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The kind that does what it wants, caring for no one outside its own walls.
The kind that has betrayed and threatened my mate.
I look over and find her staring up at the club, the mask dangling in her hand. Her shoulders are set, but her expression sends a dagger straight through my heart. She has had almost no one to turn to in this world for far too long. And the vampire she once considered an ally has made her circle one less.
I will kill him for it.
“Put your mask on,” I tell her as gently as I can, given the bloodlust pouring through me now.
My dragon is a shadow beast out for vengeance. The lack of a mate bond or a blood oath only makes him more chaotic. But at least, my will is my own. I cannot be stopped and I cannot kill anyone or anything I don’t choose to.
Today, I will destroy everything that has hurt her, and I’ll do it with zero regret. Still, it’s a strain to keep from giving into the bloodlust and completely losing myself to the fight. Doing so would mean risking Tori’s safety even further, so I leash the beast as best I can.
Thankfully, she does as I ask. The armor is still in place, but I reach over and double-check the fastenings for good measure. Then I unsheathe her dagger and shove it into her gloved hands.
“Promise me you won’t touch them,” I say, thinking of Broca’s warning about what will happen if she drains herself.
“I’ll try, but if they?—”
“Promise me.”
She stares back at me. Even through the mask, I can feel her irritation. But she doesn’t argue. “I promise.”
I exhale and then take the biggest risk of all. I lean over and kiss her through the fabric mask.
She jerks back, gasping and wrenching herself several steps out of my reach.
A moment passes, and I know we’re both waiting to see if I went too far.
But I feel fine.
A second later, I close the distance and kiss her again, this time grabbing her tightly enough that she can’t escape.
She doesn’t try to.
Instead, she leans in, pressing her covered body against mine. Her lips are yielding and demanding. The kiss is warm, stirring my blood and my cock, but it’s not the access I need. Not with the layer of fabric between us.
I want more of her.
I want all of her.
Forever.
I step back, holding her gaze. Up close, I can just barely make out her eyes on mine. There’s an emotion in them I can’t read. And we don’t have time. Not yet.
After…
“Come,” I say, turning for the club entrance. “When we get inside, stay behind me.”
She lets me lead, and my dragon is all too pleased with himself at her display of trust.
The front door is locked. I half-expect some kind of charm spell to strengthen against intruders, but a hard shove snaps the lock free, and the door swings open.
I hesitate, unsure whether they’re the stupidest vamps ever or smarter than I’m giving credit with some kind of latent alarm system I’m not expecting.
A slow, deliberate step inside proves it’s both.
A screech splits the air, and a blur of something solid though small careens toward me. Stringy hair hangs in the face of alabaster skin.
