Page 35 of Martyr

But…

“Who? Who’s the sacrifice?” He frowned. “I thought you needed to catch the hacker.”

“We do,” West replied. “That’s a separate mission. We have until Demons Passing for that. Once we accomplish it, we’ll be made official members of the club. Until then, we’re still in processing, so to speak. As for the sacrifice…come on, babe. You’re not that dense.”

Nix blinked when he stared at him, and it took far too long for his brain to follow than it should have. An embarrassingly long time, in fact. He yanked his hand free and retreated a full three steps before West’s low warning growl gave him pause.

“Me?” His hand pressed against his neck. “But how can I…?”

“It’s not a sacrifice in the way you’re thinking,” West told him. “We’re not going to hurt you, Nixie.”

“What the fuck do you call this?!” He pointed to the bloody bandage.

“Keep your voice down,” West said. “That’s not the kind of attention we need.”

“You sure? From where I’m standing, it’s exactly the kind you need. The hacker isn’t going to believe I can be recruited if we keep walking around holding hands like I actually like you.”

“That ship has sailed and we both know it.”

“What happens to me?” Nix was shaking, but he couldn't tell if it was due to fear or rage. “How much more are you assholes going to put me through before you’re finally done with me?”

West’s brow furrowed. “Babe, you losing it? That thing on your neck means we’ll never be done with you. Pretty sure we’ve all been saying as much since last night. I get not wanting to believe it, but enough is enough. This is your reality now. May as well accept it and milk it for all it’s worth. Sort of like the way your ass milked my cock last night.”

“Don’t be disgusting.”

“You like it when I’m crass.”

“I do not.”

“Your hole said differently. Every time I spoke dirty to you, it gripped me nice and—”

Nix slapped a hand over his mouth and exhaled slowly. “That’s enough.”

West captured his wrist and held on, gaze hardening. “Becoming our fourth doesn’t mean anything you’re concocting in that fascinating brain of yours. It’s actually a great honor. It also means Lake complicated things even more than you’ve yet to realize by claiming you. You want to know what it means to be our sacrifice, Nixie?”

He nodded, completely overcome by the intensity permeating off the Demon before him.

“It means a one-way ticket into the good life. The sacrifice becomes one of us. They become Essential. It means,” he stepped closer, other hand wrapping around Nix’s throat, thumb pressing against the bite with just enough pressure to make it sting but not have him cry out, “we originally meant every word when we promised you’d be free come Demon Passing. At least, from us. As another member of the Essential, we wouldn’t be able to mess with you in the same ways we can now. However…”His gaze trailed to the mark and the corner of his mouth twisted upward in a cruel smirk.

Nix’s heart thumped wildly in his chest. “No.”

“Yup. Now you’ve been claimed, babe. Now you’re ours. Even once you’re a club member. Even once this mark heals over and there’s nothing left but scar tissue. You’re ours forever thanks,” he tapped the mark, “to,” again, “this.”

Nix felt like he was going to throw up.

Somehow, knowing it hadn’t all been a lie this whole time, that he really was going to be allowed to walk away at the end of this as promised…only to have it so bitterly yanked out of his hands…

West said it was thanks to the mark.

Lake said it was thanks to Branwen.

That was maybe the worst part of it all.

Nix didn’t know who to blame.

And a part of him feared there was actually no one else he could but himself.

Chapter 9:

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