The wind blows my hair behind me as I ride through the New York City streets. I’ve been here for three nights and still can’t find the right place for Willow and I to live. Seattle had been easy. I picked an apartment, had it upgraded to include things that would keep me from frying in the sun, and I moved in. Here I can’t seem to find anything that feels…right. It doesn’t help that Willow isn’t here with me. The woman insisted on staying in Seattle to meet Sariel and Selah’s new baby.

A pang goes through me at the thought. I took that chance from her when I made her a vampire. Was she regretting her circumstances now that she was seeing her friend with a family? Shaking my head, I clear my thoughts and pull into the underground parking garage of this next high-rise apartment building.

My phone rings from deep inside the pocket of my leather jacket. Pulling it out, I smile. My gorgeous little hunter’s picture flashes up at me.

“Hey, Angel. Everything okay over there?”

“He was born this morning. I got there right after sundown.”

A laugh rolls through my chest. “What did they name him? I hope it’s something trendy rather than biblical this time. Feathers is never going to let it go that their first is named after him. His head has got to be so big he can’t possibly get in the door.” Now that’s an idea.

Her laugh warms me as she says, “They named him Judah.”

“Oh, well that’s not what I’d call trendy.”

“Where are you right now?” she asks.

“Manhattan. I’m about to go up to the last option we’ve got out here.”

“I hope this one works out. I really think we can do some good in the city. There’s been so much vampire and demon activity out there lately, I think something’s going down.”

I think back to the attacks I’ve seen listed on the news, the victims drained of blood or just missing. “I think you’re right. Chances are good someone’s turning humans and building a nest. That’s dangerous. Too many vampires in one place is like sharks in a feeding frenzy. Things can get messy really fast.”

“Do you think any of them are like us?”

I smirk. “What do you mean? In love?”

“No. And yes, I guess. I mean, do you think any of them want to help rather than hurt humans? Or do they just mindlessly feed and kill?”

I heave a sigh and pace the garage. “I’m not sure. Galen and I the only vampires I’ve ever known who didn’t hunt to kill. And even then, it was only after he met Reese that Galen stopped. I didn’t stop until I realized my soul was within saving distance.”

“Maybe we need to tell these vampires they don’t have to kill.”

“Oh, Angel, that’s a lot trickier than it sounds.”

“Good thing you’ll have me there to help you with that.”

The thought of her here with me, the juniper scent of her hair, the taste of her on my lips, makes me harden. “I need you to help me with a lot of things.”

“I will. Let me know after you’ve finished with this place. I think it’s the one.”

I chuckle. “You haven’t even seen it.”

The line is dead by the time I finish my sentence, and I let out a frustrated breath. Fucking Sariel. Even when he’s not sharing my body he finds some way to screw with my life.

I check in with the doorman and get into the elevator. It seems dicey for vampires to consider living in a penthouse apartment, but Willow deserves the best, and I can offer that. UV-proof glass on the windows means we can be awake during daylight without frying. It’s why this place made our list.

Knocking on the door, I wait for the realtor to let me in. And I wait. No one answers. What the fuck? This guy must not give two shits about his job if he’s going to stand up a potential buyer. I grip the cool metal handle and turn, surprised to find the door unlocked. But as soon as I clear the doorway, Willow’s scent hits me. She’s fucking here. The little liar.

“Angel? I smell you. You’re in so much trouble.”

Stalking through the apartment, I follow her scent until I reach the bathroom. The lights are dimmed, candles surround the bathtub, and my Willow lies stretched out in the water, bubbles covering her naked body.

“Welcome home, honey,” she says, her voice playful.

The look in her eyes makes my mouth run dry and my cock throb. “Home? What did you do to the realtor who was meeting me here? Did you feed?” Unreasonable jealousy rears its ugly head at the thought, but I push it away.

She frowns. “No. You know I hate feeding without you. I’ve been waiting here for you for the last hour. I told him we’d take the place and gave him a sizeable bonus for letting us move in.”

I cock an eyebrow. “He let us move in?”

She has the grace to look a little embarrassed. “Okay, so I might have used the Dracula hypnosis thing. But what does it matter? We’re taking the place anyway. It’s fully furnished and perfect for us.”

She has a point. Tearing off my jacket and shirt, I cross the room and settle on the side of the tub. In no time I’m naked and stepping into the water with her. She laughs and pretends to be modest by pulling the bubbles over the swells of her tits, but I’ve seen everything she has to offer. I’ve memorized the curves and shadows of her body.

“Was this a good surprise?” she asks, settling in between my legs and leaning back against my chest.

I wrap my arms around her and let my fingers trail across the tops of her breasts. “So fucking good.” My lips find her neck, tongue darting out to taste her skin. “I missed you, Angel.”

Her tight, round ass presses into my aching dick as she squirms and I can’t help myself. I groan. She lets out a light laugh and does it again, the pressure sending sparks of ecstasy along my length. Fuck, I need to be inside her.

Lifting her up with one hand, I guide my cock to her entrance and slide inside. She is everything. My whole body shudders at the sensation of her tight and perfect pussy around me. Hands running over her ribcage and up until I hold her breasts in my palms, I watch her long ruby waves dip into the water surrounding us as she begins to ride me. Normally I like to see her face, watch her expression as she shatters around me. But the length of her hair trailing down her back, the feel of her tits in my hands, and the swell of her ass as it rises and lowers in the water is something I’ll never forget.

“Devin, God, I’m close.” Her breathy words nearly tip me over the edge.

“It’s been too long. I can’t hold back.”

In answer, she kicks her hips forward and thrusts them back, taking me deeper. Then she tosses her head back, the ends of her hair sinking into the water and her nipples going rock hard under my palms. I can feel her walls clenching around me, the rhythmic pulses of her orgasm bringing me to my peak.

“Fuck, Angel,” I say, filling her with every drop of my pleasure. I bite her neck but I don’t feed. I just want to mark her as mine. “I love you,” I murmur against her skin.

“I love you too.”

We stay in the tub until the water gets cold and the sun begins to rise. After wrapping her in a fluffy towel, I dry myself and cock an eyebrow while jutting my chin at the windows. “Are you sure these are UV proof?”

She nods and takes my hand. “One-hundred percent. But I’m tired. Want to see the bedroom?”

I’m not sure if she’s really ready for sleep, or if this means I’m about to get laid again, but either way, I just want to be near her. Nodding, I follow where she leads.

The bedroom is windowless and situated in the center of the apartment. I wonder briefly if it used to be some kind of dominant’s playroom. The walls are a deep gray and there’s no decoration, just a large bed. I don’t care about the décor. I just want to have Willow in my arms. Scooping her into my arms, I carry her across the room and deposit her on the bed.

I wake hours later, the sun still high in the sky by the feel of my limbs. My heart races when I find Willow’s side of the bed empty and the door to our room partially open. What if the windows hadn’t worked? Closing my eyes, I home in on Willow, able to breathe a sigh of relief when I feel her presence in the next room. The sliver of light spilling in from the open door has anxiety clawing at me. The last time I saw the sun I’d been chained and dumped outside, reliant on Feathers to come save my ass.

Taking a deep breath, I steady myself and stride forward. I’m completely naked, but I don’t give a fuck. It’s me and my girl here and that’s it. Who’s to say we won’t spend every moment we’re here walking around nude? In fact, I like the sound of that a whole lot.

“Angel? What are you doing up?” I call as I make my way through the apartment, the bank of floor to ceiling windows causes filtered light to spill over everything, including me. I take a moment to appreciate the sight of the sun, a smile turning up my lips. Technology is a beautiful thing.

Soft murmurs catch my ears and I immediately go tense. Dashing to the bathroom, I gather my discarded clothes and quickly dress. Someone is here. I don’t want to give a well-meaning neighbor a free show. Then a baby’s cry floats to my ears and my heart lurches. There’s no way Sariel and Selah are here. They wouldn’t travel with a newborn…unless something was very wrong.

The baby cries again and Willow makes a soft shushing sound as I follow the noise. I’ve never seen her be maternal, but when I round the corner and find her swaying in place with an infant propped on one shoulder, my entire perspective changes. She looks…beautiful.

“Stealing babies?” I tease, surprised when I don’t see our friends here, or someone who could be this child’s parents.

Big green eyes meet mine, worry evident in them. “He was just…on our doorstep.”

“What?” I’m sure the shock I feel is evident on my face because that’s fucked up. Who leaves a baby on someone’s doorstep?

“I got up to test the windows. Then someone rang the doorbell and I answered. This little guy was in a Moses basket, a stash of diapers and clothes next to him.”

“Willow, we can’t keep him.” I know I’m stating the obvious, but from the way she’s holding him, I might be the only one seeing that at the moment.

“I don’t understand it, but I think he’s…ours.”

A laugh rolls through me. “Okay, where is Sariel? Is Galen in on this too? Am I being pranked right now?”

Her brow furrows. “I’m serious, Devin.”

“You can’t be. We’re vampires. We can’t raise a baby. What if we slip up and eat him?”

She rolls her eyes. “Shut up. You know as well as I do that isn’t going to happen. Look at him. He’s so sweet.”

“What happened to you in the span of the last few hours?” I back away when she tries to hand me the baby. I was a father once, I don’t know if I can be again.

“I’m sorry. Is it really that hard to believe that I would want to take in a baby who has been abandoned on my doorstep?”

There’s anger in her voice now. Shit. I’ve fucked this all up. “The thing is, we don’t know who he is or where he came from. Don’t you think he’d be better off with a pair of human parents?”

My ears pop and the air around us shifts. Gabriel’s cool, posh British accent fills the room. “No. He wouldn’t. I brought him to you for a reason.”

Motherfucking angels. “You. Of course it would be you, Feathers. Can’t you just call ahead like a normal person? Just a simple ‘Hey guys, I’m bringing you a kid. You should probably prepare’ would have been great.”

“I didn’t have time for that. His mother died in childbirth and his father was trying to find him.”

“Oh, that’s just great. Who the fuck is his father?”

Gabriel runs a hand across his jaw, a rare show of nerves from the usually stoic angel. “Another of the fallen. Unfortunately, he’s not like Sariel. This one is trying to rebuild Lucifer’s army with the children of the fallen.”

“A Nephilim army?”

“Yes. But so far, he’s failed. I’ve been intercepting them, taking them to Michael for training. We’re using the fallen’s own blood against them.”

Willow shifts with the baby in her arms, her stance strong and protective. “Why did you bring him here?”

“Most of the Nephilim are older, easy for me to manage, but this one is brand new to the world. He’s not ready to be taken for training by the archangels.”

“How long do we need to keep him?” I ask, already worried about the prospect of falling in love with the little guy and having to let him go.

“Until his powers begin to manifest. It will be at least five years, probably more. This generation has been showing signs of grace around age ten.”

“We’ll only have him for ten years?” Willow sounds heartbroken already.

Gabriel shrugs. “It could be longer. Like Galen’s boy, we’ve bound this little one’s grace. Sean hasn’t had any problems with his powers as of yet. But Galen and Reese are aware we’ll have to take him as well.”

My chest tightens at the mention of Galen. I’m sure the man was torn to pieces by this news. “How are we supposed to care for him? We can’t even go outside during daylight.”

The angel rolls his eyes. “I don’t know. I’m sure he’ll appreciate you keeping him alive and out of his demon-fallen angel father’s clutches much more than he’ll languish over not getting to go to the park at daytime.”

Willow clears her throat and passes the baby to me before I can stop her. He’s warm and so tiny. His hair is a shock of dark fluff and his skin is the tender pink reserved only for newborns. My Mary looked that way.

“We’ll figure it out. Can you ward him? Protect him from being found?”

Gabriel leans against the wall. “It’s possible, but that would mean I wouldn’t be able to find him either.”

“But you’ll know he’s with us,” she counters.

“That’s true, but what about when he’s older? There will come a time when he’s not constantly at your side or in your arms.”

“Will binding his grace be enough to shield him from his father’s efforts to find him?”

He sighs. “I think so. With his mother’s death, we also took care to make it look like the child didn’t survive birth.”

The child shifts and lets out a long yawn, his little face scrunching up before he settles back into the crook of my arm.

“Fine. We’ll take care of him. What’s his name?” I ask.

Gabriel gives me a blank expression. “I’m not his parent. I didn’t name him.”

“Seth,” I say as I glance down at the dark haired baby and let myself feel more than obligation. Somehow, knowing his name makes it all real. “We’ll call him Seth.”