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

056 – Hell Breaks Loose

LUCY.

Althea opened her bedroom and let me in. I placed the tray of food on the round table at the far end before I faced her.

“Did you rest?” My eyes scanned her room, and her bed was cluttered with big, old- looking books.

She shook her head and pointed to the books

on her bed. “I want to make sure I’ll be

doing the right thing.”

“But I thought you needed to rest.”

“This is rest for me – one with my books and channeling the spirits.” She giggled softly while I bit my bottom lip as I nodded my head.

“Are you sure about the additional request? And the Alpha still doesn’t know?” She

asked.

“I’m sure. And yes, he doesn’t know anything.”

“He might kill me.”

“He won’t. I will protect you from him.”

“Are you sure you will defy him if he asks you not to shield me?”

“That won’t be the first time I will defy him. But I know you can protect yourself. But I want you to be honest with me, Althea. Am I putting you in danger with my request?”

“If you had no plan to unbind yourself, then no. I won’t be in danger.”

“However, you mentioned that this ritual is against nature.”

“All supernaturals were born against nature.

We are the result of centuries of wars and

disagreements between the gods. This magic

would not exist if it could not be used. Some

people were just abusing it.”

“Do you think I’m abusing it?”

“You’re protecting your Alpha. In the same way, I’m asking you to kill Patrea in order to free her spirits. Killing her is going against

nature. We are not the ones to decide when a

person should die or remain alive. So we’re just in the same boat.”

“Are we going to get punished?”

“The underworld would never punish you.”

“And you?”

“I’m doing it for a good purpose. I’m not binding you together, so I can kill one and, in effect, kill the other as well. If you get my

point.”

“I do. It makes me feel a bit better.”

“But you have to be ready. Because once I

bind

you, you will feel a connection within

you and the Alpha, and he might sense it.”

I hissed and smoothed my hands over my

hair.

“That’s the reason I had to do the shield

first, so whatever happens, if he stops me in the middle and throws me out, the shield is already in place.”

“Thank you… I will make sure he won’t interrupt you.”

“And there must be just two souls, not including mine, in the area where I will do the ritual. Otherwise, your life could be tied to anyone around you.”

I nodded my head. “You should eat. You need energy for tonight.”

She ignored my words and instead asked something else. “Where is Blade?”

A smile curled on my lips. “You miss him…”

“I think I overdid it this morning. He’s

probably super mad at me for being childish.

11

“Don’t worry, he will get over it.”

“He was ignoring me the whole morning, and I thought I’d joke around just to get a reaction from him. And oh boy, I did get one! “Althea pouted as she crossed her arms against her chest. She looked like an eighteen -year-old having a boy problem, not the

fierce witch I met.

“If him, ignoring you, bothers you, why don’t you give him a chance?”

“He’s twelve years older than me.”

“And Alpha Stone is eight years older than me. And it’s working fine. After all, look at you. Look at the power and maturity you hold, do you think an 18-year-old guy can match up to you?”

guys. In

“Aside from Blade.”

didn’t

“You’re blushing.”

proximity so it might be the only reason I’m…

“Attracted to him?”

He

the attraction. Don’t fight it.

for a long time. And I will be just a replacement.”

but she blinked it back and puffed her chest before

her food.

it’s not about the age gap? It’s about being the second

so. I don’t know.”

him about how you feel?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

think I’m a whiny teenager.”

a

it one day. We have more important

about it. Just tell

I will make

fine for now. I just want to know if he left

He was just downstairs.

he wanted

that he will not leave

on her lips before she pushed food into her mouth. “Would you

Alpha. And speaking of that, I should get

as she motioned with her hand. “I’ll see you later at seven in

bring you dinner.”

I don’t eat before any rituals. I’ll be fine.

TT

“Oh, okay.”

need food after.”

“Got it!”

“Thanks, Lucy!”

I turned around

head for the door when she called

for me again.

I can fix your necklace after

Since I already summoned

it’s easier to just chant

have their powers

you exhausting yourself by then?”

new witch. Young and fresh. I haven’t cast many spells in my lifetime, so the odds are on my side. But we will

I smiled at her before twisting the door handle, only for her to call me again.

last

“Sure…”

didn’t eat the food Gamma

“Sure…”

him that I was checking

him…”

I won’t!” I winked at her

door and stepped

room.

♡♡♡

ADAN STONE.

was not

witch already extracted blood from me and dripped

runes appear and chanted

song or poem flew out of her mouth. And I felt air

was not familiar with spells and enchantments, but I

one she was

even Blade, and Blade didn’t like it, but the moment she was able to push him far

Blade was not able

break.

territory, why was she secluding

the shield she

blood from me and

us drink a portion of each other’s blood

herbs and other things I had never

before.

Vna vita in duobus, duo corpora in uno,” Althea was chanting in

candles all around us kept flickering, but they didn’t wither. Soon

stood still.

face looked pale as she kept swallowing. My hand went to

squeezed it tightly.

vos, fortes spiritus. Da

ad invicem ligandi. Vna vita

duo corpora in

to roll as her mouth parted as if she were having a hard time breathing. My heart hammered inside my chest, as sweat formed everywhere in my body. Something was

demon.

before I threw a furious glare at the witch, who was standing in the middle of her runes with her eyes closed and arms wide open, her hair raising as if there was

She was

louder than it was paining

the fuck are you doing?!” I

witch just

to look at

fortes spiritus. Da

invicem ligandi.

duo corpora in uno.”

of dried leaves, twigs, and dust arise

was moving toward

This is not

anymore.

her body, and her eyes snapped open, but

she were

now! I will fucking

was surging in my body, but I just couldn’t leave her to snap the