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“We need to contain this fucking situation before Luc decides to take things too far and does something he’d regret. None of us are a match for him if he truly goes nuclear on anyone.”
“It may be time to call in Ramiel, find out if there’s any outside influence here?”
“Or one of the Fates?”
“The cryptic bitches might be of some help, but we’d probably end up with more questions than answers.” He knew that voice. It belonged to Andromalius . . . Andy. The one before was Fenriz . . . Fynn.
“Guys, the big guy’s coming around, so let’s table this until we can discuss it as a team. No more secretive bullshit. All the cards on the table, and then we’ll form a plan of attack.” Dante, of course, was the one to notice he’d come to.
While the little shit was the ultimate prankster, and pain in the ass—and fuck knew he had his reasons—he was a consummate professional when it came to his work and his loyalty to his chosen brothers and sisters. Hell, they all were a little fucked up, and fucked over, by what life had thrown at them, and they all had different ways of coping. Some were better than others.
His gaze zeroed in on Caine and Ares. Those guys had the weight of a thousand worlds reflected in their eyes and strapped to their shoulders. But the one he worried most for was Dante. What would happen the day his laughter died?
Before his thoughts could carry him down that fucking scary road of ‘what-ifs’ there was a light, yet commanding rap on the door. With only a slight pause the doors were pushed inwards by two of the newest recruits, and Mrs Briars bustled in behind them pushing her motorized cart seemingly loaded with enough food to feed an army of hungry trolls. Truth be told she wasn’t wrong in her estimation of what the fourteen of them could inhale, ah, eat, yeah eat, he totally meant eat.
The smells wafting his way had his feet pulling a one foot in front of the other shuffle before he even registered he was upright. Soon Mrs Briars was surrounded by hungry eyes and enthusiastic thank-yous. She went about setting up the table, slapping at the hands of those who tried to help. Mrs Briars was an institution in the compound. Having arrived mysteriously one day—so long ago his memory was foggy as to the year—in the company of Leraie, the Almighty’s right hand. She’d helped guide grown angels, raise new ones, and she’d helped mend the broken psyches of more than one of their lot with her kindness, her wisdom, and her magic touch. Oh, and the giant helpings of comfort food, and tough love when needed. No way was she allowing them to set that table though. Not on her watch.
“Where are Azaroth and Leviathon? They never miss a meeting.” Her eagle eyes were legendary for taking in everything and her uncanny knack for catching them out on their secrets gave them a sense of motherly love that most of them either hadn’t known or couldn’t remember. While at the same time making them feel like small children caught stealing the last chocolate chip cookie from the supposedly hidden jar.
As all eyes flickered to Luc, Mrs Briars was quick to follow their lead. With a raised brow she planted her hands on her rounded hips and strode determinedly toward him.
“What have you done, Cifer, my boy?” her head tilted to the left as she looked up into his eyes. For such a short, short woman, she sure as fuck knew how to make him feel an inch taller than pond scum sometimes.
“I . . . I saw her . . . He saw her, he knew her. MY Caria, he knew my Caria. I . . .” She placed her palm on his arm and shushed him, as only she could, at any other time the others would have found it highly amusing, and her gaze hardened
“Make it right, Cifer,” was all she said. It was all she had to say. He knew he needed to put his big boy General pants on and apologize, no matter how his shadows rebelled. Roth was his friend, his family, and it didn’t sit right that they were at such odds. Especially when nothing was confirmed.
Lily moved to the adjoining door and entered, only to jump back out and slam the door so fast it was amazing luck she hadn’t hit herself in the face with it. She spun, her back to the wall and her usually sun kissed golden skin was bright pink, her plump lips parted in shock.
Dante, being Dante, raced to the door like his tail was on fire, well if he had a tail that is. His excitement at catching his fellow Hounds in flagrante delicto was palpable. Anything he could use to take his focus away from himself and his crushing self-analysis. They’d mostly decided to humor the bastard. Not that they let him get away with shit completely, not a chance in, well, Hell. Part of the game was payback, just as much as his mischief kept him distracted so too did the anticipation of his comeuppance. He’d just never really pranked Luc before. As Luc ran his fingers through his bright blue hair he couldn’t help but chuckle, the sound low, rough, and rumbling; completely unexpected. He felt slightly better as he took in the scene around him. Knowing something was happening behind those doors and that his friends still had his back brought back a calm he couldn’t have gained solo.
“Holy fuck!” Dante slammed the door shut so fast it was like he hadn’t even opened it. When he turned around, his eyes were just about bugging out of his head.
“They’re ghost fucking, sleep fucking. It’s fucking weird fucking. I have no fucking words,” he croaked out between wheezing breaths.
“Bro, what the hell are you talking about?” Malphas exclaimed.
“Dude, they’re asleep, passed out or something. Completely naked and, like, fingering air, and stroking themselves, and making sex noises while they suck face.” Lily rubbed her eyes as she spoke as though trying to wipe the image from her mind. “I don’t even think they know what they’re doing,” she added.
Every mouth dropped open and the vacuum of silence which came from the momentary cessation of breath was almost comical. Astral sex. It was a legend, like a sexy fantasy, but Luc had never known of someone who’d actually done it. It required a deep connection, careful planning, and a complete lack of consciousness that most people never achieved. He’d always wondered if his dreams were like that, but he’d known they hadn’t been, even as he’d hoped for it. How could they’ve been? They’d had no planning. He’d thought her long dead or himself slowly going crazy. But now? Now he had so many questions he had no answers for. The one he dreaded most was who were they dreaming of? His shadows threatened to break free but he pushed them down. He glanced at his arm to see the wrinkled hand of Mrs Briars lightly resting there, a tart held out to him with the other.
“Eat,” was all she said to him before she turned back to the others.
“Leave them be, dears,” Mrs Briars murmured. “Call for me when they come out, if you’ve all managed to eat everything by then, and I’ll bring more. And you leave them alone about this. No teasing, nothing. Especially you, Dante. No jokes! Or no more dumplings for you. Are we clear? Those boys have been through too much and I’ll not see any of you making it any harder for them to sort it all out,” she intoned as she glanced around at all of them, they all nodded automatically. Dante copped the glare though, and he swallowed hard. It was a big ask for him not to take it and run with the endless jokes, but her dumplings were one of his weaknesses, and she knew it.
“I’ll try my hardest, but it’s GHOST FUCKING. Like this is prime material right here for the taking,” he wheedled.
“No dumplings and no tarts,” came her determined reply. She’d really pulled out the big guns now.
“Yes, ma’am.” Dante straightened up like a soldier on parade. The threat of no more of Mrs Briars dumplings or tarts for the rest of eternity took the humor out of the situation with impressive speed.
“Good. Now eat before I take it back to the kitchen and find others who’ll appreciate my efforts.” She playfully pouted while trying not to grin, before she walked through the doors. Literally through the doors. Leaving them to descend on the food like starving hyenas. Momentarily forgetting all of their worries, hopes, and queries.
Chapter 10
If Roth kept his eyes sealed closed, maybe he could pretend for a little longer it was actually Athon’s warm body pressed up against him, rather than a figment of his imagination. A very vivid manifestation of his deepest desires. He could feel the warmth of his lover’s skin seeping into his, Athon’s scent enveloped him in a world he never wanted to wake from. The light fuzz of a neatly trimmed beard grazed his shoulder and a low sound of sexual satisfaction reached his ears. Yes, surely it wouldn’t be a sin to stay like this forever, to bask in the glow of a love that once was. He knew it wasn’t Athon’s fault, not really. He’d made his choices too. Yet, the specter of Mara hung like a cloud of doom over him so often. Between them. A reminder of what his blind faith in love could do. What his trust in another could do. Of what he would do for the one he loved, even to his own detriment.
When the phantom hand resting on his muscled chest moved lower and caressed the smattering of hair that led to his suddenly hard again cock, Roth’s eyes flashed open and flicked straight to the End Zone. Yep, his cock was as stiff as a goal post and the hand now resting on his hip, after it’d brushed against said cock and thus caused a swift shot of desire to shoot straight to his balls, was definitely real and very familiar.
