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Hervoice was a brush of wind along my ears, butherpresence was a weight that stiffened my body into place. With each tug, herhold grew stronger.

Bullets punched through walls and windows, granite tumbling from the ceiling while glass crashed onto the floor. Grapple hooks shot through the air and pierced through pillars, zip lines webbing across the space. Figures dressed in all-black suits and masks plunged through the darkness and into the light, deafening screams and gunshots drowning the ballroom.

Bodies clashed as guests ran, vampires swift to find exits along the staircases while humans struggled to locate shelter. Guardians sprinted into action and parted into their general order of defense and offense.

Defensive guardians collected groups of people away from danger. Offensive guardians dashed straight-forward into the fight that erupted near the stage, the opposing side meeting them with swift movements and blaring shots. Lorenzo was one of many buried in the attack, his motions ferocious as he took the lead. Setting unsaid plans in motion. Taking control of the situation before more lives were lost.

I itched to step in and help in every way I could, butsheforced me to focus on the one thing I wanted to avoid: blood.

Crimson red stained the marble floor, a mixture of sweet copper and bitter rust drowning the air. My stomach rumbled and my mouth watered at the sight. At the taste if it reached my tongue. The hunger deep within me caved and expanded. One so penetrating that it ledherwhispers to turn into shouts.

The hunger will continue to intensify, Katerina.

She crept from the hazy state I’d been in after waking up from the sedative.Hersilence had lasted long enough. No moredormancy. No more, no more, no more.

A low groan vibrated across the room as Alek pushed Kaleb and him to hide behind a pillar. His hold tightened on Kaleb while a hand pressed against his deflated chest. Immediately, the drowning scent pulled me to his body.

I needed a taste. A sip. Anything.

Until it rips you apart.

No.

Herforce vanished as I pushed myself across the room, bodies crashing and falling as I avoided the bullets. Or were they avoiding me? Alek and Kaleb were my priority. I needed to take them out safely. Even if I had to hold my breath until I turned purple.

“Katerina,” Alek murmured through sharp breaths. There weren’t any tears across his clothing, but blood drenched his trembling hands. “My apologies for—”

Until it kills all of them.

“Right now isn’t the time,” I said through gritted teeth, the familiar air tingling against my tongue. This fucking guy. Somehow, Alek still found something to apologize for. But there was no way to ignore what he spoke about, the ache in my chest burning.

But that wasn’t important. Their safety was.

I reached over and leveled Kaleb onto my arms. Fuck, he was closer to dead weight than a living being. His abdomen shed blood along an oozing silver liquid. Whatever it was, it was killing him slowly, the moan from his lips barely a whimper. His head swayed onto me as his eyes remained shut.

Alek eased onto Kaleb’s other side, pulling him closer to him and relieving me of Kaleb’s weight.

“Keep close,” I whispered to Alek as we stilled on the pillar.

Lorenzo directed the offensive guardian’s attacks, most of them targeting the weapons before the masked figures and a few taking over guns as a form of support.

People still flooded the exits from the first floor. Fuck, how many were invited for this blood bath? I considered the ones on the second and third floors, but they were too far from reach with Kaleb’s obvious state.

The nearest one was the back door behind the bar, but even then, the path was plain in sight. Sure, Lorenzo had the situation under control, but I couldn’t risk it. The hairs on my nape rose to the point it chilled my skin.

Something was so fucking wrong.

But if you accept me, it’ll all end.

What was the reason behind all of this? Had the CEG been informed of tonight’s incident? Who’d been the one behind all of it? Too much had happened in such a short span. I had to get the guys away before they were caught in the crossfire.

Despite Kaleb already dealing with the consequences.

I nodded toward the direction I was going to take, Alek quick to follow without disrupting my steps. We were in open view of the dance floor, guns aiming in our direction. Lorenzo’s head whipped to us. His reaction was swift as shots fired.

Choose, choose, choose.

My body crashed to the ground, and Kaleb tumbled out of our arms. Alek’s chest pushed me deeper onto the surface while another bullet pierced through the air. Instincts had long settled in my bones, but now they electrified my veins as I forced Alek beneath me and straightened my shoulders. This couldn’t continue.