I pulled my hand free from his and placed it on his cheek, absentmindedly stroking his scar. Then I turned and let my hand fall away. I didn't quite make it to the end of the hall before the house started spinning again. I leaned against the wall for support.
Mikhail was there in a flash, he scooped me into his arm's and carried me to my room. On the way up the stairs he apologized for his outburst. I chuckled as best I could and snuggled close to his chest.
"You do need to talk to Conall though. He need's to know you and to own up to what he's done and what he did to me."
"Da, I agree. But we can do all these thing's tomorrow. Now you need to sleep."
We rounded the corner of my door frame as he finished. He stood me up then pulled back my comforter for me. I very happily laid down and made myself comfortable. He bowed to me then turned to leave. But I stopped him.
"Mikhail."
"Da?" he said, not turning around.
"Will you stay with me?"
"Da." he said as he turned back around and came to the bed.
I scooted over and made room for him lay down.
"Oh hey there's a pair of sleeping pant's in the bedroom across the hall. First drawer on the middle dresser. They were Jax's old pant's. They might be a bit snug though."
"I will be fine."
All of a sudden his clothes were gone, replaced by a pair of black sleeping pant's and no shirt. (Nice!)
"Oh, well that's helpful."
I said as I rolled over to snuggle some of my comforter I'd bunched up. He slid in next to me and placed a warm arm around my waist. I couldn't help but feel all nice and toasty from his body heat. I usually keep the air set pretty low, because I like sleeping in a chilly room. But man he felt soooo good back there.
It didn't take long for me to fall into the land of dream's. Especially after he started rubbing my cheek and running his fingers through my hair. Soon I found myself sitting in a dark room, it felt so familiar but I couldn't make any of the furnishings out.
I blinked a few times then rubbed my eyes, everything started to come into focus then. I was in some kind of vacant business office, I turned and looked and sure enough there sat my rifle and mat, I was on the job apparently. I quickly turned back and looked out the empty window trying in vain to find the target.
He or she was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly everything in me screamed this was a set up so I gathered my gun and other tools of the trade and bolted for the door. Once in the hallway I heard the familiar ding of an elevator. I didn't know who would be stepping out of it but something was telling me not to stick around and find out.
I ran like my life depended on it. Down the stairwell I went, taking the steps two at a time until I heard the first shot ring out. I'll be damned if it didn't rip through my side, sending the most excruciating pain tearing through my whole body. My step faltered but I quickly recovered and bounded down the rest of the flights of stairs as quickly as I could.
When at the bottom I burst though the door and made my way down the corridor to the guards station. They were dead, both shot point blank. The guy's chasing me were no joke. I saw the exit, took my opportunity and ran for it. The night was cool and the air cut sharply. I needed to get my bike, it had to be in the parking garage. I'd never chance leaving such a memorable bike on the street for all to see. It didn't take long to find the Ducati. I felt relief wash over me in waves then, but I had celebrated too early. Someone grabbed me from behind. I threw my head back, hearing a cracking sound and feeling the pain of nose to head contact I knew I'd broken the assailants nose.
He stumbled backwards, I turned on him ready this time. He threw a right then left then right then hay-maker. I dodged them all with ease. He was wearing himself down throwing such hard punches. After a minute of this I decided enough was enough.
I stepped back as he threw another right and this time I grabbed his arm as it went by and used his momentum to throw myself up onto his shoulders where I scissored his head and threw myself forward to flip him onto the concrete floor.
He was winded and tired but not ready to give up, I lifted my leg and threw it as hard as I could into his chest. He exhaled violently as I heard his ribs crack beneath my boot. I twisted and slid myself away from him then jumped to my feet. Satisfied with the outcome, I turned towards my bike. But the harder I ran towards it the further away it got.
More men started chasing me. They were closing in quick, I lurched left to dodge a bullet then right to slide by a punch. Finally, catching me off guard a big burly man grabbed me by the back of my shirt and halted me. He wrapped a hand around my throat and squeezed from behind.
I tried to flip him, no use. So I tried to elbow his rib's, nothing. Next I tried twisting away then I tried twisting into him but nothing worked. Nothing would make him loosen his grip. The next instant I was thrown to the ground. My arms and legs were paralyzed, I couldn't move at all, I tried moving my fingers, toes, arms, legs, elbows, nothing.
I looked into the face of the man who had done this to me. Horrid black eyes met my own violet ones. Hatred and anger spewed from every pore on his body, he laughed then landed a right hook in my side, right where the bullet had ripped through.
Then he grabbed my shirt and tore it from my chest. He smiled down on me as he stroked the bulge in his pant's. Snickering and hissing engulfed me as everything except the man turned black. I could see no more of the parking garage, no men that were chasing me before, nothing, just him and me.
He slid his hand down my thigh as he leaned in close. I headbutt him in response then spat in his face. He smiled and backhanded me. Then he grabbed the loops of my black cargo pant's and ripped them off me with ease, exposing my lower region. I closed my leg's and locked them tightly but he was too strong. I screamed and fought. Trying to kick and flail my body as best I could.
I cursed him and threatened to kill him and his whole family if he touched me again. His smile only became more malicious and evil as he wrapped a hand around my throat again and leaned in so close I could smell his bad cologne.
I felt the bulge against my thigh, so did he apparently, because he began sliding and thrusting it against me. He lowered himself right down next to my ear and spoke. His voice was gruff and full of darkness and malice.
"I'm going to rape you, over and over and over. I'll do it hard! I'll do it rough! You'll beg me to stop, you'll cry and plead, but I won't stop. I'll go in harder and deeper until I destroy you! Then when the day comes that I don't want you anymore...I'll gut you like the worthless, pathetic pig you are and dump your body in the ocean for the shark's to gnaw on."
He smiled again and licked my ear. I shivered and lurched as bile rose in the back of my throat. I couldn't twist to throw up I had to swallow it or choke. I swallowed, then immediately felt sick again.
"No matter where you go, No matter where you try to hide, I'll find you. I'll kill both your little boy toys right in front of you. But the big one...I'll do him last. I'll cut him all over then pour lemon juice in the wounds. I'll cut out his tongue so he can never say your name. I'll make him watch as I do you and make you scream my name...."
I couldn't take any more I had to get away from him. I lunged and thrashed. I tried to bite his ear then his face. He slapped me hard but I swallowed the blood and kept thrashing. I was soaked in my own blood but he was laughing harder. He unzipped his pant's and started coming for me. I screamed and cursed again.
He parted my leg's with ease and stared me in the eyes as he stroked himself. I screamed again. I wouldn't beg! I wouldn't give him the satisfaction! Just as he began his first thrust I screamed again. Suddenly I was in my room, in my own bed. Sweat poured down my face, I felt my heart racing faster then I believe it ever had before.
Mikhail was holding me stroking my hair and saying something. My hearing came back to me as I started calming down and I could finally make out what he was muttering in my hair.
"It was only a dream, Red. Try to calm yourself. It was only a dream."
"Wha....What happened?"
"You were having a nightmare." he said as he moved to face me.
"Oh, it...felt so...real." was all I could utter.
"Red, what was the nightmare about?"
"I saw..."but then I thought better of it and decided nothing was best.
"Nothing. I can't remember now. I'll be alright in a few minutes."
"Vozlyublennyy (Beloved/Sweetheart), You were screaming No and Stop and..." he looked away.
"And what?" I asked.
"...you said Don't touch me....I'll kill you.....Darling, what happened?"
I thought for a moment. He was going to find out when he watched the footage of the parking garage. Or would he? Those cameras typically sucked. Maybe he wont see anything. I decided for now he didn't need to be burdened with what the black eyed man said.
"I'm so tired still. I want to go back to sleep. Will you play with my hair again?"
"Da, moya lyubov'(my love). I will."
We settled back into the bed, he on his back and I snuggling his chest.
"You know one day your going to have to teach me Russian. It sounds so beautiful, and I wanna know if your cussing me behind my back."
He chuckled. I heard it rumble in his chest and instantly fell in love with the sound.
"Alright one day I will teach you Russian IF....you do something for me."
"Oh I can't wait to hear this. If I do what?
"If, you will show me what this...Moonshine is that the people of this place talk about."
It was my turn to laugh now.
"Tell ya what I'll take you tomorrow and get you some good ol fashioned Moonshine. Ok?"
"Ok, tomorrow then."
He began stroking my hair again and yet again I found myself falling back into the black abyss. Only this time I opened my eyes to a very different sight. I was in a field of blue wild flowers. A crystal clear pond lay in front of me a few yards away along with an over hanging weeping willow tree.
It was so gorgeous here, then a giant black wolf with eyes like molten gold approached me slowly. Immediately I felt I could trust him and had nothing to fear from the enormous creature. I smiled as he came and sat beside me. Due to his immense size he towered over me. I looked up at his as he bent his head down to nuzzle my hair.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I breathed in his scent.
"I'm here to protect you my Queen." was his reply.
A fish jumped at a dragon fly hovering just above the water.
"Protect me from what?"
"The nightmares that seem to invade your sleep."
"Oh, that."
"Care to share what happened?"
"It was...nothing."
"If you do not wish to tell that is alright. We can simply sit and enjoy each others company."
"Can I ask...what's your name? I feel like I know you. I mean, I know I don't but I have this...weird feeling like....like I do. It's hard to explain. Ya know what I'm sayin'? I know I sound a little nut's."
"I know exactly what you mean. As for my name, I'm known by many different ones, but you may simply call me Korol' if you wish."
"That's beautiful, does it have any significant meaning?"
"Only to my kind. What about you malen'kaya koroleva?"
"What does that mean?"
"Little Queen."
"Oh, ha ha well my names Redalia. But I like to be called Red. So where are we Korol'? Is this a dream world or somethin?"
He laughed heartily and deep in his chest.
"Of sorts, This is a place I created for you. Think of it as a safe haven for you when you need to escape the riggers of the real world. You can create anything here. Go on, think of something you really want right now, picture it in your minds eye."
"Ok, I'll try."
I closed my eye's and focused all my energy on what I most wanted right now, at this very moment. I waited, then waited a moment longer, after a few more of those waiting moments had passed I opened my eyes and looked around. Disappointment flooded me as I realized what I'd wanted hadn't appeared.
"What's wrong Redalia?"
"It didn't work?"
"What did you wish for?"
"....Mikhail. I wanted him to see this beautiful place, to be here with me."
Suddenly the wolfs body went rigid.
"Mikhail." he spat in a venomous tone.
"What? You know him?" I was very intrigued.
"Yes, I know him. Selfish, horrible man. Thinks only of himself. Never giving a single care to others and how they feel or think. He's just as bad as the False King himself."
I was shocked to hear Korol' speak so harshly of Mikhail. I immediately felt the need to defend him. The man was beating himself up enough for the choices he made when he was younger, he didn't need anyone else beating him too.
"Korol' how can you say such harsh thing's? Mikhail made the decisions he made to save me. He didn't want me to be trapped in a relationship with him all in the name of duty. He wanted me to have a chance at life first. He thought of me first not himself."
"Oh Redalia, you wish to find good in everyone. But it simply isn't so in some. He has burned his bridges and now the repercussions of his actions are his to deal with and own up too. As inadvertently as it was he still ruined his own brothers life and caused him to turn to dark magic to fulfill a prophecy that wasn't his burden to bare, left you on your own for far too long which caused your powers to weaken, caused his father to hate him and his mother died without ever laying eyes on her first born as an adult. He deserves to be alone for the rest of his day's. I'll not allow him to harm you, not again."
"How can you lay so much blame at his feet? If you knew him, I mean really knew him, you wouldn't be saying these thing's."
"And do you "really" know him Redalia? How can you? You've only just met. You know nothing of his treachery."
I thought for a moment. Did I know him well enough to defend him the way I was? A split second was all it took to realize I was right. I didn't know him as well as Korol' might but I still know what I felt.
"This man gave up his claim to me so I could be free. He left so I wouldn't feel the pull of our natural bond to each other. He has stood by my side and fought for me this whole time. He cares enough about his brother to try to save him instead of kill him for mating with me, or partially mating...whatever! He has had my back in a terrible situation, he has not even tried to touch me sexually, he even plans on leaving after this is all over and Doran is dead!"
"Leaving? How do you know this?"
"I know because....well, he was lost in thought one day with a grave look on his face. So, I...took a peek inside his mind. I heard the argument he had with himself and that's the decision he had come too. I didn't mean to pry, I was just worried."
The wolf was silent again. We both just pretended to stare at the pond for a while. A dragonfly hovered near my leg before settling down on my knee. It was so beautiful, bright blue and green. Korol' shifted and the dragonfly took flight.
Korol' stood and stretched his front legs then his back ones before glancing over his shoulder at me and partially bowing his head. Then he looked towards the forest as if it called his name in a loving way. I brushed my hand through his glistening fur.
"Will I see you again Korol'?"
"Of course you will my Queen. Remember, to get back here all you must do is focus on this place. See yourself sitting in the grass, and you will be."
"If I come back will you be here?"
"I can sense when you are within the realm. I will come when you are here. For now I must go."
"Ok, Thank you, for being here for me."
"You are very welcome my Queen."
He turned and walked towards the forest. Just as he was about to disappear inside it's heavy foliage I called after him one last time.
"Korol'!"
He turned his head back to me.
"Your wrong about Mikhail. He's not a bad guy."
"We shall see." was his only reply. Then he was gone.