Again his voice was cool and even, yet her mouth went dry with fear. He could convey menace quietly far better than most people could with roaring anger. She nodded, trying to look agreeable when in truth she was crumbling inside, her mind fragmenting and her body trembling almost beyond her capability to control it.
“Take another breath. You keep forgetting to breathe, Alexandria. Your mind is trying to deal with the trauma of what has happened to you a bit at a time. Every time a new piece of information is processed, your body reacts to it. You are a very intelligent woman; you have to know this will not be an easy transition, but you will get through it.”
A small, humorless smile curved her trembling mouth. “I will? You’re so certain of that. Is that because you’ve decreed it?” Her chin lifted, and for a moment her eyes flashed in defiance. “You’re so sure of yourself.”
He simply watched her in that calm, infuriating manner she was becoming familiar with. Alexandria finally sighed. “Don’t worry. I don’t blame the woman.”
“Marie.” He whispered it softly between his white teeth, a whisper of velvet over iron. His golden eyes were growing hot, molten gold that could so easily engulf her.
She swallowed hard. “Marie, then. I’ll be nice to her.”
He held out a hand. Alexandria stared at it a moment, then, carefully avoiding contact, slipped past him to the door. Aidan moved with her, a silent shadow, yet she was aware of his every rippling muscle, body heat, his very breath. He was so close to her, she felt their hearts were beating the same rhythm.
The tunnel they entered was narrow and wound its way upward toward the first floor. She was forced to stop no more than halfway to their destination, a wave of dizziness overcoming her. She gripped the stone wall and fought for breath. At once Aidan curved an arm around her waist.
Her fingers curled into his shirt. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I can’t.” There was an involuntary plea in her voice, her fear overcoming her sense of self-preservation against Aidan’s power. He was enormously strong and as solid as a rock. He was all she had to cling to when her mind rebelled against the trauma it had been subjected to.
He held her like a child, his body giving comfort when, inside him, the beast raged for fulfillment. “For now, think only of the boy. He is lonely for you and afraid. I have done my best to reassure him, but he has lost so much in his young life, and the memories he has of this place and of me and my family are merely implanted, no substitute for the reality of his love for you. The rest of the future can wait, can it not?” His voice was pure sorcerery, impossible to resist. It whispered sensuously in her mind, assuring her that if she simply did as he suggested, all would be well with her world.
His chin brushed the top of her head, lingering for a moment while he drank in her scent, made certain their scents mingled. His golden gaze held possession and hunger; his arms were gentle and tender.
“Come with me now, Alexandria. Come into the warmth of my home of your own free will. Share some time with me and mine. Forget everything for now but this respite from your nightmare. You need the relief, and there is no harm in it.”
“In the illusion of normalcy?”
“If you care to put it that way, I suppose it can be said.” His fingers, on the nape of her neck, were working a kind of magic.
In her life there had been too much adversity, no warmth other than what Joshua had provided. Aidan was so gentle, and even if that was the biggest illusion of all, Alexandria took comfort in his arms. On some level she was aware of clinging to him, of leaning on his strength, but she refused to dwell on it; for her sanity, she didn’t dare. She needed to immerse herself in a small measure of normal life, if only for a short while.