If she stayed here, she would forfeit her family, friends, and freedom forever. She would also have to die, probably sooner rather than later. If Aria left, she would be back with her loved ones, and in the life she cherished so much, but she would be leaving a big piece of herself behind. A piece she didn’t think she would ever find again; in fact, Aria was sure she wouldn’t.
She thought it should be an easy choice; her home, her life and her family, or a cruel and frightening life in a place she didn’t understand. It wasn’t even close to being easy though. Not when it meant she would never see Braith, or hold and feel him again.
That thought left her torn between freedom and a short, sweet life. She felt like crying, but she found tears wouldn’t come. Her eyes were as dry and empty as a desert. She sat for hours, unable to move as the sweet sounds of music drifted up from below.
The sun had set a while ago; it was late when Braith returned. She hadn’t realized she’d drifted off until she felt his arms wrapping around her. He lifted her smoothly from the window seat and cradled her against his chest as he carried her from the room.
“Braith?” she whispered, though she knew it was. She would know him anywhere.
“Go back to sleep, love.”
She curled closer against his chest, thrilled by his words as his strength and scent captured her. Her fingers threaded inside his coat, pushing aside the buttons on his shirt. She rested her palm against his solid chest and somewhat cooler skin. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of touching him as her fingers slid over his skin.
He placed her gently on his bed and pressed a kiss against her forehead before he pulled reluctantly away from her. She watched through half closed eyes as he pulled his coat off, tossed it aside, and disappeared into the bathroom. She listened as he moved about, fighting against the deep pull of sleep threatening to claim her.
He was back again before she knew it with his hand on her shoulder. “Would you like me to remove your dress?”
Her mouth went dry; her heart leapt as apprehension and excitement tore through her. Sleep was officially forgotten in the face of his question. It was only then she realized Maggie hadn’t returned. He must have told her to stay away for the night.
Would she like him to take off her dress? The relief to her ribs would be incredible, yet the intimacy of it terrified her.
She was wearing a slip beneath the dress, it was just as covering as the nightgowns, and she wanted the strings untied. And truth be told, she enjoyed the way he touched her. She swallowed before nodding. A smile flitted over his full mouth; it was so rare and fleeting it robbed her of her breath.
“So you have decided to reveal the stake to me?” he asked.
Her face drained of color. She’d completely forgotten about the stake, but after the events of this day, she hadn’t felt safe without it. “You knew?” she accused.
That smile was back; if he made it just right the dimple would reappear. She might have found it adorable if his question hadn't so rocked her.
“I knew,” he stated.
“How long have you known?”
“Since the beginning.”
She glanced down at her chest, her eyebrows drawing together as she studied her cleavage. She’d spent a lot of time in front of the mirror making sure the stake was safely concealed.
Leaning over her, his scent of spices and something almost earthy engulfed her. The heat of his body warmed hers even as a chill lingered from his revelation. His lips were just centimeters from her cheek.
For a moment, she lost her train of thought as her need for him to touch and kiss her consumed her. Her fingers curled around his upper arms; she had to hold onto something to stay grounded in the sea of desire threatening to overwhelm her. His biceps flexed beneath her touch, his skin rippled over his solid muscles.
“I enjoy looking down there also,” he murmured.
Her eyes flew wildly up to his. She thought she should feel outraged by his comment. Instead, her traitorous body was thrilled by it. “I...I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“That’s a first.”
Well, that sparked some anger from her. He chuckled, actually chuckled, as she glared at him. “Why did you let me keep it then?” she demanded.
He shrugged as he rested his hand on her waist. She completely forgot about being irritated with him as his presence overwhelmed her. Even through the fabric, she could feel the heat of his hand as it seared into her flesh. Her breasts tingled with anticipation as she instinctively pressed closer to him.
The pupils of his eyes dilated; his humor vanished as he focused on her mouth. Aria almost whimpered from the clamor surging through her body. His gaze focused on her lips before traveling over her body in a hungry perusal that left her feeling exposed and aching for something she didn’t quite understand but instinctively knew he could help her with. Only he could ease this ache building within her.
“I planned to see what you would do with it,” he said.
His eyes were back on hers as he leaned closer. Aria gulped, she almost pushed him away as she required some room to breathe, but she was mesmerized by him. Her hands curled around his arms; her thumb stroked the tantalizing flesh beneath the thin material of his shirt.
“I intended to use it against you,” she said.
“I know.”
“Then—”
“I was waiting to see what you would do. I was curious, but then if I’d known your true identity, I might have taken it from you a lot sooner.”
She expected him to retreat at the reminder of who she was; instead, his lips brushed hers as he spoke. The feathery caress of every word caused her heart to thump against her ribs in response. It was tormenting, this touching, yet not touching. She wanted him to end it, wanted him to kiss her again, yet she found she enjoyed the sweet torture.
“You would have actually attempted to drive it through my heart?” he asked.
“In the beginning,” she admitted. “And there’s been a time or two I was tempted.”
His laugh was low as it rumbled pleasantly out of his chest. “The feeling was mutual.”
She couldn’t help but grin at him. “I imagine it was. Though, I think I was far more tempted to stab Caleb than you.” His amusement vanished so suddenly she gasped in surprise. “Braith—”
“I won’t let him anywhere near you.” His lips against hers were not teasing and playful anymore but compressed into a severe line.
“I... I didn’t think you would,” she stammered.
“Caleb is not like me or Jericho. He’s the worst of everything bad about our species, and yours. I will make sure you’re not exposed to him again.”
“Is that why you send me away when he comes around?”
His muscles rippled beneath her hands; his lip curled into a small sneer. Aria’s hands tightened around him as his eyes flashed red. She stared, astonished by the slip in his control and the blatant reminder of what he was and what he was capable of doing.
Trepidation trickled down her spine; she was unable to release him as she sensed something within him that had nothing to do with his hunger for her. For a brief moment, his vulnerability was exposed to her.
Her heart ached for the man beneath this hardened exterior, the one who wasn’t like either of his brothers and most certainly wasn’t like his hideously cruel father. The man who read to her, tended her injuries, and touched her with such tender reverence.
Love swelled within her; she almost cried from the force of the emotion growing within her chest until it encompassed her.
“I send you away so he won’t see,” Braith said.
“See what?”
“How much I need you. How much stronger you make me and how much your loss would destroy me.”
When tears slid down her cheeks, he wiped them away with the pads of his thumbs. His fingers stroked her cheeks as a storm of emotion filled his eyes.
“What am I going to do with you, Arianna?” he breathed.
She shook her head; she had no answers for him, and there were none in this situation, not for them. She simply wanted to be with him, in this moment, and forget about everything trying to tear them apart. With a feathery touch, she ran the tips of her fingers over his full mouth. He shuddered in response, and his eyes darkened with desire.
“Let me get this thing off you,” he said.
His hands were gentle on her as he slipped the ties of her dress free, allowing her to breathe easily for the first time in hours as her aching ribs were finally freed.
“Why did you wear this thing with your ribs in the condition they are?” he muttered in annoyance.
“You chose it,” she reminded him.
His forehead creased. “I didn’t know it required these strings; I simply liked the color and thought it would look good on you. You could have said no.”
She breathed slowly in and out as she relished the full air in her lungs. “Maggie suggested that, but I didn’t think it would look right if I went against the dress you chose for me. Maggie’s a nice girl, but I don’t trust anyone in this place.”
He cursed as he sat back and rested his hand on her arm. He was no longer looking at her, but staring into the dark. She knew he was wondering if it would be best for her to leave, and the thought terrified her. It was best if she left, for both of them, but it was the last thing she wanted to do.
His hand rubbed her arm before he lifted her effortlessly to her feet. Aria stared at him in surprise, her lips parted. His full mouth curved into a smile as he slid the dress down her, letting it pool on the ground at her feet. Her face flared with heat as she stepped out of the material.
The handle of the stake poked out from the thin undergarments still covering her. His fingers brushed tantalizingly against her skin as he plucked it free and stared at it for a moment. His eyes were gleaming with amusement as he wagged the stake before her.
“The nightstand leg?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Destructive little human.”
He held the stake for a moment more before snapping it in half between his thumb and index finger. Aria’s mouth dropped at the display of strength. Granted, it wasn’t the strongest stake, but he’d snapped it with barely a flick of his wrist. She knew vampires were powerful, but she had a feeling there was a wealth of strength and power within him she hadn’t begun to see yet.
She imagined it was terrifying, and she hoped she never had to see it.
For the first time, she noticed his legs were bare, and he wore only a pair of shorts. Her mouth went dry, and her heart thumped with barely contained excitement. His thighs were corded; the muscles in them stood out sharply as he moved. Her pulse pounded as he unbuttoned his shirt and slid the material free.
She was gawking, she knew it, but she couldn’t stop herself from taking in the perfectly sculpted muscles ridging his abdomen, broad shoulders, and chest. Dark hair ran across his chest, before tapering toward an area hidden by his shorts. Her face burned hotter as she realized she’d followed that trail of hair all the way down to where it vanished from view.
It seemed as if someone decided to create the perfect man and had come up with him. And he was staring at her from under hooded eyes that made her toes curl into the thick carpet.
Holy hell, she was in over her head. She had no experience with this. There were bare-chested men in the woods, she’d seen male legs before, but none of those chests or legs had this much of an overwhelming, dizzying effect on her. She felt like a child at the same time she became aware of herself as a woman.
“Arianna?”
She glanced at him from beneath lowered lashes as she struggled to control her embarrassment; she failed miserably. “My friends call me Aria,” she said, for lack of anything else to say, or do.
His hand was gentle as it caressed her cheek, tilting her face, so she had to look at him. “We’re a little more than friends, don’t you think?” His voice was low and laced with passion.
There were no more words left in her; there was nothing she could say to that because it was true. They were more than friends, and at that moment she would have done anything he asked of her. She stepped closer to him and, resting her hands on his bare chest, she marveled at the broad, well-muscled expanse as her fingers trailed over it.
He was unmoving beneath her touch while he let her explore him as she saw fit. She yearned to touch all of him, but her fingers froze on the ridges sculpting his abdomen, just above the line of his shorts.
He pulled her forward; kissing her forehead as he held her flush against him. “You’re beautiful, Arianna.”
She blinked in surprise. No one had ever said that to her, and though she knew it wasn’t true, she couldn’t stop the thrill of pleasure racing through her at his words. It seemed as if he’d meant it.
“No, Braith, but thank—”
“Yes, Arianna, to me, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Tears burned her eyes as she searched his gaze, but all she saw was honesty and desire radiating back at her. Her fingers curled against his skin as love bloomed rapidly through her chest.
She couldn’t fight the tidal wave of emotion overtaking her. The burning in his gaze puzzled her as it was more than just sexual. Then, with sudden clarity, she knew what that look was. What he so desperately needed from her.
What he lacked that she could give to him.
“Did you feed tonight, Braith?” He shook his head; his eyes briefly closed as his thumb massaged her cheek. “Why not?”
“I cannot feed as often as I once did,” he answered.
She frowned at him, confused by his words, and then realization swamped her. “Because if you did, they would question what you were doing with me. What use could I possibly be to you if you still need to feed on others?”
He didn’t say anything, just looked beyond her at the back wall. His jaw clenched as he grated his teeth. His hand trembled on her cheek before he slid it into her hair. “It’s more than that, Arianna.”
She tilted her chin back to drink in the sight of him. He was magnificent, powerful, and for now, in this moment, it was just the two of them. There was no blood slave and master; there was no Jack and Max. Even her forest and family didn’t exist. It was just them, and they didn’t have to worry or fear anything else, not here.
“What is it then?” she asked.
He bent closer until his mouth was just inches from hers. The hand entangled in her hair, pulled her head a little to the side. His other hand traced her pounding pulse. His finger lingered on her neck as his eyes dilated to near pinpoints of hunger.
“Yours is the only blood I’ve craved since I set eyes on you,” he said. “Nothing else could completely satisfy me.”
A sob caught in her throat. She could only stare at him in awe as he bent to place a kiss on her throat. His lips were gentle, but beneath them, she could feel the press of his fangs. He tried not to let her know they were there but she knew, and more than that, everything in her thrilled at the thought of them.
She should be terrified, should be repulsed by the mere thought of allowing him to feed on her, but it was all she could think about. It was all she desired.
Her blood pumped more vigorously, goose bumps broke out across her skin. Her hands curled against his corded muscles as he dropped smooth kisses across her neck, her cheek, before brushing briefly against her mouth.
Aria’s knees trembled. She barely remained standing when his tongue flickered against her lips. Her mouth parted eagerly to his hungry invasion. His arm locked around her waist as he lifted her off her feet, keeping her pressed flush against him. Aria wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as he laid her on the bed and leveled himself gradually on top of her.
The weight of him was wonderful; everything about him was wonderful.
She never wanted this moment to end. She wished she could freeze time, that she could simply lay here with him and enjoy the miracle of this moment
. She wished they would never have to face the world or any of the horrible things in it again, but no matter what happened, she would enjoy this night.
They would have one moment of pure happiness and peace before the harsh reality they faced came crashing back.
His kiss became more urgent, fevered. She could feel the lust he radiated. Her head spun; her body was out of control as she held on to him, using him as an anchor in a suddenly turbulent world.
His hands moved over her in a whisper caress that caused her to tremble everywhere. His lips were on her neck, his teeth skimmed over her throat, but he didn’t bite.
He wouldn’t, she realized, unless she gave him permission.
She was close to tears when she turned her head to bury her face in his neck. She pressed her mouth against his solid flesh; clutching his arms as she tried to keep herself grounded though she knew it was impossible.
“It’s okay,” she breathed. “It’s okay.”
He didn’t seem to hear her at first as he didn’t stop kissing her neck. Then his arms locked around her and he drew slowly back from her. She pushed his dark locks aside as she traced the scars circling his eyes.
“Arianna?”
Her fingers moved over his cheekbones, then down to the curve of his full mouth. She trailed over his lips, but he recoiled when she touched his fangs.
“Don’t,” she pleaded, refusing to let him pull away from her.
His forehead furrowed in confusion, but he didn’t move any further away from her. She was startled to realize the sensation of running her fingers over his pointed teeth was tantalizing and breathtaking.
Aria wasn’t as frightened by it as she thought she would be, as she should be. He was far more powerful than her; he could easily kill her, yet there was no fear within her because it was Braith.
“It’s okay,” 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 anguish filled moan as he dropped his head into the hollow of her neck. His shoulders shook beneath her; the tension in him was almost palpable. “You don’t know what you’re asking for.”
The Captive Series 1-5 Page 16