Page 88 of Gray

“My dream wasn’t that nice either,” he whispered. “It was about my dad. I was supposed to kill him. That was our graduation from Lazarus’ training program.”

“What? Why?”

“To prove our loyalty.” Gray hooked his ankle around my calf and slid his arm across my stomach. He hugged me with his whole body, putting me in a sloth hold. “Our dads were Lucifer’s generals. Taking them out proved which side we were really on. Galen, Bell, and Daman never knew their dads, so they didn’t hesitate to kill them. Alastair and Raiden knew their dads but did what they needed to. But Cas and I couldn’t do it. He loved his dad, and I loved mine.”

“So what happened?”

“Lazarus killed Caim, Castor’s dad.” Gray’s voice softened even more. “I’ll never forget the way Cas dropped to his knees afterward. He didn’t speak to anyone, but we felt his heart shatter. I don’t think he ever healed from it. He just learned to live with that pain.”

“And Belphegor?” I asked.

“When I went to kill him, I snuck into his camp and confronted him in his tent. I had my sword at his throat, Mason, but I couldn’t deal the final blow. Even after learning the truth, I loved him. I still do.” Hot tears landed on my chest, but he made no sound. “I hate him too though. That makes no sense, right? How can I hate and love him at the same time?”

“Because emotions are fucking complicated. That’s why.”

Gray emitted a sound that yanked at my heart, a laugh mixed with a whimper. He pushed his face against my collarbone. “Will you distract me for a while? Please? I don’t wanna think about anything right now. I don’t wanna be sad. I just want to feel you.”

With my chest tearing wide open, I kissed him. His lips trembled as he returned the kiss. Gently, I moved him to his back and got on top of him.

We were both a little bit broken. Both of us were reeling from past loss and learning to live with our grief. But as we kissed, the tangled mess inside my heart began to unravel, the jagged pieces sliding into place a bit smoother.

“My Mason,” he whispered against my mouth.

“I’m yours.” I dipped my face, gliding my lips up his neck. “All yours.”

As if I could belong to anyone else. My heart had been his ever since the night he’d landed in the grass and called Lily ugly.

“I’m yours too,” he said.

The half-empty bottle of lube was tucked away in the bedside table, and I grabbed it before returning to him. I prepped him with my fingers, taking my time. Relishing every second. Drinking in his every soft moan when I touched him just right.

The sex wasn’t hard or fast. That’s not what he needed. He needed to be cherished in every way possible. Savored. I took him slow and watched his expression as I rocked my hips back and forth, encouraged by his small intakes of air and how his fingertips dug into my hips.

“More,” he moaned. “Don’t stop.”

Even while balls-deep inside him, I ached to be closer. The center of my chest twinged, and my blood heated. Gray kissed my neck as I pumped into him. And then I felt the light grazing of his teeth. Shivers passed over my skin. Was he going to bite me?

Did I want him to?

“I wanna mark you so bad,” he whispered.

“Mark me?”

“Yeah.” Gray met my eyes. “It’s something mates do. The mark lets everyone know you’re mine, but it also strengthens our connection.”

His ass throbbed around me as I stopped moving. I brushed his bangs aside. “How does it work?”

“Hey.” He wiggled his hips. “No one said you could stop.”

I breathed out a laugh before easing forward, going as deep as I could before pulling back and doing it again. A smile tugged at his lips, and the same joy shone in his heavy-lidded eyes.

“I have to bite you,” he said, his voice shaky.

My thrusts faltered. “To drink my blood?”

The thought alone made my skin crawl. But beneath that unsettled feeling? Curiosity. Because it wasn’t some random vampire or a monster that wanted to drink my blood. It was Gray. My sweet, adorable Gray who had come to mean more to me than anything in this world.

“Just a bite,” he answered. “Only hard enough to leave a mark. Drinking your blood will put your scent on me too, but I understand if you don’t want—”