Page 6 of Found In Destruction

The link of our minds seemed only fitting. Out of everyone in my life, Ares knew exactly how I felt. He felt the overwhelming sense of failure and sadness so intensely, in his own way. It was a bond that welded us together.

Good, because I need you,he linked me as he plundered my mouth, threading his hands through my hair as he kissed down my neck. For the first time in months, I felt positivity deep inside me. It started out as a faint glimmer, growing as he stroked me. I could feel myself thawing, becomingmeagain.

The clearing of a throat broke the spell between us, causing us to crash into reality.

“As entertaining as it is watching you whore yourself out, Azazel, Lucifer expected you both at the meeting five minutes ago,” Bash barbed, hitting me right in the throat. He faded away before I could respond. Any positivity I felt died immediately.

Bash had grown angrier with me the longer Diana was away. He blamed me for her leaving and barely spoke to me. The raretimes he did, it was usually with an increasing level of cruelty. I thought I’d get used to it after three and a half months, but apparently his words still hurt.

Ares guided me back a few steps, rinsing me under the water, then himself. The murderous look on his face was scary, yet oddly attractive. Now I could see what Diana saw in him. Battle-ready Ares was hot as fuck.

He kissed me, then gave me a towel from the rack. After staring at me for a few seconds, he hugged me, squeezing a bit too hard. “You aren’t whoring yourself out, and what we shared was beautiful. Take your time getting ready—Bash is going to fucking eat his words.”

Ares snapped his fingers, and a pair of gray sweatpants and a t- shirt with Greek letters appeared on his body. He faded away before I got a chance to remind him Bash wasn’t worth it or ask him to let it go.

I guessed Bash was in for a rude awakening at this meeting.

3

LUCIFER

Diana’sboyfriendshad given me a headache on the best days, but now they were insufferable without her keeping them in line. She up and left with the least annoying one, too. Why couldn’t she take Ares with her, so I didn’t have to see him lumber about or cry like a baby while stuffing his face with potato chips?

Or Bash? All he did since she left was sulk, pick fights, and act like a petulant child. Azazel was too busy loathing himself and drowning in his own tears to do anything constructive, and Desmond was too emotionally unavailable to even let himself have feelings.

Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.My thoughts took on Michael’s voice, echoing through my brain unwelcomed and brutally truthful. Whenever I was at my wits end, I would hear Michael’s voice guiding me…like a conscious.Ewww.

As the situation here became more difficult, I heard him more often. It was a cheap substitute compared to having him here in the flesh to offer me help. I had usually turned him down, but I missed seeing him and knowing he was close if I needed him. Knowing he was with Diana was equally frustrating andassuring. Aside from myself, there’s no one I trusted with her safety more than him. He was the man I had entrusted my life to, even if he caused me unfathomable pain.

I missed him because I wanted him, despite how he had stunted my relationship with our daughter. Despite the fact that he never followed me to earth after I was disgraced. He put God’s orders above our love, and that almost killed me. No matter how many times I tried to lose myself in someone else, I always found my way back to him. Before he left with the kids, we had fallen right back into old habits—late night trysts that ended in both of us hurting each other.

“We can’t do this again,” Michael breathed into my ear as I nipped and sucked along the column of his neck.

“Really?” I sassed him before delving my tongue into his hot mouth, exploring every bit of it and barely letting him have any air.

He pushed me off him, then switched our places, pushing me up against the wall. He threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled my face down so our eyes locked.

“We’ll hurt each other like we always do,” he lamented, even as he slotted our hard cocks together.

“Good thing I know you like pain,” I growled as I picked him up, forcing him to wrap his legs around me as I carried him to my bed.

I shook my head, dislodging myself from the memory of our last time together. It took up entirely too much space in my mind. We always fell into a pattern both of us knew well.Fuck, push each other away, antagonize each other until we couldn’t take it anymore, then repeat.Until he got injured in the fourth realm. I realized something while I sat in the infirmary with him, holding his hand as he recovered from his injuries. No matter how hard I tried to push him away, Michael and I were inevitable, meant to be in every way that mattered, severedsoulbond or not. Because seeing him in that state reminded me that despite what happened between us, I loved him enough that I could find a way to make this work. Once he came home, we had to sit down and figure out where we would go from here, because I refused to continue on with him this way.

“I got them like you asked me to,” Bash groused, breaking me from my inner thoughts as he threw himself in a chair across from me. I could feel his anger and resentment as it clouded the room.I wonder what’s up his ass?

Bash crossed his arms, his ankle resting on his opposite knee. The remaining boyfriend brigade, as I’d taken to calling them, had been fighting amongst themselves since Diana and Mal left for theirvacation.Most of the time, I didn’t get involved, not caring enough to police them.

Even as Ares barged through my front door—swirling, pulsating fireball in hand—and levitated Bash out of his seat, Isilentlystayed in mine. Once they fought it out and established a new pecking order, things would hopefully calm down.

“You fucking prick! If you ever talk to him like that again, I’m going to kill you in the most painful ways on repeat until you beg me to stop!”

Ares threw the fireball at Bash, setting his clothing on fire and burning him. Desmond conjured some water to put it out, but like me, mostly stayed out of it. He had been distant, drinking himself into oblivion. I knew he was mad at everyone, including me, and however he dealt with it was his choice.

Bash’s wounds healed almost instantly, and he snapped his fingers, replacing his signed suit with black joggers, a white Henley, and sneakers. He tried to get into Ares’ mind, but I could tell it wasn’t working.

Ah, fuck being neutral, this could be entertaining.

Try using geometrance magic to get through his mental defenses,I suggested to Bash, who’s devious smirkat the idea brought a measure of joy to my heart. He was still my least favorite of Diana’s boyfriends, but knowing he enjoyed inflicting pain and chaos as much as I did was enough justification to keep him around.

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