King of the Unsightly (Tempting Trickery #1)

A Wager of Malice and Mischief

T he door rattled from the forceful pounding on the other side. A gust of wildflowers and dew fused with musk assaulted my nostrils and they flared out.

My eyes darted back to Lucien. “Are you going to get that?” I asked and scrunched my face, confused by his hesitancy. When he didn’t budge a muscle, I pressed him further. “What if it’s Lynne wanting to talk?”

Lucien scoffed and flicked the tip of my nose. “You should be more concerned about me, not the door.”

I flinched, crinkled my nose, and I flicked his nose back.

Lucien was caught off guard, and I crossed my arms and raised a brow. “Don’t flick me. I’m not your dog,” I huffed, annoyed by his strange behavior.

Lucien grinned without an ounce of sweetness in his face. His stance was calculating and ruthless. “You could be,” he hummed as he twirled a lock of my hair.

My body shuddered from his empty words.

Did I hear him correctly? “I could ... what?”

Lucien laughed and shoved me further into the couch and sat beside me.

The atmosphere was off, or maybe Lucien was off. I mean, why would he say something so ... unsettling ?

I gulped at the realization of what he meant.

I eyed Lucien, slightly guarded. “Leave your fetishes for your next girlfriend.” I squinted and scanned him over again; his eyes were more animated than before. “Are you on drugs? Honestly, I thought I would be the one more likely to be tripping, but who knows.” I shrugged, and I sank more into the couch to evade his touch. “Maybe you’re testing the waters.”

Lucien traced his fingertips on my knee and I retreated inward, but he snatched my waist and pulled me close.

My stomach lurched, and I wanted to vomit or pass out. God, why did I feel this way? And why couldn’t I remember anything?

The side of Lucien’s body was firmly pressed against mine as his head rested on my shoulder. “Why are you so nervous? Testing the water is only natural after all,” he murmured into my neck.

His voice was smooth and seductive as he ran a hand down my spine. With the other one, he pinched my cheeks and turned my head to face him.

I froze from shock.

From how forward Lucien was.

From how his body mashed against mine and how close our lips were to touching.

Each breath he took tickled my skin and sent gooseflesh down my body.

Lucien didn’t sound like himself. He was as dense as a rock. He would never ... not after all these years.

“You’re ... this isn’t like you.”

“How so?” Lucien let go of my cheeks and nuzzled his nose into my neck.

His soft lips brushed against my skin, but it felt rough and devoid of any real tenderness.

Chills rose all over my body as I tried to push Lucien back. “This isn’t right,” I said, a little more assertively.

The pounding on the door amplified with my throbbing temple as if they were in sync—both lashing out at me.

Lucien dug his nails into my back, and I cried out in pain as they punctured my skin. The warmth of the blood soaking my shirt quickly turned cold. I slammed my hands hard against his chest, desperate to push him off.

I lifted my chin and met his glowing eyes.

“How inconsiderate of you ... even when I have been so attentive.” Lucien’s voice was laced with so much hostility as he squeezed his nails deeper into my ribs.

The pain spread through my body as if he dipped his nails in poison to ravage my mobility. “What the fuck are you?”

The smell of nectar became so strong it turned repugnant—until a heavy stench of moss and honey overtook my senses.

The knocking on the door wouldn’t let up as the fierce pulsing muddled my concentration.

All my memories flooded back in ripples of agony.

Lucien flared his nostrils in annoyance and snapped his fingers.

The whole room warped and melted away along with his hair, face, and clothes as if someone doused him in acid and his skin dissolved off his bones.

Lucien morphed in front of me.

His deep red hair draped down to the ground as the floor spun and turned to stone. His blazing gold eyes twisted into an animalistic crimson as he emitted pure chaos from his body pulsating in red waves.

The man dressed in a metal-gray garb, concealing his body, but his bestial features couldn’t be hidden. His thick black claws tore open my skin as he yanked them out.

I winced from the throbbing and anxiously looked around as Lucien’s place transformed into a throne room with corpses adorned with rubies and diamonds impaled on the walls.

A pack of shadow-like creatures materialized by the man’s side—morphing into short and round beings, baring their twisted, sharp fangs as their deep red eyes swallowed the darkness around them.

My vision landed on Kaschel who stood behind a glass-like barrier, smashing his fists against it.

My attention darted back to the creatures before me.

“Call me Fell,” the man quipped, stroking the fox fur draped over him as his red eyes shone brighter than the creatures behind him.

Kaschel’s hands and ankles were cuffed and chained, but I couldn’t see where they trailed off to.

And the man had dodged my question—not that I could force him to answer and tell me what he was—when he held all the cards.

The man, Fell, craned his head at an unnatural angle as he pouted at me. “I blame it on that pesky Unseelie. Ruining a perfectly good show for himself. It would have been so entertaining to see his reaction. Don’t you think so?” he huffed and rested one hand on his cheek. “I wanted to fool around a little more.” He stalked over to a throne made of bones and jewels and plopped himself down. “So, what do you think you can offer me? You don’t look like you have much except for the key in your pocket but I’m assuming you came all this way for the other one.”

How did he know it was in my pocket?

I shuddered at the thought of the man coming any closer to me.

And what could I possibly offer him in exchange for the other key? I had nothing except for the clothes on my back and they weren’t even mine!

Faes loved to bargain ... Right? “A favor.”

Fell slammed his hands down on his throne and his laughter filled the cave.

Fell’s face twisted as his grin stretched all the way to his sharp cheekbones. His pearly white teeth were just as luminous as his bestial features. “Now why would I want a favor? People have come here offering me immeasurable treasures and entertainment, yet you come here with nothing and expect me to hand over what you desire? A foolish little witch.” He nodded at the horde of creatures behind him, and they screeched in unison.

My ears couldn’t handle the sheer volume, and I threw my hands up to cover my ears.

But silence fell as if I half imagined the noise.

The creatures didn’t flinch or move. Not even another screech or snarl.

I cautiously uncuffed my ears and glared back at Fell.

This fae was delusional, and that meant he was even more dangerous.

“How about the Unseelie? I have a bone to pick with him, or should I be asking him what he has to offer ?”

“No!”

God, Kaschel was right about me. I never thought about the repercussions of my actions.

“No?” Fell’s playful tone turned venomous. “How about a wager? If you win, you get the key. Simple .”

“And if I lose?”

Fell smiled, and it curled up to his feral eyes. “You become a part of my collection.” He waved his hand toward his mounted trophies on the walls.