Chapter Four #2
“There are so many people who will want to meet you!” Cary bounced on the couch.
“No!” Bel said sharply. “You are not in charge of the guest list.”
“But—” Cary pushed his bottom lip out as his pretty green eyes turned watery.
Bel stiffened.
Atlas laughed and elbowed Bel. “This is who needed the popcorn and Slurpees?”
Groaning, Bel nodded. “You see it, right? That sad look?”
No wonder Bel hadn’t been able to refuse. “Yeah.”
Cary giggled. “Bel is so good to us. He’s always running crazy errands and only complains a little. Much less than most of the other demons.”
“You’re still not in charge of invitations,” Bel tried to sound stern.
Atlas patted his knee. He didn’t think that Bel was going to win this argument.
“We have to invite Asmos,” Cary said.
“No, we don’t,” Bel replied quickly.
“He’s your best friend!” Cary claimed. “He has to be there!”
Bel did not look like he agreed.
“And Adam and Mal. Seb and Ash. Atom and Ari. Who else?” Cary asked.
“That sounds like enough,” Bel told him. “We don’t want to overwhelm Atlas.”
“But he needs friends!” Cary argued.
Atlas did kind of need friends. Making friends in the hell realm was cool and all, even if Atlas might never see them again.
“What about Dean and Logan?” Lucifer questioned.
“I called Dean. I’m just not sure about him bringing his mate, as the flickers do harm my…uh, Atlas. Dean promised to stop in when he could,” Bel explained.
“Ah, makes sense,” Lucifer said. “With Aaron’s vision, they think the pack might be in danger. He won’t want to leave the others, especially his mate and familiar.”
Cary pouted. “We really need to fix this flicker thing. Atlas should have all the friends. How can we take him to meet the pack?”
Atlas appreciated Cary’s enthusiasm.
“I think we have the list for now,” Lucifer told his mate.
Cary pressed his lips together but nodded slowly.
Atlas would place good money that the guest list would bigger than just the couples that Cary had listed.
“How about seven?” Lucifer asked. “That will give you time to get Atlas settled in some. Maybe show him around?”
“Really?” That perked Atlas up. “I could get a tour of hell?”
Bel scowled at Lucifer.
Lucifer grinned back, flashing some sharp fangs before hiding them again. “It is a very lovely plane of hell.”
“It’s the best,” Cary agreed.
“That would be cool.” He peered up at Bel, hoping that the demon prince would agree. He even attempted to bat his lashes as Bel had a soft spot for cuteness. Atlas could probably pull off cute. Maybe. Hopefully.
Bel nodded at him. “If that is what you want.”
“It would be nice to get to know everyone while we figure out my flickers. And if it turns out that you can’t help me, at least I had some fun.
” Atlas kind of wanted to bounce himself.
Yeah, Bel was a total sucker for cute boys.
He would just keep that information in the back of his mind in case he needed to use it later.
* * * * *
Bel
This was a bad idea.
Not that he had a problem giving his mate a tour around his home realm.
It was nice to show off a little. He still needed a plan to get his mate to stay.
That could wait. He didn’t want to take away from this moment with Atlas.
Bel was enjoying the way Atlas would gasp and vocalize his appreciation of the sights around them.
The problem was that Atlas didn’t know he held that special place in Bel’s heart. The demons that they passed, they knew, and they were not shy about checking out Bel’s mate.
He growled at a young demon who’d stopped on the other side of the street. The youngster had a bag in his hand for a delivery and should really be moving on and not eyeing the human at Bel’s side.
“Why are you growling at that demon?” Atlas whispered. “Do you not like him?”
“I don’t like him looking at you,” Bel said as a warning to the youngster. The demon would be able to hear every word even without Bel raising his voice.
The young demon swallowed hard before hurrying off.
Good riddance.
“But I’m safe here?” Atlas asked, moving closer.
“Of course,” Bel assured his mate. No one would ever dare threaten Bel’s mate. That didn’t stop them from looking though. With Atlas standing close, Bel could pick up the faint scent of his bodywash. The boy smelled fresh and clean. Like his.
“I figured I was safe enough,” Atlas said. He grabbed Bel’s arm just above his elbow as he peered at the long street ahead of them. “You are a prince of hell.”
“This is the private plane. Mostly it is the oldest of demons that live here.”
“But why does Lucifer need a private plane? Is he in danger? What about Cary and Gage? Are they safe here?” Atlas asked.
Bel walked Atlas over to a nice black wrought-iron bench overlooking a beautiful park. “They are perfectly safe. The safest. No one would dare touch one hair on their heads.”
“That’s good. Cary seems so sweet. And I think I’d like Gage, if he could be in human form.”
They sat on the bench, with Bel sitting just a bit closer than was polite. Not that Atlas seemed to mind.
“Gage is protective over his mates but he is a good person. Shifter. Scrappy and sarcastic but I think the two of you will get along,” Bel said.
Atlas hummed and nodded. “I thought the same thing.”
“To answer your earlier question, Lucifer made this private plane for him and those of us who wanted to come to give his demons more privacy,” Bel explained.
“I’m not sure that I understand,” Atlas replied. His frown drawing his lips down.
Bel loved that Atlas was so interested in the realm.
And that he already felt a connection with Cary and Gage.
He needed to figure a way to get his mate to want to stay with him.
Hell wasn’t for everyone, but Bel couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
He would. Atlas’s needs would always take precedence.
“Once we had enough demons that could take on more of the day-to-day operations, we didn’t have much to do with our time. Lucifer noticed how the other demons acted around him. They didn’t relax the same. Didn’t laugh or joke around,” Bel told him.
“It’s like having the CEO of the company you work for always around,” Atlas translated.
“Exactly,” Bel replied. “It hurt him, but he made this plane to give the demons the majority of the realm. He invited any of us who wanted to come with him. Our positions can be done remotely if we want. Although we could have transported to him at any time.”
“But you would never let your friend move here alone,” Atlas said. He had to tip his head back as they spoke.
The boy was so beautiful. Bel was still transfixed with those long lashes. He wanted to kiss them. To kiss Atlas’s plump lips. “They are my family.”
Atlas licked his lips as he continued to stare up at him. “I don’t have family anymore.”
“We make our own,” Bel said softly.
“That sounds nice.”
Had Atlas moved closer? Or maybe that had been Bel. “You can have that. Family.”
Atlas smiled sadly. “I appreciate everything that you and your friends are doing for me. And maybe if we can figure out how to control the flickers, I’ll be able to settle down again. Find a home. I know I’ll have to go back to my realm soon. It’s going to suck.”
Bel’s heart gave a sharp pang. His mate was talking about leaving him. “Do you have to go back?” he asked, dreading the answer.
Atlas jerked back. “What?”
Damn, Bel had ruined that moment. He just couldn’t stand hearing his mate talk about leaving him. “Do you have to go back? You said that you don’t have any family. That you were staying in a motel. What if you stayed?”
“In hell?” Atlas shifted uncomfortably. “Would I have to die?”
“No!” Bel would never allow anything to happen to his boy. “The other humans here are still living.” Of course, they were mated to a paranormal so they either had extended lifespans or were immortal, like their mates. Like Atlas would one day be if he accepted the mate bond.
“Is that really an option for me?”
Was that hope? Excitement? “It could be. It might take us time to figure out how to help with the flickers. Cary is determined to help you make friends,” Bel offered. “This might not be the family that you wished for, but it might be the one that you need.”
Atlas blinked back tears. “That sounds nice.”
“This offer. I make this to you,” Bel said formally. “You just have to say yes.”
“But where…how…?”
Thinking quickly, Bel came up with a wonderful solution. “Would you like a job?”
“A job?”
Bel nodded. Anticipation built. “My assistant recently mated and moved to the fae realm. He decided to give up his position. I supported his choice. There is nothing more that I want to see for him as him being happily mated. I wasn’t in a hurry to replace him, but with you here, it might be perfect timing.
Did you notice all the paperwork on my desk? ”
“I did.” Atlas nodded.
“You could become my new assistant,” Bel said.
This was brilliant. “I’d give you the option of transporting to my office daily, or the room that stayed in last night is always available.
That would be up to you. I’ll also pay you a salary.
” The more he spoke, the better the idea sounded.
This would be perfect to keep Atlas close.
Giving Bel plenty of time to bring up the mate bond and their future.
“And we could still work with Lucifer and your mage friend about the flickers?” Atlas asked. “And I would meet the others? The researchers?”
“Yes. It would be easier having you here with us to do all of that. So, what do you say? Would you like to become my assistant?” Please say yes. Please, please, say yes.
“A job, a room, and a salary?” Atlas inquired.
Bel nodded. His heart in his throat. “Just think of all the magic you can become familiar with.” Magic had seemed something that Atlas enjoyed. He was almost as obsessed as Cary.
Atlas’s smile stunned him. “When do I start?”
Bel tried to play it cool, but his mate had just agreed to stay! He whooped and hugged Atlas.