XXXI.
Malika was mildly aware of her body as she began to wake up from her nap. She felt so
weak and could hardly remember what had happened. She was only dimly aware of gentle
fingers stroking her hair. She knew that somehow those fingers did not belong to
Erik. Erik would have been kissing her or talking to her if it was him. A foreboding
feeling descended over her as she slowly opened her eyes.
She found herself in a room that seemed to be a parlor. She could not move her limbs
all that well to get up. It was as if she was pinned to the couch by her body but her
brain was awake and taking in everything that was going on around her. "Awake my
dear?" A male voice stated.
Malika knew that voice instantly, it belonged to Alexandre. She tried to speak but
found no words would come. "You are silent. I wonder why." His fingers skidded over
her forehead, along her cheek then rested on her lips. Malika wanted to pull away
from the fingers on her skin but found that her body would not budge no matter how
hard her brain was commanding it to.
"I brought you here to devastate someone close to you my dear. Since you have refused
my generous offering, I shall have to take what I wish." Malika watched in horror as
his mouth descended over hers and she felt a hand cover her breast. Malika tried to
fight back but found that her limbs still wouldn't work. She felt tears roll down her
cheeks as his tongue invaded her mouth. She tried to make a struggle but could not
move an inch.
He pulled away finally then said, "Dearheart you must relax. We won't have fun if you
don't." He grinned as she felt anger flare up in her. She wished she could move her
limbs so she could punch him.
"Do you intend to ravage me?" She finally got out.
"Yes I do. I intend to taste your flesh." He replied with a grin.
"Get away! You bastard! My body is not yours. It belongs to my husband."
He smirked at her. "He won't want you for long."
Malika felt scared, "What do you mean?"
"He's on his way as we speak and when he catches you with me, I am sure it will not
turn out to well."
"Do you realize what he will do to you?" Malika questioned him.
"Yes. I realize all to well what he will do to you."
She growled lowly, "What do you mean by that?"
"Your husband will be in a rage if he sees you with another man. Doesn't he dislike
any other men being near you?"
Malika felt a rage come over her and struggled to push him off of her. Her brain
still was not moving her body. "He won't believe it. Erik knows that I love him and
will do anything for him." She glared angrily at him then asked, "What has my husband
ever done to you? What have I ever done to you? Why are you doing this?"
"Oh my dear that is something you need not know." He said then picked up a glass of
red wine. "You need to calm down. Now drink some of this then I will take you out to
see my garden."
Malika tried to pull away, however he easily grasped her chin, forced her lips apart,
and tilted the drink down between her lips. He then put the drink on a table beside
the chaise. "You've drugged me, haven't you?"
"I've only given you something that will make you more...receptive to me."
"An aphrodisiac then!" Malika exclaimed in horror.
He smiled at her then kissed her on her forehead. "Do not worry your pretty little
head over something so necessary. You won't enjoy yourself if your body protests so."
Malika gritted her teeth. "You are making a big mistake monsieur. My husband will
kill you."
"We will see." He then stood up and lifted her in his arms. "Now shall we go to the
garden?"
xxxx
Erik felt anger permeate his being as he arrived to the address that had been on the
letter. He told the driver to remain back as he snuck onto the grounds. He grasped
his punjab lasso tightly as he stalked towards the manor. He intended to break in if
he had to. Erik loved Malika, but he could not believe that she would cheat on him. He
had felt as if his heart had been ripped out. Before Erik arrived at the manor, he
heard soft muffled noises coming from the garden behind the house. It was not quite
as large as his, however, it was big enough that he could hide.
He snuck behind a set of trees as his eyes fell on his wife. She lay on her back on a
stone bench as the man he had seen in Notre Dame kissed her lips. She struggled
against him as he unbuttoned the back of her dress. Erik became angry and swiftly and
quietly walked to the other side so that he would have the advantage. He heard a soft
gasp then Malika said, "My husband will kill you. Stop this now."
"You worry too much."
"You rapist! I don't want this. My husband means to much to me. I do not know what
you have planned for my husband, but it will not work!" Malika cried out. She felt
him pull the top of her dress down her shoulders and past her breasts. He eyed her
hungrily as she tried push him off. "Stop it please! I don't want this."
"No my dear. Now be quiet until I can take your clothes off."
Erik was shocked. He realized that Malika wasn't involved with him, that instead, she
was being raped. He growled lowly in his throat. He had never felt such an anger come
over him as he walked slowly behind the man that was straddling his wife. Erik
grasped the end of the punjab lasso and threw it over his head. "You had better get
yourself off of my wife now!" Wasting no time, Erik pulled him off of Malika as she
gasped loudly. "If you want to live you had better explain this situation now."
Malika glanced up to look at her husband's eyes. His eyes were a hard amber as he
held the lasso tightly. "Speak!"
"Simple. Your wife is a whore."
"Erik he lies! I was stolen away. I love you so much!" Malika protested as tears fell
down her cheeks. "I beg you, do not listen to that liar!"
"Oh I do not believe him at all." Erik stated. She looked at him with thankful eyes.
"I suggest you tell the truth. Why did you bring my wife here?" He tightened the
rope, "And you had better be quick about it!"
"I do not have to tell you anything freak!"
Erik became even more angered then said, "Before I kill you I will give you one last
chance, why did you bring my wife here?"
He relented, not wanting to die, "To break you two up."
"Why?"
"A revenge plot."
"Who? Who is plotting revenge on me?"
"You should know him. You're building a house for him."
Erik gasped loudly. "That bastard. You will return to your manor and leave my wife
alone and if you ever come near her or me again then I will not hesitate to run you
through!" He then through him to the ground and scooped Malika in his arms then left
the grounds feeling the familiar hatred come over his body. He would kill the Vicomte
for interfering with his life again. He would not take Malika away from him. He would
be damned before that happened.
xxxx
Malika felt Erik's warm breath on the nape of her neck as he cradled her gently in
his arms. "Did you think I was cheating on you?"
"At first I thought so. I was angry and hurt cherie. I couldn't believe you would do
such a thing to me. However, then I heard you reject him and I knew that you were not
engaged in relations with him." Erik replied as he felt her press a hand to his
chest.
"Erik, why would they want revenge on you? What happened?" She questioned him.
Erik knew that he would have to tell her sooner or later. He hadn't wanted to tell
her about his past, however, she deserved to know what had happened so long ago. "It
was something that happened in the past Malika. Something that I rather not tell.
However, you deserve to know." He paused then sighed loudly. "About six years ago I
lived in the Opera Populaire. I was known to many as the Opera Ghost and made my
living scaring the managers and the staff of the opera house. I grew up there you see
so I felt that it was my domain and I could do whatever I wished in it. You were
right because Christine and I do have a past. One that I hoped to forget."
"Erik please. I am not going to be judgmental. Tell me."
"I fell in love with a child and I became a fool for her. I was blinded by my
supposed love for her and killed several people in the process of my blind rage."
"Then was it Raoul who stole her from you?" Malika questioned him as she eyed his
clenched hand.
"Yes."
"Oh Erik..."
He interrupted her, "I hope you do not see me as a monster, but I can understand if
you do."
Malika sighed softly, then with her left hand turned his face so she could look him
in the eyes. "The whole world has been the monsters. Not you. They have made you out
to be some demon when you are not, however, you were expected to act that way and you
did. I don't hate you...I could never hate my husband. I think it is Christine and
Raoul who are the monsters. What they did to you must have been terrible. I can't
imagine such treatment. No wonder you turned to slaves."
"Please cherie, don't hate me for what I have done."
Malika kissed his lips softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't hate
you nor do I blame you." She paused then questioned him, "What are we going to do
about Raoul?"
"I do not know, however, I know that we have someone working for Raoul inside our
home and I intend to make them pay."
"Wait a minute. We might be able to make it work to our advantage."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we can make it seem that you are angry with me and that we are on the verge
of a break up. That should keep them busy until we figure out a plan of our own."
Erik smiled down at her, "I knew there was a reason that I married you."
Malika laughed softly as she kissed him once more. "Oh is that right? You mean
besides my body?"
"Oh yes. Now let us plan our big entrance before we arrive home."
Author's Note: Crappy chapter. I am sorry. I will update as soon as possible. Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it.