The Blackest Night (Dusk Before Dawn 3)

“That makes me feel marginally better,” he muttered, following me inside the two hundred square foot space that I called home.

I’d been telling the truth when I’d said there wasn’t much for me to pack. It didn’t take me long to toss the things I didn’t want to leave behind into my suitcases. After I zipped up the second bag, I rolled it over to Stephan. “All done.”

He scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the twin-sized bed. “You don’t want to take your bedding?”

“Nope.” I thought about the things we’d done in his much larger bed and blushed. “We don’t really need them, do we? I don’t think they’d fit on any of your mattresses.”

“Good point.” He wrapped his hand around the handle of the suitcase and jerked his chin toward the door. “After you.”

“I can’t believe you won’t let me take the smaller bag,” I complained as I followed him into the hallway.

“Take your bag?” a familiar male voice echoed from behind us. “Are you going somewhere, Bronwyn?”

I glanced over my shoulder and spotted my landlord barreling toward us from the other end of the hall. Stephan stepped in front of me, swiveling my suitcases to line them up against the wall. “What business is it of yours where my Bronwyn goes?”

“Your Bronwyn? What do you mean by that?” My landlord puffed out his chest in a misguided attempt to look tougher than he was as he tried to get past Stephan to get to me. “I don’t know who this guy thinks he is, but you don’t need to leave with him. You belong here, Bronwyn.”

Quicker than I could react, Stephan had his fists in the guy’s shirt, lifting him off his feet and pressing him against the wall. “Bronwyn most definitely does not belong here. The only place my woman will ever be is by my side. Do you understand me?”

My landlord’s face was turning red as he sputtered, “I-I-”

I hurried over and tugged on Stephan’s arm. “I don’t think he can breathe.”

“I don’t think I care.” He raised his arm another inch, and my landlord’s feet started to kick.

“But I do,” I insisted.

“Fine.” He released the material in his fist and let the guy drop to the floor. Bending low, he growled, “You’re going to forget Bronwyn exists, or I’m going to be forced to come back here and finish what I started.”

“Yes, whatever you want. Please don’t come back,” the guy cried, curled up in a ball.

Stephan nodded and got to his feet, holding an arm out to me. “C’mon.”

I placed my hand in the crook of his elbow and let him lead me over to my bags and then down the stairs. When we left the house and the door shut behind us, I whispered, “For a minute there, I thought you might kill him.”

“He’s lucky I didn’t do worse. I already wanted to wring his neck because of his lack of concern for your safety.” His grip on the handles of my bags tightened to the point that his knuckles turned white. “His attempt at laying claim to you only worsened my urge to see him dead.”

Stephan’s display of jealousy didn’t scare me. It did the opposite instead. “Can you teleport with my bags and me? The faster we get home, the sooner you can finish claiming me as your consort.”10StephanAdrenaline pumped through my veins, feeding my driving need to claim Bronwyn. I held on to her bags with one hand and slipped my other arm around her waist before teleporting home.

After tossing the luggage into the closet, I guided my consort back to our bed. With a single thought, the sheets were replaced with black silk and our clothes had disappeared. Clouds covered the moon again, making it the blackest night. So lit candles appeared spread throughout the room, their flames flickering and illuminating the space with a soft glow. I positioned her to stand in front of me, and my eyes raked over her naked body. “You are so incredibly beautiful,” I rasped, my throat suddenly dry.

Soft pink tinged her cheeks, and she licked her lips, making my groin tighten painfully. “You make me feel that way,” she informed me sweetly.

I threaded the fingers of one hand through hers and gently tugged her closer until she was flush against me. “Are you ready?” I wouldn’t proceed until she was one hundred percent sure, even if it killed me. And it just might.

“I want to be yours, Stephan. More than anything.”

Cupping her cheek, I stared deep into her eyes and asked, “Bronwyn O’Brien, do you accept my claim on you?”

“Yes, I accept your claim on me with all of my heart and soul, Stephan Bancroft.” She smiled up into my face, her brown eyes shining with happiness. “Without a single doubt.”

The sincerity in her expression and tone caused my heart to stutter for a second, and though it wasn’t tradition at this stage, I bent my head and captured her lips in a deep, possessive kiss. I was anxious to complete the ritual and cement our ties to each other, so I pulled back quicker than I wanted. Her little mewl of protest had me smirking, and I winked at her, causing her to grin and shake her head.