He pushed against her, shoving her harder into the mattress as he bit down sharply. She heard cartilage snap, her cartilage, but she didn’t care. It did not hurt; she didn’t feel anything above the sucking greediness of blood being pulled eagerly from her. She knew she should be afraid, knew that this was going far beyond her control, or his, but she wasn’t scared. As long as she was in his arms, she knew that she would never be scared again. If he killed her now she would not know a moment of fear, even though she could feel her blood being gulped eagerly into him. She could feel it running down her neck to stain the mattress and her slip, but she still did not feel one moment of fear. Instead, her heart swelled with love, her body boiled and swelled with it until it was overflowing from her.
It wasn’t until he growled low, and bit down even harder, that she realized the words I love you were spilling from her in a monotonous chorus that she could not stop until a wave of blackness washed up to ensnare her. She drifted in and out of consciousness, pleasant memories washing up to engulf her, before slipping ever so slowly away again. Dreams came and went, shadows spun throughout her mind. Braith was holding her, cradling her, whispering for her not to leave him, but she felt he should know that she would never leave him, and she told him so repeatedly.
He offered her something, it was on his wrist. But she pushed him away, telling him that she had all she wanted, she had him, but he made her take his wrist into her mouth, made her swallow whatever was on it. It was sweet, and it tasted like him, and though she hadn’t wanted it at first, she found herself taking more of it into her, clinging to him as she consumed what it was that he was offering. She thought she heard him whispering I love you as she drank greedily until she drifted slowly back into a profound bliss that she knew could never be pierced.
Chapter 13
“Aria! Aria! Arianna!” She groaned softly as she tried to roll away from the incessant hands shaking her, but they were clinging to her, refusing to let go as they shook her again. This time harder. “Arianna!”
She batted at the hands, trying to break free, but she was so tired and they just wouldn’t let her go. “Stop!” she protested.
“Get up Aria, you have to get up!” It was the urgency of the voice that finally pierced through the haze of bliss and exhaustion that clung to her. She cracked open an eye, frowning at the blurry face before her. It was too much effort to concentrate on the face, instead her eye drifted back shut and she snuggled deeper into the delightful bed beneath her. The voice swore loudly, then, before she knew what was happening, she was heaved up out of the bed and tossed over someone’s shoulder. She sputtered in disbelief as she was spun around in a circle and then dumped on the bed once more. “Get up Aria or I’m going to throw you in the tub.”
She blinked in surprise, trying to clear her blurry vision. Eventually her eyes began to focus; she frowned in surprise and disbelief as Jack came into focus. She gaped in horror, bolting upright in the bed as she pulled the comforter tight against her chest. “Jack!”
She was completely disoriented, out of sorts, and lost. She was in Braith’s bed, wasn’t she? But where the hell was Braith and what the hell was Jack doing here? “Where’s Braith?”
Jack had turned away from her, he was searching for something, but she didn’t know what it was until a pile of clothes was dropped in her lap. She stared at the pants and cotton shirt in disbelief. They were similar to the clothes she had worn in the woods, except these were pitch black instead of brown or light green. “He was called to a council meeting with our father. Get dressed. We have to go quickly, before he gets back.”
“Wait! What?” she gasped.
“We have to go Aria! Now!” he snapped impatiently. “Get dressed before he gets back.”
Horror flooded through her. Go? Now? Leave Braith? No, no she couldn’t. Not after last night, she could never leave him after last night. “No Jack, no I can’t.”
“Aria…”
“No, you don’t understand Jack. I can’t leave, I simply can’t.”
He seized hold of her cheeks, thrusting his face into hers. “You don’t understand Aria. This is our only chance at escape, if we don’t leave now then you will remain here, and your father will come for you and he will die. Now get up, and get dressed.”
She gaped at Jack, then at the clothes, then back at Jack. Her mind spun, her heart was thrumming. She couldn’t leave Braith, she couldn’t. She loved him! And though she wasn’t completely sure, she thought he might have said he loved her too last night. But it was all so hazy, so distorted and confusing, and it was all so wonderful that she could barely contain her excitement over it. Until the horror of this situation, right here and now, came surging back to the forefront.
“Aria…”
“No Jack, no. I want to stay. I can’t leave him, I don’t want to.” Jack’s eyes widened in surprise, the blue flecks in them were more clearly visible as he gawked at her. “Jack, please…”
“You cannot stay here Aria, I can’t let that happen. No matter what, your father will come after you.”
“No.” She seized hold of Jack’s hands. “Not if you tell him I’m dead Jack, that I’m gone.”
“Max…”
“Tell Max the same thing.”
Jack’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flared. He was staring at her as if he didn’t recognize her, staring at her as if he didn’t have a clue as to who she was. And truth be told, she didn’t really know who she was anymore either. All she knew was that her heart was with Braith and she could not leave him. “Max is here Aria, he knows you’re alive. He’s keeping lookout right now.”
Her eyes widened, her gaze darted rapidly around the room as she searched out Max, but she didn’t see him anywhere. Disappointment filled her; she wanted to see her friend again, at least once more. She wanted to make sure that he was ok, but she couldn’t leave.
“Then tell them I’m happy Jack, because I am. I… I…” She broke off, her fingers clutched at the blanket. She heaved a soft sigh before she turned back to Braith’s brother. “I love him Jack.”
Jack’s eyes widened, he sat back as his mouth dropped in horror. “Aria…”
She seized hold of his hand as she leaned forward. She was desperate for him to understand, desperate for him to hear and believe what she was saying. She knew what Jack was now, but she was surprised to realize that she still trusted him; that she still believed in him, and he was the only one that could help her right now. “I know it makes no sense, but I do love him and I want to stay with him.”