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“No one I trust more.”

Between the lack of sleep, the bouncing truck, and the synthetic fibers, she was more than irritated and itching for a fight. Liam, damn him, wouldn’t engage her, increasing her pique. Surprisingly, since thatthinghappened, he’d been annoyingly docile. Could it be that he was…pleased with the situation?No. Don’t be foolish, Vivian.Surely it was the exhaustion playing tricks on her.

She mustered her cattiest tone. “You trusted your bar manager, Gavin, and look where that led us.”

He shrugged. “I’m still not convinced Gavin had anything to do with that double cross at Pyrrhos.”

“Which only proves my point,” she snipped. “You’re a horrible judge of character. I can only imagine the company you keep at that bar of yours.”

“Seems to me, the only one I’m keeping company with these days is you.”

She swiveled her head in his direction. “Was that some sort of insult?”

“Just an observation,” he said, eyes locked on the road. The fact he wouldn’t engage her in a decent argument was beginning to make her feel like a shrew. Which in turn further darkened her bad mood.

She huffed, aiming the dashboard vent on her chilly legs. “I still don’t understand why we couldn’t lie low at a five-star resort with oceanfront views and room service.”

“We’ve already been over this,” he answered in that annoyingly patient tone of his. “Need a place no one will find us while we regroup.”

As the setting sun painted the sky with frosty shades of pink and orange, they reached the crest of the hill and the terrain leveled out. Mounds of freshly plowed snow lined the driveway, guiding them to a clearing in the trees. At her first sight of their lodgings, she grumbled a sigh. “It’s a cabin. Of course it’s a cabin.”

Woods thick with snow-dusted evergreens surrounded a large yet rustic log cabin. Beside it was an oversized barn. The faint scent of wood smoke found its way into the Jeep’s interior, and she scrunched her nose at the primitive smell. Everything around her was either brown, white, or green. Vivian was allergic to all things earthy, natural, andcold, for that matter. She’d have preferred Pyrrhos to this.

Liam parked next to a shoveled walkway. He exited, plodded around the truck, and opened her door. When she hesitated, he frowned. “Something wrong?”

“There’ssnowon the ground.”

He growled a sigh. “And you’re wearing boots.” He held out his hand to her and wiggled his fingers. “Stop being a priss and move your sweet ass.”

“Fine,” she huffed. He hefted her out of the truck and set her on the ground.

Side by side, they trudged along the path to the porch. The front door winged open, and a woman with a fiery red mane bolted off the step, the tail of her unbuttoned coat flapping in the wind. While familiar, Vivian couldn’t place her identity. Behind the woman stood an imposing male with familiar native features and long black hair. Jericho? Seeing as how he was the vampire clan leader’s right-hand man, he was well-known in most circles. Even hers.

“Liam!” The woman sprinted straight for him and threw herself into his outstretched arms. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Sunshine.” Liam hefted the redhead off the ground, and the woman wrapped her legs around his waist.

The ice slicing through Vivian’s veins had nothing to do with the cold.

Another female had just wrapped herself around her mate.

Liam held the girl in his arms, making no effort to free himself.

In that moment, something snapped inside of Vivian. Primal urges blazed through her system, stoking an inferno of rage.

Mine.

Disconnected from her own body, she watched herself from a distance. Watched as she grabbed the braid on the back of the other woman’s head. Watched as she ripped the harlot out of Liam’s arms, twisted, and flung her into the snow. Watched as she stood over the fallen woman, fangs bared, face contorted with rage. “Get your hands offmy mate.”

Too late, she registered the woman’s heart-shaped face and flashing hazel eyes.

“Dammit, Vivian. What the hell’s gotten into you,” Liam shouted, dragging her away by her arms.

Alexandra, Liam’s former Chosen, the woman he loved like a daughter, stared up at her from a pile of snow, her expression stunned.

As Vivian’s anger turned to embarrassment, a sinister glint flashed in the other woman’s eyes. With an impressive and very unhuman like move, Alexandra arched her back and popped off the ground. Then she lowered her head like a bull and charged. Before Liam could jerk Vivian out of the way, Alexandra’s shoulder plowed into her stomach, knocking her on her back. Air whooshed from Vivian’s lungs, and she skidded across the ground with a snarling redhead on top of her. Her collar shoveled snow, and the frigid cascade slid inside her sweater. She sucked a sharp breath.

That bitch!