The Pure-Hearted Princess and the Kiss of Darkness
Chapter 49

- ENRIQUE ~

After giving my orders, most of the pack disperses, and I order Carlos the fool to overlook a few of the staff. I asked to pack up mine and Kataleya's stuff, mainly essentials for me. It's not necessary but... It's easier for two people to move than everyone else. "Enrique, do you need to do this? This is your home," Jose asks quietly.

"You should be happy I won't be in your hair constantly, cabrón." I frown and hold my hand out. "Knife."

He looks confused for a second, but instantly takes out his pocket knife and hands it to me.

"If only you always just listened." I mutter, slicing into my hand, "Hand."

He silently holds it out, and I slice his. "I, Alpha Enrique Ignacio Escarra, hereby make you, Jose Moreno, the Beta of the Fuego De Ceniza pack." I grip his hand, our blood mixing, and I feel the shift as he comes back into rank. "Don't fuck it up this time," I say, turning my back on him.

"Enrique..." The moron really doesn't get it. I frown at him and he smirks slightly. "I won't disappoint you, I don't know why you suddenly changed your mind about making me your beta, but I won't deny that it worries me." "Just... if I'm not around, you become Alpha." I say, not meeting his eye.

His heartbeat quickens, and he places a hand on my shoulder. 'Enrique, what did you do?'

Our eyes meet and I shake my head. "Nothing. I'm going to go see where I'm moving to." I say, stepping away from him.

"Enrique, can you just try to let me in? Trust us and don't hide things from us."

"Take your own advice, Moreno. You're the one who started with the

secrets." I counter icily. I don't know how to feel, the power I accepted... the power I refused to use up until now. I don't even know the full extent of it. Locking that thought away with the rest of my parents' remaining memories. But... What if there's still some out there... what if they come back?

"If I've hidden anything from you, it's because I f*****g love you," Jose says sharply.

"I never thought I'd walk in on this kind of confession. Looks like there's now a third person to fight for the esteemed Alpha's heart. If he has one." Marie's whisper reaches my ear loud and clear, although she is whispering to Kataleya. I can see them from the corner of my eye as they come into view.

"Jose, get Señorita Perez to her room unless she wants to return to the dungeons," I say, not bothering to look at her.

"Yes, Alpha." He sighs in defeat.

"You need not. I know the way. Thank you very much," Marie says curtly." Goodnight Princesa, Alpha Enrique."

I give her a brisk nod, wondering what they talked about. Although I've explained it to her, I knew Kataleya would not rest until she had talked to her. I just hope Marie does not force her to push me further away or I won't hesitate to unleash my wrath on both and her pathetic padre.

"Goodnight, Marie," Kataleya replies softly. She remains in her spot and I'm glad that she hasn't at least run off already. It's now just me and her once again. "Oh, the box!" she says, suddenly scanning the ground.

I turn as she runs to the box that contains the prosthetic. There's a sadness in her eyes as she examines it. It's dirty, and it doesn't look as sleek as it did when I first saw it, but in all fairness, I'm impressed it hasn't fallen apart. "This poor box has been thrown around so many times..."

"Like an unwanted gift just lying around. Take the hint, I don't want it." I say harshly, about to turn away when she speaks.

"Mm... I understand... could you please try it on? Just once?" she asks hopefully. "Please."

I glance down at her as she opens the box and lifts the sleek white prosthetic from the box as if it were a child she treasures. You don't need to be a genius to see how much she has put into this prosthetic. Something I still can't get my head around as to why. Sure, she's told me why, doesn't fucking mean it makes any sense.

We're both silent as she simply gazes at the white and silver prosthetic. The hand looks far more real than any of mine, right down to the dips and grooves that are shaped into a strong male hand. It would look as close as one could ever dream of to a real hand yet retains its sleek mechanical aesthetic.

In a few places thin silver strips run through it, barely 4mm wide, which only adds to the streamlined finish of the design. From the end, there are a few wires that I'm assuming will need to be put inside of me. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but in all, it's something worth a fortune.

"Please?" She repeats gently. When she looks up at me, there's a bruise on her cheek which is still there, and a few bumps and bruises cover her neck and arms, she looks almost pitiful and I'm struggling to fucking deny her. What the fuck is this magic she possesses? 3

I shouldn't fall for such ridiculous looks. At the moment that she was at her weakest, I had broken an oath to protect her. I could have let it go. Could have done nothing and let her die.

After all, I am after revenge.

That's what I wanted, right?

Her death would have been the perfect revenge for him, the Lycan.

I close the gap between us and crouch down beside her.

Not answering her request, I reach out to it. "What makes it so different?" I ask, touching a finger.

It's a nice matt white, and although I know it's metal, it feels.. softer, I'm not even sure that's the right word.

What is this?

"Aside from how good the form is?" she asks proudly. "It can change into several weapons. It includes built-in weapons, like a small knife, dagger, lock pickers, a laser-"

"What for? Is this a prosthetic for a wolf shifter or for a government special agent? I am no spy."

She smiles vibrantly at that, clearly amused by my words. I prefer her smiling than in tears...

I look away, swiftly squashing that thought. "You never know when something might be useful, but as I have said, not only is it indestructible, but it can transform into a wolf paw." "Impressive," I admit. "If it works."

"This is the field I want to go into, there are many wolves who lose limbs in battle, and I want to be able to help them, I want to make the best bionic engineered limbs for our people so they can continue to live their life to the fullest."

"Then stop wasting your time here and go do that," I say quietly as the leaves in the trees rustle as a soft wind blows.

"Maybe one day, if everything works out..." Her smile becomes almost sad before she shakes it off and brushes her long hair back. "So will you try it? Please?"

I'm not sure if it was the release of that pent-up emotion or what, but I feel calmer... and I replace myself holding my arm out to her.

"Just this once."

"Thank you!" she exclaims, getting onto her knees and for a moment it's as if she's about to hug me before she sits back and blushes. "You know you can even bath with it on, or go underwater... When bathing, to clean your arm, you can open this here, and it will dry and wrap around. I've made sure nothing causes any irritation or discomfort. Comfort is important."

She wraps her hand around my arm and I try not to focus on how her touch feels. I frown slightly, observing her hand, imagining that very hand around my f*****g c**k.

Wait... she called it a stick... My cock is not thin, why would she even say that? My frown deepens as she continues talking, clearly unaware of my annoyance.

"We can even make you skin-coloured coverings, so it looks like your other one if you like, but I think it looks good like this." She rambles on, clearly unable to contain her excitement as she lifts it up, her heart racing as she places the prosthetic over my stump. "Can I make a few small incisions in your forearm for the wires?" she asks worriedly, looking up at me as if certain I'll suddenly change my mind. "What are those for?"

"The power of this beauty is that it's controlled by your mind. This will connect with your central nervous system and the rest is the magic of the mind of a genius." Her eyes shine. "It's meant to work like a real hand, just far stronger and deadlier."

I hesitate for a second, but there's no reason not to. In fact, I'm quite curious to see if this thing really is all she says it is.

"Sure," I say, as she takes out a small white leather pouch from the bottom of the box and begins to create little incisions on certain points of my arm.

"This hand is designed to be worn constantly if you desire, with a system to make sure your arm is kept at a steady cool temperature to avoid any rashes or irritation, but you can remove it. I will show you how. There's also a detailed booklet on how to do so included in the box." She explains as she presses on my arm. I look down at her slender hands and her dainty manicured nails, simply enjoying the feeling of her touch. Her confidence shines through when she talks about this.

What I've done... and why I did what I did - Those are thoughts I will need to face, but not right now. Right now, I think I'll just enjoy the sound of her voice.

I feel the electric zing of the current as the wires seem to come alive under my skin. "Also, no one can hack into this system, not even the two of us who created this. Some sentences are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Narugi.com. Visit Narugi.com to read the complete chapters for free. It is made for you alone. Once it's switched on, only you will have access to its system." She explains as she slips the last wire into position, and I watch as my skin heals over and the hand wraps around my wrist like a snug glove as she presses on a certain part of it. It covers about three inches of my arm, but it feels comfortable and lightweight.

It's indeed impressive.

"We even made it cool! Right here, you can open this hologram screen which becomes a touch screen where you can check what it can do, it also has a built-in phone system, GPS tracking, and maps including satellite view, you can even open a pop-up screen to browse the internet..." with every word she says, her passion only shows more. It's as if she's waited for this moment for years.

Which I guess she has made it clear she has, but seeing it it's almost too intense. It makes me struggle with what I perceive as the truth - that she doesn't fucking care apart from her own selfish reasons.

"Ok, do something." She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear as she looks at me.

I glance down at her waist, which is still bloody, and I reach over, gripping her waist and caressing it. Freezing at how fucking smooth that move was and because I felt it.

I felt it.

The sensation of the fabric against the pads of the prosthetic and the way she felt in my hand.

"It won't be the exact same as a real hand, but you can feel right?" she whispers, her eyes glittering with tears.

"Yeah..." I say quietly as I reach up and brush the pad of my thumb across her cheek.

I can feel. It's not the texture of her skin itself I feel, but the feel of something against my fingertips.

The advancement of this prosthetic is indeed something at a powerful level and even wearing it is extremely comfortable - natural even.

I reach down again, and this time I lift her top to look at her wound. The area around the dressing looks healthy and I drop her top before I look at the hand and slowly place my left hand beside it. To have two hands...

"I can't accept this," I say quietly as I stand up.

"Why not? Please, Enrique, it's the least I can do... you lost your hand because of me-"

"I can't," I say firmly. She takes my hand in hers, the feeling still foreign to me, and takes my other hand in her other hand.

My breath hitches at the foreign sensation of having feeling in not one but two hands. Something that everyone would take for granted... you don't realise what you have unless it's taken from you. "It's yours. I made it for you," she whispers.

"No, you made it for a boy who is dead. I am not him."

"He is right here in front of me."

"I am not him." My eyes flash but she's not having it.

Her eyes glitter under the moonlight that now seeps through the clouds as she speaks, her soft voice carrying on the wind.

"But just like him, once again you saved me. That boy, he's right here, in front of me. Only he is no longer a boy but an Alpha who cares for those around him."