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"Mhm." Roarke still wasn't moving.
"Which means I'm next," Thane growled. "The Church of the Holy Inquisition is a cult. The only way out is to die, and I'm hoping Dahlia can figure out something else. Roarke, they ordered me to summon a succubus - that's whattheycalled her - and theywillaccuse me of consorting with the Devil if I refuse. I can't just walk away. They won't let me. The Church will hunt me down if I try. I can't just say I'm tired of it, because they have my brother, and he will pay if I don't."
"So you're going to destroy your own kind? Condone the extinction of a new species of humanity? Has it hit you yet that we're not talking about just telling them no, and living happily ever after?"
"Yeah, it has. In case you missed it, they had me killing your kind for a few years now."
Roarke nodded, then pushed away from the truck. "Cool. Maybe the second incarnation of whatever the fuck you are can be nicer, because priests are tasty." And then the bastard fuckingwinkedat him!
Thane just shook his head. "You're fucking sick, man."
"You would be too if it kept you alive. Besides, chicks love the whole werewolf thing. Dunno what it is about the undead, but the living can't get enough." Roarke chuckled. "All started with Anne Rice and her vampires."
"Ever think it might be something else?" Thane hit the stairs first. "I mean, not like I'm having a lot of problems finding babes, and I plan to skip the dying part for a while."
"You will."
That made him stop. "Huh?" Was this guy back to threats again?
"The babes will dry up." Roarke pointed toward the door. "Once it gets out that she's put her claim on you? Yeah. Good-bye social life. Pretty sure none of our women are crazy enough to touch you without her permission."
"Jealous?" Thane teased.
For a moment, the guy didn't answer. Just before they reached the door, he shrugged. "Let's just say that I'll be surprised if you're walking tomorrow, unless you plan on sleeping in that truck." Then he turned the knob and walked in.
ChapterEleven
THANE
Thane followed, letting that sink in. Dahlia had brought him here to feed from. That wasn't surprising, because she'd been feeding on him for a while now. But Roarke said she was going to stake her claim on him - and had already started. Would that end up with him being his fiancée’s bitch? And if it did?
That wasn't something Thane was used to. He was used to being the strong one. He'd always dated pretty girls who adored his muscles and were turned on by the idea of being protected. With Dahlia, it went the other way around, and no matter how much he said he was ok with it, the honest truth was that he didn't know. He wanted to be ok with it, though, and that should count for something.
So, trying to come to terms with his new life, he set the groceries down harder than he intended, which made Roarke laugh under his breath.Bastard, Thane thought, knowing his reaction was exactly what the guy had hoped for. Didn't matter. Dahlia was the most amazing woman he'd ever met, and truth be told, Thane honestly liked her. Not just her amazing ass, buther. She never did anything he expected, and the way she flipped between being some bad-ass bitch and this soft, gentle girl wanting to be comforted? Yeah, he was a goner from the moment she'd shed that first tear.
So what if she owned him like a pet? How could he be pissed about that when she'd just said she was attracted to men who could beat her - and implied she meant him? No, Thane's problem was that all the rules he'd ever known had just gone out the window, and he wasn't used to this new dynamic. For the first time in his life, he wasn't the strong one here. Oddly, he didn't hate it. He just didn't know where he fit into her real plans. The ones that started once the Church was done.
In the other room, Dahlia was talking. He hadn't been paying attention, assuming they were still discussing the details of what he'd shared. Her next phrase caught his attention, though.
"It's a simple ceremony. We just need witnesses and someone willing to lead it."
Cain's voice came next. "I know the Sun prayers."
"Bridesmaids?" one of the women asked.
Dahlia laughed. "No. That's a very modern convention - well, from my point of view. We just need witnesses to make it real."
"Never thought I'd see the day we had an eidolon wedding." That voice wasn't one Thane could place, but it was male.
"Let alone Dahlia!" a woman teased. "And we are going to celebrate. Maybe not a bachelorette party, since you want to do this fast, but we'll make up for it afterwards."
Beside him, Roarke chuckled. "Sounds like congratulations are in order." Then he raised his voice to the rest of the room. "We're not serving, but if you want food, come get it."
That was Thane's cue to leave. As a handful of eidolon made their way in, he squeezed out. The sultry brunette leaned closer, inhaling his scent with a devious smile. He ignored it, feeling a bit like a piece of meat, and kept going. Yeah, this was going to take a lot more "getting used to" than he'd expected.
In the living room, Dahlia still sat calmly in the chair. When she looked over at him, her expression was completely bland. There was no enthused smile or flirtatious wink. She merely watched him like she was planning what to do next. Considering she'd just been talking about their wedding, it wasn't exactly making him feel any better.
"How long are your friends staying?" he asked, leaning against the arm rest.
