Chapter 1-Aylin (The Day of Amara's Rescue)

This is Book Two of the Demonic Angels Trilogy, this book will not make sense unless you read ‘Alpha’s Fallen Angel’ first. Thank you guys for reading and for all the support! Aylin is by far my favorite character of mine, so I’ve been looking forward to this book for quite awhile! Enjoy :)

Seth and I are guarding the side door of this decrepit warehouse, hoping to Hades these slimy bloodsuckers try to sneak Amara out this exit. It didn’t appear that there were any other exits, but that means nothing. My castle has twelve secret pathways leading in and out of my city.

Luck seems to be on our side as I see the door open. Immediately, my power starts to rumble to life, ready to destroy the people keeping my sister prisoner. Seth readies himself as the door opens, and two vampires come out, both their arms around a deathly ill-looking Amara.

My power goes completely dormant like a switch’s flick as musk, patchouli, and mahogany reaches my nostrils. I freeze, my eyes widening as red eyes snare my own, and the bond snaps into place. The same red eyes. They’re all the same.

I take a step back. No, no

Anybody but one of those things

“Aylin? What the hell is wrong with you?” Seth hisses, “Fuck” he snaps when I don’t answer.

You’re a Queen, and your sister needs you. Get yourself together, Aylin. I scold myself

“Give her to us now, and we’ll make your deaths quick,” Seth yells at them, taking charge.

I take a deep breath, practically choking on his intoxicating scent. I walk up next to Seth, my chin high. Amara mutters out a weak no, and my eyes snap to her. Both are supporting her weight; she’s pale, she’s thin, and her head is completely lulled back as if she doesn’t even have the strength to hold it up. And my own mate was one of the ones who did this to her.

“My name is Samirah; this is Damon. We’re the leaders of the resistance against Silas. We will hand her over, but you must hear our case.” the female says

Seth growls as we walk closer to them, ready to tear them limb from limb. I watch as any muscle tone left in Amara gives away, the female also noticing lifts her limp body bridal style. Seth looks like he’s about to shift and pounce.

“There is no time for arguing; we need to get her to the hospital.” I snarl at everyone before I grab Amara, and Seth grabs Damon

As much as I would rather portal her to the Underworld hospital, Roman would want her in his pack, so that’s where I portal all of us. The medical staff are in a frenzy as they start to care for Amara. I watch them anxiously from the corner as the female vampire tells them about the events over the last week. I’m disgusted; vampires destroy everything they touch.

Yet here I am, mated to one.

I can feel his eyes boring into me, but I refuse to look at him. I breathe shallowly; his scent is affecting my train of thought. As the female finishes, Seth snaps at her, asking if she’s done, and she refuses to leave. I need the man behind me gone so I can focus on my sister.

“Seth, escort him to the cells while I deal with this one.” I snarl, losing my composure momentarily

I slam the female into a chair, likely harder than I need to, and bind her with my magic. The idea of gagging her appeals to me, but I refrain so she can continue to give the doctors information on Amara’s time as a prisoner. When his scent no longer taints the air, I finally take a deep breath.

I push him out of my thoughts. My family is the only one deserving of my focus right now. Hades knows what Amara has been through, and I won’t fail her now like I almost failed her back at the warehouse.

I exhale a relieved sigh as the doctors finish with Amara, and they explain that her condition is not as bad as it appears. When Roman orders us from the room, I linger, pulling the blinds shut so he can have a moment of privacy with his mate, then I portal the female to Roman’s cells. I put her in a different wing than Damon, one so they can’t conspire, and two so I don’t have to see or smell him.

We all sit in silence in the waiting room; even Azrael is silent, a true rarity. For once, possibly even the first time ever, I wish for the chatter, if only to drown out the emotions swirling around in me.

I must reject him; there’s no other decision. Regardless of his role in Amara’s suffering and rescue, it simply would be a union looked down upon. My own people suffered at the hands of overly ambitious vampires when they attacked us along with the angels; I certainly could not subject them to be ruled by one. Even if neither was a factor, I…I couldn’t look into those eyes.

I internally scoff at my own weakness, but it’s a fact. If I could erase the color red from the underworld, I would. My fists clench as I think of those evil eyes, and I immediately take a breath and blink once before the memories flood me again. I’ve relived that night many times, and focusing on my misery right now would be selfish.

Although, I need to get away from here, just for the night, only after my sister is cleared and awake. There’s a meeting with Parliament and the spokesperson for several different towns tomorrow to check in and ensure their needs are met and update us on current events in the towns. I would go to that while I allow Amara to spend time with her mate, then I would come back and be fully present with my family when she was ready for it. It’s been too long since I checked in on the underworld anyways; the last nine days have only consisted of searching for Amara and trying to sleep. Yes, that was a good plan.

Several hours later, we all leave the hospital. My mood is much higher after spending time with my family and Amara’s. Father and Azrael have always lifted my spirits; when nothing else remained in my life, they did, and we always had each other. We now finally had Amara with us after almost 21 years.

My immediate family meant everything to me. I have other blood relatives, but it’s more of a business relationship, as some oversee different lands in the underworld. Father did that purposefully to keep them preoccupied from his reign or overthrowing my own. There’s no love in those relationships. Then there was Mother, who did her best but was absent at the end of the day more often than not.

Then I must admit, Roman and even that buffoon, Seth, are growing on me. I respect Roman as a leader; I can see he cares deeply for his pack and prioritizes their wellbeing, and above all, he loves my sister, and she loves him. There’s something to be said for the purity of their love for one another.

My good mood instantly dissipates as I step into Roman’s packhouse, and his scent calls out to me. Are the Gods taunting me? Last I checked, he was in the cells with the female; why is his scent so strong in these upper areas? I growl as I realize my ability to take a deep calming breath is yet again hindered.

“Aylin?” Father says, giving me a hesitant look

If there was one thing Father was good at, it was picking up on the slightest change in anyone’s demeanor. He had tried to hide his more prolonged stares at me as we sat in the hospital’s waiting room, but I was equally as observant, so I knew this was coming.

“I have business at home; I will reside there for the night. Please come find me in Parliament’s meeting quarters tomorrow when Amara is ready to be revisited, and of course, please find me immediately if there’s any change in her condition.” I tell him curtly, not giving him a chance to press further as I portal to my own room at home in the castle.

I change into my proper underworld attire before I exit for my throne room, giving nods of acknowledgment to the servants who rush through the castle. They all hastily bow to me as I walk through the halls, ready to finish their duties and start their nights.

The servants are almost exclusively incubi and succubi, who must have sex to survive. So, at night and on their days off, they frequent The Seven Deadly Sins, a brothel located in the village closest to the castle.

While demons had no qualms about taboo subjects like sex, brothels, and multiple partners, the incubi and succubi were at the top of my priority list regarding change. They’re considered weak or lesser demons due to their poor battle skills, so, in turn, they live as servants, prostitutes, or sometimes Madams and Procurers in the brothels. Some are happy with their lifestyle, especially the servants, but others do it because they don’t have another choice save relocating to Earth. I simply wouldn’t allow that to be the case any longer-in honesty, I want to abolish the caste system altogether, but I will start with this.

I offered the castle servants relief from their duties, promising them they would still receive compensation, and all declined. Most of the servants’ bloodlines have worked for my bloodline for over a millennium, so I wasn’t surprised. They were treated well in the castle.

As for the brothels, I was actively working on a solution. While most incubi and succubi were weak warriors, they possessed other abilities. Given that they need to have sex to survive, they need to have some qualities to make them sexually desirable. They have an affinity for the arts- dance, singing, music, painting, and theatre, and of course, they’re all beautiful. So, catering to those talents, I have a small part between towns being built into a sanctuary for only the arts.

I already had approval from my Parliament to trial it, and construction has begun in that part of the city. I haven’t presented it to the incubi or succubi yet, I want them to see it for themselves before they decide, but I’m quite excited at how it’s turning out.

When I enter the throne room, I’m not at all surprised to find Father sitting on his throne, waiting there for me. I don’t know why I expected him to leave it be. Inwardly, I sigh, knowing I’m a burden to him and he should be focusing on Amara, who surely needs him more. But he won’t relent unless I give him something.

“You gonna tell me what’s wrong, Allie cat?” he says to me

I glare at him for his use of my childhood nickname, I’m 297 years old, and the man still uses pet names. Utterly insufferable, he is. He gives me a long, unrelenting look. I sigh.

“I found my mate,” I tell him, and his eyes go wide

“Who?” he asks, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands

“The male vampire that escaped with Amara,” I grit out. Saying it out loud somehow makes it worse; it makes it a reality.

My father is speechless, also a true rarity. I raise a brow at him as he looks at me with a slack jaw. I don’t say anything, and he finally scrubs a hand down his face.

“What are you going to do?” he finally asks.

“Reject him and move on with my life,” I say, my basic instincts hissing at the words.

“Aylin, I know what this brings up can’t be easy, but…why don’t you sleep on it? He doesn’t seem like a bad guy-“

“No. Absolutely not. I’ve already made up my mind. Even if I could stand to look at him, I wouldn’t subject the kingdom to that.” I snap

“The kingdom would be happy if it made you happy, and you know it,” he says back sternly.

“That’s not the point; the point is it would cause too much unrest, even if they accepted it. I won’t do it.” I say with finality

Knowing my tone of voice, he sighs and hangs his head. Any talk of mates hasn’t been easy for him since losing Arielle. If he believes in nothing else, he believes in the mating bond. As most demons are with their high libido, he was a man whore before her, and to see him be loyal to one woman was a shock, an even greater shock when he refused to bed anyone else after Arielle’s death. I tone back on the harshness in my voice, knowing how difficult this conversation must be for him.

“I just…I can’t, Father. It’s not only that I don’t want to; it’s that even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.” I tell him, and he nods

“Well, even though I wish you would at least try, I support you no matter what you decide.” he sighs before speaking again. “Just think about giving the bond a chance; it might be good for you.” he finishes, leaving unspoken words to hang in the air.

It might help you move on.

Every part of me recoils. It wouldn’t have been the first time he said something along those lines, and their meaning rings loud and clear every single time.

Weak

Helpless

Broken

“Goodnight, Father, get some rest. We have long days ahead of us.” I say, turning on my heels and exiting the throne room

I get to my own chambers and look at my closet. Tonight was perfect for one of my escapades to The Seven Deadly Sins. One corner of my lip twitches upward as I think of my friend, Zyaire. While he had no clue I was the Queen, I considered him one of my closest friends. Well, actually, aside from Amara, Azrael, and Father, he was my only friend. Anonymity is liberating; I could be whoever and whatever I wanted to be around him and in the brothel. Some part of me always wondered what it would be like to be bubbly and carefree like Azrael.

I started going to the brothel in secret about fourteen years ago. I went there with the idea of participating, Zyaire being the lucky one to deal with my refusal less than ten minutes in. My pretend bubbly demeanor didn’t last long, it simply wasn’t who I was or would ever be, and I’ve never been someone who particularly enjoyed being touched. But even so, I could still be there and be me without the pressure of being Queen-no expectations, no bows, not even a glance my way sometimes. I was simply no one, just an onlooker. I love my crown and always wanted to be Queen, but sometimes it was nice to just be a nobody.

As for Zyaire, I had expected him to be angry with me for saying no halfway through. I was ready to drag him out of the backdoors and feed him to the alley cats, but to my surprise, he simply shrugged and asked me to just talk with him instead. We talked all night; for the first time in my life, I let go of the grip on my filter and just spoke, speaking as a random nobody and not the Queen.

A small part of me thought that if I wasn’t born into royalty, no one would care for me. That if I had a different family, I would be utterly alone, never having left a mark on anyone’s life. So when Zyaire listened and spoke back his own stories, I loved that feeling-the feeling that someone cared for me on a fundamental level, not just because I’m their daughter, sister, or Queen, and also felt comfortable enough to confide in me as a simple friend.

Having made up my mind, I strip and go to my closet, pulling out my rebel attire and box of accessories. I dress in a long-sleeved black silk crop top, pull on fishnet stockings and a pair of shorts so indecent they leave nothing to the imagination, and finish the outfit with combat boots and a black pair of fingerless gloves that indicate I’m only there to watch, not to participate. Then I reach into my box and pull out my bright blue contacts; the shade of green myself, Amara, and Father have is genetic, and I would be easily recognized without these.

I groan inwardly at the task of getting my wig on. My long black hair has to be braided tightly against my head, and while I’ve asked Kalea and Fallon, my personal attendants, to do it on my lazier days before they retired, I preferred to not bug them this late at night. When I’m done braiding my hair, my arms are sore, but the long blonde wig slips on effortlessly.

I give myself a small as I look in the mirror, this was my alter ego, and I called her Dekara, a name I made up as I played around with my middle name, Adelaide. After spraying myself with anti-scent spray, I finished my look by winding my powers up so tightly inside myself one would think I was merely human, sliding my silver masquerade-style mask on and securing my dagger to my thigh. My mask covered only the top half of my face with intricate swirls that led to the shape of a lotus on my forehead, enough to hide any telltale features. Satisfied, I portal myself outside the castle grounds.

I always enjoyed the short walk to the brothel, one of the highlights being when I passed people on the street, and they didn’t notice me. As I land in the streets, I welcome the cold kiss of the wind on my midriff and thighs. It only takes me ten minutes before I approach Seven Deadly Sins. Shaking off any queenly attributes I forgot to leave behind, I enter.

Immediately, I’m greeted with the familiar scents of sex, sweat, and alcohol. I keep my eyes open for Zyaire as I pass through the crowd and approach the bar. After ordering a large glass of Cabernet, I sit and observe. It was always fascinating to me to watch the lifestyle here, how demons welcomed another’s touch, how easy it was for them to fuck with nothing holding them back. I looked upon the crowds and didn’t see a single flinch away from anyone’s touch, no tensing and trying to block out their cries as they climaxed; it was only free will. A tiny spark of jealousy rose in me, but I quickly shoved it away.

Finally, I spot Zyaire under another male demon I recognize as Sebastian of the Sibalt bloodline. I look away as I sip my wine, now looking upon the dancefloor. Zyaire must have spotted me shortly after he was done because I sent him approaching a few minutes later. I turn towards him; his espresso skin is still glistening with sweat, his dreadlocks are pulled back into a ponytail, he’s shirtless, showing off his beautifully toned body, and just wearing black jeans. My usual twitch of a smile dances on my lips as he orders a bottle of wine for me and several glasses of tequila for himself. Wordlessly, I follow him as we make our way to the private suites. He towers over me at roughly 6’, while I’m only 5’4, so I quicken my steps to keep up with him.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” I ask him, making the pitch of my voice slightly higher so he doesn’t recognize it when we finally find an unoccupied one and lock ourselves in

“Doesn’t what hurt?” he asks as he opens my bottle of wine and pours me a glass.

“What were you doing with that male back there?” I ask as I take the glass from him and take a heavy sip.

He chuckles as he pours his own glass and takes a sip

“All these years you’ve been coming here, and you’re still shy about what you see?” he says as I cock my head to the side and give him a playful glare. He only puts his hands up in surrender.

“Fine, fine. No, maybe the first few times, but afterward, it’s no different than anything else,” he says

“Do you…um…find satisfaction from it?” I ask, genuinely curious; I don’t think I would ever understand the appeal of sex itself, let alone that.

“You mean do I come?” he teases, my glare only intensifying as he continues to laugh. “Yes, Dekara. It’s really not as bad as it seems; you should try it sometime,” he finishes with a snort.

I scrunch my nose. “It may be your cup of tea, but I think I’ll pass.”

“Prude,” he teases before I punch him, significantly lighter than I wanted to

“Such a murderous little thing you are,” he says, rubbing his arm, even though I know it didn’t hurt.

“So I’ve been told,” I counter, taking another sip of wine

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you; I was starting to wonder if you got bored of me or found your mate and would no longer be frequenting this lovely club.”

I visibly flinch at his words before I can stop myself, and his jaw drops. Having given myself away, I throw back the remaining wine in my glass before pouring another. Obviously, I had wanted to talk about this to him; he’s the only person outside of my family who knows of my past and the only person I openly confide in.

“I’m waiting for an explanation,” he says

“It’s not a suitable match.” I sigh “he’s a vampire, and as I’m sure you can guess, I have no desire to be amongst their kind.”

Most villagers and townsfolk here don’t hide their distaste for vampires. Not only did they team up with the angels, our mortal enemy, and a race we’ve been in a cold war against for over three millennia, but they raped and killed our people, slaughtered demonlings in their bassinets, and attempted a takeover with the angels.

“Not all vampires are one and the same, love. Is he like the others?” he asks, running a hand over his thick dreadlocks. My eyes follow the movement as I avoid his question.

“Dekara…” he says, knowing I’m avoiding his question.

“I don’t know, I caught a glimpse of him and ran,” I say, chewing my lip as a part of me screams to not show such vulnerability. I stuff that part down, reminding myself that I’m Dekara right now and not Aylin.

“Why not give him a chance? You deserve to be happy, you know,” he says, and I wave him off.

“I have no desire for a mate or partner, you know that. Him being a vampire only solidifies that I wasn’t meant to have another half.” I tell him truthfully. “What of you? What have I missed? Hades knows there’s never a dull moment in your life,” I say, a hint of a tease in my words.

“You’re a pro at changing the subject, you know that? But I’ll bite; the male I was with tonight? He’s been coming here only asking for me, and while it’s been only transactional, I think we have some connection. He asked to see me outside of here in the daytime.”

I bite back the small surge of jealousy I feel. He deserves it, and he doesn’t even know my true identity. To keep him waiting around for me after fourteen years is selfish, so I choose to be happy for him, allowing an actual smile to grace my face.

“And you like this male?” I ask, and he shrugs

“Maybe.”

“You can’t lie to me,” I warn him, and he, again, puts his hands up

“Fine. Yes, I do. But I don’t want to get my hopes up. It’s still new and early,” he says reluctantly, but he puts a hand out as soon as the song changes

“This is my jam; if you don’t get out there and dance with me, we aren’t friends anymore!” he says as he stands up and pulls me out of our suite

He always dances with me on the edge of the floor, knowing I want to avoid all that touching. Alone in our corner, we dance the night away, carefree and enjoying the other’s company. When I leave, I leave enough money for the alcohol he paid for, all the wages for the time he lost spending with me, and then some.