Page 36 of Monsters in My Bed
My lip curls. I'm fucked either way. Even so, I know The Fallacious would prefer me alive over dead. There's only so much sinqol he can get from me if he slits me open. But like him, when we're alive, it's an endless source of healing power. Because human blood rejuvenates itself, so will the sinqol inside of me. I’m his Rapunzel to his evil Mother Gothel.
My stomach roils at the thought of being his mate, but if it means keeping everyone safe, then maybe it's what I need to do for now. Hell, the prophecy says I need to die to conquer Zuriv. Pretending to be his mate is heinous, but I can survive that.
Deciding I need a new plan, I review my tactics. I’ve already goaded him, perhaps being sweet is the way to go. Fluttering my eyelashes, I play the flirt. It takes a supreme act of will to keep my expression neutral, let alone seductive, but I must manage because Zuriv grins triumphantly.
“So you are interested in me. The lure of power can corrupt anyone, even someone as pure as The Pharos. Think of how we’ll be with our powers combined.” I bow my head to keep from snorting at the pompous ass, sounding like he’s quoting Captain Planet. “And now,to claim you.”
I freeze, my body becoming like a statue, but somewhere deep inside of me, Ifeela whisper—something I sense more than hear.Touch him.It's the sinqol… and it wants me to mate with the False King. A million thoughts race through my mind. I pray for anything but this option when I realize it might be the only choice if I want to defeat The Fallacious.
“As you wish, my king,” I purr in a subservient tone.
Zuriv’s chest puffs out in delight. “I bet you taste even more delicious than my last queen.”
Not caring that his own infant son is likely watching, Zuriv pulls me into his arms and lowers me down to the ground, settling me in his lap. I shudder as his cock presses against me, our naked flesh touching. He mistakes the movement for ardor instead of what it really is—repulsion.
“Are you wet for me, Alexis?”
No.“Yes,” I lie, although how he can possibly believe this is beyond me.
All my mates smell my arousal. Surely The Fallacious can smell my lies, but he's too far gone in his own fantasy world to notice. Besides, it doesn't matter if I'm wet or not. In fact, he probably prefers it that I'm not. It's a sick game that he's playing with me—a mind game—because that's what he gets off to.
“Do you love me, Alexis?”
I rear back, too shocked to smooth my expression. I never expected him to ask me something as ludicrous asthis. His grin tells me that he's mocking me, but I see the flicker of hunger underneath. He craves my love, the taste of it. Something that his brother had, but he never will, and I wonder how much jealousy eats away at his core.
“Well, you might not love me now, but you will one day. Now, kiss me.”
It's a direct order that I cannot ignore. If I don't give him a kiss, he’ll take it, and I want this to be on my terms. Ignoring the ball of dread that sits at the bottom of my stomach, I lean forward to cup his cheeks. Bile rises to the back of my throat, and I swallow it down before pressing my mouth to his.
Zuriv’s lips twist into a smirk underneath mine, but soon, his amusement fades. His lust grows into a monstrous beast that I can’t tame. His tongue pushes into my mouth against my will, and I struggle against him, squirming in his lap to get out of his hold. He pins my hands behind my back, shoving me further into him. There’s no escape. This is what the sick fuck wanted—not my complacency, but my hostility.
Suddenly, I’m overwhelmed. I don't care what the sinqol says—what the prophecy says—I can't do this. I'm not strong enough to do this.Yes, you are.The sinqol writhes deep within me, urging me to keep kissing the False King. I force myself to relax as I breathe through my nose and let my body go limp.
The Fallacious unfurls more of his tongue inside my mouth, stroking my tongue and pushing down into my throat until I gag. But still I cling to the desperate hope that the sinqol knows what it's doing.
Our kiss lasts an eternity. When I feel a jolt, my eyes fly open to see that Zuriv’s are closed. The bright blue glow suffusing him dims, and my hands on either side of his face grow brighter and brighter. Uncertainty sparks inside of me, but I press on, returning the False King’s kiss until his skin is dark once more, the familiar blackish-purple of the Vasura. I mentally pump my fists into the air.
I am a beacon of light, The Pharos!
When I pull back from The Fallacious, he finally opens his eyes. They’re no longer blue, but a shade closer to Mark’s. His golden orbs grow large at the sight of my glowing body. He growls and mutters in Vasurian, waiting for the sinqol to do as he's commanded. When it doesn’t work, Zuriv glares at me, reaching up to wrap a hand around my throat, but I just laugh at the contact.
The sinqol in me called to its brethren while I kissed the False King. Now I have all of the precious liquid, meaning I’m invincible and Zuriv is mortal once more. Knowing this, The Fallacious pushes me off of him, lunging toward his son. He’s intent on getting the baby because it’s the only weapon he has left to control me.
But I'm already two steps ahead of him.
I race over and snap off a thorn of the odollam tree. When I whirl around to face The Fallacious, I don't even hesitate to stab the spear into his stomach. The False King chokes, stumbling back and nearly tripping over the baby he didn’t get to in time. I dart forward, scooping up the little guy right before Zuriv crashes to the ground.
The infant in my arms claps in delight at the sight of his slain father. Together, we watch the light in The Fallacious’ eyes fade as the life inside of him slips away. Sweet relief rushes through me and I know we can finally be at peace. The False King’s reign of tyranny is now over, and a new day can dawn for the Vasura. The rightful heir can take over and create harmony where there's only been oppression, and all this was accomplished without me dying.
Thank God the prophecy was mistaken.
eighteen
OSZ
Vasuradon’tcry.Welack the emotional capacity and the tear ducts, but when you’re finally reconnected with your lost mate to find herdead… it equates to six grown men dry-heaving over her limp body in a sorry excuse of crying.
“How could you let her die?!” Mark’s crossed between his human form and his Vasura, tugging at his hair. He’s the only one of us who can cry properly, and I envy the tears of sorrow falling from his eyes.
