Caramel: Book 3 of the Lord Emperor Vampire Series

I thought I had these two all worked out and into happily ever after, but apparently they had more to say to each other. Spooky I know. I tried re-writing this chapter a couple of times, but Azrael and Marcus kept butting in so, I went back to the first attempt and picked it up from there.

Jenna T.
Lex in a sailor suit is cute. Oh my I’m rhyming! You must remember only the Ancients & X don’t have to worry about sunlight. Both Claudius and Marcus can handle some, but little winglets would be dried out so quickly it would be tragic like chicken nuggets under a heat lamp.

Eiriyukithewriter (hahaha – gravitation fan! Me Too!)
I had to go and look these up. They are back in Cake when Claudius is explaining that X has to go and kill this guy while X was getting ready to take Armor (who was still being called Marcus at this time) out on a date.

Black – Assassination-kill everyone, everything in the house, be it baby or budgie
Red – Assassination – obvious message to the survivors
Yellow – Assassination – make it look like an accident
White – Information Retrieval (which could lead to another color)

Thanks again to the Loyal and true. Extra Large Blue slushies for everyone!
DemonAkasha; Laur(x2); Rosemary; eiriyukithewriter (welcome); HallowsEve; Spirit; Tsuki the Moon; k; Rosei; Mihara; Asyenari; a.taste.of.insanity; Hisoka XD and Jenna T.

WARNING: VANILLA VAMPIRE BUNNIES (FINALLY)

Oh, I won a challenge contest. Yah, me! (see my ranting in How do you write? Are you kidding me!)

Chapter 125: Feels like we’re starting over

You know someone is staring at you while you sleep. It’s a creepy nagging feeling. I opened my eyes and saw Marcus laying mere inches from me, watching me. “Please don’t do that.”

“What? Watch you sleep?”

“From eye poking distance.”

“You look so innocent when you’re asleep.”

“Well we know that’s an optical illusion.” I yawned and looked around. Wow, we were alone.

“I improvised a lock.” Marcus chuckled then leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I glanced past him to the door. I had to laugh. He had shoved a huge tallboy wardrobe in front of it. I don’t think I could shove it out of the way. “I had to chase Haley out of here less than a quarter of the hour after you fell asleep. You crashed hard, Angel.”

I stretched in the warmth of the bed, savoring the warmth of my man laying with me. “Hmmmm, I like Angel. Since we both want to make a new start, Marcus. I think we would leave those old names behind. The less we have of that period, maybe the better chance we have of making it in the future.”

“You’re probably right, Azrael. I liked Puppy, though. You’ve called me baby or babe a couple of times. I don’t mind that.”

“What’s your favorite food?”

Marcus frowned. “Toad in the hole.”

Well that killed that idea. There was no way I was going to call my vampire lover, Toad. “Well Babe it is.”

“Angel.”

I raised my arm and tucked it behind my head. “I guess we should get up if we are going to use those tickets.”

“That ship has come and gone.”

“What time is it?”

“8:30.”

“Did you want to go?”

“Hmm, sitting in an uncomfortable chair for two hours with a bunch of strangers listening to music I premiered when it was new and exciting…or…” He rolled toward me pressing his ear against my chest, “I can listen to the rhythm of love with the one that I love in privacy for once.”

“I commend your choice, Babe.” That sounded so strange. I brought my other hand down and stroke it through his rich sable hair. “X was supposed to run with the Alpha pack tonight, whatever that entails.”

“He said yes?”

“That was before the whole blood thing.”

He stilled then wrapped his arms around me, “I could have lost you today, Azrael. The last thing you would have said to me was “Marcus, we’re done.”

“If we can’t make it work this time…we should part. For the sake of the others.”

“We’re going to make it.”

“You sound so sure.”

“I can achieve anything I set my mind to.” Marcus sat up and slid off the bed. I appreciated his rolling naked walk as he crossed over to a closet. I sat up and my hair just cascaded around my head masking me in a miniature snowstorm My the time I cleared my vision, Marcus had pulled a cello case out. A cello case. Right. My cello case. “And so do you. I set my mind on you, Azrael. Never doubt that again, please. I will never do anything to make you doubt my resolve.”

I gestured to the case. “That is a big problem between us.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“You left me because of that.”

Marcus opened the case and pulled out the instrument. His hands touched it like a lover, stroking the smooth finish. He spun it to the back and looked at the large silver autograph on the back. Sex. “No. I didn’t leave because of your playing, Azrael Angel. I ran because I wasn’t worthy to be with you. I didn’t deserve to be with you.”

Lanseng’s words ran through my head. “I’m not perfect, Marcus. I have never claimed to be.”

“You are everything I am not.”

“Which is why when we are together, we should complete each other.” I paused wondering if I should say it. I had promised to reveal those secrets that bothered me. “Lanseng said…some things that I didn’t want to believe, but they explained a lot to me. I don’t know if I should tell you though.”

“Lanseng and I had a talk as well.”

“He said that I was crushing you. That the force of my love was crushing you.”

Marcus set the cello down then sat at the wooden lip of the platform bed. “I wasn’t strong enough for your love, Azrael. The fault lies with me, not you. No one has ever loved me with such….passion before. I wouldn’t let myself believe that it was real. I’ve had lovers before you, Azrael. None of them were anything like you. Even Father’s love was nothing like yours. I felt like I was burning alive when I was in your arms. There would be nothing left that was me.”

You needed someone stronger. You still need someone stronger than me, but I can’t…no, I won’t step aside for anyone else. Yes, Lanseng kicked my ass, but I’m in your bed, you’re in my arms. You let me come back home.”

Technically, we were both in Lanseng’s bed. “About Lanseng.”

“He is welcome if you want him to be.”

That wasn’t really what I wanted to hear. I shifted in bed. I was feeling really refreshed. The lingering weakness and dizziness was gone. I knee walked to the edge of the bed, reaching out with my hands and stroking his shoulders. I was grateful when he leaned back into my touch. I pressed my chest fully against his broad back and gathered him in my arms. I rested my chin on his shoulder. “I was…He said I need him…we need him. He would help you bear my love.”

Marcus reached back and gathered up my hair, pulling it forward and over his shoulder. It was so white against his skin. “Lanseng and I had a talk. Well, Lanseng spoke and I just listened. I didn’t like what he said. I never meant to do it. That was never my intention.”

I furrowed my brow. “What?”

“Everything you do, you do for me…there is love there but it is all tainted with fear.”

I stilled. Marcus grabbed my wrists to keep me from drawing back. “Everything this body did to yours for some reason got pushed to you to deal with. The pain, the helplessness, the pleasure of that training year was all something you had to figure out. Sex handled most of it, but he shoved it away after it was over…and it went to you. Then I came along with my kind of love and confused you even more. You gave me more than I wanted because after everything was said and done—you didn’t want me to leave. Which is what I went ahead and did, twice. I don’t want you to fear me, Azrael. I only want to make you happy. I think we need Lanseng mixed with us until we can figure out how to be together without hurting each other.”

“I used him.”

“I basically threw you into his arms.”

A thought ripped through my mind, “Have you been with him too?”

“No…he offered but I only want you inside me. I love you Angel. I will find the strength to stand beside you. If I have to lean on Lanseng for a while to do that, I will.” He raised his hand and brought it to the back of my head. “Please, Azrael. Play for me. I’m strong enough to listen to you now.”

“You cry when I play.”

“Because I was being an ass when I asked you to learn the cello.”

“You wanted me to fail.”

“I didn’t think you would do it or do it so well. Xavier can’t carry a tune. I was trying to knock you off the pedestal I put you on. Instead of trying to improve myself to get to your side, I tried to drag you down to mine.”

“Babe…”

“I searched out that music teacher. It was as Lanseng said, he gladly gave his talent to you. You left footprints behind though, Azrael. They were not much, but in time, it would be like the waiter at the Golden Pheasant. It would grow beyond what it was and affect his life waking and in dreams. I cleaned up your trail. You need to practice mindwalking.”

“I never meant to hurt either of them.”

“Skill comes with practice. I will show you how to walk and leave no trail.” Marcus took my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckle. “Play for me, Azrael. Play that same piece you chose at the auction. I won’t run, even if you bring me to tears.”

I buried my nose in his hair and inhaled. Rich, ripe apples. I’d have to ask about that some day. My favorite food had been vanilla cake and lo and behold, my original essence was vanilla cake. Why apples? I rolled off to my left and slipped off the bed. I grabbed a chair and dragged it to the middle of the room. I was naked as a jaybird. I opened my legs then set the cello between them.

There was a red flare of desire that he couldn’t bank or hide. Hmmmm. I had to shift because I was sitting on my hair. Marcus stretched out on the mattress then rolled over onto his stomach. I tuned my instrument and reached for a calm that seemed to have settled in the middle of my chest. I ran some scales to loosen my fingers and wrist.

Prelude to Suite for cello solo No. #1 by Johann Sebastian Bach.

I took a deep breath and began. What am I feeling? Happiness? Joy? Was I allowed to feel that? Let him hear it. Let my fingers play that. Was the Angel of Death allowed to be loved? Why shouldn’t I be? I have emotions, I am my own man even if I share this body. I wanted to share this body with Marcus. Lanseng, I couldn’t call him Lanny, was right. I think this was the most we have ever truly spoken to each other. We were too busy being Bondage bunnies to learn about each other.

I had the technique. I was trying. No, I will do it. I let my hands flow my emotions. Let it play. Let it ring in the air. I love you Marcus Von Drachenfeld. Marcus + Azrael together forever. That’s what I want. That’s what I need. I can only wish it’s the same for you.

2 minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, I lifted my bow off the strings. I got yanked to my feet and enveloped in a bear hug “Thank you. Thank you, Azrael.”

I gasped, “I need my lungs.”

Marcus let me go. His face was wet with tears but he was smiling so prettily. “I want to play with you.”

I let my eyes show my flame. He actually laughed. That was a beautiful sound. “Well, I always want to play with you, Azrael…but I want to get my violin.”

“Now?” My voice was more incredulous than I wanted it to be.

He paused then raised my hand I still held my bow in and he kissed the pulse point at my wrist. “I guess not right at this moment. We still haven’t grounded yet.”

“Liam said it could be dangerous.”

“Ha, I laugh in the face of danger, because you art with me, my beautiful blue angel.”

Marcus took the cello from my hand and propped it against the chair. He did the same with the bow then drew me forward toward the pedestal bed. “No toys. No games. Just us. Just Azrael and Marcus.” He didn’t say it, but it was there. ‘Like it should have been from the beginning.’

Neither of us knew what the hell we were doing at the beginning. I crawled up on the mattress behind him and ended up kneeling on my hair. Ow. This was getting to be a pain in the neck, literally. Marcus swept my hair up and laid it over my shoulder.

“I love it when you whisper, Marcus, Marcus, Marcus in your sleep. I matter in your life.”

“You are my life.”

We met half way. The way things should have been. Those new butterfly kisses were nice, but I was way beyond the coaxing stage. There was that spot just behind his right ear. I nuzzled along his cheek then moved in for the sensual overkill. I let my tongue stroke it lightly. He groaned and turned his head further away, for easier access. It was strange. We were strangers, but not. I hit a zone. He returned the favor. His fingers hesitated over Sex’s torc and Father’s locket. “I’m sorry…I let you take the blame and Sex was furious with you.”

“I’m head of the Household. It’s my duty to project you. You’re in my heart, I want to protect you.”

“I’ll be stronger next time.”

“Next time?”

“There always is a next time, Angel. I just can’t keep my nose clean, I never could.” I was flat on my back with one leg up, shifting my weight to my left side, leaning into him. His lips nibbled my right nipple (our nipple), lapping and sucking, then he took the ring in his teeth but kept his tongue stroking me. I buried my hands in his hair.

“May I love you?” He let go of my bud.

“Aren’t you?”

“May I be in you?” I tensed involuntarily and he felt it. He pressed his face down to my stomach. “I am sorry. I hurt you. I hurt you and I made you fear me.”

I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax. “So make it better.”

I was touched with absolute reverence. His hands skimmed my body sensitizing every inch of me. I shivered and I felt it in my chest, my groin. I didn’t know he could be so gentle. I was being tamed to his touch. Why didn’t he do this when he first took us? A gasp broke out of my throat as his lips kissed the tops of my feet then his tongue snaked between them.

His mouth left a trail of kisses on my skin. A sucking kiss on the inside of my ankle. Licks of salt off my calf muscle. His fingers stroke that hot pulse just behind the knee then traced it upwards up the back of my thigh as his mouth kissed his way to my inner thighs. Gently, he pried my legs apart. This was worse that being chained to the bed. I laid there sprawled willingly to his ministrations. All was silence except my gasps and the wet squelches of saliva on burning flesh.

I turned my head into my upper arm and buried my face in my snow bank of hair. My chest was heaving and my nipples were pebbled. I could feel the pulse of my blood coursing through my body, answering his call. His mouth moved to my core. I wanted it but it still surprised me. I cried out loud!

“Yes, let me hear my Angel of Desire. Don’t hide your pleasure, Azrael.”

Haruhnnn I have no idea what the hell I was trying to vocalize. Everything moved to my cock and balls. I had a ball of fire and sensation centered there.

“Oh…aaahhh….Marcus…nuuuhhh”

He laughed while engulfing me in his mouth. I didn’t know what to do. I just went rigid with sensation. Marcus let me go with a slurp. “Azrael?”

My body just collapsed and I started to breathe again. “You’re killing me.”

“You want me to stop?”

“Hell no.” I was breathing hard as if I had just done a circuit on the treadmill. gaaahhh. Pant. Pant. Pant. He sucked me so beautifully. I felt cherished. His hands cupped my ass and pulled my hips up to his mouth He urged my knees over his shoulders and surged up to his knees. I was attached to him by my by knees and my cock.

Marcus’ eyes were glowing red and they were latched onto me. “I want to take you now, Angel.”

I think my own eyes were glazed over. Drool dribbled out of my mouth. A hand came up and brushed at my face. “I can’t have you drown on me.” Marcus took my spit and rubbed his thumb at my portal.

He eased his way inside me. There wasn’t any tearing. There wasn’t much pain. Maybe I could enjoy this. He touched something deep inside me. I screamed. My hips bucked and I ground my erection deeper into his mouth. My hands ripped the bed sheets. “MARCUS!”

He rubbed at it again. I lost control. I brought my hand down to push him off me as my cum began to rumble like a volcano. Marcus caught my hand and laced our fingers together. His other hand drove me over the edge and his mouth continued sucking. I jetted into him. I floated somewhere in the ether, in a stupor. I felt my body pulse with pleasure. For every action there was a reaction and that reaction sent his action to even more highly erotic places. I thought we had peaked on Mount Lust…apparently that wasn’t the summit.

Uuuuuhhhh.

“Angel…here I come.”

Marcus laid his whole lower half on me. Grinding his erection up against my ass as he pushed my knees to either side of his ribcage. “You are so beautiful, Azrael.”

“Don’t.” He stilled.

“Angel?” His brown hair hung in tangles over my face. He was so big. He could crush me without a second thought.

“Don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t. You tell me to stop, I stop. I won’t lose my head around you ever again. I love you, Angel. Only you, forever. Do you want me?”

I untangled my arms from my hair, shook my hand free from his hold and wrapped my arms as far as they could around his shoulders and chest. “What’s my name?”

“Azrael…” I felt him breech the portal. I held onto him tighter. “Azrael…” My name became a mantra. He whispered it in my ear as he slowly worked my body back up into a spiral of bliss. “Azrael…Azrael….Azrael.”

Gaahrhisss uuuuuh

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say Angel, but it sounds sexy.”

I turned my face to his neck and set my fangs at his vein. He shifted his weight so he could lift his hand and pull his hair out of the way. He kept hitting that spot. I tightened around him, everywhere. He groaned and his breathing changed. I opened my mouth and bit him. Apple essence filled my senses as he filled my body. “Azrael…”

There was that hitch. I tore my mouth off his throat and cried out as I shivered into another orgasm. Marcus followed me over the precipice. He crushed me into the marshmallow mattress. I just play pinned under him shuddering. I licked at his neck closing my wicked fang marks. I have never been so sloppy. He gave a slight hiss as my saliva stung.

He rolled off me onto his back bringing me with him so I was now sprawled across his chest. His member still lodged deep within me for a moment. He slipped free. And I felt his offering dripping from me.

“Are you all right, Angel?”

No, I wasn’t all right. This was good. Why couldn’t it be like this always?

“Azrael?”

“Can I just lay here and be stupid for a bit?”

His arms came up and around me. I felt protected. After all the shit and heartache we put each other through, I felt safe and protected laying here: naked; scent marked; sexually claimed and sensually overwhelmed. “Angel, you can lay on me forever. You’re such a little thing.” I narrowed my eyes at that remark, “but stupid you are not.”

“I liked this, this time with you Marcus. Don’t fuck me over again.”

“I’ll be stronger for you. I want to be with you.” I shivered as his hand came up and flicked the hanging metal heart from my left nipple. I slapped a hand over it. Too sensitive and too much for me to handle. Marcus chuckled into my hair and wrapped his arms around me. One hand tangled in my hair. “I want you to mark me as yours Azrael.”

He held up his left hand and looked at his ring finger. “Xavier marked Armor. We all marked your body.” His fingers lightly traced the golden torc. “You’ve stolen my muse. I’ve given you my soul. Mark me as yours.”

“You have something in mind.” It was a statement.

Marcus touched his nipple that was mere inches from my face. “I am not as sensitive as you. It wouldn’t be a push button start, but I would like to wear your ring.”

“You want a nipple ring?”

“Don’t you want me to wear your ring?” There was that hesitation back in his voice. I hated I put that back in him.

“Maybe we could get matching ones. Since I’m now a gps device with Armor’s.”

“The Lycan have it right. This way, I can know where you are any time of the day.”

“You make it sound like we do a disappearing act.”

“We worry. I worry. Now there is something else out there hating you.”

I leaned on my forearms and looked own at Marcus. I brushed his hair off his forehead. He was so pretty. Somehow today during that blood frenzy, we, the brothers and I sort of merged. I remember seeing Armor drenched in blood and thinking he should look like that always. That was the deviant in me. “Azrael?”

“As we have just discovered, I am pretty hard to kill. Orel Wessel isn’t going to be taking me out so easily and do you think the Imperials are going to let Britta get close to me? I am not going anywhere, Babe. Except maybe the shower.”

I slid off him. A little tender, but nothing like before. I got up. I just left tired not weak. I held my hand out to my Puppy no more. “Join me?”

He moved faster than I expected and I found myself wrapped up in his arms with my feet off the floor. “Lanseng has one of those rain showers.”

I looked up at him, “How would you know?”

“I’ve been living here, well I was drinking here since Sex kicked me out. Lanseng only has one bed.” I couldn’t say anything. I opened the door to begin with. Marcus’s face took on a serious look. “I haven’t slept with him.”

“I did.”

“I know. If you didn’t, we probably wouldn’t be here now.” Marcus let me slide down his body. He reached out and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. “Lanseng forced me to see you. To really look at you, Azrael. To see you as an individual. I’ve been stupid and I almost lost the best thing that has ever walked into my life.”

“I didn’t walk into your life, Marcus, you dragged me into it.” I cupped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled gently. He leaned down and I gave him my version of a Marcus special. I don’t know how well I did but I got myself re-ignited. “Thank you. If you didn’t, we would have probably been dead by now, either by that asshole of a boss or by a heart attack.”

“Azrael.”

“Yes?”

“I just like saying it, Azrael…Azrael…Azrael.” I got a kiss with each chant of my name. “I’m going to clean up the bedroom. I’ll join you before you know it.”

Shower time was a fun and tender. I liked it. I liked this new start. If my Babe needed the darkness of bondage occasionally, I could do it. We just didn’t need to do it all the time. I think that was ripping my section of my soul apart. Azrael the Angel of Death, the gatherer of information through nefarious means didn’t like hurting his lover. Marcus brushed my hair as I lay sprawled beside him. “I need this from you, Marcus.”

“The brushing?”

“No, this kindheartedness. I’m a hard candy with a caramel center. I’d rather share the sweetness and gooeyness with you, in private like this. I can be hard and bitter out in the world, but I want this tenderness with you. Can you handle that, Babe?”

“You’re giving me permission to cherish you?”

“I guess so.” The mattress shifted and I got a kiss to the shoulder.

“Good thing I like gooey.” I felt his smile on my skin. “Sleep while you can, Angel. Your Imperials will be coming for you for that run.”

“Any ideal what the hell Lycan do on a run?”

“Run. You will be the first Vampire to view whatever it is they do.” Marcus sat back up and began to brush my hair again.

“I have loved you since the day I came out, Marcus.”

“I see that now, Angel. I see a lot of things now. I don’t be blind to you; the brothers or the House again.”

I gave a sigh and closed my eyes. My ass hurt, but it wasn’t anything like that six hour hell of lets-rape-Azrael’s-virginity party. If I had any common sense, I shouldn’t trust the big vampire with my hair, much less more sensitive areas. Instead, I had willing suspension of disbelief. If he betrayed me this time, it would be the end of me. Don’t let me down, Babe. I let the brush stroke coax me into slumber.

I had a Lycan serenade underneath the bedroom balcony. Those howley bays were enough to wake the dead. But apparently not Marcus. I shook his shoulder and staggered out of bed. It was only 10 o’clock.

/Alpha!/

/Lord Alpha!/

/Lord Azrael!/

All the pack calls were bouncing off the inside of my head. This was worse that a hangover. I wrenched the French doors open and stumbled out onto the cool cement of the balcony, “Shut up!” I held onto my forehead to keep it from falling off the balcony and going splat on the manicured miniature back lawn.

I leaned on the railing and took a deep cleansing breath. “You’re kind of crabby when you wake up, Lord Alpha.” Ping stood at the fore front of the lounging pack.

“You’re all sounding in my head at once.”

Ping made a neck slicing motion and the night was silent. Oh thank god. I slumped even more and rubbed at my temples. I heard Marcus shuffle out on the balcony behind me and smiled as he draped himself on my back. “Haley said you would run with us.”

“What does he need?” Marcus called over my shoulder.

“Clothes…for now.” Haley called out. The Alphas all laughed until Ping cocked her to one side. Then even the crickets stopped chirping. That was impressive.

“Something comfortable to run in. Lanseng left your blood packs with us. Any time you’re ready Blood Emperor.”

“Down in five.” I turned and stagger stumbled back into the bedroom because Marcus was still hanging off me. This is were Armor got it from. I tried to get dressed and Marcus under the pretext of trying to help put his hands everywhere. Finally, I turned and bit his chin. He tried to pull away but I wouldn’t let go. He got the hint and stood still. I finally got a pair of jeans on and done up. I let him go. He rubbed at his abused face. I pulled a tight green long sleeve tee on. I popped my head free and found myself in a luscious lip lock that pushed me back on the bed. I got spread eagled rather easily.

“What are you doing?”

“I think it’s obvious.”

“You’re feeling me up.”

“Yes…if you get the chance tonight, jump the White Russian.”

Whoa, that I wasn’t expecting. Marcus laid all his weight on me and brushed my hair off my face, “He needs to be dominated by one of the brothers and Lanseng said that it was you. I don’t mind, much. It will just be sex. I have your heart and I don’t intend to ever let it go.”

“Lanseng says a hell of a lot.”

“Not really, but what he does say is money.”

“Money?”

“Next, I do a little striptease; I expect it to be appreciated.”

“I told you slow down.”

There was another howl outside the window. Marcus sighed and got my socks and shoes. This was something else they shared. He hummed the Prelude to Suite for cello solo No. #1 as he strapped my forearm sheaths on. Then I got pulled to my feet and plastered against his chest. “Be careful out there, my Angel. You are with the Imperials, but you were with them when you got shot. If I could, I would wrap you in Kevlar and never let you out of my sight.”

“Bondage is only for special occasions, Babe. I’ll be fine. Orel Wessel had the element of surprise that time…they won’t be able to do that again.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Marcus held up my small belt dagger then slipped it into the waistband at the small of my back and did a little more. I hissed and gave him a slight involuntarily head butt. Well, almost involuntary.

“I can’t heal, Babe.”

“I hurt you again, when I said I wouldn’t.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle…just a bit of a pain in the ass.” I got a light laugh out of him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, my love. You’ll have to jump off the balcony. I broke the wardrobe leg off when I dragged it over. I’m going to have fun pulling it back without spilling everything out of it.” I pulled him down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He kissed my temple. I headed for the opened doors. Well, this was a first – ever. A vampire was going to run with the Lycan, and not just regular Lycan an Alpha pack. I was a little excited. “Azrael!”

I turned and looked at him. He was glorious to behold and this time I believed that he was truly mine. “Marcus?”

“Scent mark them all…just in case.”

That little word of advice just took the wind out of my sails. I nodded, lightened my weight and dropped over the side of the balcony.