Santorini Paradiso Ch. 16

Hello, my lovelies! I've been away a while. Sorry. This one is a bit of a short catch up. There is more to come soon as we move toward the next phase of this saga.

Many kisses,

L

***

In the back garden of the maison, the extended family were enjoying the fading late afternoon sun, sipping a motley collection of beverages - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic (in Elena's case) - and were rapturously passing around the little ultrasound photo. The mood was perhaps more astonished than exuberant, but Elena was happy, nonetheless.

Twins! They were so tiny. Still so fuzzy and indistinct. More like sea monkeys than people at the moment. But anyone could see they were a pair. She was glad she knew to start thinking in terms of "they."

Petros was teary eyed and quietly blissful, slouched luxuriously on a double chaise, with Elena tucked into his side. It wasn't until they'd arrived back home and given him the news that she realized he'd been stretched as tight as a drum. The news seemed to offer him a brief holiday from whatever had been preoccupying him. He had walled off a part of his mind from her, and it was worrying. She made a mental note to grill him later, but in the meantime was contented to just bask in the warmth of their stunning new discovery.

Adonis was playing host, his eyes straying to Elena every few moments. His gaze was hotly lustful, but also full of pride. Maria walked out of the kitchen with a platter of mezze, chuckling happily at having extra people for whom she could cook. Elena shifted slightly to reduce the pressure on her left side, when she felt something in the pocket of her cardigan. Reaching in, she felt a card. Suddenly realizing she urgently had to pee, which was happening more and more lately, she turned to drop a chaste kiss on Petros's cheek and got up to go back into the house.

Ducking into one of the powder rooms on the ground floor, she quickly sat to relieve herself. Idly, she reached back into that pocket and extracted the card to examine it. She had no recollection of taking a card from the doctor's office. It was actually not a card, but rather a small note-sized envelope made of a very expensive-looking ivory stock. Intrigued, she untucked the flap and saw there was a folded note inside. It was Cartier stationery - very fancy, she thought, raising one eyebrow. A strange tingle moved over her head and down her neck as she slid the paper out and unfolded it.

The heavy paper stock sported the logo of the doctor's practice on the front. Inside, a message was hand-written in strong, but strangely artful cursive, it almost looked like calligraphy. In English, it said:

"My dear Celeste: It was a great honour to meet you. Here is my private number. Use it any time you need me. Twins can be a physical and emotional challenge. Know that I am always at your service, day and night. I will see you very soon, à bientôt! -Erik Stretch."

Elena read the note twice, frowning. He'd underlined "always," and "day and night." And his mobile number was added at the bottom. How very odd. She had no idea how this note ended up in her pocket.

How many doctors slip notes into their patient's pockets with their private number? There was something definitely unsettling about the man. Again, he was acting with inappropriate intimacy, though it was really nothing overt enough to make a real complaint. And Elena still felt that niggling sense of déjà vu. It was disturbing, but there was also a part of her that chided herself for her foolishness. Why on earth would this respected physician have anything but the best and honorable intentions? Isn't it far more likely that she was just spooked by the recent events in Santorini, and imagined threats around every corner?

Before she had a chance to consider it any further, she heard Petros outside the powder room, knocking gently and asking Elena if she was okay. There was an undercurrent of worry in his voice and - to some extent his mind - much as he tried to mask it. She was eager to dispel it.

"Hi! Yes, agape-mou, I'm totally fine! I will be out in a minute!" She called out in her sunniest voice. Elena shoved the note back into her pocket and finished her business, washing her hands before hastily rejoining the group.

Dinner was a long and boisterous affair, composed of no fewer than five courses. Eddy told a series of funny stories that made everyone laugh, while Selene pretended to groan in protest. By the time Maria served her incredibly luscious and flaky Baklava, Elena was too exhausted and full to eat another bite. They moved to the living room, where the men shared a very fine scotch, while Elena curled up on the sofa with her mother.

Eventually, she could not keep her eyes open, and announced sleepily that she was going up to bed. Petros and Adonis rose as if to accompany her, but for the first time in a long time, she just wanted to be alone. It felt important, somehow. She stopped them-deeply kissed them each and told them to please stay and be good hosts; enjoy their drinks, the lovely fire and spend this time getting to know her family. They agreed graciously, even if a little reluctantly.

By the time she got to their bedroom suite, all she had the energy to do was scrub her face and teeth, slip into a nightie, and crawl under the covers. As she felt herself drift off to sleep, a part of her consciousness marveled that she was so incredibly tired from doing very little. That small aware part of her experienced a flutter of mild concern for the briefest of moments, before succumbing to a deep slumber.

After a time, she began to surface from her dreamless state, and rolled to her side. The smooth masculine body behind her pulled her back against a muscular torso, and strong arms encircled her with cherishing comfort. His lips slid along her bare shoulder, along the side of her neck, and nuzzled behind her ear in that sensitive spot that made her crazy.

Making a soft purring sound, she turned her face and shifted so she could claim those firm lips. The kiss that resulted was full of need. He pressed her mouth open and plundered the depths of her mouth with an insistent tongue. This kiss felt new, somehow. It was urgent and seemed naughty- almost dirty. One large hand cradled her jaw to hold her in place. His hips moved sensuously against her. His engorged erection slid between the curves of her ass.

Dimly, she wondered what had happened to her chemise - she remembered putting one on when she went to bed. But what he was now doing with his hand, which had drifted down to weigh, lift and gently squeeze one tender swollen breast, felt delicious. So, she allowed that thought to drift.

He moved enough to pull her down onto her back. His body then partially covered hers. That wandering hand crept further down, rubbing her lower belly as he let a low, sexy growl fill his throat. Then finally, it reached its ultimate destination - trilling masterfully against her sex as she groaned into his demanding mouth. Using a motion that Elena hadn't felt before, his dexterous fingers worked her now wet folds with a series of staccato movements that brought her to the brink so quickly it stole her breath.

When he broke the kiss, his face was obscured in shadows, but she could perceive that he was watching her reaction to his ministrations, as if memorizing the things that brought her the most pleasure. Her lower body arched up off the bed as the climax built and built, higher and higher, until finally he commanded in a coarse whisper that she cum for him. As she cried out in release, his mouth swooped down and captured her scream. Elena felt the onrushing of her female ejaculate as it soaked his hand, her thighs and the sheets. He groaned against her mouth, his hard cock grinding against her hip, leaving slick traces.

As she came back to herself, she leaned away to peer up at him through the darkness; a deeply satisfied smile on her face. Just then, a passing breeze blew open the curtains behind the bed, and a slash of moonlight illuminated his face.

Elena started violently, shrinking away - a scream of horror rising in her throat, but it stopped short and she could not seem to make a sound try as she might.

She stared up, disbelieving, into the face of her doctor.

He grinned lasciviously at her as she vainly tried to wriggle away but found she could not move. The doctor was pulling her slowly, unmercifully back to him. As his face came closer - his eyes oddly bright and hypnotic despite the darkness - Elena felt powerless. It was as if she had no control over her own body. A series of silent screams tried to escape as she willed herself to fight him, but still his body moved against hers, and his hands roughly took what they wanted.

"Oh, Elena, ma petite, you know in your heart that you want this." His lips were moving against her cheek as he laughed at her panic. His thighs were pushing hers apart, and she could feel him lining up to her opening. This man had just made her orgasm, and now he was going to fuck her - to rape her. She didn't want this. She didn't want any of this. Her fear and shame nearly paralyzed her.

She tried to mentally call out for help from Adonis and Petros, but it was as if that door of connection to them had been nailed shut - or worse - no longer existed at all. This could not be happening! No, she thought wildly - I will not allow this to happen!

A flood of fierce, volcanic anger rose up from someplace deep inside, and she felt it explode in what could only be described as a deep shock wave that radiated out of her. Her ears popped, as if from a sonic boom. The room was lit up by a blinding flash - as though struck by lightning.

Suddenly, Elena was no longer his captive. Her body and her voice worked again, and she let forth a series of blood curdling screams as she flailed her arms and legs, sliding her way off the bed.

The bedroom door burst open as the boys, her parents and Dimitri flew into the room. Elena moved to cover her nakedness, only to realize that she was once again wearing her nightgown.

Crushed into a comforting hug by Adonis and Petros - she tried to speak, but it all tumbled out in a sort of scream-crying, unintelligible rant. The boys surrounded her with their bodies and a psychic blanket of love and protection as she sobbed, clinging to them.

Dimitri had turned on all the lights and he and her father stalked about checking the room, under the bed, the closets, and the bathroom - even looking out the windows to find the intruder she kept talking about. Meanwhile, Selene was staring at the bed, and with a sharp nod caught the attention of Adonis and Petros - making them look at what she saw. There was an "Elena-shaped" burn mark on the sheets and pillows, which were still smoking. The pervasive smell of ozone was unmistakable.

They bundled her back downstairs to the reassuringly bright comfort of Maria's kitchen, while Dimitri and Eddy checked the rest of the house and garden.

She had somehow been wrapped in a fluffy robe and found herself sitting at the kitchen table before a hot cup of some kind of herbal tea. But Elena was numb. Her reaction time to their questions was alarmingly slow, and she seemed to be in some form of shock. All of the adrenaline that had been triggered in the attack was now exiting her system, and she felt utterly spent. Her body was aching, and her throat was sore. It was too much effort to lift the cup or drink the tea.

The last thing she wanted was be left alone or go back to sleep, however. Her eyes kept darting around the room, as if she expected to see Erik hiding in the shadows. In fact, she felt as if she could see him sometimes in her peripheral vision, just watching her. But as she turned her gaze toward him, no one was there. She could not stop shaking. It felt like she was going mad.

Elena was mentally curling up inside herself, her thoughts a dizzying whirlwind.

'How could I have let Erik do that to me?

How could I not realize it wasn't one of my boys?!

Gods—how disgusting am I? I liked it. He made me-

How did he get in and get out without anyone seeing him?

No way that could have happened!

Did it even happen?

Oh, my gods- did I dream it?

NO! I didn't dream it. I didn't!

I can still feel him!

Oh gods - I can still feel him.

I feel sick—don't throw up!

What was that over there - did that shadow move?

Is he still here?

No - that's crazy, he can't be here.

What is wrong with me?!'

Adonis and Petros were really worried. She had shut them out and was withdrawing further and further into herself. She was rocking a little in the hard kitchen chair.

It was hard to not think this had all just been an incredibly vivid nightmare, since not only was there no way someone could have entered the house, there was absolutely no trace of another person being in the room. They shared the same anxious concern - they didn't want Elena to think they didn't believe her. That they didn't support her. She was so sure it had been real. But there were so many things that didn't add up. A pregnant woman's hormones could wreak havoc—some of this could be a simple matter of physical science.

But if she was right and they doubted her, that would be unbearable for them, and for her.

Selene sat beside Elena in the kitchen, holding her hand and just trying to be a comforting presence, but she too had similar thoughts to those of the boys. She could not help thinking about how much had happened to her little Lena in just a few short months. Her entire world and belief system were turned upside down. It was too much for anyone to deal with, and she had coped remarkably well up to now. What if this was a manifestation of all that stress?

Just then, Maria came bustling down from the bedroom. She and Dimitri had been cleaning and she wanted to change the linens and remake the bed for them. As she worked to clean and restore order, Maria noted that there had been damage to the room beyond the bed - objects thrown from their usual places, signs of smoke damage. There had obviously been an explosion that miraculously did not harm Elena.

Maria didn't care about what Dimitri said regarding the lack of evidence of an intruder, waving her hand dismissively at him. She knew Elena and could feel her strength. She saw how much love there was between her and the boys. Something was amiss here, and it wasn't natural. That much she knew in her heart. The diminutive cook had a fierce expression on her face as she confronted the group at her kitchen table.

She held up the fitted sheet, showing them the vivid scorch marks.

"Look at this, eh?" Maria said, her voice grim. "Thank the gods that Adonis and Petros were not in bed with Elena when this happened. They both would have been burned very badly—maybe worse."

The little party stared mutely at her as she shook the fabric, as if to emphasize her point.

"Why were you not in bed with Miss Elena, as usual? When is the last time she slept alone?" Her eyes were nonjudgmental as they moved between Adonis and Petros, she seemed to be trying to make a point.

Selene inhaled sharply, catching the housekeeper's meaning. Elena's head turned toward her mother, a little frown working between her brows. Adonis and Petros likewise looked a bit confused.

Petros, shaking his head as he recollected, said softly: "Elena told us to stay downstairs with her parents and be good hosts..."

Elena looked back at Adonis and Petros and murmured: "I didn't want them to come upstairs with me. I wanted to be alone."

"Nee. Exactly. Which is what saved them both." Maria pronounced.

The room was quiet as everyone digested this bombshell. If they had been in bed on either side of Elena, as was their nightly custom, they would have definitely been badly injured by the blast. It should have been obvious.

"Now, I know you are wondering about this man she saw. 'How could someone get in?' you all ask. Let me remind you that we all know about creatures that can go anywhere and pose as anything. Creatures that can walk within dreams. Elena saw what she saw. It is obvious. She was assaulted by someone or something from the realm of the gods. And make no mistake: she protected herself and everyone in this house."

She dropped the sheet on the floor and charged around the table, gently taking Elena's face in her hands and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Thank you, my lady." She smiled into her eyes, her own were moist with unshed tears. She inhaled and exhaled briskly and waved her hands around. "Okay, enough for now - Adonis and Petros, take your marvelous woman back to bed so she can sleep in peace. We can all talk more in the morning."

Everyone automatically began to disperse at her declaration. The brothers gave each other a look fraught with guilt, mortification, relief and the determination that comes with clarity. How could they have allowed themselves to lose focus on the most important thing?

Elena shook her head a little, as if to clear it. Of course, Maria was right. She saw what she saw. She wasn't crazy.

But someone was trying to make it look like she was. Someone with power. It wasn't hard to guess who that might be.

'Oh, hell no.' She thought, as a wave of strength moved through her.

Elena would not let anyone, or anything, destroy the beautiful world she and the boys were building. Not while there was breath left in her body.

'Bring it on, bitches. We will show you what strength really is.' She felt a warm answering flutter deep in her womb. She didn't have to fight alone.

***

The bedroom smelled like white sage, which Maria had used to purify the space. The bed had been made up with bright clean sheets. The boys crawled into bed and put themselves on either side of Elena, as was their custom. They could feel her tension, and mentally shared an idea for how they could help her to sleep peacefully.

'Agape-mou,' began Adonis, 'If it would make you sleep easier, Petros and I can give you a little push—mentally compel you to slip into a deep, dreamless sleep. Would you like that, sweet girl?'

Elena sighed with relief, replying yes into their minds, kissing first Adonis and then Petros on the lips. They all settled into place, the men curving their bodies protectively around her, and in unison the brothers focused on Elena and pushed: 'Sleep deeply, beyond dreaming.'

Elena's eyelids fluttered down and she exhaled contentedly, falling deeply asleep before ten seconds passed.

Adonis and Petros communicated mentally, blocking out their beautiful woman so as not to inadvertently disturb her.

'So—Elena said it was the doctor...' Petros began.

'Yes, which means that: either one of our enemies used the doctor's likeness, or...'

'Or the doctor is one of the gods, posing as a human. You didn't sense anything about him?'

'No! I would have gotten her out of there in a moment if I'd gotten any whiff or idea that there were supernaturals in that place. They were all human, I could swear it.' Adonis gazed into the distance, as if trying to remember the experience at the clinic.

'Could it be possession? Now that I think about their offices, there was a heavy smell of jasmine in the air - which they could have used to-'

'To cover the scent of divine magic at work. Wow - yes, I suppose it could. But that requires pretty significant power. That would be no demigod or lesser supernatural - it would have to be a major deity in order to completely takeover a human for a sustained period of time.'

'We need to do some deeper research on this obstetrician first thing in the morning. Look for any recent disappearances or strange news items around him...'

'I will do that, Adonis—I have to go back to the monastery anyway to finish that genealogy research I've been doing. Just one question, though—how do you think they managed to find Elena here? And even more troubling, how did they slip through the wards that the goddesses put on this house?'