The cadence of her speech is slow and deliberate, dripping with hints of malevolence.

“Listen.” I straighten my back, looking at Mathas who is trembling in pain. Limbs, while we can grow them back, take days. That’s unfortunate for him, but he needs to be more careful. “You fucked up, now you’ll have to answer to Hause Sidence. That is the law.”

She licks her lips, and I swear I see metal against her tongue. “I didn’t plan on killing tonight,” the fact that she sounds bored pisses me off. “But for you, I’ll make an exception.”

Mathas, the fucking idiot, lunges.

I’m not sure if I’m more upset that he was going to touch her again, or at his stupidity for being reckless. His hand is around her throat, slamming her against the adjacent wall. She doesn’t scream, which is good, because one shout and someone will come running. We’re not far from the entrance to the club. Granted, the booming music would muffle a slight cry, but we still need to be careful.

He throws her so hard it averts my gaze, and I quickly look for her in the trash and other bags of filth.

She groans, and I charge toward her, hovering above. She sighs, “Tiresome.”

When I blink, she’s gone. Shit, she’s fast.

I’m pretty sure it was her shin that collides with my face, but I can’t be certain. I crash against the wall, and I scold myself for being so careless.

I shake my head and when I open my eyes, I see her flat on her back, Mathas straddling her. I’ve never been the jealous type, but seeing that; oh, I could have killed him myself. “Mathas…” I hiss.

“Get your shit together, Kairhyse!” His fangs are protruding, and I snarl.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” I try my best to convey the idiocy while not screaming.

“Make my night, my sweet,” she purrs.

He is a Gods damn moron. The moment happens in a blink, and just as I am over him grabbing at his shoulders, his teeth sink into her neck.

Her gasp, tinged with pleasure, sparks a surge of anger in my spine. I toss back Mathas, who rolls until he stops, just before hitting the wall. “You have no idea what her blood will do—”

Herrising laughter draws my attention back to her. Our bites are lethal to Mundanes, causing death without the antidote. However, for Dylox, it’s akin to a drug. I’m not personally acquainted with the sensation, but those who have described it liken it to floating in a haze of cannabis.

However, that laughter quickly ceases as her body goes taut.

“I’ve never tasted a Succubus before... but I don’t want that to be the last time I do,” he says, my gaze still fixed on the girl.

Despite my fear of turning away, I snarl at Mathas, my anger evident. “You fucking idiot, you have no idea—”

“Mathas…” she interrupts, and as I shift back to glance at her, she’s on her feet, slightly hunched over. “You…” Her skin trembles, and her fury is so palpable that even my bones quiver, though I’m not afraid.

In a single step, she stands before him. “Kneel, Mathas.”

I am on the verge of laughter at her audacity to command him. But then, he complies without hesitation. Mathas sinks to his knees, his head tilted back to maintain their interlocked gaze. His wide eyes betray his fear, as if he is incapable of resisting such a simple demand.

What...

She leans forward, and I’m too intrigued to intervene. “I can smell one of them on you…” Her hand closes around his throat, and I regain my mobility, darting behind her. My fingers entangle in her thick locks, pulling her head back. I hold my nails pointed straight at her neck, ready to tear her throat out.

“Stop, let’s just talk. It’s obvious neither of us is going to—” Her head turns slowly toward me, and I feel her hand reach back, grabbing my groin tightly in a vice-like grip. My teeth clench, my fangs extending further as I hiss through them. “Release me.”

She remains silent, her piercing silver eyes akin to moonlight.

My balls would regenerate, but did I want to suffer through that? Absolutely not. Especially not for Mathas.

Slowly, I withdraw one hand from her hair and move the other from her neck.

Her gaze returns to my partner. “Who do you report to? Speak, Mathas.”

“Fuck you, bitch.” How he ended up under the Hause Sidence, I’ll never understand. Does he not realize the gravity of the situation he is in?