Page 74 of Death God

“I’ll kill that fucker in the most agonizing way for what he did to you!” he snarled. “I’m your true mate. I’ll prove it to you.”

“How?” I wanted to know.

“You call me Sugar Cheeks,” he said. “It’s not flattering, but I’ll take it if that eases your mind.”

“Everyone heard that,” I said dismissively. I so much needed to confirm it was the real Marlowe who hovered over me. “Tell me something only we know.”

He pondered thoughtfully, then eyed me warily. “While I’m thinking of the best answer, try to restrain yourself from sneak attacking me. It was hard to even breathe when my mate was taken from me, and now I’ve finally found her, she doesn’t believe me. On top of that, I have war on my back.”

“It’s not my fault!” I said.

“Of course not, Sunshine!” he said, sorrow and rage lacing his rich voice again. “It’s my fault that you’ve suffered so much.”

I nodded half-heartedly since my eyes were busy roving over his gorgeous body that was built to fuck and kill. But I promised myself I would take it slow until he proved that he was who he said he was, and then we could speed things up. Yet I still wanted to trace his muscled chest under his armor. He’d lost weight and was paler than I remembered. His ragged look, however, gave him an even more sexy appearance. I liked a man on edge, but maybe I just missed my mate so much.

“Before I claimed you last time,” he started, light swimming in his eyes, “you made a long speech that didn’t turn me off but made me desire you even more.” He mimicked my tone with a high-pitched voice. “‘Oh, I hold a grudge, and I’ll hold it for a very long time. So, make no mistake, vampire. I’m one of the pettiest creatures, but I also have the capacity to move on. I get that you wronged me big time, but you might not have had a choice. We can’t undo the past, but we can do better now. I’m not the kind of chick who’ll let a dark past drag me down. I’m never a victim, and I’ll always come out a fucking winner. So you’re either with me or you can forever wallow in your own misery.”

I scowled at him. “You got it wrong!”

“Which part?” he asked, frowning. “In case you don’t know, I have a photographic memory.”

“I don’t talk like that,” I protested. “My voice isn’t annoyingly thin and high. I can be sensational.”

“You are sensational, my Sunshine,” he said, a smile touching his sensual lips. “You enchant me, and for a century, I haven’t been able to get you out of my head, not even for one second.”

I grinned at him. He thought I was sensational, and he couldn’t stop thinking of me.

I tried to sit up, but I was still weak. I might need a boost to get going. Now that I had confirmed that he was my Marlowe, I started staring at the veins throbbing on his neck. I’d drink in his beauty more later on, since now it might be the time to drink something else, something more practical.

I hadn’t even realized how hungry I’d been for my mate, literally, until now.

He let out a low chuckle, his sapphire eyes darkening with hunger and desire too.

“Thirsty, Bride?” he teased.

“We’ve dealt with the dark mages in the tower, King Nyström,” Smooth called from outside. “Have you done the deed yet?”

My eyes brightened. My fear eased even more. The team had come as well.

“We haven’t started yet,” Marlowe shouted back in irritation. “I had to convince my mate that it was really me who gazed upon her, and it took a while. I don’t blame her for her caution. Instead, I’m proud that she still has the presence of mind to check all the facts in an extremely difficult situation.”

“Just get it done, please, King Nyström,” Smooth said. “We’re on the clock.”

“Let me ease her into it,” Marlowe growled at the door before turning to me.

“Get what done?” I demanded. “And ease me into what?”

“The shifter commander and Prince Shade brought me, seven of my elite warriors, and our mage allies into this tower,” he said.

I nodded gratefully. That was why Going-gray had come knocking on the door earlier. He’d saved me by getting the horseman away from me. It surprised me that he’d done this for me, and now I started to worry about his fate.

“Our army isn’t far behind,” Marlowe said. “But I couldn’t wait any longer to come for you, so I got ahead of everyone. Time is of the essence.” He eyed me. “We probably need to do a quickie.”

“A quickie?”

“We need to renew and strengthen our mating bond, so I must fuck you.”

“Is that your dirty talk?”

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