The Devil's Daughter: A Paranormal Romance

by Shyenna Renee

  I laugh to myself. Oh, how close that statement actually is to the truth.

  “I’ll find a way. Even if it’s not today or tomorrow, I’ll find a way to be away from you and this pack. I’ve gotten away from much worse.”

  He looks hurt by my statement. I push past him as I head up the stairs into an empty room. I slam the door shut, theories and ways of escaping already forming in my head.

  |aUSTIN|

  I watch her make her way back upstairs. I listen to her gentle footsteps walk across the floor before I hear the slam of a door. A heavy sigh escapes my mouth as I turn to my beta and gamma, Aston and Vance. Aston gives me a sympathetic look while Vance cleans the blood off of his healing nose.

  “Your mate is strong, dude. Didn’t you make her wolf dormant?” he asks once the blood is gone.

  “Yeah, but any werewolf is strong enough to break bone without the strength of their wolf.”

  He should already know this.

  “I know, but she barely put any pressure into the nudge, and it just snapped like a twig.” He looks up to the staircase where my mate was less than five minutes ago. “She even knocked you down.”

  They both laugh while I just stare blankly at them.

  “How’d you know?” I cross my arms, getting irritated by their snickers.

  “Werewolf hearing, Austin. We heard your fat ass fall,” Vance says as he continues to laugh.

  I roll my eyes and turn away from them to go after my angry mate.

  I stop outside the door where I know she has taken up shelter from the. Her vanilla smell swarms around the door. I knock lightly and got nothing but a growl in response. Pressing my ear to the door, my eyebrows scrunch together when I hear nothing but her resting heartbeat.”

  Is she sleeping?” I ask my wolf to which he just grunts at me. He’s angry at me for taking away his chance to talk to his mate, Celeste’s wolf.

  I open the door slowly, prepared to be yelled at, only to find my precious mate curled on the bed, fast asleep. I get close, kneeling down next to the bed as I notice her clenched fists and the slight whimpers of fear that leave her lips. Running my thumb across her cheek, the whimpers come to a stop, and her tense body relaxes under my touch.

  “The mate bond is working,” Ezekiel, my wolf, says happily as he stares down at our sleeping mate.”

  Do you think she’ll reject us?”

  “No, we’re mates, and the odds of rejection are low, especially if she hasn’t done it yet.” He speaks confidently, but I can still hear the undertone of worry.

  “She won’t.” I tell myself a few times before kissing her on the forehead and saying good night.

  She won’t.

  CHAPTER 6

  |celeste|

  “One, two…she’s coming for you.

  Three, four…see what’s in store.

  Five, six…wait, there’s a fix.

  Seven, eight…someone takes your place.

  Nine, ten…never see them again.”

  “Inmate number 36, shut up!” the guard calls as I sing the rhyme about me.

  A laugh escapes my lips as another inmate speaks up.

  “Shut it girl before I break out and gut you like a fish,” the rogue in the cell across from me spits out which makes me laugh harder.

  “Oh, darling, you’d be dead before you even step a foot in my cell.” I step into the light, giving him a view of my famous red eyes and menacing smile. He scoots back, a gasp bouncing around the cold cement walls as he begins to shake in fear.

  “C-Celeste.”

  “The one and only, Uncle John.”

  I wake with a deep intake of breath as I sit up in bed, the lingering sight of my uncle’s fearful eyes in the back of my mind.

  “Uncle John?” I mumble to myself absentmindedly as I try to recall everything that happened that day.

  “Where is she?”

  The muffled sound of people talking snaps me out of my trance, making me get out of the bed and walk to the door.

  The door is cracked slightly open, so I peek out. A whole new room is seen on the other side. Inside are Austin and the men from before.

  “She’s just past that door. I’m worried about her. She was having a nightmare and mumbling something about a John.” Austin runs his hand through his messy black hair.

  “Maybe this John guy did something to her? She is a rogue after all. They don’t live decent lives.” It was the blonde. I think I remember reading about him. He’s Vance, Austin’s gamma.

  Austin lets out a low growl and clenches his fists. “If he did anything to upset her, I’ll kill him myself.”

  I decide to come out from hiding, tired of them talking about me.

  “There’s no need. If he wronged me, then there’s no way he’s still breathing.”

  The three of them turn around, startled.

  “Besides,” I continued, “I don’t need you doing anything for me.”

  “Wait, what do you mean if? You don’t remember?” He gives me a worried look which has me backing up in confusion.

  He’s worried about me? No way. If he cared, he wouldn’t have taken my wolf.

  “No, some…things happened in my life, and over the years, I’ve blocked stuff out.” I lean against the doorway and check my nails as I grow bored.

  “I think we need to talk about some things,” he says seriously as he walks towards me. “Follow me to my office, so we can have some privacy.”

  He walks out a door into the hall, so I turn to the beta and gamma in the room.

  “He does realize I’m not going to just listen, right?” I snort a laugh but release a shriek when I’m picked up and thrown over a shoulder.

  “Let me down, Austin!” I yell, banging my fists on his back as he holds down my struggling feet.

  “If I let you down, then you have to follow me. Got it?”

  “Fine, fine, just let me go. I’m getting lightheaded.” I know my face is going red from the blood rushing to my head.

  “Oh, sorry,” he says and sets me on the floor while I glare at him. Blowing out a puff of air, I move my hair from my face and proceed down the hall with Austin.

  “Why do we need to talk? Can’t we just move on with our lives and pretend this didn’t happen?” I ask, hopeful, even though I know the answer.

  “No. You’re my mate and now the luna of this pack. Deal with it,” he grumbles and stops in front of a door. “

  Alpha’s Private Office.

  “Do you really need that written on a gold plaque?” I look over my shoulder to see him shrug before he opens the door for me.

  I stride in confidently and look around the giant room. The east wall is nothing but a built-in bookcase while the west wall has a whole living room theme going on; couches lined up with a flat screen attached to the wall. Then, sitting in before the French doors is an oak desk with a leather chair and two arm chairs facing the other side of the desk. The French doors lead to a terrace.

  “Wow, this is way more than you need,” I say nonchalantly.

  “I need it big enough for when I have meetings.”

  I roll my eyes and plop down in his leather spinning chair. “So, Alpha, what did we need to talk about?”

  “We need to talk about you. Why are you a rogue?” He sits across from me and rests his elbows on his knees.

  “What? Haven’t heard the rumors about me? How I’m insane and killed my parents, becoming blood thirsty in the process? Or how about the one where I’m related to the devil himself and was put on this earth to torture the damned? That one’s my favorite.” I smile sarcastically at him.

  “I’ve heard the rumors, Celeste. I want to know what the real reason is,” he says calmly while I just narrow my eyes at him.

  “I didn’t choose this life, Roman. I was born into it.”

  “Then what happened that made you so angry?”

  I scoff. “I don’t need to have a therapy session from someone who’s just as insane as me. Like your gamma said, rogue life
isn’t easy. What’s your excuse for being so cruel?” I lean my elbows on top of his desk, interlocking my fingers in the process. “Little rich boy alpha didn’t get the perfect life? That is really hard to believe.” I release a heavy breath as I watch his jaw clench.

  “You don’t know anything about me.”

  I laugh breathlessly as I stand and walk around his desk.

  “Name: Austin D. Roman”

  “Age: 25”

  “Mate: Not specified”

  “Pack/Status: Alpha to the Roman pack after the title was passed down at 17…a year ahead of schedule due to father, Samuel Roman, getting injured in war. The Roman pack is thriving with no known enemies or ongoing wars.”

  “Family/Health: Only living relatives are parents Dianna and Samuel Roman who are now retired and living in the Calvin pack. No known illnesses and healthy enough to make an heir when luna is crowned.

  “Personal Notes: Hot-headed alpha who has killed in the hundreds with no real reason. Enforces irrational laws and should be overthrown.”

  I watch as he stares in wonder after I recited the notes I read less than a month ago. “I know more than that, Austin. That’s just the first page from my notes.”

  “You’ve collected notes on me?” He stands. He does not look angry. He is confused.

  “Not just you; I have data collected on all alphas that pop up in the country. How do you think I’ve broken in to so many packs?”

  “How?” He steps forward, trying to look intimidating.

  “You don’t scare me, Austin. I’ve faced worse than an angry mate.”

  He takes a few deep breaths and sits back down. “So, you do know me. Well, I know some stuff about you too.”

  I raise my left brow at him in amusement. “Trust me, whatever you know is probably just a rumor.”

  I cross my arms as he nods in agreement. “Most likely, yes. So, let me learn about you.”

  I think about it before shrugging my shoulders.

  “What do you want to know?” I ask, knowing not to volunteer anything. Maybe if I play nice, it’ll be easier to escape.

  CHAPTER 7

  |celeste|

  “First, I want to tell you how sorry I am about yesterday.”

  I shrug my shoulders like it’s nothing.

  “It’s fine, I’ve had worse birthdays,” I say casually and his eyes go wide.

  “It was your birthday?” He smacks himself in the head and I laugh. “I’m the worst mate ever.”

  “It’s fine, Austin. Just ask your questions.”

  He nods. “Okay, but I’m going to make it up to you. I swear.”

  I just roll my eyes as I wait for him to stop pouting and ask his questions.

  “What made you go rogue?” he asks as I sit back in his chair.

  “I told you: I was born into it.” My gaze drifts around the room as I grow bored with the conversation.

  “Yes, you said that, but, surely, your parents wanted to keep you from the hard life of being a rogue.”

  I scowl, my mood souring. “I have no parents.”

  His eyebrows scrunch together as he thinks it over, the tip of his tongue sticking out as he mumbles to himself. I watch, smiling to myself as he reminds me of a pup I used to know.

  “Celeste! Celeste!” The high-pitched chuckle of the pup jumping around in front of me travels to my ears as I play with him. My big, bushy grey tail thumps against the ground as I roll around, acting like he’s beat me in a fight.

  “Okay, Danny, I surrender. You win!” I laugh, nudging him off my stomach with my nose as I sit up.

  “What do we do now, Celeste?”

  I stare sadly at the pup. Well, my wolf stares down at him since she has the most control.

  “We have to find shelter so I can get food tonight.” It’ winter time, and we are having trouble getting enough food to feed both a growing pup and a full-sized wolf.

  “What if there isn’t enough? You can’t go another day without eating,” he shouts with worry through our mind link as he jumps on me in the process.

  “I’ll be fine, Danny.” I try to reassure him, but he continues rambling.

  “You’ll faint again, and what if you die? I’ll be alone.” I watch the tears pool in his chocolate brown eyes, and my heart breaks a little.

  I lick the salty tears off of his furry face, and I pick him up by the scruff.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I promise to him.

  With that said, we begin our journey to the humble little cave we call home. Danny jumps and twists around trees as we walk. I laugh and I keep an eye on him when, all of a sudden, the air shifts. Even Danny notices and stops playing.

  “Celeste? What’s wrong?” He stands under my body, winding between my legs.

  “We need to leave. This is pack territory.”

  I pick him up by his scruff, but it’s too late. Pack guards have already begun to surround us.

  “Halt, you are trespassing on pack grounds, rogue. Come with us peacefully or we’ll use force.”

  I let out a warning growl. Danny whimpers, still dangling from my mouth. “We didn’t mean to pass through. My pup here was playing, and we accidentally crossed territory lines. We’ll be on our way out.”

  I back up, causing the wolves around me to growl slightly.

  “We’ll be taking you to Alpha Red.”

  My grey ears perk up, my hope rising.

  “Red and I have a peace treaty. Let us go.” I stomp my paw on the ground, kicking up snow as I lower my head in anger.

  The man in front of me snorts a laugh as I look at him in confusion. Before I can think, I feel a shock pass through my side. I fall, and I shake in pain. Danny yelps as he is ripped from my jaws which causes skin to tear. Looking to my right, I see a man with a dart gun. From the smell of it, it’s laced with wolfsbane.

  A little later, I wake up in an oversized t-shirt on the floor of an office.

  “Well, looks like sleeping beauty is awake.”

  I jolt up at the laughing voice and hear Danny yelling my name.

  “Danny?” My voice is groggy as I try to stand and make my way to the little boy and the giant man who’s holding him.

  Two men grab me by the arms and haul me up, so I end up staring directly at Red, the devil himself.

  “We had a deal, Red. Let us go.” I try to lunge at the ass of an alpha when I get lightheaded, both from lack of food and the remaining wolfsbane in my body.

  “Let Celeste Middleton go?” He lets out a laugh as I growl weakly. “Darling, killing you will bring me such fortune. You’re a menace, and I’m already the most hated alpha because of our little treaty.”

  He slams his fist onto his desk before walking up to me. He strikes me across the cheek, making my head snap to the left. I lick the blood that begins to drip from my split lip and feel it instantly start to heal.

  “You hit like a girl.” I laugh between each word while he fumes.

  “Shut up,” he yells and he hits me again.

  I keep laughing as he keeps hitting.

  “You shouldn’t do that, Red, cause when the time comes, I’ll have your head on a stake.” I show him my red orbs, and he falters in his movements, stepping back a little. “I’ll rip that weak little spine right out of you, and I’ll make you watch as all your little pack members are forced to bow down to their new alpha.”

  He growls, striking me again before his little minions join in on the torment.

  “Celeste!” I watch defenceless as Danny bites into the giant man’s hand and runs towards me.

  “Danny, no!”

  But I am too late in warning him. Red hit him, causing him to fall back and smack his head on the corner of a coffee table.

  “Danny?” I whisper quietly as he lay still on the floor, blood beginning to form a puddle around his fragile head.

  “Danny!”

  I flail through all the hands holding me down and crawl to the pup, my pup. I hold his lifeless body, crying my heart out as the g
uards pry me away.

  “I’ll kill you for what you’ve done, Red!” I scream profanities at the alpha as they carry me away from the scene.

  “Celeste?”

  The call of my name snaps me out of my memories, and I turn my attention back to my mate who is leaning down in front of me.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, wiping a lone tear that was running down my cheek. Little tingles trail to where he touches me.

  “I’m fine.” My voice breaks at the end, causing me to clear my throat.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” he asks hopefully.

  “Do you know that when you’re thinking you stick your tongue out like a child?” I ask him as I give him a small smile.

  I chuckle when he rolls his eyes.

  “I’ve been told that once or twice. Why?” He stands up, drags a chair to sit in front of me, and settles down on it.

  “You remind me of a pup named Danny that I met when I was eighteen. He stuck his tongue out when he was thinking just like you.”

  He smiles with me, and I enjoy the rare moment that I actually get to smile.

  “Where is he now?” His face holds regret as soon as he asks the question.

  “He passed away about a year after I met him.”

  He looks at me with sympathy, but I can see the question he’s holding back.

  “How did he die?”

  I tell him the story of the pup that got caught up in my misfortune. When I’m done telling him, Austin doesn’t speak.

  I look up, and I think maybe he’s angry with me. He’s looking at me and tears pool behind his angry black eyes.

  “He beat you and killed a little boy?”

  I nod. Confusion hits me due to his sudden change of behavior.

  “Which alpha was it?”

  I scoff, realizing why he is acting like this.

  “There’s nothing you can do, Austin. Besides, I plan on taking his life. I get to do it, not you.”

  He huffs slowly as he calms himself down. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll find out who it was. As I was saying before, who was the old couple that was here when we first met?”