A Gift for the King Page 4

  His eyebrow wrinkled as his gaze meandered about the girls, until he noticed Lana and an unexpected look of surprise came over him. He moved toward her until he stood directly in front of her. She felt tiny under his scrutiny, as he stood about a foot taller than her small frame. His fingers touched her throat and grasped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Searching, his eyes met hers, and a strange sensation came over her. She felt a complete loss of control of her body, similar to what Wes had done to her before, but this was somehow very different.

  Warmth passed through her limbs, and a sense of calm settled over her. Her fear all but melted away as she stared into the red of his eyes. Studying her, his eyebrows furrowed and he smiled dangerously. Lana felt as though she should be afraid, but couldn’t bring herself to be. She couldn’t look away, almost like his eyes had a strange power over her.

  What the hell was he?

  There was something decidedly different about the man standing in front of her. He had all the traits of a normal human, but he was so big, and there was something very strange with his eyes. What was it about his gaze that seemed so off to her, almost unnatural, so alien? They seemed to have the depths of ages hidden within them.

  His smile grew larger, as if he could read her thoughts. That couldn’t happen, right? Was he enjoying this?

  “This one is mine. She is not to be auctioned tomorrow,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. “Go kneel by the throne,” he ordered.

  It felt like he was talking to only her. His eyes reluctantly moved away from hers, his gaze lingering over every inch of her body.

  She nodded, her body moving of its own accord. Step by step, she made her way to where he told her to go. She climbed the many stairs, turned and knelt beside the throne before she knew what happened.

  Lana continued to watch him as he walked down the line, assessing the other girls for something unknown. He showed little interest in the others and waved most of them away. She saw him mutter something to Wes, and a dangerous smile came over his face. Whatever the man had told Wes had pleased him greatly.

  Wes looked up and down the line, and chose a pretty blond girl in a long silk red dress. The girl reminded Lana of a movie star or a model. Clearly scared, the girl took his hand as he led her out of the room. She looked back at Lana with desperation before being taken out the door.

  The other girls were led away as well. Lana was left alone with the man with red eyes, and the rest of the strange people.

  The man turned and made his way back toward her, up the steps and to the throne. He stood in front of her, taking in the sight at his feet. Lana felt small, kneeling in front of him, and she could feel his dominance as he towered over her. This was an extremely powerful man, who had just claimed her as his property. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing her body to wake up from this crazy dream. When she opened her eyes, she looked up, and the man was still staring at her, standing above her.

  She lifted her chin, willing herself to be strong for whatever was about to happen to her. Nervousness flittered across her face, and she tried her best to keep it neutral.

  He knelt down, bringing his face to her level. “What’s your name?” he asked softly, his voice warmer than she expected.

  In response, she simply stared. For a moment, her mind went completely blank. She couldn’t concentrate on anything but his eyes. They had faded from the bright angry red to something entirely different. His eyes were blue, just like the other strange people, but they seemed to go on forever. Flecks of red still stood out in his irises, but the depth of his ice blue eyes was striking. Surprising herself, she yearned to know the story his eyes held.

  “Answer me,” he said, his voice hardening slightly. Quickly, she broke eye contact with a gasp, and forced her voice from her throat.

  “My name is Alana, but my friends call me Lana,” she answered breathlessly.

  “That’s a pretty name. It means beautiful maiden, an offering. Seems accurate thus far, doesn’t it?”

  “Who are you?” Lana asked, curiosity overtaking her caution.

  “My name is Dante,” he answered simply.

  “Why am I here?” she pushed, her curiosity slowly morphing into bravery.

  “My subjects have captured and given you to me as a gift. You are now my very own personal slave. I can do with you whatever I wish.” His eyes glinted dangerously. Speechless for a moment, Lana stared back at him.

  “Your slave?” she whispered, her voice bathed in disbelief. Her mind raced, thinking of all the possibilities of what that meant, including an image of him atop of her, claiming her for himself. Strangely, her body warmed at the thought. Horrified, she pushed herself back and rose on unsteady legs. He rose from the squatting position and stood by her, still towering over her. She stepped back, only to find her back against the wall. She looked desperately from side to side for some semblance of an escape route. Dante placed both hands on either side of her head and leaned down toward her. Gulping, her fear kept her silent.

  His eyes met and held hers, all the while strangely calm as he released his power into her.

  “Relax,” he ordered softly. Her body obeyed as her mind fought.

  “Please,” she begged. “Don’t hurt me.”

  His gaze remained composed. A look of confusion seemed to come and go as quickly as it came.

  “Why do you think I would hurt you, Lana?” he asked, his voice gentle.

  “You’re… I don’t know what you are. And,” she paused, trying to continue. “Wes told me that you would break me.” Her voice faded away.

  “Always the troublemaker, that Wes. But he’s right; I will break you. But I expect you will enjoy every second of it. And you will soon come to understand exactly what I am, but I digress. Now calm, my beautiful Lana. I must now put my mark on you, so that you will be mine, and only mine.”

  Lana wanted to shrink back, but her body continued to quiet along with her mind. She should have been afraid, but her fear had seemingly washed away. Dante pulled her into his arms and moved her hair aside, baring her neck to him. He lowered his lips to her throat, placing a soft kiss there that ignited her skin. She felt him pull away, and his breath tickled her flesh.

  “It’s going to be alright, my Lana. I will take care of you.”

  He moved back and pushed the right shoulder of her dress down over her arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone hand the king something, and before she knew it, Dante was pressing it into her skin. A sudden pain blossomed under her clavicle. The burning agony grew to dizzying heights before she realized what was happening.

  She was being tattooed. The sounds of the mark being etched into her skin buzzed in her head.

  Her world pulsed with the beat of her heart as it rang in her ears, louder and louder. She wanted to scream, wanted to escape from his arms. Lana had always hated needles, and had an intense fear of them since childhood. She could feel herself beginning to weaken from her panic, and her grip on him slackened. His arms hardened as she felt him pull her body in closer. He knelt slightly and picked her up, taking her full weight upon himself as though she were as light as a feather. She cuddled into his chest, weariness making her limbs heavy, and her tattoo burning with heated torment.

  “Sleep now,” he said warmly. Lana closed her eyes, and the last thing she saw was his gaze looking down on her. She noticed a strange softness lay behind the angry red color, which had once again overtaken the blue.

  Chapter Four

  Lana woke in a massive four-poster bed. The room was dark, but she could make out some features of it as her eyes slowly adjusted. The bed she was in was made out of beautiful dark cherry wood, and the blankets were soft and fluffy. The material was a pretty merlot color, intertwined with gray and black thread. Plush pillows supported her head and shoulders.

  Vaguely, she remembered where she was. She blinked a few times and sat up, rubbing her temples with a soft groan. Dante must have brought her here after she met him for the first time, and after he marked her with the tattoo. Her fingers quickly touched that spot. She grazed against the tattoo, and her breath hitched in shock. Oddly enough, it seemed that her skin had already healed, and wasn’t even pink from the process. More important, it no longer hurt whatsoever. She breathed a small sigh of relief at that simple fact, regardless that it was such a bizarre phenomenon.

  This all wasn’t a dream. She had been kidnapped by these people, and gifted to the king as his personal slave. He owned her now, and he had marked her in order to show that ownership. Her eyes darted around the room, wondering if she was alone.

  Her eyes settled on him. He was standing in the far corner of the room, just watching her. She questioned how long he had been there as she shrank back into the pillows, tearing her fingers away from her throat. Silently, she watched him as he slowly sauntered toward her and sat on the edge of the bed.

  Lana hugged her knees into her chest, questioning what he was going to do next. She waited for him to make the first move. Hoping he wouldn’t want to hurt her, or worse, take her in his bed. Why else would these strange people give a human girl to a king? She narrowed her eyes in his direction.

  “How do you feel, Lana?” he asked, his voice warm. His face had a look of concern that quickly passed as he gazed at her.

  “I… I guess I feel alright,” she said softly, looking away.

  “Not lightheaded or anything?” he pressed. She shook her head, watching him warily.

  “I’m already healed.”

  “Yes, I put a special medicine on your skin. It activates the healing process very quickly, and amplifies it, so the wound heals much faster than normal. Come. Let’s get you changed so that I can show you around the castle.” He offered his hand, clearly expecting her to take it.

  She watched him, trying to figure out his intentions. She didn’t take his hand, and climbed out of bed herself, choosing to get out of it on the opposite side of him. Her eyes darted about as she weighed her options.

  “Lana,” he said, his tone clear with warning, almost as if he could sense her mental disquiet. She could have almost sworn that his eyes flashed red for a split second.

  Reflex took over, and her body instinctively went into flight mode. Running for the door, she reached for the knob, hoping to get out of the room ahead of him and escape through a window or whatever other opportunity came about.

  Unfortunately, by the time she reached the door, he had already caught up with her, impossibly fast. She would never have expected a man that large to move so quickly. He slammed her body into the door with his own, her chest pressed against the wood. His towering frame held her in place against the door with his hands beside her head.

  Trembling, Lana waited. She had underestimated his speed and his strength. She closed her eyes, trying to will her tears away.

  She felt his mouth move close to her ear, his breath on her skin.

  “Try to run from me again, my pet, and the next time I will make sure to punish you thoroughly. Your little bottom will be bared and put over my knee, so that I may spank you for disobeying me. Do not run from me ever again, am I clear?” he growled, his voice dangerously low.

  Lana was silent, shock registering across her features. Had he really just threatened to spank her?

  “Am I clear, my pet?” he repeated, his voice progressively louder.

  “Yes, sir,” she whispered, her voice low and shaky with fear.

  Dante released her and turned her body toward his. The anger she had just heard in his voice was no longer present on his face. He softly brushed her hair away from her face. This simple gesture caused her to lose control, and tears began to escape out of the corners of her eyes. The emotions that surged forth were overwhelming and a sob wracked through her body. He pulled her into his arms and held her head to his shoulder, his fingers massaging her back and shoulders.

  Dante just held her and let her cry. When she finally quieted and calmed down, he pulled away and lifted her chin with a finger in order to meet her gaze.

  Lana noticed that his eyes were blue again.

  “I’m sorry for running from you,” she whispered. A small smile glimmered at the corner of his lips and a warm feeling passed over her. Whatever he was doing, with whatever abilities he had, he was making her feel safe in his hands. His power coursed through her body, showing her that he was pleased with her.

  “Can we get you changed now? Or am I going to have to spank you?”

  “No, sir. You don’t have to do that,” she said, a blush rising over her cheeks. Unintentionally, her hands moved backwards to cover her bottom.

  Dante chuckled softly in response. Again, he offered her his hand, and this time she took it, if a little bit reluctantly. He led her out of the room and into a sitting room attached to the bedroom, where he had a simple black dress and ballet flats waiting for her.

  “Do you need help with your dress?”

  Lana shook her head and waited for him to leave, but he leaned up against the wall instead. She gave him a slightly confused look.

  “You will undress now. I will not leave you alone because you are not yet trustworthy.”

  Flustered, Lana simply nodded, not wanting to test him further. His threats of spanking left her mind reeling. She gripped the edges of her dress and lifted it over her head, leaving her in her bra and panties. Glancing over at Dante, warmth flooded her as his fierce gaze took in her curves. Blushing, she quickly grabbed the black dress and put it on, covering her body as fast as she could. It came to about mid-thigh, and the top consisted of a shallow V-neck. She pulled on the black ballet flats, which oddly enough happened to fit perfectly. When she was fully dressed, she stood tall. Lana lifted her eyes to meet his, and felt his raw power wash over her.

  “Even in such simple clothing, you are still a sight to behold,” he said softly.

  “Thank you,” she replied, his praise unexpected after the events that just occurred. Wringing her hands, she waited to see what he did next. He offered his arm and she nervously took it. Gently, he opened the door and led her out of the bedroom.

  They walked through a long hallway to a large grand-looking staircase. Carefully, he led her down to a massive, ornately carved oak door. The door must have been twenty feet tall. A plush black, gray, and red carpet led down the stairs to a square of mottled marble in front of the enormous door. Beautiful tapestries lined the walls; there were many golden swords, vases, and various other aristocratic objects. Luxury lined every corner. It reminded her of some castle out of the dark ages except for the strange-looking torches on the walls. There was something off about the fire that burned on each torch. The flickering colors seemed to draw her in, and the more she stared, the more she was convinced that the entire rainbow of colors flickered in the flames.

  Dante swung open the massive door and led her onto a balcony. Stone walls rose up beside them and Lana turned back to look at where she had been held. An immense castle rose up behind them; the stone masonry impeccable. Everything reminded her of a time long past.

  “Are we still in 2015?” she whispered, unconvinced. Her eyes took in the castle with wonder.

  “Yes, it is still 2015. At least it still is on Earth.”

  “Are we really on another planet?” she asked, her eyes following the rise of the high towers on both ends of the castle.

  Dante pulled on her hand, turning her forward. She gasped when she saw the view.

  The sky overheard seemed enormous. Even in the night sky, she had never seen so many stars. There were three bright moons in the sky, all orbiting closely together, so vibrant that she could see the terrain on the horizon. Red, rocky desert went on as far as the eye could see. There were mountains in the distance so tall that the tips were peaked with white snow. To her right, a red sandy beach bordered an impossibly blue ocean, dark in the moonlight. White-capped waves rolled onto the sand. She noticed, not too far in the distance, a massive wall made of white stone towered several stories high, connected to the castle via a stone bridge. It reminded her of the Great Wall of China a little bit. Lookout towers loomed overhead every few hundred feet, with guards stationed in each and every one. Lana narrowed her eyes, suspicion growing within her. Nothing about the entire scene looked familiar in the slightest, not from any pictures or videos she had ever seen, whether it was on the Internet or the travel channel.

  “We’re really on another planet, huh?” She paused, her head slowly turning in disbelief to look back at him, and a small ball of terror settled deep in her belly.

  “We’re a part of the same galaxy as Earth, the Milky Way, but lightyears away from your home planet. Our world, Terranovum, orbits the star Sirius. We have many moons as you can see.”

  Her eyes flickered to the moons overhead and back to him, wanting to press him further for more information.

  “Why was I taken?”

  “Our planet needs a constant supply of humans in order to carry on our race. We take humans from various planets in order to fulfill this need.”

  “Why do you need humans?” she asked, confusion beginning to take hold.

  “Well, our species has evolved to have many abilities, but when a female and male from our race mate, unfortunately, female children tend to be infertile at an alarmingly high percentage. It is a genetic defect that we’ve been unable to identify thus far. A male has to have a human woman in order to have children who can pass on our lineage. In order to do that, we need a steady stream of women to fulfill that basic need.”

  “So you intend to breed me?” Her voice peaked in alarm.

  “For me, breeding isn’t entirely necessary as with the others. You are more of a formal gift to me, meant more to serve my needs.”

  -->