Alpha Hell - part2

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 12

LILITH THORNBLOOD

My grey eyes stare back at me as I peer at myself in the mirror, struggling once again to come to terms with all the secrets in my life. I scarcely recognise myself anymore. My eyes don't hold any answers to my internal struggle, nor does my stare down with myself, but eventually I look away.

I finish braiding my hair so it falls to the right side of my head before getting dressed in the small bathroom. I walk out of the room to find Caspian there, glaring at me.

"Do you have to use all the hot water every single morning?"

"I may have saved you some," I lie.

He stares down at me. Grumpy eyes and messy bed-head hair really suit Caspian. "I'm tired of having cold showers."

"Maybe you shouldn't sleep in."

I slip past him. He growls at me, slams the door behind him, and I try not to laugh. I do feel bad about using all the hot water up, but in my defence, it is only hot for a few minutes. The plumbing in this realm sure isn't great.

I go back to my room, planning to continue reading the book on demons, when suddenly something hits the window. Wondering what the hell that was, I stare at the window, seeing nothing different about it at all.

Did I imagine the noise?

It's not like hard things can actually fall from the tree above unless it has fiery acorns that I'm not aware of. I'm pretty sure I would have heard about flying acorns hitting people's heads by now.

Suddenly something invisible hits the glass, and then again, again, until unexpectedly there's a black smoke appearing in the middle of the glass. Something burns itself into existence from the smoke, almost looking like tiny bits of wood until it forms an envelope. I stare at the black envelope stuck to the inside of my window and carefully tiptoe over to it.

I've seen weird shit, but never have I seen magic like this. Flames softly flicker around the edges of the letter, but not exactly burning as I pull it off the glass and it's cold to the touch. I look outside, seeing nothing but the usual DHT courtyard before opening it.

The letter inside is black with fancy silver writing.

I turn it over and search the envelope, finding nothing else written on it. Who the hell just sent this to me?

It has to be a demon because this is demonic magic for sure. Why would a demon be helping me? This makes no sense.

I bite down on my lip and stare at the note, trying to come up with an idea on what I should do about it. One thing is for certain, I'm not following this advice. I have too many enemies, and for all I know, breaking the horns of some unknown foe would end with me blowing up.

That would be just my luck.

Placing the note into my drawer underneath my un-derwear, I remind myself to talk to Caspian about the letter later. I know I can trust Caspian, or at least I think I can. Either way, I don't want to have him on high alert for my problems when we are going on a demon hunt today.

Caspian comes out of the shower, fully dressed in black clothes that fit his toned body too well. I go into the living room and straight to the weapon couch. He is ready to go as I clip two daggers to my thighs and one gun on a holster before pulling on my new black coat that falls to below my knees and does up with a silver clip in the centre. It hides all my weapons, and according to Dove, it makes me look hot.

The coat has the bonus of being fire and bulletproof, thanks to demonic magic.

"That coat suits you," Caspian comments, running a hand through his wet hair. He grabs a sword and slides it into the hold on his back. Damn, he is sexy when he is strapping a million weapons on his body.

With a click of his fingers, the weapons disappear in front of my eyes.

"How do you do that?"

He smirks. "I dated this demon. She had a few tricks and was happy to share them with me."

"Gross," I mutter. "Never mind, I don't want to know.

It's cool, anyway."

"Maybe one day I will share," he taunts, stretching his arms out. "Or you'll be dead. Who knows?"

"Let's get a demon to hunt. The board is updated today, and there might be something good. We should go before the good hunts are picked by the others," I say, ignoring his attempt to wind me up.

"I have a mission for us. I picked it up earlier," he claims, crossing his arms.

"How did you have time for that? You've just woke up," I reply. "I watched you come out of your room, eat half the kitchen, and then shower. There is no way you got downstairs to the board to get a hunt."

"The mission board doesn't have this one on it," he responds. "It's a level three, and I heard about it at the bar last night. We are hunting enough points to get us to the top of the leader board."

"That sounds dangerous and deadly, Caspian," I warn him. "Considering this is my second mission, I hoped we could hunt a level one or maybe two." He shrugs. "I'll be doing all the work. I don't know why you're so bothered."

"Hey, that's not fair. I helped you out on the last mis-sion!" I shout, but he is already walking away to the door.

"You shot yourself in the face and nearly drowned," he reminds me.

"You're such an ass!" I shout after him, and he laughs as he opens our front door.

Grumbling under my breath, I chase after Caspian until I get outside the building where he slows down a bit. We head right for the massive tree branch where there is a ley line portal glowing brightly. Several hunters walk in and out of it. Caspian grabs my hand and pulls me into it, not saying out loud where we're going.

We reappear at the bottom of a broken stone staircase in a field of flames. The portal out of Hell is not one I've been to and I wonder if this is the top realm in Hell as there is nothing but flames. Several people are walking in and out the portal above us as we climb the many steps to the top. Caspian holds my hand tightly in his, making it clear he isn't letting go.

He's only holding my hand to make sure he doesn't lose me, and it's annoying how he is still treating me like I'm Leo's little sister and not an adult. I'm not the teenager I once was.

My breath is sucked out of my lungs when we go straight through the portal, which is much easier than it ever has been before, and we step out into a very busy city. The bustling sounds fill my senses, everything from cars whizzing past, incessant chat-ter, distant sirens, to how it smells like coffee and humans.

We walk down a staircase away from the portal, I glance up to see the Eiffel Tower in the dis-tance, stretching above the buildings surrounding us. Paris? Wow. Okay, this is pretty cool. We're in some sort of massive pathway for both cars and humans to walk across, in front of a building which is labelled as a hotel in big glowing letters across the front. I turn back only to see stairs leading to nothing but a concrete wall, and the humans around us don't even glance its way.

They don't see it. That's amazing.

There's an enormous courtyard with a waterfall right behind the stairs, and this place, the shape of the buildings, the balconies and everything reminds me of Hell-especially the prince's realm.

"Do you think the French stole their style from

Hell?" I question.

He laughs as he glances around. "Yes, definitely, considering one of their kings was literally a shapeshift-ing demon."

"What?"

"Did you not know that?" he asks, leaning closer, his shoulder brushing against my chest. "Don't even get me started on the werewolf genes in the royals of England."

"Holy shit," I mutter. "We really are everywhere."

Caspian chuckles and he walks towards the hotel, tugging me along. I hate to ruin the kinda pleasant moment between us but I do anyway as I make him stop and he lets my hand go.

"Look, you're going to have to debrief me a little bit on this hunt," I say. "Though I appreciate the random and amazing facts about the royal families.

That was pretty cool."

He peers back with a sigh, leaning against a green telephone box. "What do you want to know?"

"What are we going up against?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips.

Caspian flicks his chin in the direction of the hotel.

"A wendigo has made this place its new home."

"A wendi-what-now?" I try to search my brain for information on them, but I just can't remember seeing them in the demon book. I do have a few pages left to read, though. Figures it'll probably be listed there.

When he sees my confusion, he pulls me inside the telephone box. Several people buzz past us, not paying us any attention. The box is too small for two people, leaving our bodies pressed together as he leans over me. I have no clue where to place my hands, but Caspian does. He puts them on the glass panels near my hips, boxing me in.

I don't hate it... In fact, I kind of wish he'd get a little closer.

"I need to get you some more books," he says, looking intently at me. "Reading might be more productive for you than hanging out with Dove or whatever else you do when I'm not there."

"I don't always hang out with Dove," I defend, even when he is right. I might spend too much of my free time doing anything other than reading about demons in the thousand-page book he gave me.

He gives me a look which suggests he is calling bullshit on that. "Wendigos are creatures of nightmares," he says. "They're known as monstrous spirits that almost seem like humans. But they're not.

They don't possess humans and they can't hold a human form for long, like many upper-class-level demons can do easily. But it's still deadly, and no human would stand a chance against it. You must not let it touch you. Its touch is its power. It makes the person become the worst form of themselves. A tiny bit of jealousy will turn into insane jealousy. If they're greedy, it becomes insatiable greed. If they're angry, they become murderous. Do you see the problem here?"

"Got it," I say with a gulp. "Don't let the scary demon touch you."

"I can't even imagine what it would do to you," he comments. "You're so angry about your parents... you'd become a monster."

"And what would it do to you?" I tilt my head. "I don't even know what your demon side is so I don't have a clue what it would change. Could it hurt you?"

"And you'll never find out what my demon side is," he replies. "Telling you would give you the answer to who my father is, and I don't tell anyone that."

"Why not?"

He doesn't give an answer, but he keeps staring down at me in the small space.

"How are you sure the wendigo is here?" I ask quietly, breaking the silence.

"In the last few weeks there have been constant problems at the hotel with the guests." He pulls out his phone and scrolls through the recent news reports for me to see. It shows a hell of a lot of human deaths. All of them went to this hotel before going batshit crazy. Other reports show humans who have stolen from banks after staying here, and the reports go on, just getting worse.

"I've cross-checked around a hundred reports, and all of them have a connection to this hotel. Wendi-gos like hotels. It's an easy place to charm prey and feed off their souls as it corrupts them."

"Sounds delightful," I say with a shiver.

His lip twitches, threatening at a smile. He always is so much sexier when he smiles. "Here's the plan," he says. "You're going to pretend to be my girlfriend, and we're going to check into a room for the night."

"How romantic!" I link my arm in his just before he pulls us outside.

He chuckles and throws me a devilish wink. "Look. If I wanted in your pants, songbird, I wouldn't choose demon hunting in Paris for our first date."

My stupid little heart skips a beat at that. "Out of interest, what would you pick?"

He leans down, brushing his lips across the tip of my ear for a brief second. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Yes. Yes, I would because I've had a big-ass crush on you for years, you asshole!

I don't reply, but his smirk tells me he can read my answer, anyway.

Caspian straightens. Now he's officially flustered me, we walk into the hotel. It has large, bright green doors with yellow stained glass, and it really is beautiful here. I enter the entrance hall, my boots clicking on the white marble floors. There is a wooden welcome desk in the middle of several white pillars that a black steel staircase swirls elegantly around, going up to many levels.

There are a few lifts at the sides of the reception with three security guards. We walk straight up to the reception, and Caspian puts on a charming grin that no human woman could ever resist.

The pretty brunette behind the counter perks up upon seeing him. She flicks her short hair away from her chin and widens her green eyes.

"We need a room for two," Caspian states, leaning against the counter.

"Yes, of course. Do you have a room booked online?" She flutters her fake eyelashes at him.

On the surface, Caspian looks as though he's fallen for her charms, but I know from the way he clenches his jaw that he just finds her annoying.

"I'm afraid not," he says in a seductive tone I've never heard. "Could you fit us in for one night?"

The gorgeous smile he gives her isn't even directed at me, and I blush.

The woman frowns. "Unfortunately, we are very booked out."

"Damn. We're only staying for one night, and it's very last-minute. See, my poor younger sister here has had a really hard time and could do with staying somewhere nice for a night. You know, I came here to rescue her from a terrible boyfriend before flying us back tomorrow. He broke her heart. I can't stand men who cheat on women."

She sighs, looking between us for a moment. "Give me a second. I'll see what I can do."

Caspian leans over, picking up her hand to gently kiss her knuckles. She lets out a girly sigh under her breath.

"Thank you, mademoiselle."

Somehow, magically, the receptionist finds us a suite room less than a minute later. When she hands Caspian the room key, she slips him her number and the time her shift finishes. I try not to glare at her as Caspian pulls me over to the lift.

The second the door closes, I turn to my partner.

"What happened to me being your girlfriend?"

"I didn't know how hot the human receptionist was," he replies, watching my face closely.

I swallow down the jealousy his comment causes.

"That isn't a problem, is it?"

"Nope. You can flirt with whoever you like, Bambi. I couldn't care less."

Damn it. Why do my ears heat up when I lie? Talk about a dead giveaway.

"You protest too much," Caspian sing-songs, though he narrows his eyes at his new nickname. That cheers me up a little.

"Your Shakespeare quote is wrong," I state coldly.

"But right about you. Jealousy suits you, songbird," he whispers in my ear.

Dick.

I practically jump out of the lift when it pings open and follow Caspian down the corridor to the left.

"Why do we need a room? Why don't we just search the place for the wendigo?"

"They don't really come out until night to hunt. And from my research, he hunts every night here."

"He not she?"

"Wendigos are only born males," he tells me. "They hatch from eggs that wendigos throw up out of their mouths when they are close to death."

Another delightful image.

"I really don't want to see that," I reply. The thought is gross enough.

"You and me both. So we're going to go to our room to take a nice little nap." He flashes me a grin. "Well, I'm napping and you can be lookout, partner." I glare at him, only half serious. "We should have just come at night."

He glances back at me, his hazel eyes playful. "The check-in closes at three p.m. here. Which you would know if you did your research."

"You only just told me about this hunt!" I snap, getting frustrated.

"Not my problem," he replies around a laugh.

This guy is unbelievable.

I glare at his back as I follow him through the corridors until we get to room sixty-six and he opens it with the key card. We head inside where there is a large double bed, a wardrobe, and en suite.

Caspian immediately sits on the bed and kicks his boots off before closing his eyes. "Turn the light off and be quiet."

Muttering a list of expletives under my breath, I walk out onto the balcony, not without turning all the lights on as bright as I can. Once I'm outside in the cool air, I sit on the small chair and look over at the incredible view of Paris. It really is beautiful.

Shame my partner ruins it with his light snores only seconds later.

***

"So, how are we going to do this?" I ask as our room door shuts behind us.

Caspian yawns and stretches his arms.

"I'm going to check the hotel."

"And me?"

"You're not coming. You're too noisy on your feet," he says. "I might as well walk around with a speakerphone shouting for the wendigo."

"I'm not sitting in the hotel room," I growl.

"Careful, songbird. You don't want to play a game of whose wolf has the better bite in front of humans," he playfully warns me before sighing. "You can go down to the restaurant and look out for the wendigo while I search the hotel."

He pulls out a phone from his pocket. He hands me the small, very old-fashioned phone. "In case you get lost or find the wendigo."

"Thanks. I'm keeping this," I tell him.

"Thief," he mutters with a wink.

I walk in the opposite way from him, pausing when I hear him shout down the corridor to me. "If you find the wendigo, call me. Don't engage with it."

"Sure!" I shout back. If I find the wendigo, I'm definitely going to engage it with my daggers and prove I'm not useless.

I head down the stairs until I get to the floor the sign says the restaurant is on. The place is simple, with white tables and bright lights hanging around the square room, but the large windows have a pretty view of Paris at night which makes up for it. I step into the restaurant, a server shows me over to a table. A pink rose in a small glass jar sits in the middle, two little tealights at either side of it.

"Here is a menu, miss. Can I have your room number, name, and what would you like to drink?"

"Wine would be amazing," I say, wondering if he is going to ask for my ID. "And my room number is sixty-six. It's under my brother's name, Caspian Hardling."

"Perfect," he says. "Any particular wine you would prefer?"

"You can choose. Make it expensive and charge it to my room," I reply, picking up the menus as the server nods to me and leaves.

I pretend to read the items but in reality I search the entire room for the wendigo. Or just anything that looks abnormal. After a few seconds, I realise there is nothing odd at all. There are a few couples, four families with kids and one older couple sitting at the back by the windows. But I don't see anyone who looks different or out of place or even on their own other than me. I keep searching around until the server comes back with a bottle of wine and pours it for me.

"Starters?" he asks.

I glance at the menu and pick the first thing on the list. "The calamari, thank you."

"Perfect choice," he comments, taking my menu from me and swapping it with the main menu.

I sit quietly, sipping on the tasty wine, but then Caspian drops down at the table opposite me, his features pulled into a scowl. I feign ignorance to his anger and continue scanning the menu.

"Can't sense him anywhere," he snaps after a mo-ment. When I don't acknowledge him, he mutters, "I hope you choke on that wine."

"It's very tasty," I reply with a grin, my gaze still on the menu as I take another sip. Teasing Caspian is becoming a favourite pastime of mine. "You should try some. After all, it's been charged to your card." In my peripheral vision, Caspian huffs and pulls out a strange triangle that looks like a metal hair clip.

I remember seeing it in the box of DHT things that were dropped off on the first day. The box Caspian took into his room and never let me see again.

"It's a demon radar, for your information, and it glows when full demons are nearby."

I frown up at him. "Then why did you take it off me?

It's not dangerous!"

"You could have broken it, and these are worth a for-tune," he replies, but I get the sense he was just being his usual petty self.

"I still want it back. It was pretty," I tell him.

He chuckles. "No, I'm not giving you it. Ever. For the record."

I'm about to reply when I see a man walk in from the corner of my eye. He enters on his own, ignoring the server, and goes straight to the bar. I stare at him for ages and I realise I'm seeing something around him almost like glittering black. I can't describe it, but I've never seen any humans do that. I kick Caspian's foot underneath the table and nod once behind him.

"What?" he asks when he looks back. "It's just a man, and the radar isn't glowing."

"You can't see the black things around him?" I ask, and he shakes his head.

"No, but if you think something is wrong, then we can check him out." He picks up the radar. "I'm bored anyways."

I finish the rest of my wine, then follow Caspian to the bar. When we're within the man's proximity, the radar in Caspian's hand starts glowing red. Caspian nods to me with a big smile, reaching above his head for his sword when the wendigo man turns our way.

The man is handsome, in a pretty expensive suit, and he seems so human for a second. But the longer I stare at him, the more I see the difference. He feels... wrong. He looks wrong. He smells evil.

"You can make this really easy and just come with us," Caspian warns quietly. "Or we can chase you around this entire hotel. One way or another, you're going back down to Hell with us where you belong"

A load of words come out of the man's mouth. Not human words. Demonic words that I don't understand, but I feel like he's saying "piss off." Caspian jerks his sword out and slams it down at the man, but he catches it midair. The sword burns away into red dust in his hand, and the demon kicks Caspian hard in the chest, sending him flying across the room.

Humans scream and run out of the way as piercing, glowing demonic eyes turn onto me. The wendigo doesn't move to hurt me but I pull out a dagger from my thigh from underneath my coat.

"Unhallowed born," he spits out in English after a series of hisses.

"What's that, wendigo?" I slip out my other dagger.

"Didn't quite hear you."

In the corner of my eye, Caspian pushes a table off himself and climbs to his feet. The demon makes a break for it as two humans run in front of me, blocking my view for just a second. Damn it! I slip past them and chase the demon through the doors of the restaurant, pushing past two servers who try to talk to me.

"Sorry!" I shout back to them.

The wendigo goes straight into the stairs through the door, leaving it broken on the floor in his wake.

I chase after him up the endless amount of stairs.

He moves so quickly that I can just about see him when he suddenly lets out a god-awful noise. I press my palms to my ears to shut the noise out, but it screeches through my mind, forcing me to stop. The demon twists its back and sheds its human skin.

Now it's a gigantic, hideous creature with skeletal limbs tipped with razor-sharp claws. Two massive horns stretch out of its skull and glow, sparkling almost like the city outside. Its deep-onyx eyes turn down to me.

"God, you stink," I groan, wanting to hold my nose, but I can't with my daggers. "I can see why you prefer human forms."

His cow-like face twists into an ugly grimace, and it lets out another screech. I reach for my gun, but the wendigo releases a noise that shakes the stars around us and forms cracks in the walls that seem to split right through my skull. I fall backwards in the shaking and stumble against the wall when the wendigo walks closer.

Knowing I can't let it touch me, I make the first move with my dagger. I run down a few steps. The wendigo jumps down the steps, using its body to slam me into the wall but it grabs me around the neck. My dagger cuts through its arm, green blood pouring from the cut, but the wendigo doesn't seem to notice.

He holds me tight as I struggle to get him off me, squeezing my neck. I have to fight to breathe. Suddenly, he freezes before me, roaring in pain, dropping my ass to the floor. Gasping for air, I look up to see Caspian is slamming two daggers into his back.

The wendigo roars. The pressure he uses plasters me against the floor so I can't move, but Caspian falls down the steps when he struggles to stand. The pressure instantly disappears as the wendigo runs up the stairs away from us, pouring blood in his wake. Caspian climbs the stairs to me and pulls me to my feet.

"You okay?" He sweeps his worried gaze over me and lifts my chin. "It touched you."

"I'm fine. His magic must not be working or something," I reply. Caspian pulls out a gun and I pick up my daggers I had dropped off the steps.

"Or something," he replies, sounding doubtful.

We both start running after the wendigo, all the way up to the roof. I remember the letter in my room about the horns. Someone knew we were coming after the wendigo today. Could it be that they were telling me the truth?

We come out onto the roof where the wendigo stands on the edge, looking down at the city. Bat-like wings burst out from its back, and I know my chances of capturing him are disappearing. With my weapon gripped tightly in hand, I run straight across the roof.

"Lilith!"

Caspian's voice echoes through me as I jump in the air, slamming my daggers into the wendigo's back before it can get far. The blades slide all the way through him, not catching on anything, and he throws me off his back with a deafening shriek. I scream, too. I suddenly fly through the air, and the last thing I see is a bright-red light then everything goes black.

Chapter 13

LILITH THORNBLOOD

I open my eyes to a dark figure slouched over me. Droplets of water splash against my callarbone and slide down my chest, soaking into my tee-shirt that's already glued to my body. The coppery tang of blood hangs thick in the air, and there's a light throbbing sensation in my side. It fades with each breath I drag in through dry, cracked lips.

"Where... am I?"

My voice leaves me, riding on a fractured whisper.

"In the land of the living, you'll be glad to know." The last of the pain vanishes just as Alaric's deep, husky voice registers in my mind. "But more specifically, you're in my room, in my bed, bleeding on my fucking blankets."

Now that wakes me up.

I straighten so quickly that a rush of dizziness slams into me and my head hits the pillow again. Alaric chuckles and wipes a damp cloth over my temple. In the dim lighting, the harsh lines etched between his brows are as deep as the ones on his forehead. He's either lost in thought or really, really pissed off.

"What happened after I jumped?" I ask, my voice still hoarse.

"You nearly died, that's what happened," he grumbles. "But don't worry. I caught you before you leapt to your death." He pulls back and dumps a bloodstained cloth into a bowl of water beside me. "I hate to break it to ya, kid, but you ain't got no wings! The fuck did you think would happen when you hopped off that building?"

He stares at me so seriously that I struggle not to laugh.

There's a flash of humour in his gaze, too, but he quickly replaces it with a serious expression again.

"What were you thinking?" he repeats, his tone laced with concern.

I straighten up in his bed and rest on my elbows. "I was thinking I could beat you on the leader board. The wendigo was a level-three demon."

He stares hard at me, his dark eyes pinched. "You're that competitive you'd risk dying, huh?"

I don't even hesitate when I reply, "Of course I am. I want to win. Why else would I be competing in the trials?"

Picking the bowl off the floor, he carries it over to the chest of drawers pushed up by the window. "Maybe the prince didn't explain how the trials work, love, but you need to be alive to win. Remember that deal you and I made?"

I narrow my eyes at his back. "Deal? You mean blackmail."

He holds up a hand, revealing the tattoo of a kelpie just below his thumb. I never noticed it before.

"Call it what you will," he says gruffly. "But the deal requires you to be alive." He turns and leans against the dresser, his arms folded over his muscular chest.

"What is it you want from me, Alaric?" The question is so quiet I scarcely hear the words myself.

The male studies me through half-opened lids. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Ooh, cryptic." I snort at him, buttoning up my coat, though I can't deny how his reply spiked my pulse a little.

He watches me adjust my clothing, his stare heavy.

"You know, my last mission was in Scotland," I say, breaking the silence. "The human we met sounded a little like you, now that I think about it. Are you Scottish?"

"Aye."

I grab my weapons from the side of the bed and tilt my head at him. "Are you from the Rivermare?"

He nods, and a dead silence follows the mute reply.

"I take it you're not the sharing kind?" I get to my feet and smile at him. "Of course you're not. My partner isn't either. Wait a minute.." My smile fades. "Where's Caspian? He was on the roof when I jumped."

Alaric scoffs and drags a hand through his messy hair. "Outside, the last time I checked." His hand pauses in his hair. "He's a bit pissed off after I knocked him out."

"You... knocked out…. my partner?" I repeat the words slowly, then their meaning dawns on me. "Why the hell would you do that? Oh, my goddess! Is he all right? I've seen the size of your hands. They're like freaking spades!"

Alaric waves a hand dismissively. "He's fine, he's fine. He just lost his shit when he came through the portal and saw you in my bed, covered in blood." He cocks his head and rubs his chin. "He got real possessive over you, almost like a mate would."

I stare down at the floor, my cheeks heating. "He's not... we're not... We're just partners."

A low, deep chuckle carries to my ears, and I lift my gaze.

"So you are. Anyway, I only knocked him out a bit."

"As opposed to knocking him out a lot?" I snap, my heart thrashing against my ribs.

Caspian freaked out over me? Sure, I'm his best friend's little sister, yet a part of me can't help but hope Alaric is right and that Caspian was jealous. An even bigger part of me is glad. Now he'll know how I felt in Paris when he flirted with the receptionist. "I better get go"

The door smashes open, sending splinters of wood pinging across the dark wooden floor. A gust of smoke envelopes the entrance, and then Eziel appears, his expression murderous like a man intent on killing. His features soften when he looks at me, and the red fire glowing within them dims.

"Autumn, you—" He marches over but stops short, casting a grimace at Alaric. "You brought her here?"

Alaric inclines his head. "Indeed I did, Your Graceful Lord Eminence. Healed her, too.

No more injuries from the building when she fell. She's as right as rain now."

The muscle in Eziel's jaw moves in his irritation. Not only did Alaric use a title but the completely wrong ones to boot. Something tells me he did it on purpose.

The prince turns narrowed, steely eyes on me. "And are you? Healed?"

I swallow my unexpected nerves. "Y-yeah. I'm fine now, thanks."

He nods once. "Then report to my study in fifteen minutes."

He marches back over to the door, pausing by it for a second. "I'll replace that." And then he's gone.

Alaric chuckles again, watching me from the corner of my eye. "Looks like you're 'just partners' with the prince, too, huh?"

CHAPTER 14

LILITH THORNBLOOD

The literal Prince of Hell, sole heir to the Stormfire Pack, is not someone I want to get on the bad side of. I haven't forgotten our first meeting, or how he told Caspian to watch out for me. The look the prince gave before he left Alaric's

room sends another shiver through me. I knock on the future alpha's door.

"Come in," he calls out curtly.

I turn the metal door knob and push the heavy wooden door open. I shut the door behind me before turning around to glance at Eziel's private study. It's a cosy room with thick red curtains lining the three windows and a massive desk that takes up most of the space. The desk is empty other than a spinning red crystal that doesn't stop moving and a pile of books in a straight line.

In fact, I don't see any dust anywhere or a single stain on the dark-wood floors.

"Sit down," he commands from his throne-like seat behind the desk.

The only other seat is opposite him and just a simple plastic chair that seems like it's seen better days.

It squeaks when I sit, and an awkward noise fills the room. I clear my throat and smile at him. "I want to apologise for what happened with the wendigo. I made a mistake."

"Yes, you did," he states, linking his fingers as he rests his elbows on the desk. "Why did you jump off that roof?"

I look up and meet his sharp green eyes. Sharp and passionate eyes. I just wonder if it's a passion for violence or death. It's not romance, that's for sure. "Because I knew the wendigo would escape, and I wanted to capture it."

"It?" He leans back. "Do you not think demons are real people? They are not 'its'"

"That wasn't what I meant," I counter. I need to clear this up. "I believe demons, like every creature in the world, have the choice between being evil and good. That wendigo was evil."

He tilts his head to the side. "For demons, the choice is much harder. The demonic blood is like an addiction. An addiction begging to be freed, no matter what the cost is to humans or their morals. Demons who choose to be good, as you put it, are fighting a battle within themselves every single day."

"That's why they are free and not hunted," I reply.

"The job of hunters is to capture demons who leave Hell to kill humans. Every pack has its promises it made to the Crescent Mother when they were created hundreds of years ago. And our hunters must be the best. The very best. Or humans would soon be dead and wolves not long after them. It's a careful balance."

"It has been for many years. It's why I wanted to be a demon hunter."

"But you cannot fight well enough to beat a wendigo, a simple level-three demon. You have no basic knowledge of demons, from what I've seen, and overall, you are failing," he tells me, his words cutting deep because he is right. "You're almost as bad at being in a team as Caspian is."

"I'm well aware our team-building needs work," I reply.

He laughs and stands up off his seat. Eziel walks around his desk as my heart pounds.

"That is an understatement. "I'm half tempted to kick you both out of the trials."

Panic flares through me. "Kick me out. Not Caspian. It's not his fault I'm shit at fighting and following orders," I quickly say. "Please. This is all he wants, and he is a good guy under all the assholeness."

"Assholeness?" Eziel repeats my made-up word before chuckling.

I can't believe I just said that word in front of the Prince of Hell. He must think I'm a total donut.

"How unusual you are."

We drift into silence, then he says. "I'm going to personally train you. Every day. It's going to be painful, but you will be the best hunter I've seen by the end."

The blood drains from my face. "Why would you do that?"

"I see your potential. You threw yourself off a building to catch a demon." He leans against the desk. "Not many hunters would go to that extreme for a level three. In fact, most ofthem would shit themselves."

His gaze drifts up and down me. "Be at the courtyard at five a.m. I will be waiting. You are dismissed."

I climb to my feet and walk to the door. I open it and I turn back. "Thank you."

"Get out of here before I change my mind," he warns.

I don't think about it before opening the door and rushing out into the corridor.

I think being kicked out would have been better than this. The last thing I need is to be close to the alpha's son because his father might find out. It would take one photo, one mess-up from me, and this is all over.

I've messed up. Royally. Fuck.

I rush back to my apartment and walk in, locking the door behind me. I run to knock on Caspian's bedroom door.

"Something bad happened, Caspian."

He opens the door, looking like he has seen a ghost himself. I pause when he places his hands on my shoulders. "What happened? Did Alaric not help you? The fucker punched me out of nowhere, and I didn't see it coming."

"No, it's not that. Alaric helped me and likely saved my life from the fall-"

"Yeah, the fall we can talk about later," he cuts in. "But tell me what has you freaking out."

I shake my head. "The prince wants to personally train me every day," I tell him. "He might know who I am if we get close. I'm scared."

"Eziel doesn't play games, and he occasionally takes on a new student to train every few years," he tells me, looking a little relieved. "I was the last one he trained. Don't worry, he doesn't know."

I bite on my lip. "Okay."

"Songbird, I've got to tell you something," he says. He takes my hand and pulls me over to the sofa, sitting at my side.

I really panic when I see his worried eyes.

"I asked a friend to find Leo and get a coded message to him... but Leo is missing. His place was raided and covered in blood."

My heart feels like it drops into my stomach. "The alpha must have him. Or he killed him."

"I don't know," Caspian softly replies.

I turn away from him and drop my face into my hands before I sob. "The alpha is going to kill everyone I love and never stop hunting me! My life is over, and I don't know why I'm still fighting for the scraps I have left."

Caspian moves in front of me and pulls my hands from my face. He holds them tightly as I look up. "You're stronger than you look, songbird, and you're not alone. I'm going to make sure you find a way to escape him, and we are going to start working together.

I've been trying to save you on my own, and it's not working, but together, we can do this. We can trick the alpha and every hunter here. We will win our place and your freedom."

"Why help me?"

"Fuck knows." His mouth tilts into a crooked smile. "Maybe I'm going crazy."

"There are pills for that, you know," I reply, making him laugh.

I lean forward and wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly.

Eventually, he embraces me back, and I seek comfort from him I didn't know I desperately needed.

"Leo will be okay," he says after a moment. "That man is a master at surviving. You'll see."

Crescent Mother, please save my brother.

I can't lose anyone else.

CHAPTER 15

LILITH THORNBLOOD

Out of the way, losers. Actual demon hunters are coming through," Caspian growls, pushing himself right through the crowd.

Several of them glare at him as he passes by. I gingerly walk behind

him, trying not to attract attention like he is, but it doesn't work. It's not just him who gets these looks nowadays. Now that I'm training with the prince, all the hunters are staring at me like I've done something wrong.

They want to kill me to take my place.

But I'm not letting them.

Dove and Caspian say I need to ignore them, but it just feels like my list of enemies is getting larger by the day. One of the rather beefy demon hunters is pushed out of the way, Caspian gets to the front of the group. He steps up in front of the board just as Alaric comes past me, his arm brushing against mine.

"Morning, beautiful," he tells me. Caspian shoots his head back, glaring at Alaric as he walks to his side. The two of them seem like night and day. The tension here is thick, and I feel like I should just leave.

"Are you playing the silent game this morning, Autumn?" Alaric asks, teasing me with my fake name.

"I prefer people to use my middle name. Lilith," I reply with a smile to hide how frazzled I feel around this man.

It's not just his good looks, it's him. He is overpowering in a way I don't understand, and my wolf likes him. My wolf, who likes pretty much no one but me, likes this stranger who literally blackmailed me when we met. She has messed up tastes, that's for sure. Not that I'm any better crushing on my brother's best friend, a man who's blackmailed me and the literal son of the alpha who rejected me and is trying to kill me. "And it's too early for your flirting."

"Who said I was flirting?" he asks, turning back around and flashing me an innocent gaze. He strides right up to me, and I arch my neck to meet his gaze. He winks.

"Flirting seems like it would be fun and not witnessed by a load of boring shithead wolves with nothing better to do."

I peek around, seeing we have quite the audience. "Maybe they've never seen flirting with an actual woman."

"They certainly aren't as good at it as jackass over here," Caspian grumbles. He walks around Alaric to me. "We have to go, partner."

"Sure, wait." I catch Caspian' arm. "Have you met Alaric? I mean, properly?"

I certainly hope their first introduction wasn't when Alaric knocked him out after saving my life.

Caspian slowly rests his eyes on Alaric with a bored gaze. "I'm Caspian. Stay the fuck away from Lilith or I'll kill you."

Alaric laughs when Caspian drags me away, and I glare at him.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You really shouldn't make friends with that one."

"Why?" I ask.

He doesn't know about the blackmail thing, mostly because I knew it would freak him out. Caspian runs his hand through his hair.

"Because I told you to," he responds, like that makes everything clear.

"You have a serious communication problem, Caspian," I warn him.

"And you have shit taste in men," he counters, and my cheeks burn red as I pull my hand from his. "We are working on actually being partners now, so I will try to listen more to you. My thoughts on Alaric aren't changing, though."

"If we are now working on being proper partners, you have to learn you can't control everybody I'm friends with," I respond.

"I'm not controlling your friendships," he replies with a sour tone. "But I'm just mentioning perhaps that guy isn't a good idea for a friend."

"Duly noted."

"You're not going to stop being friends with him, are you?" he asks around a groan.

I want to tell him I'm being blackmailed into the friendship, and he did save my life, but the words don't leave my lips. "Nope. Thanks for the advice, though. Now, where are we going?"

He hands me the holographic card from the board out of his coat pocket.

"A demon market. What is that?" I ask, popping the holographic card into my coat.

There's not much information on the card, which is likely the reason none of the other hunters took it. It's a risk.

"Demon markets are like big shopping centres for demons," Caspian answers.

"Imagine Tesco, but for illegal demon shit. Not many people take these, mostly because demon marketers are, in a way, boring. But if we can catch a few it will be more points to get us up the board."

Talking of the board, we walk past it, and I pause to look up for our names. Caspian and I are quite low down, somewhere near the bottom, but that's only because at least thirty demon hunters are dead or left already.

Alaric is somehow right at the very top.

"How did he get so many points?"

Caspian follows my line of sight. "That's exactly why you shouldn't be anywhere near him. He's clearly dangerous."

"I wish I was as dangerous as he was. I could avenge my parents and fix my life," I say.

Caspian shakes his head. "Being trained by the prince is the best way you're going to get better. Let's go, songbird. We need to get to the portal."

I jog to his side, watching him closely. "So when did you start being trained by the prince?"

"The first time I was here in the trials," he finally answers.

It's rare for him to say anything about his own life, and I greedily listen as he finally talks, wanting to know everything about him. The man I live with, who is risking his life for me, I know nothing much about, and it bothers me.

"I didn't have a partner in my first trials because the one I was partnered with died early on. It wasn't my fault, by the way, but he was dead thanks to taking on a mission he didn't have a chance of winning. So it was just me, and I was determined to win."

"Sounds like you," I say.

"I kept going out every morning to train and doing absolutely everything I could do to win. The prince saw me, took pity on me, I guess, and trained me. We became fast friends through that."

"Sounds like both you and Eziel learnt from that," I point out. "What did you do to get kicked out of the trials that first year?"

He doesn't answer me.

"Come on, Caspian. You know I won't judge you for anything."

"That's the point. You would judge me, songbird, he says, and I frown. No, I wouldn't.

"Trust me, it's part of the secrets we have to keep staying friends."

"One day I'm going to figure out all these secrets about you. You know that, right?" I tell him.

He looks back and laughs.

"I have no doubt about it. I'm sure Leo will tell you that when we find him," he suggests. "And I can run to another pack so you don't have to face me."

"You think so badly about yourself." I sigh. "I did ask about you once to Leo. Sometime last year when he came to visit me."

He looks down into my eyes, surprise coating his gaze. I don't know why he is surprised. The last time we spoke before he left, I told him I had a big crush on him before throwing up in the sink. I'm sure that left some kind of memorable moments.

"Really? I thought you forgot all about me once I left."

"No, I didn't."

"What did you ask?"

"About you. I wanted to know if you were a demon hunter and if not, what happened."

"Did he tell you anything?" he asks.

"Nope," I reply, making him smile.

"That's called having respect and being loyal. Respect is something that's growing between us. So when we go out on this mission, can we try something different?

Rather than working against each other, we're going to work with each other. Okay?"

"Okay," I say with a smile. Take his hand, and he links our fingers, which seems like something he didn't have to do, but I don't comment on it as I kinda like it.

We walk through the portal and out onto a wooden staircase. This one I've never been to before, and it's in the middle of burning trees very close to the stairs. The wooden stairs must be magic of some kind to resist the flames that flicker against my skin. A few land on Caspian' arm when we run up the steps, and he swears under his breath.

"I hate this portal. Always get burned," he says, just as a flame lands on my hand and nothing happens. He follows the movement and frowns in confusion. I wipe away the ash to reveal my clear skin. "Why didn't that burn you?"

"I don't know," I mutter. "When I first got here, the lava I fell into burnt me."

"You're really peculiar, you know that?"

"Are you just noticing?" I question, feeling a little breathless as we continue up the steps that never seem to end.

Caspian looks around us and lowers his voice. "I have been wondering for a while about the alpha and why he thinks you're his mate. Alphas don't have fated mates, so to speak, as they can make any wolf their mate with their magic. So why you? What happened to make him think you are his?"

"I only know he made some kind of trade-off with my mum when she was here when I was a baby. I don't know why she was in Hell, anyway. Overall, I just don't know enough, but I have a letter from her. I'll show you when we get back.. if you want," I say.

"T'd like that. Maybe I can read something under the lines that you haven't seen," he suggests. "If we can figure out why he is so hell-bent on your death, it might help us figure out a way to avoid it.

"He seemed so adamant I was his mate until he got close to me and he sort of scented my hair. The alpha made a snap decision at that moment that he didn't want me. He called me weak."

Caspian scoffs. "You're anything but weak, songbird. I've always known that. You won't remember this, but when I was at the academy, I saw two beta wolves sons cornering you."

I frown, not remembering because it happened so often.

"I was going to help you, but you kicked one of them in the balls," he says with a grin,

"and outran the other into the forest. I was impressed as they were twice the size of you."

"It wasn't an unusual thing in that pack for me," I reply. "But oddly, those two wolves looked like they got a beating and never went near me again. Was that you? I always assumed my brother had intervened."

"Maybe," he replies.

"Thank you," I whisper. "I never knew you had my back."

"If it helps, those beta wolves cried like girls when I cornered them," he tells me, and I laugh.

We finally get to the portal. "Ready for a hunt, my little songbird?"

"Always," I reply, seeing Caspian in a new light.

Maybe he has always been my protector, and I just didn't know it.

***

Caspian pulls me through the portal before I can even close my mouth, forcing me to take a deep breath of portal magic, which tastes like pure smoke. Tumbling out onto high stairs on the other side, the atmosphere is eerily silent. A dense, thick forest surrounds us, and a light drizzle of rain wets my cheeks. We walk down the steps into the forest where I can see an empty road nearby lit up by Catseyes.

"Where are we exactly?" I ask.

"Woburn Forest, England," he tells me. "The market is nearby, I can sense the presence of many demons and wolves."

"How?" I ask, pushing out my senses and not finding anything.

"I need to have about five or six demons or wolves gathered together for my senses to pick up on it," he tells me. "It's a half-breed trick."

"Do you know many half-breeds? I thought you guys were rare."

"We are, and that's why most of us are friends," he replies.

"Interesting," I tell him as we head into the forest and I let him lead the way.

"Are you going stir crazy yet?" he questions. "Not being able to shift all the time?"

"A little bit, but I can't risk shifting. My wolf understands that after we nearly died. We are closer than ever before," I explain to him.

"I get that. I'm on the same level with my wolf."

"And your demon?"

He darkly chuckles. "We are not exactly on the same level."

"I notice you just carefully avoided giving me a real answer," I say.

"Ask something else," he suggests, his tone telling me to drop it. For now.

"What exactly do they market here?" I ask.

"Demon creatures from Hell. The kind of things that bounce around between Hell and Earth mostly unseen and unheard."

"Like the kelpies until they band together for a drunk fest?"

"Yeah, kind of," he replies. "But kelpies are not worth a fortune like some of the ones we will see in there. Humans believe demon blood from certain creatures can cure them or make them live longer. It's a load of bullshit, but demon marketers are happy to make them pay to find out it's a lie."

"Awesome. Can I shoot them?" I ask, patting my gun strapped to my hip under my

coat.

"Sure, just no more jumping off buildings with daggers, please," he sarcastically suggests.

"Haha. I learnt my lesson last time. No more jumping off buildings for me."

"I have a sneaky feeling you'd jump off any building to get your hunt," he says. "You're crazy like that. Typical redhead."

"That's insulting," I mutter.

"And true," he replies before suddenly shooting his arm in front of me, stopping me from going anywhere.

I stretch out my senses, and I don't sense anything other than the usual forest scents.

"There is no one here."

Caspian winks at me. "You just need a little demon help." He places his hands together before very slowly heaving them apart, creating a red ball of energy in the middle of his hands. Demon Magic.

I watch the mesmerising magic with interest and he swirls it around in his hands, turning it into a sphere shape and firing it right in front of us. It smashes into something almost like a veil.

The veil shimmers when the demon magic makes a massive gap right in the middle and reveals an entire world that just looked like a forest before. My mouth drops open. Caspian grabs my hand in my shock and drags me through just as the veil shuts behind us. I stare around at the town that is incredible. It's massive, full of tents of all different colours and people trading from stalls by small buildings. Stalls in lines spread in every direction, the multi-colours of the market are beautiful. Hundreds, if not thousands of people fill the spaces between the stalls. Everything from wolves to demons are here, mixing, buying things or just hiding. This might be a good place for me to hide if things go bad in Hell.

"How the hell can you make demon magic like that? It's meant to be impossible these days," I whisper to Caspian.

"Now you know a part of my secret," he tells me. "Stay close."

Caspian holds my hand tightly as he pulls me through the market that I can't stop gazing at. We pass stalls that sell strange herbs, one that sells jars of glowing stuff, and a man who has a sign claiming he can conjure any food. We pass one stall that sells just butterflies, dozens of them that are all that clipped to paper. None of those butterflies look like anything like I've seen before. The stalls all mix into one, soon becoming overwhelming the farther we head into the market. We pass a stall that has jewellery on it, and an older woman stood behind that Caspian sees and stops.

The woman has large spiky ears, wavy grey hair, and two marks on her cheeks. The marks seem like Caspian', but they aren't the same. Hers are more like arrow shapes.

We head towards her, and Caspian pretends to glance at the jewellery, picking up a small ring. "I'm searching for someone. Can you help?"

"Yes, but my help comes at a price," she answers, her eyes widening.

"What's your price?"

"Perhaps just doing me a simple favour can be our deal. I trust you are as loyal to your word as your father is."

My ears perk up. So this woman knows who Caspian' father is and clearly trusts him somewhat. "Indeed, it is. You will be owed a tiny favour."

"Then ask me what you need," she replies with a smile. She glances at me, and I look away, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

I look down at the table while they talk about the marketers around. I pick up a necklace with a small crescent moon on it that reminds me of one my mum used to have but never wore. The moon is all red with tiny white crystals inside. It seems to glow from its own light. When I touch it, it slowly turns blue under my hand. It makes me miss my mum. That sharp pang of grief comes back, and I struggle to push it away.

I put the necklace back down.

"Thanks for the information, Tanza," he states.

"You have been very useful."

"We will see each other around soon," she replies, bowing her head

Caspian walks away a bit while I follow him but he lightly touches my arm. "Stay here a second and don't move."

I sigh. He heads back over to Tanza and talks to her quietly for a second. I look around while I wait, trying to ground myself in this busy place. I hear so many different pack wolves, so many scents of different demons, and all of it is extremely overwhelming but still amazing.

Caspian is back at my side in seconds, and we head down the streets. He seems to know exactly where he's going, and I trust him. We come around two alleyways before he stops at a house where the door has been kicked open.

"It seems like the marketer has left already or someone else got the bounty before us.

We'll be lucky if there's anything left," he mutters. "Fuck."

"That's not good." I sigh.

"Yeah, you're telling me. We will need to catch one hell of a demon to build up points after today's loss."

"I'm sorry. I'm going to make you fail."

"No, at this point it only matters you're not dead," he answers. "I can always enter the trials again."

"Don't tell me you're finally liking me, Caspian," I tease.

"Don't get cocky, songbird," he replies with a strange look in his eyes.

If I didn't know better, I think he realised he likes me more than he thought he did.

"Gun out," he warns, and I instantly unclip it, taking the safety off.

"You're going to have to teach me how to use this one day," I warn him.

"True. Try using your wolf's senses to aim," he suggests as he quietly moves through the door. He pulls out two guns, holding them both in his hands in one swift, and fucking sexy, movement.

"Your wolf has amazing eyesight and can see better than you. If you could learn to just shift your eyes and then shoot, you'd never miss."

"I've never thought of that," I whisper back. It's actually a brilliant idea, but telling him that out loud seems dangerous. He already thinks he is the best thing ever created in Hell.

We slip into the house, and suddenly my senses are overwhelmed before I get a real look at the room. Death. The room stinks of death.

"Oh my God," I whisper, almost stumbling back. I can smell all the pain and death this room has witnessed. It all reeks of death, and my wolf howls in my head. Dozens of wolves have died in this room, not just demons. Their blood is coating the walls and floors.

The pain seems to shoot straight into my heart.

"So it seems like they weren't just trafficking demons," Caspian growls out. "Fuckers."

"No alpha anywhere around the world would let wolves be trafficked. They need to know about this," I say.

"Agreed, but it can't come from us. We can't have alphas looking our way, songbird," he warns me. Shit, he is right. "I sense something alive in the back room, but otherwise it's empty."

We go to the back together, and Caspian opens the flimsy door. It's a long room, and the back wall is filled with cages. The cages are all broken and dirty, and it stinks. The doors are all open except for a few at the bottom. I try not to look at the piles of bones and red dust in the open cages as I head to the closed ones.

"Careful," Caspian warns me.

"Got it," I reply.

I get to the closed cages and I have to kneel to look inside them. In the first one there, there's nothing but dust. I move to the second cage, and something moves under a dirty grey blanket. I hook my finger in it through the cage and give it a quick pull.

Underneath is a small creature, all bundled up.

"I'm going to cover the door," Caspian tells me. I pull the blanket out of the cage through the gaps. When covering is gone, I see bits of eggshells all around the cage floor, and on top is a little creature curled into a ball. It must have just hatched, and it's a literal golden demon dragon. It's tiny, only the size of my hand, with a little mouth and bright-gold eyes that look at me with fear. Its gold tail flickers out as it gazes up at me and slowly stretches its silver wings out at its sides. I tug the lock off the door and reach it, picking the dragon up who curls into my hand.

So cute.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," I whisper to the dragon who has closed its tiny eyes and is napping in my hand. The cage next to the dragon bangs, and I jump out of my skin, nearly falling over. I glance over to see something that reminds me of a gnome, but it's clearly demonic. The gnome is a tiny thing, and he has a tiny hat on its orange head. Despite having orange skin, it is covered in little dots of green blood from various cuts that look painful. Something that I think is a napkin is tied around its waist, but for some reason, the gnome seems strong.

The gnome is no bigger than my middle finger, and it glares up at me. It puts its hands on its tiny waist. "Don't you touch that demon, you red-haired witch!"

"Witches don't exist, dude," I tell him. "And no need to be rude to the people helping."

"Helping?" He huffs. "I'm still in a cage, woman."

Caspian glances back and arches an eyebrow with a small smile.

I shake my head and try not to smile. "I'm just trying to help. I'm not here to steal you, sell you, or do anything you don't want."

"I don't trust red-haired witches," the gnome growls.

"Neither do I, mate," Caspian agrees.

Jackass.

"I could take you back to Hell and release you wherever you want," I suggest. "Or somewhere on Earth?"

"I am Knight and I do not need a commoner's help," he tells me, holding his head high for a second, then it drops with his expression. He seems sad. "I may not have any family left, or royals to serve, but I am still a knight who is destined to fight for justice."

"You're still just a gnome demon with a bad attitude. Let's get going, songbird,"

Caspian calls over his shoulder.

"I think Knight should come with us," I argue. "He needs a family, and I am lacking a lot of those. Wanna be my family, Knight? I'm looking for justice, too."

"I don't like that one." Knight points at Caspian. "But I will come with you back to Stormfire city and serve you, red-haired witch, as my new family. You need a better servant than the boy."

"Bloody gnomes," Caspian mutters. I gently place the dragon into my pocket.

I make quick work breaking the lock on Knight's cage, and he moves at incredible speed into my pocket before I can blink. "Wow, you can move fast."

"Yep," he tells me. "You smell weird."

"Thanks," I mutter. "You gnomes really know how to make friends, don't you?"

"We are great at communication with demons," he states. Oh-okay.

"You're not keeping them in our room, by the way," Caspian tells me as we walk out.

"Well, until I find them a home in Hell, yes I am," I reply.

"I don't want demon creatures running round in our apartment," he groans. "Don't look at me like that, dragon."

I glance down to see Dragon's tiny head is peeping out of my pocket and he is totally doing the puppy-dog eye thing on Caspian. It's so, so cute.

"Just for a few nights. What's the worst that could happen?" I ask.

"It's literally a dragon."

"Dragon baby," I correct.

"They only stay small for a short time, maybe a year, but then suddenly they change.

He'll be able to shift into the size of a house," he warns me. "Dragons belong in the bottom realm of Hell."

"Gold dragons are extremely rare," Knight speaks up and we get outside. "If you put him back, he would just be caught by marketers once again as his parents are dead. I'm with Redhead over here. You should keep him in your apartment, and I can look after him in the day when you're busy doing whatever demon hunters do."

"See, it's all worked out," I say, patting Caspian' arm when he realises he has been outsmarted by a demon gnome.

"Fuck my life," Caspian groans, and I smile to myself as we head out of the market.

He's really a good guy deep down.

CHAPTER 16

LILITH THORNBLOOD

"AIl right, Thornblood, you're coming with me."

I stare at Alaric swallowing up the entrance to my room, his shadow towering over me. "Huh?"

A crooked smile stretches over his lips. "I said you're coming with me. Pack a bag for the night."

If he'd just told me I'd grown a second head, I doubt I could be any more surprised than I am right now. I glance over my shoulder to where Caspian lounges on the sofa, his nose buried in an advanced demonology book. He's staring intently at the pages, but his eyes aren't moving, as if he isn't really reading the words. He doesn't look up at me.

Could he have known about this impromptu visit?

"What are you talking about?" I turn back to Alaric, frowning at him.

He's still smiling at me as he folds his arms over his chest, his muscles straining his black tee-shirt.

"You haven't left that cesspit in weeks. It's a bombsite. I'm taking you out for the day.

Even Mr Happy over there has agreed."

So Caspian did know about this. I wonder why he kept it from me? It's not like I've been getting in his way or anything. In fact, I've stayed in my room for the most part, trying desperately not to think about what I saw at the market.

"Do I have a say in the matter?" I ask, lifting my chin.

Alaric's smile broadens. "Not really. This was in the fine print of our deal, love. Now off you go. You've got ten minutes to pack. Bring swimwear."

Urgh, this male is infuriating. But he does have a point. I haven't left the apartment since my last mission at the demon market. I've been deluding myself into thinking it's because of my new responsibilities. However, Knight is pretty much self-sufficient, if not slightly annoying with his criticisms of my eating habits. Dragon has needed me, though. The night I brought him home, I learned he needs warmth if he's to survive the first few weeks of his life. He's been nuzzled in my arms, on my chest, or against my neck since we came back. His reliance on me has kept me from thinking about all those poor shifters and demons who were caged and killed as if they were nothing. Just scraps of meat to be trafficked and discarded when they no longer served use. This has weighed heavily on me with each passing day.

"I can't come with you," I say, looking down at Dragon snoring lightly in my arms. "He needs me."

And I need him to help me stay distracted.

Alaric raises a thick brow. "I need you."

"What the hell for?" I ask incredulously.

"To be kept warm like your little demon friend."

"I don't need her to be kept warm," Caspian grumbles.

Alaric ignores him and looks hard at me. "Come on, kid. I promise you'll enjoy where I'm taking you. Caspian has agreed to clean up the place while we're gone."

"More like forced," my partner growls, flicking the next page. "Have fun, songbird."

There's no bitterness or resentment in his tone. Maybe he really does want to get out of the apartment for a while. I can't imagine watching me mope around has been any fun for him, and we're getting close to falling behind on the leader board.

I find myself unexpectedly touched by his and Alaric's concern for me. I step back, hugging Dragon closer.

"I kind of feel like you're playing a part in my capture," I mumble to Caspian as I pass Dragon over to him. "At any rate, keep him warm for me or I will kill you, if and when I get back."

He huffs and sets down his book. "I know how to keep a dragon warm."

Dragon curls around the back of Caspian's neck, his long tail hanging over his shoulder.

"Just be sure not to leave him," I say.

Alaric chuckles behind us. "Aww, it's like you're raising cubs together."

Caspian grabs his book and tosses it at the Rivermare's head. "Shut it!"

"Now, now. No violence in front of the children," Alaric warns, just narrowly avoiding the book with a swift duck of his huge body.

I leave them bickering while I pack a bag for the night. He mentioned I should bring swimwear. Where could he possibly take me that I'd need to wear a swimming costume? It suddenly dawns on me that I don't even have one. It's not like my mum thought to pack mine before I ran for my life. My underwear will have to do. I grab a fresh bra and matching pants, shove them into my backpack, pull on my boots, and head back into the living room.

The sight of Alaric and Caspian laughing together takes me by surprise. Not long ago, Alaric knocked him out because he was being so adorably protective over me. Now he's tolerating Alaric's presence just like he would any other hunter. I mean, at the end of the day, Alaric did save my life. And as much as that doubt frustrates my partner, I think Caspian is secretly glad I'm still alive.

"Ready?" Alaric's voice jolts me from my reverie.

"Yeah. Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

I'd be an idiot if I said the thought of being alone with him doesn't make me nervous.

But it also rouses excitement within me. There's something about Alaric that I like as much as I dislike. His presence alone excites me.

"No." He opens the front door with a slam of his hand and a grin. "After you, my lady.

Beauty before age."

"More like brains before beauty," I tease.

To my delight, the wolf laughs, the sound deep and throaty. "Tonight's going to be a lot of fun."

Strangely, I believe him.

"Look after the fur babies," I call out to Caspian and I make my way to the door.

Knight jumps up from behind the sofa. "I beg your pardon! I am a knight, and knights do not have fur. Nor do dragons. They have scales. In this instance, they have gold scales. Not fur, you imbecile."

I shake my head around a smile and follow Alaric out of the room. "Can I still call them fur babies if they don't have any fur?"

He gives another chuckle. "Honestly? I've got no fucking idea what you're talking about."

***

Cherry blossom leaves flutter around me on the other side of the portal. I shield my gaze from the blindness of the setting sun on the horizon, and my breath hitches. Luscious green trees stretch for miles beneath the auburn sky, broken up by rivulets and creeks that run towards the cliff I'm standing on.

Behind me, a vermillion temple stands proudly with Japanese Kanji written above the entrance.

"Japan?" I say, turning to Alaric. "Why Japan?"

He nods and hoists my backpack farther up his shoulder. "Figured you could do with some TLC."

He makes towards the entrance, and I follow suit, only the sounds of birds chirping to punctuate the surprisingly comfortable silence.

"I tend to come here when I have too much on my mind. Helps me forget. There's something sacred about this onsen that just.. washes everything away."

Of course the Rivermare wolf is taking me somewhere with water.

I stay silent for a moment, studying him through hooded lids. This is a much different side to the Alaric who blackmailed me into becoming his friend.

"If you'd told me that trips to Japan were included in our deal, I wouldn't have been so reluctant in the beginning."

Alaric chuckles at that. "Aye, I suppose I didn't go about our friendship the right way."

"You went about it the completely wrong way," I counter, following him into the temple.

"True, true. But I did save your life. That's gotta count for something."

My playful reply dies on my lips when I see the interior of the temple. It's more breathtaking inside than it is outside. Everything's wooden, and the walls are covered in scrolls containing beautiful scenery. A cherry blossom mural hangs beside the reception desk.

"Kon'nichiwa." Alaric bows to the male host, another Rivermare shifter, then continues to speak in Japanese.

I can't make anything out, which makes me a little nervous as I wait for them to finish their conversation.

Alaric turns to me with that same carefree smile of his. "Everything's in order. The host will show us to our rooms."

The plural of 'rooms' eases my trepidation. Although, a small part of me is a little disappointed. What did I think would happen? That we'd share a room together? I hardly know the wolf, for goodness sake.

The host guides us through the back of the temple-styled onsen. Alaric is taken to his room first; he removes his shoes before entering. Next door to him, I take mine off and step over the threshold. Inside the warm, cosy room is a large double futon draped over the beige Tatami matts. There's also a dresser, coffee table, and a luxurious en suite towards the back. The sliding walls and doors are covered in thin, white paper.

Everything is minimalistic but clearly very expensive. I sure hope Alaric doesn't ask me to pay the bill, I think with a wry grin. I don't have a penny to my name.

I place my backpack on the foot of the bed, beside a white robe and slippers, and sit next to it. The sheer curtains flutter softly in the light breeze coming in through the balcony. I can see the forest from here, and the tips of more temples peeking out amongst the snow-capped trees.

It's beautiful.

Tranquil.

Confusing.

Why did Alaric really bring me here?

I fall back onto the bed and stare at the canopy. Images of his hands roaming my body play through my mind. Warm, big, possessive hands, touching, caressing, making me all hot and bothered. My pulse spikes, and I frown at my train of thought. Why the hell am I thinking about Alaric? I remember the last time he touched me and how he'd tended so gently to my wound. How warm his hands had felt against my skin...

I absently reach for where he healed me on the chest. There's not a trace of the injury behind, all thanks to Alaric, the wolf who knows my secret but I don't know his.

A knock on the door startles me.

"It's Alaric."

Speak of the devil.

I push off the bed, cross the room, and open the door.

"Your first appointment is in fifteen minutes." He skims my body slowly and arches a brow. "You need to be wearing your robe for this. Slippers are optional."

"I see you're dressed for the occasion," I counter, walking back over to the bed.

Alaric shuts the door behind him and follows me, his own robe tied tightly around his waist. Even underneath a thick robe, his muscles bulge against the material. I peel my gaze from his body down to the slippers. Picking them up, along with the robe, I hurry into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, I come back, dressed properly, only to find Alaric sprawled over my bed. He perks up upon seeing me.

"You scrub up real good, love."

That makes me laugh. "And you. Shall we get going?"

It takes everything not to look at his muscular thigh peeking out from his robe. My cheeks heat a little as I realise he's naked underneath it. Of course he would be. He's so comfortable in everything I can hardly be surprised to find him comfortable in his body.

"Aye, let's. I've got a feeling you'll like this."

He opens the door before I reach it, despite that he was across the room.

"Ever the gentleman," I say, sliding past him and into the hallway.

The door closes softly, and Alaric leads me around the corner. Several doors line the walls at either side. He stops outside the one at the bottom left, then nods to the one across the hall.

"I'll be in there. See you in thirty."

"Alaric, wait-"

But he's sliding into his room. Given the attire and his comment about TLC, I can only assume it's some kind of massage I'm walking into. I'm in desperate need of one, and a facial, that's for damn sure. Running for my life is really beginning to take its toll on me.

Slowly, I turn the door handle and enter the dimly lit room. Forest music plays softly in the background. Candles flicker around a massage bed covered in a white blanket, and right by the front of it there's a sign that reads in Japanese, then English: Please remove all clothing and lie under the blanket. Ring the bell once you are ready for your masseuse.

I do as instructed and remove my robe and slippers. Once I've draped the robe over a wooden chair, I ring the bell and quickly lie facedown on the bed underneath the soft blanket. I wait for the masseuse, it occurs to me that for the past hour or so, I haven't thought about the demon market or my parents or anything that's weighed me down lately. It's as if from the moment Alaric dragged me from my apartment, I could see the sun again, feel its warmth on my skin.

I can't keep hiding from reality. My parents are dead, my species are being hunted and trafficked illegally, and the Stormfire alpha is after my head. These are three facts I need to, now more than ever, come to terms with.

It's hard, it's painful, and I want to avoid it.

But I can't.

Avoiding means giving up, and I refuse to let Rizer win.

I refuse to be weak.

My mum died protecting me... I can't let her death be in vain.

The soft click of the door opening drags me from my stupor. I close my eyes and wait patiently, just listening to the exotic birdcalls and leaves rustling in a light breeze. It's been years since I've had a massage and I'm going to savour every moment of it.

Warm, large hands gently squeeze my arm, alerting me of their presence. After several moments of them moving around the room, they tug the blanket down to the space just below my tailbone. I tense when their hands find purchase on my back for the first time, but soon I'm whisked off into a beautiful reverie where time no longer seems to exist.

A moan escapes me, and I lose track of everything, my past, my surroundings, as I fall a slave to the sensation.

"Mmm..."

The hands move down my back again, but this time they slide onto the towel, a little too close for comfort. On instinct, I open my eyes and crane my neck. Who should be there but Alaric? And with not an ounce of shame on his face either.

"You freaking per-!"

"Shh, Autumn, shh. I've got magical hands."

"Is that what you say to all the girls?" —he massages a particular spot in my back again

"Oh, goddess, that feels good."

"Told you." I can hear the smirk in his tone. "Just close your eyes and let me do my work. Let me take your mind off things."

For a moment, I consider leaving the room, but once again he's right: this wolf has an incredible way with his hands. It's even better than I imagined in my room.

Only a little uneasy, I settle back on the bed again. "You have permission to continue.

That does not mean you have permission to grope my ass, understand?"

His chuckle brings a smile to my lips. "Yes, ma'am."

But something shifts in the room. Now that I know it's Alaric touching me, his caresses feel more sensual than they did before. Nothing like the professional touch of a trained masseuse. He is trained in massages, though, I'll give him that.

Fuck, he's good at this...

I scarcely hear the moan escape me, too lost in how wonderful he's making me feel.

"Good lass," he whispers, his breath tickling my ear.

My body heats underneath him. It's like I'm in a sauna. He brushes his fingers over the back of my neck and inner thigh, two of my erogenous zones. I grind into the bed and moan again, unable to restrain either sound or movement.

Goddess, he's doing this deliberately.

And yet I don't stop him.

I find myself wanting more.

However, just when it's getting even better, Alaric pulls back and clears his throat. I prop onto my elbows and tilt my head to look at him, but he's facing the other way.

"What's wrong? Why did you stop?" I ask softly.

He keeps his back to me as he walks over to the sink and washes his hand. "We only had thirty minutes."

"How long have we been in here?"

"Sixty."

"Oh." It didn't feel that long at all. "What now?"

"I'll leave you to get dressed, then pick you up in ten."

When he marches past me to the door, I can't help but notice his erection. It tents the fabric of his robe and explains why he was so insistent on not facing me. I bite my lower lip, tempted to offer my own services in exchange for his, but he leaves before I can utter the words.

It's probably a good thing.

We have the whole night ahead of us, after all...

CHAPTER 17

LILITH THORNBLOOD

Hot spring, here I come!

Alaric is already waist-deep in the water, his arms draped along the sides like an alpha claiming their territory. But his sapphire eyes are on me, watching my every movement as I slip out of the complimentary robe. The material falls around my bare feet, and Alaric takes me in slowly, his Adam's apple jerking. My cheeks flare under his perusal, the lust in his gaze evident, but I approach the side of the pool and slide into the water.

"Thanks for the costume," I say, submerging deeper until my shoulders touch the surface of the water. "I had no idea wearing my underwear in a Japanese onsen would be such bad etiquette."

Alaric wets his lips and gestures dismissively with his hand. "It was nothing."

Hardly.

He purchased this black bathing suit in reception, and I saw the price tag despite that he'd tried to hide it. The material is so featherlight against my skin, hugging every curve perfectly. A thin red strap runs across my collarbones and then splits around my cleavage, leaving little to the imagination. Hell, maybe that's why he offered to buy me it. Although I haven't caught him looking at my breasts yet. Mind you, I am chin-deep in the water, my hair floating around me like a cape.

"This feels amazing," I say, rising. "Almost as good as your massage."

He smiles at that. "The view is amazing, too."

I glance at the beautiful trees filling up the view from the window, but Alaric keeps his gaze fixed on me. Something tells me he wasn't referring to the nature outside.

My heart skips as I lean against the pool and face him. "Yeah, this Lyulf guy sure picked a great spot."

His smile melts from his face like the snow captured by the sun. "How do you know that name?"

"The notice in reception. It said he was the owner."

"Oh, yeah." The tension in his shoulders visibly leaves, and he nods, his posture more relaxed again. "He's a good guy, Lyulf. A bit misunderstood a lot of the time."

"You know him?"

"My whole life," Alaric says, tilting his head back. He stares at the ceiling while steam rises around us. "I know all the staff here. We're from the same pack."

"I figured that. Rivermare wolves always smell like when it rains in a forest."

"Strong and earthy?"

I shake my head. "Refreshing."

He looks back at me, his expression curious.

"I bet your pack's surrounded by waterfalls," I add, stretching my legs out underneath the water.

He rubs a hand over his jaw and smiles. "A little. You'd like it there, I reckon. Up high in the Scottish mountains."

"I grew up in the Alaskan mountains. Are they really so different?"

"Oh, quite different." He chuckles.

I tilt my head at him. "How about we go there next time?"

His smile broadens. "It's a date."

My pulse spikes at the words, and I stare down at my reflection on the water, recalling how wonderful his hands felt on my body. In all honesty, I'm a little frightened by how much I enjoyed it. I mean, this guy blackmailed me. I should be the one putting my hands on his body-preferably around his throat—not the other way around. But I liked him touching me, way more than I probably should have.

"Why are you so far away?" he whispers, cocking his head.

I glance up from the water. No words sound from my lips; none are needed. In one swift movement, Alaric grabs my hand and drags me through the water towards him.

He sits me on his lap, and my breath hitches. The heat from the hot spring is nothing compared to the one searing through my body from Alaric's caressing of my back.

He runs his fingers languidly up my spine. The moment they reach the top, he grabs my throat and pulls my mouth to his. Hard, demanding lips crush against my own, demanding entry with a firm, unyielding swipe of the tongue. I surrender to him, my mouth parting willingly, and straddle his hips, the water lapping around us from the movement. His erection pushes against me, and I squeeze my legs, a groan rumbling in the back of Alaric's throat.

A shrill scream echoes outside the room, dragging our attention away from each other. Another scream follows, then another, each one more harrowing than the last.

My wolf bristles inside, preparing for an attack.

"What was that?" I whisper, disentangling myself from Alaric's body.

He follows me out of the pool, and we tug on our robes. I slide past him towards the door, but he stays me with a hand on the shoulder.

"Wait here," he says in a deep, commanding voice. "'ll check it out."

"And let you have all the fun? Yeah, right."

I shrug his hand off and open the door. I like that he's looking out for me, but I'm skilled enough to defend myself. I don't need a man to protect me.

Reluctantly, Alaric walks with me into the hallway. The ceiling lights and the lamps on the floor switch on and off repeatedly. The hairs on the back of my neck rise statically.

There's a dark, demonic presence in the onsen now.

"Thank the Crescent Mother we came prepared," I whisper, reaching into my robe for my gun.

Alaric has already got his gun. "Yeah. Now stay behind me."

I open my mouth to protest but think better of it.

Covered by Alaric's shadow, I continue down the hallway under the flickering lights.

Both sides of the wall have been slashed with enormous claw marks. I brush my fingers over one of the prints as we pass by. The claws are four times longer than my fingers. They lead all the way to reception where a few bodies litter the floor. Dead bodies. My stomach churns at the sight of them.

"Over there at the desk," Alaric mutters, jutting his chin.

I follow his gaze to where a shadowy figure hovers over the reception desk. The Rivermare host who's been so kind to us stands motionless at the other side while his soul is literally sucked from his body.

"It's a Feeder," Alaric hisses. "Fuck. We need to move quickly before it kills Yuri." A cold chill sweeps over me. From all the late-night studying I've been doing, I've learned about this particular creature. It's a level-four demon who feeds on the souls of the living, hence the name.

"How do we take care of it?" I ask quietly, tightening my grip on the gun. "We don't have anything silver to lock it inside."

Alaric scans the area along with me.

"The bell" I point to the call bell on the edge of the reception desk, then look at Alaric.

"You distract the Feeder, I'll grab the bell."

His mouth curls in a smirk. "All right. Just be careful."

"Pssht, I always am."

I press my back to the wall and wait for Alaric to cause a distraction. What I don't expect to see is him shapeshifting into a ginormous wolf triple the size of my own.

Silver streaks glimmer through his dark, midnight-blue fur, and his tail, made of water, swishes and cracks like a bullwhip when he lunges.

The Feeder lets go of Yuri and turns its attention to Alaric.

A loud, deafening shriek emits from its lips, and then it swoops down.

Alaric growls and meets the demon in the air. Their bodies collide; snarls and hisses echo around me. The adrenaline from hunting another demon courses through my body again, and I jump into action.

First, I run to the desk and grab the bell. Only a silver object can trap a level-four demon. My hands tremble as I hold it between my fingers. Think, think, think. The demonology book said it needs to be enchanted with magic. Or rather, cursed. But I don't have any magic. If in doubt, do what the movies teach.

Or at least that's the advice I remember my mum telling me once. I rub the lamp a few times and slowly it starts to glow, coming alive. I doubt a genie is popping out here though. I drop the lamp onto the floor as the light from it blasts around the room.

The demon shrieks as it's sucked into the bell. Trapped until another demon releases it, the creature can no longer suck the souls out from other people's bodies. Those it did feast upon return to their hosts the instant the demon is captured. All around me there's gasps of life, as if the bodies on the floor were drowning at sea and now they've washed ashore.

A sense of relief fills me at the sight of them breathing again.

"Well done," Alaric says, transformed back into his male form. He tightens his robe and winks at me. "We make a good team."

I hold up the bell. "That we do."

Slippery little thing almost falls from my hand.

Alaric chuckles. "I didn't plan on us working tonight."

"But we kicked so much ass!" I lift my free hand for a high five. "Hey, maybe demon hunting in bath robes will be the new thing."

His palm meets mine, but he takes hold of my fingers and pulls me to him. "I much prefer you in your sexy little swimsuit," he whispers.

"Pervert," I mutter, my cheeks burning from his compliment. "But seriously, I want to thank you for today. I never realised how much I needed a break from Hell until you brought me here. Even catching this demon together was a breath of fresh air. Thanks,

Alaric."

A smile softens his rugged features. "It's me who should be thanking you, lass."

Ever so gently, he runs a knuckle down my cheek while gazing intently into my eyes.

The caress sends a shiver down my spine, and I push onto my tiptoes to kiss him.

Alaric's lips claim mine first, the kiss gentle, a sweet caress of the mouth, but then it turns more demanding. His lips possess my own, battling against me as a low growl vibrates from his chest. I shiver, wanting more until he breaks away from me.

"You don't even know my name," he warns me as his eyes glow.

"Tell me then," I breathlessly reply.

He smiles and holds his hand out to me. "No but the next time we kiss, you will know who I am."

I take his hand, letting him lead me back to hell but something tells me the next time we kiss, his secret might just destroy any chance of a future.

CHAPTER 18

LILITH THORNBLOOD

My time in Japan feels like a quickly fading dream once I return to Hell.

A small part of me wished I could've stayed in that onsen with Alaric forever, but life doesn't work like that, and I have an alpha to teach a

lesson.

Alright, kill.

I step out of the portal and descend the stairs with Alaric at my side. He escorts me to the courtyard where the prince waits for our delightful little training session. I glance at the leaderboard, amazed to find my name so close to Alaric's. Caspian is going to be livid.

"You're late," he grumbles, pushing off his throne.

"I humbly beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty," I say with an innocent smile, bowing at him. I know he hates when people use his title. "I was a little predisposed capturing a level four demon."

"Where is it?"

I set the bell on the blood-stained stone. "All snug in his new home."

Eziel tilts his head, his lips hinting at a smile. "Not bad. That puts you, what, three points behind Alaric? You're in the running now for top spot. Caspian must be delighted."

His eyes flick to the side, but when I follow his line of sight, I don't see anything hiding under the archway.

I turn back to him. "He will be. Caspian and I are a team, so we're both in the running."

"Do team mates really go about fucking their enemy?"

My heart lurches. "Who in the hell do _"

He lifts a hand in supposed supplication. "I'm just asking, is all."

"Well, don't." I narrow my eyes at him. "What I get up to in my personal life is none of your concern."

He grabs my arm when I slide past him and pulls me close, our noses almost touching.

"It becomes my concern when they put a member of the DHT's life at risk."

"Alaric saved my life," I point out. I thought he'd dropped this when he summoned me to his study?

"Because Alaric was stalking you," he counters. "How else do you think he was there at the right time? He's had his eye on you since the feast."

I pull my arm free and step back, frowning at him. "Jeez. I thought I was here to train, not get a lecture."

Eziel lowers his voice. "Just be careful, that's all I'm asking. Alright?"

I stare at him for a moment, taking in his sincerity. "Alright," I say, my cheeks warming under his stare. It's clear he's only looking out for me, even if I do find it a little overbearing. He's exactly like Caspian in that sense.

Something moves in the corner of my eye.

I glance at the archway, and I just catch the back of Caspian storming around the corner. My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. How long has he been standing there? Did he hear what the prince said about Alaric? I mean, it wasn't true; I did only kiss him... and get a massage from him. Cold dread creeps over me. I've got a terrible feeling this won't go down well with Caspian later. He's crazy protective over me.

"Let's get started," Eziel says, nodding to the pile of weapons across the courtyard.

"Pick your poison, Firewolf."

Curiously, I head over to them and sift through the various kinds of weapons. The academy only trained us in combat in our wolf forms. Luckily, my dad taught me how to fight using daggers and swords. It's one of the few times we ever bonded.

Even then, my mum practically begged him to teach me, and he'd made his reluctance abundantly clear the whole time. I really did never matter to my dad. I was just a nuisance to him, right from the moment he laid eyes on me.

I push the sting that thought causes to the side and pick up a sword. It's surprisingly light and easy to wield. Once I clip some daggers to the holsters around my thighs, I head back. Eziel watches me twist the sword in my hand while walking over to him.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask.

He arches a brow and smirks. "Don't die."

"Isn't that comforting?" I call after his retreating figure.

He laughs and sits back in his throne, snapping his fingers.

One, two, then four shadows appear in the courtyard with us. They barely reach my waist, but damn they're fast. They move around me in a series of dark blurs, their movements forcing me to spin and lose my balance.

"They're only level-one demons," the prince explains, leisurely crossing an ankle over knee. "I want to see how you handle them." An amused glint flashes in his eyes. "Feel free to use your thighs like you did with Caspian. That shit was hot."

Rolling my eyes, I grip the handle tighter and wait for one of the giggling little fuckers to come at me again. I strike down, but it slips past me and climbs onto the roof of the archways. The sword burns against my palm and the entire blade turns crimson before slowly melting. I throw it away before the liquidised steel touches me and the demons' high-pitched cackling echoes around me. Damn it. I'm not sure I'll be able to catch them. I might need my wolf to do this.

"Terrible posture," I hear Aamon mutter to the prince. "Did you see how her back was arched? She'll never land a hit at this rate."

Oh, so Aamon is here to watch too, huh?

Alright, alright, alright.

Let's put on a good fucking show for them.

I take a run and jump toward the archway and pull myself over. My boots hit the concrete as I steady myself on the roof, pulling a dagger out from my holster. One of the demons charges toward me. I pivot to the side and toss my dagger, hitting the creature in the back before it can so much as turn around.

Even over the blood pounding in my ears, I hear Aamon's scathing voice mocking me.

"How abysmal. She really ought to-"

I slide an icy glare in their direction. Aamon flinches and looks back down at his book, but Eziel continues drinking his beer with not a care in the world.

"Continue," he says calmly.

"Only if that dickhead stops the running commentary!"

Eziel chokes on his drink and leans forward in his throne in a fit of laughter. Damn, his laugh is sexy; even when he's choking. His little advisor turns a brilliant shade of pink and flicks rapidly through the book. I'd like to shove that thing up his arse.

Two demons whizz past me, lifting my braid over my shoulder.

I bend down by the edge of the archway and press my hands flat against the concrete.

With a deep breath in through my nose, I lunge off the roof and shapeshift in the air. My wolf's huge paws slam into the earth, the force causing a wave of air to ripple the grass. She snaps her jaws in the direction of Aamon and then takes off after the demons. Now this is more like it. She catches a demon within sixty seconds. The instant she pins it down, the creature disappears into a puff of smoke.

My wolf snarls at the lack of blood and takes off after the other demons. She misses them a few times due to timing her lunges incorrectly, but she doesn't give up. We never do. By the time she's caught the fourth and last demon, she's panting and sweating.

"You rely too much on your wolf," Eziel says, walking toward her.

My wolf takes offence and snarls at them, but the prince doesn't even flinch when he stops right in front of her. He is an alpha, after all. It would take a lot to intimidate him. However, my wolf is having none of it; something that could result in a fight if she provokes his alpha side too much.

He reaches out, and my wolf pulls back cautiously. "You need to stop fighting like a wolf and start fighting like a demon," he says softly, gazing into her eyes. "I don't want either of my girls getting hurt."

My girls...

To my astonishment, that comment alone puts my wolf at ease and she stops growling.

What the hell? She's never given in that quickly.

Or easily.

Pausing for just a heartbeat, Eziel presses a hand to the side of her head.

She nudges him and leans into the caress. Okay. This is officially weird. I don't think my wolf has ever reacted to an alpha in this way; she's usually always trying to goad them into a fight, much to my family's distress.

"Next time, we're doing things my way so I can be certain you won't get hurt," he says.

Like we hadn't been doing things his way already? He's the one who summoned the demons.

He pulls his hand back and lets it fall by his side. "Don't be late, firewolf."

CHAPTER 19

LILITH THORNBLOOD

"Faster."

Eziel's shadow hangs over me as I obey his command and slam my fists into the gut of the rubber dummy. The burn from my muscles aches in

my arms all the way to my stomach. I don't know how long I punch the damn thing until Eziel places his hand on my shoulder, signalling for me to stop.

Breathlessly, I turn around. "What... what's next on your torture list?"

"An assault course," he replies, and my stomach drops.

Eziel walks away and curls his hand, another signal, this time for me to follow. Ijogto his side.

"Nope."

Damn, this dude is on a serious mission to break my body. I'm just worried he has no intention of putting me back together.

We head through the courtyard, past two pillars, and then down a stone path. We pass the Crescent Mother statue, and I naturally look her way. Two candles are held in her hands, both of them lit with a red flame. The Crescent Mother is always a woman in a cloak, her face hidden, but l imagine she is beautiful.

"I remember my mum telling me stories of the Crescent Mother and how she created shifters," I say, needing to fill the silence. I don't dare look at Eziel, but I feel his gaze on me all the same. "The story of a simple human woman who found a crystal on her beach, washed up by the sea-"

"And over time the crystal started whispering things to her, promising her the world if she only asked," he interrupts, but I don't mind. He's telling the story way better than I can. We both pause on the path and gaze at the statue. "When the woman's only son got sick, the crystal promised it could save her child but for a price. The woman made the deal, unaware of the consequences."

"She died the second the deal was made, and her son was transformed into a wolf," I carry on. "I always felt sorry for the young son. He must have been so scared and alone."

"The story didn't end there in my tutorage," he says, and I swiftly look at him. "I was told the wolf was unable to shift and spent ten years running around the woods by his house until he met a demon who escaped Hell. A succubus demon."

"They don't exist anymore," I say. "Succubus demons are considered too dangerous to be kept alive."

"I'm well aware of pack law," he reminds me.

Right. He's a prince, after all.

"What happened next in your story?" I ask softly.

"The succubus used her magic to turn the wolf back, and he was a man by this point.

Of course, the demon and the wolf fell in love, and a child was born from that love.

The second the child was born, the curse of never being able to shift was broken. I imagine that part of the story isn't told much to wolves outside of Hell."

"In my experience, it's not," I admit.

He shrugs. "You said you're from Stormfire, so how would you know?"

I quickly come up with the practised excuse Caspian and I went over. "My mother liked to travel the packs to sell her wares."

He side-eyes me. "What did she make?"

Fuck. We didn't cover that part.

"Erm.. jewellery and stuff," I say quickly.

"Like that pretty bracelet?" he asks.

"Yeah. It was the last gift from her before she was killed."

Something in his expression changes; he almost softens in his eyes.

He pulls out the silver necklace he always wears and shows me it. At the end is a red pendant rock. "This was the only gift my mother left me."

"It's beautiful," I whisper, enchanted by gold flecks inside the rock.

He smiles and tugs the pendant to his lips. The second it touches his mouth, red embers burst from the crystal, floating around us as I step closer to him.

I smile and run my hand through the embers. "This is incredible."

"Indeed," Eziel replies, but when I glance at him, he isn't looking at the embers. The sparks reflect in his eyes, making them seem like a fire is burning the entire world down beautifully. The world seems to go still at this moment, and my heart pounds.

The alpha's son is really handsome.

Eziel suddenly jolts back as though coming out of a spell, and it drags me from my reverie, too. What the hell was that?

"Let's get moving," he says, already walking away.

I force my unsteady legs after him.

"I hired seven wolves to clean out the old assault course for our training and I'm interested to see how you fare on it."

"You should firstly show me how to use it," I suggest sweetly.

Maybe topless, too, because I could totally watch that.

Intensely.

He looks down at me, serious expression marking his handsome face. "If you feel that would benefit your training."

"It would," I say with a nod, trying to be as serious as he is. "Very much."

We finally come out of the pathway to an arena built into the land, and in the centre of it is an assault course made for anyone but me. I count seven rock climbing towers, two pools of deep water, and five mud pits with nets above them. I don't even peek at the rows of jumping hoops and logs I'm sure he expects me to hop over.

No-fucking-way will I be able to cover that.

I turn to Eziel, but he's already heading down the stairs to the arena, unclipping his jacket and pulling it off as he walks. I follow him with keen, slightly nervous interest.

He places his coat on one of the many stone benches and pauses.

"Sit here and mentally take notes on how this assault course should be done."

"Yes, sir," I say, sitting my ass down. I'd much rather watch him from the sidelines.

He chuckles. "Why do I get the impression you're looking forward to this?"

"What do you think I could possibly enjoy?" I question, teasing him a little.

He grins and then slowly, or I imagine it slowly, pulls his shirt over his head. Holy shifter. The alpha's son is ripped as-F. His well-defined abs grab my attention until I force myself to drift my gaze up over his rock-hard pecs and muscular arms. The red pendant rests in the middle of his chest, and it jolts me out of my stupor.

"So, umm.." My voice cracks, and I clear my throat. "Break a leg."

"I believe I just found my answer, Lil," he says, and my cheeks burn a little bit from the nickname. My mouth turns dry when Eziel leaves me to jog down to the start of the assault course on the left, in front of the first three rock climbing towers. That's when I see his back, and my smile drops. In the centre is a circular burn mark, and I know what it's from right away.

I've seen the same markings on the medallion around the Stormfire alpha's neck. Oh my goddess! He branded his own son with it. Just when I thought I couldn't hate Rizer anymore than I already do.

Eziel doesn't look back, but he must know I've seen it. I try to blank my expression just in case he does glance over at me. Any sorrow I feel for Eziel would just embarrass him, I know it. He's a proud wolf of royal descent.

His father's cruelty may have branded his flesh, but it doesn't mark his soul.

A whistle goes off somewhere, and I watch Eziel run towards the first rock wall and jump halfway up it in one single leap. Damn, son. The prince has got some moves. He grabs the hinges carved into the rocks and throws himself up each one like a damn monkey before climbing over the top. He hurdles effortlessly off the top of the rock tower onto the next one, not pausing. He climbs the rest of the way to the top of that one next. My mouth pops open as he makes quick and sexy work of the last tower.

After jumping off, he lies flat, crawling fast under the net, through the mud that smothers him. I'm never racing him in this because I don't stand a chance.

Within minutes, he has done the entire course, and he swims out of the water at the end. Water droplets fall down his chest when he stands out of the pool, and I gulp when he heads my way.

"My time was three minutes. I expect you to do this in ten or we will keep doing until you do."

"There is no way in he"

"Get on with it," he snaps.

My body aches in protest before I've even made a step towards the assault course. I am so royally fucked.

***

You have a demon gnome in your kitchen eating nachos," Dove whispers to me. She sits on the sofa, her hair bouncing around her shoulders. "Did you know? Is that why we always have dinner at

mine? Want some help demon hunting?"

"I told him to hide." I sigh. "But yes. I also have a demon dragon in my room snuggling a hot water bottle. Don't even ask."

"I'm not going to." She laughs.

I rest back and take a long sip of my lemonade and vodka Dove made for me.

"So tell me about your family?" I ask her. We never discuss her life when we hang out, it's always stuff anyone could know about her, and it bothers me. She regularly calls me her best friend, and I know more about Knight than I do about her life.

She takes a drink and places her glass on the coffee table. "I have a sister, and my father brought us up when my mother died."

"I'm sorry," I tell her.

"Don't be," she responds. "My mother betrayed the alpha and nearly got us all killed.

It was a mess, and I don't know why she did it. I just know it left me and my sister as outcasts to everyone. It's kinda how I became friends with Caspian because he was an outcast, too, with his demon side. He stuck up for me."

"He is a good guy like that."

"So... what is going on between you two?" She's quick to change the topic. "The sexual tension is insane, and I've never seen Caspian this interested in anyone."

I look down into my drink. "He makes it very confusing. One second I think there is something and the next it's gone."

"Okay, so tell me about the Rivermare wolf?"

I blush and keep my focus on my drink. "I needed an escape, and it was just a kiss.

Alaric is a mystery to me."

"But fucking hot. You are one lucky bitch," she replies with a grin. "And I don't even like guys."

"Their loss," I say around a small laugh. "I'm glad we have become friends, Dove. I hope you become a professional demon hunter."

"Me, too. I have to become one before my sister enters next year. She'll never let me live it down otherwise."

"Is your sister a redhead like us?" I question. "If she is, we would have enough numbers for a cult."

"Knowing her, she would be down for that, but she is sadly blonde." She sighs. "Like, bright blonde and so stunning. I've always been jealous."

"She must have a downfall?"

Something crosses her eyes, and for a second I'm sure it's fear. It vanishes quickly, though.

"She has terrible taste in men, and one day it will ruin her."

"I'd like to meet her one day," I say just as the door slams open.

Knight runs in so fast I just about see a blur of movement that lands on my cushion.

"You must be Dove." Knight nods at her. "I expected you to be a bird, and I am disappointed."

Dove laughs, as do I.

"This is Knight," I say.

She smiles warmly at him. "Nice to meet you. Sorry I disappointed you. How come you're living here?"

"I have family here," he replies, and it melts my heart a little. He considers us family.

"And the food is good when the moody one doesn't hide it with bombs."

"Bombs?" I echo, raising an eyebrow.

He nods before disappearing and coming back in seconds with the diamond object I've wanted since seeing it Paris. The one Caspian had.

"Put that down!" Dove shouts, rushing over and carefully taking it off Knight. "You'd blow this entire building up if you dropped it."

"She must have a downfall?"

Something crosses her eyes, and for a second I'm sure it's fear. It vanishes quickly, though.

"She has terrible taste in men, and one day it will ruin her."

"I'd like to meet her one day," I say just as the door slams open.

Knight runs in so fast I just about see a blur of movement that lands on my cushion.

"You must be Dove." Knight nods at her. "I expected you to be a bird, and I am disappointed."

Dove laughs, as do I.

"This is Knight," I say.

She smiles warmly at him. "Nice to meet you. Sorry I disappointed you. How come you're living here?"

"I have family here," he replies, and it melts my heart a little. He considers us family.

"And the food is good when the moody one doesn't hide it with bombs."

"Bombs?" I echo, raising an eyebrow.

He nods before disappearing and coming back in seconds with the diamond object I've wanted since seeing it Paris. The one Caspian had.

"Put that down!" Dove shouts, rushing over and carefully taking it off Knight. "You'd blow this entire building up if you dropped it."

CHAPTER 20

LILITH THORNBLOOD

I pat my arm a few times, putting out the flames that the dragon spit up on me moments ago. My coat is a little burnt, but it's not as bad as the couch. I enter the living room where it sits with a massive burnt patch on it, and Dragon has dug himself a bed in the gap overnight. Caspian is going to be mad if he comes back.

No, when he's back.

I leave the apartment after feeding Knight and Dragon, heading upstairs. I lift my hand and knock on Dove's door a few times before it swings open. Standing in the doorway is Dove herself, wrapped in a white towel, her hair dripping water onto the floor.

"Hey, bestie! What's up?"

My stomach gives a twist again when she calls me her bestie. "Have you seen Caspian this morning or last night?"

She shakes her head. "No, why?"

"He's been missing since I got back from training with the prince and he was out all night," I explain, but I smile so she doesn't see how much I'm freaking out. "I'm sure he just got drunk at a bar but I can't help but be a little worried."

Truthfully, I am more than a little worried. In fact, I'm outright panicked about the idea that Caspian didn't come back since late last night or this morning. It isn't like him to be away this long.

"I last saw Caspian around six yesterday morning, and he said had a mission somewhere in Wales," she tells me. "I thought you'd be with him, to be honest."

I shake my head, my response dying on my lips. Why would he go on a mission on his own? My thoughts immediately go to how he seems so mad since I've come back from Japan with Alaric, which is unfair on so many levels. He's made it constantly clear that he doesn't actually like me, let alone want to be with me. I don't want to play games, and having a bit of happiness isn't something I should be punished for. What happens between me and Alaric has nothing to do with Caspian, especially not when he will never want me as anything more than a friend.

My hands shake in anger, and I clench them into fists. Fuck this. I'm going to hunt down my wayward partner and have a chat with him.

I ask Dove as much as I can about the hunt Caspian went on, and thankfully she seems to know a lot regarding his location but nothing about what Caspian is hunting. I have to hope he isn't in trouble since he's been gone a long time. My training with the prince isn't until this afternoon, so I have time to kill.

Heading through the courtyard, I go to a portal on the left side of DHT before jumping in with the thought of Wales in mind. I come out to the staircase inside a broken building, which is nothing more than dust and a frame. Not wanting to be here alone for long, I run up the steps and jump through another portal. I come out on a staircase in the middle of a room that nature has taken back. Right in front of me is a stag who instantly freezes when it sees me.

I'm sure it senses what I am before I growl low to warn it off. The stag runs out the door, and I take in a long breath to scent the room. Underneath all the damp floors, moss, and animal scents is Caspian's. The mixture of demon and wolf, and how unique he smells, isn't hard to miss. The day has come for a shift. Finally. It might be risky, but I need my wolf to find Caspian or it will take me all day.

"Your turn, girl," I say to myself. I feel like part of my soul is finally going to be free.

After stripping my clothes off, I pack them into my bag and take a deep breath and I shift. My wolf's deep-red paws land on the floor, and she lifts her head, letting out a long howl before running out of the building.

We charge through the forest, past hundreds of trees for more than half an hour before coming to the end of Caspian's trail. The forest opens up to a strange lake with more than a dozen large rocks of all different sizes in the middle. Something smells weird here under the scents of the damp lake and usual scents a lake would have. I quickly shift back and get dressed, and make sure my weapons are ready, I walk up and down the sandy rocks.

What the hell would Caspian be doing out here? And where is he? Frustrated, I grab a rock and throw it into the water. It instantly sizzles, and then the lake starts to boil until hot steam fills air above it. Shapes appear slowly and forge the outline of human shapes. The demonic energy raiding from them is strong and powerful. Shit, what the fuck are those?

I count seven when I step back, and something cracks under my foot. I barely get a second to look down before the ground below me sucks me in and dirt smacks into my face as I close my mouth. Sharp rocks cut across my arms. I struggle around in the dirt, but something is pulling me down, and I can't fight it.

I can't breathe. I can't breathe!

Suddenly, I'm free, and I slam into what feels like hard flat rock with a strangled grunt leaving my lips. I crawl to my feet in the darkness, feeling around my bag for the matches I know are in there while trying to slow my heartbeat down. I'm hidden from the steam creatures, at least. For now, I think. Unless this is where they take their victims to die.

Caspian, if you're alive, you're so dead for getting me into this crap alone.

Finally, I get the matches and drop my bag to light a few of them. The flames burn light into the room, and I see that it is a rock cavern and water is dripping down the sides, slowly leaking steam inside. So the demons are chasing me. Great. I freeze when I see a shape on the floor and walk over, leaning down to see it's Caspian.

"Caspian?" I whisper, a little fear trickling into my chest. Shaking his shoulders a few times doesn't seem to wake him, so nervously I touch his neck for a pulse, relieved when I find one. Faint, but it's there.

I come up with an idea that I've wanted to do for a long time. I lift my hand and slap him hard across the cheek, my matches going out at exactly the same time in my other hand. I can just see his outline as he jumps up and goes still, swearing under his breath.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Lilith?"

I shove my hand into his chest. "Saving your ass even though you left me behind.

What the hell is your problem?"

Staring back in the darkness, he doesn't answer me. I can't see him, but I can feel his glare burning me to the spot. He doesn't reply, so I carry on.

"I can't believe you went on a mission on your own and you clearly got yourself knocked out! You could have been killed, you complete idiot! This is why demon hunters have partners! I don't want to see you die!"

"You seemed like you were busy," he answers coldly to my rant like I'm insane and have no reason to be mad. "And I was fine until you came here and told all the demons where I hid."

"That's bullshit and you know it!" I snap.

The walls around us shake, and more demon energy leaks in, likely from the steam that is making the cavern warm. The steam demon things will be here soon, and he is still being an ass.

"Why did you come here? What are they?" I ask, needing to put our personal problems aside for a moment before we both get killed.

"Fine," he snaps with a sour tone. "Late last night I heard about this mission that qualified demon hunters had turned down because these demons had killed an entire village nearby. These are called Lullaby Demons because they use steam to travel and sing you to your death."

"So you came to them on your own?" I ask. He's an even bigger idiot than I thought.

"Well, yes, because I know how to knock them out long enough to get them to hell," he counters, and no one could miss his smug tone. "And this mission would settle us both in the top ten. That was always our end goal, right?"

"How can they be beaten?" I ask, ignoring his taunt.

"They can be revealed with demon light, and then we can shoot them," he explains with a huff. "I would have been fine on my own to do this."

"You best make some light then 'Mr I need no help but looked as helpless as Bambi before I got here."

He pulls me behind him before he lights up the room, and red beams of light flash out of his hands in two lines that spread down the sides of the cavern. He makes demon magic seem easy when it's incredible.

I unclip my gun and step to his side just as the end of the cavern is filled with at least ten of the Lullaby Demons. The second they move closer, the steam is washed away with the light, and they look almost real and not so human. They're more like huge, skinny sausage dogs that stand up on two feet and aren't the least bit cute. I don't pause. I shoot three of them in the chest, and they drop like sacks of flour. Caspian uses his two guns to shoot the rest.

"Nice aim. Did Alaric teach you that?"

"No, Eziel did," I answer just as coldly. "And what do you care what Alaric teaches me?"

He doesn't answer, but his shoulders tense when he turns to me.

I stare up at him in the magic which highlights so many of his features. "What's wrong, really? What's going through your head?"

He shakes his head but never breaks his eye contact with me. "You don't want to know, songbird."

"I think it's because you like me and you just won't admit it."

His features twist into a grimace. "You're my best friend's sister, so it doesn't fucking matter, does it?" His words cut through me despite that it's just a defence mechanism because he doesn't want to talk about this.

"Well, that's the problem, isn't it?" I cross my arms and hold his glare. "You still treat me like the little girl you knew back in Caeli. The best friend's sister, the one who annoyed you because she was head over heels for you. I bet you still thought of me like that until recently. Now you want to pretend there's nothing between us to make yourself feel better."

He steps closer, his dark eyes narrowed. "There is nothing between us."

"But everything changed when I kissed Alaric. Caspian Hardling had to admit to himself that he didn't like it," I say, ignoring his cold, dismissive reply. "You were jealous, and that isn't nothing, Caspian. When you look at me, you want to pretend I'm off limits so you can feel nothing. Why do you even bother? You don't see me as anything other than an annoyance, so here's an idea, don't you fucking dare tell me who I can and cannot kis—"

He crushes my lips to his, stealing the rest of my words- the very air from my lungs.

My tirade is extinguished the moment his touch sears through me to the depths of my being. It unlocks something between us, something urgent and possessive that speaks of a deep, burning passion that incinerates our bodies. His anger, jealousy, and inner conflict transmit from his mouth to mine and conveys everything he's been unable to say out loud.

I never want this to end.

His hand cups the back of my neck, and his other settles on my waist, pressing my body to his, but with a jolt, he pulls back and shoots his gun four times. I search the cavern in a daze. Four more Lullaby Demons crumble on top of the pile.

I don't know what's hotter. The kiss or him pausing to shoot things.

It's a bit of both.

"I can't do this," he breathes out, taking a step back from me and cutting my heart to pieces with those four simple words. "It's nothing to do with you or how much I want you."

"Like that excuse hasn't been heard by a million women before," I mumble, crossing my arms again.

Something changes in his eyes, like a wave washing ashore only to bathe the sand in darkness. For the first time in my life, I'm reminded that Caspian isn't only a wolf. He takes a step closer and ever so slowly runs his fingers up my arms. A shudder of desire rakes through me. Every touch is like a jolt of lightning.

"With one brush of my lips, I could have you obsessed with me, my magic controlling your thoughts. My father is a succubus demon, and I'm born of his sin and lust. I'm made of lust, Lilith. Do you know what that means?"

"No," I reply, my heart thrashing against my ribs.

Succubus demons were erased from Hell and Earth hundreds of years ago because of how dangerous they can be. They can seduce an entire pack into doing what they want and they have done so before.

They're pack destroyers.

Caspian is far more powerful and complicated than I ever thought.

His dark chuckle fills the silence. "It means once I have you, no other man would ever compare, and I would never let you go. You'd be mine, and I'd show you what real lust can do. I'd break you, Lilith, and I would love it because that's all demons like me can love: lust."

"I don't believe that," I whisper.

He leans his head close to mine. "Then be careful. While my wolf will simply possess you, my demon will own you mind, body, and soul. I'm not pushing you away because I don't want you. It's because I know my demon will claim your soul and never set you free. You'd end up hating me."

He steps away, and I feel like I can finally breathe again. I watch the man who thinks it's that easy to scare me away walk through a cavern of flames before shifting into a red wolf. A massive form fills the cavern and turns back to me, its black eyes almost glowing in the near darkness.

I should be scared of the demon wolf made of lust and sin, but I'm not.

Caspian is more than a partner to me and he always will be.

CHAPTER 21

LILITH THORNBLOOD

The burning Tree of Ignis is no longer on fire.

When we emerge from the portal in the tree's hollow, the leaves that usually flutter to an ash grave cease to fall. Shifters and demons scurry around the

Inner City, and the sky, normally a vivid red, is now pitch-black. It's like all the color has been sucked out of Hell.

I hurry in Caspian's wake. "What do you think is going on?"

The only light visible comes from the buildings, but everything else is draped in darkness, and there's a coldness in the air that turns my breath into smoke.

"The city is getting shut down," Caspian answers, a crease forming between his brows.

He pivots on his heel, and grabbing my hand, leads the way through the portal again. I don't bother asking who's the one behind all of this. A cold, icy dread shivers through me, carving the name Rizer into my flesh. Has he found me? My stomach twists at the prospect.

When we step out of the portal, the doors to the DHT are closed. They've always been open from the first day I arrived here. Swallowing my unease, I follow Caspian to the entrance. He knocks, his features pulled into a contemplative grimace. He must think this is all because of Rizer, too.

A slat in the door opens and Aamon, the prince's advisor, peers through. He takes one look at us before stepping back and unlocking the entrance.

"The Prince has summoned a meeting," he says, turning around, his robes whipping behind him. "Make haste."

We follow Aamon into the courtyard. I can't help but cast nervous glances around me, as if at any moment, Rizer's going to jump out from the shadows. Thank the goddess Caspian's still holding my hand. That gesture alone makes me feel a tiny bit safer.

Eziel stands in front of his throne, his arms folded over his powerful torso. He's never looked so beautiful than he does right now at this moment, bathed in the glimmers of light that reflect off his clothes and necklace. The rest of him is shadowed in darkness.

His eyes scan everyone in the courtyard. "As many of you know by now, my father is searching for something that was taken from him." His eyes linger briefly on my face, then cut to my hand linked with Caspian's. A dark glint shines in the prince's eyes.

"Something valuable. Until he's found it, the Inner City will only be accessible through my own portal here in this courtyard."

With a wave of his hand, an emerald portal materialises above the stone in which I and all the other hunters bled on.

"Access will be given to those hunting in the trials. Any personal business will no longer be permitted."

Shocked, angry whispers break out between everyone.

"For how long?" someone asks after several moments of bickering.

"Indefinitely if the alpha does not find what he's looking for," Eziel replies, casting me another veiled glance.

A deep shame rises to the surface of my being. Everyone is being punished, potentially because of me. As if sensing my inner turmoil, Caspian squeezes my hand and smiles at me. I return it, thankful more than ever for his support. I don't think I'd be able to get through this without him... as infuriating as he's been in the past.

"So we're all stuck here unless we're working?" Alaric pushes off one of the pilasters and approaches the front of the crowd. He turns around and smiles but it seems calculating. "Then we better all get fucking hunting."

He saunters off after that, whistling as if he's strolling through the park.

I'd laugh if I wasn't so freaked out.

The only saving grace is that we can leave hell if we're on a mission. The thought of being stuck down here forever, with Rizer's pack, is incomprehensible to me. At least not until I've won the trials and made Rizer suffer for what he's done.

"Let's go," Caspian whispers, leading me through the courtyard.

We pass Dove and her partner on the way. She waves and tries to get me to walk over, but Caspian's on a mission. He practically drags me to our apartment. As soon as the door closes, he turns to me.

"Rizer," we say at the same time.

Caspian's mouth twitches. "It's got to be him. The realms have never been shut down like this."

"What do we do?" I scan the room for Knight or Dragon, but they're nowhere to be seen. Not even on the burned sofa. They must be in one of our bedrooms. "We can't hide here forever."

He nods and paces the room, the marks on his face glowing. "Hiding is what he'd expect you to do. We need to keep training and hunting as usual. That way we can hopefully throw him off our scent if we're constantly leaving through different portals."

"Okay..."

Caspian stops pacing and walks over to me. "Don't be scared, Songbird," he whispers, so softly my heart skips in my chest. "T've got your back. I'll reach out to some of my contacts to see what I can find out."

I nod and take a deep breath. "Alright. I'm going to check on the fur babies."

"They don't even have fur," I hear Caspian mumble as I walk away.

Smiling for the first time since I got back, I enter my room. Knight and Dragon are entwined on the foot of my bed. Knight's grown quite fond of sleeping with Dragon.

He claims it's because of the hot water bottles and piles of blankets, but I think it's because he sees him like a brother.

Dragon lifts his head when I close the door softly behind me. Knight, however, remains snoring like a walrus. Such a cutie.

"Hey, Dragon." I kneel by the side of my bed and extend an arm. "Did you sleep okay?"

Dragon immediately crawls up to me, his little tail wagging the same way as a dog's would do. In the weeks I've adopted him, he's already grown three times the size he was. He pokes his little tongue out and licks my cheek. A giggle escapes me and I stroke the side of his neck. Soon he won't be able to sit on my shoulder and nuzzle into me like this.

"Can you tell I've had a bad day?" I whisper, scratching him.

He leans in and presses his face against mine, his scales warm. I pick him up off my shoulder and cradle him in my arms as though he were a baby. It's then that Knight wakes up with a loud groan and stretches.

"What's shaking, Redhead?"

I smile, glancing up at Knight yawning away, his tiny legs crossed underneath him.

"It's been a long day."

"You know the big bad wolf I told you about?"

Knight stands to attention right away. "What's wrong? Which foe must I unleash my mighty wrath on to protect my family?"

I fall silent for a moment and scratch Dragon's belly. "I fear this is a foe neither of us can defeat," I say, my stomach clenching. "At least not right now."

Knight hops beside me. He doesn't crawl onto my body like Dragon, but he sits close, which is his way of showing affection.

"Why not right now?" he asks and cocks his little head at me.

I stop petting Dragon, my thoughts straying to the past. Images of Rizer at my family's kitchen table, my parents' dead bodies sitting beside him, with blood on the floor and my hands, flit through my mind. But they each merge into one single object — a golden trophy, a figurative symbol of my winning the Demon Hunting Trials.

"Because I haven't won the Trials yet," I reply, petting Dragon again. He's curled up on his back with his tail wagging between his legs. So cute. "The only way to protect our family is to win."

"And to defeat the Stormfire alpha."

I snap my gaze to him. "How do you know Rizer is hunting me?"

He shrugs. "You talk in your sleep. I listen."

I bite my lower lip, then smile at him. "You're a good listener, Knight."

The demon gnome puffs his chest proudly. "It's a knight's job to listen and to protect his family."

My heart swells. "You're the only family I've got left that I know is alive."

Wordlessly, Knight reaches out a tiny hand and touches my leg. It's the most affection he's shown me, and it brings tears to my eyes.

I set Dragon back into his fort of blankets and make my way back to the living room. Just as I enter, a crouched, shadowy creature climbs up the wall and disappears through the window. Demonic magic lingers in its absence.

"Who was that?"

Caspian stands from the sofa, a blade in hand. Fresh blood permeates the air, and I catch sight of a fresh wound on Caspian's palm.

"A messenger of my father," he says as he puts his weapon down.

He notices me looking at his injury, but doesn't elaborate. So I decide to pry a proper explanation out of him with subtle probing.

"Did you just make a freaking deal with a demon?"

He laughs at that and heads into the kitchen. "Demons can't make deals with other demons."

I follow him and lean against the countertop while he makes something to eat.

"But you drew your own blood," I point out, nodding to his palm; the wound has already healed. "You dealt with something if not for your own blood."

He's silent while he prepares sandwiches. Passing me a plate with two of them on it, he then moves back into the living room and drops on the sofa. I hang back and study him from the kitchen while slowly eating my sandwich.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, Songbird. Just know that I'm going to protect you no matter what happens." He takes a large bite of his food. "Oh, and it's Rizer who's shut down Hell. But we already knew that."

I open my mouth to speak, to once more probe him about his cut palm, but there's a knock on the door. I set the food down and open it, surprised to find Eziel standing there. His eyes have turned into a deep, dark onyx and he looks like he hasn't slept in weeks.

"Hey." The word is just above a whisper.

He inclines his head, saying a polite, "Hey" back to me. Then his gaze cuts over my shoulder to Caspian. Just when I think his eyes can't darken anymore, they do. I thought he was friends with Caspian? "I need to speak to you. In private."

I open the door and step back with a nod. "We can chat in my room." I lead the way, pausing briefly outside the door. "By the way, I have a pet dragon and a gnome."

He chuckles and follows me inside. Knight is nowhere to be seen. He must've gone outside judging by my slightly opened bedroom window. Dragon's luckily too big to fit through. He wakes upon our entry, but the moment he looks at Eziel, he flaps his wings and flies over to him, landing firmly on top of the prince's head.

"Oh, my gosh! He's never flown before!"

Eziel couldn't look more smug even if he tried. "I've always had a particular way with fledglings."

"Is that what you call baby demons?" I sit down on the bed and draw my legs up underneath me. "I've been calling them fur babies."

"But they don't have "

"—fur. Believe me, I know."

Eziel reaches up and pries Dragon off his head. "Do you know how rare this female girl is?"

She's a girl? Aww!

"I figured she's pretty rare since I found her at the illegal demon market," I say, and a shudder rakes through me at the memory. I quickly push it to the back of my mind.

"Anyway, what is it you'd like to talk about?"

The brief smile that threatens the prince's lips dies when I utter the question. He puts Dragon on the floor and approaches the opposite end of my bed. Slowly he sits down, his hands splayed over his lap.

"I think you know why, Lilith."

Goosebumps break out over me at the sound of my name on his lips. There's just something about the way he says it that makes me shiver— in a good way.

I wait for him to go on, not wanting to give away my secret unless I know we're on the exact same page.

He turns his dark eyes on me. "My father has increased his hunting parties, which I know are searching for you." Before I can ask, he holds up a hand to preempt me. "Your secret is safe because you and I share something in common. We both want my father dead."

"You do?" I whisper, drawing my brows together in confusion. "But... he's your alpha."

"And you saw what he did to my back," the prince counters. "It was nothing compared to what he did to my mother. Trust me, there's no love lost between us. I despise my father as much as you do, and I want to help."

My pulse spikes and my palms turn sweaty in my lap. "The only way you can help is to ensure I win the trials, but since that might require cheating, it'd risk getting us both kicked out."

"True, I can't help you win but I can give you power, and with power you can do almost anything." He removes the emerald ring on his finger and holds it out to me.

"This will make sure I can find you at all times. It also has the extra ability to ensure the wearer cannot be held in any cage."

My breath hitches when he takes my left hand and slowly, gently, slides the ring onto my index finger.

"Be careful out there, Autumn. I can only help you if you remain alive."

He finishes with a wink and my lips curl in a smile.

"Well, I had better remain alive then, huh?" I raise my hand to admire the jewel. "It's beautiful."

"It was my mother's. It protected me a lot when I was a cub. Now it's going to protect you."

"Thank you," I whisper, my eyes glazed with appreciation but my heart hurts for him and his mother. This ring was made for a reason and I can only imagine why his mother would never want to be locked up.

Wolves don't belong in cages because our souls are born in the freedom of the Crescent

Mother.

He nods and stands from the bed. Spotting one of the letters my 'new friend' sent me, he picks it up, reads it, then tucks the parchment into his pocket.

"Payment for the ring," he says, grinning at me.

"Sure," I murmur.

Until now, part of me had wondered if the letter was from him but it's clearly not I watch him walk over to the door. He came all the way here just to help me. I know it's a little silly, but I can't help but hope it's because he shares similar feelings for me.

Hell, maybe it's about time I just outright ask him.

"Are you only helping me because of your father?" I ask, the words tumbling from my lips before I can catch them. He looks back, his gaze intent on mine. "There are many forbidden secrets in Hell, but none of them will drop from my lips this evening."

I recognise the famous poet, a Rivermare wolf who sold millions of his poems to the humans and wolves. The poem is about a human who falls in love with a ghost who he can never love, but in the end it turns out he was the ghost all along. The human wasn't a human, but a demon, luring his soul down to the pits of hell.

In the end, the ghost fell willingly into hell, lured by beauty and desire.

Conlaelth's eyes drop to my lips for a brief moment before he leaves, and I'm left wondering if I'm the human or the ghost?

CHAPTER 22

LILITH THORNBLOOD

I suppose my idea of hell would be hunting demons in a corporate building in the middle of New York City on a cold, rainy day. All those people in suits talking about finance or weekend plans while cramped in stuffy little elevators or hanging over office cubicles is definitely not my idea of a fun mission. But when it comes down to it, I'm willing to do just about anything to get out of Hell for a while.

The real Hell.

"Here you go, love." Alaric hands me a blue lanyard with a card that says 'VISITOR' on the front. He proceeds to give Caspian, Dove, and her partner, Annastasia, one.

The raven-haired girl hasn't spoken more than a handful of words to me, but she barely speaks to Dove either, so I think she's just quiet like that.

We hang the passes around our necks, then Caspian approaches the reception desk where a cheery face human smiles at us all. Damn, Caspian looks hot in his dark grey suit. The material clings to him like a second skin and really brings out his eyes. The demon marks that are usually on his face have been hidden with magic. I actually prefer him with the marks, but I still melt a little when he casts a smile over his shoulder at me.

"Hello and welcome to Dynasty!" The human's shrill voice cuts through me, unnecessarily high-pitched and there is a strange dazed look in her blue eyes.

Something demonic has been messing with her head.

According to the tracker, Dyenasty is merely a place where demons like to hide and hunt. It's just a coverup for their antics. But the CEO is a level five demon, and so this place has become a sort of gathering place for them. Already the scent of less powerful demons lingers around me, the smell pungent and suffocating.

It's also incredibly difficult to tell which of the businessmen and women are demons.

They walk with their briefcases and laptop bags without paying us so much as a passing glance. The rows of elevators across the foyer ping open and more suits walk in and out. Above us, the transparent stairs spiralling toward the domed ceiling appear seemingly endless from down here. This is my biggest mission to date, and it's why we've been grouped together.

Eziel called everyone to the courtyard this morning for this mission and got us into groups with each of us tasked with a certain level of the building. I know at least three teams are in the other buildings with sniper guns ready to rain fire down on these demons. Other hunters are making wards outside so none of the demons can escape.

I glance over as four cleaners walk in, two of them wheeling trolleys full of cleaning products and weapons into the building. We got this.

"Are you ready?" the girl asks.

"We're ready." Alaric flashes her a seductive wink. His wine red sweater, pulled over his white shirt and tie, strains against his muscles. The creepy, happy-go-lucky receptionist practically drools over him. I can't really blame her. He looks every bit the sophisticated nerd, especially with those wide black glasses.

She taps her earpiece. "The applicants are ready."

Not three seconds later, a tall, expressionless human in a bright red suit appears. She looks like she hasn't cracked a smile in yonks. I'm jealous of her red crystal earrings shaped like moons.

"Welcome. I'm Margaret, the Vice President here at Dynasty. Please remember that only one of you will be chosen as our new intern. Once the board of directors has made their decision, you will be informed by close of business whether your application was successful. Shall we begin with the tour?" The VP doesn't wait for a reply. She spins and heads for the elevators, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.

I turn and fall into step with Caspian, my black skirt flowing around my thighs and I want it off as soon as possible.. "You look good in a suit," I whisper.

He chuckles and tugs at the collar of his loosely buttoned shirt. "Don't get used to it, Songbird. I hate these things. Doubt I'll even make the intern cut," he adds with a wink.

I grin at him. "I wouldn't be so sure. And I think suits are sexy. You should definitely remove your coat and roll up your sleeves at some point." I slide into the elevator and stand next to him, Alaric on my other side. "In fact, you might as well just take the damn thing off. Both of you."

My guys laugh and make room for Dove and Annastasia.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Alaric chuckles.

I grin at him. "Oh, you have no idea."

"I think I do." He smirks at me.

Caspian tenses slightly at my side, but he doesn't look as if he wants to murder Alaric like he did a few days ago. I mean he still looks like he could chop off certain parts of him. Maybe hunting demons will bring the two of them closer. I can only hope.

The VP presses for the first floor and a momentary silence drifts between us. I use the moment to go over the mission. First, we need to find the level five demon. Find and kill it. Alright, bring it back to hell if indeed possible. The fact that it's killed over a hundred humans really makes me want to do the former. An eye for an eye. But death would be giving the demon mercy. It makes sense they should rot in the pits of Hell for eternity. It's where creatures like them belong.

My pulse spikes at the thought of capturing a level five demon. Not only that, it's from the Feeder family but far more powerful, which means more points. However, capturing this one won't be easy. Level fives are ruthless, powerful, and this one is the head of one of New York's most successful corporations. It's a little funny, now that I think about it. Aurelia did always say that businessmen were soul-sucking demons who suck the life out of others. I just never realised how accurate that definition was until now.

The doors slide open with a resounding ping, and a shudder runs down the length of my spine. Well... it's time to face these demonic businessmen. And women. Because when I step out into an open-planned office, which the VP explains is the finance department, there are females sitting amongst the males, all blending into a sea of bland suits. The thrum of fingers typing away on keyboards and photocopiers and printers hard at work punctuate the quiet chatter that circulates between them.

Nobody pays us any attention as the VP guides us through the department.

While Dove jots down notes in her book, appearing to take everything in, I drown out the woman's voice and search the floor for demons.

"There's too many," Caspian mutters in my ear. "But the level five will stand out. Even humans can sense something wrong about them. Wolves can taste it in the air, feel it in our souls."

I turn my eyes to Caspian. He is the son of a level five demon and ever since I met him, all those years ago, I felt Caspian in my soul. It was a dull beat that's slowly turned into an inferno that I never want to escape.

I nod, pulling my eyes away and scanning the figures slouched over their desks. I highly doubt the CEO will be sitting here. It's most likely somewhere at the top of the building. Once we find and capture it, every demon spawned from it will also be returned to Hell. It's a win-win, really.

"..show you each of the departments." The VP's voice carries back to me.

"Unfortunately, I will be unable to give you a tour of the top floor because we have several executive meetings taking place throughout the day, but don't worry, there's plenty to see." She stops a small woman in a pinstriped navy suit from walking past.

"Ah! Karen. I wonder if you could talk to our intern applicants about -"

Her voice fades into the background again, and we're taken to another department.

I exchange a knowing glance with my team. Of course the top floor would be off limits: that's where the level five demon is. Now, how do we get there? We hadn't expected the VP to be the one to give the tour. We also hadn't expected there to be so many demons hiding amongst the humans. Either the humans are oblivious to their existence or they couldn't care less. Both make absolutely no sense to me.

As soon as we're shown to the HR office three departments later, Caspian touches my arm.

"Songbird Alert," he whispers, nodding to the double doors at the end of the other room, where a green exit sign hangs above it.

'Songbird Alert' is the code we came up with— or rather, I reluctantly agreed to when any of us sensed the target. Alaric found it hilarious when Caspian explained why he calls me Songbird. Jackasses. Anyway, the demon must be close by. A tendril of unease mixed with excitement trickles into me. I slowly reach into my dress pockets and wrap my fingers around the silver square. To the untrained eye, it's exactly that, but the moment I press the button on the front, it transforms into a huge dagger infused with magic.

I scan the floor. This department is much quieter compared to the others, with only a few occupied desks dotted around the room. This time they do look up. Although it's hard to tell which of the employees are demons, the one licking its lips by the door is a bit of a telltale sign. I drown out the VP's commentary about the department and keep my focus on those within the room. It's clear that whatever lurks on beyond the double doors is our target. Alaric and Caspian nod at each other while Dove pretends to be listening to the VP intently. Her partner's hands are already tucked inside her coat, reaching for her weapons.

Since I'm closest to the VP, I remain a step behind her as she ushers everyone toward the exit. Stairs spiral down in a narrow, dimly lit passageway. A sign on the wall points to the RECORD ROOM and the VP drones on and on about how integral it is to the company. Yeah, integral to capturing their prey. This stairwell must be the one of the last things those poor humans see before they are shoved into the slaughterhouse.

And they're led there by one of their own people. It's disgusting.

At the bottom of the stairs, Alaric casts a fleeting glance over his shoulder and winks.

The signal for me to get a little touchy-feely with the Vice President.

In two swift movements, I pull out my weapon, grab the VP, and press the tip of the blade to the front of her throat. She lets out a startled little squeal while the rest of us gather around her, weapons raised.

Alaric grins like a child about to unwrap a present. "I do believe we've reached the end of your little tour," he says in a deep, sinister voice that sends shivers down my spine. "So here's what's going to happen next. You're going to open that door and come inside with us, then, if he's not already there, you're going to give your boss a wee call.

Comprende?"

"He'll

— kill you either way" she chokes out.

Alaric's grin spreads into a full-blown smile. "Oh, he'll certainly try to. But don't worry. We're demon hunters, sweetheart, and we know a thing or two about sending soul-sucking demons back to Hell. Now let's go."

He steps aside and I shove the VP forward. Caspian stands protectively close to me while she swipes her pass down the security lock. The door clicks open and I push her into the room, my team following behind. Only one ceiling light activates when we enter; the rest remains shuttered in darkness. Fortunately, my shifter senses can make everything out.

The multiple, towering filing cabinets, and the large cage on the middle of the floor are as clear as day. Pushed up against the far wall is a huge furnace, the kind used to burn bodies, and I can't resist the shudder that snakes through me. Those poor humans.

"Call him," I growl, nudging my blade into her.

"S-Sebastian," she stammers. "Sebastian, I have brought them as requested."

Nothing. Not a reply, not even a whiff of demonic magic.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, little demon." Alaric flicks a knife in his hand and searches the main part of the floor.

"Looks like our demon is a bit shy," Annastasia says, contemplating her black polished nails. "How adorable. Let's go kill it."

I glance at her and smile. She may be a woman of few words, but the ones she does use are hilarious sometimes.

"Call him again," I snap at the VP.

She shakes her head. "He won't come. He knows what you are. Both you and the tall one."

Caspian gives a long, drawn-out sigh. Wordless, he reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a fae grapefruit. I've seen them in books, but I had no idea they were real. He tosses it in his hand and smirks at me. "Feeders love fae grapefruits. Can't resist them and luckily my father grows rare fruits."

"That would've been useful to know last time," I say, sliding Alaric a grin.

Caspian's smile fades and I regret bringing up my time with Alaric. Will Caspian ever accept that he won't be the only man in my life?

He tosses the fruit across the room. It sails past my ear in a whistle, but before it smacks into one of the filing cabinets, a long, pale hand catches it. A dark figure emerges from the shadows, and sharp, glinting canines pierce the flesh of the grapefruit. A grotesque smile upturns thinly pressed lips, and a trickle of fae grapefruit runs down a dimpled chin.

"Such a pity." The demon unveils itself to be a handsome, middle-aged man dressed in a tailored suit. His eyes gleam like ruby shards and my wolf recoils away from him. "I do believe none of you will be my next intern."

Dove releases an arrow infused with magic, but the demon counteracts it with a lazy wave of his hand. He finishes the fruit in two bites, throws it over his shoulder, and licks the seam of his lips. His deep onyx eyes travel each of us leisurely. They land on me, and he smiles again.

"You, however, showed great promise. You'll be the first to die."

Another wave of his hand causes a dark smoky tendril to appear out of nowhere and wrap around my wrist. It binds me like a curled whip and then yanks my arm sideways, forcing me to drop my dagger to the floor.

The VP scrambles to the side while Alaric shapeshifts into his ginormous dark blue wolf and lunges. Dove disappears behind one of the cabinets while her partner shifts into a raven with huge golden talons. She must have demon blood in her, or she could never do that. Wolves can't shift into other creatures.

I reach into my pocket and withdraw a second blade. More demonic tendrils snap out of the darkness and cut through the air. I dive to the side, just narrowly avoiding the demon's magic, and grip my weapon.

"Caspian!"

Fighting the demon alongside Alaric's wolf and Annastasia's raven, Caspian follows the sound of my voice. I throw my silver dagger, its use intended to capture the demon, and he catches it with a similar tendril of his own, only it's the same colour as his eyes. I've never seen his succubus side before; it's utterly breathtaking. The smoky tendrils bursting out from his back, lash around him and collide with the demon's.

One of Caspian's tendrils catches the demon on the cheek, and dark blood surfaces like tar. With his magic holding everyone else at bay, the demon touches the blood trickling down his face and snarls.

As if placing his hands on an invisible table before him, the demon's body contorts.

Bones twist and snap. Flesh tears and gone is the human skin the creature has been hiding in. Now an enormous dark creature with several limbs and eyes lunges toward me.

I pull out my gun and shoot, but the silver bullet ricochets off the creature and dings on the floor. Dove's arrow catches one of the demon's arms and it shrieks, the ear-splitting noise almost cracking my skull in half from the frequency. A rush of dizziness washes over me and hundreds of records, filed away in the cabinets, crash onto the floor as the demon jumps on top of the cage and continues shrieking.

I cover my ears in an attempt to dull the pain, but it doesn't work. This demon's scream is all-consuming, affecting every part of my body. The blood in my veins pounds and my heart squeezes under the pressure.

Darkness seeps into my line of sight and I fall to my knees just like the rest of my team.

"S-stop!" I cry out, but the word leaves me in a pathetic whisper. Bile rises from my stomach and I hunch over, seconds from passing out. "Just... stop..."

My wolf howls deep within me, but it's not from pain. It's from rage. It's as though she's feeding on the demon's pain, growing stronger with each second it screams. For whatever reason, this gives me the strength to stand, and the agony in my head fades into nothingness. A resolve spreads through me like fire. I pull my hands away and take a step forward. All around me, even in their shifter forms, my team is crouched over in excruciating agony. My heart breaks for them, but my body is moving as if controlled by another entity.

I pick up Dove's bow off the floor and nock a steel arrow while looking the demon dead in the eye. "You. Will. Stop!"

The demon clamps its mouth and silence befalls the room as the magic he was using drains away. In the seconds before I release the arrow, it stares at me as if cast under a spell. But the spell breaks when the arrow cuts through the air toward him, and the demon lunges onto one of the cabinets. I release another arrow, thankful the prince taught me archery during one of our training sessions. However, once again I miss the demon, but at least my team is slowly recovering around me.

"Song...songbird." Caspian shakily gets to his feet, his suit stained in blood. "You need to get out of here."

Alaric's wolf limps over to me, his body trembling from exertion. He looks wounded too, he's barely using his front paw, but he drags himself all the same. Like nothing will stop him coming for me.

The demon shrieks again and splits up into several miniature versions of itself that crawl over the floor like ants. Before I can even shoot another arrow, they pile on top of my guys.

Dove grabs me by the shoulders and shoves me backward into a crimson light.

CHAPTER 23

LILITH THORNBLOOD

"We have to go back!" I whisper, my blood running cold. I crawl off my knees and turn to Dove, who straightens up. Ash, dust, and blood coat her ripped clothes, and she brushes some of it off her

cheeks like she has all the time in the world. How the fuck did she open a portal? How could she just leave them there? "Caspian is hurt! We have to help them!"

Her expression drains of all the light and kindness I've always seen there, morphing her into someone else that I've never seen. It's like a lightbulb going off, and she bows her head, looking over my shoulder. I don't need to turn around to know who is there, to know she has betrayed me. I can see it in her cold eyes, and I was an idiot.

"My alpha, I have found your runaway mate like you ordered."

I slowly turn around, every second more tense than the next. My boots scratch across the stone ground as my heartbeat fills my ears, and I can smell nothing but fire. The Stormfire alpha is standing in the middle of the courtyard, dressed in black leather, and he smiles. A triumphant and deadly smile.

The alpha I've been hiding from this entire time has caught his prey. I have to push my worry about the others to the back of my mind. Caspian and Alaric are outstanding fighters, the best I know, and if anyone can survive what just happened, it's them. I need to focus on somehow surviving this.

Dove tries to walk around me, her stupid heels clicking on the stone, but I catch her arm. Not giving her a second, I pull her to me and make sure she looks into my eyes.

"You're going to regret this," I warn her and I tighten my fist.

She opens her lips to say something, but I smack her as hard as I can, not wanting to hear it. The badass demon hunter in training I once respected and cared for cries out before collapsing.

"Seems you've learnt some tricks," Rizer drily comments as I step over Dove and try to put her betrayal to the back of my mind for now. My knuckles throb and at the same time I realise I have no weapons on me, thanks to the mission. I can't even shoot the alpha fucker.

"A few, but evading you in your own pack has been my best trick yet," I spit out.

His eyes burn with fury as he watches me like a wolf watching a sheep.

"How long did it take you to figure it out, oh powerful alpha?"

"No trick is going to save you now, little wolf who should have died as a pup. My only mistake was ever letting you live."

He jumps across the courtyard in an inhuman way, knocking me straight to the ground, and then his power hits me like a brick a second later. I can't see the power coming out of him, but it feels like a thousand bricks are weighing me down, plastering me to the floor, and I can't move. My wolf whines, trying to shift, but the alpha is too powerful. I expect the hit when he punches me hard in my ribs, a cracking sound filling the quiet courtyard, but the pain makes me gasp, and tears prick my ears.

And he doesn't stop there. Rizer hits me again and again, destroying my body until I'm begging for him to stop and he doesn't.

I'm sure I black out for a moment because when I open my sore eyes, I see nothing but the burning leaves falling from the trees above me. The world is spinning; the pain is unbearable, and I want to die. I want him to kill me because I can't see a way out of this.

"Enough, Father!" Eziel growls from nearby.

In a haze, I manage to sit up and crawl to my feet. Every tiny movement hurts so bad as I look at Eziel and Rizer in front of me. Rizer's hands and chest are smothered with my blood, and he is shaking from head to toe in anger.

"Get out of my way, son. You do not want to protect her," Rizer warns. "Or I will rip you apart alongside her."

Eziel never once glances back at me. "No."

"What did you just say?"

"I said, fuck no. Fuck no am I letting you kill her," he growls out.

"Then your head will be buried next to hers when I'm done with you both!"

Eziel moves slightly more in front of me. "Why the fuck is she so important to you?

Why do you need her dead? Explain it to mel!"

"Every ten thousand years a new alpha is born. An alpha baby who belongs to no pack and can create their own. I was the last child, and this was the pack the Crescent Mother gave to me in her wisdom," he states and turns his gaze on me. "When this... wolf... was born to a normal wolf, and her mother asked for help. She had no clue what her little sweet baby was and was told Hell was the place for those answers. I was told of the baby when she was trying to leave Hell and I was very shocked to realise she was a female."

"A female alpha?" Eziel questions, his eyes drifting back to me.

Shock makes every word Rizor says next seem slow. "I wanted to claim the baby as my mate when she turned eighteen but when I came for her, I found nothing but weakness. The pup who was destined to be an alpha female, the first alpha female of any pack, is weak. Killing her is a mercy, as I won't have weakness bearing my children. Your mother was the last mistake in that department."

"My mother was the last bit of good left in your soul," Eziel snaps. "Now you're nothing but evil and alone. She would have never been yours."

"I would have made it so!" Rizor roars.

"So you're not my fated mate?" I ask. My voice seems small compared to their shouting, but powerful enough to draw both of their attention.

"Alpha wolves do not have fated mates," Eziel fills in for me, shock coating his tone.

"The Crescent Mother lets you choose who you mate with."

"Then you could have never controlled me," I say, looking at Rizor, and then I laugh, even when it hurts my chest and likely broken ribs. Even when blood fills my mouth, I keep laughing. "And killing me is the only way to make sure I never rival you!"

Rizor's anger seems to build, and I expect him to attack me but then I gasp in pain.

Something sharp goes right through my stomach, and I look down, seeing a sword tip just before it's pulled back through me. Oddly, the pain doesn't last even as I fall to my knees, pressing my hands against my stomach like I can stop the blood pouring out from me.

"NO!" Eziel roars, his clothes ripping to pieces off his body, and he shifts. A massive red wolf bursts into the courtyard, and a low, possessive growl vibrates the surrounding air.

"You're the reason my mate is dead, and you will pay for it," a voice I never expected to hear again claims. My dad walks around from behind me, dragging his blood-coated sword across the ground. "You're finally dead, just like you should have been from the "

My dad's head is cut off with a swing of a sharp paw, and his body drops as Eziel's wolf lands on top of it. His red eyes burn into mine, and I try to smile.

"Thank you for everything. Don't let your father tell you you're not amazing, Ezi, because you are. You always have been," I whisper, knowing my time is fading.

He howls in the air, and the pain in his howl hurts my chest. Another red wolf, Rizor no doubt, bites down hard on Eziel's shoulder, and his roar echoes around the courtyard. The two of them fill the quietness with growls and roars. I fall on my side, unable to stop myself.

"Not yet," a voice whispers into my ears when big arms pick me up and press me against a warm chest.

I instantly feel safe, even as I know I'm close to dying. At least I won't die alone. In a daze, I look at the man holding me, his face a blur. I struggle to hold my head up. He seems familiar.

"Alpha Lyulf of Rivermare, the portal is ready for you."

Eventually, the alpha of Rivermare's face comes into focus as he smiles down at me, carrying me through a portal. "Alaric?"

"We all have our secrets, love. Turns out mine were always there to protect you," he says, his eyes gleaming the brightest shade of blue I've ever seen. "Welcome to Rivermare. You'll be safe here. You always were."

The End For Now...