The Pride

by Patricia Morse

  “You will regret this.” He whispered directly into my ear. Instantly Thane Ganyon was throwing him off of me. The room quaked as he hit the opposite wall. He knelt down beside me. He quickly examined me with careful concerned eyes. I saw Joseph pick himself up from the floor and scurry from the room.

  “Are you hurt?”

  I was dazed. I’d hit my head hard on the mahogany rack, and Joseph’s head butts didn’t help either. My skull was throbbing in the front and the back, and there was searing pain in my neck and shoulders. I was very hurt. I was sure I’d lost a lot of blood from the gash at the back of my skull. The room began to spin.

  “Lexie, did he hurt you?” He gently scooped me up from the floor.

  I looked into his intense blue eyes and shook my head no. I must have fainted. Of course the weakest member of The Pride would faint after a bump on the head. My brothers and sister could be smacked on top of the head with a black walnut tree and still walk away. I was hopeless.

  I woke once again in the same canopy bed as before. I was briefly mesmerized by the reflection of the moon upon the glassy lake. It was hard to tell which was real and which was the reflection. I’d dreamed of Thanes’ wistful sapphire blue eyes during most of my slumber. I turned onto my side and pulled the warm covers up under my chin, remembering the warm peaceful dreams. I wondered who had dressed me this time, as I was no longer wearing the satin robe. I was dressed in a delicate ivory colored cotton baby doll nightie that I’d remembered seeing in the closet.

  “You’re awake, my dear.” His nightmarish voice interrupted my pleasing thoughts. My eyes darted to the sofa near the window where he sat watching me intently. His skin glowed eerily in the moonlight.

  “You must be ravenous. Would you like something to eat?” He gracefully stood up from the sofa and glided towards the bed. I watched apprehensively as he elegantly seated himself at the edge of the bed. I pulled the covers tighter around my shoulders.

  “You have nothing to fear dear. Joseph and his appalling behavior will no longer trouble you. I thought he could be trusted, and for that I am truly apologetic. Now, may I summon the new butler to fetch you something to eat?”

  I sat up uneasily, keeping the covers at my chin. “No thank you. I’m not hungry.” My voice was shaking as I spoke.

  “But darling.” He extended his lengthy, pallid fingers to me. I pretended not to notice his friendly gesture. “You haven’t eaten in days. Now it would please me greatly if you could dress and meet me downstairs. I would like very much the pleasure of your company while I tend to my midnight snack. Perhaps you will join me then?” He ran his finger quickly down my jaw line and slithered away.

  I sat stunned as he left. He was being too gentle, too friendly. I did not understand his intentions. He had left the door open, and I quietly walked over to it. I peeked into the lavishly decorated corridor. There was no sign of life outside of the room. I quickly darted into the closet. My mind was spinning with possibilities. Should I try to make a run for it or play along until he lets me go? No, I have to stick to my plan. I still wasn’t sure why I was being held here against my will, and I felt as if I needed an answer.

  I began to peruse the closet for a suitable outfit. What does one wear to a meal with a deranged psychopath? I opted to wear a sleeveless light pink and white polka dot silk wrap dress. I found the perfect white wide leather belt to wrap around my waist. White ballet flats and tiny white pearl earrings finished my ensemble. It was pretty enough for a midnight snack, and I could run in it if I had to. I tied my hair back into a chignon and reapplied mascara and gloss before leaving my dressing area.

  I followed Link’s strongest scent trail to find my way to the staircase. It was as opulent and grand as everything else in this house. I could see the proprietor of this estate collected only the finest. He was waiting for me at the bottom of the staircase. Still dressed in black attire, he’d slicked his raven black hair away from his face. He extended his hand. This time I took the offer to be polite. His touch was ice cold.

  “You look exquisite, my dear.” His baritone voice had an air of friendliness about it.

  “Thank you. The clothing you’ve chosen is all very beautiful,” I said sheepishly.

  “My dear, you would look lovely in anything. It was very easy to choose attire for you.”

  I decided to attempt to get some answers while his mood seemed to be uplifted. “Link. May I call you Link?” He nodded and smiled. “Why have I been brought here?”

  His almost friendly face turned instantly irritated. “But my darling Miss Love, is it not you who sought out me?”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “It was you who came looking for me in the woods, was it not? When Thane told me that someone had been spying on the house again, I was curious. Why did the motion detectors not sense someone on the grounds? Why could Thane not find the intruder? It was as if he or she had flown away. I ordered Thane to follow your trail. You were quite easy to find, my dear. You must be new at this. Thane called me and explained that you had been found, but there were others in the woods. He could only find you. Oh, but he did not tell me how lovely you were. At first I was going to throw you in the basement with the other curious government types that have been caught wandering around my various properties. A jewel as exquisite as you cannot be locked away in a dark basement. You must be cherished and loved. You will be the finest piece of my collection. As for the others you were travelling with…” He released my hand and traced my collarbone with his finger as he circled behind me. He placed his lips to my ears and began to whisper. “You will lead them here to me where they will be destroyed.”

  I stood motionless, stunned by his words. “But why?” was all I could manage to whisper.

  He laughed manically. “All in due time kitten, all in due time.”

  He took my hand once again and led me through the expansive living room. We crossed through the dining hall. The table could seat nearly fifty people. It was lavish enough to entertain the Queen of England. Link led me into a recreation room and outside through a set of French doors. We stopped atop the stone steps. Several men sat around a large bon fire on the beach. They all stopped their party and stared up at me. I suddenly felt very nervous. I was introduced to them as a new member of their clan. I caught a few names here and there. Jamie Jaymes, Michael Jones, Eli McKeen, Scot, Rob, Jayson, the list went on and on. One good looking perfectly chiseled hunk after another. Cam and Lenny would fit in well here. I was introduced to two women, Fallon and Claire. They were quite striking, but no match for Evie and me. I looked for Thane, but he wasn’t at this party. I took note of a large ship several miles out on the lake. It appeared to be an iron ore freighter, so I assumed now that I was standing near one of the Great Lakes. There was a steady north wind blowing off the lake, leading me to believe we were probably on the banks of Lake Superior. The coldest and deepest of the lakes, also the most desolate. It would make sense that he would live here.

  “Is it now time for our midnight snack my children?” Link called his brood to order. They began to growl and snarl ferociously. It sent a chill down my spine. Lions? They were half-breeds like me. That explained the strength and ferocity of Thane and Joseph.

  “Release the snack!” He roared loudly. Several cages sprung up from the ground near the edge of the forest. Frightened men clung to the insides staring towards the eager and snarling mob. The cage doors flew open and the men began running for their lives into the woods. I watched in horror. Waves of nausea began fluttering through my stomach. Links brood began stalking the men in the forest. The quiet that remained was more frightening than their snarls. I did not want to hear the screams of horror that would eventually filter back through the deep forests.

  “Don’t you want to hunt, my dear? You should be starving right now.”

  Tears ran down my cheeks as I stood, jaw open, dumbfounded, staring into the woods.

  “I don’t hunt.” I said defiantly.

  �
�Don’t hunt? Than what do you eat?”

  “I don’t eat people if that is what you’re asking. I eat at restaurants and in a dining room. Oh my gosh, those poor people.” I place my hand over my mouth as the first muffled scream came rushing out of the woods. “I help people. My job is to help people, not to eat them.” I stared blankly into the woods wondering if I could fight off thirty angry lions. I now knew that they were like me, only really, really, messed up somehow.

  “Why aren’t you hunting, Link?”

  “I prefer a more refined approach to dining. Fallon and Claire will bring me my dinner later.”

  Instant revulsion gripped my body from the inside out.

  “It would have been a shame to waste a beauty such as yours on a silly game like this, wouldn’t it have been dear?” He pushed a stray piece of hair back behind my ear. He leaned in gently kissing the nape of my neck. I was frozen in place, paralyzed with fear and repulsion. “Although I’m sure you would taste much sweeter than your other government friends that are now being devoured.” He placed another repulsive kiss under my jaw. “Perhaps a small sampling of the fine wine wouldn’t hurt now would it dear?” I felt a sharp searing jab into my shoulder. He had cut me. I grew increasingly nauseated as I felt his tongue licking my shoulder then up the back of my neck. Soon his arms encompassed my body as he began to lick and nibble at my earlobes taking a break from them to inhale my scent deeply and wildly kiss the back of my neck.

  “Please, I’ve never….” was all I could manage to say.

  He violently spun me around to face him. His menacing purple eyes ravenous with a bold new hunger stared longingly into my eyes. He released his grip on my shoulders. “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I’ve forgotten my manners.” He smoothed his hair back away from his face, turned on his heels, and walked aggressively back into his house. I anxiously watched him leave from my sight. I slipped off my ballet flats and quietly stepped down the giant stone stairs. The brood had followed those poor men into the woods at the west of the house. I casually strolled down the beach towards the east. I was almost there, ready to make a run for it, when he came stomping out of the edge of the forest.

  “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?”

  He stepped into the moonlight and I could see he was badly beaten. I actually rushed towards him to examine his wounds.

  “What happened to you?” I cautiously touched the large gash on his left cheek.

  “Link decided that I didn’t feel bad enough for leaving you alone with Joseph, so he and the horde made me feel worse.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I just stared up at him. He should have felt bad for leaving me alone with that monster, but this was excessive. I wondered what happened to Joseph.

  “Don’t worry. It’ll heal.” He could see the underserved concern on my face. “Now, where do you think you’re going?”

  I ignored his question, because he already knew what I was up to. “Why do you lose your temper so easily with me? It’s like Jekyll and Hyde with you. One minute you’re a perfect gentlemen, and the next you’re trying to scare me to death.”

  “It’s complicated…I don’t know how to explain.”

  “Apparently I have an eternity, and not much to do, so why don’t you explain.”

  Another pained and terrified scream escaped from the western woods. I covered my ears and shook my head angrily to make it stop. Thane picked me up in his massive arms and ran me into the eastern woods away from the screaming. I wrapped my arms around him and nuzzled my face into his chest. It was sick, but for the first time today I felt safe. I felt safe with the person who brought me into this nightmare. He finally stopped running and sat me down near the edge of a cliff overlooking the moonlit water. He sat in front of me, his elbows under him, and his legs outstretched. I tucked my legs behind me and rested on my elbow.

  “Won’t you get in trouble?”

  “N’ah, what’s forty more lashes right?”

  I must have looked concerned again.

  “I’m joking. Chill, we’re still on the property. I just wanted to get to some place quieter. What happened to your shoulder?”

  He must have noticed the cut while we were running. I flushed with anger and embarrassment while answering his question. “Link wanted a small sample of the wine.” I said defiantly.

  He sprang up from his relaxed state and growled. He tossed a large stone half way out into the lake before plopping back down in front of me. “You let him? You let him cut you? Are you a masochist? What is wrong with you?” He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

  “No, I didn’t let him…I didn’t really have a choice did I? Did you have a choice when you were getting the hell beat out of you? The angry tears began falling again. “Why are you yelling at me again? You’re the one who got me into this in the first place!” I crossed my arms in front of my chest and sniffled. He kneeled close to me and for the first time gently placed his hands on my upper arms. His face was suddenly warm and kind. Inviting.

  “Lexie, you and I are very much the same. We both have something very precious to protect, our sanity. It’s all we have left. We’ve lost our free will forever. Look, I never asked to become his henchman, but I did, and that’s what I am. I’m a coward, because I’m too scared of not existing at all to try to leave. I brought you into this, and I’m sorry. I assumed you’d have a quick death, and your nightmare would be over. Link saw you and decided to keep you as a trophy, a fate for you I’d never imagined. When you look at me…..man, why am I telling you this? It’s like I can’t stop myself. There’s this fire in your eyes that stops my heart every time I look into them. Even he is not immune to your charms. Link knows your gift, and will use it to his advantage. Whether it is for wealth or world domination, he will keep you at his side in order to achieve his goals. I don’t think even you understand the power you have over us. Do you see yourself? The eyes, and the hair, and your smile…they’re all so...so intoxicating. I can’t control myself when you look at me.” He shuddered at the thought of remembering my gaze, the same gaze that made even Cam gooey inside. I tried to remain angry with him.

  “Why Thane? Why the anger at me? I did nothing to you!”

  “Its misguided anger, Lexie. I’m angry at myself for bringing you to him on a silver platter. You look at me, with those eyes, and I just want to be with you forever, but I can’t because that will kill us both. I’ve cursed you. Every time I look at you I imagine how your lips would feel pressed against mine. Kissing you, and holding you in my arms would be heaven. My thoughts of heaven can only lead to our own personal hell. I know it can’t happen, and it takes every ounce of self control I have within me not to….um look…I feel rage, passion, anger, and lust every time I look at you. From the first moment I laid eyes on you Lexie…you stole my heart in that very first moment, and like a fool, I gave you to him.”

  “I don’t belong to him! I don’t belong to anyone!” My tone was defiant.

  “Don’t you get it? You’re not free anymore. None of us are!”

  I stared at him for a long moment before picking myself up from the ground. He stood and looked at me. “Do you eat people?”

  “I just poured my heart out to you, and you’re asking me that?”

  “I guess I am?”

  “No. I don’t hunt with the others. I find them the people to hunt.” He actually looked proud of his accomplishment.

  “Hmm.”

  Although I wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him until his lips fell off, I knew that wouldn’t be wise. He wasn’t yet strong enough to get me out of here, and if I was going to escape I needed him to be at his best. I needed to show him that he does have free will. Link cannot control everyone, everywhere, every time. Besides death would be a better alternative than a lifetime with Link. I shuddered at the thought. I turned from him and walked back into the woods. I had to work a bit more on Mr. Ganyon before he would be deserving of my kisses.

  “Lexie, where are you going?”
/>   “Back to my nightmare. You coming?”

  He chuckled and followed me into the woods. We walked in silence back to the house. The screams had stopped. The horde of half-breeds would be returning soon. Thane and I stood at the edge of the glow from the bon fire. I had no interest in seeing them return.

  “Thane?”

  “Hmm.”

  “Thank you for saving me.”

  Both of us continued staring at the fires eerie glow.

  “Please don’t thank me. I put you in danger in the first place.”

  “True, but you also got me out of it.”

  His response was a nod. Apparently this was something he was uncomfortable talking about. I heard the half-breeds nearing the edge of the woods. I turned from the fire and began walking towards the colossal manor. Thane followed close behind. He placed his hand firmly on the small of my back as we walked up the stone stairs.

  “What would you do if you had to choose?” I whispered towards him

  “What do you mean?” He looked confused.

  “If you had to choose between Link and me, what would you do?”

  We stopped on the expansive porch overlooking the beach bonfire. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore. I looked into his eyes for an answer, but saw only fear. He rubbed the back of his neck, and made a pained expression before speaking. “I’m not sure I can answer that question.”

  I wasn’t surprised by his answer, but I still did my best to look disappointed. I decided it was best to change the subject. “Do you run?” I smiled my most flirtatious smile.

  “Like the wind baby!” His smile back to me was invigorating.

  I giggled. “No sillyfish, I mean do you run to keep in shape? You know, like a morning jog.” I pushed playfully on his chest. It felt rock hard and chiseled.

  “Oh, yeah. I do a few miles a day.”