Page 29 of Marked
Fuck.
His eyes glint. “Better?”
I suck the last few drops free before wiping my mouth with my cleaner hand. “Yeah.”
He props up on my desk, arms folded. “When was the last time you fed?”
“Underground. Last night.”
Something moves through his eyes. “The scent in the tunnel ... It was the human woman’s?”
I nod.
“And the incident with Caine?”
I drop the plasma bag in the bio-can and move to the file cabinet for the old first aid kit. Anything to keep from looking at him. With the blood, a lot of things are clearing. But my self-loathing at hitting the demon only grows.
As does my anger at believing Lilah was a victim.
“Thirst,” I mutter.
He snorts. “Sure.”
I glare at him as I wipe my hand with a fistful of paper towels.
“I’ve seen that kind of reaction before, Ruin. But never one this strong in a transitioned vamp.”
Since I completed my change to full-blood vampire almost eighty years ago, the increase in thirst isn’t a matter of my change. It’s something else entirely.
I wrap gauze around my knuckles until the blood kicks in. “Nor have I.”
Silence follows my words. Markus’ fingers grab the edge of the gauze from me, tying it off. “This woman … Do you find her attractive?” His tone is casual, but I know better.
I peer at him. “Sure.”
It’s a lie. I don’t find her attractive. I think she’s a fucking Goddess. Even now—knowing she lied ...
“Would you bed her, if she allowed it?”
My body locks down, blood pooling deep in my groin until everything grows hot. “Perhaps.”
His gold eyes shimmer behind his pale hair. “And have there been any strange phrases that have popped in your head since you met her?”
I blink. “What?”
He sighs and steps back. “Nothing. Nothing.”
I watch him, some of the lust fading as I try to work through his question and my needed apology. “My lord—”
He holds up a hand. “No need, Ruin. If your attraction is interfering, then perhaps one of the others—”
“No.” My voice comes out like a sharp growl. He raises a brow, and I cough. “I mean ... No, thank you, my lord. I can handle her.”
His irises pulse, no doubt picking up the now pounding beat of my heart. “That’s good. Because until we figure this out, I wantyouat her side.”
I stop breathing. “My lord?”
“She is... What do the humans call it? Under witness protection?” he asks, eyes dancing. “Until we catch Vlad, she is our best lead. And who better to guard her than my best man?”
