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I gasped at the sharp little pain and watched numbly as Saint took my hand and pressed the drop of my blood to his forehead.He closed his eyes for a moment and I could feel a shiver running through his big body, since he was still lying mostly on top of me.

When he looked at me again, I thought I saw peace on his face.

“It’s done,” he said, cupping my cheek tenderly.“You’re mine,mi Corazon.And I am yours.”

“Does it make your Drake happy?”I asked, because I wasn’t sure how to feel about the Blood Markings that had just happened between us.I knew my body had accepted Saint’s Mark because I had feelings for him—romanticfeelings, despite knowing it was a bad idea to catch feelings for my straight roommate.

But how had Saint been able to acceptmyMark?He kept claiming he wasn’t gay.If that was true, my Mark shouldn’t have had any effect on him.And yet it had—I’d felt it go through him and now I saw it glimmering softly, like a faint star on his forehead.How was it possible?

“My Drake is satisfied…for now.”Saint looked relieved.He dropped his head to my shoulder and drew in a deep, shuddering breath.“Dios,it’s so fucking exhausting fighting with him all the time.”

Despite the traumatic scene we’d just been through together and my own confused feelings, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.How difficult must it be to live with that flaming, raging madness locked up inside him all the time?He must feel schizophrenic, constantly trying to control the angry, unreasonable Drake and keep his own sanity at the same time.

And now Saint had Blood Marked another male—me—just to keep the lunatic inside him happy, even though he didn’t consider himself to be gay.What kind of consequences was he going to face for that?He was already an outcast among his own people, but he would have to be ready to experience a whole new level of anger and scorn.I knew from experience that it wasn’t easy beingoutin the magic world.

Not that he was really out, I reminded myself.He didn’t really have feelings for me—he had only Marked me to please his Drake.He…

Saint moved against me and made a soft sound.

“Hmm?”Looking down at him, I saw that he had fallen asleep with his head on my chest.His long, black eyelashes looked like fans against his high cheekbones and there was a look of utter exhaustion on his stern but handsome features.

Since he was no longer holding my arms above my head, I wrapped them around him.Part of me knew this was wrong—I shouldn’t be cuddling with Saint this way.I ought to be upset about the way things had gone between us—the rough way he’d handled me, the way he had basically forced me to take his Mark and then made me Mark him in turn—none of that was okay.Not at all.

And yet, I couldn’t find any anger in myself for the tall, dark Drake.To the contrary, I found that the feelings I had been fighting for him had actuallygrown.

Don’t be stupid,I told myself.Don’t let yourself fall all the way, Avery.You’ll be sorry if you do!

But I couldn’t seem to help it.Cradling my roommate against me, I let myself drift off to sleep as well.It had been a long, tiring day and I knew for certain tomorrow was going to be rough as well.

19

SAINT

Iwoke in the middle of the night, cradled in warmth.There was a scent like masculine spice and clean clothes surrounding me and smooth, soft skin was pressed against my cheek and chest.

I blinked, trying to remember what had happened.How had I gotten here?The last thing I remembered was fighting with my Drake, who had been raging with jealousy that Avery was his, damnit, that he didn’t belong to anyone else, but only to him—tous.He?—

Avery!

I looked up to see my small, blond roommate lying on the bed under me.It was his chest my head had been resting on and his arms were still wrapped loosely around me, holding me to him.

His own head was turned to one side, exposing the vulnerable side of his throat.I winced when I saw the dark, reddish bruise surrounded by bite marks—mybite marks, I realized.I had bitten him hard enough to draw blood when my Drake demanded his submission.

I remembered fighting with my Drake, who had been insisting that if we couldn’t have Avery, no one else should either.He had wanted to bite harder, deeper…the thought was almost too awful to remember and I tried to push it away as I traced the bite with my eyes.

Then something else caught my gaze.

Avery’s thick blonde hair was pushed back from his forehead and there, glimmering like a soft white star between his eyes, I saw a Mark—myMark.

Reaching up, I felt my own forehead and a tingle ran through me.Not only had I Marked him as my own, I had insisted that he Mark me as well.Just as though he really was myl’lornaand we were destined to be lovers and fated mates.

A wave of shame ran through me.Not because I had Marked another male and let him mark me in turn—that had been my Drake’s demand.No, the shame I felt was for what I had put Avery through.He was smaller than me—not as small as a female, but small enough that I felt I had abused him—forced him to do things he didn’t want.Of course he couldn’t fight me off—not with my own strength multiplied many times by the power of my Drake!

Dios,what waswrongwith me, treating one I cared for like that?

I levered myself off him, being careful not to wake him, and went to my own bed.I missed his warmth at once, but I didn’t deserve it—didn’t deservehim.He had been so kind and good and patient with me and I had done nothing but hurt and scar him in return.What was happening to me?What was I becoming?

My Drake—it’s his fault!