Chapter 16

OLIVE

“Are you okay?” Dinah asks, her hand comforting on my shoulder.

I’m standing at the end of the stone path, staring at my house. The quaint cottage seems darker today.

Maybe it’s just my nerves painting it that way.

“I am. It’s just… What if everything changes after I know the truth?” I reply, my voice shaky.

“What could possibly change? You already know you’re a hybrid, so there’ll be no surprises there. The only change will be knowing the truth of your heritage.”

“Sometimes, and ~only~ sometimes, Dinah, you are wise for your age,” I tease, nudging her with my shoulder.

Dinah tosses her curly hair. “And, girl, don’t I know it! Now knock on the damn door before I do!” she says, pushing me up the path.

“All right, all right!” I say, squaring up to the door, gathering the courage to knock. “Wait outside when I go in.”

Dinah nods before I rap on the door.

After a few moments, my mom opens the door. She stares at me blankly before her eyes widen and her hands fly to her mouth as she recognizes me.

“Oh my goddess, Livi! Get in here!!” she exclaims, pulling me into a tight hug.

She holds on to my arms, stepping back to look me over, tears pooling in her chestnut eyes.

“Are you okay? Have they been kind to you!?” she asks, her voice filled with worry.

I chuckle and give her a reassuring smile. “They’ve been nothing but nice to me,” I say, closing the door behind me.

“Mom…something really strange happened today. I need to know everything about my dad.” I look at her, my eyes pleading.

She sighs. “Yes, I think it’s about time. But first, what happened today?” She looks at me, one eyebrow raised.

I really don’t want to relive today’s events, but if it helps her open up about my dad, then I’ll suck it up.

“Well, long story short. Hellhounds came for me today.”

My mom gasps and opens her mouth to say something. I raise a hand and continue, “They were too powerful for the guards and just kept coming. They were ruthless, hell-bent on getting to me.

“I don’t really understand what happened, maybe some sort of gut instinct, I guess. But the fire that consumes me was able to hurt them. I told them to leave, and they just left, tails between their legs…literally!

“One managed to bite one of the guards. The venom was killing him, so I-I, I sucked it out. It made me feel powerful, more powerful than I have ever felt—and I saved his life!

“I’m scared, Mom. Please…tell me.”

I grab her hands, looking into her eyes. “Please, Mom, I need to know what dad was…what I am. I can’t take any more of these secrets.”

“Okay,” she says, her face determined.

“This is something I should have told you a long time ago. I’m so sorry I didn’t, Livi. Please understand that I tried to. I could just never find the right way or the right words.”

“It’s okay, Mom, I understand,” I say, squeezing her hands, urging her to continue.

She lowers her head and stares at our hands. She takes a deep breath before she begins.

“Your father, Dominic. He’s…a demon. But…he’s not just any demon, Livi. He’s a demon prince,” she says, looking up at me through her long brown lashes.

I stare at her, my jaw dropping, words failing me.

“There’s more…” My mom sighs.

“Your grandfather, Asmodeus. He is a cruel man. Demons don’t have a mate bond as werewolves do. They take a mate for themselves.

“Most demons take whoever they want without considering their chosen mate’s wishes. Some of these chosen mates want nothing to do with them.

“They choose who they believe will create the strongest offspring.

“Not all demons are like this, however, there are those that would not wish to force a mateship upon another without their consent, like your father.

“Asmodeus thought him weak for his way of thinking.”

Mom continues, “However, when I met your dad and that mate bond snapped into place, we knew we were destined.

“He was scared of the mate bond at first. He didn’t understand it, having never heard of it before. But as you know, a wolf’s mate can be any compatible species.

“Your dad was actually in our realm on a mission by his father. He was sent here to kill me and take his place on the throne,” she finishes, her voice steady.

Shock and horror must be written all over my face. “Why? Why would the Demon King want you dead?”

“One of his seers foretold that I would bring about his downfall.” She laughs. “Clearly that hasn’t happened. Little old me, a beta’s daughter,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“Your father was blackmailed by his own father. He was told that if he didn’t do as requested, his own mother would perish.

“However, when he met me, he knew no matter what he wouldn’t be able to go through with it.

“His father’s threat was empty, losing his chosen mate would still weaken him. There were still consequences for Dom though.

Mom sighs, probably feeling sympathy for my father and his situation.

She continues, “Asmodeus murdered your father’s best friend right in front of him, tore his heart out like he was nothing… He never was quite the same after that.”

“When Asmodeus learned that we were mated, he became intrigued. We learned from demons loyal to your father that he was watching us closely.

“It caused every day to be filled with pressure and fear, but when we learned that we were expecting, those fears seemed to fade away for a time.

“We knew he was drawn to our child, and we were scared he might try to snatch you away. But we were so caught up in our own joy that we didn’t pay it much mind.

“He stayed with us until your first birthday. That’s when Asmodeus called him back.

Mom continues, her words flowing like a river. “He came to me one night in a dream. His eyes, cold and lifeless, glowed green as he delivered his message.

“He was tired of watching us, he was let down by you, he thought you’d be special, a tool for his use.

“He saw you as nothing more than a scruffy werewolf, no trace of demon blood, worthless to him.

“So, he threatened your father to come back, or he’d send his hounds and a demon army to kill you and me. But he was so wrong about you.” She smiles, her hand gently stroking my cheek.

“You’re stronger than you realize, with the powers of both a demon and a werewolf, a true force to be reckoned with.

“I bet he was taken aback, to put it mildly, when his hellhounds returned terrified!” She laughs.

“Only a demon of royal blood can control those creatures. But now he’ll know you’re not just in command of your werewolf powers.

“The fire that blazes inside you is fire straight from hell. He’ll sense this shift in the universe now that you’ve used your powers several times.”

There’s so much to process: my heritage, not just my demon blood, but the fact that my dad is the freaking Prince of Hell!

He didn’t abandon me. He wanted to be with me and my mom, but his own father took him away from us. My heart aches for the life we could’ve had together, as a family.

My mom could’ve had her mate with her all these years. She could’ve been genuinely happy, not just pretending for my sake.

I’m mulling over what my mom has told me when a realization hits me.

“I think Asmodeus has visited me in my dreams too,” I admit, hesitating.

“Oh, Livi… What did he say!?” she asks, worried.

“He said…‘see you soon.’”

Her face turns white.

The ride back to the pack house is quiet. I haven’t shared my heritage with anyone else yet.

I decide that the next person to know should be Ezekiel, even though I’m still unsure about this bond between us.

The one thing I’m certain of is that it’s real, and the more time I spend with him, the harder it is to be away from him.

If I decide to accept this mateship, then my mate would be the first person I’d share this information with. So I might as well start now, right?

I can’t imagine the king would be happy if his supposed mate told everyone else her secret before him.

We pull up in front of the pack house and I slowly get out of the car. I faintly hear Dinah asking the guards to take my new clothes up to my room.

Eddie clears his throat, trying to get my attention.

“I-I just wanted to say I’m really grateful for what you did back there. For…you know…saving my life and all,” he says, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other.

I smile at him. “You’re welcome, Eddie. Now go and rest your shoulder.”

“Yes, my queen,” he responds with a dutiful nod.

I open my mouth to correct him, but decide to let it go.

I open the doors and walk into the lobby. At this hour, Ezekiel could be anywhere, but my best guesses are his office or our room.

Then it hits me. His office... I don’t know where it is.

I stand in the lobby, trying to discreetly sniff the air as if that would give me a hint.

I can’t pick up his scent down here. I start to climb the stairs to the next floor when I hear someone calling my name.

I turn to see Alpha Max jogging toward me. “Hey! Olive! I was hoping to have a word with you. I have something, um, important to talk about.”

~Well, aren’t you Mr. Mysterious, not giving anything away.~

“Alpha Max, I’m really sorry. I have to see the king. But I’ll catch up with you soon, okay?”

“Please, call me Max. But, yes, of course. I’ll see you soon.”

“Thanks, Max! By the way, do you know where he is?” I ask.

“Go left on the next floor, third door on the right, that’s his office,” he answers.

“Thank you!” I turn and leave, following his directions. Soon, I reach my destination.

I know I’m in the right place because I can smell his scent drifting into the hallway. After a moment of gathering my courage, I knock and walk into the office.

Ezekiel is sitting back in his chair, arms crossed, a playful grin on his handsome face. “I was wondering when you’d finally come to the office.” He smirks.

I glare at him, mostly because I’m embarrassed at being caught.

He uncrosses his arms, rests his elbows on the desk, and props his dimpled chin on his hands.

“How can I help you, Little Wolf?” he asks, his voice dripping with seduction.

A small, delightful shiver runs down my spine at his tone. I quickly straighten up, hoping he doesn’t notice his effect on me.

“After the shopping center, I made a quick stop at my mom’s house—” I begin, but Ezekiel interrupts. His eyes are turning dark and threatening.

“The guards were given strict orders to take you there and back ~only~,” he says, his teeth clenched.

“Well, plans changed. They kind of owed me for saving their lives, especially Eddie,” I say with a shrug.

The darkness in his steel-gray eyes fades, replaced with worry.

~Is he starting to let his guard down around me?~

I don’t have time to ponder that because Ezekiel is in front of me in an instant, scanning me as if looking for any sign of what happened.

He cups my face with his large, rough hands. “Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?” he asks, concern in his voice.

“My granddad on my dad’s side was apparently trying to kidnap or kill me.

“That’s why I went to my mom’s place to talk about my dad,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Who’s your granddad?” he asks, his voice rough.

“Asmodeus…the demon king. My dad, Dominic, is the prince. Asmodeus sent hellhounds after me. Eddie got bitten, but I managed to make them leave us alone.

“My mom says it’s because I have royal demon blood… So, yeah, that’s how my day went,” I finish, feeling awkward.

Ezekiel lets out a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say. But this doesn’t change anything. You’re mine, and only mine…”

Suddenly, he frowns. “Hold on, Eddie got bitten by a hellhound? The venom, how…? He should be dead.”

“I…sucked the venom out of his shoulder,” I say, giving him a sweet smile.

He pulls me close, inhaling deeply. “Do you realize what you’re doing to my wolf?” he whispers in my ear. “There will be no ~sucking~ another man, got it?”

I can’t help but laugh at his words, which earns me another possessive growl from Ezekiel.

We walk back to our room in silence, his hand resting on the small of my back, sending warmth all over me.

When we reach our room, he removes his hand, leaving a cold void. I almost protest, but decide against it.

I’m about to change into my night clothes when Ezekiel throws his T-shirt at me. I give him a puzzled look.

“Wear that,” he orders.

I cross my arms and frown at him, and he rolls his eyes.

“You either wear my shirt to bed, or my wolf will take over and mate with you tonight,” he says, sounding indifferent.

I quickly change into his T-shirt, and he watches, growling approvingly.

I get into bed, and Ezekiel follows, pulling me close to his warm, firm chest. I sigh, content.

~Mate him,~ Raven insists.

~I still don’t know him well enough.~

~What else do you need to know? He’s handsome—check! He treats you like a queen—check! He has a body like a god—check, check!~

~Okay, most of that is true, but I still want some freedom! Plus, there are things I need to know first.~

~Like what?~

~Oh, just some easy stuff. Like why he killed his dad, for starters!~

~Just ask him...but be gentle...as gentle as you can.~

I roll over and close my eyes, trying to ignore Raven and fall asleep. But now all I can think about is why he would kill his own father. I have to ask.

“Ezekiel?” I ask softly.

“Hmm?” he mumbles sleepily.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

He stiffens for a moment before answering.

“Sure, anything.”

“Why did you really kill your dad? Dinah said there was more to it,” I ask carefully.

He’s silent for a moment, either unsure of how to answer or deciding whether to tell me.

“Because I’m a monster,” he finally says.

I turn to look at him, his silver eyes filled with conflict. I can see the pain it causes him to talk about his father.

“I don’t believe that,” I say, shaking my head.

He pulls me closer, breathing in my scent. I let the king hold me, eventually falling asleep in his arms.