17. Evangeline

“Well, that was fucking pointless,” I growled as I paced the living room as soon as my feet landed. I was so steamed that the smoke cloud dissipating around me didn’t bother me. I was too angry to care, or maybe I was beginning to adjust to hound teleportation after all.

“We tried,” Jett said in an attempt to calm me.

“Yeah, and as soon as Zabiza focuses on taking over Heaven, they’ll beg for our help, and we’ll have to give it. They don’t deserve it, but we’ll give it,” I said scathingly. The entire meeting was a way for Michael and the others to flex their higher authority over Lucifer and the rest of us. “And Gale!” I said, continuing my rant. “Either he is just that petty or involved with Zabiza. I’m beginning to think it’s the latter. I find it hard to believe that, as an angel, he would so quickly dismiss our concerns simply because I won’t fuck him.”

They didn’t respond, so I turned to see why and found Rylan with flames dancing in his eyes, breathing heavily as he stood stiffly in the living room watching me. Right, we still had to address the whole mate bond thing and my unintentionally hurting Rylan’s feelings.

“Guys, could you gi—“

“Leave!” Rylan ordered, talking over me.

Well, that was a bit annoying, but I pushed my annoyance aside. Jett and Kase sent me reassuring and sympathetic feelings through the mate bond before hurrying from the room like their asses were on fire. As soon as they left, Rylan stalked toward me. Self-preservation had me matching him step for a step backward until my back hit the wall.

“Now, Rylan,” I said nervously, “let’s just calm down and discuss this rationally.”

“Rationally?” he asked as he invaded my space and pressed me against the wall. “The last thing I feel is rational, Evangeline.”

I placed my hands on his chest, and my body buzzed to life as I felt his hard body against mine. This man scrambled my brain in the best way, and I struggled to stay on topic. “I understand, and I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings by mating with Kase. That wasn’t my intention.”

“I’m the pack leader, Evangeline. I should have been the first to mark you. Instead, I find myself the last.”

Ok, maybe this was more about his bruised ego, not that I would say that out loud. He collected my wrists in one of his hands and pinned them above my head. Dipping his head down, he ran his nose along my neck until his mouth was by my ear.

“Don’t you want me as your mate?” he whispered.

I didn’t need the mate bond to feel the fear hidden within his question. The big idiot thought I might not want him. “Of course I want you as my mate,” I replied.

Rylan moaned softly in my ear before catching the lobe between his teeth and nibbling. “Then why? Are you punishing me by making me wait because I caused your fall?”

“What?!” I asked, pushing him away with my body to see his face. He didn’t budge. “Look at me,” I demanded.

Rylan moved his head back enough to meet my eyes without giving me any space to slip from between him and the wall, not that I wanted the space. I was quite content right where I was.

“Listen to me carefully, Ry. Really hear me. I don’t blame you for my fall. It wasn’t your fault. I’m not punishing you.”

“Then why?”

Why? I didn’t have a good answer for that.“ I shrugged. “It just hasn’t come up,” I replied. “There isn’t any big reason. We just haven’t found ourselves in that moment yet.” I rotated my hips, pressing against his erection. “Of course, we’re much closer to it now,” I purred.

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah,” I replied.

The hand, not pinning mine to the wall, lifted my leg to his hip as he bent slightly to grind his cock against my core. I lifted my other leg and linked my ankles behind his back, giving him all the access he needed. His lips trailed to my cleavage, where he lapped at the crevice between my breasts as he continued to dry hump me. I could get off just grinding against each other with a little concentration. Unfortunately, an orgasm didn’t seem to be Rylan’s goal. He kept the pace slow and the pressure light enough to keep me right on the edge indefinitely.

“Ry,” I begged, “fuck me, please.” I needed him inside me. I didn’t care if I got his knot or not as long as he filled me.

Rylan kissed me, his tongue teasingly flitting in and out of my mouth, encouraging me to chase after it. When he ended the kiss, his expression was more amused than the situation called for, setting off warning bells in my head.

“No.”

The fuck? “I’m sorry, no?”

“That’s what I said. No, I will not fuck you right now,” Rylan replied, grinding his hard cock against me teasingly.

“Can I ask why the fuck not?”

His eyes flashed at my question. “Because the next time I fuck you, I’m claiming you, and I want to make sure that you know what you’re asking for.”

“I already know what I’m asking for,” I argued.

“Good,” he said flippantly, “then next time will be easy.” He released me and waited until he was sure I stood steadily on my feet before backing away completely.

“Why not this time?” I growled, part of me still in disbelief that he was walking away, leaving me all hot and bothered.

Rylan stepped toward me again, and I licked my lips in anticipation, but all he did was cup my cheek. “Because I don’t want this to be something that happens in the heat of the moment, Evangeline. It should mean more than that. It does mean more than that. When I mark you as my mate, I want to know that it is something you are choosing with a clear mind, not consent whispered in the throes of passion.” He kissed me softly, turned his back to me, and walked away.

Well, fuck. Why did that turn all of my insides into a gooey mess?

“I don’t think going to Hell is such a good idea,” I yelled from the bathroom as I slipped into the dress Jett had brought me.

“We aren’t going to Hell, we’re going to hEll,” Jett replied from the bedroom.

That was about as clear as mud. I pulled the open-backed dress into position and made sure the sheer black fabric covered the girls before stepping out of the bathroom. “What am I missing?”

Jett’s eyes trailed down my body, lingering on my breasts before settling on all of the bare legs the short dress left visible. “Shoes,” he replied.

I rolled my eyes as I entered my closet and found black stilettos. “I didn’t mean my attire, and you know it.”

“The club is called hEll,” he laughed as I came back out. He pulled out his phone and typed something into it before turning the screen for me to see.

“Oh. hEll. That makes more sense. I don’t know how comfortable I would have been going to Hell.”

“Well, it is an extension of Hell,” Jett admitted.

“What exactly does that mean?”

“It’s Hell on Earth,” he joked.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. At times like this, I understood why Rylan always called Jett a pup.

Feeling my exasperation, Jett sobered. “Hey, you’ll be perfectly safe. Lucifer invited you. Nobody will mess with you; we won’t let them.”

“Invited or not, I’m still not sure it’s smart for a fallen angel to step foot in any version of Hell,” I replied as we left my room to join the others downstairs.

“You’re worrying too much, angel,” Kase said as I reached the bottom of the stairs. “Luce is the fallen angel. Your presence won’t be as odd as you think. Also, you look absolutely stunning.”

I looked at Rylan, and he nodded approvingly. “Stunning,” he agreed, “but there is just one thing missing.”

“What?” I asked, looking down at myself. Did I put on the wrong shoes?

“Your wings.”

“I thought the less attention I brought to myself, the better.”

“Never be ashamed of what you are, Evangeline. Be proud of the badass you are and show them who they’ll be dealing with if they mess with you,” Rylan replied.

I took a deep breath and let it out, summoning my wings, the proof of my disgrace. Rylan trailed a finger along the edge of one wing, making me shudder. Fuck, that felt good!

“So fucking beautiful,” he said softly.

“Better cut that out, or we won’t go anywhere,” Kase laughed.

I blushed slightly as Rylan gave me a heated look. “All in due time, little mate,” he murmured before linking his fingers through mine. “Time to go,” he announced before teleporting.

We landed inside a dark entryway. I didn’t have time to look around before Rylan strode forward, pulling me behind him. We went through a black stone archway and found ourselves inside a club. I could almost pretend it was like any other club I’ve been to if it weren’t for the hellfire on the walls and demons in their true forms milling about. Nobody gave us a second look as Rylan tugged me through the crowd to a high table near the center of the room.

“I’m going to get us drinks,” Jett announced before disappearing into the crowd.

“He’s already here,” Kase yelled over the thumping music to Rylan.

Rylan nodded. “Stay here with Evangeline. I’m going to go look for him.”

“How do you know Lucifer is here?” I asked.

“See the hellfire on the walls?” Kase asked. I nodded. “That only happens when Lucifer is here. Otherwise, they’re regular black stone walls.”

Interesting. I continued to survey the club with interest, noting how earthy and primitive most of the decor was. On second glance, I changed my mind. This place looked nothing like the average club. As I looked around, my eyes met a woman’s. She was staring straight at me, and I got the impression that she had been since I walked through the door. She sat in a VIP section elevated above the rest of the club. Her long black hair and pale white skin made her stand out. Tiny red horns poked out of her scalp, and when she saw I was looking at her, she smiled to reveal pointy teeth.

“Who is that?” I asked Kase.

He followed my gaze and swore under his breath. “That’s Lilith.”

I eyed the woman with renewed interest. I had heard dozens of stories about Lilith throughout my lifetime, but none had prepared me for her beauty and terrifying presence. Her eyes shifted to Kase, and her smile grew as she crooked a red dagger-sharp-tipped finger at him.

“Shit. I can’t ignore her,” Kase said apologetically. “Stay here. Jett will return soon, and I’ll be watching from up there.” He kissed my cheek quickly and disappeared before I could object.

So much for them being by my side the whole time. It wasn’t that I was afraid of the demons, but I felt deep in my soul that I didn’t belong here. I knew it was because I was an angel, and even after falling, it didn’t mean I was automatically comfortable in Hell or hEll. It was pretty much the same fucking thing. I tracked Kase through the club as my anxiety grew and watched as he bowed to Lilith before positioning himself so that he could speak to her but also keep an eye on me easily. He smiled reassuringly at me when our eyes met before turning his attention back to Lilith.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Someone slurred behind me.

Fuck. Don’t be talking to me. If I have to kill a demon in this Hell-adjacent club, it’s going to cause a riot. I yelped as a feather was plucked from my wings. The culprit leaned against the table to my right, and I was aware of someone else taking up position to my left and boxing me in. He ran my black feather through his fingers as he sneered at me. “You’re over your head by coming here, angel,” he spit.

“Fallen angel,” I corrected.

“But angel all the same,” the demon replied. Someone grabbed me from behind and yanked me away from the table. I stumbled back but managed to catch myself with my wings before I landed on my ass on the floor. “We don’t want your kind here,” the demon who plucked my feather said.

There was a flash of heat, and suddenly, Lucifer was by my side. His black wings extended to their full wingspan, forcing anyone near us to back up. One wing curled around me protectively, sending the indisputable message that I was under his protection. The demon with my feather audibly gulped when he saw.

“Her kind?” Lucifer asked. “Are you saying that you have a problem with fallen angels? Because it would be problematic if you did.”

“N-no, Sir. Not at all. I had only meant that she wasn’t welcome here. You’re welcome everywhere, Sir.” The demon’s explanation made absolutely no sense, and he knew it judging by the fear in his eyes.

Lucifer nodded as he took my feather from the demon’s hand. He turned slightly to wink at me as the feather began to glow in his hands. The glowing stopped, and I realized he turned the feather into metal. In one smooth motion, he turned back to the demon and stabbed the metal feather into his eye. The demon burst into flames immediately, and Lucifer turned his back to the blaze, wrapping his wings around me to protect me.

“I think we should talk, Evangeline,” Lucifer said, his voice like velvet.

I nodded, expecting him to lead me to a quiet room. Instead, he held me tighter and teleported us from the club. When his wings unfurled around me, I found we were on another small island in the middle of an ocean. This one held an ancient stone pyramid.

“Where are we?”

“We are where I believe the next crisis point in our world will occur,” Lucifer responded as he stared at the horizon.

“You mean Zabiza.”

“I do.” Lucifer sighed, then looked at me. “I’m afraid you are owed an apology, Evangeline, though it isn’t my apology to make. Forces beyond my understanding are at play here, and I believe they’ve chosen you to become humanity’s savior, their death angel.”

“I’m not the angel of death,” I replied quickly. Sure, I was an assassin, but I wasn’t the angel of death.

“No, you’re not,” Lucifer chuckled. “That guy was insufferable. No, a death angel is different than the angel of death and much more rare. The truth is, angels don’t have fated mates, Evangeline. If they did, Lilith wouldn’t feel the need to parade her conquests in front of me to test my devotion to her.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?” I asked.

“Yes and no. I understand why Lilith does it. She’s been through a lot, and even the most beautiful creatures are sometimes insecure, her more than most. If I have to spend the rest of my existence proving my love to her, I will.”

“If angels don’t have fated mates, why do I?”

“I believe it was a gift—a consolation prize for your necessary fall. There is a long-forgotten story that used to be told of the fallen angel, tricked into falling from grace, who would become the death angel, able to decide the very fate of the universe.”

“But you were the fallen angel,” I replied, confused.

“Ah yes, that is what most thought, and the Maker and I allowed that to be the official story. While I am a fallen angel, I am not the fallen angel depicted in the story. That role has fallen to you,” Lucifer replied.

“How can you be sure?” I asked. There was so much to unpack, but even as I doubted its truth, a part of me felt how true his words rang.

Lucifer looked at me steadily. “The same way that you sense it to be true. I don’t have a better answer for you than that, but I have a gift to bestow on you.” He approached me, placed his hand over my chest, and closed his eyes. I felt a burning sensation so extreme it felt like hellfire was flowing through my veins, and my mouth opened in a silent scream. When the feeling stopped, I sagged in Lucifer’s arms.

“My powers are now your own when you need them.”

What the fuck just happened? Did I just become a co-ruler of Hell?