Chapter Twenty Six
Christine glanced at the sky above her, shivering at the clouds that were beginning to turn an angry black. She pulled her cloak tighter about herself and clutched her small bag of meager belongings close to her. She had been walking for several hours and was glad no one from the manor had noticed her gone, she refused to go back there...to him.
Everything had gone horribly wrong between the two of them and she knew not how to fix it. The very idea that Erik would think of her actions as betraying made her heart sink. Could he not see that she had been doing everything for him? She would have stayed in that room if she had not loved him but she did and that love would not allow her to sit there and watch him die! Why could he not understand that?
For to long tears had been her only companion. She had cried oceans since her fathers death and she did not want to do that anymore. She should not have to! She could not be near Erik any longer when he shunned her love so easily. In all reality it killed her to leave him when he was still so wounded but she had to leave before her resolve snapped and she stayed. She had to say goodbye.
When she entered the small town of Boscherville she wondered whether or not she should go to the inn for the night or continue on until she reached Paris. The inn would give Erik a chance to realize she was gone and have his men find her, that is if he wanted her to be found.
"Christine...Christine Daae?" a voice asked. Christine turned toward that voice to see a man standing there in front of her. She knew he was familiar to her somehow but it seemed like another life.
"I beg your pardon...but do I know you?" she wondered. The man smiled charmingly.
"Raoul de Chagny, do you not remember me? We met here in the village weeks ago?" he asked. She knew instantly who he was. The boy she had run into when she first arrived here! Oh, that was ages ago!
"I remember you, Monsieur, but I am afraid I cannot talk, I need to find shelter before the storm hits," she said, glancing up at the sky.
"You can stay with me, at my house, Meg would not mind," he said. Christine hesitated, not liking the idea of staying in a strangers house. But he had mentioned a woman so perhaps he was not that bad. She nodded hesitantly and allowed him to lead her to his cottage. Candles lit several rooms and as they approached a pretty blonde woman stepped out, a frown on her lips as she gazed at the two of them.
"Raoul...who is this?" she asked, a slight bite to her tone. Christine's footsteps faltered at the girl's almost vicious tone.
"She has no where to stay tonight, and I offered her our spare room," Raoul replied, tugging on Christine's arm to get her moving. Christine pulled her arm away, still uncomfortable with any man touching her other than Erik.
"I do not wish to be a bother...I can find a room in the inn," she whispered. The woman's eyes softened slightly at Christine almost frightened tone.
"No...please come in, I am sorry for my rudeness," she replied. Christine smiled slightly and followed them inside. Christine smiled when the warmth from a fire illuminated her, warming her cold heart. The house in a way reminded her of the one she had shared with her father so long ago, it was peaceful and more comfortable then a room in the inn.
"I cannot thank you enough for letting me stay here, it is very kind of you," Christine said. Raoul nodded and releaved her of her belongings, putting the bag in what she assumed was to be her room for the night.
"Would you like some stew?" Meg asked.
"No, thank you, I am fine," she answered. Meg nodded and served herself and Raoul. They began talking to her in amiable friendship and Christine felt herself relax for the first time in a long time.
xXx
"Dinner was amazing, as always, darling, now I believe I will retire," Raoul said, standing and stretching. Meg smiled when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, promising all that was in store for her when she retired as well. Christine watched the obvious love the two had for one another and brushed away tears that would get her no where. Erik doubted her love and shunned it, that was not the type of love she needed. Meg watched Raoul walk up the stairs with a loving look.
"When is the baby due?" Christine murmured. Meg turned to her in surprise.
"How did you know?" she wondered. Christine smiled.
"You touched your stomach most of the night as did Raoul when he was close," Christine replied. Meg began talking about the baby and how excited the both of them were. Christine was happy for the couple, it proved that life was still going on, despite the fact that her life was torn asunder.
"What about you, Christine? Do you have a loved one somewhere?" Meg asked. Christine stared into the fire for a long time, her thoughts filled with Erik.
"No. I have no one."
xXx
"Would you care to go to the market with me, Christine?" Meg asked. Christine nodded. She had been here a little over a month and Meg had refused to see her leave, the two of them becoming fast friends. Meg had told her why she had been so hesitant at first to let Christine into her home, with Raoul's roaming eyes. But Raoul had proven her wrong when he hardly spoke to Christine or gave her any sort of unwanted attention, something Meg was very proud of him for.
Christine had settled into this simple life quite easily. Her days were bright and full of laughter for the first time in a long time, but at nights, Christine's world was thrown into chaos once more. She dreamt of Erik constantly, sometimes he would be alone and battered, in desperate need of help. Other times he would be in her bed, his hands exploring her body and making her moan.
Those dreams were the ones she dreaded the most because they felt so real. She would wake to find her body tingling in the places her dream Erik had touched. How could she think this way of him when every other man had only inspired loathing when they touched her? There was nothing to loathe in the touches she imagined. They filled her with passion and desire, something she had never thought herself capable of.
But he had not come looking for her so her dreams were just that, dreams. She did not know if she expected him to come or if she even wanted to see him, but each day she was not with him a part of her was taken that she would never get back.
Perhaps all those rumors were true, the tales saying that the legendary Black Wolf cared for no one. Did his actions not tell her that he cared nothing for her? She had saved his life and he saw it as a betrayal. If you loved someone you would never think such a thing. It would be better for both of them if she simply moved on, no matter how hard it was for her to do so.
xXx
"She is no longer with the Wolf," Jacque said. Carlotta pressed a trembling hand to her mouth to stop the screams that threatened to break lose.
"Where is she then?" she snapped. Jacque shrugged and Carlotta had to clench her fist to keep from slapping him.
"Christine is the only way I have to get my revenge on Erik!" she hissed.
"Why do we not just kill the wolf? He is still weak from his wounds, would it not be a perfect time to strike?" Jacque asked.
"There is no way my men will be able to get in there a second time. The manor is protected on both sides, no one is getting in or out," Carlotta said. Jacque said nothing as he looked into the flames. Carlotta never really knew how much she had loved Philippe until he was no longer there with her. She had to hear their sons screams every night as he cried for his father. She was the one left to fight a battle that she had never wanted in the first place. She should have never let him go that night! Let his men go in and get Erik, he did not have to be there! But his stubborness had one out and eventually got him killed. Now she had no idea what to do!
"What would Philippe do?" Jacque wondered. This time Carlotta did slap him, her nails cutting into the tender flesh of his cheek.
"It does not matter what Philippe would do! He is dead! His actions and his foolish pride have killed him!" she screamed, using her fists to beat on Jacques chest. She needed to vent this anger and frustration on someone and Jacque was the only one in the room. She had given him her body countless times over the years she and Philippe had been married. Whenever she needed a favor from him Jacque was always willing.
She had learned that in life everyone had a price, something they were willing to do anything for. Jacque's price had been sex. An easy thing to give a handsome man. He had killed countless men that had been in Carlotta's way over the years and all she needed to do in return was give him pleasure. Philippe had been the love of her life, and he knew how to please her, but there had always been times when she had needed something more, Jacque was the man to go to.
When her anger was finally spent she pulled away from Jacque to look into his eyes. She needed another favor from him. Her hand, which was now lying on his chest, slowly began to descend. He groaned, knowing what was on her mind. She leaned up and licked the blood that seeped from the scratch on his cheek. Her hand found him already needy through his trousers and she grinned, men were so easily had!
She began to massage him through the soft fabric, causing a grunt to come from his lips. Her other hand began unbuckling his belt while her mouth and tongue gave him hot and yet brief kisses.
"I need a favor from you," she murmured, pressing against his arousal. He groaned and nodded, feeling himself freed from the confines of the restricting fabric.
"Anything!" he groaned, a moan coming to his lips when her hands wrapped around him. Carlotta began pushing him toward the bed.
"I need you," she whispered, sucking on his tongue.
"To find the Daae girl," Carlotta continued. They both landed on the bed, his arousal still firmly in her hand. He began thrusting against her fingers, his hands pulling her skirts up.
"Alright, Carlotta, alright!" he whined, needing to fuck her now!
"And kill her!" she gasped, his fingers tearing her panties from her body and thrusting himself into her.
"Consider it already done," he smiled wickedly, proceeding to get his reward.