Page 16 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness

Lazily, Vlad glanced over to find the wolf-shifter standing in the open doorway of the cell, a smug look on his face.

Vlad was about to tell him where he could shove his commentary when Ponytail Girl sank her fangs into his neck and ground against him. Pleasure slammed through Vlad and a breathy moan came from him as he held Ponytail Girl to him.

Lucian tossed his head back and laughed loudly.

Ponytail Girl sucked on Vlad’s neck, drinking blood from his vein as she continued to grind on him. She tensed and her legs tightened on his waist as her sucking drew deeper.

“What are we laughing about?” asked Katarina. “Did the White Wolf take another chunk out of you?”

“Look. Our legendary master has been undone by a mere fledgling,” said Lucian.

Katarina entered the cell, sniffed the air, her gaze taking in the situation. Her eyes flashed with black and then red a second before she was to Vlad, yanking Ponytail Girl off him. She then attacked Vlad, snarling and slashing at him like a crazed maniac.

No, said his demon, showing great restraint. Like a protective mother.

Vlad came up and off the floor fast, grabbing Katarina and spinning her, controlling her with ease.

She was shouting at him in her native tongue, calling him every name in the book as well as some colorful invented ones. When she reached the point of threatening to rip vital pieces from him—mostly of the lower variety—he tensed.

Vlad tensed. “No more!”

It was then he noticed Lucian reaching for Ponytail Girl.

“Touch her not!” shouted Vlad, power lacing his voice.

The wolf-shifter froze.

Ponytail Girl twisted around on the floor and whimpered, covering her ears.

Vlad released Katarina and went for Ponytail Girl. He lifted her in his arms and held her to him, kissing the top of her head, radiating healing energy. “I am sorry,lumini?a mea.”

Lucian caught Katarina as she made another move to come at Vlad. “Katarina, stop. He is not harming her.”

She growled, her gaze on Vlad. “Master or not, I will…”

Lucian put his lips to Katarina’s ear and whispered softly to her.

Normally, Vlad would have picked up on what was being said, even at that level but Ponytail Girl picked then to twist in his arms and press her face to his neck. She didn’t bite him again, she just trembled in his arms, whimpering softly.

Katarina gasped. “No. You really believe as much?”

Lucian let go of her. “I do.”

“Believe what?” asked Vlad, only to be ignored.

He wondered when it was that he’d lost control over his own people.

Lucian grinned but it faded fast. He cocked his head to the side and stiffened at the same moment Ponytail Girl let out an agonized cry. Lucian growled. The White Wolf howled from down the hall. “Dragos!”

Vlad rushed Ponytail Girl to Katarina and set her down gently, readying himself to battle his maker. He’d not sensed Dragos near them and hadn’t realized he’d found a way out of his mystical prison. “Where?”

Lucian flinched and tapped his temple. “In here and I think he’s in their heads too. The white wolf’s head for sure. I can hear him—feel him. He’s connected to her mentally, pushing his will on her, summoning her. She’s fighting it. I believe her distress is causing this one distress too.”

“Go to her,” said Vlad, his hand finding Lucian’s shoulder.

Lucian put his hand over Vlad’s and the pair stared at each for a long moment. No words were spoken. Lucian twisted and raced away, going for the white wolf.

Ponytail Girl snarled and flung herself toward the open cell door, breaking Katarina’s hold—a testament to just how powerful she was.

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