Only a few times did Lucifer have to guide them; Adella relied on the scent of another wolf for the most part.
The outskirts of town just beyond the castle walls were uncrowded, but as they moved closer to the center of this area of town, it became more and more crowded as the buildings got taller.
All that lit their path were lanterns and wall sconces with the same candles, letting off a red glow as those in the castle.
In little time, Adella found them amidst a plethora of individuals she wasn’t expecting.
Sure, she knew there would be demons in hell, but those weren’t the only beings walking these streets.
Supernaturals and humans all resided there as well, not sparing glances at each other because it seemed normal.
Lucifer was close behind her so they wouldn’t lose one another in the crowd.
“Night Market,” he said, only loud enough for her to hear.
It was no wonder many were stopped at stalls, browsing or haggling for whatever items were on display.
In the stalls, things were displayed on makeshift tables and shelves.
Some were underneath shabby tents, but plenty more were in the open with hand-painted signs advertising what was being sold.
“His Majesty!
Our Just King!
Sire!” A demon began to clap and shout, seeing an unexpected face pass by his stall.
Lucifer was forced to stop.
Adela was too amused to keep going, so she joined him.
“I insist that you try my fruits!
Imported from Man’s World.
Out there, they call these Unganic!
They go for a high price on the surface!” the dark purple demon gushed.
“Here, I sell for a humble price.
For you?
Free.
I couldn’t possibly take your money, my kind and beautiful King Lucifer.” “Organic,” Adela muttered, correcting the demon but not loud enough for him to hear.
“Lucifer,” Lucifer responded to the demon.
“My Lord—?” the demon questioned.
“Please, just call me Lucifer,” the King of Hell responded.
“I will have to try your fruits another time.
Right now, I have important business to attend to.” “Your Majesty, of course!” the demon shouted.
“Forgive me for taking up time.” By that point, they had caught a lot of attention, which wasn’t ideal for searching for someone who wanted to hide from them.
Lucifer waved him off, and they went on their way.
This time, the two were side by side, but Lucifer noticed Adela holding back laughter.
“Just laugh,” he insisted with a heavy sigh.
“I’ve just never seen someone who gets praised more often than you even though you don’t like it,” she admitted between laughs.
“Forgive me.” He sent her a sideways glance for the apology.
She straightened herself out and took a deep breath as she quietly begged the universe for composure.
Time to be serious.
Even if she was distracted, Adela hadn’t lost the scent.
While there were certainly other wolves there, each one had their own signature.
Scent was a message to wolves.
It was how they communicated.
Adela’s senses were on high alert with eyes, ears, and nose taking in everything of their surroundings.
Suddenly, she stopped abruptly.
It was enough that Lucifer, who had been looking to the right, ran square into her back.
His stumble caused him to stabilize himself with a hand on her waist which he quickly rectified as he pulled away.
“Sorry,” he apologized.
Adela’s focus was elsewhere.
She began to move towards a wall so they were out of the main foot traffic.
“Do you hear that?” she whispered to Lucifer who had stepped closer.
She held a finger over his lips so he would listen.
“I can’t believe the werewolves lost their mate to our Lucifer,” one of the merchants expressed sadly.
“Things have been good for so long…” Adela’s eyes widened as she looked up at Lucifer.
Surprisingly, she stepped even closer to him and pulled up his hood so they wouldn’t risk recognizing him.
“This is my fault,” she muttered as she stepped away.
“It isn’t.
We will rectify this,” Lucifer insisted.
“Actions speak louder than mere words.” She seemed dejected.
It made him more determined to make it right.
Everything that had happened since she had come into his life was his choice.
Her having to run from predatory werewolf men was because of her lack of choice.
Wordlessly, he offered his hand.
She met his eyes and hesitated before she grasped it.
Her fiery determination had returned as she pulled them back into the crowd and walked on, but it wasn’t long before their path ended.
They made it to a crossroads where the foot traffic was less.
Kitty-corner from where they stood, Adela saw the werewolf scout talking to a demon at their booth, undoubtedly seeking information.
She knew it had to be him because of how strong his scent had become.
A gasp escaped her, but she glanced to the side and saw an alleyway they could access.
At least they were already holding hands.
She practically dragged Lucifer to hide.
Any werewolf would recognize her.
There were plenty of people around this corner, so she hoped that they had moved quickly enough and disappeared amidst the others.
The entire time they were out, she had hidden her pheromones so hopefully her scent wouldn’t be spread through these streets.
It was especially dark here where the candlelight didn’t reach.
All that this alleyway was used for was stock for various booths.
The Devil’s heart was pounding as he stared at the woman who held his hand so tightly.
He wanted to find flaws or reasons he shouldn’t feel this unexplainable draw to her, but he couldn’t.
Yet he battled with himself, determined not to be one of the bastards who believed only his feelings mattered.
Her being attracted to him wasn’t enough when she didn’t know if it was just because of his kindness.
Since it seemed for now they were in the clear, Adella turned her attention to Lucifer.
She realized she was still holding onto his hand and quickly let it go, pushing herself into the opposite wall.
It still gave her only about a foot of space from him.
She kept her eyes on the end of the alley because his proximity was unnerving despite also finding comfort in it.
“Do you want to leave?” he asked.
“No,” she insisted.
“The scouts are harmless.
They are never dominants of any class and are valued for their minds rather than physical prowess.
If needed, even I could beat one of them.” “If needed, my men will handle this scout,” he responded.
“Now that we have eyes on him, there’s no way for him to hide.” “Should we find out more information?” she wondered.
“If you think it’s—Shit!” Lucifer cut himself off with a curse under his breath.
At that moment, Adela realized she had dropped focus, and the scout’s scent had moved closer once again.
She could have sworn she heard the sound of a gunshot.
Rougher than he normally was with Adela, Lucifer jumped forward, pressing his entire body against her, and his arms went around her waist as they were both swallowed in darkness.
For a few moments, Adela didn’t know up from down, but she knew that she could believe in the person who was enveloping her completely.
Her face was buried in his chest, and her hands clenched onto the sides of his jacket.
The darkness that swallowed them started to clear after a few moments and she found them in the dungeon where they had first met.
As soon as her feet were on solid ground, Lucifer stepped away.
“Forgive me for taking such an aggressive approach,” he apologized.
“My composure broke when I saw the gun.” “Werewolves will only die if shot with silver in the head or heart,” Adela assured him.
“I wasn’t going to chance it,” he responded.
“The moment a gun went off, one of Shade’s doubles who was in the area intervened.
As far as anyone is concerned, they were shooting at me.” Adela saw what he meant as he began to pull off his leather jacket and leaned against the wall once the article was tossed to the ground.
The smell of blood was heavy in the air.
He had taken the bullet for her.