Daemon’s hands slipped down my hips; I felt like I had been placed under some kind of spell. My mind knew the right thing to do, but my body… my body was under his spell. Tears streamed down my eyes; this reminded me of time I'd spent under Bailey's control, when I knew what I wanted, but I had no control over my own body. His bite had never had this powerful influence on me, and I guess this was all thanks to Vox.I knew for a fact that right now, if he touched me, if he… did more than just ‘touching,’ I wouldn’t be able to fight him. What I felt now, it was natural, and I hated it. His hand slipped into my pants pocket, and before I could understand what he was doing, he pulled away. He held the piece of paper Pricilla had earlier passed to me in his hands.“I’ll always be one step ahead of you, Riley.”“Is not what you think.”“It’s not?” he asked, and I shook my head. “Then what is it?”“It's nothing.”“If it’s nothing, then you wouldn’t mind this.”In a flicker the paper caught
I didn’t like the fact that Vox chose the garden for our meeting. This was Riley’s spot. “Vox. Welcome back.” I said to him, I didn’t need to place a fake smile on my lips. Demons weren’t like humans; they couldn’t be easily deceived with falsities. I didn’t like Vox being in this pack either; I couldn’t control him—actually, it was the other way around; he controlled me, and I hated being under another’s control. Of course it always feels exciting at the beginning, but then all of a sudden… it’s just not.“I can see you have not done as I asked. Perhaps you still need more time?”“I have been a bit occupied.” I answered.“With what, if I may ask? Could it have been your little trip?”“What trip?”“You visited the Lycan, didn’t you?” he asked, and I gave no response. “She made you do it.” He added, it wasn’t a question; he was simply stating facts.“It was a mistake that won’t repeat itself.”“I do not believe you. The queen seems to have you wrapped around her finger. You will have
RILEYI waited until Daemon left before taking the crumpled paper out of the drawer.If he had given even a single glance at the piece of paper he had set on fire, he would have known it wasn’t the right one. It was pure luck that he had searched the wrong pocket. I too had believed it was all over. It wasn't until I had unconsciously dipped my hand into my pocket did I realized it was still there—the portion of the map Pricilla had given me was still there, and that meant there was still a chance. I could find Thane.I was well aware of what Daemon could do if he discovered I had escaped but if I did find Thane, then it would be worth it...Two days. That’s how long it took for me to get to the first location. I had only managed to spot a small scrawny building but other than that, there was nothing else on the wide expanse of land. I had been about to continue on with the journey when I noticed the dim light coming from one of the windows in the building. Someone was in there.I wa
Logan seemed to be considering what Bella said as an option.“It would be easier to do that, but we have a lot on our table; we wouldn’t want a lovesick demon against us too.” He said, but Bella didn’t seem to agree to that. “I believe you can watch over her while I’m gone; she poses no threat — not with the toxin still in her system.”“I will be happy to watch over her.” Bella replied with a smile. She had changed— I noticed. All that had gone on between Thane and me had changed her, and now she was someone entirely different.The moment Logan left, Bella brought out a small dagger.“Killing me won’t be a wise option.” I reminded her.“Who said I am killing you?” she asked. She pointed the dagger at my throat. “It wouldn't hurt to leave a mark or two.” She brought the dagger closer to my collar and then she made a small cut, enough to draw blood. She smiled at the sight before going ahead to make an even deeper cut. “You know this is no fun when you aren’t in tears.”She stabbed the
Trent soldiers split into two groups; five accompanied us, while the rest continued with the cars. It was only a matter of time before Logan discovered what had happened and sought revenge. The other soldiers would lead him on the wrong trail."I had worried about their lives, but Trent assured me they would survive.The poison in my system was slowly wearing off. Trent had tended to my injuries, and by the time we were at the familiar-looking building that belonged to Bruce, I could walk on my own without any form of assistance.Trent had been about to knock, but the door creaked open on its own.“I will leave you here; I think my work is done.”“Trent, wait.” I called, and he paused. “Why did you help me?” I asked. I knew he was trustworthy and always ready to help, but it was indeed strange that he had left his own pack for this; that was no typical Alpha behavior.“I have my reasons. You will find out in the years to come.” He said, and with that, he was gone. I didn’t understand
DAEMON.“Where the hell is she?” I asked. Logan had Isabella in his arms; there was a lot of blood, the female seemed to have been shot, but that was their problem. She was still alive though, and she was going to survive, but that didn’t stop Logan from acting like a wimp. He kept on whispering apologies to her as though she were dying.I walked to them, ripping him off her, and I held him against the wall. “Where is she?” I questioned again.He finally seemed to notice my presence. “She is gone!” he said, shrugging off my hold and returning back to the bleeding girl.“Gone? What do you mean, gone? You told me you have her, and she was drugged. How the hell did she escape?”“I have no fucking idea!”I was not going to get anything from him.I had to check up on Thane; if she had come this close, then maybe…I didn’t want to think about it.I shifted, appearing in front of the cave. A spell had been casted to secure the place, it refrained anyone from spotting the entry until they got
RILEY’S POVI had thought Vox would kill me before I had a chance to speak. For a moment, I doubted Bruce's words. But the instant I mentioned the amulet, I saw something flicker in Vox’s eyes—it seemed to pique his interest.“Do you have the Nexus Amulet?” he asked.“I know how you can get it.”“I need proof.”“I don’t have any; you will have to believe me.”Those black orbs found me once again. “What are your conditions?”“Thane will be set free. My father, Bruce, must be released from the spell you cast on him. And finally, you will end this madness of turning the other packs against us."The last part hadn’t been part of the conversation I had with Bruce.“The warlock.” Vox whispered, seemingly deep in thought. “It will be interesting to meet him again after so many years; I didn’t think he would survive it, but just like you, he is a survivor.”“I’m glad you still remember just whom I am referring to.”A cold, humorless smile formed on his lips.“And what if I don’t agree to you
“Did you for one moment think about what would happen if things had gone the other way? – I mean, Vox could have killed you even before you had the chance to place a bargain.” Daemon said to me, and his worry for me still caught me by surprise.“Believe me, that did cross my mind more than once.”“And yet you were willing to risk it all for… him.”"Yes, I was," I answered, making myself comfortable in one of the office chairs. “Things are going to change, Daemon, and it will happen really, really fast.”“You seem so confident now; it looks like you’ve forgotten what I can do to you.”“No, I haven’t, but you see, Vox would want me alive now more than ever, so you can’t really kill me.”“I don’t have to kill you to have my fun.” He reminded me, a smile curved on his lips, exposing his fangs. I held back a shiver as the memory of how it felt when he bit me flashed past my mind. I had hated it because my body loved it; I hated it because I had no control, and he... Daemon was in full cont
We were both in tears, but there was something about the way he looked—so vulnerable, so helpless, so pained. I couldn’t bear to watch; I looked away."I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m so fucking sorry. I told her—I told her that no matter what, I would never hurt you, even if it meant choosing between my sister and you.My sister could be dead for all I knew. But every time I felt like I had already done too much wrong, I told myself—what was one more bad deed to add to the cart? Your father had been like a father to me—that’s how he so easily picked up on the fact that something was wrong. He tried to talk to me about it, and I felt so guilty. But you have to understand—one way or another, Cynthia would have killed him. She was never going to let him live."“That doesn’t make you any less of a murderer. That doesn’t make you any less of a criminal.You know, I had thought of all the things I could do to you—all the ways I could kill you slowly and painfully. But now that I’
Chaos erupted—people spoke over one another, everyone desperate to be heard."Enough," I snarled. “You bicker like children. I am not for one side or the other—this pack is one, and everyone will be treated equally. You’re right that I don’t deserve this position, but…” I paused, weighing my next words. “The Alpha will return” I assured them. Keith spat on the ground. "That's a lie, and you know it. You did something to him, and he's not coming back."I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I did what I did to help him!” I hated the fact that I lost it, but I felt the need to let them know. “I love him, and I will never stop loving him.”“And yet here you are, taking his title and taking over his pack. You didn’t do this for love, but greed—greed for power. What you fail to realize is that you might claim the title as yours, but loyalty and respect are not passed down; they’re earned.” Keith finished; with one cold glance at me, he turned around and walked away. Many others followed.“You ca
KADIA’S POVThe whole pack had gathered before me—some drawn by curiosity, others eager to know what would happen next.I looked upon the faces of those I had to protect, their lives resting in my hands. One wrong decision, and they would all suffer. I couldn’t let that happen.Austin and Phil sat on either side of me, on the platform overlooking the pack members.After the incident with Sarah, her body had been disposed of. I supposed I should feel bad that she hadn’t been given a proper burial, but I couldn’t bring myself to. She was a traitor, and she had died a traitor. News of her betrayal had spread through the pack, giving people even more to gossip about. Aric deserved the same fate. I should have killed him—made his death slow and painful. I might have once considered Sarah a friend, but Aric… I had seen him as family. His betrayal cut the deepest, yet I couldn’t bring myself to expose his treachery—not until I heard everything he had to say. For now, he rotted in the cold, d
I awoke in bed, wrapped in a blanket—but beneath it, I was completely naked. Daemon lay beside me.“I’m sorry.” He said, “I lost control.”I recalled passing out and couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. “That wasn’t on you. It was my fault.”“Not really. You passed out from blood loss. I should have fed before, but I had never tasted any blood as sweet as yours,” he said.“That feels and sounds like a compliment.”A small smile played on his lips. “Now, everything else tastes like dirt.”“You’re always welcome to drink from me.”“No. I’m not putting you through that.”I reached for my neck, and the bruise from his fangs was almost completely gone. “How…?”“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said.I nodded, rising from the bed.“You shouldn’t…”I didn’t listen. The moment my feet touched the floor, my legs gave out. He caught me instantly and placed me back on the bed.“You are severely sore.” He said, and I could almost see the guilt in his eyes. Not many things made him feel guil
I stood there for a moment, watching him, aware of every inch between us.I stepped closer. "Daem—Trian, I..." The words wouldn’t come. I wasn’t sure if I was afraid of saying them or if I simply didn’t know how. So instead, I rose onto my tiptoes, reaching for him. But he was too tall, and my lips only grazed his jaw.I lingered, searching his face, hoping he would understand what I couldn’t say.“For a demon, you have a surprising amount of self-control.""Every moment with you pushes me closer to losing it.""Then why didn’t you? Why didn’t you make a move?""After what I did to you, I have no right to touch you."I watched his fangs as he spoke, then lifted my gaze to meet his. Once again, he knew exactly what I wanted. He bared his fangs, allowing me to touch them. Their tips were so sharp that with just a little more pressure, they could have easily pierced my finger. Like everything about him, his fangs were both beautiful and terrifying—they scared me just as much as they amaz
On our way out, more women stared. It was getting unnerving—I wanted to snap at them.I was tempted to show them he was mine by wrapping my arms around his torso, but I wasn’t sure he would like that. He had never been one for such close contact, so I kept my hands to myself. But as if he could read my mind, he wrapped his arm around me—possessively.I stared up at him in surprise."I’m on my best behavior, but if those guys don’t stop undressing you with their eyes, I might have to reconsider," he said. I followed his line of sight, and sure enough, about five guys stood there, watching me. The moment Daemon’s gaze fell on them, they quickly walked away.“You don’t seem to be noticing how almost every female in the building is checking you out.” I said, and his eyes met mine again, making me realize that he truly hadn’t noticed them. How was that even possible? Some had walked past him multiple times just to get a single look from him, I couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for t
I had never seen anything like this place; it felt more… alive. This had been all I wanted, and here I was. Free of the castle and out in the open. The world was far bigger than I could ever know—far more diverse too. I didn’t realize I was smiling until I noticed his eyes on me. His attention was no longer on the road ahead of us. "It's beautiful," I said after a moment.“I would have done this sooner if I knew how happy it would make you.”"Daemon, thank you for doing this," I said, and for a moment, our eyes locked. I reddened and looked away. "Where are we going?" I asked to fill the silence."To watch a movie. It’s a rewrite of Romeo and Juliet," he said.For some reason, I couldn’t help but laugh."What?" he questioned."Who would have thought? The Demon Overlord watches movies.""I like to see myself as a normal person at times.""But there is nothing normal about you.""I've been good since we arrived here. That should win me some points in normality, shouldn't it?"“Yes, I gu
The mist disappeared, giving way to a completely different location. Daemon’s hand steadied me.“Are you alright?” he asked. I could only nod. Our ‘travel’ had been one of the strangest experiences I had ever encountered.“Where are we?” I asked, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.“In a museum.”I glanced around, noting the towering dinosaur skeleton, the paintings, and the sculptures. The more I observed, the more I appreciated the beauty of each piece. This museum was unlike anything I had ever seen, it fascinated me.“That painting… it’s so beautiful,” I said to Daemon.“Yes, it is,” he agreed. Daemon had his hands shoved in his pockets, standing still while I moved around, gushing over the beautiful artifacts. “Humans have this obsession with preserving things from the past.”I paused.“Humans?” I repeated. He nodded.“If you haven’t noticed, we’ve traveled far from home.” He took my hands in his and led me to the door. A guard sat in a small booth, his posture relaxed—until h
ALIYA’S POVDaemon had kept his distance, reminding me once again of the times back at the castle when he would withdraw into himself. He had a lot on his mind, none of which he was willing to share with me.I didn’t miss the fact that he seemed to enjoy my company, even though he never made a move on me—and I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. As the days went by, I found myself settling into this ‘new life.’ It didn’t seem so… bad, now that I knew Daemon wasn’t about to end my life anytime soon. But there was still one problem—Tasha.It didn’t take a genius to see that she was jealous. Daemon fed from her, but beyond that, she was just another person living in his house. He never seemed to look at her twice, despite her efforts. The twins were nicer, but they mostly kept to themselves. Tasha had no interest in making friends with them—or with me, for that matter.Today, something changed.Lying on the bed in Daemon's room, I felt trapped. It shouldn’t have bothered me—I had lived my