Demons did much more than just feed on souls. Some lived among humans, others never left the underworld. And some made pacts.

A pact was a blood tie between a demon and a human. A sacred oath that they would be mates, tied together forever. It was the closest demons got to love, to having souls. Some demons were too far gone to make such a bond. Beom was getting dangerously close to the edge, he'd been considered a monster even in life. Being a demon, separated from his only salvation for centuries, certainly made him worse.

Gwi-Ma had made him a deal, promising to reincarnate the soul of his love. You were born exactly one year after the deal, and you had a birthmark on your arm that matched Beom's patterns perfectly. But Celine and her hunters reached you first. They told your parents their precious girl was marked by a beast from Hell.

Your parents tried to hide you, they followed all of Celine's instructions. But Beom quickly found you. Your foolish, well-meaning father stood protectively in front of you and threatened to call Huntrix. When your eyes met Beom's you felt a tugging in your soul. An itch in your bones that only he could scratch.

"Your mind doesn't remember, but your soul does," Beom said blankly. His orange eyes reflected the dim evening light. "You used to be mine. You are mine, and I won't lose you again."

Your mother grabbed you tight, trying not to faint. She'd always been a religious woman. "Our daughter would never be associated with such filth--"

"Do you even know what she was to me?" he growled, baring his fangs.