Captive by Desire

The next morning I woke up in safe comfortable arms. Slowly I opened my eyes and gazed around the small tent. Questions flooded my mind as I attempted to remember what had happened. Movement from behind me caught my attention as an arm tightened around my waist. Quickly I turned to face whoever was behind me and found myself staring at a sleeping man. The events of the night before flooded into my mind as I stared at the man that I had briefly come to know. In his sleep he became a very peaceful looking man and I could not help but notice his handsome features. Everything about him was nothing I would have expected him to be.

“Why are you watching me?” Rev asked as he slowly opened his eyes.

“Oh,” I said as I looked away from his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Kitten, you need to calm down,” Rev said with a small chuckle.

“I do not wish to see you angered,” I whispered.

“You are wise not to,” Rev smiled softly. “Though even in my anger I would never hurt a woman.”

“My brother used to tell me the same thing,” I whispered.

“Pardon?” Rev asked. “What did you say?”

“Nothing important,” I told him.

At one point in my life I used to be great friends with my brother. That is, until my father turned him into the man that he is today. My brother was a lot like me, caring, courageous, lively and special. Now he has become my father’s equal in the fact that he has little heart and almost no feelings for the people around him. Personally these are not qualities a leader should have. If he can not have his people’s best interests in heart why would his people trust him?

“What are you thinking about Iboni?” Rev whispered in my ear gaining my attention back.

“Nothing,” I said quickly not wanting to talk about the heartache that my brother brought.

“You are a terrible liar,” Rev said.

“Just personal family issues,” I told him.

“You really don’t get along with your family do you?” Rev asked.

“No, we don’t really see eye to eye on much of anything,” I told him.

“What about your sister?” Rev questioned.

“My sister?” I asked not certain what he was referring to.

“Aset? The other girl we took? She is your sister, isn’t she?” Rev questioned with a suspicious look on his face.

“Oh, of course,” I said quickly not wanting to get her into any trouble. If they discovered that she wasn’t who they thought they might harm her or worse kill her.

“You seem to get along fairly well with her,” Rev stated.

“There is nothing wrong with my sister,” I stated. “It’s more my father and my brother.”

“Yes, I do not agree with much of what your father does,” Rev said. “He has made too many rash decisions that have cost good people their lives.”

“Wait just a minute, my father may be a lot of things but he is not a murderer,” I protested.

“Kitten, don’t speak on things you know nothing of,” Rev stated. “I have seen your father’s work at it’s darkest point. I know exactly what he is capable of.”

“Why do you keep referring to me as a kitten?” I questioned trying to move the conversation away from my father.

“Because you are very similar to a kitten. You are adventurous, curious, too trusting and playful,” Rev stated. “Kitten suits you.”

“I am not an innocent little kitten,” I protested.

“Iboni you are so very much like an innocent little kitten,” Rev stated.

“You should have taken Sanura if you wanted an innocent little kitten,” I told him. “She is by far the most innocent girl I have ever met, yet somehow she is betrothed to my brother.”

“Who?” Rev asked staring at me in disbelief.

“Sanura,” I answered. “She was brought to the palace a few years ago and mother has been training her to be a good wife for a Pharaoh.”

“When did she come?” Rev asked harshly as his grip on me tightened.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned confused by his reaction.

“When did she come to you?” Rev growled.

“Nearly four years ago now,” I whispered afraid of his reactions to this conversation.

“Shit!” Rev screamed as he threw me aside and stomped out of the tent yelling for Christ.

I quickly scooted to the back of the tent unsure what my response to this should be. Clearly the name Sanura meant something to him though I was clueless as to what. His response was protective yet harsh so maybe they knew each other at one point. Maybe she was promised to him before my father came along and offered a better suggestion. For some reason that thought bothered me. He is his own man and by no means answers to me. So why did the thought of him with another women bother me so much?