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As my chest heaves, a wave of exhaustion washes over me, both physical and magical.
Despite the fatigue, there’s an undeniable satisfaction coursing through me. I stood my ground against five vampires. It took everything I had, but I did it. A surge of accomplishment mingles with the lingering thrill of the battle.
Wait. Thrill of the battle?
What is wrong with me?
I brush it off as something akin to mob mentality. It’s not all that far off. Even as I step down from the stage on wobbly legs, the club’s devil-may-care atmosphere buzzes around me.
Then again, that could be the residual magic hanging in the air after the sun exploded from every pore of my body.
“All right, everyone, you’ve seen enough—go back to your sucking and fucking or whatever you were doing before my witch made me realize how useless all of you are.”
The gathered vampires disperse at Rune’s command, retreating to the tables and couches they were at before. The vamp I seared bares his fangs at me as he comes off the stage, his skin still one big angry blister, but I don’t pay him any attention.
My attention is solidly locked on my Viking.
He rests against the edge of the closest table, thick arms crossed over his chest, muscles bulging against the rolled-up sleeves of his cotton shirt. He’s watching me with an intensity that makes the rhythm of my heart falter.
His stunning hazel eyes draw me in. With the mix of greens and browns, it’s like standing at the edge of a lush, untouched wilderness—one filled with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
There are more than a few things about Rune I’d like to uncover.
I catch my gaze slipping lower, first to his impressive abs, his broad hips, and then—nope. Enough of that. Bad Josie. Stop fantasizing about the man who just organized an impromptu witch/vampire cage match.
It’s not fair how easily I get pulled in by his burly frame and rugged looks. Seriously, Rune could tell me he’s the Norse God of Thunder and I would believe him.
When I bring my attention back to a more appropriate level, something like adoration glints in that vast wilderness of Rune’s eyes. And when our gazes lock, a hue of vampire-red dances to the surface. His lips curve into a proud smile, a mixture of genuine pride and something else—something that stirs an unfamiliar sensation within me.
I push it away and hold on to my annoyance—not a hard task to accomplish. If I had any energy left, my fingertips would be sparking with volatile magic. “Take me back to the hotel.”
He frowns as he scrubs a hand through his braided beard. “Are you pissed at me?”
“Am I pissed?” I jab an accusing finger back towards the empty stage. “You offered me up like a bloody steak to a pack of rabid guard dogs!”
“And from where I was standing—ready to jump in at any moment—you handled those dogs just fine.”
I give him an incredulous look. “Is that supposed to get you off the hook?”
“The only way you’re going to learn is from first-hand experience, not by being coddled. Ours is a dangerous world, and you asked to be trained.”
I asked to be trained, but not like this.
“And what if I didn’t have the strength to fight them off?” I demand, anger still simmering in my veins. My hands shake at my sides, balled into fists. “Things could have gone wrong. Really wrong.”
Doesn’t he understand how terrifying it was being on the stage, fighting for my life? Okay, maybe it’s not just anger that has me trembling. “What if even one of those vamps had snapped my neck…What if they overpowered me and pinned me down?”
My voice wavers as terror hits me full force. “What if they overpowered me or fed from me? Would you simply have let them have their fill?”
“Fuck. Of course not. I would never let anything happen to you. But you had to believe there was real danger to take the battle seriously.” Rune sobers and reaches out, but I move out of his grasp before he can lay a hand on me.
I’m hot, sweaty, and emotional, and I don’t want to be touched right now. Especially because I know as soon as I let Rune in, I won’t be able to hold on to my anger.
And I want to be angry, dammit.
“Oh, I took it seriously, all right.” I cross my arms over my chest and wish I could fold into myself to get away from here. Rune may have told everyone to buzz off, but that doesn’t stop them from watching—and no doubt listening to us. It’s like their stares are burrowing into my skin.
He rakes his fingers through his long, blond hair, and sighs. “Why do you constantly make me out to be the bad guy?”
