To Rule In Shadow

Adrian woke to the sound of his doorbell. A quick glance at the clock showed that he'd only been asleep for an hour and a half. Groaning, he stood and walked to his front door, taking a moment to straighten his hair in the mirror.

Normally, he would have gone through his full routine before facing his visitor, but a combination of sleep deprivation and growing headache killed any d.e.s.i.r.e to be pleasant with whoever interrupted his rest.

Not even bothering to check the peep hole, he wrenched the door open with a growl. "What do you want?"

Miranda stepped back, mouth working silently in shock, before she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time? I was just worried about you, since you weren't replying to any of my messages."

Taking a deep breath, Adrian calmed himself, trying to regain some of his usual serenity. Shaking his head, he apologized. "No, I'm sorry. I had a rough night. Only got to sleep an hour ago."

She responded quickly, in her usual fashion. Placing a hand on his c.h.e.s.t, she looked up into his face with a convincing expression of concern. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that. I bet you must be feeling awful right now. Why don't you go lie down, and I'll take care of you?"

Still feeling a little befuddled, Adrian took a step back to maintain his personal space. "I appreciate the offer, Miranda, but I'll be fine after some sleep."

She pressed forward along with him. "Please, I insist. Let me help you."

Adrian knew she wouldn't relent when she got like this. He had two options, he could either drive the annoying woman away regardless of any social consequences, or he could let her in and suffer through whatever she had planned for today. Judging from the pacing he suspected seduction was in the works.

[This is a pain. When will she give up and fins someone else to harass? Maybe I should just do it, and get it over with.]

An idea came to him. If she was so interested in pursuing him, it might be interesting to see what she would be willing to give in return.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Things were going well so far. When Adrian answered the door, surly and disheveled, Miranda had almost scrapped her plan. However, a little pressure and he was already letting her into his apartment, something that had never happened before.

[The first thing I will need to do once we are official, is to redecorate this place. Visitors would think he's a psychopath. One with poor taste.]

She followed him to his bedroom, and after he had laid down, turned to leave. "I'll see about making us some breakfast, so just relax."

He grabbed her arm, pulling her into bed with him. After a short roll, Miranda found herself on her back with Adrian looming over her in what could be considered a textbook intimate position. Her heart gave a momentary flutter at the suddenness of it, before she seized control of her emotions. Now what would be the best way to act here? Perhaps playing it coy would be best.

Crossing her arms, she spoke in an embarrassed whisper. "Um, Adrian, I'm not sure if we should be doing this yet. It's a little soon…" She added a hint of excitement to the statement, making sure to blush.

"You have been pursuing me for years. Admittedly, I admire the dedication, if not the methods. Yet, I don't believe it is something as banal as love that motivates you. So, tell me. What is it you truly d.e.s.i.r.e?"

His words were heavy, laden with meaning she barely understood. He was going off script in a direction that left her unsettled. However, Miranda was never one to back down from a challenge. Besides, she sensed that she was close to her goal, only a few more steps were necessary to bind Adrian to her.

Meeting his gaze for a moment, before turning away with a blush, she delivered her line, "There is only one thing I want. To be with you."

A finger traced along the line of her cheek. "Oh? And what would you be willing to give to make your d.e.s.i.r.e a reality?"

[A little melodramatic. What is his game? Is he actually trying to seduce me? I suppose I can play along.]

A sadistic grin split Adrian's face at her words. "So, you'd give yourself to me, mind, body, and soul?"

[…Is he serious? What a corny line.] She thought to herself while trying to formulate a reply. For some reason this whole situation felt wrong. Her instincts were telling her that something terrible was coming, and she should get out. Now, while she still had the chance.

Miranda clamped down on those emotions, hard.

[Oh, no. I'm not letting years of preparation go to waste. This is my in with the Veldt family, and if he wants to play the melodramatic sadist, so be it. I'll be his submissive victim, and in a few months I'll have him wrapped around my finger.]

She relaxed her arms, non-verbally expressing the act of surrender. "Yes, Adrian, I am all yours. Mind, body, and soul."

As the words left her mouth, something twisted within her. For a moment, she had the undeniable feeling that she had made a mistake, but all such thoughts fled as Adrian leaned in for a kiss, claiming his prize.

"Deal," he whispered.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Miranda woke a few hours later, feeling sore and groggy. She was no v.i.r.g.i.n, but that particular experience was intense. Adrian had been possessed by a carnal and passionate hunger that was almost as frightening as it was intoxicating. It left her unsettled, but she found herself warming at the thought of his ravenous eyes as they stared down at her during the act. It had been a long time since she had been so affected by a man.

Once dressed, she wandered out into the apartment, "Adrian? Are you here?"

There was a clank from the kitchen. "In here."

Adrian was cooking pancakes it seemed. "Good morning, or perhaps I should say afternoon. I thought I'd make us some breakfast anyway. It'll be ready in a minute, if you want to wait at the table."

[So now he wants to play house? I suppose there are worse things in the world. Anyway, I need to take this chance to iron out our relationship. Can't let him change his mind now.]

She sat at the table, and waited for him to finish, mentally rehearsing the words she would use to trap him. After a few minutes, he set a plate down in front of her with a stack of golden-brown pancakes, a bottle of syrup was next.

Adrian sat down, and took a sip from the fresh pot of coffee he'd made in the meantime. "Hope you don't mind, I had a strange craving for pancakes."

Making sure to smile shyly while speaking. "Its lovely, Adrian. Pancakes sound wonderful right now, but there is something I'd like to talk to you about, before we go any further."

He sat back, and c.o.c.ked an eyebrow, looking slightly amused. "Oh?"

Leaning forward slightly, and making sure to blush while slowly pushing a strand of hair behind one ear, she replied. "I know we've been friends for the longest time, but what are we now?"

"Adrian! Don't tease!" She exclaimed with a nervous laugh. Things were going off script again, and she wasn't quite sure where to go from here. She figured that her best bet was simply to stay flexible.

"I agreed to it earlier today, don't you remember. From this point forward we shall be considered together. I hope it is everything you dreamed it to be, and well worth the price you paid." He replied with a slight sneer.

Miranda felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. Something was terribly wrong with this situation, but she couldn't figure out what it might be. Glancing down at the pancakes, she suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.

[What's wrong with me. He may be a bit creepy, but its nothing I can't deal with. I've gotten him to accept our relationship. This is the first step in our plan. I can't falter here.]

"Adrian, dear, what would you like to do for the rest of the day? I'm afraid its a bit late to make it to class by this point, so maybe we should just make the most of it." She pointedly ignored the undertones of his previous statement, attempting to steer the conversation in a safer direction.

"I actually have a few errands to run, but you are welcome to come with me if you'd like. They shouldn't take too long, and as soon as we are done we can see about doing something a little more entertaining."

"That sounds good." She replied with a smile, while mustering up the appetite to eat a few of the pancakes he'd prepared.

They lapsed into silence for the next few minutes while they ate. Once she had gotten about halfway through, she pushed her plate away. "Whew, that was excellent, thank you for making it."

"Are you ready to go then?" Adrian asked, while cleaning up the dishes, and piling them in the sink. Evidently he was going to finish them later.

"Right this way," He looked to his left, and a door simply faded into existence there. With a wave of his hand it opened, revealing a dark hall beyond.

For a second, Miranda couldn't process what she had seen. It was just too sudden.

"Um, Adrian, what's going on?" She asked, a creeping sense of dread slowly overtaking her.

"I'll explain in due time. Now, follow me."

Miranda felt her body start to move against her will, drawing her closer to door when, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Her confusion and fear must have been evident in her face, she Adrian gave a short laugh.

"Don't you remember? Mind, body, and soul. Don't worry though, I am a man of my word, so I will reserve a place at my side for you. Now let me show what that really means." He said with a wicked grin, pulling her closer to the impossible door and the horrors that waited beyond it.