Disclaimer: Do not own MR
Chapter Seven: Prize
The restaurant is also conveniently a hotel. I am starting to think that everything is in the same place. The private auction room must be underground, the restaurant on the ground floor and the rooms on the higher levels. It makes sense, I suppose. It is easier to lavishly decorate only one building. This must be the Director's sanctuary.
I shudder at the thought of what goes on here on a daily basis.
Wayne turns the key in the door and the latch clicks. Slowly, as if he wants to draw every single millisecond out, he opens the door. The room has a large king size bed in the middle, surrounded by softly glowing candles.
Is Wayne trying to be ironic?
"Make yourself comfortable," Wayne says as I take a tentative step inside the room. I swing around to find he's inching the door closed while he's still on the other side. "I'm going to be back in a moment. I just need to take care of some…arrangements." He smirks at me and I can feel tears threatening to break free.
He closes the door and I hear the click of the lock. And I can't hold them in anymore. I collapse on the bed and cry. I can only imagine what 'arrangements' he's taking care of. I can't see any restraints, which is the only way he'd be able to make me go through with this. It certainly isn't going to be willing. Or perhaps he intends to drug me to make me complacent. All I know is that I will not go through with this. I will die first.
Fingers comb through my hair and I immediately stiffen. I didn't hear the door open, but I have been crying pretty loudly. The fingers continue their caress and I smack his hand away, sobbing more loudly.
He places his lips against my ear as I hunch into a ball, trying to protect myself.
"Max."
I sit up so abruptly that my head collides with his. I hear a groan and a softly muttered curse.
I would know that voice anywhere.
"Fang?" I whisper, reaching across the bed to his form. Have I died already? Because surely this cannot be real.
He reaches back across the bed and pulls me towards him. I catch a glimpse of the bathroom door, which was closed before. Had he been hiding in there, waiting for a chance to save me?
I sob into his chest as he cradles me close. The relief coursing through my body is profound. I feel like I can breathe again after spending an eternity underwater.
"How?" I manage to gasp through my sobs.
He smooths my tangle of hair away from my face and places a light kiss against my forehead.
"Wayne!" I exclaim, suddenly remembering the man who bought me. "We have to get out of here—"
"Shh," Fang murmurs into my hair. "He works for me."
I finally stop crying.
"Wh-what?"
"The Director kept me distracted on purpose. He wanted to make sure I wasn't going to interfere in your…auction. But I'd already made arrangements with Wayne. He's a friend… and he knows that if he utters a word I'll kill him so quickly it won't even hurt. The Director won't think anything of it, and Wayne will spread lots of rumours about how much fun he had with you." He swallows. "I'm so sorry Max. It was the only thing I could think of. It makes me sick to think of what might have happened to you. It even makes me sick to think that Wayne will be spreading those lies, but I can't help that."
"He was so convincing," I murmur, referring to Wayne. Then I smack him against the chest. "I was sick with worry! I was going to kill myself if worse came to worst!"
But I'm not angry. The sight of this beautiful man has made me believe again. Maybe this world is not so cruel after all. To think that I might be spared this heartbreak. God knows I've been through enough.
"I know," Fang soothes. "But you should know that I would never let that happen. I will always do everything in my power to save you. And if I ever fail, I wont be able to stand living without you."
He carefully wipes away my tears and I give him a smile.
He leans close so that his lips are a hairsbreadth away from mine. I breathe him in as he does the same to me. I lean back against the bed and Fang leans over me, his lips still not touching mine. Finally, they touch feather soft. The butterflies in my stomach explode and I feel like this is our first kiss. I can't understand how I can feel so happy so quickly, especially after what might have happened tonight.
He places butterfly kisses on my face and neck as his hand glides over my ribs.
"Kiss me. Harder," I whisper as his hand cups my breast.
He complies and I am lost in this moment – in him. My hands make their way into his hair and I am pulling him impossibly closer. I want to feel all of him against me. And I want to give myself to him before someone else gets a chance to take it. I am full of hope that this will all end happily, but I am cynical. This world has shown me it's dark side and I am not naïve enough to think that we have made it out into the sunshine just yet.
I gently bite his lower lip and he smiles against my mouth. I wrap my arms around his hips and press them against mine, hoping that he will take the hint. I can't wait to have all of him with me. I feel his hand run beneath my silver dress and slowly move it up. Soon I am raising my hands so that he can pull my dress over my head. My wings shiver as they are freed from their confines. He runs his finger through the feathers and then proceeds to remove his own clothes. I marvel at his leanly muscled body. His black wings unfurl and I cannot get over his beauty. Although I know nothing will compare with his beautiful soul.
"You are so beautiful," he murmurs.
He kisses the black lingerie – one kiss on each breast and one below. But he pauses and meets my eyes.
"This isn't you," he says, referring to the garments. I nod slowly, because frankly I'm finding it difficult to form words.
"I think I might take them off," he says with a tiny smirk, unclipping the stockings. I am a ball of nerves, but I allow myself to relax against him. I know he will take care of me.
He goes slowly, working my body with his hands and lips until I am ready to explode. I learn his body as well - every muscle, every response, every dip and curve. Finally, he fills me up and even though it hurts I can't do anything but gasp his name. I have never felt so alive. We kiss as we come down from our high and I am completely exhausted, but in a good way.
Afterwards, we lay side by side, our legs tangled together. I lightly run my nails up and down his arm, liking the way he smiles with his eyes closed. After a moment he opens his eyes and kisses my nose.
"Do you think this happened too fast?" I ask quietly, watching his eyes.
"What, this?" he asks, indicating our very naked bodies.
I giggle. "No. I mean our…feelings. I feel like it was all very sudden," I say.
He smiles gently. "These things develop faster under arduous circumstances. And besides, I'm not about to wait the appropriate amount of time to tell you how I feel. This life is short – we both know that – and we have to make the most of it while we can."
I smile and kiss him until we both fall asleep.
x
x
x
I wake up to chaos. The door blows open and crashes against the wall. I scramble up from bed as guards file into the room. The Director pushes a bloody Wayne onto the floor. Fang calmly gets up from the bed in all his naked glory and pulls his pants on. He takes a stand in front of me. I'm on my knees on the bed, clutching the sheets to my body.
"I was very disappointed when I went to pay a visit on our dear friend Wayne here," the Director says and gives Wayne a vicious kick. "You see; his bed was empty this morning when I was so looking forward to seeing a certain girl. Can you imagine my surprise?"
"Since when do you impose on a man's transaction?" Fang asks. I can see the rage seeping out of his every pore, but he is doing a good job of containing it.
"Since it involves my prize possession," the Director snaps as his eyes land on me. His look is feral and I fight not to flinch.
"Don't look at her – look at me!" Fang snaps, his body coiled to fight.
The Director chuckles darkly. "So it's true. You really do love her. I never thought I'd see the day."
"Can't you just leave us be? We're doing you no harm."
The Director sneers. "She belongs to me. I don't want you to use her without my permission."
Two guards take a step towards me and Fang stiffens. He steps forward and his wings unfurl to block me from their view. He snarls at them and I feel a shiver. The guards falter. I would too if I had to go up against a snarling Fang. He'd never been more dangerous.
"Well," I hear the Director say. "Where have you been hiding those, hmm?"
"You never once suspected," Fang says. I can hear the smirk in his voice.
"You did a good job of hiding it. But why would you choose to get close to me? Your kind hates me."
"So I could pull your beating heart out of your chest with my own bare hands," Fang replies, his voice deadly.
"Ah. Revenge. Who was it that I took from you?"
I see Fang's jaw clench.
"Touchy topic? Well, it doesn't really matter. You'll fail in the end."
The Director nods to his guards.
All hell breaks loose.
A/N: Reviews will make me update faster ;)