Devin

“This is ridiculous, Galen. Sariel’s turned me into a fucking girl!”

Galen, the damned bastard that he is, just stands in the kitchen and laughs. I mean, really laughs. He’s got tears in his eyes and his stupid face is turning red. I hate him.

“I’m sorry. Oh, bloody hell, who am I kidding? I’m not fucking sorry at all. After all the shit you gave me about Reese, I’m more than happy to watch you languish.”

“I don’t know what to do. It’s been a week since I’ve had her, and I can’t stop thinking about her. Jesus, just the smell of your damn wife’s hand lotion makes me think of Willow.”

Galen’s eyes narrow. “What about my wife?”

“Her fucking lotion smells like juniper.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“Willow smells like juniper. I get hard every time I smell the damn scent.”

That makes him stop laughing. “Reese?” he calls. She breezes in, that scent carrying with her, and I can’t help my reaction. My cock lengthens as my thoughts land on Willow’s firm tits in my mouth and hands.

“What’s going on?” She’s got the baby strapped to her chest in some kind of flower-patterned carrier.

“Throw away your lotion.”

“Why? I like it.”

He kisses the top of her head and wraps an arm around her. “We’ll get you something new. You know how much I love it when you smell of vanilla, a ghra.”

“I thought you didn’t like it when I smelled like a cookie. You said you didn’t want to spend all day wishing you could eat me.”

He nuzzles her neck, whispering in her ear. Trying to tune them out, I focus on twirling the cigarette I just pulled from my pocket. Reese’s cheeks turn pink as she giggles and swats his hand away. And now I want to puke. Shoving away from the island, I start toward the door. “Okay, show’s over. Thanks for the chat.”

I’m out of the house and breathing in the fresh air faster than I need to. Technically, I probably don’t need to breathe more than every few minutes, but it’s an important behavior and something people notice. If I sat across from someone who was even remotely observant, they could tell if I wasn’t breathing. Once, on a subway, I’d leaned back, closed my eyes, lost in thought, and forgotten to fake it. A helpful paramedic had started administering CPR before I could stop him. Not the most comfortable way to meet someone.

I opt for a walk rather than taking my bike tonight, needing to slow everything down so my head and heart can start working together instead of fighting. As I roam aimlessly through the city, I find myself standing outside a karate dojo, a wide bank of windows spanning the second floor. She’s there, heading up a class filled with adults. Well, that explains her ability to knock me on my ass.

She moves with the practiced grace that can only come from strength and focus. My heart gives a pained thud as I observe her, the serious expression on her face making me wish I could be giving her reason to smile. Then her eyes are on mine from across the street. The fury behind her gaze doesn’t match the way I’m feeling. Surely she can’t be looking at me. I turn to glance behind me, but no one else is on the sidewalk at this time of night in the middle of the week. Everyone is at home, eating their dinner, bathing their children. When I look back, she’s gone from the window and the class is breaking up, people gathering their bags and shoes, chatting amongst themselves.

I’ll just wait here. She’s bound to come out, and then I can kiss the frown off her face and replace her anger with desire. But minutes pass, and she’s nowhere to be found. The lights go off in the dojo, and a man leaves, locking the door behind him. Where the fuck is she? The woman is like a damn cat; she needs to wear a bell.

A flash of deep red hair catches my eye as she jogs away. She’s clearly dressed for a run. Tight jogging pants hug every curve of her toned legs, and I can make out an armband holding her phone. I don’t want to scare her, but she’s running fast, like she’s trying to escape something. I pick up my pace as I follow her, needing to hold her in my arms. Her scent fills my head, and without being able to touch her, my need escalates, causing my cock to strain painfully against my fly.

“Willow,” I call, hoping she’ll turn and smile when she realizes I’m here. Instead, she stiffens. Oh, she heard me all right, but with a quick glance over her shoulder, her face pales and she breaks out into a full-on sprint. Fuck.

* * *

Willow

The vampire bastard is following me. Just what I need. A stalker with a big dick and fangs. Why did I have to love his body so much? I know he could catch me easily if he wanted to, but I run as fast and hard as I can in hopes that I’ll be able to get away instead of having to fight him now. I’m tired. My body aches from a full day of classes and sleepless nights spent dreaming of him. He must’ve used some sort of hypnosis on me, because I’m not afraid, just fucking pissed off. I’ve got a stake tucked under my shirt, though, and I’ll use it if I have to.

I’m so close to my building, only a few feet away from the stairwell. I can make it, although nothing will stop him if he really wants to get to me. The sound of his footsteps as he gains on me sends a thrill and a tremor through me at the same time. Am I excited that he might want me, or worried about having to fend him off because he’s decided to kill me?

“Jesus, Willow. What the fuck’s going on?” His hand grips my shoulder, and the asshole is actually pretending to be winded. I want to punch him.

Pulling the stake out from under my shirt, I round on him, shoving him into the darkened corridor. He stares, wide-eyed, as I press the sharpened wood against his chest, directly over his heart.

“What are you doing? Willow … what the hell?”

“Oh, don’t play innocent. You’re a fucking vampire. I saw your fangs, and you fed on me while we were fucking.”

He’s infuriatingly confused as I continue holding him in place. I know he could snap my neck right now, but he’s not even trying. Why isn’t he trying? Doubt creeps in, and I take a steadying breath. Stepping away, I release him. He lets out a sigh of relief until I pull out a small pocketknife. As he watches, I run the blade across my forearm, dark red blood welling immediately. It hurts like a son of a bitch, but I know it’s the proof I need. His eyes dilate and fix on the wound. He’s shaking with the effort of holding back.

“Open your mouth, Devin.”

“Why are you doing this? Can’t you see things with us are different?” His voice is rough, but his gaze never leaves my arm. “Willow, I’d never hurt you.”

Anger blooms in my chest. “What about all the other people you kill? Show me your fucking teeth!”

Closing his eyes, he does as I ask, and my stomach sinks when I see the long, sharp incisors.

I was right.

Without warning, he grabs my hand and presses the stake to his chest. “Go ahead. I’ve only got a few more months left anyway. Just end it now.”

What the hell? He’s suicidal? That’s a new one. Something feels off about this whole situation. Every vampire I’ve ever encountered killed with abandon, didn’t care about anyone other than himself, and lusted only for blood. But Devin? He’s tender, he fed from me without hurting me or draining my blood, and it’s clear his body functions very differently from the others.

With a grimace, he groans and clutches his head. As soon as he opens his eyes, I realize something is very wrong. The beautiful ice-blue irises I’ve dreamt of over the last few weeks are gone. In their place are eyes so silver, they almost glow. His posture is different as well. Devin holds himself with a rakish swagger, but this creature standing before me is almost regal.

“What are you?” I ask.

Smirking, he lifts his chin with a haughty air. “Put your stupid little stick down, Willow.” His voice is different. Rather than the relaxed baritone with just a hint of a Southern drawl, all traces of a sexy accent are gone. This man’s diction is crisp and clean, almost textbook.

I square my shoulders and press forward, the point of the stake sinking a little deeper.

He laughs. The asshole laughs. “You’re not going to kill him. He’s precious to you, I can tell. Now put the damn stake down before I have to hurt you. Devin said he wouldn’t harm you, I never promised anything.”

His silver eyes flash as he walks forward and grips my throat with one hand. The stake clatters to the ground as I give in. He smiles and releases me.

“Thank you, Willow. Let’s take this somewhere less … obvious. We need to talk.”

* * *

Sariel

I should just kill her right now. I could easily push her down the stairs after snapping her neck. Devin hasn’t yet realized the reason for his desire for this fierce little woman, but I know. I can feel the pull of his heart, the connection between them. I’ve felt it before, between Galen and Reese. She is meant for him.

I can’t let him have her. That wasn’t part of the deal. Five years to sow his oats, to fuck everything he could until he’d fade into oblivion and I was free to use his body for my own purposes. And my Selah is here, alive and so close. I can’t let him spend the rest of Willow’s existence in control. If I do, Selah will be long gone and I’ll have missed my chance. I’ll have lost the woman I’ve been searching for over the last two millennia.

I won’t let that happen.

She stands outside the door to what must be her apartment, her shoulders tense as she slips the key into the lock. Her hand pauses on the knob, and before she opens the door, she rounds on me. “Just so you know, I’m not in the habit of bringing vampires home. I’m completely prepared to kill you, but I hope you won’t give me a reason.”

I can’t help but laugh. “If you wanted to kill me, you should’ve done it when you had the chance. Now, let’s go inside, little one.”

Her eyes narrow and her jaw sets. I’ve hit a nerve.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Oh, that’s right. What was it Devin called you? Angel?” I run my hand over her shoulder and can feel Devin fighting for control. He doesn’t like it that I’m touching her. “If you give me a chance, I’ll make your toes curl and your thighs quiver so hard, you forget his name.” I couldn’t do it, actually, but I need to push her away from him. I can’t do that if she thinks he needs saving.

A hard glare lands between my eyes as she opens the door. “Okay, what the fuck is going on? You’re clearly not Devin, but he was here a minute ago. Is this some Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde thing?”

“You might want to sit down.” I gesture inside. “This might take a while.”

Posture stiff, she refuses to sit, instead leaning against the couch, eyes never leaving me. “Speak or get out.”

“Are you religious at all?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

A bitter laugh escapes me. “It has everything to do with this situation.”

“Fine. I was raised in a Christian home … until they were killed.”

Nodding, I sit on the ratty old armchair across from her. “Okay, short answer. I’m a fallen angel. My name is Sariel.”

Her jaw drops, but she recovers quickly, gathering her composure before motioning for me to continue.

“Devin is my willing vessel.”

“Why would he choose that?”

“He had his reasons. But I suppose a big part of it was that he’s in search of redemption before he dies. His soul is trapped in purgatory, awaiting judgment. He’ll tell you it was so he could use his dick, but I know what’s in his heart. He wants to earn his place in Heaven.”

She frowns. “But he’s a vampire. Aren’t they damned by definition?”

“Oh, you humans and your black-and-white morality. Everyone can be saved as long as their soul isn’t owned by Lucifer. Devin didn’t choose to become a vampire. His soul wasn’t forfeit. As soon as he realized he could be redeemed, he stopped killing and sacrificed his body to save his friend.”

“What do you mean, sacrificed his body?”

“I fell for the love of a human woman, my soul mate. God punished me by taking my wings, making my body mortal, and sending the great Flood to claim us all. Selah was lost to me, but while my body may have died, I am an angel. I can’t be killed. I’ve been existing inside the bodies of vampires for the last two thousand years, moving on when I had to, waiting for Selah’s soul to return and wake me.”

Cocking an eyebrow, she gives me a dubious look. “You seem pretty damn awake right now. And I can guarantee you, I’m not your fucking soul mate.”

I laugh at the venom in her words. “Believe me, little one. I know. But Devin made a deal with me. He cannot be distracted by you. I’ve found her—here in this lifetime—but he’ll fight me for control because of you. I need you to promise you won’t let him deny me.”

“Why? So you can kill him? That’s what he made it seem like.”

Sadness takes hold in my heart as I lower my guard and let Devin hear the words I’m about to say. I haven’t shared this with him yet, but they both need to know the truth. “For the sake of his immortal soul, he has to follow through with our agreement. If I have to move to a new body before we accomplish our task set by my Father, Devin will die and his soul will descend to Hell.”

Devin stops fighting me. His shock runs through my head.

You fucking bastard.