Page 63 of Fated to Monsters

“You may stand,” he declares once he’s right in front of me. He crosses his arms over his brawny chest and steadies his intense gaze on Willow. “My love. Have you come back to haunt me? Or have you realized you cannot live without me?”

“You wish,” Willow says.

“Then you’re back for another attempt at torture.”

“I’ll figure it out one way or another.”

“My love, not being with you is torture enough, don’t you see?”

“I’ll never be with you.” Willow shakes her head. “This isn’t a social visit, Balial.”

"Ah, they never are, are they?" He floats near her and then turns his attention to Wren. "And what do we have here?" Balial closes his eyes and breathes her in deeply. "Another Oliver." He licks his lips. "Bring me a consolation prize?"

A growl leaves my chest, and I step between Wren and Balial.

Balial grins, his extremely white teeth bared. “I see this one is claimed, too.” He points to his neck. “Still an alpha mark though.” He focuses on me. “What are you waiting for?”

“Bal.” Willow steps forward and presses her hand to his chest, immediately snapping him out of his trance on me.

“What can I do for you, my love?”

Screams sound in the distance, followed by the sound of dogs barking.

Wren takes a step forward, her body gravitating closer to mine. “We came to ask you about Prania.”

“Prania. Hm.” He presses his long finger to his chin. “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Tell the truth.” Willow stares at him, her gaze unwavering despite him being who he is.

My demonic nature kicked in the second I saw him, my body betraying me and submitting before him. I might be at the top of the food chain in any other realm, but here, he is superior.

It’s not something I’m quite fond of. Although, unlike Arthlia, I know where I stand here.

This hell dimension is much more a home than Arthlia ever could be.

“And what do I get in return?” Balial tilts his head to the side.

“Nothing,” Willow retorts without hesitating. “You owe me a lifetime of favors. Don’t act like you don’t.”

What could he have possibly done to get this type of response out of her? The prince of hell owing someone else something? And a multiple something?

“Please,” Wren adds.

"Fine," the big bad king of darkness huffs. He hovers back and with his hands out in front of him, he begins. "Once upon a time, there was a great war. One that spread millennia. Sides were chosen, lives were lost. Magic was stolen." He looks to Willow. "I'm sure you're familiar." He pauses for effect and continues. "Realms fought each other, until one day, things got out of hand. The…" He scratches his chin. "Hunters, I believe they called themselves, vowed to eliminate all demonic creatures."

Wren tenses and hangs on his every word.

“This one immortal bitch spearheaded the whole thing. And so, the Angels and some of the princes got together and closed her off into her homeland. The end.”

“The end?” Wren blurts out. “That’s it? Really? You left an entire realm to fend for themselves even knowing what she was capable of.”

Balial turns his hand over and studies his nails boringly. “Mmhm.”

Willow shoves him. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“She needed to be contained. This was the only way to make that happen.”

“You could have just, I don’t know, killed her?” Wren grows angrier and steps around me, but I put my arm out to stop her from going any farther.

---