He smelled of pines, lavender, and smoke and his skin was pleasantly warm. Mila traced with her fingers the long scar that went from the middle of his abdomen to his right collarbone.

He actually stayed and hugged her till they seemingly both fell asleep. There was no trace of the condescendence and the annoyance he showed usually when he dealt with her. He had been just... kind. And now when she looked at him in the bright morning light, at the golden skin and sculpted features she perceived him as incredibly attractive.

Erik shivered under her touch and a light growl escaped his chest. His eyes opened wildly and it seemed for an instant as if they lit up again as a few days before. In an instant, he pulled her over him and his hands wandered under her t-shirt and along her right thigh. The touch was secure and skilled and it felt surprisingly pleasant. Mila let out an uncontrolled breath of delight.

But it felt like hearing her voice made him aware of what was happening. He pressed his eyes together, sighed from the depths of his chest, and pushed her off him in an abrupt motion.

"I am sorry," he said curtly, standing up and leaving the room. Mila's eyes got stuck on the bump in his pants that she felt against her leg minutes before.

Now this was an awkward situation. He might not have entirely noticed what he was doing but he seemed to be very good at it.

She blushed thinking about it, about how it felt, and about the fact that she had slept apparently an entire night in his arms. Despite everything, he was still the one keeping her there against her will so that one morning awoke contrasting feelings in both of them.

After that rather eventful morning, it was going to be an entire day of doing nothing again. Mila didn't have it this time. She got dressed in loose pants and a t-shirt and started doing the workout routine she committed to the past week because of boredom.

By the end of it, she was sweaty and exhausted and lay down on the floor panting when she heard Angel's voice and the door opening.

"Hola muñeca! Happy to see you are in a good mood. Talking about moods, what did you do to Erik? He is beyond cranky."

I gave him an accidental boner.  The corners of her mouth went up involuntarily.

"Not sure. What did he say?" she answered cautiously.

"Nothing, he just picked a fight with Michael. That's his way of asking for a talk with his bro."

"They seem to know each other for a long time," said Mila remembering the strange old photo from Erik's room.

"Uh yes, since childhood. They grew up together. But I remember why I came. I brought you something. Merry Christmas, Mila," said Angel handing her a package.

"What? It's Christmas?"

"Yup, December twenty-fifth."

"Damn." 

"Look. I am sorry. For everything. I hope you will forgive us one day."

That sentence reminded her of the bitter reality of the situation. It was already Christmas. She was still alive but a captive for an unforeseeable time at a whim of a rather peculiar guy. 

"I don't know, Angel. After you supposedly let me go I will be homeless and even poorer. I hope you will have the courtesy to buy me a ticket back to Serbia, though that is really not a place I would like to return to. I cannot really like you because of that," she answered in all honesty.

"I am sorry. Really. I will talk to Erik. He is loaded; he can spare a few thousand and maybe find you a new job. I am sure he does not want you to hate him. It's just... Complicated. "

"Everything is. Life is." Mila sighed and forced a smile. "Let's see what you got me." It was the first present she received from anyone since her grandma died. She was the only one that ever gave her presents.

"Damn." She blew a raspberry,  looking at the dress she just unwrapped. "It's ... Very... Small. I am sure that is Dasha's style," she said laughing. "But I would look awkward in it."

"He? No. You would look great. Believe me; it's the queer eye," he said winking.

The sentence caused Mila to raise an eyebrow. it's was the first time he reffed to something canonically gay. Angel was beautiful and a bit feminine in his features but not at all effeminated, Michael on the other hand was broad, tall, muscular, and very manly. It seemed however that Michael was crazy about Angel and willing to go through fire for him. They made a pretty cute couple, she concluded, ignoring the details of the situation again.

"We are having a Christmas dinner. Would you like to join us downstairs?" he asked.

"No thanks."

The thought of a Christmas dinner was nice. Her parents never really cared about any holidays, so Christmas was just another day. Having an actual dinner sounded nice. The company wasn't quite the one she imagined in the early days though and she really didn't want to have to face Erik again. 

She curled into a ball on the bed and turned her back to Angel until both of their glances landed on the black Jaguar that someone had just parked in front of the front door.

A dark-haired woman and a tall, handsome, black man got off the car.

"Shit." She heard Angel whisper.

"Who are they?" asked Mila intrigued.

"Erik's cousin and her... m ... husband."

Mila was not sure what to make of the situation. Were these people aware that Erik was holding her there against her will? If they knew, would it matter? Would they care?

She could scream and find out. It also could earn her weeks of being tied to the bed as Erik threatened her.

"I changed my mind. I want to come down for dinner."

"That is not an option anymore," said Angel.

That gave Mila the incentive to actually want to meet the guests. She sprinted out the door and down the stairs with Angel following her distressed.

Not paying any attention to her surroundings, she bumped into Erik that was standing beside the two guests at the entrance of the living room.

His expression was priceless, and so were those of the woman and her companion.

Close up they were even more beautiful. Her caramel skin was a shade darker than Erik's, hugging alluring curves. She was what you would call a brunette bombshell, most of all in the red dress she was wearing that evening. It was not vulgar; no cleavage, no skin shown, but the way it embraced her body made her look more goddess than woman.

Her companion had ebony skin and was tall and broad, almost as tall as Erik. But unlike him, he was smiling, revealing perfect white teeth. His hypnotic smile was emphasized by the light in his dark eyes.

Erik hugged her. She was more than surprised. He whispered into her ear an almost inaudible "Behave" when he leaned over to kiss her temple. Mila was speechless. 

"Well, well. Is that her, cousin?" said the woman in a melodic voice, sprinkled with a hint of sarcasm.

Erik didn't answer.

"Your silence says enough. What's your name, love? I am Samira and that is my mate Dahiru, Alpha of the African continent, and I am obviously his Luna."

He what? This chick is strange, to say the least.

She had evaluated the situation wrongly. Again. Now she needed to get out of there without enraging  Erik more than she could already see on his face... which was significant.

"And I am... Milena, First of my name, Queen of potty training and entertaining elderly folks in Willow Park," said Mila not really knowing how to handle the situation.

Samira laughed wholeheartedly, her beautiful black hair and massive chest jiggling with the chuckles.

"Oh, you are a funny one, and not uptight at all. Erik has a history of mating with ...ah never mind. Where are you from, dear? Your accent is foreign."

Samira was clearly not her way out of there but she seemed nice enough and unaware of what was going on there. She was however Erik's relative, and they seemed to like each other so it was unlikely she would help her. 

Erik's features relaxed a little bit, but the tension was not fully gone.

"Serbia, also known as the end of the world."

"Bullshit. I like Serbia. At least some parts. People are really nice after they get to trust you. But that is more or less the same all over. I also had to get used to Nigeria, Dahiru's birth country. It was different to Marocco and Italy where I grew up."

"It is nice to meet you, Milena," said Dahiru stretching out a hand.

"Likewise," said Mila shaking his hand and returning his bright smile.

Erik frowned and Samira flinched.

"Easy or Erik will want to burn you alive, and we will be collateral victims. Don't you remember how you felt when we were a fresh couple? You transformed our beautiful villa into pebbles only because Yau danced one bachata with me."

Dahiru smiled knowingly and released Mila's hand.

These people are crazy... Completely strange and crazy...

"I will see that we don't have many males without a partner at our new year's event. As we seem to be blocked in Europe this time, we thought we are going to hold the celebration here. We would like you to come. That's why we stopped by. And by you, we mean both of you," stated Samira.

Mila's eyes sparkled at the perspective of getting away from that place.

She slid an arm around Erik's waist and leaned with her forehead against his chest. It made her notice again how awfully tall he was. 

"We would love to. Isn't it, Erik darling?"

Erik's expression froze.

Mila pressed a kiss on his chest, over the shirt. She felt a shiver go through his body as the aftermath of that.

"Yes." He managed to say with some effort.

"I am so happy. It will be a wonderful night. We are in a bit of a hurry, but before I forget, we brought presents for all of you. Milena, please excuse how impersonal yours is, but my presents will get better after we get to know each other a bit. I am so so happy that you exist," said a very jolly Samira hugging Mila in the end.

Happy that you exist... Those words echoed in her mind for a while, while she walked back upstairs and carried her present from Samira, while she opened it and got lost in the jasmine smell and smoothness of the fire-red cashmere scarf and while she shed a little tear.

Nobody told her that before... That they were happy that she existed.

She was technically kidnapped, still, this very strange life was somehow better than her life had been for the past twenty-three years.

This must be how Stockholm syndrome begins to feel, thought Mila in self-irony when she heard a knock on the door.

"Yes..."

Erik opened the door and walked in.

"What? What marvelous idea did you have again? Are you going to punish me now for being disobedient? Do I have to lower my pants?" she said raising an eyebrow.

And he did it again. He smirked.

"No. Unless you want to, Mila."

"Then?"

He put a small and surprisingly heavy package on her bed.

"Merry Christmas, Milena," he said with an ambiguous expression, maybe the ghost of a smile and expectation was playing in his eyes.

"What are these?" said Mila while ripping open the package.

"Books."

But not any books.

"These are textbooks, for the exam for med school," whispered Mila.

"You said you were bored and didn't have a future after getting out of here. I know it is a punishment. I cannot change it, but see this as an olive branch. You can study and in September you can have the test to enter med school," said Erik.

"Sure, as if I can afford to pay for it. Or a cent to live on while studying. It's a nice gesture, Erik, but it seems you know nothing about the real world and real struggles. And I also doubt I am smart enough to prepare alone and nail it," said Mila irritated again at his very wrong assumptions about her and her life.

"Well, you surely know how to be unappreciative and make assumptions. I can help you with studying, and you would be doing something useful with your time."

"Fuck off, you entitled moron. You kidnapped me and are holding me here against my will. I am pretty sure you will not just let me go after September. I mean, I could go to the police or so. I am most probably not going to get out of this alive. What reaction do you expect me to have?" Mila was screaming and trembling with anger.

"Fifty thousand pounds."

"What?"

"You didn't let me finish. I will give you that money if you don't talk about your time here, ever to anyone. After September everybody goes on with their lives and with fifty thousand you can finance your studies and live for the time it takes."

"Get out of my room!" barked Mila not believing a word of what he was saying.

That night Mila fell asleep angry and frustrated. She concluded she had to go to that party Samira was talking about whatever it took. It would be her best shot at a way out. But Erik's behavior had been so enraging. At least he let her sleep alone but that wasn't as satisfying as Mila thought it would be. 

She just couldn't understand him. Sometimes he seemed decent and kind and other times the utter asshole that kidnapped her for God knows what reason.

However, the next morning she opened the books that were still half unpacked and inhaled their smell, like the impersonation of a dream. It was only a dream, nothing more.

But I could have a look, maybe read a bit...

"Morning solecito! Enjoying your present?"

"Huh, what?" said Mila when Ángel's voice ripped her out of her reading.

"No, I was just looking. It is too difficult for me. I am not sure why Erik did it. To humiliate me?" she said, disappointed and sad.

"Hmm, if you need help you should ask him to tutor you."

"Yeah, sure. Erik looks like many things but not like a nerd. Plus what does he know of this? And in case you didn't notice, we don't quite like each other."

"Yeah... That I noticed. However, ever tried to just ask for stuff? He would actually like to accommodate you."

"I am sure. I asked him to let me go... Did he? Not really. That much about accommodating."

"I really wish he could be honest with you regarding the motives. It would make things so much easier."

"No shit... How about you tell me?"

"You think I am tired of living?"

"Would he actually?" asked Mila genuinely curious.

"Yes. Erik is a soldier. Well, more like a general. He can make hard choices for the greater good. Just with you, he seems not to be able to wrap his head around what the greater good is."

"What is it in your opinion?"

"To trust m... God."

"Oh, you are religious?"

"To some extent," said Angel contemplating the sky out the window.

"What does God say?"

"Not sure, but what Ángel says, which is as much as his messenger, is that if you want to get your way you should flirt with him. He will not be able to refuse you any wish," said Angel winking.

Mila rolled her eyes.

"Sure. I don't know man, ... I might not like the guy but I bet most of the women I know would fancy him. That if he keeps his mouth shut and his temper in check."

They bought laughed.

"So you find him hot too, don't you?" asked Angel raising an eyebrow.

Mila caught herself blushing. How could he say that? And how could she answer?

"Yeah well... He is objectively very handsome."

"But what? Not your type? What is your type?"

"I... Don't actually know; I don't think I have one."

"How about your exes?" asked Angel curious.

"You sound like Dasha, my flatmate."

"I remember her; she is feisty. So?"

"I don't know. I never had a boyfriend."

"He? Why?"

"You and Dasha would be instant bffs. She asked me the exact same thing. I guess I was always busy with other things, and not particularly interested in the subject, and nobody ever showed interest in me either in that way. Except recently when I met a guy in a bar in London and we kissed. To my surprise I enjoyed it."

Mila didn't feel like talking about her father or how that affected her perception of men. It was too much drama and she was not doing that sort of thing.

"Oh boy. I hope it does not mean what I think it means," said Angel in a weird voice. "Does it?" He continued, raising an eyebrow circumspect.

Mila just rolled her eyes at him.

"Damn. Now, this is a ... thing."

"No, it isn't. It is certainly not something that defines me," said Mila irritated.

"Well, certainly not but it is an unexpected piece of information,"  said Angel more for himself. "Ok well. Breakfast? Downstairs?" Angel changed the subject in the end standing up and dusting his pants.

"Yeah. Let's try," answered Mila really undecided regarding her next actions.

She regretted her decision instantly when she saw Erik and Michael at the breakfast table.

Angel had cooked seemingly and the talk Erik and Michael were having died when she entered the room.

The silence felt uncomfortable and Mila felt compelled to say something.

"Gentlemen, I would like to go for a walk today."

Erik watched her in silence for a few seconds.

"Fine. I or Michael will accompany you."

"Ok. I pick Michael," said Mila with a bit of spite enjoying it, as an ambiguous expression formed on Erik's face.

Mila was never a player, but to escape from there she concluded she had to play.