Original Sin (The Order of Vampires 1)

She glanced at Cain. “Your blood saved me?”

Cain nodded.

More imposing than gravity, Adam’s emotions weighed on her like a lead blanket. Fear, regret, sadness, relief, gratitude.

“Adam,” she snapped and he flinched. “Look at me.”

His head lifted and the emotions hit harder. His agony twisted her insides. “Who am I?”

He swallowed. “You’re Annalise.”

“Try again,” she gritted.

“You’re Annalise Hartzler.”

That sounded strange, but right. “Say I’m your ainsicht.”

His eyes wavered under a sheet of tears. “I can’t,” he wheezed.

She hadn’t realized she moved, until her hands gripped the bars. “No! You look at me—in the eye—and tell me I belong to someone other than you.”

He held her stare, but said nothing.

“I’m your ainsicht. Say it!”

“You’re my ... wife.”

“What else?”

He shook his head and she shoved him, once again not realizing she moved, and underestimating her strength. His back hit the wall, a splitting crack crawling up the plaster.

“Cain, control her,” the Bishop guy said.

She spun and growled at the stranger, but he growled back with startling authority and she scurried back a step, sort of like a kitten trying to take on a tiger. Okay, he was scary. She didn’t like him and his by proxy bullshit.

Footsteps shifted behind her and her scowl cut to Cain. “You lay a hand on me and I’ll rip it off.”

He smirked and dropped his arm. “Feisty.”

“You have no idea.” She turned back to Adam. “Adam, you either own this right now, or you don’t deserve me. Screw the rules. Everything you wanted is right in front of you. I did this for you. Not them.”

Silence.

His refusal to claim her sliced her in ways she didn’t realize a person could bleed. Her insides twisted, his rejection scoring her heart with permanent scars. Not only were her senses heightened, her emotions were running on full octane. She needed to get out of there.

She needed to escape the pain. “I see.”

Her chest restricted as she stared at him, the crushing sense of rejection stabbing deeper than she could bear. Where would she go? Who would she be?

Her hand went to her stomach, penetrating regret for their unborn child cramping through her. Tears rushed to her eyes. “You should have let me die.”

A growl vibrated from his chest, but it only heightened her anger.

“I thought you were stronger than this. I thought you loved me.”

His face pinched as he stared at the floor.

“I loved you,” she whispered, her heart shattering.

“I’m sor—”

“Don’t! Don’t you dare apologize to me when you promised never to hurt me.” Tears slip past her lashes unchecked, and her voice broke. “I trusted you.”

He responded with gutting silence, and his indifference slayed her.

“Get out,” she hissed, pointing down the hall. “Leave!” When he didn’t move, she slammed him into the wall. “Get out of here, you coward! I can’t bear to look at you!”

Cain caught her arms and she shouldered him off.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Annalise, stop!”

Her hand closed over her mouth as she stared at him in utter disbelief. “You said you’d always want me...”

Cain’s voice spoke over her sobs. “Take her to the house, Grace.”

Grace pulled her along, holding tight to her shaking hands. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

But Annalise had no home. She had nothing.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Pain exploded, doubling Adam over, as Cain slammed his fist into his stomach the moment they were alone. Adam crumpled into a gasping heap on the floor.

“What is wrong with you?”

He sucked in a restricted breath and pushed his back against the wall, his legs sprawled and trembling. He deserved the pain. He deserved death.

“How could you let her walk away, Adam? She’s everything to you!”

Wheezing, he shut his eyes and let his misery swallow him whole. “I’m nothing to her.”

Cain’s foot slammed into his ribs, snapping bone and Adam slouched to the floor. He’d already damaged so much. He wouldn’t fight back.

“Why? Because the Elders say so?” His head whipped against the pavement as Cain’s fist cracked into his jaw. “What do they know, Adam? Where were they when we needed them, other than in our way?”

He tasted blood and forced himself to sit up, his arms pushing through the tremors as his back pressed into the wall. “She needs you.”

The punch came before he was ready, snapping his head into the wall. Blood filled his mouth and he spit.

“You’re her husband. You vowed to protect her.”

“She doesn’t need a husband!” He argued through gritted teeth. “She needs her mate. You share a sire bond. Nothing can touch that!” The words, although from his mouth, detonated in his soul. The gutting truth gnawed into him, so deep he no longer wanted to breathe. “End me now.”

Cain’s eyes flashed with fury. “Your indifference is selfish.”

“I’m anything but indifferent!” Adam growled. “What would you have me do? I have no right to her! You’re my brother! There are laws!”

Pain welled in his chest until he could no longer breathe. How could anything hurt so much and not destroy him.