Page 10

MARLOWE

The hills were to our left, fog slowly creeping over their tops like a fluffy blanket, ready to tuck the city into bed. The water to our right sparkled in the waning sunlight, and I breathed in deeply, grabbing Elias’s hand in the backseat of the Uber.

California had become just as much of my home as Wisconsin had been, and knowing this might be my last time here for a while was breaking my heart.

Almost as much as being away from my pack did.

I’d told Elias that I could act like he was the only alpha in my life when we were together, and that was perfectly doable when we were alone for a few hours.

But it was becoming more difficult by the second. I scrolled through the playlist Nolan had made for me, smiling to myself at all the Tupac he’d included, and then stifled a giggle from a silly GIF reaction Julian had sent in response to an earlier text.

Elias gave me a questioning look, and I didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t like I could just pretend I was talking to my friends.

“Marlowe,”

he said quietly, sensing my inner conflict. “What I’d asked you to do yesterday… that doesn’t apply right now. It’s only for special occasions, got it? You don’t have to hide your feelings for the rest of them this whole time. I wouldn’t want you to.”

I let loose a giant sigh, resting my head on his shoulder. “Thank you. I didn’t want you to think I don’t value this time we have together. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better so much, but I’m missing everyone like crazy right now.”

He kissed me on my forehead. “I know you do. I love that you love them all. This wouldn’t be so perfect if you didn’t.”

We hit a bit of traffic but eventually made it into the city, heading towards my old neighborhood.

Sleeping in the bed I’d shared with Mike, the bed he’d shared with several women under my nose, felt like all shades of wrong, so we’d booked a boutique hotel a few blocks away, near Alamo Square. It was within walking distance to the condo on the north side of the Panhandle, plus some of my favorite restaurants and cafes I wanted to say a proper goodbye to before leaving.

When the driver dropped us off in front of our hotel, Elias smiled, the afternoon light reflecting off the strands of gold in his hair. “San Francisco certainly has Chicago beat on weather.”

A group of guys walked by, their heads swiveling towards Elias like arrows on a compass. I couldn’t blame them—he was a god come to life, with his perfectly tanned skin, sun-kissed blonde hair, and body so hard and toned, clothes couldn’t even try hiding it.

He seemed oblivious to the attention he drew, which was kind of adorable, and he whistled a happy tune as he took our suitcases, heading inside so we could check in.

Once we’d freshened up, we headed straight for the condo. We were only staying til Monday, and couldn’t really afford to waste too much time.

My heart ached walking down these streets after all that had happened. I had pictured a future here with Mike, and now I was sneaking into our old place to collect my things with my new… beau? Boyfriend? Lover? I wasn’t sure what human-friendly label to use for my guys yet.

Nolan had suggested I marry him so he could be my public husband, in order to keep up appearances, but it was clear now that the rest of the pack would not stand for that. Elias took my hand, offering comforting squeezes as he sensed my anxiety. “I’m here for you,” he said.

Simple. Effective. And just what I wanted to hear.

It was a beautiful late winter afternoon, the air still warm enough for a t-shirt, but the underlying bite of wind promised a cold evening. For a northern-born shifter like Elias, he would still be fine without a coat, but he carried mine for me as we made our way down the sun-dappled sidewalks.

“You have us beat on architecture, too,”

he mused, admiring the rows of Victorian houses. “Chicago is great, but I love all the colors here. I definitely feel like I’m in San Francisco, you know what I mean?”

I smiled, my heart warming as Elias was picking up on all the little things I also loved about this city. I leaned into him, wordlessly sharing my joy.

That feeling slowly began to fade as I further witnessed the effect Elias was having on the people we passed, staring at him like he was their dream man come to life. It was flattering at first, but after the sixth or seventh time it was starting to lose its novelty.

“Is this what it’s like with me in Maiingan Hollow?” I asked.

He looked down at me innocently. “What do you mean?”

I gestured towards the woman eye fucking him while she waited at the corner for the light to turn. “That.”

He laughed. “Oh, sorry, I’ve learned to tune it out. I suppose, but alphas could actually hurt you, so it’s more than just jealousy when I see them checking you out.”

I bit back my growl as we walked by another woman who whispered “Fuck me”

under her breath.

“Well, it’s super annoying, and I can sympathize now, I think.”

“Aw, is my little omega feeling insecure?”

he teased. He leaned down and rubbed his nose along the outer shell of my ear. “Does she need me to spend all night with my knot in her, letting her know she’s the only female I have eyes for?”

Heat blossomed in my core and I shuddered in excitement at the thought of it. “Maybe…”

Chuckling, he nipped my bond mark. “Your ‘maybe’ is my command, California.”

After another few blocks we stopped in front of my old building, my heart racing and hands shaking. “Do you think you could give me an hour or two alone in there?”

I asked quietly. “Regardless of what Mike was, I know he loved me in the way he could. I just want to grieve him for a bit without…”

“Of course,”

Elias interrupted. “Do you want some coffee? I can go get us some.”

I nodded. “Lots of cream and sugar, please. It’s unit eight, on the second floor. Door code is 3185.”

Elias leaned down and wrapped me in his large arms. “I’m here for you,”

he repeated.

With a kiss on my lips, he was off, leaving me to my daunting task alone. It had only been a few weeks since I’d left, yet it felt like years, each step up the stairs heavier than the last.

I took off the ‘Notice of Hold’ announcement on our mailbox, opening it and collecting several weeks’ worth of mostly junk mail. Even seeing Mike’s name on the credit card offers made my breath hitch. I’d thought that would be my name someday, too, and had taken to signing ‘Marlowe Linden-Sanguinetti’ on my notepad when I’d been bored at work.

There was nothing worth keeping, and after dumping it all in the recycling bin in the front hall, I made the heart-pounding journey up the stairs. How many times had I run up these, squealing as Mike chased me, pinching my butt along the way?

A random Amazon package for him was at our doorstep, and I picked it up as I slowly turned the key in the lock. The scent of my favorite diffuser, dark berry and amber, still lingered in the air. Our windows faced east, and it was already quite dark. I headed into the living room, setting my purse down on the side table and turning on the light.

“You must be Marlowe.”

I screamed, a figure in a suit rushing towards me with supernatural speed and slamming a hand on my mouth. “Shhh, we don’t want to alert the neighbors, do we?”

My panic surged as I stared into the violet eyes of an older man I recognized as a vampyr. “I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just here to talk. If I remove my hand, do you promise not to yell?”

I nodded, flooding my bonds with my fear, urging Elias to return.

“Good girl,”

he cooed, letting me go. He was tall, still well defined for a man of his age, which I clocked at maybe late fifties, his dark hair graying at the temples.

“Who are you?”

My voice shook as I spoke, and my hand instinctively covered my throat.

He chuckled darkly, his eyes darting towards the movement. “You know what I am, at least, so that will save us some time. My name is William Sable, I’m one of the elders serving on the Vampyric Council.”

I gripped the wall behind me for support. I still knew next to nothing about their kind, but if he was on the council, that meant he was more than physically powerful. He had status, wealth, and the command of vampyr soldiers. “My alpha will be here any minute…” I warned.

He took a step back towards me, his nose burrowing into the crook of my neck as he took a long, deep pull. When he stood up to his full height, his hands shot out on either side of me, caging me in. His eyes turned completely red, and his fangs descended.

“I doubted the veracity of Michele’s claims about your value, but I think he might have actually undersold your potency. Moon, I would worship you were you mine.”

My heart felt like it would pound right out of my chest. Had Elias sensed my terror yet? My mind raced with possibilities as to why this vampyr could be here, but regardless, I needed to distract him long enough for my alpha to get back.

The elder’s fangs scraped down my neck, and the scent of my fear-laced perfume filled the room. His nostrils flared as it hit his nose and he shoved his erect cock into my stomach, hissing in pleasure. “You smell divine, little one. Had I known more clearly, I would have offered Michele as many warriors as he needed to retrieve you.”

I whimpered as he continued to grind against me, feeling ill. “Why… why would you care if he had me back?”

He ran his fingers down my cheek, taking my chin and raising my face so he could look into my eyes. Similarly to Mike, he didn’t have a natural musk like alpha shifters. But while Mike had still always smelled nice, this vampyr stunk of death. “He promised each member of the council a night with you as payment for your return. I wish I could say I was here to collect, but alas, I’ll instead just have to deal with the regret that I’ll never know the pleasure of your tight little pussy clenching around my cock.”

My fear turned into indignation and I seethed. “He promised what now?”

The elder grinned, flashing his sharpened canines. “Why so angry? I thought you loved having sex with as many males as possible?”

I growled my response. “Fuck you.”

“Ooh,”

he shivered. “I don’t think that has quite the effect you want it to, little one.”

I pushed him off me. “What do you want, then?”

He clasped his hands behind his back, walking slowly around my living room and looking carefully at the pictures of Mike and I from happier times. “I’m simply wrapping up a few loose ends. Your police department so helpfully sent us a highly biased and heavily redacted report of our defeat in Wisconsin.”

I swallowed, flipping my hair over my shoulder and crossing my arms. “I didn’t witness most of the attack, so I’m afraid I can’t answer your questions.”

Not quite a lie, but truthful enough.

“Hm, perhaps you can answer more than you think.”

He ran his finger along a floating shelf, scoffing at the dust. Then he looked me up and down and sighed. “I suppose I could forgive your lackluster housekeeping skills were you my Lunessa.”

My eyes narrowed. What a fucking creep. “Get on with it.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Of course. As I was saying, perhaps you can answer this question I have.”

The elder rushed across the room again, his lips centimeters from my ear. “Since when did shifters regain their wolf forms?”

My face paled and he grabbed my neck, his thumb rubbing against my jugular as he breathed me in again. My body tensed, afraid that movement could spur him on. “What are you talking about?”

I whispered.

“Mmm, you have no idea how adrenaline flavors the blood—it’s exhilarating. That’s why I always keep my servaglio on their toes. I wonder what yours tastes like…”

His fang had just pierced my skin, his tongue on my neck, when the front door flew open. Elias rushed, grabbing the vampyr by the neck and slamming him into the ground. His fist pounded into the vampyr’s face as he snarled. “Get your fangs off her, you bloodsucking piece of shit!”

“Enough!”

the vampyr yelled, his words garbled as his mouth filled with blood. “You kill me and you will start a war, you rabid dog!”

Elias grabbed him by the collar and smashed the vampyr’s head down onto the floor. “Then I’ll just beat you until you’re almost dead.”

He cocked his fist back again when I ran forward and grabbed his hand. “Wait, he’s an elder!”

He whipped his head back towards me, his eyes narrowing on the single prick on my neck, a red smear marring my skin. “He tried to bite you!”

I closed my eyes and nodded. “I know, it’s not okay, but we have to let him go.”

“Yes, listen to your omega, mutt.”

The Elder turned his head and spit a mouthful of blood onto the white rug. The white rug that I had insisted we buy, while Mike had balked, warning me it would stain. Funnily enough, it may actually have been blood he’d been concerned about.

Elias growled, slamming him into the ground again for good measure before finally getting up. “Get out of here, and don’t you ever come anywhere near Marlowe again.”

The elder rose and wiped his mouth, hissing at Elias. “My warriors had chest cameras, I know what happened that night. How many of you can shift? How many of you have magic?”

“Out!”

Elias barked. “If you have questions, take them to the Shifter Conclave.”

Straightening his shirt and running his fingers through his hair, the Elder finally moved to leave. He stopped for a moment, when he was next to me. “Jen says hello, by the way. Now that I’ve finally met you, too, I must say—your fiancé had exquisite taste.”

I whimpered, remembering the texts and videos between Jen and Mike I’d seen on his phone. How much he’d betrayed me in his relationship with her.

Elias roared, and in a flash the elder was gone.

He reached out and grabbed me tightly, his chest heaving in anger. “Marlowe, I’m so sorry. I got here as fast as I could. Are you hurt?”

I buried my face into him and sobbed deeply, not finding the words to express how I felt in the moment. He held me silently, reaching through the bond instead to offer his love, support, and protection.

It seemed so silly for me to be concerned with the way human women were reacting to Elias, when he had to deal with problems like vampyrs trying to take me. The sharp sting on my neck was starting to put things into perspective.

I pulled back, wiping my cheeks. “I’ll be okay, I think. Where’s my coffee?”

“Brat,”

he snorted, his relief palpable. He tousled my hair. “Come on, if you want coffee, you’re coming with me this time.”