Page 81 of Tears of Revenge

Varos’s voice filtered in from the kitchen. “You can’t feed him a raw onion!”

“Why not? I’m sure he’ll eat whatever we throw at him.”

“Imagine him not being able to fully grasp what is happening because his brain is deprived of nutrition. You want him aware of what’s about to happen, don’t you?”

“Fine.”

Cabinets opened and shut, then everything fell silent again.

He was here. She hadn’t even noticed Marcus’s return. Now that she was aware, fear crept under her skin again, and she clung to Lysander even tighter. He ran his nose over her jawline, comforting her with his fingers massaging her scalp.

“You don’t have to see him right away. I would encourage you not to go down in the dungeon alone. But even that is up to you.”

“Thank you.”

With her still safe in his arms, he rose to his knees on the bed. “I need food and sleep. I would love for you to join me.”

“Always.”

He kissed her, then swept her up until her legs wrapped around him. “I’m sure once they’ve made sure our guest is settled, Marcus and Varos would love to join too.”

An hour later, she sat on Lysander’s bed, stroking his hair with one hand and Varos’s nape with the other. She leaned against the headboard with Marcus’s head resting in her lap. She loved this, all four of them together, one to each side of her while Marcus always found a way to curl up in her lap.

She tried to focus on them: the texture of Lysander’s frizzy hair, Varos’s cool skin and Marcus’s lips against her inner thigh. She didn’t want to drown in the ocean of her thoughts, didn’t want to be swept away by the waves of uncertainty. She just wanted to get away. More than ever, she wished she could simply fall asleep.

“You’re so tense, little dove.” Marcus’s lips brushed against her skin, his fingers drawing light shapes on her leg. “I can take some of that away.” His tongue darted out for a taste, while his fangs tickled her skin. “Would you like that?”

She could barely nod before Marcus’s fangs pierced her skin. His antidote washed away the pain, spreading through her veins and taking her worries away with it. She didn’t care about Troy in that moment. Her mind only swirled around the touch she shared with her men and the sparks it made her feel. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered to her heart, giving it the illusion of beating again.

She only opened her eyes again when the high faded. She was surprised to find that the room was bathed in the golden light of early morning. Her men were still frozen in place, Lysander smiling up at her. Marcus was kissing his bitemark closed while Varos slipped off the bed and disappeared from the room.

“That felt like sleeping. Thank you.”

“I could do that every night.” Marcus pushed himself up and knelt between her thighs. “How are you feeling?”

“Drowsy.”

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Good.”

Feeling as if her mind was set, she took the glass Varos was handing her and drank it down. “I’m ready.”

It wasn’t long before they led her to the dungeon, Lysander following behind and stuffing a sandwich in his mouth. Before they reached the bottom step, Varos turned to her and pulled something from his back pocket. He held the small object out to her: a smooth silver necklace. He winced, the metal burning his hand.

“If you hold this, you can focus on the pain.”

“You should refrain from breathing, which also means no talking,” Marcus added, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Not until you feel ready to inhale his scent.”

She took the necklace and wrapped it around her fist, the burn sinking deep into her flesh. Her first instinct was to drop it, but she clenched her fist tighter, leaning into the pain.

“We would like to set some rules. Do you want us to stop you if we see you losing control?” Varos asked.

She nodded.

“Would you like us to shut him up if he says anything that makes you uncomfortable?”

Marcus’s question wasn’t as easily answered but she nodded yet again.

“Don’t make him bleed,” Lysander warned. “You don’t want to provoke her.”

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