Angelic Union (2 page)

“It’ll work out,” Michel said firmly as they stood and began to follow the guests back toward the reception area. “Marius was worrying over how to protect Levi and Erik when he was injured on the flight over. Perhaps this will be an answer for them.”

“Still think it’s shitty,” Bren growled.

“Agreed,” Dex seconded, dropping an arm around Madigan’s shoulders as they walked. Cross remained quiet for a minute before he spoke.

“We will support them if they need it, but I don’t think we can do anything to fix it. There is enough on our plates as is.” Madigan nodded in agreement even as he wished there was something he could do to make it all better. Marius, Levi, and Erik had been his only friends since joining this world of angels, and he
12

Jana Downs

hated that he was helpless to assist them as a new problem was dropped into their laps.

Angelic Union

13

Marius was furious. The anger was etched into every line of his normally handsome face. Levi worried his bottom lip as Erik held onto Marius’s hand for the sheer sake of keeping him from hitting someone, namely their fathers. Levi didn’t know exactly what had happened just now, but he knew it was something awful.

“It’s our wedding, Mar. You gotta calm down.” Erik was whispering, but Levi could hear him all the same. “You’re always worried about our protection. Well, now we have four extra bodyguards to help you out with that.”

The wedding present that Levi’s father Perc had given the threesome was four Elite Guardian angels to assist Marius in guarding the two half-angels he protected. On the surface the wedding present looked perfectly legitimate. Hunters, a radical faction of angels, sought to kill all half-angels, known as nephilim, that they could.

They viewed them as an abomination, and Levi had found out firsthand a few years ago how deep that hatred ran. The burn scars that decorated his back were clear evidence of it. So the fact that Perc and Desc, Erik’s father, were giving them guardian angels made sense. However, even Levi, as naive as he knew he was, could see the not-so-subtle dig at Marius. Not many angels tolerated the fallen.

When their fathers had accepted the invitation to their wedding, Levi had thought that they might try. He’d been wrong.

“They’re never going to replace you, Marius. We married you.

We’re in love with you. No one can take that away.” Erik’s calm words didn’t detract from the veritable line of tension that Levi could see in his aura. The ability to see auras was a trick Levi had always
14

Jana Downs

been able to use, and it served him well to note the emotions of the people around him. Levi sighed heavily as he watched Marius’s aura darken as his fears were spoken.

“They want you to choose them over me.” Marius spat the words.

He looked downright sinister now in his black suit and with a vicious look in his eyes. Levi never forgot that Marius was just one step up from being a demon. He didn’t play by the same rules other angels did, and if he thought that the Elites were going to threaten their relationship, he wouldn’t hesitate to take action for it. Unfortunately, it would also damn his soul. The idea made Levi sick.

“We won’t do that. Please, Mar, calm down. You’re going to spoil the wedding for Levi. He wanted this, remember?” Erik dangled the flag effectively. The one thing that was guaranteed to calm Marius down in a hurry was the idea of hurting Levi. Whereas Erik and Marius could argue and scream and fight each other on practically everything, they both treated Levi as if he were a precious porcelain object. It was a wonderful change from how Levi was used to being treated, but he still didn’t like to be used like a choke collar.

“We all wanted it, Erik,” Levi said, reaching out with both of his hands. They reached out to him in unison, each taking one of his hands. He was small even compared to Erik, who was medium height, and both of their hands swallowed his. It may have made him sound weak, but he liked the differences in their sizes. He’d always had a thing for overpowering men, and he got that in spades from his two lovers.

They stood on either side of him, Marius in black, Erik in white that matched Levi. Both had on the pale-pink ties that Levi had picked out. Both wanted their happily ever after to begin. Marius was a good foot taller than Erik with pale-white hair that had a green tinge to it, like a white rose, pale-white skin the color of milk, and green eyes.

His hair color matched his wings almost exactly when he had them out. They were invisible to the guests at present thanks to a makeshift rune placement that had been sewn onto Marius’s back. Where
Angelic Union

15

Marius was pale, Erik was tan, displaying his mother’s Latina heritage, no doubt. He had dark-brown hair and teddy-bear-brown eyes.

Levi glanced behind him at the still-silent guardian angels dressed in their black and navy uniforms, silver sabers at their sides, and realized that they may have hit yet another bump in getting to that happily ever after. They’d moved to the town of Titanvelle, or Urun as the angels called it, more or less a week ago but had been planning the move here for months. Marius had already purchased them a house in one of the better neighborhoods that surrounded the city of sanctuary’s epicenter and had the entire thing decorated when they’d arrived. The rambling colonial was everything that Levi had ever wished for in a house as a little kid. But beyond the sheer aesthetic appeal of the house, the fact that it was in a town of sanctuary had made the location infinitely appealing. Founded by an archseraphim for his two nephilim lovers, the city was a celestial neutral ground, a haven for those who were seeking refuge from the hunters. It had been the one place in the world where Levi had felt safe.

“We’re going to enjoy tonight, angel,” Erik said in his ear.

“Nothing is going to spoil it. We’re going to go into the reception hall and cut our wedding cake and act like everything is just fine.”

“Until we go home and have to let them ride with us.” Marius snarled from Levi’s left. Levi squeezed the fallen angel’s hand.

“We will redefine normal, lover man,” Levi said, his usual optimism rearing its head. “They might not be so bad.”

“If your fathers hadn’t planned on you sleeping with them, I might say you’re right. As is, I frankly don’t give a flying fuck.” Marius was in a hell of a mood if that was the attitude he was assuming.

Levi’s heart fell. He’d just wanted one day, just one, one day of perfect and absolute happiness. It had started out so good! They’d woken up to presents from Marius, two beautiful teardrop necklaces of sapphire that had been mined by Marius himself along with a note that said simply “Something Blue,” which Levi had found beyond
16

Jana Downs

adorable. Their friends, Madigan and his five guardians, had made them breakfast and escorted Erik and Levi to the beautiful historic hotel where they’d be spending their wedding night, and the day had gone according to plan. Until his and Erik’s fathers had decided to ruin it by pissing Marius off.

“Hey, beautiful. Don’t make that face. I’m sorry for yelling. It just makes me mad that they are trying to manipulate us that way.” The apology was unexpected from Marius, but then again, the fallen angel was a sucker for Levi and Levi knew it.

“I’m sorry, too. I just…want everything to be okay.” Levi felt shame burn him up as tears flooded his eyes.

“I will promise you that we will do as little as possible to interfere in your life, little one. We are to protect you and comfort you, not make life difficult for you.” One of the guardians stepped forward, the black-haired one with the most vibrant green eyes Levi had ever seen.

“My name is Axis.”

“No one asked you, asshole,” Marius snapped, his face darkening in rage. “You need to shut the fuck up and get away from my lover.”

“Marius, please, stop yelling,” Levi begged, beginning to cry.

Most of their guests had gone up to the reception hall at the hotel, but there were a few that were lingering near the outskirts of the clearing.

He just didn’t want to deal with this in front of everyone.

Axis held up his hands in surrender. “I apologize. I thought to alleviate the little one’s concerns, but you are obviously handling it, fallen.”

Levi took his hand from Erik’s grip and stuck a single finger in Axis’s face. “I will not tolerate you making Marius feel bad about anything that concerns me. He works really hard to make me and Erik happy.”

The guardian looked startled for a second before a slow grin stretched over his face. “My apologies, little one.” His eyes flicked in Marius’s direction. “The fallen is a little harder to love than you are, but I will make every effort to be agreeable for him.”
Angelic Union

17

Marius’s eyes widened. “Fuck. You.”

“Not yet, Marius. Soon enough, though.”

* * * *

Levi was so glad when the reception was over that he could’ve melted into bed. The tension had ebbed somewhat during the course of dinner and the dancing afterward, but he could still feel Marius’s stress despite the jovial atmosphere. The cake that Madigan had made for them had been absolutely breathtaking and had tasted just as perfect. He was going to make a mint at his bakery once he got everything arranged to open. It had been white with pink sugar cherry blossoms and delicate green sugar lace that had been exactly what Levi and Erik had asked for. If only Marius hadn’t been so melancholy throughout, he might’ve enjoyed it better.

Erik opened the hotel with the sliding key that the reception desk had given them, and Levi immediately sank into the high-backed chair that was just inside the entrance as soon as he was allowed into the room.

Marius stomped into the room behind them, yanking off his tie as he went. Levi was surprised he didn’t choke himself on the thing as he twisted it around his neck. If it hadn’t been for Erik, Levi never would’ve gotten his tied this morning.

“Where are we to go?” Axis asked as he came into the room just before Marius slammed the door. The other guardians waited in the hallway.

Marius whirled around and stalked up to the angel, getting close enough that their faces were separated by only an inch or two of space. “It’s my fucking wedding night, champ. Go fuck yourself for all I care, but get out of my God damn room.” Levi winced at Marius’s phrasing and was surprised when Axis didn’t back down.

18

Jana Downs

“I have a mission here, Marius. Whether you like it or not. I need to know where you want us. That’s all. I’m not asking to join you. I’m not asking for favors. I’m asking you where my men can get some sleep, considering we flew over nine hours to get here.” Axis voice was even, but his tone was deadly. Levi’s heart went out to him for flying so far, but if he didn’t step in, there was going to be trouble.

“We have the whole suite. Why don’t you let them stay in the spare bedroom?” Levi suggested, hoping some of the hostility would fade if he offered a small suggestion.

“And let them listen to us fuck all night? Not likely,” Marius snapped. Levi winced and curled up in the chair, wrapping his arms around his knees as he did so. He hated fighting. He hated it worse than anything. All this was leading to was one big confrontation in which Marius was going to get permanently exiled from heaven and turned into a demon. While it wasn’t unheard of that the irredeemable found redemption, it wasn’t as easy and came with impulses that were hard to control. Levi’s eyes began to water.

“Please, Marius, please let them stay. I don’t want you to fall forever.” The idea of Marius being less than he was seemed unacceptable. The angelic part of Levi ached to help him find his faith again. He’d been healing him and Erik little by little, but tonight might’ve wrecked it all. The way Marius had explained it, Elite Guardians were given as a high honor, and to refuse meant a refusal of angelic assistance. For a fallen that meant a rejection of heaven. It would drop Marius’s status from being fallen to being demonic, and the change seemed horrifying.

Marius made a noise of frustration and turned from Axis to sink into the floor at Levi’s feet. “I don’t know what you want me to do, Levi! I can’t fix this! God damn it, I want to make it better, but I don’t know how!”

“Can’t you see this as a gift? Forget the reasons that our fathers gave us the guardians and find the good despite it. You’re always
Angelic Union

19

saying how you wished that you had more people around to protect Erik and me—”

“I didn’t mean right this fucking second!”

Levi pushed on, shaking as the emotions inside him boiled over.

“You wished this into existence, so you’re going to have to deal with it.”

Levi was a huge believer in fate. If something was meant to happen, it would, regardless of what they did to prevent it. He reached out and cupped his lover’s cheek. He knew the reason this was hitting Marius so hard was because the big fallen was two things, a control freak and immensely insecure when it came to his fallen status. He swaggered around easily enough, but when it came down to it, he was ashamed that he wasn’t one of the favored angels anymore.