80. Rhyland

Rhyland

80

I wanted nothing more than to punish her for the secret she'd tried to hide from me—for the way she'd nearly kept it all buried if it wasn't for me pushing the damn issue. The fact that Lucian had been the one to creep into her head, pulling off that unauthorized telepathic bullshit, has me on the goddamn edge.

I lock eyes with Lucian, gaze fierce, as I stand over the chaos of his desk. Tension coils in my jaw, tight and ready to snap. "You never should've given her your blood," I growl. "Even if Dani were on death's fucking doorstep, we could've found another path. You don't have a damn clue what kind of fallout this might trigger."

Lucian flashes his patented 'I don't give a fuck' grin, lounging back in his chair, "Well, excuse me for not wanting to watch her kick the bucket. How was I supposed to know she had a one-way ticket to the pearly gates? I did what any devastatingly handsome and heroic vampire would do in that situation. And as for the whole mate thing, I tried to wait for you, bro. Knowing full well the possible outcome."

His careless jabs, designed to get under my skin, hit their mark. I can feel the beast inside me clawing to the surface, desperate to tear into him. "She's not your fucking responsibility, Lucian. You sticking your nose in could screw things up in ways you can't even imagine. You have no goddamn clue what this could mean."

Lucian's eyes gleam with mischief as he takes in my growing irritation. "Whoa there, Captain Overreaction! Are you seriously getting your panties in a bunch over a little bit of my blood? In case you haven't noticed, Dani is head over heels for you, you giant meathead. She's your mate, not some timeshare. So how about you dial back the possessive alpha male routine and realize that I'm not trying to put the moves on your girl? What happened tonight was a freak accident, plain and simple. It won't happen again."

That comment Dani dropped has my blood boiling. "Then why the hell would she say you're jealous, Lucian? What's got her thinking—or feeling that shit—with you, huh?"

Lucian pauses, carefully considering his next words. "Listen, I'm not entirely sure what Dani may have felt or heard, but there's a part of me that is... jealous. Not of you specifically, but of what you two have together. That connection, that bond... it's the kind of thing every vampire dreams of finding someday—a mate to call their own, you know?"

I understand it's the insane twist none of us could've ever imagined. But now, here I stand, with the love of my goddamn life—my mate. It's what every one of us bloodsuckers hopes for, that one soul who can hold back the beast inside.

"So how about you climb down off your high horse and cut me some slack, you overgrown man-child," he says, rolling his eyes. "I'm not trying to steal your girl. That's not how I roll."

He's on the money. I've gotta rein in the rage, quit obsessing over bullshit that's dead in the water. Yet, this whole mate circus is uncharted territory, and my gut-deep protective streak for Dani ain't gonna quit. Lucian already stepped over the line once with intent, but this round was instinctual—I get that. "Good. Remember, you're skating on thin fucking ice from round one, Lucian. Just wanna drill it into your head so you're damn clear on my take."

Lucian waves his hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah, got it. Message received loud and clear, chief."

Feeling the edge slip away, I sink into a chair and drag a hand down my face, the tension slowly easing out of my muscles.

Lucian smirks, "One more thing, big guy. I'm not just gonna sit on my ass and watch Dani go down in flames; you've got another thing coming. I've got a built-in 'damsel in distress' radar, and when it goes off, I'm not gonna let your possessive caveman bullshit stop me from swooping in to save the day. Capiche?"

Lucian leans forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his eyes locked on me. "She means something to me, too, even if she's not my mate. I'll keep her safe whether you like it or not."

The itch to vault over this desk and put Lucian in his place in the pecking order is damn near irresistible. I grit my teeth hard, pulling back the tidal wave of anger. "This shit ain't a game, Lucian. Consider this a fucking warning—watch your step." The words rumble out, a snarl cloaked in a veneer of control, a threat lurking right under the skin.

Lucian scoffs, half exasperated and half amused. "Dude, you've got more trust issues than a politician at a polygraph test. Dani needs all the backup she can get, and if you can't count on your own brothers, who the hell can you count on? Seriously, take a chill pill, alright?"

Before I can fire back, Erik strides in, cutting the tension. "What are you two idiots bickering about now?" He's got that knowing look like he can smell the drama from a mile away.

Lucian leans back in his chair, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Oh, you know, just another day in the life of the dysfunctional undead brothers. Rhyland's got his panties in a twist because I dared to save his girl's life. Can you believe the audacity?"

Erik sighs, pinching his nose like he's dealing with two unruly toddlers. He settles into a nearby chair beside me, shooting Lucian a glare. "You're a fool. Never had much taste for rules, did you?"

Lucian throws up his hands in frustration, eyes flitting between Erik and me. "Oh, so it's totally cool for tall, dark, and stoic over here to play bodyguard and sensei to Dani, but the moment I try to lend a helping hand, I get a big, fat 'fuck you' for my troubles? How's that fair, huh?"

Without skipping a beat, Erik and I chime in perfect unison, "Because you're an asshole."

Lucian scoffs dismissively, "Wow, really feeling the love here, guys. You sure know how to make a guy feel special." He turns his attention back to his paperwork, waving off the tension in the room like a bad fart. "You know what? Screw it. You two can return to your little 'no girls allowed' clubhouse. I've got more important shit to deal with."

I can't help but roll my eyes at Lucian's over-the-top display of indifference. Classic Lucian, always playing the victim card when he gets called out on his crap. But as much as I hate to admit it, the bastard has a point. If I can trust Erik to watch Dani's back, then maybe I need to extend that same trust to Lucian, even if he is a walking, talking migraine.

I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my frustration. "Look, Lucian, I appreciate you looking out for Dani. I do. But you've gotta understand this whole mate thing... it's new territory for me. I can't help but be protective of her, especially after everything that's happened."

Lucian leans back in his chair, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Aww, look at you, being all mature and shit. I think I might just shed a tear." He mimes wiping away an imaginary tear, sniffling for added effect. "But seriously, I get it. You're in uncharted waters here and scared of losing her. Believe me, I know the feeling."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised by his sudden sincerity. "You do?"

He nods, his expression turning uncharacteristically somber. "Yeah, man. I mean, I may not have a mate of my own, but I know what it's like to care about someone so much that the thought of losing them makes you want to tear the world apart. It's fucking terrifying."

We stare at each other momentarily, a silent understanding passing between us. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the moment is gone, and Lucian's signature smirk is back in place. "But hey, enough of this sappy shit. We have a world to save and a damsel to keep out of distress. So, what do you say we bury the hatchet and get back to being the badass motherfuckers we are?"

I can't help but chuckle, shaking my head in amusement. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

Lucian grins and gives me a wink. "And you wouldn't have me any other way, big bro."

Erik digs into his pocket and tosses a small object in my direction. Instinctively, my hand snaps out, snatching it from the air. I roll it between my fingers, a flicker of recognition in my eyes. "Found this on Adrian—he was clenching it tight."

My voice is a mix of curiosity and awe. "Is this—is this what I think it is?" I demand, surprise overtaking me.

Erik nods, "I believe it is."

I swallow hard, pushing past the lump in my throat. "How the hell?" I narrow my gaze, growing more determined to unearth the truth.

"Guess this sheds light on his hasty exit," Erik remarks dryly, the understatement highlighting his inherent stoicism.

Dani bursts through the door, her grin fucking radiant enough to light up a goddamn continent. "Emily's on her way over," she pants out, teetering on the edge of excitement. "Girl time is long overdue, so I'm gonna need you gentlemen to occupy yourselves with... whatever manly endeavors you've got on the docket."

I spring to my feet and bolt to her side in an instant. Clamping my hand around her waist, I yank her toward me, "We gotta hash out some shit about Azrael—" I start.

"Can this please take a rain check? It's been ages since I've seen Emily—I have to see her, Rhyland." I start to argue, but then she stands on her damn tippy toes, sucks my bottom lip into her mouth like she owns it, and says, "Please?"

Goddamn, this woman is gonna be the end of me. How the hell am I supposed to say no to her, to that? My cock is still rock solid from her little teasing, never fully softened from our earlier encounter.

"Fine. Afterward, we've got serious shit to talk about," I admit reluctantly.

Her face lights up as she makes to leave once more. I quickly reel her back in against me, eliciting a soft "oompf" from her lips. Her honey-gold eyes lock onto mine, a silent plea, "Don't stray too far—stick around this bar, will you... please?" And with that, I seal my request with a kiss.

"I promise," she says. Then, the next thing I know, Dani turns on her heel and bolts out the door.