Dark Surrender (The Dark Ones Saga 3)

When he stood. The pain was gone.

The burning in my body — still sadly there.

I didn’t realize anyone else was in the room until a hand appeared from my peripheral and slowly slid up my neck. “I can only stop it for so long.”

I turned and saw green.

Bright green fire.

Ethan’s eyes locked on mine before he very casually touched his lips to my neck while Mason held my hand.

A brief pain stabbed me in the neck.

And then.

The burning increased before steadying off into a pleasant hum that didn’t make me want to scratch my skin off.

“What did you do?”

And why was I between two immortal men like a sandwich?

“Fighting fire with fire.” Ethan lifted a shoulder casually. “It will get better, give him time, it’s a very….” His eyes went back to normal. “Tedious process.”

“That?” I pointed back up the stairs. “That was tedious?”

“It’s harder for sirens.” Ethan spoke the words slowly before sharing a look with Mason.

“Sirens.” Mason spat the word. “Are always hard. Never soft.”

“That’s the point I think.” Ethan offered a slight smile while Mason let out a low growl.

“Thank you.” I rubbed my arms as I stepped away from both of the overwhelming men and then tried to find my way out of the house.

By the time I reached the front door, it had been at least fifteen minutes.

The car was exactly where Alex had left it.

What was I even doing?

Going back to work?

Like that was going to make everything suddenly better? Like my life would make sense again?

But it was all I had.

The monotony of a job.

I had to get away.

From all of them.

But especially from him.

I glanced back at the house and slowly looked up only to see a curtain fall from the window.

Alone again.

Only this time, I knew what it was like to be a part of something — to belong. So the pain at getting in the car and driving away wasn’t only acute. It was a painful awareness that I really didn’t fit in anywhere, that there was something wrong with me, not everyone else.