Fate's Consort

by Elysabeth Grace

  “Lucifer, my Consort and my life mate. You are my life as I am yours.”

  The hand caressing her cheek was gentle and warm. Analise lifted her eyelashes to stare into a pair of amazing blue eyes. “I fainted again.”

  Lucifer tried and failed to hide his grin as he nodded.

  “How long will this little problem last?” She asked sullenly.

  His grin broke free as he said, “If I say eternity, will you be unhappy?”

  Analise pursed her lips before she returned his grin. “For an orgasm of that magnitude, eternity might be long enough. I do believe turnabout is fair play.”

  “Perhaps later,” Lucifer murmured. “I wish to take advantage of your submissive nature to bury myself deep inside you. I have placed a condom on my penis for protection.”

  Analise’s shoulders shook with laughter, tears gathering in her eyes. When she finally managed to speak, she kissed his chest. “For future reference, there is no need to announce you’re wearing a condom. I’m also on birth control. If you’re done talking, it’s all yours, Angel boy.”

  He shifted her body to make his entry easier and drove into her. Analise moaned with pleasure and lifted her hips to allow for greater penetration. She knew Lucifer was about to take her for a ride that would rock her world.

  Analise snuggled against the hard stomach pressed against her ass. Wings cocooned her. Again, the sense of safety wrapped itself around her mind. As if in agreement, her cheetah purred contentedly. She ran a hand lightly over Lucifer’s feathers.

  “Tell me about Lilith.”

  He shifted her until Analise faced him. “Prophecy dictated Lilith was to be my Consort.”

  “Are you telling me neither one of you had a choice? It was some kind of arranged marriage?”

  “Angels do not marry,” he stated. “We are long-lived and the need to reproduce, which drives humans to irrational lengths, does not affect us. We mate or we bond.”

  She stroked his abs lazily. “What’s the difference, and do all angels have Consorts?”

  “No,” he said. “Only Seraphim have Consorts. A Seraphim takes a Consort to ensure the stability of the Enclave. However, for the bond to have meaning both must consent.”

  Analise nibbled on her bottom lip before she asked, “Did you and Lilith want to mate? Did you love each other?”

  “Are you speaking of the human mating emotion? No, Lilith and I did not love each other. I gave her my loyalty and honored her as my Consort. While Lilith’s loyalty was mine, what you call love belonged to my twin.”

  Analise raised her head and stared at him. “How could you marry. . .uh, bond with her if you knew she was in love with your brother? You came between them, forcing her to choose.”

  “No, Consort. Lilith chose. She accepted the bond because of prophecy. Lilith could have refused the bonding, just as she refused to become my mate.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Lilith’s body was never mine to touch. I did not bed her.”

  Analise searched his dark blue eyes. “Have you ever loved, Seraphim?”

  “Love is a human emotion. Seraphim do not chose a Consort because of love. Rather, we do so because it is our obligation. When there is attachment, it is a mating. Where the bond pair are life mates, they will produce a child if they choose. If the pair are merely bond mates, they do not reproduce.”

  “Are your parents bond mates?”

  Lucifer caressed her cheek, then took her braid between his fingers. “Our parents are life mates and a bonded pair. They are also the only life mates to have twins. My brother’s life thread was corrupted at birth, and only Fate can explain why.”

  “What do you mean corrupted.”

  “Satan was born with the traits that make humankind what it is, greed, hate, envy, love, ambition, pride,” he said. “My brother’s rebellion and expulsion seeded these traits among humans without the constraints imposed on angelic will.”

  “Constraints? What constraints are you obligated to obey?” Analise demanded. “I haven’t seen a single constraint since you walked out that rock.”

  Lucifer brushed his lips against her forehead. “You are my Consort. We are life mates and in what you humans call a personal relationship.”

  Analise tapped his hard chest. “We are not yet in a personal relationship. You haven’t even asked me on a proper date.”

  “Then why are you lying in my arms, Analise Saria?”

  She ignored his question. “What constraints clip your wings, Dream Candy? What’s your prime directive?”

  She heard his husky chuckle in her mind and found she liked the way it rubbed against all of her senses. Although she hated to own it, she could easily sink into a deep personal relationship with Lucifer once they sorted out his bossiness.

  “The angelic prime directive, Trekkie, is not to interfere with human biology or attempt to affect humankind’s historical evolution.”

  “You know about Star Trek?” Analise raised an eyebrow. “I’m curious how you managed to discover Star Trek while playing your version of Sleeping Beauty.”

  “I may be eons old, infant, but it doesn’t mean I have to live in the past. Are you done with questions? I prefer to test the limits of my Consort’s lovemaking. I believe I can make you faint a third time.”

  Lucifer shifted her until she was on her back and nearly under him. He ran his hand the length of her and she shivered as sparks erupted at his touch. His mouth moved along her jawline until it reached her lips. She opened to him and he plunged his tongue inside. Their tongues waged a fierce battle for control until two fingers pushed into her. Analise relaxed beneath his touch and murmured, “Take me, Seraphim.”

  “As you wish, Consort.”

  She flinched at the first thrust, the thick length of him stretching her. Her muscles began to accommodate him, wetness making it easier. He filled her so completely it was difficult to breathe. Analise raised her legs and pressed the heels of her feet against Lucifer’s firm butt, allowing him to go deeper. Her vaginal muscles clenched and the telltale signs of an impending orgasm rippled across her nerves. “Harder, Seraphim.”

  He ignored her unspoken command and withdrew from her throbbing vagina. His hands took her waist and lifted her from the bed. “Wrap your legs around me, Analise Saria. Yes, like that. Now slide down. Take me inside you.”

  She heard his sharp intake of air when her vagina clenched his penis. Lucifer walked to a wall, the movement forcing her to ride him, her inner muscles squeezing him with each step. He pushed her up against the hard surface, their bodies never losing contact, and her vagina involuntarily seized when his wings snapped open.

  “Put your arms around my neck. I do not wish you to become injured.”

  She complied, groaning as he pulled out and pushed back into her. Analise became lost in the powerful sensations of his dick driving into her. His strokes were languid and deep, and her breathing mimicked each thrust and retreat. The squeeze and release created an ache so intense, she swore she couldn’t take another stroke.

  Of course you can, you are my life mate.

  Her mind heard and didn’t deny his words. Still, she would not give him the upper hand and rode him as hard as he rode her. The explosion hit unexpectedly, slamming into her with the force of a tsunami. Her vagina tightened, her walls quivering as a powerful rush slammed into her. The pull and push of desire left her trembling as her mind and body drifted down from the glorious high. She was becoming addicted to Lucifer’s lovemaking.

  Lucifer stared down at his slumbering Consort. In sleep, Analise’s worries no longer sat on her face. He took hold of her braid and gently twirled his finger until the hair hugged his knuckle. Analise Saria was still closed to him, shielding her deepest secrets. He reached out to touch her mind then hesitated. For all her appearance of strength, she remained the small frightened child who trusted no one. She shifted and moaned softly. His gaze followed the line of her exposed arm draped across her hip. Trust was forming betwe
en them, to be nurtured and allowed to grow.

  Pressing a gentle kiss against her temple, he murmured, “I will wait for you to come to me, Consort. To reveal the truths you so fiercely hide. To give your trust and loyalty to your life mate.”

  Chapter 18

  Satan strolled into what his conference room. Two floors beneath his penthouse in the Nathanson Building, the room had kept its angelic purity, even as the rest of the building showed its human influence, becoming ever more modern with the centuries. The few changes made, the elegant cornices, wainscoting, door jambs, and window casements, blended seamlessly with the original wood and brick of the building. Only an angel’s talent could achieve such magnificence.

  He glanced around the room. The Fallen. The name the twelve angels seated at the mahogany table called themselves after the expulsion. They were fallen but not defeated; united behind a single purpose: the overthrow of the Hierarchy. All of them had been at his side from the beginning. The exception was Uriel, his brother in arms and purpose.

  Once a member of the Hierarchy’s Guardians, Uriel resigned his position to join the rebellion. In Uriel, Satan found the same seeds of pride and ambition that drove him. Over the centuries, Uriel’s distaste for the hierarchy and his brother Gabriel had intensified.

  I might say the same of you, Sire.

  I really need to punish you for eavesdropping.

  Uriel stared at Satan and shrugged. Since meeting Ms. Willoughby, you have become somewhat careless with your musings.

  Satan shot a glance around the room. Can the others. . .

  No, Sire. I would never permit it. They are far too fractious, although they do their best to disguise it. Any sign of weakness becomes an invitation to act on ambitions.

  Relaxing his shoulders, Satan strolled over to his chair. Who?

  Of course, Belial would be the first. His control of the East and its population has convinced him he is your equal. Azazel would be my guess for the next to jump. The others would follow like sheep.

  Satan’s gaze swept the room once more before he sat. Then we need to remind Belial of his limits once I’ve dealt with my twin.

  Satan tented his fingers and peered at Belial from beneath lowered eyelids. Uriel was right. Belial’s wings—and head—needed clipping. With a signal to Uriel, Satan leaned back against his chair.

  “Lucifer is awake and has taken up residency in San Francisco,” Uriel stated to the angels seated around the table.

  Unfurled wings snapped open and chaos ensued as several angels fired questions at him. Satan waited a few minutes before glancing at Uriel. The archangel gestured and the noise quickly died. It came as no surprise to either one that Belial was the first to speak.

  “When did you discover this, Uriel?”

  Uriel’s eyes darkened before he answered. “Two weeks ago.”

  Missing the warning, Belial puffed out his chest, his wings flaring behind him. “We are just learning of this?”

  Uriel’s gaze held Belial’s for several long seconds. Satan watched the angel squirm before he intervened. “Is there a reason you’re questioning a decision not yours to make, Belial?”

  Belial lowered his gaze. “Forgive my presumption, Sire. The news took me by surprise. If warned, I would have started preparations.”

  “There was no need,” Satan replied. “Lucifer is my problem. Perhaps you will allow Uriel to continue with his briefing.”

  “We must assume Lucifer is fully restored to his powers and has an equal number of angels at his disposal,” Uriel stated. “Fate has maintained the balance between us far too long for me to believe we out-number him. What he lacks is our knowledge of humans, although we shouldn’t be too confident. I’m sure he has spies everywhere.”

  Abaddon leaned back against his chair. “I know the only angels in my territory.”

  “We also have the shifter programs,” Belial interjected.

  “I’m aware of your experiments, Belial,” Uriel remarked drily. “I wouldn’t be so complaisant if I were you. Reports indicate your efforts are a dismal failure. Have you produced an actual shifter yet?”

  Belial flinched. It was obvious he hadn’t expect Uriel’s question. Satan waited patiently for the archangel’s answer.

  “We’re close to success. I have scientists working day and night to resolve the problem,” Belial started to explain.

  “Had you discussed your plans with me. I could have saved you the trouble,” Satan said. “I know why there are such failures.”

  The reprimand was stinging, direct, and one Belial didn’t mistake. “Forgive me, Sire.”

  Satan waved a negligent hand. “For now, my brother is preoccupied. I want everyone to remain vigilant. My twin has his spies everywhere. Any progress finding full shifters, Abaddon?”

  Abaddon shook his head. “We’ve only been able to capture males who are all recessive.”

  Satan’s eyes narrowed. “Then what use are they to us if we cannot breed shifters, or at least clone them? What seems to be the problem?”

  “Shifters aren’t entirely human, Sire,” Azazel offered. “Our geneticists haven’t been able to locate the exact trigger for the shift. The recessive gene remains dormant despite our attempts to induce shifting.”

  “Perhaps, the problem is that you don’t have female shifters, Azazel,” Uriel stated.

  Satan watched Azazel mask his surprise before he answered. “We had a female recessive and attempted to mate her to a recessive male without luck. I’ve heard rumors a company in California has made advances in editing genetic algorithms. My head researcher is a former student of one of the lab directors. Dylan will contact his former teacher and see what he can learn.”

  “My twin will not sit idly while you, Belial, and Abaddon explore ways to breed or create full shifters, Azazel. You need to make certain you can or terminate them.” Satan rose from his chair. “I won’t have enemy combatants at my back. I also don’t intend to lose this war.”

  He glanced at Uriel before exiting the room. He’d leave it to his second to deal with the Fallen. When he reached his suite, he hesitated. Uriel.

  Yes, Sire.

  Monitor Azazel and Belial. Azazel’s interest in AnthroGen may be innocent, however I doubt it. See if he or Belial has spies inside the company and how much they truly know about AnthroGen’s research. You may also want to remind them of their allegiance.

  Of course.

  ***

  Richard looked up from his computer. An unearthly silence snaked through the lab like a hungry predator on the prowl. He started to return to the equations preoccupying him when he heard it, a faint rumble. Assuming it was an earthquake, he sent the alarm throughout the building. The lab could withstand a magnitude-eight quake but he refused to take chances. He backed up his research to the cloud and left the building.

  The air smelled like rotten seaweed, surprising given the lab’s distance from the bay. Scanning the area, he spied his employees gathered near the street. He opened his mouth and his lungs suddenly constricted then relaxed as if air had been sucked out and then pushed back in. Richard glanced over his shoulder at the building. Somehow, he knew the rumbling didn’t signal an earthquake. Bomb.

  “Run!” he yelled. “Get as far from the building as you can, and fast!”

  A massive explosion rocked the pavement like a seismic wave, causing him to fall. A second, smaller blast crackled and he crawled on his knees until he reached the curb. Rising to his feet, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the lab cocooned by a massive cloud of smoke and flames. He raced across the street, knowing another explosion was possible. Sirens wailed as two university fire trucks screeched to a halt near a hydrant. Within minutes, several city and county crews joined the university firefighters to battle the blaze.

  Richard’s eyes searched the small group before he asked, “Is everyone here? Any injuries?”

  One of the technicians called to him. Richard hurried to where the tech kneeled beside an injured woman. “What hap
pened, Evan?”

  “Amy fell and hit her head,” Evan replied. “I’m trying to keep her awake.”

  Richard kneeled and took the woman’s hand. “The paramedics are on their way, Amy.”

  “I swear I mixed nothing but vodka and cranberry juice in the jar. This one can’t be blamed on me,” she mumbled.

  Her words sent relief through Richard, as did the laughter from his staff. “I think we can safely absolve you of this one, Amy. It’s way too sophisticated for your usual efforts.”

  “Yeah,” she groaned. “I would have only damaged my lab. What happened?”

  “Not sure,” Richard said. “The building is on fire. Fortunately, no one’s missing.”

  “Good. I need this job to keep me sane.”

  Richard chuckled as the paramedics approached. They checked Amy and then loaded her onto a gurney and into an ambulance. He swung about to look at the devastation behind him. Hazmat units rolled in and waited on the sidelines. A firefighter approached.

  “Hey, Richard.”

  “Carl. Sorry to drag you out of bed so late.”

  “It’s what I live for,” Carl said, his voice deadpan. “Any idea what triggered the explosion?”

  The streetlight bathed the campus firefighter’s face in a hazy glare. Richard glanced at the burning building and back at Carl. “No idea. I thought it was an earthquake at first because of a faint rumbling but the ground wasn’t moving so I got everybody the hell out of there. There was a second rumble before the explosion.”

  Richard looked at the rubble. “An earthquake or an accident wouldn’t cause this amount of damage. Somebody deliberately set out to destroy the lab.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I need to make two calls, one to my boss.”

  “Okay, tell Tess hi for me,” Carl said with a laugh as he started back to join his crew. Richard called Tess to reassure her everyone was okay since a television news crew was filming. When she answered, Richard heard the relief in her voice. Once he spoke to his wife, he called Analise. The telephone rang three times before she groggily said hello. He couldn’t stop the deep sigh rumbling up from his chest. “Hey Lise.”