cravingpenelope by Crymsyn Hart Page B

feel something as fulfilling as this. It makes me never want to leave you again.”
    She pushed a strand of hair out of his face. “I-I would want that too, but I know that can never happen.”
    Razziel shook his head. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear it.”
    “I don’t want you to get in trouble or pulled from Heaven.”
    He moved his wing and brushed the end of it over her heart. A little bit of a burn ran through her. She bit her lip and cried out. “I mark you my own. No matter what consequences it brings to me, I can handle it. You are mine.” He took her hand and kissed her palm before placing it over his heart. “Anyone who ever sees you will know you’re mine. I’ve marked your soul.”
    “So what happens now?”
    “I don’t know. I’ve never had this happen to me before. It’s all new to me.”
    Penelope snuggled into his arms as they lay on the bed together. Listening to his heart, she drifted off to sleep without a care in the world. She felt safe, and nothing bad could happen to her because she was in his arms.
     
    * * * *
    Razziel listened to Penelope’s heart beating steadily. It was the most perfect thing he had ever heard. In all of creation, he had never heard anything quite like it. He understood now what he was meant to do. Joe had told him to walk his destiny, and he would figure out his path. His road was to be with Penelope. The mark he had placed upon her soul burned brighter than any star he had ever seen. The emotions he had before, all the tumultuous storm of feelings had condensed into something he finally got a handle on. It was not a bad thing to feel. It was a remarkable thing, and he would never take it for granted. He trailed his fingers down the curve of her face and wondered who would ever want to hurt her. Then he remembered the daemon that had tried to snatch her earlier that evening. Since he had defeated this one another was going to be sent in his place. If that happened, he would be there to protect her. He would never let anyone hurt her again.
    “Wow. Look at you.”
    Razziel turned his head to the familiar voice and saw Lemiel standing at the end of the bed watching the two of them. The other angel was going to say something else when Razziel put his finger to his lips to keep him from waking Penelope. Slowly, he unwound her from him and slipped the sheet over her.
    “What do you want, Lemiel?”
    “I was sent to bring you back, but they didn’t tell me you were involved with a human. Oh man, are you in trouble. Why would you want to lie with one of them? Going at it in their dreams is one thing, but actually in the flesh?”
    A surge of anger ran through him, but this time he understood what the feeling was. He gritted his teeth and forced the rage away because he knew his friend did not understand. How could Lemiel , when he had never lain with a human woman? Lemiel walked around the bed and peered down at Penelope. He was about to touch her when Razziel grabbed his hand.
    “Don’t.”
    “All right. I wasn’t going to hurt her. I just wanted to see what you find so special about this one.”
    “She’s amazing, and she’s mine.”
    Lemiel flashed him a smile, and his eyebrow lifted. “I can see where you think that. Come on, we have to get going.”
    He shook his head. “I’m not going to leave her.”
    “You don’t have a choice. I don’t know what they want you for, but I’d say you better come with me before you get into any more trouble.”
    This was what he had feared. For walking the path he had chosen, he was going to now be expelled from Heaven. What would become of him now? What could become of Penelope now that he had found her if he was cast out? There was no way he could leave her and have another daemon take her. She would be put in danger, or would his mark put her in even greater danger? If he resisted it would be worse, and he did not want to make it worse for Penelope. He leaned over and brushed his lips across her