XIV.

A scream echoed down a hallway. Erik wasn't sure what was happening but ran towards

his bedroom. He found the door to the bedroom open and Malika's siblings stood

staring in. "What's the matter?" They turned to him then pointed inside. He walked

inside then suddenly heard the door slam. He heard crying as he neared the bed.

"Malika?" He questioned, suddenly fearful of what he was going to find.

Blood caught his eyes, so much blood. He saw her crying uncontrollably while

gathering a bundle of blankets in her arms. "You did this! I'll never know what my

child will be! I hate you Erik! I'll never forgive you! You child killer!"

"It was only to make our lives better Malika." He said as he tried to calm her down.

A knife appeared in her hand and she put the bundle to the side and lunged at him.

"You took my baby from me! I'll kill you in return!"

xxxx

Erik shot up in bed. Sweat poured down his face as he looked around the room then

turned to see Malika sleeping soundly beside him. It had been a dream. No...not a

dream, a nightmare! For the past week he had been haunted by these dreams and he

wondered now if making Malika abort her child unknowingly was a good idea.

Maybe he had been too judgmental when he had first heard the news. Maybe instead of

abortion he could coax her into having it adopted. He did not want her to be angry

with him. He didn't want her to be hurt either.

"Erik..." Malika murmured tiredly as she lifted her head to look at him. "What's the

matter?"

"I had a bad dream. Go back to sleep." Erik replied as he laid back.

Malika sat up and reached for a towel that she kept on the bedside table on her side.

She then lovingly wiped the sweat from his face and kissed his forehead. "It's

alright. Whatever it was, it's just a dream." She lay the towel back on the table

then gently kissed his lips. Erik groaned softly. He loved the feeling of her lips on

his. His left hand reached up and cupped her covered breast. "Erik, stop tormenting

me."

"But it is you who torment me." He whispered huskily in her ear. "Please Malika. It's

been a week. I promise I will not do anything that could hurt the child."

She sighed softly as he kissed her lips softly. His hand squeezed the flesh of her

breast. "No." She finally said as she pushed him off her. "Erik, i'm tired of feeling

like I don't matter to you."

He raised an eyebrow as he kissed her hand softly. "What do you mean?"

"You don't want to marry me even though you said you wanted to. Have I become

worthless now that I am pregnant with your child?" Malika questioned him.

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two. Erik did not know how to respond to

her question. What could he say to her? "No Malika. I am not comfortable with the

thought of marriage now."

"Then you never wanted to marry me. You only said it to..." She was stopped as he

pressed a passionate kiss against her silky lips.

"I want you." He whispered against her lips.

"Only as your sex partner." Malika replied in a depressed tone.

He cupped her face and forced her to look at him. "No. I want more."

"Then why won't you marry me? Why won't you make me your wife?" She asked then looked

at his eyes. "It's Christine isn't it?"

"No...don't be ridiculous." Erik replied.

"What does she have that I do not? What has she done for you that I have not done?"

Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she continued. "You haven't even told me why

you don't like her and her husband. You never told me about the past."

"Because it is none of your business Malika. I shouldn't have to explain my past."

Erik responded.

"Erik if you cannot be truthful with me then I would rather be your slave again. Why

can you not tell me your past?"

"Because it isn't any of your business Malika. What happened is in the past. I do not

want to hear your damned questions." He snapped at her then watched as she turned on

her side and covered herself up.

"Find someone else to have sex with. I'm tired." She suddenly said, feeling anger

swell in her chest. She could not believe that he did not trust her with his past.

After all she had gone through with him she deserved to know. What secrets was he

hiding from her? She deserved to know why Christine was so special to him.

Erik growled loudly as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her on her back.

"Damn women and their stubbornness."

"Fuck you Erik! You are so selfish. All you think of is yourself! You will never

understand what it is like to be a slave or a woman. I wish you could understand what

it was like. I wish you could understand the pain I am feeling from your lies!"

Malika burst out angrily. She turned to face him and felt him quickly pull her

sensitive body to his.

Erik kissed her lips softly as she tried to pull back. He edged his left knee between

her legs and reached to pull her nightgown up over his hips. "I'm selfish? Is that

so?"

"Yes." She whispered back while grasping his wrist that was dragging the material of

her nightgown up further.

"I don't want this child. I would rather you have an abortion. You're not ready for a

child." He whispered back angrily.

"You are only saying this because you do not want to accept responsibility! Erik, you

have to take responsibility for this child." Malika responded as she felt her mouth

tighten in anger.

"I do not do children."

"Why won't you marry me? Why won't you love me? I thought you wanted me. It was all

lies wasn't it? Wasn't it Erik! You never were intending to marry me! You never loved

me!"

Erik's mouth collided with her own leaving her breathless and her lungs struggling

for air. He sucked and nipped at her bottom lip, finally letting her take in a gulp

of air. She glared at him and in return tried to bite back. Erik pressed another

bruising kiss to her lips as he rolled her on her back and pressed his hips against

hers. "Mine." Erik told her then kissed her once more. He was surprised when she

suddenly pushed him off and ran for the bathroom. "Malika?" He questioned then heard

her empty her stomach into a basin.

"I don't want to be sick and pregnant and you not care." Her sad voice drifted into

the room.

He sighed softly then stood up and headed to the bathroom. Erik found her sitting on

the floor next to the tub with her head gently resting against the porcelain. He

gently picked her up and carried her to one of the plush chairs in the room and

cradled her in his arms. She gently nuzzled her face against his chest. "I want you.

Malika, if you want to marry then I will marry you. I will do so after our child is

born. Can you wait till then?"

"You lie. You don't want to marry me."

"Yes I do. I want to marry you Malika."

"You sure you aren't saying so because you want to make me happy?" Malika questioned

him softly. "Erik, if you want to be with me then I want you to think things through

before you tell me for sure." She told him then said, "Take me to bed please. I want

to sleep."

Erik stood up and took her over to the bed and lay her in the middle. "Do you want

something to eat?"

"No. Let me lay here for a while." Malika replied tiredly as he covered her up

gently.

"Alright." Erik murmured softly. "I will be back in a while." She muttered a soft

acknowledgement then fell asleep quickly.

xxxx

Erik watched the fire crackle as he sat in a plush chair near the fireplace in his

study. He sighed deeply as he thumbed through another book on pregnancy. He didn't

want a child. It was going to be too much of a hastle for Malika to have a child. And

what about this marriage issue? He sighed again.

He had made a promise to marry her and he never broke his promises unless he had to.

The truth was that he was scared of marriage. It was such a big commitment and what

if Malika did not want to give him sex after her pregnancy. He surely wouldn't be

able to command her to as he had once before. Yet there was still the problem with

the Vicomte and Vicomtess. They thought that he was married and they had yet to ask

why they did not wear their rings.

Erik sighed another time. He would have to decide something soon. He wouldn't make

Malika have an abortion. He couldn't bear her hating him. It would be terrible. He

wanted to understand why being a father was so important. What could possibly be so

great about it? There would be nights when the child would be up and the constant

wailing. He had a headache from just thinking about it. Most important, what if it

looked like him?

He couldn't bear for a child to look like him. He would rather kill it then let it go

through a life like his. What was the point in being a father? Why did Malika have to

be so protective of an unborn child? He sighed once more. This was indeed going to be

a problem and they would have to solve it soon.

Author's Note: Yay! Exams are over and I am too happy! I will try to update again sometime this week. I have a lot of stuff I want to do. So anyway, thanks for the reviews. Review please!