He kissed her quickly before spinning away from her. “I just need some time alone with them, with him. Stay in here.”
She didn’t have time to argue with him as he closed the door. Anger and disbelief surged through when she heard the click of the lock pop into place. Her hands fisted, she bit her bottom lip in frustration as she fought the urge to race at the door and pound on it until he opened it again. It would appear childish, she knew that, but she also knew that she was not going to be confined to this damn room, and she was not going to let him order her around like this.
She spun toward the other doorway, making her way swiftly through the other rooms. As she moved through the ramshackle house the rooms and doorways became more haphazard. It was easy to tell what had been the original house, and what the newest additions to the massive tree structure were. The floor creaked beneath her, but she was not afraid that it might collapse, it seemed solid enough. She passed by an extended version of the library, a rather large and surprisingly well equipped kitchen, a den, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms with showers. Wonderful showers that if they were here long enough, and things settled down, she was going to enjoy.
Then, there were the empty rooms, apparently built just to keep Ashby busy during his time of confinement. The additions wound deeper through the forest, branching off into new and different angles. Limbs from the trees had been used for support and incorporated into the rambling structure. Despite its empty air, and slightly lonely feel, there was something about it the strange house that intrigued and soothed her. She had always been more at home within the trees than anywhere else; this was the kind of place that she could live in. This was the kind of place that she could one day call home. It was a strange realization, one that was shocking even to her as she’d never thought of a stable home, but it felt right somehow.
She came to the end of the structure, stopping as she came face to face with the wall before her. Frustration filled her, she had been hoping that this wandering labyrinth somehow came back around on itself, but it did not. Fighting the urge to kick the wall in anger, Aria fisted her hands and spun back around. She wanted nothing more than to be with Braith, but she was not going to be relegated to this small role, she was not going to be ordered about and hidden away like a child that could not fend for herself.
She could fend for herself; in fact she was far better at it than almost anyone else she knew.
Maybe she wasn’t as quick and strong as a vampire, but she had her own set of skills that elevated her above most humans. She stormed back through the rooms, determined to have it out with Braith. She was making her way through the kitchen when he appeared in the doorway. She could see the barely contained fury simmering beneath his surface; sense the thin thread of control that he had over himself.
Aria froze as she took him in. He was being pushy and overbearing, but for the first time she glimpsed the fear he was trying to keep from her. The fear that he wasn’t going to be able to keep her safe, that he would lose her. She also saw the strain he was going through at having to face Ashby. The stress that seeing the man that had betrayed him, and blinded him, for nearly a hundred years was putting on him.
Braith’s eyes were smoldering, his shoulders rigid. Need radiated from him, his hunger was nearly palpable within the room. He had fed recently, but the stress of their current situation was clearly wearing on him. She felt that he hadn’t even realized how hard, strenuous, and draining this would be on him.
She couldn’t promise him that they would be safe, that they would make it through this, but she could help to ease the burning hunger throbbing from him. She reached up, pulling the collar of her shirt down, baring the fresh marks upon her skin. His eyes sparked with yearning, she could see the press of his fangs against the inside of his clamped mouth. A muscle twitched in his cheek. She didn’t jump when he slammed his hand against the wall, causing a few pots within one of the cabinets to shift and fall with a soft rattle.
“It’s too soon. No.”
The words were grated at her, harsh with the struggle he was waging with himself. “I can take it.”
“You were hurt today, wounded. No.”
He was going to fight her, she knew that. No matter how much he needed this, her safety was number one with him. And if he felt that he was going to hurt her, or that this would be a danger to her, than he was not going to do it. But she was far more stubborn then he was, and she wanted this just as badly as he needed it. She was beginning to realize that she craved him feeding from her as much as he craved her blood. Despite the brief pain the experience brought her, it also brought moments of pure, unadulterated joy. It was thrilling and wondrous to be able to sustain him with blood, her body. It was exhilarating to have him on her, in her, gaining strength from her. She may not be the only one that he could gain such nourishment from, but she was the only one that he wanted to feed from anymore, and he needed her now. If he was going to have any sort of relief, she was the only one that could give it to him.
Her heart thumped with the excitement of that knowledge as she moved slowly toward him. “Arianna.”
His voice was a soft plea, and though all she wanted was to give him whatever he wanted, she could not back down from this. He may not feel it was safe to feed from her right now, but he did need to. She stopped before him. He reached forward to pull her shirt up but she caught hold of his hand, resting it against her chest, on top of her heartbeat.
“Do you feel that?” His eyes were dark, stormy as he raised his gaze to hers. She knew that he could feel it, it was impossible not to feel the fierce beat of it. “It’s yours. I am yours Braith. I’m strong, I can handle this; take what you need for me.”
Though he was still vibrating with hunger, his eyes were also filled with awe. His fingers curled against her chest, he bent to her kissing her forehead lightly, then her cheek, and ear. “I am yours also Arianna, never doubt that.”
“I never will,” she vowed.
His hand curled in her hair, caressing her gently. Though his finger trailed over the old marks, he did not bite her, but simply stood over her, soothing and stroking her. He shuddered, his hard muscles rippled against her, she felt his struggle, his weakening, his hunger. He kissed her neck softly, his lips pulled slowly back. The hard press of his fangs caused her heart to lurch with excitement, need blasted through her. A low moan of pleasure escaped, her knees nearly buckled as he bit into her, joining them completely. She was clinging to him, shaking as waves of ecstasy crashed over her. No matter how awful the world around them was, this exchange, this one moment of perfect bliss, and pleasure, was worth every horror she was certain was coming their way. If it wasn’t already here.