Page 28

Ivy

I stiffened as I took in the male still bound to his chair behind me. At some point, between the voice announcing the game and the dress finding its way onto my body, the male from the stage had been transported into the room behind me.

There was no other sign of the female’s voice; no ear-splitting laughter, and no more announcements about the game. I looked over the room in search of the three demons, but they were gone. The shadows in each corner of the room didn’t move, either. I was completely alone with the male.

There was probably a reason why he’d been tied to the chair. Humiliation? Was it a kink thing? I wasn’t sure. He wore black slacks that tightened around thick, muscular thighs. And markings—tattoos—roamed his tanned flesh.

His hands tightened on the armrests of the chair as he lifted his head. There was still a bag over his face, one that appeared to be black silk.

Slowly, I pushed off the chair. Silk cascaded smoothly down my body from the tight corset around my chest. There was a band of silk around my bust that barely hid the swell of my breasts, and two small slips of fabric around my upper arms.

And with it all being white, I definitely felt like I’d landed in a wedding-themed horror movie.

It had to be some kind of joke.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the way the crown seemed to tighten on my skull.

Headache, here I come .

The male on the chair didn’t move at all as I approached. Ink swirled over his broad chest; there was a snake that slithered across his skin, and a scorpion that moved over his abdomen. I hesitated momentarily, hands curled into fists at my side.

Should I take the bag off his head? Did I leave him?

I had no idea what to do. I waited for my magic to give me some kind of indication, but it held back. Like it, too, wasn’t sure what to do in this situation.

Clearing my throat, I moved to stand in front of him. It made me realise just how…large he was. He had to be over 6’5”. Even sitting, he still appeared to not fit here.

“Who are you?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

His head lifted, before moving to the side. Although I couldn’t see his face, it looked like he was assessing me. “Are you trapped, just like me?”

A shiver rolled down my spine at the sound of his voice.

It was so deep, it made the skin on my arms prickle.

He had a faint accent that shouldn’t have had any effect on me, but it did.

Old me might have swooned at the sound of it; I would have described it as rich honeyed whiskey, with a hint of something else.

But current me tried to push any potential interest aside.

“Is there a reason you’re tied to a chair?” I asked, ignoring his question. “And why do you have a bag over your head?”

He chuckled, the sound smooth again. My hands tightened into fists to keep myself from reaching for him.

I wasn’t even sure what I’d do. Pull the bag off?

Threaten him? Despite my magic not having a clue what to do about the male, I had a feeling I shouldn’t dismiss him yet.

There was a powerful aura about him, despite the binds on him that muted his energy.

“So many questions,” he purred. “I am not your enemy.”

“Easy enough for you to say,” I snapped, crossing my arms. “A whole lot of people just turned against Nyx. How do I know you aren’t one of those traitors?”

There was no room for being nice. I might have felt bad for him when I first saw him on the stage, but anything I felt for him before was pushed to the side.

I couldn’t risk trusting anyone outside my mate circle and those closest to me.

And even then, I hesitated. Greer had trusted her children with everything, and one betrayed her.

“You don’t know,” the male replied stiffly. “But I can get you out of the game.”

I released a heavy breath. “And what do you know about it?”

“Take the hood off,” he said, “and I will answer all your questions. ”

I bristled, moving to take a step back. “No thanks. I’ll try my luck out there.”

I couldn’t hear anything beyond the heavy curtain. The smell of smoke still hung heavy in the air, but it was nowhere near as cloying as it had been earlier. But it was the lack of sound that didn’t sit right with me.

“And I will be waiting,” he growled. “The game requires an ally. And in order to retrieve your gift , we must work together. Are you sure you want to lose your only chance?”

I stiffened, reaching for the curtain. “You said you’d be waiting.”

With that, I squared my shoulders and pushed my way out of the dressing room.

His dark chuckle followed me into the bar-part of the club.

Some of the demons turned to me with wide eyes, but most were watching the stage with lustful curiosity.

But other than the moans and curses coming from the front of the club, there was utter silence.

Something washed over me as I turned my attention to the stage.

There were three demons, all naked, wearing masks over their faces.

One was lithe with wings tucked into her back, horns twisting through her golden hair, and wearing a strap-on larger than anything I’d ever seen.

The second was male with similar attributes, though he had his dick in the mouth of the third.

And that third was lying on a table where the chair had once been, taking both with loud, rumbling moans.

He had his arms tied above him, same with his legs, giving the pair full access.

I averted my eyes, taking a step back. My heart raced, and disgust—in myself, mostly—soured my belly. Without thinking, I swept my gaze over the room again. It was only then I realised the other demons were…reacting. Pleasuring themselves .

A lump formed in my throat as I turned back to the curtain and the male within.

Fuck it. I stalked into the dressing room to find the demon where I’d left him and quickly tore the bag from his head.

Straight black hair swept over his forehead, longer in the front and shorter in the back.

His eyes were hooded and red in colour. He looked almost East Asian, with sharp features and a strong, knife-edge jawline.

Beautiful would be the wrong way to describe him. Handsome, maybe. Otherworldly was more fitting.

I took a step back, the bag falling from my hand. His red eyes swept over my body, a smirk curving his dark lips. “I could not have asked for a better ally,” he purred, dragging his eyes up to meet mine. “What a divine thing you are.”

I swallowed hard, crossing my arms. “Tell me. What the hell is the game?”

His smirk widened into a smile. “Surely, you have worked out that this is a club for the Succubi and Incubi, yes?”

My eyes narrowed. “Of course.”

Well, I would have never assumed . But Rowan had warned me about the powers of demons who fed off sex.

Were all the creatures out there sex demons?

Was the male in front of me one, too? It was just one of those things I couldn’t quite tell.

I was getting better with mages and witches.

Maybe it was because I’d spent so much time with them.

But there were different Houses of demons, just like the Fae had their courts. And within each, there were different types with powers born of their kind. I hadn’t paid enough attention in my classes to know all of them, but now I wish I had .

The look in the male’s eyes told me he didn’t believe me. One of his tattoos moved to wrap around his neck like a chain, but he didn’t appear to notice—or care. Hadn’t I seen Jay, one of the Phoenix team leaders, with similar tattoos? Maybe that meant they were from the same House.

Or I’m in way over my head.

“The game is simple,” he said, cocking his head. “Here, sex is currency. You buy it, you spend it, and your body is the coin. That’s why consent is so important.” His eyes darkened as they swept over me. “But you being bonded makes it hard. Loyalty is important here, too.”

“That doesn’t make any sense to me,” I replied, though relief washed through me. “And you said you could get me out. Help me with my gift. How?”

His eyes met mine again, dark yet curious. “By giving them a show.”

“Absolutely not,” I replied, shaking my head. “I’m mated. And this is not what I signed up for.”

His eyes hardened. “You and I both know anything is fair game when you’re the Queen.”

A lump formed in my throat. “No.”

He shrugged, as if my denial were nothing more than an annoyance. “Your gift is your real game. Find it, find a way out.”

I released a shuddering breath as I took a step away from him. At least there was something I could be thankful for, even if it was still ridiculous that I was even here.

The male grimaced, looking down at his bound hands.

They formed fists, and within the blink of an eye, the chains that’d trapped him fell away.

He stood, towering over me, reminding me just how large he really was.

I might have been wrong in my earlier estimation.

He could have been closer to seven feet with the way he had to hang his head to meet my eye.

“You could have escaped this entire time?” I asked quietly, frozen in place.

He lifted a large hand to my face. I should have moved away. Slapped his hand. Shoved him with a wave of magic.

But I was stuck. And when his fingers brushed my heated cheek, a different kind of shiver rolled down my spine, and a tingle raced through me. My stomach tightened with an all too familiar pressure.

“I needed you to undo the first bind,” he said, voice so low I almost didn’t catch it. “We are allies, after all, my Queen.”

His other hand captured mine, wrapping around my fingers. He brought it between us and lightly kissed my knuckle.