Where he took her was entirely unexpected, the heavy thunder of water had her turning. They were at the base of an enormous waterfall, inside a cave with the mouth almost entirely enclosed before them, but behind them was another opening that simply stopped, opening up to the most breathtaking view she had ever seen. The world went on as far as her eyes could see, and then further, just green trees and white tipped mountains.
Neah moved to her side and looked out over the view, amused by her stunned silence and then going still when she slid her hand into his. She was incredibly grateful for his taking her away from Ayathian and she tilted her head to rest it against his arm, clutching his hand between both of hers and staring out at the beauty that was the human world.
They stood like that for several long minutes, simply watching the world and listening to the sound of the water behind them. Finally, she turned and wrapped her arms gently around his middle with her forehead against his chest, hugging him firmly.
He hesitated but then his arms went around her, and he rested his jaw against the top of her head.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they can never hurt you again," he breathed, staring out at the view with his fingers tangling in her hair and combing them down the length of her back.
After a while he pulled her down onto the mossy rocks, her body sideways against his and her side leaning into his chest.
Wondering how it could feel so good to simply be held by him, her eyes slid shut and she revelled in it, the security of his arms around her, the pleasant feeling of his fingers trailing up and down her arm.
Turning her head to him, she looked up at him. curiously and reached up, Lifting the mask off his head. She flipped it over and examineded the flaking dye.
"You should paint these on if you like them," she said gently.
"I had hoped you would, you did a good job with the berries."
Blushing, she smiled up at him while she brushed away the dried flakes of the berry juices.
"I will when we get the chance."
He kissed the top of her head gently and she shivered, enjoying the sensation more than she should, but he was so nice to her, so gentle with her that she couldn't help it.
"Why did Daemon chain you?" he asked gently, taking the mask and lifting it to her face, a smirk pulling at his lips as he studied her.
"He thinks it will keep me safe. I'm 'valuable'," she muttered, making a face at the word.
"You are?" he asked.
"I have abilities that are deemed to be valuable by some," she said evasively, not wanting to ruin the relaxed mood.
He murmured softly, not pressing her for more information, but instead he lowered the mask to reveal her face and his was only a few inches away from her.
He watched her intently for a moment and then he kissed her lightly, a gentle brush of his lips that had her leaning up into it for more of a taste.
His lips turned up into a faint hint of a smile as she pressed herself closer to him, straining to reach him when he had only leaned close enough to barely brush her.
Setting down the mask, his hand lifted, and he traced his fingers against her jaw. It was such a tender touch that she shivered, almost as though he had brushed a feather over her skin and she wanted more, but he kept himself back, teasing her.
Frowning, she shifted up onto her knees and her arms slid slowly around his neck, drawing him down to her while she stretched up for him.
He growled softly and his arms wrapped painfully tight around her, pulling her fully against him. She leant into him eagerly but then he leant back, turning his head away with his expression tense and she stopped, her face confused.
"I'm sorry… I thought you…" She blushed and pulled back from him with a sudden uncertainty and embarrassment. She must have read him terribly wrong for him to pull away from her like that.
Moving away from him, she felt awkward with herself and brushed her hair back behind her ear before she stood. "Maybe we should go back," she said, cheeks flaming and avoiding his eyes as she tried to figure out where she had gone wrong. She was normally good at reading people but evidently, she had been wrong. She hadn't been that wrong in her life and it left her scrambling for something to say or do. He stood after a moment and moved forward, reaching for her but she turned away from him as a sudden wave of distress flooded over her. She had wanted him to like her, one of the few she actually wanted to like her and he had rejected her. She didn't know how to handle that at all, she had no experience with it, or with men in general.
Taking her hand, he pulled her around roughly and she looked up at him, surprised to see an almost possessive anger coming over him at her attempt to escape his eyes.
Pressing her back against the wall of the cave, his hand found her jaw, and he pushed her head up to look up at him with her unable to look away from him.
His head tilted slightly, considering her for several long seconds before his head bowed over hers and he was suddenly kissing her hard, painfully hard, deliciously hard.
Leaning up into the kiss, she curled her fingers in the fabric of his shirt while he pushed her back into the wall, the warmth of him pressing into every inch of her skin.
Meeting the kiss with her own deep hunger, she growled when his fingers curled around her wrist and pressed them back against the wall. Trapped there, she gave into the pressure of his mouth and her head met the wall, her body curling into his with a sudden eagerness.
"I want to take you back to the compound," he breathed against her mouth and she nodded, not taking even a second to consider what that might mean.
He didn't give her time to doubt her agreement either, the world shimmering into nothingness around them and then they were in a cool, dry room that smelt faintly of him mingled with the strong scent of stone.
***
Releasing her wrists, he reached down and gripped her dress in both fists, pulling it up and off over her head, the fabric falling to the floor before his hands found her shoulders, squeezing firmly and his grip tightened to still her reach for his shirt.
She didn't care enough to even glance around her as his arms snaked down over her arms to her back, then down to her backside where he lifted her up off the ground. Her arms went tightly around his neck, clutching herself to him as he turned her and leaning forward, he laid her down on the bed she hadn't noticed.
Crawling onto the bed at her side, his mouth was almost too hard against hers, his hand gliding up over her bare hip, then up over her stomach to find her breast. Shivering at the warm touch, he squeezed gently before releasing her and trailing his fingers up to her neck where he lifted her head into the force of his kiss.
Breaking the kiss, he leant back just enough to trail his eyes down her form, taking in the length of her in a way that made her blush, suddenly self-conscious of her body.
She didn't know what he saw, but he was evidently satisfied with it as he turned back to her and traced his lips along her jaw to her ear.
"Do you want me?" he whispered, the words sending a thrill of tension through her body.
"Yes…" she said honestly, his responding growl sounding feral in her ear. His hand found her inner thigh, and he dragged his nails up over her skin, leaving long red trails that had her gasping, not expecting the rush of pain.
"Will you give yourself to me?" he murmured, his hand stopping a few inches below her pelvic region.
It was an odd way to phrase it, but she didn't care. She wanted him and that was all that mattered.
"Yes," she said again, and he exhaled slowly, his breath warm on her cheek and ear.
Moving over her, his eyes found hers and she bit her lip at the hunger she found in his, a trickle of fear going through her at what she was about to do.
Reaching down with both hands, he curled his hands around the backs of her thighs and jerked her down so that her backside was resting against his thighs, her legs curled up around his waist. He smiled down at her with a darkness she didn't recognise, but her doubts vanished as his mouth found hers once more.
Sliding his hands up and over her thighs, he brushed her skin as he released the buttons of his pants and pushed the fabric down until it bunched under her thighs.
"Are you afraid?" he asked.
"Yes," she said for a third time and he smiled.
"Good," he growled and wrapped his arm tightly around her lower back to jerk her even closer to him.
She had the sudden urge to detach herself from the situation, but she clung to it, wanting to be aware for it.
Her eyes met his, and he smiled, a dark and almost cruel smile as he pushed against her, demanding and hungry.
Her body shuddered as he entered her, her body tense and her mind racing with the fear and excitement. It didn't hurt this time, but it wasn't entirely comfortable either, her body resisting him, and his determination grating against each other.
He groaned softly as his hips met hers and she searched his face, greedy to see the pleasure written all over his features.
Drawing back from her, she frowned slightly as she contemplated if that was what sex was, merely discomfort and a sense of pressure, but as he pressed into her again, the sensation began to change and she gasped as he withdrew again, a wash of pleasure spreading through her body as her tension began to ease.
Suddenly clutching her to him like a vice, his fingers left bruises on her skin as he gave in to his need and the sensation had her sighing his name. Biting her lip to silence the sounds his body elicited from her, he had frozen for an instant at the sound of his name before his head turned and his lips found hers, rough and bruising.
He bit hard on her lip and she whimpered, his eyes snapping open at the response of her body that came with the pain. He looked down at her, equal parts surprised and savagely gleeful.
"I want to hurt you," he whispered, and the thought sent a shiver of tension down her spine that she ignored completely.
"Hurt me…" she breathed, and he growled, his teeth sinking into her shoulder to make her cry out in pain.
He grunted as her body responded and he shifted his grip on her, lifting her up off the bed and onto his lap with her straddling his thighs.
Picking up the rhythm immediately, her body moved with his and she wrapped her arms around his back, hands sliding up under his shirt and her nails digging into his flesh. His skin was uneven, but she didn't care, dragging her nails along his flesh as he bit her again and then again.
They moved together with a desperate need, their voices raised in pleasure until he pulled her down hard on him, groaning loudly in her ear as he found his release and she shuddered, her forehead resting against his collarbone. Panting gently, she tilted her head to press her lips against his chest and he shivered, clinging to her for several seconds before he moved back just enough to see her face.
"You're so beautiful…" he breathed, and she smiled, blushing at the compliment that sent tingles of pleasure through her body.
It had been incredibly different to what she had ever experienced and deliciously wonderful, his body almost forcing the pleasure into her and she had revelled in it, wanting more and more even as he gave it to her.
She didn't want to move from her position, a pleasant ache between her legs that started up a steady, slow reminder of their pleasure.
"I need to… bathroom," he muttered, and she lifted a brow curiously, but moved away from him, only slightly disappointed by the loss of him, but there would be time for more pleasure later.
Following him from his room, she found the hallway, but a scent caught her attention, and she looked around, glancing back as he headed into another room, intent on whatever it was he needed to do, and she flushed as she realised, she had been watching his backside.
Turning back towards the odd scent, she started back down the hall and past his room, finding another room with a door.
She hadn't expected to find a door in that place, they were uncommon in a world full of hidden passages.
Pressing the door open slowly, she peeked inside and froze as she took in the sight.
There was a body that had been chained to the wall by the wrists, female and limp on the floor, anguish clear on every inch of the emaciated frame.
The worst part was the words scrawled across the wall and she took a slow step back as terror flooded through her, a sudden sense that she needed to leave right then 'you're next' in old, dried blood.
"You weren't supposed to see that…" Neah murmured, and she turned, getting a flash of grey before pain exploded in her head as the metal clanged.
Her body hit the wall, and she staggered back, clutching her head as she cried out in pain, her eyes streaming as she looked up at him.
His face was entirely devoid of emotion as he lifted the metal pipe above his head, his eyes wide and lips parted. She knew then with a crystalline perfection that she had made the wrong choice in coming to his rooms, a choice she was not likely going to going to live to regret.
The pipe came down and her head exploded with sparkles, her body collapsing to the floor.
"Tough little bitch, aren't you…" he said as he lifted the pipe for a third time and as it came down, her world went black.