Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Six

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Six

ALIYAH'S POV

The light blue gown I wore clung to my skin, completely soaked. I was cold. I should change into something dry, something comfortable-but I couldn't bring myself to move.

My mind reeled with everything Daemon had said.

Would he really have given up his title for me?

Who was I kidding? He only said that to manipulate me. The title meant everything to him—at least, that's what the more cynical voice in my head argued.

But what if he hadn't been lying? What if he really had tried to get into the castle, but the spell kept him out? What if everything he said was actually true?

That was always my problem. With him, I could never tell the lie from the truth.

A part of me wondered if he was still standing out there in the rain or if he had finally given up.

Still in my soaking wet clothes, I stepped into the room where Ash had been kept, surprised by how quickly he was recovering. His once pale skin had started to regain its color, and his breathing was no longer labored. He looked peacefully asleep.

Daemon had taken out the venom, not caring about the side effects or what it might do to him. He did it because I asked-because he knew I cared for Ash.

I couldn't shake the image of betrayal on his face when I told him who Ash was- and that I'd been hiding him all this time. Maybe he wasn't the only one who'd been manipulative.

Ash loves me—or at least I think he does. A life with him would be everything I've ever wanted: calm, peaceful, quiet, loving. But most of all... simple.

That had been what I thought I wanted. I'd believed Daemon and his complications were too much for me to handle. For the first time, I pictured a life with Ash-and I realized it wouldn't be enough. I would always crave more. I would always crave Daemon's brutality. In the end, Ash wouldn't be enough, and I would break his heart, simply because he wasn't Daemon.

I placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you." I whispered. "For everything."

I exited his room.

I'd made a choice. I was going to believe Daemon's words. I was going to give us a chance.

With that thought on my mind, I raced out of the house in search of Daemon; the rain fell even heavier now.

"Daemon!" I called, but my voice was swallowed by the heavy drumming rain.

He wasn't here. He was gone.

I needed to get back to the Nightshade pack; I needed to find him.

I heard footsteps.

I wasn't sure if it was just the rain playing tricks on my hearing.

"Daemon?"

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Six

Something heavy slammed into the back of my head, and then everything went black.

ALEXANDER'S POV

"I didn't expect you back here," I said to Daemon.noveldrama

I'd found him in the woods, standing there, numbly staring at the moon.

"Now I wonder if my presence is that bothersome."

"I'll take it that the reconciliation didn't go very well," I said.

"I think I need a smoke," he finally said, and I took out my pack of cigarettes, passing him a stick. He accepted it, and with a single glance, it lit up. Smoking could be cooler when you didn't need a lighter. He inhaled, letting the smoke out: "Good stuff," he muttered. "Turns out the one who'd save her was actually her soulmate, so she's not in danger."

"Soulmate?" I questioned. Werewolves had mates, but I wasn't familiar with other beings having something similar

"I had no idea either. He'll probably keep her safer than I ever could."

"And so, you're going to let him have her?"

"No. But I think she hates me, and who she ends up with is her choice," Daemon

said, though he didn't fool me. Still, I didn't speak on it.

"I don't think she hates you. She'll come around soon," I assured him.

"You have a lot in common with Sebastain. Those had been his exact words."

I was in no mood to speak about Sebastain or his wife Kate.

"We would be having a meeting with the other Alphas in a few minutes; they needed to be aware of the danger awaiting them, but they wouldn't believe something they'd never seen. I'd need your help in proving to them that the threat was real."

"Here I was thinking you'd come here just to have a brotherly conversation with your half-demon brother."