Levi walked around the mansion, deciding he needed to get some fresh air. He walked out the back door to find a vast flower garden surrounded by tall hedges so it felt more isolated.

Without thinking, Levi entered under the white arch lined with white roses dusted with red petals. He wandered through the garden, admiring all of the flowers, until he got to the center and heard voices.

One he recognized as Paxton's. Even though they'd only met once, there was no mistaking Paxton's cold, deep voice.

There was another voice that sounded lighter, but Levi didn't recognize it.

"Someone else is here," the lighter voice said, sounding amused.

Levi froze as Paxton and a man he'd never met before came from around a corner.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Levi said, even though he didn't hear anything they said. "I didn't even hear anything! I was just-"

"Who's soulmate is this?" the man cut off, talking to Paxton.

Paxton glared at Levi, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Greyson and Elijah's," he said in a gruff tone. "And he's supposed to be with them. Healing."

"Healing?"

"He tried to kill himself last night," Paxton said bluntly, making Levi pale and look down at his feet.

The other man sighed. "Don't be so rude," he scolded, earning a mumbled apology from the man. "I'm Alastor, the Lord of Hell and the Master of the Seven Sins whom you have become acquainted with."

"I'm Levi," Levi said softly, taking Alastor's outstretched hand, surprised when the man pulled him into a hug and released him seconds later.

Alastor chuckled at the shock on Levi's face. "I get excited when my sins find their soulmates. They did choose to be here on Earth for that reason!" He then glanced at Paxton with a disapproving look. "Well, most of them."

Paxton huffed. "I have other things to do," he said, shaking Alastor's hand before excusing himself to go inside and do his paperwork.

Alastor stopped Levi before he could slink off inside, not comfortable with being around someone who referred to the sins as his and called himself their Master.

"Sit with me, Levi," Alastor ordered, sitting down on a bench under a wisteria arch in the garden. "Would you like me to heal the cuts on your arms?"

Levi looked down and saw there was still a sweatshirt covering his arms, so Alastor shouldn't have been able to see where he was injured.

"I'm the Lord of Hell and I control the demons who reside there, Levi," Alastor said, letting out a small laugh. "I can see pain on humans, and there is pain all over your arms and a significant amount in your heart and mind as well, but that is emotional pain."

"Are you Satan?" Levi asked, scooting away from Alastor.

Alastor pursed his lips. "I suppose you could say that. I reside in Hell, I lead the demons there and I have ultimate control over what happens there. Now, there is no religious affiliation with Hell as humans pretend there is on Earth… It is about who you are as a person that determines where your soul ends up when you pass away. I prefer my given name, but Satan, the Devil… Those are all names associated with me. 

Levi nodded, trying to understand. "This is all pretty new to me," he admitted, making Alastor laugh.

"I'd be worried if you understood it right away," he said, standing up and walking over to the the apple tree in the middle of the garden, picking one of the fruits and taking a bite of it. "What do you fear, Levi?"

"I don't think I want to tell one of the leaders of Hell my biggest fear," Levi said, picking the petals off of a daisy from the flower bed behind him. "No offense."

Alastor chuckled. "If I wanted to know your fears that bad I could force them out of you," he said, making Levi give him a look of uncertainty and scoot away. "I'm not going to, don't worry."

Levi bit his bottom look. "For being demons, none of you have been really mean or scary. Besides Paxton, but that's just bitterness," he said, picking another daisy and sniffing it before removing its petals.

"Being a demon doesn't make us evil," Alastor said, taking the torn flower from Levi's hand and regrowing it in front of Levi's eyes. "We just don't always put others first. We take what we want and benefit ourselves, but so do humans, but they pretend to be kind. Tell me if I'm lying."

Levi shook his head, thinking back to his foster father who pretended he cared only to use him later. "I can't say you are," he admitted.

Alastor smirked. "I like you, darling," he said, standing up. "Stay here for a few minutes, I have a gift for you."

Before Levi could say anything, Alastor opened a portal and stepped through it, leaving Levi alone in the garden. He sat in silence while the sun sunk lower, leaving purple and pink streaks across the sky.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Alastor's voice came from behind Levi, making him leap forward and land on the cobblestone path. "Sorry! I forgot how easily humans startled!"

Levi glared at him. "I'd say not to upset me or you'd hear if from Elijah and Greyson, but it's clear you're in charge of them," he said, scowling at the demon who he'd been so scared of ten minutes before. "Speaking of which, they call you Master, but I don't want to, so can I just call you Alastor?"

The demon looked surprised but he smiled and nodded, holding out a large parcel for Levi. "That is what Kayden calls me, though it is just to gloat because I make the sins call me Master Alastor but I won't force it on their soulmates," he said with a laugh. "And this gift is for you. I gave Kayden a moving solar system because he loves astrology, but this gift is something that I think will help to motivate you."

"Motivate me?" Levi asked, taking the huge box.

Alastor gave him a kind, warm smile. "Don't shake the box. She won't be happy," he said.

That piqued Levi's curiosity and he set down the box and opened it to find a small, black cat with bat wings protruding from its back, its eyes still closed.

"She's one of the many exotic animals of Hell," Alastor said, smiling at the tiny animal. "She's a few days old, and these animals are special in the fact that they can only serve one person, so the one who cares for her will be the one she follows. She'll know her true master when her eyes open, so make sure you're with her when that happens."

Levi put his hand in front of the kitten's mouth and cooed when she touched her nose to the back of his hand. She licked her scratchy tongue on his hand and he could feel her tiny purrs when she rubbed her neck against his hand so he could scratch it.

"It's tradition to name them after their eyes have been opened," Alastor told him as Levi picked up the kitten. "She'll soon adjust to your scent and make your connection stronger."

Levi thanked him as the back door to the mansion opened, both Elijah and Greyson joining them in the garden.

"Master," Elijah said respectfully, before wrapping his arms around Levi's shoulders. "We just wanted to check on you since you've been gone for a while."

"Paxton told us you were out here with Master Alastor," Greyson said, nodding to his leader. "Gale is working on dinner. Will you join us?"

Alastor nodded, a proud smile on his face. "I can't miss the chance to see Kayden! I miss that boy," he said, a mischievous look on his face.

Elijah faked a gag. "You're not getting your hands on Levi, Master or not," he muttered, pushing Levi between himself and Greyson.

Levi gave Greyson a questioning glance.

"Kayden and Simon have had their fair share of fun with Master Alastor when he comes around," Greyson told him. "They're the reason we all soundproofed our bedrooms."

Levi blushed, focusing on the kitten in his arms so he didn't have to show his face to the other three.

"Let's go eat," Greyson said as Alastor began to recount memories of his intimate time spent with Simon and Kayden, only making Levi's blush darken.

When they got to the kitchen, Alastor instructed Levi to feed his kitten raw meat, and it was only then that Elijah saw the tiny animal and fawned over it.

"She's so cute!" Elijah exclaimed as Levi hand fed the tiny animal. "Is she one of Cat's?"

"You named your cat... Cat?" Levi asked Alastor, the demon nodding as if it should've been obvious.

Gale laughed from the kitchen. "He also has a dog named Dog."

Alastor growled at all of them. "I can punish all of you," he said, making everyone else fall silent except for Levi, who just laughed.

"You're too soft, Alastor," he said, surprising everyone else when Alastor only smiled at him and chuckled.

"And yes, Gale, it's one of Cat's," Alastor said, sitting at the bar with Greyson making drinks while Levi and Elijah both fed the kitten pieces of raw steak.

Gale pursed her lips. "You don't give her kittens away."

Alastor nodded. "Unless I know they'll cherish the kitten and raise it well, and I can see souls," he said, glancing at Levi. "I trust him to protect her and raise her."

They all chatted until dinner was ready and the rest of the sins joined them at the table. There was a large buffet set out over the whole table, and Levi was starving since he hadn't had much except the juice box when he told his story.

Once they were all served, Alastor poured them all glasses of champagne, except for Kayden, Gale, and Elijah who preferred sparkling lemonade.

"I propose a toast to the new member of the family," Alastor said.

Greyson and Elijah both broke into grins, each kissing one of Levi's cheeks.

"Cheers to Levi!" Alastor cheered.

Everyone tapped their glasses and dove into the meal.