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“Yes, and I was pathetic and powerless. I begged you to turn me for a reason.”

“I did, and you betrayed me?”

“You said forever.” Her hand slid up to my face. Her fingernails scraped lightly along my jaw. “You’ve become domesticated, Zand. Playing house with your human nurse. It’s disgusting. You told me we were destined. You said we were infinity.” Teresa’s anger got the best of her, and she dug her nails into my flesh and twisted my jaw like she was trying to break me.

I grabbed her wrist, yanking her hand from my jaw. I twisted her wrist and squeezed it hard enough to remind her that I’m far from domesticated. “You’re jealous.”

“Jealous?” She laughed again. “Of what? A temporary plaything? Humans break so easily. As the little mulatto Morgan discovered when I pushed her to her death.”

The mention of Morgan sent a flash of rage through me, but I maintained my mask of calm. Showing emotion would only give Teresa what she wanted.

“Morgan survived.” I said, gloating just a bit.

“Impossible.” She blurted.

“Harlen turned her. You failed. She’s not dead.” I mocked her bravado with some of my own.

A flicker of genuine surprise marred her face before she could conceal it from me.

“I don’t believe you. He’s a dimwit. He’s never, ever turned anyone into a vampire.”

“There’s a first time for everything.” I gloated.

“How did he know how to do it? He can’t even tie his shoe without you showing him bunny ears.”

“Harlen is smarter than you think.”

“How sweet. Your brother is playing hero.” Realizing her mask had slipped, she bounced back into her tough girl persona. “But that doesn’t change anything. I’ll just have to be more thorough next time. The nurse, I’ll chop her body into pieces and then you can’t turn her into a vamp.”

This time, her threat to Chanel didn’t faze me. “How do you know she isn’t already one?” I lied, just to irritate her. I knew I was only days or hours away from ending her miserable life.

We moved across the dance floor with our bodies locked in this hostile embrace. Her body was tense. I’d said too many things that weren’t to her liking. She’d never seen this side of me. I was a fierce protector when I felt like I had something to protect.

“Do you want me to stop, Zand?” Teresa asked suddenly, her voice almost girlish. “Is that what this visit is about? You want me to leave your little nurse alone?”

“Yes.” I said simply. I knew she wouldn’t. I’d been down this road before.

Teresa’s forced smile widened. “Then ask me nicely.”

The music pounded in my ears, matching the fury pulsing through me. “Teresa, please stop killing innocent people.”

“Since you asked so politely. I will.” She paused theatrically. “Not.”

But there was something in her predatory smirk that betrayed her words. I recognized the calculated gleam in her eyes. There was something else going on and she was doing everything she could to bite her tongue.

“Surprise. Surprise.” I said flatly.

She shrugged. “I’m actually full of surprises.”

“I disagree.”

“You’ll believe what you want to believe.”

“I believe you’re desperate.” I told her the truth. “You lost me, and now you’re scrambling to hurt me because you can’t accept that I’ve moved on. It’s just confirmation that you weren’t that special to begin with.”

Her eyes flashed dangerously. “Moved on? To what? Playing protector to humans who will age and die while you remain unchanged? Or will you turn your precious Chanel too? Make her like us?”

“Chanel is already like us. Since you kept threatening to kill her, I had to do something so she could protect herself.” I lied.