Marcus' Mortal Embrace (Book 3) (The Supernatural Desire Series)

by Darlene Kuncytes

  Luke leaned in and kissed his mate’s temple. “I knew there was a reason why I loved you so damned much, Red,” he breathed against her ear, and Kat smiled.

  She stood and looked at Harper, who was sitting there quietly, staring out at the grounds. “Do you want to come?” she asked as Abby stood and stepped up beside her.

  Harper turned her head and smiled. “Actually, I’d love to roam around the grounds a bit, if that’s okay. I have all kinds of pent up energy I want to burn off.”

  Kat looked at Luke, who only winked at her. “I guess that it’s safe enough, now that our rogues have been disposed of. Go on, go commune with nature, Brat,” he laughed and Abby and Katrina headed upstairs. They heard Brianna call that Marcus’s room was the second to last on the left.

  The two women paused at the door and looked at each other nervously. “Ready?” Abby asked, and Katrina nodded.

  Marcus was sitting beside the bed, his body bent over the still form that lay there, and Abby felt her heart jump to her throat. How do you see grief such as this and not have it hit you right in the center of your chest?

  He turned his head as the two women entered the room and walked over beside him. Abby laid a gentle, soothing hand on his back and felt the tremors wracking his body.

  “Marcus,” she murmured, and knelt down beside him so that she could look into his eyes. The torment and guilt that she saw there caused her heart to clench painfully in her chest. “Go downstairs,” she directed and pressed a finger to his mouth when he opened it to protest. “She won’t be awake for a while. Kat and I will stay with her.”

  Marcus seemed to consider this a moment, his gaze flicking back and forth from Abby to Kat. A part of him refused to leave her, wanted to stay and watch over her, but there was another part of him that was absolutely terrified to stay. The thought of her waking to her new life and hating him for it turned his insides to ice.

  He loved this woman. He loved her with his entire being, and the thought that she would despise him for turning her was like a knife to his heart.

  He stared at Abby, giving her a small nod. Yes, he decided with a clenching to his chest, he couldn’t be here when she woke. He didn’t want the first thing she saw to be the man that she was sure to hate. And she would have every right to. He had made a life-altering decision for her. All because he loved her too damned much to let her go. He was that selfish. He felt his throat tighten up on him.

  He stood unsteadily to his feet, and silently left the room.

  “Oh, cripes,” Abby groaned, shaking her head sadly after Marcus had closed the door behind him. “This is going to be a tough one. Let’s hope our mates can talk some sense into him.” She stood up and the two women settled themselves into the two chairs across the room, keeping their gazes on the deathly still form on the bed.

  Marcus bounded down the stairs and burst into the sitting area, his blazing eyes seeking out, and finding Brianna. “Where is she?” he growled, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides as that silver flash passed over his eyes. Brianna’s mouth dropped open and she moved a little closer to Sebastian, who sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders.

  Desmond stood and walked over to him, but Marcus continued to glare at his friend. He was absolutely furious.

  “Easy, Marcus,” Desmond instructed gently, placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze. He knew that Marcus was a whirlpool of emotion at the moment, and he needed him to calm down. “I am assuming that the she you are referring to is Josephine.” Again, the name rolled off Desmond’s tongue as if unpleasant. Marcus’s eyes shot to Desmond’s, and Desmond could see the pain in them. “Brianna was kind enough to…dispose of her for us.” He said softly. “She’s gone, Marcus.”

  It was as if the air had suddenly been let out of Marcus, and his body sagged.

  Marcus had left Liz in Abby and Kat’s capable hands and headed straight for Liz’s room, wanting to end that bitch more than anything, whether Desmond wanted him to or not. When he had found the room empty, and the chains lying on the floor, he had become furious; now, all that anger came rushing out of him.

  “She’s really dead?” he asked, his eyes locking with his brother’s, and Desmond pulled him into a strong hug.

  “Yes, Marcus. She is.”

  Marcus pulled away from Desmond and walked over to where Brianna sat, feeling as if his legs were about to give out on him. The woman who had pulled Elizabeth into this entire mess was dead, yet all he felt was overwhelming, gut-wrenching guilt.

  “Thank you,” he choked out, and Brianna jumped up and threw herself into his arms, wanting so much to comfort her friend.

  “It’s going to be all right,” she whispered into his ear and she felt him tense. Damn, she thought with a moistening of her eyes… he didn’t believe that in the least.

  Marcus stepped away from her and turned to leave the room, but Luke jumped up and grabbed his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his brow lifting.

  “I…I don’t know,” Marcus stammered, feeling as if his world was crashing down around his ears. “I just need to get…out. I…need to put Elizabeth’s things in my room so that she has her stuff. I…”

  “I’ll do it,” Brianna offered, standing and rushing from the room.

  “Just sit down and relax,” Luke instructed him firmly, that brow of his raising. “You have a mate upstairs that is going to need you very soon.”

  Luke saw Marcus flinch as if he had been hit and his mouth turned down into a frown. He led him over to a near-by chair and pushed him down onto it as Desmond and Sebastian watched silently.

  “You know,” he said, glancing at the other two men in the room a moment, and then shaking his head in disgust. “We have got to be the biggest group of jackasses on the planet,” he huffed. “Jesus, Marcus! Quit being an ass! You have a woman upstairs that you love!” When Marcus opened his mouth to protest, Luke held up a hand to silence him and he heard Desmond behind him disguise a laugh in the form of a cough. “Don’t even try to deny it. Christ! It’s written all over your damned face. And, believe me, my friend–I know that look all too well.” He pointedly looked at Desmond and grinned. “I don’t know this woman yet, but I’m betting that if she was the one who was able to break through that thick skull of yours and to get you to finally open yourself up and forget about carrying around the guilt from that bitch, well Hell–she’s got to be damned special. And … I’m guessing, special enough to forgive you.” Luke walked across the room and poured himself a drink from the small bar across the room. He downed it quickly and shook his head. “We are stubborn, stupid jackasses who could have blown chances of a lifetime because of our stupidity,” he mumbled.

  Marcus stared silently at the floor. Yes, Elizabeth was special. She was the most wonderful, amazing woman that he had ever met. But did that mean that she could ever forgive him for taking away her choice between death and eternal life? He felt his insides twist painfully. He just didn’t think so. How could anyone ever forgive that?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Elizabeth fought desperately to pull herself up from the sickening quagmire that was her mind. It felt as if her entire body, and even her very veins, were on fire as she tried with everything that she had to regain her senses. Her nose burned with the different smells assaulting her all at once: perfume, cologne…food. She could hear the sound of birds outside and footsteps in the distance, and she forced herself to open her eyes. Marcus! She needed to see Marcus. He had tried to save her from that monster. Oh, God! His family!

  She felt a sob threatening to hit her hard as she tried to figure out just what in the hell had happened. She forced her eyes to open and cautiously looked around at her surroundings.

  The room that she was in was dark, yet she could see everything in detail. She looked towards the window and noticed that the heavy curtains thoroughly blocked out the daylight… so why then could she see everything as if they were open?

  She immedi
ately noticed the two women sitting in chairs across the room and gasped, trying to pull herself up into a sitting position, fear and confusion washing over her.

  They both stood and rushed over to the bed, the beautiful blond smiling broadly. “You’re awake,” she murmured happily. “We were beginning to wonder. How do you feel?”

  “Who…who are you?” Liz croaked out, not knowing what to do. Should she try to run? She felt her eyes stinging with tears and her throat was on fire. It felt raw and rough. She felt a tight knot forming in her stomach as she watched the two of them wearily.

  The blond gave her a reassuring smile and sat down on the edge of the bed. It was then that Liz noticed that both women were pregnant.

  “I’m Abby, and this is Katrina,” the young woman replied pleasantly. “I’m…Marcus’s sister-in-law.”

  Marcus! Liz’s heart flipped over in her chest at just the mention of his name. Where was he? She needed to know that he was safe. The last she remembered was trying to warn his family that there was a trap. She shook her head slightly; trying to dredge up anything else–but there was nothing. All she could remember was fear and pain. So much pain.

  “Is he all right?” Liz asked breathlessly. Oh, God! What was going on? Why was Marcus’s family sitting watch over her and where was Marcus? Liz felt her head beginning to spin as she choked back another sob.

  Abby nodded and patted her hand gently, and Liz couldn’t help but notice that her touch felt…strange somehow. It was as if her skin was overly sensitive. She felt that strong burning in her throat once again as Abby’s scent reached her nose. It was sweet, and smelled like honey, and Liz realized that she was hungry….starving in fact.

  Abby and Kat exchanged glances that had Liz’s curiosity piqued. “Are you both…” she couldn’t even say the word. Vampire. Oh, God! She had almost forgotten. This was all too real!

  The pretty redhead answered, and Liz watched her from the corner of her eye, not having the slightest idea who she could trust. Everything that she had ever believed to be real and true had been completely blown out of the water. Yet, a very large part of her knew that these two women wouldn’t harm her. They were Marcus’s family, and he loved them.

  “No,” she laughed with a smile that made it very hard for Liz not to instantly like her, like them both, in fact. “But, please, don’t freak out on us. We know that you’ve had quite a shock already and you need to stay as calm as possible. I’m a witch, and Abby is part Fey.” Again, the two women exchanged a silent look.

  “Oh, my God,” Liz breathed. “This just can’t be happening. I mean, how could any of this possibly be real? Please, tell me, where is Marcus? I just need to know if…if he’s all right?”

  Abby chewed at her bottom lip a moment before giving Liz a look of sadness that had Liz’s body instantly seizing up in fear. The expression in the woman’s eyes had Liz’s very soul aching. Please, oh please, let him be all right!

  “He’s with our mate’s,” Abby replied quietly. “He’s fine. They just felt that it would be better if Kat and I…if we were here when you woke up and explained to you what’s going on.” She sighed wearily, yet her mouth turned up with a fondness that couldn’t be denied. “Our mates can be a bit…intense at times, and well, Marcus is just beside himself. He’s absolutely terrified to see you.”

  “Why?” Liz asked. Not sure if it was because he was afraid of facing her now that she knew what he was, or because of the way that she had run from him. Liz took a shaky breath, no matter what he was; she couldn’t deny the fact that she loved him. All she wanted at that moment was to see those wonderful eyes of his…to feel his strong, comforting arms around her. She needed that…so much. No matter what he was, she loved him, and if he even cared for her a little… She needed to tell him that it didn’t matter.

  Abby took a deep breath, her eyes going to Liz. “Marcus is… he was forced to turn you, and he feels unbearable guilt. But, you need to know, Elizabeth, there wasn’t any other way,” Abby’s voice was so soft that Liz had to lean forward slightly to make sure that she was hearing her correctly. Turn me?

  “I…” Liz stammered, at a complete loss.

  Abby glanced at Kat a moment before looking back to Liz, her eyes sparkling. “He needed to…turn you into a vampire,” she replied quietly, and Liz shot up from the bed as if she were on fire, and at a speed that surprised the hell out of her. She backed herself up into the corner of the room, her mouth hanging open in shock as the realization hit her. “He had no other choice,” Abby explained quickly, her eyes beseeching Liz. “You were dying,” she croaked, her voice filled with emotion, “and Kat had been knocked out, and he…he couldn’t let you go.”

  “So, I’m like him now?” Liz choked out, floored by the fact that there was a part of her that felt the smallest inkling of excitement at that realization. Perhaps now she and Marcus…she shook her head, chasing the thought away. She had no idea what his feelings were towards her. Just because she had fallen hopelessly in love with him, didn’t mean that he necessarily returned her feelings. She very well could have been just a passing fancy for him. She didn’t want him to feel obligated to her now. She only wanted him to love her. She felt her lips beginning to tremble as she stared at Abby and Katrina, not having the slightest idea of what to say or do.

  “Please, come and rest,” Abby urged her. “You’ve been through so much, and you need time to adjust to everything. I know that this is all very frightening, but you need to know that you are safe here with us, and Kat and I will answer any questions that you may have,” she hesitated slightly, looking worried. “Although, we should probably let Marcus know that you’re awake. He has been absolutely inconsolable,” she finally finished, and Liz could see the tears shining in her eyes. She was hurting for him. Oh, dear God, Liz thought with a shudder. Did he really feel that guilty? And…was she really a vampire now? She tried to remain calm as she let the reality of it all wash over her. She was for all intents and purposes, no longer alive–yet, she would live forever. Oh, my God!

  Liz finally nodded shakily and silently walked back over to the bed, realizing that everything felt more…electric. Her senses were reeling with sounds, smells…yet all she wanted was Marcus. She wanted him so badly that she hurt. Inconsolable? The word echoed through her head. Did that mean that he cared for her? That he didn’t hate her for running from him. Or…was it simply because of the guilt that he felt for turning her into what he had to think she feared. The last thing she had said to him slithered across her mind and she flinched. What kind of monster are you?

  Liz pulled the comforter around her, suddenly chilled to the bone. Everything was closing in around her at an ungodly speed. So many thoughts and emotions, all at once….in a mad rush.

  “You…um, you really should eat,” Kat said with a pained look towards Abby, noticing the tremors assaulting Liz’s body. Liz’s eyes widened, the image of Marcus standing in the kitchen, a bag of blood to his mouth flashing through her mind, but for some strange reason, it didn’t disgust her…it merely made her mouth water. It actually made her…hungry!

  “Please, I just need to see Marcus,” she insisted. “I have to…tell him that….” she stopped, unable to go on. She loved him. She knew it deep down in the recesses of her soul, but she had no idea how he felt, and she couldn’t confess her feelings and have him stay with her out of guilt over turning her. She couldn’t let him feel responsible for not letting her die at the hands of that vicious bastard. Eternity was a very long time to spend with someone out of a misplaced sense of responsibility. And if she had learned anything from the time that she had spent with him, it was that he carried heavy burdens in his very soul. He was honorable and caring, and he felt. “I have to tell him that I don’t blame him.”

  Abby gave her hand a squeeze, her beautiful green eyes shimmering. “This is a whole lot to swallow, isn’t it?” she asked as if reading her mind, and Liz nodded jerkily, fighting back the tears that were burning her eyes. “Just know
that Marcus cares for you. Yes, he feels guilty for turning you without your consent, but he was desperate not to lose you, Elizabeth. And that says a whole lot,” Abby said, her brows furrowing with her conviction. “You have to remember that. He cares…more than you even realize.”

  With that, Abby stood and gave Kat a quick smile, her hand going to her belly. “I think it’s time to put him out of his misery, and let him see you,” she laughed lightly, and Kat nodded.

  “I’m sure he is just about driving our mate’s nuts,” Kat chuckled fondly.

  “Abby?” Liz stammered, her eyes wide and questioning.

  “Yes?”

  “Your husband is…like Marcus and me?”

  Abby smiled once again, her entire face lighting up at the mention of Desmond. “Yes, he is. And, Kat’s mate is a Were… as in Werewolf,” she giggled.

  Liz’s gaze shot to Kat who laughed and gave her a wink. “Yeah, and a stubborn, macho Alpha to boot,” she said, the love and affection clear in her voice, and Liz found herself wondering what it would be like to be a part of this family. She could actually feel the love that surrounded them… and it was nice. It was something that she had never had before.

  Abby motioned Kat toward the door. “We’ll give you a few moments and then send Marcus up with your bl…dinner,” she said, quickly catching herself. She knew that it was going to take some time for Elizabeth to adjust to all of this, but she had faith that she would. The woman had accepted so much already with a grace that surprised her. Yes, Abby thought with a grin, she would fit in nicely. Sometimes the universe just knew what it was doing.

  “Thank you,” Liz choked out roughly, watching the camaraderie between the two women with a deep sense of yearning. She had never really had anyone that she was close to, and these two woman looked as close as sisters. That was something she had always longed for. Marcus had been the first person in her life that had ever made her truly happy… the only one who made her feel wanted and worthy. He brought her to life.