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

I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I saw the glass in my mate’s hand. I brought it to my lips and drank the entire contents of it in one big gulp. I handed it back to Matias once it was empty. With a wink, he went back into the kitchen for some more.

“A sandwich too, please!” I called out. He waved his hand over his shoulder as a sign of understanding.

“That’s something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing,” Dev frowned.

“What? Me with my mate?”

“No. You drinking blood.”

“Dev, that’s only part of what I’ve been up to these last two months.”

Realizing what I said, I looked down at my lap. While I had been on the run and bonding with my mates, Devlin was captured, probably tortured as a prisoner of Michael Ironshot.

“I can see that,” he chuckled. Classic Devlin. He only saw the bright side of things.

“What happened to you and Ainsley?” I asked, not taking my eyes off of my hands.

“Emelia, I…”

The backdoor slammed, interrupting Dev as Xander came running in the room. He came to a halt seeing me sitting there, then he ran the rest of the distance, scooping me up and putting me in his lap.

“I thought I lost you,” he breathed into my hair. “I thought I told you not to do that to me again.”

“I’m sorry, honey,” I smiled.

“Thank heavens,” Amos said from the doorway. “You gave us quite a scare, young lady.” He tried to sound authoritative and grandfatherly, but ended up sounding silly.

I shook my head and smiled at him. Matias came back with another glass of blood and a triple decker sandwich on a plate, handing it over and sitting down beside Xander. His hand was on my knee, wanting to touch me however he could.

I was halfway through my sandwich when something occurred to me.

“Where’s Camille?” I remembered her coming with me to Dev’s cabin, but not much after that. I knew she helped us get home, but was Grayson with us too?

“Emi, Grayson didn’t make it,” Xan told me. “He died before we could get him back to the mansion. She hasn’t left their room since they took him away.”

Grayson died? Oh no.

I sat my plate in my lap, not able to take another bite. My poor friend.

“I’m going to get some rest,” Devlin said. “There’s a lot that we need to talk about. I’ve missed you, Firecracker.” He kissed me on the top of the head and he walked toward Irna, who stood in the doorway. The pair walked up the stairs, her hand on his elbow, and disappeared into the second floor. Deciding not to worry about that, I turned to my mates.

Before I told them what I wanted, Xander stood, still holding me and he began walking upstairs. We stopped just outside of Camille and Grayson’s room and he sat me down onto my feet.

Matias and Xan leaned against the wall, settling in and I knocked on the door.

“Go away!” Camille cried.

“Cammie, it’s me,” I said through the door. I knew that the nickname would piss her off enough to get her to open the door and confront me.

I waited for a few seconds before the door swung open wide. She stood there, black tears streaked all the way down her cheeks and her red hair in a complete mess. She looked as if she hadn't slept since we returned from the cabin and I completely understood. How would I feel if I lost one of my guys?

It was then that I remembered what Ronan had done, sacrificing himself by holding down Ironshot so I could get away, only to be knocked down. A wave of grief washed over me and I nearly buckled at the knees.

Matias caught me with a concerned look. I gripped the door frame and stood myself back up.

“I’m sorry. I’m fine, I promise.” I lied, but it was better than telling the truth at the moment. Camille needed a friend and I wanted to be there for her.

She opened the door wider, and then when I was inside, she slammed the door in Matias’ face. The bedroom was a mess. Grayson’s clothes were strewn all over the place. It looked as if she took everything he owned and threw it into the room.

“Camille, I…”

“It’s my fault, Emelia,” she said. “I should have told him I didn’t want him to go. He’d be mad, but he’d still be alive. It’s all my fault.”

“Oh, honey.” I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. “You know nothing you could have said would have changed his mind. Bears are naturally hardheaded, you know.”

She scoffed a laugh, then burst into tears, soaking the sleeve of my nightgown. “You’re right,” she finally admitted. “But I can’t blame him, so I have to blame myself.”

“Honey, that Council caster killed him,” I said. “Not you, so put the blame where it belongs.”

After a few seconds, she pulled away, a look of hard determination on her tear slicked face.

“The Council is to blame. They killed my Grayson.”

“Well not the whole Council, but…”

“Thank you, Emelia. Thank you for helping.” She walked around the room, looking for something. When she finally found it, a shirt, she picked it up and brought it to her face, inhaling. “I’m going to avenge you, baby. I promise,” she said. Then she turned her back to me, effectively dismissing me. “I’ll see you later.”

“See you later? Oh. Okay.”

Confused as to what the hell just happened, I turned and walked out the door where my mates were still standing.

“Is everything alright in there? Matias asked me.

“I don’t really know,” I admitted. “I think I helped, but she’s… I don’t know.”

I swayed on my feet and Xander caught me, picking me up once again.

“I’m taking you to bed,” he said and carried me down the hall to our bedroom.

He slid me under the covers, then he and Matias both stripped down to their