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Squeezing my legs harder, I just stare at her, my breath coming faster and faster.

“I also know you can’t help but be afraid of us. That you can’t control it. It’s natural. It’s instinct,” she says gently. “It’s meant to protect you but now it’s only hurting you. I don’t want you to hurt. If you let me, I can help you.”

It takes me several tries to ask, “How?”

Is she going to give me drugs, like the others did?

“I can compel you to not be afraid, but only if you give into it,” she says.

When I just stare at her, not understanding what she’s asking, she explains. “Caden just tried to compel you. Did you feel it?”

Was that the tugging sensation?

“I think so…” I pant, not entirely sure.

“This is why Raph should be here instead of fucking rampaging through the city,” Caden says angrily from the doorway. “She shouldn’t be going through this. He should be here to make her feel safe.”

Chloe shoots Caden a dirty look, and the vampire beside him, the silent one, nudges him hard in the ribs.

“Ow, Maddox! It’s the truth!” Caden says defensively. “If he was here, taking care of her, she wouldn’t be going through any of this!”

Chloe’s eyes turn back to me. “Ignore him. The men… they don’t like to see us upset. It greatly bothers them.”

“You’re damn right it bothers me,” Caden says, growing more irritated. “I can’t stand to see her like this… The way her heart is racing makes me want to break something.”

Andrei puts a hand on Caden’s shoulder. “I feel you, brother. Let’s step out for a moment and give the women some privacy.”

Caden glares at Andrei’s hand for a second, but ultimately nods his head in reluctant agreement. “Fine. But if Asher doesn’t punch Raphael in the face for all this shit, I will.”

“I think we all want to punch Raphael in the face right now,” Andrei murmurs before the three male vampires disappear from the doorway.

“We can take turns,” Caden says from farther away. “I call first.”

Chloe shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Boys.”

I wish the other vampires leaving would relieve some of the anxiety squeezing my chest, but with Chloe still so close I can’t relax.

Leveling me with her gaze, Chloe says, “I want to compel you to feel better, but I can’t unless you allow it.”

“Why? Why do you want me to feel better?” I breathlessly demand. “Why don’t you just drug me like the others did?”

My vision is becoming hazy now, everything starting to blur together. Probably from breathing too fast and all the crap still in my system.

I can feel the remnants of all the stuff the other vampires injected me with clogging up my veins like thick sludge.

But I stare hard at her, forcing my eyes to focus so I can catch any hint of deception in her expression.

If she lies to me, I’ll know it…

Her face tightens with anger. “We will not drug you or abuse you. The ones who did that to you are dead.”

“And if they weren’t, we’d kill them again!” Caden calls out in fury.

There’s a loud thump, like someone hit something hard.

“There are enough holes in the walls thanks to Raphael. We don’t need you adding to them,” Andrei grumbles.

“Well, he’s not here to let me put a hole in his face, is he?” Caden grumbles back. “Besides, the place could use some redecorating.”