Clara watched Gabriel swallow his first bite of her beef stroganoff, but as usual, his expression gave nothing away.
However, she sensed his satisfaction through their link. Or rather, bond, as he’d called it.
She felt it anchored inside her, tying her to his existence. For whatever reason, that left her feeling safe and secure, not terrified or trapped.
Perhaps he was right about her being slightly broken. She’d endured a lot over her lifetime and had recently lost the only person she had a true connection to—her Sire.
Even though she and Aidan never loved each other, they had cared deeply for one another, similar to family. However, she’d always been last on his list.
Which was fine.
She was used to being last.
Except she’d never anticipated it blowing up the way it did with the Hydraians.
She shoved the pain away and focused on Gabriel once more as he lifted his fork to his lips again.
He was shirtless at the table, clad only in a pair of boxers, his hair freshly damp from his recent shower. He’d taken one while she’d cooked. Then he’d misted out here, ready to eat, as soon as she had pulled the pan off the stove.
Her thighs still tingled from the two orgasms he’d given her after she’d gone down on him. It seemed her guardian angel liked oral sex.
She wondered how he’d feel about other activities… like anal.
He dropped his fork and looked at her. “Are we trying that next?”
“Is that lesson number three?” she countered.
He considered it, his face as serious as ever. “Yes.” Then he resumed eating as though they hadn’t just spoken about him taking her up the ass.
This man was a conundrum. Nothing fazed him, yet he’d expected her to react to the news of her potential death. Which, yeah, at first, it’d unsettled her. Just like the bond had. But once she resigned herself to having no control over it, she was fine.
And a tiny part of her trusted him to keep her safe. Not that she would voice that out loud. Mostly because she suspected he would deny it.
“This is satisfactory,” he said after finishing over half his plate.
She smiled and started into her own dish, aware that satisfactory was probably his version of a compliment. They’d work on that.
Well, they’d work on a lot of things. Now that they were bonded.
Warmth spread through her veins at the thought, the invisible anchor inside her grounding her in a way she’d never thought possible. She’d gone her entire life being everyone’s second or third choice. And while she knew Gabriel would never love her, she felt his loyalty lingering in their connection.
He would never take another lover.
And neither would she.
Talk about a quick commitment, one that could pose a slight problem. “How will I feed?” she asked him after swallowing a savory bite of meat. “On blood, I mean.”
“If you’re craving it, you can have mine.”
“Will that be enough to sustain me?” She felt rejuvenated and alive after imbibing some of his essence last night, but she wasn’t sure how long that would last.
He stared at her for a moment, then a glimmer of understanding lit up his green eyes. “You no longer need human blood. Seraphim don’t rely on the essence of others for survival. That’s just a consequence of your resurrection.”
He continued into a lesson on Osiris and how he’d created all of Ichorian and Hydraian kind through his blood as the Seraphim of Resurrection.
Clara had overheard some of this from the Elders after Stas’s miraculous recovery, but she hadn’t realized the full extent of it. No one ever really told her anything, she just gathered bits and pieces by listening to others speak. It was a result of her defenseless power. Or she thought that might be why she was often overlooked. Regardless, she appreciated Gabriel bringing her up to speed on the topic.
“So now that we’re bonded, I’ll become a full-blooded Seraphim,” she said, already aware of that possibility from overhearing Gabriel’s thoughts earlier. But saying it out loud somehow made it more believable.
“I believe so, yes. Issac—who has no Seraphim genetics inside him—has already shown signs of his ethereal growth. I imagine you will as well, starting with your waning need for human blood.”
“Meaning you’ll be the only source I need.”
“You won’t even need me,” he replied. “But I don’t mind you biting me again.” His green eyes flickered with a subtle heat, just enough to thaw the colder features of his face and allow her a glimpse of the virile male beneath the stoic exterior.
She could also sense his growing interest at the prospect. If she looked down, she just might see that interest, too. But instead, she held his gaze and smiled. “I accept that invitation. And thank you for my lesson.”
His lips actually twitched at her cheekiness. Then he flattened them and worked on finishing his meal.
They ate in companionable silence until his phone began to chirp from the other room. He sighed and misted away from the table, his red feathers appearing in a gorgeous flurry before he blinked out of sight.
She caught one of the plumes he left behind and marveled at the soft texture. It reminded her of silk, yet electricity hummed along the edges.
He returned with the phone at his ear. “Yes” was all he said while a masculine tone conversed from the other line. She couldn’t make out the words but recognized Ezekiel’s deep drawl. “I had another engagement.”
Her eyebrow winged upward at his flat tone.
“My schedule is my own,” he said, his jaw clenching slightly with the words. Yet his voice remained toneless as he added, “I’ll arrive when I feel like it.” Then he ended the call and tossed the phone onto the table.
She set his feather down beside it, then gathered their plates. “I’ll just clean this up.”
He remained silent at her back while she washed their plates. But when she turned, she caught him staring at her ass. Her lips quirked up in response, and he gave her an unapologetic look.
“I would rather fuck you again than go to Iceland.” His voice still lacked emotion, but his nostrils flared with the statement, and his aura radiated sexual intent. However, a hint of frustration rested beneath it all. The notion of sex before duty was bothering him.
“What’s in Iceland?” she asked, assuming it was tied to Ezekiel somehow. He wasn’t in the habit of spouting meaningless statements at her, so Iceland obviously held an importance.
“Ezekiel and Skye have a place there. They’re expecting Lizzie and the others to arrive soon, and they need me to help ward the property for her protection.”
Clara’s eyebrows shot up. “Then why are you still here? That’s more important than, uh, watching me clean up.” Yeah, that wasn’t what she meant at all, but she’d blushed enough during the last twenty-four hours.
Gabriel’s directness was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She liked the change of pace because he left nothing up to chance. He meant what he said—something his actions continued to prove.
“Will you come with me?” he asked.
She was surprised by the concern radiating off of him.
He palmed the back of his neck, grimacing a little. “I would also prefer you by my side, not in a Hydraian cell.”
“I would prefer that, too,” she admitted, her voice huskier than she intended. “What will we tell the others?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged. “What’s going on between us doesn’t impact them.”
“They’re going to ask why I’m with you and not in Hydria.”
“And I’ll tell them I didn’t care for your accommodations, so I removed you from the cell. If they have a problem with it, they can challenge me and lose.” He sounded so confident in his assessment.
“Luc won’t like it.”
“Luc isn’t my king,” Gabriel returned. “Come with me.”
Not a question this time, but a demand. One that had her lips curling. She liked bossy Gabriel. It gave him a sexy edge that added to his overall appeal. At least for her. A good thing, considering they were bound to each other forever now.
She’d never have sex with anyone else.
A strange realization, yet it didn’t bother her. Her sense of empathy made it difficult to take others to bed anyway. She always had to ignore their underlying reasons for being there.
With Gabriel, it was pure lust.
She could handle that.
Just as she didn’t mind going with him now. “I’ll need something a little warmer for Iceland.”
He nodded and disappeared in a whirl of red feathers. She giggled under her breath and returned to cleaning up the kitchen. He was still missing when she finished, so she busied herself with a much-needed shower and used the minimal products he had available. She found a comb in a drawer afterward to untangle her hair, then wrapped a towel around herself and sat on his bed.
Thirty minutes later, he finally reappeared with four shopping bags. He dropped them on the floor, his expression muddled with displeasure. “Women have too many sizes” was all he said before going into his own closet.
She bit her lip to keep from smiling at the disgruntled remark, then went through the clothing he’d apparently purchased for her.
Jeans.
Sweaters.
Boots.
Even a jacket.
But no underwear.
Either he’d done that on purpose, or he hadn’t wanted to even try going through the lingerie area. Regardless, she made it work by putting on a pair of skinny jeans, boots that were only half a size too big, and a sweater that clung to her braless chest—the latter of which he noticed the second he walked out of the closet.
“That’s distracting,” he muttered.
“I have no bra,” she returned.
He studied her breasts for a moment, then shrugged. “I’m okay with this distraction.”
She laughed. “I bet you are.”
“It will make disrobing you later easier, too. A practical notion.”
“Very practical,” she agreed.
He nodded, appeased by her acquiescence. “We’ll go to Iceland now.”
She ran her fingers through her damp hair and held out her hand. “I’m ready.”
He misted to the other room first—probably to retrieve his phone—then appeared right in front of her with his chest against hers, smashing her hand between them. She blinked up at him in surprise, then gasped as his mouth captured hers in a long, sensual kiss. “You’re very attractive, little witch,” he whispered.
“As are you, guardian angel.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “I may need your help sorting through the emotions of others. I struggled in the store with all the humans around.”
“The trick is focusing on one person’s emotions and allowing it to override the others. I typically find the happiest one in the room and concentrate on their aura.”
“Then I’ll concentrate on you.”
She frowned. “I’m not usually the happiest.”
“I don’t like happy,” he replied. “But I… I find you sufficient.”
“We’re going to need to work on your compliments, Gabriel.”
“I don’t do compliments.”
“Yes, that’s becoming clear.”
He nodded. “Good.”
She just shook her head, amused by his bluntness. Her lips grazed his once more, then she wrapped her arms around him. “Let’s go.”
He returned her embrace, and his wings sprang to life around them, just before the world swirled in a kaleidoscope of colors. She closed her eyes, the dizziness nauseating her. Then the fresh scent of coffee tickled her nose.
“I assume this was your prior engagement?” Ezekiel drawled, his voice deep and holding a touch of knowledge.
Gabriel released her with a grunt, then disappeared, leaving her in the middle of a room with a couch and two chairs. The windows showcased a dark night with the moon radiating off mounds of snow.
Iceland, she thought. Sounds right.
“Hello, Clara,” a soft voice chimed as a dark-haired female bounded down the stairs. “I’m Skye.” Her bright blue eyes lacked a certain clarity, almost as though she wasn’t really using them to see.
“Hi,” Clara greeted, vaguely familiar with the woman. Something about her being able to see the future. But the last Clara was told, Osiris still had her in custody. That must have changed. Unless Gabriel had just left her in the middle of the lion’s den.
Skye is free from his compulsion, her guardian angel whispered into her mind. Ezekiel is in love with her. She does not feel the same.
Are you sure? Clara asked, noting the warmth surrounding Skye. She’s certainly giving off love vibes.
You will explain that more when I return.
And where are you?
Creating runes.
Right. She had no idea what that meant but assumed it was tied to the wards he mentioned earlier.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in a Hydraian prison cell?” Ezekiel asked as he slid his hands into the pockets of his trademark leather jacket.
“I didn’t betray them to Osiris,” Clara replied. “And Luc knows where I am.” Or rather, he had when she was in New York City. She wasn’t as sure about her current location.
“Gabriel,” Ezekiel repeated, his lips curling. “You two seem rather comfortable together.”
She took a note out of Gabriel’s playbook and lifted a shoulder. “He took some of my blood to borrow my empathy.”
“Oh?” Ezekiel arched a brow. “And what else has he borrowed?”
She shrugged again. “You’ll have to ask him about that.”
“Hmm.” His gold-flecked black eyes danced over her. “I’ll wait and see where this goes.”
“See where what goes?” a familiar voice asked from the doorway as Balthazar stepped inside with a blonde at his side. His eyes widened upon seeing Clara in the living area. “What are you doing here?”
“Stark brought her,” Ezekiel replied. “Then he disappeared to work on the wards. Or perhaps he had another engagement.”
Clara ignored him and tried to empty her mind. Not that it worked. One look at B and she knew he could see right through. Please don’t.
“Why did Stark bring her here?” he asked, his chocolate gaze on her, but the question was directed at Ezekiel.
“He didn’t explain himself,” the assassin drawled.
“He rarely does,” the female beside B added.
Another Seraphim, Clara mused, noting the lack of emotions surrounding her. Yet somehow she oozed sex appeal with her thick blonde hair, pale skin, and pretty blue-green eyes. All she had to do was blink, and half the men in the world would kneel at her feet.
She looked at B, then back at the female, and then at B again. Talk about a dangerous pair. The sexual energy radiating off of them was potent and intoxicating.
Yet it didn’t impact Clara at all.
Odd, considering her ability to sense such a thing.
Gabriel, she realized. It’s my link to Gabriel.
Balthazar’s eyebrows shot up, causing her own eyes to widen. Oh, no. Please don’t say anything.
About what? Gabriel asked.
Not you. B. I’m pretty sure he knows, from reading either my mind or my emotions. She mentally shook her head and tried to talk to Balthazar again, begging him not to give her away.
He might not be able to hear you clearly, Gabriel informed her. He can’t understand Stas and Issac when they speak into each other’s minds. But he’ll definitely sense it.
I thought he could hear everything?
You’re bonded to a Seraphim now. Consider this a perk.
A perk? she repeated, mulling that over. So he can’t read my mind anymore?
Sort of, he replied vaguely. Just don’t tell him anything. I expressed my irritation at Issac for bonding with Stas, and I’d rather not have my words thrown back at me.
Wait, you’re against bonds? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
They’re sacred and tie the two beings for eternity. It’s a rather large commitment.
Um, but you seemed okay with our bond. His actions had suggested his acceptance, too. Unless he’d changed his mind since?
I am okay with it, Clara. That doesn’t mean the others will be.
His words mildly placated her, only to be disrupted by B clearing his throat. “Does Luc know you’re here?”
“Gabriel said he’s aware, yes.” Did you tell Luc I’m in Iceland with you?
No, Gabriel confirmed. Ezekiel will inform him if he deems it important. I assume he also told him you were in New York City.
I thought you told Luc?
I told Ezekiel, he corrected. He passed along the message to Luc, just as he sent Luc’s response back to me.
Which said?
In summary, he didn’t approve, Gabriel replied flatly.
You failed to mention that.
As I don’t answer to him, I didn’t feel it was relevant.
She sighed. Okay, but I don’t want to anger him.
It’s not you he was angry with, little witch, he assured her. And I’m not afraid of the Hydraian King. You’re my bonded mate now. He can’t touch you.
She shivered at the possession in his tone, then froze beneath Balthazar’s narrowed gaze. Yeah, B definitely knows.
It’s not his business to share, Gabriel replied, his tone suggesting a lack of concern. And if he does, we’ll ignore them all. This is between us, Clara. Only us.
Okay, she whispered back to him. Only us.
The female shared a look with B, then said, “I’m going to go check with Gabriel about the wards, then head back for Jay and Liz.” A cloud of stunning purple feathers appeared around her, causing Clara’s eyes to widen even more.
Oh, wow, she has beautiful wings.
So will you one day, Clara, Gabriel replied softly. I look forward to seeing them in my bed.
Her cheeks heated at the intimacy of those words. Shouldn’t you be focusing on the wards?
I excel at multitasking. The arrogance in his mental voice was very him.
Yes. You do, she agreed.
“What else was Luc told?” B asked, drawing her back to him and his knowing gaze.
“Uh.” She cleared her throat. “I, um, don’t know.”
“I see.” B pulled out his phone and dialed, his eyes holding hers the entire time. “Have you heard from Stark lately?” He waited, listening as the Hydraian King—or she assumed that was who he’d called—responded. “So Mateo saw it.” Balthazar nodded at whatever Luc said in reply. “Are you on your way here?” The deep baritone rumbled over the line, causing B to nod once more. “See you soon.”
He hung up, his eyes still glued to Clara.
Then he shifted his focus to Ezekiel and Skye. “We need to talk.”
She took that to mean she was off the hook. For now, anyway.
“We always need to talk,” Ezekiel drawled, collapsing onto the couch. Skye settled beside him, her blue eyes still unfocused.
“Osiris,” B replied. “Specifically, his history with the council. And what his intentions are now.”
“You assume I know?” Ezekiel asked, arching a black brow into his equally dark hairline.
“I know you do.” B folded his arms. “Start talking.”
Ezekiel merely smiled. “Well, once upon a time…”
The Immortal Curse Series Continues with Wicked Bonds
Curious about how Ezekiel met Skye? Find out in Assassin Bonds, an Immortal Curse world novella.
Craving more Immortal Curse fun? Check out Elder Bonds for some stories from B and Luc, including the introduction to how B met Leela. Or start the Immortal Curse series with Blood Laws.
Looking for more angels? Hang out with Eve in Daughter of Death. She’s been accused of a murder she didn’t commit and has to work with her sadistic ex to prove her innocence. Just another day in paradise… or hell.
Until next time. xx