Zara

After dinner, Luna abruptly changed her mind. The look on her face in the car when I told her my demon dad made me think she hated us.

But later, she softened, even smiled genuinely at me. She asked me to let her know if Alpha lost his temper.

Only if she knew what kind of trouble her son had gotten me into.

Her promise seemed sincere, and I didn’t detect any falsehood. Or maybe she hid her true nature too well, just like her son.

She left me confused. I had to remind myself that she came from a family with ties to the royal family.

Could that be why she raised Alpha the way she did? Now a lot has become clear. But it was worth seeing the look on Alpha’s face. He couldn’t believe what his mother had said.

After dinner, I retired to his room, and he didn’t follow me. After changing into a comfortable nightgown, I climbed into bed with my phone.

Those damn reporters, I could only hope they wouldn’t print some salacious story about Alpha and me. They’d already pissed Alpha off enough.

I couldn’t forget the look on his face when the one in the restaurant took my photo, and the others outside tried to pry answers out of me.

A faint smile played on my lips as I recalled how fiercely he’d defended me. Today I saw how he could suddenly change his mood and turn into this enraged wolf, and strangely enough, it didn’t scare me.

Talking with Sophia brought back memories of home. I missed my family and decided to ask him for time off to return to my dad.

I decided to go to bed. So much had happened today, and I couldn’t cope anymore. I was about to hide under the bed when the door opened, heralding the arrival of the Devil.

His whole personality seemed clear to me, though I didn’t know if he was already suited to the role of Lord or simply avoiding it. He fit the role perfectly.

The tattoo.

Dark hair and lifeless eyes.

A sharp jawline.

He never smiled, as if people were constantly dying around him.

The smell of cigarettes, which he ate like candy. This needed to be addressed because even at that moment, he was surrounded by that smell, and I wasn’t sure how many he’d smoked.

His gaze lingered on me, so I took the opportunity to ask about my plans. I expected resistance on his part. Some made-up excuses for delays or refusals to let me go.

But to my surprise, he said I had to leave tomorrow. A snowstorm was approaching before Christmas, and flights could be canceled.

After that, Alpha went to change, and I snuggled under the covers. Opening the bathroom door, I saw that he...D had returned to the room. I couldn’t resist nibbling on his cigarettes any longer. I shouldn’t have worried, but I did.

I didn’t want him to die or suffer. "Do you have a death wish? Or some kind of deal with the devil that you’ll die young?" I asked, keeping the covers over my face.

"Why?" he asked in his hoarse voice. He was closer to me, so I poked my head out to see.

Alpha stood at the head of the bed with a small towel in his hand, gently stroking his luxurious hair. The thick black shirt revealed every muscle underneath. His gaze was fixed solely on me.

Damn! My treacherous heart.

Why does the devil always have to be so handsome?

"You smoke too much. I know I shouldn’t say it, we’re practically strangers. But it’s poison for your lungs. Don’t kill yourself slowly." I tried to say the words indifferently, but they came out full of worry.

His hand froze in his hair, forming a perfect V, revealing his powerful biceps.

As usual, his face was expressionless, and I saw many others freeze. He swallowed deeply, his jaw tensed, but most of all, his mesmerizing eyes said it all.

He was touched...

"The smell will never bother you again..." he said with as much calm as he could muster, assuming I said it because the smell irritated me.

I didn’t know he could be an idiot, too. Without arguing, I hid under the covers, distancing myself from him.

"No, it’s not the smell, it’s that you could ruin yourself."

***

Kane

Zara’s words stunned me. She cared so much for me, even after I broke her heart. I hadn’t smoked in her presence for a long time, and yet she always knew when I did.

I saw her bury her head under the blanket again, the disappointment clearly visible on her face. Throwing the towel aside, I slowly sank onto the sofa and lay down, lifting my legs.

Did she really hate my smoking that much, or was she only concerned about my health?

She was so close, and yet I couldn’t even touch her. Memories of our love flared inside me like fireworks, setting everything ablaze.

I was so desperate that I wished she would come back to me as a mate. But even there, she ignored me. She was smart, and her sixth sense must have warned her not to trust anyone.

Loved in the warm memories and the feel of her lips, I fell asleep, but was awakened by her piercing scream.

For a second, I thought I was dreaming, but then she screamed again, and I jumped up from the couch. My sleepy eyes darted to the bed, thinking she’d fallen into another nightmare.

But the bed was empty, and sounds were coming from the bathroom. I rushed to the door and found it locked.

Panically knocking, I called out,

"Zara! What happened?" My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

Her pained voice came from inside: "I fell, and I can’t get up..."

Anxiety clouded my judgment after her words, and lifting my foot, I kicked the handle hard. It rattled but didn’t break.

Damn it, the door!

"Coming..." I yelled back, telling her not to try to get up.