Chapter 11

*Be careful when you cast out your demons that you don’t throw away the best of yourself.*
*- Friedrich Nietzsche*

Doctor McKinley’s words stuck with Thalia like a bad memory well after her appointment was done. She had remained preoccupied and lost in thought for the rest of the day, too stunned to think clearly. The past few months had been crazy and Thalia was starting to wonder if it was her that was going mad and hallucinating after years of abuse or if this was all real and she was pregnant with a demon’s baby.

“Thalia?” Dante’s deep voice cut into the maelstrom of thoughts going through Thalia’s mind. “Is everything okay?”

“Hm?” She glanced up in a daze, taking in her surroundings as her espresso brown eyes cleared. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

She had been on autopilot when Ms Thorton had come to collect her for her dinner date with Dante. This time she found herself in a white maxi dress with spaghetti straps and a grecian cut. She had gone braless because the dress didn’t allow for it but also, her swelling breasts were too tender to be enclosed in that much fabric. Her hair was loose so she gratefully used it like a chocolate coloured curtain to hide her features and the flush of embarrassment tinting her cheeks pink.

“And what were you thinking about?” Dante asked, his large hand exclosing around Thalia’s much smaller one, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over her pulse.

Thalia hesitated in answering. If Dante was a demon then he would be able to kill her without even breaking a sweat and yet, Dante really had been nothing but a gentleman even if he had somehow coerced her into falling pregnant. In the end, Thalia felt she deserved some answers from Dante. She was carrying his child after all.

“Did you have Ms Thorton drug me on the night I was impregnated?” She finally asked, her gaze remaining steadily on Dante, watching for any reaction and yet found herself surprised that he didn’t seem the slightest bit caught off guard.

“No.” He smiled warmly.

“Then what was it? Because I know either she or you did something to me.” Thalia carried on and yet her heart was thundering like a jack rabbit.

“The power of persuasion.” Dante replied simply. “Ms Thorton simply gave you something that opened your mind up to being persuaded more easily. It does however, come with some side effects such as lapse in memory or feeling out of control.”

“That sounds like drugging, Mr Connaught.” Thalia frowned, her skin prickling as hurt sliced through her. “Why did you do it? Why not just ask me outright and let me make the decision for myself.”

“Technically you did, Thalia.” Dante countered. “I can’t make you agree to something you don’t want to but I can tip the scales in my favour slightly by planting the seed and help nurture it until it becomes a fully fledged thought.”

“So what you are saying is that even if I didn’t agree immediately, I would have agreed eventually?” Thalia wasn’t sure if she believed that but she figured she would never know.

“Most likely, yes.” Dante’s blue eyes watched Thalia and for a moment she was sure she saw some storm of emotion in those glacial blue eyes that she couldn’t pick apart. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to slowly nurture the idea as I would have liked so I had to resort to slightly more drastic measures.”

Thalia leaned back in her seat, her hands slipping out from under Dante’s and she was silently grateful that he didn’t try to stop her. She needed a clear head and the way his hands on her fogged her mind so easily wouldn’t help right now.

“What are you?” She finally asked, staring Dante in the eye. She was careful not to mention she already knew. She needed Dante to confirm it for her so she knew that this wasn’t someone stirring trouble.

Unsurprisingly, Dante didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he took a deep but measured breath as he leaned back in his own seat. The hand that had been holding Thalia’s just a moment ago was now gently cradling a wine glass, blue eyes watching the crystalline light yellow wine glimmering in the soft light.

“Something tells me you already know what I am.” Dante replied quietly, a wistful look crossing his features. "I had hoped to keep it from you and the other girls so not to scare any of you. I am aware of what reputation my kind has even if people think they are talking about fictional creatures."

Thalia felt her heart sink. Some part of her had hoped that Dante would deny he was a demon and explain himself as something else, something not so inherently evil. That sliver of hope hadn't been for herself though. It has been for the life growing inside her womb. She had hoped her unborn child wouldn't share the same DNA as a demon but that hope was now dashed.

"I think I'd like to return to my room now." Thalia whispered, her throat right with emotion, preventing her from speaking any louder.

She snatched her napkin from her lap and dumped it on the table, pushing her chair back. She needed to be alone, to process all of this. If what doctor McKinley had said about Dante was true then did that mean the rest of what he said was true? Did Dante plan to never let them go? Were their children really being used as soldiers in an army? And if so, what would that army be used for?

"Thalia…"

The heat of Dante's hand on her wrist made Thalia gasp. Coupled with the desperation in Dante's raspy voice, Thalia was frozen to the spot, unable to move as the tall man stood, moving close to her. His hands moved to cup her face, his blue eyes mirroring the desperation that had been in his voice as he studied Thalia's face, taking in her Grecian features and the depths of her eyes.

"Please, I know you're upset but don't push me away." He murmured. "I know I shouldn't have hidden who I am from you or made you feel like I tricked you into carrying my child. You have to understand, this was meant to be a business transaction. I know this might not make me any better than the men before me but I would never hurt you or the other girls."

Thalia stared up at Dante, unsure what to say. Part of her was screaming at her to run as far away as possible from this man and yet another part was yielding to his gentleness. How long had it been since someone touched her so tenderly? When was the last time someone had looked at her with any kind of affection?

"Please stay the night." Dante finally spoke, his eyes dropping to Thalia's full lips. "I know you are upset with me but the truth is, I'm falling for you and I was trying to protect you. I want you to stay. Let me make it up to you. I know you feel betrayed so please let me earn your trust again."

The small voice inside of Thalia was still telling her to run but the moment she looked into the man's eyes again, that instinct was drowned out by something else. A wave of emotion rolled through her like warm waters, swelling under the hot gaze of the Adonis-like man before her. She couldn't say she was falling for Dante but her body craved a connection more basal and carnal.

Dante's handsome features broke into a smile the moment Thalia softly nodded her head. As if swept up in his relief, Dante's lips crashed into Thalia's, kissing her deeply, his hands tangling into her hair as he cradled the back of Thalia's head. The young brunette found herself caught off guard by the physical display of emotion but melted into the giant male's embrace, kissing him back hesitantly. She hadn't expected this evening to go this way and she was still uncertain of many things but everytime she tried to linger on them, her mind seemed to grow hazy.

"Thank you." Dante breathed once he broke the kiss, his lips pressing open mouth kisses to Thalia's jaw and then neck as he spoke. "Thank you. Thank you…"

The sharp nip to her pulse had Thalia gasp and her head fell back to expose more of her skin to Dante's seemingly hungry mouth. She felt the thin straps of her dress being pushed down her arms, the weight of the dress pulling itself down so the soft white fabric slid over her golden skin, falling away from her breasts. Thalia sobered for a moment when she realised the dress now lay pooled around her ankles on the carpeted floor. Thalia wondered when the cool breeze teasing her nipples into hardness was coming from until she realised it was Dante blowing over them, his pupils blown with lust and desire. His gaze held Thalia's as his mouth lowered to her pert right nipple, sucking it into his mouth for his tongue and teeth to tease.

Thalia was at a loss. She wasn't sure if she was okay with this and yet the feel of Dante's skin on her own had the fire of desire licking over every inch of her until she wanted more. So despite her mind being torn in so many directions, her body was craving more of that hot mouth on her skin and those hands grabbed her ass, squeezing those round globes, fingers digging into the flesh greedily. A breathy moan left Thalia as Dante attacked her other nipple, his teeth scraping the sensitive nub.

"Those sounds you make…" Dante groaned as he straightened. "You have no idea what they do to me."

Yet Thalia did know. She felt it the moment Dante lifted her up, forcing her to wrap her naked legs around his waist. His desire was basically poking her through the fabric of his trousers. It sent a fresh flurry of lust through her veins, pooling like liquid heat in her core. Thalia had never been with a man before, until tonight she hadn't so much as kissed on and yet now she was practically naked in front of one and letting him gorge on her skin causing an aching desire to throb in her womanhood.

It was all moving so quickly and yet she found herself unable to protest as Thalia landed on the bed with a soft oomphf. Dante was on her immediately, his eyes flashing hungrily while his large hands roamed over the she-wolf's heated skin.

"You are truly beautiful." He whispered mostly to himself. "I have never wanted someone like I want you right now and I intend to show you just now how much I want you."

With every word those hands dipped lower on Thalia's trembling body only for her underwear to be pulled away and Dante's face to dip greedily between Thalia's legs.

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A/N: Hi, all. I've made the decision to edit this story and move some chapters around. Instead of having two chapters on Kade randoming in the middle of this story, I've moved them back. Instead, please find two new chapter to make up for the confusion!