“It's Not Your Fault."

His eyes were black; it was hard to see where his pupils started and ended as he gazed at me and then back at the road. "Yes."

"And you loved her?"

"Of course." He said it so quickly I didn't doubt him for one second. "With my entire life, my soul, my existence, I loved her."

"Loved."

"She simply…" His voice was hoarse. "She simply didn't wake up one morning. The evening before we'd been talking about children. The next morning she was cold."

"Mason…" I reached across the seat and grabbed his hand. "I'm so sorry."

He clenched my hand in his and brought it to his lips; his rough kiss across my knuckles warmed me from the inside out.

"It's not your fault."

"But…" My mind whirled. "I could change that? I could make it so that doesn't happen anymore?"

He was quiet for a while. "Possibly, but there's no way to know."

"So I live past a certain year, and what? We're home free?"

The truck pulled up to one of the hotels in downtown Seattle. It was newer, a boutique hotel right on the water. "Ethan wouldn't like me discussing such things with you. I'll allow him to explain."

"But"

"That's all I'll say," he growled. "Now, let's go show you off to your mate."

The mate who hadn't even driven me to the Gathering?

The mate who hadn't spoken to me all day?

The same mate who'd looked like he wanted to shake me to death earlier that morning?

Great.

I choked back the fear of being in a room with possibly hundreds of immortals in a room with Cassius himself and followed Mason out of the truck.

He grabbed my hand again. I ducked against him, allowing his body to shield me.

He handed his keys to the valet, who eyed me up and down like I was a piece of candy.

Mason growled at the valet, who jolted out of his stare-down and ran toward the truck. "Idiots, all of the demons."

"Wh-what?"

"Demons." He shrugged. "Even hell won't take 'em, so they toil here for us until it's time for judgment."

"And then?"

"Hell welcomes them back with open arms."

I shivered.

"Are you cold?"

No, just completely freaked out. My studies had said nothing about demons. Nothing.

What other immortals hadn't I been told about?

I was almost afraid to ask.

Mason walked me through the doors of the hotel. Music sounded from somewhere in the lobby, or maybe it was the restaurant. The music grew louder as we walked toward it in silence.

When we stopped, it was in front of a black door.

Mason nodded to a tall man wearing head-to-toe black. He had an earpiece in his ear and examined the iPad in his hands. He turned the iPad toward Mason placed his hand on the screen.

It flashed green.

And the door opened.

I think, in my head, I'd built the Gathering up to be something like I'd seen in horror movies an orgy, blood-drinking, people in little to no clothing.

Instead… it was like I'd just walked onto a Hollywood movie set. Heads turned, both male and female, and they were flawless. My fingers dug into Mason's arm.

It wasn't fear.

More like awe. It had been hard enough to keep my jaw tight when I entered the throne room. This was a bazillion time worse.

Every woman in that room was perfectly proportioned tall, exotic, beautiful. There was no imperfection at all.

The men, if I could call them that, since most of them were most likely immortal, were all pretty large and seemed more curious than anything. I noticed a few smiles in my direction.

A few sneers from the women.

And in the far, far corner of the room, there were a group of people who looked like me, who looked normal, not like they belonged on the cover of a magazine.

"Humans," Mason whispered. "Over in the corner, most likely gossiping about their mates."

"What?"

On closer inspection, the humans looked… different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but their skin was brighter than mine. Their eyes too. They just appeared extremely healthy.

There were both men and women, which I hadn't expected. Not that men's numbers had never been called. I just hadn't thought about it much.

The room was decorated in blacks and silvers; long tables lined the walls, piled high with food and champagne.

The curious stares continued, so I clung to Mason like he was my lifeline; that was until Alex came up beside me and offered a glass of champagne. "They stare because they're curious."

"They always stare at new humans?" I took a sip of the champagne, but it tasted off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it seemed almost bitter on my tongue.

"No." Alex grinned. "Only you. Because of you who are, and well… you know… the fact that Ethan's your mate and Cassius started a pissing contest over you."

"Alex…" Mason rolled his eyes. "Stop."

"What?" Alex shrugged, and then his blue eyes brightened. "I think I see my conquest for the night."

A wave of heat washed over me; I didn't feel lust this time or anything close to it, just heat. He winked, and then he was moving through the crowd to a tall, dark-haired lady with a black dress slinked around her body.

"Another siren?" I asked.

"Human." Mason nodded. "One of Alex's favorites."

"What?" I stopped him from walking. "Aren't all humans mated?"

"Er…" Mason scratched his head and looked around. "…Ethan really should explain that to you."

"Screw Ethan!" I stomped my foot. "He isn't here. You are."

The air around me crackled with warmth. Ethan.

"Hmm…" Ethan's smooth voice danced across the back of my neck. "Miss me that much, Genesis?"

Slowly, I turned and came face to face with sheer beauty. I couldn't look away even if I tried. His green eyes glowed against his smooth skin; long dark eyelashes fanned across his chiseled cheekbones. He was wearing all black — it should have looked ridiculous — a vampire in all black?

It didn't.

Look ridiculous, that was.

He looked edible.

I stepped away from Mason, not because I wanted to, but because my body couldn't help itself.

"Not every human mates… of course, that's been the goal… but we do, at times, make exceptions for some. They want so desperately to be a part of our world that they're willing to do anything to be in it — even if it means they don't mate with an immortal. Getting screwed by one is enough."

"Harsh." Mason coughed.

"You've done your duty, Mason." Ethan looked over my shoulder. "Leave us."

Mason rolled his eyes and walked off.

"His duty?" I repeated.

"Take my arm," Ethan commanded.

"You've ignored me for an entire day, and you want me to take your arm?"

"You're my mate." He said it so simply, so matter-of-factly, that I wanted to punch him across his perfect mouth. "Take my arm, Genesis. You know you want to."

Every cell in my body screamed for me to take his arm and just be done with it, but I didn't want to give in, didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"How was Cassius?" I asked, ignoring his outstretched arm and glancing away from him so I could gather myself.

"Cranky," Ethan hissed. "Like I'm about to be if you don't follow orders."

"Maybe if you said please," I whispered under my breath, "I'd be more likely to do your bidding."