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“I’m not sure. How much do you think you drank?”

Kole shakes his head, moistening his lips as if he can still taste me. “This should be enough.” He nods at the glass then grabs a dishcloth to stem the flow of blood.

While Tanner winds the cloth around my hand, Kole hands the glass to Rev. She sucks in her cheeks. Her nose twitches when she looks at it. “I’ll see he drinks it.”

“Rev, do you need company? We don’t know what will happen.” Mack moves across the room, but Rev lifts her palm at him and shakes her head.

“I trust him. If I need you, I’ll shout.”

Mack stops beside Snow, who is sniffing the air.

Quietly, Rev closes the bathroom door. When she’s gone, Sam finally crosses the room and wraps his arms around my waist. Burying his face in my neck, he breathes me in and runs his hands up my back. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I was hurt and angry. I’ve always wondered what use I was to you when the others are so strong…” He pulls back, his dark curly hair falling over his face.

I brush it free and stroke his stubbled jawline. “You have nothing to be sorry for, but you have to believe me when I say that you are still part of this. I don’t love Nico. He’s not even feeding from me. Just drinking it like a nasty shot in a skanky bar.”

Sam chuckles a little and lightly pinches my lower lip, then kisses it, then me. “Tell me what you need from me, Nova. I might not be a super powerful mage or a Hellhound from another dimension, but I’m in this with you. I’ll do anything you need.”

“I know.” I reach down and playfully squeeze his butt. “And I’ll let you know what I need later. But first…” I unfurl the cloth from my hand and flex my fingers to show off my undamaged palm. “We need to discuss the exciting part.” I spin in Sam’s arms and, while he hugs my stomach, look at Tanner. He frowns and tilts his head at me. Grinning, I wriggle my eyebrows. “Want to do something really cool?”

40

TANNER

“How cool?” I ask, nudging a chair out from behind Snow so I can sit down. He huffs at me, then barges through to the living room and lowers himself onto the rug like some overgrown sort of dog.

Nova levers herself onto the countertop and sits swinging her legs. She shivers and glances at the bathroom door. “We’ll get Nico into The Hollow’s grounds before sunrise. The Hellhounds sleep during the day, so he can bunk up with them.”

“Can he control his shifts well enough to do that?” Sam asks, sitting down next to me.

“He’s in there drinking Nova’s blood,” Luther says gruffly. “Pretty sure by the time he’s done, he’ll be stronger. Physically and mentally.”

I reach for Sam’s shoulder and squeeze it gently. “I think Luther’s right. My head is clearer than it has been in a long time. After I jumped to find you…” I tap my skull with my knuckles. “Things up here were hard to control. Now, it’s like the fog has lifted. Like I can breathe again. Hopefully, her blood will do the same for Nico.”

Sam nods slowly, pressing his lips together. I don’t have to search his feelings to know he’s finding all of this impossibly hard; the idea that we are all going to have a piece of Nova that he can’t have must be almost killing him. And the fact Nico is to be a part of this, but he isn’t? I move my hand to rub his back. He doesn’t pull away, but he doesn’t relax either.

“When do I kill the witch?” The bathroom door has opened, and Nico is standing just behind Snow.

Snow sniffs the air, staring in Nico’s direction, then heaves himself to his feet and moves so his nose is inches away from Nico’s face. Mack watches, but doesn’t step in.

To my surprise, Nico doesn’t falter or look scared. He stands stock still, staring down at the huge polar bear whose jaws are within easy biting distance of his throat. “It worked,” he says, looking past Snow at us. “I can feel it.” He shudders and rubs his upper arms. “I’m stronger, and my head is clear. So, when do I kill the witch?”

Grumbling, Snow moves just enough to let Nico past. When Rev appears, he lets her stroke his head and returns to the rug.

Something about Nico is different. He moves more confidently all of a sudden, like whatever was inside him that made him feel weak and pathetic has been replaced by something stronger.

Nova assesses him carefully. She’s gripping the counter but has stopping swinging her legs. “You’ll break through the barrier before sunrise, then sleep with the Hellhounds until mid-day.”

“The werewolves are usually sleeping then, too. They stay up all night partying and fucking,” Mack says darkly.

I frown at him; I had no idea he’d strayed so close to The Hollow while he was gone. Close enough to know what was going on inside.

“Good. That will give Nico time.” Nova watches him as he crosses the room and stops in front of her.

“I’ll kill her while the others are sleeping,” he says.

Nova nods. “It has to be quiet. No one must know.”

Nico rolls his tongue over his top teeth and pushes his jet-black hair from his face. I look from him to Sam. His hair is straight, and Sam’s is curly, but they share the same dark features and—now that Nico’s demeanor is less insipid—they resemble each other more than ever.