Chapter 38 — I have you

Mikhail:

Lukan and I are at the Sanctum, where the Macto Benficium Duellum Sanguis takes place. The Sanctum is sparse and sterile. There is no life here. Just endless floors of black polished marble surrounded by infinite darkness.

Lukan is standing across from me, holding a knife in his hand as he prepares to kill me. “Well, boy, it’s finally time for you to do what you should have done when you were born—die.” He aims the knife at my chest, ready to strike. However, before he can, I kick his hand and send the knife skidding across the floor.

He recuperates fast and kicks me in the stomach. I slump back on the floor but recover quickly and punch him in the face and elbow him in the gut. Crying in pain, Lukan falls to his knees and clutches his gut. I take advantage and knee him in the face, but he deflects my knee, twists my leg, and hits the back of my thigh with his fist. Excruciating pain reverberates through my body, and my teeth rattle. Using all the powers I have, I wrap my arms around his neck and throw him over my head. Lukan lands on his back, giving me the advantage. As quickly as I can, I twist back and punch him in the face. All of the anger inside of me dispels with every punch. Lukan cries out with every strike as blood spatters from his broken nose. Giving it one last-ditch effort, Lukan twists my hand back and snap my wrist. Agony radiates from my wrist and arm, and my vision blurs. I fall sideways, which gives Lukan the upper hand. I grit my teeth in hopes of stifling the pain while Lukan retrieves the knife and waves it beneath my nose menacingly.

“Do you think you can kill me, boy? Your father couldn’t do it. It was such a pleasure to cut him up to pieces. Your mother was such an easy kill. Did you know that she begged for your father’s life?”

A growl of rage escapes my lips as I try to struggle beneath his hold. Lukan slams my head against the floor with a maniacal laugh. “I really enjoyed your little mate. She has a beautiful set of…” He says, pulling the knife back to stab me in the stomach.

Pushing away, I punch him in the face. Lukan trips back with the knife in his fist.

“You will never touch her, you bastard!” I cry out.

Lukan spits blood out of his mouth with a roar. “I don’t see why I can’t since you let Azazel do it.” He sneers.

“How do you think she liked it? How do you handle knowing that your best friend has had her?”

I wipe the blood from my lip as I face the man who destroyed my family. However, his words don’t face me. I trust Azazel and Nevaeh.

“I don’t worry about it because I know that she loves me. Just as my mother loved my father. It must have burned you that she chose my father over your family. What did it feel like to learn that she was in love with a demon?”

I won’t pretend that it doesn’t gratify me to see his anger. It’s what he deserves after all of the damage he has done.

“She was a disgrace!” He cries out as he tackles me to the floor. Lifting his knife, he slashes me in the chest. Stinging pain burns through my skin as a bloody line forms in the center of my chest.

He stabs at me again, but this time I’m ready. I elbow him in the face and stomach as he moves in for the kill, but I turn quickly and avoid his strike. Grasping his wrist, I struggle to keep the knife away from my chest. Lukan pushes forward with all of his strength; the tip is nearly hairsbreadth from my throat. Jaw tight, I reach for it with my other hand, grab it by the handle, and twist it sideways to cut his throat. He looks at me in surprise as blood begins to gush down his neck. His eyes widen, and he stumbles back, covering his neck with his hand as he tries to stifle the flow. Unfortunately, it’s a hopeless effort. While he struggles to keep from bleeding out, I turn the knife and plunge it into his chest. His eyes dim, and his breath gurgles as his life drains away. As soon as I pull back, a light begins to glow around us, and a deafening whirl reaches my ears as I’m being transported out of the abyss. Time to go home.

Within seconds, I find myself back in my bedroom. Falling on one knee, I cover my bleeding chest and face my love. Nevaeh’s horrified gasp echoes across the room as she rushes toward me and wraps her arms around me. “Mikhail! You’re hurt! Please, help him.” She calls out hysterically. I want to reassure her, but the pain in my chest is nearly debilitating.

To my surprise, none other than the council head, Mathias Black, is kneeling before me. As gently as he can, he turns me over and places a hand over my wound. Nevaeh lays my head on her lap and coos gently. The pain instantly begins to recede beneath Mathias’ ministrations. Nevaeh kisses my cheek and caresses her hands through my hair as the wound begins to knit until the skin is completely healed.

Rising from my perch, I pull Nevaeh into my arms and face Mathias.

“Thank you, sir,” I mutter evenly.

Mathias gives me a reserved smile and mutters. “Well, I can’t let my daughter’s mate die on the floor, now can I?”

My eyes widen at his words. Doing a double-take, I look at Nevaeh.

For a moment, I wonder if they’re both going to laugh and tell me they’re kidding, but neither of them does. Instead, Nevaeh gives Mathias a shy smile.

“Daughter?” I ask, confused. “How long have I been gone?” Nevaeh and Mathias chuckled in reply. “Not long, babe…”

The door bursts open at that moment. Azazel, Alex, and my brothers rush in. Azazel places his arm around my shoulder with a snicker. “So, you survived, mate? That’s brilliant. I thought I was going to have to deal with these gits prattling all night.”

I shake my head with a bemused shrug. “Yeah, Lukan’s dead. I cut his throat and stabbed him in the heart.”

Mathias nods in concession. “Very well, I will call the Council guards and dispatch them to his home. Once they have his body in custody, we can put the Council back in order.”

He gives me a penetrating stare and pats my shoulder. “As for you, I will speak to the council and tell them that your mating has been approved.”

I give him a grateful smile.

Once I’ve recounted the fight, Mathias and the others give Nevaeh and me some privacy. Nevaeh and I lie in bed with our arms around each other. A sense of serenity overwhelms us as we contemplate our future together. There are no longer any obstacles standing between us. We can now be together without worrying that the Council will break us apart, and it’s all thanks to Mathias.

Nevaeh rests her head beneath my chin as she caresses her hand down my bare chest. I run my fingers through her silken hair and kiss the top of her hair as I listen to her tell me about her connections to Mathias. I won’t pretend that I’m not shocked by the news that Mathias is her father. The woman that I love, my mate, is the daughter of the most powerful angel in the Supernatural world. It’s mind-boggling.

Kissing her temple, I lift her chin and nip her bottom lip. “I love you,” I whisper.

Nevaeh deepens the kiss and wraps her arms around me with a pleasured sigh. Turning her over, I rest between her silken thighs and grind my chest against hers. Nevaeh’s legs wrap around mine as she slides her foot up and down my leg.

Rising to my knees, I remove her shirt and kiss my way down her neck. She looks so beautiful with her hair spread around the pillow and her body lying lazily beneath mine. Pulling her arms over her head, I nip the tendon in her neck and recapture her lower lip. Nevaeh mewls with bliss and moves her hands down until she reaches my boxers. Soon, our clothing is discarded, and our bodies are writhing on top of the plush mattress. We hold tight as our pleasure reaches its peak and savor the delicious aftershocks.

Breathing raggedly, I slide beside her and pull her into my arms. Nevaeh kisses my jaw and whispers huskily. “I love you so much, Mikhail.”

My heart leaps with satisfaction as I pull her closer. “I love you too, princess.”