5- Do You Believe In Magic?

~Daphne’s Point of View~

They have to have a phone here, they have to. I was absolutely promised I could change my mind!  I need a damn bat signal, someone to come get me!

Mind changed like you wouldn’t BELIEVE! 

#Regret #DeepRegret 

I could hear lots of voices outside my hospital room, and some kind of commotion. Then … I smelled it. My stomach immediately soured and I gagged, leaning over the bed to throw up.

The sound of it hitting the floor was somehow worse, and the door flew open as I continued to heave. It was mostly water, since I’d probably swallowed so much. Doesn’t really matter how good a swimmer you are if the current is strong. Too strong. Oh and you smack your head on a rock and get a concussion.

What an idiot you are Daph!

“What the fuck is that,” I gagged, as more of the smell filtered in. 

I choked and threw up more since the idiot in my room had a follower who was holding the door open. Did something die and then something else ate it and puked it up and died?

“Let me help you,” someone said, and I felt hands in my hair.

“Make it stop, the smell,” I cried, heaving again. 

“What an asshole,” one of them mumbled.

I heaved again, but anything in my stomach was now gone. I used a free hand that didn’t have vomit to cover and plug my nose.

“Please open a fucking window, do something,” I muttered, then grabbed at the bed sheet to cover my face.

Then I was being lifted, carried, and I could hardly protest as long as wherever the hell I was going was away from here. 

“I’ve got you,” I heard, as I closed my eyes and just held on. I felt beyond weak and pathetic, it was all I could do at any rate.

When I felt the sun and wind hit me I dropped the cloth from my hand and breathed in so hard it made me choke again for a different reason.

“You’re okay, do you need a drink,” the voice asked.

I kept my eyes shut, somehow it helped with the nausea. I shook my head.

“I can hold her,” the other voice said. They sounded so similar.

“We’re good,” I heard, as something rubbed against my neck. A nose?

I definitely didn’t want to admit I liked it, but it was warm and comforting. And I was lonely as shit. But I was not even remotely here to tickle my fancy. This was supposed to be all about business. Right now I’m in the business of getting the hell out of here!

“Down,” I mumbled. 

“Really I think you just need--”

“Down,” I shouted, popping my eyes open.

I cocked my head to the side as I took in the hot guy from the other side of the river. Even a knock to the head couldn’t possibly make me forget him. The functioning side of my brain immediately noted he was sans shirt. How about down under? I could do with that view again!

No! No! No! Bad girl! Focus!

“Down … please,” I said, sarcastically. 

He made a face but tried to stand me on my feet. Instant dizziness set in yet I couldn’t possibly show it. I quickly wrapped myself in the sheet and tried to take a step but my legs weren’t in function mode and I collapsed right away.

“Hey there, take it easy,” I heard, as strong arms caught me. 

Ohh who’s this one? 

Smells good, and those blue eyes… Almost like the ocean. Light brown sandy hair and a killer smile. Tan like a lifeguard, dark and almost glowing. His body was cut and his abs had abs. He was only in small shorts I quickly noted as my eyes trailed his … happy trail.

“Do you use a tanning bed,” I asked, cocking my head to the side. It was all I had. Pathetic. What am I going to say? Can I see you naked? I already saw this other guy and well…

I’ll just say, memorable. Yeah, may even have to go as far as a 9.9 out of 10.

He looked at the other one and shook his head.

“Not sure what that is beautiful,” he said, as he put my arm around his shoulders.

I shivered a bit at his compliment. God, when was the last time a guy looked at me like he wanted to devour me? Had it ever happened? If it had, this guy definitely set the bar a thousand times higher.

“I’m Christian, what’s your name,” he asked, making my insides flip. 

I licked my lips, wanting to commit every part of him to memory.

“And I’m Vance, do you remember me from this morning? Across the river,” he asked, getting in my face and practically shoving the other away.

I stepped back for a minute and took them both in.

“Are you… twins,” I asked, cocking my head to the side.

There were certainly similarities though Vance had darker brown hair and near purple eyes. How is that possible? My head moved back on Christian as I took in his clear light blue eyes. 

Both of these guys were T-R-O-U-B-L-E if I’d ever seen it.

“We’re uhm, actually triplets. Our third is around somewhere,” Vance said, scratching his neck.

He turned slightly to the side and I gaped as I took in a massive silver marking on his back. It seemed to shimmer a bit under the sun. Is it a tattoo?

My feet moved on their own, desperate to check it out more. He saw what I was doing and grinned. He turned to allow me better access as I ran my fingers over it in awe.

“Jesus, did this hurt,” I said, as Christian turned and moved in front of me too.

He had the exact same thing. Without a second thought I touched it, and they both practically moaned. I snatched my hands back and more fully wrapped myself in the sheet.

“It’s a birthmark, our birth right,” Vance said, turning to show me his proud face.

“You gonna tell us your name,” Christian asked, turning back to face me. I snatched my hand back to my own body and made a face.

“Why bother, I’m leaving,” I said, turning to walk away.

I could swear they both laughed, but it was quiet so maybe I was imagining it. Surely they were mocking me in some way though, I was certain of it.

When it was obvious they were following me I decided to make a pathetic attempt at getting information, but my feet didn’t stop.

“How often does the helicopter come to the island,” I asked, remembering that we’d had to take the flight here from the mainland and it had been well over an hour. 

So… definitely not hopping in the ocean and trying to make it anywhere. I had no clue how many miles it had been but certainly a lot and I’m not the best swimmer.

“A couple of times a year if we’re lucky,” one of them said. 

I stopped abruptly and pulled the sheet tight around me before turning to face them.

“I… I could be stuck here for months,” I asked, timidly.

“Forgive me for saying honey but didn’t you choose to come here? I know the scavengers don’t just kidnap females. That was outlawed decades ago,” Vance said. 

I made a face at that and spun around to keep walking. Though the rough terrain of rocks, dirt and who knows what bugs I was stepping on quickly reminded me I wasn’t wearing shoes.

“There weren’t exactly a ton of promising available options for me. But clearly this was a mistake and I don’t have any idea what that ridiculously hairy oversized ogre was going on about, but I am not some prize he won. If he thinks he is getting anywhere near me he’s gonna lose an eye,” I snapped, as I stepped on something that then made me gasp.

I immediately winced in pain and lifted my foot, it was dripping with blood and had a huge gash right up my arch. Before I could even move or do anything I was being lifted again. The sting of the pain hit me and I realized it must be a deep cut, but surely where it was didn’t help a bit. There was no way I didn’t slice a tendon, gah!

“Damn it! Ohhh, owwie owwie,” I whined, exhaling harshly. 

I looked up into the mysterious violet eyes of the man holding me. Vance was it? Why does he have to be so yummy looking?

I felt hands on my foot and on my leg but those eyes. I bet he makes all the ladies drop their panties with those. His high cheekbones, his smooth skin.

The sound of a rip took me out of my love spell and I looked down to see Christian with a big smile on his face.

“Should be all better in a few minutes Omega,” he said, proud of himself. I then gasped in shock as he licked some of my blood off his fingers. I wiggled my toes and rotated my foot, the pain was already a lot less.

He must have wrapped it up and made a bandage. But it certainly would not be better in a few minutes! Damn it, a cut like that will take a couple of days at best to get right, certainly before I can just be walking again.

“Put her down Vance, and don’t you dare try to--”

The loud, harsh voice cut through what had been a calm, nice air. Vance spun us around and I was faced with another ogre, similar to the hairy freak from earlier.

“You can’t have her,” Vance said, his tone matter of fact.

“Yeah? Well you’ve had her for all of ten minutes and she’s already cut and bleeding. Clearly you can’t care for her,” the man said, as he rubbed his thick fingers through his beard.

God now nasty, there’s probably food still stuck in there from last week. I’m not at all a fan of facial hair but especially when it's on a caveman who doesn’t have access to a comb or shampoo. His friend who snatched me from the river looked the same. Never said no to a doughnut either I bet!

Well, like I had. But anyhow!

“Back off Darrow this isn’t your fight,” Christian said, stepping toward him.

“The hell it isn’t. You’d do well to remember who won her and bring her back,” Darrow said, clearly not budging.

“Hello? Are you all just gonna talk about me like I’m not here? Cause I am. Nobody is winning me. Nobody is anything to me! And you, you put me down right now,” I snapped, looking back at Vance.

He made a face but did so. I lunged toward the hairy ogre and put my finger in his face.

“You tell your friend thanks for saving my life but if my life is with him I’ll just jump in the damn river again,” I shouted, and collected up the sheet to storm off. I had only my bra and panties on under here so for now, the sheet was my friend.

I took two steps and gasped. Then I put my bad foot forward and all of my weight on it. No pain! I jerked the sheet up and fully well saw the bloody makeshift bandage. Christian then appeared and pulled it off. 

“See? All better. Nobody can care for you like I can,” he said, as he kissed the top of my foot.

“But… But how? What the…” I stammered, trying to make sense of it.

“What is going on here,” I heard, making me look up.

I nearly had to crane my neck to fully take in the man standing before me now. He had on a robe, an honest to God green silk robe out here in the damn jungle. It had to be 90 degrees or more. It was barely tied at his hips and all I could think about was if that was all he was wearing. So far gone was I that I didn’t even notice he had a crown on his head.

A crown?

“Your son seems to think he knows better than the rules of the hunt, your majesty. This female was saved from drowning and claimed by my brother Barrett. He won her fair and square,” Darrow said.

But my eyes were stuck on the mesmerizing purple eyes staring down at me that nearly sparkled in the sun.

“We both found her at the same time father. She jumped in the river to get away from Barrett, clearly she doesn’t--”

“Enough,” the big man said, with a wave of his hand.

Then that same hand reached down and wrapped around me like I was nothing, a damn toothpick. 

“Whoa! Hey,” I shouted, as I was thrown over his shoulder.