"Just a moment," Marrow said. He brought the open vial to his nose. He inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering shut.
The air in the roomshifted.
The void expanded. I felt a sudden, sharp tug in my chest—a pulling sensation, like a thread being yanked from a sweater.
He wasn't smelling it.
He wastastingthe magic in it.
Rhett roared.
The chair shattered. Rhett lunged, shifting mid-air, his human form exploding into massive black fur and muscle. A giant wolf, snarling and terrified, jaws snapping for Marrow's throat.
"Rhett, NO!" I screamed.
Kai tackled him.
Gold fur collided with black. Kai shifted instantly, slamming into Rhett, pinning him to the floor. They rolled, a tangle of teeth and claws, knocking over a tray of instruments.
"Control him!" Marrow shouted, stepping back, clutching the vial to his chest. He looked delighted.
"Rhett!" I jumped out of the chair, diving toward the wolves. "Rhett, stop! Look at me!"
Rhett was thrashing, his eyes wild, lost to the wolf. He snapped at Kai, drawing blood.
Lucien was there instantly. He didn't shift. He just stepped into Rhett's shadow. Darkness erupted from the floor, wrapping around the black wolf like chains, binding his legs, muzzling his snout.
"Submit," Lucien commanded. His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed with Alpha power.
Rhett froze. He whined, a high, pained sound. He looked at me—his eyes wide, terrified. He had sensed what Marrow did. He had felt the violation.
"It's okay," I whispered, falling to my knees in front of him. I put my hands on his massive, furry head. "I'm here. I'm okay. He didn't hurt me."
Rhett leaned into my touch, trembling violently.
Slowly, the wolf receded. The fur melted away. Rhett was human again, naked and shivering on the linoleum floor, curled into a ball.
"I felt him," Rhett gasped, clutching my hand. "Lina, I felt him... inside you. He pulled."
"I know," I soothe, brushing the hair from his sweaty forehead. "I know."
I looked up at Marrow.
He was standing by the counter, corking the vial. He looked unbothered. Even... energized.
"A passionate response," Marrow said, adjusting his tie. "Though clearly unstable. Perhaps we should schedule a follow-up assessment for Mr. Blackmoor."
He pocketed the vial. My blood.
"You're free to go," Marrow said. "Thank you for your contribution, Ms. Arden."
He walked out of the room.
We were left in the wreckage of the exam room. Rhett was weeping silently. Kai was bleeding from a bite on his shoulder. Lucien looked ready to murder the world.
"He ate it," Rhett whispered, horror in his voice. "He just... ate the magic right out of her blood."
"We know," Lucien said, pulling Rhett to his feet. "Come on. We need to leave. Now."
