Captive Of The Count

30

Amara's pov

My garish giggles echoed amongst the trees and forest expanse disrupting the dismal silence that accompanied the night. I didn't even stop to wonder if I unnerved the animals by disturbing their sleep as I hunched over with my tied hands flaying slightly while I quaked with laughter.

All eyes were on me including that of Orian's.

They all watched me, not with pleasant or pitiful gazes but with hardened gazes that could only portray one thing, hatred. It was so convincing, I wonder where he had gotten this crew from that could put on a damn good show and he, on the other hand, deserved an Oscar.

His icy gaze, the malice in his voice, and the negative energy that radiated from him were all too real. When he said he was going to surprise me, I never thought he would show up as my stalker and create false seige or even go as far as faking Terren's death.

I moved closer to him, too close. His delightful fragrance filled me as I neared him, I even sniffed consciously and threw him a sweet smile not having the words to explain exactly how I felt about the surprise.

I gazed at his outfit. It was made by the best obviously, and I reminded myself to ask him why he went this far to prank me. It looked so real, truly convincing and if it was another situation I would have thought this was all real.

I do not think this is a joke Amara, Cora spoke and I brushed her off even though she sounded scared and betrayed. I too felt scared and betrayed till I realized that it was just a mere birthday prank, just like you thought the blood and note on your sixteenth birthday was a prank, A small voice in my head pointed out and I shrugged it off, this case is different.

Even in my now near to condemned heels, I could barely reach him and I had to tiptoe a bit with my tied hands elevated, I reached up to his face.

Immediately I made the move, unsheathing of swords and the cocking of guns could be heard and before I could blink, they were aimed in our direction, at me, and even the two women who had taken me were not left aside.

They saw me as a threat to their ruler, I wanted to laugh because of how far they were taking the prank but it was understandable, they are just trying to convince me that it wasn't. He must have paid them a great deal of money for this.

He raised his right hand, signaling at them and they withdrew their weapons backing off. Even the other women did as he bid and they moved away creating some sense of privacy.

"Hi, grump." I smiled at him and he didn't even blink, "The hair suits you, and damn! You got the scar right, the mask, and a dummy of Terren's bleeding head. It smells like real blood."

I reached my hands up again managing to get them to his face. My forefinger poked out and I moved to touch the scar.

My finger landed on his skin right where the scar was, I saw as he inhaled when the pad of my finger touched him, he closed his eyes inhaling again as I drew my finger across the scar, he is reacting to my touch, he missed me, you see? A prank! I continued on the path of the scar, it felt real and my stomach fluttered at the fact that he must have sat for hours getting this horrifying makeup done just to scare me for my birthday.

I couldn't stop touching the brown marred skin that was in constrast with the rest of his skin tone and in real circumstances, it would have been a mark that was caused by a knife. I ran my finger across it as it slashed his brow stopping barely near his eyelid. I was curious to know if the scar traveled downward or if the rest of his skin was unmarked.

I pulled the material of the mask down revealing his full face to me and just like the first time we met I was lost in his beautiful features, the scar didn't deter how desirable he was, it increased it. It continued below his eye running across his cheek and down to his jaw.