Page 2 of Inheritance
"Fuck," I cursed, hating that it all added up. Jerking my head from his hand and taking a step back, I exhaled roughly, “That proves nothing. Anyone who felt the ground shake could have used that as an excuse. It doesn’t prove the eruption was tied to you or that you’re the freakin’ devil. I mean, that’s insane! Literally insane.”
“What do you want to see?” he asked as he spread his arms wide and three black wings sprang out on each side of him. “Do you want to see my Seraphim wings, which were once pearly white but turned black during my fall?”
My mouth dropped open in shock. I had never seen wings like that before—ever. They were gorgeous, and my eyes couldn’t move away from them. I’d seen drawings of Seraphim before— no other being could have those wings. I had to fight the overwhelming urge to reach out and run my fingers over his. They were exquisite.
Luce flipped his palms up, and twin black and red flames rose from his skin, making my eyes go wide. Mirth filled his voice as he asked, “Or would you prefer to see me level this castle? How about some insignificant piece of the realm? Would that prove to you who I am?” He was clearly enjoying my state of shock.
“N...No,” I stuttered.
“Then tell me, Little Temptress, what I can do to prove myself to you?”
Oh man, that was a loaded statement. I could see his skin growing luminescent, and between that, the wings, and the fire dancing on his palms…I felt realization slam into me, and I struggled to grasp my new reality.
Luce was the devil.
I’d been kidnapped by the devil, who was claiming that he was my mate. The connection I felt with him—the same one I’d felt with my other mates—would mean that... I was his mate.He was right.
That didn’t change my plans, though.
I shook my head to clear the shock from my system and tilted my chin up. “You want to prove yourself to me? Then accept that I am not yours just because the fucking Fates said so," I hissed, venom filling my voice.
A deep, sensual laugh flowed from his lips before he graced me with a vicious smile, "Oh, how wrong you are, darling. It is this simple: you are in my castle with me, and those scum are out there. You will never be with them again."
I’d always considered myself fairly even-tempered. Even when I was pissed, I didn’t usually overreact or say shit I didn’t mean…but this was different. Not only was I being told I wouldn’t be leaving—that I’d continue to be caged— but he was also insulting my mates and claiming I would never be returned to them.
That shit wasn’t going to fly with me.
Taking him by surprise, I called my scythe to my hand and launched myself into the air, my wings propelling me toward him, and a battle cry ripping from my throat. "I willneverstay here with you!"
I brought my scythe down on him as he stood there looking exasperated, holding his hand up at the last minute and completely nullifying my powers. They sputtered out, and my scythe— along with my abilities—disappeared moments before I crashed into him. Hard.
No! How? Where had my powers gone?!
I was frantically searching for them within myself and breathing heavily in my state of panic. As I moved to shove Luce away from me, his arms closed around me like steel bands, holding me to him in a grip that verged on painful.
Luce’s eyes danced with a combination of aggression and pain, as if I’d wounded him with my actions. "You are my mate, Amare. You belongonlyto me. So, rid your mind of them because you will never see them again."
The truth settled over my heart like a lead weight, and I fixed him with a look of pure disgust. Before I could process them myself, the words slipped from my lips, "Having my body here does not mean you have my heart. I don’t know what the Fates were thinking, but judging by your actions thus far, it’s clear to me that you willneverhave it. My heart is with those seven men, and there is nothing you can do to change that."
His jaw clenched, and rage burned brightly in his eyes as he hissed, "You underestimate how much can change when we have eternity together."
"And you underestimate what true love is," I bit back, my mates’ faces filling my mind, giving me the strength to stand up to the devil.
It seemed pointless to mention I was definitely not immortal, which meant we did not have eternity together. He must have been more delusional than I’d thought if he didn't realize that.
"You will learn to love me," he said, and his eyes landed on my lips, as if he was going to attempt to kiss me again. When his eyes flicked back up to mine, he added, "We're destined to have a love so deep that nothing else matters. Everyone else out there? They will fight this war I see brewing, and they will kill each other off until no one is left besides us. We’ll start a new era after this realm has been cleansed.”
“I will never allow that to happen,” I vowed, my voice filled with a confidence I didn’t fully feel.
His arms suddenly dropped, and I jumped back, placing several feet between us. He shook his head and chuckled, "One day, you're going to be begging for my touch, Little Temptress. Mark my words."
“Never,” I spat back vehemently.
There's no way I could ever love a man who was this delusional and egotistical.Why had we been given a mate bond?If I hadn’t met my other men and realized they were my mates, I could have pretended this was extreme attraction instead of the intense mate bond it truly was.
If Luce wouldn't listen to me, I'd simply have to ignore him until he grew tired of trying to convince me of his asinine ideas. Or, I’d fight him tooth and nail with every move. I’d have to wait this out to see how he was going to play it.
Moving to sit back on the bed I had awoken in, I rested on the edge and glanced out the window, which was covered in metal bars on the outside. I felt the fight drain from me as I truly considered the situation I was stuck in.
