[Scene:] The Black Forest behind the Thorne Estate. Dark, ancient, and hinting at supernatural elements.
The air in the Black Forest was bone-chilling, carrying the scent of rotten earth and ancient curses. This was the forbidden ground of the Thorne family, and where Alistair chose to punish Eleanor.
"This is your classroom tonight, Eleanor." Alistair pinned her against a thick, ancient tree with strangely black bark. His body pressed against hers; they were more intimate here in the darkness than on the ballroom floor.
"Tell me, why did you provoke me?" Alistair's voice was low, dangerous, and penetrating. "Was it to prove that I love you? Or was it to defy the Matriarch?"
[Supernatural Hint: The Family Secret]
Eleanor felt the rough, cold bark against her back, but she was more unsettled by the cold, almost non-human predatory glint in Alistair's eyes. She knew the Thorne bloodline was not simple.
"I provoked you," Eleanor gasped, struggling to keep her voice steady, "to prove my value. Only when you are provoked do you reveal your true weaknesses."
Alistair heard her, and suddenly raised his hand, gently tracing the line of her neck. His movement was agonizingly slow, as if admiring a fragile piece of art.
"Weakness?" He chuckled, the sound cruel and mesmerizing in the darkness. "My weakness is my pursuit of aesthetics. And you, Eleanor, fulfill it perfectly."
[Emotional Peak: The Dangerous Reward]
His lips this time held no anger or punishment. It was a slow, invasive, and deeply forbidden kiss. It was more thorough than the last, more consuming. It wasn't trying to make her spit anything out; it was simply tasting her.
Eleanor's heart hammered wildly. She told herself: This is a performance, this is for revenge. But every nerve ending in her body was betraying her.
When he finally released her, Eleanor could barely stand.
"This is true control, Eleanor." Alistair pressed his forehead against hers, his voice low, "To let you know that my kiss is your reward, and also your poison. You will continue your role for my kiss until I tire of you."
[Dog-Blood Twist: The Return of the Third Party]
Just then, a clear shutter click echoed from the edge of the Black Forest.
A figure emerged from the shadows, frail yet beautiful. She held a camera, the lens pointed directly at them.
She was Seraphina, Alistair's rumored deceased fiancée, the "White Moonlight" of the Thorne family.
"I'm sorry, Alistair," Seraphina's voice was fragile and sad, "I seem to have interrupted your 'lesson'."
(Author's Note):
Chapter Five! The supernatural hints deepen: the kiss is now a reward, not a punishment. Eleanor is fully compromised; her web of rationality is dissolving. And here comes the ultimate dog-blood twist—The White Moonlight's Return! Seraphina's appearance will make Eleanor realize she might not be Alistair's lover, but merely a replacement.
By: KHChing