Love Unfortunate (5 page)

Liana noticed how each ragged breath brought a puckered nipple close to his palm.

What will it feel like? I wish he would just touch me so I wouldn’t have to ask. Maybe I should tell him to do it.

A hot blush spread from Liana’s face to her neck. Temptation warred with maidenly reserve. "What are you scared of?"

"I don’t know what to do." Laurent looked up. His gray orbs darkened with indecision. "What if I hurt you because of it?"

Bravely, she closed her fingers over his. "You won’t." Liana slid his rough palm over her breast. "I trust you."

Two spots of color appeared high on his elegant cheekbones. His eyes flickered between hers and his hand. "But what if I—"

"You won’t."

A long breath rushed up Laurent’s throat. "I might…no. I WILL be clumsy. I’ve never been with a woman and—" His words trailed off as he studied the exquisite sight of their newfound intimacy.

Liana took courage and touched his naked thigh. "You’ll be clumsy. So will I." She swallowed down her nervousness. "Go on. Don’t be afraid. Touch me."

"Are you sure?"

In answer, she arched her back and pressed the firm breast into his large hand. Liana mewled with enigmatic pleasure when he obeyed by squeezing her flesh.

Laurent whipped his hand away. "I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I meant no harm!" Hair as beautiful as a raven’s wing tumbled across his brow. Mortification claimed his trembling speech. "Maybe w-we should not—"

"No!" Liana planted her mouth on his. Although graceless and sloppy, she managed to part his lips with the tip of her tongue. A moment later she felt Laurent return the loving gesture. Divinity showed its face to Liana when she felt his breath become hers. She broke their kiss slowly, creeping back to taste him again.

"We’ll learn together. Besides, that’s the way it should be between lovers." Liana nodded her head in encouragement and waited for him to do the same.

"I think I’m not so afraid anymore, little bird." Boyish joy dissolved into fervent longing. Pressing his hand against her breast again, he swore, "I want to learn how to please you…only you."

* * * *

"We were both pure," Liana insisted. "I’ve only lain with you."

Laurent clenched his fists. He opened his mouth once then snapped it shut. Dropping his gaze, he whimpered.

"You have to believe me, Laurent. Please."

A strangled voice of suffering admitted, "I want to believe you."

"Then do so!" Liana climbed onto her knees. Misspent pride held no sway over her when she clasped her hands and begged, "Laurent, I love you so much. I love you more than anything in the world. No one is above you."

"You love me?"

"Yes!"

"Do you love him too?"

Liana’s face crumpled. Her arms thumped against the bed. "Laurent…I…"

"It’s not so difficult, Liana." Although his tone bordered on sardonic, Laurent’s haggard expression betrayed anguish and dread. "Yes or no. Do you love him too?"

"I’m not going to give you an answer. Not like this."

"Why not?"

The utter lack of feeling in his tone alarmed Liana. "Because it’s not that simple. I need to explain exactly who he is." Watching spurned rage steadily overtake him, she insisted, "He’s NOT my lover. So please grant me this boon and let me explain."

Unholy brilliance lit Laurent’s silver orbs. Predatory intent pervaded his threatening stance. "There’s nothing to explain."

"No, no!" The tiny hairs on her arms and neck sprang to fearful life as he advanced closer. "There is and you have to listen to me!"

Instead of striking her, Laurent snatched the hapless stool and threw it against the wall. Thousands of wooden slivers exploded into the air.

"Don’t tell me what I have to listen to!"

Liana threw her arms up in defense. Countless stings erupted all along the back of her forearms. Extreme terror sent Liana’s heart into her throat.

What am I going to say? I can’t explain one without the other!

"You’ve had two months. Two months and not a peep came out of your ridiculous, little throat! That can only mean one thing and we both know what that thing is."

She shook her head. "You’re wrong. His name is Cristophe and he’s—"

"I already know his name. He happened to share it with me when he was ripping out my throat. I just want to know one thing. Do you love him?"

"He’s my—"

"Damn you, Liana! I just want an answer. Yes or no?"

Tears scalded her eyes. Hope shriveled and defeat took hold of Liana’s will. She couldn’t change it. Laurent’s reality was the only one that mattered. Maybe this time a lie could save her from disgrace, but what about afterwards?

"Do you love him?!"

Shadow and light fused into gray. Defeat seeped through the fabric of their miserable tragedy. Liana dropped her head back and uttered one damning word.

"Yes."

Dead silence cloaked the room with rank shades of decay. Profanity and purity disappeared, leaving behind the desecration of a wife’s hope and a husband’s trust.

Laurent lunged forward. The weight of his heavy body slammed her smaller frame back onto the bed. Gripping her inky crown with one hand, Laurent tore into her throat without mercy or remorse.

Minutes slunk forward on drugged legs as animalistic sounds of feeding echoed throughout Liana’s gilded cage. The exquisitely woven sheets, scented bath water, and wasteful candles lost all illusion of worship. Instead, they became what they truly were—ancient gestures of disdain.

I lie about everything else. Why couldn’t I lie about Cristophe?

Liana’s entire body plummeted to glacial coldness. Too broken to weep, she stared at the ceiling. Sprawled beneath her husband, Liana imagined every bit of her mortal body turning inside out. She wondered if he’d be able to find satisfaction in her blood. When Laurent yanked her head roughly, Liana remained limp as a bird with a broken neck.

"Stupid…I…was so…stupid, Laurent."

He pressed her deeper into their bed, refusing to allow his wounded prey the tiniest prayer of freedom.

"Black sheets," Liana whispered with a hitch. "You like them black so you can’t see the stains. Don’t you ever get tired of spilling my blood?"

Laurent responded by deepening his bite.

"No matter what I say or don’t say, you find a reason to do this to me. And I always forgive you. Why can’t you do the same for me?"

Liana’s vision grew darker, just like the linens beneath her gashed neck. Mortality ebbed. Death beckoned with false fingers. Liana’s memories swam and golden visions visited her with lamenting grace.

She was right. I destroy.

Your life is gone. Cristophe is gone. I shouldn’t have tried to cheat you. But I did and now you have paid a bitter price indeed.

Will I ever be able to make this right?

Laurent ripped his fangs from her torn, bloodied flesh. He gripped her chin and stared down into lifeless sage. "You deserve to die. I’ll finally be done with you if I do it."

"It won’t change anything." The brittle whisper held the power of a thousand screams. "But I welcome you to try, Laurent."

Sorrow replaced fury. "I should…"

Liana could barely keep conscious. Her ears felt as if they were stuffed with wads of dense wool. Her pupils left only a thin ring of emerald to denote her eye color. She swallowed with difficulty.

"Do it, Laurent."

"I can. I can kill you."

Liana’s throat felt chalky like her bleached skin. "Then do it. Do it now. Change our fate, Laurent, and do it now!" she cried out in agony before slipping beneath the growing waves of her flailing senses.

No, damnit! I have to be stronger!

As always, it was too late for Liana.

I can’t fight…

Indecision melted beneath the fires of determination, leaving Laurent’s inhuman gaze to glitter with bliss. "I should but I won’t."

He brushed his ruby lips against hers. He smiled when her tongue shot out and lapped up the glistening beads. Laurent watched in besotted fascination when Liana mewled, even as her face crumpled in torment.

"Do you want more?" he crooned.

Beyond herself, she nodded her head with sudden, frantic vigor.

Laurent settled his mouth across hers. He smirked as her voracious lips and tongue cleansed him of every bloody drop.

Numbness disintegrated while agonizing needles pricked Liana’s skin to life. She turned her head away. Instead of cherishing her apparent stay of execution, Liana suffered more intensely than before.

Now there’s only one way out.

"I want to make you mine. Only mine. Do you hear me?"

"I’m already yours," she replied. Her broken tone did nothing to take away his satisfaction.

"No. I’m going to make you like me. Tonight."

She feigned surprise. "What?"

"I said I’m going to make you like me." Laurent drew the words out, speaking to Liana as if she were a precocious child.

"You can’t!" False panic laced her shrill tone. "You can’t make me like you, Laurent!"

"I can and I will."

"No!" She was nothing more than a doll, empty of truth and the epitome of illusion. "Please don’t!"

Laurent heard the subtle notes of Liana’s despair. Empathy softened his posture. "I won’t be cruel when I bring you across, little bird." He brushed back her damp hair. "Your rebirth won’t be like mine. I promise you."

"Laurent, you cannot make me a vampire. You’re still a fledgling. You don’t know how to do it yet."

Laurent’s expression turned mean and forbidding. "Watch your tongue before I truly lose all mercy with you!" He rolled away from her. "I’m lord here. I can do whatever I want. I don’t care what you think."

Liana accepted his petulance, bitterly understanding there was nothing else she could do.

"I’m turning you. Me."

"Fine." Worthlessness consumed her. Liana turned on her side, away from him.

"Cristophe could be your lover, father, friend…I don’t care! I’m going to be more to you than him."

"You already are."

Laurent put his hand on her shoulder. "Why aren’t you fighting me?"

"Because it doesn’t matter."

Her spiritless answer spurred Laurent to push Liana onto her back. "Didn’t you hear me? I’m going to make you an abomination."

Acid burned her eyes. She kept them open and watched as Laurent sloshed about in a liquid hell. "You’re not an abomination. You could never be one, no matter what you did."

"You make no sense."

"I know."

"Don’t be this way! I can’t stand it!" Torment scarred his expression. "I want to tell you something, little bird. Can I?"

Unable to deny him anything, she whispered consent.

"I do love you, Liana. So much so that sometimes I wish you were dead."

Visceral agony gutted her, leaving Liana on the precipice of living death. "No more…please don’t say anymore. I can’t take it."

"Sometimes I fantasize about things, little bird. Dark, horrible things. I think about what life would’ve been like without you."

She gasped, twisting and straining in a frenzied effort to breathe through a sudden flood of tears.

"I imagine pushing you into the river, holding your head under, until you drowned."

Liana’s will began to crack.

"In my mind’s eye, I watch as your body floats away. I pretend all my troubles are washed away with your carcass."

She shared his gruesome vision, finding twisted allure in never having met Laurent as well.

"But I know it won’t change a thing. No matter how I visit it in my mind, I know I’ll just end up here with you. You know why?"

Liana closed her eyes, wanting him to shut his vicious mouth.

"Because no matter how much it hurts me, this is where I want to be. No matter how much it ends up hurting you." Laurent rested his head next to hers while holding onto her small hand. "Even if it means making you a monster like me."

"We destroy the sons of God."

Blame crucified Liana. Her mother’s words dirtied her, making Liana burn with the same coldness. This malicious, broken creature was her creation.

Hers and hers alone.

Liana struggled to force down her loathing. "You can’t make me what I already am, Laurent. I was an abomination the moment I came into this world."

Oblivious to her morbid confession, Laurent nuzzled her palm. He kissed Liana’s flesh once before his fangs sank deep. She gasped his name in useless benediction.

This is all I have left. His lust and my depravity.

Laurent released her bloodied palm only to brush a kiss across his bite. Seeing the tears running down her ashen cheeks, he cooed in concern. "Don’t cry, little bird. I already told you." Tragedy nurtured his tender smile. "I love when I should hate and I hate when I should love."

Laurent’s words reverberated in Liana’s shredded conscience, strengthening the bars in her lonely cage. Sanguine dreams erupted into ash and serrated truth cut into her heart.

Next time will be better.

"I want you, Laurent."

"No." Agitation pulled at Laurent like tiny threads of discontent. "I can’t. Not until it’s done."

Liana knew what she needed to do, what she had already done countless times before.

Next time I’ll win.

She slapped him. The vivid outline of her hand darkened his lily cheek. "I’m not asking."

Her blow pulled Laurent from distraction. His fingers traced the small welts while his black pupils became two pinpoints of terrible rage. "You dare strike me. You dare to strike your lord."

Her heart flinched yet resolve ripened like the purest rose on a vine of decay. "You want to make me like you, yes? Then give me one more time." She arched up and caressed his reddened cheek with her lips and tongue. "I want one more time in your arms like this."

Suspicion and longing mated within his liquid gaze. "Why? It won’t change my decision."

"Because I need you. Please, Laurent. Please grant me this last request." Her lithe arms snaked about his back. "Please." She peppered his neck and jaw with dying kisses, repeating her plea over and over again. "Please."

Laurent finally fell upon her with an inhuman whine. He turned her face up, letting his claws prick the delicate skin. "I hate you. Do you hear me?"