Marked by Blood: Book 2 of The Marked Series

by Ford, Rinna

  He pulled his face away and looked down at me.

  “I can’t think of anyone I want to be stuck to more than you. You are my everything and wherever you go, I go too. You’ll never be alone. You’ll never want for anything as long as I’m around and I plan on being here for all of eternity.”

  I picked my head up and kissed him sweetly.

  “I’m falling in love with you.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. I needed him to know how I was feeling, that this was major, the decision I made to be with him and with Xander.

  “Only falling?” he joked. “I think I need to try harder then if you’re not in love with me yet, because I’m so far gone, I can’t see myself with anyone else.”

  I kissed him again and he pulled out, moving beside me on the bed. We crawled under the sheets and settled in, me draped across his chest. My fingers traced the intricate tattoos that rested under my hand.

  “I think I didn’t let myself feel too hard for you until recently. I’m so sorry for putting you through that.”

  “It must have been difficult,” he said, no judgement or accusation in his tone. “When I first saw you, all I could think about was finally finding the one vampire fate chose for me. Males always hope that it’ll happen, but very few ever find their mates. I didn’t think you wouldn’t feel the same, that you couldn’t.”

  “Do you remember when we talked on the beach? When we first met?”

  “Yes.” He picked my hand up and kissed the back of it, much like he did that day. I smiled at the memory.

  “I mentioned I had three men vying for my attention. I have three mates, Matias, one for each part of me. I was fully mated with Xander when I found out about Ronan, my caster mate, and I promised Xan I wouldn’t accept Ronan because at the time, I felt more than one mate was too much. The fact Ronan was a complete asshole didn’t endear me toward him either… Anyway, when you showed up, I just couldn’t do that to him, not again. But I didn’t think about how it hurt you and I’m so sorry. I wish I had handled it all differently.”

  “You’re here, and you’re mine. That’s what counts. The fact I have to share you is not ideal, but I’ll do whatever I have to do to be with you. That’s what it means to be a bonded mate. You are everything to me.”

  “I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. Thank you for sticking around and putting up with all my bullshit.” I let out a deep yawn and Matias chuckled.

  “You’re very welcome, now sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice as I drifted off to dreamland, held to Earth by the vamp who worked his way into my heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The very moment I began to stir from sleep, I was flipped onto my back with a large, horny vampire looming over me.

  “Not used to sitting still for very long are you?” I chuckled, still half asleep. There was so much I didn’t know about Matias, but one thing I knew for certain was he was always on the move. His endless supply of energy made him that way.

  “No I am not, little one, but that’s not why I’m accosting you right this second. My dick has been very patient with your delicious body rubbing up against him in your sleep, but I can only hold him back for so long.”

  I reached between us and wrapped my hand around his already hard shaft and almost gasped in surprise. It was so thick and long, my fingers barely wrapped all the way around it. How did I not feel this when he fucked me the first time? I was sure the previous orgasm and the feeding helped to distract me, but I was in awe I didn’t feel any soreness from it. If anything, the thought of him fucking me with it again made me wet and needy.

  I ran my hand up and down the shaft, slightly twisting my wrist with each motion making him even harder, if that were possible. Feeling more and more turned on, my fangs dropped and I decided I needed him right that moment. Without any warning, I flipped us over and impaled my body onto his cock, making us both moan out our immediate pleasure.

  Matias’ hands cupped my breasts, squeezing the nipples while I rode him hard until we both screamed out our orgasms. Man, I loved morning quickies.

  I leaned over and kissed him before sliding off onto the floor. Padding across the floor on weak legs, I looked over my shoulder and saw him lying there, watching my swaying hips as I walked away. He could have easily caught up to me, but he was more than enjoying the show from his bed. I smirked and walked through the bathroom door, turning on the shower that was so similar to the one in my room. When the water was warm enough, I stepped in and closed the glass door behind me.

  Still no Matias in sight, I closed my eyes and turned around, wetting my hair. When I opened them again, he was standing there at the door watching me again. It was so sexy the way he was looking at me, like I was the most beautiful thing on the planet and the fact that his dick was pointing straight up, once again, made me smile. He was incorrigible.

  “You coming in or what?” I asked, grabbing the bottle of shampoo from the ledge. I opened the top and raised it to my nose. When I looked back over to Matias, he was opening the door and stepping through, his eyes still fixed on me as if I were his prey.

  “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, little one,” he taunted before wrapping his arms around me and showed me exactly what I was asking for.

  * * *

  After our shower, Matias and I dressed to go down to breakfast. Deciding to show off a little bit, I called for my backpack using caster magic, which appeared in my hand like it usually did instead of putting on the blood-stained clothes I wore the day before. Those ended up in the trash because there was no salvaging them, no matter how many times I tried to wash them.

  “I still can’t believe you are able to do that sort of thing,” he chuckled and shook his head. “My vampire mate is also a caster.”

  “Don’t forget dragon shifter too,” I supplied and slipped on the only clean thing I had left at the bottom of the bag, one of the dresses Della gave me when we were back at Xander’s mountainside house. It showed off a lot of my back and the mark that covered it, but as I zipped up the side zipper, I realized I really didn’t care anymore. I was tired of hiding who I was. What did I care if people didn’t like it? It made me who I was, and despite what the Council and society said, I wasn’t ashamed.

  “You are beyond beautiful,” Matias told me as he slid an arm around my waist and kissed me on the temple. I smiled up at him and he kissed me again on the lips.

  As he pulled away, I willed my backpack to return to my room, but after the normal few seconds it took to complete the task, it still hung from my hand by the straps. I scowled down at the offending bag and tried again with it still remaining in my hand.

  How odd. Since learning that trick, I never had any issues.

  “Do we have time to drop my backpack off in my room?” I asked, still confused as to why it didn’t work.

  “Of course,” Matias smiled and he took it from me and slung one of the straps over his shoulder and led me out of his bedroom.

  We turned down the hall and descended one of the sets of stairs, turning to go down another hallway where my room stood. I opened the door, seeing it exactly how I left it and dropped it just inside the door. I made a mental note to do my laundry after breakfast and closed the door.

  I took a single step toward the stairs when I saw Irna come out of her room on the other side of the hall. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me and paled instantly. Furious at the part she played in my turning vampire, I sneered in her direction. However, when my fangs didn’t immediately descend because of my sudden emotion, I hesitated. She saw the opening in my moment of surprise and scurried away before I could approach her.

  Mating with Matias must have appeased my vampire side more than I anticipated. I was still angry at the fact Irna told Di about my history and that she got away, but I didn’t feel the need to hunt her down and drain her dry. I’d call that a win in self-control if there ever was one.<
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  “Who was that?” Matias asked me and began walking toward the bottom floor of the house again.

  “Someone I thought was a friend,” I replied. I closed my lips, indicating I wouldn’t say anything else about her, and Matias, being the intuitive vampire he was, understood and didn’t pressure me.

  We walked into the dining room, being some of the last people to go to breakfast and looked around. Even Xander was finishing up when he saw me. He stood halfway up and smiled until he saw a difference in me, sitting back down with a frown on his face.

  I squeezed Matias’ hand and walked around the table, taking my usual seat next to my dragon mate. I heard gasps as I walked by and people saw the extensive mark on my back, but I ignored them. Only one thing was on my mind and it was seeing Xan.

  “Hi,” I said quietly. I hated that he was upset over this. He was the one to tell me to go for it because it was what I needed, but it still hurt to see me with someone else.

  “I didn’t think you’d go and do it right after I gave you the green light, Emi. But I guess you were chompin’ at the bit to fuck someone else, weren’t you?”

  “Watch your mouth, dragon,” Matias hissed, his eyes glowing red. “You have no idea what…”

  “It’s okay, Matias. He has every right to be upset.” I turned back to Xan. “Please let me explain. You know me better than to think I’d do something like that without thinking it through.” His eyebrows shot up in disbelief, remembering our own mating and the fact I went into it not knowing what it meant. He shook his head and laughed. “That was different and you know it,” I scowled, reading his mind. “I understood what I was getting into with Matias and you said you’d be okay with it, so don’t be an asshole. My feelings haven’t changed for you, not one bit. From the way you’re reacting, I’m betting yours have, which absolutely breaks me. If you remember, it was why I held out from him for so long, when I was hurting him just as much as you’re hurting now. I’m sorry you’re mad and in pain, but either tell me to fuck off or get with the program.”

  His eyebrows shot up, surprised at how I called him on his bullshit, then he softened them, and apologized. “You’re right. I’m sorry, baby. It’s just...I didn’t expect you to go through with it so quickly.”

  I looked over at Matias. “I didn’t expect for it to happen so quickly either, but something happened last night... “

  “Are you okay?” Xan asked.

  “Yeah… I need to go talk with Amos after breakfast. I want you and Matias to come with me.”

  Xan’s eyes shot to my vampire mate and after a few seconds, nodded his head. He then broke eye contact and reached for a plate, piling food onto it and handing it over to me.

  “I’m sure you’re hungry, so eat.”

  He took the nearby carafe of coffee and poured himself another mug, settling in to let me eat my breakfast. Xan took care of others, that was how he showed that he cared. Even when he was still hurt and angry, he did what he could to take care of me.

  I leaned over my seat and kissed him on the cheek. Surprised, he turned to face me and I kissed him once on the lips then sat back in my seat, and scooped up a forkful of eggs. I winked at Matias before putting the eggs in my mouth, who returned it with a grin.

  I ate quickly and the three of us went in search of my grandfather. I learned that since he took over, Amos was usually one of two places, either outside with some of the other shifters or in the office Di had once occupied. Unlike Di, whenever he was in it, he usually kept the door open, proving there were few secrets within the rebellion. It was Di who was the one keeping secrets by holding exclusive meetings and making ultra private phone calls. Yes, the rebellion kept quiet, but they seemed to earn respect from within, which made less people want to rat them out.

  We decided to check the office first and I was glad that I did. Amos was sitting behind the desk going over some papers which were lying in front of him. He looked young and strong with his thick muscled arms and golden blonde hair and beard, but him sitting there, he looked like he bore the weight of the world.

  After our talk, I learned he really was a good man, he was just blinded by revenge for his son, and who could blame him? When Di approached him with the idea of fulfilling the prophecy of overthrowing the Council, well, he couldn’t say no. I didn’t blame him for his part in how I was turned anymore. I was learning to let go and look at the bigger picture. If I were in his position, I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing.

  “Hey guys. Come on in,” Amos said with a smile, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  I walked all the way in the room first, followed by Xander and Matias. I sat in one of the chairs across from my grandfather.

  “Hi,” I smiled back genuinely. “I, we, just wanted to check…”

  “Everything’s fine, just like I told you early this morning.” He emphasized the word early, letting us know that he still wasn’t happy about it. “You’re in the clear for what happened to Di and her associates. There will be no blowback, no revenge taken for what either one of you did. I promise.”

  I quietly filled Xan in on what happened on the way to find Amos. To say he was angry was an understatement. But he wasn’t mad at me, or even at Matias. He was beyond furious Di was there in the house and trying to get back at me for how she felt wronged. Then, he was angry she was foolish enough to bring other vampires who tried to avenge her. They all died painfully, but it wasn’t enough in Xander’s opinion. He wanted to fish them out of the ocean and burn them to a crisp with his dragon fire.

  Standing behind me, Xan leaned forward and gripped the back of my chair, squeezing it tight until Amos gave his assurances. He trusted Amos and I was glad for it. Us going to see my grandfather was more for Xander than for Matias and me. I knew he’d need to hear it from the source.

  I reached back and put my hand on top of one of Xan’s and lightly squeezed it. In all honesty, I was glad Xander wasn’t there when I drained Di dry. I didn’t want him to ever see me that way. Hell, I didn’t want Matias see me that way, but him being a vampire made him share the same darkness I possessed. To him, it was natural. I knew Xan wouldn’t see it the same way.

  He was a shifter, so he was used to fighting because that’s how shifters lived and died, but not that level of viciousness I showed early that morning by the indoor pool.

  I thanked Amos for his help and rose from my chair and kissed both of my mates, telling them I’d see them later. Matching looks of surprise crossed their faces when they realized I was ditching them both to do laundry and work on my casting. It was priceless, and good for them both, I thought.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  After leaving Amos’ office, I ran up to my room to grab my dirty laundry and took it down to the main floor laundry room. I had to say one thing for Di, she was a pretty good at planning the best use of the house for so many people. There were several industrial washers and dryers and folding stations available in the large laundry room. I never had any issues waiting for a machine to open up because of how many there were.

  While my clothes were washing, I grabbed my spellbook from my second floor bedroom and went up to the solarium to work on my casting. Camille was there, like I hoped she would be, along with several other casters, including Irna. She, I wasn’t expecting. When she saw me, she froze and turned pale, much like she did before breakfast. But unlike the insignificant confrontation earlier, I completely ignored her.

  It might have been petty, but I was still hurt and angry by what she had done. I trusted her because my uncle said she was a good person, and she used my secrets against me, even if she thought it was for the greater good. Being around her was a major test to my self control, and I was glad to see I passed.

  What I didn’t do well on was creating magic. In the casting circle, we mostly worked on spells and making concoctions of one kind or another. It was allowed in the solarium and nowhere else in the house, so the fact I could do magic elsewhere was major. But whenever I tried to m
ake something happen in the room, half the time it would either be a dud and nothing would happen, or start off strong but fizzle out. The other half of the time it would work perfectly. I couldn’t predict which spells would work out right and which ones were bad.

  I was getting discouraged and I decided I needed to take a step back. Besides, I needed to move my laundry to the dryers so I said my goodbyes and went to do just that. I didn’t think I could mess up the laundry at least.

  Because of the backpack incident and what happened with the casting circle, I decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing. I finished my laundry, went for a swim, and read in my room, all non-caster related stuff. I just knew it was stress making my casting go screwy, so I told myself I’d try again the next day.

  As it turned out, it didn’t get better the next day. If anything, it got worse day after day for the next several weeks. I was not just creating non-magic when I tried to cast spells, but they were beginning to backfire. I had become unpredictable at my best and destructive at my worst.

  If I got a boost from another caster I was able to do things correctly, but on my own it was chaos. I didn’t know what to do and I was becoming desperate for answers. What had I done wrong? What could I be doing differently?

  The one good thing that happened over those few weeks was my relationship with the guys. At first, they remained separate from each other as much as they could and respectful about the other’s time with me. I was okay with that because, even though I hoped they would become friends, I didn’t expect it. I mean, how could a person be friends with the other person your mate was fucking regularly? But then, they surprised me.

  Over time they didn’t become friends, per se, but they became friendly. They laughed and joked with one another and made time to get to know each other. I didn’t know how to take it and I actually got a little jealous when I realized their relationship was changing. But then I told myself I was stupid and got over it. It was the dream! I had two gorgeous, strong, kind, sexy as hell men who loved me and they got along pretty well. What did I have to complain about? Not a damn thing. At least not about the state of my relationship.