Discovered: The Dark Angel Chronicles

by Serenity Rayne

  The pull of the mate bond is maddening, my instincts are pushing me to go beyond my normal shy nature. Maybe it’s the years I’ve been around Raphael, combined with my desire to fulfill the bond. I feel safe with him, and I want nothing more than to be with him for eternity. Instinct drives me to nip at his neck and collar bone as his strong deft fingers explore my delicate folds spurring me on. Occasionally, his fingertips finds that sensitive bundle of nerves causing my hips to rock of their own volition. Just as I get him lined up, Raphael stops me.

  “If we go further, we’ll be bound together forever.” His eyes betray him; begging me not to leave. I have all the power in this dynamic, and it’s exhilarating. Bracing my hands on his chest, I push back quickly, sinking his length deep within me. I wince from the momentary sting of his intrusion, maybe that wasn’t my brightest idea. Drawing in slow, deep breaths, I wait while the initial pain becomes a dull ache from being so very full. His eyes burn brightly, and he stares up at me in wonder as I hesitantly start to move, setting the pace for our lovemaking.

  Raphael's hands grip my hips tightly after the initial shock wears off, and he starts to meet me thrust for thrust. It almost becomes a battle for dominance; if he didn’t have his wings out, he could easily have overpowered me. He grows bolder, and his hands roam over my body, finding that precious nub of sensitive nerves. Tentative strokes of his thumb have my core clenching, making me moan from the added stimulation. Just like a child with a new toy, Raphael assaults my clit until I feel like I’ll explode. I scream out as my orgasm crashes over me. Lights burst behind my eyes, and a warmth fills my heart.

  The words I love you echo in my head, and I swear it’s Raphael speaking to me. He soon follows me over the edge, his own cries filling my ears and heart with joy. In the romance books I’ve read, they make it sound like sex is supposed to last for hours. Our first time together lasted minutes; maybe we didn’t do it right. I feel the mate bond between us, so we definitely did something right.

  I flop down onto Raphael’s sweat-covered chest and lay my head down, exhausted. A yawn escapes my lips as his arms curl around me. My wings lower and surround us. “I love you too,” I say softly as I fall asleep in his arms, finally feeling whole.

  We spend the better half of the day and night learning each other's bodies, enjoying the newness of the growing bond between us. I awaken the next morning alone in Raphael’s big fluffy bed. I smell coffee brewing and possibly breakfast as well. A rose-colored dress lies over the back of the chair next to the bed, and a single red rose rests on the chair's seat with a simple note; a heart scrolled in the center is all he left.

  I find my destroyed thong and laugh and smile, remembering how it was obliterated. Carefully I slip into the silken dress, and like the gold one, it instantly conforms to my every curve. Angels have the best clothing, I swear. This dress has a fitted halter top and a low cut back to leave room for my wings. So, taking the gentle hint, I unfurl my wings and stretch them. My hands ghost over the soft fabric, admiring the mid-calf length he had chosen for me. I quickly brush my hair and put it in a simple braid before following my nose towards the kitchen.

  Several twists and turns later, I find myself in a spacious modern kitchen with a white marble island with all four of my mates sitting on the stools.

  “Good morning beautiful, I see you found the dress I left you,” Raphael says as he approaches me. Without hesitation, I go to him and wrap my arms around his waistline. I reach up, standing on my tippy toes, and kiss Raphael's full lips, sighing softly from all the love I feel radiating from him.

  “Gee, do I get that kind of a greeting, sweetheart?” Cyrus asks with a playful smirk.

  Arching an eyebrow, I look over at him and tilt my head to the side. “Eventually, yes. I barely know you other than your name and who your daddy is. And you like stealing my coffee.” I state the facts which make both Christian and the new guy almost drown in their own coffee. Poor Raphael is trying his best to hold his laughter in.

  “We can remedy that quite quickly,” Cyrus says as he moves from his seat to stand beside Raphael and me. “Golden boy here may be your first mate, but I’ll be your best.” He flashes his best smile at me, his chocolate-brown eyes twinkle with mischief while his dark brown, almost black hair flops into his eyes.

  Smirking, I look over to the mystery man still seated at the island. Raphael makes the connection and releases his grip on me. I brush past Cyrus to stand before the silent male. I offer my left hand to him. “I’m Thana; I’m pleased to meet you.” His large hand envelopes mine and he smiles at me. His eyes dart to Christian, which puzzles me.

  Furrowing my brow, I look to Christian, confused. “His name is Gage; unfortunately, in one of the skirmishes many years ago, he lost his ability to speak.”

  Gage nods at me and smiles brightly. Tears well up in my eyes and threaten to break; this sweet man was injured and cannot speak because of it. As my tears roll down my cheeks, I scoop them up and allow my hands to take on their healing glow. Gently my lithe hands grip his thick throat as I attempt to heal him. My mouth pops open as I try with all my might to heal what happened to him. Gage’s gray eyes swirl gold as he stares back at me, his own tears threatening to break free.

  “Thana love, you cannot heal what was done. Losing his voice was punishment for speaking about a forbidden subject during the skirmish.” Raphael's gentle voice breaks through the sadness I feel.

  Reluctantly, my hands slide down from Gage’s neck to rest on his chest. His strong right hand lightly cups my cheek to make me look him in the eyes. He mouths thank you to me and lightly kisses my lips. I smile as he kisses me. Reluctantly he breaks the kiss, and I open my eyes to see his large white wings open behind him. He smiles back at me and rolls his eyes, slightly laughing at himself. I can’t help but giggle at his antics.

  In the background, Cyrus is complaining that the new guy got kissed first. Gage and I roll our eyes as we turn together to look at Cyrus. “You’re a dick,” I say to Cyrus as I move to sit on Christian's lap, swiping his coffee from him.

  The only male not laughing is Cyrus. He stands there staring at me, his eyes blacken, and his large black wings burst free. I slide free from Christian's lap and get between Cyrus and the guys. I allow the darkness I hide to surface; the blackened mist creeps over my pale flesh like a second skin. A sudden chill fills the room as if death itself walks the earth. “You don’t scare or impress me, Cyrus. You want to win your place in my heart? This—” I motion to his current appearance “—isn’t the way to do it.” I pull hard at the darkness within me, forcing it to retract and go back where it came from. Embarrassed by my outburst, I leave the room only to return to Raphael’s bedroom to get away from everyone.

  I sit on the edge of the bed facing the balcony doors and look outside. “Kichōna mono,” Christian says softly as he walks around the bed to stand before me.

  Smiling, I turn to face Christian; I know Raphael sent him, knowing full well he can calm me down. “I’ve been around you long enough that I know you’re using a term of endearment just now. What does it mean?” My curiosity has finally gotten the better of me.

  Christian clears his throat and blushes. “It means precious one, little did I know when I first started calling you that, that you would be my mate.” He sits on the bed next to me and takes both of my hands in his.

  “I watched Michael and Gabriel escort you to the pedestal, and my heart was in my throat.” His eyes close, and his head leans back. He’s so beautiful, his skin is as smooth as porcelain and an olive color. His long straight black hair flows down his back.

  “Raphael and I stood side by side, supporting each other through the trials. We were terrified when it was your turn.” Sighing loudly, he finally turns to face me. “We knew days earlier that you were Raphael’s, but we were concerned who else would be in your nest.” His smile broadens and reaches his eyes as pure joy radiates from him.

  “When you looked up to the heavens, then unfurled you
r wings. I swear I heard the other angels sing. My wings ripped free from my body, flexing of their own volition.” Christian laughs as he pulls me into his lap.

  “Reluctantly, I turned to face Raphael, and his wings were practically glowing. We ran as fast as we could to get to you.” He laughs again. “Very silent high fives were passed out before Raphael was moved to stand before you first. I figured since he was the most powerful among us, he should be the first mate.”

  Christian’s carefree nature slowly dissipates as he looks down at our joined hands. “Christian, I want you to be my next mate.” I caress his right cheek and lean in to kiss him.

  Christian raises his hand and stops me from proceeding. “You honor me, kichōna mono. It will honor me more if you choose to take Gage next.” His silken lips caress mine gently. “With the mate bond in place, he will be able to talk to you,” Christian says with conviction.

  Arching my right eyebrow, I look at him curiously. “What do you mean he’d be able to talk to me? I didn’t know the mate bond could do that.” My curiosity is definitely piqued.

  Christian chuckles and kisses my lips. “Your innocence is refreshing; a side effect of the mate bond is being able to use telepathy within the bond. Try it. Say Raphael’s name in your head, call out to him.”

  “Okay, I’ll give it a shot.” I close my eyes. Slowing my breathing, I hear my own heartbeat. “Raphael?” I say his name tentatively. Anxiously I wait to see if he can hear me.

  “Yes, love? Do you need me? Are you okay?” Raphael says, sounding concerned that I reached out.

  “Sorry for worrying you. Christian was teaching me about how this part of the bond works.” I tell Raphael, trying to reassure him that I’m perfectly fine.

  “Excellent, I was going to broach the subject tonight. I’ll leave you to it. I’m here if you need me,” Raphael says, and the warmth from the bond fade.

  Double blinking, I open my eyes to look at Christian. “Wow, that can be quite useful.” I glance down at our joined hands. “Send Gage to me. I need to get to know him first.”

  A wide smile graces Christian's face, and he leans in to kiss me. “You honor our bond greatly, kichōna mono. Thank you!” He kisses me again before taking off at a run out of the room.

  Shaking my head, I rise slowly from the bed and head out the balcony doors to look over the yard. Placing my hands on the marble railing, I open my wings wide, enjoying the freedom of being allowed to show my wings. The sun caresses and warms my feathers, while the gentle north breeze gently cools my skin as I wait.

  A soft knock sounds at the door behind me, and I turn to see Gage standing there, a wide smile visible through his neatly trimmed beard. I motion for him to approach me, and immediately I take him in my arms and hug him tightly. Gage kind of looks like he could easily be a lumberjack. His eyes search mine in wonder; gold flecks rise up in his stormy gray eyes. Closing my eyes, I roll my head back, exposing my throat to him, practically making myself vulnerable in front of him. His full lips gently kiss me over my pulse point. Giggling, I thread my fingers through his hair before lowering my head to look into his eyes.

  “I have so many questions for you,” I say as I stand up on tiptoes to kiss his lips softly. His stubble tickles my skin.

  Gage gets a rather mischievous look in his eyes as he backs up and digs in his pockets. He pulls out his cell phone and wiggles it between us. Nodding slowly, I pull my phone out and pull up new contact. I punch in Gage’s first name then hand it to him. Gage winks at me then gives me his phone. He has me listed as Thana love of my life.

  “Aweeee…” I say in response, and Gage blushes. I enter my information and hit save. Taking his hand in mine, I lead him back to the bed. I climb into the center and cross my legs and pat the area in front of me for him to sit. Gage quickly complies, and I smile at him, pleased he's so willing to “speak” with me.

  “I guess my biggest question is, have you waited long to find your mate?” Part of me wants to know; the other part really doesn’t want to. Enthusiastically he picks up his phone, and furiously he types out his message to me. My phone vibrates in my hand, and I open his message. Apparently, this is only his fourth time going; he feels grateful that he didn’t have to wait as long as the others.

  My next question almost turns my stomach, but I really need to know. “How long has it been since you last heard your own voice?” I cringe just after spewing the question. Gently his large, strong hand cups my left cheek, and he smiles. Quickly he types out his answer; he’s been without his voice for the last almost two hundred years. Reflexively my eyes widen in shock. I look between him and the message, and he smiles at me. His message reassures me that his punishment fits what he did. He knew he went against divine law, talking about what he shouldn’t have.

  Carefully, I climb into his lap and run my fingers through his thick brown hair. “You don’t need your voice to be with me. I know deep down that we were paired for a reason.” I smile at him; I have complete faith in the system. I know that the higher powers wouldn’t pair me with males who won’t be a good fit.

  Gage leans forward and kisses my lips gently. I can’t help but giggle at how gentle such a large muscular man can be. He arches his left eyebrow then types out his message. “Why did I giggle?” I smile and giggle a little more.

  “That’s easy, I’m not trying to stereotype, but you could be a fitness model.” A gentle blush creeps across his cheeks just above his thick beard. “Oh, come on, Gage, you know you’re a handsome man,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

  Gage shakes his head, attempting to look innocent. He looks down at his phone again then starts typing furiously. Several messages from him pop up, each one causing me to giggle and smile. The final message made me blush. As long as I found him handsome, that’s all that matters. His words practically make my heart skip a beat. That was the single most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.

  Gently I nudge Gage to lean back, and he complies quickly. I feel powerful and beautiful because of the way he’s looking up at me with an undeniable hunger in his eyes. Arching my back, I allow my wings to unfurl again, and I spread them wide. His gray eyes scan over my feathers and he reaches a single hand out to touch them. Carefully I lower my wings so that he can reach them. His fingertips trace my long primary flight feathers, studying each one. It seems that close to my wing, the spine of my feathers has whitened. This is a new development I’ll have to ask Raphael about later. Right now, my attention is focused on this handsome, sweet man that’s currently under me. Gage motions to the mattress, so I slide off him carefully and sit beside him, waiting to see what he’s up to.

  Gage stands before me and removes his tee-shirt and tosses it onto the bed beside me. He turns his back and unfurls his wings for me. His wings are oversized like mine, including the feathers. Before I realize what I'm doing, I'm standing behind him, gently caressing his wings and feathers. His white feathers captivate me; they are so beautiful and so pure like a white dove. My hands come to rest on his bare shoulders, and I press a kiss between where his wings emerge from his back. Gage’s skin slowly breaks out with goosebumps all over.

  Digging deep, I find my courage and remove the dress I was wearing and toss it on the floor before stepping out in front of him. My white lace demi bra barely contains my breasts, and his eyes lock onto them instantly. Sighing softly, I feel my nerves getting the better of me.

  Unlike Raphael, I barely know Gage. We don’t have the years of trust that I have with Raphael and Christian. Gage notices my hesitancy and grips both of my hands, and gently kisses my lips. He releases one hand and reaches down to grab his phone and types out a quick message. The short version, he’s giving me an out. He understands how I must be feeling because he feels the same nerves eating at him as well.

  Gage offers me his hands again, and I take them, trusting in the higher powers. Gently he pulls me onto his lap and kisses my lips softly. My nerves are electric as they come alive from being this close to hi
m. His hands release mine and he massages my lower back. Inch by inch, his strong hands learn my every curve. Painfully slow, he cups my left breast rubbing the pad of his thumb over the tip of my nipple. Tingles move through me, making my core pulse in anticipation. A gasp escapes my lips, and Gage just smiles, knowing he’s on the right track. His free hand comes up to cup my other breast, the pad of his thumb brushing over the tip of my nipple. The dual stimulation is making me breathy; I nuzzle his cheek and kiss his neck.

  I’m more hesitant with Gage than I was with Raphael. Every touch is tentative, almost hesitant, until I’m able to gage his reaction. He treats me with respect and handles me like I may shatter under his touch at any moment. Gage was once a warrior; I can tell by all the battle scars that litter his bronze flesh. I tenderly kiss his scars, and he stops touching me immediately and watches me with an intensity I've never seen from anyone before. I sit back, and Gage grabs his phone and types out a message. My phone vibrates, and I look over the message.

  “I kiss your scars because I feel compelled to acknowledge what shaped you into the man you are today. Your battles honed you into the man you are before me. Sacrificing your life for others to remain safe and alive is noble.” I hope that my eyes and actions convey just how sincere I am.

  Gage smiles and caresses my cheeks as he kisses me reverently. Through the bond, Raphael offers his love and support. He must know how unsure of myself I feel with Gage. Gently, Gage pulls back, and mouths thank you to me. Without warning, he reaches out to me and tickles my sides, making me fall onto my back. I retract my wings and try to wiggle away from him, laughing the entire time. He drops his head and plants a kiss below my belly button.