Page 12 of Taken By the Devilish King

LOFY

She wakes up.

I decided to ask her servants to provide her with proper clothing since she wasn't taking so well to being naked in front of me.

She looks around, getting acquainted with her new surroundings.

"Is that how you plan on winning your woman? By watching her through the cameras?" Cilonicrux steps forward and I turn to face him slowly. "Your Majesty." His words may be respectful but his tone is playful.

"Little brother," I acknowledge him. "What are you doing here?"

He was bound to come and welcome me back home but I don't like him in here, in the watch room, standing next to me, watching my future wife too. It feels awfully intrusive.

Cilonicrux points at the camera and I fight the urge to snap his finger in half.

"She is pretty. Is she as beautiful in real life?"

I glower at him and he snorts, removing his finger and standing to attention like the good little prince he is.

"Even more beautiful. And she's mine!" I can't help the threatening hiss, but my brother is not deterred.

"Don't concern yourself with me, Your Majesty," he says. "My heart belongs to another."

I narrow my gaze and inspect his face. He's grown up fast. I remember just like it was yesterday when I sent him to his first brothel and he became a man and now he has his heart set on someone.

"Would that be your beloved author?"

"Waverly Jones. The best pen in the Milky Way."

"And do you intend on expressing your intentions for Ms. Jones and abducting her any time soon?"

He shrugs.

"We shall see. We have far more pressing issues right this moment. Like retaining the peace on our planet." He turns away and glances at the monitors again only this time I don't feel as lethal. He has a mate in mind, which means his heart and body are taken.

"My upcoming wedding shall take care of that. I will finally be a wedded king and Ayla will be my queen."

"Let's just hope King Atraxius finds that enough to stop his attacks on your person and the war on our islands."

The king of Minos was ruthless. In human terms, evil, but since we are Vyperians it's in our blood, to conquer, to spread, to defeat.

He's been trying to weaken my hold on my country and my people for decades, whether that was through spreading misinformation through his press or performing a number of surprise attacks on Leviathar territory.

"King Atraxius won't stop, however our people will be put at ease. A mated king is a strong king. Which will make our country stronger to defeat the enemy."

Cilonicrux shifts his position to face me and tilts his head.

"Brother, you do realize you won't win her over if you don't spend time with her, correct?"

I glower at him.

"I'm aware, Cilonicrux. I'm just giving her time to feel more comfortable around me."

"She won't feel comfortable if she doesn't get to know you and I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad news, but time is everything you don't have.You only have a month. That will be gone in no time. And you have to guarantee an affirmative response from her on your wedding day or all of this will be for nothing and only further ammunition for Atraxius."

I take a deep breath and process his words. He is right, of course. I don't have much time and I need to ensure a positive outcome for our wedding ceremony, but I've been admiring this woman for so long, I've been wanting this woman for so long, I don't want to try my Vyperian ways on her only for her to reject me. I don't know whether my heart can take it.

But a coward, I am not.

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