Page 107 of Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince

Dante looked down. “Alex got me out. He could have saved himself, but he chose to save me instead. We’ll find a way to get him out, Dani. I promise.”

The burn in the back of her throat was intensifying to the point her eyes were starting to water. Her fangs definitely hurt. But she could practically smell the blood beneath Dante’s skin, and she wanted it. Baring her teeth, she sank them into his wrist.

Dante yelped in surprise.

Sera cleared her throat. “Softer strike next time. And you don’t need to chew. We’re not werewolves and he’s not a steak.”

“No biggie.” Alex’s brother winced as she tried to slow down, to just let the blood flow over her tongue. “Takes a little practice on entry there. Vampiring 101.”

“Urm-shorry,” she mumbled through a mouthful of blood.

Tears filled her eyes. They had Alex. They’d been so close to getting away, to their chance to finally be together. He’d saved her. She’d been… hurt? Frowning, Dani tried to remember what exactly had happened, her head swimming every time she blinked.

There had been blood. She remembered that now. And before that—

Ava.

She stopped feeding with a gasp.

Dante quickly lifted his wrist to his lips, sealing the bite wound.

“I remember now,” Dani said urgently. “Evan texted me, then Nadine, saying Ava was hurt. She said I had to come home right away. I tried texting them back, but I couldn’t reach either of them.”

“The texts might have been faked. It’s a common scam.” Dante made a sound under his breath. “They know you’ll be so panicked over the thought of your loved one in danger that you won’t stop to question it.”

“When I got to the apartment, Lara was waiting for me.”

“Lara was the one who shot you?” Sera’s face darkened.

“She said Alex would never move on as long as I was alive. And that killing me was the only way to sever the bond and end his obsession with me.”

Sera swore. “She’s the one who’s completely obsessed. I can’t believe we didn’t see it before now.”

“That means she has Ava.” Dani started to get out of bed, only to collapse to the floor.

“You aren’t in any condition to be running around the sector.” Dante helped her up, easing her back onto the mattress.

“She has my sister. I can’t just sit here.”

“We don’t know that,” Sera said. “Lara could have made the whole thing up to mess with you. I’m calling Evan. Right now, until we confirm anything, the more pressing issue is finding a safe location to move to.” She turned to Dante. “Ideas?”

He worried the edge of his lip with a fang. “You’re not going to like it, but our best option is probably hiding out somewhere in the borderlands until this dies down.”

“Dani can’t safely dematerialize, not in her condition.” Sera rubbed her temples as she paced across the room. “It was a risk bringing her here at all, but we had no choice. It needs to be somewhere closer.”

“If we have to stay in this part of the sector, Evan and I have friends who would be willing to hide me,” Dani said. “I could call and ask.”

“Anyone with a connection to you or Evan will be the first ones they’ll check,” Dante pointed out. “The whole city is searching for you. It’s all over the media feeds. Lara is offering a reward for anyone with information that leads to your arrest. She knows you didn’t die back in the staged accident she set up back at your apartment. You being alive poses a threat to her little coup attempt. We have to move.”

Dani opened her mouth to answer when a searing pain knifed through her chest. She screamed, arching off the bed.

“Shit!” Dante launched himself out of the chair. “Was it my blood? Is she having a reaction?”

“Hold her still.” Sera uncapped a syringe. “She’s shaking like crazy. We have to get her blood pressure down.”

Hands held her down. Dani could barely stop her teeth from chattering, couldn’t draw in a full breath. It felt like a pile of bricks was crushing her chest. Sera was just leaning over her with the syringe when she finally managed to gasp,

“It’s Alex.”