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“For now,” Dominique murmured as he seasoned the meat and fought the excitement simmering in his blood. So far, this was all just talk. “How do you know this works?”

“I’ve seen it work.”

Dominique dropped the fork and turned around. “You what?” both he and Cassidy said in unison.

“They tested this. I was there when they did.”

“Onwho?” Cassidy demanded.

“Not awho. A what.”

Dominique narrowed his eyes. Awhat? How badly had he misjudged this man now?

Jackson held up a hand. “Rats. They tested it on rats.”

“Rats?” he repeated.

“Vampirerats?” Cassidy asked, incredulous.

Jackson nodded. “Yes.”

“They turnedratsinto vampires?” Dominique could barely comprehend.

“They had the serum and blood you donated. There’s nothing magical about the mechanics.”

He was speechless.

Rats. Forged into immortal beings with his serum and his blood, his DNA. Linked to the dark web. Linked to him.

Your younglings,Cassidy said, her silent voice outraged, her fingers curling into fists.

Dominique closed his eyes.No, rats. They are only rats. I have no sense of them.

“They’re dead now,” Jackson said, hesitating, clearly unsure of just how much trouble he was in.

Cassidy clamped her mouth shut against an outburst, but her chin jutted forward and her eyes blazed. Dominique had to smile despite himself. His love, his queen, his lioness charging into battle on his behalf. There were no words for what he felt for her.

Sensing the warm emotion, she turned to him, surprised. Her shoulders relaxed. A small nod and she tucked an escaped strand of hair behind one ear. The rats didn’t matter. Not in this context.

“Did your suppressant kill them?” Dominique asked.

“No. With the suppressant, they were fine during the day. Normal in every way. But once the sun was down, they became vampires again. We tried to see if the suppressant would kick in again the next morning. It didn’t.” The rest was easy to guess. The scientists left the animals exposed to daylight, and the rodent vampires did what vampires did in daylight.

“So, one dose will buy me one day.”

“Yes.”

“How is it done?”

“It’s an injection. But it has to be administered directly to the heart at or after sunrise. Too early, and the suppressant gets overpowered and purged before it can take effect.”

Which meant someone else would have to administer the shot. Someone human. He glanced at Cassidy who hunched her shoulders almost imperceptibly.

You don’t know nearly enough to take a risk like that.

His mouth twitched.I will by the time the night is done.

Cassidy cocked a brow at him, glanced at Jackson, and went to retrieve a bottle of wine for herself.I’m going to need this.