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I glanced around the cubicle I’d been assigned. Plain here too. Nothing marking this place as mine. Only two small, framed photos of my mom and Raf sat atop my desk.
Raf was an asshole to be so cruel to me, but he spoke the truth. I was fucking scared. Scared that I wouldn’t be enough for him either. Just like I wasn’t enough for my father or the men I’d dated. He’d realize and then leave me. I would be left alone. Now with forever to live.
I hit send on the resignation email and grabbed my bag to leave for the day. A female shrieked as a single file of Archangel guards rushed onto my floor. My colleagues needed no compulsion to clear their way. No one wants to tangle with the well-built and well-armed soldiers.
The moment one of the soldiers spotted me, he directed the others. I froze in fear. Had Raphael decided enough was enough and sent his guards to arrest me?
“What’s all this?” I asked, sounding far calmer than I actually felt.
The guard who first spotted me, stepped up and said, “We need you at the palace urgently. Archangel Raphael is wounded.”
Blood drained from my face, and my bag slipped to the ground. “What happened?” I choked out, my throat clogged up in fear.
“Vampires. Please, miss. We need you there immediately.”
I forced myself not to panic, ignoring the sheer dread in the pit of my stomach. Not Raphael. Not my Raf. Dear goddess. Don’t let me be too late.
I drowned out the gasps and murmurs around me as I was rushed out of the office into a waiting Council Guard’s SUV.
Two soldiers climbed in the back after me. I sat with arms clutching my belly. The tightly coiled thread between Raphael and I that I tried to ignore since he’d stormed out of my condo pulled painfully. Even from this distance, the unfinished bond was strong enough that I could sense he was alive but was weakening.
My head buzzed with a roar that muted out everything else.
“Faster,” I snarled at the driver. I fell back on the seat as he accelerated, weaving quickly through the chaos of the street. The moment the vehicle stopped, I jumped out, and rushed into the palace. I had never been inside the Archangel’s quarters but all I needed to do was follow the tug in my belly to reach Raphael.
I climbed the circular staircase, higher and higher until I stopped at a huge, teak door. Pushing it open, I stepped inside.
Raphael was on the bed, surrounded by medical staff and Prime Minister Nosha. The Prime Minister rushed over and pulled me to the side.
“Thank the goddess. Only you can save him,” he blabbered.
“What?” I frowned.
“Didn’t he tell you?” When I didn’t answer, he cursed and said, “The mating bond. Without it, he weakens. The bond is not just goddess’s matchmaking parlor tricks. It’s how an archangel remains powerful. The mate is the vessel for his enormous power. Our Archangel’s health has been deteriorating way faster than others because he’s not a close bloodline. He needs you to complete the bond,” he pleaded.
Shocked, I stepped back, horror clawing my insides. Raphael was really dying. I could hear his weakening breath. His pain was my pain, his shallow gasp a constant reminder of his slipping grip from this world.
I rushed to the side of the bed and stared at his pale face. He only had his trousers on. A scattering of bandages covered his chest and arms. I sank down next to him. Immense pain squeezed my insides. All my fault.
Even unconscious with lips pursed in displeasure, he was still fighting. I needed him to fight. The terrifying thought of never seeing his beautiful green eyes crinkle in mischief made my hands tremble. I reached out reflexively curling my fingers in his open palm.
A sharp inhale and he jerked. I startled and almost moved away when his hand tightened over mine. A little color returned to his face, and his breathing looked less laborious. The painful tug in my belly eased too.
I gaped at our entwined hands; relief mixed with wonder coursing through my blood.
“I told you so,” said Nosha from behind. I turned to find him at the door. “If you care for him, you know what needs to be done,” he said with a kind smile and closed us in.
I turned back to Raphael who was healing right in front of my eyes. All he needed was my touch.
A sudden thought had me blushing red. But given I was on a streak today with being bold, I removed my top and bra and slid next to him on the bed. If a single touch can help him breathe easily, more skin should probably give him enough strength to fly us off over the city. Giggling, I placed my head on his chest while my breasts mashed against his side. Skin-to-skin with my Archangel. I felt him shudder slightly before falling back into a rhythmic breathing pattern. Knowing that my hunch was right, I made myself comfortable to wait for Raphael to wake up.
There was a lot we had to talk about, starting with the very big omission that could’ve gotten him killed tonight.
Raphael
I must have died and gone to heaven. I could find no other reason for the fact that Chloe was draped topless over my upper body. Her tits were smashed on my chest and her soft breath tickled my neck. It’s strange that heaven looked like my bedroom in the Archangel’s private quarters.
I blinked harder, clearing my eyes, and found daylight streaming through the shades in the room. My sword rested on the table along with my knife that I used to kill the last vampire. There was dirt and perhaps dried blood on the floor next to the table. Maybe I’m not dead yet. Fuck, is Chloe safe?
