Search for the Opera Ghost: Rewrite

XXVI.

Zuri felt as if her strength was being sucked away from her very being. The only thing that made her feel better in these occasions would be a visit to the church to see her mother's tomb. At least confessing the true events to her dead mother would help a little. She rang a bell and waited a few minutes for a maid to appear. Once one of the maids appeared, she proceeded to get washed and dressed. She needed to see her mother at least for a while.

xxxx

When Zuri entered the dining room she found her father sitting at the head of the table reading the newspaper. "Where are you going?"

"To see Mama. Elliot is taking me so you should not worry about me running off." She answered, a tone of indifference in her voice.

He eyed her warily, "Only the cemetary. You will be back home before dinner and that is an order."

"Fine!" Zuri shouted then stomped towards the front door.

xxxx

Erik had everything prepared for the kidnapping. He had obtained a private cottage near the outskirts of Aveyron for a week. They would not need it for an entire week he imagined, but for tonight and only tonight when they made their relationship final. He intended to marry her tonight and no matter what, he would. Zuri had escaped once, she would not escape from him again.

A grin graced his lips. He had assumed correctly, she was going to her mother's tomb and that would give him ample time to get rid of the coachman and take her back to the cottage in which they would share their wedding night at. His eyes took her appearance in. He had cleverly hid on her father's property. She now entered the coach and it took off. He waited a few minutes then gently reined his horse to follow them.

xxxx

When Zuri had arrived at her mother's tomb, she hadn't the energy to carry herself any longer. She fell to the ground before the tomb crying as a cold wind swept over her body. "Oh Mama, what have I got myself into? Father hates me, my brothers hate me, and Erik hates me. Mama, I wish I was dead. No one cares for me here. I would rather die than live a life of despair. What can I do Mama?"

Zuri lay on the ground until an hour passed by. Her mind reeled from thoughts of never seeing Erik again and the future to come. What would happen when she grew too big to hide her child anymore? Her father would force her away surely then. Her thoughts strayed to Erik and regret suddenly filled her heart. She should have stayed and not stupidly run off like a coward. "Oh Mama, what will I ever do without him? Is this what Father feels like without you?"

She had been the bane of her father's existance ever since she had been born, she reflected. She was the one who had killed her mother during labor. If it hadn't been for her, her mother would still have been alive. No matter what she did to make it up to her father, she never could be equal to her brothers.

Zuri sighed as she sat up from the ground and looked around. The sky was turning grey and the wind picking up. This was exactly as she felt on the inside. Zuri rolled on her knees and quickly stood up. Her eyes looked on at her mother's tomb once more before going on to meet Elliot to take her home.

xxxx

Erik heard the crunch of dead leaves as slow footsteps made their way towards him. He had disposed of the boy, not killed him, only tied him up and knocked him out. Someone would find him eventually. He turned his head slightly to the side and caught the sight of Zuri. She appeared weakened, by what he did not know. He watched her slowly put her hand on the handle of the door and whisper in a tired voice, "Take me home Elliot."

Erik gently helped her into the coach then closed the door behind her. He thought it odd that she did not pay attention to him. She did not even recognize him. That was good, but he did not want her to be saddened as she appeared to be. He climbed up and sat down then reined the horses so they started to trot.

xxxx

When Zuri awoke next she found herself in a completely different surrounding than she had been in before. This was not her home nor was it the coach. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around. At the end of the bed two sets of clothes were laid out, her clothes that she had worn earlier and a wedding dress with veil and undergarments. Zuri looked down to see her own undergarments on.

"I knew you would wake up sooner or later Zuri." Erik's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Erik..." Zuri said in a stunned voice.

"Who did you think it was?" He questioned her, his own voice full of contempt.

"Erik, i'm sorry! Please forgive me!" She leapt from the bed, wobbling slightly, then catching hold of him for support.

"There is much to be said between you and me Zuri, but you are going to get dressed first. Tonight is your wedding night."

She pulled back, "No."

"What do you mean 'no?' You've been practically begging me to marry you and now you don't want to? What is the matter with you?"

"I mean I want to talk with you."

"No. We will talk afterwards. You have been acting like a child. First, you run away from me. Now you are telling me that you don't want to marry until we talk. Talk is cheap. Stop acting like a child Zuri."

Zuri bit her tongue as she turned away from him and picked up her wedding dress and undergarments. "That is all you will see me as."

Erik watched as she disappeared behind a changing screen and heard soft sniffles. "Your tears do not move me Zuri."

"I don't count on my tears to move you in any way Erik."

"Good." Erik added as he crossed his arms while waiting for her to come out. Zuri finally walked out and stood in front of him. His eyes roved over her form, taking in every curve to be seen. "You know how to tempt a man."

She blushed, "I thought you would like it, but you should have picked it if you didn't like it."

"I didn't say I didn't like it."

"You sounded contemptuous to me. Forgive me for assuming."

"Zuri." He said harshly. "Don't be stubborn. We can resist each other all we want, but everything remains the same. You are getting married to me."

"I can't help but be stubborn. The man I thought loved me is commanding me to get married."

"I do love you Zuri. You are being foolish to say such things. You are the one who is making it hard on yourself."

"If you love me you have a funny way of showing it."

Erik grabbed her arm harshly and pulled her against his hard body. "I was going to marry you in a chapel Zuri, now I think I will marry you here."

"What do you mean?"

"Common law marriage. If we say we are husband and wife then we are." He grinned as she cried out in indignation.

"You can't do that! I want to be truly married!"

"Damn you Zuri! I will not let you be another man's woman. The boundary has been crossed my dear. You became my property when you stepped into the opera house and you will remain that way till the day you die!"

Zuri cried out as tears fell down her cheeks. A boiling rage came over her. She beat her fists against Erik's shoulders as she screamed, "You selfish bastard! I belong to no man! NO MAN!" Erik watched her rage on until he finally pinned her arms to the side and heard her whisper, "Will you hate me forever Erik?"

"You little fool...I love you Zuri."

"Why do you deny me the right to be a woman for you?"

"I deny you nothing. It is you who denies yourself." He felt her cling to his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. "Zuri, I am afraid for you and our child. Why do you insist to wage war with me?"

"I am not. It is you who is possessive. You lay claim over me even though I told you I wished to be in a free marriage. I am bound to you now Erik and I always will be because of our child, but I cannot stand a marriage devoid of love and passion." She paused to take a deep breath then continued, "I thought that we were progressing until a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to pretend that this entire thing never happened."

"You can't Zuri. You have to stop hiding from me." Erik watched her open her mouth to speak but silenced her, "I do not mean physically either. Why do you hide?"

"You are so commanding Erik. What was I supposed to do when you denounced our child? I couldn't stand it anymore. I left and I regret that I did so."

"I was shocked. I didn't expect us to have to rear a child so soon. Can you understand that Zuri?"

Zuri looked at him momentarily, "Of course Erik. I can." She collapsed on the bed and looked sadly at him. "I was stupid to run off. You are right Erik. What a coward I am."

"Why do you say that? I don't think you are a coward." He sighed then finally sat beside her, "I have been angry for so long Zuri. I should not have lashed out at you. You have not made it easy by entering into my world. You demanded things of me in which I did not want to tell you. I can't understand what it is about you that makes me want you, but I know that I cannot let anyone else have you."

"I don't threaten you do I?"

"You are certainly much more of woman to handle than Christine." Erik replied with a laugh.

"So you like women like her better?"

"No. I don't think about her Zuri." He took her hand and kissed the top of it quickly. "For once Zuri think about yourself and not about anyone else. Don't think about your father or your family. Don't concern yourself with anyone but you. Think about your wants. What can I give you to satisfy your wants?"

Zuri stood up as she felt a sudden restlessness overcome her. "You ask me to think of myself? I can't do that! I'm not going to be selfish."

"It's not selfish to think of yourself. There is a difference between the two." Erik said, his golden eyes meeting her emerald ones. "I don't have to ask to know what it is that you want." Zuri waited with baited breath as he finally said, "You want love. A man's love. Because you never had a man's love before."

"That's not true. My father loves me in his own way."

"What did you think I did while I was waiting to get you back? I was delving into your family history Zuri. Your mother died of complications while bearing you!"

"And you think me a murderer too!" She exclaimed before burying her head in her hands and weeping loudly.

He stood up from the bed and gently drew her in his arms. "I don't think you are a murderer. It was not your fault Zuri. He's been feeding these lies and self-hate into you all these years until you became his perfect daughter. You didn't speak against him or do anything that he didn't approve of. You weren't your own person until you came to me. I want to have a life with you Zuri. I have been fighting against it as much as you have been fighting, but it has to stop."

"Erik, my only want is you. Your love is what I want. I could care less about my father anymore. I want to raise our child with you. Please don't let me be alone anymore." She said as he kissed the top of her head.

"I am going to take you back to Paris tomorrow." Erik told her as he looked down at her face. "I'll give you a real marriage there."

She smiled as he grinned back at her. "Have we wasted enough breath on fighting?"

Erik raised an eyebrow, "You have something better in mind?"

Zuri placed her hands on his chest, he smiled at her then pressed a hard kiss against her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he slipped his tongue between her lips and caressed her tongue. A minute passed before he finally pulled back and glared at her with lust-filled eyes. "This worked out better than my original plan."

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Original plan?"

"I intended to force you to be my bride in the carriage, however you looked so sad when I stole the carriage that I could not do it."

"I should have known you would come up with such a plan."

"Are you angry?"

"With the man who loves me? No, of course not." She paused and smiled at him, "Can we continue?"

He growled softly in her ear, "Yes." He reached down and swiftly pulled her dress over her head. She watched as he tossed it on a nearby chair then went for her undergarments. Erik pressed his lips against her lips again as he pushed her up against the edge of the bed. "I want you so much."

Zuri smiled at him as she pulled him onto the bed with her. She reached up and shyly began to undo the buttons of his vest. He shrugged off his vest after she undid all the buttons. "I want you too Erik. More than you will ever know." Zuri's fingers unbuttoned his shirt, she felt warmth radiate against her fingers. She sighed lovingly as her fingers traced the muscles of his chest.

Erik took her hand and gently kissed the tip of her fingers. He was gleeful that he had been successful in retrieving Zuri. He kissed her neck while softly touching the sides of her body. Zuri groaned as one hand moved from her side up to her breast to cup the mound gently. She wondered why Erik was taking so long in making love with her.

He glanced at her when he felt her wrap her legs around his waist and urgently press against him. "Zuri?" He looked at her in surprise as she pushed him on his back and rolled over to sit on his lap.

"Do you know how much I missed you? I dreamed of you Erik. Everyday without you was horrible. Now you take me back only to leave me wondering where your passion is." Zuri replied then pressed two fingers to his lips before he could reply back. "Where is my Erik?"

Erik watched as she moved her hands to the hem of his pants then slowly unbutton his pants. "Where is my Zuri? Who has replaced her?"

Their eyes met slowly as Erik unlaced her pantalets then pulled her camisole over her head. He rolled her over on her back while looking deep in her eyes. He dipped his head and pressed a kiss into the side of her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed down the column of her neck. His hands took hold of her breasts possessively while he moved up to nibble on her ear lobe.

"How passionate you are Zuri." Erik whispered softly as she dug her nails into his skin. He reflected, only for a moment, on how wild she looked. Her black hair spread out over the sheets and a look of wantonness in her eyes. How quickly they could go from arguing to making love with another. He felt her hand push his head downwards, signalling her impatient want for his touch.

"Is this not what you want?" She questioned him back as he pressed kisses around her breasts, purposely avoiding her taut peaks. "Say the word and I shall stop my behavior." Zuri panted while he looked up at her, his hands still grasped her breasts in a harsh grip.

"I am enjoying this Zuri. I don't want you to stop your behavior, quite the opposite...I want more." He whispered lustfully in her ear.

Zuri pushed his head downwards again, "Then stop playing Erik."

Erik lifted his head and softly said, "Wait a minute Zuri." He grunted as he pushed himself from the bed and said, "Get in the middle of the bed. I will return."

She was confused but did as he order. She rearranged her body so that he would have ample room to get on the bed. Her eyes slowly recognized what he was doing. He was slowly darkening the room till only a few candles were sparse and the fire was crackling. Darkness consumed the room with only the light of the fire in the fireplace was all she could see.

Erik rejoined her, his body quickly moving between her parted legs. Zuri wrapped her arms around his neck then felt a jolt of heat shoot to her core as he took a taut nipple between his lips. His tongue laved over the peak, making her gasp and pant from the attention she was receiving. His left hand went to her other breast then began to tease the neglected mound as he continued pleasing her.

Zuri cried out his name as she dug her fingers into his hair, grasping tufts and pulling when he sent another jolt through her body. "Oh God Erik..." She whispered hurridly. His lips traversed over her soft flesh as he repeated his ministrations on her neglected breast. She arched her back, needing more of his touch. "How I have needed your touch..." Zuri murmured softly.

He pulled back as his hands caressed where his lips had just been. "Apparantly so." Erik replied, a smile graced his face as she playfully slapped his shoulder.

Zuri stopped short when her hands caressed his shoulders then moved downwards over his muscles. Erik was amused to feel her hands caressing his muscles then returning to his shoulders. He watched as she tossed her head to the side and panted heavily. Erik pressed a kiss to an exposed part of her neck. "Erik..." She whispered wantonly as she grasped tufts of his hair and arched again. Her body pressing against his in effort to receive attention.

"My Zuri, I believe you want me to continue." He laughed in her ear then slowly kissed down her body. He watched as she spread her legs further for him. He slowly put her legs over his shoulders and pulled her closer to his mouth. Erik parted her folds and began to lave his tongue over her nub. She cried out for him as he tortured her slowly. Her hands pulled harshly at his hair as he drove her to her orgasm.

He pulled away then quickly pushed into her core while silencing her with a kiss to her lips. She moaned in his mouth while wrapping her legs around his waist. Erik thrust into her body as they both came into a steady rhythm. "Erik..." Zuri moaned against his mouth.

It felt so good, Erik reflected. He had missed being able to take her like this. He noticed how quickly she responded to him and that he was nearly finished. His body was tensing as her own body clamped down on him. Erik listened to her cries as they finally came in a climatic rush of heat and passion.

Sweat was glistening on her forehead as Erik looked at her and caught his breath. Zuri panted heavily. He smiled at her then rolled her on top of his body. She lay her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. "Sleep Zuri. There will be more later."

"I love you Erik."

Devoted, loving, and trusting Zuri; he thought to himself then said, "I love you as well."