Disclaimer: They are not mine, they are NOT mine, they are SO not mine! Sigh.
Dedication: This story is dedicated to Lady T for filling in for me, for putting up with my oddities and for going above and beyond the call of duty. The girl is a saint! ; )
I was startled awake by a huge thunderclap and I cried out in confusion and sat bolt-upright in bed. The room was momentarily filled with a blinding blue light and I heard a great ripping and splintering sound as a large limb fell from the tree outside my window and crashed to the ground.
I shivered and trembled in the darkness, drawing my knees up to my chin and hugging them to my chest like a frightened child as the memories of the last bad thunderstorm I had been in began filling my mind.
I remembered seeing the lifeless form of the beautiful black dog and then the terror I felt as I faced my own inevitable death. Silas Hamilton's hideous face and bloody hands swam before my eyes and I cried out again as a deathly quiet, embittered voice interrupted the silence of my pitch-black bedroom.
"Do you have ANY idea why neither of us will ever be accused of murdering Silas Hamilton?"
My heart was beating madly in my throat. I was both elated and terrified at once. I knew that it had to be Thomas, but his voice was so unlike the man I knew. Cold, hard -- almost evil in its dark and emotionless tone. "Thomas, are you there? Is that you?" I managed to whisper into the blackness. He did not answer.
Another loud boom of thunder shook the room and I knew that lightning would soon follow, so I leaned forward in my bed, fixing my eyes in the direction from whence the voice had come. I strained desperately to hear any sounds over the horrible pounding of my heart in my chest and ears. Bright light filled the room for just a moment, but it was long enough for my searching eyes to see Thomas sitting slouched in the arm-chair in the far corner of my room.
He was soaking wet and his dark, curling hair hung loosely around his shoulders. His face was set in some mixture of anger, despair and exhaustion... he was white as a ghost. His dark emotionless eyes stared at a spot of nothing on the floor.
Had he not spoken earlier, I would not have been sure that he was even aware of my presence.
"Thomas, what are you..." His cold, unnatural voice cut off my words sharply.
"I asked you a question -- Do you know why no one will ever suspect that you or I murdered Silas?"
"I don't know what you..." He cut me off again. It was obvious that I had angered him.
"Just answer the question!" he shouted.
I jumped, my body trembling in fear. I was confused and hurt, but his tone had shocked me out of the fog that I had been in. I decided not to risk angering him further so I chose my words carefully and tried to control the shaking in my voice as I spoke. "No Thomas, -- it seems that if they found his body on my land, I would be suspected of..."
"His body was not on your land," he said roughly. I hoped that he would continue without any more prodding from me, and was relieved when he did. He sighed deeply and began bitterly spilling the story that had evidently been haunting him deeply enough to have brought him to this state of mind. I tried not to move an inch as I listened to his cold, angry words.
"Tonight as I was preparing to leave... it was dark -- the thunder started first and then soon after came the lightning. I was alright until I reached the forest at the edge of town... and then it all started coming back to me." He paused and swallowed loudly. The thunder was rolling in deep, long, shuddering booms and I could only make out his face when the lightning pulsed momentarily off and on. His whole body was trembling violently.
"The night -- I killed him -- I went back shortly after you fell asleep." A small flash and I could see that his eyes were shut tightly as if he were trying to block out the pictures. "I buried the dog first," he said bitterly, "Then I moved the body several miles off of your land to a field. It was still raining hard and I knew that it would help to cover up the blood trail. I had decided that it would be best for you if the body was discovered -- because then no one would ever suspect you."
I still did not understand what he was trying to say, but somehow I knew that it was the key to his anger.
I struggled to hear him over my beating heart and the thunder. His voice was becoming more hushed as he spoke and I leaned closer to him.
He was lost in his memories and I could sense that he was trying to work it all out in his mind for the first time. "The only thing that I can figure is that after I killed him, I was so intent on making sure that you were alright -- I must have buried it all somewhere in the back of my mind. I must have..." his voice was beginning to break and I slid my legs under me and started to move off of the bed toward him.
"Don't come near me!" he shouted furiously, desperately.
I barely stifled a scream and fell back onto the bed, then slid back to my pillows again pulling my knees up under my chin. I was shaking terribly and my chin quivered as I set my jaw and forced myself not to cry.
I could hear his harsh, angry breathing and knew that he was furious, but could not understand why. When he spoke again, the chilling tone was back in his voice. "Think about what you saw that night!" I struggled to understand what he meant. "I know you saw -- because of what you said to me later." I nodded in the dark, as I finally knew what he was referring to.
It was then that I realized that I had buried it also, I had chosen to forget that horrifying scene just as he had. I digested the mental picture of the knife in his chest and the claws protruding from his hands and tried desperately to come up with a way to help him past it.
"When they found the body today, and I heard what they had reported..."
I knew that this was going to be the key that would unlock the secret he had been keeping from me -- from himself.
"... when I heard it -- it all came back to me."
I wanted to go to him so badly, to take him in my arms and comfort him, but I sensed that this was what he needed. He needed to face it and learn from it. I realized that after all he had done for me, just maybe I was going to be able to help him before he left.
His voice turned cynical, evil and he asked a favor of me. "Take a guess, Elizabeth -- guess how they think that Silas died. Go on."
"I do not want..." I began uncomfortably.
"Guess!" he shouted ferociously, I heard the chair squeak and knew that he had risen to his feet.
"NO!" I shouted back, "You tell me! How do the people think Silas was killed?"
He was breathing loudly and he began pacing back and forth at the edge of the bed like an animal in a cage.
His bitter words were hard and spoken between teeth clenched in barely controlled anger. "They have decided that he was mauled to death -- by -- a -- BEAR."
He allowed me a few moments to digest what he had told me.
I was somewhat shocked, but not terribly so, obviously not as shocked as he was about it, but then I was not the one who had...
"How does it make you feel, ElizaBETH?" he asked bitterly as he began pacing again, "... being alone in a pitch-dark room with me -- a MAN who can kill another man with his bare hands -- who can slaughter him so completely that people could believe that a bear did it? How does that MAKE YOU FEEL?" he shouted, stopping again at the edge of the bed.
My mind reeled as I fumbled for the right word. My voice trembled as I spoke, "It makes me feel -- it gives me -- comfort."
"WWHhaaaAAAT !?" he roared.
I leapt up to my knees on the bed and faced his fierce form in the darkness. "That's right! He tried to KILL me, Thomas!! He nearly DID kill you!" I spat loudly back at him.
"I ripped the man to SHREDS, Elizabeth!!"
"He DESERVED it, Thomas! I would have done it myself if I'd had claws!" My hand flew to my mouth as I realized what I had said.
I could not stifle a small shriek as he slammed his fists onto the bed and roared loudly again before he shoved himself away from it and began pacing again. I could tell that it was taking every shred of control that he had to remain sane and I feared pushing him too far.
Lightning flickered on and off as he paced quickly, casting eerie shadows around the room and lighting him up first close then far, then close again. It all seemed very surreal to me and I struggled to keep it together in my mind. I had to figure out a way to help him, and now was the time, before he lost it completely.
"You have a gift..." I started, trying to make my voice sound sure.
I heard him stop walking and knew that he was facing me. His voice was cold, sarcastic when he answered. "A -- gift? Did you just say I have a gift?" a terrible evil chuckle caused a shudder to run through my body as it floated eerily about the room.
"Whatever it is -- it saved my life -- AND yours. We would both surely be dead, Thomas..."
I heard fabric tearing and lightning flashed and he was standing at the edge of my bed with his chest exposed to me, his hands still grasping each side of his ruined shirt. His dark piercing eyes delved into my very soul as he sought to draw the truth from me. "Yes, I should surely be dead. You think that THIS is a GIFT? What AM I? "
It became clear to me at that moment that he was trying to frighten me, I held onto that thought desperately. He was purposefully attempting to frighten me and I was not going to allow it. I moved a bit closer to him.
"Thomas, we are ALIVE, and that IS a gift... I don't know why you did not die or WHY you had claws coming out of your hands, but surely these had to be good things if only good came of them!"
He snarled and began pacing again, mumbling fiercely to himself. "Dammit! I killed a man!"
"You killed a murderer, a MONSTER!" I shouted.
"I AM THE MONSTER!" he shouted back moving closer to the bed. "I enJOYed it! That is why I screamed at you to leave! I stood there looking at my hands, realizing that instead of the death that I SHOULD have been feeling, I felt stronger than ever before! I felt wild and evil and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I did not want you to watch as I tore a man to shreds and enjoyed every moment of it!"
I shook my head. I was SURE that the Thomas I knew was not a monster.
"Don't shake your head at me...." My mouth opened in surprise. "What? Surprised that I can see you so clearly in the dark?" He chuckled coldly and leaned closer -- I could almost feel his hot breath against my face.
"Yesss," he whispered menacingly, "Does THAT frighten you? Can't EVERYONE see in the dark, Elizabeth?"
"I am not afraid of you," I managed to say with only a small tremble in my voice. "Nothing you can say will make me afraid of you. I KNOW you!"
He leaned closer and put his mouth very close to my ear. I forced myself to remain still, trembling and closing my eyes. His hot breath against my neck sent a chill up my spine and filled me with much, much more desire than fear. "I thought you were more intelligent than that. You should be -- TERRIFIED -- of me!"
His closeness drove me wild and I buried my hands in his hair and found his mouth with mine in the darkness. He groaned and met my lips fiercely for a moment before he tore himself away from me abruptly.
"NO!! Don't you underSTAND?" he shouted desperately, backing away from me and taking up his maniacal pacing again.
"I want you," I said, as calmly as I could.
"You have no idea what things are going on in my mind! I want to hurt something -- I want to fight someone -- I want to tear something apart!" He was moving about more quickly and I knew that he was extremely agitated.
I also knew by the hunger of his kiss that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. It was beginning to become clear to me how I could help him.
"I want you to touch me," I said, moving one knee closer to the edge of my bed. His pacing continued, but his breathing quickened. "I want to know every part of you, and this man you are tonight, this wild and beautiful man who fills me with such uncontrollable desire is surely as much a part of you as the man I knew before."
I reached down and slowly began lifting my chemise over my head. I heard him gasp and his pacing slowed. I closed my eyes and drew upon my memories for things that he enjoyed, things that had filled his eyes with desire. I dropped my clothing to the floor and reached up slowly, sensually and began removing pins from my hair.
His shocked, trembling voice broke the silence. "You don't know what you are doing!"
I ignored his words and ran my fingers through the loose curls while I bent my back, lifting my breasts toward him and stretching, sensuously curving my body in enticingly slow and seductive movements.
His voice was hoarse with desire, but he had moved closer. "God, Elizabeth, you do not know this part of me! You cannot understand -- I am afraid I will hurt you!"
I moved both of my knees a little closer to him and spread my hands slowly across my body, molding them over every curve, up my legs across my abdomen and over my breasts. I heard him groaning softly and I knew that whatever was coming, surely it would not be long now.
"I trust you -- I trust HIM," I whispered, my voice filled with desire. I continued lifting my hand higher to my face, then moved a finger to my mouth and circled it slowly with my tongue. "I want him, I want the animal -- please..."
I could hear his resolve weakening. He whimpered in the darkness and his breath was coming in sharp gasps. "... but I am afraid," he asked in a voice I did not recognize. "... what if he is stronger than I am?"
I smiled and sighed, relief flooding through my body. "I know you are afraid -- but tonight I am brave enough for both of us." I slid the wet finger down my body and between my legs while I begged him. "Let me be the teacher tonight."
I could hear him fumbling to remove his pants and I moved on my knees to the edge of the bed, trembling in anticipation. I had no idea what to expect and I gasped as his speed took me by surprise. In what seemed like a moment's time, he was on his knees on the floor in front of me.
He was whining and growling softly as his hands reached round and grabbed my rear, roughly pulling me toward his face. His nose touched the hair between my legs and, startled, I realized that he was breathing in my aroused scent deeply. I cried out and buried my hands in his hair as he moved his hot, wet tongue into me and slid it slowly up and over my most sensitive spot.
I opened my legs for him and his bruising hands pulled me closer as he continued his slow, strong, licking torture of my body. Nine, ten, eleven times -- in -- and then up to the spot that was killing me and then down and in again slowly. I was shaking violently, moaning and pulling his mouth further into me.
I was shocked when he pulled away and stood before me, I could not see him, but he was breathing so quickly and loudly that I was worried for his health. I was determined not to let him sense any fear from me, so I stifled a cry as he threw me onto the bed on my back and landed on top of me heavily.
His demanding hands spread my legs wide and he began licking and biting at my neck and my shoulders as he plunged into my body with all of his strength. I bit my bottom lip between my teeth, holding back a scream as he moved back and forth inside me, pressing so deeply into me that I thought surely I would die.
At first, the pain and the pleasure were almost evenly matched, but within moments the pleasure took over and my body was lifting up to meet his thrusts. He took my hands in his and lifted them high above my head so that I could not move them, and I dug my nails into his hands as he nearly drove me mad with pleasure.
He moaned and growled, moving over me quickly, his attention seemingly torn between my breasts and my neck. Sounds unlike anything I had ever heard before were constantly on his hungry lips. Everything he did, he did roughly. He was wild and extremely arousing and I felt myself coming closer and closer to heaven as he repeatedly and forcefully plunged into me.
A salty, metallic taste was in my mouth and my teeth released my bleeding lip as I panted wildly and cried out for release.
He moved to my mouth, sniffing the blood and growling softly as he licked it slowly, all the while his dizzying delicious thrusts escalated as the scent and the taste of my blood drove him up and over the edge. He whimpered softly in my ear as his body began convulsing against mine and I screamed as he thrust one last terrible time into me, sending me plummeting over the edge into bliss.
He snarled and dug his fingers deeply into the skin of my wrists, then he went completely still for a moment, and I felt him letting go deep inside me. He began shuddering and trembling, groaning desperately against my neck, as his body finally released the terrifying passion that he had thought would surely destroy us both.
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