Poisonous Pleasure (23 page)

The angry stare told her that her mate didn’t so much agree. “I know this is going to be hard for you. But for me, please, don’t hurt him. Leave his punishment up for me to decide.”

Pain raced across his features. A large hand lifted to his chest and she watched as his palm covered his heart. Emotion swelled through her just as cobwebs began to brush against her toes. Closing her eyes, she took a breath.

“I love you, too, Dom.” Her lids open and she reached and placed her hand against his. “I do love you. Go back to the room and I’ll call when I’m ready.”

Reluctantly, she left him standing there and walked back toward her body. Light covered her skin. She watched, amazed while her dead self disappeared. Ambrose let out an agonizing scream making the air around her sizzle. Glass shattered from the windows as the wood from the door splintered beneath the invisible force. Shocked by how powerful he truly was, she had to make herself close her mouth.

Ambrose rested his head along the part of the cushion that wasn’t covered in blood. Touched by his sob, she came to a stop directly behind him. Thickness pushed against her throat momentarily blocking off her air. The cool atmosphere rushed across her naked skin and she shivered, kneeling behind him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she felt him stiffen.

“I forgive you, Ambrose. But if you ever so much as pierce my skin again with the intent to harm, I’ll let Dominic gut you alive. Is that clear?”

Slowly, the vampire’s gaze turned to rest on her face. A ragged breath passed his lips while she wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Absolutely. But…you’re not dead? I thought…”

The whisper came out hoarse and almost unrecognizable. She slowly shook her head back and forth. Ambrose crushed her nude body into his. “Please forgive me. I’m so sorry.”

The emotion pouring from deep inside of him made her anger recede. A feeling, not love, but something, definitely sparked.

“I’ll never hurt you again. Please don’t fear me, Marcella. I’ve never killed anyone in cold blood before. When I thought you were gone forever, at my hand, there are no words to express what that did to me. Forgive me, ask me for anything and it’s yours.”

“Ambrose, you know what I need. Have you forgotten why you killed me to begin with? I know how unfair this is to you, but I can’t lose my mate. You must understand that. If you give me your soul, I’ll spend eternity making sure you keep it in good hands. Like I’ve said before, you choose where you’ll ultimately end up. No one else can decide for you.”

“Will I have to stay here?”

The fear that passed through his eyes twisted something in her stomach. “If you’re not happy, then no. But I do still want you to be a part of my life. I want see you, often, everyday if it were up to me. I’m not going to abandon you once I have your soul.”

“And if I want to stay? Would you let me?”

“In a heartbeat.”

Marcella was lifted in Ambrose’s arms. He carried her to Dominic’s room. The door swung open on his silent command. Dom and Jason’s startled gazes shot up from across the room. Jason smiled while the fire behind her mate’s eyes flared.

Her boyfriend eased from the bed, still clutching his chest. The smile faded as he stepped to them and took Marcella from the vampire’s arms. Jason’s eyes connected with hers and the emotions that passed between the two of them were deeper than she ever felt with him before.

“I’ve failed you. Dom and I are your protection and I left you alone. It will never happen again. I’m so sorry, Marcy. When I thought you…”

She placed her fingertips against his lips. “Not another word, Jason. I’m here and that’s what matters.”

“No, it’s not what matters,” Dominic boomed from across the room. “He shouldn’t have left. If he wanted to throw a bitchfit, he should have woken me to watch over you. Do you know how close we came to truly losing you? You’re not as immortal as you think. I felt it! I really thought you were dead.”

Dominic walked over so fast, he blurred across the carpeted floor. “I’ll deal with you later,” he said glaring at Jason. “She may be your girlfriend, but she’s my mate, dammit, and I won’t lose her over some stupid quarrel you two had. If she dies, it’ll be because I failed in protecting her in the midst of battle. And you can bet your sweet ass there’s going to be plenty of fighting in the future.”

“As for you!” Dominic picked Ambrose up by the throat. Marcella struggled against Jason’s arms, but he kept them locked around her, preventing her from moving.

“If you ever, ever, so much as harm her, even emotionally, I will relish in killing you. If you think I’ll make it quick, you’re wrong. I’ll take my time in making you regret the day the thought even popped into your fucking pretty boy head. I don’t care how bad you feel about what you’ve done. Your actions were beyond inexcusable. The devil himself will not be able to stop the wrath I’ll bring if you so much as cause her to break a nail in your presence.”

Ambrose fell to the floor holding his throat and gasping for air. Marcella stared at Dominic in shock. Jason eased her to the ground. Realizing she still was completely nude, Marcella materialized her white gown and cautiously walked over to her mate. Dom’s body shook as he looked at her.

Collapsing to his knees, he wrapped his arms around her thighs, burying his face in her stomach. Marcy weaved her fingers through his golden curls while she held him. The pressure increased around her legs as his body shook harder.

The room was silent except for Dom’s soft cries. Ambrose walked to Jason while they stared at her perplexed. Lowering to her mate, Marcella wrapped her arms around him. She was instantly swept into his arms while he cradled her to his chest.

“I’m sorry. You told me to leave him alone and I disobeyed. But you have to understand how much I love you. They
need
to know. In their own ways they may love you, even die for you, but never more than me. Never. There are no bounds when it comes to what I wouldn’t do for you.”

“Then will you do something for me?”

Marcella looked into his bloodshot eyes, still clouded with tears. He nodded his head sending blond curls bouncing. He’d never look more like an angel than at that moment, so innocent, so unbelievably beautiful that it made her heart ache.

The softness of his lips pushed against hers without hesitation. Sweetness took over her senses as his tongue brushed the tip of hers. Caught up in the sensations, they didn’t stop until Jason started laughing.

“All right, all right. I think Ambrose and I have had to endure enough today.”

Dominic pressed his forehead against hers while he stared into her eyes. Not once did he look away as he started talking. “Listen up, boys. There’s something you need to know. And you better start seeing it this way because it’s imperative that you do.”

Slowly, Dom stood, pulling her up. He turned her to face Jason and Ambrose. “Marcella is a collector. Since, none of us can remember being around when they actually existed you need to know their history, and know it well. When I was asleep something happened. That’s what I woke up to tell you all. You know I have the gift to tell the past, present, and future. Well, I saw the past, or at least a flash of it. I think it’s going to explain why we all feel a pull to her.”

“Go on.” Jason said after a few moments of silence.

“There was something on her head…She was a…” Dominic ran his fingers through his hair… “Queen or something. And I think she’s back to start what ended long ago. I’m not really sure, but I know one thing for certain and that’s that we were her foundation. The three of us were there with her. I think it’s time we start acting like the protectors we were meant to be. We need more collectors, more souls, and we need the strongest warriors we can find. There’s a reason why she picked us. It’s no coincidence why we’re all together again. Or why we all feel like we know her.”

“Oh shit.” Jason’s eyes grew big as he looked into her face.

“Wait,” Marcella said, turning around to face Dom. “Picked you? For what? I’m no queen. I can’t be.” Flashes of her overlooking the water in the white gown closed her throat. The thing on her forehead exploded in her mind. She quickly decided not to deny it completely. “But, if you’re right what are we going to do?”

Dominic’s gaze grew harder the more he gazed into her depths. “You’re going to have to fight to stay, love. But I promise you won’t be alone. We’ll all fight beside you when the time comes.”

“Why does it have to come to that? I don’t understand why he killed me in the first place. Truthfully, I hardly remember anything having to do with that other life. For all I know it could be imaginary.”

Dom narrowed his eyes at her. “We both know that’s not true. Let’s go over what we know. The devil made you bring him souls. I’m assuming he didn’t count on the good he holds deep inside to manifest into you. You must have become a mediator, one who does what’s right. But you have the power to not only take human souls, you take every soul. Supernatural souls can’t be touched by us demons. They linger.” He paced while his words tumbled out. “You have the chance to make it right. You can send them to finally rest, wherever that might be. He’s going to want it to be with him, but I don’t see you handing over Ambrose, do you?”

“Absolutely not!”

Dominic smiled. “I didn’t think so. So, we stay hidden, we gather people, and we fight.”

“We fight,” Ambrose agreed, walking forward.

“Fuck yeah, let’s fuck some shit up. I’m always ready for a fight.” Jason stopped before her, next to Ambrose. The guys all looked back and forth, something passed between them that Marcella didn’t understand. Dominic walked around and stood in the middle of them. All three simultaneously kneeled before her. Time slowed at seeing the three of them in that position.

“Our queen, from this moment forth we give you our lives, our loyalty,” Dominic lifted his head and looked at her, “and our love.”

Flashes, as if clouded in sepia, washed over Marcella’s vision. Three, there were three men. Her three men just as they were now, kneeling before her. She was dressed in a Grecian gown of white silk so thin it was but a veil against her skin. White pillars surrounded the terrace overlooking water beyond the cliffs below, but the sky wasn’t blue nor black. It was a cross between lavender and light blue.

The vision vanished leaving her dazed, but somehow more aware. “Rise,” she said in a voice not sounding like her own. Mystified, they stood staring at her. She looked down to see the same gown from her vision covering her body. A thin gold chain hung from her neck, a symbol covered in diamonds nestled between her breasts.

“You were our queen,” Jason whispered. “I saw something when we kneeled. Me, Dom and Ambrose. We were all together just like this, but not here,” he trailed off. “How?”

Dominic started shaking his head back and forth. “I don’t know. I saw it, too, but I don’t remember living that life. I’m not even sure what made us all get down and kneel like we did. It just felt right, almost as if it were natural. We need answers, we need…”

“Me, I’m assuming.”

They all turned to look at Samael. He kneeled before Marcella and stood. “My queen. It’s good to have you back. It sure as hell took you forever to grace us with your true presence.” He smiled at her charmingly and collapsed on the bed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you the answer you seek yet. It’s something that you’ll have to remember and figure out on your own. You’re making progress, but how far you get will remain to be seen.” A yawn came from his mouth as he closed his eyes.

Dom shook his head, slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve known you for…ever. You don’t think maybe you should have mentioned I fought against evil and lost? How did I become a prince of the underworld, anyway?”

“Shortly after her fall, Marcianna or Marcella, as you prefer, had me instructed to bring you back as who you all are today. But that’s all she wanted me to tell you. If I say more there will be consequences. The past has a way of repeating itself, especially if the individuals know the details. You think you can change the outcome, but really you end up making it worse. If you don’t know, you can be taught to handle things the right way this time.”

“And what’s the right way?” Marcella stepped forward feeling the gown caress her body. Although she had no reason to doubt Samael’s words, something told her he was holding something back.

“Only you know that, my queen. And in time, you will remember.” Samael sat up on the bed narrowing his eyes slightly, as if thinking. “You didn’t tell me your plans, but I trust you know what you’re doing. You just said it was time and so I did as you asked and gave you life. You instructed me to test you, to see if you were worthy of this mission. I was never to expose the truth of your station until you yourself remembered who you were. Is any of this bringing the memories back?”

Marcella sighed and sat down next to him. “No, I’m afraid not. But I do somehow feel different, older. I’m not sure how to describe it.” Leaning down, she went to rest her head in her palms. She stopped herself so she wouldn’t press the gold plated band into her skin. Frozen, she looked at all of them.

“My band, my crown thingy, where is it? I wore one about a quarter of an inch thick,” she said, holding her fingers up. “It wrapped around the top of my forehead like so. There were…diamonds embedded into it.”

Samael smile brightly and reached behind his back pulling the fragile piece from around him like a magic trick. “Your Highness, I present your crown.”

Marcella grabbed it feeling like she couldn’t be without it for another second. Something about the crown sparked an intense emotion of “self” inside of her. Just as she knew she couldn’t be without her crown, she couldn’t part with the chain around her neck. They were hers, her symbol, and a part of who she was. Taking in the necklace, she noticed the twisted design covered in diamonds. Grabbing Dom’s hand, she looked at the ring.

“I knew all along. Dom, my symbol is on your ring.”

“That’s probably why it looked so familiar us. May I?” Dominic stood in front of the bed, before her. His hands were placed in front of her, palms up. With complete trust, she handed him the gold band. He kneeled, sliding it into place just below her hairline.