Chapter Twenty One

Entwined Emotions

Christine pulled away from Erik's embrace, tears now running freely down her pale cheeks. Erik wiped them away with the tips of his fingers, his eyes soft and loving. Christine wished she could know what he was thinking at that moment.

"Do not leave me, Christine," he whispered. Christine's eyes widened slightly.

"Erik..."

"No, Christine...I would not be able to bear it," he whispered. Christine looked at him, trying to see if he was telling her the truth. He had just pushed her away from him and now he was telling her not to leave? What did he want?

"I will not stay in your home if you do not want me there," she whispered. He took her face in his hands, making her look him in the eyes.

"I want you there! If you leave I do not know what I will do, Christine," he whispered. Christine pulled away, needing to think.

"Do you love me?" she whispered, her head turning on her shoulders to look at him. She watched several different emotions run across Erik's eyes. She could see the fear of admitting anything to her and she went to him, pressing her lips against his, willing him to feel her love for him.

Erik shuddered and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel the barely controlled emotions in him and she wished he would let them go.

"I love you to much, Christine, and it could ruin us," he whispered. Christine looked up at him, wondering if she had heard him correctly.

"How could your love ruin us?" she whispered. Erik sighed and looked out over the land before him, his eyes thoughtful yet full of a great burden. He knew he had to tell her, it was the only way she would understand.

"I have done many things in my life Christine that I am not proud of, and because of those things I have men...and women who are my enemies. They would pay dearly to see my head at the end of a sword. Anyone I care about is in danger because of that. It is my weakness. You are my weakness. Before you I had nothing to lose. A man with nothing to lose is dangerous because of the fact that he is willing to die to see his ends met. You are the one thing my enemies can use against me. Philippe already realizes this, he is to smart not to. You are the one clear path that could lead to my demise. If you were to die because of my past sins it would ultimately lead to my destruction because I find you are the only reason I get up every sunrise."

Christine brushed the crystal like tear drops that fell from Erik's sorrowful eyes. She tried to smile reassuringly but Erik's words moved her deeply. Did he really feel that deeply for her that her death would cause his? She had never expected to find a love like this. She had dreamed of it, true, as a young girl, but Jacque had ruined any hope of love she might have had.

But Erik had just revived those hopes. He was no longer the Black Wolf to her. He was like her knight in shining armor, a man she had always told never existed. She pressed closer to him as she continued to stare into his eyes.

"I wish I could tell you that I would leave until everything is resolved with Philippe, which would put both of us out of harms way. But I cannot do that, Erik. There is no way I can leave you to face these demons alone because they have become mine as well. I want to be here for you," she whispered.

Erik pushed the curls from her face and tenderly kissed her before pulling her close.

"Why was I so afraid of my feelings?" he whispered.

"Because they are just to strong. We both are now over our heads in love," she whispered. He smiled, marveling at the fact that she could always make him smile in the worst of times.

"Let's go inside before we both become ill," Erik suggested. He kept her close to his side as they walked, neither noticing the dark figure who slipped through the trees and out of sight.

xXx

"He was a brilliant man. Able to make any instrument sing...he used to sing me to sleep every night," Christine whispered.

"He meant much to you?" Erik whispered, already knowing the answer.

"Everything," she replied. Erik pulled her closer to him when he felt she would begin to cry. They both lay in his bed, facing one another as they simply talked. Christine was not ready for any kind of intimacy and Erik knew and respected that.

They had been sharing tales of their lives and other idle talk. Erik found the sound of her voice soothing and could almost fall asleep under its soft murmurs. They continued talking far into the night. Neither of them knew that a dark cloud was beginning to form over Boscherville and before it was through both would become two totally different people.

xXx

Little Jammes lay tossing and turning in her bed, sweat gleaming on her pale skin as the images flashed before her eyes. The gleam of a sword, the copper smell of blood...so much blood. Screams could be heard from all around, a womans and a mans, then the sound of breaking glass...

Jammes woke with a soft scream and a feeling that this dream might dreadfully come true.

xXx

Rupert sat in his rooms, sharpening his sword and glancing out at the dark sky periodically. A feeling washed over him, the feeling he had felt every time he had begun to enter a battle. Dread. This feeling of needing to survive whatever it was that was most assuredly going to happen.

His sword was ready. He would defend Erik and Christine without a moments hesitation. If this week was to be his last, he would die with honor and loyalty.

xXx

Carlotta played a game of chess with her son, Andre, savoring the moments she had with him. A soft, triumphant smile decorated her lips. Everything was going according to plan. Andre would no longer have a father who wished only for revenge because soon his revenge would be met.

She would have her family back and everything would be how it should be, and those unworthy to be alive would greet Hades before they were even given a glimpse of heaven.

xXx

A rabbits frightened eyes and racing heartbeat had the small creature quivering in fear. It was getting closer...a struggle and then silence as the wolf's jaws closed around its prey...

xXx

Black shapes surrounded the Black Wolf's domain. Mother Moon looked down upon the scene. The flash of steel was illuminated briefly and only for a few moments as the cold wind brought the figures slowly toward their destination...revenge.