"What did you say about me Eli? What did you say?" Darius asked him in anger.

"Nothing Darius. I swear nothing." He said like the coward he was. His panicked voice almost made me laugh.

"He tried to kill me Darius,I swear he did and I promise I was good." I cried out to him.

Darius dealt him a hefty blow and his face fell sideways and when he angled his head back in position,blood had formulated round his teeth and he had blood coming out from his nostrils.

"It would take me nothing to drive a stake into this poor wretched heart of yours." Darius said to him.

"You would not dare." Eli finally said, finding his voice. He had the nerves to speak back at Darius.

In flashes, Darius dealt him several blows and he fell to the ground.

I held Darius. "Desist from disfiguring his face Darius. Remember the groom must look very charming for the wedding." I said to him.

He stared at me with a confused look and then he understood my sarcasm. He let go of Eli.

"I promise you Eli,I shall cut off any relationship you intend forming with my sister. As long as I am alive, you'd never get the opportunity to wed my sister and not to imagine bedding her. This is a vow a brother is making to his sister." He said in anger.

Heat crept my cheeks at his words 'bedding' and disgust crept my skin at the thought of Eli touching me. Never.

Darius held my hand. "Come now dear sister. We must prepare for tonight's feast." He said sweetly and I nodded walking alongside with him. Oh how I love this man! Not in the sense of romance but in the sense that he was my brother who had my back while others did not.

•

How did your date go my child?" Mother asked as we got closer to her. She had seen us walk in together and was full of smiles. Did she perhaps thought Darius came to pick up from Eli's?

I immediately forced a smile. "It was indeed a delightful afternoon." I said to her.

Her eyes brightened. "I'm so glad to hear that. You must have seen the qualities.." She stopped,her eyes narrowing. "What happened to your neck?" She asked with a frown.

I touched my neck. Eli's fingers must have been imprinted on my skin. "Like I said mother,it was a delightful afternoon." I said still using a sarcastic tone. I did not care that she noticed the scar. What was the point of noticing my physical scar and not my emotional one.

"Indeed it quite was and not only did Ash see the great qualities of a husband in Eli,I also did mother. I saw it all." Darius said to her also being sarcastic. She frowned at him. He had my hand again and brushed past her.

I turned back to look at her and she had a worried expression on her face. Getting into my bedroom, Darius closed the door.

"I believe you have a plan so I do not have to go through with this wedding." I said to him and he nodded.

"Do not worry your head little sister. It is my promise to you that you shall not marry Eli and I'll ensure it." He assured me and I went closer to him and hugged him. If it were not for him,my voice would never be heard in this family.

"I know you'd always protect me no matter what." I said, holding back my tears of joy.

He stroked me in a brotherly way. "Now you must prepare for father's feast and watch the drama unfold." He said as we pulled apart and I nodded and watched him leave.

I removed the pins in my hair wondering what my brother had in mind. I had no idea that tonight would change my life forever. Tonight, I'd take a new course in another direction.

At the struck of Nine,I walked down the stairs. The house was indeed beautified in various ways and explicitly exquisite. Such decorations that have not I seen for many years and it was all happening due to mother's watchful eyes.

The house was packed with people. Vampires,travelers,tourists but mostly vampires. The humans were desert for the occasion.

Some were seated while others stood and engaged in small talks. I still wondered what tonight's occasion was all about.

Soon,I saw father standing before everyone and as soon as he did,the whole gathering became as silent as a cemetery. That was the impacts father made around people and I believe he thought he could command such submission from the lycans.

He cleared his throat as he began to speak. "Tonight is a special night," he said and I paid no attention to him as I sought for my brother.

I found Otis beside a blonde. He looked bored of the occasion and I knew he could not wait to compel this lady,feast on her and commit fornication with her. He's my brother and I knew what most of his thoughts were.

At the other side was Josh sipping whiskey. I did not see Darius. I turned to go in search of him when father's voice stopped me.

"The official engagement of my daughter Ashlyn Ambrosia and Eli Manning." He said and I stopped moving. I was frozen on the spot.

I was terrified and horrified. They did not tell me about this. They knew if they did,I would have escaped. I would have been anywhere but here. I turned around and father's eyes met mine.

He smiled. "There she is." He said and the gathering turned to look at me and applauded.

Joshua had a smirk on his face as he raised his glass at me in form of a toast. A toast?! I almost shrieked. How could he be raising a toast to me at this crucial end point of my life?

"Come up here daughter." Father said,more of a command that I dared not disobey. Meekly like a lamb for sacrifice,I walked to where father was

"And you Eli,my son. Come up here." Father gestured to Eli who smiled radiantly. The wounds Darius inflicted on him was healing. Perks of being an hybrid. He walked towards us. His father had huge smiles plastered on his face. Now he'd be rubbing shoulders with the masters. How pathetic. Father smiled. I was sure he was glad. Not glad that I was getting married but glad he was getting rid of me in a flimsy excuse of a marriage.

He would need not bother about my well-being any longer. My inability to act like a vampire will be less of a problem to him. He was handing me out. Practically I was being sold to this pretentious pervert of a vampire

"Tonight I am glad to announce to y'all of this engagement that I am well pleased with. I'm sure with all the fatherly love in my heart that Eli will be a good husband to my Ashlyn." He said and the gathering applauded agai

Fatherly love? I scoffed. Fatherly love indeed He could not even see my pain or feel it. Worse,he was ignoring it

Where was Darius when I needed him the most?

I forced a smile as father held my hand. "Tonight,I give my blessings and join my daughter and Eli inna.

"Stop!" Darius voice echoed loudly as he interrupted father. Sweet relief washed over me. I've never felt this much glad to see my brother.

"What is the meaning of this Darius? In my presence?" Father said trying not to sound angry but he was. He was raging in fury and I was well pleased.

"Forgive my manners father but it is what it is." He said with a rude curtsey. Classic Darius.

"What is this insubordination Darius? And in the presence of my subjects?!" Father said and clearly this time,he showed his anger.

He felt downgraded by Darius actions. Darius bowed. "Pardon my manners again father,but I must interfere in this matter. The marriage shall not hold." He said,his eyes holding father's in that same steadfast tendency as his.

Darius turned to the gathering. "I'm about to reveal the truth about this man here and the fake love he pretends to have for my sister." He said and I saw Joshua rolling out the kinetograph. He was in this too? I wondered. Despite making it look like he did not give a damn about me getting married to Eli. Perhaps Darius forced him to do so.

Mother walked up to Darius. "What are you doing? You're embarrassing your father." She said to him through gritted teeth as she faked a smile across the gatherings who were staring at us in curiosity.

"If saving my sister from the clutches of this mad man,then embarrassment shall we all face." He said to her and she was forced to leave his side.

The kinetograph revealed the lunch date of Eli and I earlier today. It revealed the way he mishandled me and the people gasped. Heat rose to Eli cheeks and he knew he was in trouble.

"Do you think this man is worthy of my sister?" Darius asked directing the question at the gathering and they shook their head negatively.

"A man not respecting a woman deserves to remain unmarried." One of the women in the gathering said and the others nodded in agreement.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I was going to be free from this animal. Just then,I heard a loud crash outside and I wondered what was going on.

I believe a few people heard it too as they looked around. Father was oblivious to it. He was fuming with rage that his own son had defiled him. His own son had defended me. Was I not his daughter too? Why did he hate me so much not to even notice me or my feelings?

"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this." He said defending Eli. He was defending a man who hurt his daughter! His own flesh and blood.

"Eli?" He said turning to him.

Eli nodded. "Yes there is." He said a bit shaken while his father looked quite horrified and terrified and disappointed at the same time.

"We do not need any explanation for this. It's final. My sister will not and shall never marry a spineless swine." Darius said in a voice that father often used. Then I realized his authority he got from him.

Father was about to speak when the sounds of gunshots echoed into the walls of the palace Everyone gasped in fright murmuring amongst themselves in despair.

A guard rushed into the palace. "What's going on?" Father demanded of him.

"The town is under siege. The lycanthropes are taking over." He said in a frightful voice.

"Darius!" Father called out despite Darius being close to him. "Fetch me my sword." He ordered. Joshua had already moved out of the house Ina a speed as fast as lightning.

Darius returned with father's sword and in a flash too,they were out.

"Come on now," Mother said pulling me away towards the stairs agitated.

As I followed her panicking, something broke through the window exploding everywhere and bringing out smoke. It was a smoke bomb.

Everyone was screaming and scampering away looking for where to hide. But there was no place to hide. Everywhere was smoky and I panicked. I had warn father about this and now the lycanthropes had taken us by surprise. What happened to the almighty barrier he set up?

I could barely see but I could hear the screams of the people. I wanted to see what was going on. I took my hand away from mother and searched my way towards the door.

"Ashlyn." Mother called in a panic voice but I ignored her.

I fell along the way on some people but I made it outside the door and started coughing,the effect of the smoke bomb taking a toll on me.

I raised up my head and saw how the lycans shifted into their forms and dealt harshly with the people who tried to fight back but they were like ants in the presence of the lycans.

With fire and silver flying around,I knew we stood no chance against these beasts.

I gasped as I saw Darius and Joshua thrown off by a lycan who had not shifted just by the flick of his hands. From his back,I could tell he was massively huge. I could not see him.

Father was fighting off some lycans with a lot of effort. These people were quicker and faster than we were.

I should be there,I should help my brother but what could I do? I was a weak vampire, spineless and unwitting. How could I take down these huge men. I watched as the town I've come to love rendered into dust.

The lycans have no empty threats as father had thought. They carried out exactly what the had in mind. Vulgar barbarians.

I looked away wracking in sobs. I looked back to see Darius still entangled in a fight with this powerful man including father. I could do nothing but I was not about to let my brother die.

"All you had to do was pay the rites but you did not heed to it." He said to father. His voice thundered into my ears. He was not speaking to me but his voice dangerous yet in a way felt silky to me.

Despite at the verge of losing everything,father was still egocentric

"A vampire never bows down to anyone. Not even his enemies." Father said.

"Then watch me take away everything you own including your family. Starting from him." The Lycan said and threw father far away from him and turned to attack Darius.

"No!" I screamed running towards them and immediately he turned around to my direction and I felt completely weak to my knees. One of his people grabbed me. He let go of Darius and moved closer to me. He made a sign with his finger and the Lycan let go of me.

His height towered against me and I gulped in fear. His demeanor was condescending and royalty I smelled all over him. His dark eyes danced around it's socket.

"Mate." His voice came out gruffly. I stared at him,shock and fear taking over me. I saw Joshua try to take him by surprise but was thrown off by an already shifted lycan.

The lycans gathered behind him and the whole pack surrounded I and my family.

"Take her." He ordered and turned to leave.

I gasped in shock. "That's impossible. I shall go nowhere." I said. He turned back,his eyes spitting fire and I shuddered. I believed he was not acquainted with being turned down.

"Would you rather die?" He asked and he meant it.

"I would rather die than go anywhere with you." I said having a boldness I did not believe I'll ever have despite quivering in fear.

He towered against me. "Then death you shall get." He said,his appearance commanded authority that one must succumbed to and I stared at him horrified. His pack raised up guns loaded with silver and I panicked.

He saw the horror on my face and a wicked smirk tugged a little at the corner of his lips.

"It will be more pleasurable to watch your family die before your eyes and this town burnt to ashes like it never existed and then your death shall follow." He said and his pack immediately turned to everyone and their daylight rings snatched from their finger.

"Take her," I heard father's shrill voice. "If she's what you want to end this. Take her away. Do whatever you want with her." He said and I turned towards him in shock.

Would he never get tired of trying to get rid of me? And to an enemy as great as this,he was willing to exchange me.

"See," he said with a smirk. "Your father is giving you away without much thoughts. Typical vampires." He scoffed and a frown creased on his face.

"Let them go." I pleaded falling down on my knees. He made his pack return the daylight rings and lowered himself to me and held my face hard and I felt agonizing pain. The silver guns were still pointed at everyone.

"Listen, I'll spare this whole town and your pathetic family only on the account that you return with me as my mistress." He said and I gasped.

'Take her." He commanded as he straightened up and walked away.

I scrambled on my knees towards Darius. "Please do not let them take me away. Please I beg you." I pleaded,tears spilling from my eyes as I wept at his feet.

He did not move an inch and when I looked up at him,his eyes were red and I saw defeat in them. He could not save me this time.

I was dragged off his feet by one of the lycans. His large paws encircling my waist as he placed me over his hairy shoulder like a lamb for sacrifice.

I looked at my family and I felt a detest in my heart for them especially my father. Hatred for him was spreading in my heart like wildfire. Darius looked away from me unable to meet my gaze. He had saved me from the hands of Eli,but now he could not save me from the hands of this barbaric monster. No one could. I cried realizing my fate.

•

•

Cardonald, Glasgow

A tear finally slipped from my eyes as the rain drumming on the roof finally subsided. My tears did not drop for the fact that I was separated from my family. My tears dropped because no one could save me from the hands of my new tormentor. Lucifer.

I knew his name that very night when he returned with me here. His pack members had chanted his name ceaselessly and it was that very night I began to fulfil the obligations I had as his mistress.

He had stripped me of my purity and honor. Stripped me of the little dignity I had left and turning me into a whoreson.

It was time I stopped replaying the past. My present was hard enough. What more would my future be?

I walked away from the window and laid on the bed that had bequeathed Lucifer hours ago and the sheets soiled with his scent.

I closed my eyes shaking off further thoughts of him or the night he took me away and made me his. Not to love me,just to bed me.

To me,my family never loved me except Darius. There was no way I would expect love from a vulgar man like Lucifer. His name was the exact definition of him. He was the devil himself.

Lucifer's POV

The morning rays reflecting on my face forced me up. I groaned as I sat up. I was beginning to hate mornings and nights too.

At nights, I'm unable to sleep peacefully after leaving Ash's room and I was hating mornings because when I finally get to shut my eyes,the sun rays forces it open and then I'll have no choice but to awake.

It was all her fault. She was clouding my head at nights and now mornings too. It was also the goddess's fault for making her my mate.

But that was it. The goddess proposed her as my mate and I took her as my whore.

The goddess could chose who my mate was but she could definitely not tell me what to do with her.

I had wanted to reject her immediately that night but Steel got other ideas. We were both angry that we got a vampire as a mate. Of all the creatures in the supernatural, the goddess chose to give us a vampire as a mate! It was very repulsive.

She was quite attractive. Pale and fragile,not my kind of women but she was attractive. Attractive enough to have her in my bed and make her scream my name and watch her roll her eyes back and forth in ecstasy.

Her body was all I wanted and for a vampire,she had a very alluring body that sends signals down one's loins without even a touch.

Instead of letting such beauty pass by without having a taste just because I despised her being, Steel and I agreed to have her as a mistress. Please us and we were done.

Why she was crowding my mind was what did not go down well with me.

"Do not worry yourself too much Helldog. You just had her last night." Steel said to me.

I shrugged nodding. "You're right Steel. She was pretty good last night." I said to him with a smirk.

He chuckled. "And you pushed her away like you had the worst experience ever last night." He said.

I stood up from the bed stretching. "I'm not about to let her know she pleases me just so fine. I'll like her to think she's worthless in bed." I said pulling on a shirt.

He laughed out. "We're so much alike." He said as I pulled up my breeches.

I chuckled. "After all,we share one mind." I said to him and walked out of the room.

"Alpha." Killian,my second in command called the instant he saw me.

"Killian," I said to him as I walked into the living room. "Any information about the land Cromwell possessed?" I asked him.

He nodded. "The land was forcefully taken from us the lycans under your father's reign. Cromwell's pack believe it's their rightful property." He said.

The land in question belonged to us. All towns from the royal mile in Edinburgh down to Glasgow belonged to only us the lycans. Why other creatures of the supernatural derived joy in claiming our properties irritated me and always aroused anger in me.

Cromwell's pack was a flimsy pack of warlords that I could render to dust without effort. I was not my father who did things leniently. I give warnings only twice and the last is action.

"Did you send my letter?" I asked him.

"Yes Lucifer. He returned it. Pieces inside the envelope." He said and I grew in fury. The warlords knew not what I was capable of.

"The news of my dealings with the vampires must have not reached their ears." I said with a smirk. How I would love to see the surprise and horror on their faces when we take back our land.

"Do not issue another warning to them Kill. This is the highest insult a lycan can take." I said to him and he nodded and walked away.

Just then I saw Ash walking down the stairs. I could feel her emotions and I could tell she was sad. I do not care. I said to myself.

"Trying to take another town I see." She said to me.

"Who told you,you could come out of your room?" I demanded ignoring her question.

"Every wall is a prison for me. It does not matter if it's up there or down here." She said in that boldness I first heard that night I took her away with me.

"That room is your prison." I said to her with a frown.

"Yes it is my prison. Where you have your will with me." She said raising her chin.

I smirked. "You signed up for this." I said to her.

"I had no choice and I did not say yes." She said and I bridged up the space between us.

Grabbing her waist tightly as she pressed into me. Her eyes wide in shock.

"Technically,with your moans you said yes. I drive you to great heights of pleasures and you cannot deny that my pretty." I said to her as I drew a line down her arm. Why did I sound that way? I cleared my throat and pushed her away from me.

She's only been here for a few days and I was already losing my senses. Why would the moon goddess give me a dead soul as a mate? Why? I was not so cruel to deserve such fate, was I?