Chapter 17 - Ours
Valentina:
I smile slyly as Michael removes my clothing and pushes me onto the bed until I’m laying bare beneath him. He looks at my curves with wonder as he slides his hand down my chest, stomach and legs. “You are so belle. I can look at you all day.”
I lift his shirt up and gesture for him to remove it. “Please, I need you now,”
Without a word, he removes his clothing and crawls up my body, grazing my nipples with his hard chest. Reaching down, he lifts my leg over his hip and angles his head to suckle my nipples. Gasps of pleasure escape my lips as his tongue swirls around each areola until my nipples are painfully stiff.
I moan, clinging to his muscled arms as he moves from one to the other. My whole body is trembling with excitement. His hands slide down my bare chest, teasing my tummy until he finds my wet folds.
Oh, God. I think as he moves lower. His stubble teases my skin, sending tingles across my body. I bite my lips as his soft lips kiss their way down my pelvis and thighs. His hands spread my legs open and kiss each thigh before his lips move to my swollen folds, and his tongue swipes my clit.
“Oh, yes, Michael,” I cry out as he drags his tongue across my sheathe and pistons it inside before he moves up and swirls it across my swollen clit.
I love the way his powerful back arches and strains beneath my hands as I rub them across his tight skin and slide my fingers through his silken hair. Eyes shut tightly, I arch my back and grind my molten center against him until I see stars. Michael continues to slide his tongue against my aching bud and swirls it in a sensual rhythm until my body stiffens and waves of pleasure overwhelm me. Mewls and cries escape my lips as my walls quiver, and my body writhes against the bed. He doesn’t stop until I have wrung every bit of pleasure from my orgasm.
Once I’m spent, Michael pulls away and moves back over me. I eagerly accept his body, pulling him down until our lips have meshed together. I find myself feeling naughty as I taste myself on his lips and tighten my arms around him, savoring the feeling. Michael growls at my unrestrained response and lifts my hips close until his swollen tip is easing into my sheath. Breathing harshly, he glances down and wraps his fist around his hard cock, easing into me gently. My breath catches as he stretches my walls, but it doesn’t hurt. Instead, hot pleasure begins to pulsate through me until he’s fully seated inside of me.
“Are you alright, mon petit?” He asks his decadent french accent, making my toes curl further.
“Don’t stop,” I huskily reply as my eyes roll to the back of my head. Our lips search as he pulls out and slides back in. Groans and moans permeate the room as he establishes a pleasurable rhythm. Michael gasps and drops his lips to mine, his muscular chest straining with relentless power as his hips rock back and forth. I cling tightly to his powerful shoulders, my body melting as renewed bliss begins to spike inside of me. The feel of this powerful man plunging into my depths is like nothing that I’ve ever felt before. My legs tighten, and eager whimpers escape my lips as I strain against his thrusts. For over an hour, his powerful body coils and thrusts inside of me until we both cry out with unrestrained ecstasy.
My neck tingles, but I barely notice over the thundering of my heart. Our sweat - slicked chests heave and shudder as we both lie beside each other.
After several minutes, Michael turns to me and pulls me into the haven of his arms. “That was incrdible, chérie.”
“You were perfect.” I tuck my head beneath his chin and sigh contentedly, “Mmm, this is nice…” I manage to mumble as my thoughts begin to become clearer.
His chest rumbles with laughter at my dazed tone. Reaching down, Michael takes my chin between his fingers and lifts it until I’m looking at him. His emerald eyes glitter with an array of emotions as he lays a gentle kiss on my temple and snuggles close to me. “Sleep, mon petit. We will speak more when we are more energized.”
Lifting my leg over his hip, I rest my head beneath his chin and close my eyes.
As soon as I fall asleep, I find myself in a room filled with bright lights. My back aches painfully, and my eyes burn. Blinking my eyes, I stumble around like a newborn baby and gasp when I see that there’s a large glowing form standing before me.
“My child, you have awakened. Stand tall and see your magnificence. I look around warily and cry out when something drags me back. Glancing behind me, I gasp when I see a pair of large wings attached to my back. My shoulders slump from the weight of my wings, and my vision blurs. “Where…where am I?” I mutter weakly.
The form moves closer, its heat blazing across my skin in powerful waves until the pain and weakness fade from my body. Straightening my spine, I stand steadily and face the being. “Who are you?”
The being levitates back and bows its head, “I am the ultimate creator of the world. I am your creator, and you are one of my greatest weapons, my little angel.”
I swallow my fears trying to recall how I got here, but I remember nothing beyond awakening moments ago.
“I…I don’t understand,” I mumble fearfully. Something about the being’s words makes trepidation spread through my mind. I might not remember anything, but I can tell that whatever this being wants will not be a positive experience for me.
Jaw tight, I wait for it to speak.
The being weaves around me, circling my body until it’s standing in front of me again, “It is time for you to go, my child. But we will see each other again when it’s time to recreate the world.”
Before I can ask what it means, my body grows painfully cold, and my limbs begin to fade and vanish until darkness overwhelms all of my senses.
I sit up from the bed, my body drenched in sweat, and look down at my body, relieved to find that my limbs are all where they are supposed to be.
Breathing harshly, I inhale in and out until my breathing steadies. Though I am still shaky, I manage to gain control of my fear and lie back on the bed.
The light beyond the window is still shadowy outside, which means it’s still very early in the morning. That’s when I become aware that I’m lying beside a powerful male body. A smile curves across my lips when I realize that I’m lying in Michael’s arms. Glancing down with amazement, I take in his toned chest, muscled arms and carved abs.
His body is still, and his eyes are closed, but oddly enough, he doesn’t seem relaxed. His brow is pinched, and his jaw is locked tightly. He reminds me of a sculpture that I once saw at a museum of a warrior in repose. Fortunately, the way he looks in his sleep is not detrimental to his ethereal beauty. If anything, his brooding demeanor makes him look hotter.
Still feeling unsteady, I rise from the bed, slip on Michael’s shirt and go to the restroom. As soon as I close the door, my body vibrates, and my back starts to burn. When the pain becomes unbearable, I lean my palms against the counter and release an agonizing hiss. Then, just as I’m going to call out for help, a light bursts inside of my chest, and my vision wavers until I lose consciousness.
Lights dance in front of my eyes as I come awake. Rising up, I cry out when something pushes me back on the ground. Jaw tight, I slump back and take a couple of calming breaths. For a moment, I consider that I might still be dreaming, but as I look at my hands and touch my hair, I can see and feel everything clearly. When I dream, things are usually hazy. Still feeling unsure, I pinch my arm and wince with pain. Yep, I’m definitely not dreaming.
As soon as I get my bearings, I try to rise up again and end up falling back down again. Glancing behind me, I gasp when I see why I cannot move. Like in my dream, I have large downy wings on my back. Rolling over, I get up on my knees and unsteadily rise from the ground. The floor shakes beneath me, making the walls quiver, and dust rain down on me.
Shock reverberates through my body as I take in my surroundings. I’m in some kind of ancient chamber with stone walls and sand - covered floors. My body is jostled as the tremors grow stronger until they eventually begin to recede.
Moving forward, I roll my shoulders to steady my wings and stop when I see familiar torches and a large circular protrusion on the ground. As soon as I see the markings carved on the protrusion, memories of another time and place begin to sail through my mind. All of those nightmares that I’ve been having lately become clearer. Now I know I’m one of the females in armor. I also remember our fight and the pain of having my angelic identity stripped from me. My eyes blur, and my stomach churns with dread as I experience memories of horrific things I did when I was a horseman. I also realize that the protrusion is not a marking, but a seal─the Creator’s seal, to be precise.
Once the memories come to a halt, I move away from the seal and almost jump out of my skin when a small figure appears before me. The girl has long dark hair and blue eyes with skin the color of rich chocolate. I look around, confused because a child is standing inside a locked crypt, but I quickly recover when I see the power radiating from her eyes. This is definitely not a defenseless child that I’m facing. “Who are you?” I ask warily.
The little girl gives me a warm smile and bows her head respectfully, “Valentina Ariza, Horseman of War and Archangel of Heaven, I am Clotho, the Moirai, the Weaver of fate. I have been expecting you.”
I take a step back and bite my lip, unsure if I should run or fight. The girl, Clotho, tilts her head as if reading my mind and holds her palms up as a sign of peace. “I am not here to hurt you, Valentina, Archangel and Horseman of War,” she states evenly, “I am here only to speak.”
“Alright, okay, sorry…it’s just a little weird to wake up to…” I wave my hand in front of me and toward my wings, “…this. Can you tell me where we are?” I ask, confused.
Clotho waves her hand around us, “We are at the end of the beginning. We are deep in the center of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, Valentina Ariza, Horseman of War and Archangel of Heaven.”
I glance and look back at Clotho, “Please just call me Valentina.”
Clotho nods in understanding, “Of course, Valentina. You are as gracious as your mate, Michael, Archangel and protector of heaven.”
“So, Michael is my mate, and I really am an archangel? But Michael said that a powerful spell indicated that his mate died.” my heart stutters with surprise as Clotho confirms what I have suspected since Michael told me of the four horsemen.
Clotho nods, “Michael did not lie. What he learned from the spell was somewhat true. When Lana siphoned your horsemen powers, they were swept into the seal along with the Creator. However, your human shell returned to its previous state, and your angelic abilities lay dormant until you and your mate carnally united. Michael has been waiting a long time for you, Valentina. And now that you are reunited, you have set the wheels to turn for your sisters' resurrections as well.”
My brow furrows, “Who are my sisters?”
Clotho bows her head in affirmation, “That is for them to discover. Their destined reawakenings are not entwined with yours.”
“What do you mean?” I retort defensively.
Thankfully, Clotho does not seem offended by my threatening tone. If anything, she seems amused and proud, “It is clear to see that you are very brave. But there is no need to be concerned. What I meant by my comment is that your sisters will need to learn about their destinies on their own, and until then, you will not be reunited. “
“But why can’t you tell me who they are?” I mutter mournfully.
Clotho’s lip quirks, “Do not despair, Valentina. They will reveal themselves soon. Though their journeys will be filled with trials, your sisters will have their mates to guide them along the way. However, for your sisters to succeed, you must fulfill your own destiny. Just as you found your way, they will find their own. Do you understand?”
I nod, though I am not content with the thought of not knowing who these other females are.
Clotho moves forward and kindly takes my hand in hers, “As I guided your love and his brothers, I will be there to steer your sisters in the right direction until they find their happiness and you are reunited again.”
I squeeze a tiny hand and give her a slight bow. “Thank you, Clotho.”
As soon as Clotho releases my hand, the world fades, and I find myself back in Michael’s bathroom. I would think I was dreaming at that moment if it wasn’t for the fact that my eyes are glowing and my wings are standing proudly behind me.
Closing my eyes, I make my wings recede and push back my power until I’m looking like my human self again. I just need a moment to adjust to my new reality, and I can’t do it while I’m distracted by my wings.
Once I’ve calmed down from my experience, I walk back out of the bathroom and gaze down at Michael─my mate.
All of these emotions swirl through my mind as I watch him sleep. Yet, seeing his pain over losing his mate─me─has somehow cooled all of the misplaced anger I held toward him when I was a horseman.
Moving forward, I slide my hand up to his muscular chest and straddle his waist, the shirt falling around my hips and thighs. Michael’s eyes slowly open and gaze upon mine with desire. A comfortable sigh escapes his lips, and his lips tilt up as he takes in my position. “You’re so belle,” he mutters huskily.
“Good morning,” I whisper huskily.
Smiling, Michael sits up and wraps his arms around my waist. “Bonjour, mon coeur. How are you feeling?”
As I look into his sincere eyes, I feel this strong sense of completion. I just discovered that Michael is my mate, and nothing has ever felt so right. I am where I am meant to be because fate brought us together, and I’m okay with that. All I have to do is tell him and let the cards fall where they may. I smile and nip his bottom lip, “I have something I have to tell you,” I whisper.
Michael kisses me back and whispers, “What is it, chérie?”
Before I can respond, a voice interrupts our moment. “Well, this is not what I expecting to find when I decided to flash here,” A crips British voice states slyly.
Eyes wide, I sit beside Michael and face the towering male standing at the end of the bed. The man is stunning with dark hair, ebony eyes, classically rugged features and a muscular frame beneath his leather jacket, black jeans and black henley.
“Merde, Que fais - tu ici, Lucifer?” Shit, what are you doing here, Lucifer? Michael covers himself with a sheet and growls.
My eyes widen at the name. Holy shit, the devil─king of hell is standing in front of me glaring at my mate. How crazy is this?
Lucifer crosses his arms in front of his chest, uncaring of our state of mid - dress, and gives me a sly grin before he answers his brother, “In my defense, I did call you, but you were not answering your mobile, you git. But, of course, if I had known the reason you weren’t answering was that you were shagging a beautiful bird, I would not have come,” his gaze meets mine, “Hello, luv. I’m Michael’s brother, Lucifer. Sorry to disturb your little love nest, but I really need to chat with my brother. So, if you could please sod off,”
To my consternation, he makes sweeping movements with his hands.
Michael moves closer to me and gives his brother a killing glare, “Arrête ça, Lucifer,” Stop that, Lucifer, “Valentina knows what we are and who we really are.”
Lucifer’s eyes narrow, “You know that humans cannot know about our existence, don’t you, brother?”
Michael rolls his eyes and rises to stand in front of his brother, “Valentina had no choice in the matter when one of her friends was bitten by a Naga, and she was nearly taken by a sect of the Hand of God.”
Lucifer’s expression darkens with rage, “Bloody hell, your friend is the female that Gabriel is unhappily protecting in my fortress.”
Michael nods, “Oui, he had to take her somewhere the Nagas wouldn’t find her.”
“So, he said,” he snorts, “By the way, how did you convince Gabriel to care for the human? The git has never been the altruistic type. I would have thought he’d tell you to wank off.”
Michael points his finger toward me and snickers, “I did not convince him of anything. Valentina challenged his abilities by pricking at his pride, and Gabriel had no choice but to pick up the gauntlet.”
Lucifer smirks, “That sod has always been too easy to rile up.”
“Just why are you here, Lucifer?” Michael asks steadily.
Lucifer arches a brow and takes a seat beside me, “I’m here because I just got the news that there was an earthquake in Jerusalem─the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, to be exact.”
My throat tightens, and my heart begins to pound hard in my chest. The earthquake happened after I changed into my angelic form. I want to say something at that moment, but something stops me. I definitely do not want to tell Michael what I learned with Lucifer hovering over us. Plus, I don’t know how it will affect my friends’ future. Clotho told me not to interfere, and I’m not sure if this would count as interfering. Plus, it seems Michael has enough to worry about at the moment.
Michael’s expression becomes apprehensive, “Merde, do you think Le Créateur’s seal was broken?”
Lucifer shakes his head, “No, thankfully, there was no indication that anyone tampered with it. However, we should definitely be more alert. Another thing I wanted to say is I am worried about Rafael. I tried calling him yesterday, and he never answered his mobile. Have you spoken to him?”
Michael nods, “He met with us several nights ago when we asked him about the Hand of God,” he reaches for his cell phone and frowns. “He texted me twice after that, but I didn’t hear from him last night either,” with those last words, he dials his brother’s number. Lucifer and I sit silently while he waits for a response. After a moment, Michael disconnects the call and shakes his head, “He is not answering.”
Lucifer slides his fingers through his hair and puffs out a breath. “This is not good, brother. Rafael always answers his mobile when we call,” he nudges my shoulder and says to me in a conspirational manner, “Rafael is an extremely responsible sod. That’s why we made him the new Creator.”
Michael nods, “Oui, he is. But he’s not the only one of us who is responsible. Either way, we cannot panic since he has only been missing for a day. For all we know, he’s bien, and we are worrying for nothing.”
Lucifer shrugs his shoulders, “Alright, but if you hear from him first, call me, and tell the git; he had me worried. I have to say, this constant fretting over all of you is becoming quite vexing,” he pouts grumpily.
Michael’s lip quirks with amusement, “Now you know how I felt when I had to care for you all when we were in heaven.”
Lucifer snorts derisively, “It’s bloody inconvenient, is what it is. Perhaps I should send all of you tossers back to heaven.”
“You say that frère, but you know you’d miss us.”
I stifle a giggle when Lucifer holds his palms up and goes on a tangent, “I just realized that the bleeding Creator did me a favor by sending me to hell because there were no brothers there to haunt me. Now I understand the brilliant tosser’s plans. He played the long game, and now, my punishment is to care for my brothers on earth. Oh, and let’s not forget my mate. That beautiful pain in my arse is already giving me grey hair.”
Michael rolls his eyes at his brother's antics and snaps his fingers in front of Lucifer’s nose, gaining his attention. “That’s enough of that, frère. Why don’t you go home to your mate now?”
Lucifer shrugs, “Oh, sod off, you git. You know you love having me here.” He elbows me in the elbow, “I don’t see why you fancy my brother, luv. He’s not the brightest bulb in the box, yeah?”
Michael’s lips turn up into a droll stare, “Are you done?”
Lucifer takes a step back and laughs, “Well, I never,” he sniffs playfully, “Since you do not appreciate my company, I will bugger off then.’
Before he leaves, he gives Michael a big smile and retorts, “Oh, by the way, good job finding a female to shag. I was starting to think your dobber didn’t work anymore.”
I laugh out loud this time. It’s funny to see such legendary brothers banter like children. It’s also nice to see all of the love they hold for each other.
Sighing with exasperation, Michael gives Lucifer the finger and retorts, “Va te faire foutre, Lucifer.” Kiss my ass, Lucifer.
Lucifer laughs again and vanishes out of the room.
“Is he always like this?” I ask.
“Non,” Michael replies drolly, “he’s usually worse.”
Lying back on the bed, I bend my knees and snicker, “It’s crazy to see the most infamous fallen angel in history and three of the most legendary biblical archangels banter and childishly rib each other. I can tell you’re close, though.”
Michael lies beside me and pulls me into his arms, “Lucifer and I were the best of friends when we were in heaven. I loved him dearly, but he could be difficult. Le Créateur didn’t make it easy by constantly criticizing and creating a rivalry between us until we could barely tolerate living in the same space. I was so angry when Lucifer chose to fall. For thousands of years, we didn’t speak,” he shrugs, “Not even after my own fall. It was only when we discovered Lana's existence that we reconciled.”
Sliding an arm around his waist, I rest my head on his shoulder and smile, “It must have been nice. Who’s the oldest?”
Michel looks at the ceiling thoughtfully, “Lucifer and I were created first, and Rafael and Gabriel after.”
My brow furrows, “So, you’re like twins,”
Michael chuckles, “Non, I wouldn’t say that since we were not born but created as full adults.”
I think about all of the brothers and their personal appearances. Though they are sinfully handsome, they look nothing alike. Michael has brown hair, green eyes and olive skin, Lucifer has black hair, dark eyes and pale skin, Rafael had almost colored skin, dark brown eyes and dark hair, and Gabriel had pale skin, light blond hair and ebony eyes. Yet, you can see the deep respect and love that they hold for each other.
Wrapping his arms around me, Michael groans with pleasure. Sliding up, I kiss his lips and grind my body against his. “We still have time before the sun goes down. Do you have any idea what we should do until then?”
His hand slides down my back until he’s enfolding my rear against his large palms, “I can think of a few things, Chérie.”
I rub my nose and lips against his sensually and nip his chin, “Like what?” I whisper sensually.
Michael’s smile grows bold as he flips me on my back and crushes his lips against mine. This is definitely a good way to spend the day.