Page 175 of Dark Fate

Glancing at Rhyland, it’s clear he’s a second from going full Viking on Lucian. His knuckles are white, his fists like granite, and there is a storm inside him—the clash between brotherly affection and Lucian crossing another line.

Lucian holds up his hands placatingly. "All right, no harm done. But let me make one thing clear: this whole mishap? Not on my bucket list. Never was, never will be. Understand that."

I study him, searching for deception. Lucian seems sincere. I nod. "Fine. But from now on, keep your vampire mojo to yourself. My head’s off-limits."

"Hey, no arguments here. Trust me, the last thing I want is a front-row seat to the Rhyland and Dani show."

I roll my eyes but can't help the small smile. Even in a crisis, Lucian can't resist being a smartass.

Moving to practical matters, I look at Lucian. "Give me a phone, please. I need to connect with Emily and Damon—they're probably climbing the walls by now. I’m itching to talk to my bestie." My life hit pause, and for all I know, my apartment's a spider haven, Emily’s a cat lady, and my brother… well, who knows? Time’s a weird beast.

Lucian, ever the dramatic benefactor, sends a phone spinning my way. "Catch," he calls. Reflexes don’t fail me, and I grasp the device.

The phone is an enigma, cold and sleek—past meets future. It’s like Apple’s finest, given steroids and sorcery.

Realization shivers down my spine as I turn it in my hands. Time has been a trickster, warping and stretching. Now, this gizmo makes me realize just how far reality has pitched forward.

"Thanks," I say, thumbing through to dial Emily’s number, praying to the gods of unchanged contact info. The line trills, "Come on, come on, pick up," I mutter, heart hammering. Another ring, "Please..."

Two more rings—then, a familiar voice, "Hello?"

"Emily!"

Rhyland

80

Iwanted nothing more than to punish her for the secret she'd tried to hide from me—for the way she'd nearly kept it all buried if it wasn't for me pushing the damn issue. The fact that Lucian had been the one to creep into her head, pulling off that unauthorized telepathic bullshit, has me on the goddamn edge.

I lock eyes with Lucian, gaze fierce, as I stand over the chaos of his desk. Tension coils in my jaw, tight and ready to snap. "You never should've given her your blood," I growl. "Even if Dani were on death's fucking doorstep, we could've found another path. You don't have a damn clue what kind of fallout this might trigger."

Lucian flashes his patented 'I don't give a fuck' grin, lounging back in his chair, "Well, excuse me for not wanting to watch her kick the bucket. How was I supposed to know she had a one-way ticket to the pearly gates? I did what any devastatingly handsome and heroic vampire would do in that situation. And as for the whole mate thing, I tried to wait for you, bro. Knowing full well the possible outcome."

His careless jabs, designed to get under my skin, hit their mark. I can feel the beast inside me clawing to the surface, desperate to tear into him. "She's not your fucking responsibility, Lucian. You sticking your nose in could screw things up in ways you can't even imagine. You have no goddamn clue what this could mean."

Lucian's eyes gleam with mischief as he takes in my growing irritation. "Whoa there, Captain Overreaction! Are you seriously getting your panties in a bunch over a little bit of my blood? In case you haven't noticed, Dani is head over heels for you, you giant meathead. She's your mate, not some timeshare. So how about you dial back the possessive alpha male routine and realize that I'm not trying to put the moves on your girl? What happened tonight was a freak accident, plain and simple. It won't happen again."

That comment Dani dropped has my blood boiling. "Then why the hell would she say you're jealous, Lucian? What's got her thinking—or feeling that shit—with you, huh?"

Lucian pauses, carefully considering his next words. "Listen, I'm not entirely sure what Dani may have felt or heard, but there's a part of me that is... jealous. Not of you specifically, but of what you two have together. That connection, that bond... it's the kind of thing every vampire dreams of finding someday—a mate to call their own, you know?"

I understand it's the insane twist none of us could've ever imagined. But now, here I stand, with the love of my goddamn life—my mate. It's what every one of us bloodsuckers hopes for, that one soul who can hold back the beast inside.

"So how about you climb down off your high horse and cut me some slack, you overgrown man-child," he says, rolling his eyes. "I'm not trying to steal your girl. That's not how I roll."

He's on the money. I've gotta rein in the rage, quit obsessing over bullshit that's dead in the water. Yet, this whole mate circus is uncharted territory, and my gut-deep protective streak for Dani ain't gonna quit. Lucian already stepped over the line once with intent, but this round was instinctual—I get that. "Good. Remember, you're skating on thin fucking ice from round one, Lucian. Just wanna drill it into your head so you're damn clear on my take."

Lucian waves his hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, got it. Message received loud and clear, chief."

Feeling the edge slip away, I sink into a chair and drag a hand down my face, the tension slowly easing out of my muscles.

Lucian smirks, "One more thing, big guy. I'm not just gonna sit on my ass and watch Dani go down in flames; you've got another thing coming. I've got a built-in 'damsel in distress' radar, and when it goes off, I'm not gonna let your possessive caveman bullshit stop me from swooping in to save the day. Capiche?"

Lucian leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his eyes locked on me. "She means something to me, too, even if she's not my mate. I'll keep her safe whether you like it or not."

The itch to vault over this desk and put Lucian in his place in the pecking order is damn near irresistible. I grit my teeth hard, pulling back the tidal wave of anger. "This shit ain't a game, Lucian. Consider this a fucking warning—watch your step." The words rumble out, a snarl cloaked in a veneer of control, a threat lurking right under the skin.

Lucian scoffs, half exasperated and half amused. "Dude, you've got more trust issues than a politician at a polygraph test. Dani needs all the backup she can get, and if you can't count on your own brothers, who the hell can you count on? Seriously, take a chill pill, alright?"

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