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His body felt fucked up in ways he hadn’t known it was possible to feel, at least not since he’d transitioned. He was tempted to lean against the glass for real, like Jordan, but he didn’t dare take his hand off the handprint panel, even for a second.

He hadn’t even begun to think about what might be waiting for them on the other side, or who might have put the door there, or why, or how they’d managed to successfully fit the radiation-filled corridor with a state-of-the-art decontamination chamber.

He’d not even known such a chamber existed; he’d never seen one that quick and efficient in his life, despite all his years of living inside a dome, and occasionally venturing outside of it to surf and do other slightly crazy things.

Anyway, it was too late to worry about that now.

The door was already opening in front of them.

And it’s not like they’d had any choice.

CHAPTER33

THE OTHER SIDE

Nick had barely staggeredout of the still-opening glass door when hands were on him. He wanted to wave them off, to tell them not to touch him, but several sets held him, and one was already yanking off the hood he wore, and unsealing the front of his suit.

Then Wynter was in his face, gripping his hair in her fist.

“Drink,” she demanded, her voice hard. “Don’t even think about arguing with me.”

For some reason, he didn’t.

His fangs extended and he bit into her without thought, drinking mindlessly for almost a minute before he made himself stop.

He retracted his fangs and pulled his mouth away as soon as he could feel the effects of her blood rushing through his system. He wanted to let out a groan.

The instant he felt her blood reach his head, it was like the sound turned back on.

“STOP!” a voice shouted. “STOP! YOU’RE KILLING HIM!”

Nick’s mind snapped on, even as he turned.

Jordan was latched to the throat of Forrest Walker, whose eyes had rolled up and whose face had gone slack.

Nick didn’t think.

He walked up to Jordan and grabbed him by the jaw.

He filled his voice with his most commanding thrall.

“Let him go of him right now,” he barked deeply. “I’ll break your jaw andat leastyour spine if you don’t.”

He felt Jordan jerk as if woken from a trance.

He let go of Walker so quickly, he nearly tore out the hybrid’s throat in his rush to pull away. Nick had ahold of Walker’s neck with his other hand, so he managed to keep that from happening, but only because he had a few centuries’ worth of experience with newborns, and knew it was a danger.

Jordan stared at him, wide-eyed, as Nick sealed Walker’s neck with venom-infused saliva, then handed him off to his mother, Rose, and Wynter, who also stood there.

Nick faced Jordan, and held up both hands.

He didn’t lessen the thrall of his voice.

“Calm down,”he commanded. “You’re fine. It was an innocent mistake.”

“An innocent mistake?” Rose Walker asked, indignant.

Nick didn’t turn to glare at her, mostly because he needed eye-contact with Damon at the moment, but he sure as fuck wanted to.