Deal with the Devil

Celeste's POV

The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy like a storm waiting to break. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it against my ribs, but I forced myself to meet his gaze.

Golden eyes, sharp and assessing, gleamed in the dim light. They weren't just the eyes of an Alpha—they were something more. Something ancient, something dangerous.

The Rogue King.

Everyone knew of him.

The stories painted him as a monster, a ruler of the lawless lands beyond the structured rule of the packs. Some said he was merciless, others that he was a ghost, appearing only when it was already too late.

I had never believed I would cross paths with him.

And yet, here he stood.

Towering over me in his human form, blood splattered against his bare skin, muscles carved like stone. Power radiated off him in waves, pressing down on my already weakened body, making it difficult to breathe.

I swallowed hard, tightening my grip on my dagger even though I knew it was useless against someone like him.

He smirked. "Still ready to fight?"

My fingers curled tighter around the hilt. "I don't trust people who kill before introductions."

He let out a low chuckle, the sound rich with amusement. "A sharp tongue. You don't look like much, but I see why they wanted you."

I stiffened. "I don't belong to anyone."

His gaze flickered over me, reading me in a way that made my skin prickle. "No," he murmured, "you don't."

I didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

I forced my body to stand straighter despite the ache in my ribs. "Who are you?"

The smirk deepened. "You already know."

I did. But knowing a name and standing in front of the man himself were two different things.

I squared my shoulders. "Then what do you want?"

He tilted his head, considering. "The better question is… what do you want, little wolf?"

I blinked, thrown off by the question.

I wanted a home. Safety. I wanted to not feel like my entire world had been ripped apart. But most of all…

I wanted to be stronger.

Strong enough that no one could ever throw me away again.

I hesitated, not trusting him, but also knowing that I was at a crossroads.

I was packless. Weak. A wolf with nowhere to go.

And this man…

He was offering something.

"What's the price?" I asked quietly.

His smile was slow, calculated. "Smart girl."

He stepped closer, and even though my instincts screamed at me to back away, I didn't move.

"Strength," he murmured. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

My breath hitched.

He could see it. The hollow ache inside me, the desire burning beneath my skin.

I wanted to be more than what Ronan had seen in me. I wanted to be more than the weak little wolf who had been cast aside.

I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. "And what do you get?"

He lifted a brow, his expression unreadable. "That depends."

"On what?"

He smirked. "On whether or not you're willing to pay the price."

The air between us was charged, an unspoken challenge crackling like static.

I didn't trust him. I wasn't stupid.

But I also wasn't naive enough to believe that I could make it on my own in rogue territory without any help.

If I wanted to survive… I needed power.

And right now, he was the only one offering it.

I forced myself to nod. "Tell me what you want."

He studied me for a long moment before his expression shifted, something dark and knowing flickering across his face.

"Come with me," he said simply.

I hesitated. "Where?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he turned and started walking, leaving me standing there, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I had a choice.

Stay here, lost and weak.

Or follow the devil into the unknown.

I took a breath, shoving down my fear—shoving down everything.

And then, with one last glance at the bodies behind me, I followed.

The Kingdom of Ghosts

We traveled for hours through the forest, deeper into rogue territory. The night was eerily quiet, and I could feel the presence of unseen eyes watching us from the darkness.

Rogues lurked everywhere in these lands, and yet, not a single one dared to step in our path.

The Rogue King's presence was a shield, an unspoken warning.

No one challenged him.

I tried to keep up, but exhaustion weighed down my limbs. My body still ached from Ronan's rejection, and my wolf, Nova, remained silent.

I had no idea what she was going through—what we were becoming.

But I knew one thing.

Something was changing inside me.

And I wasn't sure if I would survive it.

After what felt like forever, we finally reached a clearing.

At the center stood an old stone structure, half-buried beneath creeping vines and weathered by time. Torches burned along the walls, casting flickering light over the entrance.

A fortress.

His home.

I hesitated at the threshold, unease twisting inside me.

This place wasn't just a hideout. It was something more.

Something ancient.

I turned to him, suddenly unsure. "What is this place?"

He looked back at me, his golden eyes gleaming.

"A sanctuary," he said. "For those who have nowhere else to go."

His words should have reassured me.

They didn't.

Because something told me that in his world, safety came at a cost.

And I had just stepped into the lion's den.