Page 9 of Lucian's Soul

“Protection is needed. The angels have targets and I want to know why. Be at my house tonight.”

Chapter Four

No more taking it slow.Lucian needed Tessa to know what was going on, that things that went bump in the night existed. He needed to feed and deal with the angels. Most of all, Lucian needed her to be safe.

Sullivan had come around last night once Tessa had fallen asleep and they’d discussed the blind kid and what he’d told Lucian. Lucian became more worried when Sullivan told him the troubles with angels seemed to be popping up everywhere.

Lucian now sat at his desk as one of his closest and oldest friends, Xore, sat before him. He was a dragon shifter, one of the last on Earth.

“I can protect her, Lucifer, it would be my honor.” Xore grinned at him. “I hear you have Blake as your chef?”

“He came up with that. The idiot centaur was caught by Tessa in the kitchen and that’s what he thought up when she asked who he was.” Lucian rolled his eyes. “I don’t think she buys it since his cooking sucks.”

Xore chuckled before his face turned back to his smirk. “I hear you’re calling some of your brothers in?”

“Yeah, Michael and Jacob. Seth is bringing them back. Seth wanted me to call Balthazar in, but he is the next strongest. I can’t risk him. If anything happens to me he will need to lead.”

Xore nodded. “You know if Balthazar finds out he’ll be pissed.”

Running his fingers through his hair, Lucian sighed in frustration. “He can get in line. I’m still not bringing him here until my mate at least knows what I am and what we are to each other. She needs to accept us and be willing to be my other half.”

Xore laughed. “Ha, you haven’t told her. Women don’t like secrets, especially human women. Good luck with that.”

Glaring at his friend, Lucian closed his eyes and hoped Tessa would accept him and the new world she was now a part of.

* * * *

Tessa was furious. She’d gone to pay some extra money off her debts, because with Lucian driving her to and from work and him paying for food she’d saved a nice stash of money. She’d tried to give it to Lucian, but he wouldn’t take it. Tessa had even left money in places Lucian would see it, but she’d find it back in her bag. Giving up, she decided to put the money on her debts.

He’d paid everything. She had no more debt, not even on her credit card. How dare he? Tessa had told Lucian she didn’t want his money, that she had to pay her debts herself. Had he not listened to a word she’d told him?

That was it, tonight she was going home. She would get the message through to Lucian that she wanted to pay him back and that she was slowing down their relationship. Lucian needed to learn to listen.

Storming into the building, she bashed the elevator button and tapped her foot, waiting for it to open. When the elevator doors opened, she pushed her way in, not caring about the people trying to get out. Once in, Tessa hit the top floor button and crossed her arms, seething.

As the door closed and the elevator stopped on different floors, letting the people out, she told herself to be strong. Don’t let him change the subject or touch you. When he touched her it lead to him fucking her, and sex meant no answers. Lucian didn’t know how angry she was at him for what he did. Tessa repeated this over and over, hoping it worked, because when it came to Lucian she let him get away with anything.

Tessa had so many questions she wanted answers to. Things with Lucian kept getting stranger and stranger, but he had some kind of hold over her. A hold that not even Ben had had on her.

The elevator dinged and she looked around. She was the only one left on the elevator. The doors opened and, taking a deep breath, she marched down to Lucian’s office, determined to tell him off and get some answers. She wasn’t going to be his sex toy anymore, because now that she thought about it, that’s what she felt like.

She slowed her pace when she saw Lucian’s secretary wasn’t at her desk and Tessa could hear voices.

“Lucifer, you have to feed. When was the last time you drank?” It wasn’t a female voice Tessa heard, but a male’s.

“Over a week or so ago, when I mated with Tessa. I can’t take any now. She’ll know.”

“For fuck’s sake, Lucifer, you can’t go that long without feeding. What if the enemy found you? I only arrived today and even I can see how hungry you are. Your demon’s going to come out and attack some unsuspecting person if you don’t do something. Look, feed from me. I‘ve been sinning a bunch lately.”

“I’ll eat your sin, but I can’t fucking drink from you. Not only does were blood taste like shit, I’m mated now and drinking from anyone beside Tessa makes me feel sick.”

Tessa was dying to see what was going and who Lucian was talking to. Carefully, she opened the door and peeked inside. She blinked, thinking her eyes were deceiving her when she saw Lucian bright red—taller, thicker, with wide bat-like wings flapping behind him. His mouth was open and long white fangs sprouted from it. Tessa shook, terrified as she saw Lucian floating above a massive redheaded man. She gasped as she noticed Lucian sucking black gunk from the guy. Lucian’s skin glowed, and before her eyes he looked younger and healthier.

What the fuck was going on? She had to get away. Stumbling as she gathered what little strength she had, Tessa ran for her life, never looking back.

* * * *

Lucian played the scene over and over in his mind. The gasp, the realization that they’d been caught when he was at his most vulnerable. He had tried to stop his feeding when the sugary scent finally reached him, but he’d been too long without feeding and he couldn’t stop until he’d drained every last sin from Xore.

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