Page 42 of Eternal Surrender

I frowned at the whip at his feet, and it moved toward Marcus’s foot as though pushed with an invisible hand. Marcus didn’t catch my telekinetic nudge.

“What if I ask nicely,” I said.

He kicked the whip out of the way.

“You always did confuse hate with love,” I said.

He was upon me, crushing me against the far wall. With no will to fight back, I surrendered. Marcus buried his fangs in my neck before I could warn him not to, sucking fiercely and rocking against me. Remaining still, I waited, fascinated, wondering just how my blood would affect him. If proof was needed, this would be it, my blood conveying all the heartache, the agony, the appalling truth.

After a minute, though it could have been longer, I came round to find myself sitting on the floor, slumped up against the bar. Marcus was sitting next to me, his head in his hands.

“I know, right?” I let out a crazy laugh.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He shot me a look of disbelief. “Orpheus!”

“Now you believe me?”

He looked horrified. “How is such a thing even possible?”

I sighed. “I’ve been asking myself that.”

The way Marcus studied me revealed his doubting.

“I’m afraid I’m living proof it’s possible,” I said.

“What was that I just drank?” he asked, smacking his lips.

“I’m a Status Regal,” I said, “or have you forgotten?”

“Thanks for the warning.”

“It would have been polite to ask.”

Marcus climbed to his feet and offered his hand. “At any time you could have told me to stop.”

“I did.” I let him assist me up.

“Sunaria believes your joining is permanent,” he said. “She doesn’t really know anything.” Seemingly shaken, he guided me toward the lift. “How could you have done this to us?”

“It was an accident.”

Marcus shook his head. “I fucking hate you.”

“Really? From the way you were just dry humping me while drinking my blood, I’d never had guessed it.”

“Fuck off.” He stepped into the lift and pushed the down button.

I followed him in. “Charming.”

For the second time tonight, friends I cared about were openly annoyed with me.

The doors closed and the lift descended.

Marcus squeezed my shoulder. “I’ve been going out of my head without you.”

I shrugged. “We’ve been through some interesting times together, this shouldn’t faze you.”

“Shouldn’t faze me?” He bit his lip in frustration. “You should have come straight to me.”