This was it. No more waiting.
“Remember what I told you,” Goose whispered, walking beside me. “Submission isn’t done out of respect, it’s done because it’s expected. You and I are nothing more than mortals under vampiric protection. Despite how Gabriel and Paine feel about you, to Marius you are nothing but a toy. You’ll be expected to play the part.”
He took a deep breath and started talking fast.
“He knows you’re bonded to Gabriel and Paine. He’ll use it against all three of you if he can. You have to make Marius believe you accept the responsibility of being marked by two vampires in his household, including all of the eccentricities it involves. You also have to convince him you accept his absolute sovereignty, as well as that of his maker. This isn’t a nice chat over a cup of tea. This is vampire etiquette to the extreme.”
“You’ve already told me these things,” I snapped, edgy and paranoid.
Goose grabbed my shoulder and stopped, forcing me to do the same. “Then you know what I’m about to say,” he said, staring at me. “Don’t do anything stupid. You’re going to have to put on the best performance of your life. Don’t be a smartass and don’t cause trouble. Follow the instructions Gabriel and Paine give you. They’ll keep the marks open for a reason. If they want you to do something, do it without question.” The concern in his gaze was very real. He honestly thought I was going to get myself killed.
“I’ve dealt with demons in the future. I know how to keep my mouth shut, contrary to popular belief.” When his expression remained skeptical, I placed my hand over his. “Trust me. I won’t do anything stupid. I’ve got the issue with the knife sorted out. All I have to do is play nice until Marius leaves. I can do this.”
“And Gabriel and Paine?” Goose shifted his gaze away. “What do you plan to do about them? Marius wants to see how far this triad goes. It’s not unheard of for vampires in a home to share a female necromancer, but he will be able to sense the tension between Gabriel and Paine. He won’t stand for something like that. They are vampires he has left behind to keep his authority in New York intact. A mortal woman creating problems between them will not be tolerated. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” My stomach churned as I said it. Boy, did I ever understand. I could very well get forced into the middle of a threesome with two vampires I cared for who also wanted to kill each other.
“Whatever it takes to make sure this runs nice and smooth,” I continued. “Gabriel doesn’t like to share, but he’ll keep his possessiveness in check if it means making Marius happy. Now...” I took a deep breath and lifted my shoulders. “Stop worrying. Everything’s going to be fine, you’ll see.”
I could have sworn I heard Goose grumble, “Sure it will,” as we resumed our trip up the stairs, but I didn’t call him on it. He didn’t have to accompany me, and I needed as many friends as I could get. The rest of the vampire family wasn’t speaking to me—including Nala—since I’d ditched Disco shortly after I saved him, so any support was better than none.
Paine was waiting at the door when we stepped onto the porch. I noticed the mark between us was wide open, hitting me like a slap in the face, telling me all I needed to know. For whatever reason, I needed to touch Paine as I walked inside—the sooner the better. There was a charge in the air, a sexual energy. I wasn’t sure if Paine was the cause, or if Marius was. Either way, being marked by Disco and Paine changed things. With both their claims, I was fairly certain it meant I had to pretend to be available—sexually or otherwise—to both of them.
“Missed you,” I murmured and rose onto my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.