Page 38 of Touched By Darkness

My chest vibrates with a deep chuckle as I taunt, “So angry.”

“Let me go!”

“I don’t think so, little whore. Not until you get one thing straight.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” she spits, wriggling in my arms.

“Maybe it’s true that Heaven kicked you out, but this is my kingdom, and that makes you mine by default.”

The face she pulls is nothing short of repulsed, and my ego smartens at the look of disgust in her big eyes. “Get one thing through your thick skull, crown boy. I. Am. Not. Yours.” Then she shoves me off with surprising strength, as if she was pretending to be weak earlier. Like a soldier who hides their tactics on the battlefield until the right moment to strike.

Walking out, she slams the door shut behind her.

“Well,” Ronan starts, but he soon shuts up when he spots my glare.

“Not a fucking word,” I growl, storming past him.

Alaric, however, doesn’t even attempt to stifle his laughter. And when I glower at him too, he laughs harder. “Just admit that it was amusing, Daemon. Come on, when was the last time a girl gave you a run for your money?”

My response is an arched eyebrow.

“She’s a firecracker.”

“More like a pain in my ass.” I shoulder past him and exit the room.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Dariana asks, her hand on her hip as she joins us.

“Lover boy here thought he would teach the new girl a lesson but ended up crashing and burning instead. You should have seen it.”

“I didn’t crash and burn,” I growl, stalking toward the cafeteria. I need to tear into some flesh to calm this raging storm inside me. Who cares if I kill the lunch menu? I’m restless, and it’s annoying.

“The new girl?” Dariana asks, flicking her raven hair. “Do you really think she was kicked out of Eden?”

“Only one way to find out. We’ll pay my uncle a little visit.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” she asks uncertainly.

I side-eye her before opening the door to the cafeteria. “I need to find out everything I can before my father gets wind of this.”

“You should befriend her,” Alaric suggests, and Dariana pulls an offended look.

“Why the fuck would I do that?” she asks.

“Get her on our good side.” He winks, stepping through the door. “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Ever heard of that saying?”

“Of course. It’s second nature to me. Everyone except for you three is my enemy.”

Alaric slaps a hand to his chest while Ronan slings his arm around her shoulder. “I’m touched.”

We come to a halt as one, and Alaric lets out a breathy chuckle. “Would you look at that?”

My teeth gnash when the new girl leans in close to Dmitriy and laughs at something he says. What’s so fucking funny about my cousin? He’s an asshole with an inferiority problem who likes to ride my trail dust.

As if the little angel can sense my dark thoughts, she stiffens before looking in my direction, her brown eyes widening.

With a sneer, Dariana walks up to one of the poles, and Alaric calls out behind her, “I asked you to befriend her, not frighten her off.”

“Something tells me it’ll take a lot more to frighten her off,” chuckles Ronan as he steps past me to find his own meal.

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