The Devil's Betrothed-Chapter 688: Homeless In The Foreign Land

"It’s good to see you in your real form after so many years," Drayce remarked, looking at his half-naked friend, whose face was partially covered in gold scales with one eye glowing red. "I must say, I like it better."

Arlan chuckled. "Because it doesn’t scare you like it would humans. I was fortunate that my parents weren’t frightened when I was born and didn’t abandon me, thinking I was a monster."

"You’re blessed to have such parents," Drayce commented. He gestured toward one corner in that open space. "We’ve arranged things for you to prepare a meal for your mate. Once she wakes up, all she’ll want is to eat."

"Thank you," Arlan replied, looking at the ingredients and utensils laid out. He only needed to cook.

Xyron handed him a sword, which he had been holding since Oriana went unconscious. "This belongs to the Princess."

Arlan looked at the fine sword, simply looking at it one could tell it was not ordinary and could see the power it held inside. He accepted the sword, he could feel the weight of power it contained and how powerful the bearer of it could feel. He ran his finger along A finely sharp long blade, it’s perfectly shaped thin handle offered a powerful grip.

"It was crafted in the depths of hell by the first demon lord himself. It contains absolute darkness from hell. Also, it has its own soul." Xyron explained. "Due to its immense power, many demons, including myself, tried to claim it, but none succeeded. The sword waited for its true owner, one truly worthy of its power. It remained in hell until our princess, still a young demoness, entered the depths of hell and pulled it out. From that day, it was clear she was the most powerful being in this realm and destined to rule after her father—the first demoness to ever sit on the throne of the demon realm."

Arlan hummed in understanding, feeling the weight and power of the sword as well as how glorious his mate was. "I can feel its power. No wonder it’s considered the most powerful sword in creation."

"There is another sword said to be equally powerful as this one," Xyron commented.

"There is?" Arlan asked, intrigued, as were the others.

Xyron nodded. "A sword that belongs to—or I should say, used to belong to—the God of War." He glanced at Draven, who held what appeared to be an ordinary sword from the human realm.

Arlan and Drayce looked at the sword in Draven’s hand, and Draven simply said, "This is an ordinary sword."

"I wonder where you lost such a precious and powerful sword, God of War?" Xyron mused.

Draven remained silent, unable to recall.

"Such a pity to see one of the most powerful gods reduced to an ordinary supernatural," Xyron remarked. "I enjoyed our battles in the past, but it seems I no longer have a worthy opponent."

Draven’s eyes narrowed, his expression growing colder. "Want to give it a try?"

Xyron smirked slightly. "Today, you and King Drayce experienced my power. You should accept that, at this moment, I am more powerful than both of you. Challenging me now would only upset the Princess when she sees her friends harmed. I’d rather wait for you to regain your powers as the God of War. Just as our princess returned to the demon realm, I believe one day you will return to the heavenly realm and reclaim your powers."

Draven’s expression darkened at Xyron’s last words. Returning to the heavenly realm would mean offering his mate to the enemies. "That will never happen. I’m content being an earthly supernatural. If you want to fight me, then we’ll do it while I’m in this form. I would let you taste the defeat once more."

"Trying to deny one’s destiny is never an answer. Nothing happens without a reason," Xyron remarked, leaving the others to ponder what the future held for them.

"You should stay by her side," Draven advised Arlan. "Once marked, a female needs her mate close."

Arlan nodded in agreement and asked, "How long does it take for a female to wake up after marking?"

"It took Ember two days," Draven answered, "but she was quite weak and unprepared for it."

"Seren took two days as well," Drayce added. "Trust me, I was worried sick until she woke up. But don’t worry, our women are strong. Oriana will wake up soon too."

Arlan nodded and returned to Oriana, who remained in a deep sleep.

By evening, which arrived sooner in the demon realm due to its shorter daytime, Oriana stirred in her sleep. Arlan noticed the movement, surprised since he hadn’t expected her to wake up so soon, not even half a day after being marked.

He saw her eyes open, staring at the ceiling with a look of confusion. "Are you awake?" he asked softly, making her aware of his presence. She turned her gaze to him. Her eyes were still red, and her hair was still dark, but the darkness in her eyes had faded, indicating her anger had dissipated.

Arlan gently caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead, letting the moment linger. When he pulled back, he found her staring at him silently, which made him wonder what was on her mind. Was she perhaps not recognizing him? That seemed unlikely, as she would have reacted more aggressively if she didn’t know who he was.

"They say females are hungry when they wake up after marking," Arlan said gently, not expecting a response. "You must be hungry too. I’ll go and quickly prepare a meal for you. Wait here," he added, kissing her forehead once more before stepping out of the bed. He felt her gaze following him as he left the room.

As soon as Arlan stepped out of the residence and into the rear part, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Struggling already?" came Drayce’s teasing remark.

Arlan opened his eyes and looked at the other two dragons, who were enjoying the view of the starry sky in the demon realm. "She’s awake, and her scent is even more enticing after marking," Arlan said as he walked towards the cooking area. "I would have pounced on her the moment she woke up, but I held back."

Drayce and Draven nodded in appreciation, knowing how challenging it was to resist the pull towards one’s mate after marking until the bond was consummated.

"She woke up so soon," Draven observed.

"Seems like demonesses are affected differently than deities," Drayce mused, referring to Seren and Ember, who were deities.

Arlan quickly prepared a meal, serving it in bowls and arranging everything on a wooden tray to bring to Oriana. Just as he was about to carry the tray, he sensed something and turned to look at the door of the residence.

Oriana stood there, still wearing the thin, knee-length black chemise, her red eyes fixed on him. Drayce and Draven were surprised to see her up and about; females were usually weak after marking, needing food and rest after waking up. But Oriana—Esmeray—looked far from typical.

"Why are you here? I was bringing a meal for you," Arlan said, holding a bowl of freshly prepared soup.

Draven and Drayce continued to observe Oriana closely.

"She doesn’t look like she needs food," Drayce remarked, to which Draven hummed in agreement.

Ignoring Arlan’s words, Oriana walked toward him. With a wave of her hand even from a distance, the bowl Arlan was holding was thrown away, leaving him puzzled. In the next instant, she was in front of him, her intense gaze locked on his face, her breathing shallow.

Arlan quickly understood what was happening. Before he could react, Oriana pressed her lips to his in a needy kiss, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly as she pulled him into a passionate embrace. She was affected by the pull of the bond which needed to completed, and being demoness seems to have added to the need of intimacy she craved for.

Instinctively, Arlan’s arms wrapped around her, pressing her slender body tightly against his bare chest, feeling her soft skin through the thin chemise. The air around them heated up, filled with the sound of their panting and moans.

"Looks like we’re going to be homeless in this foreign land," Drayce commented dryly.

"We are sleeping outside tonight," Draven added.

Drayce agreed, "We should find shelter somewhere else before that dragon in heat kicks us out."

Arlan’s hand wrapping tightly around her hips, not breaking the kiss asway, he lifted her up. Oriana circled her legs steadily around his waist, her beautiful legs entirely naked as her chemise was lifted up to her waist, revealing the part of her bottom as well. But she was far away from caring and noticing someone else’s presence around.

Drayce stood up, turning his gaze away. "I call her my sister. As a brother, I can’t stand this."

Draven stood up as well, ready to leave with Drayce. Arlan, carrying Oriana with ease, walked towards the door. As soon as they entered, the door shut behind them with a loud bang, clearly signaling privacy.

"Where to?" Drayce asked.

"The lake we stayed at last night," Draven suggested.

Drayce nodded in agreement, and both disappeared from the place.