Chapter 2: Harder than it seems

Bree

              Heat travels through my veins, and my body shifts restlessly as his calloused hands move down my bare spine. Goosebumps break through my body. The molten slide of his tongue gliding down my throat and his lips sucking the sensitive skin make my nipples bead with pleasure. My lips open in a silent scream, and my thighs tremble as my desire heightens to an unbearable level. Closing my eyes, I slide my fingers through his silken hair as his hand travels up my bare thigh, getting closer to my wet center.

              My heart palpitates, and my breath hitches as his fingers trace the lace hem of my panties. Biting my lips, I tighten my fingers around his hair as my anticipation builds.

              “Bree.” He breaths against my chest as his tongue circles and swirls around my hard nipple.

              “Bree…” he calls out again. To my frustration, he removes his hand and raises his head from my chest.

              Crying out with dismay, I open my eyes to reprimand my lover but am met with darkness. I can sense his breathing, but I can’t see him.

              “Bree…” he calls again, but this time his voice sounds farther away.

              “Don’t stop!” I reach for him, but my hands go through the air.

              “Bree…” I search around nervously as his voice fades into the distance.                 

              “Wait…” I cry out. “Wait…”

              At that moment, a large force knocks into me, making my body recoil.

              “Bree…wake up! Bree…”

              My eyes pop open, meeting my sister’s curious ones.

              Blinking, I look around with bewilderment as the dream fades and reality sets in. My sister’s hazel eyes gleam like amber in the morning light. However, she doesn’t look concerned. In fact, she’s smirking. “Geez, sis…I’m not going to ask what that dream was about. But from your lustful cries, it sounded very juicy.”

              Heat creeps up my throat, but I quickly stifle it, push the bed covers back and rise from my bed. My purple nightshirt clings to my sweaty body, and my long, curly blond hair falls wildly around my shoulders. “Don’t you have a bus to catch?” I ask my sister, trying to divert the conversation to a safer topic.

              Lana’s smirk deepens as she rises to stand beside me. “Ooh, where changing the subject then, huh? It must have been a really good dream then.” She releases a resigned sigh and bumps my shoulder with hers. “So, was it about anyone I know?”

              I push my hair back and roll my eyes, ignoring my sister’s question. There’s no way that I’m going to tell her about the man in my dreams. Of course, there’s not much to tell, considering I couldn’t see his face. However, a small, hopeful part of me hopes that it’s a specific man I haven’t been able to get off my mind.

              It’s been months since I last saw Fallon, but I remember every little part of him as if I just saw him. He is ingrained in my retinas from his piercing blue/silver eyes to his dark shoulder-length hair, broad shoulders, and muscular frame.

              Lana must see that she’s not going to get a response from me because she instantly retreats to the door. “Alright, alright, I know when I’m being ignored. Either way, I’m done packing my stuff. Are you sure you’re going to be alright here, without me? I mean, I’ll be gone for months, and Zoe is living with Azazel. I can stay if you need me. I don’t need to go to Arizona. I can stay here and─”

              Snapping back, I meet my sister’s eyes head-on. “You do realize that I’m a grown woman, right? I don’t need you to babysit me, and I definitely wouldn’t ask you to skip out on this incredible experience working with the research team at the Grand Canyon.”

              Lana opens her mouth to argue, but I hold my palm up to stop her tirade. “It’s not like you’re leaving the country, sis. You’ll only be a couple of hours away. We live in California, not Siberia. Now get your stuff ready, so I can take you to the bus station. You don’t want to be late meeting the rest of the group.”

              Lana gives me one last look then nods her head, her straight golden hair shifting like a waterfall down her back. “Fine, I’ll make you some coffee.”

              Rolling my eyes, I give her a distracted wave before I step into the bathroom. Sometimes I love my little sister, but other times I really want to choke her. Ever since we both got stuck in a hell dimension and she discovered that there was a crazy witch after me, she’s been overprotective.

              Confused?

              Sure, you are.

              Okay, let me give you the condensed version. Last year, our best friend Zoe met and fell in love with this gorgeous demon named Azazel. We found out that she was a siren and that our landlord, Sahara, and her crazy frenemy, Marael, were siphoning Zoe’s power so she could sacrifice me and end the world. Crazy right? Anywho, along the way, Zoe fell in love with Azazel, and I discovered that a Seer foresaw that I’d give birth to an Erue, aka the supernatural version of Messiah, and that he would literally destroy hell. I know what you’re thinking─ wouldn’t it be good to destroy hell? The answer is no because everything needs balance. There has to be a heaven and hell, or the human world would end. But that’s not the craziest part, people. I also met the most gorgeous man, who turned out to be the son of the devil, and that he has been protecting me all along.

              But wait, there’s more. Turns out that my sister, Lana, is the long-lost mate of Lucifer. Yeah, you heard me, she’s the devil’s mate. Not that she knows it because her Angelic side is protecting her from that little tidbit. Yep, Lana’s an Angel but doesn’t know it because ‘the creator’ sent her to be born of human parents and erased all her knowledge of what she is. Our guess is that he’s doing it to punish Lucifer for rebelling. Either way, Lucifer refuses to acknowledge the fact that they’re mated, which means we’re caught in the middle of this mess. I mean, how do I tell my sister that she’s mated to the devil? For real? The man is sin incarnate─figuratively and literally. He’s gorgeous, but he’s like… the devil. Do you see my conundrum?

              I know it’s a lot to unpack. But what my situation bogs down to is that if I have sex, I will get pregnant, so I have to remain a virgin. Years ago, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye at the idea, but now all I can think about is sex.

              Duh, you just saw me dreaming about it.

              It doesn’t help that Fallon, Lucifer’s son, and my protector, looks like the epitome of beauty. Seriously, the man is a feast for the eyes.

              So here I am, dying to be intimate but with the knowledge that I might end the world hanging over my head. Yeah, my life is a total mess. But hey, at least Zoe is happy with her demon mate, and Alana seems happy enough to remain ignorant.

              Pushing all thoughts of my bleak future aside, I take care of my morning absolutions, slip into a blue summer dress, brown leather ankle boots, and meet my sister in the kitchen. Lana hands me a warm cup of coffee and gives me a warm smile. “I’m gonna miss you.”

              I snicker in response. “You’re just going to miss me doing your laundry and cooking.”

              She places her palm across her heart with an affronted expression. “Damn, B, you’re heartless.” She slaps my forearm, making me flinch. “I’m for real. I’m going to miss you.”

              She looks hurt, but I can see right through her. She doesn’t want to leave me because she’s worried about me. Sometimes my sister doesn’t get that I’m the older sister, not her. “I’ll miss you too. But just think about it. You’re going to research rain patterns and wildlife in the Grand Canyon. That is so cool.”

              Lana visibly swallows before she hands me one of her duffle bags. “Okay, let’s go.”

              I run my gaze appraisingly across her slim frame. She’s wearing a white tank top underneath her khaki button-down shirt and khaki cargo shorts with brown outdoor boots. Her hair is in a ponytail, and her face is free of makeup. But Lana does not need any makeup. She’s gorgeous as she is.

              We’re very similar in appearance, except that my boobs are bigger, and my hair has natural curls.

              Not a bad-looking pair, if I say so myself. Zoe is the opposite of us in color. Zoe has dark hair, eyes the color of the ocean, and a curvy frame.

              I place my cup inside the kitchen sink and follow her out of the apartment’s door. Just as I’m sliding into the front seat of the car, Lana’s cell phone rings. She looks at the screen and smiles. “It’s Zoe.”

              “Answer it and put it on speaker,” I reply as I steer the car out of its parking space.

              “Hey,” Lana answers.

              Zoe’s excited squeak echoes through the receiver. “I’m so excited for you, Lala!”

              Lana rolls her eyes. We’ve known Zoe for a very long time. After Zoe and I became friends, Lana began following us around like the little pest she was. Zoe used to call her Lala to annoy her. She stopped calling her years ago but started back up again recently. She says because she doesn’t want Lana to grow up.

              “I’m excited too, Zoe,” Lana replies.

              Zoe giggles. “I wish I could have gone to the bus station with you. I can’t believe I’m stuck in L.A. I miss you guys and my man so much.”       

              I roll my eyes, not feeling any pity for a plight. It has literally been twenty-four hours since she saw Azazel, but she acts like it has been decades.

              Several weeks ago, a famous Indi singer, Natalia Hollingsworth, heard one of Zoe’s songs and asked her to write and produce one for her. Zoe flew to L.A. last week with her mate, Azazel. Unfortunately, Azazel had some kind of emergency and came back last night. But you’d think he’d been gone longer by the way Zoe carries on.

              Lana snickers. “You’ve only been gone a week, Z. Plus, it’s pretty awesome that you’re in L.A. producing Natalia Hollingsworth’s music. I mean, she’s like one of the hottest singers in the world. Just send me a sneak peek of the song, and I’ll forgive you. Either way, it’s not like I’ll be gone forever.” She looks at me from the corner of her eye and continues. “Just keep an eye out for B, okay.”

              I give her an affronted glare, which she ignores.

              “I will,” Zoe answers.

              Shaking my head, I stop at the red light and snatch the phone from my sister’s hand. “You know, I’m right here, and that I can hear you, right?” I call out incredulously.

              Zoe snickers. “Yeah, I know…so...?”

              My eyes narrow. “So, I’m a grown woman, and I can take care of myself.”

              To my chagrin and amusement, Lana and Zoe snort in unison.

              “Say bye to Lana.” I hand my sister back the phone and continue into traffic.

              It doesn’t take long to get to the bus station, but it feels like forever when you’re annoyed with your bestie and sister.

              Lana’s group is already standing around the dingy bus station, their bags are thrown haphazardly across the ground, and their eyes are trained on their cell phone’s screens.

              The warm breeze skitters across the soiled, rocky ground and flows around us, followed by the earthy smell of grass and dirt.

              The place looks like a dead zone with its rundown ticket booth, rusted and stained with years of wear. The once red color of the booth is now more of a brownish burgundy, mud color, and instead of lush grass, there are patchy pieces of weeds and grimy gravel-strewn haphazardly across the ground. 

              Lana and I rest her duffle bags next to the bus’s baggage port and embrace tightly. “Have fun, and don’t worry about me,” I mutter gently.

              Lana gives me a watery smile. “I’ll call you when I can, but don’t worry if I don’t, the reception there sucks. I mean, we’re in a freaking canyon, so don’t expect daily texts.”

              “Don’t worry about that, sis. Just have fun and learn.” I reply.

              The bus driver hollers over the bus’s intercom at that moment and announces boarding.

               As everyone boards, Lana gives me another hug and slowly backs up.

              “Just go!” I yell out good-naturedly. Lana blows me a raspberry and flips me the middle finger, her hair fluttering in the wind like a golden curtain. Laughing out loud, I flip her off in response and turn back to my vehicle.

              I sit in the driver’s seat for a moment and sigh with relief as the bus leaves the terminal. I’m glad my sister got that opportunity to study out of state. For a while, after we got back from hell, I worried that she’d change. Thankfully, Lana is resilient and intelligent. It also helps that she’s unaware of her forgotten destiny. I don’t know if it makes me sad or happy for her. I just don’t see how she’d be happy as Lucifer’s mate. Perhaps the Creator did her a favor.

              Right now, I’m more worried about my own situation. Every night, over the past couple of months, my need for sex has heightened. This was not the last time that I’ve dreamed of having sex. In fact, I’ve found that I will even fantasize while I’m awake.

              Of course, I haven’t shared that information with my sister or Zoe. I wouldn’t even know what to say.

              It also doesn’t help that when I think of an ideal sexual partner, I think of Fallon, but tonight I’m going to do something about it.

              Now that my sister’s living life and Zoe has settled down, it’s time for me to take care of myself.

              I spend the day going back and forth, agonizing over what I’m planning to do. However, I know that this is what needs to be done. I need to live my life and forget…him.

              As I dress, I look in the bathroom mirror and inspect my reflection. The short, black, sleeveless turtleneck dress molds to my body like a second skin, and when I turn to the side, I can see a little side boob. I’m glad that it looks more sexy than slutty. My hair is loose around my bare shoulders, and my nude slingback heels shine.

              I’m going on a date tonight. Now, I know you’re thinking that I shouldn’t go on a date, considering that I might get pregnant if I have sex. However, after doing some extensive research, I learned that the Erue will be the Creator’s chosen champion’s progeny. All fingers point to it being an Angel or a supernatural being, which is why I’m going to only date human men. And how do I do that, you ask? Well, I set up an online dating app and was paired with a cute professor from a nearby community college. You can’t get any more normal than that. If everything works out the way it should, we’ll hit it off, he’ll take me home, and we’ll have sex.

              I’m through with waiting for the “right man.” After everything that has happened lately, saving my virginity feels more like a burden than a special gift for the right man. In my case, there is no such thing as the right man. Not when I have the threat of a supernatural world-ending pregnancy hanging over my head. Don’t worry; I set up precautions for this too. I spoke to Zoe’s friend Amara. Amara is a Breija. A supernatural who was kind enough to give me a ring that identifies supernatural beings. Anytime I come near a supernatural being, the ring on my middle finger will glow red. The ring is a delicate metal band with a row of sapphire gems in the middle. Amara said she tested it, and it worked every time, so I’m confident that it’ll help me tonight.

              Before I meet my date, I sort through my stylish clutch and make sure that my pepper spray, lipstick, cell phone, and condoms are safely tucked inside.

              Even though this site is verified safe, you never know who you’ll meet on a blind date.

              It has been a while since I last saw Fallon. Once Sahara and Marael were neutralized, he felt I was in no further danger, so he left. I was so angry when he dropped me off that I said some pretty unforgivable things.  

              I’ll never forget how angry he was with me. Hell, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the things that I said to him. 

              My thoughts wander back to that horrible night.

              Fallon releases me as soon as I get home, his expression shuttered. I can’t believe what just happened. Sahara and Marael are finally gone, and we literally went to hell. I look at the gorgeous man who has been protecting me for months, and bite my lower lip.

              “So, what happens now?”

              I don’t know how why I feel this deep sadness. All I know is that something is drawing me to my protector, and I hate the fact that I’m not feeling right about him leaving. As I gaze into his silver eyes, I can’t help but wish that he was here for a different reason. That he was here because he wants me. I know it’s stupid, but somehow, I’ve become attached to him.

              Fallon’s eyes meet mine, his face free of expression. “Now that you’re no longer in danger, we can part ways. My father doesn’t know about you, and it would be too dangerous for me to remain close. Plus, it’s not like there’s any other reason for me to stay any longer.”

              My stomach drops. I hate that he can so easily dismiss me when I’m having all these feelings for him. Rage replaces my sadness, making me react unreasonably. Zoe always said that I tend to cut people out of my life as a defense mechanism because I don’t want to get hurt. I hate it when she psychoanalyzes me.

              “So, that’s it. I was just a means to an end, and now you’re discarding me.”

              Fallon’s brow furrows with confusion. “I don’t understand. You’re safe now, Bree. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

              Feeling sour, I clench my lips and scoff. “Of course, it’s what I wanted. I guess you can run along to your daddy now.” I make mocking sweeping motions with my hands and turn to my kitchen. “Go and have fun being Lucifer’s lapdog. I’ll be fine without you.”

              He follows closely behind me and looks at me as if he’s trying to figure me out. “You should be safe now. No one will tell my father about you. But if you need me─”

              “Don’t worry, I won’t need you,” I reply curtly. “So, you can go back to hell and stop acting like a weirdo stalker.”

              His eyes stare intently into mine as if he’s seeing deep in my soul, and for a moment, he looks wounded. However, before I can say a word about it, his expression becomes wry. “I guess I shouldn’t expect any gratitude from you, then?” He mutters sarcastically.

              I ignore his dry tone and cross my arms in front of my chest. “Well, I didn’t really ask for your help, now did I? You just showed up and made all of these decisions for me.”

              He snickers in reply, his dark hair falling forward to block his irritated expression. “No, you bloody didn’t. Well, I guess you’re welcome anyway.”

              I scoff. “Whatever.”

              He tucks his black leather duster back, his broad chest expanding with arrogance and his eyes narrowing into slits. “Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don’t shag some poor, stupid sod, and I’ll stay out of your way. We’d hate for you to bring the world to an end because you couldn’t control your basic human needs. Now, I would say it was a pleasure, but that would be a rubbish response, so I shall take my leave.”

              Tears gathered in my eyes as I observed him disappear from my sight.

              I regretted my unfair words as soon as they left my mouth. But I refused to admit it. I guess Zoe is right; I am stubborn.

              As I step out the door, I push any regrets behind me. There’s no point in beating myself up over a guy who is no longer in my life. Right now, I need to focus on meeting my possible destiny.