Deadly Sins Ch. 04: Lust

"I'm alright," she finally managed to gasp, fearful if her present state of disrepair didn't send her back into unconsciousness then he would.

He dropped his hands immediately, taking a step back. "I'm still waiting on my answer. I need a last name as well. And an address."

Adriana raised the glass to her lips, taking a second sip of the water, this one more cautious than the first. When she didn't gag, she quickly finished off her drink, a sharp sense of alleviation flooding through her. He really...didn't know...who...she...

The blackness she'd fought against so studiously earlier reached up and dragged her down into its depths.

The last thing she heard after Cael retrieved the glass from her slack fingers and picked her up to deposit in the center of the bed was stomping feet, a door crashing open and a shout, "Goddamn you, Cullen! What the fuck did you put in the water?"

Her last thought was, There's a real chance for me to get out of here alive.

Fuck Rayn. Fuck Marcus. This was survival of the fittest.

Rayn was on her own.

Adriana succumbed to unconsciousness for a third time.

*****

Rayn hated to look impressed. But she knew with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide that that was exactly how she looked. Not that her awe was without cause.

In spite of the barrenness that was winter in Ohio, it was quite evident she was viewing a landscaping masterpiece. Thane drove through an ornately decorated iron gate and up a long drive with dozens of intersecting streets each lined with dozens of huge houses. Each structure was an architectural work of art in its own right but when combined the multitude created a magnificent veritable modern day village built right in the middle of what amounted to little more than a forest.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the end of the drive and Thane parked the Navigator in front of the largest structure which sat there. Rayn alighted from the vehicle and realized the windows had prevented her from truly experiencing and appreciating the undiluted beauty before her.

Fifty to one hundred feet high pine, oaks and an assortment of other trees soared majestically above all four sides of the huge mansion she was in front of. And the smell...fresh, untainted. None of the inner city rancidness to mar the perfection that was Mother Nature.

Listening closely, Rayn picked up on the babbling of running water. A stream had to be somewhere near, brimming with water that was sure to be sweet and pure. What she wouldn't give to feel that icy, refreshing water run down her neck to her bosom and lower to get lost in the hairs that covered her mound.

"Welcome to Kensington Estates," Thane whispered in her ear, stepping close. His muscled arm stretched out as he reached for the duffle bag on the seat behind her. He slung it over a broad shoulder, turning away. "Come on, let's get you settled."

Much as Rayn wanted to offer some sarcastic remark, some smart retort, she hinged her mouth. Thane and his neighbors apparently wanted the full Mother Nature adventure because once her eyes drifted down from the tops of the trees she could see people of all ages milling around the bases along with huge animals. Gargantuan animals.

And she did not want to give him motive to feed her to any one of those pets. Nope, she didn't want there to be any reason at all for any of those steroid infused Siberian Huskies to come anywhere near her.

As if hearing her thoughts, damn if one of the animals didn't come elegantly loping towards them. It was a pure, snowy white with pale orbs clear and blue as the unseen stream. Beautiful and exotic.

Rayn took a step back as the dog pushed between her and Thane, rubbing against his legs. She heard Thane call the beast Katya as he rubbed his hand over her head and down her back, petting, massaging.

The small ripple of jealousy was unexpected. The familiarity between Thane and the animal was obvious and it bothered her.

Get a hold of yourself, Rayn, it's a pet for goodness sake. And you don't want him...well, you don't want him that much. Okay, you shouldn't want him although you do but you're working on it.

Katya sat on her haunches, head quirked to the side as she studied her. With a start, Rayn realized the dog was taking her measure, sizing her up.

She also realized the dog was not a dog. It was a wolf. What the hell?

"You two coming?" Thane stood at the door to the mansion which hung agape, poised to stride into the interior.

Nodding, Rayn followed, trepidation dodging her every step. She was starting to fear Thane was into some immoral and altogether really weird shit. Like bestiality.

After Rayn entered, he held the door open a few seconds longer, allowing Katya to enter. The wolf disappeared up a grandiose wooden staircase and around a corner.

Rayn watched the departure. The beast hadn't growled or bared its teeth at her, but she wanted to know where it was at all times regardless...just in case. She had no intention of finding herself with a matching imprint of wolfish canines marring her ass.

"Is this her?" a husky voice asked. The owner was a tall, older woman, standing in the doorway to what appeared to be a great room or some type of common area. Her gray hair was smoothed into a severe bun at the nape of her neck and her overall appearance flawless.

Must be his mother. Or maybe an aunt. Examining her closely, Rayn realized the woman was even older than she'd originally guessed, gracefully aged, and closer to the age of one who would be Thane's grandmother.

Grasping her hands in his, Thane planted a kiss on her wrinkle free cheek. "Yes, Amina, this is her. Rayn, I would like you to meet Amina. Amina, Rayn."

"Oh, thank God," Amina breathed. "For a moment I thought the girl Cael brought by my house..."

Rayn's relief was palpable that this woman who seemed to know Thane didn't seem to know the beat up woman. Although she'd already convinced herself of his innocence, this was the finishing touch her mind needed to make that final leap.

Just because Thane was an asshole did not necessarily make him a woman abusing asshole.

For the first time since arriving, Rayn spoke, "She's here? Can I see her?"

She wanted the battered woman to know she had an ally. There was nothing worse than recovering from such a traumatic ordeal alone. She knew that better than anyone.

After her encounter with Dominic, Rayn had been too ashamed to face Alexis and too incensed to face Nicki. Even over the phone. So her recuperation process had been a lone, solitary punishment.

But this woman didn't have to go it alone. And Rayn wanted her to know that. For as long as Rayn was around, she would be there for her.

Unfortunately, Rayn couldn't say exactly how long she would be around. She still didn't know why Thane had brought her here to begin with and first chance she got...

"She's resting," Amina answered. "I'll take you to her room later."

"I...I would really appreciate that. Thanks."

Thane and Amina entered the great room, speaking quietly to each other and Rayn felt compelled to trail behind despite the fact she felt like an outsider.

She scrutinized her surroundings, getting a definitive masculine impression from the dark hardwood floors and matching decor. No Martha Stewart Living going on in here. More like Peyton Manning Living.

Very Thane.

"Ah, there she is," Amina said, looking at a point just beyond Rayn's shoulder. "Come, Katya, and meet Thane's guest."

Katya? Why was she talking to the wolf like it was a person? "Amina, I've already-"

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Rayn whirled around where she stood. And found herself in the presence of a pale, ravishing blond. With eyes a startlingly similar shade to that of the wolf.

Katya glided-she freaking glided-to Thane. Elegant. Just like the wolf.

How cute, Rayn thought, must've taken some serious trial and error to breed that beast to be such an exact replica of this real life Barbie doll. And as she watched Katya thread her arm around Thane's waist and lay her head on his chest, the jealousy was no longer a ripple, it was an eighteen wheeler ripping through Rayn at ninety miles an hour, full speed.

The familiarity was present, pronounced. Just like it had been with the damn wolf. More than it had been with the damn wolf.

"Yes," Rayn choked through her teeth as Thane dropped a kiss to the flaxen tresses of his companion, "definitely a pleasure."

She'd wanted to know the reason behind Thane's strange behavior around her. And now she had it.

Thane Wulff was already spoken for. And had apparently been being a very bad boy, cheating on his girlfriend-wife?-with her. Even having the audacity to bring her, his would-be plaything, into his wedded home.

The man, while apparently having somewhat of a guilty conscience, suffered a complete lack of impulse control. He saw. He wanted. He felt bad about wanting. He got over negative feelings. He took. This also explained his actions on discovering Dominic in her bedroom.

Situation: Another man in the room of the woman you don't know but want.

Solution: Shoot the man. Take the woman.

Oh, she had far surpassed anything her sister or Alexis had ever managed to do. She had managed to make herself the other-fucking-woman. Priceless.

Katya cocked her head to the side, studying Rayn. Taking her measure. Just like that goddamn wolf.

And Rayn could swear she sensed a hint of reproach, disapproval, behind those alluring eyes and exquisite features.

"Rayn, I'm going to take you on a brief tour then I'll show you to the room you'll be using while you're Thane's guest." And with that, Amina swept past, leaving Rayn little choice but to follow.

It wasn't until later, much later, when she was standing in the middle of the room which was thrice the size of her one bedroom apartment, still fuming over Thane and Katya and plotting another escape, that Rayn remembered the ass still had her bag.

Which, now that she thought about it, she didn't remember seeing her keys in. Same as the night before she was left with no phone, no money, no credit cards, no transportation...conniving bastard had her right where he wanted her.

*****

Thane sat behind his massive steel desk, his brothers all gathered in his office for the meeting he'd called.

Cael was leaned against the door, preventing all unwanteds from entering and, from the regular looks of death he was shooting at Cullen, preventing at least one of the brothers from leaving after the meeting was concluded. Either oblivious to the threat, or not giving a shit, the latter more likely being the case, Cullen lounged in the middle of the single sofa which occupied the room, his back to the male.

What the hell was going on with those two now? If the situation didn't straighten itself out, Thane knew he would have to intervene before the day was done. Or end up with two pissed, bloodied warriors.

Roark, who had just straggled into the house from his intervention with Rayn's friend, who he warmly referred to as that goddamned Alexis, was sitting on the floor, one leg stretched straight in front of him and the other cocked at an angle at the knee and his gaze, though exhausted, sharp as a dagger.

A few feet from the man stood Amun, thick legs spread apart in a fuck you stance, heavy arms folded across his chest and bald head gleaming under the dying rays of the sun which poured through the windows. For the millionth, and certainly not the last time, Thane was grateful the dark skinned, dark eyed hybrid was on his side.

The guy was ruthless, vicious. A trait of his vampire heritage. And loyal to a fault. Passed down from his werewolf mother. Definitely a first choice to have at your back in the heat of battle.

They all were.

"What did you find out?" Roark asked.

"She's an enemy," Thane answered easily.

"Figured as much."

"She's also under my protection."

"The hell?" Cullen hunched forward, elbows meeting knees. "Evidently I missed out on some serious shit after I left. Mind filling me in?"

"You're not nearly as stupid as you persist in acting, I'm sure you can figure it out." Cael's contribution.

A long finger, mid-way on Cullen's left hand, stretched up in response.

"Wanna turn around and face me like a man while telling me to fuck off? Or will that take away too much of the pleasure you derive from doing shit with backs turned?"

"I wouldn't have had to do shit behind your back if you didn't excel at being such a callous idiot. Funny, don't you think, that I knew what you were going to do before you did it. I felt it my responsibility to intercede. So I did. Remember, my friend, women are my forte, not yours."

"Cullen, I'm going to break your fucking nose in half."

"Only after I knock several teeth out of your piehole."

"Scratch that. I'm going to completely reorganize that ugly puss of yours."

Elbows resting on the arm of his chair, Thane leaned back, steepling his fingers under his chin, observing the highly volatile exchange. Maybe he wouldn't step in, just let the two asses pound on each other until they were bloody pulps.

It had been awhile since their last fight. They were about due.

"If you two chill the fuck out," Roark said, trying to ease the tension, "Thane can tell us what exactly happened."

As his brothers quieted, Thane recognized it was time to drop his bomb. "My wolf has bonded to her."

Cullen's expression was incredulous. "Congrats. Now what the fuck is she?"

Time to set that motherfucker's fuse alight. "Lust."

Roark blew out a low whistle. "Jesus Christ."

"Or not," Cullen added. "I'm thinking definitely not."

"You? Thinking?" Cael scoffed. "Please forgive me if I seem in awe. It's just that you thinking doesn't happen too often. Like earlier. Or ever for that matter."

Cullen jumped to his feet. "You wanna do this, Cael? Right here, right now?"

"Certainly." Cael straightened to his full height. "It would be my pleasure."

"Stand. Down." Every eye in the room jerked to the man who issued the order. Amun rarely spoke. But when he did, they all listened.

The whole pack listened.

That was just the inevitable effect Amun had. They all knew he was capable of ripping a man's heart from his chest, then sucking out the blood until the organ stopped beating in his hand.

The brothers had all seen him do it. More than once.

"We'll take this up later," Cullen promised, sinking back down to his ass.

"Can't wait."

The floor his again, Thane proceeded to tell his brothers of his bond to Rayn. And his half baked plan to not think of her as his mate until he received further directive from Amina.

And his commitment to kill her if he had to.

Clearly dubious, Cael said, "Good luck with that."

"You're definitely going to need it," Roark agreed. "Along with some serious fucking willpower or five bottle of Goose if that fails."

Luck? He didn't need luck. What he needed were fucking brain and heart transplants. Along with a new wolf.

"Shit. This would be much easier if she were simply a demon." Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Cullen slouched against the couch back. "So much easier."

Cullen was right; Thane had found himself thinking the same during his ride with Rayn. Demons were creatures who naturally tended towards evil, however rules put in place long before the birth of Thane, or any of his brothers, prevented their killing unless the demon made a conscious choice to indulge their less than desirable side. And many demons chose not to, chose to live among humans for years, never so much as slipping up even a little tiny bit. Some even mated with werewolves.

Sins, on the other hand, were a totally different story. They were instantly marked for death.

While demons could chose whether to use their darkness to influence others, sins didn't have that luxury. They influenced others even if they didn't mean or want to.

And that was a menace to the world that simply could not be allowed to exist.

A light knock came at the door. Cael swung it open to admit the younger pack member Thane had summoned before he'd called the meeting. The male stepped into the room, eyes nervously traveling from face to face until they finally landed on Amun.

Amun's bright whites gleamed from his mahogany face. The boy shivered.

Standing, Thane extracted from his pocket the keys he'd pilfered from the dresser in Rayn's room, laying them on his desk. He couldn't immediately address all of her concerns, but he would do whatever possible for the ones he could. "I need you to bring me a vehicle which is currently parked on the side street beside Orgasm. It belongs to my guest. Lexus 460."

The pup's gaze swung to Thane as he grabbed the keys, nodding his head.

"Come right back here and park it."

When the boy started to nod his head again, Thane met the action with a raised eyebrow. Realizing his slight, the pup managed to stammer out a "Yes, sir" before disappearing through the door.

Thane perched on the edge of his desk, addressing his brothers again, "Far as the pack is concerned, I've already told them Rayn is a succubus of pleasure."

"Really think that will work?" Cullen asked. "Her aura is stronger than any succubus of pleasure I've ever come into contact with. Carnally or casually. Has to be the same for the rest of the pack."

But Thane had already come to that same conclusion. "Amina has taken some precautions. No one should be the wiser as long as Rayn stays in her room."

"And as long as you stay out of it," Cael voiced what was obvious to them all.

*****

Rayn jumped up from the bed, pacing the outline of the room. She'd been there for hours and though neither Thane nor Amina had said or insinuated she was being held prisoner, Rayn could feel that she was.

She knew if she tried to march down the mansion's grand staircase and out the front entrance, somebody was going to stop her. She knew if she tried to go searching through every room on this floor looking for a phone, somebody was going to prevent her. And that somebody was more than likely Thane.

Reaching the bed, she kicked one of its legs, cursing when a pain shot through her big toe, radiating upwards. That certainly wasn't the brightest thing she'd ever done.

Neither was getting involved with Thane. How could a man she'd known less than twenty-four hours have turned her life so completely inside out and upside down?

She needed to leave. She had a job. Family. Friends. He couldn't hold her here. Certainly he would be somewhat reasonable.

And if he wasn't, then what?

But a secondary course of action was already forming in her mind. Thane's passionate side liked to show up unexpectedly and he seemed to have very little control whenever it did. So why not invite it out to play again?

Because she wasn't a home wrecker. Much as her dislike of Katya had been instantaneous, she wouldn't stoop to such a level now that she knew he was involved.

Only way out of here was to charge out.

Taking a deep breath, Rayn walked to the door which had the strangest design of patterns freshly carved deep into its surface. The same patterns which were freshly engraved on the four posts of the bed. Weird.

Rayn grabbed the brass knob, turning it slowly to the right. The door opened with no protest and she eased into the corridor, surprised to see there were no guards stationed outside.

Maybe she wasn't being held prisoner. Just her overactive imagination at work.

But Thane had already said he wouldn't let her go, hadn't he. Twice.

Retracing her earlier tour with Amina, Rayn found herself at the head of the staircase which led down to the foyer. Hidden in shadows, she scoped the scene below.