Absolution of Fate (Fate Series Book 3) by S. Simone Chavous Read Free Book Online Page B

glass that separated them.

    Layla tilted her head coyly, looking up at Dante through her lashes. With a shaky hand, he reached for the intercom.

    “God, Layla, I’m so fucking sorry,” he said, unable to take his eyes from her. She was still his Layla, but different. The glow in her eyes was just as bright as Ethan’s had been, but somehow she didn’t look like a rabid dog like he thought Ethan did. If anything, he thought her more beautiful than he remembered.  

    “None of this is your fault, Dante. My sweet Dante,” she said, pressing closer to the barrier between them. “I’m still me. I’ve missed you so much. Thinking of you was the only thing that kept me going,” she continued, swiping at her eyes as if she were crying. But no moisture appeared. Unfortunately, Dante didn’t seem to notice or care.

    “Martinez, open the door, man,” Dante commanded.

    “Come on, Dante, you know I can’t,” he replied, pulling the tranquilizer out and slipping it behind his back. He moved directly between Dante and the control panel, only taking a moment to glance at Alexa still in Ethan’s cell; the couple sitting calmly on the floor staring at one another.  

    He’d been watching intently as Alexa entered, trying to ascertain the level of threat Ethan represented. He’d been like a broken animal when she entered, cowering in the corner until she actually offered him her blood. Once he bit her, Martinez knew it was over. No matter what Ethan did after that, he couldn’t open the door again until it was certain that neither of them was infected. That was when he’d turned his focus to Dante and Layla.

    “Open the fucking door!” Dante commanded with a growl, dropping his hand and turning to his friend. Martinez cursed under his breath. That look in Dante’s eyes told him he was going to need the syringe and nothing short of a miracle to keep the cell closed. Dante was a far superior warrior and they both knew it. Martinez’s only advantage was surprise, or so he thought.

    In a blur of motion, Dante was on him. Before Martinez could even react, he was pinned to the wall with the syringe intended for Dante jammed securely in his side.

    “Sorry, bro, I have to do this,” Dante whispered before letting Martinez’s limp body slide to the floor. When the three of them were sneaking into the containment wing, Dante had continued to absorb Alexa’s telepathy. While she was far too strong for him to dig into her mind without her knowing, Martinez’s shields were weakened while he focused his own ability to conceal the group. So Dante knew his best friend planned to keep him from Layla; part of him was glad for it. Deep down, he knew the risk she posed, but one look at her and he didn’t care about that anymore.

    He glanced toward Alexa and Ethan and his heart ached at seeing the love that was so obvious between them. Ethan’s eyes were clear; he was cured and that was all Dante needed to know. There was still hope. He didn’t know how long it might take, but they would find a cure, they had to. And if they didn’t, he wasn’t going to leave Layla to suffer her fate alone. He couldn’t abandon her again.  

    With a deep breath, he slid the lever to open Layla’s cell. Using every ounce of his speed, he closed the distance between them, pushing Layla back into the cell before she could make her escape. Being infected, she was stronger than he was and could have easily gotten around him, but luckily she was also teetering on the brink of bloodlust and couldn’t resist the call of his blood.

    When her fangs tore into his flesh, Dante didn’t flinch; instead relaxing into her embrace as he heard the door, which he knew would automatically reset after a few seconds, close behind them. Even though he immediately felt the infection burning its way through his blood, Dante was relieved. No matter what happened next, his life was permanently linked to Layla’s and that thought gave him comfort.

CHAPTER 6