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Holding his hand out to Keira, Luukas waited for her to join him. His eyes roamed over her features, the look in his gray eyes so warm and intimate that Dante felt like he was intruding. Yet he couldn’t look away. He could practically see the connection betweenthem.

“Are you ready for this, witch?” Luukas asked Keira. “I hate having you anywhere near those things again, but I see no other choice.”

She just smiled. “We discussed this already, Luukas. You worry too much. My girls and I will be fine.” Rising up on her toes, she kissed him. “Besides, we have our big strong vampires to keep ussafe.”

“Keira, if anything happened toyou—”

“It won’t,” she assuredhim.

Luukas swallowed hard, and with one last kiss on his mate’s nose, he released her and straightened. The tenderness was gone from his expression as quickly as it had appeared. “We need to leave as soon as possible.”

“I’m coming alone,” Dante informed him in no uncertain terms, and Shea looked up at him in surprise. “My…mate is below ground, as you know. She will besafe.”

Luukas shook his head. “No. If something happens to her, you will cease to exist.” A smirk lifted his lips. “And I’m rather fond of your orneryself.”

“With all due respect, Luukas, I’m not bringing her. She is safer here,” Dante said, crossing his arms over his chest. Having Laney with him would just be a distraction. Even if the things managed to get into the building, they wouldn’t find her. Once they realized the vampires were gone, they would come after them. She was better off where shewas.

If she hadn’t already left, that is. Dante cracked his neck to ease the tension there. He’d given her the choice, and he would deal with whatever consequences that wrought.

“I’ll get Prickles,” Aiden told Grace.

“All right, then.” Nik rose from the sofa and pulled Emma up alongside him. “We’ll meet by the vehicles in thirty.”

Dante started walking away when he heard one of the females say, “What about the other people in the building? The people that live here? The humans? What about them and the people nearby?”

Everyone stopped, the vampires exchanging looks. It was Christian that answered Ryan’s question. “The guys have security measures in place, and Keira has a ward around the building. It’s us they’re after, or rather the box we have. All we can do is hope that they won’t get in, or if they do, that they’ll leave once they realize we’re not here.” He took her hand. “We’ll do all we can to make sure no one ishurt.”

Rolling his eyes, Dante took off. He wanted to stop by his apartment and check on the pets. Maybe he would grab Laney another blanket and take it down to her before he left, along with some more food. Brow furrowed in thought as he tried to think of anything else she may need, he picked up hisstep.