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Opening up the bond on his end, he not only lets me feel all of his emotions, he pushes them on me.

He shares his anger, fear, torment, and anguish.

But he also shares hislovefor me.

A love that has been growing for centuries. The seed planted the moment his human life ended and his vampire existence began.

It’s tormented him more than anything, but he’s always cherished it.

The moment when his soul tried to connect with mine, while I was still being kept in chains and drugged into oblivion, the love made him sick, so terribly sick, but still he protected it.

Still cherished and wanted it.

And when he finally found me, finally held me in his arms, he knew true joy for the first time in his life.

But that joy didn’t last.

Because the Prophet tainted it.

Yet even that wouldn’t stop him.

He’d give anything and everything for me.

Including his own life.

And it almost came to that…

Just to be in this moment.

On his knees before me, pouring out not his heart.

But every part of his soul.

I gasp from the sheer strength of his love flowing through me.

And feel something small and bright I’ve kept hidden deep inside light up in response.

“You fill the void inside me,” Raphael murmurs. “I need you, Alena. Without you, I am hollow and empty. Without you, I am incomplete.”

Leaning forward, he presses his forehead against mine and closes his eyes. “I need you alive and near to feel whole.”

Closing my own eyes, I weave my fingers in his black hair and hold him close.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I finally admit what I’ve been denying since the Prophet showed me part of this moment during the Judging.

What has terrified me every day since.

What I’ve been fighting and raging against.

The reason it hurt so bad when Raphael called me tainted and ran away.

Exhaling the breath, my fingers tighten in his hair as I open my eyes and whisper, “I love you, too.”

FIFTEEN

ALENA

Raphael stills as if he’s paused himself in time. Every part of him motionless.