“He needed a little comfort that’s all it was,” she explained why she had been hugging the other man.
Hunter turned and walked away from her without saying a word. “Hunter.” Lailah tried to stop him but he shrugged off her hand, “Dammit, Hunter.”
“We need to start right here.” Hunter pointed to the ground. “Show me how this thing works,” He growled at Cameron as he climbed into the backhoe shutting the cage-like door. And essentially shutting out Lailah. She sighed, not knowing how she was supposed to offer comfort to the Others, and the mortals and not cause Hunter pain?
Lailah moved out of the way as the manual labor began. There was nothing she could do at the moment. But stay out of the way.
* * *
Hunter thought working his body to exhaustion would help, but his mind was still working while his entire body ached. And now as he forced himself to take one step at a time up to the bedroom he was sharing with Lailah, his mind was running through what he had witnessed today between Lailah and Eric.
He kept telling himself it hadn’t meant anything. He had heard everything they had said to each other but the jealousy was still kicking him in the gut. Hunter should have stayed downstairs and drank himself to sleep. Because going into the room with Lailah right now was probably a bad idea.
When he opened the door and found her sound asleep, one smooth leg bared. Hunters fatigue vanished like it had never existed. Running a hand over his short hair, he headed to the bathroom. The last thing Lailah needed right then was for him to fall on her and claim her for himself. Damn he wanted to mark her as his, show her who she belonged to. Make her repeat the words over and over until she was hoarse, and her voice failed. Hunter wanted to hear her scream the words on her release. He wanted to mark her in a way every man on the mortal plane would know she belonged to him and him alone.
Hunter turned the shower on and stripped, he was dirty and sweaty and hard. How did Lailah do this to him with just a bare leg? Climbing into the shower, he scrubbed himself clean. But even the clinical cleaning he forced on himself didn’t decrease his erection. He was contemplating a quick release so he could think clearly when two arms circled his waist.
“Fuck, Lailah.” Hunter gasped and slammed his hands against the shower wall to keep himself from turning around and
attacking her.
Lailah for her part, let her hands roam all along his chest. “I missed you today,” Lailah said against his back. “You know that hug between me and Eric meant nothing right?”
Hunter couldn’t speak, the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat. So all he did was nod, flinging water everywhere.
“Hunter I need to hear the words,” Lailah said, her words brushed against his back. Hunter felt them like a goddamn knife against his skin. Gods, did she have any idea what she was doing to him? How close to the edge he was? She was playing with fire and she was about to get burned? He had never wanted her so bad, and he just couldn’t control himself much longer. He tried to breath, tried to hold onto the edges of his control. But something in him knew it was pointless, knew it was just a matter of minutes, or seconds before she said something to throw him over the edge.
“Please, Hunter tell me we’re okay,” Lailah pleaded.
Maybe it was the plea, or maybe it was the way she pressed her warm body against him. He didn’t know but he turned and pressed her against the opposite wall sliding into her in one move. Her eyes rounded, and Hunter moaned.
“How about you tell me something, Lailah,” Hunter groaned as he thrust up into her more firmly causing Lailah to let out a little scream. “Tell me who makes you feel this good?”
“Hunter,” Lailah called out his name her head falling back.
Hunter pulled almost all the way out then thrust deep, “Who is the only one who will bring you to completion?” he thrust in several times hitting that spot deep inside of her.
“You,” Lailah called out grasping at Hunter’s shoulders.
“Who am I?” Hunter demanded.
“Hunter,” Lailah gasped. Hunter couldn’t remember ever seeing anything as beautiful as his woman glistening wet in the throes of passion.
Hunter thrust harder against her, “You’re mine, Lailah. No matter what happens outside of this room. You. Are. Mine.”
Lailah opened her eyes and looked at Hunter. Then she nodded. “Say the words, Lailah,” Hunter demanded. He stopped moving, “I won’t let you come until you say the words,”
“Say the words and I will give you the orgasm of your life,” Hunter promised dropping an opened mouthed kiss on her neck and then moving to her breast. He lapped up the water that trickled down her soft skin. Then Hunter sucked one tight nipple into his mouth he gently bite it making Lailah moan and arch up to meet his lips. Hunter moved to the other nipple and did the same. Then he tongued the nipple. “Say the words, Lailah.” He was moving again, building up pressure until he felt her body responding then he would stop.
Reaper Dreaming: A Reaper Novel Page 29
