“Shower.” Marcus lifted her and carried her into the bathroom. Briar caught her reflection in the mirror and winced. The run home had partially dried her hair, but it had come loose from the ponytail. The parts that weren’t wet and knotted stuck out over her head in wispy curls.
Wrestling with her shirt, she struggled to get it over her head. Warm hands trailed up her sides as Marcus helped take it off. The world went dark for a moment as it went over her head. When she blinked, Marcus was shirtless and standing in front of her like an image from the best dream she’d ever had.
She touched his chest, running her fingers over his abs to his collarbones and over his shoulders. He let her discover him, learn all the edges and curves. Briar linked her hands behind his neck, using his body to balance as she stood on her tiptoes.
Smooth fingers caught the edge of her bra, unsnapped it, and it fell to the floor before Marcus dragged her into his arms. Somehow, he managed to turn on the shower, and the room filled with steam. The goosebumps on her skin weren’t from cold now. Every part of her was aware of him and responded to his touch.
Her skin was over sensitized, alive. Briar shifted, and her nipples grazed his chest. Sucking in a breath, she repeated the motion. Marcus gasped and stepped away, keeping one hand behind her back. Gently, he eased her back until she was laid out over his arm like a feast. His mouth descended, green eyes flashing to hers before he smiled and wrapped his lips around her nipple.
She felt the nip of his teeth, and her eyes, which had closed, snapped open. “Not yet,” she said to him. Each person who’d had her blood ended up bursting with energy. Most of them had had to run out of the house. “I don’t want you to leave me yet.”
Marcus smiled against her skin and glanced up at her. “I have an idea of how I can use any excess energy.”
Briar shivered with anticipation. It was a risk, but Marcus’s gaze beseeched her to consider it. The worst thing that could happened was that he had to leave, and she could always follow.
If it put off being together, then so be it. She’d give anything to Marcus.
She nodded, and his eyes flashed before the pupils expanded. Quickly, he ripped the button from her jeans and went to his knees, dragging her clothing down with it. Once he had her stripped, he kicked off what was left of his clothes, lifted her into his arms and went into the shower.
“Wow,” she said. Marcus’s shower was almost the size of her entire bathroom. Jets shot water from the walls and from above them. Unfortunately, they were designed for someone Marcus sized, and one hit her full in the face. Spluttering, Briar pushed her hair out of her face.
“Shit! Sorry!” Marcus cupped her face as she laughed and choked.
Briar couldn’t stop laughing. Her feet touched the tiled floor as Marcus let her down, but he kept his hands on her shoulders so she didn’t fall over. She could only imagine what she looked like. So much for impressing him.
When she could finally breathe again, she met Marcus’s happy gaze. “Everything about you is happy,” he said. He pushed her wet hair over her shoulder as he stared down at her. “I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am. Each time I think, this is it, this is where she gets sad, you rally and bounce back.”
His words made her smile hugely. “You make me happy, Marcus. What do I have to be sad about when I have you?”
The smile left his lips, and then she felt it—wonder. It was hard to maintain eye contact when she was hit with emotion after emotion. The way he saw her… it made Briar want to live up to his beliefs. She wasn’t as amazing or fantastic as he thought she was, that was for sure, but she wanted to be.
She stared at his light brown skin and dark pink nipples. It had felt so good when he’d kissed her there, she leaned forward to do the same to him. She touched her tongue to his skin and it was his turn to shiver. Moving slowly to the other side, Briar trailed her tongue over his chest, tasting him. As she reached the pebbled nipple, she gently bit him and a tiny bead of blood welled up.
Quickly, she swiped her tongue over it and moaned at his taste.
Marcus suddenly dropped to his knees, and Briar lost her balance. As she wobbled, he pressed a hand against her belly, backing her to the shower wall where she could brace herself. Then, using his thumbs to part her, he licked from between her legs up to the bundle of nerves. He sucked her clit into his mouth, drawing on it tightly the way he had with her nipples, and she cried out.
Her head hit the wall as it fell back. Every nerve ending rioted as Marcus unflaggingly lapped and circled her. Her entire focus went inward. There was only sensation.
Marcus’s hands held her at the waist, and each time she rolled her hips back, he jerked her forward. It was becoming too much.
And just when she didn’t think she could bear it, he flicked her clit and she detonated. Her legs shook, the only thing holding her up his hand.
And then she felt his fangs sink into her thigh.
He breached her with one finger while he fed, thrusting into her over and over to rebuild the fire.
Abruptly, he released her and stood. His eyes, when they met hers, were hectic and fever bright. Her blood still stained his lips, and when he kissed her, she tasted both herself and her blood.
His kiss was unrestrained. His fangs cut her tongue, but he eased the hurt away by sucking on it. Her own fangs descended and she bit him in return. Marcus growled, the sound rumbling through his chest as he flipped her around. With one hand, he gripped her wrists and put them over her head while gently kicking her feet apart.
She felt him, hard and hot and long against her back before he bent his knees, lined himself up and thrust into her.
He went deeper and stretched her wider than she thought she could take. But when one hand snaked around her front to circle her clit, she suddenly wanted him deeper.
Harder.
Rolling her hips, she met each of his advances. Their skin slapped together until the only sound was their bodies and their ragged breaths.
Sparks ignited along her nerves and in her veins. Marcus’s body curled around hers while his emotions filled her head. He was close—his thoughts as chaotic as hers.
“Briar.” Marcus’s voice was tight as he slammed into her, and she went up in flames. Crying out, he erupted inside her. She was flooded with warmth as his thoughts slowed.
Love. Adoration. Contentment. Peace.
He thought she gave him all of those things.
“No,” she whispered as her heartbeat finally slowed. “You give them to me.”
Marcus
There was no doubt Briar was now picking up on his emotions. Marcus held her against him and wondered at his nervousness. It wasn’t like him to be this way. But he was frightened. What if he thought something he didn’t want her to hear? What if he shared something before he was ready and she misinterpreted it?
Briar lifted her leg and slung it over his hips before snuggling into his side tighter.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll try not to pry.”
Marcus sighed and kissed her forehead. “It’s not prying.” She couldn’t help what she could do. If there was anyone to blame, it was Asher.
“Today’s a school day,” she said. “I want to go to class.”
Her announcement came out of nowhere, and he froze. If he was Sylvain, he’d burst out with a denial, but that wasn’t right.
“Classes haven’t been canceled?” he asked.
“We can ask Hudson, he’ll know for certain, but I don’t think so.” She skimmed her lips along his side, kissing him gently. “I’ve missed too much.”
“I don’t think anyone’s going to class right now, Briar,” he said. He couldn’t imagine Briar’s generation of parents blindly approving of their children walking about Boston when people were disappearing left and right.
“Until I hear differently, my plan is to go to class today. Then I’m going to Hudson’s lab and I’m going to look at my DNA.”
“What if we just skipped class and we
nt right to the lab?” Marcus asked. Something about Briar being in an auditorium full of humans raised his hackles.
“Tell you what—” She sat up and tucked the blanket under her arms. “Let me read my email. If there’s no class? Then we don’t worry about it and we just go to the lab. If there is class, then that will settle it.”
Marcus chuckled. In no uncertain terms, she’d let him know she was doing this. He could get on board or he could get out of the way. “Okay,” he said. Sitting up, he grabbed her and tucked her under him. Immediately, her legs opened and she cradled his hips. He sank into her warmth and lowered his forehead to hers.
She clutched his sides as he began to move inside her.
“You’re trying to distract me,” she said, breathlessly.
He held himself deep inside her. “Is it working?” he asked. It was hard to formulate sentences when she clenched him so tightly.
She laughed, raising her head to kiss his neck. “Yes.”
“Good,” he replied, and set about keeping her focus only on him.
“No,” Sylvain declared. “No.”
Briar stuck her arms through the straps of her backpack and stared down Marcus’s angry brother. “I’m going to class. I have an hour to get there. It’s art history, and I know you love it. So you can come with me.”
Sylvain groaned while the rest of them laughed. “Briar.” He drew the syllables of her name out like a whiny toddler. Marcus chuckled, but when Sylvain glared at him, he quickly covered his grin with his hand.
“Sylvain.”
The man threw his head back and growled at the ceiling. “Fine!” He grabbed a set of keys off the door by the entryway. “But I’m taking Marcus’s fancy car!”
Now hold on. Sylvain behind the wheel of Marcus’s car caused full body hives. “I’m going, too.”
“I’m sorry to bring this up,” Valen interrupted. “But Marcus’s car is still by the warehouses.”
A memory of the soldier jumping onto the hood of his car and Briar’s fear filling the air struck him. The car was still there. Marcus had completely forgotten about it. “That’s right.”
“Hudson’s fancy car then.” Sylvain moved on smoothly, but he met Marcus’s gaze and he knew, Sylvain had gone there, too.
“Fine, but I’m driving.” Hudson blurred, snatching the keys before Sylvain could take them.
“We’re all going?” Briar rocked on her toes and clutched her hands at her chest. Fuck. She was adorable sometimes.
Marcus swept her into his arms and kissed her. She smiled against his lips and patted his chest. “You’ll come, too?”
“Sure,” he said.
“I’ll meet you there,” Valen said. “I’ll get your car.”
“You could just leave it there,” Marcus said. He didn’t want any reminders of what had happened and the short time where they’d believed Briar was dead. That car would always represent the worst hours of his life.
“If you want,” Valen said. “I’ll strip it then, if it hasn’t been already.”
Valen wasn’t afraid of doing the hard stuff. “Thank you.” He set Briar on the ground and strode to his brother, clasping his shoulder. He would be lost without this quiet, often overlooked man.
Valen grasped his arms, squeezed and released him. “See you at school,” he said, facing Briar.
She stood on her toes, slung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. Valen lingered there a second, then waved and left.
In no time, they were in the car and on their way to BC. Marcus sat in back with Briar, watching her stare out the window. “It’s like nothing’s happened,” she whispered. The city was as busy as another weekday morning.
Briar was right. It could have been a morning they brought her to school before she’d been turned, but it also seemed like people were pretending their city wasn’t under attack.
“You get on with it,” Sylvain said. He shifted in his seat, glancing over his shoulder at them. “After the worst has happened, or is about to happen. You can’t just curl up and pretend life doesn’t go on.”
Great sentiment, but it only applied to some things. If the worst had truly happened and Briar was gone forever, he would have had no problem curling up and dying.
A line of ambulances and fire trucks were parked along the Charles. Marcus sat up, trying to see over the concrete dividers to the water.
“They’re diving,” Briar said. She sat closer to the river than Marcus and twisted as she tried to see what else was happening. Gasping, she paled.
Over her head, Marcus could make out a body being floated toward the shore. Hudson glanced into the rearview mirror and they exchanged a loaded glance, but neither one of them said anything.
The first thing Marcus noticed when they got to Boston College was that the parking lot was nearly empty. Most of the people had filled in the spaces closest to buildings. As if that would help them if they needed to run. If a vampire wanted to get to someone, not even a metal cage would stop them.
There were only a few students about, and they flat-out ran between buildings. Marcus could smell their fear as soon as he opened the car door.
“This isn’t good,” he said to Hudson.
“No,” Hudson answered.
Briar breathed in and wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. What is that?”
Interesting. To Marcus, the smell was sweet. If he’d been a cartoon character, he would have floated off the ground and drifted along with the scent. And despite sucking down a bag of O positive yesterday, the smell made his vampire sit up and take notice.
“Are you going to be okay?” Briar watched him carefully.
“Yes,” he said.
“Did you bring your art history book?” Sylvain asked. “I think if I went back to college, it would be for something like art. Remember your last class? It was all those war paintings. That was pretty awesome.”
Marcus stopped walking to stare at Sylvain. “Is this because you’re better communicating your thoughts pictorially, rather than with the written word?”
Flipping him the bird, Sylvain ignored him. “I am actually an amazing artist.”
“I’d love to see what you do,” Briar said, taking him literally.
Sylvain sidled closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He gave her a little tug, throwing her off balance so she had to release Marcus’s hand and lean on Sylvain’s chest. “I haven’t actually drawn anything yet, but something tells me I’ll be good.”
Marcus side-eyed Briar, who was trying to hide her smile. “I know you’ll be, too.” Sylvain may have amused her, but her voice rang with honesty.
It had been a long time since Marcus had attended an undergraduate class. They followed Briar and Sylvain to the auditorium where the class was held. “Why are you taking this class?” Marcus asked.
“Because I want to,” Briar replied. “All my classes were online so when I got into graduate school, I decided to reward myself by taking one class just for fun.”
Hudson, who’d been walking next to him, turned to walk backward. On his face was a wide smile. “I love that you think a class with two hundred freshmen is a reward.”
“Are you going to come with me?” Briar asked. A small line appeared between her brows as she frowned. “Won’t you be overrun?”
Marcus laughed. Briar had a point. In the science world, Hudson’s intelligence was renowned. Combine that with his reclusiveness and he became a scientific unicorn. People were desperate to catch sight of him.
“No one in the art world knows who I am. And undergrads? Please.” Hudson waved off her concern.
They arrived in the auditorium. A huge screen was set behind a podium, while the seats were like those in a movie theatre. “Same seats?” Sylvain asked.
“Sure,” Briar replied.
There were a lot of things Marcus had missed out on when it came to Briar. Sylvain and Valen had accompanied her to class when Asher had been threatening her. Because of that, the three of them had their own l
ittle routine made up of shared experiences and special things like saved seats.
They sat, Briar between Hudson and Sylvain. Somehow, Marcus ended up next to Sylvain. “You’re spilling over your desk.”
“These desks weren’t made for men of my size,” Sylvain replied, leaning back. His long legs stretched out in front of him, a hazard to anyone who walked by, though few did. Marcus did a quick head count. Only a quarter of the seats were filled.
The door to the hall clanged shut, and a woman who must have been the professor hurried in. She glanced over her shoulder and seemed ill at ease. “Hi everyone,” she started. “We’re going to have class today, but I’ve received notice from BC that they’ll be sending out alerts about canceled classes.” A moment later, the room was filled with the sound of chirping phones and text messages. The woman laughed. “There it is. So as you can see, until further notice, classes will be suspended. I’ll be attempting to put up much of my lecture online, so be watching your emails for the link.”
Sylvain shifted, his shoulders bumping into Marcus’s. His brother studied the room, looking for danger.
Good idea. Marcus breathed in, but the only thing he smelled was human anxiety.
“If any of you would like to leave now, please do so. I understand. I’m headed to Natick myself once we dismiss.” The woman loaded a slide projector and pointed a remote at a machine attached to the ceiling. “Our last class focused on war in art, so let’s review.”
Sylvain shifted, nearly turning around in his seat. “Did you hear that?” he asked Marcus.
Briar leaned over her desk. In the dim light her pupils had expanded hugely. “I smell something,” she whispered.
Outside the room came a tremendous crash and the students cried out. In the distance, Marcus caught screams and growls and something else. Pressure built in his head, and he heard a voice, “Marcus. Marcus. Kill her.”
He shook his head. The voice reminded him of Asher, but it wasn’t as strong. Asher’s voice had always been snake-like. It wound its way into his mind, and he never knew if the voice he heard was Asher’s, or his own.
Diadem of Blood and Bones Page 9