The Grand Mistress

The music started playing and the dancers flowed in seemingly moving like waters in a calm spring. The lights were subtle, so was the music that one could picture a scene of a warm  evening beside the river where fireflies danced in the moonlight. It was serene.

It was rather ironic  because no matter how calming the scene the performance was trying to convey, Hawk was not at ease. Was it because he knew that this performance was made by the Han's heiress—a woman he once loved much and ended up betraying? Was this the reason why no matter how captivating the ballerina's moved on the stage, he felt no joy, not even sadness in it? 

Hawk closed his eyes. He should not have come if he would just end up being miserable seeing Feather dance for him with all her heart knowing that he was about to break her heart. However, this was the only thing he could do for her.

Time advances and the ballet performance becomes lively and colorful. However, even when Hawk's eyes were on the stage, his mind wasn't there. It travelled too far away from the theater that night and travelled all the way to Somerset village—Hawk's most favorite place in the world. He had never gone there for a long time, not that intend to, he just didn't have time for it. Besides, Somerset had long been gone. 

Few years after Hawk and Butler Gah left that village, a nuclear power plant which everyone did not know existed a few kilometers from the main village had an accident that caused some fire and explosions. Although no one was hurt during the accident, it caused steamed explosions and released some radioactive reactor in the environment. 

Afraid for the health of its citizens, the government evacuated every family within the radius which they believed was contaminated and that includes the Somerset Village. So in just a span of twenty four hours, Somerset became a ghost town and no one had been there ever since. The place until then was considered hazardous and although few people are welcome to come, they are allowed only for a considerable amount of time so they won't be exposed too much.

Hawk was still drowned with his thoughts when suddenly a familiar step started clunking in his ears. Attracted to it, his veins boiled up immediately in anticipation. 

Is she here?

For a moment, Hawk paused and listened to the steps that were advancing and his lips immediately formed a vicious smile. He never expected her to come too soon but he was definitely thrilled. Wanting to give her a warm welcome, he turned his seat away from the stage and into the curtain behind him. By now, the clunking had stopped and he knew she was standing behind the curtains, almost within his grasp. However, minutes had passed but the girl didn't reveal herself.

Impatient, Hawk called for her attention. "Are you just going to stand there the whole night?"

"I am not lost this time," Simione replied to him after a moment. Behind the curtain she was actually taking her time as she pulled off all of  her courage to charge such a difficult task. Her heart was breathing so fast she could hear it under her chest and she wished she could stop and calm it down first before she showed  herself to the man. However, it seemed that he already knew she was there. "However I'm not invited so I was thinking twice,"

"You always love to trespass mi amore. So why think twice now?" Hawk's smile widened but his thoughts lingered on the fact that the girl's tone seemed to be different now. He expects her to be warm, with some trace of worry knowing that the last time they were together, he was hurt badly. However tonight, her voice carried an unfathomed expression that felt so strange to him. He couldn't connect to her then.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself," There, surprisingly, she became seductive again and although this sudden change of tone made him suspicious, he couldn't care more because immediately, his uncivilized urges woken up by her subtle temptation. His body warmed up in an instant.

"I'm the one who should worry about control, love. Come," Hawk invited, wanting to know what's wrong. He was very aware something was different with her and so he worried though his anticipation and lust grew above that.

A ripple of nervousness suddenly went on Simione. Then heat came, a very familiar one, something that came to her whenever the man behind the curtain pleased her with his touch and kisses. Then she felt a little breathless, as if her gown was too tight and constricting that she just wanted to pull it off her and rushed to the man naked. Oh God! How could those thoughts come rushing to her right at this very moment when she was to exact revenge?

However, she must admit, Hawk and her had been away for too long and her body, who became aware of his presence, immediately recognized him and anticipated his touch. The hidden longings, worry and desire that earned up in the corner of her heart woke up, trying to break lost, almost successful.

Hawk expected her to pull the curtain to heed his request, but nothing like that happened in a span of minutes only making his anticipation grow extra impatient. He had long been waiting for her, he cannot wait anymore. And so, without warning, he stood from his seat and rushed into the curtain, jolting Simione. 

When Hawk opened the curtains with his big hands, the surprised face of a beautiful woman welcomed him—with open surprised red lips making it ready for a kiss. Her eyes glowed something like worry or fear like she was caught in a raw state she never planned to make him see. However, even with such a state, she looked extremely beautiful and dashing, like a red rose that just bloomed.

There was a long pause when their eyes met as if they both looked at each other in detail. Corner by corner, edges by edges until there was nothing left hidden. 

Simione felt like she had gone into war and was caught in the middle of killings and gnashing of teeths. Her insides burst up with panic, fear, confusion and chaos but in the middle of the brutal battlefield, her enemy who was supposed to kill her came,  offered her a white horse together with his white flag, ready to surrender at her feet even when his side was the one winning.

Hawk on the other hand felt like he had been in a terrible storm ready to drown him and he was about to get killed by the water, a beautiful siren came and took him. Under her hands and spell, he willingly succumbed to her company even when he knew the siren only wanted his death.

And so, even when he knew he was going to die if he kissed a siren, Hawk willingly lowered his mouth to take the lips of poison Simione prepared for him and damn, it felt marvelous. 

Hawk's lips brushed into Simione's mouth with a subtle kiss and that was followed by his tongue licking it wet. He didn't even go inside her mouth yet but her lips were burning wild. 

"Hawk..."Simione heard herself shaking. A big part of her wanted to step back and just ran as fast and far as she could. How could a kiss like that make her feel so weak and cowardly? Yet, her feet remained still and when he felt Hawk's fingers on her lips, right after his tongue, she absorbed the pleasure of his touch.

"You made me  wait too long," Hawk told her, his face inscrutable. "Didn't you not worry I would die without you?"

Simione forced herself to swallow all the emotions that were running to her and the heavens was the witness on how it went too hard for her. However when she was able to gather her thoughts, her words went audacious, "With Feather around I don't think you'd be willing to go down the grave. I wonder if she knows you confessed love to another woman and when you got rejected, you went home and rushed a wedding,"

"I was left alone with a broken arm and heart, what else can I do?" Hawk eyes become more protruding that Simione felt like her soul was left open. He also took a step closer that Simione could already feel how large he was, and how too close.

The smell of his masculinity also engulfed her, making her so imprisoned in his presence that Simione felt like there was no more escape for her. There was something in Hawk's presence tonight, clearly bearing a possessiveness that Simione feared would be her doom. 

Why does it felt like instead of her coming to make a trap for him and  his fiancee, it was her who had somehow fallen into Hawk Monsanto's trap?