Page 163 of Dark Fate

Lucian leans against the bookshelf like he's posing for some magazine, that infuriating smirk of his plastered across his face like a neon sign screaming, "I'm an asshole; ask me how!"

"For the love of FUCK and praise be to whatever sadistic deity finally decided to take pity on me," he drawls, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If I have to spend one more second prancing around this Lisa Frank fever dream of a wonderland, I was going to shove a fucking pixie stick so far up my ass; I'd be shitting glitter for a week."

He pushes off the shelf, sauntering to us with that trademarkLucianswagger. "But hey, at least now I can finally get back to the comforting embrace of civilization, where the only magical creatures I have to deal with are the crackheads behind the 7-Eleven and the occasional stripper with daddy issues."

I roll my eyes so hard I'm pretty sure I strain something. "Oh, cry me a river,Lucian. You act like you're the only one who's had to deal with this bullshit. News flash, jerkface, we're all in the same boat here."

He shrugs that infuriating smirk, which never leaves his face. "All I'm saying is, if we could wrap this up sometime before the heat death of the universe, that would be fan-fucking-tastic. I've got a bar to run and a reputation as a snarky asshole to maintain, you know."

Despite the gravity of the situation, I can't help but snort at his tirade, shaking my head in a mix of amusement and exasperation. Leave it toLucianto find a way to bitch about our world-saving mission like it's a minor inconvenience.

"Careful,Lucian," I warn, my lips twitching with barely suppressed laughter. "Keep talking like that, and people might start to think you actually care about something other than yourself."

"Bite your tongue,Princess," he retorts, clutching at his chest in mock offense. "I'll have you know that I am a deeply complex and multi-faceted individual with a wide range of interests and concerns."

He pauses, his brow furrowing in thought. "They just happen to mostly revolve around booze, sex, and being a pain in everyone's ass."

I can't help it; I burst out laughing, the absurdity of the whole situation finally getting to me. Here we are, on the brink of a catastrophe that could destroy everything we know and love, andLucian's still finding a way to make it all about him.

Erik frowns, crossing his arms. "Are you certain returning now is wise? Azrael will surely follow us."

I shoot Erik a grin, amped up and raring to go. "I'm banking on it. Luminara's got no shot at patching things up with that jackass running loose. We gotta punt his ass back through the portal—one-way ticket style."

No time to lose, I grab some vials of my O-neg elixir forErik,Lucian, andAdrian.

"Drink up, boys," I say, passing out the vials.

Rhyland's eyes blaze with fury when I offer a vial to Adrian. "Absolutely not," he snarls. "That traitorous piece of shit doesn't deserve an ounce of your blood after what he did."

Rhyland is scowling like a thundercloud, grumbling about me givingAdriana vial. It's like dealing with a grumpy toddler.

Rolling my eyes, I place my hands on my hips, ready to dish out some sass. "You've got to be kidding me. Your brother's about as flammable as a gas station, and I'm not about to turn this trip into an episode of 'Vampire Roasts.' Give him the blood so we can get out of here without unnecessary barbecue sessions."

"Fuck that," Rhyland spits. "Let the bastard burn. I warned you what would happen if you crossed me—over him again," he says, motioning to Adrian.

"Oh, please, give it a rest!" I retort as I meet Rhyland's gaze head-on. "You don't get a say in what I do with my blood, big guy. Since when did you become the blood police, huh? Newsflash: I'm a grown-ass woman, and I can make my own decisions—including whom I give a vial of blood to."

Rhyland steps closer, eyes burning with dominance. "Keep running that smart mouth, and you'll regret it later, Angel. I keep my promises, remember?"

I stand my ground, eyes locked on Rhyland, refusing to be intimidated. "Are you seriously trying to threaten me over a tiny vial of my blood?" I say with a sarcastic smirk. "Because that's, like, the most vampirey thing ever. I'm still waiting for you to break out into a dramatic cape twirl. Give me a sec; my popcorn's in the microwave."

Lucianlaughs behind me, "Oh, yes, please. Do the cape twirl! And while you're at it, why don't you throw in a 'I vant to suck your blood' in your best Transylvanian accent?"

Rhyland's eyes narrow dangerously, his jaw clenching with barely restrained irritation. "You two think this is a fucking game?" He snarls, his voice low and threatening. "It's a promise, baby." Rhyland's voice drops an octave. "You're playing a dangerous game defying me like this."

The air between us grows thick, practically crackling with tension as neither of us backs down.Rhyland's eyes blaze that unmistakable shade of vibrant blue—a warning sign that he's reached his breaking point. My heart races, and I struggle to suppress my arousal. I'm still wound up from his damn edging game.

Dammit, why does this alpha-hole behavior make me hot? I must be certifiably insane, but I'm not about to let him see that. I take a deep breath, willing to stay calm and keep my game face on.

With a huff of frustration, I cave and shove the vial back into my bag. "Fine, you overbearing ass. You win this round," I grumble, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

Rhylandcan't hide his triumphant smirk, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to punch it right off his face. Oh, I'll find a way to make him pay for this later. But let's be honest; I'm pretty much screwed when it comes to going up against this sexy-as-sin vampire.

He's got me outmatched in every way—strength, speed, and centuries of experience. But one thing's for sure: there's nothing sexier than a powerful man who knows how to get under my skin. Now, how do I turn this weakness into an advantage? It's time to devise a plan to make this immortal bad boy eat his words and maybe some humble pie.

Rhylandswings his menacing glare towardsAdrian. "Take this as a goddamn warning if you even entertain thoughts of double-crossing us again. You're lucky we are even taking you with us."

Adrian looks up from his book, resignation etched into his features. "It's okay, Dani," he says softly. "Don't worry about it." ignoring Rhyland's threats.

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