Alpha Hell

The Rejected Mate Series - G. BAILEY & SCARLETT SNOW

The alpha of hell is my fated mate and he rejected me.

I'm an outcast in my pack and have been since the day I was born. Shunned by most of the wolves around me, I've managed to stay out of trouble... until now.

Now The Alpha of Stormfire is hunting me, but he doesn't want to claim me as his mate.

He wants me dead.

Forced to leave my old life behind, I have no choice but to go on the run. Luckily, The Demon Hunting Trials is the perfect place to hide, even if it comes with a few obstacles.

Such as their leader is a total jerk, a wolf is blackmailing me to be his friend, and I swear my new, sexy as sin partner is trying to get us killed.

With demons running amok and the alpha of hell searching for me, I hope I can live long enough to get my revenge.

18 + Dark reverse harem romance full with a sassy and sarcastic heroine who finds her match.

PROLOGUE

ZARINA THORNBLOOD

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO

The Demons of Hell are hunting us.

They do not want my blood, but rather the bundle I carry so preciously in my

arms; the bundle I stole from the High Demon Lord's chamber as he slept, cocooned in his blanket of shadows that would devour anyone who got close.

My legs threaten to collapse under the strain of running, constantly running, for so long now my feet have blackened and burned against the rocky terrain. But I don't stop. I must keep going, if not for me then for Kade. He surrendered his life to give me time to leave. I cannot—will not-let his death be in vain. If he's right then the portal should be at the top of the tower.

This is our last chance.

Only a single staircase stands in the way of our free-dom. I can't give up now. With a shaky inhale of air, I adjust my grip on the baby and climb the first step.

Dry, molten rock burns my bleeding soles, and a choked-back sob escapes me despite the adrenaline coursing through my body. It's like walking on shards of glass, blades that have been forged in a fire.

Even if it kills me, I'll reach the top of these forsaken stairs; my life is a small sacrifice if it means saving the sweet little bundle in my arms.

In the shadows not far below, howls and yips penetrate the darkness.

If I don't hurry, they'll take her from me.

No!

I adjust my grip on the blankets and raise my other foot, followed by another. They will never have her.

My baby will escape this hell even if it costs my own life. My mother will take care of it. It's all been arranged. I just need to reach the portal.

A deafening howl echoes around me, drowning out the rest of the demons. The vibrations shake the entire staircase, and I instinctively touch the wall for support, forgetting that, too, will burn me. I release a sudden gasp, and the bundle lets out a shrieking cry.

"Shh, shh, darling girl. It's okay." I press a kiss to her forehead, my heart breaking at the sound of her distress. "We're going to get out of here once and for all."

Another step and the world sways underneath me.

Almost... there... keep going...

At last the portal appears within sight, but my worst nightmare has come true: the portal is closed.

There's no light, no magic that will take me to the human world. There's nothing but darkness, and this was my last chance, my only hope, to save my daughter.

I collapse to my knees before the portal and finally let out my screams. They tear from the depths of my being and erupt from my lips like a deep, shattering crescendo. It was all for nothing. The escape plan, Kade's death...

"All for nothing!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Dark tendrils of smoke wrap around me. One of them tilts my chin and forces me to look up into a set of gleaming red eyes. Flashes of male flesh, tattooed and shrined with gold bands, peek through the darkness. That's all I can see. Everything else is shrouded. However, by his fiery scent alone, I know who he is-the alpha of Stormfire.

Guardian of the Gates of Hell and Inflicter of Pain.

I should've known he'd be the one hunting me.

"Your suffering has been admirable. Unnecessary but admirable."

His power raises me to my feet. I clench my baby to my chest as fear snakes into me, coiling around my stomach like a venomous serpent.

"The High Demon Lord has placed quite the bounty on you."

Rizer caresses me with a hand masked in darkness.

I snap my head from his grasp, and he chuckles. Behind him, countless demonic eyes blink at me from the shadows.

"I am almost tempted to take you back to him," he says, retracting his hand. "But I have thought of something much better than monetary gain."

A single tendril lifts the top of the blanket, exposing my daughter's beautiful little face. Her large, silver eyes look up at Rizer, and she must sense the darkness that clings to him, for she stirs and lets out a startled cry.

"In eighteen years' time, on the night of the Blood Moon, I will claim this wolf as my mate. Until then you will have my protection and the portal will be opened for you. The decision is yours to make, but only one will offer you the freedom you seek."

The horror at what he's proposing rips the air right out from my lungs.

The Stormfire alpha, one of the most ruthless wolves in all of existence, wants to claim my daughter as his mate.

It's abhorrently inconceivable... and yet, it's the only way to guarantee her freedom. I knew she would be hunted and special. Everyone knew from the second she was born. This fate is one I could never dream of avoiding for her.

She has a destiny I could never stop.

Staying here would be a worse fate than being Rizer's future mate. Perhaps I will even find a way to reverse the agreement. Eighteen years is a long time in the life of a shifter.

"Your answer, she-wolf."

I lift my head and stare into his crimson eyes. "You have a deal. Now open the portal, Alpha."

He chuckles again, the sound laced with dark promise. "As you wish. Keep good care of my intended mate. I will be watching."

Chapter 1

LILITH THORNBLOOD

There isn't enough booze in the shifter world to deal with alpha egos.

I take a deep drink of the red wine I stole

from the teacher's lounge at Caeli Pack Academy before passing it to my best friend. The only person in the whole world (okay, just the academy) who I like.

She's also the sole reason the alpha's sons are walking right over to us at this lame excuse for a party to celebrate the rare blood moon. Who throws a party for eighteen-year-olds without booze?

Aurelia Winters coughs as she takes a long drink and rolls her eyes at me when I chuckle. Although she tends to think otherwise, Aurelia is ridiculously stunning, and it's mostly down to her bloodline.

She looks just like her mum, but her father's genes are strong and make her the perfect example of a Caeli wolf. Taking another sip from the bottle, Aurelia tucks her curly blonde hair behind her ears and looks past me at the alpha's sons with her big blue eyes. She is the perfect wolf at the Caeli Pack Academy, whereas me, on the other hand, I stand out as the outcast they put up with. I'm a red in a world of white with my dark-red hair and red-furred wolf.

Other than the streak of white hair that falls down the side of my cheek, there isn't much about me that lets me mix in with the pack I have always lived in.

The Caeli Pack is hidden deep in the snowy Mountains of Alaska, where no one ever comes because it's too high up and the humans are afraid of us. Mostly because we're supernatural beings who don't mix well with them since they only see us as a means to protect them from the bad things in the world.

Every pack in the world has its mission, its purpose, and Caeli's is learning and recording every event in the world of shifters. Basically, librarians with a bite.

"I stand out everywhere," I mutter to Aurelia.

"So? You're pretty and unusual here. That's not a bad thing," she replies. "Don't worry so much."

Says the girl who fits into our pack better than my ass fits into these skinny jeans. I don't hide or blend in very well. Aurelia is the opposite. At least, she is until we're at a party like this where she stands out far more than I do in some sense. It's all because of the mating season. In a year's time, most females will have chosen a mate, and the males all want the prettiest wolf in the pack which is Aurelia.

Finding a mate is definitely not on my to-do list. At least not with any of these wolves.

I take the bottle from Aurelia. "I think I should just leave at the end of the academy year in two weeks. Maybe join the demon-hunting trials in the Stormfire pack or something." Throwing back a deep mouthful, I wipe my lips with the back of my hand.

"Hell, maybe I could look for my father and actually fit in there."

Aurelia gawks at me, then snatches the bottle. "Are you freaking crazy? You could also die in the trials.

That's it. No more booze for you."

I glare at her jokingly. "Hey, I'm not even tipsy!"

"You're speaking like my aunt on New Year's Eve!

Have you forgotten that you could get killed trying to capture those disgusting demons? They eat wolves for fun. Why would you even want that?" She shakes her head. "You're safe here. You shouldn't leave."

"My brother left."

With a sigh, she rests her head on my shoulder for a few seconds. "But he's a male and strong. There are like three female demon hunters in the whole of the Stormfire pack, and each of them are totally badass."

"So you're saying I'm not a badass?" I question with a raised eyebrow.

She laughs. "If you were brought up in Stormfire, taught to fight from a kid instead of how to read a book and study like our pack taught, we might be having a different conversation. But your circumstances are totally different. You were brought up a Caeli, and we both don't have a clue about fighting demons or capturing them. Come on, Lilith. You know this. Please tell me you weren't being serious?" I don't answer her because I know she's right. But the thought of studying wolf history and doing nothing more than studying for the rest of my life makes me feel sick. It's like my pack is squeezing the life out of me with each passing day, and the only way to stop is to find an escape.

"We can talk about it later," I say, shrugging my shoulder. "They are nearly here."

Aurelia raises her head and straightens her tight, sparkling yellow dress that shows off her long legs.

I cross my own covered legs, the movement straining my jeans and knocking mud off my heavy boots.

Aurelia decided that we both needed to dress up and come to this party at one of her friend's houses, something that I would never attend before now because honestly, parties are not my thing. I'd much rather be drinking this bottle of red wine on my own back in my room, but I can't always be unsociable when my best friend is a big extrovert. I need to compromise sometimes, even if that means leaving my bedroom. C'est la vie, right?

The alpha sons stomp over from the dance floor that we can see at the end of the corridor we are sitting in. The blasting music vibrates through the room, shaking the floor almost from the noise of it, and a pop song comes on that sings about humans shaking their asses. Another reason I tend to avoid these things. Why does the music always suck? I'd much rather they played some rock. Hell, if they put on some Guns N' Roses, I might even bust some real moves. None of this swaying, grinding nonsense.

Beside me, a dancing Aurelia knocks my shoulder as she sings the song word for word. I can't help but smile at her. I thought I could hide back here with her, but now the alpha's twin sons' shadows hang over us, I'm thinking my hiding skills need work.

This was a really bad idea.

They're both looking at her like she's the answer to their prayers, the very air to their lungs, while their mating scent invades my own lungs so much that I nearly gag. They never stop staring at Aurelia even as they finally come to a stop, and I know why. Everyone knows she's going to be an alpha female at some point because her wolf is strong, a born leader, and her human incomparably beautiful.

All the things you need to be on the alpha's sons' radar.

As for me? Everyone knows I'm only ever going to be the outcast. It's because I really, really don't belong in this pack. Caeli is all about reputation and utmost control, of unrivalled intellect and centuries-old knowledge that are the very bones of our existence. Each pack in our world has its own unique purpose. Caeli's is record-keeping and the continuous search for better, more proficient pack medicine; something that has been installed into me since I was a pup.

Learn for the Pack-the motto every wolf here lives by.

Every wolf except for me.

As my mum puts it, I've always been too wild, too uncontrollable, and in general too nosy for my own good. I'm sure that's the sole reason most of the teachers at this academy absolutely hate me and most likely the reason that my adopted brother sometimes pretends I'm not really his sister. Being an embarrassment to the shifter world is weirdly something I can live with. But being an embarrassment to my own family is the only thing that's kept me from running away.

Damn, I need more wine if I'm going to think about my family.

The alpha's sons, Dumb and Dumber as I've nicknamed them, just gaze with wide eyes at Aure-lia. Their expressions are almost panicked. Aurelia watches back and sighs. It always makes me laugh how the simple fact she stares down future alphas who will no doubt one day fight for the chance to be pack leader, and subsequently, choose her as the alpha female if she chooses them, too. But I don't know if she will. Aurelia is picky about her guys, a lot like me. Not that many have been interested in the girl who doesn't belong here. Beyond their curiosity, I'm usually too different for them to look at twice.

The alpha sons may be handsome and muscular, both of them built like dump trucks, but for as strong as they are, there's not a lot going on upstairs under their thick, white-blond hair. My point is proven when they both stumble for a second on what to say to Aurelia. They scratch their heads, no doubt in search of a cheesy, overthought chat-up line, and then one of them says something that surprises even me a little.

"Would you like to come and dance to the song that is playing? I heard you say it was your favourite once."

And for whatever reason in the world, Aurelia appears almost happy that one of them noticed she likes the song that's playing.

She looks at me, and I nod. "Go. I'm going back to my room with the wine."

"Okay, see you back there later," she replies with a big smile.

The two of them quickly wander off down the corridor, and I hear her laugh a while later as I take another long drink of the bottle. A warm buzz floats down my body, the wine finally kicking in, but then I notice I'm left alone with the other alpha's son who I can never remember the name of. Every girl at this academy, other than me and Aurelia, has got their names memorised and written down in their diaries with love hearts. I know she doesn't do silly stuff like that just because we share a room and have done since we both came here when we were eight, like every young pack member. Their names come back to me now I gaze at them; Mathi and... Dammit, I can't remember what the other one's name is.

I stand and fake a big yawn before trying to walk away. But Mathi reaches out and grabs my arm, stopping me. I knew it was never going to be that easy.

These alpha-holes rarely ever take a hint.

I narrow my eyes on his brown ones, a big contrast to my light grey. "Let. Go."

A smirk slides over his lips. "No. Why should I?"

He moves closer to me, lining up our bodies, and the disgusting thoughts circling in his head are written on his face as clear as day. This asshole better back off. He can't touch me; his father himself accepted me into the pack, which means I have the alpha's protection until he isn't alpha anymore. Of course, I worry about what will happen to me if the next alpha, AKA Dumb or his brother, Dumber, become alpha. But that won't be for some time yet. Right now, my focus is to get this unwanted paw off my body.

At the sight of me trying to wiggle my arm free, his smirk deepens into a malicious smile. He tightens his grip and pulls me closer, bringing his lips to my ear.

"You and I both know no one would notice if you went missing. You are just the outcast, the red wolf in a pack of white purebreds." He jolts me harder against him, his hands leaving bruises on my arm, but I refuse to turn away, to even wince at the pain.

"Actually, that begs the question as to why you are still here. I'm surprised my father let you into the academy at all, half-breed."

Searing rage slams into me at the insult. Half-breed is the delightful nickname purebreds use for wolves like me; a subtle reminder of our so-called inferiority. Well, that's what they like to think. Anyone who's called me a half-breed usually walks away with a black eye.

I ball my hands into fists. "Maybe your dear father likes my mum a little too much. He does always seem to be admiring her."

The wolf's smile fades, and I inwardly chuckle at his stupid expression. So easily provoked, these young alphas. However, my satisfaction is short-lived. With a growl, he slams me into the wall, and I gasp from the impact. He presses his thick forearm against my neck, holding me in place, and the air dies in my lungs.

"Is that…. any way... to treat a lady?" I choke out, unsure why I'm using my last breaths to anger him further. Then again, the fury burning on his gaze does make my sacrifice worth it. Besides, it's not like I'm unused to assholes like this one asserting their authority over me. Alphas love putting unruly wolves like me in their place.

Too bad I've never quite learned how to stay in mine.

Despite the black spots seeping into my vision, I stare up at him, wondering what exactly he's going to do. One thing is for sure-this dickwad has solidified my desire to leave his pack as soon as possible.

I'll never follow an alpha who treats their packmates this way.

"Do you want to die, half-breed?" he growls.

I resist the urge to give him a sarcastic reply. I may be brave, but as my brother puts it, I can be pretty stupidly brave.

And I know that challenging an alpha son is really not a good idea.

I might be able to fight well, thanks to all the training the Academy has taught me. But even I know that you can't beat a guy twice your size in a small corridor like this, with no weapons on me, and his forearm pressed on my windpipe.

He gazes down at me and raises an eyebrow, but something burns on my arm.

In the corner of my eye, my wolf mark in the middle of my arm burns vividly. The swirls that form a wolf shape glow a deep, vibrant red, at first burning painfully but they quickly fade into a dull ache that fills my entire body.

Mathi follows my gaze to the mark and smiles.

"Seems like your parents are calling you home," he snarls, loosening the pressure on my throat. "Did your mum's mate ever realise that you weren't his?" This asshole knows damn well my dad knows I'm not his. I was conceived and born before my mum ever mated. Everyone in the pack knows it. It was a big scandal, and to this day I still hear the boring wolves talking about it. Caeli wolves love to gossip because they have nothing better to do.

I grit my teeth at the jab. "Fuck. Off."

He raises his free hand as if to strike me. I don't flinch, and that seems to piss him off. He grabs me by the scruff of the neck and slams me against the wall again, drawing everyone's attention.

"Go back to your little family, half-breed. But just remember that when I'm alpha, your kind will never be welcome here." He releases me with a derisive scoff. "Off you go now, run back home."

I don't reply despite the tinge of fear that his threat elicits in me. My wolf, however, bares her teeth and snaps her jaw at him in retaliation. I need to get out of here before I shift and try to take on an alpha twice my size. The fading burn from my family's mark sears in my mind, screaming down to my soul for me to move.

Biting back my spiteful retort, I jog down the corridor and take a left out of the noisy house, dodging students who whistle and tease me. The cool night air lifts my hair over my shoulders when I step onto the porch. I take a deep breath and jog into the snowy outskirts that surround the house. Snow-capped trees line the distance, and I make a break for them. The cold doesn't bother me, even when I duck behind a tree and strip off. Once I'm fully naked, I bundle my clothes into a ball and shove them into the small bag I always carry with me.

I rest my head against the tree and gaze up at the moon cutting through the frozen leaves. My breath comes out in puffs of smoke, and for a moment I stay there, thinking about how much I'd have liked to punch that alpha-hole in the throat.

But my family needs me.

I dig my feet into the earth and arch forward, spreading my fingers through the snow. Shifting is an effortless, painless task for me, almost like breathing. I transform into my wolf easily, letting my body change until my red paws sink into the ground. Picking the bag up with my fangs, I run through the forest back towards the towering academy hidden in a clearing shrouded in blankets of untouched snow. It's eerily silent at this time of night.

Most people are sleeping, and those who find themselves awake under the light of the moon, venture into the woods to hunt.

The side door of the academy is always left open, and I slip through it. The wood corridors echo every hit of my wolf's claws on them as we dodge around corridors of lockers. We keep running until we get to the main stairs and head straight up to our room and pause. My wolf drops my bag on the floor, and we use our advanced hearing to make sure no one is around before shifting back. Most wolves don't care about nudity, but I'm not one of them.

I unlock my door and head inside with my bag, quickly getting back into my jeans, plain black tee-shirt and boots. I search the messy floor for my phone next. I push a few items of clothing around before I find it and try ringing my parents, but it goes straight to voicemail. I ring my adopted elder brother, but again, straight to voicemail. My family are bloody useless with phones. Instead of trying to keep ringing them, I decide I might as well just go and see them since it's not too far to walk. It's a weird thing for them to use a wolf call with my mark, but I'm sure everything is fine, even if something in the back of my mind doesn't think so. My mum never uses the mark to summon me, and my dad definitely hasn't done it. He likes to pretend I don't exist. That only leaves my brother, but Leo's too busy working as a new demon hunter to bother summoning me.

I guess there's only one way to get to the bottom of this.

Time to go home and see what the hell is going on.

Chapter 2

LILITH THORNBLOOD

Burning leaves.

It's all I can smell when I emerge from the trees surrounding my childhood home.

The scent clings to my snow-covered fur and permeates the night air like a sceptic perfume. I pause on the outskirts of the forest and lift my head towards the sky. A stiff breeze sweeps over me and carries the scent downwind, meaning it's coming from the direction of my house.

The scent can only belong to a Stormfire wolf, but why would one of them trespass into our territory?

Unless my parents invited them. Could that be why I've been summoned?

I slip out of the trees and run across the field towards my home. The three-storey, red-brick building has been in my family for generations. The slanted roof is covered in a thick blanket of snow, and icicles dangle from the gutters to overshadow the wooden porch. My dad's car is parked in the driveway, and the shed, which we use for shifting, has been left open.

Slowing my gait, I scan the ground. Fresh paw prints. They're triple the size of my own when I step into them. I take a cautious sniff, and sure enough, burning leaves cling to the indentations.

I hurry into the shed and shift back. Rummaging through my bag, I dress quickly, lock the door behind me, and climb the porch steps. Only the kitchen light is on. Mum must be cooking dinner.

My stomach clenches, and a feeling of dread washes over me when I touch the door.

Someone with magic has been there. The only creatures who can use magic nowadays are demons. Not even the headmaster at the academy is able to cast spells; he has to summon a demon to do it for him.

I take a deep breath and open the front door. One step, two steps over the threshold, and my heart clenches at what I see inside our little kitchen. My mother, held by the throat by the largest man I've ever seen, and my father standing beside her as pale as a ghost. The unfamiliar male towers several feet above the both of them, and his grasp on my mum's throat.

"Welcome home, Lilith Thornblood."

His deep, powerful voice sends a shiver running down the length of my spine. He's completely naked from the waist up. His torso is covered in symbolic tattoos the same black colour as his hair. Thick gold bands encircle his arms, and a black medallion with a ruby centre hangs around his neck. The jewel glows just like his crimson eyes, all of them cutting into me like molten shards.

"I believe introductions are in order," he says, flashing the tip of his fangs in a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

My mother's wide, terrified ones never leave my face. It kills me to see her so afraid. Even my dad has cowered a little in size; a gesture meant to convey submission in the presence of an alpha.

"I know who you are."

He lifts a scarred brow. "Oh?"

I peel my gaze from the hand on my mother's throat to glare at him. "You're the alpha of Stormfire. You guard the Gates of Hell. Apparently, you have quite the temper and once wiped out an entire pack just because their alpha stole from you."

The alpha inclines his head. "The very one."

He regards me through the barest slits of his eyes. A minute shake of his head threatens disappointment as he looks at me. Look isn't quite the right word.

The Stormfire alpha is dissecting me into pieces, stripping me naked with his gaze until I'm only flesh and blood. From his stony expression, I appeal less to him than a mildly interesting object, and for some insane reason it raises my hackles.

Despite everything my parents and pack have taught me, I make a point of holding the alpha's gaze as boldly and firmly as he holds mine. "What do you want?" I practically spit out at him.

My dad crosses the length of the kitchen and slaps me so quickly I stumble back in surprise, my body thudding into the back of the door. I'm used to his temper, and his fists, but still, I didn't expect this hit.

"Show the alpha some goddamn respect!"

The impact forces me to break eye contact, but not before I catch sight of the alpha's eyes glowing a deep shade of black.

"Touch her again and you'll lose more than a hand." He adds just the slightest bit of pressure to my mum's throat, and the tips of his claws dent her skin.

She doesn't so much as draw a single breath. Dad takes a big step back from me in fear for my mum, his mate's, life.

The alpha cuts his gaze to me. "Come."

He drags my mum from the kitchen, and my dad slowly takes up the rear, his expression a little grimmer than before. My heart thrashes so violently I can scarcely make out their footsteps as they head into the dining room. For a moment I just stand there in the kitchen, and then I follow suit, each step laced with a growing, burning hatred for this alpha. And my dad. Why is he letting this alpha treat my mum this way? It's almost like he couldn't care less about her. While he's always been like that towards me, he's never disrespected my mum. I don't even care if he's only doing it because there's an alpha in our home. It's unacceptable.

If my mum didn't appear so terrified in the alpha's presence, I'd grab a knife from the kitchen and swing at the alpha, then I'd take my mum away where my dad can never find her again. She's always deserved better than him.

We both deserve better.

Once I reach our open-plan living room, everyone is seated at the dining table; the alpha where my dad would usually sit, my mum beside him. I sweep my gaze over the surface, unsurprised to find it set for only one. Of course the alpha would eat before any of us. It's customary in packs that alphas should eat first and, usually, alone. With a wave of his tattooed hand, a thin chain slithers around my mum's wrist.

It wraps around the table leg, binding her to the alpha's side. She glances at me standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and stark with fear, and more searing-hot fury consumes me.

The alpha pulls out a chair and gestures to it dismissively. "By all means, have a seat."

Everything about this male pisses me off. From the arrogant way he struts around my home like he owns it, to the manner in which he curls the edge of his lips and looks at me like I'm a piece of meat... So typical of every other alpha out there, and yet so, so much worse.

He doesn't even wait to see if I'll obey his command.

With not a care in the world, he claims the seat at the other end of the table and reaches for the bottle of red wine. My dad sits across from my mum, leaving only the pulled-out chair at the end for me.

My every instinct screams to shift and challenge this alpha, but I'm not an idiot. Not only does he hold my mother prisoner, but I'm willing to bet his wolf is three times the size of mine. I'd be dead before I could so much as sink my teeth into his throat.

There's really nothing for it. If I'm to figure out what the hell is going on and get my parents out of this alive, I need to play nicely; something I've failed to do so far in my eighteen years.

I settle down on the opposite side. The silence is so tense I could cut it with the alpha's butterknife. Instead, I lift my eyes from the polished surface of the table and look at him.

"Why are you here?" I repeat, ensuring my voice is firm. "And what do you want?"

My dad slams his fist on the table and prepares to stand. "Dammit, child! How many times have I told you? Do not speak unless spoken-"

The alpha's voice stops him. Dad freezes in his half-crouched position, and his worried eyes flick to the other end of the table.

"You'd do well to follow your own advice, Valerio." The alpha narrows his eyes on me. "At any rate, I see no problem in answering her questions. She is my mate, is she not?"

Chapter 3

LILITH THORNBLOOD

It's clearly a rhetorical question, one that sends my heart shooting to the pit of my stomach. Did he just say what I think he

did? My pulse skyrockets, and I clench my hands underneath the table. For the first time since entering the dining room, my mother isn't looking at me.

It's as if she can't bring herself to. I've never seen my mum as anything but the beautiful and graceful wolf with long white hair I wish I had. I can't ever remember seeing my mum scared or weak. I know her expression scares me far more than the alpha behind her and calling me his mate could ever do.

"I'm here to collect what's mine." The alpha pours himself a glass of wine and sniffs the contents before taking a sip. His eyes cut over the glass to me.

"That would be you."

A nervous laugh bubbles in my chest and quickly escapes my lips. "W-what? You can't be serious?" I glance at my mum, my chest rising unevenly. "Mum, what the hell is going on?"

But she doesn't say a word. The colour has completely drained from her face. She seems like she's about to be sick.

"One thing you should know about me, little mate," the alpha says in a dangerously low voice, dragging my attention back to him, "is that I am only ever serious. You belong to me and you are my fated mate.

The Crescent Mother wills it."

The glimmer of anxiety that had gripped me a moment ago vanishes, replaced with more searing-hot anger.

"I don't belong to anyone," I spit back at him. "Especially not a wolf who came here uninvited and raised his own hands to my mother!"

He picks up my mum's favourite cutlery and begins cutting his meat. "Who says I came here uninvited?"

My dad shifts nervously, and my mum's face turns a violent shade of red. This doesn't make any sense.

If they invited him, why would he threaten to hurt my mum? There's no way my mum would invite the alpha of another pack to our home. It's unheard of unless it's to the house of another alpha. And as much as my dad likes to pretend he's an alpha behind closed doors, he's nothing of the sort.

I straighten. "I don't know how things work in your pack, Alpha, but shackling your host to a table isn't something we do in Caeli."

He chuckles and shoves a slice of meat into his mouth. "You've got fire in you, little mate. Good.

You'll need it when I take you home."

"This is my home," I snarl at him.

The alpha dismisses my retort and continues eating.

"I see your mother failed to inform you of your situation. Allow me to explain." He wipes his mouth with a silk handkerchief and then tosses it on his near empty plate. "Eighteen years ago, your mother and I came to an agreement. In exchange for helping her flee a rather complicated situation, your mother promised me a mate worthy of the Stormfire alpha.

I've come to see just how worthy of a mate you truly are."

The air clamps in my chest. It's like the alpha has thrust a paw into my chest and is squeezing my heart with his razor-sharp claws. Through the tears blurring my vision, I glare venomously at my dad.

He used to say there would come a day when my past would catch up with me. Until this very moment, I never understood what he meant. But it was that I'd been promised to an alpha who would one day come to collect me. And he knew.

My mum knew.

I wonder if my brother and Aurelia were aware, too.

The thought twists my stomach into a pile of knots, and a rush of anxiety trickles down my spine. This can't really be happening. It's like I've fallen through a portal to an alternative universe where my own family would betray me. I glance at my mum, searching for something, anything, that will tell me the alpha is lying. But she only looks away as her lower lip trembles. She really did do it.

My mum promised me to an alpha when I was just a baby.

I snap my head to the alpha in question and glare at him. He just fucking smirks at me like this is an amusing game to him. But then something changes.

His lips thin, and he sniffs the air. His prior amusement melts from his countenance like wet snow, and he rises from the table. Slowly, he comes towards me, and I struggle to hold his gaze this time.

There's something darker about it, something primal and deadly. Power radiates off him like an all-encompassing shadow. His presence alone swallows up everything in the room, and despite my best efforts, I shrink a little in my chair.

He stops beside me and picks up a strand of my long, auburn hair. A muscle ticks in his jaw, and a crease forms between his brows when he lifts the strand to smell it. His eyes darken into a deeper onyx. Faster than I can blink, he leans forward and brushes his fangs along my neck. I grip my thighs and close my eyes. I know what he's doing. He's taking in my scent to see whether or not I'm 'worthy' of him. From the way my palms turn sweaty and my heart convulses, he can no doubt smell the whirlwind of emotions wreaking havoc within me.

"You smell of weakness," he breathes, the tip of his fangs sweeping over the pulse in the side of my throat. "Weak wolves do not belong in my pack."

"My daughter is a lot of things, Rizer. A half-breed and nuisance, sure, but no wolf of my line has ever been weak," my dad says.

In my shock, I open my eyes to gawk at him. I've never heard him defend me like this before. Even when our own pack ridiculed me, he said nothing.

Did nothing.

A foolish part of me actually hopes to find compassion when I face him, but there's only that same old, familiar coldness. I wish I knew what I did to make him despise me so much. The fact that he just said I'm part of 'his' line means he does see me as part of the Valerio family, so it can't be that I'm not his biological kid.

"Your line is also descended from cowards and liars,"

Rizer growls, moving behind me.

Again he sniffs my hair, and I dig my fingernails into my jeans. My mother holds my gaze, but ever so quickly, she glances at the front door.

"That I could ignore. But weakness? That is disgusting and cannot be tolerated. You should not be allowed to exist."

I swallow the nervous lump in my throat and watch my mother drape her free hand over the alpha's knife. Her glancing at the front door was a signal for me to run. But I can't just run while she's chained to the table. However, before I can so much as protest, she throws the wine glass onto the table.

The glass smashing against the wooden floor rouses the alpha's attention, if just for a second. That's all I need to jump up from the table and out of the way, moments before the knife whistles through the air towards the alpha.

The blade pierces him in the chest, and for a second, he just stands next to me, his eyes wide.

"What have you done?" My dad's chair falls over and he shoots up from his chair. He rushes over to the alpha and stumbles to his knees beside him. Shaking hands hover over the dead body, but they can't quite bring themselves to touch the bloodstains on his chest. Unfortunately, the alpha won't remain dead for long; alphas always regenerate, usually once the source of their death has been removed from their body, but there's rumours that alphas don't require that.

I doubt a knife to the heart will keep Rizer dead for long.

"He'll kill us," my dad chokes out, his hands trembling so violently his whole upper body shakes.

"He'll kill us all!"

My mum doesn't even glance at him. "Lilith, go. We don't have long."

Blood pounds in my head and I shake it in disbelief.

"The chain-

"Go without me!"

I flinch at the volume of her tone but keep shaking my head. "N-no, I can't. I'm not leaving you here, Mum!"

As I rush over to her side, my dad continues muttering about how the alpha will kill us—him-once he wakes up. He really is a coward. I'm glad he's not my real dad. Once I reach my mum and look down at the chain cutting into her skin, the tears I've been struggling to hold back finally fall from my lashes.

She follows my gaze, and instead of being scared or upset, she just smiles at me. Slowly, she tucks my hair behind my ear and pats my head like she's done since I was a kid.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'll be right behind you." And with that, she pushes me towards the front door, her chain scraping the table. "Take the backpack hanging by the door and go. Don't turn back. I love you, baby."

A sob bursts from my trembling lips. "I love you, too, Mum."

I quickly hug her, grab the bag, and then I'm taking off through the front door without so much as a glance at my dad.

My boots barely hit the ground when I shift into my wolf, take the bag into my mouth, and run. I never feel the cold, but right now I'm as cold as the snow crunching beneath my paws. My breath streams out in harsh, rapid puffs but I head into the trees as fast I've ever ran in my life, not even bothering to bring my clothes. I keep going until a deafening howl cuts through the air in the distance and my fur instantly stands on end.

Rizer.

His burning-leaves scent carries on the downwind, and my stomach roils with a mixture of fear and anger. I pause by a frozen creek and stare down at my reflection on the icy surface. My wolf looks as dejected as I feel. Did my mum even make it like she said she would? A small part of me hopes she did and that I'll see her soon, that she will catch up with me. But the rest of me, no matter how much I want to refute it, shatters as if I knew all along: my mum was never getting out of that house alive.

A sick, twisted piece of me hopes my dad never made it out. He'd been perfectly willing to hand me over to the alpha like a bit of discarded meat. My mum had been nothing but terrified from the moment I entered the kitchen. My eyes water at the thought of her, but I quickly push them aside and continue.

There will be time to mourn for her later. I need to get out of here before the alpha catches up with me.

With this shadowing over me, I run faster through the forest. It's a little ironic that I've spent my childhood exploring these woods. I know every tree, every creek and clearing, and yet I don't know where to go. I could go back to the party and get Aurelia, then come up with a plan. But I don't want to drag her into this. My best option would be to seek refuge in the academy. That means going east.

Another howl echoes in the near distance, followed by another. Their cadence is so different to what I'm used to hearing amongst Caeli wolves, which means these ones aren't part of my pack. They must be from Stormfire. Damn it! They've blocked out the academy. West will just take me to Aurelia, and I don't want to endanger her. All I can do is head north in hopes that I find a place good enough to hide.

After hours of running, my limbs ache from exertion, and I have no choice but to stop to rest. The Stormfire howls stopped about a mile back. I'm not stupid enough to think they've given up hunting me. Leaning against a tree, I glance up at the bloodstained moon, and a powerful urge to howl at her fullness consumes me. My mum used to say that the Crescent Mother was more likely to bless her wolves on the night of a full moon. It's a slim chance, but right now, I'll do anything to get out of here.

I need your help. Please tell me where I should go. Give me a sign. Please. Something. Crescent Mother, help me.

In answer to my prayer is the cloying smell of more burning leaves, and the low grumble of a howl rumbling in the back of a wolf's throat. I whip my head around in search of the wolf. Through the shadowy trees, I'm able to decipher an enormous red wolf surrounded in tendrils of smoke. The medallion around its powerful neck gleams in the moonlight.

Uhh, Crescent Mother... This isn't what I quite had in mind.

Rizer snaps his bloody jaw at me and takes a step.

The blood on his lips carries my mum's scent. A low whimper escapes me, and I instinctively back away from him. I lower my head and press my tail tightly between my hind legs. More howls resonate close by.

There's no way I'll be able to fight off Rizer let alone the others.

In the corner of my eye, a light flickers in the darkness around me. The bright glow pulls me towards it like gravity. I turn my head ever so slightly, and relief washes over me. A huge staircase stands proudly on the forest floor, and right at the top is a bright orange light.

A portal.

I don't even stop to question where it might lead me.

I charge up the stairs and dive head-first into the blinding, beautiful light.

Chapter 4

LILITH THORNBLOOD

I really hate portals.

I stumble through the light, my stomach feeling like a thousand bees are bouncing

around in it, and smack hard into the stairs on the other side. I stand, my wolf shaking our head, just as the edge of the old, cracked steps to the portal gives way under my feet.

My wolf whines as we fall down the steps, right off a damn cliff of all things. My body smacks across the rock side, sharp pebbles digging into my calves. My wolf tries to dig its claws into the cliffside to stop us.

Roots and branches snag in my fur and against my legs as I keep falling, unable to find anything to stop us. I briefly see everything is red and burning right before I crash into something that instantly burns my back.

Standing quickly, I move off the tiny pool of lava under me, letting my wolf heal the brief burns.

Breathlessly, I take a second to glance around me and I freeze. My blood runs cold when I realise exactly where I am.

The Stormfire pack.

Also known as—Hell itself.

What the hell? I'm not even on Earth anymore.

In my horror, I look up at the portal on top of the mountain, wondering why the alpha isn't right on my heels. He should be able to follow me.

This is his frigging pack, after all.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

My brother once told me Hell was a really beautiful place, but I never quite believed him. How could a place where demons and wolves live be beautiful?

Until this second when I'm staring at all of Hell right in front of me, I never once imagined it was like this.

A giant tree has grown from below the city and its entangled roots stretched everywhere they could. I remember the tree being called The Tree of Ignis.

The tree has made winding paths that swirl around the main trunk, lit up with red fire on its edges. Pack homes are also woven into the branches and roots, almost like they are part of the tree. Sharp and steep rocky mountain walls make a circle around the outskirts of the city, one of them I've just fallen down, which must have one of many portals to Hell on it.

No wonder that hurt like a bitch. The fall must be about thirty feet.

I didn't even know there was a portal to Stormfire near my home. In fact, it should be impossible for that portal to even exist. Problem for another time.

The Stormfire city surrounds the major part of the ancient and wondrous tree. The looping roots and gnarled vines hold much of the city together. There are tall towers of apartments wrapped in vines and red flowers, that are like flames, on the edges of the city. Closer to the middle are large stone buildings that seem untouched by the tree themselves, and perhaps newer.

The tree isn't the most beautiful and fascinating part of the city.

No, it's the leaves.

Burning leaves constantly fall off the branches at the top of the tree. They flutter down and then disappear into nothing but embers before they hit the ground. I stare around in awe at the place I've always wanted to come to see.

Terrified awe.

What the hell am I going to do? I bite my backpack in my mouth a little tighter, wondering what Mum packed inside it for me and if she is still alive.

My wolf whines softly, our pain shared between us, threatening to take over the fear we need to focus on. It isn't safe here. I glance back up at the portal at the top of the massive hill that I've just fallen down.

Rizer is going to follow me here soon. He is too powerful for me to fight head-on, and there's no way I'm going to get away from him in his pack's territory if he spots me now. I glance back at the tree and Storm-fire city resting around it.

There's only really one thing I can do to survive: hide in Rizer's pack of millions of Stormfire wolves and make sure he doesn't find me.

He won't think I'm brave enough to hide in his own pack. Hopefully.

At least I won't stand out in Stormfire, not with my red fur wolf, as they all appear the same as me, something I've always wanted. Just not like this. Except for the white streak of hair, but I can disguise that with a hat or something in human form. Not so much as a wolf. I lean back on my heels and tighten my grip on the backpack before I break out into a run. My wolf bolts across the rocky terrain that seems like it's on fire, but it does nothing but heat my paws. In fact, I feel warm but not on fire like I should do.

"Outside the gates of Hell's city burn all those who flee and do not belong."

My academy teachers' words come back to haunt me as I keep running and come to a large river made of clear, crimson water. Sharp rocks sit at the bottom, and a few strange fish swim around them. Let's hope none of them bite. The current of the river flows fast, and I don't see a bridge in sight or anywhere I can cross.

We'll have to swim.

Feeling my wolf's reluctance to go into it, and I'm completely in agreement with her, I figure we don't have a choice. We're not great at swimming. It was never one of our bonus points at the academy, but there's no way around it. I pull the backpack tightly into my mouth, knowing I need to hold on firmly to it in the river.

We can do this!

I dive into the water, and my wolf uses all our strength to swim to the other side. We try not to get pushed too far down by the current, but the river is deeper and bigger than we thought. The water is warm, almost painfully warm, but I try not to focus on it as we swim as fast as we can to the other side. Soon we realise the current is much wilder than we predicted, and suddenly we are being pushed harshly around. My wolf dives underwater, and we bare our teeth, holding the backpack to push through the current. It directs our path. I know I need to let the current take me and not fight it, even as I can't see or hear anything but red water.

It's official. Hell sucks, and they even ruined water.

My wolf pulls free of the current eventually, and we break out of the top of the river, gasping for air around the backpack. We end up just being pulled and pulled farther down the river, not able to get out of the current to either side. My legs ache, and tiredness takes over with every brush of a wave of water against us. The only good thing is that Rizor is unlikely to find me now. The dreadful thing is that rivers like this can only end in two ways. One could be a pretty lake and the other a deadly waterfall.

With my luck, it is definitely going to be a waterfall.

No sooner do I think that than the rushing of a waterfall in the distance carries to my ears, and pure panic makes me struggle around in the water.

I want to shift back, but I know it's not a good idea.

My wolf is stronger than I am. She goes back underwater with the current, and we try swimming tougher when we come back up, but it doesn't get us anywhere. I glance around as quickly as possible, looking for anything to help us get out of this damn river. That's when I see it, a big rock ledge on the left side, next to the edge of the waterfall cliff. If I could just land on to that, I can climb out and be on the right side for the city.

I swim as hard as I can towards it, pushing my wolf to her limits, begging our body not to give our tiredness.

We really need to work on our cardio and swimming skills if we survive this.

We just about slam our body into it, my lungs gasping from the impact, and I nearly drop the backpack out of my mouth. Pulling myself up onto the ledge, I reel my weak legs across to the side of the rocky pathway and finding a hidden space between a few roots of a stray tree that will hide me for a bit.

Fucking hell, I think to myself, letting out a small, frustrated whine.

I shift back, needing to be human for a moment, and take a deep breath before breaking down in sobs as the pain of everything that has happened catches up with me. Wrapping my arms around my knees, I don't know how long I cry for. Knowing that my mum's gone, knowing my dad is most likely gone, too, and I'm the alpha's intended mate.

And he rejected me.

Being rejected by someone who you're meant to mate with is unheard of in the pack world. At least I've never heard of it. But then it's also unheard of for the Stormfire alpha to take a mate. I know he has one son whose mother he murdered, but she was never his mate. Just his breeder.

How he ever thought I could be his mate is insane to think about. I'm no alpha female and I never want to take a mate. I don't want to love someone because magic forces me to. Too many times I saw my mum resist her mating bond because her mate was an ass-hole.

Sorry, Dad, but you were one. RIP. Hopefully.

I grit my teeth, and my wolf lets out a growl that echoes in my chest when I think of Rizor calling me weak. I am not weak. Taking a deep breath, I try to control my emotions, try to push down my urge to shift back. To run and run until we get out of this world, to somewhere safe from him. But I know we need to be smarter than that right now. I don't have anywhere to go back to. The alpha of Caeli won't fight the Stormfire pack for me, which he would have to do if he protected me. Rizor will never stop until he kills me...even I don't understand what he wants with my death. I can't go straight to my brother because that's exactly where he'd think I'd go. Watching my brother is going to be his first move, no doubt. I search my brain for an answer for a long time before I come up with the perfect (ish) idea.

I look up at the falling embers that drift down around me, matching the same colour as my hair.

I think of my brother's best friend who lives here in Stormfire. The boy who always smelt of burning leaves and bad decisions.

Caspian Hardling.

I met him a few times as a young teenager and I fixated on him because he was Stormfire, new, interesting, and most importantly, gorgeous. His parents let him spend two years training in Caeli Academy as part of a student exchange programme to help with peace between the four packs. Caspian is a good guy, and I can trust him. My brother said he trusted Caspian with his life, and I really have no one else to turn to here. I doubt Caspian is even going to remember me; I haven't seen him since I was thirteen and blurted out I had a big crush on his handsome eighteen-year-old ass.

I was a dork who had just discovered wine. A bad combo.

I have to ask him to hide me until I can come up with a plan. He's a bounty hunter, or at least I heard that he was in the bounty hunter trials last year.

My brother never said if Caspian passed them, like he did, but I doubt Caspian failed. When he sets his mind on something, he always gets it in the end. He told me that himself when I was a drunk little dork.

Now I have a plan, albeit not a great one, I open the backpack and find several sets of clothes inside along with a letter. My hands shake as I open the yellow envelope and pull the parchment out. I run my fingers over my name, written in my mum's beautiful, classy handwriting. A small bracelet falls out of the envelope onto my lap, and I lift it to see it's made of silver with a red stone attached in the middle of it.

I put the bracelet down and open the letter to read it.

To Lilith,

I'm so sorry that I had to write this, that I couldn't tell you everything, that you're in this position. I knew if you took this backpack that everything I feared would happen has happened. I know I'm not with you because I'd never let you read this letter if I was.

First thing's first.

The bracelet is spelled. I used all of my money over my short lifetime to pay for it, and it's blessed by demons of incredible power. It will hide you from him. The Stormfire alpha can never find or track you so long as you wear it. Neither will anybody else who will look for you and have been since you were born. The Caeli pack hid you until now, but now you have to find your place in the world alone. I'm so sorry.

Wear it and never take it off, promise me this.

There's so much I wish to tell you, so much that I can't ht into a small letter. But I'm going to sum up most of the terrible things that happened right before you were born. I was born in the Caeli pack, but I gave my heart to Stormfire. To your father. Know that I created you in pure love, no matter what anyone says.

Many people died to keep you safe, to get me out of Hell, but it all went wrong. And at the very last second, I had to make a deal to leave Hell with you. The alpha of Stormfire wanted you as his mate. I think he always did because of what happened when you were born.

Many want you as theirs, Lilith, and you must trust no one.

I can never write the truth in this letter because if someone else found this, it could mean the death of you. I wish I could have told you, but your dad bound me to the secrecy, so it could never leave my lips.

I'm sorry.

The secrets will come out eventually, and you'll realise what I did for you was the right thing, but for now the secret will die with me.

Be brave.

We both know that hiding in Hell is the best for you if you can get there. You'll fit in there as it is massive, full of millions and millions of wolves, the biggest population of wolves in the world. You'll be able to hide and disappear.

I will love you forever and I will protect you in the afterlife. Always know dying for you was my plan right from the beginning. I regret none of my life or my choices.

Tell your brother that. Let him know there is a letter for him in our secret place.

Love,

Mum

By the end of the letter I'm in sobs as I pick up the small bracelet my mum said she spent so

much money on. No wonder we barely had anything and Dad hated me so much. It looks expensive, and it radiates with magic. The sort of magic that doesn't come cheap anymore. The only things in this world that have magic are demons. Demons don't sell their magic easily or cheaply or to anybody in Caeli. I clip the bracelet onto my wrist, feeling my mum's love and protection in it like she is here at my side. The stone rests right in the centre of my wrist, fitting me perfectly.

What secret would my mum die to protect about me?

What could be so bad but desirable to the Stormfire alpha?

What the hell happened when I was born?

Of course, no one answers me, and I bet the secret is with the Crescent Goddess now.

I need to get to Caspian and somewhere safe because I can't die or get caught now. My mum needs me to be strong, to fight this and live my life. Rizor will tell his people to look for me, no doubt. I need to get into the city and disappear. Soon he will have the entire pack searching for a new wolf.

Quickly, I drag on the leggings, boots, and the large hoodie that's in the backpack, one of my favourite hoodies that I thought I'd lost over a year ago. I know exactly where it went now. I smile for a brief second at the idea of my mum stealing it.

Then my smile falls when I remember she isn't here anymore. She is likely dead.

I pull my wet hair into a ponytail with a hairband I find in the bag and drink the small bottle of water that's at the bottom before putting everything back and standing. Strapping the backpack onto my back, I glance up at the enormous city. A city big enough for any wolf to get lost in.

Time to go into the city of Hell and pretend I'm from here.

I don't know if that's even possible because I have no idea what I'm walking into. The river will have hidden my scent and washed away all traces of any Caeli wolf on me. That's one good thing. I walk towards the city walls, and when I get to them, I realize there's no door anywhere I can see. I search up and down the wall, realizing I have to go through the main gates of the city.

Unless...

I look up and grimace. Maybe I can climb the wall and get into the city, even if my climbing skills might not be great. It's worth a try. Using the roots, I climb as quickly as I can despite that every few steps I almost slip. My heart pounds faster each time.

I keep climbing until I get to the top and pull myself onto my back, breathlessly staring at the roots above me. Sweat coats my forehead, and I wipe it away. Falling, burning leaves drift down from the tree above and around me. They seem so beautiful in the many lights around me, the smell of smoke and fire is relaxing even as the noise of the city drowns out the idea of silence. The wall must have blocked some sounds as it's much louder up here and reflects the noise a city of millions in it would have. The red glow is bright on my face, followed by a mixture of white light coming from the city. It almost appears like a sunset here, a sunset of so many shades of oranges, reds, and pinks. I always wanted to travel the world, but I always wanted to do it and then come back to tell my parents about the world outside of Caeli.

Now that can't happen.

With strength I didn't know I had, I slide myself over the other side of the wall and climb down the roots until I can jump to the floor. I quickly glance around me to make sure I'm safe. No one is close to me, nothing but rubbish and a dumpster that blocks anyone from seeing me. Two buildings are to my left, and I walk down the space between them and hide by the wall to peek around the corner. One massive pathway that leads right into the city is near me, and hundreds of wolves in human form stroll down them, some with small demon creatures on chains walking at their sides. So many people, and not one of them turn my way. I sneak out from behind the building, joining the crowd but keep my eyes down on the floor, and pulling my hood up to cover my hair. It doesn't take long to get closer to the middle of the city. The noise of people talking, music playing, bangs, and wolves howling fills my ears and senses when I try to break out of the crowd.

I search the buildings, reaching out with my senses for any trace of Caspian, but there are too many scents, too many wolves for me to search for him alone. It's all too much here, and a part of me likes it. The energy of the city is amazing. I come past a poster clipped to a building side and pause, seeing an advertisement for the bounty hunting trials in big bold letters.

Someone there might know where Caspian is, and it isn't a place the alpha would look for me, I don't think. At the bottom of the advertisement is a small map of Hell with a star over where the bounty hunting trials are. I rip it off and take a deep breath before setting off to find the only wolf in Hell who can help me.

Chapter 5

LILITH THORNBLOOD

Derek, if that's you back without my fucking demon-" Caspian pauses mid-sentence, slowly dropping his deep caramel

eyes down onto me.

I didn't think the tip I got from a man outside the large fenced-off area for the demon-hunting trials was right when he said Caspian lived here. Mostly because the man appeared drunk, and it was too lucky that the first person I asked actually knew Caspian at all.

Turns out the long shot was bang on.

Caspian's six-foot, built-as-hell frame towers over me. I forgot how intimidating his stare is.

"Who the fuck are you and what do you want?" I'm speechless for a second too long. With unseeable speed, he whips a silver dagger out from his back and places the tip under my chin. Fury burns in his eyes, and two black marks that run down from his forehead and around his eyes to his cheeks glow a vibrant red. "You might be fucking drop-dead beautiful but you won't trick me into whatever you're selling. Get the fuck out of here before you regret it." He lowers the dagger and walks back into his house.

"I'm Leo's sister!" I shout seconds before the door shuts in my face.

But then it swiftly swings open again, and Caspian rests his shoulder against the doorframe. This time, he pauses to look at me from head to toe, and I do the same to him.

Caspian Hardling has changed since he was eighteen.

He's still as breathtakingly handsome as he was then but he is more now. So much more.

Beefy shoulders fill out his white button-down shirt, which is tucked into black leather trousers with laces at the front of his narrow but toned waist.

The trousers showcase his thick thighs and other areas. His soft, silky blond hair is tipped white and falls to just below his ears. His ears are spiked at the top, a reminder of his demon blood, and I've always thought they suit him. All demons have tipped ears in human form, but it's more complicated for half-demon, half-wolves like Caspian.

He is rare. Few half-borns survive childhood.

"You grew up, songbird."

I narrow my eyes at his stupid nickname for me. The memory of it comes back like a hammer. How did I have a crush on this guy? Oh, right. Wine, teenage hormones, and one sexy-ass half-wolf.

Apparently, I sing as well as demon songbirds, which for the record, screech all night and can make human men go deaf. They are popular for torture.

"Clearly you haven't," I say, crossing my arms.

"Did you come all the way to Hell to insult me? Or did you miss my pretty face?"

Swallowing my pride, what is left of it, I tell him the truth. "Neither. I need your help because I'm in danger."

Something changes in his eyes, the playfulness disappearing as he straightens. "I can't help you. You need to go."

"Wait!" I stop his door closing in my face this time.

He sighs.

"My brother said you owed him. A life debt, if I'm not mistaken."

He arches a pierced brow. "And?"

"This will make you even. Help me, for my brother, for the debt if nothing else," I reply, hoping this will work. I'm sure Leo will go along with the plan if I had any way to safely get in touch with him.

Caspian stares down at me once more, and slowly he steps back, waving me into his house. "Get the fuck in, songbird."

"My name is Lilith, in case you've forgotten," I respond. I walk into the spacious yet empty room.

There is a generic kitchen with four counters, a fridge, and a small bathroom behind a screen on the other side. A double bed is in the middle, with a couch at the end and a big orange rug in front of it.

A wardrobe is near the bed, with two hooks on either side and countless weapons hanging off the large hook.

Other than that, there is nothing else here. Nothing personal to be seen.

Caspian slams the door shut behind me and walks around me to the fridge. "Do you drink yet? How old are you again?"

I drop down onto his leather sofa. "Old enough."

"Good, because we need vodka for this conversation where you blackmail me into saving you from whatever the fuck you have done."

Caspian brings over a half-drunk bottle of vodka and two shot glasses, chucking one at me. I hold it up, and he pours me a shot. I down it, keeping my eyes on him, and he raises an eyebrow at me before taking his own shot.

He downs another one and then pours himself a third. "Talk."

"My mum and dad were killed by the Stormfire alpha. He wants me dead, and I need to hide," I blurt out in one long rush.

Caspian coughs on the shot and smacks his fist against his chest a few times, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Then you're dead already. I can't help you fight him," he replies, still looking shell-shocked.

I get the impression not much surprises this guy.

Rolling my eyes, I glance away. "I know that and I need somewhere to hide in the city. Permanently."

"Does the alpha know you're here?"

"Maybe," I respond, clasping my hands together. "I don't know for sure. So can I hide here?"

"Minor problem, I'm leaving here tomorrow." He rubs the back of his neck and tilts his head at me.

"The demon hunter trials begin tomorrow, and I'm joining them."

"Shit," I mutter. "Do you know anyone who could hide me? Someone you trust?"

He scoffs. "I don't trust anyone in Hell, and you shouldn't either, songbird."

He sits on the sofa next to me, only a few inches between us, and I try not to look at the gorgeous fucker who is clearly going to ditch me.

"I'm sorry about your parents. Really, I am," he eventually says. "More your mum though. Your dad was a dick."

"Technically, he wasn't my dad," I counter, trying to make light of it with some dark humour.

Caspian chuckles low. "Lucky you."

We drift into silence once more before Caspian lets out a long sigh. "I'm going fucking mad because I have an idea. It's crazy, but it just might work if you don't fuck it up."

My heart thrashes. "I'm willing to go for crazy right now."

Caspian's gaze trails over me, the marks on his cheeks almost glowing red for a second, and I wonder what that means. When he was in Caeli, his marks never glowed, and I overheard him telling Leo that they were from his father's demon side, not his wolf's.

"I could get you into the demon hunter trials under a fake name," he says slowly, "and I doubt the alpha would search for you there. The faces of all contestants are kept a secret, so they can move around the city freely. The alpha gives his protection to each of the ten winners. If you could win, which I highly doubt, by the way, you could gain the alpha's protection. Then he won't be able to kill you without breaking his vow."

"Which means death for an alpha," I whisper, filled with hope. "You're right... That is a crazy plan."

"Told you. Now the question is, can you fight? Do you know fuck all about demons?"

"Well, I know you."

He smirks and rests back, picking the vodka bottle up and taking a long drink. "That you do, songbird.

That you do."

I just manage to resist snorting at him. "I don't think your plan will work, but it might buy me more time to find a safe place to escape. Somewhere the Stormreal pha cartea, lemishand of the sofa.

sip.

He grins when I scrunch my face up at the taste.

"There are no demons on the moon."

Rolling my eyes, I shove the bottle back his way. "I've always wanted to be a demon hunter."

Caspian slowly moves his attention up my body, and I feel his gaze like fire against my skin until he clashes with my eyes.

"You're going to make an interesting partner, songbird."

"Thank you for helping me," I reply shakily.

He stands, stretching his long, thick arms. "Don't thank me yet. There is every chance the leader of the trials is going to take one look at you and say fuck no."

"Then I'll have to be charming," I say with a wink.

Caspian flashes me a devilish smirk. "If you can charm the alpha's only son, then I'm a fucking virgin."

He laughs, walking away from me. My cheeks burn as red as my hair. I have to get into these trials; alpha's son or not, I'm going to get in.

"By the way, we need to dye that white streak of hair.

It makes you stand out," he calls back, walking to his door. "Don't go anywhere, songbird."

"Like I can!" I shout as he leaves me alone in his apartment.

What the hell, pun intended, have I gotten myself into?

Chapter 6

LILITH THORNBLOOD

A warm breeze drifts over me and drags my hair over my face. I brush the strands back and tuck the now-dyed lock behind my ear.

I'm so used to seeing the white streak in the corner of my eye; it's strange to lose that part of my identity.

But if I want to survive in this world, sacrifices must be made.

I lean against the wall surrounding the city and stare up at the tree burning in the near distance.

"So... how do we get to the trials?" I ask, glancing at Caspian sitting on the edge of the wall.

"You really are new here, huh?" He twirls a dagger between his fingers while grinning at me. "The roots of the tree are made up of magical ley lines. See that portal at the hallow?" He points the tip of the blade at the archway carved into the hollow of the tree; the portal is filled with sapphire light. "You step into it and think about where you wanna go and you just appear there."

"That's pretty neat," I admit, pushing off the wall.

"Then we should get going. How do I look?"

He gives me a slow once-over, taking in my tight black bodysuit and knee-high combat boots that

"some" woman left at his after a one-night stand. I guess I should be lucky they fit. Despite the way it clings to my body, it's extremely flexible and frames my figure perfectly.

"Like a Stormfire," he says.

I nod. "Good. Now let's go kick some ass." With a shake of his head, Caspian jumps down from the wall, and we make our way towards the tree. To my relief, no one pays us any attention as we stroll through the bustling Inner City. In the short time I've been here, I've learned that this is the main gathering point in Hell. Hell itself is split up into several different realms, and the closer you get to the Fire Realm, the probability of survival is slim; not many people who visit there ever come back.

It's where Rizer and his pack guard the gates.

An icy chill runs down my spine at the thought of him. I lift my gaze from the ash-covered ground.

The shadow of the tree stretches over me, merging with the burning leaves that flutter through the air.

Men, women, and shifters alike walk to and from the portal. We join the queue. When it's our go, Caspian turns to me and holds out a hand.

"Ready, songbird?"

I steal a deep breath and nod. He takes my hand in his, and together we step into the light.

"The Realm of DHT," Caspian says loudly. DHT:

Demon Hunting Trials. I like it.

Magic wraps around us. It caresses and licks every inch of my skin. The light fades from sapphire into a deep, mossy green, and the most beautiful building stands in front of me. It's more like a palace than anything I've seen before, and it towers into the tree above it. Several buildings are surrounding a courtyard we walk through, past lines of wolves who glance our way. The courtyard is filled with green plants and small lights in the dark corners, all the way up the pillars that mark the entrance to the building.

Caspian weaves a path confidently through the entrance. I follow in his wake, all the way through the foyer and into another hall, where a grim-faced male in a green robe awaits us. He stands on a podium where a magical quill scribbles over an old-looking book.

"Name," the male asks when we stop in front of him, not even glancing up from the book.

Caspian steps forward first. "Caspian Hardling."

The male looks at the book and then down at Caspian. A derisive smile curls the edge of his thin lips. "Ah, I wondered when you'd show your face.

Third time's a charm, eh?"

The marks on Caspian's face glow softly and he clenches his jaw. He doesn't say anything, choosing instead to glare silently at the male. I feel a little bad for him. It must be humiliating not to get into the trials once, never mind twice. After a moment, the unmoving quill scribbles over the parchment, and the male nods for Caspian to pass through the arch behind him.

Sharp, yellow eyes latch on me next. "Name."

I part my lips to say Lilith but quickly catch the words from escaping. "Autumn French."

A silence stretches between us. My heart hammers and I watch him check the book for my details. In the corner of my eye, Caspian watches, too, his hand reaching for the dagger at his hip. Autumn's the name of a girl who went missing from Caeli when I was a little girl. It was the first name that popped into my head.

The male snaps his gaze up to me. "Go on then." He snaps his fingers for the next person to come forward.

I release a breath and follow Caspian through the double doors. We enter a courtyard surrounded by granite archways and pilasters wrapped in ivy. The ground is covered in grass, and at the far end, a tall male slouches in a throne, drumming his fingers absently on the armrest. He stifles a yawn with a ringed hand and then waves the group of applicants away dismissively. Each one of them look devastated as they pick up their weapons and leave the courtyard.

"Word of advice?" Caspian whispers, walking with me through the courtyard. "Don't be yourself, songbird."

I chuckle under my breath.

As if I'd do that in front of Prince Eziel-Rizer's son.

I've always found it odd how in every other pack in the world, the alpha's sons are known as just that.

But in Stormfire, the alpha's son is known as the prince and heir to the pack because his father rules like a king. They don't need titles given to them because no one would ever question their titles. Unless they wanted to lose their heads, that is.

An armoured guard appears from under one of the archways. He orders me to stand back when Caspian approaches the throne. I obey and watch Caspian and the prince exchange a fond greeting, a hand-shake, and pat to the back. They must be friends. For some reason, it eases my anxiety a little. If I fuck up, hopefully Caspian can put in a good word for me.

That does mean I'll owe him again, though.

While Caspian explains why, once again, he wants to enter the trials, I take the opportunity to assess the male before him. He's much taller than Caspian, who's at least six feet. The high-necked tunic that frames his muscular torso is a bright gold outlined in dark green. His trousers and boots are the same shade of green but the metal band threaded in his short, dirty-blond hair is silver, like the strange necklace around his neck.

He sits back once Caspian pledges his allegiance and walks away. The moment the male glances at me, his smile disappears, and he returns to his former bored state.

"And why do you wish to enter the trials?" he asks, contemplating the emerald ring on his finger.

This guy couldn't look more disinterested even if he tried

As much as I'm dying to say, "I want to enter the trials so I can kill your dad", I reply instead: "I want to avenge my parents."

He peers up at me, his body bathed in the sunlight streaming through the courtyard. "What happened to them?"

I swallow the lump of emotion swelling in my throat. "They were... killed."

The corner of his lip twitches. "I gathered that.

Why?"

Caspian's words echo in my mind. Don't be yourself.

What would Autumn French say?

Lifting my chin, I look at the prince dead in the eye; crimson, just like his dad's. "Because they refused to give up what was valuable to them," I answer boldly.

"I want to become the strongest demon bounty hunter there is, and when that day comes, I'll kill the bastard who took them from me."

Even my dad, although we never bonded, didn't deserve to die because of me.

I must avenge them.

"Spoken like a true Stormfire," the prince drawls, tilting his head at me.

He studies me for a moment, and I notice how he's stopped drumming his fingers against the armrest.

"What skills have you got?"

"Enough to put Caspian on his ass, that's for sure." Behind me, leaning against one of the pilasters, Caspian bursts out laughing.

The prince smirks. "Oh, yeah? Now that's something I'd like to see." He motions to Caspian. "All right, Caspian. Let's see if she's all talk."

Caspian bows dramatically low. "It would be my pleasure, Your Highness."

Prince Eziel grits his teeth. "Fuck off."

Obviously he doesn't like being addressed with his royal title. How interesting.

Caspian laughs and walks back over, his boots muffled by the soft grass. He tosses me a dagger. I catch it but then shake my head and throw the blade into the soil.

"How about the old-fashioned way?" I ask with a playful note in my voice.

Caspian raises his brows and glances at the prince, who merely shrugs and motions for us to proceed. Reluctantly, Caspian unhooks his weapon belt, his holsters, and places all of his weapons on the ground.

"I never raise a hand to girls," he mutters, getting into a combative stance. "You sure you want to do this, songbird?"

"After everything I've been through these past few days? Yeah. I'm fucking sure."

In all honesty, I can think of nothing better than fighting. It's a great way to let off some steam.

Caspian bows again, a wry smirk pulling at his lips.

"Then I won't go easy on you."

"You'll only embarrass yourself if you do," I reply around a grin.

This is where all my training at the academy and my personal training should come in use.

Caspian charges for me. I dodge to the side and pivot on my heel, missing him by a hair. He nods in admiration. I tighten my fists, preparing for his next attack. This time he charges with determination. He's definitely not going easy on me. I block his attack and lift my right elbow, using it to hit him-some-what lightly-in the face. A little bit of blood drips from his nose.

"Right in the schnozz," he shouts, and I burst out laughing, remembering the time we watched that Home Alone movie together with my brother all those years ago. It feels like yesterday Caspian used to come visit my home. I'd been like a love-struck puppy watching him from my bedroom window.

He kicks his left leg, and I duck as it sweeps over me.

This position brings me at eye level with his most vulnerable asset. I smile a wicked grin and I aim for his groin with a clenched fist. Caspian stops me with one hand wrapped around my hand and the other on my throat.

"You play dirty, babe." He squeezes my windpipe, just a little to show his superior strength, not enough to really hurt me. "Your brother would be so proud."

"He taught me to seize every opportunity," I gasp out.

The prince chuckles behind me, and damn, it's sexy.

But no time for distractions.

I punch Caspian in the gut with my free hand. He lets out a puff of air like a deflated cushion, and my attack winds him for a moment. He has no choice but to release me. He tries to catch his breath.

Gasping a lungful of air myself, I tackle him to the ground and lock his head between my thighs. He stares up at me, in what I think is amazement, and the colour rushes to his face while I cut off his air supply. His complexion reddens and he struggles to breathe underneath me.

"You-know—this is actually-quite-delightful-"

Caspian chokes between gasps, grinning at me.

How can he still manage to be an ass when I'm literally squeezing the air from his body?

Rolling my eyes, I disentangle myself and stand on my feet. I offer him a hand. "Looks like I won."

My triumph is short-lived.

The air seizes in my lungs and I'm thrown off my feet and onto the ground. Strong, powerful hands pin me down and force my face into the dirt. What in the name of the fuck?! How did I not see that coming?

I flail underneath him, but his strength far outmatches my own. The sound of him chuckling tells me the fight is over. Caspian won. Damn it!

Now it's his turn to hold out his hand. "Told you I wouldn't go easy on you."

I accept his hand, and he pulls me up. "Asshole," I mutter.

"Well done." The prince applauds us slowly, his eyes trained on me in particular. "Not bad, but you've got a lot to learn. Caspian will show you to your room." I blink at the prince. "You mean... I'm in?"

A slow, lazy smile stretches over his lips. "You're in." He nods to the stone. "Pledge your soul to the stone and gift it your blood."

Picking up one of Caspian's daggers, I approach the rock and slide the blade over my palm while trying not to convey my excitement. I squeeze my hand and let the blood drip down onto the wet stone, still fresh with Caspian's blood.

The prince makes a gesture with his hand. "Welcome to the Trials."

I did it. So long as I keep my real identity hidden and the bracelet on my wrist, Rizer will never be able to find me. I'll be the one to find him, once I'm ready.

I incline my head and follow Caspian across the courtyard.

"Hey, Caspian," the prince calls out, "keep your eye on that one. She is less wolf and more fire."

Caspian chuckles and nods. Before we disappear entirely, I sneak a glance over my shoulder only to find the prince still looking at me with that contagious, sexy smile of his. It promises that if I'm his fire, he just might be my downpour. I'd better watch him... closely.

Chapter 7

LILITH THORNBLOOD

The courtyards of the Demon Hunting Trials are beautiful in a way I never expected Hell to be. Instead of being

dead and covered in flames, it is full of green and life. Different plants fill every corner and in rows at the side of rocky stone pathways. The buildings are made of old yellow stone with black metal balconies. There are pillars and archways everywhere I look. This place has the feel of a mixture between Greek and French. Everything is covered in red flowered ivy, curling around the statues of the Crescent Mother we pass. The statues make me feel like I'm back at the academy, where they have statues everywhere. We head around the dim corridors, through pathways, and into one of the tallest buildings that is right at the back of the compound. The building stretches into a branch that goes across the roof, letting ivy and vines trail around the building like they are embracing it.

I follow Caspian through the entrance hall, which is empty except for a single green sofa, and into a corridor full of dozens of doors. Caspian never glances at the doors in his long strides, making it clear he knows his way around. When I don't owe him my life, I'm going to be nosy and find out what happened last year and how he failed the demon-hunting trials. He must have lived here last year.

The corridors are painted deep forest green with intricate patterns of small to large trees, no doubt mimicking the tree outside that Hell itself literally revolves around. The green compliments the dark-wood floors and occasional planted flower pot we pass. Every few feet are chandeliers hanging from the ceiling that look like they're made of pure glass shaped like diamonds. They couldn't be genuine dia-monds... I think. If the demon hunting goes wrong, I'm stealing one or two of the diamonds from those chandeliers just in case.

Each door has a gold-plated number on it, and I notice right away the numbers are all odd. Why are there no even numbers? We go around the corner, far into the sixties and seventies rooms before we come to a stop at the number seventy-seven.

Funny, seven has always been my lucky number since I was five and tricked seven academy teachers into thinking a racoon had raided their snack cupboard with my ace acting skills.

Caspian opens the door with a set of two gold keys and then slips them both in his pocket.

"Can I have my key?" I ask, staring at his back.

He glances back at me as he pushes the door open.

"No."

"Why the fuck not?"

"I don't remember you having such a rude mouth when you were in Caeli. Don't they hate swear words or some shit?" he questions. "I remember the academy teachers telling me off and I only got away with it because I wasn't from there."

"Swearing is frowned upon in Caeli," I explain to him. "I never understood it. Fuck is as good a word as any in the dictionary. Actually, I think it's an amazing word. It can mean so many things and insult so many people."

He laughs and shakes his head, waving a hand at the door. "Ladies first."

"Do I get my own room?" I ask and step over the threshold.

He walks past me and turns on the light and I see that he didn't have to feel the wall for the switch. He knew where it was.

"You do," he pauses, his gaze flickers down my body and I flush. "Unless you want to share?"

"In your dreams, buddy," I reply to him, knowing he's kidding even if parts of my body are fully willing to override my brain and hop on his train. Down, girl.

He bites on his bottom lip and tilts his head, locking his eyes on me. I end up watching the way his bottom lip pops out from between his teeth, wondering what it would feel like if he bit me like that. I shudder and turn around, shutting the door behind us.

The thud of Caspian walking away reaches me and force myself to not to glance at him. Instead, I focus on taking in the room, which is definitely designed as some kind of French style or maybe the French design came from Hell. This place is thousands of years old, after all. The walls are high as we walk through the front door. The same chandeliers are in the corridor that goes into a giant living room. The walls are the same dark green but plain, and there are no windows, which is a little disconcerting. It's still pretty bright in here, thanks to the lights.

There are three light-green, old fabric couches in the middle and they are surrounding a large coffee table that has a massive mark in the centre that kinda appears like a sword cut through it and someone glued it back together. Badly. Caspian looks really out of place as he drops all his weapons on the sofa, clearly claiming it as his own. Instead of watching Caspian take his many, many weapons off one by one, I go through one door right at the back, which leads to a tiny kitchen. It's a tiny space with dark-wood cabinets and an old yellowed fridge. There is an old microwave shoved into the corner, which seems like it's a good ten years old. Leaving the kitchen, I open the door next to it and find one of the first bedrooms.

"This is my room," Caspian states, stepping in front of me and into the bedroom before I stake any claim to it. "Finders keepers, songbird."

"Stop calling me that!" I shout back as I walk away, and in response, a door slams. Dammit, I need to come up with a good nickname for him that isn't just asshole.

Going to the next door, I find it's a small bathroom, and every bit of it is green, including the toilet and bath. Even the showerhead itself is as green as the three cabinets and green-rimmed mirror. I really hope it doesn't push out green water.

Whoever designed this place needs to find the other colours of the rainbow.

I head to the next door, the one nearest the door, and I open it to the other bedroom. My new home far away from my actual home. There's nothing but a single bed lodged in the corner and an old chest of drawers that seems like it's seen better days. One of the drawers doesn't have handles by the looks of it.

This room has a window, though, and I walk over, looking out of the pure glass that's got a green board rim around the edge of it. I try to pull the window up for some fresh air, but it's locked tight, and no matter what I try, it doesn't budge. Dammit.

Giving up on the window, I sit on the bed, and it lets out a long squeak that sounds like a dying cat.

Even with the squeaky bed, broken window, and chest of drawers without handles, I smile. It's better than being out there, better than being dead, and I'm lucky to have this. To have Caspian trying to keep me alive at all. We both know if the alpha finds us, we are both dead.

I go out to the hallway to try the last door which I find to be an airing cupboard with several shelves.

I find a few pieces of green bedding, (because what other colour would it be?), and some pillows. At the bottom is a duvet which I grab to make my bed up before lying back down on it, staring at the ceiling.

Almost tempted to close my eyes, there's a sudden bang at the door. I sit up to see Caspian and he walks past my room and puts a finger against his lips. I spot his other hand has a dagger closely held at his side as he opens the door. Unexpectedly, a girl throws herself into his arms, and he stumbles back, holding her with his arm around her waist so she doesn't fall.

I stand and walk over, the red-haired girl wraps her arms around his neck tightly and then peppers kisses all across his face but he tries to push her off.

"Hey, Dove," he says, with a clear affection in his tone that I've never heard from him.

He eventually manages to pull the half-naked girl off him, and she bounces on the spot in excitement.

She's not actually half-naked now I get a better glance at her, but the small mini skirt and the short crop top she has on doesn't hide much of her toned and slim body.

Of course, Caspian has a hot girlfriend.

I'm not jealous. Not even a tiny bit but I wonder if I could take this girl down.

He runs a hand through his hair and nods to me.

This Dove girl finally turns my way. "This is my new partner; Autumn French but I call her Lilith."

I hold out my hand out to her. For Caspian to tell her my real name, he must trust she can keep quiet. "Hi." She shakes my hand very enthusiastically. "Hello!

I'm so happy to see another girl in the trials. There are only three of us this year, and we need to show these boys we are stronger than we seem."

"Agreed. Dove, is it?" I ask.

"Yes, it is. I'm an old friend of the moody and gorgeous Caspian over here," she tells me, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. Can she tell I was jeal-ous? Her random explanation seems thought-out.

"By the way, I'm totally jealous of your hair being such a dark red. Mine is always borderline ginger," she says, reaching out and picking up a strand for a second before letting it drop.

"I love your hair," I say with a smile. She walks in and Caspian closes the door. "How long have you two been friends then?" I ask her, following her into the living room.

She jumps onto the couch across from the weapon couch. Caspian shakes his head and goes back to his bedroom with a load of bedding in his hands.

"Oh, a couple of years here and there," she tells me. "I was so upset when Caspian entered the trials last year and I thought he'd beat me to becoming a demon hunter. But here we are."

"Yes, we are," I say.

"Where are you from? I haven't seen you around Stormfire before," she asks, and immediately I feel nervous. We haven't come up with a big back story, and I have to hope my lying skills have improved because usually they are shit.

"It's a big city. I'm sure you've not seen everyone here. There are millions," I counter.

"That's true, but usually I make a point to see the redheaded girls like me. There's not much of us around, you know?"

"Surprising, really, with so many red wolves," I re-spond.

"True. So that means we're going to have to be good friends, you and I," she tells me, leaning closer. "Us redheaded girls need to stick together. Make sure the boys don't one-up on us."

"That would be nice," I answer, well aware I can't let it get too close to her. Getting close to her would mean she could find out who I am. That's not something I can risk for a friendship, even if she is nice.

I smile at Dove, and she seems to look curious about something but we are distracted as Caspian comes back out of his bedroom. He sits on the sofa next to her, and she rests her head on his shoulder.

"So who is your lucky partner?"

"The other girl in the trials. She hasn't said much.

She seems like the silent but completely deadly type," she explains with a sigh. "I gave up trying to make conversation with her but I can hope she is an expert hunter."

"At least you don't have newbie over here," Caspian counters, pointing at me.

"Hey, I'm not that bad at fighting and figuring out demons," I shortly reply. Truthfully, I'm clueless but I'm a quick learner.

He laughs, and Dove shakes her head. "I can help you train, you know, if you want. I've been training since I was young."

"I can hold my own," I state. "But thank you."

"I hope so. The first test is tomorrow," she replies. "It won't be easy."

"Don't worry. I'm happy to carry all the weight in our partnership, songbird," Caspian cockily states, stretching his arms across the back of the couch.

I narrow my eyes at him. "I'm sure I can be of some use."

He smirks. "I highly doubt it."

We glare at each other until Dove clears her throat.

"So you two have made a good start to becoming partners."

"Something like that," I sarcastically say.

Dove very clearly and quickly changes the subject.

"What did you think of the overdramatic welcoming ceremony from the alpha's son?"

"Why the heck is he running this place and not training to be the next alpha?" I ask.

"Duh, he's estranged from his father," Dove replies, and Caspian shoots me a warning glare. Dove laughs. "What part of Stormfire did you grow up in?

Because you should know about the alpha's son, it's like the most talked about gossip in the city."

"Her parents kept her under lock and key, so to speak," Caspian explains, saving my ass. "Songbird over here is the daughter of a friend of my mom's.

Her mum takes the saying 'helicopter parent' to a new level."

Dove gives me a sad smile. "Strict parents can be a total buzzkill."

Hearing the words kill and parents in the same sentence hurts my heart. "That they can."

"We're totally going to take you out to the night-clubs. They are to die for...literally."

"Yeah, no, she's not a party type. Little Songbird here is practically a nun," Caspian quips.

"No, I'm not," I snap, gritting my teeth, and Dove raises her eyebrows. I gulp down the urge to throw my boot at Caspian's head. "No nightclubs for me, though. I want to focus on the trials and not be distracted."

"Oh, that's a shame, but I totally get it. I should be getting back to rest up for tomorrow," she says around a welcoming smile. "Oh, I forgot to mention that there is food in the fridge, the welcoming food. The only half-decent things about these apartments."

Caspian is already moving towards the kitchen before her sentence has ended. "I'm not sharing, songbird."

I shake my head and walk Dove up to the door, considering Caspian's not going to do it.

She pauses after opening the door and lowers her voice. "Caspian can be a bit of a dick, but if he's on your side, he'll protect you. He'll die for you if need be, and I'd trust him with my life. He's loyal like that."

"I'm not getting that impression. I'm fully expecting him to throw me under the bus any day now."

"Just give him a chance. Trust me," she replies around a kind smile.

"Are you and him more than friends?" I question before she leaves.

She laughs and winks at me. "No, you and I? That could work if you want?"

I shake my head, feeling a bit relieved when I really shouldn't be. "Sorry, I think I only go for male dick-heads. It seems to be my type."

She laughs. "Whether it's female, male, or whatever, we usually end up going for the ones who are not good for us. It's what makes it fun and sexy."

"Isn't that true?" I laugh.

"I think we're going to be good friends, you and I," she replies. "See you tomorrow, and good luck if I don't get time to tell you."

"Good luck to you, too," I call to her back and I watch her go down the corridor. I push the door shut and rest my head back against it.

Caspian comes out of the kitchen, a plate of steaming food in his hands, and frowns at me. I walk towards him, planning to go get some food and go to bed.

"Don't go making friends, because trust me, when it comes down to it, every single wolf here would drop you in for the alpha's favour," he warns me.

"Then why haven't you?"

"You should ask your brother that when we see him," he counters, avoiding the question. "I have to go out. This is for you, you haven't eaten since last night."

He drops the plate in my hands.

"Thought you said you don't share?"

Ignoring me, he opens the door and nods to the couch. "Keep a weapon on you. If anyone but me comes through this door, stab them, run for it, and ask questions later."

Before I can say anything, he slams the door shut, and I sigh, leaning back against the wall. Caspian Hardling makes no sense to me, but I suspect Dove is right. I can trust him.

I think.

Chapter 8

CASPIAN

"It's been a long time since you've come in here and graced us with your presence, dickhead," the hooded stranger

claims as he sits next to me on the stool.

I slide his favourite whisky across the bar and he lowers his hood. Zodiac, the only name I know him by, wears a red mask covering his face, and no one has ever seen it off that I've heard of. I know he is some kind of demon, but fuck knows what, only that he is powerful. I can sense it, just like everyone in this bar can. Demons like Zodiac aren't around much anymore, thanks to the alpha of Stormfire and his distrust of them. All I know about Zodiac is that he has black hair, pointy demon ears, soulless blue eyes, and that he can be trusted.

"Demon bars weren't ever interesting to me. Too many demons, too many desperate humans or wolves looking for long-lost magic," I respond, wrapping my hand around my tumbler. "I prefer the nightclubs. They are about sex and death. Nothing desperate to be found considering you can get what you want there."

"You haven't changed much, it seems, Caspian," he replies with a click of his tongue. "Still blaming Daddy for all your shit?"

"I didn't come here for a therapist," I growl back. He takes a long drink before letting out a hum of appreciation.

He laughs when he sees my glare, and I down my drink, needing about twenty more of these to deal with Zodiac.

"What do you want, Caspian?"

"Maybe I just called you here for a drink," I reply around a smirk.

"You call me when you're in trouble because of who your father is and we both know it. We aren't friends. Demons like us, we don't make friends and long-lasting connections. It's pointless when they all die."

"You've told me this many times."

"And yet you still have wolf and demon friends," he replies, obvious distaste in his tone. "Which I'm presuming is something you want help with? What do you want?"

I stare down at my little remaining whiskey, swirling it around at the bottom of the tumbler, realising I probably shouldn't have chosen this one. The amber, almost-red, demon-blood whiskey reminds me of a certain person's hair.

I've not once in my entire life fucked up this bad, and all Lilith fucking Thornblood had to do was turn up at my front door to make it happen. I should have slammed that door in her face and walked away but I didn't, and now look at me.

I'm no hero, and acting like I am going to get us both killed. She already has a target on her back, and now she will take me down with her. I don't know what she was expecting when she came to me for help.

Truth be told, her brother and I have been even for a long time on that life debt. But for some stupid and fucked-up reason, I'm still here and I'm still helping her. I'm risking my life, my freedom, and my last chance at the Demon Trials for her.

"I need you to pass a message on to Leo Valerio for me," I finally tell him.

Lilith is Leo's problem, not mine, and the quicker he can come and get his sister, the better.

"Why don't you tell your friend?" he asks, crossing his enormous arms.

"Because I can't go anywhere near him, and you can without being seen. I don't want him to know who sent the message or why, and no one else can know.

You're the best at sneaking around," I say.

"I'm not a spy for you," he replies. "Your father will not like this."

"I don't give one single flying fuck what my father thinks," I growl, banging my fist on the counter, pure fury breathing to life within me. My marks glow, and my inner demon bangs against the mental barriers I hide him behind. The bar goes silent for a second, and I see in the corner of my eye that the fifty or so demons, humans, and wolves are looking at us. Fear becomes almost physical as it swamps this room. I wait until they start up their chatter again before speaking. "I'm asking for a favour from you and I will pay as usual."

"You'll owe me for this," he answers. "And you'll owe me a great deal if you don't want me to tell your father about this."

"We have a deal then."

The greedy asshole smiles. We both know my father would kill him for making deals with me, but this isn't the first time or the last. Everyone can be bought if you know what makes them tick. Zodiac is easy to buy with a deal for the one thing he always wants more of. My father's respect, and he can get that by telling him I'm behaving and not being a total fuck-up when it's his job to watch me. Guide me.

"What do you need me to tell him?"

"This," I say, sliding a piece of paper across the table.

Zodiac opens the note and instantly making it turn into flames until the embers fall around his hands on the countertop.

"The llama is wicked?"

"It's a code word. Something he'll know," I respond.

We came up with dozens of code words when we worked together as partners in the DHT last year.

"All right. Fine," he says with a sigh before clicking his fingers for the demon bartender to come over.

The demon, something from the pixie demon line by the looks of the pink shade to her skin and bright glowing eyes that appear like she is underwater, comes over. Zodiac orders us three more drinks, and we both stay silent until she drops them in front of us.

"I hope whoever you're protecting won't fuck up your chances with the DHT," he tells me, pushing a whiskey tumbler towards me.

I drink it in one. "Always good seeing you, Zodiac.

Tell my father to fuck off when you see him, won't you?"

"Caspian—" he calls after me, but I'm already walking out of the bar.

I suck in a deep breath of smoky air when I get outside and glance up. What in the name of the Crescent Goddess am I doing?

I've always been a sinking ship and I never should have let Lilith on board with the promise of protection. A sinking ship can't save anyone from a tidal wave.

I head down the busy streets away from the bar, knocking into dozens of people, as I always do in this city of far too many. Eventually, I get to the ley line and jump through it back to the DHT. I pass a few overachievers practice fighting in the courtyard on my way to the building and roll my eyes at their poor form. Heading inside, I go up the stairs and open the door to our apartment without using my key, pissed to find it isn't locked.

This woman just wants to be fucking killed.

I storm in to find Lilith sitting on the sofa, sorting through a load of random things from a box on the coffee table.

"Hey, Caspian," she cheerily states, her smile disappearing when she looks at my face.

I walk around and lean over her, placing my hands either side of her head on the sofa when she rests back on it. I don't sense fear from her, just a tiny bit of nerves. Sucking in a deep breath of her scent, a feminine mixture of fire and fresh snow. Two things that should never exist together but explains Lilith perfectly. Her bright grey eyes stare up at me as her peachy-pink lips part. My body, my demon, and wolf both react to her like she is the first female we have ever seen.

Lilith Caeli is drop-dead gorgeous, and she doesn't even try. Her red hair reminds me of silk, falling in locks I want to thread my fingers through as I fuck her until she can only beg me for more. Her body is curvy, smooth, and way too sexy for a wolf.

Fuck.

"I thought I told you not to answer the door to anybody, and why wasn't it locked?"

Her eyes, like daggers, cut through me. "This box got delivered for us from the demon-hunting trials."

"It could have been a bomb from other hunters or the alpha coming for you."

"It wasn't," she cockily replies with a breathtaking smile.

Her sassy reply makes me want to kiss her and smack her ass all at the same time

"Are you ever going to listen?" I slowly say, trying not to stare at her for too long, which seems physically impossible. Lilith was not this hot when she was younger; in fact, I barely even noticed her. She was funny but still just the kid sister of my best mate who would fucking kill me for the thoughts going through my head right now.

Damn, I never even liked redheads. They are batshit crazy, especially the short ones.

And this one won't get out of my head.

I lean back and run my hands through my hair, shaking my head. I'm losing my mind. Lilith doesn't care about my internal freak-out. She goes back to the box and pulls out an enormous diamond. My stomach drops as she throws it into the air, and I snatch it before she can catch it.

"You don't get to touch this yet, songbird," I warn her.

She pouts. "Why not?"

I'm not about to tell her it's a demon bomb and would blow up this entire building. Why the fuck do they give new hunters this?

"Because you're a newbie," I reply, but she is already back in the box, dragging out four daggers with the DHT logo on the hilt. Next she finds eight guns, with two hundred iron bullets in a smaller box.

"Can bullets kill demons then?"

"Did you listen in any of your classes at the Caeli academy?" I demand.

"There is a specialist class on demons, and you can't sign up for it if you're female," she frowns. "I tried dressing up as a boy and using a fake name, but it didn't work."

"That's fucked up," I respond, rubbing my chin. The Caeli definitely hid a lot of their sexist shit from me when I was there, or I just wasn't looking for it. "The iron in the bullets and daggers will kill lower-level demons, but nothing over a level two."

"Levels?"

"It will be explained tomorrow before our first mission," I tell her, needing to get away from her scent, from her, period. I pick the box up, placing the diamond demon bomb gently back in it, and ignore her protests as I take the box to my room. Carefully, I leave it on my chest of drawers and grab the book next to it before going back to Lilith. I hand her the book I had as a kid. "You need books more than you do weapons. Welcome to demonology for beginners."

"Thanks," she calls to me but I head for the bathroom.

I need a cold shower and a smack in the fucking balls. Lilith Caeli is off limits for so many goddamn reasons, and my dick doesn't seem to care about either of them. I always knew he would be the death of me.

Chapter 9

LILITH THORNBLOOD

It's early morning when we're summoned to the courtyard. As I hide a yawn behind my hand, I scan the area slowly, a little

disappointed when I find the throne empty. I don't know why I hoped the prince would be sitting there.

Maybe I wanted him to see me off on my first day. Instead, it's the male in the green robe who greets us.

And by greets, he snaps his fingers and orders everyone to gather in front of the throne.

Does the dude ever crack a smile?

I ignore the eyes of my fellow hunters cutting into me and follow in Caspian's wake. He weaves a path to the crowd and folds his arms, glaring at the sour-faced male scanning the crowd. I think Caspian said his name was Aamon or something and that he's the prince's advisor.

While he counts everyone's heads, I look up to see a huge board hovering above the throne. Numbers, names, and locations shimmer on the screen in bold, bright-orange font. I scan the names in search of my own. Autumn French. Points: Zero. Won't stay like that for long, I think to myself with a wry grin. Beside the points, on the other side of the screen, is a long list of wanted demons.

"Now that everyone's here, let's begin." Aamon clasps his hands behind his back and begins pacing.

He nods briefly at the screen. "This is where your progress during the Demon Hunter Trials will be recorded. The leader board contains everything you need to know. It will be synced to your tracker at all times and within all realms. Lose it and you will be disqualified, effective immediately."

"There are five kinds of demons in total, each ranked from the lowest level to the highest," Aamon re-sumes, still pacing with his hands behind his back.

"The first level are known as fledglings. These demons are not very powerful and can be disposed of with the use of weapons. The second level, how-ever, are resistant to weapons, even silver bullets and blades, and therefore must be eradicated using magical items. Third and fourth levels are more difficult because they can look like humans and have their own magic. Anything from a three upwards should be handled with more than one team unless you want to die. The fifth level, while rare, can almost guarantee you a place amongst the top ten depending on your progress. Most level-five demons are handled by qualified demon hunters, and if you happen to come across one of them, stay out of the way.

"Points will be earned for each demon you bring back, with extra ones given based on the demon's rank. Similarly, points will be deducted if you fail to capture your target." He stops and turns to us. "I will now answer questions." Then he resumes pacing, his attention fixed on the ground as he walks. "In the Demon Hunting Trials, yes, you can die. Yes, it will be extremely painful. No, you cannot be brought back. Is this fair? Perhaps not. But dying is the risk one takes if one wishes to be amongst the winners." The thought of dying no longer fills me with fear like it used to. Maybe it's because I have no intention of dying until I've avenged my family.

Until Rizer has paid for what he's done.

"Once you have chosen your mission, you may begin," Aamon says, stepping aside.

Everyone immediately jolts into action. Caspian is one of the first to approach the board with his tracker outstretched. He presses his screen, and case three hundred and eighty-six magically transfers from the board onto his device. The board also updates with his name and my own.

I scan my own tracker, check the details, and grin when I read the location. I've always wanted to visit there.

"Ready?" Caspian asks, his finger poised over the screen of his tracker.

I tuck mine into my back pocket and nod. "Ready as I'll ever be, partner."

Caspian rolls his eyes and presses a button, then a portal wraps around us.

Mission number one... I'm coming for you.

****

"I mean, yeah, walking through creepy alley-way is definitely my idea of fun" I grumble as I stomp after Caspian. Creepy is a bit of an understatement. The cobbled roads and narrow little shops smooshed together would be quaint in the daylight, but after dusk, the buildings create eerie shadows that stretch around me. So far, Edinburgh City, while beautifully historic, is totally giving me Ghost Hunters vibes. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Caspian pauses inside the narrow alleyway. Slivers of moonlight catch his hair, making it almost silver.

"Yeah, I'm sure, songbird. And these aren't 'alley-ways. They're closes," he corrects smugly, pointing to the sign etched above us. The inscription reads Mary King's Close, whoever the hell that is, and in the distance, strange clothing hangs from a wire stretching between the narrow building. "Six hundred people were sealed up here and left to die.

That's some of their clothes. It's pretty neat, huh?"

A shiver runs down my spine. "Neat isn't the word I'd use." But my curiosity gets the better of me.

"What happened to them? Why were they sealed up?"

"I'll give you a hint." Caspian waves a hand over his face. A long, beaked mask wraps around his head.

It's vaguely familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

"The Black Death. Bubonic plague," he says, as if I should've known. "Did Leo get all the brains in your family?"

I slide him a pointed grimace. "Ha ha. No." I peer into the close despite myself. A cold wind sweeps over me from behind, and I jump back. "This place totally feels haunted."

"Oh, the whole city is," Caspian informs me happily, the mask disappearing.

It reminded me of a crow.

"In fact, there's even an underground city where more people were left to rot and die a slow, painful death. Wanna check it out?"

"Uhhh..." My mouth hangs open, and I stare at him like he's grown a second head. "I think I'll pass.

Shouldn't we get on with the mission?"

But Caspian, clearly enjoying my discomfort too much, winds his hands around my waist and drags me farther into the close. A strangled protest escapes me as my claustrophobia kicks in.

"Let me go, you sonuva bitch!"

He just laughs and continues walking. The narrow walls close in around me, and I grasp at Caspian's hands on my body, trying to pry them off. To my relief, he puts me down, but he closes the small distance between us. He stands so close that my back hits the wall and his minty breath fans my cheeks.

"You really brushed up on your history about this place, huh?" I ask, my heart thrashing.

He glances up from my mouth and smirks, placing a hand beside my head. "I take my job very seriously, songbird." His focus strays back to my lips, and for a moment he just stares at me, and I at him. The marks etched on his face glow the softest colour, and flecks of it shine in his narrowed eyes.

"What are you doing?" The question barely escapes like a whisper.

The words "kiss me" echo through my mind.

Caspian isn't looking at me like I'm that annoying little lovestruck kid chasing after him. There's desire pooling in his eyes, and longing. But the sound of someone walking past the entrance to the alleyway rouses his attention. After a moment, he meets my gaze again and holds it. I swear my heart is about to burst out from my chest.

Ever so slowly, Caspian reaches out to touch my face, and maybe I've gone crazy, but I close my eyes and wait for him to kiss me. But he doesn't. He just ruffles my hair like he did when I was a girl. Confused, I open my lids and stare up at him. He's grinning at me. What an assho-

"Let's get going," he says with a grin.

And then he saunters off, whistling, as if he wasn't just about to kiss me.

What. The fuck.

I glare at his retreating figure for a minute before following.

Why is it Caspian Hardling can reduce me to that little girl again with just a mere look? I need to watch myself around him from now on.

Falling for half-demons is the last thing I need in my life.

Glaring at Caspian waiting for me outside the alley-way, I shadow him down one of the many winding, cobbled streets. Back to the task at hand. We need to capture this demon and take it back to Hell if we want to complete the mission. And get a point. The more points we get, the greater our chances are at being in the top ten.

I glance at the tracker and go over the details again in my head. Caspian literally told me, in a two-minute rush, about these demons and expected me to just be cool with it. The demon we're hunting is a nyxie, a small water-horse that likes to drain humans of all the water in their body, thus leaving them dead.

Nyxies are also notorious for getting drunk.

This will be fun...

I keep scrolling through my tracker, all the way the bottom. My heart skips a beat when I read the notes.

"There's a note on the file saying two of the victims were reported dead." I peer up over the back of Caspian's head as another cold breeze hits us. "Is the pub closed off to the public?"

"Nope." He doesn't look over his shoulder. "The folk here like haunted shit. You should see all the tours they already do. Witches. Ghosts. Scotland's built on all the folklore and mythology stuff."

That could explain why the humans aren't as freaked out about the 'nyxies' as they should be.

Maybe they just think it's superstition? Who knows.

I fall into step with Caspian. "Have you visited here before?"

He nods, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Got some friends in the Rivermare pack. Crazy, loyal fuckers that they are."

I've heard that about them, too. The Rivermare wolves are slightly more feral than the rest of us.

They prefer to avoid human contact and generally keep to their rivers and lochs. The ones in Scotland are said to be the link between this world and the fae one, though no one I know has ever seen them in real life. Even the academy's textbooks are dubious about their existence; according to ancient folklore, anyone who gazes into the eyes of a fae turns to stone. Although they are unearthly beautiful, fae are also incredibly terrifying.

More so than demons.

Or haunted cities.

At the bottom of the winding pathway, we cross a cobbled road and emerge into a square surrounded by pubs and restaurants. The area is bustling with people, especially since it's a Friday night.

"This is where they used to hang witches back in the day," Caspian says without peering up, his focus on the device in his hand. "And shifters."

A shudder rakes through my body, and I rub the chill from my arms. The souls of all those who were executed here lay heavy around me. There's a tightness in my chest as if one of the ghosts is sitting on top of me. So many of our people were killed by humans, all because they were-and still are scared of us. I hate that even hundreds of years later, we're still not fully accepted by them.

I doubt we ever will be.

"There's The White Lyon," I say, pointing to an old-looking pub on the corner of the square. "Seems like you were wrong about the tourists. The place is completely empty. Well, apart from one person." A bearded man in a striped chef's apron leans against the front of the building, smoking a cigarette, and the chairs dotted around him are eerily vacant. The rest of the establishments are chock-a-block with patrons, some of them more intoxicated than others. It's clear everyone's giving The White Lyon a wide berth, and honestly, I don't blame them.

I'd rather get drunk in a non-haunted pub, thank you very much.

The chef stomps on his cigarette and watches us approach him.

"You the hunters?" he asks in a thick, Scottish accent.

"Aye, we are, laddy," Caspian says, flashing me a grin.

His Scottish accent isn't awful, but it does do things to me.

Bad, bad things.

If he ever wears a kilt, I don't think I'll be able to resist climbing him like a tree.

"Not really the Ghostbusters I was expectin'," the human says, turning on his heel. "All right, follow me. The name's Feargus."

If this Feargus was expecting us, then he must be the owner.

He enters the building and holds the door open for us. We hurry after him, me first, then Caspian, and as expected, the inside is mostly empty. A young barman smiles and waves cheerily at us as we pass by, then he goes back to wiping the bar with a cloth.

The pub's interior is old and rustic, more like a historical tavern than anything, with wooden booths in the corner and stools positioned around the bar.

The tartan furnishings help to make the place look homely. It's warm, too, with an open fireplace blazing across the room.

"I've been waitin' on the hunt to be sending one of you out for weeks now," Feargus grumbles. He leads the way down a narrow, creaky flight of stairs.

"Wasn't so bad until the little fuckers got into the barrels. Whisky and spirits? They can drink my regulars under the table with those, but the beer? Turns

'em into real nasty wee fuckers." He pauses outside a door marked for staff only. "I loaded them up with some whisky before you got here, so they should still be asleep. Good luck. Don't make a mess. And try not to die, eh? I'm still recovering my rep from the last 'freak accident'."

And with that, Feargus punches a set of numbers into the security lock. The door clicks open, and he steps back. With a nod from Caspian, I follow him inside, my breath streaming out before me. Nyxies I can totally deal with. Ghosts, on the other hand, are another kettle of fish I'd much rather avoid.

At least with demons I can physically see them and drag their asses back to Hell, but dead people left to rot in an underground city?

Yeah, that's a hard pass from me.

No thank you, siree.

Inside the huge stockroom, bottles of alcohol and barrels of beer litter the floor. The single, dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling gleams against the shelves stacked with even more bottles, but that's not what draws my attention. It's the nest of tiny water horses snoring on top of the barrels in the centre of the room, their tails swishing from side to side. Their blue hooves look no bigger than my pinkie finger. How can such tiny little creatures be so deadly? But I know that one bite from a nyxie and your entire body shrivels up.

A shudder rakes through me, and it's not just from the prospect of being drained. The temperature in here is more like a giant fridge than a stockroom.

"Why is it so cold?" I murmur to Caspian.

"Because we're in Scotland," he whispers, pulling out a slingshot from his back pocket. "And nyxies freeze their prey so they can eat them later. Watch out for any body parts they've probably stashed around here."

I cast a quick glance around the room in search of frozen limbs, my eyes strangely burning. So not only do nyxies drain their prey but they also freeze the remains to snack on later. Great. How comforting to know my body won't go to waste.

I tiptoe after Caspian, my footsteps light, and I get out my own slingshot. It's actually a little exciting, using magic like this. Apparently, all I need to do is take aim and shoot. And going by how loudly the nyxies are snoring, catching them should be a piece of cake. I could probably play the bagpipes in here and I doubt it'd wake them. Not that I can play the bagpipes, mind you.

I stretch the sling and aim for the nyxie nearest to me. However, the strong scent of flowers invades my nostrils, and I wiggle my nose. Stacked on one of the shelves are several bouquets of flowers. Oh, no, no, no. This is not good. So not freaking good.

Caspian glares over his shoulder at me. "What are you doing?"

My eyes water as I try to contain myself. "I'm-I'm allergic to—to flow—achoo!"

The sneeze escapes me and echoes around the room like a thunder.

Oh, my sweet holy fuck.

Piercing yellow eyes open and latch on to me.

"Looks like the nyxies are awake, Caspian." And my bagpipe theory was wrong.

"Yeah, no fucking shit!" Caspian bellows, releasing his sling.

A magical net made of water shoots out and ensnares one of the nyxies. The demon lets out a loud shriek while the rest of its herd jumps off the barrels.

Hooves hit the ground, expelling ice everywhere, and I dodge to the side, narrowly missing a jagged shard.

"I hope you're good at ice skating," I shout, freeing the sling.

The net hits me in the face, briefly taking my breath away. Water veils my vision, and my hair floats around me as if I'm under water. A pop echoes in my ears, and the net vanishes, allowing me to take in lungfuls of air.

"The fuck, songbird?" Caspian growls, gathering another nyxie. "I hope your ice skating is better than your shooting. You nearly fucking drowned!"

"I-I'm okay," I assure him between gasps, taking aim again. "I'm all right."

"Fucking hell," is Caspian's only reply, and I stifle a giggle.

I release the sling, this time catching the tip of a nyxie's swishing tail. It's enough to drag the creature off the shelf. The moment the magic touches the demon, the net pops into a bubble and the target disappears, taking it back to Hell where it belongs.

"Yes! Only four more!" I dive behind a crate, my entire body pounding with adrenaline. A deafening whinnying echoes around the room. "Caspian, above you!"

My partner pivots and shoots. He snags the nyxie clopping against the frosted window but loses his footing in doing so. His arms and legs flail around him as he tries to regain his balance, and I sneeze, releasing my slingshot without looking. The net misses the nyxie on the top shelf, and the demon lunges for Caspian, taking the entire storage unit with it.

Glass bottles and crates skid towards the floor.

I let out a scream when Caspian is almost crushed beneath them, but then I remember my slingshot and I quickly pull it, aiming for the unit. The net wraps around every item of stock, including those damn flowers, and freezes everything within its grasp.

Caspian slips onto his backside, but thankfully remains uncrushed and alive. "Thanks for that, songbird," he calls out, catching the nyxie that nearly killed him with a swift, expert swing of his sling-shot.

"You're welcome." I aim for another and catch it, but its hoof cuts into me when it jumps past. A tear in my uniform stretches over my arm, instantly drawing blood, but the adrenaline stops me from feeling any pain. "There's no way in hell either of us are dying on our first day."

Caspian laughs at that and tries to get onto his feet.

To my utter delight, it's like watching Bambi take his first steps. Caspian eventually gives up and instead rolls on his stomach until he reaches a section of the floor that hasn't been frozen.

Once we're upright, the two of us aim for the last nyxie together, and with a shared grin, we capture it.

The final pop is like music to my ears.

"Take that, you slippery little fuckers!"

Caspian shakes his head at me and tucks his slingshot back into his pocket. "I take it you're all right?

No injuries?"

"Nuh-nothing bi-!" I sneeze again, nearly dropping my own slingshot. "Nothing big. Just deathly allergic to those damn flowers."

"Really? I had no idea," Caspian drawls sarcastically. "Could've fooled me with all the sneezing you weren't doing."

I tuck my weapon away and follow him out of the room. "Well, you should've seen you. You were like Bambi skating on that ice. It was so freaking funny." Caspian stops and turns steely eyes onto me. "Who the fuck is Bambino?" he asks in a dangerously low voice, his expression instantly hardening. A crease forms between his brows as he glares down at me.

"Don't compare me to your lame-ass boyfriends, songbird."

"It's Bambi," I correct, unable to stifle a laugh. "And chill, dude. Bambi's a cartoon character from my childhood. You know, the Disney one?"

"Never watched them," he mutters, climbing the stairs. "Too busy having a life."

I pause at the bottom of them and gawk at the back of his head. "Never... watched... a Disney..." I echo.

As if jolted by the words, I rush up the stairs and chase after him. "Who the hell has never watched a Disney? I bet even the Prince of Hell himself has watched one!"

Caspian shrugs and shoves his hands in his pockets.

I have to run a little just to catch up with him. Damn Caspian and his long legs!

"I think you're lying," I say when I fall into step with him. "I mean, come on. Never watched one Dis-ney? Not even Frozen? Everyone and their dog has watched that movie. Actually, it's quite fitting considering what we went through in the stockr-"

"Oh, for the love of fuck, songbird. Just let it go," Caspian grumbles, though his voice is laced with a hint of humour that stops me.

"I fucking knew it!" A huge smile spreads over my lips as I chase after him. "You have watched one!

You can't fool this Disney-loving nerd. I bet you've secretly got Disney blankets and stuffed toys and ev-erything. The whole Disney shebang!"

His low chuckle echoes down the hallway, and my smile grows even wider.

I decide on a new mission, a secret one assigned only to me: find out when, where, and with whom Caspian Hardling watched Frozen. I bet he knows that song word for word. Everyone does, especially parents. The thought of Caspian watching Frozen in our little room, hating and loving it at the same time, makes me laugh. I would pay good money to watch him sing a Disney song. Maybe that can be the bonus part of my mission.

The tracker in my pocket vibrates, drawing my attention away from him. Caspian must receive the vibration because we both pull our trackers out at the same time.

"Six points. Not bad," he mutters, stepping into the bar area.

Not bad at all. Six down, only hundreds more to go to reach the top of the leader board. When I enter the bar area, Feargus is pouring three shots of whisky.

He motions us over with a jerk of his chin.

"Thanks for getting rid of those wee bastards for me," he says, pushing me a glass.

"And for not dying," I quip, rubbing my arm as I make my way over to them.

Caspian notices and reaches out, then retracts his hand and drops into one of the stools. His expression hardens as he stares down into his drink.

"Aye and that," Feargus says, nodding to the shots.

"On the house."

I slide onto the stool beside Caspian. It appears there's some perks to being a demon hunter after all.

Free booze is definitely a good incentive to me.

"Question. What was with all the flowers?" I ask, picking up my shot.

Feargus huffs through his nose. "I was supposed to be doing a wedding until those little fuckers decided to pay a visit. Flowers are probably all dead now." I exchange looks with Caspian. "Er, a little," I say, lifting the glass to my lips.

Before any of us can take a sip, the door swings open and two men stumble into the pub. Their thick scents are distinct and yet unfamiliar at the same time. They're definitely some kind of shifter, I'm just not sure what. The tallest male barely peers at the guys: his dark eyes latch on to me like a predator catching sight of its prey.

Caspian visibly tenses at my side, his shoulder brushing mine as he clenches his shot of alcohol.

I tense, too, and slide my hand over the dagger clipped to my hip. The tension in the pub is so thick I could cut it in half with the tip of the blade.

"Well, whaddya know?" The shifter stumbles towards the bar, his friend following behind him.

Even the male's accent is strange. He's not a local, that's for sure. "Heard there were some... some demon hunters in town." He yanks out the stool beside me and leans against it, his eyes greedily drinking me in. "Didn't think she'd be so damn fffffucking hot!"

"Can't you fucking read, Matteo?" Feargus grumbles, clenching the bottle of whisky in his big paw of a hand. "We're closed. Now unless you want this smashed over your head again, get the fuck out of my pub. I barred you last week for being a sleazy old bastard, now get going. Beat it."

"You know something? I really like this Feargus guy," I whisper to Caspian, sliding him a grin, but he doesn't move or take his eyes off 'Matteo. If looks could kill, the drunk patron would be dead thanks to my partner.

Matteo ignores the warning and turns to me with a disgusting smile on his face. "What's your name, bellissima?"

He reaches out a foul-smelling hand and strokes the side of my face. My skin crawls at the contact, and I yank back, seconds away from cutting his hand off.

Before I can do that, however, Caspian punches him in the face.

The male slams against the floor like a ton of bricks, and then a thick silence stretches around the room.

Caspian breaks it when he stands from the stool, brushes a hand down his torso, and says calmly, "I believe the owner said he was closed, asshole." I almost burst out laughing at his awesome come-back.

Caspian turns his searing glare onto the other male, who stumbles out of the pub, the door slamming behind him. As much as I love how Caspian handled the situation, I lean down to check Matteo for a pulse, relieved to find he's only unconscious. I mean, we can't go around killing civilians on duty, especially not on our first day. I doubt that's the best way to go about reaching the top of the leader board.

"He's out cold," I say, my tone filled with humour as well as amazement. I straighten and playfully nudge Caspian on the shoulder. "Daaang, son. Now that was pretty neat."

And hot. So fucking hot.

Caspian shrugs, but he can't hide the grin from creeping onto his face. "Are you really in Scotland if you don't get into a bar fight?"

Feargus laughs and glides an extra shot of whisky across the bar to him. "Then I'll be the first to welcome you to Scotland, Ghostbuster."

Ghostbuster is definitely not the name I thought I'd be called when I joined the Demon Hunting Trials, but it is so much better than half-breed.

Chapter 10

LILITH THORNBLOOD

"That's better. You look perfect now," Dove says, clapping her hands in a way that reminds me of Aurelia.

Even though it's painful to think about her, I briefly wonder what my best friend has been told about me back in Caeli. I doubt she knows I'm alive let alone on the run. The Caeli pack hates scandal and drama, which telling the pack the truth about me would cause.

No, I can just imagine them telling her and everyone at the academy that my family and I were traitors. I think she is the only wolf who will miss me from my pack. I never had an actual home there, I know that, but it's hardly like I have a home anywhere right now.

I clear my throat and glance in the mirror, away from the book on demons I was reading in my lap.

Dove has curled all my dark-red hair which bounces around my shoulders, and she has woven in black glittering flowers into a sort of crown around the top of my head. I'm not one for seeming pretty but I smile at her anyway for her effort. I didn't have a chance to say no when she burst in here earlier or explain I'd happily turn up at the celebration party in what I've worn all day.

"Thank you," I tell her.

"It's what best friends are for!"

That forces me to think of Aurelia once more, and my stomach clenches a little. I haven't known Dove for more than a few days, and the best friend title can't be given to her that easily. Hell, I don't think anyone will ever take that crown from Aurelia.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to wear a dress?" I snort. "Nope. I'm going to stick with these tight clothes. I kind of like them."

"Yeah, to be fair they suit you," she replies, placing her hands on her short black dress that makes her appear amazing. "Right. Let's go."

I follow her out of my room and come to a stop when I almost bump into Caspian. He shakes his head before he slowly looks me up and down with clear interest. Dove might as well not be here. He makes it very obvious he is attracted to me, I think, but sometimes I don't know if he's doing it on purpose or just as a joke. Like that time he almost kissed me in the alleyway-sorry, 'close', in Edinburgh.

Caspian clears his throat and looks to Dove. "Could I have a quick word with Songbird? Alone?"

"Yep," Dove nods, glancing between us with a strange flash of something in her eyes. "Meet me downstairs."

"What is that couldn't wait?" I ask him when Dove has left. I cross my arms, even when it gives me no protection against Caspian.

"You shouldn't go," he coldly states. His golden eyes watch me intently.

"Good thing you're not my boss then," I reply. "You know what the word partner means, right?"

He raises an eyebrow. "The other hunters are going to try to psych you out. It's not a celebration party or an introduction meal or whatever the shit they're calling it, it's for the other hunters to figure out if they can kill you. That's it. Because if you're killed, then you're out of the trials that only ten people can win. There's hundreds of hunters desperate to be in that top number, and murdering a pretty wolf would be easy for them."

"Got it. So you're saying I should treat everybody like they're trying to kill me?" I rhetorically question, trying to walk away, but he catches my arm.

"In your case, you literally should see every hunter as someone who is trying to kill you. Scratch that, songbird, the whole world is a hunter trying to kill you because of the alpha chasing your ass."

"I get it," I snap, pulling my arm away. "But hiding in here will only make me look guilty of something."

"Have fun then," he growls, clearly not agreeing with me. "See you later."

"You're not going?" I ask.

"No," he replies, heading to his room. He shuts the door and he shouts, "But if you like me, you could bring me a plate of food back."

"I'm not bringing you food!" I shout before opening the door and walking out. "And I don't like you!"

If only that were true. This damn half-demon knows I like him, have always liked him, and I'm beginning to wish he didn't. Now he just uses it against me as if it's all a big joke to him.

Stupid, sexy jerk.

The door slams behind me as I head out of the building and straight down to Dove, who's waiting outside. She hooks her arm in mine, and we walk straight to the courtyard. The once quiet place now has loud music playing and is lit up by lanterns all the way around the square courtyard, mixing in with the greenery. Down the middle of the courtyard are two massive buffet tables littered with loads of different foods and drinks. My gaze strays towards the prince, once again slouched on his throne, but I quickly snap it away from him.

Everything seems wonderful until I notice all the people standing around the tables staring our way.

Each one of the hunters in the trial looks intimidating, to say the least, and I wouldn't like to try to fight them. It's nearly all men, except for one black-haired woman who stands out like a drop of white paint on a blank canvas. If the men aren't peering at us, they all seem to stare at her like she's the abnormal thing in their gathering.

That woman seems like she doesn't give a shit, which makes me instantly like her.

This must be Dove's roommate.

I clear my throat and turn to Dove. "How are we going to beat these massive shifters? They seem like they eat demons for lunch."

Dove shakes her head before whispering in my ear,

"Just ignore that they look tough and intimidating.

I try to remember they probably have small dicks from all the steroids."

"I like your theory." I chuckle.

"That's my roommate." She points over to the other woman.

She stands silently by the table with several other people who appear like they are trying to talk to her, and she just simply stares. She looks hella bored.

"I'm going to go see if I can get her to be sociable.

Come find me if you need me," Dove says.

The second she has left, my eyes snap to the food because it smells amazing and my stomach rumbles.

I head straight to the table and grab as much as I can fit on my plate before finding a table in the corner where there's no one else. I sit and tuck into my food, oblivious to the world until a guy sits next to me, his big shoulder pressing against mine.

There are four empty seats around this table, and he didn't have to choose the seat so close to me.

What the heck is his problem? My wolf instantly growls, and the stranger laughs as I take him in.

He's massively built, like a frigging Viking or something. With soft curly blond hair that falls around his sharp face and expressive eyebrows, he really has the looks of a Viking, too. His bright-hazel eyes hold an ominous glint. He rubs his chin.

The stranger looks straight down at me, locking his eyes on mine. I take in his very unique clothing from the corner of my eye. Something resembling a cloak drapes over his shoulders, but instead, it's cut into a coat with no hood and it's red underneath with black leather on the outside. He's also wearing a tight black shirt, a big belt to hold up black trousers that are tucked into boots. When he rests back on his seat, I spot his cloak is littered with weapons.

"That seat is taken, Viking," I state before popping a chicken ball into my mouth.

He chuckles low, the sound sending chills through

me.

"You're the woman the alpha is looking for, aren't you?"

I cough in shock and instantly choke on the chicken ball, seeing his eyes go wide. I try to thump my chest to save myself. This is not how I want to die.

"Fuck," the stranger mutters and lifts his hand, whacking me hard on my back, and I cough the ball out with a gasp for air. The ball bounces across the floor but I keep coughing, struggling to my feet.

The stranger hands me his drink, and I take a desperate sip before realising it's something alcoholic and very fucking strong.

My throat burns, and I throw it back at him, glar-ing. "You're meant to give someone water when you made them nearly choke!"

"I will remember that, and you just wasted expensive demon vodka," he responds with a smirk. "I'm not sharing with you again."

I can't place his accent, maybe it's a little Scottish, but it's unusual. Actually, as I stare at the wolf shifter, I can't quite place what pack he is from. He is definitely not a Stormfire wolf, that's for sure. So it means he must be from one of the other two packs.

He's not from Caeli because I just recognise them, and he doesn't have that feel to him. That means he must be from the Rivermare pack or the Terraseeker Pack. I'll be able to tell for sure when he shifts because of his colour. My wolf's senses smell something like seawater in his hair, making me think of Rivermare. They're blue wolves and they're fast swimmers, and as far as I know, most of them are blonde.

His eyes lock on mine once more. "You can sit down.

I'm not throwing you under the bus."

Hesitantly, I settle back down, my appetite gone. "I have no idea what you're talking about with this alpha. I'm just here for the trials. You've got the wrong girl."

He smirks at my bluff. "No. I don't." He leans forward, pinging the strand of my hair that was once white. "You can dye that white piece in your hair, girl, but it's not hiding anything real. See, I share an old love interest with the alpha, and we all hear that he's looking for some wee girl with a white streak in her hair. A wolf who smells like snow. Like Caeli.

The reward is pretty high. In fact, if I outed you right now to his son, I would be rich for the rest of my life."

"Don't be a dick," I growl, throwing a nervous glance around to make sure no one is listening.

Fortunately, everyone seems too busy getting drunk to pay us any attention. It doesn't stop my heart from thrashing, though.

I glare at the male slouched in front of me. "That monster murdered my parents and tried to kill me for nothing. I never got to say goodbye. Do you have any idea what that is like?"

He stares at me with an intensity I don't know what to do with. "Aye, I do." We fall into silence until he laughs. "You're something special, girl. Did you ever learn that calling someone a dick before you're about to plead with them isn't a good idea?" I rest back in my chair. "If you were going to hand me in, you just would have done it. What's the point of coming over and telling me?"

"You're smarter than you appear," he says, resting his hands behind his back. "I have no interest in giving the alpha what he wants when all he does is take from the world. And nonetheless, I'm not exactly meant to be here either."

"What does that mean?"

"My name is Alaric." A smirk curls his lip. "Look at that, Autumn, we both have fake names that start with A. It's like the Crescent Mother brought us together."

"Why are you hiding?" I ask, ignoring his comment about our goddess. I fail to see why she'd bring a shameless, albeit handsome, blackmailer into my life.

"Secrets, darling." He winks at me. "We can share yours but not mine."

I just manage to keep my temper from seeping out. I don't want this asshole to see he's getting under my skin. "What do you want from me?" I demand instead, my tone only slightly harsh.

The male thinks for a moment, then he says, "I need someone to have my back, and there's no better person than you, the other person hiding here. And in exchange, I'll have your back and not tell anyone you're here." He lowers his voice and leans closer until his masculine, watery cool scent washes over me. "Fun deal, right? We could even add in some special benefits, if you like. I'm not opposed to that."

"Well, I am. And I already have someone watching my back," I counter, feeling breathless for all the wrong reasons.

"You mean the half-demon who's been kicked out twice in these trials? Did he ever mention the reasons why he's failed the trials twice?" He pauses and smirks when he finds the answer in my expression.

"He's a deadly fighter. Quick as can be, close friends with the prince, too. Doesn't it make you wonder what exactly he did?"

In all honesty, it has, but I choose to lie. "No."

"Trust me, it's bad," the male whispers, once more grinning at me. "Makes you and I seem like goddamn angels."

"I thought you were the guy with the secrets?" I counter.

"Be a good girl and come when I tell you," he warns me in a voice laced with dark promise. "Because otherwise, I'm giving in your secret as a distraction for my escape."

"Fuck you," I growl at him.

He leans in closer, until our faces are inches away. He really is flawless. "Not yet, but I do have a weakness for redheads."

With that, he stands. I glance away for a second, feeling someone's eyes on me. I start when I see the prince and Caspian are talking, both of them watching us, making it clear their conversation is about me. When I look over, Alaric or whatever his real name is has gone. I search around to see he has completely disappeared.

"What did I say about talking to people, songbird?" Caspian demands when he walks over a few seconds later. "Let alone flirting with a wolf who looks deadly as fuck."

"Night, Caspian," I reply, walking around him.

"You're right, parties are not my scene."

I feel Caspian's eyes on me, as much as I feel the prince's as I pass by him on my way back to my room. Dove is right, there are too many guys in the DHT, and it turns out I need to watch my back around every single one of them.

Everyone here has secrets.

But only mine will get me killed.

Chapter 11

EZIEL

"Well, well, well. Would you look at that?" I mutter.

"At what, Your Majesty?" Aamon drawls, his nose buried in the ancient book he's always carrying around with him.

He fucking knows I hate when he uses that title.

I ignore him and keep my focus on the female walking away. The wolf my father is hunting just so happens to be the pretty little wolf I've been thinking about all week.

Lilith Thornblood.

I never would've guessed she's the one my old man's searching for. He wants her blood, but from the moment she entered my courtyard, I've wanted to kiss her. Now I want to know exactly why she's on my father's shit list, and then I'll not only kiss her, but claim her as my own. I've been itching for a fight with my father for years. The fact that she was able to escape from him is enough to pique my interest in her. But managing to hide in plain sight amongst his own damn pack?

Now that takes guts.

Real fucking guts.

Only a female brave enough to do that can be my mate.

She thinks she has nothing left to lose if Father finds her. From the way she looked at Caspian, she has more to lose than she thinks. Taking that away from her is the kind of shit my father gets off on. He'll kill Caspian just to get to her. There's no way I'm going to let that happen. As much as the wolf pisses me off sometimes, I've grown to like him. Caspian is one of the only shifters in this realm I can trust with my life.

I drag my attention from Caspian over to the River-mare wolf sitting by the buffet table. Out of all the demon hunters vying for the trophy, Alaric's shown great promise in his mission. Already he's top of the leader board, and he doesn't even have a partner.

However, I've watched him closely since he made his blood oath to me, and one thing I've noticed is he's watching Lilith as closely as I am whenever she's near. He's as drawn to the female as I am, unable to keep her from his thoughts.

From his every waking moment.

My wolf instincts are to protect the female and keep her out of my father's sight. If there's to be a fight for her within this den of wolves, I intend on winning no matter what it takes. Lilith and I have much more in common than I thought.

I turn away and head to my rooms, feeling eyes watching me from the shadows the second I step in.

"You might as well come out." I sigh, turning around and leaning against my desk. The shadows in the corner shimmer before the shape of a man breaks out of the darkness.

"Your Highness," he hisses out.

My father's demon pet is a sneaky fuck of a creature, and I hate him. The snake demon, a rare demon who can move through shadows and likes to eat humans, loved to torture me as a young pup.

But this pup grew up. The only reason I haven't removed his demon head is because he can be so easily bribed.

"Tell me," I demand.

His snake-like brown eyes glow. "Your father has declared war on every pack in the world if they are found to be hiding Lilith Thornblood."

I smirk. So he has no idea she is in Stormfire. Brilliant. "Good. The other packs should fear us."

"May I take my leave?" he asks.

My power fills the room as I watch the demon pet scurry back into the shadows before disappearing from my presence. Lilith has changed Hell, and she might be the key to taking down my father.

How lucky it is that she has dropped right into my lap?

------------------------------

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Alpha Hell

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10 Chapter 11

The rest of the Chapters here

PROLOGUE

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Due to the limited length of the page, you can continue the book here:

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