BENEATH HER DARKNESS: The Alpha's Little Demon by Cassandra M

PATREA.

The whole day just went by swiftly. We just stayed home, and he helped me clean up some of the

things that I’d been putting off for some time now. Lucius insisted on using his power to do everything

nicely when things got too much for us.

I would have wanted to do it using my power, but I didn’t want to exhaust my energy for simple things I

could do with my hands. And also, I was not comfortable if another witch would catch my energy, as I

wanted to limit the witches around me — the reason I refused when Althea suggested we run to the

coven for help with my nightmares.

The thing about witches, we all started as light witches until greed and lust for more power took over,

which eventually paved the way for dark witches. It was the reason covens were organized: to keep

witches from abusing their powers.

I was on my way there when Lucien found me. I was willing to trade everything to channel more energy

and get more power, but being trapped in the underworld knocked me back to my senses. My

greediness brought me to my downfall, and with a baby in my stomach, I knew I should do better.

It took me more than three decades before I was able to break free from the underworld, and I didn’t

want to commit the same mistake again. So as much as possible, I tried to limit witchcraft, not just for

me but also for Althea.

I let out a deep breath as I tried to steady my breathing. I was leaning on the bathroom counter, staring

at my reflection in the mirror.

Lucius was already in bed, and we were both ready to retire for the night.

I was not sure what he had in mind, but I wanted to do something. I wanted to move one step forward.

This was not about Lucius. This was for me.

I was an ordinary female who loved s*ex and was very comfortable in her own skin. But Lucien took

that away from me.

And if Lucius was here for the one night I promised him, I wanted to take advantage of it. I wanted that

by the time he was done with me, I would no longer see Lucien when someone else touched me, and

the scars he left me would no longer hurt my heart.

But the idea of someone else holding me apart from Lucius made me cringe. Maybe because this was

still too early and, for now, he was the only man I could trust.

I let out a deep breath and shoved any images of me wrapped up into his arms. Soon, he’d be gone.

And I would be alone, and maybe I would have someone who could love me or at least stay with me.

The only problem was that I would never grow older. All the men that I would be with will perish, but I

would still be alive unless I die of something or take my own life.

I tapped my cheeks to snap me out of all these thoughts running through my head. I should get back to

the bedroom, or the demon might get impatient and grab me from here.

I chuckled at my thoughts before I slipped off the silk robe from my body, leaving me in the black silk

nightdress I had put on earlier.

This was it. I was sure I would not be judged, as demons never had a concept of conservatism or

decency, right?

I bit my bottom lip as I slipped the straps off of the night dress I was wearing, and my clothes pooled on

my feet, leaving me naked as I hadn’t put on underwear earlier.

The moment my cheeks returned to their normal color, I puffed up my chest and mustered all the

courage to walk toward the bathroom door and open it.

Lucius was on the bed, sitting with his back resting against the headboard, in the same position as last

night. He was just wearing pajama pants, but his legs were already under the blanket.

His head tilted up, and his gaze went directly in my direction. His mouth parted as shock registered on

his face, but it was gone in seconds, replaced by a smug smirk that crossed his face as I stayed on my

spot by the door.

He shoved the blanket off his body and stood up from the bed, and just when I thought he would come

to me, he bent slightly forward and tugged down his pants, leaving him as naked as I was.

“What are you doing?” I asked. His nakedness caught me so off guard that I forgot that I was the first

one to show up naked.

“Doing the same thing as you’re doing. I didn’t know tonight was naked party night.” He chuckled as he

placed his hands against his hips, his eyes roaming my naked body as he licked his lips.

I sucked in a breath as I felt his eyes burning my skin — but in a good way.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“I want to f*uck you.”

“We can’t move too fast,” I told him almost immediately.

He laughed, the evil kind that I was already getting used to, but it made me smile wide this time.

“I’ve been moving slowly, but you, my beautiful witch, always move one step ahead of me.” He

sounded too happy until a curse slipped his lips. ” F*uck!”

His eyes blazed red as he turned his attention toward the window and his hand moved up, and I was

sure he was about to flick his fingers to summon the power to close the curtains, but they were already

closed.

“I pulled the curtains before I went to the bathroom,” I told him nonchalantly as I walked to my side of

the bed.

“Good. Because I’m not sure if I can control my temper if you gave a free show to the man next door. I!

“Don’t worry, my demon king, the free shows are just for you in the next three weeks.”

“And after the three weeks? Is it free for all?”

“I think I have to put a price on a show, and it’s not going to be cheap.”

“Good thing I have unlimited power to summon money.” He winked at me as he dropped his body on

the bed, and his movement made my body jolt from the impact.

He was lying down, his hands under his head, as he stared at the ceiling. He looked like a god with a

perfect body — a hard stomach — and he was absolutely ripped and dipped in all the right places. And

his big c*ock was getting harder by the minute. “What games are you playing, witch?”

“Games?” I asked, swallowing as I tore my eyes away from his d*ick to look at his face.

“Displaying your body in front of the prince of lust. I never had this much control as I am giving myself

at the moment. I want to bend you over and f*uck you. Make you come, and f*uck you again in a

different position, maybe straddling me while I carry you in my arms. There are so many f*ucking ways

I want to f*uck you.” He said it in a tone as if he were just discussing the weather while I squirmed on

my spot, discreetly clamping my legs because his words were making me wet.

I closed my eyes and focused on why I wanted to be naked. I wasn’t planning to get f*ucked tonight,

but I wanted to take a step forward.

“I want to be comfortable in my own skin. Have you seen how ugly my skin is?” The last part came out

slowly.

The way his eyes lit up when he saw me exit the bathroom gave me confidence that the scar on my

skin did not bother him.

He rose from lying down and turned his body so he was facing me. “Come closer.”

He didn’t need to say more. I moved closer to him and went on my knees in front of him. For some

reason, I wanted him to touch the scars his father gave me.

“Do you find it repulsive?” I asked.

“No. I’m not going to lie, I had seen you naked from all the time I watched you in the hologram, and

those scars never took my attention off of how beautiful your body is.”

I should be offended that he would watch me while I was naked, but the fact that he saw my scars and

was still here tells me he didn’t mind them at all. “I wish I could take them away. But any scars given in

the underworld are permanent. Every time I looked in the mirror, I would see them, and I hated it.” I

started chewing on my lower lip while my eyes welled up with tears.

“He whipped you…” His finger trailed on the hideous long scar that ran across from my left breast down

to the middle of my stomach. His touch was setting fire to my skin, but it was a comforting one. “Why?”

“He caught me casting a spell on my body. I was only able to make one, and he made me confess what

the spell I conjured.”

“Lucien never used a whip on a female. He would let others do it, but not him. What spell was it that he

got so mad enough to whip you?”

“I would die and perish the moment his c*ock entered me,” I told him, and his eyes widened at my

confession.

“He was not able to f*uck me, but he made sure to ruin my body for his pleasure. I was ready to die

then, but then he told me I was carrying a baby.” Soft sobs escaped my throat and wracked my whole

body as the memory came flooding in. “He

threatened to hurt her if I disobeyed him again. So I made another deal with him that I would do

everything if he spared my child from his abuse. I was terrified that if I had a daughter, he would abuse

her the same way he was abusing me.” “Did he?”

“No. He kept his word. So even if I hated what he was doing to me and all the things he wanted me to

do — the spells, the enchantments, the black magic — I did them all because I was afraid he would go

after Adora. Only when Adora was able to run away that I started defying him.”

I swiped my hand over my eyes, but the tears came anyhow.

I wanted Lucius to hold me, but I knew demons didn ’t have any emotions at all. And I shouldn’t expect

it from him.

“She’s able to get away, and now you have, Althea.” He said with a smile gracing his lips.

I nodded my head.

“The scars will always be a reminder of something evil and something beautiful.” He added.

And my whole body was wracked with sobs at his words.

I needed to hear that. I needed to hear confirmation that all the sacrifices I made for my mistake were

worth it. I might only have a few years with Adora, but I have Althea now, and I would make the most of

it.

“Thankyou!” I slammed my body against him as my arms wrapped around his body. His hand held the

back of my head as he pressed it on the nook of his neck, while my body continued to shake from my

sobs.

“I never saw scars as beautiful as yours, Patrea,” he said in a low voice as his fingers trailed on my

back, and I knew he was touching, skimming his fingers against the numerous scars that covered my

back.