Page 9 of Darkest Need

I follow, slowly.

Tarek releases him, then hits him across the face to make sure he’s out. “All yours, pretty little demon. Better you feed on him than me.”

“Why’s that?” I ask in a small voice.

Tarek leans down until we’re face-to-face. “Because at the end of the day, I truly don’t think you can handle me, little girl.” He pats me on the head and shuts the door, only to crack it open again. “Oh, and try not to make a mess. I really like my couch.”

Chapter Three

Tarek

“Don’t.” I wipe the bar top. “Timber left to go hang out with his wife after one drink since he literally can’t get drunk unless it’s off her, and you guys are all staring at me like I have a billion heads.”

Cassius is the first to lean back in his chair, arms crossed in his perfectly pressed suit and looking pissed—like he does at least ninety percent of the time. Or maybe he’s just perplexed about how he ended up with the job of taking care of all of usandhumanity. Jury’s still out. “Did she really suck on you?”

Alex chokes on his beer and looks away, wiping a small drip from his chin. “I feel like that’s a super personal question to ask, but I, too, want to know what happened. And not that I’m like,hey, give us details, but also…” He leans in with a grin. “Give us details. Feel free to leave nothing out.”

“Three.” Ethan chimes in.

“Four,” Mason says from behind me.

“Oh, yeah.” Horus holds up his hand. “Five. Sorry, forgot to have an opinion. But you know, this could be good for you, give up the TikTok, dating apps, the constant one-night stands where you bang against the wall over and over again, and I wake up to screaming—” He looks up. “Sorry, was that an overshare? I forget sometimes.” He stares at all the expressions of annoyance, mine included. “Oh, please. I’ve been in modern times for like a year. I get a free pass. You know, like when you play Monopoly.” He waves us off.

Ethan sighs. “You know we can’t play anymore now that we’re all married, and the women are too competitive. I lost so many properties last time, and dumbshit over there just threw the board.”

He’s pointing at me.

I’m the dumbshit.

I take a deep breath. “It’s because I didn’t have a partner and felt tag-teamed.”

Because I don’t have one.

I don’t see one in my future, either.

How bad does it suck when you see everyone else’s, but when you look into yours, it’s like this dark abyss?

Everyone starts laughing. I smile, but internally, I wonder. I hate wondering what the universe has planned for me. Not only is it frustrating, but apparently, the only action I get are the women I take home from the bar or ones who attack me for trying to help them.

Though it would have been a nice way to go. Her bite was deep, my dick was hard, and she smelled incredible.

All part of the charm until you get sucked dry.

I shake it off. “No more game-night talk. You guys finish your drinks. I’ll check on the most-likely-dead vampire. Since Timber left, someone else gets the honor of sending his body where it belongs. And I swear if she got blood anywhere, I’m committing murder.”

Ethan smirks. “Why in the hell are you so attached to that couch?”

I don’t tell him it’s the only piece of furniture I have from Scotland, my actual home. I don’t tell any of them I’m homesick or that my heart feels like it’s constantly bleeding for something it doesn’t know it needs.

I can’t tell them I feel isolated while surrounded by others.

Or that, sometimes, I wonder what the point is when we’re all truly alone at the end of the day.

“Dad!” I screamed. “Let him stay! He’s my brother!”

My dad glared at me. “He’s an abomination.”

A tear slid down my cheek as Mason slowly gave me his back and hung his head. “I just wanted to check in one last time. Wanted to let you know I’m thriving under the Dark One. Tell you I have a purpose. I wanted…”

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