by G. Bailey
“No wonder you adopted Amethyst if you like cat teddies,” Javier mutters. “I think a wolf teddy would be better.”
“The imaginary cat you mean?” Claus asks, and I realise that he is sitting near the edge with his hand on my knee. I may slightly hate him, but for now he can stay.
“Amethyst isn’t imaginary, and she has a real problem with walking in on me in the shower,” Morgan comments with clear distaste. Smart kitty, I bet that is one hell of a view.
“I’ve never seen her,” Nikoli comments.
“Me neither, bro,” Claus replies.
“Maybe she just doesn’t like demons. I always have her purring in my lap when I’m here,” Javier replies.
“I’m slightly offended that your cat doesn’t like me,” Claus says, and I smile at him as the guys laugh. Even Morgan, to my surprise. I have four possessive, different raced, and usually aggressive as hell men in my bed, and they are all getting along like long lost friends.
“Are you hungry?” Javier asks me, stroking my hair in a soothing motion.
“Not really,” I admit. “I miss them so much. All this time at the academy, I’ve told myself I will get my family back, and now they are just gone.”
“You always will have them in your soul, but time will help, and I promise you won’t be alone,” Javier gently tells me.
“Never,” Nikoli adds.
“I’m always here,” Claus feels the need to say, and Morgan sighs.
“You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried,” Morgan creepily adds. Usually Nikoli is the creepy one, so it makes a nice change.
“This angel is creepy and your teacher. Can’t you choose someone else?” Claus asks, and Morgan glares at him. “Joking, joking.”
“Maybe we should have a funeral of sorts. A way for you to say goodbye,” Nikoli suggests the idea.
“No,” I quickly say.
“Why not?” Claus carefully asks. “You do need to say goodbye.”
“Their souls are in hell, right?” I ask, and they all nod or murmur yes. “Then that means I can talk to them and say goodbye. I need that chance before I really accept they are gone.”
“Whatever you need, we will do,” Nikoli tell me.
“Except cook, I can’t do that well,” Claus jokes.
“Lucky I’m here then,” Javier comments.
“I like to clean,” Claus adds in. “It’s pretty soothing.”
“I’m not doing anything for the record,” Morgan adds in, and I close my eyes as they chat between each other. Wherever you are, Mum and Dad, I will find your souls and say goodbye.
This is not the end.
Chapter 23
A letter from the dead
“You are acing necromancy like a god,” Nikoli tells me, his arm wrapped around my waist as we walk towards my apartment. Thankfully, Lucifer never came back from the demon leaders’ building, and it’s given us some time to relax and for me to cope with the reality of my parents’ death. I know I haven’t accepted it, but being without them is actually something normal now at DA. I push the door to my apartment open and walk in to see my uncle standing by the window, holding a small white box.
“Uncle Harry, how did you get in here?” I ask.
“Through the door, how else?” Uncle Harry solemnly replies.
“Nikoli Lucifer,” Nikoli says, walking up to my uncle and holding his hand out. They shake hands before Nikoli goes and sits down on the sofa, and I sit next to him. Uncle Harry sits in the chair and offers me the small white box he held.
“Your parents wrote this letter to you in secret, and I snuck it out of the building without anyone seeing it. There is also your mother and father’s wedding rings in there and your mother’s engagement ring. They are yours by right,” he tells me, and I didn’t even think about them. I look at the box. Knowing all that’s left of my parents is in them is harder than I expected it to be. “If you’re unluckily enough come to hell in the future, there is something for you there.”
“Thank you,” I shakily say, holding the box tightly.
“Do not thank me. I couldn’t save my sister, and I doubt I will be able to save you, kid,” he tells me, standing up. “I am returning to hell, and I hope to never see you there.”
“You didn’t kill them, Uncle Harry,” I tell him, sensing his guilt is as bad as mine. That’s all I can tell myself to cope with what happened. Lucifer killed them, and I am going to make him pay for it.
“I might as well have done,” he tells me before walking out of the apartment, and the door slams shut behind him.
“Do you want me to leave?” Nikoli gently asks me.
“No, please don’t,” I say, looking into his eyes for a second before back to the box. I open the lid and pick up the three rings on top first. Uncle Harry has put them on a long silver chain, and I put the necklace on, letting the rings hang in the middle of my chest. I rub my thumb across the diamond of the engagement ring, like I did many times when the ring was on my mother’s finger. I put the box to the side after taking the letter out and opening it up. It’s hard to read it as tears burn my eyes, and I remind myself I need to read this.
Our sweet baby girl,
We thought long about what to write here, as a simple apology for never telling you the truth is just not enough. We were scared to open you up to such a cruel world, but if you are reading this, that world has ended our lives.
We are sorry. We are so sorry for the life you must now walk alone.
We wanted to protect you, but that may be as impossible as we always suspected it was.
Your dad told you the truth. You belong to no one except yourself.
And that is the truth, please always remember it.
By now, you must be aware of the facts of your markings, and for answers, you must find a book that tells all tales. A race of fairy tales has the book, and you must find them and convince them to help you.
We love you so very much. So very, very much.
Every second of our lives was made better when we had you.
Love your life, love your mates and everyone in your life.
Baby girl, we will never leave you. You can find us in your heart.
Love,
Mum and Dad
I burst into tears, and Nikoli pulls me onto his lap, holding me closely as I finally admit what I didn’t want to before.
My parents are gone.
Chapter 24
Why don’t stubborn boys say sorry?
“You look mad as hell today,” Lela comments as I watch Claus laugh with Morgan in the middle of my survival basics class. I’m sick and tired of this hot and cold game Claus is playing with me, but I don’t tell her that. For the last few weeks, Claus has been kind to me when he feels like it, but he avoids any serious conversation that I try to have. He watches me as much as I watch him, both of us knowing damn well that we are destined mates, but I won’t give in until he says sorry.
And he won’t say flipping sorry. The stubborn asshat. I know he wants to; I can see it every time he looks at me.
And it’s been weeks. Thankfully, Lucifer hasn’t come back to the academy, because I’m half likely to attempt killing him. Morgan says we should leave as soon as Gabriel finds us somewhere safe to go. Apparently, he hasn’t found anywhere yet, and the longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes.
“Who wants to fight against Claus? The theme of today’s class is holy fire,” Morgan asks, and there is silence.
“I will,” I stand up, and the room goes silent.
“Damn, girl,” Lela whispers under her breath, and Morgan only smiles. He knows how good I’ve gotten at controlling holy fire in the weeks we have been training. Claus only smirks as I move to stand in front of him.
“Everyone else can run five laps around the academy. As we all know, holy fire is dangerous, and though this room is protected, we best not test our endurance of holy fire today,” Morgan instructs, clapping his hands, and everyone all but runs out of the room, foll
owed by Morgan who pauses in the doorway, his voice laced with humour. “Don’t kill him, Miss Cameron.”
“The angel has too much confidence in a new lower demon,” Claus mutters.
“Seems you don’t know me at all, Claus Lucifer,” I say, and I close my eyes. When I open them, holy fire is streaming out of my hands in spinning tunnels which twirl around my body and fly around the room. Claus steps back, but I direct the tunnels to swirl around him, boxing him in like a caged animal.
“Your eyes glow when you do this,” he calmly comments. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
“Fight me back,” I demand.
“No,” he simply replies, and I make the holy fire move closer to him, not hurting but enough to make him sweat. “I’m scared of losing you. That’s the truth behind everything.”
“You have to have me to lose me, Claus,” I snap.
“Lucifer has taken everything good from my life except for my brother. I don’t know why I fooled myself that you would be safe from him, but I did. Then he took you from me,” he tells me.
“He didn’t take me. I am not his,” I say. “I will never be.”
“But he will never let you go,” Claus reminds me.
“Claus, if you won’t fight for us, then what is the point in this?” I ask. “Love isn’t easy, it never is. Walking away shouldn’t be this easy for you, and I will never chase you. Claus, you have to make a choice, and I will understand either way.”
“I’m sorry, and I love you,” he tells me, and anger fills me. He can’t just say that. I slam the holy fire into his chest, and he flies across the room, smacking into the wall. I know the holy fire can’t hurt him, not with his angel blood, but hopefully the wall hurt a bit. I storm over to him as he stands up, and he grins even as blood trickles down the cut on his forehead to his cheek.
“You don’t get to say sorry and tell me you love me to fix everything! You abandoned me when I needed you! You left me alone with your crazy dad! How could you do that to me?” I say, and I slam my fists into his chest. He grabs my arms and pulls me to him, kissing me harshly and spinning us around so my back presses against the wall.
“I’m sorry. I fucked up,” he whispers against my lips. “You’re right, I’m a coward and I’ve never fought for anything in my life. I want to fight for you, Lexi. I’ve made that decision.”
“Don’t kiss me like that,” I protest, pushing him away, but he doesn’t move an inch. Damn demon.
“Why?” he demands, lifting his arms and placing them next to my head, boxing me in so I can only see and feel Claus, nothing but Claus.
“You kiss me like I’m yours, but all you do is walk away! You won’t fight for us, you won’t even try for what we could have. Yet you kiss me like my soul belongs to you and you won’t take anything less!” I almost scream, feeling more than frustrated. “Just let me go. For real this time. Can’t you see that all you are doing is hurting me?”
“I can’t let you go…” he softly tells me. “It’s because, despite what all the magic in the fucking world says, you are mine.”
“Then prove it, and don’t you ever walk away from me again.” And he kisses me, a kiss that goes a long way to proving one thing: Claus Lucifer belongs to me.
Chapter 25
May the true alpha rule.
Javier
“Son, this is Emerald—”
“Just go, you aren’t my mate, and we both know it,” I tell the poor girl who looks at me with doe eyes and blushed cheeks. There is only one woman who is my mate, and she never looks at me like I’m nothing more than a pretty face. Half the time, she looks like she wants to kill me, and the other, well I like the other emotion. The girl walks out of the throne room in tears, and I cross my arms, arching an eyebrow at my father.
“Everyone get out,” my father roars, and his betas quickly leave the room, leaving only me and my father in here. He leans back in his seat, stretching his legs out and placing his head in his hands before meeting my eyes. He looks tired. So fucking tired. “I know you love the demon, I’m not a fool. I loved Sera’s mother before I mated your mother. Did you know that?”
“No. Why did you mate my mother then?” I ask, not used to my father telling me any real emotions.
“Because she was a suitable mate for an alpha wolf. Sera’s mother was human, the daughter of a butcher, and she had nothing. I loved her more than myself, and a part of me died when your mother killed her. It was my fault, I should have left her for the good of everyone,” he tells me.
“Do you regret your actions?” I ask.
“No. I have you, and that wouldn’t have happened if I did anything different. I love you, son, but your love for this demon needs to stop,” he tells me, but I don’t believe him. My father never loved me, not really, or he doesn’t know how to. I lived a childhood of being shaken awake every morning at five a.m. and then running for hours. Even if I threw up, even if I was sick, I had to run. Then I would hunt for my food to show my worth as alpha, and then the evening was spent with teachers learning about the world I can never escape. That isn’t love.
“You can’t just stop loving someone, father,” I explain to him.
“I know that. I didn’t ask for that; I am asking for you to walk away from her,” he tells me. “I’m telling you to.”
“I will never do that,” I say, making a stand. I should have kissed Lexi in front of the pack and fought for her. I should have never let her dance with my father and not me.
She is mine. And I am hers.
Which means the pack can’t have me too.
“You will give up your blood right for a pretty demon?” he roars, standing up off his throne. “Have you lost your god damn mind?!”
“I will give up everything I am if that is what she needs of me. Her name is Alexandria Cameron, father, and she is my wolf marked mate,” I tell him, holding my head high.
“NO!” he shouts, his voice half a growl. I brace myself to shift just as the doors are slammed open and Eike strides in, covered in blood and fur. And naked. I see the guards on the ground outside, covered in their own blood. Eike looks dangerous and determined.
“Eike Matthews, what are you doing in here?” my father demands. “How fucking dare you kill my guards and walk in here.”
“I have come to challenge you for alpha. The alpha bloodline runs in my blood, and it is mine. Javier, I presume you do not want it?” Eike asks me, and for the first time, I’m fucking proud of my best friend. Eike has kept his wolf at bay with alcohol and girls to distract from the fact that he is a born alpha. His ancestors ran this pack for hundreds of years, and all that power rests in Eike. He is the true alpha, hidden away. My place was always with Lexi.
“No,” I answer.
“Javier…” my father’s heartbroken plea hurts, but I stand tall. This isn’t what I want, and it never has been.
“Do you accept my challenge?” Eike asks, and I walk backwards until I am out of the way. My father doesn’t answer, but he shifts into his large wolf, and Eike does the same. Not many have seen Eike shift, considering he never does, but I smile when I see Eike’s huge gray wolf. The wolf towers over my father’s, and with a clash of teeth and fur, they crash into each other. The fight is brutal and cruel. Blood and fur scatters everywhere, and growls fill the throne room. I watch until it becomes clear my father is losing, and Eike’s wolf gets hold of my father’s neck between his teeth and holds him down. Eike’s eyes meet mine, and I nod. It has to be done; my father is no angel. I look into my father’s eyes as Eike fatally bites into his neck and lets him drop to the floor. My father shifts back, and I walk over as Eike shifts too. I kneel down as my father dies, and he reaches a hand out, covering mine.
“L-ov-e is d-ea-d-ly…” I watch him die, and close my eyes for a brief second. Even dying, he couldn’t say he supported me.
“Javier—” Eike gently says.
“Alpha Eike,” I answer.
“Fuck off, you don’t call me that. Yo
u are my brother and my beta,” he tells me, offering me a hand. I grab his hand and stand up before patting his bloody shoulder.
“I’m proud of you, but I can’t be your beta,” I admit. “My place isn’t with the pack anymore.”
“You need to get the girl. I have a similar mission in mind as well,” he tells me. “After sorting the pack out, of course.”
“Who?” I ask. I didn’t know Eike ever liked anyone.
“Who do you think?” he replies, and I frown. “She is the only girl that tells me I’m an asshole, and I fucking love it.” If he means my sister, I’m going to—
“No!” my mother screams as she walks into the throne room, followed by my sister and five guards. They hold my sister’s arms as my mother runs in, falling to her knees and covering my father’s body. I don’t know why she bothers fake crying; everyone knows she never loved my father.
And he never loved her.
“Alpha…Eike. We found Serafin Luque trying to escape the pack,” the guards say.
“Lexi needs us!” Sera explains.
“Unless you want your heads removed, let her the fuck go. Now,” Eike demands, and I cross my arms as he storms over as they let Sera go. She stares, an empty stare, at our father on the floor. “I am alpha now, pass the message around. Anyone touches Serafin or Javier, and they are challenging me. Now get out of my house.”
“This is my house. My house!” my mother wails.
“This was never your house, mother. It was a prison that has finally ended,” I say. “And technically, Eike’s ancestors built the whole pack, so it is his.”
“And you need to leave,” Eike adds in. I don’t look at her as I walk to my sister and pull her into my arms as she cries for the father that never truly loved her. He pretended to, but I think he only loved the parts of Sera that reminded him of her mother. Sera was nothing to him in the end, and we all knew it.
