“It’s ok William,” she told him, sensing that her brother was hesitant to leave them alone as Braith seemed unstable.
William stood uncertainly before nodding slowly and leaving them. Braith’s broad shoulders almost filled the entire doorframe as he watched her in silence. Aria swallowed nervously, shifting slightly as she tried to gather what little strength she had left.
“You’re not sending me away Braith.” The silence was killing her. Braith was not the strong, silent type. When he was angry or when he was upset or frustrated, he didn’t hide it, especially not with her. “You’re not going to stash me somewhere either,” she blurted when he remained frustratingly mute.
“No, I’m not.” His voice was hoarse, grating.
“But you said before that you should have left me behind.”
“I was wrong.” She didn’t know what to say. “You nearly died.”
“I’m fine.”
“If I hadn’t been there…” He broke off as he shook his head. Her heart ached for the anguish she felt twisting through him. “I won’t send you away Aria. I won’t leave you somewhere I think might be safe because there is nowhere safe for you, and I can’t take the chance of something happening to you while I’m not there to possibly save you. This never should have happened.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“Isn’t it?” She was thrown off by his words. “You shouldn’t be in danger.”
“I’ve always been in danger.”
“But I want more for you!” he exploded. Aria was startled by the devastation behind his words. He was in front of her in an instant, his hands grasped hold of her arms as he smoothly turned them over. She stared down at the makeshift bandages, disturbed by the amount of blood that coated the rags. Her blood. Her life. “Don’t you understand that? I want you to be safe; I want you to know peace for once in your life. I don’t want you to know fear and death anymore. And I’ve thrust you into even more jeopardy; I’ve brought this upon us. These lands, they aren’t good Aria.”
She swallowed heavily, her hands flipped within his as she grasped hold of him. The feeling in her fingers was slowly returning. “One day Braith, when all of this is over, we’ll know peace.”
His head was bent as he studied their hands. She knew he was thinking what she couldn’t say, what she didn’t even want to consider. If they made it to the end, if they won, if they were even still together.
“Let’s get these off and see how your arms look.”
“I can have William do it.”
His head came slowly up to hers as his nostrils flared. “I can take care of you Aria.”
What had happened to her had rattled him even more than she’d realized. He was off balance, edgy, and uncertain in a way that she’d never seen before. “I know that Braith.” And she did know that, but he was unpredictable right now and her blood was a torment she wanted to spare him from.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that she could practically hear his teeth grinding together as his fingers nimbly undid the knots William had tied. The rags fell away, sliding from her skin to slither silently to the floor. At first Aria couldn’t look at what had nearly killed her, but his stillness and the slight tensing of his shoulders, told her that she would have to.
She braced herself as her gaze slid slowly to the arms he held so delicately within his large hands. The gashes were vivid against her pale skin but not as deep as they had been. The ones on her left arm ran from elbow to wrist while the ones on her right arm were below her elbow but just as wicked looking. She was shaken as she stared at them, lost in the realization that she had nearly died, that these marks represented what could have been her end.
Though she wasn’t bleeding anymore, there was still some dried blood on her skin. Her hand trembled as she pulled the glasses from his face; she needed to see his eyes. The small white scars around his eyes weren’t as visible; his face had paled considerably from the restraint he was exerting over himself. At first he wouldn’t look at her, at first his gaze remained focused upon her brutalized arms. Then, ever so slowly his eyes slid to hers. Her breath froze in her lungs; her heart fluttered like a trapped bird as it beat against her ribcage.
The beautiful gray eyes with the bright blue band she had come to love were gone. They were as bright as rubies now, gleaming at her from the depths of his striking face. He was hungry, he was savage, and right now all he yearned for was her. She would give her blood to him willingly, but he wouldn’t take it, she knew that. Not now, not after today. But it was unnecessary torture for him to be here when William was perfectly capable of re-bandaging her arms. “Braith…”
And then he was on her, over her, nearly inside of her as his mouth seized hold of hers with a tenderness she had not expected given his mood right then. His hands were on her face, stroking her cheeks as his tongue flickered against her lips. She felt the press of his elongated fangs as she opened her mouth to let him in. A low moan of pleasure escaped her as he invaded all of her senses. All she could feel was him, all she could smell was him. He was inside her soul, so much a part of her. She could barely breathe as his hands slid away from her face. His arms wrapped around her waist as he lifted her, pressing her back against a wall. His body was hard against hers, impassioned beneath her hands.
Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer against her as he groaned low in his throat and nipped at her lip. Her mind and body spun out of control. She was in over her head, but she found she didn’t care as she gave herself over to the emotions running wildly through her.
She squirmed against him, aching and unfulfilled as her body longed for more. She couldn’t breathe, and she didn’t care as his tongue slid into her mouth, becoming more fervent and demanding as he caressed her. Aria moaned in delight, her still somewhat numb fingers curled into his back. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream with joy, she simply wanted to never have the moment end, to forget the world around them and just be with each other. Buttons slid free as he pushed her shirt aside to press his hand against her breast. Pleasure swept through her with the consuming intensity of a wildfire. She didn’t care where they were or what was happening around them, not anymore.
“Braith.” At first, she was so lost in him, so swept up in the surging needs of her body that Ashby’s voice barely penetrated her mind. “Braith.” Loss, acute and profound, filled her as Braith’s hands stilled on her and he pulled a little away. She stared breathlessly up at him. Joy and love filled her as she saw the beautiful gray of his eyes once more. He stared at her with a mix of awe and love that caused her legs to quiver around him. “Braith.”
His eyes flashed briefly red again, his hand slid free as he moved her into a position that protected her from Ashby’s gaze. Aria felt her face heat at the thought of what Ashby may have seen as she quickly re-buttoned her shirt. “So help me Ashby if you don’t leave us be for five minutes…”
“There’s someone coming.”
In a split second everything about him changed. Gone was the laziness of his posture along with the small half smile that had curled his mouth. Before her now was the man that would one day rule if they succeeded. He lowered her slowly and turned away. “Who is it?” he inquired as he replaced his glasses.
Ashby shook his head appearing disconcerted as he glanced between the two of them. “I don’t know. A figure just appeared over the horizon. I’m not sure if there are others with it.”
Braith glanced back at her, for a moment she thought he was going to order her to stay, but then he held his hand out to her. Relief filled her as she slid her fingers between his and he led her from the room. Aria was able to get a good look at her surroundings as they stepped into the hall. The room she’d been in had no windows in it, and it appeared that none of the other rooms up here did either.
Braith led her down a rickety set of stairs that seemed to drop from a hole in the floor. She stopped at the bottom, staring up as she examined the darkened area above her. It
took her a moment to realize that it was an attic, she hadn’t seen one in years.
His hand squeezed hers as he led her down another set of stairs to the first floor. Unlike the attic, this area was covered in dust and sand. It coated what remained of the furniture and was piled against the back wall. William turned from the doorway as they crossed the room.
“It’s alone, as far as I can tell,” William informed them.
Braith squeezed Aria’s hand before releasing her. “She has to have her arms wrapped back up.”
William stared at him for a long moment, his eyebrows furrowed questioningly before he nodded. William glanced at her arms, shaking his head as he pulled the remains of her ruined cloak from the bag on the floor. “Leave it to you sis to nearly get killed by one vamp and make out with another.” Braith shot him a lethal glare as Aria felt her face flare red again. She remained silent though as William tore pieces of cloth with his teeth and hands. “We should find something to clean it with.”
“It won’t get infected,” Ashby assured him as he moved slowly past them.
“And how do you know that?” William demanded.
“Infections don’t live in us.”
William and Aria studied him. “You don’t get sick?” Ashby shook his head in response to William. “Ever?”
“No.”
Aria stood in stunned amazement, lost in thoughts of the rebellion she’d been a part of since birth. “We never had a chance did we?” she asked.
Braith finally turned toward her but he didn’t respond. He didn’t need to, she already knew the answer. William had become still, his fingers were wrapped around the scraps of cloth in his hands as he looked slowly between the two of them. “Aria isn’t one of you though.”
“No, but Braith’s blood has already accelerated the healing process; it will boost her immune system also. The cuts will not get infected.”
She met her brother’s worried gaze for a moment before he finally turned his attention back to ripping the pieces of cloth. He bandaged her arms with fingers that quivered against her skin. She knew how he felt. She was just as rattled by the realization that not only were the vampires faster, stronger, and possessed enhanced senses, but they apparently had never even had one freaking sniffle in their lengthy life spans.
William tied the last knot, squeezed her hand and then stood. Aria was drawn to the doorway, curious about the new arrival as she picked up her bow and arrows. “Is it human?” she inquired.
“It is,” Braith confirmed.
The figure had gotten close enough for Aria to realize that it was a woman. She appeared to be about five years older than Aria with long brown hair that flowed around her shoulders. She wore a dress that hugged her curves and swayed about her feet as she moved. The woman was beautiful as she flashed a bright, disarming smile. Braith was wooden beside her, his hands clenched upon the doorframe as he studied the woman with a flare of his nostrils that caused a knot of apprehension to form in Aria’s stomach.
Here was the food source they’d been lacking.
Aria thought she might be sick as Ashby stepped beside her, practically salivating. Aria remained unmoving, struggling to breathe normally as her heart lumbered. They wouldn’t force this woman to provide blood, or at least Aria didn’t think they would, but she wasn’t entirely certain just how much the depravation of blood may have affected them.
If this woman was willing, then she knew they would have to use her as a food source. They were both hungry and therefore unpredictable and extremely treacherous.
“Gideon sent me.”
Braith’s need for blood seemed to vanish the moment he heard the name.
CHAPTER 4
“What did Gideon send you for?” Braith grated from between clenched teeth.
The woman’s smile widened, she provocatively stuck a hip out as she grinned at them. “What do you think?” she taunted as she pushed her hair back to reveal her slender, unmarked neck. “I was instructed to provide you with anything you might require, and then bring you to him afterward.”
She ignored Aria with an ease that was astounding, and infuriating, as her gaze wandered lustfully between Braith and Ashby. “You can take us to him now.”
The woman was taken aback, her eyes finally focused on Aria for a brief moment before she shook her head, obviously finding nothing remarkable in her. Aria was half tempted to hit her. “Braith,” Ashby hissed.
“If you’d like to feed from her go ahead.” Braith’s words were clipped and harsh. His body vibrated with tension. Ashby was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Do what you must, but do it quickly. I plan to leave before nightfall.”
Braith turned away, leaving them staring questioningly at his retreating back as he moved deeper into the dwelling. Aria remained unmoving, dismayed by what had just happened. “Aria.” She couldn’t turn her head to look at Ashby, couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze as she stared at the doorway Braith had disappeared through. “Aria you have to talk to him.”
Finally she was able to look away long enough to meet Ashby’s fevered gaze. “He needs to feed Aria, he’s weakening and he’s becoming more unbalanced. Giving you his blood drained him further. He needs this Aria.”
She managed a small nod as she slowly closed her mouth. “He has to understand that you can’t be his only human supply, it’s not possible.” He was right, she knew he was right, but it caused a physical ache in her chest to even think about another woman nourishing Braith. “I don’t like to do it either, it’s most certainly not something I enjoy, but I must, and so must Melinda. Maybe if there were more animals around and you hadn’t been wounded it would be different. He’s not going to put up much of a fight if he’s malnourished, he’ll get injured.”
It was those last three words that spurred her forward. She had to go quickly, or she wouldn’t go at all. If she stopped to think about it…well no, she couldn’t think about it. She just had to focus on getting him to feed, getting him strong again and making sure that he didn’t get hurt.
She found him outside, leaning against the house, his arms folded over his chest and his legs crossed before him. “Braith.” She broke off, unable to get the words out as her chest and throat constricted. It took her a few tries before she was finally able to speak. “Braith you must.” He kept his head bowed, refusing to look at her. “Braith…”
“And you would approve of this?”
She swallowed heavily; her eyes burned. She tried to tell herself it was from all the sand and dust, but she knew it was from the tears she was struggling not to shed. Not in front of him anyway, not if she had any hope of convincing him to do this. “I don’t like it.” She hedged, unable to lie to him. “But you’re weakened, and you need blood. If it can’t be mine…”
“Then it will be no one’s.”
“You can’t deny yourself. You need it to survive.”
“I need you more.”
“Braith…”
“I’m not arguing with you on this Arianna. It won’t do any good anyway.”
She started in surprise. “Of course it will.”
He lifted his head and finally looked at her. “No Aria, it won’t. Yours is the only blood I crave. None of them, none of those blood slaves after you satisfied me.” The words were almost purred; they caused the hair on Aria’s arms to stand up.
“Then take mine.”
His nostrils flared and though she had sensed his interest in the woman, it was nothing compared to the blast of hunger that vibrated from him now. Her mouth went dry. She thought self-preservation should kick in, that she should run screaming back into the house and away from him, instead she found herself wanting to run to him. She was losing her mind, and it was all because of him.
“No.”
She inhaled deeply, straightened her shoulders and thrust out her chin. “If you’re going to be stubborn about feeding from others, then you can’t be stubborn about this. You don’t have to take much, just enough…”
>
“It’s never enough!” he snapped. “That’s what you don’t understand. It’s never enough. Every time I taste you I think maybe my thirst for you will weaken, that maybe it will ease, and I won’t crave you so badly. But the yearning only increases and I find myself insatiably craving more and more.”
She was stunned speechless. She hadn’t known, she hadn’t understood, she couldn’t understand, not as a human anyway. But she did know one thing, he needed nourishment, he was stubborn, and she was here. Without thinking, she pulled at the knots on her arm as she stalked toward him. The cloth fell free, exposing the gashes as she thrust her arm out to him. Yes, she had completely lost her mind, tempting him like this, but there were some things that needed to be done, even if he couldn’t see that. His weakness could get them all killed, it could get him killed. Her life was a small thing compared to their far greater goal, and the lives of so many others.
“You being unable to fight won’t do us any good. I will not stand by and watch you starve yourself because you think you will hurt me. You will not hurt me. It’s either me or her Braith.”
Though shadowed by his glasses, she knew his eyes were latched onto her arm, and the droplets of blood that glimmered on her skin. “Either way I upset you Aria,” he grated.
“I am offering my blood to you and so is that woman. You have to pick one.” She tried to keep her face impassive, tried to control the beat of her heart as she stared stubbornly up at him. She couldn’t reveal how much it would upset her if he went to that other woman, it would only stop him if he knew, and he couldn’t be stopped. Not this time.
He clasped hold of her wrist, his long fingers gentle as they wrapped around her. He could kill her; with a simple flick of that hand he could kill her so easily, but he would kill himself before he ever injured her. She waited breathlessly to see what he would do, as ever so slowly he bent his head and licked the blood from her arm. A shiver raced down her spine, her breath was frozen inside of her as he pressed his lips against the inside of her elbow and rose slowly over her.