Chapter 16

Abby

" W hat's going on?" Frankie asks as she gets up from the chair in the room we've been using when we all hang out together.

Leo, Libby, and Zack get up from the couch and come join us. While Luke, Isaac and Noah follow me inside.

"We're going home." I tell them, looking at each of their faces.

"We are?" Frankie asks, brows furrowing. "Are you sure that's a good idea? What about..." her eyes flick over to Zed. He's sitting in the chair by the bookshelves, watching us with calculating eyes.

I give him a smile and my heart flutters when he grins back. "As long as he agrees not to kill anyone." I give him a pointed look and his smirk turns to disappointment. He's going to be a work in progress. "There's no point in staying here. This isn't his home. Nothing here will help trigger any memories. He needs to be back on the island, and spend time at his home, our home, in Dark Knight. Maybe even working on some cars at the shop will help. This isn't my home anymore either." I give them a smile, grabbing Leo and Luke's hands. "It hasn't been for a while. My home is wherever you all are, of course, but Hell isn't meant for me."

It's crazy that just a year ago, I was sent to Earth to go to school and have some time out of Hell before I was set to rule it, until my own child was old enough to take over. At least that was my father's plan. I wasn't going to give that to my child.

Now, he has his mates to help rule by his side. Maybe even my own mother if things work out the way Megan intends them to.

That's another thing I need to do, to see her before I leave. It's something I've been avoiding for a long time, afraid of hearing the truth because I know once I do, I'm not going to be able to hate her anymore. Maybe I don't want to. The idea of having a mother doesn't sound so bad. When I see Libby and Zed with Megan, there's a part of me that wants that bond too. Maybe we can get there.. Over time.

"Okay." Frankie nods her head. "Then we go back to Earth."

I step away from the guys and closer to her. "Are you okay with that?" I ask, searching her eyes. "To move to Earth, for good? To be with me, my mates, and to join my little family?" My heart beats wildly in my chest as I wait for her to answer. I know how much working for my father means to her. I'd never ask her to give up something she loves for me. If she wants to stay in Hell, I'll find a way to make it work.

She cups my cheeks and leans in, pressing her lips to mine. I sigh, a wave of relief settling over me when she pulls back and murmurs against my lips. "I go where you go, Princess. I'd love nothing more than to build a life by your side, no matter where we are."

"I love you." Tears well in my eyes. I'm tired. So fucking tired. Life has drained so much out of me lately. The pool of souls has left its mark on me. I feel that darkness swirling around inside me, the itch inside to allow my powers to take over more. It's another reason why I want to get out of Hell. Something about this place is soul sucking for sure. I mean, it is The Underworld, so I'm not surprised. This place never felt like it was my home.

"I love you too, Princess."

She kisses me again before I step back and look at the guys. "Alright then. I guess we pack up whatever we want to take with us and then we will head to the portal."

Libby and Zack head to their room to grab their things. Luke, Noah, and Isaac each kiss me goodbye before they head to theirs.

"Leo." I stop him as he's about to slip out of the room, being silent the whole time. He gives me a smile, but fuck does it ever hurt my heart. I grab his hand and bring him out into the hallway. "I love you." I tell him, making sure he sees the sincerity in my voice.

"I know." I can tell he does.

"Leo. I'm sorry." I wrap my arms around his neck and he wraps his around my waist, pulling me close to his body.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Starbright." he frowns.

"You're doing it again. You're letting yourself slip into the background, thinking that you need to give me space to do what I need to do. But you don't. I don't want you to. I need you, Leo. I need you so fucking bad and I hate that you think you need to take a back seat for anything. You've been so fucking good to me through this whole thing with Zed. You've cleaned me up with Frankie every time I went into that pool. You sat at my side and watched me sleep, making sure I was still breathing."

His eyes flash with surprise. "You knew?"

"Of course I did." I smile. "I could feel you. Your soul is intertwined with mine silly. Your presence helped keep the nightmares away. You are so much more important to me than you give yourself credit for. Leo, you're my best friend, my lover. I don't want to exist without you."

"Fuck, Abby." He curses, then spins me around, pressing me against the wall. He kisses me, deep and filled with so much love. I moan against his lips, clawing at his back, begging for more. "I love you." He pants against my lips when he pulls back. "I love you so much. I'm sorry I've been distant. It's just, it's been a lot you know? It's hard to see him like this." His eyes flick over to the door before returning to me. "He's my best friend and it hurts to know I may never get that back."

"I can't promise he will ever be the same. And that's okay. Because he's still a good person. He loves me, I can feel it. And I love him. I think if you spend more time with him, you two will get that back. It just might look a little different."

It kills me. I'm not going to lie. To see Zed like this. I'm mourning the man he used to be, the man I fell so hard for, who I've made so many memories with. But I'm not going to let it consume me because he's alive, and he's here. He's still my mate, a part of my heart and soul. And a lot like the vows of the humans, I will love him through sickness and health. But none of that until death do us part bullshit because I've proved that I'd literally go to Hell to get him and any of my mates back.

"Yeah." He breathes. "I'm trying to see it that way."

"It's going take time. And we have a lot of it."

He smiles at me, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah, we do. A lifetime, hey?"

"A lifetime." I promise. "And Leo?"

"Yes, my Starbright?" I love it when he calls me that.

"Tomorrow, me and you, the whole day. Okay?"

Ugh, my heart bursts at the smile that takes over his face. "It's a date."

"ABBY." DAD GREETS AS he opens the door to his study, taking a step back to let me in. "Your mates just left not too long ago."

"I know." I tell him. "I was just with them."

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Megan asks softly.

"Yeah." I nod. "I think it's time we head back."

"Or, you could just live down here." Dad grumbles.

I laugh, giving him a smile. "You know I wouldn't be happy here. Was I ever really?"

"No." He grumbles again.

"Earth is my home now."

"What are you going to do?" He asks me. "Go back to school as if nothing happened?"

"No." I shake my head. "School is the last thing on our minds right now. And it's almost summer break anyways. We have a few months to see where life takes us. The guys are graduating as it is, so it would only be Leo and I going. And honestly, at this point I don't care about graduating. I was just going because it was a requirement for me to be on earth."

It's not that I hated school, I enjoyed the things we learned. The people for the most part weren't horrible, but they were heavily deep into the crap the archangels were spewing.

"You're going to come visit right?" Dad's question has a slight edge of panic as if I'd say no.

"Yes." I promise him. "We will be back all the time. You know I'd miss you too much." I grin. "And Frankie, Libby, and Zed will want to come see their parents." I'm also not going to tell him about the fact that I promised Zed we will make the torture chamber a regular thing.

We went last night and Zed enjoyed himself way too much. It's a side of him I never thought I'd see. It both aroused and terrified me. It seems to soothe the darkness in his soul. If that's what he needs, then that's what we will do. I'm ashamed to admit, I get a sick sense of happiness seeing those vial humans get what they deserve. The darkness lingering in my soul calls to it.

"Okay good. Because I'd come up there and get you, you know."

"Oh, I know." I laugh.

Megan and I talk for a bit. I make her promises that I will watch over Libby and keep working on Zed. But she seems to accept that Zed may never be the same. And while I think that hurts her, she's just happy her son is alive. I never want to experience the pain of losing a child like she has. I'm glad she had my dad at her side through it all.

"Hi." Mom gives me a nervous smile, tears in her eyes when I turn to her.

Fuck. Fucking damnit. Looking at her now, any hate I had for her slips away.

"Can you answer a few questions?"

"Anything." She nods.

I swallow hard. "Did you love me? Or was I just a reminder of everything you shouldn't have wanted?"

"Of course I loved you. I still do, Abby. You're my daughter. Giving you up was the hardest thing I ever did and I regret it every day of my life. I've made some foolish choices, brainwashed by my misguided parents. I was raised to believe the things I was fated to have were evil and wrong. I hate that I listened to my parents. It's another regret I live with. If I could go back, I'd never have left."

She looks over at my dad, the regret shining in her eyes. Dad looks away, jaw tight. He loved her so much, her leaving destroyed him. I can't imagine how hard it is to have her here. The whole thing is one big cluster fuck that they're having to deal with.

I hope they work it out. I can see the love she still has for him in her eyes.

Hearing her say those things, seeing that she means every word of it, it heals something inside me and it takes everything in me not to cry.

"Isaac didn't go into detail, but before all this happened, he mentioned that you didn't have it easy with Michael. I don't want details, I don't think I could stomach it. But I want to know, did he hurt you?" She gives me a sad nod and my heart fucking crushes. "Badly?" She swallows hard.

"I did what I could to protect the boys from his wrath. I'd do it again."

She really isn't the woman I thought she was. Not at all.

"I'd like to get to know you better. It might take some time, but yeah..." This is so awkward for me.

Her face brightens like I just offered her the world.

"I would love that, Abby, you have no idea how much I'd love that." Her voice cracks when she speaks.

Taking a deep breath, I step forward and hug her.

She hugs me so tight, like she's afraid I'd take back what I just said, not wanting to let me go.

"I love you so much, sweet girl. I'm so proud of the woman you've become."

A tear slips free and I quickly wipe it away as I step back. "Thanks." I whisper.

Turning to my dad, I hug him next.

"You be safe, you hear me? You have my full permission to kill anyone who fucks with you."

I laugh. "Thanks, Dad."

"I love you, Abby."

"I love you too."

After saying goodbye to Megan, I pass Libby on my way out as she heads in to see her mom and I head back to my mates.

"Where are we going?" Zed asks me as soon as I step into my room.

"Home." I smile.

"Home." He says slowly. "Can I kill anyone in this place we call home?"

"No." I laugh. "We will come back here for that."

"Really?" his eyes light up. This really is fucked up.

"Yes, really."

"Okay. Then, we can go home."

Laughing, I lean up to kiss him on his cheek, staring at his black eyes. I miss the blue. I'm still not used to them.

I feel him watching me as I pack.

"Can I fuck you?" he asks me, stepping up behind me. I feel his hard cock press against my ass.

"Right now?" I ask with a laugh.

"Yes." He grunts.

"Not right now. But soon, I promise."

He fucked me like an animal last night, something about killing really seems to get him going. Or maybe it's just me. Either way, the sex was just as animalistic as it was when he pulled me into the cell.

"Get your hands off our mate, caveman." Frankie says, standing in the doorway with her bag in her hand. "You ready to go, Princess?"

I don't really have a lot to bring back with me, most of this stuff stayed here when I left.

"Yeah. Let's go home."

AS SOON AS WE STEP outside the portal compound, everyone lets out a sigh of relief. Libby and Zack say their goodbyes before taking off, eager to get home.

"I've never missed Earth so much in my life." Luke gets down on his knees and kisses the ground.

"Get up." Isaac sighs.

Noah grins, shaking his head. "I'm not kissing you until you wash your mouth."

"Kiss him?" Zed asks, cocking his head to the side. "You guys kiss?"

"Ah, yeah." Luke chuckles. "We also fuck."

"Shit, has no one told him we are mates also?" Noah asks.

I don't think we have. I turn to Zed. "Luke, Isaac, and Noah are fated mates with each other as well as me. Like I'm mated to all of you, they are mated to each other."

"So, they are lovers like you and I?" Zed asks.

"Yes."

"You fuck?" Zed asks.

"Well, it's mostly me and Isaac that do the fucking, Noah is the one who takes it." Luke shoots his mate a wink. Noah's cheeks go red, making me smile.

"Can we not have a conversation with my brother about us having sex." Isaac drolls.

Zed turns to me. "Do you have sex with them? At the same time."

Now it's my turn for my cheeks to pinken a bit. "We have." I nod.

Zed turns to Isaac. "Abby said we need some brotherly bonding. Would you like to have sex with Abby at the same time I do?"

All of our eyes widen as Frankie lets out a choked laugh. "Ahhh." Isaac blinks, not sure at all what to say.

Me? Just the idea of these two brothers taking me at the same time has my core clenching.

"Abby. Would you like that?" Zed asks.

"Oh, trust me, she would." Frankie's voice is thick with amusement. "She very much would."

I shoot her a glare, she only grins wider.

"Yes." I clear my throat, not missing how everyone's eyes are on me. "But let's talk about that another time. We need to get home."

Zed turns to Leo and steps forward, placing his hand on his shoulder. Zed's brows furrows and taps him again.

"Zed, baby, what are you doing?" I ask him.

"You said fated mates feel a shock when they touch." Zed turns to me.

"Yes." I'm so confused right now.

He turns back to Leo. "Sorry, no shock. You are not my mate. I can not fuck you."

Frankie and Luke start dying of laughter as Isaac groans. I bite my lower lip to keep myself from breaking as Leo blushes. But he smiles, tapping Zed's hand. "That's okay." He chuckles. "I assumed as much. I don't feel attraction to men anyways."

Zed nods and turns to Luke and Noah. Isaac steps forward. "Hands off my mates big guy." He growls.

"But how do I know?" Zed asks, brows furrowed.

"Trust me, you're not their fated mate. We all manhandled you when you busted into the room ready to rip Frankie apart, remember. No zap. Nothing."

"Okay, good. I much rather fuck Abby only. None of you make my cock hard."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, really trying not to laugh.

"Enough talk about sex. Let's go home." Frankie says.

"Fuck yeah!" Luke steps back, letting his wings pop free. "Damnnnn, that feels so good."

Isaac and Noah do the same.

Zed watches for a moment before letting his wings free. My heart sinks when I see their still jagged and missing feathers. He eyes them up in frustration. "I don't think I can fly."

"It's okay, big guy." Leo says. "I can't fly either."

"I'll take him." Isaac says.

"You sure? He's got a good foot on you." Luke asks.

"It's fine. Unless he wants to walk." Isaac says.

"It's an hour walk." I let Zed know. "We can walk if you like."

Zed looks up at the sky and squints his eyes. "This world is too bright. I don't want to be outside any longer than I have to."

"Then a free ride it is." Isaac looks at me, heat in his eyes. "See you at home?"

"Yeah." I bite my lip.

"We'll be waiting." Luke winks before shooting off into the air.

Noah grabs Leo and does the same.

With a bit of a grunt, Isaac takes off after them with Zed wrapped around his body. It's an odd sight that's for sure.

Closing my eyes, I let my wings free and sigh happily as the warm sun beats down on them. I've missed Earth. I missed the clear blue skies and the crisp clean air. "Hey, Princess." Frankie wraps her arms around me.

"Hi." I smile up at her as she leans down to press a kiss to my lips. "Ready to go to your new home?"

She nods and I wrap my arms around and launch myself in the air.

Time to go home.