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A Total-E-Bound Publication
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Back To Hell
ISBN # 978-1-78184-079-5
©Copyright Amber Kell 2012
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright August 2012
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination
and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or
places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form,
whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of
the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound
Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil
proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs
and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator
of the artwork.
Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL,
United Kingdom.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This
story has a heat rating of Total-e-burning and a sexometer of 2.
This story contains 80 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book
containing 9 pages.
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BACK TO HELL
Amber Kell
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Even the devil needs a little help sometimes, but for Luc, going back to hell to make things right could
end up breaking him…
Luc’s life is finally starting to settle down. His wolf shifter lover is back in his bed and his
father is no longer ruling hell…or Luc’s life.
Unfortunately, his happiness is only an illusion. Nikko, his vampire soul mate, is starving to
death, Luc’s psychotic brother is taking over hell, and the balance of good and evil all
depends on Luc to set things straight.
The archangel Michael tells Luc he needs to go back to hell to correct the problems he caused,
but Luc refuses. However, some people still think Luc is a contender to be the demon lord.
When his brother kidnaps Bran, Luc has to show the underworld why you don’t mess with
the devil’s son.
Dedication
To my fans who insisted there was more to Luc’s story.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following
wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction:
Hallmark: Hallmark Cards
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BACK TO HELL
Amber Kell
6
Chapter One
Luc Hellbourne jolted awake, his nightmares fading as his bedroom came into focus.
The warm heat of his lover Bran snuggled up against him further calmed him down. Damn.
He’d had them again! Ever since he’d escaped from hell his dreams had been a jumbled mess
of odd visions. Unfortunately, he never remembered any of the details when they receded,
leaving behind the unsettling belief he’d missed something important.
Carefully he separated his body from his lover’s. Luc knew from experience he’d be
unable to fall back to sleep—too many mornings he’d woken up the same way.
Still groggy, he set his feet on the floor only to yank them back up when he encountered
a body. Glancing over the side of the bed, he found his rescued demon Carn lying beside the
bed with his bonded vampire Jerrod beside him. They were close to each other but not
touching.
As if sensing Luc’s regard, Jerrod’s blue eyes blinked open. “Good morning, Master.”
“Good morning, Jerrod. Is there a reason you and Carn are sleeping beside my bed?”
Bran was going to shit puppies if he awoke to people under his feet.
“You haven’t slept lately. We were hoping our presence would calm you,” Carn said in
a sleep-roughened voice. “In the book it says you might start to fade if you don’t get enough
sleep.”
“What book?”
The pair exchanged a look before Jerrod reluctantly answered, “The pack book. Nikko
let us have it once you decided to live away from the vampires. He wanted to make sure you
were taken care of.”
Nikko. Even hearing the vampire’s name stabbed holes in Luc’s heart. As much as he
loved Bran, he still had moments of complete sorrow over losing his vampire. He tried to
hide his pain from his werewolf lover but Luc knew at times Bran could sense his
unhappiness.
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Shaking his head, Luc returned to the discussion at hand. He vaguely remembered the
pack mentioning they were compiling a notebook about how to take care of Luc years ago,
but he’d thought it was a joke. “They seriously made a book?”
Jerrod nodded. “It’s called The Care and Feeding of Lucifer Hellbourne. One of the things in
it says if you don’t rest well you might start to fade. Carn and I were worried.”
“Thank you for your concern, but you don’t need to worry. I’m not fading.” Breaking
into tiny parts in a slow excruciating manner…but not fading.
“Sorry, Master.” Carn’s red skin became a little redder. “Why don’t I go get you some
breakfast, Master?” he offered.
“That would be great.” Luc gave the demon a smile to let him know he wasn’t angry.
Carn had suffered enough abuse at the hands of Luc’s brother that the young demon still
flinched whenever he thought someone was angry with him.
As soon as he’d left, Jerrod slid his fingers through Luc’s hair. “Kiss me good morning,
Master?”
Luc sighed but he knew the young vampire well enough by now to know that Jerrod
would pull the I need to bond with my master card if Luc didn’t agree to at least a kiss.
Jerrod only belonged to Luc because Luc had saved him from his old master. However,
Jerrod often used Luc’s reluctance to harm him as an invitation to take advantage.
After a few minutes of kissing, Luc set Jerrod away from him. Jerrod’s cheeks glowed
with passion and his eyes had a bright light of need as he watched Luc.
“Why don’t you go see if Carn needs any help in the kitchen? It’s probably time for you
to feed again.”
Jerrod squeezed Luc’s cock. “I found something I can feed on.”
Luc knew the vampire had meant that in a sexy way but his erection trembled with fear.
“I don’t think I want your fangs anywhere near my dick when you’re this excited. Go drink
from Carn—that’s why I have him here.”
Luc knew if Bran woke with Jerrod sucking Luc off, the shifter might lose control and
kill him. While Bran understood the necessity of Luc bonding with Jerrod, he wouldn’t
appreciate it if Luc started each day fucking the sexy vamp through the mattress.
Jerrod slid his lower lip out in a tempting pout. As he became stronger, Jerrod’s sexual
awareness continued to grow. Luc knew it wouldn’t be much longer before his vampire
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began to try out his wiles on others. The demon blood Jerrod subsisted on made him stronger
than ever before—a fact he sometimes flaunted at Nikko’s vampires. Luc had the suspicion
that, in a few years, his little vampire would be ready to become a master of his own.
“If you become your own master, what happens to my mark?” Luc asked as the
question struck him. Maybe he’d found a loophole to this vampire-claiming thing after all.
Jerrod smiled. “You become a master’s master—a jump in the vampire hierarchy. Don’t
worry, Luc, I won’t leave you.”
Luc received a quick kiss before Jerrod bounded off to help Carn. Even as Luc enjoyed
watching the vampire’s tight ass walk out of the door, worry made him scowl.
“If I keep this up I’ll get wrinkles,” Luc mused, before laughing at himself.
“I’d love it if you had a wrinkle,” Bran teased. Long arms were wrapped around Luc’s
waist from behind. Luc leaned against his lover’s warm body.
“You want me old?” Luc rolled over on the bed to face his lover.
Bran smiled, sending tendrils of heat through Luc’s body. “I want an imperfection.”
Bran cupped Luc’s cheek, sliding his thumb across Luc’s skin. “You are so amazingly
flawless it overwhelms me sometimes.”
Luc tilted his head to accept Bran’s kiss. The slight brush of lips burned through Luc
like lava.
His.
He could feel Bran’s aura sink into his bones as he absorbed the love and desire pouring
from the shifter to Luc. Thoughts of Nikko vanished beneath Bran’s overwhelming touch.
Bran rubbed against Luc, sparking his senses with the contact.
Moaning, Bran quickly divested Luc of his underwear. “You are the sexiest thing I’ve
ever known. Without you I would die,” Bran whispered in his ear as he stroked his large
hands down Luc’s body.
A moan ripped from Luc’s lips. The slightly rough pads of Bran’s fingers slid across
Luc’s chest, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “I love your touch,” Luc sighed.
“Good. You’re mine.”
Bran grabbed the lube they kept under the pillows. With the ease of experience, Bran
popped the cap and slickened up his fingers. Luc rolled over and lifted his ass for his lover’s
entrance.
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“I want to see your face. I need to know you are seeing me.” Bran’s voice held the air of
desperation.
Luc rolled over. “I always know when it’s you,” he promised.
Bran slid one finger beneath Luc’s balls and into his ass. “One day I hope to be enough
for you.”
Kissing Bran, Luc spread his legs to give his lover better access. “You are my mate,” he
said in words a shifter would understand.
“Yes, but we both know you have two of those.” Bran slid a second finger inside Luc,
not as gentle as before. “Nikko is waiting in the wings for my demise. I plan to be around for
a long while.”
Bran shoved in a third finger then spread them apart to loosen Luc up. “As many times
as we’ve made love, preparing you has always been one of my favourite parts. I love
knowing you are tight and waiting for me.”
Luc wiggled on Bran’s fingers. “I’ll always wait for you, Bran.”
Bran smiled. “I know. I’m counting on that.” He slid out his fingers and, with a gentle
push of pressure, Bran entered Luc’s body.
Their lovemaking, slow and easy, helped Luc greet the day in a better frame of mind.
With only a few pumps, Luc came. Bran soon followed after, a howl splitting the air with his
orgasm.
“Do you feel better?” Bran asked, his voice wary.
“Yeah.” Luc gave Bran a big, sloppy smile, his body relaxed and his mind at ease. “I feel
much better.”
“Good.” Bran snuggled Luc back into his arms and soothed him back to sleep.
Luc woke from his nap an hour later according to the clock on the nightstand. Now, at
least, it made more sense to get up. Bran was missing from his side of the bed, an early
morning meeting having dragged him away. Luc never knew why the wolves always met in
the morning. For a bunch of people who changed into nocturnal animals, they shouldn’t be
so perky first thing in the morning—it was unnatural.
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Sliding out of bed, Luc stretched to ease his sore muscles. He yearned to call Nikko just
to hear his voice but he knew he couldn’t. Cracking the door of communication open even a
little would rip open old wounds.
Besides, he’d vowed to leave Nikko alone.
His uncle, the archangel Michael, had told Luc that both Nikko and Bran were his fated
mates but they hadn’t been supposed to all meet at this juncture in Luc’s life. As werewolves
generally died after a few centuries and vampires could live forever, Nikko had decided to
bide his time until Bran passed away before pushing his bond. However that didn’t keep Luc
from longing for him. Is this what his life had been reduced to? Always yearning for the
missing mate?
Luc sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He’d take a shower before deciding
what to do with his day. Now that he no longer had the pack to take care of and didn’t
involve himself in Nikko’s vampires, he felt rudderless. He needed to figure out what to do
with his life. After all, he pretty much had forever and he needed something to occupy his
time.
The scent of sulphur, along with the weight of a particularly heavy spell, alerted Luc to
a visitor. He glanced around but saw nothing. Anticipation unfurled like a small demon
dragon in his chest.
“Come on out—I know you’re here,” he called. He kept his tone light and unconcerned.
No one needed to know how unnerved he felt over his mystery visitor. Who knew what his
brother would try to do now that he’d permanently escaped hell’s clutches?
As Luc blinked, a skinny, blue-skinned demon appeared before him. The creature
dropped to its knees and prostrated itself on the floor.
“S-sir Hellbourne.”
Crap! A messenger demon. The little blue beasts never relayed any good news. Of course,
their messages were delivered from hell—that could be their excuse.
Luc stood up and approached the creature. He might be standing naked in his
bedroom, but he’d stab himself in the chest before he showed any weakness to even the
smallest creature from down below.
The little demon might not pose a threat, but he could still report back details of Luc’s
life to someone in power. He’d definitely have to see about putting up some wards to block
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all demons except Carn from gaining access to his home. He’d been lax about security,
thinking that his reputation and his mate would keep people away. Obviously he’d been
mistaken.
“Y-your father sent me!” the demon blurted out, his caramel-coloured eyes wide with
fear as he took in Luc’s demeanour.
Luc frowned. The last time he’d seen his father, bone angels had been attacking him
after Luc had set them free. Their captivity in Lucifer’s throne had driven them mad, but
there had been no doubt in Luc’s mind that his father would eventually prevail. No one truly
ever won out over the devil.
Curiosity—the devil’s bane—poked at him and forced him to ask, “What’s your name?”
He didn’t deal with any demons without knowing their names, an added insurance
against their deception. With a demon’s name, Luc could command control of the creature if
it deceived him.
“I-I’m Blinok.” Shivering, the creature delivered its message, “G-Galthine has taken
control of hell. Lucifer needs your help.”
Luc laughed. “I don’t think father has need of me. He’s done fine all these years without
my assistance.” More than likely, Lucifer would trap him back in hell and never let him
free—a chance Luc wasn’t willing to take.
“N-no, he r-really needs your help. Galthine has captured him and he can’t escape.”
“Galthine?” He wouldn’t have thought his brother had it in him for such a bold move.
“How did he trap him?”
Blinok shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Luc leant forward until they were almost nose to nose. “Listen, Blinok, I worked hard to
get out of hell and I’m not going back, especially to save my father. It matters not to me if
Galthine or Lucifer runs the underworld. Go back to my father and tell him that. I’m sure
he’ll get out of there eventually. I have faith.”
“Yes, sir.” Blinok shook with fear, no doubt worried about returning to the devil with
his task unfulfilled. Luc forced himself not to care. He couldn’t protect all the demons in hell.
Blinok gave a short bow before vanishing with a loud popping sound.
Luc sighed. Now he really needed a shower. A demon straight from hell always left a
stench on everything around it. He probably stank like rotten eggs.
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* * * *
After a quick shower, Luc slid into a soft T-shirt in Bran’s favourite colour blue and a
pair of old jeans. Feeling better, Luc felt his normal optimistic disposition beginning to
bounce back. It returned completely when he found the meal Carn had prepared for him
sitting on a tray by the bedside. Fluffy eggs, crunchy potatoes and a bowl of fruit sat in
colourful splendour.
“Yum.”
Happily bouncing onto the bed, Luc took the tray and started eating. He let out a few
groans of appreciation while he devoured his meal. Who would have thought a demon could
make such fabulous cuisine? After eating most of the contents, Luc set the tray aside for Carn
to take later.
Today Luc planned to figure out what he wanted to do when he grew up.
He’d only made it a few feet before the scent of marshmallows halted him in his tracks.
His bedroom had more visitors than a train station this morning.
“Hello, Uncle.” Luc turned around to face the archangel Michael. The angel’s silver eyes
glowed with joy at seeing Luc.
“Greetings, Luc.” Michael’s voice, deep and filled with power, sent shivers down Luc’s
spine. Most people couldn’t handle standing next to an angel without falling to their knees
beneath the pure power of their presence.
With seraphim blood in his own body, Luc could handle the presence of just about
anyone, even if half of his genetic composition came from the fae.
“What can I do for you?” Luc asked, almost afraid of the answer. No one received a
visit from the head angel for no reason. Michael didn’t stop in to watch a game or shoot the
shit. The angel always had an agenda.
“What? No hug?”
Nerves tingling on edge, Luc walked forward and hugged his uncle, careful of the
wings, before stepping back. “Now that we’ve bonded, what do you want?”
Luc didn’t mean to be rude but, really, angels never brought glad tidings. They always
warned of plague, famine, war…never news of the latest carnival rides.
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Michael sighed. “I hoped to spare you this information but things have become
precarious in hell, and I need you to go and rescue your father.”
“What? Why? You’re the one who told me how to activate the bone chair.”
Michael nodded. “That’s true, but now your brother is upsetting the balance and
talking about trying to retake heaven.”
Luc snorted. “Let him try—it isn’t like he’s going to succeed. He can barely find his
shoelaces when he’s wearing his shoes.” Galthine might be a strong demon and occasionally
tricky, but a mental powerhouse he wasn’t. Which begged the question about how he had
trapped Lucifer in the first place.
Michael paced across Luc’s carpet, his long wings making a soft shushing sound as they
brushed across the floor. For a brief moment, Luc wondered how the angel kept his wings so
shiny if he treated them in such a shabby manner. Then he wondered how it would feel to
have wings…
“Luc, focus!” Michael snapped his fingers at him.
“Oh, sorry.” Maybe his subby duo was right. Luc did need more sleep.
“Your brother now has the angels from the chair helping him out. They are using him
as a pawn to take over hell and subsequently heaven. You need to go down there and help
overthrow your brother.”
Memories from the last time he’d gone to hell flashed through his mind. “You know, a
demon was just here telling me pretty much the same thing. Well not the angel part, but the
‘need to rescue Lucifer’ part. I’ll tell you what I told it—I’m not going back down there.”
“But, Luc—”
“No! It’s not going to happen. Can you guarantee my safety?”
Michael blinked at Luc’s vehemence. “You know I can’t.”
“Then we’re done.” Luc folded his arms over his chest. Nothing would move him from
his position. When he’d left, he’d vowed never to return. If he went the rest of his long life
without ever being tortured again, he’d be content.
“I hope for your sake that isn’t your final word, Luc. You have no idea how bad things
can get if the balance is disturbed.”
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“If it’s such a horrible thing then you take some of your angel buddies and go down
there yourself.” Luc’s temper snapped. He didn’t want to be the saviour of anyone. He just
wanted to be left alone.
Michael shook his head. “You know I can’t. Hell is spelled against angels.”
Luc scowled. “I’m part angel, father’s an angel and there were angels in father’s chair
that I freed.”
Michael gave him a familiar smile. The one that told Luc he was freaking adorable, if a
little naïve. Luc curled his fingers so he wouldn’t punch his uncle.
“Your father is a fallen angel and so were the ones in the chair,” Michael explained
slowly as if talking to a small not-too-bright child.
“And me?”
“You’re only half and your father changed the threshold of hell years ago to
accommodate your needs.”
“Father changed hell for me?” The idea of the devil changing his entire home for Luc
startled him. He had had no idea.
Michael smiled. “Lucifer has many faults, but he loves you.”
“You do realise he had me tortured every year on my birthday. Before you start picking
out Hallmark cards, you might want to keep that in mind.”
“He only did that because he wanted you closer.”
“That doesn’t make him father of the year,” Luc protested.
“I didn’t say he was perfect.”
“That’s because angels aren’t supposed to lie.”
Between his fae and his angel blood, Luc found it next to impossible to tell a lie. That
made him ask the one thing he’d always wondered about. “How is it Lucifer can lie when he
has angel blood? Is it because he’s fallen?”
Michael laughed. “Lucifer doesn’t lie.”
Luc blinked. “Sure he does. He’s kind of known for it.”
“You know better than to give in to the propaganda. Who is it that accuses him of
lying?”
“Um…humans.”
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“Exactly. Humans. Humans always blame the other person when they’re caught doing
something wrong. Your father might twist the truth. He might perceive things differently,
but he has never lied to you.”
Luc thought back over his life and had to admit his uncle had a point. His father might
be a psychopathic, sadistic bastard but he wasn’t a liar. “Well, I’m still not going to hell.”
Michael’s wings fluttered with irritation. “Fine. Call me when you change your mind.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” Maybe Father would make it snow in hell again, too. Luc kept
that thought to himself. He could refuse an angel’s request but mocking one could only end
badly.
As Michael flashed out of sight, Luc hoped not to see any more visitors today.
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Chapter Two
Luc found his demon and his vampire chasing each other around the kitchen, laughing
while they tossed soap bubbles and screamed escalating taunts at each other. They came to a
screeching halt at the sight of Luc.
“Having fun, are we?” Luc asked.
Twin nods and guilty expressions greeted his question.
“Make sure you clean up when you’re done.”
More nodding.
“And bring me some coffee.”
“Yes, Master,” they said together.
Shaking his head, Luc left them to their playing. He waited until he’d left the kitchen to
laugh at the soap bubble wreath circling Carn’s horns.
Luc decided to spend the day looking at colleges online. Isn’t that what people did
when they didn’t have a clue? Go back to school?
“Maybe I’ll start my own business,” Luc mused. “Or buy my own college.”
Settling in his desk chair, Luc had barely raised the lid on his laptop before his brother
Stiln and Stiln’s werewolf mate Salvador burst into his office.
“Yes?”
The pair settled into Luc’s guest chairs as if he’d welcomed them to sit down. Luc leant
back in his chair and waited.
“I need you to get Salvador back with his pack,” Stiln said. His one-eyed gaze glowed
with desperation as he pleaded with Luc. “He needs to be around other wolves.”
“I’m fine,” Salvador said, but Luc noticed the fine tremble going through Sal’s body.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s getting close to the full moon and he’s packless,” Stiln announced, much as anyone
else would proclaim a person had lost a limb.
“What do you need? I can call Bran.”
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“I don’t need anything. Stiln is unnecessarily worried. I can do just fine without a
pack.”
The werewolf’s words would’ve been more reassuring if he didn’t have a fine line of
sweat on his brow or if his hands had been steady.
Luc grabbed the receiver of his desk phone. He loved the old-fashioned charm of it. He
had purposely purchased one with a cord so he could wrap it around his finger while he
talked.
“What can I do for you, sweetheart?” Bran asked, by way of greeting.
“What makes you think I need anything?”
“Because we have plans tonight, so you’re either calling to cancel or you have a
problem. I’d prefer a problem.”
Luc grinned. “Sal is having issues over the upcoming full moon and no pack.”
“Crap, I didn’t think of that. Tell him I’ll be over this evening and we’ll go for a run. I’m
not a full pack but as an alpha I should help settle his nerves.”
“Great. Thanks, love.”
Bran’s kissy noises made Luc smile before hanging up.
“Bran will be over later to run with you,” Luc told Sal.
Sal turned to Stiln. “See? Problem solved.”
The big demon scowled at his wolf shifter. “For now. We need to look for a more
permanent solution. We can’t keep hoping Bran will feel gracious enough to rescue you
every full moon.”
“Bran doesn’t mind,” Luc insisted. If there was one thing he knew about his mate, Bran
lived to help fellow pack members. Even though Sal didn’t officially belong to Bran’s pack
anymore, they had enough of a history that Luc knew he didn’t mind accommodating Sal.
“Okay…if you’re sure,” Sal said, nervously glancing from Stiln to Luc and back again.
“It’s fine,” Luc reassured.
“Why don’t you go get ready for our picnic? I want to talk to my brother,” Stiln said.
Sal hesitated. “You aren’t going to hurt him, are you?”
Stiln laughed. “Trust me. On earth—with full power—no one fucks with Luc.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.” Sal flashed Luc a doubtful glance before leaving. Luc couldn’t
blame him. Throughout his entire time with the wolves, Luc hadn’t shown most of his
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abilities. He hadn’t wanted to scare Bran or intimidate the other wolves. Now, with the
freedom of not caring, Luc could let his magic run free.
He waited patiently until Sal had closed the door behind him and returned to his seat
before asking, “What’s up?”
Stiln shifted in his seat. “I need a job.”
“What?”
“I’m going stir-crazy. In hell I always had something going on. Right now, I just sit
around and take care of Sal. Not that I don’t enjoy that,” Stiln interjected quickly. “I adore the
wolf, but I need something more.”
Luc laughed.
“Fuck you, Luc.” Stiln, always quick to anger, jumped to his feet.
“Oh, calm down. Sit.” Luc pointed to Stiln’s abandoned seat.
With a sullen expression, Stiln threw himself back onto the chair.
“I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing at me. Just ten minutes ago I was asking
myself the same question.”
“Oh. Did you find any answers?”
Luc shook his head. “Not yet. I was thinking of maybe opening a business or
something, but I couldn’t figure out what kind.”
“Huh. Well, when you figure it out let me know. I’m used to running things. I can be a
manager or something.” Stiln looked down at his feet, avoiding Luc’s eyes. “I want you to
know I won’t ever forget that you got me and Sal out of hell. I know I’ve been a horrible
brother, but I do appreciate that you helped me out when I needed it.”
Luc nodded. He didn’t have to tell Stiln he’d been a crappy brother—the demon
realised that on his own. “If you think of any business ideas let me know. I’m going to look
into attending school or something.”
Stiln laughed.
“What?”
“Oh, please. If a professor tried to give you less than an A you’d charm him out of it.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Luc scowled. “There’s nothing wrong with going
after what you want.”
Stiln shook his head. “I’m jealous, you know. I always have been.”
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“I know. Father made sure of that. Would you go back if it weren’t for Sal?” Luc asked.
“No.” Stiln rose to his feet. “I need a change. Unfortunately I can’t exactly mingle with
the humans so my choices are limited.”
“I could take care of that for you,” Luc offered.
“What do you mean?”
Luc fiddled with the pen he’d found on his desk. “You know I only have a few fae
magical abilities.”
Stiln nodded. “You can travel through mirrors and persuade.”
Luc shook his head. “No. The persuasion I got from Father. My other fae ability is
enchantment. I can make you look like a human if you’d like.”
“Really?”
Luc hoped he hadn’t made a big mistake telling his brother about his powers. He’d kept
that particular ability quiet. He had planned on enchanting Carn when the time was right,
but he certainly didn’t want the average demon population knowing of his skills. Changing
demons to look like humans gave them a huge advantage. People wouldn’t know to be on
the defensive if a demon they should fear looked like everyone else.
“Yes. Think about how you want to appear and let me know.”
“Okay!” Stiln’s face glowed with excitement. “I’ll owe you, brother. I’ll owe you big.”
“Sure.” Luc hoped he looked more pleased than he felt. His stomach churned over
letting his brother know one of his biggest secrets.
Stiln stood up and started to leave the room only to stop in his tracks. Turning back to
Luc, he faced his brother with a serious expression on his face. “I know what you gave up to
tell me of that particular magic. I won’t betray your trust.”
“I hope not, Stiln. I really hope not.” To trust a demon who had tortured him every year
was a leap of either faith or stupidity—only time would tell which it turned out to be.
He watched his brother leave his office then powered up his laptop.
* * * *
Two hours later, Luc still wasn’t any closer to figuring out what he wanted to do with
his life.
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“Hey, babe.” Bran walked through the door. Luc smiled. At least he knew who he
wanted to do.
Luc stood up and leapt.
Bran caught him easily.
“Hi,” Luc said, wrapping his arms and legs around his lover.
“Did you miss me?”
Luc nodded. “I was trying to decide what to do with my life.”
Bran’s kiss seared through Luc’s body like a brand. Moaning, Luc wrapped his legs
tighter around Bran’s waist. He’d never get enough of this man. Lips locked, Bran walked
forward until Luc’s ass hit the desk. Leaning down until Luc lay on the surface, Bran
proceeded to kiss Luc until his mind went fuzzy and his jeans became snug.
When they finally broke for air, Bran helped Luc off the desk. “I know what you’re
going to do for the rest of the evening.”
Luc smiled. “You said you’d take Sal out for a run,” he reminded.
“I’ll do that after I do you.”
“Aren’t you the romantic?” Luc laughed.
“That I am.”
Luc didn’t have any objections to Bran’s style of romance. The man had fetched Luc
from hell. He didn’t have anything to prove. Candy and flowers didn’t mean crap if you
were trapped in endless torture.
Bran took Luc’s hand. “Let’s take this to the bedroom. The last thing I want is your
brother to walk in and see my naked ass.”
The journey to the bedroom involved several stops for kisses and groping. For a while
Luc didn’t think they’d make it all the way up the stairs before Bran had him stripped bare.
His shirt met its fate on the stairs.
“I liked that shirt,” Luc said, mournfully eying the torn strips.
“I’ll buy you a new one.” Bran bit Luc’s neck, adding to the growing number of
territorial bite marks on his skin.
“I’m pretty sure everyone knows I belong to you,” Luc gasped as Bran added another
set of teeth marks to Luc’s shoulder.
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“No. You are always running into new people who think they have a chance to claim
you. They should know there is no way in heaven or hell I’m giving you up again.”
Luc knew Bran still had residual guilt for tossing Luc aside for a female, even if he’d
been persuaded by demon kind. Galthine had cast a spell on Bran, infusing the idea into his
mind that he needed to find a female mate and procreate. The fallout had resulted in Luc’s
heart breaking, an event Bran still tried to make amends for.
“Speaking of that, did you hear anything more from Betsy’s pack?” After the bonding
hadn’t happened between Bran and Betsy, Betsy’s pack had turned on Bran and declared him
in default of their contract. They were still working out the details. Bran’s pack insisted that,
if his wolf hadn’t chosen Betsy, there was no default, while Betsy’s pack demanded
recompense.
A shadow slid across Bran’s features. “Let’s talk about that later. I need to be inside you
now.”
“I missed you today,” Luc offered, to refocus Bran’s attention.
The shifter’s eyes glowed as he slid his gaze over Luc’s naked body. “You should move
back into the pack house.” Bran nipped Luc’s ear, one of Luc’s hotspots that always sent jolts
of need down his spine.
“I can’t. You know that. If I moved in, who would take care of Jerrod and Carn?”
“I don’t care,” Bran whispered against Luc’s neck. With a flex of muscle Bran tossed
Luc onto the bed. “I only care about you not being by my side every day. I miss going into
my office and finding you counselling one of the pack or helping them with whatever they
need. It isn’t the same without you.”
Luc could’ve taken the low shot and told Bran nothing would’ve changed between
them had Bran not decided he needed children more than Luc. Even with a spell, if Bran had
truly been as devoted as he’d claimed, the suggestion wouldn’t have affected him. Luc didn’t
say any of those things but he wanted to…badly.
“Things can’t return to how they were. Your pack can’t know Sal is still alive or they
will come kill him. I like him alive and Stiln would destroy anyone who tried to hurt Sal. I
don’t need that sort of situation at my house.”
“Your house should be mine,” Bran insisted.
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“There’s nothing that says you can’t spend your nights here like you did last night,”
Luc argued. Damn, he’d hoped to get into the hot sex portion of their evening. Talking
sucked and not in the oh-that-feels-good-on-my-cock kind of way.
“I know.” Bran must have decided the conversation was over because he tackled Luc’s
jeans and disposed of them as if they were the enemy in the get-naked war.
“Good thing I never put on shoes this morning,” Luc commented as he lay on the bed
stark naked.
“Yep, I might have had to destroy them, too.”
“Take off your clothes,” Luc ordered.
“I was planning to.” A teasing smile tilted the corners of Bran’s mouth. Keeping his
gaze locked with Luc, he unbuttoned his shirt in slow, lazy motions while moving his hips to
a beat only he could hear.
Luc licked his lips as he watched the animalistic side come out of his lover.
“Do you like what you see?” Bran asked, peeling off his shirt and tossing it aside. Thick
chest muscles and a pebbled stomach greeted Luc’s greedy eyes.
“What’s not to like?” Luc tried for a teasing tone but his voice shook. He needed Bran
desperately and, if his lover didn’t get his ass on the bed soon, Luc wouldn’t be responsible
for his actions.
A sexy hip roll had Luc sitting up straight so he wouldn’t miss any of the action. Bran
unbuckled his belt and slipped it from around his waist in one smooth motion. Still swinging
his hips, he approached Luc.
“I’m going to bind you now. If at any time you need out, tell me.”
Luc nodded. His breathing increased and a fine sheen of sweat spread across his skin.
In Luc’s mind, binding and torture had always gone together.
Bran kissed Luc as if trying to absorb some of his fear.
“I’m fine,” Luc said when they parted.
“I know. I want to do this to replace the bad memories you’ve had of bondage. I don’t
want you to have any weaknesses that can be exploited.”
“Everyone has weaknesses,” Luc protested.
Bran lost interest in talking. He wrapped his belt around Luc from elbow to wrist. Luc
began to breathe hard.
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“Remember, if you say stop, I stop.”
“Okay, okay.” He could do this. He could please his lover. For the first time, Luc
worried about freaking out on Bran.
Bran kissed Luc’s forehead. “You’re fine.” Without any fanfare Bran removed the rest of
his clothing until he knelt naked by Luc. Sliding his body between Luc’s legs, he kissed Luc’s
stomach, sliding his mouth over Luc’s muscled abs. “You’re the sexiest thing ever.”
Luc moaned beneath his lover’s tongue. The heat of Bran’s mouth sent shivers up his
spine. “Damn that feels good.” He could never get enough of his werewolf lover. If he
missed Nikko from time to time, he could be happy with the knowledge that the vampire
had many people more than happy to keep a sexy man like Nikko company. Sadly, that
thought rarely made him feel better.
As if sensing Luc’s lack of attention, Bran nipped Luc’s hip.
“Ouch.” It didn’t really hurt but Luc had to give some response or he might crush
Bran’s feelings. After all, if you couldn’t keep your partner’s attention when you were stark
naked, you were in trouble.
“I love you.” Bran held Luc’s gaze as if trying to push the feeling into Luc’s soul.
“I know. I love you too.” Easier words were never said. Luc adored his werewolf.
“Good. How are you feeling?”
“Horny,” Luc responded without hesitation.
“I meant about being bound.”
“Fine.” Surprised at his automatic answer, Luc realised he did feel fine. None of the
anxiety that usually followed being bound rode him. After the initial surge of fear he’d lost
his sense of terror. Of course, not standing in hell probably helped the situation a great deal.
“Good. You look amazing.” Bran’s eyes glowed with a feral light as he watched Luc.
Luc squirmed within the confines of the belt. “Are you going to do something besides
look at me?”
Bran licked Luc from hip to nipple, worrying the bit of flesh between his teeth.
“Oh yes, right there,” Luc gasped as nerve endings fired from the bite.
Bran growled. The vibration went through Luc as they pressed skin to skin. Luc
absorbed the heat from Bran’s body, sighing from the sensation. He loved when Bran made
noises—it made him feel wanted.
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“Where’s your oil?”
Luc closed his eyes and focused on a little spell he’d recently learnt. “I’m all ready for
you now.”
Bran slid a finger into Luc’s hole. “Neat trick. When did you learn that one?”
“I met an incubus a few days ago. He had all kinds of tricks. I helped him escape from
some witches who were trying to steal his heart.”
“Did he teach you anything else?”
The warning note in Bran’s voice told Luc what his answer should be. “No, Bran. He
didn’t teach me anything else.” Nothing he’d admit, at least. Although he didn’t have sex
with the incubus, the man had shown Luc some magical tricks he’d keep in mind next time
Bran had stress lines marring his forehead. He knew sometimes the wolf didn’t know when
to think of himself rather than the pack. As much as Luc adored Bran’s pack, they sucked a
lot of his lover’s energy away.
Bran bit Luc’s shoulder, making him twist from the sensation. His hands pulled at the
bonds but he didn’t break free.
“More,” he demanded.
“I’ll give you what you need.” With the familiarity of a long-time lover, Bran cupped
Luc’s ass and lifted him to the perfect level. Sighing, Bran pushed inside.
Luc instinctively relaxed, allowing Bran to easily penetrate him. “So full,” he moaned.
“You’re good for my ego.” Bran kissed Luc, preventing him from saying anything else.
The scent and feel of his lover threatened to overwhelm Luc. He clenched his muscles around
Bran, trying to hold him in when he started pulling out.
A gasp broke their kiss as Bran pushed back in.
“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll give you what you want.” Bran’s voice, rough with passion, slid
over Luc—another layer of sensation to the perfect moment of bonding. “I thought I’d lost
this forever. I’ll never give you up again.”
“Never!” Luc agreed as Bran gripped his hips and proceeded to remind him why Luc
adored his shifter mate.
Bran covered him like a warm blanket and pounded his cock into him at the perfect
angle, as though he had a homing beacon locked on Luc’s prostate. Luc moaned from the
sensation.
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“I love you,” he whispered, as Bran spurted inside him. Bran wrapped his hand around
Luc’s length and with a few strokes brought Luc over the edge. Luc cried out as his body
expelled his cum in long bursts on the sheets. Good thing his demon liked housecleaning.
“I love you back, babe.” Bran hugged Luc. “Let’s go take a shower.”
“Great idea,” Luc said. Who needed knees they could feel anyway?
As if reading his mind, Bran swept Luc off his feet and headed for the bathroom.
Luc laughed. “I guess I finally got a prince to sweep me off my feet.”
“Always,” Bran promised.
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Chapter Three
After changing the sheets, Luc spent the day in bed with Bran rediscovering all his
favourite hotspots. The fun ended when Bran asked about Nikko.
“When’s the last time you spoke to the vampire?” Bran watched the wall as he asked
the question. Luc knew the bare surface didn’t hold the secrets to the universe, but he
couldn’t figure out why Bran felt uncomfortable asking him that question.
“A few weeks ago.”
Bran snapped his head around to face Luc. “You haven’t talked to him for two weeks?”
Luc shrugged. “Why does it matter?” After a lovely day of naked bonding, Luc didn’t
want to discuss his ex.
Bran’s caramel eyes darkened with worry. “I read up on vampire bonds and apparently
some vampires become accustomed to a certain flavour or donor, if you will. If they don’t get
what they want, they often fade just like your relatives do.”
“They get the fade?” Luc frowned. He’d thought only the fae had that kind of
weakness. “Why were you reading up on vampires?”
“I needed to see if Nikko could survive without you. If he dies, it might affect you.”
Bran had turned his head again.
“What happens when they start to fade?” A chill settled across Luc’s chest.
Bran sighed. “Vampires mostly starve to death.”
Luc tossed aside his comforter and jumped out of bed.
“Are you going over there now?” Bran’s voice echoed with surprise.
Luc shrugged. Nikko might not be part of his everyday life, but he didn’t want the
vamp to suffer. “I can’t let him die. I have to at least call and see if he’s all right.”
Bran growled low but didn’t otherwise object. “Call.”
Luc went to his phone and placed the call to Nikko’s private cell.
“Hello, Luc,” Nikko’s voice, smooth and deep, washed through Luc like a heated
dream.
“Hey, Nikko. I was checking to see how you are.”
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“I’m fine. How are you?” Nikko didn’t sound fine. Even though his voice held the same
cool tones, a shaky layer threaded beneath.
“Nikko, don’t lie to me.” As the son of the devil, Luc could worm out any lies. Nikko
couldn’t compete with a born lie detector.
A long sigh came across the phone. “I’m sorry, Luc.”
“Sorry about what?” A tingle of foreboding travelled through Luc’s body.
“I’m addicted to your blood, beautiful,” Nikko confessed.
“What does that mean?” Even as he asked the question, he worried that he already
knew the answer.
A long pause filled the airwaves. Luc almost thought he’d lost the call before Nikko
answered, “I can’t drink from anyone but you.”
“Can I send you blood?” Maybe they could work out a blood transfer programme.
“Sadly, no. When a vampire becomes addicted, we’re not only dependent on the blood
but also the smell and taste of our bonded. I think because we’re soul mates I have an extra
dependency on you.”
Fury had Luc gripping the phone until his knuckles turned white. “And when were you
going to tell me about this?”
Bran prised the phone from Luc’s fingers. “Let me, babe. Nikko, what do you need Luc
to do?”
Luc couldn’t hear what was said, but he could pretty much guess. The only solution
would be to go see Nikko and feed him.
“I’ll send him over.” Bran hung up and turned a despondent gaze towards Luc. “I can’t
watch you feed him. Since we’ve reconnected my wolf has turned even more possessive. I
don’t think I can tolerate watching Nikko touch you.”
“Okay. I’ll go over and take care of Nikko. I’ll take extra clothes and shower while I’m
there.”
Tension eased from Bran’s shoulders. “Sounds good. I’m sorry I can’t…”
Luc didn’t have to ask what Bran couldn’t do. From the tension and concern in Bran’s
eyes, his mate struggled against his animal nature. He grabbed Bran’s hands. “I understand.”
Bran yanked Luc closer, kissing him hard. “I love you. It kills me to make you go alone.
Why don’t you take your brother and Salvador to keep you safe?”
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“You think Nikko will let me get hurt? I’m not exactly harmless.”
“No, I know,” Bran reassured him. “But I also know you have a soft spot for the vamp,
and I don’t want him to take advantage. I’d feel better if you took someone with you.”
“I could take Jerrod and Carn with me.”
Bran shook his head. “No, I want stronger people. Both Sal and Stiln could take down a
vampire if needed, while Jerrod and Carn depend on you for safety.”
“Fine.” Luc thought the precaution entirely unnecessary, but if it helped Bran deal with
him feeding Nikko, he’d agree to almost anything.
“Good.” Bran kissed Luc again.
“I’m going to take a quick shower before I go.” Luc pulled away from Bran. Guilt ate at
him. While he’d spent the day in bed with Bran, Nikko had suffered.
“Hey…” Bran cradled Luc’s face between his large hands. “He could’ve called and
explained the situation to you. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Luc nodded but didn’t speak. The quicker he got this entire thing over with, the faster
he could return and reassure his wolf. If his heart pounded at the thought of seeing his
vampire again, he quickly suppressed his excitement. He didn’t need Bran smelling his
anticipation before he left. Although he yearned to see Nikko, hurting Bran wasn’t on the
agenda.
Showering and dressing quickly, Luc made sure not to touch Bran as he collected a
small bag of clothing. If the scent of Nikko on his skin drove Bran insane, Nikko might also
feel the same about Bran’s scent on Luc.
He blew a kiss to Bran on the way out.
Stiln and Sal stood by the door waiting for him like ill-matched bookends.
“I find it ironic that you’re coming to protect me.” The man had tortured him for years.
Whether at the behest of their father or not, Stiln had still done it.
The demon gave a shrug. “I had hoped we could put that behind us.”
Luc ran his fingers through his hair. “I had hoped so, too.” Seeing Stiln standing by the
door reminded Luc too much of the many times his brother had blocked his escape before.
“Maybe only Sal should go with you.” Stiln’s expression showed his discomfort over
their conversation.
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Sal touched Luc’s shoulder. “I know Stiln has wronged you in the past, but you’ve
always had a compassionate soul. Surely you can spare some for your brother.”
“It’s okay, Sal. Luc has excellent reasons not to trust me. Go—take him to Nikko. We
wouldn’t want Luc to lose part of his soul, not when he’s worked so hard to keep it.”
Luc nodded and left with Sal following on his heels.
* * * *
Not wanting to startle the vamps, Luc had driven over instead of travelling by mirror.
Nikko lay on a couch, his eyes closed. Luc spotted him as soon as he entered the vampire
common area. Even for a vampire, Nikko looked pale. No one moved to bar his way, though
several vampires sent him unkind glances. Apparently none of them approved of him letting
their Master die of blood craving. Of course, if any of them had bothered to call, Nikko might
not be in such a bad situation.
Sal waited inside the door as Luc headed for Nikko.
Reaching the vampire’s side, Luc dropped to his knees and touched Nikko’s arm to
wake him. Slowly, as if it took a great deal of effort, Nikko opened his eyes.
“You should’ve called me. I wouldn’t have let you die,” Luc scolded gently. His
relationship with Nikko balanced precariously between two alphas, neither of whom wished
to give Luc up.
“I told him that,” Gabriel drawled from the doorway. Nikko’s lieutenant sauntered to
Nikko’s side.
Nikko blinked at Luc and cupped his cheek. “I thought for a minute I dreamt you and I
didn’t want to wake up.”
Luc’s heart cracked a bit at the despair in the vampire’s voice.
“Hey, just because I’m not here for you on a daily basis doesn’t mean you can’t call me
when you’re starving to death. Damn it, Nikko! You could’ve died.” Luc’s voice trembled
with fury.
“Would you have cared?” Nikko’s voice didn’t hold anything but curiosity, as if asking
a question from a casual friend.
Luc rubbed his chest. “Of course I would’ve. You’re the one who walked away.”
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“For you.” Nikko trailed a finger down Luc’s cheek, barely brushing Luc’s skin with the
tip. “I’d do anything for you…except, apparently, go to hell.” Nikko gave a bitter laugh. “If I
had known what that trip would cost me, I’d have thrown myself into the pit over and over
again.”
“Nikko,” Luc said in soft protest, “you can’t change the past.”
“But I wish I could.”
Luc could almost taste the vampire’s regret as he shifted uneasily on his knees.
“Nikko, do you want blood or not?” Gabriel snapped. “Luc isn’t going to kneel forever,
no matter how gorgeous he looks doing it.”
Luc shot Gabriel a grateful look. He hadn’t wanted to rush Nikko but he really needed
to get back to Bran sometime before his shifter lover lost his patience and came hunting him.
“Come up here.” Nikko patted his legs.
Luc stood and crawled onto Nikko’s lap, the familiar scent luring Luc closer. Sliding his
nose along Nikko’s neck, he inhaled the smell of heat and need. He nipped at Nikko’s throat,
unable to resist marking the man.
Nikko groaned, tilting back his head in complete submission. “Mark me. Make me
yours,” Nikko said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Unable to resist such an invitation, Luc bit. Thoughts of Bran washed away as he
wallowed in the taste, smell and sounds of his other mate. Until that moment Luc didn’t
realise how much he’d given up by choosing Bran and letting Nikko walk away. Maybe he
didn’t need to choose between them, or maybe he only had to be wiser as to who he was with
and when.
“Fuck, I missed you,” Nikko moaned as Luc proceeded to mark his neck like a
werewolf’s chew toy.
Luc did a final nip before tilting back his head. “Take my blood, Nikko. You need, I
provide,” Luc vowed. He’d let Nikko down before—he wouldn’t let it happen again.
Just when he thought Nikko wouldn’t take him up on his offer, the vampire struck. His
fangs pierced Luc’s neck. The combination of pleasure and pain jolted through Luc as Nikko
wrapped his hands around Luc’s hips. As Nikko sucked blood from Luc’s neck, his grip
became tighter until Luc winced from the hold.
“Easy,” Luc whispered.
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Nikko lifted his mouth and licked his lips, his skin colour back to a healthier glow. “I’d
forgotten how amazing you taste.”
“How often do you need to feed?”
“At least once a week.”
By Luc’s calculations, the vampire had almost starved to death. Luc punched Nikko in
the chest.
“Ouch! What was that for?”
“For not telling me you needed my blood.”
Nikko cupped Luc’s cheeks. “I’d given up my rights to you. Vampires take blood bonds
seriously. I couldn’t claim to give you up and then expect you to give me your life’s essence.”
“You do if you don’t want me to knock some sense into you,” Luc growled. He’d learnt
how to snarl with the best of them. You couldn’t live with a werewolf pack without picking a
few things up.
“Understood. I will let you know when I need to feed again,” Nikko promised.
Luc tilted his head as he examined the vampire. “Is there anything else you need from
me that you’ll die if you don’t get?”
“No.” Nikko rubbed against Luc, his erection hard and not subtle in the least. “There
are many things I want from you, but the only thing I need is your blood.”
Luc couldn’t deny a flash of disappointment. Instead of saying anything, he climbed off
Nikko’s lap. “Rest up—you’ve been sick a while.”
Nikko nodded. “Will do.”
Luc turned to find Sal watching him with a hooded expression.
“What?”
“You look at Nikko the same way you watch Bran.”
“So?” To Luc it made perfect sense. Both men were part of his life and, if Uncle Michael
was to be believed, they completed him even if their lives weren’t in sync. Nikko hadn’t been
supposed to meet Luc until after Bran had died. Luc didn’t know what event had thrown off
their timeline but he’d spent hours struggling to figure out which man he should be with.
“You’re fooling yourself if you think you can only have one at a time. You need to
knock some sense into them and make yourself one big, happy family,” Sal said.
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Before Luc could comment, Stiln ran into the room. “Luc, we have trouble. Galthine
grabbed Bran.”
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Chapter Four
Luc’s heart pounded against his chest as if it were trying to escape from the horrible
news.
“How did he capture Bran?” Nikko stood with Luc and wrapped an arm around Luc’s
shoulders.
Luc could barely hear the answer through the rushing in his ears. One of his biggest
fears had happened—Bran in his brother’s clutches. Throughout their years together, Luc
had always worried that one of his demon brothers would get to Bran. In the past, Luc knew,
his father had kept them from acting on that desire. Now, with his father trapped somewhere
and no longer ruling the throne of hell, there were all kinds of problems. Luc should’ve
listened to Michael or even to the little blue demon.
Runes burned across Luc’s skin until he glowed like a column of fire. Galthine had
crossed the line. Luc had forgiven him for following Lucifer’s orders and torturing him. He’d
also let his complete torture of Carn slide because Galthine had needed a bargaining chip and
using any means was in his nature. However, taking Bran was one step too far.
“I’ll kill him.”
Nikko watched as his sweet-natured half fae turned into a righteous angel before his
eyes. He’d always thought Luc beautiful, but with his skin glowing with runes and his eyes
turning molten gold, he took Nikko’s breath away.
The smell of burning marshmallows filled the air. Everyone in the room tumbled to
their knees as a full-fledged angel dropped into the room.
Nikko knew the angel was Michael. They’d met once before. However, knowing the
angel didn’t make his appearance any less impressive. Nikko lowered his gaze when
Michael’s eyes turned his way. He couldn’t outstare an angel. Luckily, extensive exposure to
Luc prevented him from needing to kneel.
“I warned you, Luc,” Michael said.
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Luc snarled at Michael. Nikko stepped cautiously back out of the line of fire. He would
protect Luc as much as he could but self-preservation demanded he not end up a casualty of
the battle between Luc and his uncle.
“You didn’t say he’d steal my mate.” Luc’s voice vibrated with power. The hairs on
Nikko’s arms stood at attention with the crackle of energy snapping from his lover.
Nikko rubbed his chest as Luc’s words hurt him sharper than any blade. He knew Luc
didn’t consider Nikko anything other than a part-time obligation, but it hurt him to hear Luc
call anyone else mate.
Michael sighed. “I didn’t think he’d come to the surface. He only took Bran to lure you
to his side.”
“I don’t care why he took Bran. He’s going to die,” Luc announced, his voice
deceptively calm, as if commenting on the weather instead of sealing his brother’s fate.
Despite Luc’s mild tone, Nikko could feel the building shake beneath his lover’s fury.
Damn, he’d never seen Luc truly angry before. He’d seen sadness, joy and how he glowed
during sex, but this level of anger? Never. And Nikko would be happy to never see it again.
Terrifying would be an understatement.
“I’m going with you,” Nikko said. He swallowed hard as he realised what he’d said.
Instinct had him jumping to keep Luc safe. The reasons he’d held back before were still
true—his own past behaviour meant he might not be able to make the return trip back to the
surface. However, he’d rather stay there than suffer from Luc’s absence. He bit back a laugh
over the thought of trying to keep a half fae, half angel safe. He would more likely be a
detriment than an asset, but he’d let Luc go to hell by himself once—he wouldn’t do it again.
In life you rarely had the chance for do-overs. This was his.
Luc raised a brow. “Now you want to come with me?”
Nikko nodded. “Last time I trusted Bran to save you. He can’t rescue you this time and
I don’t think your angel buddy is going to go down to hell with you.”
Michael gave a snort of amusement. “No, his ‘angel buddy’ can’t go down to hell. It’s
against the treaty. As much as my brother is a brutal bully who tortures others for play, he is
the only one strong enough to keep hell together. Galthine might think he can run the place,
but he can’t. Hell was designed for Lucifer. He is the only one who can properly keep
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everyone in their place. I shudder to think what will happen if a weaker demon tries to keep
control.”
“Galthine isn’t weak,” Luc protested.
“He’s not your father, either. I have intel that Lucifer is being chained in the lower circle
of hell.”
“The circle of treachery. Rather ironic choice by Galthine,” Luc mused.
“I thought that was where he lived. Isn’t the centre of hell the pit of Satan?” Nikko
asked.
“No,” Luc corrected. “Father escaped that a long time ago and stays in the upper circle.
He built his home right at the entry of hell. He likes to scare the newcomers.”
“So your brother put him back in his rightful place?” Nikko asked. Except for stealing
Bran, Nikko didn’t know why Galthine would be a worse choice.
Luc turned his scary, glowing gaze towards Nikko. “Father belongs wherever he wants
to in hell.”
Nikko held his hands up to show he meant no harm. “Sorry.”
Luc let out a long sigh. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take out my frustration on you. I
have a twisted relationship with my father. We don’t always get along, but I don’t want him
powerless and chained in the pits of hell. Galthine isn’t powerful enough to keep control
despite what he might think. I have to go down there, grab Bran and reinstate Father to be in
charge of hell.”
Nikko kept his gaze to the ground…and off the angel, in case Michael could read
minds. “I’m going with him.”
“Fine. You’ll need a weapon to get you back out,” Michael warned Luc. Unbuckling a
leather strap from around his chest, Michael pulled off a leather axe harness. Nikko couldn’t
see the blade tucked in the leather sheath but the wooden handle had runes covering every
possible surface.
“You’re sending him to hell with an axe?” he asked in surprise. “That’s all he gets?”
He’d hoped for a new ability or magical protection or something…but an axe?
Luc accepted the weapon, quickly strapping it to his own chest and adjusting the fit.
“It is a blessed weapon. I forged it myself,” Michael said. “I call it Angel’s Kiss.”
Nikko rolled his eyes at the lame name but didn’t dare comment.
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“Thank you, Uncle.” Luc gave an elegant bow anyone else would’ve looked stupid
doing. From Luc, the motion conveyed nothing but grace.
Damn, he looked good doing anything.
“Will that be enough to save Bran?” Nikko couldn’t resist asking. Although life would
be easier for him if Bran disappeared forever, Nikko knew Luc would never forgive himself
if he lost his werewolf lover.
The angel shrugged—a surprisingly elegant move with his pair of massive wings. “It is
all I can offer.” He turned to Luc. “Do you remember what I taught you?”
“Yes, Uncle. I remember everything.”
Luc’s confident tone calmed Nikko. If Luc thought it could be done, Nikko believed
him.
“Good.” Michael placed a kiss on Luc’s forehead. “Go with my blessing and know I will
worry until you return.”
“Thanks, Michael,” Luc replied in a small voice.
“Yeah, thanks,” Nikko echoed. He didn’t like or trust the angel, since Michael always
seemed to have a personal agenda that may or may not be in Luc’s best interests. In Nikko’s
experience angels couldn’t be trusted, especially when they were playing games against each
other. He said none of that as Michael smiled down at Luc. The archangel loved Luc—Nikko
had no question in his mind about that. However, angels weren’t above sacrificing those they
loved for a higher cause.
With a flutter of wings the angel vanished. The surrounding vampires stood back up
and dusted off their knees.
“Why doesn’t Michael affect me as much as everyone else?” Nikko asked Luc.
“It’s me.”
“What?” Nikko gave Luc his full attention.
“I’m the reason he doesn’t affect you as much as the others. You drink my blood and
I’m half angel.”
That made an odd kind of sense. To develop immunity, you took in small doses of the
thing you were trying to not catch. To develop a natural defence against an angel, you’d
drink angel blood. Nikko froze as the implication went through him. A lot of vampires
would drain Luc dry if they thought it would help them stand up against an angel.
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Nikko scanned the room but none of the vampires appeared interested in their
conversation—they were too busy buzzing about the angel’s visit. Sal watched them with a
knowing eye but Nikko dismissed him. He knew Sal would protect Luc from anyone who
tried to harm him.
“I’ve got to go and talk to Carn and Jerrod before I go,” Luc told him.
“What about Stiln?” Sal spoke up.
Nikko turned to see the werewolf watching Luc with an avid gaze. Even with a demon
lover of his own, the shifter still watched Luc as if he were his favourite type of snack.
“I’ll talk to Stiln, too,” Luc assured Sal.
Why Sal thought Luc’s brother would care he didn’t know.
“Good, then you can explain how I’m going with you,” Sal said, folding his arms in
front of his chest.
“You aren’t going with me,” Luc argued. “The fewer people Galthine can use against
me, the better.”
Nikko disagreed. “I think the stronger your show of force, the more seriously he’ll take
you.”
Luc’s eyes flared dangerously bright. “Oh, he’ll take me seriously.”
A shiver of fear travelled down Nikko’s spine. For the first time, he was facing Luc’s
power and it shook him to the core.
“I’ll go talk to my people and I’ll come back for you,” Luc said.
“I don’t think so.” Nikko knew he couldn’t let Luc leave on his own. The beautiful man
had more sneaky bones than the devil himself.
Luc tilted his head and examined Nikko as if he couldn’t understand Nikko’s issue.
“I’ll come back,” he promised.
Nikko wrapped a hand around Luc’s wrist. “Let’s just say, this way I know for sure
you’ll come back.”
Luc gave him his sun-bright smile. “I’ll always come back to you, Nikko. Didn’t you
learn that last time?”
“Yeah, keeping you afterwards is the tricky part.” Last time he should’ve risked losing
his soul to save his heart. This time he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. If nothing else,
Nikko learnt from his past.
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* * * *
Luc headed to his car, not surprised that Nikko wouldn’t let him go. The vampire
followed Luc as if they were magnet and metal.
“I’m not going to leave you behind,” Luc promised again. Nikko didn’t get the
message. The vampire truly didn’t trust him.
“I know you’re not because I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
They continued to argue all the way back to Luc’s house.
“I don’t know why you think I’ll sneak off,” Luc snapped as he walked up the steps to
his house.
Nikko grabbed Luc’s arms and spun him around. “Because you are the most important
thing in my life and I’m worried you’ll sneak away for my own good. If you’re with Bran, at
least I know you’re alive and well. I can check on you and I know Jerrod would come to me if
something happened to you. If you go to hell and don’t come back, I would have no idea
what happened to you or if you were all right.”
He saw the love and concern in Nikko’s eyes and melted. “I don’t know how I ever
gave you up before. When we get Bran back I’ll figure out something. We can’t go on like
this.”
Nikko nodded. “We’ll talk to Bran. I need to be part of that conversation, too.”
“Agreed. Now let’s get him back from my brother.”
“Let’s.” Nikko held out his arm. Luc slid his hand into the crook and let his vampire
lead him up the steps. His attraction for Nikko tingled up his spine.
“We will need to have sex before we leave. I need to power up my magic.”
Nikko let out a long sigh. “The things I do for you, my love.”
Luc laughed. “Yes, poor thing.”
“I meant to ask you. Are you part incubus?”
“You mean because of the sex thing?”
“Yeah. Not that I’m objecting. Don’t think I am. I’m just curious. I would’ve asked last
time, but I was focused more on having sex with you.”
“Surprisingly, it’s the fae half that requires sex magic.”
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“Really!”
“Really.” Luc smiled at the surprise in Nikko’s voice. He knew most people thought his
father’s half made him require sex for magic, but the fae were a lusty people, at least from
what he’d heard. “I don’t know much about my mother but I received a lot of my magic from
her.”
“What happened to her?” Nikko asked.
Luc shrugged. “There are differing stories about that. My father says she died. My
nursery demon told me she ran away. A few years ago Galthine told me Father locked her
away because she’d gone mad.” Luc gave a humourless smile. “It could be any of those
things.”
“You don’t think Galthine told the truth?”
“That’s the problem with Galthine. He doesn’t lie but he doesn’t tell the complete truth,
either. It could be she was locked away and then escaped, or that she died, or any number of
things. I’ve searched for years but I’ve never been able to find her. I’d like to think she’s off in
some mound living a happy and healthy life.”
Nikko rubbed Luc’s back in a soothing gesture. “I hope so too, beautiful.”
Luc knew neither of them really believed his mother still lived, but he enjoyed the
fantasy.
The front door opened as they reached the top step.
Jerrod hovered by the entrance. “I-I’m sorry, Master. I couldn’t stop him.” The vampire
had a long gash across his cheek and his hands shook.
Without hesitation Luc wrapped Jerrod in a hug. “I know. You wouldn’t have let him
go without a fight.” He firmly believed Jerrod would do whatever necessary to protect Bran.
“How did he get here?”
“Galthine opened an inter-dimensional portal and walked through. I tried to stop him
but he hit me, threw Carn and did something to Bran and Stiln so they couldn’t fight back.”
Galthine knew several spells to keep someone frozen. Personal experience had taught
him that. “There’s nothing you could have done,” Luc reassured his vampire. “He’s a
powerful demon and he’s only getting stronger. He grabbed Bran to lure me as bait. I’d hate
to disappoint him.”
“I’m going with you.” Jerrod tightened his lips stubbornly.
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“No,” Luc tried to turn Jerrod down as firmly as possible. In no scenario would he take
his delicate vamp to hell.
“Yes!” Carn shouted from the doorway. “We’re going with you.”
“Carn, do you remember what Galthine did to you before?” He didn’t want to hurt
Carn’s feelings but the man’s fighting skills weren’t any better than a kitten’s.
“The two of you are going to stay here and protect the home base,” Luc insisted.
“We’re going,” Sal said, walking into the room.
Luc rubbed his forehead. “You are not going. You two barely made it out the last time.”
How many times did he have to have the same argument?
“We’re going. I might not agree with Father, but I’m not going to let Galthine be in
charge of hell. That bastard will be ten times worse than Lucifer ever was.” Stiln’s one eye
blazed with fury.
“I’m not going to let the pair of you go anywhere without me,” Sal protested.
“Fine, you two come,” Nikko growled. “But if you don’t listen to everything Luc says
I’ll leave you in hell myself.”
“It’s nice to see love hasn’t mellowed you,” Sal said, raising a brow at Nikko’s ferocity.
Nikko flashed his fangs. “Don’t fuck with me, wolfie, or I’ll make myself a new fur
rug.”
“Enough!” Luc ordered. “You two get ready. Don’t bring more than the weapons you
can strap to your body. Nikko, come with me.”
“Yes, sir.” Nikko’s voice, rough with passion, rolled through Luc’s body like an
aphrodisiac.
The vampire’s breath brushed the back of his neck as they went to Luc’s bedroom. A
low growl sounded behind him. “Oh, I missed you,” Nikko whispered.
Luc carefully unbuckled the axe, removed his clothes and slid across his bed. A pang of
sorrow hit him as he remembered wallowing on the same covers hours before with Bran.
“Wait. Let’s go to the guest room. I don’t want Bran to smell you on my bed.”
Nikko opened his mouth and Luc waited for the objection. “You’re right. If we are
going to make a go of this, starting out with enraging Bran wouldn’t be a good idea.”
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Luc’s jaw dropped open at Nikko’s reasonable tone. “Thanks.” He quickly led Nikko to
the guest room next door and jumped on the bed. He spun around so he wouldn’t miss any
of Nikko’s disrobing.
Nikko stripped with quick, efficient motions, scrambling Luc’s ability to think of
anything except how amazing Nikko would feel inside him.
Climbing onto the bed, Nikko licked Luc’s neck. “You always taste amazing,” Nikko
purred, sliding his cheek against Luc’s skin. Wrapping his long fingers around Luc’s shaft, he
began to drive Luc out of his mind.
“Harder. More.” As his need rose, so did Luc’s energy. He could almost feel the
sparkles of power dancing in the air.
“You want me to ream your pretty ass, my love?”
Luc nodded.
“I want the words.”
“Please, please, Nikko, it’s been so long since I felt you.” Luc needed Nikko inside him.
So close to having everything he needed, Luc was willing to plead. Whatever it took to get
Nikko where Luc wanted him.
“Oh, I love it when you beg,” Nikko growled. “No one sounds better than you. No one
tastes better. Do you know how much it killed me to let Bran keep you to himself? If I didn’t
love you so much, I’d leave your wolf in hell.”
A gasp caught in Luc’s chest. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“No. Because I want you to be happy and if you need your asshole of a wolf for that to
happen then he’s yours.”
Nikko pinched Luc’s right nipple, sending his back bowing from the sensation. His
erection, flagging from their discussion, jolted back to full mast. “Oh.”
Smiling, Nikko exposed his fangs. “Haven’t you learned yet, baby? I’d do anything for
you.”
“I know.”
Nikko wouldn’t be going to hell with him if he didn’t care.
“Good. Remember that when you’re snuggling in bed with your wolf. You also belong
to me.”
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Before Luc could agree or disagree, Nikko struck, impaling Luc with his long fangs. Luc
gasped. Lust and pain swirled through him in a mess of sensation until he couldn’t separate
one from the other.
“Claim me,” he whispered. He needed Nikko’s cock and fangs, both to build power and
to satisfy the craving building inside him.
Struggling to gather his thoughts, Luc did a quick spell for lubrication.
“I’m ready,” Luc said with a sigh.
Nikko slid a finger into Luc’s hole. He raised a brow. “That’s new.”
“A little spell I learned from an incubus.”
Nikko growled. “He damn well better not have taught you anything else.”
Luc gave a broken laugh as he whimpered at the yawning emptiness inside. “Now you
sound like Bran.”
“We do have a few things in common.” Nikko entered Luc moaning from the sensation.
“You feel amazing.”
Luc tilted his chin for a kiss, which Nikko granted.
Heat poured through Luc. He gasped as the first bite of pain at Nikko’s invasion
morphed into pleasure.
“I love you,” Luc whispered as he stroked Nikko’s cheek. Words of devotion tumbled
from his lips in a mesh of sound, one word barely discernible from the other.
Nikko kissed him again as he moved inside Luc. Luc lifted his hips and wrapped his
legs around Nikko’s hips. In a surprising flip, Luc rolled Nikko over and moved up and
down, desperate to take as much of Nikko as possible.
Clenching his ass, he tightened around the vampire’s shaft, pleased at the garbled
sound coming from Nikko’s lips. “I missed you, Nikko,” Luc confessed. Leaning down he
kissed the vampire, letting Nikko’s fangs slice across his lips.
A low groan poured from Nikko as the vampire lapped at the blood on Luc’s lips.
Nikko wrapped his hand around Luc’s erection, mimicking Luc’s up and down motion.
“Tighter,” Luc moaned.
“I don’t want to hurt you love,” Nikko objected.
“Won’t hurt. I have a high pain threshold.” His tolerance to pain had been one more
thing for his brothers to hate about him.
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Nikko obeyed Luc’s request and soon they both tipped over into orgasm. Luc collapsed
onto Nikko’s chest, power humming through him. Lying on his lover, Luc hoped Bran
wasn’t suffering too much.
* * * *
After separating his body from Nikko’s Luc slid out of bed and headed for the shower.
He looked back over his shoulder at the vampire still in his bed. “Come shower with me. We
need to go get Bran.”
“You better shower alone if you plan on getting out of here,” Nikko warned.
The heat in the vampire’s eyes told Luc Nikko wasn’t teasing. “Got it.”
Luc took a quick shower and passed Nikko on the way to take his. He gave Luc a quick
kiss that led to another spike of energy going through Luc.
“Yum.” Luc rolled his head on his shoulders as magic shuddered through him.
While Nikko showered, Luc dressed. Since his last foray into hell he’d stocked up. Deep
down he’d known he’d have to return there some day and had secretly acquired a proper
outfit without Bran knowing. He hadn’t wanted to disturb his werewolf lover. Now he didn’t
need subterfuge as he put on a pair of leather pants spelled to protect against hellfire and a
mesh shirt woven by a family of trolls to stop any weapon. Last but not least, he stomped
into a pair of boots sewn with thread woven with counter spells. To the casual observer, Luc
would look like a beautiful young man ready for clubbing…until he strapped the axe to his
back and slid a silver bracelet onto each wrist. The bracelets had been a gift from his uncle,
the angel Raphael. They would assist in healing any wound.
As prepared as he could get, Luc went to make sure the others were ready. He found
Sal and Stiln sitting side by side on the couch, not talking.
“All ready?”
“I have three knives and a sword,” Stiln said.
“I don’t carry weapons. I’m a weapon myself,” Sal sneered.
Luc dipped his head. “Fair enough.”
“An axe?” Stiln mocked, upon seeing Luc’s weapon choice.
“A gift from Uncle Michael.”
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Stiln paled and said nothing more.
“Do you think it’ll be hard to find Bran or do you think they’ll keep him in the same
place they put me last time?” Sal asked.
Luc shrugged. “There are only a few places to keep prisoners in hell. Most people are
merely confined to their portion of hell. Rarely do they actually have to keep someone
contained. We’ll start at the prison cells and move on from there.”
“I might be able to sniff him out,” Sal suggested. “But it is harder with all the sulphur
down below.”
“Do your best. Maybe we’ll get lucky and hell will reform as usual and we’ll be able to
find him and get out of there.” Luc gave the pair a weak smile. He knew they didn’t believe
him that was proven by Stiln’s next statement.
“But you’re not just going to get Bran. You need to dethrone Galthine. How are you
going to do that?”
Luc shrugged. “I can only worry about so much at one time. I’m not going to make any
plans until I see the situation.”
Stiln nodded his agreement.
“I’m ready when you are.”
Luc turned to find Nikko standing in the doorway in a pair of well-fitting jeans and a
tight T-shirt. Luc wanted to take him back to bed and call the whole thing off.
Bran.
His conscience prodded at Luc, reminding him why that was such a bad idea. Luc had
hoped to never return home but Galthine had raised the stakes. No way would he let his
brother get away with taking Bran. If Luc didn’t go after his werewolf lover, Galthine would
target Nikko next. Luc’s brother had no morals to hold him back from his heinous acts.
“Everybody ready?”
Three nods had Luc straightening his shoulders. After taking a slow, calming breath,
Luc whispered the words to open the portal. Because of his bloodlines it took little effort to
create a hole between two worlds. Hell welcomed Luc. It considered him a lost son it wished
to gather back into its fold.
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Heat poured into Luc’s living room. Without hesitation Luc walked through the portal.
As he entered the hell mouth, flames scattered up Luc’s arms. He heard Nikko cursing at the
sight. Luc laughed. “I’m fine, Nikko. It’s not hell that’ll hurt me, but the creatures inside.”
Luc kept the portal open until everyone had walked through then released his hold.
The opening vanished, leaving nothing behind and no signs of their passing.
Glancing around his old room, Luc saw nothing out of place.
“Huh, I thought Galthine would have destroyed this,” Stiln remarked.
“He’s been busy,” Luc muttered. He glanced around and tried not to remember any of
the good times he’d had growing up. Being strong against his father was the only way to get
Bran back.
“Can you feel where Father is?” Stiln broke into Luc’s musings.
Luc shook his head. “Not from here. Father blocked all psychic emanations to or from
this room.”
Stiln snorted. “Just like him—protecting his namesake.”
“You got a problem with Luc?” Nikko snarled.
“No.” Stiln raised his hands in defence. “I’m just saying the truth.”
Luc nodded. “He’s right. Father has always favoured me.”
“It doesn’t matter. We need to stay focused,” Sal interceded before an argument could
erupt.
Nikko appeared more than willing to protect Luc from everything, even imaginary
slights.
Luc slid the axe out of its sheath to hold it at the ready in one smooth, practised motion.
“I see you’ve used that before,” Nikko said with admiration.
“Michael has never given me a weapon without making sure I can use it first.” Luc
glossed over the months of weapons practice, the bruises and wounds. If he scarred, his body
would be a network of marks from hundreds of slices. Luckily, his father had made him all
but invincible. Unfortunately, not all wounds were physical or easily healed.
“Let’s go.” Done talking, Luc marched out of the room.
The hall didn’t look the same. Walls that had been glowing red since Luc’s birth now
shone a glossy black. Luc slid a finger down the wall, and red trailed after his finger before
turning back to its darker colour.
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“Galthine is taking control. Hell is changing to match his tastes.” Change was bad on so
many levels. It meant hell was beginning to accommodate Galthine. “We have to find
Lucifer. Now.”
“Luc! My brother!” Galthine’s voice rang through the hall. “I was hoping you’d come.”
Luc froze as his demon half-brother walked towards him. Galthine’s large red wings
brushed the walls and his horns had been sharpened to a fine point. Luc tightened his fingers
on the axe handle, kept his breathing slow and easy, and didn’t make any sudden
movements. If he showed fear, Galthine would pounce.
“I heard you’re the big man now. I thought I’d come see how that was working out.”
Galthine smiled, exposing a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. “If only that were true. If I
thought you were dedicated to staying in hell I would take you as my right-hand man. The
other demons have always worshipped you. But I know you only came to take back your
wolf. For the first time, I have all the power and now you must bend to my will.”
Luc shook his head pityingly as he stepped carefully out of Galthine’s immediate reach.
“I will never dance to your tune no matter who you kidnap.” He kept his tone light and
mocking even as his stomach churned uneasily.
A weird clicking sound distracted Luc.
“Oh, crap!” Sal’s soft voice jerked Luc from locking eyes with his brother to look over
his shoulder. The six angels Luc had freed from Lucifer’s chair walked towards them. Luc
didn’t know their names or how they were related to him, but a chill went through him as all
six angels knelt before him with the same odd bone against bone sound. Luc tried to contain
his shivers. They’d regrown their flesh, but they still had a sort of odd transparency to their
skin and their feathers hadn’t completely filled their bony structure.
Galthine laughed. Luc’s ears ached at the harsh noise. “They think you’re their master
since you freed them. Luckily you’re too much of a weak bastard to take advantage of their
sense of loyalty.”
“I didn’t so much free them as unbind the chair,” Luc protested. He didn’t need angels
adding to his entourage. Not only did they deserve to be in hell, but they truly didn’t live
anymore. Their souls had been sucked away by the devil for their sins. Even though, now
that they had a sort of flesh, blood and feathers, they couldn’t truly feel.
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“They view things differently. You know, out of all of my brothers you’re the only one
who stands in my way. Despite what you say, I knew you’d come for him. You’ve always
been weak that way,” Galthine sneered.
Anger surged through Luc. Galthine had always been the worst of his brothers. Freen
might see torture as an art form, but Galthine wallowed in causing pain.
Galthine’s eyes telegraphed his movement. As Galthine raised his hand to strike, Luc
lifted his axe, only to have the world shift. The hall vanished and reshaped around
him…only him. Luc stood in the black-walled hall completely alone.
“No! Nikko! Sal!” Panic struck Luc. He slammed a fist into the wall, furious at how
easily he’d been duped. He’d thought he could protect the ones he loved. Now he realised
he’d been a fool. Despair washed over him. First he’d lost Bran, now Nikko had vanished,
too. An ache gripped his chest as if an unseen hand crushed his heart. Luc gasped for breath
as loss hit him with a brutal fist. They were gone.
Luc hoped his brother remained predictable. If nothing else, Galthine might keep them
imprisoned in the same place as before to trap Luc. Why he hadn’t taken Luc when he’d had
the chance Luc didn’t know.
“Your highness,” a squeaky voice peeped.
Luc spun around. A blue messenger demon blinked up at him. “Yes?” He didn’t know
all the names of the lesser demons because they bred like rabbits, but this one looked
familiar. “You’re Natti, aren’t you?”
The little creature’s ears perked up. “You remember me!”
“Yes, you used to bring me caramels.” Luc smiled at the memory.
“Your mother sent them,” he squeaked.
“You never told me that.” All his childhood Luc had thought his mother was missing
but the demons apparently had known all along. A spike of resentment shafted through him.
“Forbidden.” The demon nodded its triangular head while its glowing yellow eyes
dripped with remorse. “She wants to see you.”
“She’s alive?” Luc trembled with excitement. The caramels he’d mentioned had been
given long ago.
“Yes, follow me.”
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Good thing Luc had supernatural speed because the demon travelled faster than the
naked eye. Anxious to meet his mother, Luc didn’t object to the creature’s swiftness.
When they finally came to a halt, Luc scanned the hallway, hungrily trying to
differentiate it from the others.
The demon placed his hand over one section of wall that looked identical to all the rest
they’d already passed. With a few muttered words, which Luc couldn’t make out, a door
appeared. The wooden surface had a tree carved on the surface, a sign of the fae. If Luc saw it
again he’d recognise the entrance—however, he doubted he’d be able to find the door. An
entrance spelled this heavily wouldn’t appear without knowing several magical keys.
“Don’t try to find her on your own,” the demon warned, as if Luc had voiced his
thoughts out loud.
Luc bowed his head but made no such promises. He couldn’t lie but he didn’t have to
confess his every idea either.
Mistaking Luc’s silence as assent, the demon swung open the door and motioned Luc
inside.
Stepping through the doorway, Luc’s jaw dropped. An enormous gold cage filled the
room from floor to ceiling. In the middle stood a woman with glowing gold hair and smooth,
flawless skin.
“Hello, Luc, nice to finally meet you.” Her voice, soft like a summer breeze, swept over
Luc and had him blinking back an unexpected rush of tears. His throat made a clicking
sound as he tried to swallow the lump forming in its base. He’d dreamt of this moment since
he’d been a child and had realised that even Lucifer’s child had to have two parents.
Unable to resist, Luc walked closer to the cage. It was formed as if to keep in a bird or
another creature with wings. There were platforms at all levels where she could rest. Some
even had furniture on them. One held a kitchenette. Luc wondered if the little demon
brought her food to cook.
No signs of any other occupants marked the interior—a lonely existence for a beautiful
woman.
“I used to have dreams of meeting you.” Words spilled out of his mouth without
thought or reason. He wanted her to know he had tried to locate her, had tried to save her
from his father’s clutches.
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“I’m glad we finally have the chance.” She said all the right things but her eyes
reflected nothing but cold amusement. If the eyes were truly the windows of the soul, she’d
lost hers a while ago. Her gaze didn’t hold any sign of excitement at meeting Luc, or love,
only a chilly emptiness. Next to her, Lucifer would appear to be the caring half of Luc’s
parental set.
“I looked for you but I couldn’t find you.”
The nod she gave him, regal and uncaring, easily dismissed his frantic search. “I’ve
been well hidden. However, your father’s spells are weakening and another is taking over
hell.” Oddly enough, her voice held more sadness than satisfaction. If Luc had been captured
and held in a cage for years, jumping up and down would’ve been his mildest reaction to
learning of his captor’s downfall.
“Why did you have me fetched?”
She gave him another of her empty smiles. Her face made the proper gesture but none
of the emotions came through. It was like watching a pretty doll of plastic perfection. “The
little demons like me and often stop by to bring me news. I heard of Galthine stealing your
lover and I thought maybe we could help each other.”
Luc listened with one ear as he examined the lock on her shiny cage. No matter the size
or beauty, a cage was still a cage. “I think I can break this.”
“No!” she shouted. Her voice echoed in the chamber.
“Why not?” Luc frowned at the woman claiming to be his mother. “Don’t you want to
be rescued?”
Who would prefer to stay in a cage? For a moment he wondered how horrible her home
must be to prefer confinement in hell to freedom in a faery mound.
She laughed, a tinkling, musical sound lacking soul. “This cage isn’t to keep me in. It’s
to keep everyone else out. I love your father. I stay here because I don’t want to leave him. If I
were set free, my people would immediately whisk me back to the fae realm. My parents
would see to that. As long as I’m here they can’t find me.”
“And you don’t mind staying here?” It might be larger than most apartments but it was
still a cage. He wondered if she had that symptom—the one that made prisoners fond of their
captors. The name of it escaped Luc for the moment.
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She shook her head. “I don’t want to leave. This is my home. I would’ve loved to see
you while you were growing up but in return for protection I agreed to let Lucifer raise you
without interference. I can see he did a wonderful job.”
Luc didn’t know what to say to this lovely woman who’d bluntly told him she loved
herself more than her child. While she’d lived contentedly trapped, he’d barely survived his
siblings’ ‘brotherly love’.
“He had his moments,” Luc finally said.
Nothing good would come of airing any complaints. She didn’t look like the type who
would suffer whiners gladly. After all, she had given Luc away like an inconvenience before
he could even utter his own name. Luc doubted she had a single twinge of remorse. For a
woman who hadn’t seen her son since birth she showed only polite interest in finally
meeting him. He wondered what had happened to the woman who’d smuggled her son
caramels. Taking a deep breath, he found he had nothing else to say to her.
“Here—take this. It’ll help you with your problem.” She held out a ball of yarn through
the bars, apparently ready to get rid of Luc.
Curious, Luc accepted the offering. It took him a moment to realise it wasn’t yarn.
“When I was younger, I dreamed of escaping. During my first fifty years I made this
out of strands of my hair. With each strand I made a wish for escape. If you drop the ball, it
will show you wherever you need to go.” She gave Luc a shy smile unlike the cool looks of
before. “It will also bring you back to me.”
“Thank you.” Luc nodded to the woman, even as he wondered if he would ever want to
return. “I have so many questions, but my friends…”
“Are in danger,” she finished for him. “I completely understand. Sometimes you have
to do the hard things for love. Some of us even try to save the devil.”
“Some of us do,” Luc agreed. He’d concentrate on saving his father after rescuing his
people. Each of the missing men belonged to Luc in some way. They were his and he
planned to get them back.
“Free your father and set the world to rights. The balance must be maintained. Your
brother will only cause chaos and upset the order of the universe.”
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That sounded exactly like something Galthine would do. Luc had a million questions to
ask the caged woman but his questions could wait. She didn’t have anyone trying to kill her
in her cosy cage. Luc couldn’t make the same assumptions about his friends and lovers.
“What’s your name?” It felt weird that he didn’t even know basic information about his
mother except that she had fae blood. Father hadn’t encouraged questions.
“Maribelle. You can call me Mother.”
Luc bowed. “I’d be pleased to see you again, Mother, but I’ve got to go and save my
friends.”
Maribelle nodded. “Good luck and I’m happy to see that, as much as everyone claims
you look like Lucifer, you have my smile.”
Luc hoped his smile didn’t turn as icy as hers but said nothing of his thoughts. Instead
he bowed again and turned towards the door. His conscience twanged at leaving his mother
behind but he couldn’t save her if she didn’t want to be saved. If she wished to be free, Luc
had a feeling she would be.
With a final glance at Maribelle, Luc left the room, softly closing the door behind him.
Taking a deep breath he set the ball of hair on the floor. It struck him as creepy to take a piece
of his mother with him, but he had to take any advantage he could get. “Take me to Bran.”
The sound of music filled the air like wind chimes on a stormy day. The ball unwound,
rolling away and unravelling as it went. It turned the corner and bounded out of sight.
“Weird,” Luc whispered. Considering everything Luc had seen in his life—that was
saying something. Luc hoped that when he found Bran he’d find the others. Galthine
generally worked on the principle, the more people, the better bait, and Luc was hoping his
brother had stuck to his usual habits.
As the hair rolled along, it led him down corridor after corridor. Surprisingly, it didn’t
run out. More than one spell must’ve been placed on the skein. The magical guide sped up,
forcing Luc to run. After what felt like the seven-hundredth turn, Luc slid to a stop. A pile of
looped hair had landed in front of another wooden door as if the ball had suddenly run out.
Looking up and down the hall, Luc noticed that this door had reinforced metal bracings
whereas the others did not. Obviously someone didn’t want the occupants to get out.
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“Is this where Bran is?” Luc waited for a moment before deciding the collection of
golden strands wasn’t going to speak to him. Probably for the best… That would’ve been
creepy.
Reaching behind his shoulder, Luc grabbed the axe handle and quickly yanked it from
its holster. Heart beating triple speed, he propped the axe against his right shoulder. Luc
turned the handle with his left hand then slowly pushed the door open. Keeping to the side
and protected by the wall, he peeked through the small opening.
“Hello, Luc, nice to see you again.”
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Chapter Five
Lucifer sat semi-reclined on a lounge chair. If Luc ignored the shackles clamped around
the devil’s ankles, his father looked as if he were taking a leisurely Sunday and had yet to get
dressed. Lucifer wore a pair of paisley silk pyjamas and a heavy black silk smoking jacket. In
his right hand, between two fingers, he held a lit cigarette.
Luc strolled into the room and tilted his head at his father. “You should cut back on
those things—they’ll kill you.”
A bark of laughter filled the room. “The others always thought I favoured you because
of your looks, my dear son. They didn’t know I cherish you more for your sense of humour.”
Glancing around the chamber, Luc saw that the rest of the space resembled a hunting
lodge, including a dozen demon heads mounted on the wall. “You’d think he’d at least bring
you some hellhounds to sit at your feet.”
“They would polish the picture up nicely,” Lucifer agreed. Luc’s father examined him
until Luc started to shift uneasily on his feet. “Why are you here? I thought you’d left me to
my fate, as it were.” Lucifer waved a hand to indicate his surroundings.
“Galthine stole Bran to bring me down here. Since he can’t kill me, he wants to
blackmail me so I’ll be under his thumb forever.”
“So why are you here instead of chasing down Bran?”
“Because I ran into Mother. She apparently thought saving you was more important
than getting to Bran.” The more he thought about it, the angrier Luc became. Even after
having only met Luc for the first time in years, her first instinct had been to take advantage of
him. “I hate it when people deceive me.” It happened all too often in his life.
With a swing of the axe, Luc severed his father’s chains.
“Michael always did do nice work,” Lucifer said in an admiring tone as he examined
the axe from a careful distance.
Even with iron cuffs still around his ankles Lucifer appeared completely relaxed. “Let’s
go kill your brother.” His voice had the same tone someone else would use when talking
about joining a party.
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“Can we kill him?” Luc asked. He’d never discovered whether his brothers were
immortal or not. He’d been too busy avoiding them whenever possible.
“Of course. You’re the only one I made invincible. I might have let them torture you but
you can’t actually die. I make no promises about your brothers.”
Somehow that didn’t make Luc feel any better. His father’s cavalier manner towards
Luc’s torture twisted Luc’s stomach in knots, but he knew better than to say anything.
Instead he focused on the matter at hand.
“Do you know where to find Galthine?” If he killed Galthine, the threat to his loved
ones vanished. He only hoped Bran hadn’t infuriated Luc’s brother into killing him before
Luc arrived. Luc adored his shifter, but Bran could drive a saint to drink…and there weren’t
any saints in hell.
Lucifer gave Luc a condescending smile. “I know where to find everyone. By the way,
nice trick bringing back the angels.”
Luc didn’t want to discuss the soulless angels. If given the chance again he might have
left them in the throne. He tilted his head and examined his father’s outfit. “Out of curiosity,
why are you dressed like Hugh Hefner?”
“Who do you think gave him this look?” Lucifer grinned before turning and walking
out of the door.
Rushing to follow his father, Luc stayed close on Lucifer’s heels. He didn’t want hell to
seal around him again and he doubted it would do that to his father. Fortunately, Lucifer
didn’t appear to hold any grudges against Luc for his part in Lucifer’s dethroning.
When Lucifer turned left down a corridor, Luc froze.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to go that way.” He pointed to the right.
“Why?”
Luc shook his head. “I don’t know. I think that’s where my men are.”
Lucifer looked back and forth, trying to make his decision. “I think you’re right. I’ll go
after Galthine. You get your men and leave. I can take it from here.”
“How did he trap you before?”
“I was injured during the attack by the angels and he took advantage of my weakness
to bind me to that room.”
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Luc frowned. “I don’t remember a spell. I walked right into the room.”
Lucifer smiled. “It doesn’t affect angels. When you entered, it broke the enchantment.”
“I’m not an angel.” He might not be a soulless demon but he didn’t qualify for angel
status either.
“You’re as close to a real angel as we’ll ever get here—the reason I’ve decided you
won’t do as my second after all. You have an unfortunately high moral threshold, my dear
son. Completely unsuited to being a hell lord.” Lucifer shook his head in disappointment. “I
don’t suppose you’d consider going back to earth and committing wholesale slaughter or at
least conduct a little insider trading?” Lucifer snapped his fingers. “You could join
Congress!”
Luc forced a laugh even as worry burrowed into him like a fire worm. Lucifer had
always proclaimed Luc the perfect replacement before. Losing that status could mean terrible
things for his future.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to harm you. I am going to banish you, though. Others
might get the idea you’d make a better ruler than I do, and we can’t have that.” Lucifer’s
smile told Luc more than words the frightening fate of those unknown others.
“Fair enough.” Although Luc would miss dropping into his childhood home, maybe it
was time to make a clean break from his father.
Lucifer pulled Luc into a tight hug. “I might be banishing you, boy, but if you ever need
anything contact me.” He pulled away to give Luc a warning. “Stay far away from your
mother. She makes me look like a choir boy.”
Luc nodded. “Will do.” He found that an easy enough promise to make. The fae
woman had unsettled him. He’d lived fine before without knowing his mother—he’d live
better without her.
“Bye, Father.”
“Goodbye, son. A word of advice—don’t listen to your lovers’ arguments. Keep them
both.”
“I’ll try.” Luc wished he could keep both, but having two alphas fighting over him
would challenge even a half angel.
Walking away from his father down the corridor, Luc could feel his lovers getting
closer. Bran’s mind, warm and fuzzy like a wolf, brushed against his like a soft hug, while
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Nikko’s cool, crisp emanations soothed him. Damn, he needed them back now. As he
continued walking towards his lovers, he kept an eye out for any of his brothers.
Galthine would have guards posted.
Out of nowhere, Freen appeared before him.
Luc readied his axe. “Step aside, Freen. I’ve come for my people.”
Freen’s brown eyes held no emotion. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to
taste your flesh. Lucifer always told me to be so careful with you but Galthine said you were
all mine. I’m thinking even you can’t survive being consumed.”
Luc didn’t hesitate. He swung his axe. Freen stepped nimbly to the side and pulled out
a pair of knives—ones that he knew Freen regularly dipped in poison. Luc dodged the first
one thrown, but the second sliced a line on his shoulder.
Hissing, Luc swing his axe. Freen didn’t move fast enough, and, with little resistance,
the blade sent Freen’s head tumbling off his shoulders. The wet thump of his headless body
tumbled to the ground. Luc knew he’d have nightmares over that for years to come.
A sheen of sweat beaded across Luc’s forehead as the poison clawed through his
system. Freen’s headless body poured blood out on the floor like sticky red ink. The smell
overwhelmed Luc. He took a moment to swallow back the bile rising in his throat.
Stepping over his brother’s body Luc only felt relief mixed with nausea. He had half
expected to experience a shadow of sorrow but none appeared. He’d always resisted killing
his brothers before because they were blood of his blood and his father would have been
furious. Most of his life had gone towards avoiding Lucifer’s wrath. Now the rules had
changed. He wasn’t ever going to return and this time he meant it, especially since Lucifer
had given him free rein to do as he wished.
Turning the corner, Luc came to a stop. His twin brothers Tavo and Laine blocked the
hall. A double door of carved wood loomed behind them. Luc had no doubt in his mind that
his men were behind that door.
“Aww, look Laine, it’s baby Lucifer,” Tavo said, his yellow eyes glowing with malice.
“Galthine said I could rip off his arms and play with them.”
“Really? He said I could cut off his pretty head and keep it on a pedestal in my room,”
Laine replied.
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Tavo turned an angry look on his twin. “I want his head, too. Why would Galthine
promise it to you?”
Luc took advantage of their distraction to slam the handle of his axe into the base of
Laine’s head. His brother went down hard.
“You killed him!” Tavo’s face glowed with rage. “He was my twin!”
Killing him was probably kinder than whatever Lucifer had planned for the brothers.
None of them had come to his rescue except Luc. He wouldn’t be surprised to hear of Lucifer
bringing them all back to life only to kill them again.
Luc’s arm pulsed as the poison worked its way through his body. Fixated on his
wound, he almost didn’t hear Tavo’s attack until too late. His brother’s sword scraped across
the same arm Freen had injured. With a shout Luc brought the axe back around and sliced
open Tavo’s stomach. Tavo fell to the floor screaming.
Shaking off his misgivings over wholesale fratricide, Luc walked around his brothers
and headed for the double doors.
Right before he touched the door handle he jerked back. What kind of idiot would fight
to reach the doorway and not expect another trap? Standing as far as he could from the door
handle, Luc tapped it with his axe. Sparks sprayed through the air like dragon spit. If Luc
had been a little bit closer, he would’ve been burnt.
“Sneaky,” Luc said with satisfaction. At least now he felt confident his brother hadn’t
hidden anything further. Galthine didn’t plan that much in advance.
With a swing of his arms, Luc slammed the axe into the middle of the wooden door. A
loud bang filled the air. Luc’s arm hairs stood on end from the electricity crackling through
the air. Whatever spell Galthine had placed on the door shattered beneath Luc’s onslaught.
Luc yanked the axe out of the wood and kicked the door open.
Bran, Nikko, Stiln and Sal all watched him with various levels of interest. Stiln and Sal
were huddled together on a metal bench, while Bran and Nikko sat on opposite ends of their
cell. The bars were made out of a black material Luc knew was infused with the souls of the
dead. Last time he’d been here, he’d worried about being sucked into those same bars. After
telling his Uncle Michael about his experience, the angel had explained to Luc the error of his
ways and what to do if it happened again. He’d listened to the lecture and ducked his head
in shame after he’d learnt the secret of the soul bars.
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Shoving his axe back in its holster, Luc wrapped his hands around the bars. “I forgive
you your trespasses and send you to where you deserve to go.” A vague but effective
blessing. With sounds of joy, wispy ghosts poured out of the bars. Without anything to
support them, the remaining brittle shell shattered, leaving no barrier around the men.
“Nice job, babe,” Bran said. The shifter marched over to Luc and grabbed him by the
upper arms. Yanking Luc tight against his body, Bran plastered a hard kiss on his lips. “I
knew you’d come for me.”
Luc shrugged. “Of course.” It had never occurred to him not to. How could he leave
anyone he cared about in his family’s less than kind clutches? However, he had to admit
none of them looked worse for wear.
Nikko shoved Bran aside, ignoring the shifter’s growl. “Are you okay? Did you find
Lucifer?”
Luc nodded. “He’s on his way to get Galthine. I came to get you guys.”
“Good.” Nikko’s mouth brushed against Luc’s, a soft contrast to Bran’s harder kiss. Luc
loved the differences between his lovers. He’d enjoy it even more if he had both of them
cuddled together in bed where he could do a slow one-on-one comparison.
A low growl had him pulling away from Nikko. “Bran, Nikko almost starved to death.
When we get back home we need to discuss sharing me.”
“He can have your blood but your body is mine,” Bran growled.
“His body is his!” Nikko snapped. “You are such an overbearing asshole.”
“I had him first!”
Nikko scowled at the shifter. “You can’t claim firsties with a human being. I need him
just as much as you.”
Bran’s teeth elongated, exposing fangs.
“You think those are fangs?” Nikko snarled. Opening his mouth, long incisors slid
down.
“Are we done trying to see whose are bigger?” Luc asked in a bored voice. “We need to
get the hell out of hell before big brother finds us.”
“Ahh, but I don’t want to miss the happy reunion.” Galthine’s voice, colder than ice and
frosted with evil, sent shivers up and down Luc’s spine.
Luc spun around, clutching his axe.
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Galthine eyed the weapon. “How did you get that through the portal?”
Luc frowned. “What do you mean?”
“A blessed weapon shouldn’t have made it to hell.”
He didn’t think Galthine needed to know Michael had coated it with a spell to go
undetected. “I have all kinds of tricks, brother dear. Come and get me.”
Luc spun the axe until it whistled in the air. He saw Galthine take a deep breath.
“Duck!” he warned, throwing himself to the ground. He dropped the axe and swore as
it spun across the floor out of reach.
Everyone else heeded Luc’s words and dropped to the ground as Galthine spewed fire
across the room. Luckily, the skill took a lot of force, which in turn made it difficult to aim.
Luc crawled closer, hoping to duck beneath the stream of fire. His pants reflected back the
flames but his shirt warmed uncomfortably. He let out a sigh of relief as the spell on his
clothing held. As Galthine sucked in air to blow flame again, Luc jumped to his feet and
punched his brother in the face. His injury tore open from the contact and Luc could feel
blood dripping from his wound.
Galthine’s head snapped back, his horns clacking against the wall from the impact. “I’ll
kill you and then grind your bones into dust.”
Luc smiled. “I’ve lived my life afraid, brother. I’m now beyond fear.”
Galthine charged.
“Luc…catch.” Nikko threw the axe towards him. Luc caught it handily and swiped at
his brother.
Galthine couldn’t stop his momentum and fell into Luc’s axe as he held it up for attack.
A loud gurgling sound filled the air as blood pooled in Galthine’s throat.
“May you be reborn a better soul,” Luc whispered. He put his right foot on his brother’s
chest and shoved him off his axe.
Galthine landed with a thud. After a moment of hard breathing he grew still.
Nikko yanked Luc close to his chest and held him tight. “If he had killed you even hell
wouldn’t have been safe from my fury.”
Luc rubbed Nikko’s back trying to calm the vampire.
“Let’s get back to your room and you can get us out of here,” Bran interrupted.
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Taking a deep breath, Luc pulled away from the vampire. “I’m fine, Nikko.” He turned
around and swallowed rapidly so he could keep down his long-forgotten breakfast. Blood
poured from Galthine’s wounds and left a soft hissing sound as it hit the floor. Luc
wondered if his brother’s blood contained acid. He’d never heard any rumours about that,
but then, Galthine didn’t bleed very often. Usually he made others bleed.
No doubt lived in Luc’s mind that his brother was dead. With a simple spell he cleaned
his axe blade before shoving the weapon back in its sheath. Hopefully he wouldn’t need to
use it again.
“Let’s go.” Showing more confidence than he felt, Luc led the group back to his old
room. He might not have known where his mother was but he knew how to reach his
bedroom from any place in hell.
Soon they were in his room and Luc cast his portal spell. Silently they all walked
through and Luc collapsed the spell after they’d passed. Only then did anyone dare speak.
Bran threw himself at Luc, slamming him onto the couch. Kisses rained on Luc’s
forehead, cheek and chin. “Thank you, Luc. I didn’t want to stay in hell one more second
than necessary. Galthine kept saying you weren’t going to come but I knew you would. You
wouldn’t leave me in hell.”
Luc kissed Bran’s forehead. “I would never leave you anywhere that prevents me from
visiting you.”
Bran laughed. Still smiling, he stood up and tossed Luc over his shoulder. “I need you,
lover. If I never go to hell again it’ll be too soon.”
“I can walk, you know,” Luc said mildly as he bumped along Bran’s shoulder. In the
corner of his eye he saw Nikko following them. Good, they needed to talk this out. After a
quick trip up the stairs Bran dropped Luc on the bed where he bounced lightly.
“What do you want, Nikko?” Bran growled. “You’re on my territory now.”
“No I’m not. This is Luc’s territory. He just lets you stay here. We need to learn to share
him.”
Bran snapped his fangs. “I am sharing. You can have his blood and I get his body.”
Nikko raised a brow. “You must not understand anything about vampires.” Nikko’s
condescending tone pulled a growl from Bran. “I need all of him to properly feed. You need
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him for your wolf to be calm. I propose we either share him or I kill you.” Nikko shrugged.
“I’m content with both choices.”
“Behave!” Luc snapped. “Or do I not get a choice in this? Perhaps the pair of you would
be content if I were just a body you could do with as you wish.”
The backpedalling of his lovers was reassuringly swift. He let them continue for a bit
before he called a halt to their apologies.
“Now, I propose you two share me but not at the same time. At least not at first. Bran’s
wolf doesn’t like another touching me, and, Nikko, you’ve become more possessive also. If
we start slowly with only having the scent of the other on me, I’m hoping we can work our
way up to more full-time sharing. What do you two think?”
“I need you first,” Bran insisted.
Luc met Nikko’s gaze. “You’ve fed recently. Why don’t you go back to your club and
I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Nikko slid his fingers into Luc’s hair and yanked him closer. The vampire’s kiss melted
all of Luc’s senses. His body went from calm to burning in the space of five seconds. A moan
rolled up his throat and Luc rubbed against Nikko as if he were Luc’s personal fucking post.
“Easy, babe,” Nikko soothed, slowly moving away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He nipped
Luc’s neck as a teaser of what was to come.
“I look forward to it,” Luc confessed. Two more kisses occurred before Luc released his
hold on Nikko.
Bran stepped forward into the space the vampire had occupied. “I’m trying to be
understanding,” Bran said. “But I had you to myself for years and my wolf wants to return to
those good old days.”
“I never would’ve met Nikko if you hadn’t tossed me aside,” Luc reminded his lover.
Bran winced. “How long will I be paying for that mistake?”
Luc smiled. “Probably forever.”
Nikko laughed from the doorway. “Your mistake was my blessing, wolf boy.”
Bran growled but stopped midway as a pulse of strong magic poured over them. Luc
gritted his teeth against the powerful force of his uncle descending from the heavens in an
angry fit. When he could finally breathe through the thick magic pumping into the air, Luc
stood to face the archangel Michael. “What has your wings in a twist?”
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Michael scowled. “You weren’t supposed to kill your brothers. You were only
supposed to free Lucifer.”
“And how was I supposed to do that without killing my maniacal brothers who all
wanted me dead?”
“It matters not. You will have to pay for your trespasses.”
“I’ll show you payment,” Bran snarled. The werewolf leapt at the angel. Michael raised
a hand and slammed Bran into the wall.
“Stay out of this, shifter,” Michael demanded.
“If he won’t stop you I certainly will.” Nikko bared his fangs. Michael swiftly sent him
to join Bran.
With both of his lovers pinned by the angel’s magic, fury raced through Luc like a live
wire of electricity. How dare Michael hurt those he loved! Rage, unlike any he’d experienced
before, ripped through him.
Luc threw back his head and screamed.
Pain tore through his body and settled under his shoulder blades. Luc fell to the ground
whimpering and tearing at his clothes. They hurt… They had to go…
“What’s wrong with him?” Nikko shouted.
“He’s transforming,” Michael said, but his words sounded hollow and from a long way
off.
Luc could feel his flesh tear as he yanked at his clothing and came away with bits of
skin and blood. Biting his tongue brought a metallic flavour to fill his mouth. Blood. Luc
knew well the taste of his own life’s essence—he’d spilled enough of it over the years.
Another wave of debilitating agony tore through Luc’s body. He writhed on the
ground, trying to escape the sensation of knives stabbing into his back. Compared to this
moment in life, torture from his brothers had been a cakewalk. When sweet unconsciousness
beckoned, Luc embraced it willingly.
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Chapter Six
Luc awoke to the sound of whispers all around him.
“What are we going to tell him when he wakes up?” Nikko’s voice, harsh with concern,
reached Luc’s ears.
“The truth, then we do what we can to protect him. I’ll take him Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, you take him Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and on Sundays we both send guards
to make sure he rests.” Bran’s familiar rumble soothed Luc’s concern over where his
werewolf lover had gone.
“What about what Michael said?” Nikko still sounded worried, as though the pair of
them were trying to solve one of life’s riddles.
“I don’t give a fuck what that angel said. He got Luc into this. If he wanted fucking
balance, he should’ve sent someone else to kill Galthine. He knows Luc would do anything
to protect his loved ones,” Bran snarled.
“Now it’s our time to protect him,” Nikko agreed.
“Yeah, unfortunately our track record sucks.”
Luc laughed. His lovers were sweet but not half as big and bad as they liked to pretend.
“Luc, baby, are you all right?” Nikko rushed over to the bed. Luc realised he was laying
on his stomach. Weird, he never slept like that. He started to roll over when he realised his
shoulders were heavy and his body felt off balance. When he landed on his back an odd
texture caressed his bare skin.
“What in my father’s hell is wrong with me?”
“Um…” Nikko’s tortured expression increased Luc’s panic.
“You’re an angel,” Bran said, approaching the bed.
Luc laughed. “What are you talking about? I’ve always been an angel, at least half an
angel.”
“Now you’re a complete angel. Michael said, as part of your penance for upsetting the
balance, you have to serve a hundred years as a full angel.”
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“My penance!” Anger rushed through Luc like a tide of fury. The house shook with
Luc’s emotions and thunder boomed against the windows. “Where was the righteous anger
against those same brothers when they were torturing me? Where was the need for balance?”
“I don’t know, love. That’s all he said.” Bran couldn’t meet Luc’s eyes.
Luc scrambled awkwardly to his feet. He still wore his leather pants and he saw his
boots sitting in the corner. “Michael! Show your heavenly butt now!” Lightning crackled
outside, balls of it hitting right by the window and illuminating the room.
The smell of marshmallows alerted Luc to his uncle’s presence.
“I see you woke up.” Michael’s beautiful face held no emotion but Luc could sense the
angel’s nervousness.
“What did you do?”
“I changed you. I’m sure your men told you about your new gig.”
“New gig! How am I supposed to live with wings sprouting out of my fucking back?”
“Angels don’t curse,” Michael scolded.
“This fucking angel does because he didn’t fucking ask for wings!” Luc shouted.
Michael sighed. “Didn’t you need something to do with your life?”
“Well, sure, but I didn’t think I needed to list ‘not have wings’ as one of the things I
didn’t want to do.”
“Think about it this way, Luc. Because you killed your brothers, other demons will rise
to take their places—worse demons who might not feel so inclined to listen to your father.
Your brothers were kept in check with their ties of blood and loyalty. Most demons won’t
feel the same constraints. If they decide to try and come to the surface, you are the only one
keeping them in check. We need you to be the gatekeeper.”
“What about Bran and Nikko?”
Michael regarded Luc’s lovers for a moment. “What about them?”
“I’m not giving them up.” Luc’s wings rustled on his back, distracting him for a
moment. Walking over to his full-length mirror, Luc examined his new look. His wings
didn’t look anything like Michael’s. Instead of the pure white of Michael’s heavenly pair,
Luc’s wings had veins of gold and were tipped with silver. They were like the Vegas angel
version.
“You always were a flashy boy,” Michael said fondly.
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“How am I to do anything with these things attached to me?” Luc demanded. More
than that, how could he make love to his men with the enormous collection of feathers on his
back? If Luc secretly thought they were pretty, he wouldn’t mention that to his smirking
uncle.
“You can hide them with your fae magic,” Michael said calmly.
“Fae magic will hide wings, not make them disappear. They can still knock things over
and wreak havoc.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “They are retractable, you know.”
“How?”
“Close your eyes and imagine yourself without.”
Taking a slow breath to ease his worries, Luc closed his eyes and formed an image of
his body without wings. It shouldn’t have been so difficult. He’d spent most of his life
without them. However, the recent image of wings on his back burned in his mind.
“Focus!” Michael shouted.
Finally, after a ridiculously long time, Luc created the mental picture. A tingling in his
back along with his lovers clapping told him he’d succeeded.
His eyes snapped open.
“How do I call them back?”
“Do the reverse. Imagine them weighing on your shoulders. Think of the need to fly.”
“Will I be able to fly?”
“Eventually. It takes a while to learn. I’ll send a trainer to guide you through the steps.”
Michael put his hands on Luc’s shoulders. “No one wants you to fail, Luc.”
He let that ridiculous comment slide. Obviously someone wanted Luc to fail—the
demons. They probably didn’t figure into Michael’s equation. The angel didn’t think of
underworld creatures as people, not really. Luc only received Michael’s attention because of
their blood connection. “What do I do when I’m not waiting for demons to try to attack?”
“You hunt down the ones who already have—the demons that snuck around the rules
by possessing a human’s body or who crept in through dreams. Don’t worry—you won’t run
out of work any time soon.”
“I still think it’s bullshit that I’m being punished for killing my brothers.”
“Taking a life always has consequences,” Michael said. “Even those in hell.”
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Luc crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve killed before without consequences.”
Michael shook his head. “You might not have seen them as such, but you did pay. All
karmic balances come around in the end.”
“If that’s true then my brothers’ karma should’ve bitch slapped them earlier,” Luc
reasoned.
“Their karmic balance ended with their deaths. Unfortunately, it only added to your
ledger.”
“They definitely aren’t worth one hundred years of angel lackeydom,” Luc argued.
Michael folded his arms. “It isn’t for me to say, nor is it for you to argue about. One
hundred years have been decreed and one hundred years it will stay. Stop whining and start
thinking about how you’re going to deal with demons. I’ll drop off a pamphlet later to
explain the best way to kill each type.”
Luc bit his lip against the words he’d like to use. After all, continuing to curse at an
angel would probably add to his karmic shitload.
With a bow Michael vanished, taking his sugary smell with him.
“Crap! I don’t smell like that now, do I?” It would be humiliating if he now smelt like
marshmallows.
Nikko laughed and wrapped Luc in his arms. Pressing his nose to Luc’s neck, Nikko
licked the surface. “You smell like vanilla and blood.”
“Eww.” Luc tried to pull away but Nikko held him tight.
“I think it’s an amazing smell.” Nikko beckoned to Bran, who cautiously joined them.
“What do you think he smells like?”
Bran gave Nikko a wary glance before obediently pressing his nose against Luc’s skin.
“Home—he smells like home. He always has.” Bran’s voice broke but his eyes were dry
when they met Luc’s. “I don’t care what you are now or what they want to call you. You’re
mine and you’ll be that way until the day I die. I’m willing to share you with this vamp, but
if anyone else thinks they are going to get a piece of you, they’d best think again.”
Nikko nodded his agreement of that sentiment. “Except, of course, for your little
vampire and demon. You can do what you need to bond, but I better not find them in my
bed or you’ll be a master without a following.”
“Understood.” Luc smiled, happy to have both of his men together at last.
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* * * *
Bran watched Luc over the next few days, looking for signs that his lover might be
ready to snap. The entire thing about turning into an angel had unnerved Bran’s beloved and
he didn’t know what to do. A few late night conferences with Nikko had turned up no
alternatives.
Whatever the archangel had planned for Luc, neither Bran nor Nikko thought they
would like the results. Stiln kept giving his brother fearful glances whenever he thought Luc
didn’t see him and Jerrod and Carn rubbed against Luc as often as possible.
On his evenings with Luc, Bran spent at least an hour carefully removing their scents
and replacing them with his own. He knew Nikko did the same thing. As a result Bran’s wolf
now considered Nikko pack. He might not be able to tolerate seeing the vampire having sex
with Luc, but his wolf half no longer became enraged at the mere idea.
Baby steps.
Bran ran his fingers through his hair as he contemplated his last missive from Betsy’s
pack. Her father had become more and more insistent that Bran pay him for their broken
marriage. Bran didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t pay the ridiculous amount Betsy’s alpha
insisted upon, and, even if he could, he wouldn’t. It was an extortion payment. Under shifter
mating rules, a marriage was automatically annulled if either party’s wolf didn’t accept the
other. Every shifter contract held that clause. With that in mind, Bran pulled up the contract,
printed out that page, highlighted it and put it in an envelope to go out the next day.
Bran might not be the high-powered lawyer that Betsy’s father claimed to be, but he
wasn’t an idiot. He’d run his pack for centuries and he didn’t plan to lose it to a
megalomaniacal asshole. For once he didn’t relish going back to his pack house. Each time he
left Luc, it tore another bit from his heart. Even though he knew he’d see his beloved in a few
days or even sometimes in a few hours, his wolf half resented the separation and his human
half didn’t like it much, either.
“How’s it going?” Luc walked into the study Bran had made for himself at Luc’s place.
Nikko used the same room when he was there, adding to Bran’s sense of co-sharing. The
more he shared with the vampire, the easier it became.
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“Fine. I think I’ve solved the pack problem.” He didn’t really—he figured there would
be an alpha challenge soon in his future—but he didn’t tell Luc. His lover had enough issues
dealing with his new identity as an angel. Luc had had a few unpleasant situations where his
wings had unexpectedly sprung out without warning. Luc didn’t need to worry about a
whiny wolf’s problems.
Luc straddled Bran’s lap and everything became good and right in the world. As he
looked into Luc’s beautiful face, Bran remembered why he dealt with all the hassle of sharing
his lover with a vampire and going back and forth from the pack house to Luc’s, and why he
didn’t mind keeping two sets of clothes or being at another person’s beck and call.
Love.
Bran would put up with any amount of discomfort to keep the man on his lap happy. “I
love you.”
Luc nodded. “I know. I love you, too. If you’re done here, wanna come upstairs?” Luc
wiggled his eyebrows at Bran in a ridiculous attempt at seduction. Bran laughed. Luc merely
had to walk into a room and already half the people were seduced. He didn’t have to try. Luc
personified sex, and with his new angel powers he had even more of a pull.
Nikko had told Bran he was working on finding a wizard who could place a
dampening spell on Luc. Too many times they’d had to save Luc from crowds trying to get
closer to Luc.
“I always want to come upstairs with you.”
Luc’s eyes glowed with satisfaction. He’d give up a million female mates to see that
expression in his lover’s eyes.
Luc slid off Bran’s lap and Bran stood up to join him. Before he could do anything more
than stand, Luc’s eyes glowed white. “Michael is coming,” he whispered. Since his
conversion, Luc could sense other seraphim from quite a distance before a single feather hit
the ground.
Michael landed in the office, his wings barely missing the books on the corner of the
desk.
“Hello, Uncle.” Luc gave a nod—not quite a bow but an indication of his uncle’s
position over him.
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Bran bowed low. Contact with Luc had made him slightly immune to the other angel’s
power but he didn’t want to skirt the line into rudeness.
He enjoyed being alive.
“Lucifer, Bran.” Michael nodded to them individually before turning his full attention
on Luc. “We have a problem.”
Luc frowned, “With Father?”
“No. A demon has inhabited a wolf shifter. He needs to be banished and killed.”
“Why do you need me?” Luc asked the question Bran had trembling on his lips.
“Because angels aren’t allowed to directly interfere with demon business.”
Luc crooked a brow. “I thought you proclaimed me an angel?”
Michael smiled. “This is where we enter the grey area—where a half angel born from
Lucifer himself and only recently acquiring his wings could interfere with the demons’
business.”
“Am I an angel or not?”
“If you were half human you would most likely be a nephilim, but as half fae you are
your own distinction. No other like you has ever been born. You were cast in the form of
Lucifer, blessed by the gods and goddesses, and dipped in the river Styx. You are unique, so
therefore rules don’t apply to you.”
Bran wrapped a protective arm around Luc. “So you’re saying, since he’s not
technically classified, you think you can do whatever you want with him.”
“I won’t send him on anything that’ll get him killed,” Michael promised.
“That leaves a pretty large area open since he can’t be killed,” Nikko said as he walked
into the room.
“Nikko!” Luc ran over and launched himself at the vampire. “What are you doing
here?”
“I came to take you to lunch.” He flashed Bran a surprised look. “I thought Bran
would’ve already left by now.”
Bran flinched. He should’ve already left Luc’s house. By their agreement it was past
midnight and Bran’s time had passed. “Sorry, I got caught up in my work.”
“Did you figure out what to do about Betsy’s father?” Nikko asked.
Damn! Nikko must’ve seen the papers he’d shoved in the top drawer.
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“What about Betsy’s father?” Luc asked.
“We’ll talk about it after Michael has left,” Bran promised. Secretly he hoped the angel
hung around long enough that Luc forgot about Nikko’s question.
Satisfied with Bran’s answer, Luc turned back to the angel.
Michael kept his attention on Bran. “I believe your supposed father-in-law and my
possessed shifter are the same person.”
Fear shook Bran’s frame. Although he was a strong alpha, he couldn’t match another
shifter with a demon’s strength.
“That would explain why he’s not following the werewolf code,” Nikko agreed.
“What’s he doing?” Luc growled.
“He’s suing me for an insane amount of money, claiming breach of contract.”
“I’ll take the job,” Luc said. From the flash of fire in his eyes Bran knew his lover
wanted to annihilate the other wolf. Despite not being a wolf or a vampire, Luc became
extremely possessive of the people he considered under his protection.
“Good.” Michael handed over a folded piece of paper. “This is where to find him. Take
the axe with you even if you don’t use it. In the future I’ll send a messenger to give you jobs.
I don’t want this to be a problem between us.”
Luc nodded even as Bran thought Michael should’ve thought of that before he pinned
Luc down as angel. The entire situation was bullshit. Michael had other reasons for making
Luc a winged angel—what they were Bran didn’t know, but then, looking at Luc, he doubted
he’d ever understand angels.
With a sugary waft, Michael vanished.
“He does like to make an exit,” Nikko commented. “Why don’t you go get your axe,
hon? We’ll wait for you here.”
As soon as Luc left, Nikko turned to face Bran. “I’m going with him. Are you?”
“Of course. Angel business or not, Luc belongs to us.”
Nikko nodded. “Good. That’s what I thought, too.”
Bran smiled. The only time the two of them agreed was when Luc wandered into
danger, which he did with distressing frequency. “We’ll never be able to keep him
completely from harm.”
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He received a shrug in response. “We do what we can. If one of us needs backup, we
call the other person. I’m beginning to believe, whether I’m supposed to be his mate right
now or not, he needs two people to watch him.”
Nikko’s words matched Bran’s thoughts exactly. “I’m beginning to think that, too.”
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Chapter Seven
Nikko stayed a few steps behind and to the left of Luc, keeping his space in case Luc
unfurled his wings. His sweet lover only needed a flaming sword to complete his avenging
angel outfit. Luc had chosen to go shirtless so he wouldn’t tear another top when his wings
expanded. According to Luc’s complaints, he’d already lost three of his favourite T-shirts.
Since that left a large amount of Luc’s golden skin exposed, Nikko could find no
problems with Luc’s decision. He ignored Bran’s knowing look.
Bran’s agreement earlier meant everything to Nikko. To have a truce of some kind
made life much sweeter. Maybe someday the three of them could share the same bed.
Although Nikko preferred Luc’s slimmer physique, he’d be lying if he didn’t admit Bran was
a gorgeous man. Big and broad with golden eyes, black hair and a tendency to growl, Bran
easily stood out in a crowd…at least when Luc wasn’t right beside him. Any room Luc
occupied immediately focused on him.
Nikko loved Luc with parts of his heart and soul he hadn’t even acknowledged, much
less used before. The time they’d spent apart had scarred him. Sometimes at night he woke
up in a cold sweat because he worried that Luc had been pulled back into hell and Nikko
couldn’t help him. Even now, when he knew he’d see Luc again in a matter of days, Nikko
ached at their separation. He only really rested when Luc lay in his arms as he fell asleep.
If Bran’s nemesis took off, it would prolong their time together. The more time they
spent as a trio, the more he plotted to keep them together. After they’d dealt with this asshole
alpha, Nikko planned to get both men to agree to be his…permanently.
Instead of waiting for permission to enter pack territory, Luc marched right up to the
house and rang the doorbell.
A female wolf shifter opened the door. Her mouth dropped open for a minute as she
examined the three men. Nikko could almost feel her gathering her thoughts. “Can I help
you gentlemen?”
“I’m Luc Hellbourne and I’m here to talk to Alpha Steven about his contract with Alpha
Bran.”
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Her eyes turned to Nikko.
“This is my associate, Nikkolai Remondi.” He waved a hand to indicate Nikko.
Nikko kept his fangs hidden even though he knew she could smell him and knew what
he was.
She glanced behind her and closed the door enough so no one could see who she talked
too. “I don’t think you should see him,” she said in a voice barely above a whisper. “He’s not
well.”
Luc tilted his head to one side as if considering her words. “You mean because he’s
been possessed by a demon?”
“Is that what it is? None of us could figure it out.”
Luc shrugged. “You probably never smelt demon before.”
A second later the girl disappeared from the doorway and Betsy stood in her spot.
“What are you doing here?” she snarled at Luc. She didn’t even spare Bran a look.
Interesting.
“I’ve come to kill your father,” Luc said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Nikko stared at his lover in shock.
“Do you think you can?” Betsy locked gazes with Luc.
“Yes.”
Betsy shoved the door open. “You kill him and our debt is paid.”
“He doesn’t owe you a debt,” Nikko snarled. “You are an opportunistic bitch who
didn’t get what she wanted so you decided to screw Bran’s life up. You’re going to owe Luc
for this.”
“Fine,” Betsy threw her hands up. “I don’t know what to do and I can’t kill my own
father. Happy now?” She glared at Nikko but then gave Luc a pleading look. “I know I’m not
the best person to beg a favour from you, but would you please get that thing out of my
father?”
“You know there’s only one way to get a demon to leave a person,” Luc said.
All that talk of exorcism was just that…talk. Real demons didn’t let go of the bodies
they inhabited until they’d sucked out all the life force and only dry husks remained.
Betsy’s eyes held a lifetime of sorrow. “I know.”
“I want it in writing,” Bran said.
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They came to a halt. “What?” Luc asked.
“I want it in writing that Luc is here to kill Alpha Steven due to a demon inside him. I
don’t want anyone later saying Luc came to kill the man because of me,” Bran insisted.
Betsy gave him an injured look. “Don’t you trust me?”
“No. You barely told the truth when we were dating and you were planning to be my
wife. I don’t trust you not to double-cross me later.”
“Fine—let’s go to the study first. Father is in his room. He prefers to sleep late.”
A high-pitched scream pierced the air. The sound came from above.
“And sometimes he doesn’t sleep,” Betsy muttered with her eyes on the ceiling.
“Write fast,” Nikko demanded. It was one thing to demand protocol, another to let a
woman suffer.
“I will,” Betsy vowed.
In a wooden-panelled study, Betsy quickly scrawled a note, signed her name and
handed it over to Luc.
Nikko snatched it away and quickly reviewed it to make sure it listed all his
requirements. Satisfied, he returned it to Luc. “You can sign.”
“Thanks.” Luc quickly scrawled his name. On the way out of the door, he slid his axe
out of its holster. The weapon made a soft ringing sound as it slid over Luc’s shoulder, as if it
were whispering of doom. Luc looked over his shoulder at Bran then Nikko. “I fear I’ve
become the angel of death and am replacing Azrael in his sorrow.”
Luc’s wings sprang from his back, sending the wolves fleeing in fear. Nikko doubted
any of them had ever seen an angel in person before. He’d be a fool if he didn’t admit that
Luc made a formidable sight.
“And I think you’re becoming a melodramatic queen who needs to get over himself and
kill this demon-spawned wolf so we can all go to bed,” Bran snarled. Nikko turned to Bran,
surprised at the harsh words. Bran’s worried expression reassured Nikko.
Luc flicked a wing at Bran, who had to dodge to avoid a face full of feathers.
“Show off,” he muttered.
Nikko snickered and exchanged knowing glances with Bran. They couldn’t let Luc fall
into melancholy over his new form. If necessary, they would band together to keep Luc
emotionally grounded even when he yearned to use his wings.
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Betsy didn’t follow them as they left. Nikko didn’t blame her. He doubted many people
wanted to see their father killed even if he had welcomed a monster inside.
They found Alpha Steven sprawled out on the bed, his shirt off, his pants undone and
three she-wolves dead on the floor with their throats ripped out. His greying black hair stuck
up on all sides, stiffened with blood.
“Ah, Bran, I see you decided to come and visit with me after all.” Steven had crusty red
flakes ringing his mouth and madness in his eyes. The green glow of his irises revealed the
demon living inside.
“We’ve come to kill you,” Bran said in a conversational tone. He moved to the right to
keep Steven distracted. Not that it would work. Nikko had learnt a while ago the futility of
trying to get anyone to ignore Luc. Nikko moved left to give Luc more space.
“What is your angel friend going to do? Pretty me to death?” Steven’s eyes rolled back
into his head and his body shook as the demon fought for control. When the shaking ended,
his eyes completely lacked a pupil and were an eerie red.
“Greetings, demon,” Luc said.
“Your father will be greatly disappointed in you, Lucifer Junior.”
“Trust me, I’ve learned to live with the disappointment,” Luc said before he struck.
The demon leapt up, somersaulted over Luc’s head and landed behind him. With a
cracking of bones, a wolf head replaced the human one and claws formed on his hands. “I
will kill you and send you back to hell where you belong,” the demon growled.
“As much as I appreciate your concern for my family, I’ll have to turn down that
invitation.” Luc swung his axe. “What is your name?”
“I’ll never tell.” The demon ducked the axe but almost backed into Bran, who raked his
claws along the alpha’s back. The demon howled.
“Too bad. If I had a name I could send you properly back home.”
The axe whistled over the demon’s head with a soft whoosh. Luc’s wings rustled
irritably.
Nikko thought about joining in, but he didn’t especially want an axe coming anywhere
near him or to get in the way.
“You’re the only one going anywhere, angel boy,” the demon sneered.
“Oooh…big mistake,” Nikko said. “Name-calling pisses him off.”
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Luc took another swing. Steven tripped on one of the wolf bodies and fell forward. Luc
swung his axe, smoothly decapitating the demon-infested werewolf. Blood spurted
everywhere and a blue light flared as the demon returned to the underworld. Generally,
Nikko approved of blood, but when it spurted across Luc’s wings, the sight disturbed him.
How many times would his pretty angel come home bloody?
He heard Luc mutter a quick spell and the blood disappeared but the image stayed in
his mind.
“I don’t like you hunting demons,” Nikko blurted out.
“Me neither,” Bran offered.
Luc sighed as he watched his lovers align against him. He knew he should be upset that
they were ganging up on him but instead a trickle of happiness warmed him inside. His
lovers cared enough to support each other when they thought Luc was in over his head.
Looking at their worried expressions, Luc kept his amusement to himself. Even though
they’d both seen him in action, they always forgot he wasn’t like them. He couldn’t be
seriously injured, he couldn’t die, and if the axe didn’t work out, he had a lot more things he
could try.
“I have to do what Michael requests. I don’t have to bring you guys with me.” He
wouldn’t have either of his men injured for anything.
Matching growls pulled him up short.
“What?”
“You will not do this alone,” Nikko said, adorably laying down the law.
“Or go without at least one of us,” Bran insisted.
Luc raised his hands in surrender. “If you think so.” He wouldn’t fight them on this,
since they would only worry. However, if the case became too dangerous, Luc wouldn’t
bring them along.
Not sharing that view with his lovers, he marched out of the door to be greeted by the
rest of the pack.
“You killed our alpha. I ask for recompense!” Betsy shouted.
“What!” Bran snarled. “You asked us to.”
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Luc realised they’d left the contract in Betsy’s office, a clever ploy on her behalf to keep
them quiet.
“Perhaps you forgot that your father allowed a demon to take his soul?” Luc said
calmly. With a mental pull he grabbed the note she’d signed and waved it to the pack. She
stupidly hadn’t destroyed the evidence. “If she is the one you chose as your new leader, you
might want to choose again. I don’t like people trying to frame me or attack the men I love.”
“What do you mean?” The young female who’d answered the door dared to approach.
Luc handed over the letter Betsy had signed.
“He’s right. It says right here that the alpha had been possessed. Betsy signed the death
order. She lied to us.”
Angry mutterings filled the air. Betsy paled.
Luc decided to end the matter. He wanted a bath, his bed and his lovers, in that order.
“I was sent here by the archangel Michael to kill your alpha. If you have any questions, send
them to him.”
With a final disdainful look at the assembled wolves, Luc walked away.
He didn’t bother to look back to see if anyone followed them. If they attacked, Luc
would kill them.
* * * *
Luc sighed with relief when his house came into view. His back ached from retracting
his wings, his heart hurt from killing another living creature, and his cock hurt from being so
hard the past hour with both of his mates close by.
Jerrod, Carn, Stiln and Sal were sitting around a poker table when Luc entered.
“Having fun, boys?” he asked.
All four nodded.
“Good, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“’Night,” Jerrod said.
“Sweet dreams,” Carn called out.
“Have fun,” Sal teased.
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Luc stopped at the bottom of the stairs to turn back to Stiln, the only one who hadn’t
responded.
The demon gave him a wide smile. “Go fuck like bunnies.”
Luc threw back his head and laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Upon entering his bedroom, Luc set his axe on a hook by the door before peeling off his
boots, followed by his leather pants and underwear. Completely naked, he jumped onto the
bed and watched as Bran and Nikko stood at the foot.
The shifter and the vampire didn’t appear to know what to do.
“I believe it is your night, Nikko. I’ll be on my way,” Bran said politely. Luc could see
the struggle in his lover’s eyes.
Nikko shook his head. “I think we need to do this together. We are stronger as three
than struggling to balance in pairs. If your wolf will tolerate my presence, I would welcome
you.”
Luc barely breathed as he waited for Bran’s answer. To have all of them in the same bed
together would make all Luc’s dreams come true.
Bran’s smile glowed. “Thank you, Nikko.”
Luc grinned as the two men he loved more than his unending life stripped down and
climbed onto the bed, Nikko to his right and Bran to his left. Maybe one day he could get
them to interact with each other. Small steps, he had to remind himself. Small steps. Maybe
familiarity would breed comfort with each other.
Nikko took Luc’s mouth first, Bran his cock. While Bran’s hot, moist mouth swallowed
him, Nikko muffled Luc’s garbled sound with his tongue and lips. The scents of his lovers
swirled together into one amazing aroma. Spikes of desire stabbed Luc with fierce need like a
wild beast. He wanted to take his lovers and show them who they belonged to. Luckily, the
sensible side of him cautioned against that approach. When dealing with two alphas, a
gentler touch got him further.
Fangs brushed Luc’s lips, and relief followed when fangs didn’t graze other parts of his
body. As much as Luc loved the feel of teeth on him, some parts should remain unbitten.
A soft chuckle against his mouth told Luc that Nikko had picked up on his foolishness.
“Will you share your essence with me tonight, beautiful?” Nikko’s midnight velvet voice
filled Luc’s ears.
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BACK TO HELL
Amber Kell
79
“I’m yours.” Luc tilted his head to give Nikko better access.
Bran’s mouth popped off Luc’s cock, bringing a moan of protest. “Don’t take blood
until I fuck him. He gets all drowsy and I want him awake when I’m inside.”
“Fair enough,” Nikko agreed.
“Don’t I get any say?” Luc pouted.
“No,” his mates said together.
Bran rolled him and slapped him on the ass. “Do that trick the incubus taught you.”
“Incubus…” Nikko growled.
“I know, right? I think he should definitely stay away from the power sluts.”
“Hello, I’m still here.” Luc didn’t know if he liked this new cooperation between his
mates. They appeared to be planning out his life, which made him more than a little nervous.
He obediently cast the spell and moved to his hands and knees in order to accommodate
both of his lovers.
Bran moved Luc into the position he favoured and slid a finger inside Luc’s hole. “No
matter how many times I’m inside, you are always as tight as the first time.”
“He feels divine,” Nikko agreed, possessively stroking Luc’s skin.
“Less talking, more lovemaking,” Luc urged. He enjoyed compliments as much as the
next guy but he preferred action even more.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got exactly what you need.” Bran gripped Luc’s hips and proceeded
to remind Luc why he loved his powerful shifter.
Luc moaned with each thrust, excited beyond reason to have both of his lovers together.
If he could get them to interact with each other, it would be like his favourite icing on the
perfect cake.
The slap of flesh against flesh filled the room. Luc watched with interest as Nikko
wrapped his fingers around his long shaft and pumped along with Bran’s thrusts. “I’m going
to bite you now, my beautiful angel,” Nikko promised.
Luc leant forward, eager for Nikko’s mouth on him no matter what the reason. While
Luc moaned over Bran’s attention, Nikko plunged his fangs into Luc’s neck, sending him
over the edge with the speed of a freight train. A strangled scream left his throat as he came
all over the blanket. Luc clenched his ass as his orgasm ripped through him with brutal
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BACK TO HELL
Amber Kell
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80
speed. The sudden clenching of Bran’s fingers on his hips and a second pair of fangs piercing
his skin told him Bran had come.
“Fuck!”
“Shhh, no cursing,” Bran admonished, lifting his mouth from Luc’s shoulder.
“Seriously?”
“I don’t like the sound of it from your beautiful lips,” Bran said, brushing his lips across
Luc’s bare skin.
Luc decided to pick his battles. He’d only curse when Bran wasn’t around. Nikko
sucking on Luc’s throat made his cock valiantly try to rise again.
“Hell,” Luc whispered.
“Never again,” Bran replied, lapping at Luc’s cum-covered skin. “You will never return.
I don’t care what your father promises.”
“Yeah, I know.” Luc swallowed back the lump in his throat and focused on his men.
Nikko finally removed his fangs from Luc’s neck and shouted out his own release.
“We definitely need new sheets,” Luc sighed.
“I’ll buy you a dozen sets if you let me spend the night,” Nikko vowed.
“Deal.”
Luc used the last of his energy to do a cleaning spell to remove the puddle of spunk on
the sheets. He didn’t feel up to a shower and, with three people in the bed, avoiding the wet
spot wasn’t a possibility.
Bran wrapped a possessive arm around Luc. When Nikko snuggled to join them, Bran
tensed up but didn’t growl. Baby steps, Luc had to remind himself. One tiny step at a time.
Eventually, maybe they could live together as a family.
A freakish, dysfunctional family, but a family all the same.
Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Hellbourne
Amber Kell
Excerpt
Chapter One
It was amazing that the body could still move while the heart was shattering into
millions of microscopic pieces. Luc Hellbourne kicked the empty soda can on the street, idly
watching it tumble across the asphalt.
All other sensations dimmed next to the pain in his chest.
A bitter laugh burst past his lips.
Homeless.
Why in his father’s hell did he ever start a relationship with an alpha werewolf? It
wasn’t as if he didn’t know the man wanted to have a successor, yearned to have children of
his own.
It was for the best. He gave another sad laugh at his new mantra, whispered it to the
breeze, stomped it out with each step, desperately trying to believe his own words.
He didn’t know which hurt worse, losing his lover to a woman, or losing the comfort
and caring of the pack. Cutting himself away from his pack friends after twenty years of
belonging ripped away a huge chunk of his soul.
Remembering the love in Betsy’s eyes when she claimed Bran as her own eased a small
portion of Luc’s frozen heart. However, during the mating ceremony, Bran had looked away
from his new wife and the longing in his expression as he watched Luc, hit him as if he were
struck by a body blow.
He knew in that moment that the werewolf would never accept his fate as long as Luc
was near. It wasn’t fair to the pack to have a conflicted alpha. One of them had to leave.
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The one who wasn’t pack.
“Get it together.” Tears prickling his eyes, Luc continued his determined march to
nowhere.
His guitar case banged painfully against his side as he walked, all the hard edges
finding his most sensitive places. He ignored it with the same indifference he coated over his
soul to keep moving. His guitar was custom made by his uncle, one of his most prized
possessions, and the only thing he’d grabbed on the way out. The rest of his things he’d
shoved through a portal to his childhood bedroom. He’d retrieve them when he found a
place to stay.
A quick glance around proved he was in unfamiliar territory. An area of town never
visited, at least not in recent memory, but then he’d never travelled around the city without
companions before. Loneliness formed a hard knot in his stomach.
This was a day for new things.
So far, none of them had been good.
Loud, pounding music caught his attention. It thrummed through his body like a
moving heartbeat. As a half fae, Luc felt the notes deep in his soul. Matching his steps to the
beat, he turned the corner seeking the source of the sound. A music club stood before him,
pulsing notes sliding through the doors each time the bouncers opened them.
The club’s ridiculously overdone stone façade had grinning gargoyles carved over the
corners. Words written in bright red paint to resemble dripping blood proclaimed this
building The River Styx.
Luc had visited, played around and once damn near drowned in the River Styx as a
child, and this wasn’t it. The river that granted immunity from death never had a line of goth
kids wrapped around the block and there wasn’t one creepy ferryman in sight.
Tempted, Luc decided now was the time to slack his thirst. He hadn’t had a drink in
hours. His stomach rolled queasily at the memory of the wedding champagne.
Decision made, he walked straight up the stairs towards the bouncers guarding the
door.
“Good evening, gentlemen.”
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Damn, the men were impossibly big close up. Luc liked a large man. He let his eyes
roam up and down them both. There was the off chance he’d get the crap beat out of him,
but he knew how to run if things went badly.
“Good evening,” they replied in unison. The man on the left gave him a small smile,
while the one on the right looked at him as if he were a chocoholic finding the world’s last
chocolate truffle.
He flashed them both his best smile. “I’d like to go into your fine establishment, what’s
the cover charge?”
It didn’t occur to him to stand in line. People who looked like him weren’t meant for
lines. It wasn’t vanity. It was a fact. He was a perfect creation by the devil himself and
blessed by thirty-six gods and goddesses. There was only one creature as perfectly formed as
him.
And father was scary as fuck so he didn’t count.
“No cost for you, sweetheart,” the bouncer on the left announced with a hitch in his
voice as the other one nodded mutely.
Flashing another smile, Luc let the man open the door for him.
As he passed he saw the bouncers sniffing at him.
Weird.
He shrugged before banishing the event out of his mind. Having lived with
werewolves, he was used to sniffing, but these couldn’t be weres. Bran would never let
another pack in his territory.
* * * *
The music was something wild and electric. Not a band he recognised, but it had a
good beat and the gyrating kids convulsing on the dance floor were entertaining.
What really caught his attention was the incredibly ugly picture of the devil painted
two stories high behind the stage. It grinned evilly at the dancers below, baring razor sharp
teeth with two large horns bisecting its ridged forehead.
Luc felt a reluctant smile grace his lips as he walked towards the horrible caricature of
the Lord of the Underworld. The temptation to send a photo of it to his father struck him
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hard. He whipped out his cell phone, took a picture, and with a wicked grin, beamed it to his
father’s phone.
Strange, how his father could receive messages in hell when Luc could barely keep his
reception a block away from the cell tower. Maybe giving in to satanic powers gave a person
magic cell phone vibes. Shaking his head at his whimsical thoughts, Luc put his phone back
in his pocket and headed for the long bar dominating the far side of the room. The pain in his
chest eased a bit with his amusement.
Before he could raise his hand, the bartender appeared before him. Luc blinked. He
could’ve sworn the man was on the other side of the long counter not two seconds before.
The bartender’s hair matched the shiny bar, both a lustrous brown. Luc received a smile
with white, white teeth and sparkling sea blue eyes. He reminded Luc of a selkie he’d known
once upon a time.
“What can I get for you, sir? Would you like me to tuck your case behind the bar?” the
bartender asked, his smooth baritone cutting through the loud music.
Sir? Wow, his boss must be really strict.
“Yes, thank you.” Luc handed his case over.
“I’ll take the darkest beer you have on tap. Just keep them coming.” It took a lot of beer
to get him drunk. Tonight, he felt properly motivated.
He ignored the sympathetic, probing gaze that came with the beer. The bartender
obviously knew a heartbroken sap when he saw one.
The cool liquor soothed Luc’s throat. Sipping his drink, he turned to watch the dancers
as the yeasty brew hit his tongue.
Poor kids, they really lack rhythm. He had a brief thought of showing them how to dance,
but a particularly enthusiastic frenzy made him rethink the idea.
They were beyond help. With a sigh, Luc took another sip of beer.
After a while he decided to go sit closer to the band, the people on either side of him
were getting too close for comfort and he didn’t feel like being squished between hard,
sweaty bodies.
How unlike him.
It took little effort to find a table. He just sent mental go away vibes to a group and had
them vacate.
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He wasn’t in the mood for subtle.
Once seated at the table a cute blond waiter, all blue eyes and scattery curls, rushed
forwards to take his order. His nametag said Jerrod.
“Do you have any food here?”
The waiter swallowed. “You’re fae.”
“Only half,” he said, hoping the short answer would encourage the kid to take his
order.
“Wow. I—I’ve never met a fae before.” The waiter stared at him with a kind of
wondrous awe as if he’d run across a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
Damn, he forgot how his fae vibes affected those who weren’t wolf breed. Werewolves
were immune to glamour. One of the many reasons he’d stayed inside the pack for so long.
There was only so much fawning a man could take on a day-to-day basis, despite what father
said.
“Does that mean you don’t have food?”
“Oh, sorry. Here you go.” The blond blushed brightly as he whipped out a menu from
his apron pocket.
Folded accordion style it listed a miniscule amount of bar food, most of it fried.
Luc sighed. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance of getting a salad?”
“Absolutely. I’ll go get you one right now.” The waiter snatched the menu back and
scurried through the crowd, making impressive speed considering the number of bodies
crammed into the club.
Luc idly wondered if the blond would have to leave the building to get his food. With a
shrug, he leant back in his chair to watch the crowds.
Seeing others having fun twisted the pain in Luc’s heart. Years of partying with the
pack flashed through his head.
Good memories to pull out in the upcoming lonely nights. The previous years with
Bran were wonderful in many ways, but he would mostly miss the daily touches, soft
morning kisses and slow just-woke-up fucks.
Bran wasn’t meant to be his permanent mate. His lover wanted a ton of pups and an
alpha bitch at his side. It was the suddenness of it all that hurt Luc. One day it was ‘good
morning, lover’ the next it was ‘I’m going to start wooing females to find a mate’.
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Luc took another sip of his beer.
Bastard.
The worst part was that despite everything, Bran still watched him with those damned
needy eyes. Luc was no one’s sidepiece of ass. Besides, he wouldn’t do that to Bran’s new
mate.
Staying around would only lead to pack dissention…and big ass fights.
Setting his elbows on the table, he rested his face on his hands, rubbing his damp eyes
with the heels of his palms.
Damned watering holes.
“You all right, baby?” A dark, velvety voice spoke beside him. The sound of the other
man’s voice rippled down his spine and made him catch his breath. His body hardened in
response to the sexy tone.
“No, I don’t think I am,” Luc said, taking his hands away from his eyes to look up at the
speaker. He almost swallowed his tongue. A huge man dressed in black leather pants and a
white silk shirt towered over him.
The man’s black hair, cut brutally short, exposed a strong, harsh profile like a warrior of
old. There was nothing pretty or even handsome about the man. His features were too
masculine, the scar on the right side of his face too prominent. However, the power oozing
from him went straight to Luc’s balls, finishing the job that had started with his voice.
Always a sucker for a big man, a big man with power was like a super aphrodisiac. One
more reason he stayed with that asshole alpha for so long.
“Anything I can do to help you?”
Luc gave the man a slow look over from the top of his short dark hair to the bottom of
his polished black boots, pausing to admire every gorgeous, muscled point in between.
“Want to be my rebound fuck?”
Nikkolai Remondi looked at the man sitting before him. In his five hundred years as a
vampire, he had never seen a more beautiful creature.
The man was sleekly built with amazing autumn gold hair that cascaded down to the
base of his neck in riotous curls. His features were symmetrically perfect and his sorrow-
filled eyes were like brilliant emeralds shot with silver.
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Fae.
In a bar with hundreds of bodies, Nikkolai had scented him from the catwalk above.
His.
The master vampire could almost taste the sadness emanating from the sweet boy. He
slid into the chair next to the gorgeous fae.
“I’m Nikkolai Remondi,” he said, holding out his hand, “but my friends call me
Nikko.”
“Luc Hellbourne.” The fae gave his hand a shake. The contact felt as if an electric
current went directly to his balls. Hot, sizzling and not altogether comfortable.
He took back his hand still trying to decide if he liked the sensation when a soft voice
interrupted his thoughts.
“Here’s your salad.” Jerrod, one of the new wait staff, placed an enormous green salad
in front of Luc. Nikko could smell the need pouring from the boy.
When did they start serving salad?
“Thank you.” Luc gave the server a smile that transformed him from a sad beauty to an
incandescent star.
Jerrod shivered, the smell of spunk filling the air. “L-let me know if you need anything
else.”
“I will,” Luc said with a nod, taking a big bite out of the greens.
Nikkolai growled at Jerrod, letting the younger vamp know he was out of his league.
The kid wasn’t even one of his tribe, just a loaner from a master who wanted him out of sight
for a time.
Mine. He sent a mental message to the kid, making sure to stake his claim.
The waiter fled, but not before sending a pitiful look at the delicious fae.
Luc’s words ran through his head. “What are you rebounding from?”
“My ex dumped me for a girl.”
“That’s tough.” Nikkolai rubbed a hand over Luc’s shoulder. A motion meant to be
soothing. Hell, he touched people every day without meaning anything by it, but as soon as
he made contact with Luc, he felt that same jolt run down his spine and directly to his balls.
The fae continued to eat his salad as if he didn’t feel anything.
Shit, maybe he didn’t.
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“Were you with him very long?”
Luc’s odd green eyes sparkled with tears giving them an eerie shine. “Yeah. I love him,
you know, but I want him to be happy. With me around, he’s just going to think ‘what if’.”
Those sad, sad eyes entranced Nikkolai. “I can’t do that to his m-wife.”
How anyone could give up a man this stunning, he didn’t know, but sometimes
relationships didn’t make sense. Even Nikkolai had had his share of bad relationships. Hell,
so far they’d all been bad. Maybe this sad-eyed fae could change his luck. After all, one man’s
stupid decision was another man’s opportunity.
“Have much fae blood?” The question blurted out before he could stop himself. Fae
blood was highly desired by vampire kind. The fae rarely appeared above ground and their
blood tasted like concentrated magic. If he could coax this one to his side, he could cement
his position as the most powerful vampire in the state.
Luc gave a laugh. “Why don’t I just wear a T-shirt? I haven’t been pegged as a fae so
much in years.” He took another bite, distracting Nikkolai who watched the food go into that
pretty, pretty mouth.
He had plans for that mouth. So many plans. He shifted in his seat, trying to find a
more comfortable position in his suddenly tight pants.
“I’m half fae,” Luc said after he swallowed his food. “What are you?”
“Vampire.” No reason to hide his true nature, the man would know what he was as
soon as he sank his teeth into that sexy neck.
He got a smile and a shrug as the beautiful creature ate his food.
“Where’s your mound?” Nikko asked, nerves starting to set in. The fae didn’t live well
outside of their mounds. They aged quickly and died even faster. The thought of this
stunning man wasting away in front of him sent alarm bells clanging through his body.
Luc shrugged. “I don’t have one.”
“What the fuck, you don’t have one. Did they throw you out?” Panic tore through him.
An emotion he wasn’t certain he’d ever felt before. Was his last lover a powerful fae who
dumped him and tossed him out of the mound?
As if reading his mind, the pretty fae laughed. “I’m not going to die on you. I don’t
need a mound. I’ve never had a mound. Don’t worry.” The gorgeous man’s voice settled
something deep inside Nikko, melting away the panic and concern.
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“Huh. So ex-lover isn’t fae?”
Luc snorted. Even disdain was beautiful on this guy. “Not hardly.”
With quick delicate motions, the huge salad was polished off. “So are you interested in
being my rebound guy?”
Nikko leaned over, slid one large hand through the smaller man’s hair and covered
Luc’s mouth with his own. Lightning sizzled between them until Nikko’s entire body felt
tuned to the slim man pressed against him. With reluctance, he forced his hands and lips to
release the fae. “Honey, I’m interested in being your anything.”
If his voice was rougher than before he hoped the slim beauty didn’t notice. The
vampire was pretty damned sure it would take little effort for Luc to wrap him around one
of his slim, elegant fingers.
Nikko had to take care of a few things before he was free to explore the gorgeous
creature before him and maybe get a bite to eat so he didn’t scare his little fae. “Meet me
upstairs in ten minutes.”
Those brilliant eyes gazed at him for a long moment. “All right.”
About the Author
Amber is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in
Seattle with her husband, two sons, two cats and one extremely stupid dog.
Amber loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and
author biography at
.
Also by Amber Kell
Supernatural Mates: From Pack to Pride
Supernatural Mates: A Prideful Mate
Supernatural Mates: A Prideless Man
Supernatural Mates: Nothing To Do With Pride
Supernatural Mates: Talan’s Treasure
Supernatural Mates: More Than Pride
Cowboy Lovin’: Robert’s Rancher
Dangerous Lovers: Catching Mr Right
Dangerous Lovers: Accounting for Luke
Yearning Love: Taking Care of Charlie
Yearning Love: Protecting Francis
Planetary Submissives: Chalice
Planetary Submissives: Orlin’s Fall
Heart Attack: My Subby Valentine
Scared Stiff: Protecting His Soul
Unconventional At Best: Convention Confusion
Total-E-Bound Publishing
www.total-e-bound.com
Take a look at our exciting range of literagasmic™
erotic romance titles and discover pure quality
at Total-E-Bound.
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