Page 166 of Eternal Craving

“It’s you who hinders us by exposing us to outsiders. You should never have allowed Marcus to stay here.”

“Marcus risked his life for us.”

Her turquoise gaze fixed on me. “Ever since you brought him into our home, I’ve been unable to sleep.”

“What is it that’s really troubling you?”

“You left Jacob in that house.”

“He’s safer there.”

“You must get him tonight,” she demanded. “Start preparing him.”

“For what?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t considered it? We are superior beings.”

“Are you deliberately provoking me?”

“I’m not ashamed of what I am,” she screamed.

“Neither am I.” My voice was calm, concealing my alarm.

“Do you want me to transform him?”

In an instant, I was beside her, grabbing her wrist. “Stay away from my son.”

“Immortality is his birthright.” She dug her nails into me.

“Never speak of this again,” I warned her. “Do you understand?”

“You’re hurting me.”

I loosened my grip. “Sometimes, I don’t think I know you.”

“You’re too caught up in yourself to know anything about me.”

A feather from her cuff came loose and spiraled, and I watched it float to the floor. It seemed as though it had always belonged to the sleeve of that long, black chemise, and had never been ripped from the small body of a dead bird.

Sunaria stared up at me. “Marcus is in love with you, and so is his sister.”

I wrapped my fingers firmly around her throat. “I loveyou.”

“He’s obsessed with you, but you don’t see it. Drink from him and you’ll know the truth.”

“I don’t need to.”

She broke away.

“What you and I have is different,” I said quietly.

“How?”

I spun her around and grasped her arms. “You need me more than I need you.”

Her gown slipped off her left shoulder, exposing her breast.

“I’ll not tolerate this,” I said, pinning her against the wall. “If you think that burying me in the earth was a fair punishment, then you have no imagination. Your dark soul needs to be restrained.”