Fiery Passion

"What did they ask for?" What could be more important to the tribe than my life?

"That is none of your concern." He tries to end the conversation.

"Seeing as I was kidnapped to get your attention, I think it is." I stand.

They both look caught off guard with my actions. My mother looks frightened. Or is she concerned? I have never spoken to them with such familiarity. I keep my head down, do what they expect me to do. I do not defy them and I most definitely do not question them.

"They wanted my help to stop a powerful nobleman from trying to take some of their land. It seems he has started to corner them in and has hired workers to help him speed up the process. They know I have connections." My father watches my reaction carefully.

I try to wrap my head around everything he is saying. "How were they able to send you a letter? How did they know where we lived?" I know it is the least of my concerns but I need more time to think about what he has said. None of it makes sense.

He frowns. "Peter."

My eyes widen. "He's alive?" The last time I saw Peter he was being tied to a tree.

"Unfortunately. He was the one who helped them arrange the kidnapping."

"What?" I feel winded, my eyes burn. I am not sure I fully understand what he is saying. My brain is not processing his words as fast as I would like. The headache spreads, it is almost too much to endure.

"They threatened him to get information out of him. The coward caved and helped them plan it all. He's currently detained until he confesses to everything."

My hand comes up to my forehead. My fingers try to push the headache back.

"Where is Beatrice?" Mother finally speaks.

I look up at her and shake my head. I hope she does not expect me to say anything beyond that. I will not tell them she is alive and well. With my father's clear stance on the tribe, I will not make it worse.

She clasps her hands together, uncomfortable again. "I am so sorry, dear."

"So, will you help them?" I turn to my father once more.

"I most certainly will not." He comes to stand closer to me.

I shrink away. My father had never laid a hand on me but I sense his anger. I have never had it directed at me.

"They need your help." I sit up straighter but avoid looking at him.

"They kidnapped you and tried to hurt you for their gain. How can you still defend them?" He is almost yelling. His face is red, a fat vein pops up on his forehead. I have never seen him like this.

"Victor," My mother tries to soothe him. "She is here with us. We did not lose her. That is what is important."

"I need to rest." I stand without their permission and rush out of there.

The tears that I have been holding in finally roll down my cheeks. Once I am in my old room, I lay in bed, crying for all of those involved in this hideous mess.

~~~

It takes me a couple of days to finally stop crying. I feel hopeless, helpless. I feel so sorry for myself I cannot even think about how I can help the Morzan tribe. As the days pass, I dig myself deeper and deeper into the sad and dark feelings that plague my every thought. It takes me long evenings to pick up the pieces of my broken heart and many nights to be able to think of Mila without having it break all over again. Not only did she hurt me, but now because of my impulsiveness the whole tribe will suffer. She will hurt because of me.

After the first week here I feel more comfortable enough wearing my old dresses and tight shoes. I refrain from using anything too restricting, so all of the bodices and corsets do not see the light of day. I mostly stay in bed, clutching my fur. The only times I leave my bed is to shower. I never go outside, even when my hands itch to do something, anything. I went from constantly making myself useful to not doing anything at all.

My mother visits me every morning, offering me a shoulder to cry on or a sympathetic ear to talk to. Growing up I never had any serious troubles to speak about. Anything prior to this was merely trivial. My mother and I had a good relationship but I would not say we were very close in the past. Every morning that she walks into my room I feel myself growing fonder of her. Even if I do not speak, she lays a hand on my head and gazes at me, trying to pull the pain away from my eyes. Without uttering a word, she seems to understand some of the trepidation in the back of my head. Something inside me is broken and being back here is not helping. I mention Kat and Tula once I feel comfortable enough to speak. I even catch myself slipping and almost speaking about Mila but it is still too tender for me to face head-on. Even with my mother's help I am nothing but a sore loser.

Each day I worry that Mila will get back to the village, find me gone, and then do something that could put her life in danger. If she were to come here, my father would have her thrown into prison. She would never get away with it. Some days I feel this incessant need to see her and I try to think of ways to escape but my father has me being watched all day and all night by a maid. Just as quickly as the urge comes, I quench it and I remind myself that it is just a game of pretend. I cannot go back, not to Mila and Ziki. Even if I really entertained the thought of going back, I could never get away with it. My father can sense my loyalty is wavering. He cannot count on me to be rational. Hence, being monitored every hour of every day like some insane person. But what constitutes rationality? Standing up to a greedy nobleman to save a whole tribe or sitting idly by hoping it will work itself out?

I lay in bed trying to come up with ways to help them without putting them in danger. They went through tremendous lengths to get any form of help from my father who is not going to offer it. Even if they did threaten my life, he sees that I am fine, more than fine. They took me in as one of their own. The more I think about it the more I believe they never intended to kill me, just have me as one of their own with or without my father's help. He is perhaps worse than the person trying to take their land. What lengths will either of them go through to get what they want? I can only imagine how desperate Chief Bearson was for any help from my father. He was willing to put his tribe at risk. Even if it was at the cost of my freedom, I would give it up if it meant it would save them all. If it would save her.

~~~

I finally decide to leave my room. I need fresh air to help me think better. My mother is very excited to see me up and ready to go out. She asks me to wear a hat and take a parasol to cover my face from the sun but I remind her I spent every day outside when I was away. My skin is still dark, the freckles on my face more pronounced. I ignore the guilt in her eyes and grab her arm as we head down the stairs. The new maid that is assigned to follow me is a good distance behind us as we walk to the pond. I ignore her as I sit under the large tree, in my usual spot. My mother lays out a blanket she brought with her and sits next to me. She knows I am not in a talking mood so she humors me by allowing me to rest my head on her shoulder.

Maybe I can reach out to my father's friend, the one who brought me here. Surely, he would have the heart to help this defenseless tribe. Or is he like my father? Will he actually see to it that they are pushed out of their homes immediately? I pluck at the grass getting angrier and angrier with myself for ruining their plan. Had I stayed behind they would probably have received some help by now. Images of Mila walking hand in hand with Ziki burn in my mind and I flinch away. Would I have been able to stay behind and endure that? I shake my head and think of other solutions.

What if I went to the local government myself? Would they listen to me? A woman who was kidnapped by the tribe she is now trying to save? I bite my lip. I need a substantial plan that leaves little room for error. I have to be smart about this. What about Peter? Maybe he can help me in some way. Maybe he tried helping the Morzan tribe, maybe he cares. But my father will never let me speak to him.

"What has the grass done to earn such treatment?" My mother removes a loose strand of my hair away from my face.

I shake my head, too lost in my own thoughts to form into words.

"Corrine, I am trying to be patient but I need to hear it. I need to know what really happened to you there. You are not the same. You have grown up, much too fast. I see it in your eyes. I can only imagine the worse, so please put my mind at ease." She swallows hard.

I sit away from her and look into her crystal blue eyes. They are brimming red.

"Mother, they never hurt me." I say, sincerely. I have never meant anything so honestly in my life. Only one of them hurt me and it was not intentional. At least I hope not.

"Then why is there pain in your eyes?"

I open my mouth to interrupt her but she raises a hand. "Please do not lie, I am your mother. I know your moods as well as I know mine. Please be honest with me." She holds my hand as a tear slips down her cheek.

"I fell in love." I blink away the water forming in my eyes.

"Oh." She sighs. "I see." She is at a loss for words. Her eyes are no longer wet. She pats my hand and nods. "Do you want to talk about it?" She finally says when I do not elaborate.

I shake my head. I am just glad she does not look disgusted by my confession. I do not know if I could handle that.

"Do you miss them? All?" She braces herself.

I nod. "They were my family by then end of it all."

She looks hurt but clears her throat. "So, why did you leave?"

I look towards the pond, hoping my eyes do not betray me. "I missed you guys more." After some time, I speak again. "Were you guys ever going to send for me?" There is a small part of me that resents them for leaving me there. For letting the time pass and letting my emotions get the better of me.

The breeze blows different strands across my mother's face. She pulls them back behind her ears. "I was trying."

"Just you?" That is unexpected.

She looks away from me. "Your father is such a stubborn man."

That explanation does not seem like enough for me but I do not want to talk about it anymore. I want to be alone. To think of other ways that I can help since my father will not.

She hugs me to her chest and rubs my back. "I will talk to you father." She kisses my forehead and leaves.

My father will not change his mind no matter what she says. He has drawn the line and has stated which side he is on. I spend the rest of the afternoon going through all of the possible plans and their outcomes. The only one that makes sense is the one I dread the most. But it is the most logical one. And even as my heart braces itself for another low blow I know it is the right choice. I have to escape. I have to go back to them. Never in a million years would I have thought one day I would leave my home to save another. But I do not know what else I can do besides follow through with Chief Bearson's plan. I can only do what is in my power. And that is to go back and help them fight this fight.

I hope my father does not allow anyone to take their land if I am there. He would have to see reason and realize these people deserve to leave in peace. They treated me like a human being, they deserve to be helped. I know deep down even if my father did not help them, Tula would have protected me with her life. She would not allow them to hurt me. I make up my mind while I eat dinner in my room. I have to leave, soon. The thought of going back to the tribe warms my heart and I feel more alive than I have in weeks. A small part of me feels guilty about leaving my mother just when I have returned to her. Will this damage our newfound relationship? No matter, I can fix it in the future. I need to do this. I have made up my mind. A small part of me yearns and dreads to lay eyes on Mila once more.

~~~

I am lying in bed staring up at the dark ceiling, wondering the same thing I always wonder at this time of night. Where is Mila? Was she as devastated as I was to find out that we would never be together again? Will Ziki be there to help her forget that I even exist? Did Mila feel anything for me? Anything besides lust? These thoughts run around in my head as my eyes begin to droop. Sleep wraps around my body so discreetly that I pay it no mind. Just as I am about to succumb to it, someone jumps into my bed and covers my mouth with their hand.

The scream dies in my throat as soon as her long, black hair sweeps across my face.

The hand is quickly replaced by her soft lips and I moan in relief and hunger as I yield to Mila. She is here!

She pulls back and shushes me.

I realize then that I am crying and my whimpers are getting louder.

Her thumps run under my eyes to wipe my tears away. I hiccup and take in shaky breaths. I strain my eyes to get a good look at her but can only see the outline of her body.

"I thought you would be happy to see me." Her tone is crushed and my tears start to flow again.

"Mila." I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her down on top of me. I let her weight calm my nerves and protect me from the unknown. I bury my head into her neck. All of the past lonely nights come crushing back and I hang on to her tighter, crying harder against her neck. She came for me. That has to mean something. I pray that this is not a dream, that she is actually here.

She waits until my breathing has calmed before speaking again.

"We have to hurry if I am rescuing you from here."

My heart jumps at the thought but I don't say anything.

She sits up on her elbows. "What is wrong?"

"I-" Even though I have made up my mind to leave, I secretly hoped Mila would not be with Ziki anymore. Stupid, wishful thinking. Of course, she is probably with Ziki. But more importantly, what would my father do if she found her here? "It is too dangerous. Mila, he will have you arrested if you are found here." I start to push against her chest, fearing the worst. "You have to go."

"Then we better hurry." She kisses my forehead.

I stiffen under her lips.

"Something else is wrong." She is frowning, I can hear it in her tone.

"What if-" She doesn't let me finish before she jumps off me and begins to pace the room.

"I-" I try to finish my sentence again. If I am to go back with her, I need clarification. If she does not give it to me, I will leave with her but at least I will know what will await when we get back. I will not be under any pretenses. I need to know where we stand.

She puts a hand up. "Don't say anything just yet."

I wait, watching as she paces. After a while I get dizzy from watching her and sit back.

"What do I have to do to get you to come back with me? Name whatever you want and I will give it to you." She stops pacing.

I bring my legs up to my chest. Wrapping my arms around them, I try to find the right words but none of them seem like enough.

"Damn it, Corine. I cannot leave you here. I will not. You will go back with me." She is seething.

My toes curl. "What about Ziki?" That seems like an insignificant question but it will be the answer to all of my concerns.

She steps closer to the bed. "What about Ziki?" The question catches her off guard.

"I do not want to go back knowing that you will be with her."

She does not move for some time. Then, as if her body is moving on its own accord, she snakes out a hand and wraps it around my ankle. With a strong pull, she drags me across the bed towards her until her body is covering mine. "I thought coming here to rescue you was enough."

"Enough?" I'm breathless.

She holds my face in between her hands. "Enough to show you that I want you. That you are my soulmate. That I am never letting you out of my sight again."

My jaw goes slack. I never would have imagined those words coming out of her mouth.

"But you said you were pursuing Ziki."

She grunts. "I was. And then you came into my life. It scared me to death."

"But you hate me." This must be a dream. I begin to cry again. How can fate be so cruel? Why did we have to go through all of this to get the answers we deserved? This is a wish come true. A wish that I did not even know existed a couple of months ago.

She wipes my tears away. She feels real, this is not a dream. "No. I did not like what you made me feel at first, I will admit. And I thought I would never see you again once all of this was over. But that did not happen. You became one of us. I am telling you that I want you." She kisses my forehead again.

There are big butterflies in my stomach. Massive ones that are threatening to explode. "This is a lot to take in."

She nods. "I promise I will explain everything once we are in the safety of our village."

I smile at the thought of it being ours.

I get up and put on a dress I can easily button up myself and the most durable shoes I can find. "How did you get in?" I whisper.

She points to the window. My eyes widen. I cannot climb down the side of the house.

"I will lead you out the servant's entrance." She assures me.

~~~

The trip back to the village is quiet.

I ride in the front of Mila while she guides the horse. Every so often she would lean her face into my head and plant a kiss. Her arms never left my waist and I sighed in content as I leaned back against her.

When we finally get back, I am surprised that no one is waiting up for us. Mila ties the horse to a nearby tree and makes sure it has enough water. We silently make our way across multiple houses. I make a move to go towards Tula's house but Mila takes me into her arms and guides me to her home. Like Tula's house there is only functional furniture in her house. There are also no walls separating her bed from the main room and kitchen.

There is a small fire burning in the corner. The smoke goes up the makeshift chimney.

She pulls me towards her bed and motions for me to turn around.

"I am very tired. Who knew kidnapping you a second time would be harder?" I can hear the small smile on her lips.

She helps me with my buttons and slips every piece of clothing off me. Once I am completely naked, I turn to look at her. I speak up from under my lashes and finally meet her eyes.

She gives me a chaste kiss. Her thumbs come up to rub under my eyes. "It looks like you have not gotten much sleep either."

This is the most I have ever heard her talk. It is refreshing.

"Let us get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." She yawns.

We get onto her soft cot. She wraps her arms around my waist and holds me close.

"Mila," My voice is very quiet. I know sleep is only seconds away from claiming me.

"Hmm?" She digs her nose into my neck. I am not sure if she is already asleep. She is probably already dreaming.

"Thank you for saving me." I sigh and go to sleep.

~~~

I awake to the feeling of Mila's lips against my neck.

My eyes flutter open, so it was not a dream. Mila did rescue me.

I sigh when I feel her tongue swipe along my neck before kissing the same spot. My body arches as the heat spreads from that spot to the rest of my sleepy limbs. My muscles feel like lead.

Her hand trails down my body until it is in between my thighs. I gasp.

"Corine," She whispers into my ears. "My sweet Corine."

I shiver as she calls forth my deepest desires. I turn to look at her and she kisses me until I flutter my eyes close and moan. Her tongue digs into my wet mouth, rubbing against my eager tongue. Her finger spread my lips wide and I groan, anticipating the fireworks she will give me. I never want her hand to stop touching me. She deepens the kiss, swallowing every noise that comes from my lips.

Her middle finger dips into my heated center and I buck against her hand. She uses two fingers to rub against the little nub above my weeping hole and I cry out. She does it again and again, leaving me breathless. There is a tight coil forming deep below my belly and I do not know what to do with it. I try to squirm away from her fingers but my hips roll against her expert movements. Her tongue brushes against my own, matching the speed of her fingers and I feel myself on the edge. I am afraid of what is coming. With one last brush of her fingers I crumble against her, letting go of all that I know and jumping to the unknown, leaving nothing behind.