Emma softened her voice and asked him, "Did that make you feel any better?" She knew Lucien was faking it, but looking at that expression and the way he gazed at her, she just couldn't bring herself to get mad. Lucien took her hand without missing a beat and lifted it to his lips. He brushed a slow kiss over her fingertips. The warm, damp touch shot up her nerves like a spark and made her chest tighten for a second. "Emma." His voice dropped even lower, rougher. "This… isn't enough." Before she could say anything, he guided her hand down from his steady chest, letting it slide lower. "Like this. This would help." Emma had no words. He really is a fae. Lucien pushed himself upright and pressed a soft kiss to the curve of her ear. "Emma, I pretended to be sick tonight and made you leave with me before the bonfire even ended. Are you mad at me?" The old Lucien would never have pulled something like that. It wasn't proper, nor was it polite. The old him would've stepped in the second Marcus and Calum gave Alaric trouble, joked with him a bit, then, after the bonfire ended, he would've handed Emma back to Calum or Marcus without hesitation. The next morning, Emma woke to a faint tickle across her face. She frowned in her sleep and reached up to swat at whatever was bothering her, only for her wrist to be caught midair. A moment later, something warm and soft brushed her lips. "Lucien, stop," Emma grumbled, lifting a hand to shove him away. They had been up way too late, and she was still exhausted. She just wanted a little more sleep. The second she said it, he didn't move back. He only tightened his grip on her wrist. "Mmh…" Before Emma could even process what was happening, his mouth crashed onto hers. The kiss hit her with a cold edge and stole every breath she had, as if he meant to swallow her whole. Is that… Marcus' scent? Emma's eyes snapped open and locked onto a pair of silver-gray ones.Marcus' gaze was heavy with jealousy. He let go of her for a moment, then his cool fingers gently pinched her chin. "Ms. Tibarn, do you recognize me now?" After seeing Marcus, Emma froze, a mix of shock and surprise washing over her. She whipped her head around the room, making sure she was still in her and Lucien's room. "Marcus, what are you doing here?" Her eyes widened as she stared at the man holding her so tightly. "Where's Lucien?" Did Lucien ask Marcus to come over? Is he back to normal? Marcus shot Emma a look full of quiet anger. Hearing her first words after waking up being all about Lucien instead of him made something twist in his chest. He felt stupidly hurt by how fast she reached for another man's name. He locked an arm around her waist and held her so tight it felt like he wanted to press her straight into his bones. His voice came out rough and accusing. "Ms. Tibarn, when you're with me, you don't get to bring up someone else." His lashes dropped, those long silver strands hiding the storm in his eyes and leaving only a fragile shadow behind. "All you remember is Lucien. He kept you away from me for days. You really didn't miss me at all?" Little wolf is getting jealous and sulking already. Emma pulled him into her arms right away and tried to soothe him. "I missed you. Of course I did." "You're lying." Marcus lifted his head. His silver gray eyes locked on hers, heavy and hurt. "When I kissed you just now, you said Lucien's name." The more he talked, the more frustrated he sounded. His arms tightened around her waist, holding on like he was afraid she would slip away. "You did not even notice it was me. You did not care about me at all." "I do care about you." Emma hurried to explain when she saw how sad and annoyed he looked. "I was half asleep. My head was a mess, and I did not realize someone else was next to me. I thought it was still Lucien." Marcus did not look convinced. His voice carried that slight, wounded edge. "Fine. Suppose you were not fully awake and didn't realize it was me. What about after that?" He pressed on. "You saw me, but you still did not care. You only asked about Lucien."Emma felt sweat breaking out along her back. Being the peacemaker between these men is absolutely a full-time job. She looked at Marcus and continued to explain. "I was not ignoring you. You know Lucien has not been stable lately. I asked about him first because I was scared something happened to him." When she finished, Emma cupped Marcus' face and met his eyes with a steady, earnest look. "Marcus, I swear. Every one of you matters to me just the same." Before he could argue again, Emma leaned in and kissed his slightly pursed lips. "I never stopped caring about you. You have no idea how happy I was when you and Calum walked in to find me. I know you have all been worried about me. I missed you too. I missed all of you."