Zack stormed down the hallway, his boots striking hard against the marble floor, his jaw clenched with rage. The air around him seemed to thicken as his temper simmered. How dare she make decisions without his consent? They had an agreement—a blood pact, no less—and yet Noel had once again overstepped her boundaries.
When she had obliterated that hospital, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake, he had offered her refuge. In return, she had agreed to work with the Hangi as equals. But now, not only was she undermining him, she was endangering his entire team.
"How the hell does she think she can call the shots?" Zack muttered under his breath, his fists balling at his sides. "Kyota? On such short notice?"
His thoughts were a whirlwind of fury. The Hangi clan was his to command, his to protect. And yet Noel, a cold-blooded killer, was making decisions that threatened everything he had built. He shoved the oakwood doors open with a fierce push, the wood groaning under the force of his anger.
The smell of chlorine greeted him as he stepped into the next room, a luxurious swimming pool area. The soft ripple of water filled the space, and for a moment, Zack faltered. He hadn't expected this. His eyes scanned the room. He had been told she would be here. His instinct told him to leave, but something kept him rooted in place.
Then, from the water, a figure emerged—Noel, her naked body rising from the pool like some kind of siren. Water cascaded down her smooth skin, her bare breasts exposed, glistening under the dim lights of the room. Zack's breath hitched, his throat tightening.
His gaze lingered on her form longer than he intended, hypnotized by her beauty. Her eyes, dark and sultry, locked onto his, and she smirked knowingly.
"What did you tell my team about Kyota?" Zack demanded, his voice strained as he tried to force his mind back to the reason he was here.
Noel, still in the pool, tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a playful smirk. "You barge in here, stare at me naked, and you have the nerve to ask me questions?" she teased, her voice laced with both seduction and mockery. "You're naughty, Zack."
Zack could feel his resolve slipping. His body moved on its own, taking steps closer to the pool. He could still feel the heat of his anger, but it was fading, replaced by something else—something dangerous. "You told my team you're going after the immortal human in Kyota," he pressed, fighting to keep his voice steady.
"You win," he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her skin as his hand traveled up to cup her breast. "The Seven Deadly Sins artifact can wait. I'll give you my army...and in return, I'll take you."
Noel smiled, victorious. "Good boy," she whispered back, her fingers trailing down his chest. But in her mind, her thoughts were far from affectionate.
'Fool. Another pawn, another soul bound to my will. Zack will be my puppet for the rest of his miserable life.'
Zack leaned in closer, his lips teasing the skin of her neck. For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. It was just him, Noel, and the water enveloping them. But even in this moment of carnal desire, something in the back of his mind nagged at him—something about her, about her plans, that he didn't trust.
"That woman you recruited to the team," Zack said suddenly, pulling back just enough to look into Noel's eyes. "Who is she? I've never seen any record of her before, and that's rare for me. Who the hell is she?"
Noel's smile widened, a glint of malice flashing in her eyes. "Oh, her?" she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "That woman has been dead for some time now."
Zack's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
Noel leaned in, her lips brushing against his ear as she spoke. "You can refer to her as...Teras."
The name hit Zack like a physical blow. His grip on her loosened, his mind racing to process what she had just said.
"Teras?" he repeated, his voice hoarse in awe.