Chapter 12 Deal With The Devil II
Chapter 12 Deal With The Devil II
Serena
My throat dried up.
Our deal is up?
What did that even mean?
I sat up slowly, holding the fur to my chest as Xavier stepped closer, his boots pressing into the furs with slow, deliberate weight.
The healer stepped back, her face pale.
“Leave,” he ordered her, voice like ice.
She didn’t argue. The tent flap closed behind her, and then it was just us.
Again.
Always him.
I hugged my knees, trying to stay steady, but my heart was racing.
“What… what happens now?” I asked.
Xavier crouched in front of me, his eyes flickering over my face, then down to my shoulder where the mark supposedly burned beneath my skin. “Now,” he murmured, “you’ve just become a hell of a lot more interesting.”
I stiffened. “Is that good or bad?”
“That depends entirely on you.”
I hated the way he spoke—like he held all the cards. Like he could crush me with a word.
But… he could.
And I hated that more.
“I didn’t choose this,” I said. “They did this to me. I didn’t even know I was marked until she saw it.”
Xavier’s fingers tapped against his knee. “You were a pawn.”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“But pawns can become queens if they play right,” he added, voice low.
My lips parted. “Are you saying you believe me now?”
“I’m saying…” His gaze bore into mine. “I don’t trust you. But I believe the pain in your eyes. And I believe you hate them.”
I clenched my jaw. “I do.”
“Good.” He stood and walked over to a small table where a jug of water sat. He poured a glass and handed it to me. “Then let’s make this simple.”
I took the glass with shaking hands.
“You’ll stay. You’ll heal my wolves. And in return, you get a roof over your head, food, and protection.” He tilted his head. “And maybe… a shot at revenge.”
The word revenge sat heavy between us.
It made my blood boil.
It reminded me of nights crying alone, holding my stomach, wondering if the child inside me was doomed.
I looked at him. “What do you get out of this?”
He smirked. “Someone who knows the enemy. Someone they’ll never expect.”
“You’re using me.”
“And you’ll use me, too. Let’s not lie to each other.”
My shoulders dropped. “Fine.”
He stepped closer again, brushing hair from my cheek. His touch was light, almost careful, and it startled me.
“You're not the only one with scars, Serena,” he whispered.
His eyes... they looked darker now. Not cruel. Not warm. Just… broken.
Like mine.
\---
The next day, we traveled.
Xavier kept me near him, walking beside him. Kai walked ahead, always watching, always angry. He didn’t like me here. He didn’t trust me.
Good. I didn’t trust him either.
The rogue wolves traveled fast, but not like a proper pack. They were scattered, wild, and scarred. Some limped, some had one eye. But all of them bowed their heads when Xavier passed.
He was their king.
Their devil.
And I was his prisoner… or his guest. It was hard to tell.
I rested, wrapped in fur, my hands finally free. My wrists still bore the marks of the iron cuffs. Every time I looked down, I was reminded of who I was—what they did to me.
I pressed a hand to my belly.
Still so small. Barely a bump.
Still mine.
Still alive.
\---
We stopped to make camp near a frozen river. The warriors set up tents quickly, and I was handed a simple one of my own. Small. But it was mine.
No cuffs.
No guards.
That felt strange.
Later that evening, I was summoned to Xavier’s main tent. Again.
Of course.
I stepped inside, heart tight. He was bent over a map, firelight dancing across his face. His coat was thrown over a chair, and a blade rested near his side.
He looked up when I entered.
“You look better,” he said.
I raised a brow. “I feel like I’ve been dragged through fire.”
He smirked. “Close enough.”
I walked closer, nervous. “Why did you really bring me?”
He looked up at me fully. “Because something’s coming. Something big. And I don’t believe in fate—but I believe in warnings. And you… you feel like a warning.”
My hands trembled. “That’s not very comforting.”
“I’m not here to comfort you.” He stood, walking slowly around the table. “I’m here to survive. And maybe, if I’m lucky… burn down the bastards who ruined everything I had.”
He stopped in front of me.
So close.
Too close.
“And maybe,” he added, voice low, “we can do that together.”
I met his eyes.
Something unspoken flickered between us. Something sharp. Tense.
My heart beat wildly. Not out of fear… but something else.
Something I didn’t want to name.
Not yet.
\---
Later that night, I lay awake in my own tent.
The wind howled outside. Wolves howled with it.
The baby shifted inside me, just a flutter. I closed my eyes.
For once, I wasn’t in a cage.
For once, I had a voice.
But Xavier… he was a mystery I couldn’t solve. A storm waiting to crash. I didn’t know if I was safe with him—or just a weapon in his war.
Still… I had a place here.
For now.
I had a chance.
And I would use it.
Even if it meant dancing with the devil.
I would take my revenge on those bastard triplets who used me, broke me, and left me bleeding.
That was no wish. That was a vow.