We needed a memorial service. “The Loup Ulrich killed—"
“I found out the names,” Uri said. “We can have a memorial service for them.”
I looked up at him in surprise, and an idea formed in my mind. “I’m going to need a beta here. I know it’s not the same as being a Grigori, but will you do it?”
“I’m not a Loup.”
“I don’t care.” I looked to Grayson. “Does it even matter?”
Grayson frowned. “No one has ever appointed a non-Loup beta, but there’s no law against it that I’m aware of.”
“Then it’s done. If you want the title.”
Something indecipherable crossed Uri’s features. He dropped his chin and I sensed a wave of confusion. It hit me without my even having to try and pick up on it. He was conflicted. Lost. How had I not seen this?
I walked over to him, took his hand, and led him out of the penthouse into the corridor.
The door closed softly behind us. “You’re unhappy.”
“No.” He balked. “I’m not unhappy. I want to be here. With you. I just…I’m not sure what my purpose is any longer. Being a Grigori was my whole existence and now it isn’t.”
“Do you want to go back?”
Uri shook his head. “No. Before the divine sent me back to you, he offered me the choice to stay and reclaim my Grigori title or to find a new path. He asked me to look into my heart, and I did. I’ve been a Grigori for so long, I didn’t know anything else, but when I thought about it, really considered it, I realized I’d never felt completely comfortable in that skin either. I think I may have to try on a few hats until I find one that fits.”
I stroked his cheek. “A journey of self-discovery.”
“Yes.”
“You want to try on a beta hat?”
He wound his arm around my waist and tugged me to his chest, dropping his mouth to an inch from mine.
“I would do anything for you, Seraphina Dawn.”
Even take a bullet. Fuck. It had bounced off him. “You’re bullet proof.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Does that turn you on?”
It kinda did, but he was deflecting. “How?”
He kissed me softly. “I don’t know.” He kissed me again.
I pulled back. “Uri…”
He sighed. “I don’t know. I think when I died and the divine brought me back he must have…upgraded me?” He shrugged a shoulder.
“Okay, but why?” I chewed on my lip.
He kissed my forehead. “It doesn’t matter right now. We have a pack to run.”
I grinned up at him. “We do, don’t we?”
“We need food,” Grayson said.
“I vote pizza.” Cora plopped into the seat opposite me.
Grayson got out his phone.
“I can get it,” Uri said. “It’ll be quicker.”
He vanished and Grayson fell onto the sofa beside me. We laced fingers both too exhausted to move.
Hunter exited the penthouse master bedroom and joined us. “He’s asleep,” he said. “Healing nicely.”
I looked up at him, noting the dark circles under his eyes. He’d been through so much the last few days. Being held captive by the ouroboros, experimented on, almost dying and then saving Eldrick’s life.
I patted the free spot beside me. “Sit with me.”
He hesitated a moment then joined me, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
I studied his profile noticing the slight bump on his nose that was practically invisible head on. His thick lashes lay against his cheek like silken moths. He was beautiful and misunderstood, and he was mine.
“Hunter?”
“Mmmm.” He opened his eyes and sat up straighter. “What do you need?”
You. The word was on my tongue, but I swallowed it. Not yet. “I need you to run the Rising Pack.”
He frowned. “You’re the alpha.”
“I know, but we’re a Tribus. What’s mine is yours, and I need you to do this. I won’t be able to be here all the time.”
“Your Dominus duties…”
“Yes. Will you? Please.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
I’d been neglecting my Dominus duties. The system in the Beyond may have changed but there was still so much reaping to be done and souls to be delivered. With Azazel and Mal out of action, it was my job to keep shit together, but the pack side of my life had taken over. For the hundredth time since they’d left, I wished Mal and Azazel were here with me. That the Underealm was safe, that Lilith would be safe, and they could come home. I missed them with an ache deep in my soul.
Azazel had promised word from Conah, so I’d hear from them soon, but their absence was still a hollow sensation in my chest.
The cuff on my wrist tingled sharply, and I winced.
“What is that?” Cora asked.
I sighed. I’d almost forgotten about it. “This is a long story.”
She gave me a spill-it look.
“You remember the whole, Cain’s bloodline must not die curse Eve put on Azazel?”
“Yeah?” Cora said.
“Well, it was all so Cain wouldn’t wake up.” I filled her in on what Eve had told me.
“Shit, it’s like a train wreck,” she said. “One carriage after another.”
“I know. I have to find him, but so far I’ve only managed to get into his head once and I wasn’t able to identify where he was.”
Uri materialized by the kitchen with several boxes of pizza. “I wasn’t sure what to get, so I bought a selection.”
Amusement curled my lips. “Is this going to be a thing now?”
“What?” he asked innocently.
“The not being able to choose, so getting everything?” I stood and wandered over to him. “The cakes and now this.”
He dropped his gaze. “I just… I realized I didn’t know what you liked.”
“You got me a chocolate donut when I was craving one, and I hadn’t even told you.” I flipped open the top box to find a double cheesy pepperoni pizza. “This is my favorite.”
He looked up at me sharply. “It was the first one I picked.”
I kissed him lightly on the mouth. “You know what I like, Uri. You know it instinctively.”
I didn’t understand how, and it didn’t matter, because I knew it to be true. Uri and I had a connection of a different kind. This. Us, here right now, with the Rising pack, back in control, and pizza—lots of fucking pizza—was just fine.
Yeah, I told myself that, but my heart didn’t believe it. My heart pined for Azazel and Mal. It pined for the Underealm. I just hoped they were okay.
Chapter Sixteen
Azazel
The library in the Keep is one of the most extensively stocked. It’s a vast space of four floors of wall to wall books, and Conah is perfectly at home here.
He’s commandeered the large desk in the center of the room, and it’s littered with scrolls and leatherbound tomes. He looks up as I enter and blinks rapidly to adjust his vision.