Page 42 of Marked By Night

“Trust me, it’s not me you’ll have to protect.”

“That I’d love to see,” Elian responds challengingly.

Oh, boy. How I’m looking forward to the day I finally kick his ass.

Although, now that I’m paying attention, I don’t know how I didn’t recognize his aura sooner. Elian oozes heartache and destruction. Quite the potent poison if you ask me.

When we reach my car, I see Elian’s lip curl as he eyes my car in disgust like he’s never seen such an atrocity before. “This is what you drive?” he asks, glaring at me when I nod. Like it’s my fault I have a minimum wage job and can’t afford a better vehicle.

“Not everyone is dealt the wealth card, asshole.”

He ignores me. “This is a terrible idea. That bucket of rust is likely to break down before she makes it a mile down the road.”

“Hey, now! He’s a little beat up, but he still runs,” I defend, patting my car reassuringly, as if I can protect it from Elian’s judgmental stare. “Most of the time,” I add under my breath.

He scoffs. “It should have stayed in the nineties where it belongs.”

Kaos, Gods love his perceptiveness, readily intervenes before I can give Elian a piece of my freaking mind. “Dante will follow behind you in the limo. You’re going to go home and get your essentials while Elian and I grab the other vehicles.”

“Wait, shouldn’t you come with me too?”

“No, they’re going to be on the lookout for the limo and won’t be expecting your car. Dante is the one who needs to do it because he’s not bonded with you yet.”

I want to askwhythat’s the case but there’s no time. Kaos is kissing me on the cheek and racing off into the night as the shadows surround him protectively. For some reason, my gut trusts him.

I hear Skylar’s voice in my head.Trust your instincts. Because if you can’t trust those, you’ll never make it in this world.He’s right. I’ve got to start trusting myself more or I’ll never survive. There’s no time like the present, right?

After I rattle off our address to Dante and hop inside my car, I take a moment to collect myself as Ash gets in the passenger seat. When my moment is over, I grit my teeth and turn the key in the ignition, praying it starts. The engine takes a second to turn over, but when it does, I slam on the gas and fly out of the park like a bat out of hell.

“Are you finally going to explain what the hell is going on?” Ash asks, her voice rising toward the end.

I repeat everything that’s happened. I tell her about the Elite and the Weavers. I tell her about Tyler and Ben. I even explain what happened with Kaos and she merely nods, letting me get it all out. When I finish and she doesn’t instantly respond, my thoughts start to wander.

Won’t they be able to find me as easily at our duplex?

Are we being followed now?

My hands clench on the steering wheel as I try to keep my breathing even.Focus on something else.I start to make a mental checklist, so I know exactly where to look when we get home. My go-bag is under my bed, packed and ready for a moment’s notice. The money Reed gave me—shit, don’t think about him right now—is in the coffee can in the kitchen.You’re prepared for incidents like this, Sadie.

Well, not exactly like this,becausebondingto a smoking hot stranger who hasmagicand getting sucked into theirmagical world, was definitely not on my freaking bingo card this year. Apocalypse was though, so my emergency bag is locked and loaded.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Preppers are crazy, but hey? Who is kind of prepared right now? Me. That’s who.

“That’s a heavy load,” Ash eventually says after mulling it over, pulling me from my thoughts.

“You’re telling me,” I say.

She quirks a brown brow in my direction, telling me she’s as skeptical as I am. “Do you believe them?”

With a sigh, I hold out my wrist to show her the design now adorning the smooth skin there. I’ve always wanted tattoos, but never could afford them.

She gasps. “Shit, babe. That’s like…permanent?”

“Yeah, it is,” I say.

“At least it’s gorgeous,” she responds and I give a noncommittal shrug even though she’s right. Kaos’s mark is stunning. I’m too stubborn to admit it right now.

“Oh, I skipped the best part,” I say with mock cheer. “They’re all my mates. Plural.All of them.”

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