Untamed

Chapter 19

(ELAINE)

Entering the dark bedroom my eyes took a few seconds to adjust. In the dark I saw a figure in the background with their back to me. "Ben?" I whispered but he didn't move. I waited with my hand on the door trying to decide if I should move forward or leave. I walked in with my hand stretched out in front of me. I could imagine the feel of his skin under my palm as I walked towards him. Just before I could touch him Ben was pulled away from me into the darkness. He turned around to face me and I squinted to see him through the darkness.

"No." I whispered looking at the thick arm that was wrapped around Ben's throat. The knife caught a bit of light and shined.

"Please." Roderick leaned around Ben's shoulder with his ever present smile plastered on his face. "Join us." He giggled at my expression and extended a finger to beckon me to walk closer. When I didn't move I saw the arm around Ben's neck flex and Ben hissed as the sharp blade cut the skin at his neck.

"No!" I said taking a step forward.

"Good to see you again Elaine dearest." Roderick drawled. Then he returned his attention to Ben. Ben was standing shirtless in front of Roderick. His bare feet indicated that Roderick had just hauled him out of bed, bound his hands, and then waited for me to enter the room. Roderick seized a fist full of Ben's hair and turned him around constantly holding the knife to his throat. Roderick took the time to look him up and down and sighed. "Honestly dearest I don't know what you see in the man." He said in a mocking tone. "He's such a brute."

"Go Ellie." Ben whispered to me against the blade. Roderick looked at me over Ben's shoulder to see if I had listened. When I didn't make a move he grinned at me. He turned Ben around so the both of them were facing me.

"Ellie? Ellie?" Roderick sniggered. "There he goes again with that childish name. Doesn't he know that you're all woman?" he snorted.

"Please go." Ben was saying looking at me. He wanted me to leave him? Didn't he know that I couldn't? Didn't he know that I was rooted to the spot looking at my greatest nightmare?

"No please." Roderick said interrupting my thoughts. "Please stay and enjoy this with me." He gave Ben a shake by his hair. "It will be quite the show. One you'll never forget." The knife pressed into Ben's throat drawing out blood. I watched helpless as the small drop rolled over his throat.

"Stop!" I screamed feeling my heart breaking as I watched Ben who was watching me. His eye contact never broke. It was like he was saying that it was okay for me to leave. That I should go and leave him there. I should get away. I wouldn't leave him. "Take me. Take me instead!" I screamed taking a step towards him.

Roderick turned and smiled at me. Contemplating my offer as another drop of blood rolled over Ben's throat. "You instead? Now that is quite the tempting offer." He looked me up and down as I stood there quaking in my thin nightdress. "You instead of this brute would be quite the trade." He purred as Ben struggled against his bonds.

"Ellie no! You can't do this!" Roderick cut him off by yanking his head back by a fistful of his hair.

"Silence. Let me think. How do you expect me to think with you yelling in my ear?" He demanded.

I watched another drop of blood join the first few. Together they rolled down his neck and inched down his exposed chest. Roderick walked around Ben to stand behind him. With the knife still at his throat, his hands bound behind his back, and me in the room Ben was helpless to do anything that wouldn't get one of us killed. I was powerless with fear. I couldn't have fought Roderick off no matter how much I wanted to. He had made sure of that.

"Why would you trade yourself for him?" Roderick finally asked. His eyebrows were bunched up together as though he really couldn't see a reason for me to want to sacrifice myself instead. I took a deep breath watching the Ben's blood run over his muscular chest.

"Because I lo.."

I jerked awake upright in bed. I was gasping for breath and my heart was beating rapidly in my chest. My whole body was shaking and I could feel tears brimming on my eyes threatening to overflow. I was so tired of crying. I reached up to wipe the tears away.

It was just a dream. A mad, crazy, terrifying dream. I ran my hand through my hair that was falling in my face.

Ben sat up next to me causing me to jump then attempt to calm my beating heart once more.

"It's alright." He whispered taking me in his arms. With his warm body wrapped around mine I suddenly realized just how cold I was. He felt good and alive next to me. "It's alright." He said again with his voice thick with sleep.

The night terrors that ended up in a cold sweat were a regular thing now. Just about every night I dreaded going to sleep because I knew what the outcome would be. Roderick was waiting for me in my dreams. Poor Ben hadn't had a decent night's sleep in days because of me.

"What was it about this time?" he whispered in my ear.

"It was nothing." I finally managed to gasp.

He growled and stretched. We had made an agreement. Ben yawned and released me. Instantly I missed his warmth as he climbed out of bed. The room was pitch black and I knew that it was the middle of the night. I felt guilty for waking him up yet again. He had to be exhausted.

There was some scuffing around followed by a scraping sound. A spark flew into the darkness followed by a few others. The light cast off of the sparks illuminated Ben's lips as he gently blew on them causing them to erupt into bright flames. He threw the little ball of fire into the fireplace then layered on little pieces of wood as well as a few logs. The small flame grew until it enveloped the sticks eventually turning to the larger logs with its flaming fingers of heat.

Ben turned to me with the flames behind him all I could see was his large silhouette. Surely all he could see was a small terrified woman clutching her sheet up to her throat. He took slow steps towards me pausing slightly next to the bed. Then he swooped down and scooped me up holding me against his chest. Then he walked us to the chair that resided in front of the fire and settled me down in his lap. Wrapping a blanket around my shoulders he secured me in place. The heat from the fire and the heat from his chest finally had my shivering under control.

"Tell me about it." He demanded gently but firmly. And I did. I told him the whole thing except the very end. I left that out. He wouldn't understand it. I barley understood it. What had I been about to say? I shook my head slightly at the thought. Ben's deep breathing filled my ear and I knew that he had dosed off. I couldn't blame him of course. He was exhausted already and then he had to deal with me and my nightmares every night.

I wanted to let him sleep so I attempted to climb off his lap. His arms constricted pulling me against his large chest. It looked as though I was there to stay.