Chapter 731

• He remained still for a moment longer and then he leaned down to her height and pinned her with his fiery gaze. "Have a care how you speak to me, Dara Romanov. Kothari is not here right now, and I don't think you will like who is in residence if you test my patience." There was more than a hint of menace in his tone, but she held her ground, refusing to show any weakness.
• "Oh, I know it's you who has dominance at the moment, Agony. I have Kothi's journal so I know all about you. If you think I am afraid of you because of what I have just seen you do, then you're sadly mistaken. You see, it doesn't matter who has dominance. It doesn't matter how badass you think you are, or how much destruction you can rain down on all of our heads. Nothing will ever change the fact that you, Agony, as well as Kothari, are not only pack, but are also Vârcolac. That makes me yours to protect and it makes you mine to protect. Therefore, you can threaten all you like, but I know you will never hurt me. You may not need physical protection from me, but you sure as hell need psychological protection, so that's what I am going to do for you, my friend, whether you like it or not. Now, stop pissing about with that vampire and fucking help me, idiot!"
• Dara turned her back on him, frantically employing calming techniques in her mind to stop her legs from shaking and to help keep her breathing as even as possible. Truth be told, Agony scared her witless, but she couldn't show it, couldn't allow him to see that fear. She had to keep him engaged until he accepted her presence as a non-threat to his mission. It was difficult walking away without looking backwards, but she kept putting one foot in front of the other, motioning to Dante and Louis who had thankfully heeded her words and stayed where she left them.