Cael

I don’t remember the Past. It wasn’t me. Now, I am me. My brothers and I know we lived in heaven, but it’s like a fairy tale, not even a memory. I don’t know where heaven is or what it looks like. We’re the Salvations Ghosts MC—a bunch of simple guys who want to live a simple life. We’re humans. The only difference between them and us is that we have wings and that we’re immortal. Our inner archangels are hidden deep in our subconscious minds. We don’t want them. We don’t need them.

We sometimes say them about our inner archangels and us when we talk about our present life.

Now, I want my wife to give me a sign that she wants the same—a simple life with me. But she’s mute and distant.

“I feel good in churches,” she finally murmurs. “I feel at peace in here. Like everything I did has been forgotten. Forgiven.”

My poor sweet Aurora. She still feels guilty. She’s a kind and good person who should forget about her past as we forgot about it.

My hand searches for hers, and our fingers lace together. Our eyes meet.

“Come back to me,” I rasp. “I can’t live without you. I love you so much.”

Her eyes widen and fill up with tears. “But I thought—“

“I love you, Aurora.” I bring her hand up to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “Please, baby. You’re my life. Come back to me.” Tears trickle down from the corners of my eyes. “You and Kyle are my life. I will do anything. You hear me? Anything.”

“You’re doing enough.”

“Not enough for you to love me. Please, give me a chance.”

She nods several times. “Okay. Take us to the Salvation Ghosts’ clubhouse.”

Her glassy eyes say it all. I’m loved. I’m the happiest man in the universe.

I kiss her temple. “Let’s go.”

A streak of grey fog slithers around me and forms a cloud. The hairs on my back rise. A wave of neutral energy washes over me. The fog thickens, plasters me, and obscures my vision. I pull Aurora to me, but she feels different. She feels more primal. The fog thins, slithers aside, and I sweep my eyes over my surroundings. I’m sitting at a low table with my wife in my arms. Ravna is sitting next to me in the company of Coyote. We’re on the beach where I took Aurora for my wife.

“What the fuck?” I growl.

Coyote raises his hands. “I can explain.”

“You’d better,” I say. “Or I’ll twist the bitch’s neck.”

Ravna shudders as I draw my wife even closer to me and shelter her with my arms.

“I feel so guilty,” Ravna sobs. “I’m so sorry.”

I stifle the urge to punch her in the face. I’ve never hit a woman, but Ravna might be my first time. “You’re sorry, you bitch?”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” Ravna says.

“I’m gonna reconstruct it,” Coyote says.

“You’re gonna do the fuck what?” I growl. “You can’t reconstruct anything.”

“I can’t listen to Ravna’s hysteria for certain,” Coyote says and grins at me.

“You can’t do this, brother,” I say. “You know this.”

He smoothes a hand over the sand and Ravna holds his hand, guiding him. They draw a few circles with his forefinger. I feel like something is taken off me. Like a delicate veil has slid off my shoulders.

“Done,” Coyote says and grins.

“There’ll be consequences,” I say.

“There’re always consequences,” Coyote says. “Enjoy your marriage, brother.” He threads his fingers through his short brown hair as his amber eyes burn with joy.

“Thank you,” I rasp.

“You’re welcome,” Coyote says. He nods and shows me his thumb up. Blood gushes from his nose. He winces as his arm jerks back and I hear his bone break.

“Fuck,” I growl and jump to him.

He sways and collapses on the sand. Ravna and I lean over him.

“Coyote, darling,” Ravna shrieks.

“I’m fine,” Coyote rasps. He turns his face and spits out blood with a few pieces of his lung.

“You’re not fine,” Ravna says in an informative tone. “Your arm is broken. Your lung has been dissected.” She blinks. “I’m so sorry.”

“It will heal,” Coyote says. He coughs up more blood. “I am healing.”

“We won’t do this again,” Ravna says, panic wavering in her voice. She strokes his head. “I’ll look after you, darling, out the best I can.”

Coyote sits up with my hands supporting him. “I’d rather you did not. And next time, don’t mess with people’s lives, Ravna.”

Ravna sobs. “I won’t, I promise. It’s so difficult to pay attention to such tiny unimportant things. It’s always been about smoothing a wrinkle or a ripple or closing a crack. It’s hard to have such a narrow perspective.” Her voice rises, and she starts talking to herself.

Coyote lays his hand on my shoulder. “Go home.”

“Are you going to be alright?” I ask.

He nods. “I am alright. Go.”

I move closer to Aurora and take her wrist. “Let’s go home.”

Aurora

I don’t know what just happened. Cael just married me, and Ravna came to talk to us. And then Coyote appeared out of nowhere.

Cael wraps his arms around me from behind, his hot mouth on my neck.

“You’re pregnant, you know this?” he murmurs.

“I can’t get pregnant. This voice in my head—“

His palm massages my tummy. “You are pregnant with me.”

“What happened, Cael?”

“Nothing. We just married, and we’re going to have a very happy life together.”

His wings flap, and I see the clubhouse in front of me. One of them walks out of the bar.

“Cael,” he rumbles. “Two fucking years. Are you out of your mind?”

“I just took a wife, Prez,” Cael says.

“I can see,” Prez says. “And she’s tamed, right?”

“Right,” Cael says. “And pregnant.”

Prez grins. “Good job.”

Then the other one walks out. She freezes as her eyes fix on mine. I wiggle out of Cael’s embrace. The other one moves towards me. Her arms wrap around me, and I cringe into myself.

She is hugging me. Greeting me like I’m… important to her.

I thought she would despise me.

“You’re my sister,” she says.

Tears blind me, and I sniffle.

She said I was her sister.

Maybe she didn’t say that and I just imagined her saying that.

“We’ll be sisters and best friends,” she says.

I want her to repeat that, but I’m too scared to ask her.

She kisses my cheek. “Thank you for everything. I’m going to take care of you from now on.”

I should take care of her. This is my job not hers.

“I’ll make you a cup of hot chocolate,” she says.

I feel my mouth water. “Thank you, the other one.”

“Reagan, call me Reagan.”

“Aurora, call me Aurora.”

“You have a beautiful name,” Reagan says. “You’re all beautiful.”

Cael

Two months later.

I haven’t shaved my gob for two months. My wife is throwing up all the fucking time. I’ve been waiting patiently for the opportunity to sink my dick into her, but there has been none. Only her never-ending nausea.

I enter the kitchen and see Gabriel and Reagan. Gabriel is inside his wife as always. At least, he can have a normal sex life, so I’m happy for him. Why would I be envious?

I grab a bottle of beer and exit the kitchen. I climb the stairs and enter my bedroom. The attic and the basement are being renovated for the rest of the boys. Gabriel and I will occupy the manor for the foreseeable future.

Aurora is lying on the bed, her face greyish. A sigh escapes her mouth.

“How are you?” I ask.

“Fine,” she rasps.

“I could heal you.”

“No.”

“It won’t do the baby any harm.”

“No.”

“Why are you so stubborn?”

“You are stubborn.” Aurora rolls over on her other side.

She wants to do everything naturally. Everything. I can’t get it. I could help her. Us.

“I don’t want to argue,” I say.

“So, don’t,” she snaps, hitching up the comforter.

Yes, she’s pregnant and fierce. She’ll protect our baby at all costs.

I open the bottle and take a long pull of beer. “Alright. I can manage for a bit longer.” I put the bottle on the bedside table and lie down beside her. I kiss her shoulder. “It’s just that I miss you.”

I’ve been walking with blue balls since our wedding on the beach. She learned about her pregnancy and freaked out. Everything must be sterile around her. She’s eating loads of veggies and fruits, exercising, and throwing up day and night.

“I want to give you a healthy baby,” Aurora says.

“Kyle will be very healthy, don’t worry.”

“How do you know this? How do you know the baby’s a boy?”

“I just know.”

Only Ravna, Coyote and I know what happened. Everything is as it should be. My wife’s with me, unaware of her reconstructed past.

Aurora sighs. “I just want to do things right.”

Yes, she cooks, cleans, sews, does the laundry. Looks after Regan’s kids. Looks after everyone. Protects everyone in her own unique way. She circles the clubhouse every evening, checking whether there’s no threat lurking in the bushes around it. She put a pinch of dried herbs in every corner of the clubhouse and mumbled some funny spells. They don’t work, but I won’t tell her this. I don’t want to make her feel upset.

“You’re exhausted, Aurora. You need rest.” I cover both of us with the comforter.

She snorts and curls up into a ball.

“Gabriel and Reagan are cooking supper tonight,” I say.

“This is my job,” she squeaks.

“Your job is to look good for me.”

“I’m ugly, I know.”

Fuck. She is challenging. It’s easy for her to hide her supernatural features while around humans, but with me, she’s always my little bat. I love her like this.

“You’re beautiful,” I say. “The most beautiful woman on the face of the earth. I’m dreaming of having you on all fours with those pretty wings of yours spread.” I grunt.

She rolls over to face me. “You think I’m beautiful?”

“You’ll be even more beautiful when I treat your nausea.”

She swallows thickly. “Okay.”

I put my hand on her stomach and push a jolt of my energy into her. She shivers as her face softens.

“Very warm,” she murmurs.

I crawl on top of her. “Very healing, huh?” I ease my weight onto my elbow so as not to squeeze my unborn baby. I slide my fingers under the strap of her top and lower it. Our lips meet, and her little tongue welcomes mine. “Much better, huh?”

“Is the baby fine?”

“He’s fine, Aurora, I promise.”

Aurora

I feel much better. It’s been a nauseating blur so far—a fog that’s been obscuring the truth about my husband and me. Cael’s missed me, and I’ve been selfish.

I wanted to protect my baby, but it seems like I was rejecting my husband over and over again.

I want to be a good wife to him.

I sit up and pull my top over my head, tossing it onto the parquet floor. Cael growls and slides my shorts down. His eyes are burning like a fierce amber flare. He removes his shirt and jeans. His hand travels to my breast, and he strokes it. My nipple hardens at his touch.

I want him so badly.

He bends his neck forward, and his mouth touches my breast. His tongue circles my nipple. My body shivers, and I feel myself getting wet between my thighs. It’s been two months since we were close. A thought hits me hard. He might have found someone else to accommodate his needs.

“Are you faithful to me, Cael?”

I shouldn’t have asked. He took me as his wife, and he provides for me, and protects me. I shouldn’t demand anything else.

He runs his knuckles down my cheek. “I am faithful to you, and I will always be.”

“I thought…”

“You’re my wife. Other women are like trolls to me.”

His confession makes me chuckle.

“You see?” Cael says as he draws my breast fully into his mouth.

I sink my fingers into his hair and bring his lips up to mine. I love his kisses.

I love him so much.

He tumbles me over so I’m on all fours and he spreads my knees with his hand. I feel his hot breath puff on my pussy. It’s pleasantly scorching. Cael runs his tongue up my slit and then up to my tight opening.

“Cael,” I gasp in surprise.

“You just enjoy it.”

His tongue penetrates my pussy as he massages my sensitive point with his thumb.

I feel delirious.

I feel loved and beautiful.

My whole being starts rising. Everything is hot and bubbly. Unbearable.

A jolt of pleasure surges through me.

I shudder and moan my satisfaction. Cael lines his cock up with my entrance and enters me gently.

“Fuck,” he gasps. “So good with you.”

His cock slips in and out, giving me this pleasant fullness. He thrusts into me faster and faster, until his body stiffens and he lets out a primal growl. His come fills me up.

We collapse onto the bed, all sweaty. The smell of our desire hangs heavy in the air.

“I’ve been neglecting you,” I say.

He kisses me on the mouth. “No, you’ve been making me more ravenous for you.”

“I will be a good wife to you.”

“You’re always a good wife to me.”

“I love you, Cael.”

“I love you, little bat.”

“Cael!”

“What?”