Dangerous Desires

Curious Scars

Keith

The woman that his brother had brought back to their house was what Keith could only describe as a mystery. She seemed completely oblivious to how things worked in the modern day world, while still having some kind of an understanding of everything at the same time. She also was dressed in such an odd way--almost like she had come from the Victorian era where balls were part of normal day society.

For the life of him, he couldn't figure her out. He knew it hadn't even been an hour since they'd met, so perhaps he only needed to give it some more time before he understood what was going on with her, but he still found it frustrating he couldn't figure it out.

His dragon was pacing around in his subconscious, his full attention on the woman in front of them. Never before had his dragon cared for anyone who wasn't part of their family before, so Keith was kind of perplexed on why he was suddenly showing interest in someone, especially a human.

While the room began to steam and fog from the heat of the shower, Keither began to work on the ties of her corset. Whoever had done them for her sure knew what they were doing, he thought wryly. He was having a hard time getting them even slightly undone.

With a frustrated sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head in amusement. "I think you were spot on about cutting through these things," he chuckled.

She flashed him a smile through the mirror, having just glanced up at him. She'd been further examining the room through said mirror while he'd been trying to get the ties undone for her. She shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Isobel has always been fairly particular in the way she tied my corsets and gowns. She has been the only one who has ever been able to undo them. I secretly think she spells them to stay in place unless she helps take them off," the woman offered with a shake of her head. Sadness suddenly overtook her expression, and Keith felt a tug at his heart to see it on her face. His dragon was certainly unhappy with it. Damn lizard was trying to push through in anger at whatever had caused her grief.

Clearing his throat, Keith offered her what he hoped was a gentle smile, and walked to the door. "Give me a second to grab a knife or a pair of scissors to cut through them. I'll be right back."

Stepping out of the room, he shut the door behind him and immediately came face to face with Reed, the fourth male living in the house with them. He frowned at the wizard in amusement. "Something I can do for you?"

Reed smirked. "Heard we had an unusual guest that randomly showed up. I was curious on who she was, and if she had anything to do with the portal I felt open up on our land."

Keith frowned, all humor leaving him. "Portal? What portal?"

Reed c****d his head to the side. "That power surge we all felt? That was a portal, a strong one too. It came from another dimension, and things that come from other dimensions are rarely good."

Keith glanced back at the bathroom door, suspension clouding his thoughts. Could she be here to harm them? Was she a spy from another dimension?

Almost immediately, he shook off that thought. For one thing, while he knew they weren't the only beings in the universe, he highly doubted the woman was part of an alien attack focused on Earth. For another, the woman was too grief stricken and a complete mess from whatever had tried to attack her; he didn't believe her reactions and responses had been fake.

Keith didn't comment, just side stepped his friend and quickly grabbed a pair of scissors. When he turned back around, he found Reed still standing where he'd been left, deep in thought and a million miles away.

Keith didn't say anything, knowing that Reed wouldn't hear him even if he did say something to him. The male often got so lost in his head, it could take hours, or even days, before he resurfaced.

Stepping back into the bathroom after knocking on the door and getting permission to enter, Keith found the woman still in the corset, and nothing else. She had shucked off the undergarments on her lower region in his absence.

He couldn't help but stare. Her ivory skin wasn't as flawless as he had assumed upon meeting her; her legs, and what he could see of her abdomen beneath the corset, were riddled with scars. And not even small, tiny scars from scratches or cuts, either. No, these were long, thick, and jagged. What was curious, though, was that instead of being red or even a lighter shade than the rest of her skin, they almost appeared silver and covered in glitter. That isn't normal, right?

While still thinking about this, he made quick work of cutting off the strings that bound the garment to her frame, and as it fell off her body, he found more of the same scars riddling her back as well. One especially caught his attention; from her left shoulder, curving over her back, down to the back of her left thigh, was a massive scar that looked fairly newer than the rest. It didn't have that silvery appearance yet, but it looked like it was close to being done healing as well at the same time.

A growl rumbled from his chest, his dragon forcing his way through and making his presence known.

"Who the f**k hurt you?"