Sold To The Demon Alpha
Chapter 8

Aria’s POV

“Ajello?” Roma asked, even as his eyes changed from a terrifying b***d red to the sky blue that made me think about the cloudless sky at noon.

“Yes. It’s Aria.” I rushed out, even as his grip on my neck loosened and he frowned at me.

“What the f**k are you doing here?” He growled, pinning me to the bed and hovering over me, his eyes looking all over my body for something.

“Did I hurt you?” He added and I shook my head, my body so still because I was scared that moving again would set him off. Or whatever was hiding beneath the man. I had seen Raphael in his wolf form and his eyes had not been as scary as those red eyes.

Or was it an Alpha thing? Taking note to ask Sophia when I left here, if I left here alive considering Roma still looked very upset with me, I realized that I had spaced out, watching his mouth move but had stopped hearing anything he was saying.

“Are you even listening to me?” Releasing his grip from my throat, he began pacing the room, murmuring in a language that was definitely not English. As I watched him move, I finally took a good look at him shirtless and accepted that Roma was a sight to behold.

Sculpted like a Viking, his hair extended to touch his nape and his arms bulged as he finally stopped to stare at me and folded his arms.

Sitting up, I gave him an innocent smile and his responding growl made me flinch.

“Tell me something, Ajello. Were you or were you not told that the West wing was off limits?” He raised a thick black eyebrow as he waited for my answer.

“I was told, Alpha.” I stuttered and flinched when he took one step towards the bed. My eyes settled on the tattoo of something that looked like a wolf as it stretched one side of his abdomen and disappeared into his pants. He had so many tattoos. I wondered what they meant.

“Get out.” He said and I blinked slowly, wondering if I had misheard him. Didn’t he want to know why I had risked my life into his wing? When he saw that I didn’t move, he growled and I jumped to my feet.

“Please, I need to get my sketch pad. That’s why I came here. I need your permission to go home and retrieve it.” I said and he stared at me like I was asking for a death wish.

“Okay. I’ll just go now. So sorry for any inconvenience.” I bowed and turned to head out of the room when my legs decided to fail me.

Finally deciding to react to the shock of nearly losing my life, I stumbled over a chain and was about to fall flat on my face when a large arm wrapped around my torso, just beneath my breast and held me up. Swallowing nervously, I closed my eyes almost immediately my back met his front, my body still shaking with fear.

“Inconvenience is too tame a word for what would have happened to you, Ajello.” He whispered in my ear and even though he was clearly talking about my near death experience, my toes curled from the richness of his tone.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” I answered and he loosened his grip on me, waiting till he was sure my feet was on the floor before he moved away from me.

“You may go and retrieve what you want from your father. Find Raphael and ask him to take you.” Turning around to face him, I couldn’t hide the smile on my face even though he looked like he would rather be doing anything than speak to me right now.

I was starkly reminded of how tall and large he was and how small and weak I looked in front of him. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I forced the giddy smile away from my face and looked at him again.

“Surely, I can go by myself. I would not want to bother Raphael on such a small matter…” I trailed off when I saw the look on his face. It was a ‘Don’t test me’ look.

Nodding, I turned around and scurried out of the West wing, surprised that I had not only made it out alive but with my limbs and organs intact. Did wolves eat humans? I needed to ask Sophia.

“Did you just come out of the West wing? Tell me I am dreaming.” I looked up to see Sophia and another maid staring at me with their mouths wide open.

“Hi.” I said with a sheepish grin and Sophia gestured for the other maid to go, pulling me towards a corner, her eyes still wide open.

“Did you just come out of the Alpha’s quarters?” She asked again and when I nodded, she covered her mouth with her hands in surprise.

“And you’re still breathing. He was not there, was he?”

“He was.” I answered, suddenly feeling a bit of pride.

With the way the West wing was spoken of, it was likened to hell; a place of no return. It was sheer luck that you returned at all, a voice whispered in my mind and I rubbed my shoulders as I remembered the monster that I had glimpsed lurking behind the eyes of Roma.

“You’re shitting me, Aria. Tell me what was it like?”

I started to walk towards Raphael’s office and Sophia followed me.

“It was…” I started and stopped. It looked like a glorified dungeon. A prison.

The chains at the head and foot of the bed, against the wall. They looked like they were there to hold a beast.

Was Roma different from the other werewolves? And would it be okay to ask Sophia?

There was a reason no one was allowed into the West wing. And Roma had not only let me live with nothing more than a little scolding but had given me permission to leave pack grounds. It felt like a betrayal to reveal what I had seen.

I decided to settle for an answer that was partly true.

“Dark and cold.”

Sophia nodded thoughtfully and raised her brows when I stopped in front of Raphael’ office.

“I’ll talk to you later?” I said and she nodded excitedly.

“Of course. I can’t wait to hear everything.”

Knocking once on the door, I waved at Sophia and entered when I heard Raphael’s gruff voice acknowledging my presence.

“Why, hello, pretty thing.” He said with a smile full of fang that should have made me terrified, but instead it made me feel relieved.

I had seen Raphael in his wolf form and even though it had nearly made me pass out, Raphael had an aura that seemed to make people around him feel safe. I could never say the same for Roma.

“Hello, Raphael.” I said shyly and he chuckled, folding his arms from where he sat behind his desk.

“So, how can I help you?”

“I would like to head into town to retrieve my sketch pad from my house. The Alpha gives his permission and says you should accompany me.”

Raphael opened his mouth to respond when the door to his office opened.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.