Page 19 of Dark Awakening

Danica has been simmering with moral outrage this whole time but reluctantly concedes to Lucian's unspoken request for discretion. "We just want to ensure this never happens to anyone else," she says carefully.

Lucian turns his sharp gaze on her. "You have my word, it will not," he states firmly, in a tone that brooks no argument. "Now, I believe our business is concluded." He gestures smoothly toward the exit.

Emily opens her mouth to object, but Danica silences her with a pleading look. "Thank you for looking into this," Danica says with strained politeness as they turn to leave.

Once they are out of earshot, Emily whispers furiously, "So we're just trusting him to handle it? We should go to the cops!"

Danica shakes her head tiredly. "Something tells me we should let it be. I don't think the authorities could do what he's going to do." She motions back at Lucian as they walk away.

Danica's warm, sweet scent envelops me, exponentially amplifying my desperate yearning for her. I ache to have her in my arms again, to return to her as her secret admirer shrouded in night. But hesitation claws at me; some primal instinct screams at me—as I have avoided such entanglements for so long out of hard-learned caution.

I do not fully understand what power this woman holds over me. But against my will, she has awakened something unexpectedly profound within my soul.

I must regain tight control, take things slow, and proceed with care rather than let reckless passion rule me. But ironclad patience and prudence must prevail, at least for now. Of one thing, I am increasingly confident—I will see my mesmerizing angel again soon.

Our fates are tethered now, two flames drawn helplessly together by forces beyond reason.

Let the games begin.

Danica

15

Emily peels out of the parking lot, tires squealing. Slumped in my seat, I watch the city flash by, jumbled thoughts swirling. Our suspicions proven.

"Can you believe this shit?" Emily shouts, voice trembling with shock and outrage. I sense her fiery emotions barely contained. "I was—" She starts, but I quickly interject.

"Don't go there, Em. Not yet." The unspoken implication turns my gut.

Emily nods, face grim as she grips the wheel tightly. "And Lucian...can we even trust him?" she questions.

It's a valid concern—because he's still an unknown entity in all this. "What choice do we have? He's a vampire. I'm sure they have more authority than we think."

My thoughts churn, struggling to connect clues—it's a confounding puzzle with missing pieces. But one enigma looms largest—the dark knight who rescued me.

Who is he?

I huff in frustration, dragging my hands through my hair. "This shit is giving me a damn migraine!"

My heart races anxiously as Emily speeds toward my apartment. Everything feels off-kilter, continuity unraveling.

My mind goes back to the guy in Lucian's office—the tall, dark-haired one with piercing blue eyes who said nothing. He stood in the corner, looking intense and mysterious the whole time.

He was hot—serious eye candy. I had to force myself not to keep glancing over at him instead of focusing on the TV.

Something about the strong, silent vibe just sparked my interest. Those bedroom eyes caught my attention.

Emily shakes me out of my thoughts…"Who was that huge guy chatting with Dakota in the footage? He looked scary as hell!"

I'm puzzled, too—why did Lucian cut the footage there? A big, hulking man with shoulder-length silver hair approached Dakota, with Emily passed out in the seat next to him.

Shadow Man’s cryptic warning nags at me. Had he seen Max drug us and followed? Too many questions linger.

"No idea, Em," I reply. "Max and those assholes deserve whatever they got coming to them."

Emily's eyes flash vengefully. "Damn straight!" I give her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. "Whatever happens, I'm here for you."

Emily mentions scheduling a doctor's appointment to be safe after the drugging. "Yes, absolutely," I assure her—no need to explain further.

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