Corrupt Cravings (6 page)

* * * *

Fog rested heavily in Jason’s mind as he stared down, seeing Marcella’s form through what looked like an old-fashioned, black and white television screen. The taste of her blood coated the inside of his mouth, somehow stirring his blood to race faster. Confused by what was happening, he remained immobile, taking in the pictures before him.

Jason tried to focus in on the colorless picture. He watched blood, or what he assumed was blood, begin to pool behind her head, turning the white stone around her almost black. As he looked closer, he noticed her whole body seemed to be soaked in it. Numbness gripped him as he tried to get his body to respond and get closer to see if she was all right.

Voices, and the men coming forward, vanished as a blinding pain rushed through him, and he felt himself falling. The stone floor was suddenly before his vision the second he hit the ground hard. Blinking, completely lost, Jason searched his mind for what had happened. Recalling Marcella, he turned over as fast as his nude body would allow. Terrified, he looked upon the scene that lay before him. She was exactly as he’d seen her.

“Marcy?” He pulled himself against the stone until he reached her side. “Marcella!” The fact that his arms and legs weren’t working right had Jason searching his mind desperately. Looking up, his friends were still rushing forward. Ambrose made it to them first, Samael and Dominic not a split second later.

Ambrose grabbed his arms, trying to pull him away. “Jason, we need you to move back a little and let us see how she’s doing, all right?”

“What in the fuck is going on? Where are we?”

Jason shot his eyes to Dom, knowing he would explain things. The demon just opened his mouth and shut it. The tightening of Ambrose’s hands startled him. Taking a deep breath, Marcella’s blood swept over his tongue, and he froze. Flashes of being high above her as he looked down filled his vision. He quickly recalled standing from the table after he heard a voice in his head.

“Oh, God. I shifted, didn’t I? I did this?”

“Jason, you didn’t know what you were doing. No one can control the dragon.”

The scent of her blood hit him hard, and he hated how it called to him, begged him to sample the sweet flavor. Catching a glimpse of her tattered jeans, he saw the jagged wound tracing down her shin. Jason’s stomach rolled and he gagged, becoming violently ill as more of her essence filled his senses.

Dominic’s eyes connected with his but quickly turned to the dark angel. “Samael, I’m taking Marcella to her room. You bring Jason and Ambrose. I want to get these clothes off of her and see how bad it is.”

“I swear I didn’t know. Oh, shit. Marcella.” A strangled cry came from his throat as he reached for her broken body. Samael came forward, leaning down in front of him.

“Jason, we know you didn’t mean to do this. Marcy wouldn’t listen. She blocked us all from getting to you both. How are you feeling? You took one hell of a beating, kid.”

Noticing he could hardly see out of his right eye, he lifted his hand to touch the swollen skin. Actually, his whole face was throbbing. “I’m fine, but look at her. Look what I did!”

Samael shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself. Nothing would have happened if our queen would have listened to my orders.”

Dominic instantly vanished with Marcella, causing panic in Jason like he’d never felt before. Samael suddenly didn’t matter. The need to make sure she was okay pushed him to try to stand so he could disappear to her room, but pressure held him down. Samael rested his hand on his and Ambrose’s shoulder, and they were suddenly in her tower.

The broadness of Dominic’s shoulders hovered over Marcella’s small frame. Standing, Jason walked shakily to the bed. His legs wouldn’t work right. Every limb on his body felt unresponsive to what his mind wanted. The racing of his heart increased as he neared. Coming to stand beside the bed, he collapsed at the demon’s feet.

“Dom.” A sob broke past his lips as he looked to the floor. Never could he remember feeling such guilt.

“Jason, come on. We know you didn’t mean to do it. Don’t.” A hand settled on his head but quickly disappeared.

Looking up, Jason watched Dominic vanish Marcella’s clothes as he continued to try to care for her. The shock at seeing the extent of her injuries up close caused his blood to stir inside his veins. Overwhelmed, he bowed his head, rubbing the increasing tears that escaped past his lids.

“You shouldn’t be seeing this. Come with me, Jason.”

He looked up into the vampire’s gaze. Shaking his head no, he stood. Had he thought she looked bad while he was kneeling? Standing, he lost his breath as his eyes connected with what he’d done. Rushing to her restroom, he became ill again. Tasting the blood he’d digested from her, he gagged even more.

Thinking back to the previous night, he remembered he had turned into a vampire while they made love. Hell, every time they did anything sexual, he craved to taste her blood. And now, he’d never experience it again. For so long, he thrived on her flavor. Jason had been so sure he’d never be able to live without it. The obsession he had with her essence bordered on addiction. Just thinking about never partaking in what he’d come to love caused his body to tremble in fear, but knowing he was responsible for what happened made him strong enough to know what he needed to do.

“Are you all right?”

He looked up into Ambrose’s flawless face but didn’t say anything. Picking up the mouthwash, he began to swallow it. Anything to make the taste of her go away.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to drink that stuff, Jason.”

“I don’t care. Is she awake yet?”

“No.” The word was nothing more than a whisper. Jason jumped in the shower and quickly scrubbed the blood off of his skin. Within moments, he manifested clothes to cover his body and walked to the bed. Dominic already had her cleaned and bandaged, dressed in her white gown. Sitting on the edge, Jason took in her face. When her eyes fluttered open, tears came to his.

“Jason, you’re okay?”

The words were so soft, he couldn’t hear, but more read them from her lips. He nodded and leaned down toward her. A sob escaped him as he brushed his lips against her forehead. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it. I promise.” The words came out rushed and tumbled over each other in their urgency to escape.

“I know.”

A sharp intake of breath had him jerking his head up. Whatever pain she experienced, it took her from being conscious. A twisting in his stomach made the sickening feeling come back, but he stood, refusing to give in to it again. He didn’t think. He vanished.

* * * *

Dominic stared down at Marcella, torn between feeling angry and extremely worried. How much pain was she going through? How could she have been so stupid to think she could win over the control of a dragon? Why couldn’t she just listen to his orders? He wanted to tear this fortress apart with his bare hands at feeling so completely helpless.

“Where do you think Jason’s gone?”

Looking up at Ambrose, he shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. He probably just went somewhere to clear his head. I can’t imagine how hard he must be taking this. If I somehow hurt Marcella, I can’t even envision what I would do. He’ll be back whenever he gets himself together.”

“I hope so. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I fear Jason isn’t quite stable right now. Dominic, I’m seriously worried for him. His face held such pain.”

“He’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it, loverboy. He can take care of himself.”

“Not if he isn’t in the right state of mind. Look at what he just went through. What if his changes are not over?”

Dominic jerked his gaze to the master vampire. “You may have a point. But hell, none of us can summon him back. Not even Marcella, and he’s her own servant.”

“Well, let’s pray Jason doesn’t tear this town apart while he’s trying to cope with his emotions. None of us can afford that kind of risk.”

Marcella trembled in her sleep, a small cry escaping past her lips. Dominic watched her face twist in pain and was glad Jason wasn’t around to witness it. The last thing he needed was to see any more of the damage he’d caused by accident.

“Samael, there must be something we can do.” Ambrose’s voice made Dominic turn his gaze from his mate. The dark angel was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Dominic wasn’t sure, but he could swear the guy looked just as upset as the rest of them.

“Well, I think Marcella should probably heal on her own, but maybe...” Multiple expressions passed over his face while he continued to stare at her. “Oh, hell, why don’t you two go down and find something to do? I need a moment alone with our queen.”

“Think again.” Dominic glared at him. For Samael to even have the nerve to ask him to leave his love’s side while she was so bad off was enough to make his blood boil. If that wasn’t enough, Dominic was almost positive the damn guy was hiding something crucial about their queen. Just walking away while the dark angel did who knew what didn’t sit well with him.

“If you want her to heal faster, you need to leave.”

“What difference would it make if we were in the room?”

Samael’s eyes began to glow a vibrant red as he advanced toward him. Dominic stood, standing his ground. Red eyes penetrated into his while Samael grabbed his throat, gripping tightly. Still, he didn’t back down.

“You’ll leave because I told you to. Do not forget who you are, Ipos. I’m still your master, whether we share the same queen or not. Now, you will take your vampire, and you will leave. When I call you, then you will return.”

“I’m not leaving her. I don’t care who you are. She’s
my
mate, not yours.”

The redness of his eyes disappeared completely as blackness shelled his vision. Dominic could only remember seeing a master get that angry only once before, and the guy was probably still torturing the demon that pissed him off.

“I’ll not have
you
tell me who Marcella belongs to. She chose her mate. Remember that. At any time, she can change her mind. You might hold the bond, but know she placed that link there herself centuries ago, and she can take it back any time she chooses.”

Ice raced through Dominic’s veins. He’d always thought that when two people bonded as mates, it was forever. If Marcella could take their union away, what would that do to him? What would he do without her? Life without his light, his queen, wasn’t a life worth living at all.

“Now get out, and wait for me to call you back in here.”

Ambrose grabbed his arm, and he let his friend lead him to the door. The moment it closed, an aching raced through his chest. He didn’t want to be separated from her. What did Samael plan to do that he couldn’t witness? The thought left him even more shaken and anxious.

As he followed Ambrose down the stairs, he really wished Jason was there. The boy had a track record for saying something funny or smartass, always changing his mood. Should he go look for him or stay in case Marcella needed him? For the first time, he felt torn between the two of them.

Chapter 3

Marcella opened her heavy eyes to see Samael staring down at her. Heat raced down her throat at the feel of his hand against her skin. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t move from his touch. Something caused her to be immobilized, and she had a feeling that
something
was Samael.

“No worries, my queen. I’m just speeding along your healing process. You should be better in no time. Instead of feeling like you suffered a major concussion, like you probably did, you’ll have a mild headache, nothing more.”

Blinking her eyes, she felt the tears trail down the sides of her face. Damn, she hurt. But where was Jason? Was he okay? Did she really see him earlier, or could that have been a dream? How long had she been sleeping?

“All done. Can you talk?”