The house, where Gabriel grew up, was warm and inviting. In the living room, a floral couch was offset by peach cushions, and behind them, a warm fire crackled in the hearth.When his mother had opened the door and seen Gabriel standing there, Aurora feared the woman was going to faint. At first, she simply stared at him, but then tears rolled down her cheeks. Aurora expected them to shout, to be angry, at least at first, but there had been none of that. Just relief, love, and forgiveness. The essence of family

Hell was ruled by five demons. Melloch, Belphegor, Astaroth, Lucifer, and the Master himself, Satan. Melloch knew most humans believed Lucifer and Satan were one and the same, but in reality, they were very, very different.Lucifer was an exquisite creature, perfect to behold, with a mane of golden hair and majestic wings that glimmered like mother of pearl. He was the first angel cast from Heaven, the first to break God’s heart. But Satan was something else entirely. He was the Beast, the creator of hell.As old as the universe itself, Satan dwelled in the nether regions amid the flames of an unquenchable fire. His skin was burned and charred, his desire for anarchy insatiable.

Out on the veranda, Aurora stroked Aurel’s head as he dozed quietly by her side.  When she had first wandered through the forest all those years ago with Stefan and her sisters in tow, it was Aurel who had appeared from behind a towering elm and led her to the old farmhouse. He had been just a cub then, separated from his pack, and they bonded immediately. Since then he had been her constant companion. When things got tough there was something about the strength of his presence that reminded her of who she was. Aurel was an alpha. A leader. And so was she.

It was quiet. Too quiet, and Gabriel couldn’t think. There was something about the stillness of the cabin, the way sounds echoed through the empty rooms. Everything looked the same. The fire still crackled in the hearth, the old leather armchair still stood in the corner, and in the bedroom… Gabriel hadn’t been able to bring himself to sleep in the bed since she left. Instead, he spent restless hours on the couch, tossing and turning, and cursing the quiet.He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. Had it b

Melloch reveled in the heat and hate of Hell. He adored every realm, but being invited to the Lake of Fire was an extraordinary delight. He rejoiced in the charred remains, the ungodly sin that hung heavy in the air. It was paradise.He stood quietly on a bank made of ash and pumice and waited. Soon the Dark Lord would appear, and Melloch would be humbled by his presence. Satan was not just a demon, he was every demon. Commander in Chief of the five realms of Hell, Melloch knew that Satan valued all his generals, but h