Chapter 9

Chalice stepped out of the shower later on that night, wearing a silk black nightgown that went to her knees, and dried her hair before walking down the hallway, checking in on her son. She smiled and walked in, kissing his forehead, and made sure his window was firmly locked. Once she was satisfied, Chalice headed downstairs for a glass of wine and a nice quiet fire. She had some writing to get done, needing to get her mind focused on something other than Undertaker corrupting her daughter.

"Interesting read." 'Taker didn't look up from his place by the fire, her story in his hand, a glass of wine in the other. His long, black hair was done, cascading around his shoulders. He wore a pair of form fitting black jeans and a black leather vest, left open. "So Chalice, we both know you've been waiting on me to come here, what's your game plan?"

She froze in her tracks, her blue eyes widened as she stared back at him in shock, knowing her son was upstairs sleeping. "How-" She shook her head, not even wanting to KNOW how he got into her place, and wrapped her arms around herself. "I have no game plan. My plan to get Mark back failed miserably so I've given up completely. I'm moving on with my life and I'll have to learn to live without him." She then glared back at him, not letting her guard down. "Now get out of my house. You are not welcome here."

"I'm not?" He closed the book, laying it aside almost reverently, his fingertips skimming the cover. "What if I told you I could give you Mark back? Would I be welcome then?" He stood up, towering over her, blocking the light from the fire, casting eerie shadows about the room as he stared down at her, hands clasped behind his back.

Chalice swallowed hard as the tears instantly began falling, shaking her head. "No, I don't believe you...and I won't let you get my hopes up Undertaker. Mark is gone, I've accepted it and I'm trying to move on with what's left of my dead and broken heart. Please let me rest in peace, as you used to say to your opponents." She backed away from him when he took another step toward her.

"But I can't." He murmured, backing her right into a wall. "I still want you and I'll probably want you until the day I die." He had her pinned to the wall now, his eyes unreadable. A second later, 'Taker had lifted her up so she was eye level with him, wrapping her legs around his waist, his mouth catching hers in a searing kiss. One hand held her up, the other held her arms pinned over her head.

Chalice shook her head back and forth, trying to wrench his lips off of hers, and finally managed to succeed as she glared back at him with such hate in her eyes that it probably seared his black soul. "You can take this body, but you will never have my heart and soul. Those belonged and will remain property of Mark, not you." She stated evenly, trying not to tremble against him, but it was damn hard to do.

"To me, it's all the same difference." He grunted, moving his mouth down her throat, biting and sucking at her flesh, groaning low in the back of his throat. He ground his hips against hers, letting her feel how much he desired her. He could feel her soft body against his through her clothes; feel the heat emanating from her and that only made him want her more.

Chalice just sat there against the wall like a limp fish, not moving to caress him nothing. She knew he'd end up taking what he wanted regardless, she couldn't fight him off, never could. She didn't have the desire to stop him either; she just figured it'd be better for him to take what he wanted then to fight him. She also didn't want to wake up her son as she closed her eyes, envisioning Mark doing these things to her, and started crying out of nowhere. She missed his touch, his kisses, his caresses, everything, but this wasn't him. This wasn't her husband and she couldn't help but cry mournful tears for him.

His long tongue snaked up first one cheek, then the other, tasting her tears, taking them from her as soon as they fell, not even allowing her that little luxury. He released her hands, his own moving down to rest between their bodies, bunching the material of her nightgown up. His fingers sought out and found what he was seeking, hissing between his teeth. "So hot and wet, Chalice..." He growled against her lips, one long finger probing her intimately.

She couldn't take it and grabbed his face in her hands before head butting him, causing him to growl out as he dropped her instantly. She groaned, seeing stars, but managed to scramble away from him and up the stairs. "Marcus! Marcus get up right now!" She shouted, her head pounding from what she'd just done, knowing she pissed Undertaker off so they had to get out of there NOW. "Oh god my head..." She felt like throwing up and spit continuously, hating this man more than life itself.

He growled, pain searing in his head but he ignored it, following her up the steps. "Marcus...Marcus get up..." He mocked, watching her enter their son's bedroom, following her inside. The window was wide open, curtains blowing in the breeze. "He's gone, Chalice, he's not here. Nobody is here but us." He stopped her from darting past him, throwing her down onto the bed. "That hurt." He commented, as if stating the weather, touching his head again, staring down at her out of brooding eyes.

Her eyes widened in fear when she heard that and felt the tears spill down her cheeks before kicking him in the stomach and punched him in the face. "GET OFF OF ME YOU MONSTER!" She shrieked, scrambling off the bed and on the floor, staring back at him through narrow, slit eyes. "Where's my son?! MARCUS!" She darted past him when he went to grab her and went into her bedroom, locking the door, knowing she didn't have much time. "Goddamn it!"

She had no time. A well aimed kick at the door handle sent it flying open and he stepped in, danger radiating from his every pore. "Marcus is safe." He said in a low, wicked tone of voice. "He's not here, but he is safe. Quit these childish games Chalice and surrender to me." It was an order. "You want your family back? I can give it to you, you want your husband, you can have that as well."

"No you can't because you're not Mark! You're not my husband! You're a fucking monster!" She shouted, holding her head as she backed up further away from his body. "I will never surrender to you! NEVER YOU ASSHOLE!" She shrieked, not caring how badly her head was pounding, wanting her son back in her arms along with her daughter. She was in for the fight of her life and she damn well knew it.

"You wouldn't even HAVE Mark if it weren't for me, Chalice." 'Taker snarled his body language more then threatening at this point. "If I hadn't taken you from your precious brother, you would have never fallen for Mark; you're only married with those two children because of ME. Everything that's happened in your life is due to ME, not Mark."

"That's a load of shit and you know it, Undertaker!" She spat back at him, ignoring her throbbing head, and raked a hand through her hair when he kept approaching. "No matter what you say or do, I fell in love with Mark! I changed him and put you away and how you got out, I'll never know. We were happy without you! The children were happy without you! I was happy without you! They are not your children; they are mine and Mark's, not yours! Everything his body has done has been him, not you! You cease to exist; you are a nobody, someone who should never exist, and I will never love you, no matter how many times you may rape or beat me, I will NEVER SURRENDER TO YOU!"

He flinched. "But I do exist, Chalice, and therein lies your problem. Blame your precious Mark for that. He couldn't handle his life so he escaped into darkness, inviting me to take over. Split-personality? Hardly. I AM Mark. I've always had both sides, the dark and dangerous and then the calm, one. Hibernating inside like a bear, waking up with each season and then lying dormant. The bear has woken."

"No, you are not Mark and you never will be." Her voice was low and cold as she fought the urge not to pass out from how much pain she was in at the moment. "I want my son back. I want Marcus back right now, Undertaker. You have my daughter, but you are NOT getting my son! You'll have to kill me first before I allow you to take what piece of Mark I have left!" She shook the cobwebs, staring at him in defiance. No matter what he said or did, Chalice would not believe this was Mark. This was a monster, this was Undertaker, the man who used threats to get what he wanted, to force people to surrender to him, not her loveable, caring Mark.

"Chalice, he's gone and the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be. I'd be more worried about what's going to happen to you at the moment." 'Taker growled, rubbing his head. That hurt a bit more then he wanted to let on, the damn stubborn wench. Who did she think she was? He bared his teeth at her, lightening flashing throughout the room, revealing his predatory stance, and she was his prey.

Her blue eyes widened when she heard that and had to find a way out. She had to find some means of escape as she took another step back, the tears pouring down her face as she shook her head. This was just like her nightmare and she knew it was about to become a reality if she didn't get out of there now. "Undertaker, don't do something you'll regret. Please, I don't want you. Please don't come any closer..." She was trying not to panic and the pain in her head wasn't making things any easier.

He snorted, looking cruelly amused. "Something I'll regret? Chalice, my darling, you should know by now, I do not regret anything." He could care less if she wanted him, he wanted her at the moment and that was all that mattered. She would learn to accept him eventually, maybe even love him, but like before, all that mattered at this particular point in time was that he wanted her. He didn't stop approaching, watching out of wicked green eyes as she looked around for a weapon, her fear was only heightening his desire for her.

"Stay away from me!" She screamed when he went to grab her and darted across the bed, sliding on the floor since the sheets were silk, and scrambled up to her feet. Her head was making her incredibly dizzy as she watched him sprawl to the floor as well. She didn't waste a single second and bolted out the door, slamming it behind her, and stumbled down the stairs, needing to get out of this house and to her car, grabbing the keys on the way.

Those eyes flashed acid, green venom, pain rippling throughout his knee but he got up, following her out the door. The Undertaker rarely moved quickly, but when he did, it was both gracefully and deliberate, unlike a second ago. His black hair flew behind him as he took the steps four at a time, his long leg making it easily manageable. He might wind up killing Chalice for all this trouble, her brother hadn't even defied him like this, his patience was becoming severely strained.

She could hear his footsteps thundering behind her as she got out the front door, knowing if she stumbled once, he would catch her. She picked up the pace and bolted to her car, already having the unlock button in place. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her breath quickening as she ran through the sand, the tears flying behind her. Her thumb pressed unlock as Chalice arrived and didn't even turn around, just got in her car and made sure the doors were locked just as he rammed against it. "GO AWAY YOU MONSTER!" She shrieked, trembling, but managed to get the key in the ignition, starting it up.

His response was to get on the hood of the car, smirking when the engine flooded and stalked towards her. He knew she'd have it going in seconds but didn't care. He raised his large, booted foot up and smashed it against the windshield, her side, and watched it crack, smiling grimly with satisfaction at the crunching, breaking sound. Her screams lit his blood on fire as he raised his foot to do it again. This time the glass bowed inwards, one good hit would send it all shattering over her.

He didn't have that second as she put the car in reverse and watched as his body stumbled, falling on her hood. Her blue eyes were cold as ice as she stared at him before putting the car in drive. "Fuck you, asshole." Not giving it a moments thought, Chalice hit him one good time, watching him fly and hit the sand before putting the car in reverse and drove out of there like a bat out of Hell. She was trembling from head to toe, knowing he wasn't dead and immediately dragged out her emergency cell phone before dialing her brother's number. Her windshield was cracked, but she didn't give a damn.

The Undertaker was NOT a very happy individual, his forehead was bleeding from hitting the sand and a jagged rock not to mention this bitch had tried to FUCKING RUN HIM OVER. His temper was past angry, past the normal, he was going to hurt her. Seriously hurt her. There wouldn't be any cat and mouse games this time; he was going to flat out kill her.