ENCHANTED WORLD SERIES BOOK 2: TEMPTING THE DARK KING
Chapter Three

A lithe body twirled to the slow beat of the music as a dancer entertained the warriors for the night. Some played pool while others watched Television in the common room but many were enticed with the seductively dancing woman in front of them. Rhol allowed his warriors to use the entertainment room of the fortress even though they had their own quarters away from it. The gossamer low-riding skirt she had on left nothing for the imagination. Her breasts were drawn together but a tight fitting and beaded bra-top and her long black hair was plaited with jewels and flowers. She kept her face hidden behind a matching ocean blue lacy mask but Rhol had seen that face for quite sometime in his bed. That night, he went to the common room with every intention of taking her with him.

After Lyrah slipped into the warmth of his bed, he did something stupid. He sat there and watched her. He heard her light breathing and smelled her throughout the entire room. His body tightened with wanting her. The pull of the mate bond was already quite strong between them yet it had only been a few hours. Every time lightning flashed, Rhol caught sight of her haunting beauty and her fragile body outlined by his sheets.

Rhol erection throbbed inside his pants like nothing before. The beast inside him roared wanting to claim his mate. Even his tattoos were edgy and wouldn’t listen to his commands, extending their violet tendrils towards the sleeping female. Rhol had to flee the quarters. For the sake of his sanity, he had to stay away from her. He had to send her away.

Well that was the plan until he decided to relieve the pressure in his groin by going to his favorite female dancer but the horrifying thing was that, as he watched her enticing the males and weaving a spell that not even the warrior with the strongest will-power could escape, he felt nothing...nothing at all. There wasn’t even a twitch in his now flaccid phallus. That only happened when his body started recognizing only his mate. It happened to all mated males and females alike.

“Aaah!” The warriors exclaimed as the dancer went down on the floor and began writing and twirling her body with sweat dripping down against her flat stomach and breasts. They watched her as she touched herself suggestively, driving the unmated warriors insane with want.

Rhol’s eyes smoldered in disgust as he watched them. That once was him sitting in that private chamber where he had a private dance and finally took the female hard and fast until their pants echoed against the walls. Rhol’s eyes roamed and eventually settled on Zafrina’s who had a male on each side of her seat. They looked drawn to her like fire-flies. That was the specialty of Jinn women. They were mesmerizing and tended to catch unwanted attention most of them time and that was why they rarely associated with outsiders. She corked an eyebrow at him and Rhol didn’t miss the amusement dancing in her eyes. Only she knew best. She wasn’t much of a talker but she was great at picking up things that others couldn’t. She turned to one of the males and whispered something to him the got up and sauntered towards him in her cat-like movement.

“You look bothered, my king. Jezeray not to your liking tonight?” She taunted.

The moment the other warriors heard her speak, they stopped what they were doing and bowed down to him.

“There are far too many distractions at the moment. Pleasure has no place in it all.” Rhol shrugged his shoulders lightly.

One side of Zafrina’s mouth rose up. “Or you are just impotent in front of other females other than your own.”

Rhol snarled at her. She was crossing the line with her remarks. He was after all still her king and she needed to respect that! Back then Zafrina got away with saying a lot of shit in front of him but got away with it but right at that moment, he didn’t want to hear his weakness from someone else, especially a female! “Learn your place when you address me in such a way, Zafrina!”

Zafrina lowered her head slowly. “I apologize for my crude approach your circumstance, my king.”

He had no fucking circumstance! Rage buzzed in his head like angry bees seeking for a way out. Why would he all of a sudden get angry over such small comments?

“Jezeray, follow me, now!” he barked.

The dancer got to her feet quickly and followed him out. Rhol stomped out through the long hallway to that secret chamber where he had his share of females. Never had he ever allow females into his quarters. Lyrah was the best one.

The moment they entered the chambers, Rhol shackled Jezeray’s hand tightly in his and swung her around. She gasped and landed underneath him. Her eyes fluttered open as she drank him in. They were smoldering with desire for him. Rhol wanted that same desire to scorch his veins. It did but only for the one female he didn’t need.

Jezeray touched him lightly on his biceps and his tattoos hissed and retreated to his back, avoiding her touch completely.

Rhol growled in frustration as he kissed Jezeray hard on her lips. She kissed him with the same intensity, running her hands on his skin and pulling him closer. Rhol wanted to feel something, anytihng for that matter! This was terrifying. There he was with the most desirable woman yet he couldn’t even get aroused.

“Enough!” He barked and Jezeray tore her lips from him with a frown. Rhol rang his hand through his thick hair and in a much calmer voice he said. “You can go.”

“But—but--” Jezeray started.

“Get out of here!” Rhol roared.

Jezeray whimpered and out to her feet before she scurried out of the room.

The moment she left, Rhol turned to the wall nearest to him and planted his fist hard against it. Knuckles cracked and ligaments tore. He welcomed the pain with open arms. At least that was something he could feel after all.

Anger still boiled deep down inside him and he unleashed it. It was dangerous for him to harbor such anger as a Jinn.

His tattoos shot out of his back where they were hiding and attacked the wall that he assaulted earlier punching deep holes with their spear-like tentacles. The tattoos assaulted the wall until all the anger and strength drained out of him and he collapsed on the floor.

Rhol was known as the Dark King not only because he was king of the Realm of The Dark but also that many doubted him to be uncorrupted by the Dark Energy since his father once was. No one really trusted him. The Lord Mage once had his measly warrior watch over him to make sure he wasn’t causing any trouble. He was like a shadow warrior, always using the darkness and shadows to render his blow to enemies. He was cunning and calculation.

Not even he trusted himself at times because he felt as if part of him was entirely dark and malicious and that it was only a matter of time until he harmed someone with it. It was another reason why he wanted Lyrah as far away from him as possible. He had live for a long time alone and whenever he felt the beast inside of him craving for blood, he knew how to sate it but with Lyrah around, he had no idea what he could do to her.

She needed to get better fast before he did something that they were both going to regret.

Lyrah walked quietly into the vast training grounds. She could barely sleep last night. She kept on having nightmares of the Ghouls chasing after her and Tatiana. Before the early light, Lyrah braved her way through the Black Fortress and made her way out. Helpers scurried around cleaning and dusting so they didn’t pay much attention to her. She hurried outside and breathed in a crisp morning air. She needed a distraction from her current state so she decided to do a little practicing on her own. She knew Rhol would not let her do this if he knew but she was good like that. She was able to silently leave and come in places without anyone knowing.

Lyrah walked across the paved grounds. They were surrounded by bushes on one said the other was a stone building that looked like a store and changing room for the warriors. Lyrah was surprised to see sports grounds just a little further down towards the valley and right after the grounds was a sparkling river cutting across the royal grounds.

Lyrah didn’t see any cars or garages so she knew the Jinn flashed their way around instead of taking the long way. Lyrah began to drown in the feeling of the place, making a mental map of her surrounding because that was the only way she was going to be able to flash around during her practice.

Lyrah noted the different morning smells of morning blooms, the wind and something exotic. She ran hands over the stone pavings on the practice grounds then prepared herself. She shook her hands out nervously. She was never able to fashion out perfect blades like her brother but she was able to use energy orbs. This time she needed a sword so she concentrated.

Her hands itched as energy rushed down to her palms and pulsed out. The yellow energy sword elongated beside her but suddenly she felt dizzy and lost concentration. The sword shattered away while she staggered to break her fall onto the hard surface. She was still very weak because her body was working overtime to try and heal her wounds. She didn’t have anymore energy to spare but she needed this. If she was going to keep her sanity in that place, she needed something to occupy her mind. Anything else other than her mate.

Last night, Rhol didn’t sleep in his quarters. Lyrah didn’t expect him to because he made it clear that she was nothing but an inconvenience to him and that the faster she healed the faster she was to leave the Black Fortress. It really didn’t register a lot a first because she too was afraid of being in his presence. It was a very invasive presence that invaded all her senses and triggered emotions that she desperately wanted suppressed. Later it came to her that she was actually rejected....by her mate! Mates couldn’t reject each other. It was a match from the heavens and whether they liked it or not, they were stuck together but the rejection from Rhol sunk to the core of her and sent her mind reeling. She felt her soul wither because of it. Tears burnt in her eyes as she tried to fashion the energy sword again. This was not her at all. She was always strong and sometimes she didn’t understand when Queen Noelle cried or when she was very nervous when her brother wasn’t there but now she did. The emptiness she felt in her heart was physically painful.

It ached that tormented her that her mate didn’t want her.

“What is she doing?” A dark voice full of curiosity and anger hissed out.

“She’s suffering.” Zafrina clucked her tongue and turned to the solidifying male beside her. “So she’s practicing to keep her mind sane.”

Rhol watched the petite female on his practicing grounds trying to create an energy sword from the terrace of the fortress where he watched over his warriors’ practice at times. “That’s very careless of her.”

“As careless as you trying to fuck a dancer when your mate is in proximity.” Zafrina arched her eyebrow at him.

Rhol ground his teeth but kept quiet.

“She’s a strong young female. It’s a shame she has you for her mate, my king.”

Zafrina was trying his patience but she was right about one thing. It was a shame she didn’t get a Fae or a merman or even at least another Mage as her mate. Her beautiful face was etched with concentration, her eyes steady and her chin raised up like the royal female she was. Her small shoulders were drawn up, her back straight and her legs in an attacking stance. Rhol was surprised that she was dressed in the royal queen colors; a blood red pair of pants with a matching vest. It brought startling contrast between her skin and her hair which was twisted in a braid down her back to her sexily curved butt.

Suddenly, energy pulsed through her hands and a yellow orb appeared on her palm. Then the orb began to take shape of a sword right in front of them. Rhol watched in fascination as the yellow sword elongated in front of them. The last he saw something like that was when he went to the Realm of Spells to ward off the Lord Mage.

“She has a gift.” Zafrina couldn’t hide her admiration for the female.

“She’s weak.” Rhol growled as the sword flashed a couple of times then shattered away.

“Perhaps she needs encouraging.” Zafrina turned to him just as her body dissolved away.

Fuck! Rhol thought quietly but he didn’t move. If Zafrina was going to taunt the young Mage, she wouldn’t dare harm her...or she was going to face his wrath. His tattoos hissed in retaliation.

He watched as Zafrina appeared behind Lyrah with her blade in hand. Rhol’s heart stuttered but he didn’t move. Instead his hands tightened their hold on the balustrade until he thought his muscles would snap. “Zafrina, you sick bitch.” He snarled silently.

Lyrah felt the shift in the air behind her and the whoosh of a blade as it cut through air. She knew she was about to get attacked so she stepped to the side and a blade came swinging down inches from her. She gasped and turned to see the warrior female she saw last night; Zafrina.

“What--” before she could finish what she was about to say, Zafrina attacked again sending her mesmerizing jeweled sword stabbing the air right in front of her stomach.

Lyrah saw the movements in almost slow motion. She could almost tell what the other female was going to do next. That was a part of her strong instinct and it kept her alive most of her time. Lyrah hopped back away from the sword as energy pulsed down her hand into two orbs the size of basketballs. Without a sword, the second best weapon of hers was disarming the opponent.

She let Zafrina have the first one, tossing it to her a lightning speed. Zafrina’s braid uncoiled from her neck and smacked the energy orb away. It splintered as the braid coiled back like a snake. She smiled maliciously and attacked her again.

Lyrah avoided the sharp cuts of the blade but she noted that Zafrina was backing her to a corner where she was going to be disadvantaged. Lyrah quickly replaced the orb in her hand and cartwheeled out of Zafrina’s way. Something caught her leg and yanked her back. Lyrah found the dark braid again and this time is was tangled around her ankle. So, that was another attack strategy for the Jinns? No wonder they never cut their hair! Lyrah shook the braid away just as Zafrina came in for the kill. She didn’t know the other female was attacking her when she was very nice last night. Or was this the reason why Rhol told her to keep to the quarters? If she was going to survive this, she was going to start listening and carrying out the orders that she was given!

Lyrah back-flipped and Zafrina’s sword clanged on the stone sending sparks around her. She growled as her icy blue eyes sparkled and attacked.

Lyrah felt her energy wanning. She had to put a stop to this so as Zafrina charged towards her with the sword in hand, Lyrah charged too. She saw surprise skitter in Zafrina’s eyes and before the other female knew it, Lyrah kicked her hands and the sword went flying out. Lyrah took that opportunity and forced the female down by stepped on her chest with one leg while the other kneed her abdomen. Zafrina fell back and there was a satisfying crack of her collar bone.

Lyrah saw behind the haze as she pinned the female down. Blood splurted from Zafrina’s mouth and to Lyrah’s surpise, she began to laugh.

“You’re good.” Zafrina rasped.

Lyrah’s eyes widened as she moved away quickly. “What did you think you were doing? I could have killed you.

Zafrina sat up and rubbed away the blood on her mouth. “You could never kill me with your rusty skills. I was quite easy on you but I underestimated you, my lady.”

“Are you okay?” Lyrah clasped her hands together.

Zafrina rolled her shoulder and Lyrah watched in amazement as the collar bone snapped back into place. “I’ll live yet another day.”

“You deserved every bit of the ass-whipping you got, Zafrina.” The male voice that Lyrah came to know every well in such a short period of time came through.

Zafrina came up on feet and inclined her head lightly. “My king, my lady.” Then she disappeared.

Lyrah turned to the brooding male but was a little a ease when she saw the amusement swimming in his eyes. “I told you not to leave the quarters.”

Lyrah swallowed visibly. “I needed some fresh air. I needed to clear my head.”

“And ended up re-opening old wounds.” His eyes strayed to the blood pooling around her wound.

Lyrah bit back a cry when suddenly pain shot up her leg. She would have staggered onto her butt if Rhol hadn’t shot forward and scooped her off the ground. “This is not necessary.” He was getting into the habit of picking her up and she didn’t want that, especially after he rejected her.

“You can barely stand up. Don’t make this a fuss.” He warned her lightly as he took her back into his fortress.

Lyrah snapped her head around and looked up at him. His chiseled face was hard and grim and his eyes were dark pools of mystery. “A fuss? You are the one making a fuss over a small thing!”

“You endanger your life at every chance you get. Do you believe that will aid you in getting on my good side? I should paddle your ass for it.”

“She attacked me first!” Lyrah protested. “I didn’t know whether she was out to get my head or she was just taunting me. You sure have some strange people in your army, Rhol.”

“If you had kept into the quarters none of this would have happened.” Rhol assured her quietly now that they were inside in the presence of the helpers.

“I’m not your prisoner!” Lyrah yelled catching everyone’s attention. Rhol sighed and flashed them up to his quarters. The moment they got there, Lyrah struggled to get away from the maddening male but his grip on her was tight and even his tattoos had managed to wrap themselves around her. “Put me down! I said put me--” Lyrah slid out of his hands down his body and came with the hard, throbbing presence in front of her.

It throbbed against her stomach, mimicking the heartbeat of Rhol. Lyrah’s mouth ran dry as she looked up at him. His jaw was set and his mouth was in a thin and tight line. His eyes were full on contempt and she didn’t know whether that contempt was directed towards her or what.

So, what did this mean? She didn’t know but she was shocked to learn that her body too was getting hot and tight against his. Her nipples tightened under her bra to the point of pain and her womb clenched deliciously inside her.

Rhol’s eyebrow arch up and a malicious smile appeared on his lips. “What, you never thought this would happen? I’m your mate for crying out loud. Thanks to you, I can’t be with anyone else.”

Anyone else? What did he mean by that? “You—you kept a mistress?” She had to ask and she didn’t understand why that matter disturbed her greatly but it did.

“Yes, I kept a mistress. I don’t look like a saint, do I?”

Lyrah swallowed down the painful lump clogging her throat. He was no saint but at that moment he was being very mean and she hated it. He kept a mistress. Did that mean that the female was still in the fortress? Was that where he slept last night? “You’re the devil himself.” She found herself whispering as she pushed him away and wanted to walk away.

“Where are you going?” He drawled tightening his hold on her arm.

“I’m getting the hell away from you.” She gritted her teeth. Should he have waited for her? Why was she upset by learning that another female shared his bed. He rejected her for crying out loud!

“It’s too late for that, dirani peeta.” he assured her darkly as he yanked her back to him. He drew down until his face was just a breath away from hers. “You should have ran away when you had the chance...but now, it’s too late.”

“It’s not.” Tears prickled behind Lyrah’s eyes as she struggled against him. The more she struggled the more snuggled she found herself. “I’ll not accept you, Rhol. I don’t want you!”

Rhol drew back and eyed her for a moment then ground his teeth and whirled her around until she collapsed on the bed with a yelp. “I’ll tend to your wound.”

“I don’t want you too.” she yelled at him as he made his way to the bathroom. She didn’t want anything from him anymore. She felt betrayed and crushed by his confession. He had a mistress, a female who tended to his sexual needs. He had a female who did things for him that she only read in stories and he wasn’t even ashamed to let her know. Lyrah found herself hating the female even though she didn’t even know who she was? Was it Zafrina? She looked like the type that Rhol would have loved to have as a mate. Or perhaps, that female was lingering around the fortress somewhere.

Rhol returned with some clean water, a tube of antiseptic, towel and some clean bandages. When he got closer, Lyrah pushed back onto the bed. Her leg was throbbing but she didn’t want Rhol to touch her. She didn’t want to feel anything for him other than anger and loathing but the moment he wrapped his fingers around her hips and pulled her body down to the edge of the bed, she was helpless and couldn’t fight the heat searing throughout her entire body! He touched the material of her pants lightly and ripped it apart just above the wound. He exposed her bar thigh and the bleeding wound.

“You should take more care of yourself, Lyrah.” He muttered as he cleaned away the blood revealing the gaping claw grooves underneath. “This body is no longer only yours...” he stopped and looked up at her. “It’s mine too.”

Lyrah’s eyes widened in shock. “You never wanted me here--”

“You give me no choice.” He gritted his teeth.

He applied the antiseptic and Lyrah’s muscles clenched at the sharp pain. Rhol bent down over it and blew hot air onto it like the way you would sooth a child’s wounds. It was true she gave him no choice by showing up unannounced on his doorstep but she never thought it was complicated. Only he would have seen that the Mage were not at fault and since a lot of people feared him, his word would have been taken seriously.

She watched as Rhol unrolled out the bandage and did further damage to that beautiful pair of pants. His hands were warm against her skin. His fingers worked meticulously weaving the bandage over her wound, sliding over her sensitive thigh and causing havoc in places she blushed just thinking about them. Rhol must have noted her behavior because his eyes snapped up to hers as he clipped the bandage into place and let his fingers linger a little while longer on her flushed skin. She held her breath when she saw the undiluted hunger dancing in his eyes. They bore into her very soul.

“Now that you are here, I’m no longer aroused by other females. I can’t think of anyone else. I’m a potent male, Lyrah, and I have needs.” his fingers caressed the inner part of her thigh sending fireworks cartwheeling throughout her body.

She shivered at the intensity of the touch. She was afraid of that dark and dangerous look that entered his eyes. “Rhol--”

“I know you have needs too. I can smell your arousal from a mile away. It’s like a deadly pheromone drawing its victim close to his doom.” he drawled getting up on his feet while pushing Lyrah down on the bed.

Lyrah’s heart thumped so hard against her chest. She was helpless against him. Even though her mind was telling her to fight him off and run, her body recognized him and his need for his mate and readied itself to receive him.

He climbed over her, his face hovering inches from hers. She was on fire, anticipating what he going to do to her. He rake his fingers through her hair, removing the braid. The silky silvery strands became undone and Rhol watched them in wonder.

He nuzzled the hair then he drifted down and nuzzled her temple and cheek and finally her neck. Lyrah’s body quaked with shudders. It was frustrating how just a simple touch from him could do so much in her body.

“I should take you right now. I should grind into you until you will never, ever rid of the feeling on me deep inside you again. I should keep you here for my pleasure.” he purred against her sensitive skin making goosebumps appear on it.

Lyrah needed strength to resist his spell weaving words. She needed to get away from him before she lost herself in this for all the wrong reasons. This was never going to be something that they both wanted. This was just lust between them. The only reasons that they were going to stay together was because of it. Rhol didn’t want her there and neither did she but she had traveled for days to get there. She was not leaving until she got what she wanted. He said that her body was his. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. He was such an egoistical prick! Her body was hers and hers alone. And even though at the moment it refused to heed her commands, she still decided how far she was going to go and now that anger was seething through her veins, she wanted him off her!

“Get off!” she pushed against him. It was like pushing against a brick wall but she didn’t give up. “I said get off!”

Finally, Rhol moved away from her and stalked to the large window. “This was what you wanted, right? When you asked me about my mistress? I saw how angry and jealous you were about it.” he turned to her and leaned on the window sill then crossed his arms and glanced at her. “Is this what you expected from me?”

“What are you talking about?” Lyrah cried angrily. “I expected you to aid my brother, not seduce me!”

A soft rumble of laughter escaped Rhol’s lips. “Seduce you? Dirani peeta, I don’t need to seduce you to have you. You are already aroused. And your brother is an ancient male, sweetheart, he can clean up his own mess without me intervening.”

Red blush stained Lyrah’s cheeks.

“Don’t worry.” Finally Rhol decided to take Lyrah out of her misery. “I’ll not take your body until you allow me to.”

She wasn’t like the other females he was ever with. She had never been touched by a male before. He could tell from the way her body responded to his. Females could have sexual relationships with other males provided they have not laid their eyes on their mates. The moment they do, they lose interest in other males. Its a much slower process in males so they could continue with other females until their true mates are in close proximity for long periods of time.

Lyrah never knew she was his mate until the night he went to the Mage Fortress and she saw him yet she had never had a relationship before that. He was proud of the fact that his mate’s body was still pure and her innocence still intact.

Her eyes were large as she stared at him. She didn’t trust him and it was good that she didn’t. For her own safety, she needed to be very wary of him.

“If it makes you at ease,” he began lightly. “You will use my quarters as yours until when you are strong enough to travel. I will shift elsewhere.”

“To your mistress?” She asked clasping her hands together.

Rhol frowned. Even if he did go to Jezeray, what good would it do?

“You shouldn’t worry yourself about such things.” He assured her tightly. “Just concentrate your energy on getting better.” Then he pushed off the window sill and stalked out.

Rhol’s tattoos protested and he snapped his teeth at them. They immediately stopped and lazily undulated around him.

“My king.” one of the guards quickly approached him. “The Ghoul, my king. His...dead.”

Rhol frowned and stormed towards the dungeons.

Several of the guards were there assessing the dead body of Marcus. Rhol looked down at him and noted that the Ghoul’s body had shriveled and turned a sickly gray color. His eyes were black and fathomless and his mouth was gaping open as if in terror.

“What happened?” Rhol asked the guards.

“The coughing had worsened throughout the night. So much black goo was coming out from his mouth. At first were thought it was blood and later we noticed it undulating as if it was alive.” One guard explained.

Rhol looked around the cell where Marcus was but there wasn’t any black goo. “What happened to the goo? Did you clean it? Did someone take a sample of it?”

The guards looked at each other then shrugged.

“When we brought him food this morning, we found him dead, my king.”

Rhol looked down at the bloody chunks of meat in a bucket then up at his guards. Something was not right and he felt it all the way into his bones. “Take his body down to the incinerator and burnt it then get Muriel to come cleanse the cell.”

Muriel was part of his court and a very strong Mage. She too was mated to a Jinn.

“Yes, my king.” The guards bowed and went on their way.

Rhol looked down at the stiff body and frowned when he noted something burnt on his skin just behind his neck. He sank down and pushed the clammy locks of decaying hair out of the way. The tuft came right out with the skin. Bile rose up in Rhol’s stomach as a choking and nauseating smell rose up.

Rhol swallowed back the bitterness in his mouth and studied the mark. It had three circles connected together by a triangle and in the middle was a word written in the old language that sent shivers down Rhol’s spine because it wasn’t the first time he saw it and it was a very bad omen; resurrection.

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