Page 23 of Boyfriend From Hell
Despite the terror of quite literally all of this, he’s notnothot and I’m not above acknowledging it.
Snap out of it, Deer!
One, he’s clearly mentally unwell, considering he abducted me and literally dragged me to—wherever the hell this place is. And two…well, yeah, he abducted me. But I’d be lying if I said that from the brief five seconds (I counted) I looked at him, he wasn’t heartbreakingly gorgeous—in a dangerous ‘get too close and I might spear you in the heart with a horn’ kind of way.
Something about seeing him like this did things to me,unwantedthings. He looked good last night—sure, but there was just something about him, now, that was different—and no, it was not because he had horns now. Those horns—they had to be fake, same with the red eyes—no one had red eyes. He even admitted they were contacts last night. The horns must be prosthetics. Yep, that explanation makes the most sense. So, why did doubt still linger and gnaw at the edges of my rationality?
He shifted on his elbows and jerked his chin slightly, as if signaling to someone. Two men in twinned tailored suits edged closer to where we sat on the bed.
“Mal and Cam will prepare and inform you of this evening's plans,” Raios said, his gaze so intense it was as if he was looking into the making of my being.
“N-no thanks,” I said, as if his statement were an offer. “I’d like to go home actually. This has been freaky and fun, best birthday ever. Woo-hoo and all, but I think I should get going.”
I didn’t know if there were five stages of shock, like there was with grief. But, if there was, I think I was entering the “bargaining” phase.
I made a move to slide off the bed, until shadows began to form beneath him, slowly encapsulating him in silk obsidian until he was nothing more than a shadow of himself. The smoke lingered for a few breaths before one of the suited men came to take his spot on the bed, waving the smoke away witha hand, while the other one followed suit and sat down, mirroring the same movements.
Stunned, I sat there, half off the bed, blinking before glancing toward the two strangers I was left with. I wondered if they had seen the same thing.
Glancing between them, I realized they were identical in every manner of the definition. I huffed,twins.
“What—” I began to ask sharply, noticing their stares.
“Camroth,” the one on the left stated while offering a surprisingly charming smile.
“Mal,” the one on the right said, giving a small nod and a wink.
“What—” I began again, this time a bit louder, only to be cut off.
“You are set to dine with Raios in the dining hall in precisely fifty-seven minutes and twenty-six seconds.” They spoke in unison.
Well, that’s specific.
“Yeah, no. I’m not dining with him; I need to go home. That horned asshole—you can tell him to take one of those horns and shove it right up his—”
Mal and Cam looked at one another, eyes flicking back and forth as if they were in some sort of silent conversation.
“Raios,” Mal began.
“The prince—” Cam continued.
Prince?
“He’ll be awaiting you; it is in your best interest that we get you prepared,” Mal claimed.
“Tonight’s a big deal for him, for both of you really. He wants to make this a special night,” they said in unison.
“We now have fifty-four minutes and thirty-nine seconds to make sure you are ready,” Cam announced, rising from the bed with a determined stride toward where I had cornered myself.
I pressed myself harder against the headboard, wishing I could somehow meld with the wood and anchor myself there.
“I’m not doing anything with you two. And, I am not going todinewith anyone,” I growled, riding a humble wave of determination and defiance. “Let. Me. Leave.”
“Oh, I don’t think you want that.” They intoned together. Their odd synchronization sent a shiver down my spine—it was eerie, yes. But more so, the sound of their voices together grated against my brain, like nails along a chalkboard.
I shot a glare at the two men, tension coiling within me like a spring ready to snap. Just one more tandem utterance and I felt I might reach out and tear the tongues straight from their mouths.
Much to mynotsurprise, the more I looked at them the more it registered that, of course they too were hot—in a weird ‘hey this is fucked up’ kind of way. Two perfect mirror images of one another, both in tailored navy suits, both with the same slicked back black hair that framed amber eyes. They honestly looked a little bit like Raios.
