Page 47 of Hell Fae Commander

Melek sighed and shook his head. “Fate works in ways none of us can comprehend, Camillia. Your display in the Marsh Lands proved that, yes?”

My jaw clenched. “That had nothing to do with fate.”

“No? You just happened to be wrapped up in enough of Ty’s magic to wield it and save an entire kingdom of Nightmare Fae? Fascinating how that worked out.”

“What are you accusing me of?”

“I’m not accusing you of anything, little angel. I’m merely pointing out that fate worked in our favor last night. Which our Hell Fae King is now struggling tocomprehend, similar to your reaction to the Hell Fae Bride Trials.” I reached out to steal a grape from the bowl in my lap. “You and Ty have some strikingly similar traits. Stubbornness being a key personality quirk.”

“I’m nothing like him.”

“Interestingly enough, I think he would agree with you on that,” he mused. “Of course, you’re both wrong, but neither of you will admit it.” He lifted a shoulder and relaxed into the headboard of the massive bed, his lounging position the epitome of nonchalance.

“Whatever,Prince Melek.If you’re not here to drag me back to Lucifer, and all you really want to know is how I’m doing, then I’m fine for a dead woman, thank you. Please feel free to fuck off now.” Was I being rude? Yes. But this asshole deserved it.

Lucifer had dressed me in chains and put me in a cage.On a fucking stage.

All to what? Humiliate me? Because I’d touched his precious source?

Then I’d used it tohelphim, and he’d reacted by essentially intending to kill me.

Sure, maybe Melek had temporarily saved me from the Hell Fae King’s wrath. And yeah, it probably wasn’t a good idea to piss off the one fae who seemed capable of saving me from the literal devil. But I was done playing these games with Melek.

Done being a pawn.

A toy.

Or whatever the fuck he considered me to be.

“Leave,” I reiterated. “And take your cryptic bullshit with you.”

His jaw clenched, my words clearly striking a nerve. But rather than disappear, he merely conjured himself a glass of wine and took an indulgent sip from the crystal rim.

“When Ty revealed his plans for your punishment, I’ll admit that they intrigued me. Mostly because I have a particular fascination with bondage play, and chains seemed to suit that fetish.”

“How nice for you,” I deadpanned.

“But I’ve since realized that verbal consent in such an activity is equally important,” he went on, again ignoring my interruption. “While our bodies may enjoy a certain sensation, that doesn’t mean our hearts and minds do.”

I stared at him.What am I even supposed to say to that?I wondered.

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to want me to say anything at all.

Because he wasn’t done.

“I’m sorry, Cami.” All signs of his typical playfulness disappeared beneath the weight of his words. “Ty selected your sensual punishment as a means of trying to please me. He hasn’t admitted that, of course, but his methods were clearly designed with my proclivities in mind. I think it was his way of showing support.”

My eyebrows jumped upward. “Support for what? Torturing me?”

“Support for my intentions with you,” he replied. “He’s not been very pleased with my decisions where you’re concerned, such as the gifts I’ve provided, the information I’ve revealed. Kissing you. But I think he was trying to create a little light in an otherwise dark situation. It’s how he works.”

“I…” I didn’t really know how to respond to that now, either. This was probably the most straightforward Melek had ever been with me, and it still didn’t make sense. “What intentions?” I finally asked because I still didn’t understand what he wanted from me.

“My intent to mate you,” he clarified, a note of patience underlining his words.

He’d said that to me before.

“Then we’ll say I intend to be yours, if you choose to one day have me.”