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I looked at Bastian fully, raising one hand to press my palm against his cheek and turn his attention toward me. I poured as much love and respect as I could through my gaze, hoping he could feel how much I appreciated him. How much Ineededhim.

Bastian closed his eyes and bowed his head, and I felt him relax beside me.

“She must have a magical cunt,” Silas said snidely. “I hope fucking her is worth the betrayal of your entire fucking people.”

Bastian stiffened, then took a step toward the cell door. His chest heaved, rage making his heart race.

Gavin sidestepped into the opening, blocking Bastian’s path to the other shifter. “Go wait upstairs,” Gavin ordered.

“That’s right,traitor,” Silas said, sneering. “Be a good dog and listen to your new master.”

Riled up by the other shifter’s words, Bastian pressed forward against Gavin, his expression murderous. “Let me through,” he growled.

I reached for Bastian, curling my fingers around his arm, just above his elbow. “Go upstairs, Bas,” I said, pissed off beyond reason at the way the other shifter had played on Bastian’s emotions.

His jaw clenched and unclenched, but he made no move to step down.

“We need him,” I whispered, a trace of mywillmaking the hushed words echo throughout the dungeon. “Go upstairs.”

Bastian bowed his head, finally taking a backward step. He glared past Gavin at the other shifter for another few seconds, then turned and stalked up the corridor toward the stairs.

Gavin and I watched him go, my hands balling into tight fists. When Bastian was out of sight, I turned back to the cell, shimmering with anger. “Move, please,” I told Gavin, my hushed voice still echoing with power.

Jaw clenched, Gavin angled his body sideways, leaving me just enough room to pass.

I marched into the cell, pulled back my arm, and slapped the smug sneer off the shifter’s face. “He is a better man than you could ever hope to be,” I hissed as Ash forced Silas to stand up straight. “At least he can live with betraying his people because it was his choice. Because it was theright thingto do.” I tilted my head to the side, studying Silas’s wary expression. “I wonder how you’ll cope with what you’re about to do?”

Silas’s sneer returned, but there was fear in his eyes. “And what’s that?”

“You’re going to tell me the ward code to get through the portal gate into the Sun Keep,” I said sweetly.

He shook his head, his sneer melting away. “I wouldneverdo that.”

The power pulsed within me, wanting to get out. Wanting to make him confess the truth. “Tell me the ward code to get through the portal gate into the Sun Keep,” I repeated, mywillringing through my voice.

The shifter bared his teeth, more of a grimace than a threat. He resisted for pained seconds but finally cracked his jaw open. “I need my hands free to show you,” he said, tugging against Ash’s hold.

Gavin stepped in front of me, having silently entered the cell, and used his body as a physical shield between me and the shifter. “Go ahead,” he told Ash with a single nod of his head.

Ash released the shifter, and Silas immediately clawed a fingernail down his own forearm. Blood welled in the deep cut, and my mouth watered, my bloodlust rising to the bait. With mywillunleashed, I felt raw and exposed. I licked my lips and curled my fingers into tight fists, digging my nails into my palms. Now was definitely not the time to give in to my urges, but those urges were damn persistent.

Surprisingly, there was no sexual component to the dark hunger. I didn’twantthis immortal. I just wanted his blood. And I wanted itbad.

As Silas coated his finger in the welling blood and drew on the wall, my breaths came faster, my muscles trembling against my conscious restraint.

Gavin peered at me sidelong, a low growl rumbling in his chest. His bloodlust was rising to the call of mine. Suddenly, mydesire transferred to him, and I was no longer interested injustblood. I wantedGavin’sbloodandhis body. Ineededhim. Now.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears welling as I fought the need to lunge at Gavin. “I don’t think I can—” I drew in a shuddering breath, the air carrying the rich scent of immortal blood. “I need to—”

“Take her out,” Ash said. “I can finish here.”

Gavin grabbed my arm, his expression fierce, his eyes on fire with silver light. He pushed me backward through the cell door, then across the way to the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. My back hit the wall, and Gavin released my arm, moving his hand to my neck to gently tilt my head to the side. He pressed the length of his body against mine and grazed his teeth over the crook of my neck, and I shivered at the delicious sensation.

“You need to learn control,” he said, the words laced with a growl. He dug his teeth into my flesh, careful not to break the skin, teasing a bite. “I look forward to teaching you.”

And then he pulled away from my neck and raised his arm, tearing into his own wrist. He pressed the open wound to my mouth, and I moaned as his chocolate and spices flavor glided over my tongue.Thiswas what I wanted. What Ineeded.

Too soon, though, Gavin pulled his wrist away, replacing it with his mouth. His kiss was brutal and savage, and I loved it.