“We have done nothing to him,” Micha insisted. “He left Dio’s service ten years ago and cut off all communication with the realm.”
“What? Ten years ago?”
“Yes, after he completed his punishment.”
“Punishment?” Azazel was confused. “Micha, what are you talking about? Why was Uriel punished?”
“For not killing you." The voice came from behind Azazel and he knew who said the words. Turning, Azazel didn’t think about the consequences and rushed forward, grabbing Dio by the face, and threw him to the ground as if he were a toy. The palace shook with force, but Azazel didn’t care. He was letting out his anger on the man who seemed intent on ruining his life.
“Azazel, release Lord Dio,” he heard Micha scream behind him.
Azazel looked over his shoulder and yelled, “Stay the hell away from me. This is between me and my sire.”
He turned to face Dio, who was looking at him with soulless eyes through the cracks of his finger. Blood pooled at the side of his head, but Azazel knew his father wasn’t hurt badly.
“You want the human race to believe you are their savior, when you’re nothing but a man hell bent on ruining the lives of others. You are jealous of what others have, yet you try to destroy the ones who love you the most. First, it was my bearer, and now it is Uriel. How many more lives will you ruin in your greed for power? I have forgiven you for all the things you’ve done to me, but you hurt the one person I loved the most in the world. So what if he didn’t kill me? No one can do it, not even you. Yet you see fit to hurt him. Did you forget what I can do to you, my sire? Things were between you and me, there was no need to involve Uriel and our children.”
Dio’s body shook and then he laughed, and it grew louder, echoing throughout the stillness of the room.
“Yes, I hurt him,” he said between laughter, but his eyes spoke of something else that Azazel couldn’t decipher. “But, I wasn’t the one that broke him. You, my untamed child, broke his heart.”
“What are you talking about?” Azazel released Dio and stood back, looking down at the man he'd idolized as a young cherub, only to realize his father's heart was made of stone.
“I’ll let you find out for yourself,” Dio growled. “Now remove yourself from my sight, you ungrateful hellhound. I’m in no mood to deal with you.” Dio stood and looked behind Azazel. “He’s worn out his welcome. Make sure he leaves.” He turned and walked away, and two angels suddenly appeared on either side of Azazel and went to touch him, but he stepped out of their reach.
“Don’t fucking touch me unless you want to die.”
Seeing that he wasn’t going to get any more answers from Dio, Azazel left the heavenly realms and went in search of Uriel. He'd thought about playing things out, but he could not after finding out that Uriel was punished for not killing him.
The only problem was Azazel didn’t know where to start. Since he suspected Uriel was pretending to be Blue Lennox and was angry with him, Azazel knew he wouldn’t answer the phone if he tried calling him. However, now that he knew about Kristoph, they had a blood bond and he could use it to find them both.
Appearing next to the Valleywood sign, Azazel closed his eyes, letting his blood bond out, searching for Uriel. It took no more than twenty minutes to locate the bond, and he could have kicked himself in the ass once he knew where the location was.
Azazel was convinced that the fates were fucking with him, since Uriel and Kristoph lived in the penthouse apartment across from his own building. For an entire year, they’d been so close yet so far. Azazel disappeared, following the signal, and appeared in front of the apartment door. He was about to knock when he heard a sweet, familiar but angry voice behind him.
“Azazel, what are you doing here? How did you find this place?”
Azazel turned, ready to give Uriel a piece of his mind, but his words failed him. Seeing Uriel’s true appearance took his breath away. He looked even better than three years ago when he saw him on top of the bridge. No matter how much he tried, he had never stopped loving Uriel and knew that his heart would always belong to the angel in front of him.
They were connected and not because of the children, but because they were destined mates. Azazel would go through many lifetimes and eons of hurt just to be with Uriel. He’d missed Uriel, and now, having the man standing in front of him, he didn’t plan on ever letting him go.
Without thinking, Azazel grabbed Uriel by the back of the neck and pulled him close. He wrapped his arms around his waist, staring into his pale gray eyes, seeing anger and pain, but he wasn’t mistaken when he saw longing gazing back at him. Azazel missed the sparkle and the love that once belonged to him and vowed to bring them back.
“I’ve found you after so long.” He cupped Uriel’s face. “And I’m not letting you go again.”
Before the other man could protest, Azazel leaned down and captured Uriel’s lips. He kept his eyes open and noticed as tears welled in Uriel’s eyes. Azazel was ready to have Uriel push him away but was pleased when his sweet lover lowered his long lashes, letting his tears fall, and opened his mouth, letting Azazel in. Azazel’s whole body shook with need and desire, and his soul became alive again, having found its mate.
* * *
Uriel moanedand placed his hands on Azazel’s waist, gripping the sides of the man’s shirt. His mind was filled with a haze and he couldn’t think. Azazel’s tongue entered his mouth and Uriel felt his legs weakening. For so long, he’d gone without comfort, wanting to be touched, to be cared for, and to have his lover holding him in his arms, never wanting to let him go. He gasped against the other man’s mouth when his back touched the cold, hard surface of the wall.
Azazel’s expert mouth devoured his, making time stop and the earth still its movements. His heartbeat in his chest in a staccato drumbeat. He ground his hips against the leg that was sandwiched between his, feeling the need inside of him rise to the top. He had forgotten about their surroundings and wanted to be taken right there. Need continued to uncurl inside of him as images of being taken roughly by Azazel assaulted his mind.
Those images grew more intense, along with his desires, until another took its place. It was of Gadriel and Azazel in bed together. The very bed on which Azazel had made love to Uriel countless times. Uriel snapped his eyes open and came to his senses, pushing Azazel away and ending their kiss. Anger burned in his stomach.
Uriel balled his right hand into a fist, then reached back, putting some power into his hand, and punched Azazel in the stomach. Azazel doubled over and fell to his knees, looking up at Uriel with confusion and pain written all over his face.
“Why?” He coughed and wheezed, but Uriel paid no mind to him.
