A Dark Passion Read Free

you will follow me even if I told you to stay put?”
    Alara raised her eyebrows in response.
    “Stubborn woman. Very well, but keep your mouth shut or you will be punished.”
    She smiled widely. “Sounds kinky.”
    He grunted and walked away, resisting the urge to tell her all the things he’d love to do with her.
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    Alara followed Tyroz out of the hall and kept quiet. As much as she’d love to annoy him more than he was already, she knew how powerful Lord Theraux was. They walked through the halls of the manor, filled with portraits, plush carpets and warm coloured walls. Past open doors filled with expensive furniture, to where Lord Theraux stood, with his daughter next to him.
    Tyroz stopped. “Lord Theraux.” Tyroz bowed respectfully to the old and scary vampire and then turned to his daughter.
    Alara saw his jaw jump as he clenched his teeth together and bowed his head.
    “Layla.”
    What the hell is that about? Alara looked at the beautiful woman who looked so much like her mother, yet stood like the strong vampire at her side. What did Tyroz have against her?
    “I am part human and Tyroz has a thing against dhampirs, no matter who they are.” Layla looked at her and then glanced at Tyroz, smiling. “Yet the fact that he has bedded one is incredibly interesting.”
    Alara stiffened the same time Tyroz did. How did she know what I was? She took a closer look at Layla, but saw no difference in her. She wouldn’t have known she was a dhampir before she told her, so how had she known?
    Alara saw Tyroz glare at her and felt fear course through her with the murder he held in his eyes. She’d never told him what she was, never saw reason because he didn’t asked, too busy wanting her body rather than her life-story.
    She knew he despised dhampirs with a passion and only now did it occur to her that she was in deep shit because of what she was.
    Lord Theraux sighed softly. “Daughter, must you always cause trouble when we have a serious matter to talk about?”
    Layla grinned. “Payback for how he treated me for all those years.”
    “Aren’t you being a little childish?” Alara asked, putting her hands on her hips, and close to the hilt of her dagger.
    “Why stick up for him when you tried to kill him not long ago?”
    Alara’s eyebrows rose. How had she known that? “I’m an assassin and had a job. I don’t ask questions as long as I’m paid.”
    “Not a very good one it seems. Tyroz is still breathing.”
    Angry, Alara threw a dagger towards Layla before any of the others could react. She believed it would hit her target, until Layla smiled and the air around her shimmered. A tall, handsome, dark haired man appeared out of nowhere and plucked the knife out of the air before it could hit her.
    Alara twisted and side-flipped away from Lord Theraux’s attack, but couldn’t avoid Layla’s as dark tendrils shot out from her body and grabbed her around the leg, causing her to fall hard.
    “She’s fast,” the new male said, turning her dagger in his hands.
    “Not fast enough. Her dagger wouldn’t have hit me, Shade. I didn’t need your help.”
    The handsome man—Shade—rolled his eyes and pulled her close. “Always moaning.”
    “Only for you,” she replied seductively.
    Lord Theraux and Tyroz cleared their throats before Tyroz spoke. “I apologise on her behalf. She’s yet to come to terms with my rules.”
    “Leave her,” Layla interrupted before Lord Theraux could speak. She held out her hand when the darkness holding Alara to the floor slithered away. “She was defending herself—something all of us would have done, no matter what the company.”
    Alara glanced at everyone before grudgingly accepting her hand.
    “Teach him how to respect others, Alara, before he gets himself killed,” Layla whispered before letting her go and looking at Tyroz. “We will come back to talk when things have calmed down here.” Taking hold of Shade’s hand, Layla smiled at