Chapter 12 #2
I hiss in pain, as my back crashes into the wood.
Lanlin’s mouth is wider than before with snarling, long, razor-sharp fangs. They gnash at me, while he slams his iron-tipped claws into the dummy so close to my head that I feel the whoosh of displaced air.
With my power and magic suppressed, he could have killed me.
It’s fucking thrilling.
I grin back. I haven’t felt this alive for months.
“Who says that I need magic to beat you?” Lanlin murmurs.
“Who says that I will give you the chance?” I arc my daggers up in a move that has gutted more Bloods than I can count.
Lanlin is only just able to wrench his gloves out of the wooden dummy and pull back in time for the daggers to do more than shallowly cut his stomach.
I still grin in vicious victory.
I sniff, scenting the copper tang on the air.
I have scored first blood.
I can tell by the sudden shortness of breath that I have taken Lanlin by surprise.
How long has it been since any soldier has wounded him during sparring?
Lanlin’s eyes glow. He lets out a growl that makes my skin goosebump.
It promises war.
It promises that he is after my blood.
Yet it kindles a fire within me.
My grin widens.
I twirl around the dummy, and Lanlin pursues me in a dark blur. No one has been able to match, let alone exceed, my speed before.
Exhilarated, I lose myself in the battle of wits.
This isn’t about who is the better fighter.
Not being able to see Lanlin, I have to judge the slash of his claws and bite of his fangs by his curling incense scent, the glow of his red eyes, and the flash of sudden movements.
Lanlin is almost impossible to predict.
He doesn’t use planned and predictable orders of attack like when I would fight Ignatius in the Shadow Military Academy. This isn’t fighting learned through drills and training.
It’s a warrior’s soul with moves learned on a battlefield like me.
My dagger becomes stuck in Lanlin’s glove, and before I can yank it out, he slashes me across the chest.
I hiss in pain at the sting of the burn.
It’s not bad; he held back.
He’s simply answering the mark that I left on him.
The second blood.
Cheeky arsehole.
I yank my dagger free and twirl around, as if we’re dancing together in a forest glade. The air is fresh and sharp.
I forget everything in the heady buzz of the fight.
Suddenly, I lose track of where Lanlin is.
In the darkness around me, I spin the daggers in my hand. I turn around but I can’t see any movement.
I am panting, catching my breath. My chest is slicked with sweat.
On the Shadow Devils, where is he?
Nothing.
Unexpectedly, something barrels into me, knocking my daggers out of my hand. I let out a startled cry as I am knocked to the ground.
I wrestle, twisting in Lanlin’s grip.
He looks fucking feral.
I struggle to avoid his snapping fangs and the iron on his gloves.
Taking him by surprise, I headbutt him.
Lanlin hisses, burned by my mask. But he still doesn’t let go.
Lanlin’s pheromones deepen like a thick fog around him. Any Omega would be on their knees, choking on them.
I grit my teeth.
I grapple with Lanlin, but he shoves me onto my back.
Bloody hell.
I heave, trying to push Lanlin off me. He is heavier than I am, however, and he grabs my wrists, pushing me down. He is surprisingly careful now not to touch me with his claws.
Shocked, I stare up at him.
Slowly, Lanlin’s breathing steadies. His fangs shorten again.
He leans to whisper into my ear, “Why are you so surprised, Dove, that a monster like me, Supreme Commander of the Eternals, would beat you? This is your first lesson. In my nest, I am the King. Our Omega is the precious Queen. And you are merely the Blood Lover. It doesn’t matter that you’re an Alpha.
You have made a deal to serve me. Accept your position. ”
My expression crumples.
He didn’t…?
This wasn’t about seeing me. Respecting me as an equal.
This was about teaching me a lesson.
Putting me in my place.
“Get off me,” I snarl. “Stop bloody touching me.”
Instantly, Lanlin lets go of me.
Lanlin pushes himself to his feet, before waving to Freya. “Do I not win a kiss?”
I stay where I am.
I feel like Lanlin has reached into my chest and squeezed my heart until it has burst.
Why does neither Alpha accept me? Love me, as I would them?
I turn my head away.
Why does it matter? I won’t be here much longer.
It was nice, however, to lose myself in the dream to have a true pack for a little bit.
Suddenly, a hand appears in front of my eyes with a delicate snowflake mark on it.
Freya.
I grasp her offered hand, as she helps me to my feet.
“It was a good fight.” Freya traces her fingers just above my burn. “Anyway, can you measure who has the bigger knot in front of me next time without wounding each other? Why don’t we call a healer?”
“It’s nothing,” Lanlin replies. “I have balms that will heal these grazes.”
“Now, the kiss…” Freya strolls toward Lanlin.
I close my eyes.
I wouldn’t be able to see her well anyway, but I can’t watch this kiss.
I feel Freya’s happiness though through the bond. I hear her purring.
How is it possible to be so heartbroken and yet live?
“I have treats laid out in our nest for you.” Lanlin’s voice is low and sultry.
“You said that you liked chocolates, right? I wish to learn more about you and spend further time before the Blood Moon getting to know you. Would you allow me that — just the two of us? For a day or so at least, would you mind if I set up a separate chamber for your soulmate, so that I may court you myself? I wish to teach you things about the Blood Court that you will need to know as Queen.”
Of course he wants our Omega to himself.
I should have seen this coming.
Sighing, I open my eyes and push myself to my feet.
“Is that okay, Dove?” Freya sounds unsure.
But it’s a good idea.
She’ll learn more about both Lanlin and the court. She can spy and figure out things, to which I won’t have access.
I force myself to smile brightly. “Aye, your new groom wants to date you. Fae aren’t possessive. We know how to share. There’s enough love to go around.”
I hope that Lanlin gets the dig.
I stand, numb and hollow, a smile fixed on my face, as Lanlin whistles for Shadow and Devil. Then as Lanlin orders his demonic lions to act as bodyguards to walk my Omega — our Omega — back to his chamber, and away from me.
I don’t know for how bloody long.
Freya is gone.
Lanlin won.
He bloody won.
Except, not only his fight.
So much more.
Unexpectedly, there is sudden movement in front of me, a plume of incense smelling smoke, and gleaming red eyes, then Lanlin is ramming me back by his chest, until I am crushed into the wall.
The breath is knocked from me.
Startled, I stare into his glowing eyes.
I’ve miscalculated.
This is not Aurelius.
Lanlin is a true predator, and for the first time in my life, I am the true prey.
Caught in the depth of Lanlin’s eyes, I am trapped.
Outplayed.
The arsehole worked out what my heart’s deepest desire was: to be seen.
Respected.
Then he used it, before tearing me apart with claws and fangs.
Lanlin’s smile is darkly dangerous. “Why are you looking like I am about to feast on you, dear?”
“It is part of our deal.” I force myself to bare my neck, which is a hard thing to do for another Alpha, especially one with so many sharp teeth.
“Don’t you enjoy the idea of sinking your teeth into my delicious throat?
I’m meant to taste like ambrosia. They say fae blood will make you feel like you’re flying in the heavens with the Shadow Gods, even if you should be damned with the Shadow Devils. ”
Lanlin leans close enough to lick my neck.
I force myself to stand still.
To my surprise, however, he doesn’t touch me.
Instead, his gaze flicks up to me, before he whispers, “I know what you’re doing.”
“And what’s that?”
“You tempt me to bite, but really, you’re terrified.
” Lanlin reaches out to hover his gloved hand just above the pulsing artery in my neck and then down to my heaving chest. “Your mask can only hide your face, but the blood…the blood always reveals the truth. I can hear how fast your pulse is roaring, the thump thump thump of your heart, and follow the flow of blood, down and down…”
When his hand lowers even further, I snarl. “Fuck yourself on an ash pole with splinters. It only flows down there for Freya.”
“How loyal and shameless. Do you wish me to fuck you on such a pole? But I won’t keep an Alpha apart from their Omega forever.
I respect your bond.” Lanlin raises his head, and his hair falls over his eyes.
The moonlight catches on the diamonds in his hair like fallen stars. “Tell me, who are you really?”
My blood rushes in my ears, racing just as fast as he said it was.
I can’t control it.
He knows.
He must know.
How did he lull me into such a false sense of security?
How long has Lanlin known that I’m King Daire?
“My name is Dove,” I say as evenly as I can.
Lanlin’s lips quirk up like he’s strangely pleased by my answer. “I can tell more about someone by how they fight than anything else. Do you wish to know what I worked out about you?”
“Not really.”
“I learned that you are the only fighter who has ever been able to land a blow on me during sparring.” He leans even closer to whisper in my ear, “And my dear, I know that you are poisoned by iron…and almost blind.”
I startle.
Then I try to escape Lanlin’s hold, but he presses me more firmly against the wall.
He hushes me. “I will keep your secret. By my blood, I am impressed with how you compensate to move around and fight. But I watch people; it’s what I’ve spent my life doing. And I noticed your…”
“Weakness.”
“Strength,” Lanlin corrects. “This connection between us. There is something that I don’t understand. You will be honest with me about who you are, or barbaric as it is, I will break you like my court wishes me to.”
My breath stutters.
Lanlin doesn’t yet know who I am, or at least, maybe he suspects.
He guesses that I am no ordinary featherglass but he doesn’t know that I am a king.
I laugh. “Oh, may you forever miss the honey and only ever find the bees, you fanged bastard. Folks have been trying to break me since I was a child. Look at my body. Add more pretty scars. I still won’t tell you anything.
Who am I? I’m a brilliant fighter who was poisoned by that pet-hater Maximinus and doesn’t want my Omega to worry.
But go ahead — hurt me too. Pain means nothing to me anymore. ”
Lanlin draws back, studying me. “I bet that Relius was tricked by your clever words. Did he melt, soft and protective, when you played the victim? The same trick worked for me with him.”
My blood chills.
I grip the wall, as my heart races.
Maximinus could not have been more wrong about Lanlin.
I have never been manipulating Lanlin. He’s been manipulating me.
“Look at the welts on my back and tell me that Aurelius was soft on me,” I hiss.
“We both know that he would never have done that to you. He hates the whip.” Lanlin tilts his head. “But do you think that I am the type of monster who would scar a Blood Lover?”
I narrow my eyes, remembering the scar on Sobek’s face and the exchange between Lanlin and him.
I won’t let Lanlin be the only one to stick in the knife.
“You’re the type of monster who scarred your own brother,” I guess.
Lanlin flinches back from me.
“Half-brother,” he corrects automatically.
I knew it.
Lanlin turns away. “You feel like mine, but also, like lies. My duty is to protect my Omega first, and kingdom second. Until I trust you, I can’t allow you into my nest again.
I am sending you to the Guild of Blood Lovers to be trained.
I don’t know their practices or traditions because I have never taken a Blood Lover.
I will ensure, however, that whoever you are matched with at the end still allows you to take part in the Blood Moon, when I will feast on your blood to fulfill our deal.
Then you may rut with our Omega. But you will belong to someone else.
Aren’t you pleased, dear, to no longer need to spend time with this monster? ”
I shake in horror.
How has the Raven King been outplayed?