"We have investigated your concern and found out that your suspicion is correct," one of the gentlemen is saying. I wasn't paying attention before, but now I notice that one of the men who came with Olivier is quite old. Older than Antoine. Another gentleman is probably about Antoine's age. "One of the Grimoires is indeed in the possession of an Italian entrepreneur, Mr. Baggio Pappalardo," continues the older man.

"Good job, Angelo," says Sacha, nodding his head. "Pappalardo must have the third or the second Grimoire in his possession."

"What made you suspect that Pappalardo has one of the Grimoires in the first place?" asks Antoine.

"It was just a hunch," replies Sacha. "Danica has brought it to my attention that Astaroth has the fourth Grimoire and is actively seeking the rest of them, including the one in our possession.

"Now, Astaroth isn't going to win the best father of the year award but his offsprings are his valuable assets. It seems to me that Astaroth is determined to hand Danica over to Pappalardo even though the bastard is known for his violent ways with women." The muscles in his jaw tick and he's almost growling through his clenched teeth when he continues, "Astaroth must have known that he won't ever see his daughter alive again once Pappalardo gets his hands on her, yet he is still willing to trade her for something. But for what? Money isn't big enough motivation for him to lose one of his princesses for good, so it has to be something bigger."

"And now we know for sure that something bigger is one of the Grimoires," supplies Antoine, nodding thoughtfully.

"If Pappalardo is willing to part with the Grimoire, then he doesn't know the real value of the book," comments Olivier.

"He's a human. Just another collector of artifacts and relics," Angelo announces. "We need to move the Grimoire in our possession to another location if Astaroth's daughter is now aware that it is kept here. We also need to find a way to get the Grimoire from Pappalardo before it falls into Astaroth's hands."

"That's easy," says the younger man beside Angelo. "Pappalardo is willing to part with the Grimoire in exchange for Danica Saint and we have Danica Saint."

In a blink of an eye, Sacha has the man pinned to the table, face down and arms painfully twisted behind his back. All the other Nephilims in the room clamor to their feet.

"What are you suggesting, Victor?" growls Sacha, pushing his head down on the shiny wooden surface of the table.

Victor winces and grunts. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't really mean it that way..."

Antoine holds his hand up. "Sacha...son," he says in a calm voice.

Sacha's jaw is tight and his nostril flares. He holds the man down for a few more seconds before he abruptly releases him. Then as though nothing happens, he calmly folds his tall figure back on his chair. His expression is cool and unreadable.

Victor stands up and flexes his arms before he straightens his collar and sits down with a scowl on his face.

The other Nephilims find their seats much slower and more warily than the two.

Olivier clears his throat. "Speaking of Astaroth's daughter, the majority of the Seniors and the Advisors are concerned about your intention of choosing her as your life partner."

Sacha's steely gaze flickers to his friend. "As I mentioned before, I don't need anyone's permission in choosing a wife." He sounds calm but the tightness of his jaw indicates that he's trying to contain his fury.

"But your decision will affect us all. If she betrayed us, the consequences are deadly," protests Victor. "An armageddon. The end of the world and humanity as we know it. We can't take that chance."

Angelo nods. "Besides, this is unprecedented. Unheard of. None of your ancestors ever married a half-demon. For centuries, our previous leaders married Nephilims. Your bloodline is pure."

"Pure bloodline? What are we? Racehorses?" scoffs Sacha. "So, what you're saying is that you want me to send her back to Astaroth and pick some Nephilim as a wife?"

The room is uneasily silent for a while before Olivier decided to open his mouth, "My uncle Alain Absil is bringing my cousins from Cape Town to be presented to you. A few other Seniors have also expressed their interest in introducing their daughters to you. I suggest we have a party---"

"No," growls Sacha. "No parties. I've made my decision. I'm not interested in choosing a Nephilim wife."

The other Nephilims don't look too happy and Victor is about to say something when Antoine says, "Gentlemen, if you could give us a minute. I'd like a word with my son in private."

They all nod before leaving the room one by one.

Olivier stands quietly beside Sacha until Victor and Angelo are gone. "I don't agree with your decision to take Astaroth's daughter as your life partner. But no matter what happens, you know I will always have your back."

Sacha nods before Olivier leaves the room.

The father and son watch the door closing behind Olivier before Sacha says, "I will not change my mind."

Antoine sighs, "Sacha." He takes a chair next to his son before he continues, "Senior Benjamin is talking about challenging you."

Sacha raises an eyebrow. "That is absurd. The Gauthiers are the leaders for a reason. I'd be surprised if he'd be able to defeat even Elias or Ronan. He will lose and there will be death. His and his followers."

Antoine nods. "We know that Senior Benjamin has always been ambitious. But I hope it won't come to that. "

"Ambitious, foolish, and delusional," says Sacha. "There will be a bloodbath."

"That's why I think it's imperative for us to hold the event."

"I have chosen, papa. I do not wish to participate in any matchmaking event."

Antoine shakes his head. "Sacha, you know that other Nephilims outside our family don't really believe in the curse.

"Rather than trying to convince them of the curse, I think it's easier for us to let Alain and the other Seniors bring their daughters and nieces to you.

"There's no harm for you to meet them and get to know them. And later on, when or if none of them catches your interest, we could revisit the idea of Danica Saint as your partner. Convince her to prove her loyalty to us by betraying her father like Alistair King and Oviyan Andra did to theirs. I think that would be enough to appease the Seniors."

Sacha's lips thinned into straight lines. "I will not have Danica's life jeopardized in any way."

"But I see no other way," says Antoine. "She is still Astaroth's daughter. If she didn't prove herself, how could others trust her? She could betray us at any moment, Sacha..."

"If that ever happened, it will be on me," snaps Sacha.

I sit up, opening my eyes, gasping. Cutting my connection with Yokai abruptly like that is like snapping off a thread between us without tethering myself to the solid ground. I flop my head back on the pillow, feeling disoriented.

Then I take a deep shuddering breath. It's a lot to take in and Katherine was right. He is sticking his neck out for me.

It's overwhelming, this feeling. I don't know whether to be sad or happy. To laugh or to cry.

All my life, no one had ever stood up for me like that. No one had ever put me first. But I hate that I'm placing him in such a situation.

I lie in the soft bed, just staring into the darkness. My mind is racing with so many thoughts.

I suppose, Katherine knew that Yokai had become my eyes and my ears this evening, particularly during the meeting. I doubt that it would happen without her knowledge or approval.

My mind then goes back to thinking about Sacha and the thought of him continues to dominate my mind until later. Much later when I hear the front door being opened downstairs.

Sacha is back and suddenly I feel alive. He has that effect on me every single time.

My heart starts to beat faster and my stomach flips, desperate to be near him as I listen to his quiet footsteps coming up the stairs. A while later, the door to his suite opens and closes quietly and he steps in.

I hear the soft thud of his shoes hitting the floor then the rustling of the fabric as he peels his shirt and pants off before he steps into the bathroom. When he comes back out, his tousled head of hair, the wide breadth of his shoulders, and the tapered waist are temporarily outlined by the dim bathroom light before he turns it off.

He sighs as he lies down beside me and the bed dips from his weight. The air feels electrified around us.

From under my eyelashes, I see the curve of his broad shoulder gleams in the pale moonlight as he turns his body toward me. "Sweetheart? Are you awake?" he whispers.

I sigh as I lift my face up to his. There's no sense in pretending to be asleep anymore. He's as aware of me as I am of him. "Yes, I'm still awake."

Before I even finish the sentence, his hands come out to snake around me and pull me to him. His arms are tight around me as though he desperately needs to feel me close. He buries his face in the curve of my neck before he inhales deeply.

I do the same as I press my nose and my lips against the warm skin of his chest and wrap my arm around his middle. His scent and his warmth surround me and it feels as though I could breathe for the first time tonight.

We lay like that for a long time. Being with him is the happiest moment of my life. He makes me feel content yet giddily thrilled. But there's also some sadness...

I pull back to look at him and place my palm on his fuzzy cheek. "Sacha?" His eyes are two glittery pools in the moonlight, watching me. He is so gorgeous, it hurts- his face is all sharp planes and angles of high cheekbones, strong browbones and nose, and sharp jaw. "I will never betray you. Not ever."

Wordlessly he covers my hand with his and presses a lingering kiss on my palm. "It's just you and me, princess. As long as we stay true to each other, it's you and me. Always."

"I'll be loyal only to you. Only to you, Sacha, I promise." I won't let anyone or anything come between us.

***************************************

Hello dear readers!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and that you like the new chapter. If you want to read four chapters ahead, go to:

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Much love,

Nicole♥