Word Count: 2516

I stare at myself in the mirror, hating what I have to do.

I've come to the conclusion that my best bet is to seduce Marek, to hopefully convince him to let his guard down before injecting him to make him weak enough to be apprehended. First, I want to read the room, to see how he reacts to me first. He may laugh at me, refuse to be impressed by what I'm wearing right now, how I'm planning to act with him. It's a likely reaction, but at this point, it's all I can do.

My nightdress is short, covering only what is needed, letting my legs stand bare to his eyes. The white material is slightly sheer in certain lights, yet I've cast the room into shadow by leaving only one lamp light on, wanting it to look like I was just preparing for bed.

I'm vulnerable like this. And utterly terrified.

I'm frightened of seeing him, in my room, a danger to me once again. Yet my rational mind knows that's not what has truly dug itself under my skin. Instead, I'm frightened that he is going to allow me to seduce him, and I'm going to have to stab him with the needle by my bed, filled with a substance strong enough to bring a Summoner down.

Exhaling slowly, I take a moment to close my eyes and compose myself. There's no guarantee that the rumours would have been fed back to him, or that he will even bother showing up here, in my room. We have narrowed down the potential leak to three people, who have all received this information through casual means. I hate to know what will happen to them if Marek does show up.

Glancing toward the open balcony door, my heart flutters. Beams of moonlight drench the floor, milky and cool. The lace curtains rustle against the sweet, mellow breeze.

He's going to be here. I know it.

This is all up to me. Turning around, I stalk back to sit on the edge of my bed. I don't want to look too rigid, too unnatural, yet I can't will myself to calm down. I'm not ready to see him, to face him again after escaping Vaia's clutches.

The gentle sound of rustling draws my gaze back to the balcony window, seeing a hand parting the curtains. I flinch, as Marek steps through, gaze landing on me.

"Not staying in Tai's room?" He whispers gently, tone as cool as the night.

I jump up, not having to fake the surprise and fear mingling in my expression. Tonight, he's not dressed in his hunting leathers, opting for a more casual attire. His long-sleeved tunic is black, matching his trousers. His appearance is effortlessly beautiful, as always, looking as though he has just stepped from the shadows.

"Marek...What are you doing here?" I gasp, feigning surprise.

He pauses, fingers still grasping the curtain. His gaze sweeps over me, painfully intentful as the drink in the sight of me wearing this small nightdress. It's my first weapon of seduction, to disarm him, to lure him in. It seems to be working, blistering blue eyes blazing over, lips patting slightly as he exhales long and slow.

"There are a lot of guards out tonight, so I had no other choice but to come into your room to speak with you," he says after a moment of heavy silence, tone flat and distracted.

I take a shuddering step back as he stalks forward, pausing at my reluctance to have him closer. We are both painfully aware of how I look, the top of breasts slightly exposed over the lace edge of the fabric. Marek doesn't dare look a moment longer, training his eyes on mine masterfully.

"That didn't answer my question," I remind him breathlessly.

"You're planning to leave?" He asks, raising a brow.

I sigh, hoping he believes the faux exasperation. The confidence he sauntered in here with is gone, a sense of unease about him as he lingers back near the window, the glistening beams of the moon lighting him from the back, casting his face in velvety shadow. What is he fighting internally with? I had hoped to unnerve him, yet I could have never imagined he would be so...Affected by my body.

"What else do you know?" I question, crossing my arms over my chest, half wanting to hide what he would be able to see, if his gaze lingered downward.

"You and Tai are fighting, it would seem," he notes grimly, taking another step forward, graceful and deathly silent. "Should I be worried you're not safe?"

I shrug. "I'm fine. It's more so Kailor than Tai."

I'm confident he won't see that as a lie. Kailor exasperates me, which if Marek truly has ears throughout the manor, he will already be aware of that. Some nights the thought of having Kailor as my father-in-law has kept me up, haunting me. Even if we escape Vaia, I will never be able to escape Kailor.

"If you leave, I don't recommend staying here, in the Jade Province," he comments uneasily. I know what that translates to - Vaia will kill you if you escape Tai's grasp. I'm not sure why she has so much against me that she would go out of her way to kill me, but at the same time, I'm not surprised.

"I need to see my family again," I tell him firmly. If I were escaping for real, it's the first place I would go.

Marek takes another step toward me, a muscle quivering in his jaw. The backs of my legs are pressed against the bed now, so I sit, afraid my legs may crumble uselessly beneath me if I remain standing a moment longer. I'm not doing that great at seducing him.

At least my fear is realistic.

"If you leave, I have a contact in the Emerald Province that can keep you safe," he assures me. I pretend to consider it. "Vaia won't chase you there...Not when the most powerful rulers live there. That's much more competition than she is ready for."

I swallow, my throat so dry it's painful. "And will you hunt me down?"

He stills, the breeze coming through behind him silently rustling his bronze locks. I realise he's wearing gloves, a strange addition to his usual attire. They are black, leather I'm guessing, by the glossy way the light glides across the surface. I fight the urge to get up and run, or to call for Tai and his men who linger further down the hallway.

"You will be safe," he confirms.

I look down at my hands, fingers knotted together. "I'll never escape this, will I?"

Marek looks reluctant to answer, tilting his head back and forth before he releases a long, painful sigh. Finally, he looks over me again, gaze light, never lingering for more than a moment. I can't tell if it's because he's unbothered by my appearance, or respectful.

"You look beautiful tonight," he tells me quietly.

This is my chance. He's closer now, enough so that I could reach out and grab him, force me to kiss me or something. Anything to get him close enough for me to grab the needle and administer the drug. Yet I don't, apprehensive about whether he will allow me to kiss him. If he's lying about caring for me, then I may get pushed off and painfully rejected.

"I'm not wearing anything under this," I whisper, forcing a brazen tone into my words as I stand again.

Marek stills, eyes narrowing slightly. I've ruined it, haven't I? I'm not good at speaking like this, at daring someone to fall for my trap.

"Is this your attempt to tease me?" He questions lightly, licking his lips slowly, intently. I watch the movement, not having to pretend that I'm mesmerised by it. I can still remember what it feels like to kiss him, to have his hands gliding across my body, effortlessly masterful and adept. His tone is still wary though, suspicious in my sudden shift of behaviour.

I sit back down on the bed, clutching the duvet cover as if to steady me. "I'm not teasing, just telling."

"Tai not giving you enough of a release? You seem...On edge," he comments, raising a dark eyebrow. He's testing me, daring me to retaliate and give myself away. As much as I want to defend Tai and his ability to please me, I remain stoic. If he sees even a flicker of resentment in my eyes, he will know this is all an act, if he doesn't already.

"And by on edge, you mean willing to settle with a man who betrayed me, yet apparently still cares about me?" I say, waiting for him to react. I may as well make this realistic.

His gaze softens. "I do still care about you."

"And for once, I believe you," I sigh, exasperated. I risk a glance up at him, trying to decide if he's buying my lame attempt and seduction. His gaze is fixed on me, a tension gathering in his shoulders, but there is nothing in his eyes that reveals his thoughts. "I've been trying to chase away my feelings for you, to try to move on with Tai, and it's finally ruined me. I don't think I can run from this any more."

A darkness passes over his face, but also a sense of curiosity, like he is believing what I'm saying.

He strides forward, not stopping until he is standing right at my feet. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I want to forget, for one night," I tell him, getting to my feet. He doesn't flinch back at our proximity, looking across my face, trying to read my sincerity while I silently pray this is working. "In a few days, I will be gone, and I may truly never see you again."

Marek's tone lowers to it's darkest, deepest point. "Tell me what you want, then."

I summon a deep breath, concentrating on his intent blue gaze instead of his mouth, instead of his fingers which reach out to gently pinch the sheer fabric of my night dress, before he lets fall back against my body. He's only inches away from touching my skin, which he hasn't done in this sense for months. I'm not scared anymore, though, even if I am shaking incessantly beneath my dress.

"I want you to touch me," I breathe. He's close enough for me to inject him now, but the syringe is under my pillow across the bed, which I'm not close enough to grasp.

Marek's incredible talent at concealing his emotions behind an indifferent mask is excellent tonight. Regardless, I slide back across the bed as he watches me with predatory intent, dark hair hanging down to his eyes, covering his marking. I lay down, my head against the pillow, one hand gliding under it to grasp the syringe.

"Where?" he murmurs, not moving from where he stands, opting instead to just watch me. The air in the room is suddenly hot despite the cool breeze from the window that glides across my skin.

"Everywhere," I whisper.

Finally, he leans onto the bed over my body, his warm breath blowing against my face as he looks down at me. For a moment, his gaze, the feeling of him leaning over me, and the familiar scent of him has me forgetting the syringe my fingers are wrapped around....

"How about here?" he breathes, before reaching under the pillow to pull the syringe out, holding it up into the light. "Seriously, Akara?"

I push up as he leans back, pressing myself against the wall. "I'm sorry..."

"As alluring and compelling as you are, your attempt to seduce me is awfully transparent," he mutters, twisting the syringe over in his fingers, looking at the clear liquid within it. My heart rate accelerates, knowing I've made a mistake trying to deceive him. "And to think, I actually believed that. Well, until you wanted me to touch you."

"Go then..." I hug my knees, hoping he will just leave and save me the shame of facing him after that.

"Kailor wishes to question me?" he questions, tilting his head. I nod mutely, wishing I could pull the covers over my head to hide my body from his eyes, now that I know my attempt at seduction wasn't good enough to fool him. I should never have agreed to Tai and Kailor's plan.

"Something like that."

"Alright then," he sighs, pulling his sleeve up before he injects himself in the arm, all the medication in there enough to knock him out for a few hours. "Take me to the cell."

I rear back in surprise. Does he have any idea what he is doing? He now doesn't stand a chance of getting out of here alive, and I'm sure he knows it, so why is he just handing himself in?

"This isn't some game Marek...This is serious," I remind him. I should be grateful, since this was my intention the entire time, but seeing him handing himself in, knowing the consequences, I can't help but feel sick to my stomach.

"Oh, I'm aware," he comments gruffly, tossing the empty syringe toward me so it looks like I injected him. He falls slightly onto the bed, brazing himself up. The drug he just administered into his bloodstream is strong, kicking in already. He looks moments away from falling into unconsciousness.

"You're handing yourself in?" I question, my voice hushed, wary of whoever may be lingering outside waiting for the signal.

Sure enough, the door opens, and in walks Tai and two of his guards. They immediately run at Marek to apprehend him. He doesn't put up much of a fight, the drug kicking in enough so his body slumps limply, eyes shuttering closed.

"Akara, you got him," Tai gasps. I can't decide if he sounds surprised or proud that I managed to pull this off.

I nod silently, stunned in my spot. I don't want to move, I don't want to interfere in any way anymore. Marek may have just signed his death sentence, unless he has some master plan, which is an even more terrifying thought.

"Take him to the cells downstairs," Tai orders to his guards, staring down at Marek with disdain. "He's never going to see light again."

💙••💙

If you guys want to read ahead, you can read more of KING'S SEDUCTION on Radish! It's chapters ahead of Wattpad (:

You'll will find it under KING'S POSSESSION on Radish, as season 2!

👻••👻

I'm officially rewriting Alpha Jasper's story now on Radish! It will be following the same storyline with the same characters, but with revised scenes and some new ones!

I love Jasper's story so much that I wanted to go back and rewrite it. I hope you guys will enjoy it, you can find it now on Radish (:

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~Midika 💜🐼