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Once again, my bedroom door explodes open. Only this time the hinges aren’t up to snuff. Flying from the frame, the door slams into the dresser near the bed.

Asher only stares at us for a moment before he flashes across the room to sweep Chloe into his arms.

When he turns Chloe away from me, I watch as she keeps slashing at the air with the knife.

“What the fuck did you have Chloe doing?” Asher snarls at me.

I exhale deeply. “What only she could do.”

Fuck, this was bad. There’s blood everywhere…

Alena looks like she’s been bathed in it, and I know I don’t look much better.

“Where do we stand?” Asher asks me quietly as the Slicing Beauty in his arms starts hacking away at his forearm.

I give him a tired grin and point at my chest. “I have Alena. He’s protecting her and our bond.”

Asher gives me a quizzical look. “Your beast? How is that possible?”

“He took over. Got tired of me fucking around.” I wince. “He destroyed the other link and saved her.”

I feel Alena stirring inside my soul.

“Fucking weird, bro,” Asher winks at me. “Let me get Chloe out of here. Do you need anything?”

Tapping into my body, I sense I still have a good amount of blood left, but it’s better to be certain.

“Bring me a couple blood of bags. I’ll need to fill back up. Slicing Beauty there went a bit too far.”

Laughing loudly, he hefts Chloe higher up. “She’s going to murder you if she hears you call her that. I’ll get Andrei to bring the blood bags in.”

Nodding my head, I say, “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve died.”

Asher leaves the room as I pull Alena’s empty body into my arms. Hugging her as hard as I dare to me.

Closing my eyes, I carefully drift into my soul. I probably should have pulled her into it from the very fucking start.

My soul is an empty, dark space.

Alena doesn’t seem to mind, though.

Because resting in her lap is my beast’s head.

Her hand gently strokes the dragon as if he’s a pet.

“Raphael?” she asks quietly, then looks up at me. “Is it really you?”

Nodding my head, I still can’t believe she’s petting my demon like a fucking puppy.

“We need to leave here, Alena,” I say gently. “You’re safe now. Fred and I made sure of it.”

“Fred?” she asks, confused.

Pointing at the smoky dragon head in her lap, I explain, “That’s the name I gave my beast.”

TWELVE

ALENA