Marked by Blood: Book 2 of The Marked Series Ford, Rinna (books to read fiction .TXT) 📖

all of it. I was vulnerable, especially since I didn’t know what I was doing most of the time. And even if I didn’t want to admit it, I was starting to feel almost complete, more like who I was truly meant to be since becoming part vampire. There was still something missing and I had an idea of what, or who, I needed to help me fill those holes.There were two someones who could help me with that. And finally, I agreed with his assessment on the way I was turned. It definitely was cruel and the more I talked with Amos, the more I expected him to do better. He was a good man, and a good dragon. He loved his family, his son at least, and that should have extended to me, even if he didn’t know me well at that point.

“Tell me about my dad when he was younger,” I said. I may have expected more from Amos, but he was still able to make mistakes like we all were. My father said I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt, so I decided to do just that.

Amos smiled. “Have you ever read ‘Ferdinand’?” I nodded, remembering the story of the bull who just wanted to sit and smell the flowers. “Your dad was Ferdinand when he was a kid. Big and intimidating, but as gentle as a lamb.” I laughed at his analogy, but I thought it was perfect for my dad. From what I remembered of him, it described him perfectly.

I sat down at one of the stools at the island and settled in as Amos told me story after story about my dad. It turned out he was right about something else. I did act a lot like him. I never realized it, but a lot of the same mannerisms, the way I processed things, and the ways I reacted were a lot like my dad. I loved that. I may not have his eyes or his complexion, but I at least had that.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Amos told me stories well into the early hours of the morning. After what seemed like only a short amount of time had passed, but really we’d been sitting there for a couple of hours, he looked down at his watch and yawned. He wasn’t a vampire so he needed his sleep and I was keeping him from it.

“Sorry,” I told him looking sheepish. “You should probably get to bed, huh?”

“Yeah, I think it’s about that time,” he chuckled and rose from his stool. “But don’t you dare apologize for keeping me up. I may be an old man, Emelia, but I’ll always have time to talk to you. No matter the time of day or night.”

I stood up too at his words and we both stood there awkwardly. “Goodnight, Amos,” I finally said.

“Good morning, Emelia,” he replied and dropped his empty beer bottles in the recycling bin before gripping my arm gently and exiting the kitchen.

I sat back down and finished my fourth glass of blood, feeling satisfied in more ways than one. It was nice to clear the air with Amos. I felt lighter after our conversation, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Did I trust him? Not completely. Not like my dad did. But I hoped the trust would come the more time I spent with him. I wanted to believe in Amos and have a relationship with him, whatever that would be.

I got up and put the then empty glass in the dishwasher and began my trek up the two flights of stairs to Matias’ room. Raising my hand to knock on the wood surface, I hesitated for a second. I was feeling much lighter, but I knew I needed to get my head in the game. I took a deep breath and lightly rapped on the door. Before I could take my hand away from it, the door swung open. Matias stood between the door and the frame and I raised my eyebrows, asking if he were going to let me in. He opened the door wider and when my eyes looked past him, I saw someone I didn’t expect. Xander was sitting in a chair by the window and rose when he saw me standing there, gaping at the sight of him.

“What, what’s going on?” I asked.

I walked further into the room and Matias closed the door behind us. Looking around the room, I didn’t see any sign of a fight like I expected there to be whenever the two of them were in close proximity. In fact, it looked as if they were having a cordial conversation before I interrupted. Matias sat down in the chair opposite the one Xander sat in, like he was there all along.

I was so confused and I didn’t know what to do with the new turn of events.

“What are you two doing?”

“Nothing bad, little one,” Matias answered for them. “I promise. In fact, I think it’ll be very good for our little project.”

Project? He looked very matter of fact about the idea of teaching me to feed from the source, even though we got pretty intimate during it the day before. My heart sank and I didn’t understand his change of heart. I thought he wanted me. I knew he was protecting his heart from something he felt would never happen, but he looked completely unaffected. Like it was a business transaction or something.

“Okay,” I told them. “What did you two come up with?”

Xander studied my face as I tried to hide the anguish I was feeling from showing on it. I knew I was failing spectacularly, but I smiled anyway.

“Xander has offered to be the one you feed from and I felt it would be best if he were the one to make you aroused as well. He is, after all, your bonded mate.” I gulped back the tears which threatened to spill, and