Chapter Two
I was devastated. I wanted nothing more than to break down and cry. I was normally a stronger person than this, but he had me completely unglued.
I tried to shrug off his hand. I didn't like him touching me. I tried to break free, but he held me fast.
"Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice sounding almost threatening.
"Did you follow me down here?" I snapped.
The man chuckled and gave me a wide, almost sinister smile.
"Did I not promise you that we would see each other again?" he replied.
"I was kind of hoping we wouldn't," I said, "now if you'll excuse me-"
"Stay a moment," he interrupted.
"I can't," I said, "I have to go."
Almost on command, my male cat let out a howl, and my female cat started clawing at the inside of her crate. My creeper loosened his grip for a moment out of surprise, and I used the opportunity to pry myself loose from his grasp. Before he could fully react, I was already walking away.
"Sorry gotta go," I called as I walked away, "live animals, gotta get them home. Bye!"
The man didn't say anything in response. He made no attempts to follow or stop me, but instead watched as I passed through the gate. I lost sight of him once I got onto the platform. The entire time I waited for my train, I kept looking around for any sign of him, and to my relief he didn't follow me.
I was seriously concerned as to why.
The rest of the afternoon went without incident. I returned the cats home safely, and Caesar immediately went to sleep while my female cat hissed and hid under the couch.
It was just past sunset when Keisha stopped by my apartment.
"Hey love," she said, hanging her coat on one of the pegs by the door and kicking off her boots.
Immediately upon hearing Keisha's voice, my male cat woke up, leapt off the windowsill, and rubbed his body against her affectionately.
I proceeded to make us coffee while Keisha sat on the couch petting Caesar. Our conversation started off innocently enough, but the subject soon turned to the creeper I met on the T.
"You didn't even ask for his name?" asked Keisha.
"Amazingly, no," I replied, pouring the coffee into mugs. "He had me so wound up and distracted that I forgot to ask."
"And he didn't introduce himself?"
"Nope," I responded. I carried the mugs into the living room and sat down on the couch next to her. My lady cat let out a low hiss of disapproval.
"And yet you spilled shit about yourself," Keisha said with an eye roll, "what did you tell him?"
"Honestly, I don't remember all that much," I said, "it's all kind of a confused blur for some reason. I think I told him that I lived alone and that I'm from Boston. Looking back on it, he seemed quite interested that I'm a Boston native."
"We-ird," Keisha said mid-sip.
"Honestly, it was the weirdest thing I've ever been through," I continued, "and the worst part is, I ran into him again on my way home from Copley."
"Nuh uh!" Keisha replied. "You're shitting me."
"Nope," I answered, "he followed me into the subway tunnel. If it weren't for my cats, I wouldn't have gotten home anytime soon."
"He didn't follow you home did he?"
"No," I replied, "I made sure of that."
"Did he see what train you got on?" asked Keisha.
I paused. I didn't think about that.
"I don't know," I answered, "and besides, even if he did, all he would know is what line I live on."
"That's still something, though," Keisha said. A look of genuine concern crossed her face.
"Come on, Keish," I said, trying to reassure myself more than her, "there are a lot of stops on this line. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find the exact apartment where I lived."
"But still, hon," she replied, "I'm worried about you now."
I smiled at my friend. "Thanks Keisha," I said, "I'll be all right. I just have to stay out of the Back Bay!"
"You said it, sistah!"
There was no more mention of the strange guy for the rest of her visit. Soon our conversation turned to other lighthearted subjects, like my cats, Keisha's job, and eventually, partying.
"When's the last time we've been out for a drink?" Keisha asked.
"Too fucking long!" I exclaimed.
"Seriously, though," she said, "work has been ridiculous lately, and it sounds like you've had a mess of a week too,"
"Absolutely," I said, "the trip was fun and all, but New Hampshire gets old after a while. It's nothing but trees. I like trees, but I'm glad to be back in the city where there are people, not moose."
Keisha laughed and placed her empty mug on the coffee table. Caesar, who was curled in a ball on Keisha's lap, mewled in his sleep.
"After that shitshow on the T yesterday and again today," I said, "I need a fucking drink. Tonight."
"Mmm hmm, girl you read my mind," Keisha said with a broad smile. "Where shall we go?"
"There's that club a couple T stops away," I said. "We've never been there."
"Aw hon I ain't dressed for a club!" Keisha replied, folding her arms in disapproval.
"Come on Keish," I said, "I really need a little fun tonight after the shit I've been through this week. This would be a perfect fix for everything!"
"Oh fine," she said, "but I'm borrowing your clothes, cause there ain't no way in hell I'm going to a club dressed like a damn slob." She gestured to her outfit, which consisted of an oversized T-shirt and a pair of black leggings.
"Deal," I said. We leapt off the couch, and like two giddy college girls, we started to get ready to go.
The rest of the night was a bit of a blur. Or, at least I think it was, because there's no way what happened at the club actually happened in real life. It was impossible.
The evening started off normal. We waited for ages to get in, and once we were finally through the door, the party was already in full swing. The air was hot and moist, and the rooms were dimly lit with the faint glow of neon, black lights, and strobes. The bass from the electronic music filled my ears, drowning out the sounds of the shouting around me. The bass vibrated through my body, blocking out all feeling and drowning my senses. My vision tunneled and my ears surrendered to the overpowering sound. My heart quickened with excitement. I had sorely missed this.
Keisha and I were dressed to attract attention. She had on a black, sequined, oversized shirt and her leggings, and I was wearing a red strapless top, jeans, and heels. I looked lazily at the scene around me as Keisha and I waited to order drinks. It was hard to make out anything in particular. I mostly saw bare limbs entangled and swaying to the beat of the song, lots of dark clothing, and occasionally a bouncer wandering about.
Eventually, Keisha and I got separated in the shuffle at the bar. I somehow was pushed much further ahead and away from her. We kept each other within sight as best we could. However, the further we drifted apart, the more I began to grow concerned. When it was finally my turn at the bar, I could barely see the black bun of her hair above the crowd.
"A Long Island please," I shouted to the bartender.
"Make that two," a smooth, male voice said behind me, "on my tab."
That voice sounded eerily familiar.
I looked over my shoulder, and to my horror, I saw the man from the T. I barely recognized him without his coat and scarf. He was no longer wearing his suit jacket or tie, and instead wore just a white collared shirt. He had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons undone to keep him cool. His black hair was slightly disheveled, and it somehow made him even more attractive. I had no idea he was here. I hadn't even seen him when we walked in. Then again, it would have been very easy to miss him in the crowd and the dim lighting. I don't know how he managed to spot me, let alone push through the crowd to sneak up behind me. Nevertheless there I was, trapped with him once again, with my friend barely in sight.
I turned to tell the bartender to cancel the drink order, but it was too late. She was already mixing the drinks, and his tab must have already been billed. I turned back around to see my creeper grinning slyly at me. He leaned forward and whispered into my ear, and somehow despite the deafening noise I could hear him clearly.
"Found you."
The bartender returned with our drinks, and he took the liberty of handing me mine.
"Come," he said, placing his free hand on the small of my back and giving me a gentle nudge.
I looked back desperately at my friend, who was still waiting in line. I didn't want to leave her. I was not going to leave her.
"Don't worry," he said as if reading my mind, "if she means that much to you, I will make sure no harm comes to her. She won't even notice your absence."
His tone sounded almost sincere, but how could what he was saying be possible? Of course she would notice me gone!
I was powerless to stop him from ushering me away from the bar. He kept his hand gently placed on the small of my back as he led me to the far end of the club, over a small set of stairs, and over to the VIP lounge. It was considerably less crowded here, and most of the VIP patrons had wandered elsewhere. His free hand left the small of my back and wrapped gently around my free hand. His hands were surprisingly cool, and while his long fingers held mine gently, I could tell that they contained much more strength than he was showing.
Guiding me by the hand, he sat us down on one of the burgundy leather booths. My mind was screaming to run away, grab Keisha, and get out of here, but my body would not obey its commands. I looked into those deep green eyes, almost glowing in the neon lights, and was spellbound. He had me exactly where he wanted me, and I could do nothing but sit there and let whatever was about to happen, happen.
We sat there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, saying nothing, and ignoring the drinks in our hands. The noise of the club seemed to fade, and my worries over Keisha seemed to fade too. My focus was solely on him and all his subtleties: the way his eyes flickered, the way his mouth twitched and curled in his smirk, and the small, unconscious movements of his fingers.
My brain was still in a fog, and I tried to say one of the million questions that were burning in my mind. The stranger chuckled as if knowing what was raging in my head.
"Go ahead," he said, "tell me what you want to know, and I will free your mind from this burden of curiosity."
I let in a shaky breath, swallowed hard, and finally managed to whisper "who are you?"
He flashed me a smile. "Still haven't realized?" He laughed. "I love how I don't have to hide in this city, from these people, from you, and yet I can still remain invisible."
He read my look of incomprehension and stopped dancing around the subject. "I am Loki," he continued, "you may have heard of me."
"From Norse mythology?" I asked dumbly.
He laughed. "There too," he said, "but think, love, you sure you haven't heard that name elsewhere, perhaps recently?"
I searched my memories. He was right. I had heard that name recently, and not in the context of Norse mythology. From the news maybe? I couldn't think of where in the news I would have heard that name, but it did sound like a familiar context. I couldn't pinpoint exactly where I had heard it, so I shook my head. He smiled again with delight and leaned his back against the leather. He sat there as if he were on a throne, and continued to gaze at me.
"Perfectly clueless," he mused, "I like this."
I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. I did not like the lecherous look he was giving me, with his eyes glinting and his smirking lips parted ever so slightly. I could tell he was undressing me with his eyes, and it made my heart wrench with both resentment and a strange, dark desire.
"What do you want from me?" I finally asked, the discomfort bringing me somewhat to my senses. "Why are you here?"
"For the same reason you are," Loki replied. He leaned closer to me and dropped his voice lower. "There are things that I want from you," he whispered, "things that you are perfectly suited to give me." He paused, looking me up and down. "But for now," he continued, looking into my eyes, "all I want is a drink with you."
He brought his glass to his lips. His movements were hypnotic. Almost obediently, I sipped my drink as well. My head was screaming to stop, to remain sober, but my body wouldn't listen to me. He wanted a drink with me, and my heart wanted nothing more than to give him what he wanted. I sipped my drink, perhaps a little too fast. Okay, I drank way too fast. I was nervous, and as a result I finished my drink long before he finished his.
He eventually turned his gaze to the crowd in the main part of the club.
"Look at them," Loki said with a sneer, "like moths to a flame."
I followed his gaze to see for myself what he was talking about. From this vantage point I could see people gathering in droves around the bar, all pushing and shoving and fighting each other to get to the front. Even bigger throngs of people were making their way to the dance floor, which was already a dark, swirling, erotic mass of humanity.
"They flock to their own destruction," he continued, "they know not what their actions will do, what wantonness they will undoubtedly unleash, only to regret later. It is a lifestyle that is both praised and scoffed as 'sin'."
"It's an escape," I added in a weak voice.
"Yes," he said, nodding in agreement, "an escape from the harsh realities of their own self-inflicted misery." He turned his gaze back to me. He had a hungry look in his eyes that left me senseless with fear, and… longing? That wasn't possible.
"What else do you want from me?" I asked boldly in response to his look. I placed my empty glass on the table.
He looked like he was thoroughly enjoying my mental torment. He placed his unfinished drink next to mine, never breaking eye contact. "In time," he said, "all will be made clear. But now I ask you, Emily, what do you want from me?"
I was taken aback. "How is this suddenly about me now?" I asked.
He laughed. "Don't play daft," he said playfully, "I can see the longing, the craving, in your eyes." He leaned closer to me, too close for comfort, yet I didn't make any attempts to shrug him off. His hand, which had been resting on the leather seat, slowly inched its way toward me. "Your shifting eyes," he continued, "your ragged breath, your quickening pulse… they all tell me exactly what you want."
"It's not what you think," I replied.
"Oh it's exactly what I think," he said more sharply. It made me cringe. "You think you can hide your desires from me, human? You and your kind make me laugh."
What the hell was he talking about? My head was fuzzy, partially from the rapidly consumed strong drink, and partially from his intoxicating presence.
"Your kind thinks it's intelligent and advanced," he snarled. "The human race thinks it's up to par with the other realms. All fools, the whole lot of you. It makes me sick, and it makes me laugh. You people are nothing but blundering idiots. You're like cattle willing lining up for slaughter. It's pathetic." His last words rang with a high-pitched sharpness that cut through me like a knife, paralyzing me with fear. His head tilted downward and he gave me a look that resembled both insanity and calculated malice. "And here you sit," he hissed, "thinking that you have the capability to deceive me, your king, your god. You and your race are nothing but mindless beasts that think you're above your own animalistic tendencies. But I see the truth. You pretend that you're immune your own desires, yet in some dark recess of your mind you are slowly caving into your yearnings." He gave me a dark smile and I cringed back in fear.
I was either hearing things wrong or this man was definitely insane. Did he just call himself a god? I felt myself unconsciously start to tremble, and I was now genuinely afraid. Without realizing it, I started to inch away from him. He grabbed my wrist and shook his head.
"Stay," Loki commanded, "we're not finished yet." His voice was heavy with regal authority, and it made my limbs shake violently and grow even weaker.
"Leave me alone," I pleaded.
"That's not what you want," he said in a hypnotic tone.
"You don't know what I want," I retaliated. "Please let me go-"
"Oh but I do," he said playfully. "You crave subjugation. It is a simple truth: humanity wants nothing more than to be ruled, and you are no exception." He leaned his body dangerously close to mine, so that our faces were practically touching. "You want me to free you from this burden of power and control," he whispered.
"Please don't," I whimpered, "I- I-" I couldn't find the words to describe what I wanted. He was right about everything. It had been a long time since I had any kind of intimacy, and I missed it. But the fact that he knew that scared me.
"Why pretend that you don't want this?" he asked mockingly. "Are you afraid that I may hurt you? Kill you even?"
"Yes," I breathed.
"Don't be," he said. He grasped both of my hands and pinned them to the seat. "I said to you once that I wasn't going to hurt you, and I won't."
"Why?" I asked. "If you hate humans so much, why not hurt me?"
"Not as fun," he chuckled. A newfound fear surged over me; I wasn't expecting that kind of answer. "The pleasure is brief and fleeting" he went on, "and the gratification does not last. This, however, is much sweeter and more… satisfying." That last word rolled off his tongue as he used his arms and body weight to pin my shoulders against the back of the seat. I was terrified, but somehow I liked being this close to him. He was right. Some dark and depraved corner of my mind was craving him despite all fear and logical reasoning.
My body language must have still been communicating hesitation, because he gave me a sharp look and headshake.
"You still resist me?" he growled erotically. "The allure of rationality deceives you. I can see you warring with your own mind. Let your dark instincts take over, and let me show you what it feels like to be truly free." He touched his forehead against mine, and the tips of our noses brushed against each other. I could feel the pit of my stomach growing hot, and every muscle in my body was growing weak and hot with desire. "You want this," he purred, "but you know you shouldn't. And you're right, you shouldn't. But why does it matter? You are wild on the inside; don't let your own notions of morality tame you. You were made to be ruled, so allow me to free you from this prison of control." He leaned more of his body weight into me, further flattening me against the back of the seat. "Let go; don't hold back from your king," he snarled in a regal and commanding voice that made me shudder. "Let me sample your depravity."
I was powerless to resist him now. I wanted him, and the temptation was too much. I let down all of my barriers, walls, and my whole show of strength and kissed his thin lips. He tasted sweet, and I kissed him hungrily, leaning my face into his.
This seemed to satisfy him, and he pulled away and smiled wickedly. "Much better," he whispered, "my turn."
He kissed me in return, this time more passionately. I melted under him and succumbed to the smoldering desire that was now erupting into flames. With each moment our passion only grew greater. I didn't care who was watching us or what they thought. This was so out of character for me. I never made out with anyone in public, let alone in this kind of setting. But I didn't care anymore, and I felt strangely free, just like he said I would. I had never experienced this kind of freedom before, and I liked every minute of it.
When he judged that I was fully under his control, he let his hands wander. One hand left my wrist and found its way to the side of my waist. The other hand traveled to my leg, and began stroking my inner thigh lustfully. The intimate contact made my head spin, and I intensified my kisses to urge him on. On command, he wrapped his hand around my back and lifted me towards him, so that our chests were flush against each other, with one hand still on my thigh and one arm supporting my back
I slipped my tongue between his slightly parted lips, and I could feel him grin as he reciprocated. My breathing intensified, and my heart raced to the point where I thought it would fly out of my chest. My head buzzed and my vision tunneled, and my breathing was reduced to ragged, irregular pants and gasps. He nipped my bottom lip a few times, which only caused my mind to go even wilder. My world was quickly spinning out of control. I felt powerless to stop it, and I was afraid that I might be swept away in this torrent of passion, never to return. But there I remained, surrendered into his embrace, completely powerless and not caring about it.
He pressed his palm against my back and brought me to my knees, with my legs straddling his lap. It was a very compromising position, and I felt a faint twinge of embarrassment for letting myself get to this point in front of the entire club. However, his fingers trailing delicately down my spine dispelled those thoughts. His other hand left my thigh and traveled to the back of my head. The hair on the back of my head was very short, and he tried to wrap his long fingers around my silken locks, growing frustrated as they kept slipping from his grasp. He grabbed what little hair he could and used it to force my face more toward his, effectively deepening our kiss. I let out a small whimper into his mouth and closed my eyes out of my growing dizziness.
Loki used my vulnerability to his full advantage. His hands moved again, this time to my sides, and his thumbs brushed the sides of my breasts. He was teasing me, and it was driving me nuts. The heat in the pit of my stomach was spreading rapidly. Suddenly, his lips left mine and traveled to my upper neck, just below my jaw, and he kissed it hungrily. I let out a small moan and a sigh, and my arms shook. His mouth trailed further down my neck, his lips and tongue tasting and savoring every subtle curve and crevice. His lips and teeth scraped the space between my neck and collarbone, and it was all I could do to keep from crying out in ecstasy. He let out a malicious chuckle so soft that only I could hear it.
I was still too nervous to let my hands wander, and they had remained rested on his back. Sensing my nervousness, he gently grabbed one of my hands and guided it down his muscled chest, down his stomach, finally laying it to rest on his lap. I could feel his desire for me growing.
"You're trembling," he whispered into my ear. Yep, there was no hiding it; I was scared out of my mind. "Do you fear what I will do to you?" he teased.
"Yes," I gasped.
"Good girl," he said, "you should be afraid." With the last word he pressed my hand more fully against the growing desire between his legs, and bit that tender space between my neck and collarbone.
"Loki…" I gasped. I was completely losing myself. This man, this Loki, whoever he was, had me completely and willingly helpless.
"Yes," his voice rung in a low growl, "say my name."
He squeezed my inner thigh and nipped me again, causing me to gasp his name again.
"Yes," he said, "never forget to whom you belong." He sat up and looked at me, his eyes boring into mine. "You are mine now."
I didn't like the sound of that, but my head was such a confused blur that I was powerless to express it. I whimpered and tried to form any sort of words, but all I could utter was his name again.
"Come now," he said encouragingly, stroking my neck with one long, pale finger. "Tell me what you want."
"I- I want you," I stammered. That was not what I had originally intended to say. Where did that thought even come from? I didn't know this man! Hell, I didn't even know his name until tonight. Up until now I was scared shitless of so much as running into him on the street, and now I was about to jump into bed with him? This was all so crazy. My mind, heart, and body wanted three different things, and it reduced me to a torn, broken, whimpering, and helpless mess.
Loki laughed and took both of my hands in his. He flashed me a greedy smirk and kissed my fingers.
"My my," he said, "you certainly are a depraved and desperate creature inside, aren't you? I like it." He smiled hungrily, and the tip of his tongue trailed his upper lip. I thought I was going to lose what was left of my mind.
"What will you do to me?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Impatient, are we?" he mocked. "That's just it, love, you're going to have to wait to find out."
My mind went blank. "What?" I gasped breathlessly.
"You think I'm going to gratify you now?" he hummed, his lips curling into a sadistic grin. "This is the fun part. Now that I have you exactly where I want you, I'm going to make you wait for it. I will let you go, and you will run away and back to your old life. You will at first pretend to be relieved, and believe that you have escaped me. But soon those dark desires will come back to haunt you. You will hunger and long for me, and you will try to deny it and fail miserably. You will dream of me and of what I can do to you, for only I can sate your lust now. You will pretend to be strong, and you will try to suppress your urges. But it will not last, and when your desire becomes too much to bear, you will willingly come crawling back to me. I will be waiting for you, and I will then relieve you of your torment like the merciful god that I am. I will break your walls, and I will have you kneeling at my feet like the helpless quim you are. Then, my pet, you will truly be mine, and I will take from you everything that I want."
He gave me a peck on the lips again, and laughed maliciously at my whimpers of frustration. In a way I was glad that this hadn't progressed further, but at the same time, I was hot and bothered to the point of torture.
I put on my best strong face, and as boldly as I could muster, said, "I am not going to play some stupid game of cat and mouse with you."
He laughed and took my face in his hands. This wasn't erotic anymore. I wanted to get out of here. "You will have no choice," he mocked.
"And what if I don't play along?" I asked. "Are you going to force me?"
"Again, not as fun," he replied, "believe me, I will get what I want, and you will give it willingly."
"And how can you be so sure that I'll come looking for you?" I retaliated.
He chuckled. "Because you belong to me now," Loki replied.
I didn't like the sound of that. My pulse quickened out of fear.
"Run now, little mouse," he said, brushing me away with a graceful sweep of his hands. "And let the chase begin."