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“You feel that?” he asked, curiosity gleaming in his gaze.
“Nah…attracted to Serphina? Fuck yes, but I don’t feel all you’re describing. I’m not hurting. Not the way you mentioned, anyway,” I forced a smile, disappointment laced my words. My pull for Seraphina was so different from the others and yet, it was nothing like how Raphael had explained. She’s not my mate. I cannot believe there may be someone else out there for me that’s not Seraphina.
He patted my back and rose. “All this talk of mates reminds me I need to check on Chloe. I’ve been very needy since she got pregnant,” he declared.
“Wasn’t she supposed to need stuff if she’s carrying the babies?” I asked, amused.
He simply shrugged and walked out of the room.
I sighed, my thoughts returning to Sera. When she rested her head on me and fell asleep, I was a goner. An immense sense of peace rolled through me when I held her in my arms, almost like an addiction. She had no idea on the effect she was having on me. I had practically kissed her. Her scent pulled me in and I had this sudden urge to taste her soft lips. She had leaned in, too, despite all her talk of hating me.
Dragging a hand over my hair, I walked to the map. There were bigger problems at hand than my obsession with a stubborn woman determined to wreak havoc on my mental state. I couldn’t afford to fall in love with anyone other than my mate. There was no way I’d resist the pull of a true mate and if Seraphina wasn’t the one, I’d only break her heart.
Stifling a yawn, I traced the line of red dots along the border with my gaze. There was a large piece of barren No Man’s Land on the mountain next to the ocean before our territories began. The vampires gathered there. Both of our territories were in the line of attack, if they wanted to infiltrate the rest of Eason. The antidote would help control the number of casualties but we needed to eliminate the threat all together.
Raphael and I decided to make a little excursion ourselves into the No Man’s Land. But the idea of taking him away from his pregnant mate bothered me. So, I had been pushing back, though Raphael wasn’t backing down.
He did say he would consider soliciting help from Archangel Rylan of Monticel City. Given that his territory was south of ours, Rylan may not have seen the effects yet but his army was formidable. If Rylan agrees to accompany me to No Man’s Land, Raphael could stay here with his mate. I rubbed my jaw, the stubble itchy already. I could use a shave if I found five minutes to clean up.
Raphael strode in, his face tight. Picking up his sword and tucking a knife in his boot, he turned to me. Rage was palpable on his face.
“We have captured a vamp. Want to have some fun?” There was nothing suggesting fun on Raphael’s face but I nodded. My current broodiness could use some “fun”. He threw a sword to me then strode out.
Couple of hours later, I walked through the streets, seeking fresh air. The interrogation was brutal, but by the end, the vampire no longer had the crazed confidence as when he’d been captured. The information he spilled unsettled all of us. The Vampire Prince Karda was determined to expand the vamps territory in Eason. There wasn’t a formal treaty of peace between the Angel and Vampire territories. We’d never needed one, because an ocean so wide, it was a world of its own, divided us. No one had ever attempted to invade the other. It was an understanding that hadn’t been tested. If Prince Karda was really building the massive army the vamp bragged about, the Archangels needed to band together real quick. While the angels had airpower and military skills, the vampires had another advantage. They weren’t really dead. They needed to be beheaded or staked by ash. Two not-so-little problems, I realized. Beheading needed to be done close-up, which risked a bite. And collecting enough ash would take time.
I drug a hand through my hair, as an image of Seraphina’s dead body jarred my mind. Fuck. We couldn’t let this happen, I couldn’t. I turned around, planning to return to the palace, when my phone pinged with a text. Seraphina’s name popped up with a single sentence.
I need you. I’m at the hospital.
Without thinking, I shot up into the sky. My heart pulsed as if it might explode from my chest. If Sera was asking for help, it had to be bad. Momentarily, I landed at the hospital entrance startling a few bystanders. I made to head inside when I caught sight of her and paused.
Leaning against one of the pillars of the massive entryway, Sera stood, staring blankly at the garden in front. The ends of her simple light blue, wrap dress fluttered in the soft breeze and so did her thick, dark hair but she didn’t seem to notice. It unnerved me to see her so withdrawn. I preferred her creative cuss words for me any day over this. My heart constricted painfully, the demand to remove the pain from her face created a deep fissure within me.
I strode toward her, and she turned to face me. Her gaze was one of relief and such despair, it took my breath away. A fat tear rolled down her cheek and my heart dropped as well. I stumbled back a step when she suddenly pressed into me, her sobs racking her body.
What the fuck. I was ready to destroy whoever had put this despair in her eyes. I curled my arms around her, tightening my hold.
“She passed away,” she whispered, her voice broken.
I stilled. There was no doubt who she was referring to. The mother she knew. The mother who raised her. Ava. My wings curled around her as if that would shield her from the hurt. Every pump of my chest demanded that I stop her pain. Why does her pain affect me so much?
She looked up at me, her eyes rimmed with red. “I want her funeral to be in Regent City. But I don’t have the money or contacts to get there. Can you help me with that?”
At that moment, I knew there was no mating bond that would match what I felt for this woman in my arms. Her pain was mine. Her wishes were mine. And her smile would be my reward. If I ever found a mate in this lifetime, I wouldn’t complete the bond. I’d rather die than give up Sera.
I cupped her face and wiped her tears away. Her big, blue eyes gazed at me with a trust that I hadn’t earned but was determined to. I pressed my lips on her forehead, breathing in her scent and something eased in my chest. This was right. She was right for me, mating bond or no.
“Consider it done.”
Seraphina
Leaning my head on the cool glass of the car window, I closed my eyes. We were on our way to Regent City. After Michael had dropped me home to pack, he went back to the hospital to arrange for the transport. I didn’t have any strength to walk back inside and see my aunt’s lifeless body.
When Ava passed, I couldn’t think of anyone but Michael to grieve with. Now that I’d reflected on it, the decision was odd, but I’d felt myself aching for his embrace. I needed to hide in his strong arms from the unbearable pain. And he had come, within a few minutes of my text. The Archangel had dropped everything for me. He had promised to always be there for me. He’d kept his promise.
I snuck a glance at him. He was on his phone, taking his official meetings remotely so that we could reach Regent City right away for my aunt’s last rites.
If I had a coin for every time he’d cursed on a call, I would have enough money to pay for this trip. It was clear the vampire attacks were coordinated and a much bigger problem than I’d thought.
