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.

He pulled away from her, nuzzling her gently, licking the lingering drops of blood from her skin. He had not taken as much as he normally would have. “You need more…”

“I’m fine.”

“Braith, you need to stay strong. You need to take more.”

He cradled her face gently, stroking her cheeks lightly. “It is too soon for you.”

She swallowed heavily, trying to rid herself of the lump forming in her throat. Though the next words were going to kill her, she managed to strangle them out. “Then you must go to someone else.”

His hands stilled on her, he lifted her face to him. She could not stop the tears that spilled down her face, could not hide the pain that such a thought caused her. It would be awful for him to turn to someone else for this, awful for her, but he needed to feed. He needed to stay strong, especially now, and she could not give him all that he needed at the moment. Maybe one day, when there wasn’t so much pressure and strain on him, she could be enough. But that was not today, and it probably wasn’t going to be anytime soon. They both needed to accept the fact that he would have to go somewhere else, to someone else, and there was nothing that either of them could do to stop it from happening.

“That thought does not make you happy.”

She bit her bottom lip, shaking her head at him as he wiped the tears away. “No, of course not. But I would rather you stayed strong than have you get hurt because you were hungry, or weak.”

“I will not be either one of those things.”

“Braith…”

“I will find other ways Arianna. I will substitute what you cannot give me with animals.”

“Is that the same?” she whispered.

He smiled softly at her, kissing her nose lightly. “It may not taste as good, but it is just as nourishing. But then, nothing tastes as good as you.” She shook her head at him as he pushed her hair back. “You’re the most delicious thing I’ve ever encountered.”

Aria shuddered; a chill ran down her spine as delight filtered through her body. “You don’t have to say that,” she breathed.

“It’s true.” His hand was on her neck, his palm pressed over the marks upon her. His marks. “I don’t want anyone but you Arianna. The idea of it is repulsive to me, especially since I know it hurts you.”

“I don’t want you to suffer.”

“I will not suffer and I will not turn to someone else. You are mine Arianna, you will always be mine.” His voice rang with possessiveness, she could feel his tension spiking again. It was the first time she realized that it wasn’t just this entire situation that had him so out of sorts, but also her. It was a frightening and disconcerting realization, she didn’t know how to help him, how to ease the stress thrumming through him. “The thought of you turning to someone else makes me want to destroy this entire place. Makes me want to shred someone limb from limb. I would not inflict such hurt upon you.”

She stared at him in surprise, disturbed by the rapid change she sensed him. Disturbed by the fact that she was a large part of the instability she sensed growing inside of him. “I would never do that,” she promised. He was dark, hard, and distant in a way that he had not been since she had first met him within the palace walls. For a moment it seemed as if he didn’t see her, as if he was trapped in the thought of her with another man. “Braith, I would never turn to someone else. You are the only one that has anything that I want.”

He swallowed heavily, she didn’t think he was aware of the fact that his sudden instability had caused his fangs to sprout forth again. He closed his eyes for a moment, when he opened them again she was relieved to see a softening in his gaze. “I know Arianna. I know you wouldn’t.”

“Never Braith. Never.” She hoped that her insistence would help to get through to him, but she still sensed something dark and turbulent beneath his calm outer surface. His hand was tense upon her neck, his grip almost painful. “The thought is repulsive to me Braith.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you seem so troubled? So angry?”

He looked slightly startled by her observation, his gaze darted to his hand. Horror rolled through his gaze, his hand loosened on her. He shook his head, his eyes filled with a self hatred that rattled her. He pulled his hand away, taking a small step away from her. “I’m sorry Arianna; I did not mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t,” she assured him quickly, terrified by the strange gap she felt widening between them. A gap she didn’t understand, just as she didn’t understand what was going on with him. She reached for his hand, grabbing it tightly in hers. “Braith you could never hurt me.”

He did not look appeased by her words. He didn’t even look as if he believed them. “We should return.”

“Braith, what is wrong?” she demanded, becoming frightened by the strange air that now encompassed him.

He grabbed hold of her, pulling her against him. A small gasp of surprise escaped her. He fell to his knees before her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He clung to her as he rested his head against her stomach. “You humble me Arianna. I do not deserve you; I did nothing to earn your love, or the gift of light that your presence has brought back to my life.” Arianna was frozen, shocked at the sight of the most powerful creature she had ever known, her prince, on his knees before her, broken by the anguish pouring from him. Anguish she did not understand.

Tears spilled from her, her chest constricted in pain. She buried her hands in his hair as a soft cry escaped her. She bowed over him, cradling him against her, trying hard not to give into the powerful sobs that wanted to escape her. He was humbled by her, he felt that he did not deserve her, and yet if it had not been for him she would still be dead and lost inside. She may well be dead if he hadn’t been there to intervene. If it wasn’t for him, she never would have known the joy of love, the wonder of things that she had never understood and never wanted to, until he walked into her life. If it wasn’t for him, she never would have learned what life was truly about, she would have lost out on so much without his love to save her.