3: Demon Alpha's Son

“You are still young, Nadia. You can’t marry someone you just met,” Ezrael said when I told him that I want him to be my husband.

I frowned. “Young? I will turn eighteen in two years!”

He laughed gently and patted my head. “Anyway, if in the future you have plans on visiting the city, you can find me at Rivermoon. It is where my pack’s base is located.”

I felt a little sad when he told me he was leaving but I had no choice but to let him go.

I was still happy to meet him though. I felt like through him, I had some sort of connection outside the mountains. The reason why a week later, I had enough courage to finally step on the boundaries for the very first time. I was agitated and overwhelmed. Although I know Grandpa was worried, I assured him that I will be fine.

“I will be back soon,” I promised him.

He shook his head. “I don’t care if you will come back soon or not. I just want you to take good care of yourself while you are away. If you decided to just stay in the city…” His pale lips curved in to a bitter smile. “Then that would be better. I’ve been babysitting you for sixteen years, I am tired.”

I grimaced. “Stop lying, you old man. I know you want me to come back soon because you’d miss me. You just don’t want to admit it.”

“Hah! Who would miss someone as hardheaded as you!” He laughed.

I was really glad. I even thought it would be the happiest day of my life. But the sunny day turned to nothing but darkness. It was Heaven’s will, I wanted to believe, but for someone who had been showed love and kindness her whole life, I realized that the world I imagined was far from reality. I realized I was too naïve believing that no one in the world could do such evil thing towards others.

“What is happening?” I asked someone in the crowd of people. In front of us is a slender boy, chained and obviously mistreated.

“He is the son of the late Alpha of the Demon Pack. He will be executed today.”

My eyes widened. “What?!”

I asked if he had done wrong but they just told me that he’s the son of the Demon Pack’s alpha and that their bloodline should perish. Isn’t that unfair? This boy… he looked so weak and helpless. He’s not even trying to fight back. He’s just there, on his knees, with chains on his wrists and legs, unmoving.

I couldn’t see his face, though. He was looking on the ground and his hair was quite long and disheveled, it was covering his face. He was probably just on his teens. Maybe as young as me or a bit older. Even he was on his knees, I knew that he was tall. But he was too slender for a boy his age. It was like he suffered for so long before he was brought here.

I’ve never met him or talk to him before, but that moment, I felt bad and furious. Why would these people want to kill a helpless boy in public? Was it his fault that he was the son of the Demon Pack’s alpha? I don’t think so.

“The auspicious time has come!” someone announced. “At this point, let us all witness the execution of the last successor of the Demon Alpha’s bloodline!”

Everyone looked so glad of what was happening. My jaw clenched.

“This is inhumane!” I stepped up and went in front of the chained boy. The cheering of the people stopped. They all looked at me as if I was an uninvited guest.

“What are you doing, lady? He is the son of the Demon Alpha! The existence of his bloodline will only bring danger to all the packs!”

“Yes, he should be killed!”

“With his death, the Moon Goddess will bless us!”

I shook my head. How come they are dragging the Moon Goddess in such a horrible act? That was unforgivable. I couldn’t believe that cruel things like this were happening in the city. I thought everything here was peaceful and better. Why can’t they see how cruel they are to an innocent boy?

“Why is it his fault that he’s the son of the Demon Alpha? Should you condemn him for something he hasn’t done? That is not right.”

“Stop meddling on this, young lady,” the decent-looking woman said. Beside her are four men and another woman. They looked sophisticated than those at the back. Pack leaders, must be?

“In which pack do you belong?” she went on. Although her voice was calm and very feminine, the look in her eyes says otherwise. She looked cunning.

“I have no pack,” I said with pride. My mother left her pack and lived on her own like Grandpa. She was a rogue but I know she’s a lot better than the people here. So why would I be ashamed that I don’t have a pack?

“A rogue, I see.” She smirked. “Little girl, let me guess. It is your first time coming to the city, am I correct?”

“So what?” I raised a brow at her. She looked way older and sophisticated than me, but that doesn’t mean that I should be intimidated.

“You don’t know the rules here in the city. You don’t know what kind of evil you are defending right now.”

“How can you say that he’s evil when he didn’t even do anything wrong?”

“By merely existing, he’s doing something bad,” she said unreasonably. “Get her!”

That fueled my anger. I heard a ripping sound from my own throat. Before her people could touch me, I moved fast to hit them precisely at the vital points. I knocked down six men in just a matter of seconds. The people at the back of their leaders stepped back, speechless.

“You,” I pointed the arrogant woman, “Let’s have a deal. If you defeat me, I will let you kill him. But if I defeat you, let us leave in peace.”