Page 3 of Undesirable (Devilish #3)

Tears streaked back into Riku’s hair. He stared at the ceiling, seeing nothing.

Lucifer’s pain crushed the air from his lungs, making it impossible to breathe.

He was tied to Lucifer now. Part of him lived in Hell, tortured in a way he never knew existed.

His angel. His baby. Riku wanted to skin himself alive to get away from the burning sensation.

He couldn’t draw a single breath. Lucifer never gave him time to explain.

He always just disappeared, incapable of hearing Riku .

The bed shifted slightly. Yuri was in wolf form and testing the strength of the frame before hopping onto the mattress.

He dropped to his belly and crawled. His ears were flat, as if scared of his welcome.

Riku held up the blanket, inviting him to share.

Yuri snuggled close and licked the tears from Riku’s face.

Riku ran his fingers through Yuri’s fur.

He felt nothing but the howling loss of Lucifer.

It was as if he died, leaving Riku alone and suffering.

There was no description harsh enough for the sensation of having his soul stitched to Lucifer, only to have it ripped away again to burn in Hell. His sanity was on the brink .

He heard Yuri’s breathing deepen. Riku glanced over at the huge sleeping wolf at his side.

While he still felt a deep affection for the boy, his pain drowned everything.

He couldn’t save himself. Riku was done.

He slipped from the bed and stepped outside.

The fire that always blazed from his magic still danced in the dark.

Riku didn’t hesitate. He didn’t slow. His feet carried him straight into the fire as if they couldn’t get to the end fast enough.

Nothing happened. Tears streamed down his face, turning to steam as Riku stood in the center of the flames, praying for death to take him.

He couldn’t die. There would be no peace for him.

This was the cruel fate he had been handed, and he had no idea how to deal.

He had been ready to leave this existence the moment he had left the bed.

That was what he wanted. Now he didn’t know what to do.

Riku couldn’t go on without Lucifer. He couldn’t feel like this.

The pain was more than he could handle. This was how Lucifer felt all the time and had for more years than anyone could fathom.

Riku understood that now. How was he still standing?

Why hadn’t he destroyed everything? Riku wanted to.

He needed everything to burn the way his body refused to do.

A pained howl filled the air.

Riku’s gaze shot toward the sound. He didn’t have time to react before Yuri launched himself inside the fire, knocking Riku to the ground outside the flames.

The scent of burning fur and flesh assailed his senses.

Riku sprang into action, putting out the fire that still burned hot on Yuri’s thick coat, melting away his skin.

Horror raced through him, cutting its way into his pain and making things worse.

Yuri wasn’t healing the way a Were should.

Fuck. It was the magic. His fire wasn’t meant to go out.

It continued to burn until Riku willed it away.

Riku tried to heal him, since his magic had done this.

Nothing happened. He snatched Yuri from the ground.

The poor wolf didn’t make a sound. Shock from the pain had knocked him unconscious.

Riku felt the life slipping from him. He disappeared and reappeared on the lawn of the town’s healer.

Frost Leo had been sent to their town by Goddess Celeste.

If anyone could help, it would be him. The moment he landed, alarms blared.

Vampires appeared like smoke—weapons drawn and ready.

“Please? He needs Frost.”

A red-haired Scottish vamp with a thick accent stepped forward.

Riku thought his name was Fen. “I’ll take him.

” He easily plucked Yuri from his arms. Concern etched his features as Yuri came awake with a loud whine and fought for his life before falling limp again.

The pain was too great for his system to handle.

Fen ran for the door to the cabin Frost shared with his husband.

It flew open a moment before Fen reached it.

Frost stood in the doorway. Riku had done all he could.

He vanished, returning to his bed. Riku didn’t have the strength to do anything else.

Pain suffocated him and made his body too heavy to carry.

The tears never stopped. He couldn’t force them away.

Riku was useless now. Broken. Maybe he couldn’t die, but he could refuse to live.

The gods might have cursed him with this, but they couldn’t make him continue on.

He had no idea how much time passed, but light streaked across the sky when the bed dipped again. A burned and half dead wolf crawled into bed with him.

“He wouldn’t stop fighting until we brought him back to you.” Frost stood by the bed, looking stern and uncertain of his welcome. “I’ll have to treat him here.”

Riku ran his fingers through Yuri’s fur in a spot that was untouched by burns. “Why?” The question came out sounding hoarse. It was the only word he could push past the pain.

I watched my pack tear my mom to pieces. She didn’t deserve it and there was nothing I could do. I wasn’t strong enough. You’re all I have. I won’t watch you die too.

The words brushed Riku’s mind, making him feel less alone. He could hear almost anyone’s thoughts anytime he wanted. This was different. Yuri had pushed his words into Riku’s head. He was the strength Riku didn’t have.

Frost worked on helping Yuri heal his wounds. “How did this happen?”

Riku motioned lifelessly toward the direction of the fire. “The fire.” That was all he had. He couldn’t do this .

Frost met his stare.

Riku’s vision blurred as more tears fell.

Frost’s hand lifted. He visibly hesitated before setting it on Riku’s arm. He immediately jumped away and bent at the waist, fighting to catch his breath.

Riku realized Frost had tried to take away his pain. He was mostly human, with some druid blood. Frost was a leopard’s mate and couldn’t die, but he also couldn’t endure what Riku could, and even Riku couldn’t bear this.

“Don’t do that again.”

Frost paced away, breathing heavily. Riku heard Frost’s mate, mentally panicking and begging Frost to tell him he was okay and what was wrong.

No doubt he had felt everything Frost had.

Frost tried reassuring him. He squared his shoulders and went back to helping Yuri.

Frost wouldn’t look at him. His mind closed to Riku in a way no one had ever accomplished.

The move shocked him enough to let him think clearly for a moment.

Frost was way more powerful than Riku had realized.

Celeste obviously hadn’t told him everything about the healer.

His confusion doubled as his touch healed the majority of the magical burns in a way even Riku hadn’t been able to do.

Unfortunately, not all of Yuri’s fur regrew.

He felt Yuri go limp with relief.

Frost gave a sharp nod and headed for the door without looking back.

The odd interaction cut through Riku’s pain in a way he couldn’t explain.

It was almost as if Frost was angry with him.

That gave him something else to focus on.

It gave him the tiniest reason to survive.

He clung to the mystery with every ounce he had left.

Riku had to hang on to something. Otherwise, he had no idea what he would do. There were hotter fires he could make.

Frost waited until he made it halfway down the mountain before pulling to the side of the road.

He climbed from his SUV and took a deep breath.

While he had no idea if Lucifer heard, he called to him.

He didn’t expect him to show. Lucifer was at no one’s beck and call.

He might do anything. Hell, Frost was probably insane for thinking Lucifer would even hear him.

Lucifer appeared. His eyes were terrifying. Everything about him was an alarm blaring. He was an injured and feral animal.

Frost closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around him.

Riku’s pain had nothing on Lucifer’s. Frost thought he might die.

His sanity felt ripped to shreds. He closed his mind to his mate to save him from this.

It took a moment, but Lucifer’s arms closed around him.

They shared an odd sort of bond. Lucifer had appeared in his life shortly after Frost had come to town.

For whatever reason, Frost felt a kinship.

He saw something good in him. Lucifer’s rage was the mask of pain. It saved him. The anger was all he had.

“He wouldn’t…”

Frost nodded against Lucifer’s wide chest. “I saw.”

“This is a goodbye.”

Frost nodded again. “I know.”

“Things here are too…”

“I know,” Frost repeated. Things were beyond complicated when it came to Lucifer.

He had been tortured for too long. Lucifer was beyond saving.

While he had moments of lucidity where he was in control, that wasn’t always true.

The longer he stayed here, the more danger the world was in.

He might do anything and not even recall what he had done.

Most of his mind was gone. Riku had filled in the blank spots, shoring him up, but now that was gone.

He had been rejected and there was so much hurt and anger on top of what he had already endured.

Frost felt it, even though he also felt Lucifer trying to temper it and save Frost.

Frost took a step back. He swiped at the tears that fell he couldn’t control. “I’m here. If you need me, just come to me.”