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Bastien’s head cocked, and his attention hadn’t swayed from me. “What is on your mind?” It sounded like speaking hurt him with how raspy and deep his voice was. So odd having him speak to me.

Which was super ironic, because this was the version that had control.

“Thank you for calling Asher,” I forced from my throat. I licked my lips again. The corner of his lips twitched. The chains around his wrist rattled as he swung his legs over the end of the bed to stand. Even from a distance he towered.

“I believe I should be the one thanking you.”

“Me, why?” My eyebrows furrowed. His lips twitched.

“All in time.”

I scowled at the cryptic comment. So annoying.

He rattled the chains pointedly.

“Release me.” He smoothed his hand down his chest. “And get me some clothing that fits.” Great, he was just as demand-y as the rest.

“What did you do to Jax?” Asher interjected. Right, that was why we were down here in the first place.

Bastien messed with the sleeves of the sweater, rolling them up to his forearm so they no longer touched the raw section at his wrists. It looked like he’d already tried to get them off.

“Jax told me what he did to you, so I trapped him in his mind,” Bastien said it toward me but then fixed his attention on Asher. “And you should be thanking me. He was headed down a self-destructive path. If I hadn’t trapped him in his mind, he would be out there, fruitlessly hunting down his Sire. And if by chance he found her, what do you think he’d be able to do against Imogen?His Sire.”

The answer was nothing and everyone knew it, by the silence Bastien received.

“If trapping him helped get all of you down here.” Bastien shrugged. I thought when humans were turned into vampires, some switch went off in their head that just made them callous and cruel, but I feltalmostthe same.

A little blood-thirsty. I would still do anything and everything for Peter. Maybe I’d become just as violent, with time. But what made the most sense was that they were all as messed up in the head even before they became vampires, and becoming a vampire only enhanced those negative aspects. I rubbed my temples. Trying to make sense of vampires would only drive me crazy.

“What did he do to you, Love?” Tobias turned his body toward mine, but he didn’t move forward. He’d behaved cautiously since I first flinched from him. He wasn’t the one whohurt me, but he’d been convicted. He took another step forward. I didn’t move away, and he stepped close, until he stood before me. I didn’t want to reiterate what Jax was forced to do. I didn’t want to have to defend him either and I knew I would have to. He hadn’t wanted to do it.

“He broke all of her fingers at Imogen’s orders,” Bastien said.

“He what?” Ren said low and tense. I sighed.

Asher gripped my hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing my knuckles reverently. “Let him out of his mind,” Ren’s insistence seemed off. His lips curled up at the corner and his eyes took on a far-off look.

Bastien sighed and sat back down. His mouth seemed tighter at the corners.

“I will not.”

“Let him go,” I forced out. Bastien turned to me and his long white hair moved like a rustling curtain. He scanned my face.

“Are you sure?”

Was I? No, but I still nodded.

“As you wish,” Bastien intoned.

“Catalina,” Jax bellowed so loud that it reached us in the room.

“I should get hi—” Asher cut off with Jax’s sudden arrival.

Jax was suddenly in front of me, his shoulders heaving.

“You’re alive,” he whispered. Taking my face in his hands, he angled my chin up toward him. His hands skimmed down my neck and touched my shoulders, then down to my hands. “I . . .” He shuddered.

Jax’s hands were ripped away. Two forms blurred, exchanging blows. Ren hit Jax so hard something popped. Jax grunted, stumbling back as he palmed his nose.