Draoithe: Filth and Death

Where were his damn clothes? Wait, did she sleep with him? He didn’t think they had sex. She wasn’t touching him.

Cyrus needed to relieve himself. He eased out of bed and slipped into the bathroom to piss. When he turned to leave, he saw the closet door was open.

Men’s shoes were lined up on the floor of the closet. Was she with someone?

Shit. It was getting worse by the minute. He was angry, jealous, and confused.

He pushed the closet door open further to discover the shoes were his!? Cyrus rifled through the clothes. They were all his clothes.

How did his clothes get into her closet? What the hell was going on?

Cyrus looked at her clothes hanging on the hangers on the opposite side of the closet. It felt nice. For a moment he was in a fantasy where she loved him, and he took care of her needs.

The closet was a reflection of a dream he’d never had. He fingered the sleeve of a red dress. It felt like silk. The way he imagined her hair to feel against his skin. He realized at that moment that he wanted the fantasy to be real.

Never had he needed something the way he felt he needed her. He wasn’t worthy of her. She’d accepted his offer. He wasn’t Frank Grimes. He needed to be Cyrus Donovan.

He was going to live up to her expectations even if it killed him. Maybe, she would find him acceptable, eventually. It was far too much to even hope in the darkest part of his heart that a woman like Keterina could ever love a man like him. He knew it was hopeless for him, but he still had to try for her.

Standing in the closet seeing his clothes next to hers, he knew the answers to the questions he’d been unable to answer. Cyrus Donovan was in love with Keterina Asmodai, and he was fucking screwed.

Luke was going to kill him. Keterina didn’t love him, and if he somehow let her get hurt even in the slightest, Axel was intent on torturing him. Blaze had warned him to stay away from her.

Cyrus sighed. He couldn’t stay away. He needed her. He needed to feed her. He needed to hear her voice, take instruction from her. She had somehow become the thing he needed the most.

His cock got hard just remembering how she made him pay for lying to her. He almost wanted to lie to her again to see what he had to do to pay for it a second time.

No. He wouldn’t.

Keterina needed a real man. If he had any hope of just being near her, he had to get better. No more lies. He had to be better. He suddenly knew he had to be what Luke demanded from him.

He had no illusions that he was anything close to what she needed him to be. He could look forward to screwing something up. She would punish him again. Of that, there was no question, so no need to deliberately provoke her irritation.

For the first time in his life, he was in love. It was not lost on him the full irony of his situation.

He should be dead. Instead, he was a prisoner of Draoithe.

He should be isolated and alone. Instead, he had woken up to find himself in bed with the most attractive woman he’d ever seen.

He should be mourning the loss of his life. Instead, he was looking forward to making his next mistake so Keterina would punish him for it.

He wasn’t resigned to his current situation. He embraced it. Cyrus wanted to stay at Draoithe. He wanted to be a real man. Fuck, if he didn’t want Keterina to torture him to death if necessary to force that transition.

He looked at the clothes in the closet. Maybe someday she might consider him worthy.

He sighed. Who was he kidding? Women like Keterina didn’t settle for men like Frank Grimes. He was filth compared to her elegance.

That he was in her personal space confused him. He let the sleeve of the dress fall from his fingers and turned to leave the closet and go back to the bedroom. When he looked up, his eyes locked with hers.

“Cyrus, what are you doing?” She asked him.

“I had to relieve myself. I saw men’s shoes in the closet. I got confused. They’re my shoes. That’s even stranger to me. I saw your clothes next to mine, and I admit to being lost to a strange fantasy. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He told her the truth.

“I had the servant bring your things. I wish to keep you close to me. Do you have any protest?” She asked.

Cyrus looked at her. Did she know how much trouble he was going to be in? He couldn’t stay with her in her room. Damn, he wanted to do that.

He had to confess. He wasn’t Cyrus Donovan even if that was who he wanted to be. He was Frank Grimes, a criminal rapist. He was filth and he deserved death.

“I have to tell you something.” He swallowed.

“I’m a criminal, Keterina. I’m here because I have no choice. In the human world, I would be in prison. So truly, I’m thankful that Luke decided my fate. I did something so wrong that it shames me to admit it to you.” He sighed, then told her the rest.

“I should never have spoken to you. It was forbidden for me to associate with the women here. I can’t stay with you. I’ll likely lose my life just for having spent all this time with you.”

He shook his head sadly. He couldn’t admit that he’d fallen in love with her and would do anything for her.

“I wasn’t leading you on. I swear it. Somehow when I’m near you, I can’t seem to remember what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m sorry.” He told her the truth.

“I know that. I spoke with Luke earlier. He understands the situation. He’s agreed to leave you in my care, and he also agreed that I would be in charge of your health. I promised that you would continue to follow all the rules of your incarceration. You’ll do so under my supervision,” she told him what his heart yearned for. He couldn’t believe it.

“So I’m to stay with you?” Cyrus asked as he smiled.

He was afraid to believe that he would answer to her instead of Luke. She would torture him, but she wouldn’t kill him. With her, he had a slim hope.

“You’re mine. Luke was happy to give me a host. I explained that I approached you and absolved you of any wrongdoing concerning the rules of your incarceration to the Dungeon Master. You’ll continue to follow the rules,” She told him.

“And I’ll follow all of yours. Thank you, Keterina. You have no idea how much it means to me that you’d intercede on my behalf.”

He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but he didn’t believe that it would matter to her. That she’d shown him kindness mattered to him greatly.

She smiled at him. “Come back to bed. You need to sleep. You have a lot to do tomorrow. I’ve realized that I may need to drink more than I originally believed. I must cut short the timeline for taking you as my host. If you behave as you should today, I’ll reward you tonight.”

Cyrus followed her back to bed. “You’ll always sleep naked with me. I don’t like you to be clothed in my bed. Do you understand?” She asked him.

“You prefer unrestricted access to your host. I’ll try to be as you wish.” He understood. She nodded.

“I had the servants place you in bed. You were too heavy for me to lift. I prefer to be held while I sleep. Will you do that for me?” She was making a request.

He could say ‘no’, but he wanted to hold her, to feel her body next to his.

Cyrus held no illusion that she was completely in control, and that he’d never be allowed to approach her for any kind of intimacy. She would decide.

She was offering him the opportunity to build a relationship with her with the sensual if not the sexual experience. He was desperate for that chance.

“If you’ll allow it, I’ll hold you every night while we sleep. I want to comfort you. I’d be honored.”

It was true. He wasn’t worthy. He still wanted that. She’d probably never return his love. At least he could try to show her that she did matter to him in a small way.

“I desire that. It’s good that you wish to please me.” She looked at him, then removed her nightdress.

He wanted to stare at the beautiful woman before him. He also didn’t wish to irritate her after she’d given him such a fantastic gift. She laid down on the bed, and he lay next to her. He gathered her to his chest and held her close.

The electric feel of desire tripped over him everywhere they touched. The anticipation of nothing felt amazing. How he had never experienced that before he didn’t know.

Cyrus felt her breathe in his scent. She sighed in contentment. She liked the way he smelled?

He was determined to always be clean for her, so she could always be happy with his scent. Her hand smoothed over his chest as she pressed her ear to him listening to his heart beating.

He stroked her marvelous red hair. It was even better than he’d thought it would be. His other arm was encircling her waist. Her skin was smooth, milky-white, delicate.

Nothing in his life had ever been so good. He’d never felt so content, never been so settled. That was how his life needed to be.

He couldn’t erase his smile. Cyrus Donovan was happy in a way Frank Grimes never could have been.

He was holding Keterina in his arms, naked in bed with her. He drifted off to sleep dreaming of how good he was going to sleep forever if she’d just let him hold her as she wanted.

The alarm went off early. He woke up to a servant bringing him a tray of food. He tried to tell the servant that he didn’t want it.

“You’ll eat. My host must be in good health. You won’t skip meals. When my servant brings you food, he does so at my request. Do not deny me.” Keterina gave him his orders. He obeyed her commands.

He ate everything on the tray including the orange juice even though he didn’t like orange juice. She desired that he eat, so he ate.

“No drugs, no alcohol. You will drink water. Dehydration is dangerous. Avoid caffeine stronger than what is in tea. Failing to follow my instruction will lead to your demise. Do you understand?”

She wasn’t commanding him just to order him around, she was watching over his health so that her host could adequately provide for her needs.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll do as you say. I won’t skip meals. I won’t allow myself to become dehydrated. I’ll eat when you require it of me. Thank you for helping me be a better host.”

She smiled at him. He wanted to kiss her, but he was afraid.

“You may kiss me here. Never in public.” She gave him a concession.

Cyrus was overjoyed. He kissed her lightly. His lips barely touched hers. The feel of her red shiny lips beneath his own had his heart pounding in his chest.

He was not worthy, Still, he couldn’t resist. She was a kind mistress. He would be the best host for her that he could be.

He dressed and left her to go to staff practice with the men.