“What the hell is this?” Nik swept his arm over the pink couches, armchairs…even the new glass coffee table sported pink freakin’ legs.
Lore shrugged. “Your female did not approve the white I chose. Michael suggested something called Google for assistance.” He waved a new cell. “Pink is supposedly a female color. Did you know just how informative this Google is about most things?”
Theós. Nik dragged his gaze away from the garish pink and glared at Lore. “I don’t care, just change it back.”
Barely suppressing a growl, he strode for the kitchen, shoved the door open, and made straight for the espresso machine. To deal with Lore, he needed the caffeine boost. The aroma of fresh coffee brewing permeated the air. He poured some into a mug, and as he sipped the rich, dark beverage, his gaze fell on a plastic container with something freshly baked, the aroma mouthwatering. It had a sticky note on the lid. Now, the fresh coffee made sense.
He picked up the message.
Brought food and stocked the fridge.
Left Shadow’s backpack on the chair.
-H
“You do not approve of the change in décor?” Lore asked, entering the kitchen.
Nik swallowed more espresso and expelled a weary breath. He far preferred being in bed with Shadow, taking a little time for themselves before life got in their way, over having to deal with a frustrating, by-the-book angel.
“No, I don’t.” Nik rubbed his temple and faced Lore, who seemed determined to bug the hell out of him. The angel lounged on one of the mismatched wooden chairs near the wall. “Shadow can make any changes she wants.”
“As you prefer.” Lore folded his arms over his chest as if settling in for an extended stay, watching Nik contemplatively. “Why a mortal?” he asked. “You and the other Guardians seem to gravitate toward a frail species. Do you not have goddesses in your pantheon to choose from?”
This was why he disturbed him?
Nik narrowed his eyes. “Watch it. That’s my mate you’re disparaging.” The urge to shatter the angel’s complacency took hold. “Can’t wait until some human female shoots you down on your ass.” Yeah, he was a dick, he didn’t care.
Lore cocked his head, faint lines creasing his brow. “Why would that happen? I’m in service to my Heavenly Father. Humans hold no interest for me except for the duties I must perform.”
Father… The word left a sour taste in Nik’s mouth. While the human God was all benevolent, Eros was no father to him. But he’d work with what he had since it suited him. “You do know who my sire is, right?”
“The gods don’t interest me.”
The sanctimonious prick. “Oh, you should be interested in this particular deity,” Nik drawled, taking a sip of coffee and making the angel wait. “He’s an old one, the God of Love. An arrow—a touch from him— and you’re a goner for some mortal female.”
Lore glided to his feet, still stoic as ever, all six feet span of wings rustling open as if to emphasize precisely what he was. “I will take my leave,” he said coolly, but his eyes flashed like green stones. “I have a tutoring session at the castle with the Empyrean’s mate. I shall be back at sundown…” In a silver swirl of sparks, he vanished.
The door opened, and Shadow ambled inside, swamped in one of his t-shirts, revealing a glimpse of her short skirt and a tempting expanse of thighs. Hell, he wanted them wrapped around him again, his hips, around his head—his gaze met hers.
Her little smile lit up his heart. “Hi…” she said softly, faint pink tinging her cheeks. “I, um, don’t have any clothes.” She fingered the hem of his gray tee. “I borrowed another shirt.”
She looked too damn seductive in it. “It suits you.”
Her smile broke into laughter. “Sure, they do. It’s only so you can see my legs.”
“There is that.” His mouth twitched. Nik set his mug down and drew her into his arms, her body cool from her shower, and she smelled of his soap. Her loose, damp hair brushed his bare chest like a million stroking fingers as she hugged him. His entire being settled by just holding her. Hell, somehow between the hours of him finally making love to her and claiming her as his, it felt as if she’d seeped into the very heart of him.
He pressed his lips to her neck. “You didn’t have to get up.”
“I wanted to see this place during daylight.” She eased back and took his mug from the counter and sipped. “Ugh.” She scrunched her nose, setting it down again. “This thing tastes worse than the potion you gave me.”
At her grumble, he shook his head. “I’ll get some tame coffee going for you.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Nah, water will do for now.”
Frowning, Nik crossed to the fridge near the door. With the kind of life she lived, he knew she put eating last on her list. Yeah, that would change. He got out the orange juice and poured some into a glass, then handed her the tumbler. “We have food, and there’s cake, too—so eat. Here.” He opened the container.
She peeked at the cupcakes and muffins, then selected the latter. As she bit into the crumbly blueberry cake, he drawled, “You’ll need your strength.”
Color suffused her face as his meaning sank in. She scrunched her nose and drank some juice. Smiling, he leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee.
Muffin finished, she drank more of her juice and set the glass down. She stepped to him and placed one palm on his chest. He could sense the gentle pull of her symbionts now that he was aware of them, and he covered her hand with his.
“You’re okay now.” She cast him a soft smile. “I don’t sense any darkness in you. If you need me, let me know.”
His entire being tensed, and he had to force out the words. “I won’t. Not anymore. Those souls in me were from my time in Tartarus. It seems they attracted the souls of the scourges I killed in this world…” He exhaled roughly, then added, “You’ve stopped the cycle completely by removing the malignant ones.”
Shadow’s heart sank, the hope she harbored dying. Despite everything, she’d prayed he’d be all she needed, and she wouldn’t have to stalk clubs again.
God. She wanted to shut her eyes in despair when what he said had her frowning. “Tartarus?” she repeated, remembering something Aba had mentioned long ago. “Is that the place where immortals are imprisoned?”
His mouth tightened, his expression morphing to stone as if isolating himself from whatever it was.
A chill stole over her. “Nik, how did you end up having those souls trapped inside you?” she asked him again.
He leaned against the counter, clenching the granite edge with fingers gone bone-white. “Tartarus is where I, along with the other Guardians, except for Aethan, were incarcerated for five centuries.”
“Why?” The word burst free, her brain whooshing inside her skull as if all the blood had drained free.
“It was our punishment for failing in our duties,” he said, tone flat. “We didn’t protect the Goddess of Life as we were charged to. Inara was young and powerful, and she had to be shielded at all costs. We messed up. The bastard, Lucifer, and his horde abducted her, leaving behind a bloody massacre.”