Chapter 10 #2
When he woke from his stupor, he limped out of the fighting ring. The look he sent my way was equal parts anger and fear. It had been too long since I’d gotten into the fighting ring with the males. He’d forgotten what it was like to fight me, and he hadn’t expected to struggle so much.
Hopefully, it would make him think twice about defying me again.
Especially when it came to Leda. If there were any males who would overstep the boundaries I’d set, it was him.
As much as I wanted to throw him out of training, he was here by order of the king.
I had no say unless he violated a law or dishonored me in some way.
I could not even approach the king and ask for his removal because, by our laws, he’d done nothing wrong when it came to Leda.
The knowledge grated me, stoking my rage even higher.
As much as I wished it wouldn’t happen, I knew it was only a matter of time before one of the soldiers defied me and tried to get closer to her.
They were here to train with me, but I was retired from the King’s military.
Therefore, they weren’t technically under my command, but his.
I would only have recourse if they crossed the line with her because she was considered my property.
Even the punishments I threatened them with were borderline inappropriate.
While our laws would support punishment, damaging a human belonging to another daemon was considered a lesser crime, the same as breaking a window or knocking down someone’s door. But no magistrate in Penumbra would sentence a male to castration and death for hurting a human woman.
While honor would demand that they follow my orders, not all daemons were honorable. If integrity wouldn’t hold them back, perhaps fear would.
I let my gaze move over the soldiers as I spoke. “Your skills are improving. We will have another training session like this one in a few days.”
Extra training would improve their skills and keep my lust for my little human guest in check.
I needed an outlet for my desire and aggression, as well as my rage at the entire situation and my inability to take more steps to protect her.
It would also allow me to release the frustration of the mating instinct going unanswered.
With a nod to Guldan, I left the fighting ring and walked back into the manor.
Masu was in the kitchen, making afternoon tea. When she saw me, she sighed and reached into the warming drawer under the oven, bringing out a bowl full of rice, vegetables, and chicken in a rich gravy.
“Don’t you dare sit at my table with all that dirt on you,” she directed, pointing to the wall by the kitchen door.
I took the bowl. “Thank you for keeping a bowl warm for me.”
I fished a fork out of the box that held cutlery and walked over to the wall, leaning against it.
“Get it out of your system?” Masu asked.
“Get what out of my system?” I took a bite of the chicken and scooped up some rice.
The imp shot me a sharp look. “You realized I’m not blind, right? And don’t answer this question with another question.”
I took another big bite, chewing and swallowing before I answered. “If I had any idea what you were asking me about, I would answer you.”
Masu laid her spoon to the side and turned to me, putting her hands on her hips. “Even a blind imp could see that you want the human, Master. What I want to know is, why are you fighting your mating instincts?”
I focused on eating my food instead of answering her.
She walked over to me, stopping right in front of me, and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m waiting.”
I finished the last bite of chicken and rice in the bowl and shrugged. “She wants nothing to do with me. And she wants to go home as soon as she’s able.”
Masu took the empty bowl from my hands. “That may be true now, but that doesn’t mean it will always be true.”
“She doesn’t belong here, Masu.”
“But she could.” The imp took my bowl to the sink and began washing it out. “She watches you when you’re not looking, you know.”
My skin felt too tight and too hot at her words.
“Why are you telling me this?” I asked her, my jaw tight.
“Because you have time to convince her.”
“I’m not doing that. She’s here against her will and deserves a chance to return to her life.”
“And you deserve someone who makes you happy,” she snapped. “I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her. All these years and not even a nudge from your mating instincts. You’ve been around many females, and this is the first time you’ve even reacted to one.”
“I can’t do anything about the mating instincts,” I told her. “If I give in, I won’t be able to let her leave. And I can’t force her to stay with me, Masu. She’ll either end up hating me or killing me. It’s best for both of us if I keep my distance.”
“You were a great general, so it surprises me that you’re blind to your other options.”
“What other options, Masu?” I asked, my voice rising as I threw my hands in the air.
“Show her who you are. Give her a chance to know you. Let her see what you could have together. Not just as friends, but as lovers.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that either.”
“Why not?” Masu asked, sounding as frustrated as I felt.
“Because the closer I get to her… the longer I’m around her… the stronger the mating instincts become.”
“You are the strongest male I know,” she argued. “You can do anything you wish. Including fighting your mating instincts. Don’t give up what may be your one opportunity for happiness because you fear it won’t work out. Those are the times you should give all you have.”
I sighed because she sounded a great deal like my mother. And, since my mother was no longer alive, Masu obviously intended to step into her shoes, even though she wasn’t technically old enough to have given birth to me.
“Where is Leda?” I asked.
“She’s in the library.”
“Has she eaten?”
Masu nodded. “About an hour ago. After she watched you beat the shit out of Talus.” A smirk spread across my housekeeper’s face when she said it. “I think she enjoyed it.”
I had no idea how to respond to that statement, so I jerked my chin up and headed toward the door.
“You should bathe and change before you take Leda to the market,” Masu said from behind me.
I turned to stare at her with confusion. “Take her to the market?”
“You were going to the shop that carries supplies for humans, were you not?” she asked, her expression the picture of innocence.
“I considered it but—”
Masu waved a hand. “You should take her. She needs things. She asked me if I had any fabric today and started muttering something about needing items called…underwear.”
“What’s that?”
She shrugged. “I asked her the same thing. She said it’s garments that humans wear beneath their clothes. She tried to explain it to me, but it didn’t make sense. Still, it sounded as though she would be happier if she had this underwear.”
“Guldan mentioned something about shoes earlier,” I mused. “Maybe I should take her to get those as well.”
“Shoes?”
Like daemons, imps had clawed feet and thick skin. Our feet rarely required protection. If we did wear anything on our feet, it was only boots. I’d never heard of the term shoes before.
“He explained they were foot coverings that kept humans from injuring their feet. Their skin is not as tough as ours, and their bodies are more delicate. Even the males.”
“Then you should definitely take her for those so she can go outside more often.” Masu came toward me, making a shooing motion with her hands.
“Now, go wash that dirt off and put on some decent clothes. I’m not sure about humans, but I know daemon females love a good shopping trip.
This might be a way for you to start your strategy to win her. ”
I didn’t bother arguing with Masu. I had no strategy to win Leda. My only goal was to endure the harsh voice of my mating instincts while she remained with me and to survive her absence once she returned to her world.
That was the best I could hope for.