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Someone screamed.

It has to end soon; they can’t keep doing this forever.

Water roared, and a massive wave came from nowhere, crashing into us.

I lost my grip on Lanson.

And the water pulled me under.

No amount of kicking would send me upward. No amount of fight, of will, would propel me toward the surface.

I held my breath as long as I could—which wasn’t long, due to my racing heart and exhausted limbs.

I had cheated death many, many times in my life. Fought hundreds of vampyres. Killed males twice my size.

But to leave this world by way of water?

No fucking thank you.

I kicked and kicked and kicked, moving against the dark water blindly, desperately.

Then something was grabbing me around the waist, hoisting me upward with strong, rough hands.

NotLanson.

I was so close to inhaling water, to giving into my screaming lungs, when we broke the surface.

I gagged and coughed and spit up water, pulling fresh air into my lungs like I was breathing for the first time.

Then I realized who held me.

“Wrap your arms around my neck,” Wolf growled into my ear, barely audible over the continued roar of the water.

The current moved in a tornado of chaos, sucking everyone toward the center.

Pulling everyone down.

In just a few seconds, we would be down, too.

I turned to face Wolf and wrapped my arms around his neck, holding on with everything I had. He was my fucking lifeline, as pathetic as that sounded.

His wings propelled us out of the spiral, dodging the bodies around us and pulling us to the outer edge of the courtyard. Wewere halfway up the castle walls now, water eating everything and everyone below.

Wolf reached the edge near the stone walls of the castle and hoisted himself—with me attached—out of the water and onto a window ledge.

He pulled me against his chest while I straddled him, holding on just as tightly as before. The water would not stop; it would not calm.

We were fucking dead.

But a few seconds later, while I clung to Wolf like a helpless, lost animal, the water began to abate its storm on those below.

A few cries of relief filled the courtyard, mixing with my rugged, panting breath as I peeled myself off Wolf.

Water ran down his face, dripping from his hair and his wings, rolling off his lips. “That’s twice now,” he panted.

I stared at him. “What?”

“That’s twice that I’ve saved your life. I’ll be keeping count, by the way.”