Captivating The Demon King: Eve's Obsession

''You dirty brat!'' Madame Gathel fumed as her hand tightened around Eve and began to drag her off from where she had just wandered into. ''I told you the Master is busy with a visitor, and you just happened to wander off there to be a nuisance, huh?''

Tears burned at the corner of Eve's eyes as the demoness' sharp claws continued to dig further into the soft skin around her wrist. Blood seeped down to stain the dark, red carpet they moved across as she continued to drag her to only God knows where. Eve tried to pull her hands from the demoness' venomous grip but in vain.

''I shouldn't have let you both rats in and disturb the Master and the visitor in their business…''

Their journey was cut short when a slight breeze brought them both to a halt, and the immaculate figure of the demon king towered over them.

Madame Gathel pulled back with Eve slightly as the demon's tall form blocked their path out of nowhere, and he didn't look all too happy at them. It took Madame Gathel and Eve a full minute for who they were dealing with to sink in before Madame Gathel fell before the demon king on her two knees and had her head bowed completely in fear. 

All she knew was that her Master was dealing with an important visitor this evening, but she wasn't there to confirm just how important the visitor was when her Master received him from the front door earlier today. She could tell it was the demon king right away because of the royal sigil of Hell everyone knows he has inscribed around his neck, which was peculiar only to the demon king. 

Eve watched as Madame Gathel trembled terribly at the demon's feet, and for some reason, the demon king was yet to take his eyes off her since he came.

☆

Evangeline hated the silence that occurred—only the inaudible mumblings of Mother Gathel's trembling form begging him to have mercy on her. Eve turned slowly to lock eyes with her mate and see him in all of his full glory for the first time in her life. Everyone out there on the streets of Hell would die to be in her place tonight—would love to be this lucky to see the king's excellent features without them being concealed under that veil, and for the first time ever. 

Eve wondered why she wasn't so drawn or captivated like she imagined herself to be if she ever got this lucky to see him for what he was. Could it be because of the haunting memories of when he brutally rejected her as his mate and came this close to burning her to death?

Eve took a small step back in fear, their eyes never once leaving each other. Instead, she grabbed the opportunity to stare down at his perfect dark lips, to observe that interesting masculine and feminine beauty that was exclusive only to the Devil and the other seven princes of Hell. That forbidden and sinful beauty they possess was enough to stir a lot of chaos and sin in the hearts of a thousand. 

It was also interesting how he looked exactly like the phantom of her dreams—whom she always called to and loved with all her heart. Now that she had been opportune to meet the real deal, she didn't mind holding on to that phantom of him for the rest of her three years of existing in this wicked world. 

She stepped back when he slowly began to approach her—like a predator with calculated steps toward his prey. His eyes were cold, dead, and distant, but they seemed to suck her in completely into their dark, red-gold depths—like he had been waiting for the moment he would get to do this.

To consume her all at once.

Eve wondered what he wanted now after brutally rejecting and humiliating her two nights ago. He made it clear to everyone that night that he hated her enough to threaten her very existence by placing her in a ring of fire. He even said she was unfit to be his queen.

Why was he now—

—has he now awakened with the thoughts of killing her, now that she had made herself known to him again?

That thought was enough to fire something in Eve that night, enough to turn the other way on her heels and try to run.

The Devil, mesmerized by her ability to still fear him after being such a heartless bitch to him once in her past life, summoned dark, terrible chains to stop her from trying to escape. The chains moved in the air, following his eons-old obsession, to choke her around the neck, halting her movements and dragging her back on the dark, red carpets despite her screams and cries of protest and pain at the force pulling her to his feet. 

The chains dug painfully around her neck and brought fresh tears to the girl's eyes, no matter how much she struggled to get rid of their vice grip.

Lucien towered over her withering form in amusement, and something in him appreciated how painful he was starting out with his revenge on his first love. 

The demon king lowered himself and pulled her restless form into a sitting position—enough for her to meet his burning gaze. 

Eve fought still against the chains, desperate for a chance to breathe properly and ease herself of the pain they caused. Her teary gaze met the very face she was once willing to die for and give up everything for a possible future with. It hurt more when he looked like he enjoyed watching her moan and struggle in pain. She hated so much to see him like this. She still didn't want to believe her darling demon king was just like the rest of the demons out there—cruel and unforgiving to humans. 

His gloved hands moved down the length of her left arm and paused at the sight of her bleeding wrist. For a disturbing moment, she thought he wouldn't care—until his hands seemed to tighten a bit around it, and all she needed to do was blink before the bruise around her wrist was gone—like it had never been there a second ago. 

The solemn look he gave her was equally as disturbing too. 

''I am the only one that could touch and hurt you, Eve,'' he said, overwhelming her with that sick, obsessive look. 

''The only one that should make you feel pain and cry,'' he added, bringing his thumbs close to her face to wipe the tears that trickled down her cheeks. 

''No one else should dare do the same to you, Eve.'' 

He said, and all she heard behind her was the sickening sound of bones snapping in two—echoing—and the cries of Mother Gathel vibrating down her trembling spine as the demon king held her face close…the feeling of his gloved hands on both sides of her face so gentle you wouldn't believe he had just summoned deadly magical chains to inflict pain all over her body. The way he stared down at her was so twisted and hard to figure out what was going on in his head as he held her close. 

''You are mine alone to ruin.''

Mother Gathel's final gasp of pain was enough to still her heart and bring more tears of horror down her trembling cheeks as the demoness lay eerily still, her dark red blood spilling out of her mouth and staining the carpet, eyes frozen in horror and death.

That was the first time Eve knew and understood that demons—though eternal—could also be killed by bigger monsters with an amazing amount of power and strength. Vivid images of how he tore demonlord Raha apart for whatever reasons—and the possible disfigured form of Mother Gathel—were just enough to induce a sufficient amount of nightmares to last her during these remaining three years left for her to live. 

She continued to look at him, all shaken and traumatized by everything she had been forced to witness and endure today. The things she had seen him do—to her and to other demons—were beyond scary, and Eve had a deep feeling that this was just the beginning of it all. 

''I can tell, with the innocent look you're trying to fool me with, that you don't remember how terrible you once were.'' 

The soft smile that cradled his handsome features could be deceiving. 

''But not to worry, my dearest. Your time with me—and the pain I will bring upon you—will bring to memory each and every one of your sins.''

Eve cried out again in protest when he suddenly carried her and placed her over his left shoulder. His hands secured around her form as he stepped over Madame Gathel's lifeless and fast-decaying body, and the demon king stepped out of the mansion through the front door with Eve.