Fortis

Fortis | Sex

            For the rest of the ride, I hadn’t said a word. My brain was processing my inevitable death that was about to occur in three days, when the full moon was scheduled.

My hand gripped tightly onto the car door handle when Fortis drove the truck up a snow covered mountain. The road turned narrow, sharp turns wrapping around the tree covered rock. Even though I feared that the truck would fall down the steep hill due to the lack of guard rails, my face had a mask of a neutral expression.

When we reached the top of the smaller mountain, a log house came into view. The wood was bright, looking smooth to the touch. The part that wasn’t built of flat terrain was supported by stilts. A big glass window gaped through the house, overlooking the clearing the trees made that showed the mountains in the background. It was undoubtedly a beautiful, expensive house.

Fortis shut off the engine. “Home, sweet home.”

Exiting the truck, my dirty shoes stomped down the snow. Fortis grabbed our bags from the truck bed, slinging them effortlessly over his broad shoulders. He produced a key from his pocket and walked to the front door. It opened with a metallic click.

I wondered how he obtained the house, for it was too expansive, even with his inheritance. But I couldn’t find my voice to ask.

Closing the door behind me, the smell of earth and its warmness surrounded me. A balcony that overlooked the living room was the top floor, leading to two opposite side hallways. The black leather furniture and sleek plasma hanging on the wall looked new, barely used. The kitchen in the back was made of marble and stainless steel.

Fortis offered to show me to the room that I’d be staying in, a room on the opposite side of the house from him. We walked up the stairs, him still holding my bag.

Upon entering my room, he set the bag down on the massive bed, slightly sinking in the plush comforter.

“The house used to belong to my aunt and uncle, but they moved and gave it to my family as a vacation house,” Fortis explained, looking around the room.

I nodded, holding my arms.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, um, I’m gonna take a nap.”

My head nodded again.

As he was about to walk out the room, he paused to say, “Mercy—I promise you—you aren’t gonna die. I know it. There’s nothing to be worried about, all right?”

I didn’t turn as I nodded.

A tired sigh escaped him once more before he shut the door. I heard his footsteps all the way down to the hall, and the sound of the bedroom door closing. The sound echoed through the house, vibrating my heartstrings and letting me know that I was alone.

A wave of uncontrollable sadness washed over me, hitting me like a rip tide. I quickly rushed to the outside balcony so Fortis won’t hear or smell my salty tears. But once the door shut behind me, I slid down the glass, not caring that the snow that soaked through my jeans. Shivers exploded over my arms and legs.

Sobs racked through my chest, creating painful tugs on my lungs. My hand covered my mouth to muffle my cries. I pulled my knees to my chest, burying my face between them. I wanted to go home. I wanted to see Mom and Dad again. I actually wanted to go to school and see my friends. When I was a little girl, I thought running away with a handsome boy was a dream.

But it turned out be a nightmare.

Looking out to the scenery, not even the beautiful mountains could pick up my spirits. Sighing to myself and willing my eyes to stop producing tears, I stood, a wet spot on the back of my jeans. I walked to the edge of the balcony, my hands resting in the snow that covered the railing. The coldness nipped at my skin, but Fortis told me that lycan’s body heat ran unnaturally hot.

Then, the urge to run filled me. Energy and adrenaline surged through my veins, tingling the tips of my fingers and toes. My heart accelerated as I looked down at the white ground, my brain telling me I could make the jump uninjured.

So I jumped.

My legs swung over the railing and I landed gracefully into the deep snow. Looking back up to the balcony, a laughed escaped me. My hands flexed, the muscles in my thighs twitching, begging me to use them to their fullest extent.

Inhaling a gust of cold air, my legs started a dead-spring down the mountain. I smiled as the wind slapped against my fast, my body running faster than I thought was possible. If only my gym teacher could’ve seen me, she would’ve changed my grade in a heartbeat.

A rock protruded from the mountain, but it didn’t slow me down. Running onto the slab, my feet ricocheted my body forward and I was flying through the air. The world around me ran in slow motion. I could see the individual patterns of the snowflakes at they fell. Everything looked like a sharper image, as if I was wearing prescription glasses for the first time.

As the ground came nearer, my legs prepared themselves for the landing, my feet landing perfectly. The steepness of the hill sent me falling, rolling down through the snow. And when I reached the bottom, I stopped on my back, laughing madly at myself.

The sound of pattering feet shuffling through the snow peaked at my sensitive hearing. Without sitting up from my snow hideout, I peeked over the edge to find several deer. They sniffed at the ground, walking in their search for food.

Slowly standing onto my feet, I tried not scaring the cute animals.

One snapped its antler-filled head towards me, its dark hands running over my form, accessing if I was a threat. I gave him a friendly smile, holding out my hand. As I gingerly walked forward, he watched my closely.

“Hey, there,” I spoke softly.

He picked up his hoofed foot, extending his neck to sniff my palm. His rough fur slightly brushed my fingertips.

My smile grew when he placed his snout onto my hand, sniffing my limb for food. But my happiness vanished when a gruesome image popped inside my head.

I imagined snapping the deer’s neck, smiling evilly. My body started molding, morphing into the lycan that attacked me. Drool dripped from my yellowed, sharp teeth as I pounced on the deer herd, ripping them apart and basking in their warm, tasteful blood—

Exhaling sharply and tripping backwards away from the buck, he jolted in surprise and ran off, his herd following. They all sprinted back into the woods, and I watched them, breathing heavily. My fingertips dug into the moist soil, shutting my eyes tightly and I shook my head to get rid of the gory thought. They were just images, Fortis said I would get them.

Deciding that I’ve had my fill of fun, I started the trek back to the house, which wasn’t nearly as fun as it was on the way down.

The sun had started setting when I saw the familiar blue chipping paint on the truck. My arms and legs had gone numb from walking in the winter air with soaked clothes, goose bumps ridding my pale skin.

Fortunately, the front door was unlocked.

Unfortunately, Fortis was awake and I was gone longer than I thought.

At the sound of the front door opening, Fortis sprang up from the couch, a cold glare resting on his dark brows. His jaw ticked and his fists were balled, his pupils dilated. “Where the fuck have you been?”

My eyes widened.

Oh, crap.