Page 94 of Burn for Her

Damnit. Dorian was never going to escape this doom. Maybe he deserved to be stuck with it. If he’d had more courage when he was a kid, maybe he’d have more dignity now.

“I hope you’re rotting in Hell, you fucking bastard.” Dorian stepped back from his old stomping grounds and flashed back to Lena before he finished the job he started three centuries ago and set his sorry ass on fire once and for all.

He might die today from his curse, but he’d be damned if he was going to burn to ashes here among the ghosts of his past.

Chapter 30

Dorian landed back in the bedroom he left Lena in.

“Oh my God!” She screeched and ran at him. He caught her in his arms and stumbled back. Still dizzy from his flash, he clung to her tightly, as if she could help keep his scattered ass tethered to solid ground. “I’m so sorry if that scared you.”

Whatever feral, possessive, visceral energy rode him so hard earlier fizzled out. So had the pain. Dorian figured it was a combo of his need to turn and mate his alakhai, and the king’s pure blood in Dorian’s system now mingling with Lena’s.

That’s some powerful stuff right there.

“I thought we lost you!” She nearly choked him with how hard she squeezed.

“I thought we lost me too.” He half-chuckled and looked over to see Emily scowling at him. “Seems I learned a new trick.”

Emily frowned back. “Where’d you land?”

“The old place.”

Emily’s eyes widened. She knew where he was talking about. “On purpose?”

“Not sure. I had too much roaring in me with Lena and then I felt this burning and panicked. Next thing I know, I’m standing where the shack used to be.”

Emily stuffed her hands in her back pockets. “You’re full of surprises lately, Reaper.”

Dorian set Lena down and kissed her forehead before turning to Emily. “I can’t help any of this, Em. You know I—”

“I know,” she said, cutting him off. Glancing at Lena, Emily gave her a once over before saying, “I’m going to hang with the others tonight and give you two privacy. Do me a favor, Dorian.” She squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled angrily, “Don’t scare us like that again. Turn her, mate her… whatever it is you vamps do for your mates, do it so we don’t have another heart attack thinking you turned to ashes next time, okay, asshole?” She shoved past them, knocking Dorian on the shoulder as she left.

Lena’s chin trembled. “She was just as scared as I was. I think she’s in love with you.”

“She’s just lonely and confused right now. Tonight’s festivities aren’t helping her mood.”

Lena wasn’t buying it. “Do you love her?”

“As a sister,” he admitted. “We were never romantic. I can’t even imagine how that would have gone over if we even tried to be lovers.” He visibly shivered. “Emily just gets like this every time there’s a ceremony. She debated on doing it this time. Talked to me about it last week to see if I’d come support her.” He saw jealousy burning in Lena’s eyes. The last thing Dorian wanted was for them to not get along. Emily was precious to him and Lena was too. Dorian didn’t know what he’d do if they weren’t friends. “She and I have always followed the same motto… No soul mates.”

“Ever?”

He shook his head. Damn, he was such a hypocrite right now. But it couldn’t be helped.

“Marie wants her to settle down and have kids, but she won’t.”

“Wouldn’t she need to find her mate first before all that?”

“In a perfect world, sure.” Dorian shrugged. “But our world is far from perfect. She can love anyone. Have kids with another Lycan. But…”

“If she found her mate later, her husband would be kicked to the side.”

“Yeah. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone.”

Lena let that sink in for a minute. “And… what about vampires? Same rules?”

“Mmm hmm. But we’re colder creatures. We’d rather have pleasure than partnership.”

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