Mating Fever by Susan Hayes
Leta
Alaric was gone. Vanished—no, banished—by a snap of Lucifer’s manicured fingers.
Part of her was thankful he was gone before he could convince the Devil to make good on his offer, but damn, she didn’t relish the thought of being alone with Lucifer, either.
Leta tucked the sheet around her a little more firmly and rose from the bed, determined to face her death with at least a little dignity. She did her best to ignore the unfamiliar ache in her chest as she thought about the way Alaric had tried to protect her. No one but her mother had ever done that. Everyone else had seen her as an abomination, a thing to be hunted down and used, or destroyed. He might not have had the right to lay claim to her, but she appreciated what he had tried to do. She reached up and absently touched the still-tender mark on her throat where he had bitten her, and the ache in her heart eased, just a little.
“Where did you send him? Is he alright? He won’t be punished, will he? I want your word that he’s safe and won’t be in trouble for what happened,” she said, her concern for Alaric strong enough to give her the courage to make demands of the devil in his own house.
The Devil gave her a dashing smile and shook his head. “You shouldn’t ask the Prince of Lies to give you his word on anything. Didn’t anyone tell you that I’m not to be trusted?” He ran a hand through his ebony hair, and when he was done, his horns were gone. He looked human now, save for the eerie flames that glowed in his eyes. “But to answer your questions, yes, he’s safe and sound back at the Hell Hounds’ headquarters. No, I’m not going to punish him. I never intended to do anything to him, that was all for show.”
“Why?”
Lucifer made a gesture with one hand, and she found that the sheet that had been wrapped around her had been transformed into a toga-like garment of deep red trimmed in gold.
“Why? Because I needed to know how you felt about him. If you’d stood by and let him be punished, that would have spoken to your character, and your feelings for him…or lack thereof.” He held out his hand to her. “Come. Our conversation is going to take some time, and I’d rather not do it here. Carnage is my finest Hound, but his taste in interior decorating leaves a lot to be desired.”
“Can I leave him a note? I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”
“Who said anything about goodbye? You’ll see him again, if you wish to, that is. I’ll have a message sent letting him know you’re fine. Good enough?”
“Yes. Thank you. And uh, I’m glad to hear I’m going to be fine. I thought you might want me dead.”
Lucifer arched a dark brow. “Dead? No, Little Bird. I don’t want you dead. If I did, I’d have sent Carnage to do the deed directly. We really need to talk, you and I.” He gestured with his outstretched hand. “Come.”
There was no turning back now. She closed the short distance between them and placed her hand in his, marveling at the turn of events that had led her here, to the moment she came face to face with the most feared being in all creation. “What do I call you?”
“Your Highness is always acceptable, of course. Grandfather would also be applicable, but it smacks of sentimentality, and implies I’m closer to my dotage than my prime.” He gave a dramatic shudder. “Why don’t you call me Luc?”
“Grandfather?” she asked, stunned.
“Mhmm. Didn’t your mother tell you? She was well aware of your father’s lineage.”
“She almost never spoke about my father, and she certainly never mentioned we were related.” Grandfather? Holy hell mom, you should have told me. That would’ve been handy information to have all the years she was alone and running for her life.
“There are some remarkably large gaps in your education, Little Bird. Come with me and I’ll see what I can do to enlighten you.”
There was another shift in the air around them, and the next thing she knew, she was standing in the middle of a palace so opulent it dazzled her senses. Reds and golds in a hundred different shades shimmered and danced in the light of a thousand torches, lamps, and candles. The air here was perfumed with exotic scents that almost hid the underlying tang of sulfur and ash that tainted the air.
When she had her bearings, Lucifer led her a short distance to a pair of gilded, ornate chairs set by a window, providing her with her first real view of Hell.
“Welcome to my home,” he said, gesturing to the vista outside.
It wasn’t what she had expected. In fact, it looked like Earth...more or less. Earth’s sky wasn’t a burnt, murky orange, though. It was also far less crowded and a lot quieter. That struck her as odd, given how many people seemed to be destined to spend eternity being punished for their sins.
The palace was set in the center of a typical modern city, with streets and buildings stretching off in all directions. The architecture was different in subtle ways, and everything was bathed in the odd orange light, but it was definitely a city, not a fiery pit of suffering. There were even people—or fallen— moving along the sidewalks, and a few vehicles trundled up and down the streets. It all seemed perfectly normal.
“You’re looking for the pits of screaming, tortured souls, and the eternal flames, are you?” Lucifer asked, his voice rife with humor.
“Yes, actually. I thought that was the point to this place?” She turned from the view and found her grandfather already seated in one of the chairs, a jewel-encrusted goblet in his hand.
“Oh, that happens here, certainly. But there aren’t many truly evil souls in existence. Purgatory is far larger than this place. That’s where most souls wind up. Not good enough for Heaven and far too good for Hell. Frankly, given how many regulations my winged brethren have, it’s amazing anyone gets past the pearly gates at all.” He beckoned her to join him. “Have a seat, Leta. I’ll answer what questions I can.”
She took the chair he pointed to, taking a moment to rearrange her dress once she was seated. It bought her a few seconds to try and come to terms with her situation. Nothing was going the way she’d expected. She was still breathing, for one thing. She might as well start with that. “Why am I here? I thought you wanted me dead. Everyone seems to.”
“I never wanted you dead, Leta. To be candid, I didn’t know anything about you until a little while ago. You’re not supposed to exist. Angels and their fallen brethren are supposed to be off-limits to each other. God’s rule, not mine. I may have mentioned He’s big on rules. Lots of Thou Shalt Nots in God’s playbook. That’s the reason I’m down here.”
“I thought you were thrown out for rebelling?”
He shrugged and flicked out the fingers of one hand in a dismissive gesture. “That’s what they call it when you don’t obey all the laws of Heaven. They have laws for everything up there, controls in place for every thought and deed. Humans get to have free will, but angels are expected to blindly obey. Those of us who question that are cast out and stripped of our wings. I was the first to get the boot, but believe me, I’m far from the last.”
And that brought up another question. “I’m not an angel. I’m just a half breed. So why did you say that I had wings? I can assure you, I don’t have any feathers. Never have. Only angels have those, right?”
“You’re wrong about that, Little Bird.” He tsked softly and shook his head. “Your mother did not do you any favors when she kept you hidden from me. I could have taught you so much.” He waved her off before she could protest. “I know she did what she thought was best, but she clearly didn’t understand what you really are. You have so much untapped potential.”
“How could she not know what I am? I was her daughter.”
“As a father of more than a dozen children, let me assure you, being a parent does not mean we’re all knowing, not even about our own offspring.” Luc gave her a benevolent smile and sipped his wine. “Trust me on that one.”
“So she didn’t know what I am, but you do. Great. Care to enlighten me, Grandfather? Then maybe you can tell me about my father. She wouldn’t even tell me his name.”
“Not even his name? Well, I can tell you that, and more besides. But today, I’d like to focus on you and your gifts.”
“Fine. Focus. What the hell am I?” Leta had wanted to know the answer to that question her entire life. If he wasn’t going to talk about who she was, then she’d settle for knowing what she was.
“Such fire. You’re definitely your father’s child.” He set down his goblet and steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “You, Leta Fury, are the one thing Heaven fears. The angels claim dominion over two elements: air and water. The fallen lost control over those elements when they fell, but over time we learned to control the others: fire, and earth. But you… you were born with the ability to command all four elements. Also, you are half angel, which means you do indeed have wings, even if they haven’t manifested yet. You see, child, you never fell from grace. You were never bound by the rules of Heaven to begin with, so Heaven cannot take your wings.”
“Heaven doesn’t fear me, they hunt me,” Leta said with a shake of her head. “As for my abilities, they’re not all that impressive. I can’t control fire very well, and I certainly can’t manipulate any of the other elements. I can heal a little if I focus hard enough. I’ve teleported too, but only when it’s a life and death fight, and I’m losing. It’s instinct, nothing more. Using any of my powers always gives me a wicked headache, too.”
“Heaven is terrified of you. That is why they hunt you, Leta. As for your powers, you’d have better luck controlling them if you accepted your fallen half. You’re a child of two worlds, but you were raised only knowing one.”
“Angels weren’t the only ones hunting me. I’ve killed my share of fallen, too. It’s hard to accept either side of my nature when they both keep trying to kill me.”
“Any fallen who tried to hurt you was not doing it with my permission. As I said, I only recently learned of your existence. You’ve done a remarkable job of staying hidden given how little training your mother was able to give you before she died.”
“I thought all fallen answered to you?” she asked, trying to work her way through this strange conversation.
“I’m their fucking king, they’re supposed to answer to me, but my people are as fallible as every other. Like willful children, some of them refuse to listen. That’s one of the reasons I have Carnage and his Hounds. They deal with the ones that try to think for themselves.”
“You mean they kill for you.”
“Kill for me, fetch for me, they’d bake me a batch of cupcakes if I asked them to. I own their souls, after all. Loyal mutts, each and every one of them.”
She laughed at the image of Carnage baking anything. “You don’t seem the cupcake type.”
“You’d be surprised what sort of man I am. Your mother never came to me to ask me for help or sanctuary, so I assume she bought the party line that I was an evil creature to be avoided at all costs. Just like your father.” He smiled at her over his glass. “Let me tell you a little secret, Leta Fury. It’s not about good and evil. Never has been. It’s about choice. I want free will, and my brethren upstairs want obedience. The rest? It’s all PR spin.”
“Then I’ve got news for you, Your Royal Evilness. Your public relations team sucks. Last time I checked, everyone on the planet believed you’re evil incarnate.”
He actually threw back his head and laughed. “I like you. I really hope you decide to take me up on my offer.”
“What offer? You haven’t made me one.”
“I’ve been building up to it. I’m the Devil, child. Deals are my stock in trade and I try to make them interesting.” He winked at her. “You ready to hear it?”
“Is anyone ever ready to hear the Devil offer them a deal?”
This time, he laughed so hard she wondered if he was going to strain something. When he finally got himself under control again, he raised his glass to her in a mocking toast. “Fair point, though what I am offering isn’t so much a deal, as it is a choice. Join my side, and I’ll teach you to use all your abilities. I’ll show you what you really are, and what you’re capable of. I’ll give you a home here, a place of your own where you can sleep in safety and never be hunted again.”
Fucking hell. He was offering her everything she had always wanted. It felt too easy, though. She never trusted easy, and she damned sure wasn’t going to trust the Devil...even if he was family. “Nothing comes for free. In exchange for all that, what will I have to do?”
“The same thing you’re doing now, more or less. Hunt down your enemies and make sure they can’t threaten you, or anyone else, ever again. The only difference is that you’ll be hunting my enemies, as well. Same game, more targets. One day, when the war finally comes, you fight for me. That’s all.”
“You have the Hell Hounds to do all that. Why do you need me?”
“The Hounds have their uses, but they aren’t you. There’s no one else in existence like you, Little Bird. You were never supposed to exist, but since you do, I want you fighting on my side.” He gave her a charming smile. “After all, we are family.”
“So what can I do that the Hounds can’t?” If signing on with Team Hellfire meant being able to run circles around Car, she would consider it a definite plus.
“You must remember that my Hounds were all human when they were alive. They lived and died as mortal men and were assigned to Purgatory for eternity. You’ve met Carnage. You can imagine how quickly a man like that got bored with the afterlife. I gave him a purpose and certain abilities that make him very good at what he does. Strength, speed, the ability to track their prey through the ether, teleportation…and of course, I made them invulnerable to certain attacks.” He arched a dark brow at her. “In case someone tried to set them on fire, for example.”
“In my defense, I only tried to light him up because I thought he was going to kill me.”
“If you had been almost any other mission, that’s exactly what he would have been there to do.” Luc gave her an intent look and went silent for a long moment as if deciding something, his drink forgotten for the moment. “You know; I could give you their abilities. In fact, I think I probably should, given you’re mated to their leader.”
“I’m what?” She sat straight up, her fingers automatically reaching up to touch the bite mark on her neck.
His gaze tracked her hand’s movement. “Exactly. That little love bite means you’re Carnage’s mate. If you want him, that is. Another choice for you to make.”
“That rat bastard. He didn’t say anything about it!” she swore, furious at Carnage for doing this to her. “Wait, he’s their leader? He didn’t tell me that, either!”
“In his defense, he doesn’t know why he bit you. None of my Hounds has ever found their mate before. As for his being their leader, he is…for now. When Car’s contract expires in two weeks, I imagine Havoc will take over.”
“What happens when his contract expires? Does he go to Hell for all he’s done in your service? If I agree to fight for you, would you spare him that?”
Luc actually looked surprised. “You’d do that for him? Serve me to save him?”
“He’s not an evil man. At least, I don’t think he is. I don’t like the idea of him being punished.” She gestured to the window and all that lay beyond it. “I don’t like the idea of anyone being tortured for eternity, but I know most of the ones here deserve it. If I agree to this deal, Car going free will be one of my conditions.”
The Look on Satan’s face could only be described as paternal pride. “You’re a good judge of character, and a brave woman, negotiating with me like this. You’re right. Carnage is hardly a saint, but he’s not evil. As I mentioned before, this isn’t about good and evil, it’s about choices.”
Understanding dawned. “Which is why you make deals with people. You want them to have a choice.”
He beamed. “Beauty and brains. I do hope you agree to sign on with me, Little Bird. You’d be such an asset. Before you make your decision, though, you should know that your mate is not destined for punishment. In fact, he’s considering being reborn. He’ll get a shiny new soul and no memory of who he was or what he’s done. It’s the deal I made with all the Hounds. They’re all from Purgatory, just like your mate. I couldn’t let truly evil souls run around with those sorts of powers, could I? They’d make a mess of things, and frankly, even I can only put up with so much chaos.”
“So, if I don’t want to be mated to him, I don’t have to be? And he won’t be punished?”
“No punishment. I’ll let him go if that’s what he decides he wants when his time is up, but I’m betting that he won’t. Not if it means forgetting about you.”
“Why do I think you had something to do with him finding me just as his contract was expiring?” she asked.
Luc managed to look completely innocent, and even slightly insulted. “Mates are not my department. That’s Fate’s gig. I’m all about choices and free will, remember?”
He snapped his fingers, and a tray of assorted cupcakes popped into existence, hovering in the air beside her. The confections were displayed on delicate lace doilies, and each of them had a tiny set of perfectly crafted, red candy horns rising out of the swirls of frosting. “Cupcake? I prefer the devil’s food cake, myself. They’re sinfully decadent with a hint of chili peppers for heat.”
She gave in to temptation, well aware that she was taking her first steps down a dangerously slippery slope. “I’ll try one, thank you.”
She devoured the cake as she pondered everything he had told her, and all that he’d offered. The freedom to choose her own path. It was the one thing Leta wanted even more than a place where she belonged. All her life she had been reacting, living moment to moment. Luc was handing her the chance to take control of her life and pick for herself. It was the one offer she couldn’t refuse.
“So, if I took this deal of yours. What exactly would it entail? I’m going to need details, Luc, and I want to read every word, including the finest of the fine print.”
He winked at her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
