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I chuckle as I think about the night she told me she was going to have sex with her supposed pen pal boyfriend.

“Despite what you think, the opportunity doesn’t really come up that often,” I lie. “Plus, there was a lot going on.”

“For three hundred years?” she laughs.

She had me there.

“Let’s just say my ex wasn’t a good guy. He made it so that I never wanted to be vulnerable with a man again. Even if it was just sex.”

She nods. Standing beside me near the sink, she places her back against the aluminum edge.

“I understand. When you’ve been hurt, it’s hard to move on sometimes.”

I scoff. “You have no idea.”

“But what about now? What about you and Enzo?”

I turn to look at my sweet friend, wondering if she’s lost her mind.

“Are you serious?” I chuckle.

“Yeah, it looks like you like him.”

“Liz, I don’t know if you’ve been on vacation for the last few months, but he hates me. If he could rip my head off my shoulders without you being upset with him, he would. Plus, he looks very much happy with green eyes.”

Look, all this acceptance is great, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve lived long enough that I can see through the fog. Our belonginghere is connected to a thin, frail string. The first sign of any problems that string breaks and we are back to being public enemy number one. Even if I saved this entire pack with my blood, it wouldn’t wash away the many years of war between vampires and werewolves. If I told them I was here to save their entire race, it still wouldn’t make them stop hating me.

“Chayton told me he’s not serious about Nadia.” She shrugs. “And I feel something brewing between the two of you.”

I laugh. “It must be that baby because—”

“Mizani,”his voice cuts into my head so sharply, blinding pain has me gasping for air.

“Michaela?” I can hear Liz calling me, but it’s almost as if she’s miles away.

Looking around, I’m no longer in that kitchen on Dark Woods’ grounds. I’m in a large bedroom. The walls are pristine white and curved, giving the room an octagon shape. A large four poster bed is behind me, its black silk sheets are disheveled across the bed. However, it’s the person lying shirtless in the center of the mattress that has my heart pounding.

“My sweet wife,”Markis calls out to me. He climbs from off the bed and strolls over to me.

How the hell is he doing this? I fight to gain control of my body, but no matter what I do, I can’t move from this spot.

“Where are you, my love?”

I stop trying to move, and instead apply all my strength and focus on putting up my walls, protecting everything in my head. Suddenly, it feels as if a sledgehammer is ramming against my brain.

I scream out in pain.

“Enzo! Enzo!” I can hear Liz calling out, but again, I can’t see her. I’m stuck in this limbo state with Markis.

“What are you protecting so strongly?”he asks stroking the back of his hand down my cheek. However, I can’t feel his touch.It’s then I realize he has pulled me into his thoughts. I’m not really here.

“Get out of my fucking head,” I snarl as I use every source of energy I can find to push him out of my head and get the hell out of his.

He roars as I feel the pressure leaving my skull. The moment the relief comes, the bedroom walls melt away and I am back in the kitchen.

“Hey. Look at me, vamp.”

Turning my head, I come face to face with those golden eyes. I then notice I’m on the floor, but Enzo is holding me in his lap. The warmth of his arms causes my belly to flutter. Well shit, that hasn’t happened in a long time.