"When you're in hell, only a devil can point the way out." 

-Joe Abercrombie

"I can hear her." I mumble, cursing under my breath. "Let me open the door." I say, stepping forward to grab the handle only to have Xavier's hand to stop me. 

"Does it matter who opens the door?" He asks, sounding cold.

I gulp, looking away from him as I nod. "Okay, Jessie and Jules off the porch. You're going in my room window with Cal. Take the boxes with you, I'll let you into my room once I get there." 

The Devil raises a eyebrow at me. I shrug, "You wouldn't have left if I begged you. Just step back." 

They do what I say, even Xavier stands to the side as I shoulder the door open and throw it into the wall, instinctively dunking as a bottle flies over head. It shatters against the door frame. Taking a deep breath I look back to find Xavier quickly filling the space behind me, scaring my mom as she shrieks. 

"Bitch who is this?" She yells, storming over to us -but because of Xavier's glare she doesn't get withing hitting distance. 

"Calm down," I roll my eyes, used to the behavior. "He's not important, ignore him." At this, Xavier smirks, clearly thinking otherwise. "We're going to my room."

"You whore!" She screams, stomping her foot childishly. "Why can't you do anything around here, you're just as useless as your death father. Do me a favor and kill yourself too, then leave him to clean up the mess."

"Yes mother, whatever you say mother." I say monotonously, obviously making fun of her title. 

"Is that sarcasm?" She asks, glaring heavily at me. 

My lips quirk up before I can stop my smirk, quickly becoming impassive again as her deadly brown eyes narrow at me. "No." I hold my hands up, sarcasm lacing my tone once again. "I would never use sarcasm on you...mother." 

At this Xavier gauffles, quickly bending down to bury his face into my hair to conceal his wide half smirk half smile. 

"To your room." She hisses, grabbing another beer bottle off the counter. A little fear fills me as I realize it's empty, and her holding it is a threat. "Now."

With a head nod I grab Xavier's hand, keeping him on my left side when I pass Mom on my right. 

He squeezes my waist with his other hand, instantly I can tell how angry he is as we walk up the five steps it takes to get to the raised section of the house.

Then second my room door closes I am pinned to the wall beside it, Xavier holding my arms over my head with one hand as his massive palm presses into my stomach. I gasp as his knee parts my legs and his lips crash onto mine. 

I instantly kiss him back, he holds my body down as it tries to arch into him. His teeth pull on my lip, all his frustration coming out as he barely breathes before kissing me again. 

A knock on the window breaks me out of it. "Xavier," I mumble against his lips. "Stop." 

Instantly he does, resting his forehead against mines as he breaths heavily. Dropping his hold on my wrists I wrap my hands around his cheeks -rubbing my fingers over his tense jaw. "I hated that. If your mom was a dude I would have punched him the second you opened that door. She can't treat you like that." 

"She can, but I'm leaving. That's why we're here." I tell him, lifting his head so he'd look up. "I'm fine, I promise."

Another loud knock makes me wince, realizing I ignored the first one I send Xavier one last glance before I dunk under his tense arms and make my way over to the window. Jessamine sits on Calum's shoulders with a sly smirk that is opposite her boyfriends goofy smile. I quickly open the wide window, helping her in. 

"That was like the intro of one spicy ass porno." She says, making my cheeks flame up before she claps. "Let's get started."

Now, when it's nearly eleven at night and everything is tightly packed into boxes and those boxes are strapped into Julian's truck, we're done. 

Xavier and Jessamine are on either side of me while we rest on the bed. Calum sits against my door as we ignore my mother's pounds on the stairs. She's too drunk to walk up to her room, or walk in general so she calling for me.

Julian being Julian fell asleep in the back of the truck an hour ago.

"We should get moving." I sigh, sitting up. "But we gotta go out the window. She'll smash any bottle in sight if she sees you guys." Jessie groans, flopping closer to me. 

"Anything but that." 

I sigh, looking to Cal. "Come haul your girls ass outside. We have to go back." I shove her off me, making her hit the ground. With a snicker I hang my feet over the side. "You deserved that." 

"Did not." Jessie glares. "Angel..." She whines, making him sigh before helping her up. 

"Come on, we'll unpack tomorrow morning." I look around to them, tears prick my eyes. "Thank you all for helping me, thank you so much. None of you know how much it means to me for you guys to help me out of this hell." 

Xavier tucks a arm over my shoulder, curling my hand around my waist. "We'd all help you. You don't have to thank us."

I grin, brushing the serious moment off. "I don't have to thank Jules. Useless lord of flesh he is."

"Did you just..." Cal lets out a monstrous roar. "Quote Shakespear?"

I give a small smile. "Close the bible, Romans, 8:3.” He makes a face as his best friend releases a small chuckle.

"They call you the Angel for a reason Cal."

"I could say the same thing to you, Devil." Calum retorts.

"Guys." I say, looking around my completely empty room. Even the bed is just the frame and bare mattress. I have a desk and dresser at the Thatch home already, so the ones here are vacant and plan to be left behind. "I want to leave. Please."

Xavier is the first one to move over to the window, throwing it open as he steps outside.

Rolling his eyes at what is to him, my 6'5 giant, a short jump he simply steps off the platform. Jessamine goes next, carefully handed down by Call before landing in Xavier's arms for a split second.

Neither of them are comfortable with each others touches.

I give Cal a harsh look as he tries to make me go first, but I can hear my mom and I'm sure as hell not leaving him with her. Cal jumps out just like he did, but Jessie has to stabilise him.

The second my door barges in I'm dropping through the air, landing clumisly on the Devil.

He sucks in a breath at the impack but quickly recovers and bends over to set me safely on the ground.

My mother lets out a frustrated shriek before I hear her collapse to the floor of my room and start to sob.

Serves her right.

I'm grinning ear to ear when I practically tackle Xavier in a hug, bouncing up and down with glee. "I did it!" I shout. "I escaped."

Dipping his head lower he's already smiling when he gives me a kiss, just a small quick one but enough to make warmth spread through me. "That you did."

"Let's go home," My best friend says, shooting me a wink. "I can say that now."

I laugh, smiling all the way to the car.

Exhaustion hit us all on the way home, and only Xavier was trusted to drive. Despite today he still seems alert albeit tired.

I kick Julian awake before climbing out of the truck, letting out a monsterous yawn that had everyone around me following suit.

They shoot me glares before giving up on anger and walking inside.

Leaning heavily into Xavier's side I inhale his sharp scent and realize how dirty I feel.

After last night I didn't clean up and just did all that work.

I must stink.

"I'm gonna take a shower." I tell Xavier, making him smirk. Rolling my eyes I realize he got quite sweaty too and raise a eyebrow. "Wanna join me?"

He chuckles, pulling me even closer as well stumble in my room. "Of course, want me to go grab all yoir before things?"

I smile gratefully at him. "Yes please, it would be nice to sleep with my own things and not be afraid for once." At my words he frowns, but ruffles my hair as he passes anyway.

I tear off the bed sheets, even the pillow cases -not out of necessity but because it would annoy me. I change the blue cotton to grey silk.

Heading towards the bathroom I turn on the shower, getting it hot. Hearing Xavier make my bed, well our bed for tonight, I shrug and start to strip -throwing all my dirty clothes into the laundry bin in the corner.

Opening the door, Xavier knocks on the frame. "Don't even ask, just come on." I interrupt the words I was sure were on the tip of his tongue.

"Asking is important." He grunts, hearing the ruffling of discarded clothing as he strips makss me realise if this was anyone else I would have made them run for the hills.

With him I didn't think twice.

The Devil of all people.

Opening the shower curtain Xavier keeps his eyes on mine, even after sleeping with me they won't dip lower without permission.

I give him the same respect.

He raises a eyebrow, clearly about to ask again. I giggle slightly, reaching my hand up to cup water before I send it spraying onto his face and chest. "Well get in, you're already wet."

He grumbles under his breath about how rude I am while stepping in I grin a bite my lip.

"You're dressed to impress." I say, letting the water spray my back.

"Clearly," He mutters. Raising his hands and cupping my cheeks, clearly asking for more when he says, "May I?"

Nodding he grins, and it's feral.

Running his knuckles down the length of me he grips my waist. My hands plant on his hips, thumb on the edge of his 'V' line.

Let's just say he's doing a great job of controlling himself.

"You're so beautiful," He says. "Did you know that?" His sharp teeth glisten, a flash invitation if I ever saw one.

A wolfs beauty is often the prey's downfall.

One look and their ready to die.

And me looking at Xavier Wolf is no exception.

There's a wildness in his beauty, nobody can deny that.

But I accept all of it.

"I used to." I reply honestly. "But I don't think you're lying." His hands move dangerously lower, pressing me against him.

"I'm not." Pressing his lips to my forehead he smirks while pulling away. "Let's get you cleaned up, stinky."

But the way he's holding me makes the stinky comment less and less likely.

"You know," I say, gulping. "Usually I shower with the lights off."

He doesn't add anything sexual to it, guessing the real reason behind my words. "Do you want them off?"

Breathing out I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his head down. "I trust you more than I trust myself. So, with you I don't want the lights off. I feel safer with your eyes on me then when I look in the mirror." I admit, blushing as I turn away from his blue gaze. "I'll stick with safe."

"I guess that means," He smirks, turning me around as he reaches past my head to grab the shampoo. He dips down, his chest brushing my back as the water hits both of us. "You're stuck with me."

Perfect.