Page 79 of Fighting My Demons

By the time we get back to the apartment building, my skin is red, raw from scratching and clawing. Yet the mark begins to fade, and Xavier's mark is the only thing remaining. Latham panics, eyeing me the entire drive home like he thinks I would vanish. I have to remind him to keep his eyes on the road multiple times because he doesn't seem to pay much attention to it, and he has a lead foot.

"It stopped," I tell him, as he pulls into the parking space. Latham's brows draw together, creasing in the middle like he is in deep thought.

"I will feel better once you are inside. We need to re-taint you, although it would be more painful a second a time. We will try to keep your mind occupied."

"What, no?" I gasp, remembering the searing pain.

What does he mean, more painful? Like a little? A lot?

"We have no choice. The fact that his mark reappeared means he knows you were marked and is trying to find you. We will taint you again, and then we are leaving," Latham says, leaving no room for argument.

I purse my lips, annoyed. It is alright for them. They aren't the ones that feel like they are on fire. No, absolutely not. I don't care how good the sex that comes with it is. I have enough marks on my body. Any more, and I won't be able to hide them.

"Arabella, hop out of the car. Don't make me come get you," Latham growls, and I glare over at him.

Latham snarls, cursing under his breath before slamming his door and stalking around to my side. I shriek, clambering over to the other seat, and his jaw clenches as he opens the door and peers in at me.

"If you make me chase you, I will not be impressed," Latham warns.

"You already tainted me. Once was enough," I snap at him, pinning him with my glare.

"You are being a brat," he growls, reaching for me, but I jerk my hand out of his reach.

"And you are controlling. My body, my rules."

"That is where you are wrong, love. That body became mine the moment I saw it. I will brand it however needed. Now get out of the car."

His words should not have turned me on the way they did, yet arousal coils in my stomach as Latham sniffs the air. He smirks knowingly, and I hate how easily my body betrays me.

"Arabella!" Latham snarls, his pearly white teeth turning to points and gleaming at me.

Too bad, Mr. Demon, you don't scare me.

"Latham!" I mock in the same tone when he smiles.

He is smiling, and my face drops. The gleam in his eyes I don't like. My door opens abruptly, and I topple backward with a shriek. My arms flail as I try to grip the frame of the door when a pair of hands grabs me.

"I hear someone is being defiant," Blaine laughs, catching me before I smack the ground. He laughs, picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder.

"That's cheating."

"No, that is you being too distracted to be watching your surroundings. I stood there for a good solid minute before I opened that door."

"You're not tainting me again," I snarl, trying to get down. He places me on my feet as he reaches the stairs and motions for me to start climbing them.

"And from what I gather, if Latham says we are, he must have a good reason. Now off you trot," Blaine laughs.

I stomp up the steps to their apartment and shove through the door.

"In trouble for sneaking off, Ari?" Xavier taunts as I step through the door.

Latham steps in behind me, placing my handbag on the bench.

"We leave tomorrow," Latham says, and Xavier sits up straighter, looking at him questionably.

"What happened?" Xavier asks, and I ignore them wandering off to the bathroom to shower.

I listen as Latham explains my mystery mark returning, and I strip my clothes off. It is gone now, yet the lingering thought of him returning makes fear course through me. Tears well in my eyes, staring at the marks in the mirror that brand me, taint me. The pain is fresh, although they’ve managed to distract me. It isn't a pain you forget. Then there is the entire issue of Latham accidentally killing me.