To Marry A Monster (by Brey Mitchell) novel Chapter 236

Chapter 236

William’s POV

What is going on? William wondered as he moved with the northern unit, his steps steady even as his thoughts refused to settle. None of this matched the plan. None of it.

Cutting off a finger had never been part of the arrangement.

His jaw tightened as the memory replayed again and again, each time raising more questions instead of answers. He had coordinated with the Demon Fangs long before this night, through channels that were never traced back to him directly. It was an ugly alliance, but it had always been a controlled one. The Demon Fangs were enemies, yes, but they were also useful, especially when chaos was needed without fingerprints.

The deal had been simple and clear. They would take Celeste alive. No marks that could not be hidden. No damage that would provoke uncontrolled retaliation. They would hold her just long enough to force an exchange, Atasha for Celeste, and once Atasha was in Demon Fang hands, the North would have no choice but to pull back or burn the entire South with her still inside it.

That was the leverage.

That was the point.

So why was there a finger?

Was it part of Celeste’s plan to convince Atasha to sacrifice herself to save her sister? Had he underestimated his own daughter’s cruelty?

William’s chest tightened as he followed the formation deeper into the terrain. The ground sloped unevenly here, littered with broken stone and sparse trees that offered just enough cover to hide movement but not enough to guarantee safety. Torches were kept low, light controlled, every step measured. The northerners moved like they had rehearsed this exact approach dozens of times.

This was not a rescue driven by panic. This was an execution disguised as one.

His eyes flicked forward, and he spotted Kelan ahead, one of the northern commanders he inized immediately. Kelan lifted a hand and signaled sharply for the unit to stop. The entire formation froze in place so quickly it made William’s skin prickle. No shouted orders nor any confusion. It was just instant compliance.

William crouched slightly behind a low ridge.

This was wrong. The Demon Fangs were not supposed to provoke Atasha this way. They were supposed to scare her, corner her, force her into a choice. They were supposed to convince her that Celeste’s life is in danger but not like this!

Earlier, when Atasha had issued her orders, William had watched closely, expecting hesitation, debate, or at least consultation. None of it came. She had spoken with confidence that unsettled him more than the threats ever could. She gave directions like someone who had already watched people die under her command and learned which mistakes not to

repeat.

She had divided units without hesitation, positioned flanking forces with precision, and ordered containment zones as if she already knew where the enemy would break and run. There was no uncertainty in her voice. No second–guessing.

To anyone who did not know her past, she did not look like a consort dragged into war by circumstance.

She looked like a commander.

She looked like someone who had survived wars before.

10:35

Lue, Dec 30

Chapter 236

That realization dug under William’s skin as Kelan raised two fingers, then slowly closed his fist.

They were surrounding the Demon Fang base exactly as planned, forming a tightening ring meant to crush everything inside. The shouts and curses that had erupted earlier after the discovery of the finger had fueled the soldiers‘ bloodlus Every northern warrior here wanted Demon Fang blood, and Atasha had not tried to stop that fury. She had ained it.

William had expected chaos driven by rage.

What he had not expected was discipline guided by experie

Still, he forced himself to breathe and calm the tightness in his chest. Celeste’s plan was still in motion. The Demon Fangs knew how to fight in the dark. They knew this terrain better than anyone. Even with the North’s numbers, this would not be a clean victory.

They would win tonight.

He was still thinking that when Kelan’s hand dropped sharply.

Get down.

William obeyed, lowering himself behind cover with a faint snort he did not bother to hide. The northerners were cautious to the point of excess. The Demon Fangs had been skilled, yes, but they were also arrogant. They would never-

Then the night exploded.

A massive ball of fire tore through the darkness and slammed directly into the ridge where the northern soldiers had been hiding moments earlier. The impact shook the ground hard enough to throw William sideways, heat ripping through the air as men shouted in shock and pain.

Cries erupted instantly.

“What the hell-!”

“They were waiting!”

Another blast followed, then another, fire raining down in controlled arcs that tore through cover like it did not exist. Demon Fang magic lit up the night, revealing movement everywhere, shadows shifting too fast to track.

William’s heart slammed against his ribs.

They were ambushed.

The Demon Fangs poured out from hidden positions, their numbers far greater than expected, their formation tight and brutal. Poisoned blades flashed. Traps detonated beneath advancing northern lines. Screams cut through the air as soldiers went down before they could even raise shields.

This was not a base scrambling to defend itself.

This was a prepared killing ground.

William dragged himself behind a boulder as another explosion tore through the air, sending dirt and stone raining down. Through the chaos, he saw northern soldiers falter for the first time, their advance breaking under the sheer ferocity of the

counterattack.

The Demon Fangs were winning.

They moved with vicious coordination, cutting down anyone who tried to regroup. Their fire and poison burned hotter, faster, and more focused than anything William had seen tonight. Whatever message they had sent with that finger had not been desperation.

O

10:35

Tue, Dec

30

1. RD.

Chapter 236

It had been a warning.

And as

as William

watched

the battlefield dissolve

fire and blood, one

thought hammered

through

his mind

terrifying clarity.

Something had

A smirked

had gone

long before

before this night wrong

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