This is work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright© Avery Song & Veronica Agnus, 2020

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Cover Design by Yocla Book Cover Design

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Format: Avery S.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

PSYCHIC PRISON MAP

BLURB

Prologue: Farewell, Memory Of Pride

1.  Alisha Butterfly

2.  Psychic Prison For Supernaturals

3.  Imprisoned Monarch Of Amnesia

4.  The Master Of My Captivity

5.  Lost In The Past, Living In The Present

6.  Blurred Lines Between Captivity And Freedom

7.  Taking Control Of What Is Mine

8.  Four Supernatural Masters Of Fate

9.  Terms And Conditions Between Us

10.  Intriguing Wolf Misfit And Threatened Captivity

11.  Psychic Abilities Gone Wild

12.  Predict What The Enemy Desires Of Me

13.  Past Circumstances And Sheltered Shell

14.  Embrace The Shadow

15.  Interruptions Are Annoying

16.  Path To Psychic Royalty

COMING SOON - PSYCHIC ROYALTY

COMING SOON - PSYCHIC MONARCHY

SUPERNATURAL INMATE- SNEAK PEEK

BLURB

Lingerie Shopping With My Supernatural Brothers

LEVEL ONE: SUPERNATURAL INMATE

LEVEL TWO: ARRESTED BY MAGIC

LEVEL FOUR: CELESTIAL PRISON

SHATTERED PRINCESS

ABOUT AVERY SONG

ABOUT VERONICA AGNUS

Also By Avery Song

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for purchasing PSYCHIC PRISON.

Thank you for giving Avery Song and Veronica Agnus duo a chance! This was a challenge, especially with the new idea of paranormal romance. Hope you enjoy our little creation!

Special thanks to our amazing Mom for blessing us with the gift to write and supporting us in all aspects. We pray to continue making you proud as we strive towards success.

Finally, we thank God for giving us the strength to achieve our goals. Without Him, we would be nothing.

AVERY SONG

&

VERONICA AGNUS

BLURB

When a monarch is marked, they go from master to prisoner. Their fate? Determined by the one who marked them.

Alisha Butterfly is my name, and on Friday the 13th, I was found guilty of the massacre of a bunch of criminals — people I have no memory of killing. Amnesia wasn’t a good enough excuse to get me into the mental ward and so I was tossed into the depths of the Psychic Prison for Supernaturals.

Now I’m a marked puppet with bad luck on my side and a master waiting for me at my cell. But questions — and problems — arise when that one master turns out to be one of four and I learn I’m more than just a trapped butterfly.

To them, a marked monarch is a slave to their every command. But I’m more than that. I’m powerful and I will rise from the depths of this prison and exact my revenge on whomever sentenced me here.

I’ll cocoon myself within these grim walls and do what my masters tell me. Let them abuse, strengthen, and train me for what’s to come, for time will be my ally until I transform and regain what is rightfully mine.

I will reclaim my supernatural monarchy.

PROLOGUE: FAREWELL, MEMORY OF PRIDE

My body plunged into the icy waters.

After descending through the skies like a malfunctioning airplane, the freezing temperatures felt like a saving grace against my burning hot body.

My weak eyes barely opened, but it was enough to see the red water all around me.

The bodies rising upward to the surface to float and emphasize the inevitable.

Death worked in mysterious ways, and as I sunk deeper into the depths of this bloody water, I knew my life was on a short rope, destined to end like all those who shared this same water.

One would think they’d feel fear or think of their last happy moments in life.

I felt numb. No sadness or sorrow radiated from my slowing heart, as my body began to freeze and lose sensation.

I’d done something bad. Something I should have regretted like any normal individual would.

I regret nothing…

Whatever sins my hands committed, they so rightful did with my blessings. I’d approved of this fiasco, but the deeper I sank, the further away my memories became.

They were fading…leaving me to be nothing but an empty shell, yet pain struck me at that moment - not internally, but outside my hollow shell.

The first strike wrapped around my waist, pausing my descent to death.

The second strike wrapped around my neck, chaining me like some unfortunate creature.

Finally, two strikes hit at once, each one wrapping around my wrists and keeping them together like handcuffs.

Confusion shimmered through me, but as the lack of oxygen began to creep through my weak senses, I couldn’t care what was happening.

I knew what was going on.

The burning sensation along my arm was sealing what I knew was inevitable: I was being marked.

My memories were fading faster than I expected, and still, I felt no fear. The pain was somewhat inviting, a part of me believing that this pain was nothing compared to what I should have felt for the ultimate crime I just committed.

I was a monarch, after all, a leader of my kind. I defended the weak. I kept my kind strong. This act of treason meant the future generations of my kind had a chance to live on.

I still regret nothing, as the chains tugged me upward, my body beginning to rise. Whether I lived or died didn’t matter to me.

My duty had been completed and I’d face the consequences. If only my memories wouldn’t leave me.

Then I’d pay the price with honor and not fear.

The closer I came to the surface, the emptier my mind became, until all I could grasp was my name.

Alisha Butterfly. Alisha Butterfly. Alisha Butterfly.

Over and over, I repeated my name, the one thing I’d cling onto with desperation. It didn’t matter if I forgot what kind of shifter I was. No matter my supernatural background or hierarchy.

As long as I recalled my name, I could find my home.

I’d find out where I laid my mark and who perished from my claws.

My eyes finally came to a close, the darkness inviting me into a deep slumber. I did not fight it, knowing my time as monarch was over - these chains a symbol of my imprisonment.

I allowed my consciousness to fade away, and the last bit of memories of people cheering my name in pride and joy made their final debut.

One final push to remind me that what I’d done had saved a land of many - had saved an entire nation of my kind.

I’d face the shackles that now claimed me with pride, for I wasn’t in the wrong and my captivity wasn’t my downfall.

I was now a trapped butterfly, and my rein of monarchy was no more.

ALISHA BUTTERFLY

“Alisha Butterfly. You are sentenced to life imprisonment for the mass killing of one thousand prisoners at North West NYC County Jail. The prison you will be sent to will not be revealed until you get there. Take her away.”

There I was, sitting and staring into space as the bulletproof prison car continued its long journey towards whatever prison was chosen for me.

You would have thought a blindfold was required for this long driving session, especially if they didn’t want me knowing the area, but with nothing but desert to look at in the middle of the night, I wasn’t given much to remember.

Cactus 809. Cactus 810. Cactus 811.

Oh. Right. The odd voice in my head was far less ecstatic about our apparent sentence.

I thought having a voice in my head would land me in the crazy house. That surely would have been better than being sentenced to a life of imprisonment.

If only I could recall this apparent incident where a 5′9″ slender woman with thick matte plum nails, black tights, a black crop top, and black boots murdered one thousand people. With my attire, I would have believed I’d gone on a killing spree at a nightclub instead of the middle of the fucking ocean.

It was really absurd, if you ask me. Not one, or ten, or one-hundred. A THOUSAND people. What made it laughable was that they weren’t normal humans.

It was apparently supernatural beings that I was able to eliminate.

I laughed out loud this time, and the driver gave me an odd look in the rear-view mirror. At least he thought I was crazy, unlike the courtroom that all looked my way when I went into a giggle fit.

It was too preposterous to believe and to think everyone was pointing the blame towards me without valuable evidence. No videos or eyewitnesses. We were in the year 2055 and they actually wanted me to believe their made-up words and list of one thousand dead prisoners with no fucking evidence.

Bullshit, I tell you.

The saddest part about my current predicament and the reason why I had no ability to defend myself or actions was due to my apparent memory loss.

Amnesia, they say. To the highest degree.

When I woke up in the hospital bed, I thought I was in the midst of a dream. White cotton sheets, a plain white ceiling. The repetitive beep of the vital signs monitors, and the multiple wires and IVs connected to my body.

The pain was tolerable, the around-the-clock medication to relieve the pain of breaking a leg, some ribs, and an arm was doing a pretty damn job of making me comfortable. How silly was it to handcuff me to the bed when I had a broken leg?

Nevertheless, I awakened from a deep slumber after being unconscious for two weeks - a comatose state - and only remembered my name and age.

Alisha Butterfly. Twenty-two years of age.

I got more information from the health chart than I could recall, but I woke up alone and had no family to contact.

Under my circumstances, I would have been granted one phone call, but who was there to call? If they told me I had no family, there was no need to argue. The idea of being alone in this world brought me an odd sense of solace.

I should have been afraid. Frightened to be cuffed to a hospital bed and without anyone to defend me from the occurrences that got me here. Instead, I was relieved.

This scenario and my now life imprisonment gave me a break from the world, and it only made me wonder what life I had lived prior to Friday, March 13th, the day I lost my memories and murdered one thousand inmates before crashing into the ocean.

Ridiculous.

With a sigh, I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes, hoping this eight-hour car ride was going to end sometime soon.

My curiosity about this prison was nudging a part of my mind. Would my appearance help me? I doubted it.

I was 5′9″ in height, skinny, with a pale complexion that gave off the apparent Caucasian side of my heritage while my face was soft with delicate features that matched my Japanese side.

All of that information was obtained from my health record. The last time I ever was admitted to the hospital was for broken bones when I was thirteen.

Coincidence? I think not. But I’m the girl with amnesia. What would I know?

My physical condition would aid me in running or fighting, at least. From the six-pack I carried and slightly muscled biceps, I was positive that I’d worked on remaining fit.

Turning my gaze to my hands, I looked at my matte nails.

I’m pretty positive they don’t have the option of getting your nails done in prison.

The mere thought disgusted me, which told me manicures and pedicures were a non-negotiable must.

Even in the heart of prison.

I’d figure that out later, like the rest of my life. The thought led me back to the voice in my head.

Cactus 1505. Cactus 1510. Cactus 1520.

“Are you really counting how many cacti are in the distance?”

The driver looked my way again, and I rolled my eyes, realizing I’d asked the question out loud like an idiot. If I kept doing it, maybe we’d make a detour and head to a mental ward. Surely pills and a padded room would be better than prison - especially a prison filled with supernaturals.

“We’re almost there, so stop your mental act!” the driver huffed in pure irritation. He thought I was still playing the part of a mental case when I’d genuinely asked the question to the voice in my head.

“This crazy bitch. I can’t wait to be done with this long drive and head to the hotel. Her vibe is giving me the creeps. I wonder what level she’s going to be on? Good riddance. Though her body is smoking hot. I’d fuck that any day. If I wasn’t on watch, I’d pull over and have a quickie. Ugh. The thought is just making me horny. I’ll just find a Tinder fuck. Should do that now seeing as we’re close.”

My annoyance was obvious in my glaring eyes as I met the black orbs of the driver in the rear-view mirror.

He flinched as if he was seeing a ghost - or acknowledging my existence for the first time in this eight-hour ride – and his eyes returned to the road.

“Fucking scary! Did her eyes change to orange just now? No…they were purple when I picked her up. What kind of supernatural is she? Oh, who fucking cares. Scratch the Tinder date. Get to the Psychic Prison For Supernaturals asap so I don’t need to be near this psycho. Wait…what if she can read my mind?”

His eyes darted back to the mirror, and all I could do was give him a sly grin, one that only added to my crazy persona.

“FUCK! Did she hear me? No…maybe? It’s not like she voiced that she could hear my thoughts. But would she? Fucking fuck! Why did I have to be chosen to do this bloody shift? I’m always the one to lose at Rock-Paper-Scissors. Who invented that foolish game?”

I didn’t stop my giggle but moved my gaze back to the window. I’d allow the suspense to drive him nuts. It could get us to the final destination faster.

Cactus 2500. Cactus 2508. Cactus 2514.

Are you going to keep counting cacti? I decided to ask the voice again, and she - if she didn’t mind being identified as she - paused in her count to finally answer me.

“Clouds were boring. Cacti make the time move faster. Stop bothering me.”

I frowned at her comment.

Or you could have a conversation with me? We are both stuck in this journey and you’re the one chilling in my head. I don’t even know who you are. Are you a female, by the way? Figured I’d ask before we get to the prison of hell. Also, are we continuing this psycho act?

The voice didn’t answer immediately, but she finally decided to enlighten me with some knowledge.

“Female. As for your question regarding who I am, I’m working on discovering such. Your amnesia affected me. Torturous to linger on it.”

That’s why you’d rather count than focus on our predicament?

“Affirmative.”

Sorry.

“Your apology is unnecessary. As you’ve reminded me, we’re on this murderous journey together. Might as well suffer in unity.”

Do you believe we’re close?

“Large population of human auras approaching. Positive we are near the destination.”

I mentally nodded, resting my head back onto the headrest as I purposely tugged at my wrists to see if they were still chained.

“You’re not psycho.”

Oh really? Everyone else seems to agree I knocked something in my head. Sad that our predicament is far from funny, and I can hear everyone’s voices.

That was the hardest thing to adjust to. Waking up to hearing every thought from every nurse, doctor, or individual in the room was overwhelming. It was enough to knock me right out in the beginning, and led to my trial being postponed until I was labeled “stable”.

Pretty positive the hospital was forced into discharging me, the urgency of my trial and dismissal imminent. The longer it took, the harder it would be to cover up all the bullshit, but it was obvious I had some psychic ability.

It was thanks to the voice in my head that I was able to figure out how to shut it down, but turning it on and off would lead to me having obnoxious headaches.

With my captivity, I really didn’t need the added pain. Compared to the hospital, there weren’t any orders to administer me pain medication, let alone the common use of Tylenol or Advil to aid me with my troubles.

“You’re a monarch.”

I’m a what?

“Monarch. It’s not hard to understand.”

Oh, I understood what you said the first time, but you’re trying to imply that I’m some sort of individual with high authority?

“You’re a powerful supernatural.”

Cool story bro, but I’m unaware of what I am, and I’m pretty positive you’re unsure yourself.

“Working on it.”

Well…at least you making conversation is better than counting cacti.

There was a long pause.

Cactus 1. Cactus 7. Cactus 10.

Why did you return to counting?!

“I’m bored of talking with you.”

My feelings are hurt.

“Your thoughts and responses within your mind are rather opposite from your behavior on the outside,” she randomly pointed out.

I knew what she was referring to, and there was a perfect reason for it. On the outside, I looked like a crazy psycho. I was reserved and generally stared into space. That was what the hospital psychiatrist concluded when she attempted to help me ‘recover’ with the single session I was granted.

You can’t fix multiple problems that arise from trauma in one fucking session. Thus, the reason why I didn’t bother playing their silly games. All they wanted was the information to write into their files and use against me in the court of law.

Their thoughts were focused upon what a waste of time their interactions with me were. How my future was already written, and their assessments were useless in helping me in any way.

It was their job, a duty to follow the same protocols and procedures their company bestowed upon me, but my health and overall well-being was not their concern.

They really didn’t care.

Only a few days with the ability to hear others’ thoughts, and I’d decided to not make myself vulnerable in the eyes of such inconsiderate, self-centered individuals. Humans were far worse in comparison to the few supernaturals I’d encountered on my way to my determined fate, but did it matter?

Someone’s first opinion of you was all they needed to put you in a box of judgment until you changed their mind. I was the weak, skinny, Asian-white chick of unknown background, with amnesia and a fuck-worthy body, destined to be locked up for a crime I was positive I didn’t commit.

At least if I had, it would have been nice to feel whatever level of confidence I must have carried to do just that. My decision to act and walk in solitude was out of protection.

It would keep me somewhat off of the radar, or my actions would be easily dismissed due to my psychosis. That way, I could focus on what I needed to discover in myself.

To try and dig whatever memories must be buried deep down in my subconscious.

I remained silent for a long time, and when I finally answered the voice, I was confident in my reasoning.

We experienced death for a short period of time and woke up in that hospital bed. From that moment onward, I learned how cruel this world can be and how people can be so easily used and dismissed for the sake of saving someone else of power. This persona will protect us. Long enough to try and figure out where we stand. From the knowledge we carry, we’re going to have no choice but to figure out what got us here…or who put us here. The weak get picked on in prison, and we’re not going to endure such circumstances. With you…and those I trust, I’ll share the me that I’m comfortable with, but these prisoners and people in power will know I’m not here to play around.

My eyes lowered to my handcuffs, my magenta-purple orbs glaring at them with resentment.

These shackles won’t stop me. This is all temporary, and once I have my footing and gain the knowledge I need to have an advantage, we’ll begin our journey towards freedom.

The internal declaration quickly flickered a vision in my mind, and there I saw four women. The sound of a honk tried to tug me out of it, but I didn’t let it faze me while my focus drifted further into the image that became clearer in my head.

The four of them were vastly different. One had long brown strands with bits of gold. The longer I looked at her, the further her appearance began to morph until the same woman now had gorgeous turquoise strands and confident black eyes that shifted to a gorgeous mix of amber. The previous navy-blue vest to pants attire was now a stunning white dress that gave off princess vibes.

She wore a golden crown, bejeweled with various colored gems, and she was grinning confidently back at me, a switch from her previous naive expression.

The second girl’s hair was vivid blue with multiple purple highlights. The pigment was intense enough to give off the impression it was neon-colored. She wore casual clothes and her shocking grey eyes contained hints of gold.

As my focus remained on her, the previous appearance shifted over to a new look. Her short hair was now long and levitated, while her eyes were striking gold. Confidence oozed off of her as she stood with her arms crossed, wearing an orange jumpsuit.

She wore a beaming smile, giving off the impression she was a person you’d have fun being around. Compared to the others, it seemed she was the most laid back, but that didn’t affect the strength she portrayed in waves.

Her image didn’t change while my gaze lingered on her, almost as if she was a mystery I had to discover on my own. With that conclusion, it was time to move on.

I shifted my gaze to the third woman. The long orange to gold strands of her hair reminded me of raging flames. She wore a stunning black dress, the intriguing design on the material replicating branches in the midst of blossoms of various colors.

What almost took my breath away was her massive black wings; their arched beauty could leave anyone speechless. Her lavender eyes were intriguing, their radiant dominance leaving me shivering in this odd vision.

She wasn’t smiling, but her expression that looked back at me was full of pride.

Finally, the last individual standing to my far right. I had to take a double-take, glancing at her and back at the first woman to see that they weren’t the same person.

There were obvious differences. This final woman had neon gold hair with vivid orange and red highlights. Her eyes were like a prism, with shocking blues, pinks, and purples that stood out in comparison to the other woman.

They were the same height, but this woman carried the most power out of the bunch. She casually stood with her hand up, a ball of glowing power gathering in the palm of her hand.

She wore a skin-tight dress and a dark crown on her head, leaving my imagination to ponder on what side of the spectrum she was on in comparison to the first woman who wore a gold one.

They both had the same type of jeweled designs, and I was left to only wonder what the symbolism of them meant. The image began to fade away, but I clung to it as tightly as I could when the four women took a step to the side, leaving a space in the middle for one more individual.

A figure came from the dark shadows behind them, the clicks and clacks of heels making my heart beat like raging thunder. The dominance, the power, the absolute submission I felt to bow and give in to this individual’s requests and desires.

If it wasn’t for my frozen body, I would have bowed to her every command, but what left me in a state of shock was when the light shone upon her like she’d walked upon a stage.

Long, slightly waved hair shifted from black to purple. A single section of blue highlight in the front strands of her dazzling hairstyle portrayed her rebellious side.

Slim, fit body, long matte black nails, commanding purple eyes, and a koi fish tattoo in the merged shape of a dragon - the same shoulder sleeve tattoo that rested on my right arm.

The simplistic black dress was mixed with leather straps and a leather corset to accent the woman’s slim waist. Her hair blew with every step she took, and the silver necklace she wore around her neck had the single symbol of a butterfly with its wings spread out.

The electrifying power of light purple and blue surged around her commanding presence and the same static energy formed the charged crown that hovered over her head.

Words wouldn’t be able to describe her magisterial capacities, but I could feel it within my very soul, and I had no doubt in my mind that the woman I was staring at was indeed me.

She stood amongst the four individuals, and the vision that began to fade away told me that these women would all have a purpose in my life at some point in time.

Those who sent me to this path would have never done so if they believed I’d find a way out, but I was confident this new circumstance was only the beginning of me unlocking my true potential deep within.

My lost memories didn’t matter. I’d regain them in due time, and staring into this woman’s purple eyes that glinted with magenta and light blue told me more.

Be patient. Observe and listen to the words - spoken and unspoken - and work towards becoming far greater than the woman you are now. You are powerful. You are a threat. You are a monarch. Remember your place within the walls of captivity and harm will never bestow itself upon you. The weak are always walked upon, but the strong are respected.

The words of encouragement that came from our intense stare gave me hope. It reassured me that this wasn’t the end. I’d have to grow into the person I once was. This very well could be a blessing in disguise. All I had to do was follow the path to where it would lead me.

The slam of the door of the vehicle jolted me out of the vision, leaving me to wonder if I’d fallen asleep or was in a complete daze.

Fuck…did I fall asleep?

“Cactus 354…no. You were in a trance of sorts. Saw something pretty?”

The voice sounded intrigued by what I’d seen or experienced.

Did you see what I saw?

“Somewhat,” she admitted.

What was that?

Her response was stopped by the car door opening up, and the driver leaning down to look at my blank expression as I glanced his way.

“We’re here. Wait as I get the security to come over and sign you in.”

I purposely lifted my handcuffed wrists, showing off the cuffs like they were my latest fashion accessory.

“Not going anywhere, Sir. Carry on with your duties. I’ll sit right here and continue talking to the voice in my head.”

My voice was dry with sarcasm, and my added smile only creeped out the poor driver, causing him to go into a quick frenzy. He closed the door with a slam and swiftly made his way to the massive gates.

As curious as I was to see the outside of these walls, a part of me felt it was rather useless to bother. I was going to be stuck inside. If I had the opportunity to break out, it wouldn’t be from the front gates.

As you were about to say?

“A vision of the future,” she revealed.

So that was us?

“Correct.”

We’re that…powerful?

“Our lack of power is from our amnesia situation. Doubt and fear only bring one down in the house of strength and persistence. Build up the areas where you lack. Bring them up until their walls are impenetrable, and there you’ll find the power you seek and confidence you once proclaimed as your own.”

You sound like a guru.

“Returning to my counting.”

There’s no more cacti to count.

A long pause was followed with, “Rock one. Rock t-”

How are you even seeing the rocks?!

“I have a wider peripheral vision than you do,” she announced. “Drivers coming. Prepare for exit and entry.”

Thanks for the warning.

She went back on with her counting, the driver returning with two other men. Their guard uniforms were black with purple and gold outlining. They had badges on their left chest pocket and were fully armed.

Some of the weapons on their waists were far from normal. My memory didn’t need to be on point to know the obvious look of the black gun, but the intriguing whip that was wrapped around a clip hook was giving me a bit of excitement.

How would that feel against your skin in bed?

“Seems your pleasurable tendencies haven’t changed.”

Come again?

“Funny,” she sarcastically noted. “Rock 2305.”

I wasn’t joking like that! Also, how did you jump to 2305?

“There are a lot of rocks on the ground. That one is shiny. I want it.”

Do you have a rock problem?

“Shiny jewels bring joy to me. Don’t ignore it.”

That’s not a jew-

“Me. Want. It.”

Sure…

The door opened up and the driver reached in to unlock the additional chain that kept me in my spot within the car.

“Out you go, crazy!”

“Finally. Someone acknowledges my fragile mind,” I said dully while taking my time getting out of the car.

The two security guards exchanged looks, their eyes taking a long, observant glance down my thin frame. I made a silent vow to make sure I ate a lot to gain some weight.

If I was cursed with a fast metabolism, that plan would be fucked, but that also meant I’d get to eat more food.

Good or bad…hmm.

“Shiny rock!”

Right, right, right. I’ll ask for your rock. Jeez.

“Take her away, boys. Good riddance. We have enough nut cases in the open.”

Even with his weak insults, I gave him a prideful grin, my eyes twinkling with mockery.

“Thanks,” I told the driver and gave him a saucy wink. “If we ever see each other again, let’s play Rock-Paper-Scissors.”

The fear in his eyes made me giggle maliciously, and the security guards forced me to move forward.

We only took a few steps before my body was forced to stop - not by the guards, but my own feet fought to move a step further.

“Let’s move it!” the guard to my right ordered, but I lowered my gaze to the floor until my eyes locked onto a very specific rock.

It didn’t seem to be a rock, at least that’s not what it began to shift into. It truly was a crystal of some sort. It triggered some thoughts of various crystals that were used in astrology to spiritually aid you with connecting to the universe.

The way it glittered reminded me of pyrite, the stone for abundance and riches. The longer I stared at it, the further it tugged at my being, and I made the automatic decision that it was now mine to proclaim.

“Move it!” The guard to my left tried to tug me forward, but I looked up at him.

“No.” My voice went cold. “I want to stay here.”

The man’s angry voice shifted to confused before he quickly nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Majesty? That’s new.

I looked at the man on my right. “That rock. The one that twinkles. Pick it up and put it in my pocket.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he replied without hesitation, leaning over to pick up the specific rock I’d requested and with ease put it in the right pocket of my black tights.

“If anyone asks, say the rock keeps me grounded, prevents me from losing it, and no one shall remove it from my grasp,” I ordered both of them. “Absolutely no one, or I’ll bring this whole prison down.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” they both agreed, leaving me to smile with satisfaction. “We may go now.”

As if those words snapped them out of the trance they were in, the two of them exchanged frightened looks before swiftly moving me forward - with delicacy - to the entrance gates.

That…was fucking awesome! How did I do that?

“The power of fearlessness can make a crowd bow to your every desire. Remember that when you’re in situations that test your worth.” Her wise words were followed with, “Thanks for getting my rock. It’ll bring us divinity when the time is right.”

Why do I feel like we have a thing for shiny stones?

I only said “we” because now that the stone was in my possession, I felt a tinge of power from it. The events occurring moments earlier already were making this prison thing tolerable, and the stone was a reminder of my new ability.

“They have a purpose. You’ll thank me later.”

Alright.

Who was I to argue? I now had the apparent abilities to see the future and command random people to do my bidding when I wanted something strongly enough.

We reached the set of massive, fifteen-feet-tall gates. The loud sound of them opening up made all of this more real. The reality was sinking in. My fate was somehow determined by whoever plotted for my captive demise, but the hint of fear that tugged at me was crushed by the motivation to survive.

This wasn’t the end. Only the beginning.

Before entering this hell of imprisonment, can I at least know your name?

The voice paused in her counting, and when she spoke, it was with the softest touch of emotion.

“Saphire.”

The simplicity of her name gave me a wave of calm, filling a part of me that felt lost and incomplete. Her name triggered an emotional longing, a bond that I knew would grow if we relied on one another like we once had before our amnesia predicament.

A smirk grazed my lips, and I closed my eyes for a moment.

Saphire. Let us begin this new journey, together. I may be a novice with many of my past skills and abilities, and I surely won’t be perfect, but continue to guide me with your bouts of wisdom. Protect me if I need a shield to reflect harm. We will discover our past, and that discovery will lead us to our destined future.”

“Your words of commitment bring me joy and pride. I accept your offer of friendship and together, this partnership will blossom into what we once had and more.”

Opening my eyes, I noticed the tall man waiting for me in the middle of the open gates. His uniform was like the others, and his hard stare met my calm eyes.

“What is your name, prisoner?” His emotionless inquiry only made me smile, and I hoped my boost in boldness sparkled in my magenta-purple eyes.

“Alisha Butterfly.”

This was the start of my rise towards my supernatural monarchy.

PSYCHIC PRISON FOR SUPERNATURALS

“LISTEN UP, NEW PRISONERS! I’m not repeating shit, so sit the fuck down and pay attention!”

My tired eyes blinked a few times. I attempted to stay awake as I watched the other prisoners make the hard decision of finding a seat in the small room that looked like a classroom.

I couldn’t recall my level of education, but the classroom environment was something familiar to me. Guess the nostalgic feeling would be my only confirmation regarding my level of education. Not like it helped in my current predicament.

We were getting our orientation right away. Today was a cleanup day - whatever that meant - and we needed our orientation prior to being assigned our levels.

The prison I was now going to spend my life imprisoned in was called the Psychic Prison for Supernaturals. That was all that I’d gathered from the random thoughts that slipped through the protective walls of my mind.

I’d have to get used to this chaotic environment before I allowed my psychic ability the freedom to pick and choose what was deemed to be important information.

With how powerful the ability proved itself to be at the hospital, I could only imagine the flood of thoughts that would hit me with force in a place like this.

From my initial observation upon entry, this place was packed. It was easy to determine who was a supernatural versus a mere human; the majority of supernaturals carried some sort of aura around them.

Saphire explained that individuals with magic displayed an aura that cloaked their bodies. The ability to see auras was a skill that required magic of your own.

She carried on with the general importance of auras and how their level of energy showed a glimpse of the individual’s potential magic caliber. This information struck a cord in me, and I secretly hoped more useful information would make its debut the longer we stayed in this place.

So far, I knew the place disgusted me. I wondered if I was some sort of clean freak or just had high standards of cleanliness. Either way, I knew from this initial floor alone that the life of imprisonment would give me acne.

My skin was flawless, another common complaint in the minds of these prisoners that gave me dirty looks while they nitpicked me from head to toe. Even the female guard that patted me down had to complain about how “perfect” I was and how that perfection would wither like a flower banned from water and sunlight.

That reminded me of the next big observation I’d made. There were no windows in this facility. The lack of windows was already bugging me. No natural sunlight, and the lights that hovered over the halls were so dim.

I could only imagine the state of our cells, and the idea of wearing one jumpsuit for eons was grating on that cleanliness nerve of mine.

At this rate, it was unlikely I’d survive this prison. From the look of things, this was only the beginning of my torture.

I was given the privilege of remaining in my clothes - thank the fucking heavens - but others were not as lucky.

In fact, no one else in this room was wearing normal clothes but me.

That surely got me more hateful glares, and their thoughts circulated between who I was and how they could fuck me up. The amount of hate that circulated in the minds of these prisoners was a little amusing to me.

Weird, I know.

I found it entertaining how all these strangers who had taken a mere glance in my direction were already eager to either touch me or kill me.

Or both. Might as well attempt both if you’re aiming to touch what’s not yours.

Another amusing fact was how absurd the security here was. I may not know what kind of supernatural I was, but this place was a fucking joke.

I felt no different than when I’d stood in front of the gates, even though this place was built to suppress the supernatural traits we carried. Or at least that’s what the guard was yapping about.

A big chunk of the security staff were mere humans. I couldn’t comprehend why supernaturals stuck here.

Was it because the idea of being trapped with a bunch of supernaturals of various levels of power excited them?

Don’t get me wrong, the idea did spark a little, tiny, itsy-bitsy part of me - one I’d yet to figure out - but with the list of flaws with myself and what I’d done so far being here for two hours, I’d determined that I was far from psycho in comparison to some of these prisoners.

With a yawn, I began to glance around the room to see where I wanted to sit. I couldn’t determine if I was a front-row or back-row person, which led me to a dramatic decision.

“Eenie. Meenie. Miney. Mo.”

The bland statement of what felt like a children’s rhyme by Saphire was so intriguing and odd that it made me snicker.

The room must have been silent when I did that, because everyone looked my way, and all I could do was giggle quietly. I already saw the conflicted gazes, some filled with concern for my sanity while others looked upset with my almost laughable interruption.

Not like we’d started shit from the get-go.

With a shrug, I decided to sit in the front row; my black heels that I’d honestly forgotten I’d been wearing until we had to strip for the feel-up pat-down clicked loudly as I made my way across the room.

I assumed heels would be uncomfortable, especially when the floors here were odd with weird turns, curves, and crackled tiles. This room appeared to be kept in shape, but some of the paths that lead to this place were lucky to get a sweep of a broom once a month.

Fuck, once a year.

Another new discovery was that my sense of smell was a curse. I hadn’t gone on a sneezing storm just yet, but if my cell was as filth-infested with dust and mold as some of these walls were, I’d begin to count my blessings because I’d die from the lack of air quality down here.

Many of the prisoners smelled like they hadn’t showered for weeks, and I wouldn’t be surprised if those were the rules here. It was a prison, after all. No way were they getting the spa treatment.

God, I need to figure out my nail situation.

My eyes landed on the seat I decided upon, and I was a step away when a large woman sank onto the seat. I stalled in my movement, the echoing of my heels that clicked on the ground bouncing on the walls as the room went silent.

I moved my gaze upward, not caring about this woman’s characteristics. All I cared about was my chosen seat and how her plump ass was sitting in my claimed property.

“Prisoner 4850, find a fucking seat already!” the sergeant commander or whatever he was ordered, but I remained right in place.

The woman in question raised her head up in slow motion, that cocky grin on her face already picking at my subconscious to teach her some respect.

“You heard him. Find another chair, Asian toothpick.” She tossed the insult as an added bonus, and all I could do was stare at her.

The silence carried right along, and the longer I stood there, the more intense the atmosphere surrounding us got. Even the sergeant seemed nervous.

“Hey! Prisoner 4852, move to the second row,” he determined.

“Excuse me?” The prisoner glared at him, his authority and rank meaning nothing to her. “Were you experiencing a flashback while I rightfully sat my ass on this fucking seat? I’m not moving for shit.”

Another voice that held a bit of fright to it muttered, “She was staring at it.”

“C’mon, bitch!” a louder prisoner from the back called out. “Move your fat ass and let the skinny bitch sit down! I’m hungry!”

“I’m staying right here!” The woman slammed her hands on the seats next to her. The two seats shattered as though they were glass sculptures and a massive hammer fell upon their fragile surface.

Everyone froze, but the woman merely crossed her arms and gave me a wide grin of triumph.

“Now. I’ll say it again if you didn’t hear me, Asian toothpick. Find another sea-”

She didn’t finish before her body began to levitate. The amount of gasps made a flutter of delightedness trickle through me.

“What the fuck?! HEY! Put me the fuck down!”

I blinked innocently as she continued to float upward until her back was against the high ceiling. Taking a single step forward, I turned my body to align with the chair and lowered myself.

Once comfortable, I crossed my right leg over my left and sighed.

“Nice and warm,” I calmly commented. “Your cooperation is appreciated.”

“I didn’t cooperate, you fucking cunt! Let me down!”

My ears zoned her out like she was white noise that deserved to be ignored until she figured out the proper way of apologizing.

The thought of my prisoner number popped into my head, resulting in my eyes darting to the sergeant, who seemed to flinch at my sudden gaze.

“Did you refer to me as Prisoner 4850?” I inquired.

“Uh…Yes! You’re Prisoner 4850!”

“Don’t like it,” I announced. “Choose another number.”

“What?” he gasped at my sudden request, and the quiet mutters that seeped through the woman’s hollering from the ceiling confirmed how appalling my appeal was.

“The number is silly. I want a repdigit. Specifically, 2222 if it’s available.”

The tall man just stared at me like I’d requested him to grant me bail.

“There’s no way of changing your numbers.” His hand cut through the air like it was his final say on the matter.

That wasn’t sitting well with me.

“I want the number 2222,” I declared.

There was a wave of silence. The strong statement of my desires even shut up the hollering woman temporarily.

The man blinked and stuttered, “There’s already a Prisoner 2222.”

“Your point?”

“You can’t switch numbers. It’s based on-”

“I never requested your explanation. I know how the numeration system works. I want the number I’ve specified as my own. Either you switch it in the system or I’ll get rid of the prisoner in question.”

“You say I have a problem,” Saphire muttered within my mind, but I could feel her enjoyment with this current situation and that only told me she supported this current endeavor.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew this overdramatic desire for a solid number was a little childish and unheard of, but that number resonated with me.

It had to have been some sort of identification in the past, and I suddenly desired to continue carrying that numerological symbol with me on this new adventure of confinement.

When he remained speechless, I sighed.

“Fine. I’ll do it myse-”

“We’ll get it changed for you,” he finally approved. Before anyone could counter, he carried on, “Let’s get this shit over with because it’s fucking early and I need coffee!”

Everyone continued to remain silent until the woman above shouted, “What about me?! She shouldn’t be able to keep me up here! I thought this hellish place doesn’t allow magic and shit.”

“Says the woman who smashed two chairs,” a prisoner quietly muttered from the left back corner of the room. “Don’t show off your powers but get mad when someone uses theirs against you.”

“I’m going to kill your ass, fucker.”

My head was beginning to pound from the obnoxious yelling, and as if it was a common gesture I’d used in the past, I flicked my hand casually to my right. A loud crashing sound was followed with a thump and groan.

No one spoke, and I only gave a quick glance in the direction of the crash to satisfy Saphire’s curiosity.

The woman was on the ground, the culprit of the huge crumbling indent in the cement wall. Tiny rocks continued to fall from the place of impact, landing on the woman who remained still on the floor.

As I was waiting to be scolded, I returned to looking at the sergeant in question and his wide eyes that looked between the unconscious prisoner and me.

He cleared his throat and looked around the room.

“As I was saying!” he began, taking a quick, nervous glance my way to see my one-centimeter smirk that tugged at the corner of my lips.

He was approved by me simply for his act of pure ignorance.

“This is Psychic Prison. The prison for supernaturals. Just because you’re all magical and shit doesn’t mean you can cause chaos and trouble!”

He glanced back to the unconscious woman as if emphasizing his point before he continued.

“Rules are simple. Y’all are stuck here. Don’t cause shit,” he paused and pointed to the woman, “like that fucking shit. It’s a pain in my ass. Mind your own fucking business and try to get along, ‘cause you ain’t getting out anytime soon. Some of you, never.”

He glanced around the room before he carried on, “Lab checks are done for multiple reasons, ones you lot don’t need to know about. If you’re summoned, move your ass and get there. Since we have no vampires in this lot, I’m skipping that shit, but if you want to be vampire bait, feel free to volunteer to have your blood drawn. Suicide requests are taken as well, so feel free if you’re tired of this shit.”

He took a breath and crossed his arms over his chest. “Dragon shifters. The exchange of flame happens once a year. If we feel like announcing it, we will. If not, tough fucking shit. It’s not my business.”

“Exchange of flame.” Saphire’s sudden comment puzzled me a little, but I paid no mind to it, my focus back on the man in question.

“Moving on! There are four levels to this place. Seeing as there’s far too many of you today, all three levels have been mixed in here. You’ll get your confirmation of what level you are after this session.”

He lifted his hand to show a single finger.

“Level One! That’s where we’re currently at. Y’all are essentially useless garbage and don’t matter to anyone. Stick to that role and you’ll live a somewhat peaceful existence within these walls. Your uniforms are the vested type. Be advised that this prison is mixed in gender, but we do our best to ensure females and males have separate times unless there are special circumstances.”

He lifted his finger and continued, “Anyone in orange jumpsuits is Level Two. This group is not harmless in the slightest, so if you die, lose a limb, or get fucked up in some crazy shit, don’t blame my ass because I warned y’all!”

He went right into the next level, lifting yet another finger.

“Level Three prisoners can wear whatever the fuck they want.” He paused, and I could feel all the eyes in the room land on me.

One would expect to get all anxious from the attention, but I basked in it. I purposely uncrossed my legs, only to lift my left leg onto my right and check my nails for added emphasis.

The sergeant cleared his throat and carried along, “Don’t fucking mess with them. You all share the same underground cafeteria, so if you cross their path, move the hell out of the way and show them some fucking respect or…” He stopped on purpose and again gestured to the unconscious prisoner. “You’ll be like that. Which brings up another thing! If you think we’ve got time to haul your ass when you’re on the seesaw of death, give the fuck up. We ain’t your babysitters and unless you’re deemed valuable or bought by your superiors, your body is going to stay there unless someone feels utter pity for you or you die. We’ll make sure we move your body before it rots, but hey. Sometimes we’ve got better shit to do and you become human compost. The dead can’t choose what happens to their remains, so think twice!”

He glanced around the room and continued talking, “They can do what they want, when given permission, of course. They’re owned by powerful individuals, ones that can snap their fingers and disintegrate your damn soul. What I’m saying is they’re off-limits and again, mess with them, your loss. Many are here on their own accord, a peaceful way of living compared to dealing with the shit called life outside these walls.”

“You’re telling me they want to stay here?” a prisoner piped up. “That’s fucked.”

The man actually smirked, which was odd to me.

“You’re a Level One, based on a single glance. And I’ll tell you this. The world outside these walls is far crueler than this shit of a hell hole. When you’ve lived for so many years and endured the hardships that come with being a supernatural, prison is a lovely escape from the murderous lifestyles some of these individuals endure. So before you become a Judgy Becky, keep your fucking opinions to yourself!”

That shut the chance of any other questions.

“Finally.” He lifted one more finger. “Level Four. That’s the ‘don’t you dare enter’ floor. You have a suicide wish and believe the vampire sucking your blood route is too slow, feel free to enter the depths of Level Four. They’ll gladly murder you on sight, though I can’t guarantee the pace of your death. Some have been a few seconds, others have been weeks. The longest record is a year of torture before their remains were sent up to Level One.”

The room was pin-drop silent at his declaration, and I could imagine who these individuals possibly were.

“Intriguing.” Saphire was really into this explanation session.

“They’re living in the depths of these walls because they know just how powerful they are. To you all, captivity is a punishment. To them, captivity is their safe haven. If they go out, it’s for pleasure, but it usually also involves many of those catastrophes you hear about on the news. Their existence is a curse to the lands and some have been the reason for our world wars. That’s all I have to say about that!”

He took a final glance around the room and nodded.

“Get your asses to the lab! After that, you’ll be given the privilege of breakfast before you’re escorted to your cells. Again, don’t cause shit! If anyone pisses me off this morning before my cup of coffee, you’re fucked!”

He clapped his hand once to dismiss us, and I let out a soft sigh.

So hungry.

Glancing at the sergeant, I stared at him until his gaze gravitated to meet mine.

“Why is she staring at me like that? Fuck, if I die before coffee it’ll be a humiliating defeat. She has to be a Level Three. Jeez, she could very well be a Level Four. Why can’t they get special leadership? Shit. She’s still staring at me. I should ask her what she needs.”

He walked over to me, a clear attempt to not draw too much attention to his lack of confidence and growing anxiety due to my intense stare.

“Prisoner 4-”

I raised an eyebrow and he cleared his throat. “Prisoner 2222. Do you need anything?”

“Well, are we able to have a small snack prior to lab testing? I’m hungry and the thought makes me queasy.”

He stood there for a long moment before calling to the first prisoner his eyes landed on. “Prisoner 4551!”

“Yes!” the girl squealed and rushed to stand up.

“Go get Prisoner 2222 something to eat from the cafeteria. You got a glance at it during your tour,” he ordered.

“Yes, Sir!” She rushed out with a blink, and I actually was impressed.

Hmm. She could be useful.

“Which reminds me. A few of you will need a tour once you’re done eating. I will wait for all those who need a tour of the place here. Don’t ask me stupid questions while we’re on the tour or I’ll kick you into unconsciousness. Understood?!”

“Yes!” a number of prisoners replied. He turned to look my way, and I gave him a slight nod of approval. That seemed to give him relief as he shuffled away.

I rested back against the seat and mentally sighed.

Psychic Prison for Supernaturals. Looks like it’s going to an intriguing experience, but how crazy would things get?

Only time would tell.

IMPRISONED MONARCH OF AMNESIA

If I don’t get an ounce of sleep soon, the world will end.

“Those tests didn’t consider our exhaustion in the slightest.”

Saphire’s voice sounded as drained as I felt. My body ached from the places we’d been poked, as well as the long drive over here finally settling into my muscles.

It was a good thing that the Prisoner 4551 had rushed to get me food, or I’d surely have fainted from all the blood tests we’d just endured. The prisoner had brought a small bowl of custard pudding, and though it wasn’t necessarily my favorite thing in the world, the sweetness helped give me a boost of energy.

Until it was sucked out of me. Stupid tests.

She was short, around 5′1″, with white hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. I wondered what could have landed her in here. Considering my predicament, anything was possible. But my goal wasn’t to make friends.

The prisoner called herself Kitty, and I could only assume she was a cat shifter. This wisdom within the darker parts of myself indicated that Kitty had to be a cat supernatural of some sort. She had a submissive nature, which I found to be incredibly helpful.

She’d been the one to escort me to the labs, not like I needed any help with the signs and orders of the guards standing wearily against the walls - attempting to look as small as possible when I approached.

This monarchy thing had to be a big deal in the supernatural realms because the respect was unreal for a prison. There were a few rotten apples, both prisoners and guards, that attempted to act tough and insult me behind my back, but I wasn’t in the mood to fight today.

Even glaring was a difficult task at this point. All I craved now was a bed to lay upon. Honestly, I’d lay on the floor if it meant a few minutes of uninterrupted sleep.

My growing tiredness was only adding to my misery. The walls of my psychic abilities had lowered tremendously, leaving holes for other people’s thoughts to hit me every other second.

The constant ridicule, confusion, disbelief, and joy at my arrival was getting on my nerves and was another reason to go to the chambers of my cell to take a much-needed break from it all.

This prison was indeed huge, big enough to easily get lost if you weren’t careful. I was now the only one left as I waited for my guard to escort me to whatever level I qualified for, and the long wait was beginning to make me impatient.

Leaning against the wall, I crossed my arms over my chest and mentally prayed this wouldn’t take much longer.

I learned from the medical lab assistant who was assigned to take my blood that I’d be assigned to a doctor named Doc.

Real original.

Apparently, he wasn’t in today, but I’d see him sometime this week for a detailed analysis of my blood work. Maybe he’d enlighten me about what kind of supernatural I was.

They had enough info to pick my floor, and I could only imagine myself in the given uniforms of Level One or Level Two. Orange would look odd against my skin, but that was prison life for you.

The constant reminders were annoying, but I needed them. My mind didn’t want to acknowledge this new reality, and I honestly didn’t blame it. What had I done before that fateful day?

Did I wake up in my own bed, ready to start the day productively as enthusiasm flooded me? Did I work a job of sorts, or have hobbies I wholeheartedly enjoyed?

There were so many pieces missing from my own identity that I was forced to shape myself into a new person within these walls. What hurt the most was the gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach that told me I was innocent of all of this.

My circumstance was not due to my own stupid flaws or mistakes but a way to cover up someone else’s problems. If I was a monarch, surely I carried the knowledge and experience necessary to not make naive mistakes.

I pushed the thoughts away, feeling the bits of regret and sadness that tried to overcome me because of my current dissatisfaction with my circumstances. If I’d ever been an emotional person, I was now sorely lacking in that department.

This wasn’t the time or place to reflect weakness with vulnerable feelings that triggered tears and immense depression. This was my beginning, and I had to morph everything into a positive outlook or I’d fuck shit up.

I’d destroy this new persona I was attempting to mold together.

The nagging pounding at my left temple was really beginning to annoy me, and I ended up pressing two fingers against it, hoping the added pressure would aid in relieving it.

“HEY, Ali. Would you move that ass of yours? We’ve got a sunset to see! No one is going to see your fucking mascara!”

“Oh shut up, At-s! You better respect me and my mascara or there’ll be no sunsets!”

“Why are you using the plural form of sunsets?!”

“Because you’ll never get to see a damn sunset with me again if you don’t show some manners!”

“Hmm. You’re hot when you’re all mad and shit.”

“You’re turned on by the stupidest shit.”

“Just like how you throw yourself at anyone that gives you a shiny rock.”

“That…fucker! That’s not true!”

“Says the girl getting all- fuck! Don’t start setting things on fire here! Alisha, dammit!”

“I’ll burn the fucking place down and blame you.”

“God, your temper is going to be the death of you.”

“Good! I won’t need to deal with your foolishness.”

“Don’t go hurting my feelings now. You are one of the few that get to see this side of me.”

“I’m taking all the advantage of such a privilege.”

“Then make sure I never lose you.”

“That’s a hard bargain in a world that wants me dead.”

“Alisha Butterfly. My sweet hybrid. I’m being serious.”

“They can’t kill me. I’ll rise from my ashes and be born again.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re immortal, sweets.”

“In my language it does. Besides, what would happen if I perished? You’d probably be happy.”

“The world would end and so would my promise to remain peaceful.”

“You’d break the rules.”

“I’d break anyone who dared take you from me.”

“You’re too…Atti…stop getting…attached.”

“You…mine. My queen. My future wife. My everything.”

MY EYES SNAPPED OPEN, the memory lingering in the root of my mind and leaving me a little winded.

What…was that?

The vision began to cut out at the end, the name of the dominant male I was discussing with cutting off whenever mentioned. The deep grit of that man’s voice made my whole body hot, tingles of longing, desire, and a hint of mourning settling in the depths of my core.

With a huff, I was ready to bolt from this wall and find my cell myself when a guard came from down the hall, his eyes landing on me.

“Prisoner 2222. Your cell is ready. This way.”

He barely paid me any attention before he was turning right around and heading back the way he came. Surely he expected me to follow him, and if it wasn’t for my intense desire for a moment’s peace, I would have stubbornly waited for his return and respect, but I brushed it aside.

I proceeded to walk the remainder of the wall and turned right. A guard was there waiting beside an elevator. It opened in a second, and he walked right in. I sped up to catch the elevator as the doors were already beginning to close, and my irritated eyes looked up to his in question.

“This commanding bitch thinks I’m afraid of her? Where she’s going, she’ll be lucky to last the night with that attitude.”

My eyes left him for only a moment, scanning the buttons until I reached out and pressed the emergency stop button.

“What the fuck do-”

“I don’t give a fuck which floor I’m on,” I emphasized. “If you’re ever assigned to me again, think wisely. You should be afraid of me, and I’m only disappointed at the fact I can’t add to my kill count by getting rid of you.”

“You can’t threat-”

I took one step, and that’s all I needed for him to suck in his breath and still in complete fear.

The pounding in my head had only magnified, and that annoying anger was what I was thriving on in the metal cube we stood in. He could feel the magnitude of my impatience, and I dared him to say another word with my eyes that narrowed questioningly.

He didn’t know who I was. No one in this place knew my potential. With my amnesia, I couldn’t fathom what individual I could have been weeks prior, but whether it was the past or present moment, I didn’t tolerate disrespecting shit from any one.

“Apologize.”

The depth of my voice wasn’t mine. The man’s eyes widened, and it took a minute for it to click in.

Saphire?

“I-I-I’m sorry for my disrespect, Your Majesty!” The guard looked as though he was going to piss his pants and die from a heart attack right after.

Either way would please me, but that would force me to wait for another guard and more questioning before getting to my cell.

The heavy breath that left me was provoked by Saphire, and I was sure she was in control of me in some way. I wasn’t bothered by her intrusion – it was almost like a boost in all my senses with the wave of authority that came with her takeover - but the switch was already having harsh effects on me.

Our vision was darkening, the shades of the silver metal box altering entirely; the silver was now a metallic red and the one bright light had now dimmed to a golden glow.

My eyes only narrowed further, and we fought not to show our fear of passing out.

“Let this never happen again, or you’re dead.”

Slamming the button off, I turned away and stared at the doors. Saphire pulled right back and gave me my full control again. If I felt worn out before, it only escalated as my head felt like a heavy ball on my neck and the thrumming of that headache moved up in the scale from annoying to nuisance.

If only I could run to the washroom and vomit. The idea only made me stand taller as the elevator stopped on the destined floor.

My eyes looked up to see the double vision number, but I rapidly blinked until it returned to a solid red digit.

Three. I’m officially a Level Three prisoner.

Should I feel overjoyed? Proud? Thrilled for what was to come?

As of now, with how sick I felt, I’d leave those feelings off to the other side for another day when I’d rested for hours.

I walked out first, the guard shuffling quickly out of the elevator and gesturing for me to follow him as we made our way down the hall.

The initial outlook of the walls was making the hairs on my arms creep up because the cleanliness down here was no different from the first floor. Now I was dreading going to my cell all over again, but it still wasn’t enough to outweigh my burning need to rest.

Even on the moldy, disgusting floors.

We reached the end of the dark hall. The single light that came from a hanging lightbulb gave just enough illumination to see the rusty gate of the cubed cell.

The guard reached for his keys, fumbling with the ring of fifty different unlocking metals, each unlocking something in this massive place. He found the right one and slipped it into the keyhole to unlock it.

The loud sound almost echoed down the hall, and the creek that followed made me arch an eyebrow at the space.

If they truly believe this rusted metal and cement box is going to keep me from escaping, this prison is seriously a joke at holding supernaturals.

Even with the multiple questions regarding my safety within the barricaded cube walls, I walked towards it and inspected the inside.

The interior was even worse than the exterior. The mold-infested corners and ceiling could probably lead to my early death if I inhaled it enough. The only thing that was worthy of being touched was the small silver bench that had to have been new because it didn’t fit anything else in the room.

The place to do your relief business wasn’t even a toilet. It was a hole in the floor. And the sink that was right next to it was missing its knobs.

“We’ll die from an infection in this infested safety hazard,” Saphire grumbled. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, my eyes picking up the streams of smoke leaving my nostrils.

Um…

“Figure that out later. Let’s crash.”

I finally gave in and walked into the cell, my legs moving right to the bench. With a final inspection of the silver metal surface, I turned around and sat down.

Hard as hell surface, but with how spent I was, it didn’t matter to me anymore. At this rate, I’d surely been up for more than twenty-four hours and that had to be against the doctor’s orders.

“This is your temporary cell for now,” the guard announced.

“Temporary?” I inquired, my emotionless voice cloaking the weakness that fought to give me away.

“We’re currently waiting for your master. Originally, they were supposed to meet you here, but due to some complicated circumstances, they aren’t here yet. They’ll be here in a couple of hours.”

“What about relieving myself?” I pointed to the hole. “That’s what I get?”

He paused his answer, my narrowing eyes the cause of his quick re-calculation of words.

“I’ll let the management know. We’re switching guards for lunch duty.”

“When do I get lunch?”

“Later.” He turned away. “I’m switching. The next guard will bring your meals and get you a bucket to pee in or something.”

I gave up asking him questions, his thoughts already drifting to me.

“Fucking psycho. Thank God my shift is done. Still won’t stop me from getting payback. Her warm welcome will give her a wakeup call she wouldn’t wish on her own enemy. By the time her master wins the bid, she’ll either be dead or that ass of hers will be ripped open by my cock. Bitch thinks she’s worth royalty. We’ll give her the royal treatment. Just you wait, cocky butterfly.”

My face showed no signs of what I’d heard, but my hands clenched into fists as they remained in my lap. The unspoken warning of what was to come had me on full alert. There was no allotted time for how long it would take my master to arrive, and even if there was, it didn’t get rid of this man’s plans to teach me a lesson.

This place may not be soundproof, but no one would come down here if I screamed for help. I hadn’t even been in my cell for five minutes and I was about to deal with getting raped?

I think not.

“I dare him to touch you. We’ll bring this entire place down.”

Good to know.

It was a little relieving to know Saphire had my back, but there was no way I’d sleep now.

The guard locked the gate, our eyes meeting once more. There was that sinister joy that sparked in the black hollows. He had a game plan running through his timid mind. Little did he know that I, too, had a plan developing within my hammering brain. The clock began to tick until he came back to initiate his plan. We’ll see how it held up against my own.

The common individual would have felt frightened, but I remained calm, even when his lips curled upward an inch as he turned away and headed down the hall.

It wasn’t until his footsteps faded and the ding of the elevator we’d used echoed down the hollow walls that I let my guard lower.

We need a plan.

“I have three.”

You work quickly.

“When it comes to despicable men that attempt to belittle my worth with their insecurities and anger, I like to be efficient with my formulation of combat.”

We’re not strong enough to take them on if he brings an army down here.

Her sudden laugh bewildered me.

Saphire?

“Alisha, child,” she began. “Your fear is talking.”

Or exhaustion. And I’m not a child, you know.

“In the world of supernaturals, you’re a babe, my dear.”

That makes me feel as though you’d been here many years before my birth.

“If I could remember, that may be so, but I’m still working on that minor detail.”

Amnesia being a minor issue is underrating things, but you’re cheering me up at least.

“You’re welcome.”

You don’t get sarcasm well.

“Besides the primary point. I need you to cross your legs for me.”

Why?

“We’re going to meditate.”

Before getting raped or-

“Just cross your legs and listen!” Her irritation was due to our lack of sleep, which again, I didn’t blame her for. Now that our original plans of sleeping all the sleep had detoured, I was hoping whatever meditation session we were about to have would somehow give us wings to fly out of this place.

Lifting my legs up, I crossed them in a yoga position and stretched my back. Resting my hands, I slowly inhaled deeply and let the air out. The action felt so natural, a daily occurrence in my routine I couldn’t recall.

I did it again and again until my entire body was calm and any bits of doubt and fear had faded away. The pain was noticeable in the beginning, the dull aches and hammering headache still pounding its way through my skull, but the longer I remained in my meditative state, the more they began to drift further away.

There was no way of keeping track of time, but it didn’t matter now. I was experiencing a level of peace within myself that I hadn’t enjoyed since waking up in the hospital.

The darkness that plagued my surroundings worked its way in, crafting a world. My imagination had to be at work, as vivid, colorful skies came into view with a beautiful sunset on the horizon.

The sunset was a gorgeous mixture of pastel pinks, purples, oranges, and reds, and the fluffy clouds moved at a stagnant pace, their soft beauty easily taking your breath away. This was my happy place. The warmth of the descending sun, the soft breeze that taunted my flesh, and the wondrous joys of being surrounded by the greatest aspects of nature.

The sky was the scenery above me. My sight now shifted to the dazzling waters below. Clear blue waters, so pure of debris and clutter that you could see the bottom of the intact surface.

My heightened senses didn’t stop me from seeing the wildlife that swam through the waters, the various sizes and species making me smile in elation.

This was mother nature at its finest, not tainted by the world’s sins and corruption that grew stronger by the day. My mind was completely at peace, and the strong voice that held a level of familiarity whispered to me.

“That’s it, my Alisha. Let yourself be carried away into the heightened world of peace. Leave behind you doubts and fears and replace them with your need to return to this view of hope. Let yourself fall back, and submit yourself to the power deep within.”

Submit.

That was what I was missing. Power wasn’t solely based on years of gathered strength and training. There was that aspect where you had to submit yourself completely into the void of energies raging within, and that was one of the many lessons I’d forgotten.

The lessons given to me by a man of high importance. A man that loved me.

“It’s time, child.”

Saphire’s voice cut through to me, but her interruption didn’t distract me. I already knew what needed to be done as the sounds of footsteps and quiet chuckles reached my ears.

No need to worry unnecessarily. Power that was bestowed upon me has never left. Lack of knowledge about who I was will not hinder who I’m destined to be. I am Alisha Butterfly. I am a supernatural. I…am a marked monarch.

The positive affirmation flicked a switch in my brain, and the world I’d come to discover pulled away as I allowed myself the power of absolute submission.

~SAPHIRE~

WHEN MY EYES OPENED, a sinister grin graced my lips. I’d longed for this moment of control, taking advantage of the many times I’d roamed free in the many lives I’d lived.

Our memory loss may be mutual with Alisha, but it didn’t stop me from remembering my role in this world with the previous lives I’d been designated to.

Many knew nothing about the heart of a supernatural. How each individual came in to the world with a human counterpart and a supernatural soul.

If the individual was able to unlock their supernatural ability at birth, they were trained amongst their family and peers to grow with confidence in who they were and what their paved destiny was.

Others didn’t get the privilege of initially discovering their shifter selves. They either found out in time because of circumstance or a shocking event that triggered it. Those possibilities were fewer but were some of the reasons why supernaturals that awakened caused a natural disaster or event that injured many.

Finally, there were monarchs.

Royal children of not one supernatural soul, but two.

The combination of two polar opposite souls, one of a past generation necessary to bring forth the wisdom to guide the child through her journey of earthly existence and another of new flesh that carried extraordinary gifts and talents.

Many times, these royal children were deemed as twins; one child with the supernatural trait of wisdom and the other with sheer magical power in the shape of rare traits.

On rare occasions one child carried both souls. This conjunction automatically gave the child the born status of marked monarchy. In order to protect these children from being used, kidnapped, or killed prematurely, the word ‘marked’ was removed and only initiated when the selected child connected with her mate.

Due to the common duality of having two intertwined souls, the possibility of having two mates was likely, but the marked status gave the individual the freedom to display their power to the world.

That immunity meant you had to choose a side, and if that side wasn’t one of the opposite’s likings, it led to hate and, in some instances, war.

Now that I’d taken the primary role in Alisha’s body, the waves of wisdom were swarming my mind and reminding me of our potential. It would take some time for Alisha to understand her worth, but from what I’d discovered quietly watching her I knew she’d find her inner self soon enough.

From the recent flashback, it was obvious that we had a mate somewhere out there. That was a good sign.

Marked monarchs, especially when mated, had the ability to track each other. Alisha may not know how to do that, but her partner surely could, and I was rather confident that he would find exactly where we were.

The only problem I currently had with our predicament was in regard to who fucking put us here.

That question tugged at me, inciting my raging anger. Even with my pages of knowledge, I didn’t know what kind of supernatural I was, and I was desperate to figure it out. Many assumed a supernatural monarch was a powerful butterfly that could trigger peace or war depending on the season it shifted in. Compared to other supernaturals, they couldn’t shift unless triggered.

I knew this wasn’t the case for us. I felt the embedded heat within me, and it was only a matter of time before Alisha felt it as well. Her weakened body was only due to her lack of energy, but once she was up to full health and stamina she would begin to experience the burning heat tucked within her.

When that happened, we’d have to find someone to aid us in controlling it.

Or I pray for all these prisoners and their lives.

Now that I was in control, my senses were picking up on everything. Alisha, even in her weakened state, could pick up on the weakened state of this supernatural prison, but it was far worse than I’d expected.

This gate would fall back by a mere touch of my hand, not to mention the magical barriers that were supposedly there to stop us from using our gifts. I’m sure a naive individual wouldn’t think twice of busting out of here, but I was smarter.

I always saw through the cracks.

It was obvious that many of these supernaturals, especially those that didn’t deserve so much as a mere glimpse of my time, were here on their own accord. Some were running away from true crimes that were hidden beneath the fake offenses, while others were here to hide from the enemies desperate to slit their throats.

That led me to wonder why we were here.

To easily send us into a prison with a fake trial means we were set up, and the bout of amnesia didn’t sit well with me. It wasn’t due to natural causes, that was for sure, but what benefit would it have? Why keep a monarch in captivity?

Unless someone needs me down here…

The vision of the four girls flickered in my mind, all of them looking as though they were prisoners in some sort of captivity. I knew that expecting them to join us here was a strong assumption to make, but if there was a slight chance my guess was correct, we were in for a bigger surprise when our paths all aligned.

They all held a sort of royal aspect to them, leadership bleeding off of their powerful auras and dominant stances. The girls on the far left and right intrigued me the most, their similar complexions and outlooks leaving me to wonder if they were twin monarchs.

It was very possible, but if so, the others in the middle would also have to be at the same level of monarchy.

The idea of it all began to trigger a frenzy of wonder within my curious mind, but I decided to leave it there and bring my focus back to the present.

With how weak Alisha’s body was after the strain of the last two weeks, it would be wise to not spend too much time in full control.

To have Alisha completely submit herself to my power was a blessing, especially with our lack of memories and brief introduction, but it was proof that our previous connection was still vibrant. I felt the need to rekindle the bright flames of that healing bond that would only occur through the challenges we faced and our progress within these imprisoned walls.

It was time to give her a bit of relief. For starters, we would have a little fun with these foolish beings.

The footsteps grew louder until the guard from before came into view. The single light that illuminated the disgusting cell suddenly went off, the pitch darkness only making my grin widen.

What a time to be alive with beautiful night vision like mine. My eyes had to be illuminated with a vivid glimmer. The shock coming from the man’s wide eyes and gaping mouth left me no choice but to giggle.

“Do you believe that working in the dark should frighten me?”

I held back my monarch traits, including the commanding ability to leave someone quivering in their spot. It was a purposeful act, one to give off the illusion that I was still Alisha and not the hidden masterpiece of knowledge and strength.

“You love to talk big, don’t you?” The man laughed, trying to hide the obvious tremble in the sound. The comment must have been the cue for the remaining nine individuals to come into view, and I raised an eyebrow in question as they crowded around the main security guy.

He lifted his arms to cross over his chest with pride, his black orbs oozing with lust as he looked at my sitting figure.

“About time we put you in your place. At Psychic Prison, we take disciplinary actions against disrespectful prisoners seriously.”

Now THAT was hilarious, enough to send me into laughing fit. The sound of pleasantry was already making some of the men standing there quiver as bits of my monarch traits slipped through the protective hold.

If only I could tell Alisha this. The idea of sharing the joy of this situation made me realize how much better it was to communicate with her versus counting cacti and rocks.

Shiny rock!

I easily slipped it out of the pocket we’d concealed it in, feeling its rough edges that reminded me of pyrite. The stone of riches and abundance. Little was known about the extra powers it possessed, like enhancing magical abilities that suck power from others who are unworthy, filled with greed, or have ill intentions for the innocent of this world.

Only certain supernaturals knew about this. The information was funneled and quickly forgotten for the sake of protection. With a world filled with misdirection, it was the people of hierarchy that forced the knowledge to disappear for the sake of everyone’s wellbeing.

Thankfully, we didn’t have that problem.

“I find it amusing that I’m being lectured by an imbecile that deems sexual assault as a disciplinary action for disrespect.” I stared at the stone in my hand, watching the gold that began to seep through to the surface expand quickly while I slowly channeled my desire to use its hidden properties.

“I should be the one to discipline you for even considering those filthy hands of yours touching this pure body of mine.” My eyes lifted to see the rage that flooded his exterior, but it only motivated me to tease him even more.

To push all those fucking buttons and remind me of the difference in status, if not superiority.

“Not to mention your dismissive behavior of royalty. The disrespect you give with every glance in my direction. And don’t get me started on that dirty, lust-filled mind of yours. Why not take your frustrations about your lack of sexual release out on someone else who would be delighted with a group orgy? I for one am tired and have better things to do with my locked-up time.”

From his darkened eyes and clenched fists, I’d hit the heart of his insecurities and boy, would I suffer the consequences if I wasn’t as confident in my own abilities of protection.

“You fucking cunt. I’ll silence that mouth of yours with my very cock.”

“You sure?” I tilted my head and gave a condescending look. “With your lack of backbone and the almost nonexistent bulge in those tight pants of yours, I’d assume you were diagnosed with a micro-penis syndrome. What a pity.”

To his dismay, a few of his comrades chuckled. My obvious grin of satisfaction only added fuel to the fire.

The intensity in the room escalated, but it didn’t faze me in the slightest. Instead, I returned to looking at the precious jewel in my hand, its power now at its peak and waiting for my silent command.

“I’ll silence you into submission!” he hissed, giving away what he was as his long tongue darted from his mouth and wrapped around the single bar of the gated door that separated me from the lot of them.

He tugged on the door, lifting from its spot and causing it to hover off the ground with just the strength of his long tongue. I debated whether to be impressed with his tongue’s strength or absolutely disgusted at the idea of that rusted pole of infected bacteria now running through his saliva.

Before any of them could make a move, I tossed the stone upward.

“Why don’t we change the mood?” I offered while my eyes tracked the height of the stone that glistened even in the pitch darkness.

I could feel the men’s gaze land on my new prized possession, and their realization was priceless. Some of their eyes grew wide while others were filled with misunderstanding.

Too late now.

“Stone of judgment. Glittering gold of abundance. Get rid of any that threaten my harmony. Judge thy heart, and deliver the consequences they so heartedly deserve. Evera ra ve lo flamara.”

The seal of my magic spell triggered a shot of heat through me, the intensity making my world spin, but I endured.

A wave of utter silence followed, everyone waiting for my phenomenal magic spell to finally activate. When it didn’t, one of the men began to laugh, followed by another, until they were all cracking up in mockery.

“In all my years as a guard, this is by far the funniest shit I’ve seen,” one of them declared in a holler.

“Did she really think some rock was about to get rid of us? Trained, professional guards that have to deal with supernaturals of various ranks. We could easily take on the shifters on Level Four, but this lunatic thought a rock was about to bring justice and rid the world of our existence?! Bah!” another individual commented.

“Yup, she’s a true psycho with a hot body.” A different man’s voice.

“Now it’s our turn to teach her a lesson,” the security guard said with malicious eyes, his legs moving forward three solid steps.

I was still remaining where I was, my legs crossed and my hand still waiting for the rock to lower. When it didn’t, the security guard glanced at the glittering jewel again, his mouth open halfway and ready to share his opinion, when there was a loud thump.

We turned our gazes to the corner, and I didn’t need to squint my eyes to see the lifeless body that remained in place.

No one spoke a word until another thump came from the other side.

“What the-” one of the guards tried to speak, the registration of what was happening finally sinking in. He suddenly clenched his chest in agony, his body dropping to the floor the next second.

The remaining six guards didn’t stand a chance, their eyes dulling of life as they fell to their knees and every bit of energy left their bodies.

My dazzling smile only emphasized my mocking jewels that now landed on the sole security guard, who stared at me with fearful eyes.

He trembled in his spot, noticing how the stone that hovered in my hand now glowed vigorously with magic; the gathered life essence of his nine dead comrades coursed through its little frame.

“What should I do with you?” I sang the question with power, but an idea popped into my mind that felt made me giggle maliciously.

“Seeing as you’ve been nothing but a pain in my ass, I’ll torture you a little bit.”

Lowering my gaze to the bodies, I shrugged. “Get rid of these bodies. Place them near the elevator. Then I want you to return and begin cleaning every bit of my cell until the floor fucking sparkles. Once you’ve completed that, you’ll remain here until my master arrives. Then you can happily inform him of your malicious plans for disciplining me. We’ll see what his reaction is. Did I make myself clear?”

The man’s head bobbed quickly in submission and he began to pick up the closest body to him, dragging it down the hall towards the elevator.

When he was far enough away, I allowed myself to sigh. The drop in energy had only worsened after the stunt I pulled.

Looks like Alisha has to return to control.

As much as I enjoyed my shining moment, I’d be putting her at risk by staying longer. Glancing at the floating stone, I watched it lower back into my hand, its warmth giving me hope.

Closing my fingers around its frame, I felt a little ting of magic flow into me. The sudden weight of weakness dimmed, waves of energetic bursts running through me. A short minute was all I needed to feel a fresh sense of rejuvenation, the action from the stone within my grasp left me in a grateful state.

“Thank you for your protection and energy boost. You have my gratitude.”

A hint of a sparkle twinkled in response, and I knew it had understood my thankfulness.

What a shame it was to know how little respect the world had for mother nature. If only their greedy minds could get out of their asses and see the true gems hidden all around them.

Alisha hadn’t quite understood my fascination with shiny rocks, but this was an example of their capabilities, and I’d make sure this experience lingered in her mind so she could keep it for future reference.

A yawn escaped me. I noticed the guard was on the last body. It wouldn’t be long before my master arrived. I could feel it.

Whoever they were, I’d judge their worthiness. I wouldn’t be told what to do from a weakling. Memories or no memories, I was still a marked monarch, and that alone deserved recognition.

These prison walls wouldn’t hold me if I didn’t get what I wanted, and I knew whoever put me down here knew it.

Patience is a virtue. I could clearly see why that saying was still popular even after the many centuries of its existence.

We’d need all the patience we could get, but deep within, I had a feeling it would all be worth it.

To sleep I go.

THE MASTER OF MY CAPTIVITY

~ALISHA~

“W-WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!”

The loud, rough voice jolted me awake. My heavy eyelids fought to close once more, and it took me a moment to recall where I was and snap out of my drowsy state.

Right. We’re in prison.

It was hard to grasp where I was because that bastard of a security guard was currently scrubbing the floors - something I would have expected to see in my dreams, not right in front of me.

From the significant difference of the left side of the floor where he was scrubbing away to the right side that was still cloaked with a combination of moss, grime, and years’ worth of dirt, I could safely assume this place hadn’t been cleaned in ages.

Fuck, maybe even centuries. It’s like the difference between night and day. The floors are actually white?! When did this douche decide to clean the floors?

As if that thought cued the waves of memories, I was hit with them all at once, and I almost fainted from the swirl of info.

Fuck…

“My bad. Forgot to warn you about the whoosh memory overload effect that occurs when I take control.”

Hello to you, too.

Greeting her after she’d fallen asleep made sense to my half-awake mind.

Don’t tell me that was a minor detail you forgot?

“It was.” Not a hint of shame or regret.

Now that I knew what possessed this ass of a man to be working like a maid on these grimy floors, I’d be able to face what was approaching.

Do you mind sticking around?

As much as I wanted to act like a tough gal and face whoever was walking down these halls, my nerves were on another wavelength, butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach while my heart began to race against my chest.

Odd reaction, but I was still figuring out all these various gifts and gut feelings I carried in this body of mine.

“Thus the reason why I’ve woken up. I won’t let you go through this part alone.”

Thanks. Are we about to meet who I think we’re meeting?

Saphire didn’t answer right away, but when she did, it was low and threatening.

“Our master is here and he is not pleased.”

That acknowledgment activated my nerves, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and took a deep breath.

Let’s hope it’s not aimed at us.

“ERIC!” The authoritative voice made the security guard in question pause in his movement. I wasn’t sure who he was more afraid of as he looked over to me and then to the bars as a short man in a uniform with various badges stomped his way to the gated bars.

He took a long look at Eric. The poor man was trembling so hard I wondered if he’d have a seizure. The authoritative man shifted his gaze in my direction, his red eyes glaring angrily at my calm ones.

As if my mind clicked into action, my confident grin was back in full force as I relaxed back against the wall and lifted my left leg to rest upon my right.

“So many visitors today,” I taunted, giving the man an up and down scan.

He was extremely short, not even reaching five feet. Based on my observation, he had to be 4′8″. As if that wasn’t enough, he had a bald scalp. My curiosity was getting ahead of me, twisting around the idea of this man being some powerful supernatural in a tiny body.

It wasn’t like I had a problem with short people, but from the years of knowledge and sayings, the one about short individuals held its truth.

The shorter they are, the more short-tempered they come.

The whole scenario only reminded me of my primary problem and how I shouldn’t remember such sayings, but I brushed it away and returned to my bold stance against this superior.

His face began to turn red, and I glanced at Eric, noticing his hopeful eyes. Opening my senses for a split second, I caught onto his thoughts.

“Thank you to the damn gods in the sky. I thought I’d die like the rest of those weaklings. Now that the Level Two Sergeant is here, I can tell him how this bitch killed his employees. Surely, it’ll add to her sentence. Heck, they’ll throw her into Level Four at this rate. Good. She can get eaten alive.”

Eric’s thoughts didn’t bother me. His obviously two-faced persona only proved how disgusting individuals could be. Acting afraid and vulnerable on the outside, but still conceded deep within. All it proved was Saphire’s stunt had merely dented the surface.

If a near-death experience can’t change him into a good man, nothing will.

“I can’t fucking believe this. As if we weren’t already short-staffed. I can’t find a group of proper guards to save my damn life! Now, this cunt is causing me more trouble. I bet Eric did something proactive to piss her off. He always fucks shit up, and guess who has to clean it up? Me! How am I going to explain to the boss that nine of our staff are dead? Fucking cocky Eric. He’s getting fired today.”

“What is the meaning of this, Eric?! Get your ass off the floor!”

Eric scrambled to his feet, and I merely crossed my arms over my chest and peered down to my nails.

God, if I can’t get a manicure, I’ll die.

“Priorities,” Saphire reminded.

I wholeheartedly wanted to answer her, but the sudden voice that pierced through my mind froze me in place.

“If this weak rat shifter laid a finger on my woman, I’ll ruin him.”

My heart giddied up in overdrive, galloping fast like a horse in a field, racing against the clock towards its designated home. All my senses heightened, my nose picking up the soft scent of cinders, smoke, and wood.

The blend of aromas meshed together tenderly. My nostrils tried to take in every bit of the scent, while goosebumps ran down my arms, every tiny hair rising up in attention.

The first footstep ignited a wave of silence, the vibrations against the ground caused a tiny tremor that shook our surroundings. The density of the atmosphere heightened, each breath that followed seemingly harder than the last.

If I was struggling, I could only imagine what those two shocked men were dealing with, their bodies as frozen as mine, our gazes all turned in the direction of the rising, approaching force.

A force that turned all my buttons. An energy that was reaching out to mine.

My eyes soaked in the reveal of a tall man. His 6”4” height and body of slim muscle was only the beginning of the delicious masterpiece.

A commanding aura danced around his body. His tanned, caramel skin reflected his Asian ethnicity. Those pooling circles of red matched two-thirds of his luscious, long hair.

Since my awakening, I’d never seen a man as buff, muscled, and full of sexiness rock a hairstyle like this, each strand shifting from onyx black to a dazzling red with hints of orange and gold. One half was very distinct, black as coal, while the rest was as striking as flames, commanding the attention of all those who stared in this man’s direction.

That was something this man had to have known about himself. That his mere existence demanded the world’s attention and there was nothing you could do about it.

His tanned skin had zero imperfections, with his clean-shaven, harsh jawline. He wore a black t-shirt, one that sucked onto his muscled body like a glove and distinctly portrayed every line of muscle on his chest and abs.

Those ripples in his t-shirt made my imagination go wild, while my hormones seemed to dance like a tribe ready to chant to the skies for a miracle night of touching and fucking.

I didn’t know who this stranger was - I knew what he would be in my new predicament - but it shocked me how enthralling he was. With my lack of attractive men on the ‘I’ll fuck you right this moment’ list I’d just created, he was a piece of pie I’d admire with my eyes, lick with my lips, and claim as mine until I was famished and ready to eat him right up.

When was the last time we got laid? That has to be why we’re reacting like we’ve never seen a man in our life.

“I love how you say ‘we’ as if I was ogling this man like he’s your escape route out of prison and into a nail salon,” Saphire exaggerated. “Just strip and give yourself away.”

Do supernaturals do that? I don’t think that’s a human characteristic.

“Humans have been throwing themselves at attractive men for centuries.”

Aren’t we supposed to worry about our pride and shit?

“Sure.” I could envision her shrugging. “But is that going to stop you?

No.

“Then I rest my case.”

What if he has shiny rocks? Owns a store of rocks? Gives you all the shiny rocks you want?

Silence.

“If I calculate correctly, we could be naked and humping his knee in three seconds.”

No shame whatsoever.

I had to fight myself from shaking my head in dismay, but I was left in a state of breathlessness when my eyes centered on this man’s red ones.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and it was taking every nerve-ending to stop myself from leaving this bench and being in this man’s arms.

Never had I felt such connection; the electricity and sexual tension coursing between us was unreal and growing in demand. I hoped to the gods this wasn’t a one-sided connection, for I’d lose the battle before it even began.

My hormones wouldn’t survive - no - my body wouldn’t survive being hammered by this piece of heavenly craftmanship. Whatever supernatural he was didn’t matter anymore. I’d be his in a nanosecond and regret it after I was satisfied for days.

No, years.

“I think we malfunctioned.”

I agree, but it’s too late now. Any last words?

“Remember we’re still around company?”

That’s a horrible last set of words, but I see your point. Speed this up so we can figure out who this man is and then give up on living.

“You make it seem like you’re applying to be a sex slave.”

We, my new best friend. We!

“I’m going to slowly fade away.”

You said ‘I won’t let you go through this alone’ just two minutes ago!

“Circumstances have changed. Can’t handle this pull. I’m the logical one. Have to remain that way.”

I feel insulted.

“Focus.”

I finally forced myself to tune back in to the present, mentally thanking myself for somehow managing to keep my blank expression while my body and mind were in sexual overdrive.

“Why is my marked butterfly sitting in a treacherous shithole like this?” The smothering, sensual voice sounded like it descended from the ceiling.

That’s how full of hypnotic mojo it was, leaving me in another instance of wonder about whether this man was a god of some sort.

In the supernatural world, those had to exist somewhere. He could have been the truth to those legends that I secretly hoped were real.

“I-I’m not sure.” The short man’s gaze darted over to Eric. “WHY is she in this cell while you’re cleaning it? Also, what’s with the dead bodies?! This whole area is unfit for her and I never ordered you to put her here!”

I could read Eric’s shocked expression, but his thoughts rushed at me.

“What?! The fucker told me this was the only place available for her since we rarely get Level Threes. He set me up! I can get out of this. Blame it on this woman. He’ll have no choice but to defend me. He’s my superior and won’t want to look bad in front of that…being.”

Intriguing that he called this sex god a “being”, but I had to rush and protect myself before he tried to paint a false image of me.

With a sly grin, I spoke up before he could open his mouth, “The reason for his cleaning tactics was due to my request,” I began, humbly defending him.

All three of them looked my way, but my eyes were centered on the red-eyed masterpiece, the truth rushing out in a smooth serenade of words.

“That was the command I ordered after he brought me down here with the intention of disciplinary action after I’d commented on the horrendous conditions of this place. This bench was the only thing clean enough for my worthy tush to sit upon, and his disrespect started from the moment he came to pick me up.”

With a dramatic sigh, I uncrossed my arms and tossed the stone I’d been holding, the glittering rock suddenly glowing as it hovered in place.

“A bit of what he initially thought of me was…” I paused to clear my throat, his previous thoughts rushing through my memory bank. “’Fucking psycho. Thank God my shift is done. Still won’t stop me from getting payback. Her warm welcome will give her a wakeup call she wouldn’t wish on her own enemy. By the time her master wins the bid, she’ll either be dead or that ass of hers will be ripped open by my cock. Bitch thinks she’s worth royalty. We’ll give her the royal treatment. Just you wait, cocky butterfly.’”

The cell fell silent, and I took this golden privilege to glance over to Eric and bathe in the absolute shock my gift always triggered when revealed.

“He then disappeared and returned while I was attempting to get some rest after being up for thirty hours with nine of his comrades, ready to prove what disrespecting him gets a prisoner like me. I respect my body very much and deem it quite insulting for a guard on duty to think otherwise and come to my cell with an onslaught of his comrades, who were far more concerned about fucking me than doing their jobs.” I looked over to the commander and grinned.

“Therefore, I took it upon myself to teach them a lesson they would never forget. Don’t worry. It wasn’t anything too painful. A few heart attacks to set the mood and a drainage of energy. I requested Eric to pile the bodies for my master to see, and instructed him to clean in the meantime.”

I casually yawned, acting as if I was truly drained from the whole ordeal.

“That is what leads us to now. It saddens me that you’re short-staffed, but again, I do not tolerate savage beasts who can’t respect a woman’s rights to her body. Very insulting and intolerable to a monarch like myself. Hopefully, after Eric kindly justifies his actions with his brief explanation of what he’d planned to do with me three hours ago, you’ll find a resolution that ensures this never happens again.”

My eyes then dulled of all emotion as I narrowed them specifically at the commander.

“I’ll also say this once. I try and mind my own business. I don’t cause trouble unless someone gets in my way, gets in my face, or dares go against my wishes. Make a note that if I see any guard, regardless of rank or level, touch a woman against their will, they will magically stop breathing. I don’t tolerate such bullshit, no matter what crime the woman has committed. Understood?”

He was shaking uncontrollably as he nodded his head swiftly.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!” he agreed and looked over to the man in question, then fell to his knees and bowed his forehead to the floor.

“Mr. Phoenix! Please, forgive me. I knew nothing of Eric’s plot. I’ll ensure he gets punished. No, expelled from work. I’ll think of a punishment worthy of his selfish act-”

The man didn’t finish before Eric began to choke. We all looked his way, watching as he clung to his neck and fought for breath. My eyes widened as my vision began to alter like it had before, the colors shifting and revealing an interior view of his body.

I fought my urge to gasp as I watched his body begin to burn from the inside out. Flames that started from his pelvis rose through his intestines and stomach, burning every part of his organs and rising to his lungs.

By the time those flames had incinerated his interior, he was taking his last gasp of air and reaching out to Mr. Phoenix with pleading eyes. They began to dull until every speck of life was gone and his charred heart flat lined.

There he fell back, his body now black and shattering into tiny cinders of ash and smoke. His death should have sparked a sense of sympathy in me, but I was as cold as ice.

I hadn’t an ounce of pity for him, knowing damn well that if the tables were turned and he had his way, I’d be lucky to walk unless I ruptured something from the orgy he had devised and bled to death.

Neither of us spoke as Mr. Phoenix glanced my way once more.

“Five minutes and you’ll be brought to a more comfortable living space. Then we’ll discuss the rules of this prison and your role as our marked butterfly. Understood?”

“Yes, Master.” I bowed my head for added emphasis, but I didn’t feel as though he was superior to me.

We were on the same wavelength, and we both acknowledged it.

“Phoenix,” he announced. “You may refer to me as so for now.”

Once I had given another nod of acknowledgment, those haunting red eyes lowered to the man on the ground. From the puddle beneath his drenched pants, he must have lost his bladder control from watching Eric burn from the inside out.

“Escort my butterfly from these conditions. I will meet you both with the signed documents. Change your attire. Our butterfly doesn’t deserve to smell your atrocious smell.”

“Yes, Sir!” the commander acknowledged, crying his eyes out.

Phoenix paid no mind to his sobbing show, taking one last look my way. My nerve-endings were in tingling knots, and I fought the pull that tugged at every part of me.

This man was definitely dangerous.

He was lethal to me. A drug ready to diminish my walls of immunity and render me compliant to only his whim.

No words were exchanged, but there was no need for them.

This man owned me, and I was about to find out if my lost past even mattered anymore.

LOST IN THE PAST, LIVING IN THE PRESENT

Inervously looked in the mirror, fiddling my thumbs as I scanned my body. I was wearing a high-low dress with a magnificent corset, all of which seemed to be in my iconic color: black.

My hair was left down in its slightly wavy style, freshly washed and combed to perfection. My skin practically glowed thanks to a healthy lather of skincare products. The final look left me with no need to even add a splash of makeup on my now-cleansed skin.

My light pink lips were soft and smooth, ten times better than their dry brittleness two hours ago. I couldn’t see any bits of my previous dark circles, making me wish I could keep using whatever holy grails were embedded in the moisturizer creams I’d applied to my face after a long thirty-minute bathing session that started with a ten-minute shower to remove any bit of dirt off my body before rinsing and soaking in the tub to aid my aching muscles.

After the rejuvenating bath and skincare, I was left with this corset dress that fit my body perfectly. In the world of all things supernatural, I wouldn’t question how they got my measurements when my arrival at the prison didn’t include a head to toe assessment with a measuring tape.

After my experience of seeing a man die from internal fire, figuring out a person’s measurements with sight had to be considered child’s play.

With black heels and a silver butterfly necklace that had to be made of real silver, my outfit was complete.

The bonus was a brand-new black lingerie set hidden beneath. After two weeks of rotating two pairs of hospital underwear and settling with my last pair for the last thirty hours, this was the biggest blessing of it all.

The woman reflected back at me was the image of royalty I aspired to be, but with my guard lowered, my vulnerability shone brightly.

I was nervous about what was to come. Afraid that I’d suddenly wake up and be back in the hospital bed with my wrists captive and my dreams of freedom shattered.

This was no closer to freedom, but so far, from how everyone raced to please this man named Phoenix, I was enduring the best bit of captivity I could have ever fathomed could occur within these walls.

That and this hidden paradise.

“Mr. Phoenix is ready for you, Ms. Butterfly.”

I slowly turned to see a tall, slender woman. She had to be 6′3″ without the sleek black heels. She wore a tight black dress that was lucky to cover her butt and had dazzling blonde hair that was curled to perfection.

Blue eyes bore into mine and I took one more glance at her appearance. I had to admit, she looked good and professional, but I had little to compare her to.

“Alright.” The simple answer was all I could come up with. This could have been the prime time to get as many answers to the build of questions in my head, but did it matter now?

I’m safe for now. My life isn’t in jeopardy. This man got rid of Eric and took me out of that disgusting rat hole of a cell. I doubt I’d be able to sleep now, so I might as well see where this took me.

With one last look at myself, I put on my masked persona and swiftly turned away and headed to the door.

The woman opened it up for me, and with a quiet thanks, I began my walk down the beautiful white hallway.

White. Not moldy, brown, and lathered in whatever fluids and dust collected in the last decade - or longer.

Never would I believe a place like this could exist after all I’d seen in Level One. It was like opening a door and walking into a hidden mansion underground.

Everything was white plastered walls, gold trimming, and pillars, with various pieces of decorative furniture thrown in. I was impressed no prisoner had stolen from this place.

This is prison, for fuck’s sake. How was all of this even here? Do they bring the furniture in secretly at night so no one sees? Or use a spell that cloaks the fancy items with an illusion of trash?

Our heels clicked against the now-marble floors, and I knew it would take me a hell of a long time to accept this place was within the same vicinity as that dump I’d been sitting in hours prior.

When we reached the end of the hall and entered the apparent main common room, I lacked words.

What could I possibly say to this luxurious grand ballroom?!

My wide eyes peered around the massive white place that was decorated with various antiques of gold, white, and red.

The guest bathroom I’d used to change was gold, white, and turquoise. I had a feeling each room had its own unique color combination.

The fancy, antique chairs looked classy yet comfy as we passed by them. To my shocked surprise, there were windows, which made no sense when we were underground on the third floor.

The curtains were white with draping silks of red and gold. The outside looked like an image of art you’d see plastered on the wall, but it was real and absolutely beautiful.

“Mr. Phoenix will be out shortly. He’ll explain the rules and give you a tour of the rest of the floor and gateways,” the woman explained. “My name is Lyla Black. I’m Mr. Phoenix’s personal assistant. My position includes assisting you with anything you desire. Don’t hesitate to contact me. Once we’ve set up your cell service, I’ll be a text away.”

Cellphone service?

My shocked expression must have bled through my act because she grinned.

“Prison is not always a place of punishment for us supernaturals. Phoenix will explain, but until then, allow yourself to relax and feel right at home. Once you understand your role, it’ll be a lot easier to comprehend.”

She gestured to the single chair near one of the windows. “Please be seated. Do you need anything to drink?”

“I’m fine. Thank you, Lyla. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

My last statement didn’t make sense to me, and I frowned. “Um. I meant nice to meet you. Minus the again.”

The woman nodded with a smile on her smooth lips. “Pleasure is all mine, Ms. Butterfly. Relax and enjoy the view.”

She bowed as if I was of royal heritage and I stared at her figure until I was the only one left in the massive room.

My heart was racing against my chest, while my head pounded with force. Shutting my eyes for a mere second, I was hit with a flashback.

“THIS TYPE of lingerie should be banned! Look. It doesn’t even cover my pussy! What’s the point of wearing it? Humans. Spend more time making thin pieces of fabric to cover what? I might as well be naked instead of bothering with skimpy strings and clips. These don’t even cup my breasts!”

“Ms. Alisha. All this complaining is doing is making your mate wait longer for your arrival.”

“Good! Let him starve at this point. Buying such wastes of fabric only to shred them when he gets all hard with one glance. Take a picture and it would last far longer than half my lingerie! Please tell me I’m not the only woman who experiences such with barbaric supernatural men with impatient tendencies?!”

“You are correct, Ms. Alisha.”

“Lyla! You don’t even seem sympathetic.”

“I’m not.” She was on the verge of giggles.

“Why do I bother? You’re on A–s’ side, aren’t you? Always taking his side and not mine. I feel betrayed.”

“I was on your side when you convinced him to build a home nail salon for your addiction.”

“Satisfaction, Lyla. Perfect nails are a reflection of a woman’s heart.”

“You always get black, though,” she pointed out.

“Exactly.” I grinned. “Again, a perfect reflection of my heart.”

“Chilling.” Lyla sighed. “He’s about to call you.”

“Tell him I died trying to put this shit on.”

“I could but he’d merely waltz in here and check himself.”

“Good,” I concluded. “He’ll get me out of it faster than it took me to put it on and then I’ll be nice and comfortable as my naked self. No wonder we’re born naked. Clothes are a bother.”

“Your views of life always intrigue me, Ms. Alisha.”

“It’s Saphire’s fault. Her depth of knowledge is an endless pit of things I don’t even know until they come out of my mouth.”

“Blessing in disguise,” Lyla responded. There was a knock on the door. “He’s here.”

I SNAPPED out of the memory, my eyes opening up as I fought for air. Scanning around the room, I was relieved that I was still alone. With how random these flashing memories were becoming, I couldn’t afford to be in a vulnerable state until I figured all this out.

We definitely know this Lyla woman.

“Familiarity is strong. Lack of memories is clear.”

That means this Phoenix guy has to be of importance, but the man in question’s name… It starts with an A, not P. Do you think this Phoenix man knows who this individual is?

“Maybe. Another question that needs answering, but that’s something we won’t be able to solve on our own.”

Indeed.

My eyes drifted to the scenery, the calm fields of grass that fluttered back and forth with the warm breeze. I was still shocked at how all of this was possible, to be sitting here in a mansion ballroom while the floor above was filled with prisoners enduring far worse.

The further down you went, the more powerful the supernatural in captivity, but was I the only one getting this level of favorable treatment or was this an initiation of some sort while I was awaiting my own trial?

My eyes soaked in the serene views, taking in the pastel flowers in a little bundle of colorful roses. The sky was clear of clouds, and the warmth of the sun was something I’d missed greatly in the little amount I’d spent within these underground walls.

The longer I stared, the calmer I became, my eyelids beginning to betray me as they grew heavier by the second. I crossed my arms over my chest as if that would stop my slow descent into slumber.

The darkness was so inviting, not filled with waves of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about my future path. I could be who I wished to be, and not project an image out of protection. This place was a safe one, and I wished to remain here for as long as I could.

Until I figured out who I was supposed to be and if I had any allies on my side.

There was a soft brush to my cheek, making a light smile graze my lips. The touch was so familiar and comforting, my slowed heart skipped with elation. This level of peacefulness made me miss it even more, and as I drifted in and out, I wished for this comfort to never fade away.

“Alisha.”

Saphire was calling me, but did I have to wake from my slumber? I missed sleeping more than I realized. Just a little longer and I’d be okay. I could place that cold-hearted mask on and tuck away my fears and bouts of anxiety.

“Alisha.”

The cold voice had a soft tenderness to it. The odd combination prompted my eyes to open slowly. I blinked to adjust to the bright lights, and with slow precision I raised my glance to see the man with red eyes.

They harbored no hate towards me, their calmness something new in comparison to the dark, dangerous ones that had peered down at that commander and Eric like they were ants flooding out of a hole.

My eyes took in his delicious caramel skin and built body, noticing that he now wore a comfortable white tank top and black joggers. To see him so casually dressed compared to my attire made me wonder if he was going to introduce me to someone else.

Now that he wore a tank and the light illuminated his figure far better than in the previous prison cell, I could see the tattoo on his left arm.

One that looked like a replica of mine.

Before my eyes could take in the dark ink of the koi fish that morphed into the shape of a dragon, it disappeared with a blink of an eye, leaving me to believe I’d imagined it.

I was still trying to wake up, and my obvious disappointment was in the form of a frown.

“You shouldn’t allow yourself to be vulnerable,” Phoenix emphasized coldly.

“You’re only vulnerable if you make yourself feel that way,” I answered back, my voice still thick with sleep. “You wouldn’t hurt me.”

“That’s a brave assumption.”

“Statement,” I corrected, and sat up from my slouched position. I noticed the small, red pillow that had been beneath my head, protecting me from having what should have been a stiff neck.

I didn’t recall putting it there, and I looked to the only culprit I could think of.

Phoenix wasn’t looking my way anymore, his eyes centered on the scene outside the window. I ended up following his gaze, letting go of my intent to expose his kindness and deciding it was time to ask some questions.

“Why are we able to see a view like this when we’re fifty feet below the surface? It could be more. I never had the chance to observe.”

“The view is from Ireland,” he announced.

“We’re nowhere near Ireland,” I pointed out the obvious. “I lived in NYC.”

“You were discovered in NYC. You never lived there.”

“I’m not following.”

Our eyes met as he shifted his gaze to look my way once more. Sliding his hands into the pocket of those black joggers, he analyzed me carefully.

“How much do you remember?”

“Define remember,” I promptly commented. “Remember as in what happened before I woke up in a random medical bed in NYC, which apparently isn’t my home city? Or should I just admit I have some serious amnesia and am lucky to know my name? Oh, and also the talking voice in my head?”

My sarcasm oozed out like crazy and my attempt to mask my usual personality was a fail in front of him.

Well, fuck that.

“No one informed me you had amnesia.”

“How rude of them,” I commented and sighed. “That means you have no idea who I am.”

His silence answered my question and I gave into that shattering spark of hope. Without a word, I rose up and began to walk towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Back to that disgusting rut of a cell.”

“I never gave you permission to leave.”

My heels stopped as I twirled right around to look at his hard gaze.

“Why do you want me?” My sudden spike in anger was questionable, but it only shot higher as I suddenly stomped forward and was right in his face.

“What makes me so valuable for you to claim me? That’s what this is, right? I’m now your slave to do whatever you want sexually? Be fucked and tossed like trash or abused for a crime I’m sure I didn’t commit?”

My actions were bold and unpredictable, but I felt Saphire’s presence and knew she had my back. She would have interfered otherwise. We’d gotten this far without dying. Might as well test our chances with our very own master.

We deserved answers, and I couldn’t move forward from my forgotten past unless I had a purpose to guide me from the present to whatever future I carried within these shackled walls.

“You realize what you’re doing is punishable?”

“Then punish me,” I dared, looking straight into the hollows of those red orbs. “All pain does is remind me of what I’ve lost and how desperately I’ll fight to claim my identity.”

He said nothing back, and I readied myself for a physical comeback. He remained where he stood, his hands still in his pockets while his darkened eyes analyzed me carefully.

I wouldn’t back down and he knew it.

“Do you know you’re of monarchy?”

“I’m aware but lack the full definition of it all.”

The slight nod of his head didn’t give me enough courage to let my guard down, but what threw me off was his step forward. Our bodies pressed together like magnets.

Logic immediately kicked in and I expected myself to take a step back. Instead, I did the opposite, the action already happening as my arms slipped around his waist and I hugged him with all my heart.

He didn’t push me away as I hugged him tightly, nor did he grow rigid from my sudden intimacy. I was acting so out of character that I was, again, left with uncertainty about who I had been. What girl lands in prison, receives a master, and hugs him after attempting to push all his buttons?

Obviously me, but none of it made sense.

My bizarre behavior would either lead me back into that moldy cell or chained naked in a dark room. The fact that Saphire was being rather silent and not acknowledging my stupid behavior made things worse in my mind.

Phoenix finally sighed, and to my surprise, his arms slowly wrapped around my waist as he hugged me back.

My body calmed tremendously, my speedy heart beginning to slow and all the bits of nerves that piled up with my previous desire to act out faded away.

“Even without your memories, you act as crazy as ever,” he muttered and nuzzled his head against my shoulder.

What now? He didn’t just call me crazy.

“That’s the first thing you pick up on?” Saphire sounded like she pitied me.

He called us crazy!

“Well, we’re definitely not normal. I can tell you that much. I wonder if we have bipolar disorder?”

We don’t.

“Mhm.” Saphire’s response didn’t give me any hope that she agreed with me, but I gave up on the conversation and closed my eyes for a solid minute.

“Why are you hugging me when you don’t know me?”

“Why are you hugging me when you don’t even remember me?” he countered right back.

His question made more sense than mine, but I remained in his embrace and decided to give up fighting whatever was brewing between us.

“I don’t remember who you are…but my gut tells me you’re important. Before you arrived here, I saw Lyla. I knew her. Or at least I had the impression I knew who she was. Then there was the flashback, and now…everything about you frightens and seduces me. It’s as though your existence is a blessing and a curse, making all of this even harder to figure out.”

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I fought to remain strong.

“I won’t let myself break down. I’ve come too far and endured too much in the last two weeks to let a single man break me, but why do you fascinate me? Why does your presence pull me in and make it impossible to think straight? Your commanding force is fearful, and yet it excites me to see the power ooze off you when in action. You proved your worth by killing that man who disrespected me multiple times and removing me from that filthy place. You dressed me up in the finest clothes and now I’m here in a place that gives me the sight of fields in the heart of Ireland. You’re giving me a mask of a man that wants nothing but pain for me, and yet you’re hugging me back and listening to my confusing ramblings. How the hell am I supposed to decipher any of this with no memories to use to my advantage and no idea of what my role is as your marked butterfly? So many fucking questions and everything is left unsolved as the tower of the unknown piles upward. At the end of the day, what am I supposed to do?”

I finally lifted my head up, and I was lost in how his eyes began to dance in various colors, their movement almost hypnotizing.

“I’ll answer your questions, but you’re not in the proper state.”

“How…” I paused as my vision began to double, those two red orbs turning into four, then eight, and then my sight was nothing but dazzling red.

Saphire…what…

I was drifting away, and nothing could stop me as my world fell into darkness.

~PHOENIX~

MY ARMS TIGHTENED around the waist of our butterfly, keeping her up and against my broad frame after she lost consciousness. A common side effect of my hypnotic eyes, but it was better this way.

“You realize she hates when you do that, right?”

I already sensed Lyla’s presence from the hall, but her arrival only aided my brewing plans.

“She doesn’t remember.”

“I’m aware,” Lyla revealed.

“I wasn’t told because?”

“You’d go on a killing spree of innocent lives or potentially bring this whole place down by accident.”

Her response was enough for me to lift my head and glare her way, not like it intimidated her in the slightest. She and Alisha were the only ones seemingly immune to my wrath.

“That’s what you did when you found out Alisha was on the bidding block and look what happened? Now there’s actually one thousand prisoners left dead because of your undying love for her.”

“They deserved to die.”

“You don’t know that,” she dismissed my comment. “Though they were all on the execution block. You did them a favor.”

Biting my bottom lip, I hooked an arm under Alisha’s knees and lifted her up with ease. Her head hung back, her body limp while her breathing was slow. Our poor beauty had gone through the most torturous two weeks before that waste of a trial to conceal the truth they were desperate to hide behind the pile of rubbish.

“You used too much of that hypnotic stuff,” Lyla muttered, her eyes quickly scanning Alisha’s body. I knew her owl sight was in full force, ensuring Alisha wasn’t in worse condition than we’d originally perceived when I arrived here.

“We all know what happens when she gets mentally frustrated like that. If I don’t provide her answers, that other part would be knocking on our door.”

“Knocking?” She arched an eyebrow while her blue eyes twinkled with mischief. “Burning this entire place down, you mean,” Lyla stated. “That’s what happened way back when she couldn’t control Saphire and Freya.

“Ugh. Don’t say her name,” I huffed, smoke leaving my nostrils at the mere thought. “I can handle Saphire. Freya is on another level of destruction and her temper tantrums are like summoning the devil.”

“Aww. You just don’t like her because she pushes all your buttons for fun while Alisha gives you a hint of sympathy.”

“Regardless, Alisha won’t be able to handle her destructive power right now.”

Lyla nodded, walking to stand in front of me. She reached out to press her hand against Alisha’s forehead, her brows furrowing together as she went into deep concentration.

I knew what she was assessing, but I waited patiently for her results. We needed to confirm our suspicions on this sudden turn of events, and once that was sorted, I’d get to do my job of finding who the fuck pulled this shit.

Alisha Butterfly was my marked butterfly. We’d been together since our childhood and grew up together. She was the one girl in my life that I couldn’t get rid of.

No matter how much I teased, bullied, or brought her down, all it did was make her rise back up, even stronger than before, and in return, I’d have to deal with that burning force of multi-dimensional personality.

I came to love every aspect of her. How she could portray herself as shy and innocent one minute and an extrovert on steroids the next minute. It was hard for Alisha to finally embrace that side of her that normal society deemed as odd, but it was a trait she took from her mother.

She always complained about it but loved that she took her father’s fast metabolism. That was why she was still skinny but could eat all day long and never be too full for a slice of tiramisu.

She was obsessed with getting her nails done - a really bad obsession. Saphire was addicted to anything that twinkles.

A pain in my bank account when she enters a jewel shop.

As for that third part, Freya? She had an addiction to destroying things. Another reason why she didn’t show up to the heat of battle unless the main purpose was to burn the world down.

What made Alisha valuable was her psychic abilities. They weren’t the common kind. Her abilities had levels. At the most basic level she could listen to others’ thoughts. At the most dangerous, she could control an entire room, make everyone do her bidding.

Her abilities were strong enough that she didn’t even break a sweat while doing it. And that particular skill was exactly what she’d used on our last investigation meeting before the most wanted supernatural in NYC was arrested by our organization.

Alisha had the guts to shatter his mental protective walls that we’d been trying to break for years in a matter of seconds and retrieved enough evidence of the man’s crimes by encouraging him to tell the world during his national speech that broadcasted everywhere.

We knew the consequences of our capture could get Alisha killed, but we hadn’t expected him to frame her for killing a bunch of prisoners, making it almost impossible for any of us to reach her until her name went on the board of this underground bidding bullshit.

If it wasn’t for the sworn magical agreement I’d signed to even get within their hidden facility and my love for Alisha, I would have brought the entire thing down.

Never would I have known that such a thing existed, but if it wasn’t for Lyla’s swiftness, Alisha would have been bought before we got a chance to get into this place.

“The amnesia is a block,” Lyla confirmed our suspicions, and it only put me in a scowling mood to kill.

“No traces of who?”

“They cloaked their magic with a glamor of sorts. They must have had a fae help them out because there’s no way they could have put such strong block on Alisha.”

“Meaning two people in total?”

“No.” She was quiet as her eyes began to flow a lull silver. “Twenty-four.”

What the fuck?!

“You’re telling me it took twenty-four supernaturals to put a mental erasing block on Alisha?”

“No.” Lyla shook her head. “It took twenty-four supernaturals at full strength to finalize the spell.”

“Meaning?”

“There were approximately one-hundred-and-twenty-five supernaturals that banded together to take Alisha’s mental shields down and only twenty-four survived long enough to be successful.”

Fuck…

One problem of mine was that I loved to underestimate the power of my comrades until they shoved it in my face. I had known for a long time that Alisha would be one of the strongest monarchs of our generation, especially with her twin soul hybrid counterparts, but the idea of her taking down one hundred supernaturals while enduring the pain that comes with mental attacks left me a little speechless.

My eyes lowered back to my queen, the woman of my dreams who drove me into madness when she’d gone missing.

It was killing me to not tell her who I was, but with the circumstances we were in, I was worried about sharing. This was all new territory, and though I’d won this bidding war, I’d only done so with assistance.

Now that same assistance wanted their share of what I loved dearly.

“If you didn’t get those three guys’ assistance, she would have been the perfect prize possession for the people who want our entire organization dead,” Lyla explained.

“They only helped me on two conditions,” I grumbled, and began to walk over to my left. Lyla followed and snapped her fingers before we reached the door. The next step we took surged us into the designated room we’d set up for Alisha.

It wasn’t at the level of protection my butterfly deserved, but by the time she woke up, Lyla would be able to finish the added touches, so Alisha would be comfortable.

This prison was one of the top two prisons for supernaturals, but if you had money and connections, it was the best place to bend the rules and hide while working on plans towards revenge.

That was the exact predicament we were in with Alisha, but I wasn’t sure how this would go down now that we had to add those three guys to the picture.

“Define those two conditions,” Lyla encouraged, the apprehension in her voice only adding to the dread of the approaching conversation.

Reaching the bed, I lowered Alisha’s body onto the soft surface of the magenta silk sheets. Her royal attire made her appear like Sleeping Beauty, and I was trying to ignore the thundering urge to remove every piece of fabric off of her and hold her in my tight embrace.

Two weeks of hell. Two weeks of sleeping in an empty bed without her rushing warmth.

Two weeks without my sweet butterfly, all because of a villainous group of supernaturals and their desire to get rid of anyone that gives them exactly what they deserve.

They all committed hideous crimes, punishable by death, and all they were trying to do was prolong the hammer of justice from hitting their path.

“Atticus.”

Her use of my real name made my eyes lift from idolizing Alisha to stare at her questioningly.

“She’s unconscious. No point using your dragon’s name.”

“Tell her I don’t agree with her oblivious viewpoint.” The mystifying tone of my dragon almost startled me. His appearance after a week and a half of silence gave me a sense of relief and anger.

Now you’re back.

“My queen is in our possession once more. Did you think I’d continue my silence streak?”

You’re something else.

“Be grateful for my return.” That’s all that left him as his presence returned to the dark shadows of my being. I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to Lyla, who was patiently waiting for my response.

“Phoenix doesn’t agree with your viewpoint.”

“He never does until I’m right and it hits his stubborn ass.” Lyla casually shrugged.

“You’re lucky he’s asleep,” I noted.

“What is he going to do? Extinguish me with his flames? He’s a softy,” she countered. “Alisha told me.”

“Alisha can’t keep shit from you,” I grumbled in annoyance. I kept wishing she’d remember who she was.

“I know, and she has my loyalty in return,” Lyla replied and returned her gaze to the woman in question. “What were the two conditions?”

My prolonged silence made her sigh. “Stop being a stubborn ass and tell me.”

“Alisha has to remain here until we can build up some allies,” I explained the first condition.

“Why would she remain here? It’s obvious she was set up,” Lyla argued. “We can make allies outside these walls just fine.”

“If they believe Alisha’s stuck down here and carries the title of marked, they’ll assume the worse and consider her a weak asset by the time she can try and get a re-trial.”

“Are you trying to say their marked monarchy has a different definition within these walls than what we know?”

“Marked individuals within these walls are bought as slaves who have to follow every task of the bidder. You can guess most of those involve sexual acts of pleasure and pain, with few exceptions,” I explained.

“Why do I have a feeling I won’t like the second condition?” Lyla was always a smart cookie, a quality of owl shifters.

Now to see if she could get me out of my desperate mistake.

“I absolutely hate it so I’m sure you will too.” I sighed while crossing my arms. “The three men want to share Alisha.”

Lyla didn’t last five seconds before she was laughing hysterically. I knew this was going to happen, and I gave her the solid five minutes she needed to laugh her head off.

“Are you fucking mad?!” she finally shrieked while wiping away her tears. “Regardless of whatever amnesia bullshit is running through Alisha’s brain, you really believe she’s suddenly going to be down with dating not one but four men?”

“Why do I feel as though you’re not worried about Alisha in this matter?” I inquired, my expression as calm as ever.

“I’m not.” Lyla giggled. “Those three don’t have a fucking chance. Alisha is the definition of Queen of Shades. Every damn shade of emotion can flicker in a conversation with her. You two barely survived dating and you’ve been all lovey-dovey with one another since you were six!”

“It wasn’t when she was six.”

“Oh right.” She cleared her throat. “You were six and she was what? One year old?”

“You make it sound like a disgusting thing,” I grumbled. “Dragon mates can’t stop the bond from initiating due to age. It just happens.”

“I know, silly goose,” she teased. “Doesn’t make it any less weird.”

“I stayed clear of her for years,” I argued.

“Ya, ya, until she was like six and wouldn’t stop stalking your eleven-year-old ass,” she reminded. “And I mean literally stalking your ass.”

“Don’t remind me.”

Alisha had a thing for good butts. If your butt got her attention, good luck getting googly eye stickers off your butt cheeks for years to come.

That’s something I hope she forgot.

“Well, you better tell those three men good-fucking-luck!”

“You’re not worried in the slightest?” I questioned. “Alisha doesn’t remember who she is. What if she likes the idea of being with three other guys or thinks she’s indebted for their assistance?”

“If Alisha remembers googly eyes by the time you even introduce these three men to her, I can guarantee she’ll give them a run for their money. You’re not worried about Alisha falling for them. You don’t like the idea of sharing your mate with three random supernaturals.”

“Affirmative.” Not like I was trying to hide my obvious dissatisfaction with the idea.

I had no choice but to team up with them when the bid started out straight into the millions when her name came up in massive purple letters on the digital board.

This mysterious, hidden bidding ground was like cage fighting, only you got to keep the individual as a pet or whatever fit your liking. How such an organization grew to this magnitude with being exposed only proved how dangerous it was.

We realized after we’d won that some of these prisoners could wake up one morning, owned by a person of power they’d never met. And with the millions spent on claiming ownership of them, it would be impossible for the prisoner to fight or buy back their freedom.

Essentially, they were screwed and there was nothing anyone could do about it unless those they loved had double the money to get their freedom back.

“Want me to do background checks?”

“Was going to ask.” I knew nothing about these guys, but their group, myself, and another team were the final sets trying to bid for Alisha’s custody in these prison walls, and when the third set was out-bidding both of us, we suddenly decided to join forces.

It was stupid, but I’d do anything to ensure Alisha remained in my grasp. Killing would have been far easier, but these supernaturals were surely close to god level, and I wasn’t up for going against their magical NDAs.

I wanted us to come out of this alive. I didn’t want all of us dying due to an even stupider mistake.

“I’ll have it ready in an hour for you to review.” She headed towards the door.

“Don’t you need their names?”

“No need,” she answered while reaching for the knob of the door. “I can figure those out in no time. What I can’t figure out is why you think keeping your identity a secret is going to help Alisha in any way.”

She had a point and I knew it, but after the initial hit of that life-changing phone call that Alisha could have potentially been dead, I was struggling to make the right decision about her new circumstances.

“If I tell her, would she even believe me?” I offered. “Plus, I’m an asshole with a temper who kills people that look at her the wrong way, and now have to deal with three fuckers joining in our relationship. She doesn’t deserve to deal with my bouts of jealousy while she’s figuring shit out with this hate crime against her.”

“As considerate as your theory is, there are far too many flaws in it.” Lyla turned around to give me her full attention. “She doesn’t need to believe you. She feels your connection. It’s exactly why she was calm, collected, and then right in your face upset. You had to knock her out because her jump in emotions and personalities would be detrimental to her, but what if you keep ignoring the truth between you two?”

She crossed her arms and shook her head. “You have to tread carefully, Atticus, and my best advice for you is that you tell her before these men tell another story that makes you into a villain versus an ally. Alisha’s loved you for a massive chunk of her life. Even if she was a baby who couldn’t speak her love to you, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. When your bond ignited with hers, she felt your existence. She’s going to feel that now every single day and doesn’t deserve to endure a hollow heart because you’re afraid of her getting hurt again.”

She gave me a long up-and-down look before continuing, “Your temper is something you should start going to your shrink to fix. And maybe these three male add-ons will be beneficial for your relationship with one another?”

“In what way?” I inquired.

“You’ll start cherishing time with her a lot more than before. You can now spend more time with one another while potentially making new friends once I’ve confirmed my suspicions about these three individuals. If you fucked up in the past, this is your time to make up for it and help Alisha fall in love with you all over again,” she explained. “Finally, you may be a dick to be around, but remember we all ended up enjoying that side of you and it’s nothing you should be ashamed about. If Alisha had her memories, she would tell you the same thing.”

“You think she’ll love me again?”

“Definitely,” Lyla confidently declared. “But if anything, I’ve got those favorite fuzzy black handcuffs and whip she loves. I can assure you she’ll lose her shit when she sees you with those, and hopefully rush home to fuck you and not the doctor in question.”

“I’m not going to ask you how you found that out.”

“Good.” She shrugged and looked away. “It would be a waste of time that I could spend on ensuring Alisha’s safety in this makeshift fortress. Now excuse me while I get those background checks sorted. I’ll also give an update to the head. He called earlier to inform us of an increase in supernatural kidnappings.”

“Kidnappings of supernaturals?” That was questionable. The supernatural kidnapping rate had been low for a very long time until recently when it began to spike. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough that rumors have been going on that the government is waiting for a signal before telling the general public. Celebrities are going to be informed first, based on the hierarchy formation. We have a few weeks before they initiate that early plan, but if it skyrockets even more, we’re going to have to tread carefully.”

“That reminds me.” I suddenly recalled one of the more important notes of the three men that aided me in the bidding war.

“I need you to figure out who these three are working for,” I announced. “I have a strong feeling whoever sent them is the culprit that enticed these guys’ interest in Alisha.”

“Definitely,” Lyla agreed. “Had to be someone with a big allowance. Enough for these three men to do his bidding when he could have gone there himself.”

“Mhm.” Lyla bobbed her head in approval. “I’ll gather what I can. Once you’re done ogling Alisha, get some rest. You spent far too much magic the last couple of days and I’d personally rather avoid your groaning self. Alisha can tolerate your man flu tendencies, but I have no patience for them.”

“You have no sympathy for a man dealing with the struggles of stress, climate change, and kidnapped mates.”

“Just as you men have no sympathy for women when we bleed from our vaginas and you still wanna fuck us senseless when we’re trying to survive every cramp that hits us.”

She wasn’t wrong with her comeback and it shut me up pretty fast.

Her grin of pride was followed with a nod as she turned away and headed out the door, leaving me with my marked butterfly.

I moved to sit on the side of the bed, my hand automatically reaching out to caress that soft cheek of Alisha’s. My heart was still pounding with utter relief, and the thought of that disgusting guard even touching her divine skin made me growl.

“Should have chained his soul in the flames. He got off easy.”

It would be a waste of our energy. We have more important matters to attend to. Won’t be long before those three arrive here.

“What’s the plan?”

Aside from accidentally killing them?

“Sometimes I question your sanity.”

You enjoy my thrill for bloodshed when it benefits you.

“Good point.” Phoenix paused. “If we tell her…would she play this game of hide and seek?”

The heavy breath that left me was from the two of us at the idea of having to go along with this plan while we figured out the true culprit of Alisha’s near-death experience.

Playing stupid will be better than boldly getting her out of here. I have a hunch our organization will be partnering up with the secret ops soon.

“Hmm.” Phoenix seemed intrigued by the news. “The dragon god agent?”

Affirmative. He’s powerful but I don’t like trusting him. Double agents are messy.

“Messy but informative.”

They’re waiting to hire another partner that will have a bit more brains than muscle. Once that happens, we’ll know where we stand.

“Allies, allies, allies.” His repetition only stressed what we needed to do.

I wasn’t good at teamwork. That role was given to Alisha because she had a way of weaving everyone in a web of her will, even without her monarch abilities.

Staring down at her, my hand trailed from her cheek to her neck, moving lower to the middle spot of her chest, just above her breasts.

I licked my bottom lip out of habit, my cock growing hard for our mate.

“This is going to be a pain in the ass,” I muttered out loud before giving in to the urge to kiss her by leaning right over and brushing my lips against her.

The connection was strong, enough for me to pull right back. If I indulged in that needy energy, I wouldn’t stop, and it would surely wake Alisha up.

With that reluctant decision made, I rose up and headed for the door. Taking one last glance at Alisha’s sleeping figure, I soaked it all in and let my desire for justice recharge.

Let’s move on from the past and focus on the present.

BLURRED LINES BETWEEN CAPTIVITY AND FREEDOM

~ALISHA~

TURNING OVER, I patted the spot next to me. The thought of it being empty encouraged me to open my heavy eyelids.

How much time had passed? I couldn’t recall when I’d fallen asleep, but the longer I stared at the silk sheets, the stronger my internal debate grew.

Atticus? Where’d he go?

I sat up and stared at the new large, unfamiliar room. My drowsy mind was attempting to work, but everything was still foggy.

How did I get here? Actually…who’s Atticus?

My lips morphed into a conflicted pout as I looked down at the black gown that clung to my body. The previous interaction with Phoenix and Lyla rushed through me, and I soon recalled how I’d fallen unconscious.

“His eyes. They were so captivating that they knocked me out?” I said out loud.

“Hypnotic eyes.” Saphire’s drowsy voice echoed in my mind. “A bitch to deal with.”

Agreed. Let’s go kick his ass.

“I wholeheartedly support you on that.”

The odd feeling that trickled through me was this feeling of deja vu. This had to be something that had happened before, but did I even know Phoenix before all of this occurred?

The mention of this man, Atticus, only left me in a more confused state. This whole amnesia condition was getting on my nerves, and I hated how easily it induced headaches.

I could already feel the pounding beginning in my left temple. The pounding seemed to emphasize that I was on the right track in figuring things out because whenever I recalled something, there was a headache of amazing proportions leaving me in agony.

Getting out of bed, I glanced around the room while I shivered. It was chilly now in comparison to before, but now that I was awake, it was about time I investigated this place.

So much for a tour.

The thought of missing my chance to have Phoenix answer one-hundred-and-one questions brought a sense a failure to me.

Failure and disappointment.

It’s not like I loved him - imagine loving a sexy hunk like him…nope. Don’t do that - but there was a level of familiarity with his company and the way our eyes got lost in one another that I was putting on the top of my priority list.

Now that I was waking up, I’d have to take advantage and get some sort of information before I was doomed to be handcuffed and forced to abide by that dangerous, sexy man’s commands.

Why is my master hot as fuck? Was that a part of the punishment?

“We should find out more about him. He’s intriguing.”

Indeed. I’m kinda hungry.

“For sex?”

Yes. No. Wait! NO! Well sure, sex would be a nice dessert, but I’m actually hungry! You should know that.

“I do, but your desire for sex outweighs your need for food. I’m only stating what your body tells me.”

It’s wrong!

“Mhmm.” Saphire was only agreeing with me for the hell of it, but we both knew the truth.

Note to self. Find a man in this stupid place.

“You have one.”

One that’s not Phoenix.

“Good luck.” She actually laughed. “Men don’t just waltz into prison at your whim.”

Your lack of encouragement is hurting my pride. My sexual appetite benefits you.

“It only benefits me because you’re all happy and shit.”

How would you even know that?

“I don’t. Simply feels that way.”

Wonder if Phoenix or Lyla could help us with the amnesia problem.

“Guess we should find out.”

With a mental nod, I took a few calming breaths and upped my internal courage to explore this new territory. Since I lost out on my tour opportunity, I’d follow my instincts and hope they didn’t get me killed.

Peeking out into the hall, I glanced both ways to ensure no one was coming. Stepping into the hall, I quickly slipped my heels off. I’d forgotten how noisy they were. I had to have been asleep for a good while because the lights were dimmed and as I made my way in one direction, the windows projected a night scene of those calming fields in Ireland.

Walking as quietly as I could, my journey across the darkened floor seemed to go on and on. I could continue to linger on the idea that this hidden place was within a single floor, but in a world of magic and wonder, maybe there was more to this than met the human eye.

Internally, my body was humming for a connection, the thrilling buzz growing with each step I took. I fought to control my urge to move left when I reached two hallways, but my feet didn’t correspond to my thoughts and before I knew it, I was in front of a golden door.

That buzzing felt like electric currents charging through my core, and without a second thought, my hand reached for the golden knob and opened the door ever so slightly.

The soft creek didn’t disturb whoever was beneath the red sheets of the king bed. My calculative nature suddenly kicked into play as I slipped through the space and closed the door gently.

This room had a growing homey feeling to it, the themes of the gold and red warming my heart that was beating swiftly against my chest. I wasn’t necessarily nervous. It felt right to be within the comfort of these tall walls and to see the massive floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite side and the view of magnificent clouds and twinkling lights in the far horizon. It felt like this room was hovering above the world.

My quiet steps led to the very windows in question until my hand pressed on the cool glass and my eyes soaked in the magnificent view. The view of light grey clouds filled me with a sense of serenity.

I missed this, the view I couldn’t remember ever seeing before. Yet I knew it was something I’d witnessed many times with the people I cared dearly for. I grew up within these skies, and the realization and heartache of my lost memories slammed into me with force.

I fought to not make a sound as tears streamed down my flushed cheeks. I wished to learn more about who I was. To figure things out and have the courage to tackle my destiny without a mask or fear of uncertainty.

My journey in prison had just begun and yet I felt like I’d already lost. Without my memories, I felt a hollowness within my soul, and as much as I tried to convince myself I could shape a new identity, in the pit of silence nights like this, I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape this feeling of broken solitude.

Saphire’s sadness melded with mine, the two of us silently mourning what we’d once been. Who knows if we’d ever get those memories back, and if we did, would it even matter anymore?

We were trapped here now. Chained to a new world we had no control over. Our life now was in the hands of someone else, and who knows if his path was the same as mine.

My eyes closed, and I pressed my forehead against the glass. My hand clenched into a fist, and I wished to find whoever had done this to me and return the favor. Make sure they felt the same irony I was currently enduring. Witness the loss of who they were and experience the level of vulnerability this situation has led me to.

Death must have been far better than living a life you couldn’t remember. At least with death, eternal peace was on the other side. With this situation, I was left in a void while all these emotions fought to consume me.

I should have flinched at the soft touch that rested on my shoulders, but all it did was trigger the sobs fighting to escape my hold. This level of sadness was far too much for me to bear anymore, and the soft touch of another person with no ill intentions for me made my protective walls go crumbling down.

The hands tugged me back against a firm surface, strong arms wrapping around me protectively. I sobbed harder, my shoulders lifting up and down with each cry of agony until my body was turned around so I could cry against a muscular chest.

The aroma of cinders and wood was all it took for me to hug the man comforting me, tightening my hold with all my might for fear he’d vanish from my grasp at any moment.

I should have pushed myself away. Not let myself get tangled within his soul pulling-aura and muscled arms that held me like a precious jewel. But I had no restraint left within.

I was done fighting this connection.

All it took was a look upward. For my eyes to hook onto those red pools of loving emotion. He didn’t hide his lust for me, and the longer we stared, the easier it was to let go.

I was exhausted from fighting, and so was he. Those hints of confliction and the mask of anger he’d worn when we met were now replaced with devotion and pulsating hunger.

Those large, rough hands moved to my back, unzipping the black ensemble that cloaked my slim frame. When it dropped to the floor, it cued all the emotions I’d been fighting back and more. The palpable hunger to have my arms hooked tightly around his neck and to dive into the taste of his commanding mouth overpowered me.

Our mouths crashed into one another like two stunning forces, the connection igniting streams of relief and pleasure. This heightened unity was long overdue, and now that we were together, my crumbling world was less heartbreaking.

I was on the bed before I knew it, my trembling body beneath him as he absorbed every bit of my body. The way his tongue drifted across his lower lips only added to the growing anticipation, and I took it upon myself to lift upward and kiss him as softly as I could.

It felt like a habit, something I did to show a tender part of my love for the man I loved, and I multitasked by unclipping my bra, letting my tiny, perky breasts be free of the cups that held them perfectly.

Even with the removal of the black laced bra that I flung aimlessly off the bed, our lips were still moving against one another. The slowed movement relaxed me tremendously, enough that I broke the kiss and looked into his eyes that swirled with various colors.

A prick of fear buckled within me, afraid that I’d fall victim to his hypnotic eyes once more and lose out on this opportunity.

This burning desire to get lost in pleasure instead of heartbreak.

My fear oozed into my expression, something I didn’t stop because I wanted him to realize my worry. He lifted one hand to cup my cheek and lowered until his hot breath teased my neck as he whispered, “You are mine tonight. Abandon your fear and only think of this. The thrumming of our energies intertwining and our cries of satisfaction echoing against the walls of the night. You are mine. You always have been, and this night will be no different.”

“You’ll make me forget.” My quiet comment was that tiny whisper in the back of my mind. “You’re someone important to me and yet I can’t remember. I’m a blank page with an inability to figure out what character I’m supposed to embody within this fairytale. My body wants you. My mind wants you. Yet the fear in my heart screams in rebellion. If I give you what we both want, won’t it leave me feeling empty when the highs of ecstasy are done, and we have to face this new predicament?”

His worries were as apparent as mine, his eyes bleeding with confliction. When my heart couldn’t take the wait for his response any longer, he pushed me against the sheets and kissed me with so much force I got lost in dizzy satisfaction.

The kiss was possessive, and he growled lowly while our hot bodies pressed one another. He distanced himself to give me a chance to breathe, but our eyes never left one another.

“Alisha. My marked butterfly. I won’t dare let you forget me again.”

He sat back on his knees, his hands running down the sides of my body and leaving me in a shivering mess as he tugged the thin straps of my panties and pulled them down.

I lifted my legs upward, aiding in his conquest to remove them from my ankles. He tossed them to the side, and as I lowered my legs back against the fine silks of the bed, my eyes landed on his massive cock, one I’d just now seemed to notice.

I can die happy.

“Likewise.” Saphire actually agreed, our focus returning up to meet his gaze. His red eyes began to dance in color, that raw amber pulling me, and my body growing hotter.

Like a flip of a switch, we were sharing a heated kiss in seconds, one thick with various emotions - anger, dread, sadness, and overflowing joy. His body pinned me once more, and I spread my legs out and wrapped them around his waist - desperate to be right against his chiseled body of muscle and sizzling heat.

We kept kissing until I couldn’t think straight and the heightened desperation to be one was too much for me to handle. He had to have felt the same, his hard, thick cock ready to penetrate my aroused, wet pussy that was dripping just for him.

Our breaths were heavy, eyes hooded with lust as we took a sheer moment to peer into one another. He was searching for my disapproval, trying to find one hint of doubt in my mind.

To even my surprise, there was none. He might have been a stranger to me, a man with various layers I’d yet to uncover, but in the creeping element of vulnerability, I didn’t fear him in the slightest.

I craved this, and nothing would stop what was about to transpire.

We lasted thirty long seconds, and then with a smooth movement, his cock was inside me. Moans escaped us, and I was left to ponder if his cock was made just for me as he began to thrust with power while captivating my swollen lips.

We molded so well together, his body pressing me into the sheets while his hips moved in a slow rhythm, one that made me feel every inch of him thrust deep inside.

If the spinning passion wasn’t enough, the heat was overwhelming - our feverish bodies emitting waves of fieriness like we’d now entered a sauna.

It felt so good, the world spinning as I got light-headed, but this was the unity my soul had been craving. That intense, surging connection with another powerful being who meant something to me.

Thrusts after thrust, heat kisses and bites, growls, and heavy panting. Our bodies were cloaked with beads of sweat, lost in the intense high of sex. I gripped those muscled biceps tightly as he began to take full control of this sizzling show, his thrusts pounding into me with speed while he watched me intently.

“More! Faster! Harder!” I encouraged him to keep fucking me like I knew he could. To take me to that high of pure ecstasy he’d done again and again. None of my circumstances mattered anymore. Not now when I was right here where I deserved to be.

Pleasured by a man who’d devote himself to me no matter how many times I’d forgotten. That thought brought me a wave of peacefulness as I let myself sink into the pits of pleasure as my climax approached swiftly.

His pace never wavered as his own release closed in, the two of us panting and moaning uncontrollably.

“Cum for me, Alisha!” he ordered, the rough growl hitched with a groan as he pumped into me viciously. The name left my mouth before I knew it.

“ATTICUS!”

He sank his cock deep into me, triggering my climax. His hot shots of release filled me up, my pussy quaking around his massive cock while I shuddered from the sexual high.

Our panting breaths were the only sounds in the room as we collapsed against the sheets.

For the first time in a long time, I felt absolutely alive. Every breath I took felt like a gift.

Even with my list of worries of all I’d gone through so far, this moment felt like freedom hidden in the world of captivity.

When our breaths finally stabilized, all that remained was peaceful silence. I stared at the ceiling, my body still in a state of equilibrium.

The sudden, soft touch that raked through my hair drew my attention from the peacefulness flooding my mind, and my head turned over to my right to see the man who’d ignited all of this. His arrival truly was a blessing in disguise, and I could only wonder what it would do now.

Would our connection only involve passion?

“You remembered my name when you came,” he muttered quietly, pointing out a true fact. I still needed a second to rewind, and it seemed to click a bit of memory I’d forgotten.

“ATTICUS! Tell Phoenix to get his ass back here so Saphire can kick his ass!”

The heated laughter that followed only ignited my anger.

“He’s not coming back anytime soon, so give up already.”

“He slapped my butt!”

“With good reasoning.” He winked. “You have a nice butt.”

“Not with googly eyes I don’t!”

“Now you know how it feels,” he declared. “He’s asleep.”

“Liar.”

“Maybe, but that means we have time for one another.”

“I don’t want time with you.”

“Don’t be cold like that, Alisha.”

“I’ll get my revenge, just you wait,” I vowed.

“I know you will.” His grin was priceless. “I’ll be ready for whatever punishment you have for me, my sweet butterfly.”

THE STROKE to my cheek brought me back from the flashback. I blinked a few times as my gaze honed in on worried red eyes.

“I’m fine,” I quickly defended, feeling a little embarrassed for suddenly falling into the flashback. “I remembered something, that’s all.”

“Aside from my name.”

“Ya,” I admitted. “So you’re not Phoenix.”

“Nope.” He didn’t see the need to hide it. “Mr. Phoenix, sure, but Phoenix isn’t me.”

“Atticus Phoenix.” The name rolled off my tongue with ease. “Wait. That’s your name.”

“Correct.” He seemed pleased, his eyes softening as he moved a few strands of my hair away from my face. “Are you in the mood to talk?”

“That depends on whether we’ll be fucking again,” I noted.

“Dragons love to fuck.”

“I’m a dragon?” I blinked cluelessly, and he stared back at me.

“No one’s told you what you are?”

“No,” I truthfully answered.

“How much do you know about yourself?”

I took a moment to gather as much as I could from my memory of the last two weeks.

“Alisha Butterfly. I’m twenty-two, have psychic abilities, and was charged for killing one thousand prisoners and brought here for a life sentence. I’m apparently some supernatural monarch of some sort, and I’ll probably die if I don’t get my nails done in this place.”

“Don’t forget the shiny rocks,” Saphire proudly emphasized.

“And if it doesn’t deem me totally insane, I have a talking voice in my head that likes shiny rocks.”

“Sorry to say, but that makes you sound crazy.”

Yet it didn’t get me into the mental ward. What irony.

“Saphire,” he said with confidence. “I’m aware of her shiny rock addiction.”

“You know her?” My astonished response made those red eyes flood with sorrow.

“I know you. Every part of you. I always have since you were one year old.”

“That sounds rather stalkerish,” I noted. “But also, romantic.”

He rolled his eyes but kept me close to his naked body. “Do you want to know everything about you now or after we deal with some company?”

“Company?”

“Your other masters.”

“I’m confused,” I admitted. “I was told I’d have one master and I’m going to assume it’s you, unless you just wanted to fuck, which I honestly have no regrets about.”

He arched an eyebrow at me in pure judgment.

“You wouldn’t throw yourself at any man.”

“Certainly not, seeing as you’re the only one who made my hormones flip like crazy and my brain cells frizzle till they stopped responding.” My casual honesty must have been due to the amazing sex.

He rolled us over, my back pressed against the sheets while he hovered above me. I questioned if he was upset with my response, but my body wasn’t tensed by the reposition.

I was actually getting excited again.

“We’re not fucking so soon,” he began before he whispered, “I’m glad that I still make your hormones crazy.”

“You sound beyond proud,” I huffed.

“You’re switching personalities on me again.”

“Do I do that a lot?”

“All the time,” he quietly answered. “Annoying.”

“I feel insulted.”

“And fun,” he finished. “I think we should put some clothes on for this talk or all I’ll want to do is fuck you again.”

“Do you see me objecting to that second option?”

“No, and that’s why we need clothes. You won’t think straight otherwise.”

He got up before I could argue, and there was the view of his muscled back, legs, and plump butt.

I got to fuck this heavenly beast of muscle. Yup. Prison ain’t bad at all.

“You haven’t even endured a bit of what’s supposed to happen in prison.”

Not my fault.

Reluctantly getting out of bed, I moved closer to him, my eyes specifically on his ass. I unexpectedly poked his butt like it was a common habit.

“Why do I want to put googly eyes on here?”

He groaned. “Please forget about that.”

“It’s too late now.” I grinned. “I want googly eyes. Do they have those in prison? Probably not, but I mean if we can have views of Ireland, we can get those delivered or something.”

He looked over his shoulder to glare at me.

“What? I want googly eyes.”

“No.” His immediate denial only made me grow quiet while I held his angered gaze with my blank stare.

“…”

“…”

“……”

“Are you just going to give him the silent treatment for a year?” I could tell Saphire was enjoying this from the tone of her voice.

Probably.

He caved after a solid minute. “Fine.”

“You’re my new favorite master,” I sang happily. “Wait. What are we actually? Master and servant? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Friends with benefits?”

He slipped on his boxers, which made me frown in sadness.

“Bye bye, sexy ass,” I accidentally said out loud.

“You love jumping topics,” he noted. “And stop checking out my ass.”

“You’re my master so aren’t I allowed?”

“No.”

“Says who?”

“Says me,” he huffed. “Put some clothes on.”

“If you’re expecting me to wear that extravagant dress for a talk, it’s not happening,” I pointed out as I crossed my arms under my breasts. All he did was look at my twins, and his conflicting emotions of hunger and seriousness were rather intriguing to witness.

He finally grew serious and returned his gaze up to my face.

“There’s comfy attire in the drawer.”

“You never answered my question,” I reminded. “What are we?”

“We’re married.”

I had begun the list of intriguing questions I would have asked him, but his response threw me completely off and left me staring at him with wide eyes.

He slipped on his t-shirt, leaving his pants somewhere in the room as he headed for the door.

“Wear some clothes and meet me down the hall. Then we’ll talk and after that, you’re meeting your three other masters.”

That’s all he said as he waltzed out the door, leaving my stunned, naked ass to scurry for clothes and race out the door to ask what he’d just said.

Holy fuck shit I’m married to a sexy dragon supernatural?! Now this is getting good.

TAKING CONTROL OF WHAT IS MINE

Ifocused on the rising steam from the mug in my grasp. The scent of fresh coffee with caramel sweetener made my heart happy.

Glancing at Atticus as he finished up his cup of coffee, I pondered how crazy my predicament was only hours ago. Here I was, sitting in a comforting little room with the sight of Paris lights from the single magical window that sat next to my left.

We were still beneath the prison walls. The calm peacefulness in this room matched with the soft warmth of the fireplace behind where Atticus would sit. He offered to make coffee while I quickly used the restroom.

I loved sex, but I knew for sure I wasn’t going to deal with a UTI in prison.

The idea had made me pause in my frantic race to have all my questions answered and now I was about to enjoy this coffee that was practically made for me.

Rediscovering myself was something I’d worried about, and meeting someone who knew me better than myself was both a relief and a little worrisome.

He knows my likes and dislikes, my strengths and weaknesses. This is a man who can bend me to his will and use my flawed state of forgetfulness against me.

That thought worried me dearly, but at the same time, if he’d wished that fate for me, it would have already happened. He’d had multiple chances to make my life a living hell, especially with him being my “master” in this Level Three sanctuary, but so far, everything had gone a way I’d never expected it to.

This prison was by far the most confusing part of it all. A prison that was separated into four solid levels. With a glimpse of the first level and now seeing the dramatic difference in the third level, I wondered how dangerous - or extravagant - the final level beneath us was.

If I was considered powerful, I couldn’t imagine the prisoners in the very depths of this massive place.

Atticus walked over to our little sitting area, setting down a plate of various sweets. He had a silver cylinder in his other hand, and he met my curious gaze as I debated whether to stuff my mouth with cookies or be an elegant lady and sip my coffee.

“You like your coffee with steamed almond milk,” he revealed.

“I do?” I questioned. “Actually, that sounds delightful.”

He smirked as I offered my cup so he could pour the frothy white liquid. I licked my lips out of habit, staring at the delightful drink as if the slight addition had suddenly changed the entire potency of the drink.

It had, but now it was much more tempting to drink my coffee instead of eat the cookies on the table.

“Thank you.” My words of gratitude were well received as he nodded and gave me a calm smile. It was the first time I was seeing this side of him, and it really melted my heart.

I was getting this rare opportunity to see various sides of this man who was my apparent husband. The thought was intriguing and motivated me to remain patient as he revealed the truth regarding my past.

He returned the steamer to the mini kitchen area in the room. I observed his cleanliness, how he didn’t hesitate to clean up after himself before putting everything back in its proper place.

I wasn’t sure how men usually behaved, but in the back of my mind, I felt many of them would wait for a woman to do the cleaning, based on the beliefs of previous generations.

The knowledge that he was my master told me that I was a slave, which told me that it should have been my role now that he “owned” me. If I could even call it that.

He came over to sit while I lifted my legs to cross them within the soft, vintage armchair I was sitting in. We both began to drink the energizing liquid, our eyes staring at the Paris views. To be sitting in prison and viewing a completely different country was mind-blowing, but even more so, the familiarity of the buildings had me pondering about my past travels.

“I proposed to you in Paris,” Atticus revealed.

My eyes found his as he stared quietly back at me, waiting to see my response to his words. When I remained quiet, he took another sip of his coffee.

“We weren’t supposed to go to Paris, but due to an investigation of a hidden supernatural drug deal, we were sent over there to act like a crazy-in-love couple. We played the part perfectly.” His eyes softened at the memory. “To the point where I twirled you around in your gorgeous short red dress that lifted up and gave the best glimpse of your ass.”

“Doesn’t that mean everyone got a glimpse of it?”

“Yup,” he answered. “But I wasn’t too annoyed since I dropped down on my knee and proposed to you.”

My eyes looked back at the night scenery of the French country. The way the lights twinkled while my imagination tried to envision the miraculous moment.

I could see myself in a short red dress that hugged my breasts and fluttered out at the waist. The dress must have been really short, or at least one of those types where a mere twirl would make it spin gracefully.

I could imagine wearing red heels and leaving my hair down. The thought of my hair styled in tight curls came to my mind, and even with us being on some sort of mission, I was positive I would have kept my black-rooted, purple hair.

Down to the single set of blue strands.

To be twirled by the man of my dreams, only to lay my eyes on his kneeling form as he presented a dazzling ring, his hopeful red eyes glimmering with love, desire, and dreams of commitment.

The gasps of those around us, the snaps of pictures, the gleeful squeals, all while my heart thrashed against my chest in pure happiness.

“Will you marry me, Alisha Butterfly?”

The single sentence that drifted through my head made me smile while droplets rolled down my cheeks. My little meditative moment of imagination brought happiness and sorrow. It felt so real, and yet I wished to recall every second of it. To envision the fine details of what occurred after, aside from my automatic assumption that I’d said yes.

Whoever put me here took these memories away from me. Stole a piece of me that I feared would never return safely to my subconscious.

That pained me dearly, and it was that acknowledgment regarding those slim chances that made my tears fall. I closed them and lowered my head, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip.

It upset me to show a glimpse of weakness, especially when I was about to learn more about this man - my husband Atticus Phoenix - but he must have experienced many ups and downs with me in the past.

All those experiences I’d never get to remember.

“Alisha.”

I didn’t lift my head at Atticus’s call, my darkened mind far too deep in the whirlwind of the sorrows of my predicament. All I felt like doing now was crying and burying myself in a hole of darkness.

Was this just another consequence of losing your identity? Was this what my enemy wanted me to endure and suffer? To forever be left incomplete and to just accept this new reality?

My head lifted up; Atticus’s hand was now under my chin and his vibrant red eyes were swarming with boldness. “Your memories aren’t lost.”

“You don’t know that,” I whispered, wishing to just wallow in my sadness.

“I do,” he confirmed. “Lyla checked. There’s a block on your mind, a very powerful one, but your memories aren’t lost due to trauma. That means you can get them back. We merely have to figure out a way to unblock them.”

There’s hope?

He removed his hand and unexpectedly leaned over to press his lips against my forehead. The soft, comforting kiss made me blush for the first time, the swarming heat rushing to my cheeks while my sadness began to wither away.

Warmth fluttered through me, and I suddenly didn’t feel like my world was crumbling down. There really was a silver lining in this situation, and all I had to do was be patient and look at all sides of the spectrum before assuming the worse.

“It’s easy to fall prey to the darkness within us,” he disclosed. “Especially when we’re put in situations that leave us in a mess of vulnerability and self-hate. All of this, everything that has led you to this point in time, wasn’t your doing. It’s obvious that you were set up, and whoever put you here either has a purpose for us to fulfill or wants you specifically to fall into hopelessness.”

“Purpose for us…” I trailed off at the comment as Atticus nodded.

“Us,” he said with confidence. “When I married you, I vowed we’d be a team no matter the distance or circumstances. You may not recall and I’m sure you felt isolated the last two weeks going through the bullshit these people put you through while you tried to recover from your injuries, but from this point forward, I need you to always remember that we’re in this together.”

“Even though we have these new roles of master and servant?”

“Those roles don’t apply, Alisha,” he declared. “Between us, you are my friend, wife, and destined mate. I care not about these silly prison rules, but if I have to play along to keep you safe, I’ll do just that. I’ll never push you past your limits, and you can always voice your concerns to me. It may be difficult with how things are now but give it time and I’ll earn your trust and loyalty.”

His words helped with my overflowing worries, and having the reassurance that he’d stand by my side from now on was something that already proved his loyalty. Trust wasn’t a questionable gamble here. I did trust him. My soul knew before my mind and body caught up that the mask he wore was only out of protection, and the man before me with softened eyes and a loving heart was who he truly was around those who’d gained his utmost respect, loyalty, and undying love.

All I could do was be grateful to have met him first before I ended up meeting these other masters.

“I trust you.” My voice didn’t waver. “You’ve proven your loyalty to me, and knowing my memories aren’t completely lost forever really eases my worries. I want to know more. About us, our past, and what triggered my sudden captivity, but I have a feeling we don’t have a lot of time…and you did mention other masters.”

His slow nod was followed with him returning to his seat. Taking a few more sips of his coffee, he lowered it back to the circular marble table between us.

“In order to become your master in this stupid prison, supernaturals have to participate in underground bidding.”

“Underground bidding?” I questioned and scrunched my face. “That’s like…underground cage fights?”

“Somewhat,” he sighed and leaned back into the seat as he lifted his arms to place his hands behind his head.

“Long story short, it’s a place where supernaturals of high status, rank, or wealth bid on prisoners across the world. Apparently Psychic Prison is number two on the list of supernatural prisons, the number one being in Dubai. I only discovered it thanks to Lyla’s tracking skills. It’s extremely hard to locate since they change the location for every meeting. New prisoners are auctioned off, and usually, it’s an intense battle to claim a prisoner that carries a unique trait or birth origin.”

His eyes burned with fury while appearing to be reliving the ordeal in his thoughts. “I underestimated how crazed some of these shifters were. I technically shouldn’t be able to tell you this much, but it may be that our mate bond overrides the magical NDA in some instances.”

“What happens when you say too much?” I inquired, my lingering concern being him getting hurt due to oversharing.

“Could potentially die,” he began, then paused when he noticed my wide eyes. He quickly added, “However, there are steps to that. I’m not feeling the initial constrictions that usually involve troubles with breathing and speaking so we’re good for now.”

“Okay,” I replied but lowered my mug to the table and peered into his eyes. “Please don’t push it. I may be curious, but not enough to risk your life.”

“Yes, marked butterfly.” His saucy grin was matched with a wink of pure cockiness.

“I take it back.”

“Don’t be like that.” He quietly chuckled, the sound making me grin with admiration for him. Now with some knowledge of our past, it was easier to give in to my feelings around him and not feel awkward or crazy for loving what I originally believed was a stranger.

“Anyway, due to how quickly they moved to put you on the bidding board, neither of us had the time to research just how much money we’d need. Never would have thought these bids would surpass millions in seconds. Obviously, I know your potential and worth, but these individuals were fed what they wanted them to believe.”

“They were told I killed one thousand supernaturals and lived to tell the tale?” I concluded.

“Yes,” he replied. “But your name isn’t one unknown to many supernaturals. I think those who know the history of the Butterfly family and who you once were can already dream of what destructive force they could build by claiming and morphing you into what they desire.”

I gulped at the thought. I may have been in the dark about how powerful I was, but no way did I want to be a tool of destruction. If it wasn’t for my confidence in myself, I would have felt immense guilt for killing one thousand prisoners.

The loss of life was sacred, but I only cherished the lives of those who were truly innocent.

“So these individuals know who I was and want to take advantage of my captivity by buying me. What makes them believe I have to obey?” I inquired.

“Well, you’re technically in prison for a crime that is on your record. You lose your freedom the moment you’re guilty. Go against that, you’ll become an outlaw, especially if you end up escaping this place, which I’m sure you’ve noticed is rather easy.”

“Which you’ll explain in a moment?” I encouraged. He bobbed his head in agreement and carried on, “As an outlaw, there’s a time limit for your return. There’s also the slight chance that you’re proven innocent and the charges are dropped. However, if the time passes, then you’re considered a villain or criminal. Then it’s up to you to mold your destiny by proving your innocence. Almost like trying to discover a saving grace in a world that is desperate to see you shattered beneath the piles of lies and deceit.”

“They do this to their own kind and those who do know of this can’t say shit because of NDAs and the possibility of yourself or those you love dying. They’re forced to keep quiet and watch helplessly,” I concluded. “Unless you actually win.”

“Essentially.” He closed his eyes for a moment, and my heart began to increase its pace out of worry. “Atticus?”

“I’m okay, just need a moment.” He took a few calming breaths before his now tensed body began to relax. “I said too much.”

“Are you able to talk about why this place’s security is a joke?” I hoped to change the subject from what he couldn’t talk about to something less risky. He was already looking slightly pale, and I was positive if we stayed on course with this conversation, I’d accidentally kill my husband.

“Yes,” he replied. “It’s all on purpose. Generally speaking, they want to see if supernaturals would choose to escape knowing the consequences they would bare.”

He reached for his mug, while I reached for a sugar cookie.

“Isn’t it obvious that freedom is something that is worth the risk of consequences?” I commented.

“Yes and no.” He sipped more of his coffee, the slight drain of color from his complexion beginning to return now that we weren’t talking about the details of the bidding.

“Yes, because when you escape and prove your innocence, you get to enjoy the task of getting payback.” He closed his eyes. “The dangerous part of that plan is if your escape plan fails and you get brought back. From what Lyla gathered, the consequences are ones you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. You either become a guinea pig for experiments they wouldn’t try on humans or even animals, or, if they deem you worthless, they throw you onto Level Four.”

Before I could ask, he opened his eyes and continued, “Level Four is for individuals with godly status. It’s a place where demigods, extremely rare supernaturals, and omega beasts reside. They throw you in there and it’s game over. No one survives, from what Lyla concluded.”

“Delightful,” I mumbled and reached for my mug. I worked on finishing the remainder of my coffee, and Atticus ended up doing the same.

When we were both finished, he moved on.

“Essentially, when bidding for you, the price got too high. We’re extremely wealthy due to our line of work. However, we were reaching the billions.”

My jaw went slack at the news. The mere idea of me, Alisha Butterfly, the girl with forced amnesia, being worth a billion-dollar price tag was making my stomach churn in anxiety.

“If you remember just how powerful you are, Alisha, with your family’s background, you’d understand the price tag.” I wasn’t sure if his assurance made me feel any better.

“So…what happened then?”

“Since I was about to lose, and so was a group of three supernaturals, we decided to join forces.”

“The four of you against this individual?” I inquired.

“Yes.” He seemed displeased about the competition. “He was a pain in the ass. Wealthy supernaturals like that don’t come out of the woodworks for no reason, especially with how last minute the bidding gathering was.”

“You believe he was tipped off,” I concluded.

“Definitely. Whether he’s the reason for your current predicament or is working alongside someone else of a higher power, it was obvious when we won that he wasn’t pleased.”

“Do you think he’ll try to talk to these other three supernaturals and convince them to give me to him?”

“Doubt it.” He scowled at the idea. “They apparently have an interest in you.”

“I’d take it as a compliment if we weren’t in prison,” I noted. “Why do I have a feeling they want me for more?”

“They do.” Atticus grimaced. “They may want a relationship.”

“I’m married.” My blunt response had him grinning again. The action made my heart skip while my stomach fluttered at his approval.

“Don’t do that,” I grumbled.

“Do what?”

“Smile.”

“Oops. I let my emotions slip,” he sarcastically stated and purposely grinned wider. “Is that better?”

“That’s an even bigger grin then the last, and wow. Your teeth are super white.”

“I wonder how long they’ll last with you?” he randomly noted as he inspected me up and down.

“Now I’m insulted.”

“Meaning you, or one of your random personalities that like to pop in?”

“Didn’t you describe it as me bouncing off moods and not actual personalities? You make it seem like I have bipolar disorder or something,” I complained but leaned back into the seat. “Plus, you’re making it sound like a flaw.”

“It’s not to me.” He gave me a sly grin. “But maybe they’ll dislike it so you’ll remain mine.”

“Possessive,” I concluded and closed my eyes. “That’s one of your qualities, isn’t it?”

“If it makes you feel better, you love that about me,” he acknowledged. “And aside from my possessiveness, low level of patience, anger tantrums, and killing sprees, I’m a pretty nice guy.”

I poked an eye open just to give him a judgmental stare.

“Honesty gets you a long way.” He winked and crossed his arms over his chest. “Anything specific you want to know? Lyla’s telling me we’re going to have visitors shortly.”

“You guys can communicate telepathically?” I inquired.

“Lyla can. I can respond to her but that’s it. As for us, we can speak to one another through our bond, but it may take some time since you have a few walls up.”

“Walls?”

“You don’t one hundred percent trust me.”

“I trust you enough to have sex,” I noted.

“True, but do you trust me enough to catch you if you fell from ten thousand feet?”

My silence answered his question. He didn’t seem to take it offensively.

“Aren’t you mad?”

“Why?” He shrugged. “I can’t expect you to suddenly trust me with your life when it took years to get you to lower those walls. If I have to do it all over again, I will. That’s how much you mean to me.”

“So honest.” I felt the hotness in my cheeks as I looked away.

“Still nice to know my honesty make you blush.” He rose up and walked over to me. “We should go change into proper attire.”

“Back into the dress?”

“Do you want to wear that one?” he countered. “You have a wardrobe full of clothes to choose from.”

“Aren’t I supposed to be a prisoner down here? How do I have a choice of attire?”

“Your captivity is based on our rules. I told the others your attire would be non-negotiable unless for training purposes. Monarchs are still royalty and you deserve to wear what you’re comfortable with unless asked otherwise for special occasions like meeting your three other masters.”

“So if I wanted to walk around naked, you’d be fine with that.”

“No.”

“Okay, respectable clothing. Got it.”

“You like randomly pushing my buttons.”

“Better than slapping googly eyes on your ass,” I randomly replied, my eyes focused on the last bits of twinkling lights as the image began to dim. I rose up but tried to determine what else we needed to discuss in this limited time.

“Tattoo,” I emphasized the single word and looked up into his intrigued eyes. “Earlier. Before, when you used that hypnotic shit on me. By the way, if you do that again, I’m kicking you in the balls.”

His lips curled up just slightly at my bold comment before I moved on, “I saw you have the same tattoo that I do. This one.”

Pointing to the black ink design, I looked at his left arm and how bare it was. “I’m sure I saw you have the same thing.”

“You’re not wrong,” he calmly replied.

“What does this tattoo mean?”

“That’s something I won’t answer,” he admitted. “It’s a special meaning between us and I want you to remember it.”

His reply felt a little harsh to me, and I looked back at my tattoo in hopes that it would trigger a flashback of some kind. Nothing happened, which left me in a bit of a moping mode.

His heavy sigh caught my attention, but my head lifted up slightly and warm lips pressed onto mine. The kiss was tender, rich with love, and I allowed myself to soak up the brewing compassion as we deepened the kiss.

Only a minute passed before he broke it, but he kept our distance close while he whispered, “It’s symbolic to who we are. To what we’ve always aimed to achieve. That’s something I need you to discover on your own, or you won’t obtain the same feeling of empowerment as it once delivered.”

His eyes twinkled with pride as he smiled just slightly.

“Just know that I’m on your side, even when I’m a jackass. We’re married, partners, and destined mates. Carry that knowledge with dignity, and after we’ve done introductions, we’ll get into details before you really start this daily prisoner life.”

With one peck on the lips, he moved away, his scent still wrapped around me like a glove. He headed for the door but paused before it.

Turning around, he was in front of me once more. I looked at him in bewilderment, but he took a step back, reached for my right hand, and lifted it up until his lips pressed against the back it.

“Atticus Phoenix,” he formally introduced. “Phoenix is my dragon and I’m twenty-seven years old.”

We’re five years apart.

“We’ll talk more about our past later, and any other questions you suddenly have. If you need anything woman-wise, Lyla can cater to your needs. Simply state her name and she’ll show up.”

“How-”

“She’s an owl shifter. They can listen to words that drift through the air. When you say her name, she’ll know where you are. Sometimes it may not work depending on where you are in the prison due to the few barriers they have up, but down on this floor, you’ll be just fine.”

He let go of my hand and grew serious.

“We’ll have to find you a servant or two once you get used to the prison schedule. If you have anyone in mind, let me know.”

“Does them being my servant give them immunity of some sort?” I inquired, the random thought of Kitty coming to my mind.

“You have someone?”

“She was ordered to get me some food from that underground cafeteria. I’d have to learn more about her, but my gut tells me she’s not here on normal circumstances.”

“Whoever you deem worthy of being around you is fine by me. If you want this woman acting like a servant to remain off-limits by those who want to screw her over, we can get that arranged. Just be careful about making too many friends.”

“I feel as though I’m not the friendly type.”

“You aren’t.” His smirk was priceless. “You normally hate people. That includes any type of supernatural.”

“Yet they think I’m shy.” I dramatically sighed.

“Good alibi if you wanna kill a bunch of people.” His compliment made me grin widely.

“You get me.”

“Just as you understand me.” His solemn words made me reach out to him, and before I knew it, we were hugging.

“I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to remember my past, but please know that I want to. I’ll figure it out eventually, but in the meantime, please…stick by me. You’re the only one I feel comfortable showing this side to, but know the moment we walk out these doors, we’re back to bold supernaturals with a cold anger complex.”

“Understood,” he whispered and slightly hugged me back. “As long as I get to slap your ass once in a while.”

I leaned back to give him a look. “You have no shame.”

“Why should I? If I like my woman’s ass, I like it.” He emphasized his statement with a slap to my ass.

“Hey!”

“Company’s here.”

He was at the door and opening it up before I finished a blink. “A new dress is laid out on your bed. I already made it so when you walk through the door, you’ll be in the middle of your designated room. Guess we’ll be doing the tour after our conversation and just to warn you now, this is merely one out of four parts of this floor. You’ll get acquainted with it soon enough, but remember you’re not the only one down here.”

The last part of his statement was a cold reminder of this new circumstance.

“Understood.” I gave him a firm nod and he took one long glance my way before he bobbed his head and left.

With a heavy sigh, I peered down at the plate of cookies.

“All mine,” I declared and took the entire plate.

“Why do I have a feeling he left that there on purpose?” Saphire pondered.

Welcome back.

“I never left, you know,” she pointed out. “Merely giving you privacy.”

Thank you. It’s appreciated. All of this…is really overwhelming, and it’s as though we’re not getting a break to absorb it all.

“We’ll get one soon. Surely after this introduction.”

I’m nervous.

“As we should be.” Saphire wasn’t going to sugar coat this for me. “We may now know what I am, but that doesn’t aid us in this place, especially on this floor. After introductions, we need to formulate a training plan. We can walk the walk just fine within these walls, but if someone picks a fight, we’re going to have a problem.”

Couldn’t agree with you more.

Heading to the door, I walked out two steps and was in my designated room as Atticus had instructed.

Peering over to the bed, I saw a gorgeous purple dress that shifted to black and had little black rhinestones that morphed to purple on its way down. The dress would hook around my neck, had no sleeves, and would fit me like a glove.

Yup. Just the way I like it.

Walking over to the mirror, I took a moment to stare into my reflection. This day was going to lead into a long night, and I probably wouldn’t sleep until early morning, but at least I’d know where I stood in all of this.

It was about time for me to take control of what was mine, and that all started with surviving this place that would be a mix of heaven and pure hell.

It’s time to meet my three other masters.

FOUR SUPERNATURAL MASTERS OF FATE

“Of course I’d struggle with this damn zipper!” I cursed. “Saphire? Don’t you know some juju spell to fix this?”

“Nope.” Her honesty made me groan.

“We’re going to either be stuck here or walk in there naked,” I concluded.

“Walking in what they say is a ‘birthday suit’ doesn’t seem as humiliating when you know the fine details of the metaphor,” she began, and I had a feeling she was going to give me a lecture.

“Birthday suit aka butt naked. As confident as I am, I’d rather not walk into a room with three strangers that are probably viewing me as a sex slave rather than as an actual individual,” I whined out loud and groaned as I failed at reaching the top part of the zipper, again.

“You could summon the owl woman.”

I didn’t want to call her so early into all of this. What if she thinks I’m codependent on her or something?

“Won’t know until you meet her, and unless you can get that zipper pulled up your back in five more minutes, I’m sure those new masters are going to think you’re a pussy.”

I have to question where you got your vocabulary from.

“Pussy has been passed down the hierarchies of knowledge. Other terms for it are-”

Never mind! I’ll just summon Lyla!

“Lyla?” My voice was quiet but echoed through the small bathroom. The idea of asking for assistance bugged me, but today wasn’t the time to make a bad impression and aside from Atticus, who I felt confident in, Lyla would be the next person on the list of people from my past.

“Yes, Queen Phoenix.”

I flinched at the sound behind me, swiftly twirling around to face the woman in question. My instant reaction was to stare because the professional woman I recalled from earlier was now wearing a magnificent gold dress that sparkled from head to toe.

Loose, blonde curls were tied up in a ponytail, while stunning blue eyes carried an extra piercing quality to them that made me question if I was in trouble for summoning her.

She must suffer from what people referred to as “resting bitch face,” something that totally resonated with me seeing as I’d dealt with that during half my visit at the hospital where they couldn’t tell if I was in pain or utterly annoyed with the handcuffs.

Her lips were cloaked with a soft nude with hints of gold sparkle, and she wore light blue heels that matched the stone necklace she wore with elegance.

The strapless dress complimented her slender figure, accentuating her small waist. It wasn’t until her lips curled into a pleased smile that I clicked in on my obvious staring.

Admiring how stunning she looked compared to me.

“Good morning, Alisha,” she greeted. “Do you need my assistance?”

“Yes.” I quickly straightened my posture and pushed aside my insecurities. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but do you mind aiding me with my zipper?”

I turned around to show her my dilemma, and I looked over my shoulder to see her kind eyes twinkle in delight.

“Certainly.”

She seemed extremely pleased to complete the simple task, and in just a short minute, my dress was set.

“Anything else you need of me?”

“Not at all,” I replied and couldn’t stop my beaming smile. “Thank you, Lyla.”

“Most certainly welcome, Queen Phoenix. Shall I escort you to the meeting room?” she offered.

“That would be…wait. Did you call me Queen Phoenix?” I inquired. “I’m not a queen.”

“You are monarchy, Alisha,” Lyla reminded. “I’m unsure how much you’ve discussed with Mr. Phoenix.”

“Atticus,” I revealed. “We merely went through some basics but nothing in detail regarding my royal status in conjunction with my monarch status.”

“It’ll be explained shortly,” she assured me. “As happy as it would make me to give you more details of your rank, it appears as though our guests are becoming rather impatient.”

“Impatient, huh,” I muttered.

“Not good,” Saphire noted. “Be on your guard.”

“It’s hard to know what to expect when you barely remember yourself.” I spoke the comment to myself, but Lyla nodded.

“I agree with you.” She turned and headed to the door, opening it up and gesturing for me to take the step first out of the washroom. “However, the show must go on, and I’m pretty positive you’ll be just fine, Alisha. Be yourself.”

“Right,” I whispered. “That’s the part I need to figure out.”

“Better words of advice would be to follow your instincts and don’t second guess when you’re pushed into a corner,” Lyla offered while I walked past.

We made our way out, and Lyla turned around to give me a long look up and down. “You’re not satisfied with something.”

“How?” I’d been keeping quiet about it, but as much as I adored this dress, the heels, and the rest of the outfit, my after-sex hair was upsetting me.

“You love when your hair is either in perfect waves, curls, or up in a ponytail, especially after sex,” she revealed. I blankly stared at her, unsure of how to ask my next question.

Her smile only widened. “You do not remember, but we were extremely close friends. I was your maid of honor at your wedding.”

“Oh.” Now I felt horrid because here was my apparent best friend and I couldn’t remember a moment of any of our shared memories.

She snapped her fingers and a whirlwind of magic swirled around my neck, travelling upward. When the wind subsided, my long locks were up in a ponytail.

Before I could attempt to walk back into the room and view my appearance, Lyla clapped her hands and a swirling pool of water sparked into existence and morphed into a floating mirror.

My stunned eyes viewed my reflection, relief shimmering through me at my now complete look. Deep within, it wasn’t merely my hair that was giving me doubts. I hoped to give a good impression to these three other individuals.

I knew Atticus accepted me. That belief still remained, but with these individuals growing impatient, I’d have to make sure it was worth the wait.

“Thank you, Lyla.” I showed my gratitude with a genuine smile. With a slight bow of my head, I followed up with, “My name is Alisha Butterfly. I apologize for not remembering who you are or how close we were, but your concern for my appearance and overall happiness is much appreciated.”

“Lyla Black,” she introduced. “No need to apologize for something out of your control. You’ve merely forgotten who you were. It doesn’t mean that side of you is lost forever. I’m sure you’ll rediscover yourself with time. No need to mentally stress over it.”

She paused and reached out to fix the silver butterfly necklace that remained on my neck.

“I vowed to always be your best friend. Trivial matters like this can be solved. It’s only a matter of time. Once we know where we stand in this place, we will strive towards finding the answers we need to locate who did this. Until then, let’s entertain these men with our fierceness.”

My lips curled up before I could think about it, and the two of us shared a look of triumph like we’d already won a hidden war. I could tell that it must have been easy to misjudge Lyla, but she, too, wore a mask to hide the truth behind her identity.

In a world of supernaturals, it was for the best, since everyone wore some sort of mask to protect themselves.

For good reason.

“How were you able to use magic like that?”

“The rules of this prison don’t apply to me.” She winked.

“Lucky.” I pouted my lips and she giggled quietly.

The soft sound eased my worries as she sighed.

“Let’s get this show running.”

With a firm nod, we headed to the meeting room. Our heels would give our approach away, but I wasn’t worried about that. This had to be over with so we could move on to the priorities.

If I had to play my part at Psychic Prison so we could buy more time to figure things out, I’d do it. However, I wouldn’t play by all their rules unless it benefited me as well.

Lyla opened the door for me, and I walked three steps into the room before my instincts shot into overdrive.

My hand swiftly moved up, my fingers spreading out as my nails began to glow a dark magenta. Fizzling energy surged through me until it reached my fingertips and surrounded the five daggers that were darting towards me.

I was able to stop four of them, but the fifth one seemed to slip my magnetic grasp. I gritted my teeth and drew as much energy inward as I could, my focus now on the single blade that was seconds from hitting my face.

Lowering all but my middle finger, I zoomed in on that single finger - all of my energy coursing through it as the blade was about to hit the nail’s surface. The blade slowed as purple magic swirled around it. Tiny sparks of blue electricity surged around the metal blade, stopping it in the nick of time.

It levitated in place, the sharp tip hitting the tip of my nail. I left my hand in that very position, but I lifted my eyes to the culprit.

A man of 6′3″ height stood four steps in front of me. His back was against the wall, while his slim, muscled arms were crossed over his muscled chest.

He wore a tight white t-shirt, one with Korean characters designed intricately on the athletic attire, and black joggers that were tight at the waist and ankles, but loose in between. His shoes were white, having similar black characters designed on the sides.

His hair was long, reaching his lower back, and was sky blue with hints of white. A few strands were floating effortlessly, while his right hand held four more blades between his fingers.

His orange eyes with gleaming silver pierced mine, but his proud grin only pissed me off.

“Our little marked one still has good instincts, it seems,” he announced with a soft Korean accent. “And she’s giving me the middle finger.”

All five of the blades dropped to the floor as I pulled back the energy I’d shot out of protection. How badly I wanted to use one of these blades and slit his throat, but my attention remained on my middle finger, noticing the slight chip on the inner layer of my nail.

With a few blinks, the nail cracked by itself, the fragments falling to the floor with a level of heaviness that everyone in the room heard.

Bringing my hand closer to my eye level, I inspected the broken nail, and the mere acknowledgment of its now imperfect surface ignited a whole level of rage.

This is war.

The silent voice that drifted into my mind wasn’t Saphire. No. This voice spoke only with power, her blazing energy beginning to pour through me and burst out.

When my eyes locked back onto the culprit of my newfound dilemma, his eyes widened, flooding with terror.

“Titus? Blaze? I think I need assistance,” he squeaked.

“Alisha, hold-” Atticus tried to stop me, but I was already in front of the man in question, my hand around his neck and his body moving upward with ease as I threw him in the air.

I sensed the two forces plummeting on either side of me, but that wouldn’t pause my determination to get revenge as I completed a single spin of my body that sent heat waves as purple-orange flames burst out of thin air and sent the two individuals who approached me flying back helplessly.

The man I’d sent upward hovered above, his body wrapped with my purple magic. I dropped to the floor gracefully, slapping the marble tiles with my right hand that was still intact.

Sharp points of blue blades began to peak out of the floor in multiples of five until 25 sharp blades drifted out from the floor and pointed straight to the man above me.

I lifted my head up and gave him a cynical grin, one that sent him hollering for help.

“Shit! Atticus! Stop her before she cuts me into sushi!”

The giggle that left me would send anyone into a state of sheer worry. If only that pathetic, paid jury could hear the insane giggle that left my glossy lips.

Then they would have considered putting me in the crazy house for supernaturals.

The two forces I’d pushed back were racing back at me with full speed, but I flicked my wrist upward and the daggers were released from my hold, heading towards their sole target.

I spun again, but instead of flames, blue and gold tinged chains shot out of my body, slamming into the two men and wrapping around their large frames.

Again, I went down on one knee and slammed my right hand to the floor. The chains that now held their targets in a tight grip were called to the ground and forced both men to their knees.

My body rose back up, ready to finish all three of them, but my right arm began to burn, tugging me out of my killing spree. It was enough of a distraction for my blades to go off course, pinning the man in all the wrong places.

Ignoring the pain from my arm, I glanced up in pure disappointment at the Korean man who was clearly pinned to the ceiling due to my blades. However none of them pierced his delicate body.

At least he was still trembling, his fear apparent in those now silver eyes. My eyes noticed his twitching white ears, and only then did I noticed the three massive white tails splattered along the ceiling - their odd shape was due to the blades that missed their white furry surface.

Hands rested on my shoulders and I looked down to see Atticus.

No. Phoenix.

His red eyes were now a dangerous orange with tiny twinkles of red and black. My gaze moved to his left arm, the one that now burned brightly with the tattoo that matched mine.

“Freya,” Phoenix stated in that dominating voice that always got through to me. Through the nights of pleasure and the peaks of utter pain. He understood my wild flames and our furious flames.

He knows I could kill everyone in this room - including him.

My hand lifted up and I purposely displayed my middle finger in his face.

“How are you going to fix this?” My voice was low and thick with menace.

I couldn’t even recognize the tone of my voice, but did it matter? These men had randomly attacked me, and my lack of memory wasn’t going to stop me from finishing them unless this was promised to be fixed.

Life stuck in prison was already a pain in my ass. No way would I suffer from a broken nail. Overdramatic? Sure. But no way would I live with broken nails as a monarch. It literally did not make sense in my mind.

His eyes lingered on mine, and I knew he was searching for a connection. He wanted to calm me down, to cause me to resurface, even though this raging side of me was only here temporarily.

Taking a step forward, I was right in his face.

“Phoenix.” My voice was full of warning. “What will be done about my broken nail? Offer a solution, or I will took it upon myself to kill these three men right this instant. You know I don’t need Alisha’s permission to do so.”

It felt odd to talk in the third person, but the hot energy pulsing through me was clearly in dominant control. I had to assume this power was Freya, seeing as I still sensed Saphire’s calm wisdom trickling through the raging chaos of anger and adrenaline.

Either way, I wasn’t going to stop her from whatever course she was about to take. There was something about broken nails that pissed me off, and I wasn’t going to be stuck with it if avoidable.

“Kai will pay for you to get your nails done,” he announced.

“Hey! I never-”

He didn’t finish as the two of us lifted our heads to give him the most treacherous glare.

“I’ll happily pay for a manicure and pedicure. I’ll even get you ice cream.”

“Tiramisu,” we said in unison.

“Sure!” Kai nervously replied, his teeth actually chattering while his forehead was drenched with sweat. A few droplets fell, but they didn’t even reach us before they evaporated mid-air.

I hadn’t felt the extreme heat in the room, or realized that my body was exhibiting such warmth. We lowered our heads and went back to our intense stare.

“When can we get them done?”

“Today, after our discussion and some rest, unless you want to skip the resting part,” he explained. “Whatever you want.”

“Why should I spare them?” Now I was just taunting them, relishing my moment of absolute control.

“They’re the ones who helped me win you, Freya.”

“How kind,” I sarcastically muttered. “Yet I walk into a room to be tested like an animal.”

“Kai’s fault.” The soft voice that came from my right caught my attention.

The man was still on his knees with my blue-gold chains wrapped around his milk chocolate body. He was definitely the biggest of the three, his broad shoulders, chest, and biceps emphasizing the amount of muscle he must have gained with daily workout sessions.

Or genetics.

He had short hair that was lime green with pink highlights. The combination wasn’t your typical hair color, but with its spiked appearance, I could only assume it was a trend or him living his best life.

His eyes were a soft pink, reminding me of blossoms you’d witness in the heart of Japan. Another random remembrance of the beautiful country, but it would have to wait for when I had some quiet time to myself to delve into that.

From his complexion, I could only assume he was of African heritage, but the details would remain unknown for now. My lingering eyes were making him nervous, the slight tremble of his body answering my suspicions.

“Would you like to explain on his behalf?” I offered.

He slowly nodded. “Atticus was explaining about your amnesia and that we’d have to formulate a plan of how to train you while down here, but Kai wanted to test your abilities first. Atticus refused and Titus over there didn’t give a shit.”

As I peered over to the other man in question, his mismatched eyes caught my attention first. His left eye was bright red, just a shade lighter than Atticus’s red eyes that sometimes reminded me of blood. His right eye was black.

Again, his height was hard to predict with him on his knees, but I could safely assume he’d be the tallest out of everyone in the room.

His hair was shoulder-length onyx, with a few silver strands on his right side. I wondered if he had the strands of silver there to help his black eye pop out in comparison to his red.

He wasn’t as slim as Kai but was just as muscled as the rest of them. He had a guardedness about him, giving me the impression you’d need more than one key to unlock his true nature.

He remained quiet, even as my eyes bore into his.

“And you?” My question was directed at the pink-eyed male.

“I suggested we asked what you were comfortable with, but before we could agree, the owl shifter opened the door.”

Lyla was quietly standing near the closed door, observing everything with a blank expression. She’d probably sat this one out to see what my response would be.

I bobbed my head and looked back at Phoenix. Now that my anger was beginning to defuse itself, the burning urge to kill was replaced with boredom.

“I’m returning,” I declared.

Phoenix tightened his grip on my shoulders, reminding me that he was still holding onto me.

He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were speaking a silent language. With quiet resolve, I did what I normally wouldn’t – I leaned my body into his and pressed my lips firmly against his.

The short kiss was filled with enough sizzling heat to give both of us a little energy boost. Leaning back, I returned to the main objective.

“Before I return the control over to Alisha, let me make this clear. Don’t underestimate our potential. Memories are just that. A recollection of the past. Amnesia does not destroy the legacy I’ve created with my mere strength. Remember that when you suddenly feel like ‘testing’ me.” My words were specifically aimed at Kai, and before I pulled back entirely, my head lifted to give the man one final glare.

He gave me a sheepish smile, and I tsked in return.

With a few blinks, I was completely in control once more, now feeling the company of two within my mind. The new, foreign energy had to be Freya, while the calmer energy was Saphire.

It intrigued me how I’d never noticed Freya before, and all of sudden, with her sudden appearance, I now sensed her distinct energy. Her exit cued Phoenix’s retreat, and Atticus’s red eyes returned.

We shared a look before he reached for my hand and inspected the broken nail.

“I’d forgotten how dangerous you get when you break a nail,” he quietly mumbled.

“You make it seem like they’re nothing,” I muttered. “Nails are vital.”

“To?”

“My self-love and aspiration to kill all my enemies with them.”

“You can’t kill with-” Kai began but the man with pink eyes interrupted. “Shut up, Kai. You already made us into fools. Keep quiet for a damn minute.”

“Fuck off, Blaze! You’re only mad because you’re in a submissive state! At least I’m pinned to the-”

He didn’t finish as I slipped my hand into Atticus’s, tugged him to the side, and instinctively snapped my fingers.

“AH!” Kai screamed before his body came tumbling into the floor. He quickly turned over, missing the falling set of blades that actually stabbed through the marble floors.

Kai’s mouth dropped open as he looked from the floor to my cold expression and right back to where he could have been stabbed twenty-five times.

“Y-You were actually going to kill me?!”

“Who, me?” I played innocent. “That wasn’t me. That was Freya.”

“Liar!” He pointed at me, his finger trembling as he shuffled back until he was literally hiding behind Titus.

“Titus! Protect me!”

Titus remained silent while Blaze sighed. “You started all of this.”

“Don’t blame me,” Kai complained. “I knew she was dangerous, but fuck. Do you have a personality disorder?”

“She’s a monarch.” Titus finally spoke, the blunt response emphasizing my royal status.

“That doesn’t mean she can purposely try and kill me.” His defensiveness had everyone in the room send a scrutinizing glare his way. Even Titus was giving him a side glare.

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. Your culture is so weird. Killing over a broken nail. I’m so glad I’m not a woman.”

Lyla walked over to where Atticus and I stood.

“A woman’s nails are a vital part of her self-care routine. Breaking them is like breaking a part of us. Death is a completely acceptable form of punishment.”

The way she announced it was like she was the creator of the world’s rules and everyone had to obey.

Yup. I can see why we’re best friends.

“Scary,” Blaze commented. “Uh. Can we get out of these chains? We only interfered out of the habit. We’re used to getting Kai out of stupid shit.”

Uh. How do I do that?

I’d totally reacted out of instinct. Now that we’d settled things, I had no clue how to undo the spell.

“Envision the chains snapping apart and snap your fingers,” Saphire instructed.

Okay.

My imagination got to work, watching the chains break apart and disappear into the ground below. Snapping my fingers, I watched the action come to life - the chains snapping from their tight hold and falling to the ground. They began to fade into the ground, leaving the place looking like it had prior to my arrival.

Minus Titus, Blaze, and Kai, who were still on the ground staring in my direction.

“Why don’t we have a quick time out?” Lyla suggested. “Looks like you three are drenched.”

“Huh? No, we’re-”

It was as if Kai’s denial summoned the rush of water that came from nowhere. The three of them were suddenly soaked from head to toe.

I couldn’t even hide my shock while Atticus began to grin. I knew he wasn’t the culprit. My eyes moved over to Lyla as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave a sweet smile.

“I’ll say this once,” she began before her eyes were deadly slits. “I don’t care what you do when I’m not around King and Queen Phoenix. However, when I’m present, I won’t tolerate such foolishness. This is the only time I’ll warn you, newcomers. Next time you override your agreement to not place Alisha Butterfly in harmful situations due to one of your involvement, I’ll slice your throats myself.”

The three of them nodded without a peep of disagreement.

Lyla was sweetly smiling again.

“I’ve kindly laid out a set of new clothes for the three of you. Please follow me.”

She gestured to the door and glanced our way. “Atticus. Alisha. We’ll be back in a few minutes. Please sit and relax. I’ll bring some coffee, tea, and biscuits for our next conversation.”

With a slight bow of her head, she and the three men were out the door. As if that cued a time out, my knees buckled before I could think. Atticus wrapped his arm around my waist, catching me before my knees could hit the ground.

“That…” I began but groaned. “Fuck, I’m tired.”

“You haven’t used your magic in a while.” He scooped me up with ease and sat down in the nearest chair, and placing me right into his lap.

“What just happened?” I questioned, feeling drained all over again. “Now I feel wiped out. When are we sleeping?”

“You’re asking too many questions,” he noted.

“I asked two.”

“I have a sneaking suspicion you want to ask more.”

“Like how did I just use magic, who is Freya, why did it feel like she was in control but I was still conscious in an odd dual type of way, and can I totally add that Lyla is so badass! How is she still single?”

“Did you know when you’re tired, you talk a lot?”

“I didn’t, but good to know. When I feel depleted, I’ll make sure to talk your ear off. Or Kai’s. He’s annoying. I don’t like him.”

“Sure.” Atticus leaned into the seat and used his left hand to grip my face. He turned it to look right into his eyes, but before he could move, I placed my hands over his face.

“What are you doing?”

“I thought I’m the one asking the questions?” I countered. “As for what I’m doing, I’m making sure you don’t use your hypnotic eyesight of sexiness.”

“I’m glad my gift is deemed sexy,” he announced. “But that wasn’t what I had in mind.”

“Oh.” My simple reply was followed with my hands slipping from his face and lying back onto my lap. “What were you planning to-”

His mouth slammed against mine, his tongue boldly slipping into my mouth with a hidden motive that I couldn’t quite figure out through the initial shock. I didn’t resist his scorching hot lips, my body relaxing immediately as I kissed him right back.

The kiss grew hotter with every movement, and it felt like we were exchanging energies. I accepted every bit of the boost, my strength building up once more.

Atticus broke the kiss but bit my bottom lip before sucking it gently. Our eyes were still locked on one another, and I could see my glowing magenta-purple eyes through the refection of his swirling red ones.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Far better than before,” I replied while catching my breath. “What did you just do?”

“Exchange of flame,” he announced. “Dragons, phoenixes, and other fire element supernaturals can exchange heat to give a temporary boost.”

“Doesn’t that make you weaker?” I inquired.

“A little, but it’s not too bad. You haven’t slept and using that chunk of energy would leave you knocked out for days if we let you sit through this introduction.”

“Introduction my foot,” I huffed. “He actually was going to kill me.”

“Maybe.”

“You didn’t interfere earlier because?”

“You’re a strong, independent woman who would have kicked my ass and denied me of sex for a month if I did.”

His response was unexpected.

“Have I done that before?”

“Yes.”

“Hmph.” I thought about it. “Man, I’m awesome.”

“I love how you’re praising yourself.” He shook his head.

My body leaned against his as I kissed him very lightly on the lips. “Thank you, Atticus. I needed the boost.”

His cheeks actually began to blush, and he looked away.

“You’re welcome.”

“So cute when you’re all embarrassed.”

“Hush,” he huffed and picked me right up. Rising out of his seat, he helped me stand and let out a sigh. “Guess you got a glimpse of your masters.”

“Barely,” I pointed out. “Why was I able to react if this is a prison?”

“There are certain times within the day that the magic shields go down to replenish. To be frank, the people running this place don’t keep an eye on Level Threes, from what Lyla gathered.”

“Why?” I inquired while enjoying his fiery scent.

“You guys are powerful on your own. What are a few shields going to do? Some of these prisoners are here on purpose, and again, it comes down to whether they want to test their chances of escaping. They’d rather put that energy into Levels One and Two where the supernaturals aren’t as dangerous.”

“Reassuring.”

We stood there in silence before Freya came to my mind. “What is Freya?”

“You could ask her,” he pointed out.

Freya?

My mind remained silent until Saphire spoke up.

“Looks like she’s asleep.”

Why couldn’t I sense her presence like I do yours?

“I allow you to sense my existence. She may like to rest in secrecy.”

I mentally nodded and looked up at Atticus as he patiently waited for my response.

“She’s asleep.”

“Thought she’d change that habit.”

“Of?”

“Freya is your phoenix side.”

“Huh?” I blinked in confusion. “You said I was a dragon.”

“You are.”

“Then?”

He paused in his motion to speak, looking deep in thought.

“What?”

“Lyla’s telling me that the others are coming back.”

“Can she distract them for a moment?” I insisted. “Please?”

We couldn’t keep putting vital things on hold. This was something I needed to know about myself and I’d rather have that conversation with Atticus now.

He remained quiet for some time before he nodded.

“Kai said something stupid and got drenched with water again.” He actually looked pleased with the news of Kai’s stupidity.

I had a feeling he was the type to push your buttons on purpose. The other two were a little harder to decipher at first glance, but Blaze had a shyness to him while Titus was mysterious as fuck.

“Then let’s take advantage of it,” I prompted. “How do I have two supernatural sides? I’ve only seen people with one…well, if it’s obvious.”

“Monarchs are supernatural children with two supernatural souls. In some cases, those individuals are twins, one carrying one supernatural trait of wisdom, while another carries sheer power,” he explained. “For example, there’s fae legend that there are two supernatural monarchs of dragon fae ancestry.”

“Dragon fae ancestry?” I questioned. “Meaning they’re hybrids?”

“Correct.” He nodded. “However, the legend says one princess was completely human while the other carried enough power to take down the world if she so deemed it.”

“Why is that?”

“Multiple reasons, I think. It’s only a recent saying among the fae and dragon supernaturals. They haven’t yet determined who these princess monarchs are, and if they’re even alive. Needless to say, they’re a prime example of the usual sort of monarch.”

“Then I’m considered a rare case?”

“Yes, since you didn’t end up becoming a twin.”

“Was I supposed to?”

“From what I recall as a child, your parents were expecting twins.”

“And ended up with me,” I concluded.

“Sometimes twins occur when both supernatural souls are too drastically powerful to be held in one body. That’s something out of the mother’s or baby’s control. The universe decides who will be twins after the souls have descended into the fetus. Originally, you could have been a potential twin, but from what I know about my experiences with Saphire and Freya, they balance one another out. Saphire is of wisdom, a common trait for dragon shifter, and has her share of magic. Also, to add some detail, she’s not a normal dragon. She’s a special butterfly type of dragon.”

“Butterfly type of dragon?”

“Butterflies are known for ascending from caterpillar to cocoon state, and flourishing into their final form after hibernation, correct?”

“Yes.” I knew that much.

“Butterfly dragons go through a similar stage, especially monarchs. They go through a state of hibernation, which is usually triggered when they reach twenty-two or twenty-three. The cocoon state doesn’t mean you’ll be unconscious for months upon months, but it could be a time where Saphire will grow stronger and wiser than before.”

“Have I achieved that yet?”

“No.” He lifted his hand to run his fingers through my ponytail. “However, we had a strong feeling your ascension was supposed to happen after our assignment.”

“The way you state it tells me my unfortunate downfall into an ocean with one thousand apparent prisoners was a way to hinder my ascension?”

“Another huge guess that we feel is valid,” he replied. “You were taken down.”

“I was?”

“Lyla and I are looking into it, but she can confirm that there were one hundred and twenty-five supernaturals instructed to take you out.”

“And?”

“Twenty-four survived, but they have brain damage.”

“How did they get…what?!” I gasped in shock. “Are you telling me that one-hundred-and-twenty-five supernaturals, beings like you, me, those three masters, or Lyla, were sent to take me,” I paused, took a step back and dramatically waved my hands up and down to emphasize my slim frame, “out? I may be a badass, but even I can’t comprehend that reality.”

He grinned but nodded to confirm their findings. “We’re gathering the evidence secretly. I don’t think the brain damage the remaining survivor’s experienced is solely your doing. We only got this information from a secret agent who has connections, and even so, he’s very limited to what he gets information-wise. Now that you’re in our possession, we’ll have more time to look deeper or ask other resources why this occurred, but the block on your mind is due to that confrontation. You have strong mental barriers, Alisha. It’s why your psychic abilities are dangerous.”

“Now that you mention it, why can’t I read your mind? Or the others’?”

I hadn’t noticed how quiet my mind had been since arriving here, the thoughts that normally drifted into my mind keeping their distance.

“The attack on you lowered your abilities a bit. You can definitely pick up our thoughts, but you’ll need far more psychic power to do so versus the common supernatural or any human. Lyla and I keep our mental guards up around new people, but when it’s us three, they’re low.”

“Okay…um…” I was trying to figure out what else to ask. “What were our jobs before all of this? Also, are my parents actually dead?”

“We are Special Ops Investigators of Supernatural Crime and Worldly Affairs.”

“Fancy,” I commented.

“You sound bored from the mere mention of it.”

“Because it sounds like a fancy way of saying we’re cops that find criminals and kill them either in town or overseas.”

His response was staring at me, long enough for me to add, “What? It’s true.”

“You said the exact same thing,” he revealed. “Except you were in front of the head manager and she still doesn’t like you.”

“Dandy.” I shrugged. “She’s probably a bitch then.”

“She is, if it makes you feel better.”

My smirk was followed up with, “So was I targeted because of my potential ascension to an epic dragon, or did I really do something wrong?”

“Again, you were framed. We’re positive about that. The timing could be due to your ascending butterfly dragon status, but that wouldn’t be enough to frame you for a crime. We just recently finished a very important assignment that took down a major crime drug lord. That could have triggered you becoming a target,” he explained.

“But you don’t agree?” His tone of voice was giving me those vibes that there was something brewing beneath the obvious reasons.

“Phoenix thinks there’s more to this than meets the eye.” He slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. I didn’t resist his sudden need for the intimate connection, my body still humming from his boost.

“Can I share something I saw before coming here?” My voice was hushed as I sought his approving eyes. “It’s not something physical but like a vision, sort of.”

“Foresight.” He followed up with, “It’s one of your abilities.”

“So it’s not me hallucinating or adding to the list of craziness that comes with my lovely package of badassery?”

That made him grin, and he actually rewarded me with a kiss. “Not hallucinating, and remember that I enjoy your list of craziness with a hint of badassery. Not too much or you’re hard to handle.”

“Fear my badassery wrath,” I quietly teased.

“Mhmm.” He kissed me softly. “Carry on.”

“There were four women. All of them were uniquely different, aside from two women. They had their distinct characteristics, but they also looked like twins. The similarities were obvious, but one girl looked plain in the beginning. Plain as in human-like, but the longer I stared at her, the more her image morphed until she was oozing waves of power. The other woman that was almost like her counterpart was badass from the get-go. One look at her and you knew she dominated every bit of her power. The other two women were just as unique. One had a sort of energy that’s a little hard to describe, but she wore a punk outfit and seemed to be the mischievous sort. The last woman was just as confident in her power as the second potential twin, but her power had a dark edge to it, and she had dazzling black wings that were on fire. They were in a line, the four of them. Then they parted to the side and I came walking out of the shadows, but it wasn’t this me.”

I paused to find my words. “The me in the vision was powerful, far more powerful than I may have been prior to losing my memory. She fit right into that line. It feels as though we’re meant to come together. From how the other girls shifted images and wore prison-like attire, I think they’re also prisoners, but I haven’t seen anyone that fits any of their appearances.”

Atticus nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. I wondered if he was telling Lyla, but he soon opened his eyes that were returning back to red.

“He must have needed a moment with Phoenix,” Saphire translated.

Could be.

“Phoenix thinks you may be onto something,” Atticus answered our suspicions. “And that alone is extremely good information.”

My worried expression had him pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll keep it to myself for now, but it means we know what to look for.”

“We haven’t seen anyone here, though,” I pointed out.

“You’re correct,” he reasoned. “However, it doesn’t mean they’re not coming this way. Psychic Prison is a big prison. It doesn’t look that way, but you’ve most likely seen a small section of it. After we get your nail fixed, we’ll take a tour before you rest. Then if you can give me a written description of everything, we can be on the lookout.”

“You think they’ll all come to this prison?”

“Not sure,” he confessed. “But there’s been an uptick in supernatural kidnappings.”

“Kidnappings?”

“Yup. It started to spike during our assignment, but we were too far into the case to hop onto it. Another agent is being assigned to it and they’re getting him a second partner. He should be able to get inside access in here. Once we know who it is, we can do our part to transfer information.”

“Isn’t that risky?”

“Yes, because he’s a double agent, but whatever information that is shared won’t be deemed important enough for him to use against us if he ends up playing with that double-ended sword. I’ve only met him once, but he’s a dragon, like us. He wouldn’t forsake his kind so easily.”

“Intriguing,” I commented. “The kidnappings. Are they random?”

“So far it looks like the targets have been those that wouldn’t be so easily spotted. Misfits, the homeless supernaturals. If they get kidnapped, it’s not a big deal because very few notice.”

The idea made me frown, while my heart clenched.

“However, it seems to have escalated since celebrities have begun to go missing.”

“That’s bad,” I noted. “Which reminds me, you never answered about my parents.”

“Right.” He met my curious eyes. “Your parents are definitely alive. Your mother works alongside the king of our dragon pack, while your father is aiding the fae queen in the fae lands.”

“Huh?” I gave him a clueless look. “Fae lands? King of a dragon pack?”

“It’s going to take us a while to explain.” He gave me a helpless look. “I don’t want you to suffer information overload.”

“Ya. I’ve already had enough talking for the day,” I admitted and lifted my hand to view my broken nail. “And if I don’t get this fixed, I’ll have to plan a murder.”

“Women and their nails,” he huffed with a sigh. “At least you can use yours magically.”

“I can?”

“That’s how you stopped the blades, and one of the reasons why you like to have them painted. You’ll see when you get them redone; you have magic incantations on your nails.”

“Wow.” I was really impressed with myself. “I feel like a hidden superhero.”

“You should.” He gave me one last kiss before letting me go. “Anything else before we attempt to do something productive with the other three?”

“Lyla and I were best friends?” I just wanted to confirm.

“Yup,” he replied as he glanced to the door. “You two dated, by the way.”

That wasn’t what I was expecting.

“Huh?” was all I could fathom.

“Dragons have no preferences,” he acknowledged and began to head to the door. “Also, before you freak out about it, Lyla’s technically a boy.”

I was left speechless as he opened the door and looked back at me. “C’mon, my marked butterfly. Kai’s decided to let us get your nails done now.”

I only pulled out of my daze at the word nails, but my mind was swirling and all I could think was What the flying fuck?

“Remind me next time to let you drop one mind bomb a day,” I noted as we exited the room.

“Noted.” He seemed pleased as he slipped his hand in mine. “I’ll explain everything before you officially start your prison life.”

“Good, cause I think I’ll need it. That and some alcohol.”

I may have said it once, but I’d state it again and again: having amnesia sucks balls.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS BETWEEN US

“Alisha.”

“No.” I clung to my sheets for dear life. “Beauty sleep.”

“Is for the weak.” Atticus tugged at the sheets that cloaked my naked body.

“I barely got to sleep.” My thick voice was horrendous to my ears, but it only emphasized my dreadful exhaustion after a long day of getting my nails redone, officially being introduced to my three masters without us killing one another, and diving into the truth that Lyla - stunning beauty of dominance – was actually a male.

Apparently my reaction was a replica of when I’d first found out that bomb of news, from what Atticus explained after we finally retired for the day.

“I NEED TO SHOWER.”

“In the morning,” Atticus muttered into my neck as we both fought for air.

“Not getting a UTI,” I moaned. “Fuck, that was good.”

“I’m glad my performance satisfies you,” he noted.

“Maybe that’s why I felt so horny before,” I quietly mumbled. “Do dragons fuck often?”

“Yes,” he honestly replied. “Stamina isn’t a problem and our sex drives are more active than the average supernatural species. Harder for us to get pregnant, though.”

“Now that I think about it, I don’t have birth control, do I?” The thought made me want to cringe at the idea of having a prison baby.

“Don’t worry. You have an ongoing birth control spell placed on you. When we married, you made it clear that you didn’t want kids yet but loved sex so we went to a fertility fae to conduct the spell.”

“Fertility fae. Now that’s something you don’t hear every day.”

“They use spells that involve magic and herbs from nature to ask the universe to give you time to embrace life before parenthood. It’s better than the human birth control and has far fewer complications and side effects. Those medications and methods may not affect supernaturals as strongly as humans, but the possibilities are still there and I’d rather you avoid them,” he explained and rolled onto his back.

I moved to snuggle against his frame, his right arm wrapping around my shoulder and bringing me close enough for my head to rest on his chest.

Listening to his heartbeat was comforting, the slow rhythm inviting a wave of relaxation through me.

“Good to know, but that isn’t stopping me from contracting a UTI,” I reminded.

The soft vibrations of his chuckle echoed in my ear, while his hand continued to stroke through my long locks.

I was so grateful that my hair was out of a ponytail, and the change of environment was comforting while I waited for his reply.

“You’ll be fine. Give me five minutes to calm myself or we’ll be busy in the washroom,” he warned, which only tempted me to see his cock once more.

“That leads me to the elephant in the room,” I announced.

“You’re that intrigued by Lyla?”

“My brain can’t fathom how she’s a he. I mean, look at her! She’s like sizzling hot meat on a kabob, ready to eat and enjoy!”

“Are you hungry?” he inquired.

“Yes.” I wasn’t going to hide it. “But that’s beside the point.”

He smirked and sat up. I replicated his movement as he reached for his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Ordering food for story time.” He was already swiftly punching his screen.

“They’re going to deliver to the prison?”

“They’ll deliver right into our room.”

I took a long look down his naked body before giving him a blank stare.

“They can leave it outside the door.”

“Yet I’m the possessive one,” he muttered, and side-glanced my way. “No one is going to steal my cock.”

“Doesn’t mean they should get a glimpse of it,” I huffed. “It’s mine.”

“You didn’t put a ring on it.”

“I could.” I smirked and licked my now oval-shaped lips to emphasize what I meant. “A ring that goes up and down to your favorite tune.”

“One of the many reasons I can’t live without you,” he quietly whispered as he pressed one final button on his phone then placed it back on the nightstand.

“How romantic,” I teased, but leaned in to snuggle against his side.

He didn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around me, securing my warm body against his sizzling skin.

We were both still hot from our sexual fun, but now that we’d caught our breath, it was easier to enjoy the heat.

“Back to the story time,” I encouraged. “As long as the delivery person isn’t entering.”

“They won’t enter,” he assured me. “When it arrives, they’ll text, and I’ll teleport it in here.”

“You can teleport?”

“I can do lots of things,” he assured me. “But I won’t be able to do anything else unless you let me explain about Lyla.”

“Right.” I was jumping topics again, but that was far better than me switching personalities. “Does she still have a cock?”

“Yes.”

“That’s…” I trailed off. “A little disturbing to imagine.”

He smirked and kissed my forehead. “The reason for Lyla’s cross-dressing tendencies is actually because of a curse.”

“A curse?” Now I was intrigued. “What does this curse entail if he has a cock?”

“Lyla has a twin brother named Lyroshina. It’s hard to tell, but Lyla has Chinese heritage. Most owl shifters are actually from Asian descent and carry a lot of information from past lives through their souls. Dragons have a similar predicament, but we’ve branched out significantly to various cultures and races across the world. Owl shifters try to retain their culture, but Lyla and Lyro’s father was Chinese while their mother was a Caucasian visiting China for a business trip.”

“Does that mean Lyla’s name is Lylashina?”

“Yup. I’m unsure if that’s her birth name or she switched it to that after the curse, but that’s how she introduced herself when she met us.”

“We’ve known her for a long time?”

“Since I was eight?” he replied. “You were only three at that time. You wouldn’t recall when it happened.”

I nodded in agreement as he carried on.

“He, at the time, and his brother were playing around in the forest. I was supposed to go with them, but since your parents needed to run an errand, they asked if I could watch you since you were in a tantrum phase and would go from crying to laughing to burning anything in your sight. And you loved using your nails to draw on the walls.”

“That last part sounds eerie,” I noted, feeling as though each drawn strike would be like nails gliding down a chalkboard.

“It is if you include your random decision to summon flaming threads and carve into the walls with random knives.”

“I sound like a possessed child,” I noted. “Definitely cool.”

His grin of approval made me grin in return. “Thus, why people question my sanity when they find out I love you.”

“You enjoy it.”

“I actually do,” he replied. “Makes a life that grants us thousands of years of more excitement.” Moving a few strands from my face, he snapped the fingers of his free hand and with a blink, there were plates of breakfast in our laps.

Mhmm, the lovely kabobs included.

“Food’s here,” he announced. “Just in time for the juicy part.”

“Thank you.” I grinned at the heavenly plates of food, deciding to start with the chocolate covered strawberries before having a few kabobs. “So you missed out to babysit the demon child that was me.”

He gave me a smug look but reached out to drink the freshly made coffee sitting in the far-right tray that held an array of hot and cold beverages.

“So they had decided to go on their own. Our families were traveling, so we were in an unfamiliar area, and our parents and the villagers warned us not to enter the forest after a certain time, but Lyro decided he wanted to explore.”

“How old were they?”

“Five. Lyro is more rebellious than Lyla. He was shyer at the time and loved to follow the rules. He tried to stop Lyro from entering the forest but got worried he’d get lost, and ended up tagging along. They had no clue that it was a fae enchanted forest.”

“Fae enchanted,” I repeated. “What happens in such forests?”

“Fae are intriguing supernaturals, but their forests are dangerous. You can take a few steps and be in a completely different world. That’s what happened with Lyro and Lyla. They entered a part of a fae forest where you have to sacrifice something in order to get out.”

“Oh no.” That didn’t sound good at all, and my voice projected my worries.

“You can guess what was sacrificed.”

“Lyla gave up her manly features?” I guessed.

“Somewhat,” Atticus disclosed. “I’m not sure about the complete details of what the exchange was, but Lyro was supposed to be cursed with losing his manly pride. However, when the spell was cast, Lyla stepped in the way to save his brother. The spell cursed him into being a girl, but it was interrupted by their parents, who were able to locate them. Due to the disruption, the spell became incomplete and thus, Lyla is technically a woman but has male genitals.”

“Wait…there’s no way of fixing it?”

“There is, but it’s far too complicated.”

“Why is that?”

“In order to reverse the curse, it has to be undone by a royal of the land.”

“So, a monarch,” I concluded.

“Exactly.” He lowered his coffee and reached for a strawberry. He moved it to my lips, and I happily bit half of it. “So go-mhmmm.” He kissed me deeply. “Hey.”

“What?” He was clearly teasing me as he tossed the other half into his mouth and rested back against the headboard.

“As I was saying,” he emphasized as if I’d interrupted him. “They need the monarch of the land to break the curse. However, there was a huge problem.”

“What is it?” I inquired.

“There are two monarchs of the land.”

“Meaning…twins?”

“Yup.” He glanced my way. “Twins who weren’t living on the lands at the time and, due to their young age, wouldn’t be able to undo the spell.”

“How old do they have to be to do the spell?”

“Twenty or older,” he revealed. “Also, both Lyla and her brother would have to present for the reversal.”

“Where’s her brother?”

“That’s a mystery we haven’t solved yet.”

“What do you mean? Where did he go?”

“He’s a rebellious one.” Atticus shrugged. “Owl shifters are very traditional and try to keep a quiet dominance about themselves. You can see how dangerous Lyla is, but she gives off a vibe that is mysterious but threatening if you press the wrong buttons. They’re trained to be like that. Eventually, they get to decide what career they would like to take. In this case, Lyla became an assassin for the special ops and ended up a part of our team soon after seeing how we work well together. Her brother, however, began to feel guilty about what Lyla was plagued with. He ended up running away at ten years old.”

“He…ran away? Isn’t that silly? Sure, his desire to explore ended up costing Lyla’s masculinity, but they were five.”

Atticus shook his head. “You have to think about it this way. Age isn’t a factor for us supernaturals. We’re wiser and far smarter than average humans. Yes, they were both five, but their mindsets were far more advanced, closer to eight or even nine-year-olds. For someone to get cursed by a fae of the land, they have to do something very disrespectful to upset nature itself. Lyla has a big heart for a male and didn’t make a big deal about it, but I can assure you it made a deep wound, which was only healed because of you.”

“Me?”

He nodded. “The tattoo is a part of that.”

I leaned back from my snuggled spot to look at the tattoo in question, but no flashbacks hit me yet again.

“No memory still.”

“Give it time,” he assured me, slipping his arm along my shoulder to bring me back against him. “Either way, that’s why Lyla’s a girl.”

“Half a girl,” I emphasized. “Wait. How does she have sex?”

“She doesn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean we don’t talk about obvious things like sex,” he noted. “Plus, the three of us are tight. She can share anything with us, just like we do with her. That’s why she’s one of the few individuals I’ll trust with my life. I want you to summon if her if you desperately need help.”

“I called her to help me zip my dress,” I noted.

He was quiet for five seconds. “That’s a necessity.”

I snickered. “No, it’s not.”

“Can’t have your butt being shown to the world along with the rest of your back,” he emphasized. “I’d have to kill anyone who gets a glimpse.”

“But I’m the possessive one.” I imitated his voice, which sounded so weird that we both started laughing.

“I never would have thought I’d actually laugh out of humor and not to sound psychotic,” I whispered when we calmed down and returned to eating our breakfast.

“Prison is only temporary. Just focus on trying to remember what you can and surviving the days ahead. Looks like Kai, Blaze, and Titus are on board with the plan.”

“Terms and conditions,” I confirmed.

“Yes. For now, don’t stress about it. Again, you have me and Lyla. We’ve already started digging into things. All we need is more time. The three guys did us a favor by helping, so maybe they’ll be of use.”

“You think they would want to team up?”

“They have no choice now that we’re your masters, but I’d like to know their motives.”

“What if they want to be intimate?”

He didn’t need to speak to give me his answer, his body growing scorching hot enough for me to move in the opposite direction to avoid being burned.

“Temper, Phoenix. I’m not your sizzling enemy so lower the temperature.”

“I don’t want them touching you.”

“Does it piss you off?”

“You’re my mate.”

“That didn’t answer the question.”

“Yes.”

“See?” I reasoned. “Was being honest so hard?”

His annoyed look made me smirk. “You were fine with me apparently dating Lyla. How did that even happen?”

“You can ask her.”

“Boo. You’re no fun!” I slapped his arm and cursed. “Fuck! Cool down already! I can fry an egg on you.”

“You’ve already done that before.”

“Seriously?!” I beamed at the idea and he only cringed. “Don’t you dare do it again. It was annoying.”

“More annoying than googly eyes?”

“Yes, and don’t get started with those googly eyes,” he huffed.

“What if I begin to like the guys?” I genuinely asked. “Would you be mad?”

“If you truly liked their company, then I wouldn’t be mad,” he replied earnestly with a level of respect I suddenly admired.

“Really?” I wasn’t interested in any of them, but seeing his obvious displeasure regarding the idea but having his verbal approval was something intriguing.

“Your happiness and wellbeing are two of the most important things to me. If you’re happy, I’m happy. If you’re well, the rest of the world will live another day.”

“Isn’t that delightful.” I gave him a seductive grin as his words made my heart swell with love. “What did I do to deserve such a man as my mate and husband?”

“All you did was be yourself,” he whispered and reached out to stroke his hand through my hair. “The universe delivers us a partner that will be the perfect piece to our lives. No need to fight or mold ourselves differently to be accepted. From one year old, I knew you were right for me, but watching you grow and become the woman I now love unconditionally was probably the most charitable gift I could receive.”

We got lost in our intense stare, full of emotions of love and gratefulness.

“I can’t wait for the day I remember all the memories I’ve shared with you.” My voice was raw with emotion, but it hit every chord within me that yearned to discover who I’d been before all of this.

“In time, my marked butterfly,” he whispered, and kissed me gently. “In time.”

NOW THAT MY intrigued mind was appeased for the night, I’d fallen asleep and was dreading every bit of getting up and facing my approaching first day of interaction.

I knew it wouldn’t be bad, but I still wished to have a few days of rest after the chaotic couple of days that had been filled with shock, fear, dancing with my other emotions, and good sex. Thank fucking God for the good sex, or all hope would have been lost.

I’d finally gotten a grasp of my remaining masters, and what each of them was.

Kai Hunt, twenty-three-year-old assassin. 6′3″ in height, long sky-blue hair with white and silver strands, and unique orange eyes with sparks of silver. He had a Korean accent but was raised in Japan with his younger sister, who was still there.

Kai was the talkative one out of the three, sharing how he and his sister were separated due to their parent’s divorce.

His father raised his younger sister in Japan while he was raised in Japan for a few years before his mother moved here to America for an assassin job. Since then, he remained here and followed in his mother’s footsteps.

He and his sister were a special breed of kitsunes, which some called Yokai kitsunes. From his explanation, he had the ability to have three, six, or nine tails. It was based on a leveling, system that required intense power and normally forced the kitsune shifter to partner up with a magic user to amplify their abilities by ten-fold.

From their closeness, it looked as though Kai, Titus, and Blaze had known each other for a while, long enough to be like brothers. That was the energy I read around them during the introduction portion.

He’d once again apologized for breaking my nail, promising to never piss me off - or should I say Freya - ever again, but couldn’t promise not to tease me in various ways. He was a jokester, after all. It was in his nature.

Next up was Blaze Flint. Twenty-five-year-old, 6′2″ in height male with the lovely light pink eyes. It was a rare color, especially on males. The shade reminded me of the soft petals of cherry blossoms.

His hairstyle was still an intriguing mix of lime green with pink highlights, and after the whole drenched moment, his hair was now softly combed downward versus his spiked-up hairdo.

He was African American, but his family all worked with Global National Affairs for Supernaturals and spoke multiple languages. Thanks to Kai’s attempt to test language memory, I knew that I spoke English, Japanese, and even Korean.

He was an elemental fae, which meant that he carried various nature-based magical powers and could harness them with ease.

From his flawless chocolate skin to his pastel eyes and overall aura, I wasn’t too surprised that he was a fae. I was left in a state of disbelief, as this was my first time meeting an actual fae.

Or it was from what I could remember.

Finally, there was Titus Harley. Twenty-seven-year-old, 6′5″ in height, Irish man. He didn’t appear Irish to me, but that was a hard culture to distinguish based on the color of their skin.

His shoulder-length black hair with a single silver strand still stood out to me, leaving me to wonder what that white-silver strand represented.

Titus didn’t say many words. His aura was one that commanded absolute silence among humans, from what Blaze described. I could feel that urge to not speak when he was in the room, but as supernaturals, it was easier to tune it out or push it aside temporarily.

He had a bit of an Irish accent, one that came out when he considered himself tired, but I’d only picked it up twice through our three-hour conversation. Other than that, his English was pretty fluent.

Titus was known as a shadow dragon, another type of dragon supernatural that I hadn’t heard of. They were beings of pure darkness and their flames were only a secondary element.

Saphire explained that they were rare breeds and could hide amongst the shadows to get around without anyone pinpointing their location - essentially stealth ninja mode. His reserved personality could have also been due to his supernatural trait, but that was all I got about who he was.

The three of them had come to an agreement with Atticus that they would indeed be my masters, as long as each of them got “free time” with me.

What free time meant would be negotiated after I got used to my new living conditions. With my amnesia, there was far too much I needed to discover about myself in this new environment to worry about our brief interactions, but I was genuinely curious about each of them.

Kai still annoyed me, but it wasn’t something that I couldn’t tolerate.

As for the floor, I’d finally gotten a tour of the place, and it was far better than I could have asked for. There were around twelve main inmates on Level Three, and all of them had similar massive living conditions to this.

It reminded Kai of an article he’d recently read about prisoners in Switzerland and Ireland who each received a designated lot of land that afforded the perfect views of the mountains, oceans, and vast forests. It was essentially a luxurious getaway for those with a life sentence.

I learned on the tour that I had a massive bathroom, a huge room with a walk-in closet, and a general kitchen that looked like it was worthy of feeding kings and queens - maybe that was done on purpose with how hungry dragon shifters get. And we also got access to the pool, outdoor tennis court, and other amenities, which included a nail salon.

Surprisingly enough, Kitty had applied for the prison job and got in without a problem, thus the reason why she’d ended up doing my nails. I figured going to a person I somewhat knew wouldn’t poison me was the best choice.

She was also good at keeping secrets now that she wanted to be one of my personal assistances.

“YOUR MAJESTY! Sit, sit. I’ll take care of you!” Kitty beamed and patted the velvet seat the manager had specifically gotten for me after Atticus said my name and prison level.

Kai was waiting outside with the other three but already paid the fee for me to get my nails redone as well as a pedicure.

“Kitty?” My stunned eyes stared at her short frame. “How did you score a job here?”

“I applied.” Her blue eyes were filled with relief. “After I assisted you, the commander of Level Two stated we could apply for jobs and that a few nail technicians got killed in some silly gang fight so they were looking for some fresh blood.”

Her explanation made me frown, but I walked over to sit down. Atticus brushed his hand along my shoulder, his way of telling me he’d be close by but not all up in my personal space.

Another thing I was beginning to love about his presence.

“Have you done this before?” I inquired.

“Definitely!” She reached for my nails and began inspecting the damage of the broken one. “I used to work as a nail technician when I was younger. It wasn’t a job I really did for money, but more for the creativity aspect. Did it for about five years.”

“Five years,” I repeated, my voice as calm as ever but my mind was whirling around that length of dedication she’d committed to doing other’s nails.

“Mhm! It was fun. I only worked for extremely wealthy supernaturals with a few exceptions if our salon was busy. Nails are very delicate and have to be treated with care for those that infuse magic into them for defense tactics.”

I blankly stared at her, completely fascinated with her sudden seriousness and knowledge.

“Would you be able to fix these and keep whatever is hidden confidential?” My voice was low enough for her ears only.

“Certainly.” She looked up to give me a firm nod, her eyes projecting her vow to keep things under wraps. “I’ve been trained to do exactly that. No need to worry.”

She let go of my hands to begin to gather the tools in the drawer, and before she began she whispered, “Thank you, Ms. Butterfly.”

“Hmm? For what?”

The tiny smile that formed on her lips was followed with her eyes meeting my intrigued ones.

“My past technician experience wasn’t the only thing that got me this position. I was told I had received a reference from a monarch and would be assigned to attend to any of your needs. The acknowledgment of my new role was what helped me get this position, and I’ve been moved to a single cell, which is normally only granted for those with masters or trainees. It’s pretty obvious that I’m a cat shifter.” She paused to point to her twitching white cat ears. “We’re not deemed valuable or powerful, so the sudden change has completely morphed my previous circumstances. I’m forever grateful for that.”

I didn’t say anything immediately, but the question left my lips before I could stop it.

“Kitty. Why are you trapped in here?”

She shrugged. “Wrong place, wrong time? Not uncommon for supernaturals to be kidnapped. Would have wished it went differently.”

The sorrow in her tiny voice was heart-wrenching, but it was her next comment that made me feel far worse.

“Cat shifters always stick together. It doesn’t matter if we’re related by blood or strays. Our little community had made the best nail salon in our district, and the night I was kidnapped was when a mob of power individuals waltzed right in and shot up the place. My mom died protecting me, and it didn’t matter how many masked men I killed, they never stopped raiding the place until those who survived were pinned and zapped. When I woke up, I was here.”

She laid out the materials on the table, her blue eyes staring at their metal exterior. I picked up on the creamy white color that overtook her iris for a split second.

“A humble cat is one that will remain fed in the darkest times of famine. I don’t trust many in these walls, but monarchs are beings that invoke change. Not tiny little differences in life. Big ones that will leave the world shaking.”

Her eyes began their shift back to their ocean orbs. The conviction of her new purpose was loud and clear.

“To be chosen to assist someone as powerful as you is an honor. No matter whatever is spoken in regard to your apparent crime and circumstances, you were born to lead, and I’m confident you’ll deliver justice to all those who deserve it.”

“You have far too much hope in someone like me,” I tried to dismiss, but she shook her head and grinned with assurance.

“No. I lost my sense of hope the day my family, friends, and entire community were slaughtered. I don’t hope for you to make an impact. I can swear with my life that you will, Ms. Butterfly.” She reached out for my broken nail, and lightly brushed the nail with her fingertip.

A single symbol began to glow dimly, revealing the incantation that was hidden beneath the black polish.

“Power is hidden in mysterious places, but the courage to defy all the odds? That’s something that grows and is embedded within an individual who wants the greater good. Your cold mask is one I will obey and praise regardless if that heartless persona impacts me, but I trust my feline senses and I know without a doubt that change is coming and you’re one of the leads in this life-changing story.”

With those words, she got to work, leaving me with more than enough proof of her loyalty from that moment onward.

THAT WAS when I knew Kitty was going to be my sidekick in this new captivity adventure.

Now that I didn’t feel solely alone in this prison and we had some sort of game plan in play, it was time to really focus on what was happening beneath these imprisoned walls.

But not with the five minutes of sleep I’d experienced after amazing sex.

“Alisha Butterfly. Get out of bed already.”

“Never,” I concluded and rolled the sheets around me until I actually fell off the bed. “Oomph!”

Atticus groaned. “You have levitation magic and yet you always fall out of bed.”

“You…distracted me!” I argued hopelessly. “Why are you bothering my much-deserved slumber?! I sucked your lolly, swallowed your cream, and let you pump the nozzle to my gas hole. What more do you want from me?!”

“That…” He paused. “You’re so weird.”

“I’ll embrace that part of me while I sleep,” I huffed.

“Remember the rules. You have to be among the prisoners three days a week.”

Right. I forgot about that minor, non-glorious part of this captivity shit.

Level Threes had to “contribute” to prison life by integrating ourselves in three common places every week. Having one meal within the underground cafeteria was mandatory unless the prisoner was needed by their masters.

Each excuse given would have to be signed and must contain proof for why they had missed their weekly interaction session. This was created to ensure prisoners didn’t abuse the privilege, and if they did, it would be revoked for a year.

The other two interactions sessions could be joining the group shower session, participating in one of the art sessions, or signing up for one of the training classes that were either weekly or drop-in classes.

The shower sessions were designated for Level Three’s only, which was something I could tolerate. There were only twelve of us, and the possibility of all of us taking a shower at the same time was rather slim.

As for the art and training sessions, those included Level Two prisoners. That was something I could handle, and it also didn’t prohibit masters from attending with their servants.

“Ten more minutes.”

“No.” His annoyance made me poke an eye open to glare at him. “Why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you,” he groaned. “I have to leave soon.”

“For?”

“Investigation purposes,” he noted.

“Is that why you’re trying to kick me out?”

“I’m trying to ensure you don’t lose your privileges.”

“Hmph.” I finally gave in and sat up in my blanket roll. “I wonder if this is how it feels to be a sushi roll?”

“Your thought process still entertains me with its odd inquiries.”

“Are you going to be long?” I questioned. He walked over to where I was, offering his hand to help me up.

Placing my hand in his, he assisted me up and began to unroll me while he replied, “No. Not too long. Lyla will remain here if you need any assistance. Titus will also be around. I’m going with Blaze and Kai. We still have more paperwork to complete.”

“That wasn’t all settled when you guys won the bid?”

“Not necessarily,” he stated, but the hint of hesitation in his voice told me otherwise.

“What’s wrong?”

“That guy who bid against us still won’t let go,” he revealed as he released me from my blanket confinement.

“He’s trying again?” My voice was hard and a little lethal.

Atticus tossed the blanket onto the bed before he moved to wrap his arms around me. “Alisha.” His voice was so soft and soothing.

“Why does he still want me? You guys won fair and square.”

I couldn’t explain it, but the idea of suddenly being given up to another master was freaking me out. I may not have known much about Titus, Blaze, or Kai, but the three of them didn’t leave me in an apprehensive state.

They each were unique, but it was clear with their patience and desire to have me settle into the prison laws first that they were all good men. If they had ill intentions for me, they could have gotten away with whatever they wanted by now.

At the end of the day, it was three against one, and they could have gone under Atticus’s nose and outbid him instead of partnering up in the circumstances laid upon them.

It was silly of me to feel this rooted fear at the idea of being owned by another, but the mere thought was igniting every bit of anxiety, and I had no image of this mysterious man with a whole bag of money who wanted to buy me out of my husband’s grasp.

He has to be working for someone. A group. An organization that wants me dead.

“Alisha.” Atticus’s call was followed with a firm kiss to my lips. The action was what tugged me out from the consuming void of worry that suddenly plagued me. It made no sense. I didn’t know this man, what he looked like, or any other detail, but I knew down to my bones that I belonged in the care of Atticus and the others.

It felt right, but why? Is my body telling me I’m on the right path and can’t drift away?

“Sweet butterfly,” Atticus whispered against my lips. “You’re ours. He can’t have you.”

“What if the others change their minds?”

“It won’t happen.”

“But-”

“Alisha.” His deep voice held a level of firmness that paused my sudden bouts of fear. “We’ve already discussed the terms and conditions of our agreement. It wasn’t signed in ink, but rather with blood from each of us. None of us can go against the agreement without dying. Your freedom was non-negotiable, and it’s written on enchanted parchment paper. The details are as clear as day, and we did that after this individual left. We’re going to merely emphasize our statement that you belong to us and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

“What if he attempts to fight you?”

“He can go ahead and try. I’m not going without any eyes on the situation. We did that once, and where did that leave us? Finding out that you were missing and that numerous agents in our department were dead.” His voice was filled with rage while his body was already growing hot.

He held me even tighter and whispered in my ear, “No one will take you out of my grasp again, or I’ll ensure the world as we know it stops turning.” His deep, rumbling growl let me know that he meant every word. Then his lips pressed lightly on the side of my neck. “Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” I melted in his embrace and knew without a doubt that he meant every word. It was far too easy to be lost in his comforting aura, wonderful scent, and strong arms that made me feel protected by all the evil in the world.

“Then do not fear. Just follow today’s interactions and then you’re free to do whatever until we come back. Again, Lyla will be here if you need her, and Titus will be protecting you from afar. You may not notice him at all, but he’ll be around.”

“That feels as though he’s babysitting,” I mumbled into his chest as I hugged him back.

“He volunteered for the role. He’s definitely not babysitting you. He out of the three of them know your capabilities. At least that’s what he’s told me.”

“Then why watch me?”

Atticus leaned back to give me a gleaming grin while he peered down at me with admiration.

“He has to make sure everyone else doesn’t die.”

That had me blinking in innocence, triggering a soft chuckle from Atticus as he gestured to the room. “See?”

I followed his gaze, only to realize that half the furniture was levitating off the ground. I grit my teeth and gave him a sheepish grin.

“I’ll…fix that. Don’t know how, but I’ll work on it.”

“Next week we’ll train you on the basics of each of your abilities. You won’t need them, but it would be good for you to know,” he concluded and kissed me quickly. “Go shower. I’m going to use the other room to get ready.”

“Why can’t we shower together?”

“Because we both know we won’t get clean if we do.”

“Does that really matter?”

“Yes.”

“Excuses.”

“You don’t know what you’ll be getting yourself into, Alisha,” he warned. Now that I wasn’t freaking out, the sudden challenge made me test my chances.

I leaned up to whisper in his ear, “I want to be plastered on that tiled wall and fucked from behind so hard, I won’t be able to walk straight today.”

His eyes flickered with various colors, and I knew that I’d get exactly what I wanted as he reached for my hand and tugged me straight towards the washroom.

“You agree to the terms and conditions of your request, my marked butterfly?”

“I humbly agree and will face the consequences,” I teased as he closed the door.

Those were terms and conditions I’d wholeheartedly accept until I’m left cumming in ecstasy.

INTRIGUING WOLF MISFIT AND THREATENED CAPTIVITY

“What are you doing?”

“Writing.”

“Are you actually thinking of journaling?”

“Apparently it’s therapeutic,” I reasoned. “Plus, it’s not like we have much to do before we’re forced to mingle with other prisoners. The irony.”

Since it was my first interaction session, it was mandatory to fill out a booklet of what our goals were and the type of activities we were interested in.

Hard when you don’t know what you used to like, and a waste of ink because it wasn’t as though half these people give a fuck about what we desired.

I want freedom. What are you gonna do about it? Can’t grant that, now can you? Well, fuck this bullshit activity.

If it wasn’t for my current predicament, all this place would have taught me was that they were unable to keep the prison and its inmates sane, and that the guard’s craved to provide discipline in the form of sexual assault.

In order to waste some time, I was randomly writing down my thoughts while attempting not to envision the hot, steamy bath I’d enjoyed with Atticus.

I licked my bottom lip at the memory. The soft tingle his lips ignited was still taunting me even now at the mere thought.

“SO INTOXICATING.”

No matter how loud the shower was, it couldn’t drown the hot velvet growl of commentary that brushed my bare neck, seconds before Atticus’s lips sucked my flesh.

Naked, drenched, and horny, my body was plastered against the marble tiles of the massive shower while the steam of the hot droplets left the glass box in a steamy mist.

My perky breasts and hard nipples pressed against his chiseled chest, his arms hooked around my waist while he left hickey after hickey along the left side of my neck.

It continued to amaze me that Atticus had such a wild effect on me. There was no need for second-guessing when I was naked within his grasp. I thrived on his energy like a strong drug, an addiction that was incurable.

He sparked a heat within me, one that rose with every caress of his large hands and seducing lips, leaving me wet, needy, and ready for a rollercoaster of pleasure.

Even in the shower, his cinder smell still enveloped me, making it impossible for me to resist melting in his arms and doing everything he asked of me.

He kissed me with purpose, as though my mouth contained the key to his world, and I could only imagine what my pussy could mean to him when he had his cock deep inside me.

“Atticus,” I moaned heavily, desperate to feel his thickness within me and enjoy how deep it would reach with the position I’d requested of him. He could hear my desperation, my demand to be united growing by the second.

He was surely prolonging this for as long as he could, even though we both knew we had places to be and matters to attend to. Multitasking wasn’t something I felt I was good at, and this situation was only proving that I sucked at it.

He gave me one last hickey on my shoulder and released my neck, only to delve into a passionate kiss against my lips. I moaned and clung to his body as I fought the urge to take matters into my own hands and slide myself on top of his cock.

“Does my marked butterfly want this cock?”

“Yes,” I begged, and his hands moved from my hips to the sides of my thighs.

“Hook your arms around my neck.” His directions had me mentally yelp in excitement while I did as he asked. My pussy was aching to be filled by him, and I knew it would all happen in a few short seconds.

He easily lifted me up, plastering me against the wall like a painting on display. The fluttering of anticipation was hard to contain, just as hard as it was to not slam my lips against his and get lost in his wonderful taste.

We’d had sex a short while ago, but all my senses were tingling like I’d been deprived for months.

“Do you want me, Alisha?” He was prying for my approval, and I would happily give it to him. “Yes, Atticus.”

Sex made me not care about being submissive. As long as we both got to enjoy the fun, I could care less about roles.

His thick member finally slid into me, and I stifled a loud moan that begged to escape, while my forehead nuzzled against his shoulder. Nice and deep, he waited for me to catch my breath.

Leaning back, we shared a quiet look, the beads of water only making the temperature grow hotter in this spinning fantasy of arousal.

“Fuck me,” I whispered, the order filled with power. I wasn’t sure what came over me, but I couldn’t wait any longer - the order only emphasized my impatience.

A part of me thought he’d be mad for my change of role, but his grin was priceless as his red eyes flooded with hunger. He began to push in and out of me, his thrusts igniting bubbles of pleasure deep within my core.

I moaned his name softly, my voice growing in volume as he picked up his pace. He was getting harder with each back and forth movement, and I gave up trying to think and let the swirling emotions whirl through me.

“Faster. Harder,” I breathed heavily, clinging to his massive body while he fucked me. “Whatever you ask, my queen.”

What a turn-on the sudden switch was. The pleasure began to build quickly with the intention of exploding at any minute.

“AH! Yes, yes, yes!” I panted, and my cries of approval were muffled by him slamming his lips against mine. He moaned into my mouth, the two of us breathing heavily as his hips moved at lightning speed.

“Fuck, yes. Suck my cock with that hot pussy, Alisha,” he encouraged, pumping his cock into me at a vigorous pace. My climax was about to consume me, just as his moans and growls got shorter and quicker.

The heat was practically unbearable, but it only intensified what we both knew would hit us at any moment.

“Cum, Alisha!” Atticus’s low growl left me undone as he sank his cock deep into me while he nuzzled his head against my neck and bit me hard.

“AH!” I came with a rush of pleasure, my body shuddering with waves of pleasure. Atticus moaned loudly against my neck, his hot, quick breaths teasing my neck while his hot shots of cum continued to fill me up.

With a grunt, he pulled out, letting our combined release of white cream flow out of my pussy and onto the tiled floor. I was still catching my breath, but he held me in place, my weight obviously nothing to him as he held me like it was nothing.

“I’d catch a grenade to fuck you like that again,” he quietly breathed.

“As romantic as that is, I’d want you alive and not missing all your body parts, including your cock,” I reasoned as I caught my breath.

“That would be a shame,” he admitted. “I’d miss my pussy.”

“Claiming ownership, huh?”

“I get first dibs, seeing as I claimed it first.”

“You sound far too proud.”

“I’m very proud,” he whispered and kissed me gently. “Proud to be with such an amazing, powerful woman who’s working against all the odds that have been stacked against her.

“If you’re trying to pump me up before my interaction session, it’s working,” I teased.

“Good,” he whispered and kissed me. “I’m proud of you and will work even harder to get you out.”

“You spoil me,” I whispered.

“You’re my mate. You deserve to be pampered like the queen you are.”

“Am…” I had to pause to say it as I loosened my hook around his neck and rest my hands on his shoulders. “Is it odd for me to say I love you when I still can’t remember?”

“Is that what you wish to say?” he inquired.

“Yes,” I confessed quietly. “Deep down…I really do love you, and I think that love, wherever it is hidden inside me, grows every day when I acknowledge how you’ve made this ordeal far easier to deal with than it ever should be.”

“That’s my duty as your mate and husband.” His assurance made me smile.

“Please,” I whispered against his lips. “Be careful for me.”

“As you wish, my marked butterfly,” he assured me and sealed it with a kiss.

“WRITING TURNS INTO DRAWING A PENIS. I hope that’s giving you those therapeutic vibes,” Saphire commented, her words tugging me out of the memory. I returned my gaze to the blank sheet of paper that now had a massive, detailed picture of Atticus’s cock.

“Well…” I said out loud and tilted my head to get a better look at the image. “It’s pretty spot on.”

“You sound proud.”

I kinda am. Look at the details. We drew it down to the fine hairs. We’re pretty good at drawing.

“I spy with my little eye,” Saphire began, “someone with a dark force of silence.”

What are you referring to?

She left me in silence, and I slightly turned to my right to see that silver-white strand among the shoulder-length black strands.

Shit!

I had to fight my body’s involuntary movement to flinch, my heart going from calm to frantic in a second. Now Saphire’s words made perfect sense, the only warning I’d been given of Titus’s sudden presence.

His red and black mismatched eyes were gazing at my artwork, and as embarrassed as I was on the inside, I kept my exterior expression as calm and cold as a bored individual.

“Is that Atticus’s cock?”

His question surprised me, that rough, deep tone of his voice making my body sizzle with heat - something only Atticus could normally do. It had to be a dragon thing, or maybe just my body still calming from shower sex.

“Yes,” I finally answered.

“Hmm.” He leaned away, his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. He wore a black tank top, one that displayed his muscled arms. I hadn’t seen them earlier, but he had tattoos all along his arms. The swirls of various symbols automatically told me there were magic symbols intertwined through the dark inked art.

Some of the lines formed petals of what appeared to be roses, while others represented vines with thorns. Together, it was a floral masterpiece, but the hidden incantations were noticeable to me, even with my lack of remembrance of the topic.

“Why are you here, Titus?” I inquired.

His silence was prolonged, but I wasn’t planning on saying anything more unless he answered me.

“Stalking,” he finally said. “Art is therapeutic.”

“As is writing,” I pointed out.

“You’re not writing,” he commented.

“I was planning to.” I couldn’t fight the slight blush that swarmed my cheeks. “Plans changed.”

He nodded and turned right around. “You should head outside the art room and down two doors.”

His sudden direction made me grimace. “Why?”

“Kitty.” That’s all he said and shrugged. “My cock is bigger.”

His sudden shift from a warning to commentary left me silent as he took three steps and his body dissolved into black shadows, leaving me alone once more.

“Kitty could be in danger,” Saphire noted. “To interfere or not interfere?”

I glanced down at the paper once more and sighed. Rising from the desk and closing the notebook of blank sheets, I made my way down the thin hall of the art room, my heels echoing around me as I grew annoyed at the situation.

If this is a waste of time, I’m going to be annoyed.

“If it isn’t and Kitty’s in danger, we can merely channel the same frustration within our fists and have some fun.” Saphire actually sounded excited, and I could feel the fluttering warmth in the pit of my stomach.

Lifting my hands to the knob, I stared at my thumb, noticing my matte black nails that had hints of purple at the tips, a new design Kitty had implemented on them to give me a “change” from my usual love for black.

“They can’t hurt what’s mine.” My voice was as cold as ice, and it suddenly sparked a grin on my lips. “I won’t have another nail technician in this dump of a place.”

The sudden idea of having to replace Kitty was what encouraged me to get down to where I’d been directed to go. Titus had to have been looking over the area and noticed something fishy.

I’d have to state my appreciation for his observant nature later, for I opened the door to a circle of female prisoners. The room had to be noise-proof because the uproar of sound hit me with force.

My arrival hadn’t even sparked one prisoner’s interest. All of them focused on the middle of their ring: Two bulky women with red hair and red eyes hunched back in preparation to attack to my right, while Kitty was on all fours, her hair levitating with a magic force and her usual blue eyes now a fierce white.

A large, white tail that shifted from pure white to a teal blue had little sparks of electricity running through it, while blood dripped from the side of her face to the floor.

The woman at her side was intriguingly new, one I hadn’t seen during our newcomer orientation.

Her wide stance was just as commanding as her floating hair of neon blues and purples. Her skin was tanned, and her lips were plump and soft pink. Her eyes were glowing with a golden force, while her clenched fists oozed with magic purple sparks and a blue aura dancing around it.

She wore an orange jumpsuit but had a dark grey beanie on her head with a yellow pin that looked to have a cat’s face silhouette - could very well have been a wolf, but it was of little importance.

No magic was needed to feel her threatening aura, and I was impressed that their opponents weren’t trembling in fear.

I should have interfered, but instead, I silently closed the door and leaned back against it. Crossing my arms and sealing my energy, I let my eyes take in the two forces.

“You want to see who’s worthy?” Saphire’s question didn’t really sound like one with her tone of voice. I had the impression that my observation was approved by her, but she was requesting my reasoning.

Kitty is powerful. You can see if from her stance. That tells me she was jumped by two before this new woman interfered. Kitty already proved herself. It’s this newcomer that piques my interest.

“Indeed,” Saphire agreed. “Wolf shifter.”

You can tell?

“Somewhat. Golden eyes are a common trait for wolves, but it’s rather clear that she’s being possessed by a higher force.”

As in she has a monarch soul?

“Not necessarily.” I could envision Saphire shaking her head at my comment. “Wolf supernaturals are humans with wolf counterparts. Her wolf is an entity on her own and can take full control like I did with you during our encounter with Eric. I’m not saying she can’t be some sort of monarch, but we’re lacking plenty of information. She doesn’t give off monarch vibes, but I feel as though she may be an alpha.”

An alpha? Superior wolf?

This knowledge seemed new to me, but the topic had a familiar ring to it.

“Alpha males are common in wolf packs. Wolf shifters normally have a pack to belong to. If they don’t, they’re considered a lost wolf. Other terms could include omega, if they lose their sense of sanity from tearing out of a previous pack bond. Misfit is another term used for loner wolves with no pack to go to. Think of it as homelessness. In rare cases, it includes the sole survivor of a slain pack. A woman having a wolf alpha trait is extremely rare and, in some cases, looked down upon. Times may have changed their philosophy, but male packs are not fond of taking orders from a woman. To them, women are submissive with a few exceptions in combat, and it’s only time and advancement of generations that will determine a different outcome for their traditional way of thinking.”

You definitely have a shifter encyclopedia somewhere in there.

“I’m glad my knowledge seems useful in this time of observation.”

“GET THE FIGHTING STARTED!”

“Ya! We don’t got time to waste!”

“Show some power shit, you weaklings!”

“Put on a damn show of skill instead of wasting your time standing there.”

The riled prisoners were only adding fuel to the potential fight that was seconds from continuing, but I kept my silence as my eyes slowly moved from left to right.

My focus returned to the taller of the two redheads, who let out a battle cry and charged forward.

The girl with neon hair took a step forward, and to my surprise, was in front of the other opponent with her hand wrapped around her neck.

She pinned the woman to the ground, the other redhead that had charged forward only now realizing she was merely baited as Kitty jumped from the ground and flipped through the air. Her arms crossed one another, and I caught the glint of her sharp nails that began to emit a dazzling gold that revealed a crescent moon symbol on each nail’s surface.

She has hidden symbols under her nails as well.

She slashed her arms out, and white threads of gold sliced at the woman’s back, cutting through her uniform and wounding her with dozens of slashes that left her screaming.

The woman fell to the ground, hugging her body like it would stop the blood from pouring onto the white floor, all while the neon haired woman smiled maliciously as she kept her hand tightly around her opponent’s throat.

“You all love foul play until it hits you in the face.” Her low growl was followed with a wild giggle. “If I wanted to lengthen my sentence, I would have stopped you from enjoying another gasp of air.”

With her words, she let the woman go, her choking coughs and gasps an obvious sign of surrender.

I frowned at the two of them, noticing that they didn’t have anything else up their sleeves.

Disappointing.

“Disappointing.”

Saphire and I had the same thought, and it felt as though we’d clearly wasted time to witness such a lack of combat. For a prison of supernaturals, I would have expected some crazy shit, but this was like watching the wrestling they tried to play on the few televisions on Level Three.

I was about to move from the door and make my silent exit, when a buzzing sound caught my attention and my eyes darted to Kitty to see the sudden blade that was about to stab her in the head.

She had to have sensed the sudden movement as her body jerked in a spinning motion to face her attacker, but there was no way she’d get out of this without that sharp, static-filled blade protruding from her eye or face.

This had to be due to my disappointment, the emotion clearly jinxing the room, causing this new turn of events.

My instincts kicked in and I took one step forward as I snapped my left fingers. The room went from hollering chants of ‘YES’ and ‘FINISH HER’ to pure silence - everyone’s concentration now on the frozen, invisible individual that began to turn visible.

Her skin reminded me of a chameleon. The scales that were once so well blended to our surroundings now revealed her pale white skin.

She had both hands around the hilt of the sharp dagger blade that continued to sizzle with the force of magic she’d embedded into it, while her body began to float upward - encircled by purple magic with specks of orange.

The expression of triumph on her face slowly morphed into shock - the golden moment for them all to acknowledge my presence.

With another step, all eyes gravitated to me as my single step pushed the remaining prisoners off their feet and into the walls on my left and right.

Only the woman with neon hair was left standing, her wild golden eyes dimming to a sullen grey. They blinked a few times as shock settled in, but I navigated my cold gaze to Kitty to see her shuffling back from what surely would have been her grave.

Her white eyes descended back to their original blue form, and she immediately scrambled to her knees and bowed her head to the floor.

“Your Majesty!”

All eyes were on me as a devilish grin formed on my smooth lips. The empowerment that came with power was like being high and knowing you were invincible.

“I wondered why class was empty,” I calmly announced to no one in particular. “I wish these prison organizers would know how much we value our time.”

With a dramatic sigh, I snapped my fingers once more, and the attacker in question dropped with force. She groaned in agony, the blade in her hand dashing across the floor, far away from her grasp.

Analyzing the room, I returned my eyes to the neon-haired woman, noticing how she fought to hide her slight shudder. That ego switch had to be due to that commanding power of mine, and I thrived on every bit of it as I grinned.

“You.” I didn’t bother to point at her. Everyone who was conscious turned their heads to look at the woman in question.

She stood a little taller, and I watched her eyes flicker from grey to gold, in an ongoing back and forth motion that led me to wonder if they both were fighting for control.

“Your name.”

It took a few seconds for her eyes to stick to their soft grey shade, and she proudly responded, “Ivy Vixen. Level Two prisoner.”

Ivy.

Her name reminded me of poison ivy, the toxic herb that was so easily hidden in nature. This woman didn’t belong in Level Two, but it was clear from her appearance and slight lack of confidence in her own abilities that they misjudged her potential.

It could have been for the better because she was about to be a worthy ally of ours.

Deciding to speak, I paused my train of thought as I stepped to my left, missing the shot of bullets that would have pierced through my body. My instincts were on point today because they had saved me again and again.

“Brave move,” Saphire declared before her power rushed through me like a bolt of lightning.

I moved like a blur, missing the next set of bullets that shot out in an attempt to strike me down. All that did was penetrate through the prisoners laying against the left wall, their wails of agony followed with rushing footsteps as the remaining prisoners that could still move ran for the door.

As I turned around to locate my invisible target, more bullets were directed my way, but instead of avoiding them, I stood my ground and flicked my left wrist.

They slowed at a rapid pace until they hovered before me, and my sinister grin was followed by my narrowing eyes as I located my target in split second.

There was no time to think as I sent the bullets in the opposite direction back to their sender. A cry of pain came from the shooter, and her body appeared from its chameleon state as she fell to the floor.

I thought it would be over, as the two sisters remained on the floor, but all the hairs on my arms stood up. Saphire shoved me right out of control as we seemed to spin with such speed it sent out waves of lashing purple flames.

My movement had only delayed the approaching attacker, her body coming into view as she recovered from my deflective move and pushed off the ground to attack me straight on. She carried a long sword, one that was filled with a dark red aura that reminded me of blood.

Saphire was still in control, and I couldn’t predict her next move as she remained in place, but our eyes widened when neon strands of floating hair moved into our line of vision, and then things slowed down entirely.

Her body began to glow while she darted forward. She started off in a sprint until the sound of cracking bones reached my ears and a rumbling roar echoed around us.

Everyone watched in shock as her human body was now a large wolf, her fur not white or black, but a mixture of neon blue and purple and gold.

I’d never seen any creature’s fur the shade of colors she now portrayed, but that was least of anyone’s worries as her mouth opened wide and those sharp, white teeth sank into the woman’s diaphragm.

The scream that left her could haunt you in your dreams, but it was the crunch of broken ribs that made my stomach flip in hidden disgust. I had a strong feeling that the prisoner was done for. Her body went slack with the slight side-to-side shake of the wolf’s head.

One last rough shake to the right sent the body flying into the wall, and she dropped to the floor like a lump of wood, blood already beginning to pool beneath her.

She looked like the other two, and it was obvious they were sisters.

The sister with slashed marks along her back rushed to her aid, but the one that suffered bullet wounds could only peer from afar.

Not an ounce of pity hit me at their sister’s demise. They had every intention of hurting me, Kitty, and this woman named Ivy. What remorse should I carry for their deceitful tactic?

Soft fur brushed my wrist, and I merely looked down to see the wolf’s tail was the culprit while the wolf protectively stood in front of me.

Kitty was up and quickly moved to stand over to my right, and even with her trembling body, she was in a defensive position, ready to protect me if necessary.

My ears caught onto the rush of footsteps. The door slammed open and multiple guards entered with their guns and tasers drawn.

“Everyone, freeze!” the man I’d deem the leader of the group declared. My dramatic sigh caught their attention as I looked slightly over my shoulder to give them a disappointed look.

“If you’re now trying to stop what could have been a mass murder, you’re beyond late.” My dull voice followed up with, “Should have at least brought a mop or maybe some medics.”

“Silence, you bitch! All of you are going to get punished for this!”

Kitty hissed and spun on her feet to point at the man.

“Hey! Why are we getting in trouble when we were ambushed? We were here for art class and were told this was the room it was occurring in. This lot of prisoners and the ones that escaped threatened to kill us and started all of this! It’s thanks to Ms. Butterfly that we weren’t killed!”

“Shut up!” One of the guards tried to poke her with a spear taser, but it paused an inch from her hip.

The man tried again and again, but he couldn’t move, and his confused eyes lifted to meet my serious ones.

“Y-You bi-”

“Silence, you peasant.” I was back in control, but Saphire’s magic was riding through me. The pulsation of anger that was now bubbling within my body was enough to make the walls tremble.

“You know nothing but lies and yet you dare try to taser my servant?”

The man looked frightened as he quickly glanced back to his commander. “S-Sir! You said she was the culprit in all of this.”

The man swallowed the lump in his throat and pointed at me with his trembling hand. “Prisoner 2222! Multiple prisoners told us that you started this fight.”

“Are all the men who work here blind, or do you merely listen to the lies of the same prisoners who clearly set us up and then ran back to their cells in joyous jubilee, thinking you stupid illiterates would believe every single word that came from their mouths?” I was seriously about to pop a fuse, and I hoped it wouldn’t add to my killing streak.

He was ready to defend himself, but the howl that sliced through the room silenced everyone. I looked to the wolf, watching her begin to growl, her sizzling gold eyes locked on the commander, who was now shaking uncontrollably and taking a step back.

“Nice…doggy…wolfy…whatever you are! Y-You can’t kill me! I’m the commander of this shift. You-”

“WOOF!” Ivy was going to rip this poor man to shreds if I didn’t interfere, her fur rising up in preparation to strike.

“She certainly can kill you, Commander,” I acknowledged. “However, it would be a waste of energy, especially on someone as weak as yourself.”

“How dar-”

“Why don’t I make my presence clear?” My voice suddenly dropped like the temperature around us. Saphire’s strong influence was supported by that flicker of warmth from the other corner of my mind.

Freya.

I took a step forward, followed by another until I was facing the trembling man in question - the rest of his guards cowering to the floor on their knees as they quietly begged for forgiveness.

The restraint I had on my raging energy was let loose, and the walls around us began to quake.

“Do you know who I am? What I can do?” If a voice could portray approaching death, that was exactly what I was doing with my monotone voice. “You dare stand before me and place accusations without fact? You must be testing my patience today, Co-mand-er, for I’m not here to play games.”

I took one last step, my face an inch from his. I could smell the fear coming off of him and see the reflection of my cynical glowing orbs that danced between magenta, amber, and blue.

“I can bring down this entire prison with a simple command. Killing you and your fellow comrades would be a piece of cake, and you know it. Do you believe your rank is higher than mine? A monarch. Or is it due to my lack of memory that you now believe you overpower me?”

The beads of sweat that ran down his face were like it was now pouring rain within these trembling walls. His eyes were bloodshot, and his lip trembled like the rest of his body.

It was so delightful to see, that I laughed in amusement. I now could sense the darkness near me, aware that Titus was standing right behind me on purpose. No one else could see him, but I could feel the heavy sensation of his dark magic.

My heightened senses must have aided in the little discovery, but now it made sense as to why the Commander was staring slightly above me.

As though a towering force was backing me up.

“You’ve wasted enough of my time,” I asserted, pulling back my magic with a swirl of my left index finger. The man dropped to the floor, shaking like the rest of them.

It was if they had suddenly regained their ability to breathe oxygen.

“I suggest you review your evidence wisely, Commander, or I’ll have to inform my masters about my attempt to be among prison civilization, only for my servants and myself to be jumped and attacked. This may be a regular occurrence within these walls that do a poor job at holding back our magic and shifter abilities, but if you believe I’ll be a part of your injustice bullshit, be warned now. I. Will. Not.”

All he could do was bob his head swiftly. The rest of his guards pressed against the walls to stay as far away from me as they could.

With a dismissive huff, I walked around him and out of the room, feeling Kitty’s and Ivy’s energies stalking behind me.

We moved over to the room we’d supposedly been designated to have our class in, and I stopped by the desk that still kept my little sketchbook and pencil.

Turning around to face the two of them, I watched as Ivy’s body was consumed with a soft golden glow and she was standing there naked the next second. I took a long look at her, noticing the hidden scars along her rib cage.

Scars? Survivor of abuse, or something more?

I kept my curious remarks to myself, feeling Freya’s energy begin to retreat. I needed to express my gratitude for her involvement, as well as Saphire’s.

Freya. Saphire. Thank you.

The healing warmth that ran through my body was enough of a gracious ‘you’re welcome’. Their energies both faded until it was just me.

It was odd to say I felt like a hollow shell, but I kept my ground and focused on keeping up my stronghold appearance.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Kitty bowed her head again and then turned to bow at Ivy. “Thank you, Ivy!”

Ivy let out a sigh, her eyes growing heavy as she slowly nodded. “No worries. Though, I’m not walking out of here like this.”

As if her words had summoned a flow of magic, her body was cloaked with a black dress. She blinked and looked my way, arching an eyebrow in question.

I knew the magic wasn’t mine, so I looked away as if I didn’t want to be associated with the kind act. Taking a peek back, I saw her wide grin as she bowed her head.

“I’d heard your name when I first arrived, but to be pardoned from death and protected by being acknowledged as your servant…I’m thankful for your interference.” Her solemn words held power as she leaned back up and her eyes twinkled with soft gold.

“You’ve earned my respect and friendship. You can deem me as a servant if you wish, but know that within these walls, you have me as an ally if you ever need a partner to rely on.”

Friendship.

The idea of being friends with her spiked my interest, and I wondered if she could be trusted. So far, my instincts had never led me astray, and they told me that this woman’s words held truth.

She wanted to be my friend.

“No matter the path a solider may walk, there is always room for friendships.” Saphire’s soft voice echoed through my mind, her energy then fading once again.

“Alisha Butterfly,” I introduced myself and allowed a small smirk to grace my lips as I looked into her eyes. “Friendship doesn’t sound too bad. However, be warned that I’m not one to play the safe card.”

“Safe?” Ivy giggled, her eyes returning to that ash grey. “In a place where you can barely sleep without the start of a fight. Do not worry about my safety. Only a matter of time before the word spreads of our little fun in the art room and maybe the weak and cowardly will leave us alone.”

Kitty looked between us, and I noticed her sudden shyness as she tried to make herself as small as possible. I looked away, but firmly said, “Kitty.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?!”

“The same applies to you.”

“M-Me?” Her voice stuttered in shock. “You mean…I can be Ms. Butterfly’s friend?”

“You are my servant. I do not see the problem of having friendly ties when we’re not around sketchy prisoners. You’ve already sworn your confidentiality when amongst myself and my masters at the nail salon. Your allegiance would be much appreciated,” I noted and returned to looking at her wide eyes that filled with tears.

It was hard to keep a cool persona with how innocent she now looked, and I realized I’d yet to figure out her age because she had to be no older than eighteen for such a vulnerable look.

“I’d love that.” Her voice shook before she bowed her head. “Thank you, Ms. But-”

“Alisha is fine,” I concluded. “No need for such formalities when we’re amongst friends.”

“Thank you, Alisha,” she corrected with a beaming smile, her tears rolling down her cheek.

“Goodness, I’m going to bed.” Ivy yawned. “Vix drained me out. Why does she have to show off like that?”

“Vix?” I inquired.

“Ah.” Ivy gave me a sheepish grin, her tired eyes fighting to remain open. “Vix is my wolf.” She deliberately pointed to her eyes that were currently grey.

“When my eyes are this shade, I’m in full control,” she began, and there was the striking gold that folded her iris. “And then there’s me in control.” Her voice held a slight difference, but I could feel it from the thrumming energy that leaked from her body. “Vixen, or Vix for short. An honor to make your acquaintance, monarch.”

“The pleasure is mutual,” I responded. “I share my words of gratitude for your interference. It’s well appreciated.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed breaking a few bones. Well worth it.”

That’s all she said as her eyes returned and Ivy was back. “Goodness, if Ryo makes me do shit today, I’m suing.”

The name perked my interest, but Ivy gave a slight bow of her head. “I’m heading out.”

“You don’t look too good, Ivy. Would you like me to accompany you?” Kitty offered.

“No, I’m…okay.” She yawned midway through her sentence. “If I fall asleep in the hall I dare someone to jump me.”

Kitty sought a response from me, her eyes meeting mine. I crossed my arms with confidence, and ordered, “Kitty. You should go with Ivy and make sure she makes it to her cell. You’re both on Level Two, correct?”

“Yes. Our cells are really close!” Kitty emphasized.

“Then please do that for me,” I encouraged. “Make sure you rest as well. I’ll ask if my masters are willing to tell the guards to bring a meal of your choosing once you’ve both rested.”

“Really?!” she squealed and clapped her hands. “Thank you, Alisha! Ivy, I’ll escort you!”

“A cat shifter escorting an alpha wolf? My pride is hurt.” Ivy sighed but yawned again. “And steak would be a wonderful gift from the gods after a nap.”

“Then steak will be on your plate when you wake up,” I assured her.

To be honest, I had no clue if I had that much power within these walls, but I’d ask Atticus when he returned.

If we had glamorous living conditions and food of our choice, I’m sure they would bend the rules at my humble request.

“Thank you, Alisha.” Ivy’s softened expression was filled with hope. “Never thought I’d meet people I actually click with, but maybe my pitiful life is brightening up for the better.”

I slowly nodded in response, but her heavy words left me pondering what life she had possibly lived prior to her captivity. I wouldn’t get the answers today, but hopefully, within time, I’d learn more about her circumstances.

With a final word of goodbye and thankfulness, the two of them left and I stood there for a few minutes, waiting for the energies in the hall to subside.

I’m sure the guards were done cleaning up the mess we’d created, but now that all was said and done, my own exhaustion hit me in waves.

Without Saphire or even Freya to give me an internal boost, I was finally enduring the true impacts of my superior display of instinctive rebellion.

I gripped the side of the desk, a heavy sigh leaving me while the world spun. Closing my eyes, I waited for it to subside, but felt soft hands rest upon my shoulders. My body had swayed back without me realizing it.

The comforting warmth that wrapped around me made me melt, the bits of resistance against my thriving desire to sleep trickled away.

“I never asked for your help,” I muttered, opening my weak eyes and lifting my head to see the mismatched eyes that scanned me carefully.

“Well aware.” His response was expected and actually made me muster a tiny grin of approval.

“Thank you.”

My appreciative words rewarded me with an arched brow.

“I’m doing my job.”

“Last time I checked, my job description was servant and my boss was one of four masters. Funny how one of them has mismatched eyes and a kind enough heart to warn me of the events that transpired just minutes ago.”

It really was thanks to his warning that Ivy and Kitty had only gotten out the way they had and not far worse - or dead.

“Some allies are worth recognition,” he muttered. “My kindness is only for those worthy of such.”

“What do you think of me?” I inquired.

His eyes peered into mine again, and he didn’t hide the thunderous hunger that shimmered in their darkened glory.

“You are a rare butterfly that I’d treasure if given the chance.” His response was unexpected, and I craved to learn even more, but my eyes were growing heavier by the second - my body betraying me on the brink of something brewing dangerously between us.

“Then…when will this hunter finally move to claim this rare butterfly?”

My consciousness wavered as my eyes struggled to remain open.

The glimmer of delight was strong enough for me to pick up, even when my vision grew hazy and my eyes finally gave up in their fierce battle. My limbs grew weak, but I wasn’t worried about falling.

I was in the arms of my master, and no way would he let another touch me in my most vulnerable state.

“Soon, my marked queen.” His low whisper was followed by the brush of something soft against my lips. “Very soon.”

My threatened captivity ended with a formidable win as I dreamed of tender kisses and sketches of cocks.

PSYCHIC ABILITIES GONE WILD

My body plunges into the frigid body of water that thrashed mercilessly.

Isubmerge faster than anyone can stop. My ears acknowledge the thrumming of my beating heart, while my lungs burn as water begins to fill their wide chambers.

There’s no way of stopping the inevitable, and fear begins to do what it does best. I want to panic and fight against fate, but my body is already running out of time. The icy depths of this massive ocean left me in a state of numbness.

My head is pounding, blood escaping the wound at my temple while my shattered mind that fought an extravagant battle has finally met its match.

The clock of life was beginning to tick its final countdown, and all I could do was regret what I was beginning to forget. How could life be considered fair when those that seek righteousness for the innocent suffered the heinous deaths, and those who conduct crime after crime lived formidable lives filled with respect and luxury, and enjoyed the last laugh?

All I craved now was revenge, and I repeated this again like a positive affirmation.

If given another breath of air, I will obtain the revenge I wholeheartedly deserve.

“ALISHA?”

The soft whisper with a gentle pat to my shoulder pulled me out of my dream. My heavy eyelids lifted up to locate the culprit of waking me from my apparent slumber.

When they landed on an apprehensive Kitty, I held back on my desire to murder the person with my sheer glare.

“I’m sorry for waking you, Alisha,” Kitty immediately apologized. “I think other prisoners will be here soon and don’t want you staying here unattended.”

The thought of my safety was appreciated, especially when I felt like utter shit today. As much as I’d desired to skip today’s silly prisoner interaction session, I wasn’t allowed to due to a mandatory “strict” day.

In other words, the prison was getting a strict check by government officials and everything had to be on point. Laughable when this place was nothing close to a spectacular prison.

The urge to do a little mischief was strong, but with how sick I felt, it was a dream I’d place on the backlog until another mandatory inspection.

Two weeks had gone by just fine, and I was starting to get used to this prison lifestyle. With my glamorous circumstances, it wasn’t as harsh as I’d expected it to be.

Sex every other day, reading books to heighten my knowledge and trigger the wisdom hidden within my caged mind, and now some training sessions on general defense with Lyla. I was far more confident than I had been.

However, the one thing that had been plaguing me was the nightmares. Scenes of me being in a black body of water, so cold that my body would wake up shivering while cold sweats cloaked my feverish skin from head to toe.

Yesterday was the first time Atticus had witnessed it, and he wasn’t happy.

“ALISHA!”

Firm hands shook me hard enough for my eyes to snap open. I shot up from my laying position, my rapid inhales and exhales only making it harder to breathe while my eyes rapidly scanned around me.

Atticus gave me space as I shook, waiting for me to tell him if I was okay. It took me a little more time to finally realize I’d been dreaming, the events that occurred already beginning to fade as I noticed how drenched in sweat I was.

I let out a heavy sigh and put my head in my hands.

“Fuck,” was all I could say as my shoulders sank.

“Alisha.” Atticus’s previously harsh voice was now a soft whisper. “Talk to me, my sweet butterfly.”

“It was just a bad dream,” I breathed. “It’s nothing.”

“That was surely more than nothing, Alisha,” Atticus warned. “You were making the walls quake.”

Oops.

“Does anyone know that it was my doing?”

That was my primary concern. I didn’t want to be the cause of some sort of prison alarm or investigation in the middle of the night.

“Lyla’s handling it. No one will know it was you,” Atticus assured me. “Seems as though the news announced a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.”

“Thank the heavens.” I sighed and didn’t hide my relief or drained expression. “Sorry for the trouble.”

“Alisha.” Atticus reached out to me, and I let him move the strands that clung to the side of my face. Within seconds, I was in his arms, and for the first time since being here, I allowed myself to cry quietly.

“Alisha. Talk to me,” Atticus soothingly encouraged. “What’s going on?”

“I’m probably dealing with PTSD. That’s what it called when you’re dealing with a traumatic event like death, right?”

“You’re having nightmares of what happened the night you died?”

“Yes.” Who knew if I’d died. How would I know, seeing as I was living now? Temporary death in the lost darkness of the ocean waters. The thought only made me whimper in fear.

“Shh, Alisha.” Atticus stroked my back soothingly, doing what he could to calm me. His body was far warmer than my trembling one. I hugged him tightly, hoping his warmth could get rid of the chilled claws of uncertainty.

It took some time for my whimpers to fade and my tears to stop running down my flushed cheeks.

“Is that why you’ve been looking more exhausted?” Atticus finally asked when I’d calmed down. I didn’t want to admit it, but when I took a moment to stare into his worried eyes, I caved.

“When…you’re not around. Like…when I’m sleeping alone, that’s when the nightmares begin. It started a little after that incident with the prisoners in the art room. I’ve tried to ignore it, but no matter how many times I wake up during the night, I always return to that very scene of me crashing into ice-cold water, drifting deeper and deeper until my body is taken over by numbness and I can feel down to my very being that I’m dying. I wake up with a gasp of air, drenched in sweat, and feeling this clinging hopelessness.”

I bit my lip hard, the pain helping me fight the swirling emotions that were desperate to consume me.

“What’s left after I break down in shambles and attempt to pick up the pieces is this desire for revenge. Desire isn’t the right word. It’s like a newfound duty. A purpose I was granted with that second chance of life. But how can I act upon this strong sensation when I have no clue who put me in my deadly circumstances? All it does is leave me in a frustrated state of anger and when I finally calm, it’s already morning.”

“Alisha. Why didn’t you say this earlier?” he inquired as he let go of me to get out of bed. I worried he’d be upset. My sudden urge to chase after him like a puppy was stopped by my lingering ego. I may be frightened of suddenly losing him for letting myself be vulnerable, but I couldn’t see myself chasing after him over it.

Those sparks of worry were soon diminished as he walked into the washroom to turn on the knob of the bathtub, his desire to fill the tub a priority before he returned to my side of the bed and scooped me up.

“Atticus?”

“It’s not good for you to have built up anxiety,” he began to explain. “It leads to you having panic attacks. Your lack of sleep is what’s worrying me.”

“It’s just sleeping,” I noted. “I can catch up on that during the nights I’m with you.”

“Sadly, in your case, my marked butterfly, your lack of sleep leads to your psychic abilities going out of whack and triggering earthquakes,” he revealed.

“You’re lying.”

“I wish I was,” he replied with a sad smile, carrying my naked body over to the washroom. The tub was 2/3 full already, and he easily lowered me into the comfortable hot water.

“Is it supposed to be therapeutic to relax in a bathtub after having a dream of your drowning death?” I inquired purely out of curiosity.

Atticus paused midway through dumping the bubble liquid, the pink stream of bubble formula continuing its descent into the bath as my question seemed to click in Atticus’s mind.

He cursed, which led to a groan.

“I hadn’t fully- Oh fuck!” he cursed again when he poured far too much of the bubble stuff, the bath already beginning to overflow with pink bubbles. I snickered and began to laugh uncontrollably, having never seen Atticus go from cool and collected to a frantic rush.

“Never mind, this is totally therapeutic.” I giggled.

“Ugh. Don’t use this against me. You distracted me!” he accused.

“Sure I did.” I weakly smirked and sank deeper into the bubble bath. “Might as well join.”

He didn’t argue with that. He entered the massive bath and immediately pulled me into his arms. We stared at the ceiling once there was enough water for the both of us, the bubbles overflowing to the floor, but neither of us minding the mess.

“I need to get revenge, Atticus.” My voice was full of seriousness. “There’s so much to me that I’ve lost. Regardless of the possibilities of regaining my memories of us, my life, the world I used to live in, I’m not here in a standstill position that leaves me feeling utterly vulnerable.”

He quietly listened as I carried on, “I know I harness immense power, and with my experiences with Saphire and Freya, they’re bits of me that can make a life-changing impact in this world. Yet, someone out there, a person or group of individuals I may not even know, decided to take it upon themselves to get rid of me. Seeing as that initial plan failed, I’m trapped in this hellhole of a prison.”

I took a deep breath and let it out.

“We all know what I’m capable of and deep down, I know it, too. These walls aren’t what keep me from escaping. It’s my lack of confidence in who I’m supposed to be that holds me back. All the fears, worries, and bitterness that I’ve been shackled with from these hidden chains of my past. I now require the help of various individuals, ones that I’m grateful to have, but I wish that wasn’t the case. I’ve come to realize I hate to rely on others, but how can I rely on myself when I still haven’t grasped those fragments of who I am?”

I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest.

“I know your answer will remind me to be patient and that justice will be served, but each time I deal with these stressful dreams, it leads me down the same path of questioning. All of it lands me in this state of fueling anger and then when I calm down, I’m exhausted. I don’t want your sympathy, or anyone’s, for that matter. I…just want to get through this with the reassurance that it’s something normal and I’m not being a weak fool.”

“There’s nothing weak about what you experienced, Alisha.” His firm voice was comforting as he held me tightly.

“You’re one of the strongest women I know. Believe me, I understand to some degree how you feel and there’s nothing weak about it. Lingering on it won’t help you overcome it. What we can do is brainstorm how we can ensure you get some more rest, and what to do when you’re feeling this way.”

“You can’t sleep with me every night,” I noted.

“I could,” he reasoned. “You’re my wife. However, it’s difficult to know where my schedule will take me.”

He took a moment to think about it.

“Do you think sleeping with one of the others will help you out?” The thought made me cringe slightly. “Alisha. They’re here to help you grow stronger.”

“Originally, no, but now that they have a genuine idea of who I am, and they’re willing to help,” I acknowledged.

Blaze, Kai, and Titus weren’t bad people. At least, from what I’ve experienced so far - minus points for Kai’s petty decision to attack me.

Their company wouldn’t bother me. It was my concern of waking up in a wild mess and them seeing me in that confused state of emotions that left me hesitant. Titus had helped me when I’d lost consciousness, but would I be okay with it happening again and including Blaze and Kai?

“You’re correct,” Atticus noted. “However, their mindset has changed, and they want to help you, Alisha. Trust isn’t my strong suit. I know it’s not yours either, but Phoenix and I are confident that they wish you well and are just waiting for you to let them in.”

“What if I’m scared to do just that?” I questioned. “What if I fear that the moment I let each of them in and discover their traits, something will happen, and I’ll lose it all once again? Then we’re back to square one.”

“Does living in fear help you move forward?” he questioned back. “Fear stems from your worries of something you can’t predict, sweetheart. Every action we take changes our path in this world, some for the better, others for the worse. Regardless, fearing what can happen tomorrow, next week, or a year from now isn’t going to deliver the answers you seek. It won’t help build memories, relationships, or yourself. Instead, it hinders you, bringing you to a standstill, and only you can be the one to break that cycle and strive forward.”

He lifted my chin to look into my eyes. “You are the conductor of this symphony, and it’s your movement in life that determines how your future unravels into the present, and how something becomes part of your past.”

His head lowered, and he kissed me softly. “You can’t lose your memories again when you have a block on your mind. Therefore, as of now, your amnesia can’t get any worse. Even when your memories are restored, it won’t erase what you’ve gained within these walls. Does that give you a little more reassurance?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Are…you sure it’s okay for me to get to know them?”

He slowly nodded, his jealousy not as prominent as before.

“As much as I hate sharing, they’ve proven themselves as individuals that want the best for you. It’ll take time for me to accept them, but as long as they treat you with the respect and love you deserve, they’ll have no problems with me.”

“Okay.” I relaxed against him once more. “Having company may help a little.”

“We’ll figure it out this week. However, promise me you’ll get lots of rest, stay hydrated, and eat regularly. When you’re out of balance in those three departments, especially with lack of sleep, it never ends well.”

“That’s comforting to know.”

“How so?”

“If I want to go on a killing spree, I’ll just ensure one of those areas is lacking.”

“You frighten me at times,” he concluded but kissed my forehead.

SINCE THEN, Atticus tried to be there to hold me through the nights, and on the occasions where he had to deal with matters outside the prison, Kai, Titus, or Blaze would do a night shift to watch me.

It seemed that as long as they were in the same room as me, my nightmares stayed far away. It was when I was by myself that the triggering reminder of my death showed its ugly head.

Everything had been fine until all four of them and Lyla had to deal with a serious problem outside. I don’t know if the situation had to do with my case or something bigger that was catching loads of attention, but they had been gone for three days, and so I was an emotional mess of nightmares, using coffee to keep me awake.

“Do you want me to escort you back to your level, Alisha?” Kitty questioned. “You don’t look well at all.”

“I’m fine, Kitty. It’s best you head back to your cell. It’s a mandatory inspection day. We all have to be on our best behavior seeing as another set of new prisoners is arriving.”

The mention of the next set of prisoners made me recall the day I’d arrived here and how unclean it was.

If that was what health inspectors approved of in a place like this, I prayed for anyone living in the quiet rooms filled with mold, debris, and other bacteria that would only contribute to a shorter life span.

“Are you sure? Should I get you water? Tea? Coffee? Flu medicine?”

Her worry made me smirk as I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temple. “Nothing for now, Kitty. Return to your cell. I can make it back to Level Three with ease. Do not worry about me,” I encouraged, patting her head with my free hand.

The action was one of the few times I’d tried to show the cat shifter compassion.

In the last two weeks she’d been my main servant. I could trust her with my life, versus the other two that were there to help deliver my food either at the underground cafeteria or in the private chambers of my room.

My stance of power from two weeks ago was still circulating in the whispering halls of the prison, but I couldn’t care less about anyone’s opinion of me. All they spoke about was my potential monarch status, their fear of being close to me, and their curiosity regarding my masters.

All I wished for was some much-needed rest. Maybe that would help with this pounding headache that had been assaulting me for hours on end. My instincts have been telling me to go back to my room for hours now, but here I was, remaining in my seat.

“Okay. If you need me, please don’t hesitate to call for me,” Kitty reassured me. She remained where she stood, even though her words insinuated that she’d be making her exit.

“Will she be okay? Why am I afraid to leave her? She’s a monarch, though. I don’t want to go against her wishes…but…I should take care of her. I should, but then I also have that meeting with the Commander about my status. I can’t miss it. What to do? Would Alisha be mad with a hug? Whenever I gave my mom a hug she’d feel better. Is that childish at eighteen now? Mom, I wish you were here to help me out. Alisha’s a really nice friend of mine.”

Her worried thoughts drifted into my mind, something that didn’t happen.

It must be due to this damn headache.

“Kitty?”

“Yes!” She stood up straight, waiting for my next order.

“I feel like having a hug,” I admitted. “I’ve heard it brings good karma your way when you’re ill.”

“It does!” She beamed before she cleared her throat. “I used to hug my mom whenever she wasn’t feeling well, and it helped. I’d be happy to do the same for Alisha!”

I slid out of my seat to get up and outstretched my arms in time for Kitty’s hug.

“Feel better, Alisha,” she cheered.

“I will, Kitty,” I replied. “Can already feel the boost.”

“That gives me reassurance,” she whispered into my black shirt. “Please get better, Alisha.”

We pulled apart and I mustered the best uplifting expression I could, enough to give Kitty some peace of mind. Now that I knew she had other worries to deal with, I didn’t want to add to that list of annoyances in this place.

We exchanged goodbyes, and I stared at the door for a few seconds.

“I should…go.” My voice was shaky, and even with my obvious acknowledgment that I needed to leave, I lowered back to my seat and placed my head on the desk.

“Fuck. Why do I have to be sick? I should have stopped myself from coming today. Fuck mandatory shit. Fuck the rules. Fuck everything.”

My mind was drifting once again, but a jolt surged me awake. I sat up, my eyes darting around the room in caution, but my spiked heart rate soon calmed when I realized no one was here.

“We need to leave.”

I was taken aback by the voice in my mind, only to realize it was Freya.

“Freya?” I questioned out loud, my voice barely audible. “Ugh. My head hurts so bad.”

“Outside sources are the cause of that,” she revealed. “I’m going to guide you to where I think we’ll get out of this with only a few scratches.”

“That doesn’t sound pleasant at all.”

I took some inhales and let them out slowly, noticing how sweaty my forehead was and how heightened the lights in the room were.

Wait. Did you say this isn’t our fault?

“Trap.” That was all she said as a calm warmth ran through me. “Allow me some control. I can’t stay long without harming you, but I can stay long enough to get you out of the original mess they desire for us.”

The reigns are yours.

The sudden appearance of Freya warned me that we were in deep shit. Atticus had explained Freya was one of few words. If she had a problem, she used her fists to solve it.

She hadn’t made a debut since her last appearance, which only emphasized our new threatening dilemma. A thrumming boost dimmed the intense drumming happening in my head, and I gave Freya the control she needed to get us out of the room.

The change of atmosphere was extremely noticeable, as if I was suddenly taking a massive inhale of fresh air. The previous dread of moving was replaced with a level of urgency to get further away from this place.

With Freya in control of my movement, we moved swiftly through the halls of the second floor. My mental state was growing sharper by the second as the instinctive feeling of being watched hovered over me.

Definitely a trap. Why though?

“Someone isn’t pleased with your current ownership,” Freya calmly answered. “A man we’ve yet to meet. Personally, I see no need for such tactics, but this will make things a little exciting and buy some time.”

How do you know?

“I love to listen to all that’s spoken of when you’re in deep slumber,” she revealed. “I’m sure your mate stated this on purpose while you were sleeping, in hopes I’d pick up on it, which I did.”

What did I miss then?

This was all new and a little hard to grasp in the heat of this moment, but knowledge was power, and it could give me a clue of how to defend myself when all my allies weren’t present.

We turned a sharp corner, and I was confused as to where this next path would lead us to. The first half appeared to be the usual nasty walls of the prison, but the second half looked to lead into some sort of cave.

“The older male who bid against your men.”

Masters.

“Men,” she repeated.

Only one is my apparent husband. The rest barely know me.

“Therefore, men.” She followed up with, “Stop arguing about the obvious. You like Titus’s mysterious vibes, Blaze’s calmness intrigues you, and Kai pisses you off, but you’re intrigued by his personality. As for your husband, he’s wrapped around your finger and isn’t dumping you. Therefore, men. Back to the priority.”

We turned left into a narrow tunnel, the walls becoming smaller until we had to shift to shuffling sideways to get to the other side.

We didn’t stop until we reached an opening with four paths.

“The man in question isn’t fond of losing. Due to the negotiations not ending in his favor, it looks as though he has to work from the inside out. That last bit is my assumption for our current circumstances, but it was one of the worries your husband had when talking to Kai and Blaze.”

Was this after a night of sex or something?

That would have been the only reason I could think of for me to not wake up during this apparent conversation.

“Indeed, and it was through a phone call,” she revealed. “We need to go down here.”

Why exactly?

“I’m following whatever holds more power than I.”

Hold on. What?

My body was moving forward to the third tunnel to my right, and Freya didn’t answer until we were deep enough that the little bulb lights that helped brighten the tunnels dimmed to darkness.

And I can’t see.

We came to a stop and Freya whispered, “What is one important thing you’ve learned about yourself so far?”

I have OCD for cleanliness, I love cheesecake more than Tiramisu, and Kitty makes me wish I had a little sister?

Freya was completely silent, and I mentally groaned.

I was actually being honest.

“I’m well aware of that, Alisha. Now, what do I actually want to hear from you?”

My life is usually spared by following my instincts.

“Good.” Her presence suddenly began to fade, which left me in a bundle of panic.

Wait. Freya. Don’t leave yet!

“I’ve brought you far enough to face the challenge heading towards you. Do not question your power. Allow it to wrap around you like a cocoon, and when it does, one of higher power will protect you when you need it the most.”

Her essence was but a twinkle when I caught onto the last bit of her voice.

“Claim what is already yours.”

She faded from my mind, leaving me with the hollow emptiness. There was no grasp of Saphire’s company either, leaving me no choice but to handle the next set of approaching events on my own.

Don’t fail me now.

One thing I’d learned with my bits of training from Lyla was that panic didn’t fix shit. To fight, you needed to be calm and have a sense of clarity with every move you made. If the time for thinking was limited, you followed your reflective responses and pictured yourself winning the battle at hand.

In this tunnel, the biggest weakness I’d have was my lack of sight, but the longer I thought about it, the calmer I became.

Dragons have heightened vision. My abilities are heightened to an annoying level. I can use that to my advantage. You are capable, Alisha. You are royalty and have been trained to tackle the toughest scenarios in your field. You won’t be brought down by a man with deep pockets, and you won’t fall until you achieve your revenge.

The self-talk was what pushed me forward, the sudden drive to make those who had hope in me proud while empowering and defending myself from my approaching attackers.

The once pitch-black tunnel began to brighten to a dim glow. I focused harder, feeling the tingling sensations that began their journey from my heart through my arms and legs.

My body wasn’t shivering with cold like before. The heat of another magnitude coursed through my veins while my eyes wildly scanned around me. I could see past the walls of dirt and pipes - hidden wires of magic coursing beneath.

The intriguing discovery reminded me of the tour. They had mentioned the mines where prisoners on Level One normally spent strenuous hours here digging for nothing, only to end up with exhausted muscles and soreness.

There has to be a reason why Freya brought me here.

I decided to run forward, and it was good I did because ten solid steps later and there was an explosion.

The sudden blast rocked the ground, and I cursed when the hairs on my arms began to rise up.

Time to run for my life!

Racing forward, I swiftly turned right. The sound of a click followed by another explosion made me push harder as my mere run turned into a hard sprint. One bomb after another, the explosions kept going until the alarm sounded.

I skidded to a stop, noticing a hidden passage to my left while I heard shouts of ‘THIS WAY’ coming from my right.

Racing to the hidden space, I had to drop to the floor and crawl into the tiny space. When all it led to was a dead end, I didn’t panic. Rotating myself so my back was pressed against the solid wall, I crossed my legs into a yoga pose and worked on slowing my breathing.

Concentrate, Alisha. Your enemy is merely grand in numbers alone. You are of monarchy. You are a supernatural with a higher purpose. You are marked, and if push comes to shove, your mate will locate you.

I stared at a hole far ahead. My breathing calmed down while I pushed away any fear that tried to plague me. I picked up the announcement that felt like it came from above me.

“Attention. Attention. We are conducting construction in the mines. There is no need to be alarmed. I repeat. Construction is happening within the mines. Guards, please ensure no one has access to the mines while the designated crews investigate the matter. Prisoners remain in their cells or underground cafeteria in the meantime. Any attempts of defiance will be punishable by death. I won’t repeat this again!”

All that announcement did was prove my growing suspicions.

A setup.

Closing my eyes, I tensed up at the sudden shuffling of footsteps, but the sudden pull to a past memory triggered before I could stop it.

“LYLA. You are not trying to tell me that I should merely meditate in the middle of a train track and I’ll be able to pinpoint these five silver balls you’ve distinctively hidden from me, just in time to keep that approaching train from obliterating me from this life.”

All my rushed words did was make Lyla smirk while she crossed her arms and carried on floating mid-air in her crossed leg position.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She bobbed her head in pride. “I’m so glad you actually paid atte-”

“Lyla! Do you want me to die?! Are you still mad about us breaking up? I swear I’ll give you another box of chocolates. No, I’ll take you out to a movie or something. NO! We can have a threesome!” I was spitting out nonsense at this point for the sake of getting untied from the train tracks beneath me.

“I’d happily have a threesome with you and Atticus.” She winked. “However, not for the sake of getting out of this lesson. As for being mad at us breaking up, I’m not. Remember, I’m the one who thought it was best.”

“Which I still think is stupid,” I countered. “I’ve known you were a guy for ages. Why does that suddenly change shit because you now know that I know?!”

She was quiet, flickers of shame reflecting in her blue orbs before the sound of the train horn reminded me of my predicament.

“Shit!” I cursed and looked at the train that was still far away. It was going at medium speed, but no matter what speed it was traveling at, I’d be nothing but mushed remains if I didn’t figure this challenge out.

“Focus, Alisha. Unlock the second part of your psychic abilities and allow your mind to locate the items of question. Once you’ve pinpointed all five of the balls, your chains will unlock, and you’ll be free to move out of the-.”

Whatever else she was trying to explain was zoned out as I put all my focus on the task at hand. My surroundings, once pitch-black due to my closed eyes, suddenly lit up like neon lights, the flow of nature’s energy and man-made creations distinctly colored.

I’d learned quickly that anything neon colored was of mother nature’s creation, and man-created items, including metal, were dull colors with only bits of illumination.

The silver balls I would have to retrieve would be dull of color, however, I couldn’t discount the chances of Lyla infusing them with magic to give off the impression they were of the earth’s creation.

I knew the radius of these items would have to be close. Lyla knew that my psychic abilities, which included the ability to levitate items of any height or weight with my mere mind, were limited to a certain distance.

A second train horn shot through the air. The increased volume and the escalated vibrations beneath didn’t distract me from my quest.

Time was of the essence, but I knew everything would have to be zoned out to capture what I desired - to claim what was mine.

The sounds of the train dimmed, just like the rest of my sense of hearing, until I was in a world of silence. My breathing came to a standstill after one final breath, and the loss of my sense of smell soon followed.

Without my hearing, sight, and ability to smell, all my other senses increased, enough for me to feel the energies I was seeking. The sight of pulsing magic picked up the first silver ball. Its core was a beautiful gold while the small circle of its exterior body was a dull blue.

Now that I knew exactly what I was looking for, finding the others was a piece of cake. When I had all five in my grasp, I picked up on one more thing I wanted to claim, but quickly let my actions speaker louder than my wishful thoughts.

I used my psychic abilities to push my targeted items into the air, higher and higher at a rapid pace. My ability to hear came rushing back, in time to catch the sound of my handcuffs unlocking and the screaming horn of the train.

I wasted no time in tumbling off the tracks, five seconds before the train rushed past where I’d been handcuffed. It didn’t even slow its speed, but it no longer mattered now that I’d accomplished my assigned task.

When the last train car passed me, I lowered my eyes to where I had been sitting. The handcuffs were now nothing but flattened pieces of metal.

“Sometimes I question supernatural sanity,” I mumbled to myself before a high-pitched scream could be heard from above. I took a step forward, the shrilling scream growing louder and louder.

I outstretched my arms until Lyla fell into my grasp.

Her wild, wide eyes darted to me, seconds before the silver balls she’d ordered me to retrieve fell into her lap, one by one.

She looked from her lap to my beaming eyes of triumph and then back to her lap.

“You bitch! Why did you send me up?!” she questioned.

“I had to claim everything that was mine before the train hit me. That includes my ex-girlfriend, who’s actually my ex-boyfriend, who’s going through an emotional crisis and merely wants to push me away in an attempt to spare me the complications such a relationship would invoke.”

All Lyla could do was stare, her flushed cheeks growing red like the rest of her face. I grinned and shrugged my shoulders, lifting my head up with pride.

“I win. Now I’ll make sure to use this technique to find all my enemies, capture them in my grasp, and turn the tables around in our battle! Wow, I feel like a mastermind. Actually…” I looked back down at her. “I totally feel like a man in this moment. Is this how you guys feel with your dominance shi- FUCK! COLD!”

I literally dropped her, jumping as far back as I could, but not hitting the ground as my body levitated in the air.

Lyla hadn’t hit the ground either, her body now wrapped in a light blue glow while shards of ice began to morph around her. I’d forgotten about her ice ability, a rare trait owl shifters held at their fingertips.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Oh, no, no, no, no.” I shook my hands in a stopping motion. “You can’t break up with me because you’re a man and then get all emotional like a woman. That’s technically my jo-”

“FUCK YOU!”

“AH! Atticus! Atticus!!!” I screamed as I rushed in the opposite direction, praying to the heavens my fiancé would be a knight in shining armor and come save me from Lyla’s wrath.

A RUSH of familiarity hit me then as the memory faded and I returned back to the present. My eyes opened slightly, enough to confirm that I hadn’t been discovered just yet. A set of feet stopped in front of the hole I’d crawled into, but I remained as calm as ever, a grin of maliciousness taking over my lips.

“Do not question your power. Allow it to wrap around you like a cocoon, and when it does, one of higher power will protect you when you need it the most.”

The specific part of Freya’s words of advice now made sense. This wasn’t a battle I could accomplish alone, but it wasn’t one I needed to spend time fighting.

All I have to do is bring them to a place where higher power lingers.

The answer was obvious: Level Four.

My eyes closed, and the world of pulsating neon energies lit up once more. It didn’t take me long to pick up on the ten individuals heading to my spot, but that wasn’t my current concern.

What I was about to do would be something I’d yet to try with my abilities. However, like Freya had told me, there was no need to question the magic within me. Even in a place like this that should have shackled every bit of my born gifts.

Nothing will stop me from escaping the claws of these weaklings.

I let my senses begin to fade like in my memory until my inner sight of nature’s spirit grew with intensity. When the world was as heightened as it could be, I allowed my mind to move outside of the box I’d laid upon it.

The sudden shift felt like an out-of-body experience as my vision suddenly moved downward, lower and lower until it landed on a single glowing object.

A burning silhouette of orange and gold.

As if the beautiful shadow of flames could sense my sudden presence, its silhouette head glanced up to my floating essence, and I knew this was where we had to be.

This being of power would be my ticket out.

My resolve triggered me back into my body, and my hearing rushed back to me as a woman’s voice shouted, “She’s here! Get her!”

All that did was make me smile widely, and I opened my eyes to see three prisoners pointing in my direction, their pride-filled expressions only shifting to horror. My expression had to priceless. I felt triumphant that these beings, who desperately wanted to bathe their hands with my blood, now sensed their approaching demise.

What happened next would have left me speechless if I wasn’t so high on the vibes of my victory. The world shifted and landed us in complete darkness.

I opened my eyes to my new environment, my elevated view only aiding me in seeing what I was positive the others could not.

Relief began to spark through me, but I remained in position while the bewildered prisoners fought to see through the black slate of the dark.

“W-What?!” one of them stuttered. “What’s going on?!”

“Where are we?” another questioned, her voice trembling

“Who cares! Get-” The last prisoner couldn’t complete her sentence as a ring of fire shot from the ground, the ignited flames moving with deadly conviction as they grew higher and higher.

I wasn’t the slightest bit afraid, the heatwave that hit us from all directions a mere wind of warmth to me.

A few of the prisoners screamed, like the sudden shot of temperature was enough to melt their skin off. To my surprise, that’s exactly what began to happen, three prisoners watching in sheer shock as their skin began to melt from their hands and face.

“AH!” The screams were short-lived while the rest of us remained silent as the melting victims struggled for breath and fell to the ground.

Thirty seconds went by and they were nothing but puddles even down the bone. The remaining prisoners dropped to the floor in shock, two of them passing right out, while another vomited on the ground.

I uncrossed my legs and rose up, my attention lost to the flames that grew higher and higher. We were now surrounded by a wall of raging fire, captive in the middle of the burning chaos.

Waiting for the ruler of the blaze.

The sound of footsteps came from behind me, and for the first time ever, I was overcome by a wave of weighted energy. My body trembled, my knees suddenly begging to fall to the ground in complete submission.

I fought against it, my surging pride and defiant nature suddenly as resistant as ever to this hidden power of commandment. I didn’t bow down to just anyone, and even if I’d met my match, I’d fight against being overtaken by this force.

Clicking heels echoed around us. The sound should have been impossible when the ground beneath us was of soil and ash.

Going against my odds of survival as my eyes scanned the remaining conscious prisoners, who did nothing but bow their heads in shame, I swirled around to face the ruler of this ring of fire and the sight left me breathless.

Striking orange hair with mesmerizing golden locks that levitated with purpose. Shimmering lavender eyes that bore into your soul. Smooth, glossy lips with a hint of golden sparkle. Slightly pale skin without any imperfections.

The black dress that cloaked her body hugged her slim but curvy frame, the deep dip of the material at her cleavage showing the triple element symbol that glowed a vivid gold.

The symbol was unfamiliar to me, but within my mind, it was something I once remembered. However, that was of little importance as the oozing tides of magical power hit me.

What actually struck fear inside of me were her dauntingly massive black wings. They were positioned upward, not reaching their full height, but each feather could be the size from one’s shoulder to their elbow, if not bigger.

The first half showed the true beauty of the silky black feathers, but the second part was ignited in flames.

With every step she took, a golden tile appeared beneath her, and I suddenly wondered if there was a higher level from a monarch.

“Level Four. That’s the ‘don’t you dare enter’ floor. You have a suicide wish and believe the vampire sucking your blood route is too slow, feel free to enter the depths of Level Four. They’ll gladly murder you on sight, though I can’t guarantee the pace of your death. Some have been a few seconds, others have been weeks. The longest on record is a year of torture before their remains were sent up to Level One.”

She had to be one of the few that remained on this floor, and I could only question what creature she could carry within her divine beauty that marked her to the pit of this prison.

When she reached where I stood, my whole body shook uncontrollably as I gritted my teeth in pain. I couldn’t allow myself to bow in her presence. My eyes stung with tears from the lack of air that made it hard to even take a breath.

The woman stood there, her expression as emotionless as her eyes. She was waiting for me to acknowledge her royalty. To submit to her will and give her the satisfaction she knew she deserved.

Two could play the game of worthiness.

No matter my challenges, flaws, and circumstances, which I always fought to ignore, I knew I was worthy. I was full of self-love for the strength I still carried even after those of rank and obsessive control tried to eliminate me from this world of life.

Not everyone could survive what I had.

Not everyone could get up each day after the horrendous memories of my temporary death.

Not everyone would be willing to open themselves once again after losing what was most valuable to them.

Not everyone would have the courage to fight towards the goal of revenge.

This woman had a story of her own, but so did I, and she had to acknowledge that I deserved a chance to fulfil what I hoped for.

To regain all that was mine and deliver the plate of revenge my hidden enemies deserved.

Beads of sweat dripped down my face. I struggled with every quick breath I took. My previous headache was back with a pounding force, and my vision was doubling and swirling like I was now on a swinging ride.

“Intriguing.” The woman’s voice was filled with delight as her lavender eyes twinkled with interest.

She lifted her hand up, her short black nails beginning to emit a soft, orange light.

The slight touch sent shockwaves of pain through me, but I didn’t crumble as I fought not to scream in defeat. Tears ran down my cheeks, and I was sure if I remained within this woman’s grasp for any longer, I’d die.

Would it be worth it? To stand up for my self-worth and take my last breath as a supernatural monarch?

Yes. It would be worth it…and I’d do it again, and again.

My right arm suddenly burned, the heat setting off a new sense of pain that managed to outdo the one brought upon me by this woman.

I gritted my teeth, a soft whimper escaping me as I fought to remain standing. It hurt so much, but I stood my ground, praying that it would eventually come to an end.

A soft wave of laughter reached my fading hearing, and the hand that held my chin let go. I gasped at the shift of my senses. The pain that fought against the new force of internal trauma pulled back entirely, while my surroundings were on the verge of crumbling.

My body began to tilt back in a slow movement, my weak, half-opened eyes watching as the beautiful being began to move further away.

She smiled brilliantly, not out of the triumph for overcoming me, but in pride for my effort to withstand her silent declaration against me.

As though we’d now become equals.

“Alisha Butterfly,” she whispered with formidable grace. “We shall meet again.”

My body continued its extremely slow descent, but I caught her wise words.

“One who has already sacrificed her identity to seek the truth. You are on the right path. Allow your walls to fall to those you can trust. Seek refuge in their pain and love and continue to search for who you once were. Return to your mate, but look for the other, for both mates will unlock the next chain of events you seek. Then, you will receive your next task.”

My eyes came to a shut as I finally gave in to my approaching demise, but the final string of words glided through the air.

“My name is Celeste. One of the four faery absolutes. I will keep a close eye on you, Alisha. Let that mark bring you to your destined ties.”

As though my body had suddenly plunged into a body of water, all my senses began to drift away except for the burning pain that came from my right arm.

I knew that I was drowning. I anticipated the filling of my lungs and the feelings of dread and regret.

My expectations felt pitiful to me, leaving me in an internal debate as to what I’d achieved in this short period of time. My regret wasn’t about what I had done.

It was about what I didn’t do.

My fear had stopped me from trusting. It was what crept through me when I wished to show emotion and invoked a sense of vulnerability, preventing me from opening myself up to those who wished to know more about me.

I’d been gifted a different side to captivity, and I hadn’t been using it to my advantage. Instead, I was allowing my circumstances to try their hardest to bring me down, and now I was left sinking to my doom.

“A..sha!”

The striking voice fought through the pressured waters around me. With my fading senses and being so deep in whatever body of liquid I was in, I tried to assume the sound was all but a hallucination before facing death.

“Alisha!”

This voice was different than the first, a feminine sound to its urgent plea. The two calls grew stronger, and I worked hard to open my heavy eyelids, enough to see two approaching beams of light.

Their approach ignited a ray of hope, and I smiled as the balls of red and gold grew bigger and bigger. I slowly looked to my arm, noticing how the tattoo emitted the same two colors that approached me.

The koi fish tattoo that hid the outline of an ancient dragon.

I felt the memory of its significance was at the tip of my mind, but I’d fought a long battle to remain conscious and I couldn’t do it any longer.

My eyes closed, but I felt two different hands grip mine. Their hold sparked new life into me, and I no longer feared death as my consciousness faded further away.

My wild psychic abilities led me on a rollercoaster chase towards death, only to leave me in a state of rejuvenation.

Cocoon my flawed self until the time is right to be reborn.

PREDICT WHAT THE ENEMY DESIRES OF ME

“Say fascinating one more time. I dare you!”

“Kai, calm down.”

“Fuck off, Blaze. I’m going to kill this fucking doctor, right now!”

“Would you two quit it?”

“Atticus. You’re making the room like a fucking oven.”

“Better than all this fucking tension in the room. I swear if my Alisha doesn’t recover from this, the world will end, and it’ll start with this fucking prison.”

“Please make sure we leave first, Atticus. I really don’t want to die, and I have a feeling Alisha would want me to take Kitty and Ivy with her.”

“All of your banter is hindering my concentration!”

“Shut up!” multiple voices silenced the man like he’d interrupted a great debate.

I, on the other hand, was attempting to pull out of my in-and-out state of unconsciousness.

When I’d first gotten a glimpse of wakefulness, it was for a gasp of air. My lungs rejoiced at the oxygen while my body was shivering from the freezing temperatures. I couldn’t recall where I had been that resulted in my drenched body, and the orders for help bounced around wherever I was.

It was shortly after something warm pressed against my cheeks and a soft whisper told me to sleep, that I returned to my dark slumber. After that, I returned to the brink of consciousness to feel some sort of poke in my arm. The flowing of liquid entering my body burned just a tad, but the wave of relaxation that followed was a level of high I couldn’t achieve with common herbs.

It was hard to describe, a place of euphoria like you’d experienced after the best orgasm in your existence. I was left floating, my mind wandering in a space of the unknown, bits of my memories flooding my mind, leaving just as fast as they came.

The drift in nothingness triggered a blast from the past, the moment in time when I’d met the two forces within myself.

WHERE AM I?

The thought triggered a rush of light until I stood in a magnificent glass building. Flowers of purple and silver decorated the interior of the structure, the glass sculptures and fountain in the middle of the room only accenting its classy and artistic design.

I’d donned a beautiful black dress, one that clung to my body and had a lovely train of fabric that drug behind me with every step I took. As I reached the flowing fountain of sparkling waters, my dress shifted from black to an immaculate white with tiny purple and magenta sparkles.

My black to purple strands fell from their high ponytail, their usual slightly wavy texture returning at full force.

I peered down to the calm waters of the fountain’s core, viewing my reflection against the calm waters that twinkled with grace.

My appearance was outstanding, my face flawless and my piercing magenta-purple eyes staring back into mine. I wore a crown, but it didn’t sit upon my head.

It hovered just above it, the electric sparks of blue and purple melding into the symbolic piece of jewelry that emphasized the status of royalty.

The single section of blue strands was what helped give me a bit of individuality, igniting a rebellious feeling.

I took pride in the color, the strand that represented the rebellion against all those standards set to supernaturals from the day of their birth. I now made sense of its important meaning when paired with magenta-purple and black roots.

The blue was my rebellion to the world that begged to keep me shackled. A world that wanted to wrap those handcuffs around me, containing me in a common princess role. It wanted me to be the quiet, perfect, rule-following monarch who would follow in the footsteps of those before her and marry the man of the dragon court’s choice.

Not one of my destined mates, but a man who cared solely about acquiring a weapon.

Two sets of heels headed my way, but I remained in my spot as my eyes lingered on my reflection, ripples suddenly interrupting my gaze.

Lifting my gaze, I finally turned around. Two women of gravitational magnitude stood there with pride-filled expressions.

The first woman was magnificently beautiful. Her long, curly strands shifted from sapphire blue to a lovely mix of ocean blue with hints of white at the tips.

Her skin was extremely tanned but impeccable. Her stunning complexion only helped to project those sapphire jewels with fragments of silver.

Her dress was silver, with embedded tiny blue rhinestones that twinkled as brightly as the flowing water from the fountain. Her crown that hovered above her head was silver and trickled with sparking energy.

She could have represented the god of water if it wasn’t for her massive dragon wings that stretched out of her back.

A dragon.

My eyes moved over to the second woman. Her fierce energy was matched with a level of destructive pride.

She was just as extravagant, her vibrant dress shifting from red to orange. Her hair was tightly curled, her locks a rich orange color with tiny stands of gold, reminding me of tinsel.

Her eyes were striking red, but fragments of dancing flames quietly lingered within their radiant rose-colored surface.

The crown that hovered over her head was made of fire, matching her appearance.

I expected her wings to be similar to the woman on my left, but instead they were surging flames that arched into the shape of wings. It took intense precision to pick up on the lines of her fiery feathers, and I finally cued in to what kind of supernatural she was.

A phoenix.

My recognition clued me in on who these two women were. A smile of gratitude formed on my face while tears formed in my eyes at finally having an image to the voices within my mind.

“Saphire. Freya.”

Their nods of acknowledgment prompted their own smiles. The three of us shared a common look of gratitude.

No other words were needed to express the emotions of belonging and security their reveal had brought me, and the last scene was of their outstretched hands, waiting for mine to lay rightfully within theirs.

THE MEMORY FADED, and I returned into unconsciousness until I woke to an odd man’s voice and the joined bickering of Kai, Blaze, Atticus, and Lyla.

I’d yet to hear Titus’s input, but I somehow resonated with his essence.

“My repetitive choice of words has nothing to do with any of you. Threaten me all you want, but in the end, here I am, ensuring your precious monarch makes a full recovery from her state of royal chrysalis.”

“Chry what?” Kai questioned. “What language is that?”

“We’re still speaking English, Kai,” Blaze responded. “Chrysalis is like a cocoon for caterpillars as they enter a state of hibernation and break free from their sheltered frame as they transition into a butterfly.”

“Then what’s a royal chrysalis?” Kai questioned. “Is it just a fancy term used for monarchs specifically?”

“The royal chrysalis represents the transition of a monarch who goes from a novice state of immense authority to a higher force of superiority.”

The new voice that explained the definition triggered a tense silence until the odd man’s voice declared, “Omarion! About time. I need you to submit these prescriptions for a final check and have them make them immediately. From my detailed observation, its best this marked monarch begins with these pills. Oh, I’ll also need you to cover up the whole death situation going on in Level Four.”

“Death situation?” the man named Omarion questioned.

“Who’s he?” Titus finally confirmed his quiet company, though I’m sure if I could have opened my eyes, I would rather have let my vision answer that question than my ears.

“Hey, Doc,” Omarion greeted before continuing, “And I’m Omarion, a part of the Secret Ops.”

“You’re the double agent,” Lyla spoke up.

“Depends on whether you’re trustworthy enough to know of such details,” Omarion tossed back at her. His words weren’t as threatening as the tone of his voice.

It only made Lyla laugh. “If you expect me to tremble in fear due to your ‘not so scary’ dragon voice, please take a back seat and wait in line. I’ve lived with two of the most powerful dragon supernaturals in this generation. Your mysterious but verbally aggressive tone isn’t giving you ‘cool’ vibes, so fuck off.”

Her statement made Atticus sigh.

“Well…is it hot in here or is it just me?”

“You did this to yourself!” Kai accused. “And brought all of us for the ride.”

“We know he did, silly,” Blaze reminded. “Can you blame him when his mate almost died? It’s like…imagine if you found your little sister in the middle of a black lagoon of water and she’s not breathing. Aren’t you going to freeze over everything and release that nine-tail fox within you and trigger havoc all over the place until you’re given a proper diagnosis for her prompt recovery?”

“When you say it like that, it actually makes sense. That annoys me!” Kai emphasized.

“As it always does when Blaze reminds you to think for once,” Titus muttered under his breath.

“Hey! Hold on.” Kai paused. “Did you say novice?”

“Are you talking to me or Doc?” Omarion questioned.

“The doctor in the lab coat, and why would your name be Doc? That wasn’t actually written on your birth certificate, was it? Jeez, America is far different from our traditions and rules.” He sighed. “We’re not here for those answers anyways. Novice. That’s another word for the basic noob on the block in Japanese videogames, correct?” Blaze proposed.

“Yes.” Titus was the one to answer, followed with Blaze, “And this sudden new info only leaves us to wonder how dangerous it is to keep her here.”

“You guys have the wrong idea here,” Doc emphasized. “She’s far safer in these walls than out among the chaotic world of frantic supernaturals.”

“Frantic supernaturals?” Omarion inquired.

“You of all people know what’s going on,” Doc dismissed the comment. “As for the rest of you, I may not be on top of all that transpires outside of my research, but it’s rather obvious who’s after your little princess.”

The silence that lingered left me in a fluff of confusion.

“So…am I missing the elephant in the room?” Kai inquired. “Hanging out with you guys only makes me feel stupid.”

Atticus sighed. “You’re well aware that Alisha and I are married.”

“So you’ve firmly emphasized,” Titus muttered. “Nothing new.”

“Alisha and I weren’t supposed to marry,” Atticus revealed, ignoring Titus’s blunt commentary.

“What do you mean you weren’t supposed to marry?” Kai inquired. “Was it against your culture or something? That wouldn’t make much sense seeing as you’re both dragons.”

“Hold on,” Blaze interrupted. “Don’t dragon shifters either go with an arranged marriage blessed by their elder council or if they discover their marked mate, they marry that individual?”

“Those are old traditions,” Titus huffed. “Dragons are now given the choice of marrying one of a similar trait or one with whom they share a mark of unity.”

“Sad to say,” Lyla began, “older dragon tribes only recently changed to the new rules. Alisha’s and Atticus’s family dragon clan weren’t so approving until their parents found out.”

Something brushed my cheek, followed by my arm. A pinch of heat crept down my arm, igniting gasps from the others.

“I’m not going to go into details of what this mark means, but what I can say is that Alisha wasn’t originally my destined mate.”

“She wasn’t?” Kai gasped. “How is that possible? You can’t just change born mates.”

“You can,” Titus calmly replied. “When you mate dies, you’re able to do just that.”

“Dies,” Blaze emphasized. “Are you trying to say that Alisha’s previous mate died, and she was then matched with Atticus?”

“No,” Lyla answered. “It’s the opposite.”

“Hold on, I’m confused,” Kai interrupted. “If it’s opposite, doesn’t that mean Alisha would have had to die for this man to be given a new mate?”

“That’s exactly what happened,” Atticus declared, the room growing silent at his revelation. “When Alisha was thirteen, it was obvious that she’d be one of the strongest monarchs in history. Her ‘mate’ didn’t like that and decided it would be best to get rid of the competition.”

“Get rid of her mate?” Kai growled. “That’s bullshit. Why wouldn’t he think that loving her and them building an empire of power together would have been the smarter move?”

“You three haven’t experienced many interactions with Alisha, but it’s rather obvious that she’s an independent badass who wouldn’t take orders lightly, correct?” Lyla reasoned.

“Oh ya, that’s obvious,” Kai replied. “Unless they had a death wish. I don’t, and I’m trying to get over my new phobia of daggers.”

“You’re basically saying that due to her strong personality, he wouldn’t be able to control her,” Blaze concluded.

“It’s bigger than that,” Titus whispered. “Dragons follow whoever projects a higher level of dominance. In a relationship, especially one as high as a royal couple, if the clan notices the woman is far more commanding than the man in strength, magic, and general combat, the woman would earn their respect and fellowship versus the king.”

“Correct.” Omarion was the one who spoke up. “The importance of gender in the dragon clans plays a huge role in this. In the past, women were deemed as weak baggage and would only be good for mating and raising a line of strong males. Female dragons were usually discarded for death or killed before their birth once the gender was revealed to the family. As generations have grown, it’s obvious that some female dragons hold extreme power, but monarch females are extremely rare in their kind.”

“Which leads to another problem,” Atticus announced. “Alisha isn’t just a dragon. She’s a hybrid.”

“With what?” Blaze, Titus, and Kai questioned in unison.

“Phoenix traits.” Lyla was the one to speak. “This is the main problem, and it only became an issue after she died.”

“Let me get this straight so far.” Kai needed a moment. “You’re trying to say that Alisha was born as a dragon shifter and had a douche of a mate that was essentially jealous of her. However, Atticus also had a mate bond with her, didn’t you?”

“I did,” he noted.

“That alone doesn’t make sense.” Kai seemed to be struggling. “I’m trying, but how can she have two mates?”

“You men really have to do some more research.” Doc was the one to speak up. “Alisha Butterfly is a dragon shifter born of monarchy. Monarchs, especially as those born as sole children, come down with two souls, one of wisdom, one of pure power. That means there is a potential for a monarch of two souls to have two mates.”

“Oh shit,” Blaze cursed. “So you’re saying Atticus had a bond with Alisha, but so did this other douche!”

“Correct,” Lyla answered.

“But which was marked to Alisha’s dragon?” Titus questioned.

“Atticus,” Lyla replied. “This leads to the thickening problem that leads to Alisha’s initial death at thirteen.”

“The douche of a mate wasn’t a dragon, but a phoenix shifter. He was trying to locate his mate, and when he felt the bond with Alisha when she was young, he decided to take a different route of confronting our family. He went to a fae and signed a contract that would grant him a glamour strong enough to give the illusion that he was a dragon shifter and not a phoenix.”

“Holy shit. You can do that?!” Kai snapped. “That’s should be against the law.”

“It is.” Blaze’s voice was filled with disgust. “Manipulating a supernatural’s trait with glamor is forbidden. It’s similar to how witches are banned from using black magic. This phoenix must have a fortune, or his family must have been supportive of his conquest for this to happen. Also, those types of glamors take months to instill and require hours of experimentation so it’s believable. That would have to be an investment.”

“That means this douche knew Alisha was his phoenix mate, did a glamor to appear as a dragon shifter, and then decided to introduce himself as Alisha’s dragon mate.”

“And that’s when the friction between two clans began,” Atticus declared.

“You can imagine the sudden introduction of an extremely rich family declaring their only son as Alisha’s mate was a little shocking, but even more so when they decided to confront the dragon clan in private and not inform Alisha, her family, or the dragon’s clan,” Lyla explained. “When Alisha found out, it was an order from the clan while her parents were in the fae realm dealing with an assignment.”

“Fuck, I’d be pissed,” Blaze noted.

“Was the council that old to be so easily fooled by such sly tactics?” Omarion questioned. “I have a strong hunch we’re under similar clans.”

“You’re a dragon?” Kai questioned.

“He’s a dragon god,” Titus announced. There was a long silence.

“Uh…was he supposed to say that?” Kai questioned.

“No, but does Titus care? No.” Blaze concluded.

There was a sigh. “It’s not like it’s a huge secret,” Omarion grumbled. “However, share it with the wrong people and I’ll ensure you stop breathing.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kai replied, his voice a little shaky. “Don’t go killing us.”

“Back to the point.” Lyla reeled the conversation back to the past. “It was a long battle, but Alisha refused to accept this man as her mate. The conflict ended with the man and his wealthy family being kicked out of the clan and banned from being near Alisha. That obviously happened after her parents discovered what was going on and left their assignment to put them in their place. You can guess that this individual wasn’t pleased.”

“Certainly not. Female dragons are usually okay with having a second mate, but Alisha’s defiance must have made his years of sacrifice worthless,” Omarion admitted.

“Did he go all psychotic on you?” Doc questioned.

“Oh no,” Lyla replied. “He simply decided to kidnap Alisha and threaten to kill her.”

No one said a word until Atticus continued, “It took days before the night a massive storm broke out in the middle of the ocean. We’d been searching in different realms, trying to find her, but this sudden storm had to have been triggered, and that’s when we found Alisha.”

“Dead,” Lyla added.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to stay awake. The revelation of this part of my past was suddenly making my head hurt.

“How did you save her then?” Titus’s question was full of interest. “You had to have found her when she’d just died to bring her back, correct?”

“Yes. We’d arrived only a few minutes after she’d stopped breathing. As to how, our bond had helped a little bit, but I can’t explain the other part,” Atticus admitted. “It’s not my place to reveal that part, but another individual helped with her resurrection. We were forced to bring her to the hospital, and thus the reason why the records show she was admitted with broken bones and other injuries. Alisha had minor memory loss, and any mention of this person seemed to been wiped from her memory. It’s the very reason why none of us bring it up, and why I’ll never reveal his name unless necessary.”

“Alright.” Kai sounded serious. “So he left Alisha to perish, hoping he’d be given a new mate. However, she lived.”

“Exactly,” Lyla replied. “But her death was a blessing in disguise for her because her bond with this man was severed and replaced.”

“That means she has a second mate, but it’s not this douche,” Blaze said in astonishment. “But if it’s a blessing in disguise for her, are you saying this douche never got his new mate?”

“Bingo,” Lyla confirmed. “When the issue was first brought up to our attention, we immediately went researching, and it was soon after Alisha was revived and in recovery that we found out that it would take up to ten years for her new mate to reveal himself. The same would apply to this douche.”

“Ten years. You said Alisha’s first interaction with death was when she was thirteen. She’s twenty-two now,” Blaze reasoned.

“Her birthday is close, is it not?” Titus inquired.

“May 13th. Coming up in a few weeks,” Atticus confirmed.

“Ten-year anniversary that reveals her new mate,” Kai noted. “However, I’m not understanding the significance of this. You said the douche wouldn’t get his mate, but now you’re saying that it would ten years for Alisha’s new mate to be revealed. Wouldn’t the same apply to the douche?”

“No,” Titus interjected. “I think what’s trying to be emphasized is that Alisha’s string of fate that is attached to Atticus as her dragon mate, had another string that was connected to this douche. So here she is, two strings attached to two different men, and their string are attached to her. However, due to Alisha’s death that was initiated by the douche, the string connecting her to him was sliced.”

“But the string…that goes from the douche to Alisha was never cut,” Kai slowly realized. “Now it makes sense! Alisha severed her ties with the douche, so she isn’t his mate and her new mate will reveal himself in a few weeks, but the douche’s tie hasn’t been destroyed so when you view it in a spiritual connection, he technically still has a mate! He probably waited the last ten years, thinking he’d get his new mate like Alisha’s about to, but because his attachment to her is still valid…oh fuck.”

“Ten years wasted,” Titus coldly announced. “I have a strong suspicion he had to be the reason Alisha got set up.”

“That’s what we believe,” Lyla agreed.

“It would make the most sense. Timing is pretty perfect. If Alisha’s stuck in prison, her mate can’t necessarily find her. Also, if he starts searching for her, this douche will figure out his reasoning for locating her and kill him before he has a chance,” Atticus explained.

“No wonder why he’s been a stubborn pain in the ass with his sore loser attitude,” Kai huffed. “Why didn’t you tell us this in the beginning?”

“I couldn’t trust you guys yet. With the agreement in place and everyone sworn in magically, I didn’t worry as much, but I like to observe people’s behavior before making drastic decisions, especially when it involves my marked butterfly.”

“Possessive,” Kai, Blaze, and Titus concluded.

“If you know exactly who’s behind this, why aren’t you arresting him?” Omarion inquired. “The evidence is rather obvious.”

An eerie chuckle made the room silent.

“Omarion. You’re an investigator. It doesn’t take a genius to see the multiple reasons why this man is walking free. No matter his crime against someone as powerful as a monarch, money rules this world and favors are even more desirable. If this man is desperate to either claim Alisha as his own or kill her, all he has to do is throw his money to the highest bidder. Whoever bids to get the job done will get the big, fat cheque for money or exchange of actual elemental power. If this man had connections to a fae that can use glamor to that extent of trickery, I can only imagine their status or the organization they work for.”

“Organization,” Blaze repeated the word. “You believe this douche or maybe the fae that helped him works for someone else?”

“As a doctor specializing in rare supernaturals, I can assure you that no fae with the ability to use dark glamor to change a shifter’s entire genetic makeup wouldn’t already be paid heavily to work in the silent chambers of a massive organization. In our case, it has to be a powerful group that wants to get rid of any supernaturals that pose the threat of overpowering them. ” He paused. “Would make intriguing sense to quietly sentence a monarch to life in imprisonment, only for her to be claimed by a master from her past and taken to a place where no one will be able to find her again. Pretty solid plan until her mate and three random supernaturals decided to join forces, something supernaturals don’t do often, and screwed up their entire plan. Now all they can do is work from the inside to get rid of your princess, but even with Psychic Prison’s lack of protection within our walls, they don’t play around with the outside.”

“What do you mean?” Titus questioned. “The security here is trash.”

“Interior, yes. Exterior? Good fucking luck. The only exit that’s not securely bonded is on Level Four. Exiting through that route is the only way you’d get out of the place, but there’s no way of getting back in unless you’re a returning prisoner. What does that mean? All the scary, rich assholes that want to get in, can’t.”

“What if they act like a master? We were able to get in just fine,” Blaze pointed out.

“There’s a rule with masters,” Omarion spoke up. “You recall going through a scanner before you signed the copies of your documentation, correct?”

“Yes,” Blaze answered.

“If your intention is to remove a prisoner from captivity, it’ll show. It doesn’t matter how your body reacts or uses magic to try and fake it. You three applied for the role of masters for personal reasons but none that would encourage the immediate removal of Alisha Butterfly from her circumstances.”

“Then what about Atticus?” Kai questioned. “Wasn’t your reason for bidding to get her out?”

“No,” Atticus calmly replied. “Getting her out is indeed a goal, but not with the current risk of her being hunted. We’d just finished taking down one of the top criminals of this generation. Intriguing timing for Alisha to be targeted by a mass group, retrieved from the ocean, revived, and awakened in a tightly secured hospital that wouldn’t allow even royalty entrance. The underground bidding was my only shot to keep her in a place that’s secure on the outside. To her enemies, she’s trapped in this place. To us, it’s a decoy while we try and gather enough information and money to fight back.”

“Then what’s holding you back from pressing charges?” Omarion concluded.

“Money for one, and enough supernatural force to counter,” Lyla answered. “None of us expected the bid to be this high. Atticus has been keeping the extent of how serious this was from Alisha’s family because they have close ties with the dragon clan’s leader and the fae queen. If everything is revealed to quickly, we may trigger a supernatural war, and that’s something we’re trying to avoid. The money used to save Alisha in the bidding was Atticus’s savings. We still have a bit, but not near enough to defend ourselves if things get ugly. This world runs by the dollar bills in your account, and so far, the douche beats us with his family’s fortune.”

“That’s why you need to join forces.” Omarion sounded deep in thought. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Atticus questioned. “You make it seem like you’re suddenly joining us.”

“Well, I’m here aren’t I?” Omarion reasoned.

“Why are you here, anyway?” Kai questioned. “No one invited you.”

“You’re now realizing my existence as though I wasn’t apart of this conversation.” Omarion sounded ticked off. “Back to what I was saying. Yes, I may be intrigued enough to join forces. However, that depends on how my current case goes. It’s about time the organizations that want to overpower the ‘bad’ within the realms of supernaturals join forces, but we’d need more royals.”

“More royals, as in monarchs?” Kai clarified.

“I doubt we’d find another monarch like Alisha. However, if we can locate one or two more royal supernaturals and have their family’s support, we could stand a chance. That also means we’ll be able to have more wiggle room in fighting against these charges. When we finally reveal our plans, we will hit them with enough evidence to get Alisha out, as well as anyone else who’s been falsely accused or kidnapped.”

“If only it was that easy as you make it sound,” Lyla noted.

“May not be easy, but it’s doable with time and patience,” Omarion countered.

“How can we trust you?” Atticus questioned. “You’re a double agent.”

“I work as a double agent for the sake of saving the good of humanity. May I also remind you that I’m a god and I’m pretty positive I knew which dragon clan the three are you from.”

“Is three including Titus?” Kai whispered.

“Probably,” Blaze noted.

“Which?” Atticus prompt.

“Cyldrirth.”

“Hmph.” That’s all Atticus said while Titus muttered, “That was obvious when they’re the head clan of what? Thousands of little clans? If you’re trying to act cool, you’re not.”

“We may have located the lost princess of Cyldrirth,” he announced.

Even in my half-conscious state, I couldn’t miss the sudden heaviness in the room.

“She’s here?” Lyla questioned.

“No,” Omarion answered. “Different prison. One far fancier than this dump.”

“Dubai.” Titus sounded upset. “That place is full of a bunch of royal criminals. I’m not going there.”

“You don’t have to,” Omarion noted. “I’ll figure out how we can get access and see if we can locate her, but she could be one of the royals that help us.”

“You’re missing one key piece,” Lyla noted.

“Which is?”

“There are two princesses,” Lyla acknowledged. “Where’s the other?”

“We’re unsure,” Omarion replied.

“Then good luck.” Lyla brushed off the idea. “You’re going to need both.”

“Why?” Kai asked. “Are they twins or something?”

“Hit the nail on the head,” Lyla replied. “Which remains here. That’s information only those close to the royal families know about.”

“This is giving me a headache.” Kai sighed. “Now that we kinda have an idea what our apparent enemy has planned for us, are we going to take the time to formulate a plan or what? Alisha’s powerful and can handle things herself as she clearly demonstrated after surviving the collapse of that part of the mines and somehow escaping Level Four with every limb intact. She won’t be down for us ‘guarding’ her. Well, maybe Titus, since you can’t see him the majority of the time.”

“You sound disappointed,” Titus said in amusement.

“Every boy has once wished to have invisibility powers, okay?” Kai whined.

“We need a game plan.” Blaze returned to the point. “I think with everything you explained, Alisha’s safer down here. Obviously, it’s not comfortable in comparison to the outside world, but with her current state and amnesia, it’s the safest route.”

“Hey, Doc,” Lyla began. “You think there’s a way to remove the block on Alisha?”

“That is the purpose of these meds,” he replied. “As well as making sure she doesn’t bring the walls down again. I like my pay and don’t want any budget cuts happening in my department over her display of power.”

“You’re not getting a budget cut,” Lyla groaned. “And Alisha hates pills.”

“Well, she has no choice but to take these. It’s a mandatory order,” Doc noted. “However, I’m making sure Omarion is getting them from the pharmacy.”

“You don’t trust they’ll give the right meds,” Titus stated.

“Of course not. This is prison where anyone can be your enemy.” Doc laughed.

“And we’re supposed to trust you because?” Kai questioned.

“I don’t have time for backstabbing and the dirty stuff. As long as I get to do my research, my life is peaceful.”

“So what’s the plan?” Titus spoke up. “Alisha’s birthday is soon. Meaning there will be more attacks down the line if this guy gets desperate.”

“We’ll have to distract him from the outside while keeping Alisha safe on the inside,” Atticus emphasized.

“Let her start taking her meds first. As of now, with the new set of prisoners, it’ll be risky for this man to order another inside attack,” Omarion suggested. “Now that we have a better idea of what’s happening, we can start formulating a plan that can implement a domino effect.”

“Still haven’t even introduced yourself,” Kai muttered. “You know, in my culture introductions are rather vital before making an alliance.”

“Omarion Davis,” he introduced. “There. I can sign a magical agreement with my blood if you need my sworn secrecy.”

“Cool,” Blaze replied. “We should move the signing and blood to another room.”

“When do you think Alisha will be awake, Doc?”

“Few more hours. Her recovery is based on her mental healing process. The liquid medicine I’ve injected during the course of her unconsciousness should aid in that.”

“Well, let’s get moving,” Kai encouraged.

“She’ll be okay to stay here?” Atticus clarified.

“No need. I can stay behind,” Titus volunteered.

“Would be appreciated,” Atticus noted.

“Then I’ll accompany Omarion to get the meds,” Doc concluded.

“When Alisha wakes up, explain to her that she needs to keep a low profile,” Omarion suggested.

There was a soft giggle. “I feel you’re asking the impossible for a monarch. Remember, this incident happened with Alisha minding her own business after she felt unwell, and look how that turned out?” Lyla explained.

“We’ll figure it out,” Blaze concluded. “Let’s get moving so we can get the ball rolling.”

“On this quest for payback! Man, ex-boyfriends are sure something.”

“They never dated,” Atticus growled.

“Hey, hey. Don’t go blowing steam at me. I’m just trying to lighten the mood!”

The shuffling in the room faded as the sound of the door closing left a quietness in the room.

A soft touch to my cheek told me Titus had remained.

“A man desperate for this woman he let get away. Tsk. He doesn’t know what he’s started.”

That was all I heard, before the cool touch faded away like his soft presence. The silence that followed triggered the clawing darkness, but I was grateful for its arrival because my mind was flooded with far too many questions and no answers to guide me.

We know what the enemy desires of me, but how will this all play out when we’re missing the right chess pieces?

PAST CIRCUMSTANCES AND SHELTERED SHELL

“Why are you here exactly?” I mumbled in boredom as I stared in the mirror of my vanity. “I thought we all made it clear that I’m not someone who needs to be babysat.”

“Oh, I know you’re not,” Kai declared. “I just like bending the rules once and a while so you don’t get too comfortable.”

The wink of his orange eye annoyed me, and I rolled my eyes as I returned to staring at my reflection. Today was one of those ‘participation’ days, and I’d decided to head to the underground cafeteria.

The weeks were going by in the same old routine, and I was starting to get utterly irritated by it. Captivity wasn’t for the faint of heart. But there some good to my current predicament.

A new prisoner had recently arrived, a Level One human girl.

The human part made me laugh because there was no way a human would be thrown into a place like this, but our introduction had been quite a rare occurrence.

“SUPERNATURAL CATFIGHT!”

The common declaration of a fight didn’t bother me, and I continued to focus on my tray of food I hadn’t touched yet.

“I don’t want to fight! Why the fuck are you swinging at me like a damn log?” a woman shouted, her voice piquing my interest, but I carried on with the task of eating.

The silence that followed made me wonder if the fight was already over with a single punch, but the crawling sense that someone was staring in my direction had my senses tingling while my psychic abilities awakened to catch onto the simple thought

“Who is she?”

The tone of the voice matched that of the woman who’d questioned the whole purpose of fighting, but I never had the chance to question it.

“DON’T IGNORE ME!” The mangled declaration was followed with a roar, the glass on my table shaking from the vibrations of the loud sound.

I gave up on trying to show my lack of interest. All my sense were on fire and my instincts forced me to turn my head in time to see a woman go flying through the air after being punched in the ribs.

She had long brown locks and slightly pale skin. She was wearing the Level One uniform. She didn’t give off supernatural vibes at first glance. I was immediately reminded of the talk of a human prisoner that had been quite a nuisance since her arrival.

Either way, I knew if no one interfered, she’d be dead the moment she hit the concrete of the wall behind me.

She wouldn’t just hit the wall. She’d go through a few walls at that speed.

It also meant she was on a direct course in hitting my table and taking me along for the ride.

We weren’t going to have that type of fun today.

With a graceful movement, I was out of my seat and putting all my concentration on catching the woman who was heading towards my table. The rush of magic worked swiftly, halting the woman’s approaching doom.

“Fuck. Ow…” Her response was expected, considering the bit of whiplash she’d endured from my rushed psychic catch.

I noticed how the guards were calling for reinforcements while the vast number of prisoners who were watching the unfolding events were pressed against the walls in fear.

My gaze rose up and to the side just slightly, just as the woman looked down to meet my gaze. I kept my cold persona, my magic now coursing through me with purpose and giving me the empowerment I needed to play my royal role to perfection.

My pressed lips were glossy from the lip gloss Lyla suggested I wear on the regular to keep my lips nice and smooth. It did a good job of emphasizing my dissatisfaction when I lacked any emotion on my expression.

The woman’s wide blue eyes were staring down at me, fear flickering through them while her thoughts hit me.

“She soooo doesn’t like me. I am fucked.”

I found it a little amusing, but I kept that hidden behind my mask.

“MOVE!”

The roar of the prisoner responsible for all this commotion drew my attention to the gorilla woman stampeding our way.

I mentally tugged my magic back into my possession, knowing the purple and white light that surrounded the woman I’d saved would vanish. I heard her body crash to the floor, but now my focus was on the approaching enemy.

I couldn’t believe this prisoner was so blinded by rage that she’d pick a fight with me - of all the prisoners in this place. How could she not sense the level difference in power between us?

A thought crossed my mind, leaving me to wonder if this woman was an inside job, similar to when I was about to be jumped without Freya’s interference weeks ago.

What suddenly surprised me was my vision being blocked by brown locks of hair that began to levitate with rushing magic. Everything slowed, my magic suddenly heightening everything I was witnessing.

My shock was only the icing on the cake as the woman’s last thoughts hit me like a plague.

“Forgive me. I at least died with honor.”

As if I’d let her die. However, that thought triggered a force far more powerful than mine in that second. Crushing heat bloomed from her skin, and I watched in amazement as her brown locks shifted to a dazzling turquoise, with bits of gold and orange tinsel highlights.

Her arm that rose up in defense began to glow, a tattoo of the same turquoise shade burning brightly as if it was the sudden key to her shot of power.

The jolts of orange and turquoise static electricity were creating an electric frenzy, one that when impacted by the gorilla’s attack would create a reflective effect strong enough to send her flying back in a blur.

The entire room shook as the woman crashed through multiple walls. The shaking impact ignited screams of fright, broke metal pillars away from the walls and ceiling, and caused multiple rocks to fall from their previously untouched sanctuary.

No one moved as the room fell into a tense silence. Time had returned to its regular movement, and I was trying to determine if what I’d just witness was nothing but an illusion.

The woman’s hair was back to normal, those striking turquoise locks still lingering in my mind. The tattoo on her arm was still blazing with energy, and it drew in all the eyes of the room.

It was far too difficult to explain the feelings that overcame my senses, but one was the most prominent.

Pride.

This woman didn’t need to protect me. Fuck, barely anyone in this place aside from Kitty and Ivy would dare stand up for me. I’d been a quiet observer during this captive journey, but I learned quickly that everyone would rather watch in anticipation of your doom then stand in harm’s way for your sake.

Yet, this woman, one with human characteristics and who lacked an elemental aura, stood before me with not a second delay to protect me.

Not to return the favor, but to protect a woman of royalty, an instinct only a few worthy souls would be able to pick up on.

“Worthy.”

The single word left me before I could think, that commanding force that hovered within me suddenly oozing off of me in waves while I stared at this woman.

She turned around, her shaky body now facing me, but her image kept going back and forth - one second reflecting the innocent woman with wide eyes, unsure of the hidden power inside of her, and the next second she’d be the dazzling beauty from my vision, the blue-haired, confident individual that overflowed with commanding energy like mine.

There was no second-guessing in my mind and I didn’t need anyone else’s confirmation of the potential this woman carried.

Monarchy. Royal heritage. Ever-flowing power. One half of twin souls.

It took me a minute to realize I was smiling at her with admiration, watching her glowing blue eyes fill with tears of joy.

I’m sure my acknowledgment was overwhelming for her, as it should be. I felt a pulsating force of empowerment coursing through my veins. She deserved to accept how worthy she was in this vast underground hellhole of a cafeteria.

She was the only one here ready to lay her life on the line for me. That deserved recognition at the highest level within these walls.

Charging footsteps were coming our way, and I noticed the sudden pale complexion of the woman’s face as the brilliant aura that had once wrapped around her with an endless flow vanished like a snap of one’s fingers.

The woman fell forward, the sudden loss of magic contributing to her loss in consciousness. I outstretched my arm, catching her before she could hit the ground.

Her weight was nothing to me in this state, and I turned my attention on the illiterate group of soldiers, who were only now trying to fix this shit of a mess.

“Give the pris-” a short guard tried to demand from me, but I interrupted him, “Dare to kill her and I’ll ensure you all die within the hour.”

I had to give myself a pat on the back, loving how icy my voice was in this shining moment. We didn’t have time to play games or waste precious moments on stupid questions from guards who couldn’t even do their jobs.

I’d be better off protecting myself with a stick.

The woman’s body was trembling, a common symptom of the drop of magic abilities. If she didn’t get treatment, she’d die within minutes.

Can’t have that when she’s yet to go through her evolution.

“You can’t—”

“Did you forget what I am? Do you need a reminder of what a monarch can do?”

Now this man was just testing my patience. The thick silence that followed proved that everyone knew I was a few ticks away from igniting utter mayhem.

“Whoever thought human guards were best for breakfast duty is an idiot. I’ve avoided coming here due to boredom, but this new predicament excites me. Do what I say and don’t delay, for I have plenty of connections within these walls, though that’s the least of your concern. I am the pure definition of psychic misery, and if you decide to disobey, do not beg for forgiveness when I plague your fragile minds with blissful catastrophe.”

No one dared talk back to my words, and it gave me the last push of confidence to carry on, “Treat her and let the dragon guard know. Tell the authorities the gorilla started it. I better see every bit of hair on this woman’s pretty head intact, and no punishment should be given, understood?”

“Y-yes, Priso—”

“Alisha Butterfly. Or, ‘Your Majesty’ if you can’t recall out of fear. Now be gone so I can eat. I have business to attend to.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

I really didn’t have any business to attend to, but I just wanted to get out of here. I’d spent far too much energy and wanted to relax and relive this moment for my journal writing.

Glancing between two guards that only had thoughts of pleasing me for the sake of not dying before some Super Bowl game, I passed the woman over to them.

“Take care of her until one of the commanding guards arrives.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” they declared.

I walked over to my food, only to look at it in disgust. Clapping my hand, the servant who’d been assigned to me today rushed over and bowed.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”

“I’m returning to my chambers. Request a fresh batch of food to be delivered to my door.”

“Yes, ma’am!” She took the tray and scurried away, while I turned around and headed for the exit.

I was ignoring the multiple whispers, when a sudden thought caught my attention.

“Holy crap. I’ll have to inform Ms. Willow of this! Cassandra Thorn. She has to be lying about being human. No way could she send that gorilla informant flying. I better be careful.”

My eyes quickly scanned the crowds, but I couldn’t figure out where the thought came from, rushing thoughts of useless fears and excitement drowning my senses.

Shutting off my ability, I entered the hall but hoped I’d interact with this woman once more.

THE ENTIRE INCIDENT had been a delightful moment, but also proved that whatever I’d seen in my previous vision before my arrival at Psychic Prison was finally coming to fruition.

The conversation made during my unconscious state weeks ago still lingered in my mind. I hadn’t revealed that I’d overheard everything, not seeing the need to share.

It did bother me just a bit that none of them thought it was important to share about this apparent rejected mate, who was now one of the reasons why I was now ‘enjoying’ this imprisonment life, but I guess I had other things to worry about.

Like growing my psychic abilities, being consistent with my physical activity and training, and reading more about what I am as a dragon phoenix hybrid. All the important stuff to get my butt out of here when the time is right.

My friendships with Kitty and Ivy had been going fine and dandy, and I was beginning to get used to Blaze’s, Titus’s, and even Kai’s company, though we’d yet to have longer interactions with one another.

The occasional check-ins and small talks were all I’d been granted with how busy things were beginning to become.

The quiet whispers of more supernaturals being kidnapped on the outside and others going missing only for their bodies to be discovered later on were the talk of this month.

It perked my interest, but it proved that something bigger was happening under our noses and if we weren’t careful, we’d fall right into their sinister trap.

Feeling a headache creeping into the left side of my brain, I let out a sigh. “Can’t I skip today?”

“You’re already dressed,” Kai pointed out the obvious as I glanced at my usual black tights and black crop top combo. If I had to mingle with other prisoners, I might as well remain in comfortable wear.

Just in case I have to kick some ass.

“I have a headache.”

“Really?” Kai walked over from where he’d been leaning next to the bookshelf. When he stood behind where I sat, he lifted his hand to press against my forehead.

The sudden gesture made me feel odd, a flutter of emotions hitting me while he lifted his left hand to press against his forehead.

“Hmm. You are a little on the warm side.”

His words echoed as my mind drifted to a memory.

“MOMMY. MY HEAD HURTS.”

My tired eyes fought hard to remain open as I sat in my massive bed.

“Oh, dear.” The gentle voice of a tall, slender woman reached my ears. I looked up to see the sensational beauty in a long black nightgown.

Those bundles of purple locks with black highlights, her hair long and full of curly waves. Her purple eyes peered down into mine before she reached out to press her hand against mine.

She lifted her other hand to press onto hers, and she took a moment to close her eyes.

“Hmm. Looks like you’re getting a fever, sweet butterfly. Do you still want to play with Atticus and Lylashina? I can canc-”

“No! I want to play with them!” I moved her hand and fought to get out of bed. “I want them here.”

My body began to lift up and my mom caught me before I could get too high up for her to reach.

“Easy there, my butterfly. No drifting to the ceiling like last time.”

I giggled at the memory.

“Mommy, can I please have playtime? Pretty please?!”

“How about this?” She lowered me to rest against her chest. “I’ll get you some medicine, and you guys can play in your room today. That way you don’t overexert yourself. Does that sound like a good plan?”

“Yes!” I hugged her neck. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too, Alisha. Now, let me get your medicine.”

“Okay!”

“ALISHA.”

The firm shake to my shoulders tugged me out of the memory, bringing me back to reality as I was now turned to the side, staring into Kai’s worried eyes.

“I’m okay,” I calmly reassured him, but I realized a set of tears had left my eyes and streamed down my cheeks.

Why am I crying? It was just a memory.

Kai’s serious expression made me worry that he’d bombard me with a ton of questions regarding what I’d seen.

This was one of the things I feared when I’d decided to fuck being so stubborn about making new relationships.

The fear of being seen as a weak woman continued to set a hovering dread over me whenever I was alone with one of these three. It’s was a silly reaction within my mind, something I acknowledged only after my body responded negatively to it.

I waited for Kai to react, but instead, he nodded and slowly turned my body over to face the mirror once more.

“Can I do something odd for a guy?” It was a peculiar question, but now I was intrigued to find out what he found odd for a male.

“Sure.”

My eyes watched him in confusion as he began to gather some stuff from my vanity. Some makeup, combs, hair clips, and skin creams laid out neatly on the vanity.

He moved my bench slightly back; my added weight was nothing to him as he positioned himself before me.

“Alright. Take a deep breath.”

I followed his instructions, taking a deep inhale.

“Now let it out nice and slow,” he coached, and I followed through. We continued to do a few more inhale and exhale exercises before he instructed me to close my eyes.

I was hesitant at first, but I decided to go along with it. If he’d wanted to kill me, there were plenty of times he could have done just that. I knew that my anxiety was only playing tricks on me.

Closing my eyes, I felt him get to work on applying cream to my face. From the way he massaged it on the skin, it only took me a while to realize it was those face mask applicators.

The sudden thought of him giving me a facial helped get rid of the lingering sadness from the previous flashback.

When he was finished, he moved right along to combing my hair, his soft fingers massaging my scalp prior to him beginning to comb out any tangles from my rather active night of kissing and other shenanigans with Atticus.

While Kai continued to work on my hair, I tried to see myself with him or even the others. The possibility was there, but it felt as though something was holding me back from discovering more.

Am I the one holding myself back?

It was a question I’d have to face eventually. My commitment wasn’t the problem, seeing as I was fine with being with Atticus. It was my fear of opening my heart to more that continued to drag me down.

This was something I’d have to confront sooner or later.

It’s only a matter of time.

Kai continued to work on my hair, softly humming a song that made me relax even more. With the time he was taking to work on my long strands, I assumed he was doing some funky hairstyle of some sort.

My eyes remained closed the entire time. I wanted to keep whatever he was doing a surprise, but I did wonder what he was up to.

When he was finished with my hair, he worked on my face. He had to be applying makeup, and I was oddly excited by it.

The whole process must have taken thirty minutes, which was fine seeing as the underground cafeteria was opened for a good portion of the morning and afternoon.

As long as I show up at some point in the day. That was all that mattered.

When he finished, he patted my shoulders.

“Alright, my queen. Open your eyes.”

His soft voice sent shivers through me, and when I opened my eyes I was left in awe of my reflection.

My previous appearance was elevated to another level of beauty. The way the simple black eyeshadow was accented with black eyeliner made my eyes pop out.

The lovely extension of my lashes only made it hard for me to not stare. My pale skin was contoured perfectly, bits of highlights on my cheek just above the light pink blush.

My lips were lined with a nude pink liner, the lipstick and twinkling gloss giving me a soft touch.

My eyebrows were thin but full, and my hair was now in beautiful curls.

I looked as though I was going out for some occasion, but I knew that wasn’t the case.

Is this his way of trying to cheer me up?

“Back when I lived in Japan, we went through some rough patches in our lives but couldn’t speak about it,” he whispered.

My eyes met his oranges ones in the reflection, noticing the wisdom in them as he peered into my magenta ones.

“Japan, Korea, a lot of Asian cultures. Our traditions and laws are really different in comparison to America. From the way we’re raised to the important teachings we’re delivered daily. However, in our family, especially with what we are, it felt as though we were living a double life.”

He paused to look at the hairbrush laying on the marble surface of the vanity.

“As kitsunes, we’re extremely rare supernaturals. Being a Yokai kitsune is even more serious. To most people who know of our existence, it’s a term used to emphasize our ability to become a nine-tailed fox. Due to this, we were raised in a strict upbringing, and due to the tension between our parents, arguments happened often. One little word could trigger a heated fight that could lead to days of silence in our home.”

His eyes seemed to twinkle in the mirror, a soft smile forming on his lips.

“Those times were especially hard on my sister. She’d sit down at her little wooden vanity and cry. Silent tears of frustration that our family was breaking apart. Whenever that would happen, I’d come in and simply do her hair and makeup. It’s something frowned upon because that kind of stuff is what women do and not men, but I wanted to make things easier for my sister, especially with coping with our parents’ approaching divorce.”

He met my gaze once more, moving a strand back into its spot as his grin widened.

“Living in this supernatural world is hard, but when you’re within an environment that traps you in a constant cycle of anger, fear, and self-doubt, it’s difficult to cope. Sometimes you want to scream and cry. To bang the walls out of anger and beg the world to listen to how everything is affecting you. Other times, you feel so alone, that no matter how many tears fall to the floor beneath you, the aching sadness never seems to end, until your body gives in to rest.”

With a slight nod of his head, he continued, “When you wake up the next day, you realize you’ve lived another day, and it’s that opportunity to either let the dread of the past hold you back or start fresh and pray for better.”

He moved from behind me to sit next to me on the bench. Turning his head to meet my intense gaze, he gently placed his hand on mine that rested next to my thigh on the bench.

“Amnesia is a scary thing. I’ve dealt with it before, and the path towards recovery was hard when I assumed that those around me would think of me as nothing but a burden.”

His words hit home, shocking me into revealing such an expression. His softened eyes gave me an appreciative look as he slowly nodded.

“I won’t go into details of what happened, but Blaze and Titus were there to help me out. We’ve been keeping our distance, not because of our roles as masters, but because we’re waiting for you to feel comfortable with getting to know us.”

He picked my hand up and squeezed it softly, glancing back at the mirror as I followed suit.

“I’m telling you this because I don’t want you feeling as though your flashbacks are a burden to us or vulnerability around us. They’re needed for you to take a step forward onto that path of recovery, and once you’ve gathered enough pieces to the puzzle, it’ll all come rushing back to you like a winded blur.”

“What if I regain my memories and don’t want more?” My voice was barely audible, but he understood what I meant.

“Then we’ll remain friends.” He grinned. “When we decided to bid for ownership of you, Alisha, it wasn’t out of ill intention.”

“It…wasn’t?”

I’d always been curious as to why they continued to help us.

“The three of us participate in these biddings to help captive supernaturals that have been kidnapped. It’s something we started to do after Titus discovered this place, and we decided to do it as a team. The three of us have been best friends for a while, and the sudden desire to help save as many as our own kind grew with every prisoner we saved from the sick games of our fellow supernaturals. When you suddenly showed up on the board and so many rushed to try and bid, we realized you may have been kidnapped. We joined forces with Atticus when it became necessary, but we’re glad we did. You’re pretty cool.”

“Even though I hate your guts the most?”

He actually laughed. “Trust me, I’m more tolerable than people think.” He reached out to tap my nose with his left index finger.

“I act a certain way on purpose, but when you peal through the naive man of many questions, you unlock an intriguing side of wonder and possibility.”

He rose up and began to make his way to the door.

“Titus will be around to make sure you’re okay in the underground today. I’m going to go out and get some more sketchbooks and journals.”

His mention of the books in question only reminded me that I’d been complaining about both sets of books being low on paper. They both had served their purpose in helping time move by faster, and now that they were both almost full, I was beginning to worry about not getting another journal or sketchbook.

He’s a lot nicer than I’ve been giving him credit for.

“Thank you, Kai,” I softly expressed.

“You’re welcome, beautiful butterfly.”

His use of the butterfly term made me smile slightly, the word seemingly becoming a nickname.

“Kai?”

“Yes, Alisha?”

“Is it okay to ask a personal question?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“Where’s your sister?” I softly asked, hoping I wasn’t assuming the worse.

He grinned and looked away as he held the knob of the door.

“She’s locked away in the heart of Japan’s most lethal prison.”

That’s all he said as he opened the door and closed it behind him.

I had so many questions, but I knew when the time was right to open myself to Kai, he’d reveal more.

It was time for me to start breaking free from my sheltered shell.

EMBRACE THE SHADOW

“Dammit. If I have to use this piece of lingerie one more time, I’ll die.” I glared at the piece of black fabric, angered by the fact that it was on the verge of shambles.

It was my fault for not informing Lyla that I was running low on underwear. She’d asked me again and again, and I’d reassured her that I had more than enough to last me a while.

What the hell did my amnesia ass know when my clothes were always picked out for me? It became a daily routine for the guys to pick the outfit of the day. Many times, it was my usual comfortable black tights and crop tops, but with the increased training sessions with Lyla, I had a black tight shorts and tank top combo for the longer days of mental and physical training.

I’d figured out that Titus and Atticus had a similar taste in what they liked me to wear during the evenings I’d spend dinner in their company.

They enjoyed it when I wore really elegant clothing, lavish dresses that complemented my figure, but I could tell with Atticus, he chose dresses that were easier to slip right off.

Figures.

Kai and Blaze were rather random with their clothing choices, throwing me in unique combos of outfits from the most simplistic pajamas to Kai’s curiosity of seeing me in a kimono.

Where they were getting these outfits from was beyond me, but it helped the days go by when I chose to remain down here versus interacting with common prisoners.

My week usually consisted of physical training four times a week, three days of mental training that helped with my psychic and levitation abilities, and any of the free time that remained was my time.

I’d spend my free time trying to read what I could, and during my off days, I’d write in my journal or spend some time doodling.

Things were beginning to get busy outside these walls, the guys all working towards getting more information about multiple possible suspects responsible for my current predicament.

I obviously knew who their prime suspect was, but they weren’t aware of that just yet. As for mandatory attendance to group activities, I’d been doing a decent job of going to the underground cafeteria once a week.

It had become interesting when I began to attend once in a while to talk with Ivy. She was honestly a quiet individual when she wasn’t around people just trusted, but she too was assigned to masters who kept her busy - like me.

Every two weeks I’d be able to get my nails done by Kitty, a time for us to chitchat and become even closer friends. She and Ivy were growing closer to me in many ways, and I was honestly beginning to open my tight walls in the friendship department.

As for the prisoner that had stood up for me, I ended up meeting her again when I approached her table a few days back.

She still carried that naive part of her, but I was hoping that things would look up for in these desolate walls.

We’d started this once a week dinner meetup, and I’d yet to miss a session. It was just the three of us – Cassandra, Ivy, and I enjoying small talk while my servants were now getting each of us something warm to eat.

Amazing how each of our situations felt like it was on course to a different route, only to realize how similar we were. We each were in similar circumstances, with a group of individuals trying to locate us.

It was surprising because we were various types of supernaturals with odd spectrums of life. Our shifter traits alone were different, just like our sense of style and fashion. Regardless of those differences, we could hold a conversation with little problem, and it was something I honestly found refreshing.

My previous superstition that these two individuals were a part of this hidden alliance I’d foreseen in my vision remained true. It was only a matter of time, but lingering doubts worried me regarding the future.

Would I be strong enough to assist them? Will I no longer be wearing a mask of confidence and instead be fighting with the strength I know is within?

My body hummed with tingling energy, and I felt the soft brush along my bare shoulders.

“Titus,” I whispered his name, feeling him around me. It had gotten far easier to know where he was, even when he purposely tried to hide it from me.

Today wasn’t one of those cases, as the brush along my shoulders happened again. I turned around from my dilemma to watch his body begin to form on the surface, black flames igniting in a quiet dance until the man in question was standing before me.

He took an exaggerated gaze down my body that was still butt naked. I couldn’t really change when my underwear was on death row.

Crossing my arms over my chest to cover my nipples, I stared at his emotionless expression until I noticed the bag he was carrying.

“What’s that?”

“A delivery.” He casually shrugged. “Just debating whether I should give it to you or not.”

“Who’s it from?” I questioned.

“Lyla.”

“Aww. Isn’t that romantic?” I grinned at the thought, still unsure what was in there. “Are we going somewhere tonight?”

“Don’t think so.” That’s all he said, leaving us in silence.

“Aren’t you going to give me the gift?” I inquired.

“You have to earn it.”

My left eyebrow arched in curiosity, and I boldly walked up to him, until we were inches apart.

“Now what would I have to do to earn it, Titus? I’m pretty good at getting what I desire. Challenges merely make it fun.”

My eyes studied his carefully, and I felt that pulling sensation. I’d been ignoring it for weeks now, the sizzling magic that wished to connect us. I didn’t experience it with Atticus to this extent.

With Atticus, it pulled and left me in a state of lustful desperation, but this power thrumming between us was softer. Calmer. A force that tugged us together, but also didn’t want things going far too fast.

It was difficult to explain, and with my lack of knowledge in this specific department, it was harder to determine exactly what was going on between us.

“You have to answer a set of questions,” he finally bestowed.

“Go ahead.” I smirked in defiance, feeling Saphire within my mind, waiting for these questions so she could help me answer them.

I think it was easy to confirm that I loved challenges, but where exactly this was going was beyond me.

“What are shadow dragons?”

“Rare supernatural beings of darkness who can use flames as their secondary element,” I responded. “They can move amongst the shadows, or travel with their dark element. It’s extremely hard to pinpoint their location unless you become familiar with their aura. Even with familiarity, their stealth skills are top-notch. Very few can find them in stealth form, but if one does, the dragon owes the winner a favor.”

I actually didn’t know half of what I was saying. I realized that Saphire was feeding me information, but it was in a way that neither of us noticed, and I had to give her a mental pat on the back for being so sneaky.

“Do you like hide and seek?” He moved right along to the second question, his eyes still locked on mine.

“Amongst friends? Sure. Amongst enemies? Not really.”

“Amongst lovers.”

I smirked. “Bring it on.”

His lips actually perked up slightly, his mismatched eyes reflecting his intrigued nature.

“In order to get your gift, you have to find me in this room. If you do, you’ll get your reward and a bonus.”

“Is the bonus of my choosing?”

“Sure.”

“Excellent.” I flicked my hair out of my face. “Let the Hide and Seek Games begin.”

His body faded into black mist, and I moved to sit back on the bed. This was going to be tricky because that original sensation I felt when he was around had completely vanished.

Saphire? Any assistance?

“Shadow dragons are a pain to find in stealth mode,” she emphasized, but from her joyous tone, I had a feeling she was onto something.

You know something.

“I do.”

Then why aren’t you sharing your pool of wisdom?

“I’m unsure if you’d do it.”

Test me.

“Shadow dragons can’t keep up their stealth if they’re aroused.”

Oh.

“You’re intrigued and confused.”

Intrigued, yes. Confused, because I’ve never tried to find invisible cock before.

Sapphire laughed, the sudden sound like a melodic tune from the gods.

“No need to search for invisible cock. It’ll come to you if you tease it enough.”

You’re not suggesting I masturbate to reel in our invisible man, are you?

I’m totally suggesting you masturbate so you can reel in Titus and get a good fucking. Your wet dreams of you sandwiched between Atticus and Titus are getting annoying.

My cheeks actually blushed to the point that I began fanning my face with my hand.

You shouldn’t know that.

“We’re the same person, sweetheart. I know far more than you think I know. Now relax and get working on reeling in your prey. You already have a head start.”

That’s all she said, fading away once more and leaving me in a hollow mess of thoughts. It’s not like I hadn’t masturbated during my time here, but not to put on a show to get Titus’s attention.

It was a little embarrassing to think about, but maybe I didn’t need to think.

Just go with the flow.

I moved slightly back on the bed so I was sitting comfortably and not on the edge of the king mattress. Unconsciously biting my lip, I wondered where to look, my eyes landing on the standing mirror across from me near the wall.

I could see how flush my cheeks were, and my perky breasts with their hard nipples. My tongue slowly glided along my bottom lip, my gaze following my hand that flicked my left breast.

I ended up pinching the hard nub, the tiny tingles of pleasure beginning to tease my aroused body. I continued to rotate from my left to my right breast, my hand letting go and moving onto the next one.

My eyes followed my left hand as it glided down to my stomach. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d seen my pussy in a reflection, and the idea suddenly intrigued me. Lifting my legs, I rested the heels of my feet on the edge of the mattress and spread them out like an opening curtain.

There was my glistening pussy, and I had to give Lyla some secret thanks for the shavers I’d kept handy to keep between my legs hairless.

I knew I was wet, realizing that was what Saphire met by head start, and I slid my fingers down to open up my folds, my eyes analyzing my clear juices. I bit my lip hard, my eyes centering on my reflection.

My cheeks were flushed, my slightly glowing eyes hooded with hunger, and all I could think of was Titus revealing himself and shoving his cock into me. My finger moved along my entrance, gathering a bit of my wetness on the tip and slowly teasing my clit in a circular motion.

“Fuck.” I let my eyes flutter to a close, a quiet moan escaping me as I began to move my fingers up and down along my pussy.

Whenever I masturbated, it was usually quick. Never had I gotten the privilege to go this slow, and the change was only heightening my arousal.

“Titus.” I moaned his name like he was the culprit of these fingers, teasing me again and again as my pussy begged for his fingers to slide right in.

I had to pause to calm down, feeling an orgasm coming far sooner than I anticipated. What surprised me was the sudden cool touch against my pussy that made me shiver.

My eyes opened just slightly, but I was still alone.

“Again,” I whispered, wishing to feel that chilled touch against my hot pussy. I didn’t expect it to happen, but when it did, I moaned in relief. The cold touch remained there and began to move up and down my folds.

I let my hand move further up to my clit, but then those chilled hands moved to that very spot, pinching the bud of my clit, which ignited a long moan.

“Yes, more,” I begged.

Those icy fingers didn’t delay, only teasing me a little longer before they slid right into my pulsing pussy. My arm retreated to keep me up on the bed, my head falling back as I whimpered in relief, two icy fingers sliding into my pussy and thrusting at a slow pace.

“Yes, faster,” I encouraged, lifting my head slightly to see my reflection. This was one of those experiences I’d never even envisioned for myself, but now that I was seeing it with my very eyes, it turned me on.

“Faster,” I begged. “Harder.”

The invisible fingers did exactly what I requested and more, pumping into me nice and deep, leaving me in a panting mess. I craved to see him now, wishing to have his lips upon mine and his arm hooked around my waist.

“Titus,” I moaned, followed with, “kiss me.”

I felt as though he wouldn’t comply, especially when this was apparently supposed to be hide-and-seek, but there was that hovering essence, seconds before cool lips sealed mine.

I groaned against his lips, kissing him just as hard as he kissed me. Our lips moved in an impatient dance, and there was his arm that hooked around my waist to keep me from falling back.

His fingers continued to do their duty, pumping fast and bringing me closer to an orgasm. His lips left mine, only to press against the nape of my neck and bite me hard, just as his fingers sunk deep into my pussy, setting off my climax.

“Titus!” I screamed as my back arched and my body trembled from my pulsating orgasm. I was left breathless, my body feeling like a noodle as I let myself fall back.

My back didn’t hit the bed, the arm hooked around me keeping me steady, which made me giggle. I opened my eyes, noticing the shadow silhouette holding me, his fingers still buried in my pulsating pussy.

As soon as I had gained some strength, I lifted my arms and hooked them around his broad shoulders. Pulling him down, his lips were just inches from mine as I whispered, “Found you, Titus.”

My lips sealed his before he could reply, the two of us making out hard, tongue action and all. He pulled his fingers out, and I was ready to feel his cock inside me, but he tugged on my bottom lip and gave me a firm kiss.

“Your reward is on the bed.”

I opened my eyes to see his shadows fade away, and all I could do was gawk at the fact he was gone.

“He did not just leave me hanging?” I said out loud. “You owe me a bonus!”

The soft chuckle that drifted in the air made me groan, feeling his presence fade until it was completely gone.

“I’m going to kill him! No, skin him alive!”

“And miss out on good cock and icy fingers? I think not. Kill someone else,” Saphire teased. “New mission. Get Titus in bed!”

And since when have we started chasing our men?

“I never said anything about chasing, my dear,” she said in delight. “You reeled him in with just your pussy. He’ll be coming back to finish the job when he can’t stand waiting anymore.”

Boo. Now we need a shower.

“Might as well get your point for participating in the showers. This is the time when no one is there, right?”

True. Ugh! That was good. I should go kill something for fun.

“Sex before killing sprees. Got it.”

I grinned at the idea and finally got off the bed. Glancing at the paper bag, I reached into it and smiled when my fingers wrapped around the lace materials. Pulling it out, I laid out the ten new panties of various colors.

“She totally knows I hate colored panties,” I said with a smile.

“Says the beaming girl looking like a child opening gifts on Christmas morning.”

Hush.

I ended up giggling and poked into the bag to see the small note.

Figured you’d soon realize you were out of sexy panties. Try to keep them away from Atticus or any other dragon shifter. Their nails are sharp. - Lyla.

“Sharp nails, huh?” I shook my head and continued to giggle.

Now I know how it feels to embrace a shadow. Time for a shower.

INTERRUPTIONS ARE ANNOYING

The beads of water rained down on me, the steam of the water a blessing in these parts of the showers. From my last conversation with Kitty, timing to take a shower down here was everything or you’d be stuck butt naked under pouring ice water.

Some stated they did it on purpose, the water coming from the heart of Alaska to give the prisoners a wakeup call that this wasn’t some luxurious hotel.

There wasn’t anything fancy about these showers, unlike Level Three’s massive bathrooms and halls fit for royalty.

Regardless, I wasn’t going to stay long. All I needed was a quick wash and then to go back to my chambers to take my meds. That whole sexual experience with Titus left me in a craving mood, but I was pretty positive he wasn’t coming tonight.

It was Blaze’s rotation tonight, but he normally checked in and once he knew I was comfortable, he would sit in the corner of the room and read a new book of his choice.

Blaze was the only one that I was having trouble figuring out. He was quiet, but not necessarily shy, handsome, but carried an intriguing mysterious air about himself.

I’ve been researching the fae, but the books just emphasized their perfected appearance, powerful nature magic, and how lethal they could be if you ticked them off.

I’d never witnessed ticked off Blaze, nor did I know enough about him to get a feel in comparison to the others.

Titus was one who didn’t share a lot of words, but I knew how dangerous he was. Atticus didn’t cloak his emotions, he was the easiest to read. Kai was one who asked a million questions, but now that I’d gotten a little glimpse of another side of his personality, I wished to open that treasure chest and reveal more.

Blaze was another treasure chest I’d yet to expose, but there wasn’t any rush, seeing as I was still stuck within these depths.

Patience was key. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

With that thought, I reached for the knob and shut off the water. Staring down at my feet against the yellow titles, I noticed how the tiles went from ugly yellow to a marvelous pearl white.

“WHY ARE you breaking up with me?”

I lifted my head to stare at the drenched Lyla before me, her eyes full of tears that reflected my watery ones.

“What did I do?!”

“You know you’ve done nothing wrong,” Lyla whispered. “I…I’m the one making this decision.”

“It takes two to make a decision when it comes to a relationship. You can’t just enter my shower, kiss me like the world is fucking ending, and then say we’re breaking up. We are NOT breaking up!”

“Okay, okay.” She put her hands up defensively. “We need a break.”

“That’s the same shit!”

“I’m ashamed of who I am!” she snapped.

“You’re afraid of being a boy?!” I snapped right back, her eyes going wide at my words. I let out a huff, steam escaping my nostrils.

“Fuck, Lyla. You think I’m so blind I didn’t see through that shit of a glamor?! I’ve known you’re a boy for years! I’ve loved you regardless of what’s between you damn legs! Your curse is just a temporary thing. Only a few more cases and we’ll be able to do our own search on the matter! Can’t you be a little more patient?”

“What will patience do?!” she snapped. “It doesn’t fix the fact that I’ll lose you.”

“Why the hell would you lose me?!” I shouted. “You and Atticus are everything to me! You’ve been with me through it all. From the happiest moments of my life to the parts where I thought I’d never take another breath. You guys helped save me from that Nedalra douche! I’m here, free to live my life and work with the loves of my life to bring justice to supernaturals and humans alike! If you truly believe I’m going to one day dash you to the side of the road, you can go fuck yourself!”

“Alish-”

“Fine! Let’s have a damn break, but you better figure your shit out, Lylashina, or I swear to God, you’re never eating out of this pussy again! Let alone sticking in that cock of yours!”

“Are you threatening me?!” She actually sounded shocked.

“Yes! No chance of fucking this,” I emphasized, rolling my hand around my naked, wet body. “So there!”

There was a sound to my left, and the memory begins to fade, but my vision turned to see Atticus glancing at the two of us.

“Are you guys dealing with one of those relationship crises? If so, I can come back.”

“UGH!” we groaned. “Why are you here, Atticus?”

“We’ve got an assignment,” he announced. “Alisha. I need you to go over the Pacific Ocean and see if there are any cruise ships that are stranded. The waters are fierce tonight. We’d go together, but it looks like there are two on opposite ends.”

“I can go with her,” Lyla suggested. I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine on my own. She wants a break!” I huffed.

Atticus looked between both of us.

“You two need some ice cream? Maybe I’ll light the fire of the fireplace, and leave you two al-”

“NO!” we countered. “I’m heading out first.” I stomped out of the washroom, but Atticus stopped me.

“Wha-” He kissed me firmly on the lips.

“Be careful,” was all he said as he let me go. I pouted my lips, but slowly nodded. “I’ll be careful. Love you.”

“Love you more,” he whispered.

I glanced at Lyla, seeing the conflict in her eyes.

“You’re a jerk, but I still love you.” I turned around, took another inhale, and let it out slowly. “And this is the second time you’ve wanted us to have a break, Lyla. I’ll allow it this time, but this is your final warning. If we get back together and you want to take a break a third time, that’s it. We’re over, and I’ll just stick to this one-husband life.”

That’s all I said as I waltzed out the door, a locking sound pulling me out of the flashback.

I TOOK A FEW BREATHS, my body shivering at the memory as tears stung my eyes. My brain wished to grasp more of what happened after that, but I knew what day that had been.

The night before all this shit happened.

My hands pressed against the tiled wall. I needed the support as I caught my breath. I couldn’t grasp why this flashback was making it so hard to breathe, but I fought to remain calm as I closed my eyes.

It’s just the past. Nothing to worry…worry…worry.

The single word continued to repeat again in my mind, fear spiking through me as haunting memories rushed into my mind.

“I DON’T BELONG TO YOU!”

“You certainly do! You’re mine. I’ve struggled years for this moment. Your childish mind can’t grasp this now, but one day you’ll thank me.”

“I belong to no one! I’d rather die than be yours.”

“Be careful of what you wish for, little butterfly, for I can grant that exact wish!”

“THEN DO IT!”

MY HANDS CLENCHED INTO FISTS, my fingernails digging into my palms. The pain was nothing like the overwhelming emotions rushing through me. The pain these memories awakened; the heartache and fright that struck me like thunder.

It felt like I couldn’t breathe, and the anger raging in me reminded me of a wildfire, spreading fast and with a vengeance.

Revenge. I deserved fucking revenge. That man. He’s the reason why I’m trapped in this disgusting place. I don’t deserve to be imprisoned. I. Am. Free.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to destroy everything around me. I knew this would pass. All I had to do was pull through it.

“Look what we got here.”

“Now they decide is the best time to jump us?” Freya’s voice drifted through the pounding in my head.

The thought of being interrupted during my clear mental breakdown made me angrier. I opened my eyes slightly, noticing how the lights flickered on and off.

Glancing slightly to my right side, I immediately noticed the five girls wearing towels around their waists. I peered to my left; there were another five girls with wide grins on their lips.

It wasn’t their towel-cloaked bodies that made me dread my current predicament, but the bars of metal in their possession.

Seriously? I’m lucky to get three meals a day here and yet these bitches have metal bars, hammers, and…fuck! Is that a sword? Where the fuck did she get a sword from? Why don’t we have a sword? Fucking fuckers.

“It would have been smart for us to ask for an emergency weapon,” Saphire noted. The laughter that came from the opposite side of my mind was clearly from Freya.

“Emergency weapon? We are a fucking weapon. Give me just a minute. That’s all I need to kill these bitches.”

I sighed and pressed my forehead against the wet tiles.

“Listen. If you guys want to shower, go right ahead, but if you’re here to mess around with me, I’m not in the fucking mood,” I declared. “My head is killing me, life sucks right now, and I couldn’t even get fucked. So don’t lay your problems on me, cause I don’t want them.”

“Aww. This little queen of the underground thinks she can say whatever she wants?” the leader of the group mocked, the others laughing around me.

“Let’s see if anyone would touch her deformed body when we get through with her. Men only like pussy that’s young and fresh. When you’re a crippled mess, we’ll see if those same men look your way, let alone give you the privilege of being in your Level Three status.”

“She obviously paid to be there. Too bad she’s about to find out what real Level Threes look like.”

I had to stare at them for a good few seconds, taking in their appearances before I tilted my head to one side and narrowed my eyes.

“I’m positive that I don’t need glasses, and yet I don’t see how any of you are anything more than Level Two.”

“Shut up, hoe! We’ve been Level Threes for years, but who gets the lovely suite that takes two-thirds of the floor? You!” another girl pointed out, her crowbar pointing in my direction.

“Two-thirds? There are only twelve of us on this floor. Seeing as there’s ten of you here, you’re only missing one. Is this supposed to be a revolt against me staying here? If so, we could have done this conversation outside and with clothes on,” I reasoned.

“Those stupid prison shits just spit lies out! There’s one luxury suite and the rest of our cells are shit! We’ve been here for years, working our way to get the privilege of that suite, but no! Your rich ass comes along with your ‘masters’ and boom. You get everything you want with servant prisoners at your feet! It must be nice to sell your body to get all the luxury after the crimes you committed.”

I pressed two fingers to my temples, the sudden high-pitch ringing in my mind annoying the fuck out of me.

“Listen, Beckys one through ten. As much as I’d love to continue this, I’m unwell and need my meds to stay sane, so why don’t we discuss this another day?”

“Need some help?” Saphire inquired.

“Doesn’t look like they’re going to play nice,” Freya said with anticipation. “We’ve got tons of energy for fuel.”

Would it be odd to try and fight this on my own?

“Oh?” the two of them commented.

I…I need to get some steam out. To validate my confidence by doing this on my own. If I desperately need help, can you then interfere?

“Certainly,” Saphire agreed.

“Kick their asses,” Freya cheered.

“Stop zoning out, bitch!” the first girl shouted, raising her metal pole up and being the first to dart my way.

I love you guys. Remember that.

That’s when my reflexes kicked in, my legs pushing off the ground and gravity suddenly losing its hold in the room. All the other girls began to scream, but I’d already flipped myself over and my legs landed on the ceiling.

“Fucker!” another prisoner screamed. I clapped my hands, my imagination moving swiftly to create the picture I was envisioning.

Moving my hands apart, purple flames began to charge between the space, and my body began to spark bolts of blue electricity. My nails began to burn orange, the glow creating multiple tiny balls of pulsating energy.

My eyes locked onto the leader of the group, and I watched as her eyes grew a deadly red and she revealed her sharp fangs.

Vampire.

The other girls were fighting against the binds of the supernatural walls that were supposed to keep us from using our abilities, but who were they kidding? I’m sure the people who ran this place hoped we’d kill one another.

“Let’s have fun,” I sweetly said, an eerie grin forming on my lips. The black ink of my tattoo began to emit the same orange light as the hovering balls around me, and I pointed straight at the leader.

“Time to dance.”

The cores of magic shot out in different directions, all of them beginning to hit their mark as screams of agony echoed through the room. My focus was on the leader, just as my psychic abilities shut off - gravity taking its course.

We all fell to the floor, but the leader vampire landed and pushed right off to meet my approaching body.

I expected my nails to be fully charged with power as I crossed my arms and shot them out. Multiple strings of orange and silver lashed out at her, slicing various parts of her body.

It didn’t stop her, her closed fist aimed to hit my face. I stopped it with my fist, the impact making me growl while I forced my body to levitate in place.

The woman screamed, her body charging with a foreign power that made her eyes bleed to black. Due to my lack of supernatural history, I had no clue what she was planning to do, but the sudden shock of black electricity ran through me, enough to make me scream.

FUCK!

“Burn her!” Freya ordered.

The flames ignited out from my tattoo to dance around my arm and straight into the vampire’s neck. She screamed as the flames formed into the shape of a dragon, its teeth sinking into the vampire’s neck before combusting into a huge explosion that sent me back towards the ceiling.

I crashed into it, cursing at the pain, but I quickly moved out of the way, avoiding the shots of sharp leaves that were tailing me as I levitated through the room.

Aiming for the floor, I suddenly stopped and ducked to the tiled ground, missing the next set of razor-sharp leaves.

Turning onto my back, I hissed and raised my hands up in time to stop the sword that was about to slice me in half. We shared a look before she glanced down my naked body, all the way to my opened legs.

“Clean shaven. How?!”

“Uh.” That wasn’t a question I was expecting. “Complimentary shavers?”

“Not fair!” she screamed, jumping back just slightly and aiming her sword to my pussy.

“Oh hell nah!” I shrieked and rolled backward, missing the attack by a second before falling on my ass and moving my hands upward to make another shield of invisible power, blocking her counter attack.

“We have fucking forests and you get a clean fucking valley!”

“How is that my fault?! I just got here!” I screamed.

“Exactly!” she screamed, her eyes growing white as the floor beneath her suddenly froze to ice. She took one big inhale, and I braced myself as she screamed out, my invisible wall of ice freezing entirely until I was surrounded by a block of ice.

“Oh fuck,” I hissed and fought to get up, feeling a pulsing pain on the left side of my ribs before noticing the multiple cuts on my arms and legs.

Fighting naked is such a bitch!

“Wanna see a cool trick?” Freya inquired. “A little help can go a long way.”

Sure! I’m fucked otherwise.

The sudden spike of warmth inside me left me dizzy, but it was short-lived as that hot sensation pushed out through my skin, igniting into rising flames that danced around me and beginning to create a sphere of heat around me.

I closed my eyes, the stinging of magic too much for me to keep them open. When the heat became unbearable around me, I wished for it to disperse outward, and all I could hear was a wave of screams.

My eyes darted open, growing wide at the sight of broken, burned tiles, the residue of flames that burned in the corners of the room, and the view lights that survived the mini-explosion.

“Oops.” I nervously giggled. “Did I do that?”

“Nine out of ten,” Saphire warned. “Stay alert.”

I mentally nodded, taking a few steps forward, but immediately turned around and gripped the neck of the vampire woman. The impact of her body against mine threw both of us back, and a grunt left me when we fell onto my back.

Kicking her was doing little damage as my left hand was the only thing stopping her from sinking her fangs into my flesh.

Saphire pushed forward, taking control for a split second as she let out a roar. My shock registered after the stream of flames left my mouth and consumed the vampire woman.

She screamed and scrambled off of me, desperate to put out the flames.

I scrambled back and rushed to my feet, fighting to catch my breath while I looked around the room for any other surprise attacks.

Now that was a pain in our ass. Thanks, guys. I couldn’t have survived with just a few bruises if you guys didn’t help me out when you did. I…just wanted to have a bit of independence, you know?

“In time, Alisha,” Saphire assured me.

“You’re powerful. We just need to reveal what we’ve lost,” Freya added.

What are we going to do about this mess?

“Guards should be here any minute now,” Saphire noted.

Seriously?!

“I have a plan!” Freya sang.

This better be good.

She didn’t take the time to explain it. My body walked over to the only shower that wasn’t broken, burned to shambles, or simply ‘not’ there.

Reaching for the knob, I turned it to the warm tab, the water flowing onto us. I glanced down to see the parts of my body that were already bruising up.

Atticus is going to be piss…wait. What are we doing?!

“Go with the flow,” Freya encouraged, seconds before the door slammed open and guards came rushing in.

Freya took over, but I was still in the front seat as we slowly glanced over to the group of heavy breathing men. Blaze stood in the center with angry pink eyes.

All of them were looking at the damaged room before their eyes all landed on my naked body. Reaching out to stop the water, I turned and crossed my arms over my chest.

My unfazed expression took in their shocked eyes while their faces began to burn red while some of them licked their lips. Even with my bruised-up body, I still brought all the boys to the yard.

Err. Shower room.

“Are you all done appreciating divine beauty like mine? I’d like to finish showering,” I coldly declared.

The guards cleared their throat and the leader stuttered, “W-Wait outside until Your Majesty is done!”

“Yes, Sir!” the others struggled to reply as they all raced outside for the door, not caring about the bodies of the naked women around the room.

Only Blaze was left standing there as Freya pulled back to let me explain what happened. Not like I had the energy to do so.

With a sigh, I ran my hands through my wet hair and focused on Blaze’s blank expression.

“I didn’t do shit.” That was the best excuse I could give so I wouldn’t have to explain the flashback that led to the panic attack and resulted in me getting “jumped” - again - in this shit of a place.

“I’m cold,” I randomly commented.

His blank expression morphed into a deep frown as he walked over to me. His eyes were assessing me from head to toe, and after he pressed his hand to my forehead, he did one walk around me.

I was beginning to shiver, actually feeling cold while my spiked adrenaline from the fight began to drop tremendously.

He returned to stand before me, and he placed his hands on my shoulders.

“I need to do something odd.”

“If we’re going to have sex around a bunch of dead bodies, that would be a little odd, but nothing too crazy.”

He actually was amused by my remark but shook his head.

“No. I need to kiss you.”

“Oh.” I shrugged. “How romantic. I can just envision us in Paris, right in front of the Eiffel Tower during a zombie apocaly-mhmm.”

He silenced me with a soft kiss, his hands soothingly running from my shoulders down my sides and to my waist.

A prickling sensation of warmth ran down my body, and the longer we kissed the more clarity and energy ran through me. My aches grew less, and the pain I was experiencing in my ribs and where I had multiple scratch wounds and bruises was non-existent by the time he released my lips.

I looked down to see that I was no longer naked, instead wearing a wonderful dress of green and pink fabrics. The dress was strapless, having flowers on the trim of the top piece that clung to my body like a corset. The bottom half was made of flowy silks. The mix of the almost transparent green and pink material made me look like a fairy princess.

My hair that was once drenched was dry and up in a ponytail, and my bare feet were in sandals made out of petals and leaves.

“Wow.” That was all I could say, amazed at how he was able to create such a magnificent design in seconds.

He reached out to move a few strands of my hair that he’d left down on the sides of my cheek.

“Not everyone should get the privilege of seeing a precious jewel like you,” he whispered. “Are you okay?”

“Better than before.” I gave him a tired smile. “I think I need to lay down, though.”

“You deserve a nap.” He gave me a tiny smile and offered his hand. I stared at it, but there was that tiny debate of relying on him. It was sudden, but I glanced back up to meet his exquisite eyes.

“Did you just get here?”

“Yes. Atticus and Lyla are dealing with an assignment and said your heart rate was off. They asked me to come and check on you, but I realized you weren’t in your room. The cameras picked up a group of women heading to the shower room, but when I inquired, there were no other group showers scheduled today. I immediately got the guards and came down. Seems as though I was a tad late.”

“Just on time.” I gave him a tiny smile as I shrugged. “I’m only hesitating because I…want to know more about you, but don’t want to be deemed a burden. Also…you’re hard to read.”

“Fae are tricky to understand,” he noted. “It’s also good that you’re not so trusting of me.”

“I feel like your warning me,” I muttered, returning my gaze to his offering hand.

“Maybe I am,” he countered. “But it’s your decision to trust me or not.”

“What if I don’t?”

“Then it’s something we have to work on,” he insisted. “Trust is earned, and I’m well aware that I haven’t fully gained yours yet, or we’d be closer, wouldn’t we?”

“Probably.” I smirked and lifted my hand to place in his. “Does having a servant that doesn’t trust you a good thing?”

“In this case, no, but it wouldn’t really apply, seeing as you’re not a servant.”

“Oh really?” I inquired. “Then what am I to you?”

“A woman who wears an invisible crown. One that proclaims the power bestowed upon her to all those around her,” he affirmed with pride. His expression softened, and he gave a tender smile. “A very beautiful woman, who wishes to grow even in her circumstances, and someone I’d love to learn more about when the time is right.”

“Why when the three of you won me, didn’t you think otherwise? Why didn’t you decide to just abuse me or treat me like a slave?”

I recalled Kai’s response, but I wanted to hear Blaze’s answer.

“You really don’t see just how worthy you are in other’s eyes.” His remark was followed with, “Our goal was never to make you a slave or to abuse your body. If that’s something you desired in the bedroom, that’s a different story, but it wouldn’t happen without your consent.”

He wrapped his fingers around my hand, and surprisingly lowered his lips to press them lightly on the back of my hand.

“Fae value precious jewels like you, even when the person doesn’t grasp how special they are. More so, I was intrigued to learn more about who you are, just like how you want to learn more about us.” His smile widened, and he peered into my eyes. “The only thing that’s really stopping us from knowing one another is our own insecurities. For me, I’ve only kept my distance simply out of respect, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to learn more about you, Alisha. I want to get closer to you and get a better understanding of who you are, even with your loss of memories. I’m just waiting for you to let me in, so I in return can show you a side many don’t get the opportunity to see.”

With one more squeeze of my hand, he looked around. “I hope Atticus is willing to pay for this.”

I smiled and squeezed Blaze’s hand, catching his attention as I whispered, “I just…need a little longer before I’m okay with letting you all in. Can you be a little more patient?’

“I’ll wait as long as you want me to, Your Majesty,” he reassured me.

“Thanks, Blaze.”

He held my hand all the way back to my room, assuring me that he’d get the whole shower incident sorted. Titus was already there scolding the guards for their usual failures in getting there before shit went down.

I sat down as Blaze volunteered to fix my bed, even though I was fine with sleeping on anything at this point.

By the time he finished, I was dozing off in the chair, my tired mind far too exhausted to keep buzzing about what had gone down before recapping my interaction with Blaze.

I felt myself being lifted up, but I remained completely relaxed. Funny how I was still having trust issues, but in my most vulnerable state, I could feel so safe in Blaze’s arms.

“Sleep well, our marked queen. In time, you’ll see your worth, and all those who question it will bow in quivering fear.”

His words resonated deep within me, and I allowed myself to fall into the comforting darkness.

It’s time for me to let them in. Stop fighting, Alisha.

PATH TO PSYCHIC ROYALTY

“For fuck sakes, why am I waking up with a bloody headache?” I groaned, and forced myself to get out of bed.

This was my third attempt at napping, and I still felt like I was internally dying. With my birthday being thirteen days away, I was praying whatever bug I caught after fighting completely nude would get out of my damn system.

Whether anyone liked it or not, I was going to celebrate my birthday. Who knows if that was something I used to enjoy. I’d decided that it would be the one day where I’d celebrate with my masters and Lyla.

Cake, streamers, loads of food, and sparkly shit. Lots of sparkly shit.

Today Lyla was on duty, watching me while the guys were dealing with some business. What that business entailed was unknown to me, but I was pretty sure if it required my attention, they would inform me about it.

My main focus was to finally confront Lyla about us. For days I’d been trying to finally get that moment to just talk, and yet, interruption after interruption kept ruining every chance I got.

Even this bloody headache was another plague on my plans, but the guys weren’t coming back until tomorrow morning, which gave me loads of time for our confrontation.

I just wanted to learn about what exactly happened to our relationship and why she was so ashamed of being a he. There had to be a deep meaning to it, especially since my flashbacks proved it to be a touchy subject.

I’d asked Lyla to fill the bath for me to tonight, giving me the perfect chance to trap her in the washroom and get the answers I deserved.

It sounds like a kidnapper tactic, but whatever.

Another mandatory inspection was happening tomorrow, this time due to a new set of prisoners coming to the lower levels. I wasn’t sure if that would be a good or bad thing, especially with my recent discovery that I was the only one with the grand suite.

Sure, if the other prisoners weren’t bitches that tried to kick my butt naked ass, I would have gladly opened up my space to share seeing as I barely used even half of the privileged space.

That reminded me to remember to invite Kitty and Ivy to the shenanigans. I’d been so busy that I hadn’t seen Ivy in two weeks. I had an appointment with Kitty to do my nails before my birthday, so at least there was that, but I hoped Ivy was okay with her set of masters.

Sometimes I felt like a bad friend, feeling a little distant when Ivy was super open about her lifestyle here. I tried to do my part by ensuring she got to eat what I ate when we had meals together in the underground, but it was only the icing on the cake.

Friendships deserved more, and I acknowledged that. All I needed to do was input the time and effort. The same goes for my relationships.

My bond with Atticus was still strong, even with fewer sex nights. I wasn’t worried about us, and I was sure he knew that.

My concern for the next couple of weeks was to grow my relationships with Titus, Blaze, and Kai. If we were going to work towards my freedom, they deserved to know more about me.

It was long overdue, and it wasn’t as though Atticus was against it or anything, so I just had to kick my stubborn, frightened booty and open the chambers to my heart.

Even thinking about it was scary.

Shaking the crippling feeling of fear to the side, I shuffled to the washroom to wash my face and change into a simple black dress. Leaving my hair down, I slipped on my black running shoes I used for training and returned to my bed to take my meds.

Grabbing the bottle, I frowned when I noticed how light it was. Shaking it a few times, I acknowledged the silence that followed.

“I’m out of meds? I swear I had a few doses left. Did I take too many today? Ugh. Where are Saphire and Freya when I need them?”

I had noticed a few times now that whenever I had crazy headaches or felt like I was on the verge of death, Saphire and Freya would be absent. It could have been their way of helping me conserve energy, but their absence gave me a sense of loneliness, especially when I was by myself, like now.

Glancing at the time, I contemplated whether it was worth the trip to the pharmacy. It was seven in the evening and from what I recalled, they closed at eight.

“An hour more,” I mumbled out loud. “Might as well. Could help get rid of this migraine.”

Slipping the bottle into the pocket of my dress, I made my way to the living room but stopped when I saw a man sitting in one of the single chairs. He was facing the window, sipping a cup of steaming hot tea.

Who’s this guy and when did he get down here?

My displeasure regarding this new man and his unannounced intrusion was obvious on my face, but I kept to myself as I turned to head to the main door.

“Alisha Butterfly.”

The voice was a little odd, reminding me of Doc’s voice but a little smoother. His voice had a maturity to it, which was hard to explain when from my initial look of him, he didn’t seem very old.

As if I didn’t hear my name, I gracefully headed out the door and made my way to the elevators. Pressing the button, I casually stood there, but internally, my body was reacting in various ways.

There was no need for me to feel alarmed, and yet I couldn’t wait for this metal box to arrive. It thankfully did. The ding followed by the doors opening up was my saving grace as I walked in and pressed the one button.

With a sigh, I leaned against the mirrored walls, putting my head back against the glass as the doors began to close.

A hand stopped it at the last second, and I arched an eyebrow in question while my blank expression met dull yellow eyes.

It was an odd mix of color, like an ugly swamp yellow. The man was shorter than me, reaching 5′5″ and wearing those glasses you envisioned nerds to wear.

Even his smile creeped me out as he shuffled into the elevator and aimed to press level one, but noticed it was already pressed.

He waited for the doors to close before he spoke.

“Alisha Butterfly, correct?”

“I’m pleased that my reputation in this place reaches the ears of random visitors.” My voice was hard as stone while my commanding energy was dragging out of defense.

This guy was literally giving me the creeps.

“Your amnesia may have erased my existence from your mind, but your body knows exactly who I am, doesn’t it?”

I allowed my left hand to remain calm, but my right hand that was hidden from his sight began to tremble. I clenched it into a fist but remained calm as the elevators came to a stop.

When they opened, neither of us moved.

“Please, after you,” I suggested.

“Ladies first,” he offered.

“Very funny.” I turned my head to look his way, and my magic rushed straight through to my eyes while my voice deepened.

“Please,” my authoritative voice declared, “leave this elevator first.”

I could see the flashing anger in his eyes, but he had no choice but to obey my command. My eyes narrowed as he walked out the door, and I didn’t look as I pressed the elevator button, followed by holding onto the close button.

“Good day, stranger.” I gave him a sinister grin, but the way his pale mustard eyes suddenly bled to a glowing ember, I knew when those doors closed, I’d have to think of something fast.

When the metal door came to a shut, I quickly looked at what floor I’d pressed.

Level Four! Fuck…no. This could be a good thing. Shit. Would Celeste be there?

The elevator began its slow descent down, but then there was a sudden jerk of the metal box followed with a stop.

The lights began to flicker until they all went out. An alarm went off as the intercom turned on.

“Attention, prisoners. We’re experiencing a blackout. Do not use the elevators! They will all return to level one as we investigate the situation. Guards, remain on duty. Generators should start up shortly.”

FUCK!

Just the thought of being on the same level as that man was making me sick. I rushed to think of something fast, and without wasting another flick of time, I outstretched my hands and closed my eyes.

The metal box lit up in a dull blue color as it began to move upwards back to level one. I fought hard to bring it to a dramatic stop - using my psychic abilities to manipulate my surroundings and keep the metal box from moving upward.

My heart began to race as my internal black vision expanded. It caught onto the massive, raging energy that was portrayed in neon orange. It didn’t merely surround a person. It bled out like swarming flames, giving me an exact picture of what I was about to deal with.

“If I’m going to die, I’d rather risk it on Level Four than be at that man’s hands.”

There was no need to question my body’s reactions to that individual. I knew who he was.

The douche of an ex.

His appearance was rather uncalled for, and the fact that he decided to come here himself versus sending some goons to do his dirty work told me he was desperate. With my birthday days away and my apparent chance of meeting my new mate growing higher by the day, he must have decided to come to finish the job himself.

Intriguing how he chose today to do just that. It told me that someone must have told him or those that worked for him that my men were away from the prison.

I could feel the panic begin to settle in as I fought against the mechanical pull that was trying to do its job.

“Why isn’t this elevator back yet?” That odd voice from before was now deep with rage. “Guard the elevators against Levels Two and Three!”

I mentally cursed; the pounding in my head fought to pull me into an unwanted flashback. I gritted my teeth and decided I had no choice but to go along with my chances.

With a quick inhale and exhale, I centered my magic around the metal box, urging it to move downward at a slow pace. Going too fast could cause me to lose my control and send me up at crashing speed.

When the elevator came to a stop, I moved my hands to the doors, watching as they forcibly opened up enough for me to jump through the tiny space.

They slammed together like opposing magnetics, the elevator going back up to its main destination and leaving me in complete darkness.

I wouldn’t wait to see what happened next, my eyes closing and the dark hidden world of magic awakening my sight. I couldn’t sense any supernaturals around, but I followed the neon colors of life, hoping the path would lead me to some type of exit out of the prison or safe place to ride all of this through until I could get help.

I ran for a long time, avoiding random traps that dashed out of the ground, and stopped myself twice from running off a cliff. My palms were sweaty, my head pounding like madness, and I felt like I could vomit at any second.

“I can’t do this,” I breathed and came to a stop. I dropped to my knees, and that triggered my stomach that had had enough of my running games.

Vomit projected out of me, and I braced myself for the waves of dizziness that followed. My body was shaking uncontrollably while tears ran down my cheeks.

I fell back on my ass, shuffling back until my back pressed against the uneven patches of earth. I curled myself into a ball, fighting for every breath I took as memories hit me rapidly.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

“You’re my mate, Alisha Butterfly! You think those boys can protect you?!”

“You’re a boy, too!”

“No, Alisha. I’m a man in comparison to your childish boys. They can’t protect you the way I can. We’ll take ownership of our clans and join forces. We’ll overcome the Cyldrirth clan with our joined forces. We’ll be king and queen and rule everyone!”

“NO! I don’t want to!”

“You don’t have a choice, my dear.”

“I don’t need to listen to you! I’M a monarch! Not you!”

“You WILL listen to me!”

“I will not! You have no right to control me. No one does! I am my own! You of all people won’t change me!”

THE FLASHBACK SHIFTED SUDDENLY, hitting me with a different one.

“WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, Lyla? Atticus won’t tell me.”

“It’s better you don’t know, Alisha,” Lyla whispered.

“Why won’t anyone tell me?”

“It could trigger a panic attack.”

“Who cares!”

“I care!”

“Why do you wear clothes when we go to the pool? Or even when we’re supposed to bathe together?! Mom and Dad won’t tell me because of my memory loss. What am I missing?”

“Nothing.”

“Aren’t you a girl?”

“I am!”

“Then what’s the problem?” I angrily question. “I hate this. Everyone is treating me like a little kid! I’m thirteen years old and I’ll one day be one of the most powerful monarchs that will rise to the throne. You all better start taking me seriously!”

ANOTHER HIT ME LIKE A BRICK.

“WE HAVE MATCHING TATTOOS!” I beamed. “Look! Koi fish!”

“I can see, Alisha,” Atticus said with a laugh.

“Mine are cooler.” Lyla pointed to the mark on her right arm. “Mine is on the right like Alisha’s!”

“Obviously,” Atticus huffed. “I’m her left-hand man, while you’re her right-hand woman!”

“Hmm. That doesn’t sound as cool as left-hand man,” Lyla mumbled.

“What do you mean?! It’s amazing. You know what this means?”

“What?” Lyla asked.

“We’re mates!” I cheered. “This is the best thirteenth birthday gift ever!”

“Even though its horribly late,” Atticus reminded. “So glad you’re out of the hospital.”

“We got you some cake!” Lyla pointed out. “Tiramisu!”

“Yes!” I cheered.

I SLUMPED over to the side, my consciousness fading in and out as more memories came and went. It was becoming too overwhelming for me to take, but my body reminded me of our desperate situation, and if I didn’t get a move on, I’d be killed by the very man who rid me of my existence the first time.

Dragging my body to the side, I avoided my pool of vomit and attempted to get away from whatever threat was heading my way. I was too weak to try and summon Saphire and Freya, and with how nauseous I was, every little movement was crucial to not throw up while keeping a pace towards an exit.

Fighting to rise to my feet, I found another cliff, but it had a pool of water beneath. I wasn’t sure where it led or if it was a good risk to take, but I’d just have to take my chances.

The drop, however, was extremely high. It could break a few bones or kill me from the impact. The thought reminded me that I was a dragon. I must have wings of some sort. Even phoenixes had flaming wings, giving me two options.

Saphire? Freya? Are you-

A scream of agony echoed around us, and it only took me a few seconds to realize the shrieking scream came from me.

My eyes widened to look at my chest. I noticed three long, piercing pieces of bone were protruding out of my body.

I watched my blood begin to drop on the floor, and I slowly took in how my tattoo suddenly glowed in a lavender purple.

“KOI FISH REPRESENT GREAT ABUNDANCE, ALISHA,” the deep, fatherly voice revealed. “But if you look closely, these fish are in the form of a massive dragon. Can you see it?”

“Yes, Daddy! It’s right there.” I used my finger to outline the dragon’s shape. “But where’s the phoenix?”

“Ah.” Daddy nodded his head. “You see, the phoenix is hidden within the dragon.”

“Why?

“Well, the legend has it that one day a dragon and phoenix were fighting. They got so riled up in their disagreement that the dragon swallowed the phoenix,” he explained. “The dragon immediately regretted it, but it was too late. The phoenix was stuck in his belly. The dragon went far and wide in search of a way to save the phoenix. Their argument seemed insignificant now that the phoenix’s life was at risk, and the dragon never got to admit that he actually loved the phoenix. He found the one place that could help him. A pond full of fae koi fish.”

“Fae koi fish?!” I gasped.

“Yes. Not only do they grant prosperity and everlasting abundance to those who ask, but they’re also able to grant an individual abundance in love and power,” Father answered. “Sadly, the phoenix took her last breath when he arrived.”

“No!” I cried. “Daddy, that’s a sad ending.”

“Ah.” Father chuckled. “It hasn’t ended. You see, the dragon was so distraught about losing the phoenix he loved that he cried and cried. His tears filled the pond, and the koi fish watched for days as he mourned. Thirteen days went by, and the koi fish decided this dragon truly loved this phoenix. The ashes of this phoenix never dissolved in the dragon’s stomach, so he was now given a choice. They could give the phoenix an abundance of power, enough for it to rise from its ashes, but if she rose from the dead, it would kill the dragon.”

“Oh no,” I whispered.

Father nodded. “The dragon didn’t hesitate, saying she deserved to live them him. They granted his wish and the phoenix he loved rose back to life, the revival killing the dragon. His body fell into the pond. As the phoenix rose up to the sky, she could see the dragon’s lifeless body. She asked what had happened, and the koi fish explained what had occurred after her death. Once she had listened to everything, she mourned the dragon, revealing that she, too, loved him. They didn’t see eye to eye, and she knew that her power was greater than his, but she loved the wisdom he carried, and it helped her learn something new every day. Without him, she would learn nothing more about the world, and a life without knowledge from the one she loved seemed hopeless.”

“That’s so sad.” I was on the verge of crying.

“Do you know what the koi fish did?”

“What, Daddy?”

“After a long debate, they gathered around the dragon’s body, until he was covered in koi fish. Due to their mutual love for one another, the koi fish granted the dragon a chance at life, reviving him so he could be with the phoenix. They both rejoiced to be alive and asked how they would be able to repay them.”

Father reached over to pat my mark.

“The koi fish asked that their love be strong and that they expand their blessings by having children. The child born with the koi fish tattoo would be able to bond with two individuals, one destined to be a dragon, another destined to be a phoenix. The children would be blessed with an abundance of wisdom and power, and once every thousand years, one of the individuals will carry fae qualities to give honor to the fae koi fish that helped them.”

“That’s a beautiful story, Daddy.” I wiped my tears and smiled. “That means I’m special!”

“Yes, you are. Just like Atticus and Lylashina.”

“We’re a trinity!” I cheered. Father laughed. “A marked trilogy,” he corrected.

MY BODY WAS PICKED up from the ground. The amount of blood that left me was enough to make a little pool beneath my dangling feet.

My vision was already fading, but I followed the trail of the arched bones, realizing what had stabbed me was one massive bone wing. The skeletal frame of a dragon’s wing, but it was attached to a living person, and that was the man from the elevator.

His raging eyes looked at me in pity as he shook his head and tsked.

“All you had to do was obey me, little butterfly,” he quietly said. “Bold for you to come down here and hide, but today just isn’t your lucky day. It never has been whenever you die, has it?”

He suddenly laughed and clapped his hands. “Thirteen days until your twenty-third birthday. You died previously on your thirteenth birthday. You were charged with those hideous crimes on Friday the thirteenth. I should have stabbed you thirteen times for fun.”

I couldn’t speak. My eyes were growing heavier as blood dripped from my mouth and nose.

“Do you love my wings? I got them just for you all those years ago, but then you ruined them. You burned them to the point where only bone remained. All because you wouldn’t listen. I thought forcing your amnesia on you would have made you easier to claim, but that disgusting mate of yours and his sudden alliance threw me off course. It doesn’t matter anymore. They can’t save you now. No one can.”

His wings moved further out, taking me with them until I was dangling over the cliff. He tipped his wings, the weight of my body beginning to slide from the blood-drenched bones that struck me.

“You had your chance, Alisha Butterfly. Multiple chances to become a supernatural marked monarch of my liking. You could have lived a long life at my feet, but alas. What’s done is done.”

My body finally slid off the final piece of bone, and I began my descent to my doom. It didn’t stop me from hearing his last words.

“My name is Nedalra Havok. Remember the mate you rejected and the death you earned.”

I plunged straight into the water. The creeping sensation of death was familiar. Maybe all this time, my dreams of sinking in the deep, frigid waters wasn’t a sign of the past, but a glance at the future.

Now…that future has come to a standstill.

TO BE CONTINUED.

COMING SOON - July 24th, 2020:

https://books2read.com/PSYCHICROYALTY

COMING SOON - NOV 13TH, 2020:

https://books2read.com/PSYCHICMONARCHY

TURN THE PAGE TO READ A SNEAK PEEK TO

SUPERNATURAL INMATE

https://books2read.com/SUPERNATURALINMATE

BLURB

After pissing off the head of the supernatural lab, failing at befriending my fellow inmates, and pitching a temper tantrum in the underground cafeteria, it was only a matter of time before I had to do something about this whole captivity thing.

For me, Cassandra Thorn, being born as a human, raised by an elite group of supernaturals, and struggling to reach my twentieth birthday was far more fun than this.

Then again, anything would be.

In this case, “this” refers to being taken against my will—kidnapped—and trapped in an underground lab for supernatural shifters. Pretty ridiculous, considering I was a mere mortal.

Or so I was told.

Turns out there are a lot of things I was told, not all of them true. Now a family secret has been revealed and destiny is just waiting for me to fulfill it…but I was stuck in Prison Boringville with a bunch of not-so-friendly detainees.

Being a supernatural inmate isn’t my style, so with the very new powers bestowed upon me, I was getting my booty out of this hellhole. Unless Adonis the sexy incubus, Dominick the deadly fae master, Otis the death-seeking vampire, and Tristan the sly shapeshifter bust me out first.

Supernatural Inmate is the first book in the Supernatural Captivity series, a Paranormal Prison Romance.

LINGERIE SHOPPING WITH MY SUPERNATURAL BROTHERS

“Cassandra? How long does it take you to get your ass into a pair of hipster panties? I’m going to die from starvation.”

“Stop complaining, Tristan. I was trying to concentrate!”

“On what? Your butt?”

“Yes! On my butt. Now shush so I can concentrate!”

Men. Never understand the importance of having your eye on the prize.

“What’s taking our Princess of Lingerie so long?”

I smiled at Dominick’s inquiry, knowing damn well he’d join in the bickering. As long as Otis was still roaming around the five-level clothing store, I was safe to continue my detailed observation.

“Cass is trying to determine if her ass has expanded by a centimeter.” Tristan let out a long sigh. “I’m hungry. Save me.”

“You eat too much,” Dominick commented. “And didn’t Cass start her squat challenge like three days ago?”

“And then ate an entire cake yesterday.” Tristan’s comment made me open the door wide, the two of them turning their attention to my red-and-blue lace bra and hipster panty combo. I put my hands on my hips in defiance as I stared between the two of them.

“Just because I started three days ago, it doesn’t mean anything! Progress is progress!” I angrily emphasized before pointing at Tristan, who was sitting on a fluffy pink chair with his legs on one armrest, while the back of his head hung over the other side.

He had a bored pout on his attractive face.

“Also, yesterday was my birthday! I was allowed to eat cake.”

“Allowed to eat a slice of cake, my dear. Not the whole damn thing. Couldn’t even save some for the four of us.”

I flicked my long brunette locks and gave them an unapologetic look.

“I regret nothing.”

“Madness, I tell you.” Tristan shook his head. “You gained weight in your thighs, by the way.”

I stood there for a full five seconds and Dominick sighed.

“It’s like you want us to die early.”

“No regrets.” He shrugged. “I can shift into anything. I have the highest survival rate.”

“You know you can still die, though, right?” Dominick reminded.

“Oh…” Tristan frowned and gave me a sheepish smile as I narrowed my eyes at him. “Thick, beautiful one. Don’t kick my ass…or kill me…or punch my face. I still need to look good to ace that job interview on Monday.”

“Asshole,” I huffed, and turned around to check the mirror. “I only gained half an inch. You’re lucky I’m in a good mood or it would be game over for you.”

Looking at the mirror, I assessed my overall appearance and grinned.

A little bit of thickness doesn’t bother me anyway.

Sweets were the devil when it came to making me gain weight in my thighs and hips. If not for the “Thorn metabolism” blessed to me by my biological parents, I was sure I wouldn’t still fit into my size six jeans.

Stretchy size six jeans. A girl needs room for ice cream and chocolate.

Cassandra Thorn was written on the birth certificate left in my basket that fateful night my parents abandoned me, having decided I was too much to handle in the middle of the 2035 financial crisis period.

Stocks for human companies plummeted as the supernatural races’ soared in comparison, leaving most humans out of work in the heart of winter in New York City.

It was at that time that supernaturals took over with a snap of their fingers and proved their superiority by fixing the chaos created by the greedy humans running the place. That simple move on the supernaturals’ part left us humans with two choices: submit and work along with the supernaturals or hide and try to find a way to fix the financial crisis.

It ended up being a fifty-fifty split, and my parents decided that finding their way back to independent financial stability was far better than working alongside any paranormal race.

Which meant bye-bye, baby Cassandra.

The only problem with that plan was that I, their not-so-beloved child, was human, just like them.

Where did that leave me? Luckily, not on the harsh streets of NYC, because Everett A. Johnson with his big heart of gold took me in.

Anyone could have done it for the bonus government paychecks, but as I grew older, I came to realize that he was genuinely a loving man who took in shifters from struggling families or abandoned corners of the dangerous streets.

Everett was a supernatural, just like the majority of the children he took in. As a bear shifter, he was inherently nurturing. He always said that he got the most hate when he took me in but paid no mind to the background talk. It was all rubbish to him when it came to helping someone in need.

An outlook that could have potentially gotten him killed, but his ongoing generosity over the last few decades had earned him immunity and enough money to hire protection.

Being in his care brought me into the circle of four supernatural powerhouses, and together, we were raised under one roof. How did the little human me survive a home with four bratty boys?

Tantrums, chocolate, and using the puppy eyes technique as a final resort. Let’s be real. No boy nor man can stand it when a woman cries.

However, with my anger issues, all bets were off if I reached a certain point of blinding rage.

I had an actual diagnosis for it: Blind-sighted Tantrum Syndrome. BTS for short, and I was not referring to the greatest KPOP band in history. It might have been the reason my four supernatural bros were actually frightened of me when I got mad.

Doesn’t stop them from picking on me half the time.

“I think her butt actually got firmer, though,” Dominick said. “If you look very closely, you can see a one percent difference.”

“I feel as though you keep forgetting I’m a shapeshifter, Dominick, and not a fae with supernatural eyesight.” Tristan put his hands behind his head and kicked his legs up and down. “Can we go yet?”

“No,” I announced. “I still have three more sets to try on.”

“Ugh,” the two of them said together. “Where are Otis and Adonis?”

“Oh no, no, no.” I twirled right around on one foot and widened my stance to give them a vile glare. “Don’t you dare summon Mr. Apocalypse and his smooth-talking brother.”

“What’s taking so damn long? At this rate, the moon will come out and it’ll be time for my night shift.”

The three of us glanced to our left to see two identical pairs of plum eyes staring back at us.

“I might as well summon the moon now so it can rise and make me into a glittering ornament.”

“That’s what humans call a disco ball, Otis, and that whole vampire glitter stuff was a myth with the sun. Not the moon. Well…except for that Edward guy. He actually glitters during the full moon. I can’t believe humans got that all mixed up. He’s a celebrity in the vampire world. Otis still has his autograph on his wal—”

“Not the point, Adonis,” Otis snarled and looked my way. “Why is Cass naked?”

“When is Cass not naked?” Adonis smiled seductively at me. “She might as well give up on buying lingerie. She always finds a way to rip them to shreds.”

“I am not naked!” I fought back as I pointed at them. “Let me correct your statement, Adonis. Why is it that my lingerie gets ripped to shreds? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because someone’s long nails destroy them, which always leaves me naked with no lingerie!”

Adonis lifted his hands to stare at the source of my lingerie crisis.

“Hmm. My nails are kinda sharp. I really got to get them done. What color should I go with, guys?”

Tristan shook his head. “You’ve asked us the same question for seven years and you’ve yet to venture out of the purple and black department.”

“Why not try red?” Dominick suggested.

“Or pink. Or any other colors in the rainbow,” I offered.

Adonis bobbed his head in thought.

“I’ll go with…purple.”

“Ugh,” the three of us groaned.

“What?” Adonis gave us a teasing grin. “It complements my skin.”

“Of your hands, not your face,” Otis reminded.

“Yes, but a little splash of color goes a long way,” Adonis concluded. “I still think our parents were fools. Why name me after the god of beauty and desire when I still get pimples and the rest of you look ten percent more attractive than I do?”

I smirked and leaned against the door frame of my change room, arms crossed. “They knew, like the gods above, that you’d have too much seduction in your bones to have perfect looks. If they did that, you’d get cocky instead of having a hint of humility somewhere in that brain of yours.”

“My brain is rather talented, thank you very much. I’m the smartest in the group, remember?”

“The brain that loves to signal you to rip my lingerie whenever you get a chance,” I muttered. “And since when are you the smartest?”

“Since last week when he beat Dominick’s perfect score with a bonus star.” Tristan chuckled.

“Bonus star? Aren’t we supposed to save those during the year and use them to boost our grades at the end?”

“Yup.” Dominick seemed pleased. “Should have seen his proud face. Made all the girls faint in the cafeteria.”

“It’s not my fault that I was blessed with the ability to hoard my stickers and steal Otis’s.”

Otis side-glared at him, but Adonis didn’t care. “Now, are we heading out to eat? Otis is serving an extra glass of crankiness due to his lack of blood. I’m thinking of grabbing him a Bloody Mary from Vampy Dee’s.”

“I will never understand how identical twins can carry completely different supernatural traits,” I voiced as I looked between the two of them.

Otis Von Dolorosa and Adonis Von Dolorosa. Identical twins, and yet one was a vampire and the other was an incubus. The mystery behind it all would never be solved, seeing as their parents offered them up to the nearest dumpster when the twins didn’t turn out to be hybrids as desired.

Just as with my predicament, Everett had been at the right place at the right time and took them in.

“Genetics, Princess,” Adonis remarked while his plum eyes checked me out. I expected him to add another comment about my almost-naked appearance, but he moved his gaze to Tristan and Dominick. “Did Cass gain weight? It was the cake, wasn’t it?”

“Yup,” Tristan and Dominick responded like it was Jeopardy’s latest Let’s Remind Cassandra Thorn of Her Flaws special edition.

“Fools,” Otis insulted. “This is the one time I’ll flee Death.” He turned right around and slipped his hands in his pockets. “Hurry up, Cass. I have shit to do. If I end late for my night shift, I’ll let Mr. Drack-A-Lot suck your blood like he’s been wanting to since you were four.”

I cringed at the thought and reached out for the closest man of the three, which was Adonis. “Hell to the no, no, no! That creep of a stalker isn’t getting near me. He’s a panty stealer!”

Otis looked over his shoulder; his usual emotionless expression remained.

“Says who?”

“Uh, everyone. Right, Adonis?”

“The women who fawn all over me at the club always bring him up.” He put an arm over my shoulder and brought me close to him. “Cass is right on in that department. Drake’s a perv. Plus, I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten arrested for all the times he’s tried to drink a girl’s blood on sight. Why is he still working at the Blood Protection Services when he can’t even purge that craving for strawberry juice?”

Strawberry juice was the code name for blood among most supernaturals when they were around humans. The guys were still getting used to saying blood around me, something Everett wouldn’t allow them to do until I got my period.

Silly, right? It must have been in one of those “How to Raise A Human Child Correctly” handbooks he carries around all the time. The previous edition was so outdated.

“Anyways, get moving Cass.” Otis got back to the point.

“I still have three more sets to try.”

“It’s the same shit.” Otis was going to pop a blood vessel with his impatience. Typical.

“No, it’s not,” I argued, clearing my throat.

“Oh, no,” Tristan interrupted. “Here comes the lecture on Panties 101.”

“I’m glad you’re prepared,” I sweetly replied and gave him a wink.

Dominick walked over to stand next to Otis. At 6′2″, he had a few inches on the twins.

Fae had the ability to grow taller or shorter if they chose to. Dominick loved to be tall, especially because he worked as a model at multiple agencies and had been on covers like GQ, Men’s Health, and other high-profile magazines. It was a good height for him anyway, unless he landed a role in a movie full of badass, 6’6” warriors.

Dominick looks good in gold armor. What was I about to talk about again?

“I’m heading to the men’s department. I need some boxers.”

“Coming!” Tristan scrambled out of his seat.

“Hmph.” Otis was already walking away, not caring where they went.

“Hey! I didn’t start my lesson,” I called out.

“Hurry up!” the three of them replied and then were out of my sight. I looked up at Adonis as he gave me a flirty smirk.

“Looks like I’m your only student, Professor Thorn.” He winked and waltzed over to the chair Tristan had been sitting in. Lowering into the pink fluffiness, he leaned back like he sat on a throne and graciously lifted his right leg to rest on his left, his eyes absorbing every curve and line of my body.

“Proceed with your lecture as you try on the remaining three sets. I’ll wait.”

“Tease,” I muttered, annoyed with how sexy he could be using that seductive voice of his.

It was the one thing about incubi that made them so dangerous. Whether they looked like gods or sewer monsters, all they had to do was use that low rumble voice of theirs and sold. You’d automatically find them attractive, and whether you kept your panties on or off was entirely in their hands.

Dangerous or not, Adonis was one of my four “brothers,” or bros, for short. Obviously, we were all from different family backgrounds, and Everett never officially adopted us. He didn’t think we deserved to be locked down into a family simply because we’d been gathered together by circumstance.

Not adopting us gave us the freedom to keep our family names, something that was still important in the supernatural world, even though our parents had discarded us. It also meant that if we suddenly didn’t meet eyes with Everett anymore, we could go our separate ways with no hard feelings.

We all knew that wouldn’t happen, simply because Everett was the calmest supernatural I’d ever met.

Unless you stole his jar of honey as a prank. Then you might as well dig your grave, lie in it, and cover yourself up before he finds you.

Anyway, my brothers were as different as they came. Tristan Cardinal. Twenty-four, laid-back shapeshifter. He was the playful one of the bunch. Never too serious unless he wanted to commit a murder. The dangerous thing about shapeshifters was they could literally shift into anything they wanted.

A boy, a girl, your ex, a damn tree. From what he’d gathered from Everett regarding his family, they were some of the top shapeshifters in their community. As to why they’d decided Tristan wasn’t a good fit for them was a mystery.

Everett had found him during the one of the worst snowstorms in NYC. I was surprised he hadn’t frozen to death, but then again, what did he decide to magically shift into? A campfire.

It seemed completely odd for a bear to roam through the blizzard and see a burning flame in the corner of an alleyway, but it had happened. However, shifting into objects was something only a few shapeshifters could do, and it was costly on the body.

Tristan had almost died after having a two-week fever once he’d changed back. In his normal appearance, he was 6′0″ like Otis and Adonis, and was frequently mistaken for an angel supernatural due to his last name, blue eyes, and shoulder-length blond hair.

Why he doesn’t just change it is beyond me. I personally think he likes messing with people.

With his caramel complexion, it was hard for people to tell what ethnicity he was, and to be honest, none of us really knew either. He was a shapeshifter, after all, and that meant if he wanted to be Caucasian one day and African the next, he literally could.

Another thing that makes him dangerous. He’s constantly being asked to join various police forces, navies, and secret ops organizations.

Then there was Dominick Goldenmoon. Twenty-three, and a smart cookie with perfect skin and flawless features. He’d been voted the sexiest fae alive for three years running.

His has an unusual, emerald green, butt-length hair. Top it all off with tiny strands of gold tinsel that changed color on his every command, and you had yourself a walking Christmas god.

Let’s be real. If you hate Christmas, it’s because you couldn’t get an autograph from this hot thing of a fae.

Orange eyes like sunsets (complete with gold stars for a little added romance) and his ability to shift his height simply added to the fantasy he gave women — and men — every day with his face up on billboards and wall art.

And why had his parents given him up? Because he was too cute.

His parents said he attracted way too much attention with his cuteness, and due to their status and jobs at the time, it was necessary to keep him out of the public eye.

Or just everyone’s eye.

Who knew if they were undercover spies, or maybe just didn’t want to carry the burden of raising Dominick, but whatever the case, I had always wondered if they regretted it with how famous and successful Dominick had become.

He was the youngest billionaire in the world, and even with his jaw-dropping, panty-throwing looks, he could walk around the mall without getting mobbed. He might have to deal with a few autograph-seekers and human stalkers, of course, but the one thing about supernaturals was that they respected one’s space.

Unless they’re sent to kill you.

We’d only had one close call with a crazy stalker, but many forgot that Dominick was a fae and what they called a master. It was a fancy title to say he had the ability to control all the elements connected to nature. So fire, water, earth, the cool stuff.

He’s basically a sexy Aang from Avatar. The animated series, of course.

Then there were my Von Dolorosa twin bros.

Otis and Adonis, twenty-five-year-old identical twins who somehow each took the entire genetic pool of one parent. Otis was a vampire like his father, while Adonis took his incubus trait from his succubus mother.

Their parents had obviously enjoyed a fling, a common activity among supernaturals to create potential badass hybrid children. When they gave birth to the twins, they expected both would be hybrids, and take over their fortune and coven while also having the ability to control with merely their voices…but their baby cocktail didn’t go as planned.

Which was why the twins were ditched and raised by Everett.

The looked exactly the same with their short black hair — that they either spiked up or gelled back depending on their moods — and their daunting purple eyes, but they were complete opposites.

Adonis was chilled back and only cared about having a good time. He took things slow unless it meant getting to the bedroom faster, and he could whisk any supernatural off their feet with a little hint of tune.

Adonis was actually a balladeer who sang deep, soul-hitting romance songs. Some could break your heart and others could get you from zero to one thousand in the bedroom with the first three words.

Seeing as he only started at the beginning of this year, he was only a millionaire at the moment, but I was sure he’d end up on the Forbes list with Dominick by the new year.

Though he was relaxed most of the time, he actually was a hard worker when he wasn’t reading or writing lyrics.

Or slicing all the lingerie I own for shits and giggles.

He also loved to paint his nails the aforementioned black or purple. No one ever teased or questioned him as to why he liked to do his nails, and it really wasn’t anyone’s business. It made him happy, and none of us cared.

Unless he ever chooses another color. Then we’ll have questions.

His brother, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

Otis was a jackass. No, that word wasn’t close to defining his asshole personality. Maybe it was a vampire thing, or maybe he just liked being an angry jerk, but he was the definition of anger management problems.

His only two expressions were a frown and an emotionless glare, and if he did crack a smile, it was either because he was genuinely happy — which happened about three times a year in our group — or because he was excited to stab people with his nails and drain every bit of their blood.

To donate…

That was one of the odd things about Otis. Though his outer appearance was like a harsh whip of approaching death, he did a lot for the supernatural community, especially for vampires.

He was the youngest CEO of the biggest blood supplier in the world, with his biggest lab right here in NYC. Even though it was a multi-billion-dollar company that donated globally to both humans and supernaturals alike, he still went in to the office to personally make sure everything went smoothly.

Heck, sometimes he even helps take blood from volunteers.

He was an attractive beast with unblemished pale skin that made his purple eyes pop, except for the rare occasions that his eyes turned striking red, and ninety-five percent of the volunteer blood donors were women.

Not to forget that Model Companion Collab Otis and Dominick did on Valentine’s Day that broke donation records across the world.

He may have been an ass, but he had a big heart, and that was all that mattered.

My four bros were impeccable supernaturals in society, and I was, well…me.

Cassandra Thorn. Just turned twenty; 5’7” with a small waist but one inch gained on the thighs and hips. Unemployed human with a sassy attitude, a lip that wouldn’t shut up even when I needed it to, and top-notch sarcasm.

Don’t get me wrong, though, I had some good qualities aside from my BTS diagnosis.

I had a knack for kickboxing or anything athletic, really. I could eat like no other girl, beating the record at the latest Japanese restaurant competition and earning all of us a free dinner pass for next year. I was good at drawing symbols, but anything more than that was asking too much. And I could sleep through wars.

Did I mention I was incoherent as fuck when I was half asleep? Wait…not a good quality.

Despite all my amazing positives, I had very few job qualifications, and even though I got into the supernatural university the guys went to for fast-paced studies, I still couldn’t find a job I liked.

Now that Tristan had lined up a job interview with one of the best secret op agencies in the world, I was soon to be the only one in the group without employment.

It would only be a matter of time before things got boring. I had a hint of ADHD, so the whole staying home and doing nothing all day long wasn’t going to last me long before I went insane.

No one wants to deal with insane Cassandra. She’s bad. Believe me.

That left me with very few options, but in Princess Cass style, I’d shove them to the side and worry about them tomorrow.

It wasn’t like I desperately need money. Having a rich guardian to look after you meant getting a weekly allowance that was far too much for the average human.

For a supernatural though, it’s probably pennies — or should I say five cents, seeing as they got rid of those coins. Were too human for the supernatural government.

It was only a matter of time before hundred-dollar bills became the new ten dollars.

Most supernaturals were rich, and those who weren’t had either lost the chance by committing a crime or had sided with the humans during the first wave of changes.

It wasn’t necessarily hard to earn money, but it was easy to lose it all.

Like by buying lingerie every week, for instance.

“I know I love looking at myself when I’m not having a pimple party on my face, but how long are you gonna stare at the mirror for, Cass?”

Slowly turning my head back to look at the seduction god of an incubus, I stuck my tongue out. “Did you know if you stare at yourself every day, you can change your perception of yourself? I’m doing that. It’s part of my ritual.”

“If you think that’s what’s going to get you a plump ass, go back to the squat challenge,” Adonis concluded. “At least I can watch how low you can go.”

“Pervert,” I grumbled under my breath. “Let me try the other sets.”

“No one’s stopping you,” he practically hummed. I had to shiver off the tingling sensations that ran up my body and reminded me that I was a girl and not immune to his gift of seduction.

“Hold that musical tongue of yours,” I grumbled but went right back to changing.

After trying the other two sets that weren’t my style, I was wearing the last set when I overheard some girls squealing.

“Ah! Isn’t that Adonis in the VIP waiting section?!”

“Oh goodness, yes! His voice is so amazing. I have every single track. You wouldn’t believe how epic my sex life has been with his music playing in the background.”

“Seriously? Those rumors are legit?”

“Yes! Hands down the best thing you can add to your relationship! You can have pizza delivery and play it in the background and your partner will love you! It sets the perfect mood. Adam and I haven’t fought in MONTHS! We used to fight every day.”

“That’s sensational.”

“Damn right.”

“What’s he doing here? He has a girlfriend?”

“Nah. He’s probably with his sister.”

“He doesn’t have a sister.”

“Yeah, the girl that’s always around him and the other three epic supernaturals. Adonis, his twin brother Otis, Tristan Cardinal, and Dominick Goldenmoon. They’re like the Supernatural Bros of NYC. Aside from the twins, they’re from different backgrounds and obviously different supernatural traits, but together, it’s like looking at a piece of art. They’re all powerful, talented, and filthy rich!”

“So the girl is just their sister? Well…like not biologically, but hangs with them?”

“Think of it like a girl who’s their friend type deal.”

“They’re not dating or friends with benefits?”

“Nope. They’re a crew and she’s the sole female in a group of testosterone-flowing gods.”

“Lucky. I’d die if I was within touching distance of Adonis. My heart is already palpitating like crazy. Imagine being around all four of them?”

“Hashtag dead.”

They continued to gossip while I waited in front of the change room door, my fingers lingering on the lock I’d turned but held to keep the door closed.

That was the one problem with being in a group of guys. The question of the century was whether or not you’d fall in love with one of them and screw up the dynamic entirely…or maybe fall in love with all of them.

My feelings had always been neutral when it came to romance with my bros. I’d had my share of dating both human and supernatural individuals, and it usually ended with their asses getting kicked by my bros for breaking my heart and me eating a tub of ice cream.

Okay, five tubs of ice cream but who keeps count of those things. Tristan does, but he only tracks it to make fun of me.

The guys had also had their flings, but supernaturals got bored easily, and when you truly were blessed with it all, you wanted more from a relationship than a partner to travel around the world with.

I wanted a guy with character. One who could hold a conversation and was willing to learn new things. If he was attractive, that was a bonus, but generally speaking, it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me.

I guess being around supernaturals all the time lifted my standards just a bit in terms of dating humans, but really, I just wanted to find a guy who wanted more than a quick fling in the sheets.

He would have to be approved by the bros to stand a chance after all my failed matches, but maybe that would mean I’d have a chance of lasting at least six months with him.

My real dating life aside, the gossip channels loved to debate whether I’d date all my bros or be the one to ruin their group dynamic.

The pressure from it all was the reason I tried to not think of them as romantic interests, but once I reached eighteen, things got a little harder.

My hormones kicked in.

I thought sixteen was a pain when I finally got my period, but nope. Eighteen was when your body stopped listening to you and made you practically psycho in the process.

Do I like-like Adonis, Otis, Tristan, and Dominick?

I still didn’t know, and it was another thing to push to the corner of my mind until I needed to face it.

The door opened, snapping me out of my thoughts as my body jerked forward and right into a wall of clothed muscle.

“Adonis,” I groaned against his chest, recognizing him by the scent of his latest Louis Vuitton cologne.

Incubi and succubi loved to smell good. If they had a hint of stench on them, there would be hell to pay if they couldn’t bathe or at least drench themselves in fragrance.

“Stop listening to stupid stuff and let me see you.”

“Who said I was eavesdropping?”

“You should apply to be a reporter,” Adonis suggested. “You’d get all the goodies for big companies to gossip about. Now turn around so I can see if these panties make your ass look great.”

I giggled and shook my head. “Weird incubus.”

“That you adore,” he added and helped spin me around like we were on a dance floor. Letting go of my hand, I saw in the reflection of the mirror that Adonis took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest in observation.

“Good. Like this one and the first set.”

“I never let you see the other two,” I noted.

“Don’t have to.” He shrugged. “I knew from when you picked them up that they weren’t good choices for your body type.”

“Why does that make me feel like I’m fat?” I pondered more to myself.

Adonis’s playful smirk made me want to count my blessings. I really didn’t understand how I hadn’t fallen for him like any other human.

“Because you sometimes forget you’re a sexy woman with a small waist, amazing curves, and the perfect ass.”

“Yet I’m doing that squat challenge because?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It was your idea to make yourself suffer every day by dropping it like it’s hot.”

“You could have told me that.” I slapped my forehead in annoyance.

“And miss all the squatting? Why in the devil’s name would I do that? I’m an incubus, not an angel. Keeping doing them.”

“For your entertainment.”

“And the rest of the guys’. We’re betting to see how long you’ll last until you not-so-secretly eat another entire cake.”

“My birthday is a year from now,” I reminded.

“And when has that stopped you from passing by the bakery to grab a cake or two?”

“It’s not my fault,” I argued. “The owner makes good cakes.”

“And is also a succubus who sprinkles addictive magic on top of her stuff so you all go back and make her bank,” he concluded. Slapping my ass, he grinned at my flustered face.

“Go away. I was going to change.”

“Why is that stopping you? I’ve seen you naked before.”

“Which is silly! I’m twenty now.”

“A number doesn’t change anything.”

“Stop arguing. I don’t want you here,” I concluded and crossed my arms as I moved my head to one side in pure defiance.

When he didn’t speak, I poked an eye open, to see he was hovering over me with that sexy smile of his.

“You really don’t want me, Cassandra?” That oozing delicacy of hotness had my every goose bump popping up as I stared at him like he was the next chocolate cake on my list.

“I do…I mean…no! Dammit, Adonis! Take your seducing voodoo out of my change room.” I pushed him slightly and he chuckled.

“Boo.” He leaned in so close that my body froze. “That’s no fun, Cassandra.”

This lethal man knows I like it when I’m called by my full name…in bed.

I felt my bra loosen then, and I watched it drop to the floor like it had lost its purpose in life. My eyes returned to the culprit, noticing how his index finger returned to his pressed lips, that sharp fingernail shining it had won a bloody reward.

“Oops. I’ll pay for that.” With a wink, he was out of my change room. I was ready to run out and beat his ass up, but I really didn’t want my girls to be on the next cover of Supernatural Daily.

Damn you, Adonis!

With a huff, I locked the door and began to change into my black yoga tights and red crop top.

“Did you hear supernaturals are getting kidnapped lately?”

“Huh? No way.”

The sudden gossip made me pause as I readied to unlock the door once more.

“It’s in the hidden news articles. They don’t want to bring it to the public eye yet because they’re not sure if they’re kidnapping innocent supernaturals or criminals working for organizations. It’s an apparent mess. I overheard my boss talking about it.”

“That’s scary, but I guess it’s nothing we have to worry about.”

“Being a human is hard when the rest of the world is better than you, but I guess you have a point.”

“C’mon, let’s go cheer ourselves up with ice cream and some more shopping.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

With a frown, I pondered what they had just said.

“Why would anyone kidnap supernaturals?” I quietly questioned. With a shrug, I picked my favorite sets and left the change room.

I only lasted five steps before something kissed me on the cheek. My whole face burned hot as I slowly looked to see Adonis now leaning against the wall of the entrance to the changerooms.

“Your butt looks extra cute in yoga pants, too.” He nodded in agreement. “You also forgot to put underwear on.” I rushed back to the change room to see the underwear I remembered putting on was on the floor with a clean cut at the waistline.

One thing I always forgot about the twins. The two could exchange powers with little effort.

In this case, Adonis was using Otis’s supernatural speed.

“Adonis von Dolorosa! You’re a dead incubus! Those are my favorite!”

I already knew he was gone, running like his life depended on it, but I’d get him back for this. I always got payback.

Shaking my head, I crouched down to pick up the lace panties, had a moment of silence for their loss, and threw them in the garbage on the way out.

Note to self. Never bring my supernatural brothers lingerie shopping.

LEVEL ONE: SUPERNATURAL INMATE

OUT NOW

https://books2read.com/SUPERNATURALINMATE

LEVEL TWO: ARRESTED BY MAGIC

(PREORDER)

https://books2read.com/ARRESTEDBYMAGIC

LEVEL FOUR: CELESTIAL PRISON

(PREORDER)

https://books2read.com/CELESTIALPRISON

SHATTERED PRINCESS

(PREORDER)

https://books2read.com/SHATTEREDPRINCESS

ABOUT AVERY SONG

Avery Song is a reverse harem author who specializes in paranormal, fantasy, and urban romance.

She especially loves writing strong main characters and is excited for all the books that are approaching.

ABOUT VERONICA AGNUS

Veronica Agnus is Paranormal Romance Author. She loves to write, workout, and spend some cozy time with her puppies. She enjoys writing stories with empowering women, a hint of comedy, strong unique men, and a jam-packed adventure that leaves you wanting more.

https://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Agnus/e/B08266GLJ3

~Books by Avery Song~

THE SUPERNATURAL SPY ACADEMY SERIES:

S.S.S YEAR ONE

S.S.S YEAR TWO

S.S.S YEAR THREE

S.S.S YEAR FOUR

S.S.S FIVE (May.29.2020)

SPELL TRAVELER CHRONICLES

Witchling Academy- Semester One

Witchling Academy- Semester Two

Witchling Academy- Semester Three

Witchling Academy- Semester Four

Witchling Academy- Semester Five

Witchling Academy- Semester Six

Witchling Academy- Semester Seven (Jun.12.2020)

Witchling Academy- Semester Eight (Oct. 23.2020)

JADE STORM TRACKER SERIES

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester One

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Two

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Three

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Four (June 5th 2020)

The Tracker Hive Academy- Semester Five (Nov.27.2020)

BLAZING ACADEMY

Semester One (Apr.5. 2020)

COWRITTEN WORKS:

SUPERNATURAL CAPTIVITY SERIES

Supernatural Inmate

Supernatural Outlaw (May.22.20)

Supernatural Villain (Oct.9.2020)

SUPERNATURAL MARKED MONARCHY

Psychic Prison - Book One

Psychic Royalty - Book Two (Jul.24.2020)

Psychic Monarchy- Book Three (Nov.13.2020)

DESTINED IMRISONEN TRILOGY

Arrested By Magic (Apr.10.2020)

FOR THE FAEIRY ABSOLUTES

Celestial Prison (May.8.2020)

FOR THE PURELY DIVINE SERIES

Fae Rose Academy - Year One

Fae Rose Academy - Year Two (Jul.31.2020)

WILLA SILVER ACADEMY INVESTIGATOR

Daggers and Smoke - Year One (Apr.3.2020)

THE SUPERNATURAL VAMPIRE FAE CHRONICLES

Bloody Rosary Academy (May.1.2020)