Page 57 of Tears of Revenge

Avalon graced them with her beautiful laugh, lips curling into a wide smile. “How could I do that? You came for me. Saved me. Yes, I’m having trouble accepting who I am now. But that’s only because it feels wrong. I’m drinking the blood that’s designated to save people.”

Marcus had never even considered that. Even now that he was, he didn’t feel bad about it. He was scared to share this with her, terrified that she wouldn’t see him as the angel she thought he was. That thought had likely gone out the window hours ago but it was nice to have for a moment.

“Would you like us to help you forget?” he asked, salaciously licking the blood from his thumb.

Marcus could imagine the delicious blush that would have spread over her cheek, if Avalon had still been human. “But Lysander is going to be back soon.”

“He can join, whenever he’s ready.”

Varos snorted. “I’m not sure he’s ever ready for that.”

Though he’d never admit it, it bothered him that Lysander was the first to make her come. He was eager to make her fall apart, to know what she looked like crashing over the edge. The sounds alone nearly had him ruining his expensive trousers.

When she didn’t answer, Varos stood and took her hand again. “Drink up and lose yourself in your books.” And with a soft kiss across her knuckles, he left.

Yet again, he was left feeling like an asshole. Avalon was uncomfortable and the only thing he could think about was stroking his own ego. He leaned forward, kissed her forehead, and followed Varos from the room. The fact that she didn’t call after him only made his guilt worse. Would she have let them stay if they hadn’t fed and drugged her? Probably not.

That realisation hit him like a rock. He was no better than that rapist they were holding in the warehouse. His bedroom door slammed behind him, and he froze. Now she probably thought he was upset with her. Which he wasn’t—he hadn’t meant to use that much force.

Fuck!

The cushion rustled, and Avalon cautiously approached his room. She knocked quietly and he took time to school his emotions before he opened the door as gently as he could.

Avalon stood there book clenched to her chest as if that was her shield for the battle ahead, her lips sucked between her teeth. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said quietly.

“You didn’t.”

“You slammed the door.” Then she flinched, seemingly surprised by her own assertiveness.

He offered her a hand, which she took right away. As he pulled her into his room, her head swivelled to take everything in. He led her over to his sitting arrangement and sat down beside her as she laid the book in her lap.

“I’m not upset with you. I am solely enraged with myself,” he revealed, turning his upper body to her.

“Why?”

“Because I realised, I treated you wrongly. When I fed on you, I drugged you and bent your will to suit my own selfish needs. I shouldn’t have used your vulnerability to gain something I wanted from you.”

“But I already told Varos it was fine. I enjoyed it.”

“Yes, but would you have easily let us do that if you hadn’t been craving our blood or our antidote?”

“I would have been more nervous but yes: I wanted it. I wanted you. It felt good being with you. Yes, feeding helped but as I said to Varos, I trust both of you. Then and now. I needed to feel something else, to erase his memory. If anything, I was using you.”

Keeping hold on her hand, he took in her expression, looking for any hint of a lie. Not that he thought she would lie to him but deep down, he worried she was just saying what he wanted to hear.

“I hesitated because I had the time to think about it and let those insecurities creep in.” She dropped her chin to her chest. “Sometimes I think too much about something and get…”

“It gives you time to think about all the things that could go wrong.”

“Yes. I enjoyed being with you, but since I hesitated, I pictured all the embarrassing things that could happen.”

“We have never done anything like this either. We are unsure ourselves.”

“But not unsure about yourself. You were so confident and I’m just waddling about like the ugly duckling.”

“You’re not ugly.”

“That’s not the point,” Avalon sighed. “You two are like… gorgeous swans or majestic lions and I’m like a baby giraffe who can’t find her feet.”

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