13. Chapter 12

The elevator doors open to reveal The Ferryman again. He holds out his hand, the bones cracking as he unfolds his fingers.

"Pay The Ferryman," he orders. "And I will take you where you need to go. Perhaps, Hell? I hear it's warm this time of year."

"Uh," I mumble, glancing at Iggy and Aziel.

"I smell what you two have been up to. It's Hell worthy. Congratulations," The Ferryman attempts to grin but all that's there is an abyss.

"Oh my God." I bury my face in Aziel's furry arm, wanting to hide and possibly disappear from the face of this dimension.

Aziel snarls at him, taking a step forward to invade The Ferryman's space. "Keep your mouth shut when you're talking about my mate. You don't have the right to talk about what we do behind closed doors—"

"—And even then," Iggy blows a raspberry and his lips vibrate together. "—sometimes the door being closed isn't enough."

"You aren't helping," I bite.

"What? It isn't a bad thing. I hope someone fucks me like that."

"Iggy!"

"I also wish that," The Ferryman sighs. "It's a long immortal life doing this job. I meant no harm, but I will need something of value for you to continue on your way." He wiggles his boney fingers. "Anything but money."

Aziel tilts his head back, completely defeated. "I don't have anything."

I untie the wolf hair keeping one of my braids together. "I can tie the end with another piece of your hair," I tell Aziel with a comforting smile. "It will be fine, but here you go." I hand the long strand to the demon.

"What am I going to do with a piece of hair?" The Ferryman is unimpressed, holding the long werewolf hair up to get a better look at it before shivering in disgust.

"It's my Beloved's hair. He plucked each hair from his body, piece by piece, to tie my braids at the ends. That singular piece of hair is full of more love, devotion, loyalty, kindness, and commitment than you might see in your entire immortal life. That piece of hair might mean nothing to you—" The familiar burn behind my eyes has me trying to swallow the emotion building. "— but it means everything to me."

Aziel wraps his arm around my shoulders. In his werewolf form, I only stand at his abdomen, and yet, his arm around me, bringing me comfort, makes me feel as tall as he is.

"This one little hair holds so much?" The Ferryman asks, bringing it closer to his face, and inspecting it as if it is a rare object he has never seen before.

"And so much more," I add, hoping it is enough.

"Interesting." He wraps the long strands around his giant wooden staff, right under the onyx stone at the top. "I like it. I accept your token. You may enter," he says.

I blow out a breath, taking Aziel's hand as we step onto the elevator. The doors close and blood splashes onto our shoes, again. Jazz music trumpets through the speakers and The Ferryman whistles, bobbing his head to the horrible tune while hitting his staff on the floor to make his own beat.

So. Awkward.

I look down, the fire and souls screaming as they press their faces against the floor to be set free.

"Don't mind them. They are always complaining." The Ferryman hits his staff on the ground. "Shut up. No one wants to hear your screams."

To my surprise, the souls shut their mouths and drift somewhere else.

"They do it for attention. They know they deserve to be in Hell," he explains.

"Who is in Hell? If you don't mind me asking."

"A lot of people think the smallest things will send them down south, but that's not the case. Lucy doesn't care if you steal food to eat because you're hungry and are having a tight month financially. He doesn't give a fuck if you have sex before marriage, he encourages it, and he really doesn't care if you curse, or kill in self-defense. You really need to be the worst of the worst to land yourself in the flames."

"That's a relief," Iggy's voice is sullen. "I've stolen food before."

"I know. It's why I used it as an example." The Ferryman gives a slow nod of his head as the elevator screams when we reach the main floor.

"Thank you," I tell him.

"I hope you're sinned with the darkest of days!" He smiles again and waves as the elevator doors close.

Iggy scratches the back of his head. "I think he meant that in a nice way."

"I do too." Aziel scans the room, the bowling alley thriving with other creatures.

Pins clash and balls roll in the gutter. Cheers fill the air along with sounds of disappointment.

"Before we head out, I did buy us one game. You two up for it?" My Beloved crosses his arms, his muscles becoming more pronounced, and I'm taken back to when we broke the counter in the hotel room.

"Will you keep it in your pants for five minutes?" Iggy teases, nudging my arm with his elbow.

"Yes, mate," Aziel bites in a warning. "I can't take you here for all to see. That's too many to kill for witnessing what belongs to me."

"Though, I can understand why you'd get hot and bothered so quickly." Iggy pinches the neckline of his shirt which reads, ‘I love Purgatory' and fans himself. "I want someone to talk to me like that."

"Come on. Let's take lane three. It's the only one that's open." Aziel points to the lane directly in front of us.

I clap, jumping up and down with excitement like when my parents would give me a blood popsicle.

"Not to brag, but I'm pretty good at bowling."

"And when was the last time you bowled, My Light?" He lifts a brow at me, sitting down in the seat to input our names on the screen.

"It's been a while but it's all up here baby." I tap my head, giving him a little dance to show my confidence.

A catcall from beside us has Aziel unsheathing Uri, slicing him through the air, and taking the head off an orc.

He wipes Uri off on the body belonging to the head. "If anyone else wants to disrespect my mate, please try. I am in the killing kind of mood." He scans the lanes next to us, flashing his fangs as he snarls. "No one?"

The orc disappears, leaving nothing but his bones where he used to sit.

"If you kill again, I'm going to have to force you to leave." Trelo, the bull shifter stands beside us, arms crossed with a stern expression on his face.

"I won't kill anymore if everyone decides to leave my mate alone." Aziel slides Uri in its place behind his back.

Trelo narrows his eyes before uncrossing his arms and pointing a finger. "Fine, but any other violence, you're out of here, Aziel. This is the only peaceful place in Purgatory. Don't fuck that up."

Aziel gives him a two-finger salute. "I'll be an angel."

Trelo rolls his eyes with disbelief. "Right. Do you all need shoes?"

"Yep. I'm afraid I don't know my size in this form." Aziel stares at his giant werewolf feet, wiggling his toes.

"That's okay. I'm bringing venlilly. It's a plant we use. You put them on the bottom of your feet and they will do the rest. I'll be back with six of them." Trelo pats the seat Aziel is sitting in.

And that's when I notice the seats for what they are.

Giant skeletal troll hands and we sit in the palms.

"I'll go grab us some drinks," Iggy says, hopping down from one of the hands. His feet don't even touch the ground when he is sitting down. It's cute.

I stand behind Aziel and rub his shoulders.

"Mmm, that feels good, My Light."

"You're so tense. It's probably from carrying Uri around."

"I'll deal. Uri has saved me far too many times. I'll deal with tight shoulders."

I bring my lips to his ear, the fur at the tips tickling my nose. "I guess that means I'm going to have to massage you more."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that." He reaches behind him, grabs my shirt, and yanks me over.

I flip into his lap, staring up into his handsome werewolf face. He has more of a mane in this form, fur lining his cheeks, and his nose is black. His eyes have changed to the same color as mine, proving our bond.

He is vicious. His features are defined and cut. When he looks at me, all of his features soften.

"Holy shit, you guys." Iggy returns, carefully placing the purmugs on the table. Seems the purmugs are made from igneous rock too. The foam sloshes over the rim. "There is a guy at the bar, cute, but has gnarly scars on his face. It looks like he got scratched by a werewolf."

Aziel sits up, his energy shifting, and he sets me on the ground. "What did you just say?"

"There's a guy at the bar with scars on his face." Iggy shrugs like it's no big deal. He picks up his drink, takes a sip, and has a foam mustache. He licks it off the top of his lip. "He is grouchy, and he hated to know a werewolf was here. I didn't gather all he said, but I heard the statement, ‘All werewolves should die' and that's when I made my escape because he started to scare me."

"That's impossible. It can't be," he whispers, staring in the direction of the bar. "Why don't you two look for balls? I'll be right back."

I grab Aziel by the arm, stopping him before he takes a step. "You aren't going up to him, are you? You heard what Iggy said."

"I think I know of this guy. I think— I think he might be my Alpha's brother."

I rear back, staring at my Beloved as if he is crazy. "The chances of that, Aziel. Come on. It probably isn't him. Don't risk your life for someone you don't know."

"But if it is him, I can tell Alpha Monreaux," I whisper, not wanting to say it too loud. "Maybe we can figure out a way to get him out. Maybe he can come with us to Dread Mountain."

"I'm coming with you."

"No. You stay with Iggy. He can't be left alone. We don't want anything happening to him. I promise I'll be back with a ball, and I'll kick your ass in bowling."

"Fine," I huff. "But if he attacks you, don't say I didn't warn you."

"When I come back and I'm bleeding, you're going to tell me, ‘I told you so.'"

I swallow a big gulp of Deadly Ale. "Don't act like you know me."

"I know you better than you know yourself." He kisses my forehead. "You guys get started without me. I'm last anyway."

"I love you. Don't get wiped out of existence when I just got you back."

Aziel

I bend down to whisper in her ear. "I'm the Ripper, My Light. I'm the best fighter in Purgatory. It's going to take more than him to kill me." With that, I give her a confident smirk before turning around and heading toward the bar. It's packed.

The bartender with eight tentacles is pouring drinks at a record speed, sliding them down the bar top for people to catch. A few Purgstitues are hanging over a few guys, hoping to earn a couple eeries.

At the end of the bar, near the wall, is the guy Iggy was talking about. From here, I can only see the marred side of his face. Claw marks. Five thick lines ruin his face and as I glance down at my own nails, I have no doubts that those wounds came from a werewolf.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me." I push my way through the crowd.

"Hey, big boy. Looking for a good time? I'm Holly, at least that's what my killers called me." A succubus cuts me off and stands in front of me in her red lingerie and light purple skin, holding out her hand in a dainty way for me to take. She frowns, immediately removing her hand from my reach. "Shit. You're mated. My seduction doesn't work on you."

I give her an eerie anyway. "I hope you find what you're looking for." I walk around her, bumping my shoulder against someone else.

"Thanks!" she yells over the crowd.

The guy I bumped turns around. "Watch it," he sneers, showcasing pointed teeth.

I pick him up easily and set him behind me. "How about you get mouthy with someone who can't kill you so easily?" I growl, turning around to head towards my target.

"Excuse me. Sorry." I swear if I get bumped one more time, I'm bringing Uri out.

I finally reached the end of the bar and Iggy was right, this man's energy is keeping everyone away. There are three empty stools beside him, and he is sitting in the one closest to the wall.

Risking my life, I take a seat, leaving a spot open between us.

"Werewolves aren't welcome around me. You need to go." He is calm and collected, staring at a picture of Lucifer on the wall as he drinks his beer.

"I know. I just need to know something first. I am not here to hurt you. I'm sorry for whoever did."

He slams his purmug down and twists in his bar stool, giving me a clear view of his face. The scars must have been deep to cause so much damage. One eye is milky, a side of his mouth doesn't move, and his skin seems tight to the point that it must cause him so much pain.

I know what that's like.

I'm in pain now and it's hard to fight through.

"You're Alexander's twin," I say, completely shocked I'm staring at Atreyu.

"How the fuck do you know him? Is he here? What the fuck did you do to him?" His voice trembles with barely controlled rage.

"He's my Alpha, my Master, I suppose."

He flinches. "He has werewolves in the coven?" he spits. "He would never. Not after they bit us and did what they did to our family."

"Atreyu—"

"—Don't say my name as if you know me, Wolf. I haven't killed you yet because Trelo would throw me out for killing someone again. I like it here. Don't talk to me like you know me. It's insulting."

"I didn't do that to you." I point to his face. "But I killed many others and so did my brother. Our werewolves were spelled. We were trapped in our beasts and forced to be killing machines. My brother and I were cursed for fifteen years before your brother and his Beloved saved us."

His mouth twitches in an attempt to smile. "He found his Beloved?"

I nod. "Her name is Maven Wildes."

"I've heard of her. She opened the portals to other dimensions. I had no idea she belonged to my brother. I'm happy for him. Now, leave me the fuck alone. I'm not good company to keep and I do not want your company."

"Is there anything you want me to tell him? Or your father?"

"My father?" Atreyu drops his purmug on the counter and it splits in half, the beer spreading across the surface.

I have to lift my arms, so it doesn't stick to my fur.

"My father is alive?"

"Your father, your sister, the ones you thought you lost. They are alive."

"You're lying!" he shouts, grabbing a broken piece of the mug and placing it against my throat. "Give me a reason not to end your existence." He is trembling with so many emotions and yet the one I scent the most is sorrow.

Not rage. Not guilt. Not disbelief.

But pure, unfiltered sadness. It's so profound, so strong, it almost has me falling from my seat.

"I promise they are alive. Your father and your brother talk to your tomb in the catacombs. The tomb that's spelled by Sarah Wildes herself." I stretch my neck, trying to get space between me and the piece of sharp rock. "We're going up Dread Mountain soon. We're going to get out of here. I was going to ask if you would come with us, but you said you were bitten—"

"Only my beloved can get me out. I know. I think I'm better off here." He drops the broken piece of rock on the counter. "I'm too damaged for anyone to love me like your mate loves you."

"You know I have a mate?"

"I see her mark, plus, she hasn't stopped staring me down with a dagger in her hand." He turns to me again and the similarities between him and Alexander are uncanny. The only difference is Atreyu isn't as pale as Alexander. My Alpha's personality isn't as… grumpy either. "Leave me be, Wolf. If you find a way out, which I don't think you will, but if you do, tell my brother I'm fine."

"Is that all?"

"And that I'm pissed he allowed werewolves in the coven."

I flinch when he spits my species name with so much venom. "There are other creatures too if that makes it any better."

"Don't care. Just don't want you or your brother there. I've run out of time to give you, along with my give a damn. I don't trust a word you say. You're a werewolf. Too much has been done to me, too much has been taken from me to trust anything you say. I don't know you. I don't want to know you. Please, leave me the fuck alone and have a safe journey to wherever the fuck you're going that doesn't involve being around me."

I stand, knowing my welcome has run its course. "Your family misses you. Your father sits next to you and reads your favorite book. Alexander has kids now. He talks to you about them all the time. Don't… Don't settle in Purgatory when you have an entire life, a family, on the other side wanting you home."

"I can't go home with you there. It's no longer my home." The bartender brings Atreyu another round of beer. He snags it, chugging half in a few gulps. Without looking at me, he stares at the wall again. "Leave."

Taking one last look at the vampire who is so different from my Alpha, I give him what he wants. I'm far from giving up on him though. I'm going to find a way to bring Atreyu home one day.

And he'll thank me.