A snarl left her lips. She then lifted herself, standing straight, her back stiff, uncaring about the wounds that are still read and hurting on her skin. Her eyes wild, her teeth clenched, she looked like an Amazon ready to go into battle.
With the daggers in her hands, her feet apart, she made the tree fold back into itself, giving a feet gap for her to go through.
Cold air brushed her cheeks, riffling her tangled hair. Their eyes met- his worries and hers filled with hatred.
A few seconds passed before Willow asked him with no emotion in her voice,
"You come here and mock me that I couldn't kill you. Is that it?"
"What!! No. Hear me, Willow," Lothaire scoffed, taking a step back for her to pass through.
Willow took two steps to the side giving him a wide berth and never showing him her back. When he repeated the same thing, a crack appeared in her mask. Her voice rough displaying her simpering anger she said,
"NOO!!! I don't want to hear anything from you. Nothing. You hear me, vampire? You are nothing to me. But since you are not satisfied with being alive, I will finish you off for good this time."
She played with her daggers holding them at the hilt, throwing and catching them once again. In short, she is the one who is taunting him.
"Enough Tinkerbell. I gave you the chance to kill me once. I stood still without moving a muscle because I trusted you. I trust you. Now it's your turn to give me a chance," Lothaire growled. This is not going according to what he envisioned
Willow threw one of her daggers at him. Lothaire had the presence of mind to duck at the last minute. It landed with a "thwack" on the bark of the tree behind him.
With a roar, she launched at him, trying to cut his skin. Lothaire avoided her blows, defending himself.
"When hell freezes over"
When he hit her wrist, the other dagger fell down. He swiftly pushed it with his leg out of her reach.
"No. Cast this blind hatred aside and think with a clear mind Willow"
Willow jabbed him at his chin. Lothaire missed to cover it and took the blow. He shook his head to clear a vision and tried to tackle her once again.
"So that you can manipulate me some more?"
His arms came around her to hold her still. But she used her legs to hit him at the knee. He bent in reaction giving her a chance to free herself. She then turned, brought her knee up, and hit his head hard.
"God, woman, you are one stubborn Fae. I could have killed you many times. You gave me so many chances to drain you dry. Did I ever take advantage?" Lothaire asked, taking a step back and rubbing his head. He stalked her with the innate grace of a tiger, always a step away from her but not attacking her.
"That's because you are still not done with me. I'm your happy meal, remember?" Willow gave a sidekick, hitting his ribs. Lothaire grunted, no doubt it hurt.
"You are twisting my words, Willow. I never said I needed you for my purpose. It was you who always pointed out that I'm the lead. I'm the target. You, who tagged along. Now suddenly I became the bad guy, a manipulator?" Lothaire blocked her fist with his hands.
"You can say all you want about vampires. But we both know that you are the murderer of my parents," she turned and jabbed his stomach with her elbow.
"No. I'm not," Lothaire professed loudly.
She spun into him so he had her back, twisted his hand and used his strength against him, flipped him, tossed him over her shoulder onto his back, wrenching his arm. He landed hard on the ground with a "thud", his broad back taking the impact.
"Goddammit!!!"
She stood above his head, her feet near his head, looking down at him as if he is a bug she would like to squash. Lothaire rolled and stood once again facing her. He took a couple of hits, his skin displaying the proof.
"And I should believe you why?" Willow taunted, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"Because I was in a cage for the last 10 years," Lothaire spat the words as if they burned his tongue.
Willow who was busy trying to sweep his legs with her right leg, stilled, air leaving her lungs in a whoosh.
How could this be? Yes, the evidence shows that he had been captive for a long time when she rescued him. But how long?
"You lie," she narrowed her eyes.
"Why would I? What would I gain? Can't you hear the truth in my voice? Do you know me to ever lie to you?"
Willow looked at his face, her eyes piercing his. Goosebumps prickled all over her arms. If what he is saying is to be believed then he is not the murderer of her parents.
Willow wants so much to believe him but can she dare take the risk? What if he is fooling her again? His news brought both elation and anger to her. It is justifiable after what she has gone through. Her anger still needs to be abated because he has hidden so much from her.
"Then why didn't you say who you are to me before?"
"Would you have said to me if our roles were reversed?"
The fact that he met her eyes unflinchingly made her doubt her resolve. Would he have stayed with her knowing she can kill him anytime? He was as vulnerable to her as she was when they slept.
Willow knew he trusted her. She can feel it in her gut. The conflict raged within her. What to believe, whom to trust? Something deep inside her soul tugged her to trust him. Willow who always follows her gut decided to place her bet on her instinct.
After a few long minutes where Lothaire thought, she was going to kill him this time for sure, Willow covered the distance between them once again and punched his face squarely, knocking him.
"What the hell Willow!!"
Lothaire cupped his jaw tentatively, fearing it might have dislocated, and looked at her.
"Be happy I didn't use my dagger Bones. Just be very, very happy," Willow warned over her shoulder and walked in the direction of their truck.
Lothaire smirked though she couldn't see it.
"Oh, I'm Tinkerbell. More than you would know," Lothaire mumbled.
They both didn't say anything. After the day they had, they decided mutually to get away from that area as fast as they could. Each lost in their own thoughts. They barely spoke even though Lothaire explained everything and she believed him.
Tension ran thick in the air, their usual camaraderie replaced with friction. Both not knowing how to breach it, kept quiet.
The next day, after making a pit stop in a hotel room for a change, they refreshed themselves and drove once again. This time in broad daylight.
Lothaire didn't say anything but the heat started to irritate him. His skin itchy and red, he felt restless. Willow noticed his discomfort.
After an hour, she stopped at a busy marketplace.
"You wait here. I will go and bring something to eat"
Lothaire, who usually is stubborn and refuses to leave her out of his sight, didn't protest. That in itself is a red flag. He simply nodded, trying to adjust himself to the pain that is slowly building under his skin.
Willow swiftly took care of the business and bought her food along with a blood packet for them. Without meeting his eyes, she threw the blood packet on his lap.
Except for her breathing, everything is quiet for a second. Then with lightning speed, Lothaire threw the packet out of the window, grabbed the back of her head firmly but gently, brought her close to his face, his breath fanning her lips.
"No," he whispered that one word over her mouth, his lips touching hers as they moved.
"It's better this way Bones," Willow tried to say firmly but breath left her as her voice came out husky. Their earlier discomfort, silence, everything disappeared. It's just him and her, once again in their own bubble.
"I don't agree," Lothaire slammed his lips over hers hard, craving her taste. He missed this intimacy so much even though it's only been two days. Each day felt like an eternity on its own. Never again.
He feasted on them, tugging between his teeth, sucking first the upper lip and then the lower one.
It soon escalated and Willow feigned reluctance for only a second before giving in to his demand as he bit into her neck and took his pleasure and sustenance.
He then brought her over his lap and tugged her shorts. She helped him in unbuckling his own.
She felt shy suddenly. His touch is more sensual over her clothes. Teasing her.
She released his length and gripped it in her hand, rubbing her thumb over the crown.
Lothaire pulled from her neck and kissed her over the lips once again. At the same time slammed inside her. He then held her by her hips and started moving her. Fire lit inside her, dancing over her skin tantalizingly.
Their coming together is ecstatic. Their passion burned together until they both lit up in flames. Spent, Willow murmured near his ear, her breath tingling his skin,
"We need to stop fucking like this"
"That's never going to happen," Lothaire replied smugly. Too smugly for her taste.