Cult of the Hexad (Afterlife saga Book 6)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “Because…” He took a breath and then said something that would blow apart both the world I knew and the world I didn’t…

  “You’re my wife.”

  Chapter 20

  Here We Go Again

  “Seriously Dom, I thought the plan was not to scare her!”

  “Not now Sophia.” The sound of a man’s voice filled the dark void and it was one I vaguely recognised but couldn’t remember exactly where from.

  “No I think now is the perfect time considering she keeps passing out on us! Did you not listen to anything he told us?” The girl’s voice I recognised and I now had a name to go with it. It was strange but I couldn’t have chosen a better name for her. It was as if every Sophia I had ever known had been a lovely and warm natured person and this was the reason it fit so well. Of course the only problem with this logic was that I didn’t know any other Sophia.

  “I suggest you heed our brother’s warning sister, as I am close to the edge as it is.” Now this was a male voice I recognised and I felt myself shift uncomfortably knowing he was close. I felt a reassuring squeeze at my side and a cooing ‘Ssshh’ before his sister, Sophia snapped back,

  “Then maybe you should have thought twice about bombarding the poor girl with a past she can’t remember and a name she doesn’t know!” I then heard the quick tapping of heels against stone and then a loud slam of a heavy door.

  “I know she isn’t helping but she’s just upset.” The other male voice said softly and his first reply was a gruff grunt before the words,

  “Aren’t we all?”

  “I will go and talk to her.” The man said and this time when he left he closed the door with a little less emotion.

  “You can open your eyes now Sweetheart, it is just you and I.” I did as I was told, surprised to find him looking down at me at a sideways angle. I frowned for a moment as I waited for my mind to kick back into gear and when it did I realised I was lay with my head in his lap.

  Knowing that my head was close to that part of his anatomy I tried to think of anything else than just that. Of course when that failed I decided the only way forward was to get up and try and regain some dignity. Because from that knowing grin I was now getting, I was pretty sure he knew where my thoughts had been.

  “Easy now. You must have received quite a knock to the head in that accident.” He said helping me up until I was sitting upright next to him on a big luxurious sofa.”

  “You know about that?” Something passed in his eyes before he gritted out,

  “Yes.”

  “How, was it on the news or the police…? Oh God the police haven’t come looking for me have they, because you know it was none of my fault, these guys…?”

  “Calm yourself. Nobody is going to come here and take you from me…ever again.” He swore this last part under his breath to himself and I inwardly shivered at the stern promise he obviously just made with himself.

  “So I guess I did another fainting act then uh?” His answer came in the form of a smile and him running the back of two fingers down my cheek. When his actions made me bite my lip his smile got bigger and I saw the quickest flash of purple in his eyes.

  “Hey, your eyes must have a hint of purple in them.” I couldn’t help say after what I just saw there.

  “It happens a lot where you are concerned.” I frowned not really understanding what he meant by that but I decided to move on before he confused me even more.

  “I wonder why I keep fainting. Honestly I am not normally like that.” I said thinking it best if I didn’t mention the times that I was half starved at the Colony.

  “You needn’t worry, the reasons I suspect are nothing harmful, merely side effects.” The way he spoke was so precise and to the point it made me wonder what his background was. He seemed a lot older than he looked, in fact it was as if he had come from a completely different era all together.

  “Side effects?” I asked getting back to more important questions than how old he was.

  “I think it’s best not to go down that difficult road again, at least for the time being. It’s like my sister said, best not to bombard you with things you don’t yet understand.” The way he said this was as if I would break if he pushed too much and now I found I was no longer wishing to be kept in the dark. I wanted to know what they thought…or more to the point, what he thought. But I also knew I couldn’t have it both ways and until I was willing to accept what they were all telling me was true, then there was little point me asking questions if I wasn’t going to trust in the answers given.

  “Alright. But I have to ask, where does that leave us?” He gave me a gentle smile and looked as though he wanted to say something other than what he did.

  “I would like to ask you some questions if I may?” I was unsure how this was going to go but by the soft way in which he asked me I knew I couldn’t refuse.

  “I can’t see why not.” I said and no doubt he could hear how sceptical I was.

  “I promised I wouldn’t make it difficult for you but I am curious as you can imagine.” Yeah I bet he was I thought sarcastically considering he thought I was his long lost wife from another life. Oh God…wife! That little doozy of a factor had only just come back to me.

  “Because you…you think I am your wife?” I struggled asking him this and for a minute thought I might chicken out.

  “You are my wife and you always will be.” He said without a hint of hesitation and because there was a side of me that longed for that type of love and devotion, it felt painfully beautiful when hearing it.

  “You seem so sure.” I commented shaking my head slightly at the thought.

  “And you seem so sure that you’re not. So let’s just say we both must have our reasons in what we choose to believe.” Well I had to give him that one.

  “Okay, but just so you know, yours is a lot nicer belief than mine is.” I don’t know where that came from but as soon as I said it I felt my face start to get hot from blushing. However, the grin he gave me was more than worth the embarrassment my confession caused.

  “You know not the joy hearing that brought me, so thank you…Katie.” Hearing him finally say my name for the first time brought me a type of joy that he would never know but at the same time, it did feel strange hearing it. I almost wanted to tell him that he could call me Keira if he really wanted to but I knew that would also have been strange. Either way, I knew from just one look what it had cost him in saying a name he didn’t believe was mine, so I was touched at his kindness shown.

  This suddenly reminded me that I still had no clue to what his name was! It felt like a sin not knowing but how could I ask him his name when he thought he was my husband?!

  At first I thought I might have been talking aloud as he was frowning at me as if he heard every thought I just had.

  “I would like to start with my questions now, if you don’t mind?” He asked and I kind of wished that had been his only one. I wondered then if I told him no would that have been the end of it? One look told me I didn’t think so, not with him looking so determined. In the end I just nodded for him to start.

  “Last night you entered the club in search of someone…who was it you were looking for exactly?” He asked folding a leg over the other and picking a piece of lint from his trousers. The action shouldn’t have made me nervous but combined with the question I felt more like I was being interrogated by a mob boss or something.

  “Uhh…well, I was umm…looking for…” I was still stalling for time trying to decide very quickly whether or not I should tell him. I don’t know why but for some reason this question felt like being led into a trap.

  “Looking for?” He said prompting me further by rolling his hand.

  “Dominic Draven.” I said his name and again a deep purple flickered in his eyes. What the hell was that?!

  “I see.”

  “You see?” I mimicked trying to decipher his code.

  “And tell me, for I am curious, did you find him?” Aga
in, why did I feel like a small animal being led into a lion’s cage?

  “No, I was about to ask after him before that girl launched herself at me…although I guess after that the owner of the club wouldn’t have wanted to meet with me anyway.” I could just see the small smirk appear before he hid the lower half of his face behind a hand he held across his lips as his elbow rested against the back of the seat.

  “I didn’t cause that fight you know.” I said defending myself against what I believed he was smirking at.

  “Oh I have no doubt.” He said moving his hand back to emphasise his point. I frowned at him when I suddenly realised something,

  “You’re teasing me!” At this he laughed and if I thought his smile was a beautiful sight, then his laughter was the beautiful sound to match.

  “I wouldn’t dare, not after seeing you throw a gut punch.”

  “You saw it?!” I shouted in mortified shock.

  “You can see a lot from up in the VIP area.” He said, informing me of this fact about twelve hours too late.

  “The VIP, is that what it was called?”

  “Yes Sweetheart, it is.” I couldn’t help but bite my lip when hearing him call me this again and I was quickly becoming addicted to the tingles his presence constantly gave me.

  “Well in that case we both know what happened next.” I said rolling my eyes and he laughed again causing the tingles to intensify.

  “Yes… you found me.” He said as this had somehow been his intention all along.

  “Wait a minute, how did you know about the accident?” I asked going back to one of my original questions.

  “Let’s just call it convenient connections and leave it at that.”

  “Oh no, I don’t think so!” I said forgetting myself for a moment and he raised an eyebrow as if questioning my bravery.

  “I mean…uh…well, that’s not very fair.” Okay, so saying this did make me sound like a whiny teenager but thankfully he quickly looked amused by my outburst.

  “No? How so?” He asked and when I frowned his laughter told me he was teasing me again.

  “You do like teasing me don’t you.”

  “Don’t worry, there used to be a time where you teased me equally so.” He told me and I didn’t know what to say to that at first but when his smile faded as an obvious memory seeped in I knew I had to make light of it somehow.

  “Then I will just have to find a way to put up with you again.” I said nudging him and I don’t know who was more surprised by my flirting, me or him. I blushed again and lowered my head to hide my pink cheeks from view. I was startled when I felt his fingers under my chin and I had no choice to lift my head when he applied pressure.

  “You are free to tease me whenever you want little one.” I started to slip into the annoying urge of biting my lip again when his thumb pressed against them, preventing me from doing so. Then he leaned in close and I quickly held my breath, thinking that he was going to kiss me. He was…he must be…is he, was he? I asked myself with every inch he eliminated between us with the closer he got. Then he stopped and just before I was stupid enough to close my eyes and wait for something that might never come, he spoke…

  “I once told you a long time ago about that lip of yours and what a shame it would be if there was nothing left for me to kiss.” He uttered the words in such a way it almost felt like that kiss I craved and I think using that voice I would have done anything he commanded.

  “Don’t make promises you wouldn’t be able to keep.” He said cryptically as that sentence would have only made sense if he could read my thoughts. That in itself was a horrifying thought considering all I wanted to do was throw myself at him and beg him to make me a woman, ripping away the last shreds of innocence my virginity held on to.

  I don’t know why but directly after having these carnal thoughts he was gone. He had moved away from me so fast you would have thought someone had held a gun to his head. He had his back to me and even through his shirt I could see all his muscles tensed as if something internal was causing him great pain.

  “Are you alright?” I asked him, suddenly worried I had said something to offend him.

  “I am fine.” He grated it out in such a way even the dumbest of people would have known he was lying.

  “Did I…?” I didn’t get to finish.

  “It isn’t you, but please, just excuse me a moment.” And after this he quickly left through the other door which I was currently facing.

  “Something I said?” I asked myself out loud, knowing that I must have had something to do with it. I thought back to my behaviour and instantly started chastising myself. The way I flirted with him was shocking but on the other hand, it simply felt so natural, almost as if I didn’t know any other way to be around him. He hadn’t seemed offended at first and even looked like he was enjoying our banter but then what had that all been about at the end?

  What was I doing?! I needed to get a grip, I didn’t even know him and what I did know was pure fantasy. What would he think I wondered if he knew that for the last eight months I had been dreaming of him almost every night and in these dreams he had been so many things…Lover, punisher, Demon and Captor and at the centre of all those things was the exact image of myself trapped there by his hand.

  What did any of that really say about me? After all, he had done nothing to hurt me and had taken me into his home. So alright, he did all of these things thinking that I was his long lost wife but still, I was more than thankful for his kindness.

  I thought back to when he asked me who I had been searching for and he didn’t seem surprised when I gave him Mr Draven’s name. I took this as a good sign that he knew him and might be able to find him for me. Because as much as being in his presence was like finally living my dreams, I had to remember why I was here. My first priority was saving Ari and nothing could get in my way of that, not even my dream man. But what if when everything was over…no, I couldn’t think that way! Those were dangerous enough thoughts to even dream of but to actually make them a reality, well in truth I would be falling for a man who was already in love with someone else…it just so happened that she looked like me.

  No, I was making the decision now to back off and keep my dream man at arm’s length, which reminded me, I still didn’t know his name. As I thought on this, two things happened simultaneously and that was one my stomach growled and two my bladder screamed out at me to be emptied. I stood up feeling the slight twinge from the cuts on my leg and decided to take a look once I found the bathroom.

  “It must be here somewhere?” I said as I scanned the room. Actually to call it a room was a bit of a joke considering it was more like a suite. It had its obvious sleeping area in the biggest bed I had ever seen and I knew now from experience that it was the comfiest bed I had ever been in.

  Then there were the glass doors that led onto a massive balcony at least that was if my dream had been correct. I couldn’t see why not considering everything I had seen so far had been pretty spot on. I ran my eyes along the same wall as the glass doors and found a huge, solid wooden desk pushed up against the wall that looked to be a carved antique.

  Then there was the area I was sat in that seemed to be a sitting area full of comfy plush chairs and sofas. Small highly polished wooden tables were dotted here and there, holding candles and some with beautiful tiffany lamps. There was also a carved grandfather clock with what could have been a battle scene up the sides. Tapestries and paintings broke up the bare stone walls and it was behind one of the biggest ones in the corner that I seemed to be drawn. I knew surely in a room such as this one there must have been an en-suite bathroom somewhere and unless my mystery man found solace by taking a leak, I knew it wasn’t through the door he had just used. That only left one option.

  The tall tapestry was embroidered on the front with a magnificent goddess that looked to be half turned to stone. I don’t know why but it felt like I had studied this once before in my life and with frustration I whipped it back, sic
k of continuously feeling as though I was living a double life.

  I knew on so many levels it made sense what people were trying to tell me but it was also like my brain just wouldn’t let me find the answers or even admit them when presented with what people believed was the truth. It was almost like my brain had been programmed to deny everything and it continued to do so even if I didn’t like it.

  I shook my head at myself, ridding these disturbing thoughts from my mind and looked up, unsurprisingly to find a door. I hung the tapestry over the wrought iron holder that I found sticking out from the stone so that I wouldn’t be walking back into it when coming out of the bathroom.

  I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder before stepping cautiously inside as if I was doing something wrong. But hey, when a girl needed to go then a girl needed to go! By the time I got inside I was close to walking with my legs closed to stop any pee coming out so I didn’t take anything in around the room until I was in a safe position. So it was only when I was sat down did I realise I was in the most luxurious bathroom I had ever seen.

  “Crikey, what does this guy do for a living?!” I asked myself looking around and finding something that could have been a bath or a small swimming pool!

  I finished doing what I needed to do and before I pulled up my trousers I checked my bandage was still in place. It really needed replacing so I decided when the guy came back to ask him if he had a first aid kit as it could do with a good clean before it got infected. I gingerly pulled my trousers back over the damaged area and zipped up before checking out my face in the mirror.

  Unfortunately, the reflection didn’t match the beautiful gilded frame the glass sat in. I winced at the mess of my hair and tried the best I could to contain the knots, folding them into another plait. Then I washed my face and was surprised to see there were no bruises around my eye or forehead from where I had hit my head on the side window of the bus. I also washed my hands and remembered the cut I had there from the glass I used as a weapon but where was it now?