To Freeze Fire Ch. 06

His hands on her froze in place, "Have you met many Fire starters?"

"No" she replied in a quiet voice.

"Then how would you know what's normal for what Fire starters are capable of?" he retorted.

She tried to lift herself off his lap, meeting his hand trying to keep her down. Giving him a daggered look, he rolled his eyes, and attempted to assist her instead. By doing so, she ended up in a sitting position, her head against his shoulder while she attempted to lose the pounding in her head.

It was gradually getting better. What had hurt the most when she fell to the floor more than anything was the bruise she had received from when her and Michael had met for the first time, getting hit. She had more concussion like situations in the past week than she had in her entire life.

"Before I met you my life was allot less complicated." He said as she slid her hands up his chest, to the top of his collar bone. "I took jobs, and delivered, no questions asked. Now, I don't know what the hell I'm doing. "

Her hands continued their journey to come to rest on either side of his face. "Is it the money?" she asked, her teeth clenched together, "the thing that's driving you to do this?"

He released a deep breath, "No. There are other jobs, plenty of opportunities for a man of my skill."

"Then what?"

"We shouldn't have ever gotten close to one another. It was a mistake." His words sliced through her life a knife, her eyes dropped in synch with her mouth, "It's not like that darling. There are things that you don't know about me. Things if you knew, you wouldn't be letting me hold you like this."

"Tell me." She said, her voice steady, holding his face so that he had to look her in the eye, "If you might decide to take me back, despite feeling something between us, I need to know why."

A new vulnerability crossed his features, "I knew from the beginning what you had been running from. Not because of what the old man told me..." he took a hopeless breath, "But because I know the man who you're going to be forced to wed. Once you told me his name, there was no longer any doubt in my mind. And if I don't take you back, he could reveal things about me that could cost both of our lives."

"How do you know this Zael?" she muttered, "What in the world could be bad enough to cost us our lives?"

"I'm not only a fire starter, Mia." He muttered softly, "My Mother became romantically involved with a fire starter, and nine months later gave birth to me. When her husband, Zael's Father, discovered the truth of my parentage, he ordered us both to be burned alive. I barely made it out."

"How old were you?" she gasped.

"Almost nine, starting to develop abilities vampires shouldn't have."

"Christ!" she exclaimed, "Wait...if Zael's Father was your Mother's husband, that means that..."

"Yes, I am half vampire. But its much worse than that darling." Without warning, he started to chuckle, "Zael, your fiancé, is my half-brother. it would appear I followed in my Father's footsteps trying to steal away what isn't mine."

"I don't belong to anyone." She clarified, trying to get a hold of the fact the man she had kissed, been fingered by, was a halfbreed like her.

"Zael won't see it that way." He pointed out, "The moment your Father made a deal with him, you became his property."

"How could my Father do this to me?" she cried out softly, "I was barely eighteen! I hadn't even been kissed for Christ's sake!" His hands tightened on her hips, causing her to redirect her rage and hurt, "How would you being his brother cost us our lives?"

"Remember what I told you about halfbreeds?" he pointed out, "To make matters worse, Fire starters are an enemy clan. Because I have needs like theirs, for most of my life, I've been able to hide amongst them without raising suspicion. I had hoped that the secret about me had died with his Father, but apparently he could still tell everyone. If that news gets around, they will kill every potential witness to them letting me live. Including you."

Reality came crashing down around her, making her heart ache. Every time she had something in life, it seemed to be ripped right out of her grasp.

She lifted her face, bringing her lips to his, understanding the fierce and irrational need to protect him. The anger she had boiling inside her that she had regarding him taking her home, seemed to wash away with his confession.

Now that he had explained to her a part of his past, she felt even closer to understanding why he was the way he was. The fact that the past was still a fresh wound on his heart, made tears sting at the back of her eyes, especially when she knew that she would only be adding to his pain. He pulled her into his embrace, and she inhaled deeply his scent, which made her knees tremble.

"I can't stay here." She whispered, into his shirt, admitting the truth. It wasn't just about her anymore. "Your brother already sent more people here looking for me. And I won't let any more people die, vampire or not, because of me."

He pulled back, shaking his head, "Mia, I don't think you understand how dangerous vampires are. You were right the night you initially tried to talk me out of taking you back. If I take you back, I might as well sign your death certificate here and now."

"The vampires that broke in here tonight said that the arranged marriage was a part of a peace treaty. My Father may be a monster, but honor is something he holds himself to. If they killed me, no matter how much he despises me, even he would find that as a violation of it." She protested, feeling waves of hurt wash over her when she saw the look in his eyes. She realized then that he must have thought that death was preferable than staying here with him.

"I don't want to leave you, Michael." She promised, "As sick as it may be, I've felt more alive as your captive, than I have since my Mother died. But the thought of you dying because of me, is too much to think of. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"We all are guilty of the unforgivable." He looked down, his jaw tensing, "We could run. I have property up in Ireland where no one would ever be able to find us."

She smiled, tears filling her eyes, "You would want me to run away with you? Michael, this whole deal is crazy..."

"You make me that way," he smiled back, his signature one sided smile, "Before you came into my life I was actually a sane and half civil man."

She chuckled, it fading into a weak smile as he stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand, then turned it around so he could hold her head more securely. "And now you aren't even half civil?"

One eyebrow shot up, accompanied by that wicked smile of his, as he claimed her lips once more. He pressed against her, encouraging her to lay back, and when she did, coming to lay between her thighs. The pressure in her lower belly began to build. She could already feel her panties becoming soaked. she felt his hand teasing her breast, his fingers finding her nipple, hardening it. "Would a civil man be doing this?"

She scoffed, shuttering beneath him as he pulled her nipple into his mouth through the fabric, "Being civil...is overrated."

He chuckled, and brought his hands under her shirt, making her moan as those warm hands touched her chilled skin. "God, Mia. You have no idea what that sound does to me." He growled, nipping at her throat gently, teasing her hardened nipples under her bra. "I want to be inside you so fucking bad. But you deserve better than this. Your first time should be special, with someone you love. You deserve better than to be taken in the basement of a condemned house..."

Now feeling his hard cock pressing against his jeans, as he rubbed up against her, she couldn't think of anything else. "Please, Michael. I want you to be my first. Please touch me. Show me what to do."

It was his turn to groan, "Mia as much as I want to..." he groaned again, "I can't. The only reason I left you here tonight was so that I could..." he paused like what he meant to say was difficult, "I haven't fed since before we met. And if we..." he shook his head, "I won't be able to control myself."

She blinked in double, "You mean you will bite me?"

"I'm afraid that would be the least I would do to you. It's not safe for me to even be this close to you since I have fed in a while."

Her face turned a bright red, and she looked down, "Then feed."