SERENITY

I reached for Mason, but Armaros stopped me and gave his head a slight shake. “He may hurt you.”

“He—” I pointed down at a shaking Mason. “—is my mate!”

Armaros stumbled back and shook his dark hair; pieces of red lit up the tips. “That is impossible, you’re a…” He made a disgusted face like I was beneath him. “…a vampire.”

“Thank you, I wasn’t aware,” I said sarcastically.

“No,” Armaros whispered, “you don’t understand. What you are saying is… it is impossible!” He knelt by Mason and then offered him a hand. Each of the men were huge, from their black and red hair, to the worn jeans and shirts that looked way too small on them. Jackets covered their muscles, and tattoos lined their arms.

The tattoos that peeked out from Armaros’ arms were angelic markings in an ancient tongue few understood or dared speak aloud for fear they would be struck dead.

“I love her,” Mason’s gruff voice sounded. “She is my mate. She is the reason this happened to me!” He gripped his hair and looked down at his massive body as if it wasn’t incredible. A gift from The Creator for sure.

He had been beautiful before; his eyes had always held a certain fierceness, a deep-rooted sadness.

But now? Now he looked glorious.

“Angels do not mate with humans or immortals,” Armaros said in a deadpan voice. “What you have done will get you killed.”

A sudden chill filled the air as Stephanie stepped through the giant men and winked. “Maybe tell that to Cassius then.”

And like a bomb hitting the ground, Cassius landed between them in perfect movie-star fashion, his purple wings spread wide, nearly taking out a few of the men before he tucked them back and stood.

“Cassius,” Armaros spat.

“Saved your ass.” Stephanie said through clenched teeth. “Or is your memory that crappy? If it hadn’t been for us, all of you would still be chained to a damn wall getting bled to death by your brother!”

“Do you think this is any better!” Armaros shouted. “We have no purpose! We wander the earth as prisoners still! There may not be a wall, but, my friend, I am still very much chained!”

Cassius sighed and shared a look with Mason before addressing Armaros. “The balance between creation and the humans must be restored. Every second of the day you choose to wander instead of returning to the planes you guarded is another day of chaos! Earthquakes, hurricanes, death, destruction. The universe is not balanced!” Cassius’ voice shook the house. “And that is on you!”

“We,” Armaros sneered, “do not report to The Creator anymore, or have you forgotten? The way that He has?”

“He never forgets,” Cassius whispers. “It’s how He forces us to learn.”

“For thousands of years?”

“Not my fault you’re stubborn.” Cassius grinned.

Armaros looked ready to kill him.

“You could try,” Cassius said through clenched teeth.

“What promise can you give us that The Creator will return us to our rightful place?” he asked calmly.

“I can’t.” Cassius shrugged. “It’s called faith.”

Armaros moved like he’d been struck while the rest of the brothers began whispering amongst themselves.

“By all means, take your time,” Cassius said under his breath.

Armaros shared a look with Mason that looked skeptical. It held… a challenge.

“The wolf has Gadreel’s body. He has his memories. He does not have his personality.”

“Thank you,” Mason grumbled.

“I wasn’t complimenting you.” Armaros lifted a shoulder while Mason looked ready to rip his head off. “It has been since the beginning of time that the angels have united with immortals without war, without evil.”

“Yes,” Cassius agreed, his eyes searching Armaros, “you’re correct.”

“A truce… between all of us.” He looked to Mason. “But I want a link to the wolves.”

Mason’s eyes widened as if he’d just asked for his head. “But that’s—”

Cassius held up his hand. “You want the connection to the Heavens they provide?”

A single nod. “I want the music. I want the taste of the words on my tongue. Link us to the wolves, and we’ll return to our planes.”

Cassius sighed and looked straight at Mason. “You’ll have to ask their rightful king.”

And then Cassius did the strangest thing I’d ever see an angel do. He took a knee right in front of Mason and held his hands high.

Mason jerked back against me, as if he wasn’t ready.

Words like undeserving.

The Creator will not communicate with me.

I can’t do this.

Lost my mate.

Lost everything.

Lost everything. Can’t lose her too.

I gripped his hand and squeezed.

And slowly, one by one, the Watchers bent a knee in the same way.

“Why are they bowing?” I whispered.

Mason sighed. “Because the only way for them to honor The Creator without the link to the Heavens is to do it through the one who was created by the palm of His hands.”