accompany the three of them to their home. They’ll probably try and book it while we sleep,” Brax said, fiddling with his phone some more.
“God, man, did you sleep at all?” Keer was the grouchiest out of the bunch, and he knew it.
“Angry Birds.”
“ What ?”
“I was up all night playing Angry Birds. It’s this free download game. Addicting as hell,” Brax said, not looking up. His dark-blue eyes were trained on the screen in his palm, his chocolate-brown hair Angelic Union
43
falling into his face every time he dipped his chin too low. Brax was lucky that the Elites didn’t have a uniform code that dealt with hair.
“Angry Birds Space is pretty cool, too. I wanted it, but I didn’t know if it would be cool to purchase it.” What the fuck ever. Weirdo.
“Axis, we’ve got movement. You want us to get up?” Keer asked, sitting up and nearly hitting his head on the desk he’d half laid under.
Damn. They really needed to get a bunk situation going when they got to their mates’ home. Jade and Axis stirred on the bed. Though Axis had offered to sleep on the floor, it was no place for their commander to rest nor his second, Jade. Keer had volunteered himself and Brax for floor duty.
“Yeah,” a groggy Axis said from the bed. He was not a morning person. Never had been. “Everyone get uniforms on and ready to—” A soft knock interrupted his sentence. Every Elite in the room inhaled sharply at the smell of nephilim and fallen on the other side of the door. Keer’s body gave a visceral reaction guaranteed to get him pummeled by the overprotective fallen if he saw it. Marius’s growling countenance was sexy.
It was Marius’s head that popped around the corner as the door was opened. “Hi,” he greeted. “Did I wake you guys?”
“We were just about to rise, Marius,” Axis rumbled, his black hair roughed up from a sleepless night. “Good morning.” Keer was surprised when Marius ducked through the door and his two lovers followed him. The smallest one, the pretty blond, Levi, closed the door behind them. Yesterday they’d been furious with them, treating them like plague. And today they were coming en masse into the room they’d stuck them in?
“Good morning,” Marius murmured. He still didn’t look thrilled, but at least he was tolerating the presence of the four of them. “I spoke with Uriel last night.” The mention of the archangel had Keer perking up. Heavenly interference was something that none of them had been expecting. They expected a much worse battle to their mating.
44
Jana Downs
“Oh? And what did Lord Uriel have to say?” Axis asked carefully.
Marius’s forest-green eyes were trained on Axis, but he shifted nervously. “That I can have redemption.”
Keer sucked in a breath. Redemption was excellent news for a fallen angel. It was an opportunity that was rarely granted to those who had fallen out of favor with the Archangels.
“That is wonderful news, Marius. I had hoped that the heavens would grant you that hope. You have watched your lovers diligently since the beginning of your journey together,” Axis said, the genuine warmth in his expression blazing like the sun.
Keer found it difficult to feel such happiness for the men who’d rejected them so thoroughly. His pride had been wounded by the scene at their wedding, especially since he hadn’t protested the wedding not including them to begin with. He’d supported his mates, been happy to stand by their side as they celebrated their love. Then they’d acted like they had viral plague when the angels had been assigned as their guardians. Marius had assumed their assignment to the threesome was only for the two nephilim. He’d been wrong.
Marius continued. “He said that I was supposed to join the Elites.”
“That is a matter for the seraphim,” Axis said. “Ours is not a volunteer order.”
“I am aware.” Marius sounded much surlier than he had the moment before.
Keer rolled to his