Chapter: twenty-four

Daemon, the alpha, glared at the woman bound in silver chains. Her cries for help didn’t move him. He just stood there, fists balled, aching to end her existence.

The longer he looked, the tighter his muscles became.

“Say something!” she pleaded.

“You never truly loved me, did you?” It was the only question he could think to ask. Her betrayal might have been insignificant to her, but to him, it was a deep wound.

She stiffened in her restraints. She was cornered. There was no way to answer that question without betraying herself.

“Answer me!” he commanded.

She straightened her spine, and their eyes locked. Seeing the pitiful look on his face, she burst into hysterical laughter. “You really thought I was with you for love? Oh, please.”

Her blunt response only stoked his anger. He reached behind him, pulling a silver knife from his belt. “You bitch! I gave you everything! Now, you’re going to pay!”

Before he could make a move, the door behind him was kicked open.

“Stop!” the king roared. “This changes nothing,” he added more calmly.

“He’s right.” The queen moved to stand beside the king. “The only one who will suffer if you kill her is you, Daemon.”

She took a cautious step forward, her eyes flicking between his face and the knife in his hand.

“Hand it over, and we can forget this ever happened. Please.” She reached out, but his grip on the knife didn’t loosen. “Please, Daemon.”

He opened his hand, and the knife clattered to the floor. Instead of retrieving the knife, Aylin gently took his hand, leading the distraught alpha out of the room.

The king closed the door as best he could, then turned to the wolves guarding the prisoner. “Which one of you idiots let him in there?”

“Your Majesty, he claimed he had spoken to you. We had no reason to doubt him.”

The king suppressed a roar. “No one, and I mean, no one, is allowed in this room. Do you understand?!”

All three responded in unison.

He followed the path the queen had taken, pausing mid-stride. He was beginning to think her idea might be their only option. “There has to be another way,” he murmured.

Continuing on his path, he saw Aylin emerge from the room where Daemon was. “How is he?”

“He fell asleep.” She rubbed her eyes and leaned against the wall. “I should have made him go back.”

“I think once he wakes up, we all need to sit down and figure out a plan.”

She nodded, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Looking down at her, he berated himself for even considering putting his mate in danger. But as much as she wanted this ordeal to be over, so did he.

For everyone’s sake, the demon had to be destroyed.

***

The demon rallied his forces, preparing to launch a surprise attack on the Royal Outland Silver Blood Pack. He’d grown tired of waiting once he’d learned Ophelia had confessed.

It was only a matter of time before she spilled everything, if she hadn’t already.

“Useless woman,” he grumbled.

“Master, everyone is ready.” A lower demon bowed before him.

“Good. Everyone waits for my signal.”

Then something unexpected happened. A voice, sweet as music to his ears, caught his attention.

He looked into his blood bowl and waved his hand over it, revealing the woman in question asleep. She was calling his name.

He hesitated. It seemed too easy. Why would she call out to him? Nothing had suggested she was unhappy with the arrangement. Quite the contrary.

Focusing on her mind, Zagan delved into her thoughts. He closed his eyes and saw the recent past.

He saw the king, queen, beta, delta, and the alpha of the Dark Moon Pack gathered around a large table.

Zagan deduced that Daemon had sent his pack members away. This was personal for him.

The king was standing, addressing the others. “I’ve called us all here because the queen and I have decided to take a drastic step forward.

“The longer we delay, the longer we all suffer. Enough has happened already.”

“So, what’s the plan?” the delta asked impatiently.

Then Aylin stood. “The plan is that I surrender myself to Zagan.”

“This is a joke. You’re joking, right?” the delta asked.

Every other man in the room shook his head, disapproving of the plan.

“Listen, I know what this means. But the consequences of my staying here are far worse. I’ve already been targeted in one pack, but I won’t let the same thing happen twice.

“None of you may approve of this, but it’s my choice.”

“So, basically, you’re quitting,” the alpha chimed in.

Visibly shaken by his words, she shook her head. “Not quitting. Being smart. People have already died. For once, I have to step up.”

“It’s suicide,” the delta shouted. “Are you not going to stop her? Have you lost your fucking mind?” He pointed angrily at the king, who stood unmoved.

“Don’t take it out on him—”

“I can’t listen to this bullshit anymore.” And with that, the delta stormed off, the beta trailing behind him.

Zagan found it interesting that the beta had remained silent. He looked almost relieved that she would be gone.

“Ana was right. He never did care for her. He seems to be the only one without objections. Suppose she was useful for something.”

Summoning one of his lower demons, he instructed them to stay put.

He transformed himself into mist and traveled to the castle from his hideout. There were still plenty of guards on patrol, but the castle interior was quiet.

He didn’t have to think twice about where she was—in the same place as the first time.

He spotted her through the window, sleeping soundly in a chair. She was curled up on her side, her hair veiling her face, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

He’d waited a long time to be this close to her. Years of planning, ensuring the timing was just right to claim what was rightfully his.

Gently, he brushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He whispered, “You can’t fool me.”

Her eyes snapped open and Aylin slowly sat up. Once again, she found herself face-to-face with the one creature she didn’t want to share the same air with.

“I guess you heard me.” She tried to sound nonchalant. She couldn’t let him know how truly shaken she was. “I’m surprised you showed up so quickly.”

He gave her a sidelong glance, puzzled. “What are you up to?”

“What makes you think I’m up to something?”

“I’ve got a few tricks that have shown me what’s been happening lately, but this is too easy. You’re just here, defenseless. Do you really expect me to believe that?

“My dear girl, you don’t want to cross me.”

Aylin changed the subject. “All those things you showed me, were they real? Or just figments of your imagination? How did you see those things?

“Some parts didn’t make sense. Things that were said didn’t add up.” Without even having to look at him, Aylin could sense the demon growing increasingly irritated with her accusations.

“You know, we’ve waited so long for something to happen that I’m starting to think you’re full of shit. And another thing, I don’t think my mother ever cared about you.

“I think she pitied you. That’s why it was so easy for her to walk away.”

Zagan clenched his fist tightly, feeling his power surge through him.

The more she spoke, the more he wanted to rip her heart out and show it to her. Or even better, rip out her mate’s heart and watch it turn to ash.

She crossed her arms, leaning against the window, and smirked at him. “Demon Master? If you had balls, they’re long gone. Shriveled up, like that title you carry around.”

Unable to take it anymore, Zagan swung his arm up, opening his fist. Her eyes widened as she saw the reddish-black mist emerge.

She stayed still, wondering what her next move should be. But when a maniacal smile spread across his face, Aylin realized that this plan might not have been her best idea.

“You think you can insult me?” He flicked his fingers outward, and the mist wrapped itself around her neck, squeezing.

“You thought you could distract me from my goal, didn’t you? Don’t underestimate me.”

Aylin clawed and scratched, but it was no use. ~“K-Kaia, a little help, please.”~

All she could hear in response was her own wheezing. ~“Zeke... now,”~ she gasped.

The doors burst open, and the king entered the room. Seeing his mate being strangled nearly sent him over the edge, but he remembered what she had told him.

~“Remember, whatever he does or says, don’t get angry. You’ll be playing his game if you do.”~

Instead of speaking, he threw the silver chains, wrapping them around his arm. Instantly, they began to burn his skin. “Now!”

More chains flew through the air, wrapping around various parts of his body—legs, arms, and neck. Finally, he dropped Aylin.

She scrambled away from him and caught her breath. ~“Something isn’t right,”~ Kaia said.

~“What do you mean? He’s in chains.”~

With the demon on his knees, the king was about to declare victory, but then, hysterical laughter erupted from the demon, confusing the men.

“What’s so funny?!”

In a cloud of black smoke, the demon disappeared.

Coughing, hacking, and sputtering, the men were taken by surprise. When the smoke cleared, all that was left were the silver chains.

“Zeke,” Quill said, a horrified look on his face.

Following his gaze, the king’s heart nearly stopped. Where Aylin should have been, there was nothing. All that was left was the ring.

As he clenched it in his fist, he could feel his eyes shift to black. He gritted his teeth, and a roar left him, shaking the walls of the castle.

***

He looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms. His goal was accomplished. Finally, she was in his grasp. There was only one thing left to do.

“Why would you bring her here?”

Ignoring the voice, he continued forward to his bedroom. He laid her down and then brushed the hair away from her face.

“I ask again, why have you brought her here?”

“Shut up,” he growled.

Laughing wickedly, she traced a finger down his arm. “Aren’t I better than her?”

He smacked her hand away and sneered at her. “Oh, fuck off. You aren’t even real.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but the demon didn’t even flinch.

“Besides, once I change her fully, there’ll be no need for you anymore. I just made you to fill the void. I stopped caring about you a long time ago.”

He shifted his gaze from the sleeping girl to the makeshift woman. He didn’t feel the same thing he did long ago.

There was a time when looking at her would make his heart race, his palms sweaty, and he would stumble over his words.

Now, her eyes were lifeless because she was, indeed, simply the reincarnated form of the woman he used to love.

The only difference was that he was in control of her physical being. In reality, there was nothing left of the woman he once knew.

“Go away. I don’t want your face to frighten her when she wakes up.”

“Asshole,” she muttered, disappearing into thin air.

For the time being, he went back to his throne room. It would be a while before she woke up, and he didn’t think being on top of her was the best way for her to adjust to her new living situation.

“Master, has the queen arrived?”

“Yes, but she’s catching some sleep right now.”

“And the ceremony? When’s that happening?”

“We’re looking at three days from now. It’ll be on the night of the full moon. That’s when I’ll take down the king.”