“And now that necromancer is in my city,” he says darkly. “Working with someone who knows every corner of my life.”
The weight in the room shifts again.
It’s not just betrayal anymore.
It feels like… prophecy.
And we’re standing in the middle of it.
“That last entry, it was only four days ago,” Roman says, scrubbing a hand over his face in disbelief.
“What a fucking disaster,” I say, shaking my head. “I mean, the whole origins, the lore, everything to do with how vampires came to be, is so wild. But this? Taking it all the way back towhere all of you came from? His name isthe Blood Father, for fuck’s sake. Do things ever get quiet and easy in this world?”
“Not really, no,” Juliet says at the same time Roman smirks like what I just asked is cute.
I shake my head again. “At least my life will never be boring again.”
Juliet sniffs, wiping at her face. “Unlikely.” She tries to laugh about it, but what she just learned has obviously still got her in a chokehold. “Look, we need to get on this shit, but I could kind of use a minute. So, we’re going to go back to our hotel for a bit. We’ll call you when we’re ready to head out again, if that’s alright.”
“Of course,” I say, nodding my head. Hell, I wouldn’t blame her if she needed a whole week instead of a minute.
“See you soon,” Roman says, taking his wife’s hand and walking to the door with her. Ares and I watch as they walk out and close the door behind them.
Ares slides his hands around my hips from behind, pulling me into him. The movement is wildly comforting in a moment when I’m feeling… overwhelmed? Scared? It’s all so crazy I don’t really even know.
“We need to update the Barons,” Ares says. The rumble in his chest as he speaks is one of my favorite feelings in the world.
“Oh yeah,” I say, chucking, because,of course,there is one more thing. “Harry and Sysco made me a Baron while you… weren’t you.”
“Of course they did,” Ares says without even a hint of surprise. He presses a kiss to the hollow behind my ear. “You’re Lana fucking Kincade.”
I turn in Ares’ arms, coming chest to chest. I loop my arms behind his neck, and he presses his forehead to mine. I allow my eyes to slide closed, and I take in a slow, deep breath.
It’s nearly impossible to describe how I feel right now. It’s like I’m exhausted. Like I’ve been working out nonstop for weeks now. Like I’ve taken AP tests for eight days straight.
But my body doesn’t feel tired. I don’t need to sleep. And I feel mentally sharper than ever.
But the exhaustion is there.
So damn much has happened in the last few weeks. It just keeps coming at us, one life-threatening situation at a time.
“You’re amazing,” Ares says, his lips moving against my skin. “How much you handle. The grace you handle it with. That incredible mind of yours. I worship at your feet, every day, Vengeance.”
“I really like that word,” I say as my entire body ignites. I bite my lower lip, looking up into Ares’ hazel eyes with a need that grows more demanding by the second.
There’s been so damn much doom and gloom. Since I got him back, we’ve dealt with one crisis after another.
As I stand here in his arms, with my body pressed against his, I need him.
A devilish grin tugs on Ares’ lips. His hands come to my hips, their touch turning possessive. “We should get out there,” he mutters, his voice low, rough. “Start doing what needs to be done.”
“Twenty minutes of worship won’t hurt anything,” I whisper in a rough tone.
The look in his eyes is lethal, wild. But there’s something else there, too—aching, devotion, heat.
He doesn’t ask questions. He doesn’t hesitate. His mouth crashes into mine like a promise and a punishment all at once. There’s desperation in it, something raw and frantic like we both need to remember we’re still alive. That we still have each other.
My fingers claw at the hem of his shirt, and it’s gone. His skin is fever-hot against mine, his hands everywhere—my waist, myhips, my throat. My shirt disappears, followed by my pants. I’m gasping, clinging, and still, it doesn’t feel close enough.
