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Never with nothing but my knife between us.

I raised the blade above my head, ready to pierce the creature’s chest if it took one more step.

“Now!” Lord yelled behind me.

I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. I let out a scream as I jumped forward and impaled the hungry, disgusting vampyre in the chest, piercing its heart just as Lord taught me.

The blade sliced the decaying body with so much ease, I thought I missed the heart.

But the creature slumped to the ground a few moments later.

And I finally took a breath as I pulled my weapon from the dead body.

“Very good,” Lord praised from behind me. Those two words were enough to set my entire world aflame. “Do that again.”

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Someone lifted me from the ground.

Firm and strong, sculpted arms held my body close.

It was him. Wolf.

“Don’t fucking die,” he whispered. Not just once, I realized, but over and over again. As if the words would help me. As if the words would force the darkness out.

I closed my eyes again, resting my heavy head against his chest.

“Dammit, Huntyr,” he muttered as he kicked the door open, carrying me into the bedroom.

I became vaguely aware of him setting me down on his bed. Became even more aware of him scavenging my body with his hands, searching for the source of the blood, no doubt.

He didn’t hesitate, didn’t even bother with the extra time it would take to lift my dress up and over my head. He ripped it off, leaving me in my chest wrap as he wiped at the blood, finally identifying the source with a stream of curse words beneath his breath.

“You’re losing too much blood.” He somehow sounded even angrier than usual.

His warm hands pressed on my torso, over the deep gash.

“What the fuck happened? Who did this to you?”

I tried to tell him, tried to remember. But my brain was so foggy, my mind felt so…

“No,” he growled, moving to straddle me on the bed so he could keep pressure on my torso with one hand while leaning up to meet my eyes. “You do not get to die. You do not get to let them win. Do you understand me? If you close your eyes, I’ll fucking kill you. Now focus, Huntyr. Tell me who touched you. Was it Lanson?”

Think, Huntyr, think.

I remembered the ball, the dancing, the fight.

Him.

Lanson had been so different, so… so cold.

And Espek did not even blink as he slid his blade into me, leaving me to die.

My chest ached, those stupid tears stinging my eyes. How could I have been sonaïve?

Wolf was searching my face, waiting for me to say something. But I didn’t have to. I was never very good at hiding my emotions.