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“Because you keep pushing me away!”This time, Alexandru had shouted, too.

The vampire hunter who was legendary for never losing his control, for always being so beautifully mannered, for never letting his temper get the best of him—-

I whitened at the realization that I was the only one who had made him this way. Mortification flooded me as the knowledge that everyone who had heard us would have known the same thing, too.

Alexandru was pale, too. “Zari, I—-”

I spun away.

There was nothing he could say that would change the truth.

This time, he didn’t stop me.

MOPINGwas something I had become really good at in the past months. I had the art of isolating one’s self down pat, with people generally steering clear once they had taken a good look at my face.

I had also developed a sixth sense for the best places to drown in self-pity, and at the resort I found it in the remotest part of the beach, a tiny strip of sand hidden behind the woods.

It was restful here, if not a little creepy. I would have been terrified if I hadn’t felt my Master’s presence in my mind, the blood bond between us giving me a sense of safety. It sucked, but it was the truth. I probably wouldn’t even have thought of venturing here if I wasn’t so sure Alexandru could be by my side in a second if I needed him to be.

Lying on the sand, I turned to my side and gazed at the woods. Autumn had just started, but the trees were all dead, branches thinning into leaf-less sticks. When I had passed it, there weren’t any birds either, as if the winged creatures knew only death awaited them here.

Time moved ever so slowly, and when I checked my phone, I was stunned that only five minutes had passed.

I slept.

When I woke up, Katarina was seated beside me, knees drawn up. She had her back to me, but I could see her shoulders were shaking.

“Katarina?” My voice was a low strained whisper. What would I do if she really were crying?

Wordlessly, she turned to me—-

Katarina’s entire face was gone, leaving behind a gaping skull blackened by fire.Your fault, this is all your fault, YOUR FAULT—-

She lunged for me.

I screamed.

ZARI!

ZARI!

And then I felt it, Alexandru shaking my body, hauling me out of my nightmare.

My eyes flew open.

Was I really awake this time?

“Zari,” Alexandru said hoarsely.

And then he was hauling me into his arms, and relief slammed into me as I felt the familiar heat of his body.

Thank God.

I didn’t even think of refusing the comfort my Master offered. I wrapped my arms around his neck as tightly as I could. I listened to his still-thunderous heartbeat, inhaled his scent, and pressed my hand against his chest. I did everything I could, feverishly, to assure myself that this was not another nightmare.

Before I realized what was happening, I had already started to cry, the tears falling silently down my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, pet.” My Master’s voice was raw. “I’m sorry for shouting at you.”