Page 149 of Dark Fate

"Yo, you still breathing down there, or has the allure of the underworld finally seduced you into its cold, clammy embrace?"Lucianshouts, the sound bouncing off the walls like a drunk acrobat on a trampoline. "Give us a sign if you haven’t kicked the proverbial bucket yet, or I’m calling dibs on your worldly possessions! Finder’s keepers and all that happy horseshit."

From our unintended landing spot, I raise my voice, "I swear to god,Lucian, if you touch my stuff, I’ll haunt your undead ass for all eternity!" I holler back, my voice echoing through the cavern like a pissed-off banshee on steroids. "And for the record, we’re still very much alive, you asshat."

"About what?"Rhyland’s tone is a mix of confusion and vulnerability. He tugs gently, bringing me back down to his steady frame, his hand brushing my hair from my face—his gaze locking with mine in search of clarity.

Nestled atop him again, I take a deep breath and launch into the tale of my heavenly intervention and the Atherite stone’s enchantment. "So, it turns out the new stone blessed me with a bit of an upgrade," I start, with a knowing look that says 'brace yourself.'

I divulge everything—the glowing power of the Atherite Stone, its healing capacities, and my newfound connection to it. His eyes reflect every facet of the story, a mix of incredulity and dawning awareness as the pieces fall into place. "Basically, I’m not as fragile as I used to be."

"And you figure now is the goddamn time to tell me this?" he shoots back sharply.

Everything happened so damn fast when I was given a celestial Uber back toRhyland. "I know…I know. But with everything that happened once I was brought back, it literally slipped my mind—I was going to tell you, but..." My voice trails off, the excuse sounding feeble even to my ears.

After all, how often does one get a divine lift to the heavens and angelic upgrades?

I searchRhyland’s face for a hint of understanding, hoping he’ll grasp the chaotic whirlwind that upended any chance for a proper debrief. It’s not every day you get handed a heavenly lifeline, and you’d think someone might cut me some slack for not shouting it from the rooftops the second I touched down.

Rhyland’s silence stretches out, his eyes devouring mine, but it is broken instantly. His lips crash against mine with an urgency that steals my breath away. It’s like he’s pouring every ounce of frustration and relief into the kiss, a silent conversation between our hearts that words can’t capture.

"You drive me fucking crazy,kära," he murmurs, pulling back just enough to let the words tumble out, a growl threaded with vehement passion. "You know that?" Without waiting for an answer, he claims my lips again, more fiercely this time, and I respond with equal ferocity, our kiss becoming a battleground of raw emotion. "Fucking crazy. I want to punish you for what you do to me," his words dance between breathless kisses, each one landing like a spark on dry tinder.

With every searing kiss, I’m spelling out silent apologies and declarations of love, a torrent of pent-up feelings being released in how our lips move together.

Rhyland’s voice is a raging roar of emotions. "You fucking push me to my limits, woman. Disobey my every command, make me go mad with worry." His fingers grip tightly in my hair. "My goddamn heart belongs to you, and you’re the only one who can make my damn cock ache like no other—all at the same time."

His eyes lock onto mine, fierce and aflame, each syllable a testament to his unguarded truth—a cocktail of frustration, fear, love, and overpowering attraction that I seem to stir up within him effortlessly. With every word, his grip tightens as if he could merge our very beings to quell the storm of feelings I evoke.

There’s a thrill, a delicious sense of power in knowing I can melt this formidable, age-old Viking vampire into a puddle of longing with just the right amount of teasing and defiance. Yet, in equal measure, there’s a profound comfort in his dominance, a heady desire for the strength and protection his vampire nature so ardently provides. This dynamic, a dance of push and pull, makes us who we are—two halves of a passionate, fiery whole.

I can see the storm of emotions in his deep blue eyes, the tempest of fury and betrayal tied toAdrian's actions.

"I know you’re mad at me aboutAdrian," I start cautiously but determined. "But I truly believe he can help us—redeem himself. I love you, and I’m sorry for going against—"

I manage to sputter, but the rest of my confession gets cut off as he takes my words hostage with his lips again.

"Do me a favor and shut that pretty mouth,Angel," he murmurs in a low rumble, lips brushing against mine.

His kisses are a force of nature, a relentless tempest that hijacks my senses. It’s a full-on, no-holds-barred assault that doesn’t waste time with flowery speeches or long-winded declarations. Nope, it’s all about the raw, pulsating desire and an unspoken 'I know' seared into every sizzling touch.

I can readRhylandlike an open book—he's not the type to hold grudges or stay mad at me for long. He’s more of an 'actions speak louder than words' kind of guy, and right now, his actions are screaming, 'I can’t keep my hands off you, and I don't give a damn about our little tiff.' It’s clear that fighting with me is way down on his list of priorities, somewhere between watching paint dry and attending a snail race. He’d much rather channel all that pent-up energy into more...pleasurable pursuits.

"No apologies. And believe me,Angel; your ass is in for some serious punishment,"Rhylanddelivers the promise with unmistakable authority, leaving no room for argument.

Before I can retort—

"Hate to be the proverbial turd in the punchbowl, lovebirds, but the rest of us up here are slowly morphing into goddamn ice sculptures while you two are busy making goo-goo eyes at each other!"Lucianshouts down, the sound echoing through the cavern like a smartass yodel. "Any chance we could crash this little lovefest, or is it a strictly VIP affair reserved for the horizontally inclined?"

I can practically hear the smirk in his voice as he continues, "Also, exactly how deep is this little love grotto of yours? Just trying to gauge whether I need to fetch a ladder or a fucking bungee cord to join the party."

Rhylandgroans, burying his face in the crook of my neck. "I swear, one of these days, I’m going to strangle him with his own intestines," he mutters, his breath hot against my skin.

"Get in line, babe," I chuckle, pressing a quick kiss to his temple before reluctantly untangling myself from his embrace. "Looks like we've got company, whether we like it or not."

"It’s a damn stone’s throw away,"Rhylandbarks out.

I crane my neck to peek at the gap we’d plunged through, channeling a beam of my light upward to gauge the distance what I’d optimistically estimated as a stone’s throw stacks up to forty feet. That’s a mini cliff, but I bet it’s practically a hop, skip, and a casual leap for a vampire.

Lucian,Erik, andAdriandrop in with thuds that scream 'action heroes.' They carryFaderynandAxilya, aiming for tough but probably scoring a perfect ten in unintentional comedy.

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