Never make a deal with the devil (Xanthos)

Xanthos was lying right next to Alaska, their arms barely touching, just enough for her to feel him beside her. Unlike her, he was staring not looking at the sky, but at her with a dark but content smile on his lips. Her words made him chuckled softly and he reached out to trace her cheek. "Oh but you told me that I had won the deal and I could hardly be forced to wait any longer, could I?” he remarked, sounding quite amused at the tone of her voice. Propping himself up on his elbow, Xanthos gazed down at the girl beside him. She did not seem happy at all about how things had turned out for her, but he had not really expected her to jump happily at the prospect of being his for good, so he did not feel insulted.  "It is quite interesting how we fear the unknown more than real threats, don't you think?" Xanthos said thoughtfully.

"What makes you so sure that unknown isn't the real threat?" she asked him, not letting out her true emotions. "People come and go. Always. Every single time. They are unknown in the beginning. It is best if they stay that way. Because when they leave, it doesn't hurt as much," she pointed out, her words as a pure facts, that she never counted on him staying for much longer, than just to have fun and break her heart. With that, she got up and quickly put her clothes on, feeling suddenly very cold.

Crooking his head to the side, slightly, Xanthos observed the young woman in front of him with a thoughtful gaze. Her words were not the typical girl tactic playing hard to catch, but spoken from experience and he could understand that. "Nothing makes me sure, Alaska, but I think the question is not what we believe to be a threat, but what risk we are willing to take to get something good." he commented, calmly getting up. A flick of his wand had him dressed again and he walked up behind the Ravenclaw, not quite touching her, but standing very close. "I am sorry that you never had a person who stayed with you, but I can promise that I will be doing just that, even if you might not want me to." Xanthos reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box with his family crest on top of it. He had been carrying it with him for over a year now, since he had made up his mind to get this girl for himself and now he had finally won the deal. Sneaking his arm around her waist, Xanthos held the little box out for her.

Alaska wanted to give him some sarcastic, bitter comment but lost her words again, as he was so close. She needed to do something about it, or he will have the life too easy with her. And she refused to be just his toy. He got what he wanted, she was sure as hell, she will do anything to make him regret it. At least that way she will be ready when he leaves. But what he did next quite erased every single possible remark she could think about and instead made her panic. "Please, tell me this is not what I think it is," she said. So much for short adventure. He was serious. "This is not funny Xanthos. I'm fifteen in case you forgot. And we are not dating longer, than two hours! And... and..." she didn't know what to say or what to do. She counted on him leaving in a week the latest. If this was a game, it was the most sick and twisted thing ever. If he meant this, it was insane. If he was joking, it was even worse. And Alaska wasn't sure what she feared more.

While she spoke, Xanthos barely even listened to her words as they surely would be only words full of doubt in him and unease about the situation. Instead he let her soft voice wash over him as he licked a trail down her neck, biting down where it met her shoulder before kissing the spot softly in apology for the pain his teeth had caused. When he chuckled, his warm breath met her pale skin and he wrapped his arms around the girl to pull her closer against him.

"This, my dear Alaska, is exactly what you think it is and I surely hope you will open the box to take a look at it." Xanthos murmured into her ear, a smirk playing around his lips as he enjoyed her predicament. Not that it mattered much if she chose to comply with his request to take the ring; if she didn't, he would just spell it on her finger.

"You mean it," she whispered, still staring at the box. "You really want to stay," she added, frozen in shock. She didn't expect it. She though they will sleep together, that he will be annoying asshole chasing her around, not letting her have her life until she becomes boring and he leaves. And breaks her heart of course, because it was obvious she felt something for him. But giving her ring, that meant something. Even Alaska, who never really knew much about traditions of pureblood families, despite the fact she was member of one herself, even she knew something like this wasn't just fun. Purebloods rarely broke up after something like this. And divorce was something almost forbidden. With her hands shaking, she gently opened the box.

"I always mean what I say." he told her, tightening his hold on her slender body as she stared at the box, quite obviously in shock. Xanthos had not expected her to react much differently, after all he had found out about her past life. The girl had always been abandoned by everyone, not able to trust anyone and it showed in the way she acted and reacted to people in general by keeping her distance. Xanthos, though, was quite the opposite. He did not bother to interact much with people as most of them just bored him to death, but when he did find an interest in someone, he always stayed with them till the end and this definitely applied to Alaska. Twisting his head around to take a look at her face, he smiled slightly at her expression of shock. "It is a family heirloom, so I hope that you like it because it will remain on your finger till you die." he spoke in a calm, but confident voice while he took out the ring to slide it onto her finger. The size magically adjusted to it and would not fall off till he would remove it.

Alaska studied the ring carefully, still processing his words and meaning of this whole, strange situation. What did it mean? Did she have a home now? A place to go? What about the rest of his family? "How come you got the ring? I thought you have older brother. Shouldn't he have it? As heir?" she asked curiously. She didn't know much. But she knew enough about pureblood families. Engagement rings were special chapter. Then she turned to face him. And with all curiosity and honesty she had, she looked him in the eyes, pushing her pride and anger away. "Xanthos, why me? Out of all the girls. The girls of Wolfclaw. The girls who knew what it's like to be proper pureblood princess. Why me, the one who is the least like them?" she asked.

(Mike probably gave the ring to Xanthos, since he is marrying Zoya, who is halfblood, so he cannot really stay as heir of the family)