by Dahlia Lu
“Does he love her?”
“Madly...”
“Nauseatingly...”
He had been looking at it all wrong. No matter how much pain he inflicted on Lucifer physically, the archangel would shake it off like nothing had ever happened. Pain may be a mortal’s weakness, but not Lucifer’s. His greatest weakness had always been…
Lucifer’s jaunty laughter echoed in his mind.
Lucifer’s greatest weakness had always been his overbearing pride. Pain goes away, but a scar on Lucifer’s pride was indelible. Permanent....
“Does he love her?”
“Madly...”
“Nauseatingly....”
His lips deviously curled upward. The leverage he had acquired was far more valuable than he had previously thought. Lucifer may be an archangel, but he was also a man. And a man is most vulnerable when it comes to his female, he thought.
Noctis materialized in her bedroom, watching over the mortal as she slept soundly in the comfort of her warm bed. She stretched her body several times, purred like a cat, and coiled up again. Her soft breathing sounded like the rhythm of the night. His gaze went from her plump, nude lips to down her slender neck, then to her generous breasts.
Tsk… Tsk... You left your heart wide in the open, Lucifer.
Chapter Three
Trent, otherwise known as The First Prince of Hell, prowled the immortal’s nightclub for a man that fit his mother’s description – an uncommonly tall male with long dark hair and pale blue eyes with dark rings around the edge. He decided to focus on the first clue and then narrowed it down.
The lycans were exceptionally tall males.
Lysander the Wicked, King of the Lycans, can usually be found in this area. Finding him may not be a challenge, but the stubborn wolf may not cooperate. He may have to use force, but he would do whatever it takes to find her. He needed to find Amara and soon. He could not stand the sorrowfully worried look in his mother’s eyes.
The females eyed him as he walked past, showing deep interests. He ignored them. He slightly turned to the side when he caught the eye of Cristiano; the Cunning Vampire Lord, who was sitting at the rounded corner table with two females on his lap. A smirk appeared on his face when he saw Trent making his way through the club.
Trent’s pale blue eyes narrowed when he identified one of the females sitting at the circle was Nala – the demon princess – his other half. Her pale green eyes widened when she saw him, but then her expression became serene. She got up, shoved the females sitting on the vampire’s lap to the ground and took their place. Her hands rested on each side of his shoulders and the vampire shuddered at the gesture. She kept a keen gaze on Trent as she licked the corner of the vampire’s lips, obviously intending on provoking him. No time to fall for one of her tricks. He needed to stay focused and look for Amara. Not a minute to waste.
“Get out of here.” He warned her through telepathy.
“I am having so much fun.” Nala replied.
“This is not a request. Leave… Now...”
She leaned her head back and laughed. She swept her long platinum hair aside and bared her neck to the vampire.
Trent dematerialized, and then re-materialized next to them. He yanked her away before the fangs sank into her flesh. The vampire growled at him, baring his sharp fangs. The nightclub went still in anticipation. Undaunted, his gaze turned to the girl who smiled up at him in satisfaction. She leaned against his chest, clinging on to him.
Trent pulled away from her.
She waved a hand to the vampire and he slowly sank down to his seat. The nightclub was flooded with incoherent noises again.
“Leave this place at once,” he said flatly.
“Are you leaving with me?” She asked.
“No, I have something I need to do.”
“Like what?”
“Finding the Lycan King, so I can ask about Amara’s whereabouts. She was abducted from the castle and mother is very worried.”
“Oh…that girl,” Nala scoffed. “She has everything, doesn’t she?” Nala looked up at him. “Fine, I will leave.”
He exhaled.
“But I want to remind you.” She tiptoed forward and whispered into his ear. “You are mine, Trent. If any woman dares to lay a finger on you, I will tear her to pieces and send her back to you in a box! Every strand of hair on your head and every drop of blood that flows through your veins are mine!” She leaned back, smiled, and disappeared.
He shook his head and closed his blue eyes.
Nala… the source of my misery and the bane of my existence…
When he opened his eyes again, he spotted the one he was looking for. The Lycan King was sitting among his kin against the red brick wall. Trent summoned his sword, shifted across the nightclub and rested it on the Lycan’s neck. His kin bolted up and snarled at him.
The Lycan King’s eyes lazily looked up, imposing as always.
“This is a rare occasion, Trent.” the Lycan spoke and waved a hand to calm his kin. “What can I do for you?”
“I am looking for a mortal girl, about five feet, three inches, raven black hair, blue-grey eyes, by the name of Amara. Seen her?”
The Lycan snickered. “You think that I took her? What would I want with a mortal? If you’re looking for a mortal, you should be asking that bloodsucker over there.” He gestured toward Cristiano.
The Vampire glared back from across the room.
Trent slowly withdrew his sword. “Then have you seen a very tall man, long dark hair and pale blue eyes with dark rings on the outer edge?”
“You’re describing a third of my clan, including myself.”
“Then I need you to look into this for me.”
“What is the girl to you?” the Lycan asked.
“Foster sister,” Trent replied casually.
“You have a lot of those.”
His mother raises orphans as a means to pass the time. “Summon me if you find anything on her.”
“If I had anything on her then it would be up for negotiation,” the Lycan said as he leaned back against his seat.
“Naturally...”
There were three options Amara could choose under these circumstances. She could stay and be a good little captive, she could attempt to escape, or she could choose to outsmart the ancient god into letting her go. She crossed out the first option immediately. If her captor had been someone pleasant to be around, then she wouldn’t mind remaining a prisoner. She certainly didn’t mind the vampire’s company. If she attempted to escape, how far could she run before she’s caught? Almost all immortals were inclined to enjoy a good hunt. She refused to be entertainment.
This brings her one last option.
The plan was unsound. A twenty year old mortal attempting to outsmart an ancient god… How absurd! But then again, he’s not a very sound god. Considering the circumstances, an unsound plan and an unsound god may result in a sound escape.
She shook her head. What the hell was she thinking about? As if that made any sense…
She could do what all great beauties in history had done best, which was to utilize the art of seduction to bring kingdoms to their knees. She had proof that the half-mad deity was also a man. Perhaps she should give the beauties some credit and give their strategy a try.
A scheming giggle escaped her.
“Plotting something?” He whispered into her ear.
Startled, she bolted up from the sofa.
He rounded the sofa, sank down, and rested his legs on the coffee table as if he owns the place. “You think that just because your surprise-attack caught me off guard that I somehow developed an attraction toward you. Don’t delude yourself, mortal. I was only stunned by a revelation… an epiphany.”
She frowned. “That hurts.”
“Let this be an assessment of y
our intelligence. What is the most disgraceful situation that can happen to a man?”
“Is that a serious question?”
“Is it too tricky for you?”
“No, it is not.” She began to ponder. “I’m guessing public humiliation or finding his wife in bed with another man. Tell me I’m right.”
“Partially,” he said with an amused smile on his face. “I am torn between three options.”
“Options…?”
“What would inflict the most pain to a man? Is it when his bride is tortured, raped, and then killed in front of his eyes or when his bride willingly betrays him and then is killed in front of his eyes?”
“And the third option…?” She asked curiously.
“Keep the purest image of his bride intact and murder her in front of him.”
“In another word, I’d die either way.”
He sighed troublesomely. “Now you see my dilemma. They all sound…”
“Diabolical?”
“That is an interesting choice of words.”
For reasons unbeknownst to her, she smiled teasingly. “Are you trying to seduce me to get to Lucifer?”
“Me?” He threw back his head and laughed. “You think that I would? I want revenge, but not that bad.” His laughter ceased. “Well, I do want it that bad, but I won’t resort to that. Using my… on you would be… excessive.”
“Excessive?” She gasped in mounting disbelief. “You did not just say that!”
“Is there something wrong with your hearing also?”
“I hope so!”
“Poor little mortal and her defects…” he said and then scowled. “I’m doing the pity thing again, aren’t I?”
“Congratulations! You’ve just reached a higher plane of male arrogance!”
“I am a god.”
She exhaled. “If you are not personally seducing me, then who do you have in mind?”
“I said nothing about seducing.”
Horror crept up her face. “You don’t mean…”
A wicked grin appeared on his face.
She slowly shook her head, showing disappointment. “I have been hesitating, but not anymore. I vow that I, me, a lowly mortal, will make you fall in love with me, so much so that you would be tormented by every misdeed you inflicted upon me.”
He met her gaze. “You will make me fall in love with you?”
“Madly,” she answered confidently.
With a slight cock of his head, he said, “Make it interesting. I will proudly keep a record of every misdeed.”
“Oh, I will,” she promised. “I will!”
“Let us start while the forge is hot, shall we? I found a vicious pack of Lycans – whatever they are –while I was taking a stroll. Terrible manners...I want you to meet them.”
Her eyes widened. “Lycans…?”
“With any luck, they might be able break that fiery spirit of yours and maybe a leg or two.”
“Why don’t you it yourself?” She asked, staring at him challengingly.
“I am confident they can see it through better than myself.”
He stood and cupped her elbow. The scenery around them changed into a dark room with a single light bulb. Dizziness… She turned around sharply and gasped when she saw other men the size tree trunks in the room. She turned back and he was gone.
“Bastard…!” She cursed him.
She backed against the wall, overlooking the room. Only one exit and it was on the other side, through them. Her heart was racing frantically. This is not how she’d imagined losing her virginity. She raised both of her hands in front of her to keep them at a distance. Her eyes scanned the room once more and became fixed on the poker table underneath the light. She slowly lowered her hands and straightened her shoulders.
“Fellas,” she made her way toward the poker table, lightly brushing by their broad chests with her hands as she walked by, “how would you like a game of strip poker?”
Noctis rubbed his lower lip with his thumb as he peered down at the well-lit city from the tallest building. The humans had always been formidable architects, as well as resilient creatures. It did not matter how many times their civilizations collapsed over; they would simply rebuild another civilization on top of it.
“Impressive,” he breathed, extremely amused. “Lucifer, you should see this. Oh wait, you are sleeping like the dead and left your bride vulnerable at the tip of my fingers. If you have ever failed at anything… you cannot deny this one.”
Lucifer’s laughter echoed.
“Shut up!” Noctis roared.
Lightning formed a canopy over the clear night sky.
His gaze sharpened. “Is that how it is, Lucifer? We will see who will be the one who gets the last laugh this time around. That reminds me; it’s about time I fetch your bride before she breaks and dies before I see my plan through.”
Noctis teleported back into the room where he’d left her. She was sitting at the green, round table with a group of half-naked Lycans, wearing a large pair of sunglasses that were resting on the tip of her nose, and chewing on a twizzler between her molars. She pushed the sunglasses up the bridge of her nose with the tip of her finger and spread her cards onto the table.
“Royal Flush, Motherfuckas! Pay up!”
The Lycans groaned and threw their cards in the air.
She saw him and said, “You’re back a little early. Give me a minute to wrap this up.”
“This is statistically impossible!” One of the Lycans shouted out and then flipped the table.
She jumped back to avoid getting hit.
“Are you calling me a cheater?” She raised a brow and stepped forward to face him. She was a foot and few inches shorter. “Can’t own up to it, Dimitri?”
The Lycan called ‘Dimitri’ slowly yielded.
“The boxers,” she reminded him with a grin on her face. Her eyes trailed down his body.
“I’m not through with you yet,” the Lycan sneered.
“Not by any means, muffin.” She wiggled her nose.
Dimitri stared at his friends, groaned with irritation, and then stripped out of his boxers. The room became rowdy with laughter as he flipped the boxers into her hand. His friends slapped him on his shoulders and shook him as a gesture of condolences.
The mortal held on tight to her stomach, laughing, and staggered a few steps back.
Not the kind of debauchery I was expecting.
Dimitri stormed out of the room. His friends followed with hearty laughter, although they had little on themselves.
“Next time bring a few more buckets of fried chicken!” She shouted out to the hall. “Extra crispy…!”
“Right…!” The Lycans replied in unison.
Her eyes flew to him with a smirk on her face. “Well, that was fun!”
Noctis frowned. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“I whipped their asses,” she said proudly with a funny accent. She stretched the waistband of the prized boxers out in front of her. “Bring me here again on Wednesday, same time. I already set up the appointment.”
He stared at her in perplexity.
She hiked her shoulders innocently. “I made new friends all thanks to you.” She looked at the boxers in her hand. “I think I will hang this in my new room as a memento. Of course, I gotta wash it first. What size is this? It’s huge!”
He placed a hand on her shoulder and teleported her back to the mansion.
Her free hand flew to her temple and rubbed it. “I wish you’d warn me first.”
“No.”
She swayed toward the bed and slumped down. “How about now, your eminence…? Is it time to bring out the big knives yet?”
“I don’t understand how you tamed them.”
“I didn’t tame them. I befriended them. The
y’re kind of my crowd.”
“Lycans…?”
She shrugged. “Since I can’t befriend men by brawling, I have the next best thing, which is poker. That’s how you earn respect and respect to men is just as good as friendship. Happy Second Day Anniversary, by the way!”
He rolled his eyes half way. “What’s so happy about it?”
“It’s two days closer to Stockholm Syndrome.” She gave him a seductive smile. “Want a goodnight kiss to further solidify our captor/captive relationship?”
He grimaced and then dematerialized out of her room.
Annoying mortal... Her smile wasn’t even that seductive.
“One - zero.” He heard her say from the room next door.
Keeping scores, are we?
“I am definitely keeping scores.”
Chapter Four
“Well?” Amara asked the Lycans standing on the other side of the barrier. “Can you break it or not?
“It’s strong!” Dimitri replied, panting from exhaustion. “You should have run while we were back at the club.”
“I got… carried away,” she dully admitted. “It was a good poker round. Can you dig under?”
They frowned. “We’re not … dogs.”
She shrugged. “It’s the connotation.”
“Forgiven...”
She gave them a wan smile. “There has to be a weak spot. What is this thing? I feel like a bug stuck inside an upside down glass bowl. Are you sure you can’t dig a tiny hole, so little ol’ me can crawl out?”
They stared at each other. “Get the shovels.”
“Thanks, fellas.”
“Are you sure that guy is who he said he is?” Dimitri asked skeptically. “I mean… a self-proclaimed god?”
Amara shrugged her shoulders. “There are thousands of recorded gods across the globe, so why not? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“How did you get mixed up with an insane deity anyway?”
“I have no idea,” she replied meekly, as she watched them retrieve the shovels out of the back of the truck. “I was just going back home for a visit, minding my own business, when he just broke in, smashed everything and snatched me from my mother’s arms.”
