~Lorelei's POV~

-Two Months Ago-

A black bag flew over my head, a strong smell was permeating from within that immediately made my body feel numb. The scream died in my throat and I felt my body lurch toward the ground. Rough hands caught me and I was slung over a very bony shoulder. I tried to kick and flail but my body wouldn't respond. I attempted to open my mouth to speak or scream but it was like my body was in a coma but my mind was still awake and functioning.

I was carried back down the stairs. My heart thundered in my chest as I heard the sound of the footsteps change the moment we were outside and I knew I was heading toward that black SUV. My inner voice was screaming begging for someone, anyone, to help as the man's shoes clicked across the pavement.

My body lurched as I was tossed into the back of the SUV. I was sure bruises were already forming from the rough treatment. The door slammed shut behind me and the hood remained in place. I heard another door open as my abductor got into the driver seat.

"Target acquired." I heard a deep voice say.

"You're sure it's the right girl? You'd better not fuck this up." A voice that sounded almost familiar, like a voice you hear often narrating movies or ads, a voice I'd probably heard thousands of times on nights I forgot I left my TV on.

"It's her." The deep voice replied.

"Good. Keep her alive until the other preparations are finished." There was a click as the call dropped.

I desperately tried to move any part of my body. If I could just regain motor function I might be able to kick out the back window and escape or find a tire iron or something to defend myself with. My body was absolutely useless.

After an hour of driving, the car came to a stop and turned off. My heart raced as I heard the man's shoes crunching on gravel just outside as he came around to the trunk. I begged my body to listen to me and move, but nothing happened.

The door opened and those rough hands from before hoisted me out and I was once again tossed over that bony shoulder.

"If you leave that hood on for too long, she's going to die." A voice called out from somewhere.

The hood was wrenched off of me and I got a brief glimpse of a remote farm. The man holding me carried me toward a small shed. I begged and pleaded with my body to listen to me as I tried to squirm but it wouldn't respond. Tears of frustration leaked from my eyes.

The man unlocked the padlock on the shed. The door opened to a small interior with nothing more than some straw, a single blanket and a bucket. I was tossed inside before the doors swung closed encasing me in darkness. If I had the ability to scream, I would have.

I anxiously looked at my reflection in the massive standing mirror of my walk-in closet. The girl staring back at me seemed so foreign. My hair was longer, fuller and healthier than I'd ever seen it. There was a natural blood red hue to my lips now. And of course the black halo hovering above my head. I hesitantly reached up to touch it. It wasn't solid but it also wasn't entirely formless. I shivered and stopped touching it, creeped out by its presence and what it represented... I was dead.

After resting Lucifer suggested I take some time to pamper myself and get ready before joining him in the dining hall. The bathroom attached to my room was bigger than my apartment. The bathtub was the size of my tiny kitchen, multiple people could fit in there comfortably. That thought made me blush. After a luxurious bath, I explored my room and found a massive walk-in closet stuffed to the brim with clothes of various styles I liked magically in my size.

I'd chosen a comfy long sleeved red sweater dress that had a low back. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wear something fancy. The short time I'd been in Lucifer's presence, I had a feeling he wouldn't care if I'd shown up in a burlap sack or a marie antoinette gown. He seemed lonely. I felt like he was starved for companionship judging by the sheer number of rubber ducky's I'd seen in the few rooms I'd been in.

As I exited my bedroom into the grand hallway lined with photographs, I took the time to admire them as I passed by. The first few pictures were of Lucifer and a beautiful regal woman. Her features were sharp and defined; her expression muted. There was a severity about her gaze that appeared in all of the portraits. As I moved further down the hall, an adorable child began appearing in the portraits, she resembled both of her parents. In every picture with the child she and Lucifer wore matching grins.

I paused as I noticed a pair of double doors halfway down the hall were thrown wide open and a soft sad tune on a violin spilled out. I tore my gaze away from the portraits and drifted toward the sound. I could faintly see the red ribbon flickering in and out of view, the divine tether as Lucifer called it, leading me through the door. Though he didn't appear to be able to see it. Was something wrong with me? Why could I see it?

Quietly, I poked my head through the doors to look inside. Lucifer was standing near a wall of windows with the curtains all tightly closed playing a mournful tune on a glowing gold violin. He looked so sad. I glanced around the massive dining room and back into the empty hall. Was he alone here? I hadn't seen any servants or attendants.

"Lucifer?" I spoke softly for fear I'd startle him.

He jumped and spun around, his expression softened as his bright red eyes fell on me. "Lore."

Usually, I'd be upset if someone I didn't know called me 'Lore' but Lucifer felt familiar, like an old friend, though we'd only met once before...and he was my husband. I still couldn't quite grasp that. How the hell was a nobody like me married to the King of Hell?

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he let go of the violin and it seemingly poofed away, like magic.

The automatic response of 'good' almost spilled from my lips, but it would have been a lie and I didn't want to lie to him. He was constantly looking at me in guilt ridden agony, I felt like my presence was equal parts comfort and pain to him. "Weird." I offered honestly.

He smiled kindly, "that's fair." He took a tentative step toward the massive dining table and pulled out the chair at the head of the table before turning to me. "Hungry?"

Once again I was going to respond automatically with a 'no I'm good.' but I hesitated. My stomach let out a teeny tiny grumble and I felt my face burn hot. I nodded before scurrying to the chair he offered me.

He pretended not to notice my stomach's attempt to kill me with pure mortification. The table was suddenly overflowing with trays of various foods, all familiar things, my favorite scones from my favorite tea shop, my exact burrito bowl from chipotle with a side of chips, my favorite salad from Panera, Olive Garden Breadsticks, all familiar comforts from home flooded the table. I jumped startled by their sudden appearance and glanced over at Lucifer. A soft smile was splayed across his lips.

"How did you know I liked these things?" I asked curiously as my mouth began to water as I caught sight of my favorite appetizer from outback steakhouse, a blooming onion.

Lucifer flinched, but recovered quickly. I'd only noticed because I'd been watching him closely. "Ah. I checked in from time to time, not physically, because I didn't want to endanger you...I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay..." He averted his gaze, finding a nonexistent speck of dust on his white coat.

That sounded....worrisome. "Could you elaborate?" I asked warily.

He scratched the back of his head and dug the toe of his boot into the marble flooring, it would have been endearing if I wasn't so freaked out at the idea of him stalking me. "I have a looking glass, it shows me things. I would sometimes ask it to show me you..."

Definitely creepy.

"How often?" I asked worriedly. Did he know I sang and danced in the shower and as a result fell out of it often. I'd had to go to the ER once, I slipped and fell through the glass shower door, luckily my landlord was on board with me switching to curtains rather than replacing the glass. I was too embarrassed to tell the ER nurses what happened and told them I'd fallen out a window instead. Did he see me eat an entire birthday cake on my birthday four months ago? All my friends were busy, I was never anyone's first choice, I was never anyone else's best friend, I was always the forgotten friend. Never the go to, unless someone was desperate and I never wanted to burden anyone so I often spent most of my birthdays alone.

I bought an entire cake from Costco and ate the whole thing while watching a marathon of Disney movies that made me cry. It was definitely a low point in my life, sobbing into birthday cake. Every other horrific embarrassing moment I'd had in the past year came to the forefront of my memory and my cheeks reddened. What all did he see? I remembered that time six months ago I'd eaten WAY too much junk food and my stomach got so bloated the next day I had a panic attack and googled if it was possible for a virgin to get pregnant. I was definitely on a list somewhere for biggest fucking idiot. Oh god did he know I was a virgin?! Did he see all the shitty tinder dates I'd gone on?

"Lore?" Lucifer waved a hand in front of my face.

I'd been lost in an embarrassed daze reliving every mortifying moment of the past year and hadn't realized he'd spoken to me. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

"Alright." He watched me closely for a moment.

My face felt like it was on fire. I needed to get the conversation topic elsewhere and away from how much of a mess I was, "Do you live alone?" I asked as I thought of how empty the mansion felt.

He offered me a small somber smile, "not anymore. I live with you."

My heart hurt at this. How long had he been alone with no one to talk to aside from a multitude of rubber ducks? "I'm glad you're not alone anymore."

He looked to me, his eyes wide in wonder before he muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like 'kind to a fault'.