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I swirled the soup.

“Asher, I’ve contacted Talia and let her know what we need. I’ve also hired a human protective service to surround the placewhile we are vulnerable. We’ll all have to move to the lowest floor until the issues are resolved.”

They planned while I slurped . . . and bit back my grimace from the overly salted broth.

“How is it?”

Every time Asher cooked, he seemed excited about it and I didn’t want to burst his bubble.

I held my breath and took another spoonful. The still hard granules were difficult to chew.

“Mmhmm.” I put my thumb up and took a deep breath then quickly ate another bite.

“There are a few hours until sunrise. Talia will hire humans to bring furnishings for us.” Tobias finally looked at me. “You should go rest for a while in Asher’s bedroom. Take Bastien with you so he does not murder a human while they’re working.”

In two strides, he took the bowl from me and jerked his chin to the side, prompting my escape. I sighed with gratitude and nodded. Grabbing Bastien’s arm, I pulled him after me to go upstairs.

Tobias seemed just as hyper aware of me as I was of him.

TWENTY

jax

Asher kept lookingat the kitchen exit long after the girl disappeared. Love-sick fool. A thought I’d never thought to have about Ash in general. And even less after turning. Emotions and vampires didn’t mesh. We didn’t fall for anyone, yet this slip of a girl had her hooks in my Coven. In a way Imogen never had. I shoved him to bring him back down from whatever cloud he floated on. He staggered, an offended look on his face. He brushed at his shirt like I’d left wrinkles. His attention focused on me, then slowly dropped to the bulge outlining the seam of my jeans.

“What do we have here.” Smug bastard.

“Fuck off.” I sneered.

“Or . . . and hear me out.” Asher waved a finger down at my stiffy. “Fuck on.” Asher and his stupid fucking antics.

I’d been on the verge of joining their feeding session. Too close.

Blood dripped down my arms under my shirt where I sliced my sharp claws into my inner forearm to stop myself.

“Look at how you’re all doting on the little traitor.” I filled my voice with as much disdain as I could. The traitorous littlehuman should suffer. How dare she make me care for her only to turn around and stab me in the back.

It was her pussy that did me in.

Just that reason was why she confused me. Humans were nothing. The lowest on the food chain, how could I care for one?

I only craved her because she drank my blood, all I felt was the blood-bond. My scent was all over her, but it was beginning to fade, overpowered by Ren and Ash’s scent. I gritted my teeth, the urge to feed her my nectar a suffocating urge. Desperation to not let my scent fade from her knotted my insides.

“Why do you act like you don’t want her? Violently—cruelly?” Humor faded from my twin’s gaze. His eyes narrowed. “I warned you to stay away from what was mine. But I still shared even when I didn’t want to and you threw her away.” Asher hissed.

“Was that how it was, Asher? You never cared if we all shared,” Ren smirked. Sharing came as easily as feeding for all of us.

We both ignored Ren.

“How can you want a traitor?” I switched to our native language, so the interloper didn’t interject with each sentence.

“Cheap,” Ren snorted. “?????????.” He tossed as he walked away.

“If she did, it does not change that she is ours.”

“If?” I narrowed my eyes. “You were as sure as me that she had.”

“I have my doubts.”