Unnatural Instinct: Wish

Endless corridors. Extravagant rooms. Elegant furniture. Balcony upon balcony that look onto a stunning and impossible vista. It’s everything you imagined from the book—and more. Unlike your imagination, however, here there’s so much detail. You can see everything: from the lace in the curtains, to the light reflecting of the glass. Then there’re the smells and the sounds and the tastes …

His lips—they taste sweet. His breath is hot and comforting. The feel of his hand around yours sends little shivers of electricity up and down your spine. You like the sound of your heels clicking against the floor alongside the heavy thud of his boots.

‘I could stay here. I could definitely stay here,’ you say, looking around in awe.

‘Of course you’re going to stay. I’m to keep you, remember? As is your wish.’

As you look around, you spot your reflection in the window—and smile. For the first time in your life your appearance actually gives you pleasure. You reach up and fondle your tiara in disbelief. You do look like a princess. What would your dreamy five-year-old self think?

Lifting your chin, you tighten your grip on the Dark Prince’s hand as you continue down the long corridor.

‘Are you really alone in this castle? Where are all your guests?’

‘In my heart I am alone, despite all my companions. Until you.’

The look in his eyes makes your heart skip a beat.

‘As for my guests, you do not need to fear them. They obey my commands and nothing more. Did you want me to request them?’

‘No, thank you,’ you say quickly. ‘They’re kind of …’ Rude. Cruel. Cold. But you say nothing. ‘Why are they always wearing those masks?’

‘They are not masks. Those are their faces.’

‘What?’

‘They are not like us.’

You stare at him, confused. So many of them. All their horrible masks. Then it suddenly hits you. ‘Goblins! They’re goblins! Like in the book!’

‘You tell me. This is your fantasy.’

’My fantasy? You mean I am dreaming?’

‘I told you before that you’re not dreaming. It’s real. You make it real, and through me, I make it real.’

You ponder what he’s said but shake your head, confused. You both stop in front of a large window looking out onto the mountains. ‘You mean you created all of this? This didn’t already exist?’

Raising your hand to his mouth, he kisses your knuckles. ‘Precisely.’

‘But what about you? Does that mean you’re not really the Dark Prince?’

‘I am whatever you want me to be.’

‘Then … what are you?’

‘I am the Dark Prince.’

‘But what were you before you became the Dark Prince?’

He gives a puzzled smile. ‘I am and always was the Dark Prince.’

You shake your head, frustrated. ‘What were you before you met me?’

‘I was nothing before I met you.’

‘But …’

He frowns. ‘You are making me unhappy.’

‘I’m-I’m sorry. I just want to understand all this, if I’m going to live here.’

He touches your cheek. ’You are living here. This is all there is.’

Feeling more confused than ever, you continue with your walk. You keep stealing glances at him as you try to figure him out. Did you truly create him and he this castle? This world? Just as he says? Is that what he says? Or is he some kind of other being? Does he even known who he is?

You come to no answer as he leads you into a pretty little sitting area, the moonlight beaming brightly through the windows and onto the furniture. He plants you onto a pale blue fainting couch. He helps your legs in and you rest your head upon the couch’s thick, comfortable arm.

He sits at your feet. Taking them into his lap, he pulls off your shoes and massages them.

‘That feels nice.’

He says nothing, rubbing them deeply. You groan as your eyelids sink over your eyes.

‘This is all there is,’ he says quietly.

‘What?’ You open your eyes. He doesn’t answer, he doesn’t look at you, as he continues with his massage. Your eyelids lower again. It’s suddenly hard to keep them open. Your head lolls on your neck. Your shoulders feel so heavy.

‘This is all there is.’

‘This is all there is,’ you repeat.

‘You will make me happy.’

‘I will make you happy.’

You sigh as he smoothes his hands up your calves. Gripping you behind the knees, he gently spreads your thighs.

‘This is your life now,’ he murmurs.

‘This is my life.’

‘I get to keep you.’

‘You get to keep me.’

Your eyes snap open as he presses his mouth against your soft, tingling flesh.

‘You can keep me,’ you gasp. ‘You can keep me forever.’

He kisses you again, his lips feeling hot against your sensitive skin. Using his fingers, he opens you up and slides his tongue inside you. Your heart does a hard back flip as he flicks and jabs and works you. He sucks at your clitoris. He licks down your slit. Then he’s lapping at you.

You jerk and cry out, arching your back in ecstasy as the ceiling spins, as the room turns strangely fuzzy. Everything feels so surreal, like you’re not really here at all. Your body feels so hot it feels like it’s going to burn a hole right through the chair.

He pulls away.

‘Come back,’ you beg.

‘Promise me you’ll stay.’

‘I promise!’

‘Promise me you’ll stay forever.’

‘Of course!’

‘Promise!’

‘I promise!’

He goes back to lapping at you. You spread your legs wider, watching again as the ceiling spins faster and faster. You’re feeling dizzy and it’s making you feel a little sick. Then the pleasure starts to really gather force down in your hips. The lips of your vagina are burning hot. Every touch of his tongue sends a prickling sensation across the base of your spine. You give a long groan.

He crawls over the top of you. Both of you fumble with his tight pants, the bulge of his erection making it extra difficult to get them open. His big shaft pops free, hot and hard and eager.

You almost lose control as he pulls it between your legs. It presses against the swollen lips of your opening, then pushes inside. You grab onto his hips as he slides in.

You’re already so close to orgasm that it feels like he’s burning you from the inside out. He goes slow, his eyes boring into yours. They’re the only things you see—those extraordinary opposing irises. The room is gone. The world has vanished. Your life before—what life before?

Then you hear it—a ringing. A familiar ringing. You know it very well. You’ve heard it every morning for the past two years. Because …

Because …

But you can’t grasp why. Why have you heard it? What is it?

His eyes are glittering like stars. You seem to be falling into them. Drowning. You’re drowning inside him. The ringing fades away. It’s not important. You roll your hips at each forceful buck of his pelvis.

Ride with him.

Ride with him.

‘Promise me you won’t leave,’ he whispers.

‘Leave? Leave to go where?’

He smiles as he bucks his hips up against yours and shudders.