Chapter Twelve
THEA
A numbness spread over Thea as Zak and Cam talked. She already knew she was more powerful than most Nephilim, but a dark being? This just got worse and worse. A growing hatred for her mother coiled in her for what she did, for leaving her behind without explaining what she was or how she should navigate this world of angels and demons. She had only just adjusted to the fact that she was a Nephilim, and now she found herself filled with anxious uncertainty that she might be some kind of unholy creature. It burned within her, raking up old hurt and feelings of rejection.
Cam sat next to her on the couch and pulled her onto him. She started, then realized Zak had left. She curled up against Cam, his presence both comforting her and arousing her all at once. The masculine scent of him, the feeling of his hard muscles beneath her, made her body tingle despite her mood. Thea squirmed against him, desperate to get closer. He wrapped one arm around her and gazed at her face, reading her every feature.
“You’re worried,” he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Don’t be.”
“What if I am dark?” she asked, her voice low. “What if I am no longer allowed to enter the Realm? What if I’m given to the demons? What if… what if the League ends up wanting me dead?”
Cam tilted her face toward his, looking her in the eye. “None of that will happen. Nobody is going to hurt you,” he said firmly. “Not while I’m here. I promise you, Thea.”
“You can’t make that promise, Cam.” He hadn’t even known the League’s plans for her.
“I can and I am,” he almost snapped. “No one will hurt you, Thea. Not now, not ever.” That intensity in his eyes burned with a wildness that proclaimed his intentions were true. And could she really doubt his intentions when he had been there for her the whole way through this assignment?
“You’ll always be an angel to me,” he said softly, then brought her face to his for a kiss. “Always.”
Thea kissed him back slowly, allowing herself to fall into the reassuring comfort of his touch. She pulled away chuckling. “I’ve never been an actual angel, Cam.”
“Oh, but you are,” he whispered, slipping his warm hand down her top and brushing her nipple.
A jolt ran over her as he fondled her breast.
“Everything about you is angelic.” He nudged her head with his nose so he could kiss her neck, sending goosebumps along her skin. “Your soft skin. Your gorgeous voice.” He ran his hand further down her top, along her stomach. “Your beautiful eyes.” He licked her neck and she whimpered. “Your wonderful scent.” He ran his hand along her waist and up her back and he continued to whisper in her ear. “And I haven’t even gotten to your luscious little pussy yet.”
Thea reveled in his words, loving the tenderness in his voice and touch. Her whole body was so sensitive him, every move he made, his every breath, every touch. When he kissed her, the sensations thudded through every pore, tingling over her arms, hardening her nipples, causing a swoop of arousal in her stomach.
When he carried her to the bed, he pulled her clothes off slowly, continuing to talk in that deep husky voice she loved. Her anxiety melted away as he told her how sexy she was and how much he loved her sternness, her smile, even parts of her she hated—like the crinkly cellulite between her thighs and the ugly mole on the side of her torso. By the time they were both naked, she was slick between the legs, and her whole body trembled with a deep longing for him infused with a craving for the security he offered.
He climbed onto the bed, sitting in the center and pulling her onto him so she straddled him, her breasts against his chest, his eyes looking down on her. His cock pressed between them, hard against her groin.
“You are my angel,” he said, looking into her eyes. “You make me better.” He lifted her up, guiding her onto his cock. “I need you. And I will always protect you.”
She moaned as his hard shaft slid into her, that tingling sting making her shudder as he filled her up. He wrapped his arms around her, moving her up and down on him as she rested her forearms on his shoulders.
“Even those sounds you make.” He placed his forehead on hers and he pumped into her slowly. “Perfection.”
She ground her hips into him, and he moaned. “And the way you move on my cock, Elithea. It’s so exquisite.”
He kept a steady rhythm, somehow knowing she needed to revel in the feel of him, somehow knowing she needed the slow build this time.
“I could never do without you, Cam,” she said, staring into those beautiful gray eyes, her pleasure building.
“And you never will. I will always look after you.”
Wrapped up in him, his cock sliding against the delicious spots inside her, his arms around her, his eyes looking deep into her own; she felt safe and protected. He had made her feel that way, even with everything that was going on. “I love you, my mate,” she murmured, as she finally opened herself to him, allowing his attentions to melt away her barriers.
He broke into a smile so stunning, her desire for him overwhelmed her, causing the shattering cascade of her climax.
Afterward, they lay on the bed, Cam laying his head on her belly. She stroked his hair, running her fingers through it, her whole body relaxed. Satisfaction and contentment hummed through her, but she couldn’t help wondering if this was the last time she’d ever get to make love to him. Although he had every intention of not letting anything happen to her, not everything was within his control.
“Do you think—?” She abruptly stopped, not wanting to spoil the moment. There was only so much he could reassure her.
Cam looked up at her face, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek. “Nothing is going to happen to you, Thea,” he said softly. “I don’t think the Dominion League actually think you are a threat.”
Thea frowned. “Why?”
“They wouldn’t be training you and encouraging you to improve your abilities if they thought you were dangerous. You can’t be that much of a threat to them if they’re making you more powerful. Stop worrying until you know more.”
That made sense. Thea breathed out an unsteady sigh of relief. As she lay stroking Cam’s head, she decided that Zak was right. The best thing to do would be to find out when she was conceived and deal with whatever that information brought with it.
She noticed Cam still staring up at her.
“You think about things a lot, Thea.”
She smiled. “I know. I always overthink when I’m worried or stressed about something. I try to keep myself busy when that happens.”
“It’s not healthy. At some point, you have to let your mind rest.”
“I can’t help it.” A silence grew between them for a long moment, before she said, “What if they keep us apart? They definitely won’t let you mate with me if I’m not even a half-angel.”
He stilled. Maybe he hadn’t considered that. He rose up onto his hands, looming over her with a stormy expression. “No one will keep me away from you, Thea,” he said, in a tone that brooked no argument. “No one. I will fucking destroy anyone that tries.”
She shivered at the intensity of his gaze, the promise in his tone, the growl in his voice.
“Now.” He spread her legs and ran his fingers up her stomach to her breasts. “If you need to be kept busy, I can help you with that.” He lowered down between her legs, squeezing her breasts, his eyes still on her.
This time their lovemaking was wild and rough, with Cam encouraging her to command what she wanted until she was growling at him to fuck her hard. In her moment of bliss, with Cam pressing her head into the bed, her ass high in the air as he pounded into her pussy, her worry wasn’t even a distant memory—it didn’t exist.
As she sunk into a deep sleep in his arms, Cam was all she could think about and she knew he would make sure everything would be all right. She trusted him.
***
The next eight months in the human world were monotonous but felt more productive. Cam’s Power friends had done most of the groundwork, finding the correct location of many of the charges they had yet to visit. They used the portals to travel to China, Poland, Canada, The Gambia, Australia, Scotland, Kenya, Pakistan and England. Thea was amazed at how different the cities, climate, and people were, and everywhere they went, Cam had an apartment for them.
Some of Thea’s mother’s charges did remember her vaguely, but weren’t able to give them any further information. Still, Thea wasn’t as worried as she first was. Cam’s declaration to look after her made her feel safe and hopeful. She called Amber every month that passed and they caught up about things that had happened since their last chat. Thea was actually able to tell her about some of the amazing places she visited and Amber was progressing steadily in her job. Thea regretted she wasn’t there to celebrate with her.
Eventually, they came across a charge that was truly helpful. She was a thirty-year-old Nephilim called Olivia working as a demon-hunter in Argentina.
Cam had explained that the energy caused by angel and demon fights repelled humans; they simply felt a need to move away from the vicinity. So when they saw a number of people turning away from entering a walkway behind a theater in the center of Buenos Aires, they guessed a fight was taking place.
They stayed out of the way and watched Olivia vanquish a Spectra. When they approached she backed away, adopting a fighting stance. Her auburn hair was tied back into a neat bun and her face was hard. She spoke in French, raising her voice in alarm, but Thea couldn’t understand her.
Thea slowed and raised her hands. “We’re not here to hurt you.” She shifted into her angel-form, its rushing energy encasing her. The woman’s face widened, her stance relaxing.
“What are you?” Olivia breathed.
“I’m a Nephilim, like you,” Thea said.
The woman shook her head. “You’re not like me. I don’t have an angel-form.”
“I didn’t realize I had one for a while,” Thea said, shifting back. “I wanted to know if you could tell me anything about my mother.”
Olivia frowned and spoke again in French.
“Sorry, I don’t speak French,” Thea explained. “Can you keep speaking in English?”
“Thea, you need to be in your angel-form to understand her,” Cam said, from her side. “She said you look just like her guardian. I think she means your mother.”
Thea shifted. “You knew my mother?”
“Yes, I suppose so. You look too alike to be anyone other than her daughter.” She looked between Thea and Cam. “I need to head back to get an assignment, but we can talk on the way.”
She led them out from behind the theater and along a busy street filled with cafes and restaurants. “What happened to her?” Olivia asked.
“What do you mean?” Cam said.
“I last saw her when I was nine.”
“What happened when you last met?” Cam asked. “Did she seem different in any way?”
They threaded through knots of people drinking outside of a restaurant. “Yes,” Olivia said slowly. “She seemed distracted, worried. She was normally always calm and serene and made me feel safe. But that last time, she was on edge.”
Thea drew a little breath. Finally, someone who knew something. “Do you know why?”
“No. She never spoke about herself.” Olivia glanced at Thea. “What happened to her?”
“I don’t know,” Thea said. “I’m trying to find out.”
“What was she like guiding you?” Cam asked.
“Great,” Olivia said. “Your mother was good for me. She helped me through some things… some difficult situations and terrible family issues. I grew up in Luxembourg and there aren’t many Nephilim there. My father rarely visited us and my mother was tightly controlled by her family, who had a lot of money and high social standing. So when I kept insisting I was seeing strange things… many harrowing things happened. I don’t know if I could’ve gotten through it without her.”
Thea nodded, but a shot of annoyance burned through her. So her mother could help others with their family issues, yet she was the cause of so many problems for her own daughter.
“It got so bad once, she actually helped me psychologically,” Olivia continued, turning into a large square. “Before I met her, I thought I’d never be able to deal with what happened to me, but she softened my memory a few times and I was able to process it.”
“What do you mean she softened your memory?” Thea asked.
“She was good at doing stuff like that from what I remember,” Olivia said, as she arrived at a small hub of other angels who looked at Thea and Cam with interest. “I asked her once and she said she could go into people’s minds and treat them somehow. I don’t know exactly how it worked, but I’m sure all Archangels can do it.”
Thea smiled at her. “Thanks for answering our questions. I wish you all the best.”
Olivia smiled and bid them goodbye.
Thea sighed as she and Cam headed back the way they came. “She’s been the only one to remember my mom so clearly, but I’m not sure how much she helped.”
Cam stopped on the sidewalk and turned her toward him. “She helped enormously, Thea.”
“She did?”
“If your mother was so skilled at memory manipulation, she probably made most of her charges forget her. Maybe she didn’t make Olivia forget her because she was young or she had already been in her mind.” He paused, watched Thea closely. “And she probably manipulated your father’s memories. That could be why he can’t remember her much or why he has memory problems.”
Horror rose in Thea so violently she couldn’t speak. Her mother caused her father’s mental issues? She sucked in a breath. Why would she? That meant that not only had her mother abandoned her, but she’d also left Thea alone with her father even after she destroyed his mind. A whirl of mixed emotions shuddered through her and she couldn’t find her voice.
Cam pulled her close and she leaned against him, not sure what to even say. They stayed that way for a moment, Thea listening to the steady thud of his heart.
“Your father could be holding onto a great amount of information about her,” Cam said, softly. “But he might not be able to communicate it.”
“What if he’s just forgotten her?” Thea asked, her voice a whisper. “Forgotten everything about her and their time together?”
“No, I think she did something different to your father,” Cam said, thoughtfully. “She managed to get her charges to forget her and still function normally, but your father was left with lingering issues. I think it’s worth exploring if there’s anything he can remember.”
“Okay,” Thea breathed. “That makes sense. What now?”
Cam kissed her forehead and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Let’s talk to Zak,” he said. “He might have an idea.”
Thea nodded. Zak had a warm and calm presence but was also sensible, matter-of-fact and experienced. They headed back to the Angel Realm and Thea hoped he would have an answer for them.