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“You are quite sure you’re alright?” he asks, his voice dripping down my skin like smooth, shining obsidian.

I nod mutely, my heart still racing. I glance at the bodies littering the floor.

Thornfield steps closer, his movements cautious now, as if trying not to startle me further.

One of the vamps on the floor moans and starts dragging their limp carcass toward the door. They are inches away from Thornfield. He steps on their hand. They moan again, and the crunching sound makes me wince.

“We need to go.” Thornfield fixes his gaze on mine. “There may be more of them coming.”

He extends a hand toward me. I hesitate for a moment, my mind reeling.

“Why would there be more?”

He places a large, strangely warm hand on my forearm. He narrows his eyes at me. “Lately, there are always more.”

Once again, Thornfield offers me his hand.

“We will discuss this more when we are somewhere safe.”

“Safe?”

Thornfield trails his fingers up my arms, leaving sparks of heat in their wake.

“I will always protect you, Luna.”

My eyes dart to the wooden box on the counter as realization washes over me.

“You killed Steven…”

He hesitates for a fraction of a second then nods almost imperceptibly. “I taught him a lesson.”

“You mailed him to me in a box!”

“Not all of him.”

I pull back, step away, putting space between us. I haven’t thought about my pain since the box arrived. But suddenly, my limbs start to ache.

I rub my forearms.

I look at the box, then the door.

Thornfield tilts his head as if he’s heard something, and when he turns back to me his eyes are dark inky pools, swimming with urgency.

“We have to go now, Luna.”

I stare at him, shaking.

I have a choice. Refuse to go with him, and wait for more vampires to descend, or take his hand.

Wait for death?

Or trust a guy who tore my ex-boyfriend apart to protect me?

I’m still trying to decide when Lucien Thornfield grabs me by the waist and tosses me over his shoulder. “I said, time to go,” he growls.

Chapter 3

Lucien