A/N: Whew, another long chapter, but I hope you all think it was worth the wait! I had something else planned, but stories can take on a life of their own. The title of this chapter is Alice Cooper's "Poison". The song Mandi sings to herself is Orgy's Fiction (Dreams in Digital).
Enmu sat in a chair next to Mandi's bed. She had been unconscious for over a day, and Enmu worried that he might have gotten carried away by drinking too much of her blood. She should have awakened by now, because he only had put her to sleep and not knocked her out completely. He buried his face in his hands letting out a soft sigh before trailing them up through his hair, combing it away from his face. The rosy light in her white bedroom cast a peachy glow along the damasked walls.
He had removed her soiled clothes and bathed her before dressing her in a pair of her pjs. Given the circumstances, he couldn't help but admire her nude body while changing her though he kept his conduct gentlemen-like. Enmu had healed the bite wounds he inflicted as best as he could, but they were very deep and could easily be seen as pink marks across her skin. While they would eventually fade away completely, he knew she would likely be sore from falling hard against the floor and resisting him.
"No, I didn't take too much of her blood. I'm betting more than anything that pure shock is what's responsible for her still being unconscious. It's her damned way of avoiding me." On the bright side, at least he didn't have to hide who or what he was around her anymore. He sighed again, louder this time.
Enmu realized that by attacking and scaring Mandi, he basically undid all his progress with her after she discovered his laboratory and his dirty little secrets. She had liked him, but surely she'd be afraid and repulsed by him now. He was amused with himself by the fact that he even cared what Mandi thought of him. This mere slip of a mortal woman was unraveling him bit by bit.
He hadn't even fulfilled his threat to his stupid maid for revealing to Mandi the location of his private study. He had gone into her quarters, cornered her up against a wall, and was poised to kill her. Sarah had shrunken down to the floor in fear, her hands up over her face. Enmu had snarled and was a heartbeat away from tearing out her throat with his bare hands, but he couldn't go through with it. His thoughts had drifted back to Mandi, and what she'd think of him further if he murdered Sarah. He looked down at the sniveling woman, biting his tongue, and darted out of the room.
He ran back to his own room, locking the door, and lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Enmu felt as if his soul, or what was left of it, was being torn in two. He admitted to himself that it was quite likely the old Enmu that sought pleasure in torturing humans was gone or at least permanently altered. He desired Mandi to care for him more than anything, a feat that now seemed nigh unimaginable after what he had done to her. Against all odds, Mandi had reached out and touched his cold, black heart with her warm hands. It was no longer cold or dead for that matter.
Enmu's heart was beating once again, and it was beating all for the hope and love of a girl he kidnapped named Mandi White who was now unconscious in his subterranean labyrinth. He focused on her breathing, and her pulse was strong and steady. He had some idea of what he'd face when she did finally wake. He'd have to try to be as patient with her as possible, but he wouldn't give up. When he wanted something, Enmu always got his way in the end.
Enmu looked at Mandi, studying the curve of her cheeks and the fullness of her lips. Gods, how he longed for those lips to meet his again, no tricks or games. He could use his oni magic and seduce her as many times as he wished, but he wanted it to be genuine and authentic. Mandi had called him 'beloved' many times while she was sleepwalking, a mystery Enmu had yet to work out and solve. Now, Mandi was his beloved. There was no use in denying it anymore even if he didn't fully comprehend the definition human's called 'love'.
Enmu closed his eyes, his black hair shielding his face as he hoped and prayed that she might somehow come to love him, the monster he'd become.
夢 夢 夢
Mandi felt consciousness stir within her many times, but she successfully fought it off and fell back into the world of dreams or better yet just complete darkness. She didn't want to wake up, nor did she want to remember where she currently was or her circumstances.
""Sleeping to escape reality, but you like it like that*," Mandi sang in the back of her mind in a moment of semi lucidness.
Yes, it was far better to be asleep and unconscious when your reality was the real nightmare. She still wasn't completely sure what had happened, but thinking about it and piecing together the events which lead to her situation would only rouse her further. She was dreaming she was at the beach, her parents and grandparents alive and happy.
Once or twice, she felt a hand on her body as if maybe checking for a pulse or just there for comfort like one would do to a loved one in a hospital. The hand almost woke her up several times. While she knew it didn't belong there, the weight of the hand was oddly comforting, however, she knew damn well whose hand it belonged to and was sickened at the same time. Mandi was never touched inappropriately and only gentle pats and caresses on her face or neck. It was as if the presence in the room with her had tipped an imaginary scale. It had the capability to be terrifying, and he was, but his hand felt warm, oh so warm. After another semi lucid moment and the familiar scent of cedar and now oddly lemongrass tickling her nose, Mandi dreamed again.
Mandi felt as if she were in another's body looking through their eyes during another time and seemingly a different world. She was most certainly in Japan, a Japan from long ago. There was no technology to be seen anywhere. She was walking in a small, rustic village, and there was a warm hand holding her right. Cautious and curiously, she looked up the sleeve of the indigo yukata belonging to the man beside her. The man holding her hand, noting her slowing pace, halted his steps.
"Akemi, are you daydreaming again? You aren't about to have another one of your fainting spells, are you?" The man smiled at her, squeezing her hand in assurance.
"I-I think I am. I don't know where I am, who I am, or even who you are," she said timidly, in perfect Japanese. Mandi clasped her hand over her mouth. How did she know Japanese?
Wasting no time, the man took hold of her hand and walked her to the nearest place to sit down and out of the sun. She had been having more and more of these spells it seemed, and he felt powerless in his ability to treat her. It scared him when she suddenly became another person or forgot who she was. When they were sitting in the shade, he helped her cool off by fanning her face with his hand. Her amber eyes looked back at him with concern. He had to remain calm for her.
"Do you need me to go over the basics with you, beloved?" His voice was light, soft, and soothing. His speech made her relax at once.
"Yes, please. I'm sorry. I really am so confused right now." A lock of her hair had fallen into view, and it was not silver but a reddish brown, a color that definitely didn't belong to her. She quickly pushed the wayward strand behind her ear and out of sight. "Where am I? Who am I?!"
"Shh, shh, don't cry." He cupped her face and gazed into her eyes.
Mandi studied the man's features. He looked very familiar, but she couldn't place who he reminded her of exactly. His black shoulder length hair was tied back with a piece of leather, and his eyes the color of a dark, stormy sea were kind and beautiful, almost like they were a dark turquoise. His face was rather feminine and heart-shaped, and he had thin eyebrows and gorgeous lashes obscuring his mysterious eyes when he looked downwards.
"Your name is Akemi Tamio, and you are the most beautiful wife any man could ever ask for. My name is Enmu Tamio, and I'm learning to become a doctor. You have been having fainting spells now for a few years, but I promise upon my life that I will find a cure for you. You are a woman who is truly loved. I can get lost gazing into your amber eyes and playing with your auburn hair. We had a child, a little girl called Nezuko that we sadly lost a few hours after her birth. We are in Japan, and the year is 1715, the Edo period."
Akemi had tears in her eyes letting it all sink in. She was trying to connect it with the other reality she found herself dreaming of being held captive by a monster, but it just made the pain in her head throb, especially hearing about the baby they had lost. Which reality was real or were they both dreams? Her breathing was quickening, and she shut her eyes. She clamped her hands over her ears in an attempt to block out the sounds of passersby and the street they had been walking on. Panic was filling her veins like cold, dark blood.
Enmu wrapped his arms around her, holding her closely. The English language came to her mind, and she found that she couldn't recall any of it, not even how to say 'hello'. And here was this man, her husband, that was so queerly reminding her of someone else, someone truly evil. She truly didn't know whether she wanted to melt into his comforting arms or try to get up and make a run for it.
He reached out and cupped her face, smiling at him. The warmth of his hand calmed her and made up her mind. She stared at his eyes, a serenity washing over her heart. It was almost as if someone flipped a switch and made her bad memories nothing but faint echoes of a bad dream. Maybe the other reality was just a very bad nightmare after all.
She wasn't herself any longer; she was married to this man and madly in love with him. The name 'Mandi' wasn't far from her mind, however and neither was the face of the woman who had blue eyes and odd silver hair. "Who is this girl and why have I been dreaming of her?"
Akemi sighed in relief, feeling the ground beneath her feet solid and secure. Things were starting to make sense to her again. She could remember Nezuko's pink, tiny face. She remembered her wedding, and her wedding night. Although her memory was coming back to her, it was still a little fuzzy around the edges as if she could see a shimmering alternate reality just beyond her husband. It was a ghostly image of the nightmares she'd been having when she fainted.
"You-you're my beloved?" she asked. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she blinked hard trying to gain her footing that was beginning to slip all too soon. Her husband was out of focus, and she couldn't bat her eyes enough to make out his handsome features. She could hear him speaking, but the world swirled before her eyes.
"Yes, I am. I am yours and you are mine, and not even time can separate us, Akemi. I love you, heart, body, and soul. Akemi? Akemi?! Are you fainting again? Someone, help me, please! My wife is having a seizure!"
夢 夢 夢
When Mandi surfaced from the realms of dreams this time, she could not force herself to sink back down again. The warmth and security she had had a few moments ago was gone, and the dream where she was called another name and happily married to some doctor faded away the moment her eyes began to open.
She woke up, sluggishly looking around the room. Her thoughts and memories were addled once more. Her whole body was still tender, but that wasn't a surprise. She was starting to get used to being in some kind of constant pain. Her left breast ached though. When her eyes settled on that of another beside her bed, her heart began to race.
"Are you okay?" Enmu asked softly.
She didn't reply. She couldn't. Her mouth might as well have been sewn shut. The peaceful serenity that calmed her soul moments before was long gone. Her reality hit her with a bang: rape, abuse, nude photos of her, and finally-teeth, his teeth. She drew away from him, pulling the covers up to her eyes, shaking in fear. "And he has the gall to ask if I'm okay!?"
"I won't hurt you again, okay? I won't. I promise!" Enmu said clearly exasperated, unsure of how to console her.
All she could do was shake her head 'no' indicating she didn't believe him.
"Do you want some food? I have a glass of water sitting here on your table. You should drink it. You've been out cold for over a day, and your body has got to be dehydrated." His soft, soothing voice did little to settle her now.
Again, she did not respond. Mandi was mystified as to why he was acting kind and concerned. She was nothing but a toy for him, an experiment, so why did he suddenly grow a heart?
He no longer retained the human façade, and she couldn't get over the colors in his hair or the facial markings let alone the sharp teeth now clearly visible when he spoke. At that moment, she wished that he had killed her, because she could have been with her family by now and out of this seductive nightmare.
"I won't kill you, so get that thought out of your head. I did want to kill you at one point, but I won't. I simply can't." He hoped she'd break the silence and ask him about why he couldn't, but she simply wasn't giving him an inch. He was mentally beating himself up for the way he acted and his original plan to torture her. She was little more than a frightened rabbit in his presence.
"Is it that bad being here with me? Is it really so bad after you knew damn well how dire circumstances were before you contacted me? You said it yourself that you had no options. You really were a fish out of water."
"Of course," she squeaked out.
"Mandi...I-." he said softly. Enmu reached out and touched her, lost for words. She flinched at the proximity of his fingers and flung the covers over her head as if to shield herself from him. She had to admit, however, that there was a certain desperation in his voice she'd never heard before, almost pleading. "Please, look at me."
"No. Go away! Don't touch me ever again!" she spoke, her voice muffled by the duvet.
"I won't lie to you ever again, so I cannot respect that request. You mean too much to me." Enmu heard a rather muffled and unladylike snort from under the blanket. He sat in silence for a while, unsure of what he could possibly do or say to start repairing the damage he had done. "I fucked up royally, but how was I to know what this girl would mean to me?"
"Mandi, please let me see you. Are you that afraid of me?" The covers flew back, bits of feather floating up into the air. Her braid was in tangles, but it was unusually sexy on her. Her cheeks were pink from anger, and she glared at him. "Good, finally some emotion and life from my precious one!"
"Oh, Enmu. If you care so much about me, God should put you down for overtime. You kidnapped me, raped me, and now are holding me prisoner here in your little funhouse. You've murdered people, and you took dozens of voyeur shots of me! Please, STOP caring about me. Your definition of 'care' is seriously warped!"
"I did take advantage of you, yes, but it was actually you who raped me first," he replied, that smug grin plastering his face.
"That's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard! How dare you!"
"You're right. It's impossible for a woman who sleepwalks to engage in sleep sex. I won't forget it. You certainly-what's the English phrase? 'Rocked my world' that night you first came to me." Enmu closed his eyes, sighing in a rather seductive tone. "You came into my bedroom wearing the pink kimono robe I gifted you. You walked up to my bed and let the robe slip down off your shoulders. I restrained myself from taking you right then. I actually tried to snap you out of it several times, but in the end you yanked the covers off of my bed and literally mounted me like a bitch in heat. You called me 'beloved'. In fact, you've called me that every time you've come to me at night. Even your scent changes when you visit me. It's almost as if you are a different person."
Mandi balked at his description. She knew very well that he was fully capable of deceit and used it often, but she didn't hear a lie in his voice not this time. Could it really be true? Her mind scrambled to leap back to a dream she had and the word 'beloved' was indeed a faint echo. "Beloved," she thought to herself, "I can remember being called that." Enmu interrupted her unsettled reverie.
"You know something, don't you?"
"Stay the fuck out of my head!" She immediately focused her thoughts on the ocean to block him from reading her mind, but she was drawn back to that fragment of her dream that Enmu had roused. Enmu clearly did not respect her wish this time.
"It concerns me, too. Mandi, I swear upon my life that until I met you, I was a completely different-person. The night I met you, you met my gaze while sleeping and called me 'beloved'. Please, what do you know about this?" She stared at him for a moment and then abruptly looked away. Just when he convinced himself that she was going to be stubborn out of spite, she spoke.
"I really don't know. The dreams I have disappear as soon as I wake up. And honestly, I don't think I'd reveal any information to you even if I did know. You've stolen my dreams away! You've stolen my life, and you don't plan on giving me up any time soon, do you?" The expression on his face clearly revealed his answer. "What the hell do you want from me? I'm nothing, nobody, so why go to all the trouble you did to kidnap me?"
"Because I lo-," he paused, glancing away from her. He couldn't say it. He didn't know if he could say the "L" word to anyone. He loved trains, cameras, and giving people nightmares. "Because I want your company."
"Unbelievable! Did you kill my aunt to get to me?"
"No."
"I don't believe you."
"When will you ever believe me?" Enmu stated, hurt. Mandi observed a shimmering drop of betrayal slide down his white cheek. He quickly brushed the tear away. "Aren't you curious about me at all? What am I?"
"No!" Willfully, she yanked the covers over her head again and shifted to her side, giving her back to Enmu. "I don't want to know anything about you. I want to wake up from this nightmare! My life has been nothing but nightmares, Enmu, and never any dreams. You gave me a glimpse of a false promise and false hope, and I could literally lie in this bed till old age reaches me. I don't care about anything anymore. Why should I? So, I'm stuck here as your little photography sex toy. Fuck you. You may take my body, but it will not be me."
Almost inaudibly, Mandi heard a faint whisper from under her cocoon of safety.
"But I want it to be you. I think I'm in love with you."
Mandi bit her lip, refusing to hear his confession or believe it. She didn't want additional complications. She heard Enmu get up from the chair he was sitting in, and then felt the bed dip down as he sat beside her. Mandi tried to restrain herself from shoving him away, and she managed to succeed until he put his hand on her hip gingerly.
She whipped the duvet back off her and shoved him with all her might. He didn't budge beneath her hands; he was too incredibly solid. She'd have better luck attempting to shove a brick wall. Enmu did, however, take a hint and stood walking a few feet away from the bed. She glared at him this time, the hate in her blue eyes piercing damning. He was over it and done trying to be nice. It was time to play hardball.
"She won't come to me on her own, so I guess all she needs is a little incentive, a little fear, perhaps. Fear can be a useful tool. Maybe I can train her to love me if she won't love me on her own." Enmu crossed his arms over his chest making sure that his left hand was clearly visible to Mandi and made it smile at her. She recoiled a bit, but at least she didn't dive back under the covers like a child hiding from a thunderstorm.
"You really should drink that glass of water, Mandi." It was no longer a request.
"Yeah, I'll bet. What drug do you have in it? Something to knock me out so you can fuck me some more in my sleep?"
"And you'd enjoy it," he smiled at her, "but no, if you can remember I don't need medicine in order to render you unconscious." He wiggled his fingers at her.
"Bastard."
"Sticks and stones..."
"Go to hell!"
There was silence between them for nearly a minute, Mandi holding her gaze on Enmu's freakish pupils. Rage had eroded her some of her fear of him for the moment, and she was a blazing inferno.
"Drink...the...water, now!"
Mandi hesitated, her inner turmoil mounting. She was to a smart degree afraid of him and what he could do to her, yes, but she no longer cared whether she lived or died. She did not believe it for a second that he wasn't going to kill her in the end. There was no way he'd let her go after the things she had witnessed. With death not being an issue for her, she felt bravado surge forward in her heart and glared at him in defiance.
Without dropping eye contact, she stretched her left hand out towards the table and grasped the glass of water. Enmu smiled in a small sort of triumph until he watched her deliberately release it from her grasp. Water and glass went flying along the white hardwood floor, the sound of impact somewhat softened by the fabric walls. Enmu closed his eyes and started laughing hysterically, biting a finger.
"You think you're so clever. I know why you really did that. You wanted to see if the maid is still alive after helping you try to escape."
"She has a name!"
"Yes, of course she does. You care about Sarah, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. That's what good humans do!" The emphasis she put on the word human cut him to the core a bit, though he'd never confess it.
"Very well. Then listen carefully, Sleeping Beauty. Sarah's life is now in your hands. I haven't killed her, but whether I do or not depends completely on you." He heard her gulp loudly, and he beamed with pleasure. He was going to have his cake and eat it, too!
"If you want Sarah to live, then you must obey and submit yourself to me whenever I desire and for whatever I please. Understand?"
Mandi gaped at Enmu's demands. It was absolutely absurd! But she thought of Sarah, and knew that Enmu had her over a barrel. With so much death and loss in her life, she could not and would not have anyone else dying on her behalf. She had no choice. She wouldn't let ill fate fall upon anyone if she knew she could prevent it.
"What assurance do I have that Sarah is even alive?"
"Oh, very smart, Mandi! One moment!"
In the blink of an eye, he was gone almost as if he vanished into thin air. A few minutes later, she heard a pair of footsteps coming down the hall. Enmu's hand was on the back of Sarah's neck, and she had a terrified countenance on her face. Other than the look of a frightened, caged animal, Sarah seemed unharmed. Mandi looked up at Enmu and nodded weakly, silently agreeing to his terms. Despair filled her heart, and she was defeated. The smug bastard had won the war without her even firing a shot in retaliation.
"Sarah, please clean this up. Be careful, Mandi was really clumsy with her glass of water that I tried to get her to drink." Sarah nodded and left to go get her cleaning supplies. Before Mandi knew what was happening, she was in Enmu's arms bridal style and in his black bedroom with the creepy tentacle-like chandelier. He gently set her down so she was standing in front of him, much too close for her liking. She wanted to run from him, but she had to think of Sarah.
"Kiss me," Enmu whispered alluringly.
Mandi frowned as she weighed the conditions Enmu had laid out before her. "It's only a kiss, but I suspect he doesn't want a peck on the cheek." She bit her tongue, not the least bit interested in kissing the charlatan doctor wearing clown makeup. He smiled at her, and she knew he had heard her thoughts. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him slowly, forcing her mouth to move around his lips. He gripped her body to his and kissed her back more passionately, and grinned in triumph when he heard a subtle moan escape her lips. Mandi quickly pulled away and met his eyes. How could she feel such pleasure from just one kiss and from a man she hated?
"That was nice, precious, but I didn't tell you to kiss me on the mouth."
"What?!" A mixture of embarrassment and anger blushed her cheeks.
She watched Enmu slowly strip and shrug out of his black tailcoat, tossing it on the bed. He then slowly unbuttoned his white long sleeve shirt. She looked away, not wanting the chance or opportunity to scrutinize his muscular physique underneath those clothes.
"Let's start work on your obedience to me, shall we?" Mandi looked at him in confusion. She felt Enmu's hands on her shoulders, pushing her down till her head was level with his hips. He slid his hand down to the front of his pinstripe pants, unbuttoning and then unzipping them. Pushing them down slightly, she could clearly make out a trail of dark hair beneath his navel leading to a place she did not want to see. Her horrified eyes, glassy like marbles, looked up at him as if pleading for some kind of mercy. What he was wanting her to do to him was humiliating and degrading, but then she figured that was exactly why he had her on her knees.
"Now, kiss me properly," he commanded, smiling down at her.
夢 夢 夢
"Can I go now?" Mandi whined impatiently. She could not believe what he had forced her to do. Enmu had moaned telling her that her mouth felt amazing, but she was better sucking cock at night. Anger beat with each pulse of her heart. She didn't want to believe him, but then she remembered waking up with her jaw sore the other day. "Fucking bastard!"
"And can you please halt the language?" Enmu sighed a little breathlessly, satiated for the moment. He was lying back on his bed, his pants pulled back up and fastened. His white chest gleamed like marble in the black decorated room. Her eyes started trailing along his features of their own accord, and she made herself stare at her feet. She didn't want to inspect the curve of his hips and his narrow shoulders, and she certainly didn't want to admire his beauty. Mandi leaned against the door with her hand on the knob, waiting to flee.
"Didn't your mother tell you it's rude to read someone's thoughts?" She pressed the handle down.
"Come here."
"No!"
"Shall I go get Sarah then, Mandi?"
She sighed out loud letting her head hang down in defeat as she walked back towards her new apparent 'master' or whatever he wanted to call himself. Mandi still did not comprehend his intentions. He was obviously going to kill her at some point. Instead of the lion going in for a quick clean kill, he taunted her and now was going to make her do disgusting things to sexually please him. "As if he needed any inspiration. The paintings and photos of girls hanging on your damned walls are a far cry prettier and skinnier than I am. Why me?" She stopped at the edge of the bed, avoiding his eyes. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the face after what she had just swallowed.
"Is that jealousy I hear, precious?"
"Enmu, please. Let me at least have my thoughts to myself. As if you didn't have enough authority over me. Don't embarrass me further!"
He reached up, grabbing her arm and pulled her down to him on the bed. Her first instinct was to naturally pull away, but she resisted much to her chagrin. He positioned her arms around his body, and while it was far from what he wanted it felt nice. He was already starting to get turned on again, and he reveled silently that he didn't have to hide anymore.
Mandi blanched when she realized Enmu was still shirtless, and shut her eyes. He made sure that her hands were in full contact with his bare skin. She damned how pink her cheeks got at the slightest bit of humiliation, and she was willing to bet Enmu was enjoying her squinched expression. She was suddenly too warm, especially when his left arm encircled her waist, trapping her.
"Look at me, Mandi," he said softly, tilting her chin up to him. "I'll try to refrain from reading your mind all the time, but I'm not going to rule out the possibility of you escaping either. I hope that in time, you won't want to anymore. But those girls-why are you comparing yourself to them? If you only knew what you've done to me." He kissed her forehead.
"What have I done to you exactly? Because I sure as hell want to know how to avoid getting kidnapped by a predator again." Her eyes remained closed, because she felt if she looked up and met his gaze that he'd put her in some sort of trance again. She spurned the idiotic idea that she could be aroused by this monster. She was just warm and nothing more.
"I'll tell you later when you don't have such an aversion to me. But as I said, you have no reason to be jealous. You're beautiful, and you're perfect just the way you are."
"Is this your idea of romance?"
"Mandi, I'm serious. Don't ruin it with your sarcasm hidden in self doubt. Remember, I can see right through you if I wanted to." He reached for her braid and played with it, rubbing her thick hair between his fingers.
Mandi opened her eyes and looked at him, the truth stinging her in the heart. She was insecure and sarcasm and ill humor was her usual way of dealing with it, but she didn't want to hear these kinds of words from Enmu, not after all he had done to her. It was just more of his mind games he had sprung on her.
"Why do you lie to yourself even now?" Enmu asked her, his lips brushing her forehead again.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Mandi said softly. He pulled her closer and tighter to him. She was far too warm now and uncomfortable in a way she didn't want to fathom.
"Must I spell it out for you?"
"If you must," she replied dryly. His face was close, too close. She knew she'd get chastised if she closed her eyes at the moment, so she focused her gaze as if she was looking at something behind him. His features blessedly became unfocused and blurry.
"Your diatribe is just a front. You're using it as a mask I guess would be the best way to put it. I know you hate me right now and if given a chance you'd run to your freedom, but there is also a part of you that craves me as much as I crave you."
"But-". He put his fingers to her lips, silencing her. His touch had refocused her eyes on him. She squirmed in his embrace.
"There's more to you than meets the eye. I wasn't lying when I said at night you come in here and pleasure me. You are a completely different person, wanton with reckless abandon. Even now, that part of you is fighting ever so hard to resist me." He leaned in close to her ear to whisper, "Your body is signaling mine to touch and caress yours. It's practically begging for it. I can feel heat radiating from between your legs. You're pressing your thighs together as a means to quench it, but it's not working, is it? You want me. You want me to do all sorts of naughty things to you."
Before she could refute, his lips rushed down to hers, capturing them. His hands clung to her back, stroking her skin just underneath the hem of her shirt. Enmu rocked his hips into hers, his tongue parting her reluctant lips. Mandi fought against the rising heat building in her loins as well as his passionate kiss, but her body started awakening even more from his touch. The throbbing between her legs became paramount, and she found herself kissing him back with equal fervor.
He was moaning softly into her mouth, and she began whimpering against his lips. His left hand came up and gently squeezed her breast. A cogent moment of rationality hit her, making her pause and realize just whom she was making out with. Mandi tried to pull away from the embrace, but Enmu held her fast to him. Her thoughts and feelings of disgust for him were turning into something lustful and possessive, and she hated the fact that he was right; she did want him.
"You haven't come in days, have you, precious? Only once in your sleep during the dream I gave you on your first day here. Your knickers are already soaked for me, and you're hot enough to burn. As much as you find me repulsive, you can't quite push me away right now, can you?"
Mandi grasped to find logic to disprove Enmu's statement, but at the moment all she could think were feelings, pure and animalistic. She wondered how far he'd let this go if she didn't stop him. She was so torn inside mentally and physically. She damned her body for being so reactive to his gentle caresses and kisses. His left hand was going lower too, sneaking down under the waistband of her flannel pajama shorts. His fingertips were now brushing the band of her panties. She had to decide right now.
With as much willpower as she could muster, she broke the kiss and pulled away from him as far as his arms would allow.
"Y-you're wrong."
"You're trembling, precious. I bet if I kiss you again right now, you'd cave into your desires."
"T-then p-please don't kiss me again. I can't, not after what's happened." She was more than trembling; she was squeezing her thighs together with all her might and whimpering softly. "Please, can I ask something of you?"
"Do you really think you are in a position to make demands of me?" he chuckled, removing his hand from her shorts and placing it on her hip.
"You've stolen my life, so yeah, I think you might be able to afford me a few indulgences."
He was silent for a minute, faced by the truth. But to Enmu, he didn't steal her. She was different, so different! He wasn't exactly sure how or why, and he would have to wait for Mandi's cooperation in order to find out fully. Other than him, she truly had nothing left in the world, and he wouldn't exactly call himself a prize. He looked at her, resolved and under control, inclining his head.
"If what you say is true and I really do come into your bedroom sleepwalking or as someone else, please don't touch me. Stop me, some way, any how-stop me! I know that's asking a lot, but please I'm asking out of your respect for me. You seem to have some kind of feelings for me, otherwise I wouldn't still be alive. Please, I'm asking you not to take advantage of me when I'm unconscious. That just feels dirty to me in words that I cannot even express."
He frowned, but brushed the side of her face. If that was one way in hopes he could win some of her favor, he'd certainly grant her that. "I'll have to lock my door, and lock her out."
"I promise, I'll do whatever I can without hurting you to honor that request then. But I'm not kidding when I say, you really do become someone else. What you are asking is going to be extremely difficult for me. Don't think this gets you out of everything else though. You promised full obedience to me." He squeezed her hand gently. "I have a request of my own."
"Really? Imagine that," she looked at him aghast that his insatiable desire yearned more from her than what he already had.
"At some point, I want you to sit and listen to my story, or what I can remember of it. I don't want you to be afraid of me, and I promise I won't lie to you. I need you to be willing to listen."
Mandi shrunk back at Enmu's request. She didn't want to know anything about the man that kidnapped her. In her eyes, he was purely a monster, a pervert, and a murderer. It would be like some sort of betrayal to herself and morals if she would actually let this man share his story. It would be emotional manipulation. She wanted nothing more than to get away from him. She wished she didn't even know his name. Unfortunately, she knew that she was in no position to make demands. He had the upper hand, and she had no choice but to play along for the time being.
"I'll listen then. Can I get up and shower or bathe alone, please? I need time to think and be by myself."
"That works, because I have work I need to do in my lab." Enmu saw the horror on her face and assured her. "No, no nothing like that. I don't want to say what I am working on at this time, but you aren't banned from my laboratory anymore on one condition: that I am there with you if you want to go exploring or blow something up."
Mandi let out a soft laugh at that, actually laughed. He smiled, his heart elated. He kissed her forehead again and stood up, offering her a hand. She took it, and he helped pull her up to her feet.
"Sarah should be done cleaning up your bedroom by now. Go, go relax. Remember to tell me if you have any fainting spells or issues. I promise I won't cause you to have them again." "That is, unless you ask me to."
"I knew you were responsible for some of them."
"You're a clever girl, Mandi, a little too clever sometimes."
Mandi walked towards the door, opened it, and peeked back over her shoulder at Enmu standing there, his turquoise gaze fixed on her. His skin really seemed almost luminescent in the dimly lit room.
"Enmu, thank you-for calling me beautiful."
"It's the truth."
She smiled at his admission then left him alone surrounded by his four black damask walls. He fell back onto his bed again, smiling at the ceiling. "Maybe, things will work out for me, for us."
夢 夢 夢
Mandi stood in the shower, the water somewhat on the cool side. She needed the refreshment, and she prayed to God that Enmu was far enough away that she could think and plan. She didn't trust him one bit. The cold water also helped her to take away some of the heat from her body and her burning cheeks. She was humiliated that she became turned on from his touch; it was disgusting. "Freaking bastard!"
She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and worked it into her scalp, sighing softly. Of course she'd play along with Enmu's hope that she'd come to like him. He was insane, and pretending to agree with a serial killer might just save her life in the end. Having to submit to Enmu's whims at any time though absolutely revolted her. She shuddered at some of the possibilities and requests he could make, and her stomach did a somersault.
Mandi took a bar of soap and scrubbed angrily at her arms until she realized a little too late how sore her whole body was. "This is his damn fault, too! He abused me and now I have to become his plaything?!" It was too much! Although distracted and away from the source of lewdness, the dull throb between her legs slowly abated. He was wrong about that, too. She didn't desire him, not in the slightest! "I only got caught up in the moment, or at least my body did."
The water cascaded down over her shoulders, and it was soft like a gentle rain. She turned around, turning her face up into the stream from the showerhead. How had her life come to this? How could she tell the difference between truth and lies when it came to Enmu? She turned her head down, the water still pouring off her face. She damned herself for falling for his handsome face and thus fell straight into his snare he laid out for her. Thankful that she still had one last lifeline to play when it was possible, she smiled.
When she felt she had a clear shot, she'd make a run for that front door during the early morning hours just when the sun was above the horizon. The little bit of sunlight peeking through the trees would prevent the bastard from seeking her and give a chance to find help. She'd had to come up with a story, however, because who would believe her being kidnaped by someone who wasn't human? If she told police where she was held captive, she'd just be sending Enmu a pizza-like delivery.
Mandi would study a map of the Aokigahara forest and try to orient herself to the closest civilization she could find and run. While she knew the forest she was under was big, it couldn't be impossible to find the edge of it and a town. There had to be a way out of this situation! She rinsed the shampoo out of her long hair and slowly worked in a handful of conditioner up to her nape. "I feel better knowing that I have a plan now, and hopefully Enmu won't try to open that front door. I'll be able to just dart out of it and...".
Her thought suddenly grinded to a halt. Sarah! How could she forget about Sarah? If she tried to run, what would happen to her? Enmu would most likely kill her. She could try to find a way to bring Sarah with her, but she might not have time or the opportunity. Also, if she told Sarah her plans, Enmu would easily read Sarah's mind and then Mandi's grand escape would be finished.
Mandi sat down on the teak bench in the shower, burying her face in her hands in utter despair.
夢 夢 夢
An uneventful day passed and then another. Enmu was granting her a bit of peace it seemed, but her nerves were on edge from the moment she opened her eyes till the moment she closed them. She didn't eat much, either. Even Sarah, who oddly looked healthier and more rested than she had when Mandi arrived, tried to get Mandi to eat. She spent most of the time in her room, staring off into a void. When she'd hear footsteps outside her door, she'd cringe at the anticipation for it to open and Enmu's strange eyes peering inside.
When restlessness eventually took hold and won, Mandi got up on the third day and cautiously trekked her way into Enmu's library in search of something to read to take her mind off her hopeless situation.
She loved the smell of a library, and the endless rows of books in Enmu's collection made her smile for the first time in days. It was a familiar scent, the scent of old paper and ink; it calmed her mind. "What shall I read? A drama? Horror? Romance? Nope, absolutely not romance. Definitely not horror, either!" Tracing a row of books absentmindedly with one fingertip, she heard his soft voice behind her.
"That's a good book."
"Then whatever it is, I don't want to read it." She heard him chuckle behind her, much closer than when he'd first spoken.
"You don't even know what it is, precious. It's a book on constellations," he whispered in her ear. Mandi spun around, pressing her back into the bookcase. "You don't have to be so jumpy around me, you know." He reached up, smoothing his thumb over her cheek.
"Please, don't. D-don't touch me," she choked.
"Remember, our bargain," he smiled and brushed her silver hair behind her shoulder, her pale neck now exposed.
"I've respected your wish, and I've locked my door at night. I generously gifted you a couple days without my presence, as well."
"Generous? Why, thank you, Mr. Abductor!"
"You're welcome," he responded, ignoring her blatant sarcasm. "I'll accept this as a 'thank you' instead."
Enmu leisurely moved his head closer and pressed his white lips to the side of her neck, kissing gently. He heard her heart beating just a tad faster than it usually did. He smiled against her skin and resumed kissing and licking her neck. Mandi froze on the spot, trying desperately to deny and ignore the fact that it felt rather good.
He placed another kiss down and another, and wrapped one arm around her and the other cupping the back of her neck. Mandi was unyielding like a board in his arms, but he didn't have to read her mind to know that his kisses were affecting her. Though she'd deny it, her accelerating heartbeat spoke the truth as well as the heat pouring off her body. He began sucking her neck, not strong enough to leave a mark but enough to get her attention. Her body shifted against his unwillingly. He suppressed another smile against her skin.
Being this close to her again after staying away for two days, the scent of her blood was driving him mad. He was thirsty although not starved. He could control himself, and he wanted to experience Mandi's reaction. "So she won't admit that my touch turns her on, I'll get her to confess. She isn't as repulsed by me as she would like me to believe."
Warily, Enmu bit down into the delicate skin on her neck, blood oozing into his mouth. A soft moan escaped her lips, and he held her body to his in a tighter embrace. He closed his eyes and sighed softly, swallowing her intoxicating blood. He remembered the last time he was in the library with her. No tricks this time, he'd promised. He sucked on her neck with a bit more force. This time he heard Mandi sigh contentedly, her rigid body beginning to relax in her arms.
She didn't know that he had bit her and was currently drinking her blood. Mandi thought Enmu was just trying to turn her on with a passionate make out session to her neck. "Why does my body feel so warm though? I feel weak but in a really relaxed and good way." She knew he was trying to charm her, but she wouldn't let him win. It was a matter of pride and principle.
Enmu drank from her for another minute and carefully licked over the bite mark to seal it. Deftly, he ran his tongue over his lips before pulling away so he could examine Mandi's expression. It did not disappoint. Her eyes were closed and she was biting her lower lip, her head tilted to the side as an invitation to continue. He trailed a finger down the length of her neck, tracing the hem of her pink V-neck shirt up and down her shoulders, stopping at the valley that led to her ample breasts. She shivered at his seductive touch.
"Come with me," Enmu said, taking her hand. Mandi blinked herself out of whatever lustful expression she had just inadvertently made. She didn't even realize how zoned she was until he spoke. She looked at him and frowned. He tugged her hand, getting her to walk with him.
"Where are we going?"
"My room," he replied. She dug her heels into the floor as they entered the next room beyond the library.
"No!" she cried.
"Relax, it's not for what you think." He tugged her hand again, pulling her easily along. She didn't respond. He wasn't concerned, however. Whatever reverie she had just in while he was kissing her neck was gone for the moment, but he'd soon have her back in it.
When they reached his room, he shut the door behind them and let go of Mandi's hand. He walked to his bed and laid down. He looked at her, smiling, and tapped the bed next to him.
"Lie with me," he said in a sultry voice. Immediately Mandi shook her head, but she found herself slowly walking towards the bed out of obedience.
This situation was all too reminiscent of the other day when Enmu had tried seducing her. However, it couldn't be bad, she surmised. He hadn't removed any of his clothes, so she didn't have to see or feel his bare chest. Whatever he wanted, perhaps this was innocent enough. She rubbed the side of her neck nonchalantly as she approached the bed, her fingers tracing over the spot where Enmu had bitten her. Horror crested over her face.
"You just fed on me, didn't you?!"
"And did I hurt you?" Mandi stammered to refute but bit her lip instead. "I think we both know you rather enjoyed it, though I know you'd rather die than admit it. I can make my bites be extremely painful-or pleasurable." He traced an imaginary circle on his black satin comforter, flirtatiously glancing up at her through his thick eyelashes.
"B-but you didn't ask me first!"
"Did I really need to? I don't think I need to remind you of the position you're in or the conditions you acquiesced. Now, come here!" He grabbed her hand and yanked her down into a sitting position on his bed. She laid down with a loud huff of irritation, her back to him.
"Uh uh, face me. Now, scoot closer. No, closer than that. Come on, you can do it. There now, this is perfect," he sighed softly. Mandi squeezed her eyes shut, desperate to pretend she was anywhere else but back in his vice-like grip.
He'd actually bitten her in the library just now? Why had it made her body feel so relaxed and pleasured? When he attacked her after she was caught snooping around his private study, his bite hurt like holy hell. She hated to admit it, but she was growing slightly curious about the man who now had his arms wrapped around her. She hadn't moved her arms for him and remained listless in his quasi hug. Being this close to him, she could easily smell the cedar on his black jacket but his lemongrass scent was more powerful. It was oddly refreshing and invigorating.
Enmu kept his eyes closed knowing that his hungry gaze would just startle his Sleeping Beauty more. He grabbed her stiff left arm and brought it around his waist pressing her fingertips into the small of his back. He cracked open one eye just to observe her face. He smiled at her cute, conflicted expression. Her eyes were tightly shut but her lips had a hungry, pleading look. That addled, tortured look on her face as he tried to get her to succumb was simply adorable and dreamy. She'd fall; it was just a question of when.
He closed his eyes and leaned in, faintly pressing his lips to hers. Mandi startled at the kiss, but didn't flinch away like Enmu expected. While she didn't move to return his affection, she didn't shift her head or attempt to pull away from his kiss. Starting slow with her seemed to be working.
He slid his fingers down the side of her face with his right hand, making sure to reluctantly keep his eyes closed in case she wanted to watch him. He trailed his fingers down her arm toward her back, inching them just under the hem of her shirt, massaging her skin there. Enmu felt Mandi's body relax instantly and was rewarded by a faint return of pressure on his lips.
He pulled away from the kiss, and he swore he heard her sigh in frustration. He opened his eyes, meeting her gaze for a second while reaching back down, taking her left hand in his right and bringing it to his lips. Eyes closed again, he brought her fingers to his lips and one by one began sucking on them.
Mandi's eyes remained locked on Enmu's face and the rapt expression he wore while sucking her fingertips. His hips were smoothly rocking into hers, and she had to resist the urge to rock back. Kissing the back of her knuckles he flipped her hand over, bringing her wrist to his mouth, kissing it.
"Watch," he whispered in a slightly deeper tone of voice, "I won't hurt you."
Mandi peered in trepidation as his teeth pressed against her skin sinking beneath the surface. She almost closed her eyes but the heat now coursing through her body again made her focus on his mouth. His teeth were embedded in her skin and he was sucking the blood from her wrist in the most seductive way he could manage. His hips thrust into hers again and this time she moaned out loud, pressure building between her legs. Her breathing started to quicken and she rocked her body against his unwillingly, at least that's what she thought.
"What the hell is happening? I cannot be feeling this right now, there's no way! He has to have me spellbound or something! I-I'm so turned on right now and from what? Dracula biting and sucking my wrist?! This is a fucking nightmare!"
"I'm going to break your wish here only to tell you that you're not being spellbound or 'charmed' or whatever you want to call it. This is 'Dracula' pleasuring you." He lapped at the blood pooling on her wrist, moaning softly, and reluctantly let go of her when the bleeding stopped. "There. You're free to leave right now if you desire. I'm not tricking you. This is me trying to earn some of your trust." He opened his eyes and watched her curiously.
Mandi had never been more bewildered or torn in her entire life. Her thighs were on fire yet she couldn't bring herself to get up and run out of the room away from the man who had kidnapped her. She quickly held up her wrist he'd be drinking from and only saw several faint pinkish marks. It resembled a wound that had already healed over. She looked back into his eyes apprehensively, and he blinked at her slowly. She wanted to get off the bed, but her body felt incredibly heavy. "It's another lie you are telling yourself, Mandi!"
"Last chance," Enmu whispered.
"For what?"
"Do you want to get up and leave the room right now?" He sat forward, propping himself up on his elbows and looked down at her confused guise. He laughed heartily when she didn't move at his offer and like a flash of lightning, he had her pinned beneath him. Now, she was bucking her hips and squirming underneath him to escape.
"Shh, calm down. I said I'm not going to hurt you, and I'm not going to do what you think. I'll even ask for your permission this time, because you won't say no to me." He chuckled.
"You're so damned sure of yourself, aren't you?" she spat, wriggling as much as she could. "What do you want?"
"Ask me to pleasure you." He smiled down at her cockily, pinning her wrists to each side of her body.
"Are you insane?! Never! I'll never ask for tha-,".
His lips were on her neck again, suckling. She wasn't sure if he had bitten her, but she closed her eyes and groaned loudly. He let go of her right hand and pulled the sleeve of her blouse down, exposing a creamy shoulder. That warming sensation flooded her veins again, and this time she knew he was drinking from her. She bit back a moan, dampness pooling between her legs. He wanted her to beg to humiliate her and as the seconds ticked by, she knew she was fighting a losing battle. His lips were working magic on her neck, and him sipping her blood for whatever reason was just like adding gasoline to a fire. Her cheeks were flooded with embarrassment and shame. She damned herself for not leaving while she had been given the chance. He pulled back from her shoulder, breathless.
"Ask me, precious. I'll grant you what you want, but all you gotta do is ask me."
"You're poisoning me, aren't you? You're like poison, and you're trying to manipulate my emotions and feelings!"
"Perhaps, then, it is you who has poisoned me."
She struggled underneath him once more in an attempt to fight off the words building behind her lips. She couldn't meet his gaze, because she had a feeling he was looking down at her with that smug grin of satisfaction. He may not have used any mind tricks on her, but he did play tricks on her of some sorts otherwise why would her body be betraying her like this? He only had one of her wrists held down, but it was enough to keep her locked in place. Her voice squeaked out in an inaudible whisper landen with shame.
"P-please p-p-pleasure me, Enmu." He let go of her wrist and in an instant his hands were on her skirt tugging it off. Her eyes flew open, startled. "No! I didn't mean that! I don't want THAT!" He laughed as she tried to cover herself, sitting up.
"Again, relax. I promise, I won't do 'that' to you until you ask me to. You asked me to pleasure you, but you failed to specify how or where. I get to decide, and you can't leave until I'm done. Now, are you going to fight me? I have no problem ripping those adorable panties of yours to shreds if need be."
"You're nothing more than a charming little devil, aren't you?" She glared at him.
"Oh my Mandi, you flatter me so!" He reached up, hooking his fingers in the elastic of her panties and pulled them down slowly in a way to tease her further. Mandi tried to cover herself again but he slapped her hand away. "I'll have to be satisfied with you asking me for this, because I know your body has been burning for me since you arrived. You look away in denial, precious, but I can smell it on you like a pleasant musk. When I touch you, your heartbeat quickens like a frightened gazelle about to take flight." Enmu positioned himself between her legs, kneeling before her on the bed. Grabbing her hips, he yanked her down from her sitting position.
"And when I kiss you," he continued, lying down on his stomach between her legs, "I can smell your desire from her." He kissed her left inner thigh, making her jump.
"Enmu, please, I've never had this done before and this just feels awkward and I-I need to shower first!" He smiled up at her, chuckling. She was as skittish as a colt.
"Let me just say this: you're perfect. I can't describe how delectable you smell, and you're making it rather difficult for me to lie on my stomach like this, let alone how tight my pants are right now."
Her words stopped in a rushed silence. He knew she was embarrassed and on the spot, but he was about to make this moment unforgettable to her. Any embarrassment she was feeling was about to be chased away by his lips, tongue, and fingers. He laid a trail of kisses along her left inner thigh and groaned slightly at how uncomfortable it really was lying on his bed like this with a raging hard on. What made matters worse was he wanted to be true to his word and continue to locking his door at night to prevent her from coming to him under a trance. He'd have to work with her on that, but now he had something more immediate in front of him. He was also still thirsty.
He inched his fingers up closer to the triangular patch of curls between her thighs and brushed his them lightly down her slit. Mandi jumped in response, a small squeak emitting from her mouth. Enmu chortled and suckled her right inner thigh, licking at her sweet skin. Mandi's legs were rigid against him, and he could imagine she was making crescent indents on her palms from her nails from all the tension both sexual and in general she was feeling. He sank his teeth into her thigh, and they moaned in unison. Her legs lost their rigidity the second he drank from her.
Enmu still could not believe how incredible her blood tasted. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It would be too easy to lose control and actually kill her as he suspected. He bit her with the rational of making her relax once again, but now he was finding it hard to stop. He moaned against her leg, reluctantly pulling away and lapped at the last bit of blood dripping down from the bite.
Grabbing her hips, he pulled her body down a bit further and blew cool air against her slit. She shivered from his teasing and also from the fact of how close his face was to her most intimate area. She closed her eyes and brought her arm over her face for good measure. No man had ever seen her like this or this vulnerable except for a doctor. She cried out when his tongue tenatively llicked at her clit, her hips shifting. It was almost too much.
She whimpered when Enmu's hands left her hips and spread her labia wide apart. Mandi cursed under her breath swearing her face was about to go up in flames. Her legs were shaking once again, and Enmu looked up at her concealed face with a rakish titter.
"You're awfully cute when you are flustered, precious!"
"Fuck you, darling," she deadpaned back at him.
"That's my girl," he cooed and dove his face back between her legs, knowing he alleviated some of the tension in her from their banter.
His lips encircled her aching nub and he sucked gently, rolling his tongue back and forth over it leisurely. If her legs weren't shaking before, they most certainly were now! Her pussy tasted almost as well as her blood, and Enmu hungrily lapped at her slit, which was dripping with slickness. The sight of her being this turned on and the scent of her made Enmu groan in frustration as he ground his hips hard into the bed. He was so hard that it was painful, especially knowing the only pleasure he'd get later would have to be from his hand.
With as much sexual tension in his Sleeping Beauty, he knew she wouldn't fare for long. That was okay because he would enjoy playing with her sexual awakening, at least while she was lucid. Enmu didn't rush her orgasm. He wanted her to experience just how he could make her body come to life, how perfectly matched they were. He licked slowly from up her labia, and circled her clit before flattening his tongue into slow, long strokes. Mandi was moaning and whimpering now, the arm covering her face now gripping his black comforter.
"You're so wet, precious. It makes me want to fuck you so badly right now, but I'll settle for you coming against my lips and fingers."
She groaned at his declaration, not caring if she suddenly found herself getting banged at the moment. The pressure between her legs was unbearable, and she was actually moving her legs wider apart in a brazen move to give Enmu easier access.
His wanton goddess was starting to show through, even after all the ill treatment he had bestowed. He smiled to himself, lapping and sucking at her slickness before taking his left hand and sliding a finger slowly inside her pussy. He looked up at her. She was biting her lip now, sweat glistening on her forehead. Adding a second finger, he slowly worked with a rhythm that she started to match with her hips. Hooking his fingers, he started adding pressure on her G-spot. Mandi's breathing was short and rapid fire panting.
"Precious, look at me. Please. I want to see your face when you come for me." With that, his mouth encircled her throbbing nub, suckling as he added a second finger, thrusting them in and out of her pussy with calculated precision and speed.
At once, Mandi remembered the dream where he fingered her and said those words. It was actually happening now, and his face was buried between her legs. The suction and his tongue against her clit had made her body molten, and the provocative way he massaged her inner walls drove her closer and closer to the edge. He removed his fingers for a moment, tracing them along her swollen lips and labia before thrusting them back up into her pussy, putting pressure back on her G-spot. A rippling sensation was building in her lower abdomen like a flood, but it was Enmu's turquoise eyes looking up and meeting her gaze that sent her over the edge. She cried out louder than she intended, accidentally squeezing Enmu with her legs when her orgasm hit. The added presence and pressure of his fingers made her squirt, another first for her. Avariciously, he lapped up at the juices flowing out of her, moaning into her pussy.
Mandi knocked her head back into the pillows, panting. Fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't focus on anything. She opened her mouth to say something to Enmu. She thought she was about to have one of her fainting episodes, but words escaped her. "No doubt he'll boast about how he made me forget how to speak later. Oh my beloved...wait, what?" A cold, clammy feeling washed over her, and she no longer felt like herself. She could hear Enmu saying something, but she didn't comprehend what he was saying. Enmu was for some reason speaking a foreign language.
Enmu sighed softly against Mandi's inner thigh, satisfied he could give her such pleasure and hoped that it helped him. All of a sudden, her breathing changed along with her scent. The jasmine scent had been replaced by that peachy, cherry blossom like one. He got up on his knees, his erection straining painfully in his pants, a little concerned.
"Mandi, are you okay?" He looked at her, and the gaze she gave back to him was so smoldering seductive that he let out a moan.
Whether his fault or not, she was in a trance and during the wrong time of day. She sat up, never taking her eyes off of his. She rose to her knees and inched her way up to him, placing her hands on his chest.
"Mandi, wh-," he said, but was cut off by her lips crashing over his.
Now, he was the one on fire. She was trying to tear his coat off, and he heard a button go flying. He got lost in her touch and kiss, cradling her head in his hands, and then remembered the damned promise he had made to her, at least the Mandi he knew. He had to try to stop this from happening, because it was already starting to happen!
"Mandi, precious, no." He placed his hands over hers, trying to get her to meet his gaze. Her hands slid out from under his shaking ones and cupped his painful erection over his pants, deftly undoing the button and zipper on them. Enmu swallowed hard.
"Mandi, please, don't do this. Please don't-oh fuck!"
Her hand was now inside his pants, caressing his cock. He shuddered at her touch. He was at a loss for words as to how this woman could be his precious Sleeping Beauty. She leaned over and kissed his neck.
"Why do you keep calling me that name? Is it a new nickname you want to call me?"
"What do you mean? That's your name! What do you think your name is?" He looked at her, baffled. The peach scent of her skin filled his nose with a sense of nostalgia long forgotten.
"My name is Akemi."
"Akemi? W-who are you to me?"
"Please, make love to me. I don't care what you call me, I just want you inside of me before it's too late." Her lips met his again, and this time he knew it was over. He couldn't fight her any longer or resist.
He ripped his coat apart, buttons flying everywhere. Mandi, or whomever she was right now, helped rip his white dress shirt off. The sound of buttons popping and bouncing off the floor and walls was ringing in his ears. He never lost eye contact with her, not even while taking his pants off.
He remained kneeling on the bed before Mandi, nude. A dire, lustful look was in her eyes. He reached for her face with his left hand, and trailed his fingers down her neck to the collar of her blouse. His other hand came up and rested on the other side of her shirt, his grip firm. She leaned forward, kissing him and nodded. In an instant, the sound of her shirt and bra getting torn to shreds filled the room.
He cradled her body to his, her figure fitting his perfectly with him. They kissed as passionately as they could muster, Mandi's tongue delving between Enmu's parted lips. Enmu's cheeks were now slightly flushed even under his white complexion. His cock throbbed painfully. He was about to ask her how she wanted it when she winked at him and got on her hands and knees before him on the bed. She wiggled her ass at him, looked over her shoulder, and winked. "Oh holy fuck, how am I going to explain this later?"
He smacked her playfully on the ass, getting up behind her. Her peach scent was intoxicating, filling his head and his heart. He was glad she was already slick and moist for him, because he gave one solid thrust and buried his cock in her to the hilt. His hands fumbled on her hips, and he dug his fingers in hanging on to her. She cried out his name in ecstasy, and Enmu whimpered at the sensation of being surrounded by her tight, wet heat. Whoever 'Akemi' was, she clearly loved him. Oh, how he longed and desired Mandi to feel this way about him, too.
He pulled out and slowly thrust back into her, making her feel his entire length. She whipped her head back, her silver hair cascading down her back. She started rocking her hips back into him, gripping and squeezing his hardness with her inner walls. Enmu gasped out loud already too close to the edge just from the appearance of this seductive siren.
He plunged into her tight, wet pussy harder and faster, and he watched her reach down and stroke her clit. She jumped, probably from the sensitivity of her previous orgasm. Watching her touch herself like that for him was one of the hottest things he'd ever seen. His fingers dug into her hips so deep they'd probably leave bruises later.
She cried out as she came for the second time, her pussy squeezing his cock rhythmically. She threw back her head as she screamed, and Enmu grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back, bucking his hips hard into her. He ground his teeth together, biting his tongue in the process as he came deep inside her. His cock twitched with each release of his seed, and it took a second for his own vision to come back into focus. He panted, getting control of his breathing as quickly as he could. He had questions, and he didn't know how long 'Akemi' would stick around.
He grabbed her, lifting her effortlessly in his arms and sat on the edge of the bed with her in his lap. Enmu looked into her beautiful, sparkling blue eyes and kissed her softly. So many questions, but at the moment silence was the only thing he could think. Just gazing into this woman's eyes filled his heart with such hope and happiness he never thought possible.
Mandi or 'Akemi', seemed to start observing Enmu for the first time and ran her fingers through his hair, examining the red and turquoise colored ends. She then reached up and traced the square markings on his face with her finger, frowning when they didn't smudge and wipe off. She could taste blood in her mouth, his blood, and recalled that his teeth felt sharp when they kissed. To Enmu's shock, she slipped a finger into his mouth, running it along the edge of his bottom teeth and retracted it as soon as she felt his inhuman fangs.
"Beloved," she said with such genuine concern that it made his heart ache with guilt and longing, "what happened to you?
"Man-Akemi, I really don't know." He hugged her to him, tears stinging his eyes and pouring down his cheeks. Her body was becoming too pliant and boneless, and he could tell that her trance was fading. She touched his cheek again with her fingertips, smiling lazily.
"It doesn't matter. Just remember how much I love you," she whispered.
Her head lulled against his chest, and he knew she was out cold. He held Mandi in his arms and wept like he had just lost the love of his life. His tears rained down upon her cheeks and gave the appearance that she, too, was crying with him even in her unconsciousness.
It was all pure pleasure before when she came to him like this at night. It was all selfish pleasure that he took advantage of. He hurt this woman in a way she never should have been, and he wanted nothing more than to somehow atone for his sins and make it up to her. This encounter left him riddled with a mea culpa over what he was and the lives he stole over the centuries. How many lives had he taken since he'd become an oni? How many lives had he destroyed? "How many wives, husbands, parents, sisters, and brothers have you killed, Enmu?"
He cried harder, choking a sob hitching in his chest, and kissed Mandi's cool forehead.
"Please, someway, somehow, learn to love me, Mandi. I need you more than anything in my life. I don't think I could live my life without you any longer, no matter if you are my Sleeping Beauty or this 'Akemi'. Please, don't leave me."
He sat like that for minutes, maybe an hour. He got up and carried her to the bathroom. He didn't know how long Mandi would be unconscious, and he wanted to be kind and clean her up. He held her in his lap while waiting for the tub to fill and set her gently down into the warm water. She still didn't stir. He tried his best to tie her hair up somewhat, but a woman's hair would never be his comprehension. "At least it is up out of the water."
He washed her as delicately and modest as he could manage. There were no sexual thoughts in his mind now, even when he caressed her breasts with a bar of soap. The other woman she became and the words she had said echoed from one ear to the other. He gingerly washed between her legs and rinsed her off, and massaged her hips where he suspected the bruises would bloom. She might ache tomorrow, but he took the brunt of it away.
Making sure she was propped up safely, he then washed himself and drained the tub. His oni strength came in handy for bathing and dressing an unconscious woman. He noticed while dressing her in a pair of pajamas that her clothes had shrunk in number, and he had destroyed her shirt and bra today. He'd have to somehow get more clothes for her without letting her escape.
Sighing softly, he put the pink kimono robe on her and kissed her soft lips. At least she couldn't fight or resist him; all he wanted right now was to be near her.
He pulled back the covers on her bed and sat down on her with her between his legs. He did the best he could and brushed her hair, starting from the bottom to the top and attempted a braid. It looked pretty horrible, but he didn't think it was bad considering the fact that he wasn't a beautician. He wanted nothing more than to cuddle up and sleep with her next to him in bed, but he knew that would only confuse and anger her when she awoke. He also needed to be forthright with her and confess what happened. He didn't doubt she still had desires of escape, but he wasn't concerned about it. He had his bases pretty well covered, and he had hidden the key to the front door for good measure.
Lying her down in her bed, he went to his closet and grabbed a pair of boxers. After putting them on, he went out to the kitchen. Sarah was there cooking some type of chicken for supper. She shrank back when she saw him.
"Calm down, I won't hurt you. I promise! I'm sorry for all the bad things I've done to you, Sarah. From this day on, if you choose to continue working for me, I'll increase your wages, and I'll make sure you have dreams of your family every night. I don't have enough words to make amends for the sins I've done."
Sarah stared at him in awe. She wondered what sort of magic Mandi held in order for a oni like him to become almost human. She mused if this was a permanent change or a trick, untrusting.
"It's no trick," he said after reading her mind. "I love her."
"Love can change a person, can't it?" she signed to him in ASL.
"Yes, it can. There is more going on here than I originally thought. It's almost as if-I don't know exactly. She, sort of becomes two people. The second person seems to know me quite well, and since this is the first time I haven't hidden my oni markings from Mandi while we were...uh...intimate, this other personality of hers saw them too and commented on them. She looked-hurt when she saw the real me and asked "What happened to you?" before she passed out. Do you have any ideas, Sarah? I want this woman to love me, because I feel a connection with her unlike anything I've ever felt in my entire existence, however long that may be."
"It's obvious, isn't it? She must be your lover from a previous life," she signed.
"But how is that possible? I've been an oni for at least 300 years. I don't remember my past before becoming an oni, but I sure would remember something like that."
"How can you be sure? You said yourself that you don't remember. I've heard stories in my village of oni and how once a human becomes and oni, their humanity escapes them over time. They turn into savage beasts. If you've been an oni for 300 years, there's no telling what you've forgotten. Work with Mandi and see if you can figure the puzzle out together."
"But she hates me! I've done horrible things to her, Sarah, more horrible than what I've done to you. I-I killed her parents."
"What?!"
"It was a long time ago, something I didn't remember. I happened to be in Tokyo at the time, and I murdered her parents while she was a child cleverly concealed in the closet. She was having a nightmare, and I linked myself with her to change it to a dream and saw that repressed memory of hers. She doesn't know it was me, and I don't know how to tell her. I fucked up everything! I really am a monster, aren't I?"
The tears started again. He couldn't believe he was crying in front of his maid. He buried his face into his hands and cried. He felt Sarah's arms around him, hugging him tight. He jumped at the hug and looked down. This was comfort not just meant for lovers then? It felt different than when he embraced Mandi, but it felt warm and inviting nonetheless. He hugged her back.
"How do I get her to love me, Sarah? After all I've done, how?"
"You need to give her space and time. If she really is your lover from a previous life, then she will be more understanding in the end. You have to go slow with her."
"How do I remember who I was though? There is no undoing the curse that I have upon me. I'm an oni until the end of time, or I walk into the sunlight. If she can't love me, I don't know if I could stop myself from doing just that."
"Hush, hush. You need to calm down. I suspect your emotions which have been repressed and ignored for years are slowly coming back to you. Don't fight them. They may help you remember and regain your humanity. Enmu, before today I thought you were a monster indeed, but today I see another side of you. You have a kind soul and a kind heart. Your heart might have died and turned to stone over the years, but this girl is your match, and she is restoring it."
He nodded, sniffling. Can you please get me a pen and paper? I need to write her a note explaining something. If you see her before I do, please tell her to come see me immediately. I need to talk with her about what happened. She became the other person while we were..." Enmu couldn't finish that sentence.
Sarah nodded and handed him what he asked for.
"Thank you again, Sarah. I hope you and Mandi become friends."
"Thank you," she signed, "for realizing that you have more humanity in you than you realized. I will pray for you both."
He smiled at her and headed back to Mandi's room. He quickly wrote down on a message on the piece of paper, and set it under a glass of water on her bedside table. He wouldn't stay long, but he needed to be near her for a moment. He crawled into bed next to her, spooning her into his arms. Her jasmine scent was back again, and he sighed into the back of her neck.
Just then, a revelation hit him so hard he sat up and looked down at the sleeping girl. He didn't realize it until just now. Mandi didn't know Japanese well at all. 'Akemi' spoke it fluent and effortlessly. She had spoken in Japanese all the other times she had appeared to him as well, and he just never noticed because he was caught up in the heat of the moment. What Sarah said made complete sense; Mandi really was his lover from a previous life.