Chapter 1: Blood, Body, and Soul

‘NO MATTER what happens, do not ever go near the forbidden tower, Katniss. That is an order.’

The Alpha King’s words echoed in my ears while I was running towards the very place he warned me to steer clear of. The rain was pouring and I could feel my knees about to give out. My stomach was grumbling and every part of my body was screaming for rest. But I couldn’t afford to stop even for a moment.

This was a crucial time, not just for me, but for my entire clan whose lives were on the line. My chest swelled with fury when I thought about how much they were suffering right now at the hands of the people they trusted the most.

I only stopped running when I was finally in front of what others had called ‘the most dreaded place in the whole world’. The tower was where the Hybrid King lived. It was also the place where he was imprisoned at for twenty-five years now.

Only the supernatural beings could see the tower that was now filled with vines. The Mages who cursed Blade put him up there to remind everyone of his sins. The tower was a constant warning to everyone. The people who would follow his ways would suffer the same fate.

In the past, many of the vampires and wolves were under Blade’s command. But all of them had turned against him out of their fear of the Mages who punished their king for building an army of hybrids and for trying to dominate the world. Hundreds of Mages were needed to execute the punishment. However, despite their number and strength, none of them was enough to kill the king. They could only chain him down and trap him inside the tower forever.

There was no wolf, young or old, who hadn’t heard of Blade Marshall whom others referred as the ‘Devil King’. They said there was no one more manipulative and more vicious than him. Only a desperate person would seek for a devil. And I was that person.

As devious as they say Blade was, right now, he was my only salvation.

I once heard that before he was trapped, the people who were close to him didn’t have to pray for their wishes to be granted. They only had to have him by their side. Only he had the power to grant wishes, no matter what they were.

And tonight, I would do whatever it takes to have the king by my side. That was how much I needed him.

There were no guards at the tower gates because no one, not even a run-away criminal would think of coming here. There were rumors that those who had tried to step foot inside had been cursed as well. They ended up killing themselves. The mere mention of Blade’s name was enough for everyone to tremble for fear of being cursed. That’s why I was sure that not even my worst enemies could guess that a scaredy-cat like me would be here in the middle of the night.

The thought of being cursed no longer appealed to me. I found betrayal more frightening than any spells. When I thought of the Lancasters who ruined my wedding and my life, tears began rolling down my cheeks. I wiped them right away and tried to compose myself as I stared at the gate.

Surrounding the tower was the tall iron gate clad with thorns brought by the Mages. The second I pushed the gate open; the thorns pierced my skin until my hands bled.

And in the midst of the roaring thunder, I began hearing voices from the tower.

“Another dreamer,” they said in a weary voice. They laughed, but it sounded as desolate as the entire place.

I knew who they were. Twenty-four of Blade’s loyal knights were trapped in the tower along with him. It was the Mages’ spell that kept them alive. They clearly wanted the knights to suffer from the choices they had made all throughout their immortal lives.

Judging by their reaction, there were people who truly came before me, people who were as foolish as me to embark on a journey towards the tower.

Despite being the daughter of the Alpha King, I had been judged my whole life for being born without a wolf. Their words no longer bear weight to me. They were right anyway. I was nothing but a dreamer. Nothing was certain. I could either die here tonight or I could free their master and myself tonight.

But even if I were to die, I would not die without giving it my all.

When the cold wind blew, I shivered and took a deep breath before I ran straight to the door. When I opened it, I was greeted by several cobwebs. The place reeked of sweat, blood, and dust which made me cough. In the middle of the darkness, I saw the knights. They were hung onto the walls. The wounds in their bodies were still fresh as if their battle with the Mages took place just yesterday.

Hopelessness and agony were visible in their eyes. It was the same expression I last saw from the Alpha King before he fell on the ground with daggers on his chest.

I could still remember his last words to me.

‘Run away, Katniss! Save yourself and don’t look back!’

I clenched my hands as my chest constricted for the countless time.

“Get out of here, little wolf,” one of the knights whispered. “You are still too young to die.”

“If I was afraid of death, do you think I would have come here?”

Right now, I was already considered a sinner for escaping the royal punishment. Whether I surrender or not, after three full moons, they will eliminate me and my entire clan for a crime that none of us had committed.

I didn’t wait for the knight’s reply. I headed towards the stairs. By the time I reached the peak, I was almost dragging my feet. But I would like to believe it was worth it. It had to.

It didn’t take long for me to see the King. Blade was hung in the middle of the room. The yellow magical chains were connected on the roof, they were thicker and bigger than the ones I saw downstairs. Even if he was crouching right now, I could tell that he was tall. I couldn’t see his face because his head was bent over, but I could hear his shallow breathing. All I could see clearly was his long and straight silver hair which seemed to glow in the darkness of the night.

Blade’s white long-sleeved polo and pants were tainted with his blood. There were traces of incredibly long scars in his body which ruined his clothing. The moment I took a step forward, he slowly lifted his head. When our gazes met and I saw his golden eyes flickered, I held my breath.

It was strange. He was wounded and was the one with the chains, but I was the one who was frozen. He didn’t look surprised as if he had already detected my presence earlier. Despite his situation, there was a certain aura in him that made my whole body shiver just with mere eye contact. His eyes remained as domineering as the tales I had heard about him.

But there was no tale that talked about his looks. If I remembered it right, he was more than a hundred years old now. Werewolves and Vampires had stopped aging at forty. And I thought that like my parents, he would at least look the part. But he looked younger as if he was only in his late twenties which proved once again of how extraordinary he was.

‘Every person who had fallen into despair came to the hybrid king. He would pretend to be on their side like an angel and then he would corrupt them. That’s what he does. He will sink his teeth into his victim, drag her down, and devour her until there is nothing left of her. That’s why seeking for him, no matter the circumstances, will not do you any good. If you do that, the one who will end up bleeding more will be you. Remember that.’

Those words were according to the elders in the clan. And looking at Blade now, indeed, he seemed like a king who could dominate anyone he wanted to. Even in his current state, I think ‘Blade’ still suited him. He still seemed to be as sharp as his name.

Before this, I didn’t know that a man could look very alluring, too. Blade had smooth bronze skin and despite being locked up in this place for a long time, his body was still in good shape. He had the face that was more beautiful and more captivating than any woman. Even standing beside him could make a woman feel inferior. He was a proof that looks could truly be deceiving. With the devil’s face, no one would think he was a sinner, that he had killed hundreds of people in his desire to rule the world.

And at the moment, Blade was looking at me as if he could see through my very soul. His long and curly eyelashes became more noticeable when he suddenly closed his eyes.

“You are the first person to reach this part of the tower successfully. You want something from me. And it will require a lot of work. Tell me, princess Katniss. Even if you can release me, can you afford my price?”

I was taken aback. I knew that Blade had a blood of a vampire, a werewolf, and a mage inside him, but I didn’t know that it would be enough for him to identify me easily. It seemed like he had already known everything to know about me with just one look. His mother was the first vampire-wolf hybrid in the history while his father was the most powerful mage in his generation. With their genes combined, they created the strongest hybrid in the world: Blade Marshall.

After the death of his parents, they said he had become uncontrollable to the point that he even built an empire of his own which threatened the Mages.

I took a step closer to him and lifted my bleeding palms. When he had a whiff of the blood, he opened his eyes and clenched his jaw.

“I have nothing to offer but my blood and myself, my king,” I replied in a broken voice. “But if you will have me, I promise I will be your most faithful servant.”

“Convince me.” The devil looked at me as if he was seeing something in me that I couldn’t. And then he said, “Sell your blood, body, and soul to me, princess. And I will grant you the revenge you seek.”