by G. Bailey
“Be careful around Amethyst, Lexi. If she isn’t your familiar, then she is a magic cat who shouldn’t exist,” she tells me. “And it makes me wonder why she is following around the supposed Queen of Hell. She may be using you for a bigger picture that we can’t see yet.”
“Do you have a library around here? Maybe we can look up talking cat books. I would check the library at DA, but after Morgan said a book killed a student, I’m too scared to open any of the books there,” I try to joke, trying to change the subject once more.
“Lexi, I’m being serious, don’t try to make a joke of this,” she warns me, stepping in front of me and placing her hands on my shoulders. “If Amethyst is dangerous, she lives with you. She could kill you in two seconds flat.”
“I know you are trying to protect me, but I can’t add another thing to my already full plate right now. Amethyst is just my cat, who I love and is all the family I have left if my parents’ trial doesn’t go well. I can’t think about this right now, Sera,” I admit to her, stepping away and shaking my head. Amethyst is just my cat. That’s it.
“I will research what I can and figure it out. It’s going to be okay,” she says, pulling me into her arms. “Now, for the tour I promised. It will be a good distraction, I promise.” I give her a shaky nod and hug her once more, feeling like I won’t get another chance any time soon.
Chapter 12
A demon and a wolf are drinking in a pub…
After walking down the only pathway to the cabin I am staying in, we come to a village in the middle of the forest, full of wooden cabins of all different levels, all within a circle of the clearing, where the sun is shining down on the tops of the cabins, making the light wood glow a soft brown. I feel like there are a dozen things to look at, from the red pebble pathways to the water fountain I can see at the end of the pathway in front of us, looking like it is in the middle of the village. Of all the cabins, one stands out right at the other side of the village, mainly because the cabin is painted green. It’s much, much bigger than any of the others here, towering over them almost.
“Welcome to the pack. This is the main part of the pack, but to the left are the fields of plants we grow, and to the right is the hunting area, filled with deer and so much more to keep our wolves busy. The alpha’s house is the massive green one you can’t exactly miss; that’s where I’m living, by the way,” she explains to me as I look at the streetlights, the flowers in pots outside the houses, and the general atmosphere of the pack. It’s peaceful and quiet. You’d never know they were wolf shifters and they gave away their bastard children to the devil.
“Seeing as Lucifer is going to be there, we should go somewhere else,” I say, clearing my throat.
“I have the perfect place. I want you to meet someone anyway,” she tells me, nodding her head to the left.
“Let’s go,” I say, patting her hand hooked in my arm. We make it a few steps before a bunch of young kids run into our path, stopping and staring at us.
“Sera, is your friend really a demon?” a little boy of around eight asks, grinning with two teeth missing and two trusting eyes fixed on me and Sera.
“This is Alexandria, and yes, she is a demon, but mostly she is just like us,” Sera explains, leaning closer and fluffing the little boy’s hair.
“Wow…do you have horns?” he asks me with wide, innocent eyes.
“Yep,” I say, almost laughing when they all giggle and whisper between them.
“We have somewhere to be. Run along, kids,” Sera suggests, and they do as they are told, running down another pathway and disappearing behind a house. “Sorry, they don’t see anyone new in the pack, let alone a demon.”
“It’s cool,” I say, resting my head on her shoulder. “I don’t mind kids.” I lift my head when we get further into the pack, passing the cabins, and everyone we pass scans me with distrusting eyes and glares at Sera for being near me, I guess. Luckily, DA made me get used to people staring and made me realise that I really don’t care much for what strangers think of me. We get to the water fountain I saw in the distance, and it’s much bigger than I thought. It has steel-made trees in the middle of the fountain, and metal wolves running all the way around them, with water pouring from their open mouths in a spiral.
“Did the same person who made the water fountain make the gates?” I ask.
“Yes, one of the first alphas was very creative, and he made all the steelwork in the pack. You will see bits of his work everywhere. Ironically, he was killed by a wolf statue in the alpha house when it fell on top of him. That’s why it has a dent near the wolf’s mane,” she tells me as we get to a door, and she opens the handle, letting us inside. The smell of good food fills my senses as the heat of the room blasts against my skin. Whispered voices drift to me as I look around the bar and the dozens of tables in the room with people drinking and talking at them. Every single one of them turns to look at us, but Sera drags me to the bar and to the staircase at the side of it.
“He is indisposed, Sera,” the woman comments, clearly not impressed with whoever “he” is.
“When is he not?” Sera grumbles with red cheeks at the bartender, who only laughs and shakes her head of blonde hair. Sera walks up the staircase first, and I follow her up the wooden, creaky staircase to the row of doors in a corridor at the top. Sera knows exactly where she is going as she bangs her fist on the third door in the row and starts shouting, sounding nothing like Sera.
“Eike Matthews! Javier needs help, so get your pants on and open this damn door!”
“I thought you liked it when I left my pants off, Serafin Luque,” a teasing male voice replies, and Sera shakes her head as we hear a female voice complaining from the other side of the door.
“Who is Eike?” I quietly ask.
“Javier’s best friend and a giant flirt. We need his help though,” she tells me. “Well, you do. He is the only person that might be able to help you.”
“Why?” I ask.
“We will talk inside, too many ears out here,” Sera tells me as the door opens and a beautiful blonde girl about our age storms past us in a wonky dress, messy hair, flushed cheeks, and her shoes in her hands. Only seconds later, the door is tugged further open by a very sexy red-headed wolf, though he hardly notices me as he looks directly at Sera and pushes a large hand through his thick, curly, dark red locks of hair. He has brown eyes that are similar to the colour of Sera’s hair, and he doesn’t have a shirt on, so I can’t help but notice his six pack, muscular arms and defined chest. He crosses his arms and leans on the door, biting down on his bottom lip as he and Sera stare each other down.
I really, really want to leave them to whatever this is.
“Looking good, little Serafin,” he comments with a low whistle, “though I’m surprised to see you knocking on my door.”
“I’m not little, Eike. Can we come in?” she sharply asks.
“I’ve never had a demon in my room before, or you for that matter, Serafin,” he comments. “My lucky day, it seems.”
“You’re a sleaze, that’s why, Eike,” Sera snaps. “And unless you want your best mate ripping you into tiny pieces, I wouldn’t flirt with this demon.”
“But you want me. It’s no secret, Sera,” he quickly has a comeback for her.
“In your own head, I’m sure you think that. Let me know when you realise there is a whole world outside of it,” she suggests.
“I really missed you, Serafin. I don’t know anyone else who calls me out on my shit like you do. Now, this must be Alexandria Cameron,” Eike says, turning towards me as the door shuts behind him and offering me his hand to shake.
“You know who I am?” I ask, looking around the small bedroom, littered with clothes and smelling like…well, boy and wolf.
“I’m Javier’s best mate; of course I know who you are. He doesn’t shut up about you. The boy is obsessed,” he tells me.
“Isn’t his best friend meant to keep things like that a secret?” I ask.
“Do you not know he fancies you? I thought he had more game than that,” he remarks, crossing his arms. Sera just sighs.
“Why do we need his help, Sera?” I ask, feeling frustrated with this guy. He doesn’t seem bothered about anything as he jumps on the bed and stretches out, leaning on his side as he grins at us. Sera pulls out two chairs from the table pressed against the wall by the door, and I sit on one as she sits on the other.
“Did Javier tell you Lexi is marked by his wolf? And that he wants her as his mate?” Sera asks, and my cheeks feel like they burn for the first time since we came into this room. Eike looks serious as he sits up.
“Fuck,” Eike shouts. “What was the motherfucker thinking?”
“Language,” Sera warns.
“Oh shit, I forgot you hate curse words, and I forgot how much I like fucking using them,” Eike replies, and Sera looks like she is one word short of stabbing him. “He can’t have a demon as a mate. He is going to be alpha.”
“I thought there is one way he could be with Lexi, and the pack wouldn’t suffer,” Sera quietly says. “It would be right…it was always meant to be this way.”
“No. Get out, Serafin. You cannot ask that of me. I would do anything for you and your brother. You both know it, but you can’t ever ask that of me,” he all but growls. Sera doesn’t back down as she stares at him.
“Eike, it’s your blood right—”
“I said out. My family is all gone because of the blood in my veins and the risk of what I could do. I will not die for you and your brother, Sera,” he tells her.
“Then you’re a coward just like I’ve always known you are!” she shouts at him, getting up and walking to the door, going out without waiting a second more.
“She didn’t mean that,” I gently say.
“She did. Now get out, demon. I have to drink until I forget she ever asked me anything,” he growls at me, picking up a bottle of whiskey and downing it like I have already left. I’m so confused about what just happened, but I’m not staying in this room with a stranger. I leave his room, shutting the door behind me and heading to the stairs and walking down. I find Sera at the bar, and to my surprise, she has two glasses of purple liquid in them. It doesn’t look like wine, but I follow Sera to a table in the back, ignoring the silence and stares that follow.
“Have you all never seen a bastard wolf and a demon drinking in a bar together before? Get over it!” I raise my eyebrows at Sera’s outburst and how she just swore, as I’ve never seen her this way before. Eike really knows how to wind her up.
“What happened to my quiet friend?” I ask, half joking. “And what is this stuff?”
“It’s called Moonshine. It’s a famous drink and super sweet,” she tells me and takes a long sip at the same time I do. She is right, it’s sweet and almost soft to drink. “I’m sorry, Eike has always made a side of me come out that I never liked.”
“I kinda like this side to you. You are brave, girl,” I say, and she chuckles, the smile soon replaced with a sad smile.
“What happened up there? I don’t understand,” I admit. “What is his blood right?”
“Eike’s family used to be the reigning alphas many, many years ago. When Lucifer came to make a deal with the pack, his great-grandfather said no, and he was killed. Lucifer gave the alpha title to another, my great-grandfather, who was simply a teenager with a strong wolf. Over the years, Eike’s family have challenged my family for the alpha title back, and all of them have died for it because Lucifer blessed my family with extra power. Even his mother and sister were killed because they tried to stop my father killing theirs. Javier pinned Eike down on the ground to stop him and saved his life. That was ten years ago,” she explains. “But now my father is weak, and Javier…well, you know what he wants. Eike has a chance.”
“So you think Eike should challenge—” I whisper, and Sera looks around us, likely making sure no one is listening in before she whispers back.
“My father, yes. Then Javier would be free to mate with whomever, and I know Eike is a good choice for alpha. Javier is as well, but his heart has chosen a path that the pack cannot support,” she explains.
“Eike said no,” I remind her.
“I know, and I suspected he would. For a few years now, Eike has drunk himself silly and slept his way through the pack to forget the past. A few words from me aren’t going to make him change his mind,” she muses. “I have to hope he will grow up and be the wolf his family and everyone needs him to be.”
“You have feelings for him,” I point out.
“No,” she sputters out. “Why would you think that?”
“The sexual tension between you two, for one. Wait, did Santino ever escape DA? I imagined he did, but I haven’t checked,” I ask.
“He did, and in the escape, he met another girl who is actually his true mate. I’m happy for him, because me and him, we hadn’t even kissed. He was more a friend,” she admits to me.
“There wasn’t a spark,” I muse. “Not like the spark I saw between you and Eike.”
“You must be seeing things, Lexi,” she replies, though her red cheeks say more. “Besides, he wouldn’t look twice at me. He can have any wolf, and I’m just a half breed with—”
“No, Sera, anyone would be lucky to have you in their lives,” I firmly tell her.
“We should finish our drinks and head back,” she changes the subject, her cheeks bright red.
“I don’t want to go back to that asshole. I wish he just stayed in hell,” I admit, possibly a little too loudly as the room goes silent.
“Don’t we all, Lex,” Nikoli’s voice drifts to me, and I look up to see him leaning against the wall next to our table, his eyes fixed on me. He has the school shirt on, sleeves rolled up, the white fabric pressed tightly across his chest. The shirt is tucked into his black trousers, and his shiny shoes reflect the dim lights in here. Nikoli Lucifer is more handsome than should be allowed.
If this is the beauty hell can create, then the world is screwed. His unusually calm purple and green eyes never leave my face, and I never look away from him. “Sera, I will take Lex back to the room. Thank you for showing her around, and it is good to see you well.”
“Of course,” Sera mutters, pushing her chair out, and the sound snaps me out of the trance Nikoli put me in. I stand up and hug Sera tightly, whispering a warning to her before we leave.
“Don’t come and see me again. I don’t want Lucifer knowing you mean something to me. He has made it clear hurting me is something he likes to do, and I can’t lose you. Stay safe,” I warn her.
“And you,” Sera tells me, and it feels like I’m losing her all over again. I reluctantly let her go and watch her leave the bar before facing Nikoli.
“I’m sorry my demon threw you out of the window,” I say, as I haven’t seen him since then.
“Don’t be. My demon likes to play rough too and rather liked it,” he honestly replies, and I find myself grinning back at him. “Come on, let’s go somewhere quiet.” Nikoli links his hand with mine, our fingers entwining as we leave the bar. The devil might be here, but his son is welcome anytime.
Chapter 13
Never make a deal with the devil. You will regret it
“Thanks,” I say, accepting the cup of tea from Nikoli, and he sits next to me with his own, sipping quietly.
“Is Claus here?” I gently ask, half hoping he is and half hoping he isn’t, because he might ignore me once again, and that hurts more than I care to admit.
“No, he is being an idiot still,” Nikoli sourly replies. “Though our father always has a strange effect on him. I’m not making excuses for his behaviour, but it’s hard for Claus to be around Lucifer.”
“What do you mean?” I ask before taking another sip and eating one of the cookies that Javier made for me. Nikoli has already eaten five of them, and I can’t blame him; they are amazing.
“Can you imagine what it’s like having the devil as a dad?” Nikoli as
ks. “Especially for someone like Claus, someone who is playful and really isn’t as fucked-up as Lucifer would like him to be. Our human foster mother used to say Claus is too gentle for the world, and she was right. Lucifer can push Claus all he wants, but Claus will just run further away and be who he always has been.”
“Considering the time I’ve known Lucifer, I can’t say he is a great influence,” I say. “I understand why Claus would run.”
“He likes to beat Claus up until he passes out; he loves to break his bones so he can’t run away for a little bit. I try to stop him, and he always kills someone I like for interfering. Dad says it will make Claus strong, but I think it only fucks him up to the point he doesn’t know who to trust. So yeah, Claus is pissed that the man he hates more than anyone in the world has taken the only girl he has ever wanted,” he explains to me.
“Lucifer hasn’t taken me,” I remind him. “He can’t.”
“I know he can’t. You love us,” he says, and I pause with wide eyes.
“Whoa, I’ve never said that,” I whisper.
“You will though. You are ours; I don’t care what daddy dearest states. You are mine,” he tells me, reaching his hand forward and stroking my cheek with his fingertips.
“I don’t belong to anyone, Nikoli. That hasn’t changed,” I say, though it feels like those are my dad’s words and not mine.
“You tell yourself that, Lex,” he murmurs, taking my half empty cup of tea out of my hand and placing them both down on the wooden counter. “Tell me you aren’t mine when you look at me like you do right now.”
“Nikoli, it’s too dangerous to think about us. I just want to focus on us all surviving and my parents being free,” I admit.
“We are born into dangerous lives, Lex. If we wait for our lives to be normal, we will never get what we want,” he tells me, coming back to stand in front of me, his legs pressing into my knees.