Primal Sin (Primal Sin, #1)

by Ariana Nash

“Keep it… between us,” Mikhail said, his voice a soft, intimate whisper. “The others need not know.” Severn’s blank expression twitched. Oh how he despised this monster and dreamed night after night of killing him in all ways, but he too was not immune to Mikhail’s power or the starved reach of Severn’s own ability. Keeping his eyes closed and his head down, he funneled his thoughts away from how Mikhail stroked his jaw and of how that simple touch felt like something he could pull inside him and devour and poured it all into maintaining his illusion. An illusion built on lies, built on bones, and made stronger with every battle won.

“You assumed I’d want to be bonded to you, because who wouldn’t want the splendid Mikhail half inside them for the rest of their days?” Typical fucking angels. “What’s an eternity with a guardian angel sharing my soul, right? Surely anyone would want such an honor?” He liked how his words were slicing pieces of Mikhail’s haughty face. “Well, I’m not anyone.” “No, you’re not.” His deep voice rumbled. “You stole my choice.” “Yes, I did.” “You should have let me die.”

Mikhail pulled from the kiss, catching his breath to find the words to end whatever this was, but then Severn’s scandalous mouth was on his neck, his tongue a swirl and his teeth nipping, and Mikhail let his head fall back, openly inviting more of Severn’s sinful mouth on every part of him. Haven, if he was falling, let him fall, because nothing had ever felt so right.

A fist locked in Severn’s hair and yanked his head to the side. Mikhail’s mouth burned against Severn’s throat. “I need you,” the guardian whispered. “In ways I can’t make sense of.” The words revealed the melting heart of this stone-cold guardian, a male Severn had always despised, often feared, and could never feel anything but lust for.

Severn stumbled from the library, unsure if he’d go there, or where he’d go next. He wasn’t demon, not anymore. He was a ghost, a nameless phantom. He’d failed. Failed at everything. He was skree, and he loved his enemy. “I’m… angel,” he mumbled, falling into the elevator and slumping against its walls. “Angel…” Over and over, he said it, in time with the beat of his treacherous demon heart. “Angel… angel…” He’d lived the lies so long they’d become true.

“I fell the first time I saw you. I’ve been falling ever since. I fear I love you, Severn,” Mikhail’s voice thickened and quivered. “Since you broke into my ranks and demanded to fight me like you could fight the world.” I fear I love you, Severn. The name was wrong, and the jab of guilt struck at his heart, but he refused to be imprisoned by it. He was Severn now, Mikhail’s lover. Fate had made it so. “I’ve only loved you since Tuesday…” Mikhail’s eyes widened hilariously, the big angel’s heart so fragile. “So, I have some catching up to do.”

“The demon who destroyed half of Aerie is called Djall. She is ruthless and cold.” Like an angel, Severn silently added. But not his angel. His angel was a winged emotional disaster, and Severn loved him for it.

“I have to go find a cambion before you have them all killed.” Mikhail pulled himself back, impressively cutting off his desire. “They aren’t killed.” “Aren’t they?” “You believe something else?” “Do you honestly think the correctioners actually cure cambions?” “Yes. They report as much.” Backing toward the door, Severn smiled at his gullible angel. Mikhail didn’t lie, so naturally, he believed the humans didn’t either. Did he even understand the humans his kind so resolutely protected? Mikhail: so perfect, so terribly flawed. “We will talk more on this.”

Mikhail was so fucking beautiful, it hurt to look at him, like he wasn’t meant for mundane eyes or liars like Severn. But his life wasn’t a lie. Not anymore. All the lies were true now. He was angel, and there was no denying he loved the divine male looking at him with the same awe he felt. Nothing about any of this made sense, but love could not be quantified; it could not be pinned down or tied to rules. The cambion was right. The allyanse was an excuse. Love was just love, all at once simple and complicated. And damn, Severn loved this powerful angel, with his ridiculous naivety and ruthless streak, his restrained power and complete devotion. And the way he looked at Severn now, as though Severn were his whole world.