Page 35 of Sinful Mates

Tobias looks over from his fight with Theo and his eyes come back in a second when he sees me on the floor trying to breathe. Instead of the familiar rage, horror dawns on his face. He pushes away from Theo and grabs me into his arms. I use all the strength I have to push him away. I don't want him to touch me. "Stay away from me," I manage to whisper at him. I don't think I can talk louder than that.

Tobias reaches for my cheek. “I didn’t mean to. You can’t touch me when I’m like that.” His fingers tilt my chin up, exposing my neck. His eyes widen, taking in the damage he caused. "I'm sorry," he whispers, letting me go. He turns away from us, leaves, and slams the door behind him. I continue staring at the door waiting to see what else will happen. Theo steps closer to me, offering me his hand. I gratefully take it, letting him pull me to my feet. I don't have much strength at all left.

Theo takes a deep breath before gazing deep into my eyes. "Imogen, he wouldn't have hurt me. Don't ever do that again." He pulls me into his arms to try to take the sting away, I suppose. "We aren't human, you have to remember that. We're not breakable like you."

I go stiff in his grip. Is he going to blame me, too? I push him away, storming into the closet myself and grabbing a random pair of pants. I don't know what to say to him, besides wanting to scream at him. But with my throat like this, I don't think I'd be able to even manage that.

Theo took the pants I'd picked out away, handing me another pair that looked like they might actually work. “Don’t be upset, he feels guilty enough. He is just on edge because I haven’t marked you yet. He will settle down once I have.”

I glare at him. "So nice of you both to decide everything for me. You're always getting involved in my business. I have my own life." It hurt to speak so much, but I push on. "Why is marking so important? You men are infuriating. Why couldn’t I have been gay?”

Theo snorts before pulling me into him. I stiffen again. No matter how mind-blowing the sex is, I’m not about to forgive this so easily. They could have killed me, and it isn't the first time. If I don't do something, I’m going to die here.

“Because Tobias has only marked you. The mark isn’t complete, and you can still leave.”

I lift my head at the word. “Leave?” I’m confused. If I can do that, why is Tobias acting like I’m his little sex slave? Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but it’s accurate enough. The only time he is nice to me is when he is playing my body like a harp.

“Yes, once I have marked you, you will be bound to us for eternity. The bond will never allow you to leave, and you won’t want to, anyway. The bond gets stronger, you will be able to feel what we feel, and us you.”

“Just from you marking me?” I resist the urge to touch Tobias's mark. I had no idea these things are that powerful. So far they are just really good sex toys. Well sex toys for me, I don't know if the men get anything out of it, and at this point, I don't care. I'll be selfish on that.

“Yes, after a few days and your mark is healed, you won’t want to leave us. Before then, though, you can reject us. That’s what scares Tobias.”

“But he has already marked me. How can I leave?” I almost snort. Tobias scared? There is no way that would ever happen.

“Because Tobias and I are fated mates, just the same as you’re ours, so his mark is like half, mine is the other half. It won’t be complete until I mark you. If you leave, it will destroy him, and after a few years, you will forget about us.”

Do I want to forget about them? I’m not sure what I want. I’m torn between the life we almost had at the apartment, a normal life, that I would have given into without a thought in the world, and the fact they kidnapped me to the middle of nowhere. I’m torn. There were times when I saw us being able to be happy together, as crazy as that sounds, but here I’m just their prisoner. I can't even go to the apartment, where my mother is still sitting in her box. That thought upsets me, I haven’t even had a chance to release her.

I sigh and leave. Theo follows behind me as I walk down the stairs and into the living room. I plop down on the couch. Theo sits much more delicately beside me. I lean over, putting my head in his lap. I don't want to have to think right now. I want comfort. "Won't it hurt?" I ask softly. He strokes my hair, running his hands through it. "You marking me."

“Yes, but Tobias will help.”

“What do you mean?” I ask with a frown. I’m not sure I like that idea. Will he do something worse to me?

“He will distract you from the pain. It will hurt initially, then it will be pleasurable like it was for you and him. But you being my mate and human complicates it a little. I’m a vampire, so I will want to feed on you." I wince. I'd seen enough vampire movies to know what happens to vampires in blood lust. That doesn't sound like a fun way to go. "Tobias will make sure I stay in control." He strokes my head again. " He won’t let me hurt you, Imogen.”

I nod. The memory of Tobias's bite is fuzzy, I dimly remember unspeakable pain then my brain being racked by pleasure. I don't mind the pleasure, but the pain? That is scary.

“Want to watch a movie?” he asks, distracting me from my thoughts.

“On what? There is no TV.”

Theo reaches over me to the coffee table and grabs a remote control out of the drawer. He presses a button and the painting above the fireplace opens. Only it isn't a painting, it is a cupboard hiding the TV. Really? This could have saved so much boredom! Not that I had actually been bored. But still, I hadn’t even noticed it. Theo selects a movie and presses play.

“How do you have service when I can’t even get cell service?”

“There is a hard drive in the back. We don’t have live service, we never needed it. We rarely stay here.” Before turning on my side. Halfway through the movie, Theo starts a fire in the fireplace before coming back and sliding in behind me wrapping his arm around me.

I can't even stay up the entire movie. I pass out in his embrace. I wake when a familiar pair of warm hands lift me up. I’m too tired to vent my frustrations out on Tobias. Instead, I snuggle into him. His manly scent fills my nose. He dips his head into the crook of my neck, inhaling my aroma and gently kissing my throat where he'd hurt me before. I keep still; he is going to have to work and fucking apologize before I’m willingly sweet to him. Not after the shit he put me through.

Tobias kisses my fingers before his lips caressed mine. Sucking my bottom lip into his mouth. I continue to play asleep right up to the moment he lightly bites me. I pop my eyes open while his twinkle down at me. The bite had done something to me I didn't want to admit. I glare at him before I look away.

Tobias pulls back and sniffs the air. I blush through my glare. Do they have to do that? It’s bad enough I feel the wetness between my thighs. These stupid men have turned me into a kinky pervert. My sex drive is so out of whack it is becoming ridiculous. Tobias smirks before kissing my forehead but doesn't put me down.

“Where is Theo?” I ask when I see the couch is Theo-less.

“Cooking dinner,” Tobias answers, striding us into the kitchen.