Raise Hell Read online

  Raise Hell

  Hell Hounds Harem

  Book 1 in the Third Trilogy

  Book 7 in the Series

  By Briana Michaels

  Copyright

  All names, characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to actual places, events, or real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission, in writing, of the author.

  www.BrianaMichaels.com

  Copyright © 2020 Briana Michaels

  Contents

  Raise Hell

  Copyright

  Contents

  Dedication

  Trilogy Epigraph

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Other Books By This Author

  About the Author

  Dedication

  For those searching for wild love.

  Howl, baby, howl.

  Trilogy Epigraph

  The first murder I ever committed was not of a man or an Angel. It was my conscience.

  Prologue

  In the beginning there were the Angels. Such a lame way to start a story, but it had a nice ring to it, right? The world was created as a blank canvas and either the Creator of All Life, or the Angels themselves, made everything else.

  Including big messes and big mistakes.

  It was a group effort, to be honest.

  The reality was, in the beginning there was no spark. No bang of colliding stars, atoms, or bodies. In the beginning there was just… nothing. A blank space that stretched beyond the borders of realms yet to be discovered. Eventually, there was grass and water. Mountains and sky. Clouds and caverns. The world once was peaceful and some might have even deemed it perfect.

  And then the Angels fucked it all up.

  It didn't take long to realize every action taken had a profound effect on everything else.

  And that's when shit got fucking ugly...

  Chapter 1

  Beyond having a purpose, every Angel had a place in this world and Eve most definitely didn’t belong in the Purity Sect. The shade of her tresses, her piss-poor manners, and inability to adhere to rules were but a taste of the attributes that set her apart from the rest of her kind.

  But the most glaring difference were her wings. Damn her feathers!

  You did this to yourself. Own your truths, Eve.

  Leaving the sisterhood wasn’t as scary as Eve thought it would be. Honestly, she was happier without a bunch of people telling her what to do all the time. What was the point of having a life if someone else got to tell you how to live it?

  Fuck that. Eve wanted the freedom to make her own choices and follow her own set of rules.

  She didn’t give a shit about power, pride, or any of the other things Angels foamed at the mouth for. Freedom was all she cared about.

  To run wild. Fly free. Be the master of her own fate. Stand as judge and jury of her own flaws. She wasn’t likely to cast stones at herself for making a wrong decision – Eve would simply learn from her mistakes and move the fuck on.

  But being on her own was also dangerous.

  That’s why she was heading to the Brotherhood of Angels now.

  Independent, fierce, and most recently self-reliant, Eve was eager to learn a few new skills and level up. Nothing was without a price, however, and she already knew what to offer in exchange for the brotherhood’s renowned training with a blade.

  She’d heard they found an animal so wild and vicious they had to lock it away in the Protection Sect. No one could get close to it. No one could even look it in the eyes. Every warrior there was wary of it.

  Eve figured two things: One, they wanted to keep this beast or they’d have slayed it already. And two, this was an opportunity too good for her to pass up.

  She looked forward to seeing what on earth had the power to freak out the strongest warriors of their kind. She also couldn’t wait to see their faces when she had that beast eating out of the palm of her hand.

  Stopping at a river for a drink of water, she caught the glimpse of another Angel sitting on the bank. His black hair hid much of his profile. Hunched over, it looked like he was doing something in his lap. His wings were tucked, the sun reflecting off the feathers and showcasing their deep hues of black, blue and purple. Wings that dark were rare. Gorgeous. She’d come from the Purity Sect and all those Angels had pearly white wings.

  As she approached, the male Angel looked over at her with a fierce glare and instantly reached for his weapon. Her heart leapt into her throat and she put her hands up.

  The fierce Angel’s features softened when he deemed her non-threatening, “Who are you?”

  “They call me Eve.”

  His demeanor completely changed. Facial features softening, wings relaxing. “I’m called Constantine.”

  She held her hand out to shake his. Goodness, he had large hands. Eve never felt like a dainty twig, but in this instance, she felt a stir of…. Inferiority. She didn’t like it.

  “What are you doing here, Eve?”

  “Exploring,” she confessed. Best to deflect before he pried, “And what are you doing here?”

  “Writing,” Constantine tapped the scroll in his lap. With a huff, he rolled it up before she could read what it said. “I can’t seem to get my words out right. Ever have that problem?”

  “Sometimes,” she smiled. “I make up words when I get stuck.”

  “Hmmph.” Constantine had a simple smile. Content, would be what Eve would call it. “Would you like to go for a walk?”

  “A walk?”

  “Yeah. You put one foot in front of the other and it gets you places.”

  Eve bit her lip. Some strange emotion jittered in her belly. She called it annoyance. With a curt nod, Eve would play nice with Constantine. Going by the band on his wrist, he was in the Brotherhood of Angels. Perhaps having him as a friend would be beneficial later.

  Of all things, Constantine held his hand out to her again. When she
grabbed it, he tugged and used her to help himself stand. She liked that. It made her feel powerful. That he would use her strength to find his footing was a small gesture that had a bold effect.

  Constantine was unusual. She liked that too. Most Angels she knew made a habit of never touching each other. At least that’s how it was in the Purity Sect.

  “I’m tired of this place,” he said as they started walking. “Let’s get out of here for a little while.”

  Free Will had infected the Angels. The strange sensations that came with the decision to go left or right, accept or deny, help or ignore, had been a true game changer for their world.

  And that of the human realm.

  In fact, that wasn’t the only thing to have caused uproar in the past few hundred years. There was also the plague of souls – a phenomenon some idiot Angel had most likely caused, though no one knew how or why. But somehow, humans had grown souls, and that energy was tied to the Divine.

  Like Angels needed that kind of responsibility?

  “Let’s go into the human realm,” Constantine grabbed Eve’s arm and they landed in the world where beings and animals and plants and waters were beautifully strange. “Ever been here before?”

  Several times. “Once or twice, yes.” She studied the animals here because creatures on four legs were far easier to get along with than the ones who walked on two.

  Eve took the lead and slithered her way through the vast jungle of plant life. Vines draped down to drag along the ground. Flowers the size of her head were in full bloom. There were movements everywhere as animals and insects scurried out of sight.

  “What were you writing about?” she asked.

  “I’m documenting events.” Constantine frowned, “It’s incredibly boring, actually. I think that’s why I can’t write anymore today.”

  They came upon a small clearing and Eve heard the sounds of grunts and yips up ahead. Curiosity – another phenomenon to plague Angels – got the better of her and she sought out the source of all the noise.

  Two beings were up against a rock, facing each other, the female’s legs were wrapped around the male’s waist.

  “What are they doing?” Eve frowned.

  Constantine smacked a bug off his arm, “Reproducing.”

  Eve stepped closer. “They look similar to us, don’t they?”

  “Except for the wings.”

  Yes, except for the wings. Eve always wondered why they didn’t have any. “Reproducing,” she rolled the word around on her tongue. She knew the meaning, but watching it done by humans was…. Hmmm, she didn’t know a word for it.

  Animals did it very differently than this.

  The beings paid them no mind, almost as if they couldn’t see two Angels watching them. Or maybe they didn’t care.

  Eve went slack-jawed when Constantine observed them more closely. “Gracious,” he said.

  The human male started pumping faster and harder into the female, who in turn let out a sharp cry because of the aggressive behavior.

  Growling, Constantine pulled them apart. The man stumbled back just as his seed spilled from his shaft. White liquid pumped out in spurts all over the ground.

  Eve watched the male closely. He backed off, unfazed, and walked away. So strange, she thought.

  Constantine bent down to check on the woman. “She is in pain,” Closing his eyes, he ran his hands up her legs, between her thighs, and over the rest of her body. “Now she’s not.” He backed away and wiped his hands on his pants. “All better.”

  “What was wrong with her?”

  “I believe the friction causes females discomfort.”

  “Can nothing be done to fix that?”

  “No idea. I’m not in the habit of studying their kind closely.”

  Eve frowned. She’d watched lions reproduce several times. The females made awful noises during their reproduction cycle too. Maybe that was just the way of it.

  They watched as the woman walk away, her blank expression resolved and uncaring about what just happened. Actually, she looked bored. And, just as the male had a minute ago, this female tramped off into the jungle and disappeared. Maybe that was the way it was done when they reproduced? Animals certainly behaved in such ways. All business, no emotion. Were humans and animals that much alike, or had Constantine done something to her?

  “What did you do?” Eve asked.

  “I healed her. That is my purpose - to heal,” Constantine looked in the direction the two beings had walked off in. “What is yours?”

  “What?”

  “What purpose do you have, Eve?”

  She shrugged. “I’m still trying to learn myself.”

  Constantine half-way smiled. “Here’s hoping it’s worthy.”

  “Here’s hoping its epic,” she winked.

  They walked together, making small talk and observing the behaviors of other creatures in the realm until the sun started setting. “I need to get back,” Constantine said.

  “Yes, me too.”

  “Where are you heading, Eve?”

  “The Brotherhood of Angels.”

  Constantine’s eyes darkened, that aggressive hardness returned instantly. “Why?”

  “I heard there was a beast there. I mean to tame it.”

  Constantine stopped walking and glared at her. “You can’t go near that thing. He’s too dangerous for a female.”

  Eve’s eyebrow arched, “Females aren’t fragile… male egos are.”

  “You speak of pride when I only mean to protect you.”

  “You protect the wrong one then, Constantine.” Her fists clenched in anger, “Ever think maybe I’m the one who’s dangerous?” His expression said Nope. And it was all she could do to stop herself from proving how very wrong he was about her. “The worst thing you could do is underestimate me, Constantine.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “No. That was a courtesy.” Eve made it a point to relax her fists and shake out her hands.

  Free will was a bitch, but it certainly saved some Angels from getting their pretty pearly white teeth knocked out by a female with a mean left hook.

  Eve entered the Brotherhood and a terrible sense of dread engulfed her. It was as if the very walls dripped in toxic energy, pushing her away. But she kept moving forward. What if she was meant for something so great, there was yet a word to define it? And what if she discovered it in the Brotherhood?

  “Michael,” she bowed before the Angel in charge.

  Michael was a warrior. Tall, broad, strong, and fierce, this Angel was a force of nature. She could learn something from him. “Who are you and why are you here?”

  Eve swallowed the lump of fear in her throat and drew a brave breath. “I am Eve.”

  He regarded her like one would a plate of food when they were neither full nor starved, but bored. “Eve?”

  “Yes, sire. And I hope that after I’ve trained this beast you’ve kept caged, that you will consider training me to become a warrior. I’m a good fighter.” The instant the words were out of her mouth, she knew her fate had been sealed. The strength she felt just making that proclamation made her wish to repeat it. Louder.

  Michael laughing, however, cast a shadow over her heart. “You can’t be serious.” He glared down at her and fanned his wings out as he rose to his full height.

  He was massive.

  Eve had to crane her neck to keep her gaze locked on his. She, too, fanned her dove grey wings out. If he used his wings as a means to intimidate her, she would do best to not stand down. She’d heard countless stories of how the males in the Brotherhood of Angels could be. So little was said for any female in their sect. In fact, Eve now wondered if there were any other females here. Keeping her back straight, wings flared, hands stiff at her side, she said, “I am more than capable.”

  Michael laughed again. “My warriors would eat you for breakfast and pick their teeth with your bones, female. I’m not wasting my time with you. You will never be a warrior of mine. And that thi
ng in his cage would devour you in a heartbeat. You waste my time coming here, to train or be trained. Leave.”

  What a piece of work this male was. The fact that he took one look at her and denied her the chance to prove herself? Fuck that. And fuck him.

  “No Michael, it is I who wasted my precious time with you,” she seethed. “Here I was told the Brotherhood was growing. I figured you were taking only the best of the best. Perhaps you are satisfied with mediocre. Perhaps you don’t like the possibility of a female succeeding where all your perfectly strong males have failed.”

  Goodness! Where had that nerve come from? She continued to roll with it. Fake it till you make it would one day be a grand way to reach success, Eve was sure of it.

  “You think you can handle the likes of us?” Michael stepped down and marched towards her. Snatching Eve by the throat, he lifted her off the floor and her legs dangled.

  She allowed it. To fight would be futile. He was stronger, bigger, and in charge here. Defying him would get her nowhere. For now.

  Michael’s blue eyes flared, “You wish to be thrown to the wolves?”

  “Yes,” she choked.

  Michael’s smile was unnerving. “All warriors must prove themselves if they wish to stay.”

  “Then allow me the chance. Throw me to your wolves.” She would lead the pack by the end of the week.

  He arched his eyebrow, “And if you do not survive?”

  “Then so be it. You’ve lost nothing.”

  “And gained nothing.”

  Eve’s nostrils flared. Stars began bursting in her vision as he continued to squeeze her throat.

  “Michael,” a voice rang out from behind her. “We have a… situation.”

  “What is it, Constantine?”

  “He has set fire to his cell.”

  Michael’s grip loosened a fraction around Eve’s neck. He didn’t look pleased, nor displeased, with what he’d just been told. Instead, he looked…. Calculating. “You wish to prove yourself, female? Then train our beast.”