My heart thumps heavily inside my chest as my thoughts violently clash together on how to handle this conversation with him. I might trust this man to protect my back in battle but can I trust him with the knowledge of Ara’s fate? 

Like me, Ax has sacrificed everything in his life to gain the position he has today, and though he would give his life to protect the soldiers under his command the high title forces him to abide by certain rules. 

The main one being to report to the King on things that will oppose his rules.

Or in my case, humiliating the mighty Dominic Roarke in front of the other ruling families.

“Bellamy,” Ax barks out as another wave of heat surrounds me and I have to bite down hard on the inside of my cheek to surprise the moan wanting to come out. I’ve always found this manifestation of Ax’s fire-based magic addicting. The way it encompasses my entire body makes me feel like I’ve just dived into one of the Umber Kingdom’s hot springs. 

Thankfully, the overwhelming taste of copper fills my mouth, and it helps clear the constant need I have to piss him off so that I can elicit that heat to flood out.

Not a good time to play around Bell, I remind myself just as the loud beating of the drums outside begins to trickle out and with it the indecision. 

No time to stop me now.

“Arabella was marked,” I finally answered, the words barely coming out as my throat tries constricting them from existence. “She will be the main prize for the games.”

“And you plan to save her,” he concludes as he leans on his tight fist on the tabletop. The thick veins cording up his arms the only outward sign of his anger as he keeps his mask firmly in place. “Don’t be fucking stupid Bellamy. The King doesn’t permit the members of his army to be a part of the Champion's Game.”

I give a pointed look down at the folded Captain's cape laying on the table in front of me before saying, “as of two minutes ago, I’m no longer part of the Roarke army.” A rough growling sound has me fighting back a smirk as I slowly slide my eyes back up to Ax. Only for my amusement to instantly evaporate when I’m met with a pair of blazing blue eyes instead of the normal cold impartial glare I’m used to. 

“And what the hell are you going to do when he doesn’t lift the bonds on your magic? You might be one of our best fighters but even you can’t hold your own against the others without full access to your magic.” I just shrug off his question, not wanting to admit my plan was going to be a 50-50 shit show.

“Anything else you need to get off your chest?” I ask with a wave of my hand towards the image on the wall to my right that’s showing the Kingdom’s center where a large crowd has formed. “I have places to be.” 

The muscles along his sharp jawline bulge out as he clenches his teeth together before pulling himself away from the table. I find myself transfixed watching for the first time that mask of his melt under the heat of his anger as he slowly stalks towards me. 

I don’t give in to the instinctual need to follow his slow progress towards me, knowing it’ll just boost the alpha shit he’s trying to pull. Instead, I keep my body relaxed as I look back to where he was standing moments before and cross my arms over my chest. This time the heat that normally surrounds me only hits my right side as Ax stops barely a breath away from me, making it feel like I’m standing next to a blazing fire.

The change in intensity has me peeking out the corner of my eye to double-check that it isn’t Rysk standing there. Both males have similar magic, but my demon’s heat normally feels centralized like this but I’m met with the towering figure of Ax.

“Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t just put chains on you now before you walk out that door?” 

“Other than we’d both like it?” I snark back knowing this isn’t the time for teasing but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t try pissing him off one last time. 

The air between us ripples with his warning growl so I drop the pretense and turn to face him fully. My gaze glides over his massive chest as I look up into his pale blue eyes burning with the promise to act on his threat. Granted the idea of Ax restraining me doesn’t sound half bad but it would cost me too much time to break free so I lower my arms to my side. Our eyes stay locked together as I plant my feet slightly apart and shift my weight to the balls of my feet. 

Ready to fight if needed.

“The day she falls to her knees in front of someone she doesn’t choose is the day I’ll bring this kingdom to its knees.” His eyes widen from my blunt confession as he takes a half step away from me. This was the first time I’ve ever seen him so caught off guard that it creates a twinge in my chest knowing what will follow.

The disappointment.

“You would go that far for her?” I want to close my eyes when his pale eyes ice over in disbelief but I force myself to face this head-on. “You would fight against the very people you swore to protect? The men you help train? Me?”

Each word creates a slash across my heart but I willingly take the abuse. 

“Yes,” I answer which sets him off as he storms right into my personal space. Before he lets loose on the anger I see boiling under the surface, I reach up and gently caress the tips of my finger up his smooth jawline. His eyes fall close and I can feel him clenching his jaw together as he tries to find his control again. I know I’m going to regret this later when I’ll have to face him as an enemy but I can’t walk away with him thinking it was so easy for me. “I would do anything for the people I care for. It just so happens Ara needs my help more than you do at the moment.”

He sucks in a sharp breath as his eyes pop open again, the ice melting to the blue fire building with each second that stretches between us. On inpulse, I glide my fingers back down his jaw and slide them over to his full lips. My lower stomach flutters when I feel how petal-soft they feel under my touch. 

I've waited years to touch him like this so I take full fucking advantage of his lack of control and repeat the path across his lips. Only to freeze halfway when I feel the warm tip of his tongue slip out to brush against my finger. Then my own control cracks when he leans slightly forward to pull my finger in his mouth and gently bites down on the tip. Forcing me to firmly press my lips together to contain a moan.

You need to leave, Bellamy before you can’t.

I steel my nerves against my overconsuming need to stretch up to seal my lips over his petal-soft ones and force my hand to pull away. Ax’s doesn’t allow it to move far as he jerks one hand up to wrap around my wrist.

“Don’t,” he pleads, his warm breath flowing out over my fingers as he tightens his grip to a punishing degree.

“Goodbye, Atlas.” I expertly twist my wrist free and quickly move away before he can reach out again. I wait until I have hold of one of the door handles before I look back over my shoulders at him, “and Ax?” He hasn’t moved an inch but now he’s tilting his head towards me, leveling those intense burning eyes at me. “Have fun hunting me.”

“I will,” he growls in warning and I take that as my cue to leave. I’m out the door between heartbeats but before the door closes completely another wave of heat rushes around me.

“Well, that was a bit dramatic.” My eyes land on Lachlan leaning against the wall opposite the doors, his arms crossed over his chest in a relaxed manner. To anyone passing by it would look like he’s calming waiting for a friend, but the absence of that playfully smile informs me otherwise. 

Luka has come out to play.

Not many people know but my former lieutenant has a rather interesting secret. I was never able to get the full story but from what little Lachlan was willing to divulge there was this traumatic event in his childhood that caused his soul to split. 

Most people see the mischievous Lachlan that always has a smile playing across his face and makes every excuse he can to keep from doing what he considers the boring parts of his job. 

But just beneath the surface is the brutal Luka that takes over when Lachlan finds himself in a situation he can’t handle. Most of the time those situations normally center around death so I’m a little perplexed what caused Luka to take control now.

“It’s been a while, Luka,” I comment as I motion with my hand for him to follow me. For a moment he just stares down at me with his haunting dark brown eyes, another indicator showing who’s in control, but seeing that I was starting to move he steps away from the wall to walk next to me.

“It’s been a while since Lach needed me,” he says, his voice a few octaves deeper than Lachlan’s, “what did you do?” My pace falters at the question and I come to a stop to be able to look up at Luka.

“I was the cause for the switch?” Luka dips his head down in a single nod and my heart sinks. “I just gave up my Captain’s title.”

“Why?” he questions simply as he regards me with a guarded look which tells me my actions brought up old scars for them.

“Someone I care far is in danger and I had to give it up to save her.” Luka gives another single nod before his eyes drift down to blankly stare at the stone floor. I’ve seen Lachlan do this a few times and know they’re speaking to each other inside their head. I wait patiently for them to finish, not wanting to create more damage by walking away, and after another minute Luka looks back up at me. My heart sinks a little more not seeing the laughing eyes of Lachlan but I know Luka wants to make sure they’re in a safe place before he gives control back over.

“He thought it had to do with us,” Luka tells me and I barely hold in my shocked gasp.

“Never.” My admission causes one eye to fill with laughter as it lightens a couple of shades, but the other stays the haunting dark brown. I realize quickly that both Luka and Lachlan are sharing control and I reach up to place a hand on both sides of their face. They’re not as tall as Ax, only an inch or two, so I don’t have to stretch so much. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have to,” I tell them both before focusing on the laughing eye, “I’m sorry Lach for causing you to retreat like this. I wish I could do this another way.”

“Will you come back?” Their voice comes out higher, showing me that Lach was asking.

“No,” I admit as I slide my thumb across his cheek to comfort him, “what I’m about to do goes against the King, so once I free my friend I can’t come back.” Their face holds a mixture of anger and sadness as both men stay in control together, but I can see the light in one eye start to dim. Lachlan was retreating again and I hurry to add, “don’t worry about me Lach I can take care of myself. We’ll see each other again one day.” 

A small tear spills out the corner of that eye right before it darkens back to the haunting brown to match the other side. My thumb catches the tear as I gently wipe it away before I drop both hands from Luka’s face.

“I’m sorry Luka for hurting him.” 

“We’ll be okay,” he tells me, his rougher voice causing a shiver to slide down my spine, “I’ll protect him while you do what you have to. But be warned, when this shits over with I’ll have a long list of punishments ready for you.”

Luka turns with an uncharacteristic smirk pulling at his lips and walks away. Leaving me fucking confused and stunned speechless.

Where the fuck did that come from?