Page 20 of Undesirable
I thought you couldn’t hear Yuri.
I didn’t. I heard Brownie’s answer. He’s named Brownie, for fuck’s sake.
Riku turned his head so Brownie wouldn’t see the way he fought not to laugh.
Don’t get me wrong, he’s pretty badass, but he has a very soft and gooey center—like a Brownie. He’ll be a good mate to Yuri.
Riku’s eyebrows tried crawling into his hairline.They’re mates?
Of course, they can speak just like us. Brownie is an alpha. He can speak telepathically to any lesser animal, but Yuri isn’t my creation, and Yuri isn’t lesser. If anything, a guardian wolf is the highest a wolf can hope to climb, especially guardian to a godling. If it makes you feel better, neither of them realizes it either. I’m kind of looking forward to watching the dramaunfold.
Riku shook his head. He waved away the hounds. “You two should go do something. I want to check my man for injuries.”
He never touched me, Lucifer reminded him.
“Don’t ruin my fun.”
I should check on the house.
“Yuri wants to check on the house. Is it okay if Brownie gives him a leg up?”
Lucifer made a shooing motion. “Go with him. Keep him safe. A guardian wolf is a high prize for anyone looking to lash out at us.”
Riku focused on Yuri.He knows you can take care of yourself.He’s just getting Brownie out of the house so we can be as loud as we want.
Ew.
Riku laughed as Yuri used Brownie’s back to leap through the mirror. Brownie followed without looking back.
Riku focused on Lucifer the second they were alone. “Tell me what happened. Every detail. I was cut off from you, which better never happen again. It felt like you’d died.”
A sexy smile touched Lucifer’s lips. “I appreciate you waiting until we’re alone to scold me.” He swept Riku from his feet. “You can wait a little longer for answers.”
Riku wanted to be aggravated, but it was impossible in Lucifer’s arms. This washis mate. They were together. Literally, nothing else mattered.
While Lucifer knew Riku deserved answers, he couldn’t deal right now. He felt too raw from seeing his sister and it was exhausting trying to keep that from Riku. Every day, it got a little harder to keep Riku from penetrating deeper and deeper into his mind. Soon there would be nowherehe could hide.
“Oh, baby. It’s okay to totally understand her reasoning and still feel bitter. You can love her and still feel hurt over her decisions. It’s completely valid to feel torn.”
Well, shit. It didn’t seem he hid as well as he thought. He shook his head as he settled on the bed with his back against the headboard and Riku across his lap. “You do realize I’m still Lucifer, right? I’m still the same evil, dangerous, and powerful god I was before we met. I’m still undesirable number one—the great deceiver. Whatever else people say. It’s all valid. Just because that doesn’t extend to you doesn’t mean anything has changed. When you were constantly rejecting me, I could’ve killed you. I wanted to most days.”
Riku didn’t seem bothered. “I’m aware. You are all those things, and someone has to be. There’ll never be a light without a dark. Your sister and you are the most powerful beings in existence. One of you had to be the counterbalance. One cannot exist without the other to keep things in check. That’s just the way the universe works. But that doesn’t mean you should be denied this.” He ran his hand up Lucifer’s chest. His shirt disappeared beneath Riku’s touch. “You can do everything necessary to be who you are and still have a life that’s only for you.”
He was right. There was nothing that said he couldn’t have a mate he loved, guardian pets and a couple of friends. Nowhere was that written. He had never followed the rules. This was nodifferent. In fact, this was exactly the counterbalance he needed. He was long overdue to have someone to keep his temper in check, so he didn’t fall into blackouts that destroyed entire cities.
“I know you didn’t choose this, but I also know you’re strong enough to have not chosen me. You could’ve stayed away forever, but you didn’t. You’re just stubborn enough to have done it. What’s wrong with you?”
A laugh burst from Riku, just as he hoped. “Maybe I’m touched in the head. Maybe that’s why Celeste chose me.” He shifted positions and straddled Lucifer. “Or maybe I’m just so fucking infatuated that I’ll overlook anything as long as I can do this.” He swiped a sweet kiss acrossLucifer’s lips.
Personally, Lucifer hoped it was that one. He could handle being the center of Riku’s obsession.
Riku leaned back and peeled off his shirt. His gaze locked on the ceiling. “No one is dropping through this thing while we’re enjoying our day, are they?”
Lucifer laughed. He didn’t mind an audience, but—in this case—they wouldn’t get one. “No one can come through without my permission or a key. There’s only one key, and it’s a living, breathing person and a highly guarded secret.”
“Why is the entrance above your bed?”
Lucifer rolled, pinning Riku beneath him. “So I can keep an eye on it. Do you want to keep asking questions, or can I fuck you now?”
