Page 79 of Prince with a Chance of Darkness

My gut tightened.

There was a flash of black mist, and he appeared out of nowhere next to me. He stared at me for what felt like foreverbut was more like a second or two. Then he grabbed me and yanked me against his powerful frame. His lips crashed onto mine. His tongue greeted mine, and I moaned, tipping my head, deepening the kiss.

He growled into my mouth and lifted me.

My legs went around his waist.

We ate at one another’s mouths like depraved animals.

“Gag! Mom, get a room! Wait, yuck. No,” said Temperance. “I do not want to see my mom making out with anyone, let alone this guy. He’s bossy, puts his nose where it doesn’t belong, threatened to ground me for eternity, and he’s…”

I broke the kiss, my hand going to Drac’s chest, to the scar that was like mine. It was barely visible at the top of his shirt which had two buttons undone. I met my daughter’s gaze. “He’s your father.”

Her jaw fell open.

Drac searched my gaze. “Mina? Truly?”

Jonathan groaned, moving closer to us, his arm around Hannah protectively. “I should have realized it when Willa told me Temperance could shift into black mist and bats. Honestly, a piece of me might have suspected, but I really hoped Prince Dick-u-la wasn’t…”

I stiffened. “England, I like you. You’re good to my sister, and you’re a great father—for the whole two weeks, you’ve been one, but if you call him that again, you and I are gonna tangle. Did you hear Temperance? He saved her and Hannah tonight. You owe him a thank you.”

Jonathan sighed and nodded. He kissed the top of Hannah’s head and stepped away from her. He extended his hand to Drac. “Thank you, erm, Vlad.”

It was weird to think of him as anything other than Drac, but I saw something move behind his eyes when he inclined his head. He took Jonathan’s hand in his. “You are most welcome.Congratulations. Am I to assume you have claimed Mina’s sister?”

“Yes. Willa is my mate—my wife now,” said Jonathan, clearly uncomfortable near Vlad.

“Isn’t it so romantic,” said the blonde vampire as she spun in a circle as if dancing to music that only she heard.

Jonathan tensed at the sight of her.

“Teya,” said Vlad sharply.

She stopped spinning. “Yes?”

“Where are your sisters?” he asked.

She tipped her head. "Katarina is watching from the shadows, worried how Mina will receive her. She's carried the weight of what happened that night for twenty-two years—how she tried to save Mina in the cave, how her blood wasn't enough. She fears Mina blames her for failing to convert her properly.”

I realized then Katarina must be the dark-haired sister. “I don’t’ blame her. She tried to save my life. I’m grateful or her. For all of you,” I confessed.

Teya smiled. “Radmila is chasing after The Order’s foot soldiers. She was not done killing them.”

“Join Radmila. Kill only those who are true enemies. No college students and no allies,” said Vlad.

Teya stood straight, her gaze sliding to Bram as he approached. “And who might the allies be?”

“Vlad,” said Bram.

The men stood there, staring at each other, neither saying a word before they finally clasped forearms and did some kind of weird guy hug.

Teya grinned, and I realized she looked pretty damn sane at the moment—like she was happy the men were getting along. She turned and leaped into the air. A second later, she was white mist, and she was gone.

Bram’s attention moved to me and then Temperance. His lips twitched. “Ah, much makes sense now. There was something familiar about her—I could not put my finger on it. You know, for a bit, I worried she may be Morris’s daughter.”

“God help us all if he reproduces,” said Jonathan with a laugh. “His daughter is bound to be a hellion.”

Hannah smiled. “I don’t know who that is, but it’s safe to say Tempi counts as one.”

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