“Please sit down.” He waved to one of the lounges and Lucian sat, tugging me down alongside of him. “Can I get you something to drink.” He asked me, those pale eyes studying me closely, too closely. I just wanted to get up and run from the house.
“N…no thank you.” I said softly. “I…I can’t stay long. I…I came to see Luc...Lucian.” I turned to him. “Thank…thank you for the dress, shoes, for everything. I’ve come to tell you that I will... come with you on Saturday but would you, I mean could you…do you think you could come to meet the lady I’m looking after? She would like to meet you. You’re neighbours but you’ve never met?” I said, surprised. “How long have you lived across the road from her and you haven’t met her?”
“That would be my fault.” Fabian said. “We tend to keep to ourselves and the nature of our.” He paused briefly. “Our work has us more active at night, not so much by day.”
I shot Fabian a nervous smile before turning back to Lucian. “So can you come to meet Daisy?”
“Daisy; oh you mean Mrs Appleby? Yes of course I will meet her and I can’t tell you how happy I am that you have agreed to come out with me on Saturday.”
“Mrs Appleby must care deeply for you if she needs to meet my son to check his suitability for dating you.” Fabian’s lips curved up in a semblance of a smile.
I smiled my first real smile since I’d stepped in their house. “She’s so good to me. She’s become like a mother to me. I’m going to miss her when she’s better and has no further need for me. I don’t know where I’m going to go or where I will live to be honest.” I sighed. “I have to find something. I can’t, I just can’t go home.” I shuddered when I pictured the rage my father must have brewing towards me by now.
Suddenly there was the sound of the front door, then the click clack of heels on the marble floor. I immediately tensed, wondering who had turned up this time. There were so many of them living in this house and all of them appeared to be beautiful, seriously stunning to look at. It was like the cream of the crop in the gene pool was all in one home.
I looked towards the doorway of the living room as a woman walked in. She was tiny, not very tall, black hair that hung long and shining down her back, and eyes of a pretty jade green. She looked around us all, before her gaze fell on Fabian, and I watched her face light up as she walked towards him.
His face showed his pleasure at the sight of her too and he stepped forward, his arms snaking around her as he pulled her against him, his head lowering until his lips closed over hers.
As they became caught up in one another, her arms around him, his around her, pulling her close, I felt colour flood my cheeks and I turned away, suddenly embarrassed, meeting Lucian’s eyes. I could see a fire burning in them and his nostrils flared, his hand shifting restlessly on his knee.
Despite my embarrassment at the obvious and very public display of affection between Fabian and the woman who must be his wife, I found myself unable to look away. My breathing quickened, my heart rate increased and I felt my nipples harden and push against the cotton t-shirt I wore with my jeans. A strange sensation started low in my stomach and speared down between my legs making me feel hot and achy but for what, I wasn’t sure.
I tore my eyes from the passionate couple in front of me and turned to Lucian. He was watching me, his eyes burning with a heat that was almost scorching me as his gaze travelled over my face and down the front of me. He stared at my breasts where the nipples pushed up hard and clearly visible beneath my clothing, and then down to where I clutched my hands together in my lap, unsure of what to do next, or how to deal with these strange feelings flooding my body.
He reached out, his finger tracing my bottom lip and I sat there unable to move, my breathing quickening. Slowly he touched me, moving over my chin and down my neck, pausing where the pulse beat frantically. I saw his eyes lift to mine again as his fingers moved back and forth over that little tell-tale sign that I was nowhere near as calm as I was pretending to be. With every touch, my skin tingled and I whimpered, scared of these feelings that were running rampant through my body and unsure what to do next.
I watched as Lucian’s head came towards me, his eyes on mine and just as he reached me, his lips a hair’s breadth from mine, I heard someone clear their throat. I panicked and lunged back, the moment lost as my head whipped around to where I’d heard the sound.
My wide eyes landed on Fabian who was watching us closely, the tiny woman by his side, focused just as intently. I heard a soft groan from Lucian, just the tiniest of sounds, little more than a sigh under his breath and my eyes turned to him again seeing the frustration and disappointment in his gaze.
“Sirene, this is Lucian’s friend from across the road, Arissa and Arissa this is my beauty Sirene.” Fabian said, smiling at the woman by his side and I stared at them trying to imagine what it would be like to have a man who loved me like he obviously did. His eyes lit with something, they seemed to glow, to heat with some kind of fire every time he glanced down at the tiny woman by his side.
I managed to mumble some kind of nervous response but I did feel a little less intimidated when Sirene smiled warmly at me. “So you are the woman that has our dear Lucian in a state? I hope you’re here to accept his invitation to go out with him on Saturday night? I fear for the boy’s heart if you’re here to turn him down.”
I looked up into Sirene’s smiling face and felt myself relaxing a tiny bit. She seemed nice, kind and she was smiling at me. “I…I’ve already told Lucian I will go with him on Saturday night. I came to tell him that and to thank him for the things he sent for me.” I said, my voice quavering slightly.
“Things? What things?” Fabian’s eyes turned to Lucian and I watched him squirm. It would seem no one else knew about the dress he’d sent me and suddenly I felt worried that I had said and done the wrong thing.
“I sent Arissa a dress and shoes for Saturday since she doesn’t own anything suitable to wear out.” He said and when his eyes met Fabian’s I thought I could see a hint of defiance in them.
“How very noble of you my son.” Fabian’s eyes shifted to me. “So you are going to accompany Lucian? How nice of you to come and tell him so he didn’t spend another night frustrated.”
“That wasn’t the only reason for Arissa’s visit father, as she just told you. Mrs Appleby would like to meet me and test my suitability. She has become very fond of Arissa and vice versa.” Lucian said, turning his attention on Sirene. While he spoke, I watched him, almost mesmerised by his beauty. When he turned and caught me looking at him, I blushed and averted my gaze.
Fabian’s eyes shifted to me again and I found myself squirming under his intense gaze. “If Mrs Appleby is concerned about my son’s intentions for you little one, perhaps it might be best if we all went over to meet her and put her mind at rest. Still a part of me is curious; while my son is to be put under the microscope so to speak to test his suitability for you, who will be testing your suitability for him?”
I looked up at him, my eyes widening. “I…I don’t know what you mean? What do you mean who will be testing my suitability? I…I…I think I need to go now.” I whispered, standing, rubbing my suddenly sweaty palms down my thighs.
“Sirene, I think this would be the right time for you to assist Arissa, don’t you?” Fabian asked her and I looked nervously between the two suddenly aware that something was happening but not sure what.
I saw Lucian stand and step close to me. “What is happening father, Sirene? What do you have planned?”
“I want you to have answers my son.” Fabian said and I frowned, feeling more and more confused about where this conversation was going. I just wanted to get out of here now.
“Umm, I need to go.” I said tentatively but no one seemed to be paying attention. “Well, good bye.” I called and started to leave the room.
“When I give the command, you will answer any questions we demand.” I heard Sirene say and I froze, feeling suddenly a bit faint and n
auseous.
“Help her to a seat Lucian.” Fabian said quietly and I felt hands take me by the arms and lead me to the lounge, sitting me down again. “Now we have questions for you Arissa. Questions about why you are the way you are and you will answer honestly because, well, you have no choice. The spell will force you to be honest. Is that quite clear?” Fabian asked and I found myself nodding, unable to do anything else.
Lucian
Lucian looked down at Arissa once she was seated again on the lounge. She was awake but her expression was blank and her eyes had a faraway look in them. Sirene had cast a spell on her that was obvious, but for what reason he had no idea; but he sure as hell intended finding out.
“What have you done to her? Why is she under a spell Sirene? What do you intend doing with her?” He snapped at the tiny woman angrily before his accusing eyes turned to his sire. “This was you, wasn’t it? Why? What do you want from her? I won’t let you hurt her.”
Fabian chuckled quietly. “My son, you couldn’t stop me if I wanted to hurt her, and you know that, but I have no desire to harm this tiny, fragile looking woman you desire so much. I merely want to know why she is as timid and as lacking in trust of people as she appears to be. You said yourself her father has made her the way she is, and you suspect it’s because he’s controlling, but sadly I believe her behaviour to be the product of abuse from her father, abuse that is unspeakable. It pains me to even imagine it, but sadly I suspect this poor child has been horribly abused and hurt by the man who should have protected her and nurtured her.”
Lucian froze, shock making him unable to do or say anything for a moment. “What? You can’t be serious? No, no, you have to be wrong. What you are suggesting is completely abhorrent to me.” He raked a hand through his hair, his face pained. “No, god no; surely you are wrong. Her own father? He couldn’t, he wouldn’t.”
“I’m sorry son but it happens to children more than most would realise. We will find out if I’m wrong and for the record, I hope I’m wrong because this young woman should not be a victim of abuse, but we shall see. Hate me for getting Sirene to cast this spell on her, but let us at least see what is going on with her and be honest, wouldn’t you like to cut class and find out what you need to do to get closer to her; what you need to do to bed her, since you seem reluctant to use mind control so you can fuck her?”
Lucian’s eyes searched his sire’s looking for something to indicate this was a trick, or a way to use Arissa for his own amusement. Not for sex; Fabian would not try to fuck her. He was a one woman man since he’d met Sirene. She had tamed him quite a bit in the time they’d been together, and she’d brought out traces of a softer, kinder man. Despite that, it didn’t change the fact that his sire could and would occasionally mess with their minds; his way of keeping them all under his control, under his command.
The only ones he didn’t control were Dominick and Allegra but that was because they’d reached a tenuous level of respect for one another. Fabian had tried to have Dominick and Allegra killed and failed. Dominick and Allegra knew and yet they had saved Fabian’s life. With time, they’d all reached a kind of understanding. It was a case of ‘I won’t fuck with you, if you don’t fuck with me,’ which seemed to work for them all. Of course it helped that they didn’t live in Fabian’s house too. Dominick had his own home and he and Allegra lived there.
“You won’t hurt her?” He finally asked, his hand reaching out to push a strand of Arissa’s pale blonde hair back from her face.
“I’m not a monster, of course I will not harm her but you need to prepare for what we learn from her. It could be hard to listen to, and are you sure you will be able to look her in the eye afterwards and not be influenced by it?”
“I can do that; now please, begin. Let me learn the truth about Arissa. I hate to see her so timid all the time. Now that you’ve chosen to do this, I too am interested to find out what she holds locked away inside. I just hope you’re wrong with your suspicions.”
Chapter Seven
Lucian
“We’ll start with some easy questions for her Lucian and work up from there. I need to ask her things we know the answers to so we can be sure Sirene’s spell is working on her.” Fabian said. He touched Arissa on the shoulder so she would know he was talking to her. “What is your name?”
“Arissa Petros.” She replied.
“Let me ask her something please sire.” Lucian shifted closer to this woman who drove him crazy. “Where are you from? Where was home before you came to Tasmania?”
“The Central Coast of New South Wales.”
“Are you a virgin?”
“No.” Lucian’s mouth dropped open in surprise at her response. She acted like a virgin, he’d been sure she was one.
“Who took your virginity?” He asked, feeling himself tense as he waited for her reply.
“Father.” She replied, just one word, but that one word caused his stomach to twist, tension tightening in it, before rage began to simmer in him, building up and up until he shook with it. He stared at her, his expression tortured as his eyes travelled over her, her fragile, too thin form and he felt pain stab at him for what she had suffered and what that suffering had done to her.
“Oh god sire, you were right. How, how can her father have done this to her?” His eyes met Fabian’s briefly before turning back to Arissa. He reached out and brushed her silky soft hair back from her face.
“When did you lose your virginity Arissa?” Fabian asked.
“When father told me I was a big girl and needed to become a woman. He said I was ready. He said there is more to sex than just touching one another. I became a woman when I was 10. Father wanted me to lose my virginity on his birthday, I was his birthday present. Mummy was gone, she went to heaven and Father was lonely.” She said in such a matter of fact voice, like it was completely normal and Lucian struggled to keep himself under control. His hands curled into fists by his side. He wanted to hit something, no fuck it, he wanted to hit someone. He wanted to beat the shit out of the man who should have protected this girl but had used her and abused her for years.
“Oh god Lucian, I’m so sorry that this woman you have come to care for has suffered horribly.” Sirene’s voice was gentle as she placed a hand on his arm, seeing how tense he was, how tightly he held his body.
Fabian put his hand on Arissa’s shoulder and leaned closer to her. “Tell us what life was like growing up with your father little one. You are safe here. No one will judge you, no one will hurt you and your father can’t hurt you. He’s not here. You are safe.”
Lucian stepped closer to her and put an arm around her thin shoulders. “No sire. Do you think that’s wise? She might not be able to handle telling her story.” He paused for a moment, his eyes haunted. “I might not be able to handle hearing her story. I’m so angry, I just want to kill that bastard who did this to her. Ten, she was ten fucking years old when that fucker raped her, her own fucking father. That bastard will die, he’s going to fucking die!” He stormed off, circling the room like a caged animal.
“Calm down son. As hard as this is to hear, it will help you understand why this girl is the way she is. Trust me, her father, or that bastard whose seed made her will be punished. You will get your chance for revenge, but you must be patient, we all must be patient. If you want this girl, you will have to tread carefully with her. She obviously has no trust of men, why would she? We represent pain to her. She has probably suffered horribly at the hands of her father. You must prepare for the fact that she might never accept you son, she might never trust you, or allow you to bed her. She may well be too damaged. If you want this girl you will need mind control or perhaps Sirene can cast a spell on her to make her more.” He paused. “Accommodating.”
“I’m not using mind control on her sire and I don’t want Sirene to use witchcraft. I like this girl, I mean I really like this girl. I want her to come to me, to want me without it taking something to force that decision on her. Her ow
n fucking father has been taking advantage of her, her whole damn life. I won’t do it to her too by forcing her to do what I want with mind control. Not with this woman. I can’t do it to her, I just can’t. I will wait for her and try to gain her trust.”
“I can see you care deeply for this young woman, but can you wait as long as it might take to make her yours Lucian? You’re a walking mess of sexual frustration now. This could take weeks, months, years or even forever.”
“I can wait sire.” Lucian said but inside he wondered if he could. He wanted her so much. He’d spent several weeks already trying to make progress with her and nothing. Well, she’d agreed to coming out with him on Saturday night, but he already knew that would mean a chaste kiss at the end of it, and he’d have to walk away, his body aching and needy for her yet again.
“I think we should proceed with our questioning of this girl.” Fabian said. “We can’t keep her here all night. The old woman will wonder where she is.”
“Let me speak Fabian.” Sirene interrupted. She turned to the young girl seated, still under her spell. “Tell us when this first began with your father. How did your mother die?”
“I was six years old. Mummy started getting sick when I was.” A frown marred her forehead. “I don’t remember how old I was, but Mummy just suddenly stopped wanting to play with me. She was coughing and she got thin and so sick. She was always in bed and then one day not long after I turned six, she was gone and father told me she was in heaven.
Father didn’t do so well with Mummy gone. He cried a lot and called for her, wishing she’d come back to him. He loved her. He started coming to me at night saying he missed her and he needed me to comfort him.
I didn’t like that though. He would press up against me, and hold me so tight I couldn’t sleep properly and his breath would be hot and loud in my ear. He drank too and smelled of alcohol. It was awful. It made me feel sick.
Passion Follows Pain (Passion Series Book 3) Page 8