Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
My hands claw and scratch his as I struggle for him to release me. My nails dig into him, and tears run down my cheeks. Latham’s tongue moves across my cheek, stealing the stray tear, and his eyes close, a growl vibrating out of him.
“So sweet, so good,” he growls.
My hands let go, and my body goes floppy as my brain screams, needing oxygen. Latham forces my head up, which I have no strength to hold up myself anymore. I can feel myself dying slowly. This is what it felt like when I hung myself.
How did I ever think this was a good idea? Death by strangulation. I mentally chuckle. Ironic. Either way, I’ve always had a noose around my throat, but I thought it would always be my own doing and not a noose created by someone else’s hand.
Latham’s mouth moves over mine, and pain radiates through my chest as my heart beats slowly. I have no idea what he is doing, but it felt cold, and I feel a strange tugging. His lips are blazing hot against my cold skin. My head rolls to the side, darkness swallowing me.
It’s over now. No more pain, no more anything.
I feel his lips on mine again as he tries to open my mouth.
Thank you, Latham.
I use the last of my strength to kiss him. It is weak, and I am not even sure it happened. I feel his tongue plunge into my mouth, hot and searing, tasting every inch, and I can do nothing but take it, when his grip suddenly lets go.
My body’s involuntary reaction instantly kicks in, and I suck in a deep breath and gasp for air. Latham pulls away as I suck in the air. He blinks, looking down at me like he is truly seeing me for the first time before horror washes over his features, and he jumps back.
“Bella?” he chokes before his eyes go straight ahead.
I am too busy trying to breathe around my crushed throat while Latham tries to melt into the wall behind him. I hear a weird sizzling noise and can smell smoke before a pair of hands grabs me.
Blaine grabs me, pulling me against him. “She is okay, Latham. She is alive,” Blaine says, brushing sweat-drenched hair from my face.
“You’re okay, Bella. I am so sorry,” Blaine says, but I can’t move.
I must be in shock, or my blood was slow, moving through my body.
“Get her away from me!” I hear Latham snap.
“She is okay. You didn’t kill her,” Xavier says.
“I was about to. Get her out of here,” Latham growls at him when I suddenly move as Blaine stands before moving a couple of steps and kneeling again.
“Blaine!” Latham snaps when I am placed in Latham’s lap. Get her away! I nearly killed her, Blaine. Xavier, take her!”
“Letting go now,” Blaine says, and I squeeze my eyes shut, knowing I can't lift myself yet.
My legs and back fall heavily, and I can't even tense up from hitting the ground. I just close my eyes and pray it doesn’t hurt much. Arms lock around my back and arms before I am pulled back.
Latham's smell wafts to my nose, and I feel his chest against my cheek. He moves, pressing his face against mine, his nose in my neck.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me,” he whispers.
He’s nearly killed me, he is a demon, yet the sound of his voice makes me want to comfort him, which is insane. But why does it sound like he means what he’s saying? Why does it hurt me to hear the tone of his voice?
Latham pulls back, brushing a stray hair that caught between my lips.
“Hurts,” I choke out, barely audible.
I want to touch my neck to see if it is as mangled as it feels. Latham looks down, his fingers brushing over the skin of my neck softly, but the pain makes me flinch.
“You can’t fear us, Arabella. Don’t let us have your fear. No matter what, don't give me your fear. No matter how scared you are, trust that if you don’t fear us, we won’t hurt you,” he says, kissing the side of my mouth.
“I will tell you whatever you want to know. Just don’t run from us, please. We don't mean to be monsters,” Latham says before biting into his wrist. Gentle fingers press down on my chin, opening my mouth wider, and my eyes go to Xavier leaning over us.
“Hey, baby,” Xavier says, smiling sadly, when I feel Latham’s blood move across my tongue and down my throat.
I swallow the metallic-tasting liquid. It doesn’t taste like blood; the more I swallow, the more it changes to an oaky, smoky flavor. It tastes the way wood burning smells. Burning embers.
I feel my strength coming back, my feeling coming back, and I no longer feel heavy. My throat no longer aches, and I touch my throat with my fingers.
“I’m sorry, Arabella,” Latham whispers.
My real name on his tongue sounds exotic, and I find it soothing. For so long, I have been someone I am not. As terrifying as it is that he’s figured it out, it is also as if a weight has lifted, and I can breathe and be me again.
“Arabella Loiuse Maxiouris,” I whisper.
A name I haven't said in so long, and one I thought I would never say again.
Blaine kneels next to me, and I see a glass of water in his hands.
He hands it to me, my fingers wrapping around the cold glass, and I lean forward off Latham's chest. Condensation grips the glass held in my fingers.
I sip the icy water, not realizing how thirsty I am, before sculling the entire glass.
Blaine smiles while taking it when I am done.
“Better?” he asks, and I nod, slumping back against Latham.
“How did you know what we were? When you look at Latham, most assume vampires when they catch a glimpse of us,” Xavier asks.
My heart skips a beat at knowing what they are.
“Don’t fear us. Please, Bella. You can hate us but don’t fear us. Don’t be scared. We don’t want to hurt you, but if you show fear, we have trouble controlling it,” Latham says.
“You really suck at pep talks. Don’t become a motivational speaker or anything, geez. Tell me not to fear you because you will kill me. Ah, not the best thing to say to someone when you are trying to convince them not to be scared of you,” I tell him, shaking my head.
“Then fear us. Reverse psychology.” Xavier smirks.
“Don’t think it works like that?” I tell him. My lips tug up slightly when he cups my cheek with his warm hand.
“We want you, we don’t want to hurt you, and I am sorry I couldn't control it. You overwhelmed me,” Xavier says before his eyes dart to Latham.
“It isn't your fault, Xavier. We underestimated her fear,” Latham says.
“What do you mean, underestimated it?” I ask, looking at Latham.
“All demons are different. We have triggers. Everyone is different in what they draw on mostly. Usually, arousal is what most demons crave because it is sweet and easy to induce. Our triggers are when we are most dangerous, if that makes sense. I have more control of my magic than both Blaine and Xavier. Yet I have barely any control over my urges when it comes to my triggers,” Latham says.
“What’s your trigger?” I ask Xavier.
“Arousal. So is Blaine’s. It's the most common and easily manipulated without hurting each other to get it,” Xavier explains.
“And yours is fear?” I ask Latham.
“Yes, fear and anger I react to strongest. Arousal I can sort of control and keep my wits, but fear I thrive on. Xavier and Blaine aren’t usually reactive to fear; their personalities don’t hunger for it.
But your fear was extremely potent. I have seen them lose themselves in each other, but never lose control over a trigger,” Latham says, and Xavier’s hand falls on my thigh.
“You never answered my question. How did you know what we are?”
I stare at the wall and chew my lip.
Blaine grips my chin, turning my face toward his. “We won’t hurt you, we won’t tell your secrets. They are safe with us,” he says before leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine. Arousal floods me, and he smirks.
“Are you using magic on me?” I ask him.
His eyes darken and flicker. “No, that’s your own arousal, nothing to do with us.”
I raise an eyebrow at him, not believing him. They’ve all just tried to kill me two seconds ago.
“Promise, Bella. We wouldn’t do that just to have sex with you. I like my partners willing,” Blaine says, and I let out a breath.
“Will you tell us now?” Xavier asks, leaning against the bed frame and propping his elbows on his knees.
“When I was a teenager, I destroyed a headstone on a grave. I didn’t want to; it was a stupid dare. Apparently the house was haunted, and it turns out they were right. It followed me for six years before one day, it just stopped. He went away,” I tell them.
Xavier’s brows pull together before his eyes dart to Latham. I feel him shrug behind me, and I wait for laughter.
They think I am crazy.
“I know how it sounds. No one believed me back then either. For a time, I even thought I was crazy. But It felt real.”
“Felt real, like it could touch you?” Blaine asks, and I nod.
“He always touched me. Not sexually, but he would watch and caress, or I don’t know. He touched me. I don’t know why,” I admit.
Maybe I am crazy.
“What is it?” Blaine asks.
“Nothing, I am just wondering if maybe it was all in my head. Hysteria or something.”
“It wasn’t. I could taste another presence in your blood. Whoever it was, they blocked me from accessing your memories,” Latham says.
“My memories?”
“Blood sifting. A sip of blood, and we can see every memory you have. It didn’t work on you?” Xavier asks, looking at Latham.
“I only saw her memories from meeting us,” Latham says.
“Wait, all of them?” I ask, horrified.
“Maybe you should try. The magic felt familiar to me for some reason,” Latham says.
“I could try,” Xavier says, his eyes darting to my face.
“You want to see my memories?”
Xavier nods.
“How much can you see?”
“Every living memory you have. It is extremely invasive, Bella. I will see everything from the moment you took your first breath, even the memories you don’t remember,” Xavier explains.
I shake my head. “No, I don’t want you to.”
“Everyone has embarrassing memories. You don’t have to be ashamed or scared. We won’t judge you. And I will sift looking for anything that stands out, not invade each one,” Xavier says.
“No, no, please. They are mine,” I tell him, and he sighs.
“When she is ready,” Blaine says, and Latham nods, pressing his lips to my cheek, and I let out a breath.
“Is it because you don’t want us to know why you and your brother changed your name?” Latham asks.
“Brian doesn’t know me as Arabella,” I admit, and I see their confusion as they look at each other.
“What do you mean? He is your brother?” Xavier asks.
“He got home afterward. He thought I was Isobella. If he had known, he would have killed me, so I didn't correct him. I pretended to be her. Isobella was my identical twin sister,” I tell them.
“You’re a twin?” Latham says like the thought’s never occurred to him.
“Isobella was my twin.”
“So she is the one that is missing, not Arabella,” Latham says, and I nod, not bothering to figure out how he knew that.
“Isobella isn’t missing. She is dead. I killed her. I didn't mean to, but it happened so quickly,” I tell them, and if they were shocked before, they are horrified now.