Deva stayed in her warm bed enjoying the quietness of the empty room. She no longer had a roommate. She tossed and turned all through the night thinking about the eliminations. Was she being a baby for wanting to go home? She was throwing tantrums and acting out on purpose to resist everything about their kingdom. Why couldn't it have been a stupid dream?

Getting out of bed, she noticed the shyness of the sun. It had to be past noon.

The kitchen was her first priority for the day. She heard her stomach rumbling as she opened the swinging door. Chef Antonio immediately greeted her with a welcoming smile which she returned.

"Just waking up bella?"

"Yes. It was a long night of tossing and turning dear Antonio." She propped herself on the chair closest to the counter, where he was whipping something up.

"Here I make a special lunch for you. Your favorite." He placed in front of her a plate of spaghetti and a glass of red wine.

"Oh, Antonio, you spoil me, and I love you for it."

He always knew how to cheer her up. She gave him a brief summary of what was going on in her life. He sympathized and tried to come to the brothers' defense, claiming it was in their good will.

Finishing her food, she thanked him and left to wander the halls. It was going to be a stressful day of thinking.

While heading for the library someone grabbed her wrist. She spun and found Lucian cautiously staring at her with sad eyes. "We need to talk."

"Lucian-"

"I'm not taking no for an answer. I don't want you hating me." He instantly teleported them to his room. She had never been in it before. It was big with wide open doors leading to the outside balcony. The walls were a dark red color, and there were armors and weapons surrounding every inch of the room.

"Lucian-"

"It's Loosh to you." He glided closer to her. "I know you're mad at me, and I know you feel I betrayed your trust, but I didn't mean to. I never meant to. I told you what you wanted to hear which was also the truth just not all of it. I don't want you to feel betrayed."

Deva sighed. "I don't understand your customs and how you do things. I'm guessing vampires are used to bending the rules and doing whatever they want. It's hard for me to accept that I will never see my family again. Loosh I never got to say goodbye. The more time I spend with you the bigger my suspicion gets. I don't think you want me to ever go. I don't want to get close to any of you because I don't want to be chosen. Please Lucian, don't pick me."

"You can't ask me that. I can't promise you that."

"I'll just shut down then." She was done fighting, perhaps silence would help.

"Deva please stop resisting." He pinned her shoulders to force her to listen. "The reason you're fighting harder is because you probably are starting to feel something more with us. Open your heart and I promise great things will happen. Trust in us and we will never let you down."

"Isn't that what the girls who got eliminated did? Didn't they open up to you and what did they get in return?"

"They didn't have the potential you have. I never wanted to be their friend but you...I want you in my life. I want your trust. I want to make you happy and laugh." He couldn't speak for his brothers but Deva was the only girl in the competition he wanted to be with.

She was making her life hell. She needed to take charge and switch her attitude. Maybe not now but if she could eventually wrap Lucian around her finger then maybe she could convince him to take her home to see her family.

Deva opened her arms to hug him. "Truce?"

He loved the feel of her body in his arms. And for once he felt like he finally broke through to her.

"I want to make your life here better."

"You can start by teaching me how to use a sword."

He smiled, baring his teeth. "I'd love to."

They spent over two hours swinging and swaying their swords back and forth. Lucian had to admit Deva was a quick learner. She was sweating and heaving while Lucian couldn't show a drop of evidence that he had done anything physical.

She charged again getting closer and closer to actually harming him, but he was always a step ahead. He promised not to use his vampire abilities, but she still thought he was cheating. He easily dodged her blade. She moved again quickly spinning and clashing her sword against his. He admired her charisma and passion for not giving up.

Her stubbornness kept her going until she finally surprise-attacked him, forcing the sword to pierce his left shoulder.

His smile widened in approval. "Nice."

But he drew his sword forward and kicked her legs right from under her. She landed her on her back hard with Lucian securely on top of her somewhat straddling her.

"Ass," she muttered through the slight pain.

He chuckled. "That was really impressive."

"Was it?" She asked focusing her eyes. He was so close she felt his sweet breath tickling her face.

"Yes, very impressive." He inched his face closer never loosing eye contact.

She felt her heartbeat flutter fast in her chest. He could hear her heartbeats, and it only made him want to move closer to hear it better. She had time to stop him if she wanted; so when she didn't move, he took the initiative.

He brushed his yearning lips against her mocking pink ones. It sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. She tilted her head up to add more feeling into the kiss. Butterflies invaded her stomach. Butterflies in the stomach was so cliché, but there was no other feeling to describe the fluttering sensation pulling at the pit of her stomach.

His mind went wild with the sensation her reaction caused in him. He took a deep breath of her sweet vanilla lavender scent and kissed her bottom lip then her top. She made no attempt to pull away. His lips tasted of peppermint, and Deva wanted more. So when his lips fully devoured hers, she didn't hesitate to react. How could she honestly resist a vampire kiss?

Their lips moved in sync never missing a beat. Lucian made a small moan in the back of his throat. It had been so long since he actually felt something, and Deva was making him feel things he couldn't explain.

But too soon her lips stopped moving, and she opened her eyes. Lucian searched her face for some kind of sign, but she only looked lost in thought.

"I need to go." She said in a rush. Lucian slowly and reluctantly got up. Deva did the same, she blankly stared at Lucian.

"Thanks for the lessons." She ran for the door.

Deva was so thankful he didn't try to stop her. She never intended for that to happen, and she never intended to enjoy it so much. The shiver and butterflies he was giving her by merely brushing his lips against hers was unreal. She rushed back to her room, not caring that her muscles were aching from the sword lessons.

Inside the safety of her room, she began pacing about like a mad hatter. How could she let that happen? She promised herself she wouldn't fall for anyone. She promised. She ran to the bathroom and started the water for the bathtub. Sitting on the edge of the tub she ran through her thoughts.

So what if she did kiss him? Was it really that bad? Of course it wasn't. It would only increase her chances of getting Lucian emotionally involved. Once he falls madly in love with her than she could bend the rules herself.

"Alright," she said stripping out of her clothes and slipping into the warm and comfortable water.

She closed her eyes and leaned back to relax her sore muscles. She rubbed her body with the vanilla scented soap to get rid of her awful sweat.

He was a great kisser. So maybe she was getting more out of the deal then she bargained for. There were going to be no more worries. Her life was going to start turning around.

After minutes of just sitting in the tub she heard footsteps walking into the wide open bathroom. She forced herself to side glance, annoyed that anyone would dare come in.

Darius stood against the sink. He was smirking, amused by the view.

"You know there is a door there for a reason. Ever heard of knocking?"

He moved closer despite her obvious discomfort and annoyance. "Yes, but then I would have missed the chance to catch you naked and in a tub."

She pivoted her head the other direction, trying to hide the blush that was creeping to her cheeks. He wanted to see her naked. His disgusting behavior irked her.

"Darius what are you doing here? I'm not in the mood."

"Oh sweetheart, I thought you knew me. I figured since I'm a man-whore and all that I'd take you to bed after your little bath. I can't technically have sex with you but there are other ways to please each other."

"Are you mocking me?" She looked ready to kill him.

"Oh right, you're a virgin. Maybe you haven't tried anything with a man. Shall I describe what I can do to you? I'll throw your naked body on the bed. You might squirm because for some odd reason you're not comfortable with your body. I'll hold you still and begin by kissing your inner thighs. You'll stop fighting and open up to me just to feel my lips on your-"

"Darius get out!" She yelled not caring if it could be heard throughout the entire castle.

Darius was getting worked up just thinking about it. He was also getting a thrill out of watching her squirm picturing the scene in her head.

Instead of abiding her wish Darius sat down next to the tub. He got as close to her face a possible but stared in admiration at her soft bare skin that was exposed over the rim of the tub.

"I should be mad at you. I want to be, but in truth sweetheart I'm not." His confession sounded real and true but she didn't want to trust anything coming out of his mouth. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

His facial expression was sincere enough, and he continued, "You were so upset yesterday, and I just wanted to know you were alright. We know coming to a different world is hard to adapt to that is why every time we see you we want to cheer you up. We want to make it easier for you."

She could tell they were trying and that was why she was buckling now. How much longer could she give them hell till they finally stop treating her kindly? She needed to switch up the game. Perhaps a sweeter side with Darius would also benefit her in the long run.

Maybe she was wrong about him. How could she hate him when she didn't know enough about him? She was making assumptions on what she was seeing but what was the bigger picture?

She moved closer to him placing her arms on the edge of the tub next to his sitting form. She then rested her head on her arms and sighed softly.

"I'm sorry for stabbing you. I shouldn't have done that to you. Ever since I got here all three of you have been really nice to me. I've been acting out on the hopes that you might send me home. I think the reason you let me slide is because you feel sorry for me."

It was true. Deva was the only one having difficulty accepting a life in the castle.

"It's easier to hate a villain."

He raised his hand to her face and she embraced his loving touch. "I don't want to be a villain in your eyes."

"You're not."

The strange warmth in his eyes gave her a new sensation that ran down her body to her toes. It wasn't anything like the feelings Lucian gave her.

"What am I then?"

"A thorn in my side." She smirked.

"How can I change that?" Was he serious?

"Depends on what you want to be."

"How," he seemed nervous, "can I earn a place in your heart?"

She drew a deep breath since he was treading in deep waters. Was he ready to have that kind of talk?

"You're a player. What could you possibly do with my heart?"

He shook his head to deny her claim. "I'm a flirt not a player. I'm not a man-whore. It is our duty to learn more about each individual girl."

"Is it your duty to also pleasure the girls in other ways than sex?"

He was digging himself into a hole. "I haven't if that is what you're thinking. This may sound like another line but I do enjoy your company more than the others."

Her stupid heart fluttered but that didn't mean she believed him.

He lowered his gaze to the floor. "I forgave you the moment that rock touched my skin."

Darius seemed at ease. He knew very well she was really uncomfortable sitting there naked with him in the room, but he didn't want to get up. He knew he should have, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Can you hand me a towel please?"

He got up and took the towel that was lying on the sink counter. He unfolded the towel and held it up for her to wrap herself in. In order for her to do that, she would have to get up. A huge part of him knew she wouldn't get up to reveal her body to him, but his other half was hoping she would.

"Nice try muffin; now hand it to me and turn around."

"It was worth a shot." He placed it in her hands and turned. He heard her body getting out as water drops were hitting the floor.

She held the towel tight and walked to her closet. Pulling on some sweatpants and a plain red t-shirt she felt good again. Being naked in front of a prince was not something she wanted to do again, especially when he looked hotter than any model she had ever seen. She walked back into the bathroom half expecting him to be gone but to her surprise he was leaning on the side wall.

"You're still here?"

"Yes," he replied bringing his eyes back to her body.

"Well we apologized."

She went to sit on sink counter waiting for him to leave, but he didn't even flinch.

"There is one thing." In one swift motion he stood between her legs.

He took her by surprise and it made her nervous not being in control. Her heart was pounding, almost faster than when Lucian was kissing her. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on something other than Darius' body warmth.

He whispered into her ear, "Sweetheart, are you alright? Your heart is beating like crazy."

He raised his hands and cupped her face. Her soft ivory skin looked too beautiful and fragile, making it irresistible to touch.

Her eyes burst open. A hint of fiery and nervousness shone in them. "I wonder why."

He wanted to laugh, but ended up smirking at her sarcasm. Still so close to her, he barely touched her lips with his own, teasing her in a sense. She swallowed, and he continued to taunt her. Running his lips across her face, he placed a kiss on her left cheek, then on her right and ended with one on her nose. He was soft and gentle, and Deva felt like her insides were going to explode.

The heat from her cheeks was now on overload, and he could feel it through his hands. He loved that he had that effect on her. Then going back to her lips, he stopped just a small gap between them. He wasn't moving, and it was killing Deva inside. Why was he teasing her? And why wasn't she pulling away?

She couldn't resist anymore. Forgetting all her morals and own personal rules she leaned forward closing the small space between their lips. A power wave of shocks flowed to her core at the intense touch their contact made.

She felt him smile through her lips; he clearly enjoyed her reaction. His lips were yielding and felt like silk, just like she thought they would be. He wanted to take so much from her within the kiss, but forced himself to be tender and compassionate.

His lips tasted of a citrus and mint. Deva couldn't describe what that made her feel, but soon she had a pit in her stomach where the guilt was settling in. Not but an hour ago, she was kissing Lucian. Deva pulled away losing the warmth of his touch. He groaned silently due to her withdraw. He opened his eyes to see a condemned looking Deva. Her eyes were sad and worried.

"Darius..." She whispered, her voice scarcely coming back to life.

He smiled and shook his head. "Don't. That was an incredible thing that happened. Don't even think about regretting it."

Of course he knew why she was feeling guilty. He had a telepathic connection to his brothers. He knew she shared a kiss with Lucian.

"But I-"

"Shh," he placed a finger over her mocking lips and rubbing her soft flushed cheeks. "It's time for bed."

He dropped his hands and grabbed her thighs forcing her to wrap them around his torso. She had no room for protest, and she was still a little shaken up by his kiss. She rested her head on his broad shoulder and took in his sweet aromatic smelling Aqua Di Gio cologne. It was a perfect combination of masculinity with its aura of ocean breezes, citrus fruits, herbs, and woods that would send any girl to bliss.

When he got to the bed, instead of placing her on it, he laid down himself with her on top of him. She straightened her legs getting more comfortable and ended up tangling their legs together. She wasn't sure why he was staying over or what his motive was but she didn't want to complain. It was a beautiful comfort to have someone hold her and stroke her hair.

How could this be happening to her? But of course it would be happening to her; everything difficult and bad happened to her. She could never catch a break. How could she feel incredible butterflies in her stomach for one brother and intense shock waves from another brother? This was seriously messed up. It would have been so much easier if she stayed mad at him.

"Darius?"

"Yes sweetheart." He replied in a tranquil voice.

"Can you use your power on me again? Take me some place, perhaps to one of your memories or something."

"My past memories?"

She nodded. "Yes. You've lived for so long. You must have had an incredible life."

She sounded so eager, and he didn't want to deny her. "Perhaps you would like to see when I first met the Queen of England. Queen Elizabeth the first."

She raised her head, and her face was shining with excitement and thrill. "Will you? Please."

"Anything for you sweetheart." He placed her head back down on his shoulder and began his magic. "Open your eyes now sweetheart."

She did and found herself surrounded by many people of the old world wearing big puffy corset gowns and headdress pieces. They were in a huge ball room that had gold detailed molding and statues in every corner. The clothing on people varied with different vibrant colors of silk and other expensive material. Almost every person there was wearing jewelry and some kind of gold chain. Deva was enchanted with it all.

She felt someone grab her hand and her jaw dropped when she saw Darius dressed in full trunk hose pants with leather boots that reached his knees. Dragging her gaze up she took in his snug-fitting buttoned up burgundy jacket that was slightly opened at the top giving her a good view of his chest. But his gold dangling jewel necklace occupied most of the exposed skin. He looked so handsome with his rusty unshaved jaw and curly tasseled hair which was roughly an inch shorter a few seconds ago.

"You look good." She said through the violin music.

He smiled a devilish grin and stretched her hand back to examine her attire. "And you my sweet look undeniably gorgeous."

She hadn't even noticed the extra fabric holding her down. She was wearing a deep royal red corset gown that had delicate detailed seams in every direction. It was breath taking. Her hair was long and curled down to her back with a diamond beaded jewel band that also flowed with her hair.

(Picture from "Reign" I love that show)

He led her through the crowd. "Do you want to see the queen?"

"Yes. So this is all your memory. You control all this?"

"Yes. This is all part of my memory. What you are wearing is something I came up with in my head."

"Unbelievable."

He stopped and pointed toward the front of the room. "There." She stared at the woman with incredible extravagant clothing and knew straight away that it was the Queen.

"Not exactly how I would have pictured her."

"I promise you it's a very good liking of her." He led her towards the center of the crowd were the people were dancing to an old traditional dance.

"Shall we?"

"Why is it I always find myself dancing with you?"

He chuckled and began to move to the steps of the music. "You're a very good partner. I wouldn't want to dance with anyone else."

"Darius I don't know how to dance to this."

"I'll teach you sweetheart. It's simple." He led the dance. It was a dance that told a story. He bowed and twirled her, making her laugh and love the moment. Time didn't seem to matter. They were enjoying the dance, the music, the people, and the night.

Towards the end of the song, Deva pulled Darius close and whispered into his ear. "When I wake up I want you gone." She was thankful he had shared this memory with her, but she couldn't let it get to her head. After all, he was still seeing other women. Her stomach dropped. All the brothers were seeing women, and as much as she hated it, that also included Lucian.

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Do you still love my characters? What do you think? Which brother would you go for? 😚💋💋💋

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