Deal with the devil

Chapter 2

ADRIANNA’S POV

My life hasn’t always been like this, being Hermes’s sex slave. But it hasn’t been easy either. My childhood isn’t something I could look back at and smile like every other kid, rather it makes my eyes sting with tears each time I remember it.

My father called me cursed because according to him, I took away the most precious thing in his life, being my mother. But it’s not like I’ll intentionally kill my own mother. I didn’t even get to see her. Get to witness what it was like to have a mother. She died of complications after giving birth to me. Father said her pregnancy and my birth was a difficult one. That she suffered a great deal all because I was growing inside her. Every moment I lived with him, he blamed me for her death and made me feel so guilty I thought of giving up and joining her at times.

I went through hell growing up with my father. He neglected his duties and never showed me any love. He didn’t care if I ate or went to school, spending most of his time drinking and gambling away the money he was meant to take care of me with. I never knew what it was like to be loved by my father, by anyone at all. At times when I’m in the streets begging for food and I see kids with their parents, I cry. I cry because no one showed me such love. No one has ever looked at me like they couldn’t live without me.

At the tender age of 14, I learnt the act of pickpocketing the hard way. It came with a lot of risk but I managed to scale through, doing my best never to get caught because the consequences were brutal. At the age of 19, I perfected it to the extent I could slip a wallet out of a pocket without breaking my stride like a ghost leaving no trace.

Severally, I have thought of running away. Thought of leaving my father and never coming back. But each time I remember what a drunken mess he was with no one to care for him, I’m left with no other choice but to stay back and take care of him with hopes that one day he’ll realize his mistakes and love me the way I deserve. Little did I know that day would never come. That all my efforts and sacrifices will forever mean nothing to him.

My world came crashing like a wrecking ball one fateful day after a successful steal.

***Flashback to six months ago***

I had stolen the purse of a woman coming out of a shopping mall. I was happy because the purse contained enough money to cover me and my father’s feeding for an entire week. I didn’t have to worry about going to steal again for the rest of the week.

However, coming back home, I saw a huge flashy car parked outside. Only the rich drove those kind of cars. My brows furrowed deeply. But worse, fear coursed through me as I wondered what kind of trouble my father had gotten himself into this time. I just hoped it wasn’t something so serious that would put our lives in danger or get us kicked out of our home because we had no other place to go.

“Hello…” I called out as I walked into our house as though it was my first time there. “Dad, are you home?”

The whole place was quiet as though no one was around. But when I made it towards the dining area, I saw my father sitting there with…with no other than the Alpha King of our kingdom, Alpha Hermes. The atmosphere there reeked of strong alcohol and cigarettes thanks to the glasses of drinks and burnt cigarettes on the table. There was also an open briefcase with wades of cash neatly arranged inside on the table.

Seeing that, I gulped, bereft of words. I didn’t know what to think or how best to react. Has Father finally come back to his senses and decided to borrow money from Alpha Hermes to take care of me or perhaps start up a business? That was good news. Or was there something I wasn’t aware of?

My gaze slowly travelled from the briefcase to meet my father’s eyes which were now bulgy and tired from all those years of drinking, smoking and poor feeding.

“Dad…what is this?” It took me a lot to ask. “What’s happening…why is he here?”

“I’m sorry, Adrianna,” his voice was cold and bitter as usual. “But it’s time you left my life for good. I can’t bear seeing you anymore. The mere sight of you reminds me of nothing but death and misfortune. You're bad luck so please leave. It’s for the best.”

For once, I hoped to hear something good from him but my hope was crushed faster than I could imagine. His words cut deeper than a knife, leaving a terrible wound searing in my heart. I struggled to catch my breath. It felt torturous like air had been sucked out of the room. All I wanted to break down in tears. But I struggled to keep my fragile control, blinking away the tears forming in my eyes.

Just then, Alpha Hermes plonked the glass of drink he’d been taking noisily on the table as if to attract attention, finally acknowledging my presence. He smirked at me. The way his gaze soaked in the length of my body made an icy shiver run down my spine. He looked like he wanted to drink from me. I’ve heard a lot of bad stories about him but couldn’t tell if they were true because he was an Alpha king. Everyone respected Alpha Kings as though they were gods on Earth. Nothing they did could be counted as wrong or questioned openly.

“Hello Little flower, I have come to take you to your new home,” he said, a sinister smirk playing across the corners of his lips.

The eeriness in those words was enough to tell me his intentions weren’t good. Enough to tell me it was time to make a run for it. To leave this place once and for all without feeling any form of guilt or remorse as to who will take care of my father. I knew he hated me but not to the extent of selling me off like I was some cheap commodity to this man who looked like a nightmare that came to life. I don’t know whatever deal he made with this devil but he has crossed the line, and I’ll never forgive him for it.

I staggered back and turned to take to my heels when I suddenly bumped into a rock-hard gigantic figure before me dressed in a pitch-black suit. I fell butt hard on the floor, my pulse erratic as I couldn’t take my eyes off the unfamiliar figure. He was like those Vikings I see in movies who knew nothing but war and destruction. He must be one of Alpha Hermes’s guards.

Snarling, he bent over to pick me up.

“No…” I whimpered, crawling away from him. “Stay away from me…”

He lifted me off the floor like I weighed nothing. I struggled to break free but that only made him tighten his grip around my torso. My scream was cut off when his large hand shot up over my mouth.

He started moving toward Alpha Hermes as if he were about to offer me up like a peace offering. I swung my elbow back to hit him on the side of the face. He let out a grunt, but his grip didn’t falter. I kicked my leg back and hit him on the shin. That caused his grip to loosen a bit as he groaned again in frustration. He was a very tough one.

“Adrianna, stop fighting!” My father said, infuriated as he rose from his seat. “You’re only going to hurt yourself.”

I didn’t pay attention to him. For doing this, he meant nothing to me again. Alpha Hermes watched the whole scene like an entertained spectator, laughing mockingly at my struggle.

I gathered all my strength and stomped onto the guard’s foot. He held back a deep groan, his grip loosening completely. I tried to make a run for it but he grabbed me by the hair and flung me back so violently I slammed my back against the floor.

A numbing pain shot through my body like an electric shock as I gritted my teeth, tears clouding my vision. At that moment, I knew I was done for. I tried to get up but my body won’t comply.

“We’ve wasted too much time,” I heard Alpha Hermes roar out in frustration. “Get this over with already!”

The guard gave a firm nod and straddled me, balancing his entire weight on me to keep me glued to the spot. He pulled something out from the inside of his suit jacket. He popped off the cap with his thumb and my eyes widened in fear on realizing it was a syringe.

I tried to thrash under his weight, but it was useless. I was too weak to move even a muscle. I hadn’t even eaten before stepping out to pickpocket that evening.

He moved my head to the side to reveal my exposed neck, pressing his large hand against it to steady it in position. I felt the needle drive into the side of my neck as he emptied whatever liquid was inside me.

He chuckled evilly as he got up from me. A few moments later, my eyelids grew heavy and I struggled to keep my eyes open as my vision blurred. I managed to turn towards my dad. I outstretched my hand towards him for help.

“Dad please….help me…don’t do this…I’m still your daughter...” I managed a shaky voice.

But he didn’t move an inch from where he was. He crossed his arms against his chest and shook his head. “I’m sorry Adrianna. You stopped being my daughter the day you killed your mother in that delivery bed. This is for the best so just go.”

I let my hand down and looked away from him, the pain of his betrayal and negligence pressing heavily on me like a boulder. All these while I have held onto hope that was nothing but a mirage. I guess it’s right to assume I am an orphan now.

Hermes walked to me and crouched beside me. He ran his fingers along my cheek, wiping my tears.

“Don’t fight it, Little flower,” he said with a caring smile I knew was deceptive. “It’ll be over soon. Sleep peacefully. When you wake up, you’ll be alright and you will be mine. I love you.”

His voice echoed in my head, drowning my thoughts. It was the last thing I heard as breathing became difficult and I succumbed to whatever drug his guard had injected me with.

***

That was how I was sold off to Alpha King Hermes. For the past six months, I have been held hostage and kept as his sex slave in his hellhole of a castle, enduring all manner of pain and abuse from him. He promised if I behaved and was a good girl to him, he'd let me go after six months. And I did, despite all the agony that came with keeping up with his impossible demands.

That six months ended today. But now, he wasn't keeping up with his own end of the bargain. I can't stay another day in this castle because it might just be my tragic end. I must leave today, no matter what it takes. Even if it means dying in the process.