Alpha's replacement bride is destined mate-Chapter 132 The Deal of Flesh

Is that dark wizard even considered a man? Haley wondered to herself. She had never seen him speak to another woman. Or perhaps he was simply an incompetent eunuch.

Haley, clad in a long coat, stood silently outside the dark wizard’s chamber. She dipped her head slightly, her gaze fixed on the closed door. Suddenly, the light through the crack vanished in an instant, and the darkness seemed to reach out and grasp her heart.

She couldn’t hesitate any longer. After all, she had just agreed to Elijah’s request. Elijah’s words were a command to her, and she had to obey.

Yet, the image of the dark wizard’s wrinkled face and grotesque hunchback made her queasy.

Suddenly, without warning, the door swung open. The dark wizard’s face emerged from the gloom, like a demon creeping out of hell. He regarded Haley with eerie eyes that glowed with an unsettling light, making his face seem even more sinister against the backdrop of darkness.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice calm yet raspy.

"Can I come in?" Before the dark wizard could respond, Haley pushed the door wider and slipped past him into the room.

The dark wizard’s chamber was an abyss consumed by darkness, pitch-black and devoid of life. The darkness was as thick as ink, swallowing all light within its embrace.

Haley stood in the room, and despite her keen night vision, it seemed useless here. She strained her eyes, trying to discern her surroundings, but all she saw was endless darkness.

The darkness enveloped her, feeling almost alive, pressing down on her with an indescribable oppression.

"So, what brings you here, Your Highness?" The dark wizard’s voice reverberated through the room, but Haley couldn’t pinpoint his location.

"I’m not a princess anymore. You can call me by my name," Haley said casually.

"Ah, so you’ve broken into my chamber merely to have me address you by your name?" The dark wizard sneered. "Or perhaps you want me to call it out in bed?"

He had guessed her intentions. Haley felt a sudden jolt of nerves and addressed the figure lurking in the shadows, "I want to talk to you."

"You want to talk to me?" The dark wizard’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "I recall you once begged your brother to banish me from the kingdom. You hated me as much as those stodgy ministers, didn’t you?"

Haley fell silent. The man was far more astute than she had anticipated. She decided to adopt a more direct approach. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Let’s not waste each other’s time. Why don’t you just tell me what you want from me?" The dark wizard said. "I’ve always had a fondness for making deals with people."

Haley spun her elaborate lie, "I heard Elijah say you gave him an Undead warrior. I want to see just how formidable this Undead warrior truly is."

"The Undead warrior is a gift from the dark god to the king, not mine to dispense," corrected the Dark Wizard, pausing before adding, "Do you merely wish to observe the Undead warrior, or do you covet its power for yourself?"

Realizing the Dark Wizard had seen through her ruse, Haley abandoned her pretense. "I want to control the Undead warrior, as you do."

"Is that all?"

"Yes," Haley affirmed.

A tense silence ensued, the Dark Wizard’s lips sealed, his breathing undetectable, leaving the room in a palpable hush.

Suddenly, a hand settled gently on Haley’s shoulder, startling her. How had he moved so silently?

"What is concealed beneath your garments?" The Dark Wizard’s face was obscured by shadows, yet his voice rang with unsettling clarity.

"It’s what you seek," Haley replied, her breathing quickening. The Dark Wizard’s hand on her shoulder felt like an invisible weight, pressing down on her.

Slowly, the Dark Wizard stepped in front of Haley, revealing his visage in all its ugliness. With a cold efficiency, he untied the belt cinching her dress and slipped off her coat, revealing the delicate lace slip beneath.

Grasping the straps of her sundress with both hands, he gently tugged them down, leaving Haley completely exposed.

As she gazed down at his grotesque features, the grotesque protuberance on his back turning her stomach, Haley was overwhelmed by a pungent, fishy odor—a noxious blend of decay and blood.

As he drew closer, the stench intensified, churning her stomach and making her gag.

The Dark Wizard caught the fleeting change in her expression and sneered. "It seems you’re not as eager to strike a bargain as you claimed."

He turned away from her, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "Leave."

"No," Haley protested, grasping the Dark Wizard’s arm, finding only the rigidity of bone beneath his sleeve.

The Dark Wizard shrugged Haley off effortlessly, his strength surprising given his gaunt frame.

Had he employed magic?

"Let’s move on," Haley said, reluctantly.

"I’m sorry, but I’ve lost interest in you," the Dark Wizard replied, his tone icy.

"Let me please you," Haley offered.

The Dark Wizard turned to face Haley, considering her for a moment. "Are you skilled at pleasing men, Princess?"

"Give me a chance, and I’ll prove it to you," Haley said, kneeling down and attempting to undo the Dark Wizard’s pants.

But just as her hand neared his body, he seized it. His grip was like a vise, devoid of warmth, and Haley feared her hand might snap.

"How many men have you pleased?" the Dark Wizard inquired.

"It’s none of your concern," Haley snapped angrily.

"Have you ever pleased the dead?" The Dark Wizard’s eerie question sent a chill down Haley’s spine. Was he insane?

"Let me go," Haley demanded, ready to abandon her mission. This was no ordinary man she was dealing with.

"It’s too late, little princess," the Dark Wizard rasped, slowly releasing her hand. It felt as if his touch carried an eternal chill, and Haley’s heart sank. A strange gleam shone in his eyes as he lifted his chin slightly and spoke coldly, "He has come."

The next instant, Haley heard the ominous sound of wind howling against the window, like the roar of a beast, shaking the panes as if they would shatter.

Suddenly, a terrifying gale swept through the room from one direction, its force akin to an invisible giant’s hand, enveloping Haley in an instant. She felt a crushing oppression, her feet lifting from the ground as if gravity had lost its hold. Her body hovered in mid-air, helpless as a doll.

"Help!" Haley screamed in terror, but as her mouth opened, the fierce wind filled it, drowning out her cries. She struggled to make a sound, but only felt the wind raging wildly within, rendering her voice inaudible. The sound of the wind echoed in her ears, like a demonic whisper, tormenting her eardrums and filling her heart with despair.

It felt as if an invisible presence was pressing down on her, holding her arms aloft and spreading her legs wide. Something was forcibly entering her body.

Her vision went black in an instant, and the pain was so excruciating that she lost consciousness.

When Haley awoke, she found herself lying in her bed. Just as she began to think it had all been a nightmare, the Dark Wizard’s voice whispered in her ear.

He appeared to her like a ghost, leaning down to speak softly, "Selieley. This is a spell to control the Undead warrior."

His voice was low and gravelly, imbued with a mysterious power that sent a shiver down Haley’s spine. With those words, the Dark Wizard vanished as abruptly as he had appeared, leaving behind a faint, fishy odor—a pungent, unpleasant scent that reeked of death, making Haley’s stomach churn.

Haley’s body trembled uncontrollably, and she frantically wrapped herself tightly in the sheets. Her mind kept replaying the horrific image of herself floating in mid-air, and fear engulfed her like a tsunami. The memory of the strong wind, the sensation of helplessly floating, and the wind filling her mouth lingered in her mind like a relentless nightmare.

Haley struggled to get out of bed, smelling rancid and trying to wash herself.

She walked slowly into the bathroom, pausing as she passed the mirror. Slowly she turned her head to look at herself in the glass.

She shuffled with a heavy step, and went slowly into the bathroom. As she passed the looking-glass, her footsteps stopped involuntarily. She turned her head slowly to look at herself in the glass. In the mirror her face was haggard and sunken, like a lifeless canvas. Her skin was as pale as paper, and there was not a trace of blood in it, like that of a patient who has not yet recovered from a long illness.

She ruffled her disordered hair irritably with her hand, and as soon as her fingers touched the strands she felt something unusual. She tugged at it, and the hair was as brittle as cotton wool. A few strands of hair slipped noiselessly from her finger-tips, and fell lightly to the ground, as if without a trace of weight. In a daze she looked at the broken hair in her hand, and an indescribable alarm rose in her heart.​

"Did that damned dark wizard sacrifice me to the devil?" Haley cried out in despair, silently to herself.

She couldn’t fathom what had happened to her, and the dark wizard’s actions filled her with a mix of terror and fury.

In her mind, the wizard was nothing short of a madman, and she feared that his actions would bring catastrophic consequences to the entire wolf pack.

She vowed to find a way to keep Elijah far from that accursed wizard.