Angel Kin

His Guardian Angels 3

Angel Kin Still reeling from the near-fatal car crash that rocked their world only a week previously, Madigan and his guardians are struggling to come to terms with the very real possibility of death that the hunters promise. They team up with a fallen angel and his two lovers in order to make it to sanctuary and a place of safety so that all of them can recover from the mental and physical stress that this conflict with the hunters has caused. The newly formed family is threatening to fracture under the pressure, and it will take all of them together to come to a place where happily ever after is within their reach. Note: This book contains double anal penetration. Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Fantasy, Ménage a Trois/Quatre Length: 35,455 words

ANGEL KIN His Guardian Angels 3

Jana Downs

LOVEXTREME FOREVER MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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ANGEL KIN Copyright © 2012 by Jana Downs E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-749-7 First E-book Publication: June 2012 Cover design by Les Byerley All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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ANGEL KIN His Guardian Angels 3 JANA DOWNS Copyright © 2012

Chapter One Yuri had never known pain like this. It wasn’t just the physical ache and the disfigurement that made him in pain. It was the bonedeep knowing that his family was still not safe. He sighed from his position on his stomach and groaned as his wing extended too far and pain shot down his wings and spine to lodge in his back. This pain never seemed to end. Being immobile had never been an easy thing for him. Being incapacitated was fucking killing him. The urge to go out and take out any of the hunters in the area was one that was hard as hell to resist. If he had been able, he would have been out the door and hunting the fuckers down one by one. They’d nearly killed them a week ago by wrecking their car and attacking them after the guardians were injured. All of the hunters needed to die. “Yuri, you’re thinking too much again.” Madigan’s voice was a welcome distraction from the black hate that was welling inside him like a tar pit. Yuri raised his head and watched Madigan waltz through the door with Dex right on his heels. The biggest angel of the bunch had a tray of something delicious-smelling in his arms while Madigan carried what Yuri had deemed his “nursing bucket” in his. He gritted his teeth with the knowledge that Madigan was going to be changing

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his bandages again. As much as he appreciated Madigan’s care, it hurt so fucking much. “At least he’s been resting as instructed,” Dex murmured, coming to kneel beside the bed after sliding the tray onto the cleared nightstand. Yuri hissed as he pulled back some of the bandages and took a look at his still knitting bones. “Those wounds aren’t healing as quickly as they should.” “Thank you, Captain Oblivious. I kind of understood that already,” Yuri snapped before he thought better of it. A hand on his shoulder stopped another snarl from issuing from his lips. He looked up and saw his Madigan staring down on him with a hard look in his eyes. “Don’t be a dick, Yuri,” he said, peeling back another of the bandages. He was getting fairly efficient at stripping them off and reapplying the gauze. Thank god they didn’t have to worry about infection. His other lover, Cross, the lucky bastard, may have died during the attack, but the resurrection and healing Madigan and Bren had performed on him had certainly sped up his healing processes. He was already out of bed and walking around the house with a fair degree of mobility. Yuri’s wings, for whatever reason, just wouldn’t heal properly. Again, it wasn’t his injuries that were the main reason for his ire. Night after night he lay in Madigan’s old room in a double bed all by himself while the cries of completion sounded from the other room. When he asked, one or more of his men would come lie beside him or on the floor, but they thought it was more uncomfortable for him if they were crowding him in the bed. He’d been an angel for nearly tenthousand years and had never had issues sleeping alone. Now it was killing him. “What’s wrong, baby?” Madigan asked, his green eyes taking in Yuri’s brooding expression with the same kind understanding that made Yuri believe he could read their souls.

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He sighed. “I hurt, Madi. All the fucking time, I hurt.” He took a deep breath, and his gaze flicked to Dex before hitting the mattress and its white sheets. “And I’m lonely.” Dex’s large hands petted his head thoughtfully, and Yuri found himself relaxing into the touch. Gabriel’s angel was certainly the most gentle out of the bunch. The quality was completely unexpected in a man big enough to bench press a VW Bug. “One of us will stay with you from now until you heal.” Dex made the offer in the same calm tones that he made about nearly everything. Shame speared Yuri. God, he was so selfish to want this of them. They should all be in bed with Madigan where they belonged, not out here babysitting him just because he had a few booboos. I’m pathetic. He didn’t belong here. Never had. He was Johnnycome-lately, and everyone else had already taken up residence in this relationship. Even if they’d only had a day’s lead on him, somehow, they seemed ever so much closer to one another than to him. “Stop thinking that shit,” Madigan snapped, thumping his lower back with some surprisingly strong fingers. “It’s always the same thing with you, Yuri! I thought the crash had finally gotten through that thick skull, but apparently a week’s worth of moping in bed sent you right back into this mind-set. We love you. We want to be with you. We want to take care of you. Nobody is going to toss you out of bed just because you’re injured!” “I know that logically!” Yuri shouted, pushing up on his elbows like he wanted to sit up only to groan and curse as pain lacerated him once again. “I want to feel good again, I want to lie beside you and reaffirm that you love me, I want so fucking much not to be an insecure, weak, pathetic—” “Shut the hell up, Yuri! You are none of those things!” Dex’s booming voice cut him off midsentence, and then his strong hands gripped Yuri’s arms and dragged him upward so that they were faceto-face. Yuri screamed at the untold agony that shot down his back in pulses of wicked sensation.

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“You look at me!” Dex rumbled, his face inches from Yuri’s. “You are going to get through this, and you are going to be okay. I will not let you lie here, feeling sorry for yourself because you’re not in the other room with us.” “I feel so fucking empty without you.” Yuri knew he sounded like a pitiful mess as his words ended in a sob. “I miss you so much.” It struck him that it was the distance that he hated most about all of this. His men were enjoying one another, and he was stuck in a sickbed. “I’m scared I’m going to miss something.” His words were whispers, and he raised his eyes from an in-depth study of Dex’s chin to see the bigger angel’s eyes glittering with emotion. “We are with you always, Yuri. This is new, but it is strong. We’ve already been through much together. Don’t doubt us, lover.” Dex ended the sentence with a perfect kiss that Yuri fell into with a sigh of contentment. He’d always been cerebral. The depth and strength of his emotions made him feel out of control. Couple that with his physical health recently, and he was an insecure mess. Gently, Dex put Yuri back onto the bed so Madigan could continue tending him. With a great deal of fussing, Madigan finally managed to get the rest of the bandages off, salve on, and more bandages in their place. Yuri sighed as he finished, a little sick to his stomach from all the little bits of pain that had been issued over the course of the nursing. “You need to keep your strength up, Yuri,” Madigan reminded as Dex uncovered the still-piping-hot pastries Madigan had no doubt baked this morning. They were raspberry tarts with icing, his favorites. Still, his stomach protested even the smell. “I should’ve eaten first. I can’t now. It’ll make me sick.” He stared at the pastries longingly. If only his stupid body would cooperate with him. Dex and Madigan shared a look, and Yuri rolled his eyes. “I’m not trying to pitch a fit, guys. I just can’t eat right now. Why don’t you leave them here? I may be able to eat later, but right now, there is no way.”

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Madigan leaned forward and kissed his lips. Yuri couldn’t help the noise of need that escaped when he did it. His littlest lover was the clasp that held them all together. Touching him was always a nearreligious experience. Yuri opened his mouth at the eager, almost dominant, thrust of Madigan’s tongue as it sought entrance into the cavern of his mouth. Their tongues danced in a frantic mimicry of sex, and Yuri’s weary body couldn’t help but to respond to Madigan’s desires. He hardened against the mattress, the thin layer of his boxers scant protection against the sheet-covered furniture. “Madigan, baby, stop.” Yuri groaned. “You’re just getting me worked up, and I can’t do anything about it.” And he couldn’t. God knew he had tried. The pain usually stopped him even from having a good wank when he really needed it. His cock may have gotten used to having sex several times a day with a sexy nephilim and the guardian angels who watched over him, but his back and wings in their current state were the biggest cock blocks known to man. He was probably going to die of blue balls before he died of anything else. “Sorry.” Madigan was panting slightly, his bulge clearly outlined in the black lounge pants he had on. The scent of sex and nephilim filled the air, beckoning Yuri to give sex a try. He moved experimentally, trying to roll somewhat onto his side so that he could maybe have a chance to— Yuri shouted as pain fired through his right side, forcing him back to his stomach. “Motherfucker!” he cursed, rage blinding him. He wanted to tear something apart! Madigan’s hands cupped his cheeks, forcing his attention from his own impotence to his lover. “You are going to get better because I want you inside me, Yuriel. I want you to fuck me through the mattress, and I want you stretched by Dex when it happens. I’m going to have him run his hands all over your wings and have you come so hard you’ll see stars. I’ll even throw in a free peep show by having Michel between a Cross and Bren sandwich for you to look at. It’ll be

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worth the wait, but you need to concentrate on getting better and less on what you can’t do right this second. Okay?” Yuri took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.” Their lips met once more, a chaste kiss this time. Madigan released him and sat on the bed beside him, picking up one of the pastries as he did so. “You want to try and eat for me?” “Do I have to?” “Yes,” Madigan and Dex answered in unison. There was no winning with the two of them. Reluctantly, Yuri opened his mouth for a bite. The first taste was pure heaven as always, and it seemed his rioting stomach had calmed down after Yuri had gotten his kiss from Madigan. Madi was a great baker, and he spoiled his angels rotten with the sweet treats he made almost daily. Madigan had made it a point to make their favorites on a rotating basis so that each night, one of the guardians got to choose what the sweet treat of the day would be. “Do you think that it would be possible for me to do what I did to Cross to Yuri?” Madigan asked Dex as he fed Yuri out of his hand. Yuri didn’t mind. He rather enjoyed having Madigan pamper him a little. It was the favorite part of his God-forsakenly boring day. “You are a son of Raphael. It is more than possible, Madigan. It is probably in your skill set to be a healer. I wouldn’t doubt for a second that you could heal him. However, the powers are unpredictable because you haven’t matured fully as an angel. Once you have, you’ll be able to call that sort of power at will. Over the next year, an entire new world of possibilities is going to be opening up for you. You’ll see and experience things that you never thought were possible. More to the point, you’ll get your first set of wings, which is always exciting,” Dex said with a smile in his voice, obviously recalling his own forays into angelic maturity.

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“I’m really going to get wings?” Madigan asked. Yuri could practically see the excitement thrumming through the other man. He almost bounced with the force of it. “Of course,” Yuri answered before Dex. “You’ll probably have the same color wings as your father. They’re really lovely.” He looked at Dex and winked. “And we’ll have to get you some ink to put on your back so that you’ll be able to put them away and remain in the human world.” He opened his mouth and received another chunk of pastry. “Wait until you start flying with us, baby. The wind in your face and dancing with your lover in the sky is the most exhilarating experience an angel can wish for. It’ll be so much fun when you’re able to come along with us.” If I can still fly. Yuri’s thought sent him spiraling back into a glum mood. The way and manner in which he was healing was calling into question whether or not it would ever happen. Wings were delicate things by nature, so it could be entirely possible that he would never fly again. Madigan’s fingers brought another piece to his lips, and Yuri declined it. Madigan frowned. “I won’t fly until you do, Yuri. We’ll fly together.” Stunned, Yuri looked up. Madigan would give up flying for him? Why would he do that? Because he loves you, stupid. That was the only real explanation. He was such a dumbass for even going there in his head. It had to be this constant state of purgatory that had him going so nutty. Yuri smiled for the first time today. “Aw, baby. I wouldn’t dream of taking that away from you, but thank you for offering. If nothing else, I want to watch you dance with the others in the sky. You guys can put on aerial shows for me. What do you say?” Madigan returned his grin and winked. “I can do that, Yuri. Promise me that you’ll stop being so glum? I want you to be happy.” “I’ll try, Madigan. I really will.” Yuri made the promise with a firm pledge to both himself and Madigan to make sure it happened. His lovers didn’t need his weakness, they needed his strength, and

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that meant him getting his head out of his own ass and being the sort of lover that they could be proud to have. “So, are the three refugees still here?” he asked, changing the subject to dispel some of the lingering tension and worry from the air. Dex nodded. “Yes. Madigan and his mother granted them sanctuary. They are aware that until we are at full strength it would be nearly impossible for us to accompany them on their journey from this town to the safe place mentioned. They’ve delayed their wedding ceremony for another couple weeks to give us time to shore up strength.” “I’m surprised they’re still keen on marriage,” Yuri admitted. He reached for the cup of milk sitting on the tray but couldn’t quite reach it. Madigan anticipated him and handed him the cup without missing a beat. He winked at his lover before continuing. “It just doesn’t make sense why they are so determined to have a formal ceremony and invite everyone to it like that. It’s a tremendous security risk, even in sanctuary.” “It’s not such a bizarre thing, Yuri.” Madigan’s voice was quiet as he spoke. “They want to show everyone what they mean to one another. It’s that additional affirmation that makes it clear to everyone that they are committed to one another in a way that transcends mortality. I know the words are ‘till death do you part,’ but the idea is deeper than that. It means that not only do they want to spend the rest of their lives together but they hope to spend the rest of eternity together. A sort of ‘see you on the other side’ pledge that is said before a room full of witnesses.” He flicked invisible lint off his pants. “There is nothing wrong with wanting that. Nothing wrong at all.” Yuri and Dex stared at him. Was that a subtle hint from Madigan that he wanted a sort of ceremony like that? The idea that Madigan wanted to marry them before witnesses made a thrill go off in Yuri’s chest. It was one step closer to the sort of relationship Yuri had wanted to have with Madigan and the other guardians since

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committing to the bonding ceremony to begin with. While Madigan had been reluctant to tell his mother about his relationship with the five other men, it seemed he was warming up to the idea quickly. Apparently, a near-death experience was enough to let him see that his guardians were there for the long haul. Yuri considered offering to speak to the others about having a ceremony of their own when they got to sanctuary but thought better of it. It would be better to discuss it with them in private. That way they could come at the possibility as a cohesive unit, the way they worked best. Dex nodded his head almost imperceptibly as if he understood and agreed with Yuri’s thought. “Madigan, would you go fetch Yuri’s book from the angel room? I forgot it down there when I was going through the mail earlier,” Dex said, giving Madigan a sheepish smile that showed off his dimples. Madigan gave Yuri one last kiss and stood. “Sure.” Yuri perked up. “I got my books from Amazon? About damn time. I’ve been waiting ages.” “That’s what you get for choosing standard shipping. You know how fast you read, Yuri. When you have only two books left and it takes five days to get a book, you know you’re going to run out.” Madigan chuckled. “When are you going to watch TV like the rest of us to alleviate boredom?” “When are you going to get ESPN and ESPN 2 in this bedroom?” Yuri shot back. Dex laughed. “Leave it up to Yuri to be addicted to two things, human sports channels and bizarre books.” “Psh, whatever, Dexirus. My books are not bizarre. I have very eclectic tastes,” Yuri protested, flipping off the bigger angel as he took his place on the bed beside him. “One day I will force you to get an e-reader and stop cluttering up the house with your half ton of books. Honestly, why would you read books on things like the Atlanta race riots? You were there.”

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“I like to see how the humans interpret their own history.” “Writing down notes in the margins about how wrong they are accomplishes nothing.” “Neither does watching the My Cat from Hell on Animal Planet, or Tanked, but you do with a curious frequency.” Dex snorted. “It’s educational.” “Riiiiiight…If we had a cat from hell, I’d be inclined to agree with you. However, since we are currently pet-less…” “We have a kitten, thank you very much. Miss Kitty is a little fluff ball from hell. Wait until you meet her.” “That isn’t even our cat! It belongs to the three additions we’ve apparently adopted.” “Doesn’t matter. It counts. It lives here with us for the time being.” “Doesn’t count.” “Does, too.” “Does not!” Madigan just laughed at the pair of them. “I’ll be right back.” He turned on his heels and disappeared out the doorway and into the hall. Dex turned toward Yuri, a serious look replacing the joking one that had been on his face the moment before. He’d obviously wanted to put Madigan at ease before sending him from the room. The fierce protectiveness Dex felt toward the smaller man made Yuri happy. He loved how his men loved each other. “Madigan loves you very much,” Dex said. “I know,” Yuri said, firm in the belief for the first time. “Sometimes I just forget that.” He sighed, leaning his head down on Dex’s thigh. “How is everyone?” Dex gave a shrug. “Cross is getting better. His strength still isn’t where it needs to be for travel. Bren has taken over a lot of his responsibilities as far as guard shifts go. Michel is worrying himself sick over everyone and still hissing in the three refugees’ direction every time they walk into a room, but they’ve actually been quite

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helpful. The green-winged Fallen has been slipping in and out of the house for supplies since the rest of us are so clearly targets. Madigan seems to have really bonded with the other nephilim and his lover. I think their human sides have given them something to relate to.” “Are we still planning on leaving for the sanctuary town? I know that was the plan the last time I spoke to Cross, but I wasn’t sure if we were going ahead with that, all things considered.” He’d spoken surprisingly little to his lovers in the week since his injury. The first few days he’d slept constantly, and now that he was more aware, it seemed that they were busy making plans and didn’t have quite enough time to keep him updated. It was frustrating to say the least. Dex nodded. “That is still the plan so far as I know. Madigan’s father had that SUV that Cross requested delivered yesterday. The plan is to have two guardians and the nephilims with our belongings in the car while the rest of us fly overhead and keep an eye on things. We’re going midday, hopefully when the hunters will be reluctant to draw attention to themselves. We should arrive within a few hours, request sanctuary from the town’s council, and then go to the residence that Marius already has set up. We’ll stay there a couple days until we can find a house of our own and make ourselves a place. Marius says the real estate market is booming among immortals because of the town’s reputation for having zero crime and a very calm populace. ” “That’s great news, actually. That means we might be able to give Madigan some permanence. He seems to want a home with us more than anything,” Yuri said, nuzzling the firm thigh below his cheek. All of his lovers were in such fine form. It was hard to concentrate on much when they were in touching proximity. “Agreed. He’s said as much.” Dex paused. “Do you think that he really wants a wedding ceremony like Marius and his mates are having?” Yuri shrugged and instantly regretted the action. He hissed through his teeth and counted backward from ten until he could

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breathe through the pain. “I don’t know, but I think it would be something to bring up with everyone when we get to the sanctuary town. Once we’re somewhere stable enough…” Dex began petting his cheek, and Yuri rubbed against him, but the look on his face was thoughtful and seemed a million miles away. From once, Yuri didn’t think he was talking to someone else that no one could hear. “Perhaps. I’m just worried that Madigan will still be reluctant to tell his mother. I mean, while our families attending would be a wonderful opportunity for Madigan to meet some more angels who are not going to judge him for being nephilim, I worry that he will lose his human connection if he keeps our relationship from his mother for too long. From what I understand of their relationship, they’re very close.” “When he’s ready, he will tell her. It has been hell for him these past months. We’ve got to give him a little bit of a break to adjust to us. After all, we had time to get used to the ideas of angels and wars and people trying to kill him.” Yuri defended Madigan the best he could. Despite having his own hang-ups about Madigan being unwilling to tell his mother about his lovers, Yuri truly believed that Madigan would come into his own given enough time and acknowledge them. Dex smiled and looked down at him. “You know, Yuri, I do care for you. I love you dearly.” “I know,” Yuri said, smiling in return. “I just wish I was better already. I don’t mean to be a grouch.” “All good, lover.” Dex winked. “I’ll take it out on your ass at a later date.” The statement sent a bolt of lust right through Yuri’s cock, making it twitch against the comforter. “Damn tease,” he cursed as his body pulsed. This no-sex thing was killing him! The sound of returning footsteps had Yuri turning his head toward the door. Madigan came staggering through the door with a huge box that was almost as big as he was.

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“How many”—He paused, panted—“books”—he paused again— “did you order?” Madigan asked in a strangled voice. He hefted the box onto the floor by the bed and nearly collapsed on top of it. “I’m sorry, Madigan,” Dex apologized, looking supremely guilt ridden. “I didn’t think about how heavy it was.” “I would hate to get the bill for those damn things,” Madigan said, pointing to the monstrosity and throwing a glare at Yuri. “Honestly, you really should get an e-reader. For Christ’s sake, Yuri, you’re junking up my room with all your damn books.” “The one-click option is my weakness,” Yuri said, grinning completely unapologetically. “Don’t be all pissy at me when Dex was the one who made you carry the box.” Dex snorted. “Thank you for throwing me under the bus, Yuriel.” “Any time, love.” Madigan rolled his eyes. “You both suck.” “Yes,” Dex said automatically. “Very well in fact,” Yuri added. Madigan sighed. “I give up.”

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Chapter Two After Yuri was secure with his NFL sports magazines and the dozen or so books he’d ordered, Madigan made his way down the stairs toward the living room. When he and Dex had gone to check on their patient, they’d left the entire lot of angels down here watching some B-rated horror movie. When they rounded the corner into the living room, everyone was exactly where he’d left them. There was a different movie playing on the screen, but Cross was still sitting on the couch. Bren was still lying against him with his feet in Michel’s lap. Bren had been increasingly affectionate as the week had worn on. The clinginess was most likely a reaction against the trauma they’d all been through. Cross especially got most of his fussing. Madigan guessed that made sense considering Bren had basically been helpless as Cross had died in the driver’s seat of the car, right in front of him. While Madigan hadn’t witnessed it personally because he’d been trapped in the circle of Yuri’s wings at the time, the reactions of the other angels and the silence of the corpse had been enough to give Madigan nightmares. Cross was the first to look up. “How was he, Madigan?” “He’s in a better mood now. He was brooding like a character from a teen movie when we first got up there.” Madigan took a seat on the floor directly in front of the couch his lovers sat on. Dex joined him. “The isolation is killing him.” “That’s odd,” Marius spoke. The green-haired, green-winged angel had been a huge help in the days since coming home from the car accident. Marius and his two lovers were sharing the other couch,

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snuggled up in a similar fashion. “I’ve never known Yuri to be like that. Most of the time his lovers complain that he wants to be left alone so much.” The Fallen angel’s eyes regarded them, and a slow grin came onto his face. “Being angel bound is definitely a lifealtering experience, huh?” “I imagine it’s more intense for a true angel,” Michel quipped, glaring slightly at the Fallen. Since it was his job to fight demons and Fallen on the earth’s plane, it made sense that he was so reluctant to like Marius. It did not make sense to Madigan why, after everything that Marius had done, Michel would continue to be hostile. Though, Michel’s hostility was easing somewhat when it came to Erik and Levi, Marius’s nephilim and human lovers, which Madigan supposed was progress. “Trust me, Michel. My bond with my lovers is just as intense as that of any ‘true angel.’” A thread of annoyance laced Marius’s words. Madigan decided he had better interfere before things escalated. “The point is, one of us needs to sleep with him at night, every night, until he gets better. He feels that the bond is strained, and so he’s miserable.” “You all have only had it for a few weeks, so that makes sense. The bond is a fragile thing in the beginning. It might be best if you spend as much time as possible with him. A weakness in the link could lead to trouble,” Levi spoke up from his position between his two lovers. “I read about it in the UCNM.” “What the hell is that?” Madigan wondered. “It’s this book that the Fallen have written,” Levi began. “Be quiet, Levi,” Marius snapped. Levi’s eyes widened in shock and filled with hurt almost instantly. Erik growled in Marius’s direction, and Marius cupped his cheek in apology. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just that that book isn’t supposed to be bandied about to angels. It was written for the Fallen, remember?”

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Levi nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say something I shouldn’t have. It’s just they’re our friends—” “Temporary allies, baby,” Marius interrupted. “They don’t like us very much.” “That’s not true!” Madigan protested. “I think of you as my friends.” He motioned to the whole couch. “I wouldn’t be baking your wedding cake if I didn’t consider you guys that.” He looked over his shoulder at the stubborn statue that was Michel. “Some of us just need to learn to back off just a teeny bit and relax.” Michel’s jaw ticked. “I need some fresh air.” He gently put Bren’s legs off of his lap and pushed himself up from the couch before stalking from the room. The front door slammed, and Madigan sighed. He would never understand all the quirks and triggers that his angels had. He loved them all dearly, but they had the weirdest things that bothered them. He supposed it was from being warriors and guardians. Whenever something could potentially, no matter how small the potential, affect Madigan, they all became unreasonable Neanderthals. “Marius, surely it’s not that big of a secret. I’m a nephilim, for pity’s sake. Who am I going to report you to?” Madigan asked. He was fascinated with all the things he was learning about the new world he’d been thrown into. His lovers probably got sick of being pestered for information, but he just couldn’t seem to help himself. Marius considered him. “If I tell you, all of you must vow never to breathe a word to the higher-up angels, including your archangels. Is that understood?” “So long as it does not threaten my mission, I promise.” Dex, as usual when it came to matters of the Fallen and his lovers, was the first one to back Madigan up. “Yeah, whatever, me, too.” Bren’s nonchalant voice added to the yea vote. Cross reached down and ruffled Madigan’s hair. “Since our Madigan is so curious, I won’t speak of it, either.”

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Marius nodded. “Go ahead, Levi.” The smaller man grinned widely and turned his attention to Madigan. The other nephilim and he had become fast friends since the three of them had come into the house a week ago. Levi was a sweet guy and innocent as they came. He invoked the urge to protect in anyone with a drop of testosterone, including Madigan. Beyond those qualities, though, he was a funny guy, and he was the first person whom Madigan had really been able to share about his angels with. “The UCNM is a book written by a council of Fallen angels in Europe that is basically a how-to guide to matings between angels, demons, nephilim, humans, and Fallen. Any combination of those types of persons is found in the book. It’s like a million pages long, and I haven’t made it through the whole thing because I’m not really interested in anything but the Fallen-human-nephilim chapter. But, it’s pretty interesting, and you might learn some stuff about your bond if you wanted to look at it.” Levi babbled in the same fashion he always did, and it took Madigan almost a full minute to process what he was saying. “So what does UCNM stand for?” Bren asked before Madigan could ask for the book to look at. Marius replied, stretching his arms towards the ceiling as he did so. “Universal Concord of the Newly Mated.” “Can I see it?” Madigan asked eagerly. He’d been dying for more information on his lovers, and knowing that there was supposedly a book on the subject thrilled him. Mind you, he’d probably skip over the parts that didn’t pertain to him, but it was still neat. Levi grinned. “Yeah. I’ve got the copy Marius gave me in the angel room. Come on.” Madigan got to his feet, gave each of his angels a kiss in turn, and sprinted after the smaller nephilim. Finally, he was going to get some answers. ****

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“So why did they write a book?” Bren asked as he watched his nephilim lover’s tight ass jog to catch up with Levi. Madigan was always eager for more information on angels and nephilim. A single text on the subject would probably send him into a babbling froth of excitement. He and Levi were similar in that way. Maybe it was a nephilim thing. He’d slowly gotten used to the Fallen and Marius’s two nephilim lovers. As Dex had said when they’d first arrived, it did no good to judge them. Despite the fact that Marius was a Fallen, Bren kind of liked the guy. He was a special brand of smart-ass. “A lot of Fallen on Earth were bonding with people outside their kind. Let’s face it, humans and even demons outnumber us. It would only make sense to give people a way to navigate a culturally diverse relationship.” Marius pulled Erik into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “This one, for example, wasn’t the easiest to understand.” Erik snorted, his brown eyes narrowing. “I was bizarre to understand? Ha! You were the one practically beating your chest and waving a club.” “I resent the innuendo that I am a barbarian, though if it is a kink of yours, I’m sure I could scrounge up an animal skin of some kind and grunt a lot,” Marius returned, not missing a beat. Yeah, Bren really liked the guy. He was funny as shit. “I wished to speak to you all about traveling to the sanctuary town,” Cross interrupted before any more side conversations got started. Leave it up to Red to bring up business when they were trying to relax. The idea of leaving Madigan’s sanctuary house didn’t set well with Bren. Staying there didn’t either, really, but at least the hunters couldn’t get to them in here. Out there, there were no guarantees. Cross continued, oblivious to the increase in Bren’s pulse. “We need to set a date for when we are leaving. Yuri isn’t going to be well enough to act as any sort of guardian on the trip over. He’s healing too slowly, and his injuries are too severe for him really to be

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effective. So he’s going to have to ride in the car, but someone else is going to have to drive. Who’s going to do it?” No one spoke for long moments. None of them were too eager to get back into a vehicle. The trauma from the last time was still a bit too fresh. Bren took a deep breath. He had been running things since Cross’s injury. He still had a hole in his chest that wasn’t quite healed, and the idea of putting him back in a car where he couldn’t really defend himself didn’t sit well with him. Dex and Michel would be more use to them fighting because Dex was massive and Michel was a warrior not just by creed but by class as well. So it left him or the Fallen to carry on the task, and he wasn’t going to leave Marius in charge of their most precious possession, even if he was a funny guy. “I’ll do it.” Bren heard himself speak the words but couldn’t quite believe he’d said them. He pressed a kiss to Cross’s chest and met his eyes. “You going to be okay flying?” Cross nodded, a look of gratitude on his face. “Yes. I will be. Thank you.” They shared a moment of understanding that went beyond the words exchanged. Bren’s heart swelled. God, I love you, Red. I love you so damn much. It had taken losing his man to realize how deeply he cared about him. Yuri had claimed that they’d want to bond, and Bren had never believed it. Now he did. “Now that that is settled, when do you gentlemen want to leave for sanctuary?” “How about Thursday? Our wedding is on Sunday, and that will give us a couple days to prepare. Besides that benefit, the traffic will be reasonably low and traveling will be efficient,” Erik suggested. He leaned into Marius further, nuzzling his neck. Bren was always amazed at how easily touching the others had come to him. It was strange to see that comfort reflected in the other relationship of their friends. “I agree with Erik, but do you think Michel should be in on this?” Dex asked.

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Cross shrugged his muscled shoulders. “Michel wouldn’t have gone farther than the porch, and he is probably pacing in the sunroom trying to work off his attitude problem. We’ll fill him in when he calms down.” He continued. “Does anyone have any objections to making Thursday the day we leave out of here?” Silence answered him. “Great. Be ready to leave then. Pack as little as you can and be battle ready at 7:00 a.m.” The nephilim returned from the other room as Cross finished speaking, chatting excitedly amongst themselves over the book and what its details were. Bren relaxed a little when Madigan came in sight. Ever since the car wreck, he’d been more and more reluctant to let Madigan go. No wonder other guardians he’d met had seemed so frazzled all the time. Being in charge of someone else’s health and happiness was a responsibility that made people into nervous wrecks. “So, just so you know, there are actual sex position suggestions that I am dying to try in this thing,” Madigan babbled, obviously keyed up. The scent of aroused nephilim made every angel in the room growl. “I still can’t figure out why the book has sex positions by species, but it’s pretty freaking awesome.” Ah, so the two of them had been flipping through the naughty bits of the UCNM. “Um, can we go upstairs for a minute? I need to talk to you guys.” Madigan was about as transparent as glass. He was all but squirming in arousal, and the decided bulge at the front of his lounge pants did not help an argument for the contrary. “Yeah, um, Marius, Erik, I kind of need your help with something in the angel room.” Levi echoed Madigan’s thinly veiled statement, inching his way closer to the couch. Hungry nephilim going through angelic puberty had sex drives that could rival a sex demon. Madigan’s hunger was even worse than the legends Bren had heard. Worse wasn’t really an appropriate adjective. It was more like more awesome or some derivative thereof. He had a sex drive able to keep up with five warrior angels and their

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own raging libidos, so in Bren’s eyes, Madigan was the holy grail of sex kittens. “I’m sure we can come help you,” Marius said, already entranced with his nephilim. Erik looked half ready to pounce on Levi as well. “Absolutely, baby. Anything that you need is yours.” Dex surged to his feet and did what Bren was dying to do. He scooped Madigan up and took off in the direction of the stairs. Bren would’ve laughed had he not been so instantly aroused by his nephilim’s smell. Cross did have a little chuckle, though. “Our nephilim is sex crazed,” Cross murmured, leaning down and whispering the words into Bren’s ear. Bren shuddered. He was aware of the trio of Fallen and nephilim leaving the room and leaving the two of them alone. “Yes,” Bren said simply. He didn’t know what else to say. His brain kind of short-circuited when Cross touched him. He put his hand on Cross’s chest. “You going to be okay?” Cross nodded. “So long as I don’t have to fight you, Bren, I’ll be fine.” He paused and seemed to consider his statement. “As enjoyable as fighting with you is at times…” He trailed off deliberately and ran a hand down Bren’s T-shirted torso. Bren resisted the urge to groan. Yeah, they had nasty, dirty sex whenever they fought for it. One day, Bren was going to have Cross’s ass. It was going to happen, and he knew all he had to do was ask for it. But it wouldn’t be today. Cross’s injury would sour something meant to be perfect. The fight that they would have for dominance beforehand would make it all the sweeter. “What the hell are you guys doing?” Dex’s voice boomed in both of their heads. “Hurry the hell up!” Cross gave him a wink before they both got to their feet and headed toward the stairs. They met Michel there, who was still looking like he was in a sullen mood. No matter, Bren knew how to fix that. Without preamble, he pushed Michel into the wall at the bottom of the stairs, claiming his mouth in a possessive kiss that was designed to wreak havoc on the senses. It apparently succeeded

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because it took exactly three seconds before Michel was opening his mouth to accept Bren’s tongue and grinding his erection against Bren’s body. If it had been another time and Madigan’s needs hadn’t been so pressing, Bren might’ve just yanked Michel’s pants down and taken him against the wall, but alas, they were needed elsewhere. Bren broke the kiss with a nip to Michel’s lips. “Enough brooding, Michel. That’s my job.” Michael’s angel’s eyes were swimming with pleasure. “Yeah. Okay,” he said with a stupefied expression on his face. Bren couldn’t resist leaning in and delivering another kiss to his oh-so-pouty lips. A cloth-clad cock against his ass brought him back from his distraction. Cross’s voice sounded in his ear. “Come on, Bren. We have a nephilim to sate.” Bren shuddered. Fuck yeah, they did.

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Chapter Three Madigan always felt embarrassed after he devolved into a hardpanting mess, but damn the fall into delicious madness was so fucking worth it. He’d never known desire or pleasure until he’d joined with his men. “Don’t feel like being on top tonight,” he said, his body thrumming with anticipation. Dex was keeping him occupied by letting him lick and suck and kiss every inch of exposed skin, but nothing would be enough until he had all of his guardians balls-deep inside of him. His heart constricted as he thought of Yuri in the other room. He ached to reaffirm his desire for Yuri but knew that it would only serve to hurt and frustrate him if he went in there right now. “I’m sure we won’t mind being on top, Madigan.” Dex gasped as Madigan pulled Dex’s T-shirt up and started laving his nipples with his tongue. They were such fascinating bits of flesh. He suckled them for a minute, alternating between one and the other as his hands ran up and down Dex’s torso, kneading Dex’s cock through his blue jeans. Yuri had always loved when Madigan nibbled on his nipples. Madigan did it to Dex, who groaned appropriately. The sounds of footsteps in the hallway signaled his men coming to take what was theirs by right. But not all of his men. “I miss Yuri,” Madigan managed to say as he ground his hard dick against Dex’s leg. “It feels emptier without him.” Dex reached down and stroked the top of his head. “I understand what you mean, baby. I feel the same way. But don’t worry. He’ll heal soon, and then we can all take turns ravishing him.” “Promise?”

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“Promise.” “What promises are we making?” Bren’s snarky voice cut into their conversation. Madigan grinned and turned his head, wiggling his ass as their smell filtered through the room. “Hmmm…promise to fuck me good, Bren?” Madigan asked with a saucy grin. He took in Bren’s kiss-swollen lips and Michel’s dazed expression and tsked. “Starting without me?” “You started without us, cutey,” Michel reminded, giving Madigan a hungry look. Cross reached out and palmed Bren’s backside, his shirt already off. The action triggered the memory of a picture he’d seen in Levi’s book, the one which had started his hunger to begin with. He started panting at the thought. “I have an idea.” He looked at all of them. “Strip, please.” His men must’ve seen the serious need in him because they started obeying him without another word. He looked at each of his lovers in turn. They were so damn beautiful. His eyes lit on Cross and stuck on the torn flesh on his pectoral muscle. The angry red tissue and scab were still indented where the spear had penetrated his chest cavity. The place on his neck was healed for the most part, only a thin, white scar remained, but he had been so damn hurt in the beginning. Their lovemaking had been tempered by injuries and fear between them. But Madigan was determined to not let that happen this time. Through his haze of desire, he knew what he wanted and knew how to get his men into a froth of need as potent and deep as his. “This is going to be so fucking good,” Madigan said aloud as they climbed into bed beside him and Dex. He motioned for Cross to lie against the pillows by the headboard. He climbed on top, straddling Cross’s hips. He looked down. Nope, they were too far up. “Scoot down another foot or so, Cross.” Raphael’s angel gave him a strange look but obeyed. Hmmm, he’s so fucking sexy. I’m fixing to blow your mind, angel mine.

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Madigan turned his head and looked over his shoulder. “Bren, will you lube up Cross and get me ready?” he asked with a shudder of anticipation. “Sure thing, bright eyes.” Bren’s voice was that sexy growl it usually was when he was really turned on by something. Cross and Madigan made a striking pair, and Madigan knew it. Bren had a thing for redheads, it seemed. “Dex, lube our Michel up, please.” Michel groaned as he was flipped around and pushed to his chest, ass up in the air for Dex’s perusal. The visual had Madigan echoing the sentiment of pleasure with a sound of his own. Beneath him, Cross hissed as Bren’s warm hands rubbed cold lubrication onto the hard flesh of his cock. As Bren’s hand stroked Cross, his other hand came up to traced the crease of Madigan’s ass before long, elegant fingers pushed between them and circled the tight rosette they found there. Madigan shuddered harder as a finger speared him. Yes! Just what I need. And just what he wanted. “I love you. I love you all so fucking much.” Madigan gasped the words as another finger was added to the first. They pumped in and out of him, stimulating the nerves of his hole as they stretched him for greater purposes. Another finger was added, then another. Madigan was ready. Bren must’ve sensed it because he almost immediately backed off. Madigan paused over Cross’s hard cock, and Bren lent a hand by keeping it steady as Madigan sank onto Cross’s hot rod. He gave a sigh of contentment at being filled, but it still wouldn’t be enough. Cross shifted beneath them restlessly. Madigan knew he wanted to fuck, could see it in the straining muscles in his neck and shoulders, but Cross waited for Madigan to take the lead he’d been given by his men’s deferral to him. It was a heady power. He turned his head. “Bren, I want you inside me, too.” Everyone froze for a moment and stared. A low blush rose on Madigan’s cheeks that he felt with a rush of heat. He licked his lips. “Please?” He jumped as Bren snarled

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something that sounded like “sexy imp” and gave his hands a generous dollop of lubrication before coating the entire length. Cross groaned, and his hips started moving almost of their own accord as the instinctual need to move, to fuck, overcame the civilized parts of his brain. He stilled only when Bren’s cock slipped in beside his own. Madigan let his breath out in a hiss as two cocks worked their way into his tight channel. God it feels so good! The sensation of being stuffed to the point where pleasure met pain and “good” and “too much” were right beside one another was one that made his head swim. It took everything in his power not to lose it and give in to the beast of lust that demanded he sate himself immediately. It would take two strokes to his oversensitized prick at this point to get off. “Ready for us to move?” Cross’s strangled voice still tried to sound civil but just came out as sounding like a man desperately approaching the edge of the abyss. Madigan gritted his teeth to keep from giving the affirmative. “Not quite.” He tried not to sound as breathless and worked up as he felt when he called out, “Michel, get over here.” He could’ve asked nicer, but he was beyond the point of caring about how something sounded. He wanted, and his nephilim side was singing its triumph like hallelujah bells at church. Michel climbed over to Madigan’s side and pulled Madigan into a kiss. Madigan gasped as both of the angels inside him couldn’t seem to resist fucking forward a few times at the visual. Madigan was all but writhing as he whimpered into Michel’s mouth. He pulled back by sheer force of will. He wanted his fantasy, and they were going to give it to him. “I want to fuck you, Michel. You mind?” At the words, Michel scrambled to straddle Cross’s lower chest. He used the headboard to balance as Madigan brought Michel’s hips back so that he could sink down onto Madigan’s steadily leaking prick.

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“Use his mouth, Dex.” The strangled phrase was all he could manage before he couldn’t take the pressure anymore. He slammed his hips back on the two pricks inside him, groaning as they both started fucking him with enthusiasm. Distantly, he was aware of Dex doing as he asked and fisting his hand in Michel’s blond mop before stuffing his monstrous cock between Michel’s plush lips. Madigan’s cock was treated with the sensation of a tightly clenching ass as it worked up and down his length in the same desperate lunges that were taking his ass. “God, yes! Sweet Lord, right there. Fuck!” He didn’t know which way to turn. His entire being seemed to be a bundle of nerves, and the three-hundred-and-sixty-degree sensation made Madigan sure his head was going to explode at any moment. Oh yes, they would definitely be doing this again. His body was quickly spiraling out of control. As good as all this felt, it was impossible to maintain for any length of time. “I’m close,” Bren panted, his hips working harder, his rhythm floundering in the face of so much pleasure so soon. Cross gave a strangled moan as he jackknifed beneath him, crying out as he lost his battle to stave off the pleasure as he jetted inside Madigan’s body. Bren followed close on his heels, giving a guttural cry of completion as he, too, came. Madigan reached down and worked Michel’s hard dick as it curved up toward his belly button and fucked him with all the force he could muster. Within seconds, Michel’s hard length jerked in Madigan’s hands, his liquid pleasure boiling over his fist as Madigan jerked him in time with his thrusts. The clenching muscle around Madigan’s arousal was too much. He met Dex’s eyes and held them as they both fell off the precipice of pleasure together into the void of orgasm. Madigan screamed, jerking like he was having an epileptic seizure as he came in endless streams inside Michel’s tight body. He tried to relearn how to breathe as everything seized up and shook him to the foundations of what he knew to be pleasure.

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Finally, he collapsed back against them, relying on the others to keep him upright as his mind short-circuited and floated out to sea. The others pulled from him, laying him down on a dry section of sheet as they circled around him on shaking legs, trying to tend to him. Dex asked him a question, but Madigan wasn’t sure he remembered how to speak English. So he just grinned drunkenly. He was a gelatinous mound of pleasure. Several times he attempted to open his mouth and tell them that he needed a nap now, but he never quite managed it. He fought it for a total of thirty-five seconds before giving up the fight and slipping into a black, peaceful sleep. **** Dex chuckled as their lover closed his eyes and almost immediately started snoring lightly. He was so damn cute. He gave a boneless Michel a kiss of gratitude. Dex really hadn’t meant to use his mouth quite that hard when he’d started. The visual of his lovers all entwined, moving as one machine of pleasure had undone his control faster than a fifth of whiskey and a hard night. Cross seemed content to just lie on Madigan’s other side with his hands behind his head in a classic “I’m the man” posture that nearly had Dex rolling in the floor. It was the position coupled with the smug grin that was so damn hilarious. Bren stretched out his legs, scooting off the bed and heading to the adjacent bathroom to bring back towels and fresh sheets for them. Usually, Michel was the one who did that, but Michel looked like he was in nephilim heaven and never wanted to leave. He was curled against Madigan’s side with his eyes shut, breathing too shallowly to be asleep, but it would be a long minute before any of them felt like moving. Bren returned with the washcloths in hand and a soft look of contentment on his face. He handed one to Dex, who took it gratefully.

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“Thanks,” he said. Bren distributed another cloth to Cross, who took it, and he used another to wipe himself clean. They glanced at their other two lovers. “I don’t see them wanting that in the near future.” “If Madigan wakes up sticky, he’s going to be annoyed,” Bren said. He didn’t sound too worried about it, though, more amused than anything. Dex smiled as he gazed down at his lovers. “He was the one who insisted on sensory overload. He’ll just have to deal with the sticky.” He turned his head so that he could lay a kiss on Bren’s lush mouth. All of his men were made for kissing, but Michel and Bren had mouths to die for. There was something about each of them that he found too damn sexy to resist. He loved them all so much it hurt to think of even a single moment when they wouldn’t be in his life. He refused to even think of the car wreck that had nearly destroyed their budding happiness. Dex vowed in that moment to never let his lovers be that close to the end ever again. He planned on keeping his word. “We could clean him up and change the sheets,” Bren continued, his voice a whisper as Michel’s breathing evened out in the telltale sign of sleep. Dex chuckled. “You could probably do that and change the sheets around them and they wouldn’t wake up.” He looked over at Cross. “You okay, Cross?” “Uh-huh,” Cross said. “Can you think yet?” Bren asked. “Nope,” Cross said, cheerfully. “Do you want to?” Dex asked, smothering a laugh with his hand. Cross’s reaction was by far the most unexpected. Their commander was usually so stoic and serious that for him to react at all to lovemaking other than to give cleaning orders or cuddle was a foreign concept. This was a different side of him that Dex was thoroughly enjoying.

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“Absolutely not. I’m going to float for another hour or so right where I’m at. Fuck the wet spot. I don’t care.” Bren barked out a laugh at his words and climbed over Madigan and Michel so that he could be between Madigan and Cross. “You’re a piece of work, Red.” “Bite me.” “Yum.” Dex climbed off the bed and nearly stumbled as his legs became Jell-O. With a few false and stumbling steps, he went to the bags of clothes beside the dresser and got out a pair of boxers before pulling them up his hips. “Where you going?” Bren asked as Dex walked purposefully toward the door. “If we’re napping, I’m going to go sleep with Yuri. He needs us,” Dex explained. And he did. Yuri, more than any of the guardians, was suffering the effects of their near miss. His healing or lack thereof was a point of frustration and confusion that only made Yuri’s insecurities grow. While Dex didn’t know the full story of Yuri’s rejection, he did know that it involved one of the archangels and a crush that was denied at a very young age. Since then, Yuri had been a sort of loose cannon. He was extremely smart, extremely loyal, and an extremely good warrior, but he was also unpredictable in a lot of ways and had his own ideas about the way tasks should get done that ran to the unconventional. Among Uriel’s choir, he’d always stood out from the crowd. Yuri fit with them so cohesively that Dex wasn’t even sure if Yuri realized how well he suited them. For a man used to rubbing everyone wrong, when he rubbed someone right, Dex wasn’t sure if he got it. Dex had taken it upon himself to make sure that Yuri knew he was loved and even though he came into the fold later than the rest of them, he was wanted and had a spot that was irreplaceable in all of their hearts. Dex would kick anyone’s ass who said otherwise.

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He knocked softly before entering the room Yuri had been staying in. At the beginning of his injury, Dex had thought this was a good idea. Madigan’s old room was quiet, there was enough room to keep someone injured without a problem, and it was isolated enough that Yuri could rest but not so isolated that he couldn’t yell and be heard by all of them. Right now, he thought he might’ve miscalculated the benefits of the separate room. Yuri sobbed into his pillow, screaming his frustrations into the cotton as his hips moved restlessly against the mattress beneath him. His hand reached over one shoulder and tore at some of those amazing champagne-colored feathers. “Yuri, stop!” Dex shouted, hurrying to the side of Yuri’s bed. He reached out and took Yuri’s hands and forced them away from his feathers. “What are you doing?” he demanded, pressing his body against Yuri’s as his lover continued his pitiful sobbing. “It hurts, Dex. Hurts so bad.” Yuri stammered out the sentence with a wild look in his eyes. “Just take them off, please, just take them off.” Dex’s heart broke. “No, baby. No. We can’t do that. Come on. You’ve got to be strong for us. Just a little bit longer.” “Can’t. Dex, please…” Dex felt completely helpless right then. He was an angel of death. The best he could do was put Yuri out of his misery. He had no powers of healing. All things considered, Yuri’s injuries shouldn’t have required that much healing. In a week, most angels could regrow body parts. Something just wasn’t right. He glanced at the ceiling and began shifting through all the mental signatures he knew until he came across the right one. “Yes?” “My Lord Gabriel, I need your advice.”

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Chapter Four Madigan was drawn from his comfortable tangle by a feeling of deep unease in his chest. It tugged him out of the mountain of man flesh that beckoned him to stay, relax, and bask in the pleasure that they’d enjoyed with one another. Like a moth, he was drawn to the light that was emitting from Yuri’s bedroom. He shuffled down the hallway and paused at the door. The sound of murmuring voices on the other side of the door made him pause. A shot of fear went through him. What if it was the hunters? How had they gotten into sanctuary? “They must’ve poisoned the spear with something, most likely a spell.” That voice rose above the others. It sounded really familiar, like something he’d heard in a dream. He pushed the door open and his eyes immediately went to Dex. The big angel’s eyes widened. “Madigan, no!” Madigan’s brow furrowed in confusion. Why was Dex shouting? His eyes went to the two blinding figures that stood on either side of Yuri’s bed. Something in his brain short-circuited, unable to comprehend, process, or even see the beings that seemed to be made entirely of light. His world went from blinding red to black as he flushed hot to cold. Distantly, he realized he was on the floor, with no recollection of falling. He pressed his hands hard against his eyes, screaming as the light seemed to sear a path along his retinas and right into his brain. “I should’ve been more careful. I knew better than to stand around in my celestial form,” that familiar voice murmured from somewhere in the bedroom beyond. The air stirred as footsteps approached him.

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Madigan whimpered and tried to scuttle backward. He didn’t want them to touch him. He was so dirty, and they were so very clean. “It’s your human side reacting to the angelic energy, Madigan. Push it aside, claim your angelic heritage. You are not unworthy to see what mortal eyes have trouble processing.” The voice was closer now. “My Lord—” “No, Dexirus. He has to learn to see. You’ve all coddled his human side far too much if he can’t even look at me. If he can’t do that much, how is he ever going to look on his father? You all haven’t been teaching him.” “We’ve been busy trying to protect him!” “The weeks inside haven’t presented a single opportunity?” The voice sounded incredulous. “Not a single solitary moment to teach him to use his gifts?” “They are sporadic at best.” “He was drawn here because his power is pushing him to heal. He sensed Yuri’s pain. Why else would he have left your bed? He must be taught and taught well.” “It will be done, My Lord.” “See that it is. I do not want Raphael on my case for not providing him an adequate enough teacher about heavenly duties. You are my favored, Dex. Do not disappoint me.” The being paused, and a gust of wind rushed over Madigan like a cooling breeze. “You may look now, young nephilim. My sight will not harm you now.” Madigan was not so sure that it was a good idea, but he managed to force his eyes open nonetheless. The face that hovered above his was almost too beautiful to be real. The coloring was similar to Dex, brown hair and unreal apple-green eyes, but the shape of each feature had an ethereal quality that was almost too symmetrical. “There. Now Dexirus can stop having a heart attack over whether or not you are hurt. How do you feel?”

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“Um, okay I guess. Who are you? And where’s Yuri?” Madigan’s headache was dimming slowly and went from a piercing pain to a dull ache. “I’m still here, baby,” a weak voice called from the bed. “I am Gabriel, a good friend of your father. Your Dex called me to look at Yuriel’s wings.” He pushed himself to his feet and offered him a hand up. Madigan took it and allowed Gabriel to pull him to his feet. It struck him then, this was the freaking Archangel Gabriel, the left hand of God, who was pulling him to his feet. “I may not be a healer, but I am very familiar with spells and poisons. Whatever has broken Yuriel’s wings had both.” Madigan bit into his bottom lip. At least they knew why Yuri wasn’t healing properly. He circled around Gabriel and beelined for the bed. Yuri’s eyes were red rimmed like he’d been crying, and a look of pure misery was pasted on his face. He looked away, shame skittering across his expression as Madigan drew closer. “This isn’t your fault, Yuri. We’ll fix it, baby. I promise.” Madigan sat beside him on the bed and wrapped his arm around his waist. He pressed kisses to Yuri’s lower back, willing him to get better. It was then he felt the warmth that’d he’d experienced with Cross a week ago when he and Bren had been trying to save his life. The warmth stretched down his hands and outward into the muscles of his lover’s back. “The spell affects constitution and mood. Whatever you all have been doing to him has been acting as a balance to the negative energy invading his mind, but it’s steadily building inside him.” Gabriel seemed to be talking to the both Dex and Madigan, but Madigan ignored him. He wanted his lover to be better. He needed Yuri to have some relief. Yuri let out a sigh of reprieve, and the tension began seeping out of the muscles in his lower back, his broken wings sagged, and a shudder worked down his spine. “We need to find a healer,” Dex said. “Do you know any in the area, My Lord? Even a Fallen healer will do.”

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“Hush, Dexirus. Look.” Madigan continued to push the heat into his lover’s body, kissing his spine as he did so as if by that slight touch alone he could make a difference. He was so lost in what he was doing he almost forgot the other two men in the room. The warmth began to fade and with it, so did his strength until he felt just near the edge of unconsciousness. He was just so bloody tired. A firm male hand caressed his back, massaging his neck. It was Dex. “You did good, baby. You did good.” “Until he can be fully healed, tuck his wings into the glyphs on his back,” Gabriel instructed. “This may hurt, Yuri,” Dex murmured, reaching his hands over Madigan and putting them on Yuri’s back. “Can’t hurt as bad as what it feels like right now,” Yuri said through gritted teeth. Madigan’s hands clenched. He hated hearing Yuri was in pain. A strangled yelp sounded as light poured from Dex’s fingers and onto Yuri’s wings. Madigan watched in fascination as Dex’s hands seemed for force Yuri’s wings into his back as the tattooed glyphs there glowed the same white light that was coming out of Dex’s hand. Yuri let out another scream of pain and then went still. “Is he okay?” he asked, tears in his eyes. “Yes. He won’t heal anymore with his wings put away like that, but he won’t get any worse, either,” Dex explained, pressing a kiss to first Yuri’s face and then Madigan’s lips. “He’ll be able to move around now and not be crippled by pain because he won’t be aware of his wings.” “Good. I hate when he hurts.” Gabriel’s voice sounded from somewhere behind them, but Madigan couldn’t see him because of Dex’s wide shoulders. “You’ll need to find a healer in the sanctuary town. I’ll talk to Raphael and see who he recommends.”

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Dex turned his head and looked over his shoulders. “Can’t Archangel Raphael come heal him?” “No. It would be direct interference and as such is forbidden because Yuriel is the guardian of Madigan. You’ll have to find a healer that is not of the heavens to take care of your lover.” A brief pause stretched on and a soft muttering sounded, much the same way Dex did sometimes. “I’ve got to go. The hunters are calling for new measures to enable sanctioned hunts inside places of sanctuary. Raphael thinks they are readying an attack against this house and want formal permission. Bold bastards. I don’t know what Azrael is thinking.” More muttering sounded and then silence. “Is he gone?” Madigan asked, barely able to keep his eyes open. “Yeah, baby.” “I’m going to stay with Yuri.” “I figured you would.” “Night, Dex.” “Good night, Madigan.” Madigan meant to say more but gave up as the effort felt like too much for him to attempt. He snuggled deeper into Yuri’s side, wrapped his arms around his waist, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. **** Madigan was getting stronger. Dex was amazed that he’d managed to both heal Yuri and stay conscious. He was happy that his lover’s skills were improving, but he’d be happier if everyone was healed up and they were somewhere safe. The fact that Madigan had been so focused on his task that he’d all but forgotten both his nudity and the archangel standing in his bedroom had been a shock in itself. Madigan was the most modest out of the bunch and as such, tended to be the most aware that he didn’t have any clothing on.

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Dex took out a spare blanket and put it over the two sleeping men, his heart constricting as he watched them snuggle closer together despite the added warmth. Life had been a mess for the past week. Michel had been in a constant state of anger, the warrior in him unable to let go of the fact that Yuri and Cross had been injured and Madigan had been traumatized. The event had turned Michel into a man who flew off the handle at the least provocation and who stalked around the house in a temper. He wanted vengeance for the injuries inflicted on their family, and nothing but the death of the hunters would satisfy it. Dex sighed and left the room, leaving the door open slightly as he did so. His men seemed to be on the verge of breaking under the pressure, though they all showed it in vastly different ways. Michel was angry, Cross was more serious about their protection than ever, Bren was clingy, unable to let any of them out of his sight for fear something would happen. He’d only recently stopped tensing every time Michel stormed out the door. Yuri, of course, had been stuck in bed in absolute pain, and Madigan had been trying to remain strong in the face of all the strain that his guardians’ weaknesses made on his mind. He walked back down to the bedroom they shared and pushed open the door where Cross, Bren, and Michel were in the middle of dressing. They looked up in unison, a panicked expression on each of their faces. “What happened? I felt an archangel enter the house,” Michel said, jerking up his blue jeans in jittery motions that displayed his nervousness like nothing else. “Was Yuri screaming?” Bren asked. He’d just buttoned up his pants and took three strides and was almost toe-to-toe with Dex. He gripped Dex’s forearms and gave him a squeeze. “Is he okay?” The motion was needy, almost afraid, like a small child that needed something to hold on to. Lucifer’s angel was about to lose it.

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“Those spears were poisoned and spelled. Whatever the hunters laced them with has kept Yuri from healing. With Madigan’s help, we managed to force them down into his glyph so they won’t get worse, but we need to get him to a healer.” Dex took a deep breath. “We need to get to the sanctuary town this week. We can’t wait anymore.” “But what about waiting until Thursday?” Cross asked. “That was what the plan was.” Dex knew Cross didn’t like to deviate from the plan, but damn it all, they had little choice in the matter. Dex looked at each of his men in turn. “Lord Gabriel was called by Lord Raphael to the heavens a moment ago. The hunters are petitioning to remove the cease-fire ban on Madigan.” “What purpose does that serve? They can’t get the ban removed. Angelic law is clear on the matter,” Bren said, turning back to Cross and Michel as if seeking their reassurance. “That only applies to angels. If they were to get us thrown out of heaven…” Dex explained. The thought made him a little queasy. He’d been a part of heaven’s ranks his entire life and had never felt loyalty to any other entity, even himself. However, if it came to Madigan’s welfare, he would fall, he was sure of it. For the first time in his existence, he had something that was more valuable to him than any tie before. Their bond was everything. Michel let out a snarl that sounded so inhuman the fine hairs on Dex’s body stood on end. Threatening Michael’s angel wouldn’t bode well for their enemies. “Let them try.” He bit off the sentence. “I should’ve gone to hunt them once everyone was back. Azrael has a few sins to answer for that I would fucking love to make him regret.” Cross’s arms circled Michel’s waist from behind. “Enough, Michel. I don’t want to hear such anger in you. Release it or else it will become poison in the blood.” Dex knew Cross was right, but he didn’t know if Michel really had it in him to give up the rage that seemed to be consuming him lately. Once they got to a safe place, they all needed the opportunity and time to heal. Dex felt emotionally battered from the conflict, and

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they were all reacting like they were still in a combat situation. PTSD was a bitch. “Be strong for us, Michel. Our Madigan is holding it together better than we are. We’re supposed to be his strength, not the other way around,” Dex said. Michel took a deep, shuddering breath as if casting off the anger was physically painful for him. “I know. I just…I love you guys, you know?” Dex certainly did. It was one of the things that helped him hold himself together when he really wanted to fall apart. Yes, he was a warrior. Yes, he’d been trained for combat. But, the reality of what failing really meant had never hit home before. He’d been more than willing to give up his own life, but Madigan’s life? Cross’s life? Yuri’s life? Unacceptable. Why had he never considered this when he’d agreed to take on this mission? These men were everything. “I know, Michel,” Bren said, going to stand in front of the blond. It was odd watching them interact lately. The tension that usually came with one of Michael’s choir and one of Lucifer’s choir working together was absent since they’d truly bonded. It was a beautiful yet fragile truce that Dex hoped would continue. Though with Bren’s smart mouth, it was only a matter of time before he was picking a fight again. Of course, that mouth had been decidedly less biting lately. The somber attitudes of the house had affected them all. “It’s amazing that we can accomplish anything.” Cross’s stern voice cut into an impromptu cuddle session. “We need to stop acting like lovers and start acting like the soldiers we are. Our sole purpose in coming here is to protect Madigan and keep everyone safe. Our weakness has been our feelings for one another.” Bren turned hurt eyes in Cross’s direction. “What the hell does that mean?” “It means that we need to stop whatever this is. One of us gets their feelings hurt and we all jump up to comfort. We’ve lost the hard edge that made us warriors when we became lovers.” Cross was about

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to get his ass in a crack, and Dex watched helplessly as it grew wide enough for him to fall in. “So what? We go back to being just comrades-in-arms or some shit?” Michel snapped, pushing out of Bren’s embrace. “We’re all supposed to bond together, remember? For Madigan.” “It’s a selfish desire on our parts. We can delay this…affection, if we choose to,” the redhead said stubbornly. “Yuri said that it didn’t have to come right away.” “Well it did! It did fucking come right away! Can you really go back, Cross? Do you really want to?” Bren snarled, advancing on Cross until they were chest to chest. Here we go, Dex thought, closing his eyes to block out the image of his lovers fighting. Dammit. Damn this whole situation. I just want everyone to be happy. “No, I don’t want to go back, but I also don’t want one of us dead, either!” Cross was shouting now, something Dex was sure came from the stress of the situation. “We’re dead either way, Cross. I’d rather die happy, wouldn’t you?” Bren’s words cut to the core of the thing, piercing Dex in a way that made the desire to clutch his chest in pain come at him like a wave. “You call this happy?” Cross asked bitterly. “Shut up!” Dex shouted, unable to take the spiraling moment a second longer. “Just shut the hell up already! I can’t take anymore!” He squeezed his eyes tight as the pulse in his temple pounded. This was too new to fall apart so soon. This was all too much on such a fragile bond. They hadn’t even had enough time together to learn one another’s favorite ice creams. He’d been alone his whole life. He didn’t want to go back to that. Masculine hands touched his chest, forcing his eyes open almost against their will. He looked down into Michel’s eyes. Bren stood at one side, Cross on the other. God how he loved the touch of his men…

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“We’re sorry, Dex. Just a little stressed out, and I’m not sure how to deal with it.” Cross spoke for the group, a look of pain on his face. “We’re all shaken up by what has happened.” “I know,” Dex said. “Then you know that things can only get better from here. Fuck waiting until Thursday. We’ll leave tomorrow, first thing. Everything about this place screams danger to me, and I won’t risk our relationship over something as stupid as a few days’ time.” Cross leaned in and kissed Dex’s lips. It amused Dex that he had to lean down slightly in order to give him the kiss he wanted. Times like this made their few inches of difference in height more noticeable. “Let’s go get Yuri and Madigan and have them come lie down with us before supper. We can break the news to the Fallen and his nephilim when we go down to dinner. We’ll use the rest of the night to rest up and start fresh.” Michel’s suggestion was a welcome change from his earlier attitude. Dex smiled, some of the tension bleeding from him. “All right. I’ll carry Yuri if you can get Madigan.” “I’ll change the sheets,” Bren offered. Cross shrugged. “I’ll help do that, then.” He grinned at he looked back toward the bed. “Our Madigan is a mess.” Michel chuckled. “Yeah, a hot little mess. That boy can fuck.” “He can do a lot more than that,” Bren said, striding toward the closet where the spare sheets were housed. Dex couldn’t agree more.

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Chapter Five Madigan woke in the middle of a dog pile. It was a warm, very naked, very male dog pile, and he couldn’t have been happier. The earlier events came in a flash of instant recall. So he’d met one of his father’s friends. Interesting. Too bad he’d been so engrossed in Yuri and the fact that he’d had his retinas seared that he hadn’t been able to pay much attention. Once they got to a safe place, he was going to revisit the topic with his angels. A low moan had Madigan opening his eyes. His first thought was that Yuri was in pain, but the sight that greeted him let him know how deliciously wrong he was. He sighed in appreciation as he watched Bren deep throat Yuri’s cock while Michel fucked him gently from behind. Dex was sucking on his nipples, squeezing the opposite one while he alternated nips and licks to the already rosy tips. Cross was behind Michel, obviously inside him as he gave a counter thrust to every lunge of Michel’s hips. It was a beautiful sight. “Missed you,” Michel murmured in Yuri’s ear, licking the shell. Uriel’s angel just moaned and thrashed against the sensations being inflicted on him. Madigan’s hungry body stirred. After the earlier performance it should’ve been next to impossible for Madigan to get aroused. Thanks to his nephilim side, he never had an issue getting aroused. In fact, it was more often that he wanted to keep from getting aroused than anything. It was kind of embarrassing to need sex like most people needed to eat. He reached down and began to stroke himself off with sure, quick movements that would get him equal with his angels in no time flat. They may have been at this for a while.

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“Madigan,” Yuri gasped as he watched Madigan work his length. Madigan chuckled. “Told you they missed you, Yuri,” he teased, smearing the clear liquid that was streaming from the tip of his dick to add a little lube to his stroking. “Yeah you did, baby. Fuck. Feels good.” Yuri’s groaned words went to Madigan’s head and made it swim. His skin became sensitive as he moved his hand more quickly over his hard length. Yuri was back where he belonged, and that was all that mattered. He loved how all of his men loved one another. The fierce possession was attractive in a way that was primal and arousing all at once. It called to deeper instincts in Madigan that demanded satiation. “Love you,” he murmured to them as their movements became more erratic as they neared the peak. “Love you all so much.” His words were a trigger for them, and the tensing muscles and grunts of satisfaction made Madigan’s blood sing. Mine, he thought as his brain short-circuited. They’re mine and I’m theirs, and nothing and no one can ever change that. His hand tightened and jerked in shorter staccato movements, forcing him to a higher sphere of pleasure. “Let go, Madi. With us.” Cross’s command was the extra bit he needed to go off like a shot. He cried out as he came, words of love boiling over with his pleasure. As the tension seeped out of him and a lazy satisfaction took its place, he couldn’t help but sigh. “We’re going to have to do laundry. We’re messing up the sheets faster than I can wash them.” Everyone laughed at that, ribbing him for being such a domesticated nephilim. “How you feeling, Yuri?” Madigan asked as they settled down and each fell into his own thoughts. The brown-haired angel gave a shrug. “Fine, I suppose. I’m feeling a lot better than I was.” He leaned his head to the side as Michel pressed a kiss to his neck. “I feel, I don’t know, more stable

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whenever everyone is surrounding me. It’s like I’m grounded or something.” “Probably an effect of the spell,” Dex provided, muttering softly to himself as he finished his address to them. “Lord Gabriel says the petition was rejected, but he’s not sure they’re finished with their demonstration yet.” “We’ll deal with it later,” Cross said. His word sounded final, and that was okay with Madigan. He was sick of angelic politics. “What’s important right now is to get some food in us and make sure we’re as calm as possible for the next twelve hours. We’ll set up watches, and during the watch, I expect you guys to pack your shit. Clear?” “Clear,” they said in unison. Madigan let a reluctant excitement fill him. He needed to look at things in a positive light. They were moving, starting over in a new place, but they were also moving as a family. That meant something. Their first home together. Hell, it was Madigan’s first home ever. “After dinner, you want to check out the real estate online?” Madigan wondered as he mopped up his belly and made his men move so he could gather up the second pair of sheets they’d soiled today. Cross’s eyebrows drew down in a frown. “I don’t know if they’ll have listings, but you’re welcome to try.” He considered for a moment. “I would really like a finished basement, somewhere where we could relax in relative safety without having to worry about anything else.” “A library wouldn’t be amiss, either.” Yuri added his request to the conversation. “Workout room,” Bren and Dex said in unison. Madigan grinned. “And a big kitchen.” His smile faltered. “What about a bedroom? There is no way that we’ll find one big enough.” Dex stretched his arms above his head, stretching out the muscles of his back like he always did after sex. “Get a two story. We’ll knock

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down some walls upstairs and renovate the space so that it’s all one room. Piece of cake.” “Your father has given us plenty of money to do anything we wish to with the new place, Madigan,” Cross assured. “Don’t worry about anything but what you want and let us worry about the logistics.” It would be nice not having to worry about money or danger or a million other things that he knew were normal concerns for a man when buying a home with his lovers. Most of all, he was happy that maybe they’d get a chance at really finding peace with one another. If only they could get there… **** The next morning, the feel of moisture in the air signaled a cold rain. Though the number of bags they had to carry out to the car was few, it seeped into their clothing and dampened their skin. They’d have to fly low to maintain any sort of visibility of the car. It was not what Cross wanted to deal with, and it was far from ideal, but his choices were limited. He could call the whole thing off and wait until Thursday for better conditions, or he could just push ahead. Calling the whole thing off didn’t seem like a good option with the news that the hunters were scheming so close to home. Of course, in this weather, flying would be more difficult, and Cross’s stamina, while better than Yuri’s, was not at full strength yet. He was stuck firmly between a rock and a hard place. “You can ride in the car with them if you need to,” Dex offered, reading his mind as he looked from the vehicle to the skyline and back again. Cross’s largest lover had been turned into a nurturer these past few weeks, caring for them all as they nursed their own particular ailments. His strength amazed Cross. He looked toward the SUV that was a veritable tank in comparison to Madigan’s former vehicle. But still, the idea of being behind the wheel again…He swallowed hard at the thought. Anxiety

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speared him. The idea of being trapped inside the hunk of metal again made his insides writhe like snakes in a pit of coals. “No,” he said at last. “I’ll fly with the rest of you. I’ll be of better use in the air.” He hoped he would anyway. What if he couldn’t keep up? The idea chilled him. He’d never been so aware of his own weaknesses. Dex’s firm hand landed on his shoulder. “You will persevere, Cross. You are our leader and can do nothing else.” The faith in Dex’s voice calmed him. It was a balm to his soul. He’d felt like he’d failed to protect his men last week. To know that they still looked to him for guidance restored a little of his faith in himself. The front door opened and shut again, drawing his attention to the entryway. Bren came out carrying two bags of Madigan’s things and right on his heels was Madigan and the other two nephilim carrying boxes of something. “What is all that?” Cross asked, pointing to the things that they were carrying. Madigan gave him a sheepish grin. “They’re my kitchen equipment. Levi and Erik still want me to do their wedding cake, and I can’t very well do it without my stuff. I’d love to get my stuff from the bakery, but I know I won’t have room. So you’ll have to deal with the four boxes of kitchen tools.” Madigan seemed to be in better spirits now that they were moving from the house. His good mood did seem a little forced, but Cross suspected that it was only because worry was straining Madigan’s otherwise positive personality. “Is it necessary?” he asked, eyeing the back of the SUV as Bren put the last bag in the trunk portion. It would be a tight fit to get the rest of everything inside. “It is definitely necessary,” Madigan said, giving him that same soft smile that was designed to break down Cross’s defenses. It worked every time. “Well, if you want it to come with, you’re going to have to find room for it so that everyone can still ride semicomfortably. You, Levi,

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Erik, Yuri, and Bren need to be able to fit,” Cross lectured as his lover opened the back door and started fiddling with the levers in the very back set of seats. “Since there are two rows of seats, I figured I’d just put the back row down and put the boxes there. That way Levi, Erik, and I can sit in the back seat while Yuri and Bren can take the front. We’re less visible that way.” Madigan grunted as he hauled up the box and slid it into the space he’d made in the back. “We’re lucky we’re not packing too much. Otherwise this might’ve been a pain.” “You’re lucky you had more stuff to pack. We lost everything.” Levi’s forlorn voice interrupted Madigan’s mild complaints. The little nephilim sighed, a pained expression on his face. “I wish we would’ve had time to get more of our things when we left. I’m just glad Marius was able to get Miss Kitty back.” “No worries, angel,” Erik said, wrapping an arm around Levi’s shoulders. “We’ll get new things when we get to sanctuary.” “Oh! I just had an awesome idea!” Madigan said suddenly, nearly bouncing with excitement as he slid the last box in place. “Why don’t we have our pictures taken when we get there? I mean, like family pictures? We could start making some memories right then. What do you say?” Levi brightened at the suggestion. “Oh that would be lovely! We could go get some new clothes and find a photographer. It’ll be great! Like engagement photos or something.” “Angel, we don’t have much money,” Erik reminded, looking a little downcast at the thought. “We don’t exactly have Madigan’s connections. Marius has already put most of what he had into the wedding. Please, don’t burden him with asking for more. You know he’d come up with some scheme to get more, and the last time he got arrested, and I don’t want to have to figure out how to get him bail money again.” Cross knew what Madigan was going to say before he even said it. His mate was far too generous and kindhearted. It made him smile.

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“Well, there is no reason that we can’t pay for it. Consider it a wedding present from us.” He turned his soft green eyes on him. “We can do that, can’t we, Cross?” Cross found himself nodding, knowing that he was technically only supposed to use the funds for Madigan’s welfare but caring more about Madigan’s happiness than anything else. “I don’t see why we can’t.” Bren smirked knowingly, leaning his hip against the side of the vehicle. Their eyes met, and Lucifer’s angel gave him a wink. Oh, he was going to get teased for this later, he just knew it. The nephilim exploded into excited chatter, warming the hearts of every angel present if the looks on their faces were any indication. The younger men seemed so vibrant, so full of life. Being around other nephilim would do Madigan some good. Marius chose that moment to drop from the sky and onto the front lawn, three bouquets in hand, two of white and pink tea roses, one of mixed Chrysanthemum of various shades. His pale green wings extended in a stretch before folding down close to his back. Not for the first time, Cross wondered who Marius had paid to have glyphs of concealment drawn on his back. His were not as perfect as theirs. The wings themselves were still there, just not visible when he activated them, but it was still a fairly good charm. Cross watched as Marius approached the nephilim. “Hello, lovelies. In celebration of us leaving today, I got you all a little present.” The grins that the younger men gave Marius made the angel frown. If he hadn’t been familiar with the meaning behind the flowers, he would’ve been a little more than miffed at the sight of another angel, albeit a Fallen one, handing his lover and charge a bouquet. Cross frowned as something struck him. “I thought you were going to keep a low profile today. You know the hunters have spies everywhere.”

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Marius shrugged and met his eyes over the younger ones’ heads. “I was careful. I went to one florist shop near here and was in and out in less than ten minutes. Chill out, Cross. Live a little.” Were it not for the expression of pure joy on Madigan’s face, Cross would’ve had a word or two with Marius over taking foolish risks. As it was, he just filed away Madigan’s love of flowers in his mental notes on what to do for Madigan upon occasion. Being bound was really turning him into a romantic. “What do they mean, Marius?” Levi asked excitedly as he wrapped his spare arm around Marius’s neck and hauled the angel down for a kiss. “Yours and Erik’s mean that I love you still and always,” Marius explained, scattering kisses across Levi’s face. “The ones to Madigan mean that I value the friendship we have with him and that he is a wonderful friend.” “Thank you very much,” Madigan said warmly. He buried his nose in the bouquet, inhaling the subtle scent. “They’re very beautiful.” “I guess that everyone is ready to go?” Cross asked as he took count of the people around him. “Where’s Michel?” “Right here, Cross. Sorry, was finishing up the dishes Madigan left in the sink from breakfast. I put them all away so it took a minute,” Michel said, coming out of the front door at the same time Cross asked the question. Cross nodded. “All good. Just wondered where you were at.” He took a head count once again. “Looks like we’re ready to go.” There was a moment of pause when everyone seemed to be aware that they were heading into danger. Unlike before when they’d headed out, there seemed to be a special emotional quality, a reluctance to part ways even for the brief amount of time. There was fear there as well. “Well, get over here and give me a kiss before you go flying off,” Madigan demanded, putting his hands on his hips. His bravado was

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funny and served to break the tension a little bit. All of the guardians approached Madigan, standing in a line before him, willing to serve and protect him from anything that would harm him. It was the way things were meant to be and the way Cross preferred it. This was the reality of having a charge. There was no one more worthy than Madigan of their protection and love. Madigan reached for him first. Cross could posture all he wanted about being professional, but the reality was that he melted a little when Madigan touched him, just like the rest of the warriors. Their lips met in a kiss that was so sweet it was almost chaste. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man, holding him close as they shared a moment of closeness before they parted ways for a little while. Madigan’s hand touched his chest above his heart. “Be careful, Cross. I don’t want to lose you again.” “I will be,” Cross promised. It might seem silly to have them all lined up, saying their good-byes like this, but it could very well be a very permanent sort of good-bye if they weren’t careful enough or their enemies were clever enough to get the best of them. Madigan went down the line, whispering words to each of his men in turn and pressing reverent kisses to their lips as he did so. It was beautiful to watch. When he finished, he didn’t say anything else but climbed into the back seat of the car and buckled his seat belt. Cross’s heart swelled. Madigan had a deep inner strength, just like his father. When he reached his angelic maturity, he was going to be quite a power to reckon with. Cross looked forward to the day. He turned his attention from Madigan and nodded at his lovers. “Keep vigilant. We’ll be keeping formation above the vehicle on the ride into Sanctuary. If anyone sees anything, and I do mean anything, out of the ordinary I expect to be notified immediately. Swords are to be drawn for those of you who are going to be in the skies with me.” His eyes went to Bren and Yuri. “Drive safe and keep the faith.”

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“We love you, too, Cross.” Bren couldn’t seem to help himself as he gave a wink. “So serious. You’d think we were in a Lifetime movie.” Cross rolled his eyes. “Behave, Bren.” “That’s like telling a dog not to bark, Cross. It’s not going to happen,” Michel quipped, grinning at Bren. “But you know, he’s starting to grow on me.” “Starting to?” Bren asked. “I’m wounded. Just thinking about how much you love when I—” “Focus, all of you,” Cross commanded, unable to keep the smile out of his voice as he said it. His men couldn’t be truly serious to save their lives. “I want this to go as smoothly as possible.” Bren saluted. “So noted, commander. Let’s get this show on the road.” Dex looked up toward the sky and nodded twice. “Lord Gabriel said there are a large number of hunters at the temple doing a demonstration, so we shouldn’t have to contend with too many on the way.” “The ones we do come across will be dealt with in the harshest of terms.” Michel’s voice was deadly. Cross frowned. “We’re not to engage them if we can help it, Michel. I don’t want you breaking formation to chase down a hunter. Understood?” Michel sighed, annoyance lacing his tone. “Yeah, yeah. I got it, Cross. I’ll behave. One day though…” “Banish the bad thoughts, babe. No reason to get worked up before you guys hit the sky.” Bren put his arm around Michel’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Seriously, chill. We’ll get the fuckers soon enough.” In a way, Cross hoped he was right. In another, he prayed that they wouldn’t have to engage the hunters at all. He didn’t want to risk losing them before they got a chance at happily ever after.

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Chapter Six Yuri fiddled with the dial on the radio as they pulled onto the highway. Since it was early morning, the traffic was a bit heavier than usual, and Bren was cursing human drivers under his breath as they sped toward their destination. Madigan was nervous about the drive and couldn’t wait until they got there. The entire car seemed to be under the same sort of gloomy pall that he was. Even the normally vibrant Levi was quiet and reclined against Erik as best he could with his seat belt on. “So far so good,” Madigan mumbled, petting the petals of his flowers as they rolled along. It had been nice of Marius to think to get him some. “Madi, what was that one house you found promising on the net last night?” Yuri asked the question, no doubt to distract Madigan from more serious thoughts and anxieties. “It’s a three bedroom, three and a half bath with a finished basement, office, and attached garage. I thought we could stick a weight room in the garage and install some built-in shelves in the office to make it into a library,” Madigan answered without thinking. His mind was on his lovers above him, not on the house that could potentially be theirs. “It’s also centrally located with the shopping district within walking distance. I thought we could look at some commercial properties when we got there.” “For the bakery?” Bren asked. “Yep.” The car fell silent again. Keeping small talk going was going to be a painful experience for them if they tried to keep it going the entire car ride. Madigan’s thoughts turned toward the town they

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were heading into. It was a medium-sized area, only thirty-six thousand people total. The metropolitan area was booming and catered to neighboring cities in a fairly efficient and widespread manner. Madigan had been surprised he hadn’t heard of the place before, but the guardians had told him that it was a side effect of the sanctuary spell that the creator of the town had put in place to dissuade humans from settling there. While some humans who were oblivious to the existence of angels, nephilim, and Fallen commuted to the city, the only people allowed residences in the area were nephilim, Fallen, angels, and those select humans who knew explicitly about them. How they managed it, Madigan wasn’t certain, but he figured that it couldn’t be a bad thing. The residential areas were apparently the big draw for people of all walks of angelic life. Each had their own unique security measures and safety, and privacy seemed to be the number-one thing that residents were concerned with. Not only were the neighborhoods extremely safe, the place was completely self-sufficient so the residents didn’t have to worry about leaving the city ever. The idea of being able to relax seemed like heaven right about then as they drove toward their destination. Madigan was definitely excited to be able to spread his wings in a home that catered to and reassured his loved ones. Yuri seemed to settle on a station that was playing the Top 20 countdown in mainstream music and settled back against his seat. His color was a lot better today, and he seemed to be in a marginally better mood. Hopefully, whatever healers they found there would help him undo whatever was done to him and help him get better. “You okay today, Yuri?” Madigan asked as the angel began to tap the beat of the song on the radio against his jeans. “I’m fine, Madi. No worries.” Yuri met his eyes in the rearview mirror and gave him a slow smile. There was the jokester that had wormed his way into Madigan’s heart. The overwhelming relief at seeing that light restored to Yuri’s eyes swamped Madigan and made

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him want nothing more than to crawl into Yuri’s lap and cry in gratitude. There was still that ever-present darkness in his eyes, but the glimpse of Yuri’s old self gave Madigan hope for the future. “Should be the next exit, guys,” Bren said, flipping on his turn signal and gliding into the right exit lane. “It’s about twenty minutes off the exit, so it shouldn’t be too much longer.” “Would we know if something happened up above?” Erik asked. His expression was nervous and a little pale. He almost clutched Levi to him. Madigan realized that Levi touching Erik through the ride was probably not just for Levi’s benefit. Yuri leaned his head against the glass of the passenger window. “We wouldn’t.” The honesty was chilling. “I should’ve made them take a cell phone or something,” Bren muttered, glancing up at the ever-darkening sky as they slowed coming off exit twenty-three. “Next time.” Madigan prayed there wouldn’t be a next time. The idea of his mates up there alone and in danger was enough to make his heart start to pound. He deliberately forced his pulse back to normal. There was no point in getting hysterical. It wouldn’t help things, and it certainly wouldn’t make them any safer. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. They’re warriors,” Madigan heard himself say. “I bet they’re enjoying the fresh air. It’s no fun being stuck in a car for an hour.” God, was it only an hour away from his place? Yeah. Shit. Why did it feel so much longer? “Marius doesn’t fly as much as he used to. He says until we get our wings, he’ll stay on the ground with us,” Levi said, still holding his other lover close. “So I’m sure he’s hurrying to the sanctuary.” The distraction of talking about their loves seemed to ease the tension a little bit. “Yeah, Cross hasn’t let us fly a lot, either. Mainly because we’ve been targeted now that they can’t get to Madi,” Yuri said. “I can’t wait to be able to fly again.” There was a longing in his voice as he said it, and Bren reached out and gripped his knee.

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“We’ll find a healer, and you’ll be flying in no time. Isn’t that right, bright eyes?” Madigan nodded. “Of course. We won’t accept anything less.” He smiled as he thought of living in a place where none of them had to hide away or were restricted to certain areas. “An entire town of sanctuary sounds pretty great.” “It does. I was so excited when Marius told us about it.” Levi’s enthusiasm seemed to be building with their conversation. “That was when we started planning the wedding and everything. Since it’s a neutral zone, even our fathers are coming.” The fact had Madigan turning to look at Levi. “Your angelic fathers?” Levi all but bounced in his seat. The smaller guy nearly vibrated with energy when something excited him. It reminded Madigan of a small dog for some reason. It was adorable. “Yeah. Marius sent them special invitations, and they said that they were coming. It’ll be the first time that either of us gets to meet them.” “Are they archangels, too?” Madigan wondered. “No way! It’s super rare for archangels to take on human form long enough to impregnate a human. They’re really busy in the heavens, and besides, their angelic forms are very very hard to put in a human skin.” Levi babbled on, oblivious to the wealth of information he was dropping in Madigan’s lap. “Our fathers are just regular run-of-the-mill choir angels. Erik’s father is from Gabriel’s choir and mine is from Michael’s. I did some research on it when I found out they were coming.” “Gabriel mentioned something about me not being trained to look at angels’ true forms. You guys going to start doing that at some point?” Madigan asked his angels in the front seat. They shared a glance. “We can if you wish. I really have no idea what sort of preparation to give a nephilim who is reaching maturity. Cross was the one who got majority of the orders because your father was the one that told him what to do as far as your angelic education

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goes. We weren’t supposed to be as involved as we are in the original plans,” Yuri explained. “I was mainly tech support since I am by nature a scholar, Bren was spell support, Dex was brute strength, so essentially the tank of the group, Cross was the leader, and Michel was the tactician. We all had our roles to play. So, when it comes to all the other stuff that goes along with being a guardian, we’re as lost as you are. We’re doing this by ear for the most part.” Madigan had to laugh at that. “Good to know that we’re all stumbling around in the dark. I love you, guys.” **** Michel swerved to the left, narrowly missing the projectile arrow tipped in light. If it hadn’t been so dark, he wouldn’t have seen it. “Incoming!” he shouted ahead to Cross and the others as the hunters rose like crows from the trees on either side of the exit as the SUV passed some sort of invisible detection line. “Hunters must’ve set up a trap to take out any nephilim heading toward sanctuary. It might be worth it once they get there, but the journey is a bitch!” Marius yelled as he clenched his fists, summoning his Fallen magic to the form of two glowing green crossbows. He took a shot and nailed one hunter through both his wings, sending him plummeting back towards Earth. “Keep them off the car!” Cross shouted, diving to engage a pair of angels as they streaked toward the SUV. Not a lot to worry about today, my ass. Michel followed suit, tucking his wings in so that he sliced through the air to increase his speed. He did a quick count and noted at least fifteen hunters had risen from the trees. His sword sprang to his fingertips, flashing as it came to full form. He’d been craving blood for days, and he was going to take pleasure in taking these hunters out. It wasn’t normally in his personality to be so bloodthirsty. He considered himself a nurturing person. When he went home, he liked

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to take off his warrior persona and just take care of his men, but lately it had seemed impossible to shrug off the pounding need to take out every hunter in the world just to keep his lovers safe. He’d never hated before in his life, and now he hated with such a depth and breadth of feeling that it had become a corrosive acid in his blood. His sword sliced through the wings of a hunter, dropping him from the sky like an anvil. The satisfaction that filled him at the sight made him howl with glee. Another hunter rose up to meet him. Their weapons clashed, but Dex came from above and took that one out, too. They were faceless enemies to him. Just one more thing that stood in between him and his lovers’ happiness. A hand grabbed his elbow, and he turned, snarling, weapon ready to strike. He paused as he saw who had gripped him. It was the Fallen, Marius. For one sick second he considered using his sword on the weaponless Fallen angel. It had been drilled into his head his entire life that the Fallen and demons were one in the same and that they both deserved to be met with the same sword point as any other enemy of heaven. The feeling faded as quickly as it came, leaving him slightly sick to his stomach. His Madigan had taught him to have compassion for this angel and his charges, despite the fact that they weren’t exactly on the same side. He was ashamed he’d even thought that for an instant. Marius jerked him suddenly, pulling him out of the line of fire as a mass of arrows shot through the space he’d just occupied. Michel watched in horror as one struck Marius’s arm, piercing through his bicep and sticking into his chest. His flight wavered, and he fell for a second before he righted himself. Michel grabbed his uninjured arm and looped it around his shoulders. “It’s going to be a slow flight, but I can help,” he told the Fallen. He was grateful for Marius’s intervention. “Thanks,” Marius wheezed, a pinched look on his face. “The car just crossed into the sanctioned territory,” Dex said as he dodged another set of arrows.

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“Good,” Cross spoke from above them. “Let’s get out of here then, as quickly as possible, but be careful.” He pointed to Dex. “Fly below them and block anything that comes their way. I’ll fly above. You going to be okay carrying Marius’s weight?” “Right as rain, boss. Let’s get moving. I don’t want the hunters to swarm us if we slow down,” Michel shouted back up. “Agreed. Move it.” Michel spread his wings, flapping furiously to gain a breakneck pace. Marius assisted as best he could, but the injury had probably nicked a lung and was making it difficult for the guy to breathe. “Take it easy, Marius. I’ve got you,” Michel commanded as he saw the speed was getting to him. “Are they okay?” “They’re fine. They made it. Now we have to make it. Just a little farther.” They were lucky the hunters weren’t pursuing too doggedly. Their prize was obviously out of their reach, and a gaggle of angels was of little concern to them unless they were Fallen or demon. The fact that none of them had recognized them as Madigan’s mates was a plus. They’d obviously caught them off guard. Azrael was going to be pissed over the issue, but Michel frankly didn’t give a damn. If he ever got his hands on the prick, he was a dead man. “Thanks…for…helping…me,” Marius wheezed. “Thought…you were…goin’…leave me…for a… second.” His breath was becoming more labored. “Try not to talk, man. I got you, and I’m not leaving you. Just try and focus on breathing.” They were so close. Sweat poured off Michel’s shoulders, soaking his skin and making it slightly harder to hold onto Marius as his body did the same. He couldn’t remember ever pushing his wings this hard. “You’re lucky.” The words were pushed out of lips that could only form whispers now. It drew Michel’s attention. “What do you mean?”

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“You have other people…to care for…your Madigan.” Marius was starting to look decidedly pale. That was not good. The light tips of the arrows were obviously affecting him adversely. If a weapon of heaven struck an angel, it was fairly easy to heal given that they were a part of heaven and therefore had certain immunity to its power. Fallen angels were not so immune, it seemed. “Must be nice…having other warriors as lovers…I’m scared…all the time.” The admission cost Marius as he coughed so hard he nearly sent them off course. “Aw, but then you’d have to share your lovers with other men. Now you get to keep them all to yourself.” Distract him. Gotta distract him from the pain for just a little while longer. Relief filled Michel as the town came into view. “I’m not…all they…need,” Marius protested, his eyes beginning to flutter shut in odd intervals. He was probably staying awake by sheer force of will alone. Michel wasn’t sure what he was asking, wasn’t even sure if he wanted to know what the Fallen was getting at. “There is a landing zone in the middle of the town where the park is. The space is big enough.” Cross called out the orders, and Michel saw the area he was talking about. Michel squeezed Marius’s waist gently. “Okay, bud. We’re going to land in a minute, okay? Just hang in there.” “Easy for you to say…you’re not…inhaling arrows.” Marius might’ve been joking, but Michel couldn’t really been sure. Maybe it was the consistent look of agony on his face. Yeah, that was probably it. “Not funny,” Michel said. “Wasn’t…laughing.” Michel was finally where he needed to be and began his descent toward the gray-green grass below. “Hey, Michel?” “’Sup man?”

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“I’m goin’ pass out.” Michel cursed as Marius became a dead weight in his arms, and they fell awkwardly toward the ground. Michel braced himself for impact. They were coming in way, way too fast. Yeah, this is going to fucking hurt.

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Chapter Seven “Where are they?” Madigan asked impatiently as they pulled into the public parking lot beside the real estate office where they were supposed to meet the other angels. They were still technically on the outskirts of town, not the city center but far enough inside the boundaries that everyone had felt that it was an okay place to meet. Bren was wondering the same thing about the location of the rest of their party but didn’t voice it aloud. “They’ll be here,” Yuri reassured for the millionth time. He was trying to hold it together, but Bren could see the edges of his surety cracking with each passing second. As strong as he was trying to be, the poison in his mind was going to win out if they didn’t have some sort of reassurance soon. Yuri seemed to get worse under stress, and waiting for their lovers to join them was definitely a stressful endeavor. The inactivity was probably the worst part of it for him. Bren pushed his mind out into the area, searching internally for the mental writing of spells of sanctuary. Whoever had written them had to have been at least a seraphim, the highest choir of angel. It made him wonder who exactly ran this town. He supposed it didn’t matter so long as they were all protected, but knowing a Fallen seraphim could be around made him decidedly uneasy. Bren glanced around until he found a suitable distraction. “They’re going to be tired when they get here. There is a sub shop right across the road. Yuri, why don’t you take Madigan and the boys over there to get everyone something to eat?” “Sounds like a great plan,” Levi piped up, a jittery smile on his face. “Marius is always hungry after he flies.”

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“We’ll pick up the key from the real estate office while we’re getting sandwiches,” Erik said, speaking for the second time the entire trip. The doors opened, and Yuri shot Bren a grateful look before he climbed out of the car after the nephilim. Bren took a couple deep breaths. He really hoped Cross got here soon because he didn’t know how much longer he could keep the nephilim and Yuri content. A knock to the side window made him jump before immediately feeling relief as Dex’s massive frame came into view. He hit the little button on the side of the door that lowered the window. “God, you scared the shit out of me. Is everyone all right?” Bren asked. The serious look on Dex’s face made his heart do an uncomfortable somersault. “Who got hit?” “Marius. Michel and Cross are carrying him to a healer a few blocks west of here. Cross sent me ahead to tell you because he knew you all would worry. Did I see Madigan across the street?” Dex leaned his arm on the top of the car and bent down so that he was more eye level with Bren. “Yeah. I had to do something to distract them. They were about to freak out over not knowing where you guys were,” Bren explained. “How bad was Marius hit?” “Took an arrow through the arm that lodged in his right lung. He’s lucky it went through his arm first. It slowed the momentum of the shot enough to keep it from piercing his heart. It was a hell of a shot to make. The archers were unexpected, but we muddled through okay.” Dex’s eyes went across the street, keeping an eye on the nephilim and Yuri as they came out of the shop and crossed the street into the realty office. Madigan must’ve seen him because he waved. Bren could practically see the tension fade from Madigan’s shoulders. His lover was going to need a back rub from heaven to get all the kinks out of his body. “He’ll pull through?”

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“Should pull through with no problem. It just has to be removed and patched up before he gets sent home. Cross is also going to ask the healer to see Yuri at some point. Don’t know if he’s going to be able to arrange a home visit yet or not, but either way, he’ll make sure he’s seen by one of the Fallen physicians that can heal the magic damage as well as the physical kind.” Dex let out a breath that he seemed to have been holding for a long time. “Other than that minor glitch, we made it. That’s all that matters. We need to get to Marius and his nephilim’s house and get everything arranged so that we can get our own house situation taken care of.” “Agreed. Cross and Michel will meet us there?” Bren reached up and tugged Dex’s hair as it fell over his sweaty forehead. “You need a bath, Dexirus.” “Tell me about it. I’ve been sweating bullets.” Dex smiled a little at that. “And yeah, they’ll be meeting us there.” “Dex!” Madigan’s voice called out an instant before his arms wrapped around the angel’s sweaty waist. Dex turned with a chuckle to accept Madigan’s kisses of welcome. “I should leave on missions more often if this is the greeting I get in return,” Dex teased as Madigan babbled on about how worried he’d been for Dex’s safety and how he wished that they had been able to all travel together because he didn’t know if he hadn’t been sure if he’d get to see them again and not to worry him like that ever, ever again. The tirade was cute as hell. “Everyone get in the car, please. We’re going to meet the rest of the guys at Marius’s place,” Bren instructed as the other two nephilim started looking uneasily around as if searching for their own angel. At his order, everyone piled back into the SUV, but not before Yuri stole a kiss from Dex. Erik handed up an address along with some directions they’d gotten from the real estate office, and Yuri read them off as Bren drove them to their temporary home. “I’ve got some listings that the real estate agent gave me. Her name is Julianna, and she was very excited to know that we were

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looking for a place in the area,” Madigan offered as they took a right into a quaint subdivision toward the outskirts of town. “Apparently, she worked with Marius on finding their home and gave me a couple printouts to look over, along with her card. Isn’t that great?” “That’s wonderful, Madi,” Dex rumbled, tucking the nephilim tighter against him. “You’ll have to show us the places you like when we get there. We’ll make notes on which ones we think would work and show it to Cross and Michel when they get there.” “Is Marius meeting us there as well?” Erik asked, his voice tight. Bren felt sorry for the two nephilim. All they had was Marius. At least Bren knew that if he died that the other guardians would take care of Madigan for him. What would happen to the two nephilim if Marius was killed? Bren sent up a prayer of thanks to the Creator’s genius in giving them all to Madigan. He didn’t know what he would do if he ever had to face the possibility of leaving Madigan helpless against the world. Of course, Madigan wouldn’t be helpless forever. A nephilim, once he or she reached angelic maturity, could be a very powerful being, but it was hard for Bren to picture Madigan without his mortal fragility. “Yes. He will be. He was getting patched up at the healers, which is why I was late,” Dex said the words with confidence, obviously trying to instill a sense of calm in the two nephilim. They weren’t buying it. “What the hell do you mean get patched up at the healer? He was injured? Why the hell didn’t you tell us? Take us to him, now!” Erik snapped, bristling from his seat. “He told us to take you on to the house to wait, Erik. I’m only doing as he asked,” Dex said, gently. Erik snorted. “That is just the sort of thing that moron would say. Fuck no. Take us to him. We belong beside him, not at home waiting like a pair of dutiful cubs. I want to go see him.” “Erik, honey, be reasonable. You know how fast Marius heals—” Levi began.

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“I don’t give a shit! This is exactly what I’m talking about. He always leaves us out of the decision-making process!” Erik all but growled at the smaller man. “Don’t feel bad, man. All angels are like that. Trust me. You think having one is bad, try having five. They are constantly beating their chests and ordering me around.” Madigan added his voice to the conversation, and Bren cringed. This was going to dissolve into a nephilim bitch fest. He just knew it. “We do what we do for your own good,” Dex said firmly. Bad mistake, my jolly green giant love. Madigan’s nostrils flared, and Bren nearly missed his turn watching Madigan fume. “Two more streets,” he heard Yuri mutter as Madigan opened his mouth to speak. “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. And they all do that. I can’t get away with anything. For real.” Erik crossed his arms over his chest and spat as Levi was making soothing motions with his hands. “You just wait until Marius gets back. Once I find out he’s okay, I’m going to beat the hell out of him for worrying me. Gah! Angels!” Bren was quite sure that if they hadn’t been in a car, Erik would’ve used the moment to stomp off in a snit. Luckily, they were in a car. “Third house on the left, Bren,” Yuri instructed, pointing to the gorgeous monstrosity that sat in the bend of the cul-de-sac. The nephilim in the car fell silent as they pulled into the drive of a rambling colonial house whose nearest neighbors were a good fifty to sixty feet away. The lawn was well manicured, and the sharp-looking brick framed a house with a long porch and welcoming greenery that was suspended by hanging brackets in regular intervals along the porch. “Thank God,” Bren muttered. He’d hoped the sight of the house would hush the bitching nephilim up, and he had been right.

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“Okay, well, he may be a generous, thoughtful, and wonderful man, but he is still getting it when he gets home,” Erik said from the back seat. “He didn’t tell us it was this big.” “Oh my God! It’s so beautiful!” Levi chirped happily. “I just want to squeeze him to pieces. Look, Erik, it’s everything we wanted. It’s a home!” “It’s more than that,” Erik said as Bren cut the engine after putting the car in park. “It’s our home.” The sentiment was circulated. Bren hoped one day to have that sort of place, too, somewhere for his family to rest when they were weary, a place to grow as a family, to laugh together. There hadn’t been nearly as much laughter lately as there should have been. **** Madigan had installed them in the guest rooms downstairs and set about whipping a sweet treat up for lunch. The sandwiches were placed in the empty fridge, and the drinks were stored away beside them. He’d even convinced Dex to go back into town to get him some things he needed to make a couple cheesecakes as a treat for arriving safely. Yuri sat at the island reading a magazine Dex had brought back for him. It was some special-edition Times piece about the history of America which had him thoroughly engrossed. “That smells fantastic, babe,” Yuri complimented as Madigan whisked the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. He hated having to use store-bought pie crusts, but he didn’t really have time for anything else. The stainless-steel oven was already preheated and waiting for Madigan to slide the three pies he’d made into it. “You can’t possibly smell anything,” Madigan said, laughing. “It’s not even cooking yet.” “Smells sweet. Can I lick the bowl?” “It’s got raw eggs in it,” Madigan reminded, pouring the contents into one of the pie crusts until it was just the right amount of filling.

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“So what? It’s not like I can get sick from it. Come on, babe. I have been dutifully sitting here, waiting for you to finish cooking when I could’ve been in the living room with the fifty-two-inch plasma screen and all the ESPN channels at my fingertips. I feel like this is not an unreasonable request.” Yuri’s pout was adorable, and Madigan couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. “You’re a dork. But since you asked so nicely, here.” He handed the bowl over and watched as Yuri began scooping out the remaining contents with his fingertips. Madigan’s nose wrinkled. He could’ve understood if he would’ve been making chocolate icing or something, but cheesecake mix? Ew. Levi and Erik were still exploring the rest of the house. They apparently hadn’t expected their angel to splurge quite the way he had. It really was a lovely home. Madigan couldn’t help but imagine him and his angels buying a home similar to it soon. He was approaching their union like it was a marriage now, and as such, the next logical step would be to make a home together. Levi came trailing into the kitchen then, an armload of picture frames in his hands. “I want to fill all of these when we go have pictures taken,” he announced, setting them down on the small eat-in kitchen table. “I’ve collected them since I left home four years ago, and I’ve been waiting for the perfect memories to go inside them.” He took out the delicately decorated silver ones. “These are going to be for the wedding photos.” “That’s great, Levi,” Madigan said, stooping over to put the cheesecakes in the oven. He set the timer for twenty minutes before circling around to have a look at Levi’s considerable collection. He was an odd one, the collection of photos yet another odd quirk in his personality. As Levi started to talk about the wedding that would take place in a few days’ time, Madigan couldn’t help but think of his own impromptu ceremony that had taken place a few weeks back. His angels had his name etched into their skins for all eternity. The

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bracelets on Madigan’s wrist were as symbolic as any wedding band but still…the human tradition would’ve been nice. It was hard to imagine that he’d once been opposed to the idea of being with all of them. They had their problems, but what couple didn’t? They never asked anything of him and never demanded he do anything to acknowledge their bond publically. The one thing they wanted from him, Madigan had been unwilling to give them. A determination filled him. If they could be brave enough to face death and desertion by their fellow angels on his behalf, it only made sense that he could grow some balls and tell his mother what was really going on. “Hey, Levi, can I use your phone?” he asked, interrupting the other nephilim midsentence. As usual, Levi took it in stride. “Sure.” He fished in his pocket and extracted his cell phone. “Calling your lovers?” “Nah, my mom.” Yuri stood up from his seat at the island and ruffled Levi’s hair before striding from the room. No doubt he was off to find the biggest recliner and the remote. “Is there a place that I can have some privacy?” Madigan asked, only realizing the foolishness of his statement too late. Levi and he probably had the same amount of knowledge for where everything was in this huge house. He smiled apologetically as Levi shrugged. The smaller nephilim pointed toward the side exit for the kitchen. “There is a small office through there that Erik is going to use. You could slip in there.” “Perfect. Thanks.” He shut the door behind him as he swung into the small office that was right off the kitchen. The room was dark wood and masculine, the rich color of the furniture and built-in shelves calling to mind every detective movie he’d seen since he was a kid. The dark green accents and furniture added to the feel of the space. It felt like a den, nice and cozy. The place suited Erik for some reason.

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The other nephilim had busied himself by unpacking things in the upper bedroom where Madigan assumed they all would sleep, though Levi had assured him that they all had their own separate rooms for whenever they wanted some quiet time to themselves. That part didn’t make much sense to Madigan, but he was in no position to judge. Erik just couldn’t relax until Marius and the others got back, so he stayed up there, waiting. Now that Madigan knew that Michel and Cross weren’t hurt, he saw no harm in relaxing a bit. He planted himself behind the desk on the leather roll chair he found there and dialed his aunt’s number from memory. “Hello?” His aunt’s voice came through the phone with the same cheerful note she always had when answering. He could picture her in her white-on-white kitchen with a wine glass in hand as the phone rang. “Hi, Auntie. It’s Madi. Is my mom there?” He erred on the side of politeness despite the fact that it was probably unnecessary. Maybe it was his nervousness that made him that way. He wasn’t sure how his mom was going to react. “Of course she is, silly goose. Hold on one second.” Madigan tapped his fingers nervously on the polished wood, wishing like hell he’d decided not to do this but too stubborn to back out now. “Hi, Madi.” His mom’s voice came through on the other line, and Madigan tensed. “Everything all right, baby?” “Yeah. We made it to the sanctuary all right. No major problems.” The polite talk was the easy part. Much easier than what he would have to say next. “I’m glad to hear that.” She paused. “What’s the matter, Madi? You sound nervous.” It figured that she would call him on it. She’d always known him like the back of her hand, and he supposed that this would be no different than any other time in his life. They were close, always had been.

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“Mom, I’m in love.” The words came out sounding just as high school as he’d wanted it not to be. Dammit. There was a long pause on the other end. “Which of your guardians is it, Madigan?” She’d probably had an internal bet going about which one he’d cave into. The last time they’d all been together they’d all been attracted to his scent and he had been no better. The instincts that had awakened in him had demanded he throw himself at them. “Um, all of them?” He smacked himself in the forehead. Wow. Fucking genius, Madigan. Genius. The silence on the other end was palpable. “Say something,” he said in a strangled voice. “Come again?” Christ. He had to repeat himself? He cleared his throat. “I’m in love with all of them…and they’re in love with me.” Man, he couldn’t breathe. “We, um, we’re together.” She was silent for a solid minute before she took a deep breath and sighed. “Your father did say there would be some instincts that were difficult to deny. Now I need you to think really hard about this, Madigan, before you say yes or no. Are you in love with them because you want to have sex with them? Or because you genuinely love their company and cannot think of a single thing you would rather do than be with them?” Madigan’s face burnt from the intensity of his blush. He supposed it was the motherly thing to do to ask questions like this, but they were embarrassing as hell. “Mom, I love them. Of course I want to have sex with them, but it goes deeper than that. They’re a part of me in so many ways it’s crazy. I can’t think of spending even one day without them.” “What are their intentions in regards to you?” she asked carefully. “That’s the thing, Mom. I sort of, well, we”—He paused, took a deep breath, and continued—“we sort of already got married the angelic way.” “Madigan Raphael Parker!”

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He jerked the phone back from his ear at her screech. “It was sort of necessary at the time. But that’s not the point. Mom, please listen before you go off on a—” “The least you could’ve done was to call and tell me before you did something like that! Oh, Madi, I dreamed of the day you would get married since you were a little boy! And you excluded me from the most important event in your life like I was some sort of, of, afterthought or something!” “Oh boy,” he muttered, hanging his head like a little kid getting berated by a parent, which was actually pretty close to the truth. “I don’t know how you would’ve thought this would’ve been a good idea given how you know I support you whatever you decide to do with your life—” “Mom, we’re going to have a human ceremony in a couple weeks!” Madigan shouted. He’d say anything at this point to get her to stop the endless tirade of disappointment. He prayed his lovers would go along with it because he was pretty sure nothing less would satisfy his mother. If they didn’t give her something, she was liable to have a fit and drive down here just to yell at them in person. Blessed silence met his declaration on the other end of the phone. Madigan let out the breath he’d been holding. “As I was going to say before you starting chewing my head off, we’re talking it over tonight to make some plans on the ceremony and whatnot. We’re already married by heaven’s laws, but I do want to do it in front of witnesses.” He paused. “I’m not sure of who to invite given the unusual nature of our relationship, but I do want to do this right.” “That depends on how public you want to make the fact that you’re marrying five men, Madi. It’s not easy for a lot of people to accept that you’re gay to begin with. Add multiple partners on top of it and it’s not an easy row to sow. I will come, of course, and support you a hundred percent, but you need to realize the risks before you go inviting everyone.” His mother had always been a sounding board for his thoughts. In this she was no different. “You’ll also have to keep in

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mind the more humans you invite, the less your guardians are going to be able to be themselves. I want you to be comfortable, Madi.” “The only people who I want with me for sure are you, Becka, Daniella, and Christian. I think they can handle it.” “Then I think I’ll give them a call and casually mention that you met someone who you are thinking about marrying. They’ve been worried about you these past few weeks. Christian has called twice a day week in and week out. Maybe it would be a good idea for you to invite them to town and to meet your guardians before the wedding.” That was a perfect idea, one that Madigan hadn’t considered. He nodded even though she couldn’t see him. “I will. We’re actually staying with friends right now. That’s whose phone I called you on. Raphael set us up with enough money to buy a house.” Another squeal on the other end of the phone had him jerking it away from his ear once again. “Ooh, Madigan! That’s so exciting! So you all are getting a house together? That’s wonderful!” She laughed, the noise a carefree melody that made Madigan smile. “I’m so happy for you, baby. I truly am. So when do I get to come see, hmm? I need to drill your young men before the wedding. They’re going to have to be up to snuff to be able to put a ring on your finger.” Madigan found himself laughing for the first time all day. God, it was nice to talk about something seminormal for the first time in what felt like forever. The worries of survival were temporarily set aside in favor of worries over invitations and wedding cakes. It was a welcome reprieve. Before he knew it, over an hour had passed, and it didn’t dawn on him until he heard the front door slam and looked up at the clock. “Crap. The rest of the guys are home. I gotta go, Mom. I’ll call you soon to let you know details. Okay?” “Okay, baby. You call me soon. In fact, have your young men call me tomorrow so I can talk to them about everything. All right?” “All right, Mom. Love you,” he said, anxious to get off the phone and reassure himself that Michel and Cross were both safe and sound.

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“Love you, too.” He hung up the phone and hurried out of the office and into the hallway. He got mixed up and ended up back in the now-empty living room. “Hello?” he called as he found his way back into the kitchen. “Hey, cutey.” The voice had him whipping around. Joy flooded him, and he turned and threw himself into Michel’s arms, nearly knocking the angel over in the doorway. Warm arms wrapped tight around him, and the scent of male sweat and angel teased his nostrils. “You okay?” Madigan asked, nuzzling Michel’s bare chest. He resisted the urge to purr and rub against him. “I’m good,” Michel assured, kissing Madigan’s lips soundly. “Sorry to worry you. The healer kept us a little longer than we expected.” Cross’s arms closed in from behind him, bracketing him between the two strong sets of arms. “Hello, beautiful. I am jealous of your greeting to our Michel.” Madigan shuddered between them, a want building inside him as it usually did when he was touched just once too often by his lovers. “I’m sorry, Cross. Let me greet you properly.” Michel let him turn so that he could wrap his arms around Cross and drag his mouth down for a kiss. By the time he pulled back, they were all three panting and Michel’s erection was digging into the seat of his pants. He sighed as he leaned back against Michel’s shoulder. “I’m glad you guys are okay. I’ve got some real estate listings to show you, and I need to talk to everyone if we can round everybody up.” He paused, remembering why they were late to begin with. “How is Marius?” “He’s fine. Already healing. His two nephilim are showing him how much he is appreciated upstairs right this second if the noises coming from above are any indication,” Cross said with a wink. “The healer has promised to come on Friday to take a look at Yuri’s wings and to offer his opinion for treatment.”

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“That’s a relief. I was hoping that the healer would be able to look at Yuri before the week was out.” Madigan was about to suggest they move the conversation to the guest room they’d been given with the attached living room when a low whistle sounded in the entryway. “Well, looks like we were excluded from the party, boys,” Bren’s snarky voice interrupted. Madigan turned his head to see his other lovers standing there. Dex looked freshly showered and had an arm draped over Yuri’s shoulders, Bren stood just ahead of them with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. “I was just about to suggest we move things to our bedroom,” Madigan said, meeting his eyes unflinchingly. He knew how much Bren liked his other lovers’ hands on him. “I’ve got some news.” “Ah, then we must obey our Madigan’s wishes,” Michel murmured in his ear, nibbling the earlobe as he went. “Lead the way, cutey, because I’m going to need a shower afterward.” The promise in Michel’s voice was a sensual one that made desire unfurl in Madigan’s lower abdomen. “Okay. Let’s go.” He reluctantly pushed away from his two loves and walked in the direction of the rooms that Levi and Erik had assigned them for the duration of their stay. It wasn’t a big room by any means. It was only a queen bed, so they wouldn’t all be able to fit in it to sleep, but Madigan figured he could put up with the separation so long as the rest of them stayed on the fold-out sofa in the attached room for a little while. “Yeah, we’re going to have to hurry this house hunt along. Because this is so not working long term.” Bren sniffed in disdain after giving the room a cursory glance. “Agreed.” Dex’s rumbled agreement was unexpected. He hardly ever complained. “I’m not going to enjoy sleeping without all of you.” “Ha, try doing it for a week,” Yuri broke in, stepping more fully into the room. “I am not sleeping on the pull out.”

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“We’ll rotate as many days as we have to,” Cross said before the argument could grow to a full-blown fight. His attention turned to Madigan as he plopped down onto the bed. “So what did you need to tell us, darling?” Madigan took a deep breath. “I told my mother that I’m involved with all of you.” Every angel in the room went slack-jawed for a split second. Madigan pressed on before they could say anything else. “She’s supportive of the relationship, but I sort of told her that we would get married. Like a ceremony and everything.” They all stared at him long enough that he started to squirm. Had he misread them? Did they not want to marry him like that? Were they mad that he’d told her that he was having a wedding? “I can tell her that we’re not really having one if you want…” They exchanged looks between them, communicating silently in a way that Madigan didn’t understand but was supremely frustrated with all the same. “Do you want to have a wedding like Marius and his lovers are having? I imagine that that is where you got the idea from, correct?” Cross, as usual, took the lead in questioning. Madigan nodded. “They just seem so happy, and the wedding is so exciting and they get to tell everyone how they feel about their lovers. It’s just such a happy event.” He looked up at his men and smiled softly. “I really want that with you guys. I don’t want to hide it. I love you, and I shouldn’t care what other people say or think or whatever. You risk your lives for me every day. The least I can do is be brave enough to stand up for what I want.” “So this is your desire?” Dex asked carefully. “Yes,” Madigan said, tucking a bit of hair that had grown much too long behind his ear. He needed a haircut. “I mean, if you want to.” “Hell yes we want to, bright eyes! We’ve been dying for you to give us our way and tell your mom,” Bren said, grinning from ear to ear. “In fact, your father insisted when he found out that we were all going to bond to you. It’s going to be a regular shotgun wedding.”

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Madigan was shocked. “He really said that you all had to marry me?” “That’s what he told Red,” Bren said, his eyes sparkling. “He said we had to take responsibility for you. Thus one of many reasons that he’s giving us funds to get a house big enough to accommodate five warrior angels on a permanent basis.” “We shall make preparations,” Michel announced. “It’ll be a grand event. I know my family will love you.” “Your father offered to conduct the ceremony if you wish,” Cross added, his normally serious face stretched out into a grin that matched the others. “This is indeed a reason to celebrate, Madigan.” “Now we get to claim you in front of everyone.” Bren growled the words, a look of lust falling over his face as he looked at Madigan’s no doubt stunned expression. Dex peeled his shirt over his head and started padding toward the bed. “We can send messengers to our families after we get settled into a home of our own.” “Until then, let’s show our Madigan how grateful we are for his final acceptance of us as his lovers,” Yuri said, following Dex’s example and stripping off his clothing with economical moves of his hands. Someone kicked the door shut, and Madigan jumped at the noise. He looked at the hungry looks on his angels’ faces and realized that he would never understand exactly what would turn them on. “Oh shit! Did someone get my cheesecakes out of the oven?” he asked as he remembered what he’d been doing before he’d gotten on the phone with his mom and had subsequently gotten lost in wedding conversation. A shot of fear went through his chest. “No worries, bright eyes. Yuri heard the timer go off and got them out of the oven for you. They’re sitting on a cooling rack in the kitchen,” Bren reassured, reaching the edge of the mattress. An entirely new fear settled in Madigan’s body as his men drew near. It was so easy to lose himself in them. It was so damn easy to let their presence, their touch, just sweep him away to a foreign plane of

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existence where nothing existed but them and nothing else mattered but the way they touched him. “I could fall into you,” Madigan admitted as Bren climbed up his body and kissed his clothing away, stripping him slowly for their perusal. “No worries, bright eyes. We’ll catch you.” Madigan didn’t doubt that they would. In fact, he counted on it. With a smile on his face, he relaxed into their combined embrace and let himself become lost in their touch.

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Chapter Eight “Don’t stop, please!” Madigan begged as Dex and Bren took turns sucking and licking his exposed balls and cock. “Fuck!” Watching them servicing Madigan was worth the uncomfortable bite of the zipper on Yuri’s hard length. His nephilim thrashed against their combined embrace. Yuri ached, and it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant sort of ache, either. Cross kneaded the muscles in Yuri’s shoulders, kissing the arch of his neck in regular intervals. He turned his head to the side to get a kiss. “Trying to butter me up, Cross?” he teased against the firm press of his lover’s lips. Cross reached down and palmed Yuri’s backside. “Maybe. Is it working?” Those hands crept along his hips to circle to his front and pop the button on his jeans. “I’m easy right now. So, yeah.” He was so pliant it was ridiculous. He was up for anything and everything his men could dish out. It was Madigan who had made this hope flare so bright in his chest. He hadn’t been truly happy in what felt like forever. Maybe it was the spell, but loneliness and bitterness had been his constant companions lately. The only time he was even mildly happy was when he was surrounded by his lovers, and right now he was fairly bursting with happiness on account of Madigan’s announcement. Most humans may have considered it odd to be so happy over an unplanned wedding, but Yuri couldn’t think of anything better. Madigan had told the most important human in his life about them, and the knowledge that they were all important thrilled Yuri to the core of his being.

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“He’s something, isn’t he?” Cross whispered in his ear, no doubt seeing the look of absolute adoration on Yuri’s face. “Yes.” His fear of not being included was hard to justify given that Madigan would be marrying them all and had proven time and time again that the fear was unfounded. “Methinks there isn’t enough room for all of us,” Michel said, already naked and ready to go. Yuri eyed him with appreciation. God, that mouth of his was luscious. Michel smiled, that mouth framing a straight set of pearly whites. “Well, I think I know what you want, Yuri.” He winked. “But you’re not getting that on the bed.” “Floor?” Cross wondered, eyeing the plush white carpet. “Floor,” Yuri agreed, quickly stripping off the rest of his clothing. He was thrumming with energy, stimulated by watching his three lovers as they rolled around on the bed and by the two others who were ready to engage him in some play as well. The three-sixtydegree sensation appealed to him in a way that he doubted regular sex would ever truly satisfy again. He’d do anything in his power to ensure that never happened. Love was the only way to describe what he was feeling in any term that came close to the naked longing he had for each and every one of them. Michel hit the floor first, getting on this hands and knees, obviously displaying himself in the position he had a preference for currently. Yuri went to his knees in front of him. The caps of his knees dug into the carpet, but it had surprisingly little give. Cross bolted over to the side dresser where Madigan had put out two tubes of lube. They ought to have bought stock in a company that sold the stuff as much as they used. The idea struck Yuri as funny, and he laughed as Cross slicked himself up, put a generous amount in his hand, and then hurried back. “What?” Cross asked as he returned and sank to his knees opposite Yuri. “We need to buy that stuff in bulk,” Yuri commented, motioning toward the nightstand.

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Michel rolled his eyes. “He’s obviously thinking too much if he can make jokes.” He then assured that Yuri wouldn’t be thinking at all because he chose that moment to suck Yuri’s dick into the back of his throat. “Jesus!” Yuri gasped, his hips moving involuntarily in time to the suction being applied to him. Fuck. Well, Michel certainly had a mouth on him. Damn. He looked up in time to see Dex flip Madigan over like he weighed next to nothing and enter him in one feral thrust. The low growl of approval that issued from the big angel’s mouth was enough to send a bolt of lust through Yuri. Madigan keened beautifully, pushing himself up on all fours to give a counter push to every lunge Dex issued. Bren snarled, possessiveness written in every line of his body. He fisted Madigan’s hair, forcing the nephilim to accept the hot line of cock into his mouth. Madigan whimpered, but it was a sound of enjoyment that only served to turn everyone on more. Cross drew his attention by smacking Michel’s high, round ass. The unexpected motion made Michel jump and swallow before moaning around the prick in his mouth. Yuri gasped at the sensation and fucked himself into Michel’s willing mouth. “You’re so Goddamn beautiful,” Yuri complimented, meeting Michel’s glittering, blue eyes as his length shuttled in and out of his mouth. Cross popped his backside again, and Michel shuddered. “Stay still for a second, Michel. I need to get you ready,” Cross commanded as he circled the rosette with a fingertip before shoving one finger into Michel’s hot core. “Damn, baby. You’re going to feel good wrapped around me.” Cross usually wasn’t so vocal, Madigan’s announcement had obviously turned his buttons in all the right ways. “Hurry, Cross,” Yuri panted. The suction of Michel’s mouth on his prick was fast becoming too much. Cross must’ve heard the urgency in Yuri’s voice because he did away with the pleasantries and pressed the head of his cock against Michel’s entrance. The look of concentration and pleasure on Cross’s face as he sank into Michel’s

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depths was a beautiful sight. Every hard line was etched there, every subtle hint of pleasure. Yuri stroked his hand down Michel’s face, complimenting him without words about how beautiful he was and how wonderful he made him feel. Michel’s eyes were closed tight, and a look of bliss stole over his face as Yuri and Cross were firmly situated in his mouth and ass. They moved in unison, their rhythm one that they had perfected over the course of their relationship. The amount of time they’d been together didn’t matter, nothing mattered but how wonderful it felt to be locked in a multiple embrace with their lovers. Orgasm burned up Yuri’s spine, catching him off guard as Dex shouted out his pleasure from inside Madigan’s sweet body. Before he could think to warn Michel, he shot inside his suckling mouth, flooding it with his pleasure as he came hard. Michel dutifully sealed his mouth, taking what Yuri gave him with gentle laps of his tongue. As the last shudder left his body, Michel drew back. “Like that, Yuri?” he asked, his spine bowing as Cross hit a rhythm that scored his sweet spot. He looked so pleasure worn with his lips swollen and his body flushed from what they were doing to him. “Yeah,” Yuri panted. “Loved that.” He winced as he shifted on his knees. Yeah, carpet burn was a bitch. He sat down on his ass and leaned against a nearby armoire to watch his lovers work. The sore knees were worth the discomfort of being surrounded by these beautiful, unearthly men. **** Madigan tensed as Dex came deep inside him. The throbbing heat of his cock was like coming home. The nephilim hunger wasn’t sated, though. It never was with just one of them when he was like this. I love them. I love them. I love them. He chanted the phrase over and over in his head, knowing that they were his forever and always and

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that he never had to worry about anything taking them away from him emotionally. That confidence, that absolute faith, was dizzying. Dex pulled out with a groan, rolling to the side and panting heavily as Bren pulled out of Madigan’s eager mouth and took Dex’s place behind Madigan. He was almost feral as he snarled something complimentary about Madigan’s backside and shoved the length of his cock into Madigan’s stretched passage. Madigan shuddered against the sensation of being filled up once again. He loved that they could turn him mindless. His eyes met Cross’s from across the few feet that separated them. The look of raw hunger on his face as he pounded into Michel was just the sort of image that had Madigan spasming around the hard cock inside him. Bren growled at the feeling and worked his hips harder, kneading the globes as he fucked himself ever closer to the precipice and key to his release. “Bren!” Madigan whimpered as he changed the angle of his thrusts so that his dick slid along his prostrate in unending, grinding pleasure. His mind was a haze of want, and nothing seemed more pressing than the need to come. If someone touched his dick right now, he’d go off like a roman candle, but he didn’t want to fall off the edge of the abyss just yet. He wanted to be right with Bren until they fell together. Madigan was loving the animal edge that Bren was giving him. Out of all his lovers, Bren was probably the one that lost control the most in the bedroom. With a couple well-placed touches, he could be turned into a snarling beast, and Madigan loved the rough attention he got from it. He thrust his hips back to let Bren go deeper into Madigan’s tightening body. Every sensation was heightened, every touch amplified by need that went beyond the physical desire to orgasm. “Please,” Madigan whispered as he teetered on the edge of pleasure. He was going to fall, and he knew that he wanted Bren to be with him when he did. Just when he thought he was going to have to

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go alone, Bren’s hips began the driving, uneven pace of a man at the end of control. Gratefully, Madigan met him, crying out his pleasure as Bren fucked himself through an orgasm. Lucifer’s angel snarled an “I love you” as he fell, and even in the throes of ecstasy, Madigan returned the sentiment with his whole heart. He’d never known love like this until he loved his angels. Madigan’s eyes slid shut as Bren pulsed inside him, content with their joining in a way that left him boneless. He felt so close to them. Distantly, he heard Cross shout out his pleasure to the heavens and smiled as Michel did the same. Being at the center of their attentions was the most amazing thing in the universe. Forget finding out that angels existed, that his father was an archangel, or that he was going through some weird version of celestial puberty. Nothing compared to being in love with all of his men. “Hmmm, glad you guys like the idea of getting married so much,” he teased, stretching his arms out in front of him in an effort to get more comfortable. Bren pulled out with a sigh of loss and rolled from him, no doubt to go in search of washcloths for them all. “What can we say, cutey? The idea of putting a ring on your finger and shoving cake in your face gets us all hot and bothered,” Michel said from his place on the floor. It was the first time in what felt like forever that he’d made a quip like that. Madigan could already tell that the sanctuary was going to be good for his men. He just knew it. **** “We need the California king bed and the width of a regular king bed. That should give us enough room to work with,” Yuri said as he flipped through web pages on the laptop he’d had delivered to Marius’s house within days of them staying there. It was Friday night, and everyone was winding down after a long day of real estate tours that had them finally putting in a bid on a two story toward the center

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of town. Madigan was still under the impression that this was still some crazy, wonderful dream he was going to wake up from at any minute. “I hope the suits we ordered will be done in time.” Madigan fussed as he put the finishing touches on the wedding cake. He was having to make it in sections and assemble it the day of their friends’ wedding because he didn’t have a walk-in fridge that he could store it in. It was rather frustrating, but it was something he was going to remedy at their home. Julianna, their realtor, was also looking at some commercial property for him that was right up the street that looked like a nice place to set up shop for a bakery. But until he had a space of his own and a kitchen that was up to his standards, he was just going to have to live with assembly the day of the event. “The tailor did promise to have them complete. Yuri and Bren will go pick them up in the morning, and we shall all be dressed nicely for the ceremony and reception that afternoon,” Cross assured for perhaps the millionth time since supper had finished and they had gone to their own section of the house. Marius, Levi, and Erik had been noticeably distracted all day and had retired almost immediately after dinner, skipping the usual bit of television watching that usually occurred after they ate Madigan’s food. “I hope Levi and Erik like the cake.” He’d made it a point to keep the entire thing very hush-hush for the three men who were scheduled to marry in the morning. While they’d picked out the type of cake and given general directions, Madigan had saved the semifinished product for an unveiling at the wedding. “I’m sure they will, love. You’re very talented.” Cross came around the island and wrapped his arms around Madigan’s waist. “So I need opinions about this bed before I have it shipped over to the house,” Yuri repeated as Madigan pulled out of Cross’s arms to go tackle the mountain of dishes in the sink. He’d made a mess earlier by making strawberry muffins for everyone.

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“Can we get the combined features of the California and the regular king?” Madigan asked as he started rinsing off the dishes. Man, cleaning up after five grown men was a task. Normally, he’d assign the duty to two of them and then let them handle it, but Dex had been over at the ceremony space helping some Fallen friends of Marius to set up columns and arrange benches, Bren had been on and off the phone all day with realtors, banks, contractors, and angels who worked with Madigan’s father. Who knew you could actually collect call heaven? Yuri had been online ordering furniture and the million and one other things that they needed before they could really move in. Since their time frame was two weeks, everything needed to be in place yesterday, and his men were working really hard to get everything arranged. Since they’d been working so hard, he figured he’d give them a break and do the dishes. Just when he thought he was going to get away with it, Cross’s big hands settled back on his waist and lifted him out of the way. “I’ll get it, love,” Cross said, winking as he stole a grope of Madigan’s backside. Madigan just shook his head at his lover. His men really did spoil him rotten. “I can get the bed. The price is kind of ridiculous, but your father did say spare no expense for your comfort. So should I special order it or not?” Yuri asked, drawing his attention back to the menial task of choosing their furniture. At least Yuri was in a good mood today. He’d been sleeping with the Madigan and a rotating set of men all week. It seemed to even out his flashes of depression and temper. “Go ahead and order it,” Madigan said. The idea of all of his men being able to sleep beside him once again sounded wonderful. “The healer is here!” Dex shouted from the entryway. Cross frowned. “It’s a bit late. I thought he wasn’t coming. He said he’d be here at six.” “It’s nearly nine now.” Madigan tensed. He was beginning to dread the idea of late-night guests or any guests for that matter.

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Maybe he was paranoid from all the people trying to kill him recently, but it typically didn’t bode well when someone knocked on his door or strange angels swooped in from out of nowhere. Yuri was out of his chair in an instant, circling the island and rubbing Madigan’s back in slow circles. “This is a safe place, Madigan. Sanctuary can’t be violated. Remember? The hunters couldn’t even get to us at your mom’s house.” “But, they could outside of it.” Madigan started trembling. “This entire town is sanctuary. In or out of it, no one can wage war here. No one can hurt you.” Yuri’s words were reassuring, and Madigan forced himself to take a deep breath. He jumped as the healer and Dex came sweeping into the room. As per usual, Dex took up a good amount of space, towering over all of them as he followed diligently behind the shorter, red-haired man carrying a black backpack. The healer looked young. Madigan did a double take at the slight build and almost waifish appearance. The healer looked really young, like he was fourteen or something. “Hello, lovelies!” the healer greeted, his eyes going from one person to the next in the room. Michel and Bren trailed in from the den, taking up positions on either of the exit doors in a casual stance that wasn’t overtly threatening, but they made their presence known all the same. “An unusual bunch to be sure.” His voice had that airy quality that Madigan always associated with fortune tellers. “A flock of angels to one little lost lamb.” That youthful face turned toward Madigan, and the nephilim felt it down to his toes. While his body was young, the healer’s eyes were ancient pools of knowledge, so sharp and experienced that it bled from their copper depths. “Fallen, you’re making our Madigan nervous.” Dex growled from behind the healer. “I would suggest you stop doing that.” “I’m fine,” Madigan said automatically. The healer looked at him for another long stretch of time. The seconds ticked by, and Madigan’s skin started to itch.

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“Yes, you are. Or you soon will be, Son of Raphael.” The healer’s oracle voice washed over him almost like a physical touch. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t entirely comfortable, either. It was more like intimate hug from a stranger, the feeling wrong against his skin. Madigan took a step back, and every angel in the room growled. The healer held up his hands in surrender. “Be easy, guardians. I am not a hunter nor do I disapprove of your joining. I am simply aware that this nephilim is privileged to have a lineage that will make him into a fine hero one day.” He bowed, but it looked more like a curtsey than anything. “I am Scepta, healer of the sanctuary state of Urun.” “I thought this town was Titanvelle?” Madigan asked. Scepta smiled, the look turning his face impish. “That is the human name. Locals call it Urun as do the celestials. It was established a hundred years ago by the Archseraphim Daisis and his lovers Unu and Runa. Since he is still a celestial being, he made a city for his two nephilim loves where they could be safe and live prosperously. It’s all rather romantic, actually. Most of the Fallen, older nephilim, and their kin live in and around the area. One of the many reasons why people choose this city is for its calm. Unu and Runa are the unofficial rulers here during Daisis’s many and long absences, but I suppose that is irrelevant to you and yours.” “There is no archseraphim who rules over a city of Fallen and nephilim!” Michel protested. “Archseraphim are of the highest order. They’re above such banal and base concerns.” Scepta laughed at that, the sound like chimes in the wind. “You think that do you, Michel, son of Michaela? The upper realms are just as susceptible to humanity as the rest of the angelic choirs given enough exposure to them. Runa and Unu were sent before judgment after the hunters failed to throw them into the realm of banishment. Daisis was meant to be their judge. Instead, he fell in love with the pair and built this city as symbol. As usual, your choir displays

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nothing but a stubborn adherence to your ways. Cast aside your notions of heavenly discipline, Michel. You’re in Urun now.” “And you, Fallen? How do you fit into this?” Cross asked, much more cautiously than Michel. “I am Daisis’s son. The Creator blessed my fathers with the ability to create life between them. I am the product of Unu, Runa, and Daisis’s combined spirits. As such I am…” He paused searching for a word. “Different,” he decided on at last. “I am neither Fallen nor nephilim nor angel. I’m somewhere in between. My healing skills are as potent as Raphael’s, though he was my teacher.” His eyes zeroed in on Yuri. “You have a darkness in your aura that tells me that the magic worked upon you is a vicious, spiteful kind usually only cast by demons.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Every day, Azrael grows bolder in his attempts to eradicate you. The fates will get even with him for his viciousness yet.” He cracked his knuckles. “No matter. That will be a task for another time. For now, let me have a look at Yuriel.” “He needs to be comfortable. Can we do this in our room?” Madigan cut in, a strange energy filling his body as if he felt the room slowly filling up with an invisible gas of some kind. Scepta inclined his head, his long, red hair falling over his eye. “As you wish.” “You have the coloring of My Lord Raphael,” Cross said as they all moved en masse toward the bedroom. “I can change the shape and color at will. I can be as large as Dexirus over there or as small as I am now. I prefer this form. It makes me look helpless, and I enjoy the thrill of power games. I use this coloring as a tribute to Raphael,” Scepta explained. “I need you all to surround the bed, please. He will not enjoy this next bit in the least, and as much as I do not wish to cause him pain, he will most likely experience it. Yuriel, lay down at the center on your stomach. Son of Raphael, why don’t you sit beside him? He will be calmer with your presence near him.”

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“Why would you wear a tribute to Raphael? He may have been your teacher, but I imagine you had several of those since your father is an archseraphim.” Cross sounded suspicious as he made the inquiry. Yuri hopped onto the bed and stripped off his shirt, the slight shaking of his hands the only indication that he was nervous. Madigan put a hand on his lower back, just below his glyphs, and stroked the hot skin he found there. Madigan didn’t understand why Cross was being hostile towards the healer. Yes, Scepta was a little creepy. But, drilling him about his choice of hair color seemed a little much. Madigan’s eyes widened as Scepta blushed lightly and pulled on a length of his hair. “Lord Raphael assisted me through my transition. I am ever grateful to him for that wonderful journey into manhood.” Madigan frowned. Was he saying what Madigan thought he was saying? “You did not sleep with Lord Raphael!” Cross thundered. Madigan jumped. He was pretty sure he’d never heard Cross yell like that. Scepta’s lips thinned, and he got the same smart-ass look that Bren got on his face before he said something stupid. “We didn’t do much sleeping to be honest with you.” It was the wrong thing to say. Cross exploded, taking two menacing strides in an unflinching Scepta’s direction. “You little arrogant—” “Can you not yell and insult the healer that is about to fix me?” Yuri snapped, interrupting the oral word vomit that was about to come spewing out of Cross like a geyser of “fuck you.” Madigan put a hand on Cross’s back. “Agreed, Cross. Who cares what my father did with the twerp? So long as he fixes Yuri and we get our house, who gives a fuck?” It took Cross a long minute to stand down. He was obviously fuming, the look on his face evidence enough of that. It took Dex stepping in behind him and whispering something too low for Madigan to hear in his ear before he took a deep breath and backed off.

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Satisfied that Cross wasn’t going to jump him when his back was turned, Scepta climbed onto the queen bed beside Yuri and sat directly opposite of Madigan who was on Yuri’s other side. “You have healed him before?” Scepta asked. Madigan shrugged. “Somewhat, I guess. I helped a little.” “A lot,” Yuri added. Scepta nodded like he made sense. “You have your father’s talent. It’s easy to see. Will you study with him when you reach maturity?” Madigan frowned. He’d never really considered a time when he was past this insane craving for his men or that he could think of more than survival and getting to the next safe place. “I’m a baker.” “Healing skills are never for nothing, Madigan. Even if you didn’t make a profession out of healing, your men are warriors. Wouldn’t you like to heal them when they got injured?” “I don’t know. I’d have to consider it. I’ve never even met my father.” Madigan’s hands were moving over Yuri’s back, massaging the tight muscles and smoothing over the flesh found there. Both Yuri and Madigan jumped as Scepta’s hands joined his, working as a counter movement for the relaxing touches that Madigan was delivering. “You have great potential. It’s just something for you to consider.” Scepta smiled, his youthful face once again disconcerting Madigan’s sense of age. “Shall we begin?” Without waiting, the healer’s hands began to glow softly and almost as if they’d been shoved inside a box, Yuri’s broken wings unfurled from his back. Madigan sucked in a breath as they came lamely into view. The disjointed pieces formed odd angles, and the smell of open wounds and infection nearly made him wretch. Yuri screamed into a pillow, and every muscle in his body tensed as if in excruciating pain. Tears sprang to Madigan’s eyes. He wanted Yuri better so badly. The pain his lover was feeling was almost unbearable to witness.

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Scepta whistled low. “A rot spell that works even in incorporeal form. Impressive and nasty. All right, I’m going to touch your wings, Yuriel. It’s going to hurt.” “No!” Yuri shouted. “Please, don’t!” Scepta ignored him. Instead, he gripped the right wing under the joint which connected into Yuri’s back and smoothed his hand along the edge, chanting softly as he did so. Yuri thrashed but seemed unable to do more than kick his legs and toss his head against the pillow. Scepta followed the line of the wing, straightening it as he went. Madigan watched in morbid fascination as the wounds on the wings seemed to disappear as the tendons and bones realigned in time with Scepta’s touch. When he finished the first wing, he gave the same treatment to the second until two perfectly champagne wings spread out behind him. Madigan filled with relief as they stretched out and Yuri gave a sigh of utter liberation. “We’re not done yet. That was the easy part,” Scepta warned. “The magic didn’t just attach itself to his body but to his mind. This is a bit trickier. I’m going to put his soul in your hands for a moment. Don’t drop it. You won’t like what happens if you do.” “Perhaps I should hold it,” Cross suggested, stepping closer to the two of them. “No, Cross. Madigan is the link that binds. He must carry the burden.” Scepta seemed calm but absolutely firm in that. “It will hurt him,” Cross protested. Scepta turned annoyed eyes on Cross. All Madigan could see through the feathers were the twin set of copper eyes glaring in Cross’s direction. “He is half angel, and all of you seem to be forgetting that. He is not a human who is easily broken by sights and sensations mortals are not meant to see. You all are chaining him down when you should be setting him free. He has to be strong in order to make it in this world. Protecting him from his own powers accomplishes nothing and only serves to embolden his enemies.”

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That seemed to shut Cross up, which surprised Madigan. Cross and Bren were the two least likely people to back down when faced with a stubborn opponent. “Madigan, I am going to place this soul in your chest. It’s going to burn you because you’re part mortal, but it will not harm you. You have to remember that. Embrace the pain and think only positive things, and it will be over quickly. The comfort you give Yuriel during this moment will make it less painful for him. You are bearing his burdens in this moment. Do you understand?” “Why do I have to hold it there? Why do I have to hold it at all?” “Because the part of his soul that is tainted by the spell, I have to cleanse it. It’s sort of like boiling a cloth to rid it of germs. That is the same basic principle. The part you hold will be the part of him that is unable to be submerged in the water. I don’t want to kill him, so you’ll have to hold it.” Those hands began to glow more brightly. “Besides, the person who holds him to this world should be a person who loves him dearly. He will be the one who can shoulder his pain for him, keep him sane while I burn the toxins away.” Yuri flinched as Scepta’s hands hovered over the longest glyph that ran down the center of his back. The tattoo writhed angrily as the light got brighter. It was too bright for Madigan to look at anymore so he turned his head so he wouldn’t go blind trying to stare at something that resembled the sun. Yuri was panting, kicking weakly as the moment stretched on. Hurry, please hurry. I can’t stand to see him like this… Madigan kept one hand firmly planted on Yuri while he raised the other hand to wipe the tears that had splattered down onto his cheeks. The other guardians moved to stand behind him, each reaching out and putting a hand on Madigan’s back as if to stay connected to both Yuri and Madigan by a chain of touch. Madigan had never been so sure of the love between them as he was in that moment. A tap to his chest drew his attention away from their bond. Almost immediately, a searing pain lacerated his torso, invading the valves

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that led to his heart before settling on the pulsing organ there. He shuddered. The only thing he could compare it to was the worst case of heartburn he’d ever experienced, but even that was a weak analogy to the physical agony that made it hard to breathe past the fire in his chest. He screwed his eyes shut, willing the pain to abate as he thought of all the things he loved about Yuri. His smile, the way he talked, his ridiculous addiction to sports magazines, his brainy side that loved puzzles and books and would be satisfied with nothing less than the truth about a given situation. All of those things and so much more made him uniquely Yuri. “Never loved anything like I love you, either, baby.” Madigan couldn’t tell if he was hearing Yuri’s voice inside his head, inside his heart, outside, or all three. It didn’t matter though, because either way he’d carry Yuri’s light, his soul, inside him as long as it took to banish the darkness and get him healed and whole and back to his normal self. The pain ebbed gradually, fading to a dull ache and then to nothing as the light in the room dimmed and the energy level dropped from almost explosive to nearly nonexistent. Madigan head spun as his energy level dipped with the room’s. It was like having a major drop in blood sugar and just as disorienting. “Get them something to drink.” Scepta’s voice was hoarse when he spoke. Yuri’s wings disappeared into his back once again, leaving the glyphs displayed in their wake. Madigan was glad his men were behind him because otherwise he wasn’t entirely sure that he wouldn’t fall over. Someone left the room. He wasn’t sure who. He tipped forward and curled against Yuri’s side for the hundredth time this week. Yuri turned his head, seeking Madigan out even if he was too tired to move. “How you feeling?” Madigan asked, his voice the barest of whispers.

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“Pretty good, all things considered,” Yuri whispered back. “Thank you for holding me.” Madigan smiled at the phrasing. “Anytime.” “I hope orange juice is all right. It’s all we have other than water,” Michel said, tugging Madigan into a sitting position. Madigan shook his head. “Yuri first,” he insisted, turning his mouth away as Michel tried to put the glass to his lips. “Don’t be silly, Madigan. We’ve got a glass for the both of you,” Dex’s voice cut in. Madigan forced open eyes he hadn’t even realized he was closing and watched Gabriel’s angel haul a boneless Yuri up off the mattress and press a glass to his lips. A cursory glance around the room had Bren hovering near the edge of the bed and Cross paying Scepta out of a large wad of bills near the doorway. “Let’s not do that again,” Madigan mumbled as he took a long gulp from the plastic cup Michel had gotten for him. His hands were shaking so badly that he didn’t think he would’ve been able to hold it up without Michel’s help. “Agreed,” Michel said. “I vote we all get into bed after this and get some rest. We’re going to be dead tomorrow otherwise.” “I second that,” Bren said. He had a worried look on his face that was more reminiscent of Cross than the brash and brave Bren that Madigan knew. He smiled and lost some of the orange juice as it escaped down his chin. Cross was really rubbing off on Bren. Michel made a noise of comfort and wiped the juice away before it could go any lower. More and more they were moving and acting like a single unit, a single relationship that could move mountains if they so chose. Madigan couldn’t think of anything better than that. He let his men fuss over him and Yuri as they stripped off their own clothing in favor of boxers and briefs for sleeping. A brief argument ensued over who would be taking the additional space on the bed before the others finally rock-paper-scissored it for the position. Michel won.

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As the light was extinguished and Madigan snuggled firmly between a healing Yuri and a slowly relaxing Michel, Madigan only wished that they could teleport that custom bed that Yuri had been ordering earlier.

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Chapter Nine The smell of something cooking teased Madigan out of his sleep, beckoning him up from his place of exhaustion. He reached out his hands and found his bed empty. His eyes slowly opened, the lids unwilling for a few seconds to give up their precious sleep in order to come back into the land of the awake. Finally, they obeyed his command and opened. The first hints of dawn were just beginning to glow behind the curtained window, and a quick glance at the alarm clock showed the time of six fifteen. The sun wouldn’t really be up for another hour, but that was good because the day hit Madigan like a ton of brick. It was Levi, Erik, and Marius’s wedding day, and he had to get to the venue, get set up, put his clothes on, and about a million other things before the noon service followed by the reception. It was then the smell of bacon and the soft sound of merriment from outside the bedroom drew his notice. Maybe Dex is cooking. And where is Yuri? Madigan had thought he would need the day to recover at least. The energy that the healing had taken yesterday was a hell of a reason to stay in bed. Madigan was still feeling sluggish himself. Of course, the hour might have had something to do with that. He rolled out of bed, realizing he’d been stripped in the middle of the night, and pulled on a pair of boxers and a robe from the closet that someone had thoughtfully hung there for him. He padded on the carpeted bedroom floor to the dark hardwood hallway, following the smell of bacon and something else as he neared the kitchen.

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Surprise flickered through him at the sight that greeted him as he swung into the last door. A half-naked and shirtless Yuri was flipping bacon and sausage over in a pan, looking up every once in a while to share a joke and laugh with the other men who were crowded around the island. Levi and Erik were sitting on the stools wearing matching white robes and the rest of his men were standing to the sides of them watching Yuri and Dex, who was turning pancakes on a griddle, as they moved around the kitchen. “Michel, set the table, will you?” Yuri asked, putting some pieces of food he’d deemed done onto a paper-towel-laden plate. “Your wish, my command,” Michel said, smiling. It took him a minute to find things given that they weren’t at home and he didn’t know where everything was, but he achieved success readily enough, and he pulled out a stack of dishes to provide serving plates for them all. As he crossed from the cabinets to the formal dining room, which had the only table even close to being able to fit them all, he spotted Madigan. “Good morning, cutey,” he said with a wink. “Sleep well?” Madigan nodded slowly. “Yeah.” He looked back toward the kitchen. “Is everything all right?” “Sure is. Yuri got up at five and decided to make everyone breakfast since we’d have to get moving soon. We were going to wake you when he and Dex finished cooking.” Michel set the plates on the place mats, putting down an extra set of plates undoubtedly for the overflow of people the six-person dining room table would have when they all squeezed in. “You need some help?” Madigan asked. “Grab the silverware and orange juice, and we’re set, cutey,” Michel said as he dragged two chairs from the living room to the table. Madigan turned back toward the kitchen and headed toward the silverware drawer. He was much more comfortable here because he’d

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been cooking for the past several days and knew the basic layout. He beelined for the silverware drawer. “Morning, baby,” Yuri greeted, ducking down to give Madigan a kiss before going back to his task. A warm hand gripped his butt through his boxers. Madigan swatted at the large hand. “Flip your pancakes, sir.” Dex smiled. “Morning, Madi.” Madigan opened the fridge and took out the large pitcher of orange juice. He probably needed both hands to carry both the silverware and the juice. No matter. He’d make two trips. “I got it, bright eyes,” Bren said, coming out of nowhere to pluck the orange juice from Madigan’s grasp. Okay, everyone was being super cheerful this morning. It was kind of disconcerting. Madigan felt like he may have woken up in some sort of alternate Leave It to Beaver universe. They finished setting the table, and Madigan’s stomach growled in hunger. A natural impatience took up in his gut as his body demanded food in a way that stomachs had been doing since the beginning of human existence. It was so embarrassing. Cross chuckled as he slid into a chair near Madigan and motioned for him to sit. “Relax, love. We’re about to eat.” “Is everything okay?” “Yes of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” Cross asked, pouring himself a tall glass of orange juice as the rest of their men trailed into the room. Levi and Erik came more slowly, obviously enjoying the leisurely pace. Madigan shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone seems so calm and happy. Usually, on the day of a wedding, everyone is stressed out. Plus I thought with everything that had happened with Yuri…” “Yuri’s healing is one of the many reasons we’re happy today, love. He is whole and happy, and that in turn makes us happy. We’re also very proud of you for holding him to you last night. It showed, more than anything, that we’ve chosen well.” Cross sipped from his

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juice. “As far as the wedding goes, Marius left this morning around 4:00 a.m. to get everything arranged, minus the cake, of course. Levi and Erik were woken up by a messenger bearing wedding gifts from Marius that seems to have made them relax quite a lot. They came down just before you did, showing them off.” “What are they?” Madigan asked curiously. He was already blushing lightly from the weight of Cross’s compliments, so he was happy for a change in subject. “What else would the big lug get us other than jewelry?” Erik asked. His tone was grumpy, but the look in his eyes and his expression said he didn’t mean it. He fished out a chain from his wardrobe. A single teardrop hung from it about the size of a marble. “Blue sapphires that he mined himself in Montana. He’s such a bastard for getting us something without telling us.” Levi giggled. “Yeah, the note said ‘something blue.’” “Which wasn’t funny,” Erik said. “We’re dudes, not brides.” “Marius just likes to get Erik going because Erik doesn’t like to be taken care of,” Levi whispered conspiratorially. He played with the end of his own sapphire. “I think it is really sweet.” Erik snorted. “You would.” By the time the two had finished their interplay, Madigan was nearly in the floor laughing. He felt the tension leave from his body in a wave of laughter. Today was a good day, and he wasn’t going to let any fears hold him back from the thrill of the life in this place. The meal was loud and joyous, his guardians making sure Levi and Erik didn’t have a moment to be melancholy or let the anxiety of the coming event build. Neither of their human parents was still around, and they were nervous about meeting their fathers, but with a few good-natured jokes about their angelic parentage, the nervousness dissipated as if it had never been. Even Michel was joking and laughing with the pair. He’d been the most hostile toward the threesome since they’d showed up on Madigan’s doorstep in the middle of the night seeking refuge from hunters, but now he seemed

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to be relaxing by large degrees. Yuri’s healing had done more than take away Yuri’s pain, it seemed. The normalcy of this place enabled them all to take a breath a little easier. Madigan sat back in the sturdy wooden chair with a satisfied sigh as he finished the last bite of pancakes on his plate. The table was decimated. Not a crumb of food remained, and the pitcher of orange juice sat empty beside what had been a massive plate of pancakes. “All right, after breakfast we’ll need to start loading up the cake in the vehicle. I’ll need someone in the back to sit with the cakes and make sure they don’t tip over and someone else to sit up front with me to help with unloading when we get there.” Madigan switched into boss mode as he thought about all he had to do to get the cake set up. The reception was at a lovely historical hotel toward the edge of town, right outside the park that the ceremony would be held at. It was still bloody frigid, but Madigan could see the aesthetic appeal of a wintery wedding among half-frozen trees. At least they were having the ceremony at the warmest part of the day. “We already got you covered, babe,” Yuri said, forking his last piece of bacon into his mouth. “Me and Dex are gonna ride with you. Cross and Bren are gonna be above, and Michel is going to escort our two nephilim friends to the hotel to finish getting ready for the ceremony.” “Don’t talk with your mouth full, Yuri,” Cross corrected in his usual manner. Madigan hid a grin behind his glass of juice as Bren and Yuri rolled their eyes in unison. “Speaking of getting ready, we really need to get upstairs, get our bags, and finish dressing.” Levi spoke up, pushing himself back from the table. Erik followed suit. “Shall we meet you in the foyer when we finish?” he asked Michel. Michel nodded. “Sounds good.” The two nephilim turned and left the dining room, the sounds of their footsteps echoing up the stairs. Madigan pushed his chair back and stood. “I guess I should get ready, too.” He thought of the outfit

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he was going to wear to the hotel. His stomach plummeted. “Wait, who is going to get the suits?” “Bren is going to pick them up on the way, love. No worries,” Yuri said. The others followed Madigan’s example and stood. They walked en masse toward the bedroom where their casual clothes were. Jeans and slacks were put on haphazardly, shirts were left off of Bren and Cross since they were flying, and casual sweaters and Tshirts with jackets were donned for the rest of them. Madigan was surprised when he was pulled out of his contemplations on how best to move the pieces of the cake by Cross dragging him into his arms for a kiss. His body instantly primed, ready to take their touching as far as his angels wanted. Their scent was usually what got to him. It drove him nuts and made him want to wallow in them. They passed him around the tight circle, kissing and licking his lips as they all showed him how much he was loved and wanted. By the time they finished playing Hot Potato, he was breathless and hard. “Damn it, guys.” He squirmed, his voice a whine. “Do you have to turn me on right before we have to walk out the house?” Bren grinned. “No worries, bright eyes. We’ll take care of you at the hotel. We’ve arranged to have a room for that half-hour window between you putting the cake together and the reception. We penciled in some nookie time because we figured you’d need it to decompress.” Madigan laughed at their audacity. “You scheduled sex into our busy day?” “Hell yeah, cutey,” Michel said, his light eyes sparkling. “When else could we expect it? Besides, your nephilim side is going to get awful twitchy if we don’t give you some relief.” “It’s for your own good,” Yuri said, deadpan. “Absolutely. We’re here to ensure your happiness and protection in all things.” Cross sounded serious, but the smile on his face belied the tone. Madigan just couldn’t believe them. They were a wonderful, hot mess.

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“Okay, but we’re going to be cutting it close. We’ll have to do a quickie.” Madigan relented, his body already eager for the idea of dirty, fast hotel sex. “Be sure to get the cake done then. We’d hate for you to take up too much time doing that,” Yuri rumbled. “Suits will be hanging in the bathroom after. We’ll dress from there.” Madigan sighed. He loved his men so much it was staggering. “I can’t wait.” **** Michel imagined that a midday quickie was the best idea anyone ever had in the history of awesome ideas. He pushed Madigan gently to his knees as Bren slammed Cross into a nearby wall, and their commander gave a growl before shoving him off and nearly tackling him to the ground beside one of the two large mattresses in the room they’d booked for the duration. “Easy, guys! There might be people below us. Keep it down,” Dex rumbled, smacking Yuri’s denim-covered ass as he swaggered toward the bed. Bren growled out something that might’ve been a “screw you” and bit into Cross’s shoulder as they strip-wrestled on another. It was their new fetish. And it was hot as hell. Michel smirked at his internal analogy. Hot as Madigan’s mouth. Jesus, that’s nice. His pants were unbuttoned and his erection was pulled from the soft confines of his slacks an instant before it was covered by Madigan’s wet mouth. His hands wound themselves into Madigan’s short red hair, and his nephilim’s pretty green eyes gazed up at him filled with lust. His tongue danced along the underside of Michel’s cock and his lips sealed around the crown. His balls tightened at the sight. “Hmmm, Madigan. Your mouth.” He hoped the nephilim understood his compliment under the broken syllables that may or may not have been sentences. He made a needy noise in the back of

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his throat before beginning to suck Michel in earnest. He toyed with the head before reaching up and massaging the tight globes that hung between his legs. “Mmm,” Madigan purred as he bobbed his head rhythmically on his dick. The vibrations went up his shaft and made Michel feel like the top of his head might blow off at any moment. “Share the nephilim, Michel,” Yuri groaned from his place on the bed. Michel’s eyes lifted from the gorgeous man at his feet to look at the equally beautiful men in the bed a yard from them. Dex had flipped Yuri onto his stomach, ass in the air for his pleasure. Yuri gasped as Dex lubed up his hole and pushed inside him in one feral lunge. “Quickie” meant hard and fast to Dex, apparently. Cross had managed to manipulate Bren under him and was delivering the same treatment to Bren’s tight ass. Their knees were going to get rug burnt on the ugly brown carpet, but that was their deal. They certainly weren’t complaining, and their long pants would cover the angry red marks when they had to leave for the wedding. The sound of smacking flesh filled the room. It was music to Michel’s ears. He pushed his hips forward, pushing his cock farther and farther into Madigan’s throat. He groaned. Losing himself in whatever orifice Madigan gave him was always paradise. He rocked in counterpoint to Madigan’s sucking draws, the pressure building in his sac with each tight pull. The nephilim pulled off his dick with an audible pop, his lips swollen from Michel’s treatment. He winked, his eyes lusty and playful. “Share the nephilim,” he repeated, shooting a grin at Yuri. Dex chuckled before reaching down and pulling Yuri upright so that his long cock hung suspended in the air in front of him, dripping onto the mattress and begging for some kind of attention. “Bring him over here, Michel,” Dex said, continuing to fuck Yuri. Michel offered Madigan a hand up. He couldn’t wait to lose himself in Madigan’s tight flesh. There was no greater pleasure on

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Earth as could be found in the arms of his lovers. He’d done something right in his existence to be blessed with five gorgeous men who loved him unconditionally. He was a sucker for them. Madigan went to all fours facing Yuri, mouth poised over Uriel’s angel’s dripping cock. Michel crawled in behind him and gave his tight buttock a squeeze. “Have to be quick, Michel,” Cross said from in the floor. Bren gave a high-pitched whine as Cross pulled back almost all the way out before slamming back inside their dark-haired lover. Hmmm, our leader is learning the pleasures of playing rough lately. Cross had always seemed so in control and so gentle. It seemed with Bren he was learning to let go and be an animal every once in a while. “I know, love,” Michel murmured, squeezing Madigan’s tight ass again. Dex handed him a tube of slick from over Yuri’s shoulder, and Michel wasted no time in lubing up his fingers and pushing them into Madigan’s tight hole. First one finger, then two. He rocked them inside the tight channel, willing Madigan to relax so that he could have him. He loosened, noises of need flowing from his mouth. “Suck Yuri, baby,” Michel said. “Concentrate on that while I get you ready.” Madigan hummed happily at the suggestion and then wrapped his mouth around Yuri and sucked like his arousal was his favorite lollipop. A third finger stretched Madigan’s tight entrance, and Michel finally thought he was ready for his cock. With little preamble he squeezed the little tube on his head and hissed as he wrapped his fist around it to slick the rest. He squeezed his eyes shut to stave off the orgasm that was demanding to happen in the back of his mind. He wasn’t going to last long. Guess that’s the definition of a quickie. He pulled his fingers free and pressed the tip of his slicked length against the ring of muscle. Madigan was almost vibrating with need, and Michel was more than happy to fulfill it. He pushed forward until his hips pressed against the tight muscle of his nephilim’s flanks. The

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little minx started squeezing those internal muscles around his body, milking him in the most delicious of fashions. “Brat,” Michel gasped, reaching down and squeezing his scrotum to keep from coming. He pulled back and slammed back inside, pushing Madigan’s head farther down on Yuri’s cock. Everyone groaned in unison at that. Then they were all moving, desperate and needy, as they raced toward completion together. Michel’s hands gripped Madigan’s hips, pulling him back to meet his thrusts as Michel lost all sense of time. His eyes slid shut as his senses were overwhelmed by sensation. Nothing was more important than coming inside Madigan. Nothing was more important than giving their nephilim what he needed to feel good for the rest of the day. Madigan screamed around Yuri’s length, his cock jerking and spitting his pleasure onto the comforter below them. The action tightened his ass like a vice around Michel’s dick, throwing him over the edge of orgasm without warning. “Madigan!” Michel groaned, spilling into the clenching ass wrapped around him. Yuri and Dex gasped in unison, finding their release on the heels of Michel’s. Madigan hummed and sucked dutifully on Yuri’s arousal, not spilling a drop of his seed as he came. “Fuck! Cross!” Bren barked from the floor. Michel turned his head in time to see Bren’s back bow at an impossible angle and Cross’s hand that was pumping his dick in time with his thrusts tighten as Bren shot over the closed fist. Cross slammed inside him twice more before stilling, releasing inside Bren’s body, a look of utter contentment painted over his features. Michel patted Madigan’s sweat-slicked back and sighed. “Love you,” he whispered, basking in the afterglow. Madigan’s mouth came off of Yuri. “Love you too, Michel.” Yeah. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

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**** Madigan shifted from foot to foot as they stood in the small, cool clearing, surrounded by gorgeous willow and oak trees. He couldn’t see a bloody thing because of the tall people standing in front of him and the backs of his thighs were sore from the vigorous exercise he’d gotten only fifteen minutes before when he and his lovers had set the bedsheets on fire back at the hotel. He’d gotten the cake up in record time and had just enough left to be turned into a brainless sexual mess by his loved ones, which had necessitated a quick shower before their suits went on. He thought his guys looked striking wearing them. The casual clothes were sexy, but their tailored suits and ties made them all drool worthy. He’d noticed at least three of the female guests and more than a few of the male ones eyeing them appreciatively. He couldn’t blame them. They were absolutely delicious. They wore sharp black blazers over black shirts that Bren had insisted be silk. This, coupled with various colors of vibrant ties, added to their sheer masculine presence in a way that made Madigan feel that it was necessary for them to all keep them on the next time they fucked, which would be right after supper if he got his way. As if he were privy to his thoughts, Bren gave his hip a warning squeeze. He was right. Madigan didn’t need to get worked up just yet. Thankfully, his guardians moved them to another section of the seating area so Madigan could finally get a good look at what was around him. The décor was simple but elegant, white and pink rose petals scattered down a white cloth aisle that ran the length of the space. The happy threesome stood under a rough wooden arbor decorated in creeping vines with white and green and pink blossoms. The chairs were also polished natural wood, but at the ends of the aisles matching bouquets of flowers hung from dark and light green ribbons. It was a lovely space.

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His eyes slid over the audience. Everyone here was ridiculously attractive for the most part. The human families were easy to pick out on the left side of the aisle. They all sat clustered together and just didn’t seem to have that extra something that separated the celestials from everyone else. Madigan wondered if Levi and Erik missed their mothers. Both of them were apparently killed by hunter factions when they’d first reached maturity. Madigan couldn’t imagine not having his mother at his wedding. She had been all he’d had for so long that the thought of not having her around made him a little sick to his stomach. He turned his thoughts away from the subject and focused on Levi and Erik who stood on either side of Marius. They both had on white tuxedos with white shirts and pale pink ties underneath. It seemed to suit the nephilim, giving them that bridal quality that Erik had protested earlier in the day. Marius, on the other hand, wore black, but his tie, too, was pastel pink. All three of their hands were linked, and they stood before two very large angels who Madigan assumed were Levi’s and Erik’s respective biological fathers. Behind them stood four more angels in a strange-looking black-and-navy-blue uniform with silver sabers at their sides. “Who are they?” Madigan asked Bren as they waited for the ceremony to begin. “They are Elite Guardians. It’s a special e and position given to guardians who have given their lives to protect their charges,” Bren explained. Madigan frowned. “So they’re ghosts?” “Nope.” Bren shook his head. “They’ve been resurrected by the seraphim to serve in a special guard position. Think of them as the special forces of heaven’s National Guard. Usually, they’re gifted to certain angels who have proven themselves worthy and in need of them to use for their own purposes. I have no idea why Levi’s and Erik’s fathers brought them, but it may be just a way of showing respect. It’s a high honor to have them present.”

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“Do you think they’re expecting trouble?” Madigan asked, a trickle of fear finding its way into his mind. “Not in dress uniforms, they’re not. It’s all for display. No one is anticipating actually having to use those weapons.” The music began to play, and Madigan was happy to hear the ushers tell everyone to be seated, though he did wince when his ass collided with the unforgiving surface of the wooden chair. Man, their quickie had been vigorous. The harps and violins rose in crescendo and then fell silent. “Welcome, friends and family, to the union of these three gentlemen in holy matrimony…” The words were comforting and familiar in their cadence, and Madigan found himself listening more to the tone of the speaker rather than the actual words. After one of the fathers spoke, the other one began speaking about the joys of marriage and the rightness of a proper union. Madigan would’ve thought it was all lovely except that it seemed a little off for some reason. “Methinks that someone’s daddy is not happy his son is marrying a Fallen,” Bren whispered in Madigan’s ear. Yeah, that was probably it because the dark-haired guy on stage did not look very pleased as he lectured about love. If anyone else noticed, they didn’t look like it, but Madigan definitely detected a little tension. “Happens at every wedding, Madigan. No worries. Family drama is par for the course,” Michel said in a low voice. “It’ll be okay once we get to the reception. We put your wedding present by the cake for them to use.” He added the last with a wink, and Madigan felt relief that they had arrived on time. He’d ordered the cake servers and champagne glasses only a few days ago, and it had been a question on whether or not they could be engraved and delivered in time. “I’m glad. I hope they’ll like them.” “Madi, you have great tastes. I’m sure they’ll love them,” Bren said from his other side.

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“As is tradition in the heavenly realms”—the first father was speaking again, louder this time as if he wanted everyone in the very back to hear him clearly—“myself and my friend gift unto you these guardians to watch over you and yours as you begin this new life together as married partners.” Madigan’s mouth hung open in shock, and Marius exploded. “What the fuck?” Erik grabbed Marius’s arm before he could go at the two angels who wore matching looks of smug satisfaction on their faces. The entire collection of guests began to murmur in unease as Erik and Levi started whispering rapidly to Marius in an effort to keep him calm. “Holy shit. That is low down and dirty,” Michel muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “What’s going on?” Madigan asked. “Their fathers just assigned those four Elites to Levi and Erik as additional protection. By the laws of heaven, Marius has to accept them into their home. If he refuses, he takes his status from Fallen to irredeemable, meaning he’ll be considered a demon and have to report to the underrealm for orders. However, with nephilim hunger, the potency of the guardians will tempt even the most devoted nephilim. They’re trying to put a wedge in between Levi, Erik, and Marius. It’s a dirty fucking move.” Bren sounded downright pissed about it. “Thank you, Father,” Levi said, his voice shaking. “We accept your warriors with pleasure.” Marius snarled something that sounded far from complimentary. Madigan didn’t know what they were going to do. Poor Marius. That is terrible. “Then with the power vested in me by the heavens above and the Creator of all things, I pronounce you bound. May you have an eternity of happiness,” Levi’s father said. Madigan was sure that the declaration was the oddest end to a wedding that he’d ever experienced. The four angels stepped forward and bowed over first Marius’s, then Erik’s, then Levi’s hands. None of the wedding party looked happy about it. The two angels who’d

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caused the chaos went over to the human families and rounded them up with some cleverly well-placed instructions to get them moving in the direction of the hotel. The angelic guests were more reluctant to follow. “It’ll work out,” Michel said firmly as they stood and began to follow the guests back toward the reception area. “Marius was worrying over how to protect Levi and Erik when he was injured on the flight over. Perhaps this will be an answer for them.” “Still think it’s shitty.” Bren growled. “Agreed,” Dex seconded, dropping an arm around Madigan’s shoulders as they walked. Cross remained quiet for a minute before he spoke. “We will support them if they need it, but I don’t think we can do anything to fix it. There is enough on our plates as is.” Madigan nodded in agreement even as he wished there was something he could do to make it all better. They had become friends since coming into their lives, and to know that on the happiest day of their lives they were unhappy… “I promise no family drama on our wedding day,” Yuri declared as he hopped up onto a low wall that ran the length of the driveway up to the front of the hotel. He balanced on top of it, walking beside them. “My family already loves you.” “Mine, too,” Michel said. “I’m not inviting my family,” Bren declared with a sour look on his face. Madigan turned his attention to Bren. “And why not?” “Because Lucifer’s choir is a bunch of rowdy, undisciplined hoodlums,” Cross said, shooting a grin at Bren. Bren’s nostrils flared. “What did you just say?” Madigan laughed as they started to tussle right there. He was lucky to have guardians like his. He was luckier still to have lovers who were all in the same position in life and who had enough love and warmth in their lives to create a cocoon of happiness despite the

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threat of the hunters. The path ahead was looking brighter every day. Sanctuary was going to become home, and Madigan dared anyone to try and make it otherwise. “I figured once we’re settled into the house we can invite my friends over to share the news. They’re really great people, and I want them to be a part of this,” Madigan said as Cross settled his dispute with Bren with a kiss. They were almost to the front of the hotel. “I believe that would be appropriate, Madi,” Dex said, smiling as if the thought pleased him. “So you will begin planning the wedding after we move into the new house?” That seemed to catch everyone’s attention, and all his guardians looked at him expectantly. Madigan looked at them each in turn. I love them so fucking much it’s almost too much to deal with. “Yes. Once we move in, I’ll plan the wedding and start looking for a space to open my bakery.” A thought occurred to him. “We also need to schedule a time for everyone to get together and make family pictures. In all the confusion I completely forgot that we promised Levi that we’d get some portraits done.” He liked the idea of having pictures of all of them together. The announcement seemed to make them all breathe a sigh of relief. Madigan almost laughed at them. They expected him to change his mind or something? Ha. He was more sure now than he’d ever been that they belonged together. Despite differences, flaws, or challenges, they were family now, and that tie meant more to Madigan than any wedding ring ever would. He smiled softly to himself. Well, of course, the ring wouldn’t hurt.

THE END HTTP://JANADOWNS.BLOGSPOT.COM/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jana Downs lives in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina with three cats, one dog, several dozen fish, and a very understanding partner-in-crime who hates to read but makes exceptions for her stories. You can usually find her either watching bad reality TV, buying way too many books on Amazon, or dreaming up another man or two to occupy her time because life is good but several drop-dead gorgeous nonexistent men is just better.

Also by Jana Downs Siren Allure ManLove: Ravyn Warriors 1: Ravyn’s Blood Siren Allure ManLove: Ravyn Warriors 2: Ravyn’s Heart Siren Allure ManLove: Ravyn Warriors 3: Ravyn’s Destiny Siren Classic ManLove: Ravyn Warriors 4: Ravyn’s Dance Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: His Guardian Angels 1: Angel Bound Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: His Guardian Angels 2: Angelic Ties

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com