City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood (46 page)

“I can’t do that to him.”

“Then I will kill him instead.” Haley felt her chelae extend and her body tense.

“No! You promised you wouldn’t possess me like this!”

“I promised I would not come to you against your will and I have not.”

Before Haley could argue, Orin shot across the room, knocking Deshi to the ground. The Prince screamed as Orin proceeded to shred his back. Not
feeding
. Destroying. Violence.

No-no-no-no!

Haley charged, hitting Orin and taking him into a roll across the floor. She drove her chelae into his ribs and smashed him into the wall. Plaster cracked and rained down like snow. Flesh tore in her hands as Orin wrenched himself free to turn on her. Teeth sank into Haley’s shoulder. Bone cracked and split. Claws penetrated her hips, tearing a scream from her throat.

Heat rolled through Haley’s chest. Scales slid under her skin. Medan’s strength flowed down her arms and Haley threw Orin off, sending him tumbling through the air. The kitchen table exploded in a hail of splinters when he landed on it. Haley got to her feet and went to Deshi.

“Are you okay?”

He didn’t even have time to answer before Orin was heading right for them. Haley met him head on, her chelae punching into his ribs and through his lungs, and Orin’s going right through her shoulders. Haley’s metaphysical energy burned, throwing power into her legs and arms. Human muscles screamed and ripped at the same time they burned and healed.

But Orin was stronger, faster. He yanked, taking Haley back, and slammed her to the floor. His hands twisted, snapping her collar bone.

Deep in Haley’s skull Medan roared, and right behind the pain flowed the burn of a fire lung. “Do it now, Child, or I will kill him.”

Haley didn’t want to. God of Man, she didn’t want to take away who Orin was. She stared hard into those merciless depths which were his eyes and found nothing. Orin was already lost. Under her hands she felt his skin roll and his muscles realign.

He was going to Shift.

Haley pulled everything she had, forcing her body to heal, and at the same time drew on her true form. The joints in her arms popped and muscles thickened, scales rose and she shoved Orin away, blowing out the still Human muscles in her back and splitting the skin. Orin went over and she slammed her jaws into his shoulder, punching through his flesh and into bone. Wasting no time, she pressed her tongue into the roof of her mouth and dumped her scent.

Haley knew Orin was shredding her back and sides in a frenzy of violence, but she didn’t feel the pain. Which mean Medan was taking it for her so she wouldn’t lose her grip. Her body heaved as she worked the bite, shoving the pheromone deep, pumping it into his blood. Under her Orin screamed and jackknifed towards the ceiling as the metaphysical lines between them formed, tightened, and her pain and fear became his.

One more push of scent and she felt his temp spike. There was no urge to tear out Orin’s throat like there had been with Farley. Orin was old, strong. Her instincts said this was a Male of worth. Something to
keep
.

To
own
.

Orin went slack. With the panic and urgency gone Haley’s
need
flared as she worked the bite. Her Human-instilled ethics pleaded with her to stop but her Female instincts were in control. She pulled Orin closer when he stirred. His hands came up and over her shoulders and small needy sounds bubbled out of his throat. Haley popped her bite free and buried her face into his neck. His arms tightened around her and she could feel his arousal pushing against her stomach.

Haley expected the RHage infecting Orin to be something Violent and intrusive but instead it came across the ties like a warm heat sliding into her chest, filling her with a low burn. The sense of power was unmistakable.

And for some strange reason it felt like it was right where it belonged.

With a hiss Orin rolled Haley over. The kiss he landed against her mouth was clumsy at best. But he didn’t care. It got him what he wanted, what he
needed
--her scent, her taste. His teeth clipped her lips and he caressed the cuts with his tongue. Haley arched under him, and the raw metaphysical lines between them let him feel everything.

Words came out of Haley’s mouth but Orin couldn’t understand them. The ringing in his head was so loud he felt like one giant bell. But he couldn’t shake the distinct feeling of something missing, something obtrusive, dangerous, and painful. The RHage. Orin sucked in a breath and it sounded almost like a sob. Gone. It was gone. Which meant Haley had Rolled him. Only if that was the case, why wasn’t he spent? He blinked, trying to remember what happened, how they had gotten on the floor covered in blood, clothes torn, bodies black and blue with bruises.

Then he felt it, the unmistakable hum of the connection between a Female and her Marked. Hell, Orin had a century of personal experience with the sensation. He told himself he was wrong, then the dull ache in his shoulder drove the truth home.

God of Man, what had she done?

Orin blinked and in a rush it all came back to him. He shoved Haley away and scurried back until he hit the wall.

Rage tore out of his chest and he screamed. “God of Man, what have you done, Haley?” Orin pawed at the ugly mar of flesh on his shoulder. “What have you done to me!” He clenched his eyes shut and balled his hands into fists, trying his best to regain control.

Orin tried shoving everything down, hiding it, suffocating it, but it wouldn’t leave. He could feel Haley. Inside him, over him, filling him up with a tidal wave of emotion. The Violence was gone, replaced by her, every piece of her inside him and there was no locking it down, no hiding it away.

Haley crawled closer to him. “I’m sorry, it was the only way.”

Orin’s eyes peeled wide. “This wasn’t…a part…of….it,” he spat from between clenched teeth.

“I had to, Orin. You were going to kill us.” Haley reached for him and Orin lashed out, catching her in the side of the head. She went to the side and Orin lunged for her throat.

He could hear Deshi yelling at him to stop, but Orin was powerless as he followed Haley to the floor, pinning her under him. He’d trusted her. He’d believed she was different. And now she had infected him. He squeezed her throat but even when her windpipe folded under his grip she didn’t fight. Fear commanded Orin to kill her to save himself from what he would become. No control, no self thought, nothing that was his, just an extension of her.

But no matter how much he wanted to hate Haley in that moment, to hurt her, he couldn’t. The metaphysical lines humming between them tightened and he could feel everything, her shame, her regret, her fear… Her thoughts were a crash and ebb of emotional tide he had never experienced. A Human emotional grid. The thing Orin had envied became a horrible reality.

The onslaught of it all made the room tilt.

Hands touched his face and Orin tried not to look at her. Looking at Haley made it worse. Holy shit, touching her… Her scent covered Orin’s tongue and palate.

He had to get out of here!

Orin threw himself off and tried to run but he was too tired, too weak. With his body stripped of Serena’s RHage he was suddenly drained like his battery had been pulled. He staggered on unsure legs, hit the wall and cracked his head on the doorway. Spitting juicy curses, Orin struggled to get his feet under him. He looked up and saw Haley approaching, looking concerned.

He pointed a finger at her, “Stay the fuck away from me.” She surprised him by stopping.

Clothes. He needed clothes ‘cause he was going outside. Because in here he was drowning. There was too much in his head. Too much sloshing around inside his skull.

After another clumsy attempt to stand Orin made it into the bedroom, where he threw the gaudy trunk thing Deshi had brought up into the floor, making it vomit up all his fancy-smancy clothes he was so damn proud of. Orin grabbed a shirt. He shoved it on, not bothering with the buttons. On the end of the bed was Deshi’s coat. He took that too.

Asshole was rich, he could buy another one. He turned to leave but Haley stood in the door.

“Get out of my way.”

“Orin...”

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!” She still didn’t move so he hit her. A good one, right in the mouth. It busted her bottom lip wide open and spun her onto the floor. Every instinct in Orin cringed for such a vile act against a Female, but he told his instincts to shut the hell up. He’d stood by while Medan ripped Serena’s throat out. And he had
belonged
to her. As far as he was concerned his fist in Haley’s face was nothing but a goddamned love tap.

Orin lurched forward. In his attempt to get away, he tripped over one of Haley’s legs and hit the floor. To add insult to injury he mashed his own nuts on impact.

Frustration became a scream and Orin shoved himself up just as a hand locked on the damn tracking bracelet around his ankle.

Good God, didn’t she know when to quit?

“Orin, don’t leave. Please…”

Yeah, right. Like he was going to stay here. No way. There was no way he was going back down this road again.

“Fuck you!” Orin yanked away, almost fell again, and bumped into an end table with a lamp. It hit the floor with a clunk and the bulb burst. He walked right through the glass, not caring that he took half of it with him in the soles of his feet.

Orin headed for the elevator and wouldn’t you know it, Prince of Perfect had the fucking nerve to flash him one of those blue-eyed pissed off glares. The jerk opened his mouth to say something and turned a little like he might come at him, but Orin cut him off with a snarl. “Keep the fuck away from me or I swear to you I will eat out your throat.”

And then the asshole had the nerve to look at Orin like it was his life that was just thrown down the shitter.

Orin slapped the Lobby button and the door closed. On the way down he tried to button the shirt but someone had disconnected his hands from his brain. He gave up and yanked the overcoat tight around him, feeling all the more like a professional pervert. Didn’t matter, it would keep him covered until he could get out of here, and away from her.

God of Man, how could he have been so stupid? All these years of Females trying to mark him and he’d been so careful. But then, he’d never thought it would be Haley.

When the elevator opened into the lobby Orin moved, pulling what metaphysical heat he had left to hide himself and headed the only place he could.

An hour later and after almost two miles through night-covered side streets and private back yards, Orin fished out the key to his front door from under the stepping stone near the porch. He unlocked it, slid inside and shoved it closed. With a flip he threw the lock home. As if it would do any good if Haley came knocking. The scent of his domain filled his nose and the muscles in his chest eased a little.

Mr. Jingles encircled his feet and let it be known he was one unhappy cat, having been left behind. Orin managed two steps before his knees gave out. His exhaustion was a mix of violence, fear, shame and the metaphysical ties. All together it made for one hell of a suicide drink.

Mr. Jingles kept meowing, spinning, turning, purring. He put his dainty little feet on Orin’s shoulder and bumped his head against his cheek.

“Good to see you too.” Orin tried to raise his hand but it just weighed too much. Haley had taken everything he had. His strength. His metaphysical heat. His freedom.

Mr. Jingles let out a yowl, then darted into the kitchen. It sounded like he was standing next to the fridge begging for his evening hand outs. Poor cat was gonna waste away without his plate of fresh shrimp. Orin almost laughed but wound up with a burning wetness in the corner of his eyes which flowed like a river down his cheeks.

On some deep level Orin knew Haley had marked him to keep him from going to Rehbek’ah, but it didn’t change the results. He was
owned
. He
belonged
. He was forever a servant to Haley’s
need
. Stripped of who he was. And now…now there was all this stuff…feelings, sensations, and it hurt. Goddamn, it hurt.

Orin’s chest muscles jerked and were chased by a horrible sound coming out of his throat. The weight of it all was so powerful it drew him forward and onto his side, racked him…destroyed him.

It was then that Orin realized with a terrifying awe that he was crying.

When Farley opened his eyes he was alone. Heikman was gone. Not that he was going to miss the son-of-a-bitch.

Fuck, he hurt.

And if that didn’t beat all, his face was glued to the carpet. The blood made a sticky sound as he peeled himself free.

He needed food and warmth but they were at opposite ends of the room. Farley dropped his head between his shoulders and decided to head for the shower first, only because it was closer.

In a slow crawl he made his way across the carpet, leaving a trail of green. When he hit the cold tile his legs kicked and his arms folded.

Maybe he should have gone for the food first.

Counting to three, with intentions of forcing himself up when he hit the magic number, Farley concentrated on getting his legs and arms to work. But there was no telling how long he’d laid there on the carpet stuck to the floor like a fly on glue. The damage Heikman had done was extensive; Farley didn’t need a mirror to figure that out. He could feel it. With the burn gone he only had the pain, because no one had offered him blood to heal.

In the Dens even the most violent encounters led Farley to
feeding
from someone. The
need
was like that, a two way street of want. Even the most dominant Male liked to have blood pulled, and after they were sated, they were more often than not in a pretty giving mood.

Apparently the same couldn’t be said for Heikman.

Though, it did occur to Farley that might be his fault. After all, he’d jacked the Lesser-Bred high enough to commit a carnal act of violence. Losing that kind of control screwed with a Human’s head. And there was enough Human in Heikman the man was probably speed dialing his shrink right now.