11

Demonia POV

"Burn it all down."

My eyes never falter from the sight in front of me as I watch as the brick walls fall and the flames rise, I feel a wave of pleasure as I watch the destruction in front of me set ablaze and the castle in front of me is torn down, brick by brick, destroying every bad memory from the day I was born.

The first act as King, this has always been top of my list, to burn it all down, this fucking... place, I was born here but it was never home, not for a very long time, to watch it crumble to the ground I feel reborn, knowing that no one will have to set eyes upon the ruins of horrors again.

May this be a warning to my father if he ever comes out of his hiding hole, I will burn it all down, every single thing that he has ever built will be destroyed by me, very hard reminder of the promises I made to him many years ago when he denied me the crown the first time.

I should feel something as I watch the flames rise and the smoke plague the sky, but I don't, I feel nothing for this place anymore, I came here to destroy Castle Black and now that it's done, I can leave.

But, I need to make one last stop to see an old friend.

Lycanthropes are guards of the Black family and the successful result of dark magic that dates back to the beginning of The Shadow Land real, ever since it first became to be, but now since there is no need for them, I have decided to pay a certain someone a little visit.

As much as I want to kill them, I have better use for them that will benefit me in the future and for years to come.

The pitmaster is known as Cade, the only pitmaster of Shadow Lands wants new entertainment and workers for the production of landscape within the Shadow Lands, and since he is asking above the asking price I decided on selling to him, knowing that he won't go easy on the disgusting creatures.

I tap the carriage ceiling with my cane, signaling the driver to move. As we begin to set off to our destination I can't help but let my thoughts wander to Lilian, every second away from her is pure hell.

The further I travel from her the more it feels like my chest is squeezing me tightly, being away from her for too long may actually cause serious damage to my health, physically I am craving her but mentally, she is all I think about.

I have instructed all my men to watch over her, if a single thing happens to her I will fucking kill them all, meaning if anyone looks at her differently and I catch wind of it, that is all it takes for me to snap, my crave to keep her safe and protected has been almost overbearing as I keep having thoughts of her in danger plague my mind, I grow paranoid thinking of ways of losing her that it becomes almost torture.

The thought of losing her drives me mad, utterly out of control with rage and despair.

I can never lose her, not now or never, I won't allow it.

The carriage stops and I peer outside the window to see we are here, opening the door I step down from the carriage and I see the Cade standing with a female Lycan as she is standing like a beast, he holds onto a thick chain that is wrapped around her neck, connected to a collar of my design.

I grin once I walk up to Cade to see him holding his hands out with joy. "You have made me the happiest man alive my King! Please follow me, let me show you around!"

I follow behind him as he drags the female Lycan along by the chain, I pay no attention and stare at the work in progress of the creation of the pit. "Wonderful progress, when will it be complete?"

Cade snickers. "Soon, yes! Soon this will be the best in all realms to house the most wicket of creatures, that day will be most joyful, I am beyond thankful for your help King, the Lycans have been most helpful and entertaining."

"Oh? Pray tell."

Cade leads me down a dark and dirty pathway leading underground and the smell of Lycan is overwhelming that it disgusts my nose from the strong smell of their scent.

"There's one I want you to meet, he is by far the most wonderful of them all! Yes yes, he is spectacular." He grins wickedly as he leads me down a hall.

The hall is laced is thick silver bars and behind them are countless Lycans hunched in dirty cells, their empty lifeless eyes stare up at me as I pass them.

We stop outside a cell and I see the shadow of a single Lycan in the corner, his back is turned to us and Cade hits the silver bars with his cane to catch the beast's attention.

"YOU come here! We have a special visitor." Cade calls out to the Lycan who shifts slightly as his head tilts.

The beast begins to stand and turn slowly and that's when I see who it is who Cade was so excited to show me, but I already know who this Lycan is, very well in fact.

"Lucius?"

Lucius stands inches away from me as he stands behind the bars, his dirty and damp hair cover his face that is filthy and covered with mud, his eyes are hard and the same light green they had always been.

Cade looks to me intrigued. "You know this beast, your highness?"

I snort.

You could say I know Lucius very well. It is no secret I despise wolves and Lycans with a passion, but growing up as a child, when I was punished by my bitch of a mother, I would spend endless nights locked in cages alongside Lycans.

It just so happens Lucius was in the cage next to me when I was put down there with them, I had spent weeks at a time inside those cold and dirty cages, scared of never escaping, wondering when would be the next time I could drink or eat, my mother was a cruel woman and would torture me like this until I came to of age.

But during those hellish times, Lucius became a friend almost, we kept each other fed and sane when everything around us was going to shit.

I nod my head. "Yes, can you leave us for a moment."

Cade nods his head and walks away with a look of confusion on his face, I ignore it and focus on Lucius.

I have not seen him since the last time I was put in the cages, before my mother's death, I had always wondered what happened to him, he's the exact same, apart from now he is taller and has more muscle, at least I know the pitmaster is feeding him.

I put my hands on the bar and stare at him. "Do you remember me?"

Lucius's pale green eyes stare at me and nod and I can't believe it so, it has been many years, I look over his body and there are fresh scars on his legs, along with cuff marks on his wrists, they look fresh from how red the marks are.

"How long have you been here?"

He snorts and backs away from the cage and walks backward, further into the dark corner of his cell.

"I thought you died, Black, a shame." He says silently and I frown.

"A shame indeed, unfortunately, I am very much alive, as are you."

"Unfortunately." He says roughly.

I feel Cade's eyes on me as I think of what to say to Lucius. "Since you're here, I want to warn you of his intentions for this place."

Lucius growls out and snaps his teeth at me. "You think I do not know? I am no fool, I know what he plans to do, he can try, you should leave before it is too late, Black." He spits out with hatred and I back away from the bars.

"You are still the same, too hopeful, you should accept your fate as I did mine."

Lucius sniffs the air then tilts his head to the side, his lips curl into a smirk. "Your fate will come sooner than mine, your mate will soon see you, empty and hollow."

I bare my fangs to him as a warning. "You disappoint me, Lucius, I have hoped you had more in you than this pathetic display I see in front of me, still filled with hope, you will die here long before me, I promise you that." I snap out as I grip the bars and glare at him.

We both growl at each other until I pull my eyes from his and sigh deeply. "Farewell Lucius."

He says nothing as I take my leave without sparing him or any other Lycan a second glance as I walk down the hall of the cages and past Cade as I head out of this disgusting dark place filled with bad memories and even worse company.

Cade follows me until we settle in the office of the pitmaster and he signs the ownership documents that we both seal with blood and magic as I transfer ownership of my royal Lycans to him and his new establishment, The Pit.

After doing everything I came to the Shadow Lands to do, I take my leave, the sooner I get out of this dreaded place the better I will feel, the thought of seeing Lilian again sets my mind at ease as Lucius words play in my head.

He is still the same, as much as we helped each other out during our times being neighbors in the cage, I still can not bear his presence for too long, in the cages, we would ignore each other yet share food and drink, there was a time I had grown to like Lycans from my time in the underground cages of Castle Black.

But that was before he had betrayed me too much larger Lycans, that night I had almost called him friend only to be beaten to near-death by his filthy kind, after that I had never spoken or looked in his direction again, even when my mother would put me back in the cage next to him.

My hatred only grew from that moment on, it made me realize even those you think to care about you, don't.

I know I am all the things people say of me and more, but the thought of losing Lilian, for her to finally realize who and what I really am, a monster. I could not bear to lose her and my unborn child, not when I feel the dark empty hole inside of me begin to fill with light.

I will forget all about today like it never happened, I refuse to dwell on words of individuals who mean nothing to me, it has never made me feel any better to remember such hateful comments, all it does is remind me of how wicked and cruel my mother was.

The Shadow Lands will see who I am, and who I am is not this dark and hollow man without a heart everyone seems to portrait me as.

I have Lilian in my life now, she is the light in my life to guide me and I will prove to everyone that I have a fucking heart, that I can change and be better.

I will prove myself every day from this day forward that I am not that guy anymore, I will make it my life mission to bury that part of me and lock it away, so I can finally live the life I was supposed to.

I just want to make Lilian and our child happy, I will do anything to achieve it, that is all I want as I think about my future, and I won't give up or doubt myself, I will do anything to achieve it.

Absolutely anything.