“You can’t keep denying yourself, and I’m fine.”
His fingers brushed nimbly along the top of the towel. Her heart lurched as excitement pulsed through her and her mouth went dry. Her skin tingled and heated everywhere he touched. “You’re fine this time, but next time…”
“Next time I will be fine too because you are going to start feeding better. If you insist on not using other humans as much, fine.” That was just fine and dandy with her also, but she couldn’t stand to see him suffering anymore. “But you’re going to have to use them more when animals aren’t readily available.”
His jaw clenched and unclenched as he studied her. “How are you so accepting of all of this, of me? I hurt you.”
She tilted her head to study him. “You didn’t hurt me.”
He pushed himself up, launching to his feet as he stalked across the room. She watched him, sensing something more beneath the tension radiating from him. “Not just today Aria, but the first time I took your blood, in the woods, the fact that I was previously engaged. The other blood slaves.”
She recoiled at the reminder of all of those things. She felt the blood drain from her face but somehow managed to keep her chin up as she glared at him. “And I left you in that palace Braith. My pride wounded us both when I left with Jack. I didn’t believe in you, and because of that I drove you to those slaves; I drove you to your lowest depths of depravation. How do you forgive me for that?”
“You didn’t almost kill me.”
“I shot an arrow at you!” she snapped.
His head tilted to the side, his dark hair spilled across his forehead. “That hardly counts.”
Irritation flared through her, she clasped the towel to her as she knelt on the bed to face him. “Then give me another one and this time I’ll make it count!” His grin infuriated her. Huffing a little she clutched the towel as she shimmied her way inelegantly off the bed.
He grasped hold of her arm before she disappeared into the bathroom; he held it tenderly as she glared angrily up at him. “Aria…”
“Love isn’t about perfection Braith! It’s about understanding and forgiveness, it’s about giving and taking in equal measure. I gave my blood to you. I forgave you for things that you are struggling to forgive yourself for, because I love you. I know that you have done some awful things, and you have hurt me, just as I have hurt you. You gave up a life of opulence, grace, and a vast supply of blood for a life of deserts and fighting and starvation for me. I willingly gave you my blood because I would do anything for you also.
“That is love Braith. I’m seventeen and even I know that. Maybe you should learn.”
She jerked her arm free of his slackened grasp and didn’t look back as she stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door. She gasped in a breath as she leaned against the door; all of her pleasure from earlier had evaporated. He was such an infuriating ass sometimes.
She realized only too late that there were no clothes in here for her. Crap, she thought as she released an aggravated breath. She had just blown up on him, and now she was going to have to go back out there to ask him for clothes. It was humiliating.
She remained leaning against the door, reluctant to face him again. A low knock reminded her that it was impossible to hide. She opened the door to find his large and imposing frame standing before her holding a dress which looked tiny in his hands.
“I thought you might require some clothing.”
She scrunched her nose as she nodded. “I do.”
“Gideon had it sent up while you were sleeping.” She eyed the dress warily as he stepped into the room. She hadn’t worn one of these horrible garments since her time in the palace, and had hoped to never have to wear one again. She took the dress from him, barely meeting his gaze as she draped it over her arm. “I’ll button it for you after you slide it on.”
He turned away as she dropped the towel and slipped the dress over her head. His fingers were gentle as he buttoned the back with surprising ease. Pulling her hair over her shoulders, he covered the fresh marks upon her neck with it as he turned her around to face him.
“I need you to know I’m not a complete monster.”
She started in surprise, that’s what this was about. “I know that Braith, I never thought you were.” She sought to give him comfort as her fingers wrapped around his wrists. “The past can’t be undone, but it doesn’t define you. It’s our future actions that will show who we really are, what we’ll become.”
“I hope so.”
“They will,” she promised him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
He smiled wanly. “I deserved it.” She wasn’t going to argue with that. He kissed her forehead soothingly. “I never had anyone to teach me about love before.”
Her hands constricted on his forearms, tears burned her eyes. He was stronger than her, faster and more powerful, his life had been one of pleasure and luxury, hers one of struggle and starvation, yet she realized now that she had gotten the better deal. She knew what it was like to have people that loved her. His siblings, at least Melinda and Jack, seemed to care for each other, but they weren’t anywhere near as close as she was with William and Daniel. Yes, her mother had been killed, but she had died for her children. Her father had never hidden the fact that he loved his kids, even if he had never been overly affectionate with them, and even when the rebellion had too often come first. Her entire life had been about love, his had been about cruelty. It was amazing he had turned out as wonderful as he had.