Page 3 of Undesirable
Their fingers linked. It wasn’t enough. Greediness overwhelmed him. With asingle thought, he had Riku lubed and ready to go. It wasn’t in his nature to wait or ask. The only pleasure that mattered was his. He shifted positions and impaled Riku. Lucifer felt everything Riku felt. He shifted positions again to get a better angle. Riku’s pleasure was his ecstasy. Lucifer had to please himself. He was greedy like that. Lucifer rocked inside Riku, savoring every moment. They didn’t speak. There wasn’t a need. Plus, Lucifer was overwhelmed. It was like this every time he was with Riku. He hadn’t known anything pure before Riku. The idea of them always fucked with his head. He was the fallen one, banished from all things good. Yet he had been given this, and it didn’t make sense. The closer he took them toward the edge, the clearereverything became and the darker he turned. Riku made no attempt to bite him. This was a new level of torment. Maybe the gods had gotten bored and devised this new way to punish him. It worked. He was officially being torn to shreds.
I feel your pain, and it’s killing me.
Then let’s make it stop.He had to. Lucifer tore his mouth away and did the only thing his sanity could handle. He bit Riku. Blood filled his mouth. He drank, bathing in the euphoria of finally tying his mate to him. Riku would feel him in ways he never had before after this. He belonged to Lucifer. Lucifer owned him and it was pure bliss.
Except Riku didn’t do the same. He writhed beneath Lucifer, but he didn’tclaim him. Rage and hurt built to a level he had never known.
Bite me.
Riku gasped for air. He was on the edge. Lucifer felt it.
Bite me, Riku. Please? I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my entire existence, but I’m begging you. Claim me. Please?
The ugly desperation hung between them for a heartbeat as their gazes met. Lucifer knew. Riku would never choose him. The pain made him dangerous. He was like an injured animal ready to tear apart the only thing he loved more than himself. The only thing he loved, period.
“I never thought I could hate you.” He vanished and reappearedinside his bedroom in Hell, leaving behind his black heart. A roar tore from him that shook the earth. With his eyes squeezed closed and his fists clenched, he screamed, hoping to make the anger smaller. The walls vibrated and glass shattered. He felt all the demons scrambling for cover. His vision turned red and then black. When he could see again, blood coated his hands and arms. He smelled the copper on his face. As always, he had no clue what he had done. In the end, he was left fighting for air and he was still empty. It was over. They were done. He was done.
Chapter Two
TearsstreakedbackintoRiku’s hair. He stared at the ceiling, seeing nothing. Lucifer’s pain crushed the air from his lungs, making it impossible to breathe. He was tied to Lucifer now. Part of him lived in Hell, tortured in a way he never knew existed. His angel. His baby. Riku wanted to skin himself alive to get away from the burning sensation. He couldn’t draw a single breath. Lucifer never gave him time to explain. He always just disappeared, incapable of hearing Riku.
The bed shifted slightly. Yuri was in wolf form and testing the strength of the frame before hopping onto the mattress. He dropped to his belly and crawled. His ears were flat, as if scared of his welcome. Riku held up the blanket, inviting him to share. Yuri snuggled close and licked the tears from Riku’s face.
Riku ran his fingers through Yuri’s fur. He felt nothing but the howling loss of Lucifer. It was as if he died, leaving Riku alone and suffering. There was no description harsh enough for the sensation of having his soul stitched to Lucifer, only to have it ripped away again to burn in Hell. His sanity was on the brink.
He heard Yuri’s breathing deepen. Riku glanced over at the huge sleeping wolf at his side. While he still felt a deep affection for the boy, his pain drowned everything. He couldn’t save himself. Riku was done. He slipped from the bed and stepped outside. The fire that always blazed from his magic still danced in the dark. Riku didn’t hesitate. He didn’t slow. His feet carried him straight into the fire as if they couldn’t get to the end fast enough. Nothing happened. Tears streamed down his face, turning to steam as Riku stood in the center of the flames, praying for death to take him. He couldn’t die. There would be no peace for him. This was the cruel fate he had been handed, and he had no idea how to deal. He had been ready to leave this existence the moment he had leftthe bed. That was what he wanted. Now he didn’t know what to do. Riku couldn’t go on without Lucifer. He couldn’t feel like this. The pain was more than he could handle. This was how Lucifer felt all the time and had for more years than anyone could fathom. Riku understood that now. How was he still standing? Why hadn’t he destroyed everything? Riku wanted to. He needed everything to burn the way his body refused to do.
A pained howl filled the air.
Riku’s gaze shot toward the sound. He didn’t have time to react before Yuri launched himself inside the fire, knocking Riku to the ground outside the flames. The scent of burning fur and flesh assailed his senses. Riku sprang into action, putting out the fire that stillburned hot on Yuri’s thick coat, melting away his skin. Horror raced through him, cutting its way into his pain and making things worse. Yuri wasn’t healing the way a Were should. Fuck. It was the magic. His fire wasn’t meant to go out. It continued to burn until Riku willed it away. Riku tried to heal him, since his magic had done this. Nothing happened. He snatched Yuri from the ground. The poor wolf didn’t make a sound. Shock from the pain had knocked him unconscious. Riku felt the life slipping from him. He disappeared and reappeared on the lawn of the town’s healer. Frost Leo had been sent to their town by Goddess Celeste. If anyone could help, it would be him. The moment he landed, alarmsblared. Vampires appeared like smoke—weapons drawn and ready.
“Please? He needs Frost.”
A red-haired Scottish vamp with a thick accent stepped forward. Riku thought his name was Fen. “I’ll take him.” He easily plucked Yuri from his arms. Concern etched his features as Yuri came awake with a loud whine and fought for his life before falling limp again. The pain was too great for his system to handle.
Fen ran for the door to the cabin Frost shared with his husband. It flew open a moment before Fen reached it. Frost stood in the doorway. Riku had done all he could. He vanished, returning to his bed. Riku didn’t have the strength to do anything else. Pain suffocated himand made his body too heavy to carry. The tears never stopped. He couldn’t force them away. Riku was useless now. Broken. Maybe he couldn’t die, but he could refuse to live. The gods might have cursed him with this, but they couldn’t make him continue on.
He had no idea how much time passed, but light streaked across the sky when the bed dipped again. A burned and half dead wolf crawled into bed with him.
“He wouldn’t stop fighting until we brought him back to you.” Frost stood by the bed, looking stern and uncertain of his welcome. “I’ll have to treat him here.”
Riku ran his fingers through Yuri’s fur in a spot that was untouched by burns. “Why?” The question cameout sounding hoarse. It was the only word he could push past the pain.
I watched my pack tear my mom to pieces. She didn’t deserve it and there was nothing I could do. I wasn’t strong enough. You’re all I have. I won’t watch you die too.
The words brushed Riku’s mind, making him feel less alone. He could hear almost anyone’s thoughts anytime he wanted. This was different. Yuri had pushed his words into Riku’s head. He was the strength Riku didn’t have.
Frost worked on helping Yuri heal his wounds. “How did this happen?”
Riku motioned lifelessly toward the direction of the fire. “The fire.” That was all he had. He couldn’t do this.
Frost met his stare.
Riku’s vision blurred as more tears fell.
Frost’s hand lifted. He visibly hesitated before setting it on Riku’s arm. He immediately jumped away and bent at the waist, fighting to catch his breath.
Riku realized Frost had tried to take away his pain. He was mostly human, with some druid blood. Frost was a leopard’s mate and couldn’t die, but he also couldn’t endure what Riku could, and even Riku couldn’t bear this.
