him
tightly, burying her head against his chest as she clung to him for
a long moment.
She pulled slowly away, her head bowed.
He grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head up to kiss her
softly. She melded against him, a soft sigh escaping her. He barely
registered the sound of the door opening and closing as he lost
himself to the wonderful feel of her. It was a long while before he
roused himself from her again, a long while before he pulled
himself away from the sweet taste of her mouth.
She stared unblinkingly up at him, a
small smile curving her mouth. “I am going to miss
that.”
He ran his finger over her swollen
lips. “I can come back,” he said impulsively. He had never intended
to come back, it was too much of a risk to her, but now faced with
the prospect of never seeing her again, the words popped out of his
mouth. “I will come back.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Braith,
you’re getting married.”
He shook his head, his thoughts turning
dark. The last thing he wanted to think about was his upcoming
wedding, and the bitch he was marrying. Especially not when he was
holding the woman he wanted to spend forever with. “I’ll come back
Arianna, as soon as I can. I will be back. I will find
you.”
She bit on her bottom lip, tears
spilled down her cheeks. “Won’t it be dangerous for
you?”
“I’ll find a way,” he vowed, stroking
her face ever so gently.
She smiled tremulously. He could tell
that she wanted to argue with him, wanted to tell him no, but
neither of them were strong enough to walk away. Not right now
anyway. She enfolded his hands in hers, clinging to him for a
moment longer. He kissed her again, before taking hold of her hand
and leading her over to the door.
Jack was standing near the forest, his
back to the house. He turned at the sound of the door opening.
Arianna’s hand clutched tighter around his, a tremor worked its way
through her. She didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to end their
wonderful time together on a bad note, but she had to. “The blood
slaves Braith, do you…”
“There will be no more Aria.” She
stared at him for a long moment, wanting to believe him, needing to
believe him. She could forgive him for these past months, she hated
what he had done, but she understood what had driven him to it. She
could not forgive him, or understand if he continued on such a
path. There could be nothing between them then; he would not be the
man that she loved if he continued to hurt her people. Seeming to
sense her hesitance, he bent over her, his hand stroking over her
cheek. “I swear Aria there will be no more blood
slaves.”
She smiled wanly as she managed a small
nod. He kissed her gently, his attention turning away as Jack came
toward them, his eyes weary and sad. “Make sure that she stays safe
until I can come back,” Braith grated.
“You’re coming back?” Jack asked in
surprise, his mouth dropping as he stared at the two of
them.
Braith glared at him. “Yes.”
CHAPTER 7
Aria glanced up at Max as he stepped
closer to the map laid out in the middle of the cavern. His eyes
were dark and intense as he stared down at it, his eyebrows drawn
tightly together. William stood beside him, his arms crossed over
his chest as he bit thoughtfully on his bottom lip. Aria’s father
was talking softly, his dark head bent over the map as Daniel
traced a line through it with a stick.
Daniel was the only one of them that
had inherited their mother’s fair coloring. His hair was wheat
colored; his fair skin speckled with freckles that made him appear
far younger than his twenty one years. His eyes were the same
bright blue as Aria and William’s. Aria sat back on her heels, her
legs were cramping up, but she couldn’t move away from the map. She
was far too fascinated, and horrified, by it.
Her gaze drifted slowly to Jack. He was
standing off to the side, his arms folded over his chest as he
stared at the back wall. Ever so slowly, his gaze came
tightly, burying her head against his chest as she clung to him for
a long moment.
She pulled slowly away, her head bowed.
He grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head up to kiss her
softly. She melded against him, a soft sigh escaping her. He barely
registered the sound of the door opening and closing as he lost
himself to the wonderful feel of her. It was a long while before he
roused himself from her again, a long while before he pulled
himself away from the sweet taste of her mouth.
She stared unblinkingly up at him, a
small smile curving her mouth. “I am going to miss
that.”
He ran his finger over her swollen
lips. “I can come back,” he said impulsively. He had never intended
to come back, it was too much of a risk to her, but now faced with
the prospect of never seeing her again, the words popped out of his
mouth. “I will come back.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Braith,
you’re getting married.”
He shook his head, his thoughts turning
dark. The last thing he wanted to think about was his upcoming
wedding, and the bitch he was marrying. Especially not when he was
holding the woman he wanted to spend forever with. “I’ll come back
Arianna, as soon as I can. I will be back. I will find
you.”
She bit on her bottom lip, tears
spilled down her cheeks. “Won’t it be dangerous for
you?”
“I’ll find a way,” he vowed, stroking
her face ever so gently.
She smiled tremulously. He could tell
that she wanted to argue with him, wanted to tell him no, but
neither of them were strong enough to walk away. Not right now
anyway. She enfolded his hands in hers, clinging to him for a
moment longer. He kissed her again, before taking hold of her hand
and leading her over to the door.
Jack was standing near the forest, his
back to the house. He turned at the sound of the door opening.
Arianna’s hand clutched tighter around his, a tremor worked its way
through her. She didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to end their
wonderful time together on a bad note, but she had to. “The blood
slaves Braith, do you…”
“There will be no more Aria.” She
stared at him for a long moment, wanting to believe him, needing to
believe him. She could forgive him for these past months, she hated
what he had done, but she understood what had driven him to it. She
could not forgive him, or understand if he continued on such a
path. There could be nothing between them then; he would not be the
man that she loved if he continued to hurt her people. Seeming to
sense her hesitance, he bent over her, his hand stroking over her
cheek. “I swear Aria there will be no more blood
slaves.”
She smiled wanly as she managed a small
nod. He kissed her gently, his attention turning away as Jack came
toward them, his eyes weary and sad. “Make sure that she stays safe
until I can come back,” Braith grated.
“You’re coming back?” Jack asked in
surprise, his mouth dropping as he stared at the two of
them.
Braith glared at him. “Yes.”
CHAPTER 7
Aria glanced up at Max as he stepped
closer to the map laid out in the middle of the cavern. His eyes
were dark and intense as he stared down at it, his eyebrows drawn
tightly together. William stood beside him, his arms crossed over
his chest as he bit thoughtfully on his bottom lip. Aria’s father
was talking softly, his dark head bent over the map as Daniel
traced a line through it with a stick.
Daniel was the only one of them that
had inherited their mother’s fair coloring. His hair was wheat
colored; his fair skin speckled with freckles that made him appear
far younger than his twenty one years. His eyes were the same
bright blue as Aria and William’s. Aria sat back on her heels, her
legs were cramping up, but she couldn’t move away from the map. She
was far too fascinated, and horrified, by it.
Her gaze drifted slowly to Jack. He was
standing off to the side, his arms folded over his chest as he
stared at the back wall. Ever so slowly, his gaze came
Similar Books
