**Runaway**

Chapter 13: Denial and Wonder

*Author's Note: Will Mylene grant Randy her forgiveness in this episode? Just read on and find out…*

Mylene collapsed onto her bed of leaves with a lot of thoughts circling her mind at that moment. She could hardly believe what she'd seen and what she'd heard from Randy earlier. For the first time, he hadn't shouted at her, insulted her, or ignored her. He hadn't had anything nasty to say to her, nor had he given her a single menacing glare. For the first time, Randy Orton had actually talked to her in a civilized manner.

He actually apologized for snapping at her when she'd failed to kill that boar for lunch that other day, making Mylene slightly wonder if Randy was pulling a practical joke on her. She hadn't seen this sincere side of Randy and she hadn't realized that side of Randy actually existed, until he spoke to her that afternoon.

She still wondered if Randy was truly honest about his apologetic confession to her. She had to admit he sounded very sincere when he apologized to her, and he did sound as though he was really sorry for what he'd done to her. She saw from the way his blue eyes softened as he looked at her eye-to-eye while making his confession, and from what she saw, he wanted her forgiveness.

But I still don't know if he's either pulling an act or if he really is sorry for it, thought Mylene, I don't know whether to forgive him or not just yet.

Mylene recalled telling Randy that he needed to earn her forgiveness rather than wait for her to grant it to him. She hadn't the slightest idea where that statement had come from, actually. Stupid her for speaking out before thinking twice about it.

Now I've put the poor guy under pressure, Mylene reflected, I don't know what he'll do to try and earn his forgiveness, but I wish I hadn't told him that. Maybe I was a little hard on him, especially after that heartfelt apology he told me while looking me in the eyes.

His eyes. Those twin orbs of cloudy blue sparked with electricity, sending jolts throughout her entire body. For that moment when Randy looked at Mylene in the eyes and held her hand as he apologized to her, Mylene found it difficult to avert her gaze away from Randy's striking features. His face was well-defined and structured handsomely, just the right amount of five o'clock shadow stubble he grew out in the past week or two giving him that rugged look, which suited him well. Aside from his piercing blue eyes his chiseled 6'4'' towered her smaller, softly defined yet curvy 5'5'' frame.

Mylene found herself attracted to Randy's masculinity and handsome features, but she needed to know more about him before taking the first step. She hadn't fallen in love before but she wasn't stupid; she wasn't into the whole 'love at first sight' thing. Not even Randy Orton could change that, despite him being the most handsome man she'd ever met in her life.

Oh God, I can't get over how handsome he is, Mylene thought with a sigh, but he's got to be more than just a hunk on the outside. I want to know him more, but I need to be less harsh on him with the whole 'earning his forgiveness' thing.

On another note, when Mylene found herself lost in Randy's fathomless ocean blue eyes, aside from the sparks jolting her nerves, she felt something else—nostalgia.

She wasn't entirely sure, but she swore she'd seen Randy before. Whether it was in a past life or in a vision, she still couldn't quite figure out.

At the same time, however, her sexual nightly fantasies with her mystery dream partner were getting raunchier and more explicit, and coincidentally, those dreams involved her not being able to see her mystery partner at all. Often all she saw of her dream partner were his eyes—a deep, gorgeous ocean blue, filled with such emotion and love as he gazed into her eyes.

They were the exact same color as Randy's, the exact same twinkle and shade of blue and all, but unlike her dream partner's, Randy's eyes lacked the unadulterated love and passion she envisioned in her dreams. The sparkle in his eyes that made her shudder, however, was exactly the same.

Mylene brushed off the thoughtful question of Randy being that dream partner she fantasized about in her sleep. She couldn't waste all that time pondering about such a ridiculous question like that; she highly doubted Randy had romantic feelings for her at all. They were two completely different individuals from two completely different worlds; she was royalty—proper, prim, and raised to be a queen, but Randy was a wanted criminal living in the forbidden forests for God knows when. It was highly unlikely that Randy would be attracted to someone completely opposite from his reserved, withdrawn personality. Even if they did end up together, she doubted the relationship would last long.

Randy's just being a gentleman for once and apologizing for his wrongdoing towards me that day, Mylene reminded herself silently, he wouldn't have feelings for a naïve, innocent princess like me.

Little did Mylene realize, though, the silent rogue she'd joined in his encampment would mentally debate over the same topic at that very same night.

She groaned as he tore his lips away from hers and pulled away just close enough to revel in her gorgeous features. Her face was shielded with an intricate mask made of gold, covering everything except from her eyes and down from the cheekbone. Her eyes glowed a midnight blue in the darkness of the tent, glittering from the flickering candlelight levitating in mid-air. He felt his slacks suddenly shrink a few sizes too small when she whispered his name, indicating to him that she wanted more.

He wasted not a single minute in getting to work on the ties of her brown pleather corset top, which pushed up her breasts in such a tantalizing way it made his mouth water. His nerves shivered with excitement as his nimble fingers deftly undid the ties, while the soft tender skin of her hands cupped the back of his head, encouraging him to go further. He pressed his cheek against the tops of her bouncy breasts as he undid her corset. He grinned once he reached the very last knot and drew back, his eyes locked onto her chest as he pulled the material away from her body.

His body burned with lust as he fascinated himself in the twin globes of her breasts, the puckered crests protruding and ready for his taking, screaming for his mouth to suckle them and tease them. They were exactly how he liked them—a little large for her frame, round and high. He snapped back to reality when he felt a pair of small hands gliding across his exposed chest from his completely unbuttoned shirt.

He had difficulty controlling himself as he examined the brunette beauty lying underneath him. She was so gloriously naked from head to toe; Randy felt his erection swell in pride as he'd stripped her bare and exposed everything he loved about her. His eyes traveled from her rosy porcelain doll complexion, her luscious breasts and flat, toned stomach, down to the nest of golden curls between her thighs and her shapely legs. He couldn't wait to devour her and drive her towards the pinnacle of ecstasy.

His fingers skimmed over the large cross and rose tattoo imprinted on her right shoulder; it was the only tattoo colored in, as the skulls and rose thorns surrounding the tattoo were a neutral blue green. He turned her around and swept her wavy chocolate brown hair to one side, exposing another tattoo and her favorite one—a pair of delicate angel's wings. It wasn't colored in like the rose and the cross, but he liked that it was very simple yet so beautiful on her elegant back. He traced the lines of the wings and he felt goosebumps form on the tender skin underneath his rough palms. They were incredibly beautiful on her; never before had he met any woman who wore tattoos well. He moved his hands down to her small waist, wrapping his arms around them and pulling her in till her back met his bare chest.

He nuzzled the side of her neck before softly placing gentle kisses on the same spot, intoxicated by the flowery scent of her hair. He hard her sigh his name pleasurably and he growled seductively in response.

"Oh…Randy…" gasped the brunette beauty, leaning her head back against his chest. His hands slithered up towards her chest and began fondling her individual mounds of flesh. She moaned when he squeezed her breasts teasingly.

"Mmmm…baby…you taste so good…" his voice was a sultry whisper, "are you ready for me?" He brushed his fingers over her strained nipples and she arched her back so tantalizingly it sent him into overdrive.

"Please…"

"Please what?" he purred into her ear, "baby, tell me what you want." His voice sauntered throughout all the nerves in her body, which trembled as he began to kneel down and trace a line of kisses down the curve of her back. He grasped her by the hips and licked the small of her back after placing a few kisses on it as well. He playfully nipped one of the twin globes of her bottom and she let out a squeal.

"Do you want me?" he whispered seductively, squeezing her bottom and then standing up to massage her shoulders. He didn't wait for her to answer him and he swept her into his arms. Out of instinct, she locked her arms around his next and gazed into his eyes. He was absolutely enchanted by her beauty, his fingers itching to rip the mask off of her.

"I want you," she stutters softly.

"Say it louder," he prompted her.

"I…want…you…" she coughed up those three magical words that caused his inner voice to howl in triumph.

"Good, baby, good." He carried her over to the brook and gently helped her into the water, following her afterwards after shucking his pants. Their lips locked in a passionate kiss as Randy led her over through the cascading waterfall, soaking the two of them. Randy had her pinned against the rock wall behind the torrent of water and turned her back to face the wall, trapping her between two barriers—one made of cold stone and the other of hot, tempered skin.

His hands traveled towards the ties of her mask and slowly undid the ribbons, dropping the mask into the water. His heart raced with excitement; he had unmasked his beautiful partner and he couldn't wait to see all of her lovely features. He stroked her softly defined jaw and slowly turned her head to face him so he could plant another kiss on her pink, pouty lips…

The caw of a morning crow echoed throughout the entire forest, interrupting Randy from his sleep at the same time. He silently cursed under his breath, tossing his woven blanket aside and slipping on a pair of denim slacks. He grabbed his mouthwash and a shirt, stepping into his shoes to make his way over to his shower—the waterfall by the brook.

He made sure no one was there and he silently cast a Concealing Charm so no one could spy on him taking his morning shower. He was a hypocrite for thinking that, considering that he did secretly watch Mylene strip, shower, and then change into her clothes that other day.

As Randy stepped underneath the cascades of the torrent, he reflected back on the graphic details of the raunchy dream he'd fantasized that early morning before sadly getting interrupted. This wasn't the first time this occurred, much to his frustration. Every night in his dreams he'd picture the explicit images of him getting more than comfortable with a brunette beauty whose face was concealed in various ways such as the mask. Why she was masked greatly intrigued him, but he was getting extremely irritated that his trail of thought would be broken just when he was about to unmask her.

He let the cold, chilly water pour down his body, which he'd enchanted to convert the motion of the water running down his skin into an increased percentage of thermal energy. His insides burned as he slowly closed his eyes to listen to the sweet melodious whisper of the seductress gasp his name passionately, exactly how he'd dreamt it the night before…

"Oh, Randy…"

"Randy…Randy…Randy…"

He needed to know who she was. He knew dreams like these didn't occur every single night, and he wanted to know why he dreamed those dreams. He mentally pictured those blue eyes of the seductress, that sultry twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes sending him into a trance. They were the most stunning shade of blue he'd ever seen in his life; never before had he seen anything so beautiful on any woman he'd envisioned.

And what made this mystery more puzzling was that he'd seen those same blue eyes on the gorgeous Mylene Akermann.

That hit him. She had a very similar twinkle and the same shade of blue in her fathomless, hypnotizing eyes. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life, now that the dark chocolate locks of her former blonde hair emphasized the glow in her blue eyes. Her pale complexion was lusciously rosy and her soft, pouty lips were a soft, kissable pink. Not to mention that delectable body he'd secretly witnessed being exposed to him that day when she was by the brook.

His thoughts wandered back to the seductress in his dreams. All he could remember were the feel of her soft skin against his lips, her soft cries and moans as he enticed her with his kisses, the curve of her waist and hips as he explored her body, the flowery scent emitting from the silky fall of her brunette hair, the tattoos engraved on her curvaceous body, and those eyes, the same blue eyes he'd seen on Mylene.

He wondered for a moment if Mylene was the beautiful fantasy he'd made love to in his dreams nearly every night. The description of the seductress seemed to have closely matched every single detail of what Mylene looked like in real life. Except for one thing, however. The realistic beauty lacked the ink engraved into her skin, marking the beautiful images the temptress in his dreams wore beautifully. Aside from curvy brunettes, Randy was also a sucker for women with tattoos, especially if she pulled off the ink well. The sultry, sexy seductress in his fantasies was the embodiment of every single sexual thought and turn-on he could ever imagine. He felt his heart burn with lust as he tried picturing the beauty in his dreams; he licked his lips with desire, wishing she could be real, and then all of his fantasies and imaginations would come true.

Randy was disappointed when he suddenly remembered Mylene didn't have any tattoos marked up on her body. He knew an ordinary Magus was unable to carve permanent tattoos onto their skin unless they were taught in the art of marking. He remembered he'd gotten the double sleeve tattoos from a friend of his, who was an expert tattoo artist. Unless Mylene possessed this skill—which Randy thought was extremely unlikely, as she was a princess and it wouldn't be suitable at all for a princess to have the skill to engrave tattoos into people's skin—it was unlikely she possessed any ink.

And that meant it was unlikely that she would be that dream angel at all.

But something inside of Randy stopped him from giving up in his search. That little voice in his head reminded him that Mylene had been the closest match to his dream girl out of all the women he'd met before. Although she was missing the tattoos, he couldn't help but find the coincidental resemblance between Mylene and his dream girl extremely close.

A sudden thought occurred to Randy's mind—could Mylene possibly be that beautiful seductress he fantasized in his nightly dreams; the dreams that made him crave for the perfect woman and true love and happiness?

He hadn't found himself this interested in any woman other than Mylene. He was fascinated by the two sides of Mylene he'd seen—sweet and innocent, and headstrong and stubborn. He hadn't any idea how Mylene was able to differ herself greatly from other princesses of royalty, let alone, other beautiful women he'd met and talked with before. Randy wished he couldn't admit it, but he was absolutely captivated by Mylene.

This only made him want her more, despite her clearly saying to his face that she disliked him. The fact that Randy had a chance of earning Mylene's forgiveness only made him more determined than ever to get to know Mylene and begin a friendship with her, hopefully more if she was willing to do so in return.

Randy was going to do whatever it took to earn Mylene's forgiveness, knowing it was the only way he could get on her good side. But what could he do to please the stubborn princess? He wasn't sure what she liked and he had absolutely no clue what he could do to make her satisfied. Though the idea of seducing her would have been quite pleasing, Randy knew the 'charming the panties off of women' thing didn't work on the headstrong, stubborn princess. He could tell from the way she shouted back at him, she was sprightly intelligent and exceptionally bright. He knew the chances of a woman of Mylene's intelligence falling for his sweet talk was slim to none. He didn't have to think through it before tossing away the idea.

He needed to apologize to her once again. But what if that wasn't enough for her? Mylene specifically told Randy that time was running out, and he needed to do something to earn her forgiveness, but she hadn't specified what would make her satisfied, leaving the task for Randy extremely difficult. He spent the rest of the night thinking through that same question and for the answer. All he knew at that very moment was that he needed to see Mylene the next morning.

And he would wait till that morning to begin his attempts to win the forgiveness of a beautiful yet stubborn princess.