Page 7 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Seven

“If it makes it go faster,” Ethan grumbles. “You, Alex?”

“Blood.” Alex sighs. “So messy. Plus, Mason’s already behind the bar pouring drinks because we’re taking too long, bro.” He looks at Tarek. “Don’t you work here?”

Timber sighs. “I’ll go help. You guys deal with this. Don’t make a mess, and let me know when I need to guide him to the Underworld. Haven’t been in a few months. Kind of miss—” He stops talking. “My brother.” And now, this is where I faint as Horus, God of the Sky, just nonchalantly walks into the bar with his bleach-blond hair, gorgeous, chiseled face, ripped jeans, and no shirt.

Timber points at the sign. “No shirt, no service.”

Horus walks over to one of the frozen dancing humans, grabs the guy’s shirt from him, and puts it on. “Better?”

“Animal.” Timber laughs.

Horus just shrugs. “What sort of party am I missing? I thought it was weekly guys’ night. I’ve been busy, and that vampire looks ready to shit his pants. You good, bro?”

The vampire who attacked me actually starts peeing himself. I almost laugh, except I’m also terrified. I can’t look away from the tattoo on Horus’s face that tells everyone in existence just how powerful he is,whathe is, and what he’s capable of.

“I think…” Cassius locks eyes with me. “I say we let her have some fun, take back what was stolen, and go have a drink.”

“Yup.” The rest of them walk by.

All but Horus, who stops by my side and leans down at least a foot and a half. “Break his heart, and I’ll break you.”

I start to shake. “T-the vampire?”

His lips are so close to my ear I can feel the heat from them. “No. The werewolf. Trust me when I say he’s more tender than you think, and he’s like my brother. Mark my words, if you harm him, you won’t even remember getting your limbs ripped fromyour body.” He squeezes my shoulder and walks off. “What beer’s on tap?”

Tarek sighs next to me, still holding me. “He’s been very dramatic since he found out his wife is pregnant. Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite—I mean, not like Ethan does. Or me. I don’t think my bite is extremely hard in general, but—” I point at the vampire trying to escape through the door. “Oh, sorry. Yeah, be right back. But”—he backs up—”before I catch him, do you like, want him dead before or after you suck? I can prepare him any way. Might have been a chef in another life, who knows?”

My jaw drops. “Um.”

“Never mind.” God, his wink is gorgeous. “Be right back. Grab a napkin because you’re about to suck him dry—compliments of the chef.”

I barely see him move through the open door before he’s back, and the vampire’s on his knees in front of me, getting drug through the bar and into the back office.

I follow, slowly.

Tarek releases him, then hits him across the face to make sure he’s out. “All yours, pretty little demon. Better you feed on him than me.”

“Why’s that?” I ask in a small voice.

Tarek leans down until we’re face-to-face. “Because at the end of the day, I truly don’t think you can handle me, little girl.” He pats me on the head and shuts the door, only to crack it open again. “Oh, and try not to make a mess. I really like my couch.”

Chapter Three

Tarek

“Don’t.” I wipe the bar top. “Timber left to go hang out with his wife after one drink since he literally can’t get drunk unless it’s off her, and you guys are all staring at me like I have a billion heads.”

Cassius is the first to lean back in his chair, arms crossed in his perfectly pressed suit and looking pissed—like he does at least ninety percent of the time. Or maybe he’s just perplexed about how he ended up with the job of taking care of all of usandhumanity. Jury’s still out. “Did she really suck on you?”

Alex chokes on his beer and looks away, wiping a small drip from his chin. “I feel like that’s a super personal question to ask, but I, too, want to know what happened. And not that I’m like,hey, give us details, but also…” He leans in with a grin. “Give us details. Feel free to leave nothing out.”

“Three.” Ethan chimes in.

“Four,” Mason says from behind me.

“Oh, yeah.” Horus holds up his hand. “Five. Sorry, forgot to have an opinion. But you know, this could be good for you, give up the TikTok, dating apps, the constant one-night stands where you bang against the wall over and over again, and I wake up to screaming—” He looks up. “Sorry, was that an overshare? I forget sometimes.” He stares at all the expressions of annoyance, mine included. “Oh, please. I’ve been in modern times for like a year. I get a free pass. You know, like when you play Monopoly.” He waves us off.

Ethan sighs. “You know we can’t play anymore now that we’re all married, and the women are too competitive. I lost somany properties last time, and dumbshit over there just threw the board.”

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