by Liz Everly
He was right, of course, for in spite of her throbbing head she couldn't look away. The sight of this man — if that's even what he was — mesmerized her like she'd been placed under a spell. Even when he rose and stepped down from the dais upon which the throne was placed, Faith was helpless to try getting away. Her head felt stuffed with cotton, she was dizzy and bewildered and her feet refused to move. She was as trapped as an insect in amber.
He walked to her, so lightly he seemed to float, which was astonishing considering his size. Built like a Viking, his chest and shoulders were enormous and his height looked well over six and a half feet. Yet he retained a surprising fluidity, his taut body moving with the coiled sleekness of a panther's. When he reached her he crouched down and tenderly placed a hand against her forehead. From his deep, mellifluous voice came sounds like an ancient chant. She caught a glimpse of dark, chocolate brown eyes just before they fluttered closed as he continued chanting, infusing the air with hypnotic verse.
Faith's body went limp, freed from every ounce of tension and pain. Pleasurable warmth spread like molasses from where the man touched her to all the joints, muscles, and bones in her body. She turned her head, cautiously, bracing for the throbbing ache, but it had vanished into nothingness. With baited breath she lifted her hand to touch the bloody spot on her scalp, but like the pain, the blood was no more.
The final notes of his chant hung in the air, wavered, then at last dissolved. The room went quiet. Faith's mystery man or whatever he was opened his eyes and looked down on her. Despite her dire situation, her breath caught in her throat. Now that the haze of pain had lifted, her vision was clear and she could fully appreciate the man's ethereal beauty. His features were nothing short of perfection. From his eyes, to his lips, to his chiseled jaw, every detail was flawless. Her gaze drifted downward. His robe had slipped from his shoulder, unveiling ripples of taut, sculpted muscle like a gladiator. He radiated power.
"Your pain is gone?"
He posed it as a question but it was clear from his smile that he knew the answer. Faith licked dry lips and nodded.
"Yes."
"Then rise."
Hypnotized by the silky sound of his words, she moved to obey, but before she could lift a finger she was standing upright and he, inexplicably, was seated back on his throne.
"How—" The words died on her tongue. She and the man were surrounded.
Faith gasped and whipped her head around, ready to flee, but escape was impossible. Seemingly out of thin air dozens of people had appeared and linked hands to form a circle around the dais, effectively trapping her and the mysterious man. They were dressed similarly to him, in loose, flowing robes, although unlike their apparent leader, their feet were bare. The women had flowers and ribbons adorning their hair, like mythical forest nymphs.
Suddenly, as if they'd all understood some silent cue, they began moving forward, closing the circle like a noose tightening around its victim. Their steps were slow, deliberate, bare feet whispering across the floor. Faith's heart leaped in her throat. Her mouth went bone dry. She tried to scream but could only muster a cry no louder than a kitten's mew. Her panic seemed to strike her captors as funny and they began to laugh, at first softly but then louder and more boisterous the closer they came. To her ears the noise was tinged with evil, like mean kids taunting a hapless victim in the schoolyard. But these people looked like they'd do more than tease Faith with childish pranks, especially when she looked into their coal black eyes.
She finally found her voice and pierced the air with her terrified plea.
"Get away from me!" She held both hands before her, shielding her body as she whirled around, not wanting to be attacked from behind. Her gesture only made then laugh harder, revealing perfect rows of gleaming teeth. She imagined them biting into her, ripping away strips of skin from her body, sinking those evil teeth deep into her flesh. As the horrified image flashed through her mind she screamed again, a primal animal screech of sheer terror.
"That's enough!" The sharp command was issued by their leader who remained casually lounging in his throne on the raised dais, as if bored with the events happening before him.
"But we want her. To touch her. Feel her." One of the women turned adoring eyes toward him. "She's the one."
"That's for me to decide." His voice was laced with a touch of irritation as he rose from his throne. "As you well know."
As far as Faith was concerned, whatever they were talking about was for her to decide, and she already knew which way she'd go. Way the hell out of there.
Right now, however, she had to keep her wits about her and figure out how to escape. She'd find an exit, get help, and then come back for Dana. She'd bring the cops, she'd bring attack dogs, she'd —
"Now, is all of that really necessary?" Crazy ancient Roman man stood beside her once more, waving his finger back and forth like a parent scolding a child.
"After all," he continued while slowly licking what looked like honey from his fingertips, "I haven't done anything to you." He placed his index finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up to look into his blazing eyes. "Yet."
The touch of his finger sent shockwaves through her body, currents of fire that roared through her blood. Astounded by her reaction from just that slight touch, Faith gasped and stepped backward. At once the swarm of people moved in but their progress was halted by the barest of nods from their leader.
He stepped toward Faith once more and she had no choice but to remain bolted in place. His devoted posse wasn't about to let her go.
"Yes," he murmured, almost to himself. "It's just as I thought. I sensed it with the healing touch, but now I know for certain."
"What are you talking about?" Faith hissed. "And who the hell are you?"
"Ah." He smiled, perfect lips curling upward, and despite the fantastical situation in which she found herself, Faith couldn't ignore the swirl of desire in her belly as she watched those beautiful lips.
"Of course you would want to know that. Come." He held out his hand. "Sit. Have something to eat. You must be famished."
It wasn't until that moment that Faith realized she actually was hungry. Starving, more like it. She hadn't eaten in over twelve hours, not since she'd gulped down a dry muffin for breakfast. But she'd rather be starving than poisoned. She shook her head.
"Just let me go. I need to find my friend."
"She's fine." Despite her resistance he took her hand and led her to the dais. As if by magic, the single throne was replaced with two. Faith allowed herself to be drawn forward, the man's vise-like grip leaving her no choice.
She sat, pulse racing, her mind whirling with questions. Dana's fine? His answer could mean only one thing: he was the one who'd taken her. But if so, where was she? And was she really all right? Damn it. She released a ragged sigh. What the hell was happening?
The loud caw of a bird shook away her thoughts. Faith glanced up, looking around to see where the noise came from. At once the hairs on her arms shot straight up. Her mouth fell open as she gasped.
All around them were animals, as if Noah's ark had pulled up and dumped its load in the asylum. At their feet were cats and dogs. Rabbits hopped up and down the stairs of the dais. Birds circled the air above them. In the distance were larger animals — tigers, zebras, lions, crocodiles, gazelles, ostriches, bears, snakes. Many more, hundreds more. But they weren't just hanging out in the abandoned hallways of a psychiatric hospital, because the room they were in had been transformed. Concrete floors were now covered with thick, soft moss. Walls disappeared, replaced with enormous trees: soaring oaks and long-needled pines. Instead of being in a hospital, Faith found herself in a lush, dense forest.
"Do you like it?"
The man beside her chuckled and as Faith swung her gaze toward him she saw sparkles of humor reflected in his eyes.
"I…I…."
"Never mind." He waved his hand to dismiss her. "I realize this is all overwhelming for you now. I shall explain.
But first," he nodded toward platters of food all around them, "you will eat."
Enticing aromas drifted through the air, and suddenly Faith felt she understood how the biblical Adam was tempted with forbidden fruit. And look how that turned out. She decided to pass on the offering but her captor shook his head.
"There is no choice in this matter," he said, his silky voice smooth but tainted with a hard edge. "Eat."
The one-word command spoke volumes. Accepting her fate, Faith selected a handful of grapes and popped one in her mouth, chewing slowly. It was delicious, succulent and sweet, unlike any grapes she'd ever had. The fruit teased her, reminding her of how hungry she really was. She took more and noticed that it seemed to please her captor, who sat back in his chair and watched her while she ate. All around her the animals played. Her captor's posse, who'd seemed so threatening only minutes before, now lounged on the grass like friends at a picnic.
"My name is Alexandru," the man beside her suddenly said, without preamble. "And you are Faith."
Her gaze snapped over to him, brows furrowed. "How do you know that?"
"There's a good deal I know about you, Mistress Luna. Much more than you realize."
The smooth words unsettled her, and her stomach twisted. She set aside her bread and cheese.
"Fine," she said, mustering courage. "And since you seem to be able to read my mind, you know how much I want to leave this place. So let me go."
He pinned her with a stare. "I'm not going to do that."
Cold fear coated her tongue. She sat back, putting every possible inch of distance between herself and this crazy beautiful man. Her fingers gripped the edge of the chair.
"Why not?" she whispered.
Alexandru leaned forward, his powerful frame filling the space she'd just created. "Because you are my queen."
A strange, mystical shimmer radiated from him as he spoke. It was as if he were surrounded in a sparkling cloud of gold dust. Faith nervously licked her lips and glanced around. The area was infused with Alexandru's aura. The oak trees, the meadow, the babbling brook in the distance, even the animals and people around them all suddenly seemed to shimmer in gold. A whispered chant arose from the followers, like the low hum of insects, becoming steadily louder. Faith sensed that they were scared.
You've angered him, you've angered him, you've angered him.
"I—" She was about to protest her innocence. She'd done nothing, after all, except sit and listen to Alexandru talk. But even before she could speak she realized they were right. His lips were twisted in an angry grimace, brows furrowed, hands balled into fists. He shook with emotion, making the colors all around them deeper and more vibrant. Yet suddenly Faith realized they were wrong, all of them, because it wasn't anger that was fueling Alexandru. It was desire.
She could smell his arousal, flowing from his body toward hers like the heady musk from an animal in heat. The force of his lust consumed him, the passion so strong it was mistaken for anger. He held himself from her but she sensed, she knew, that he was on the brink of losing control and allowing his powerful emotion to take over and consume them both.
She made her voice soft, to soothe the wild beast. "What do you mean, I'm your queen? Talk to me. Help understand."
His words were coated with lust. "I have searched for you, Faith Luna. For thousands of years. And at last, I have found you."
"Yes," she agreed, not knowing what he meant but understanding that she needed to keep him talking. Bit by bit, the intense colors surrounding him started to fade.
"I am the ancient one. Alexandru. And you belong to me."
At this the followers released a collective sigh, as if the dangerous grip of his fevered emotion had begun to loosen, allowing them to breathe. Faith turned back to face Alexandru, irritation zinging through her blood.
"I belong to no one," she snapped. "And what you say makes no sense. How could you have been searching for me for thousands of years? I'm mortal. I've only been around a short time."
He chuckled, a deep baritone rumbling in his chest, devoid of humor. Cold fear traced a finger down her spine. Had she inadvertently angered him?
"That is why my journey was long," he said quietly, almost wistfully. "I searched for something that did not yet exist." He leaned forward and grasped Faith's hands in his while piercing her with his stare. "But now you do," he said. "At last."
His eyes blazed like the sun as his gaze burned into hers. She wanted to recoil from it, to turn away from the intensity, but found she could not. Once more he'd hypnotized her, although this time it wasn't only through the beauty of his intent look but the spell of his touch. His skin was as soft and beautifully smooth as a dove's breast. The fingers which grasped hers were long and straight, his hands perfectly formed. As she looked at him, caught in the web of his gaze, a million thoughts swirled in her mind. Who was this mystical god? Why did he claim to have been searching for her? And why, oh why, was she suddenly no longer afraid but intensely, dizzyingly aroused?
Alexandru's eyes began to change color, shifting from the vivid deep brown she'd seen at first to a vibrant blue, then purple, before returning back to brown. With the tip of his tongue he licked his lips, moistening them, and Faith had a crazy thought that he meant to kiss her. Then another, even crazier thought: she wanted him to.
A touch of amusement caught the corner of one of his perfect lips. He raised an eyebrow toward her.
"I know you want this as much as I do," he murmured. He released one of her hands and slid his palm along her arm, caressing her. His breath shuddered. "To think how long I have searched for you. At last you are mine."
With that statement he broke the spell and Faith's sanity returned. She pulled back, welcoming the infusion of anger heating her blood.
"I'm not yours," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Her statement did not please him. His lips pulled back and he snarled. Once more the air seemed to swirl with debris sparked by Alexandru's emotion. This time, however, the particles were black instead of gold, and they filled the room like a cloud of locusts. Out of the corner of her eye Faith saw Alexandru's followers gasp and clutch one another, shielding themselves from his wrath. In seconds she understood why. He lifted himself from his chair, rising higher and higher until he hovered over Faith like a vulture just before it swoops in for the kill.
"Yes you are!" he growled, baring gleaming teeth. Despite wanting to be strong, Faith cowered in her chair, terror like a vice around her throat. Screaming was impossible. Not that anyone who cared would even hear it.
She watched him as he stood there, trying to anticipate what he might do next. Despite the seeming impossibility of her situation, she refused to go down without a fight. If this crazed god or whatever the hell he was wanted to harm her or worse, he was going to have to work to do it.
Swallowing her fear, she shoved her hands against the arm rests of the chair and pushed herself up so she stood right before him. He towered above her, his height like a mountain casting her in his shadow. She tilted her head back and looked up, meeting him eye-to-eye. Her heartbeat slammed in her chest as her eardrums roared with the rush of her blood. She wiped slick palms against her jeans and balled her hands into fists, giving her strength.
"Now you listen to me," she hissed, giving him a taste of his own medicine. "I want out of here — now! And let Dana go, too. I know you've done something with her." She stepped forward, anger fueling her courage. Her body trembled as rage built. She welcomed it. She refused to keep cowering before this asshole, having him act like he owned her. Screw that. He may be beautiful and sexy as hell but no one, no matter how hot, claimed her as his without her say so.
"Did you hear me?!" Scalding hot fury boiled her blood. She lifted her hands, palms up, and shoved against his chest as hard as she could. It felt like driving her fists into a wall. Despite the force of her shove, Alexandru didn't budge, not an inch. It was as though he were cemented to the ground. Faith was incensed, crying out in
frustration.
"Damn you!" She shoved again, over and over, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Around and behind her she could hear his disciples gasp. They probably knew something she didn't, but Faith didn't care. She was so enraged she could no longer see straight. Rational thought was a thing of the past. All she operated on right now was pure emotion — raw anger more powerful than the most lethal narcotic. She screamed in outrage, the sounds echoing through the abandoned hospital like the cries of patients from long ago.
"Stop!" Alexandru bellowed, but still she went on.
"Fuck you!" She'd stopped shoving and now simply pummeled, balling her hands into fists and pounding at his chest. "Tell me where Dana is! I want my friend and I want to leave. I'm not your queen, I'm not anybody's queen, I'm just—"
The crash of his lips against hers silenced her screams. His powerful arms, like iron bars around her body, stilled her fists. His kiss matched her fury as he ground his mouth on hers and plunged his tongue into the moist depths. She initially tried pulling away, furious at his arrogance, but seconds later desire roared to life as an atomic explosion of need surged through her veins. Her breasts ached and her nipples tightened and strained against her blouse, begging for his touch. She was engulfed in a wall of fire, heat as scorching as the sun enflaming her senses as her pussy throbbed and grew damp. She rocked her hips forward and teased the huge bulge of his cock, easily felt through his robe. He groaned and pulled away from her lips to feast on her neck.
She let her head fall back, exposing her throat to him as he kissed and licked her skin. He had relaxed his unyielding grip and now slipped a hand beneath her blouse and bra to caress her breasts. She sighed, arching her back to fill his hand. In the distance she became aware of other noises around her, moans and sighs that were identical to those she'd heard earlier when she and Dana were filming. Those college kids, the ones from before. Her eyes snapped open and she looked behind her to where Alexandru's followers had been lounging on the grass. They were all still there, except now they were naked.