called your what?"
"Husband, and I would be your wife."
"Husband. I like that too."
Syrus kissed her again, and she could tell his mind had wandered back into the bedroom.
"Hang on. Let's begin on the right foot, with open, honest communication. Tell me what you wanted."
He gently took hold of her hand, brought her wrist up to his face, and inhaled deeply. "I want you. All there is of you. And I've yet to have the pleasure of your blood in my mouth."
"Oh," she said stupidly. Duh .
"I didn't want to ask because the last time I did, you rejected me. I didn't want to offend or disgust you."
Forest's eyes glazed momentarily as a nasty memory surfaced in her mind. Hazy, broken images of the time Leith drained her to the edge of death.
She stared openly at Syrus. His power was obvious from his magic down to his muscles. He could take anything he wanted by force. She'd seen him weaponize his rage in battle. He held all the power within him under perfect control.
Her eyes began to sting. One of the only vampire mages in existence, with all the potential to be a true monster, sat calmly next to her and gave her tenderness; offered her his heart.
She couldn't stop the tears that came as her heart clenched and ached with love for him. "Damn it," she said, wiping at the tears. "There you go again, making me weak."
Syrus looked alarmed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't ever ask you again. I promise."
Forest laughed and pushed him down on the couch. She climbed on top of him, surprising him with her passion. "You're mine," she said fervently, crushing his mouth with hers. "Take everything you want."
And he did.
His bite was excruciatingly gentle. Forest had no idea it could be like this and it all but exploded her head with pleasure.
"I want to mark you," he whispered, barely taking his mouth from her skin. "I can't help it. It's my nature to mark my lover."
Forest rolled her eyes, sighing as she came crashing down from the clouds. "Way to kill my buzz, Syrus," she complained. "That was amazing, until you spoke."
"I'm sorry."
"Look, I thought this might come up and I understand it's your vampire instinct talking, but I'm not ready to have a new scar when I've only just rid myself of the others."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I get it."
"Maybe after my slave mark is gone, we can talk about it again…Maybe. It's just so unfair."
"Unfair?" Syrus asked.
"Yeah. You can mark me, but I can't mark you. It's unfair. The very idea makes me feel like property."
"I wish you could mark me. I want everyone to see it. I'd let you put your mark on my forehead."
Forest laughed.
"I'm serious. We should find some way you can mark me as your own."
"Hmm…we'll have to think about that. Now shut your mouth and put it to better use."
"Yes, ma'am."
****
Had it only been ten hours since she came home and found Syrus? Forest wondered as she closed her drapes, blocking out the harmful morning light. She considered the amount of time they’d spent sleeping and realized they had been together longer than that. This was the second dawn since they reunited. Syrus sat on the bed, his back against the headboard, lazily nibbling the edge of the last, cold pizza crust. Forest climbed back onto the bed and rested her head on his shoulder. "So what happened after I was banished?"
"I was placed in a prison, a portal with no destination. It was…terrible. The strength of the portal took my mage power from me." Syrus hung his head. "I'm so sorry, Forest. I failed you."
Forest laid her hand on his cheek. "Hey, don't say that. You didn't fail me. If anything, I failed you."
Syrus chuckled. "Preposterous."
"How did you get out?"
Syrus hesitated. "I'll tell you in a minute. What happened to you?"
"Your mother banished me. She wanted me dead, but she made it plain that she didn't want to get her hands
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