Chapter 79: Should I Let go? *
Kai fell silent, but Ren’s heart thudded urgently with the need to know. Perhaps, if she understood the nature of his dreadful pact, she’d find a way to break them free from its claw.
"What was the deal?" she pressed softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He demanded I become like the others, heartless, obedient, and cold. I refused. He was going to abuse Shadow again if I did and I would have become his pet." His voice darkened, laced with defiance and pain. "To punish my rebellion, he branded Shadow with a cursed crest. If I ever fell deeply in love or found my fated mate and claimed my lover fully, the crest would shatter, and in that moment of ultimate pleasure, it would ignite and consume my beloved. He wants me to taste the agony of true death."
Ren’s breath caught sharply. True death is the death of the soul. She had never been religious, hardly even believed in those seven distant gods reigning over each realm in the heavens. But she’d read of the soul’s demise—the cruel fate that reduced beings completely to demons.
Her heart twisted fiercely, an ache so profound she couldn’t stop herself from wanting to comfort him, to wrap him in her embrace and soothe away his torment.
"Can we kiss or hold each other, at least?" Her voice trembled softly, yearning and cautious at once, very innocent.
Kai nodded gently against her neck. Encouraged, Ren shifted, turning in his embrace to face him. She cupped his face tenderly, gazing into his captivating eyes, her touch gentle yet firm, igniting tons of desires within him. "Then that’s enough for now, until we find a way to break that curse."
Even if I have to confront your father myself, she silently vowed. This punishment—this twisted cruelty—was unjust. The Demon God should not torment his son because he’d failed to protect his own lover from his jealous offspring. His failure belonged solely to him, not to Kai or others.
She tilted her head, capturing his lips the instant a seductive, unexpected smile graced his mouth. Kai froze, momentarily stunned—he’d expected her fear, even rejection, after laying his soul bare. Yet here she was, kissing him with fierce tenderness, pouring her entire heart into the embrace. A powerful growl rumbled from deep within his chest as his arms tightened possessively around her waist, pulling her flush against him until her legs parted, dressing instinctively around his hips. His mouth claimed hers ravenously, hungry and insatiable.