Beneath Her Darkness: The Alpha's Little Demon by Cassandra M novel Chapter 134

134, - Black Coin LUCY.

"I’m sure my mate, my fated mate, can mentor your pup until he comes of age and becomes an Alpha.In the meantime, we can take over your pack."

"You’re not going to do that! You’re bluffing! Adan had never taken over a pack!"

"Oh, we don’t want to, but there’s always a first time, and besides, you’re on the top of my list for my most hated shifter.So again, Ethan, about the Omega Feast.Are we clear?"

He was suppressing a growl as his hands coiled into fists.

I rolled my eyes and aimed for the man beside him.

Soon he was growling and begging for the pain to stop.I knew I was doing what Father did to Viktor, and I should feel guilty, but I was trying to get my point across.

"Make it stop!"

The man was on his knees, clutching his head, and Ethan was still not giving in.

"What a shame, Ethan! The Omega Feast is far more important than this man who was loyal to you!"

I shouted at him as red blazed in my eyes.I was ready to invade his head, and he must have realized that.

"Fine! No more Omega Feast! Let us go home now!" He bellowed.

I stopped the pain I gave his warrior and let the fire out before I pointed to one of the cars.

"Leave! And if anyone asks you if Adan was lying about his Luna, tell them what you know!"

We watched as they rushed out and drove away without another word.

Once they were gone, it was only then that my breathing slowed down.

Adan extinguished the fire that engulfed Ethan's car and was now left smoking.

"Are you okay?" He asked afterward as he positioned himself in front of me, his hands cupping my face.

"Don’t stress out, please..."

"I'm not stressed out; I was pissed off.What’s so important about the Omega feast that he let his man wallow in pain?"

I was pissed off with myself too, as I felt guilty for inflicting pain.I should have directed it to Ethan.

"Relax.It’s done, and I’m sure he got the message.Let’s go home."

I nodded and leaned against Adan’s arm as he led me back to the car, where Collin was waiting.

"You took me by surprise, Luna.I hope the Alpha understands that if you both have a disagreement, I will always take your side." Collin stated.

Adan chuckled as he pecked the crown of my head.

"I’m getting used to my people favoring Lucy over me now.I honestly don’t mind." I chuckled softly as I wrapped my arms around Adan's body.

"Don’t worry, Beta.I have no plans to torture you because I adore your mate.But if you make Laira cry, in a very bad way...you should know that I don’t give second chances."

"Ouch!" He feigned hurt as he clutched his heart before he chuckled.

"That part, I’m sure I can pass.I have no plans to hurt Laira.Not in this lifetime, and not in the next either."

LATER THAT NIGHT.

PATREA.

It was time to go and start a new life with Althea.

A part of me was excited about the many possibilities awaiting us.

We initially wanted to seek refuge with the coven that gave shelter to Althea a few weeks ago, but we decided it might be best if we went on our adventure on our own.

My granddaughter wanted to experience a normal teenager’s life of going to school and meeting new friends, and I wanted to give her that.

Adan was generous enough to use his influence to find us a suitable home in human territory 300 km from his.

It would take less than four hours to drive to see Lucy if we wanted to.

He also used his influence to secure me a job as a librarian at one of the academic libraries in that area.

With a little magic here and there, I was able to come up with IDs and credentials for me and Althea, making our transition easier.

Patrea and Althea Foster.

Sisters.

We had one more sister, the one in between us.

Her name? Lucija Valerie Foster, and soon to be the Luna of the Mystic Pack.

Althea and I wanted to start a new life, but after too much contemplation and discussion, we didn’t want to erase a part of ourselves that included Lucy, so we are taking her last name with us, which she was more than willing to share with us.

I closed the door to Althea’s room and walked toward mine.

We were ready to leave, and I just needed to pick up my coat and my handbag.

The moment I entered my room, the atmosphere changed.I knew someone must have been here, and I meant to say a supernatural being other than shifters.I took in a deep breath as I remained rooted by the door.

My eyes scanned the bedroom.

A part of me knew who had been here, and to be honest, I had no idea what to feel right now.

"Lucius?" I called out, but after a few seconds, I was still met with silence.

I walked slowly and went to the bathroom to check.

Nothing.

Of course, why would he come here? What made me think he would still want to take the deal we made when he’s the king of Kalmerus now and could take any female he wanted? Yes.It’s definitely a relief.I let go of the breath I was holding and walked to my bed, where my coat and handbag were.I grabbed and put on my coat before I clutched my handbag and was about to head for the door when I caught sight of something on my bedside table.

A black coin.

The same coin that Lucius gave me so I could summon him anytime.

Well, I was right.He had been here, and yet he didn’t have the audacity to wait for me.He came and vanished.

Of course.

Who would have time for me when he was surely busy in his own world? I shook my head and turned my back without even touching the coin.

It served him right, and besides, I didn’t need him.I walked out of my bedroom with fast strides while my heart began beating erratically.

Althea stood by the head of the stairs, waiting for me.

All our luggage, along with all the things Lucy, Lena, and Laira had bought with us, was already downstairs and had been loaded up in the car Adan gave us.

But Lucy requested we meet them in their office before we go, as they have important things they wanted to discuss, and from what she told me secretly, it was about Blade.

"Ready, Patrea?" Althea asked as a smile curled on her lips.

We decided that since we were sisters, she should address me by my name, and I honestly didn't mind at all.I might be almost 50 years old, but I looked and felt young.

"Ready! Are you excited?" I asked her back.

"Yes! I can’t wait to go school hunting!"

Her eyes twinkled, and I knew she must have been longing for this since childhood.

Adora surely did well in hiding herself and her daughter for fear of Lucien finding them.

"We'll see where life takes us.When you find the school you want and they give us a hard time, Adan and I will."

"Interfere and use connections again.But it isn’t fair."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest.

"Althea, life isn’t fair.Besides, we are not stealing someone’s slot, we will just add a slot so they can accommodate you."

"Fine! But that is all you and Alpha Stone will do for me.If I flunk and get kicked out, then that’s all on me.I don’t want any more help getting my grades up."

"I don’t think you'll do badly, but it’s a deal!"

I smiled warmly at her before extending my hand.

"Shall we?"

She nodded her head and took my hand.

We began walking down the stairs when my heart began beating too hard again, and I knew I was losing this internal battle I was having.

"Wait..." I squeezed Althea’s hand as I halted.

"I forgot something.I'll be back soon."

I let go of her hand without waiting for her response and turned my body around to head back to my room while internally cursing myself.

I knew I should walk away and just forget about the place that gave me nothing but nightmares, yet here I was, wanting to take a part of it that would still connect me to the underworld.

I went inside the bedroom, and my heartbeat began to slow down when I caught sight of the coin.

It was still there.

I stood staring at it for a moment, contemplating whether I should take it with me, knowing in my heart I didn’t want any connection with the underworld anymore.

I should start a new life and forget this part of my past.

I grabbed the coin and slipped it inside my jeans pocket before I could think more, then headed out again without knowing that someone from the other realm was looking at me from his hologram inside his tower.

Without knowing that the scowl and disappointment on his face vanished the moment my hand touched his coin, and it was replaced by a warm smile that was not a constant feature on his face.

Lucius succeeded.

I wanted nothing to do with the underworld, yet I took the coin with me, knowing that wherever I went, he would be able to track me down.

I knew I didn’t need his help or saving.

I had powers on my own, and with Althea with me, we could be stronger, but maybe, just maybe, taking the coin was the security I needed that, when all else fails, I have the demon king I could summon.

He did tell me, after all, that everybody needs help sometimes.

~ LUCIUS.

The moment Patrea walked out of the room and closed the door, a fire ignited everywhere in my chamber before I pummeled the wall I was leaning my hand against.

I'd been waiting for her to come back to her room after I slipped in there and left her the black coin I had given her before.It would be easier for me to track her whereabouts, as well as for her to summon me in case she needed help.

She saw it and didn’t have any second thoughts about it.She just looked at it and walked away.

I knew I could easily ask Stone to tell me where they would go, but I didn’t want to lower myself as if I were begging for her attention.I knew I should just move on.

Many females would die to be with me.I kept telling myself this, but I felt like shit at the moment.I had no name for what I was feeling except rage.I didn’t stop punching until the wall crumbled, but it was immediately replaced by a new wall, and it only pissed me off more.I wanted to break something.

Or kill someone.

It’s time to go back down the dungeon, and one poor creature had to meet his demise today.

With fire burning in my hands and red blazing in my eyes, I turned my body around, ready to shut off the hologram at the exact moment the door to the bedroom opened and Patrea went in again.

I swallowed hard as the fire in my hand vanished before I wiped my mouth with my palm as I watched her with steady eyes.She stopped in front of the table, where the coin was.

It felt like forever had gone by before she finally picked it up, slipped it into her jeans pocket, and walked out of the bedroom with fast strides.

I had no idea what I was feeling at the moment, but I felt my mouth twitch before a smile tugged on it as the fire all around me died down and my chamber seemed to be brighter than usual.

It only meant one thing: even if she hated the underworld, she wasn’t closing her doors to me.135 - Someone Brave Enough LUCY.

I opened the door to Adan’s office and let Patrea and Althea in.

"Are you both ready?" I asked, my gaze shifting between them before I gave them a hug.

"Excited!" Althea exclaimed.

"I wish we could take you with us! It'll be fun!" Patrea said, winking at me.

"I can hear you, Patrea," Adan grunted, and it made the three of us giggle before I turned around and walked to sit on Adan’s armrest while Patrea and Althea took the couches near us.

"So, is there anything we need to know before we leave?" Patrea asked.

Adan opened his drawer, pulled out a thick envelope, and placed it on top of his desk.

"This is for Althea, from Blade?"

"Blade? Whatever is in there, I don’t want it."

Althea stated coldly.

"Check it first."

Adan pushed the envelope further without taking his eyes off her.I held my breath as I watched her stand up and walk toward the table.I told Adan I could personally hand it to Althea, but he wanted to be the one to explain everything to her, and he promised me he would not lie on behalf of Blade.

Althea picked up the envelope, and her eyes widened as she immediately placed it back on the table.

"No.First, it’s a big amount of money.And second, if this is his way of buying me off because I let his mark stay, you can return the money to him.I don’t need it."

Adan squeezed my hand, and I knew he wanted me to remain quiet, so I did.

"I know you don’t need it.But take it.It’s his life savings.He wants you to have it and start the life you have always wanted.Find the best university and enroll yourself, make the most of your life.Don’t feel like you owe him anything with this money because you owe him nothing.He gave it out of his own free will."

"I don’t buy it.What does he want in return?"

"Nothing.Just to make sure you are provided with everything you need and want."

"I’m used to having nothing."

"Blade likes you, Althea."

"He likes me, but not enough for him to stay."

She cut him off immediately.

"He has his own demons that he needs to fight before he can offer himself to you.And he’s not sure if he could destroy that demon inside him."

"I don’t need him, and I’m not going to wait for him."

"He doesn’t want you to wait.He wants you to move on and have the life you deserve."

"Which I’m going to do."

She tilted her head up.She was facing this head-on.

Brave Althea.

"Which is the right thing to do.Lucy and I will be here every step of the way.You don’t owe anything to Blade, whether you use that money or not.Whatever you decide to do with it, it’s your choice.You owe it to yourself, to enjoy and see life differently."

"I'm not sure using it will help me move on."

"Use it to make new memories."

I butted in.

"This is all the money he has.What about him?"

Her face softened as her gaze fell back to the envelope.

Asmile tugged on Adan’s lips, and I knew what he was thinking — even if Althea was mad at Blade for abandoning her, she was still thinking about his welfare.

"Blade is used to living with just the basics.How do you think he saved all of that? He said he didn’t know why he was saving money from day one, but he now knew the reason why.So please take it.You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to."

"I’m going to buy a car, and many clothes, and I will party every Friday night."

She started blabbering as tears trickled down her face, and my heart was crushed at the sight of young Althea trying her best to be brave.

"I will travel everywhere.I will have fun and forget about the first man who broke my heart.And I hope that one day I will meet someone who is brave enough to fight for me."

I stood up from where I was sitting and wrapped my arms around her.Her body was wracked with sobs as purple mist engulfed us.

"I'm sorry, Althea..."

I had no idea how I would console her, so I let her hold on to me tightly as she let out all her cries.

After a while, her sobs subsided.She swiped her eyes with the back of her hands before she pulled away from my arms.

"Would it be too much if I requested not to be invited to occasions where he will be here?"

"I will make sure of that.You have my word."

Adan responded.

After that, we all talked for a while about final reminders, and then we said our goodbyes.

Patrea and Althea refused to have a convoy of warriors follow them, but Adan wouldn’t back down and insisted until both females had no choice but to allow one car with three warriors to go with them.

Adan told me through our mindlinks that he had to make sure they would settle in the place he had chosen for them, or he would need to answer to two males.

Not that he was afraid of them, but he just didn’t want him on his tail.

He didn’t tell me who they were, but I assumed one of them was my brother, whose aura I felt in the pack house earlier but who hadn’t made his presence known to me.

So I guess he went to see Patrea.

They're both adults, old enough to hold themselves accountable for their actions, and I was hoping they would do better than how Althea and Blade handled theirs.

I waved as Patrea drove the car out of the packhouse grounds, followed by the car that would escort them to where they were headed.

I let out a deep breath as my head leaned against Adan’s shoulder and my hand went to my stomach.

"Are you sad?" Adan asked as his hand met mine, and he began rubbing my stomach gently.

"I am, but I do understand."

"How about I make you happy tonight?"

"Hmmm...Aren’t you making me happy every night already?"

"Am I?" He asked, brows hiking up.

He turned his body around and faced me, coiling his arms around my waist as our gazes met.

"Would you like to have dinner with me, Lucy?"

"Are you asking me for a date?" I asked, my eyes widening.

He nodded his head and bit his lower lip as if he would pass out if I said no.But, of course, I would never say no.

"I'd never been on a date," I told him while his hand was tucking my stray hair behind my ear.

Asmile tugged on his lips before it turned into his usual smug grin.

"Really?"

I nodded my head, happiness brewing inside me.

"will you give me the honor of being your first date and all the dates you will have for the rest of your life?"

"You know the rest of our lives means almost eternity...So be careful what you are asking for."

"Okay, let me repeat that...Will you give me the honor of being your first date, and all the dates you will have for the rest of your life, up to eternity, and the life after that, and all the lives that we will have after the afterlife?"

"Yes! Oh, Adan! I want nothing but life with you in all realms and all the lifetimes that we will have!"

My arms wrapped around him as I hugged him tightly.

My heart clenched at our words because I had no idea what the future held for us, but I would trust Selene with all my heart.

"Will you tell me about your shoulder?" I asked him as we ate our dinner.

Adan took me to one of the restaurants within the territory, where a private, enclosed gazebo was set up just for the two of us.

The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, and Adan had been nothing but a generous date who pampered me throughout.

I knew I shouldn’t be interrupting this moment, but I’d been thinking about it fora week now, and I was hoping the serene ambiance would help him relax and share a part of himself that he hadn’t shared with anyone.

"What do you want to know about it?" He asked as he sipped the red wine that he paired with his steak.

"How come you don’t want anyone holding it?"

I wanted to back out of asking the moment his forehead creased.

Maybe I was pushing too much.

"I let you hold it..." He said it while chuckling.

"It's okay if you don’t want to talk about it now. I understand."

I smiled at him as I pushed a forkful of meat into my mouth.

"Are you mad?" he asked.

"No.I was thinking maybe telling me would help you feel better." I smiled warmly at him.

"But I understand if you can’t."

"I don’t want to open old wounds."

I nodded my head and took a sip of non-alcoholic sparkling wine while staring out the window.I would just let it go.It was not worth ruining a good night.

"I was eight years old and was sent to an Alpha camp."

He began talking.

My head swung in his direction, and our eyes met.

"I met Blade there, he was two years older, so he had his own group of friends.I used to think Ethan and I were buddies.I was too trusting, not realizing that at that age, he was already competing with me."