When Marcus was first approached by the Black Gods, he felt like he was finally getting the opportunity to join a household. It had been years since he had any sense of belonging or some kind of household life to fall back on. The worst part was that people thought that just because he came from a wealthy background that he had it easy. Many of his friends growing up would come to his house and remark on the cars or the clothes or the art hanging on the walls. Marcus has it good, they’d say. He doesn’t have to worry about anything. But what they didn’t realize was that all those things meant nothing to Marcus. The house was empty and his parents were gone. And while the lack of parental guidance made his place the prime destination for parties and all other kinds of mischief, it made Marcus’s life feel cold. How long could he stand being alone? It’s not their fault, he would tell himself.