Page 56 of Zodiac Demons

“I see…” I didn’t know how to respond to that. Saying ‘it’ll be fine’ seemed naïve. Volunteering to harvest witches for wombs so we could make babies wasn’t really on my life’s to do list, and saying I’d do whatever he needed to do to break our pact was such a heartbreaking thought, I didn’t want to suggest that either. I liked all three of the men who marked me, even Adrian, who was currently either dead or ignoring me. And Ceto and Marcus were both very much my friends regardless of our collective relationship status. I’d never had friends, but I’d really never had friends who I felt this deeply for.

“If we reject our pact, you’ll be free, and as you can take on multiple mate marks, you’ll still be able to have a fulfilling life with your other mates.” He muttered the words I didn’t want to hear in quiet surrender.

“But if you can’t take on multiple mate marks, what’ll happen to you?” I frowned, because I knew he didn’t leave out that part without reason.

“I won’t be able to mate with another shifter by blood ritual, but I can be easily matched with other species that form bonds without magically enforced blood pacts. Since I’m an Omega, my options are very open. I’ll be able to fulfill my duty even if I’m condemned as a rejected mate.” He wasn’t speaking with confidence or resolve. It was only defeat that came through in his tone. “I think you’d be better off that way.”

“Would you? Is that what you want?” I wasn’t sure if the hurt in my chest was his or mine or both of us at the same time.

“It doesn’t matter what I want. It matters that you can be safe and happy. And that will never happen if you’re mated to an Arya.”

Sad. He was such a great guy, and yet he was letting himself be crushed by the weight of his name.

“Why did you let me into your life in the first place then?” I didn’t want to give up this pact. “You could have ignored me in the library. You didn’t have to ask me to work with you. You didn’t have to invite me to do inventory that night. You didn’t have to become my friend.”

“I shouldn’t have done any of that, no.” He agreed, but he didn’t explain or justify anything.

“But you did.”

“I did.”

“And you showed up last month to Fazer Island for me.”

“I did.”

“If you felt you were allowed to be with anyone you wanted, would I be in the running at all?” I pushed the point, because now I wanted to hear it. That I hadn’t misread everything, and that maybe we weren’t just an unfortunate moonstruck accident.

“You’d be the only one I’d let in the race.” He shook his head, like he hadn’t meant to say that. “But you have two other mates, and one of them is especially complicated for me. So I don’t trust that my family will allow that kind of coupling even if every other factor was irrelevant.”

“I’m not asking about what your family will allow.” I sighed.

“She’s asking if you legitimately care about her.” Marcus’ voice pulled both of our attention to the door. “She wants you to say you chose her, and would choose her every time. Then she wants you to say you’re going to figure this out, because she’s more important than tradition and bullshit.” He paced over slowly, and I couldn’t help but notice the way their eyes remained locked on each other. “She wants you to say everything that I wanted you to say to me, and we both know you want to say that to her, too. Maybe I didn’t deserve it, but she does.”

Ceto stood from the table, and he grabbed the book on blood curses from the top of the pile, hiding it against his chest. “I can’t say any of that yet.” He broke eye contact first, fixing his gaze on the table. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”

The smile on Marcus’ lips didn’t have its usual teasing and arrogant character. It was gentle, sympathetic, and kind. “That’s a start.” He pulled out the seat across from us and sat down. “I’m guessing you called this little meeting for a reason, Baby Doll.” He glanced at me and tapped his finger on the table for a three count. “Is Adrian on the way, too?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. He won’t answer my texts.”

Ceto looked at me with a sense of betrayal, before he looked back at Marcus, then down at the table. “Wait, this was a set up?”

“Don’t get mad at her. She’s stuck in the middle of a lot of drama, and none of it is fair to anyone involved at this point.” Marcus waved him off. “Since I’m, for better or for worse, also in the middle of drama on both sides of her chosen mates, let me catch everyone up real quick and make this easier. Lila, we touched on this a bit before, but I think you need to know more than just the vague idea. Ceto and I dated—”

“We tolerated each other,” Ceto interrupted.

“We fucked in just about every broom closet, bed, hot springs, and… oh, that book case over there, and this table, if I recall correctly. And we did that for just about all of last year.” no shame. Ceto’s face was bright red, and I wasn’t sure what to think of that either.

“It was that table.” Ceto motioned toward the table three over with a quiet mutter. “It was more of a series of mistakes and poor judgment.”

Marcus just snorted. “Wild how an Arya heir is prone to so many, many ‘mistakes.’” The eye roll was loud and clear. “He was my first mate, then he rejected me because of this same shit he’s rejecting you for, and we went our separate ways. I don’t think he picked you by accident, Baby Doll.”

Ceto said nothing, so Marcus continued. “And to catch you up,” he nodded toward Ceto, “Lila’s third mate is Professor Adrian Karras from the Engineering department, the current head of the Astrology Club, and he covers just about every course in her major. Being my older half-brother, and me being the product of an affair, he’s hated me since I was conceived even though our parents are all happily together these days. He’s not here, because he’s the one who stole my Baby Doll’s virginity, which permanently bound him to her by some fucked up incubus rule. He can only feed from her now, and since he hates sex, and doesn’t want to fuck his own student due to made up human morality, he’s letting himself slowly die over pride.” He tipped his chin toward Ceto. “Sound familiar? The dying for your pride, I mean.” An arrogant eye roll punctuated the sentence. “Now we’re all on the same page. Is that messy enough for you?”

“What? A professor? How… how did that happen?” Ceto looked between us, and we both said ‘it’s complicated,’ instead of even beginning down the road of the cafeteria story.

“Regardless, the pacts all around are permanent, even if one of us hasn’t completed the shifter side of it yet, so let’s start living and letting live.” Marcus leaned forward on his elbows, back to the antagonistic grin that I was used to from him. I shouldn’t be so attracted to the smug asshole look, but he was being a smug asshole in my favor, and I could get behind that. “The full moon is in two days and it’s my birthday. You’re welcome to spend it with us so you don’t get sick. I wouldn’t mind spending the night with either one of your faces.”

Truthfully, this was a lot to take in all at once. That seemed a touch more serious than just being “exes.” Though the circumstances of the breakup were confusing and extremely vague at best, so whether that meant this arrangement would be easy or absolutely impossible was anyone’s guess.