Darkest Temptation (The Dark Ones Saga 4)

With that, he walked off leaving me pissed and confused and near starving.

I reached for more berries and snarled in disgust as Ethan waltzed in with a bag of blood and a cruel smile on his lips. “We’re leaving for a few days.”

“We?” I repeated. “You and Genesis? The twins?”

“We, as in the council. Each of us is going back to our respective… roots to warn the different immortals of what’s to come. The war has just started. We have fallen angels all over the place trying to decide which side they want to fight for, and the most evil of all has returned to the abyss to play house. I’d say it was time to warn them, wouldn’t you?”

I couldn’t argue that logic.

“The wolves, they will also need to know…” Ethan’s voice trailed off.

“Let Cassius tell them.”

“I imagine they’d prefer you,” Ethan said softly.

The pity in his eyes wasn’t helping.

Nor the hollow ache in my gut when I thought about my pack, my people, the looks on their faces when I’d walked away and sworn never to return.

My shame was too great.

The burden insurmountable.

“Three nights.” Ethan was talking again. “Think you can keep the house from burning down?”

“I’ll make an effort.” I tried joking, but it fell flat on my own ears. I was trying too hard to pretend I wasn’t aching. Always aching.

“That’s really all I can ask.” Ethan winked and then, just like he had appeared with Cassius…

They were gone.

Utterly alone.

Solitude used to be my peace, my… serenity.

I jolted away from the counter as gasps fell from my mouth. Serenity. It was gone. My comfort in my loneliness was gone.

Replaced with…

Her.

MASON

I paced in the living room, my bare feet creaking across the hardwood floor. Every few minutes I’d look up at the ceiling and wonder if she was sleeping, if she was suffering.

One more lick.

I could heal her completely.

It would cost me everything to make her well.

And I had never been in the business of licking a vampire whose idea of foreplay included sucking on my arteries.

My body jerked to attention.

Damn it.

I was wolf.