Phobia (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria) (40 page)

Bending down,
Bach gripped her hard and pulled her tightly against him. She felt so soft, warm and in need of protection. “
D’cara
.” An odd sensation pulsed through his head. Pushing her back onto the bed, he saw her hands were glowing like a Famila. He staggered away. “What are you doing?”

“
I was helping you. You’re now free of Coia’s control.” Hurrying up to him, she threw her arms round his neck. “The darkness is gone now.”

She
is trying to destroy us
, the dark voice revealed. He squinted at her. “Nothing has changed.” He unpeeled her hands from his neck and tossed her onto the bed.

“
No, you’re supposed to be better. That’s got to be what you want?”

“
Your games cannot stop me from reaching my destiny or collecting what you freely offered me.”

“
Bach, stop, the nightmare’s over.”

He
knelt over her. “I control my darkness, like I will you.”

“
Stop.” She scratched him across the face. “I’m done.”

“
I am not.”

“
Yes, you are.” She kicked him in the stomach and tried ran to the door.

He
reached the door before she did.

“
Please.” She waved him away. “Stop.
Colista-Bren-Navida-Dor-Elson—”

“
Do not call my name or you will be sorry.”
Do what we need
.

“
What do you want?” she demanded angrily.

We
do not care if she hates us. We only care that she is ours,
the darkness mused.

“
Answer me,” she yelled. “Am I supposed to be afraid of you?”

Watching her, he licked his lips.
He liked her angry, because anger was an emotion he understood. He examined her curves.

T
hey’d grown a lot over the years. He liked that too, but not what she was wearing, green, the color of Aleix’s Pillar. It reminded him of how powerless he’d been as a Sen-Son. How he’d allowed his flesh and blood to die.

“
Change that dress and never wear that color again,” he commanded. He’d been going crazy sensing she was in Mirrin Castle with him and he couldn’t be with her.
Start this and finish this,
the darkness within him pleaded, but Bach forced the voice to be quiet. He wanted to savor this moment. “Sing to me.”

“
No.”

“
You cannot refuse me anything. You belong to me and you will do whatever I command you…human.” He wanted to flare up, but forced himself to remain cool. “You will sing, but do not even try to sing my name.”

Biting her lip, she
shook her head. “I’m not your dancing monkey.”

“
I said—”

“
Then beat it out of me, but that’s the only way you’re going to get me to do anything.”

“
Brave words Peeka.”

“
You either let me go or take out your aggression on me. I’m not your pet.”

“
You should be more scared of me Peeka, because I can hurt you in ways you cannot imagine.”

Standing completely still, she stared at him
. “Have you actually killed anyone?”

He smirked.
“I have been meaning to settle my score with your lover Steven Hindle. Perhaps, I will let you see me kill him.”

She chuckled weakly.
“You can’t hurt Steven now.”

“
Wisteria, you cannot protect your lover. I will find him and you will watch him die and then it will be clear exactly what I can do.” Bach laughed. “I promise boating will be a very entertaining way to suffer.”

“
Boating?”

“
He will be stripped, covered in burnfruit juice and force fed milk and honey until he develops diarrhea. Then we put him in a hollowed tree trunk and leave him in the Mirrin Forrest. His crap will attract all kinds of insects. Have you seen how large the bugs in Mirrin are? Some are the size of your fist. They will eat him alive and lay their eggs in his pasty body.”

She inched away from him.

“He will be fed every day, so he does not die too quickly. You see, after a couple of days, delirium sets in and he will completely lose touch with reality as he screams day and night in pain. What will you think of him then?”

“
You don’t scare me?” Her lips trembled.

“
Oh Peeka, I can tell I do.”

“
Steven’s dead,” she uttered as her head dropped. “He died to save me.” Smiling coldly, she said, “There’s nothing you can do to him now.”

“
You’re not denying he was your lover?” He raged.

“
Lover? Does it matter now?”

“
It matters to me.”

“
He’s gone and I’m your prisoner.” She shook her head. “There’s nothing else to say.”

“
Answer me!” Standing, he picked up a chair and flung it in her direction, narrowly missing her head.

The
chair hit the wall and smashed into pieces.

“
I did not miss,” he informed her. “The next time it may be different.”

Closing her eyes, she mumbled something to herself.

“Look at me. You do not want—” he told her.

“
Don’t waste your time threatening me. You don’t have it in you to hurt me.”

Getting up, he went to the clos
et and brought out a deep purple gown. “Put this on.”

“
My clothes are fine.”

“
Not a discussion.” He flung the outfit at her. “You are never to wear the colors of the Third Pillar again. Either wear this dress or go naked. I do not mind either way.”

S
he snatched the dress up, but she didn’t obey. “Can I be alone?”

“
No,” he growled.

She forced a laugh and started to unbutton her top.

Not waiting, he ripped her top from the neckline to the waist, revealing her black underwear. “You can do this my way or yours. I prefer mine.” He backed her up against the wall.

“
I’m doing what you asked.” She tried to cover her chest with her arms, but she was too voluptuous.

His eyes were fixed on her chest.
She was beautiful.

“
Happy? You think this makes you strong?” Wisteria fumed.

“
Yes.”
Take her now. What are we waiting for? Once we have had her, we will be ready to kill,
the darkness insisted.
We’ll get our first blood.
He didn’t understand why he needed to be with Wisteria before having his first blood. Well, it didn’t matter anymore because very, very soon he’d take her.

S
he picked up the purple dress.

“
Stop, let me look at you,” he said.

After shooting him a dirty look, she
put purple dress over her head.

“
You heard what I said.”

“
Bach.” Pausing, she held onto the dress to shield herself from him. “Why is it so important I do what you want?” She asked calmly, but her bloodshot eyes showed her fear. “You don’t need my permission to do what you’re thinking.”

“
You are right, I do not, but it pleases me that I can make you do want I need.” He moved toward her. “It is not like you do not want me here. You are in heat and you want me to make you a woman.” Taking the gown from her, he ran a hand up along her back. “Everything you said before about wanting that was true. Deep down, you know it.”

“
You’re insane.”

“
Admit it. You are more on fire for me now, than you have ever been. I am in your blood because of our bond. I am the only person you will ever want. Tell me I am wrong Peeka. Say you do not want to kiss me and have me take what is mine from you. Just say you do not want me.”

She slapped him
. “S—sorry.” Her eyes widened as she backed away.

Bach laughed.
“Good answer.”

She mumbled to herself as she slipped the new dress over her
head.

“
What were you about to say?” he demanded.

“
I said, your darkness wouldn’t hurt me because if you did, you’d never forgive yourself.” She buttoned up the side of the dress.

“
You think so?”

“
Yes, I do. Why are you trying to make me want you after you kidnapped me? There’s no way in hell, I’ll ever do anything you want—”

“
You are wearing the purple dress. That proves I can get you do what I want…when I want.”

“
Being a Dy’obeth doesn’t make you better. You're weaker than ever. You’re nothing but a momma’s boy.”

“
Oh?” He stepped forward.

“
Nothing you’re doing is about what you want. You are her slave. You’re blindly following her even if it means destroying your bloodline and your happiness.” She inched back and stopped when her feet hit the bed. “Please—we can be happy again.” She stroked the side of his face. “Please try and remember who you are, remember what we had.”

“
You need more than those tricks to trap me.” He removed her hands from his temples and saw the last of her purple light fade.

She
’d tried to pulse him again.

“
This isn’t you—”

“
That Bach, the old Bach, was a milk-hearted person who stood by and allowed his mate to be attacked and failed to protect his child. No man would have allowed his bloodline to be defiled and destroyed by Terrans,” he admitted.
Do not talk to her. Get this over with.

“
Oleander, you blame yourself for what happened to her? Is that why you don’t let go of the darkness?” Wisteria gasped. “Your mother—”

“
The perfection has made me more powerful than I ever was. No one will ever be able to touch what is mine—including you.”

“
This isn’t your fault.”

“
When I eventually become High Father.” He placed a hand on her belly, “our children will rule this realm and—Terra.”

“
My people will fight you.”

“
With what? The fancy lights you think are pulses are useless against me. I will make sport of your people the same way they toyed with ours and ended Oleander’s life.” He seethed. “When we are done, no one human, Famila or Dy’obeth will ever get in my way.”

“
You’re not the only person who lost her. I pray every day I could go back and change everything. Why couldn’t I see she was ours when I sensed you all the time? Why—why didn’t I figure it out? I would’ve taken her away from everything.” Tears poured down her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have told you about her death.”

Seeing her
distressed was more evidence of his inadequacy as a protector. “That is why I need the darkness.” Any conflict or confusion he felt over embracing his Dy’obeth self was now gone.

*****

Bach let go of Wisteria’s neck and she dropped back on the bed. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him, causing the whole room to shake.

Shivering,
she stood in disbelief, piecing together what had happened.

Even as
his twisted self, he made her realize two truths. The first, she was devastated over Oleander’s death and felt as much guilt as he did over it. The second—a humiliating fact, she still wanted him. Part of her was tempted to let him have his way that was why she slapped him.
You’re disgusting Wisteria,
she chastised herself.

The door opened aga
in and Frieda appeared with Lleo in her arms. “Hey.”

Wisteria sat back down on the bed.

“
D’cara
, you look like hell.” Frieda gasped. “You did it? You freed Bach.” Closing the door, she rushed over to hug Wisteria. “Great, with Lluc and Bach back. That means we’re definitely getting out of here. I thank God you, turned up. I’m thinking we go to Valhalla. If we lay low for a few months—” She stopped talking and looked down at Wisteria. “What happened?”

“
It didn’t work.”

“
It didn’t—because you didn’t get the chance to? He’ll be back. You can try again.”

“
Frieda, I pulsed him, twice. He became angrier.”

“
So—pulse him again.”

“
I tried, but I can’t. I’ve used up all the power. It’s as if he doesn’t want to change.”