Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Ama
I'd really had every intention of figuring out an escape plan earlier after the odd encounter with Eryx and Luce. But exhaustion had won out, and I had succumbed to the blissful state of unconsciousness that sleep provided.
As I woke from my nap and stretched, enjoying the soft silk of the sheets against my skin, I sighed heavily.
I needed to figure out a new strategy for handling Luce at lunch.
Clearly, provoking him wasn't a method that was going to work, and I couldn't risk having him kill my mates if I pushed him too far.
The man was a loose cannon, and I wasn't willing to risk finding out if he'd make good on that promise.
Staring at the stone ceiling, I ran through other options.
Should I try acting like I was truly giving in to what he wanted? Lure him into a false sense of security?
Perhaps that was what I should have done from the beginning. I had been so furious about being taken that I couldn't have played that charade last night, though.
Going forward, I could act like the perfect little mate. I needed to feed on his energy and restore my own reserves, first and foremost. Being weak was not something I could afford right now, and I needed to get my magic back from him.
Two birds, one stone.
I'd feed on him while luring him into my trap and convince him to give my powers back.
Could I even feed without my magic? I'd have to cross that bridge when I got there.
Pushing myself out of bed, I gave a self-satisfied nod of my head, pleased with this plan of attack.
Luce had made it so obvious what he wanted.
I'd answer his questions and allow his soft touches.
I'd give him the conversation he wanted at meals.
I'd be out of here and on the front lines in no time once I blasted through the barrier he'd constructed around the castle.
As I shrugged back into my dress from this morning and smoothed it down, a thought occurred to me, and I groaned in annoyance.
Fuck. This plan was not flawless.
He could teleport and just grab me wherever I went.
Even if I managed to escape and fly to my mates in Pura, Luce could just grab me in an instant when he found me missing.
Plus, then he really could hurt my mates—especially since they would be right there—and something told me he wouldn’t miss out on that opportunity.
"One step at a time, Ama," I breathed out, reminding myself this wasn't hopeless, but that I just needed to be open to adapting the plan along the way as I thought of better ideas.
First things first. Get my magic back and feed for energy reserves.
As I took the same path from this morning into the dining hall, I prepared myself to don my new persona. I'd grit my teeth and make it through this because I had no other choice. I wouldn't be a damsel in distress waiting for my mates to come get me.
I plastered on a fake smile as I entered and met Luce's eyes. His own narrowed in response, clearly confused by my change in demeanor.
Shit. Okay, maybe I was coming on too strong. I'd need to be more subtle with my change of personality, otherwise he'd read right through my bullshit.
"I just had the best nap," I gushed, covering up the real reason for my smile in a way that hopefully wouldn't cause any suspicion.
He eyed me warily as I took the seat next to him instead of the one at the opposite end of the table and asked me, "Why did you nap after you had just woken up?"
I stared at the pasta on my plate and quickly weighed the pros and cons of telling him partial truths. Could I gain sympathy from him by telling him I didn't feel well without my magic? If he cared about me as much as he claimed, it could be a viable option.
Gingerly, I moved my hand to rest on top of his while widening my eyes innocently, I sighed, "I understand why you wanted to take my powers.
You wanted us to be able to focus on each other without worrying about me escaping...
but I don't..." I trailed off, slightly unnerved by the intensity radiating from his golden eyes. Okay, maybe this acting thing wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d assumed.
When his eyes were on me, I felt like he was stripping me bare—and not in a sexy way.
This was more in the “I can see directly into your soul” kind of way.
His face hardened immediately, and he turned his hand over to hold mine, "What is wrong, Little Temptress?"
My heart did a flip in my chest, which annoyed me because it proved I cared just a tiny bit about Luce.
It felt good to know that he genuinely cared about my wellbeing, and that wasn't something I could give in to.
I couldn't become distracted from what I needed to do, which was escape.
I couldn't allow him to worm his way into my heart.
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with my free hand, I licked my lips nervously before answering honestly, "I don't feel well without my powers. I feel utterly drained, and my Succubus needs are still within me, even with my magic gone. I need to feed."
All of that was the truth, and I was finding it quite shocking how easy this situation had been so far. He seemed very receptive. Maybe it wouldn't be as hard as I’d initially thought. Perhaps there was a logical side to his brain, in addition to the overbearing caveman one he'd shown me thus far.
Compassion I hadn’t thought he was capable of flashed across his face, making my mouth part in shock. He was so damned handsome when he wasn't rambling about killing my mates and forcing me to love him.
"Come here, love," he pulled on my hand gently as he slid his chair back.
He wanted me to sit on his lap? That was a little weird, but I told myself I would go along with his request so I could try to get what I needed. I also refused to consider why I found the idea of being that close to him so damned appealing.
Focus, Ama. Fucking focus.
I had to force myself to keep the confusion off my face, opting instead for a neutral look as I hesitantly stood and closed the space between us. When I turned to sit on him sideways, he grabbed my hips and tugged me so I was straddling him.
A soft gasp escaped me as our noses brushed and his hands tightened on my waist. I didn't want to think about how my arms naturally went around his neck or how well we seemed to fit.
His golden eyes filled with desire, and I felt exactly how much he wanted me with my core pressed so firmly against him. The only things separating us were his dress pants and the thin scrap of material that was my underwear.
My eyes fluttered as I focused back on what I needed. But maybe I could use this to my advantage. I'd always been against using my Succubus allure to get what I wanted—had utterly despised even the thought of it. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
His hand lifted, and he trailed his fingers softly down the side of my face, "Such a beautiful Little Temptress," he muttered, and my breath hitched as his thumb rubbed across my bottom lip.
I resisted the urge to bite his thumb and kept my breathing even as his eyes roved over me with a dark intensity.
His hand drifted to my throat and applied pressure to the sides as he leaned in to whisper into my ear, "Love, I may have just woken up again recently, but that doesn't mean I was just born. I know you're trying to play me."
My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to recover, "No! Everything I just told—" my words were cut off as he sealed his lips to mine. A growl rumbled from his chest, and he pulled back so quickly I wondered if the kiss had even happened.
Pushing me from his lap, he stood quickly, making me stumble and grip the table. I swallowed nervously as he growled out, "If you weren't playing me, your body wouldn't have frozen in shock when I kissed you!"
He had me there, but I couldn't let him know that.
"It's all just so new," I explained, my eyes widening as I implored him, "Just give me time. I have to catch up to where you are mentally. It's just a lot to take in, but everything I told you is true. I need to have my magic back and feed to survive."
He began to pace back and forth, looking very much like a caged animal ready to destroy anyone who got in his path as he seethed, "No, Ama. You know what I want from you—how much I crave you—and you’re using your body to make it seem that I’ve made headway with you.
That you feel anything between us besides lust.” Before I could respond, he suddenly stopped, turned to stare at me, and threw his arms out, "The thing is, my Little Temptress, I don't just want your body. I want all of you!"
He was in my space in an instant, grasping my chin, “Your heart. Your mind. Your body. Your fucking soul.”
The sentiment should have been endearing, but deep down, it was just terrifying. I had no words for him.
Stepping back, he ran his hand across his face roughly in frustration before pinning me with his gaze and asking, "Do you think I went to sleep because I couldn't find a woman to warm my bed? No."
I couldn't let myself explore why the idea of other women warming his bed made my chest clench with jealousy. I’d told him that I'd never accept him—that we would never have what I had with my true mates—and I'd meant that. Hadn't I?
Well, half of it, I definitely had. But the whole not accepting him part...
it was like my heart and my mind were at war over what to do with this man in front of me.
I could feel the intensity of the passion he felt for me, and it honestly lit every fiber of my being on fire when we were near each other.
But he'd made it clear that it was him or no one, and that just wasn't something I was capable of giving him. So, where did that leave us?
He continued before I had a second to respond, "I promise you that I could have had anyone I chose.
What I couldn't find was the other half of my soul—that other being who made my heart swell with so much love it threatened to burst. I saw it in so many people in the realm, and I ached so badly for it...
" he trailed off, his voice cracking at the end.
Nibbling my lip, I tried to use the pain of the bite to hold back the tears threatening to spill.
I shouldn’t have cared. I shouldn’t have responded to the pure emotion in his voice.
But my eyes burned with tears in response to how passionately he’d spoken about love and wanting connection.
He sounded like he’d been so alone…and I understood that. I understood that so fucking much.
Could a bad man love the concept of love?
Was he a bad man?
Was he just lonely?
Was he just misunderstood?
Taking a step towards him, I took a shuddering breath and asked, "If you have been wanting this bond between us for so long, then why are you not treating this like the precious gift it is?"
His golden brows slammed together, creating a deep crease in his skin there as he scoffed at my question. "Are you completely delusional? I am treating it that way. You're the one who wants to deny this and throw it out like it is meaningless to you!"
I shook my head sadly, knowing I needed to say the words that came to my mind. Not to hurt him this time, but to attempt to get him to understand where I was coming from.
One tear leaked from the corner of my eye as I said, "That's exactly what you're asking me to do with the men who have proven to me they are worthy of this bond between us—or are at least trying to prove it. They have won my heart over."
His chest began to rise and fall rapidly, and his face reddened with anger, but I pushed on, the words flying out of me, "I didn't fall into their arms just because the universe decided they were my fated mates, and I won't do that with you, either.
A bond only offers us the opportunity to know who we are compatible to spend our lives with, but that doesn't mean we don't have to put the work into it like any other relationship. "
"I'm not like those miscreants! I am the god of this realm!" he roared. I felt his magic crackling through the room around us like an energy field, making my skin pebble with goosebumps.
A soft sigh came from me as my energy began to wane once more.
I offered him a resigned look and spoke clearly, knowing he needed to hear it, "You may be a self-proclaimed god, but you aren't worthy of my love." I left him in silence as I went back to my room, hoping he realized that my words weren’t intended to be cruel. It was simply the truth…any man who caged me wasn’t worthy of my love.