Chapter 20 - Owen - Purge With My Demons

My adrenaline was at an all-time high once we made it to the green room Giordana set up for us. Purge was packed, the crowd loved our performance, and we can still feel the buzzing energy in the space.

My thoughts drifted to Eleanor and how beautiful she looked. How absolutely stunned she was when I spoke into her mind. Everything had to come out soon. She needed to learn about who she was, not only who she was to me, but who she was destined to be.

“Owen, you need to go get her.” Cora began shoving me toward the door that led to the main area of Purge.

I turned around to face her, giving her a confused look. “She knows to come back here, trust me.”

“Go. Right fucking now, Owen.” Her tone was serious—too serious. It immediately made me nervous. I tossed back the rest of the water I was drinking and rushed out of the room.

I immediately regretted my lack of forethought as I stepped into a still very crowded Purge. I’m shirtless, and the crowd that was here for our show was still hanging around. As if on cue, a handful of people rush up to me. Normally, I’d let them feed my ego and eat it up, but right now, I needed to find Eleanor. The pull I felt toward her was dampened by the swarm of people in the building but it was still there, I just needed to focus.

“I don’t have time right now, you guys.” I shoved past the fans and heard grumbles of annoyance, but right now, I really didn’t give a shit. As I walked toward where I felt a pull to Eleanor, I saw Giordana’s blonde hair first. The face she wore was why Giordana scared me. Inching closer, I saw why Cora sent me out here and why Giordana was acting the way she was. Brad was here and had his hands on my soul.

Eleanor’s back was to Brad, and he held her arm way too fucking tight. This fixation he had on her was ending.

“Hold your breath, gorgeous.”

Walking up behind him, I hoped she listened to me. His scent was intoxicating and would make her pliable to him. I placed my hand on the back of his neck. “Brad,” I growled, gripping his neck hard. “Let’s take a walk.”

Brad reluctantly let go of Eleanor, and I saw the red marks he left on her arm. Madness in my gut began to boil. As I guided him outside, I looked back to Eleanor and Giordana. Giordana mouthed a quick “thank you”, and Eleanor’s dark chocolate eyes were wide.

When I made it to the door, Ty made a face at me. “Problem Owen?”

I squeezed Brad’s neck a bit tighter, and he groaned in pain. “Nope. He’s just making our girls uncomfortable. Just fixing the problem.”

Ty nods in understanding and holds the door open for me.

Once we made it to a darker area of the parking lot, I shoved Brad away from me and onto the ground. I heard pounding footfalls coming up behind me, and Tristan was at my side.

“Eleanor’s off limits,” I said with finality.

“Or what Owen? You don’t own her.”

I tilted my head to the side and squatted down to his level. “You’re right, she can make decisions for herself. And it doesn’t look like she wants anything to do with you right now.”

“I caught her off guard and her friend doesn’t like me—”

I cut him off. “If Giordana doesn’t like you, then you have no business being anywhere near Eleanor. They’re a package deal.”

Before Brad had a chance to speak again, I stood next to Tristan, who was mindlessly playing with a Noxen-charmed knife, the crazy fucker. Brad eyed the knife and began to back away like a crab. “I suggest you head back to whatever nest you’re calling home these days and leave Eleanor alone.”

Brad stood, but he was too slow. Tristan’s knife found home in Brad’s gut. Black blood began seeping through his light-colored shirt.

I imagine a hand around Brad’s throat to hurry this process along. When Brad began choking and coughing, I turned and started walking away. Tristan would ensure Brad was out of sight and call a crew to take care of him. Knowing that he was no longer an issue felt great.

Tristan finished up with Brad and was by my side again. He was flipping the knife around his fingers. “Where the fuck did that come from?” I pointed to the knife Tristan was holding.

He held it up to inspect it. “I always have it with me.”

“Why am I not surprised?” I shook my head, rolled my eyes, and walked back toward the front door of Purge. “Thank you, Trist. For everything.”

“I’ll do anything for you and for her, Owen. Always.” The look in Tristan’s eyes was sincere and tugged at my emotions.

The crowd was still buzzing. We immediately started walking back toward the green room, when I passed Giordana’s office and saw that she was sitting in one of the chairs, so I popped my head in. “Eleanor with you?”

“No, she's back in the green room.” Her reply held little emotion.

“Thanks.” I turned to leave

“Wait, Owen. I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up?” I didn’t want to be here talking to Giordana, I wanted to be with Eleanor. I needed to be with her.

“El’s more than just your soulmate.” Giordana was about to confirm my suspicions about Eleanor being the new queen. This was it. “El is going to be the new Queen of Hell.”

“I fucking knew it,” I whispered, walking further into the office.

“You did? Did Lilith tell you already?” Giordana’s surprise was genuine.

“I have to tell her everything, Owen. But there’s so much she doesn’t know. I’m terrified. There’s so much you don’t know too.” Her head fell into her hands. “Fuck, this is such a mess.”

“You have to give me a little bit more here, Giordana. I know how my soulmate bond works, Lilith has explained that to me.”

Turning her head, Giordana gave me an apologetic look. “She hasn’t told you everything. She’s never been able to. Eleanor’s soul was made for you. The others weren’t. That’s all I can tell you.” Giordana stood, walking closer to me. “I’m Eleanor’s protector. Lucifer tasked me to protect her through her life until the time came for her to descend to the throne. He told me I would know that the time had come when her soulmate” —she gestured to me— “made himself known.”

“Giordana, you have to tell her. If you don’t, I will. But this is your information to share, not mine.”

“I know, trust me. And I’ve been trying to, but it’s not that simple. As soon as she knows, I have to—” Giordana’s words were cut off by the door being kicked open by a furious Eleanor.

* * *

ELEANOR

“She hasn’t told you everything. She’s never been able to. Eleanor’s soul was made for you. The others weren’t. That’s all I can tell you.” I heard Giordana speaking in her office as I walked closer. “I’m Eleanor’s protector. Lucifer tasked me to protect her through her life until the time came for her to descend to the throne. He told me I would know that the time had come when her soulmate made himself known.”

Owen spoke now. I thought he was in the green room with the rest of the group. But he’s here talking to Giordana about me. And apparently she’s my protector? My soul was made for Owen? What is going on? “Giordana, you have to tell her. If you don’t, I will. But this is your information to share, not mine.”

Giordana’s voice was pleading as she replied, “I know, trust me. And I’ve been trying to, but it’s not that simple. As soon as she knows, I have to—”

It’s not that simple? I was going to make it really simple for her. I kicked the cracked door open. “I’m here now, G. I’m all ears.”

“El, I’m so sorry, I didn’t want you to find out like this.” She walked over to me, gently placing her hands on my shoulders.

I kept my breathing steady, trying my best to not to panic over the information I heard. A lot of it needed to be explained, but one part of it was sticking out to me. It was the part that hurt me the most.

“Giordana, is that all I was to you? A job?” That comment that she was tasked to protect me had me furious. Everything in the conversation was a bit unbelievable, and I’d deal with that later. But my best friend only being my friend because she was “tasked” to protect me? That fucking hurt. I had been through too much in my life, having Giordana as my best friend for so long was the only thing that made sense, and it was a lie.

“No, El! No. Never. I would never see you as just an assignment. You’re like my sister!” I could barely understand her through her sobs.

“Was us meeting just a coincidence then? Or…” I left the last bit of my statement hanging, waiting for her to fill in the details. Red was filling my vision. The anger was consuming me. I felt a warm presence behind me. I knew even without looking, it was Owen. His sandalwood scent enveloped me, and the tightness in my chest began to loosen.

Giordana’s eyes closed, and she dropped her head.

“I fucking knew it.” I took a step back, and Owen placed his hands on my shoulders. He gingerly started rubbing my arms in an attempt to soothe me.

With pleading eyes, she pinned me with a sincere stare. “El, can I please explain?”

“I don’t know that I can hear it right now, Giordana. I need some time.” I turned out of Owen’s loose hold and made my way to where Cora and Finn were standing.

Owen hung back and talked to her. I couldn’t even fathom being there for another moment. I could feel my panic stewing, and I just wanted to get out. Between finding this out about my best friend and Brad showing up, I feel like I’m overdue for a lobotomy. It was too much for me right now.

“I’m going to go home,” I mumbled to no one in particular and turned toward the door.

“Oh, um…” I heard Finn before he started to follow me.

Then Cora was yelling, “Owen!”

“Finn, I don’t need an escort. I’m fine.”

“Trust me, sugar, he’ll kill me if I don’t stay with you.”

Once Finn and I were outside, Owen wasn't far behind us. I didn’t acknowledge him, though. My chest was getting tighter by the second, and I desperately wanted to get home.

“Owen, please, I just want to get out of here. Away from everything.”

“Of course, gorgeous. Let’s go home.” His voice was low as he guided me toward his bike parked near the back door.

* * *

We pulled into a garage attached to a brownstone. I was just going through the motions at this point. Owen walked me through everything. He guided me through the house and up to the top floor. His room was simple, dark furniture and minimal decoration. An ensuite bathroom on one side and sliding glass doors to a balcony on the other.

“Sit down, Eleanor. Talk to me, are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” I looked him directly in the eyes as he knelt in front of me.

“What can I get that will help you?” Gripping my hands lightly in his, he never stopped touching me. I was grounded. “Tea, a shower, water, do you want me to leave?”

“No!” The word came out much louder than I anticipated. “Fuck, sorry. No. Don’t leave. Please.” My hands cupped his perfect face, and I smiled. “A scalding hot shower and some ice water would be perfect.”

“Anything you need.” Kissing my forehead, he walked to the bathroom, turning on the shower then went downstairs.

Seconds later, I saw steam drifting from the bathroom. Still only moving through the motions of living, I walked into the bathroom and found myself in the shower fully clothed. I sat on the floor and began to cry. I wasn’t sure what the tears were for. Were they because my best friend was only my friend because she had to be? Were they because I was confused as to what was going on in my life? People around me seemed to know more about what was happening than I did. I wasn’t really sure, but I didn’t really care.

Owen was in the shower as soon as he saw me. “Look at me, Eleanor.” His voice was stern.

When my eyes opened, everything made sense. Owen was my soulmate. He was made for me, and I was made for him. This time when we kissed, I saw blue flames yet again. I saw them engulf us in my mind’s eye.

My hands reached out to grip Owen’s soaked t-shirt and pull him closer to me. Nothing I did could get us as close as I needed to be to him right now. Starting to lift it off him, he broke our kiss and ripped it off over his head. Following suit, I pulled my shirt off as well. We stood, hunger in our eyes.

“I knew you liked what you saw that day at your place.” His voice was like sin in my head.

Stunned, I asked, “How are you doing that?”

Owen backed me into the glass wall of the shower, caging me in with his arms. “Just try, my soul.” He licked up the side of my neck to my ear.

“Like this?” My internal voice was shaky.

“Good girl.” The nip at my ear lobe was my undoing.

Our kiss was sure to leave a bruise. Immediately, I reached for my pants while Owen worked his off. I needed this man more than I could begin to explain; my skin tingled when we weren’t touching.

Taking Owen in from head to toe felt like a crime. His cock stood at attention, as he stroked himself staring at me. Water dripped down his body like it was made to be there, I never wanted to look away.

I dropped to my knees in front of him, looking up at the man in front of me that I, without a doubt, would give anything for. As each second passed, I could feel my soul tethering to his.

“You want my cock, gorgeous?”

Sticking my tongue out, I licked the underside. “Please, Owen.”

Owen gathered my wet hair on top of my head as he guided his cock into my mouth. He held still, allowing me to set the pace at first. Once I had grown used to his size, he began fucking my throat.

Tears fell down my face, and Owen wiped them away. The shower still sprayed hot water on us, keeping everything steamy.

“I need you, El. All of you.”

“Take me then.”

He did.

On the shower wall, Owen lifted me so I was at a perfect height. “Don’t hold back, Eleanor. Give me everything.” Slowly, he lowered me on his cock. I was perfectly full. He thrust into me as he held me against the wall. “You’re perfect,” he whispered to me.

My fingers gripped the hair at the base of his neck, and I pulled gently. As his head tilted back, I scratched lightly down his throat to his chest. “Fuck me hard, Owen. You can’t hold back either.”

A hand was around my neck, squeezing lightly before fingers trailed down my chest between my breasts, around my belly button, and to my clit. Owen started teasing slow circles with slow, hard thrusts.

“Don’t come until I tell you to, Eleanor. Understand?”

I nodded to the command in my head.

“Say you understand.” This command was final.

“I understand.” My words came out like a whimper. His tantalizing maneuvers on my clit were torture. It was taking so much restraint to not come.

“Okay, my soul, look at me.” Looking directly into his eyes, the green swirled with intensity. “Come with me.”

The hot water in the shower intensified our orgasms. I had never come so intensely before. I wanted it to last forever.