HIS QUEEN

Chapter 7: Acceptance

-ANNA-

I release a heavy sigh as I gaze up at the full moon and stars from my position on top of the mausoleum roof. This was my and Liam’s usual spot to meet when we wanted to talk and not be interrupted. It was about an equal distance from both our homes and nobody really came to a graveyard at night...maybe an occasional witch or vampire but it was rare. I lay down, closing my eyes and placing my hands behind my head.

I knew my days in The Mortal Realm were numbered now that I was officially the mate of Lucifer. He would be dragging me down to Hell at some point to rule our kingdom. Ridiculous. I’m not even eighteen yet. Plus, what do I know about being a queen? Let alone know about ruling over Hell and The Underworld? And he wants babies...I’m not ready for that, to be a young mother. How many kids is he talking about? One? Two? Twenty? I know some types of demons prefer large families. Does he expect me to be a stay at home mom? And have a dinner plate in my hand when he comes home from a hard day of torturing souls? That’s not me. I frown. So many questions...

Although I didn’t hear him make any noise, I knew Liam was beside me. I open my eyes to see Liam with his hands on his knees bending over me with a charming smile on his handsome face.

“Rough day?” He asks me. More like rough week.

“You have no idea.” I say as he sits down beside me, laying down and placing his hands behind his head.

“Mmmm. It’s been a while since we’ve got to do this.” Liam says as he gazes up at the moon.

“I know. We’ve both been busy. How was your trip to The Deadlands?” I ask him. The Deadlands is a region located in The Underworld. Liam is a vampire who works as an Enforcer for the Vampires Council. He’s like the right hand man for them and often has to take trips to The Underworld to complete tasks for them.

“Long and boring.” He sighs. “It was a straightforward mission. Hunt and kill.”

“You should tell the council you would appreciate more of a challenge.” I giggle. He’s always complaining about how easy his tasks are.

Liam turns his head to look at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his. “You think that would work?”

“Maybe. What does a four hundred year old vampire find challenging?” I ask him.

He pretends to look thoughtful. “There isn’t much, but I wouldn’t mind fighting a dragon.”

I roll my eyes. “A dragon that can set your ass on fire with a mere sneeze and then you’re a pile of ash.”

Liam chuckles. “Hence the challenge.” I’ve known Liam since I was ten years old. We met one day while I was roaming The Underworld by myself, you know me, always putting myself in troubling situations. I happened to catch the attention of some of the low class demons and Liam had to save me. We’ve been best friends ever since. “So, what have you been up to?” He asks me. I spend the next hour filling him in on everything that has happened to me in the last month, minus the details of Lucifer. I wanted Liam’s honest answer before I brought up the fact that our King was in fact my future baby daddy. Liam was a firm believer in loyalty to the King as were most vampires, demons, and other supernatural creatures. I knew the moment he found out I was mated to the Dark Lord, Liam’s loyalty would override the unbiased answers I was looking for.

“So,” I say, trying to bring up the topic as nonchalantly as possible. “What do you know about mates?”

I watch as his dark brow furrows. “Mates in general?”

No, I knew the general information. “Fated mates, specifically.”

Liam hums then says, “Fated mates is the strongest bond in the supernatural world. Nothing can compare to it. Every supernatural being desires to find their fated mate. The one who will complete them in every way.” He paused for a moment. “Once the bond is complete between the two, their power grows stronger. Emotions, feelings are intensified. There’s nothing one wouldn’t do for their fated mate.”

I thought about his words. “So there’s no way to avoid the attraction between the two?”

Liam chuckles. “Nope. The more they are around each other, the stronger the attraction becomes...soon enough there is no resisting...it’s just a waste of energy.”

I purse my lips together. “What about love?”

Liam raises an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“We all know that certain types of supernaturals, for example demons, are rumored to be incapable of love.” I wanted to know. I would hate to let myself fall for a guy that couldn’t love me back. Even though I couldn’t see myself loving Lucifer right now, there was a chance down the road it might happen. I wanted to be prepared.

“Ah! That would be true but in the case of fated demon mates, love exists. That’s one of the most beautiful things about the fated mate bond. Even the supernatural beings without souls may love.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise and stare up at the moon again. “Is there a way to break a fated mate bond?” I hated to ask because the fated mate bond was so special, but I had to keep my options open.

Liam chuckles. “Not that any sane person would want to, but death is the only way to break the fated mate bond.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. I may be sane but I’m also desperate. Only problem was that if I did die, I would end up in Hell anyways with my current standing on the ever growing list of sins. Lucifer would win either way.

“What brought up all these questions about fated mates? Did some hot young man come and try to claim you as his fated mate?” Liam asks in a joking manner.

I stay silent, which makes Liam lean up on his elbow and look at me with a frown on his face. “Anna?”

“Something like that.” I reply quietly. Hot, yes. Young, no. Man s***h, demon god s***h, archangel thingamajig. How else would you categorize him?

Liam sat up all the way and was looking down at me in disbelief. “You’re joking?”

I sigh. “I wish I was.” You know, even though I wasted my time with Mitch, I could always see myself with Liam. He was a pure blood vampire, meaning he was born a vampire. He had short dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes, pale skin, and the body of Greek god. Plus, he was intelligent, sweet, and funny...all wrapped up in an adorable package. Problem was, I wasn’t willing to ruin our friendship if he didn’t feel the same way.

I could tell he was replaying our conversation over in his head. “He’s a demon?”

“Part demon.” I say, although I’m sure he prefers to leave the archangel part out since he loathes Heaven.

He looks at me with confusion. “Like a hybrid? Who is it?” Being as old as Liam is, he would know the majority of the names in The Underworld. I can see him mentally filing through all the hybrid demons.

I sigh. “Lucifer.”

Liam’s eyes widen in shock. “Lucifer? As in the Dark Lord? Our King!?”

“Yep.” I say popping the ‘p’. He’s staring ahead blankly but the emotions on his face are clear as day. Sadness. Anger...regret? What could he possibly regret?

“You’re sure that you’re fated mates?” He asks, finally breaking the silence.

“Yes. Aunt Beatrice did a mate link spell. There was an infinity symbol wrapped around me and Lucifer. It’s a legit bond.” I reply softly.

Liam rubs the back of his neck.“Damn.”

“Tell me about it.” I sigh.

“So what happens now?” Liam asks frowning.

“I honestly don’t know. I imagine he’ll want to take me to Hell.” I shrug. “I’ve honestly brushed everything off he’s said the last few days because I didn’t really think he was the King and he was full of shit.”

Liam nods. “If he does, I’ll come visit you.”

I smile. “You will?” The way the four realms worked was like the stack of a ham and cheese sandwich. The top piece of bread was Heaven, the slice of cheese was The Mortal Realm, the slice of ham was The Underworld, and then the last piece of bread was Hell. Only celestials and the souls pure of sin could enter Heaven. The Mortal Realm was a free for all, however, the celestials would not allow supernaturals and demons to threaten humanity into extinction and they would step in when necessary. The Underworld was the haven for all demons and supernaturals who didn’t want to live in The Mortal Realm. And then there was Hell, where most high ranked demons lived and worked under the King, doing his bidding and ensuring the proper treatment of the damned souls. Supernaturals could travel to Hell freely but couldn’t stay for days on end because it was in fact, Hell. Where the dead and damned reside. It would eventually begin to affect the living that stayed in Hell too long. However, vampires were technically dead so it wouldn’t affect Liam.

He gave me a small smile. “Of course! This doesn’t change the fact that you’re my friend, Anna.”

We both stand up and I hug him. “Thank you!” He wraps his muscular arms around me tightly. After a moment, I feel his body stiffen. I furrow my brow in confusion as he pulls away from me.

He looks down at me with an unreadable expression then forces a small smile. “We will talk later, okay?”

“Okay. Is everything alright?”

“Yes. Just remember, I’m always here for you.” He says, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. “No matter who your mate is.”

~~~~~~

-ANNA-

After Liam and I said our goodbyes, I made my way to the exit of Parkview Cemetery. I was so lost in my thoughts about the conversation I just had with Liam, I didn’t realize I had company until I was almost to my car.

Lucifer was casually leaning against the car, with his hands in the pockets of his pants. “Did the bloodsucker give you the information you wanted?”

I stopped a few feet in front of him. Of course he heard our conversation with his heightened hearing. The bastard was probably reading our minds too. I scowl at him. “What are you doing here?”

Lucifer pushed off the car and stood. “Obviously, I’m checking on my mate.”

“I don’t need a babysitter.”

Lucifer chuckles. “No but you need someone to keep you out of trouble...according to your aunts.”

I roll my eyes. “I can handle my own trouble, thank you very much.” Then something occurred to me. “Did you say something to Liam?” It would explain why Liam was acting strange before we parted ways.

Lucifer closes the distance between us, stopping a mere foot away from me. “If by something, you mean get your bloody f*****g hands off my mate before I rip your f*****g arms off, then yes. I said something.”

I gawk at him. Is he serious? The glare I’m now fixing on him is hot enough to set fire to his expensive ass suit. “You can’t just go around threatening my friends.”

“You’ll find out that I can do whatever I bloody want, especially when it concerns my mate.” I notice a muscle tick in cheek as he clenches his jaw. “Did you happen to notice the change in your friend when you told him that I was your mate?”

I drop my glare and think about his question. Liam didn’t look happy.

“Exactly.” Lucifer replies. “Do you know why that is?”

I don’t respond. I didn’t have an answer.

“Let me fill you in, love. Your friend is upset because now you are off limits. He is angry at himself because he wanted to claim you and turn you into a vampire. He regrets not turning you sooner.”

I process the words. Apparently, Liam did like me more than a friend, not that that matters now.

“In fact, the only reason that the bloodsucker still lives after touching you is because he is a valuable asset to me in regards to his work with the Vampires Council.” Lucifer continues. “That and he’s knows he lost his chance with you, now that I’m in the picture.”

Yeah, that sounds like Liam. Loyal to the King. Sacred fated mate bond. Blah, blah, blah. “So, is this your approval of me and Liam as friends?” Not that I needed it.

Lucifer studies me for a moment before answering. He releases a sigh. “The vampire is a powerful ally and cares for you very much. Despite his affection towards you, he is loyal and will protect you. Therefore, I approve of his friendship as long as he keeps his hands to himself.”

Well, I hug my friends so...

“Don’t push your luck.” Lucifer says, reading my mind then holds his hand out towards me, palm up.

I raise an eyebrow as I look at his hand. “What?”

“Keys.”

I raise both eyebrows. “I don’t think so.”

“Keys.” He says again.

Like hell I’m giving him my keys! I resist the childish urge of sticking my tongue out at him and instead try walking around him to the car. Of course, I realize my mistake as soon as I feel his arm wrap around my waist as yank me to his chest. I struggle against him,my back was pressed to his front...his very hard and well muscled front. Ignoring the pleasant sensation from touching him, I continue to struggle and wiggle attempting to get out of his grasp...which was utterly pointless against his demon strength.

“Although I do enjoy the feeling of your body moving against mine, if you continue to rub up against me like that, I will end up taking you here on the car.” He breathes huskily in my ear.

I stop moving immediately and he chuckles. I hated giving into him so easily, but I didn’t know if he was joking or not. A little PDA is okay, however, full on f*****g in public, with the Devil of all people, is not something I relish the idea of. “I need my hands so I can get the keys. They’re in a pocket in my pants.” I say since he had my arms locked across my chest by one of his.

“Hmmm.” He hums and I suddenly feel his free hand caressing the side of my stomach moving towards my hip.

“What are you doing!?” I exclaim.

“Retrieving the keys.” He replies a matter of factly while sensually caressing the side of my hip at an agonizing slow pace before sliding his hand into the front of my jeans, where he pauses his movement. “Found them.” I’m trying to hold in the moan threatening to spill out of me as his hand skims over my bare stomach where my shirt rode up. He pulls the keys out of my pocket. Skin on skin is a terrible idea with him. Anywhere he touches me sends pleasurable warmth flooding through my body, making my desire shoot through the roof. He lets me go and I turn to walk around him, heading towards the car.

I release a yelp when his hand connects with my ass cheek. I rub the now tingling spot with my hand and scowl at him over my shoulder.

Lucifer chuckles as he walks around the car. “I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you in the diner.”

Yeah, well, the idea of throat punching you has come across my mind several times since I’ve met you but I’ve resisted. I climb in the passengers side of the car the same time he climbs in the drivers side and shuts the door. He turns the car on and looks at me expectantly. “What?”

“Seatbelt.”

“No thanks.” I always wear my seatbelt but I’m secretly hoping that he’s a terrible driver and we wreck, putting me in a coma for the rest of my life. That way, I don’t end up in Hell for awhile and he hopefully moves passed all this fated mate business.

Lucifer smirks at me, telling me that he read my thoughts and found them amusing. Then my jaw drops as he leans over and fastens the seatbelt over me. I stare at him in shock. “There’s no way you’re the Devil.”

Lucifer smirks again. “Oh I’m the Devil, baby, but even the Devil ensures his Queen’s safety.”

Even the Devil ensures his Queen’s safety, I say in my head while doing a terrible impression of him. Lucifer begins to chuckle. “Oh, how I do love your sassiness, my Queen.”

~~~~~

-ANNA-

“What are we doing here?” I ask as Lucifer parks the car in the parking lot of Si Senor, my favorite authentic Mexican restaurant.

Lucifer turns the car off and begins getting out of the car. When I don’t move he bends down and looks at me. “You haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

I purse my lips together. He’s right. Amongst all the madness this evening I never got a chance to eat. “So what is this? A date?” I ask climbing out of the car and shutting the door.

“Don’t be daft. I wouldn’t be taking my Queen on a date to a low class establishment such as this.” He says while walking towards the entrance.

“Hey, this low class establishment is my favorite and the food is amazing!” I say, feeling the need to defend my favorite restaurant in town.

Lucifer raises an amused eyebrow as he opens the door for me. “I know it’s your favorite. That’s why we’re here.”

Who knew the Devil could be a gentleman? I muse as he holds the door open for me. “How did you know this place is my favorite?”

“Earlier in the girls locker room.”

“Oh you mean you read my thoughts while I was trying to avoid burning the school down in my fit of rage.”

Lucifer smiles and it makes my heart flutter. He is too handsome for his own good. “Precisely.”

The hostess sat us in a booth and then left but not before giving Lucifer a look over. He didn’t seem to notice. Either that or he didn’t care as his attention was on me.

Alberto came to the table with a bowl of chips and salsa for us. “Aye! Anna, so good to see you again.” The Mexican gestures to Lucifer. “Are you on a date? I have to say, he’s much better looking than that boy you were with.”

I groan. “It’s not a date.”

Lucifer chuckles. “No, me and my fiancé are just here having a lovely dinner. Isn’t that right, darling?”

I wish I could have hidden my shock but I was caught too off guard. I glance at Alberto who looked just as shocked as I was. He looked at Lucifer before looking at me and saying in surprise, “Fiancé?”

I can’t say I blame him. After all, it was only two weeks ago after I had discovered Mitch cheating on me that I came in here with the girls and drowned my sorrows in a pint of cheese dip. Alberto knew the story of Mitch, he even paid for my meal that day. “Yes, I am his...fiancé.” I say with uncertainty. Oh boy, I would have taken drama in school if I would have known I’d be acting this much later in my life.

Alberto gives another quick look at Lucifer before shrugging. “What may I get you to drink?”

We place our drink orders and Alberto leaves the table for us to look over the menu.

“Fiancé?” I say raising an eyebrow.

Lucifer shrugs. “How else would you explain our relationship to mortals?”

Hmmm. He had a point. I’m sure explaining being his fated mate would go over well. I already knew what I wanted, being a veteran of this place, so I took the opportunity to study the man sitting across from me as he was busy looking for something to eat. I lower the menu I was holding slightly to get a better look at him. Damn, he is hot. Inhumanly beautiful. It’s no surprise he was an angel. I’ve heard all angels are inhumanly gorgeous, though I’ve never seen one other than Lucifer to confirm it. He had his short black hair styled like he had the night I first met him. Parted on the side then combed back on the other. I watch as his dark, captivating eyes scan over the menu. In this lighting, they almost look black. His eyelashes are thick and dark like mine, making it look like he is wearing eyeliner, which he isn’t. His sculpted cheekbones and nose look sharp enough to cut, only partially softened by the black stubble he wore. My eyes stop at his full, inviting lips. I can’t believe I almost kissed those. I’ve got to get a hold of myself and not let this mate bond rule me. Even though, I bet kissing him is euphoric...amongst doing other things with him. My eyes drift down to the piece of his chest exposed by the two open buttons at the top of his dress shirt. Pale, muscular...no chest hair though. I wonder if that means he’s all smooth or he has chest hair further down. Either way, it’s sexy. I can’t imagine him looking like a grizzly bear under his clothes...which is gross.

Lucifer’s eyes meet mine over his menu. I immediately blush and look at my menu, staring at it blankly. Yes, you just got caught checking him out, Anna! You’re so sneaky...not! If he noticed me checking him out, he chose not to comment. Thankfully, Alberto came back with our drinks. After we placed our orders, Alberto left once again.

I pick up a chip and dip it into the homemade salsa. I can’t help but moan. Sooo goooood!

Lucifer smirks. “If food can make you moan like that, I can’t wait to see how you moan for me.”

I pick up a chip, dip it into the salsa and offer it to him. “Try it.”

He eyes the chip in my hand before taking it from me. I watch eagerly for his reaction as he takes a bite. Damn, he even makes eating look sexy. I raise an eyebrow waiting for his opinion.

He nods in approval. “Alright. It’s pretty good. I’ll give you that.”

“Not bad for a low class establishment, eh?”

Lucifer grabs another chip, dips it in the salsa and eats it. “As my Queen, I’ll only give you the very best of everything.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, as my King, I’ll gladly treat you to low class establishments with delicious food.”

Lucifer chuckles. “I suppose we will have to alternate who’s in charge of date night then.”

I pop another chip and salsa into my mouth. “Looks like it.” It’s odd to think about going on a date with him, like a normal couple. I guess even the Devil can do normal couple things. “So,” I say. He looks at me expectantly, like he knows I’m about to bombard him with questions. “When are you taking me to Hell?”

“It won’t be until after your birthday. You’ll need to ascend first.”

I nod in response. So that gives me an idea on how long I have to enjoy my life in The Mortal Realm. I should have realized I would need to ascend first. Ascending is a term used for natural born witches and warlocks. Basically, when they turn eighteen they ascend and their power doubles, sometimes they even gain abilities like teleporting.

“Do you have wings?” Excuse my curiosity. There is lore about him having and not having wings. Since he is technically my other half, I feel I have the right to know some of the more personal stuff.

Lucifer smirks at my question. “No, love. I cut them off myself after I was kicked from Heaven.”

“Is Heaven a sensitive topic for you?”

“Not when it is you asking, no.” He pauses and pops another chip dipped in salsa in his mouth. I’m starting to think I may have created a monster when it comes to chips and salsa. “When I found out I had fated mate, I vowed that I would be open and honest with you about everything in hopes you would do the same for me.”

“Well it’s not like I can hide anything from you since you have a lazyboy chair reserved in the corner of my mind.” He smirks at my comment. “Speaking of mind reading...you can teleport. What other abilities do you have?”

“I do a little of this, a little of that...” I watch in amusement as he ate another chip covered in salsa. “Fire creation and manipulation, fire immunity, reading minds, teleporting, darkness, and several others.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Darkness?”

Lucifer smiles wickedly before winking at me. “I’ll show you sometime.”

Well, he certainly struck every curious bone in my body.

“Do you have any ex lovers I need to worry about trying to kill me now that you have made us...official?” I think it’s a necessary question. It’s better to be prepared my Aunt Beatrice always says.

Lucifer pops another chip and salsa into his mouth before answering. “No. I don’t have any ex lovers.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. “You sure? Because you probably having the longest shag list in history.” I say using the British slang, making his lips curl up in an amused smirk.

“I’ve never had a lover. They were all just a means to satisfy my needs. Nothing more.”

“You do realize that they might not have thought about it that way, right? People develop feelings...” Someone is obviously in denial of other people’s feelings...that or he just doesn’t care.

“I’ve never had an emotional attachment to anyone...other than you.” He states sharply. “Besides, if anyone I have shagged,” he emphasizes the word, making me grin. “Becomes an issue, I will take care of it.”

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m sure I can handle any of his scorned lovers but I’m not looking forward to seeing a line of people outside my house trying to give me a piece of their mind about my and Lucifer’s relationship. I’m not into that kind of drama.