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“Can’t you feel it?” Chloe asks, her too-perfect features tightening into a tortured mask. “He’s burning alive… and the beast has broken his chains…”

Another roar sounds out followed by an explosion of force.

Chloe sways on her feet and her eyes grow even cloudier.

Andrei curses and then he’s standing in front of her.

Moving in a blur.

His voice is thick with worry as he says, “Mother…” and gently grabs her by the shoulders.

Chloe tips her head back and peers up at Andrei.

“The world will pay for what they’ve done to her,” she whispers in horror. “We will all pay.”

My blood chills at her declaration, and the annoying throb near my heart grows stronger.

Just as I reach up to rub at the spot on my chest another vampire appears.

“Raphael’s gone and Asher is chasing after him,” he says gravely, then frowns at Chloe. “What’s wrong with Mom?”

Chloe shakes her head a little, chasing away the clouds in her eyes. Then she straightens and gently extracts herself from Andrei’s hands.

“Nothing is wrong with me, Caden,” she says calmly. “I’m fine.”

“Bull—" Caden starts to say but stops when Chloe glares at him.

“I’m not the one you should be worried about,” she says curtly.

All eyes turn to me at once, and I freeze up, my lungs stilling behind my ribs.

Too petrified to breathe, I struggle to think of a way to escape this madness.

Especially when yetanothervampire appears out of thin air and stands silently beside Caden.

How many are there?!my mind screams.

“She is in a great deal of distress, and I fear what will happen if we don’t calm her down,” Chloe says.

Caden narrows his eyes at me, and I feel a light tugging sensation behind my ribs as he says firmly,“Breathe.”

Shaking my head, I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs.

Chloe frowns at Caden. “She’s marked. Compelling her against her will won’t work.”

“Oh… right,” Caden drawls out and scowls.

“Unless…” Chloe says thoughtfully.

Separating from the group, she walks slowly over to me, as if she’s purposely concentrating on how she moves.

Somewhere under all my fear and anxiety, I appreciate the effort, but it’s not enough to put me at ease.

The instincts ruling over me cause my heart to race faster as she nears. I try to scoot back, but I’m already against the wall.

There’s nowhere to go.

“Alena,” Chloe says softly as she kneels down in front of me. “I know you’re afraid. Believe me, I know. But you have nothing to fear from us.”