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“When you present yourself as the bad guy, that’s how I see you. That’s how it works.”
I flinch when Rune takes my elbow suddenly, but his grip isn’t rough as he pulls me away from the stage, guiding us further into the club and away from the endless prying eyes. He brings us to a cluster of couches closer to the back of the room, all of them thankfully empty.
The colored glass sconces along the wall tint his dirty blond hair and beard different shades of blue and red as he settles himself on the leather loveseat tucked away behind a carved pillar.
He’d look good as a ginger. Scratch that. Finn looks good as a ginger.
Rune can make any color look good. Red, purple, neon green—he possesses a type of handsome that can’t be canceled out by a bad hairstyle choice. He’d still be panty-droppingly hot.
Although, I prefer his wavy length of dirty blond and the scruffy, braided beard.
“Sit.” Rune pats the cushion next to him, but I opt to stay where I am.
“I’m not in the mood to cuddle with you at the moment.” And it pisses me off even more that despite how annoyed I am with him, I still want to strip my ancient Viking vampire down and put my mouth on every part of his body.
“Fine, then stand there looking uncomfortable. Your choice.” His flippant attitude isn’t winning him any points.
He sighs and seems to switch gears. “Listen, Josie, if I didn’t know you could defend yourself one-on-one against a vampire, I wouldn’t have brought you here. This was the most controlled setting where you could practice and I was ready at any point to step in.”
I pause, studying him for any hint that he’s just covering his ass. “Why do I believe you?”
“Because it’s true. I want to protect you?—”
I snort, interrupting him. “Sure, by throwing me to a group of blood-thirsty vampires who could tear my carotid artery out before I lift a hand against them.”
Rune pegs me with an annoyed scowl. “If you would let me finish—I was saying that I want to protect you, but I won’t always be around, so you need to be able to protect yourself.”
The sentiment erases some of the hurt of Rune’s betrayal. And knowing Fintan is going to pound the snot out of him for this warms the cockles of my heart a little more.
Rune and Finn are an odd pairing. Even the two of them standing next to each other is a sight—the bulky, boisterous Viking hulking over the lithe, introverted scholar.
Their relationship reminds me of the bickering of a younger and older brother. While they may be constantly on each other’s nerves, it’s clear they love each other deeply.
I wonder how much of that is the deep connection between a vampire and his sire.
“Why won’t you believe me?”
It’s a rare occasion for Serious Rune to make an appearance, and right now, not even a hint of a smile plays at his lips.
“Josie, seriously. When the Moon Witches poofed you away, I didn’t know where you were or even if you were still alive. My every thought, every action, every breath, was focused on getting you back. When we found you unharmed, it was like Odin took his knee off my chest and I could breathe again.”
Rune’s gaze oozes nothing but a sincerity so strong it leaves me a little woozy. Or maybe that’s fatigue from expending too much magic fighting a half dozen vampires.
“I’m still mad at you,” I grumble, though we both know there’s no conviction in it.
“Don’t be mad, cher. You kicked ass and now the vampires here know not to mess with you.”
“I doubt that.”
“I overheard a few of them talking while they watched. A couple decided it wasn’t worth the risk to get up on that stage with you.”
Huh. If word got around to the vampires of the Elysian that I’m not easy prey, I could walk freely around the halls of the hotel without fearing for my life. Maybe I could even venture out on my own around the Quarter.
“Believe in your capabilities, Josie. See yourself the way I do.”
I shrug. “Yeah, I’ll try.”
“There is no try. Come on, Josie. Believe it. You are a Sun Witch—a Unity Witch—a force of nature, and a beacon of power that cannot—will not—be subdued!” His tightly wound braids bounce against his scalp with the intensity of his words.
