Blessed by a Demon’s Mark by E. S. Moore Read Free Book Online

Jonathan for what he didn’t do. He didn’t save my brother. He’d fought him, nearly got killed by him, forcing me to act. He might not have pulled the trigger, but because of his actions, I had.
    My brother was dead because of him. Part of me knew I was shifting the blame, but I couldn’t help it. I’d blamed myself for so long, I wasn’t even sure whose fault it really was anymore. Maybe if Jonathan hadn’t arrived that night, things would have gone differently. Maybe if he’d shown up earlier . . .
    Bitterness filled my mouth and I wanted to spit. I didn’t care whose fault it was. Thomas was dead. Anyone who had a hand in it, no matter how indirectly, deserved some of the blame.
    “Look,” Ethan said. He sat down on the couch, though I noticed he sat on the edge as if he was afraid I might lunge at him. “It was hard enough for me figure out where to take your friend. He managed to talk enough to tell me where to go. The woman he had me take him to had only half a face.” He shuddered.
    Doctor Lei. I’d met her once. She’d sewn me up after my first run-in with Thomas left me with a major gash on my back and a few minor cuts here and there. I still had the scars, but at least I’d survived. It could have been a lot worse.
    “Once she got him inside, she called someone to take me home.” He was starting to sweat, as if the memory of leaving the house was making him nervous. His agoraphobia could get pretty bad sometimes, and I was sure it had been at its worst that night.
    “Driving there was bad enough,” he went on. “I don’t think I would have made it home without freaking out. She gave me something to calm me down, and some big dude drove me home. When you weren’t here to take me in, he got pretty mad.”
    The only “big dude” I could think of that Doctor Lei might have called would be Nathan LaFoe, Jonathan’s second.
    I’m not sure if I was thankful to Nathan or not. If he drove Ethan home, that meant he knew where I lived. I wondered how many in the Cult were privy to that information these days.
    “He was back the next day, though he wasn’t happy about it.” Ethan was playing with his fingers, agitated. “He never told me his name, never even talked to me, but at least he made me feel safe.” He allowed himself a small smile. “Well, sort of safe. Guy was scary.”
    And a werewolf. I didn’t know if he made that fact known to Ethan or not. I tried to remember who all Ethan had met. I was pretty sure only Jonathan had been to the house before, but I couldn’t be positive. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, my memory was fuzzy.
    I eased down onto the couch beside Ethan. My hands were shaking and I had to clench my fists to make them stop. Jeremy relaxed a bit by the window but didn’t move, didn’t speak. He only watched, his face impassive.
    “So, anyway,” Ethan said, “one day the big guy didn’t show up. Jonathan came instead and brought Jeremy with him. He told me Jeremy would stay here with me until you returned. I think by then we all thought you were dead.”
    The bitterness returned, but I kept my mouth shut. If I only would have stayed home, none of this would have happened. Too many people knew where I lived now. I didn’t care that they’d helped me on more than one occasion. They were werewolves, and that meant they were dangerous.
    “He’s stopped by a few times to check for you, Kat.” Ethan slid a little closer and rested a hand on my wrist. I flinched but didn’t pull away. “He never came out and said it, but it’s clear he really does care about you.”
    “Fuck him,” I said, shooting off the couch. I didn’t want to think about Jonathan, not for a long time.
    Everyone went silent. I kept my back to the room, afraid of what I’d see when I turned around. I couldn’t bear to see their pity or their anger at how I was acting. I’d been a fool. I knew that more than anyone.
    “I could leave,” Jeremy said at a near