Roughly ten minutes had passed, and Okoye was still lost. Attuma now sat in the middle of her bed, back against the wall, hands on her hips, holding her just enough not to leave a bruise. Okoye sat on his lap, facing him as Attuma relished her scent. His nerves were fully kicking in; he had just expressed his desire for her, and she had said a single word after asking if he could smell her. It's it for him now; going all in, he has faith that he will be the victor for her affection. He refuses to leave an opening for W'Kabi to step foot and take hold. Namor had given him his blessings, and the Queen of Wakanda was hesitant but willing to agree to his plans. They had all seen how perfect they were together, how Okoye seemed to have opened herself up with him. He thanked the Gods he did not kill this woman when they first met. If he did, he would never know the biggest mistake he had ever made. No woman has caught his eye the way Okoye did. He had slept with a few women but never desired to marry. Okoye's bracelet goes off, alerting her that someone is trying to reach her. Okoye sees that her mother is calling her, "It's my mother; stay quiet." as if he hasn't been quiet this whole time. He watched her close her eyes and inhale a deep breath before answering. "Hello, mother." He felt her tense, waiting for her mother to reply.

"Okoye, is everything alright?"

"Yes, mother, everything is fine. I am in good hands. How are you and Baba?" Okoye bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Your, Baba, is just fine. I came across W'Kaibi and his mother at the market earlier today. Thank Bast queen mother pardoned him." Attuma watched Okoye face fell. "It will be a joyous day when you and W'Kabi become one again. The family looks forward to it now that there is a future for you both." Attuma sat up, making Okoye wrap one arm around his neck, stopping her from falling on her back.

"Mother, I am not getting back with W'Kabi I have moved on." the sound of her mother skimming her teeth at her daughters' words.

"Don't be foolish, Okoye. Bast has given you a chance to be happy. You are no longer a Dora, and you still have favor from the Queen. It is a chance to settle down and give us grandchildren finally. You aren't getting any younger, Okoye. W'Kabi still loves you after all this time, and he has learned his lesson. Don't you want to be happy? He is a good man Okoye, and a good man is hard to find at times." Okoye removed her arm from around his neck and began using her hand to rub the temple of her forehead.

"Mother, I am happy. I don't feel the same I used to feel for him."

"It will come back. You have been apart from W'Kabi for so long. Once you spend time with each other again, it will be as if nothing happened."

"Mother, I have moved on."

"Eh, Moved on. Okoye you are not Nakia. Has the field not been kind to you, eh? Okoye, no man has come to your father and shown interest in you. Move on. What have you moved on from, huh? a good man?" Enough of this conversation. Attuma decided interrupting was far better than listening to this ridiculous woman.

"That would be my fault. Mother courting your daughter has been a challenge recently. I look forward to meeting you." Okoye's eyes widened.

"Okoye, who was that just now?" her mother insisted.

"My name is Attuma of Talokan, second general to K'uk'ulkan, and I am courting your daughter in hopes she becomes my equal. I am far better than a traitor. I look forward to seeing you soon, but for now, it's time to say goodbye." Ending the call, he tossed her bracelet back on the dresser.

"You just hung up on my mother and told her you're courting me. Are you out of your mind?"

"Okoye, you stop being the woman I fell for when speaking to your mother." Cupping her left cheek. "How can a warrior so strong, brave, and relentless let a woman tear her down with simple words."

"My mother, her heart is in a good place. I just let her talk, and I drink some wine." Attuma rolled his eyes.

"Your mother insinuated that you cannot move on with your life, you are not pretty, and you should be grateful that your ex-husband still wants you. The only thing stopping me from killing her is that she gave birth to you." Before Okoye can open her mouth, her bracelet goes off again. "Ignore it. I bet it's your mother."

It had been a long day, and all Attuma wanted was to spend time with his future wife, and somehow two people tended to ruin it. Ruin what should have been a happy moment between them. He had finally gotten it into her head that he wanted her, needed her to become his, the desire to become one. It is all new to him, and in his greatest wish, his passion was for it to succeed. Okoye would be pleased and willing with his use of courting methods. "I still can not believe you hung up on my mother after telling her you courted me. Now she is going to leave a message about what is wrong with me and why can't I be courted by W'Kabi or any other good Wakandan man. You just opened up another can of worms I now have to try to avoid." Okoye's glare felt like it could pierce through his head and kill him. The feeling of her glare made him uncomfortable even when her attention on him filled him in a way fighting for his people didn't. It felt more of a purpose when dealing with Okoye, more internal in his needs as a man.

"May I take you out tonight?" Okoye blushed, feeling relieved that he could not see her blush. It would not be pleasant for him to know he made her feel this way.

"This will not be a good idea, Attuma." Attuma felt anger rise in his chest, but he had to stay calm. Why is everything he does she fights it?

"Wanting to take you on a date is not a good idea? Why must you be so stubborn, Okoye, that you refuse to see that I am good for you? Do you find my desire to court you despicably?" surprised by his words, Okoye placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him down.

"Attuma, that is not what I meant. I am honored that you desire to court me. Let us be honest; being together is not beneficial for anyone. We know a union between your king and my princess is better. You are a warrior second in command to your king, and I am just a civilian now." Every word spoken from her mouth made his blood boil. Did she think so little of herself? Why is she being a coward?

"Okoye, I look forward to eradicating that negative mindset you have and will win you over. Okoye, you are meant to be my equal, meant to be my wife, meant to fight alongside me. I will follow you to the sea depths, and you are to share my bed. Two can be stubborn, Okoye, but I will have you, so you have two options. You can agree to go out with me willingly, or I will drag you out. Pick your battle wisely." Why, at this moment, is this man so high-strung? His determination puts her at ease; it's a little scary to enjoy this feeling at his own expense. It's all new to her. W'Kabi had never made her feel such things, nor had his words affected her with an intensity she's left flushed, overheated, and soaked between her legs. This form of being manhandled brought such InterestInterest she couldn't deny she enjoyed the attention. It would not be wrong to go on a date with him; when was the last time she even went on a date? "You have ten seconds." did he time her? Ten seconds is not enough for her to decide her next step. "Five seconds."

"Alright, I will only go on a date with you, so you don't drag me." Oh, he loves how she falls into the traps he sets out for her. She falls for every one of them. It's so easy for him to get what he wants from her. It will be easy for him to convince her to be with him, and getting rid of her ex-husband ultimately will be a walk in the park.

"I was looking forward to dragging you." Okoye's eyes widened in disbelief at his honesty.

"You mean to put me over your shoulder in front of everyone like last time, never again, Attuma."

"What you didn't like last time? I thought you enjoyed it."

"I lost to you in a bet, and you wanted to carry me around like a sack of potatoes." Pulling away quickly, he dragged her back closer to him, chest to chest. Okoye swore her heart stopped beating for a few seconds at the closeness. It did not make sense to feel this way. They have been close many times in sparring, but this is different; for some reason, she liked this. Liking this side of Attuma needed to be clarified. She wasn't sure if it was because of the difference in attention Attuma gave her or that another man found her attractive. She can not remember the last time a man showed InterestInterest in her. She was either the woman married to a traitor, the Dora stripped of her rank by the Queen's mother, or the woman the Queen took pity on. She was no longer the Okoye in the eyes of her people.

"What do you wish to eat? It is part of my courting." Tilting her head, she decided to make fun with this.

"So you will have to hunt for anything I want?" with interest, she waited for him to take the bait.

"Salmon, octopus, swordfish, perhaps shark if you are interested." Okoye's smile fell. Attuma smirked at her raising his left eyebrow.

"Okoye, I know you well. Name your shark." Okoye squinted her eyes in annoyance.

"A great white shark." Okoye challenged.

"Consider it done." he smiles with interest, but Okoye's eyes widen. The thought of if she ever agrees to marry the man, she sees Attuma bringing sharks home almost every day or when they are near to finishing with the last one. Now she admits that she needs to pull back the look of delight on his face began to scare her.

"On second thought, I want prawn, lobster, and crabs. I want the biggest ones." avoiding Attuma's gaze, she could still see from the corner Attuma was finding this intriguing.

"I will get you the biggest, but I ask for something in return." their eyes locked on one another, his arms fully wrapped around her waist, and her legs locked around his torso.

"What is it?" probably asking for another sparing match since he hadn't won one from two days ago; she was willing to agree, and probably out of the kindness of her heart, she would let him win one. She might let him win one; it depended on how she felt then. She must give the man a good chase if he wants to court her. She can't make it easy for him; it would be an insult. She would never let the man get a chance to utter the words that courting her was easy. Warrior versus warrior Attuma liked challenges; challenges sharpened the mind, helped develop more extraordinary instincts, and kept him on his toes. Why is she even considering all this in the first place? None of this is a good idea. She thought about how Attuma had made her feel after he had tried to get to know her and learned of her demise and her punishment after they first met. He wanted to kill the woman, not strip her of her ranks. He regretted wishing to kill her when he first laid eyes on her and was glad that he had failed to end her life. He waited years that he didn't know he had anticipated to one day find his equal, his pixan gemela.

"I wish to kiss you." Okoye's eyes widened as she did not expect him to ask such a question. The last person she had kissed was her ex-husband before he had chosen to become a traitor. His question is so simple it scared her. Attuma felt her body stiffen at his question, which broke his heart; does she not want to be courted? Had asking her for a kiss been too much? He had never wanted much but to fight alongside his god and protect his people. "I apologize. You do not have to agree to my request."

"I don't mind. I just haven't kissed anyone in a while. The last person I had kissed was my husband."

"Ex-husband." Attuma clarified. Okoye blushed at her mistake and found it entertaining to see Attuma's reaction. Placing her hand behind Attuma's neck, she liked the feel of the softness of his hair. Slowly drying, it felt smooth like velvet. His hair is the color of jet black that reaches all the down to his mid-back.

"What if someone calls to you as Shuri calls Namor? You have a mate out there somewhere. I will not be a woman who watches you choose another, leaving me to get hurt." Remembering Shuri's predicament, she couldn't help but protect herself. Just the thought of her being a laughing stock again made her terrified.

"In our culture, it happens when one or two stubborn people refuse to believe their feelings for one another or when fate has made it clear that your princess and my king should be one. It has only happened a hundred times. With many others like myself, I feel a strong connection. It is a bond that pulls us toward the one destined to be. I, Attuma of Talokan, am destined to be with you as you, Okoye of Wakanda, is destined to be with me." his words were comforting; she wouldn't mind giving this a try.

"What if we don't work? What, then, will we stop being friends?"

"your negativity is unbecoming of you. I will get rid of it as time goes on. Okoye, as I said, you are to be mine, and as you can see, just how far I am willing to go to get you all to myself." oh, he is good. Now she knows why Shuri didn't believe in rules; taking a page from Shuri's book Okoye made the first move.

She kissed him.

Attuma, in shock at her action, couldn't help but feel pride envelope his chest. She had kissed him, and it was more than he had ever dreamed. Her lips were plump, soft, and enticing. Okoye closed her eyes, not realizing he was watching her while they kissed. His tongue licked the bottom of her lip, asking for entrance; she had given it to him, and he moaned at the taste of her mouth. She is exquisite. Her mouth is bursting with flavor he realizes he can never get enough. The Okoye of Wakanda screws Attuma of Talokan. Trapped in her cage, he does not want to come out. She is home, and he will stay W'Kabi will no longer step foot and have a hold on his wife. No one can dare take her away from him; he will fight to keep her until she no longer wants him, but he will never give her the slightest chance to find him unworthy. He chuckled to himself, feeling her fight for dominance with their tongues. He loved how she fought against him in everything they encountered together, and Attuma wouldn't have it any other way. Pulling away, they gasped for air, eyeing one another. Before he could mention a word Okoye once again made her move. Suppose she is like this with one kiss. What is there to say when they make love? The thought of making love to her makes his blood go south. With quick ease, he changes position, placing himself on top of her as her back is on the mattress. One arm rests on his elbow while his other hand tilts her head up just by the back of her neck, giving him a good angle to take control. He lifted his lower half slightly so she didn't feel his length. He had no plans on scaring her away. He refused as he wanted her naked and accepting of him in agreeing to be his he would block her escape after she saw his rod that would pierce her between her thick, firm thighs. Losing control, he pulled away both once again, gasping for her. Her pupils dilated brought him great pride; she looked drugged.

"I will see you tomorrow around noon for our date." Kissing her forehead, Attuma got off of her; grabbing his spear, he headed out the door, stopping slightly to turn his head to look back at her. He winked and left after inhaling her fresh new scent of desire. His wife was wet yet again.