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“When you no longer have his protection, be ready.” His threat hung between us.

“Looking forward to it,” I said without inflection in my tone. I squinted, was he multiplying into two of him? I rubbed my eyes.

Jax raked his hand through his hair and the short front strands stood up.

“I’ll find Tobias.”

The door slammed behind him.

I went limp against the hard chest behind me. The floating sensation became stark as the adrenaline fizzled away. Rolling my head to the side, I met Asher’s satisfied gaze.

“Let me leave.” My voice sounded far away. Asher’s features were unfairly pretty. And it wasn’t just because he was a vampire because I’d seen some ugly ass vampires—Asher was born withhis gorgeous features. All the Crimson Coven vampires were. Maybe they had some sort of beauty standard requirement listed before they could join their group. “Or kill me.”

His head tilted and confusion marred his perfect features.

“You will never leave me, Cat.”

I would never leave.

A snorting laugh slipped free from my mouth.

I’d escaped the other vampire that tried to keep me captive in that cave. Years later, I found myself in the very situation I ran from.

Hopelessness settled over my shoulders. According to their laws, humans could not know about vampires. The truth was compelled from them . . . and I could not be compelled.

A tear trickled from the corner of my eye.

Asher frowned and leaned down to lick it clean.

TWELVE

catalina

I layon the mattress of the pink bedroom, with the mesh canopy—in the same bright pink—hanging over the bed. As conscious-less as they behaved, I used to believe there was a semblance of humanity in the vampires, but I’d fooled myself. Asher sprawled next to me, causing the canopy to sway. He set an elbow on the bed and perched his chin on his fist. God, I felt too hot and needy. Why was he so attractive?

I’d sunk into his dark embrace and ran with it. Asher’s grin widened, giving me a peek of his long incisor teeth. The very ones that elongated in preparation to bite me.

This was my life now. My chest swelled with emotion, and I wanted to burrow my head into the ground and never come out. An invisible band wrapped around my neck and tightened with each second. I clutched at my throat like I could make the suffocation go away. This was different than the pressure from asthma.

A choked laugh escaped me.

“Is something wrong?”

Everything. The room swirled at my peripheral.

“Not at all.” I waved Asher away and stifled the burst of laughter bubbling behind my lips. No way was this my life now. Vampires, blood, sex, getting tongue pillaged . . .

I licked my lips. Some more of that tongue pillaging sounded so great. My gaze dropped to his wrist, the wound I’d fed from already closed up. My mouth watered. I wanted his cock inside me while I tasted him again. His face swam in my vision.

“Stop moving around.” I squinted and reached for the front of his shirt to keep him still.

Droplets of blood had bloomed across the front of his shirt. That was my blood. The corner of my lips twitched. I shouldn’t be feeling all proud of it. Right?

But why? I liked him. I peeked at him under my eyelashes.

Asher was keeping me, and here I was, happy about belonging to him. I shouldn’t feel like this . . . right?

“What are you staring at?” Asher poked the middle of my forehead.