Karen tried to scream, warm him of the impending danger. She wished more than anything that she had a mind link with him.
If he understood her silent pleading, he didn’t show it. Instead he turned to Jasper and faced him off. .
“I always knew there was something shifty about you.” Kai said
“Not as shifty as you, won’t you say?”
Karen’s heart thundered. Jasper has a weapon. He could wait for the perfect time to strike and kill him. Karen didn’t want to imagine a life without Kai in it. A life where he didn’t know she had a child for him.
“You want to fight?” Kai scoffed. “Why don’t you humans stuck to your human sports?”
Karen struggled against the ropes, a particularly painful one digging into a cut on her arms. She screamed through the gag, the pain shooting through her head and making her eyes squeeze shut.
“Karen!” Kai shouted and rushed to her. Karen tried to warn him somehow but it Was too late.
Jasper took advantage of the opened and lunged forward, bearing speed faster than a human. Kai swerved out of the way, the dagger grazing his neck leaving behind a small cut.
“That’s too bad,” Jasper whined. “I thought I had you right there.”
“Stop this now.” Kai said. “And you can walk out of here on both your feet.”
“Fuck you.” Jasper replied and lunged forward, the dagger raised above his head.
Karen watched the fight unfold, her heart squeezed in fear. She knew that one stab, just one and it was over. She was starting to feel the effects of the poisoning too, her head feeling heavy and swollen, her eyes becoming dark
That bastard had lied about the ropes having a small dosage.
“Oh,” Jasper said and giggled. He moved back, creating distance between him and Kai. “Your girlfriend is dying.”
Kai laughed. “You should really worry about your own head.”
“My head is perfectly fine. My master made it that way.” He lunged forward. “Now, kindly die.”
“Damn humans.” Kai hissed.
Kai grabbed Jasper’s neck and twisted it. The snapping sound of bones rang though the air, muffled gasps following along with it. Kai plucked the dagger out of his hand and tossed it aside.
Jasper fell to the ground, gasping and groaning as his life slipped out of him.
“You’ll pay,” He croaked. “NYS master will make you pay… for what you did to her.”
“Who is your master?” Kai asked , standing over him and watching the light in his eyes fade.
Jasper smiled through death. “For Verena….”
Karen gasped on hearing that name.
“Who put you up to this?!” His voice thundered. “Answer me!”
“Her…. father….” The words were whispered before the light died completely from his eyes.
Kai inhaled and exhaled deeply. He turned to Karen and walked over to her. Her eyes were drawn to the cut on his neck that bled. Thr blood stained his collar, Karen noticed he was still in his clothes from the party.
“Are you okay?” He asked as he knelt down and began to untie the ropes
“You’re bleeding.” Karen whispered,
He untied the last knot and her body fell forward. He caught her, holding her close to him. “Worry about yourself”
Karen felt the poison spreading through her body, weakening her and making her drowsy. She closed her eyes and welcome the darkness when it came.
*****
Karen work up to the voices of two people in heated argument.
“I’m telling you she’s innocent!”
“Her father was behind the attack today. And you want me to believe that she had no hand in it?!”
Karen recognized those voices as Nicolas and Kai. She opened her eyes coming in sight with unfamiliar surroundings. She got up in bed, rubbing her forehead.
“Can you please keep it down?”
They paused and turned to her. “Hey,” Nicolas said. “Are you okay?”
Karen nodded. “What’s all this about Verena’s father?”
Nicolas grit his teeth. “It’s nothing you should worry yourself about. You’re safe now, that’s it.”
“She’s still after my life?” Karen laughed. “Even after all these years huh?”
“She’s not after your life. It seems her father has a score to settle with Kai.” Nicolas said, glaring at Kai as he spoke his name.
“If I do find out that she’s involved in today…” Kai said and trailed off, letting Nicolas complete it in his head.
“You won’t.”
“Very well. Take Karen home please.” He turned to the door.
“No!” Karen shouted. “I’m not leaving here until you give me answers!”
“Verena’s father wants me dead because I didn’t marry his daughter. That’s your answer.”
Karen glared at him. “You’re not telling me everything.”
“I am. That’s all you need to know. The party is over now. Go home and rest.”
Karen shook her head. “Nicolas, I’m not following you anywhere. You can’t force me, unless you drag me out of here.”
Nicolas sighed. “I have no intention to anyway.”
“You may go.” Kai said to Nicolas.
Nicolas walked out of the room without sparing either of them a glance.
“You need to rest.” Kai said. “I had a healer come by and check on you. The poisoning wasn’t fatal, and you somehow was able to…”
His words were cut off halfway by Karen jumping out of bed and throwing herself into his arms. “I thought I’d lose you!” She sobbed into his shoulder, holding him as close as possible.
“Karen …” Kai said, a strain in his voice.
She held him tighter still, her arms wound tightly around his neck. “I know you hate physical touch but…. please just for a few seconds let me know what it’s like to hold you…”
She heard him sigh. “I wasn’t going to be killed by a human. That’s ridiculous.”
She laughed softly, “that sounds just like you.” He held her, strong arms wrapping around her body. Karen felt herself melt.
“Can I stay tonight?” She raised her head and stared into his eyes. The tenderness she found in them made her heart skip and butterflies fill her belly.
“Karen, you know what that means.”
She nodded slowly. “I do.”
He kissed her forehead. “You should rest, Karen. Today was really ….”
She leaned up and kissed him. He responded by kissing her back even harder. Soon her back met the bed, his body above hers as they kissed each other with passion.
“I want to touch you…” Karen said, staring into his eyes.
“You won’t like what you see,” He murmured. “I don’t want to disgust you,”
Karen gasped. “Let me be the judge of that. Please.”
He looked uncertain, his eyes shifting between hers. She reached up and gently cupped his cheek, raising his eyes to hers.
“I’ll be gentle.” She said with a playful smile
He chuckled. “Don’t say it like that,”
“Oh my goodness, you have the most beautiful smile.” She Held his face in her hands. “Come on, smile for me again.”
He pushed her hands away from his face. “I’m not doing that on command.”
She pouted. “Fine.”
He leaned his upper body away from hers and began to unbutton his shirt. Karen felt like she couldn’t breathe. Each button that came undone revealed more and more of his skin. And all she could see was
Scars.
His skin where there wasn’t any scars was smooth and fair, the muscles under his skin were sharp and defined. But the scars… there were a lot of them.
A lot of them in a lot of shapes. Whoever gave him these scars used a wide variety of instruments and torture devices.
Karen gasped, her hand covering her mouth. His expression appeared pained as he took his shirt off. Karen felt tears fill her eyes. She sat up and he moved back, a reflex action. She looked up at him, eyes wide and misty.
“Kai,”
“I knew it.” He said, his eyes flashing “You’re disgusted by me I shouldn’t have…”
“Did my father do this to you?”
He paused but didn’t reply.
Karen moved closer to him, her hand inching closer to him. She could see his defined muscles twitching, tense and ready to spring into action. She touched his chest, his textured skin hit under her touch. He flinched from her as if her hand burned.
“Oh my goodness,” She whispered. “How could he….”
He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away from him. “Stop looking. ” He said. “That’s enough now. You…”
She hugged him. His body went rigid, his arms flying to both sides of her body ready to pull her off him.
“I could never be disgusted by you.” Karen said. “Scars show that you survived the worst.”
His body slowly began to relax, his arms moving to her back and holding her close to him. She threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling his long silky hair out of its tie and letting it flow down his back.
She raised her head and gazed into his eyes, a soft smile on her lips. “You’re still the man you are, nothing could ever change that.”
“You don’t mean all that. You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“That scar on my back was given to me by my father.” Karen said, her fingers to ng with the hair at his nape. “I don’t know what he used, but it never healed, it never went away like others. Sometimes it would vanish, but if I got really hurt it would show up.”
He held her face gently. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
“I could never patronize you.” She muttered. “I…” She wanted to say I love you. But she decided against it, kissing the hollow of his palm instead. “I am really sorry for the pain..”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Let me help you relieve some of it.”
“How?”
“I can give you a massage?”
He paused, then smiled. “Too bad this pain isn’t the kind that massages take care of.” He kissed her softly on the lips, savouring the taste of her. She kissed him back, a sigh leaving her lips and getting lost in the space between their mouths.
“Kai,” She moaned his name, sending a thrill through his body.
He wanted to hear more of it.
For what felt like forever. He climaxed not long after, his hot seed filling her up inside. He remained inside her long after they had both rode out their orgasms
Karen collapsed against him, her body feeling light and hazy. She heard his relaxed breathing, and realized he had fallen asleep.
Still inside her.