Page 40 of The Succubus's Song

“He’s none of your concern.”

“Oh, that’s for me to decide,” Alice scoffed. In the blink of an eye, she maneuvered around Mara and Pippa and seated herself down at the coffee table next to Finley.

Pippa and Mara erupted into snarls as they nearly threw themselves at Alice, only coming to a short stop when they realized she was holding Pippa’s knife to Finley’s throat.

All Mara could see was red.

Her heart was in her throat, and her body turned to ash as every part of her began to rage at the sight of Finley at Alice’s mercy.

Mine, mine, mine! Mara’s instincts screamed at her to get Finley away from another predator—from anyone that wasn’t her—but she fought back against them. If she attacked her sister, then Finley would end up in the crossfire.

“Come on now,” Pippa growled, flicking another blade between her fingers, “I can throw this before you hurt him.”

“Do you want to try it?” Alice hissed, pressing a little harder. A thin, red line of blood appeared on Finley’s neck.

The sight of someone else drawing blood from Finley was intolerable. Mara nearly drowned in fiery anger. Her vision condensed, and the smell of Finley’s scent overwhelmed her. Her body shook with the effort to not attack her sister.

“Go ahead,” Mara spat out, fighting back against her basest intuition and forcing a cool mask over her face.

If Alice knows what Finley means to me, he’s as good as dead.

Alice laughed.

It was a cruel, mocking sound, and it sent shivers down Mara’s spine.

“Don’t be stupid,” she hissed, tightening her grip on Finley. “I can practically smell your fury that I’m touching him. Is this your prey, Mara, or your lover? Do you even know?”

Mara recoiled as if she’d been struck. The words landed as her sister intended—and a century’s worth of regret and self-doubt began running through Mara’s mind.

“I’m calling dibs on your other fucking eye,” Pippa spat, picking up her discarded spiked coffee and taking a sip, all while pointing a knife at Alice. “I’m going to use it for a fucking paper weight.”

“Charming.” Alice rolled her eyes as if she was not at all bothered by the threat, but her body posture betrayed her as she sat up a little straighter.

“Mara,” Finley finally spoke up, his voice quiet. “It’s okay.”

“Don’t talk,” Mara snapped. She was terrified that he would say something to make the entire situation worse.

Although seeing Finley in her sister’s grasp was a worst-case scenario for Mara.

“So what’s he to you?” Alice pushed again. “Prey? Lover?” Mara said nothing, and Alice kept pushing. “Do you think he’s afraid of you now? With your fangs out and your fingers morphing into weapons? I’ll never understand exactly what you think we are, Mara.”

Mara opened her mouth again to deny both allegations, but Finley’s words from the night before started echoing in her mind.

I’ll stomach a thousand more rejections from the rest of this world… Mara froze, and tears sprang to her eyes. She knew that to not claim him now would be to betray him, but to admit to her feelings in front of Alice would force her sister to use Finley as a pawn.

Yet, when Mara looked at Finley, he smiled softly at her. His eyes had also filled with tears, but he hardly seemed afraid.

“You look beautiful right now,” Finley whispered the gentle words, but no one missed them.

“I’m sorry,” Mara choked the words out, the tears falling freely now. “I can’t… It’s selfish, but I can’t… I can’t deny you.” Mara forced back soft sobs, knowing that her inability to reject Finley solidified him as a target for Alice. Pippa swore softly under her breath.

“For fuck’s sake,” Alice rolled her eyes, standing up and forcing Finley to his feet. “Couldn’t even play Judas for your lover, eh? Pathetic.”

“What do you want, Alice?” Mara seethed, her fire burning behind the tears in her eyes.

Alice sneered and began walking Finley towards the door, keeping a grip around his throat. A sick sense of dread settled in Mara’s stomach.

“Meet us at the manor in three days,” Alice growled. “With Calum. If not, he dies. If we’re not allowed back in Edinburgh, he dies.”

---