Defiant Destiny Ch. 09

Gotta love those cliffhangers, hehe ;)

I wanted to express a huge thank you to LiterKnight for editing this chapter, and providing me with excellent advice on making this chapter even better <3

Enjoy!

***Dante***

There she stood, silently watching us. With my entire being I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms tighter around my ladies, to pull them closer to me, and shield them from Aurora... I grudgingly dismissed that instinct and slowly rose, staring hard at Aurora, trying to ignore a very loud and angry demon in my head.

"Grab some clothes and go out for a walk, get away from her..." I cautioned my ladies. "And avert your eyes. Do not look at her. If you do feel your lust getting out of control, let me know immediately," I added and stalked towards the angel.

Those few steps towards Aurora were the hardest steps I ever had to take. A massive internal battle was taking place where I had to use all of my self control to keep my demon pushed down. He was violently trying to rip forward in all his glory to tear the angel to shreds.

Gone was his initial instinct to protect her, gone was that little bit of rationality my demon had mastered - she did something to our ladies! Something horrible! We nearly lost Layla...

I tightly balled my fists in barely controlled anger, not even noticing that my claws were digging deep into the palms of my hands. My blood dripped on the floor with every step I took, but I couldn't hear it, for my demon was roaring in my mind, demanding Aurora's death. I ruthlessly suppressed that urge to kill - relieved my rational human side was adamant in its diplomacy and wanted to hear her out first.

Then, maybe, tear her to shreds.

Recently dried tears shimmered on Aurora's cheeks, along with the fading stench of fear that clung to her. Fear that quickly rekindled when she witnessed my very visible internal battle. Aurora took a few unsteady steps back, opening and closing her mouth, trying to find her words.

"I... I didn't..." her voice croaked in a whisper.

She sobbed loudly and ducked away, shielding her head with her arms when I lifted my hand. When she didn't feel me strike her, she opened her eyes only to see my now clawless hand gesturing towards the hallway instead.

"We need to talk," I ground out, surprised at the amount of calmness I managed to put in my voice - especially when my demon was still adamant about wanting the angel dead for her betrayal of our trust.

Aurora took a cautious glance at my succubi sitting on the couch, but I quickly unfurled and spread my wings so she couldn't see them.

Wrong move...

My demon went livid and his deafening roar came out as a fierce growl from my end. Her eyes immediately snapped to mine, fear leaking out of her every pore when she saw a furious demon staring at her from behind my eyes.

"A... Are they okay...?" she squeaked in a whisper. I merely nodded, not trusting my voice to do anything but growl at this moment and gestured again with my outstretched hand towards the hallway. Aurora meekly kept her head bowed to the ground and walked out of the room. I sensed my ladies sneak out towards the fire escape and within moments they had flown out of reach. A deep sigh of relief gushed past my lips, and both me and my demon calmed down somewhat.

"Down the stairs," I guided her, retracting my wings and grabbing a random pair of sweatpants I kept lying around.

Aurora timidly followed my instructions and descended the stairs, the heavy stench of fear trailing in the air behind her.

I still wasn't sure what had happened, or how, but she was acting so submissive and fearful - it seemed like whatever she did was not on purpose. My demon had drawn this conclusion as well and had quieted down significantly, especially since our succubi were safely out of range. He was thoroughly confused by the lack of fighting spirit in the angel who had almost taken Layla away from us. If her purpose was to truly hurt or damage my ladies in any way, one would think she'd act less like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

Instead of the growls, roars and demands of her death he had been barraging me with for the past few minutes, he was silent in his confusion - keenly watching her through my eyes, waiting for her next move.

'Can we trust her...?' he asked me with his gravelly voice.

'I honestly don't know, but I'm going to find out,' I replied.

I stopped in the middle of the factory hall, the soon to be night club. Aurora timidly turned around, still keeping her head down, not daring to make eye contact. Her heart beat went through the roof while she silently stood there, waiting for me to speak. I crossed my arms and studied her face, looking closely at her body language.

"Layla's mind was nearly gone. She was overpowered by an overwhelming lust. I feared I had lost her," I said, not fully able to keep the emotion out of my voice.

Aurora submissively kept staring at the floor, digging her nails into her intertwined hands, leaving red crescent indentations in her skin.

"What did you do to her?" I asked sternly, my anger still very present in my system.

Aurora squeezed her hands together hard, turning her knuckles white. She tentatively looked at me with fearful eyes and started sobbing.

"I didn't mean to... It's not my fault! The demons of lust, they... They always chase me, try to feed on me. Violently when I don't comply!" Aurora's sobbing became louder and she started panting as tears streamed down her face. "I cannot stop them! They are drawn to my soul's purity, I know that, but I cannot do anything about it!"

She dropped to her knees, heaving and sobbing heavily, clutching her face in her trembling hands. "And the only one who has ever tried to help me... I almost made his mate succumb to madness..." she cried with a soul wrenching sob.

Looking at this sad heap of an angel I realized (to my intense relief) that my initial instincts had been right all along - she was a victim and she needed help.

My help.

My demon saw it too and backed down completely, allowing my human side to comfort this poor soul. I knelt next to her and gathered her in my arms, cradling her gently. She winced in fear at first, but quickly acquiesced with a loud sob and let her face fall to my chest. "You are the only demon who has never tried to feed on me, the only immortal who won't look at me in lust or disgust..." she murmured in between sobs.

I felt her warm tears trickle down my chest as she let her emotions surface in the safety of my embrace. Aurora loudly sobbed her pain away and even my demon started feeling compassion for the delicate angel.

"It's okay, Aurora. You're safe here..." I mumbled into her hair. "No demon will touch you if I can help it..."

After a while, Aurora's sobbing reduced to slow, steady breathing.

"You have shown me more unconditional protection and empathy than any angel ever gave me..." she said with a tired voice, unable to keep her exhaustion at bay. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed that you were a demon," Aurora continued, lifting her head to look shyly into my eyes with her reddened, teary ones.

I smiled at her and wiped a wet strand of hair out of her face.

"I most certainly am a demon, yes. Though I was human mere weeks ago," I answered and chuckled at her surprised reaction.

"Human?" she managed to exclaim before her surprised eyes were covered by a confused frown. "But... How...?"

I couldn't suppress another chuckle at the myriad of facial expressions crossing her face and quickly explained how I managed to claim Cyrea while still being human, how Alexis helped me figure out my destiny and how I believed he and my ladies were destined to help the immortals who wanted to escape from their obligations.

I carefully watched Aurora as she listened to my story in raptured silence. Again, the myriad of emotions crossing her face was a wonderful sight to behold. When I finished, she remained silent, taking her time to process all that I told her.

After several moments she sat up and placed her hands on my chest, lightly pushing herself away and looked me in my eyes.

"You are a protector," she said slowly, gazing deep into my eyes. Slowly a small smile started framing her delicate face. "A protector of the outcast," she added in a whisper.

Aurora suddenly tensed, holding her breath and her eyes skittishly scoured the factory wall. I felt it too - a demonic presence was outside the club. I focused on the presence and could distinguish a male, lusty vibe to it - an incubus.

"Can they detect your soul through walls?" I asked tersely, tracking the demon through the wall with my eyes. The incubus halted, then briskly walked towards the large factory doors.

"Some can..." Aurora croaked, and tensed further in my arms, that strong stench of fear once again permeating the air.

The incubus reached the door and, just like a horror movie cliché, the doorknob slowly turned with a squeaky sound. Aurora whined and tried to claw her way out of my arms, her flight instincts kicking in hard.

I knew the demon could not sense me here, could not realize the monumental mistake he was about to commit if he would break in. My demon awoke with a fierce growl - eagerly anticipating the chance to protect Aurora - violently if possible.

While my claws were itching to defend our little angel too, I'd rather not expose her to the fight that was sure to come - she was absolutely terrified already.

I took Aurora's face in my hands and held it close to mine, our foreheads nearly touching, compelling her to make eye contact with me.

"I will protect you," I promised, looking deep into her eyes.

Fear rode her hard - her eyes were wide and the stench of her fear was sickening. She was absolutely terrified. My heart ached for her and all the pain she's had to go through to have such an extreme reaction to a nearby incubus.

"He will NOT touch you!" I said strongly, my demon's battle roar lacing my voice with a growl. Aurora panted heavily, though her fear lessened when my words slowly penetrated her fear stricken mind.

She nodded imperceptibly and I released her.

"Go to my office. Wait there," I bid her and she dashed up the stairs to safety. My blazing eyes swooped back to the door and I let my strength course through me. My demon was close to the surface, ready to team up and violently convince the incubus to fuck off.

The incubus didn't get much further than turning the doorknob though. As soon as I heard the door to my office close a familiar presence rushed up to the door and the incubus ran off. A warm smile came to my face when I heard Layla's sweet voice in my mind.

"He's gone. Is it safe for us to come in? We brought Alexis and Eir."

I slowly let my power recede and walked up to open the door. A very eager Layla immediately jumped into my arms, kissing me passionately. For a second there I was worried she once again was captivated by uncontrollable lust, but then I smirked when I heard her whine, "No... Bring back that power, let me feel it flow through you... You know how it turns me on..." she pouted, accentuating her intentions by rubbing herself all over me.

I chuckled into the kiss. "It is good to have you back, my sweet. I promise you that my demon and I will indulge you later."

Layla purred at the prospect and semi reluctantly untangled herself from me, though she let her etheric tail linger a little longer at my cock.

Cyrea sauntered in with a gorgeous smile and greeted me with a loving kiss.

"I've missed you, my love," she whispered sweetly into my mind.

I deeply breathed in her wonderful scent and my lips curled into a smile during our kiss.

"As I have you, my dearest Cyrea," I answered truthfully. It was remarkable how relieved and complete I felt whenever she was with me.

"How did it go with Aurora?" she asked aloud for everyone to hear.

The wide smile I wore upon seeing my ladies again faded when I thought of the traumatized angel upstairs.

"Aurora is currently in my office. You two should be okay for now, until we figure something out..." I said, glancing in Aurora's general direction. "Her life is a living hell, and I simply cannot allow each and every incubus to abuse her..." I added with a sigh.

Cyrea gently cupped my face and looked at me with a sad smile.

"It's not easy being a protector..." she mumbled, though her smile suddenly turned incredibly wicked. "Luckily Alexis thought of a wonderful solution to this predicament," she said, standing to the side with Layla, letting Alexis and Eir enter the factory.

Eir entered the factory first, looking absolutely radiant. A wide, happy smile framed her lips and she looked...different somehow.

Then my eyes fell on Alexis.

"Holy. Fucking. Shit," I gasped.

I stood there frozen, and all I could do was gawk at his golden etheric wings. They were phenomenal! And huge! I'd reckon they were about the same size as mine, though his were covered in beautiful golden etheric feathers. Damn! He almost looked like royalty.

Alexis chuckled, bringing my attention back to him.

"This feels familiar somehow," he said with his customary grin stuck to his face, referring to our first meeting. "Should I get you some liquorice before we can start talking?"

I burst out laughing and walked over to give him a big hug.

"I'm so relieved to see you're fine, Alexis," I mumbled against his cheek, patting him on his back. "More than fine, actually!" I laughed and released him to look him in the eye. "There's something different about you, other than your wings, but I cannot place it."

Alexis's grin got bigger and I heard Eir giggle next to me.

Wait a minute...

"Are you two mated?" I asked.

Alexis's grin got even bigger and he lovingly pulled Eir into his embrace. She flowed into his arms like a queen and rested her head on his chest with a happy sigh. Alexis deeply inhaled Eir's scent.

"She's mine..." he said softly while looking into her eyes, tucking her long ash blonde hair behind her ear.

What a beautiful sight. Two people who were both so damaged by angels were now mated and healed each other in ways unforeseen.

"Congratulations. To the both of you," I responded with a large, sincere smile on my face.

My eyes traced their necklines, surprised that I couldn't detect any scars from a bite. I frowned slightly in confusion and wondered if angels did not have scars because they had no fangs?

Alexis, ever observant, noticed my confused gaze.

"Angels mate in a different way," he said with a smile. "I'd love to explain it to you, but Cyrea and Layla told me you have another angel under your care who needs your help?" he asked, his eyes gliding to the top of the stairs in the big hall.

I turned around just in time to see some locks of blonde hair disappear behind the door.

"Yes, I do..." I sighed and turned back to Alexis. "Her name is Aurora and all sorts of lustful demons keep trying to feed on her. She's been raped countless times and is absolutely terrified. Covered in scars too. She can't go back to Heaven, because she has sinned. I can't send her outside, because she'll get raped all over again, and I can't keep her here because her soul is irresistible to Cyrea and Layla," I sighed in deep frustration. "I really don't know what to do..."

Alexis processed the information, and started pacing around. "Her pure soul is what makes her irresistible to demons. Among the angels, a pure soul is a cherished phenomenon. However, because she has sinned, she is worthless to Heaven and the purity of her soul is a burden, rather than a boon."

Alexis halted, and looked at me intensely. "I believe the only way to help her... is to rid her soul of its purity..."

From the corner of my eye I could see a happy bundle of bouncing red curls and felt Cyrea's ecstatic emotions flooding our bond. I eyed her warily - what was she so excited about?

Then Alexis's words sunk in.

"Wait a minute..." I gasped and looked from an overjoyed Cyrea to a grinning Alexis. "Are you serious?" I called out.

Alexis just looked at me with that customary grin of his and a wicked sparkle in his eye.

***Aurora***

He made me feel protected. He made me feel safe. Despite him being a demon...

How I had longed for that, for someone, for some place where I would find safety and comfort...

I was once so celebrated and revered for my soul. "Your purity shines!" they said. "Your soul is a holy beacon that humans can turn to!" they marveled. How wrong they were.

How utterly and completely wrong they were...

I stood no chance! How could they have not realized that? Were they so shortsighted in their glory that they did not see Earth housed more than the simple souls of humans in need of guidance? Why would they send a dainty little angel to Earth to guide humanity away from sin, when sin itself was irresistibly drawn to me? Every path I took, every building I hid in, it found me everywhere...

The only places I could ever hope to find solace would shut me out - the angels at the churches shunned me as they judged me with a single glance, casting me aside like trash. Their abysmally disappointed looks haunted my dreams, if I wasn't being raped in my nightmares...

But he protected me. He helped me when he saw I was in dire need of it. Offered me shelter when I was still too skeptical of his intentions, when I was too fearful of the lack of soul in this strangely benevolent demon.

He persisted - even offered me sanctuary in his home. When the nightmares came he offered me his bed to lay in and his chest to rest on to keep them at bay. I owed him so much already - his repeated kind gestures soothed my scarred soul in so many ways.

Wisps of chatter from Dante and his bound succubi drifted through the open office door. My fingernails clawed themselves in my hands again as I fidgeted restlessly. I felt a guilty blush surface on my cheeks as my eyes glided in the direction of where Dante's succubi were standing in the big hall below me, for if I was fully truthful to myself, I never minded the succubi as they fed on me. Despite their hunger for me, they were often gentle and were so very, very adept at inciting the most wonderful and...sinful feelings in my body.

It wasn't so much Dante's succubi I was afraid of, I was afraid that my ridiculously pure soul would make their lust rise to harmful proportions, or even damage them permanently... I could never do that to Dante, not after all he did for me.

My blush burned hotly on my skin for I knew without a doubt that, if things would be different, I would welcome a feeding from Dante's succubi with the same passion as I would harbor for condemning that desire.

I scoffed silently in self-disgust. Here I was, inside a demon's lair, fantasizing about willingly letting his succubi feed from me. I drew a shaky breath and winced my eyes shut in shame.

The chatter downstairs rose up through the open door of his office, and I could not prevent a hopeless sigh from escaping my lips.

I wanted to stay, more than anything in the world. I wanted to be cradled by that wonderful feeling of safety and kindness that Dante offered. He was loving and a true protector, but I knew I couldn't stay, despite his repeated kind offerings of help - it would be selfish of me, selfish and foolish - for I would unwillingly harm his succubi. I could not allow that. I could not allow this benevolent demon to pay such a price for helping me...

From my safe spot in his office I gazed down in the general direction of the big factory door. The incubus had left. I felt it. In his stead were now the succubi that were bound to him. And another, an angel.