Chapter 120
Elowen's POV
The man stepped closer. Too close. His gray eyes locked on mine. Cold. Empty.
"Your mates are broken, sweetheart." His voice was smooth. Like silk over ice.
My hand shot out. Pushed against his chest. Hard.
He stumbled back. Just one step. But that smirk stayed on his face.
"Don't touch me." My voice came out sharper than I expected.
He laughed. Low and dark. "Feisty. I like that."
Juno stirred inside me. Her growl vibrated in my chest. She wanted to rip his throat out. Right here. Right now.
But I needed answers first. Violence was the last resort.
"What do you want?" I kept my eyes on his. Didn't blink. Didn't back down.
He tilted his head. Like he was studying me. "I just left Ella's room."
My stomach dropped. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing she didn't need." He shrugged. "She's sleeping now. Had to give her something to calm down. She was saying... concerning things."
"Concerning things?" I repeated.
"About your mates." His smile widened. "About what she might do to them."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "You're lying."
"Am I?" He stepped forward again. Backed me against the wall. "She's not Luna anymore. Not really. Not since her mate died. You're Luna now."
The words hit me like a slap. I shook my head. "Alpha Austin—"
"Is dead." He said it so casually. Like he was talking about the weather. "And your little mates are falling apart. One thinks he's a monster. The other is drowning in guilt."
I clenched my fists. Felt my nails dig into my palms. "If you hurt them—"
"You'll what?" He leaned in. His breath smelled like metal. Like blood. "Kill me?"
"Yes." The word came out as a growl.
Juno surged forward. My eyes burned. I knew they'd turned gold.
He laughed again. But this time it sounded... impressed? "You've got more guts than most, little beauty."
"Get out of my way."
"Not yet." He pressed one hand against the wall. Right next to my head. Trapped me. "We need to talk about what Ella said."
My throat felt tight. "What did she say?"
"That one of your mates killed Austin."
"No." The word burst out of me. "Leo didn't—Casper wouldn't—"
"I know." He cut me off. "Leo didn't kill him. I saw what happened."
Hope flared in my chest. "Then tell Ella. Tell her the truth. It would—"
"Why would I do that?" His voice turned cold. Mocking. "What's in it for me?"
I stared at him. My mouth opened. Closed. "You... you could ease her pain. Help her—"
"That's not my pain to ease." He shrugged. "Not my grief to carry."
"You're disgusting."
"I'm practical." He smiled. "Your mates though... what happens to them isn't my concern either."
My hands shook. From anger. From fear. "Then what do you care about?"
"That..." He paused. His eyes flickered. Red. Just for a second. "Is my business. For now."
I tried to push past him. He didn't move.
"Get away from my family." My voice cracked. "Stay away from them. All of them."
"What if I could bring him back?" His words stopped me cold.
I froze. "What?"
"Your Alpha." He said it slowly. Like he was savoring each word. "What if I could bring him back for you?"
My mind raced. "You mean... Leo? I can help with that. We just need to—"
"Not Leo." He interrupted. His smile grew wider. "I'm talking about Alpha Austin. And I charge half what the Moon Goddess does."
The air left my lungs. "You... you know about—"
"About Selene's little deal?" He nodded. "Of course. She wanted a sacrifice. A life for a life. Three lives, actually."
My heart stopped. How did he know that? How could he—
"You prayed to her. In the ballroom." His eyes gleamed. "You begged her to stop Casper from killing Cassian. And she did. Then there was Ethan. Upstairs. Healing now. And she offered to bring back Austin too."
"Stop." My voice shook. "How do you—"
"I know many things." He leaned closer. "And I know your mates would be grateful. Until they found out the price."
I swallowed hard. Selene had said she saved Cassian. Not me. So maybe... maybe this man didn't know everything.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
His eyes flashed red again. Brighter this time. Like flames in the dark.
"My name is Raven." His voice dropped. Became something else. Something ancient. "I'm a Duke of Hell. King of Chaos."
My legs almost gave out. "You're a—"
"Demon?" He finished. "Yes. And I can bring Austin back. All it takes is one small thing from you."
"What?" I forced the word out.
"A piece of your heart." He spread his arms wide. Like it was nothing. Like asking for a cup of water.
My brain screamed at me. Run. Get away. But my feet stayed planted.
I thought about Selene's warning. About deals. About prices.
"If I give you a piece of my heart..." I spoke slowly. Carefully. "You'll bring back Alpha Austin. And tell me who killed him?"
His smile turned sharp. Predatory. "Yes. We could seal the deal right now. With a kiss, of course. It's traditional for demon contracts."
He stepped back. Gestured to himself. "When you go upstairs, he'll be alive. Everything back to normal."
I bit my lip. My heart pounded. Casper and Cassian were suffering. Their father was dead. Their mother blamed them.
One kiss. One small piece. That's all it would take.
My hand reached up. Touched his chest. Ice cold. Like touching a corpse.
I leaned in. Close enough to see the red swirling in his eyes. Close enough to feel his breath.
His eyes lit up. Excited. Hungry.
Then I remembered Selene's words. Her warning. Her touch on my forehead.
"No." I pushed back. Hard. "I don't need your help."
His smile vanished. "What?"
"Get out of my Pack House." I felt Juno rising. My eyes burned gold. "Now."
He stared at me. Silent. Then slowly... he smiled again. "As you wish."
He stepped back. His eyes never left mine. "But you'll agree eventually. I always get what I want."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "Including you."
Then he was gone. Just... gone. Like smoke in the wind.
I stood there. Alone in the hallway. My hands shook. My breath came in gasps.