Ch 4 Coming To Terms

(Cw/Tw: This chapter briefly mentions suicide. I will notate with ** at the beginning and end of the section within the chapter)

Mara POV:

Mara woke with a start not recognizing her surroundings until the events of last night came rushing back to her. She sat up on the bed and pulled her knees to her chest doing her best not to cry anymore. She was worried about Gabriel but knew she couldn't check on him, it would only make things worse. What hurt even more was the prospect that they couldn't be friends anymore. He'd never accept her bond with Malum and if Malum saw Gabriel as a threat they'd just fight. As she was wallowing in self pity and sadness the smell of pancakes wafted into her room and her stomach let it be known that it was upset with her. She sighed, sliding out of bed to use the restroom. After she finished she smiled. Malum got her a spare toothbrush and paste. Brushing her teeth and praying to god her hair wasn't as bad as it probably was she followed the smell of food.

The hotel suite was massive and had a nice open floor plan. To the right of her room was another bedroom, Malum's she assumed. To the left was a kitchen that had a wrap around the island instead of a table and the island separated the spaces nicely. Past the kitchen was the front door and then the living room. She noticed outside had a nice size pool and lounging chairs. "Good morning Mara." Malaum said pulling her out of her trance. "Ah… Good morning Malum." She said not really able to look him in the eye so she sat down at the island instead. "Smells good." Malum smirked "Cinnamon and chocolate chips. Your fav right?" he confirmed and she nodded. "Yeah..how…never mind" she replied shaking her head. "I've been watching over you and protecting you for some time. Like a fairy godfather." He explained and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she tried to imagine the chocolate adonis with fairy wings. He smiled knowing he was able to get her to laugh if only a little as he plated two pancakes for her and set them down in front of her. "Thank you." She said cutting them up and then pouring the syrup.

Malum came over with his plate and then grabbed them both a glass of milk. "All things considered, how'd you sleep?" he asked and she nodded her mouth full. "I wanted to apologize for my part in yesterday's…chaos. I have no intention of things going that far, though I also didn't know he was going to confess his love for you." He said before shoving food in his mouth. "Yeah it uh. Definitely was not how I thought my knight was going to go. But I'm worried…" she tried off and took another bite of her pancakes."Why don't you text him to see if he's okay? I get that he's been your friend for some time and I'm sure had I not been in the picture you've said yes." He said and she kept her face down so he couldn't see her embarrassment. She ran back to the room for her phone and sat back down at the island. "How'd you get my stuff?" she asked and he just smiled. Mara rolled her eyes and unlocked and pulled up Gabriel's name. "Fuck…" she said with a sigh.

Mara: Hey Gabe… I know I'm probably the last person you want to speak to but I wanted to check on you after last night. I hope you're okay.

…

Gabriel: Why wouldn't I want to hear from you, I'm glad you reached out. I've been better, but I've been worse. Are you okay, did he hurt you? Please come back to me Mara. We can talk this out and make it work.

She sighed and shook her head before replying.

Mara: I'm glad you're okay. I'm okay. I'll talk to you later.

Gabriel: Please Mara. You said if I had told you this before your 25th birthday you would have said yes watched changed? It was that damn demon wasn't it! I can take care of you and protect you I promise please!

Mara silenced the chat and went back to finishing her pancakes. She didn't realize she had started crying until he had turned her on her stool and wiped her tears before pulling her onto his lap so she was straddling him. "I know the prospect of being with a demon is scary considering how we first met and you experience with them so far. And for that I apologize. But I promise you I want nothing more in this world than to cherish, love and spoil you. I wish the timing was better so you wouldn't have had to go through this but I promise if you give me a chance you won't regret it." Malum said running his fingers through her hair. Mara shuddered trying not to get herself together and she went to say something but he put his finger over her lips. "You don't have to decide now. Take time to heal and recover. I know the mate bond will eventually make it a non issue, and if you feel it even a fraction of what I do then you know how strong our bond is." He said and kissed her forehead before standing and seating her back onto her stool so she could finish eating. He took his cleaned plate to the sink and washed everything and walked to his room. "If you need anything just call for me. Feel free to enjoy whatever I have. It is yours." He told her and walked into his room closing the door.

Gabriel POV:

'I came to last night after Alfred woke me up to find Mara missing and that she had left with the demon. The demon she's mated to. Why is he given something so pure and precious? He doesn't deserve her, I do! Fuck I'm such an idiot I should of just said something when I first realized how I felt. Shoulda, coulda, woulda. If only he wasn't an issue…Could I break the bond?' Gabriel sat up and grabbed his phone to text one of his brothers who was mated when Mara's text came through asking if he was okay and she felt like he wouldn't want to hear from her. 'She still cares about me. Why would she think I didn't want to speak to her?' Gabriel texted her back saying he was okay and asking if she was okay. She replied that she was and that they'd talk later but he wanted to talk now. The longer they wait for the bond to set the harder it'll be to have her for himself. He texted back asking what the significance was for the 25th birthday and if it was about Malum that he could protect her. He was an archangel for Christ sakes. Then he remembered that a mate cannot be claimed till they're 25. If he had said something sooner he would have had her but for how long? 'Still no reply. Come on baby girl talk to me please.' He sighed to himself and went back to texting his brother Michael. 'I will have you one way or another. Even if I have to kill that bastard. It'll hurt but she'll forgive me with time and love.' He thought to himself and got up to get dressed.

Malum POV:

'I felt horrible for all the drama my Mara has to deal with right now and I want nothing more than to be there for her. But part of it is my own fault and I don't want her to feel pushed or pressured.' Malum grabbed his phone and made a call. It only rang once before the other person answered. "Yes master?" Prudence answered. "I need you to get me some calming tea for Mara and set up a spa day for her. Maybe you can go with her and give her some girl time. She's going through a lot right now." He said, "Of course master…May I ask what happened?" she quired. "Gabriel confessed his love for her and she does have feelings for him and care but the bond of course is slowly making her feelings towards less romantic and more platonic. But he's hurting and it's hurting her because she feels like it's her fault." He replied. "I'll set up the spa date for later. I'm going to grab some supplies and I'm coming over. I want you out when I get there." She retorted and he laughed. "Fine. Anything for her.Thank you" He replied with a sigh. "Of course," she replied and he ended the call.

Mara POV:

Mara had finished washing her dishes when she heard someone getting off the elevator and coming into the room. In walked a beautiful woman with short hair and a lean body but looked like a sexy secretary. She could tell she was also a witch. 'Wait. Is this one of Malum's conquests?' she asked herself as Malum came out of the room. "Ah Prudence, this is Mara my mate. Mara this is my assistant Prudence. I wanted to give you some space so I asked her for help. Annnnd I'm being kicked out." Malum introduced them and kissed Mara on the forehead before leaving. Mara blinked a few times and looked to Prudence "Ah hey." He said with a wave. "Hello mistress." He replied with a bow. "Mis what now?" Mara asked. "Ah yes with all the drama I'm sure he hasn't had time to explain." Prudence started as she unloaded the groceries of snacks, ice cream and chocolate. "Master Malum is the highest ranking demon and of course with the position comes a title and power. I'll let him explain the details but I am basically his regent. And now I am yours as well. He is my master and you are my mistress." She finished while getting out the big spoons. 'Do not think dirty thoughts Mara now is not the time!' she scolded herself and she imagined Malum and her dominating Prudence while he dominated them both."Snacks by the pool?" she asked Mara with a raised brow. "Sure, I don't have a suit though." She said and Prudence snapped her fingers and smiled. "On your bed." She said with a smile and Mara nodded "thanks" and left to change.

~ some time later ~

Mara and Prudence had bonded fairly quickly and Mara managed to convince Prudence to not call her mistress when it's just the two of them. "Okay so how long have you been practicing magic?" Mara asked and Prudence laughs. "Well I am a few hundred years old so.." Prudence replied and Mara jaw fell as she put down her daiquiri. "SIS YOU DON'T LOOK A DAY OVER 30!" she yelled and Prudence and her burst out laughing. "Well thank you. Beauty sleep is very important to me." She replied and pretended to flip the hair on her close cut head. "Question." Mara said going back to her drink. "hmm?" was the reply. "I can do magic with spells or transmutations but you can conjur things… Doyouthinkmaybeyoucouldteahmesometime?" Mara asked all in one breath and Prudences laughed so hard her martini came out her nose. "Of course!" she said once she managed to regular her breathing. "Oh I almost forgot our spa appointments. Let's go!" Prudence added dragging Mara up and back into the hotel room.

Gabriel POV:

"So you're in love with a woman who cares about you but she's mated to a demon and she wont be with you because she knows the bond will eventually pull her away. Sounds like she's doing you a favor Gabe. No offence but we all remember last time." Michael said and Gabriel gave him a look that read 'no one asked you though'."Listen I get that you like her but maybe you should take time to find your actual mate?" Michael suggested and Gabriel tsked in an offended manner. "I doubt I even have one after all this time. I'm the only archangel who hasn't found his mate." He retorted and rubbed his hair for the hundredth time in frustration. "Well I don't know of another way to break the bond besides killing the other mate. Try the archives and see if there's ever been a couple to reject the bond. Maybe if it's rejected on both ends? But don't quote me on that!" Michael replied and Gabriel ran through a portal to the archives.

"May I help you?" the curator asked. They were an older being that looked human but had no discernable gender identifiers. "Great Elder I need help researching bonds, specifically mating ones. I need to see how they can be broken besides killing one of the mates. They eyes the angel for a moment before turning to a wall of scrolls and ancient tomes. "There is a recording of one, a bond was forced apart because the mates were from feuding families. However, it slowly killed them. Breaking the tie did allow them to love others but without their other halves they slowly faded towards death, even as immortal beings. No even you could protect this person you so desire." They warmed and handed Gabriel a book that was so old it seemed to be held together by a lick and a prayer. "Thank you Great Elder." He said bowing his head in appreciation and went to a seating area to read up on the couple.

**In a time before the races were at peace there was a werewolf and vampire who were mates, beloveds. Coming from warring families they knew their love would be forbidden but after a time they decided to be together in secret. In a moment of trust, the she wolf told her sister of her lover. Thinking she was helping her older sister and saving her she told their king alpha, who was their father. The eldest daughter was imprisoned by her father and then let the vampire king know his son was mated to a werewolf. With the help of old and dark magic the bond was broken. It caused massive pain emotionally and physically to both partners. After months, the pain subsided but they began to lose themselves into a deeper void of emptiness. In their final act of love that was taken from them, they fed each other poison, he drank her nightshade and she drank his wolves' bane. Together they slipped into death and then slumber in each other's arms only to be found by their families. Though their loss was felt everywhere, the families understood the error of their ways and so came the treaty that has saved many lives since.

Gabriel grew frustrated. He didn't want her to suffer, he just wanted her to himself. Though she would hurt if he could take Malum out of the picture before her feelings grew too strong she could get over the pain in time. He would love her and give her the space she needed and love her unconditionally. Gabriel returned the book to the curator and teleported back to his brothers. "That was fast." Michael replied. "So it's either get an old evil hag to cast a spell and break the bond, which will eventually make her want to end her own life OR kill the demon, she hurts for a bit but then I can have her.** Needless to say I'm going with the latter." He said taking a beer out of the fridge. Michael looked at him like he grew an extra head, "Are you mad!? This is Mara we're talking about. She will never get over that! You know about that werewolf that raped a girl, and the family hired Mara to track him down?" his brother asked and Gabriel shook his head. "The family wanted him to suffer for double the reward. Mara found him and developed these wires out of silver that she fed strait into his bloodstream so she could remove and replace them. For weeks she had him before returning him to his pack hanging from the wire embedded into his body. He lost his wolf and can no longer shift and his pack abandoned him. That was just to someone she got PAID to hurt." Michael said, shaking his head.

"What if she agrees to break the bond? She was looking into it prior too, she didn't want to be with him. If I can convince her to let him go, I can take him out." Gabriel suggested. Michael looked at his brother then down to his beer. He set down his beer and grabbed the decanter of whiskey. "I need something stronger to deal with your dumb ass" Michael said taking a shot strait from the glass container. Gabirel sighed as Uriel appeared out of thin air. "Fucking shit, warning!" Gabriel yelled as Michael nearly choked on his swig. "I bear a message from father Gabriel." Uriel said simply. Gabriel turned to him with a perplexed look. "Malum is the strongest demon in existence right under our fallen brother. You will not be able to take him. Furthermore, father has sought to their union to bring balance in power. Her light to his dark. This is his will. You will not go against him." Uriel delivered his message and teleported away not leaving room for rebuttal. "Told you so." Michael said and he had to duck the empty beer bottle Gabriel through as him. "Fuck you!" he said and teleported away.