Marcus stood outside of Terry's house, gazing up at Stella's window. Mila was there, playing unicorns with Stella. Visiting Stella was always part of the plan, but after Dallas's threat, Mila told Marcus she was going to stay the night for at least the next several nights but possibly permanently. While she appreciated Marcus helping her, she wouldn't put it past Dallas to follow through on his threats and she wasn't taking any chances with her baby sister.

Marcus was supposed to be up there with them. When she looked at him after their intimate moment in the apartment and asked him to go with her, he couldn't say no. Even after the reason he was gone from her earlier in the day and didn't see her message about flying her home. He intended to show up at her work early and see her home, spend the night with her and her family, but plans changed when visitors showed up at Kat and Nex's house.

Gabriel liked being in the same room with Lilith just about as much as she enjoyed being in the same room with him. They stayed far apart from each other but sported similar disapproving positions with their arms crossed. Gabriel's expression was reprimanding but Lilith's was full of annoyance.

"Did we not learn our lesson the first time?" Lilith spat.

"It worked out for us," Nex shrugged. Lilith glared at him. He ignored her.

"Marcus," Gabriel said, his tone scolding as Marcus reluctantly met the angel's gaze. "You should've taken my offer. Now you've made the situation worse."

"It's not that it's worse, it's that he didn't desist like he was told to," Lilith growled, her eyes glowing as red as her temper flared. "Do I need to kill this little bitch to make my point clear?"

"You will not," Gabriel said, giving her a side-glance, "bring harm to the human or her family. There are other ways to settle this."

"Clearly your way hasn't worked because he's still here fucking around," Lilith said, gesturing to Marcus. "Literally."

"He's technically under your command so I shouldn't have had to step in to begin with," Gabriel countered, only making Lilith angrier. "How do you expect me to handle this now that you've made it more complicated, Marcus? You want me to make a plea to turn you into a human like we did for Nex? I don't know the circumstances would turn out the same."

"You keep saying worse and I don't even know what that means," Lilith said, rolling her eyes. "It's just as bad as before, he just needs to fucking listen before he's punished. Possibly by castration since it's clear his dick is doing the thinking for him."

"It's worse because it's not just physical anymore and that will make it harder for him to leave," Gabriel said, his eyes never leaving Marcus. Marcus swallowed, darting his eyes away. "He loves her."

"Please," Lilith scoffed. "Marcus doesn't love. He's always been the perfect demon until now."

Lilith hissed and the smell of burning skin filled the air. Her furious glare turned to Kat who was perched on the kitchen island, water gun in her hand, meeting Lilith's unfriendly glare with one almost worse because she rarely used such aggressive expressions. "Don't talk about him like that. You don't know him or how he loves. The only reason you can't see it is because your heart is so cold."

"Oh spare me the lectures on feelings," Lilith said, cringing at the last word.

"Gabriel, if you know Marcus's intentions are pure, can't that mean something?" Kat tried. "You said it yourself. He loves her."

The words kept being voiced but Marcus said nothing. He'd never said the words to anyone before. He didn't believe he was capable of love like he felt with Mila. He loved his friends, but the love was different and didn't feel foreign. He was used to camaraderie love, it was a love he took seriously because it was one that was familiar from his human life. He found camaraderie love in his fellow soldiers, a love that hurt much more when he had to betray them once he realized how terrible all their actions were. It was that love he held for Nex, Kat, Arda, and Armand. The same one he held for Lucian when Lucian was still alive.

But this... The way he felt for Mila was unfamiliar and terrifying. Terrifying not because of the unfamiliarity, but because of the way it softened him to the point of weakness, because he knew it wasn't allowed, that he couldn't keep it, and the idea of losing her was more unbearable than the punishments he faced in hell before gaining his rank.

"I can't be turning demons to humans all the time, Katherine. Your situation was special, his is not," Gabriel said, sighing when Kat gave him the same disapproving glare she'd given Lilith. He did his best to ignore it and focused on Marcus instead. "I suggest we speak somewhere with fewer listeners."

Marcus didn't have an option to refuse or even respond, he just was suddenly somewhere else. An abandoned building in a location he was unsure of. Now he was alone with Gabriel and being alone with an angel was always enough to put a demon on edge.

"Marcus," Gabriel sighed, holding his hands open in a plea for understanding. "You looked into her soul, did you not?"

Marcus gave a curt nod but said nothing else. He knew where this was going and worse, he knew it was true.

"So you know then, she's a pure soul." Gabriel waited but Marcus still showed no reaction. If it weren't for the fact he could see aura of love around Marcus anytime he was around Mila, he wouldn't have guessed how deep his affection went. Marcus wasn't as obvious in his love. "So what is it that you want? Do you want her in hell with you?"

The question hung in the air and Marcus had no answer. Yes, he wanted her with him, but no, he didn't want her in hell. She deserved better.

"Then what solution do you see?" Gabriel pressed. "That you'll stay here, remaining in the same form you are as she ages to an old woman and eventually passes to the other side? The only outcome of that is that you'll still lose her because she'll go on to heaven, or you'll taint her enough that her purity fades and she ends up in hell with you. Not as a demon, just as another tortured soul you don't get to see all the time. Maybe even one you'll be asked to deal with. You can't tell me Lilith wouldn't love to punish you by making you hurt the woman you love. Do either of those sound like satisfactory outcomes to you?"

Marcus pursed his lips, his heart aching in a way it never had before. He wasn't even convinced that part of him still functioned until he met Mila.

"So then what?" Gabriel asked, his arms falling at his sides. "You have to see my reasoning here. There is no happy ending in this. You have to let her go, or have her damnation as a result of your corruption on your conscience. I don't believe that's something you could live with."

"No," Marcus answered quietly, his fists clenched. He knew all of it already, but hearing it out loud made it real. It stung and paralyzed him more with every second, like an injection of poison that slowly spread through your body and you knew you needed something to stop it but nothing could. He was trapped. There were no good outcomes.

"I'll give you a few days to consider how to either release yourself of this blood bond, or how to tell her that you'll be replaced with another demon until the blood bond is satisfied. I suggest you move quickly because Lilith is not happy, and I suspect she won't stay out of it or give you the time I am."

Marcus only nodded. Gabriel hesitated, his expression twisting into sympathy and sadness. He almost spoke, but instead just vanished, leaving Marcus alone. He hardly even had time to process what all of it meant before he felt Mila's fear and pain. That was when he saw she texted him and raced to her, following the blood bond until he found Dallas threatening her.

And just like that, he realized his ticket. A ticket he didn't want but was left in his lap. Mila was concerned about Dallas's threat. The best way to put her mind at ease was to take away the threat by killing him. Marcus suspected it would be different than his previous suggestions. This one would directly impact Stella's safety and Stella was Mila's top priority. She always had been. Her purity wasn't as obvious to someone that immediately looked at her. They would see other things and deem her impure, but Marcus knew better. Purity took different forms.

Mila's heart held nothing but purity, and a demon wasn't even the last person a pure heart belonged with.

The awful phone Mila talked him into vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, seeing a text from her asking if he was going to come. Sighing, that ache in his heart returned as he gazed up at Stella's window again, this time seeing the light off. The window next to hers now had a light on and he saw the outline of Mila through a sheer, black curtain as she moved around the room. The aching in his chest grew worse and he returned his phone to his pocket, his fists clenching as he disappeared from his spot outside and reappeared inside the room with Mila.

A quick glance around the room told him this was her childhood room. Posters of bands covered every inch of both the wall and ceiling so not a spot of wall could be seen. Even around the light switch, there were papers taped down that she printed from internet.

"Oh my God," Mila gasped, setting her hand over her chest when she finally realized Marcus was inside. "Dude, come on. I'm all jumpy because of Dallas. At least don't do that to me right now."

"I'm sorry," Marcus said, the ache turning more into a heavy, painful weight as he stared at her. Her hair was piled on her head like the first time he saw her. She was wearing another black, band t-shirt that was too big on her but worked as a nightshirt since it was all she had on besides a pair of panties. The shirt went down, covering her underwear but not much else.

"Are you all right?" Mila asked, furrowing her brows as she walked over to him.

"I'm fine," Marcus answered, shaking his head to make himself remember what he had to. What he didn't want to do. It became even worse when she drew closer and set a hand on his chest, the other landing on his cheek. She bit down on her lip, her eyes soft for once as they gazed into his. His heart hammered so hard, he wondered if the hand she rested over it could feel the pounding. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay," she said, holding his gaze for a moment, wondering why he seemed so bothered. "I'm worried about Dallas's threat."

Marcus nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed again, his eyes avoiding hers because he knew he'd get lost in them. "He seems to be turning into a bigger problem."

"I know," Mila frowned, wrapping her arms around herself and wishing they were his, but he seemed distant.

Marcus watched her hug herself and his resolve slipped. He missed her, and he was only going to miss her more. He could at least enjoy the time he had with her before it all slipped away.

Unfolding her arms, Marcus pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on her head and holding her tightly, almost as tight as his throat felt because he didn't want to speak the next words. "I can take care of it, you know. I can get rid of him for you. I just need you to give me the go ahead."

Mila went stiff in his arms. Her eyes shifted around like she was searching for something but it wasn't something her eyes could find. She wanted to stay with him, or him to stay with her, and she didn't know how to accomplish that. "And then what?" She managed to whisper, sliding her arms around his waist, her hold as strong as the fear that she would lose the first person she felt saw her for who she really was.

Marcus didn't answer. He didn't know how to. Lying would've been the best option because he knew her. She'd fight him if he said she wouldn't see him again. She'd fight anything he said that wasn't them staying in the same realm together and yet... He couldn't bring himself to lie. Not to her.

The words he didn't know how to say remained stuck inside of him and so he communicated the only way he knew how to. He pulled back from the hug and took her face in his hands, his hold making her feel like she was the most precious thing in the world to him as he lowered his lips to hers.

When their lips met, hers moved with his with an energy that might've been described as eagerness, but that wasn't quite it. It was more like a relief to feel whole again. A relief to be returning to a place that made her safe and secure. Happy, even. The kiss was a relief of tension, a release that could only happen with a person you trusted and loved in a way you didn't trust or love anyone else. That kiss was deeper than either of them were ready for, not realizing how vast the hole they fell into was until they hit the bottom and discovered they had no interest in finding a way back to the top.

This time, it was slow. The way he ran his hands over her body wasn't rushed, rough, or heated. Instead, they were savoring, appreciative, slow and loving. Loving. The word echoed in Mila's mind and a whimper escaped. She never felt capable of being loved. As much as she tried to erase all the cruel words thrown at her, the fear that no one would ever love her never left. It was why she didn't do intimacy, why she never let anyone close for fear it would confirm her deepest internal fear: she was too much to be loved and she always would be unless she changed herself and that wasn't something she'd ever do. Being unloved was better than changing herself to something she wasn't. That wouldn't be a real love, anyway. It would just be an illusion and she didn't care for illusions.

What she wanted, what he wanted, was something real and raw, with all its sharp parts making a stronger appreciation for the soft ones, with all its ugliness making the beauty stand out more, with all its imperfections making the perfect moments unforgettable. What they wanted wasn't something flawless. They wanted only the truest form of intimacy: the raw, unfiltered, flawed and incomparable intimacy. One that couldn't be broken because they weren't unwilling to see the imperfections. Those were parts they appreciated as much as the good ones because to them, love wasn't about everything being perfect. It was also about loving the parts that weren't. Appreciating the parts no one else got to see. Living in the moments that were unbearably difficult, creating a greater respect for the moments that were unfathomably euphoric.

Unfathomably euphoric like the moment they shared there, on Mila's bed with Marcus's pants down and Mila's shirt gathered up enough for him to stroke her waist in a way he never had. His hand slid along her arm until he reached her hand but he didn't do what she expected. He didn't grab her wrist and pin it down, something that always created a lustful excitement in her. Instead, he laced his fingers with hers and the way he kept their hands above her head was less of a pinning and more of a gentle hold.

His movements weren't rough in the slightest, nor were they even that fast, but Mila felt more with every thrust than she had any other time they'd been together. The way they had sex against the wall in her apartment earlier was a small taste of what making love felt like, but she realized as he hovered over her, his lips gently grazing over her skin, leaving small kisses that left her breathless despite how soft they were, that moment was what making love felt like. She'd never made love to anyone before. She didn't think she'd like it, but she found it was more powerful than any other time because it wasn't just physical. It was like that first kiss they shared where there was a bud of something beyond physical. Except this time it wasn't just a bud, it was fully bloomed into an emotional connection stronger than the physical one. Something so beautiful she felt emotional as she gripped his shoulder with the hand not holding his.

Marcus groaned as he stilled inside her, filling her up with him as she quietly moaned against his shoulder, clenching on him as she finished. They stayed close and breathless, her hiding in his shoulder and him hiding over hers because they were both afraid of what would happen if they made eye contact. It was new for both of them and they both wanted more, but were afraid. Marcus was afraid because he didn't want to let her go but knew he had to. Mila was afraid because she'd never let someone be so close and now she felt bare to him in every sense of the word.

The fear couldn't last. The way they felt was stronger and so she laid back on the bed just as Marcus pulled back so he could look at her. He brushed her hair back and stared in her eyes, that awful ache in his chest returning.

He murmured something about helping her clean up and moved off her. When he walked through the door, Mila sat up and stared after it with furrowed brows. Something was wrong and he wasn't telling her. It wasn't the first time she suspected something was wrong and she wondered why he wouldn't open up to her when she felt he knew all her secrets. He opened up in other ways but she wasn't stupid. Something bigger was on his mind.

Marcus returned with tissues and he was gentle as he reached between her legs and cleaned her up, an action that felt even more intimate despite the fact she was sure they already maxed out their intimacy.

Once he was done, Mila cupped his face and made him look at her, frowning in concern when she saw the sadness in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I'm sure it's just that he's upset about your sister's fate. Isn't that right, Marcus?"

Mila's eyes widened and Marcus issued a warning growl as he put himself between Lilith and Mila. His glare meant nothing to Lilith, she simply smiled, her eyes shifting to Mila who peeked around Marcus.

"He did tell you, I hope," she said, feigning innocence with a bat of her eyelashes. "I mean, he spoke to an angel about it. She's going to die, and he's known about it for weeks. Didn't he tell you?"

The words took a moment to sink in for Mila and with every passing second, her heart broke more. She gazed up at Marcus, swallowing a lump, tears forming as her hands fell away from him. "What?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you," Lilith said with mock sympathy. "How unfortunate. Well, I'll leave you two to talk it out."

And with one last smile, Lilith vanished, leaving Marcus alone with Mila who stared up at him with tear-filled eyes.