Page 20 of The Wolf

However, something starts gnawing at the back of my mind.

If Satan is real, does that mean that Granny… I mean, Senator Carter, was right about Alex?

Can you come back here already, or do I need to come get you?

I smile involuntarily, hearing Alex’s voice in my head like on cue. I gather myself rapidly before heading back to the castle and upstairs to our sleeping chamber.

“Guess what? I met Satan,” I announce as I enter the room. It feels surreal to even say it out loud.

“And?”he prompts, curiosity lacing his tone.

“I’m confused as fuck,” I admit,shaking my head as if to dispel the chaotic thoughts swirling inside.

“Go figure.”

“But he seems to be a good friend,” I continue with a tiny grin. “He almost got you off the hook.”

Alex hums. “Almost, huh?”

“Are you the Antichrist?” I blurt out, the question slipping from my lips before I can stop it.

“Well, let’s see.” He pauses dramatically as if I needed any more suspense. “My ancestors are the king of Babylon, and his wife,‘a whore of Babylon’. I suppose I come from the antichrist bloodline according to the book.”

“So, when you said my soul belongs to you—”

“Welcome to hell, little Red.” His smirk is playful, but I can feel the underlying tension.

“Is this really hell?”

“No. Lilith and her demons occupy the actual underworld. But this is the land of the condemned. And if there is an afterlife, we are not going upstairs—that’s for sure.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I press, frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

“Because I wanted you to come here willingly.”

“And if I didn’t, what would you do? Take me by force like Edwin did Clara?”

“If I had to,” he responds, and I can’t tell whether he is cynical or truly means it. “Look, I understand you’re freaked out, but you know me. Do I plan to overturn the government and take over the world? Absolutely not. Quite the contrary, actually. I’d love to free mankind from the slavery of the system they live in. I’d love even more if my kind and other beasts could exist peacefully among humans. If that makes me the bad guy, then so be it.” He takes a long, pensive pause, then adds, “Please, try to put the religious prejudice aside.”

“Alex, I don’t care about the religion! I know that’s not you,” I exclaim. “You weren’t truthful, though!”

“I wanted to be! My plan was to take things slow and wait to explain everything step by step,” his voice rises after mine. “But you got into heat—”

“Oh, so it’smyfault?” I interject, crossing my arms defiantly.

“No! Let me fucking finish, will you?” He growls, his eyes flashing darkly. “You got into heat, and it’s become too distracting for me. Next, there was the whole ambush by Dean, not once but twice. It was one thing after the other, and I couldn’t… everything was out of my control! That’s not how it was supposed to happen! Then you died, and it got even worse after that. And now you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” I say softly, my irritation drifting away.

He stares into my eyes intensely. “Do you really feel like that? Like I took your life away from you?”

It hits me that my words also must have hurt him, and I feel awful. But I need to be fully transparent with him. “No. Yes. I don’t know. I have a lot of emotions right now.” I choke up a little. “What I am sure about isyou, Alex. I’d still choose you. I just wish I had all the information at the time.”

“I know.” His gaze drops, regret etched across his face. “I’m so sorry you had to sacrifice so much for a monster like me.”

“You’renota monster. And it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice.” I exhale sharply.“But you have to have respect for my humanity. Yes, I didn’t know at the time that I was being controlled like a puppet, but it was still my life. It wasn’t much, but I was sort of happy with it. It will take me a moment to mourn the loss of it. I’m not saying I regret it, though a bit more understanding on your part would help. Because this is all new to me, and I’m battling internally with how it goes against everything I’ve been taught since being a child. Please, try to understand.”

“I apologize.” He closes the gap between us in one jump. “I didn’t mean for it to sound so cutthroat. And you’re right, I didn’t take your struggle under consideration sufficiently.”

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