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I wished I could convince myself that I didn’t need it. That lie was enough to make my body stop. But I knew I was wrong. I always was.

Especially now, since I was under a roof with seven vampires that carried what my body thirsted for.

Choose, choose, choose.

But if I fed,hervoice would grow louder.She’dgain enough power to be more than an itch across my skin.

What will you choose, Katerina?

I could resort to not feeding and only surviving on human food. I’d done it before. It was the quietest my head had ever been. But by weakeningher, I’d weaken me, too.

The medication was already doing that, and I fucking hated them for it.

Choose, choose, choose.

My throat swelled as I carefully unlocked the suitcase. Sweet coppery scents crashed against my nose, the tension in my muscles relaxing while I practically swallowed a bag in one breath. A sweet metallic aftertaste settled on my tongue right as a surge of energy traveled through my veins. The fatigue instantly vanished.

I don’t remember the last time I felt this. . . awake.

I wanted another one. Maybe if I. . .

It took all my force to shove the luggage away and leave. I needed distance. A distraction before I could make a mistake. Training was the perfect excuse. And no way was I getting my ass kicked now.

I silently exited the underground passageway and made my way toward the employee quarters. A musky scent tickled my nose.

Lorenzo’s arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me over his shoulder in the lobby. “Didn’t think you’d want to run those laps already.”

I punched his shoulder blades until he let me go. “You’re insane.”

“With those actions and language, I might as well double it.” His stern expression eased with a smirk. “But I’ll be lenient because we’ve been apart for five months.”

I mockingly bowed in his direction. “Wow, sir. You are too kind, sir. Thank you for sparing me you, kind, considerate, most—”

“You’re still giving me those two laps.” He wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me toward the staircase. “But training will do for now.”

The building was a smaller version of the CEG, only holding four floors that met our basic needs. The first floor had the common area and cafeteria, the second floor was reserved only for training, and the third and fourth floors housed all the shared dormitories.

“How have you been?”

“I visited Mom’s grave.” We made our way through the empty training floor, settling in front of the weights.

Lorenzo’s last post was up north in Canada, near our hometown, Ottawa. Although we barely remembered our time before the CEG, Lorenzo cherished the few memories he had with his mom— my aunt, Elia Devon.

It’d been over six years since she’d randomly passed. He never let her go.

“How was it?” While I barely had any memories with my aunt, it was nice hearing Lorenzo talk about the only other person he cared about. She was also my caretaker after—

He scoffed as he settled into a bench. “Her grave? Practically buried. I hire monthly cleaners, yet they still do a shit job. I might as well make the walk and do it myself.”

I smirked. “You blabber it but never do it. So much for being a man of your word.”

Lorenzo ignored me. “I also tried tracing our old house while up there. All I stumbled on was an abandoned hospital.”

I pressed my lips together. Lorenzo knew the house had been torn down a little after my aunts’ death, but he was stuck on finding anything relating to his mom. For what? Who knows. If I asked, he’d only spiral down a hole, and I wasn’t up for opening those cans of worms.

“Watch it,” pointed Lorenzo. “I know that face.”

“What face? I’m not making a face. You are.”