Terms and conditions

A child.

Cinnia lay on the hard, iron bed with a hand gently placed on her flat belly. Even with all the proof she needed, she still couldn't believe it.

She was going to be a mother.

Tracing her belly with her index finger, she wondered what the child would look like.

Would it look more like her or like the stranger?

Denzel.

Lycan. She had never heard of such a supernatural creature before and the old witches refused to tell her anything.

When she had asked Sophie, the young witch promptly ignored her questions and instead made her tell her something important that Denzel would remember from their encounter. That one night of pure sensuality.

Her heart beat rapidly against her ribs as she began wringing her fingers together.

Unsatisfied, she got up from the bed and began pacing back and forth. Despite the cool air in the room, a trickle of sweat ran down her right temple.

She was afraid but also impatient.

Afraid of what his reaction would be when he saw her after she had left him so abruptly. Would he believe the child is his?

She wanted to see him...badly. It had taken all of her strength and will to not abandon her mission and return to Bromsken for him.

The mate bond had kept nagging at her to return, to find him wherever he was and remain with him.

However, she was in Lunar Crest for a reason. A reason far stronger than her desire to be with him, but this pregnancy would be a distraction. A problem. A weakness.

She knew she wasn't locked in. She could try to escape but she wasn't that stupid.

These witches wanted something from Denzel and she was their bargaining tool. They couldn't afford to lose her. Therefore, any attempts to escape would be futile.

Cinnia was no match against an entire coven of Darah Haven witches. Her mother had never used her powers around her but from a young age, she could sense the impressive aura of magic about her.

Her only option was to wait and see if the situation could be twisted to her advantage. She was not merchandise to be bargained for.

So, her movements came to a sudden halt. Her hands returned to her sides to form fists so tight that her knuckles almost blanched regardless of her dark skin.

Her ears perked at the voices filtering in from outside. Unlike before, there were four voices she recognized.

One belonging to Sophie, one to Esther, and one to Nanette.

But there was one that stood out to her the most. One that she never forgot after that night.

The smooth baritone that pleasured her dreams and called her princess.

He's here. Denzel.

Unconsciously, she began fluffing up her thick afro till realization overcame her.

What am I doing?

Her heart began pounding even more erratically than before. She placed her hands on her belly to resist the urge to bite her fingernails just as the door swung open.

A long, angular shadow from the doorway preceded Denzel's entrance.

The minute he strode into the room as if he owned it with his eyes fixated on the woman in front of him, it took great restraint to not scoop her into his arms and never let her out of his sight again.

His eyes flickered down to where Cinnia’s hands rested on her belly. They remained there for a moment, listening.

Cinnia on the other hand was rooted to the spot she stood on. His very presence filled the room and his scent, the delicious smell that she remembered so vividly permeated her nostrils.

She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she reveled in it. So much so that she didn't know when her feet began to move toward him.

Denzel sighed in relief when he saw her making the first move.

However, it was only when a hard but gentle hand grasped her wrist that she noticed she was standing right in front of him.

Her chocolate brown eyes flew open to meet his sparkling eyes that shone a beautiful sea color as a ray of sunlight hit them and stroked his lashes. She had expected and was prepared to see resentment or anger roiling in those eyes of his but there wasn't.

He gazed into her eyes with such adoration that it almost made her knees go weak.

"Princess," he whispered for only her ears to hear.

Princess. A word that shouldn't mean so much to her but meant everything.

Her lips parted to speak but the words hitched in her throat.

"Say something, Cinnia!" she scolded herself.

"I—" Before she could begin apologizing, she was immediately wrenched from his grasp.

So engrossed were they in each other that they failed to notice when Sophie, Nanette, and Esther entered the room.

Denzel internally cursed himself. His ears should have picked up the footsteps of the witches no matter how silent they were.

But she was like a drug to him. Dimming his senses but bringing relief and ecstasy.

"You haven't agreed to our terms yet, Denzel," Esther said as she held Cinnia’s arm in a tight grip with her nails digging into her flesh.

Cinnia’s eyes squeezed shut as she winced from the throbbing ache.

Denzel's eyes flashed in fury when he noticed. In the blink of an eye, he snatched Esther's arm and before any more words could be exchanged, his hand was around her throat.

"You do not command me, witch. You would do well to think twice before laying a hand on her again, understand?" He seethed, his fingers tightening with every word.

"Stop! Release her!" Sophie yelled. 

Slowly, Denzel's burning glower turned to meet her determined scowl.

"Let her go or I swear on my ancestors, I will kill your child before you can blink!" She threatened, her palm hovering over Cinnia’s belly as Nanette held her afro in a tight grip, with a wickedly sharp dagger placed at her throat.

That was the third time Cinnia ever felt real terror.

The blade of the dagger was so close to digging into her skin that she couldn't even bear to take a risk and swallow or even make a desperate run for the door.

"You better listen to her, Denzel. Don't you value the life of your child? Or that of your mate?" Nanette said with a confident smirk etched on her wrinkled features.

Instantly, Denzel's grip on Esther's neck loosened and she fell to the floor, greedily gulping air.

Denzel ground his teeth in rage. How dare they?

His eyes began to glow brighter than ever but without warning, a searing pain blasted through his head, halting his transformation.

Sophie's eyes hardened as she focused her magic out of her outstretched palm and onto Denzel, forcing him to grit his teeth in pain.

"Don't take another step, Denzel," Sophie warned, her brows knitted together in concentration.

"Denzel...Please..." Cinnia whimpered, and the blade dug into her skin causing a droplet of blood to trickle down her throat.

The sight of her blood infuriated Denzel. With a speed that neither Sophie nor Nanette anticipated, Denzel came to stand directly in front of Nanette, and before her blade could do more damage to Cinnia, he snapped her neck in one quick blow.

She tumbled to the ground in a heap, unmoving.

Eyes glowing with hate and righteous anger, he turned to Sophie and Esther who had shakily gotten up from the floor, menacingly.

"Let her go. Now. I will not ask you again."

Esther and Sophie shared a brief look. With a nod of agreement, Sophie's hand landed on Cinnia's belly and she slowly began to release her power into her.

Fresh tears began to pool in Cinnia’s eyes as hot, twisting pain tore through her belly. She struggled against Sophie's tight grasp but to no avail. Whatever Sophie was doing to her would also not let her escape from her grip.

"I haven't done anything, why are you doing this to me?" Cinnia's voice broke as the torment became too much for her to handle. It was sharper than a dagger, stabbing its way through her womb and causing her knees to buckle.

But Sophie wouldn't let her fall.

"This is more than you, Cinnia," Sophie replied.

To Denzel, she said, "You can try to use your inhuman speed to get to me but you'll have to go through Esther first and before you can kill her, I will blast every bit of magic I have into your mate and cause her to miscarry."

"Come on, try me," she challenged.

Denzel's heated glare flitted from Sophie to Nanette, his fingers drumming a staccato against his thigh as he weighed his options.

"I will listen to your terms and we can negotiate an agreement after. Now, get your filthy hands off of her," he relented.

"A wise decision," Esther commended.

Sophie stopped the flow of her magic and Cinnia heaved a sigh of relief. The pain was instantly gone as if it had never been there in the first place.

Why the hell did I have to get pregnant? Now this baby has become a weakness and a tool for people to use against me... And him.

Sophie made to push Cinnia to Denzel but thought better of it.

"Oh. Before I forget, Cinnia's life and the life of your child are tied to mine. I'm telling you this in case you get the bright idea to kill me the moment I hand her over to you."

That being said, she pushed Cinnia into Denzel's waiting arms.

He had originally planned to kill both Sophie and Esther just like he had killed Nanette but this new information made him rethink his decision.

"What do you mean by their lives are tied to yours?" Denzel asked, his glare softening as he held Cinnia's shivering form against his warm body, stroking her hair gently.

Death had always loomed over Cinnia from the moment she turned eighteen.

She had been running all this while because that was what she was told to do but as she was cocooned in Denzel's comforting embrace, she realized that all the while she had been on the run, she had never been truly afraid of dying.

It dawned on her that she wanted to live for the child growing inside her and for the man in whose arms she felt safe. Now, she had a reason to remain in Lunar Crest after completing her mission.

Although it was scary how quickly he switched from fatal to caring in a matter of seconds, she just knew that she was in no danger from him.

"I placed a spell on her and your child. Our lives are connected. Whatever happens to me will happen to her."

That explanation was the final straw that wiped the fear from Cinnia’s mind instantly. She stopped shivering and pulled away from Denzel's embrace.

"You connected my child's life to yours? What the hell do you want from Denzel that you would put the life of a child that hasn't even come into this world, at risk?!" Cinnia screamed as she moved to square up to Sophie who stood unbothered by her outburst.

It was only Denzel's grip on her wrist that stopped her from delivering a resounding slap across Sophie's face.

As Sophie opened her mouth to speak, Esther held a hand up and answered instead.

"We want your protection against the blood demons and a seat on the council."