Page 52 of Eternal

“I don’t know, Serena. I just assumed he’s been busy.” I attempt to shrug her off.

“You’re still fucking though, right?”

I groan, clenching my thighs. Since the honeymoon, I’ve been trying so hard not to think about that. I put my head on my desk, trying to focus on our conversation.

“No, we haven’t since the honeymoon.”

Serena gasps loudly on the other side. “You mean to tell me you have to look at that hunk of a man, and your hot ass self isn’t getting fucked?” She tries to joke, knowing that it is killing me on the inside. I stay silent on the other side. “It’s okay, Freya. As you said, he’s been busy, and it’s not like you see him all the time, right? It’s no big deal then.”

I nod to myself, trying to keep the intrusive thoughts down. She continues to ramble about how she and Abe have been doing and the vacation they are planning to Turks and Caicos. I check out at some point, and uneasiness runs through my brain again. It won’t stop. Serena and I end the phone call when I trudge back to the bedroom. Soren is still gone. I change into my PJs and climb into bed. It’s so cold and big; I guess I adjusted quicker than I should have to Soren sleeping in the same bed. I can’t stop my brain long enough to be able to fall asleep. I toss and turn for three hours before returning to the library with a cup of tea in my hands.

I curl up in the luxurious armchair sipping on Chamomile tea while reading when I hear a click and creak behind me. I freeze. There wasn’t a door behind me before. I’m almost sure of that. Slowly, I turn my head to face the sound. The bookcase with Soren’s books is pushed out like a hidden doorway. A sweaty, bloody Soren steps into the library, his eyes carefully trained on my figure. My eyes widened in horror, my fingers dropping the teacup I was holding. Tea pours onto the floor and down my legs, but I don’t move a muscle.

What. The. Fuck.

Soren freezes, his hand holding the bookcase open, and his piercing blue eyes meet mine. Myself, dripping in scalding hot tea, and Soren, dripping in blood. My eyebrows knit together, trying to source the cuts and why he had so many of them. I clam up, struggling to find the words to ask him what the fuck is going on, but I choke on the air I breathe. The longer I examine him, the more I realize that it isn’t his blood. It’s someone else’s.

I knew he was in the business of horrific things, but I never imagined he participated in the said things. I alsoneverimagined he’d bring it to our new home. Did he build this house and never tell me? It’s the only way to explain how it’s done in a style I love and with a… torture room?

He shuts the bookcase, locking it in place, his back to me. I stand and move to put as much space between us as possible.This is not the same, Soren.As I step back, the floorboard creaks below me, and my heart stops. Soren sighs like he’s disappointed and turns around, bounding towards me quickly. I gasp, not fast enough to escape his grasp, as he pins me against the desk. His eyes filled with lust, rage, and sadness. One of his hands reached up to caress my face, his eyes hypnotizing me.

Standing this close to Soren enhances his beauty. The blood on his face looks like war paint, as it slashes across his face in lines and splatters in dots. His hair is pulled back, except for some of it framing his face. Blood stains his otherwise inky black hair, creating a surreal illusion that he’s dripping in paint. He is horrifically beautiful in the moonlight.

“You weren’t supposed to be in here this late. I didn’t want you to see me like this.” His voice is haunting.

“I couldn’t sleep, and you were g-gone.” My voice trails off. Right now, I’m unsure if I should be terrified of how much blood he has on him or if I should be turned onbecauseof the blood.

He chuckles slightly but becomes serious again. “You know I’ll never hurt you, right?” The pad of his thumb brushes across my cheekbones, and I almost lean into his touch.

I look up at him with innocent eyes. “I know you won’t hurt me. What happened to you?”

He pauses for a moment, looking away before his eyes snap back to me. “Some evil people were trying to hurt those I love. I put a stop to it.” He maintains eye contact with me.

Is he referring to loving me? Surely he’s not.There’s no way.I have had several nightmares, waking up covered in sweat. Soren is usually gone or asleep on his side of the bed, facing my direction. I didn’t think he had noticed, though. It was only that one time he’s seen me at my worst.

“Does that satisfy you?” He asks, his eyes narrowing and his head cocking to the side.

I slightly nod and swallow hard. I’m unsure if I want to ask if it was Tristan he just took care of. He looks like he’s leaning in to kiss me. I close my eyes and start to lean in as well.

He steps away. “Good. Now, I have things to attend to.”

My eyes fly open, and anger and resentment fill my chest. Why won’t he touch me? My pussy throbs and I have to clench my thighs to relieve that tension. I followed him back to the bedroom. I don’t turn the lights on as he pulls the shirt over his head, and goes into the bathroom. He shuts the bathroom door as he begins to wash away his sins. I turn towards the bed, frustrated at him and myself. I need to corner him and give him a piece of my mind. But anytime I get around him, I forget everything he’s done to me and become desperate for his attention.

Who was he to deny me after he’s kept me locked away like a princess in distress? I’m genuinely not in distress, just sexually. Since our honeymoon, I’ve been craving more of him. He brought out sides of me that I didn’t know existed, and a part of me hoped to explore those. But here we are nearly two months later, and he hasn’t kissed me since.

I’m zoned out staring at the bed when the bathroom door creaks open, steam rolling out. Soren has a towel wrapped around his waist. A full display of wet hair, water dripping down his chest as he walks to our closets next to the bathroom. My mouth salivates at the sight of him, but I have to avert my eyes. He doesn’t want me. If he did, then he would have touched me since that night.

I finally get into bed and face away from the middle of it. My mind is still racing. Soren reappears and climbs onto the mattress. His weight made the other side of the bed sink in. It’s a comforting feeling knowing someone is lying next to you while you sleep. Except, Soren doesn’t sleep on his side today. He lays closer to the middle, reaches an arm over my waist, and drags me back to his chest. He keeps an arm wrapped possessively around me. I close my eyes and finally fall asleep.

Chapter twenty-three

Freya

I’mstruckwithinspirationhalfway through my day, drawing out my fantasies from Soren’s sexual deprivation. I start somewhere in the middle of who knows what kind of story, and it begins with a sex scene. My headphones dragged me further into my fantasy. I close my eyes and let my fingers fly across the keyboard, but my body can’t handle the stories consuming my mind. I open my eyes, and my surroundings pull me back to reality. My pussy throbs, dripping with a need for Soren. I look around the room and find myself alone still.

My fingers tease my lower stomach and slip into the waistband of my shorts. Making their way to my pussy, I run my fingers along the slit, collecting the slickness that’s formed. I finally tease my clit, rubbing softly, and I let out a small moan. My head is tilted back, eyes closed. I lose myself in the fantasy of having Soren in front of me, eating me out, then fucking my brains out. I continue to let out little moans, and my other hand reaches up to play with my breast, teasing and pinching the nipple the same way Soren would have done. As I start to reach my climax, the familiar scent of eucalyptus and peppermint invades my senses.My fantasies are getting awfully realistic.I can feel someone standing over top of me. The feeling forces my eyes open, yanking me out of the deeply rooted fantasy.

Oh fuck.

---