Page 90 of Eternal Devotion

It wasn’t a question. I didn’t need to ask, and Ensley didn’t need to answer. I felt it in my aching teeth, in the ravenous twist of my gut, coupled with the incessant jitters that vibrated under my skin.

The escape had drained me of any strength I had upon waking, and the hunger raged inside me.

Ensley was a heartbeat that pulsed through my veins, urging me to drink his life’s essence. It was too much to bear. I thirsted for him in a way I hadn’t for anyone before, and it had everything to do with the bond we’d developed.

I’d made a wrong turn with him, and I was suffering the consequences.

“You need to eat, Mordecai.”

“Yes. It’s on the agenda.”

“First. Before your phone call. Before we chat. You look terrible.”

“Thank you. You sound like Cristofer. Trust me. I’m not in danger. I can go far longer without nourishment and still stand erect.”

Yet, my self-control around Ensley was slipping, and resistance was a growing concern.

I couldn’t fight. I couldn’t draw powers or protect him if the men returned. I certainly couldn’t save my uncle.

“Make yourself a tea.” I removed the wretched cell phone from my pocket and located Cristofer’s number. Knowing the conversation would try my patience, I braced as it rang.

“Ah. It’s my favorite stubborn mule. Have I mentioned I miss you?”

“Hello to you too. I wish I could say the same.”

“Don’t be cruel. I know the truth. You have a soft spot for me.”

“I assure you, I don’t.”

“How fare thee with your foreign travels? Any news on the home front?”

“I’ve located Iulian.”

“Oh? That’s fabulous news. Seamus had his doubts, but I believed in you. You bitch and moan, but you get the job done.”

“It’s not done. There’s a problem. Several, actually.” I eyed Ensley, who hadn’t retreated to the kitchen and listened from a few feet away.

“Go on.”

“He’s… well protected. On a small island. I attempted reconnaissance and fell into a trap. I narrowly escaped, and now my cover is blown. They know I’m here and where I’m staying. The mansion is compromised. Although I didn’t see the conditions of Iulian’s environment, I’m confident enough to say they present a challenge for… our kind, which is exactly what I said would be the case, but no one cared to listen. I’m not sure how to go about this.”

Cristofer was silent for a moment. “What trap? Were you injured?”

I motioned for Ensley to go to the kitchen, but he stubbornly refused and crossed his arms, brows lowered in consternation.

“I’m fine. It was a minor encounter. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“It was not minor.” Ensley raised his voice, fully intending for Cristofer to hear. “He almost died. His skin melted off his face. He’s weak and won’t eat.”

I dashed a hostile glare in his direction, but he didn’t back down.

“He looks like shit, too. His injuries are gone, but his face is falling apart in a different way, and he was barely able to summon enough strength for us to escape the mansion when those guys came after us.”

“Ensley,” I snapped.

“Oh, Mordecai,” Cristofer cooed. “Do tell. Is that who I think it is?”

I sighed at the annoying curl of humor in Cristofer’s tone.