Addiction

Thank you so much to those of who reviewed my first chapter! I really hope that I was able to truly convey the feelings of both of these diverse characters as well keeping Altaïr in as close to character as possible. Now on with the show!

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Last chapter before the flashback:


‘NO, you mustn’t do this again. Not when you have tried so hard to forget!’ said a small voice in her mind trying to push its way through the haze of lust that was spreading itself quickly throughout her body. She had promised herself.
But instead of following her instincts, she came to him anyway and now she was quickly losing control of the situation. She couldn’t put herself through the heartache again... Especially when she knew how much the after effect he had on her could be so stifling. Never could she forget that horrifying effect of feeling completely used and awash with shame after the deed was done then disgusted with herself for allowing it to happen again no matter how good he made her feel. It was just an opportunity to couple... it always had been.
But for her it meant another part of her would crumble before him for allowing him to do it in exchange for nothing in return except a false hope that it could be something more. Then the overwhelming press of guilt and self loathing would always follow shortly after because as much as she hated to admit, she had been the one who started this whole mess.

+++

The quiet whisper of scuffling continued to resound throughout the chamber and into the empty night. Adah was livid! This “friendly” reunion between them was not faring well at all and it seemed the more hostile she became, the more agitated Altaïr would get. He had asserted his dominance by quickly wedging himself against her and into the wall in an attempt to press her into submission with his advances, but she simply would not have it. Fed up with her persistent defiance, Altaïr released her but he did not relent. Grabbing her by the wrist, he flung her into the many cushions that lay over the rug. She winced as she hit the floor with a soft thud, but he hadn’t given her any time to recover. He was on her in an instant, yanking her scarf over her head and pulling her sandals from her feet to join his pile of forgotten clothes in the corner.
Altaïr could feel her trembling underneath him just like so many of his victims who were about to breathe their last breath. Holding her down by her shoulder with one hand, the questing fingers of his other searched the thin cloth covering her flat stomach. The tiny ring of his hidden blade being ejected caught her ears and she shut her eyes, recoiling back against the wall. Once he found a bunching of loose material, the cool tip of the blade began to cut swiftly through the cloth.
‘Has he lost his mind?!’ she kept shouting to herself as she thought of the situation she had just gotten herself into? She could scarcely believe the scene unfolding in front of her. She tried to calm herself by holding her breath as the blade carved through the fabric, tearing the material in two she let her struggling return full strength.

“Enough.” Altaïr stated. The profound desire to claim her as his once again was undeniable and he impatiently began to shrug the cloth down her arms and waist to be rid of the infuriating obstruction that was keeping her from him. He hadn’t meant to be so rough with her. He was just angry that she had allowed it to come to this by fighting him and was disappointed that she was trying so frantically to block out her past. Their past. When small tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes she reared a hand back, but he was a step ahead of her and caught her wrist before it could make contact with his face.

“Altaïr, what has gotten into you?!” she raged, pulling against his iron hold.

He looked down at her coolly from his straddled position over her lap, his anger seeming to have tapered slightly now that her bronzed skin was finally exposed to him. The penetrating gaze of his eyes searched carefully through her own in hopes of finding a shred of proof that she had not completely given up on him. He leaned forward and her widened distressed eyes glued themselves to the full lips that were slowly closing in until they were locked firmly with hers in a gentle, possessive kiss.

The rough pads of his fingers traced lazy circles on the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss to further explore the warm cavern of her mouth. Adah was surprised to find herself inwardly relishing the forgotten feel of his lips and as soon her eyes drifted closed, she felt the corners of his mouth tug in a slight smirk. When he pulled away slowly, they stared at each other for a moment, each deep in thought until the sound of him clearing his throat broke the unnerving silence.

“You know, I have been hunting for you for quite some time Adah and I must admit... you have proved to be one of my most difficult targets to track yet, which means I have taught you well.” He whispered into her ear, a slight smile graced his face toward the end of his comment.

“Apparently, not well enough since I am once again sitting here in front of you...” She huffed, fumbling to hide her nakedness from him. He just chuckled lowly at her barb and went on.

“Well, running at full speed through the city with a swarm of guards at your heels is not what I would call hiding in plain sight, now is it?” he countered and winked at her with that small knowing smile, his grip on her wrist loosening slightly.

Adah averted her eyes, but he hooked a finger under her chin and brought her gaze back to his. “Nevertheless, I requested your presence here for a reason as I was unable to explain in the streets, for I doubt you would have come to me.”

She said not a word and continued to stare at him through soaked lashes with a perplexed expression when he let go of her again and undid the buckles of his last gauntlet. The moment it was tossed to the floor, she felt his strong arms wrap securely around her waist causing her start when his face nuzzled above the cleft of her breasts to inhale the exhilarating scent of her skin.

‘Why is he doing this...? He knows things will never be the same between us. His actions made sure of that.’ she thought despondently.

Being away from Altaïr had actually done her some good because it had allowed the wound of her broken heart to finally start stitching itself back together. And just when she thought the pain was subsiding, here he was to finish the job.

“I don’t understand...” she sniveled numbly over his shoulder in confusion. “Why must you keep putting me through this?”
She paused, her frustration and fire returning, “I thought you would have understood when I left the first time that I am tired of your rejection and constant dismissals!”
The ever increasing buildup of hot tears began to blur her vision as she pushed against his bare shoulders in frustration. All of this was so overwhelming and the way he was crowding her was beginning to wear her down. She needed to get away, needed time to think.

“Stop this.” He grabbed her arms and pushed her down on her back into the various pillows.

“Now calm yourself and put an end to this ridiculous fighting.” his stated calmly, his voice stern and demanding. She stopped and looked up at him sheepishly.

“You know as well as I do that you cannot escape me so easily from in here...” he finished and leaned down to envelope her cinnamon colored nipple between his lips.

It was true that he had understood her choice in ending their agreement quite clearly, but it did not mean he would ever have to accept it. The moment she felt the warmth of his mouth Adah froze, the contact of long callused fingers fondling the neglected globe to his left. He observed as she gradually relaxed under his ministrations and commenced to massage her belly and deeply tanned thighs, longing to feel them wrapped around him again.

Suddenly, that distracting voice in her mind called out for her to get a hold of herself, reminding her of her promise to never lay her out in the cold again just for him to let it freeze.

She shook her head a bit to try to clear her thoughts, but it was becoming difficult to concentrate on what it was saying when her body was demanding so strongly to ignore it.

“W-we shouldn’t be doing this, Altaïr...” Adah whispered, closing her eyes and snuggling deeper into the pillows to inwardly enjoy the feel of his lips and invading fingers. “You know I have sworn to leave this behind when I left long ago.”

“Perhaps, but it appears your past has caught up with you, hasn’t it?” he argued. “Never have you left my thoughts and I know I have never left yours. I had not rejected you... I simply could not give what you sought at the time.”

When the grip on her arms tightened, she averted her eyes from his piercing golden brown gaze to stare absentmindedly at the not so distant wall to silently mull over his words.

He frowned at her own persistent rejection that was beginning to irritate him but with a tired sigh, he trudged forward with the overwhelming intent of getting through to her.

“Look, I-,“ she looked back up at him slowly when he paused, his own eyes averting their gaze to gather his words carefully.

“Things have changed for the better since your absence and I can offer a piece of the stolen life you have been searching for so desperately by putting an end to this... this constant pillaging of yours.” He hadn’t meant for the last part to end with such bite, but he had to keep going. Ever since she vanished he hadn’t spoken a word of it to anyone, but now that he had her, he was powerless to stop the words from falling out of his mouth.

“I know that I failed you, but I had no choice. My Master created countless enemies for himself and his actions could have easily placed you in danger had someone discovered you as a link to get to me.”

She frowned. “Yet you refuse to tell me what has transpired in my absence to change these things, so how could I possibly trust you again, Altaïr?”

‘And why should I?’ she thought half-heartedly. She would have given anything to gain his acceptance, but instead he chose to crush her soul like that of so many others who fell at his feet. Why would now be any different?

“Try to understand. A life with me then could have condemned your soul to the pits of hell right alongside mine if something were to happen to you and I refuse to stand by and watch you burn by my hands. They are covered in enough blood. But now I reign as the Master of the Assassin’s and my word is law... Things have changed.”

“So instead you find other ways to damn my soul anyway by insisting on taking me outside of marriage? Against God’s will?!” she questioned with a rather heated expression. At last, her tears finally broke their barrier and were streaming unchecked across her temple, seeping into her hair and the mat below her head.

“No, you have already damned yourself by becoming a thief, remember?” he retorted, his face the usual emotionless mask except for a single upturned eyebrow.

But as much as she hated to admit it, Altaïr was right. She was no better. They both had their own sins to condone for and blaming them all on him would not save her already tortured soul.

He kissed his way up her chest after blanketed himself over her, his warm breath and long angular nose gently tickling the skin of her neck.

“I have thought long and hard over this and feel I must apologize by asking that you at least give me the chance to redeem myself in your eyes. I am not the same foolish and condescending man I once was….” he then whispered quietly into the shell of her ear, waiting patiently for a response.

With shaky hands, she hesitantly reached up and began to lightly run her fingertips over the countless angry scars that wove their mysterious tales across his arms and shoulders. There were so many of them... She had been the one who nursed many of the old fading scars since he would be too agitated and proud to allow assistance from anyone else.

He simply stated the Brotherhood would see his wounds as a show of weakness and error in his ability so he would just ignore the topic altogether. She was not exactly taught in the art of medicine at the time, but she found herself quickly learning with someone like Altaïr around. She would never forget when he would return to Masyaf during his earlier training bearing bloodied gashes along his sides.

Even to this very day, she could still recall the first terrifying night of his very first mission not long after they had shared their first night together.

+++Flashback+++

She was helping him pack his horse in the small stable just outside the gates before the evening sun died behind the towering western mountain. Altaïr told her he could not go into any details, but spoke of the importance of the mission he was about to partake and that it would step up his ranks as an Assassin. It was his first assignment alone and he was swelling with pride that he had even been given the opportunity so early. But she was not so excited and was in fact a little worried for him. It wasn’t that she doubted his ability. It was something else entirely and whatever it was... she just could not seem to shake it.

Later that night, she chose to sleep early after a long soothing bath at the fortress to help calm her already troubled nerves. That same inkling from before had been nagging at her as she anxiously awaited his return, but she couldn’t escape it even in her dreams.

---

An inky blackness surrounded her and the faintest sound of someone quarrelling seemed to be humming in her ears. One of the voices sounded familiar yet it was so far away, so angry, that she was unable to make it out clearly.

‘When did I fall asleep?’

Her mind felt groggy and confused. She twisted slightly to force the rest of her to awaken, but her body did not appear to comply. Her eyes opened and a blinding pain shot through her skull as bright light poured in. She shut them and shook her head in effort to shake off the overpowering desire to sleep from her eyes. She decided to try her eyes again, this time albeit more slowly.

Hundreds of tiny seeds and bright vibrant flower petals danced in the breeze. As Adah took in her surroundings she discovered she was still in her night robe, lying on her side in the soft grass of a garden under a tall strangely looming tree, the sun beating down on her through its leaves.

Moving to sit up she discovered to her shock that she was being restrained by the roped bonds around her wrists and ankles behind her back that seemed to get tighter the more she twisted about.

Several voices chimed again in her ears, but this time they appeared to be getting closer. Their owner’s steps were strong and sure as they trampled through the grass behind the tree, their bodies clanking loudly under the weight of armor. Slowly a pair of dark crimson boots stopped directly in front of her eyes. She looked up but the intense rays of the sun were blocking out this man’s face. He was tall and burly and guessing by his armor, he was not of this land.

She heard him laugh, his raspy voice booming down upon her as he leaned down and fisted his hands excruciatingly tight into her hair, jerking her up to her feet. She tried to cry out, scream, something but the sound would not come. He pulled her head back and began to speak to her in a tongue she did not fully understand, his tone malicious and unforgiving.

What had she done to deserve this?

He finished speaking and pushed her forward to her knees, the long ebony curls of her hair falling into her eyes. She found herself wobbling awkwardly over her knees as she struggled to keep her balance and avoid toppling to the floor. Flipping her hair behind her, she looked down and gasped in shock at finding a firm rounded belly sitting out in front of her. How long had she been with child?!

The man behind her walked around to her side. She turned, glaring up at him angrily, still unable to see his face. He placed a hand before her eyes then outstretched it in front of her.

He was pointing at something.

She followed the path of his arm and as soon as her eyes found his target, they widened and immediately filled up with tears.

Altaïr was tied down to a stone pillar that was leaning opposite the tree, flanked by two more men heavily clad in similar armor like the first. He had been stripped of his robes and weapons and appeared to have been whipped more than once judging by the bruises and bleeding cuts covering his torso. His face was downcast, his body unmoving. And for the first time in a long while, she prayed. God how she prayed that he was not dead and he must have heard her plea because his muscles began to twitch as he strained against his bonds the moment the man at her side said her name.

Altaïr became furious, demanded that she be released in exchange for his knowledge regarding the secret to unlock the Piece of Eden.

‘The Piece of Eden? What was he talking about?’

With a hand still fisted into the back of her hair, the man next to her shook his head at Altaïr and pulled his sword from his side to ease it under her neck. She looked back to Altaïr, her eyes silently begging for him to come for her even though she knew he could not. The tears poured from her eyes as the blade slid down over her breasts, her body twisting to get away from his grasp. The blade rose above her, the pointed tip angled down at her curved belly and all she could do was stare up at it in horror, praying it would not come down.

Its path was swift and suddenly everything went quiet as the engulfing scent of blood wafted through her nose while it leaked down the front of her robes. She could still see the anguish in Altaïr’s eyes as he jerked vainly to free himself, his expression malevolent and raw with a hatred that burned for the man at her side. To her relief, everything around her slowly began to fade back into that same inky darkness that had originally drawn her into this frighteningly, nightmarish world.

---

That same scent of blood pulled her from her wakeful dreams. It was so strong and seemed to be all around her. Opening her eyes, she tried to scan the small room of the watch tower through the darkness from her bedding. Where was it coming from? She didn’t even remember falling asleep... A bit sweaty from her dream, she reached to pull the afghan down her chest only to find a large spot in her robes sticky and soaked. In confusion, she pulled her hand up before her eyes to examine it more closely, finding it covered in a dark substance. She blinked for a moment until the realization hit her and screamed, shooting straight up from the bed. Her eyes darted next to her when a low grunt sounded in her ears.

“Altaïr!” she breathed, her fingers coming over her mouth. He was on his stomach barely moving and she shoved the covers all the way back to find them both lying in a small pool of his blood that was seeping along the cracks of the stoned floor.

‘My God! He must have stumbled in and collapsed!’ she thought and immediately rushed to pull his robes up over his head. There was a ghastly slice across his back that crept down around his side. With a heavy grimace, she scrambled up to gather some water and bandage to close off the wound the best she knew how...

To her shock, she later discovered that her bothersome intuition had been right, but there was no way any of them could have known that Altaïr would be deceived by the very man he had been sent to protect. Thus was the uncertain life of the Hashshashin...

+++End Flashback+++


She still had been unable to make any sense of that dream. It just seemed so real and the dreadful effect of it was worsened by waking to the sight of him bleeding to death. The feel of a hand sliding up her side snapped her back to reality. Surprisingly enough, his warm weight above her had become somewhat comforting so she just lay there quietly, staring up at the night sky through the fence above while the emotional surge of all of this took its toll.

How long had she anxiously awaited this moment when Altaïr would accept her affections instead of shunning them? She couldn’t even remember anymore, but it did not take long to realize that the sheer thrill of finally getting it had long ago lost its luster.

A warm wetness on his jaw quickly brought his attention back to Adah’s face and he gently wiped at the little flood of tears along her cheek with his thumb. He remained silent, just staring quietly down into her hazel eyes, the tiniest hint of desperation flickering in his own by the faint candlelight in the corner.

A whirlwind of questions were storming through her mind as she looked up at him.

Why hadn’t he just told her the truth back then?

Had Altaïr actually changed?

Could she even bring herself to take that leap with him again?

And most importantly, would he let her fall?

Her thoughts were interrupted when he reached up to remove her hands from his neck, moving to stand up and out of reach. She looked up at him nervously and extended a hand to him, but he shook his head and gingerly began to undo the long red sash at his waist. Her heart raced in her ears as she watched his long fingers make quick work of the ribbon until it loosened and the trousers sagged low around the hipbones of his slim waist, revealing the dark trail of hair that lead into them from below his belly button. Her eyes traveled lower and her cheeks burned when the garments fell to the floor, exposing his thick lengthy manhood to her eyes. He stepped out of them and stared down at her contentedly as he walked around to her side of the rug in all his naked glory. Instantly she scuttled back and away from him.

No, she knew she shouldn’t!

What if this was just a repeat of before? There was no possible way she would be able to withstand the unbearable sting of humiliation if he used her once again.

But God, he was so handsome and tempting and so strictly forbidden. And he was just standing there as bare as the day he was born, watching her with that same mocking smirk etched across his lips as she stared at her lap, her eyes darting from one direction to the other. She was contemplating. He knew she was battling within herself and from the looks of it, he was winning.

She was so deep in thought she hadn’t heard the feather light footsteps coming up behind her until a pair of arms invaded her vision by coming tightly around her waist. The skin of his chest pressed against her back as he leaned down to nuzzle her face with his own, but to his distaste, the soothing gesture only seemed to make her tense and uncomfortable.

‘Why must she make this so difficult?’ he thought in frustration as he looked down over the top of her head, but he would not be deterred.

He was determined to get her to open back up to him and understand that she was not just a bed warmer to him as she had been before, but it seemed the fates were unforgiving no matter what he tried. How had she managed to get under his skin the way she had was beyond him but now that he had her once more, the idea of being without her again was a failure he refused to accept.

Adah jumped when his fingers brushed over each hardened peak then up her shoulders and with one swift motion he pushed her down flat against the mat. Immediately, he began to plant wet kisses over the smooth pliant skin of her lower belly while deeply inhaling the faintest scent of her arousal. She was uncomfortable and he knew it, but if she had allowed him to come this far, there was not a doubt in his mind that she wouldn’t try to stop him should he continue. Even if she did try he knew well enough that he would be unable to stop himself... She had gotten into his system and he had never been able to shake her since. Time and time again she had been robbed of the life she so deserved and he would be the one to give it back.

Since the Piece of Eden’s discovery, there had been hordes of dangerous and vicious men in search of its destructive power. They had successfully thrown the Holy Land into turmoil by blindly trampling through the cities and demanding it be turned over to them.

Once things quieted down, Altaïr kept it hidden safely away and had knowledge of it obliterated until he could figure out what to do with it. They may have given up their relentless pursuit or was just waiting for him to make a mistake. For something no larger than an apple, he knew of the destruction and madness it was capable of when wielded by the traitorous Al Mualim. It was no ‘great treasure’ or ‘precious word from God’ as his master had so proudly proclaimed it to be. it was a curse.

A soft voice broke his increasingly darkening thoughts. It called out to him again, but this time with more urgency until he finally looked up.

"Altaïr?" Adah muttered, her expression full of uncertainty. Pulling herself up on her elbows, she looked down at him from between her breasts. He hadn’t moved for several minutes and the bothersome throbbing between her legs was steadily getting the better of her but the moment she saw the troubled expression in his eyes, she dared not say a word.

Before returning his gaze to her, he brought a hand over his face as he shook his head slightly to repress the ever haunting memories of killing his Master.

“Its fine.” he replied casually. ‘The old man will not distract me from my plans tonight.’

Sitting up, he kissed her lightly then pulled her knees up to either side of her and trailed the pads of his fingers down the silky skin on the inside of her thighs. His eyes quickly absorbed the sight of the moist pink folds of her anxious sex. Teasingly he swirled a pattern that would inch closer to her center and send a ticklish chill up her spine. Squirming, her hips jerked in an attempt to follow the busy fingers that just wouldn‘t sink into her where she needed them most. He was so close with each stroke she could almost cry at the injustice as she fisted her hands into the pillows around her. His incessant tormenting was driving her mad!

“Please...” she whimpered, annoyance evident in her voice but he only smiled and ignored her.

Just when she was about to shove him off when she could stand no more, he unexpectedly plunged two of his long slender digits mercifully deep into her hot folds. She yelped at the jarring sensation that left her taut as a bowstring and lost her voice when they withdrew at an unbearably slow pace just to thrust harshly back into her, rubbing deliberately against a sensitive spot. She found herself reddening embarrassingly as he repeated this several times and to hide her shameful willingness, buried her face in a nearby cushion. Pulling the pillow away from her, Altaïr chuckled deep in his throat and waved a reprimanding finger before her eyes. She was trying so strongly to hold onto her defiance but just seeing her wriggle and her small toes beginning to curl, he knew all too well that she would not be denied. He crawled down and flattened his tongue against her folds, his fingers continuing on with their tortuous work.

Adah tensed, unsure if she should pull away from him. She was confused. Half of her wanted it while the other side still remained untrusting and it had every right to be. But God he knew how to make such a disgraceful sin feel so good.

‘It is strange...’ she thought idly to herself while looking down the scarred and muscled span of his naked backside, ‘that this is where we would end up after that fateful day as children so many years ago.’

Her hips jerked forward into his face as a silent plea for him to never stop, but of course with him she never got her way and whimpered disappointedly when his warm coaxing fingers withdrew and were replaced by something cold and blunt. She propped herself up on her elbows and stared in shock to find the smooth hilt of his short blade pressed into her.

“Wha-What are you doing?” she rasped, completely disoriented and flushed but he quickly silenced her by sliding the four remaining fingers of his left hand between her breasts and pushed her back down.

“Do you trust me?” was all he asked as he applied pressure to her sensitive bud with his thumb.

He watched her eyes close and head fall back then reached up to pluck the thin cord of her cross from around her neck. Feeling awkward by it, he slipped it under his nearby pile of robes noting smugly that she hadn’t even seemed to notice it was gone. He smirked as her legs threatened to push out from under him each time the smooth rounded hilt of his blade brushed against the spot that drove her wild. He couldn't help but watch enraptured as her hips rode the hilt hard, anticipating the feel of her hugging his aching member just the same. Suddenly her back arched, eyes wild like that of a stray cat when she finally toppled over her peak, releasing a tiny cry and falling flat to the mat. He stared at her with amusement as he gently removed the handle from her sensitive folds, licking the juices from it and sliding it across the floor to join his other weapons.

Once the blurry edges of her vision cleared, his handsome face became visible once again above her. Adah barely had time to register what was happening when he flipped her over on her belly and flattened himself against her backside, the press of his hardened erection against her swollen sex. She felt the wet trail of his tongue pass between her shoulder blades while his punishing fingers rolled her firm nipples between them wantonly.

She had to get a hold of herself. It was like he was everywhere at once! Those same fingers slid down her side to pinch the satiny skin of her hips, promising angry bruises tomorrow. One of his hands slid lower between her legs to encircle a skillful finger around her bud. When she moaned and closed her eyes, lost in the pleasure, he immediately seized the opportunity to quickly slide himself in to the hilt and groaned low.

Altaïr could barely resist the way her hot clutching channel was soaking him so sweetly, but he forced himself to be content with just kissing her shoulder when she whimpered at his quick entrance until she had adjusted to him. His other arm came over her shoulder to support his larger frame as he leaned forward to nuzzle her cheek from behind.

“Adah," he chuffed hotly into her ear, his eyes closing as his hips began to rock of their own accord to relieve the ache, the soft sound of her name rolling off of his tongue in a seductive purr. “Let yourself go....”

She moaned softly and pressed back against him, blushing after she realized her mistake in giving in as she was too proud to relinquish her defiance so easily. Not when she couldn’t even bring herself to look into those eyes of his knew whenever she was holding back.

“I want you to be honest with me and tell me, do you still love me?” he whispered.

She hesitated by lowering her eyes and chewed on her lower lip, the subject becoming too uncomfortable for her. Plus, her mind was still too foggy from her earlier release to fully yield a response.

“Do you?” he pressed and kissed her shoulder blade. “Because you see... I am incapable of letting you go. Not this time. So you can continue to deny yourself further, but I am no fool and you cannot deceive me as easily as the people you walk amongst in the streets as you steal them blind. Especially since I can see how much you enjoy the way I make you feel.”

He emphasized his point by rising up on his knees to wipe at the trail of fluid leaking down her thighs and licking it clean from his finger.

Clenching her jaw, Adah fought to keep the words from spilling out of her mouth. Of course she loved him... once a long time ago. But even now he had not earned the right to hear them. Altaïr had long ago driven the trust of her heart into the dirt under his feet by letting her slip through his murderous fingers when he made the choice to continue to ignore her and follow the Brotherhood instead. And when the painful memories of his constant rejection resurfaced, she quickly began to realize that she had allowed this to go much too far...

Altaïr sighed, the tingle of rejection hitting its mark inside his chest by her silence. He didn’t deserve her love and he knew it, but his addiction for her had unwittingly turned his heart against him by wrapping its cold and malicious fingers around her own. He wasn’t supposed to get attached, but she was the only one outside of the Brotherhood who truly understood and accepted him for what he was. Unfortunately for her, it wasn’t until just before she vanished that he discovered he could not live without her by his side.

She drove him wild...

Her innocent smile and genuine laughter from their younger days being the only light to pierce the dreary blackness that grew thicker around his heart with each life he took.

But he practically snuffed it out due to his arrogance. He would never wish to destroy her spirit as he had done to his own but he knew that even after they died and their bodies returned to the earth, he would be sure to escape from whatever hell laid waiting for him just so he could find and keep her soul.

He frowned down at her as she lay below him, his eyes scanning up the dark narrow expanse of her back. Even now she wouldn’t even look at him...

Balancing himself on one palm by the side of her head, he reached down and turned her jaw back up towards him and covered her lips with his own to suckle the slick muscle behind her teeth. Instead of warming to him, she shied away from his hand and lowered her head, hiding behind the dark, thick curls falling around her face.

Deep down she knew he would remain true to his word of never letting her go and knew it would be wise to heed his warning because even if she did manage to leave, he would only find her again. It’s what he does... And if she stayed, he would keep her wrapped securely around his finger, under a constant watch. So she knew either way, he would always be there as another painful reminder from her past.

He was the darkness that would consume her until there was nothing left.

Defeated, she lowered her forehead to the rug and closed her eyes, her small quiet tears leaking freely into the mat.

‘She is resigned to her fate.’ Altaïr reasoned with himself while thumbing the small ridges of her spine.
He knew a broken heart could not be mended so easily but eventually, she would come to accept him again and until then he would not rest.

Brushing away the loose locks down her back, he leaned down and kissed the back of her head and proceeded to place them across her shoulders. His forearm slid itself underneath her belly, brushing through the soft ebony curls of her nether region to bring her back from her anguished thoughts. Adah jumped when that same strong arm then tightened around her and pulled them both upright, forcing her to straddle his muscled thighs. His arms felt confining as he pressed her against him yet instead of releasing her when she resisted, Altaïr rolled his hips upward into her heated sheath, effectively ceasing any defiance she had left by drawing a small moan from deep in her throat.

Several years have passed since he last felt the warmth of a woman and he couldn’t help but savor the feel of her velvety sex cradling his shaft as her bottom molded against his hips in the most sinful of ways. He had found paradise and it was where his painfully erect member was buried right between her thighs. Altaïr buried his nose into her hair and smiled when Adah began to mewl and writhe against his chest with each thrust. She spread her knees wider to accept the searing friction of him plunging into her so deliciously, trying desperately to topple over the cliff of ecstasy.

Only when her nails began to rake up his hips did he notice he was taking her a little harder than he had to. Maybe it was because part of him was still angry that she had run away or maybe it was just the way she was behaving towards him now. He couldn’t be sure. The earthen scent of her skin enveloped his senses as he smeared her shoulder blades with soft bites, wanting everything she had to offer and giving everything back in return.

She moaned his name loudly when his forceful thrusts angled to bump against the sensitive spot within her that he still knew so well. His free hand pressed its thumb into the small of her back, pushing her back into an almost painful arc as he crushed his mouth over her own in a deep fulfilling kiss. The tip of his index finger slid lower down her back and with precise timing, he wound it into the delicate nerves of her tailbone causing Adah to go rigid and shudder on cue as her second release exploded deep within her belly. She heard an embarrassing whine emit in his throat when her walls began to spasm uncontrollably around him. His spine tingled with the pleasure coursing through his veins as he blissfully followed her ascent over the edge while the little female in front of him continued to ride out the last waves of her orgasm over his lap.

Finally, she slumped forward into the pillows and exhaled contentedly to savor the welcoming after effects of their coupling. She had been so caught up in the moment that she barely noticed his strained moan and his tight grip on her hips to hold her still as a flood of warmth poured into her while he continued to spill himself in long languid strokes. The sound of his voice unexpectedly flitted across the front of her mind and her thoughts immediately saddened at his words.

‘Because you see… I am incapable of letting you go.’

She sighed. She had lost everyone against her will during her young life. Both of her parents went first even though she cared not for her useless father. Then to make matters worse, Bushra, the old woman who took her in followed shortly thereafter... As her name implied, Bushra really was a good omen because if it weren’t for her she probably would have been dead a long time ago. But that wonderful life was gone now and the one person she was actually trying to let go of was still here with her and refusing to do as such. She had been happy being ‘independent’, that’s assuming you defined it as stealing everything you wanted out of life, but it was her life and she didn’t want Altaïr to take the last remaining shred she had left.

Sensing her unease, said Assassin rolled her to her back and nuzzled her face with his own in an effort to comfort her. She did not welcome him though and emphasized her point by rolling on her side to stare at the glimmering flecks of candlelight reflecting in the pouring water fountain below the entrance to the Bureau.

“As you wish...” She heard him whisper dejectedly into her ear, the course stubble of his chin brushing against her cheek.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he decided to remove himself from her presence. He needed to gather his thoughts plus the cool air would feel good against his heated skin. He watched her watching him out of the corner of her eye as he blew out the candle and pulled on his shalwars to wearily climb up the wall of the Bureau entrance. Stopping at the edge of the gate for a moment, he looked back at her and the way the faint glow of the moon was illuminating her naked flesh. He wanted her to say something to him, anything, he didn’t care. But as expected, those words never came. So instead he just pulled himself out of the gate when she chose to pull her knees up to her chest and avert her half-lidded eyes away from the only man seeking so passionately to salvage her already shattered soul.


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Wow, what a crazy hand a cards Adah has been dealt, huh? I know sometimes I fight with grammar a little bit, but I’m working hard to keep it in check, although I wouldn’t mind a bit of criticism to show me what needs work. Well, hope you all enjoyed and there are lots of goodies coming up. I’ve pretty much planned the remainder of this out already so please stay tuned!


The Rusty Peach