Marked by Blood: Book 2 of The Marked Series by Ford, Rinna (top novels of all time txt) 📕

and reached for the bowl of fruit on the counter instinctively. I grabbed an apple and began munching away while I watched Matias pour me another glass of blood from a bag. He didn’t say a word as he handed me the glass, or while I finished my morning snack. He just watched me with a happy smirk on his face until it was all gone.

“Are you ready now?” he asked.

I took a deep breath in and out and slid off of the stool. “Yeah. I think so.”

It was obvious I was nervous. I couldn’t help it. I would be alone with my vampire mate and the need to be near him was there, stronger than ever. It would be easier if he were an asshole like Ronan, even though I needed that jerk too, but Matias was so nice. And sweet. He knew what I needed before I needed it. Not to mention I wanted to get lost in the depth of his eyes every time I looked into them, or the fact his body was made for sin.

Matias walked beside me and put his hand on the small of my back, leading me toward one of the many hallways on the main floor. Not questioning where we were going, I let him do it. I may have only known Matias for less than a day, but I trusted him implicitly.

“I found a gym we can use in my exploration of this house,” he told me. “I think that will be the perfect place for us to go. There shouldn’t be anyone there at this time of the morning.”

He pushed open the door letting us into the gigantic room. It was easily the size of five of my bedrooms, and my bedroom wasn’t small by any means. It was filled with exercise equipment and free weights on the left half of it. The right half was covered with some of those blue exercise mats. All around the mats, the walls had various weapons placed on them. It was an interesting set up, and one that would be very helpful as Matias said. I wondered why I didn’t know about it sooner.

The vampire walked onto the mats and turned around to face me as I followed him.

“What do you say we start on learning how strong you are? I already know you are capable of fast speeds.” He smirked, remembering how I had run away from him and Xander before he found me. He must have used those exceptional hunting skills he had mentioned to locate me so quickly.

“I was able to lift Di into the air after I first woke,” I told him. “Strength like that?”

“Were you in your predator form?”

“You mean fangs out, with devil eyes? That form?”

He laughed at my description. “Yes, my beautiful one. That form. That is our vampire form and how we tap into our true predators. Di was the one to turn you?”

“Yes,” I ground out between clenched teeth.

“And you are not happy about it?” I cut my eyes up to his and saw a hint of sadness in them. At that moment, I realized I didn’t ever want to see that. I wanted to make him happy, always.

Sighing, I turned away and walked toward the edge of the mat and picked up one of the short swords that was hanging from it. “It’s not that I don’t want it. It was the fact it wasn’t my choice,” I told him. “Di and her lackeys ambushed Xander and me all because she believes I’m prophesied to overthrow the Council. It’s insane, Matias!”

I told him about the prophecy and Di’s reasoning for turning me. What I didn’t tell him was how excited she was doing it. I felt my vampire side want out, but I closed my eyes and reigned it back in.

When I finally opened my eyes, Matias had disappeared. The gym door stood open, but other than that, there was no sign of him. I took a step toward the door to go after him, but he was back before I could even make it halfway across the floor, and this time, he wasn’t alone.

Chapter Seventeen

Over Matias’ shoulder was a beaten and bloody Di. She looked almost unconscious as her head swayed back and forth before he dropped her with a thud in front of me. She put her hands on the mat and tried to push herself up, but Matias kicked her arms out from underneath her, making her head bounce off the mat.

He stepped over her body and leaned down, picking her up by the front of her shirt. Matias was in his true vampire form and angrier than I anticipated when I told him the rest of my story.

“Tell me, Diane Moore, do you like being forced to do something against your will? Do you like feeling helpless?” He snarled, bringing her face even closer to his.

“No, no I don’t…” Her eyes started rolling back in her head and she blinked lazily, as if she were trying to stay alert. Her vampire side wasn’t showing either, which told me Matias struck before she even had the chance to defend herself. Vampires were super fast, but he seemed to be even faster than normal,

“Then tell me, why would you do that to Emelia? To anyone?”

“We are… vampires. It is in my nature. And… she is the one…”

“That doesn’t excuse any of it!” He screamed in her face. Di flinched back, trying to crawl away from Matias’ rage, but he wasn’t letting her go anywhere. “You are never to come near Emelia again. Do you understand me? You or anyone who plotted against her and her mate. If you do, you’ll wish for a true death before I am done with you. You are a disgrace to your species, to your cause.”

He dropped her down onto the mat and stood up, backing away. Jep and another vampire rushed into the gym at that moment. I threw