The Phantom Touch

Noise

"I'm not sure now would be a good time," he said, with a crooked smile. He pulled away, but I could still see the hunger in his eyes. I had him on the hook, I just needed to reel him in.

"I see," I pouted, turning my head to the ground and shuffling a few twigs with my toe, "so what are your plans for me? Kyra will come at some point, will you kill me before or after she arrives? Are you going to move camp before then? Will I just be chained up like this while you're on the run? Do you perhaps prefer to see me in chains?" I tried to recall if that was actually a thing. Certainly chains fell somewhere in the realm of bondage, so I figured that was likely someone's fetish of choice. I tried to peer at him from the tops of my eyes to see if the arrow hit home or if I had him scowling in confusion by my wild miss. However, when I glanced up, I saw him watching me just as intently, a shiver taking hold and revealing his weakness. Emboldened by his crumbling resistance, I continued.

"I thought maybe we could see how strong our love for each other is. I'd hate for you to resort to torture so that I'd die with anger in my heart. I'd rather be filled by you instead." As I said those words, I realized how awkward they sounded. Was that flirtatious? Overtly sexual in a clumsy sort of way? Completely nonsensical?

As my brain tried to decipher my own jumbled words, I did all I could to keep confusion and concentration from pinching my brow and scrunching my nose. I knew that couldn't be attractive, however, the more I tried to not do something with my face, the more I felt the muscles pull and contract. Frustration took hold and I huffed before turning away to collect myself, however, a second later, a hand grabbed my chin and guided me back.

"Oh Delilah," he said, bringing his second hand up so that both cradled my jaw, his thumbs caressing my cheeks while his fingers dug into my hair.

As I deliberated the next move to make, he took initiative by stepping forward and smashing his lips against mine. I tried to match his aggression, but I'd only ever given quick pecks on the lips before, never had I experienced a proper mouth to mouth kiss which involved tongues and teeth. I tried to look at it as a learning experience instead of what it actually was — an intimate encounter with a man that I detested. Fortunately, despite my awkward progression with reciprocating his assault on my mouth, he pulled away panting and exhilarated.

"I don't think I could bring myself to hurt you in a way where you'd be tethered to this world out of hate. Not when I know you feel for me as I do for you. I doubt the vampire will come hunting us just yet. Another day, at least, I think. We can see to it that you die in the midst of ecstasy. That surely will keep you here in our ghostly plane."

In the midst of ecstasy? I tried to think of what exactly that would look like and, though I wanted to vomit, I didn't. I deserved some credit for that. It was an especially difficult task considering he proceeded to act on this urge with all of his ghostly brethren hovering around us and the backdrop of moaning zombies and growling wolves not far behind them.

"Not here," I said, fighting off my desire to forcefully push him off me while he sucked long and hard upon my still painfully bruised neck. "I can't with so many watching, I need to be able to focus on just you and me. There's no way this will work if I'm distracted by all of this."

He didn't even bother looking around to assess just how not alone we were. Instead he shrugged and went about with unlocking my shackle. However, one of his clansmen took umbrage to the sudden shift in Trevor's focus.

"You can't just unchain her," he hissed, his voice soft and wispy. "If Selena has potentially blown our cover, then we need to make escape plans. For all we know this plaything of yours could be part of the vampire's schemes. To release her is reckless and..."