When I am handed my speech for this afternoon I can’t believe what I’m reading. Every subject to how we plan to reform the human communities and populace is explained in vague, non-committing terms. In short, Darius wants me to avoid giving any direct answers that he, his father, and our campaign will have to be held to. I am to give false hope with no exact terms. I am to lead my people on.
How dumb do they think we humans are? They’ll smell a rat a mile away. There’s no way I can read this and not feel like a traitor deep down. I tell Darius as much when he returns, partially because I believe he left me to spend time with Aria, and partially because my integrity isn’t something I’m willing to compromise.
“You live to argue with me, don’t you?” Darius sighs.
“If you were me and you were addressing your people, would you give them a speech like this?”
“I am not you Giselle.”
“Just answer the question.”
“I’d know my place as Lady Draven, and I’d know not to bite the hand that feeds me. I’d do what my husband asks and I wouldn’t openly defy him as I have a tendency to do…therefore pushing his buttons,” he glances at me.
“So that’s it? I’m to continue to be your little puppet then?”
“I’m not about to have this conversation with you Giselle,” Darius sighs.
“Of course not. Don’t listen to the only human on this campaign tour who actually knows what the human population wants,” I scoff, crossing my arms, “I’m not giving this speech. It’s crap.”
“You’ll do as I say or else.”
“Or else what?” I glare at him, “You’ll kill me? I think not. You need me alive for this illusion to work.”
“Alive yes, cognizant…not so much.”
A threat. It’s nice to know he’s not above threatening me to get what he wants. This dysfunctional relationship of ours is already on the outs.
“You’d really harm me?”
“Let’s just hope we’ll never have to find out.”
A knock at the door let us know it was time to head down to the car. Helena trails us. She watches me whenever she thinks I don’t notice, and then looks away when I return her gaze.
Darius has me dressed in a red, single-breasted, long wool coat, matching knee-high leather boots, a red pencil skirt and a black blouse with a ruffled collar. I feel utterly ridiculous in it, but according to Helena it’s the latest trend in night-dweller fashion. I’m human.
We gather into the car and I hold my tongue as we pass through tarnished human territories before arriving at their town hall. If you could even call it that…
Tons of human media gather just outside the building where we’re to give our latest press conference addressing human issues. By far it’s the best building on the block, but compared to night-dweller conference halls, the building is nothing more than a converted, withering gymnasium.
I smile as I exit the vehicle and play my part for the cameras, the humans, and the watchful eyes of night-dwellers. Camera flashes and shouting reporters block my path until the bodyguards Darius hired clears a path for us to walk.
Once inside we’re taken to what looks like an auditorium stage and a single wooden platform sits at the front of the stage.
Darius is the first to address the crowd of reporters asking pointed questions about what our intentions are with the human population. Darius dodges those questions gracefully; undoubtedly from the years of training he’s had at being deceptive. That’s what the Draven’s are good at…deception. They’ve mastered the art of screwing over the human population and now they want me to be a party to it.
Halfway through Darius’ speech the media began to chant my name. He tries to finish, but they want no parts of him. They chant my name louder and louder until he concedes.
Plastering a fake smile on his face, Darius motions for me to come to the podium. With baited breath the crowd waits for me to speak. I look down at my speech, not wanting to sellout my own kind, but after a gentle caress on the back from Darius, I recite those damning words. The crowd went quiet. I’ve done it…I’ve allowed myself to be a puppet for the Draven’s…I’ve allowed my love for Darius to silence my own voice.
“Devil’s whore!” Someone shouts from the crowd of humans.
Looking up from my speech, I’m confronted with a crowd full of hate-filled eyes. Betrayed…that’s how they look. I can feel their disappointment, and it’s enough to snap me out of being the Draven’s willing puppet.
“You’re right,” I sigh, “I am not being up font with you all…and I’ve lost sight of who I am.”
Stick to the script…Darius shouts into my mind. I couldn’t. Not if it meant my people would hate me for it. Not if it meant I would hate myself and not be able to stare at my own reflection in the mirror.
“From this day forward I will be honest and up front with you all. And I’d like to start by talking about what I intend to do for mankind,” a tug at my consciousness, causes me to temporarily stutter. It’s Darius trying to silence me before I can fully explain my intentions, “My plan is to rebuild the human communities with the help of night-dwellers. They can build one hundred times faster than the average human and where it takes humans months to build one house a night-dweller can build two to three a day.”
The crowd erupted into murmurs. I chance a glance in Darius’ direction and his temples flare. A smile is plastered across his face but I can see the fire in his eyes.
“Why would the night-dweller’s help us rebuild our communities?” One reporter asks.
“Its simple…it will create more jobs for them, which brings more money into their households, and eventually their communities. It’s the cycle that keeps on giving, creating a rich economic environment.”
“And what of our economic environment?” Another reporter shouts, “We have no jobs. Night-dwellers hire their own kind and they’ve revoked our right to own businesses. Our population is being suppressed. How will we live once our communities have been restored?”
“The plight of the human population has not gone unnoticed by me. Please be patient. I know you’ve suffered for a very long time and I’m hoping to change that, but I don’t have all the answers yet. Some plans are still in negotiation, some have yet to be proposed, and some are still being explored to assure the best possible outcome.”
“Who plans to pay the night-dweller wages? We have no money…we can’t pay them,” another reporter shouts.
“Well the Draven family has always been a very innovative and crafty family. I know for a fact that one of the companies under our possession happens to be Draven construction. Surely I can convince my loving husband and his family to create jobs for their own kind,” I smile sweetly. The crowd eats it up. I know I’ll be in a lot of trouble after this, but seeing the hope in their eyes…the way their eyes all sparkle at the thought of finally getting back to civility…it’s all worth it.
“How do we know if any of this is true?” A reporter pushes his way to the front to confront me, “Your husband isn’t even faithful to you,” he spits, “rumor has it that your husband married a night-dweller no less than two days after he married you. Is there a problem in the bedroom or are you just another political puppet for their agenda like your father?”
Now there’s a question I wasn’t expecting to be asked. I cast a sideways glance at Darius. I can’t let them see me sweat. I have to keep up the facade that things between us are solid.
“What’s your name sir?” I ask, hoping to buy some time to find a clever answer.
“Mark Hilt of the Connecticut Times,”
I’ve got it! “Well Mark, have you seen the new Mrs. Draven?” I ask.
Confused, he replies, “Yes I have,”
“Then you know first hand just how beautiful she is,” I smile wickedly, “The truth of the matter is if he didn’t marry her I would’ve married her myself.”
My words hit their mark as the crowd of reporters all laugh at my fake candor. Better they believe it’s a team effort than believe I am no more than a political tool. My execution was cunning…effective…flawless…and they ate it all up. They love me even more.
“Does anyone else have any real questions,” I tease, “Or will I be asked to reveal more of what else goes on behind my bedroom doors?”
All the reporters began to shout at once, but Darius cuts them short, announcing that the conference is over.
I’m escorted from the podium back to the car waiting outside. Darius stared at me in silence and I wonder just how much trouble I’m in. Whenever I try to speak he waves me off, so I stop trying.
I didn’t get nervous until we pulled up in front of the private residence we shared with some of our campaign staff. Darius is tense…quiet…contemplative. All equals a very bad combination. He can explode at any moment and I have no idea what he’s going to do to me.
He waits until we are alone in our bedroom and stalks over to me. Afraid, I back up to the wall, holding my breath. Feverish with carnal lust, his lips crush against mine as he rips open my shirt, popping at least three buttons. I gasp, still unable to move, think or breathe.
Darius’ eyes lower to my breasts then up to my lips. With a swipe of his fingers the straps of my bra are severed. It falls to the floor at my feet. I’m so confused. I never know when he wants to fuck me or fight me. I thought he was going to kill me. Who am I kidding, he still might.
The punishment comes moments later when Darius sinks his teeth into my neck. I cry out in pain but he won’t relent. It’s the price I must pay for my disobedience, and the pain is excruciating.
“You’re going to pay for what you did today,” Darius whispers against my skin.
He slides his fingers between my legs, hooks a finger through the crotch of my panties, and rips them right off of me.
Grasping my neck in his hands, he applies a little pressure and walks me backwards to our bed. I inched back onto the bed to get away from him as he removes his clothing, but there’s no getting away from him. Darius grabs hold of my ankles and pulls me down closer to the edge of the bed.
He doesn’t bother being gentle as he thrusts himself inside me, biting my breasts and collarbone. Again I cry out in pain, but nothing is worse than what Darius is doing to my insides. He’s taking every bit of anger and frustration out on the walls of my center. And he has an endless amount of strength and stamina. He can hold his orgasm at bay as long as he wants to and does so until I beg him to put me out of my misery. Biting into my shoulder, he climaxes and it feels like he’s severed my shoulder from my body.
He licks and sucks at the blood leaking from my shoulder why I try to catch my breath, and then he uses his own blood to heal my wound.
Normally I’d hop right in the shower after one of our escapades, but I can’t move the lower half of my body. I’m paralyzed from the waist down. Darius taunts me, saying he’s not going to help me until I start listening to him.
Having no other choice, I agree, and he calls for a medic who informs Darius that he’s dislocated a disc in my lower back with his savagery. The disc is pinching my spine.
The medic pops the disc back in place and for that brief moment the pain is so excruciating that I want to die. It takes a moment for the pain to subside and slowly I began to regain feeling in the lower half of my body.
“You could’ve killed me,” I scold Darius.
“You weren’t complaining,” he smirks.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I,” he laughs, “You disobeyed me today. Luckily for you, I didn’t exactly expect you to play by the rules. Although…I didn’t expect you to be as quick witted and cunning as you were either. That…I couldn’t wait to get you out of your clothes.”
Darius went to take a shower and I followed. We washed each other’s body and as we rinsed, he kissed me over and over again, plunging me deeper and deeper in love with him.
“I have to leave after this,” Darius whispers to me.
“To go where?”
“I have some business to tend to.”
My mind drifts to the secret Helena let slip and I had to ask, “Does this have to do with Aria? I know she’s staying in the guesthouse.”
He pauses and backs away a bit, surprised. His lips curl into a smile as he says, “You’re full of surprises aren’t you?”
“Am I right?”
Again he pauses, calculating his response, “Yes,” he nods.
“How can you leave our bed to go crawl into hers?”
“I never said I was going to sleep with her, I’m just going to go see her.”
“Are you sleeping with her?”
He cocks his head to the side and smiles incredulously, “I would never tell you if I was,” he shook his head.
“Don’t I deserve to know?”
“Perhaps, but the last thing I need is you doubting me…doubting us. So for that reason, if I were sleeping with my second wife, which I’m entitled to do by the way, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“You’re an ass,” I scowl at him.
“So you keep telling me,” he chuckles, “but you seem to like it.”
Ugh…God I hate him!
“This is becoming hard for me,” I confide.
“Why? She’s not in your face, and you and I spend most of our time together. If anything, she should be jealous of you.”
“You do realize this isn’t a traditional marriage for me, don’t you?”
“Traditional in what sense? In a human sense?”
“Well, yes.”
“I am not human. Their traditions…”
“My traditions,” I argue.
“Your traditions mean nothing to me. Our marriage is no different than any other of my kind.”
“Then why hasn’t your father taken on another wife? Why hasn’t Lucien? They’re both married to one woman.”
“Okay one…have you seen my mother? Two, my father did have a second wife, but she tested my mother and she killed her with her bare hands. He never brought another woman home after that. And my uncle Lucien…let’s just say, the only other woman he wants to share his bed with is my mother.”
“I love you,” I sigh, “I keep trying to fight it and I tell myself not to fall in love with you, but I have, and I’m scared because I know you don’t love me. I know your heart belongs to someone else, and I want you to want me the way that I want you.”
Darius bristles at my admission and it’s enough to make me wish I never told him. He sighs, shoving his hands in his pockets and his eyes study me for a moment before he walks over to me and presses his lips against mine.
What does this even mean?
He doesn’t say anything else he just leaves. I stood there for at least three minutes before heading into the kitchen to make dinner. I’m not as good a cook as Darius, but I make due around a kitchen. After dinner I try watching a little television, but my face is plastered all across the television screen and I don’t want to hear the lies and cover-ups that came out of my mouth.
I try waiting up for Darius, but as exhaustion set in I must’ve fallen asleep. I awoke to sunlight creeping in through the tall glass windows. I forgot to draw the curtains before falling asleep.
Movement across from me brings a smile to my face. Darius watches me sleep sometimes and I think it’s cute. Sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I stretch and turn in his direction only to gasp. Not Darius…it’s her.
“I can smell him all over you,” Aria examines me with a careful eye.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, “And where’s Darius?”
“You tell me,”
“Well did he say anything before he left the guesthouse this morning?”
Her brows purse together in confusion, “Darius never came to the guesthouse last night. I thought he stayed here with you,” she explains.
“Well if he didn’t spend the night with you and he didn’t spend the night with me, where is he?”
No sooner had I asked the question, did Darius come waltzing into our room. He stops cold when he sees the two of us standing there. His eyes slide from Aria to me and then back to Aria. “What are you doing here?”
“Apparently we’re both looking for you and since you’re not dead I’m going to assume you lied to us both,” I spoke first.
“Ooh…I like her,” Aria smiles.
“Are you okay?” Darius asks me.
“She’s fine,” Aria answers for me, offended he would even ask. “I haven’t harmed a hair on her pretty little head. But I see your pension for collecting beautiful things is still in tact. What I don’t understand is why you refuse to share the wealth.”
My head whips in Aria’s direction and I realize she’s undressing me with her eyes. “Share the wealth?” I ask, hoping she doesn’t mean what I think she means.
“Yes dear, as in share you with me.”
Yep…that’s exactly what she meant. I look to Darius whose visibly turned on by her suggestion. So that’s their thing. Aria’s into women as much as she’s into men, which makes Darius a very happy man I’m sure. Well he can forget it. “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you touch me,” I glare at her.
“Well I do love a challenge,” she drawls, curling her finger around a lock of my hair.
“What are you doing here?” Darius asks again, backing her away from me.
She smiles wickedly, “Well when you didn’t show up last night I figured you opted to play with your new bride over me again. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
Aria steps around Darius and begins circling me. He follows her every move as she stops just behind me and breathes in my scent. “Stop that,” Darius warns her.
“What’s wrong sweetheart? You don’t like me playing with your things do you?” I can’t move. Not even as Aria grips my hair in her hand and gently tilts my head to the side, exposing my neck.
I meet Darius’ gaze, but his eyes are trained on Aria. I try speaking, but I can’t. Not even as her hands slide across my abdomen and work their way up. Darius takes a step toward us and she yanks my head back, bearing her teeth. “One more step and I’ll rip out her pretty little throat,” she warns.
His eyes meet mine and I plead with him to stop her as best I can without a voice or mobility. The pained look in his eyes tells me all I need to know. He can’t. Not without me getting hurt in the process.
Her hands slide up my abdomen and she rips my gown open in front, exposing my breasts. Darius’ temples flare, but it’s exactly what she wants. She wants him to be angry with her. Cupping my breasts in her hands, she gives them a gentle squeeze. I want to throw up.
“Stop,” a growl escapes from Darius, “Don’t touch her again.”
“And there it is,” Aria laughs, pulling my nightgown apart to expose more of me, “You’d rather spend your nights with her than with me?”
“She is my primary and this dishonors her. It dishonors me as your sovereign. I could kill you for this, but because I care for you, I’m only going to tell you once more…back away from her.”
Aria releases me, and the second she does Darius loses it. Faster than anything I’ve ever seen, he has her pinned against the wall with his hand around her throat. She’s so demented that she’s not even afraid. She laughs.
I don’t bother waiting around to see what happens next. I just need to get away from her and for now our bedroom will do.
Darius and Aria’s voice filter into the room through the closed door and I can hear him scolding her for her unwelcomed visit. So much for keeping her away from me. She’s attracted to me. I shiver. Of course this would be the hand I’m dealt. Wanting more clothes between Aria and I, I quickly get dressed.
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