William


    I wake up in pure darkness.


    Interesting.


    I take in my surroundings. I''m standing in a meadow that smells like the valley of death. It looks like it too. I stare at the dried grass underneath my feet. Too realistic. This is a dream yet a piece of reality. I''ve been summoned to hell.


    The air is cold, and I can feel a strong presence. The great demon king is the one who has called me here. Lucifer.


    "I''m so tired," his deep voice echoes in the darkness, and he sounds pissed off. "Arachne wasn''t strong enough to take over the world, and you, Hydra, have mixed with the very hybrid you swore to destroy. You''ve turned into something else." A smile crosses my features, and I lift my eyes to face the ckness surrounding me. I''m not afraid at all.


    "William and Hydra died a long time ago. The one who met Reba in this timeline? Me. The one who saved her? Me. William and Hydra gave birth to a different creature. I go by Asmodeus in my head, but I don''t mind being called William, since William is also me... But so is the demon."


    There is a dark, bitter chuckle. "Asmodeus? But he is dead!"


    "Not anymore... William and Hydra are paving the way for my rebirth."


    "Does the woman know that you''re neither William nor Hydra but a mixture?"


    "She knows I''m a mixture of them both, but she might not know what it means. I''m not the same William I was in the other timeline, but... I''m falling in love with her. Hell, I might already love her." "Do you n on telling her that you''re not a human?"


    I shrug. "Eventually... I think she is better off thinking she is dating a normal alpha werewolf. It might freak her out that I''m a demon and that my powers are growing stronger every day."


    "I see," Lucifer sucks in a deep breath. "And whose side are you standing on in the uing war? Are you with the demons or... Are you siding with the humans and the angels?"


    I bend down to pick up a rose. It''s dried and dead, but the petalse to life when I blow on it.


    Grey turns to red.


    Curious.


    Demons are said to kill whatevernd they walk upon, but I think we can change and live side by side with the other supernatural creatures on earth. At least, I hope. I let the flower be taken by the cold winds.


    "I will walk my own path and form a pack where demons are allowed to live at peace with the creatures on earth. I''m not interested in your war. I only wish to live and smile." "So you n on being neutral?"


    "Yes."


    "Even if the moon goddess will send someone to destroy you?"


    "Yup..."


    Lucifer growls. "So you won''t help me?!"


    "Nope," I smile again, not one bit afraid of the future. "There are seven demon princes of hell. Five without you and I included-I''m sure you can find others to help you take over the earth. But I''m sad to say I''m not interested in taking over the world." "You''re making the wrong choice here, Asmodeus!" Lucifer growls, and I can hear chains moving in the background. He can''t leave hell behind without a host to take him.


    "You forget that I used to be a human. William is still me. I have demonic powers, but I have human emotions. And those emotions aren''t interested in violence. I''m changing."


    "You''re so stupid! The moon goddess wille for you first since you''ve been let out of the darkness. Her time guardian will kill you, and if you''re not on our side, I won''t help you!"


    I shrug. "Let the time guardiane. I''m hardly defenseless. And I already know thest guardian''s identity, and I''m not one bit afraid of her. The first guardian is my mother and the second guardian is my mate-I don''t think those two are interested in killing me either."


    "Mate... I still don''t understand how a demon can be the mate of a freaking human. Demons and angels differ from vampires, dragons, werewolves, and lycans... We are godlike creatures."


    "True," I grin at the darkness. "But to be honest, we all need love, and I must say dating and spending my days with my mate sounds way better than taking over the world."


    "... You''re a fool."


    "A happy fool."


    The dream ends, and I suck in a deep breath. The air smells likevender and detergent. I''m back in my bed and smile upon noticing Reba is pressing herself into my side.


    Is there something better than waking up to the person you''re falling in love with?


    I think not.


    I stroke my hand over Reba''s dark skin, whispering. "Things are gettingplicated, love. Your time-traveling has created a different fate. You were supposed to kill me before I could bond with a human, but instead, it seems you and I are bing lovers." With a heavy heart, I kiss Reba''s forehead and hope this is the right decision. I''m bing more demonic with each passing day, but my feelings for Reba are also growing stronger.


    I love her, and I want to be with her.


    I just hope this thing between us won''t be problematic in the future. Putting Reba''s life in danger is thest thing I want, but if she stays with me, she too might be an enemy of the third guardian of time.


    Not to mention the angel that is the THIRD guardian''s mate, if you''re to believe my mother''s visions...


    Reba isn''t the third, but the second guardian.


    The third guardian is my sister ording to my mother''s visions, and her mate is that future alpha and angel, Leo, someone I don''t want to be our enemy.


    I frown.


    Werewolves are curious creatures; the alphas are strong enough to host and hold godlike blood. I''m a demon alpha, and I know an angel alpha werewolf will soon be born.


    He will probably be my nemesis when he awakens in the future, whenever that happens. "William?"


    Reba''s voice brings me out from my reveries, and I squeeze her to me with a smile ying over my lips. "Uh-huh?"


    "Did you..." she trails off and shakes. As if she fell asleep for a second but caught herself doing it. She wets her parched lips before speaking again. "Did you stay with me all night?"


    "I did," I take her hand in mine. So much smaller than mine and icily cold to the touch. I bring it to my chest, hoping it will turn warmer closer to my heart. "Is that weird?"


    "It is," I can hear the blush in her voice. "We aren''t mated yet, and we haven''t gone on our first date, but..." she swallows and presses her head to the thick tes of my chest. "I like cuddling with you, and you''re stupidly beautiful-you make me stupid." I snort at her honesty and smile. My chest is fluttering. "Reba Smith isplimenting me-what have I done to deserve this? You usually insult me."


    "Are youining?"


    "Nope," I smile against her head. Her white hair is starting to smell like my detergent from spending so much time in my bed. "I like thepliments. Keep theming."


    Reba snorts. "Not if your head is going to blow up like that! That ego and smile are filling the entire room!"


    "So?" I challenge, grinning at her. "Is it a crime to agree with everything you''re saying? For example, that I''m stupidly beautiful."


    Laughing, Reba shoves at my chest, probably a little too hard, because I fall off the bed. But something she didn''t seeing is that I bring her down with me.


    Ind on my back andugh while Reba squirms on top of me. She tries to climb back into bed, only to pull down the sheets over us since I''m stronger than her and won''t let her escape.


    "Well, this is cozy," I rub my slightly stubbly cheek against her head and ignore her when he tries to flee. "But you know what would be better? If I dragged my stubble against your face." "No!" Reba almost shouts. "I don''t want to feel those sharp brittles cut into my skin!"


    "Toote for that-give me some love!"


    I pull her closer to my face and angle her so I can get some bristly rubs in her soft spots. Sheughs and tries to swat at me. Of course, it does nothing to help her cause.


    I wrap my left leg around her while my thicker arms lock her arms to her tiny little body. I''m like a spider that has caught a fly and chuckle in her ear when she can''t escape from me. "William!" Reba wheezes when I squeeze her breasts. They are tiny, but her n*****s are perky. Sexy.


    "Yes?" I drawl.


    "You''re choking me!"


    I briefly freeze before worry takes over. "I''m so sorry! f**k, I''m so stupid. I forgot you were injured!" I ease my hold on her before scooping her off the floor. I scan her body before settling on her big, doe-eyes. "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah, I''m healed... It was just that the hug was too tight," her confused blue, beautiful eyes blink into mine. "You look pale," augh leaves her lips. "Should I be worried about you?"


    I ce her back on the bed and pull a nket over her even though she is fully clothed. I''m the only one running around shirtless because I know it''s Reba''s weakness.


    I''m not sure what she thinks of my personality. I always worry about it, but I''m not blind; Reba loves my body. So, I''m using that against her to hopefully nestle into her heart.


    "No... I was just scared that I had identally hurt you. You''re already so fragile since you''re a human."


    "Human?" Rebaughs. "We are both humans."


    s**t!


    "I mean..." I scratch the back of my head. "Of course we are, but... I''m an alpha, and I heal faster, and-..."


    When I say nothing, she smiles. "I''m fine... More than fine, actually. I''m starting to get bored in this bed. Do you want to go somewhere? Like for a run or something? I want to connect with my lycan."


    Phew. I''m d Reba dropped the subject so quickly. I can''t tell her what I am before she trusts me more. If I do it now, she will most definitely leave me.


    I''m a monster alpha, and she already fears me. She doesn''t need another reason to leave me.


    I force a smile. "Sure, where do you wanna go?"