Chapter 2: Deal With The Devil

FOR a moment, I thought about Chester, the alpha from the second biggest clan in Asia, next to ours. He was the man I was supposed to marry. He was my mate and the only man I had admired and had given my heart to since I was a little girl. In front of my clan, he swore to love and protect only me and yet, he ended up to be the very man who had broken me.

Our five year-relationship ended with just a few words from him.

‘Let’s stop this, Katniss. I’m exhausted. I can’t help you. Doing that will only implicate my own clan. And I am not crazy enough to do that just for you. Don’t contact me ever again.’

And just three days after hearing those harsh words via phone call, I saw his gorgeous face on the television. While I was on the run, Chester was somewhere very comfortable. He was smiling to the media with my very best friend standing beside him. The two were even holding hands.

For a man who looked exhausted, Chester seemed very at ease. News of his wedding had spread. Only this time, the bride was not me. But my best friend who had stolen everything from me: my clan’s glory, reputation, status, and now, even my groom.

If even my own fated mate, my best friend, and my godfather could betray me, then what was there for me to lose in this deal with the devil? My blood, body, and soul… those were nothing compared to what I had lost and nothing compared to what I was about to gain.

I raised my chin and strengthened my resolve. In my head, I could still hear the Alpha King’s warning, but for the first time in my life, I chose not to listen to him. Our clan had strictly followed the rules all our lives. We were patient and kind to everyone.

But that same kindness had brought us in this wretched state. They had pushed us onto the brink. If we would not do anything, all of us would die. Right now, if this devil would say that he wanted my life, then I would gladly give it to him in exchange of saving my clan.

“Then you could have them all, your grace,” I answered after a while.

Not asking for my heart should make me feel relieved. It was something I was not sure I could give. He would have no use of it since it was damaged beyond repair. And he must have known that.

Blade didn’t say anything and just looked at me for a long time. From the lightning outside the window, I saw a faint smile curved his pale lips. The thunder roared once more which made me flinch, but there was another sound which proved to be more frightening than that.

It was the sound of several footsteps. There were people approaching the tower. I may not be able to shift, but my senses were better than most wolves. I could hear them despite the rain and the thunder.

It seemed like I had been found. The knights must have sensed them, too.

“Little wolf, I know you could hear me. This is our last warning to you. Get out of the tower now. I get that you are not afraid of death. But the thing is… those Mages will not just kill you. You don’t know what they could do to you once they find you. They will ruin you in the worst way possible,” one of them warned again from downstairs.

Their king had heard it, too. Blade just kept staring at me. Surprisingly, his knights were in panic because of me, but not him. Why were the so-called followers of a devil worried about someone they didn’t even know?

“The Mages are so close to the tower now. What are you going to do, princess?” Blade asked as if he was testing me.

“What do you want me to do? I belong to you now, my king. I will do as you command,” I responded as calmly as possible.

The king was weak. He had fallen a long time ago and I could see that very well. But somehow, I found it hard not to trust the strength in his eyes. Besides, where else would I go? From the start, this place was my one and only option.

“It took you a long time, Katniss. I almost believed that the prophecy was nothing but a hoax. However, now that you have found me, the waiting process does not matter anymore. Come here,” he said instead in a hoarse voice.

Prophecy? What was that about?

I was confused. I had questions, but now was not the time for them. I chose to stay quiet and just closed the remaining gap between us for fear that he might change his mind. He tried to pull his chains as he stood properly. Again, I didn’t ask what his plans were. I remained in that position even if I could feel that the guests had already passed the gate.

They were walking towards the door. My heart was pounding like crazy. In a minute or two, if I got caught, there was a possibility that I would meet the Alpha King in the afterlife. And maybe I could apologize to him there.

But all those thoughts vanished in my head the second Blade showed me his fangs. And without a word, he buried his fangs deep in my neck. With his every gulp of my blood, I could feel his aura strengthening and filling the entire tower. How did it happen?

What surprised me the most was my body’s reaction to him. I had been on the run for almost a week before I finally had the chance to reach San Jose, Mindoro where the tower was located. I was exhausted, thirsty, and hungry and I thought that aside from those, fury would be the only thing I would feel now.

But no.

Blade was rousing something inside me. Even if he was drinking my blood, to my surprise, I didn’t feel weaker. Instead, I felt revitalized. I could hear my blood thumping. My heart was still racing but for a different reason this time, and my body was feeling something that I shouldn’t, especially at a time like this. The tips of my breasts suddenly hardened and I could feel something warm dripping between my legs.

What was this feeling? Why was my body like this? And to think that Blade was not even touching me. Even with Chester, my fated mate, I didn’t feel as strongly as this before. That was the reason why I managed to preserve my virginity.

Blade took his time feeding on me. The guests had already reached the peak when he finally released me. In an instant, all the chains surrounding him were shattered. And when he roared, the tower shook and the Mages flew away before they could begin casting a spell.

When Blade snapped his finger, the entire tower lit up. And downstairs, I could hear the rattling sound from the chains of his knights shattering in pieces while I stood there, dumbfounded.

“Glory to the king!” they all said in unison. “Glory to the wolf in the prophecy!”

“How could this happen? And what prophecy are they talking about?” I asked, my eyes filled with disbelief. Did my blood really free the devil from the magical chains? Me, who was deemed nobody by other wolves? My status as the Alpha King’s daughter was the only thing that kept me afloat all these years.

“Do you need us up there, your grace?”

“No. I will summon you when I need you,” Blade replied as if he didn’t hear me. “For now, I urge you all to enjoy your first taste of freedom after twenty-five years.”

“Thank you, your grace!”

From where we were standing, I could hear his knights running free outside the tower. Their eager roars at the lawn echoed all over the place.

“What about the Mages?” I inquired.

“Don’t worry about them.” The corner of Blade’s lips turned up. “Judging by how loud the knights are, they must have already fed on the Mages.”

“Aren’t you going to escape? Aren’t you worried that your enemies might find out what happened and attack this tower again?”

He smirked. “On the contrary, I am certain that they are the ones who are worried right now. As we speak, they must already be busy thinking how to escape from this country.”

My jaw dropped. I had never seen a Mage in person, much more, a hybrid. And watching as things unfold before my eyes was nerve-wracking.

When I looked at Blade once more, his shirt had become pristine white. There were no traces of blood in his clothing as if they were brand new again. His lips were no longer pale and most of his wounds had already healed. Now that there were no more chains holding him back, he looked bigger, taller, more breathtaking, and more… intimidating up close.

When Blade stepped towards me, I was about to step back but then he caught me by the waist. Just like that and I could feel my body melting with just his touch once again. He pressed his lower half against my abdomen which made my eyes widen. He was… hard.

Blade’s eyes looked like that of a wolf who had found its meal. And tonight, it seemed that the meal… would be me.

“I know you have questions. And I will answer them after you feed me. I still feel hungry. Right now, there is one thing you must remember about me, princess. Someone like me cannot be satisfied feeding only blood. My body requires more than that to fully recover. To officially seal the deal…” Blade took my hand and brought it in his erection. “You need to feed this part of me, too.”