Dark Angel Ch 06

This ones for you Sweet Rapunzel:

*

It was instinct, the urge to plant his boot in the reapers chest and shove her away, but he held himself back. She was female, and even though she'd taken advantage of him, he couldn't ever forget a male should never hurt a female.

Again, Anniel disappeared, to his chagrin. She probably hated him now more than ever.

His fingers gripped the armrests of his pilot's chair. "Get off me," he bellowed, startling Amadashiel.

She broke the suction on his dick with a pop. The sensation made him shiver. Still, he covered his spent cock with his palm and glared down at the frightened girl.

"That was just wrong, Amadashiel. How could you? I was asleep."

Her lip trembled and her eyes flooded with moisture. "You were in need and I wanted you," she replied in a voice choked with tears.

He heard boots scuttling up the ramp and turned his head just as a male voice snarled, "You son-of-a-bitch."

Ashriel watched Natanael, Eriel, and Abdiel hold Reiven back. The black-haired reaper fought against them, looking at Ashriel with enraged black eyes.

Ashriel frowned, moving back away from Amadashiel to stand and close his pants.

"Fuck," Seth called out from below. "What the hell is going on?"

Ashriel watched the reapers get Reiven under control. They pulled him down into the lounge area.

He let out a huff of frustration and dismay, looking at his hands and arms. What would his aura look like now? He glared at Amadashiel and caught her smug grin before she carefully schooled her features to look repentant.

Ashriel narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth in rage before gripping Amadashiel by her arm to lead her down the ramp. She dragged her feet and pulled against his hold. He let her go when they stood before the double doorway into the small lounge and scowled down at her. "Explain to me why Reiven wants to kill me now."

She rubbed her arm with a pout and sniffed. "How should I know?"

Ashriel glared at Reiven. By now, Devon had come up behind them, but Anniel was nowhere to be seen.

Reiven was still panting hard, his muscles straining against the hold the other reapers had on him.

"You made her cry, you insensitive prick," Reiven spat.

Ashriel closed his eyes, rubbing his temples at the throbbing pain that was slowly developing there. The foolish reaper obviously had feelings for Amadashiel, but she was oblivious to it. He could understand Reiven quite well. Had the situation been reverse, where he'd walked in on Anniel...he would have wanted blood. Just the thought of her in another's arms made him sick.

For some strange reason, Lucien came to mind.

I'll fucking kill him—Ashriel seethed silently.

"We'll never make it through this mission if we're going to be at each other's throats the whole way through," Seth snapped angrily. He turned to Devon. "We're going to have to switch these two," he pointed at Amadashiel and Reiven. "No way can we continue this way."

Amadashiel winced. "Me? But I didn't do anything," she exclaimed angrily.

"Oh, I think you did plenty," Seth continued, a few tiger's stripes appearing on his arms.

Devon nudged his way forward. Ashriel moved aside letting him through and a strange feeling of peace settled over him.

"Enough, Sethaliel," Devon said, his voice soft, soothing.

Ashriel shook his head with a frown. Devon was using some sort of calming power on all of them—even Reiven relaxed and bowed his head.

"Everyone go back to their cabins." He turned and looked at Seth and Ashriel. "You two go back up to the helm. I'll be up in a bit." He turned to Reiven and Amadashiel. "You two I want to talk to in private."

Devon had opened a portal back into Alpha 7 when she'd come into their cabin, practically breaking the door down.

"I need to get out of here, NOW," she'd shouted in his startled face.

Devon hadn't argued, just pulled out a full-length mirror he'd stowed beneath the lower bunk. He leaned it against the door and whispered an incantation. The surface of the mirror had rippled like water to reveal a gold-colored seating area.

Anniel hadn't asked anything. She just ran into Zak's quarters and fell on the couch, dropping the plate with the sandwich on the seat next to her.

The sight of Amadashiel's mouth swallowing Ashriel's cock was emblazoned in her mind. His head had been tipped back, his eyes closed, his stomach muscles clenching in pleasure. God, he'd looked so beautiful.

Anyone would do for Ashriel, she realized sadly. She couldn't risk her heart to him...she wouldn't fall again. Still, it had kind-of hurt to see him being pleasured by another woman. She'd been his first, though. No one could take that from her. At least she knew he didn't hate her for taking his virginity.

A big warm hand on her shoulder made her jump.

Anniel turned to see Zak sitting behind her. He wore a pair of black drawstring pants, but his feet and chest were bare. His waving golden hair spilled to his lap, and his sapphire eyes looked at her in concern.

"It's barely been three hours. What happened?" he asked.

Anniel crawled into his lap, feeling like an idiot, but the feel of his huge bulky arms around her always soothed her. She laid her cheek on his shoulder and rested her hands over his ropey arms. The scent of citrus and forest that was unique to the golden weredragon wrapped around her, making her sigh.

Zak rested his chin on her head and sighed out loud. She could feel him rifling through her recent memories, but it did not anger her in the least.

"You need to get over your fear of being hurt again," His deep voice rumbled, interrupting the hypnotic lull of his beating heart against her ear.

Anniel frowned. "If I don't let myself get involved I won't get hurt."

She felt his annoyance and impatience with her. Regardless, his hand stroked her back gently. "You're going to spend the rest of your life not allowing yourself to fall in love again?"

Anniel bit her lip. "It's easier that way. Besides, I have all of you." She brushed a kiss to his shoulder, letting the love she felt for him—for all of them—fill her. It was enough. It had to be.

Warmth engulfed her back, and Zak grunted.

"Fuck, Remi, get off," Zak complained.

Remi only chuckled, letting his arms go around Anniel's waist as he pressed up tighter against her back on Zak's lap to kiss her cheek.

Anniel grinned, feeling touched at their attempt to cheer her up.

She felt Remi's power wrap around them. In the blink of an eye, Remi had teleported them onto the furry rug surrounding the fire pit.

She giggled when they toppled in a pile of arms and legs upon the rug.

After a few moments of snuggling into comfortable positions, where she ended up lying half on Remi, half on Zak, she breathed in their combined scents and relaxed once more.

Her cheek was on Remi's chest this time and she absent-mindedly played with one of his nipple rings that peeped out between strands of deep blood-red locks.

She could feel and hear their minds whispering to one another. Remi palmed his face before running his fingers through the mop of his hair.

She tensed, thinking he'd start trying to convince her to accept Ashriel as a mate, but he remained quiet...pensive.

Anniel was not sure that was a good thing either. Remien Fyre was sneaky. Heaven only knew what he was plotting in his insane mind now.

"Shouldn't you be working on Ashriel's Silver Comet?" she asked, hoping to interrupt his dark musings.

Zak chuckled and turned his head to Remi. "I still can't believe you dismantled the whole damn thing."

Remi snickered, making Anniel frown and lift her head to look at both of them.

Remi's lip piercings glinting in the glow of the fire from the pit next to them. "I can't believe it was Seth who disabled the Comet in the first place."

Anniel frowned. "What are you two talking about?"

Zak lifted his blond head to look at her with a grin. "Devon was freaking out because Ash was going to leave."

"So Seth disabled the Silver Comet," Remi finished with a laugh. "I almost like him sometimes."

Zak snorted. "You love that kid, Rem. Admit it."

Remi grimaced. "Uh—no. That would be totally gay, Zak."

Anniel couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Seth disabled the Silver Comet?"

Zak let his head fall back with a nod. He took a deep breath, almost lifting Anniel with his huge muscular chest. "Yeah, but Remi was the one who started pulling it apart."

Anniel looked at Remi in shock.

He scowled at Zak. "Yeah but you were the one who found the Moordian Devil and suggested we teleport her into the Comet."

Anniel's mouth dropped open as she gapped at Zak.

Zak frowned at Remi. "Devon was the one who found her and called us over to take a look at her. He said she'd make a good mascot for us."

"Yeah, but you said—and I quote—oh shit, can you imagine if we were to stick her into Ash's Silver Comet?"

Zak began to laugh. "You gotta admit, his face was priceless."

Anniel frowned down at the pair of laughing weredragons. "Oh-my-god, I can't believe you guys did that...and Devon and Seth. You're like a bunch of brats. How could you?"

"He wanted to leave," Zak protested. "Dev was getting all torn up inside."

"Yeah. I fucking hate when he gets that way. Drives me crazy," Remi murmured rubbing at his chest as if his heart ached.

"What am I missing?" Rowie said, suddenly appearing with her head lying between Remi and Zak's. When both men turned to kiss either side of her cheeks, she fisted their hair and grinned up at Anniel, flashing her dainty fangs.

"Did you know these idiots conspired to keeping Ashriel here on Alpha 7?" When Rowie's grin faded and she stayed looking up at Anniel nibbling the corner of her lip guiltily, Anniel gasped. "You knew?"

Zak barked out a laugh. "Who do you think sang to soothe the Moordian Devil into letting us bring her here?"

"Rowie, you too?" Anniel whined.

Rowie rolled her glittering black eyes. "Okay—yes—I confess. There."

Anniel braced her arms on Zak and Remi's chest to look at all three of them. "I can't believe you guys would do that."

Rowie shrugged, caressing Remi and Zak's tresses. "I kind-of like Ash. He's a sweetheart if you can get past that dark brooding exterior."

Remi frowned at her. "Don't like him too much. You're mine."

Rowie scowled back at him. "Like I can forget with a belly full of baby dragons kicking my bladder around."

Remi grinned and lashed his tongue out to lick her cheek and eye.

Rowie rewarded him by tugging his hair hard, making him yelp. His hips arched and Anniel felt the hard evidence of his arousal against her hip.

"I don't know why you insist on keeping him here if he doesn't want to stay," Anniel huffed in frustration.

Zak frowned. "Maybe it's got something to do with Devon not wanting Ash to have to whore himself out to survive for the rest of his life."

Anniel closed her eyes remembering Ashriel's refusal to accept credits from them. Again, guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders...though, if Remi hadn't given them Liquid X, Ashriel would still be on Seraphia...still trying to hunt Lucien down.

She let her head droop down until it rested on Rowie's forehead. Hands caressed the back of her head.

"It'll all work out, Annie," Rowie sighed.

Ashriel took the co-pilot's chair this time. Seth checked the coordinates of their destination and then turned back to watch Ashriel.

His silent regard had Ashriel clenching his teeth until he had to glare up at him. "What?"

Seth frowned back. "You couldn't tell it wasn't Annie sucking your dick?"

Ashriel slammed his hands down on the armrests of his chair. "No. I was asleep. It was dark. I woke up confused."

Seth rubbed one finger over his lips. "You need to open up your mind, develop your powers more."

"I don't see how that would have made any difference."

Seth snorted, shaking his head. "If you were linked to her...to us, you wouldn't have had a doubt of who approached you, even if you were asleep. You'd know exactly what Annie feels like telepathically."

Ashriel opened his mouth, but closed it, unsure of what to say. He looked away. Power to him was something undesirable, to be used minimally. He only needed a few skills and his innate power to kill devils and demons. Anything else was unnecessary.

Ashriel tapped his fingers on the chair's armrests, thinking. "Can I...can I just link to her?"

He glanced up to see Seth's lips twitch. "If you link to her, you'll tap into us. We're all closely linked. We don't really hear each other's thoughts, but we feel each other's emotions."

Ashriel licked his lips. Dare he ask? Did he really want to know? "What does she...feel for me?"

Seth remained silent. "She could be yours, Ash. There's just so much baggage between the both of you."

Ashriel frowned. "Baggage?"

Seth nodded. "Garethiel really did a number on her. She lost her child and her whole family." Seth took a deep breath. "And you want to kill Lucien."

Ashriel felt anger stir. "Why is Lucien so important to her?"

Seth's impassive face showed no hint of emotion. "Luke is important to all of us."

"I don't understand," Ashriel asked, shaking his head.

Seth closed his eyes briefly before opening them and revealing...sorrow? "I was the one who ran Lucien through with my sword. I killed him...or thought I did." Seth eyes blazed brightly in the darkness of the helm. He turned away briefly and whipped at a cheek. Ashriel felt shocked, realizing that the weretigri wept quietly. "There wasn't a day I didn't regret what I did," he finally said in a low voice. "Luke was like a big brother to me. I had to...do what I did. He'd run Devon through with a sword and was going to rape Angel. I was blinded by rage, running on instinct. I thouht he'd killed Dev."

"Didn't he try to use you as the virginal sacrifice?"

"Yes, but the demons were forcing him to do it. Half the time, he wasn't even coherent. He was like possessed or something. If he didn't sacrifice me, they would have tortured and killed me anyway. He figured he was doing me a favor." Seth rubbed his face with both hands as if trying to erase some horrid memory. "You have no idea what they do to him—what was done to him since he was just a little boy."

Ashriel took a deep breath, remembering Davariel's memories, the horrors he suffered at the hands of the demons.

"I have an idea," Ashriel admitted.

Devon walked up the ramp and sat across from Ashriel and Seth.

His inky black hair virtually disappeared in the gloomy interior of the helm. Just his eyes glowed in his inhumanly white face. He was both beautiful and terrifying.

He crossed his ankle over his knee and slouched down in the chair.

Ashriel glared at him when he remained quite. Both men just stared at him.

"Are you just going to sit there and look at me?" Ashriel growled glaring at both of them.

"What are you going to do about Anniel?" Devon finally asked bluntly.

Ashriel blinked at him a few times before frowning. "What am I supposed to do about her? She probably hates me now after what she just saw. Where is she by the way?"

"On Alpha 7," Devon answered.

Ashriel felt gut punched. "W-what? B-but how?"

"I opened a portal and let her go back."

Ashriel felt disappointment slice through him. "I see." It was worse than he thought. She'd gone back to the space station, obviously not wanting to see his face anymore.

"In a few minutes I'll bring her back," Devon added. Ashriel snapped his gaze back up to his face. "We need her for the mission, remember? Unless you really want to be sold as a whore?"

Ashriel remembered the pretext they were going to use to get into the palace. Anniel would pose as an ambassador looking to have a little fun and relaxation on Rhylos and she was to purchase a little entertainment in the planet's black market festival. Ashriel and the others were to pose as her merchandise.

"Talk to her," Seth said.

Ashriel took a deep breath. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Anything. Just don't leave things the way they are," Devon answered.

"She'll act like nothing's happened, but confront her. Make her talk."

"She'll be angry," Ashriel gulped.

"That's good," Devon said drawing his attention.

Ashriel snorted. "Good?"

Devon's eyes narrowed. "Better than her not feeling anything at all."

"True," Seth sighed.

Anniel used her hygiene unit and changed her clothes. Despite Devon's urgings to return to the starcruiser, she spent the rest of the day with Alluna and Zak. Poor Alluna's feet were swollen and her back constantly ached. Zak doted on her like a mother hen.

Finally, she sighed, seeing Devon's reflection in the dark glass wall that looked out to space.

"Annie," he said softly, his arms crossed over his sculpted chest.

"Oh, okay," she huffed.

Zak was massaging Alluna's feet when she bent to kiss the girl on her cheek. "Take care, honey," she sighed and then gave Zak a peck on his cheek too.

She shuffled reluctantly toward Devon and the rippling glass.

Stepping through the portal Devon opened was like walking through gel. It was hard to breathe and even see, but the sight of his glowing eyes and power wrapping around and drawing her closer helped soothe the hint of fear. He'd always warned them never to look to the sides when traversing a portal. She'd never asked why, just kept her eyes on him—always.

On the other side of the portal, she was hit with the familiar metallic scent within the starcruiser and the soft hum of the engines. She'd changed into her drawstring shorts and clingy white tank top. Generally, she slept in the nude, but that was so not happening in this starcruiser.

Anniel stared longingly at the lower bunk in Devon and Angel's cabin.

"Coward," Devon taunted, making her scowl at him.

Anniel sniffed indignantly and marched past him. She opened the door and closed it behind her, clenching her teeth when she heard him chuckle.

Swallowing hard, she stared out into the dimly lit second level. Everything was quiet, the overhead lighting low to signal night cycle. The lounge to her left was in complete darkness and she made a mad dash for it. Last thing she wanted or needed was to run into Ashriel. That would be awkward...and a little humiliating.

The minute she stepped into the dark lounge, she made out the dark shape on the couch before the familiar scent hit her.

Still, Anniel yelped in surprise when Ashriel rose from the sofa like the dark angel he was. His grey eyes locked on her and his black wings lifted, making her take a step back. Before she could take another step, he grabbed her. She lifted her hands to hold him at arms length, but forgot her intentions when her fingers made contact with the hot silky skin of his chest.

"Oh-god," she moaned, squeezing the delicious bulge of muscles under her hands.

His hands slipped around her waist, pulling her against him. With her heart pounding almost out of her ribs, Anniel tipped her head back and licked her lips. Her entire being lit with desire as she parted her lips in anticipation of his kiss, but Ashriel turned his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. He sighed in contentment as his arms squeezed her tight.

A hug?

The memory of Amadashiel devouring his cock taunted her, and frustrated confusion turned into indignation.

She pressed her lips into a grim line and patted his bulky shoulders. "Alright, Romeo. You can let me go now."

He lifted his head to look down at her.

"I was asleep," he growled.

She frowned and pushed against his chest. "Well I'm sorry I disturbed you," she spat in irritation. "Let me go and I'll leave you to your sleep."

"That's not what I meant," he replied tightly. "I was sleeping when she...I didn't know—I was confused, Anniel."

She struggled in his arms, but he held her tight. "You owe me no excuses, Ashriel. Whoever you let suck your dick is no concern of mine," she hissed.