Page 81 of Of Mercury and Mist

My head was buzzing and my stomach filled with bile. She was being one hundred percent truthful; the pain was obvious in her blue-tinged aura. Her face had paled, and her hands shook lightly in my own.

Had she tried to tell me, and I hadn’t listened? Had she ever attempted to force Josiah to hear her? She was soft in many ways, but yet fierce in others. Was this something she’d been too timid about? I suspected it was. It wasn’t as if we weren’t extremely protective of Ipomoea, or like we bent the rules in these types of situations.

I’d fucked up, big time. When I found her downstairs, the silken pouch in her clasp, I’d known about her past and immediately assumed the worst. As I thought on the subject further, when she said she hadn’t stolen anything—she was right. I’d simply assumed she was saying that because she hadn’t left the room with the product in hand.

I’d punished her for something she’d never done and been intent on disciplining her even more. While I couldn’t say I hadn’t enjoyed the process, I knew I’d not been kind. I’d even forced her to suck my cock in front of guests.

That’s not something I ever would have done, had I known the truth.

The only thing I could do was be honest with her now; though it was much too late.

I dragged her close, and looked her in the eye, my heart pounding. Once I crossed this line, there was no going back. She had no choice but to accept me no matter how she felt after I came clean. I owned her body, soul, blood, and spirit and there was no going back. It was signed in blood, and I’d claimed her.

She’d fuss, I knew that. However, I was not ready for her ultimate response.

“Angel,” I said, and waited for her to lift her eyes. “I’ll be sorry for eternity I didn’t believe you. You did try to tell me, I can see that now.”

She blinked. “What? What are you talking about? You knew I wasn’t a sex worker. I’m yours; and you sleep with me because... because you care about me, right?”

Ashley peered up at me, both hopeful and scared. I loved her with every ounce of my darkness and my light. But to keep her for the rest of my immortal life, I would hurt her again and again, if it’d keep her by my side.

I didn’t tell her any of that. Rather, I smoothed my hands up her arms and wrapped my fingers around the back of her neck before claiming her in a bruising kiss that left her gasping for air.

“Pet, it's me,” I said, keeping my voice even. “I didn’t believe you about the pills, though you tried multiple times. I refused to listen. Forgive me, please.”

She wavered in my arms, her knees buckling beneath her. Her face had gone white as a sheet, and she swatted her way out of my grasp the second she found her bearings. “Micha? No.” She banged into a small side table. “No,” she repeated, glancing around frantically.

My shoes clicked on the marble as I moved toward her. “Ashley, calm down. Relax, please.” A vase had toppled onto the floor when she crashed into the table, sending thick shards of glass careening. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

I snagged her by the shoulders and let my disguise dissolve and drift off into the ether. There was no point in retaining it any longer. Now that I’d released it, even my signature on Matthew’s documents would change to reveal my true identity. There was no hiding any longer and it was only a matter of time before Josiah discovered what I’d done. I wasn’t terribly concerned over Matthew; the angels tended to keep to themselves.

Josiah and the Collective were a different story.

Ashley glanced up at me, her features twisting into a mask of fury, her shock long forgotten. “Fuck you, Micha. How could you?” Her hands slammed against my chest. “You bought me,” she screamed, “you fucking bought me.”

“Of course I did, did you think I’d ever let anyone else touch you?” How could she be so surprised? It wasn’t like I’d been following her around and making sure she was always okay for my own entertainment. It was all about her and it always was.

Now probably wasn’t a good time to let her know I’d disposed of her philandering ex-boyfriend a while back.

“I gave myself to you,” she growled at me. “I let you drink my blood.” Her hands raised to her forehead before she dragged one roughly through her hair and turned at the waist, looking away.

She hiccupped, her tears pouring down her face. “Do you have any idea how badly I missed you? I thought I was cheating on you with Isaac.” She laughed bitterly. “How much of a fool am I?”

“You’re not.” I pulled her close and cupped her face. “I told you I wanted you the first moment I saw you. I love you and I always have.”

She bent slightly, the top of her head rubbing against my chin. “Yeah right, asshole,” she ground out. “Fuck you.”

Ashley pulled back, her shoulder flexing under my grasp. She grunted as something dug into my chest, sharp and hot. I glanced down. She’d stabbed me, right in the blackened heart that beat only for her.

I let go of her and grasped the handle as she fumbled backward, a hand over her mouth and her eyes impossibly big. She tripped over her own feet and tumbled to the ground.

She fucking stabbed me. My little angel had successfully done what legions of men and demons had foolishly attempted but failed to accomplish over hundreds of years. Blood was pouring down my chest, rapidly reaching my waist band and staining my pants and all I could do was stare in disbelief.

Now, she was terrified, slipping and sliding, having difficulty getting upright in her four-inch heels.

“Ashley,” I warned her, strolling over to her. Where did she think she was going? “Angel, stop.”

She tore off her shoes and ran.

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