BOUND BY THE DEMON PRINCE

"I am fucking broke" Literally cursed as I threw myself into work again with the knowledge that I had to hire new staff.

I had pushed myself the whole week in the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. Preparing dish after dish ensured that the rest of the kitchen was running smoothly regardless of my predicament. I worked hard, focusing on the feel of the kitchen knife in my hand, the slight but bearable ache from being on my feet all day, and the strong smell of all different types of food cooked in the same place.

Inevitably, close to midnight, the restaurant closed, and the other junior chefs cleaned their stations and left, leaving me alone in the restaurant. Walking into my office, I sat down to review the list of candidates for tomorrow's interview. An hour later my stomach growled alerting my body that I had not eaten a damn thing the whole day.

I made my way to the kitchen and settled on frying the chicken. Half an hour later, slicing through the freshly grilled chicken with ease, Luna waited patiently, perching on the top of my foot with his gray-tailed snaking around his ankle. The Sly cheesy feral knew that late-night cooking typically led to something for him. I chopped it into small cubes, tossed them onto a plate, and placed it on the Kitchen floor.

Purrs erupted from below, the cat's body vibrating against my shin. With the cat happy and distracted, he turned the flame on the stove to heat the sauce. Owning the restaurant was meant to be a turnaround into success. I switched off the stove and served the meal. Finally complete, I tossed the remaining chicken in the fridge. Luna had disappeared and I knew the fur was waiting for him on the bed.

Looking at the bedside clock, I realized it was already three am. Luna had settled at the end of the bed, hence I flipped off the lights and curled up under my blanket pile. Fatigue took over and I fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next day, the interviews had already begun. By the fifth candidate, my body and mind were already tired. I cringed at their answers and wondered how they ever worked at the Michelin restaurants they mentioned in their profiles. It was a waste of my time.

"Boss, one more interview, boss, crossing fingers, "Chef Felicity Kafele chanted. I knew he was as irritated as I was. What we needed was a professional to turn things around. We needed a miracle.

Lost in thoughts, I heard Chef Felicity clearing her throat and I turned to look at her in question.

"The next candidate is here" she whispered.

I turned around and the person standing in the office was a male god or better yet a male model. His furrowed brow, which held a little bit of anticipation and anxiety and a little bit of confusion, was thick. His nose was just shy of being wide. His full lips were pulled down at the corners but didn't hide the fact that his mouth was wide. His eyes pulled all the rest together to create the perfect face. They were the color of the setting sun's rays, the dark brown that I had ever seen. His ebony hair fell past his shoulders in shiny, silken waves. He looked powerful and authoritative in a way only distinguished men could look. His shoulder blades were wide, and his arms looked strong. Was he in the wrong place?

I turned to look at Felicity and realized she was awe-struck as he was. The man walked toward him and said "I'm Leonardo Besian." His accent rolled the R's in his name and was exotic as the man who stood in the room.

Finally finding my voice I managed to croak out "Chef Levi Xander." And this is my assistant Ms. Felicity Kafele.

"Have a seat." She smiled as he moved across the desk, extending his hand to her. The man had dimples. It was surreal. Once seated he stared at me the whole time I felt hypnotized by his gaze.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bean." Chef Felicity drawled as she sized him up and down, stamping the authority of how handsome the man in front of him was.

"I read the requirements of the new hire for the Michel Chef. The only experience I have is working in the Royal family guardian kitchen. I don't have much experience working in a restaurant. I hope you can agree to a food-tasting interview to show my skills. f," he said, breaking eye contact and looking at the files sitting at the desk. The man had come prepared.

There was pin-drop silence in the room. How arrogant was he? "I believe it to be fair-" The sentence remained half finished as Chef Felicity hurriedly stood up and said, "I will show you the kitchen right now, Mr. Bean."

"Please, call me Leonardo," he said. His smile was so not professional or pleasant that I internally swore I saw a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. "May I proceed?"

We all stood up and I ended up nodding, "Of course. Show us your talent. "My voice was a little out of breath. God, what the fuck was wrong with me?

"Indeed," Mr. Besian stood up, and the air changed with one word.

We stood looking at each other and sizing each other up. Sparks flew as I stared at his shoulders which were so muscular making my body shiver. The way he tilted his head, the slight curve of his lips, and the look in his eye had the words conquered written all over.

We were interrupted when Chef Felicity cleared her throat and stated "Well if you'll excuse me, I'm going to prepare the kitchen for Mr. Besian. This way, please," she said and gestured to him in action to follow her to the kitchen.

"Aren't you joining us?" Leonardo Besian asked

"Why?" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"I want you to see the extent of my talents from the beginning to the end. How else will I be able to pass this interview? I also plan to assist Chef Felicity in the preparation," he said with a small laugh.

Was he born this arrogant? Every single word he stated, pushed me to a frenzy, "Well, we can't have that. I should observe everything to the last detail, right?"

Leonardo Besian laughed, a full belly laugh that threw his head back and shook his shoulders. "Definitely," he finally said when he'd stopped laughing enough to speak."Follow me." I tried to sound cold and distant. How could I be affected by a man, and in a matter of minutes since he walked into the office?

In the Kitchen space, Chef Felicity fixed her Chef's jacket and headed inside a walk-in freezer where they store some fresh ingredients, followed by Mr. Besian. The rest of the kitchen staff stood aside and watched.

He gave the elements a last-minute inspection to make sure it was what was required. He got to work and spooned bright green tomatillo sauce onto a plate. He half listened to the other Chefs in the kitchen comment about how the food smelt like heaven. He then carefully plucked a packet wrapped in corn husks from the steamer and transferred the contents to the waiting plate, finishing with a simple garnish of sliced raw onions. He then took another dish, flanked steak with a Chile sauce and a side of tangy cactus paddle salad. To his satisfaction, he arranged the food and wiped a stray sauce drop from the plate's edge. By this time, all the chefs in the kitchen had approached and settled themselves near him. He rolled out three little balls of dough into thin disks for dessert. He placed a generous dollop of spiced apple filling inside. He sealed them before dipping them in a hot oil bath and added vanilla and hibiscus sauces to finish, and he set the plate down.

All this time, as I observed his skill, I was more aware of his body. The man was a damn work of art, a statue of some Greek god. I stood up and crossed the counter with butterflies in my stomach. I silently tasted the food one by one. When he reached the desert, I moaned, oblivious to the team surrounding me.

The man had passed the interview with flying colors. Taking a step back, I addressed him, " Congratulations. You are the new Michelin Chef. Chef Felicity will prepare your contract. "

The whole kitchen team cheered on. Chef Felicity beamed and they rushed in to taste the meal. I turned back and escaped back to the office. I had never tasted such fine cuisine in my life.

The truth was that I didn't want to be attracted to Leonardo, but it seemed like he didn't have a choice as the warmth from his food raced through my body like lightning. This man was my type no matter how much I knew that it was a bad idea and wanted to deny it, but he made me burn right down to his unabashed honesty.

Leonardo Besian's gaze was so intense that it brought my body back to life. My steamy thoughts were interrupted when I heard, "Here is my business card. For your records, of course,"

The corner of Leonardo's mouth was laced with a smirk. When our eyes clashed, I could have sworn he read all the thoughts in my mind. His smile widened when I took the card and pretended to read much on the last line of his statement.

"See you tomorrow at eight am. Start the training and rounds with Chef Felicity. Once done, I will take you through the management training." I was clearly dismissing him. Being around him threw me off.

He looked startled for a moment, but then nodded and left. Alone in the office, I released a breath, I never knew I was holding.

"Levi Xander? What did you just get yourself into?"

LEONARDO'S POV

***************************************************************************

I had arrived at the restaurant for an interview and stood in the doorway with my demon beast right below the skin's surface. It was usually calm but made its presence known when it caught the scent of the handsome little Chef. It became an electric current across my skin, stealing my breath and raising the hairs across my arms.

When I stood staring at the Chef, my senses opened, taking everything in. When our eyes met, I felt like I had been sucker punched even though my body remained still. In a thousand years, no human had managed to render me speechless, still my body and mind. My demon sensor was on high alert as I prepared the food in the kitchen. This little Chef human lusted after me, and I could not resist the emotions, and after being congratulated I followed him into the office.

I fucking reigned it in until the last minute and left the Siiri Michelin Restaurant in a rush. Driving the back roads into the city to the rental condo with nothing but the thoughts of Levi Xander in my mind. My body was on autopilot as I drove because I was sure I didn't see the road in front of him.

I had committed his scent to memory. Levi Xander was shorter than me and the entire time I stood next to him, I was in battle with my body not to take him in his arms. He had tasted his food and moaned without a care in the world.

I honestly couldn't remember what made this little town stand out more than the rest but suddenly I was glad that it had. I knew the rules, but my mind had other ideas. The marriage between my Demon father and my human Mother was forbidden. But they had been stubborn and gained many enemies over the centuries. Hence I kept away from the demon monarch and its rules.

Grandmother taught me everything he knew about cooking and love, and it was all thanks to her that I had managed to ace the interview. Simple meals turned out to be Michelin Cuisine. I got home and opened the door of the three-bedroom condo. Throwing keys on the kitchen table, I walked to the bedroom and took a shower. Hours later, I opened the living room doors that led to the balcony and stood staring at the night sky.

I scrolled through his phone, catching up on emails and messages. An email from the butler popped up and my eyes turned red as he read through the unpleasant message. My brother had the villa in his harem. The turn of events would force me not to report to the restaurant tomorrow. I picked up his phone and dialed Chef Levi's restaurant number, hoping he was still at work.

"Siri" s Michelin Restaurant, Chef Levi Speaking."

"Levi Xander, This is Leonardo Besian"I stated

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Besian?" He sounded sexy and hot behind the phone.

"No, nothing is wrong," I said. I had forgotten why he had called him in a panic. There was silence on the phone as I listened to his breathing. It was obscene in the best possible way, and I closed my eyes. Today turned out to be the best day of my life.

"If there's nothing wrong, what can I do for you, Mr. Besian," Chef Levi asked and he sounded irritated.

"Can I come to the restaurant now?" I finally managed to say my thoughts.

"No," he answered and I felt him take a deep breath. "You are to report to work tomorrow. Don't forget I am your CEO."

After a minute of silence, I asked "Are you always this difficult, Levi?"

"I expect you to be a professional," his answer remained firm.

"But some things are just meant to be Levi," I started

"What things, Mr. Besian?" Chef Levi asked.

"Will you not call me Leonardo?" I pressed on.

"Why would I?." It came out as a whisper.

"Because it's my name," I said

"Don't tell me you want to get fired before you start working, Mr. Bean? "It sounded like a threat but to me, it came out with sexiness and lust.

"I think I like this game," I responded with deep and throaty, sounding bedroom sexy for him. "I will follow the rules set by our Boss-employee agreement but know this, Levi Xander, I mean to win."

And with that, I disconnected the call. The phone call sounded more like foreplay rather than a normal conversation. The demon monarch could certainly wait. Right? I could deal with my unruly sibling much later on once I settled in the restaurant. Sending a text message to my butler with a promise to come home soon, the press of my beast was so close to the surface all because of Levi Xander. My skin felt tight and hot, and I stood at the balcony's edge to feel the breeze. I hadn't lost control since childhood when my beast matured, but something about this little Chef had my beast's attention. Unbuttoning my shirt as soon as I closed the balcony doors, I crossed to the bedroom, threw the shirt on the bed, and processed to fully undress. My body was burning as I lay in bed and surrendered to a night of deep sleep.

Early in the morning, I jolted awake and was alert when I felt someone intrude into his mind. I immediately traveled through the shadows into the underworld. I was a special kind of demon, powerful enough to ensure no one controlled him. I had powers beyond imagination and excelled in using shadow magic, demon magic, and hellfire magic. My muscles grew stronger each year for an average half-demon; my most significant power was the power of manipulation. The icing on the cake was my secret pair of dragon wings that could fly faster than anything and change shape. I could morph his wings, and they could take the form of my clothes and shoes. It was a family secret. Only my father, the demon Lord, my mother, and his grandmother knew about this. My father ensured that anyone who discovered this secret was instantly killed.

I entered the underground demon world and followed the spirits, passing through the city, each house was dark, and the street lights were illuminated with gold hellfire. Getting close to my father's castle which stood at the edge with the halls lit up by the golden flames and the windows covered in red curtains. I stood at the gate, hesitant and waiting.

Papa's voice traveled from the Castle and boomed in my ears "Are you going to stand there all day?

"Papa, I don't like your games," I said and walked into the castle halls, finding him pretending to be busy arranging the flower pots.

" Son, do you think running away from your responsibilities makes you a bigger person? Your unruly brother is destroying everything your mother built in the human realm, and you are busy traveling?"

I smiled inwardly knowing that Papa could not trace my whereabouts hence he resorted to using the family mind line to draw me out.

" Pa, we have been through this before. And in any case, you know Ma agrees with me. "

The only defense I ever had was Ma and grandmother. I knew it; Pa knew it too.

"Think about the future. You are being too stubborn. "He pressed on.

"Hahaha, I wonder whose trait I got this from?" I jested.

"Tsk,"

" Papa, Drystian is your son. Why do I have to deal with him?" I asked

" And he is not your brother? You are the eldest son of Besian. It's your responsibility to take care of your brother. " He drew in humor.

" I did. I left, and Drystan was elected to be the chairman. He had always wanted this, and I gave it up" I affirmed.

" You know that your mother and I never wanted this. His demon side is unruly and dangerous." Papa sounded disappointed and sad.

" He can change. Just give him time, and don't let him bend the rules. " I advised.

Papa was silent as he looked lost in deep thought. He turned around and demanded, " When was the last time you fed? "

This was a topic I never discussed with anyone. I had abstained from feeding to maintain my human side. " I have to leave. I have something urgent waiting for me. " I turned around and escaped.

I could not be late for my first day at work. Time had lapsed by the time I got back to the condo. I showered in a hurry and got dressed up. I wanted to get to the restaurant two hours before the sun came up. It was an excellent time for flying.

I morphed my wings as I pushed from the building and was into flight mode within seconds. It took me ten minutes to get to the restaurant. I wanted to surprise my boss by making pancakes for him. I noticed that Chef Levi enjoyed the dessert the most. He had a sweet tooth and I was going to ensure he would be pleased.

I landed at the back of the restaurant and smiled to myself. I morphed the wings into my clothes and then turned to walk in. My steps were halted by the fact that Chef Levi was standing by the door, holding a mop, his eyes wide open. I closed my eyes in a grimace and remembered the Besian family rule " If anyone discovered your wings, you would have to wipe out his memory and, if not, kill them.

I opened my eyes and asked him " What did you see ?" I condescendingly moved towards him.

Chef Levi took a step back, dropped the mop, and whispered, " What the hell are you, Leonardo Besian?"

" Shit"

I watched as Chef Levi's eyes closed as he collapsed and rushed to hold him before he hit the ground. Picking him up I walked straight into the restaurant office and placed it on the couch. I listened to his breathing and knew he had just fainted.

Walking back to the back door, I picked up the mop, put it back in the bucket, and closed the door. I paced up and about in the kitchen as I noted how clean it was. How was I going to explain to him what I was? What if he fired me?

Grandma always said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I made the decision to cook breakfast as I wanted the little Chef to wake up. I brewed coffee and finished making pancakes when I felt the presence of Chef Levi standing by the door. My time was up.

I braced myself and asked, " Pancakes ?"

Footsteps approached until Chef Levi was standing next to me. This little Chef seemed fearless hence I turned around and smiled.

" Cut the bullshit, Mr. Besian; you have some explaining to do. " He seethed

I knew that I was going to face the music hence I huffed and asked him " Can you handle the truth? People who have discovered my kind never live to tell the tale. "

Chef Levi's eyes showed fear laced with determination. " So you are saying this is not Halloween and what I saw is real?"

I kept silent without denying it. Chef Levi sighed, picked up the pancakes, and sat at the corner kitchen table. " Pour me some coffee." He commanded

Like a fool, I rushed to pour two cups of coffee, sat at the table, and waited. I felt my beast rise to the surface and his impatience was not comforting at all.

"I am scared of you. Of what you are but I need a top-notch chef to turn around the current situation. If you can do this within a month, I will keep you around and not ask what your true identity is."

" Deal. " I piped hurriedly before he changed his mind.

I sat down and we ate breakfast in silence, and then the front bell rang. The junior chefs had arrived. I stood up and put the dishes in the sink. And then walked to the door and opened it for them.

I spent the whole day training and understanding the kitchen's workflow. I observed with the realization that some recipes needed improvement and noted every suggestion I would hand over to Chef Levi by the end of the day. I noted that all cooks and chefs had cutting boards and perfectly sharpened knives of varying sizes, shapes, colors, and colors. Every station was elegant, every item at a 90-degree angle.

Later in the afternoon, Chef Levi joined in when the kitchen got busy. I was so excited, and Chef Kafele laughed while Chef Levi rolled his eyes, but the blush was evident on his cheeks. Orders after orders I was pushed to join in the work and I shadowed Chef Levi and things got easier after that.

My beast rose to the surface at one point when I was standing next to Chef Levi in the pantry and I heaved a sigh to control it. Chef Levi turned around " Umm, what are you doing? "

My mouth moved before my brain could stop it, " Damn, you smell too fine. " I said.

He looked shocked and then turned around and said " Stop that" But the blush on his neck rose and I stared at him in shock.

" Are you blushing Chef Levi" I whispered and then moved closer to him and blew air down his neck.

He turned around and his eyes blazed and I could feel the emotions radiating from his body as he trembled.

" Keep your distance Mr. Besian." But his words did not hold any water.

" I wonder the kind of reaction I will get if I blow down your whole body?"

Chef Levi cleared his throat and moved an inch further away. " Move or I will cut your fingers"

The action made me stifle a laugh, and he moved away but not before I stated " You can't deny the chemistry between us. I felt it the first time I saw you, Levi."

And with that, I picked up the sugar and walked out of the pantry.

It was almost close to midnight when the last customer left. The junior chefs cleaned the kitchen, and the servers cleared the tables. Chef Levi was in his office while I held a small meeting with the team thanking them for all their help. After they left, I closed the restaurant doors and walked to Chef Levi's office and found him busy buried in his laptop.

" Chef Levi" I stated a wee bit loud" I would like you to review this idea and proposal. He looked up at me with irritation and then opened it for review.

As he was reading his eyes widened and then the smile he had was unimaginable. I could not resist as I walked over, lowered my head while Chef Levi's eyes widened, and then I kissed him.

It was breathless, and it was intense; it was magical. When my beast rose to the surface, I felt hunger for the first time in years. I quickly pulled away and then Chef Levi whispered " Leonardo i-" I cut him off with another kiss. It was brief, compassionate, and sweet. I was desperate for Chef Levi at the same time I needed to reign my beast.

" I need to leave before I do something stupid. Have a great night" After ending the kiss, they rushed out of the restaurant through the back door and flew home. I got to the apartment and rushed to the secret bunker, locked the door, and then let the beast out. Pain radiated in my body as my beast needed to feed. Hunger and the need for energy.

An hour later, I opened the bunker and walked to the shower, and thought to myself

" Levi Xander, how am I going to resist you"