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"Let me tell you one thing," I continue with as much bravado as I can fake, "I don't take kindly to threats."

My heart pounds wildly, and my instincts scream at me to run. This man—this vampire—terrifies me to my core. At the same time, part of me is perversely enthralled by his raw, dangerous energy.

I harden my expression, trying to appear more challenging than I feel.

He studies me for a long moment, And then, without warning, he steps back, releasing me from his suffocating embrace.

“Go,” he growls, his voice cold and detached once more. “But know this, Dani, I will be watching you. And if I discover that you’ve been lying to me, there will be nowhere for you to hide.”

With that chilling threat, he turns on his heel and vanishes into the shadows, leaving me trembling and gasping for breath in the dimly lit alleyway.

Suddenly, I’m slammed back against the cold, abrasive brick wall. I’m pinned there by a vise-like grip around my throat, rendering me silent and breathless. I reach for his wrist, fear lacing through my veins.

“Did you think I would leave you so easily?” he whispers against my ear, making me jump.

I hadn’t heard him return, but here he is—his hand around my throat, as close as two souls can be, with the heat of his body searing me to my core. Paralyzed by fear and shock, I freeze in place.

“Wh-what the hell do you want from me?” I stammer, swallowing hard under his grip as my heart races.

“Right now, Angel,” he murmurs, his breath hot on my neck, “I want to see if your body is as responsive as your fear suggests.”

“Please don’t…” My plea is cut short as his hand slides under my shirt, gently tracing the curve of my waist before moving higher—fear and arousal war within me as his fingers graze my breast, sending shivers down my spine.

“Interesting,” he remarks, seemingly unfazed by my distress. “Your body reacts quite strongly. Tell me, how does this make you feel?”

“Terrified,” I declare, my tone defiant in the face of fear. “But….” My traitorous body responds on its own.

“Mmm,” he grumbles, a hint of triumph. “You are not immune to temptation after all.”

“Stop it,” I demand, trying to suppress the unwanted sensations he stirs within me. “This isn’t right.”

“Isn’t it?” he counters, his lips brushing against my earlobe as his other hand slips around my waist, tugging me closer. “You can’t deny the desire you have for me, Dani. I can smell it. Embrace it.”

“I… I can’t,” I admit, my resolve wavering as his touch ignites a fire deep within me.

“Allow me to demonstrate,” he murmurs, his long fingers quickly undo my jeans and slide inside. His touch is like a lightning bolt of pleasure that shoots through every nerve in my body. My knees tremble, and I can barely keep myself standing. “Your body knows what it craves, Dani,” he purrs, his voice deep and smoldering. “Surrender to it.”

“Oh God,” I whimper, feeling my body go limp beneath his fingertips. His lips trace a fire-hot path down my neck, sending bolts of electricity through me. I frantically grasp his shirt, my fingers trembling. His presence undeniably controls me, and I can’t understand it.

“See?” He breaths against my skin, his voice laced with satisfaction as I tremble beneath his touch. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Angel. Just let go.”

And for one terrifying, electrifying moment, I do.

Rhyland

17

As I stalk the night, I can't shake the goddamn pull to this chestnut-haired siren that slinks through the city's heart. What the hell has this mere woman got that's got me, a centuries-old vampire, on a damn string? Everywhere she goes, I'm right there in the shadows, unable to resist this force that's got my instincts on high alert.

"Angel, what the fuck do you have that's got me so whipped?" I growl under my breath. Tiptoeing around like some rookie isn't my style, but hell, if I'm going to spook her. There's something about her that's got its claws in deep—something I thought I'd buried long ago under a mountain of discipline.

Her laughter cracks through the hum of the bar, hitting me like a freight train of desire. It's maddening. I'm a goddamn master at control, but this woman—Danica—she's unwinding me with every smile, every sway of her hips.

"Screw this," I snarl, fighting against the hunger to step out of the dark and into her light. She's ensnaring, enchanting, and it pisses me off because I don't do enchantment. I do cold, calculating, and in control. But she's weaving some witchy spell that's making a mockery of my defenses.

"Rhyland, get a grip," I chastise myself, but my eyes are still glued to her every move. The night lengthens, the crowd dwindles, but I'm still here like a goddamn lovesick fool, ensnared by a riddle wrapped in a mystery.

With my identity hidden under my hood, I'm a ghost in her presence, a specter with more power and damnation in one finger than her entire body. Yet, here I am, skulking around, hooked on a human whose very steps echo in the hollows of my dead heart.