The Kiss of Death

Ch 11

Will's POV:

    I can't help but be bothered by that little interaction at the hospital. No matter how hard I try to put it out of my mind, I can't seem to let it go. Obviously they knew each other. There's history there but what that history consists of I can't be sure and it irks me that I can't ask her about it until much later. Now I'll be stewing all day, dreaming up the possibilities and wondering about her past. I wish I could say the past didn't matter but any thought of her with another man makes me violent. I guess I'm much more possessive of her than I even knew.

    Back in town, I force myself to drift away from that train of thought as I pull out some paperwork and put everything in order to deliver it to the town hall. A few initials here, a signature there, and its all finished and ready to be dropped off. As the cart comes to an abrupt stop, using my incredible speed, I run in and out of the building, dropping off the paperwork and avoiding all of the niceties that would normally be exchanged in the process. I'm just not in the mood to play nice today.

    Finally back at the carriage, I come to a stop outside of the luggage cart that contains the woman that I love. The woman who happens to have me all tied in knots at the moment. I open my mouth to speak but I can't say what I want to say so I close it again and just stand there for a minute, watching her watch me. When I open my mouth again, it's easier to stick with what's relevant to this moment. To stick to what's important right now.

    "Now's the part where we collect the supplies." I close my eyes. "You can stay here in the cart but move up to the seating area with me for the ride back. I don't want you in with the others." I don't wait for a reply as I speed away to find the women I need to bring back with us. This whole situation is unfair and difficult and extremely frustrating. Knowing what I know now, that my soulmate is a human, it makes this part of my job that much harder. Sort of unpleasant and sickening. 

    Going door to door looking for young girls, young women, to rip away from their homes, from their lives. Bringing them back home to be slaves or food. Knowing that El knows that, has to deal with that, has to deal with the fact that it's a part of what I do, of who I am. I wonder, not for the first time, if she thinks less of me for it. I want to work hard to be the man she needs me to be. I don't want her to look at me and see nothing but what I am. Some monster.

    It doesn't take long, to gather the girls and secure them in with the luggage despite a struggle or two when their loved ones resisted as Matt and I forcibly removed them from their homes. It's difficult not to imagine what El must have been feeling each time I returned with another women in tow. There's a collapsible cage that we have to pull up when we travel with shipments this large to avoid any accidents or any attempts at escape and I find that it's already been done when I return with the last girl to complete the order. Twelve. Twelve girls total whose lives we've just destroyed. Whose lives Eleanor just watched me destroy. This is going to be a depressing ride home, I sigh as I climb into the carriage to sit beside El. I glance at her once, notice her staring out the window and trying hard not to look at me, so I look away too and focus on the scenery as the cart pulls forward and we start our journey home.

    Matthias tries to make small talk several times throughout the early hours of the drive but unfortunately my mood is so tanked that I can't be bothered. I blow him off with one word responses or nods until he finally gets the message and stops trying. El still won't look at me, nothing inside the cart draws her attention away from the passing scenery and honestly I'm not sure I'd know what to say to her even if she would speak. 

    I've never really considered myself to be a heartless monster. Even knowing my position in life, the standards that I'm bound to hold, I've been kinder to humans than most of my kind. I think a part of me always found them interesting even before El. They are built much like us, think much like us, and act based on some of the same instincts that we act upon. The only difference is that we're higher up on the food chain, really.

    Don't get me wrong, I've had my moments. I've done terrible things, I know that. I've killed people. More than I'd like to admit. I've kept pets and slaves and fed from many unwilling participants. I can't erase my past just like I can't erase El's. The only thing I can do is do better from here on out. I still need to talk to El though, I can't keep sitting around wondering about this man, this past that she had that I know nothing about.

    That's part of this right? Getting to know one another, finding the little treasures in someone that makes you love them that much more? Finding little tidbits that they wouldn't tell anyone else but they can't help but tell you just because they want to. Because they trust you and because they love you. Just because we know that we're meant for each other doesn't mean we have to skip over the fun part of discovering more about one another.

    We can work to find solutions to our problems, sure, but I want to work to keep us as happy as we can be through all of the mess too. Having decided on that, I finally feel a little lighter, like my mood is finally starting to improve. I refocus on the view outside and notice that it's almost nightfall. More time has passed than I'd thought and I realize suddenly that it's about time to decide to find an inn for the night or continue forward. We could keep going, it's only a few more hours before we reach my home, but I have some human cargo and of course El, who probably desperately need to tend to their more human needs.

    "We need to call it quits for the night, our human cargo can't continue without some basic necessities being handled first. Stop at the next Inn we come across. I believe there's one not far from here, just a little off course in Sheriton." I stop, watching as the carriage makes a turn towards the village right on the outskirts of the city. Sighing, I glance at Matt, notice that he's preoccupied with his reading as he flips speedily through the pages, and turn my eyes back to El, confident that I can steal a look or two.

    Her eyes are closed and her head rests against the window as though she may be sleeping. I can't help but smile when I look at her, but today, right now, I can't help but feel a little guilty. I've got to get better at remembering her human needs. We hadn't stopped once since we'd left town. She hasn't eaten all day as I was too distracted by my own jealousy to remember to stop and find her food; hasn't had a bathroom break or a chance to stretch her legs. Of course she's asleep. Her body is running on empty and she's been cramped up all day. At one point, she'd even looked a little green, like the steady jostle of the carriage was starting to make her stomach turn.

    Not too much longer now. I brush my fingers lightly against her thigh, simultaneously checking to make sure Matt is still enthralled with his reading. I feel a slight jerk and glance back at her face as her startled eyes open fast and she comes awake, turning to face me all in the same moment. The movement wasn't so quick or so harsh as to draw my dear friend away from his entertainment so I don't bother moving my hand and instead, I continue to run my fingers along her thigh in a very gentle and comforting manner.

    Her startled look fades fast and she offers a small sleepy smile when the world seems to finally right itself for her once more. I wonder what it's like to sleep for so long that it seems almost debilitating. I know it takes up much of their time and it's also quite disorienting considering the fogginess that still graces her face even now as she reaches her hand down slowly to graze her fingers against mine. Where does her mind go when she's dreaming? Why does it take so long for it to come back when she wakes? I make a mental note to ask her about it tonight, after she's been fed of course.

    Matt sighs loudly and I pull my hand away in a flash, fast enough that even if he had looked up in that moment, he might not have noticed it. 

    "Long day huh?" I figure distraction is the easiest way to avoid a confrontation had he seen anything he shouldn't have. "How's the reading going?" I glance at the spine of the book and grin. 

    "I never knew you were a romantic Matty. Pride and Prejudice? Really?" I can't help but laugh as he slams the book closed and stutters, searching for a response that won't make him out to be a pansy no doubt.

    "It's a classic ass-hat. And for your information, it's much more than a simple love story. It's about two people from two entirely different walks of life, who hate each other based on ridiculous assumptions but still managing to fall in love, sure. But it's also about freedom and empowerment. Overcoming preconceived prejudices and the like. I wouldn't expect a simple minded fellow like you to understand that." He blushes bright red as he continues to rave on about his newest read and I laugh the whole way through.

    He doesn't need to know that I've read it as well. Or that I quite liked it and appreciated it for what it was. Real love is messy sometimes, and my situation with El isn't entirely different from that of Mr. Darcy and his miss Elizabeth Bennet. An unlikely match who misunderstand one another upon first meeting. Check. Finding that a lot of those misunderstandings were just preconceived notions that we had come up with on our own and had been proved false after just a bit of talking or mind surfing. Check. Well minus the mind surfing of course, obviously the soulmate bond is not relevant to that particular story.

    As the cart rolls to a stop, I glance again out the window to see that we have already arrived at the Inn and I might finally get my chance to be alone with El once more. It's been such a long day and I'm ready to have her in my arms again already. Sparing one long lingering look over my shoulder at her, I start to inform her that she should wait in the cart a few minutes longer so we can handle the cargo before I begin to rethink that decision halfway through. Changing my mind, I order her to enter the Inn, collect my room key, and head to the master sweet and wait for me there.

    She looks up to my face for a fleeting moment before nodding politely and responding with a seemingly quiet and defeated, "Yes, sir." I climb out of the cart and move towards the luggage as she clambers out after me and disappears into the warm glow of the Inn. I quickly set to work on helping Matt unload the  girls two at a time to allow them to use the restrooms. When that is finished, I send him inside to collect rations for the ladies while I stand by, making sure that none of them try anything stupid while they wait for their meals.

    About fifteen long minutes later, he comes out with several of the staff carrying water bottles and packaged food, enough for every girl to have more than enough to be filled. It would seem that the staff feel strongly that they should be given the most to make up for the fact that they've been stolen from their homes and forced to live a shell of the life they might have once envisioned for themselves. Of course the staff are human so that makes sense. Shortly after the girls have received their food, a few more of the staff bring out two very thick comforters and several pillows for the women to share for the night which solidifies in my mind that they've a soft spot for them after all.

    After I'm sure that the girls have had all their basic needs met and that they're indeed still locked up tight for the night, I turn once again to face Matthias. 

    "I'm heading in for the night. It's been a long day and I'm tired. Make sure that I'm not disturbed." I head off to enter the same doors that my El had disappeared into but stop just before I cross the threshold and turn my head slightly towards him again. "Good night." I murmur just seconds before I move quickly through the door and make a beeline toward the front desk. The lady sitting at her post looks up from her computer work to look at me and offers a smile in greeting. 

    "May I help you?"

    "Yes." I answer shortly but politely all the same. "I'd like to have two meals sent to my room. Something nice and filling. Maybe add some desert. Strawberry cheesecake if you have it." I think that El likes berries, she'd been carrying a pouch full when we encountered her in the woods. Hopefully she likes it. "A bottle of some fine white wine to top it off. I'm sure you know that I'm in my usual suite down the hall to the left. Put a rush on that for me if you could." I nod and turn to move towards my room when a thought occurs to me and I stop once again and look back at her. 

    "Could I also get a do not disturb sign to post at my door? I don't want anyone stopping by after room service." 

    "Of course, sir. Dinner will be done very shortly, here's that bottle of white for you and the tag is hooked to the top. You'll find a cork in your room as well. Have a good night, please enjoy your stay." She smiles brightly at me as she hands over the goods then returns quickly to her work, she's obviously very diligent about her duties. I slide a tip her way before finally making my way to my room.

    I close the door quickly behind me, hanging the tag on the knob as I do, then turn to face the room, looking or El of course. It doesn't take long to find that she's already there, waiting for me, curled up in bed wearing what appears to be only one of my t-shirts. Wanting to see her smile, I can't help but tease her.

    "I see you've made yourself at home." I grin, striding across the room and setting the bottle down on the side table beside the bed before climbing into the bed beside her and pulling her close. She rewards me with a kilowatt smile and places a light peck against my lips. 

    "Well the housekeepers were right behind me with the luggage so I thought I might as well get comfy and settled while I waited for you to get in. Unfortunately his highness hasn't gotten me anything more to wear so a girl works with what she has." She giggles softly and nestles into my neck, placing another soft kiss against my throat. That's my Eleanor, giving as good as she's got. Teasing me right back. I can't help but smile so big my cheeks hurt as I hold her close and rub my hands across her back in slow comforting motions.

    "I've been forgetful where you're involved I suppose. I'll send for a new wardrobe when we get home tomorrow. Unfortunately the best I can do for tonight is to have your outfit laundered for you to use again tomorrow." I respond to her tease. As much as I would love to see her keep on smiling, I still have some things I'd like to discuss before we sleep for the night and now seems as good a time as ever.

    "So," I start, pausing to think of how to start this conversation, "Who is Nik?"

    She pulls away a little too quickly to look up at my face, creating more space between us than I would've liked. Having decided apparently that she'd rather have his conversation even further apart, she separates herself from me completely and sits crisscrossed in the middle of the bed, pushing her hair behind her ears and glancing behind me as she thinks about how to answer. "Is that wine?" She smiles sheepishly at me.

    Glancing over my shoulder at the table, I find myself grinning once again before I look back at her again. "How about I start to work on fixing us some while you talk?" I raise a brow at her, beckoning her again for a response as I rise from the bed and search the room for the cork with the bottle in hand. Having found it in one of the drawers in the desk across the room, I set to work on opening the bottle and grab two plastic cups from the table.

    "Nik is an old friend. We've known each other since I can remember. We grew up near each other so there's a lot of history there. He was my best friend growing up." She pauses and looks up from the bed to watch me pour the drinks. "At some point, we decided we owed it to each other to try to be something more." I place the bottle in a tub of ice to keep it cool and turn back to look at her once again.

    I nod, careful to control my face. I don't have to like the idea of her with another man, but I can't change what's done. I know as well as she does that there's no one else for either of us ever again so there's nothing to really be worried about. I grab the two cups and head back to the bed, sitting carefully in front of her and handing her the cool drink as I take a sip of my own. 

    "Anyway, we were together for a while, probably a little less than a year, before my parents made the decision to leave for the city. I hadn't had the nerve to tell him that something was missing before then, but now I'd had an excuse to end things." She pauses to take a sip of her wine and hums in approval as she takes a big gulp, likely for some liquid courage.

    "I never told him about my leaving, just up and left one day without warning. I'd figured I wouldn't have to face him again once we reached the city. He didn't know where we were headed. I know it seems cold, cruel even, but I just couldn't bring myself to break his heart. I love him. I just don't love him enough." She looks up at me from beneath her lashes and waits patiently for my response as I think of what to say.

    "What was missing?" For some reason that's the first question that pops into my head and suddenly I desperately want to know the answer. Like somehow knowing the answer to that one seemingly unimportant question will help me to keep her with me forever. Like it will help me to keep from making the same mistakes.

    "What?" She watches me, dumbfounded and apparently not sure how to answer. "Um.." She pauses, looking down at her cup and watching the barely visible bubbles rise to the top of her glass. "I guess it just wasn't passionate. We loved each other sure, but there was no heat, no spark. You can't create a spark where there isn't one I guess." 

    No spark. Well that's brilliant. We have so many sparks between us that I sometimes worry we'll start a fire so no worries there. "I understand. And you aren't cruel El, we've all done things we aren't exactly proud of, but that isn't something to feel shame about. You wanted to spare his feelings. It's actually very sweet even if it came off to him differently." I stop suddenly when there's another unwelcome knock at the door and I realize that it must be the food. 

    Placing my cup down, I head to the door as she slides beneath the covers. Turning to make sure she's decent enough for room service, I open the door and usher them in. Once everything is settled at the little table by the window, complete with a candle and a single red rose, everything is ready to eat and the servers leave just as quickly as they came. 

    "I hope you're hungry." I gesture to the plates and she climbs out of bed in record time and is sitting at the table with a fork in hand ready to dig in before I can finish processing that she's moved. "I'm sorry, you must be starving." I murmur as I collect our wine and settle across from her at the table. "How's it taste?" I chuckle softly as she scarfs down a bite of steak and potato then quickly stabs her fork into a bite of steamed zucchini. 

    "Mmm." She mumbles with her mouth full and picks up her wine to wash it down. "Very. Sorry I'm starved." She smiles sheepishly as she cuts into her steak again.

    "Don't be, I often forget that you need sustenance more than we do. I should've stopped sooner for you. I'll work on it." I cut into my own steak and take a bite, moaning as the burst of flavor explodes over my tongue. "Wow this is good." 

    "No kidding." She giggles and sits back after half of her plate has been destroyed, content to slow down now that the worst of her hunger had been relieved. "Thank you, for dinner. This actually is really sweet, almost like a date." She wiggles her eyebrows and lightly brushes her fingers against the soft rose petals.

    "A date huh?" I smile and reach across the table to brush my fingers against her cheek just like she had with the rose. She flushes a deep red and reaches her hand up to grab mine and intertwines her fingers with mine. 

    "Be careful, keep that up and you might just get lucky." She wiggles her eyebrows back and grins shyly at me, knowing full well what she's insinuating. 

    "Really? How lucky? Kind of lucky? Or really seriously lucky?" I grin back at her, placing my fork down on my plate as I consider what her response might be.

    She stands slowly, rounds the table, pushes me back so that my chair is turned towards her, and sits in my lap. She tangles her fingers in my hair and I tilt my head back to look up at her as she leans down and slides her lips seductively against mine. She slips her tongue out to lick against my lips and pulls back just before I can open for her. 

    I'm left staring up at her, extremely turned on and only slightly confused that she's stopped before she's even started. I watch as she licks her own lips, still tasting me I'm sure, and finally my eyes rise to meet hers and I find sensual wickedness lurking beneath the surface of her deep green eyes which causes my mouth to suddenly go dry.

    "I'm thinking you just might be desert."