4

GRANT

Women are all the same, they pretend to look innocent but they are far deadly from their pretentious phase.

This thought irks me as the maiden who purposely dropped her napkin, struggles to hold eye contact with me, signifying her true intentions. In the past this would have moved me but ever since I was cursed by that damn witch, gestures like this annoy me.

"My king, shall I burn the napkin?" Theodore, my knight and my attendant asked, noticing the scenario. "No, I'll handle this myself." I hissed prancing my way towards her, her expression was bountiful and it felt satisfying that i was about to wipe that cocky grin off her lips.

Seated alone in the heart of the restaurant, she exuded an air of solitude. I chose the chair opposite hers, and that's when she commenced her artful game of charming the devil.

"Oh, kind sir. Is that my napkin? Have you come to return it?" she chuckled in pretense.

"Is your fiance aware that you're a harlot?" I inquired, and her gleeful gaze swiftly soured. She turned pale, perhaps at the mere mention of her fiancée.

"He's out of the kingdom, and I'm just trying to have a little fun. You understand how tribulating it is for a young woman like myself to be all alone," she pouted, leaning her ample chest over the table. I didn't linger much on her cleavage; my eyes immediately bounced back to her face.

"You're a tough one, aren't you? How did you even know I was engaged?" she asked, and I smirked at her.

"Same way I know you're a demon," and that's when her face turned flushed white.

H-How, how does he know?

Play it cool Tabitha, he could be joking.

I could read her mind as she panicked.

Demons blend in well with wolves since the discovery of wolfless humans, well you can't blame them since Alpha Peralez invaded their home, lucky for everyone only low ranking demons associate with werewolves, it's pathetic watching them pretend to be something they're not, besides, Alpha Peralez is aware of this but chooses to keep a blind eye.

Only Alpha's can tell the difference between a demon and a wolfless human.

"I'm not joking." I said as her face grew more weary. "And it's disgusting how you choose to commit infidelity when you're nothing more than a scummy demon." My eyes sparked a colorful hue as she shivered in cold sweats.

"Forgive me." She immediately threw herself to the floor as she hugged my legs, begging for forgiveness. "Let go of me." I hissed as she immediately releases me and I get up and return to Theodore.

Everyone in the shop watched as she begin laughing maniacally and soon enough she begins ripping her dress to shreds. "Isn't that too much sire?" Theodore asked as I shook my head.

"She's killed about 14 children, you are aware demons need werewolf blood to keep their human form." I said immediately leaving the restaurant, not too thrilled to see her turn into a demon right in front of me, besides I had urgent matters to attend to.

Theodore ordered the next carriage that was available to the palace. I was wearing a cloak to make me look unsuspicious and unidentifiable. If news spread through Peralez that I was in the kingdom, I won't have as much freedom as I do right now, I'd be thrown women left and right as noble families would prefer to send their daughters to their tragic demise all because of the consolation prize that worth millions in gold.

Soon enough, we arrived at the palace, and Theodore acted as my spokesperson, engaging in conversation with the head of the royal guards, Captain Daniel. He seemed to have aged gracefully, the scar I inflicted on him resting neatly over his right eye. He nodded at Theodore as he spoke but immediately frowned the moment our eyes met.

"Emperor Peralez awaits your visit," he scoffed, leading both of us inside the palace. The last time I was here was to see the infamous corpse princess. It was well known that the empress tried to murder her but failed due to her invulnerability. I was intrigued to the point I had to see the child myself. Twenty years had passed since I last saw her, and if she's still alive, I intend to have her as my bride.

Soon enough we were escorted to a room and left with some snacks and a female dancer for entertainment, I stared at her hard finding a sharp resemblance with the empress, this wasn't any dancer this was the princess Nyla, the second daughter of Emperor Peralez. From the looks of her face she was frightened, probably scared of messing up the dance.

Theodore seemed to be enjoying it but I was rather annoyed why Emperor Peralez had his daughter entertain us.

"Isn't she talented my king?" Theodore beamed in smiles after the finished her little dance. "Send for your father." I ordered as she bowed. "Yes my lord." She gasped as bead of sweats crowded her forehead. Theodore's eyes seemed to linger on the young girl, I will admit she was attractive, looking exactly like her mother in her prime but she wasn't the reason i was at Peralez.

Emperor Peralez strode into the room, his vibrant crimson robe billowing behind him like a fiery wave. Upon his head rested a crown of gleaming gold, its intricate design catching the light. In his hand, he held a staff of polished gold, its polished surface gleaming like a captured star.

His feet were encased in regal shoes of supple leather, adorned with intricate embroidery and sparkling with precious gems. A single earring adorned his right ear, a solitary drop of sapphire that seemed to capture the very essence of the heavens.

His attire was the epitome of imperial majesty, a symphony of color and texture that spoke of power, wealth, and wisdom. Emperor Peralez was a man of substance, and his clothing reflected that. Every detail, from the crown upon his head to the earring in his ear, was carefully chosen to project an image of grandeur and authority.

As he walked, his every movement exuded confidence and poise as well as a rather found excitement. My guess he believes his daughter won me with her petty dance. "Alpha Grant." He addresses me. "Alpha Alexander." I called his other name in kind of how he addressed me.

"Was that princess Nyla just now ?" I asked as he bleated happily. "Yes, she's grown beautiful hasn't she?" He said sounding pleased.

"She has, a splitting resemblance of her mother." I said adjusting myself to my seat. "Ah yes, don't you think she'd make a great queen ?" He insisted as I arched a brow at his request. "Well yes Peralez will adore her." I say as his look turn sour.

"Grant, we're both matured here you have no excuse to play dumb since you're hundreds of years older than me. Marry the girl, she recently turned nineteen. She'd make a perfect bride." He finally cut to the chase making his intentions clear. "I'll give you the gold in millions of that's what you want." I said as he burst into laughter.

"Oh my, Grant, I don't need your gold. I just want my daughter to be your bride." He suggested as I arched my brow. "And how do you suppose she gives me an heir or will I avoid sharing the same bed with her ?" I said as Peralez nodded in approval.

"All this nonsense about bearing an heir, you can simply appoint one from a ducal family if you want that so badly." His words seem to only erage me but I had to keep my composure.

"If that works for you, it won't work for me Alpha Peralez. You see you have everything you want in your miniscule life. I don't only want an heir, I want a family." It gets lonely once you're seven hundred and eighty years old. I've watch all my comrades die, the Hazem blood was blessed with immortality for some it was a blessing but to me it was a bloody curse.

"I see, you're still interested in that child." He muttered disappointed. "But I must tell you she dallied in her mother's footsteps and now she's slept with almost every man and woman in the palace. I can't let you marry such a promiscuous child." He said as I leaned back with a smirk on my lips.

"That would mean she has experience, it still won't surpass mine." I grinned as he looked hopeless at this point. He probably pondered the rumors of me only accepting adult virgins. I had just made that up because I got tired of noble families tossing their daughters at my beck.

"Alpha Grant," he called.

I rose, a hint of irritation coloring my expression. "Where is she?" I demanded.

"She's still my daughter, and I'll only hand her over if you take Nyla as a second wife," Alpha Peralez stated, tossing his deal into the tense air. "I accept," I declared, and a wave of relief crossed Alpha Peralez's face.

"You won't regret this," he assured, rising to shake hands with me. "But if that brat ends up being a nuisance, forget our familiarities. I'll have her beheaded."