Chapter 1

There are two kinds of people in the world, the bad and the worst. Gideon Demetrius was on his way to becoming the wicked. Growing up on the run, everything he wanted he had to take it, chipping at his soul bit by bit. An uncontrollable hunger, the light so very far away. He was caged within his own shell, alone with only the darkness. Within the shadows, he changed into the manipulative bastard who sat at the center of a literature lecture, distracting every feminine and a few masculine eyes in the class. 

I rolled my eyes and went back to scribbling notes in my notebook. If only they knew the truth about the most feared wolf in…well, the world. They would be running for the hills as we speak. It was easy to say someone was feared but to actually feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up when they walked by, was something else. Even now about 5 seats away from him, a thin sheet of sweat began to coat my palms. 

I ran my hands over my baggy jeans and tried to pay keen attention to the words of the professor. Soon, my discomfort ended and I rushed out of the class and as far away from the demon wolf as possible. Thankfully that was the only class that I was stupid enough to take since he and I were the only wolves in it. All the other wolves had bailed because they were afraid. 

It was also my last class of the day, then I had to do my one hour tutoring session in the library and home sweet home , I would go. Home, was sharing a house with my friends and their annoying boyfriends but it was all good. I had my own room. 

I slipped in my earphones and zoned out my surroundings as I made my way to the library. With my favorite song playing in my ears, there was nothing that could ruin my day. I pushed the library door open and headed towards the librarian's desk. I hit the bell that I had bought her for her birthday and removed an ear bud as she approached. 

“Hey, is Jay here yet,” I asked with a warm smile. I glanced around the library and didn’t see his familiar red backpack. Jacob Stine was the prince of Black Heights University and was failing nearly all of his classes. He was a decent enough guy and the money was golden. 

“Actually, I got you a different student to tutor and before you argue. He is willing to pay triple the price and you need the money for when your scholarship bails,” she said, placing her hands on her waist and wagging her finger at me. 

I sighed, she was right. I was broke and my family were–how do I put this…worse than me and very selfish. Bottom line is that I didn’t want to worry my mom and my sister and the rest was history. As far as I was concerned the remaining members of my family didn’t care about my future education, so furthermore I was a lone wolf fending for myself. Just the way I liked it. 

“Well who is he or she,” I asked with a sigh. 

“That’s the juicy bit,” she said happily, shaking her shoulders. “It’s the handsome–I want to climb him like a tree–chap over there,” she said, causing me to cringe. 

I shook my head at the middle age African American woman, who needed to get a new husband. Her last one lasted….5 months. 

I glanced in the direction which she was pointing and a shiver fell down my spine. My lips parted. No, no, never. 

“I quit,” I said, turning back to Evelyn with wide eyes. 

“What, no! Sweetie, what’s wrong,” she said, noticing my terrified form. 

Evelyn was human and a parent figure to me, while I was so far from home and with my family only able to afford a monthly visit. I confided in her but I also had a rule of silence to uphold, issued by the Alpha of this town. We could not, under any circumstances, tell any humans about the existence of our kind. Penalty was death if the secret was ever threatened. Evelyn wasn’t good at keeping secrets. 

So I had to woman up. Kick fear in the ass and embrace confidence. Ha, easy peasy. 

“Nope, it's good. I got it,” I said, nodding to myself, brushing a sweat bead from my forehead. 

“That’s right, go get it girl and get some for me too,” Evelyn said, hyping me up. 

I chuckled feeling a little at ease but step after step that ease disappeared and fear rained like fire. Then the itching started. I paused before his chair where his head was buried in a book. I cleared my throat and he didn’t move. I cleared it again and nothing happened. I shrugged off my bag and slammed it onto the desk. That sure did the trick. 

Gideon Demetrius stared at me with his dark eyes and a big girl over here stared back unblinking with a slightly smug look on her face. Roar, bish, roar, she could hear Evelyn whispering. I bit back a smile and sat down. 

“I’m Zaira, your new tutor,” I introduced myself fully aware of his unwavering stare. 

“So, what’s your poison,” I asked slowly, staring at the desk. I folded my sweating palms together and tried my best to keep my legs still. 

“I can turn it off if you like,” his deep yet soft and most definitely smooth voice sent goosebumps up my skin. 

“Tu-tu-turn what off,” I stuttered, not quite recovering from the shock of the beautiful sound of his voice. 

“My dominance,” he stated casually. 

I froze, with a brow raised. You're what now! “You can turn it off,” I said shocked, watching as he placed the book he was reading on the table. 

“Yes,” he said with a slight raise to the edge of his lips. 

I nodded to myself. “Uhm, okay. Yes, sure,” I said, glancing at him momentarily. This was the first conversation that I had ever had with the feared demon wolf and dear I say it was…nice?

There was a shift in the air and I released a breath I never knew that I was holding. “Thanks,” I said, clutching my chest. 

“It's something personal. I don’t like people coming up to me and striking up a conversation that I don’t want to have,” he explained. I nodded in understanding. It was one of the worst feelings in the world especially if you didn’t know the right answers. Though my situation was definitely not his. 

“Also I do not need tutoring,” he said slowly. 

I tilted my head. So there was a reason for the niceness. Should have seen it coming. I leaned forward placing my elbows on the table and resting my chin on my interlocked fingers. 

“So, what do you need,” I said tiredly. 

He leaned back and watched me closely. Dark eyes, light skin, high cheekbones, sharp jaw, Adonis on earth or Hades. 

“I need to have a talk with the alpha's son in private and I know that your friend is his mate, so convince her to convince him,” he stated, reaching inside his pocket and pulling out a card. He handed it to me. It was the V. I. P access platinum card of one of the hottest clubs in this town. 

“We’ll meet on neutral ground and it’s a plus unlimited so feel free to join,” he stated cockily, might as well kick your feet up on the table and call the library his kingdom. 

“What do you want to talk about,” I asked, carefully putting the card in my bag. I mean I wouldn't want to lose it now since it's very expensive and super rare. 

“I can’t disclose that with you,” he said, folding his arms. I glanced at the table and bit my bottom lip. I hated confrontation. More importantly I hated talking to Shay's mate, he was too….douche-ish. 

“I’ll try, seeing that you’d probably murder me in my sleep if I don’t,” I muttered absentmindedly. My heart skipped a beat as I remembered who was sitting in front of me. It was too late to take it back but the guilt and fear for my life was real. 

He didn’t say anything, instead he got up slowly and walked around the table. He stopped beside me and leaned closely towards my face. I forgot how to breathe, move, I wished that I could disappear. 

“Where’s the fun in that, I love to hear them scream,” he whispered, sending quivers down my spine. 

He left my side with an evil chuckle. 

I sat frozen in that chair for what felt like hours. Just staring dead ahead, trying to calm my frazzled nerves. I inhaled deeply and then grabbed my bag with trembling hands. 

The demon wolf wasn’t a myth or a legend. He was a walking nightmare. A bloodthirsty creature, who killed for the pleasure of it. He was rumored to have destroyed some of the strongest packs in the world. I had once seen him in action. He tore through a man’s chest and ripped his heart out. His hands linger in the warm body for a few seconds before pulling from it a bloody beating heart. Then he did something that I will never forget and the intern never forgot his savagery. He eats that man's heart like a hungry beast. 

My eyes burned with tears as I remembered the dead man's face. He didn’t deserve it but no one would listen to him. 

That man was Evelyn’s husband. The only man who she ever truly loved. I always felt like I owed her my company for not stepping in and trying to help. I knew that I could have helped but I didn’t because I was a disappointment to my kind. I shook off my pity and checked my watch. My friend's last class would have ended 30 minutes ago. I said my farewell to Evelyn and left the library.