Present day, Seattle

Sariel

I can’t breathe. I’m blinded by the rage and despair, by the betrayal of a promise I’d counted on. She was supposed to be for me. I can’t understand how any of my brothers could have claimed her. As Gabriel reaches his hand out to her, fear lances my heart.

“No!” I scream, desperate to keep her safe.

She crumples, nearly hitting the floor before I catch her up in my arms. “What did you do?”

Gabriel turns his gaze on me, pity filling his eyes. “She’s heard too much. I’ve sent her to sleep. But I will need to remove her memories. She’s susceptible to the Watcher’s control.”

“You can’t. Not now.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “What would you have me do? Keep her here? Risk her life even further?”

“Sending her out into the world with no knowledge of the danger puts her at more risk. Obviously, she’s already a target. I’m not going to let you do that to her.”

My brother frowns. “You might be right. Fine. I’ll allow her to retain her memory, with the exception of me. But you have to keep her here. And you have to be willing to use your grace if need be.”

I bristle at his words. “I’m not—”

“I know you’ve been trying to stay human. But, brother, you have to do what is right, not what you want.”

Holding her close, I risk a glance down at the thick, dark lashes resting on her cheeks, at the peaceful expression covering her brow. She deserves honesty and safety.

“Fine.”

I make my way toward the stairs, but a flare of power in my wings stops me.

“Sariel…she cannot be claimed by you. Not now.” My ears pop as he blinks out of existence.

Pain wrenches my heart as his warning replays in my head, but I only tighten my hold. She is mine. She has to be. But the longer I think about it, the worse my chest aches as the reality of the situation weighs on me.

Settling her in my bed, I kneel beside her and press a kiss to her forehead. A hum of power curls in my body, making my back tingle and sting. Her clothes are still damp from the rain, and she shivers as she sleeps. Carefully, I pull her shirt over her head, slide the soft leggings down her hips, and peel away the damp cotton panties covering her. A rush of need hits me, but I push it aside as I draw the blankets over her and tuck them around her shivering form.

“Hush, my love,” I murmur as I lay my palm on her chest and let my power unfurl. Closing my eyes, I send a pulse of grace through her body, working to cloak her presence from every angel other than me. It will work for now, but with my diminished abilities, the protection will fade sooner rather than later. She needs to stay safe, even if she won’t be mine.

Giving in to my need, I climb into bed beside her and pull her chilled form against my warmth. She sighs and snuggles close, her trembling stopping almost instantly.

My chest squeezes, and I fight the urge to wake her and slide between her legs.

“Sariel,” she whispers in her sleep.

Why? Why would He do this to me? I love her. I know it like I know Heaven exists. But another fallen has claimed her and that shouldn’t be possible if she’s mine.

I drift to sleep with her in my arms, knowing as the old pistachio tree appears that this is all I’ll have with her. Dreams and stolen moments.

* * *

Selah

I smell coffee…and bacon. Sitting up, I glance around the unfamiliar room. It takes a few beats before my brain catches up to my body and I remember I’m in Sariel’s home. Somehow I ended up in his bed. Naked.

I stand on unsteady legs as I work to process the events of last night. Adam had gone out, left me with a suggestion to be waiting for him in bed when he returned. But, as I’d worked to regain my control, I had been able to put aside his influence and make a break for it. The only place I could think to go was to Sariel.

Glancing around the room, I don’t see my clothes anywhere. I can’t walk around naked as the day I was born in this man’s home. A large, dark wood dresser sits against the far wall. Padding across the floor, I pull open the top drawer and find what I’d been hoping for inside. The soft, blue T-shirt hits me mid-thigh. It’s comfortable, but more importantly, the fabric covers all my parts.

My stomach aches from hunger, and when I’m unable to deny my need for food any longer, I make my way down the stairs. My heart flips at the sight of Sariel, shirtless and standing in front the stove. His golden hair brushes his shoulders, tousled from sleep, and the lines of his wings shimmer under his skin as he moves. Arousal floods my body without permission. It’s impossible to see this man standing half-naked in his kitchen and ignore my desire. When he turns toward me and those silver eyes of his run over my body, I shiver.

“Selah.” His utterance of my name is almost a groan, and it only adds to the need I have for him.

He steps toward me, his jaw set. I need to touch him, to feel his lips on mine. Rushing into his arms, I grip the back of his neck and pull him down until I get what I want. Our mouths meet in a burning, passionate kiss. It sends a fire running through my blood and his answering moan tightens my nipples into hard peaks. Big hands slide along my thighs and under the shirt where I’m completely bare. Oh, sweet mercy, I want this man. When his fingers run up my rib cage and trail the heavy firmness of my breasts, I think I might explode.

“Sariel,” I plead against his lips.

He stops, breaking the spell and moving away as though I’d slapped him. Clearing his throat, he returns to his cooking, leaving me aroused and confused.

“You cook?” I don’t know why I’m surprised. It seems strange that a man—a fallen angel—like him would be doing something so domestic.

“I had to learn quickly once I regained my mortal body.”

“Your…mortal body? You had an immortal one?”

Pulling out a barstool, he gestures for me to sit. “It’s a long story. But, yes. Up until recently, I shared a body with Devin, and a vampire named Galen before that.” He pours me a cup of coffee, adds two slices of bacon to a plate of eggs, and slides both the plate and mug in front of me. “Eat.”

“This is…a lot.”

One golden eyebrow rises as he stares at me. “It’s bacon and eggs.”

“No. Vampires, angels, demons.” I chew on my lip before I add, “Soul mates.”

A look of pure agony crosses his face before he tears his gaze from mine. “Right.”

Tense silence fills the room as he gets his own meal and stands at the other end of the bar, eating without glancing up from his plate. I stare at him over the rim of my coffee mug as I take a long drink.

“Thank you for taking me in last night. I’m sorry for showing up like that. I just didn’t know where else to go.”

Dropping his fork, he grabs his dish and dumps the remaining eggs into the trash. Tension sits between us like a physical being. I can’t let this continue. I need to see the softness in his eyes, the affection, the desire that he’s always shared with me. As he stands at the sink, hot water sending curls of steam into the air, I cross the room and press my body against his bare back. My lips find the space between his shoulder blades, leaving light kisses on the only part of his skin not lined with his wings.

Instead of relaxing into my touch, he stiffens and stops breathing.

“Please…please don’t do that.” His hoarse plea breaks my heart. I can’t give him what he asks for. My need to be with him pulls us together. All I can do is turn my face and rest my cheek where my lips had been only a moment earlier.

“Why?”

Heaving a shuddering sigh, he shuts off the water and takes my hands from around his waist, separating us. “You’re not mine. I can’t let you have any more control over my heart. I was wrong about everything. I’ve been a fool.”

“Sariel…” I start, but don’t know what I could possibly say to show him he’s wrong. I feel it in my bones. He was right about us.

“Selah, just stop. You were with another man. You let him inside you, you let him claim you. If you were truly meant for me…if you were mine, your soul wouldn’t have let you do any of that. He wouldn’t have been able to do it.” He drags his hand through his hair, and I can see him fighting the burden of emotion. “You can stay here, but don’t expect anything other than safety. My heart can’t take it.”

Before I can say another word, he leaves the kitchen, and I swear to God, a piece of my soul goes with him.