Renegade

by Erica Stevens

  He pulled slowly away from her, kissing her softly, holding her tight as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Don’t cry Arianna.”

  She couldn’t stifle the tears, or emotions streaming from her. She ran her hands over his beloved face, wanting to savor every detail of him before they were separated again. For good. He pulled slightly away from her, biting deep into his wrist. She watched in wide eyed wonder as blood flowed from him. Unlike the last time, she would remember this exchange.

  She felt she should be repulsed by the idea of drinking his blood. The vampires were her enemies after all, they always had been, but she could not bring herself to feel revulsion as he held his wrist out to her. The need in his eyes was glaringly obvious, and she was not going to turn him down. She would never hurt him in such away. She took hold of his wrist, watching him as she brought it to her mouth. His eyes sparked with desire, and love.

  His blood was sweet as it flowed into her, powerful as it seeped into her cells. He kissed her forehead gently, his nose rubbing briefly against hers as he nuzzled her. “I love you too Arianna,” he breathed, his mouth hot against her ear. His words only caused more tears to flow.

  ***

  Aria woke to the smell of something delicious cooking. She smiled softly, stretching out upon the comfortable bed as her stomach rumbled in eager anticipation. She didn’t know what he was cooking for her now, but it smelled wonderful. Upon crawling out of bed, she discovered the bathroom, and the shower. Drawn by the lure of hot water, she was unable to resist climbing into the shower and staying in there for a very long time. She discovered the robe after forcefully removing herself from the dwindling heat.

  The robe smelled of him, which made it even more irresistible to slip on. The soft material felt fantastic against her bare skin. She hesitated a moment, self conscious about going bare beneath the robe, but she wasn’t ready to put her clothes back on. They weren’t filthy, but they most certainly weren’t as clean as the robe, and she wanted to enjoy her brief reprieve for a little while longer. She didn’t think Braith would mind anyway.

  She slipped from the room, following her nose as she padded silently down the hall. “Something smells amazing, and I’ve decided the shower is the best invention ever.”

  She turned the corner, holding the knot on the front of her robe as Braith came into sight. He was standing in the kitchen doorway, his back to her. She frowned, uncertain as to what he was doing there. His head turned toward her, his gaze was dark and stormy as he caught sight of her. There was also fury blasting from his eyes. She hesitated, her feet staggering slightly on the hardwood floor. She didn’t understand the rage in his gaze, didn’t know why it would be directed at her. They had been fine when they had fallen to sleep, better than fine even. She had never felt so content and happy in her life.

  And now it seemed as if the sight of her was enough to send him into a rage. Aria began to shake; her hands trembled on the knot of the robe. What was going on?

  His eyes narrowed slightly, and then his hand slammed into the doorway with enough force to splinter the wood. Aria gasped in surprise, jumping slightly as the wood cracked loudly and bits of it scattered to the floor. Her heart jumped in surprise, but she still did not feel any fear, not of him anyway. He wouldn’t hurt her she knew that, she just didn’t understand what was wrong with him right now.

  He turned slowly away from her, his back ramrod straight, his muscles quivering with tension. Aria looked slowly away from his rigid back, her eyes widening, her mouth dropping as she caught sight of Jack on the other side of the room. He was standing by the door outside, staring at her. There was surprise in his features, but there was also confusion, fear, and a deep sadness that shook her.

  It was then that she realized their wonderful world of bliss had been forever shattered once more. “Aria,” Jack greeted softly.

  She stared at him for a moment longer, then fear and horror tore through her. She wanted to reach out to Braith, but her hand remained frozen on her knot. She didn’t know what to say, what to do. She was practically naked, standing in their family house, her hair wet and straggling. She knew what it all looked like, and she didn’t care. What she cared about was the fact that Jack had found them. That he had come here to ruin their brief time together, again. Anger spurted through her, they’d had so little time together as it was, and now it was over.

  She glared at him, her hands fisting at her sides. Jack quirked an eyebrow as he studied her questioningly. “I’m assuming you didn’t force her here,” he said softly.

  “No,” Aria responded, when Braith didn’t.

  Jack stared hard at her for a moment before turning his attention to his brother. “What are you doing Braith?” Jack asked quietly.

  Braith’s body remained ramrod straight. Fury radiated from him, shaking the arm that was slammed into the wall. Aria knew that it was more than just Jack being here that was shaking him, but also the fact that their time together was over. They both knew Jack was here to take her back, and there was nothing that either of them could do to stop it. She had to go back to her world, just as Braith had to return to his. Neither of them could hide away forever, it was impossible.

  “That’s none of your business,” Braith growled.

  Jack’s eyes flashed with anger. “It is my business. She’s a young girl, you have no right…”

  “I’m not a child!” Aria interrupted sharply. “And you are not my father, or my brother, Jack.”

  Jack’s eyes were hard as he stared at her. “No, your father and brothers would have come in here looking to kill; they would have been disgusted to find you like this.” Aria recoiled from his harsh words, her mouth parted, she felt as if she had been slapped by him.

  “Don’t,” Braith snarled, his hand clenching on the ruined doorframe. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

  “You have no idea what you have gotten yourself messed up with here Aria,” Jack continued as if Braith had never spoken. “And yes, you are a child. Especially when compared to us. You are a small blink in our lifespan Aria. You should know better Braith, I thought better of you than to do this with a young girl, a human girl no less! What the hell are you doing!?”

  Braith bristled at the reprimand, the muscles in his back rippled. “Like I said before, that’s none of your business.”

  Jack’s eyes widened slightly, he shook his head. “How did you even find her? What are you even doing outside of the palace?” Neither Braith nor Aria answered him. Jack glanced rapidly between them, then his shoulders slumped slightly and his gaze landed upon Aria. “You lied to me.”

  Aria shook her head. “I didn’t lie to you.”

  “Then what the hell do you call it!?” he exploded. “I asked if he had shared his blood with you! You told me no!”

  “I’m not going to tell you again to watch how you talk to her!” Braith warned.

  Aria reached out to him, grasping hold of his arm as she sensed his rapidly unraveling control, he was nearing a volatile snapping point. She didn’t want them fighting, not only were they brothers but she had a feeling that they would destroy this house, and each other, if they did. And the last thing she wanted was for either of them to be hurt.

  “It’s ok Braith.” He relaxed slightly, but a tremor remained in his muscles, and she was not fooled into thinking that he wouldn’t attack at a moment’s notice. “I didn’t remember Jack; I thought it was a dream. I didn’t lie to you on purpose, it was…” She didn’t know what it was, she couldn’t explain it. “I’m sorry Jack.”

  “Don’t apologize to him,” Braith told her.

  “You put us all in danger,” Jack scolded.

  Aria bit on her bottom lip, her fingers wrapped tighter around Braith’s arm. She stepped closer to him, needing his touch to soothe her raw nerves. He glanced back at her, his eyes softening as he took her in. She stared up at him for a moment, trying hard to calm her racing heart. He finally released his hold on the wall, pulling her tighter against him, but al
so moving her slightly behind him. Jack watched them silently, his eyes narrowed as he studied them.

  Aria rested her forehead against Braith’s chest as she took a deep breath, trying to calm her raw, savaged nerves. Braith wrapped his hand around the back of her head, holding her tight to him for a long moment. He bent his head to hers. “Why don’t you go get dressed Arianna,” he whispered in her ear.

  She shook her head, her gaze darting back toward Jack. “No, I’m not leaving you.”

  “It will be ok,” he assured her. “I’d much prefer you in clothes though, ok?”

  She wanted to put clothes on, she felt slightly vulnerable at the moment, but the last thing she was going to do was leave the two of them alone together. “No Braith.”

  He sighed impatiently, his eyes narrowed as he studied her. She could sense his frustration with her, but she was not leaving here if there was a chance that they were going to hurt each other. “Go Aria,” Jack told her.

  She shot him a fierce look. “Jack, we may be friends, but you need to stop treating me like a child.” Jack’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Both of you,” she added, turning her attention back to Braith. “I’m not as old as you, but I’ve seen and experienced a lot. So no, I am not leaving here until I am certain that you will not kill each other.”

  Braith’s jaw clenched tight in annoyance, Jack’s mouth quirked in sardonic amusement. “Well apparently she disobeys everyone, even the mighty future king,” Jack drawled. Braith shot him a fierce look. “Are you going to be his queen Aria? Oh but you could never be the queen there’s already somebody set up to produce heirs for him. Will you be the mistress then, the kept woman?”

  Hurt speared through her, she shrank from the sharp reminder that she could not be his queen; that she never would be. There was already another woman in line for that. Her fingers dug tighter into Braith, she struggled to breathe through the pain constricting her chest. “That’s enough!” Braith snarled. “You say one more word and I’ll rip your throat out myself Jericho, do you understand me!?”

  “One more word of the truth?” Jack demanded.

  Aria clung to Braith as he tried to pull away, tried to lunge at his brother. “Stop Braith, please. Just stop, both of you, stop!” Braith tried to shake her free, but she somehow managed to insert herself in between the two of them. “Stop!”

  Aria was breathing heavy, terrified that she was about to witness two brothers kill each other. She didn’t realize that the sleeve of her robe had fallen down, exposing her shoulder, until Braith grabbed hold of her, pulling her back as he yanked the sleeve up to cover her skin and the dark mark upon it. It was too late though, Jack had not missed the fresh wounds upon her body. He stared at her covered shoulder for a moment longer, before finally lifting his startled gaze to hers.

  “I told you, I am here willingly,” Aria said softly, defiantly.

  CHAPTER 6

  Braith held the robe tight around her, surprised to realize that she was not wearing anything underneath. He had at least expected the thin nightgown he had set out for her, but perhaps she had not noticed it, or she had simply chosen not to put it on. Either way, she was not wearing clothes. He didn’t know if he was more excited by this prospect, or infuriated by it. Though, if his brother hadn’t been standing there, Braith knew what the answer to that question would have been.

  Arianna seemed oblivious to his surprise over this new development as she continued to glare at Jack; her chin raised in defiance, her eyes narrowed in anger. Braith’s gaze turned back to his brother. “I came here willingly, and I know that there is no future for us Jack. You don’t need to continuously remind me of something that I am painfully aware of. I wanted this. I needed this.”

  Though her voice was strong, Braith could see the tears burning in her eyes. “Aria,” Jericho said softly, looking lost and dumbfounded. Her fingers curled fiercely around Braith’s arms, she clung tighter to him, shaking slightly.

  “I know everything,” she told him. “I know it all and I accept it for what it is Jack.”

  “Do you know about the blood slaves?” Jericho demanded fiercely. “The many he has kept in the past months? Do you know what he has done to them, with them Aria? You are not special!”

  Though Braith still thought of him as his brother, he was beginning to realize more and more that this man before them was no longer the Jericho he had known, but was in fact more the Jack that Arianna knew him as. This was not the same brother that had left the palace, it was not the same Jericho that Braith had grown up with, and been close to. This man was a stranger, one that seemed determined to rip Arianna away from him. He didn’t think it was because Jericho had romantic feelings for her, but in fact had come to think of her as a sister, or a good friend. One that he was trying to protect, unfortunately Jericho seemed hell bent on trying to protect her from him. And hell bent on hurting her, and tearing her away from him, in his desire to try and keep her safe.

  Jericho just didn’t realize that he was trying to keep her safe from someone that would die to make sure that she stayed that way also. And Braith knew that the man across from him was no longer Jericho, but was in fact, the man that he had rebuilt himself into. He was now this creature called Jack.

  Arianna glanced up at him, biting hard on her bottom lip as her eyes swam with tears. Anger spurted through him; she had been hurt and jerked around enough. He could not stand the fact that she had to experience even more of it. He cradled her face lightly in his hands, savoring in the feel of her silken skin. “I know,” she said softly.

  Braith rested his forehead against hers, taking a small moment to steady himself. Taking a small moment to enjoy the peace and splendor she brought to his hectic world. The last thing he had ever wanted to do was reveal to her what a monster he had been these past couple of months, he was immensely glad he had now.

  “Jesus,” Jack whispered. He pulled a chair out from the table and slid limply into it. “What have you done Braith? What have the two of you done?”

  Braith kissed her softly, holding tight to her for a long moment before pulling slowly back. “I put some clothes out for you; they’re on the chest in my room. Please go get dressed Arianna.” She glanced at Jack, her forehead furrowing in consternation. “We’ll be fine,” he assured her.

  She paused for a moment more before finally nodding her consent. He watched as she moved swiftly down the hall, glancing wearily back at them. She hesitated before slipping around the corner and disappearing from sight. Braith turned slowly back to his brother, folding his arms firmly over his chest as he stared hard at him. Jack didn’t know that Braith could see the incredulous look on his face, didn’t know that he was watching his brothers every move.

  “What is this Braith?” he asked softly.

  “I don’t know,” he answered honestly.

  Jack frowned at him, his hands curled upon the table. “She may think that she can handle this, but she can’t Braith. She’s strong Braith, she’s seen a lot, but she’s also very innocent to the ways of the world. You didn’t see her after I took her away from there. You don’t know her the way that I know her…”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Braith demanded.

  Jack sighed as he leaned forward in his chair, clasping his hands before him on the table. “I’ve been in those woods for six years Braith. I’ve seen firsthand what these people suffer through, what our kind has forced them to suffer through. I’ve known Aria for over four years now, she’s proud, she’s wild, and she has one of the kindest hearts I’ve ever known. She’s been broken ever since I pulled her out of that palace. She may think she can handle this, she may even feel that she is prepared for it, but compared to us she is just a child Braith. And it’s obvious that she’s in love with you.”

  Braith shifted slightly, glancing behind him to see if she was coming back yet. He was bristling, resentful of his brother’s words, and the fact that Jack seemed to think he knew so much more about her. “She is more than a
child,” he grated.

  “She is seventeen years old! You are to be king; you are to be married…”

  “I don’t need you constantly reminding me, or her, of that fact!” Braith snarled. “I was not lucky enough to be born the middle, or youngest son. I was not lucky enough to get the chance to leave that place, and all of my responsibilities, behind. I was not lucky enough to escape father’s brutality!”

  Jack was silent for a long moment. “I know that Braith, probably more than anyone, it was why I wanted to leave in the first place. Though, at the time I had wanted to win father’s favor by doing something daring, and treacherous. I wanted to earn his respect, and I wanted him to think of me as more than just a punching bag. But once I was free, and amongst these people, I realized just what a monster he is by living amongst the people that he has hurt even worse than us. Aria’s family, and Aria, is the biggest contributors to this realization. She’s special, I care for her, and I do not want to see her hurt anymore. You’re my brother, I love you, but I’ll never return there. These are my people now, I need to protect them.”

  “And you think that I won’t protect her?”

  Jack studied him for a long moment. “I think you will try, but there is only so much you can do. You hate father as much as I, but you have always been big on responsibility, and duty. You will not turn your back on that. It is why I did not tell you that I was going to take her. I knew you would stop me simply because it would weigh heavily on your conscious to be involved with such treason.”

  “You have been gone for a long time Jack; you don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about,” Braith growled.