Deadly Sin (Cassandra Farbanks) (26 page)

“Now was that really necessary?” DJ stared at me stunned. “Why do you damn werewolves turn everything into some kind of pissing contest? As I don’t remember anything I’m calling the whole thing a wash!”

“You can’t,” he started to say, but I cut him off with a look.

“I can’t what? Can’t do that? What did you think was going to happen here? That I would agree to make this a regular thing? Let you guys devise some sort of roster to share me? Or that you could ask me to choose? You could ask, but my answer wouldn’t make you happy.”

“I don’t think you should make any decisions right now,” he said trying another tact, “you’re a little upset.” I growled at him and he got that was the wrong thing to try.

“Upset? Now why would I be upset?” I turned and stomped back towards the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and crashed down on my butt next to it. I pulled the robe tight realizing too late that it had been gaping. Shuddering at the idea I had been flashing them, I curled in on myself. I should have asked for more clothes before agreeing to come out.

DJ was going to be even more intolerable. Especially now that he considered he had a foot in the door, so to speak. Suddenly I was laughing. I laughed into my knees till my body rocked with it. I was laughing so hard I almost missed the sound of someone knocking on the door.

“The wolf has gone.” It was Jareth. “I have some clothes for you.” I moved over enough to pull the door open for him to slide the clothes through the gap. I closed and locked it again. I pulled the pile close so I could see what there was. The underwear and top were pink, but the skirt was small and black leather. I knew who these clothes belonged to. She was flatter than me, so the top was an experience.

I emerged from the bathroom better dressed to a degree. I imagined they ordered Dusk to lend me her clothes – no other way she’d have parted with them. She was the youngest vampire in the group. A lot of vamps preferred to dress in the clothing of their era. I thought the room was empty and was glad for that. I was still host to such a vast, unstable well of emotions. Anger, embarrassment, grief, guilt and regret. I headed at a quick pace for the door. I wanted to go home but I was scared. My wards hadn’t kept Rin out. If he touched me again I didn’t know if I could fight it again.

An arm wrapped around my waist and I froze, even as Aram laid his head against my shoulder.

“Do not go,” he whispered against my skin. I felt my blood rush about my body. Torn between my face and other parts of me, the lust hadn’t completely abated, or it was just because Aram held me.

“I have to. I shouldn’t have come here,” I said, sniffing back tears for the millionth time. If I’d gone somewhere else, kept to myself or tried to ride the spell out far away from people, Vincent wouldn’t be dead.

“You came exactly where you belong.” I shook my head back and forth trying to pull away from him, but his grip tightened and I started to struggle. Aram couldn’t forgive me for this. He couldn’t.

“No,” he growled the words and threw me so I crashed onto his bed. I tried to sit up but he was over me in a second holding me there, his head pressed under my breasts in the tight top. It probably hung looser on Dusk.

“Aram let me up.”

“No, please.” He raised his head and his face was streaked with bloody tears. “Please do not leave me again.”

“Oh honey.” I touched his face and pulled it towards mine. I kissed his tears and felt the zing of his blood pulse through me.

“I just need some time to go home, shower and put some decent clothes on.”

I wasn’t sure he was hearing my words. His eyes focused on the blood on my lips. He leaned down, pressing his mouth to mine. He kissed me hungrily like a parched man, and I was a cool glass of water. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back, feeling the slide of his body against me. I loved him utterly. I knew it in that moment. The kiss started to heat up. I could feel his hands moving between us, sliding up, what little of the skirt there was, to my hips. Before I could even gasp, my panties were gone and the sound of his belt slapping against my knee was the only warning of what he intended. Then he was inside me and I gasped. He bucked inside me and all I could do, all I wanted to do, was wrap my arms and legs around him. I could feel the wonderful sensations building as he worked in me like a mad man. When my breathing started to change, I could hear him speaking in a low, guttural voice against my skin.

“Mine,” he snarled, “all mine.”

“I love you, oh gawd,” I screamed as his pounding brought me. Part of my brain registered that it was nice I could still enjoy sex. The other part yelled at me,
what the hell am I doing?

“Aram?” I pushed at his shoulder. He nuzzled my neck and I felt the scrape of his teeth. He was looking for the vein. I shoved harder but he was insistent. I saw the flash of blue power trying to take over his eyes again as he looked at me.

“No. Aram! Aram! No more, stop.” Suddenly, I was screaming for a whole different reason.

Chapter Twenty-One

The door slammed against the wall. Other hands were there pulling Aram back. I realized it was Jareth. My scream brought him back to check on me. He held Aram back, struggling to return to both the bed and me. I made an effort to right myself.

“You should not have tried this so soon after such a powerful magic had hold of you. I do not think its effects have completely dissipated.”

“Hey, it’s not like I planned it. It just happened.” I tried to be mad at Jareth. Of all the people who’d been in the room, he was the only one that seemed …satisfied. He got what he’d wanted for months, bedding me without having a relationship. It really pissed me off that he didn’t even look embarrassed about that, but what did I expect from a really old vamp? He did, however, keep his eyes fixed on his brother while I recovered my panties and redressed myself.

“I am fine brother,” Aram said, a snarl still on his lips.

“You are calmer, but I think it best you two not be alone for a while. The temptation appears to be too great.”

“I can handle it,” Aram groused.

“I think not.” Aram righted himself and turned to face me. Our eyes locked and he started towards the bed again. Jareth’s hand on his arm stopped his progression.

“No Aram. You must not touch her, not for a little while.”

“Look at her and tell me you would not want her.”

Jareth turned to me and inhaled. His spine stiffened.

“I cannot.”

“She’s mine,” Aram said in clear warning. My eyes darted between them. Jareth and Aram both took long, deep breaths through their noses.

“Please Cassandra, try to stay calm. The fear is only making it worse.”

“I’m sorry. I tried to go, but he wouldn’t let me.”

I pushed off the end of the bed to my feet and wobbled, almost falling over. I felt really weak. I’d been out of the world for a few days. I’d not eaten and the healing bruises on my neck proved I’d donated a lot recently. Aram moved to steady me, but Jareth once again interceded.

“No brother,” he said, turning him away from me. “You will get dressed. I think the effects will be minimized if you do not touch skin to skin.” Aram grumpily retreated to his closet. Jareth turned back to me. “And I think it would be best if you did not display so much tempting flesh.” Jareth led me into his room. I saw where he held me. He’d put on leather gloves.

“Very good,” I said dizzily. He leaned me against the wall then entered his closet and brought out a white, button down shirt. I slid it on over the top and felt better covered. The shirt was too long for me so I buttoned up only a few in the middle and knotted the end above my stomach. He led me slowly from the room. We started down the corridor snail slow. I needed rest and something to eat. Not the something I got. A ball of blonde fury threw itself at me. The slap across the face stung, but not as much as it once would have. Tarquin seethed angrily at me. I couldn’t look him in the face. The same face he had shared with his twin, Vincent.

“You stupid bitch,” he screamed at me. “You killed him. Humped him to death.”

I covered my sore cheek with my hand and forced my eyes up. He glared at me something fierce.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?!” He raised his hand to slap me again. Jareth caught his arm before he could complete its swing.

“Enough Tarquin,” he growled, holding the young man’s arm tightly and stopping him from his attack. I looked into Tarquin’s eyes. They were big, blue and tear filled. I understood his pain. He’d lost his brother, his twin.

“It’s okay Jareth,” I said weakly. “I deserved it.”

“No, he does not have the right to strike you,” he growled defending my honor, and pulled Tarquin close to him. I watched as he locked eyes with the boy and slowly, Tarquin went into a deep trance. Tarquin fell against Jareth’s body. He was burdened with both of us as I was already leaning on him pretty heavily.

“Leave me here,” I said stumbling to the wall and using it to prop myself up. “Take care of Tarquin.” Jareth tried to juggle us both but I was having none of it.

I could hear the club noises down the corridor and already knew both he and Aram should be working. I’d stolen nights of their life away like some sort of goblin. I’d stolen Vincent’s life. I didn’t know how to reconcile my guilt. When Jareth was out of sight, I slowly slid to the floor and sat there deeply depressed. I didn’t cry anymore. My eyes were dry, but my whole body sagged. I didn’t have any energy or strength. I didn’t know if it was because of my emotional state or the fact that I’d missed three days. No meals, no sustenance and a lot of blood donation. If I were human, I’d be as dead as Vincent. As if on cue, my stomach growled. It echoed in the quiet of the corridor, sounding thunderous. I laughed, startled into a fit of giggles. That was how Jareth found me, bent over double, laughing like I’d lost my mind. His footsteps were hesitant as he approached me.

“Cassandra?” I noticed he stopped calling me Miss Cassandra. I guess all polite social tags went out the window when you’ve been intimate with someone – whether you remember it all or not. I also realized this was the second time in the last hour I’ve greeted Jareth with hysterical laughter. My emotions were such a mish mash right now that he couldn’t read them. I raised my head to look into steel blue eyes.

“My stomach rumbled,” I said in a soft voice. I sounded like a scared child. “I must be hungry.”

“I imagine so.” He offered me one of his gloved hands and I took it. He pulled me up on to my feet in one smooth arc and we continued to the club’s kitchen.

The kitchen was a long galley room that could only fit about two people side by side. One side was lined by cabinets and a stove and sink, including a small space for a microwave and kettle. The room was divided by a long breakfast bar with stools with just enough room to squeeze in behind to sit. Between the counter and the bar, at the far end, was a large, shiny, humming refrigerator.

“We restocked recently, so I should be able to create some sustenance for you.” I smiled and gave him a shove towards the stools.

“Take a seat Gary Rhodes. I think I can do it better myself.” He slid onto the end stool graciously.

“As you wish.” I pulled open the fridge and peered around the shelves. They were packed to busting.

“Why do you have so much food? None of you eat.”

“We stock it for employees and overnight guests. It keeps them happy.” I pulled out eggs and cheese and placed them on the counter. I searched the cabinets till I found a skillet and a jug. Jareth watched me curiously as I cracked eggs into the jug and cut up little cubes of cheese to throw into the liquid. I went back to the fridge to replace the items and pull out the butter. I heated the pan on the stove, dropped a big dollop in and swirled it about. I could still feel his eyes on me as I moved from stove to fridge and back again. I happily cooked the omelet, moving it about the skillet with a wooden spatula. My first clue that all was not well was the minute sound of metal scraping against linoleum. I could feel Jareth’s presence at my back and had no space to move out of it. His hand – it appeared the gloves were now off – slipped gently to rest over my heart. I gasped as the movie started a full-blown Technicolor mass of images. A showcase of every touch, every kiss, every… I gulped as the air grew thick and steamy. Jareth was with me in the memories. He pulled them into sharper focus. He made the haze pull back so he could experience the memory and emotion through me. I knew he felt my disgust within myself but ignored it, pulling a smaller hidden emotion to the fore. I felt strangely beautiful for a moment. Like a goddess being worshipped.

Then I smelled the burning. I shut it all down pushing power out of me and forcing the connection to break. Jareth stumbled back. I heard his weight fall against the breakfast bar. I looked down to see my omelet smoking. I pushed the pan off the heat and turned the flamed off before turning on Jareth.

“What the hell did you think you were doing? You warn your brother from touching me then risk it yourself.” Jareth kept his face to the side. Finally shame caught up to him. He damn well should be ashamed. He had absolutely no right to touch me.

“I’m sorry,” he said barely above a whisper.

“Well an apology is a start!” I huffed as I pulled open cabinets, rooting out a plate and fork. “You have no right to make me remember that. Did it even occur to you that you had no right to do that?” I took a seat and gave him a defiant look.