There was a long silence before Greyson spoke again. They had left the park and back on the main road. It’s not that he didn’t want to talk. He had too many questions and didn’t know which to ask first, much less if he wanted to know the answers. His body ached as if he fell down a flight of stairs and no amount of muscle, fat, or flesh, could stop his bones from aching. He’d given up trying to stop his cheek from resting on Greyson’s shoulder. The muscle rippled underneath him and he was surprised at how comfortable Greyson actually felt.

  “The bite or the hunter?” Greyson offered as if reading his thoughts.

  The almost kiss. Why had Greyson done it? Wasn’t he into Dee? She was certainly into him. Did he want both of them? He scrunched up his nose at the thought and said softly, his voice still tired and raw to speak any louder, “The bite.”

  Greyson clicked his tongue. “I was kind of hoping you’d say the hunter.”

  He didn’t have to see Greyson’s face to know at this point the was grinning. “I can guess why a hunter was after me.” He was a monster, a beast that needed to be caged or killed. Nanabo partially broke the spell he was under, the part that hid his true scent. If Greyson figured out who he was then other Folk would, too. He just thought he had more time.

  A low hum came from Greyson, “The life of a is never easy.”

  He stiffened at the sound of his true name. The action caused his back to scream, but it was as if Greyson stripped him bare, exposing him to the frosty night air.

  “The bite,” Greyson continued, adjusting his hold on him, “Is a marking of sorts. A half mark, if we are being specific. Usually done between masters and their servants. It was an ancient way of knowing which servant belonged to which house. Some houses still practice it, but for the most part it's a thing of the past for our Kind. The main reason being, we don’t have servants anymore, replaced by paid employment.” Myrth slipped into his tone, “Nothing keeps a person more loyal than money.”

  Maddy tried to imagine what his kind’s home would look like. Assuming all the trashy vampire T.V. shows Dee made him watch weren’t completely off the mark, he assumed they were great, big buildings, hundreds of years old and nearly taken over by vines and roots. The insides would be immaculate with furniture pieces collected over the centuries and the walls filled with dead ancestors that watched him while he walked down the halls. He imagined every fancy room with a fireplace, but somehow the area still felt cold. Cold, and unwelcoming.

  “Where did your head go?” Greyson asked.

  He must have been quiet for too long. “Nowhere.” He said and added. “So this is a servant mark? Will I be under your control now?”

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  “As nice as that sounds,” Greyson said humorously, “No. It is a simple bond that connects us. I’ll be able to sense where you are, know if you are in distress, and a couple of other things, but none of it would really affect your day-to-day, and if you're too far away the bond is weaker.”

  “Turn down this road,” He gestured when they reached a crossroad, and then added. “How did you know it would stop…” He gritted his teeth as his stomach gurgled. Nope. This ridiculous spell was still semi-intact. He huffed and said, “How did you know it would save me?”

  “That was a guess.” He said as if trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle. “A marking, no matter the type, releases chemicals that calm both parties involved. I figured if I bit you, then it would stop your body from overreacting and I was right.”

  Maddy nodded, his neck ached dully at the spot where he was bitten. “Is it permanent?”

  Greyson shook his head, “The one I gave you should only last about a month. Marks between mates however are permanent, unless one mate dies or is physically ripped out. Which, I would not recommend for any mark. It can be extremely painful and could kill both parties.”

  He pressed his lips together. That last bit was more of a warning than an explanation. They had reached Bill and Taiyo’s street, and despite nearly having been burned alive tonight, he still somehow had enough pride to not want to be seen as weak in front of the other boys. He didn’t want any more of their pity. “Could you put me down? I want to walk the rest of the way.”

  Greyson didn’t protest. “Easy now,” He said as Maddy dropped to his feet.

  He couldn’t quite walk on his own but said nothing as Greyson slipped a muscular arm under him, but not before he noticed the sleeve was charred. A thought occurred to him then, “Did you get burned too?”

  “Maddy, you chose to ask about the Mark and not the hunter,” He chuckled.

  He didn’t move, looking up at him with furrowed brows. Greyson saved him tonight- and they almost kissed- it might not have meant much to the , but it was fair game in his book to be at least a little concerned over him.

  “I’m fine,” Greyson huffed, his smile dropping.

  He narrowed his gaze.

  “Really, look for yourself.” Greyson slipped his arm from under him to show him the smooth tan skin under the frayed fabric. He placed it back under him and added. “You should see the other guy. It was no wonder he ran off so quickly.”

  Maddy took a small step forward. It didn’t mean he wouldn’t be back. He tried to suppress a shiver thinking of how easy it was for the hunter to dislocate his shoulder. When he got back inside he would have to call Dee. They would need to speak to her father, he’d be able to find this hunter, deal with him, like he’d dealt with his step-father, Cindy Mapleton, and Tommy Longhorn. It’d mean a new spell placed on him. Another spell would be awful, probably the worst one yet, but at least he’d be hidden from the world again, and the world would be safe from him.

  He stayed silent as they made it to the familiar light, blue door, instead choosing to focus on keeping his body upright as Greyson let go of him to knock on the door. He hadn’t realized how much warmth Greyson was giving him until his arm was gone.

  Taiyo opened the door, took one glance at Maddy- at his neck, and turned to Greyson, who let out a breath showing those dimples and fangs.

  “Hel-“ Was all he could get out before getting a fist to the face.