Chapter 3 Chapter 03: The Devil in the Dark

Chapter 03: The Devil in the Dark

Savahna POV

I pushed myself toward the edge of the ballroom, slipping between swaying skirts and drunken nobles clinking their glasses like they were celebrating their own stupidity.

My chest tightened every time I felt Caius’s stare burn into me. He wasn’t even trying to hide it. His eyes followed me the whole damn time, like he was reading every breath I took.

I cursed under my breath. I need to leave. Just for a bit. Just to breathe. My mind was a wreck and my heart felt like it was glitching.

Alpha Caius is my mate.

No. No. NO.

This is insane.

He must have known the second I stepped into his territory. That explains his looks earlier. And if he sensed the mate bond that fast, then maybe he sensed everything else too.

Could it be… he already knows I’m a hunter? A spy?

My stomach twisted. I didn't even try to hide my panic. I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself not to look back at him again.

Instead, I rushed toward the exit, passing through the curtains and into a quiet hallway. The music behind me softened, fading with every step I took.

The further I walked, the colder it felt.

The hallways stretched strangely long, like they’d never meant to welcome someone like me. Every corner whispered one thing: outsider. You don’t belong.

I let out a shaky breath and finally stopped walking. The music was now a distant hum. I rubbed my arms, feeling how cold my hands had gotten. My feet too. Great. I’m freezing and mentally dying. Perfect combo.

Through an archway, I spotted a small bench near the garden. A lonely bench under the night sky, the moonlight brushing the ground faintly.

I walked toward it slowly, my boots crunching lightly against the floor. The cold wind slapped my face, but I muttered to myself, it's okay, I had worse.

I sat down, leaned back, and looked up at the sky. The clouds moved gently, like they didn’t care that I was spiraling inside. For a moment, I felt a bit calm. Finally alone. No judging stares. No unwanted kisses. No Devil Alpha breathing into my soul.

Here, I might be safe.

Or so I hoped.

Because a voice—deep, familiar, terrifying—spoke from behind me.

“Running away already, mate?”

My entire body froze. The hairs on my neck rose like they were trying to escape my skin. That voice. That presence. He was exactly like a storm rolling in with no warning.

Did he follow me?

Seriously?

This man has no concept of boundaries.

Before I could even turn around, a hand clamped around my neck.

I choked, eyes widening in pure shock. My hands flew to his wrist, but he held me up like I weighed nothing. My breath struggled to escape my lungs.

My pulse hammered painfully. Panic clawed up my throat, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing me beg.

My vision blurred at the edges. My feet barely touched the ground.

Is this it?

Is he actually going to kill me right here?

Then he laughed.

Caius actually laughed. A low amused sound.

He loosened his grip and dropped me.

I fell to the ground, coughing hard, my lungs burning as cold air rushed back in. I pressed a hand to my neck, shaking. My chest rose and fell in uneven breaths.

“You’re no fun,” he said casually, sitting down on the bench like nothing happened. “You don’t even beg for mercy.”

Oh, I swear, if I had a weapon right now…

When I finally gathered enough air, I pushed myself up and stood firmly. My legs trembled, but my glare was steady.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snapped.

Inside my head, alarms screamed. Pretend you’re fine. Pretend nothing happened. You can't reveal anything.

He turned his head toward me, eyes glinting with amusement.

“Nothing is wrong with me,” he said. “I just find you… amusing.”

“What?” My voice cracked, barely a whisper. I hated it.

Caius shrugged lightly, a dry chuckle leaving his lips. Then he stood, slow and deliberate, like he enjoyed dragging out the moment.

He faced me fully, and I felt the tension in the air twist around us. His gaze locked onto mine, intense, hungry for a reaction. He stepped closer.

I stepped back.

“Alpha Caius,” I said, warning in my tone.

He stopped.

A playful smirk stretched across his lips.

He stopped, that stupid playful smirk fading like someone wiped it off. His eyes sharpened, dark and unreadable. The air suddenly felt heavy.

"What’s your name?"

My breath hitched. Why does he sound like he’s asking whether he should bury me or keep me? I swallowed hard, my mind racing.

If I give a fake one and he finds out, I’m dead. If I give my real one and he already knows who I am…

Great. Choose your own death.

I stalled for a second, but his expression shifted into something grim. Not angry, not cruel… worse. Expectant. Like he already knew the answer and was testing me.

My palms felt cold.

"Hana…" I said slowly, gathering the last piece of courage I had left. "Hana Carter."

Silence. The kind of silence that makes your soul crawl out of your body.

He repeated it, tasting the syllables. "Hana Carter."

My pulse spiked. Why does he have to say it like that? All deep, smooth, and sinful. I hated that my stomach flipped. Absolutely hated it.

His brows lifted a little. "From the Carter Family?"

I froze. Of course he knew. The Alpha who ruled half the region in terror probably had a full database of every breathing being who entered his land. Still, I nodded slowly.

"Yes."

I didn’t know how Grandfather managed to get me registered as a Carter here. Maybe bribery. Maybe blackmail. Maybe both. Probably both, knowing him.

Caius nodded like everything finally made sense. That alone made my shoulders drop an inch in relief.

"I see… Hana Carter." He said it again. Like he enjoyed rolling it on his tongue. Damn him.

And the worst part? It sounded sexy. Ridiculously sexy.

Nope. Absolutely not. I shut that thought down immediately, crushing it with my heel.

I straightened my back, trying to look unaffected even though my lungs still hurt from when he almost choked me to the afterlife.

"Good," he murmured.

Good? What is good? Him not killing me? Him knowing my identity? Him liking my name?

I don’t trust any of these options.

His eyes never left mine, and it felt like he was dissecting me layer by layer. My heart thumped hard, loud enough I swear he could hear it.

I cleared my throat. "Can I go now?"

His lips twitched, and there was that smirk again.

Caius took a step closer again, his hand lifting to cradle my chin. My body went rigid, every nerve screaming at me to run, but I couldn’t. His thumb brushed lightly across my cheek, almost teasing, almost gentle.

“I'll see you around, Mate,” he murmured, his voice low and sharp, like a predator savoring the moment.

Before I could process it, he leaned in, his lips pressing against mine in a brief, scorching kiss. It was shockingly soft, yet somehow commanding, like a claim wrapped in temptation.

Then he pulled back, his smirk settling back onto his face as he turned away, walking toward the shadows of the garden.

I stayed frozen, my mind a chaotic mess, heart hammering, and lips tingling from the contact. Dumbfounded didn’t even begin to cover it.

Did he just—?

Stole another kiss from me?

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