The Divine and the Damned

Alina's attempts to read were thwarted as the loud moans coming from the whores in Dragavei's bedroom right next to hers, constantly disrupted her concentration. She shut her book furiously and sighed, walking to the door that adjoined his room to hers.

The moans had gotten louder, and Alina felt envious of them.

She wondered what it would feel like to be with a man as handsome and strong as Gavy.

Alina pressed her ear to the door and listened, feeling a stirring in her feminine core. At the age of twenty-five, she remained a virgin. Untouched and undefiled.

Shortly after she had pressed her ear against the adjoining door to eavesdrop, she heard the main door of their room swing wide open. Alina hurried towards the sound of their voices, eager to catch a glimpse of the new set of women Gavy had taken to his bed.

She positioned herself by her door, and peeped through the crack, watching the party.

But they noticed and their laughter ceased, all eyes falling on her. She remained where she was, letting the door creak open so that they could now see her fully.

Dragavei had his arms around the shoulders of two very beautiful women.

"Who is this beauty you keep hidden behind closed doors, Master?" One with dark hair and a very voluptuous bust asked, her eyes skimming the length and breadth of Alina's body.

He stared at Alina, in what she thought was a lustful manner, and replied "She is a scholar learning under me"

"Ah, I see"

The other woman possessed bright yellow hair and was endowed with a large, well-rounded derriere. She smiled at Alina and spoke softly "Perhaps she can join in on the fun next time"

Alina recognized her voice. It was she who had made those earlier moans.

Dragavei frowned, and looked at the blonde "You overstep, Misha"

"Forgive me, Master"

He nodded. "You lasses best be on your way now"

They bowed gracefully and started to leave, the blonde getting a slap to the behind as she walked away.

Alina cringed at his vulgarity and stepped out completely from the room.

Dragavei's head swiveled to assess her "Did I rouse you from your slumber, dearest?" He asked comically, walking closer to her.

She tried to look away from his bare, splendid chest and failed. He was clad only in his breeches, his wide and huge frame towering over her.

"No" she replied in a snap "I was trying to read"

Turning, she started heading towards the library. "If you're to indulge in such carnal relations next time the least you could do is try to be quiet"

Dragavei smirked, following after her "It is not my fault they cannot tame their responses to the wild pleasure I give them"

She blushed a furious shade and whirled to face him "Have you always been this vulgar?"

"If you think what I just said vulgar then you must be such a saint"

"And what is wrong with being a saint?"

"I never said there was anything wrong with it" he responded, folding his arms "Although, I highly doubt you're one"

At least not with the way she looked at him and not with the aura of desire he sensed around her, especially when he drew near. Dragavei was sure accompanied by those feelings were thoughts. Highly lecherous ones.

"Well, it is not of my concern if you doubt me or not, now if you would mind, go put on some clothes. I cannot have a half-naked man following me about"

"Is the sight of my unclothed body starting to arouse you, dearest?" He teased.

She gasped sharply and opened her mouth to talk, but shut it back.

It was. And no matter how much, no matter how desperately she fought it, it was. Her insides stirred. Her heart raced.

Everything about her mentor was enchanting. From the way he moved, with such brisk, yet elegant grace, to the authority at which he spoke.

Alina started to regret making the rash decision of journeying with this man for it was torture.

How could she only gaze upon the beauty of this man and be haunted by erotic dreams of him when all he had done was merely speak?

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked.

What she wanted was to be rid of her thoughts of him!

Dragavei was closer now. Her gaze met with his fit stomach which was formed into hard abs, honed by years of training.

"I know you want to bed me, Alina," he said, catching her off guard.

"What?!" She snapped out of her thoughts and faked a frown "I beg your pardon?"

He laughed "You are flushed" his eyes slid down and rested on her gown "I can tell underneath that dress, your thighs are pressed tightly together to suppress your... desires"

Dragavei's eyes studied hers "All you need do is ask"

She fumed, not because he had accused her but because he was right, and she had been caught.

"How utterly presumptuous of you... Master" she remarked derisively "Not everybody desires you"

He gazed at her mouth, his eyes expressing seriousness, yet a small smile remained on his face " 'Master'" he repeated softly "How I'd love to hear you moan that"

Dragavei closed the gap between them and looked down at her "You forget one thing, dearest"

His voice was low and seductive "Even saints are prone to temptation"

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Dragavei was angry, and the entire household felt his rage but no one dared come to intervene.

His brother seemed to have upset him and he didn't take it lightly.

She had watched Dragavei pull Radu up by the collar effortlessly, as huge as he was while speaking in some other language she didn't understand.

After he stormed out of the house, she scurried into her room, too scared to ask what the issue was.

She didn't see him return to the house, even after night fell. Perhaps he had decided to spend the night at one of the homes of his mistresses. The thought troubled her and as she lay to sleep that night, she couldn't.

Perhaps she had wandered into the lion's den.

To worsen her situation, it rained in heavy torrents, the thunder, booming loudly in the sky and rattling the glass shutters of her room.

Alina sprung up from her bed, clad only in her chemise. She hadn't outgrown her fear of thunder.

Picking up a candle stand, she headed for the library in search of solace in hope that reading would distract her.

Dragavei was in the library when she arrived. He was seated in the darkness, on his large chair looking like a formidable force.

When his eyes landed on her, she froze, watching him silently, candle stand in hand.

"Alina" he called gently "You should be asleep"

She glanced down at her chemise feeling a bit embarrassed.

If she had known he was there, she would have slipped on something more modest.

"So should you" She evaded, setting the candle stand on the large table "I didn't know you were back in the house"

Alina didn't want him aware of her fear but, just then, another rumble occurred and she leaped.

"The thunder" Dragavei noted, his eyes scrutinizing her "It frightens you"

She tried to deny it but he continued to speak "It is alright to be afraid, Alina. We all have our fears" he paused and added, "Except me, of course"

She walked in his direction, sitting on the table a few inches away. "That is a lie I refuse to believe" her brows squeezed "There has to be something you're afraid of. What do you fear?"

He was silent for a moment and Alina chose not to push the topic any further.

"You were very upset this afternoon" she spoke softly "at your brother"

"Radu oversteps his boundaries" Dragavei responded. "He believes being my twin guarantees he can have a certain say over my life" his dark eyes flicked to hers "I had to correct that misconception"

"Oh"

Dragavei knew the question coming next so he answered her before she asked.

"He wanted you dismissed"

All the sympathy she felt for his brother immediately evaporated and in its place was an anger that shook her entire body.

"I knew there was something about him! I knew I couldn't trust him, that damn man!" She swore under her breath.

A smile wreathed across Dragavei's face "Your anger is amusing"

She was a beautiful woman with beguiling features. Her hair was long and brown like chestnut, her eyes, gray like stormy skies.

She was clad only in her chemise but her beauty outshone the dark room and she looked as alluring as Persephone herself.

"Did I terrify you today?" He asked with a softness that caught her off guard.

"Yes," she replied sincerely.

Slowly, he rose from the chair "It is not my wish that you think of me in that manner" Dragavei approached her "I do not want you to fear me"

Alina tensed at his nearness, her eyes not lifting to behold his.

"Gavy" she whispered, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop him, should he attempt anything.

"Why do you not gaze upon me?"

She lifted her shy eyes to stare into his and sucked in a sharp breath.

His eyes were mesmerizing, the tension between them so electrifying that neither of them could look away.

Dragavei knew he had made a mistake getting that close to her. Without another word, he cupped her small face in his hands and kissed her.

A kiss that ignited sparks and chemistry none of them had ever felt before. Suddenly, he backed away.

What was wrong with him? Why was he unable to resist this woman?

Why did he feel some warmth in his heart when kissing her?

Why had he kissed her? So many questions troubled his mind.

"Did I do something wrong?" Alina asked worriedly. She didn't want him to stop.

"I must apologize… what I did...it was unprofessional of me" Dragavei found himself at a loss of words "You have come to learn and I..."

His head could barely come up with what to say.

"It is fine" Alina replied quickly.

She looked alluring, sitting on his table, in his library, her beautiful lips swollen from the kisses he gave her.

It was incredibly hard not to give in to his impulses by crashing his lips back to hers once again.

"Gavy?" Alina called again.

He did not answer, instead, he further backed away. He needed to control himself.

Alina got down from the table "What is wrong?" She asked again, wondering why he was acting strangely.

"Nothing" he responded "Get some sleep"

With that, he was gone, leaving Alina standing there, feeling like a fool.