Fall Into Darkness (11 page)

S
he wouldn’t stop
. Ashley kept calling to him and Eli’s resolve shattered about five minutes ago. When had he become so weak? There was a time when nothing could sway him from a mission at hand. Now? He wasn’t sure if the blame lay with the mating or his missing soul. Either way he knew going to her was foolish, yet he couldn’t stop himself.

Eli teleported to the Alaskan home where he’d rescued her, and they’d spent their first night together. The place he had felt her softness beneath him and for the first time in…well maybe his entire existence, he had found peace. He ached for that same feeling again. What greeted him was her scent and an overwhelming desire to bury himself in it.

“You should have left well enough alone,” he stated as he stood in the middle of her small living room, balling his fists and releasing them. Ashley stared at him from her perch on the sofa, but Eva leaped to her feet in a protective stance in front of Ashley.

“Eli, why are you here?” his old friend asked.

“Because I begged him to come.” Ashley got to her feet and walked around Eva. “It’s okay, he won’t hurt me.” Eva started to relax.

“You’re a fool to trust me.” Damn, he didn’t even trust himself. Especially the way the glow from the fireplace danced across her skin. She’d pulled her blonde hair into a messy pile on top of her head and tendrils spilled out, kissing her cheek and neck. The black yoga pants that hugged her round hips weren’t helping either, and he knew her mated marking lurked beneath them. He wanted to rip those pants to shreds and kiss every inch of her before he sank his cock deep, while he watched her lips part in pleasure.

Fuck! I should have never come here.
Now he couldn’t force himself to leave.

“Eva. Will you please give me some time alone with Eli?” Ashley asked.

“Don’t do it, Eva,” he commanded.

The guardian looked between him and Ashley, unsure what to do. “Ashley, what if he hurts you? I’d never forgive myself and Tegan will kill me.”

“What if this was Seph? You must know deep in your heart that he’d never hurt you.”

Eva relaxed. “I get it. I’ll be listening for you to call me.” She looked at Eli. “Please don’t break her trust.” She spread her wings and vanished.

“I’m not sure who is crazier. You for summoning me, or me for heading your plea to come,” he growled.

“I still believe there’s a way to save you. Tegan has promised to take me to meet the Seven.” She took a step toward him. He commanded his feet to carry him backwards, but they refused to obey.

“Stay away, Ashley. I can’t control my desire for you.”

Another step and she was standing in front of him. Her hands touched his chest, and the heat seared right through his shirt. “Maybe I don’t want you to control it. Perhaps having me is what you need to tame the beast.”

“I’ll take your soul!” He couldn’t stop from cupping her ass and pulling her to him. He wanted her to feel what she did to him.

“You won’t,” she whispered.

He scraped his fangs along her neck, and his cock hardened further at her intake of breath. “Do you feel those? This is not a game. I hunger, and I have no morals.”

“You cannot make me afraid of you, no matter how hard you try.”

He squeezed her chin and forced her gaze to his. “You should because we’re both about to be damned.” Not waiting for a response, he kissed her. Told himself he needed to stop, but there was no stopping him now. Maybe never. Desire flooded him and it mingled with hers. She wanted him as bad as he did her, and he tried to convince himself what he was doing was right. It sure as hell felt right, but deep inside he knew he was fooling himself.

She pulled his shirt from his jeans and pushed her hands underneath. The contact on his skin caused him to shudder, and he kissed her harder. He forced his tongue to part her lips while he lifted her tee, slid his palms over her waist, and up to her bare breasts.

He rolled her nipples between his fingers, and she moaned, melting into him. There was no way in hell he could take this slow. This was about putting out the fire that burned between them, and it required a quick dousing.

He broke free from the kiss and bent his head, sucking a nipple into his mouth and causing her to arch. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Yes, Eli I need you," she whispered.

He gripped the waistband of her yoga pants and peeled them down her hips. Before she could respond, he spun her around and placed her hands on the back of the couch.

"Don't move," he commanded before he unzipped his jeans and freed his stiff cock. It felt dirty and raw taking her from behind while he was still clothed, but the minute he sank into her hot depths, he was reminded why he was here. He needed her and it scared the hell out of him.

A
shley gasped
when Eli slid inside her. His fingers dug into her hips, and he didn't move. She gripped the back of the couch and enjoyed the feel of him. Wanting the moment to last forever, she rocked her hips to make sure she’d taken all of him.

"Ashley. Damn it woman," he growled and slid out of her until she could feel only the tip of his cock. "We shouldn't be doing this."

She knew he was probably right, but her body wanted him. Her mind wanted him and she refused to give up. He would not die on her watch. Somehow, she had to convince him to fight, and the only way she could think of was using their bond. Eva had given her an inside look at how the bond worked. Ashley understood that they had started something special, and they were connected. Eva had explained about the heightened sex drive Ashley already experienced. However, seemed it was worse for the male, and the more time they spent with their female, the more connected they became. She hated to be deceitful, but if she could keep him holding on to life then she'd do whatever it took. She’d move Heaven and Hell to save him.

"We should be doing this, Eli. It reminds us both why we need to survive." She hadn't forgotten she still wrestled with her own demons. Ones she'd spent a lifetime with, and they were difficult to let go of. But she was working on that too.

He moved faster inside her. The friction caused her to dig her fingers into the back of the couch. She let go, allowing herself to feel, then opened her mind and prayed he also experienced her emotions. Perhaps it would help keep him on the right track.

Her body, no longer under her control, experienced a mind shattering orgasm quickly followed by Eli’s own moan of pleasure. He leaned and placed a kiss on her back and she smiled. There had been no doubt in her mind this had been the right thing to do. She felt their connection deepen and meld together.

He pulled free. “I told you this was wrong.” He backed away, zipping his jeans. Fear etched hard lines on his face, and his hands fisted. “I’m so sorry.” He vanished before she could say a word.

She straightened and adjusted her clothes. A knock came at the door, and she finished pulling herself together as she walked to answer it. Swinging it open, she found Eva on the other side.

“I thought it best I knock first.” She smiled. “How’d it go?”

Ashley stepped aside and let Eva walk by. “I felt our connection deepen. He’s fighting completing the bond.”

Eva turned to face her. “You know you’re playing with fire. He could come and take you, force you to bond with him.”

Ashley closed her eyes for a moment and tried to swallow back the burning hunger that had her biting her lip. She opened them again. “I already feel everything he feels. The hunger that gnaws at him aches within me, too. He can’t force me, Eva. Not when I’m willing to be his forever.” She wanted him in her life. “We need to go now.”

Eva nodded and took Ashley’s hand, pulling her into a bright light before they stepped out into someone's living room.

Tegan approached. “Took you long enough.”

“I’ll leave you two.” Eva was gone in a blink, probably fearing retribution from Tegan for letting her see Eli. She wasn’t afraid of her father either, though her nerves were stretched tight.

“You’re obviously nervous,” Tegan stated.

She looked out a window, half expecting to see they were floating on fluffy clouds. However, all she saw were miles of green rolling hills and skies so blue it nearly hurt her eyes.

“Are you sure we aren’t on earth?”

He raised a brow. “Positive. Now settle down. You have hours before your appointment with the Seven.”

“Why so long? I feel helpless doing nothing.” She also had to admit––if only to herself–– that she was scared. She was so out of her element; it was beyond hysterical.

“Do you really love him?” Tegan asked.

She continued to stare out the window. “I know it seems crazy. I mean I know we’ve only just met, yet I feel as though I’ve known him my entire life.”

“It’s not crazy at all. It’s what the bond is all about. When you’ve made the right choice, you’ll know in your heart. I think this would be a good time to learn about your heritage,” he stated.

She turned from the window and studied him. He was a handsome man. Tegan’s dark brown hair fell slightly below his collar, and it suited him, as did the scruff that covered his jaw. Add to that his piercing green eyes, and she could see what her mother probably had. “Tell me about my mother. How did you two meet?” She moved to take a seat on the sofa across from him.

“I actually met her in a park. She was sitting on a bench feeding the squirrels.” He smiled and his gaze became distant, as if he were replaying the memory of her. “She was beautiful, and I was intrigued, so I sat next to her and struck up a conversation.”

“I see. Did you tell her you were an angel there to impregnate her?” She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but she was on edge.

“I deserve that and more, but your mother knew what I was. I eventually told her and I gave her the choice to say no to having a child.” He plucked at invisible lint on the arm of his chair. “You may not believe me, but I loved your mother and had intended to mate with her. Mating with a human who does not bear the mark is uncommon. I came here to petition the Seven for permission to mate with her.”

Ashley stiffened. “What happened?”

“Though the mating mark appears only on daughters born from human and angel unions, the Seven have the ability to place that mark on any female. I knew when I went before them it was a long shot, and I was ready to give up my wings and be banned to earth if they refused me.”

She let her jaw drop. “Would you…does that mean?

"“Yes. I would have become mortal.”

The pain she saw in his eyes told her he spoke the truth. “What did they say?”

“The Seven refused of course, and when I told them I’d become mortal and marry her, they used guilt on me. It was around that time more angels began to fall and demon activity increased. They told me I would not only endanger your mother, I would possibly endanger my men here.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I couldn’t risk your mother or you, nor did I want to leave my men when they needed me most. I walked away from both of you without a word.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “She died when I was born you know. My aunt said Mother was brokenhearted when you never came back. Couldn’t you have at least told her?”

“No, I feared going anywhere near her. Just because I would have no longer been an angel, wouldn’t have meant I wasn’t marked. My enemies would have used her to get to me.”

What he said made sense, but still… “So why do you think the Seven didn’t just mark her? I mean, wouldn’t that have solved the problem?” Ashley had noticed the Seven kept creeping into their conversations, and she was becoming suspicious of these women and their intent.

His mouth pressed into a thin line. “I don’t know but she would still be alive, and you would have had a father. I could have guided you.” He leaped from his seat and stormed across the room. Energy crackled behind him and pricked her arms, making her wonder how powerful he really was. When he turned to face her again, his eyes had darkened to near black. “Understand that while I will never forgive them, I am still honor bound. I have a duty to humanity.”

Ashley’s head still reeled from everything that had happened in the past few days. The hurt she felt at losing her mother was something she’d carried her entire life. At least now, she understood some of what had happened and could place her anger on the proper people. Or in this case, angels. It was evident her father had thought he was protecting them by staying away, and like her, he still carried his pain. She rose and walked to him. Stopping inches away, she looked up.

“It’s weird thinking of you as my father. I mean you don’t look much older than me.”

He grinned. “I’ve managed to keep myself alive for a few thousand years.” Wow, she hadn’t expected that, and her shock must have showed because he burst out in laughter. “Yes, I’ve been the brunt of several jokes about my age.”

“I’d like for us to start fresh. Maybe we can figure out how to be father and daughter?”

“I can see why Eli fell for you. You have the heart of a true guardian and would have brought balance to his crazy life. It’s not easy hunting those who’ve become your friends.”

She didn’t imagine it was and could see how someone in such a position might lose sight of his humanity. “Eli didn’t fall for me. I asked him to give me something I didn’t think I’d ever have.” She tried not to blush, remembering how intimate they’d been. “He’s not a lost cause, and I know there has to be a way to save him.”

Tegan pulled her into an embrace. “Make no mistake. Eli gave up his life for yours, and I will do what I can to help you both.” He tipped up her chin so she was looking at him. “If there is any way to bring him back, we will find it.”

E
li pulled
himself off the floor of the sewer he’d forced himself to stay in until it was time to meet up with Tegan. If his former leader didn’t want to kill him before, he certainly would now. He’d defiled his daughter a second time, and deep down he knew he’d do it again if given the chance. The bond with Ashley had grown more than Eli expected this last time they were together. He’d almost asked for one of the others to chain him down.

He scurried down the dark, water filled tunnel like the rest of the rats that infested the place. As soon as he was positive no one followed, he vanished into the night. Minutes later, he walked a New Orleans cemetery. A fairly safe place for a fallen who was craving a soul snack. There were no souls to be found here unless someone was crazy enough to like hanging out with the dead in the middle of the night.

“I didn’t think you’d show,” Tegan said behind him.

Eli spun and sized up his commander. He didn’t carry any visible weapons, but Eli knew the hunter would be armed to the hilt. “I’m here only for one thing.”

Tegan crossed his arms and his stance screamed
don’t fuck with me.
Eli had always respected Tegan; the man could lead an army into war with a single look. “And that is?”

“For you to end this nightmare. Kill me.”

“Not happening.” The commander didn’t flinch.

“What do you mean? That’s your job,” he growled. If he had to attack Tegan, he would force the hunter to kill him.

“I made a promise to your mate, and my daughter, that I’d help find a way to save you.”

Eli threw his head back and laughed. Even he didn’t recognize the sinister sound that escaped. “I can’t believe you allow her to live on hopes and dreams. You know as well as I what a fallen is capable of. Do you want her death on your head?”

Tegan still didn’t move or show any emotion. “She is with the Seven as we speak, seeking a way to get your soul back.” He leaned slightly forward. “I don’t buy in to the fact that it can be done, but she loves you so I will do whatever it takes to make her happy.”

Eli nearly stumbled backward at the thought. Ashley loved him? This wasn’t good for her at all. She was doomed to have her heart broken. He raked his fingers through his hair. He could attack Tegan. Force him to pull his dagger and shove it into Eli’s cold heart. However, his feet refused to move. Instinct took over and wanted him to survive. It also wanted Ashley.

“Lucifer sells the souls. There are those who walk among you, pretending to be angels when they are really demons. Once a soul is sold, the previous owner sinks into the pits of Hell. There’s no coming back.”

Tegan stepped closer. “What are you saying?”

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” His fangs burst forth from the pang of hunger. “Demons buy the fallen souls so they can enter our world, and we are none the wiser. I don’t know what they’re up to, but it can’t be good.” He suddenly realized he still thought of himself as one of them. One of the good guys.

The commander rubbed his chin, staring into the distance. He gaze snapped back. “We need you to find out everything you can. You’re the only one I know still sane enough to help us from the inside.”

“Are you fucking crazy? I’m not sane. You’re lucky I’ve refrained from feeding so far, but it won’t last. I’m doomed the minute Lucifer sells my soul. You’ve no idea the urges I fight.” One being to mate with Ashley. Already, his cock thickened at the thought of having her again. His sexual urges were almost as great as his hunger.

“Do you want to mate with my daughter?” Tegan questioned.

“Stupid question. My urges will cause me to seek her out. All the more reason to end my life,” he snarled.

“Let me rephrase the question. Do you love her?”

“I don’t know.”

Tegan’s gaze darkened. “What do you mean, you don’t know? It’s either yes or no.”

Eli worked his jaw. “How do I know anything I feel for her is real? I’m a fucking mess.”

His leader leaned back on his heels and looked deep in thought. “You might have lost your soul, but you still have a heart. There’s a reason you’re hanging on and not giving in to your hunger. Heaven knows the death toll you could have racked up by now. So I’ll ask again. Do you love her?”

“Fuck! Yes and you’re a bastard,” Eli spat.

Tegan curled his mouth into a grin of satisfaction. “Now the question is, what if you can be saved? To my knowledge, no one has ever tried. Give Ashley the chance to find out, and meanwhile you can help the rest of us.”

He closed his eyes and took in a slow deep breath. Tegan was right. He could help them, at least while he was still coherent enough to do so. “I’ll learn what I can, but you must realize once I take my first victim it’s over for me.” The commander cocked his head, his brows slanted downward, but he didn’t speak. Eli knew he expected an explanation.

“It seems once we start feeding, we slip further into the darkness,” Eli explained.

“I thought when your soul was sold to another was when you completed your transition?”

“True, but feeding also speeds up the process, or so I’ve been told.” Eli wasn’t sure who he could believe or trust so he would trust no one. It didn’t mean he was taking any chances, however. He’d hold off feeding for as long as possible.

“I see.” Tegan nodded.

“Also, you must promise not to tell her how I feel. I don’t want to give Ashley any false hope.”

“I’ll keep your little secret but she deserves to know. Don’t waste a minute because you’ll never get that time back. Meet me here in forty-eight hours, and we’ll catch up on anything either of us has learned.”

Eli dipped his head in acknowledgement and watched Tegan disappear. Time for him to go hunting and see who he could get to talk.

A
shley stood
in front of seven beautiful women who sat behind a long wooden bench. She glanced around and couldn’t help feeling as if she were inside an elaborate courtroom. Marble floors were polished to such a high sheen it hurt her eyes.

“So Ashley, we understand you’re one of the chosen females?”

She snapped her attention back to the redhead who’d spoken. “If you mean I carry the mark of a mate, then yes,” she replied, keeping a smile on her face. She had to remain pleasant when she really desired to rip them all a new one. Later, when she hopefully had the information she needed to save Eli.

“Your father said you wished to speak with us about the rogue, Eli,” the blonde two seats down stated. “Is it true you’ve begun the mating process with him?”

“Yes, but that was before…”

The redhead snorted. “Lucky for you it wasn’t completed. You need only wait, and it will be broken then you can move on. There are many fine men here who would love to have you as their mate.”

Again, Ashley smiled.
Note to self. When I get the chance that bitch is going down.
She didn’t care who this woman was. She needed to be brought down a peg or ten. “I’m sorry, but I have no desire to mate with anyone else. Eli saved me…twice, and I intend on getting his soul back so it can be returned to him.”

“That’s very admirable of you,” replied the blonde. “However, we don’t bargain with the devil, so I don’t see how you think to accomplish such a task.”

Ashley dug her nails into her palms, her patience waning. “I’m not asking you to bargain, I’m willing to do so myself. I was hoping you could tell me what I need to do. What to expect.” All seven pairs of eyes stared at her until finally once again the redhead spoke.

“I am sorry, but there’s nothing to be done. Eli is a lost cause and, if captured, will be brought before us for his trial.”

Deep breath in. One, two, three.
“And what happens at his trial?”

Red shrugged her shoulder. “If it’s determined he has indeed fallen and lost his soul, then he will be executed.” She rose. “This meeting is adjourned.”

Ashley let her jaw drop as she watched the Seven exit out a side door. Seconds later, she stood alone with only her rising anger to keep her company. Tears threatened to erupt, but she held them at bay. Crying wouldn’t help, and she refused to give up. Someone had to know how to help her. Turning to head for the door, she heard a rustle behind her. She spun and faced the one who had remained silent the entire time.

“My name is Ambriel.” She looked behind her. “The others don’t know I’m here, and this meeting must remain confidential.”

Ashley nodded.

“Something is terribly wrong. Too many are falling and the Seven are turning a blind eye. I don’t know whether you can help, but you need a reaper to escort you to Lucifer. They are the only ones of our kind allowed between both worlds. Take care when negotiating and choose your words wisely. The devil has a way of twisting everything to his advantage.” She stepped closer. “In the meantime,” her voiced dropped to a whisper. “If you mate with Eli, it may help. There is an old tale of a fallen drinking the blood of his mate. Seems it helped the hunger, but it’s only a tale and not proven. If Lucifer sells his soul, he will still be doomed.”

“But Eli made a deal with Lucifer himself. He was able to travel to his world.”

Ambriel shook her head. “You were not in Hell. No angel can go there unless they have fallen.” She backed up. “I must go before we are seen.”

“Wait! I ran into a woman who said she was banned from here because her mate fell. Is this true?”

“I must go.” The only one who seemed to want to help her had vanished. Ashley needed to get back to her father who waited outside. There were two things she had to do. Get Eli to mate with her then get Seph to take her to Hell. First however, she would require a lesson in negotiations.

E
li searched
out Verek and found him sitting; his gaze focused on a tombstone. He stepped up behind his fallen comrade and noted the inscription.
Hannah Bailey, 1980-2001.

“Who was she?” he asked quietly.

“She was the love of my life. I intended to mate with her but she was young, and I wanted her to experience her human life for a few more years.” There was a catch in his voice, and Eli did some quick math.

“You fell two years after that.”

“Yes. I gave up wanting to go on
.
Her death was senseless. A drunk in a pickup fell asleep and drove onto the sidewalk where she was standing talking to friends. All three girls were struck, but it was my Hannah that died instantly.” Verek glanced over his shoulder, and pain filled his red eyes. “I’m to blame. She begged me to complete the bond, and I told her to wait.”

“I’m sorry.” What else could he say? However, he was impressed that the angel had managed to hold onto his sanity for almost two years. Lucifer must have lost his soul or it would have been handed off to some demon by now.

“How have you managed to survive the hunger all this time?”

“I fell because of my guilt and loss of Hannah, but I hold on because I know once I slip completely, I’ll never see her again.”

Eli knew what he meant without explanation. Hannah had gone on to another existence and if Verek completed his transition, he would be condemned to Hell for eternity. There would be no chance the two lovers would ever meet again. The thought that he’d never see Ashley sank deep and left him hollow.

Verek rose to his feet and brushed the grass off his jeans. “You didn’t seek me out to discuss my problems. What is it you want?”

Eli relayed his conversation with Tegan as well as what he’d learned from Ashley about the mates of those who fell. “We need to figure out what’s going on. Our world has been infiltrated, and no one is safe. How many others are there that still hold onto their sanity?”

Verek scrubbed his chin. “There are a few others I know of. I ran into them by accident. Those that haven’t made a complete transition usually stay well hidden.”

“How do they do it? Keep from soul sucking I mean?” Eli pinched the bridge of his nose and swallowed.

“Each day you must wake up and decide to starve. We have to fight our desire every second that we live, and it doesn’t get easier.” Verek stretched out his black wings. “They say those who are mated drink the blood of their mates, and it helps, but if Lucifer sells your soul you’re still doomed. Nothing like a game of Russian Roulette.” He shot into the air. “I’ll find the others,” he shouted back.

Suddenly, Eli held an image in his mind of sinking his fangs into Ashley’s skin and his cock hardened.

“Fuck!” He cradled his head in his hands as intense pain shot across his temples and straight to his brain. Dropping to his knees, he bent forward, his gut twisted into a knot and pulled tight. Massive fangs filled his mouth and pricked his lower lip, and his black wings emerged folding around him. In the recess of his mind, he heard a cry of agony, and then realized his own cries echoed across the empty graveyard. The void that used to carry his soul screamed to be filled, and it didn’t care who he had to kill to do it. Fortunately, he was still sane enough to realize there would never be anything that would satiate his hunger.

Eli.

Shit. Ashley beckoned him, and in his weakened state, he couldn’t fight his urge to go to her. He only prayed he had enough strength to keep from hurting her.