Marli scurried down the hall with about as much grace as a limp giraffe, her ratty hair was falling from the bun that she concealed it in and the dishes she held were just threatening to topple over and shatter one by one. Finally she regained her footing and stood straight, holding the dishes, they seemed a lot lighter now, though she didn’t know why at first, it then came to her. The red-headed klutz maid peeked out from behind the massive stack of dishes that loomed high above her to realize that a strong and handsome master of the house was holding the dishes she was about to ruin. 
“Marli…” Ben smirked at the petite girl standing before him. His voice chimed through the halls and the way the very light british accent charmingly made each word sound so much more elegant than it may have been was enough to make any girl shudder.

Marli looked up at him and batted her long eyelashes. “Yes, Ben?” She meekly stammered.

“Oh cut the act, Marli, we’re alone.” He said as he set the plates near a cupboard. After his fiancee left the house to go shopping, he only had one thing on his mind, Marli. The maid had always appealed to him for some reason, neither of them understood why they were both so strongly drawn to eachother, but they didn’t care. Marli’s eyes fluttered open as she looked back into the aqua eyes of the aristocratic blue blood before her. 

“What if she hears us? The mistr-” Her whispering was suddenly stopped by a kiss sealed upon her lips. 

“Tonight, you’re my mistress. She won’t be back for a while…” He said as he kissed along her neck. The blood rushed beneath her sunkissed skin and she tried to remain calm, she knew this was wrong, but why didn’t it feel that way? “Because she’s not at all the one I was meant to be with…” He whispered as he brought his head up slowly.

“How is it you can always read my mind like that?” She said as she intertwined her fingers into his hair. 

“Because I’m something else.” He said with a smirk, he was a cocky one, but that only drew her to him more. Little did Marli know, he wasn’t entirely lying. He wanted to tell her so badly, but how could he? He was an angel, a fallen angel, but still an angel. Benjamin Sinclaire was really Azibeel, the fallen angel sent to earth to mate with human women. But after he met Marli, just an ordinary human girl, he couldn’t bring himself to mate with anyone, not even his partner, Evangeline, or Armaita. Something just wasn’t right. 

“Of course you are.” She chuckled and kissed him again. Ben opened his eyes slightly and noticed a mark just behind her ear, something that wasn’t right. 

“Marli. Get away from me.” He detatched himself from her and backed up.

“What?” She said, confused by his sudden change of heart. “What is it?” She became worried from the expression of terror he had on his face. This hadn’t happened before, what was going on?

“Marli, get out of this house, right now.” His eyes went from blue to dark blood red in a matter of seconds. 

“Not until you tell me what’s going on.” She said sternly. 

“Are you disobeying your master?” He growled, his dark side was coming out. This wouldn’t be good, his wings could sprout any second and he would destroy everything. Marli didn’t back down. Ben only wanted her to be safe, but that mark, that cursed sign that embellished her body would only kill her. If the mark did then it would be painful and slow, torturous even. But if he were to kill her…

“Ben, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on!” Marli’s hands curled into fists. Suddenly he approached her and put his hand behind her neck. 

“Don’t worry my love, this won’t be too painful.” He whispered and then bit into the side of her neck where the mark was placed. She yelped in agony and he let her drop to the floor as the blood began to pool onto the carpet. 

“We’re all safe now…” He said coldly and threw his hat over her face.