Page 25 of Angel I Am Not

I almost wanted to bring Uriel back into existence just to throw him the bird. Perhaps that bastard hadn’t entirely ruined my life after all.

In fact, if anything, he had created the biggest monstrosity the world had ever seen. Between these two demons was the absolute worst place for me to be. Every reaction between us fed the next, and my presence made gifts that were already dangerous even stronger.

Luc had explained that their gifts were more dangerous when I was in the picture so I wasn’t a dud. I wasn’t an angel without a gift. I was one of the deadliest temptations created and whatever the fuck Uriel had actually been trying to do, his choices had helped bring me into existence. I’d say that was more than just a colossal fuck up.

“Wait.” I froze between them, hating that this was the moment my brain started to work. They released me immediately, which startled me more than it should have; I’d never used that word with Miel, and I wasn’t sure he would have stopped so fast.

The fact that they listened should not have felt foreign, but it did. Then the rest clicked into place: seven demons, Pride and Wrath, Dante as their creator. I had been hearing all the pieces since I got here without actually putting them together.

“Wrath and Pride? Like the actual sins?” I scrunched up my nose. “I know we said it before, but it wasn’t just names. You’re the actual seven sins?” And I’m in between two of them.

Nick shrugged, pressing light kisses along my shoulders. “Impossibilities. Seven Sins. Whatever you want to call us.”

I twisted enough to look at him. “So where are the other five?”

“Different placements. Different training,” Luc answered. “Dante kept us scattered.”

“You don’t know them?”

Nick made a face. “We know of them. Met a few. That doesn’t mean we’re sitting around Hell having a family dinner.”

Luc’s expression tightened slightly. “Which is why him suddenly sending you through all seven of us is something I’d really like an explanation for.”

He ran his hands down my back, igniting the passion from earlier all over again. Despite how much I fucking hated people touching my feathers, I wish I could shift and feel his fingers run through my wings. God, it would probably feel divine.

I continued to mull through my chaotic thoughts, wondering if the reason for their shortened names was similar to ours. However, in Heaven, angels prided themselves with the extra shower of purity that our full names brought. These demons hadn’t introduced themselves with the same enthusiasm and had had no problems calling me Ari instead of Ariuk. “Why didn’t you just introduce yourself with your real names then? Luci-” I whimpered when Nick bit into my shoulder, cutting off my words.

Luc just laughed, “Because our names mean something, same as yours do. A full name strengthens whatever essence is already there. With mates, that extra surge can get intense, which is why we usually save them for certain moments.” His mouth curved into a grin. “You saying Lucifer right now would probably end with you pinned to my mattress until the need burned itself out.”

“You said that before, mates.” My gaze narrowed at Luc as I feared the worst. From angel to an impossibility, darkness running through my veins—I had now mated with a demon? Just another thing I didn’t know how to feel about. It felt right but it scared me how easy it was to stand between them when it went against everything I had been taught.

Nick snorted, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me back against his chest. “Seems Dante knew before we did. You somehow mated both of us and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re mated to the other five.”

“But I never fucked Luci-Luc.”

Luc chuckled, “Sweetness, there’s so many things for you to learn about demons. For one thing, I don’t need to fuck you to cement our bond. However, since you asked so politely, how can I say no?” My eyes widened as he stole me from Nick and hoisted me over his shoulder, slapping my ass and transporting me to one of the bedrooms.

I squealed as I held onto the back of Luc’s shirt, Nick closing in as he stole a kiss. It was strange at this angle but I clamped my hands around his cheeks, anyway, loving the way he tasted on my tongue. I moaned into his mouth as we headed down the hall, my mind turning to mush all over again.

Maybe the point was to just let go and stop worrying so much.

Whatever Temptation was, something in me fit against these two demons far too easily. Maybe fighting every instinct screaming at me wasn’t going to make any of this easier to understand.

I released Nick, trying to catch my breath as the haze took over again. I’d figure everything out later. Right now, Luc was carrying me toward his bedroom with Nick following close behind, and for once I didn’t feel the need to argue about where any of this was going.

Lucifer

I stared at the beautiful impossibility chomping away on beef jerky, curled up on the couch under a blanket. We had fucked all night long, the poor girl passing out after a third round. I blamed it on the fact that angels had boring sex and not that she didn’t have the stamina. Stuck between us two long enough and possibly five other sins, there wasn’t going to be a lot of sleeping.

Something caught her attention on the TV, some drama show, that had her squealing as she shoved her hand into the bag and unearthed another piece of jerky. Nick was staring at her intensely, unsure if he wanted to hold her or fuck off back to his room. The haze had dissipated overnight but the urge to protect the growing bond was going to be a problem.

Letting out a deep sigh, I whipped out my phone and dialed the one man who had stuck us in the mess. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?” I yelled into the phone the moment that Dante picked up.

“Good morning to your grumpy ass, Luc. I’m assuming this means that you haven’t run her off yet?”

I didn’t answer that because I didn’t need him knowing that we were stuck with Ari now that we had bonded. Dante chuckled on the other line. “Just use your usual tricks on her. Have fun with it.”

If Dante really had had a hand in creating Temptation, there was no fucking way he wanted us to run her off. Or maybe that was his way of creating chaos. Either way, I mumbled a goodbye and hung up, eyes still stuck on Ari. Her silver eyes glowed with excitement, brightening as they darted across the screen, a color in stark contrast with her gorgeously smooth ebony skin. She snuggled a little farther beneath the blanket, her shoulder rubbing against Nick’s.