The smell was the first thing that struck him. A smell that brought to life the living nightmares of his past.

But he’d been wrong about one thing. There was no delay. He felt it straight away. The angel brand on his face, the safeguard that prevented a knight from entering Hell, was doing what it was meant to. If they became fully possessed by their demon and tried to return to Hell, they could be used as a weapon against mankind, against their brothers. That was something the angels could not allow.

He was slipping away as he stood there.

Without warning, his knees gave out and he hit the rough stone hard enough to rattle his teeth. Helena dropped to his side. “What are you doing? Stand, damn you.”

He pointed to his face, to the brand Silas had given him all those years ago. “This isn’t a claim of ownership. This is what will free me from you.”

She reared back as if he’d slapped her, shaking her head. “No.”

The realization that this was it hit him like a wrecking ball to the chest. Their planning had been for nothing. No way could he get back through the portal. He could barely fucking blink, let alone get to his feet and fight his way back out. His vocal cords protested, but he forced out the words. “Thanks to Mia, I know what it is to be loved. And I would rather die happy, holding onto the memory of that, of her, than live another minute with you.”

Pain flashed across her dark eyes in a rare glimpse of vulnerability, but then she fisted his hair and tugged hard. “I can’t do this without you. I order you to get up, Zenon. Now.”

He chuckled, a mirthless rasp that managed to hold several lifetimes of contempt for the female kneeling in front of him. “I hope you suffer before you die.”

“Oh, she will.” Diemos stepped from the shadows. “You’ve come home, Helena. How nice to see you again.”

Helena stumbled to her feet. Zenon could see she was trying to use her powers, but each attempt was met with failure. She scrambled back. “No, this can’t be.”

“You’re not the only one who’s grown stronger.” Diemos lifted his hand and Helena moved toward him like a puppet on a string. She tried to fight as several Orthon demons moved toward her, but her powers were no match for Diemos.

“Zenon!” she screamed as the demons took hold of her.

Zenon ignored her, refused to look at her as they carried her away to her new prison.

The light show that started up around them meant the portal was moments from closing. He squeezed his eyes closed and pictured Mia, love shining in her pale blue eyes. This place would not be the last thing he saw before he died.

His organs began to shut down one by one, his limbs growing heavy, like a great weight had been draped over his body.

“Do you enjoy soaring through the clouds, my son?” Zenon forced his eyes open at the sound of Diemos’s voice.

Crouched in front of him, the new demon king of Hell watched him closely. Lifting long slender fingers, he slipped them down the buttons of his shirt, opening them one by one, revealing his bare chest. His skin was smooth, so pale Zenon could see the blue veins running beneath. He slipped it off his shoulders and turned. The stubby remains of what would have once been wings protruded from his back. When Diemos turned back to face him, he smiled. “Now you know why I crave the light.”

Diemos was a fallen angel.

He crouched down and ran a cold finger down the side of Zenon’s face, and for the first time Zenon looked into Diemos’s eyes. Yellow, like his.

No.

The way Diemos studied him so intently, like he could see right through him, made his skin crawl, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that he couldn’t fucking move he’d have pulled away.

“It’s why I could never claim you as my child. As a babe you didn’t have the ability to conceal that part of you.” He shrugged. “No one here can know what I am. The only angel tolerated in Hell was my father. They would have come after me if they knew what I was. You know that, don’t you, son?”

“Lucifer’s your father?” Zenon choked.

“I concealed you from him like he concealed me from the demons who worshipped him. I was a disappointment, you see. He hated that I had wings when his had been taken. That’s why he took mine. He wanted another son, so I knew if he found out about you he’d cast me aside.” Hatred transformed Diemos’s face. “He’d want you and not me at his side. I waited, bided my time. I told him about you when Helena left with you. Your grandfather went after you. And I took a chance. Warded the portal, took my place on the throne.” He slid his fingers down the side of Zenon’s face. “I must thank you for that.”

Zenon couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Diemos had stood back, watched him be tortured, degraded. More than once he’d dished out the punishments himself, had enjoyed every moment of the pain he’d inflicted, and all the while the bastard had known—known Zenon was his son.

“Flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood.” Diemos’s dark gaze traveled over him. “We are enemies now, you and I. But I will let you go.”

He smiled in a way that made Zenon’s skin crawl. “I plan on taking Earth as soon as I can figure out how to kill my father. He is my only real obstacle.” His pupils turned midnight. “Who knows? One day I may have use of you again.”

A pop and a flash of light filled the cavern, indicating their time was up—the portal was about to close. Diemos stood, taking Zenon’s limp body with him, and dragged him the short distance to the opening.

“You were no mistake, my son,” Diemos whispered darkly against his ear then shoved him through the hell’s gate.

Zenon hit the ground hard. Blinking, he got an eyeful of red brick wall, and the smell of the city burned a path into his lungs. Lungs that were struggling to draw breath. He gasped several times, but it was no good. It was too late.

Darkness descended.

Then there was no more pain.

Mia sat wrapped in a blanket, staring at the television in front of her, but had no idea what was on. All she could see was Zenon, the way he’d looked when she was carried away.

She didn’t know if he was alive or dead. All she knew for sure was he had been suffering, could still be suffering. She couldn’t help him, and no one would do anything. Chaos refused to go in and get him out of there, wouldn’t even talk about it with her—none of the knights would.

Eve told her to have faith. In what? No one was doing anything.

To make matters worse, she had a constant guard on her so she couldn’t leave the compound. James followed her around like a shadow, casting her sympathetic looks and trying to distract her.

“You want to watch something else?”

She looked away from the television. James sat beside her, holding the TV remote. She shook her head. “I think I’ll go to bed.” Where she could smell Zenon’s scent in the sheets and imagine he’d he home any minute, imagine he was there with her.

“You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.” She shrugged off the blanket and tried to stand, but James grabbed her arm.

“Mia, you haven’t eaten in days. You look like shit. You want to be on death’s door when your mate comes home?”

She stilled. “Is he?”

He shook his head. “I wish I knew. I hope so, for both your sakes. My guess, there’s more going on than you and I know. Those guys never do anything without good reason, and it has to be something huge to stop them going in after one of their brothers.”

“I can’t take much more of this, James. Knowing he’s with that monster. What if she’s already taken him back to Hell? What if I never see him again?”

“Tonight’s the equinox. If it’s happening, it’s happening tonight.”

Mia started toward the door, but James was in front of her, blocking her escape before she touched the handle. “I have to go to him. Please, let me go.”

James pulled her into him and wrapped her in his arms. “I know this is hard, Mia. But you’ll only get in the way. You want him to come home safe. Getting in the way and distracting them isn’t going to help him.”

He was right, she knew he was, but it did little to stop her desire to get to him. She nodded against his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt. “Goddammit.”

“Come on, come back and sit down. I’ll make you dinner.”

After she’d eaten, James pulled her into his side and ordered her to close her eyes. Not only had she not been eating, she’d barely slept.

Somehow she must have managed to drift off to sleep, because she woke to a loud bang and a string of curses from James. Mia shot to her feet and nearly fell to the floor with a mixture of relief and abject horror. Chaos and Rocco carried Zenon in. He was limp in their arms.

They lay him on the couch and stepped back.

“What’s wrong with him?”

The look in Chaos’s eyes was haunted, a mix of pure rage and soul-destroying agony. “He’s dying.”

Pain sliced through her, and she dropped to her knees beside him. She touched his forehead, his dry lips. He was cold to the touch and his skin was a sickly gray. Resting her hand on his bare chest, she felt the slow, erratic beat of his heart. He didn’t move. “No. This can’t be happening. You were supposed to save him. Why didn’t you save him?”

“I’m so sorry, Mia,” Rocco choked beside her. “There was nothing we could do.”

The other knights moved in and gathered around them. They were all grief stricken, straight from a fight, and covered in blood, clothes torn. A couple were wounded badly, but no one moved. They stood there looking as helpless as Mia felt.

The grief that tore through her in that moment was an agony she never knew existed, a weight that was so crushing she could barely breathe, knives so sharp she felt sliced to shreds, and she cried out from the enormity of it.

This couldn’t be happening.

They’d just found each other.

Zenon was meant for her and she for him. How would she live without him? How would she go on without her beautiful, broken warrior by her side? Resting her head on his chest, she threaded her fingers with his and laid the other on his stomach. The beats against her cheek slowed further and she whimpered. No, please no.

She didn’t hear anything else; her sole focus was on that slowing beat.

Then it stopped.

“No. No, no, no.” She held his face in her hands. “Zenon. Please come back to me. Don’t go.” She shook his shoulders. Her sobs made it hard to draw breath and she gasped for air.

Someone pulled her roughly into their arms and held her. “He’s gone, Mia. He’s gone.”

She fought until they let her go, and she crawled onto the couch with his still body, wrapping herself around him protectively. No one was taking him, not yet. Not yet.

“Fuck, this is killing me. What do we do?” It was Lazarus, and she could hear the grief in his voice.

“Leave her with him,” Chaos choked out.

The pain in her chest throbbed. Pain over losing the male she loved, and anger over what he had suffered. It filled her until it became unbearable, heating her from the inside out. Unable to contain it, she released it, all of it. All the pent-up rage and grief swirling inside her. There was a sound of scrambling feet and cursing. Furniture being knocked over. But she couldn’t stop, was too far gone.

Scalding wind whipped around her, lifting her hair and tugging at her clothes. Still she didn’t try to rein it in. She lost herself to it. Let the energy fly from the tips of her fingers, hoping she’d burn into nothingness. Disappear.

She didn’t want to be here, not without Zenon.

Someone shouted her name.

She squeezed her eyes closed and poured everything out of her until there was nothing left, until she had drained every last bit of her power. She sagged against Zenon’s still form.

“Mia, Christ. Are you all right?” Rocco said from close by.

She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “I’m still here.”

“Zenon wouldn’t want this…”

Thump.

Rocco’s words drifted into the background.

Thump.

She moved higher and placed her fingers loosely over his cracked lips. Warmth rushed across her skin.

“Mia?” Lazarus said.

“He’s breathing,” she whispered, scrambling off him to give him space.

Rocco bent down and put his ear to Zenon’s chest. “Shit. She’s right.”

James came up beside them. “You were glowing.”

She tore her gaze away from Zenon. “What?”

“Lit up like the freakin’ fourth of July. That energy you give him, you just fired a whole hell of a lot into him. I think it…I think you healed him.”

Zenon wheezed in a deep breath, and she fell back to her knees beside him. “Zenon?”

His eyelids fluttered open, yellow irises finding and focusing on her, and he smiled. A wide grin that spread across his beautiful face. “Mia,” he rasped then he closed his eyes again, this time to sleep.

Mia dropped her head into her hands and cried, but this time they were happy tears.

Zenon leaned over the bed and kissed Mia’s soft, warm lips. She wiggled and released a breathy sigh, but was still out cold. Healing him had hit her hard, and she’d been out for hours.

Reluctant to leave, he tucked the covers around her and watched her sleep for several more minutes. She’d lost weight, and her thick lashes didn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes.

His beautiful female was as fragile as any human. And he planned on spending however many years they had together, taking care of her, making sure she knew how much he loved and cherished her.

Another wave of emotion washed over him.

I’m free.

He still couldn’t believe it. And it was all thanks to the precious female in his bed. He owed her everything.

The pull came again. Someone wanted to talk to him and he’d kept him waiting long enough. He reluctantly left his apartment and made his way to the control room then out onto the balcony.

Silas stood looking beyond the barren land behind the compound and into the muted glow of the setting sun. “I didn’t know if you’d come,” he said.

Zenon moved up beside him. “You knew.”

His big shoulders lifted, causing his golden wings to shift, the feathers dancing in the breeze. “Yes.”

“When did you find out? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He turned, face half concealed in shadow, but still Zenon could see the strain etched into his features. “Your arm.” He pointed to the set of markings each knight was born with, telling the story of where they came from, what they were. “That is the mark of Lucifer’s bloodline on your skin. When I saw it, I knew. As for why I didn’t tell you, you weren’t ready. You had enough to deal with without adding to it.”

“What happens now?”

“We make sure Diemos stays in Hell.”

“That easy, huh?”

A grin tugged at Silas’s lips. “Sure.”

“What about Lucifer?”

“You have nothing to fear from him. Besides, he has his own problems to deal with,” he said cryptically.

You were no mistake. Diemos’s words drifted through his mind, and he resisted the shiver that moved through him. “I hope you’re right. For everyone’s sakes.”

“Me, too.”

Zenon watched him carefully. “You don’t know?”

Silas ran a hand over his face, and for the first time in all the years he’d known him, the other male looked tired, exhausted. Worried. “Things can change. The path isn’t set in stone.”

“Jesus.”

“No. Just an angel.”

Silence stretched out. Zenon finally broke it. “Thank you, Silas.”

His brows lifted. “For what?”

“For forcing me into this new life, even if I fought you all the way.”

Silas smiled. “You were worth it, Zenon.”

Ah, shit. A lump formed in the back of his throat. “That part of my life…before, will always be there, yanno, trying to drag me down. The shame.” He shook his head when Silas opened his mouth to speak. “Yeah, it’ll haunt me for the rest of my life. I know that, but with Mia by my side, I know I can fight back the nightmares.”

“That you can, my son.” They were the same words Diemos had used, but coming from Silas they meant something, meant so much. The other male took a step back. “Now, go to her. It’s time you claimed your mate.”

“I can’t. We—”

“You’re free, Zenon. Go to her.” The angel extended his wings and took to the sky.

Was it possible?

Zenon walked back through the control room, and as he entered the hall, broke into a jog. Too impatient to wait for the elevator, he jumped the flight of stairs to the lower level and didn’t slow until he reached his apartment. As he opened the door, Mia walked out of the bedroom. A smile lit up her face when she saw him. How did this happen? How did he get so fucking lucky?

“You’re back. I missed you.” Her smile faltered when she took in his expression, and a small gasp slipped past her lips, not missing the need in his eyes.

“You okay?” he rasped.

“Good as new.”

Reaching back, he pulled his shirt over his head and continued toward her. “I need you, Mia.” He didn’t slow, lifted her off the ground, and carried her back into the bedroom. There was no time for finesse. All he wanted was his female naked, wanted deep inside her.

Standing her on her feet, he pulled the T-shirt she wore over her head then took her mouth, kissing her hard and urgent.

“Is everything all right?” she whispered, clutching his shoulders.

“No. I’m not inside you,” he growled against the soft silk of her hair.

Her fingers trailed down his chest, over his abs to unzip his jeans, and her bare breasts brushed his stomach. She rested her forehead against his heart, and they both trembled when she took his cock in her hands and began to work his straining flesh. “I need you, too.”

He needed her touch, craved it. “Are you ready for me, princess? I don’t think I can wait.” He cupped her sex, sliding a finger through her cleft, and groaned when he felt how wet she was for him.

Releasing him, she stepped back and climbed onto the bed, lying back on the rumpled sheets. Zenon stalked her and covered her lush curves. She opened for him, wrapping her legs around his waist. “Please.” It was all she said, all she needed to say.

Zenon pushed inside the wet heat of her body, and they both moaned. They’d been apart too long and there was no way he could take this slow. He jerked back his hips and slammed forward. Taking her mouth in an almost brutal kiss, he let sensation take over. Mia thrust a hand in his hair, kissing him just as fiercely. Her other hand gripped his ass, egging him on, asking for more without words. He gave it to her. He was lost to the desperate need he had for her, and she was right there with him.

And then it appeared, that silvery thread he thought had vanished forever, the connection that would link them together for eternity.

“It’s there,” he gasped out. “It’s back. I see it.”

A sob broke past Mia’s lips. “It’s there?”

He looked down at her, choking on the emotions clogging his throat, and nodded. “You ready?” he rasped.

Her arms tightened around him and he stared into her beautiful eyes welling with tears.

“Take it,” she said. “Make me yours.”

He grabbed on, held on tight. Mia cried out, digging her nails into his skin as she came.

No, there were no words for what he felt in that moment, and there never would be. Nothing existed that could describe something that was this perfect, this pure. Every part of him was alive. It was Mia, she made him feel this way, and when he looked back down at her he knew she felt it, too. That he did that for her as well.

Thrusting into her one last time, burying himself to the hilt, he held her to him and came hard, filling her, claiming her as his mate. The primal sound that left him was raw, untamed, staking his claim over the female beneath him.

He pressed his face against her throat and breathed in her scent while he tried to slow the beating of his heart. “You’re mine now, Mia. I’ll never let you go. I can’t.”

She ran her hands up his back, threaded her fingers in the hair at his nape, and massaged gently. “And you are mine.” She pressed a kiss to his temple. “If you ever tried to let me go, I’d just follow.”

“Jesus. I love you.” Lifting up, he kissed her.

“I love you, too.”

He pulled out a little and slid back inside her, loving the way her lips parted, her gasp puffing across his skin. He grinned. “I don’t plan on letting you out of this bed for a while.” He continued to move in slow, measured thrusts, torturing them both.

Her face flushed and she tightened her arms around his shoulders. “If you tried to get out right now, I’d tackle you to the floor.”

He laughed, and her eyes turned liquid. “What is it?”

She sniffed and smiled up at him. “I love hearing you laugh. I’ll never tire of hearing it.”

No words existed that could express what she did to him when she talked like that. So he leaned in and kissed her deep, pouring every bit of emotion he felt into it, swallowing her moans while running his thumbs across her smooth skin, wiping away her tears.

“I love you, too,” she whispered against his lips when he finally let her up for air.

“Damn, female, I’m trying to go slow here, but with you talking to me all sweet like that…”

Mia quirked a brow. “And that’s a problem?”

Zenon couldn’t help it. He threw back his head and laughed again. When he finally pulled his shit together enough to stop, and after taking his time kissing her again, he tortured them both and made love to his mate slowly.