Hi everyone, here is the next chapter for you all. I hope you are liking where this story is going so far! This is kind of a filler chapter and I am sorry about that, but I just had to paint the picture of how bad Desmond's Bleeding Effect is starting to get. I hope you enjoy this chapter and story and let me know in the reviews/comments. Enjoy!

The Portal

Desmond Miles

I look over at Alexa warily and wonder what secrets her and Azalea hold together. She is clear and open with everyone's stories that brought them here to the compound… except for hers. She looks up at me with an innocent smile, and I wonder if it is all for show. Charlotte has me feeling distrustful of Alexa and I wonder if this is her plan all along.

Another month has passed in the compound and I am nowhere closer to reuniting with Shaun and Rebecca. I have rarely seen Azalea at the compound, as she is constantly out on an important mission that she will not include me on.

Throughout the passing days, I have been experiencing some serious headaches outside of the Animus, and despite my constant attempts to tell Azalea about this, she simply shrugs me away and skirts off somewhere with Theo and Harlan.

I talked to Charlotte about the headaches and she explained that it's a symptom of withdraw from the Animus. My body is reacting negatively to being out of the Animus. I feel as though I have been thrown out of a 50-story building and my head has split open over the pavement.

Alexa looks over at me with a concerned look on her face, and I can tell that she is worried about me. "Care to go for a walk with me?" She asks.

I smile at her and we head out to the massive garden that surrounds the premises. We walk around a fountain where we watch Theo and Arden spar outside in the nice weather. The weather is warm, considering it is March north of Montreal. She guides me in the labyrinth that we have walked dozens of times. Alexa tells me that she loves walking the gardens because it gives her a moment of peace and reflection. I wonder what she reflects on and I can't shake Charlotte's warning about her.

"You seem off today, Desmond." She says in a soft tone as she runs her fingers against the leaves of the shrubs.

"Umm, do I?" I say nonchalantly not wanting her to know that I am experiencing withdraw like a pathetic druggie. "I guess I just miss my friends." I say and she returns with a cute frown.

"What are they like?" She asks me. "You've never really talked about what they were like."

I shrug, "Rebecca was so carefree." I say with a laugh, "Whenever all hell was breaking lose; no matter how deep of shit we were in, she always had a smile on her face. Always has a childish sense of wonder in her eyes. It was reassuring when you're around doomsday maniacs." She smiles as I look off into the shrubs thinking about how much I miss Rebecca. "Shaun was an asshole." I say looking down at her and she lets out an involuntary laugh. "He was!" I find myself laughing. "He was so unpleasant at first. I am not sure the moment when he finally realized I wasn't some drunk prick; but whenever that was, he become a lot less narcissistic. He was really smart, and was the first person in our group to learn that Azalea was immortal. He just had a fascinating way of figuring stuff out." I look up into the clouds and frown. "Then there was Lucy." I let out a sigh and feel my heart get heavy.

Alexa stops walking and she looks up at me with sad eyes, probably having read what happened to Lucy in a report of Azalea's or something.

"I really liked her." I admit for the first-time outload. "I always lived by a code to never fuck around with coworkers. And though we weren't 'coworkers', we still worked together and we still had to get things done together. But there was something about her that just drew me to her. I wanted her so badly… and I fucked it all up." I say feeling tears fall down my cheeks. I quickly wipe my face hoping Alexa doesn't see, but she does. "Fuck, I am sorry. Going back to those memories… it's just hard."

"Desmond," She says in a soft tone. She places her hand on my cheek and sends me a reassuring smile. "Don't be ashamed to show your feelings about your friends. They sound like an amazing team, and a substantial part of your life. I cannot wait to meet them." She says pleasantly and I look down at her with a soft smile.

"What about you?" I say rubbing the tears from my face. "What brings you into this world of Assassins and Templars? Were you born into it? Stumbled across it? Grew up in a cult about it?"

She lets out a giggle that makes me smile. "Unlike a lot of people, I do not have a history with the Assassins or Templars. My ancestor had a run in with an Assassin and a Templar over a Piece of Eden."

"Your ancestor used a Piece of Eden?" I ask interestingly.

She nods, "My great, great, great grandfather." She explains. "He located a Piece of Eden and hid it in the mountains in the desert. People searched the mountains for decades trying to find his treasure, but no one has ever found it."

"Is that why Azalea picked you up? She is using you to locate your ancestor's Piece of Eden." I ask her.

She frowns and grows uncomfortable at the notion and her body physically tenses at the discomfort of my mentioning her involvement with Azalea. "Ugh, no." She says uncomfortably. "Azalea helped me out of an unfortunate situation." Is all she says before I watch as she retracts herself deeper inside her shell.

I feel a piercing pain in my eye and I hold it tightly, letting out a grunt of pain. "Are you alright?" She asks me with concerned eyes.

"Yeah I am fine. Just getting a migraine or something."

"Let's get you inside, and get you some food." She says and we make our way from the garden and back into the compound.

We eat some dinner together with Arden and Theo and I get to learn more about them. Arden tells me that he was a pro wrestler back in the day before he was injured. He tells me about his relationship with Harlan and their struggles of coming out. Theo tells me about his wife and child that were killed by Templars. He explains that the Templars confused them for someone else and he vowed revenge against them. And that's how he met Azalea. Theo explains that he is the oldest counterpart of Azalea's and I realize that I recognize him from Clay's memories.

I remember him as training the recruits with Daniel while Clay was working with Azalea. I want to pry him more on this, but I know I can't in front of Alexa and Arden.

We talk all night about missions that we have gone on, and close encounters that we have had with the Templars. While the guys talk about their stories, I glance over at Alexa, realizing that she shares none of her stories. I figure she has to have been on the field at one point in her life, otherwise she would not have been as important to Azalea's team for having an ancestor with the location of the Piece of Eden. If that was all Alexa was good for, Azalea would have pried the memory out of her and left her for dead. There is something more influential about Alexa's position within the compound, and I am curious to see what.

We decide to retire for the night and Alexa walks me to my room. I open the door and head into the room. She waits at the threshold of the door and looks into my disheveled room. "Yeah, it's a mess in here." I say to her as I catch her peaking in.

"We have a maid of staff that can clean up the room if you'd like?" she says and I scoff.

"Of course, what medieval castle doesn't have its own maid and chef on site?" I jest and she laughs. I head over to the door and I look into her eyes. She has the same look in her eyes as the girls at the bars had. The ones that were too shy to ask me to take them home, but wanted me to ask them so badly. I contemplate asking her to stay longer, wondering where the invitation would head. I try to read her expression, wondering if she is wanting to spend the night with me, or if I am reading into it because I want her to spend the night with me.

I shake the idea out of my head. Despite how attractive she is and how she has made my transition into the compound a lot less hair wrenching, I am still not sure if I can trust her, with Charlotte's warning looming in the back of my mind.

I decide not to invite her in for the night and to get to know her intentions better before making myself vulnerable to her. "Well I am beat." I tell her, seeing the same look of disappointment those girls at the bars would get. "I should get some rest. I am sure you have a day of adventure planned for tomorrow."

She smiles sheepishly and I want to invite in more than ever. "Yeah," She lets out. "We can ride the horses tomorrow if you'd like."

"That sounds like fun." I tell her. "Good night, Alexa."

"Good night, Desmond." She says with a smile and I close the door on her.

I get undressed and ready for bed. I lie in bed trying to keep my mind off of the high pitch ringing I hear in my ear as my headache continues.

I open my eyes and look at the clock groggily realizing that I have been asleep for three hours. I look over to see 3:33 flashing back at me in red lights. I put on a pair of sweats and my white hoodie and decide I could use a bite.

I head out of the room and there is an eerie stillness to the compound. Alexa, Arden, Damon, Theo and I are the only ones that are currently at the compound while the others are on mission, and yet with all those people here, it is still quiet in the halls this late at night.

I head for the kitchen where I grab a banana and eat it, leaning against the kitchen island. I look around the kitchen when the hall to Azalea's office catches my eye. I throw away the peel and head over to the office. I turn the nob quietly and to my shock, the door to the office is open.

I head into the office where I see her desk, the books decorated on the shelves, but most interestingly, a filing cabinet at the corner of the office. I head over to the file cabinet and try to open it, but it is locked.

I remember the bar having the same type of cabinet in their back room. Though they lock, they are cheaply made and able to open easily. I grab the filing cabinet from the top and tip it at the right angle where the lock slips from its latch. It takes a little maneuvering, but I finally hear the latch click and the drawer opens. I smile to myself triumphantly as I have access to Azalea's files.

I look through the files to see that Azalea has a file on every person at the compound. I grab everyone's files and read them over. I read about an "Agent J". There is no information on this person with no identification on their age or weight or affiliation. All that is written on their file is Agent J. PIN access. On call. No other information is provided on the agent. I wonder who this person is and I question if Agent J stands for Jezebel.

I push past the file and look at the others that provide more insight on the other agents at the compound:

Name: Theodore "Theo" Worthington

Age: 39

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 242 lbs.

Affiliations: None

Comments: Wife (22) and daughter (9) killed in Templar raid April 2001 ordered by Grand Master Dalton James mistakenly believing them to be a threat against the order. Level 3 Clearance.

Name: Mia O'Connor

Age: 26

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 128lbs.

Affiliations: The Children of Light

Comments: Ex member of Baptist extremists "The Children of Light". Killed their leader with a .30 caliber at 600 yards. Level 1 Clearance.

Name: Charlotte De La Cruz

Age: 22

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 130lbs.

Affiliations: Assassins: New York Brotherhood

Comments: Ancestors: Thomas "Tom" Stoddard, Salem, MA 1692; Elsie, Haiti 1791; Unknown Templar Agent. Suffers greatly from the Bleeding Effect and Eagle Vision, daily monitoring and medication to alleviate psychosis. Level 1 Clearance.

Name: Damon Sheridan

Age: 32

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 185lbs.

Affiliation: Assassins: California Brotherhood

Comments: Analyst for various political figures. FBI's most wanted for leaking incriminating emails of corporate espionage and insider trading. Level 2 Clearance.

Name: Harlan Cunningham

Age:33

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 216lbs.

Affiliations: Assassins: Italian Brotherhood

Comments: Successor to Adriano Maestranzi. Direct contact to William Miles and Gavin Banks. Level 3 Clearance.

Name: Alexa Waltz

Age: 24

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 118lbs.

Affiliation: Templars

Comments: Sleeper agent known as "Birdy". Attendee of the Elder's Gala. Years active 2010 – current. Level 4 Clearance.

My heart drops and I reread Azalea's hand writing over and over again, 'Years active 2010 – current.' I read it over and over again. 'Affiliation: Templars'. My mouth gets dry and my hands shake as I look onto her file. She is the only one on this list with the highest clearance, being over Theo, who was Azalea's first recruit. I feel myself getting sick and the idea of Alexa being a Templar double agent makes me nervous. I realize now why her background is so guarded by Azalea. If people at the compound knew that Alexa was an active agent with the Templars, they would turn against Azalea and each other.

I shakily place the files back in the filing cabinet, unable to look at the other files with this knowledge. I slam the door shut and turn away from the office. I feel myself getting faint, and my head begins pulsating. I begin sweating profusely as I try to make my way back to my room.

I feel my head begin splitting and I hunch over in the hall trying to get a hold of myself. My vision begins to blur and my head feels like its splitting open. I look around, frantically trying to make my way to my bedroom when I fall to my knees. I take hold of my head trying to gather myself, shutting my eyes tightly, groaning in pain.

I open my eyes and when I do I look around frantically at what I am seeing. I am no longer in the compound but rather what looks like a desert at night. I look up to see the stars shining clearly in the sky. Below me is brittle dirt and weeds strewn across the desert landscape. I see cacti everywhere as well as thorn bushes and a large mountain illuminated by the moon.

I swallow hard trying to figure out what is going on. I must be hallucinating and I am really at the compound stumbling around the halls. I manage to get to my feet and I begin calling out to Alexa. If I am hallucinating, she can get me to my bed safely until this vision passes. I continue to look around when I see lights off into the distance towards the mountain. I head towards the lights where I see a town nestled at the base of the mountain.

I head towards an old western sign that reads Saloon. I head towards the structure when I hear a commotion. I take a step back into the shadows and watch as two men throw another out of the establishment. I notice that they are all wearing old western clothes with old western revolvers holstered to their waists. I feel like I am watching the old Tombstone movie.

I watch as the one thrown out of the Saloon wipes himself down and heads towards the mountain angrily. I follow him towards the mountain, hoping that I can gather more information about where I am and what is going on. I follow him in the entrance of a cave as he lights a lantern and enters deeper into the mountain.

He looks around suspiciously and I take a step back, waiting for him to continue. After a moment of looking around, he returns to descending deeper into the mountain. I continue to follow him and watch as he sets the lantern down on the ground and begins overturning a large boulder. He struggles for a moment until he finally knocks the rock out of its place. He bends down and grabs a golden compass. He brushed the compass and I begin to hear a deafening humming. My eyes widen at the all too familiar sound.

He brushes the compass and a bright golden light emanates from the compass. The light traces a large rectangle before the man and creates what looks like a glowing golden doorway. I stagger away from the guy and in my attempt to get away, I trip on some rocks and fall flat on my ass. The guy hears me and pulls out his gun pointing it at me and shoving the compass in his pocket.

"Don't shoot!" I call out to him, holding my hands up in surrender.

"State your business following me, Boy!" The man calls out to me.

"I am sorry!" I cry to him, "I…I don't know where I am." I tell him. The man looks at me warily. He notices my clothing and how out of place I look. After a moment of looking at me suspiciously, he places his gun back into his holster and extends his hand to me, helping me up to my feet.

"What's your name, Stranger?" He asks me.

"De…Desmond." I tell him with a gulp. "Desmond Miles."

He extends his hand out to me. "Jacob Waltz," He says taking in my hand. I shake his hand when I realize his name. Waltz; the same last name as Alexa's.

I think about Alexa and her ancestor. I remember her telling me about her ancestor hiding a Piece of Eden in the mountains of the desert. I think about how I am in the desert, in front of a man clearly wearing period clothing, in a mountain, with a Piece of Eden. The idea makes me faint as I try to make sense of where I am.

The man catches me as I almost faint before him. "Woah, there. Are you alright, Desmond?"

"W…where am I?" I ask him and the man returns with a confused look on his eyes.

"You're in Goldfield, Arizona." He says simply.

I stagger away from him wondering how I got here or if he is messing with him; though the look of confusion on his eyes shows me that his response is genuine.

"Wha…What year is it?" I ask him and he lets out a sigh.

He looks at me with a concerned look. "It's 1838." He says to me and I swallow hard, burring my face in my palms as I sit down on a nearby rock. "Judging by the look on your face, I'd say you're not from here. Judging by the look of your clothes, you're not from this time."

I look up at him with a shocked look. "What are you saying?" I ask him.

He sighs and pulls out the compass. "I know you saw me using it." He says showing me the Piece of Eden. "It's a key to a portal." He tells me and I look at him with wide eyes. "I found it on my travels to America. It opens doors to other portals, giving me the power to travel to any place I wish." He pulls it up and begins rubbing the compass. "I simply think of a place I would like to go, and…" He trails off as a golden glowing gateway appears before us. "and I walk in." He tells me simply. "I cannot travel in time, simply from place to place. Maybe you found one of these that takes you through time?" He suggests.

"No," I tell him shaking my head. "That's not possible." I tell him. I stop and think for a moment realizing that I have been resurrected from the dead by an immortal woman that I found looking back into my ancestors' memories and realize that maybe time travel is not as farfetched as I think it is. "I wasn't using a Piece of Eden." I tell him and he looks at me inquisitively. I try to explain to him more, when I feel my head splitting.

I cry out and the man jumps from the rock. "Desmond, are you alright?" I hear him asking me in a muffled tone. I hold my head trying to keep it together as my vision begins blurring.

I stagger off of the rock and look up at him when I no longer see him in the cave of the mountain, but I am back in Azalea's office. I shake my head and look around breathing heavily. I cry out as another wave of pain overcomes me. My vision continues to blur and I feel myself being torn in half.

I sway from the office and try to make my way to Alexa's room so she can help me. I call out her name frantically, trying to get her to come to me. I close my eyes in pain as I see the desert landscape appearing before me again. I call out Alexa's name again, but I am back in the desert, only this time it is in the day time.

I look around the small town at all the shops as men and women in period clothing look at me cautiously. A man approaches me with his hand shaking over his revolver. "Are you alright there, stranger?" The man asks me as he approaches me cautiously. I see that he wears a sheriff's badge.

I swallow hard, trying to explain myself when Jacob approaches me. "He is just my nephew." He laughs grabbing me and pulling me towards a well where he pulls up a bucket of water for me. He dunks my head in the water and slaps me around a bit while everyone watches us cautiously.

"How did you do that last night?" He asks coldly.

"Do what?" I ask him in a husky tone.

"One moment you were with me, and the next you were gone. How did you disappear? Do you have one of these things on you?" He asks me cautiously.

"I didn't go anywhere." I tell him with a gulp. I wince in pain at my head and hold it tightly.

"Dutchman!" A man calls out. "You mind explaining why your friend here is causing a scene, frightening the women." The man approaches us, and before I look up to his face, I see the large silver belt buckles that holds two thick red lines forming the haunting symbol of the Knights Templar. Fuck. I think to myself as I look up at the Templar man as he watches me cautiously.

"He is my nephew," Jacob calls out. "He is not used to the Arizona heat." He says simply and the Templar watches me carefully, looking me up and down.

"He seems able in body." The man says spitting his chew out on my shoe. "Get him in the mine." He says with a vicious smile, piece of tobacco stuck in his golden teeth.

Two men approach me and grab me, placing me in a pully elevator with a group of other men. One hands me a helmet and the other hands me pickaxe. "What the fuck is going on?" I ask Jacob.

"His name is Rawhide, and he owns the mine here." Jacob says. "You enter that mine, you keep your head down, and you will get through the day." He says lowly. I look back at the Templar who smiles at me wickedly as they begin to descend us into the mine.

I begin sweating instantly as we enter the moist underbelly of the mountain. I feel myself hyperventilating as the air becomes thicker and unbreathable. The smell of body odor burns my nostrils and I feel myself getting light headed.

"Desmond?" I hear Alexa's voice call out to me as my vision begins to blur. I look around for her, and I barely see her face looking around for me. My vision blurs again and I shake my head, the image of her clearing away. I swallow hard and look at Jacob who looks at me with concerned eyes.

We take our tools and Jacob takes me to a corridor of the mine that the others walk past. "Desmond, what is happening?"

"I don't know." I admit to him. "I think I am falling into the abyss." I tell him and he looks at me with wide eyes.

"You said something of a Piece of Eden. Do you believe this Piece to be the cause of this confusion?"

I shake my head. "I am not sure." I admit to him in a scared tone.

"We must get you back to your time, Desmond. So how do we get you back to your time?" he asks me.

"Your guess is as good as mine." I sigh. "What are we mining for?"

"Rawhide tells the men it is gold. But he is looking for something else. He is never pleased when we return with gold."

"A Piece of Eden." I say and he nods.

"I believe so. I believe he is looking for the compass."

"You cannot let him find it." I tell Jacob coldly and he looks at me with confused eyes. "The cross on his belt buckle. He is a Templar, and if he gets a hold of the Piece of Eden, he will use it against everyone you know."

"Hey!" A man calls out, "get to work!" Jacob takes an axe and hands it over to me. We head to the rest of the group where we begin chipping away at the wall.

The sound of metal on metal makes my head split and I feel myself slipping again. I look over at Jacob and he looks at me with wide eyes, knowing what is going on. He pulls out a little nugget of gold from his pocket and throws it at the end of the corridor without anyone's notice. "Is that a piece of gold?" He calls out and all the men run to the end of the mine to examine it, taking their attention off of us.

He pushes me to the end of the mine and I hold my head tightly, grunting in pain as I feel myself leaving. I open my eyes and I am back at the compound. I moan in pain as I head towards my room when I see Alexa coming down the hall. "Desmond!" She calls out to me running to my aid. "Are you alright?" She touches me, "Jesus, you're burning up. We need to get you to bed.

"No!" I yell at her angrily and she looks at me with shocked eyes. "Where is Azalea?" I ask her angrily.

"She is on her mission." She explains confused.

"Get me Harlan. Get me someone!" I groan as I feel my body splitting. "Something is happening to me!" I yell at her.

"Desmond, you have a horrible fever!" she calls out over my grunts of pain. "We need to get you to bed."

"I need Azalea now! Get me fucking Azalea!" I yell at her angrily and she staggers away from me in fear.

"Okay," she says in distress. "I will give her a call and see if she can come."

She turns away from me and I open the door to my room. As soon as I enter the room, I fall to my knees grabbing my head tightly. "No!" I call out. "Not now! Please not now!"

I open my eyes and I am back in the mine. Jacob is nowhere to be found and I am all alone. The feeling of dread overcomes me as I realize that I am alone, deep underground, in a place that I am unfamiliar with. My heart begins to race and I try to find myself a way out of here.

I walk around the endless hall, making myself more lost than I started. I feel a sense of terror overcome me as I realize that I am not getting out of here. I hear voices coming down the hall and I hide behind a cart as the two men approach me.

"We have been excavating for 6 weeks and we have located nothing." I hear the voice of Rawhide snap.

"The coordinates on the map explained the treasure would be here." The Sheriff explains in a defeated tone.

"If we do not locate the Portal of Eden soon, mark my words, Billy, your tombstone will be the next I will have fashioned." He threatens lowly.

The Sheriff gulps heavily and shakily nods his head in understanding. "I will get the men on it." He says unevenly.

"Also," Rawhide calls out. "Watch out for The Dutchman and his nephew. I don't trust those two." The Sheriff nodes his head slowly, and heads down the corridor. Rawhide stands in the tunnel for a moment, as if he senses my presence, but does not look around or spot me.

I swallow hard and breath once more once the man heads down the tunnel. I head begins hurting again and I grunt in pain, trying to hold back a scream. I look around frantically trying to find Jacob and get the hell out of here.

I cling to the walls of the mine as I head towards the diggers. I find Jacob at the end of the tunnel and I head over to him. "Rawhide is looking for the Portal of Eden." I tell him quietly. "He suspects you. You have to get out of here!" I tell him.

He leads me out of the mine in a shaft that spits us out on the side of the mountain. The fresh air feels amazing and for the first time, my head feels clear. I look out to the city from the mine shaft wondering what is happening to me.

I feel Jacob's eyes on me and I look over at him. He looks scared for me and I wonder what he is possibly thinking in this moment.

We head from the mountain and into the town. Jacob gives me some clothes to better blend in with the people of the town. We head to the Saloon where Jacob buys me a drink to unwind.

"Fuck me," I let out as I take a gulp of the liquor.

"We need to get you out of here. Figure out how to get you home." He says under his breath as people watch us wearily in the Saloon.

"I keep going back and forth." I tell him. "I need to talk to Azalea."

Jacob looks at me with concerned eyes, and I look away from him. I can't look at him when he looks onto me like this. I feel myself slipping again and I hold my head. I let out another grunt and the girls look at me with concerned eyes.

"Marie, can you get him a water?" Jacob calls to one of the girls. "Desmond, we have to get you out of here." He whispers to me and I get up nodding.

My legs go weak as I get up and I feel myself falling. I trip and fall into the arms of Rawhide. He catches me and looks at me wickedly, flashing his golden teeth in a devilish smile. "I saw you spying in the tunnels." He says at me with tobacco in his mouth. "Looks like you heard too much." He says, reeling his fist back to punch me.

I close my eyes, waiting for the impact of his fist. I wait a moment and after I cannot feel the pain of being hit in the face, I open my eyes to see that I am back at the compound and in my bedroom. I look around frantically, not knowing how long I will be here for.

I run down the hall and into Alexa's room. I fling the door open to her room and see her hanging up on her phone. She whips around and looks at me with concerned eyes on face. "Desmond," She sighs. "I just called Azalea and told her about your fever. She told me to get you to bed and that she will meet with you when she gets back."

"Alexa," I call out to her. "Something is happening to me." I try to explain but she won't listen to me.

She comes to me and gives me a hug. She buries my face in her breasts as she runs her fingers through my hair, and I inhale her smell. I let out a moan, enjoying the sweet floral smell of her skin. "Desmond, you need to get some rest, let me get you to bed." She says softly, and I do not want to leave the comfort of her embrace.

She pulls me from her breasts and looks down at me. I look at her deep blue eyes, seeing the innocence in them. I look down to her plump rosy lips, wanting so desperately to kiss them. I press my lips against hers aggressively, not knowing when I will have the chance to kiss her again.

She is taken aback by my action, but after a moment, she recovers and kisses me back. She moans at my advancement, tilting her head to the side to get a better angle to kiss me. I press my tongue into her mouth and massage her with my tongue. She moans again and I place my hands on her hips, pressing her closer to my body.

I guide her hips against my body and she clings onto my shirt, trying to hold herself together. I place my hand on her cheek and pull away from her for some air. I look at her face and her lips are red from kissing. She smiles up at me with an innocent smile and I want her more than I have wanted any woman before.

I put my hands back on her hips, backing her to the edge of the bed until she is forced to fall onto the bed. She lies down on the bed and looks up at me, the sight arousing me. She bites her lip and smiles up at me. "How do you want me, Desmond?" She asks and I feel myself getting hard at her question. I crawl on top of her, claiming her lips once more. She moans at my aggressive behavior. I place my hand on her stomach, slowly climbing up under her shirt and to her breast. I grab onto her bra for a moment in a tight fist, kissing her hard.

I move from her to unzip my jacket and she takes off her shirt. She removes my shirt and I move to her bra, unclasping the front clasp bra and exposing her before me. I take a moment to take her in and enjoy the sight of her bare before me. I take hold of her breast kissing them softly, as she hugs my head, digging her fingers into my hair.

She moves to my jeans, unbuttoning them and digging her hand into them to feel my hardness. A wicked smile crosses her plump limps and I find myself smiling as well. I remove my jeans and my boxers, exposing myself to her. I tug at her knees, dragging her to the edge of the bed and grabbing onto her shorts, practically ripping them off of her body. I lick my fingers and test her wetness, she shudders at my touch and a smile crawls up my face knowing that she I ready for me.

I spread her legs and guide myself inside her. She grips onto the sheets with a moan as I fill her entirely. I exhale with pleasure, feeling her around me. I take hold of her hips as handlebars, thrusting into her. She smiles up at me in pleasure as I take her. I guide my hands up to her breasts and she shivers at my touch. She pulls herself up into a seating position, grabbing the back of my head and aggressively pressing her lips against mine. I press into her harder, and she pulls her lips away from me to exclaim in pleasure.

Her legs begin to shake and they involuntarily clamp shut as the pleasure becomes too much for her. I move my hands to her knees and I force her legs open as I continue to thrust into her. Her face scrunches in pleasure and the sight brings me to my own climax. My thrust stagger and become deeper and slower as I climax. She clings onto the sheets as she exclaims. When she is finished, I take a step back, running my fingers through my hair and plopping down on the bed next to her. She lets out a satisfied laugh as she moves towards me, placing her head on my chest as my breaths rock her back and forth. We stay here for a moment, not saying a word of what we have just done with one another. After a while of laying on the bed, we find ourselves falling asleep, feeling comfort in one another's presence.

I open my eyes to see that I am back in the mine. Fuck. I think to myself wanting to be back at in bed with Alexa. I wonder if I ever even slept with here, or if all of this is just a fucking dream. I swallow hard at the fact that this is all probably a crazed delusion from my fever, and I am actually lying in bed, trying to fight back the fever. With that idea, I continue inside the mine.

I look around the mine and it is eerily quiet. I head down the corridors with nothing but the deafening sound of water dripping from the wall. My heart beats heavily in my throat and I try desperately to swallow the lump down to my stomach.

I hear a clicking of a gun and I turn on my heels to see Rawhide behind me pointing a revolver at me. I gulp at the sight of the barrel in my face. "When I was a boy," he says to me, "my father told me the story of an ancient civilization before ours." He begins. I look around the mine to see Jacob tied and gaged to the floor. His eyes widen in fear when he sees me. "My father told me of the amazing tools this civilization created; tools that could bring the strongest man to their knees." He chuckles, "I never believed the old man, always thought them stories to be the fables to get me sleeping." I take a step away from him, but he takes a step towards me. "My daddy bought this mine. Told me the people of the ancient civilization told him in here lies one of those tools to capture man kind's disobedience." He swallows hard looking at me in the eyes with his cold dead eyes. "he spent the rest of his life and the greater part of my life searching for something, he didn't even know existed." He approaches me and shoves the barrel of the gun in my cheek. "My daddy died in these minds, muttering to himself about the 'Portal of Eden'. He had lost his mind and his body was withering away. So," he smiles wickedly, "So I put him on his fail knees, and I shot him in the head, finally silencing his burbling." He smiles showing me with golden teeth.

"I thought I brought peace to my father. That I ended the life of a man gone mad by his own delusions." He scoffs, "And then one day, a man comes in the cover of night, walking into my town, in my Saloon, with more Gold than the fucking Pope." He looks back at Jacob who lets out a cry from the cloth that gags him. I swallow hard and Rawhide continues. "Curious thing, the Dutchman with the golden coins of the Conquistadors." He lets out a Rye laugh. "Coming into my town spending this odd coin, but never seeming to run out." He runs his tongue through his teeth making a sucking noise. "And then my Daddy's ramblings about the Portal of Eden come flooding back into my mind."

He looks back at Jacob and shoves his fingers inside a bullet wound on his shoulder. Jacob cries out in pain. "Stop!" I yell at him and he looks at me with a wild smile on his face.

"Then there is you." He says lowly, bringing the gun back in my face. "The stranger with the strange clothes. Nothing too odd about you until you disappear before everyone in the Saloon. That's not the Portal of Eden, so tell me, Boy, what was that trick you pulled in the Saloon?"

"You're insane," I spit at him.

He presses the barrel of the gun in my cheek and I feel my heart beating heavily, fearing for my life. I look over at Jacob who tries to motion me to look towards something. I follow his gaze to see the Portal of Eden hanging from his boot. I figure that he is telling me to take it, knowing that Rawhide will see it soon. I take in a deep breath, knowing that I only have one shot at this and I have to do it quickly.

"Real shame there about your father." I tease Rawhide. "A man dedicating his entire life, and never got a hint of its existence." The man's eyes tangle in confusion. "Even more of a shame is his idiot son, not realizing its existence right before him." I push Rawhide away from me before he can react and take the compass from Jacob's boot.

I quickly open the compass and think of a place that I remember growing up and often went when I was younger on my own. The compass shines a light and four lines create a doorway with a deep hum.

"The Portal!" Rawhide calls out. I throw the compass into the portal and before Rawhide can jump in, the door closes, and the compass is gone. In the shock of the action, I take Rawhide's gun from his hands, and before he can charge at me, I close my eyes and squeeze the trigger.

I shout as I fling myself into a sitting position. I look around and I am back in my bed. I look next to me to see Alexa looking up at me, woken up by my sudden movement.

"Desmond are you alright?" She asks me. I look down at her and before I can say anything to her, I hear someone clear their throat. I look over to the foot of the bed to see a smiling Azalea with her arms crossed.

Alexa pulls the covers over her body at the sight of Azalea and I find myself doing the same. She looks amused at the sight of both of us in the bed together, and after a moment of smiling to herself, she finally says, "Get up, we have a lot to discuss."

"Can you give me some privacy?" I say to her, tugging the covers over my lap.

She smiles at me devilishly, "Nothing I haven't already seen." She says teasingly. I look down at Alexa who looks physically uncomfortable at the realization that I have slept with Azalea. Azalea chuckles at the comment and the reaction it got out of Alexa and I. She heads out the door, leaving me in the room alone with Alexa.