Page 42 of The Wolf

I roll my eyes at him playfully before facing Meg again. “You know, he has a human form.” I smile at the image of his chiseled face imprinted on my brain. “And he just happens to be the sexiest man to ever exist.” But then my stare drifts back to Alex in his werewolf form, and something softer takes hold of me. My voice lowers, the words catching in my throat, carrying the weight of emotions I’ve only recently started to understand. “It’s more than that, though. It’s the way he makes me feel. Like I’m the most precious thing in the world. And when he looks at me, it’s like I’m the center of everything. Like he’d do anything to protect me, to make me happy.”

Meg watches me closely, her expression unreadable but her eyes reflecting a flicker of curiosity, even longing.

“I can truly be comfortable in my own body because he loves everything about me. All the imperfections, all the parts of myself I’ve ever doubted… he sees them as something to cherish. It’s like I’m allowed to be the most raw version of me—flaws and all, every messy, broken part. And he wouldn’t want me any other way. He doesn’t just accept it. He finds it beautiful and always makes sure Ifeelbeautiful.” The words come easier now, tumbling out as I try to put the impossible into words. “With him, there’s no second-guessing, no wondering if I’m enough. He doesn’t play games. And there’s this peace in never having to lie awake worrying if he’s out getting wasted at a bar or… off somewhere cheating on me. He’d never hurt me. Never betray me.” I smile softly, my vision getting watery. “It’s just… safe. Notboring safe, but the kind where you know you’re loved so deeply that you never have to question it. He’s steady in a way I’ve never experienced before, like a foundation I can trust. Always.”

For a moment, the only sound is the distant crackle of the fire and the hum of the celebration around us.

Then I add, “It’s not perfect, and it’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. Every single moment.”

Meg’s full lips press together as she looks away, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “That’s—” She clears her throat. “That’s amazing, Julia.”

I laugh lightly, feeling a blush creep up my neck as my heart squeezes. “Yeah, it really is.” I nod. “He’s everything…” My voice wavers as I glance back at Alex, and our eyes meet. That smirk still lingers, but it softened into something gentler, something just for me. I recognize the tenderness behind his gaze. I know deep down that I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life but him.

Suddenly, a profound silence descends. Every sound, every movement stills. The weight of an immense aura rolls over the space like a tide, and I feel it in my chest—a heavy, pressing force that demands attention. Almost suffocating.

I freeze, my breath caught somewhere in my throat, and my heart pounds as if it knows who’s coming before my mind can catch up. “Be cool. Be cool. Be cool,” I mutter, nudging Meg. My cheeks are already flushing hot, a telltale I can’t control.

And thenheappears—Mr. Satan himself.

As he strides into the garden, his movements unhurried, each step deliberate and graceful. He radiates power and authority so absolute as though gravity has shifted, pulling everyone’s focus to him without effort.All eyes are on him, conversations forgotten, and every soul around turns instinctively toward the figure who now commands the space.

He’s dressed impeccably in robes. The firelight catches on his sharp features—the chiseled clean-cut jaw, the piercing eyes, the long hair flowing like platinum silk behind him.It’s in the way he carries himself—straight-backed, proud, untouchable. His gaze sweeps over the garden, cold and calculating, yet smirking faintly, as if he finds the moment amusing. And I can tell he relishes the attention.

“Damn!” Meg exclaims under her breath, staring at him star-eyed.

“I know,” I whisper back, biting my lip nervously.

As if hearing us—of course, he does— the corner of his mouth tilts upward in a wicked grin. Then, slowly, like a predator acknowledging prey, he turns his head and looks straight at us. With his glowing eyes locked onto mine, he strides over while I’m trying not to pass out.

“Hi, kitten,” he says smoothly, his voice velvet and menace all in one as he takes a seat near us.

I can feel Alex’s anger ignite, a blazing flame that matches the bonfire. My eyes flicker toward him, and the tension in his frame is unmistakable. He’s holding himself back, but barely.

Meg pulls me a few steps away. “I don’t normally go for the blonde dudes,” she murmurs, her voice low but still audible to me—likely to Satan as well… and jealous Alex, whofor sureis eavesdropping. “But he’sfine!Who’s that?” She has no idea.

“Well…” I hesitate, struggling to find the words to explain.

Thankfully, Clara shows up at my side, her timing uncanny as always. She doesn’t wait for me to fumble through an explanation. Instead, she quotes, her voice steady and dramatic:

“‘And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’”

Meg’s jaw drops. “What the fuck?”

“Yep, that’s right.” Clara nods as if explaining something as ordinary as the weather. “And don’t even bother, hun. He’s not interested.”

“Like, he doesn’t… um, at all?” I ask, genuinely curious now.

Clara shrugs. “I don’t think he can. From what I’ve heard, his human body is just a masquerade. Have youseenhow massive his dragon form is? That wouldn’t… work with a human.”

Before I can process what she’s saying, Satan leans in over me, materializing next to us, his presence sending a shiver down my spine. “That’s an interesting theory,” he says, his voice rich with entertainment.

“Geez!” Meg squeals, nearly dropping her wine glass.

Satan’s grin grows wider, and he tosses his head. “Not quite.” He turns his attention to Clara, and something close to warmth appears in his expression. “You must be beside yourself having not one, but two new faces around.”

“I am indeed!” She brightens.

“And how’s Willow? I was hoping she’d join us for the ritual.”

---