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Cypress. Cypress had felt so good against him. He’d been so gentle. Cypress had looked at him as more than an object to be used. So much more than a monster he wanted to kill.
And Haven had pushed him away.
An ache in his chest told him to apologize. But his mind reaffirmed that what he’d done had been for the best. This attraction between them was a doomed thing. A flower shooting up in the dead of winter. It was destined to fail, to die. Cypress was with the Veritas. What he really wanted was to escape. Likely, he thought winning Haven to his cause would help him with that goal. Inevitably, their goals were at odds.
With an ache he felt to his core, Haven rose to his feet. He needed to say something to Cypress, anything to staunch the nauseous feeling of wrongness that had settled in his guts. But as he approached the door, he found the handle locked. He tried again only to hear a muffled shout on the other side.
Boots tromped heavily across the floor. Someone was inside his chambers. Haven struggled with the doorknob but to no avail. Only moments later, the sounds on the other side of the door dissipated, leaving only silence.
“Cypress!” Haven cried out, pounding against the grain. “Someone open this door!”
Still nothing. Haven reared back and slammed his fist into the knob with all his might. It fell from its sheath and tumbled to the floor with a clatter. He was free.
But on the other side, his room was empty. Cypress was gone.
For a moment, he stood still and silent, his heart pounding. Then, panic set in. What had happened? He’d heard a struggle. Had someone come for Cypress? Had he escaped? Darting forward, Haven rushed to his bedroom door and peered out in both directions. No sign of Cypress. So likely, a vampyre had taken him. No way he’d have been able to vanish from view down the long hallway otherwise.
Thorne.Thorne had taken him. Of that, Haven felt sure. But why? Why would Thorne do this? To further punish Haven? Because he’d expected Haven to kill his slave, and now, upon seeing Cypress still alive, Thorne had grown angry? Had Haven saved Cypress from one death only to plunge him into another?
No, he needed to find Cypress. He needed to protect him. He didn’t have time to think about why.
Throwing on a loose shirt and tight black pants, Haven strode out into the hallway, in the direction of Thorne’s chambers, only to be stopped in his tracks by a familiar voice.
“Haven.”
Whirling around to see Gaius’s face set in stone, his brow severe and his lips tight, Haven’s stomach clenched. “My Lord?”
“It’s begun.”
“What has?”
“The interrogation. Lord Tepes set about it this morning.”
Haven swallowed. “You aren’t with him.”
“I came to warn you. Will you take me into your chambers?”
Cypress.Haven’s mind darted back to his human pet. “My Lord, I’m afraid I have pressing matters to attend to. Lord Thorne has—”
“This is urgent, Haven. My fledgling is in grave danger. And if he has his way, he will drag you down with him. I won’t allow it.” Gaius stepped toward him and held out a hand. Beckoning. His large eyes were wide and imploring, his handsome face knitted with concern. “Come. Please.”
There would be no dissuading or disobeying a vampyre as powerful as Gaius.
Haven nodded and held the door open for his master’s sire. When Gaius entered a room, every light seemed to pale in comparison to his radiant power. But now, he seemed a shell of himself, full of nervous anticipation. As his eyes settled on Haven’s mussed hair and disheveled appearance, he slipped his hand into Haven’s own.
“You know I care for you, sweet Haven. Perhaps more than I should.”
There was no denying that. Haven blinked, watching Gaius closely.
“I won’t see you hurt. Not for the sake of my unruly, unthinking creation. The Dominion suspects Thorne; you know this. And Lord Tepes plans on pinning this whole business on his head unless we can find some other guilty party.”
Haven balked. “Thorne isn’t part of the Veritas, Gaius. I would know if he was.”
“Would you? Do you truly think there is nothing Thorne keeps from you?”
Haven startled at the thought, but there was some truth to it. And just that knowledge unnerved him. “Thorne hates the Veritas. He knows what they did to me.”
Gaius huffed a sigh, shaking his head as he stroked the skin of Haven’s palm. “My love, how do you think it came to be that Thorne found you in the first place?”
