Page 70 of Dark Fate

"Sonuvabitch!" he grunts, stumbling back a step, his hand going to his ribs. Pride surges through me at drawing first blood, so to speak, a fierce joy that's almost primal in its intensity.

Of course, I should've known better than to let my guard down, even for a moment. In a heartbeat, Rhyland recovers and charges back like an enraged bull, his fists thunderous pistons loaded with enough force to shatter bone.

I duck and dodge, curving away from the onslaught with a dancer's grace. Still, he's inexorable, driving me back toward the treeline with a relentless fury that's both terrifying and exhilarating.

A vicious punch wings past my ear with a whistle of displaced air, close enough to ruffle my hair. Rhyland crowds me, his body a solid wall of corded muscle and Viking ferocity, his eyes blazing with a savage light that sends shivers down my spine.

I feint left, then cut right, aiming desperately for his face with a slashing blow that would lay open any normal man's cheek to the bone. But Rhyland is no normal man, and he bats my blade aside like an annoying gnat, a dismissive gesture that only fuels my determination.

And then, with a savage grunt, he's on me, his body slamming into mine with the force of a freight train. We crash together, all tangled limbs and savage grappling, our breaths mingling in harsh pants as we struggle for dominance.

His iron grip captures my wrists, holding them apart as I struggle against his superior strength, my muscles screaming with effort. Our faces are bare inches apart, my breaths coming in ragged gasps that fan across his chiseled cheeks, his eyes boring into mine with an intensity that steals the air from my lungs.

"Not...bad..." he rumbles, his voice a low growl that vibrates through my bones. "But I'm still holding back, baby."

"Oh yeah?" I bare my teeth in a feral grin, my heart pounding with a fierce, savage joy. "Well, I'm not."

And with that, I call upon that blossoming power within me, that strange and wondrous gift that's become as much a part of me as my own heartbeat. I feel the world downshift around me, time slowing to a viscous trickle as my senses expand outward, taking in every detail with crystal clarity.

Rhyland's crushing grip now moves at a snail's pace, his preternatural speed rendered impotent by my newfound abilities. With almost languid ease, I twist free of his grasp and whirl behind him, a ghost slipping through the frozen flow of combat.

As the moment reasserts itself, I drive my elbow toward the base of Rhyland's spine with every ounce of momentum I can muster, putting my body's full force and power behind the blow.

He jolts forward with a surprised grunt, staggering away as the world returns to its normal speed, his hand reaching the small of his back. Whirling to face me, disbelief wars with delight across those chiseled features, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and admiration.

"Well, shit!" The curse is tinged with a breathless laugh. "Where'd you pick up that nifty little trick?" Rhyland shakes his head, a rueful chuckle escaping his lips. "Damn, woman," he says, his voice tinged with a fierce pride that warms me to my core. "You never cease to amaze me."

I blow a stray lock of hair from my eyes, grinning at his reaction. "Just one of my many talents, babe. You should see what else I can do."

"Oh, I can't wait." Rhyland shakes off the momentary shock, hunger flaring in those azure depths as he stalks toward me again, his movements low and coiled like a panther.

Our dance resumes with fevered intensity, attacks and counterattacks unfolding in a lethal ballet—the kind that could only exist between two warriors so intimately attuned. I channel that strange power, manipulating time to eke out the slimmest advantages, while Rhyland counters with sheer ferocity and preternatural reflexes honed over centuries of combat.

We're both gasping, sweat-slicked bodies glistening as we batter against each other's defenses. Yet there's an electric undercurrent, a primal tension that has nothing to do with our spar.

With a well-timed pivot, I manage to slip inside Rhyland's reach. My dagger flashes up in a decisive arc, the razor edge drawing a thin line of crimson against the sculpted plane of his chest.

He hisses through his teeth, more in surprise than pain, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second. I freeze for a beat, regretting my savage intent, wondering if I've gone too far or pushed too hard.

But then his lips curve in a slow, predatory smile, and the hunger in his gaze robs me of breath, stealing the air from my lungs and the thoughts from my head.

"Well, well..." That velvet rumble caresses me like a physical touch, sending shivers of anticipation down my spine. "Looks like my Angel has some fire after all."

I open my mouth to reply, to toss back some witty retort or sassy comeback, but any words die stillborn as Rhyland closes the gap between us in a blink, his body a blur of speed and strength.

My daggers clatter to the ground, forgotten, as his powerful arms sweep me against that roped expanse of muscle and scorching skin, his heat enveloping me like a furnace.

Our mouths clash in a searing kiss that tastes of desperation and desire, of passion and promise, and something deeper that smolders with the promise of so much more. I melt into him, yielding beneath the onslaught of sensation—the slick heat of his tongue, the dizzying taste of him, the merciless strength that pins me immobile yet threatens to unravel me from the inside out.

When we finally part, I'm dizzy and reeling, my head spinning and my heart pounding like a drum. Rhyland's forehead rests against mine, his breaths coming in harsh pants that mirror my own ragged gasps for air, our chests heaving in unison.

"I've got you," he rumbles softly, his voice a low chord strummed just for me, a promise and a prayer all in one.

And I hear the layers in those words, the silent promise that stretches far beyond our playful skirmish and into love, loyalty, and connection. A promise that says he'll always be there and always have my back, no matter what challenges we may face.

I give his chest a playful shove, hamming up the drama with mock annoyance that clashes with the grin I can't hide.

"So it seems," I admit, even as I fight to suppress a smile, my lips twitching with the effort. "But only because you cheated with vampire speed."

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