Page 80 of Stalked By Seduction and Shadows

“Am I?”

She pulled back. “Somehow, no.”

I sighed. Of course not. I was just hopelessly entangled with a mass murdering ancient vampire of my own volition.

“You stayed for me?”

Snow’s face contorted with disbelief. “I would’ve stormed the place for you, too.”

Uriah snorted. “I would’ve loved to see you try, Blondie.” His eyes lingered on Snow, casting out a web of unspoken desire.

In return, Snow glared back.

And it was in that moment that I realized how much I loved this witch. Turned out I wasn’t the only one gutsy enough to punch above my own weight class.

“Mom’s probably worried sick,” she said. When she eyed Rune, she had enough self-preservation instinct to at least dampen her hostility. She focused back on me. “You ready to get out of here?”

Rune was at my back, and I felt the unmistakable brush of shadow against my waist.

“I’m going to stay, at least for breakfast,” I said.

Snow’s mouth fell open.

“You can too, if you want,” I hurried.

I glanced up at Rune, expecting him to be hospitable. Instead, I received a blank stare. Because why would I expect anything else?

At my flash of irritation, those beautiful lips finally quirked up.

Snow’s voice broke through the spell of mine and Rune’s locked eyes. “No, I need to get back to them.”

Them. Because Snow didn’t only have her mother, who loved and cared for her daughter beyond words, but she also had her coven. She had a family, one that would hold her tight until the wounds those vampires had left in her mind were closed and healed.

Snow seemed rooted in place, looking from me to Rune defiantly.

“I promise I’m okay,” I said. “You can go.”

Snow took a deep breath, finally unleashing the full brunt of her ire on Aristelle’s vampire ruler. “If you harm her?—”

“Then you can kill me,” Rune said.

All eyes darted to him.

“I’ll hand you the blade.”

While Uriah looked dumbstruck, Mason appeared downright murderous. I was getting the feeling she wasn’t my biggest fan. She could get in line.

The words on Snow’s lips fell away. She hugged me again, searched my eyes one last time, and then mumbled a goodbye before Uriah escorted her to the guarded, heavy and ornate front doors.

In the same moment, four more terrifying vampires entered the hall. All eyes widened at once when they saw Rune’s hand on my back, his body close to mine as his power thrummed.

“As you could imagine, we have several matters that need urgent action, Rune,” Mason said, her arms still crossed and body rigid.

“Was our offering displayed before the Dark Goddess?” Rune asked.

“Yes,” one of the new faces said, struggling to peel his eyes from me to Rune. “One of the blood centers in Talomon was attacked this morning. Religious nonsense was written all over the walls about how Lillian prefers her children to hunt for their food, not be neutered by?—”

“Not here,” Rune clipped.

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