Every fiber of Jason's soul screamed out in protest. He had to resist the temptation. No matter how badly he wanted to laugh, he couldn't. Even for a guy, Jason wanted to keep his bitchy face on while staring at his father's sullen face. In mere seconds, his father had aged ten years. The former Alpha sat beside his silent mate, staring out into the void. No doubt, contemplating the pros and cons of Jason being the king's mate.

Jason sat beside his partner, leaning against the couch's armrest with his hand pressed onto his chin. He watched as his idiotic brother paced around the pack house's living room. Quinton had a scowl hammered into his obnoxious face. As usual, Darren sat beside Ishmael while Astrid sat on her own, playing with the zipper on her leather jumpsuit. The three morons opposite of her sat drooling over her. With a grin on her face, she intentionally unzipped the zipper, exposing her cleavage for the world to see. What a tease...

Jason's eyes fell on his mother. Her once elegant façade crumbled to dust the moment her eyes fell on him. As much as he hated to admit it, he loved his mother. She kept her eyes on the crumbled tissue paper in her hand while playing with the dog tags. Goddess! Why did she make it so hard for him to hate her?

"She's your mother, idiot," Cyron chirped in. "No matter what she had done, the bond between you can never be severed."

"So what? You want me to forgive her?" Jason grumbled internally. He wanted to make her suffer as much as he had suffered.

"Who's the demon here? Me or you? Having me as your hellhound doesn't make you a demon. You have a heart, so use it. You don't have to forgive her now, but let her work for your forgiveness."

Trying to shake Cyron's words off, Jason glanced over to where Mallory had disappeared to. Once Killian had dropped the bomb on Jason's family, they entered the pack house in silence. Once inside, Jason asked Quinton why they imprisoned Mallory's father. Quinton tried to ignore Jason's request, but Killian forced him to spill the beans.

It turned out that Mallory's father had questioned Quinton's leadership after several dozen members protested the validity of Lexi and Quinton's mating bond. The pack knew they weren't fated mates, and when the truth came to light, they weren't pleased, to say the least. However, as usual, the arrogant bastard banished those who criticized him and then turned against the former Beta. Quinton imprisoned Mallory's father after accusing the beta of violating his oath. To make matters worse, their father did nothing to stop his lunatic son.

So much for loyalty...

Jason wanted to kill his brother. Nothing would have brought him such pleasure to see his older brother's heart beating in the palm of his hand, but Jason held onto his sanity. The Goddess would have her say in the end. If Quinton didn't die in the coming battle, he would face the music when he drew his final breath one day.

"I'll get us front row seats when the Moon Goddess claims his soul and banishes him to the pits of Tartarus," Cyron snickered.

Jason grinned, "Can't wait."

Before the silence became too awkward, Mallory's voice pierced the room. Jason rose from his seat. Moments later, his best friend and her battered father stumbled into the room. They had reduced the once proud Beta to a groaning mess. His body was littered with cuts and bruises from the torture he received. Mallory's father staggered into the room with the aid of his daughter while he held his broken left hand close to his heart.

A roar from the underworld shook the pack house, causing the pack members who peaked into the living room through the front windows to flee for cover. The windows rattled to a stop before a deathly silence rained down upon the room once again.

Jason stalked forward, eyes blazing red. His brother flinched, but before the sap could move out of Jason's way, Jason whipped his horned tail and slammed Quinton into the nearest wall. A painting overhead slammed into the Alpha's head and then crashed to the floor next to him. Quinton howled out in agony. A large wound decorated his chest, spilling blood like a faucet. Their father tried to flee to Quinton's side, but found Jason's fist instead. With a sickening crunch and shattering glass, the former Alpha flew through the front windows of the pack house, landing face first in the snow. Jason's mother shrieked as she ran to her mate's side.

Jason had no remorse in his heart as he made his way toward the battered beta.

Even after Jason went to town on his brother and father, Killian did not once reprimand Jason for his outburst. He stayed quiet. For that, Jason was grateful. No amount of persuasion would have worked on him.

Out of left field, an annoying shriek drew Jason's attention. Lexi waddled into the living room, her belly filled with pups. Two, to be exact. She ran to her mate's side as quickly as her pregnant belly allowed her. Lexi's violet sundress twirled behind her. As she reached Quinton, she kneeled beside him, using the wall to aid her in her struggle.

The deep gash across Quinton's chest refused to stop bleeding. His blood pooled around him, soaking into the hideous peach colored carpet. For the first time, Jason paid attention to the interior of the living room. It had been redone. The leather couches were replaced by Victorian couches upholstered in velvet. The same color as the floor, but with added floral patterns. Hades, the living room looked as if an old lady had run wild in it. It was definitely not his mother's style. Lexi must have done it. Good Goddess...

"What have you done to my mate?" Lexi screeched, her blue eyes flashed gold for a second.

Jason smirked and replied, "Took him down a notch." He looked at his brother without a hint of regret in his eyes. "You should get that checked out before you bleed to death, dear brother. Your werewolf healing isn't going to work on that scar."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Demon venom prevents healing. My dear brother will have a pretty scar on his chest as a reminder of what happens when he treats his fellow pack mates like shit."

Lexi's blue eyes hardened. "You're a monster!" Jason scoffed at her words. The only monsters present were the two fools who tortured a man who served the pack loyally for years.

Jason couldn't help but smirk. "Are you going to continue flapping your gums off, or are you going to save your mate from bleeding out?"

Lexi's eye clouded over for a few seconds before she started ripping up her sundress and applied the ripped up fabric to Quinton's injury. Jason turned away from the pregnant Luna and walked up to the former Beta.

The old man looked like a battered training dummy. A few locks of the beta's greasy brown hair covered one of his sullen brown eyes. Pain and exhaustion shone through them. Even though Mallory's father had been through hell and back, they couldn't break him. An aura of defiance rippled through his battered body, shading his aura in a hue of vibrant gold.

Jason slowly brought his hand up to the beta's chest, pressing his palm gently against the old man's flesh. Calling on Cyron, Jason poured his demonic energy into the beta's body. Before their eyes, the beta's body began healing. Open wounds and broken bones started mending. Old torture scars faded to nothing until Mallory's was left blemish free, except for the dirt and grime that littered his body.

Mr. Skinner's eyes widened as he flexed his once broken left arm. "How?" the old man asked.

Jason patted him on the shoulder and said, "That's demonic regeneration for you."

Mallory rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Jason. "Show off..." She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you so much, Jason. You're the best friend a girl could have asked for."

Mr. Skinner nodded in agreement. "Like my daughter said, thank you. I apologize for judging you like the rest. I can see now that my loyalties have been misplaced."

The former beta's eyes glared daggers at Jason's father as he re-entered the pack house, being assisted by the former Luna. Jason had shattered his old man's jaw. It hung lopsided while drool ran down the previous Alpha's chin.

"Ouch! That must have stung," Astrid sang out, causing Darren to snicker at the expense of the humiliated wolf.

The old fool glared at Jason as he plopped down on the chair. The alpha groaned as he touched his chin. Jason was glad his father couldn't talk; he had enough of his father's incessant whining. A frosty breeze whipped into the living room, cooling down the heated glaring contest. However, it was the arrival of another that broke it off.

Amina Mac Naire.

The witch stood at the dungeon entrance, wiping blood off her hands with a rag. She wore the same gaudy outfit she usually wore, a black, Victorian choker dress. She was so focused on cleaning her hands that she missed the tension in the air. Only when Jason growled did her head snap up. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

"How?" Amina whispered to herself, but everyone heard her.

The natural light in the room dimmed as Jason released his aura. Miasma leaked out of his clawed hands and dropped onto the carpet. The three stooges who stood next to their alpha yelped and retreated when the black ooze reached their feet.

"Jason... calm down, love," Killian said, trying to pull Jason out of his murderous tirade. "Don't lose yourself in your hate—"

Jason roared, causing everyone to flinch. Cyron joined the party, talking with Jason. "Don't." He turned his attention back toward his victim. He stalked over to her. "Surprised to see me, Amina? You thought that your ritual had already ended my life, did you?"

Amina shook her head as she backed away from Jason. "I don't know what you're talking about." Lies slipped from her tongue.

Jason darted forward. Before the witch could react, Jason had her by the neck. He slammed her into a wall, causing her to yell out. Fear filled her soulless black eyes as she stared into his red eyes. Amina grabbed onto Jason's arm, trying to dislodge his death grip, but to no avail. The miasma in his hand slowly seeped into her neck, turning her skin black.

In a desperate attempt to protect herself, Amina pointed her hand towards Jason's chest and wheezed out, "Repellas inimicum meum!" Her eyes widened when nothing happened.

Jason's laughter ripped through the pack house. "What? You really thought that I'd allow you to use your magic against me again?" Amina's eyes bulged out of her skull as Jason tightened his grip.

The witch flailed about, hitting Jason on the chest while she fought for her life. Her face turned purple.

"Jason enough!" Killian yelled out. "You're killing her!"

Jason released his grip slightly, allowing her to breathe. Amina gasped, coughing feebly as her eyes teared up. "P-Please... No more."

Jason hissed and then breathed black smoke into her face. He resisted the urge to burn her face off. "And why should I? I was in the same position as you are and you didn't give a fuck."

"Please..."

"Not going to happen," Jason replied with a devilish grin. "You deserve no mercy for what you did to Oz. The only thing you didn't anticipate was me surviving your sick ritual."

"What are you talking about, Jason?" Ismael asked as he walked up to Jason. The warlock kept out of reach, though.

"I was never meant to survive the sundering. Selena told me once when she had me tied up in her lab that Alaric had tried many times to create a vessel for the demon he had on ice. Their unwilling victims died during the same ritual Amina used on me. Those who survived quickly crumbled apart before Alaric could take them to the demon's lair." Jason turned to Ishmael. "So you see, Ish. This bitch must have known I would die, but she didn't care."

Amina swallowed deeply before replying, "I didn't know."

Jason squeezed her throat again, cutting off her words. "Don't lie to me." He brought his face closer to hers. The red hue shining off his eyes lit up her face. "I can smell your bullshit from a mile away. So tell me, witch. Did my father know about what would happen to me, or did you keep that particular piece of information quiet?"

Jason then loosened his grip on her throat, allowing her to speak again. "You're mistaken. I didn't know it would happen, I swear."

In an instant, Jason lost his cool. All of his hatred toward Amina pushed him over the edge. He loosened his grip on the witch. However, just as her knees gave out from underneath her, he twisted around. His tail whipped in a wide arc, cutting her throat open. A trail of blood splattered against the wall, covering the painting of his father. Amina crumbled to the floor, clutching her throat. Lines of blood slipped through her fingers, dropping to the carpet. Her gurgling and sputtering cries for help grew louder. But no help came. Blood poured out of her mouth, drenching her dress and pooling around her body.

In the deadly silent room, Amina's horror-filled eyes rolled over before she fell forward toward the ground. The echoes of her dying heart slowly trickled to a stop until she gasped out her last breath.

Amina, the bitch, was dead.