Page 42 of Protecting His Treasure

“You had to have tricked him.”

“Not at all. I just played on the darkness in his soul. I can see a similar darkness forming in yours. I feed on that type of energy. All energy, actually. But darkness in a delicacy to me. I thrive on all thing depraved, sadistic, perverted. And your cousin was filled with all those things. You were filled with suppressed desires. I was hoping I could help you explore your darker traits. Maybe in the future I’ll get the chance. I promise this won’t be the last time you see me, Kaede Oshiro.” She caressed his cheek.

He tried to jerk away but couldn’t move. “Don’t touch me.”

“I have to enjoy this moment. If your cousin would’ve stayed away longer, I would’ve had my way with you before the villagers arrived.”

“I wouldn’t have allowed you.”

“You wouldn’t have been able to stop me.” Hanami paused to place her hand over her mouth and cough. When she lowered her hand, it was streaked with blood. She sighed. “I’ve been in this body for too long. I’ll have to return home soon to give this body a break.”

“That’s why you sometimes go missing for days.”

“Ding. Correct. This shifter body makes my magic stronger, but it makes my spirit weaker. I haven’t yet figured out how to fix that pesky problem.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t be alive much longer. My pack will stop you soon.”

“Let’s bet.”

“I don’t make deals with demons.”

“Not even sexy demons.”

“That’s not your body.”

“My real body is even sexier. Maybe you’ll get to see it someday.”

“I’d rather die.”

“Oh, dear alpha, I have something much worse than death in store for you. You’ll have to pay for rejecting me. I plan to take from you the things you hold most dear in this world. I’ve already taken your parents…”

“You vile bitch.”

“Name calling will get you nowhere. Soon, I’ll take your loyal subjects and your title from you. Then, I’ll send you to a place where you’ll never find your precious mate, the Treasure you already hold in your heart.”

“You’re an evil witch.”

Her smile brightened. “Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“Yet, it made me happy. Wait, hush…. The show has started.”

Outside, he could hear his cousin talking to the villagers. “I swear to you it’s true. Kaede has become demented,” his cousin lied. “He got angry with the alpha because the alpha wouldn’t let him banish me and my wife from the pack. He snapped and lost it. I tried to stop him, but I was wounded.”

“He has no wounds,” Kaede growled.

“They see wounds. Thanks to my magic.” Blood dripped from Hanami’s nose. “Ugh,” she groaned, wiping the blood away. “This body is wearing me down. Hurry up, Onaku, or I won’t have enough energy to banish Kaede,” she muttered to herself.

“Banish me? To where?”

“To the Frostlands. A Frozen hell. A place you’ll never be able to leave. Hush, he’s leading them inside.”

“You evil bitch. By pack will never believe your vicious lies. They will never side with a witch like you and…”

Hanami pressed her lips against his and whispered a spell. When she ended the kiss, Kaede mouth felt numb. The feeling traveled over his entire body. He tried to speak, he tried to scream. He was unable to do either.

Hanami grinned. “I curse you, to never utter a word until you meet your fated mate. Which you never will, because soon, you’ll be banished to the Frostlands. There’s no way you’ll find your fated one over there. My dear Kaede, I have a feeling you’ll never speak again. You’ll never be able to tell the pack what was done this night. Mighty alpha, look how far you’ve fallen.”