Cherry

🚨 Tear Jerker! 🚨

I stared at Lions spirit form with tears heavily swallowing up my eyes.

Of course he didn't recognize me. The supernatural spirits that have to cross over to the other plain of existence forget about everything from their past lives regrettably.

He looks so damn lost and down trodden. Clearly bewildered and confused over his dire situation.

With the tears now steadily sliding down my cheeks I usher the words that I truly to hate to say, "'Ut transeas" I whisper them in a torrent choked sob.

Lions spirit instantly disappears from my view, with just a glimmer, his entire form slips invisibly away from me.

I try to catch my choked breath as the last remnants of Lions form quickly dissipated into thin air.

Why? Why does this happen to people who truly don't really deserve it? Why do I have to feel all of their pain, confusion, and remorse?

Why doesn't this ever get any easier? Why is there even death? Why him? Just fucking why?!

I robotically turn back to my mates along with Dante, Edge, and Gage. All of them with the exception of Dante of course are all lost in the throws of their own grief.

Placing my hand on my stomach I choke back another grievous sob as I watch all of my loving mates in such dire distress and blatant despair.

I feel almost all of their pain and overwhelming grief. Every fiber in my being is screaming out for me to go to them to try and comfort them in their time of need but I simply can't.

I stand here completely immobilized by my own unwavering grief.

Then a sudden thought erupts in my anguishing mind.

"Where is Linz?" I question them all curiously.

"Lion and Linz was on mission for me. They were guarding Patience while I was here. Oh fuck! Patience!" Dante suddenly comes to the devastating realization about his mate and my questionable Aunt.

He rushes out of the dining room without even a second thought. I hear the front door quickly slam in his terrifying wake.

"River if Lion was with Linz then Linz may be in trouble also along with my Aunt. Someone needs to go to them now!" I rush to say to them in a virtual panic.

Then I suddenly hear a heart wrenching sound coming up from behind me. I'm too horrified to even turn around.

"Where am I?" Linz confusingly ask.

"Cherry it's Linz!" Lacey informs with sympathy laced in her tone.

"Noooo!" I wail out grabbing everyone's attention instantly. "Linz." I croak his name out in another grievous gut wracking sob.

Not both of them. No! Why?

"Cherry?" Gage says my name in the form of a question. I shake my head vigorously not wanting to see the loving apparition behind.

"Cherry please. He needs you he needs peace!" Lacey quietly pleads with me.

I try to fight it off as hard as I can but I know that if I don't turn around and face him that he will never know a moment of peace and I just can't do that to him.

Swallowing down my own grief I resign myself to turn around and just face him. I slowly but shakily turn around to him.

As soon as I see his spirit form before me I break down again. This time I collapse completely down on my knees onto the floor beneath me while bracing myself up with one hand as I bow my head and just uncontrollably cry.

I don't want to this. I don't want to this. I keep repeating the same damn mantra inside of my head. Please no.

"Cherry pie. You have too. Just look at him. It's his time. You need to help him, no one else can. Please." Butter pleads with me remorsefully.

I bravely shake off my own fear and doubts as I raise my head up to finally gaze upon my lost friend.

Poor Linz is standing there looking around like he's confused and lost just like his brother was.

Why? Please, just why?

Damn I hate doing this. This can't be happening? It's just so damn wrong!

"'Ut transeas" I barely get the words out. Linz does the same as his brother before him he dissipated into thin air quickly. I reach my hand out to his disappearing figure but unfortunately all I can grab ahold of is empty cold air.

"Cherry. Is Linz....?" Rivers voice trails off with a crack in his voice and so much disparity locked in his tone. I cry along with him.

I unsteadily get back up to my feet as I keep wiping away my solid fallen tears I take a good long look at all of my crestfallen mates.

Their all in this awful business of theirs where death and destruction becomes a daily occurrence for each and every one of them but at this very moment the deaths are unrelenting hitting home.

"I'm so sorry. Yes both Lion and Linz are....gone." I mutter lowly between my own raging sobs.

Why? Why? Why?

River rushes to me and hurriedly encloses me up into arms gently bowing his head down on top of my shoulder weeping silently against me.

I take my hand to offer him comfort by threading my fingers through his hair and holding on dearly to him with my other arm wrapped fiercely around him.

Brax, Scratch, and the rest of them all come to me seeking out some kind of comfort from me also. Each one of them finding someway to touch or be near me.

I feel hands all over me. Rivers head is still planted firmly on my shoulder while Brax is on my other shoulder. Scratch has squeezed himself in between River and Brax with his head laying down flatly on my chest. Rome and Micah are at my back holding on to me for dear life.

Poor Dax is on the dining room floor at my feet holding on to my leg tightly. They all are crying silent gut wrenching tears on me.

I can't see Edge or Gage but I'm sure they are comforting each other in their own way.

I so wish I could take away all of their pain and heartbreak right now.

Why? Just fucking why dammit?!

I quietly sob along with them all.

I chose to sleep alone in my own bed tonight.

Far too much anguish and heartbreak are residing within me for me to even offer my mates the tiniest amount of comfort any longer. I'm just to damn weary.

The shock and dismay I felt earlier from learning that I'm mated and have bonded with killers soon drifted away in the tormenting chaos of losing two of my dear good hearted friends tonight.

I sent Lacey and Butter both away also wanting desperately to wallow in my own pain in complete singularity.

It's just the way I have always found myself dealing with these particular grievous situations.

I did the same thing after my parents deaths.

By locking myself away I don't have the urge to deal with anyone else's grief except my own. I'm weak and sheltering myself in my own damn grief. I tend to end up closing myself away from everybody.

With the tears still steadily flowing down my face I find myself drifting off into sleep from my weary and despondent day.

"Mom, dad?" I suddenly see the figures of my parents from my Aunts spare room. They both look so lost and confused. I gasp out loudly and fall down onto my knees on the floor below me with tears now steadily overly streaming down my face quickly.

"Who?" My father ask me. Looking on at me curiously. Why doesn't he recognize me?

"It's me Cherry! You're daughter?" I whine out through my overflowing hysterical sobbing.

"I'm sorry?" My mother sweetly tells me with so much remorse on her face that I have to catch my own breath.

"Please remember me! Please!" I beg and plead with them desperately.

"I'm so sorry." My father states while disoriented and confused.

"No! You have to remember me! I'm your daughter Cherish? Please!" I scream out through a grieve stricken wail.

"Are you okay?" My mother sounds genuinely concerned as her floating figure tries to reach out her hand to me.

"Please!" I beg while trying to touch my mothers hand but my hand goes right through my mothers coming out from the other side of her hand.

"Please!" I beg and plead while still crying profusely as I lower my head down in complete despair.

"Whyyyy?!" I bellow out startling my own parents. I'm suppose to let them go? Their own daughter? How messed up is that? I have to let them go. I don't want to. I want them here with me. I can't let them go. I won't. Please don't make me. Please. I can't take this. It's just too much. Someone help me! Please. Oh God please help me!

Why? Why? It's not fair!

My chest starts to ache. I can't see my parents through my blurry vision of my own tears. I can't breath. Someone please help me! Take this pain away! It's too much too bear. Please. Someone? Anyone? Fucking help me!

I set on the floor for hours just watching my parents in the corner of my room looking on at me with pity and an overwrought amount of sympathy but they still don't recognize me at all. No matter how much I try to convince them that I'm their daughter they haven't got a single memory of me. I have told them over and over again exactly who I am to them that now my throat is painfully sore and cracking from all of the screaming and sobbing.

I have to let them go. I really really don't want to. I argue with myself back and forth for what seems like hours before I resign myself that I must finally let them go. I want my parents to know peace but it's just so not fair! Why do I have to do this? Why me? Why can't someone else do this? Why does it have to be?

I don't want to live without them. I don't want to even go on! But unfortunately I have to. Not for me but for them. I will find out who did this to me even it takes me a lifetime to do it. I will avenge them.

"I love you mommy and daddy so much. I'm so sorry that you don't remember me but I will always remember you both and love you both for the rest of my life and I will keep you're memory alive. I will find out who this to you and make them pay. I promise." I stand up off of the floor to face them both so I can tell them and show both just how much I truly love them.  "I' will always miss you, I will never forget you. You will always be in my heart. But I have to let you go, please forgive me, good....bye!" I choke back my sobs to say my final heart wrenching goodbyes. I so want to wrap my arms around them both and never let go. I want to be able to touch them. To give them both one last goodbye kiss. But unfortunately I can't. It's just not right! It's so damn unfair! They need to know how much I love them.

"I love you!"  I whisper while wiping away my fallen tears from my face.

""'Ut transeas!" I scream as I wake up from my horrific nightmare with tears drying on my face.

Fuck! Fuck!

Life is so not fucking fair!

The next morning is a somber affair.

I make my way slowly down to the kitchen to grab some morsel of food to ease my nauseatingly wretched stomach.

On the way there I stop directly in the dining room staring over at the exact spot that I last seen Lion and Linz's spirits.

I can't seem to get my feet working.

I just stand there staring at the spot in a paralyzing trance of emotions.

The same word keeps echoing through my mind over and over again on a constant aching continuous agonizing scream.

Why? Why? Why?

"Cherry?" Rome suddenly questions my name from behind me.

I stoically turn to look up at him and what I see on his face nearly defeats me. His face is morphed into so much sadness that I can't help but to automatically go to him and wrap him up into my loving embrace.

"I'm so sorry for your loss Rome." I muffle out quietly against his broad chest. His big brisk arms encircle around my waist tightly as his face nuzzles down deep on the side of my neck.

What else can I say? It seems redundant to say those words to someone who just recently lost someone that they clearly loved.

I've heard the same old quotes time and time again from others after my parents death.

I'm so sorry for your loss, their in a better place now, they are no longer suffering, the list of sympathies are strangely over indulgent.

One person even told me that they were so sorry for my heartbreak and suffering which realistically that came closer than any of the others sympathetic platitudes to being genuinely earnest.

I break away from Romes tender embrace gently, dislodging myself slightly from him with his hands still sliding down to hold on to me from my sides.

I tenderly place my hand upon his cheek tracing my thumb back and forth along his cheek while wiping away some of his fallen his tears.

"How did it happen?" I break the silence between us curiously wanting to know what happened to my two long lost friends.

"River wants to explain it to you. He wants us to meet him in his office after breakfast." I look on at him rather suspiciously.

"Then let's try to find something to eat quickly." I suggest while taking ahold of his hand to guide him into the kitchen with me.

Now I'm more than overly curious over what happened with Linz and Lion.

Guess I'm about to find out all of the gruesome details even if I truly don't want to really hear them.

Sitting in Rivers office with all of my mates and friends present I start to become somewhat anxious.

Do I really want to know exactly what happened with Lion and Linz?

It's hard enough dealing with being the one to have to send them both to the other plain without having the images of their death locked up tight in my brain.

Rivers behind his desk with Scratch sitting in the chair right next to me.

Rome, Micah, Brax, and Dax are all surrounding my chair with Edge and Gage standing behind Scratch.

Everyone of them has dark shadows under their eyes and look like they all have been dragged under a bus for miles.

I guess no one got much if any sleep last night. After my nightmare I couldn't find myself going back to sleep either. It's all just too much for any of us to bear I suppose.

"Cherry bomb there is something that we have to tell you baby and I'm so damn sorry that we haven't been open and honest with you as we should of have been from the very beginning. I know that after last night with you suddenly finding out what we all do for a living that you are holding on to some resentment for us but I need you to remain calm and understand that there is a reason that we have kept this bit of information from you." River exclaims with regret and worry.

I start to get very anxious all over again. It can't be that bad, can it?

"Okay." I tautly agree to hear him out with a certain amount of fear spiking up in me suddenly.

"Have you ever heard of the seven deadly sins?" Scratch questions me. My head jerks to him with surprise.

Is he serious?

"Of course I have. Everyone has. Why?" I ask way beyond curious now over his selective questioning.

"Well this may seem a little bit out there for you to believe but you have three of those in this very room with you at this very moment." Scratch blubbers I nearly laugh out loud at his ridiculous statement.

He has to be fucking with me right?

But from the very serious look upon his face I go completely still in shock.

He isn't fucking kidding!

"Are you trying to tell me that you, River, and Edge are part of the deadly sin demons?" I ask him dubiously.

"Exactly. I'm what is known as lust. River is greed and Edge is pride." Scratch states it so damn plainly, like this is an every day fucking occurrence.

"But you're only three of the seven of them. What happened to the rest?" I question him completely dumbfounded.

"Our sister, we call her Penny, is sloth. She never has once ever left hell. Our other sister, Paisley, she is gluttony. She's just like Penny neither of them have ventured out of hell not even once." Scratch explains explicitly.

"That's because both of them are too damn lazy to even get off of their asses!" Edge grouses.

"Okay. Well that leaves envy and wrath right? What happened to them two?" I feel like a damn idiot for asking these type of questions.

I never actually believed in any of this before. I'm just floored.

"Envy, we call him Jacks, is in the nether world. He went in there chasing after his mate. He won't be coming back to this world anytime in the future. In a sense he is what some might consider as dead. Once you enter into the nether world you don't ever come back." Edge tells me this part about his apparently long lost brother. I look on at all of them with utter amazement and astonishment.

"And wrath?" I inquire basically shell shocked at this moment.

"That's where the problem lies. Our brother Wrath but we all call him Des which is short for Destruction is on the war path right now. This is why Linz and Lion were both killed last night. Our damn brothers damn lackeys killed them both." River affirms callously with a tinge of anger and regret.

Their brothers lackeys killed our friends?

"Why?" I ask them all slightly confused and concerned.

"Dante just so happen to execute his girlfriend, Juanita, over some drugs that she apparently stolen from him. Her and one of her friends named Rocket stole close to a million dollars worth of drugs from him. Rocket apparently got away and has not yet been found unfortunately. Now my damn brother is out for revenge and Linz and Lion just happened to get caught up in the crossfires of his....well wrath. He went after your Aunt Patience in retribution for his girlfriend. Luckily, Dante got to your Aunt in time but not in time to save our friends from Des's lackeys obviously." River explains in morbid detail to me as I shutter from the knowledge.

"Alright. Well how do we stop him?" I honestly don't understand what's truly going on.

Wait did he say Rocket?

"You said Rocket right? The friend who is on the run from Dante?" I rush to ask him. He narrows his eyes at me as I ask.

"Yes. Why?" He asks me while scowling.

"My best friend in high school his name was Rocket. That can't be a coincidence. Can it?" I ask as I lean further up in my seat.

"I guess not. I don't what the connection would be though but I'll look into it. There's more though baby." River asserts firmly.

What more can there possibly fucking be? I don't think I can actually take too much more of this bullshit.

"What. Go on spill it!" I press.

"Since my brother Des couldn't get to your Aunt Patience he has now set his eyes on a new goal. He left a very discerning calling card behind at the scene of the murders. Indicating that he is now set his eyes on you Cherry bomb." River states with aplomb.

What? Why me? What I have ever done to this damn asshole?

"Why? What was the calling card that he left behind about?" I question with uncertainty.

River slides a white card across his desk slowly toward me, with trembling fingers I remove the card from his desk, shivering as I flip the single forbearing card over in my hand.

What the hell?

Their brother has to be a complete unhinged psychotic killer. He couldn't get his bloody hands on my Aunt so now his cruel ass is coming for me?

What have I done to deserve this? This is so damn fucked up!

Letting out a fierce angry breath I toss the damn revolting calling card back onto Rivers desk flopping back onto my seat with fury boiling up within me.

"Well if that's not Cherry picking then I don't know what is? Is there anything else that I should be aware of? Please tell me now because I seriously don't know how much more of this shit I can take. Oh wait since your all part of the deadly sins demons does that mean that your father is actually fucking Lucifer?" Because that would make a hell of a lot sense right now. This entire situation couldn't get any more moronic.

"Yes." River grits. Well fuck me I guess it could get more moronic. Who the hell knew?

I feel like I'm trapped in a never ending comedy.

Welcome to my life people, enjoy the adventures of Cherry and her demon delinquent mates. That are actually the mother fucking sons of the one and only Luci-fucking-fer!

"So who is your mother?" I know I'm gonna regret asking this.

"Lilith." Scratch pipes in.

Of fucking course she is! Why didn't I guess that one? It was just so damn obvious.

"Okay. I'm okay. I think. Well maybe not. Fuck! Are you pulling a prank on me? This is a prank isn't it. Someone's going to jump out any second with a camera and shout that I just got punk'd right? Please tell me that this is just a prank." I plead eagerly.

And by the look on their faces now as they are all staring at me my hopes soon shatter that this is in all actuality not a damn prank.

"Well fuck me!" I mutter.

"Gladly." Brax huskily says from behind me. I crane my neck to look back at my damn mate with pure astonishment on my face.

"Seriously! You can actually think of sex at a time like this?" I ask him with a deadpan look.

"Cherry pop I can think of having sex with you at any damn time. It's on my mind twenty four fucking seven." Serious-fucking-ly!

I shake my head vehemently at my nympho mate.

"Now is really not that time for that Brax. We need to come up with a strategic plan to keep Cherry safe from my brother" River admonishes Brax. Braxs face suddenly goes from seductive to pouting in a matter of seconds. I'd laugh if this shit wasn't so damn absurd.

Then my thoughts go back their parentage I turn back around to Brax eyeing him with extreme curiosity.

"Brax who are yours and Daxs parents?" I certainly know that I'm definitely going to regret asking this one. But I just can't seem to keep my damn big ass curious mouth shut

"Our mother was a human, her name was Zeta. Our stepfather was Richard, but our biological dad well his name is Micheal." Yep definitely regret asking that one. But of course I should of known that their parentage would be outlandish.

I turn my attention then to Rome and Micah, quirking my brow up at them, waiting earnestly for their reply.

"Our mother was also a human. Her name was Beatrice, no stepfather though. Our biological dad, uhm, his name is Gabriel." Rome is the one that politely gives me the complex and very shocking information.

"We are talking about Archangels here right?" I question them, with me still being completely dumbfounded.

"Yes." The basic answer that Micah supplies me with leaves my ass utterly speechless.

Ok then.

Sure this all makes perfect sense. I mean, why wouldn't it?

For some reason I actually think I stepped into the damn twilight zone show very unwillingly.

Rod Serling where are you when I fucking need you? I scoff at my own damn insane musings.

"So I am mated to not only Lucifer's kids but to two Archangels kids also? Does anyone see the irony in that? I'm a damn Spirit Enhancer, why would the fates chose me to be mated to the opposite sides of the damn coin? You know what, never mind that I asked that. I know the answer already. It's because I must be some type of big ass cosmic damn joke to the fates. That has to be it! Right? Their fucking with me! Their all probably sitting around their little fire pit with their little bands of strands just getting a big old kick out of all of this messed up shit!" I scream out the last part while craning my head up skyward to look at the ceiling above me.

Im losing my shit! Dropping my head back down I let out a humongous dry laugh. Then the same word that kept racing through my damn mind before came back circling around in my damn brain again.

Why?

Fucking why?

"Cherry pop baby you need to calm down. It's really not all that bad." Brax tries his best to soothe me. I feel his hand gently touching my shoulder.

I jerk away from his touch instantly, scrambling up from my chair abruptly overly fuming.

"Not that bad Brax? I have a raging lunatic of a brother known as fucking Wrath after me now and I am innocent of doing anything to him. I'm always the innocent one who gets caught up in all this bullshit! I'm going to fucking die and for what? Drug money? Or should I say that I'm going to die because of the damn business everyone of you chose to be in? Either way I don't deserve this Brax! I did absolutely nothing wrong and yet I'm the one who is going to have to pay for everyone else's crimes. It's not fair! Why me? Why fucking me?" I wail out in disparity while my tears suddenly reappear.

Falling back down on the chair I sigh out in utter defeat.

"Cherry bomb we won't let my brother get anywhere near you. I promise. He won't touch a single damn strand of your beautiful hair. Not why I'm still alive and breathing. I'll kill him myself first." River proclaims sternly as he makes his way over to me. He squats down in front of me while taking ahold of both my hands into his gently.

"We will be here to protect you my little Cherry." Scratch states firmly while leaning over to place his hand on my upper arm.

"We will all protect you Cherry pop." Brax affirms with his hand placed delicately on my shoulder.

"Damn straight!" Rome asserts from behind me while placing his hand on my other shoulder.

"Always Cherry tart." Micah pipes in with assertiveness while placing his hand on the back of my neck.

I'm surrounded by all of my loving mates trying their best to reassure me in the best way that they possibly can.

"I may not be your favorite right now Cherry but I will always protect you." Dax insist from somewhere behind me.

"Edge and I will be your official body guards Cherry. No one is going to hurt you. Ever." Cage adds.

"No one is guarding that sexy body but her mates!" Brax grouses at Gage humorously.

I actually let a slight giggle slip pass my lips.

I suddenly feel so loved, guarded, and protected but I still have a touch of apprehension welling up inside of me.

I'm pretty sure that Des will end up finding me eventually no matter how much my mates seem to deign it otherwise.

He has set himself on a determined goal. A goal that I doubt he will ever dissuade himself of. A goal that I'm sure he won't stop until he undoubtedly has it.

And man how fucked up is it that damn goal is now,

Me!