Part 10<\/b><\/p>\n
Cautiously, Cordelia peered at Wesley through the window of the office. She hid around the corner, like a three-year-old hiding from angry parents. She bit her lip, chewing on it for a minute, contemplating her problem. She had to talk to Wesley, but she really, really<\/i> didn\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n
The rest of the gang was gone. Fred had gone out on an errand for Wesley, and Gunn and Angel had gone to dispatch a demon from a vision she\u2019d just had. All of them would be gone for at least an hour, giving her plenty of time to talk to Wesley. And yet, she procrastinated.<\/p>\n
After a moment more of hesitation, she straightened up and took a deep breath, running fingers through her tousled hair. Forcing herself to move, she walked into the office and stood in front of Wesley\u2019s desk, clasping her hands behind her back nervously.<\/p>\n
Wes looked up as soon as she walked in. \u201cCordelia!\u201d he said, smiling at her. \u201cCan I help you with something?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled at him, though it was wobbly, and sat down in front of him, perched on the edge of the chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really need to talk to you, Wesley,\u201d she said, the worry obvious in her voice. \u201cThis bite, the claiming bite from Sebastian, is doing some weird things to me. It isn\u2019t going away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes were wide, frightened.<\/p>\n
Wesley\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cOh, Cordelia. I was afraid of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you say anything?\u201d she said, obviously desperate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t notice the signs, Cordy. I\u2019m so sorry. I was busy researching how to kill or trap Sebastian, and you seemed okay, so I just . . .\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNevermind,\u201d Cordelia said, shaking her head and sitting back down. \u201cI should\u2019ve come to you. What do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood up, striding across the room and pulling a book off the shelf. He walked back to the desk, flipping back a few pages in his notebook.<\/p>\n
Finally, he looked up at her. \u201cI researched vampire claiming bites right after Sebastian attacked you.\u201d He consulted his notes. \u201cIt seems that vampires claiming humans can be a tricky thing. If the claim isn\u2019t done completely, the victim will crave, um, physical satisfaction until the claim is completed by the original vampire or another one. If the human isn\u2019t relieved, he or she will eventually go insane with lust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Insane with lust? Every time she was with Angel, the craving went away for awhile, but later, it came back and stronger than before. It had become more difficult to control herself. Today, she almost blacked out and Angel had to follow through with it<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s more, Wesley,\u201d she said softly, not wanting to meet his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes this have anything to do with what\u2019s been going on between you and Angel?\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n
Her eyes bugged out and suddenly, her mouth was dry. \u201cM-me and Angel?\u201d she croaked. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing between me and Angel!\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley raised an eyebrow sardonically. \u201cCordelia, please,\u201d he said. \u201cDo you really think that the two of you could sneak off into closets and dark corners multiple times a day and we wouldn\u2019t figure out what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw us?\u201d she squeaked.<\/p>\n
Wesley blushed. \u201cIn the basement, last week. I went to look for you, but you were, um, occupied.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, god,\u201d she whispered, mortified. \u201cYou aren\u2019t angry?\u201d she continued after a moment<\/p>\n
\u201cAngry?\u201d he seemed surprised. \u201cWhy would I be upset? There are obviously strong feelings between you. It\u2019s not my business if you decide to act on them. You\u2019re both responsible adults and you know what you\u2019re getting into. Besides, it seems as though being with him is helping to stave off the insanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t help myself, Wesley. I get overwhelmed with lust. These wounds in my neck start to throb, and my mind gets foggy, and I can\u2019t think about anything except being . . . um, taken. . . by a vampire. Any vampire.\u201d She stood up and began to pace in front of his desk. \u201cYesterday, when we fought those fledglings, it was all I could do not to grab one and climb on top of him right there. I had enough sense to drag Angel off instead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes being with Angel help you?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded. \u201cEvery time I\u2019m with Angel, the craving goes away, but it comes back again after awhile. And it keeps getting worse. I have to be with him more and more often, and every time, it comes on stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley was thoughtful. \u201cHas Angel ever bitten you, Cordelia?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated. \u201cYes, once. At the ballet, when we were possessed by those spirits.\u201d<\/p>\n
He frowned. \u201cThen it seems that you have two unfinished claims on you. If Angel had finished his claim, you\u2019d be bonded to him, and you would be all right. Linked to Angel, but you wouldn\u2019t be so frantic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what am I supposed to do?\u201d she said, sitting back down in front of him. \u201cCan\u2019t you find a way to remove the bond, somehow?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head. \u201cI tried, Cordy. The only way I know of to remove Sebastian\u2019s influence is to kill him. There might be another way, but I couldn\u2019t find anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t Angel have said anything about me being in danger?\u201d she was hurt by the thought that he wouldn\u2019t tell her something so important.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe probably doesn\u2019t know,\u201d Wesley said simply. \u201cAccording to what I\u2019ve read, most vampires don\u2019t know the effects of a claim on a human because most never want that kind of connection with one. It\u2019s well known among the vampire community what claiming does to another vampire, but to a human? And honestly,\u201d he continued, \u201cI doubt that Angelus would have cared to know at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe killed Sebastian\u2019s human lover, remember? There was no time for her to get to the point you are at now. The claiming bite was a way for Angelus to thumb his nose at Sebastian. A mark left on her body as a final humiliation. Angelus probably never knew the effects that an unfinished claiming would have on a human, or else he probably would\u2019ve tortured her like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mind raced through her options. She didn\u2019t have many. One idea jumped out at her, and she tried to ignore it, but it wouldn\u2019t go away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would happen to me if I were claimed?\u201d she asked cautiously. \u201cWould I be bound to that vampire forever? Can I get, um, divorced? What will happen if he dies or abandons me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCordelia,\u201d Wesley said, holding his hand up to stem the flow of her words. \u201cYou aren\u2019t seriously considering this, are you? Being claimed is a strong bond. From what I\u2019ve read, you\u2019ll experience physical pain if you aren\u2019t in regular physical contact with your vampire mate. You\u2019ll need him to feed from you, and you may even have to feed from him. This isn\u2019t something you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I just have to wait until we kill Sebastian, then hope for the best?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWaiting might not be an option, Cordelia.\u201d Wesley stopped for a minute, as if afraid to continue. Eventually, he did. \u201cThe symptoms you\u2019re experiencing are the late stages of deterioration. You might not have much time.\u201d<\/p>\n
She fell silent, staring down at her hands and biting her lip.<\/p>\n
Wesley finally broke the silence. \u201cIf you\u2019re serious about letting Angel claim you, this is a conversation we should be having with him. If he claimed you, we could deal with it and find a way to release you from it later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d she said, her head jerking up. \u201cNo! Angel can\u2019t know about this, Wesley. No way. I can\u2019t ask him to do this. I\u2019ve already used him horribly and I just can\u2019t\u2014\u201d her voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. \u201cWe\u2019ve been together because I can\u2019t control myself, not because we love each other. Well, I do, love him, I mean, but I don\u2019t know what he\u2014\u201d she stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cCordy, Angel feels\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d she cut him off. \u201cI can\u2019t ask him, Wesley. I just can\u2019t, okay?\u201d Her tears overflowed and tracked down her cheeks. \u201cWe\u2019ll just have to find another way. Look harder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley frowned, but nodded. \u201cVery well, Cordelia. But think about it anyway. If I don\u2019t find anything, you might not have any other options.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFind one, Wesley. Please.\u201d Her whispered plea made him reach for her hand and squeeze it reassuringly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll try, Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded tersely, suddenly unable to speak, then turned and left the office, fleeing to the safe haven of her apartment.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
He was there, with her. In her dream, he hovered near her, his fingers trailing across her jaw, his aristocratically handsome face contorted in an evil smile. She moaned and turned her face away from him, but his hand followed, never breaking contact with her skin. She tried to move her hands up to push him away, but the felt heavy, as if made of lead. Slowly, his hand traveled down the column of her neck, briefly skimming over the marks he\u2019d left on her skin, then moving down to the neckline of her tank top.<\/i><\/p>\n
She whimpered as his forefinger dipped beneath the lacy edge. His finger skimmed across the neckline, moving over to her strap and pulling it down her shoulder, then moving to the other side and doing the same. Then, bringing his hand back to the center, he tugged on her neckline, drawing the garment down until her breasts were bare to his gaze.<\/p>\n
To her horror, he knelt down beside the bed and leaned over her, his cool breath fanning her skin. His mouth nuzzled her jaw, kissed, then licked his mark. She shuddered and again tried to move away, but she was frozen. He kissed down her collar bone, then the valley between her breasts, his fingers reaching out to tweak the nipples into hardness.<\/p>\n
Abruptly, he moved away from her, and she sighed in relief. It was short-lived, however, as she realized he was removing his shirt. Thankfully, he left his pants on, but her fear came back in full force as he climbed on the bed and separated her legs, positioning himself between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d she whimpered, but her plea went unheard. He knelt over her, his hands braced on either side of her torso, and his mouth trailed a cool path down her body, stopping to draw the tips of her breasts into his mouth.<\/p>\n
She moaned, louder this time, and realized that she could fight against the spell she was under. Her fear gave her strength, and she arched up, trying to push him off her. Her miniscule movement made him smile, though, her fear making his attack that much sweeter.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, little one,\u201d his silky voice whispered against her breast, sending tendrils of fear skittering across her skin. \u201cDo not fight me. You desire me. You need me. We both know it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He brought one hand to toy with the drawstring at the edge of her pajama pants.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she whimpered again, tears escaping from the corners of her eyes. \u201cDon\u2019t, please,\u201d she begged.<\/p>\n
He just smiled at her, triumphant and certain that he would not be caught. \u201cYou do want me. Angelus cannot satisfy you. You belong to me!\u201d He hissed the final phrase, his face contorting into that of his demon, and the fear she felt flow through her gave her the strength she needed.<\/p>\n
Screaming, Cordelia bolted upright in bed, her eyes opening, her hands coming up to cover her face.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a dream, just a dream, just a dream,\u201d she whispered frantically to herself. For a moment, the silence in her room calmed her, until she realized that her forearms rested on her breasts. Her bare breasts.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d she moaned, pulling her hands away from her face and looking up. Staring into the deep amber eyes of her captor, she felt fear like she never had before.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are not dreaming, little one,\u201d Sebastian said, suddenly grabbing her arms and jerking her toward him. \u201cAngelus will pay for what he did to my Brianna,\u201d he hissed. \u201cHe will pay with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She struggled against him, but his grip had the strength of steel. Just before his lips claimed hers, she used the last of her strength to scream, \u201cAngel!\u201d<\/p>\n
Part 11<\/b><\/p>\n
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