A Deal with the Devil

Liana POV

The door shut behind us with a heavy thud, leaving me alone with Alpha Darius. The room felt colder now, the air filled with an unspoken tension. Darius leaned back in his chair, his icy blue eyes never leaving mine. I tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear, feeling my cheeks heating up under his gaze. 

Goddess. He was the most beautiful wolf I’d seen in my life. He was wearing a white shirt that stretched on his broad shoulders like a second skin. The top two buttons were open revealing tattoos that came all the way to his thick, muscular arms over which he had rolled his sleeves. And his dark hair was tousled, wanting me to intertwine my fingers in them. 

I could see the calculating glint in his gaze, like he was already piecing together how to use this situation to his advantage. 

“Start talking,” he said, his voice calm but commanding. “If you want my help, I need to know exactly what I’m getting into.” The way he spoke, it was clear that Kaden had already apprised him of my situation. 

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his eyes. “My father, Alpha Victor, has always been power-hungry. He never saw me as his daughter — only as a tool to gain more power. He allied with Rowan from the Blood Moon Pack and decided to seal the deal by handing me over like I was a discarded asset.”

Darius raised an eyebrow, but didn’t interrupt, so I continued.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I said, my voice trembling slightly as I remembered the ceremony. “He tied me down, made me powerless, and let Rowan mark me against my will. He wanted to force a bond to strengthen their alliance, but I ran before Rowan could complete it.” I lifted my chin, hoping I looked braver than I felt. “I’m not going back there.”

Darius’s eyes darkened, his lips curling into a smirk. “And you think I’m going to protect you? Just out of the kindness of my heart?”

I swallowed, shaking my head. “No. I know better than that. But I also know you hate my father and Rowan. Helping me would give you leverage over them. I’m willing to offer anything you want in return.”

His gaze sharpened, and he tilted his head, looking intrigued. “Anything, you say?” He rose from his chair, pacing around me slowly. I could feel his eyes on me, examining every inch, making me feel exposed despite my clothes. “What exactly do you think you have to offer me?” Gosh, he was so tall—over six feet, against my tiny frame of 5’3”. 

I hesitated, my heart pounding. “I can give you information about their plans. My father doesn’t know I overheard his meetings. I know where they plan to strike next, where they’re keeping their most important supplies.”

Darius stopped in front of me, leaning down until his face was inches from mine. I could feel his breath on my skin, and it took everything in me not to melt in his leather and smoky smell mixed with that of pine and earth, like he had run in the forest for hours. “Information is valuable,” he said quietly. “But it’s not enough. I need more than just whispers and rumors.”

“What do you want, then?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper. My whole body felt tense, like a bowstring pulled tight. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear his answer.

Darius smiled, but it wasn’t a kind smile. It was sharp and cold, like the edge of a blade. “I propose a deal,” he said. “I’ll protect you from your father and Rowan, keep you safe within my pack. But in return, I have a special request.” 

“Sure, anything!” I replied in desperation. 

Then he said quietly, “You and I will forge a fake mating bond.”

I stared at him, stunned. “A fake mating bond? Why would you want that? How is that possible?” 

“Leverage,” he said simply. “A fake bond with you would give the impression that I’ve claimed you, making it impossible for your father or Rowan to demand you back without declaring outright war. And it would strengthen my pack’s standing in the region. In case he fights with me to take you away, well, I will have a huge advantage.” 

I felt my breath hitch. The idea of a fake bond was both terrifying and strangely appealing. It would give me protection and freedom from my father’s plans, but it also meant tying myself to Darius — a man I knew nothing about except his reputation for ruthlessness.

Darius’s smile widened slightly as he saw the conflict in my eyes. “Of course, it would only be temporary,” he added, almost casually. “Just long enough for me to achieve my goals and for you to figure out your next steps.”

“What happens if they find out it’s fake?” I asked, my voice shaking. 

“They won’t,” Darius said confidently. “Not if we do it right. We’ll have to mark each other, make it look convincing. But it won’t be permanent. Once the threat from your father and Rowan is gone, we can break the bond.”

He reached out, his fingers lightly brushing against the mark on my neck. I flinched away, covering it with my hand. His touch burned like ice.

“You want to see my mark?” I asked, feeling a wave of embarrassment. The thought of exposing it, letting him see what Rowan had done, made me feel vulnerable.

Darius raised an eyebrow. “Yes,” he said simply. “If we’re going to fake a bond, I need to see the extent of what we’re dealing with.”

I hesitated, then slowly pulled the collar of my shirt down, revealing the raw, red mark on my neck. Darius’s eyes darkened as he examined it, his fingers ghosting over the skin without actually touching me.

“He didn’t complete the claim,” he murmured. “But it’s deep enough that others will sense it.”

I swallowed, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “He didn’t get the chance,” I whispered. “I ran before he could.”

Darius straightened up, his expression thoughtful. “You were smart to run,” he said. “But that mark will make it hard for you to hide. Anyone who sees it will know you belong to Rowan.”

“That’s why I need your help,” I said, my voice pleading. “Please, Alpha Darius. I can’t go back to them. I’ll do anything.”

He looked at me for a long moment, his face unreadable. Then he nodded slowly. “Very well,” he said. “We’ll try this fake mating bond. But know this, Liana — once we start this, there’s no going back. If you betray me, I will kill you without hesitation.”

I shivered at the cold finality in his voice, but I forced myself to nod. “I understand.”

Darius smirked, but there was no humor in his eyes. “Good. We’ll start tomorrow. I suggest you get some rest. You’ll need it.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest. I had just made a deal with the devil himself, but it was the only chance I had left.