Page 30 of The Immortal’s Mark

“I could ask you the same thing. Do you like gambling with your life? Is this a game to you?”

I rock back on my heels, eyes wide. “Of course not.”

“Are you sure? Because it seems like you still haven’t grasped the seriousness of your situation.”

“Then why do you think I am here and not at home with my friends and family?” I snap.

“Because we are all too busy to be traveling halfway across the world to babysit you.”

Ouch.

Alright…That one hurt.

I bite my lip.

Des steps between us. “That’s enough. You’ve made your point. Now, leave so Darcie and I can talk.”

The vampire remains where he stands, eyes brimming with unspoken words.

I’ve never seen Alex lose his cool, and we’ve spent a lot of time together these past weeks.

Why would he unleash his temper on me?

I thought we were friends.

After a tense silence, he straightens, yanks the door open, and exits the room.

I let out the breath I’d been holding.

Des turns toward me. “Are you okay?”

I close my eyes, willing the adrenaline to leave my body. “I’m fine. That was just…unexpected.”

And weird.

“Alexander should have taken more care when trying to make his point,” Des says. “But his fears are not invalid. I should have shut the door to ensure no one saw us speaking.”

“So, I’m not allowed to talk to you?”

“I didn’t say that.” Des’s gaze softens. “We just need to be discreet.”

Is Thane really that unhinged?

A shadow falls over his features. “Unfortunately, yes.”

A gasp tears from my throat.

“It’s true…” I take a step back as panic grips my chest. “You can hear my thoughts?”

“No. Not exactly.” He shakes his head. “It’s more like I can feel your intentions. Or your emotions. More often than not, they need to be running high for me to get a read on them.”

My stomach rolls. I’m going to be sick.

“You’ve been aware of this for a while,” he points out with soft eyes. “You asked me about it the night after the Portland attack.”

I shake my head even though I know his words are true.

“I-I thought I was speaking directly into your head,” I admit.