36. Rami
Rami
My power slammed into Damien before the blood finished dripping from his dagger.
Ethan’s blood.
My mate’s blood.
Logically, I knew Ethan was fine. He’d spoken those magic words at the last possible moment, binding us together for all eternity. In just a few moments, he’d reincarnate. I could feel him on the other end of the bond.
But logic was nowhere to be found right now.
I didn’t let my power kill Damien permanently. Not yet.
He hadn’t suffered nearly enough.
His sons swept forwards, but I stopped them with a growl. “He’s mine.”
As they backed off, I crashed to my knees beside Ethan. God, there was so much blood.
“Come back to me, Eth,” I whispered, gently holding him.
My power swept from me again, this time to heal.
A pointless task. The wound had closed already, but it wasn’t moving fast enough.
I needed him to look at me, to heal this fissure in my heart with his smile.
“Please, Ethan. Please, baby. Open your eyes.”
Like he’d heard me, he sucked in a breath.
And opened his eyes.
Ethan didn’t take any time to adjust, just grabbed my shoulders fiercely, staring into my eyes. “I’m okay, Rami. I’m okay. I promise.”
I cried. The relief hit me all at once. That I’d found Ethan in time. He was safe. He knew the truth.
He’d accepted the mating bond.
“I love you,” I croaked, stroking the matted curls away from his forehead. “I love you, Ethan.”
“I love you too,” he whispered with a smile. I was right, that was all I needed to heal me. “I know it’s fast but…I do.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Damien stir. Shields of all colours snapped over Ethan, mine included. Ezekiel and Micah stepped towards Damien, but once again, I stopped them with a shake of my head. There was no risk to Ethan now, not with all of us protecting him and me physically between them.
There was no chance of Damien escaping, either. The demons exchanged a look before fanning out across the warehouse. Each of them covered an exit. Then, for good measure, a circle of flames erupted around us. The pride shining in Micah’s eyes told me Nox was responsible.
“How touching,” Damien wheezed as he sat up, a sardonic grin already on his lips. “But this will still end with Ethan choosing to leave with me.”
Fear rushed through the bond as Ethan paled.
“Don’t worry,” I said softly. “He’s not taking you anywhere, baby.”
Damien smirked. “I didn’t say I’d take him. I said he’d choose to leave with me.”
Dread joined the fear in my chest. I turned to stare at Ethan. “What’s he talking about?”
“I’m sorry,” Ethan said, tears welling in his eyes. “I don’t want to leave you, Rami, I don’t. But I have no choice.”
What the fuck?
Damien reached into his pocket. Noise filled the air as various supes drew weapons. Not that they were needed with our powers, but there were many supes in this warehouse who’d like the pleasure of seeing Damien bleed.
But when his hand emerged, it was only his phone he was holding.
Ethan gave a choked sob at the sight. He pushed my hands away, shakily getting to his feet. “Please. Don’t. I’ll go with you. Please. You don’t need to hurt anyone else; I’ll go.”
The pieces fell into place. I shot a quick look at Nate. He nodded, confirming all I needed to know.
Moving slowly, I drew Ethan back into my arms. He collapsed against my chest, and the searing pain through the bond was almost enough to send me to my knees. “Ethan.”
“I’m sorry,” he sobbed, turning and crumpling into me. “I don’t want to, Rami. I want to choose you. I’d always choose you. But I don’t have a choice.”
I chuckled, the sound making him lift his head in confusion. Gently touching his chin with one finger, I smiled. “A perk of being my mate means you always have a choice.”
Some of the fear ebbed away, confusion taking its place. “Wait, you don’t understand—”
“No, he doesn’t.” Damien cut him off, arrogance practically dripping from his pores. “But that’s okay. He will. I hope you’re ready to be very busy, Ramiel. Although, I fear the damage will be too great for even your…talents.”
“Go ahead.” I jerked my chin at the phone, attempting to send reassurance down the bond to Ethan. Just in case that wasn’t working, I rubbed his arms with my hands. “Do your worst.”
Ethan suddenly whipped his head around and stared at Quill. There was a beat of surprise in the bond, and then my mate was smiling. I stared at the demon, wondering what the fuck had just happened, but his face was inscrutable.
“Have it your way,” Damien crooned. He tapped something on his phone and…
…nothing happened.
“Oh dear.” Nate snapped his fingers in a gosh-darnit-esque manner. “Don’t tell me your dastardly plan was reliant on technology? What a shame.”
For the first time, Damien let his anger show. “What have you done?”
Nate shrugged one shoulder. “Supernatural shields aren’t the only protection in place right now. Something told me we also needed to disrupt all phone networks in the area.”
He drew nearer to Damien, power crackling around his knuckles. “And unlike you, I always listen to my instincts.”
Damien frowned. “I listen to my instincts.”
Nate wasn’t the only one to laugh. “If that was true, you wouldn’t have chosen Ethan as your next target. And if that was really true, you wouldn’t have let me close enough to do this.”
I had just enough time to slap my hand over Ethan’s eyes before Nate reached out and booped Damien on the nose.
Literally said the word ‘boop’ and everything.
That in itself wouldn’t hurt him, obviously. But the bolt of lightning he unleashed with the touch?
Let’s just say we all knew what a vampire looked like cooked from the inside out now.
“For fuck’s sake, Nate,” I growled, keeping my hand over Ethan’s eyes. “In front of Ethan? Really?”
“Sorry,” he said, sounding anything but. “Cunt had it coming though.”
Ethan’s voice was muffled against my chest. “Is he dead?”
“Kind of.” I kissed the top of his head, reminding myself that he was here. That he was safe. “He’ll recover shortly.”
“And the bombs?”
I eased him back just enough to see his face. “Bombs?”
“That’s what he was trying to set off,” Ethan said urgently. “They’re hidden all over the hospital and the surrounding area.”
“Fuck.” I looked at Nate. “Is his phone okay?”
Nate bent over, picking up the melted plastic with a wince. “Um…”
Theo came up and smacked him around the side of the head. “See, this is what happens when you act without thinking.”
Nate’s nostrils flared as he wheeled on his twin. “Say that again. I fucking dare you.”
“Absolutely not,” Micah barked. “If you two get into a fight now, you’re both grounded for a month.”
Ethan’s lips twitched. “Grounded? Like children.”
I laughed quietly. “Sort of. They’ll be given the most boring jobs for a month. Ones where they won’t be allowed to kill or torture anyone.”
He swayed in my arms. “Goodness.”
Unfortunately, emotions and adrenaline were running too high for Micah’s threat to have any effect on the twins. They were now circling each other, teeth bared and power rising.
“Fuck’s sake,” Ez grumbled, giving Micah a long-suffering stare. “My turn.”
Noah stepped forwards to join him. Between them, they managed to separate the twins, physically dragging them to opposite ends of the warehouse.
Micah watched them go with a small frown. “What’s got into them?”
Benji folded his arms over his chest as his gaze flickered between the snarling brothers. “All things come to a breaking point. I think they’re reaching theirs.”
We all fell silent at that ominous pronouncement.
“What about the bombs?” Ethan said eventually. “We can’t just leave them out there. What if one of them accidentally goes off?”
“Don’t worry, Ethan,” Micah said. “We’ll take care of it.”
“About that,” Ethan said, peering around me at Micah, his eyes flicking over us. “Who exactly are you all? And if you tell me you’re all just models…”
Glancing over at Damien, I reassured myself that his corpse was healed enough to not mentally scar Ethan. Well, any more than today already had.
Nate should’ve sent more power through him.
With a touch to Ethan’s shoulders, I indicated that it was safe for him to turn around. “Micah is the leader of the Seraphim.”
He shot a questioning look at me. “The Seraphim?”
Micah smiled at him. “God’s most elite unit of soldiers.”
“Wow.” Ethan’s throat bobbed. “All of you?”
“All of us with white wings.”
Ethan raised his brows at me. “You too?”
I inclined my head. “Me too.”
“Oh,” he said softly. “This is a lot to deal with.”
“Sam might be able to help you with that,” Ez said as he and Nate joined us. No idea what he’d threatened him with, but he was behaving. For now, at least. “He found out about all of us in…similarly traumatic circumstances.”
“Sam isn’t just Ezekiel’s boyfriend,” I explained. “He’s his mate. Just like you’re mine.”
“Something else you’re going to have to fill me in on.” Ethan rubbed at his brow, a note of exhaustion humming along the bond. “Okay, so angels. God’s soldiers. What about you demons?”
His question was directed at Quill, who’d come to join us now that Damien was temporarily dead. I couldn’t help but notice how unnaturally pale Quill was. “We’re not soldiers, or anything as fancy. But we like to get involved because Jeremiah is mated to Noah, and Nox is mated to Micah.”
“And because it’s fun,” Dahlia added, sheathing her long daggers before pulling Ethan into a hug. “Besides, you’re a good housemate. You put the toilet seat down and everything, which is more than I can say for the other fuckers.”
He gave a weak laugh as he hugged her back. “I’ll make sure to put that on any future housing applications.”
I frowned. He might just have been joking, but didn’t he realise that the only place he’d ever move again would be in with me?
Stop rushing this, I told myself firmly. You’re going to do whatever makes Ethan happiest.
“What about you guys?” Ethan asked the Gaunt brothers when Dahlia finally released him. “Are you vampires too?”
Ezra gave him a kind smile. “We are, but don’t worry, you’re safe from us.”
“Yeah, we’re here for him,” Emerson said, kicking Damien’s body.
Elias grinned. “Vampires with daddy issues for the win.”
Only Erik didn’t speak. He was hovering on the periphery, glaring at his father’s corpse like he could strike him from this plane with that alone.
“Okay, so we need to find the rest of the devices,” Micah said, all business now. “I want everyone except Rami on this.”
I nodded in thanks. As much as I wanted to help, there was something that needed me more.
Or rather, someone.
Ez kicked Damien’s shoe. “What do you want to do with this?”
Micah pursed his lips before turning his gaze on me. “Rami, it’s your call. How do you want to proceed?”
As our leader, the decision really should be Micah’s. But right now, he wasn’t being a leader at all. He was being my friend. My brother who knew all too well the urge to punish anyone who’d hurt your mate.
Before I could respond, Ethan happened to glance down at himself and visibly flinched. When he realised I’d gone tense, he gave a slight chuckle. “Sorry. You’d think I’d be okay seeing blood.”
That made the decision for me. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Scooping him up into my arms, I ignored his squeak of shock and turned to face everyone. The Seraphim. The demons. The Gaunt vampires. All of them had come together to fight for me. To save Ethan.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “I owe you all a great debt.”
“You owe us nothing,” Benji countered. “Ethan’s one of us now. This is what we do.”
“And we should be thanking you.” Elias leaned forwards to spit on his father’s inert form. “This fucker will finally be out of our lives for good.”
For everyone’s good.
“Make him suffer,” I said. “Then execute him.”
I didn’t need to give any further instructions. I knew they’d make it count.
As I launched us into the air, I glanced back down to see the angels, demons, and vampires all circling Damien. Various weapons were pulled as they waited for him to wake up.
That was when his nightmare would truly begin.
But it’d happen without me. I had a need greater than my desire for vengeance, and that was to take care of Ethan.
Which was exactly what I was going to do. Not just today, but every day.