by Lola Gabriel
He moved to the chair in the corner of the room and pulled his cell phone out. He wrote out a text to Polly.
Polly, it’s Cedric. Laila is with me and she’s safe.
The reply came back almost instantly.
Thank you so much. Thank God she’s safe. I’m leaving now to come and see her.
Cedric texted Polly his address, telling her Laila was at his place and that was where she would stay until Polly arrived.
14
Laila began to wake up slowly, coming up through the layers of sleep in a leisurely way, aware she was warm and comfortable. As she yawned and stretched, she remembered what had happened to her earlier. She was a prisoner, snatched away by Fabian as she had tried to leave the town. Her mom had warned her she was in danger and now she knew that much, if nothing else, was true. Fabian had her and he planned to do… something to her. Something that would make him money. The memory brought her fully awake much quicker than she usually awoke.
For a moment, she wondered if she had dreamt the whole thing. This place didn’t feel like a prison. She was lying on a soft mattress, a warm duvet over her. But as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw it wasn’t her bedroom. She wasn’t in her little house in Greer and she wasn’t back at her mom’s place either.
She looked around, fear gnawing at her stomach. The fear became more of a slamming sensation when she realized Fabian was in the room with her. He was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, and for a moment, she froze, sure he was watching her. As she listened to his deep, even breaths, she thought he was asleep, but she was also aware it could be a trick. His face was bathed in shadow and she couldn’t even tell whether his eyes were open or closed.
She thought it probably was a trick, that he would get his kicks by lulling her into a false sense of security and then pouncing on her at the last second when she tried to make her escape, letting her taste freedom and then snatching it cruelly back from her. He had already tricked her once. In his original story, her mom had been the bad guy, killing her biological mother and stealing her away from her home, her family. In the second version of his story, her mom had still snatched her away, but at her biological mom’s request, essentially saving her from Fabian.
She didn’t know for sure which version was true, but if she had to bet on it, she would always bet on her mom. She hated that Fabian had made her doubt her mom, even if only for a few short days. Her mom was no murderer, no monster. Maybe Fabian had made up both versions of the story. The DNA test could have been a fake, although she didn’t believe that. The letter had looked genuine, and her mom hadn’t claimed Fabian wasn’t her father. The part she had trouble believing was the part where her mom wasn’t her mom. She was starting to think her suspicions before she had gone to see Fabian the second time were most likely true. Her mom was her mom, and she had taken her away from Fabian, telling her that her father was dead as a way to save her from his depravity. The photograph of the woman Fabian had claimed was her mom could easily have been Photoshopped to make Laila believe Fabian’s story.
Whatever the case, she knew she had to try and get out of here. Even if it turned out to be a trick, she knew she had to try. She couldn’t just lie here and play the victim. Apart from all of the personal reasons she refused to do that, she knew that when she didn’t turn up at home, her mom would come here and try to find her, and she didn’t want to put her mom’s life at risk. She had no idea how much time had passed, but she didn’t feel overly groggy and her mouth didn’t feel dry, so she figured it wasn’t more than a couple of hours.
Laila sat up, being careful to move slowly and quietly so if Fabian wasn’t faking sleep, she didn’t wake him. She pushed the duvet back, got to her feet, and began tiptoeing across the floor. She had barely gone two or three steps when the floorboard beneath her foot gave a loud, ominous creak that cut through the silence like a bulldozer.
She froze, but she knew she had been caught. Fabian’s breathing changed and she heard him getting to his feet. She started to run, but he covered the distance between them quicker than she could reach the door. He didn’t grab her, didn’t throw her roughly to the ground like she had expected him to. Instead, he positioned himself in front of her.
“Laila, it’s okay. It’s me. You’re safe now,” he said.
That was when Laila realized it wasn’t Fabian in the room with her. It was Cedric. A hundred thoughts went through her mind, the clearest one a warning not to be taken in by Cedric’s good looks, by the body she wanted to reach out and touch. If he was working with Fabian, he was bad news, despite what her body was telling her.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
“Well, it is my house,” he smiled.
That stopped Laila in her tracks and she frowned at him. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, a comforting hand that sent sparks flying through her body.
“Polly called me, and…”
“Wait. How do you know Polly?” Laila said, so confused that for a moment, she thought she must be dreaming.
“I don’t. She knew my father and she called the house hoping to get him, but instead she got me. She told me she thought Fabian had taken you. She was right, but I rescued you and you’re safe now,” Cedric said gently.
Laila wanted so badly to believe him, but it didn’t make any sense. Why would her mom try to call his father instead of the police? And why would he risk his life to come and rescue her from Fabian, who was clearly unhinged?
Cedric put his hand on Laila’s elbow and gently propelled her toward the window. He lifted the curtain up, holding it back so that Laila could see out.
“Look,” he said. “You’re not in the mountains anymore, you’re back in the town.”
Laila nodded mutely. She wasn’t in her house. She was in Cedric’s house, just like he had told her she was. She was still so confused, had so many questions, but right now, the main message got through. Cedric had saved her from Fabian. He had risked his life to save hers.
“Your mom is on her way here,” Cedric said.
“Why?” Laila asked.
“Well, because she’s worried about you and she wants to see you,” Cedric said with a frown.
Laila smiled and shook her head.
“No. I mean why did you save me?” she asked.
Her heart raced as she looked deep into Cedric’s gorgeous eyes, losing herself in their color, their depth. When he spoke, she could see them soften and she knew that he was telling her the truth.
“I had no choice, Laila, because as crazy as it sounds considering I hardly know you, I feel like I have known you forever, and I know we’re meant for each other,” he said.
Despite herself, she nodded her head. She didn’t want to lead him on and she still couldn’t be with him, but how could she do anything except nod her head in agreement right now? How could she deny that she felt exactly the same way as he did when he was being so open, so vulnerable?
“Laila, I… I’m in love with you. And I know that might scare you, but I don’t care, you need to know it. And I know you say you’re not ready for a relationship and I respect that, but I’m willing to wait until you are ready. I’ll wait as long as it takes,” Cedric added.
Laila’s head spun at his words, but it was a good spin, the kind that made her want to join in, twirling around with her arms out, her head thrown back, giggling and feeling the moment. Cedric was still looking her in the eye and her body was screaming for his touch, his kiss. Laila knew she should resist him, should resist her own desire, but in that moment, she couldn’t do it.
She stepped forward and pressed her lips against Cedric’s, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close against her. She felt sparks flying from her lips and around her body, and she knew Cedric was right—they were meant to be together.
15
Cedric felt his cock spring to life, hardening instantly as Laila stepped forward and pressed her lips against his. He didn’t hesitate. He wrapped her in
his arms and kissed her back, hoping his kiss could tell her that his words were the truth, that he loved her and would wait forever for her.
Part of him was screaming, begging him not to do this, telling him it was a mistake. Laila walking away from him once had broken him in some ways, leaving him feeling empty and bereft, and he didn’t think he could bear to go through that again. But even as he thought it, he knew he would bear it if it meant he got to spend one more night with Laila, the woman of his dreams. He would sooner bear the heartache of losing her all over again than push her away. Because he knew he didn’t have the strength of mind to keep her at arm’s length, not now that she had made it clear she wanted him. And the only thing he could think of that was worse than Laila letting him love her and then walking away from him, was him not getting the chance to love her before she left him.
Despite that, Cedric knew he couldn’t do this without making sure it was really what Laila wanted. He didn’t want to get caught up in the moment and miss a sign that said she wasn’t really into this. He didn’t want her to think she owed him this much just because he had saved her. He had saved her because she was his, even if she didn’t know it yet, and he had no intention of treating her as anything less than a queen. He gently pulled his lips back from hers.
“Laila, are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
He looked down at Laila as she stood in his arms, pressed against his chest, against his stomach, against his cock. She smiled up at him.
“I’m certain,” she said. “And you can’t tell me you don’t want it.”
She smiled as she said the last part, a flirty smile on her face and her hand rubbing over his hard cock, making him suck in a breath as desire flooded him. He didn’t bother to reply to her. His hungry kiss was all of the answer she needed.
Their mouths locked together and they began to make their way back toward the bed. Their hands were all over each other, ripping at each other’s clothes, and by the time Cedric laid Laila down on his bed, their clothes were just a distant memory, something that littered Cedric’s bedroom floor.
Cedric wanted to savor the moment, to make Laila’s body sing before he claimed her pussy, but she was already grasping at his ass, her nails sinking deliciously into his flesh. She had her legs wrapped around him, and she was pushing him toward her center. He thought of pushing her legs away, of sliding down the bed and tasting her sweetness.
“I need to feel you inside of me,” Laila whispered.
Cedric had to do what she wanted. He couldn’t hold himself back any longer, not after that. He plunged his cock into her warm, tight core, a pussy that could have been made just for him. He moaned as he felt her pulling him in, welcoming him. She was his. She had to be his.
He began to move inside of her, his erection going wild as Laila’s warmth enveloped him and spurred him on. Her hands roamed over his back, pushing into his hair and then disappearing again, moving down his sides, onto his hips. Their mouths were locked together as they shared a kiss that was passionate, but was also about more than just desire. It was a sensual kiss, a kiss that told him this was more than just a fuck.
Cedric dragged his lips from Laila’s, kissing her neck and her bare shoulders as she moved in time with his thrusts. He could already feel his climax hovering around, threatening to overwhelm him, but somehow, he forced himself to hold back, not wanting this to be over so soon.
Laila writhed beneath him, and he felt her gasping breath warm on his shoulder and neck as she pressed her face against him, breathing in his scent. She moaned his name as her orgasm washed over her. He felt her core tighten and a rush of warm wetness cascaded over him, and he found himself moaning with her.
He plunged into her again as her grip on him tightened and her muscles went rigid as pleasure coursed through her body. He let go then, pounding into Laila, hard and fast strokes that drew her orgasm out, making her moan his name over and over again. He felt his climax bursting from the base of his cock and up and out of him, filling Laila and filling his stomach with warmth as his body came to life, ecstasy taking over him for a moment.
He lifted his head up, throwing it back as he called Laila’s name, his cock twitching and his whole body alive with pleasure. He relaxed as his climax began to fade. Panting for breath, he leaned down and kissed Laila one more time, and then he rolled off her, already missing the warmth of her body against his, the heat of her center wrapped around his length.
He lay on his back beside her, trying to get his breath back. She was panting too, and he turned his head to the side, watching her chest rise and fall as she fought to get her breathing back to normal. He couldn’t help but notice her breasts, her pink nipples, the rippling flesh as her chest heaved.
As Cedric began to feel more in control of himself, he rolled over so he was facing Laila. She sat up quickly, pulling her knees up to her chest and rocking slightly, and he thought he had seen a tear on her cheek before she sat up.
Fuck, he thought to himself. What have I done? She didn’t really want to do that but she felt like she had to, and now she’s crying and she hates me.
“Shit, Laila, I’m sorry,” Cedric started.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position too, and he reached out to wrap Laila in his arms, but he stopped himself. That would surely only make this worse.
“What for?” Laila sniffed.
She turned her head and frowned at him, but despite her words and her frown, tears still slipped down her face.
“For making you cry,” Cedric said helplessly. “For going too far, and…”
“Stop,” she said with a smile. She released her knees and ran her hand over his cheek, a gentle caress that sent shivers through Cedric. “You didn’t upset me. You saved me and then you fucked me back to life.”
“Okay,” Cedric said, a little uncertainly. “So what’s wrong?”
“Everything else,” Laila sighed. “I just… there’s so much I don’t understand. Fabian has told me two different stories and neither of them fully match my mom’s story and I’m just confused. I feel like I don’t know who I am anymore and I’m scared that Fabian isn’t going to stop coming for me, and I don’t even know what he wants with me. He said something about me making him a lot of money. What does that even mean?”
Her words came out of her in a rush, and this time, Cedric couldn’t stop himself from pulling her into his arms. He held her and stroked her hair as her body trembled against him. She let him hold her for a moment and then she pulled back slightly so that she could look into his eyes.
“You know the truth, don’t you?” she whispered.
“Yes,” Cedric admitted. “But you shouldn’t hear it from me. You should hear it from Polly. She shouldn’t be much longer now.”
Laila shook her head.
“I don’t want to wait any longer. Please, Cedric, if any of what you said to me is true, then help me to understand this. Help me to find a way to get Fabian off my case and tell me who the hell I am and what he wants with me,” she pleaded.
Cedric knew he should wait for Polly and let her be the one to tell Laila the whole truth, but he also knew he couldn’t resist her plea and he felt himself nodding his head.
“Okay, I’ll tell you,” he said. “But you need to have an open mind for this because it’s all going to sound kind of crazy.”
He felt Laila relax in his arms and she nodded her head. He leaned back against the headboard of the bed, and Laila shifted slightly so her back was leaning against his chest. She put her hands on top of his where they lay on her stomach. She nodded again.
“My mind is open. Just tell me,” she said.
“You really are Fabian’s daughter. And Polly isn’t your biological mother. Your biological mother begged Polly to help her, to take you away from Greer and keep you safe from Fabian. She wanted you to be safe and she wanted you to have a normal human life. I assume Polly has given you some sort of potion that keeps your fae side at bay, and I think she’s likel
y taking the same thing to keep her witch side hidden or you would have become suspicious when she didn’t age.”
“I… what?” Laila interrupted.
“I told you that you would need an open mind. Laila, you’re a fairy. And Fabian is too, but Fabian is an evil fae, one who will do anything for his own gain. Female born immortals are rare and that makes you valuable to Fabian. My guess is he was planning on selling you to the highest bidder to be their mate.”
Laila didn’t say anything and Cedric knew she was trying to process all of this.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, and I think speaking to Polly will clear a lot of it up. She’ll explain everything better than I can. But I want you to really hear this part, Laila. I won’t let Fabian hurt you ever again. I will die before I let him come near you. Do you understand that much at least?”
Laila nodded and Cedric thought he felt her relax a little bit.
16
I’ve either gone mad or I’ve wandered into some sort of crazy town here, Laila thought to herself as she listened to Cedric’s story. Fairies and witches and immortality. He was crazy. Or maybe she was crazy. Maybe both. But it couldn’t be real. That much she did know.
“Cedric, I appreciate you keeping me safe from Fabian, really I do,” she said. And that much was true. She had heard the vow in Cedric’s voice. He wouldn’t let Fabian near her again. “But the rest of it? I’m not a fae, Cedric. Fairies aren’t real. I don’t know if I’m mad, or you’re mad, or if the whole damned world is mad. I feel like this is all a really elaborate joke.”
“Like I said, I know it’s a lot to take in,” Cedric said. His voice was calm, normal. He didn’t sound crazy but Laila didn’t feel crazy, and it had to be one or the other. “I’m real, Laila. Do you feel me against you?”
He rubbed his fingers over her stomach and she nodded.
“Of course,” she said.