Reese

“Who is Selah?” I ask. Galen has been muttering the name over and over as we walk through the fields surrounding his cottage. The night sky is clear, but there’s a bit of chill in the air, and I shiver as I wait for him to answer.

He turns his gaze on me, confused. “What?”

“You keep saying it.”

Shaking his head, he frowns. “I’ve no clue what you’re talking about, a ghra. I haven’t said a word.”

Deciding to leave it alone, my thoughts turn to Sariel. He’s still coming through in bits and pieces. I know we’ll need to let him feed sooner rather than later, and though it’s been a week since he saved me and went away, I wonder when he’ll come calling.

“Galen,” I start, halting my steps and pressing my hand over his heart. “We need to talk about Sariel.”

His brows pull together. “Why?”

“He’s going to be with you a lot longer than I am.”

Stepping away from me, he looks across the field, his jaw tense.

“You know it’s true. I don’t want to be a vampire.”

“And I don’t want that for you either. But we have a lifetime left together,” he counters.

“Exactly, only my lifetime. You’ll never die.”

Turning his blazing stare on me, he sighs. “Do you honestly think I’ll go on after you?”

I gasp, unable to contain my shock. “You’re damn right I do. One day this little baby will be grown, and he’ll have a family, and those children will have children. You’d better protect them beyond everything else in your world.”

He tears his gaze from me and focuses on our hands, now linked tightly. “You’re my heart. I won’t be able to survive without you.”

I shake my head, putting my foot down. “Nope. Uh-uh, you don’t get to spout flowery crap at me as a way to justify killing yourself. Besides, you heard what Sariel said. Your soul is in purgatory, waiting to be judged. You think God is going to let you into Heaven if you kill yourself? Unlikely.”

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Heaven exists, and there’s no way I want to be there if Galen can’t be with me.

Gripping the back of his neck with one hand, he walks a few paces away from me. I can see he’s warring with his emotions. “So, what do you want me to do, then? Let him take over after you’re … gone? Let this body love another woman?”

The thought makes me sick, but then I remember the sadness Sariel carries. “Yes. You have to give him that. He could have forced you back, destroyed you. Instead, he’s conceded so we can be together.”

He won’t look at me, but I can tell he’s mulling it over. He just needs time, and I can only hope we have it to give. Holding out my hand, I wait for him to link our fingers again. Eventually, the coolness of his palm meets my warmth, and we walk in silence.

Andrea and Devin have been gone, searching for traces of Gadriel or Azazel while Galen keeps me safe from within the walls of his cottage. I’m still at a loss for how we can possibly defeat them, but Andrea says she has a plan. At this point, all I can do is trust.

A stranger is standing in the kitchen when we walk through the door. Galen tenses and immediately places me behind him, his posture hostile.

“Who the fuck are you?” he growls.

The man turns to us, his lips quirked in a cocky grin as he scoops a spoonful of peanut butter from the jar. We watch dumbstruck while he eats, licking the spoon clean and tossing it in the sink. He’s dressed in leathers from head to foot, like he’s part of a motorcycle gang, but his chiseled jaw and cheekbones, they’re the stuff of Renaissance art.

“Where’s Sariel?” the man asks.

Galen pushes us back a step. “He’s out at the moment. Can I give him a message?”

The man saunters over to us, that smirk still on his lips. “Let him out to play. Our Father sent me.”

My heart stutters. Is he a Watcher? That wouldn’t make sense. “W-who are you?” I stammer.

“I am the angel Gabriel. Messenger of God.”

“Shit,” I breathe. “Holy shit.”

Galen tenses in front of me as I wrap my arms protectively around his waist. “It’s okay, a ghra.”

I step away from the shield of Galen’s body and walk toward Gabriel. He won’t hurt me. I can feel the comfort surrounding him. “What do you want with Sariel?”

“I need to talk to him. I told you.”

“Are you going to hurt him?”

A laugh escapes him. “Why would I do that? I’m not here to smite anyone. I am a messenger. Besides, our Father has already dealt him his punishment.”

Hearing Galen suck in a sharp breath, I turn to him. Sariel’s eyes burn bright, as if being near Gabriel gives him strength.

“Brother,” Sariel says.

“Sariel.”

I watch in awe as the two angels embrace. I’m so used to fleeing the fallen, and now here we are, a happy freaking family.

“Okay, hang on. What’s this about? How did you find us?” I interject.

Gabriel hits me with the full force of his gaze. “We’ve been watching since you woke Sariel.”

My skin prickles with embarrassment. “You have?”

Laughing, he waves away my horror. “We haven’t been watching that closely, Reese.”

“Sariel, we know you’re trying to find your soul mate. I’m here to tell you that she’s on this earth. If you find her, you’ll be allowed to stay.”

Shoulders trembling, Sariel glances from me to the angel. “I … I will?”

Gabriel holds up a single hand. “On one condition.”

Sariel nods.

“You have to join the fight against the Watchers rather than continue to run from them.”

“Fine. Yes. Anything to let me have her.” He’s eager, his tone tense and earnest.

Blazing platinum irises trained on me, Gabriel’s tone turns serious. “But your vessel will suffer.”

I take a step forward, heart hammering. “What does that mean? You’re not hurting Galen.”

“Sariel doesn’t have a body. He has to live on in a willing host.”

“I doubt Galen was willing when Sariel took up residence the first time.”

“True. But, this is where he is. Until he chooses to find a new vessel, your Galen will have to work with us as well.”

Knees suddenly weak, I sink onto the couch. “So this means we’ll never be safe from the Watchers. Galen will always be in danger. I’ll be in danger.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Gabriel nods. “I’m sorry. Think of it as a sacrifice for the greater good. We can’t let the fallen back into Heaven. They spurned God for their own pleasure, most of them only giving in to lust. Sariel and a handful of others found true soul mates. The rest defiled our Father’s creations. Taking on Heaven means triggering the end of days.”

I know this isn’t my decision, but right now I want to say screw the greater good and watch the world burn as long as I have Galen with me. Gabriel lays a hand on my shoulder, and a calming warmth spreads over my body. His eyes, a brighter silver than Sariel’s, stare into my soul.

“God has favored you and shown you your truest love. Most people never find that. Be grateful and know that your hearts will always be connected.”

A tear slips down my cheek. I’m powerless. I can’t stop this from happening. If God calls, you answer.

Standing in front of Sariel, the messenger of God thrusts his hands in his pockets. “Tomorrow I’ll return for you, brother. Let Galen say his good-byes.”

Sariel nods, and with a brilliant flash of light, Gabriel vanishes.

* * *

Galen

I’ve just been handed over like a hostage. Sariel has buried himself in the recesses of my consciousness as I use the little time I have left to soak up as much of Reese as I can. The hours close in on me, making my chest constrict as I think of all the moments that will be lost to daylight.

“Galen,” Reese murmurs.

We’ve been lying together in bed, skin to skin, just holding one another in the quiet. “Yes, a ghra.”

“What does that mean?”

I turn on my side. I need to see her. She’s so beautiful, her long hair spread across the pillow, her lips swollen from kissing me.

“It means my love.”

A soft gasp escapes her. “But you’ve been calling me that—”

“Since the first time,” I interrupt her. “I think part of me knew from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

The sun will be rising soon. I can feel it approaching. My breath hitches at the thought of leaving her, and an ache takes hold in my heart.

“Make love to me, Galen. One more time before I lose you.” Her lower lip trembles, and I lean forward, kissing her ever so softly. She sighs into my kiss, letting me roll her fully onto her back, where her breasts rise and fall as she breathes and her body is laid out like an offering to me.

If this is the last time, I plan to make it the best one. My hands roam her body, teasing her skin with feather-light touches. I smile as her nipples harden, and my fingers brush the healing marks I left on the tender skin. She moans and squirms under me, causing my dick to strain against her thigh. I want to be inside her, feel her around me, but this can’t go quickly. This needs to be a slow burn.

She has other ideas. Her hand grasps my cock, sliding over the rigid length and making me buck my hips. “Come into me, Galen. I’m ready.”

I shake my head even through the trembling of my shoulders. “Not yet. I want to cherish you.”

Leaving a trail of kisses, I work my way down her chest, laving each nipple with my tongue and hardening painfully at each of her whimpers. When I reach her belly, I place my ear over her womb, listening for the thrumming heartbeat of the life we made. It is amazing. A fresh pang of regret hits me at the thought that I might never see this little person.

“Stop. You’ll just make it worse,” she says, emotion thick in her throat.

She’s right. This is about making a memory to last a lifetime, not about regret.

Before she can get hold of my erection again, I slip between her thighs, sucking on the sensitive cluster of nerves there. She arches her back and moans long and loud. I continue a merciless assault on her, using my hands to hold her hips in place. As she writhes under my hold, she whispers, “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Her orgasm is quick and fierce. I watch it rolling through her as she comes on my tongue. I can taste her pleasure and know I’ll keep this moment with me. She grips my hair with her fingers, tugging to pull me over her, but I look up at her instead.

“Not yet,” I whisper, my breath ghosting over the rise of her clit and making her shiver.

Removing my hold on her hips, I slide two fingers inside her, moving them slow and deep. Her answering groan has my cock pulsing and my hips pressing, searching for her. Her features darken as I move my fingers. The glow of a thin sheen of sweat covers her skin, and as the pleasure mounts, a flush starts on her chest and creeps up her neck. Taking her plump bottom lip between her teeth, she tosses her head from side to side, letting out soft cries. When I begin curling my fingers over and over, her legs tremble and a flood of her arousal covers my hand. She comes, so hard her legs jerk against me and her hands fist in the sheets. A scream rips from her throat, and I have to fight the urge to slam my cock home.

As her breathing slows and she returns to me, I sit on my heels, lazily stroking my shaft, waiting for her. She opens her amazing eyes and stares at me, into the place my soul should be. I wonder, what does she see there?

“I need you inside me.” Her request is hoarse, filled with lust.

Nodding, I place myself at her entrance, the heat from her making my cock weep in anticipation. I press through her folds, pushing just the tip inside, savoring the feel of penetration. She almost whines, her frustrated noises making me smile devilishly.

“Patience,” I scold. “I told you this was going to be slow.”

A fire lights in her. “No.” Lifting her hips, she sheaths me deep, and I let out a harsh groan.

Fuck, she feels amazing. Her wet heat is so intense, it almost burns me. I move my hips slowly, trying to let her adjust to me, but she growls, “Harder.”

Pulling out, I surge forward and bury myself as deep as possible, sensation rippling over my entire body. I’m overcome with the need to slam into her over and over until I find my release. My hips pump hard moving at a punishing pace. So much for slow and languid. My balls tighten as that familiar pressure builds at the base of my spine. The urge to come is unbearable, but I want this to last. I pull out of her, and she frowns.

“Why did you do that?”

Grasping her hips, I sit back and lift her onto me. She’s sinking down over my length before I even need to tell her what I want, her arms wrapped tight around me while she moves. I can smell the soft vanilla of her shampoo in her hair as it swirls around her, brushing my cheeks. She’s close. Her walls are clenching, tightening impossibly, and I know by the short, sharp breaths she’s taking what she needs. As she slides down, I lift my hips to meet her, making my cock kiss her womb, and she goes over the edge. The sight of her, head thrown back, mouth open, breasts jutting forward as her back bows, sends me spiraling into oblivion right along with her.

As the pleasure fades, we stay connected, breathing hard and speaking only in soft kisses. I know the moment we part, I’ll lose a piece of my heart, because this time was the last time.

* * *

Reese

My dream is strange. That angel is back, pulling at me. I don’t understand why he wants me to go with him. He’s beautiful. His skin glowing, the feathers of his wings dark gray, fading to white at the ends. He smiles at me and cradles my jaw in one hand.

“Keep him for yourself, Reese. They don’t have to take him,” the angel says.

I’m confused. That’s not what Gabriel told us. Sariel won’t find his love if I keep Galen. The fallen will cause the end of the world. Stepping back, I walk along a white sand beach, the angel at my side.

“Sariel will be fine. Galen is the one you should be worried about. He loves you. Why would you want to let him leave you? You’ll be alone. Raising a child.”

The angel stops and stares at me, his light irises burning brighter than any other I’ve seen. Mercury with starlight glinting inside their depths. I could fall into the depths of his gaze and never come out the other side.

“Don’t let Gabriel’s selfish needs take the one you love.”

I don’t know how I could do that. The beautiful angel is right. I am worried. I don’t want to be alone, raising a baby—a not entirely human baby—never knowing if I’ll see Galen again. I’m sure I could convince him to run. Maybe there’s a way to shield ourselves from angels. If there are vampires, surely there are spells.

“That’s right. I can help you even further. Give me Sariel. I’ll take the burden of him from Galen.”

That would kill Galen. My heart gives a great lurch at the thought.

“I promise Galen won’t be hurt. He’ll be as he was when he was made a vampire.”

The thought is tempting. This angel is so kind, so soothing. I want to let him help me. No one else has offered to give me what I want. No one even asked me.

“Swear your loyalty, and I’ll give you everything,” he says.

I frown. A twinge of unease takes residence in my chest. My loyalty to whom?

“I am God’s favorite. Give me your promise that you’ll be loyal to me.”

My breath catches in my throat and I wake with a start, gasping for air with a name on my lips. “Lucifer.”