BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha’s Little Demon
Chapter 53 – Pretending
ALTHEA…
Lucy, Lena, and Laira left my room thirty minutes ago, but I was still stuck doing the same thing. I was pacing back and forth in front of my bed, still contemplating what to do next. I knew I should have been thinking
about how to start dealing with Lucy’s request to put a shield over the territory of the Mystic Pack, but Blade had been occupying my mind.
He told me he would be leaving as soon as he brought me here, but why did he stay? I didn’t want to give him any false hope that I would allow him to claim me because that would never happen.
We had no chance of being together. I don’t like him. Yeah, I don’t like him. And I needed to remind him again. I let out a deep sigh before opening my bedroom door and transferring toward his. I was about to knock on his door when it opened and Blade’s huge form came into view.
He was leaning his forearm on the door frame, his face void of any emotions as he looked at me as if he was expecting me there already. Of course, this man has a nose as big as his ego, so he could smell me from afar.
“Do you need anything?” he asked in a cold tone.
I opened my mouth to reply just to close it again because I realized I didn’t need anything from him. Oh, spirits! Why am I here?
“Got your tongue tied, kitten? Would you like to come in?”
“No,” I answered almost immediately, but he still opened his door wide and motioned with his hand for me to come in.
“I said, I’m not coming in.”
“So, we’re just going to stare at each other by the door? How romantic. Slide in, or I will pull you out of the corridor, and I can’t promise you I’ll be gentle.”
“Huh!” I huffed, rolling my eyes at him as I crossed my arms against my chest.
“Now!” He growled too loudly, and my body jerked forward. My feet moved on their own and stepped inside his room. He closed the door, but I saw his mouth twitch into a smile, which he wiped off his face almost immediately. Well, he thought he won.
“You can’t do that!” I snapped at him.
“Do what?”
“Growl and scare the hell out of me if you want something!” I hissed.
“Well, you can’t do that too!”
“Do what?”
“Stand in front of me as if you wanted me to f*uc*k you, but don’t say anything about it,” he spat as if I’d just committed a mortal sin. My jaw dropped when his words sank in, and my eyes widened in disbelief. The ego this man had was unbelievable.
“Who said I like you or even fancy you?” I scowled at him. It was a wrong move to come here.
His expression softened as his shoulders slumped, and my heart just suddenly constricted at the sight of him. I was not really this rude, but Blade irritated me most of the time.
“I get it. I’m a monster, like what you said. last time. Who would fancy me? Even in the dark, I’m hideous…” He walked past me and grabbed his glasswith some alcoholic drink. in it from a table nearby.
Hideous? He was not one. He was actually good-looking, and the scars on his skin just added to his appeal. “That’s not what I mean. And I didn’t mean to…”
He cut me off before I could continue to explain. “I get it, it’s okay. Why are you here?”
“That’s the problem with you! You never let me finish talking, and then you’ll begin growling and saying this and that, and all the things that I do wrong! You’re making me feel like I’m a kid!” I sounded so angry, but I’m not even sure why I was mad. “And you don’t even know me and yet you’re acting as if you know everything about me and the things I should and shouldn’t do.”
I was trying to provoke him so I could have all the reasons to hate him, but he remained quiet this time, just sipping on his drink.
“And now you’re not talking.”
“You just told me I cut you off all the time.”
“When I’m done talking, then you’re allowed to talk!”
“Calm down. Your eyes are glowing,” he said nonchalantly.
I closed my eyes and controlled my breathing. My eyes usually glow a dark purple like the color of my hair when I’m furious, but I’ve learned to control it. But I was not able to hold myself together in front of him.
“Are you okay now?” He asked, his voice was softer this time. I nodded in response.
“Why are you here?” He asked again.
“Why did you stay?”
“Stone requested that I stay so that I could protect you.”
“I don’t need protection. I’m a witch, in case you forget.”
“You can’t even f*uc*king walk straight without tripping.”
“I have smaller feet than my body, but tripping won’t K*ll me.”
“I don’t really have to answer you. I’m working for Stone. I’m staying here because he pays me.”
“So you’re staying because of the money?”
He scoffed before flashing me a smirk.” Why? Did you think I stayed here for you?”
“I didn’t say that. I just didn’t know you’re too greedy for money.”
“Yeah, otherwise I won’t be able to get any females in my bed. Without money, no one would want me.”
“Cut the crap about trying to be the victim here. We both know men like you take advantage of females drooling on you.”
“Oh, so you think females drool over me? Are you one of them?” A smug smirk was now back on his face.
“Seriously? One moment you act like nobody wants you and try to get sympathy, and then the next moment, you’re acting like an a*s*shole.”
“Because I seriously have no idea which side of me you prefer.”
“Excuse me?”
“Let’s get straight to the point, Althea. I’m done running around the bushes here. Are you going to give me a chance or not?”
“No.” It just came out all of a sudden that I wanted to take it back, but I knew it was the right thing to say.
“Okay. I’m not sure how second chances mate work, but I think we should reject each other,” he explained.
“I don’t need to go by your processes, I’m not a wolf. We don’t have fated mates. So do what you want to do, but I’m out of here.” I told him before I walked toward the door.
“The full moon is approaching soon!”
“Great! Witches can maximize their potential on a full moon. I think I can do the territory shield by then. Thank you for reminding me.” My hand reached for the doorknob and opened it.
“Well, good luck then,” he scoffed.
I didn’t look at him as I stepped out and closed the door behind me. I had no idea why I even went to talk with him — we just couldn’t seem to get along. It must be the age gap, or maybe because we are from different species.
♡♡♡
ADAN STONE…
“I already have a girlfriend, but now I need a Luna.” I was finally able to tell her that. I’d spent days thinking about this and I knew I wanted her but I was not sure that a she-demon would want me for a mate.
But maybe the thought of her entertaining Blade pushed me to the point where I wanted to mark my territory. I wanted to own her.
Every part of her. Her hands on my face slowly dropped to the mattress as her face paled. Was she going to reject me?
“Have you chosen someone? What will happen to me?” she asked, her voice breaking, and I was not sure I understood her question. I pushed myself up from hovering over her before pulling her roughly up from lying down on the bed. I didn’t need to tell her what to do, Lucy climbed on my lap and straddled me. Her eyes were flitting with confusion.
“What’s going on in your mind?” I finally asked.
“I don’t know. I can’t breathe.” She closed her eyes for a while as her grip on my shirt tightened. She took a deep breath before she slowly opened her eyes. “Who’s the Luna you want?”
“What question is that?” I chuckled. Was she playing on me?
“I want to a*s*sume it’s me. Because we have such good times together, right?” I nodded my head, a smile tugging at my mouth, but her sad expression didn’t change.
“But I’m just an Omega, and you’re an Alpha, so why would you choose me? But can I make my case?” she said the last six words too quickly as if she didn’t want me to speak.
“Okay,” I replied, even though she didn’t need to because she was the one I wanted.
“I might be an Omega. But I’m a princess too. Not in this realm, but in the other world. So, I could still be on par with you. So even if nobody knows I’m a princess, you know I am. That’s what counts, right?”
She was talking as if she would cry soon, but I could see how much she was fighting herself not to cry. “I swear, Adan, if you take home another female while I’m here. I’m going to burn down your packhouse, and your territory.”
“You’re going to K*ll me?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know…”
“Good thing you don’t need to burn the packhouse and the territory…” My hands. trailed along her arms up to her neck before I cupped her jaw. “I’m with you almost 24/7, Lucy. What made you think I had my eye on other females?”
“I don’t know.” She f0rced a chuckle. “I’m so confident about myself and how attractive I am, but when I met you, you just kept making me weak, and I don’t know how I can match up with you. Like I had to prove myself all the time.”
“Maybe I’m not good for you. I am destroying your self-confidence.” I didn’t like that she was putting herself down, but I liked that she was telling me her innermost thoughts.
“Maybe…” she replied, biting her bottom lip as she looked at me under her lashes; she looked innocent, but I knew better.
“So where are we? Luna, right? So now that we’ve decided I’m not good for you, I’m giving you an option: be my Luna, or I’ll return you to the underworld.”
“Are you really serious?”
“Yes! I will return you to the underworld if…”
“No, not that one! About the Luna part!” She exclaimed excitedly as she wiggled her @sson my lap and made herself comfortable on my thighs. Her action made her @ssrub against my sh@ft, and I had no idea if she was doing it on purpose or not. “Do you really consider me as your Luna?”
I laughed heartily at the happiness radiating on her face, and it was warming my heart. I had no idea who we were or what we felt for each other, but life with Lucy and moments. like this were something I would want to have. “I don’t have any other options, no other female comes close and can do what you’re doing to me.”
“Like this?” She began rubbing her bottom against my slowly growing ere*ction while I gripped her arms tight.
“Should I take it as a compliment or an insult?” She continued asking, but she stopped moving now, but her lips were twitching into a mischievous smile, which made her more beautiful in my eyes. “I guess that’s a compliment, right? Because the stone-cold Alpha can now laugh at my jokes.”
“Now, you’re making fun of me.” I couldn’t wipe the goofy smile off my face.
“I’m not. I’m just happy…”
“You’re happy…” I repeated, licking my lips as I leaned backward and anchored my palms on the mattress behind me so I could look at her perfectly.
“Yes, happy… Like there’s something rolling inside my stomach. Like b*tterflies and ladybugs swimming around…” she motioned with her hands, and she just looked f*uc*king adorable.
“So.. is it a yes?”
“Is this a contract too? Like we need to pretend?”
“Are we still pretending, Lucy?” I asked, my voice and expression turning serious as I raised a hand and tucked her stray hair behind her ear. I wanted to hear her answer because I was sure I was not pretending anymore.