Page 3

Audrey

I hate waiting.

Yes, I’m impatient. I’m aware of this, but it doesn’t change the fact that I really hate waiting around. I’d much rather be doing something.

Especially when my head is such a mess as it is right now. I have so many questions and no answers.

I am not a fan.

The air flickers around me, and I freeze before spinning on my heel and sending hellfire toward the man who just appeared in the living room.

I smile as a look of shock flitters across his face moments before it hits him, but it quickly falls away when I realize it’s not damaging him. It just seems to be circling him.

I have no idea who the fuck this man is, but he fits tall, dark, and handsome to the tee.

“What the fuck?” I mutter as my mates come crashing into the room.

“Umm…pretty girl, why are you throwing hellfire at Lucifer?”

My mouth drops open, and my hand falls to the side. My hellfire doesn’t immediately return to me or disappear. No, it seems to be dancing along his limbs.

“Did you just say that’s Lucifer?” I ask Donovan, eyes never leaving him.

“That would be me,” Lucifer says with a smug grin before dismissing the hellfire. “And you must be my other daughter, Audrey.”

“That’s still to be determined,” I can’t help saying, eyeing him suspiciously.

He just laughs. “Oh, there’s no doubt about it. You’re my daughter. I’ve already met Wren. She said you were powerful, but I’ll admit, I didn’t expect you to be quite so strong.”

I wrinkle my nose. There’s nothing I hate more than people underestimating me, but considering he’s a god—and apparently my dad—I bite my tongue .

“Donovan. Cassian. It’s good to see both of you again. You, I don’t know.” Lucifer’s eyes narrow on Brenden.

I grab his hand, squeezing it. “This is one of my mates, Brenden. He’s currently teaching at the academy.”

“Hmm…just how many mates do you have, daughter?”

At his question, everything inside of me goes cold. I’m reminded why I’ve been feeling so badly—reminded of everything that’s been pulling me down until I was distracted.

“Yeah, we’re not talking about that.”

If I let it, the sorrow and dejection will swallow me whole. I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling myself shutting down once more. I can’t do this right now.

“What—” Lucifer cuts off as Wraith and Wren appear beside him, and I have to hold myself back from launching myself at them and dragging them away from him.

No one says anything for a moment, then another, and another.

“Are we seriously just going to stand here in silence?” I grit my teeth, trying to rein in my impatience.

I want answers .

I need to see my mom.

I need to know what the hell is going on.

“Where are we exactly?” Lucifer asks, eyes finding the broken window.

“This is Michael’s home—where he’s been staying since he killed Wren,” Wraith offers, finally coming to join me and the others with Wren right behind him.

Lucifer hums before turning his attention back to me and Wren. “I’m sure the two of you have questions. I might not be able to answer all of them, but I’ll answer what I can. Why don’t we have a seat?”

“You want to talk here?” I ask, glancing around. “What if Michael comes back?”

He grins wickedly. “I hope he does.”

Well, okay, then.

I grab Wren’s hand and pull her to sit beside me on the couch. Brenden sits on my other side while Donovan lowers himself to sit on the floor between my legs. Cassian and Wraith sit on the arms of the couch, leaving Lucifer to sit in an armchair opposite us.

He doesn’t look intimidated in the least as the six of us stare him down, but I guess that’s to be expected when he’s a literal god.

“How can you be so sure we’re your daughters?” I blurt out the question, unable to hold it inside any longer.

He inclines his head. “I already explained this to Wraith and Wren, but it’s an innate ability all gods have.

We’re able to tell when a child is ours.

That includes any offspring generations down the line—we can tell they’re of our blood, even if it’s watered down.

As soon as I saw you and Wren, I knew you were my daughters.

I do want to apologize, as I had no idea you existed.

I’ve never been able to procreate with anyone but another god before.

Because angels were supposed to be locked in Olympus, I never thought to use protection when I’ve been earth-side.

Although, I wouldn’t have thought I could impregnate a demigod either, but that’s the only thing that makes sense. ”

I wrinkle my nose again. Yeah, this isn’t a conversation I want to be having with one of my parents—even if he wasn’t the one who raised me.

It feels…icky.

“Great. Yeah, we can skip over all of that,” I tell him, fighting back a gag. “No one wants to hear about their parent’s sex life. ”

Lucifer chuckles. “Yeah, okay. I can see how that would be weird since you were raised among the humans and supernaturals. It’s not uncommon among the gods and their offspring. Or at least it wasn’t.”

Wren leans forward, squeezing my hand. “You said you didn’t know what to call us because what we are has never existed before?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Until today, I would have said that a three-quarters god couldn’t exist. Clearly, that’s not the case, but there’s no telling what powers you’ll have or how they’ll show themselves.

I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear, but I’ll gladly work with both of you on that front.

It’ll be best if we speak with your mother first to see whose descendants you are.

Between the powers I hold, the powers she has, and whoever her godly parent is, we can probably narrow it down—at least a little. ”

It’s not exactly what I want to hear, but it’s better than nothing. Plus, I have a pretty good idea of the powers I have, but Wren has been struggling.

“Okay, and the more immediate problem? Who the hell is Michael, and how is he earth-side if he’s an angel?” I have more questions than that, but I feel like this is a good place to start.

“I don’t know how he was able to leave Olympus.

He shouldn’t have been able to.” Lucifer leans back in the chair, running a hand through his hair.

“But I shouldn’t be surprised since he’s always been one to cause trouble.

He’s always wanted more than what he is.

As far as who he is—he’s the archangel Michael.

Besides that one, his most well-known name was Hercules. ”

My mouth drops open, my eyes finding my sister. “You were married to fucking Hercules? I always thought he was supposed to be one of the good guys.”

Lucifer scoffs. “The stories the humans tell of our escapades have never been accurate.”

I can feel the overwhelming sorrow pushing at me once more. Waves and waves of melancholy threaten to pull me back into the pit of despondency.

I don’t like it there. I don’t like how I feel. I want it to stop, but I don’t know how.

Blinking, I know I won’t be able to fight it for much longer—if at all.

“What could he be planning?” I ask, my voice once more devoid of emotion as I sink deeper and deeper into that pit .

Lucifer tilts his head as he stares at me. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” I stare at him blankly.

Lucifer’s eyes move to Wraith, who lets out a sigh. “We believe she’s going through rejected mate syndrome.”

“Excuse me?” Lucifer sits up straight, his eyes flashing with…holy shit. Is that hellfire? “Who rejected my daughter?”

I wave off his unnecessary anger. “It doesn’t matter.”

“The fuck it doesn’t. I want to know what happened, and who I need to kill.” He really does look pissed, which is weird since he didn’t know I existed an hour ago.

“It’s irrelevant to the current situation,” I tell him, ready to talk about anything else but Nex.

I don’t want to think about him, let alone talk about him. Not only does it hurt, but each thought of him sends me deeper and deeper into despair.

“I don’t think it’s irrelevant,” he starts, and I cut him off with a shake of my head.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Anger bubbles along the despair, there and then gone again. “I want answers. ”

Lucifer looks like he wants to argue but stops when Wraith clears his throat.

“I have no idea what Michael could be planning,” he finally answers, clearly not happy about the change of topic, but he can suck a dick.

“I need to figure out how he was able to leave Olympus. How your mother was able to. Maybe once I figure that out, I can get an idea of what he’s planning.

All I know is that whatever it is, it’s not going to be good. ”

I roll my eyes. “Great. More questions. Just what we need.”

“Little mate, you can’t expect him to have all the answers,” Cassian says quietly, drawing my attention to him. He’s been very quiet since Lucifer appeared.

Actually, it’s not just him—it’s all of my mates.

Frowning, I glance at each of them. Wraith and Cassian are giving me worried looks, while Brenden’s face looks as blank as I feel. Donovan is clinging to my leg, but his eyes are on Lucifer.

“It sounds like we need to talk to Mom,” Wren finally says, giving my hand another squeeze.

Lucifer nods. “It might be best. That’ll give all of us some answers.

After we speak with her, I might be able to offer more answers.

I just don’t know. But don’t think that this conversation about this rejected mate is over.

Mainly because there are only three ways to deal with it, Audrey.

Either the mate accepts you, the death of the mate, or time—and we’re not talking weeks or months but years and years. ”

My eyes fall closed as pain shoots through me. The only option that sounds good to me is the first, but even if Nex decides he wants to be with me, how can I allow that with how he hurt both me and Brenden?

No. I’m definitely not doing this right now.

I push to my feet, knocking Donovan over in my haste as I drag Wren and Brenden with me. “Mom’s address is 123 Brightstone Ave right here in Leyton. We’ll meet you there.”

Without waiting for a response, I step into the shadows with the two of them clinging to me.

I’ve spent nearly thirty years without a father. I certainly don’t need one now. Especially if he’s going to keep picking at the open wound that is my relationship—or lack thereof—with Nex. Brenden and I are going through enough. We don’t need the rejection thrown in our faces again and again.

Instead of stepping out at my mom’s house, I keep us in the shadows as I take a deep breath .

“Are you okay, Ree?” Wren’s voice is quiet, and even without looking, I know her worried gaze is on me.

I shrug. “It’s a lot. All of it’s a lot. I just…I can’t.”

“Talking about him hurts,” Brenden adds, moving closer until he’s practically wrapped around me without releasing his hold on my hand.

If he were to do that, we could lose him in the shadows. I don’t know if I’d be able to find him, and he can’t shadow walk himself.

“We’ll just have to make him understand it’s not a topic to be discussed then.” Wren squeezes my hand until I meet her gaze. “We don’t need him. All we ever needed was Mom and each other. If he won’t let it go, then we’ll just cut him out of our lives.”

I scoff, knowing it won’t be so easy to cut him out, but I love my sister for being willing to give up our father for me. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

Knowing we’re likely to be the last to arrive due to me taking this moment, I step out with them at my side and stare up at the house we grew up in.

Now we get to confront our mom about her lies.

The day just keeps getting better and better.