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I stared at the ground Eli was right, he was there for me, but since his transforer ran alongeye contact

"Don’t forget that although he’s a friend, he’s still dangerous, Ruby You’re a goddess and a Heelian, both are irresistible to a vampire … be careful"

I nodded, but Eli didn’t reer from my face Instead he surveyed hts?" I asked, using his line on hiht smile and he bit his bottom lip in an attempt to hide it God I love it when he does that

"In my day it was customary to ask the father for perhter" Our attention flicked toward the opening to the castle back gardens and a skinny, old ainst a weathered wall

"Dad?"

The old man took a few steps toward us They said he was addicted to vampire bites but he looked normal to me I pictured hiined him all hunched and sickly, like the woe Sanctuht a long tio," Eli stated

My eyes didn’t stray from the man that looked too h cheek bones and blue eyes down to the full lips and long legs Mithras’s long dark hair was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck

"Ahh, little Eli You’re all grown up, I see"

They knew each other? How did Eli know iveto happen," Eli growled defensively

"If you have to say soel"

"Oh goody," he mumbled sarcastically "Lucian wants me to train you on how to control your sun power"

Eli’s jaw clenched He didn’t like that idea any ht a vampire with my bare hands or use my elements"

Mithras chuckled "Stubborn, just like your htly in front of h What did my mother see in him? I’d known hinorant, cocky, and bossy

"I don’t think it wise to cohter, Mr De Luca"

"He’s already told you that you forfeited any parenting rights a long tilow What was he up to? He pushed his hands towards Eli and a blinding light shot out from his palms I felt Eli tense as he braced himself for the ioing to risk it I dove in front of hiht hit me instead At first it burned and a scream tore free, but when the initial burn was over,it like a plant absorbs water

"Ruby!"

Blinking, I focused on Eli’s face He was leaning towardmy shoulders

"Are you okay?"

"I -- I’m fine"

My eyes flicked over to where Mithras had been standing He was gone Slowly an to blur

"What’s happening?" I groaned

Two strong arh to pulldarkness

Possessive and Jealous

My head was pounding hard against my skull before I even opened my eyes When I did, shapes and colors blurred around s beca painting Inized it as one of the Latvian ones Eli had in the living rooe The only place I had seen those types of paintings here was in the sitting room

"Where a rooa shiver down it

"Ruby, are you all right?"

A blurry face loomed over me I blinked a few times and the blurry lines becaled just above irl

"I- I think so," Iup Her hand rested onup fully

"You need to lie down"

"Where’s Eli?" I asked

"He’s upstairs I heard that you hed

"He’s out of control! He tried to hurt Eli but I stopped hiotten yourself killed, or worse, you could have ruined the plans I had for you, and over a silly guardian angel"

"You talk as if they’re worth nothing"

Lucian ss

"That’s a whole new topic you aren’t going to want to get into right now"

Slowly I sat up

"Anna, give us ait behind her I didn’t like being alone with Lucian I could tell he was frustrated withblack robe and sat beside ed o?"

I kept ine him happy and in love but I couldn’t When I looked at his face I couldn’t see that Whatever huone

"But she was taken from me …"

"By a vampire?"

It just doesn’t make sense, ould he becouardian angel" His black eyes glazed over like he was reliving sooddesses," I stated

"No, they don’t She wasn’t killed, she fell in love"

I sed hard His wife fell in love with a guardian angel and left hi to co pieced together

"That’s why you el relationships forbidden," I whispered to myself

"Well, I can be a very possessive and jealous nored the fact that his statement sounded like a threat

"What happened to them?" I asked hesitantly

"I was turned into a vampire and I hunted them" He smiled to himself, like he was proud "Now ask yourself, is it worth it?"

I pondered whether to choose my next words carefully or to just say what I feel

"I think you can’t choose who you love I also think there’s nothing wrong with loving someone who isn’t the same as you"