Adela felt like there was an invisible grip around her throat as she finally said those words.
She didn’t want to go back to the alphas, but her bond to them made it difficult to voice this truth.
Even though she was behind Lucifer, she wasn’t completely obscured by him.
She could feel their glares burning into her after she stepped out of the shadows.
Despite the stern expression Lucifer once wore, it softened at Adela’s words.
He turned towards her more, despite being unwilling to put his back towards the alphas.
“You’ve been brave,” he complimented her under his breath.
Adela was trembling.
She didn’t feel brave.
The Devil turned his attention back to the wolves, and his eyes scanned the three alphas as well as the wolves standing behind them.
Even though he wasn’t a werewolf himself, Lucifer could sense their anger.
Honestly, he was surprised they hadn’t acted, knowing how little self-control those beasts had.
“She doesn’t want to go,” Lucifer announced.
Adela couldn’t help finally meeting the alphas’ eyes.
She saw Brandon first because she noticed his stance stiffen and his jaw clench.
His anger would flare forth if he wasn’t careful.
That, and his pheromones were choking her.
“Bullshit!” the alpha spat.
“I don’t know what sort of sick games those of you from Hell are playing, but whatever you’ve done to our mate—” “Brandon,” Garret ground out in a warning tone.
“That’s enough.” Him being the throne’s next heir always made sense to Adela.
In public places, he could control himself the best.
It was behind closed doors that he was usually the scariest.
“Enough, indeed,” Lucifer mocked.
“Get your alphas under control, Your Highness, or put them on a leash.” At that, all three alphas’ eyes snapped to Lucifer.
There was thinly veiled hostility in all of their expressions.
Garret made a point of letting out a sigh as he tried to show he had self-control and wouldn’t hurt Adela once she was returned to them.
He raised his hands, changing tactics.
“We have a right to her,” Garret explained evenly.
“An agreement with Man’s World states that we have taken her in as our responsibility.
A contract must be followed.
You must know something about contracts, don’t you, Your Majesty?” Without missing a beat, Lucifer responded, “Is that so?
Does this agreement also include physical abuse?
Last I checked—and I did check—physical abuse nullifies most contracts.” “You can’t possibly understand how werewolves mate,” Caleb interjected, pushing his twin brother back by his shoulder and feeling that his diplomatic words weren’t convincing enough.
“She needs us.
All three of us.
An omega like her isn’t satiated so easily without strong alpha pheromones!” However, his words only fueled the anger that Adela was already feeling.
Her head felt hot, and she finally stepped to the side, revealing herself to them fully.
It was mortifying having to be spoken for.
Despite the pheromones affecting her and the bond burning in her to return, she had to speak up.
“I said I don’t want to go with you!” Adela shouted.
“There is nothing for me in the colony except misery.
There are plenty of other omegas who would love to take over my responsibility.” By the end of her words, angry tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
Out of nerves, her hands had clenched while she spoke.
She didn’t realize that she had cut herself on the sharp silver knife.
Her blood dripped as it dug into her fingertips.
“Do you see how much she needs us?” Brandon continued.
“She’s out of her mind.
I can feel her pheromones fluctuating and responding to ours through our bond.
What you’re doing by keeping her there is abusive.” Adela’s mouth fell open.
It was rich to hear that coming from someone who had abused her repeatedly for many years.
All three of them had.
Despite her tears, she managed to keep her head up.
“Pheromones don’t matter to me,” Adela persisted.
“I can resist the pheromones, and I’ll find a way to break these bonds so you never affect me again.” Lucifer was determined to let her speak, enjoying her taking back her own power.
At her words, he quietly assured her, “I will help you.
Whatever it takes.” Adela felt warmth inside of her for the first time in a long time.
There was someone who seemed to be on her side completely and totally.
He was a powerful man, no less.
It felt like his words weren’t empty, and his assurances were real.
Of course, the alphas had something to say about that.
“So, that’s what this is about,” Brandon retorted.
“Your human half gets in the way again, is that it?” “Ah…” Garret let out a noise of realization.
“So, this is about your human half.
And we know just how susceptible humans are to supernatural beings.
Are we even talking to the Adela who writhed with pleasure and begged for us during each one of her heats?
Tell us, Lucifer, how long have you been manipulating her human half, beckoning her with temptation until she finally broke and came to you?
Quite a disgusting tactic you’re using.” Adela’s mouth hung open.
It was mortifying that those moments when she was completely out of control of herself were being talked about as if they meant nothing—as if they didn’t affect her for a long time afterwards each time.
But she refused to stand by when someone who was willing to help her was being dragged through the mud.
“The only ones manipulating me are the ones who are using a bond as leverage,” Adela insisted.
“The very same ones who have told me for years that my words don’t matter as long as my body is responding.” Brandon’s mouth hung open.
Garret merely crossed his arms while Caleb ran his hands through his hair as he resisted his urge to run after her.
“Friendly reminder that stepping into my territory can be taken as a declaration of war,” Lucifer warned the alphas.
Adela’s eyes went to Lucifer.
Despite the very credible threat standing just across the ravine from him, he was far cooler than one would expect from someone who lived in Hell.
His self-control was mesmerizing after spending such a long time with werewolves who lacked as much.
Before she could voice her appreciation, Adela was brought to her knees as alpha pheromones washed over her, and she lost control of hers.