Captured (21 page)

   His kiss became more urgent, desperate. She could feel the hunger that he radiated, the need. Her head was spinning; her body was completely out of control as she clung to him, using him as an anchor to a world that was as crazed as a tornado. His hands stroked her gently, moving over her in a whisper of a caress that caused her to tremble everywhere. His lips were upon her neck, his teeth skinning over her throat, but he did not bite.

   And he would not, she realized, unless she gave him permission too.

   She was shaking, close to tears as she turned her head, burying her face in his strong neck. She kissed him softly, clinging to his arms as she tried to stabilize herself, tried to keep herself grounded though she knew it was impossible. “It’s ok,” she whispered. “It’s ok.”

   He didn’t seem to hear her at first, as he didn’t stop kissing her ear. Then his arms locked tight, the corded muscles stood out in them as he froze. He didn’t move for a long moment, and then he drew slightly back from her. She caressed his face, pushing his dark locks aside as she traced the scars circling his eyes.
“Arianna?”

   Her fingers moved over his cheekbones, then down to the hard curve of his full mouth. She trailed over his lips, but he recoiled slightly when she touched upon the long teeth beneath them. “Don’t,” she said softly, refusing to let him pull away from her. His forehead furrowed in
confusion, but he didn’t try and pull any further away from her. She was stunned to realize that the sensation of running her fingers over his pointed teeth was tantalizing and wonderful. She was not at all frightened by it, as she thought she would be. Instead, she wanted more of him.
So much more.
“It’s ok,” she said again, her fingers stilling on his teeth. “You’re hungry, and I can ease that. I want this Braith.”
   “
Arianna.”
His voice was a low pain filled moan as he dropped his head into her shoulder. His shoulders shook beneath her; the tension in him was almost palpable. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

   “Yes I do, I’m asking for you.” His shaking increased; his hands no longer ran over her as he froze, his hand cradling the back of her head. Her heart swelled with love, with need. He was fighting so hard against himself, restraining himself because he was afraid that he might hurt her, when she was willingly offering him the one thing he needed most. “It’s ok.”

   She grasped hold of the back of his head, gently turning it toward the hollow of her neck. His muscles were shaking as he pressed his long fangs against her rapid pulse. “It’s yours Braith,
I’m
yours. Take it. Take
me
. I want to be the one that satisfies you, not them.”

   He groaned loudly, and then his arms seized tightly around her. She felt the snapping in him, the point where he lost control and his hunger and desire took over. He reared back slightly before striking. Arianna gasped, her fingers dug sharply into his back as his teeth punctured through her skin and struck deep into her vein. For a moment the entire world blurred, she could think of nothing, and see nothing except for him. He was everywhere, over her, in her, a part of her as he bit deeper, his teeth sinking into her completely.

   And then, slowly, they became separate entities again. She could make out his hunger, his thirst, his need as he consumed her, drinking deeper than he had ever drank from anyone before.
And somehow, though he did not say it, she knew that was true as his thoughts seemed to mingle at the edges of her conscious. He had never drunk like this before. Had never swallowed and consumed and wanted more than this before. He wanted all of her, could not get enough of her, he would
never
get enough of her. And she did not want him to.

   He pushed against her, shoving her harder into the mattress as he bit down sharply. She heard cartilage snap,
her
cartilage, but she didn’t care. It did not hurt; she didn’t feel anything above the sucking greediness of blood being pulled eagerly from her. She knew she should be afraid, knew that this was going far beyond her control, or his, but she wasn’t scared. As long as she was in his arms, she knew that she would never be scared again. If he killed her now she would not know a moment of fear, even though she could feel her blood being gulped eagerly into him. She could feel it running down her neck to stain the mattress and her slip, but she still did not feel one moment of fear. Instead, her heart swelled with love, her body boiled and swelled with it until it was overflowing from her.

   It wasn’t until he growled low, and bit down even harder, that she realized the words I love you were spilling from her in a monotonous chorus that she could not stop until a wave of blackness washed up to ensnare her. She drifted in and out of consciousness, pleasant memories washing up to engulf her, before slipping ever so slowly away again. Dreams came and went, shadows spun throughout her mind. Braith was holding her, cradling her, whispering for her not to leave him, but she felt he should know that she would never leave him, and she told him so repeatedly.

   He offered her something, it was on his wrist. But she pushed him away, telling him that she had all she wanted, she had him, but he made her take his wrist into her mouth, made her swallow whatever was on it. It was sweet, and it tasted like him, and though she hadn’t wanted it at first, she found herself taking more of it into her, clinging to him as she consumed what it was
that he was offering. She thought she heard him whispering I love you as she drank greedily until she drifted slowly back into a profound bliss that she knew could never be pierced. 

CHAPTER 13

  
“Aria!
Aria!
Arianna
!”
She groaned softly as she tried to roll away from the incessant hands shaking her, but they were clinging to her, refusing to let go as they shook her again.
This time harder.
“
Arianna
!”

   She batted at the hands, trying to break free, but she was so tired and they just wouldn’t let her go. “Stop!” she protested.

   “Get up Aria, you have to get up!” It was the urgency of the voice that finally pierced through the haze of bliss and exhaustion that clung to her. She cracked open an eye, frowning at the blurry face before her. It was too much effort to concentrate on the face, instead her eye drifted back shut and she snuggled deeper into the delightful bed beneath her. The voice swore loudly, then, before she knew what was happening, she was heaved up out of the bed and tossed over someone’s shoulder. She sputtered in disbelief as she was spun around in a circle and then dumped on the bed once more. “Get up Aria or I’m going to throw you in the tub.”

   She blinked in surprise, trying to clear her blurry vision. Eventually her eyes began to focus; she frowned in surprise and disbelief as Jack came into focus. She gaped in horror, bolting upright in the bed as she pulled the comforter tight against her chest. “Jack!”

   She was completely disoriented, out of sorts, and lost. She was in
Braith’s
bed, wasn’t she? But where the hell was Braith and what the hell was Jack doing here? “Where’s Braith?”

   Jack had turned away from her, he was searching for something, but she didn’t know what it was until a pile of clothes was dropped in her lap. She stared at the pants and cotton shirt in disbelief. They were similar to the clothes she had worn in the woods, except these were pitch
black instead of brown or light green. “He was called to a council meeting with our father. Get dressed. We have to go quickly, before he gets back.”

   “Wait! What?” she gasped.

   “We have to go Aria! Now!” he snapped impatiently. “Get dressed before he gets back.”
   Horror flooded through her. Go?
Now?
Leave Braith? No, no she couldn’t. Not after last night, she could
never
leave him after last night. “No Jack, no I can’t.”

   “Aria…”
   “No, you don’t understand Jack. I can’t leave, I simply can’t.”

   He seized hold of her cheeks, thrusting his face into hers. “
You
don’t understand Aria. This is our only chance at escape, if we don’t leave now then you will remain here, and your father will come for you and he
will
die. Now get up, and get dressed.”

   She gaped at Jack, then at the clothes, then back at Jack. Her mind spun, her heart was thrumming. She couldn’t leave Braith, she couldn’t. She loved him! And though she wasn’t completely sure, she thought he might have said he loved her too last night. But it was all so hazy, so distorted and confusing, and it was all so wonderful that she could barely contain her excitement over it. Until the horror of this situation, right here and now, came surging back to the forefront.

   “Aria…”

  
“No Jack, no.
I want to stay. I can’t leave him, I don’t want to.” Jack’s eyes widened in surprise, the blue flecks in them were more clearly visible as he gawked at her. “Jack, please…”

   “You cannot stay here Aria, I can’t let that happen. No matter what, your father will come after you.”

   “No.” She seized hold of Jack’s hands. “Not if you tell him I’m dead Jack, that I’m gone.”

   “Max…”

   “Tell Max the same thing.”

   Jack’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flared. He was staring at her as if he didn’t recognize her, staring at her as if he didn’t have a clue as to who she was. And truth be told, she didn’t really know who she was anymore either. All she knew was that her heart was with Braith and she could not leave him. “Max is here Aria, he knows you’re alive. He’s keeping lookout right now.”
   Her eyes widened, her gaze darted rapidly around the room as she searched out Max, but she didn’t see him anywhere. Disappointment filled her; she wanted to see her friend again, at least once more. She wanted to make sure that he was ok, but she couldn’t leave.

   “Then tell them I’m happy Jack, because I am. I… I…” She broke off, her fingers clutched at the blanket. She heaved a soft sigh before she turned back to
Braith’s
brother. “I love him Jack.”

   Jack’s eyes widened, he sat back as his mouth dropped in horror. “Aria…”

   She seized hold of his hand as she leaned forward. She was desperate for him to understand, desperate for him to hear and believe what she was saying. She knew what Jack was now, but she was surprised to realize that she still trusted him; that she still believed in him, and he was the only one that could help her right now. “I know it makes no sense, but I do love him and I want to stay with him.”
   Jack’s gaze turned pitying. “Aria…”

   “Please Jack, I…”
   He seized hold of her face, his hands lightly cradling her cheeks. “He has a fiancée Aria.”

   Her words broke off, sputtered, and died. Horror curdled through her, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. She could only sit there and stare at him, her mouth open, and her heart no longer beating as something within her curdled and died. “No, not possible, he… No.”

  
“
Yes
, Aria.
They’ve been betrothed for over a year. They are getting married in six months.”

   She couldn’t breathe; she was choking on the air she so desperately needed to get into her lungs. Strange sounds were coming from her, they weren’t human. She didn’t feel human anymore as her heart shredded, her chest constricted, and a moan of pain died within her. Jack held her as she rocked forward, unable to fully comprehend his words, unable to function through the agonizing pain consuming her.

   “I’m sorry Aria, I am so sorry, but you can’t stay here. She’ll have you killed as soon as the wedding is over and he won’t be able to save you. He’s my brother, but he will never go against my father. It’s the curse of the first born I suppose to be the one reared to one day rule the roost, and to do as expected. Now, you have to pull yourself together, we have to get out of here.”

   He pulled her out of the bed, depositing her on her shaking legs. “Don’t make me have to dress you Aria.” She shook her head numbly, tears streamed down her cheeks as she grasped hold of the clothes he thrust at her. She could only gaze numbly, brokenly up at him. She hated the awful pity in his eyes, hated the fact that she looked so weak and pathetic right now. “We have to go, get dressed.”

   Jack turned away. Her hands shook as she pulled the slip over her head. She was still wearing the crazy undergarments from yesterday, but she was shaking so bad she knew she would never be able to get them off. He was engaged? He was
engaged
! They were the only words running through her head, the only thing she could concentrate on. He was engaged and he had never even told her. He had slept beside her, held her, kissed her, and he had
fed
off of her. He had used her, and all the while he had known that he had a fiancée. She had never kidded herself with dreams of a future for them, but she had never expected this betrayal. If he had told her, she
never would have allowed things to go this far, she never would have allowed him to touch her and hold her. And she sure as
hell
wouldn’t have allowed him to feed off of her.