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This chapter contains an explicit sex scene. If you are reading this , you are consenting that you are at the age of 17 and above as per the guidelines.

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Kate stared at her hands. They were stained red from Harper's blood. The rest of her body was covered, too, soaking through her bra and underwear completely. It was quiet. So... blissfully quiet. She had never known silence like this. The quiet of a venom high was a thundering waterfall compared to this. She felt like she could cry, it was so quiet.

There were a lot of things she could cry over right now. For one, she was still waiting for the crushing guilt to come over her for killing Harper. She was even expecting to feel the same after dragging up the memories of killing those demons so long ago. But there was nothing. She felt light as a feather.

Cyrille had called her Carnage. Was that what her name meant? Was that why she got so excited from the thought of killing? Why hunting, intentional or otherwise, always ended in death? And why it always felt so good? Was that why she couldn't bring herself to care about Harper or those nameless demons? What about David? She loved him and the things she had done to him in the heat of the moment...

The door to the bathroom opened behind her, and she looked around to watch Cyrille step inside. His dark eyes widened, and he was in front of her in a flash. Warm hands cradled her face carefully, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs, and tilted her eyes up to his. "What's wrong, kitten?"

She blinked a couple times and realized he was wiping away a stream of tears. She was crying and didn't even notice. Silently, she wrapped her arms around Cyrille and pushed her face into his shirt. "I don't know," she whispered. "I don't feel anything."

"You're coming down after a successful hunt," he chuckled softly and pulled her closer. "There is a lot of emotions in a fresh soul, so your magic shuts yours down to protect you. They'll come back soon. You'll be okay."

She let out a short, derisive laugh. Successful wasn't the word she would have used to describe it. Not even twenty minutes after sucking Harper's soul from his body, Cyrille had forced her to throw it up again. He hadn't exactly been gentle, but he wasn't willing to take the risk when she was already showing signs of losing control of it. She then promptly lost control of her temper again, and he had to assure her that he would feed it back to her piece by piece when she could handle it.

"How's Danika?" she asked, stepping back to wipe the last of her tears away.

At least her concern for her best friend was still intact. Seconds after Aarón had declared his mate in front of the entire united pack, mere minutes after he had the alphas and nearly every beta killed, Danika fainted. She was hurt and in shock. Kate wanted to be with her, but Cyrille insisted that she get some rest herself. They were stuck in the pack neighborhood until the sun went down, so there was no point hovering over her unconscious body.

"Still out cold," he responded. "The lycan medic told me her physical injuries should heal quickly."

"Physical injuries. She's been in a rough place lately; what kind of emotional state is she going to be in when she wakes up? I should be there."

"Aarón said he would call when she comes to."

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't think-"

"Katalin, I need you to listen to me, and I mean really listen," he leaned down to look her in the eyes, a severe warning in his tone. "Whether you wanted her to or not, whether she intended to or not, everything Danika has done has been for you. She turned into a vampire so she could leave the Templars and help you. She gave up her freedom to join the military so she could stay with you."

Kate's eyes widened in horror. "You know?"

"Yes, and I'm not going to say anything to Aarón or Raphaël as long as she does not say anything about us to her superiors. But that's not what I'm trying to say here. When you ran away, you set her free. She could have just as easily done the same and not come find you. But she did. I know you care for her. I know you love her more than anything, and I know you want nothing but the best for her. But, you need to open your eyes and see that Aarón is the best thing for her. Just as she has accepted that I am the best thing for you."

Kate's mouth fell open slightly. "She did?"

"Yes. Because she knows that I can and will protect and love you like no one ever has or ever will again. Isn't that what you want for her?"

"Yes, but-"

"No 'buts', Katalin. You need to stop. Aarón had three alphas and twenty-three betas killed for using her to get to him. He is rounding up the rest of the males from the La Chapelle line as we speak to execute them as well. Those same alphas and betas you compared him to. He was relying on those lycans to fight his war, and he killed all of them. How much more does he need to do to prove that he will do anything for her?"

"I just want her to have a chance to choose," tears were welling up in her eyes again.

"Katalin... kitten... she already has."

Frustration built in her expression for a moment before she huffed and deflated again. "Fine. But I don't have to be happy about it."

He barked out a laugh, shook his head, and pulled his shirt over his head. "For how strong you are and all you've been through, I keep forgetting just how young the two of you really are."

Once he was naked, he hooked one arm around her waist and lifted her effortlessly into the bathtub, and turned the water on. It immediately turned red as it hit her. She turned into the stream and closed her eyes. Something as simple as a shower felt different now. Warmer, more inviting, and so loud as the sound of cascading water echoed off the tiled walls.

While she unhooked her now ruined bra and discarded it and her panties on the floor, Cyrille gently pulled her hair back and started to work shampoo through the lengths. "Now, can I be selfish now and ask how you are feeling?" he asked.

Honestly, it felt like she'd been put through a blender. Her neck was covered in bruises and crunched ominously when she turned her head too far in any direction. She had a pounding headache from the aftereffects of the possession. But, above all, a single word came to mind. "Free."

The smile he gave her was radiant. Turning her back around, he pulled her head down against his chest and simply held her. She melted into his grip as the water washed away the suds and last of the blood. She could have stayed like that forever, enjoying his touch and the warm water. "So," he said softly against her ear. "About your parents."

Kate went very still before looking up at him again. She started chewing her lip, expecting anger, or disappointment, or... something. "I wanted to tell you," her voice quivered. "I didn't... They hardly ever talked about the other Sins. Or if they did, they never used the name you use now, and I... I didn't think you would believe me."

"I don't think I would have believed you either," he chuckled. "Not until I saw how the archangels treated you. Even then... I don't know. It was hard enough to believe that you would be one of her creations. I never once considered that you would be her daughter."

The corner of her mouth lifted in a crooked smile. "What about Lust? Would you have believed me if I told you he was my father?"

"Absolutely, love," he winked. "Your father's a whore, and you are not their only birth child."

Her eyes brightened again. "I have living siblings?"

Her excitement was pure and beautiful to see, and it only made the pain more obvious. She knew she wasn't the only one born in that place. Just the only one to survive. "Yes," he told her. "Celeste might know how to find them if you would like to meet them."

She beamed and nodded, wincing at the pain in her neck. He started to massage conditioner into her hair next, enjoying the look of pure pleasure on her face. Then, as he began to rinse it out, a thought came to mind, and he paused. "I suppose that also explains why Celeste and the other succubi and incubi have been as attached to you as the Archangels."

"I tried not to impose my presence on them," she gave him another guilty smile. "They're not my legion, and they're not my creations. I didn't want to be treated like anyone special."

"But you are," he leaned closer, his lips a hair away from hers, and she trembled under his touch. "You are special, kitten. And you're mine."

His kiss was hellfire and iron. It burned in all the best ways, and his hands left scorching trails down her body where he touched her, leaving her gasping for air when they parted again. "Don't call me kitten," she whimpered, her eyes fluttering.

A few short months ago, if he looked at her the way he did now, with eyes a full, abyssal black and one half of his mouth lifted up in a smirk flashing rows of razor-sharp fangs, she would have run for her life. Not now. Now the idea of those fangs in her neck and those eyes boring into hers were two of the most erotic things she could imagine. He leaned over her, a menacing chuckle rumbling in his throat. "Why don't you make me, kitten?"

Kate's eyes started to glow. Suddenly, his desire for her increased tenfold as a powerful wave of lust-filled magic came crashing through the bond. Before he knew what he was doing, Cyrille had her hands pinned over her head against the shower wall, and he was ravaging her mouth with his own, delving into her depths with his tongue and making sure to taste every inch of her.

Damn her small stature. He wanted to feel all of her! Keeping her wrists pinned with one hand, he grabbed her ass and lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his hips. Their kiss broke as he thrust into her, her head going back as she cried out, and his forehead dropping to her shoulder and groaning. She was so warm, so wet, so tight. And she was all his. Forever.

Cyrille tried to take his time. Even as she came hard around him, he wanted to give her more and more pleasure. But then... "Avarice," she whimpered his name in her sweet, musical voice.

The world vanished around them. All that was left was her body. Her essence. Her magic. His orgasm exploded out of him, and his snarling echoed off the tiled walls.

And then there was quiet, broken only by the sound of the shower and their panting. A euphoric laugh bubbled up from his throat, and he brushed his lips across the weak spot on her shoulder. "I don't think that's going to stop me from calling you kitten," he teased.

"It made you do something," she giggled.

"Brat."

He nipped the spot, earning a yelp of pleasure before pulling out and putting her back down. She wavered slightly before regaining her balance and was able to step out of the shower and wrap a towel around herself. Shutting off the water, he hunted the bathroom for a second towel before following her into the bedroom.

Kate was already on top of the covers, laying amongst the pillows, her eyes drooping. Of course, she had to be exhausted. Yet, he couldn't stand the idea of just letting her sleep after everything that just happened. Not after he'd nearly lost her. He needed to keep touching her. Hear her moaning his name. Just... hear her voice. He needed to know that Envy was gone.

Leaning over her, he pushed her knees apart and started to kiss up the inside of her thigh. Her eyes fluttered open, and a sweet sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. Slowly made his way up her body, enjoying and determined to memorize every sound she made.

Pulling open the towel, he deliberately passed over her clit and continued kissing up her hip and running his piercing along the tiny tattoo. She squirmed, giggling, and it was music to his ears. He then kissed back down the dip of her pelvis until just below her belly button and stopped.

Kate's throat went thick, and she got suddenly nervous as he rested his palm against her stomach and closed his eyes. Entwined with her own, bright, unique power was that barely perceptible strand of magic that would one day develop into the name of their child. It was fragile and small, and it was a damn miracle that it had survived everything she'd been through. Under normal circumstances, neither he nor Kate would have noticed this tiny flicker of life for another few weeks.

"Are... are you mad?" she asked in a whisper.

He opened his eyes again and met her gaze. "Why on earth would I be upset?" he asked back.

"Because I'm..." she swallowed, trying to get a hold of herself. "I didn't know... I didn't mean to..."

"Hush, my love," a warm smile spread across his face. "No, Katalin, I am not angry. On the contrary, I have never been happier."

He pressed a kiss to her stomach, pushing a gentle pulse of magic through his bond with Kate to surround the little life and convey how much he loved them both. Her body trembled beneath his touch, and a flurry of wild emotions sparked off her aura.

"I've never been a father before," he continued, kissing her belly again and grinning as she wiggled. "It's been a long time since I've experienced something for the first time."

"What are you talking about?" she propped herself up on her elbows to look down at him. "What about the harpies and all the other demons you made?"

"It's not the same. I thought it was. I thought Lust was out of their mind when they gave preferential treatment to their blood spawn over their creations. But now..." he started purring again, a sound that Kate was quickly growing to love. "I would sacrifice every single one of my creations for this child. And for you."

Cyrille looked up to see a nervous but happy smile on her lips, and her golden eyes sparkled with joy. He started kissing back up her body, gripping the underside of one knee and settling his hips between her thighs. His heavy erection lay against her delicate body, once again bearing the promise of great pleasure for them both. "Cyrille," she blurted suddenly, unable to take not telling him any longer. "I think I'm in love with you."

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Just as slow and careful, he slipped between her folds until his pelvis was flush with hers. Her back arched, and he slipped an arm under her waist to support her. Pressing his face into her neck and the rest of his body flush against hers, he whispered, "I love you too, Katalin."

Tears of pure happiness welled up and streamed down her cheeks. Cyrille rocked into her, careful not to crush her with his weight. He made slow, gentle thrusts, so different from just a few moments ago in the shower, and the pleasure started to build once again.

Love didn't seem like a strong enough word for how she felt about him. Yes, she loved him, but she also craved him. His body, essence, mind, and, of course, his love. She was free because of him. Envy's oppressive hold on her was gone. For the first time in her life, she had a future. A long, joyous future with a mate, children, and all the other things she never thought she would have.

Their mutual pleasure grew as he made slow, gentle love to her, wary of her many injuries. Cyrille kissed up her neck and swallowed her moans with a kiss. Deep, rich, black eyes stared into hers, roiling with the emotions and honesty of his words coming through their bond in waves.

Another climax was on the horizon when he eased back. When her legs tightened around his waist to pull herself into his thrusts, he gripped her hip to keep her still and in his control. She started whining and begging incoherently, but still, he kept her from that peak. "Not yet, my love," he purred. "Just hold on a little longer. Let me cum with you."

His words sent waves of fire through her veins, and her power surged forward without meaning to. A mix of frustration, love, and pure lust for her mate got the better of her. She flooded their systems with an aphrodisiac perfectly tuned to each of their bodies. Her fingers morphed into talons, tearing into his back and filling the air with the smell of sulfur.

The mix of pain, pleasure, and power drove him over the edge. "Caedes," he snarled down at her. Her back arched again, her body quaking under the power of his voice. "Mine!"

He descended on her, sinking his fangs into her throat, possessive growls harmonizing with her scream as they came hard together.

They lay still for a moment to catch their breath. Cyrille pulled his fangs from her and kissed her shoulder, up her neck, and found her mouth. When her body stopped quivering around him, he pulled free and rolled onto his side to gather her in his arms and brush his fingers through her hair.

Kate melted into his chest, exhausted and happier than she had ever been. After a few quiet moments, when she was just about to fall asleep, he stopped moving and stiffened. Shifting to look blearily up at him, there was a tense look of horror on his face. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Your parents are absolutely going to kill me," he breathed. "I got Wrath and Lust's daughter pregnant."

She shrugged and pressed closer into him. "That would require them to find out," she muttered. "Dad is in the veil, and... who knows what happened to mom."

Slowly, he started stroking her again in a thoughtful motion. "Do you know where you were kept?"

"No. When they took me away, they gave me something to make me sleep. I didn't wake up until they put me in that alley."

"Why did they do that? I imagine people like them would have ways of forging legal documents."

"It's just how they do things."

He frowned. "I thought you were the only one."

"Yeah, the only demon."

This time when he went still, an entirely different kind of fear lanced through him. That uncomfortable nagging sensation he got when Khalid told him how she'd been found finally clicked. It felt familiar because he'd heard the story before. Or, rather, read it in the newspapers and half a dozen news blogs. It was the same story as the tenth dragon.

Cyrille sat up slowly, took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and looked her straight in her eyes. "Katalin," he said carefully. "The people that held you and your parents. Did they call themselves the Organization?"

She nodded.

"The same Organization that was behind the attacks on the dragons in America?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she jerked away, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chin. "Me and that stupid dragon went through the same thing," she spat, a bitterness in her voice he had never heard from her before. "But no one gave a shit when I ran away the first couple times. No one believed me. They didn't care how many times I told them Colonel Birch and her husband weren't my real aunt and uncle. They just took me back and walked away."

"But after, when the reports came out, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Tell who, the Counsel? The demonic representative is one of Envy's creations," she gave him an incredulous look as she reminded him of that fact. "He's the one who kept taking me back to that house, and the djinn isn't the only puppet the Organization controls within the Counsel. But, even if he was, what do you think they would do to me? A demon. One of the creatures that attacked their precious fucking dragon. And that's before they find out I'm the product of two Sins and carrying the child of a third."

Cyrille's body went cold again, and he reached out to rest a hand on her stomach. "I will never let anyone hurt you or our child. You know that, Katalin. I have my own connections outside of Khalid, people I trust. The Counsel may very well be the safest place for you."

"The city..."

"When I took you across the river, I took Envy as well. They know where the entrance is, and they will have no problems getting in and getting to you. You didn't cast them out. I doubt they will try to retake you from a distance, but they know the city can't protect you."

"The archangels-"

"Are missing," he cut over her, and she looked up at him in shock. "Even if they weren't, I cannot take the risk that Envy takes control of you again. They will not give you the chance to defend yourself. The closer they are physically, the stronger their control will be. And if they decide to abandon their current vessel and invade your body, you will have no chance whether you know their name or not. So I need to find somewhere better for you to hide while I deal with them, and the best place for that is within the Counsel."

"I don't trust the Counsel."

"I know. I don't like them any more than you do. But I don't know what else to do. Envy will come for you, and I need you to be safe while I deal with them. Celeste has her own connections as well; she can have Khalid replaced in a little over a week. Let us do that, at least. I promise no one who doesn't have to know will. Trust that I would never put you or our child in danger.

Slowly, very slowly, Kate unwrapped herself and curled back into him. "I do trust you," she whispered. "I just don't think it's going to work."

"Ye of little faith, my love," he chuckled.

"We're demons," she gave him a wry smile. "I don't think we're supposed to have any faith."

Cyrille dug his fingers into her sides with a roll of his eyes and started to mercilessly tickle her. Kate shrieked and tried shoving him away, but he was twice her size and easily held her down. Writhing madly, she barely managed to get out of his grip and rolled away from him. Just as he was about to pull her back again, a massive black shadow emerged slowly from the corner of the room.

Unlike Cyrille, who froze out of a long-ingrained fear, Kate wrapped the sheet around her naked body and crawled to sit on the edge of the bed nearest the warrior. In slow movements, it knelt before her and held out its armored hand. "Katalin," Cyrille hissed a warning.

"It's fine," she told him, not looking away from the demon, and took its hand. "Maybe it will tell me where the others have gone."

"They talk to you?"

"Sort of," she said slowly. Her eyes began to glow, and her brows knit together in concentration. "It's like listening through radio static. Sometimes what they're trying to say gets garbled."

Cyrille slid out of the bed slowly, careful not to move too suddenly, and dug through a drawer for a pair of sweatpants. He didn't want to take his eyes off either Kate or the archangel, and leaving the room long enough to retrieve his clothes was entirely out of the question.

Suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Oops!"

~