Page 16 of Pretty Little Shadow
The place was a shithole. No way around that. I didn't feel uncomfortable with luxury, and I could technically afford it, but I preferred to hide.
Who would look for a wealthy assassin or recognize the daughter of a temporary vampire king in a shithole apartment?
"I'm not leaving," a voice called back. Italmostsounded like Dare's, but that was probably my obsession talking. "I'll break your door down if I have to, Shadow."
My forehead creased.
Okay, maybe it was Darius.
What the fuck was he doing at my apartment?
I'd told him the bargain was over, and we weren't friends. He wouldn't have shown up just to hang out, or stopped by to see if I wanted to have sex or something.
And at 9 AM?What was he thinking?
He had a job that required him to work mornings, anyway. Why wasn't he at the coffee shop?
"You've got thirty seconds before I break the door down!" Darius called out.
My neighbor banged on the wall that separated my room from hers. "Open the goddamn door!" she yelled at me, though her voice was muffled."Some of us are trying to sleep!"
“Fuck off, Beatrice!" I yelled back.
But I stumbled to the door anyway.
I ripped it open before Darius had a chance to break it down, and his gaze immediately dipped to my body.
Mynakedbody, unless you counted my fuzzy socks.
I didn't count them.
I'd fallen asleep without showering or getting dressed. Between the orgasms, the blood I drank, and the stupid cheer beer, I'd been wiped out.
"Do you always answer the door like that?" he asked.
"Yes," I lied.
"Good to know," Dare remarked, stepping past me and into the apartment. He closed the door behind himself."Our mate mark looks really fucking good on your leg."
I blinked.
It took a solid twenty seconds for his words to register.
Our mate mark looks really fucking good on your leg.
Our mate mark?
My chin jerked downward, and I stared at the swirling, gray mark on my leg.
…
Holy fucking shit.
Thatwasa mate mark.
"No," I said, stumbling away from the door."No way."
Darius plopped down on my couch. It creaked beneath his weight, and I thought it might just snap.
