Fallen 1: Berlin

Chapter XVII: Berlin's Claim

The fear and confusion that was reflected on Sage's face should have been enough to dampen any fires that were raging in Berlin's blood at the moment but every time he got a whiff of War's scent, his guardian went crazy. Berlin grabbed Sage's hand and pulled her into his arms. His body was on autopilot and he had never experienced such a pull before. He was always in control because the guardian was always asleep somewhere inside his head.

When the guardian took over, it was more of the logical thing to do and had nothing to do with emotions or choices. At that moment, the only thing that was in Berlin's mind was to get rid of War's mark on Sage and to protect her at all cost.

Just the other day, Berlin and Cairo witnessed her tears after they overwhelmed her with their concerns about her injured arm. Berlin wanted to stop suffocating her and making her feel distressed but he couldn't help himself.

It was a bad idea to have her in his car like that but at the same time, he would have unconsciously followed her home like the last time.

It didn't make sense that War or Seoul would send her to distract him yet would want to mark her for themselves. If they had sent her to them, they should have been immune to whatever sorcery she was able to weave around them. That concluded that War and Seoul were not involved in bringing Sage to Berlin which only meant that the Power was behind it.

"Berlin..." Her voice filtered through the murky thoughts of his mind and brought him back to reality where he found that he had nestled Sage on his lap and her heart was thumping so hard in her chest that he could see it under her neck. Her eyes were wide with wariness as if she were sitting on a ticking bomb and was afraid that one slight movement would set it off. Her hands trembled in his and she swallowed hard as she stared at him. "Berlin, what is happening? Is it the fever again?"

Roses permeated the confined interior of the car and Berlin closed his eyes as he tried to shake off its effects but it was no use. He pulled Sage towards him and pushed her hair from her shoulder. He pushed her blouse down her shoulder and arm and her breath hitched. Berlin saw the way War's energy twirled on Sage's skin. It had a crimson color and it mocked and taunted him.

What else did War do to Sage? Berlin wondered with violence thickening in his veins? Other than kissing her, what else did he do? Where did he touch her and what was Sage's reaction? Did she like it? Was that the reason why she couldn't talk about it? Did she want War as well? Was it why she allowed him to mark her?

She said that he introduced himself as War instead of Winston Archer which meant they had time to chat. What was that feeling that was going through Berlin? He couldn't remember the last time he felt that way being as old as he was but at that moment in time, Berlin wanted to collapse that planet and make sure that War was buried so far in the earth's crust that not even his siblings could dig him out.

"Is it about War again?" She asked him softly.

"He marked you." Berlin all but growled at her. He couldn't look up at her in the eyes because he knew his eyes had changed. The guardian had completely engulfed him and was taking him on a joy ride.

"It was just in the dream, Berlin. Not in real life." She tried to smile in assurance but Berlin could stop scraping his canines against her shoulder.

She was so naive and clueless about what was really happening around her. She believed that War visited her in a dream but that was how guardians as well as sullies made contracts with humans. It was as real as it could get.

Berlin pushed her locks away again but they kept on returning to their previous position. "It's not as easy as you think, Sage. This world is not what you think. There is so much that I want to tell you and so much that you don't understand but I know this is not the right time."

"What are you talking about, Berlin? You're scaring me." Sage stiffened in his arms.

"Do you trust me?" Berlin asked her suddenly.

"Yes." Sage didn't even hesitate to answer.

"If you trust me then close your eyes for a moment." He placed his hand over her eyes because he hated the fear that had taken over her. She feared him and she feared what she didn't understand. He didn't blame her though. Many humans did not know about guardians so they didn't know about the struggle to save their world. Berlin wished Sage continued to live the oblivious life that she led. Heck, she might have even lived her life to the fullest before the destruction commenced. The second bell of destruction was going to ring in fifteen years and it was supposed to bring the second horseman of the apocalypse. By the time all the four horsemen we unleashed on earth, many of the humans would have completed their cycle of life. Berlin would not have protested if the life cycle would have started anew but that was not what the Power wanted. By annihilating humankind, it stopped their life cycle which meant humans ceased to exist.

Shel stopped the car in front of Berlin's house and Lucian rushed out before opening the back door and exclaiming. "We are here! We need to take her to Ottawa."

Berlin looked up at Lucian with his flaming eyes, crackling with the fire of judgment. Fiery veins emerged on his skin and his body thickened. "It's too late." It was no longer Berlin, the billionaire mogul but rather Berlin the guardian.

When Berlin removed his hand over Sage's eyes, she looked dazed. It was as if he had hypnotized her and she sat there looking at him with a blank face.

"What did you do to her?" Lucian accused as he waved his hand in front of Sage but she didn't react.

"She will not remember what happened," Berlin assured Lucian then gritted his teeth and added. "If I don't do this--if I let Ottawa break the claim, I will not be able to leash my wrath. I need to do this so that I can rein in my powers."

"B--but Berlin--"

"Lucian," Berlin growled at the boy. "Close the door."

Shel had rushed into the house to get Ottawa and Bucharest. The two of them came running out just as Lucian stepped away from the car.

"What happened?" Ottawa inquired from the scared Lucian.

"War did something to Sage."

Ottawa's skin crackled with fire as she moved around the car and saw how far gone Berlin was. She took a deep breath and turned to the human female in his arms. The whiff of roses filtered to her nose and she quickly moved away as her canines began to ache. Everything in her told her that she needed to counter the claim.

"Go ahead, Berlin," Ottawa said as she backed away from the car. "Get rid of that scent before we challenge you for her."

A low growl emanated from behind Ottawa and it was Bucharest eyeing Sage with interest. Ottawa slammed the door closed and grabbed Bucha's arms before she shoved him away from the car.

Even if Bucha challenged Berlin for the female, he was only going to get hurt because Berlin had fully awoken as a guardian which meant he had access to unlimited energy that would forge his body into an indestructible weapon. None of them stood a chance against him.

Berlin laved Sage's shoulder with his tongue. His body thickened further as he got a hint of her scent underneath the nauseating smell of roses. A moan escaped her lips and her tiny hands tightened against Berlin's shoulders. Berlin placed a series of kisses from her shoulder up to her neck. He knew she was going to get hurt when he sank his teeth into her skin in order to neutralize War's energy and insert his own. It wasn't a permanent solution but it was going to keep him in control for the time being. Berlin dreaded the permanent solution to keeping anyone from ever staking a claim on Sage.

Berlin's energy rushed into his canines as he pierced Sage's skin and dissolved War's energy from her body. Sage yelped and stiffened in his arms but Berlin didn't let her go. He made sure there was enough of his energy on the mark to keep anyone else away until the next time he needed to enforce it. The mark was a declaration that Sage was under his protection and if anyone wanted to harm her, they were going to have to deal with him. Berlin tightened his hold on her as she started squirming to try and dislodge him but he kept her still so that his canines didn't rip her flesh apart.

When he was thoroughly satisfied that he had marked her, his canines retracted and he moved back to see her drunken face looking down at him. Her eyes were drooping and her mouth formed inaudible words but her skin was flushed and warmer than usual.

"Sage, I'm sorry--" Berlin wanted to apologize but Sage leaned forward and placed a kiss on his lips.

Berlin's eyebrows arched up in surprise as Sage wrapped her arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. She nipped at his lips to get him to respond to her. Her little tongue darted out and laved at his lips, chipping away at the control that he had just gained. Berlin's arms went around Sage's waist and he pulled her closer to him as he responded to her kisses. Good thing was that the car was tinted so no one could see what was happening inside. He didn't understand how Sage could do that when he had put her under hypnosis so that she didn't get scared.

Their tongues dueled and their hands touched. Their bodies flushed so close to each other that they were almost one. Sage's chest felt warm against Berlin's and her breasts sent pleasure streaking down his spine. She tasted otherworldly and it was something he couldn't get enough of. He had tasted a lot of kisses but that was something different. It was something intoxicating and Berlin didn't mind losing himself in it. However, that was not the place and time. With the last ounce of control he had, he pushed himself away from her.

Sage grunted in disapproval but Berlin quickly placed a finger against her lips. "No, Sage. Behave."

Sage's tongue darted again from her lips and licked his finger, earning a growl from him but Berlin shook the wicked thoughts away and placed Sage on the car seat before he opened the door and stalked out.

He took a deep breath of the cool air outside and tried to calm the fires within him, down. He was able to leash his guardian powers because War's scent was gone and instead a dark and spicey scent bloomed from her. When he turned towards her, her eyes rolled back and she slumped against the seat. Berlin curse out colorfully as he scooped her out of the car and took her into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sage's head hammered painfully when she woke up and found herself inside a room she had never seen before. She cringed when she tried to turn her eyes from one side of the room to the other and her mouth felt dry. It felt like she was in a trainwreck because her entire body felt bruised and battered.

What happened to her?

She tried to recall what happened after Berlin, Lucian and she left the office for the meeting but she couldn't remember anything after that. Were they involved in an accident? Were Berlin and Lucian alright?

Sage pushed the heavy cover from her body and as she tried to get off the bed, her neck throbbed painfully. She moaned in pain as she forced her languid body up and stumbled towards the door. She was having a very strange dream. Maybe it was because she was sleeping late due to watching too many movies but her dreams had been quite peculiar recently. As Sage made her way to the door, she realized that someone had exchanged her work clothes for a pair of sweat pants and a white t-shirt.

"You are awake." a female voice came from behind her when she found her way towards the staircase that was created for a king!

Sage turned her entire body around because every time she tried to turn her neck, it felt stiff and painful. "Who are you? Where am I? Where's Berlin and Lucian?"

The woman smiled softly and approached Sage. Sage was envious of her thick hair and her wonderous skin. She looked like she didn't know the struggles of skin or hair products. "Hey, I am Ottawa."

"Ottawa, as in Berlin's younger sister?" Sage asked in surprise. She recalled Cairo told her about Berlin's siblings at the party.

Were they adopted?

She nodded and crossed her arms before she smirked. "The resemblance is uncanny, huh?"

"Uh--" Sage stuttered and Ottawa chuckled.

"How are you feeling?" She asked Sage.

Sage touched her neck and sighed tiredly. "Like I've been hit by a bus."

Ottawa hummed softly and narrowed her eyes at Sage. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember leaving the office for a meeting and Berlin was acting strangely in the car but after that, everything seems all jumbled up. I can't tell if it were a dream or reality." Sage tried to comb her memories of how she got to that house but couldn't. "What happened to me?"

"Why don't we go downstairs and get you something to eat first?" Ottawa patted Sage on her shoulder and led her down the majestic staircase. "Lucian, Berlin and you were heading to a client meeting but you started feeling dizzy and Berlin decided to bring you here to rest. By the time you arrived here, you have already blacked out. Are you sure you've been taking care of yourself these past few days?"

Sage nodded vigorously although she had an idea as to why she suddenly blacked out.

"Well, you should make sure to take better care of yourself in the future," Ottawa told her and Sage felt as if she had let Berlin down. Berlin had given her so many privileges and so many chances to prove herself and what she was capable of but instead, she exhausted herself to the point of passing out. The worst part was that she even fantasized about kissing him in one of her strange dreams. Just thinking about it and she felt color heat up her cheeks. She quickly looked away from Ottawa.

"Are Berlin and Lucian alright?" Sage asked and wrung her hand nervously together.

She hoped she didn't make the two of them upset because of her. What if they lost the new contract with the new client just because she passed out and had everyone worried about her?

"They are both fine. They are working downstairs. They asked that I take care of you." Ottawa explained.

Sage bit her lower lip and nodded. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Ottawa shrugged and asked. "Berlin tells me that you know Winston Archer. How did you two meet?"

Sage frowned wondering what Winston did to Berlin and his family to make them cautious about him that much. "Uhm--yeah, I met him at a party my friend was performing. How do you all know each other?"

"Childhood friends. Sometimes we got along, sometimes we literally wanted to kill each other." Ottawa chuckled and Sage smiled knowing that kind of friendship.

She had the same friendship with Martine, Pheobe, and Austin.

"I had a feeling Berlin knew Winston because of the way he intercepted when he saw me talking to him," Sage remembered how Berlin showed up and took her away.

"Did you ever meet Winston again after that?" Ottawa asked Sage curiously making her wonder if the two of them had a thing and Ottawa was asking about an ex.

Ottawa was a very attractive and alluring woman. Sage could see her turning heads everywhere she went. She had the sort of beauty that was timeless and Sage bet even in ten years to come, Ottawa was going to look as enchanting as ever. Sage envied her. "That was the first and last time I spoke to him."

Ottawa gave a little nod and stared pensively at Sage's neck. "How's your neck?"

"It hurts a lot. Did I knock my neck on something when I blacked out?" Sage rubbed her neck and shoulder to try and ease the tight muscles that cramped up.

"Yeah...if it weren't for Berlin it would have been far worse. Come on this way." Ottawa took her in the opposite direction once they reached the ground floor.

The house was beautiful and quite modern. Sage could see Berlin spending his time there. It had large windows that filtered in a lot of light and earth colors that made it warm and cozy. So, that was how a billionaire lived? Sage was impressed because, although it wasn't flashy and gilded in gold, it still shouted money with its expensive finishings and furnishings.

"Alright, keep me posted." Sage heard Berlin say. His thick voice stirred Sage's body in a confusing way. She had been around the man long enough to try and build tolerance to his hypnotic voice but the particular day, there was something in his voice that brought an unfamiliar effect.

"Berlin," Ottawa knocked on the door and entered with Sage behind her.

Berlin turned to them and his eyes darkened when he saw Sage. Sage shrunk behind Ottawa. She must have made Berlin upset for him to react like that toward her.

"Ottawa." Berlin said coolly then looked at the woman behind her and placed his hands in his pockets before he moved around his desk towards them. "How are you feeling, Sage?"

Before Sage could answer, Ottawa beat her to it. "She spoke about her body aching, especially her neck. Isn't that right, Sage?"

Sage pursed her lips and touched her shoulder that was throbbing before she nodded. She couldn't look Berlin in the face because she had a dream about him kissing her at the back of the car. She didn't know why but her overactive imagination was getting the best of her.

"Do you remember what happened before you passed out?" Berlin asked her and Sage cringed. It was her fault that the meeting was called off. How was it that Berlin wasn't even scolding her? Why wasn't he angry with what she did?

"I remember us heading for the meeting but then I can't remember what happened after that. I can't remember how I passed out and how I was brought here." Sage explained. "When I woke up, my entire body was aching and my neck and shoulder were throbbing as if I had pulled a muscle or something. I am sorry if I cost you a client, Berlin. I didn't know that I was exhausting my body to the extent of passing out."

"It's not your fault, Sage. It is mine." Berlin assured her. "I should have protected you better."

"But you don't need to look out for me every time Berlin. I thought we talked about this? Pleased treat me like the way you would treat other employees so that there are no more misunderstandings at the office."

"I think it is time to tell her the truth." Ottawa chipped in and Berlin growled at her in warning.

The sound that Berlin made was animalistic but it made Sage's skin creep deliciously. "The truth? What truth? What happened?"

"You cannot be treated like any other employee because you are not like other employees, Sage." Ottawa explained and Berlin reacted.

"Stay out of this, Ottawa."

"I know you, Berlin, and you would take a century to tell her the truth. She will not live that long. The sooner you tell her, the better it is for all of us." Ottawa said.

Sage turned to Berlin in trepidiation. "What is she talking about, Berlin? What truth do you not want to tell me?"

Berlin ran his hand through his hair and stared daggers at Ottawa before he looked at Sage and said. "Like I told you before there is so much happening in this world that you don't know about and I want to tell you about it but not all of it at the same time. Your mind will fragment."

"Okay," Sage sat down on one of the chairs and crossed her arms over her chest. "Can we start from the beginning then. Is Winston Archer's real name War?"

Sage could see Berlin grit his teeth but he nodded and answered. "Yes, his real name is War."

A whooshing sound came out from Sage's mouth in shock before she continued. "Did I dream what happened b between me and him or was it real? Did he trick me in a certain way?"

"What you dreamt that dickhead doing was true." Ottawa replied when she saw Berlin taking too long.

"So that explains the rose I found near my bed this morning..." Sage muttered softly to herself and turned to Berlin. "What happened between you and I in the car? Was it a dream or was it real?"

Sage saw the way Berlin's eyes smoldered and she didn't have to hear his answer to know the truth. Her mouth dried and her palms became moist with nervousness. She and Berlin shared a kiss. She initiated the kiss and coaxed Berlin into responding. She kissed him feverishly as if it was the first time she was experiencing it and she couldn't quite get enough of it.

"Holy f**k!" She exclaimed when she recalled what exactly happened and looked up at Berlin, expecting him to be upset and disappointed in her but instead, amusement danced in his eyes.