73. Samael

Samael

E relah finishes the crown of flowers she has been working on for the past hour.

“What do you think?” she asks me.

I shrug as I wait for the fish to take the bait.

It’s been about five months since I fell from the sky, and the cold winter has turned into a warm spring. There’s still no trace of my army, and I don’t know how long I will have to wait for them to break the shield around this world and find me.

During this time, Erelah has kept pestering me about learning her language—more like forcing me. Since I had nothing better to do, I gave in. Big mistake, because now she visits me every day to talk to me. Not one day passes without her showing up uninvited and forcing me to learn something.

Like fishing.

She didn’t stop bringing it up until I picked up a fishing rod, sat under a willow tree, put bait on the hook, and cast it into the water.

“Pretty,” I mutter because her eyes shine each time I say it.

Erelah puts the flower crow on top of my head. “Now you are pretty.”

I huff under my breath. No one had anything good to say about me until Erelah—monster, heartless, killer, and so on, but not pretty.

Erelah keeps talking. “Pretty grumpy.”

I snort while she laughs.

A fish takes the bait and I start reeling it in. The fish tries to escape, but I pull it closer to me.

“You got this,” Erelah encourages me.

No one has cheered for me until Erelah.

So help me Ophyr, I don’t want to kill Erelah anymore. I want to keep her. Like a pet or a lover. Whatever she wants to be for me. While I don’t have carnal urges, if that’s something she wants, I’ll join my body with hers.

I was created to destroy, but she has shown me nothing but…love, since she found me.

Asa will kill me if he realizes that I let one of our enemies get into my head, but if he were to spend time with Erelah, he would understand. No. No. Letting Asa close to Erelah is not an option. He would take her away from me. She’s mine—my little pet.

I bring the fish to shore, and Erelah rushes to throw it in the bucket with the daily catch. She had already caught two big trout before this but she’s more excited for my small perch.

I can’t believe I let her teach me how to recognize different types of fish.

Erelah picks up the bucket and steps next to me. “I think we have enough fish for today.”

I put the fishing rod aside and take the bucket from her. “I’ll cook.”

Erelah smiles. “I’ll go find more blueberries. Sister Hael has been mentioning for days that she wants to make pies.”

She has told me about the monastery and males not being allowed there. I have kept my distance. The last thing I want is more pesky females. Erelah is more than enough. It will be good when my army gets here, and I can finally destroy the monastery. It keeps Erelah away from me, and I don’t like it.

“Don’t take long,” I say, heading inside the hut.

Before I close the door, I watch as Erelah makes her way to the forest. Feeling that I am watching her, she turns around, a smile on her lips, and waves at me. There’s an odd sensation in my chest. It happens each time she leaves.

I should forbid her from ever leaving me again.

Only burning coals remain in the stove of this morning’s fire. I put the flower crown on the bed and quickly clean the fish the way Erelah showed me before I put them to cook above the coals. Erelah brought bread and cheese this morning, and I slice them while I wait for her to return.

I hate it when she has to leave.

When did I become so… obsessed with her?

Maybe when she did the impossible and healed my wings. I had lost hope that they would ever be whole again, but Erelah was convinced she could fix them. And she did.

I rotate my shoulders, feeling my muscles. There’s no more soreness. My full strength is back. The only thing I need to do now is to convince Erelah to return my sword and armor to me. She hid them, and while I’ve searched the entire island, I haven’t found any trace of them, so I assume they are at the monastery. One of these days, I’m going to sneak inside and look for them.

Not long after I have the food ready, Erelah returns. Her basket is full of blueberries, and she puts it on the table next to the food.

“You did well,” she says at the sight of the full table.

I push my chest forward, proud to provide for my…pet. It had never occurred to me that I could keep someone by my side. In all the worlds that I have destroyed so far I’ve never encountered someone like Erelah. She is…useful. That’s the only reason I have decided to spare her life—because of her healing powers. Mainly because of that. But she knows many things that my soldiers can benefit from. Learning her language was not a waste of time, after all.

“Eat,” I give her a slight order. In time, she will learn that my word is law and what I say must be done.

Asa won’t like that I decided to keep Erelah, but unless he can kill me, he can’t force me to end her. If I feel he’s a danger to her, I will have to kill him. He’s my best warrior, but she saved my life when he would have cut off my wings, showed them to the rest of the Nephilims, and claimed that he challenged me to battle and won.

Erelah picks up the fork and takes a bite from the fish. Her eyes close as she chews. “So good,” she moans.

My cock stirs to life. It’s strange and uncomfortable as it has never happened before. I try to ignore it until I can deal with it.

A crease forms between my brows.

How do I deal with a stiff cock?

Erelah lets out another round of sounds, making my cock even more erect, to the point of pain. Why does my body react to her moans?

Should I try to join my body with hers? Would she want that, or would she continue to keep her vows?

“What’s the matter?” Erelah asks.

I press my lips in a thin line. “Nothing.”

She sees right through me. With a heavy sigh, she puts the fork next to her plate. “I know that look on your face. I’ve seen it on other males. You know the rules.”

Before she can continue, I take her hand in mine. “The only rules here are the ones we make.”

She shakes her head. “It doesn’t work like this.”

“Then how?”

She pushes her chair back and quickly stands. Jerking her hand free, she says, “I need time to think,” before grabbing the blueberries and going to the front door.

I jump to my feet and go after her. I catch her arm before she steps out. “If you leave, you’ll never return.” I dip my head and snarl in her ear, “If that is to happen, I will come looking for you.”

Erelah looks at me. “You mustn’t!”

“Then stay with me.”

Her shoulders slump forward. “I knew this day would come.”

“What day?”

“When you would make me sin,” she whispers. I pull her into my embrace. The basket falls to the floor. “I don’t even know your name.”

I tilt her chin up. This is the only way I can make her stay with me for all eternity. “You will. Soon.”

My thumb strokes her bottom lip. Her eyes fill with stars. “I’ve never kissed someone before,” she murmurs.

“Me either,” I confess before I brush my mouth against hers.

My body becomes more ravenous for hers.

I guide her to the bed and lay her on her back, her wings spread wide open. There’s fear in her eyes. But even so, she gives herself to me freely and openly, ensnaring my soul for all eternity.

I remove her clothes and keep kissing her until her fear disappears.

Our eternal bodies fit perfectly together, my still chest pressed against her beating heart, I say, “You are mine, Erelah.”

I run my hands all over her skin, memorizing all her curves, all the places she likes to be touched.

She presses her palm against my cheek. “Yours.”

We kiss throughout the night until she falls asleep in my arms.

No one will take Erelah away from me.

Not Asa.

Not Ophyr.

Not God.

She is mine for all eternity.