Dark Angel Ch. 09

"That's insane," Anniel whispered clutching him tighter. Her lips began to form the name Gareth, but her child had been called something else for the past three hundred years. It seemed like only a little over a year for her, but not for him. Besides, he was no longer a child. "Cyn, What needs to be done to fix all of this so that you can come back home with me where you belong?"

He stiffened and stepped back away from her, even though she tried to clutch onto him. Ashriel pulled her against him, one of his wings crossing over his front to hold her tight. "My place is here, with my people," her son said.

Anniel felt anger. "Your place is back home with your family. It's not fair what happened to us. We were captured in suspended animation orbs by Utuduodian hunters. I'd left you with your grandmother in her home while we patrolled. She'd wanted to go back for a few weeks because she missed her friends. I'd wanted to keep you with me, but she insisted on taking you so they'd see how big you were getting."

"No," Cyneolle rasped. "I still remember that. I was taken to the alpha leader of the wolf bane pack on that planet. Your mother was still a part of that pack. The leader wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be a problem for him when I grew up. He beat me to within an inch of my life. Grandmother did not know what to do, so she allowed some visiting cyborgs to take me and repair the damage done by the alpha leader of her pack. When he heard what she had done, he killed her. I was far from that planet before the war even broke out. When everything started, they just took me away and brought me here. This planet was dismal enough that no one wanted to challenge the ruling government for it. It became a refuge for homeless aliens whose planets had either been taken over or decimated."

Anniel's mouth just gaped at what he said. Her mother had allowed him to get near the alpha of her pack. It was insane. He'd always hated them because Anniel had refused to be his mate and had remained aboard Alpha 7 to become a Master Guardian.

"Oh—god, Gareth. I didn't know," she whispered.

"It doesn't matter. The past cannot be undone. We must take diligent steps today to make a better future. I cannot not walk away from my responsibilities."

"Does anyone from the rebel group have any concrete ideas about what needs to be done to reach your ideal."

"We must overthrow the king and the government and somehow repair the damage done to our planet and its people."

"Once the existing government is overthrown, do have any idea how to run a planet?" Ashriel asked.

Cyneolle remained quiet. "I do not, but I know many who would excel at establishing a new and better system where equanimity reigns."

Behind her, she felt Ashriel nod. "I want Anniel out of here. No arguments."

She opened her mouth to protest and pushed at Ashriel's restricting wing, but Seth cut her off, "Agreed."

"What? Wait," she snapped.

"It is better. You are with child," Cyneolle added to her surprise.

She scowled. "I'm sure there are other pregnant women on this planet. I just need to get to Remi so he can fix my eyes and I want in on this mission."

Three masculine voices echoed the same thing, "No."

She opened her mouth to argue, but Ashriel scooped her up into his arms. The feel of his hard, half-naked body against hers had her toes curling, especially when she unthinkingly wrapped her arm around his thick neck and felt the softness of his hair and wings against her forearm. She felt tempted to run her free hand all over his hard masculine chest, but Cyneolle's voice directing them to a short cut to the surface had her remembering they were treating her like an invalid...and that pissed her off.

Anniel writhed in Ashriel's arms. "Put me down. I can walk," she protested, also remembering how he'd questioned the baby's paternity. She was still really offended about that. How the fuck dare he! "Let me go," she snarled tersely.

His arms pressed her tighter against his chest until she had no choice but to spread her fingers over his pectorals. "There are hand sized bugs crawling everywhere, and rats that measure five hand spans long. You are barefoot."

Anniel gasped and then shuddered with revulsion at the mention of bugs and rats. She clutched his shoulders harder and concentrated on listening for any scrabbling sounds. Just the thought of stepping on something squishy or feeling hairy rodents scrabbling over her feet made her choke back a whimper.

Ashriel's lips whispered over her cheek. "Do not fear, my dark angel," he crooned. "I've got you."

"Wait. What about Rayne?" she asked.

She felt Ashriel hesitate. "Who is that?"

"I will stay behind." Cyneolle said. "When she is completely healed, I will contact the were and the reaper."

Stay behind? Anniel reached for him. "No," she cried out. "You can't stay behind." After losing him once, she couldn't bear being parted from him again.

His hand engulfed hers, and she felt the heat of his body opposite Ashriel's. She pulled him closer and leaned into his caress when he stroked her face. "I must remain. I am the pack's beta."

Tears stung her eyes. "No. It's not fair. To me it was barely yesterday I was tucking you into bed and reading you bedtime stories. I lost three hundred years asleep in a suspended animation orb to wake up to the nightmare of having lost you." Her voice choked on sobs.

Ashriel cuddled her tighter. "Anniel. you must calm yourself. Going into hysterics might be bad for the child you carry."

She winced. The child she carried? "You mean our child?" she snapped, her voice going shrill with anger. "You still doubt this is your baby?"

Incensed beyond anything she'd ever felt before, she slapped at his chest and wiggled more. "Get your hands off me. Seth? Seth, please."

Ashriel clutched her tighter. "Anniel, that's not what I meant."

Another pair of arms slid beneath her and Seth's familiar scent filled her nostrils. She released Ashriel and gripped her sweet Seth. He took her into his arms easily and she pressed against him because it seemed Ashriel didn't want to relinquish her. "Get him away from me."

"You're being unreasonable, Anniel." Ashriel snarled.

She buried her face against Seth's neck, clinging. Seth took a deep breath and she felt when he tried to put distance between them and Ashriel. "It's okay, Ash. Just let her settle down. Later you guys can talk things over."

"There's nothing to talk over," Anniel snapped.

Ashriel's chest tightened in distress at the sight of her clinging to Seth—who was naked as the day he was born after shifting back from his tiger form.

"At least put something on.," He snapped, unable to keep his jealousy in check.

Both Seth and Anniel frowned. The young weretigri took a deep breath and Ashriel gasped when he felt the bite of power lash out. He watched in amazement as Seth's body stretched, growing taller and more muscular, his legs bending and contorting. His skin furred over in white with black stripes and his face took on the appearance of half human-half tiger form.

Seth's genitals were still displayed, but covered in white fur. A deep growl rumbled in his chest.

"Is this better?" He growled, his voice inhuman.

Ashriel blinked at the tail flicking back and forth behind Seth.

"As long as you don't bite her," Ashriel snarled back, still not liking Anniel in anyone's arms but his.

Seth let out a sound that was half growl-half purr.

Cyneolle led them farther down the tunnel they were in until they reached a storm drain with a ladder.

"This will lead to an alleyway. I will send one of the pack to you when the other girl is ready to be moved."

Again Seth growled, his narrowed gaze settling on Cyneolle. "The members of your pack may be angry with us."

Cyneolle frowned. "Why would that be?"

Seth grinned, showing a furred face full of lethal fangs. "Because I kicked their ass."

Ashriel stiffened when Cyneolle's wristbands began glowing. He looked extremely angry.

"They wouldn't let us pass," Ashriel snapped, not caring if he took offense or not.

Cyneolle looked at him, his gaze hard. "They were ordered not to let anyone pass. Go. I'll find you myself."

With that, he turned and began to stomp off, but Anniel protested.

"Gareth," she called out, her hand reaching out to him.

He stiffened and turned back slowly. Ashriel watched as he came back to her. Anniel clutched her son and he took her into his arms. She held him for the longest moment.

"I love you, baby. If you don't come back to me, I'll come to you."

Cyneolle opened his mouth, but she did not allow him to express whatever he was about to say. Gripping his face, she pulled him closer. "That is not up for debate."

He remained quiet when she kissed his cheek and reached back for Seth.

Cyneolle looked back at Ashriel, his expression grim. Ashriel knew the cyborg would not go back to Alpha 7. His home was here amongst these sickly people.

Ashriel took a deep breath, his eyes going over Anniel and the small bulge of her tummy. His eyes went back to the cyborg. He could not allow Anniel to stay. He refused to allow his child to be born on Ryhlos...and he would not lose Anniel either. Ashriel just did not have any idea how to fix this mess.

Climbing the ladder first to make sure there was no danger above, Ashriel shoved the metal grate over the storm drain. The smell of trash and the foul stench of Rhylosian air assailed his senses. Grasping his gas mask, he jumped back down with a frown.

Seth and Anniel did not have gas masks. They were trapped.

As if reading his mind, Cyneolle took his off and put it over Anniel's mouth and nose.

"Seth," Ashriel began.

The weretigri shook his head, looking at Ashriel with his cat eyes. "If I concentrate, I can project a safe bubble of air around myself and Anniel too. Don't worry about me. Let's just get out of here."

"If you can do that, then why didn't you do so before when we were trying to escape?"

Seth frowned, his expression strange since he looked more like a cat than a humanoid right then. "The same way you feel my power when I unleash it, others would have felt it too. I was trying to keep a low profile."

Ashriel nodded, understanding. "Anniel, climb my back. I'll protect you between my wings so Seth can climb the ladder."

"Seth can jump up," she replied belligerently.

Ashriel clenched his teeth and stomped up the ladder again. He didn't understand why she was so angry with him. He'd been shocked at the sight of her belly. He hadn't meant to insult her, but Seth was right. They needed to get her to a safe place. Later he would smooth out things between them.

After reaching the alleyway, he looked down and watched Seth crouch. The weretigri jumped twenty feet to land beside the storm drain. Anniel was tucked safely in his arms.

"Now what?" Ashriel asked looking longingly at Anniel. His arms itched to hold her. After everything he'd been through, worried half out of his mind for her, he needed to feel her warmth, but he didn't want to continue to agitate her.

"Follow," Seth replied leading the way.

Ashriel trudged behind Seth, staying clear of the tail swishing over a pair of tight black and white striped buttocks. The sight was highly disturbing.

"I wasn't aware you could half shift," Ashriel said behind him.

Seth only grunted.

They left the darkened alleyway and emerged onto the city street. A few curious stares were cast their way, but for the most part, everyone steered clear.

Seth suddenly stopped and growled deep in his throat, his head tipping up. Ashriel frowned and looked up also. The sky above was dark and the lights dotting the miles of buildings rising above them resembled stars. The breeze tugged at his loose hair and he jumped back as a pair of fire chariots swooped down from above.

Ashriel blinked in surprise when the tops of the chariots slid open revealing Amaranth and his twin brother.

"Ash," Amaranth cried jumping out of her transport and running into his arms.

She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. "Oh-my-god, are you all right?"

"Of course," he frowned down at her. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"

Garethiel jumped out of his transport as well and approached.

Ashriel stiffened and sidled next to Seth in case he tried to put his filthy hands on his Anniel.

"We heard you were trying to whore yourself out on this godforsaken planet. Are you out of your mind? Mother is beside herself with shame. Father won't come out of his study and has taken to the drink again."

Ashriel glared at his twin when he finally stood before him. Garethiel's eyes rose to his hair and he smirked. "Blond becomes you, brother."

"Fuck you," Ashriel snarled.

"Enough," Amaranth snapped stepping between them. Her eyes went to Seth and her gasp was audible even through her respirator.

Seth bared his teeth at her and snarled.

"Seth," Anniel admonished.

Amaranth snorted, her eyes looking him up and down. "You are not riding with me naked."

Seth grinned. "How about if I just ride you naked?"

Amaranth's eyes narrowed further and a soft blush covered the little of her cheeks exposed over the respirator. "I'd rather let him ride me," she snapped jerking her thumb to Garethiel.

His brother's eyes widened as he turned to her with a big grin behind his transparent respirator. "Really?"

"No," Amaranth answered tersely, making Garethiel frown dejectedly.

"You're such a tease," he muttered with a snort. "Let's go, Sethaliel."

Ashriel bristled. "Anniel is not riding with Garethiel."

"What happened to her?" Garethiel asked moving closer.

Ashriel stepped in his path and fisted his light grey Master Guardian's uniform. "Stay away from her."

Garethiel scowled, but once again, Amaranth came between them. "Now is not the time for all this male posturing." She gently eased Ashriel's fists off his brother's uniform and pushed them both back. Lifting her nose, she stepped up to Seth and held out her arms. "I'll take her. You brutes can travel together."

Seth leaned closer than necessary, his gaze riveted to Amaranth's. Anniel wrapped her arm around Amaranth's neck with a worried frown on her face. "Are you sure you can carry me? I weigh allot. I don't mind walking now."

"Don't be silly," Amaranth reassured her, her eyes narrowed at Seth though. "This ground isn't even fit for an animal to step on." Seth growled at her again. "I'm sure I can manage to walk the few steps necessary to get you safely to my fire chariot."

Amaranth took Anniel and spun away, slapping Seth lightly with her wings. Ashriel stared in shock and then grew angry at her flirtatiousness with the weretigri. Seth looked angry too, because he had no idea that when a Seraphian female brushed her wings against a male, it meant she liked him enough to want to get intimate with him.

Ashriel rushed after her. "Take her to the Utuduodian vessel orbiting Rhylos. Princess Glory and Devon's mate, Angel, are waiting for her."

When she'd placed Anniel in her fire chariot, Ashriel leaned in and caressed her cheek. "I'll be back soon, Anniel. We'll talk then."

She turned her face away from his touch, hugging herself.

"There's nothing to talk about, Ashriel."

"Stop being so stubborn."

She slapped his hand away when he tried to touch her again. "Look, Ash, you don't need to worry about me. I took care of myself just fine when I had Gareth. I can take care of myself this time too."

"Gareth?" Garethiel echoed behind them. "What is she talking about?"

Ashriel stiffened. He'd never mentioned Anniel's pregnancy to his brother. He'd abandoned her without ever looking back. He hadn't deserved to know.

"I'm not leaving you, Anniel."

"No, Ash. I'm the one leaving. I want to be near my son."

"Son?" Again, Garethiel parroted. "She had a son?"

"Amaranth, I want to go."

Amaranth gave him an apologetic look and hopped into her transport. The top rolled shut and the small saucer-shaped ship rose so fast it was almost as if it disappeared.

Ashriel stared up at the black sky for a few seconds before a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to look into his brother's angry face.

"She had a son she named Gareth? When? Why did she give him my name? I haven't touched her in over three siglons."

Ashriel ignored him and walked back to Seth, who'd transformed back into his human self again. "We can't leave without the others."

Seth looked at Garethiel's fire chariot and frowned. "We won't all fit in that. He can take Reiven and Amadashiel. We'll go find Natanael and Eriel at the black market. We promised that Lizdrac we'd return."

Ashriel scowled. I am not selling myself off as a whore. It was fine when Anniel was going to be the buyer."

Seth grinned. "I didn't say you'd be selling yourself off. We're just going to get Nat and Erie, as well as the starcruiser. I'm still waiting to hear from Devon."

"Where is your almighty leader?" Garethiel asked, already forgetting about Gareth.

"He's resolving a few pertinent issues," Seth replied heading toward Garethiel's transport.

Both Seraphs eyed him distastefully. There was barely any room in the transport for two people. Three would be quite crowded and being cramped in a one man transport with a naked male set Ashriel's teeth on edge. His kind tended to be bisexual, but Ashriel was most definitely not.

"Don't you have any extra clothing for him?" Ashriel asked Garethiel.

"Actually, I do," the white winged Seraph replied.

Seth snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Does my nudity bother you?"

"Yes," both twins replied.

Anniel blinked at the darkness around her. Most reapers could open portals, like Devon. She wondered if Amaranth could open one to Alpha 7. She really needed Remi's healing fire. She was tired of not being able to see.

"I know it is none of my business, but why are you so mad at Ash? What did he do?"

Anniel smoothed her hands over her belly. Her bump was still small, but it filled her with bittersweet longing. Pregnant again with another jerk for the father. Three hundred plus years later, and she was still making the same stupid mistakes.

Amaranth's hand smoothed over her belly as well.

Anniel heard her soft gasp. "Ashriel's?"

Anniel nodded. "Yes."

"Your aura has four different colors swirling within it. I recognize Garethiel's, and Ashriel's, as well as...Devon." Her voice lowered to a quiet level. "Who's the forth?"

Anniel gulped. "L-Lucien."

Amaranth remained quiet for a long time. Anniel frowned. "Garethiel was my first. When I went into heat on Alpha 7, Devon and Lucien helped ease my discomfort. That was a very long time ago. Ashriel...is recent."

"Ash only has one color staining his aura. Yours."

Anniel frowned. "Look. I'm not looking to trap him. I didn't mean for this to happen, and as far as I'm concerned, he owes me nothing. This is my baby and I plan on keeping it...not him. He can go screw the rest of the universe like his horn-ball brother for all I care."

"But you do care," Amaranth said softly.

Anniel gulped. Her eyes stung with tears. "It doesn't change anything. I'll get over him the same way I got over his brother."

"Oh, Anniel. Garethiel was just your first time crush. You're a woman now, and I can see how much you and Ash love each other."

Anniel laughed bitterly. "Maybe I'm Ashriel's first time crush too. He'll get over me just like his brother. I'm not going to let myself be hurt anymore. I've heard reapers are especially horny the first time they fall from grace. It's impossible for them to remain true to one person."

Anniel realized too late what she'd said when Amaranth remained quiet.

"That's not true," the other girl finally sputtered, her voice full of indignation. "Death angels have that bad reputation because we usually get screwed over our first time. We do our best to remain pure. When a reaper decides they want out of their calling, we take on a hundred siglon task. When we complete that task, we are honorably released and are free to join with whomever we wish afterwards. Most of my kind have been tricked or taken by force."