4. Devyn
Chapter four
Devyn
“Where the hell are you?” my father barks as soon as I answer my multi-slate.
I roll my eyes. Of course. Leave it to my father to ruin this lovely moment with my Praeda. Sighing heavily, I make my way down the hall toward the Game Room. “I’m on campus,” I reply in a calm, even tone. He doesn’t need to know my exact location.
“You promised you would participate in Praeda this year,” he grits out.
“Did I?” I say with a sarcastic lilt to my voice. It’s only been a few hours since I saw him.
“Devyn, what did I tell you? I need you to participate this year. Enough of these damn games.”
Need? That’s an interesting word choice.
Annoyance and something else—maybe panic—colors his reply. Fucking pathetic. My father used to be a man worth respecting. Worth fearing. His presence once instilled fear in others. These days, only my poor mother is afraid of him. Not even my sister is scared of him anymore. The old man’s mental state has deteriorated, and everyone around him sees it.
His behavior has become erratic and desperate. I’m pretty sure his business dealings are illegal, and it’s just a matter of time before everything crumbles around him like a house of cards. My father has become more unhinged, and it’s about fucking time. As they say, karma is a bitch, and the abusive asshole will get what’s coming to him.
My main concern is making sure my mother survives the aftermath.
“Listen, you little shit—”
“How the fuck am I supposed to claim my Praeda if you are calling me with inane questions?” I growl into my multi-slate.
Father pauses before a pleased hum comes across the line. “You’re with your Praeda? Good, good,” he replies, sounding suddenly calmer, causing suspicion to weave its way into my brain. “It’s about time you held true to our traditions. Remy Lombardi is—”
“Right.” I grit my teeth as I cut him off. “You better let me get back to it, then.” I hang up before he can say another word. Why the hell does my father need me to participate in Praeda so badly? And why the fuck does he need me to choose Remy?
My thoughts stray back to Zaiah. My lovely, pretty Zaiah.
My only regret about what we just shared was the lack of light between us. Fuck. What would my cum look like painted all over his freckles? Although there’s something almost romantic about having my wicked way with him in the shadows. After he came so prettily before collapsing to his knees, I couldn’t think of anything but my animalistic need to fuck him into the ground. Then, the Game Room door opened, illuminating his face enough for me to notice his striking emerald eyes and vibrant red hair. That damn hair that always reminds me of fire and passion.
Cor Night’s barely begun, but it’s already shaping up to be one of my all-time favorites. The moment Zaiah realized it was me? Fucking delicious. How poetic is it that I’ve spent these past two years stalking my pretty little doll, and in turn, he’s been watching me? That mask was a favorite of mine, and I used to wear it when thinking of Zaiah. It’s been hidden away since I last saw Zaiah in person. I swear to light, when recognition flashed across his pretty features mixed with lust, I was done for. He knows my secret. Devyn Shio and Demon Hart are one and the same. There’s no turning back from that. Only the Black Harts know my secret.
I lied when I said he would be mine after I fucked him. No, it’s too late for that. I don’t need my cock inside of him to own him. Because if I’m being honest with myself, Zaiah Ruca was mine the moment I saw him.
Making my way back down the hall and toward the alcove, a wicked grin spreads across my face when I notice it’s empty. I pick up the gilded portrait and hang it back on its hook, smirking when the frame tilts to the side. A lovely reminder for me to spot every time I walk by. I tap the tiny device on the wall and turn it off before pocketing it. Checking my multi-slate, I smile when the video feed shows me what we just did. The night vision option fills in some details I missed in the dark, and I grow hard watching the lust all over Zaiah’s face.
He put up a good fight.
There’s something so fucking hot about the way he struggled. Maybe my little doll doesn’t want to be as helpless as he claims.
I chuckle darkly. Did I really expect my little fire to stay still?
What’s Praeda without a hunt?
Deciding to give my prey a head start, I lean against the stone wall and watch the video from start to finish, letting my cock fill for round two. Right as I finish spilling onto his face, I’m about to turn the video off when something catches my eye; the moment my father called, and Zaiah focused on my caller ID.
Fear is etched clearly across his face as he stares at my multi-slate in horror before his gaze bounces up to my face. The sight fills me with rage. Not once during our interaction did that level of fear cross his face. Not until my father’s name flashed in front of his eyes.
What the fuck did my father do to Zaiah?
I tremble with rage, and the damn temptation to kill my father is strong. If he did anything to hurt Zaiah, I can’t guarantee he’ll be alive long enough to regret his actions. Fuck the consequences. I’ll find another way to get my mother and sister their money.
With closed eyes, I inhale deeply and practice self-control.
Pausing the video, a prompt I set up asks if I want to load it to my site. I hit decline. This video is for my own personal collection. Although the idea of Zaiah and I recording a video together for the world to watch me claim him has its own appeal.
A tempting idea flickers to life, and suddenly, I’m grinning again.
Pulling up the group chat with my fellow Black Harts, I type out a message and hit send.
Devyn: Is anyone at Castle Black? I could use a favor.
***
It doesn’t take me long to figure out how to reactivate the tracking I had set up for Zaiah. The flashing dot on my multi- slate is a basic tracking program that shows me exactly where he is on campus.
My little doll hasn’t gotten far. Did I wear him out? I smirk when I remember that he probably had to clean himself up. Next time I mark my prey, I’ll make sure it’s visible for others to see.
By the time I find him, he’s in the ballroom, hovering near the long tables covered with food. He constantly looks around, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. Curious about who he’s waiting for, I frown when I don’t instantly spot any dark corners or alcoves. I head toward a small sitting area where Zaiah will have trouble spotting me. On my way, I pluck a chocolate from a nearby tray. Remembering tonight is also Cor Night, I make a mental note to buy something pretty for my little doll to wear.
The item in my pocket is a heavy reminder that I already have a fun gift for my Praeda.
As soon as I’m in my seat, I pull out the earbud attachment of my multi-slate and slip it in before tapping on the tracking program. From this angle, I can see Zaiah and the anxious look on his face.
Lana rushes through the door and practically jogs past the dance floor and over to her friend’s side.
“Zaiah, there you are. I just got your message.” Quickly hugging him, Lana pulls away to examine his body from head to toe.
“Thanks for rushing over.”
“Of course. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Light,” he sighs, running a hand through his red hair. “I’m okay.”
“You sure? Something about you is different. It almost looks like you’re glowing.” She pauses and narrows her eyes. “Holy shit. Are you freaking glowing? Did you hook up with someone?”
I bark out a laugh, startling a couple at a nearby table. Oh, I like Lana. Maybe it’s the special cream on his face that makes him glow.
As if hearing my crude joke, Zaiah turns scarlet and rubs at his cheeks. He mumbles something under his breath, and I turn up the volume on my earbud, smirking.
“I’m fine. And I’m not freaking glowing.” He rolls his eyes. “No, I ran into Devyn.”
“Oh shit! Devyn Shio? Does he know you have that information on Marco Lombardi and his father?”
I sit up. The hell?
“Holy shit. Shut up, Lana.” Zaiah grabs Lana’s elbow and drags her to a private table in the corner. “You can’t say things like that. Not here. Conor Shio might be a bad man, but he could have ears anywhere.”
My lips twitch. Smart man.
“Zaiah, I’m worried about you. This information can get you killed. You need to hurry up and find a Black Hart and tell one of them.”
Red-hot rage boils my blood. My face scrunches into a nasty sneer. What the fuck has my pretty doll gotten himself into?
For two years, I’ve secretly studied Zaiah from the shadows, hoping to understand him better while searching for the courage to talk to him. And not once did he ever involve himself in anything illegal.
Zaiah is good, probably too good. If he has any incriminating information on Marco or my father, then this is Remy’s doing. Remy trying to poison the beauty around him.
If he needs a Black Hart, why the hell didn’t he stick around and tell me? Then again, he probably assumes I’m one of my father’s little puppets.
Suddenly, it hits me. Zaiah might have the information I need to free my mother and sister.
I need to know what he knows.
“Do you think Devyn is guilty, too?” Lana asks.
I lean forward, observing Zaiah’s face. He bites his lip. My heart pounds a frantic rhythm in my chest as I wait for his answer. I don’t know why it’s so damn important to hear the next thing he’s about to say. I’m not a good person. How can I be when I have all these dark, primal desires?
But, for a moment back there, when Zaiah was kneeling in front of me, submitting, I felt seen. I wasn’t someone to be feared. I saw that subtle change when he realized who I was, and in that instant, with Zaiah on the floor, he trusted me.
Finally, he shakes his head. “I’m not sure. I’ve known Devyn for about two years, and he doesn’t strike me as the type to do something like this.” My eyes widen with shock as his words register. What does he mean he knows me ? Only my fellow Black Harts know me.
Lana’s lips part. “I didn’t realize you two were that well acquainted.”
Zaiah fidgets in his seat and blushes again. “We had chemistry class together. At first, I didn’t realize he was a Shio. Back then, he was just Devyn. Stoic and smart. A little mysterious and so fucking handsome. He took my breath away.”
I blink.
I don’t think anyone has ever described me like that.
“Did you know I used to tutor his little sister?” Zaiah asks suddenly. I knew he tutored students during his free gap in his schedule, but since I had a class during that time, I never paid attention to who he helped. I had no idea Lillie was one of them.
“No, I didn’t even know he had a sister.”
Zaiah nods. “Their father is an overprotective asshole,” he laughs. “Her words, not mine. Anyway, she didn’t really need any tutoring. She’s always at the top of her class and probably knows more than me. She used to tell me all kinds of stories. He might keep some things hidden from his sister, but something tells me, deep down, he’s still good.”
“Oh, poor na?ve, Zaiah,” I tsk to myself. A good man wouldn’t be willing to kill a man just for looking at you. Plus, you have no idea about all the depraved shit I want to do to you right now.
The rest of their conversation is short, and I’m shocked to find out Zaiah wants money for his information. He wants enough money to get him off-planet.
Like fucking hell am I letting my fire leave Usurn without me. Looks like I’ll have to make things very clear from now on. Zaiah is mine. Whether he likes it or not.
I don’t miss the way Zaiah scans the different corners, as if looking for his stalker. Looking for me. I smirk. Pretty Zaiah, already desperate for more.
A part of me mourns the time I missed with my pretty little doll. But maybe things were meant to unfold like this. Maybe Zaiah needed to be with that piece of shit, Remy, to help me put my father away.
I tap out one last message in the group chat. If I can’t get Zaiah to give me the information about my father, I need a backup plan, just in case.
Devyn: Looks like I might need one more favor. Let me know if anyone is free in the morning.
Light, my brothers are going to give me so much fucking crap when they realize just how obsessed I am with Zaiah Ruca.