Twilight's Eternal Embrace (33 page)

Guards
escorted him to the courtyard
. They
stood
behind as if they feared he would
bolt. He almost laughed at the thought. His body rebelled at every move he made. He was not fit to raise a sword. He would be
slain
before he made a defensive move.

He
glanc
ed toward the gates. He clenched his teeth and tried to remain in control as he waited for the cart carrying his chosen bride. This was not how it was suppose to happen. He promised Adryanna he would keep her safe, but he failed. She shouldn
'
t be here. She was the only surviving child of her family. The elders would have never chosen her if they had not broken the rules.

Even though he was not fit to fight his way out of this, his thoughts still imagined a life outside these walls, a place where Adryanna would not be subject to give her life to save him or one of his clansmen.

"
I see it in your eyes.
"
Loreto
had
moved be
hind him, near enough so only Bram
would hear his threat.
"
You are thinking of a way out of this, but there is nothing you can do. You will drink from your little plaything or I will drain her dry myself. I
will
make you watch as I make love to her and she calls out my name to take her.
"

Bram
'
s hands balled into fists, but he remained still. He would not fall prey to his brother
'
s taunts.

His brother chuckled.
"
Oh aye, for once you will do as you are told.
"

"
She is just one female. Why are you so threatened by her?
"

"
I am not threatened, but your actions will raise questions that should not be voiced.
"

"
We are not to question? We kill the Lath
e
Sith when we do not have to. We could—
"

"
Silence!
"
his brother hissed.
"
We will not change
our
traditions because you w
ish to have
a pet.
"

The cart stopped at the foot of the steps. Bram met Adryanna
'
s gaze. She stood tall, her chin tilted in defiance. If she feared her fate, she did not show it.

"
Go claim your prize.
"
His brother gave him a nudge.

Bram
took the steps toward her, his mind reeling at how they came to be here when they fought so hard not to be. He offered his hand
and she placed her palm over his
. Her skin was warm and soft. How he
'
d missed her touch.

He helped her down
from the cart
and pulled her close for the traditional kiss. He half expected her to pull away, but she leaned into him, tempting him. He closed his mouth over hers, relishing in the familiar touch they shared, both tender and heart wrenching when he knew what the kiss meant.

The ceremony moved like a dream, the words binding and lovely, but they both knew the truth. It was life for him and death for her. They repeated,
"
…to death do us part until we meet in the afterlife once again.
"
The words were the ominous reminder.

His clansmen ushered Adryanna and him into the marriage room.
Loreto's
eyes gleam
ed
red with triumph as he shut the heavy doors and ordered men to stand guard. He obviously wasn
'
t going to take any chances that they might escape. This night would happen
,
one way or the other.

Bram
'
s limbs rebelled from standing so long, the pain increasing as the night wore on. He placed his sword on the table and removed his mantle, laying it over the chair. He couldn
'
t look at
Adryanna
, knowing he had betrayed her in more ways than one.

He
jumped at the touch of
her hands
. She
slip
ped her arms
around his waist and pressed
her cheek
against his back. He turned in her embrace
and she met his gaze,
h
er gray eyes were large and trusting when they should not be.

"
I
am
sorry.
"
The words were lame in comparison to what she endured. What she would
still
endure. How could he ever ask for her forgiveness when he was not worthy?

"
Do not blame yourself
," she told him.

He exhaled with a chuckle.
"
Do not blame myself? Adryanna, you are here because of me.
"

She lifted her slim shoulders as if none of this mattered.

"
Stop it.
"
He shook her.
"
I
a
m going through the change and I will not be able to hold back. Your blood already calls to me.
"

"
I know.
"

Her acceptance was far worse than if she lashed out at him with curses. He stepped away and raked both hands through his hair.
"
I do not want to harm you.
"

"
I know that, too.
"

She was so beautiful standing there with the light from the fireplace dancing off her sun colored strands. Her gown of light blue only made her gray eyes stand out like pools he could drown in
,
and he would go under willingly. How could he harm her?
"
I love you.
"

Her breath caught in her throat. On the day of her death, it seemed useless to pledge such a thing. She took the steps separating them and took his hand. She placed it over her chest.

"
Do you feel my heart?
"

She asked if he felt her heart beneath his palm. Aye, he did, but he heard it as well.
It fluttered so loud in his ears
, teasing him with the knowledge that he would be the one to stop it from ever beating again.
He nodded, not trusting his voice.

"
It beats for you only. I give myself to you freely. It is all right.
"
She stepped closer.
"
It will be all right.
"

He shook his head.
"
I will not drink your blood.
I. Will. Not!
"
He pulled his hand away.

"
You will die if you do not,
"
she said simply.

"
Then I shall die.
"

"
Bram.
"

His name on her lips felt like a caress.

"
No matter what happens this night, I am dead already. You can refuse to take my blood and maybe you will succeed in holding back, but then it will mean your demise. Then I shall face your brother, Loreto
,
and he will not be so kind to me, I think. He visited me in my chambers right before the ceremony.
"

He knew she spoke the truth. His brother had given him the same pledge. With his death, Bram knew he would leave her vulnerable. There would be no one willing to protect her.

Her hand touched his forearm, the warmth of her skin searing a path to his groin
increasing
his desire
to touch her, to make love to her. He wanted her, not just her life essence, but
her
.

"
I rather my last moments were with you, in your arms where your kiss will be of love and not of torture.
"
She removed her hand
,
taking the warmth with her
.

H
e
turned to face her and
his breath choked back his reply as he watched her lower her gown, revealing her breasts
and
leaving the garment to rest low on her hips. Her smooth skin called to him, tempting him to take her in his arms.
The dangerous predator in him
took a step before he
reigned in his desires and stood still. He mopped the sweat from his forehead. "
Do not do this, Adryanna.
"

She would
n
o
t be swayed. She let the gown go, letting it pool at her feet, leaving her bare to his gaze. He swallowed back the lump in his throat as her
eyes burned a path down
his
body
, his attraction to her evident
in the way his leine tented
.

She moved with unhurried grace
until she
stood in front of him.
Her hands c
radled
his face as she kissed him, her tongue sliding into his mouth to mate with his.

A low growl vibrated
in
his throat. He couldn
'
t hold back
.
His
hands were on her, touching her, sliding over her skin in slow intimate strokes. He didn
'
t know how he managed to remove his clothing, but they lay in a heap like discarded rags as he lifted her and brought her to the furs b
eside
the
hearth
.
A fire blazed warm and bright, keeping the chill from the room, but it seemed not to matter with the heat that radiated off their bodies.

She tasted like sunlight, sweet as the morning dew and scented like the wild flowers in the meadow. Her hands moved over him as hungrily as he sought her flesh.

She was like pure energy in his arms. He could hear the blood rushing in her veins and every cell in his body demanded nourishment, but he held back, not yet... Instead, he kissed a path down her body and relished in the fact he brought her pleasure.

She gave every bit of herself, but it was he who surrendered to her. She clung to him, sinking into him as they became one. T
hey moved together
and
the sensation was like nothing he had ever imagined—different…
better…
beautiful.

He could feel the
hunger taking over, the inner need to complete the change
. His limbs stretched, his blood burned,
and
his incisors elongated. He pulled away with a gasp, but she wouldn
'
t release him. Her hands held his face, forcing him to look at her. He knew from her expression that his eyes glowed red, but she wouldn
'
t let him go.

"
I will say the words because I know you must hear them. I forgive you, Bram. Do not mourn me. Make a difference when I am gone. Continue what we started. Find a way for the next Lathe Sith to survive the blooding. Do not let it end with us.
"
She turned her head
to the side
, exposing the tender flesh at her neck. She knew what he craved, what he wanted and she wouldn
'
t deny him.
Her hands
guid
ed
him toward
her.

Her flesh was
damp
and it took him a moment to realize it was his tears. His teeth ached, throbbed in his mouth. She moved beneath him, her hips encouraging him to finish what they started.

"Bram, please…"

He could not hold back any longer.
His teeth pierced her flesh and she arched her back. Her blood pooled into his mouth and he could no longer deny his instincts. He drank her in, her memories melding with his. She told him she loved him, but now he saw it, felt it with each pull of her vein. Her fingers dug into his back. Her body convulse
d
with pleasure and he followed close behind her
, but still he drank, his body demanding it
.
A part of him knew she was fading away, her life force waning, but it wasn't until she went limp in his arms that awareness broke through the bloodlust.

He pulled away
in
horror
. "No." His voice was a hoarse plea, a prayer to the gods to spare her. '
He brushed the damp hair from her face. Her lids were closed and a small smile curved her lips. She
appeared to be
asleep,
but he knew it was an endless sleep. He sat up and dragged her to him, cradling her close.
His chest ached, his sorrow so acute he could barely breathe. A
n unearthly sound vibrated
from deep inside him,
coming from his heart
…from his soul, washing over him in waves of anguish.