Evelyn's POV
Blood.
I was dripping with blood that wasn't mine.
My breath hitched in my throat as I stood frozen, my hands trembling at my sides. The two warriors who had been holding me only moments ago were now nothing more than grotesque remains, one with his intestines spilled out onto the polished floor like a grotesque offering, the other ripped apart so savagely that the heart he once lived with still beat faintly in the demon wolf's hand.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But my body wouldn't move. My throat was too tight to let sound escape.
This had to be a dream. No.… a nightmare. But even in nightmares, nothing ever felt this real, the warmth of the blood seeping into my clothes, the metallic tang thick in the air, the way every drop hitting the floor seemed to echo in the silence of the hall.
And him.
The Demon Wolf.
The Alpha had called him Lord Lucien
He stood there, towering, unshaken, like what he had just done was nothing at all. The heart slipped from his grasp and hit the floor with a sickening splatter, staining his boots and spraying blood across my already soaked dress. His crimson eyes glowed with a feral light as if daring anyone to even breathe too loud.
The hall was silent. Silent in a way that pressed against my ears until all I could hear was my own heartbeat hammering against my ribs, threatening to break through.
Behind me, I could feel Lisa, Chloe, and Rose trembling. Even Madam Nora, the woman who always carried herself with that suffocating air of superiority, stood pale and rigid, her lips parted but no sound daring to leave her throat.
I should have been relieved that he saved me… but somehow, I wasn't.
My stomach churned violently, and bile clawed at my throat. I wanted to puke. My knees weakened beneath me, and I pressed them together to stop myself from collapsing.
Then his gaze shifted..... to me
Those glowing eyes, crimson and endless, locked onto mine. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. It was as though he had peeled away the layers of my skin, my thoughts, my very soul. My chest grew tighter the longer he looked at me, and I felt like prey caught in the eyes of a predator. But then, there was something else. Something strange. His eyes didn't hold just the fire of death. There was a flicker, a pause, there was something.... tender, in his gaze.
The moment broke when he finally turned his attention away from me, back to the Alpha who stood frozen near his seat
"You all know me," his voice rang out, deep and resonant, filling every corner of the hall. "I am the demon wolf. The beast who has walked this earth for more than a century. I have slaughtered hundreds of thousands, wolves and humans alike. You all fear me." His lips curled into a mocking grin, his claws still slick with blood. "But in truth.… you also envy me, don't you?"
The Alpha's throat bobbed nervously, but no one dared to respond.
"You all wish you were like me," he continued, his voice smooth yet poisonous "Feared. Untouchable. Powerful. But you…" He laughed, a dark, hollow sound that raised the hairs on my arms. "You're nothing but weaklings. All you know how to do is run your mouths, pretend to be powerful, start wars you can't even finish."
The hall was so silent that the sound of his boots scraping against the blood slick floor was deafening as he moved.
"And when it all falls apart, when you find yourselves drowning in the mess you created, you come crawling to me." He threw his arms out wide, his voice thunderous now. "Isn't that why you invited me here, Alpha Baston?"
The Alpha flinched, sweat glistening on his temples.
"Whenever I receive an invitation to a pack," Kieran sneered, "it is always because you fools have dug yourselves into some hole too deep to crawl out of. And once again, here you are. On the verge of a war with the Nightshade pack. You want me on your side, don't you? Because you know the truth." He leaned forward slightly, his glowing eyes narrowing. "If I fight for you, your victory is certain."
"But here's the thing," Lucian said, tilting his head, his grin widening with cruel amusement. "The Nightshade pack also extended an invitation to me. You see, Alpha Baston, you're not the only one desperate. Unlike you, however, they didn't waste time pretending. They came to me plain, honest about what they wanted. They offered me a deal, one soaked in wealth and promises." He chuckled darkly. "A huge sum of money. Enough to tempt me to not even bother stepping foot in your pathetic little territory."
The Alpha's eyes widened, his voice shaking as he blurted out, "No… please, you don't understand, it will be the end of my pack if you don't help us, we need...."
But before he could finish, Lucian raised one hand. Instantly, the Alpha snapped his mouth shut, his words swallowed by the thick tension choking the hall.
"I don't give a damn about your pack," Lucian said, his tone sharp, cold, final. "I have seen empires rise and fall. I have watched kings beg at my feet. Your measly pack means nothing to me. Do you think I care if the Nightshades annihilate you? To me, you're nothing but dust waiting to be swept away."
The Alpha's legs shook beneath him, and I thought he might collapse right there. My own knees felt weak, but I stood frozen, too terrified to move.
Then, slowly, Lucian's head turned, and once again his gaze landed on me. My breath caught in my throat again. That same strange flicker of tenderness returned eyes, subtle but impossible to miss.
"But," he drawled, almost lazily, his lips curving into something that wasn't quite a smile, "somehow, I've stumbled upon.… a mystery in yohr pack"
His gaze lingered on me, piercing. The weight of it made my skin crawl. He wasn't looking at me like prey anymore, at least, not entirely. It was something different. Something that made my heart pound for a reason I couldn't explain.
"A mystery I must unravel," he finished, his voice quieter now but no less dangerous.
His steady gaze lingered on me for a fleeting heartbeat before he turned back toward where the Alpha still stood frozen in shock.
Lucien tilted his head lazily, his lips curling into a smile that promised only cruelty. "I will accept," he drawled, his voice smooth yet sharp enough to cut through bone, "to fight for your miserable pack against the Nightshades."
Gasps rippled across the hall. I saw the flicker of desperate hope ignite in Alpha Baston's eyes, only for it to be extinguished with the very next words.
"But first," Lucien continued, drawing out the pause like a cat savoring the terror of its prey, "you must prove yourself worthy of my mercy. You will go on your knees, crawl to my feet, here, in front of everyone, and beg me."
The words slammed into the Alpha like a blade to the gut. I could see his body stiffen, the tendons in his jaw pulsing as pride and desperation warred in his eyes. An Alpha's pride was sacred, but the lives of his people hung in the balance. He stood trembling, caught in that agonizing space between dignity and survival.
The Luna's cry cut through the room, her voice ragged and trembling. "Why?" she begged, tears streaking her face as she clutched her mate's arm. "Why must you humiliate him like this? Why torment us when you could simply agree? You are already feared, already powerful, why do this?"
Lucien's gaze shifted to her, and for a heartbeat, I thought there might be a spark of humanity in those red rimmed eyes. But then his smirk widened, cruel and careless. He gave a small shrug, like a predator responding to why it hunts. "Because I can."
The words hit me harder than I wanted to admit. There was no motive, no grand design. Just the simple, horrifying truth that he wielded his power because no one could stop him.
Alpha Baston's face turned ashen, his frame shaking. I could almost hear his pride fracturing under the weight of his pack's lives. His warriors stood silent, no one daring to intervene, no one daring to even breathe too loudly. Finally, with a sound that was half groan, half sob, the great Alpha Baston of the Shadow Walkers pack dropped to his knees.
The sight rooted me to the spot. He looked smaller already, the strength of his title stripped away as he pressed his hands against the blood stained floor. Slowly, painfully slowly, he began to crawl. His palms smeared the blood into streaks, staining him like a mark of shame. His knees dragged, scraping across the floor
Every movement seemed to cost him more than any battle ever had. His chest heaved, and sweat mingled with the filth on his face. Around us, the pack members shifted uncomfortably, but not a soul dared to speak. All they could do was watch their Alpha crawl like a worm before the demon wolf.
I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until he reached Lucien's boots and bowed so low his forehead touched the floor. His voice broke as he whispered, "Please.… save my pack. I beg of you."
The hall was so silent I could hear the flicker of the lights. Lucien leaned back slightly as he sat down, crossing one leg over the other, his lips twitching with mild interest. "That's it?" he muttered, tilting his head. "Hmph." He gave a dismissive shrug, almost bored. "That wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. It was just… pathetic."
The Alpha flinched as though struck. The Luna sobbed quietly into her hands.
And I…. I could not look away from Lucien. What kind of beast was he? What kind of creature found pleasure in tearing down a man's soul rather than his body? He was more than ruthless.... he was void. Empty of conscience. Empty of reason. A nightmare given flesh.
Lucien waved his hand lazily. "Stand, Alpha. I am not without generosity, even if your groveling lacked entertainment." His tone dripped with mockery, but still Alpha Baston obeyed, dragging himself upright with his dignity in tatters.
Lucien's crimson gaze swept the room, commanding, consuming, until finally it landed back on me. My heart jolted in my chest. His smile deepened, and I knew.... knew nothing good would follow.
"I will help you," he announced at last, his voice ringing with finality. "Your war with the Nightshades will be won. With me on your side, your victory is certain."
A shaky sigh of relief spread through the warriors. Even the Alpha dared a glance upward, though his eyes still carried the shame of what he had just endured.
But then Lucien's voice dropped, low and deliberate, as he added, "However… there will be terms."
Every muscle in my body tensed. His gaze was still on me, and I felt stripped bare under it.
"Throughout my stay here," he continued, his lips curling into that same lazy, dangerous smirk, "I want Aure....." He paused, his eyes burning into mine "....this girl… to be my attending servant."