Anniel startled awake and tried to sit up, but she was wrapped in a heavy blanket—a blanket made of black feathers. She frowned and gasped when muscular arms pulled her back against a sculpted chest. Against her ass, she felt a hard cock.

She couldn’t help the groan that erupted from her lips when teeth nipped the back of her neck. Without even thinking, her hips automatically tilted back in invitation.

Ashriel gripped her leg and draped it over his hip, opening her. Excitement zipped through her at the hard male feel of him.

“Ash, baby,” she whispered with a shiver when his hand slid up her belly to cup one full breast. Immediately his fingers trapped her tight nipple and pulled making her gasp with pleasure.

Anniel turned to gaze into his smoldering grey eyes as he pressed the head of his cock against her wet slit. His sable hair was sleep tousled, but his expression was anything but, sleepy. He bit his lip and arched into her.

She felt swollen, throbbing, her pussy resisting his penetration for a moment. He slid his other hand up her ribcage to palm her breast and pinch her nipples, making her writhe against him. She whimpered when he gripped her harder, trying to force his way inside.

Anniel clenched her teeth, feeling almost as if she were giving birth backwards. Seraphs were built bigger, thicker—a foot long cock to go with their seven foot statures.

“Ah—god—it feels so good,” she panted, wiggling her hips, desperate for his penetration.

It burned for a moment making her whimper, but then the head popped past her protesting opening. When he finally began to fill her, she cried out in bliss, “Oh, Ashriel.”

He rolled them over until she lay on her tummy with him draped over her back. His thighs shoved hers apart and his hands gripped her wrists, effectively pinning her. His wings began to flutter in excitement.

Anniel panted and moaned, unable to do anything but lie there and let him fuck her, which he was doing quite exuberantly. He was so thick, she felt him dragging against every sensitive nerve within her quivering channel. Her body began to tense up. She wanted to move, but all she could do was tilt her ass up and feel his weight press down hard on her. His knees widened more, making her own legs ache from how wide he was spreading her. She felt him angle his hips back and her eyes gaped when his cockhead began rubbing something brutally exciting deep inside. Anniel opened her mouth, unable to breathe, unable to think, just feel. Her nails dug into the bedding and her lungs felt ready to explode as a pleasure so intense threatened to make her black out. When Ashriel bit the curve between her neck and shoulder, her body convulsed and she howled in rapture. A second howl erupted on the heels of the first one when he rammed harder, making her clit rub back and forth against the mattress, evoking a second orgasm much stronger than the first.

Heat shot up into her, filling her. Ashriel groaned, his hips jerking in short hard thrusts, so tight, so deep, his tip forcing his scalding seed into her womb to overflowing.

“I need you, Anniel,” he growled, his cock still working in and out of her.

She could feel his cum bathing the bud of her clit in a warm trickle, overflowing from her womb. It felt so good she clenched around his plunging shaft. She heard his sharp intake of breath and felt the hot splashes of more seed deep within her. Anniel bit her lip and arched her back, letting him fill her again.

He was possessing her completely. The wet sound of her pussy being rammed by his cock had her panting. She turned her head, searching for his mouth and was rewarded with a deep tongue-filled kiss. Her body convulsed with another toe-curling orgasm, milking his cock as he filled her yet again.

Her head dropped on the bed as she tried to catch her breath, reveling in the glorious feel of Ashriel plowing into her with no restraint. She already knew when he was about to come because his beating wings would falter, and when he did spill, his abdominal muscles would clench, his body quiver and his wings stiffen straight back. His deep groans of pleasure in her ear had her biting her lips. Her throat was already sore from howling so much and her body completely spent, but, still, he managed to wring orgasm after orgasm from her, until she finally blacked out from so much pleasure.

***

The light, though dim, was enough to awaken her. Before opening her eyes, she sniffed and the scent of sex hung heavy in the air.

Anniel opened one bleary eye and saw a wall of shelves filled with mesh crates containing various pieces of equipment.

She closed it again with a whimper. Had she actually let Ashriel take her down into the storage level and let him fuck her within an inch of her life? She winced when she closed her still spread legs. Her whole body felt sore.

“Oh, yes you did, girl,” she sighed. A warm flow of fluid let her know she was leaking enough Seraphian sperm to populate another planet.

Anniel cursed inwardly.

Now she had to crawl up the ramp and use Devon and Angel’s hygiene unit. That meant facing the morning after.

Had he actually said he loved her?

She snorted, running a hand through her disheveled hair. He’d probably blurted it out in the heat of the moment.

A lump formed in her throat.

Oh-no-you-don’t, girl— she thought angrily, blinking away her tears. She refused to shed one more tear for a man. She’d fucked him. She’d face the consequences with her big girl panties on.

Her gaze lit upon her shredded clothing, noting that her big girl panties had been decimated by the sexy reaper last night. She groaned, closing her eyes.

“Up, Anniel,” she told herself.

Anniel winced when she sat up. The bedding next to her was still warm from his heat, but he was nowhere in sight.

She grimaced at the sticky feel between her thighs, but then hunger hit fast and hard, pushing away all other thought.

Luck was with her when she rushed up the ramp and into Angel and Devon’s cabin—no Ashriel in sight. Ignoring Devon and Angel’s grunting and panting on the upper bunk, she just headed into the hygiene unit and leaned her head against the wall as the cleansing beams engulfed her.

Behind her, Angel cried out and Devon growled, marking their conjoined climax. It wouldn’t be the first time Anniel saw or heard them in the throes of passion, so it didn’t faze her in the least. She had her own problems to worry about.

She needed clothes, but her carry on was still out in the lounge, stuffed beneath the couch. Maybe she could send Dev out to get it. They were quiet now, so they’d probably finished having their morning sex.

She felt his presence behind her and turned her head to stare into his face a foot away from hers.

His eyes took her in from head to toe before settling with disturbing intensity on her face again. Behind him, she could see Angel still sprawled out on her back, trying to catch her breath.

Anniel’s stomach growled, and she looked away from them as her lip beaded in sweat. She began to shake and placed her hand over her stomach.

She saw what Devon was thinking clearly. Her belly swollen with child…Ashriel’s child.

Anniel shook her head, trying to dispel the image. “It can’t happen that fast, Dev. It took me almost six months to get pregnant from Garethiel.”

He didn’t say a word.

Not wanting to look him in the eye, she pushed past him.

She closed her eyes and tried to visualize her carry on. Concentrating, she willed it to her. It moved a little. Anniel huffed in frustration.

Devon’s power flowed over her, reaching to her bag until it appeared right before her.

She frowned down at the carry on. Seth had always pestered her to work on her powers since awakening from suspended animation, but she’d done absolutely nothing to strengthen herself.

Jazriel began to fuss in his crib and she watched Devon, still stark naked, walk over to the crib.

She turned her eyes away from the sight of his jet-black hair spilling down the middle of his back and tight ass to dig through her belongings. There was nothing but silence as she pulled on a black tank top, panties, and cargo pants. She felt their eyes on her, even the baby.

Her face heated up remembering how loud she’d howled…and how many times. Ashriel and her sexual marathon must’ve had the entire starcruiser up all night.

Oh, hell.

Slipping her feet into her boots, she pressed the closing button to allow the straps to tighten around her ankles and legs.

Taking a deep breath, she finally faced Devon and Angel.

“Good morning,” she breathed out shakily.

One of Devon’s brows shot up as he smirked. Angel just looked worried. Jazriel sucked his thumb looking at her blankly as he played with a lock of his daddy’s silky hair.

Anniel pulled her shoulders back, stuck her chest out, and with her chin up, she stalked out of the cabin.

The dining area was to her right. She grinned when she found it empty and began looking to see what she could prepare for herself and Seth. She always made Seth breakfast.

As she punched in ingredients and directives, a bronzed, heavily muscled arm wrapped around her waist. She gasped when her hair was gripped gently and her head turned.

Ashriel covered her mouth with his, his tongue pushing into her mouth demanding a response. His hard erection rested against the seam of her ass and he did not hesitate to roll his hips against her.

Anniel arched back against him, the area between her legs growing moist and hot for him.

“I want to take you right here—right now,” he growled against her lips, his hands already stealing under her top to stroke her breasts possessively.

Suddenly the image of Seth walking in on them made her panic. Seth was no virgin, but she’d raised him from a cub and it would just feel awkward to be caught being plowed by Ashriel in the dining room.

She wiggled and tried to pry his huge hands from her boobs. “Not here. We can’t fuck here.”

He would not release them though.

“Why?” he asked.

Her stomach grumbled, embarrassing her. Ashriel stepped away, turning her to face him. He was a sight. His lips were reddened from their kisses and soft, his grey eyes dark with passion. He lifted one hand, his finger stroking back a lock of her hair tenderly. “You’re hungry.”

Her stomach growled again, and she pressed her hands over it, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

Ashriel smiled. “Prinut is very nutritious.”

Anniel frowned. “It’s gross.”

The machine behind her dinged and the smell of food had her turning to retrieve the plates of food.

Food. God—she was starving.

Ashriel backed away, giving her space.

Pancakes, bacon, an omelet with onions, peppers, ham, tomato and cheese, buttered biscuits, hash browns, and a pitcher of ice-cold orange juice filled the counter before her.

“You’re going to eat all that?”

Anniel looked over her shoulder at his shocked face. “Try to stop me.”

Remembering to divide everything in half to share with Seth, She grabbed her platter and turned.

“Let me help you,” Ashriel said taking the food from her. She almost snarled at him, but tamped it down.

He turned and headed toward the lounge. Setting the platter down on the table before the couch, he took a seat next to her.

Anniel barely noticed when Seth came down from the helm, the scent of food luring him. He peered in on her and Ash before walking toward the dining area.

After she’d wolfed down almost half the food, she remembered Ashriel.

She looked up into his face. He stared at her wide-eyed, making her feel embarrassed. She was stuffing her face like a pig.

“Want some?” she offered around a mouthful of pancakes.

His eyes lowered to the food. “I… shouldn’t,” he whispered.

Anniel remembered what Seth had said about Ashriel’s tendency to fast. Her heart clenched wondering if he did it to punish himself. Shame filled her when she realized she hadn’t even offered him anything. Had he even eaten this morning?

Without thinking twice, she offered him a bite of omelet.

Ashriel’s grey eyes looked into hers a few seconds before he opened his lips.

She fed him the bite of omelet, and then offered him a bit of bacon.

She forgot her hunger, or perhaps she felt sated, because she became fascinated with feeding him, watching his white teeth close on the fork as she pressed it passed his lush lips.

He seemed so sweet, his eyes on her face as she fed him, it made her want to cry.

When she offered him orange juice, the bob of his Adam’s apple had her almost groaning. She wanted to sink her teeth into that sexy throat.

Ashriel licked his lips and stared at her. Anniel growled and leaned forward, needing to kiss him more than taking in her next breath.

The sight of Seth standing in the doorway made her jump.

“Everything okay, Sweetheart?” she asked him.

Ashriel scowled and turned to look at Seth.

“Don’t mean to interrupt, but the princess from Utuduo already contacted us. She should be here in about half an hour for rendezvous.”

“Right,” Anniel sighed. She’d forgotten Angel and she were to board the Utuduodian royal vessel for the final approach to Rhylos. Ashriel and she would be separated for a day. “Half an hour, baby. Got it.”

Seth nodded and left. He was always virtually expressionless, but there was some emotion in his eyes that made her want to go after him. Was he sad? Why? She usually had breakfast with him. Was that it? Did he feel abandoned?

Anniel pouted. Poor baby… but then she noticed Ashriel’s thunderous expression.

“What?” she asked, concerned.

His lips tightened into a hard line. “Why do you address him with endearments?”

Anniel stared at him in confusion. “I raised him since her was a tiny thing.” The memory of Seth’s tiny size despite his age flashed in her mind. He’d been nine-years-old, but looked more like a five-year-old, the results of being neglected and deprived of affection.

“He’s no longer a tiny thing. He’s a man,” Ashriel snorted.

Anniel put down her fork and frowned at him. His jealousy was absurd. “I love Seth like a son. He’s my baby. He’s like a son to all of us. We all raised him.”

“He is neither your son, nor your baby.”

“Ashriel, I don’t like that you’re jealous of my Seth. I won’t allow you to separate me from any of my family. I love Devon, Angel, Remien, Rowie, Zachariel, Alluna, and Sethaliel. What happened between us won’t change that ever.”

Ashriel narrowed his eyes. “You’re forgetting one more.” When Anniel frowned in confusion, he spat, “Lucien.”

Anniel’s eyes widened. She stared at his angry countenance and nodded slowly, whispering, “Yes. I love Luke too.”

The anger left his face and he looked at her, eyes full of hurt.

***

She’d named so many, and even admitted to loving Lucien, the dark prince…but she hadn’t mentioned him.

Ashriel felt like the biggest fool. Maybe it was too soon for her. He’d been watching over her for so long, he knew her intimately. He knew she was strong, hard working, but she was also very feminine. Pink and black were her favorite colors and she was very maternal. He loved that about her. He loved her.

But she really didn’t know anything about him, except that he was a Seraphian born reaper.

Ashriel turned away, realizing there really was nothing more to know anyhow. His life had been solely dedicated to honoring his holy vows as a reaper… and now he had no future.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. “I have no right to demand anything from you.” He wanted to add he knew he meant nothing to her, but it would make him sound like a lovelorn idiot.

Her fingers caressed his face, trying to get him to look at her, but it hurt too much to do so, knowing his love was not returned with the same fervor he felt. Served him right for steering away from his calling. He had no business trying to live the life of a normal person. He was not normal. He was an implement of the Divine One’s wrath against the forces of darkness. His black wings were a reminder of that.

Anniel tipped his face to hers and kissed him, chasing away his gloomy thoughts. He drank from her lips like man dying of thirst, the bits and pieces of affection tossed his way greatly appreciated… as pathetic as it seemed. He’d fallen low indeed.

She pulled away, leaving him feeling bereft. He opened his eyes to see she was mere inches from his face, looking at him with a little frown marring her beautiful face. Her eyes this close revealed flecks of gold, brown, and green.

She bit her lip and shook her head a tiny bit, almost imperceptible.

Anniel stood and rushed out of the lounge, taking the platter with her, mumbling something about getting rid of it.

The silence was deafening.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, Ashriel rose and strode up to the helm. Sinking into the co-pilot’s seat, he set about rechecking coordinates and fuel and air gages. He could feel Seth’s eyes on him.

Frowning, Ashriel turned to glare at him. “Do you need to tell me something?”

“Actually…” Seth stopped short, pursing his lips. “Never mind.”

Ashriel clenched his fists, and opened his mouth to demand the weretigri speak his mind, but a starship hailed them over the com unit.

The Utuduodian vessel had arrived before time.

***

Rhylos was nothing like Anniel had expected. From space, it looked like a moldy, rusted ball wrapped in a cloud of glowing green gas. When they entered the atmosphere, the cityscape below didn’t change her impression.

The city was divided into layers, and looked like a meshwork of pipes and glass tubes—dirty, grimy pipes and glass tubes.

“See those floating islands?” Angel said. “The upper most citizens live there. The farther you descend the less wealth you will find.”

Many air transports zipped about between the meshwork.

Anniel strained to see down into the streets on the surface of the planet, but it was so dark, she couldn’t make anything out. Spires of grimy metal and glass stretched down into an abyss of total darkness.

“Spooky,” she murmured to herself.

“We’re almost there,” the Utuduodian princess said in her husky voice.

Anniel turned to princess Glory. Her name fit her well. The female was taller than Anniel’s six-foot-six and her body was lean and muscular, crowned by a head of long red hair that reached mid-thigh.

The princess smiled at her, her green eyes sparkling. They’d all dressed in common Rhylos fashion that, to Anniel, looked very cyberpunk, complete with big goggles and bulky respirator. The planet boasted high technology and the ultimate living conditions—a virtual Utopia—but from what she could see, virtual was pretty much the operating word here. The supposed Utopia was not real.

The connecting shuttle from the Utuduodian starship to the spaceport leveled out to enter the busy spaceport. Anniel looked around, wondering which shuttle contained the reapers… and Ashriel.

“They won’t be using this spaceport,” Glory stated as if reading her mind.

“Why not?” Angel asked, fussing with her fake dreadlocks. The plastic tubes were a lime green and matched her outfit, a lime green mesh bodysuit with a vinyl corset and tulle miniskirt in black. Her lime green stockings had holes all over them and stretched over another pair of black fishnet stockings. Black vinyl boots rose to her knees and had lime green ties threaded through chrome grommets.

“The merchandise for the black market has their own spaceport. It’s heavily guarded just in case someone wants to abduct merch for slavery.”

Anniel shivered and immediately worried about the reapers, even though they were with Seth.

Her thoughts turned to Ashriel. How was he feeling? He hadn’t even come down from the helm to say good-bye to her. Silly, of course, because she’d be seeing him the next night. Still, after the previous night and the kisses they’d shared that morning, it hurt that he hadn’t come to her. He’d certainly acted strange. First amorous, then possessive and jealous, and finally aloof.

He was so frustratingly complicated.

“It’s said that Cyneolle detests the black market, especially the prostitutes that sell themselves to the higher society clientele.”

“Cyn-who?” Anniel frowned.

Glory laughed. “Cyneolle. But He prefers to be known as Cyn. He’s the rebel leader of the freedom fighters. Part Seraph, part cyborg.”

Anniel shivered. “How awful. Why is he part cyborg?”

Glory shrugged. “I’ve heard he was rescued as a child by a band of cyborgs after he’d been badly injured. They saved his life by implanting cybernetics into his damaged body. Others say he was poisoned by this planet’s atmosphere to near death. When he tried to climb to a higher level trying to breathe cleaner air, the patrollers found him and tossed him back down, almost killing him in the process.”

Anniel frowned. “But if he was Seraph, why didn’t he just fly up, or for that matter, use his wings to stop his fall?”

Again, Glory shrugged. “I don’t know much about Cyn. What I told you is the extent of my knowledge on the man…oh-yes—and he’s supposedly sinfully beautiful.”

Angel snorted. “No man is more beautiful than mine.”

Anniel smirked at her. She still remembered when Angel tried so hard to resist Devon’s allure. No easy feat. The only reason Anniel hadn’t been too affected by Devon’s otherworldly looks had been because she’d known him since he was a newborn.

***

Seth guided the starcruiser down past glowing green clouds of toxic poison. The outer hull of the starcruiser hissed and sizzled, making Natanael curse roundly.

“Don’t worry, Nat. I’m sure Devon can fix that,” Eriel consoled.

Something hard smashed into the Starcruiser’s tail and the distinct sound of tearing metal was heard.

“Son-of-a-bitch, Seth,” Natanael snarled.

They were all strapped into the chairs in the helm. Ashriel had a death grip on the armrests of the co-pilot’s chair and looked to his left at Seth, who manned the controls.

“Devon will fix that too, Nat. Shut the fuck up,” Seth hissed.

“You’re not using your powers,” Ashriel said.

“No,” Seth answered, wincing when something else slammed into them.

“What the hell is hitting us?” Natanael ground out.

“Pieces of the transports that never made it through the atmosphere.”

“Shit,” Ashriel hissed, his eyes growing ever wider as the burned out remains of a super-large craft rolled straight at them. “Seth.”

“I see it.”

Ashriel stiffened, and in the rear of the helm, the reapers began shouting in terror.

“Damn-it. Use your powers,” Ashriel shouted, now able to see actual corpses dangling from the shattered vessel

His stomach bottomed out.

“Now,” Seth cried out in glee.

It was a disturbing sound, hearing the usually somber weretigri express himself with so much joy. It only served to terrify Ashriel even more…an equally disturbing sensation for a being who’d fearlessly battled and killed legions of demons and devils.

Screams filled the helm. Ashriel clenched his teeth

The weretigri’s arms slammed the levers forward and the starcruiser took a sickening nosedive. Fire covered the glass viewers, blocking out the rush of the surface.

Ashriel closed his eyes and pressed his wings tight to his back, the urge to unleash them to stop the free-fall strong.

Behind him, he heard someone throw up, another threaten to jettison out.

“Give me a break,” Seth snapped. “I got this.”

Ashriel felt bile rise and swallowed hard. His forehead beaded in sweat. He blinked his eyes open when the foul dizziness abated to see the starcruiser leveling out.

Below was a glittering black ocean and before them, the edges of a large continent stretched out to either side as far as the eye could see. There was only a small strip of grey sand before a few miles of deep dark green forest. The land looked mostly flat, but up ahead was a meshwork of metal pipes that turned out to be an enormous city sprawled out like a gigantic thorny nest. A thick metal wall surrounded the city and Ashriel recognized plasma canons stationed around the edge of the wall. Strangely, some of the canons pointed into the city, as well as out. Why would the canons point in…as if they were threatening anyone fool enough to climb over the five-hundred foot wall?

The city was a network of building structures resembling pipes, grimy, dirty, with little patches of shinier metal and glass. Gleaming disks floated in the sky over the spires of metal, reflecting the glowing green sky.

Seth dropped down into the normal flow of traffic and zipped over the tops of the highest spires beneath the floating disks. Farther ahead, the city seemed to sink into an enormous hole.

“What the hell is that?” Ashriel asked.

“They used to mine here. That mine hole is twenty miles across and probably twice as deep. The black market is a few miles down, in the very center.” Seth answered. “That’s where we’re headed.”

Ashriel looked down at himself. He was ready. They all were.

Natanael had weaved his hair into hundreds of braids. He was grateful because a tight hood wrapped around his forehead to the back of his neck and around his throat, leaving his braids free to spill down past his shoulders. A pair of goggles rested on his head and a gas mask hung to the right side of his face. His chest was bare, but just under his pectorals was a waist hugging leather corset that had metal rings running up the sides and big metal clasps holding it closed in the front.

His pants were like a second skin and had horizontal slits running up the front and back, showing the flesh of his thighs. His boots ran up past his knees and were a monstrosity of cybernetic art. The sole was about four inches thick making him a towering seven-foot-four with metal rods and gears decorated the entire length. He frowned. His legs looked like they belonged better on a cyborg than a reaper. He lifted a hand to look at the black vinyl glove that covered him to his biceps. Chrome spikes ran up from his knuckles to the top of the glove. Lethal decoration. He kind-of like it.

“When we land, we cover up.” Seth instructed. We need to grow accustomed to Rhylos air, even if we’re indoors. Out of the buildings under no circumstances are any of you to breathe that green stuff.”

“Instant death,” Reiven snickered in the back.

“Not really,” Seth said with a frown. “More like a fate worse than death. The contamination breaks you down on a cellular level, turning your biological matter into a gelatinous goop. You become a blob of green slime to slither around the ground for all eternity.”

Ashriel grimaced at the graphic description. He would remember to never inhale out of doors.

A large black orb, the size of a star freighter, came into view before them and the com unit blipped.

“Show time, boys,” Seth mumbled.

He tapped the screen and a strange humanoid appeared. The creature looked like a lizard with muddy green eyes, yellow teeth, and a black tongue.

“Identify yourselves.”

“Sethaliel Whyte, with Reiven, Amadashiel, Eriel, Natanael and Ashriel, all of Angelos.”

“Did you say Ashriel of Angelos?’

“Yes.”

“The Ashriel of Angelos? The notorious fallen high priest reaper no one’s heard from for months?”

“The one and only,” Seth replied with a scowl, already beginning to lose patience.

The lizard man blinked for a few seconds before he threw his head back to laugh in hissing guffaws.

Seth used the tip of his finger to turn the monitor to Ashriel. “Say hi, Ash.”

Ashriel leaned in close, glaring at the insolent Lizdrac and lifted his middle finger. “Fuck you,” he enunciated slowly.

Seth’s brows rose in amusement and the reapers behind him snickered.

The Lizdrac choked, his eyes going round. “Oooohhh—it is you. Ooohhh.” The lizard man made a strange peeping sound and disappeared off screen for a few seconds. The sound of chaos followed; bellows, shouts and growls of all kinds. Within moments, the screen filled with many faces, all clamoring to get a glimpse of Ashriel. He did not realize he was a celebrity. When in hell’s name had that happened?

“W-we’re sending an escort out to you. Don’t move.”

Ashriel gaped at Seth and suddenly realized dozens of streamlined fighter vessels surrounded them.

“You can let go of the controls now. We’re tracking you in.” The Lizdrac was grinning so wide, he looked like he was snarling.

Seth smirked, released the levers of the starcruiser, and leaned back in his seat, kicking his feet up on the control panel. He crossed his legs at the ankles and clasped his hands behind his neck. “Welcome to the Rhylos black market, boys.”

Ashriel turned to see the starcruiser easing its nose into the gelatinous substance of the black orb. Nothing but black covered the glass surrounding the helm, and he frowned at Seth when he started to stand and head to the ramp leading down. The others followed suit.

Ashriel turned again to the glass and then blinked at the monitor. There were hundreds of faces there just staring at him. Some waved, all talked, most shouted, and pointed to his dismay.

Ashriel sneered and hit the monitor with the tip of his boot to turn it away.

“Hey,” Natanael called up to him. “Are you coming down or not?”

The glass revealed nothing. Were they still within the black substance? What in hells name was it?

If he weren’t so adamant to discover the root of the apocalyptic war started in the Edenian solar system over three hundred years ago, he’d demand Seth pull them out of this nest of iniquity right now. His gaze swept down his body again, sneering in disgust at his whorish attire. Natanael had wanted to pierce his nipples but he refused to defile his body anymore than he already had.

Rising up, he made his way down the ramp, winding his way down until he reached the lowered ramp in the bottom of the storage level.

“Stay back. Let him exit. Don’t crowd him,” he heard Seth warn.

“Yeah, he’s moody as fuck,” Eriel snickered. “He just might change his mind and hole himself up in his cabin.”

“Get back-get back,” another strange voice ordered. “Bume, get everyone out except security.

The sound of angry shouting made Ashriel hesitate halfway down the exit ramp. The air smelled foul, making him remember Seth’s instructions.

Ashriel pulled the respirator over the lower half of his face and snapped it into place. Taking a deep breath, he moved forward, descending until he stood at the bottom of the ramp alongside the others.

There was a metal tunnel attached to the bottom of the starcruiser. It ballooned out to form a chamber before narrowing out again into several tunnels that had doors farther down. Huge Gargoyles pushed and shoved an array of creatures toward one of the tunnels.

The Lizdrac that had spoken with them aboard the starcruiser stood a few paces away gaping at Ashriel.

Ashriel opened his wings, staring down his nose at the audience before him. The other reapers also spread their black wings in a show of power. Seth just crossed his arms over his chest.

Seth was acting as their representative. Most people believed he managed Zak and Rowie, known as Midnight Rose, so it wouldn’t be weird that he would want to pimp out a few of the reapers that had taken refuge aboard Alpha 7.

“If we’d only known that you would honor us with your presence, we would have prepared suitable accommodations for you,” the Lizdrac said in a rush of words.

“Ashriel just wants to get a taste of what his new life is going to be,” Seth drawled in a bored tone. “I wanted to show him what the worst of it could be.”

The Lizdrac’s eyes grew large and he gulped audibly. With a nervous chuckle he said, “Ah. Rhylos has but a bad reputation, but I assure you, a pleasure worker can find no better home to market him or herself. Our clientele is very discerning and we have rulers from all around the galaxy amongst them. Just today we have been bestowed the honor of receiving Princess Glory within our midst. She has come accompanied by an array of the most exquisite females in her entourage…” his grin grew wicked, “If it is female flesh that you seek to pleasure. Otherwise we have every other kind of flesh you can desire.”

Ashriel fought the shudder of revulsion that shimmied up his spine and ruffled his feathers.

To his right, he heard Eriel groan and turned to see the reaper rubbing an impressive erection bulging the front of his floor-length black skirt. Eriel obviously had no qualms about what used his body.

***

Anniel sat between Glory and Angel at a large banquet table. There were other emissaries there as well. At the head of the opulent table sat the King Dred’s avatar, a genetically enhanced fusion of cyborg and humanoid. The creature’s body was slim, delicate, it’s skin milk white like Devon’s. Its facial features were androgynous as well as it’s body. The head was shaved except for a black strip up the middle that stuck straight up in a Mohawk. Another tail hung down it’s slender back to its waist, and long braids fell from just in front of the small shells of its ears.

Anniel wondered if the milky whiteness of its skin was make-up because even the lips were white. Two black stripes decorated the lush lower lip and the avatar had no eyebrows. Long, thick, black lashes decorated big eyes a startling shade of blue. She frowned at the sight of the two tubes connected to the creatures neck that snaked out to a tank attached to its back. It wore a mesh gown with two black X’s covering were nipples should be and a black triangle covered the area between its legs. There was no sign of a male genitals nor any sign of breasts, leaving her to only try and guess what the humanoid was.

The creature did not eat along with its guests, just stared with emotionless eyes at all gathered.

Those eerie eyes fell upon Anniel and a soft smile touched its lips.

Anniel’s heart pounded when the creature stood and seemed to float to her.

King Dred’s avatar held out its hand. “Such lovely skin. May I touch you?”

Anniel gulped, unsure of what to say. Princess Glory elbowed her.

“Err—yeah—sure,” Anniel blurted holding her hand out, but cringing inside.

The small white hand engulfed hers, surprisingly soft and warm. The creature gasped and lifted her hand to its mouth. A tiny black tongue slipped out and licked Anniel’s knuckles. It shuddered with pleasure.

Anniel snatched her hand back before it decided to take a bite.

“I would like very much to share fluids with you.”

Anniel cocked a brow at the strange being before sliding her gaze to princess Glory. “What the heck is it saying?” She whispered from the side of her mouth.

The princess merely wiped her mouth, and after clearing her throat said, “I am honored that you find my ambassador desirable, but I promised her pick of reapers for her sexual initiation.”

The creature grinned now. “Ah. A virgin. Understandable she would want to pick her tool of deflowerment. It is your lucky day as I have been informed a shipment of reapers from Alpha 7 has graced us with their presence. I was told the legendary high priest Ashriel is honoring us with his initiation into the pleasure field. Perhaps you can initiate each other… if you have the credits to acquire him.”

“I’m sure I can manage,” Anniel answered lifting a brow.

The creature laughed and turned, floating away.

Anniel had a hard time eating afterwards. The whole sharing of fluids thing creeped her out big time. The food smelled good, but looked even weirder than the rainbow of attendants sitting around the huge V shaped table.

There were representations from all over the galaxy, but what really blew her mind was the bright blue sky visible through the glass dome over their heads. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Fluffy white clouds drifted by, and a sparkling yellow sun poured in rays of warmth into the cold white and metal chamber.

The entire palace was a series of glass bubbles sitting atop a floating metal plate the size of a small city. The bubbles were connected with a series of thick plastic tubes. The strange chair she sat upon was her means of transportation within the palace. The only place her feet were allowed to touch the floor was in her personal chambers, which she thankfully shared with Glory and Angel.

Her chair looked like a metal seashell. It had a glowing green border that deactivated only in her chambers letting her know it was safe to step out. She’d been told it was for her safety.

Anniel snorted, drawing Angel’s attention. They did not speak for fear of being monitored, but were wary of communicating telepathically too. There were ways of detecting spikes of extrasensory abilities. It would draw unwanted attention to themselves.

Anniel sighed and resumed pushing her food around on her plate. What was Ashriel doing right this moment? It angered her to think perhaps Amadashiel was trying to seduce him again. Confused her ass. He—

“Why are you growling?” Angel whispered near her ear.

Anniel stiffened and looked around. She’d drawn the interested stares of a few guests.

One guest especially made the fine hairs at the back of her neck rise. She clamped her teeth tight and resisted the urge to snarl at him. The male had jet-black hair and pale blue eyes…

Anniel’s eyes widened when his eyes changed a bit and he flashed sharp canines.

Another werewolf—an alpha. His eyes challenged her and she had to fight the urge to turn tail and run. His grin only broadened and a deep growl rumbled in his chest.

This time Anniel slammed her fork down and snarled back at him. The male and female sitting at either side of him growled at her menacingly.

Both Angel and Glory put their hands on her forearms.

“Easy,” Angel warned.

Princess Glory glared at the black-haired alpha. “Anniel is an Utuduodian citizen and is not under wolf bane laws.”

The male stared at Glory with pale wolf eyes, baring his teeth. “No werewolf is exempt from our laws,” he snarled.

“I’m not part of your pack so stop trying to bully me,” Anniel snapped.

The annoying male grinned broader. “I smell a bitch in heat, I take her if I want to.”

Princess Glory gasped in outrage, Angel gripped her knife, making Anniel grab at her wrist before she threw it at the alpha wolf and started a war.

“I’m not in heat,” she argued. She felt better than fine.

“You’re carrying, but if I fuck you, my sperm will kill whatever is planted in your womb so that it will be filled with my own offspring.”

Angel and Glory began shouting insults at the alpha, but Anniel was struck mute. She felt the blood drain from her face.

She was carrying?

The food she’d ingested came back up.

***

Ashriel had been allowed to refresh and change his attire. The rooms allotted to them were more than opulent. The other reapers claimed they’d never been treated so well.

He sat as the others stuffed their faces with Rhylos fare and listened to the Lizdrac exchange insults with a palace representative.

“That phony king has no jurisdiction here,” Mambri snarled, his scaled tail swishing furiously.

“His highness requests the presence of the Alpha 7 reapers immediately. One word and he can have you shut down.”

Mambri laughed evilly. “I’d like to see him try. The association will never allow that. On the contrary, they’ll have his slimy ass eliminated.”

The Merulian palace official sniffed in indignation. “That would never happen. The people need their king. You, on the other hand, are quite disposable.”

The Lizdrac hissed and growled at the screen.

The blue-skinned Gruesh male sneered. “You have five minutes to get them to the palace. A royal escort is already waiting at the border of the black market.”

Mambri cursed soundly when the screen went black.

Seth looked at Ashriel. “This is our chance, Ash. An audience with the king.”

Ashriel nodded.

The Lizdrac approached them, wringing his tail between his claws. “You’ve been summoned to the palace.”

Seth let one side of his lip lift in a bored smile. “Cool.”

“No,” Mambri snapped. “Not cool. You have no idea the danger you’re in. The king…”

The overhead lights flickered, drawing everyone’s attention.

When Ashriel directed his gaze back to the Lizdrac, he could have sworn the lizard man looked a bit paler.

“Why are we in danger?” Seth pressed.

Ashriel felt his stomach tighten. His Anniel was at the palace.

“Err... did I say danger?”

Ashriel jumped to his feet and stalked forward. Seth and Natanael gripped his arms.

“Talk,” Ashriel snapped.

The Lizdrac frowned. “It’s nothing. The king is a big pervert. He’ll probably proposition all of you.”

Ashriel did not believe him. The creature was hiding something. He didn’t know what the flashing lights had to do with his reluctance to finish telling them what he had been about to, but the sooner they went to the palace, the better Ashriel would feel. He needed to see and hold Anniel. To hell with this mission. He wouldn’t put her life in danger.

“Follow me,” Mambri said walking toward the doors at the far end of the room they were in.

The double metal doors slid open and Ashriel’s steps faltered when he saw that it opened up to an arena.

The entire interior of the black orb was a hollow arena with hundreds if not thousands of metal tiers. There was an enormous stage floating in the center and 4D screens everywhere showing the different occupants strutting across the metal and glass disk-shaped stage. One humanoid, a silver-haired Merulian, threw off a glittering robe exposing a pale body. The creature had small pert breasts sitting high and tipped with pale pink nipples, and down between it’s legs was a stiff thick cock.

“Merulians are hermaphroditic,” Eriel whispered into Ashriel’s ear. “The first time I was fucked it was with a fine shemale specimen.”

Ashriel glared at Eriel. “I don’t want to know the details, thank-you.”

Eriel snorted. “You’re in love. Otherwise you’d see how good being on the receiving end is too.”

“Hurry,” Mambri hissed looking about as if he were afraid. “If they see you we’ll be mobbed. There’s no time to detour through the secret passages. Fucking palace officials.”

They scuttled faster, the fierce gargoyles crowding them from view.

A few paces forward, they turned and entered another set of metal doors, traversed a room that looked as made of pure gold and into a very wide metal tunnel.

Mambri signaled them to the ramp, his face dark with anger. “I hope you come back. I’m going to announce your arrival and state that you’re a guest of the king. He wouldn’t dare try anything stupid then.”

Ashriel gripped the Lizdrac’s throat and lifted him easily off his paws. “What danger is there at the palace?”

Everyone froze and Seth hissed, “Ash, let him go.”

“Talk,” Ashriel shouted into the Lizdrac’s rapidly darkening snout. He eased the hold he had on the lizard man’s neck so he could speak.

“King Dred likes to fuck his guests… and then eat them.”

Ashriel dropped Mambri and stared at Seth in horror.

Seth frowned. “She’s with Angel. She’ll be fine. They’re Alpha Angels.”

Ashriel shook his head. “We get them back and leave. I’ve had enough of this.”

Seth looked at him silently before nodding slowly. “Okay.”

***

Angel wiped Anniel’s brow with a cool wet cloth. The bed felt soft and the whole room scented of vanilla and lavender.

She’d stripped off all her clothing and wore nothing but a filmy white sheath.

“I can’t be pregnant, Angel. It’s too soon.”

“It only takes one drop of semen. I heard you howl all night long. It’s reasonable to assume the possibility of conception after fucking all night long.”

Anniel’s eyes snapped open, looking at Angel’s face in chagrin.

Angel smirked. “You and the reaper are louder than Devon and me.”

Anniel covered her face and groaned. “Oh, Angel. What am I going to do?”

“It seems you will be bearing a new baby in three months.”

Anniel gaped at Angel.

Angel’s eyes widened warily. “Ashriel is a reaper. His Seraphian blood is purer than a white-winged Seraph. His offspring will be Seraph. They take only three months of gestation before they are ready to be born.”

The memories of Gareth’s birth surfaced—her poor baby with one wing. He’d been so sick and weak at first.

Tears flowed down her cheek as her heart broke all over again over her lost child.

Angel snuggled up next to her and wiped the tears away.

“Please don’t cry, Anniel,” she said even as her own eyes shimmered.

“I won’t be able to bear losing another baby. I can’t go through that again.”

“We’ll protect the babies, Anniel. Devon will make sure no harm comes to them.”

“It’s my fault I lost Gareth. I should have stayed with him.”

“You didn’t know, Anniel,” Angel sniffled.

Princess Glory walked in from the bathing chamber. “What happened?”

Anniel rolled off the bed and walked to the edge of the glass dome of their chamber.

“She’s having a moment,” Angel sobbed.

“And why are you crying?”

Angel hiccupped. “I miss my Devon and Jazriel. And Annie lost her baby and she thinks she’s going to lose this one too.”

Anniel wiped her eyes and looked down. Over the edge of the metal plate they floated on, she could see the cityscape below. It looked silvery and shimmery and beautiful—everything she knew it was not.

A man clad in black from head to toe suddenly zipped in front of her on the other side of the glass. He had two wings made of metal and a large sledgehammer in his hand.

Anniel stared in shock at the face of the person covered with goggles and a full respirator gas mask. Her eyes widened in terror when he lifted his sledgehammer and swung. With a scream, she jumped back when the enormous sledgehammer struck the glass. The entire glass dome shook with the intensity of the blow.

It did not shatter, but she heard a sound similar to crackling electricity. The view of the sky distorted and became a glowing green again. Anniel saw the true view of Rhylos before her.

The metallic winged angel lifted his sledgehammer again.

Anniel ran back to Angel and Glory, huddling with them in terror.

Before the winged man could strike the glass again, a bright green beam engulfed him and he just vaporized before their horrified eyes.

More crackling filled the air and the glowing green sky turned a brilliant blue again.

“What the hell just happened?” Glory whispered.

“That must’ve been one of those freedom fighters you mentioned,” Anniel answered, still bewildered.

“Was he trying to break the glass?” Angel wondered aloud. “The contamination out there would have killed us.”

Anniel shook her head. “I think he just wanted to mess with the holographic imaging. If they really wanted to break the glass, they would have used something a bit more powerful than a sledgehammer…I think.”

A soft knock at the door had them turning. Angel rushed and opened the door. They had searched them to make sure no one had weapons, but Angel had a divine sword she could summon at will.

A young, timid girl stood on the other side of the door with a tray of food and drinks.

“I was bid to provide you with nourishment, since you were unable to finish your meal when the pretty dark girl became ill.”

Angel let her in. Anniel’s eyes narrowed, looking at the raven-haired girl. She looked awfully familiar—big doll-like blue eyes and long silky jet-black hair to her gently rounded hips.

“Alluna’s doll,” she whispered.

The girl looked up at Anniel blankly. It was her. The one Alluna called Rayne.

Anniel rushed to her and gripped her arm. “Oh-my-god, how did you get here?”

The girl panicked and fell to the floor screaming and crying. Thankfully, the tray laden with food and pitchers of drink remained floating.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Anniel said brushing back the long black tresses that covered her doll-like face. She wasn’t a doll. She was a real girl. A terrified one at the moment.

Glory and Angel helped Anniel lift the girl to her feet. Her entire body shivered.

“It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt you. Why are you so hysterical?”

“He’ll kill boy-Rayne and then he’ll eat me.” The girl ranted hysterically.

“What? Who’s boy Rayne?”

“He bid me to make sure you ate and took refreshment. He will know if I failed,” she wailed disconsolately. “Oh, my poor boy-Rayne.”

“Okay-okay,” Angel huffed reaching to grab a couple of white puffs. She shoved one into her mouth and gave the other one to Glory who did the same. “There. You see? We are eating.”

The girl sniffled, her lip still trembling. “And the drink—“

She stopped talking when Angel grabbed a pitcher and took a few gulps. She shoved the pitcher at Glory and glared down at the shivering girl. “Now speak. Who has threatened you and this boy of yours?”

“You’re Rayne,” Anniel said before she could say anything else. I remember you from Arboria. How did you get here? We looked all over for you, but you just disappeared.”

Rayne shook her head. “The monsters. They took me. They wanted to hurt me, but…master…he set me free.” Again, her tears flowed as she hung her head and wept silently now. “My beautiful master.”

Anniel’s eyes widened. “Master? Who’s your master?”

Rayne looked up, her shimmering blue eyes sad. “My master Lucien.”

Anniel’s jaw dropped.

To her horror, Angel crumpled to the floor, followed by Glory.

Screaming out in fear, she bent and tried to rouse them, but they were out cold.

“What did you give them?” she snarled, turning back to glare at the girl.

Rayne floated about two feet off the ground, her fingers scrabbling at a black collar around her neck that was clearly choking the life out of her.

“Rayne,” Anniel cried out, jumping up to grip the poor girl around the waist since she was so tiny.

Rayne’s face turned blue and her eyes rolled up in agony.

“Help,” Anniel screamed not knowing what else to do.

Her personal transport chair floated closer to her and a disembodied voice echoed throughout the room.

“My dear sweet Anniel. I would very much like to see you in my personal chambers. Please sit in your safety coach so that you may be transported to my rooms.”

“What did you do to my friends?” Anniel shouted, her eyes darting around the room frantically to see who was speaking while she tried to loosen Rayne’s collar.

“They only sleep, as would have you if you’d only listened to that foolish girl.”

Rayne made a gurgling sound and Anniel knew she was dying. “Stop, you’re killing her.”

The voice chortled. “She’s nothing but worthless trash. You should not worry yourself so about a whore.”

“I said let her go,” Anniel’s voice had gone deep, gruff with the onset of a shift. Her canines elongated and her flesh twitched.

The voice snickered malevolently. “If you shift, you will destroy the life growing inside you. Such a shame since it was put there by a very beautiful reaper.”

Anniel gasped and felt ready to be sick again. She panted through the nausea and the effort to keep her shift at bay.

She backed away horrified. Anniel’s eyes remained on the girl floating before her, as she pressed her hands protectively over her stomach. Her poor baby would not survive a shift.

Rayne reached out a hand to Anniel in supplication, her face dark blue.

“Please don’t kill her. I’ll do what you want.”

The voice laughed. “You’ll do what I ask regardless. But since you asked so nicely, I’ll spare the whore’s miserable life.”

Rayne was flung into Anniel’s chair. She coughed and gagged, now able to breathe again.

Anniel climbed in next to her and pulled the girl into her arms.

A glowing green bubble formed over the shell, sealing them within.

Anniel stared in horror as the shell zipped out of the room. She rocked Rayne in her arms, not knowing what else to do.

They flew through metal-ringed clear tubes before the shell dipped down into a tunnel. It was dark, but Anniel made out the metallic walls of the corridor. Soon they were rising at a fast rate until they surfaced in an enormous chamber at the very top of the palace.

The glowing green barrier disappeared and Anniel tried not to scream.

Before her was a mountain of green slime. It moved and rolled in a disgusting display. Tentacles slithered out of it and neared her.

“Stop. Get away from me,” she finally shrieked.

A head appeared in all that slime, with big black eye balls rolling around as if seeking purchase in all that snot.

“I just want to feel your soft flesh,” it said with a sticky mouth that dripped slime.

“Keep away from me,” Anniel cried out, curling her legs closer to her body when a few tentacles slithered up around the border of the shell. They were green but translucent and within their slimy depths, she saw a finger, part of a nose, a few loose teeth, and an eyeball.

Rayne tried to scream, but her voice was nothing but a hoarse croak. Still, Anniel did not miss “he’s going to eat us.”

They both shrieked when the slimy tentacles wrapped around Anniel’s ankles and slithered up her legs.

“I will share fluids with you, Anniel. I will taste the fruit of your womb.”

“No,” she screamed kicking her legs. The tentacles yanked her down until her ass hit the bottom of the coach and then spread her legs. When Rayne tried to beat the things off Anniel’s legs, one tentacle wrapped around the girl’s throat and began choking her again.

The blob of slime began to laugh. 

Rayne wriggled and fought, her eyes tearing as her face turned blue again from lack of air.

“No,” Anniel cried out. “Let her go, you bastard.”

“I’ve always wondered what a fetus would taste like within a pregnant females womb. I can stuff your pussy with my tentacle…fucking you while I devour your baby.” The hideous creature laughed.

“You sick bastard. Devon will kill you.”

“Who?”

An explosion of glass over Anniel’s head had her looking up.

He descended from the sky like an avenging angel.

But it wasn’t Ashriel.

One wing was as white as snow, the other made of glowing silver as if lit by white fire. His dark skin was wrapped with coils of metal and long dirty-blond dreads covered his head down to his waist. His eyes were covered by goggles and the bottom half of his face sported a respirator. He aimed his fists at the blob of slime and fired blasts of green fire.

The creature shrieked in pain, but Anniel’s face was spattered with what she assumed was its blood.

Her eyes felt as if they were on fire and she screamed in agony as she struggled to sit in the transport now that her legs were free..

“He escapes.” A feminine voice exclaimed. “Neo.”

“She’s been contaminated,” a deep demonic-sounding voice snarled.

Anniel began to gag as soon as she inhaled. Oh-god, her baby!

A big hand gripped the back of her neck and a respirator sealed over her face. Anniel clutched at the wrist of the person holding the respirator over her nose and mouth. She opened her tearing eyes to see who it was, seeing nothing but grey and black shadows that grew ever dimmer. A strange lethargy left her feeling weak, so much, that her body slumped against the solid form of the male Seraph holding her. She didn’t need to hear the rebel leader’s next words to know exactly what was wrong.

“She’s blind… and she’s been poisoned. She dies as I speak.”

Anniel let the dark swallow her, hoping that if there was an afterlife, little Gareth would be waiting for her on the other side. She had no idea what would become of her unborn child. He or she had barely existed for a day.

The last thing she was conscious of was strong arms cradling her and a gruff voice saying, “I will not let you die.”