Refugee (The Captive #3)(13)
She ignored Aria with an ease that was astounding, and infuriating, as her gaze wandered lustfully between Braith and Ashby. “You can take us to him now.”
The woman was taken aback, her eyes finally focused on Aria for a brief moment before she shook her head, obviously finding nothing remarkable in her. Aria was half tempted to hit her. “Braith,” Ashby hissed.
“If you’d like to feed from her go ahead.” Braith’s words were clipped and harsh. His body vibrated with tension. Ashby was staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Do what you must, but do it quickly. I plan to leave before nightfall.”
Braith turned away, leaving them staring questioningly at his retreating back as he moved deeper into the dwelling. Aria remained unmoving, dismayed by what had just happened. “Aria.” She couldn’t turn her head to look at Ashby, couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze as she stared at the doorway Braith had disappeared through. “Aria you have to talk to him.”
Finally she was able to look away long enough to meet Ashby’s fevered gaze. “He needs to feed Aria, he’s weakening and he’s becoming more unbalanced. Giving you his blood drained him further. He needs this Aria.”
She managed a small nod as she slowly closed her mouth. “He has to understand that you can’t be his only human supply, it’s not possible.” He was right, she knew he was right, but it caused a physical ache in her chest to even think about another woman nourishing Braith. “I don’t like to do it either, it’s most certainly not something I enjoy, but I must, and so must Melinda. Maybe if there were more animals around and you hadn’t been wounded it would be different. He’s not going to put up much of a fight if he’s malnourished, he’ll get injured.”
It was those last three words that spurred her forward. She had to go quickly, or she wouldn’t go at all. If she stopped to think about it…well no, she couldn’t think about it. She just had to focus on getting him to feed, getting him strong again and making sure that he didn’t get hurt.
She found him outside, leaning against the house, his arms folded over his chest and his legs crossed before him. “Braith.” She broke off, unable to get the words out as her chest and throat constricted. It took her a few tries before she was finally able to speak. “Braith you must.” He kept his head bowed, refusing to look at her. “Braith…”
“And you would approve of this?”
She swallowed heavily; her eyes burned. She tried to tell herself it was from all the sand and dust, but she knew it was from the tears she was struggling not to shed. Not in front of him anyway, not if she had any hope of convincing him to do this. “I don’t like it.” She hedged, unable to lie to him. “But you’re weakened, and you need blood. If it can’t be mine…”
“Then it will be no one’s.”
“You can’t deny yourself. You need it to survive.”
“I need you more.”
“Braith…”
“I’m not arguing with you on this Arianna. It won’t do any good anyway.”
She started in surprise. “Of course it will.”
He lifted his head and finally looked at her. “No Aria, it won’t. Yours is the only blood I crave. None of them, none of those blood slaves after you satisfied me.” The words were almost purred; they caused the hair on Aria’s arms to stand up.
“Then take mine.”
His nostrils flared and though she had sensed his interest in the woman, it was nothing compared to the blast of hunger that vibrated from him now. Her mouth went dry. She thought self-preservation should kick in, that she should run screaming back into the house and away from him, instead she found herself wanting to run to him. She was losing her mind, and it was all because of him.
“No.”
She inhaled deeply, straightened her shoulders and thrust out her chin. “If you’re going to be stubborn about feeding from others, then you can’t be stubborn about this. You don’t have to take much, just enough…”
“It’s never enough!” he snapped. “That’s what you don’t understand. It’s never enough. Every time I taste you I think maybe my thirst for you will weaken, that maybe it will ease, and I won’t crave you so badly. But the yearning only increases and I find myself insatiably craving more and more.”
She was stunned speechless. She hadn’t known, she hadn’t understood, she couldn’t understand, not as a human anyway. But she did know one thing, he needed nourishment, he was stubborn, and she was here. Without thinking, she pulled at the knots on her arm as she stalked toward him. The cloth fell free, exposing the gashes as she thrust her arm out to him. Yes, she had completely lost her mind, tempting him like this, but there were some things that needed to be done, even if he couldn’t see that. His weakness could get them all killed, it could get him killed. Her life was a small thing compared to their far greater goal, and the lives of so many others.
“You being unable to fight won’t do us any good. I will not stand by and watch you starve yourself because you think you will hurt me. You will not hurt me. It’s either me or her Braith.”
Though shadowed by his glasses, she knew his eyes were latched onto her arm, and the droplets of blood that glimmered on her skin. “Either way I upset you Aria,” he grated.