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"If not," he goes on, flashing a wicked grin, "you'll be peeling my carcass off the asphalt like yesterday's roadkill. You'll have to ring up the local morgue and tell them to send over the meat wagon to scoop up my sorry ass."

I have to trust that Seraphina won’t lead me astray, so I step closer and sweep my hair to the side, allowing Rhyland access to my neck. “I’m sure it will work,” I say, trying to encourage him.

He pulls me into his arms and kisses my throat. “Did Seraphina tell you how much I need to take for this to work?”

A passionate denial escapes my lips, “No, we’ll have to experiment.”

Rhyland groans in response. His hands trail up my spine as he leans closer. His soft lips sear a path down my neck, and I shudder beneath his touch. My eyes roll back from the sheer pleasure of it all. His tongue darts out to lick the hollow of my throat. Liquid heat pools between my legs, and I desperately need more.

I gasp and shudder as his stiff shaft presses against me.

“Baby, if you keep making those sounds, we’ll never leave this room today.”

I barely restrain myself from lunging. “Do you have to flaunt that sizable weapon of yours?” I tease, knowing full well the effect it has on me. “Sorry…guess I can’t help it when you look and feel so sinfully delicious.”

Rhyland has been so gentle these past few weeks, which is not really his style—allowing me to heal on my own time, which I've gratefully accepted.

He chuckles and presses his lips against my throat. “Never apologize for your body’s response to me, Angel.”

With that, he sinks his fangs deep into my flesh, and I cry out in pleasure. The feeling is so intense and intoxicating. The blissful sensation stirs a primal hunger within me, something I’d never be able to quench no matter how often he takes from me. My moan intensifies as he delves deep, drawing the sustenance I can provide from my body. Our bond strengthens as he holds me closer and purrs into my throat.

Rushing forward with frantic anticipation and fear, we head toward the outside patio. Rhyland pauses for a split second, gauging the unknown before him, then steps boldly into the morning light that cascades down like a waterfall of diamonds from the sky. His bravado is met with an eerie silence. He gingerly sticks his arm out into the brightness, testing the waters to see what will happen.

We are both tense and quiet as his hand brushes against the sun’s rays. Nothing happens, and Rhyland grins widely.

I watch, barely daring to breathe, as Rhyland steps fully into the sunlight. A soft luminescence shines from his body, and I can feel his warmth radiating in palpable ripples. As he walks, the light surrounding him brightens with each step.

But instead of incinerating in front of my eyes or evaporating into the air, Rhyland’s face lights up like a beacon as he turns to me.

“It’s working, it’s fucking working!” he exclaims, his voice hoarse with disbelief. “I can feel the heat on my body, and it doesn’t hurt!”

My heart soars with joy as I sprint over to him, a river of tears streaming down my face. “Rhyland, you can finally get a tan!”

He wraps his arms around me, and we step outside together, feeling the morning sunlight on our skin. He bursts into laughter at my comment, “That I can!”

Our revelry reaches its peak at that moment, elatedly realizing the magnitude of what we’ve uncovered. It’s a sensation like none other— this wondrous discovery of something incredible that will alter our destiny.

“Thank you, Angel,” Rhyland says with emotion, his eyes shining with gratitude. “You’ve given me a gift beyond measure.”

He bends low and presses his lips against mine, showing all the emotions of a man deeply in love.

I giggle into his kiss, delighted at my power to make Rhyland’s world brighter. The sun’s rays feel like an embrace, and I know countless adventures are ahead of us. Our connection brings me such joy; this gift I possess is truly something special!

Rhyland

63

Basking in the daylight, it's like being reborn into some kind of damn fairy tale. My angel, she's done the impossible — given me back the sun. After weeks of trial and error and a hell of a lot of patience, we worked out that I could last two, maybe three days tops, on a single dose of her lifesaving blood. Hit the forty-eight-hour mark, and the sun starts to bite back just a bit; stretch it to seventy-two, and I start feeling the heat in a way that's nothing short of alarming. So we've got ourselves a deal: I feed every other day to play it safe.

We've been knee-deep in her blood, my survival — running tests, tracking how it lets me walk in the light. Turns out, there's a sweet spot in how much I can take without leaving her drained. We found our balance, a golden ratio of sorts.

With our system locked down, it's time to chase the next piece of the puzzle. The Valley of the Ancients. Dani's got her heart set on flinging us through a portal straight to it. Equipped with photos of the rain forest and the coordinates of its possible location, Dani commences her preparations.

“This is hopeless. No matter how hard I concentrate, nothing happens. What am I doing wrong?” she pouts, hands on hips.

I walk up to her and pull her into my arms. “Try to relax, baby,” I murmur. “You’re just beginning. None of us expect you to get it right away.”

She sighs out of exasperation. “I should take a break and grab some food,” she suggests.