BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Demon by Cassandra M

052- The Underworld

LUCIEN

Prince of Darkness, ruler of Kalmerus, one of the four Underworld regions.

“How long are you going to stand there and watch that fiber, father?” For the nth time today, Lucius asked as he slumped his body on my throne, making me hiss before I motioned for him to get off my seat.

He laughed as he stood up before walking to where I stood, staring at the fiber in front of

It used to hold the locations of my sons who

were often traveling back and forth to different realms at my disposal, but now I had allotted 50% of it just to track Lucija.

But my only daughter was smart enough not to use her fire — the only way I would be

able to pinpoint her exact location.

Almost a fortnight ago, something glowed

on the fiber, but before I could see where it was, it was already gone. She accidentally summoned fire, I assumed, and she’s been controlling herself so as not to use it again.

“So nothing new yet?” Lucius asked again.

“If there is, you and I will not be here,” I

answered in a cold tone.

“I can’t believe she’s not using fire accidentally. That girl couldn’t control her hands!” He said it with an irritated

expression.

I kept quiet, my hand reaching for my chin as I rubbed it while thinking. It was the reason I never asked Gargon to teach her how to control fire. I knew she never wanted

to be here, and it was only a matter of time before she would try to escape. And I wasn’t

wrong, but what I wasn’t expecting was that I would not be able to find her right away.

I underestimated how smart my daughter

was, but somehow it made me proud. Though I knew she could never outsmart me

for a long time, I was already losing my patience.

Two years and there were still no signs of

her.

And it wasn’t helping that my access to earth was limited due to the pact Hades, the God of the Underworld, agreed upon with all the other realms. I had no power to just barge in and destroy everything until they surrendered my daughter to me like I

wanted to.

The humans were worth nothing. I could easily kill them with a flick of my fingers, but I didn’t want Hades’ wrath to befall me – not when I spent my whole life trying to prove that once he relinquished his throne, I would be the one worthy of it.

If Lucija were not important, I wouldn’t be bothered with what she would do with her life, like I had stopped caring for all the

other spawns I had created over a span of centuries. Most of them had their own lives;

some of them were dead, and some decided to abandon the demon world, but I couldn’t

care less.

But Lucija was different. She was my only daughter and my sure ticket to winning the favor of the other gods and princes of this realm. All of my sons were useless; they could only sweet talk she-demons but not the male demons. But my Lucija could do it

for both without even trying hard.

And with the underworld swarming with

males, and she-demons being a rarity,

having Lucija would be an advantage.

She had the allure of an underworld goddess.

And I knew that once I transformed her into

a full demon, she would be sought after by

the princes of the underworld. Or even by the

gods. 1

a piece of her,

she would use

I could get the seat I was

for.

of

rumored for many decades now that Hades had wanted to abandon his seat to live peacefully with the rest of the immortals, but until he found the right demon

retirement. 1

out here, trying to be the right demon

and her allure to convince princes and

was

♡♡♡

LUCY.

about my necklace

in her bed, with our feet still on the floor, as we just all stared at the ceiling. I had no idea

join us.

whatever you hear, you will not

Patrea.”

decided

have no way to return to the underworld, then I will understand.

your word.”

a chance to ask her and she agreed,

would do it. But if she wants to be

will try to do it another way.

“Yes.”

I will help Patrea. You have my word

on it.”

“Thank you.

before the two here beside me start snoring…” I chuckled, as did Laira and Lena, but when I glanced at Althea beside me with a solemn expression on her face and her eyes closed, I nudged Laira beside me, and she passed

giggling.

father would create an illusion

at

into the underworld.”

do that. He was breaching the law of the realm!” I blurted out

from my body, but

hand, and I ended up closing my eyes as I tried

underworld, Patrea

make sure that nothing would

marks. This was your father’s order, so

wanted with her and she would still

back whole and…”

want to

order, but they couldn’t do anything. She was not the first female he brought into the underworld, where they needed to do the potion, and they both knew what else they could do to help her. They made her

she would not get pregnant…

“But how come…”

for

it, signaling me to

night, he took her back to

Lucien, he didn’t want to wait. He used her

imagine the pain

was the same time

his region. He heard her cries. Lucien panicked and

bed. Hades was not

claimed was in his chamber. So he told Lucien he would

was the last time he took your mother to the underworld. And because she didn’t have the potion that Patrea would secretly slip into her, she

you existed until Lucien returned

had a daughter. He

accidentally. And with that glimpse, Everly came running. That’s how

would take you to the underworld one of these days, and cleanse you of your werewolf genes. So they knew that it was only a matter

went looking for Everly, and when she found her, she began doing

the spell that Patrea taught her from the underworld, and your opal necklace was born. She gave it to your mother and created a spell around the

mother left for you. The necklace

power within

“Including my wolf?”

to fix that necklace so that it only suppresses the fire

other power linked you to Lucien, so she made it that way. Are you sure it’s just the

I can fly, I can transport a few feet as long as I can see where I want to go next, I can read

lies?” Laira

widening.

head. “Almost all demons can. We can tell if you’re lying, and we can see all the lies you’ve told

do you

says, she’s not, I will be able to tell

Unless I specifically asked

if she’s in love

So better