Entering the city

Ashlyn's POV

The next morning was extremely cold and despite shutting the windows, the wind still found a way to seep through due to the rain that fell last night.
The cold outside formed a mist frost on the windowpane and I could remember drawing a happy family on it back in Edinburgh and then tiny droplets from the frost would ruin either the face of the children or the parents.

I had always drawn a happy family back home. I even painted a few but my father called it a waste of time since I was doing it with normal paint, unlike Otis.
Otis could paint too but he made use of human blood. They always turned out incredible but the stench was always there.

"Milady, it's time to dress," Roselia said walking into my room along with Catriona.
Immediately I saw her, I wanted to speak with her but I did not know if it was right to speak to her in the presence of Roselia.
Roselia had been here earlier this morning to fix up my hair and while waiting for her, I had gone to stare out the window and had delved into the past again.

"Milady," Catriona said as she curtsied with a bright smile on her face.
"How did you sleep, Catriona?" I asked her.
"As peaceful as a newborn." She said gracefully.
There was not the slightest trace of bitterness or anger in her voice. Does she still believe I do not know the dungeon is her abode?

I wondered why she was not showing any sign of complaint unlike me. Then it occurred to me that complaining in the Nightwing pack house was like jumping from frying pan to fire.
I've had my own share of suffering for it too.
Roselia laid out the dress on the bed and Catriona came closer, tightening up the corset Roselia forced on me.

I really did not need it. It was suffocating.
To make your waist smaller than before, Roselia had said.
I groaned as I suck in air. Roselia came closer with the dress and I stepped into it. My arms stretched out wide as she knotted in the ropes of the bodice behind my back.
The dress was exceptionally beautiful. A rusty pink color carved out like a ball gown. It was a silky dress having a flirty silhouette with strings of pearls at each end of the long-sleeved wrists.

Up on it was like a net lacy shawl wrapped around my shoulders with tiny pearls embedded in it. It was all part of the design and it came to a close stop on my chest, forming a bowtie along with the multiple strings of pearls roping it together.
"Oh my milady, you look exceptional!" Roselia exclaimed.
"Prettier than the nymphs in the sea!" Catriona exclaimed too.
I rolled my eyes. They were exaggerating and I knew it.

I turned around to look at the mirror and I saw a different person still with the name Ashlyn.
Red pouting lips and uplifted carved brows.
My chestnut hair has been rolled into a fit of curls, knotted above my head with pins stuck in them.

I sighed heavily. Despite having a pale complexion, I could say, I look quite gorgeous.
"Fan?" Catriona asked as she extended a woven fabric hand fan to me.
"It's cold outside damnit, if I may ask, what do I need a fan for?" I asked narrowing my eyes.
"The lady of France and countesses of Scotland do always have a fan up to their faces when leaving their homeland." She said.
Bloody hell. My mother never held a fan while leaving Royal mile.

I scoffed at the thought as a sudden smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. Guess she did not know how to be a royal as she had thought.
"What's funny milady?" Roselia asked.
"Oh, nothing," I said, the smirk refusing to leave my face.
I slipped into the footwear in front of me and turned to them. "Shall we?" I asked.
Catriona went to the door and opened it. "After you milady." She said smiling and I chuckled and walked out of the room with the fan in front of my face, only revealing my eyes.

I walked down the stairs and saw Lucifer, Ripper, Rage, Stealth, Kill, and a few other people which I assumed to be his men standing right in the living room discussing, and their discussion halted the moment I walked down the stairs.

Jaws dropped. Mouths opened in awe. A surprise was evident on their faces as they all stared at me speechlessly.
I fought against looking over at Lucifer and when I did, he was staring right at me. His gaze focused on me without blinking. I could not tell his expression. I could not tell what he was thinking. I could read nothing from his facial expression. His eyes seemed blank but yet they were on me, traveling down my body before holding mine in a fixed gaze and I felt something raw and elemental pass through me, like a wave of electric shock. A feeling I could not explain.


Lucifer's POV

May my sight be stricken not to gaze upon this beauty that walked gracefully down the stairs.
She was elegant. Sophisticated. Glamorous. Exquisite.
She was not having the feebleness of Ashlyn nor the clumsy look I'd subjected her to. This before me was the queen goddess of beauty looking fair and untouched.

I did not expect her to turn out this way. I knew she would look good but not this..not so.. Breathtaking!

She walked towards me with a manner of grace, each step she took, a tormenting draw to my very soul.
I was not the only one affected by this transformation, even my comrades could not keep their mouths closed.

Ashlyn has left me stoned. I was stoned to the point of never getting this image out of my head.
Steel could not also deny the fact that she was exquisitely lovely as he whistled.
"We've got a good catch Helldog!" He exclaimed with a pleasant grin.
Ashlyn cleared her throat. "If you're all done staring shall we proceed to the task beforehand?" She said. Her voice penetrated my dumbstruck state. Such an effect she had!
"Inna minute vampire. Let me savor this moment, for I shall never be able to gaze upon such a beauty like this again." Rage said and that was a compliment and I wasn't about to let her know that we were all affected by her and I growled at Rage for even being affected by her.

No one was to have their eyes intensely on her except me.
He backed off chuckling. "No need to get all grouchy at me Lucifer. I'm never going to fetch in your marked zone." He said and I frowned at him.
I straightened up. "We have a mission today not a siesta discussing how pretty a lady knows when it's all makeups plastered all over her face looking like a hyena," I said and stared at her.
She suppressed a gasp and looked away.

I hurt her feelings. Good for her.
"Shall we?" I asked her in a mocking bow.
She squared her shoulders. "Yes, we shall." She said walking out of the house with all of us right behind her and I forced myself to look away from her swaying hips.
"Oh, my," She exclaimed softly as she stared at the truck in front of her.
"This like the Trojan horse I believe." She said in surprise.
I smirked. "It's time to get in mates," I said to my men behind me.

I watched Ashlyn being led away into the carriage as a young male member of the pack took over the reins of the horse.
I believed he won't be detected on time by the warlords.
We mounted into the truck, twenty of us cramped tightly together with barely any room to breathe as a cover was spread over us.
"Why are we just twenty?" Stealth asked.
"There's no need to ask that. I'm very much glad the number has been cut down. I would have died, not by the blade of a bloody warlord but from suffocation." Rage spat in anger.
I chuckled. "There has only been a change of plans comrades. Buckle up, we're in for a long and bumpy ride." I said to them.

The other pack members began to fill the truck with gold.
"Real gold?! Today's surely my death day!" Rage whined.
"Quit whining like a child, Rage. Sometimes you act the opposite of your name." Kill said in anger.
"Plastic coins and gold will be filled in the beginning till it gets to the middle before the real gold comes in. We do not want Cromwell, the wacky warlord king to be suspicious." I explained. I was also losing my temper.
We've talked about this. What was the need of explaining again?

The truck was filled to the brim and I could hear the sound of it moving. We were on the go. I heard the neighs of the horses and I immediately started having multiple doubts about Ashlyn.
Why did I trust her alone with young Tim? What if she subdues him and then takes off? I groaned. I tried to calm down my nerves but I knew I won't be truly calm except I knew what was going on out there.