Page 26 of Eternally Theirs

“Please, Ever,” she begged. “Let them take him. I can’t bear to see this. I can’t. I know what has to be done, but don’t do it in front of me. Please.”

“Do as she asks, Ever,” Deo said, his tone full of a power she’d never heard from him before. “Do it for her.”

Ever sighed, easing back the slightest bit, and Ramsey and the other vampires moved in, lifting Gaius to his feet.

“Ah, God, I can’t stand it.” Tears poured down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop the sadness cutting into her like a razor, right through her flesh, into her heart.

“Shh, love,” Deo murmured into her hair, kissing her cheek.

She burrowed into Deo’s big body, watching as Ever stood, wiping his hands on his leather-clad thighs as he let the others carry Gaius away. He was shaking with rage. He wouldn’t look at her but kept his gaze on the floor.

She turned her face into Deo’s strong shoulder.

“He would have carried me off,” she sobbed.

“No, love. We wouldn’t have let that happen.”

“But he’s so strong. He almost—”

“No,” Deo said again, power in his voice once more.

“I was so scared. Afraid to be taken from you and Ever. Afraid of Gaius. And yet… I’m so torn. It hurts me to think of what will happen to him.”

“It’s alright, Mercy love. It has to be this way. There is no other option. You understand that, don’t you? But don’t think of it now. Think only of being safe.”

Deo lifted her in his arms, carrying her back into their rooms, and she saw the broken door hanging on its hinges. He took her to the bed, but she didn’t want to lie down.

“Deo, please.”

He set her on her feet, brought her a robe, and she wrapped herself in the pale blue velvet. They sat together on the low sofa, Deo never letting go of her hand. She was aware of Ever, still out in the hallway. She sensed his tension like a knife blade against her skin as he slowly gained control of his temper.

She leaned into Deo and realized he was trembling, just a small shiver beneath the surface of his skin. She buried her face in his neck and let his familiar scent soothe her.

Ever looked through the broken doorway, saw Mercy and Deo together and felt a stab of… what? Envy? But they were his, as much as they belonged to each other. Or he’d thought so, until he’d had to hear Mercy beg on behalf of that evil rogue.

How could she have done it? How could she possibly care for him still, after what he’d done to her? Months ago. Today.

He strode down the hall, away from them, away from the sight of Deo soothing Mercy as he should be doing now himself. And yet he couldn’t. He couldn’t bear it.

He stopped at the end of the long hall, ran a hand over his hair, smoothing it back into place.

“Ever.” Aleron laid his hand over the back of his neck.

Ever whirled around to face his old friend. “Would you turn against me now, Aleron?”

Aleron shook his head. “I am with you as always, Ever. You must calm yourself.”

“How can I? After what happened here today? He would have carried her off, held her prisoner. God knows what he might have done.”

“But he didn’t. You stopped him.”

“I would have done far more than stop him had Mercy not pleaded for him,” he spat out. “Had you yourself—my friend—not argued on his behalf.”

Aleron moved closer, placing his hands on Ever’s shoulders. He wanted to shake him off, but this was Aleron, one of his dearest friends in this mad old world.

“Ever, my friend, why are you so angry?”

“How can she care for him? And Deo is with her on this. Oh, not that he cares as she does, but still, he would have us be gentle with that fiend. How is it possible that she… loves him? She says she loves me, as she loves Deo. Where does this Gaius fit into the equation? You know what it is for one of us to give our heart.”

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