Ash’s surprise settled into a scowl, but he didn’t comment.
Dante and Harper began coordinating Onyx’s arrival and discussing where to meet Luc, with Ash weighing in, but Dex tuned them all out.
He pulled Ollie into a hug, whispering, “I’m sorry.”
Ollie squeezed him tight. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m glad I saved you.”
Dex’s heart jolted. Saved him. Like he’d been about to suffer the same gruesome fate as Ollie. Somehow, Dex couldn’t believe it.
Or more like he didn’t want to.
9
LUCIFER
Luc flew to Ollie and Harper’s apartment building. His brothers were graciously allowing him entry to the roof. They’d less graciously mentioned that their protective spells would stop his heart if he attempted to enter the building, as if reaching out to Dex was nothing but step one in his latest deception.
He’d prove otherwise.
Luc didn’t want to belong in the Realm of the Damned, and never should have fled after their failed date. He couldn’t fix things with Dex from there, if he could fix them at all.
From the sky, Luc spotted seven figures on the rooftop. Dex stood in the middle of the group, protected on all sides. Even Ollie had shown up.
Shame burned Luc’s throat like acid. What a brave human.
Dex and Ollie held hands, their shoulders pressed together. Luc’s chest constricted as if his heart had shriveled. He’d had that once, the fierce love of family, and he’d pissed it away, favoring his own importance and conviction that he was right.
He felt more alone than he had in centuries.
Luc landed, folding his wings at his back. He stood before his mate in his true form, red horns curling along his head like aram’s, tail poised, and eyes glowing crimson. He did not hide, but laying himself bare didn’t feel like enough.
Dex’s gaze swept over him, colder than Luc thought possible, and his lips parted in disbelief. A visible tremor traveled through him, and the knuckles of the hand clutching Ollie turned pale.
“You tricked me.” Dex’s tone was accusatory, betrayal written all over his face.
“Dex, please.” Luc dropped to his knees, the sudden movement causing Ash, Dante, and Onyx to surge forward. “I didn’t know you and Ollie were friends.”
“You t-tricked me,” Dex repeated, voice shaking.
Luc’s skin burned hot, his voice coming out in a whisper. “I didn’t. I never used magic on you. No illusions. I showed you my human form because it was the only option. I said there were things about me that you needed to?—”
“Stop.” Dex shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Even if you didn’t cast a spell on me, you still deceived me. I thought… But there’s no explanation, no excuse. All I want to know is if you hurt Ollie?”
The words stuck in Luc’s throat. Dex was right. There was no hope here. No coming back from what he’d done.
“Well?” Dex snarled, clutching Ollie tighter. “Did you try to kill him or not?”
“I did.” Luc’s gaze fell to the floor.
How could he look at Dex, let alone Ollie? That day at the beach had become a blurry memory. He’d been nothing but cruel, discarding Ollie’s life without a care for anything except his anger at Dante and Ash. And proving he was right.
“Then I don’t need to hear anything else. Ollie, let’s go. I don’t want to be here.”
“C-come on.” Ollie’s voice came out strangled and small, and Luc shriveled with shame.
He couldn’t watch as the two young men walked away, their footsteps echoing like the gavels of judgment. How had he deluded himself into believing he could fix this? No truth would make Dex love him when he wasn’t even worthy of forgiveness.
“I’d like an explanation.” Dante’s hard tone cut through the air.
