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I touched his bicep. He shook his head and focused on me. “What was I talking about?” He palmed his head.

“That I was essentially genetically engineered, and my change was activated.”

Bastien hummed, straightening, as if he’d never hunched forward.

“You attract your hunt. The way humans are attracted to vampires.”

“Why don’t I have any neat ability?”

“Genetics can be influenced by other sources.” He shrugged those large shoulders, and the suspenders stretched over his shoulders flexed. “Once my lab equipment arrives, I’ll be able to further my study.”

A ding prompted Asher to pull his phone out. His jaw fluttered and he looked up at Tobias and slightly turned his head.

Tobias’s eyes narrowed.

Asher pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

“We’ll be right back, Pet.”

Ren and Tobias had already disappeared.

“Wait—” The rest of my sentence was cut off by an arm banding around my stomach. I grunted from the force of being smushed to a chest. Bastien jerked me back so quickly it gave me whiplash. I yelped and shoved at his arm, but he snarled in my ear.

“What are you doing?” I huffed. Jax was gone too. I struggled in Bastien’s embrace, but he only gripped onto me tighter. I gritted my teeth and smacked at him. Bastien jolted. Ha, now that I was a vampire he’d feel it. I wiggled until I turned in his arms.

I shook my head.

“You’re Jekyll one minute, and then peekaboo, here comes Hyde. No warning, no nothing.” He didn’t react to my comment.

“Bastien,” I shouted. He shuddered and closed his eyes, leaning all his weight forward until his forehead rested on my shoulder. His fists perched on the kitchen table, corralling me between them.

I gripped his shoulder and shook him a little. “Bastien?”

His arm wrapped around my waist.

“That was an unfortunate lapse.” He cleared his throat, straightening as he smoothed his palm down his chest. “Did I harm you?”

“I’m fine?—”

A shout echoed from the foyer.

My slowed heartbeat jumped. What was it now?

THIRTY-ONE

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The chatterof unfamiliar voices came from the foyer. I let go of Bastien’s hand and ran toward the sniffling and arguing.

“And you thought to bring everyonehere?” Jax hissed.

“I am sorry, Sires,” Talia’s strained voice echoed to me. “I didn’t know what to do.” She sounded so lost. I hurried through the threshold and came to an abrupt stop.

A group of five hovered near the door, covered in soot.

“We had no choice,” a short female vampire with blonde streaks in her hair said, her voice trembling. Jax snarled at her.

She screamed and ran behind another taller female with long flowing hair and brown skin. In her flurry, she bumped a smaller figure who stumbled to the side.