Redemption Ch. 00-01

A shudder went through him. It was stupid of him to think that way because Devon had the entire envirolevel telepathically sealed. Nothing could penetrate his demon brother's wall of power.

He needed to wash. His mouth tasted like puke and his hair was sticky with it too.

*****

He was sitting by the edge of the lake. Rayne made her way carefully toward him. Excitement welled within her seeing him finally awake. For the past months he'd been catatonic, but a few days ago, Angel had told her that they'd managed to rouse him.

She stopped with a gasp when she saw a column of water rise from the lake to pour over him.

He held her transfixed as he seemed to bathe beneath the falling water. Long fingers raked through the long fall of blond hair that reached his ass. She knew when it was dry, the ends curled delicately and shimmered in a fascinating array of blond streaks, from the palest white to golden brown.

He turned to look at her over his shoulder. His eyes were ice blue, tilted up at the edges like a cat with long dark lashes framing them.

Rayne licked her lips, a habit she had when she was nervous. How could she not be nervous when the man before her called fiercely to her femininity. His nose was small, almost delicate, and pert. He parted his lips that were plump and pretty...almost too pretty for a man. His whole face was beautiful, almost feminine. Almost. Broad shoulders bracketed a thick throat, and though he looked very malnourished, his pectorals, arms, and abdominals bulged with muscles.

She frowned when he stood slowly, noting how pronounced his hipbones and ribs were.

Why was he starving himself?

He stood proud, water still sluicing down his body, his eyes riveted to hers.

Rayne gulped, averting her gaze to look down at her feet. It was instinct, a lesson beat into her from childhood.

Trembling, she approached him. Master Zak had forbidden her to kneel at any man's feet...but this was her real Master. The one who'd freed her from the glass coffin.

A riot of emotions filled her when she pressed her forehead to his feet. Joy, fear, comfort, desperation, loneliness, need—so much need—to be accepted once more by him.

She began kissing his feet, up his ankles, calves and thighs until she came to the hand that covered his sex.

Confused, she dared peer up at his countenance.

His eyes had darkened and his lips were parted.

He had such a beautiful mouth.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice thick, raspy. It made her feel a strange tingling in her breasts and between her legs.

Ducking her head again, she answered shyly, "Master, this lowly slave shows Master how much she adores him, Master."

He was silent a moment and she held her breath.

"I have no slave," he growled out.

Rayne hunched her shoulders and resisted throwing her arms around his legs to cry and beg.

"Master, th-this one begs for Master's ownership. This one would do anything, Master."

"Anything?"

Hope soared through her. Clasping her hands together in supplication, she peered up at him again. "Yes Master, anything, Master," she declared unable to control the hitch in her voice.

He frowned. "Get up."

Rayne rose as gracefully as she could on shaking legs. She came up to the middle of his chest and swallowed hard when he continued to frown down at her.

"Damn. What are you? Like five-foot-five?"

She didn't understand what he was talking about. Bowing her head she blurted, "Master, this one can please Master anyway he wishes. This one has been trained, Master."

"You have?"

She looked back up, nibbling her lip. His eyes were looking her over slowly. Again, a strange flutter surged through her lower tummy to throb between her legs. "Yes, Master. This one can please you anyway you wish. With this mouth, hands, breasts, pussy, or ass, Master."

His eyes widened a bit before he cocked a brow. "And have you had allot of practice pleasing other masters that way?"

She felt her face heat up and twisted her fingers together. "N-no Master,-not really. This one was holo-trained, Master."

"This one." It wasn't a question. More of a statement said with a deepening frown. He looked displeased and to her horror, she felt her eyes begin to well up. He was going to reject and abandon her...again.

"What's your name?"

"Master, whatever you choose, Master."

His scowl deepened.

"What was the name given to you by your father?"

She blinked up at him, her memories going far back...to a very dark-dark place. Her shoulders hunched more. "Rayanalideepadoonamalakeinayane Nalapeedoo—"

"Stop," he snapped rubbing his temples. "Fuck."

Her heart raced and she dropped down, wincing when her tender bottom hit the ground. Obediently, she spread her legs and waited for him to mount her.

He opened his eyes and frowned in confusion before looking down at her again. His face screwed into a perplexed grimace. Was it the wrong position?

Oh-no. Why would she think her beautiful Master would want to mount her facing her? Why was she so stupid?

Quickly, she turned over on her knees, ass in the air and head pressed to the rocky ground...and waited.

"What are you doing?" he asked still sounding confused.

Rayne blinked, tensing up. "Does Master not favor this position either? How would Master prefer this one?"

"Would you stop referring to yourself in third person, and you're not my slave."

Rayne flopped back over to stare at him in horror.

"And don't give me water-works either. I don't do virgins, and I don't keep slaves or submissives."

He was rejecting her...because she wasn't broken in yet.

"Oh, please, Master—"

He closed his eyes, hands raking through his wet hair in agitation. "No begging either. I found you and freed you. End of story," he finished slashing one hand through the air dismissively.

Rayne shook her head. "I do not want freedom. I need to belong. How will I survive?"

"The way you've been surviving for the past months since I freed you." He reached down and hoisted her up, hands almost hurtful. "Look at you. You're just a tiny thing. And you want to be mine? Are you out of your ever-loving mind? You have no idea what I am."

"I can eat more and grow bigger," she said in a small voice. Though she'd never be as glorious as Anniel, the dark-skinned she wolf mated to the scary-looking death angel called Ashriel. "Please-please give me a chance," she wailed throwing her arms around his neck.

His gaze softened and he leaned down close, his mouth almost touching hers. Rayne held her breath. She'd seen the others mate with their mouths, lips rubbing, tongues dancing against each other sensuously. Was he going to kiss her? Oh, how she wished he'd wrap his arms around her. She would feel so safe, content. His ice-blue eyes bore into hers, and he opened his lips as if to say something.

And then his body stiffened.

His gaze flicked up to look behind her. Frowning, she turned her head to look, wondering what had drawn his attention.

Just through the fronds of greenery waving lazily a few paces away, Rayne saw a glimpse of Boy Rayne's iridescent white hair. The rays of the sun glinted off his silver mask. When he noticed them staring, he turned and disappeared from sight without making a sound.

Rayne sighed dejectedly. He was still terrified of her, even though she'd tried so hard to befriend him...or her. Rayne wasn't sure what the humanoid creature was. She'd just grown accustomed to thinking it was a he.

Master Lucien grasped her chin in his big hand and turned her to face him.

"Why does that thing wear a mask?"

Rayne swallowed. "Master, this one—" His scowl deepened and she immediately corrected herself. "I-I don't know, M—" He growled. "Sir," she finished with a pout."

"Why do you call it Boy Rayne?"

She blinked up at him. He was really curious about Boy. Was that why he was rejecting her? Did he want Boy Rayne instead? "H-he has it spelled out...on his clothing, Sir."

"So you can read?" His eyes narrowed.

"I can read five hundred different alien dialects, Sir. I can also sing, dance, and play the Harscheken."

For a brief moment, she thought she saw a flash of admiration in his lovely eyes, but then he grew aloof, taking a few steps back to the edge of the rock overlooking the lake.

"Stay away from me, Rayne. I just want to be left alone."

And then he vanished.

Teleportation. Most of them did it. Master Remi was trying to teach her, but she felt it wasn't proper for a slave-girl to know such things.

*****

Lucien teleported himself on another rock he usually lounged on by a waterfall. No plants nearby so he didn't risk ending up with pieces of foliage traversing his body. That was always shitty. No sooner had he let out a pent up sigh, a hand gripped his hair again and sent sprawling back on his ass.

Lucien grunted when his backside hit the hard ground. A sword tip pricked his throat. He followed the blade up to the angry scowl of its owner.

"I guess it's my day to be popular."

Ashriel sneered. "You've convalesced enough, now you will answer my questions."

Lucien grinned. "Convalesced? Is that what I was doing?"

Lucien was sure the sword tip drew blood when it pressed against his Adam's apple a bit harder.

This time, not only did Devon appear, but the rest of the Alpha Angels—all six and Angel.

"I just love family reunions," Lucien said with a sarcastic smile.

"Ash," Anniel admonished, placing her hand at her lover's wrist.

If anything, his muscles bulged even more in rage, but he lowered his sword.

Slowly Lucien rose to his feet, surreptitiously rubbing his smarting ass. "So ask away. What the hell did you want to know?"

"The war. Why? Why and how did you manage to—"

"Whoa," Lucien scoffed, holding his hands up. "I didn't start that war."

"The Utuduodian Hunters. Why did you ask them to trap us?" Devon asked now.

Lucien looked at him from the corner of his eye before lower his gaze. It had all been so simple. Trap them all, let the demons take over and do whatever the hell it was they had wanted and he got to keep...

He looked back up at Anniel. Back then he'd been madly infatuated with her.

Ashriel snarled, stepped between him and Anniel, black wings spreading in warning.

"Answer him," Ashriel snapped.

"He doesn't have to," Devon said in a low voice.

His brother circled around until he stood face to face with Lucien.

"What was supposed to happen once the demons gave you Anniel?"

Lucien took a deep breath. "I was going to wipe her memories. Make her love me. They promised me our own world. I was going to take the others with me. Wipe their minds too."

He hadn't wanted to kill them.

"And me?" Devon prodded.

Lucien clenched his teeth and raised his gaze up slowly.

"You," he hissed, "were to be handed over to them."

Devon remained stony-face, the only evidence of his agitation his chest heaving up and down slowly.

"Why?" he finally gritted out. His luminous blue eyes brightened with tears despite his obvious anger.

Lucien snorted. "Why?" He laughed then, a humorous bark filled with hatred. Instead of telling his twin brother everything he'd gone through he showed him. His hands shot out and gripped handfuls of Devon's silky blue-black hair as he crashed their foreheads together and shoved every scream-filled second of horror he lived with Malavano Black.

He wanted to hurt Devon, wanted him to feel it all, especially what Lucien felt when the devil, Samael told him of Devon's love filled existence up on Alpha 7.

Devon, instead gripped him, held him hard against his chest and pushed his own images and sensations into him.

They were swathed in brilliant light. Love. Lucien was loved. His soul remembered what that had felt like. The love had come from...Devon, their mother, and later their father. Davariel sang to them, played with their limbs, kissed their toes. Mother had nursed them, but then the devils tried to take them away. Their parents were gone. They lived with the weredragons and the vampire Drakken in the city. They were being hunted and Drakken was arrested by Guardian soldiers. Devon and Lucien were taken to an orphanage.

"Sometime during our first night there, the Seraphian Master Guardians were supposed to take us away, but they sent just one Master Guardian to avoid rousing suspicion. Aria told me there was an awful storm so he could only carry one of us at a time. When he went back for you, you'd already been stolen out of the crib. They didn't leave you on purpose."

Lucien untangled himself from his brother. So many years of hurt and hatred couldn't be undone in just a few seconds.

"I don't intend for you to just flip a switch and pretend none of this happened, Luke," Devon coaxed in a gentle voice.

Lucien looked around at the faces of his Alpha Angel brothers and sisters; Seth, who he'd tried to offer up as a virginal sacrifice to anoint Lucifer's sword, Zak, who he'd flayed to unconsciousness on Arboria, and Remi. Remi He'd run through with Lucifer's sword. It was a lethal blow—one he never should have recuperated from, but the red weredragon had been saved by Dominatio's.

Rowie and Anniel, no matter how evil he might have been at one time, he never would have hurt either of them.

"Luke, help us get to the bottom of this. Help us clear our name," Zak said in his usual deep voice.

How could they forgive him so easily?

"We love you, Luke," Anniel sighed.

His heart constricted. He didn't deserve it—any of it.

"Help us find out who took advantage of your situation. They used you...your pain, Luke. Can't you see?"

He turned away feeling confused.

"Don't you know the Demon's need to destroy this realm to get back to Ainrodon?" Ashriel bit out.

Lucien scowled up at him. "They never told me that. They just promised me some revenge and that they wanted to take over because all of creation was too stupid. They said they could run things better."

Ashriel laughed bitterly. "And you believed them, you fool."

Lucien growled. "Beyond getting back at the people that fucked me over, truth be told, I really didn't give much of a fuck."

Ashriel's fist gripped Lucien's neck so tight his eyes bulged. Devon snarled a warning the reaper obviously choose to ignore. "You fucking, selfish, egotistical, bastard. The Demons destroying all of creation wouldn't really let you get your sick revenge on anyone because they'd all be dead...including you."

"Ashriel," Devon's inhuman voice snarled again. He was losing it.

Ashriel dropped him to the ground like so much feces.

Lucien coughed and gasped for breath. So much for the loving family reunion.

Devon's arms encircled him from behind and immediately the discomfort in his throat abated.

Let's hear it for a brother with super-human powers.

"I don't trust either of you," Ashriel snapped pointing an accusing finger at them both.

Anniel crouched down next to them, looking up at the angry reaper. "Ash, enough. This is uncalled for. Do you distrust me too?"

Ashriel's face changed in the blink of an eye. "Anniel. Never you. I—"

She wrapped her arms around both Devona dn Lucien. "Well stop with the rant already."

"We'll never get to the bottom of this if we're going to be at each other's throats," Seth said folding his arms over his chest.

Remi strode over and stood behind Lucien, Devon, and Anniel. "Right, Ash. If you don't trust the twins from Hell, then you can't trust me either."

Ashriel bared his teeth. "I don't—"

"Ash," Anniel admonished.

Lucien felt amusement fill him when the gargantuan reaper actually sulked. Wow. Mega Pussy-whipped.

An elbow to his ribs had him grunting and looking into Anniel's stern countenance.

Right. He'd forgotten that they could hear most of his thoughts.

"Broadcasting," Seth coughed behind his hand.

"Right," Lucien said. "So what this big plan to uncover the Demon's plot?"

"We're going to Earth," Zak answered.

Lucien looked at Zak first and then the rest of them thinking they'd lost their minds.

"It's all still in the planning stages, but we need you for this. You're the one who had contact with the Demon's. You'd recognize their essence if you came across one."

"We think most, if not all government, including the LOS is being run by fallen angels," Devon said.

"They're tearing down civilization, getting species to war against one another. Once most of creation has killed itself off there won't be much for them to destroy."

"You do realize we're wanted criminals in the Edenian solar system," Lucien reminded.

"The bounty has been lifted off our heads, but we have a plan to get in," Zak said.

Lucien looked back up at him. "Enlighten me."

"No one knows we've rescued you yet," Zak began.

"Except the Demons," Seth interjected.

"Angel of Retribution and Draconius Imorteus are going to help us setting up a concert in the Edenian solar system, starting with Mars," Remi added.

Lucien felt more confused than ever. "A concert?"

"Concerts draw people," Rowie sauntered over and knelt in front of Lucien, "beings from all over the galaxy.

"You're just going to be another stage hand retiring from show business to settle on Earth with your new family," Anniel said with a smile.

Lucien pursed his lips, letting his gaze rove over her luscious curves despite the snarls of anger her man was giving him. "Family?"

"We're setting you up on Earth with Rayne as your mate," Devon said finally releasing him.

Lucien shot to his feet and rounded on them angrily. "No. Absolutely not. Are you out of your mind? Is that girl even old enough to marry?"

"Luke, baby, of course she is," Anniel blurted, gripping his arm.

Lucien shook his head adamantly. "It's too dangerous for her. No."

"Well then who?" Ashriel snapped. "If you think any of us are going to let you pretend one of our women belongs to you—"

"What about Amadashiel?" Seth interjected.

Lucien remembered the pretty girl reaper and began to laugh. "Do they even allow reapers to settle on Earth?"

"They do now," Remien answered. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was frowning. "Don't be an ass and take Rayne."

Lucien scowled at the red weredragon. "Why are you insistent on it being Rayne?"

"She likes you, man," Remi answered with a pout.

"Fuck off, Fyre. Don't start your match-making shit with me," Lucien spat.

Remi only snorted, his eyes narrowing.

Yeah. He so was going to start. Lucien was sure of it.

Unless...

His mind thought about how sad Rayne looked every time Boy Rayne scampered away from her. What if he hooked those two up together? That would fuck over Remi's plan to shackle that little slip of a girl to him.

Genius.