Love Unfortunate (4 page)

"Forgive me."

Her submissiveness appeased Laurent’s volatile temper. He released his grip and began again. "You told me you were a runaway of no real consequence." Laurent paused for several moments, searching for the scent of drawn blood. "You remember telling me that lie, don’t you?"

Liana’s heart pounded with the sick rhythm of a condemned woman’s plea. "I lied because I had to."

"Hmm. Did you?"

"I didn’t know I was going to stay with you, Laurent. I never imagined I’d be here past one night. I didn’t tell you everything because I didn’t think you needed to know."

"Then once you stayed—why didn’t you say anything then?"

Liana felt her feet walk the same rutted path. Damnation loomed on their horizon but she couldn’t turn back. "Because I was afraid you’d reject me."

"So you were being selfish."

She wet lips gone dry. "Yes."

Laurent hauled her naked body onto his lap. Keeping one arm about her waist, he used his free hand to stroke her taut stomach. "You wanted to keep your human pet, is that it?"

"I didn’t see you as my pet."

"Liar." The word slid from his throat with serpentine grace. "You lie like a devil, little bird." Laurent flashed Liana a delightful smile. "You’ve already taken my heart and reason. Do you wish my soul as well?"

"I’m not lying. I just wanted to protect you."

"Protect me? Keeping quiet about that beast hot on your trail was protecting me?" Laurent’s claws pierced her flesh and five drops sprang up. "That wasn’t protection. It was a death sentence."

Tears salted the air, streaking her skin like the blood running down her thighs. "I know that now, Laurent."

"You should’ve known it then!" Before he could vent his rage, sanity lurked like a ghost behind Laurent’s inhuman stare. "Wait."

"What?"

"Ssh!" Laurent pushed her off his lap. "Did you hear that?"

Liana shook her head but he never saw it. Instead, his attention darted from one part of the shadowed room to the other. "I’ve asked this before, haven’t I?" Without waiting for an answer, Laurent leapt from the bed.

Liana’s lips were stiff, words pliant with deception. "I don’t understand. What do you mean?"

"I’ve said these words to you before. All of them." Laurent held out his thumb and forefinger in warning. "Ssh. Ssh! I hear things, things that shouldn’t be. The forest…it’s smaller."

"You’re mistaken, my lord. Nothing has changed. Come to bed. Perhaps you’re tired."

Laurent darted towards the tiny window and inhaled deeply. "The game…their packs aren’t as large. When did this happen?"

"It’s approaching winter, my lord. The herds have gone to ground."

"No, that’s not it." Concentration knit a deep furrow across his brow. "There’s less food, but more people. Why do I hear so many voices?"

"Voices?"

"Yes! People—thousands of them!" Laurent whirled about, intensity burning a hole through his crumbling awareness. "Why do I hear so many voices, Liana?"

"Harvest is upon us." Her calm reply belied the sickness ravaging her heart.
Don’t do this. Not when I’ve worked so hard!
"The fields are heavy with grain and the workers are many."

Laurent looked at her in bewilderment. "How do you know? You haven’t left this tower in over a fortnight."

Liana rubbed her palms across the sheets, sure her actions would communicate nervousness. "I can hear them when they leave the fields. They say this year’s bounty will surpass all others."

Suspicion hardened his ethereal beauty. "Did they see you?"

"No!"

Laurent nodded in arrogant satisfaction. "The men know you are forbidden. Seeing you would mean instant death—wait!" The haughty lord disappeared, leaving a frenetic creature in his place. Laurent ran over to Liana and whispered, "You heard it this time, didn’t you?"

"No. I didn’t hear anything, my lord." She bowed her head and waited for his madness to grow.

"You had to have." His dark brows formed a fierce scowl. "I just heard your voice. Mine too. But not us. Or maybe…how could you not have heard it?"

Liana watched the despair overshadow confusion. Her heart broke all over again. "Let us talk of something else, my lord. Please."

Laurent brushed aside her husky plea. "No. This doesn’t make any sense." He strode towards the door. "I’m going to see for myself."

"Come to me, Laurent. Now."

Her aristocratic demeanor made him obey instinctively. When Laurent realized his actions, resentment dripped from his false smile. "You like my loyalty, my faithfulness, don’t you?"

Liana nodded in affirmation, memorizing every word, every nuance of her beloved’s demeanor.

I can’t give up. I WON’T give up.

"You command and I obey. Just like a dog." Crawling over her, Laurent bent down and pressed his mouth against Liana’s newest wounds. His tongue lapped at the dried blood roughly.

She threw her head back and pushed her body against Laurent, wordlessly demanding his carnal consideration.

I won’t feel guilty for using his insecurity against him. I’ll do whatever I have to in order to break this cycle.

"I can still be your pet, little bird." Laurent sat up and removed the damp tunic. His smooth chest gleamed like a perfect pearl. "I can do, be, whatever you wish. Tell me what you want from me and I’ll obey."

He mocked her with servility. She knew it but fell anyway. "I just want you to love me like you did before."

"Impossible." He leaned forward to whisper against her ear, "Ask for something else."

Liana turned her head. Raw lips met his. "Then love me as you are now."

"Oh, you give up so easily!" Laurent shifted so he could nuzzle her cheek. "And that’s why I know you for a liar, little bird. You never really wanted the boy I was."

Hot tears slipped free. Liana didn’t know what hurt worse—his calculated accusations or rejection of her embrace. "That’s not true."

Laurent’s hand neatly pressed her mouth closed. Still keeping it in place, he drew back and stared Liana down.

"Don’t misunderstand me, little bird. You enjoyed dominating that pathetic boy, making him grateful for even tolerating his presence. You bullied him with your beauty, breaking his will while pretending to hold him in esteem."

Liana shook her head and moaned her denials.

"Well, he’s dead and I’m glad he’s dead."

"That’s not true!" His hand muffled her raw screams, but it couldn’t mute her anguish. "That boy is still you! He’s not dead!"

Laurent’s devastating temper broke free.

"Yes, he is! That ignorant, bastard woodsman died when you let him get slaughtered!"

"I swear to you—I didn’t know! I would’ve protected you if I knew!"

"Protected me? A pitiful little bird like you?" Maniacal grief possessed him. "Don’t insult me with your stupidity, Liana."

She winced at his contempt. "I would’ve done it, Laurent. I swear."

"Why did you make me think you loved me? Why do you pretend now?"

His tortured question shredded her heart into bloody pieces. "I’m not. I love you, Laurent."

"Did you pity me? Is that what it was? Is that why you agreed to be mine?" Laurent’s voice deepened to a menacing growl. "Don’t be timid, wife—tell me. I can take it."

Finally maddened with grief and persecution, Liana bit into his palm. Pink saliva dribbled down her chin a few seconds later. "I never pitied you!"

Laurent released her mouth only to dig his claws into either side of her. He seemed completely unaffected by her attack.

"Tell me something, little bird. Did it give you pleasure to mock me?"

"I wasn’t—"

"Did you laugh at the poor, dirty bastard for believing you actually saw past his birthright and position?"

"I never laughed at you—"

"Did you scorn my honesty, my ease at letting you into my heart?"

The accusations hammered in her aching conscience, relentless and brutal.

"I didn’t lie about that—"

"How long were you planning on staying until you were done using me? A month? A week? That night? How long, Liana?!"

"No! Believe what you will, but not that!" Emerald warred with silver. "I wanted to be with you forever!"

"Liar." Laurent hissed the word as if it was the most abominable curse he could summon.

How can I win against this hate?

Liana dropped her gaze, unable to bear seeing the putrid poison tainting his visage.

"Can’t deny it, can you?"

Behind the rage, Liana heard his plea for dissent. Unwilling to fail him, she swallowed once and let out a shuddering breath.

"Laurent, I may have lied to you about many things, but there’s one thing I never lied to you about." Braving the lash of his bile, she cupped her husband’s cheek with tender fingers. "I married you because I loved you. I’ve always loved you. Even now, I would give up everything to stay here with you, Laurent. Everything."

An inarticulate cry of rage exploded deep within Laurent’s throat.

"LIAR! BITCH! WHORE!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"Why won’t you believe me?" She beat her fists against the bed. "Why?"

Laurent lurched back. Bloody anguish stained his luminous gaze. "I don’t know why!" Carmine tears spilled onto his ashen cheeks. "Something inside my head screams when you say it. It disgusts me."

"Disgusts you?"

He saw her pain and dropped to the floor. Ugly sobs filled the dim room. "W-What’s wrong with m-me? Why d-do I care? W-Why does seeing your pain h-hurt?"

Liana watched her husband’s deterioration in horror. Knowing his torment was her sin made her want to die.

"You a l-liar, Liana. You lied to m-me and I… all I ever, EVER did was t-take care of you. Love you! My will, everything I w-was became yours."

She couldn’t stomach the wretched sight of seeing Laurent on his knees for her.

"And it still wasn’t enough!"

Liana turned away from him. Incoherent words spilled alongside her tears.

I brought this to him. Again!

"Don’t turn away from me!" Laurent scrambled onto the bed. He grabbed her naked shoulders and shook her once. "I ended up becoming this MONSTER because I love you so much!"

"I’m sorry! Please, please forgive me!"

"How can I forgive you when this is what you do to me? Tell me, Liana! How?"

"I don’t want to hurt you! That’s not what I want! I swear to all that is holy, Laurent, I’m trying to take away your pain! Every night I try and this is what we end up with!"

Her impassioned pleas only ignited his manic wrath. Laurent abandoned her bruised arms in favor of wrapping both hands around her neck.

"If I kill you now, will I finally find peace? Because I need it, little bird." A corpse smile ruined his beauty. "I need one night, just one, where I don’t feel this sickness inside."

Liana forced her body to ignore its instincts. She remained docile within his perilous hold. "Tell me what I can do, Laurent. Whatever it is, I’ll do willingly. Just tell me."

"Is your heart so dead that you can’t see it?"

"I want to understand. Please just tell me."

"You refuse me the truth!"

"What truth, Laurent? What is it you want me to say?"

Laurent’s mouth quivered. His hands loosened. "Who is he, little bird? Who is he to you?"

Black shock threatened to send her into oblivion. Liana’s heart faltered and panic dominated her gut. Their diseased routine had never encompassed those two questions.

Ever.

"He told me he knew you and he didn’t lie. I saw you with him. The night I became this." A tick took hold of his left cheek. "I saw you together. I heard your whispers of love. That’s when I came here and…took…power."

Liana wanted to sink through the stone floor. Of all the moments in her life she wished could disappear, the present horror vied for top honor.

"That’s why I keep you here. And that’s why each night it’s the same. Accept me, stay with me, love me." His shoulders hunched in despair. "But you never do."

"Laurent, I do want to stay with you. You’re the one who won’t let us leave this tower."

He ignored her, voice humming with strain. "I’m done being afraid. Tonight I want to know why." Laurent looked up. He tightened his malicious grip on her throat. "It’s because of him, isn’t it?"

Liana shifted her gaze even as she gasped for breath. "There is no him."

"Damn you!" Laurent ripped his hands away. Every nuance of his posture told a tale of averted murder. "Yes, there is!"

Following his frenzied pacing with a wild gaze, Liana insisted, "This is why you won’t believe in me? He has nothing to do with how I feel about you! Nothing!"

Laurent froze in mid-step. "How can you say those words to me? He has everything to do with it! You were so important to him that he hunted you down. When he found you, he punished us both by taking me instead."

Liana screwed her eyes shut. "I’m sorry."

"What exactly are you sorry for?" Menace radiated from him in suffocating waves. "For being his lover?"

Liana’s head rocked back as if struck. A wounded cry followed. "I have never broken faith with you!"

"Do NOT take such an offended tone with me, little bird. Maybe he’s not your lover now, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t before."

"Damn you, Laurent! You’re the only man I’ve been with. Our first night proved my honor."

"It proves nothing." His calculating smile gleamed in terrible contrast against his frozen gaze. "Virgin or whore—I would have never been able to tell and you know why."

* * * *

"Your heart…it’s beating so fast."

Laurent smothered a nervous laugh. "How do you know?"

"I don’t," Liana answered weakly. "I just guessed."

His hand reached out. It lightly pressed against the valley between her breasts. "So is yours."

The fine tremors in his fingers mimicked the ones dominating hers. "Are you cold?"

"No. Are you?"

Liana shook her head. The shared rhythm of their racing heartbeats thundered in her ears. "Umm, Laurent?"

Laurent understood the question lurking behind those two words. "I’m just scared. Happy…but scared." He stared in awe at the contrast between his fingers and her luminescent skin.