Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Ash wanted to rage at the she-beast. There was really no other way to describe his intense anger at the Sphinx’s stupid hoity toity fucking face. How dare she stop him and toss one of her puzzles at his mate! Such arrogance was not to be tolerated, and she should damn well know it.
“Thank you, my lady,” the half-Lion bitch said, and Ash snarled angrily.
“I got this,” Gabriella said, leaning her back against his chest.
He tucked her in closer, wrapping his arms around her waist as if he’d been doing that all his life. Seemed natural. Like he was supposed to hold her like that. Anyway, he fucking liked it, so he wasn’t going to stop. Unless she told him to.
“A special one for you, lady fair,” the Sphinx sneered, and Ash made a mental note to inform Lucifer of her highhandedness with his mate.
As mate to the General of the Daemonium Guard, Ash expected Gabriella to not have to participate in these petty games. Her clearance should be on par with his. He would see it done. Later.
“With pointed fangs, I sit and wait,” she began with a smirk on her face. “With piercing force, I crunch out fate. Grabbing victims, proclaiming might, physically joining with a single bite. What am I, mistress? Tell me, and you may pass,” the Sphinx grinned with a curtsy.
“I suppose because I am a newcomer to the Underworld, you expect me to answer with something like a Demon, Imp, or Vampire, don’t you?” Gabriella asked, her blue eyes glittering with mischief.
“Is that your answer?”
Ash tensed. He hated riddles, and while he was old enough to know better, he tended to jump at the wrong answer or simply end whatever game had begun with good, old-fashioned fisticuffs.
Grrr.
“No, Sphinx. It’s not. My answer is this,” Gabriella said, crooking her finger and beckoning the Sphinx closer.
Ash frowned, lip curled as the Sphinx lowered her body to the ground. He could tell the arrogant cat beast expected her to guess wrong, but Ash had faith.
“The answer to your riddle, what sits and waits with pointed fangs crunching out fate and joining with a bite, is simple. It’s a stapler.”
“Wro— Hey! You guessed it!”
“Of course, I did. I’m a teacher,” Gabriella said with a satisfied grin on her face.
Ash growled, enjoying watching the Sphinx hastily rise and open the portal. He hissed as he passed, making certain the half-Lion woman was aware of his displeasure.
“My lord,” she murmured, trying to show respect, but it was too late to appease him.
“Next time, no riddles,” Ash growled.
“No, General, of course,” Sphinx said, averting her gaze.
“Come on, Ash. I don’t want to be late.”
He’d worried she might be angry with his handling of the Sphinx, but Gabriella seemed unaffected. Another facet of the magnificent female. He grinned and took her hand, tucking her close while the portal zipped them up to the Earth’s surface.
The arid heat of LA greeted them on the other side, but Ash was unaffected as he maneuvered them to the place where she’d left her car the night before. Climbing in the passenger seat, he watched Gabriella don her seatbelt and check her mirrors before heading out into the late morning traffic.
“What time is your class?”
“Oh, it’s not ‘till this evening. But I have to get changed and prepare my notes.”
“I see,” he listened, realizing he had his own work to do.
Tension rain through him as he walked her to the door. He could not help but stare, his longing gaze roaming over her from head to toe. He did not want to go, but even as he stood trying to figure out how to say farewell, he felt someone calling him from below.
“What time will you be finished?”
“Catechism class starts at five and ends around seven,” she replied, her blue eyes wide and staring up at him like twin sapphire pools.
“Where?”
“Um, over at St. Rose’s,” she replied, licking her lips, unconsciously drawing his attention to her soft pink rosebud of a mouth.
“I will be there waiting.”
Yes, it was bold of him to assume she wanted to see him again. Even bolder to simply state he would be there to pick her up, but she did not seem to mind. His beautiful Gabriella nodded, eyes flashing blue fire as he leaned in to crush his mouth against hers.
Kissing her was easily the best thing he’d ever experienced in his very long lifetime.
She molded to him, wrapping her arms lovingly around his neck as she gave and gave and asked nothing in return.
But he returned it tenfold or more. All his passion and experience, all his desire and need, every drop of what he felt for the new Wolf was there in that kiss.
“Gabby!” Someone shouted from inside, and a snarl tore out of his throat as he hastily moved her behind him.
Gabby chuckled into his back and her arms wrapped around his waist from behind as she stilled his instinctive move to attack whoever was screeching that way. How dare someone interrupt them!
“It’s okay,” his sweet told him. “That’s just Mim.”
“Gabriella Keen! You never come home at— Oh! Hello, there!” A tall, thin blonde who smelled of Wolf and citrus entered the foyer.
Ash did not return her greeting, merely cocked his head to the side as he used his Demonic powers to read her aura. No evil there. None that he could see. That meant this Mim was the good person Gabriella believed her to be. With that knowledge in hand, Ash nodded his greeting.
“Hello, I am Ash.”
“Well, thank you for bringing her home, Ash. Will you two be seeing each other again?”
“Mim!” Gabby hissed.
“Of course,” Ash replied, unfazed by his soon-to-be-mate’s response.
“I see,” Mim said, eyes flashing gold with her she-Wolf. “Gabby, please come into the kitchen when you are finished here. Nice to meet you, Ash. Looking forward to it again,” she replied and went back inside the large house.
“I am so sorry about that!” Gabby said, moving in front of him.
He liked that her arms remained around his waist. Liked that she touched him without invitation or fear. All these sensations were new and honest, as were her actions. And they felt so damn good, he knew he could never give them up. Or her.
“Why should you apologize? She loves and protects you, that is a good thing, Gabriella.”
“I know, but, well, I am so embarrassed,” she murmured, covering her eyes briefly. “I don’t do this often. Stay out all night, and come home with strange men—”
“Good. Then I won’t have to hunt anyone down and kill them,” he replied without thinking, but she just giggled and hugged him tighter.
Nice that she approved. Though, he had a feeling she might’ve thought him kidding. Oh well. They could clear that up later.
Ash growled as someone called him again from the Underworld.
One of his legates, he was sure, though he could not discern which one.
Fucker was trying to summon him, and Ash was going to carve a nice chunk of his hide from his body when he appeared.
No one summoned the General, save Lucifer himself.
“I will see you at St. Rose’s, then, around seven?” Ash whispered, tracing the lines of her face before kissing her lips softly. Anything more and he could not tear himself away.
“Are you sure you want to see me again?”
“Foolish woman, of course I do. Besides, I promised to help you with your Wolf. It is the full moon tonight. I imagine she will want out.”
“I almost forgot about that,” she said, looking down.
“Gabriella, that isn’t the only reason I will be back.”
“It’s not?”
“No,” he said, tracing her lower lip with his thumb.
She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. His heart squeezed painfully at the strength of his feelings for her, but he didn’t care. He reveled in it. Looked forward to learning how much more he would feel when he made her his.
“Alright. Later, then,” she said, and he could tell she was having a hard time walking away too.
Ash kissed her again, eyes open so he could watch the sweet expression on her face. Fuck, he already cared too much. He forced himself to gently set her away from him.
Demons were born of fire and brimstone, but they were nothing if not passionate. Of course, passion could take on many forms. He’d never expected love to be one of them, and yet, that was the only word that came to mind when he held this precious woman in his arms.
“Yes,” he replied. “I will see you later, Gabriella.”
She waved goodbye before closing the door, her blue eyes watching him through the thick glass panes.
He nodded his head, urging her to retreat lest he stand there all day, and finally, she turned away with a small smile and a faint blush staining her cheeks.
He waited until he could no longer see her before turning to answer the incessant call of one of his legates.
Ironically, there was a portal far closer to Gabriella’s home than he’d previously known. Within ten minutes, he was back in the Underworld, and in rare form. The Daemonium Guard was one of the most elite units in the Underworld. Some would argue they were the best of the best.
He entered their command center, his black eyes zeroing in on the one who dared summon him. The fucker was looking back at him, as if he had not earned the respect he demanded from his lessors.
Ash snarled, his horns, tail, and wings in full effect. He felt his magic call to the fire of the pit and felt it circling him, causing those in the room to give him a wide berth. Okay, so he was cranky. BFD. These fuckers had to be hard and ready for anything in their line of work.
They were no good to the Underworld if they scurried like cockroaches at their leaders’ wrath. He would dismiss them readily if they did. He needed his legions tough, brutal, and fierce. Theirs was not a task for the soft and ill prepared. Ash’s ruthlessness for stupidity and laziness was renowned.