Her face was stone cold while her eyes raged with fire as shadows swirled around her, lifting her hair and making her look like the Angel of Destruction. She nodded at me to sit, and I did, followed by Con and Fame. She climbed right up onto the table, eyes focused on D. She was this enigma that you just couldn't take your eyes off of. She was stunning, scary, powerful, and gorgeous. The Queen of Hell she was always meant to be stood before us.
Her steps scorched the table as she made her way to D until she was right in front of him, towering over him. D, being his ridiculous self, stood up, tilting his chin up in defiance, showing that he wasn’t sorry for what he’d said, like a fucking idiot. I decided to lean back, hands behind my head as I decided to enjoy the show. My little goddess was going to need to smack one of us down every once in a while. I was just glad it wasn’t me.
She looked down at him like he was the scum under her shoe, the lowest of the low, the peasant to her royalty, and it just made D madder by the second. At least until she grabbed his face roughly with her fiery hands and kissed him like she was stabbing him with her face.
He was stunned for a second, not realizing what was going on, but finally his dick kicked in and he grabbed her back, lifting her off the table, and wrapping her legs around him as they violently kissed each other. It was like a battle all on its own: violence, lust, pain, and disaster all in one.
When his anger started to cool, she detangled herself from him. He kept his hands around her even as she slipped from his hips and landed her feet on the floor. He was heaving as he stared down at her, still vibrating violence but the hate had left his eyes. She took his chin with her thumb and forefinger, tilting it roughly to get his attention.
“You willnotblame me for your life. I willnotlet you put that on me like I’m a whipping post for you. You knownothingabout me, nothing about whatIhave gone through or whatmylife was like. You may have never had parents, but you didn't have to suffer the excruciating pain of having one ripped away from you. To die for you so you could live. I'm sure it sounds heroic and romantic, but you don't have to live with the guilt I do every damn day becauseI'mthe reason my father is broken. I'm the reason he only has half a heart, and I didn't even make the decision!” She screamed that last part, gearing up for the killing blow.
“I almost wish I didn't have parents, because then the constant fear and pain I live with every day wouldn't cripple me or make me the broken mess of a woman in front of you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she calmly said, “But what I can do is understand. I can be here for you when you need to get that ugliness out. We can put that violence, rage, and anger to good use. You can use my body to draw it out, and I will prove to you every single day for as long as you are here that I amnotbreakable. I am stronger and more powerful than you can imagine. I can take what you dish out, and I can turn it into something greater, for both of us.”
She took a few steps away from him, still staring at him until his breathing regulated and realization lit up his eyes. I hope that realization was that he finally understood that she was not going anywhere. We needed him to get it through his thick fucking skull that she was perfect for us. She was more than perfect; we were unworthy of her. I looked down at my mate mark, seeing it glow for a second, as I laughed in my head. I don't care if I'm not worthy of her. I can try every damn day for the rest of eternity to be worthy and earn her for the rest of time. That was my silent vow.
I watched as his realization slowly turned into understanding and acceptance. He looked down at his clenched hands and finally released them with a huge exhale. His gaze went back up to her and I finally saw devotion in them.Took you long enough, dick.
When she finally knew that he was calm again, she turned, walked around the table the long way to get back to her seat, letting her fingers lightly touch our shoulder blades as she passed, marking each of us gently but deeply before she sat down with a smile on her face. D took a seat and had the decency to look embarrassed and sorry.
He looked up at her with a plea in his eyes. “Lillian, I’m sor—''
She lifted her hand to stop him, and he shut his mouth like a good boy. I smiled over at Con, whose face mirrored mine. She had finally tamed the untamable, and it was a fucking sight to see.
“I have a feeling that’s not going to be the last time we fight like that.” She smirked at him. “At least I hope not.”
His eyes flew open, and he stared at her, not believing that she would be so perfect.
“It was hot. Right, boys?”
I was the first to answer, wishing for once I had a cigarette in my hand.
“Smokin’.”
“I half wish I had anger like that.”
“It was interesting.”
The last one being Fame, because the bastard couldn’t quite admit it was hot when he preferred have control in the bedroom, rather than wild, rage sex. I wanted all of it. Any scrap of it she would give me.
Her grin was downright sinful as she looked at the rest of us. “I think we need to head over to Purgatory, boys. See if we can find anything odd that connects the weird spots to that place.”
We all nodded in agreement, because Hell was now our home, and we were not letting anything or anyone take it from us.
BeforewegottoPurgatory, Lillian explained that we could only be gone from Hell for an hour, two tops, or else the Hellscape would have a hard time keeping the balance with no one to guild and channel it through. That was fine with me because as soon as we entered Purgatory, I knew this was not a place I wanted to visit again. This place felt worse than pain, worse than death, worse than torture. This place was pure nothingness.
We brought the hounds with us, knowing that they had the scent from the original spots, so hopefully they could make quick work of finding anything if anything was here. Before we’d left, I’d given them a big juicy steak each, telling them that if they worked hard and fast in Purgatory, I would have another one waiting for them as soon as we came back. They howled at that idea, so I took that as a yes.
You could tell that none of us were comfortable here as we sort of unconsciously circled around Lillian, keeping it tight in order to be prepared for anything.
She kept telling us that the only thing that would pop out would be souls that could do us no harm, but as my brothers and I eyed each other, we silently agreed that we weren't taking chances with our mate. Even if she was a super badass Queen of Hell, she was our queen, and we would defend her the best we could, with the power of the Apocalypse behind us.
After a while, it started to get boring, so my little goddess had the idea to use some of the questions she still owed.
“So I kinda already figured out your favorite foods with today's lunch and favorite colors by my mate marks but what else…” She tapped her chin in an adorable way, which made my heart burst with happiness. She was paying attention, getting to know us. I think that was love.
She hopped up and down. “I got it. Let me try to guess all of your favorite pastimes.”
I opened my mouth to complain, as she already knew mine.
