Beneath Her Darkness: The Alpha's Little Demon by Cassandra M novel Chapter 136

136 - Young Adan LUCY.

"His father, the then Alpha of their pack, was one of the organizers of that Alpha camp.That day I was sparring with Ethan.We were in the corner, far away from the rest.The fucker couldn’t accept that I beat him and told lies to his father.I couldn’t even remember the lies.All I knew was that his father was so mad at me.I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't hear of it.He slammed the side of his hand into my shoulder.I heard my bones crack.I felt it, but I didn’t scream.I knew my bone had dislocated, but I didn’t even say anything to let him know I was in pain.My body crumbled, and I collapsed on the floor, but I didn’t complain.He continued shouting at me about respect and superiority, and I remained laying on the ground because, as much as I didn’t want him to see me in pain, I knew if I moved he might attack me again.And I was not sure if my body could handle it.He and Ethan left, murmuring curse words about how weak I was.I was only eight, and he was maybe thirty.I wished I knew then that he was too big and too strong for me, that he should be attacking an eight-year-old.But I was too preoccupied with the notion that I needed to be strong to prove that I was worthy of being the next alpha of my pack."

I bit my bottom lip harder as I fought the tears from falling.

My heart broke for young Adan, and it made me wish I had known this before my encounter with Ethan yesterday.

"I dragged myself to my barracks that night.The next morning, I had a fever and couldn’t eat.All I remember is that no one asked if I was okay.I told myself I was expected to be strong, so I acted like one.By nightfall, I couldn’t take the pain anymore.I snuck out of the barracks in the middle of the night.I kept running.I wanted to die.My body was in pain.I was lucky I only had theoretical training that day, but physical training would be up the next day, and I knew I would not survive it.

I should have called Dad, but I didn’t.

I wanted him and Pops to be proud of me.

I don’t know what happened that night.

When I woke up, my shoulder was healed, and there was not a single pain at all.

But I knew the broken bones were not a figment of my imagination because my shoulder was still bruised.

It is still a mystery to me.

But from that day forward, I couldn’t trust anyone with my shoulders.

I didn’t feel the pain anymore.

But I kept remembering it.

I haven’t told a single soul about that day until you."

A lone tear fell from his eye, and he wiped it away immediately before he smiled at me, his face showing uncertainties.

"Are you turned off now by how weak your mate is? I’m still crying over something that's two decades old."

I shook my head as the tears kept trickling down my face.I wiped it away before I cupped his cheeks, and I turned his face gently so he would be looking at me before I brushed the hair that fell off his eyes.

"Do you want to hear one good thing that came out of that experience?"

His brows furrowed, but he smiled.

"Tell me..."

"You meet Hades that night..."

Sobs escaped my throat as I tried to continue talking in between my hiccups and tears.

"He healed you, and he made you forget that encounter, but that night, Adan...Upon knowing he was a demon, you asked if he could take you away, and then you wished to be mated to a demon.It was the same night I was born...That night, a simple wish from your pure heart connected us for the rest of our lives.I know that...that memory pained you, but the demon, the selfish demon in me, was happy that it led you to Hades.That you subconsciously wished for me."

His eyes watered again, but a smile crept into his lips.

"Hades told you?"

"He did..."

I nodded my head as I moved my position, kneeled on the couch we were seated on, and faced him.

My hands unbuttoned his shirt at the same moment I let the glasses all around the gazebo be covered with mist so that no one from the outside could see us.I slid his shirt down, exposing his shoulders to me.

My fingers trailed along his collarbones before I let them caress his shoulders, letting the sparks dance between us.

"From now on, I promise you..."

I began talking without taking my eyes off his shoulder.

"I will do everything in my power to ensure that this shoulder will no longer remind you of the agony of being alone, but of how brave you’ve been to face the god of hell and wish for me..." I swallowed.

"You faced him when you were eight years old, and you faced him again twenty years later."

My head leaned down as my mouth trailed against his shoulder, leaving soft kisses along the way as his hands held my waist.

I heard him take a deep breath as my mouth lapped and sucked on the exact spot where he was hit by Ethan’s father.

"Lucy..."

He grunted, his hands tightened around me, and his voice was telling me that my kisses were affecting him differently this time.

He was aroused.

My wolf fangs began to elongate, and I knew wanted the memory of his bruised and broken shoulder gone — replaced with my mark.

My teeth grazed against his skin, making a growl resonate from his chest.

His hand then flew to my hair, coiling it around his fingers as his breathing hitched.

My pussy throbbed at the way he was gripping me, and as much as I wanted to straddle him and grind my hips against his bulging erection, I had to stop myself.

This moment was for Adan, not me.

My fangs pierced into his skin, giving him his second mate mark from me, this time for my wolf part.

I sank my teeth deeper, tearing his skin some more, making sure that the pain and pleasure he felt right now would replace all the bad memories of the past.

"Hmmm..."

I moaned as I pulled my teeth off his skin and began sucking his blood clean.

Adan tasted really good.

"Did you know if you stayed there a bit longer, I might have come and wet my pants?"

His voice came out hoarsely, but I ignored it this time.

I was not done with erasing the bad memories yet.

I tilted my head up and caught his eyes.

I cupped his face and stared into his eyes as I tried my best not to cry this time.

"Adan...Listen to me.You were wrong about being weak Because the man in front of me, the man I'm kneeling to now, the father of my pup, is the most courageous man I've ever met.And you have no idea how proud I am to be your mate..."

"Thank you..."

He spoke softly as he rested his forehead against mine, and we both closed our eyes.

"Thank you, I needed to hear that.I don’t care what others think of me right now.But it is important to me that you know I will fight for you.I will be brave and strong for you and our pup."

"You've always been strong and brave, fighting for me since day one.You were the only one at the Omega Feast who fought to have me remain clothed.The one who stood up to Pops, even though I knew he'd be the last person you’d disrespect.And there are so many ways that you have proven to me how strong you really are."

“I love you, Lucy.I prepared this night so I could make you happy, but what you’re doing and telling me — I’m not sure now if I can top that.So I’m not sure how to go about this, but I will ask anyway."

My eyes snapped open as Adan separated our foreheads, and I found him staring at me.

His eyes were fleeting with all the love, need, and lust that he had for me, and I knew I was lucky to be waking up beside this man for the rest of my life.

"Lucija Valerie Foster.Will you marry me and carry my last name?"

My mouth dropped open while I let Adan guide me, so I ended up sitting on his lap, straddling him.

His hand went to my back, supporting me, while the other slipped into his pants pocket.

We had talked about the Luna ceremony and the things that would change, like having my own office and schedule, but they were limited to that.

He had never mentioned the union, and I had the impression it was unimportant to him, that perhaps the Luna ceremony would also be the union ceremony, or that if not, I kept telling myself I had nothing to worry about.

Adan loved me.

That was what was important.

But hearing him ask me about it was making my heart flutter, like everything was finally settling into place.

Soon, he held a gold ring encrusted with wings and a crescent moon on the inside — our demon and wolf parts.

"Lucija Valerie Robinson...I would love that."

I smiled warmly at him as my eyes beamed with happiness.

"Oh, Adan! Yes, I want to marry you! You can’t take it back anymore!"

I exclaimed happily as Adan chuckled while he slipped the ring on my ring finger.I looked at it, my eyes widening when the realization hit me that the ring I was wearing was a gold opal ring.

"Is this?"

I was not able to finish my question as my voice broke.

"Yes.Althea and Patrea took out the spell that surrounded it, and now it only holds the memory of your mom, who saved that opal stone for you.I know you want to have a part of her with you."

"Oh, Goddess, Adan! Thank you!"

I snaked my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

How could I be so blessed to have this man as my mate? "Who would have thought that after all the bonds that bound us together, you would still be happy with this proposal? But I’m glad you are because I am too."

"This union, this marriage proposal, is the only bond that one of us asked the other about it! Isn’t it exciting?" I exclaimed as I pulled away from hugging him.

Our eyes met, with happiness flitting in them.He chuckled and nodded his head.

"Yes, but you can bind me to you in all the different ways, my love.I will not object to that."

"Me too, Adan.Me too! Oh, Goddess, I love you!"

Without a warning, Adam crashed his lips against mine, and the whole world faded away.

He kissed me roughly, holding my head in place as the heat began to spread through me and I began to slowly thaw.

Like always.

Soon, the glasses fogged some more as our moans and grunts filled the whole enclosed gazebo.

From the outside, people would see two couples enjoying their dinner together, not knowing it was an illusion to cover two naked bodies satisfying each other with all the love and lust they had for one another.