Page 39 of Marked By Him

She sucked in, then let out a shuddered breath. Her eyes glassed with pain. In them, I saw reflections of a broken man, a man who was foolish enough to believe he could conquer the world.

“I did that to her.” My heart fisted in my chest. “If I had just left her alone, she might still be alive.”

“The unforgivable mistake.” She said it so softly that I swore it was meant more for herself than for me. She shook her head. Blinked back her tears. “You can’t live your life thinking like that.” Her hands broke free of my grip and moved to cup my face.

There was confidence in her voice and comfort in her touch. A contrast of strength and softness.

“I lost someone, too.” She swallowed. “Because of sacrifice. Just like you.” She dropped her hands, then locked them together. “If I hadn’t run… If I’d been brave enough to fight, maybe my parents would still be alive.”

Her parents.They were the two people she’d lost. Their death was what she’d been running from.

I didn’t interrupt. Something told me she needed to let her secrets spill as much as I had.

“It was supposed to be a simple trade with another camp. When we got there, the camp was abandoned, except for a single vampire. By the time I saw him, he’d already gotten to my father, but my mom—”

She choked over her words and my stomach clenched. I knew the pain that thickened her throat. I knew the anguish that coated her heart like a sheet of ice.

She cleared her throat and continued. “She gave herself as a sacrifice and Iwatched.” She said the word as though it disgusted her. “I peeked around the corner like a coward as I looked into her eyes. She kept his attention on her, never even acknowledging me. I knew she was giving me a chance to run. And I did. Only I ran the wrong way.”

That was what she’d dreamed of the night she screamed in her sleep. It had to be.

She squeezed her eyes shut as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “I ran without trying to save her. I ran without knowing if she had gotten away. I ran without saying goodbye, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself for that.”

Her confession slammed into me. It tore me open, sank inside and infected my soul.We are the same.

She opened her eyes. “But we have to, Roman. We have to forgive ourselves because if we don’t, then those sacrifices were for nothing.”

The pain, the guilt, the anger—it all rolled off my shoulders and puddled at her feet. I breathed for what felt like the first time in three years. Somewhere in the distance leaves rustled in the forest. A bear. A wolf. It didn’t fucking matter. All that mattered was right here.

“I know you think it’s easier to shut it all out, but—”

I cut her off. “It was easier. Until—” I paused.

“Until what?” She licked her lips and swallowed past the gravity of the secrets we’d both just shared. The pulse at the bottom of her throat fluttered.

She waited.

“Until you. You make me want things. You make me think about things.”

“What kind of things?”

Tasting you. Fucking you. Marking you. Owning you.

Three days ago, I wanted nothing to do with sex. My reasons were mine. My past was mine. I shared nothing with no one. And I was content that way. Now, I walked around with a permanent hard-on. The need for release was fucking unbearable. Like right now. I was so hard it fucking ached. Drops of pre-cum soaked through my pants where the material rubbed against the tip of my dick.

My gaze connected with hers. The eyes never lied and hers were begging me to fuck her.

“Things I can’t give you.”I’ll ruin you, too.“If you want to fuck, I suggest you go find my brother.”

“I don’t want your brother.” She reached between us and palmed my cock through my pants.

“Fuck. Eve.” I growled under my breath. “Jesus.” I gave up control and thrust my hips forward, fucking her hand.

I couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t fight it. Didn’t want to.

I fucking welcomed it.

Finally.

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