He stared at her as if she’d sprouted another head. "You will not be with Max."
She blinked in surprise at the growled command; then her pride rose up. "You're not my father; you can't tell me what I can and cannot do!"
His hands were on either side of her, pressing against the window as he leaned ever closer. "You're right, I'm not your father, but I am a part of you, and I am telling you that you will not be with Max."
She frowned at him, confused by his response. "Part of me? I don't understand."
"My blood flows in your veins, Arianna; it's how I found you. It’s how I will always find you."
Her mouth dropped open, her mind spun. She recalled their last night together when he’d taken her blood. After, she drifted in and out of confusing consciousness. She had dreamt he'd held her gently as he gave her something sweet and delicious to drink.
Disgust curdled through her at the realization the sweet drink had been his blood. At the same time, longing blossomed like a spring flower as she recalled the tenderness of that night.
"I don't..." she shook her head, trying to clear it of the fog clinging to her. "No, it was a dream. Wasn't it?"
The tension melted from his body, his hands were on her shoulders again as he stroked her neck. "No, Arianna, it was not a dream. It was my fault. I was so hungry—"
"You hadn't been feeding well because of me. To protect me!" she recalled with a gasp.
"Yes. They couldn't know I wasn't feeding on you. But I took too much, Arianna, you were just so delicious. I took far more than I anticipated, and the only way to keep you alive was to give you some of my blood. I linked us forever by doing so."
Tears burned her eyes; she looked away from him to stare at the wall over his shoulder. He’d also told her he loved her that night; it had all been hazy, but now she knew it wasn't a dream; she knew he’d said that as well. He told her he loved her, and she left him the next day.
"That's why Jack asked me if I shared your blood," she whispered.
His hands clasped her face, and he turned her back to him. The ferociousness in his eyes staggered her. "Jericho asked you that?" he demanded.
"Yes, when he came for me, when he saw the blood still on me, he asked if I had shared your blood. But I thought it was a dream; I was certain of it once he told me you were engaged." She thought his teeth might crack if he clenched his jaw any tighter. "Would he have left me there if I had answered differently?"
When he shook his head, his dark hair fell around his face and emphasized the hard planes of it. "I don't know what he would have done, Arianna. If anything, these recent events have made me realize I don't know my little brother at all."
Aria clasped his hands and held them tenderly against her face. She closed her eyes, savoring his gentle touch and the strength of him.
Yes, he did have a fiancée. Yes, she couldn't expect much, if anything, from him. However, he had loved her, he’d told her so. He hadn’t merely been playing with her to cause her more anguish when he turned on her.
"You said you loved me," she whispered.
He enveloped her in his arms as his body melded to hers. "Yes."
She wanted to cry again, for everything they'd almost had and for everything they had lost. For everything they could never have. But it was impossible to feel sad in his arms. It was impossible to hurt when he was kissing her forehead, nuzzling her ear, and touching her with such reverence and awe.
She let herself get lost in him. These past months had been so awful, but his touch eased all the rawness and sorrow clinging to her. His touch was the salve to the ragged lesion festering since their separation. For just this brief time, she needed to feel better.
She needed to feel him.
Chapter Five
Aria woke leisurely; her eyes were heavy, and sleep clung to her. It was the first time she’d slept without being plagued by nightmares since leaving the palace. The first time she didn't wake up in pain. The first time she could awaken and breathe easily again.
Her gaze instantly fell on Braith standing by the window and staring out at the darkening night. Aria savored in this blessed moment of peace, but all too soon reality crashed over her.
She bolted upright as she stared at the night sky. The day was gone. Braith turned toward her; his eyes troubled as he studied her.
"My family and friends are going to be so worried." Though the words were going to kill her to say, she said them anyway. "I have to go, Braith."
He turned back to the night, before looking at her again. "It's late, Arianna."
"I know, but—"
"Tonight, just stay with me tonight."
She stared at him wistfully; her mouth parted as her heart hammered with excitement. She so badly wanted to stay with him for this night, and for every night after this. She couldn't have those nights, but she could have this one.
Guilt briefly tugged at her as she thought of her family and friends, but it was only one night. It was the only night she would have for the rest of her life. It was wrong, she was being selfish, but for once she didn't care.
"Okay," she said in a hushed voice.
His mouth curved in amusement, and his head tilted to the side. "I expected more of an argument."
Her fingers played with the cushion of the couch. "I'm not always difficult."
"Could have fooled me. Come." He held his hand out as he walked over to her. She slipped her hand into his and smiled shyly at him.
He led her down a darkened hall, flicking on light switches as he moved. The mouthwatering scent of food hit her before they reached the kitchen. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stepped into the room.
Cheeses, bread, fruits, and meats were stacked neatly on two plates set up on the counters. She glanced around, wondering who had done this, but there was no one else within the small house. Her gaze fell on Braith, who watched her in amusement.
"You did this," she said.
"I'm not completely helpless," he replied.
She couldn't help but grin back at him. It was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for her. She didn't stop to think about what that said about her life; it wasn't worth it. She was good at getting by with very little.
"Come on; you're hungry,” he urged.
She didn't ask him how he knew that as her stomach was rumbling loudly and repeatedly. She settled onto a stool at the counter while he heaped food onto her plate. She cocked an eyebrow at him, amused by the amount of food he piled on for her.
"I'm not starving," she told him.
"You've lost weight again," he replied as he placed the plate in front of her.
Aria shrugged; there was no help for it in the forest. They didn't have enough to eat, and they worked endlessly.
"Thank you," she said.
He sat across from her and folded his arms over his chest. Aria studied him for a moment, feeling self-conscious as he watched her eat.
"What is this place?" she inquired.
"It belonged to my mother's family; it was their summer getaway."
"Really?" Aria glanced around the large, airy kitchen. "It's very nice. Will they come looking for you here?"
"Jericho and I were the only ones who ever came here, except for some cleaners once a week who replenish the food in case we bring a human with us."
"Why did the two of you come here?"
"To hunt, to get away. To be alone for a while."
"Get away from what?"
"From many things," he replied evasively. "Eat, Arianna."
She picked up a piece of apple and began chewing on it. She barely tasted its sweetness in her mouth as she contemplated his words.
"Will they come looking for you here?"
"No. I doubt my father remembers where this place is, and Caleb is busy. They won't notice I'm gone."
"What about Jack? Will he come here looking for me?"
Confusion filtered through his eyes before realization dawned. "I sometimes forget you call him Jack."
/> Aria smiled as she leaned toward him. "It's what we know him as. He certainly isn't a prince to us."
He grinned back at her and poked her nose before settling back in his seat. "I suppose he isn't. But no, Jericho won’t come here. I doubt he’ll think of it."
Aria nodded, relieved to know they wouldn't be disturbed tonight. A tremendous weight lifted off her as she eagerly dug into the delicious food. They exchanged stories as they talked. She told him what it was like to grow up in the forest with her father and her brothers, Daniel and William.
She told him things she'd been too frightened to say to him before when he hadn't known her father was the leader of the rebels. She didn't know much about her mother; she'd been killed when she and William were young. Her father didn't talk about her often; it was too painful for him. But when he did talk about her, Aria listened intently, eager to learn anything she could about the woman she’d never really known.
Though she told him many things, she didn't tell him any details about where they were located, and exactly how they operated every day. She believed she could trust him, but there was still too much between them to even think about giving him any of those details, and he didn't ask.
Though Braith listened to her, he didn't say much about his life. His mother was also dead. He didn't speak of his father much, and when he did, Aria got the feeling he didn't like him, and they didn't get along.
He barely mentioned Caleb or his sisters; he spoke a little more about Jericho. Though she caught the underlying tension in his voice, she also detected the only hint of fondness she'd heard toward any of his family when it came to his youngest brother.
She enjoyed listening to him talk and thought she could do so forever. Even though she knew that was impossible, she decided to pretend, just for tonight, that they could have forever.
It was amazing to be his equal for a change and not his slave. The moon rose high in the sky and was beginning its descent when he stood.
"You must be tired," he said.
She was tired, but she wasn't going to sleep. She wanted to savor every moment of this night. She could sleep tomorrow when he was gone and she was alone again. "I'm okay."
He slipped his hand into hers and pulled her against him. His hand wrapped around the back of her head as he cradled her against him. She relished the feel of his firm body against hers while she committed this moment to memory.
She gasped when he bent and scooped her into his arms. She stared down at him in delirious wonder as her fingers stroked his neck. His eyes, intense and burning, never left hers as he strode from the room.
He navigated the dark hallways with ease until he stopped at a door that he thrust open. He didn't bother with the light switch as he strode over and placed her tenderly on the bed. Aria watched him as he moved around, drawing the curtains shut and blocking out the fading moon.
Her heart hammered with excitement; her mouth went dry as uncertainty claimed her. She didn't know what was going to happen, what he expected, or what she was willing to give him. Even if she never saw him again, Aria knew she would never love anyone the way she loved him.
This was more than likely their last night together; if she was never going to see him again, didn't she want to give him everything she could?
He was as silent as a ghost when he came back and slid onto the bed beside her. He pulled her against him and kissed her softly. All doubts and concerns vanished; she wasn't going to think about it, not now.
He made it so easy to forget everything except for him. His hands caressed her face and her hair as he pressed her into the bed. His eyes were bright in the dim illumination of the room while his hands smoothly clasped each side of her face.
"You are beautiful,” he murmured.
She’d never thought she was, but Aria felt beautiful when she was with him. She felt as if she were the only woman in the world, and in some ways, to him, she was. She was the first woman he’d seen in years.
Tears burned her eyes; she didn't want to think about anything else, but she couldn't help it. This was it. This was all she would have of him.
"Arianna?"
She lifted her eyes to him and forced a smile. "I'm fine, Braith, I'm okay."
He kissed her nose and pulled her to his side as he rolled off her. "There are some other things I have to tell you, Arianna. I'm not looking to upset you, but I don't want you to be surprised by anything you hear about me."
She frowned as she lifted her head to look at him. He looked troubled, and his eyes were haunted.
"What is it?" she asked.
His fingers slid through her hair as he ran it through his grasp. "Before you, I never had a blood slave."
"I know."
"After you..." his voice trailed off for a moment; his fingers tightened briefly in her hair. "There were many."
Aria stared at him in surprise, and then the sharp stab of betrayal seared through her with the intensity of a lightning bolt. It took all she had to continue breathing through it. She had thought she was special.
No, she was special to him. She couldn't start thinking like that, couldn't let herself doubt that fact. It would ruin this small bit of bliss they’d managed to find together. He did care about her. She just had to keep believing it was true. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't.
"Why?" she choked out.
His gaze was relentless on hers; there was a defensive, almost defiant air about him. "I was trying to forget,” he said.
"Forget what?"
"You."
She understood the driving need not to think or feel anything anymore, if only for a brief time. "Did it work?"
"That's why I'm here."
She managed to smile feebly at him, but she couldn't shake her lingering hurt.
"I never gave them my blood, Arianna; I've never done that with anyone else."
She managed a small nod while she tried not to show how upset she was. She knew she was failing. "It's okay."
"Arianna, I thought... I don't know what I thought. That's the problem—I was determined not to think."
"I know, Braith, I understand how you felt, how it hurt to think, to breathe even. I know because I didn't want to think or feel anymore either. I don't like it, but I understand. It's... It's what you had to do."
She could barely speak by the time she finished, but she couldn't find it within herself to be angry right now. She hadn't been there for him, she'd thought he lied to her, and he’d believed she betrayed him. She couldn't be enraged when he was looking at her with such a vulnerable, needy expression.
He may not have given them his blood, but she was sure he’d done other things with them—things they hadn't even done together.
Aria quickly shut down the thought. It had no place here, this was their night, he was being honest, and she couldn’t fault him for that. He'd bared himself to her, even though it wasn’t necessary for him to do so; she was already in his bed.
She didn't approve of what he’d done, she would never condone it, but she wasn't going to let it ruin this night.
"And what did you do to stop thinking?" he asked with tension in his voice.
He had buried himself in women and blood. She had immersed herself in the woods and solitude. "Went fishing."
He lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "You went fishing?"
"Yes. I went to the lake almost every day to fish. It was so peaceful and I could lose myself in the serenity of it. Even when Max—"
"Max?" the name was almost barked at her.
She frowned at him. She had taken his disturbing news relatively well; he owed her the same respect.
"Yes, Max. He is my friend. He was also a blood slave, though his experience was far worse than mine. He needed the solitude, the peace, the company of someone who understood at least a little of what he endured. He would join me, and we would sit silently together."
"I think Max would like to be more than a friend," his voice was low, gravelly as he grated the words at her.
"Braith..."
She didn't know what to say, what to do. She started to deny it, but he was being honest, so she should be too.
"Yes, he does. And at one time I had a big crush on Max. He’s older, my brother's best friend, and my first kiss." Braith's hand tensed on the back of her head. "But before we were blood slaves, even before I met you, I decided it could never be between us."
His struggle to keep himself calm was evident in the tight press of his mouth. "Why not?"
Aria shrugged. "My life isn't one I would wish on anyone else, especially not a child. It's too brutal."
He was silent as he studied her before pulling her down to him. His lips were warm against hers, smooth, and soothing. His hand cradled the back of her head. She lost herself to him again, forgetting everything and everyone. The effect he had on her was amazing and absolute.
He kissed her lips, then her nose, before pulling back from her. "It will all be okay," he whispered. "Everything will work out."
She managed a wry smile as she nodded. They both knew it wouldn't be okay, but here, tonight, in his arms, she could believe anything. She fell into his kiss, losing herself to the touch and feel of him.
He was everything she’d always wanted and could never have. He rolled her over as his mouth moved leisurely down her neck. He pulled her shirt down to reveal her shoulders. He stilled, his lips hovering over the bite mark and she felt the sharp press of his fangs against her flesh.
"It's okay," she breathed, her fingers curling into his thick hair. "It's okay, Braith."
He didn't hesitate but bit down. Reopening the bite marks, he caused her blood to spurt once more. Aria arched against him, but the sting was sharp and fleeting. Then she felt the familiar tug of her blood.
But unlike the first time, he was not half starved and almost out of his mind with hunger. He was far more serene and caring as he moved over her. She clung to his rigid arms, tears streaming down her face as she savored in the joy of the moment. She never wanted it to end, never wanted to part with him as his pleasure slipped into her and his happiness filled her.
The Captive Series 1-5 Page 23