by L. A. Boruff
“Wow, you have great friends,” she said to Paul.
Each of the new men watched her to the point of it being unnerving, however, she did the same to them. A knot of giddy curiosity swirled to life in the center of her body. She couldn't explain it other than it had been like her mind was awakening and she'd seen the world—the real world for the first time.
“They are the best friends a guy could have. They're always with me.”
Matthew, she thought his name was, snorted. His mercury colored eyes swirled with intention and arousal. Her breath hitched and he cocked a brow at her. “He can't get away from us.” He ensnared her with his gaze. “Tell me, little bird, what is it about our boy Paul that draws you to him?”
“I-I don't know,” she muttered. No matter how hard she tried to break the connection building between her and Matthew, she couldn't. “He saved my life.”
“It was mutual,” Paul uttered. “We saved each other.”
“Ah,” Adam said. “The storm. Freak thing. Kind of kept us away longer than we intended.”
“We would have been here the first day of school,” Chris clarified. “Paul told us he'd be attending college here and we were curious.”
Michael placed his chain in her hand and she instantly felt better. He gave a small smile. Had he realized how out of her element she really was? Each of the men, besides Michael, loomed over her, even though they'd been sitting. Their imposing features and intimidating tattoos stood out in relief against the rolled up sleeves of their black button-down shirts. Like Michael, Chris and Adam had long hair as well, only Chris's was the color of golden wheat and Adam's had been auburn with hints of blond.
“Curious?” She glanced at Chris.
“Why he would want to attend a college with shifters and humans.”
“They don't get out a lot.” Paul chuckled. “They've been homeschooled.”
“Say no more,” Nova stated. “I understand. So was I.”
“Were you?” Adam asked.
“Yeah. Part and parcel where I'm from,” she replied.
“You never did tell us where you're from,” Paul stated. “Care to share now?”
No. Not really. Tell anyone where she'd come from could cause her father's men to come after her. Paranoid, sure, but her father wasn't someone to trifle with. “East Coast.” She kept it simple. The less the guys knew about her, the better off she was—they all were.
“Can you be a little more specific,” Matthew muttered. “Not like the whole east coast is filled with states and cities.”
“She's uncomfortable,” Michael said. “There are reasons she's not telling us.”
She jerked, surprised by the gentle edge of his usually smoky voice. “Thanks. It's a lot to unpack and I don't want to burden you with it.” Or put you on my father's shit list.
“Well, we're here if you ever want to tell us,” Paul gripped her hand.
“Thank you.” She glanced up and tilted her head to the side. “Mister-er Professor King?”
The six men surrounding her glanced up.
“Ah, students.” Professor King winked at her. “You're not doing anything I wouldn't do, are you?”
“Uh?”
He laughed. “The list is small—getting smaller every day. You’re young, enjoy it.” He pierced her with his bold, cobalt blue gaze. “Life is for living, Miss Blom.”
She couldn't breathe. Her mouth went dry. Her hands trembled. Her sex ached and the proof of her arousal dampened her panties. “Right.”
“We thought we'd enjoy an evening with Nova,” Paul announced, drawing Professor King's attention from her.
“Yes, all work and no play, such as they say...” Professor King frowned. “It's good to see all of you together.” He gave Nova a lascivious look. “Remember, Miss Blom, seize life by the balls.”
“I-I will,” she said, swallowing around the lump of lust forming in her throat. What was it about the man that she couldn't take her eyes off of him? Since seeing him in her Biblical Studies class she'd been infatuated with him. Now, with him standing in front of her, he made her ache for something forbidden. Something decadently obscene.
“Join us,” Matthew grunted. “Or can the Prof, not drink with students?”
“Oh, I don't want to intrude.”
Nova wanted him to. “Please?”
“Well...” He gave her a devilish grin. “I suppose one beer won't hurt.”
They made room at the table and somehow, Professor King ended up at the head of it like he'd been meant to sit there. Strange. When she finished her shake, a beer appeared in front of her. She'd never had alcohol before, but she threw caution to the wind. With Professor King there, no one would harm her, not that she thought the guys would or anything.
“Are you having fun?” Michael whispered, leaning into her.
“I am,” she murmured. “I like your friends.”
“They like you too.” His lips brushed across her cheek.
“Thanks.” She gave a small tug of his leash.
Michael growled, curling his lip. The sensual sound shot through her and she gasped. “Careful, beautiful. A man can only hold himself in check for so long when a beauty holds his leash.”
She stared at him for a moment before a whimper, she didn't know if it was terror or arousal slipped past her lips. Holy crap, what have I gotten myself into?
Chapter Four
It has begun.
Their timing had been skewed. Or at least he believed it had been. Lucifer or Samael as he'd written on his class syllabus gazed out over the campus. Nova needed to be awakened. Needed to have her memories untangled and her vision restored. Seeing her last night at University Burger had only spurred the need to have every pawn on the board.
She surprised him though. Her laugh was infectious. The light surrounding her brighter than that of a million stars. Any paranormal being who crossed paths with her would be drawn to her. She was the flame to their moths. And, she'd drawn him to her as well it would seem.
He didn't understand the attraction to the mortal. He used his direct knowledge to bring some understanding and clarity, yet he'd gone back to his sparse campus apartment and masturbated to the image of her spread out across his bed. The imagined sounds she’d make when he impaled her on his cock and rode her through her climax.
Lucifer shuddered.
It'd been a while since he took a human lover. Though he'd been sterile, a sadistic joke his Father played on him, he'd spent many a night bringing men and women to the pinnacle of their narrow lives allowing them to briefly touch and understand what it meant to become close to God and his heathens. The burst of their pleasure enflamed his own, creating a cataclysm of pheromones and lust.
It was good to be the devil.
Lucifer turned away from the window overlooking the campus. He'd been a part of the staff for TSU nearly three years now. He'd grown tired of his responsibilities. Grown more contemptuous of his angel brethren. Being on the earthly plane gave him an ability to spread is wings, literally and metaphorically. Of course, if his Father knew about his romp in the human realm, didn't seem too upset about it. Michael hadn't struck him dead yet. Nor had Gabriel.
They might if you don't stop what's happening.
Which brought him back to why he'd been in his office on a Friday morning, especially since he didn't have any classes. Someone was breaking the seals. The freak storm, the undead rising. The Four Horsemen of the apocalypse. Even if he wanted to send Pestilence, War, Death, and Famine back to the depths of hell or heaven in their case, he couldn't. So, like Nova, he'd use them as his pawns.
He snorted at the thought. No, that wouldn't work. They were more powerful. Cunning. Resourceful. The horsemen were created to bring the wrath of God down upon the people of the world. Inch by inch, day by day they would destroy the very land people depended on to survive. Which begged the question, why hadn't they begun? Their seals were broken. They were off the preverbal chain.
A quick knock came
at his office door before it opened. Pestilence stuck his head inside first then pushed his way inside followed by Famine, War, and Death. The boys who stood before Lucifer were vessels for the real horsemen. Boys no more than twenty-three, wielding the power of angels eons old. Whoever they'd been would never return. Once they entered the body, the human residing within the meatbag, died. They were a sacrifice for the greater good and would be fast-tracked to the great beyond aka heaven.
“Right on time gentlemen,” Lucifer said. “I'm glad you could join me.”
Ryan—Death slouched in his chair while Paul—Pestilence gave Lucifer a skeptical glance. Matthew—War and Michael—Famine watched him with blank expressions, making it hard for Lucifer to know what they were thinking.
“Another seal was broken,” Paul said, taking the up the role of de facto leader.
“Yes, I am aware.”
“The dead are rising,” he continued. “They're concentrated around the college campus. It needs to be contained before the administration begins to question their existence.”
“I agree,” Lucifer said.
“I found two bodies,” Matthew interjected. “They were laid out in presentation. Almost as though they were being offered up.”
“Fresh kill?”
Matthew nodded. “Yes. Whoever broke the seal brought another entity with it. I hate to ask such a rhetorical question, but who'd do it?”
Lucifer scrubbed his chin. “Who indeed. I believe we'll have to investigate. Quietly, of course.”
“What should we do with Nova?” Paul asked.
“She is one of us,” Lucifer stated. “She is the light. The second coming, in a way—or should I call her the beginning?”
Ryan sat up straighter while Michael glanced between Matthew and Paul. “I don't think we heard you right.” Ryan leaned forward. “How could a tiny human-like Nova be the light?”
“She is the savior. Ironically, and for all intents and purposes, she is the first woman.”
Paul laughed. “Good one. You had us going there for a minute.”
Lucifer shrugged. “Can you explain why you were so drawn to her before knowing who she was?”
Paul sat there for a moment then frowned. “No.”
“Exactly.”
“Does she know?” Matthew hedged. “Who she is?”
Lucifer shook his head. “No, I don't believe she does. There is a block holding back her memories.”
“Then it stands to reason we shouldn't disturb her. If she believes we're six guys who want to be her friend, then let her continue to think such. There's no harm in that, is there?” Ryan said, adjusting the crease in his pants.
“When the final seal breaks she'll awaken and raze the earth, leaving destruction and death in her wake. She returns those souls who were good and just to the heavens and leave the rest to a barren wasteland. That is the prophecy. We all know this.” Lucifer ran his fingers through his hair. When he got his hands on the little asshole who'd broken the seals and begun the end of times, he'd judge him accordingly and send him to hell. A gleeful tickle filled his body. Torturing that soul for eternity would be a hedonistic good time.
“So,” Michael muttered. “What should we do?”
“We awaken her. If we do so now, we can explain what is happening and hopefully prevent the end of the world,” Lucifer replied.
“Or wait and see what happens,” Matthew stated. “Look, it's not like we don't see what's happening. It's why we haven't begun to reign chaos. We saw this as it was.”
“I got sidetracked,” Paul grumbled. “I could be out spreading pestilence and sowing malcontent.”
Lucifer chuckled. “You could old friend. You could.”
“Why do you care though?” Ryan prodded. “You could go home and wait for the influx of souls to torture and maim for eternity.”
He rolled his shoulders. “I've become quite fond of this place—Earth. Humans are...delicious. They're not bound to the conscripts of God or any other entity. They have free will, brethren. They use it too. They're interesting. Mildly disgusting and wholly ironic while also being hypocritical too.”
“There are believers too,” Matthew remarked.
“They believe what they are told. They're practically lemmings. Some have no ability to think for themselves. Their leaders bastardize the word of God then sit back and collect the millions of dollars in tithing. They're not working for God or teaching His word. They're working for themselves.”
“If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were trying to protect your Father's name,” Paul quipped.
“My name is used as much as His,” Lucifer snarled. “They call me the outcast. Blame the evils of the earth on me. Why? God cast me out of heaven because I'd been too prideful. If prideful means teaching people there is another way, then I am too prideful. But, I am not evil. I don't go around fucking with other people's lives. They have choices to make. When they chose the wrong path, I am there to judge and sentence them with the appropriate punishment. I am not the monster humanity has made me out to be!”
Paul held up his hands. “I am not your enemy here, Lucifer.”
“You're not,” he agreed. “However, humanity is bound to what they believe. Truth or lie.”
“If we wake her and she sees you, what if she sends you home?” Michael inquired.
“Then she sends me back.” Again, he shrugged. It was the price he'd pay to stop the rapture. “You'll have your duties as well. You won't be able to go against the prophecy then.”
Matthew frowned. “This is a no-win shituation.”
Lucifer chuckled. “We'll have to play it by ear. We have time.”
“There are only seven seals, Lucifer,” Paul snapped. “We are running out of it.”
They were, but for now, until they could figure out what to do with Nova and find the person responsible there was nothing, he could do about it. Worrying would only make him a right bastard to be around. If he wasn't careful, he could cast judgment on a student and end their lives, something he didn't want to have happen.
“You're right,” he admitted. “For now, though, we must act as if nothing is wrong.”
Chapter Five
Nova entered her Biblical Studies class and took her seat between Paul, Ryan, and Michael. After her evening with all of Paul's friends and Mr. King, the next day, she'd taken up Joy's invitation to see the co-ed house. She loved it. There were several different types of shifters and humans who lived there, and they were all so nice. Nova didn't want to commit to pledging. She didn't know if her father might find her and if he did, she didn't want any of the nice people she knew to be hurt.
It made her next decision difficult to make. She had to cut ties with Paul and the guys. She couldn't knowingly put them in harm’s way. They were too kind and too special to her to see them harmed. Her heart ached. She'd just made a group of new friends and though she were fine for the time being, things always had a way of changing. She couldn't be responsible for that. She wouldn't be able to take the guilt or grief of it.
Better to cut ties now than later when you're too invested.
Yes, it was, and she would after class.
The door opened behind her and she peered over her shoulder. The boy, Isaiah she thought his name was, took a seat where he'd sat the last time. Today though, he didn't wear a hoodie. His blond hair fell over his forehead, partially blocking his face. His eyes were dark and hardened. Everything about him radiated menacing energy. He didn't fit in with them. If she had to guess, he'd never try to either. Like last time, she got a horrible vibe off of him. She might not know him or what he'd been through in his life, however just by the energy he put off, she never wanted to either.
Professor King entered the room, closing the door behind him. He carried an air of unflappable authority. It was absolute in every way and she found herself in awe of him. The strength in his demeanor turned her on. Sitting across from him in the burger joint gave her a new found respect for him while also makin
g her blood boil with lust.
Nova bit the corner of her lip as he opened the book on his podium and began writing on the whiteboard behind him. With his back to her, she could check out his body. Stop it, he's way older than you, she chided herself. Age was a number though, so it didn't matter to her. She could always fantasy about Professor King and all the naughty things he could teach her in bed.
When she glanced up at the board, she tilted her head. Fallen Angels. An interesting topic he picked for the day. It'd been one of her favorite lessons while in church. Yet, what the Sunday School instructor taught and what the bible really said were two different things. Fallen Angels in her estimates weren't bad angels they were just disillusioned and lost. They found something on earth or within themselves and when they pressed for it, were cast out. Or, at least that was how she interpreted it.
“Right, so,” Professor King said. “Fallen Angels. Who knows what they are?”
Nova raised her hand then answered when called upon. “They're angels cast out of heaven.”
“Correct and why were they cast out?”
“They weren't cast out,” the guy muttered.
Nova snapped her attention to the boy behind her. What?
“Oh,” Professor King replied. “If they weren't cast out, what were they then?”
The boy's lip curled as though he'd just bested the teacher. “They were murdered by a vengeful devil who couldn't stand the fact his father chose Jesus to send to earth. Or so the scripture says. It's all bullshit anyway.”
Ryan laughed.
Michael groaned.
Paul stared at the boy mystified.
Nova... She didn't understand why the guy was in the class if he didn't believe in the bible or what it stood for. Sure, it technically wasn't a theology class, but it held the basic principles of one.
“Do tell us more about your theory, Mister...” Professor King glanced at his paperwork. “Marshall.”
“Finally.” The boy stood. “It’s Isaiah. Every basic book in the Bible is the construct of fables. A way to control humanity. When it comes to fallen angels, most of them were killed because they believed Satan was the true ruler of Heaven and Earth and rebelled. God, being vengeful and spiteful himself, cast them out because how dare they question authority.” He grinned. “But, here is where hypocrisy plays into the Bible and its meager teachings. The book also tells us that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we should question everything. So, if these so-called angels were questioning this absolute power, they were doing what was commanded of them. They fell out of favor not because of the devil but due to questioning authority—God.”
