Page 69 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness

Her brow furrowed. “You.”

“Marcy, I didn’t call them away,” said Jonathan, worry slashing through his eyes—one green, one brown like my niece’s.

Lucian sniffed the air and snarled. “Dark magik! It’s creeping onto the grounds. I can sense it.”

“Because you’re an evil asshole,” said Jonathan before kissing Willa’s forehead. “Stay here. I’m going to find Hannah and Temperance.”

“So am I,” said Lucian.

“Yep,” said Devil Dave with a sharp nod. “I’m going too.”

Every man in the room also announced they were planning to assist. It made me realize that they really had adopted us into their family dynamics.

“Me too,” I added.

“Same,” said Willa.

I pointed at her. “You’ll sit your butt here and not move. You’re pregnant.”

Jonathan’s gaze moved to Jeffrey. “I need you and Brett to stay and guard Willa and Marcy.”

“Done. The rest of the pack will be here within thirty minutes,” he said, no questions asked.

“Thank you,” said Jonathan.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Vlad

Vlad stoodat the edge of the cemetery, in Grimm Cove, staring out into the woods. Little had changed in the eighteen years that he had been coming back to Grimm Cove, to this spot, in hopes of finding her—his mate.

Mina, his demon whispered, longing in its voice.

The cemetery was exactly the same as it was the night he'd been here with Mina. The night she'd first tried to attack him only to end up rolling in the leaves, before spending the night making love with him. It was the single best night of his life. Considering he had over six hundred years under his belt, that was saying something.

Vlad curled his fingers, making a fist in each hand, thinking about her, missing her, trying to remember every detail of her face, her body, her scent, and her sound. She was the light in his darkness—one that had been snuffed out, whisked away to who knew where never to be seen by him again.

At least not yet.

We will find her,his demon said softly in his mind.Soon. I feel it.

He hoped his demon was right but didn't dare share his skepticism. The only thing that had kept them going for nearly two decades was the hope they would reunite with her, their wife, their soul mate.

He had been right when he assumed that if he did not love, he would not be hurt. While he had only known Mina a short period of time—two weeks in all counting their time in Romania—she was branded into his soul, a mark on his heart that could never be erased. She was his reason for being. His reason for waking every evening when the sun set. His reason for not walking out into the sun’s rays, wanting it to claim him fully and end his lonely existence.

He knew The Weird Sisters were close. They always were when he came to Grimm Cove. They acted as if his mental state meant he couldn't be left unsupervised while here.

Perhaps they were right.

Perhaps he couldn't.

Maybe hewason the edge of insanity. Maybe his immortal life had run its course, and soon he'd lose himself to darkness, to evil, to his demon.

Do not flatter yourself, Vlad, his demon said with a groan.I do not want to take you over that bad. Not in this state. Like this, you are too pathetic for me to want to bother.

Dark laughter bubbled from within him.

Something plunked him on the top of his head. Glancing up, he found Teya sitting on the limb of a tree, a good forty or more feet off the ground. Her bare feet swayed as she kicked her legs, her long skirts bellowing out around her. She offered the tiniest of waves with one hand while she dropped something from above. Reaching up, Vlad caught it with ease. Opening his hand, he found a hickory nut, still in its hard-shell.

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