Reaper's Word

Chapter 18: Kiss Me Like You Mean It

"Sit." Isaiah ordered her and she sat down next to him as he indicated. "I will play, you will sing until Isay it is okay for you to stop."

"Yes." She said. Clair took a deep calming breath. She wanted to get up and run, but where was shegoing to go? She wasn't ready to reveal what she could do. She was saving that for a desperate time.Right now she was given an obvious chance. She was sure that his talents were stronger than hers. Hestarted a song and she was grateful that she knew it and waited until the right note to start.

She was relieved that her voice didn't crack and that she hit all the notes perfectly. She didn't think hewould enjoy someone who sang badly. She didn't think that her voice was all that amazing. She wasvery self-conscious and never sang in front of anyone but her music instructor. Though he hadconstantly been at her to sing in concerts with the band.

Clair sang through several songs before she had to ask if she could have a drink. Her throat was dryand sore. He let her, Beta seemingly came from nowhere carrying a bottle from the kitchen. She didn'tknow how they communicated but it was eerie.

Beta sat on her side of the bench and watched them as he played and she sang. He seemed pleasedby it and moved to go and lay down after a while. Clair was starting to fight to stay awake. She'd beenup the whole day and now the night. Not to mention her nerves were shot with being watched and nextto Isaiah.

"You need sleep." He stated and she nodded. He stood and motioned for her to follow.

"Beta." He called and Beta got up and followed after them. Clair thought that she heard others movingdown the hall fast away from them.

"Apparently you have some that enjoy your voice. It was calming and hopeful to them." She saw thathe was amused by this.

"It wasn't too bad." She supplied keeping her gaze down.

"You have a very lovely voice Clair. Just like your talent to draw. You are very complicated and have yetto disappoint me. I like the puzzle you are."

"That is a relief." She said meaning it, though not meaning to say it. He gave a kind of laugh and shelooked up as they passed the glass staircase and into the hall beyond it. He stopped in front of the doorthere. Taking hold of her shoulders he placed her back to the door. He let go of her and put his handson either side of her head.

"Now," He said looking at her and she glanced at Beta who was sitting watching. "You will stay in thisroom. There is only one way out and in. You are a very hard human to track down. I'm not in the moodfor you to slip away on me."

"I thought you liked a challenge." Clair stated feeling bold.

"Don't push me." He responded though he was amused by her comment. "Beta will be staying with youjust to make sure you don't meander off." He said and she paled a little. Waking a little more.

"With me? Not outside?" She asked, sounding a little panicked. He gave a smile that he felt.

"With you. I don't trust you because I know your talent to slip away." He wondered at that talent. Wasshe just that lucky or was it something else?

"Oh, and tomorrow?" She asked.

"I will show you what I wish for you to draw."

"Have I earned the three days then?"

"Nearly, you haven't accepted the offer yet nor have you drawn the picture."

"Before is say yes or no, is that all? You haven't said exactly what I'm to do. Just draw?" Isaiah steppedvery close to her, taking up her space. Enjoying the way that she pressed herself against the door toget away from him. He leaned forward and took a very deep breath. Pulling her scent into his lungs,she smelled so good. No other human could or would ever smell like her.

"I love the way you smell. A mix of citrus and flowers, very feminine." She was very tense. Then againhe would be too if their positions were switched. Her life was his to take and destroy if he wanted.

"Th...thanks." She stammered staring at his chest. She felt one of his hands move and touch her hair.

"How soft, and so well groomed." He seemed perplexed by this. He was a good head taller than herand she was happy to not have to look him in the eye. He had to be feeling the fear and anxiety comingfrom her in waves.

"I promise to give you three days full immunity from me and my hell hounds, so long as you draw what Ishow you and you kiss me." Her heart stopped beating in her chest. Oh god she couldn't do that. Shecould barely take him touching her without freaking out. His hand moved to the side of her neck, histhumb by her ear. He didn't force her to look up just waited for her decision.

Isaiah had no idea if she would accept his offer or not. If she didn't then he was going to have her bodyright here and now. If she did, then she'd get her three days and he'd have to wait for that pleasure.More than likely he'd have to hunt her down again. But that was the fun of it. Either way he doubtedhe'd be really disappointed.

"What happens if I don't?" She asked.

"I'm waiting for an answer." He replied and that very clearly told her that she wouldn't enjoy what heplanned to do if she said no.

"Yes." She finally said after several long silent minutes. "I'll take your offer." She couldn't tell if he wasdisappointed or not. Now he forced her head up to look at him. She was a little scared by what she sawthere. Terrified as a whole, but this just added to it. There was a mix of things in his eyes, she justlooked at him for a moment.

"You are failing to hold up your end of the bargain." He chided. Clair moved her head not wanting tofail. She was too scared of what would happen if she did.

She hesitated for just a second very near his mouth. She felt his light breath on her lips and sheshivered slightly. He didn't move his head to hers, he'd said that she had to kiss him. She wonderedwhat happened to him if he failed to hold up his end of the bargain.

"Like you mean it Clair." He said before she touched her lips to his. It was light and she didn't knowexactly what the kiss had to be to count. He was unnaturally still, more so than normal for him. Shepressed her mouth a little more firmly to his and figured that a quick one did count. He never specifiedwhat it had to be. Just that she had to do it.

It had to be like she meant it. Oh god what did that mean? She opened her mouth against his and hislips were already parted. She slid her tongue into his mouth and the second that her tongue hit his hegripped her hair and pulled her head back.

He took over that kiss and brought his hand to her neck. She tried to pull away and he made a verythreatening sound in his throat. She stayed where she was and allowed him to kiss her. He tasted likemint, very strongly of it. His perfect firm body pressed to hers and it felt like he was pulling the air fromher lungs.

He lifted her suddenly and nearly slammed her into the door forcing her legs around him. He pressedhard against her. His hips grinding into hers, she gasped into his mouth and he made a deep sound

into hers. Clair's fingers dug into his shoulder. While she felt incredibly tense, she also felt heat rushthrough her entire body. Not the reaction she was expecting at all.

Isaiah had never experienced anything quite like this. She was so hesitant to kiss him, to let him touchher. When all the others had been more than eager to prove themselves. To try and please him. To lethim do as he wanted to them, so they could get what they wanted. He wanted to do a lot to Clair. Shehad tried to pull away from him to deny him. Not until he threatened her did she stop. It wasn'tacceptable in his mind.

Her body belonged to him. It was his, she was his to have. He wanted to fuck her so badly and wasangered at the clothes in the way. His body was painfully hard and only this human woman was goingto satisfy the need riding him. She was so soft, and it was so easy to get a hold on her. His hand duginto her thigh. She fit perfectly, it would be sweet to sink his body into hers. He was sure it would be. Tohold her down and feel her soft smooth skin slide along his.

He felt it from her, the arousal that she tried to fight. She didn't want to respond to him but she was.She was attracted, whether she wanted to admit it or not. He wanted her to crave him the way that hewas craving her right now. This reversal of need was maddening. The whole exchange was extremelyfast and heated. However he suddenly tasted blood in his mouth. His nails started to dig into her skindangerously from his excitement.

Beta let out a loud growling bark. Isaiah suddenly had to drop her and step away.His breathing wasirregular and there was pain all over him. He looked down but didn't really need to. He already knewwhat had happened, he'd very nearly broken his promise. He was truly immortal, nothing could kill himbut if he broke a promise.

The only reason he wasn't in more pain, nor have truly broken it was because she hadn't completedher end entirely yet. He knew it was mostly from him starting to dig his claws into her. Which would

cause her pain. He'd said full immunity from any harm. Should have left a loophole there, damn it. Thenhe could still have her pinned against the door and feel more of her body.

Liaisons had opened all over him, a warning to stop. He felt the tears of blood rolling down his face.Also from his ears and most likely nose. The taste was also in his mouth. She was looking at him in akind of shocked horror. He closed his eyes for a moment and waited.

Clair watched Isaiah, his eyes were solid black. Not a hint of color or white, they were like obsidianglass. There were tears in his skin and he was bleeding from them rather harshly. Several thin streamscame from his eyes.

She'd tasted the coppery hint of blood with a tang of licorice in her mouth and had thought it was her atfirst. He looked very inhuman at the moment. A slight twist to his features. She could still feel his hardbody pressed to hers. Every hard muscle and his arousal pressed between her legs. She could still feelthat most of all. Clair couldn't help the heat in her face. What had she gotten into here?

After a moment he opened his eyes. The wounds closing on his body. He looked a little more in controland she wondered what would have happened if Beta hadn't lunged at them barking. Isaiah moved,coming back very close to her. A growl low in his throat. He crowded her space, but not really touchingher but nearly so. Her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"How I wish I'd given you a task you could fail. So I could just fuck you." She was shocked at thecrudeness of the words. She was glad for the promise and once this was done she was never going toshow her face anywhere unless she absolutely had to. She didn't think this little episode was a onetime thing. What he said terrified her. She spoke the first thing that came to mind.

"How I wish I never signed that book." He was in her space again but not touching her. The smell ofhim filled her lungs. A kind of spearmint smell, close to his taste. She was trying to not think about that.He made a kind of agreeable amused sound and then stepped away from her.

"I will be here to collect you in the morning, if you are not here..."

"I'll be here." She said quickly. She wasn't going to leave. Not when she knew what he'd do if he foundher after this. A slow smile spread across his face.

"You realize that you are stuck here." He raised a hand holding up four fingers. "Four days that I can'treally touch you. Including the drawing day." She stared at him, she knew.

"I plan to run like hell." She hadn't meant to say that. It always just came out.

"Oh, Clair." He said with a laugh. "I have your scent and your taste burned into my memory. Along withthe soft feel of your body against mine. There is nowhere in this house you can run to that I won't findyou. No place you can hide that I won't eventually get to you."

"So you think."

"So I know, make me angry enough and I will tear apart each and every room until I find you. Tear thevery walls apart. I'm giving you one time to run. Next time you won't get that chance." His gaze movedover her body. He'd never come across such a situation before like with her. He enjoyed it, yet felt itwas kind of twisted in a way that he couldn't explain.

"Would you give me warning? I'd like to count my days left as a blessing." He blinked and his eyeswent from black to very near normal in a second.

"You confuse me." He smiled. "You have your three days. After that the moment I catch you there isn'tgoing to be any deal but one. No one has ever managed to make good on it. I never have to keep thepromise I make with that deal." It was true. What needed and wanted satisfaction was his inhumanside. The side that was truly him. What he was, not this mortal facade he'd had to take being broughthere.

Clair gripped the door handle and turned it moving to go in. He watched her and Beta padded over andinto the room. She would much rather have him in the room than Isaiah at the moment. She closed thedoor and looked at the bedroom. She crawled into the bed and laid there unsure of what to feel,terrified, relieved, sad, glad, depressed? She scooted very close to the wall. She felt the bed depressas Beta jumped up.

"I don't suppose you'd give me space? Like on the floor?" His answer was to lie down with his yelloweyes staring at her. She should have been more disturbed than she was. Her encounter outside thedoor had seemed scarier than this.

"Didn't think so." She grumbled and laid there staring at the wall hoping she could sleep. She got anactual bed tonight, she prayed she could enjoy it..novelbin

___Isaiah_____

Isaiah moved from the room Clair was in before he did something stupid. He hunted down Mario inrecord time and gave him the chance to live by physically beating Isaiah. He lost spectacularly and wasnow a broken mess that Zeta was eating. It felt good to take out his frustration at having to leave Clairalone on the man. Plus he had marred her perfect skin. Marked her like he had a right to.

Then from his memories he hunted down the woman. Apparently Clair had also been sliced by a knifeand slammed into a wooden door. Not acceptable. He was more than relieved that she wasn'tdamaged in any other way. That they hadn't gotten the chance to do what had been in Mario's mind. Ifhe'd touched Clair, used her body before Isaiah could, he'd have done worse to Mario.

He found the woman involved in attacking Clair. Gave her the same deal that he gave Laura andothers. If she could satisfy him he'd let her live for the time being. He already knew it was going to be afailure. His inhuman side wasn't even remotely finding her interested.

No, that it seemed to only focus right now in regards to Clair. He needed some kind of relief. Clair hadhis body raging and it wasn't going away. This woman named Lina barely scratched the surface. Hishuman body barely got relief. He was better off just taking care of his human body himself and thinkingabout what he wanted to do to Clair. Wishing to make her do it.

Isaiah moved up the stairs to his room. Uncomfortable and unfulfilled. He stared at her door for amoment with black eyes and a closed fist before turning and going up to his room. First he took out thedrawings that he'd asked from her and looked at them. He stared at his own images and the way thatshe seemed to see him. Then he'd moved over to his bed and laid down staring up at the ceiling hiseyes still black. His vision was extremely sharp and colors a bit more dull when they were like this.

God damn it his body would not relax. Relieving himself would be much better than what Lina hadgiven him so instead he just lay there. Just lay there picturing that human woman and the feel of herbody. How he hoped she was as good as she felt. That she would give him something very close to areal release. He'd had strong reactions to women before, but not that strong. In the end however it wasalways the same. If they did not fit the need of a reaper then he would be left with nothing.

His human body craved, and so would his other side. The side that was never satisfied by anything oranyone. Only one time had it felt sated and that had been Athena. Isaiah closed his eyes and pushedaway the thoughts of a woman long dead that no longer mattered to him. She'd never really mattered,but he was stuck here because of her. A moment of weakness.

Instead he replaced her image with Clair. Clair beneath him while he took her body. The sounds shewould make and how good it would feel. He craved her, wished he could march down the stairs rightnow and drag her up here. Use her until she either pleased him or failed. The thought of tasting herblood just made it worse. It would be a worthy prize. He'd enjoy the taste immensely. Enjoy the feel ofher vivacious life flowing into him. That thought made him smile. He was already counting the hours.