“Humans.”
I then winked at her.
“But there is one thing,” I added and she gave me a wide-eyed puppy dog look and I knew if I said the wrong thing right then, I would have crushed her big BBF heart. Thankfully though it was something as innocent as,
“You’re kind of getting heavy.” Lucius snorted a laugh and we both looked at each other.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot about your puny human arms…my bad.”
“Hey!” I complained as she jumped down.
“Don’t worry Toots, I still luv ya!” Then she jumped up and kissed my cheek. At this point, Lucius stood up and she took a cautious step back as if she half expected his wrath. He rolled his eyes again and approached her. Then he patted her on top of the head and said,
“All is forgiven, little squeak…” Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear,
“…you’re still my favourite little Imp.” The look on her face was priceless and as if expecting another outburst, he caught her as she jumped up and into him sideways so that she was being held with an arm around the waist, half-cocked on the side of his hip.
“YEY!” She squealed and Lucius simply walked with her still attached to him towards Adam.
“I believe this belongs to you,” Lucius said to Adam making him smile down at his now, once again, happy wife.
“I believe it does, my Lord,” he replied softly taking her off his hands and walking out of the door with her clinging on to him like a monkey. Before he left he nodded to me and said,
“Keira.” As a way of thanks. I gave him a smile back letting him know it was my pleasure.
Once again, it was just myself and Lucius. And when he nodded for me to follow him, I frowned before asking,
“Why, where are we going?” He didn’t answer my question but instead said something in return that had me dreading where it could be…
“Like I said, Sweetheart…you hit like a girl.”
Chapter 23
Hitting like a Girl and Biting like a Kitten
Book 3
NEW
After following Lucius like the obedient little ‘Pet’ he kept calling me, I soon found out exactly what he meant about me hitting like a girl.
“A training room? Seriously though, is there like a special supernatural realtor out there that finds you guys your homes?” I asked making him roll his eyes as we walked further into the massive room.
“Ah here’s one you might be interested in Sir, we have a lovely hideaway castle with not only a spectacular view of the mountains but its situated inside your very own! And might I say, just the perfect deterrentfor all those pesky battle sieges and Avon callers!” Lucius stopped to look at me as I continued with my joke, leaning back on one of the wooden beams, a grin twitching at the corners of his lips. He was about to speak but I held a hand up for him to stop and continued,
“But wait, there’s more, because nothing screams castle without your very own Man Cave, complete with killer, death mud room and for those dirty, blood and mud covered, damsels in distress…too many bathrooms to count,” I said trying not to laugh at my own humour but looking back at him with a wink.
“Oh, and look no further as here comes the deal breaker and a must have for every demonic king out there, you have your very own training room, complete with all manner of weaponry seen throughout the ages, ready and waiting for all your battling needs,” I said putting on a posh voice, making Lucius chuckle and shake his head as if I was nuts.
“Thank you, thank you, I am here all week,” I said taking an over exaggerated bow with one arm out straight to one side. Lucius started clapping and said,
“I think we just found your career choice pet, I know I was sold…but prey tell me…” he said pausing to push himself from the pillar and make his way over to me in seconds. He then pushed back the hair from one side of my neck so he could lean down and whisper,
“Do you come with the property?” I laughed nervously and tried to act like his sexual tone didn’t affect me.
“Sorry but I suck at cleaning,” I said before I could stop myself from setting up his next come back, which quickly followed,
“No matter, I could just suck the cleaner instead.” I groaned making him laugh at me before he took my hand and led me further into the room.
It was a massive open space that had been cut into the mountain, but whereas the rest of his home showed smoothed walls, this didn’t. There were massive jagged pieces of rock that jutted out all over the place and it gave it a demonically barbaric feel. Like any minute, you half expected Hell’s demons to break through the walls and join in the fight.
In fact, there was only one smooth wall in the whole room and that was situated at the far end. But it too was simply covered in a history of deadly weapons that extended all the way up the twenty-foot wall, reaching to the stalactite covered ceiling. Long dagger shaped rock formations hung down like boobytraps waiting to be triggered. It was, in itself, a terrifying room and not one I would ever like to find myself in without the man currently holding my hand.
I think the only normal thing in the room was that the floor looked modern and was made from thick woven mats that were obviously used for training. That and one section of the room held an array of bars and other metal structures for this devil only knew what. I mean crikey, I couldn’t even remember the last time I stepped into a gym, so what did I know.
“So, what exactly am I doing in here, ‘cause you know my idea of working out is…?”
“Yes, My Keira?” Lucius said cutting me off and his look said it all. I rolled my eyes first and said,
“Hiking or going for a walk…jeez, is sex all you think about?” I said after a groan, making him chuckle.
“And how do you know I was thinking about sex? Obviously, I am not the only one with that problem, now am I?” he stated cockily, purring the word and this time I growled at him.
“You’re like a child, what’s next, you gonna type 5318008 into a calculator?” I asked and the look he gave me was almost comical. It was clear he had no idea what I was talking about and I chuckled to myself.
“Sorry sweetheart, you lost me with that one,” he told me and I laughed louder this time, telling him,
“Ask Pip, she will know what I am talking about,” I informed him giggling again and hoping that I was around when he did.
“Or I could just make you tell me,” he threatened making me almost choke on that giggle. I cleared my throat and said,
“Um…so, what are we doing here again?” Changing the subject and this time making him laugh.
“Isn’t it obvious, I am going to train you how to fight,” he stated walking over to a section of what looked like locker doors. I choked again and said firmly,
“Oh, I don’t think so!” But Lucius wasn’t listening. Instead he just threw me what looked like a karate suit all wrapped up and tied with its own belt.
“Uh…what’s this?” I asked wondering, what the Hell I had got myself into this time.
“It’s a Judogi, now put it on,” he told me before turning back to the locker doors and tearing his sweater off over his head with both hands. I swallowed hard and looked down at the thick white material in my hands. Of course, the gulping continued when I looked back up to see Lucius pulling his pants down…of course he would have to catch me looking. I quickly turned around, giving him privacy and muttered a feeble,
“Oh…uh…shit, sorry.” Yep, the bastard chuckled. Meanwhile I was still stood with my back to him, holding onto my bundle having no clue what to do next. Then I jumped letting out a yell as I felt his hands on my shoulders.
“Easy Darlin’, I haven’t even thrown you to the floor yet,” he whispered seductively making me shiver and once again it became obvious, he was having way too much fun teasing me…at least I bloody hoped he was teasing me!
“What are you…you doing?” I asked nervously, having to clear my throat half way through speaking. He had started to remove my cardigan, pullin
g it slowly from my shoulders with his fingertips touching every inch of bare skin he could get at. This left me in just my burgundy stretchy vest top, that was far too low in the boobie department than I would have liked.
“More than you, clearly,” he told me in an amused tone and I looked down and to the side to see him casually toss aside the chunky wool. Okay, okay, get a grip Keira, this is the only bit he would need to take off…
“Hey!” I shouted, suddenly startled as his arms came around me from behind and with one swift move, he had the top button of my jeans open. But he ignored my mortified protest as he unzipped them. Then with a few fingers in my waist band either side of my hips, he bent down quickly taking my jeans with him, my nearly bare ass right in his face.
“What are you doing!” I shouted, dropping my fighting gear so that I could try and bring my jeans back up. I was just reaching for them when he snarled and nipped at my fingers stopping me for fear of getting bitten.
“Foot,” he ordered, tapping at my heel. But when I didn’t move quickly enough for him, he just grabbed my ankle and lifted it. I would have fallen over had he not had a firm hand on my now naked waist. He whipped off my shoes and then the denim from me. Soon I found myself stood in just lace briefs and a vest top. In fact, I was just waiting for the cocky look or smarmy comment and as predicted, I didn’t have to wait long.
He stood back up and faced me. Oh, Holy Hell on a stick, could the man look any sexier! Seriously, Lucius dressed in every day casual wear was handsome, dressed smart in trousers and a waistcoat, was damn hot and now this…well this was taking that hotness to an unfair level. He now wore a Judogi, like the one he had given me only his was all black. It made his torso look even bigger and more powerful, with just the hint of pale strong rippling muscles underneath.
“Now you can get dressed or fight like that, the choice is yours, doll…I know which look I prefer,” he added with a wink and I nearly scrambled along the floor to grab the Judogi. Of course, he laughed at me.
I don’t think I could have got the trousers on any quicker, as I nearly toppled over getting them on. I pulled at the ties, trying to make them smaller wondering exactly how much weight I had lost since being here? What had I been eating, like once a day? Well one thing I was sure about and that was when Draven finally got his hands on me he wasn’t going to be happy! I shuddered and decided to rid those thoughts from my mind as I’d already decided the things he wouldn’t like to know were stacking up against me.
I grabbed the jacket off the floor and put it on, looking down at my sleeves and wondering where my hands went. Well, surely if I couldn’t find my hands then this little exercise of his was pointless…right? I pulled my arms up enough so the material fell back up my arms and looked around the floor to see where the belt went.
Lucius cleared his throat before saying,
“Over here, sweetheart.” I turned to see that he had the white belt in his hands, wrapped around each of his fists and as he pulled it tight between them, I visibly gulped.
“Come here,” he ordered and with the look he was giving me I didn’t know whether he wanted to put it on me or use it to tie me up. Damn those sexy thoughts! In the end, he gave me an ‘I am waiting’ look and I walked over to him with a roll of my eyes, faking the ‘cool’ attitude.
“Turn around,” he told me and I did as I was told, not breaking tradition, I thought bitterly. Then letting one side of the belt unravel from his fist, he closed the distance between us.
Stepping into my back, he looked down at me over my shoulder so that he could see what he was doing. Actually, scrap that. He totally knew what he was doing, but I just think he used this as an excuse to get closer to me as I could feel his eyes on my face not my body. Was he trying to judge my reaction to him being this close to me?
In the end, I shut my eyes as he closed the jacket around me and I inhaled sharply when his knuckles brushed against my breast. I became like a statue, too afraid to move as he folded the other side over before wrapping the belt around me. Then he tied it once and knotted it, pulling hard at the ends making me yelp and my eyes snap open. I felt him smile at my neck before moving away and finally giving me the space I needed in order to breathe freely again.
“Now let me look at you,” he said turning me around and I stumbled a step, tripping over myself. Thankfully, he still had hold of the top of my arms so I didn’t just fall on my ass. Once he was sure I was steady, he took a few steps back. He raised his hand to his lips and tapped a single finger there as he looked me over. His eyes raked over me making me feel as though I was as naked as I felt underneath it all and I actually looked down at myself to check that it wasn’t in fact, see-through.
“It’s a little big,” I said quietly, kicking out my feet trying to find them under the reams of white material.
“Umm…” he hummed and then stepped back into me, grabbing my arm.
“I think there is one in here, ah yes, here it is,” he joked winking at me when he lifted my arm up to go in search of my hand inside the long sleeves. He yanked on my fingers playfully making me giggle and just as I thought he was going to fold up the cuffs, he grabbed them in his fists and tore them off in a long strip. He did the same with the other one, so that now they were the same length and my hands could be seen.
“Tada! And for my next trick…” he said before dropping to his knees so he could do the same down around my ankles. Then he rose back up with the grace of a jungle cat and said,
“That will do, little one.” Then he tapped my nose twice. I was in awe at seeing him this way, so carefree yet with still that edge of commanding nature. He seemed…well, he seemed happy and this playful side of him I had to admit, was infectious.
“Now come over here and hit me,” he told me and I shrugged my shoulders and said in my own cocky tone,
“Oh well, if you do insist.” I walked over to face him, pulled my fist back and let it swing at him.
“Whoa!” He made a noise as he grabbed my swinging arm by the forearm and pushed me around into the motion, so that I had nowhere else to go, but round with it. I ended up with my back against his and him leaning down by my ear so that he could whisper,
“Little girl, surely, you can do better than that.” I growled in response and pushed off him to turn and face him once more.
“Now again, only this time hit me here,” he said holding up his palm, ready for my little fist. So, I pulled back and gave it all I had, punching his large hand. He didn’t even flinch.
“Gods woman, have you any power in that arm?” I frowned at him and said,
“I don’t know, wanna give me a hammer and we can find out when I am hitting you around the head with it!” His lips twitched as he tried not to smile at what I said and he gave me a look that just told me he found me more adorable than vicious.
“I think for now we will leave all blunt or pointed objects out of the mix…now take a better stance…like this, see,” he instructed and I mimicked his legs.
“Now this time when you hit, step into it, bringing this leg forward,” he said tapping on my leg.
“Okay, I can do that,” I told him and when he nodded for me to go, I giggled making him frown.
“Keira.” He said my name in exasperation but I laughed again and then tried to shake it off. I don’t know why but situations where people expected me to do things always made me laugh.
“Okay, okay, right I will do it this time,” I said jumping once like I was shaking off my humour. He rolled his eyes but I could see again he was fighting off a grin at my silly behaviour.
The Forbidden Chapters Part 1: Afterlife Saga Page 29