Page 47 of Worse Fates

Getting in his face, Lucero bares fangs. “If you touch him, Rurik,” he snarls, voice sharp as a knife’s edge. “I’ll fucking kill you.”

“God you’re an asshole,” Rurik chokes out, rolling his eyes.

“Wait,” I say, breathing hard. “That’s Rurik?”

Kai scrambles from the sofa, his fists ready.

Rurik slaps at Lucero’s arms, but with barely a flex of his powerful bicep, Lucero’s hold remains. In no world should that be attractive.

And yet…

“Bloody hell,” Ramy marches over and pushes at Lucero. “Rurik got the message, and your mate is thoroughly protected. Let. Go.”

Grunting, Lucero unclenches his hand then moves forward to circle me in his arms.

“Fuck sakes, brother,” Rurik spits out, voice raspy. “I wasn't going to hurt your little mate.”

“What the hell is going on?” Kai shouts.

I raise an eyebrow at Lucero.

“I may have forgotten to mention some things,” Lucero admits.

???

Perched on the kitchen stool, I shoot daggers at Rurik with Lucero at my back. Seemingly uninterested in Rurik and everything else, Lucero rests his chin on my crown, wrapping me in his powerful arms. I’m pissed, but being the centre of Lucero’sworld is a heady feeling, making me dizzy, like a shot of vodka on an empty stomach. My vampire radiates comfort and safety, and in his embrace, I soak up every watt.

“I already apologised,” Rurik grunts, arm thrown over the back of the chair he’s lounging in. He’s trying to act bored, but there's a bite to his words and I bet he’s anything but. “You can stop glaring any time.” His accent has a touch of Russian, but it’s melded seamlessly with a posh London accent like Lucero’s. “Besides, Lucero is the one who ordered me to kill you. Direct your anger at him, I have no time for it.”

“Lucero’s my…” Glancing at where his hands rest above my belly button, I realise our fingers are entwined. It’s like I’m touched-starved for this vampire, needing his skin on mine in as many places as possible.

“I’m your?” Lucero’s breath tickles my ear.

“...Boyfriend?”

His teeth graze my sensitive skin and I shiver.

“Soulmate,” he corrects.

Blood rushes south so fast I swear a few brain cells follow. “Whatever, he’s…he’s mine, alright? So I forgive him.”

Lucero purrs happily, Rurik grunting.

A crunch sounds to my left and I turn to find Kai and Ramy, Kai noisily eating an apple while staring as if I’ve grown a second head.

“Watching you be all cute with your vampire is crazy.” Kai takes another loud bite.

“I’ve never seen you behave this way, Lucero.” Ramy smiles, flashing his pearly whites. “It’s nice.”

I flush. “Who cares about that? Aren’t there gross blood mages we need to worry about?”

Rurik rolls his pale blue eyes. “They’re assholes.”

Lucero kisses my cheek. “Don’t worry about them, beautiful. Soon they won’t be a problem.”

“But what are you planning?” I twist around to make eye contact with Lucero. “What if you get hurt?”

The idea of mages hunting Lucero down for his powerful vampiric blood sets my teeth on edge. But there’s a small voice in my head that worries about Jace, too. Lucero is going to find and kill Jace, that I know without question. But Jace and I were family once.