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One moment, Magnus stood there in his immaculate robes, and the next, Arabella was before him.

Tears were in the corners of Elias’ eyes as he allowed himself to feel the agony in his chest alongside relief at the sight of her.

My mate. She’s here.

His eyes feasted on the sight of Arabella. She was tall and lean, garbed in enchantress leathers as dark as the night itself. Her long braid was over her shoulder, and her fair skin looked like it was kissed by starlight. Even the teardrop gemstone on her forehead shimmered like it held the moon within it. But when he looked at her eyes…

They were wrong.

Instead of the brown irises he’d come to love, her eyes were a deep scarlet.

But in his current state, with a fiery hunger burning in his gut, it didn’t matter.

His cock hardened instantly.Painfully.

“Elias,” the female said as she pressed her body against his. As she did, he became very aware that he was naked and covered in both dried and fresh blood. And the syphen still stuck out of his chest.

Even still, his name on her lips had his body slackening. Blood slicked his chafed wrists as they pressed into the restraints.

A haze settled over his mind.

She reached a hand up to cup his cheek. “You don’t need to fight anymore, my love. Submit to me. Give in.”

His cock twitched, growing even harder.

Just being near her had his body screaming for release.

He yearned to thrust his hips forward, for any friction. One touch from her, and he’d come.

A tongue darted out from her mouth, glancing against his lower lip.

Body still slack in the restraints, he managed to tilt his chin up to her. Showing her that she could have him—all of him. He was hers for the taking.

“That’s it,” she purred, her breath smelling strongly of peppermint.

Then her lips were against his, pressing hard enough that he felt her teeth. Desire swirled inside him even stronger—so powerful it was painful. Then what little essence he had unlatched from deep within his chest, called to her on a soundless siren song.

That slip of energy was all that was left of the girl he’d killed.

A hand encircled Elias’ cock,squeezing.

He grunted in pain, and sudden clarity entered his thoughts.

This isn’t right.

Arabella’s touch could be hungry and laced with need, but it was never like this. Her touches lingered on his skin, pulling him in as if she couldn’t get enough of him. More than once she’d raked her nails along his back, but it was never with the intention of hurting him. Anything their bodies shared was out of a desire to find the deepest parts of each other.

But this…

It was as though she was intent on consuming all that he was.

Reaching for the bond in his chest, he felt for his mate. He still couldn’t sense her emotions, but he knew from the lingering tightness that she wasn’t nearby.

She certainly didn’t stand before him.

Something inside him cracked at the knowledge that his mate was far out of his reach. But if he couldn’t see her, then neither could Magnus.

She was out of both of their reaches.