She returned her gaze to the path and his hand continued its movements, causing her to whimper at the delicious friction of the smooth leather. He stroked her a few more times before slowly withdrawing, and brought his hand to his lips, sucking the tips of his fingers with a moan. Unable to stop herself from looking, she twisted her head to watch him.
“What did I tell you?” he tutted at her, as he gripped her jaw in his hand, his fingers still wet. “Open your mouth for me.”
His fingers pushed against her mouth until she parted her lips so she could taste herself on the leather. She swirled her tongue around his digits, and then bit down. Xander snatched his hand away and held her neck firmly as the hand in her shirt pinched one of her nipples hard.
“You just cannot do as you are told,” he mumbled against her skin, his teeth grazing over her neck. “I told you to keep your eyes forward, didn’t I?”
She whimpered at his commanding tone, rocking her hips back and forth on the saddle in a pathetic attempt to ease the ache he had created. The hand around her throat pushed her head to the side, allowing his lips access to the side of her neck. She obliged willingly, an open offer to what she knew he would want; full permission and acceptance of his needs.
“Take it,” she said, her voice strained from his grip on her neck. “Take what you need.”
He stilled at her words before abruptly letting her go. He shuffled backwards in the saddle, moving so they were barely touching at all as he took the reins back from her. Without a word, he tapped the horse’s side with his foot, bringing them to a faster trot. Adriana sat, stunned into silence at his change in demeanor. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong, why he didn’t want her anymore.
As they reached the manor, he jumped down before grabbing her waist and pulling her off the saddle, setting her down in front of him. She looked up at him, trying to understand what had happened, but he focused his attention on tying the horse to a post by the side of the house as she silently cursed how short the trip between their homes was.
She was a mess, it was the first time he had touched her like that in weeks and he appeared as if nothing had even happened.
Xander hardly spoke to her the entire day of training, and during their lunch break he stalked away somewhere past the treeline and did not return until the hour was up. Edward, Deion,and their three children had happily accompanied Adriana in Xander’s study where she usually took her breaks.
Adriana quizzed the two Lamiae the entire time, pestering them to discuss Xander’s foul mood. Deion’s lips remained tightly sealed, but Edward, as soon as Deion had left the room with their children in tow, had all but jumped at the chance to talk about her moody teacher.
“He has not discussed with you why he is distancing himself?” Edward asked as he poured the last of the tea.
“No,” Adriana replied. “I mean, he has never been particularly forthcoming with me, but I thought we had moved past this barrier after the… barn incident.”
Adriana knew that Edward and Deion had been informed about herincidentwith Xander weeks ago. Apparently it had been impossible for Xander not to tell them after they saw the wonderful lightning display Adriana had caused. But within the first few days of Adriana visiting Duran Manor, Deion had let slip that Xander had practically blurted it out as soon as he had returned home after, describing him as a ‘giddy idiot’.
“I love Xander dearly,” Edward said with a smile. “But he is, without a doubt, the most stupid wanker I have ever met.”
Adriana coughed on her tea as she laughed at Edward’s choice of words. She had always assumed Deion would be the one to understand her annoyance with Xander as he tended to be the most outspoken of the pair, but it seemed she shared more mutual ground with Edward in this situation.
“He has always assumed himself to be lonely,” Edward continued, as he handed Adriana his handkerchief to wipe the tea from her chin. “No matter how many of us are standing in front of him, he will refuse to let any of us in, not when it really matters. He sees the world to be against him, and that only he alone can fight it. He pretends love is beneath him, so that he cannot be hurt by it.”
“But why? You are both so good to him, so were my great-grandparents. And though he vexes me, I am trying to be good to him, too. Why does he not accept help?”
“Because of the one thing he fears most.”
Adriana frowned in thought at his words. “Love?”
Edward shook his head with a sad smile. “Losing. Xander has always felt responsible for us, because he lost control to Lilith first. He was her first, and we followed shortly after. And now, he does not wish to lose to her again. What better way to avoid loss, than to have nothing to lose in the first place?”
Adriana sat silent, unsure what to make of it all.
“How much do you know of his creation?” Edward asked in a hushed voice, as he leant forward in his chair.
Adriana scooted closer to the table that sat between them. “My great-grandmother wrote in her stories that he was the first to be turned, and how he helped her turn the rest of you while he was trapped by Lilith’s control.”
“Xander was not just trapped by her magic and Lure like we were, it was worse than that. He was made to adore her. Lilith wanted us to be her faithful children, but her plans for Xander were far greater. He was to be her favoured, most trusted pet. She wanted his complete devotion, just as her previous lover had received hers.”
“Xander was to be her lover?” Adriana spat out. The words tasted disgusting as she spoke them.
“If you could even call that love,” Edward replied, with a similar hint of distaste. “Lilith wanted us to be hers, and Xander was to be her most prized possession. I believe that is why she despises him so much, why she attempts to hold dominion over his mind and his bloodlust in a way that she does not care to with ours. He was her first successful creation whom she had such high hopes for, and he was the first to betray her.”
“But you all forsook her, not just him. You all chose not to follow her.”
“Because of Xander,” Edward explained. “His Manipuli ability meant he was able to break our links to Lilith’s control.Heis the reason her Lamiae do not do as they are told,heis the reason the Courts were formed and we learnt to work peacefully with Lupi and Incantrices. It is Xander who freed us from her grasp, who taught us to only belong to ourselves, and she has been relentless in clawing her way back to him, to punish him.”
Adriana slumped in her chair, suddenly feeling exhausted. “He will never be safe,” she murmured.
