The Lycan Kingpin's Captive: A Baby For The Beast

BITTERSWEET PART 2: PANZER AND DEMI

Demi

I wrap my arms around my body and keep my eyes down at the forest floor. The tears I’ve been fighting

back are slowly threatening to choke me, and with the dull pain in my chest, I don’t think I’ll be able to

fight it any longer.

I thought by leaving it would make things easier for everyone. But now Noelle is dead, Levi is locked up

in a cellar and Liam blames himself for all of this.

How is a mate bond supposedly a blessing when it isn’t always ideal? Are we just supposed to not be

happy with someone else until we recognize our mates? In this case, it doesn’t even feel like a blessing

because all it has caused is chaos.

What would Luna Mia think of me, I wonder? I ruined the trust we all had because I wanted to be happy

with Levi.

Shaking my head, I push these thoughts away when the main pack house comes into view. If I’m going

to be putting things to rest, now is a good time. Perhaps I can speak with Alpha Nikolaos as well.

Maybe he will forgive me after all.

“Demi,” a voice comes from behind me just as I reach the pack house, and when I turn around, I see

Gianna, Eden, and Alessia walk toward me. The guilt I’m feeling right now as they look at me pierces

through me like a hot poker.

Crossing my arms, I look down at the floor with my excuses ready, but before I can get a word out, I

feel their arms wrap around me.

I am so shocked by their actions that I can’t speak; the only reaction I have are the tears spilling down

my cheeks.

“You don’t have to say a word,” Gianna starts. “We understand and want you to know we’re here for

you no matter what.”

“And if you need anything at all, please come to us. We’re all sisters here, and will always be here for

you.” Alessia quips, while Eden hums in agreement.

My heart is so full right now that I don’t know how to react. I didn’t know I needed this until they did it,

and honestly that guilt from before just soars above everything else. Noelle died hating me, thinking

Liam was being unfaithful with me.

If only I could turn back time so I could be honest with everyone.

“Thank you,” I manage to say as they step away from me. “I need to speak with Alpha Nikolaos about

what happens next.”

They all nod in agreement and I tell them I’ll see them later before I walk up the stone steps and into

the pack house. There’s a guard stationed at the front door, and when he sees me, he nods his head.

“I need to speak with Alpha Nikolaos. Could you take me to him, please?” I ask, and a frown forms on

his face.

“Sure, follow me,” he says, and instead of leading me up to the office, he takes me further into the pack

house. I remember Alpha Nikolaos mentioning a dungeon, could that be where he’s leading me to?

That question is answered as soon as he opens a security gate and leads me down further. “The Alpha

gave me permission to bring you here,” the guard clarifies before I can even begin to question him.

A narrow pair of worn statues mark the entrance to what I assume is the dungeons. Beyond the pair of

worn statues lies a small, weary room. It’s covered in rubble, large bones, and ash.

I gasp as the sudden image of a black dragon with blood-red eyes makes its way into my peripheral,

but I shake my head. Dragons have been extinct for decades.

Further ahead are two paths, but the guard leads me to the one on the left. “If you ever get lost down

here, never choose the right path. Don’t ask me why,” he says, and the warning sends a sick tremble

through my body.

It’s damp, cold, and dusty down here, but we finally come to a stop in front of a big granite door

blocking our path. Messages in strange languages are all over it, faded words I can’t even begin to

understand as I step closer to inspect it and.. wait.. what was that sound?

A miserable wail pierces through the air, and I can hear the muffled sound of Alpha Nikolaos’ voice.

“I don’t deserve to live, Alpha, nor do I need the redemption you are offering! No matter what you do,

even if this curse is broken, it won’t take back what I have done!” Levi exclaims, his voice cracking with

emotion. “I harmed Demi; took from her what I shouldn’t have taken and I killed Noelle—”

His voice is cut short when the guard opens the door for me, and I step inside. Levi is on his knees and

chained to a wall with silver manacles, the air smelling faintly of wolfsbane. Alpha Nikolaos has his

hand on Levi’s back and Celeste stands to the side, watching them.

When Levi sees me, his eyes widen, and his mouth falls open. “Demi… What are you…. You can’t be

in here!”

The pained look in his eyes crushes my heart, but I need to say my piece before anything else. This is

the only way I know he’ll listen.

I clasp my hands in front of my body and walk inside the room, fully intending to speak to the man I

once almost love and came to fear. “I’ve come to talk with you if Alpha Nikolaos would permit me to.”

The Alpha gets to his knees and nods, while Levi continues to loudly protest. “Are you sure you want to

do this, Demi?” Alpha Nikolaos asks, and I nod. “Very well. Celeste and I will be right outside—”

“NO! I don’t want her here! Whatever she has to say will not matter because she is my victim!”

Alpha Nikolaos breathes out a sigh and closes his eyes, then he places a hand on my shoulder to give

it a comforting squeeze. “Let me know when you’re done,” he says before walking out of the room.

And leaving me alone with Levi, who I no longer fear.

To think, I wanted to start a new life with him, have his children, slowly fall in love and live happily. Now,

everything is damaged and I would rather be alone than ever go through that again.

What makes things more difficult is Liam resembling Levi so much that my heart hurts.

“Hey,” I say sheepishly, feeling awkward. “So you remember everything, then?”

Levi’s arms drop to his side and he looks to the floor as he nods. “I should have taken your words to

heart, Demi, but if this proves anything, it’s that I am not a good man.”

I shake my head. “You were a good man before… all of this. We were planning our lives together and

sharing things—”

“I brushed off your words when you told me I was being rough with you, made you feel like you were

going crazy and I marked your skin with bruises. If I were a good man, I would have thought about what

I did. If I were… Liam, I would have.”

No matter what I try to say, nothing could defend this. He’s speaking the truth about what he’s done,

but comparing himself to Liam isn’t a fair thing to do.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Levi may have his faults, but so does Liam. He would readily run into the fire for his brother without a

second thought about what it would do to him. Levi, from what I have seen, doesn’t like that about

Liam. But that’s what Liam thinks is loyalty.

He would die of thirst if it meant Levi had to drink to survive.

“I don’t think you should be comparing yourself to Liam, not when you two are so obviously different

from one another. You both have your strengths and your weaknesses, Levi, but the reason I am here

is not to absolve you of your sins.”

He actually looks up at me when I say this. “I don’t want to be forgiven, not after what I did to you and

Noelle. Not after nearly killing Liam and accusing you two of…” he trails off and swallows hard, then he

smiles sadly.

“You two are fated to each other, and you have no idea how happy it makes me knowing the Goddess

has blessed him like this,” he sighs. “But if it were me in his position, I would probably have done the

same.”

Those words make my heart burn with fury, and I scoff as I repeat them in my head. These two and

their loyalty to one another will come to be their deaths.

I shake my head. “You both need to stop and think about just how toxic this loyalty between you has

come to be. Yes, being loyal is a wonderful trait to have, but once it starts to impede on your sense of

self, don’t you think you need to step back and reassess?” I ask, watching as his eyes slowly widen in

surprise.

“I… never thought it was toxic. Liam and I only had each other growing up, and we always protected

one another. Our loyalty has never been questioned… not until this bond between you two. But even

that being said, I don’t want Liam to throw away this blessing because of his loyalty to me.”

A sliver of pain inches into my heart, and I cross my arms over my chest. “We didn’t see it as a blessing

at the time,” I admit. “We didn’t want to hurt you, and Liam was adamant we never progressed past

what we were. We were going to reject the bond once we were confident there would be no side

effects.”

Levi frowns. “Why? Because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings?”

I am about to answer him when a voice from the door makes our heads snap towards the sound.

“Because I valued our friendship over a gift from the Goddess.”