Two Sinfully Handsome Devils - Chapter 7

I tried not to show just how terrified I was, but it was damned hard to pretend like I was having a fine time touring a new, unexplored wild park in another realm on the back of a mighty winged lion. I had just been kidnapped by a pair of ruthless men who dressed like some heroes in a fantasy novel, what with those dark leather pants, jackets, and armors. Not to mention those unusual masks on their faces, the likes of which I had never seen before, which made it all even more sinister.

Along the thick groves of tall trees and wild bushes, I could hear sounds of men's footsteps and, now and again, the melancholy cries of some wild creatures, which only served to scare me even more.

I was in another realm, all right, because I had never heard those sorts of cries before. They didn’t sound like the howling of wolves or growling of bears. They were something far more dangerous and terrifying.

Despite my fear of the unknown surroundings, I still wanted to escape these men’s clutches, and I kept glancing around, searching for a way out. But no matter how hard I tried, it was impossible. Firstly, I was surrounded by men who were marching on foot and holding what I could only assume were rifles and guns, along with swords and knives. At least, I thought they looked like those weapons, what with my short eyesight and within the darkness of the night. Secondly, the man named Felix was sitting behind me on the back of the winged lion, one of his ironlike arms wrapped tightly about my middle, holding me prisoner, while his other hand held on to the reins.

Ahwooo! A noise echoed loudly throughout the woods. I jolted and gasped, darting my eyes around my surroundings, half expecting a large, beastly creature to jump out in front of us and rip everyone, including me, to pieces.

Felix must have noticed my reaction because he leaned close to me so his masked face was inches from me and his warm breath was fanning my skin.

“What’s the matter, little elf? Scared?" he asked. His tone implied he was amused.

I turned slightly to look at him. The moment I did so, I regretted it because his lips were so close to mine that the proximity only served to remind me of our kiss earlier. Well, not our kiss, per se, but rather a kiss that was stolen from me by this arrogant man.

I tried to move back, but it wasn’t possible since I was tightly embraced in his arms.

I asked, “What was that noise?”

“Just a wolf or two,” he said easily.

A wolf? Or two? But wolves didn’t sound like that, surely. And why did he act as though it was nothing? Surely, those one or two wolves were close by. And hunting…

He said, “Hmm… It is rather strange that they should sound so…hungry.” He cocked his head to one side as he looked at me. “Then again, it’s probably because they can smell something delicious nearby. A little elf, perhaps?” He brushed the tip of his tall, fine nose against my cheek.

I knew the man was implying the wolves must have sensed me. Was he trying to scare me even more?

I said, “But I’m not an elf. I’m a human.”

“Are you now, little elf?”

I sighed in resignation and decided to change topics. “Where are you taking me, by the way?”

I felt Felix’s gaze resting on me for another few seconds, and then without even answering me, he urged the winged lion to run faster.

Shit! I gasped in surprise and held on to his muscular arm tightly as the creature raced past the men marching. I buried my face against his chest the faster the animal went, and then I felt my stomach lurching like when a plane is taking off. I peeked at my surroundings and realized the lion had spread out its wings and was now ascending.

Holy shit! The winged lion was flying and taking me and Felix along with it on its back. Both frightened and awed, I sighed in wonder while holding on to Felix tightly, as if my life depended on it.

Felix expertly controlled the animal, steering it this way and that to avoid colliding with trees and branches, and it wasn’t long before we were above the forest itself.

Up in the sky, I gazed in wonder at my beautiful surroundings. Here, the aurora lights across the distance were even more flamboyant, with the multi colors bathing light on everything that it could reach.

Felix said, “Beautiful.”

I nodded in agreement. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” I said.

“Neither have I,” he said. “Not in a long time at least.”

Neither has he? When he was living in this realm and with the aurora so close by?

I turned my attention to him and saw that he was watching me. I had no idea why, but I blushed and turned my eyes away. Good Lord, why was I acting all shy when this beast of a man was looking at me like that?

It was around ten minutes later when Felix made his lion slow its speed, and soon, we descended. I braced myself for a rough landing, my body going all tense. I even tightened my hold on Felix while burying my face against his mighty chest. But the lion hit the ground gently and lightly, which both surprised and amazed me.

I looked around, and that was when I sighted the glow of bonfires in the distance. It wasn’t long until we emerged into a clearing, which was obviously a camping site.

As we came into the area, I could only gaze around in awe and take everything in. There were men everywhere, sitting around the various open fires in groups of four or five and chatting. Or were they discussing and planning? I didn't know because I wasn't paying too much attention to them. Some others were working and carrying various things such as cartons of supplies, contraptions I had never seen before, and weapons from one place to another while others were patrolling the vicinity. There were tents, too, like those Mongolian ones, scattered around the area, perhaps serving as sleeping quarters and storing goods.

By the time we got to what seemed to be the center of the camp, I noticed many eyes were on me, which made me uncomfortable.

When we came up to a hill where one of the two largest Mongolian-like tents stood, the winged lion came to a stop, and Felix got down. Only then did I notice Felix’s colleague, the moody one, was watching me with such intensity that my heart skipped a few beats. Why was he gazing at me like that? Like I was his next meal or something?

When we had first started out after I had been captured, the broody one had departed first on his winged lion and disappeared out of my sight into the darkness. Now I knew he had rushed over here to their base camp. To check up on things? I didn’t know, and God, I just wished he’d stop paying so much attention to me with those dark eyes of his.

I felt like I was a deluxe meal on display and he was a starving wolf that couldn’t wait to devour every bit of the morsel—me—that was on offer.

Just when I thought he was going to turn and leave, he marched up to me and wrapped his hands around my middle. He then guided me down from the lion, which pleasantly surprised me.

He is nice?

I was about to say thank you, since he was helping me, but the two words got stuck in my throat when the man, instead of putting me on the ground, carried me over his broad shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

I blinked, dumbfounded.

What the hell? Was this normal behavior around here?

As this moody one took me toward the tent, Felix burst out laughing, which confused me.

I thought about requesting he put me down—as I had legs and could walk as fine as any person—when he flipped the clothlike door and walked into the tent.