A Dauntless Kind of Love

Six

Four opened the door and we all looked at him with waiting and expectant eyes. I was in black ripped up skinny jeans, my boots and a long sleeve V neck. I was nervous because the last person who came out looked like she was in a psych ward.

"Kraven." Four calls and I take a deep breath before standing up and following him into the room. He shuts the door behind me and I take a seat. "Ok, remember what I said. This is going to be the toughest stage for you. It's mostly mental and emotional. Being what we are, we tell our selves it isn't real. But a real Dauntless wouldn't think like that. Dauntless would find the quickest and most realistic way out. So you need to do it like a dauntless. Today Eric isn't here but he will be tomorrow. So we need to get this figured out on the first shot. It should take you through at least your first three or four fears." He tells me and then injects the serum into my neck. "Good luck Kraven."

I look around and I'm no longer with Four. I'm standing alone in Eric's apartment.

"Did you think that I wouldn't find out?" I hear his deep voice ring around the room and I turned around quickly to see him glaring at me. His hands by his sides and one of them is holding a gun.

"I.. I didn't..." He cuts me off as his hand goes to my throat and he slams me into the wall hard. My mind starts to tell me that it isn't real but I remember quickly that I'm dauntless. I bring up my right arm and slam it down on his elbow, breaking his grip and then I run towards the door but he grabs me by my hair.

"You are just a divergent whore. You'll never be my wife." He says then put the gun to my head and pulls the trigger.

"AHHH!" I jolt out of the chair and into Four's arms.

"It's ok Kraven. It's ok it's over." He says and rubs my back gently as I try to calm down and get my breathing on track.

"Why was there only one? I thought you said there would be at least three."

"Normally there is." He says and he looks a little confused.

"Then why one."

"It looks like you only have one fear." He says, his eyes still hold disbelief.

"But how is that possible?" I asked and he shakes his head.

"I don't know but what I do know, is that tomorrow when Eric is in this room with us. You have to end it before he says Divergent. I don't care if you pull the trigger yourself. But you end it before that happens. Do you understand?" He asked and I nodded quickly.

"I got it." I say and stand up, giving him a hug. "Thank you four." He just nods and then I leave. The other initiates watch me as I go but I avoid their eye contact and then hurry to the gym where I practice fighting.

"How was your first day in stage two?" Eric asked me as he walked up. We still hadn't talked since the fight a few days ago.

"I only have one fear."

"That's impossible." He says and I shrug before throwing a few more punches at the bag.

"Obviously it's not."

"Look. Will you lose the attitude please? That shit is done and over with."

"I don't know why you are marrying me. You don't want to be with me. Why don't you just call this whole thing off and ill find a man who wants me." I tell him and he quickly grabs me and spins me around to look at him.

"Nobody else will touch you! Do you understand me?" He asked and I just glare at him. "You're mine Kraven and in a few weeks' time, you'll be my wife." He says and then lets me go.

"Then try treating me like it!" I yell at him and the next thing I know his lips are crashing against mine and one of his hands is on my cheek while the other is wrapped around my waist and he pulls me into him. It takes me a moment to realize what's going on but then I kiss him back. We fight for dominance but of course he wins and then he pulls away slowly.

"Is that better?" He asked and I smiled up at him.

"It's a start. But I need the emotional stuff to Eric."

"I'll try but I can't make any promises."

"I know you can't."

.......................................................

I hear my name called by Four and I stand up, walking into the room and the door shuts behind me. This time I see Eric standing behind the screen.

"Remember everything I told you." Four whispers to me and I nod. He injects the serum and it doesn't take long until I'm back in Eric's apartment. This time I turn around quickly and see Eric, the same as last time with the gun at his side.

"Did you think that I wouldn't find out?" He asked me and I swallowed hard.

"I don't..." His hand goes around my throat, this time tighter, and he slams me against the wall and I groan. "Eric stop..." I tell him and I look him in the eyes. "It's me. It's just me. Kraven. Your wife." I tell him

"You're just a ...." I knee him in the groin and he drops me to the floor. I scramble away from him but he still points the gun at my head and pulls the trigger.

I lunge out of the seat and straight into Four's arms, tears coming down my cheeks. Something about it was different. Maybe it was the kiss we shared or the fact that I felt closer to him but it hurt so much more.

"What the hell was that?" Eric asked as I quickly pulled away from Four and wiped my eyes. "Your one and only fear is me killing you? Why? Why would I kill you?" He asked angrily.

"I don't... I don't know." I lie and he glares at me with icy eyes.

"Four can we have a moment?" Eric asked, more like instructed and Four steps out of the room. "You want me to treat you like my wife, then you treat me like your husband! Why would I be your fear?" He asked again, crossing his arms angrily over his chest.

"Because I love you." I blurt out what I thought was a lie but when the words left my mouth they felt so right.

His eyes narrow on me and then he takes a deep breath and bends down so he is at my level where I'm sitting.

"I would never hurt you Kraven. No matter what. I would kill a man for placing his hands on you. Do you understand me?" he asked and I nodded. He didn't say the words back but he didn't have to. In his own way, I knew that Eric cared about me.