Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Ama
I’d been kidnapped by a certifiably insane bastard who thought he was the devil.
The most frustrating part was that I couldn’t deny there was a pull and connection there with him, similar to what I had experienced with my mates when I’d first met them. Except, instead of the sensation of excitement, paired with nervousness and confusion, all I felt right now was fear.
Okay, that wasn't true. I felt a fuck ton of lust rolling off him, which I knew was an attempt to make me pliable and receptive to the shit he was spouting.
I mean, seriously...the fucking devil? That was who he chose to pretend to be?
Ridiculous. Everyone knew the devil had been asleep for a long time and had no intention of coming back. Right?
My chest rose and fell with each deep breath I took.
Our eyes remained locked on each other as silence stretched between us.
He probably thought I needed time to absorb his statement, but what I was really trying to deduce was how the hell I was going to get out of here.
I was serious—even if he was the devil, it wouldn’t change the fact that I planned on getting the hell out of here.
Sexy devil dream man was no match for a pissed off Ama.
I scowled as drops of water from his wet hair dripped haphazardly onto my face. I hadn’t signed up to be kidnapped, and I definitely hadn’t signed up for water torture.
I had told Drayven I could handle anything that came my way once I woke up, and I’d meant it. I wouldn’t cry or beg for my mates to drop everything and come save me. I’d get myself out of this, and then I’d join them for the war—no matter what it took to make that happen.
Which could be a lot. I mean, who knew what the hell was running through Luce’s brain? Luce. That’s what I was going to call him. It was easier for me to call him Luce than Lucifer because I definitely wasn’t ready to believe he was the devil.
“The devil is asleep,” I pointed out with faux calm. “And even if he had a mate—which he doesn’t—he or she would have been born ages ago. Why would the Fates bring together an immortal being and a mortal? I mean, come on. If you’re going to tell a story or lie, at least make it believable.”
A dark look flashed across his once-amused expression, sending a surge of worry through me.
Despite my weird comfortability with him, I didn’t know this man at all.
I didn’t know what he was capable of, aside from harnessing an insane amount of power and portaling me places…
Yeah, maybe I needed to play along a bit more until I figured out how to escape.
Luce tilted his head, the action almost predatory, “What reason do I have to lie?”
That was a fair question.
“Maybe you’re just delusional,” I hissed. “It would explain why you kidnapped me.”
“The only delusion occurring is the one where you think you can leave me.”
“Right…” I drew out, narrowing my eyes and wondering what would happen if I tried to use my Succubus powers on him. I wasn’t super well-practiced, but if this man already thought we were mates, maybe he would think the lure was just a natural attraction and wouldn’t suspect anything…
“Ama, your magic won’t work on me,” Luce leveled, looking amused once again. “While I admit to finding the idea of your hot little body pinning me to the bed quite sexy, I could easily roll your magic with a blink of my eye. Fighting would be a waste of your time.”
“Get off me,” I growled. “If you are so unworried, get off.”
“Would love to,” he muttered under his breath, causing my face to flush with heat.
Luckily, he must not have caught my reaction because he backed up and stood at the side of the bed, his gaze still completely focused on me.
I noticed he smoothed down his white dress shirt in what I had a feeling was a nervous habit.
Would the devil have nervous habits? Surely not.
I couldn’t lie, the man was extremely attractive—and dressed like he knew it—but I tried to not focus on that, instead applying my mental powers to figuring out how to convince him he wasn’t my mate.
He might have been my beautiful captor, but that was where the beauty ended.
Any man who wanted to cage me wasn’t a man I wanted as a mate.
“You never answered me about the devil being asleep. How does that work into your little story?” I hedged, trying to make small talk. My gaze traveled around the room as I tried to subtly gauge escape options.
“I woke up.”
His serious expression had my brows rising, “Sure, the devil just woke up.”
“I do believe the concept of waking up has stayed much the same over time.” His shoulders moved as he laughed deeply, water droplets flying from his hair and landing on me, making my scowl deepen.
“That’s bullshit,” I growled.
“I don’t know what to tell you.” He put his hands out in an innocent gesture, “I am clearly here in the flesh and not asleep.”
My eyes narrowed at the sarcasm coating his words. Pushing myself off the bed and putting a few feet of distance between us, I said, “Prove it.”
A part of me was both nervous and excited, wanting him to prove me wrong—to prove he was the most powerful being in the realm. But the logical part of me knew I’d be in deep shit if that was the case. I had a feeling I was about to find out either way.
My body tensed as he prowled towards me, and I drew my powers towards my core, preparing myself for a fight.
But all he did was stop in front of me and run his hand down my cheek softly, asking, “Did you not feel the realm quake when I woke? Your soul called out for me and told me you needed me. It was the only thing that could have disrupted my sleep spell, Ama.”
The volcano...he had awoken then. Could it really be? I didn’t remember calling out to him, but the volcano had erupted right after I had been knocked unconscious during the coup. Hadn’t that been when the dreams had started?
"Fuck," I cursed, hating that it all added up. Jerking my head from his hand and taking a step back, I exhaled roughly, “That proves nothing. Anyone who felt the ground shake could have used that as an excuse. It doesn’t prove the eruption was tied to you or that you’re the freakin’ devil.
I mean, that’s insane! Literally insane. ”
“What do you want to see?” he asked as he spread his arms wide and three black wings sprang out on each side of him. “Do you want to see my Seraphim wings, which were once pearly white but turned black during my fall?”
My mouth dropped open in shock. I had never seen wings like that before—ever.
They were gorgeous, and my eyes couldn’t move away from them.
I’d seen drawings of Seraphim before— no other being could have those wings.
I had to fight the overwhelming urge to reach out and run my fingers over his. They were exquisite.
Luce flipped his palms up, and twin black and red flames rose from his skin, making my eyes go wide.
Mirth filled his voice as he asked, “Or would you prefer to see me level this castle? How about some insignificant piece of the realm? Would that prove to you who I am?” He was clearly enjoying my state of shock.
“N...No,” I stuttered.
“Then tell me, Little Temptress, what I can do to prove myself to you?”
Oh man, that was a loaded statement. I could see his skin growing luminescent, and between that, the wings, and the fire dancing on his palms…I felt realization slam into me, and I struggled to grasp my new reality.
Luce was the devil.
I’d been kidnapped by the devil, who was claiming that he was my mate. The connection I felt with him—the same one I’d felt with my other mates—would mean that... I was his mate. He was right.
That didn’t change my plans, though.
I shook my head to clear the shock from my system and tilted my chin up. “You want to prove yourself to me? Then accept that I am not yours just because the fucking Fates said so," I hissed, venom filling my voice.
A deep, sensual laugh flowed from his lips before he graced me with a vicious smile, "Oh, how wrong you are, darling. It is this simple: you are in my castle with me, and those scum are out there. You will never be with them again."
I’d always considered myself fairly even-tempered.
Even when I was pissed, I didn’t usually overreact or say shit I didn’t mean…
but this was different. Not only was I being told I wouldn’t be leaving—that I’d continue to be caged— but he was also insulting my mates and claiming I would never be returned to them.
That shit wasn’t going to fly with me.
Taking him by surprise, I called my scythe to my hand and launched myself into the air, my wings propelling me toward him, and a battle cry ripping from my throat. "I will never stay here with you!"
I brought my scythe down on him as he stood there looking exasperated, holding his hand up at the last minute and completely nullifying my powers. They sputtered out, and my scythe— along with my abilities—disappeared moments before I crashed into him. Hard.
No! How? Where had my powers gone?!
I was frantically searching for them within myself and breathing heavily in my state of panic. As I moved to shove Luce away from me, his arms closed around me like steel bands, holding me to him in a grip that verged on painful.
Luce’s eyes danced with a combination of aggression and pain, as if I’d wounded him with my actions. "You are my mate, Amare. You belong only to me. So, rid your mind of them because you will never see them again."
The truth settled over my heart like a lead weight, and I fixed him with a look of pure disgust. Before I could process them myself, the words slipped from my lips, "Having my body here does not mean you have my heart. I don’t know what the Fates were thinking, but judging by your actions thus far, it’s clear to me that you will never have it.
My heart is with those seven men, and there is nothing you can do to change that. "
His jaw clenched, and rage burned brightly in his eyes as he hissed, "You underestimate how much can change when we have eternity together."
"And you underestimate what true love is," I bit back, my mates’ faces filling my mind, giving me the strength to stand up to the devil.
It seemed pointless to mention I was definitely not immortal, which meant we did not have eternity together. He must have been more delusional than I’d thought if he didn't realize that.
"You will learn to love me," he said, and his eyes landed on my lips, as if he was going to attempt to kiss me again.
When his eyes flicked back up to mine, he added, "We're destined to have a love so deep that nothing else matters. Everyone else out there? They will fight this war I see brewing, and they will kill each other off until no one is left besides us. We’ll start a new era after this realm has been cleansed.”
“I will never allow that to happen,” I vowed, my voice filled with a confidence I didn’t fully feel.
His arms suddenly dropped, and I jumped back, placing several feet between us. He shook his head and chuckled, "One day, you're going to be begging for my touch, Little Temptress. Mark my words."
“Never,” I spat back vehemently.
There's no way I could ever love a man who was this delusional and egotistical. Why had we been given a mate bond? If I hadn’t met my other men and realized they were my mates, I could have pretended this was extreme attraction instead of the intense mate bond it truly was.
If Luce wouldn't listen to me, I'd simply have to ignore him until he grew tired of trying to convince me of his asinine ideas. Or, I’d fight him tooth and nail with every move. I’d have to wait this out to see how he was going to play it.
Moving to sit back on the bed I had awoken in, I rested on the edge and glanced out the window, which was covered in metal bars on the outside. I felt the fight drain from me as I truly considered the situation I was stuck in.
I thought of my mates again, and my heart ached to be with them.
To be by their sides, freeing the capital from the tyranny of the Dark Elves.
I just needed to hold onto the truth I knew in my heart—that they would find me.
They would come for me as soon as the war was over.
I just had to wait it out...however long that took.
Damnit, I didn’t want to wait it out. I needed to be there for the war. To help. I could feel it in my soul: it was absolutely essential that I be there.
Glancing over my shoulder at Luce, I decided to offer up one final proclamation before I took my vow of silence—for now.
"One day, when I am nothing but a shell of the person you think you want, you're going to realize that you took everything from me when you caged me… and you will regret it. Mark my words."
The only response I got was his lips parting with a sharp intake of breath, and I turned back around to gaze out the window of my prisoner cell. Moments later, the door opened, then closed again, and I heard the telling sound of a key turning in the lock from the outside.
I was trapped with the devil himself. The most powerful being in the realm was supposedly my mate. Yet, I knew no amount of power would rid me of the love I had in my heart for my true mates, who were fighting a war that would change the realm as we knew it.
Steeling myself for the mind games I knew would undoubtedly be on the docket for the duration of my imprisonment, I vowed to take control. I'd turn the tables on Luce and play by my own rule—the singular mandate that would govern everything I did as long as I remained in this cage.
Above all else, I would do anything it took to get myself out of here…even if it meant killing the devil himself.