Word Count: 1586

¬Luella

I don't allow his words to frighten me.

If there is anything that I've learnt, it's that I can't trust Revel, so as those words come past his lips, my eyes narrow skeptically. Revel is a Sin, which means he only cares about himself, and would say anything if it meant he could get his way.

"If you're lying to me..." I mutter uneasily, wishing I could put more of a threatening tone into my voice. The moment someone threatens Thought, it immediately makes me uncomfortable. For so long now, I've been the one everyone wants dead, so hearing that Thought could be in danger too makes my stomach twist uneasily.

"I'm not," he tells me. He seems serious, which is all the more unnerving. "It's not safe enough for me to explain this here."

He looks around himself like he's afraid of someone listening...I'm assuming Thought.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I tell him firmly. If I let him transport me away from here, there's no guarantee I will be able to get back, and I may not be able to contact Thought through my mind. Revel can't be trusted, even if his words have intrigued me, causing fear to bloom in my chest.

"I know you don't trust me...But everything I'm doing is to try to save my own life," he tells me firmly. The way his eyes darken makes me startle, the intensity to his voice unlike anything I've heard from his mouth before. In my experience with Revel, he's attitude is usually flippant and amused...not this. "If you don't believe I would help you, believe that."

Despite knowing that he's right, that if there were any reason to believe him, it would be for that, I narrow my eyes. "I can always look into your mind and see what you're hiding."

"No...Please don't do what you did last time," he winces, stepping back a few steps out of genuine fear. I realise then that I may have more control over him than I think. "You can trust me, Luella."

If he is telling the truth, then leaving with him may be worth the risk...

"Where do you want to go?" I ask uneasily, keeping my hardened look about me, wanting to keep Revel in his place. He still looks nervous, body language changing so he appears more meek and reserved. Getting into his head may have been more damaging than anticipated, and although he betrayed me, I feel guilty for putting him through that.

He rubs the back of his neck, moonlight touching his dark hair, leaving a glassy sheen along it. "Far from here, to the mortal realm."

"Mortal realm?" I flinch, immediately shaking my head. "You're insane."

I back up a few steps, deciding that his words no longer mean anything to be and I'm fed up with dealing with Revel's oddness. "Wait. Someone will be there who I think you want to talk to."

I narrow my eyes on him, willing him to say more.

"Someone very powerful wants what he wants. If he doesn't get it, bad things will start to happen," he warns me, nodding slowly as if to suggest I know what he is referring to. Bad things will not only happen to me, but Thought, which isn't something I'm willing to risk.

"And if I don't go with you, he will kill Thought?" I ask.

"He will kill me," Revel notes grimly.

My jaw clenches as I inwardly curse. I may not trust Revel or like him very much, but I know I don't want anything bad to happen to him...I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone. Knowing all of this, I realise I don't have much of a choice.

"Fine. But if you don't return me when I ask you to, I'm going to get into your head and reveal your darkest secrets to anyone you care about," I growl lowly. He winces at the threat, knowing I won't hesitate to stay true to my word.

Without another word, he grabs a hold of my forearm, and the world around me begins to dissolve.

+    +

We land within the mortal realm in what must be late afternoon, the unfamiliar surroundings bathed in a deep golden blanket of sunlight.

I want to question where we are, having appeared in the secluded alleyway of a bustling town that I've never seen before, but Revel pulls me out from it and into a small town square. In the middle of the cobblestoned area, people mull around, enjoying the setting sunlight, unbothered by us. This town is awfully well-manicured, which gives me the feeling we are in the Harmony Pack - one of the thirteen Packs here in the mortal realm.

Revel leads me into a coffee shop, my gaze falling upon a figure lounging back in a cushioned booth, looking at me. "Stace?"

"You look surprised to see me," he mutters, motioning for us both to sit down. I do so uneasily, looking around at all the other patrons, who don't seem to mind that we are here, although some gazes linger on Stace and his strange appearance. "Did Revel here not inform you of who you were coming to meet?"

Revel exchanges a wary glance with me. "I didn't think she would want to come if she knew."

"Luella doesn't have any reason to fear me, like you do, Revel," Stace murmurs, fingertip brushing along the rim of the teacup in front of him. "Her and I have an understanding."

The last person I suspected to be here was Stace...He had made it clear to me that he wasn't going to kill death for his mates sake, so I no longer considered him to be a threat. Yet here he is, sitting in front of me like he has something against me. Revel is clearly frightened, tense as he watches Stace with a careful eye, knowing Stace wants his entire species dead.

"We don't have anything," I growl lowly under my breath. I look at Revel, narrowing my eyes upon him. "I thought you said you would do anything to avoid Stace?"

"I said I would choose the winning team," he hisses in response.

Stace is watching me intently when I turn back to look at him, dark eyes gleaming between stray locks of his dark hair. "Why the public setting?"

"I thought it would make you feel more comfortable," he replies, shrugging casually. It does, knowing he isn't going to do anything here, with all these people around. It gives me a chance to get away if I need to, but Stace bringing me here means he doesn't suspect I will have any desire to.

"What do you want with me?" I ask, almost breathlessly.

"There is a deal I would like to offer you. One that guarantees the safety of all you care about," he offers, motioning around himself like he is some kind of benevolent ruler who can cast goodness upon everyone. The way people regard him with kind, curious eyes here gives me the sense that even in the mortal realm, he is well liked...How much of a grip does he have in this realm, and maybe even in the immortal realm?

I shift, hesitant yet curious. "Go on."

"I need you to do something for me, regarding your powers. If you do so, I will not kill Death for her part in killing my people," he comments leisurely, looking unbothered by what he is proposing, the world he is willing to tear apart by killing such an integral part of magical system...A Sin would be bad to lose, but not detrimental; they could be replaced.

"Why should I care about what you do to Death?" I say nonchalantly, trying to approach this unbothered, hoping for a chance to convince him out of making such a dire mistake. "I'm more interested in Thoughts safety."

"You made it clear to me you fear the effects of what the pure-bloods death may entail for the rest of this world I care nothing about," he purrs, a sick, predatory smile crossing his features, making my stomach turn uneasily. "Subsequently, Thought will be safe."

"And risk ruining your mate's life?" I question, remembering his one weakness that overrides even his darkest desires for revenge.

His smile falters, a darkness passing over his already shallow, ebony eyes. I shiver at the way he looks at me, wondering if I'm going to regret bringing up something so sensitive to him. He doesn't like knowing I know his weakness, and now Revel does to, who sits silently beside me still, watching the discussion go on.

"It would not pain me to remove her from this hopeless world and bring her to my realm. I'm simply choosing not to for her sake," he tells me slowly, deliberately. "This will be the last time you mention my mate. Understand?"

My throat goes dry, the firmness to his tone making me realise there's little I can do to refute him. I'm going to have to do whatever this is for him or risk losing my mate forever.

"Fine. What do you need me to do?" I practically whisper. He smiles.

💙••💙

Hey guys! If you're enjoying the story, you can head over to RADISH and read THOUGHT ahead of Wattpad!

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I've officially released Stace's own story on Wattpad now. It's called KISSING DANGER. Check it out!!

~Midika 🐼💜