Page 5 of The Dark Elf's Secret Twins

“I think you’ve toyed with me long enough,” a slurring male voice says from the alley near the theater.

“Lanzano, for the last time–”

Cyra.

Of course, it’s fucking Cyra– andof course, she’s with that bastard Lanzano.

I storm toward the dark alley, rage already thrumming through my body. Only Cyra would find herself in a dark alley after closing with a drunk and notoriously lewd dark elf. He’s been after her for months at the theater, always coming in and sitting in her section, always seeking her out and causing trouble.

She’s not stupid enough to think it was mere coincidence, so how she allowed herself to be goaded into following him into a clearly unsafe situation is beyond me.

“No doesn’t mean anything coming from a human,” Lanzano sneers as I round the corner of the alley. Cyra’s back is to me, and Lanzano is too drunk to focus on anything other than the barely-clothed human woman in front of him.

Cyra takes a stuttering step back, finally seeming to pick up on the danger of the situation, just as Lanzano lunges for her.

I’m there in a heartbeat, stepping between them. Lanzano bounces harmlessly off of my chest, falling onto his ass in what I hope is a puddle of piss lining the alley corner.

“Hey, I got her first,” Lanzano mumbles as he struggles to right himself.

“I think it’s best if you go home,” I growl. His eyes finally dart to me as he staggers to his feet, although they’re unfocused and hazy.

“Not without my prize,” the male jeers as he finally straightens up. Clearly, he’s too drunk to understand that the tables have turned– nowhe’sthe one in mortal peril.

And with the way I’ve been feeling tonight, I don’t intend to hold back. Even if he is a khuzuth.

“She’s not your anything,” I snarl, taking a step toward him. “It’s time to go.”

Lanzano grins lazily, malice gleaming in his eyes.

“I don’t care if she’s run-through. I outrank you. The whore’s coming with me.”

“Last chance. Leave on your feet, or leave in a body bag,” I grit out. Lanzano makes his choice when he lunges at me.

Midnight blue magic flickers uselessly at his fingers as he swings a fist. He’s too drunk to wield whatever power he might hold, and given his depth perception right now, I doubt any magic or incantation he could’ve mustered up would’ve hit me at all. I dodge the clumsy attack, sidestepping the fist that would’ve caught my jaw.

Lanzano corrects quickly, swinging again, this time aiming for my nose. I bat his fist away, and as promised, I hold nothing back. I duck slightly, bending my knees before using the full strength of my body to propel my own fist upward, catching him right under the chin.

A resounding crunch echoes off of the dank alley walls, and Lanzano drops like a sack of rocks, his knees buckling before he lands face-first into the piss puddle gleaming in the low light. A part of me resents that this fight ended so quickly– I have plenty more energy thrumming in my body, all of it now useless.

Unable to help myself, I kick him. The unconscious male doesn’t even react as the tip of my boot finds his ribs, though his body lurches with the blow. I hope it bruises. I hope he remembers tonight, so he knows not to try this shit again.

It’s only then that I remember the purpose behind this altercation– Cyra.

I turn around, unable to keep the smug satisfaction off of my face. What is that, the third time tonight I’ve saved her from herself? Now shedefinitelyowes me some gratitude.

As I turn around to face her, though, gratitude is clearly the last thing on her mind. Instead, Cyra is scowling, fury radiating off of her like rays from the sun. She crosses her arms across her chest, one hip cocked out as if somehow I’ve gotten in her way.

My satisfaction shrivels underneath her ire, instead replaced by the same, familiar fury that I always seem to feel when I’m dealing with this woman.

Why can’t she stay out of trouble? Why is it that I’m somehow the asshole for just doing my fucking job?

Why, in all the planets of Protheka, does she get under my skin like nobody else can?

4

CYRA

As he stands there, eyes blazing at me, I feel my self-control quickly slipping. What the actual glacies?

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