Violent Tendencies
Chapter one
I eased the door shut quietly behind me, slipping into the kitchen. It was too dark to make out a shadow from a shape, however, and my stealth was short-lived as I cracked my hip against the kitchen table, swearing venomously. I could feel a bruise forming through my leather armor.
"Glad to see you made it home safe, darling." Shit. I froze at the voice; trying frantically to pinpoint what direction it was coming from. "Were you out drinking or thieving tonight?" He sounded un-characteristically cheerful.
I hesitated, and then replied truthfully. "Thieving. I hit the jeweler's stall." There was no reply but I could feel the heat of his gaze radiating from the direction of the open bedroom. I moved slowly towards it into the doorway. I could see his form sitting on the edge of the bed, a languid shadow that was unnervingly still. Crosius hated it when I came in late. We took each other in through the gloom, neither moving as the tension built. When he finally spoke, I felt myself shiver at the simple command.
"Come." I obeyed quickly, dropping down onto the bed beside him. He leaned over the nightstand and lit the candle. I saw emotion in his eyes through the flickering light; relief overlaid fear, but the predominant glint was one of anger. This did not bode well for me, I decided.
"I brought you something…" I tried quietly. I reached into my pocket, producing the heavy silver chain I had swiped from the jeweler's safe earlier. Its links were beautifully crafted, glinting in the candlelight in a way that reminded me of his hard grey eyes. He looked it over before setting it wordlessly on the nightstand beside the emerald ring and ornate pocket watch I had brought him on other such occasions. He was still for a long moment, staring at the far wall, and when he suddenly reached for me I felt myself flinch back involuntarily. But his hand was at my throat, pushing me back onto the bed, and I yielded with a soft sound of surprise. Then he was leaning over me, his grip slowly tightening, and I squirmed beneath him in a panic. His free hand wove through my hair, finding a tight grip, and I whimpered as he jerked my head back.
"I told you to stop this foolishness," he hissed into my ear. I laid still, focusing on drawing in air as his hold on my neck tightened. "One of these nights you are going to end up with a dagger in your back. I won't loose you like that." He leaned hard on the hand at my throat, cutting off my air entirely. I tried to jerk away but found there was nowhere to go. Helpless, I pushed at him weakly until darkness began to close in around the edges of my vision. Then the pressure lifted as suddenly as it had fallen, and I was sucking in gulps of air like a drowning man. The relief was short lived however, as his lips crashed against my own, smothering me once more. Desperate and choking still, I bit down hard on his lip and tasted blood. A hard slap rocked my vision sideways and I felt my own blood seeping onto my tongue as well. It was a heady mixture and the betraying warmth of arousal clouded my thoughts through the pain.
His hips ground into my own and I gasped aloud, bucking forward to meet him. "You like it when I hurt you?" He growled the question at me and I nodded guiltily. He knew anyway. Crosius had known this side of me for a long time now, having stumbled upon it in a fit of anger much like the one we were both entangled in now. I loved that he cared enough to watch over me. He worried like a mother over my nighttime habits, I knew, and a part of me refused to give them up simply because I relished his punishments when I disobeyed. I walked on eggshells around him, intentionally crushing them beneath my feet now and again to rouse his temper. His heat warmed my frozen heart even as it burned me to a cinder.
Then his mouth was on my own again, tongue forcing its way in, and I tried to rise to meet him. But it was all dominance and pressure, forcing me down further onto the bed, not allowing me space or time to kiss him back. He was slipping down, kissing along my jawline and down to my neck, and when he bit hard and worried the already bruised flesh between his teeth I moaned aloud, yanking at his tunic with my fists. I felt the smirk against my skin and then he was soothing with his tongue and lips. He pinned both my hands above me easily with a quick motion when I reached for him. I felt dizzy and hot as I lay there, taking whatever he gave, unable to fight or love him back.
He made short work of the leather that was my only protection against the onslaught, undoing the buckles with deft fingers and pushing it open to reveal my chest. Teeth nibbled at a nipple, making me jolt. "Stop," I gasped, but he ignored my half-hearted protest. He knew I didn't mean it.
"We need to talk…" I tried weakly. He paused and stared at me. I started to speak again but a heavy hand covered my mouth, silencing me. Then he leaned down to whisper in my ear and I felt the last of my resistance crumble away at the raspy growl. "I have nothing to say that I haven't said a thousand times, little thief."
The rest of my clothes were discarded quickly onto the floor. He rose, releasing me, and I followed him up for a kiss. He broke it short with a nip that stung my swollen lips, spinning me around and forcing me down over the edge of the bed with one hand on the center of my back. He bit down hard on my shoulder, distracting me briefly before he pushed inside of me in one quick movement. I screamed then as the pain seared through me, unprepared for the action. He waited as tears formed in my eyes. Then he was thrusting slowly, fingers gripping my hips. I bit down onto one of my hands to stifle the sounds that were trying to leave me, the other holding the sheets in a white-knuckled fist. This went on for a long moment, me fighting hard for dignity as he hurt me from inside. Then he ripped the hand from my mouth, twisting it around to pin it behind my back as he sped up harshly. It was too sudden and I cried out, loosing the battle. I heard a low laugh in my ear and squeezed my eyes shut.
"I want to hear it," his breath was hot and ragged on my neck and I felt myself shiver as I let out a low moan.
The wrist he held was twisting hard with each motion and fresh tears spilled over my cheeks as his free hand buried itself in my hair and pulled. His ruthless tempo slowed down just a bit, giving me enough space between the thrusts to gather myself. The pace was softer, more careful now that I had submitted, and I became of aware of the aching hardness in my member. It was grinding into the edge of bed but not enough to bring any real relief. And then he hit the spot inside of me, and I felt fire began to grow within me. Once more and I yelled out. Thrice, and my vision blurred. Then it was gone as he shifted and I groaned in dismay.
"Say it," the words were shaking slightly and I knew he wouldn't last too much longer.
I gasped wordlessly as he pounded into me, purposefully avoiding the angle he knew I desperately needed. I steeled myself, unready to give up the last of my rebellion. Nails racked down my lower back and I yelped again.
"Say it," he snarled and bit the tip of my ear harshly, "And I'll make you see stars." The pain made my head spin and I felt it shoot straight to my member.
Giving in all too quickly at the promise of release, I whispered please into the sheets. He heard me and I was quickly rewarded with a wave of the pleasure. But it was just a taste and he shifted again to deprive me.
"Louder." One word. It was commanding and dripping lust.
"Please!" I complied readily, yelling out what he wanted to hear. And then he was hitting me dead on, too fast and too hard, and I lost myself in the rush of white that crashed over me. It surged through me and I contracted around him. I heard him cry out behind me, his thrusts becoming ragged and unpredictable, and then he collapsed over me, breathing heavily. I knew he had come inside but couldn't find the energy to be bothered.
We lay there for a good while, simply existing against each other's exhausted heat. Then he pulled out of me and I fell to the floor at his feet, legs too numb to stand. I looked down at the trickle of red and white liquid staining my thighs. Then he lifted me and deposited me onto the bed, following me with a satisfied huff. Most of the tears had dried on my face but I wiped absently at my eyes. He was watching me with an unreadable expression. Then he kissed me gently, hands cradling my face, and I realized the look was one of love.
I met his display briefly and then pulled away, reaching over him for the silver chain that still lay discarded on the nightstand. I looped it over his head and admired the way it hung against his chest. The fine silver matched his eyes just the way I thought it would in the flickering candlelight. It was the most beautiful thing I'd seen in a long while, and I smiled. This was love, at least for us, and I wanted to explore all the shifting dynamics of his heart even if it killed me. I slid down off of the bed and dropped to my knees on floor. It was cold and hard on my sore body but it was perfection. I looked up at him. Crosius was watching me with interest from the bed.
Two words. That's all I needed to stay in this fucked up heaven forever. "Marry me," I said, and he smiled and nodded.