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He chuckled. “Trying to change the subject?”

I sucked in a breath when he slid a finger inside me. When his thumb landed on my clit, my eyes fluttered as he began circling it slowly.

“Everything your twin said about me is right,” he murmured in a low voice.

My eyes widened, cutting to him. “What?”

I swallowed a moan when he added a second finger, curling them up until I was nearly writhing in his hold.

“I’ve killed. Humans, vampires—it didn’t matter. I did it on my father’s orders, but that’s not an excuse.” His voice was expressionless, and an ache smothered my chest for a moment, until he focused on my clit, making all rational thought fade away. “I deserved all the hate you gave me when we met. The things I’ve done…I had every intention of following what my father wanted for this world.”

“Had,” I choked out, his assault on my clit unrelenting. “You’ve changed. You don’t want that anymore.”

“You changed me,” he admitted gruffly, pushing his fingers deeper into me. “Even before our bond. Now look at me. Trying to save the world—for you.”

“You’re not evil, Zan,” I panted between short breaths, forcing my eyes open to look at him. It was a struggle to even speak when he was touching me. “I know that.”

He grinned, running his thumb over my clit. “And you aren’t either. Those words that Keeva was spewing, it’s not true, Kali. You are not the dark.”

“You don’t know that,” I argued weakly through the haze of pleasure.

“I do know,” he growled. “I knowyou.”

I let out a cry when he suddenly grabbed me, pulling me off the bar and keeping his arm around me. He set me down on one of the tables, and I didn’t fight when he pushed me back until I was lying down. A shiver rolled through me from the cold, smooth wood, but that was soon forgotten when Zan undid his jeans and pulled his cock out.

A moment later, he slid inside me, groaning as he filled me. “Fuck. You feel so damn good, Kali.”

My husky laugh turned into a moan when he pulled out and slammed back into me. I wrapped my legs around him, spiraling from pleasure as he upped his pace.

“Do you believe me?” he asked gruffly. “That you aren’t the dark?”

My eyes locked on his as he leaned over me. “I don’t know.”

A muscle in his jaw flexed. “Not good enough.”

His next thrust stole my breath, and I clawed at his back, my legs beginning to tremble.

“You are everything that’s good in this world.” He didn’t stop fucking me as he spoke. “You want peace. It’s something you’ve never stopped fighting for—and you’re still doing it even after transitioning to a Shadow.”

He kissed me before I could respond, his tongue clashing with mine as he plunged back into me. Waves of pleasure rolled through me, building closer to my climax. Until he slowed down.

“Zan,” I protested against his lips. “I was right there.”

He chuckled. “I know. But I’m not done talking.”

My glare lacked vigor as he pulled his face from mine, keeping his strokes slow.

“You see the best in people,” he murmured. “Not only do you want to save the humans, but you gave me a chance. Gia too. It doesn’t matter that I’m a Shadow or she’s a vampire. You judge based on if someone is good or bad. There isn’t a piece of your soul that is dark.”

But there was. My hatred for Amaros. The revenge I wanted after what Rowan did to me and Zan. I wanted them dead. Not just killed but tortured. I would do what I needed to protect the ones I loved. That included Shadows and now vampires.

Zan tsked. “I can see you’re still not listening to me.”

“I am,” I whimpered, rocking my hips against him. “You’re distracting me.”

“Am I?”

His smug tone had challenge rushing through me. Since I was almost sure my transition was finished, how strong was I? He pulled out of me, teasing me by rubbing his hard cock over my clit.