Chapter 2: Haunted Dreams

Lenore's POV: 

I couldn't stop staring into his eyes. I was lost in the storm unaware of what was going on around me. When it was time for me to speak, Anthony would firmly squeeze my hand. I was too lost in his eyes to know what I was saying, but after we were pronounced husband and wife everyone watched as he pulled me in close for our first kiss. 

I'd never been alone with a man before let alone kiss someone in front of a crowd of witnesses. The idea mortified me and my cheeks began to blush. Would his kiss be tender? Would he kiss me passionately and take my breath away? 

His touch brought me back to reality when he pulled me closer to him. Our lips met with an intensity I couldn't comprehend and despite his cruel nature, in that moment, I felt loved by this man. But just as quickly as I felt it, he pulled away with a look in his eyes of complete disgust leaving me feeling like I detested him. In that moment it was clear love could never be felt in the storm of his soul and I was destined to live with him in a life of darkness and pain. 

We turned to face our guests who clapped and cheered in celebration as my heart sank at the truth of my reality. He grabbed my hand and we walked out of the sanctuary together. We did not speak as he led us to the dining hall where we would meet our guests. The evening passed in a blur as I smiled and played my part. Never once did he leave my side as we visited with guests and received their congratulations. 

When it was time for us to depart, we loaded into his carriage sitting across from one another. I looked down at my hands that rested gently on my lap as I fought back the tears from my loneliness and despair. Everything I had ever known, I left behind me as we traveled in the darkness towards my new home. I never had many friends nor been close to my parents. The only person that I truly cared for Alma, my nursemaid, passed away last spring but I always felt safe and surrounded by people to take care of me. Now, I was on my own and I had no idea what to expect from my new surroundings. 

"Princess?" His words interrupted my thoughts in the darkness. 

I looked up from my hands and met his gaze, "Yes your majesty." 

"What would you prefer I call you?" 

"Whatever you wish, your majesty," I responded. 

He smirked and nodded. "Ok. Lenore, you can call me Anthony when we are alone together."

His kindness and current temperament caught me by surprise but I knew it would be wise to not question and just obey his wishes. I smiled genuinely relieved by our first real interaction. "Thank you Anthony."

"You're welcome Lenore," he replied and the way he spoke my name made me feel something I couldn't quite put into words. Something I had been longing to feel in his presence. "It will take some time to journey to my kingdom and I'm sure you are exhausted from the day. Please rest if you need to. You do not have to stay awake on my account." 

I looked at him confused by his response. Did he really say I could sleep on our wedding night? I didn't want to question him and make him angry, nor did I want to stay awake and risk him changing his mind. Anthony was dangerous but oddly as I sat across from him, I couldn't help but feel safe in his presence. 

I nodded my head and leaned towards a pillow to get comfortable. As I closed my eyes and looked towards him in the darkness only to see his gray eyes peering towards me with the intensity of a summer storm. 

****

Anthony's POV: 

I stared at Lenore completely aroused and fighting for a semblance of self control. Her smell was intoxicating and her delicate skin beckoned me to touch and explore her body. 

Being with her tonight wasn't safe. I needed to regain my composure so I didn't hurt her but I was desperate to know her and unwrap her secrets. I struck up conversation as she sat silently across from me in the carriage.

"Princess?" I said in a steady tone as she was looking down at her hands lost in her thoughts. I needed to look into her deep blue eyes so I could try to determine what she was thinking.

"Yes your majesty." She replied looking up in the darkness as if obeying my unspoken request. 

"What would you prefer I call you?" I asked her. Even though it seemed impossible, I wanted her to feel comfortable with me and I knew I needed to give her some input into our relationship if she would ever trust me. The question seemed to catch her by surprise and she answered like she was coached how to respond. 

"Whatever you wish, your majesty," she replied. I couldn't help but smirk at her response. Her strength was endearing and her loyalty to fulfill her duties as a submissive wife were honorable. She was too innocent, too pure, too good for me. I cursed inwardly at my selfishness as I felt my length continue to harden at the sound of her voice. 

"Ok. Lenore," I said as I spoke her name for the first time. "You can call me Anthony when we are alone together." Inside me, the storm was raging with an intensity I only experienced in battle so I tried to compose myself so my tone was calm and soothing. She smiled and seemed to be genuinely relieved by our first real interaction. 

"Thank you Anthony," she replied. The sound of her speaking my name made me wonder what my name would sound like on her lips as she arched her back in pleasure when she came. 

"You're welcome Lenore," I replied as I tried to gain composure and fight back the storm within from ravaging her body in the carriage. My delicate wife was incredibly beautiful but her mind was what currently caused my cock to nearly explode. Her sweet disposition and submissive responses seemed to be a facade. I began to wonder if there was a wild and untamed nature that lurked beneath the surface just waiting for the right opportunity to be released and the idea of being the one to break open her cage was deeply satisfying to me. 

I needed her to sleep so I could haunt her dreams and try to regain my composure. "It will take some time to journey to my kingdom and I'm sure you are exhausted from the day," I said. "Please rest if you need to. You do not have to stay awake on my account." 

I stared at her through the darkness as she nodded her head and tried to get comfortable in the carriage. Inwardly, I commanded her to sleep. Her eyes began to close and she met my gaze as the storm raged on inside me. 

I tilted my head back cursing my fate. I didn't realize she would cause such havoc inside me so I wouldn't be able to think straight let alone gain control. I waited for her to sleep so I could invade her mind. I'd never been this close to her before when I entered her dreams so I knew the intrusion would be intense. I tried to steady my breathing and compose my thoughts. 

For as long as I could remember I was able to enter minds and explore dreams. I never met my mother and my father never spoke of her. He was a cruel man who lived to torture those around him, but he never possessed the storm of emotions as I did. When he realized my abilities and discovered my secret, he capitalized on it. He trained me to be his most fierce fighter and bred a cruelty within me that I was known by to this day. I was a monster with abilities I had spent my entire life perfecting so I could utilize these weapons to kill without mercy. 

Then when the time was right, I killed my father and stopped his reign of havoc and torture in our kingdom. I assumed the throne and began to torture our enemies while our kingdom lived protected and secure. For years I invaded lands and built a name for myself. A name that was feared and a kingdom that no one would dare invade or destroy. Death became natural to me and killing was a way of life so when I found out about Lenore, something new awakened within me. I was hooked on her like a drug. 

The first time I was able to haunt her dreams was more thrilling than any battle or conquest. From my kingdom, I willed myself to invade her mind and witnessed her unguarded thoughts. She dreamed of love, freedom, and adventure. Her thoughts were hopeful and her dreams filled with emotions that made me experience a serene peace like nothing I had ever experienced before. Her dreams calmed the storm inside me and I never wanted these feelings to go away. 

As the days went on I began to invade her dreams nightly and my desire for her grew intensely. She was like a drug to me and I knew I needed to claim her for my own. After our betrothal was announced, her dreams began to transform into nightmares. They became dark, lonely, and hopeless. The inner peace I so desperately craved inside her was replaced by havoc and uncertainty. 

I was the monster that had destroyed her dreams of happiness and replaced them with the sobering reality of her impending doom. I was the sick bastard who couldn't imagine another man claiming her so I took her and shattered any possibility she had at finding peace only to replace her dreams with my chaotic storm. 

****