Chapter 4
KASTIEL
The mate bond was insistent, demanding I turn around and go back to Isolde. I wanted nothing more than to pull my gorgeous mate against me until the fear left her eyes. But I forced my feet to move toward the private elevator instead.
Adan had arranged for Thalvor to meet us in his office. The thought of facing Isolde’s father made my fists clench, but there was no avoiding it.
When the elevator doors opened on the first subterranean floor, the tension from Adan’s office hit me.
As head of security, I should’ve arrived at the meeting at my boss’s side.
But when I walked into the office, Adan sat behind his desk, calm as ever.
Thalvor Virelyn stood rigid in front of it, his arms crossed and face already tight with irritation.
“You finally decided to show up,” Thalvor snapped. “Adan refused to tell me why I was summoned until you arrived. What is this about?”
I closed the door behind me and met his gaze. “Your daughter. Isolde is my fated mate.”
Thalvor’s expression darkened instantly, his amber eyes flashing with barely contained fury. “Absolutely not. She is Virelyn blood. She has responsibilities at my demon house. She will return home with me after the festival ends. This complication is unacceptable.”
My demon surged forward so hard I had to lock every muscle to keep from shifting into my other form. The thought of anyone—especially her own father—trying to take Isolde from me sent pure rage rolling through my veins.
“She’s not going anywhere.” My tone left no room for argument. “Not while the veil is this thin and her aura is unstable. She stays under my protection.”
Thalvor shook his head. “That stupid girl never should have said a word about her little issue with her aura.”
“My mate is not stupid,” I growled. “And if you’d been a decent parent, maybe she wouldn’t have been terrified of her powers. You did nothing while she stifled her demon half past its breaking point.”
Thalvor took a step closer, power crackling faintly around him. “If her abilities are causing problems, that is a House Virelyn matter. Not yours to decide.”
“It became my concern the moment I recognized the bond,” I argued, refusing to back down. “And it became a security issue the moment a rift opened inside The Abyss. She stays.”
Thalvor scoffed. “You think you can keep her here just because fate foolishly decided to pair you with my heir? As if you’re worthy of a Virelyn? She was supposed to form an alliance that strengthened our house, not tie herself to the hotel’s hired muscle.”
I’d been prepared to dislike Isolde’s father from the little she’d said about him, but he was even worse than I expected. He spoke of his daughter as though she were an asset on a balance sheet, not a person.
Adan raised a hand before I could respond.
“Enough. Thalvor, I understand your concern for your daughter and your house. But Kastiel is right about the timing. The gate is vulnerable tonight. We cannot afford additional instability. Isolde remains here until we understand what’s happening with her aura. ”
Thalvor’s lips pressed into a thin line. He shot me one last cold, warning look. “This isn’t over, Skaithe. My daughter is not a prize for you to claim. And if her instability causes any damage to your precious hotel, don’t expect House Virelyn to clean up your mess.”
He turned on his heel and left, the door closing hard behind him.
Once we were alone, Adan exhaled and leaned back against his chair, studying me with that knowing look I’d come to hate in the centuries since we met. “You’re wound tight. I’ve never seen you like this.”
I dragged a hand through my hair. “The bond hit harder than I expected. Her aura is crackling like lightning instead of throwing off the typical succubus pull. It’s feeding the rifts. But every time I get near her, my demon wants to…”
I wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence without sounding like I was losing control.
Adan trusted me to be in charge of the security of everyone in his territory—including his pregnant mate—and I’d never given him reason to doubt that choice.
Until now, when I needed his faith in me more than ever.
“Don’t fight the bond so hard it makes you stupid, Kastiel.
She’s your mate. That changes things.” Adan’s mouth twitched.
“Figure out the cause of the rifts and keep her safe, but don’t pretend you can lock away what’s happening between you two while you unravel the issue with her aura. It won’t end well.”
My chest expanded on a deep breath. I was relieved that he seemed to understand.
“Don’t look so surprised.” He stood and circled his desk to clap me on the shoulder. “You waited a long time to find your mate. What kind of friend would I be if I interfered with your only true chance at happiness?”
I arched a brow. “You’re my friend, but you’re also a powerful demon who refuses to take any risks with Calliope.”
Flames swirled in his eyes, and his voice was deathly cold when he announced, “You take care of your mate. I will ensure mine and my unborn child are safe.”
“I’d like to move her to the suite adjoining my quarters.”
He dipped his chin in agreement. “Keep her close.”
I gave him a short nod and left before he changed his mind. Or his demon decided Isolde was a threat.
I went straight back to the VIP suite I’d put Isolde in. When she opened the door, her green eyes were wide with uncertainty.
“I’m moving you. Your father knows about the bond now. He’s not pleased. My wing is more secure. Staff and family only. No one gets in or out without my permission. It’s the safest place for you right now.”
She hesitated, searching my face. “Because of the rifts or because of him?”
“Both,” I admitted, the honesty slipping out before I could think about it. “I’m not letting anyone take you from The Abyss tonight. Especially not while the veil is this thin.”
Relief flickered in her eyes, and the same awareness I felt. She nodded and slipped her shoes back on. “Can I bring the book I was reading?”
“Of course.”
Before she could go grab it, the book appeared in her hand. “Oh my, that’ll take some getting used to.”
The Abyss wanted her to be comfortable, beyond what it did for our guests. I pressed my hand against the doorway, sending a pulse of gratitude into the walls that made the glyphs spread throughout the room glow purple.
Her eyes widened even more. “And so will that.”
“You’ll have time to adjust.”
The walk to the elevator that led to my quarters was quiet but charged.
Every step brought her closer to my territory.
My shadows reached toward her, brushing against the faint sparks of her aura like they couldn’t help themselves.
I kept my hands at my sides and my jaw locked, fighting the constant urge to touch her.
She was trying so hard to keep her power locked down, but I could see the toll it was taking in the slight tremor in her fingers and the way her shoulders stayed tight. She shouldn’t have to cage herself like this. Not now that we’d found each other.
When we reached the restricted elevator, I scanned us through the heavy wards.
The doors slid open, and it felt as though the air thickened when we stepped inside.
Her scent filled the enclosed space as we lifted to the ninth floor.
I dragged it deep into my lungs before we exited into a hallway that only a handful of people had access to.
Adan and Calliope’s floor was directly above mine, and my space acted as an added buffer for his security.
A few members of the security team had suites farther down the hallway on either side of mine, but the one that adjoined the rooms I called home were reserved for my use.
But in all my time at The Abyss, I’d never invited someone to stay next to me.
I opened the door to the guest suite but didn’t mention it was connected to mine. And The Abyss did me a favor by distracting Isolde when she stepped inside and found the space decorated identically to the rooms I just moved her from.
She shook her head with a soft laugh. “Well, at least it already feels familiar.”
“And you’ll be safe here. No one reaches this floor without my approval.”
She turned to face me, those emerald eyes searching mine again. “I’m sorry I’m causing problems.”
“You’re not a problem.” My demon pushed hard, wanting me to close the distance and tell her she never had to cage herself again. “You’re mine to protect now. Whether you like it or not.”
Her aura flared, a bright spark racing along her collarbone before she pulled it back. The sight only made me more determined to protect her.
I forced myself to take a step back toward the door before I did something I couldn’t take back. “Rest. I’ll be right next door if you need anything.”
I left before the bond could drag me any closer, but I paused in the hallway to pump some extra energy into the wards protecting her suite.
Back in my own quarters, I leaned against the door separating us. Closing my eyes, I listened to the faint hum of her presence. The pull of the mate bond continued to grow, refusing to be denied.
I had spent centuries putting my loyalty to Adan and The Abyss first. But duty felt further away than it ever had with Isolde so close yet so far away.