by Maya Nicole
Oliver was big on learning all the games that he had no clue how to play. I was glad it wasn't his turn to pick because there was only so much of Uno and Checkers that I could take. I was pretty sure he could see through cards.
We each took seven white cards from the stack.
Asher read the first black card. "Just got dumped! Retweet #dumpedbecauseof...?"
I looked through my stack of white cards and snorted. I selected and put it face down. Oliver took the longest, staring at his very seriously. He often won because his choices made us laugh.
Asher picked the cards up and read them. "Dumped because 'jerking off into a pool of unicorn tears.' Dumped because 'Oprah.' Dumped because 'the past.' As much as I love the unicorn tears, I'm going to go with Oprah."
"Yes!" Oliver grabbed the card and did a little celebratory dance in his seat.
"Do you even know who Oprah is?" Toby took a drink of his beer and couldn't stop himself from smiling.
That's why we had game or movie night. We needed to smile. The thought of Danica never coming back or her not remembering us was too much to handle.
"Of course I know who she is."
We continued on for several more rounds until Oliver suddenly sprang from his chair, his eyes going wide and then looking at the door to the roof.
"She's back."
Chapter Eighteen
Danica
It turned out the woman who had been tasked to get me out of Heaven hadn't been wrong. As soon as I was through the opening, my wings came out of my back.
It wasn't painful like I had thought. Instead, they tingled where they connected to my back. I didn't even quite understand how two appendages so substantial could hide mysteriously inside my body.
I wasn't a believer in magic before. Now, I definitely was.
At first, everything was a foggy white as I glided down, but then land came into view. Then the city. The wings seemed to do what I wanted them to and steered me towards the old factory building in Pasadena.
I shut my eyes as my body was torpedoed towards the roof. My body righted itself, and my feet touched down gently.
"Jesus." My wings shook like a dog shaking water off after a bath and snapped away. I had at least managed to keep my eyes open most of the flight. It was easier when I was the one doing the navigating.
I looked down at my white dress and cringed. I was not a fan of dresses or the color white. It made me feel innocent.
The door leading inside burst open, and I let out a squeal of surprise. I put my hand over my heart and could feel it beating wildly.
I stood dumbstruck as Oliver stood in the doorway, a big grin on his face. I felt like I hadn't seen him in ages. Maybe I hadn't.
"Danica!" Oliver ran across the short distance and scooped me into his arms. I felt the air being squeezed out of me as he spun me around.
I was passed off to another set of arms. Asher skipped the spinning and took my face in his hands. "You remember us?" His voice shook.
I laughed and kissed him. His fingers went to my hair and pulled me closer. How scared must they have been, thinking that I had forgotten them?
"I'd never forget you." I breathed deeply, catching my breath from the spinning and kissing.
Lips brushed against my neck, and I turned towards Tobias. He had tears in his eyes. I cupped his cheek, and he leaned into it.
"I was starting to worry you stayed there." He kissed me gently and pulled me into a hug.
Just past him, standing back from the group was Reve. His face was expressionless. Would he still want me now that I was an angel?
I pulled away from Tobias and stood in front of Reve. "Say something." I searched his eyes, hoping I could get a read on him.
"What took you so long?" He pulled me into a fierce hug that made me gasp. "Don't ever die again."
I laughed and buried my face in his shirt. I tried not to let the tears in my eyes escape. I had cried too much over the past several months. These tears were different, though. They were happy tears.
That night, I couldn't sleep. I shimmied out from between Olly and Tobias and made my way to the roof. I pulled the throw blanket I grabbed off the couch around my shoulders as I stepped out into the chilly November air.
I sat down on a lounge chair and stared up at the sky.
Everything in my world had changed. I was dead but was never really a human to begin with. That didn't ease the finality of what had happened.
"Can't sleep?" Reve appeared next to me and made me scoot over so he could lay next to me on his side. We barely fit on the lounger. "I can't sleep either."
I laughed and turned on my side to look at him. "What are you going to do to feed now?"
His brows furrowed together in thought. "I think I can still get into your dreams. You haven't been asleep yet, so I haven't tried." He moved hair out of my eyes. "You're my mate. Can't you feel it?"
He took my hand and put it over my chest, where my heart was beating. I shut my eyes and focused. I had always felt a pull and connection towards all four of them, but just thought it was normal when falling in love.
It had become such a normal sensation that I never gave it a second thought. I shrugged and opened my eyes.
"It feels like love. Like my heart could crack open in an instant." He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the palm.
"Exactly." He pulled me closer and tucked me into his chest. "My father didn't have to hunt anymore once he found my mother."
I snorted back a laugh because talking about feeding off of a mate was a weird conversation. I put my ear against Reve's chest and listened to his heartbeat.
"Do you think my dad is going to be all right?" He was still up in Heaven healing. My healing could only wake him.
"I think that your dad went through a lot. He loved that crazy bitch at one point. It's not going to be easy for him to get over something like that."
I nodded and let out a sigh.
"What else is on your mind?"
"Life. I thought I would want to be an angel, but now everything seems so final. I'm a guardian now. I could be called back to Heaven at any time. Before, when I thought I was at least half a human... I did have things I wanted out of life."
Reve stroked my back, urging me to continue.
"Like a family. One like I never had growing up. It was just my dad and me. I wanted a husband who had a big family. Maybe kids. Now though..."
He pulled away and looked at me. "You can still have all those things. With us."
I snorted. "It's illegal to marry four men. Not that we could anyways with you four not even having paperwork or whatever."
"It doesn't have to be legal. It can be just for us. As for babies... your father had you."
"But who knows how. For all we know, Lilith could have used dark magic to get pregnant." I winced at the thought of being conceived in such a way. "She used me."
He sighed and pulled me close again. "Why don't you get some sleep? It's all over now. We can finally breathe."
Chapter Nineteen
I stood in the empty living room of the house I had grown up in. After being released to come home, my dad decided to sell the house. He said he had bought it for Lily.
I couldn't say I blamed him. It still hurt to leave it behind.
"Are you sure you want to sell it?" I asked, turning towards him.
He had been sitting at the kitchen island, signing paperwork for the real estate agent.
"I'm sure." He stood and met me at the door. "It was a good house. At least when I was here."
We walked out the door for the last time, and he locked it behind us. "I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early?"
"Is it normal to feel nervous?" I couldn't stop the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach. Or maybe that was the tacos I had for lunch.
My dad pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead. "I think so. I wouldn't know. I've never been married."
He unlocked his car and took off down the driveway. We had come separ
ately because there was something I needed to do before leaving Montecito behind for good. I hadn't told my dad about it because it was against angel protocol.
I was never one for following rules.
I took one last look at the house before getting in my own car. Wings were cool and all, but I still couldn't resist driving.
I pulled up outside Ava's house and walked to the door. We still had been talking and texting occasionally, but I hadn't seen her since the night she was attacked by a vampire at Blue Wave.
She opened the door before I could even ring the doorbell. Her hair wasn't blue any longer. Now it was a dark blonde.
"What happened to your blue hair?" I walked in as she stepped out of the way, and then we hugged. "You didn't get fired, did you?"
She laughed and shook her head. "Promotion. I'm a manager now. With Kai opening the new location, he needed another manager to run the show."
"That's great, Ava!" I gave her another hug, and we sat down on the couch. "Are you still going to go to school?"
"Eventually."
An awkward silence fell over the room, and I shifted on the couch. I didn't know where to start and opened my mouth to speak several times before thinking twice.
"You're one of them. Aren't you?" She finally broke the tension. "Some kind of supernatural."
"It's a little more than that." I cleared my throat and took her hand. "You can't ever breathe a word of this."
"You know I won't. Kai explained to me that there are different types of demons after that vampire incident."
"I'm not a demon. I'm an angel." With my admission, she narrowed her eyes and then laughed. "Are you seriously laughing about me being an angel?"
"Yes. No. I don't know." She pulled her hand away and ran her fingers through her hair. "What do you mean, you're an angel?"
I gave her the short version of the past several months of my life. Her mouth was wide open by the end of it.
"You died?" Tears welled in her eyes, and I took her hand again. She looked down, and then she looked up and glared at me. "Is that a fucking engagement ring on your finger?"
I bit my lip. I should have known she would eventually notice the rock on my left ring finger. "Yes."
"Which one did you choose?" She stood and started pacing. "You aren't eloping, are you?"
I laughed. "It happened at Thanksgiving. They-"
"They? So you didn't pick one?" She stopped and looked down at me, her hands on her hips. "Isn't it against the law to have more than one husband?"
"It is. I don't quite understand why. This isn't the eighteen-hundreds. We’re doing it just for us." I looked down at my hands. "I wanted you to come, but if the other angels knew that you were aware of our existence because of me. Well..."
She sighed. "You'd get in trouble."
I nodded, and she sat back down.
"I'm sorry for keeping everything from you."
"I'll get over it. You're happy, though?"
"Happier than I ever thought I could be."
"You just about ready?" my dad asked from the other side of the bathroom door.
I looked in the mirror at myself. I had gone with a simple white wedding dress that had an empire waist and flowing lace. I may not have liked white, but this day wasn't just about me. It was about four others too.
I pulled out the folded piece of paper I had shoved in my bra. I hoped my words were enough to convey my feelings towards the four of them. I scanned it one last time and put it back in my bra. There was probably a better place to stick it, but no one would be surprised when I reached in and pulled it out.
I should have gotten a dress with pockets.
I slid open the bathroom door and smiled at my dad. "How do I look?"
His eyes glistened as he took me in. He was wearing one of his best black three-piece suits. I hadn't seen him in a suit in a long time. It was nice to see he was trying to get back to normal.
"You look beautiful." He kissed my cheek and walked me to the metal stairs leading to the roof.
My stomach was in knots. If my hands were able to sweat, they would have been. Sweat wasn't something I missed. It was quite possibly the best thing about being an angel so far.
We stopped at the top of the stairs, and he opened the door. "Ready?"
"More than ready."
There was no music. No flowers. No wedding parties. It was just Tobias, Asher, Olly, Reve, and me in front of the select few that we invited. Chamuel was officiating.
They stood at the edge of the roof in a row. My heart stuttered as we approached them dressed in their suits. I had seen Reve in a suit, but not the other three.
I was ready for our honeymoon to start immediately.
Most of the ceremony followed the standard wedding script. When we got to the vows, I pulled my folded-up piece of paper from my bra. Everyone laughed.
I cleared my throat and unfolded the paper. I had wanted to memorize what I had written but was glad I had written it down. I was an emotional mess and couldn't remember what I wrote.
"For most of my life, I've been lost. I was never really sure where I fit in. Was I an angel? Was I good enough to be an angel? Until I met you, I didn't know that being good meant more than just being perfect. Tobias, you've taught me that it means loving with your entire heart and being patient." I wiped a tear from my cheek. "Asher, you've taught me that it means not taking everything so seriously and leaning on others. Oliver, from you, I've learned that it means to let go of the past and be forgiving. And Reve, I've learned that being good means not being afraid of being different, and that keeping the darkness away means playing for the same team. Just not the Giants or the Raiders."
"Hey now." He laughed. "Those are some pretty loaded words."
I grinned. "Each of you keeps my darkness away. I can't wait to spend all of eternity with you. We might sometimes drive each other crazy, but there's no one else I'd rather go crazy with than you four."
I finally looked up then to find four pairs of eyes looking at me with all the love in the world. Maybe my words weren't the most poetic, but they were honest and how I truly felt about each of them.
Tobias spoke next. "When we first met you, none of us knew we were missing an essential part of our hearts and souls. I love that you feel so intensely and do so unapologetically. I love that you never give up and fight for what you want. I promise to protect you and love you forever."
Asher cleared his throat and pulled a card out of his pocket. I was glad I wasn't the only one that couldn't memorize a few hundred words. "I knew I was in love with you that night on the roof when you told me to stop running. I took a chance and opened my heart to you. What I got in return was a woman who allows me to breathe again. A woman who allows me to love again. A woman who makes me want to be better. I not only gained a pretty spectacular lover, but four best friends."
My dad made a coughing sound, and we all laughed.
Oliver smiled brightly at me. "I was a complete idiot when I first met you. I was lost and didn't know my purpose. But a miracle happened, and you forgave me when I wasn't sure I should be forgiven. You've opened my eyes to the world and allowed me to love with my entire heart and soul."
Hearing them say such heartfelt words to me made me want to ugly cry. Tears were already pouring down my cheeks at an alarming rate. I was a mess.
Reve stepped forward and handed me the handkerchief that was in his jacket pocket. I mouthed "thank you," and he stepped back.
"Where I'm from, they say that mates are hard to find. That only the most connected of souls will find each other during their greatest times of need. I didn't know what I was missing in my life until I found you. You saved me from a darkness that I didn't know existed in me. I walked for two thousand years without you, and it was two thousand years too long."
The ceremony came to a close, and champagne was passed around. I was giddy with excitement about going on a vacation. Alone. Just me and my four men.
"Are you going to be okay? I feel
bad taking off on Christmas Eve." I hugged my dad tightly as we prepared to leave.
"I'll be fine."
"Yeah. He'll be fine." Alaric slung his arm around his shoulder. "We're going to hit Blue Wave. Pick up some fine ladies."
I rolled my eyes. "Please do not talk about my dad and picking up fine ladies in the same sentence ever again."
Picard let out a series of squeaks. It sounded like he was laughing, but I couldn't be sure. Alaric and my father had oddly become friends over the past several weeks. Alaric had also killed a goon that had been aiming his sword at my father's head.
Asher and Olly each took one of my hands. I didn't know where we were going, but wherever it was, we'd be together.
Forever.
Coming Soon!
Widow
My job was to save lives.
I did a pretty damn good job until a woman was rolled into my ER seven months ago. She should have been dead on arrival. Under the bright exam lights, strapped to a gurney, she whispered her final words. I shouldn't have leaned in.
My world was changed forever.
Bars were my hunting ground. Drink after drink. Man after man. I fed the eight-legged monster that lived inside of me. Or hundreds of monsters. They tended to pour out of me when I gave in.
I almost gave myself over to the urges. That was until I met them: a quirky alpha wolf shifter with a pocket-sized monkey, a brooding Fallen angel with a mermaid obsession, and the devil that had more baggage than LAX.
Will they help me fight the darkness that lurks inside of me, or will they let it consume me?
Coming Soon!
Infuse (Infernal Council Book 1)
The last time I saw my brother he told me to run.
So, like a good little princess, I ran away from all that I knew and never looked back.
