The Deal with the Devil

I stared at the black SUV downstairs. My stomach felt like it was full of lead. My father didn’t send people to "check" on me. He sent them to make sure the trash didn't talk. If they took me back, I wouldn’t just be exiled; I’d disappear.

"They won’t stop," I said, my voice shaking. "They think I’m a mistake that needs to be fixed."

Silas didn't blink. He just held the pen toward me. The wind from the broken windows blew his hair back, making him look like a dark statue.

"Sign it, Aria," he pressed. "The moment you sign, you aren't a runaway wolf-less girl anymore. You’re the future wife of the most powerful man in this city. My security will deal with those dogs."

I grabbed the pen. My fingers brushed his, and another spark jumped between us. I didn't care anymore. I scrawled my name on the screen.

Aria Silver-Moon.

The tablet flashed gold. Silas took it back and tapped a button on his desk.

"Marcus," he spoke into the air. "There is a Silver-Moon vehicle at the front gate. They are trespassing. Remove them. Use whatever force is needed to show them that Vane Tech is off-limits."

"On it, Boss," a deep voice answered through a speaker.

I ran to the edge of the broken window, looking down. I saw a group of men in black suits step out of the building. They moved with the same scary speed as Silas. They didn't use guns. They just shifted their hands into claws and moved toward the SUV.

The car tried to peel away, tires screeching on the wet road. But one of Silas’s men jumped onto the roof, caving it in with a single punch. The car spun out and crashed into a streetlamp. My heart raced as I watched my father's enforcers scramble out of the wreck and run back toward the forest.

They were terrified. For the first time in my life, the people who bullied me were the ones running away.

"Feel better?" Silas asked. He was standing right behind me now.

"I've never seen anyone stand up to them before," I admitted. I turned to look at him. "Why do you need a fake wife so badly? You’re a billionaire. You can have anyone."

Silas walked over to a small mirror and touched the metal device behind his ear. It was still smoking a little.

"Because I’m a 'glitch' too, Aria," he said, his face tightening. "The other Alphas think I’m too modern. They think my technology is an insult to the Moon Goddess. The board of directors wants to kick me out because they say I’m unstable. If I’m married to a 'sweet, loyal' girl, they’ll think I’m settled. They’ll leave me alone to finish my work."

"And what work is that?"

"Building a world where we don't need packs," he snapped. "A world where being born 'weak' doesn't mean you're a slave."

He looked at my muddy dress and frowned. He pressed another button.

"Marcus, get the best stylist in the city here in ten minutes. And clear out the guest suite. My fiancée is moving in."

"Fiancée?" I repeated the word. It felt heavy on my tongue. "What do I have to do? I don't know how to be a billionaire’s wife."

"You just have to stay close to me," Silas said. He walked toward me until I was backed up against the wall. He leaned in, his scent of expensive cologne and wild forest filling my head. "When my wolf gets angry, you touch my hand. When the cameras are on us, you smile as you love me. Can you do that?"

"I can act," I said, my chest tight. "But what happens after thirty days?"

"You take your ten million, and you go wherever you want," he said. "You'll be rich enough to buy your own pack if you want to."

"I don't want a pack," I spat. "I want to watch them crawl."

Silas’s eyes flickered red for a split second, but this time, it didn't look like pain. It looked like he was impressed.

"Good," he said. "I like revenge. It’s a great motivator."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. It was a huge, clear diamond that looked like a piece of ice. He took my hand. His touch was cold, but the moment he slid the ring onto my finger, a surge of heat went up my arm.

The diamond didn't stay clear. As it touched my skin, a vein of silver fire shot through the middle of the stone, turning it a bright, glowing chrome.

Silas froze. He stared at the ring, then at me.

"That's not supposed to happen," he breathed. "That stone only changes color for..."

He stopped talking as the elevator doors opened. Marcus stepped out, but he wasn't alone. He was holding a tablet, and his face was pale.

"Boss, we have a problem," Marcus said. "The news just leaked. And someone from the Silver-Moon pack just sent a message to every news station in the city."

Silas grabbed the tablet. I leaned in to see the screen. It was a video of my sister, Lila. She was crying fake tears into a microphone.

"My poor sister, Aria, has been kidnapped by Vane Tech," Lila sobbed on the screen. "She’s mentally ill and has no wolf to protect herself. Silas Vane is using her. We are coming to save her, and we aren't coming alone."

Silas looked at me, his jaw tight. "It seems your sister wants a war."

"She doesn't want me," I realized, my blood boiling. "She wants the ten million."

Suddenly, the building shook. A loud explosion echoed from the lobby downstairs.

"They're already in the building," Marcus stated, shifting his hands into claws.

Silas looked at the broken window, then at me. He grabbed my waist and pulled me flush against him.

"Hold on," he commanded.

"What are you doing?" I gasped.

He didn't answer. He just jumped straight out of the broken window, carrying me into the dark sky.