“This was such a stupid idea,” Evie said rolling her eyes at Romulus.
He flashed her a prize-winning smile, “Will you relax? Everything’s going according to plan.”
She tugged at the hem of her form-fitting dress. Wearing red again was certainly a bad move. The color always accentuated all her assets and after the way Thanatos reacted to her black latex, she knew he would set fire to the place if he saw her in a red dress version of it.
*Right. Like he was going to show up anyway. *
How did she manage to let Nyx and Romulus talk her into this? She knew they were just trying to help, but she also knew that Thanatos had spent the evening at Minthe’s place. For all she knew, he was still there wrapped between her thighs. The idea sickened her.
“Look, I know your mother said that I need to stay at Thanatos’ mansion, but I’d really feel more comfortable if you allowed me to live here.”
Romulus looked at her. The sadness in her eyes pulled at his heart.
*My brother is such a damn idiot. *
“If that’s what you really want, you’re more than welcome to stay.” He hated seeing her so unhappy, especially since he knew with everything in him that she and his brother belonged together. “Derrick, why don’t you sweep Evie around the dance floor a few times. Take her mind off everything.”
Derrick kissed Evie on her cheek, “I’d be delighted.” She gave him a soft smile before placing her hand into his. “Now, don’t miss us too much,” he said over his shoulder, before falling deeper into the crowded floor.
“You look very beautiful tonight Evie.” Derrick said, his smile reaching all the way to his eyes.
“You look mighty handsome yourself Derrick.” She giggled and he playfully scrunched his face.
“I have Romulus to thank for that. I honestly can’t dress myself out of a brown paper bag.”
A laugh erupted from the two as she placed her head onto his broad chest.
“I guess that’s part of the reason he’s your Soul Tie huh?” She allowed Derrick to sway her against the melody, her mind barely hearing the music.
“Part of the reason. Though I think the not being able to live without him thing plays a huge part in it.”
Evie couldn’t help but smile as she thought about the moment Romulus excitedly told her that he’d met his Soul Tie. A wandering traveler who just happened to stop into Magical Fall seeking temporary shelter. It was a romantic story filled with mystery, just what he’d always wanted.
“So, will you be staying in Magical Fall?”
Derrick flashed her another prize-winning smile, “Aww, are you gonna miss me if I leave Evie?”
“Yeah…will you miss him, Evie?”
The hairs on the back of Evie’s neck stood to attention as the smell of death and pine mixed within her nostrils. Moving from Derrick’s chest, she turned to face Thanatos. His tight-fitting leather jacket hung freely at his sides. The rips of his jeans showing just small peaks of his skin. Her eyes traveled upwards to his hair which was still wet and begging her to run her fingers through it. He was without a doubt, the most gorgeous man in the room.
“Are you going to answer him Poppet?”
His pale eyes challenged her, the long draw of his tongue causing tingles between her thighs. She could see the plain rage on his face as he stared from her red dress to Derrick’s hand still on her waist.
Turning to Derrick, she smiled, “Of course I would miss you, so you better stick around.”
He laughed a deep laugh, and Thanatos could feel the steam exiting his nose.
*Calm down...she’s doing this on purpose*
“I certainly plan to, but now if you’ll excuse me, I think you owe this man here a dance.” Derrick kissed Evie’s hand before winking at Thanatos completely ignoring the glare he got in return.
“Dance with me.”
Evie rolled her eyes and turned away. She really wasn’t in the mood for this.
“Please.”
It was so low she almost didn’t hear it.
“What did you just say?” She asked turning back.
“Will you please dance with me?”
Evie could tell he was uncomfortable, but it was something about hearing him ask, that made her heart skip a beat. Allowing him to take her hand, she inhaled his scent and laid her head against his chest. The two remained silent both afraid to ruin the moment, both knowing that there was so much that still needed to be said.
“Why are you here Reaper?”
“My brother told me you were here…with Derrick.”
She could feel his body tense as he finished his sentence, “So, you came to take me away even though you were just balls deep in Minthe?”
“I showered first.”
Evie’s body stiffened, and she immediately pulled away, “Fuck you, y-”
Thanatos pulled her back into his arms, “I’m sorry, I was just being cheeky.”
Her body swayed to the beat, but she refused to allow herself to mold into his frame. He didn’t like the distance. Suddenly realizing that having her body melted against his was as addictive as her lips.
“It was in poor taste. I’m sorry.” That seemed to make her relax a little. “I will not lie, I was with Minthe…but I’m here because I’d much rather be with you.”
“No, you’re here because you want me only when someone else does.” Evie pulled her body away from him and stormed through the crowd towards the bedrooms.
Upon watching his brother hesitantly chase after her, Romulus smiled at Derrick, “I told you seeing her with your cute butt would do the trick.”
Placing a kiss on Romulus's lips, Derrick looked at him lovingly, “That’s only because he doesn’t know I only have eyes for you."
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“Will you stop making me chase you!”
Thanatos screamed through the mansion walls at Evie as she walked briskly from room to room. She was angry and tired; the entire thing had gone too far. Before she knew it, she was lost, trapped in a room with only one door and Thanatos blocked her exit.
“Get out of my way.”
“Not until you talk to me first Poppet.”
“STOP FUCKING CALLING ME THAT!” She shouted at him, her voice cracking slightly. “I don’t like it when you call me that.”
That was an understatement, she’d grown to hate it. Hated that he called her something so affectionate when he clearly had none for her.
“You like it as much as I like when you call me Reaper.”
Her eyebrow raised as she looked at him, “I thought everybody called you that.”
“No - only you.” His words hung in the air as if he were trying to tell me something, but she was much too tired for the games.
“What is it that you want Thanatos?”
Confusion lined his beautiful face. He looked at the ceiling and then back down to her, “I want things to go back to normal, to before I met you.”
The wind knocked out of her chest and she struggled to breathe, “Well, you’ll get your wish...I’m moving in with Romulus.”
“Over my dead body,” he said deadly, and she scoffed at his suggestion.
“That’s an oxymoron.”
Thanatos leaned against the frame of the door, placing one leg over the other. After a moment he finally spoke, “I didn’t like seeing you in his arms.”
“You’re a piece of shit.” Evie’s voice doesn’t even sound like my own, “You parade Minthe in my face even though you know it hurts me, yet seeing me dance with someone else upsets you?”
Thanatos’ eyes widened as she walked closer to him.
“You’re an asshole.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he stammered out.
It was the first time she’d ever seen him so flustered. Tears stained the corners of her eyes. “You know…maybe you were right…maybe you aren’t my Soul Tie.”
His composure quickly reemerges, and he steadies himself, “I tried to tell you.”
Evie couldn’t look at him. As she tried to quickly brush past him, he grabbed her in his arms. “LET ME GO!” She screamed, “DON’T TOUCH ME!”
Thanatos released her and ran his hands through his curly hair in frustration. “YOU DRIVE ME INSANE!” He shouted and this time it was her who's caught off guard. “How can you not see who I am?! This is who I am Evie.” He banged his fist into his chest so hard, she thought it would leave a bruise.
“I’m cruel...angry, and vengeful. I kill and I enjoy it. Is this what you want in a Soul Tie? Hmm? Is that what you asked the Gods for?” Thanatos paced the floor back and forth.
“I see so much more when I look at you Reaper.”
He turned his back towards her and sighed in annoyance, “You just don’t get it, but you will…you’ll soon think of me as a monster like everyone else.”
Rage began to build in her, and her mouth went dry, “I’m NOT everyone else!” She screamed at his back.
Thanatos turned to face her, his eyes as black as the midnight sky, “WHICH IS WHY HAVING YOU THINK THAT OF ME WOULD DESTROY ME THE MOST!”
Moving swiftly across the floor, he grabbed her by her shoulders, “I can take the world thinking of me as an ugly thing. I can take my own misery in being alone and having women like Minthe around who invoke no feeling from me. I can take everyone thinking I care about NOTHING and I’ll do so with a smile on my damn face because I am DEATH and it’s my JOB to fear nothing of the sort.” He loosened his grip and allowed his calloused hand to softly caress her face.
His eyes slowly returned to their beautiful pale color as his crackled voice spoke, “But to bear witness to the day these emerald’s which look at me with love, turn and see me as the monster I truly am… I don’t know if I will be able to take that without dying inside Poppet, and that scares the living hell out of me.”