Hellbourne (12 page)

“Fine.” He didn’t want his mate to lose all hope in life. “I won’t ask him to dissolve our bond.”

“Thank you. Now, sit tight at Nikko’s and I’ll come for you tomorrow.”

“When did you and Nikko become so close?”

”We share a common goal…to keep you safe.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too. Behave.” With that final warning, Bran hung up.

The door opened and Jerrod and Carn appeared.

“Hello, boys.”

“Hello, Master,” they said in stereo.

“I need you two to stand guard outside my door while I talk to my relative.”

Carn’s head snapped up. Luc could tell he was dying to ask which relative, but as a well-trained lower demon he knew better than to ask questions. “Yes, sir.” He bowed.

Jerrod looked from one to the other, questions flying from his expression.

Luc waited, careful not to offer any information.

“I’ll wait outside,” Jerrod said.

The look Jerrod gave Carn told Luc the vamp liked his new companion.

“Don’t forget to feed.”

They both shot him identical smiles as they left the room.

At least someone was happy.

Sitting on the floor on folded legs, Luc closed his eyes and focussed. After only a few moments, he got a response. Michael was always at hand this time of year.

Lucifer, my sweet boy, what do you need?

A favour.

I‘m coming.

Luc opened his eyes as the pressure in the room changed and his skin sparked with electricity. In a showy display of power, white wisps danced through the air amid streaks of lightening, forming the shape of angel. Powerful shoulders crowded the room and enormous white wings brushed the ceiling.

Standing, Luc waited to approach the white creature until it dimmed its light.

“Michael,” he greeted the angel as the glowing light faded.

A
gorgeous angel with dark hair and silvery eyes looked down at him. “Luc.”

He shivered as power rolled over him. Standing next to an angel was never a comfortable feeling and Michael had more power than most.

He looked into the angel’s silver eyes. “I’m not going to make it this time, Uncle. I don’t have it in me. When I don’t come back, I want you to remove me from Bran’s memory.”

Technically, this wasn’t asking for removal of the bond. After all, you can’t bond with someone you don’t remember.

The angry rustle of wings brought his attention back to the angel. Michael’s expression wasn’t encouraging. “What do you mean you aren’t going to make it? You’ve fought your father for two hundred years. Why is this year any different?”

“Because this year my brothers are really going to try to torture me and I already used most of my energy healing Carn. I’m tired, Michael. I’m really tired.” Luc tried to hold back his tears, but he started sobbing uncontrollably.

Before he could say anything else, he was wrapped in a pair of warm feathery wings like a baby chick. A feeling of tremendous well-being filled him.

“I’ve watched over you since you were born. I’m not going to let you lose your soul.”

They stayed intertwined while Luc absorbed what comfort he could from Michael’s embrace.

After a moment, Michael stepped back and pinned Luc with his powerful gaze. “There
is
one way to bring you back to full power. You need to perform the vitality ritual.”

Shaking his head, Luc sat down on his bed. “I don’t think sex with Bran will be enough, and he would feel the need to kill any other wolf touching me.”

“Then you will need another non-wolf. What about Nikko?”

“What about Nikko?”

Michael’s gaze entranced Luc until he couldn’t look away, couldn’t blink.

“A combination of Nikko and Bran would give you enough power.” The angel looked away. “I foresee it.”

“Do you foresee them ripping each other’s throat out? Because I can see that without any powers at all.”

Michael laughed. A buzzing sound that rocked Luc’s body. Not a comfortable feeling. “For you, they would put aside their differences.”

Luc closed his eyes. “I don’t know about Nikko. My bond with him is a shallow thing next to what I feel for Bran. I can’t ruin my fragile relationship with the wolf.”

Michal’s expression was filled with pity. “A torpedo couldn’t hurt that relationship. Your wolf has learned what’s important to his heart. His pack will soon fall in line. Sal is sitting with your father, learning the error of his ways.”

It was painful to hear of his ex-friend’s punishment. Despite his methods, Sal had been a good friend for many years before the madness crept in. Living with his father would be a new form of torture, because that was what Lucifer excelled at—knowing what would hurt his denizens the most.

“Focus on one thing at a time,” Michael said, reading Luc’s mind. “If you survive this, I’ll help you help your friend. If you mess this up and let your father have you, I’ll burn your body and keep you from becoming one of your father’s minions.”

Luc’s fear faded as the angel renewed his vow. Every year, Michael made the same promise. Only this year Luc knew it was a real concern. There was a good chance he wouldn’t survive. Even if he could convince Nikko and Bran to play nicely together, it might not work.

“Now, you have to get your men together and make them cooperate.”

Luc laughed. “You have obviously never met Nikko. He’s not the cooperative type.”

Michael flicked his necklace. “He will be if he wants to keep his pretty pet alive.”

* * * *

They moved the party to his rental house, neutral territory, for this discussion. Luc sat in a high-backed chair on one side of the room while the alphas sat on opposing loveseats so they could glare at each other properly.

With only five people, the large living room shouldn’t feel so full. Luc looked at the two alphas glaring at each other across the room and leaned his head back in his chair. This was never going to work. They would kill each other before any clothes came off.

A hand patting each of his legs had Luc looking down. His demon and vampire sat on either side, stroking him like they were soothing a wild beast.

“You two can sit on chairs and everything,” he offered.

They shook their head in unison.
Creepy
.

Closing his eyes, Luc decided he could just sleep until his birthday. Would it be less painful if he just gave up as soon as he reached hell? His brothers couldn’t torture him if he readily agreed to be a Hell Lord. How much could it really hurt to have his soul ripped out? It was twenty-four hours until his birthday. He could sit here until then.

“I’ll do it.” Nikko’s voice was low and angry.

“Don’t put yourself out,” Bran said. “I’d hate for it to be too much trouble to fuck Luc and save his life when you could be sucking an unsuspecting vagrant dry in the streets.”

“At least I didn’t toss my lover out of the house so I could fuck women,” Nikko taunted.

“Enough.” Luc jumped to his feet. The room spun a bit and he swayed only to have Jerrod and Carn catch him on either side.

Handy
.

“I won’t have you two fighting over me. You,” he pointed at Nikko, “only want me as a trophy. And you,” he pointed at the smirking alpha wolf, “would not even be here if your wolf hadn’t refused Betsy. So don’t bother whitewashing our relationship.”

Both men growled.

Long fingers plunged into his hair and cinnamon-flavoured lips captured his. Instinctively, Luc wrapped himself around the taller form. Jerrod’s familiar scent filled his nose as he gave in to the vampire’s embrace. Power flowed from the young vamp into his body. When Jerrod released him, he felt strong enough to stand on his own.

“Thank you,” he whispered, placing a kiss on Jerrod’s cheek. If the vampire were older, or more powerful, Luc could’ve used him to recover.

Carn turned to him, and for the first time, Luc took a good look at the demon who had changed a great deal since he saw him last. The demon’s skin was a deep sensual red with gold-coloured designs swirling across his skin. His nails were gold tipped and there was a bony ridge across his forehead. A sign of beauty for his kind. His eyes were a deep gold, matching his long, straight, silky hair. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white shirt that contrasted well with his richly coloured skin.

He was a beautiful demon.

His eyes fixated on Luc as he cupped Luc’s cheeks with his long red fingers. “You saved my life, Baby Lucifer. If you choose to return to the home of your father, I will accompany you. You gave up your life essence so that I would survive and that is not a debt I can ever repay. My life is your life to do with as you will, but I implore you to try to get these men to do what is right because there is nothing right about what will happen to you if you go back to hell.”

It was the most he’d ever heard the demon speak, maybe collectively over their entire relationship. Carn placed a soft kiss on Luc’s lips before stepping back and giving Luc a sad smile. “I know we will never be lovers as we are too much like brothers under the skin, but know that I will do whatever is necessary to help you through this.”

Luc hugged Carn close even when the ridges of bone on his back dug into his arms. “Thank you.”

Feeling stronger, Luc stepped away from the pair and turned towards the alphas now standing in the middle of the room, staring at him as if he’d grown a pair of wings.

Or horns.

“What do you think, gentlemen? Can you put aside your differences long enough to save my life?”

“I can,” Nikko growled, taking a step closer to Luc.

“So can I,” Bran responded, also stepping closer. The wolf leant forwards and pressed his cheek to Luc’s. “Even if my wolf hadn’t wanted you and I’d gone ahead and mated with Betsy, never think I wouldn’t have missed my beautiful boy. I feel lost whenever you leave my side.” He placed a soft kiss on Luc’s cheek. “You are my heart and soul, and if you let your father have you, I will live the rest of my days empty inside.”

That snapped Luc out of his funk. He realised for the first time that he was feeling abnormally passive about the whole thing. Where were his spark and the will to combat his father’s control? Ever since leaving hell, he’d been preparing to lose.

“Nikko, can you search for spells?”

The large vampire nodded. “What am I looking for?”

“A suppressor or something that would take away my will.”

Nikko muttered some words Luc couldn’t hear as he waved his hands over Luc’s body. A green glow flared around him like a shield.

“Fuck,” Nikko growled. “It’s an incubus spell. This one is set to drain you of all feeling.”

“Galthine must’ve put it on me when I left hell.”

“Can you remove it?” Bran asked

Nikko nodded. “Come here, babe, and take my hands.” When Bran stepped up behind Luc, Nikko shook his head. “Go to the other side of the room I don’t want it clinging to someone else when the spell disperses.”

Bran hesitated, but did as Nikko asked. His gaze examined every motion the vampire made. Luc had no doubt that if Nikko made a wrong move, Bran would take him down.

Nikko placed his hands on Luc’s shoulders. “Just relax and clear your mind. You can close your eyes if you want to.”

Deciding it was best to block everyone out, Luc closed his eyes and practiced the meditation Michael was always harping on him about, breathing in slowly and letting the air out with equal measure.

“Good.” Nikko’s voice was low and soothing. “Now I’m going to count back from ten. Ten…nine…eight…seven…”

A blast of power shook Luc from head to heel. He opened his eyes just in time to see Nikko go down under the large alpha wolf.

Luc felt amazing. For the first time in days, his mind felt clear and focussed.

“Stop it!” Luc shouted. Fists started to fly. “I said, stop!”

Balls of lightning rolled across the pair, jolting them apart. Luc fell to the ground. The little power from the exchange with Nikko flashed away.

“Shit,” Luc cursed.

“Why did you attack me?” Nikko asked Bran as he picked himself off the floor.

“You didn’t give him until zero.”

“He was tensing up. He wasn’t going to make it to zero.”

Luc didn’t intervene, the two men were communicating at least. Even if he didn’t think he’d been tensing.

“Do you feel better?” Nikko asked.

Luc nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“We have less than twenty-four hours until Luc’s birthday. We need to decide how we’re going to do this.”

“I was planning on being on top,” Nikko said with a flash of fang.

Instead of taking the bait, Bran gave the vampire a smug smile. “That’s because you’ve never felt Luc inside you.”

Nikko snorted. “You’ve never bottomed.”

“I was with Luc for over twenty years. You think it was all one way? We were mates in the deepest sense. I’d be more than happy to be the bottom of a Luc sandwich.”