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She slammed the crossbow on the table. Turning away from Dmitri’s scrutiny, she swallowed the tears choking her throat.

Her gaze dropped to the metal container on the table, its contents turning her insides to ice. A Hunter came up behind her and took out the blood transfusion supplies from the box.

“You’re taking his blood. Why?” She made her tone distantly curious, like it didn’t bother her at all.

Dmitri’s calculating grin was one she was familiar with, his excitement palpable. “His blood will make my Hunters ten times stronger. No more using weak vampire blood. With the blood of an Ancient like him, the next generation of Hunters will be unbeatable.”

Leah widened her eyes. “You mean… you mean Hunters are created using vampire blood?”

“Surprised?”

She provided no resistance when Dmitri pulled her toward him. He cupped her face, and Dmitri’s smile was one of utter delight. “You did good, babe.”

When he pressed his lips to hers, it took every ounce of her strength to not pull away. She couldn’t kiss him back.

That was the line she couldn’t cross.

An inhuman roar had Dmitri bolting away from her.

“Don’t touch her!”

Julian struggled in earnest against his bonds, his wings tearing away from the bolts. Madness reddened his eyes. With the lengthened fangs, he looked like a ferocious and mindless demon.

Dmitri jerked Leah into his arms to protect her. As if Julian would ever hurt her.

And even if he did, she would have no regrets.

When the chains held against Julian’s struggle, Dmitri grinned and stepped forward again.

“How touching. I suppose Leah didn’t tell you about us.”

There was no change in Julian’s demeanor. When Leah reached out to that place where their connection was, only darkness greeted her. Shame was a heavy blanket smothering her. Soon he’d know that she wasn’t worth his sacrifice.

Dmitri draped his arm over her shoulder. “Leah, would you do the honors?”

Swallowing, Leah smiled up at Dmitri, imagining that she was out on a stroll with Julian instead of here, in this cell. Julian wasn’t tied up, crazed with hunger and stinging betrayal. She was back in Vegas on a date with Julian, and he’d bought her the latest Chanel from the store.

“We are lovers.” Her lips quirked even as her insides turned to ashes. “Did you think I would fall for a vampire?”

Another thundering roar. More rattling of the chains.

“I will kill you,” Julian snarled. “I will drain you until you’re nothing but a husk.”

A shocked silence before Dmitri gave a nervous laugh. “Not if I drain you first, Blackmore.”

Leah winced. A hammer started beating at her head. She swayed from the intensity of it, and Dmitri caught her. She let herself lean into him and winced again. The pain wasn’t going away.

“I need some Advil,” she muttered.

Dmitri nodded and jerked his chin at the Hunters. “Do it.”

Leah turned away and leaned on Dmitri as they exited. Hate and shame coiled deep in her belly. But the only way to save Julian, to save them both, was for Dmitri to trust her.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dmitritookhertothe second lab they passed. Every step, the hammer struck her temple. Leah squeezed her eyes shut against the sheer agony of it.

Dmitri snapped his fingers at the first technician they came across. “She needs an injection.”