“It took the wolf three days to fully claim you,” Anna says like she’s enjoying this too much. “I wonder how long it takes a sexual deviant. By the way, this is my new favorite show. It has way more sex than Idun TV. That’s what that show is missing.”

Damien’s lips are on mine in the next instant, his monster growling as though he’s frustrated that I’ve been too removed from his thrall.

I’m right back under his spell in the next instant, forgetting what distracted me, as my body begs for more.

 

 

Chapter 9

 

VANCE

 

The scent of sex hits me so hard that I damn near fly into a jealous rage. I’ve never had to work so bloody hard to impress a woman.

I am impressive.

Women throw themselves at my feet.

Even Idun worked tirelessly to draw me in.

Violet?

Violet is a maddening ball of frustration who confounds my bloody mind more with each passing day.

“Women, huh?” the male ghost asks from directly beside me.

I haven’t been able to shake him much in the past two days.

“Why are you stalking my every move?” I ask, tempted to stab Damien when I hear Violet crying out his name like he’s the best lover she’s ever had in her life.

He’s a sexual deviant. I’ve never envied him so much as I have since Violet came around and loved that about him.

He barely takes any responsibility. It’s rare he does much of anything besides mope and bitch. Yet he’s up there giving her the ride of her life, and she’s loving every second of it.

Emit’s mated to her.

She’s clearly hurling herself right back at Arion, already caving to him once.

Damien’s had her numerous times, possibly more than her own mate.

Why does she always reward bad behavior?

“Answer me!” I snap at the ghost, who stumbles back in surprise.

“Dude, you are wound way too tight. Violet asked me to keep an eye on you since she was worried about you. She said you have a lot going on right now, and she had to take care of Damien. Plus, I messed up my last job,” he says as though any of that makes a damn bit of sense to me.

I run a hand through my hair in frustration, my eyelids fluttering shut, as I attempt to take a few calming breaths. Nope. Not working. I still want to stab Damien Morpheous right in his magical dick.

“I’ve never in my life envied any man. I don’t have to. I’m Vancetto Van Helsing,” I grind out, glaring at the son of a bitch ghost who has not given me one ounce of privacy. “The only reason you’re allowed to see this and live is because Violet has this obnoxious way of making ridiculous demands, and not seeing that she’s being demanding, because she doesn’t understand the severity of the regulations we have in place.”

He nods like that makes perfect sense.

“She says she’s going to be a better girlfriend,” he tells me, smiling like this is some splendid news.

These new age fucks really piss me off.

“Stop being such a twat who is supportive and shit!” I say, ready to cut something.

Anything.

I will literally cut down anything at all. The one time I’ve begged for a hunt in centuries, and I can’t get a single one to pan out.

Because I’m much too distracted by the fact I’m still on the outs with the woman I was planning to propose to before I knew Idun ever even rose from her undead bitch grave.

I’m just going to put it all out there and let Violet decide—

I swing the door open to the very demolished bedroom that is full of broken mirrors, to find Violet under a fully monstrous Damien Morpheous.

He has her clutched to him, hissing toward me like he’s going to rip my head off if I move one step closer.

Violet peers over at me with tired eyes, as she reaches up and grabs Damien’s shoulders.

“If he loses his hold over me for long, it really pisses him off. You should go. He doesn’t seem to—”

He starts to lunge, and she grapples for him, as I slam the door and stalk down the stairs, growing increasingly furious.

I just walked in on Damien Morpheous laying claim to his Flame.

“I take it you’re not okay with her taking another mate? I thought you guys were cool with sharing,” the nuisance of a ghost says.

“Edward, by the way. My name is Edward,” the ghost says like he’s annoyed I haven’t already asked.

“I thought it was something else,” I grind out.

“Violet discovered I was lying,” he mumbles.

“I wish, for one bloody second, I knew what the hell is going on, Edward,” I grind out.

He nods. “It’s been a very enlightening few months for Violet. She pushed all of you away because she got overwhelmed, and she’s actually struggling to find her place in this new world. You guys sat around watching your ex, so her feelings got hurt. Understandably so.”

My fist shoves through his incorporeal face, because I really do need to hit something.

This sensitive prick has never had to dirty his sword with another’s blood for the sake of protecting his woman, and dares to pretend he knows our feelings.

He vanishes and reappears a few feet away, laughing under his breath.

“No touchy-feely observations. Message received,” the son of bitch says as he continues to grin at me.

I barely catch the scent of wolf in time to turn to see Emit Morrigan moving by me in a whir of motion. Turning as fast as I can, I catch a glimpse of him rushing into Damien’s room.

Shit.

Damien will destroy him right now.

Running back up the stairs to the room, I throw open the door, and again, Damien turns and hisses at me, even though he seems fine with the fact Emit is naked and pulling Violet into his arms.

“Sorry,” Emit says against her lips as I drag the door to barely a crack.

Damien loses interest in me, his body moving behind Violet’s, as he contently shares her with the wolf.

What the actual fuck?

“I can’t go without you any longer, though,” Emit tells her.

“You’d better be glad I love the two of you. Otherwise, my vagina would protest right now. First it went neglected, and now I’m getting so much action that I can’t keep up,” she says back, almost as though she’s prickly and excited about his arrival.

But I’m more focused on the first part. The part where she casually told him she loved them, as if it’s not a huge confession of any sort.

He blinks, and in that instant, as he stares down at her with a hungry, possessive, and humbled look, while she turns and kisses Damien to soothe the restless monster, I realize it’s the first time she’s said it to him.

My eyes drift to her wrist, where the extremely oversized Flame mark is. Usually it’s just a dull red mark on the inner wrist. Damien’s stretches across her wrist like blood-red, poorly sharpened bracelet. That alone is surprising, since I’ve never seen one that size. What surprises me more than that is there’s another one that is just as large on her other wrist.

There’s only ever one mark. He’s claimed her so deeply that he’s left two impossibly large ones.

Emit pulls her to him, wasting no time shoving inside her like a common barbarian. Violet moans against Damien’s mouth like the barbarian is pleasing her.