AN: Hooray! An update! In this chapter we're making a huge step forward in their relationship building. I don't want to spoil you, but if you aren't comfortable with reading about intimacy you should skip the first part of this chapter :P

There's another important thing to say before you start. After updating the story with this chapter I'll change my pen-name, because "satori" has something to do with my now-ex-husband. You will understand that I'm not interested in keeping that name as a nickname :P You will find me as pixienoir. And now enjoy reading.

Xoxo

CHAPTER XIX
Beautiful Pain

A pleasant shiver crept up and down my spine when his lips placed kisses on my neck while the weight of his body pressed my body into the cushions of his bed. His fingers stroked along my cheeks like a feather and I couldn't help but let out a tiny moan. The heat and movements of his body against mine made my senses go wild like I never knew it before.

I ran my fingers through his golden coloured hair, which was just as soft as egyptian silk. My heart was pounding in my chest wildly and my hands then stroked down his neck. "Marik… where… is this going?" I asked between heavy breaths.

But he then silenced me with a kiss, which was a little wilder than all the others we've shared before. "Don't. Speak." Marik commanded in-between before he continued to set my senses on fire. His hands grabbed my wrists and he pinned me down on the bed before he started to place his lips on my ear and lobe.

The warmth of Marik's breath on my neck combined with not being able to move my hands was like a bittersweet torture. I was able to feel how his lips turned into a smug grin. "Just enjoy it." He whispered.

His soft hands travelled down my elbows and upper arms. They traced along my ribcage, waist and hip before he parted my legs and placed his hips between them. I took in a deep breath when I realised that he pushed my kaftan upwards, revealing the bare skin of my upper legs. Were we really about to do it?

My pulse was racing. The blood inside my veins felt like fire and I was able to feel that his heart was bumping wildly too. I didn't dare to say or ask anything - like he told me. My hand gently stroked over his bare chest and I felt his overheated skin. His fingers already reached my stomach and tickled my senses more and more.

"Do you trust me?" He asked when his lips parted from mine. His lavender irises stared down at me and they held so much sensuality in them. I held my breath for a second and then I nodded slightly.

"I do. In every way." I answered.

With those words spoken he started to kiss me wildly - no limits. He pushed my kaftan up and undressed me from it. So I laid there right underneath him with nothing more covering my naked body than my pantie. Marik looked down at me and his eyes told me that he liked what he saw.

I carefully took off his pants. Once again he started to kiss my neck, but this time his lips travelled down to my collarbone and down to my breasts. I arched my back in sensation when his lips touched my nipple. A moan escaped my throat. He wandered further south over my stomach and stopped before he reached the edge of my pantie. My lungs inhaled the heated air deeply and my fingernails dug into the pillows beneath me.

While he wandered back upwards, without his lips leaving my skin, he slowly took off the last bit of fabric from my body. Our eyes met again and I saw that he was panting - too. It wasn't a hard thing to realise that Marik - for once in his life - didn't exactly know what he was doing. This was all new - for both of us. I don't remember how long we stared at each other with our faces so close that our noses almost touched.

Marik looked down at me like he was trying to say something, but he didn't know how to get this words out of his mouth. But I knew what he was trying to say… or ask.

'Do you want it too?'

I was so nervous I couldn't think straight. I didn't even notice that he took off his underwear too. But there was one thing I was sure about and that was him I wanted him. My slightly trembling hand stroked along his shoulder. I bit my bottom lip and I just nodded at him.

He laid his forehead gently onto mine and closed his eyes. "Just say when I hurt you or when you don't feel comfortable and we will stop immediately. Promise?" He whispered to me and his knuckles stroked over my cheek.

Again I nodded. "Promise."

I inhaled deeply and arched my back when the feeling of him shot through every centimetre of my body like a thunder strike. My fingernails dug deeper into his shoulders and I couldn't control the pressure of my fingers. Although it did hurt a little the sensation of feeling him inside of me was overwhelming. It was the most beautiful pain I've ever experienced. Which pain could have been more beautiful than feeling him so close?

I dug my face into his neck to hide my slightly grimacing face and tried to not let him know. I didn't want him to stop. He didn't move like he also just wanted to enjoy and adjust himself to that completely new feeling. His deep and heavy breaths on my neck sent an additional shiver down my spine.

"Are you okay?" He whispered into my ear. "Does it hurt?"

I touched his nose with mine and locked eyes with him. "It's beautiful… Just… don't stop." I stuttered and pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Slowly he retrieved and after a few seconds he slid back in.

I tried to be silent, because I didn't want Odion or the other Rare Hunters to hear us, but the feeling was too intense to hold back a moan. Marik's fingers ran through my hair while he watched me reacting to every move he made inside of me. I could feel that he enjoyed it too.

xx

I didn't know how long I slept, but I awoke shrouded in silky linens that felt like heaven on my naked skin. With my eyes still closed I cuddled myself into the silky coziness of Marik's bed. My hands were searching for him beside me, but when they couldn't find him I opened my eyes. He wasn't there. I was alone in his king size bed.

Where did he go? Did he left to get breakfast for us? I sat up in his bed and covered myself in the silky bedsheets, which still smelled of us and our - how should I say - first time. I inhaled the odour and smiled. The events of last night replayed in my head. Feeling him so close to me was more beautiful and exciting than I've ever imagined… until now.

After a while I was sure that Marik wouldn't come back anytime soon. I sighed in frustration, because it would have been wonderful to wake up right beside him after that night - or at least give him a morning kiss. Instead I decided to get out of bed and take a shower, although I really didn't want to wash off his smell. But we did get a little sweaty during last night.

While the hot water ran down my face and naked skin I tried to remember every single little detail of the past eight hours. It was almost too surreal to believe that we really did it. I wasn't a virgin anymore and the slight burning pain between my legs was the proof for sure. I grinned like a little kid like it was my birthday, easter and christmas all at once.

I dressed myself in the usual Rare Hunter purple cloak with a golden belt around my waist to. Make it look a little more feminine. I brushed my hair into place, applied pitch black mascara and a bit of concealer under my eyes to hide the dark circles. Odion and the other Rare Hunters shouldn't notice that my night was a little shorter than usual. I wondered if anyone had heard us last night.

After I was finished with making myself look like a human being again I sneaked out of Marik's quarters to look for him. It was time to treat his wound and change his bandages again. 'He could have at least woken me up…' I thought to myself while I walked down the corridor. No other Rare Hunter nor Odion was in sight. I decided to look for Marik in the big hall, where the organisation usually came together for meetings.

I came closer and closer and the closer I got voices became louder, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. Suddenly I stopped in my tracks when I heard Marik's voice. Did he really leave this morning without saying anything for an organisation meeting? After THAT night? And why didn't he at least tell me about the meeting? After all I had the same position as Odion. Was there something I shouldn't know or see? There were so many questions in my head. So I started walking in the direction of the hall at a quicker pace.

Finally I arrived at the doors to the hall, which stood open. I decided to cautiously peep in to see what was going on without the other's notice. Marik sat in his golden throne and his piano thin fingers held the millennium rod in a tight grip. His knuckles were white, which meant that he was fuming about something but he still wore his perfect poker face. All the other Rare Hunters stood in front if his throne. I could also see Odion, who stood right beside his young master. They were looking at something on the floor right in front of Marik. He also was looking down to something or someone.

"You should have realised by now that there's no other deal than my deal, Inspector Clayton." Marik said an amused undertone, which was also scary at the same time. I knew him well enough that this was his way to intimidate someone.

"That's not a deal. That's blackmail and you will get sued for it." The voice of a man I couldn't see from my position said. Inspector Clayton?

Marik chuckled. "That's just a matter of interpretation. My Rare Hunters brought you here to have a little chat about that little incident in the museum and the photo. I ordered my slaves to bring all evidence material here with you. If you don't cooperate I will make you cooperate. You choose."

"I won't help criminals to get away with murder, mass shooting and burglary." The man answered teeth-gnashingly. "You may have the evidence material, but I still have the details saved in my brain. And now I also know who you are."

Marik's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No, you have no clue about who I am, Inspector Clayton." He said in a threatening tone and put special emphasis to the sentence. "Of course I know that the details of the case are in your memory. That's exactly why you are here. You can give me memories by your own choice and enjoy the evening with your wife or take them with you to the shadow realm." He wore a daunting grin on his face.

After this I finally knew what this was all about. Marik ordered his Rare Hunters to kidnap the leading inspector of the museum incident. This seemed like it was all about the photo someone took of me when we escaped.

"What the heck are you talking about?" The inspector hissed, but he started to sound anxious.

I didn't understand what was going on there. Why did Marik threat him with sending him to the shadow realm? It would have been easy for him to just erase his memory and replace it with whatever memory Marik wanted. Just like he did with Mr. Hadad. There was no need to send him to the shadow realm. This was just cruel.

'What are you doing there, Marik…?' I questioned myself.

"Oh my dear Inspector Clayton…" Marik said in a taunting tone and stood up from his throne. He stepped down the stairs from the platform with three elegant strides. The dark grin he wore on his face gave me chills all over my body. "Are you afraid?" He asked bluntly.

"How could a little boy like you scare me?" The inspector asked back, but I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was scared. Why did Marik torture him like that? Did he enjoy it? Did this meant fun to him? My heart was racing.

Marik's grin grew wider and suddenly the eye of the millennium rod started to glow. "False answer." He chuckled. The light of the rod intensified and I got blinded by the brightness, so I closed my eyes. All I was able to hear was a frightening scream. After that there was just silence.

"Burn the evidence material and bury his body somewhere in the dessert." Marik commanded coldly, but there was still a grin plastered on his lips. I couldn't believe my eyes. Did he really just murder the inspector for no reason? I felt awful, because I knew he anted to get rid of the evidence and the photo of me to protect me in the first place. But why did he have to act so cruel?

With that he closed the meeting and the first Rare Hunters started to leave. Four of them dragged the lifeless body of Inspector Clayton out, three others carried the evidence cartons. Immediately I hid behind around the corner. A shudder shot down my spine and my knees were trembling. I was shocked to the bone from what I've just witnessed.

I couldn't think straight and my heart was racing. How could he do something like that? How should I react when I would talk to Marik later? Should I act like I didn't see anything? I decided to go back to Marik's quarters as fast as possible and make sure nobody noticed me.

The door of his quarters shut behind me and I tried to calm down. I was panting and nervous. I sat down on his bed and my face was still pale. What had happened to Marik since last night? How could he turn from being so careful to someone so cruel? I knew that Marik could overact easily and sent his slaves to the shadow realm on a regular basis when they screwed things up very badly, but this had gone way too far. From one second to the other Marik seemed like a stranger to me.

I didn't remember how much time had passed by and how long I sat on Marik's bed just staring at the wall in front of me. My body felt like a rock. Suddenly the door opened and I flinched from the sound. Lavender irises locked with mine when Marik stepped into his room. He greeted me with a gentle smile like nothing had ever happened. Obviously he didn't notice me earlier, but I couldn't simply act like I'd seen nothing. I stared at him with a disappointed expression in my eyes.

"Why did you do that, Marik?" I said with a whiny undertone. "I feel like I don't know you at all…"

AN: Sorry that this chapter took literally forever to get finished, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways. Marik is slowly becoming colder and changes for the worse. What do you think how their argument in the next chapter will end up?