An Unbreakable Desire Ch. 04

Here's the newest chapter. Sorry for the delay. It is a lot shorter than I intended it to be, because I am going away for a bit and wanted to put something out. Anyways please rate and comment, I love hearing what you guys have to say.

Xoxo - SFM.

*****

Five years prior...

"Lena! Lena!" A voiced called from several feet behind.

"Catch me, James!" She shouted back, before dashing into a sprint. Lena ran straight and fast, refusing to look behind as her hair whipped back and the wind pierced her face.

James chased the younger girl up the hill. He could hear the sound of her laughter flow effortlessly down towards him. By the time he reached the top, his lungs were out of breath causing him to pant furiously. James rested both his hands upon his thighs, and bent forward to take a deep breath, followed by several more. By no means was he an unfit boy, in fact, he was pretty darn athletic, and yet, he could never seem to catch up with her pace, ever. When he finally regained his composure, James looked up and took in his surroundings. Large trees covered the small space and several types of wild flowers were scattered haphazardly around the grass. James took in a fresh scent which calmed him immediately.

"You're so slow!" Lena threw a handful of grass towards James as he quickly sat beside her.

"Who the hell sprints up a hill?" James spat out playfully.

Lena gave him a slow, wide smile before she laid her small frame down on the soft flower bed, effectively crushing the plants below her.

"Looks like I'm the oldest one left...well, except for you." Lena used the back of her hand to block out the blinding sunlight.

James laughed, "It's not so bad being the oldest. There are some pretty great perks!"

"Perks?" Lena questioned with a raised brow, and her voice slightly more pitched.

At the age of 19, James was no longer an orphan. He was finally free from the public assumption of being an unwanted kid. Yet, even though he was no longer bound to the orphanage, he continued to linger. Some of it was his wanting need to protect Lena and the other children, another part was the fact the Beata Carte, the orphanage's director and caretaker was already pushing 86 years old. So yes, he stayed to take care of the place and assist Beata, but there was a part of him that was also terrified of being alone in the big world by himself. He was petrified at that mere thought. So no, he never attempted to leave Celaris, not like Lena who couldn't wait to leave. From the moment she arrived, to the way she lived her life every day, James knew that she was destined for money, power and glory.

"Well, you know, you get first dibs on all the food, you have a whole bunch of wide-eyed kids looking up to you, and you get to beat up the bullies...You know, the whole shebang of being eldest."

"Wow!" Lena said with a whistle. "You absolutely suck as selling things. Promise me, that you'll never be a salesman, you'll go broke."

James pinched her arm. "Ow! Uncalled for!" Lena yelled.

James rolled onto her and began tickling her. Lena erupted into laughter, unable to control herself. She jerked her body from side to side to no avail.

**********************

Present...

Harsh winds blew against the small boat christened Madalana. It swayed and moved along the large waves with frightful force. Lena sat on a long couch in the cabin and rhythmically clenched and unclenched her fists. She had never felt so much fear consume her.

Dark oak lined walls surrounded the small group. Each wall was unusually bare except for the wooden clock that hung above the cabin door. It was thirty minutes until her designated meeting time, and Lena's mind was racing. Her body began to shake from the thoughts of James being murdered, lying in a pool of blood as a lifeless corpse. The only reason she was able to maintain even the slightest bit of composure was by replacing her fear with the fury that rippled through her core. Lena began to tap her foot impatiently; she had never been one to sit still.

Zane leaned against the wall furthest from Lena, and began formulating a plan. Casino Le Blanc was a large yacht that sailed around the perimeter of Alor Bay. Alor Bay was considered neutral space, and Le Blanc was seen as a common ground for various factions to meet, gamble and socialize. Yet, Zane knew that it was not as safe as people believed. If Zero wanted to do damage he wouldn't care about neutral grounds, peace treaties or their laws. After all, he was the one with a hostage, and Zane on the other hand, was the one with an impulsive, impatient and emotionally-charged wild card. Yes, Zero definitely had the upper hand.

In addition, Valyria was not even invited to this meeting. That meant that his very presence could be seen as a Valyrian move against Averda. No, Zane needed to tread this carefully. He knew the odds were against him, but, there was no part of him that even considered abandoning Lena to deal with this alone. He needed her to agree to be his, then, she would be an informal member of Valyria, which would force Zero to play by the rules and obey the treaty. At least, he hoped it would.

Zane looked towards Ares, who somehow maintained an appearance of calmness which contrasted the tension that filled the room.

Zane moved towards Lena. She was moving so erratically that he feared she would dig a hole into the ground. When he stood in front of her, Zane lowered himself to her eye level and placed his hands on top of hers, stopping the tapping.

"Lena..." His rough voice called out.

Lena raised her eyes to look at the man before her. "What?" She asked irritably.

"Look," He said running a hand through his dark locks, "Le Blanc is neutral grounds...But, there is a specific reason that Zero chose it. And, it's not just because he fancies gambling, which, he does. Once we are on board, we are secluded from land and this boat, my boat."

"So?" Lena said dryly.

Zane swore underneath his breath. Couldn't this girl take things seriously? "You don't get it!" He yelled, smashing both his fists down beside Lena's legs. Lena flinched unconsciously.

"Look, we can't bring guns," Zane looked towards Ares and Cole, who both nodded in reply. "We will hide weapons...knives on ourselves, of course. But, I don't want you to go in."

"That's not going to fucking happen!" Lena interrupted speaking so calmly, so deathly and so intensely that it caused Zane to stumble on his words. The fragile thread of her sanity was threatening to break because of her misplaced anger towards Zane.

Zane took a moment to choose his words carefully, "I know..." He finally said. Zane reached into his pocket and pulled out a small item.

Lena looked at it curiously. The item was small and narrow, it was about two finger sizes in length and painted in a dark purple with intricate gold decals. Lena looked back up at Zane and raised her brow in a quizzical fashion.

"A hair pin." She stated dryly.

Zane shook his head slightly, before sighing. He placed the small item between his forefinger and thumb. With his other hand, he pulled the other end of the pin, and it followed his movement, uncovering the sheath of a simple narrow blade.

"Fancy," Cole said quietly from a far.

His young master gave him a sideways glance, and Cole quietly replaced his smile with a stoic expression.

Zane re-sheathed the tiny weapon, concealing it entirely within Lena's hair bun. He tugged it to make sure that it would stay in place.

"Okay sweetheart, when we get in there, they are going to escort us to the, er...private section. It's on the upper floor."

"Who will escort us?" Lena asked, once again interrupting him.

"Le Blanc security..." Ares replied when his boss hesitated.

Zane stared blankly at the beauty before him. "Listen, I have no doubt that Zero has already paid them off. Because of the short notice, my men are on their way, but they won't be here until later ...and even when they do arrive, they won't be allowed anywhere near the private section. They'll wait for our cue from the casino grounds. I have some friends, regular guests of Le Blanc who will look out for us if something happens."

"Okay." Lena said while biting the inside of her cheek. "So what's the plan then?"

Zane looked around to his men. They gave each other a knowing look that Lena did not miss. Sure she could be clueless at times, but in serious situations she was always more hyper-sensitive of her surroundings and the actions of others.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Lena yelled with realization. She jumped up from her seat and began to gesture with her hands, "We are walking into clearly a trap, and you don't have a fucking plan!"

She proceeded to mutter a string of profanities that would make any sailor blush.

Zane moved to take the seat Lena vacated. He watched her carefully as she threw her tantrum. He refused to speak until she calmed.

"I never said we didn't have a plan." Zane stated matter-of-factly. "But, we have to tread lightly...if we make a wrong move, we may inadvertently start a war...And trust me, the last one was bloody enough we don't need a repeat of it."

Lena began to rub her eyes. She wasn't tired, after all, how could she be tired when she was this worried. But she needed to clear her head.

'99, 98, 97, 96...' She counted backwards as a method to relax. Yet, instead, she felt the sudden urge to hit something, hard. Lena cussed underneath her breath. Ever since she met Alexander Zane, Prince of all things shitty in the world, she found her moods constantly changing, and boy, was she tired of it already. She hated feeling...feminine.

Zane stood, and grasped Lena's face within his strong hands. "Promise me, that when shit goes down, and I'm sure it will, that you will get the Fuck. Out. Of. The. Way!" He spoke slowly, emphasizing each word to make sure that she got the point.

Lena grabbed the man's wrist with her hand, yanking it off her face. She gave Zane a hard stare, "If I get James, and he's alright...then I'll have no problem with that."

Zane clenched his jaws but didn't say anything.

Lena paced back and forth, "I have my weapon...Where are yours?"

She saw Cole move from her peripherals, and turned to look at him. Cole tapped at his belt before undoing it from his pants. He raised the leather material for the small girl to look at. Lena looked at the material and noticed that its end was covered in silver. Cole took the silver piece in his palm and pulled. Lena watched amused as the metal separated from the fabric, and a long piece of steel emerged revealing a makeshift knife.

"Clever." She said flatly, yet, her eyebrows lifted approvingly.

"There's one more thing," Zane said hesitantly. He braced himself, but he knew he had to ask her one more time. This time she had to say yes, he promised himself that he wouldn't allow her any other choice.

"You need to agree to work for me, right now!"

"What the fuck!!" Lena screamed. She moved her arm to slap him, but Zane caught it mid-air. "Do you think this is the fucking time to bring up old shit..."

"This is the only time!" He rebutted angrily.

Zane gave his men a single look that spoke volumes, telling them simple and clear silent code to get the fuck out. Both men hurried out quickly and silently.

The moment the cabin door shut, Zane threw the small girl to the couch, trapping her beneath his form by pinning both her arms above her head. This was a position Lena had been in several times before, and each time it sent an unwanted shudder to her loins.

"I can't protect you, and James if you are not Valyrian" Zane began to squeeze her wrists.

Lena bit down from the slight pain. "Then what good are you!" She spat back.

Zane lowered his head and began to bit the soft flesh that connected her shoulder and neck. He altered between licking and sucking the area until it began to swell and turn into a bright red.

A quiet moan escaped from Lena's tightly pursed lips.

Zane moved to look at Lena. Her face was flushed and her breathing heavy, "Say it!" He purred.

"Why must I?" Lena asked pleadingly.

"Because, I can't go with you if you don't! I can't keep you from him, if you don't. I can't protect you if you don't..."

"I don't need your protection!"

Zane pushed himself off Lena, and readjusted his suit as she moved to a sitting position. He ran he fingers threw his hair, a move that Lena loved to see.

"Fine!" Zane said through clenched teeth, "Agree to this now, and once this is over, I promise you can retract your statement. But, on that boat, you are mine. This is the only way." Lena was taken aback with how quickly Zane's persona changed. No longer was there any indication of humour, lightness or even laughter within his voice. Instead, he had somehow changed to a stoic man, with sharp eyes within a matter of seconds.

"If you don't agree, I will keep you trapped on this boat, I will have them turn it around, and I will restrain you. I don't care if it gets your friend killed... The only reason you are even on this boat is because I gave you an inch, out of my respect for you. I will not let you take a mile. Do you understand?"

Lena removed herself from the couch and stepped behind it, placing it between herself and Zane.

Zane slammed his hand into the wall beside him in response.

She gulped. "Fine, for this time being I am yours, I am Valyrian." Lena stated reluctantly.

********************

James sat tied to a chair. His ankles were chained to steel legs, and his arms were bound behind his back, causing his shoulders to scream in pain. He had a split lip that bled profusely and his ribs hurt like hell. James swore underneath his breath as every slight movement caused a rippling pain throughout his body.

He was secluded in a room that was connected to a smaller room, which James deduced was a security chamber. He had only slightly glimpsed the abundance of computers, monitors and screens when the door had been opened, but he could tell that the images were of the Casino below him.

Lavish red and gold wallpaper covered the room. The dark tan couches and oak tables that decorated the chamber had been pushed against the walls. James sat within the center of the room, quietly awaiting his captors. He was scared, not only for himself but for Lena and his wife. From what James had experienced, he knew that this man, Zero, was a ruthless and heartless creature. He had bloodied James just for the pleasure of seeing him hurt, and James struggled to hide his pain. That only served to further Maddox's intentions.

When the big wood doors opened, James' heart was beating faster than he thought was possible. James tried to slow his breathing down, but failed when he saw Zero and three men enter the room. James noticed that Zero had changed clothes. He now wore black jeans, a dark striped shirt and a tailored dark grey sport's blazer. He was more casually dressed than his counterparts, but it was his empty smile that sent shivers down James' spine. James began to shake with fear.

Maddox looked at the clock. There were several more minutes until he would meet Lena, and he knew she'd come. He took pleasure in making sure her friend looked the part, giving him several eye-scorching bruises. Zero nodded to Eric signaling him to hide a gun underneath the seat of his hostage. He knew the room would be searched by Alexander Zane's men, but they wouldn't be able to get anywhere near James. Maddox Zero smirked to himself as he took a seat directly in front of James.

"Worried?" Zero asked while leaning back.

James' mouth quivered with a strange mixture of anxiety and anger. He gave Maddox the most intimidating look that he could muster in his fretful state. He knew the henchman had placed something under his seat, but he couldn't reach it at all. All of his limbs were secured tightly in place.

"What do you want with Lena?" James finally spat out.

Zero raised his brow, "I don't see where that concerns you."

"Fuck you!" James yelled. "You touch her and I'll rip your throat out."

Zero laughed. "What could you possibly do to me...you're a weak man, pathetic actually. "

James fought against his restraints trying to get to his captor, but his efforts only lead to a mocking laugh from all of the men.

"Yet, unlike you" Zero continued, "This girl, Lena...she's strong. I'm gonna love dominating her down to nothing but a petty slave." Zero said with a wink.

James had a glimpse of realization wash over him. He broke out into an uncontrollable laugh. Maddox gave Eric a nod. Eric moved towards James and whipped in the head with the back of his hand. James continued to laugh.

Zero moved from his seat, backhanding him immediately. "Why are you laughing?" He asked dryly.

James' laughter only grew louder. He tilted his head back, ignoring the throbbing pain and the new blood that filled his mouth.

"I get it now." James said between spurts of hilarity. "This has nothing to do with her stealing money from you...You are like every other man who's met her."

"Shut up?" Eric said before punching James in the gut.

James groaned.

"When you look at Lena, you see what all men see," James paused and spit out blood. He gave his captor a wide, bloody grin, "You see your fantasy girl. A girl that doesn't exist, but who can be molded and shaped to your will, desires...perversions."

Zero raised his brow.

"You don't even know what you find appealing...but you do know there's something, perhaps it's her freedom she carries so effortlessly. You are somehow drawn to her, and it's inexplicable to you. But, really what it is, is the male urge for perfection. And that is what you desire."

A deep grumbling chuckle emerged from Zero, "Perhaps I should kill you now and save myself the trouble of dealing with your delusions."

James traced each of his teeth with his tongue, and felt his molar wriggle abnormally. He decided to play his game a little longer, "Everything Lena is now, is the product of what I have made her...every smile, hair flip, and tear. It's all mine."

Maddox lowered himself down to James' eyelevel. "I do want her," He whispered. "And I will have her. You won't have to worry about that, though."

Almost effortlessly, Zero reached into his pocket and picked out a small knife. He thrust it in the smaller man in the thigh, with a grin plastered onto his face.

James shrieked in pain. He knew the knife had connected with bone, and he felt the sharp tip of the blade pierce through his delicate muscles.

Zero placed his palm above the hilt of the knife. His hand hovered and with a smile Maddox Zero began putting pressure on the knife. He was rewarded with the sweet sounds of more screams and unsuccessfully concealed whimpering.

When James' cries began to simmer, Zero, in all his horrifying glory, wrapped his hand around the hilt of knife, and pulled. He removed the protruding object from James' leg in excruciating slowness, prolonging the torturous effect.

James' face contorted into an inhuman expression. He was beyond the point of verbally expressing the amount of pain he was in. Although, his mouth was open in some sort of bodily reaction to somehow alleviate the agony, no sounds emerged. It was that very silence where a person's terror and anguish could be felt effortlessly by everyone within their vicinity. It was this type moment that sent thrills throughout Zero's body. He both hated it, and at the same time in his own sick, perverted way, he needed it.

***********************

Lena stared wide-eyed at the humongous yacht before her that had easily dwarfed their small boat in comparison. They had anchored beside the bigger ship and Lena watched as crewmen from Casino Le Blanc dropped a narrow ladder from above. Ares and Cole both climbed up quickly.