Seven Devils and a Rose

Suddenly, I felt a strong breeze and realized that the creature was the one creating it. Glancing along its lean, muscular torso, I saw wings.

A winged lion!

The creature gave out another loud growl, which made me jolt and become even more petrified. Is it going to eat me?

The man who had dumped me on the winged lion touched and stroked the creature's head, caressing its mane as if to soothe and tell it to settle down. As if by magic, the winged lion purred like a damned cat.

The man chuckled as if it were the most natural thing in the world under the circumstances. Yes, he and his teammates had chased me down and captured me, and now, he was petting this predator of a lion like a pet cat?

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I stared at the darn man in front of me. Under the dim moonlight, I noticed that he had a half mask on like his friend, covering the top half and slightly lower right side of his face, only showing the tip of his fine nose, sensual mouth, and strong jawline. Again, I saw a hint of a smirk playing about those lips, and it only riled me up even more.

What the hell is wrong with these men? Why were they smirking when I was obviously in distress? And why were they after me?

The man came close and wrapped his large, strong hand around the back of my head, his fingers gripping my short hair. He chuckled and then said, "You're a lively one, aren't you?" He moved even closer so that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin when he next spoke. "Don't scream so loudly again, or you'll wake up the dead."

I gasped and then hiccupped in response to his threat.

"Promise to not scream again?" he asked, the timbre of his voice deep.

I simply continued to stare at him through teary eyes. He seemed to assume that I had agreed with him because he said, "Good boy. Now, behave yourself if you don't want to be tortured."

I gasped and then hiccupped again, a habit I had when I had reached my limit in fright.

In my mind, I thought about the torture and my imminent death. I shivered and shook my head, trying not to think about my bleak future.

He chuckled, seeming to be amused at my reactions.

"Are you scared, little elf?" he asked.

I nodded my head furiously. "Please don't torture me," I squeaked out timidly. "Please don't kill me. I promise to behave."

The man loosened his grip on my head, and oddly enough, his touch became gentle, which surprised me. He said, "You're an adorable one, aren't you?"

I didn't know how to respond to this. I mean, his comment sounded a little strange considering the circumstances. I was his captive, wasn't I? So why was he saying that I was adorable? Words people used when they saw cute kids or pets.

I subconsciously licked my lower lip because it felt dry. Instantly, I felt his gaze fly there, and strangely enough, I felt hot under his ardent stare.

My body tense, I said, "If I'm adorable, that means you won't hurt me, right? Because people don't usually torture adorable beings."

Suddenly, the man burst out laughing, which confused me. He grabbed my face, his fingers and thumb cupping my chin, and drew me so close that our noses were nearly touching.

Oh Lord, but I had never been this close to anyone before in my life, except for my parents when I gave them pecks on the cheek. And this barbaric example of a man? He drew me in so closely that we could be kissing.

I shook my head from side to side at the same time I pushed my hands against his brick-like massive chest so that he'd let me go, because I didn't like his proximity. The man, however, had herculean strength, and I felt powerless against him despite my best efforts.

His breath warm against my skin, he said, "Do all elves smells this good?" He cocked his head to one side. "Even your breath smells like mint."

I blinked. What the fucking hell? I was dreading the thought of him and his colleague torturing and killing me, and all he could think about was that I smelled nice and that my breath smelled like mint? But of course, you brute, I only brushed my teeth with minty flavored toothpaste, and I also just had a good shower and a bath, washing my body with top quality cleansing gel. Then, of course, they all just happened to show up in their very barbaric way, like in a fantasy book, chasing after me like I was an escaped prisoner and turning my world upside down.

Because he pissed me off and I just couldn't help myself, since the opportunity was right there, promising me a good retribution, I made my move.