“You think just because you’re alpha, you get to have her?” Bishop straddled Valor and clocked him in the jaw, “Not going to fucking happen.”
Valor head-butted Bishop, sending him backwards which gave the alpha the upper hand. He rolled over and pinned Bishop to the ground. “She’s going to fucking die if I doona take care of her!” When Bishop fought back, Valor blocked his swing, then grabbed Bishop by the throat and squeezed.
“Listen to me,” Valor roared. “Fucking listen to me!” His nostrils flared as he tried to take in a few breathes. He shook all over. Bishop could feel the tremors in Valor’s hands as he continued to hold Bishop by the throat. “I’ve fucked up. My power in Tilly, what I gave her to heal her, it’s going to kill her if I doona balance out. Her temperature will continue to rise and her brain will fucking fry.” He released Bishop with a shove. “I’m not taking her away from ye, Hound.” Valor swayed on his feet, “I’m only trying to save her.”
A squeak brought their attention over to the mouse in the hallway. No, not a mouse. It was an extremely scared Tilly. “I’m going to die?”
Valor stumbled over to her. “Not today, lass.” He grabbed her by the back of the head and kissed her hard.
Bishop closed his eyes, his head dropping in defeat. The sight of his alpha with his woman was too much to bear. And the sound she made when Valor deepened his kiss?
Well, Bishop’s body reacted the only way it knew how…
Chapter 35
Drake and Baz stared at the child they’d been left with. She stood there, completely unafraid of being locked into a room with two prisoners and left to starve while Baz and Drake watched until they either gave in or let her die.
They were naked, which made it even worse.
The Hounds both covered up as much as they could with their hands and tried to keep their distance, in case she was fearful of them, but also wanted to be a close enough to keep her protected in case those cocksuckers came back.
“What should we do?” Drake asked.
“I’m not sure,” Baz lowered himself down, awkwardly keeping his modesty intact and approached the girl. “Hey, don’t be afraid, okay? We’ll find a way to get you out.” It was a lie. At best it was a frail hope.
Drake spoke in a soft voice, “What’s your name?”
The child didn’t respond. Instead, she walked over to where her twin had fallen dead. She dropped to her knees and spread herself across the floor, in the same position her twin fell dead in moments ago.
“We can’t let her die, Baz.”
“I know it.”
“Can you send our soul back out? See if we can reach Valor?”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been trying to do?” Baz stood back up and walked over to his brother, “The only person I keep finding is that woman. She’s not going to be helpful. I don’t even think she understands what she sees when she looks at me.”
“Then we have to try harder. See if you can speak to her. Use your hands if she can’t hear you.”
Baz went back to looking at the child. She wasn’t moving. She wasn’t crying. “Do you think she’s in shock?”
“How the hell would I know?” Drake stepped closer, cupping his junk as he knelt down, “Hey, girl. You okay?”
Baz rolled his eyes. Drake had zero kid skills.
The child looked up at Drake and mumbled. Nothing she said sounded like words. Drake’s eyes widened and he placed his hand under her chin. “Open.” The girl opened her mouth and Drake cursed. A lot.
“Language!” Baz barked.
Drake stood up and marched over to his brother, “Her tongue was cut out.”
Holy motherfucking Hell.
Lucifer paced around his room. He felt like a caged beast in too small of a space and did nothing but pace. It was infuriating. He summoned Sara to come down and join him for a bit. Was he being a selfish prick, ordering a pregnant woman to leave her men to be with him in Hell for a while? Probably, but he didn’t give a rat’s ass. He was Satan. If he wanted company, he would damn well have some.
He felt Sara’s presence before he saw her. Maybe it was the piece of his soul still inside her, or maybe they were just that connected because of their long-term relationship. Maybe it was because he smelled the bag of cheeseburgers she was carrying in. It was hard to say.
“Eli made you these,” she said while sucking on a tootsie pop. Sara handed over the bag and sat down on Lucifer’s throne. She was the only creature in the world he allowed to sit there. Not even his brothers have had the privilege of putting their asses on his seat.
Yet.
“How are you, Darling?”
“Good,” she rubbed her belly, “I just wish I could do more.”
Preaching to the choir, he thought. Reaching into the bag, he grabbed a carefully wrapped foil package with a hot burger in it. Fuck he loved meat. He took his first big bite and groaned. Eli was one hell of a cook. “What do you know of this woman Valor has taken into his home?”
“She seems nice, I guess. Strong. Willful. I like her.”
Lucifer grinned. Sara’s approval made him feel a little less concerned. “Val said she’s cursed.”
“Jack confirmed it,” she crunched down on her Tootsie Pop, devouring the center. While she chewed, she unwrapped another one. “We tried to use some spells to break it. I think we caused more harm than good though. Nearly lost her on the front lawn.”
“Shit,” he whispered. “So he’s serious about trying to cure her?”
“They made a pact. He said he’d help her break the curse if she gave him information on some guy.”
“Is that all you know?”
Sara shrugged, “Pretty much. We didn’t really have a lot of time to chit chat. Valor was out the door fast once she gave us the name. We left shortly after he returned.” Sara laughed and stretched her body to lie across his throne with her head resting on one armrest and her legs dangling off the other. “She thought she was slick sneaking out of the house.”
Lucifer’s brow arched.
“We let her go,” Sara shrugged. “Kalen followed her back to her apartment and she didn’t see him. He waited until she was safe in her home, then he returned to us. When Valor and Bishop arrived, we acted like we didn’t know anything about her running off.”
“Why the fuck would you do that?”
Sara sighed and stayed quiet for a moment. “I think she’s good for them. They care for her. They needed to hunt her down. Feel the fear.”
“Fear?”
“Of maybe losing her.”
Lucifer shook his head. “It’s going to happen. That curse cannot be lifted.”
“She knows.”
He grabbed another burger out of the bag and took a huge bite while contemplating. Finally, “You think she’s Hound material?”
“I think she’s good for that pack. I have no idea if she’s Hound material. But I don’t want her to be a Hound.”
Lucifer couldn’t blame her. No one became a Hell Hound without suffering a terrible death and still having the drive to not give up and find peace. If Tilly wanted to be a Hound, it came at a violent price. Sara didn’t want that for her. Neither did Lucifer. Or Valor…
“She’s in danger,” Lucifer said. Now the burgers felt like rocks in his gut. “Valor pushed his power into her.”
“Shit,” Sara cursed. “I didn’t know about that. Jack only said they fixed her and cleansed her out.”
“Mmmph.” He walked over to his throne. “Maybe Jack didn’t realize what else Valor did.”
“Why they hell would Valor shove his power into a human like that? He had to know it would backfire. What an idiot.”
“I doubt he thought past the moment he was in, Darling.”
“Can nothing be done?”
“Yes, but that’s on Valor now.” Lucifer squatted down in front of his throne and smiled, “May I touch you?” Sara pulled her hand away from her belly so Lucifer could replace it with his. “Such a miracle,” he w
hispered.
“Well, you’d know all about those, Angel.”
Lucifer chuckled and bent down to kiss her belly. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Him?”
“Or her.”
“Can’t you tell?”
“Nope, whoever’s in there is very quiet.” He pulled away and sighed. He loved having Sara with him, but knew she couldn’t stay for very long. She’d want to return to her extremely protective pack soon. So imagine his surprise when she yawned and asked him if she could stay and take a nap. “You know you don’t have to ask me that, Darling. You can stay as long as you want.”
“Thanks,” she smiled lazily.
Lucifer didn’t ask if she wanted his bed. If she did, she’d take it. This was as much her home as it was his. But instead of finding a more comfortable spot to stretch out on, Sara curled up and fell asleep in his chair.
He couldn’t help getting the feels. He missed when she and Kalen lived down here with him. He hated being so lonely. Hated being so trapped. Seeing Sara curled up in his throne reminded him of all the goodness he was fighting for. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. She wasn’t just what kept her pack together, she was what kept Lucifer from unraveling into loneliness and despair.
His world was changing. He was changing. When Hell began crumbling and they fought malanum with the fate of the world in his hands, Lucifer had done things – terrible things – for the greater good. He’d destroyed evil. Yes, he was victorious, but Lucifer had put something else in jeopardy.
He put his own soul on the motherfucking chopping block.
The price needed to be paid soon. He just needed to hold out a little while longer, make sure his Hounds were solid and secure with their packs. He needed to wait long enough for his brothers to find the missing book and start to hold up their end of the deal by taking over Hell in shifts. And he needed to get more Gate Keepers.
There was too much still left to do.
And the baby, Lucifer closed his eyes and prayed for his Darling’s unborn child. While Sara lightly snored, the Devil stood guard and watched over her. Sara’s pack would be down here soon to check on her, of that he was certain. Until then, he would enjoy this moment.
It was rare that the Devil got to protect the innocent... and he knew his days were numbered now.
Chapter 36
Tilly couldn’t understand what was going on. What did Valor just say? That she was dying? Did he mean that in the she’s cursed way or in the she’s going to die in a matter of seconds way?
Valor stormed back over and crushed his mouth to hers again. His kiss was nothing like Bishop’s. Valor’s was rushed and forced, which went against how she’d imagined it being. Tilly slammed her palms into his shoulders and pushed him away. “Stop.”
Valor obeyed, but it definitely wasn’t what he wanted to do. “Ye doona understand, lass.”
“You’re right,” she kept him away with her arms outstretched. Sweat dripped down her back. “So explain this to me.”
Bishop growled as he rose from the floor, “Yeah, Alpha. Explain it.”
Valor swiped both his palms down his face and grumbled something indiscernible and most definitely in Gaelic. “You’re hot.”
Tilly gave him a what the fuck face. “Uhhh thanks?”
“No!” he waved his hand in the air, “I mean your body temperature. It’s rising.” No one argued there. “I wasna thinking when I pushed my power into ye, lass. For that, I’m so fucking sorry. But ye canna hold my energy. It’s not meant for humans. My heat will continue to rise.”
Bishop stood beside Valor and scowled. They all looked back and forth at each other. Valor placed a hand on her cheek and Bishop did the same to her other. “She doesn’t feel that hot to me,” Bishop said.
“And that’s why we’ve missed it. We’re fucking boiling, Hound. Our unbalance has us a mess and she’s the same heat. Humans canna suffer this much. Fevers over 105 can cause delirium. Above 108 can cause death.”
Bishop paled. “Shit,” he whispered, “What do we do?”
“We doona have to do anything.”
Tilly moved away from them and slid over against the wall. “We most certainly do! I can’t die like this.”
Bishop grabbed her hand and squeezed, “That’s not going to happen, Sweetness.”
Panic and fear danced down her skin. “What do we do to fix me?” Whatever it was, she was going to do it. Drink some disgusting potion. Okay. Work another spell. Fine. Whatever it was, it needed to be done and now! As more sweat dripped down her back, Tilly felt like a ticking time bomb. “Speak, damnit! Tell me what we have to do!”
Valor’s jaw clenched. “Fuck.”
“Fuck is right!” she yelled. “What do we have to do?”
“I said, fuck.” Valor’s answer caught both her and Bishop off guard.
Maybe she hadn’t heard him right. “Excuse me?”
Valor pushed against her hands and her arms bent, allowing him to press his body against her. “Ye canna remain with your body so hot. It’s not a fever, lass. If it were, then you’d be chilled with a fever. But look at ye,” Valor reached up to brush the hair sticking to her sweaty temples, “You’re on fire. Humans canna survive heat like this.”
“Oh god,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry, lass. I am. But it’s the only way.”
“And what? Fucking is going to make it all better?” That sounded like the dumbest goddamn excuse to get laid she’d ever heard of. “I feel like this is a stupid trick.” And yet, the seriousness of Valor’s tone said the exact opposite. Add to that Bishop’s fury and intensity and she didn’t know what to think anymore. Shit, was this really real? Who has problems like this in their lives? Who, damnit!
Tilly looked over at Bishop and wanted to cry. The man was torn. She saw the pain in his eyes. The worst part was… she didn’t know how to feel about it. She and Bishop were on a little bit of a roll, but she couldn’t deny her attraction to Valor too. It was something she’d been hell-bent on keeping a secret she would take to her grave. But now? This was a life or death situation, not a heart breaking one.
“Together.” Tilly announced before putting a whole lot of thought into what the fuck it meant. “You two got me into this mess. You two can get me out of it… together.”
“Are you sure about this?” Bishop asked.
Nope, she wasn’t. Quite frankly, she felt insane and stupid. Maybe her brain was already boiling and making her have seriously bad judgment.
“I’m sure.” She reached out and snatched Bishop by the neck and brought him closer so he was all in her space too. Tears stung her eyes. She was scared and turned on and desperate and confused, but one thing was certain, “I’m not ready to die.”
Could this be more awkward? Maybe.
Valor kept his jaw clenched as he allowed Tilly to lead the way up to her room. Bishop was right behind her. Val brought up the rear. They didn’t speak at all. It made this entire situation feel so forced and wrong.
To add more misery to the mix, Valor’s insides were screaming in jealousy. Envy coiled like a snake in his gullet, ready to strike. All he kept thinking about was the way Tilly had looked at Bishop just now. “I don’t want to die,” she’d said to him.
To him - Bishop. Not him - Valor.
She liked Bishop and was attracted to him. Valor felt like a fool because when he and Tilly were in the shooting range earlier, he could have sworn there’d been a spark between them. Not now though. Not after the exchange they just had. Christ, even when Valor grabbed and kissed her, Tilly didn’t melt into him like he thought she would. He told himself it was because he’d taken her by surprise. She’d come out of Bishop’s music room, calling his name, and Valor, in a state of pure panic, had grabbed and kissed her.
He shouldn’t have done that. He should have gone slower. Sweeter. Gentler. Or maybe he shouldn’t have done it at all. Fuck, he was a muddled mess.
As they headed to the bedroom, Bishop g
rabbed Tilly’s waist and whispered something in her ear. She didn’t flinch away from him. Not like Valor expected her to. In fact, Bishop touched her like he was already quite familiar with her body. Had they already been intimate with each other? Valor didn’t know, but the way they acted made him assume the answer was yes.
Again, the snake of jealousy within him coiled tightly and hissed. He’d been down this road before. In his first life, with Sara as his bride and Kalen as his second in command.
Valor’s heart hammered in his chest and he felt nauseous. Now wasn’t the time to be fighting over a woman. Actually, there was never a good time to fight over a woman. Still, his mind wouldn’t let go of the fact that he’d been down this road before.
No, he thought. Before, with Sara and Kalen, it was different. Yes, Valor relinquished his own wife to his best friend, but there was no love lost between him and Sara. Their marriage was an arrangement, an alliance. They had no true attraction to each other, just a deep respect and love for their clans. It was easy to give her away.
But Tilly? This woman was a different story. She stirred things inside Valor he’d not felt in a very long time. He didn’t want to admit how he felt. Not to himself, or to Bishop, or to her.
She was a human. She was temporary.
And she was more attracted to Bishop than to Valor.
Fuck, Val silently cursed, and now I’ve got to do this knowing she doesna even desire me at all.
He was going to go through with this for Tilly’s sake and for his own. He needed balance so they were better prepared when the twins showed up again. This act of lust was a means to an end. That’s all. It wasn’t personal, it was maintenance.
Tilly went into her room first, “Just… give me a minute, okay?”
Valor nodded and Bishop said, “Of course, take your time, Sweetness,” and then she disappeared into her bathroom. Bishop scowled, “Are you saving her because you care, or because she’s our only link to the twins?”
“Does it matter?” Val didn’t want to admit he cared for her, not after seeing the exchange between her and Bishop.
Hard to Find (Hell Hounds Harem Book 4) Page 26
