Aria/Lysara's POV

I pushed at her arm and body as she brought her penknife closer to my face, but she was so strong I just couldn't seem to get her off completely, though I managed to have her release her grip on my neck. And I was able to breathe more freely. The air that had previously gathered in my chest finally found its way to my lungs. The pain in my chest eased, and so did the heat in my head, everything slowly dying to a dull ache.

But I wasn't safe yet. I still had the knife to deal with. She traced my cheek with the knife, the feral, predatory look in her eyes growing tighter. She didn't cut me yet, but she teased me with it, swiping the blade of the knife around my cheek.

She seemed to be enjoying whatever she was doing, enjoying watching me shiver gently beneath her, as the tight frown on her lips eased into a smile. “Where would you like me to cut you first, your neck, your cheeks, or your wrist, and how would you like to die? A twisted neck, a perfect slash on both of your wrists so you can bleed out on the floor, or incineration.” She grinned down at me, her lips framed in a sad smile. I shook beneath her as the knife slowly began to cut into my skin. The coppery tang of my own blood stung my nose.

It was plain and evident that she was crazy, and the last thing I wanted was a crazy woman after my life. “I am open to a compromise, Vyxen. How about I return the Muse Favor or whatever to you? I forced her a smile. I tried to push her arm from my chest, believing she would accept the compromise, but I collapsed back against the wall. A sharp ache pulsed through my back as she pushed me back harder against the wall with her arm.

“You fool. It can't be returned. Once Alpha King Kael declared that it belongs to someone, then it can be taken away from the person. It is final. And you stole it from me. I should have been the one declared to win it. It is my turn. That was the only way I wouldn't end up the loser this week…”

I couldn't continue to endure her monologue, her voice thinning out like that of an imbecile. She sounded just like she looked—crazy. “What do you want from me then, if it cannot be reclaimed?” I snapped. I didn't know where the strength came from, but I did, even though her knife was cutting into my skin, drawing out my blood.

Her face tightened fast into a snarl again. “I want you to die. Die just like the last seventh sub. I can manage to stand sharing Alpha King Kael with Nahlia and the rest that came before me, but not anyone coming after. I am going to be his last sub, his last wife, his most beautiful and naughty wife, and soon, I am going to be his queen, after defeating Nahlia in three game rounds…” As she spoke, she turned around gently, as if to show me her supposed beauty, as if that should make up for her madness.

I realized quickly that her monologue wasn't going to end, so I cut her short. “I am sorry, Vyxen, but my life is too precious to me this time, so I can't die just because you are so enamored of some stupid Alpha who considers you as nothing other than a sex toy.”

Her brows were wired tight now, with thick veins stretching over her neck and jaw. “How dare you talk that way to Alpha King Kael. How dare a bitch like you call him stupid?” I saw her arm flying fast for my face.

I tried to dodge it, but considering I was trapped under her arm, that was physically impossible. I shut my eyes in expectation of her palm crashing down on my face, but what I heard was a sharp cry from somewhere. I recognized the voice—Eira.

“Stop, Vyxen.” Eira yelled very close beside me.

I opened my eyes then to find that she was holding tight to Vyxen's wrists. Vyxen shrugged off her grip, throwing her hand back to her side. “Get out of here, bitch. This is none of your business,” she barked at Eira.

Eira flashed her a smile. And she pushed Vyxen's arm off my chest with both her hands. Vyxen was very strong. So strong, I had to join in, and together we pushed Vyxen back from me. She staggered back then, and I dropped back to the wall, echoing a heavy sigh while I rubbed blood back to my sore chest.

“It does concern me, Vyxen.” Eira replied her. “I won't let you intimidate and torture Lysara as you tortured Aurora, the deceased seventh sub. Alpha King Kael doesn't belong to just you. He belongs to all of us. We are all his subs.”

“No,” Vyxen roared. “He belongs to me alone. I am just letting you all share him with him. He is mine and mine only.” She snarled.

“He isn't,” Eira fired back, though more calmly. But her voice was stained with almost the same venom that stained Vyxen's words. “He is for all of us, and he is more mine than he is yours. He always talks about how he likes my body more than he does yours.”

“That's a lie.” Vyxen snarled, her face contorted with extreme fury.

“It's the truth.” Eira retorted… and their exchange continued, each lady replying to the other with words and tone obviously stinking of jealousy.

They were all crazy, I thought, shaking my head. I continued to rub my chest. I leaned more from the wall, watching the exchange go on between both women. I wondered what was so special about Alpha King Kael that made them all so crazy to be his glorified sex slave in the guise of subs or whatever the miserable word they called it. What was that thing about him that ticked them all off so bad they craved servitude to him?

“Now, get out here, Vyxen, before I call Nahlia on you and have her send you on some disgraceful errands.”

That seemed to stop Vyxen cold. The veins cording her neck grew tighter. “You won't dare do that, Eira.” She challenged.

Eira folded her arms below her breast, and she took a step threateningly to her. “Try me and I will,” she said slowly, leaning her face closer to Vyxen.

Vyxen ground her teeth, her jaw tightening so hard I almost heard it squeal from ache. “I will make you pay, both of you.” She said, her golden brown eyes, darkened and wired with rage and murder, jumped from Eira to me. Then she marched down the hallway.

“I will make sure both of you lose the next game.” She yelled over her shoulders, every syllable echoing her hate. She charged down the hallway as if charging into a battleground. At some point, she drove a punch into the wall near her, venting her rage onto it.

My stomach tightened harder and harder inside of me. I didn't know why, but I felt scared. This was all becoming much crazier and more complex than just being a sex slave. Whatever was going on in this harem was far more serious and diabolical than I thought.