Page 18 of An Oath at Midnight

“Never.” Relic flexed his scarred fingers. “We’re brothers, all of us, doesn’t matter how we were created or by who.”

I skirted a pile of free weights. “Why?”

“Because we’re fucking old. Shit gets blurred when you’ve lived as long as us.” He ran a hand over his hair. “So why are you here and not upstairs?” he said, asking me the same question.

“It was getting a bit much.” My gaze slid to his mouth. He had nice lips. He was also extremely hot and loved to flirt shamelessly with my sisters and me whenever he came by the house. I should be attracted to him, I should welcome his attention, right? That would be normal. A normal response to a male like him.

Clayton flashed through my mind again and nausea gripped my belly. I rubbed my forearm when that phantom ache below my skin throbbed harder. “Kiss me,” I blurted, surprising myself. Whether or not Relic was surprised, I couldn’t tell. I should take it back, but I didn’t.

He tilted his head to the side. “Why?”

I huffed out a laugh. “I ask you to kiss me, and you ask why?”

“Yeah, I’m asking why. You’re sure as fuck not into me. And Willow would slit my throat if I laid a finger on her baby sister.”

When Clayton kissed me, it’d been hard, punishing. His teeth had scraped against mine, his taste had turned my stomach, his fingers had dug into my flesh so hard he’d left bruises.

I needed him gone. I needed Clayton gone.

A weird desperation filled me, and I had to curl my fingers into fists so Relic didn’t see them shaking. “What does it matter? Just fucking kiss me. What’s the big deal?”

He crossed his arms. “Talk to me.”

“I don’t want to talk.” I crossed my arms as well, feeling so incredibly vulnerable. I hated it. “You literally suck face with anyone who throws themselves at you, but I’m the exception?”

“Mags—”

“Forget it.” Humiliation burned my cheeks. What the hell was wrong with me? I spun to leave, but he moved fast, stopping me.

“Wait,” he rumbled in his impossibly deep, barely human voice.

“It’s fine. I just want to go.”

He growled a little and held me fast. “You’re definitely not into me?”

“I’m definitely not,” I said, giving him the truth. He didn’t look offended in the slightest.

“But you want me to kiss you and you won’t tell me why?”

“That’s right.”

He ran his hand over his hair again. “The females in your family have been sent to fuck with me, I’m sure of it.” Then he cursed under his breath, took my face in his hands, dipped low, and planted one on me.

His lips were warm and soft, but also firm. They brushed over mine softly once, twice, then he took my chin in his hand and opened my mouth, swiping his tongue inside. I touched his in return. He tasted nice, mint and a hint of bourbon. He made a growly sound and sucked my lower lip gently, then lifted his head.

His otherworldly golden eyes were glowing brighter. “Well?” he said roughly.

I stared back.

I felt—

Nothing.

His face seemed to morph, change. It was all in my mind, but there was no stopping it, his gold eyes flashing to frigid blue. The nausea rocketed back, twisting my gut, and I threw a hand over my mouth, gagging.

“The fuck?” Relic said, jerking back. “Are you gonna hurl?”

I lifted a hand and shook my head. “It’s…it’s not you,” I said through my fingers. I was definitely close to hurling, though, and my scars burned, pain radiating through me. I wanted to fucking scream.