Sanctuary

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

He had been about to playfully argue with her assessment of his character but indeed, kisses did win every argument. He kissed her more fervently this time, following her lead for only a second before taking the reigns. One arm moved behind her head while the other wrapped around her waist. He spun her so that her back was against the thick trunk of the oak tree. He rested one hand against the tree as he leaned forward and kissed her still.

[Christine Montgomery]

And just like that the rapture was back. Christine was startled to find that the passion was still there even when she wasn't running from her demons. She let him take control and reveled in that devilish nature she had denied. It was impossible to deny that he wasn't at least a bit devilish considering what he was doing to please her, but considering how it felt Christine thought it might be worth the trip to hell.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

He pulled back and set a piercing stare upon her. He would have her. He'd take her for himself and whether it was out of affection or revenge she would be his for the moment. Unless she stopped him. If she looked away, fought him off, told him no. She had so many options to make the moment cease. But all she had to do urge him on and he win.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine felt the weight of his stare and her heart began to pound. If he hadn't stopped they would be well on their way to acting out his revenge, but he did stop.

He stopped and he looked at her as though she belonged to him and it was a forgone conclusion. And suddenly she was terrified. She had so little of herself left that if she gave it to him she would have to give it all and she didn't know him well enough to do that. She had literally almost died giving her heart to Dorian, she wouldn't survive Alek hurting her too.

"I can't." she said as though the words were wrenched from her.

"I want to...God I want to, but I just can't. I'm sorry." she turned from him then, and moved to run back down the path they had just come, tears in her eyes.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

He moved unnaturally fast and caught her in his arms before she could get far. He kissed her, not long but hard and passionately. As it ended he looked at her.

"You don't have to run from me, love. Your word is enough." His father's voice was screaming again.

[Christine Montgomery]

She was in tears by the time he caught her. She never used to cry, and yet he was witness to quite a few of her breakdowns.

His kiss stole her absent breath and she stared at him, "It's not your self control I'm worried about, it's mine." she confessed letting him know how close to the edge of victory he was, but there was something else in her voice. Pain. Sadness. Fear.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

That was the wrong thing to say and the voice inside his head turned from screaming to laughing. He was so close. But he wasn't a monster. He wouldn't take anything without her consent and that knowledge let loose the screaming again. His father's torment knew no boundaries but Alek knew what it was like to have your free will stripped of you and he would not force that upon Christine in any form.

"It seems perfectly intact to me," he said of her self control. She had several times now stopped him. But he knew, just as she did, that every time he got a little closer.

[Christine Montgomery]

She pressed her forehead against his, relieved for the moment that the flame of desire had been tamped down. "It isn't." she assured him.

It was dangerous talking to him with the fire on their heels but she felt safe for the moment. He made her feel safe.

She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Everything with you has been for all the wrong reasons." she opened her eyes catching his, "I don't think I'm ready to be with you for the right ones. No matter how much I want to."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

The wrong reasons were so much more fun though. And as he was clearly so close to having what he wanted, Alek didn't feel bad about his developing plans to push her over the edge.

"There's that self control you claim to not trust," he said as he took her hands from around his neck and clasped them between his own.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine would regret being with him for the wrong reasons now that she was beginning to have feelings for him, but she would be devastated being with him for the right reasons and finding out it was all a lie.

But then he took her hands, and he let her set the pace. He gave her control and trusted her judgement, which made her fall for him even more. Later when the ruse was over, she would realize how easily she had been manipulated, and every bit of support he gave her would crumble beneath his lies leaving her not only deeply wounded, but deeply insecure as well.

But for the moment she looked up at him with complete trust and adoration in her eyes, "I'm trusting your self control." she smiled.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

That too would be a mistake. His father screamed at him once more but Alek took turned and headed back down the pathway leading out of the woods, Christine's hand securely in his.

A part of him wanted to warn he. He was no good. She should run and never look back. He would only bring her more pain and misery.

But the wicked side kept him silent, plotting new ways to accomplish his goals.

[Christine Montgomery]

She was too trusting, too naive of the kinds of plots that were going through Alek's mind. Samantha would know, she could smell malice a mile away and she knew how to protect herself from such things as well, but Christine believed in love and happily ever after. She believed in honesty, and good winning the day. She wasn't blind to the world's faults obviously, you couldn't go through what she had been through and still say that the world was made of puppy dogs and sunshine, but she hadn't lost hope yet.

She walked with him, feeling more grateful and safe with each step. While he had nefarious intentions toward her, all she saw was that he respected the way she felt and was content to go at her pace. Merlin she had started and stopped with this man so many times, other men would have walked away long ago. Other men didn't have ulterior motives, well they might have, but not the likes of which Alek did.

When they reached the clearing of the woods Christine appeared excited. Her thoughts had taken off in the silence, and she had remembered Bella's teachings suddenly.

"Oh! I almost forgot...again. I've been learning some rather useful spells." she grinned.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

"Is that so?" he said with a modicum of surprise. He released her hand and gestured at the large opening that was the yard. "Care to demonstrate?"

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine wasn't about to hurt him, but she did want to show off if only just a little bit. She explained that recently she had learned a privacy spell, which was what gave her the freedom she needed to leave home. She showed him the ring she had made, and offered to make him one if he wanted.

When they were in the clearing she felt confident enough to show him the fire spell that Bella had taught her, she was also careful considering they were by the woods.

She demonstrated various spells that teetered on the brink of being dark and could definitely be used for dark purposes but she kept the very wicked ones secret still.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek listened intently as she explained her new charm. It would come in handy keeping Lex away as Alek and Christine continued to grow closer. He also wouldn't refuse his own charmed item for similar purposes.

As Christine finished up her demonstration Alek clapped. It would have seemed insincere or sarcastic were it not for the ever present sense of pride that Alek felt as Christine continued to prove she would not cower in a corner as her world deteriorated. He also now knew what tricks she had up her sleeve and could be expecting them if things soured before their time. And yet Alek grew concerned.

He hid his doubts well, but he would think on them later when he was alone. The spells Christine demonstrated were pushing the line of what was considered Dark Magic. Alek wasn't beyond dipping a toe in the deep end when needed, but it was still concerning she so readily demonstrated such dark powers for him without hesitation. Perhaps it was simply a sign that she trusted him, which would be to his benefit. But it may have been a sign of something more disturbing.

[Christine Montgomery]

More disconcerting was the effortlessness in performing the spells and the gleam in her eye that bordered on madness as she controlled such daunting magic.

Yes she trusted Alek enough to show him what she had learned. She trusted that he would appreciate her skills and not shame her the way that Dorian had, but at the same time there was a giddiness inside of her as she showed off. Beneath all the confidence and power was a darkness that consumed her just a little more each time she cast a spell.

When she was finished with her demonstration she was tired, "Alright, all that on an empty stomach. Feed me and I might show you more." she teased.

And there was more, there was much more. She had watched him today for his reaction to gauge whether or not she could show him even darker spells.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

"I would certainly be a fool to refuse your request after that little show," he said with admiration. They headed back into the house and Alek showed Christine to the kitchen. He pushed a large bowl of fruit that sat on the counter toward her, to hold her over as he pulled things from the fridge to make her a proper meal.

[Christine Montgomery]

Unlike Samantha, Christine could eat. She busied herself with the fruit peeling herself an orange, and then one for Alek as well. She watched him cook smiling all the while, "You know a man in the kitchen ranks high on practically every woman's scale." she said appreciating his form.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Alek's experience with cooking was relatively new. His father, ever the epitome of masculinity, viewed cooking as a woman's job. Alek was beaten for trying to help his mother in the kitchen as a young boy and had learned to avoid the room altogether when his father was home. His mother, the cowardly whore that she was, refused to nurture his interest even in his father's absence for fear of what Eirik would do to her if he discovered Alek had prepared anything behind his back. But Lex wasn't afraid. The twins would make all sorts of messes when their father was gone and if they were caught by their mother Lex would claim she had done it all herself.

"So I've heard," he said as he plated bacon and sausages next to the stove. "But you'll want to wait to deliver any praise until after you've actually tried to swallow anything." When he turned toward her, plates of food in hand, he was wearing a lopsided smile.

[Christine Montgomery]

Alek's words, as well as his smile surprised Christine. Alek was so confident about everything he did, that to see him unsure of anything was shocking. She knew then that he was sharing a part of himself with her, it was real. Unlike their game of darts where Christine had shared much with him, he managed to keep everything back.

She took the plate biting on her bottom lip with a secret glee.

She held her fork ready, "Should I have you test it first?" she laughed then caught his eyes and trustingly took a bite showing she had every confidence in him.