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I straightened my dress as best as I could, holding up one side of the torn fabric as I calmly walked towards my cell. Once I was inside, I went all the way to the back wall. He’d have to use his blood to lock me in, but I thought I’d gotten my point across loud and clear.

Lust and tension filled the room as I took a seat on the floor.

Vail straightened, pulling his hand away and revealing a nasty cut running diagonally from the center of his forehead to just beside his left eye.

I tried not to compare it to the scar that traced a path across that eye—the one he’d gotten the night our parents had been killed.

It’d been a severe injury, and we’d been too panicked that night to heal it properly, so it’d left a scar.

Panic flared in Vail’s eyes as he took a step towards my cell. “I didn’t—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”

I cut him off. “What just happened was on me. But it won’t happen again.”

He stopped in his tracks, his expression twisted into one of pain, and something inside my chest wrenched at seeing that look in his eyes, but I didn’t let it stop me. He’d made his fucking choice.

“I have given you so many fucking chances. Even when others told me I was a fool to trust you, I still did, at least to do what was best for House Harker, but what Carmilla’s doing”—I pointed a finger up to the House that sat above us—“is wrong. I never would have thought you would stand by someone who planned to strip away the free will of our people. I’m pissed at you for betraying me, for letting things progress as far as they did between us, but that’s between you and me, and I damn well know how to separate business and pleasure.

But you’ve fucked over all the Moroi with your actions.

” I leaned forward and bared my teeth at him.

“And that, I will never forgive you for.”

Vail’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “I can make this right.”

“No.” I stepped away and rested my head against the back wall. My body was still keyed up from almost getting what it wanted with Vail. Denying it hurt, and thinking past the lust and pain was hard, so I focused on breathing. “You can’t.”

I closed my eyes. A few minutes later, Vail left. It was only then that I let the tears fall.

When the door opened half an hour later, I kept my eyes shut.

My emotions had devolved into a maelstrom of lust and rage, so the idea of looking at Vail’s face right now made me want to scream.

I didn’t want to hear any of his excuses or pleas for forgiveness either.

I just wanted to be left alone for the next forty-eight hours so I could ride this out.

I’d tried getting myself off after he’d left, but it hadn’t worked. It’d only made me more frustrated, so I stopped trying. Vail could probably smell my efforts in the air, but I didn’t care. If he wanted to stay in here and stew in it, that was his problem. I hoped he fucking suffered.

“Got an itch you can’t scratch, love?” a deep, melodious voice asked.

“Draven?” My eyes flew open, and I expected to see only Vail, as if I’d imagined that other voice.

While Vail was indeed standing there—so was my prince, wearing only a pair of loose-fitting pants with his black and silver hair wet and clinging to his sculpted body as it fell to his waist. “Am I dreaming?”

Suddenly, I was at the cell door, clutching the bars.

Those deep blue eyes threaded with red softened as Draven stepped past Vail to my cell.

“Pretty sure you and I would have dreamed up something better than this,” he said in that dry tone of his.

Fuck, I’d missed that. His brows furrowed together as he looked me over, his gaze lingering on where my skin was in contact with the iron bars, as if he could sense the discomfort it caused me. “Are you alright?”

“Am I alright?” I barked out a laugh. “The last time I saw you, a fucking sword was sticking through your chest! You looked half dead, and they dragged you away from me . All I’ve gotten since have been assurances that you are still alive but nothing more.”

“Remember the deal,” Vail said roughly as he shoved his way between Draven and me to open my cell.

There was no door, just a hidden glyph on some of the bars that was keyed to his blood and a few other individuals’—something I was keeping in the back of my mind while plotting how to get out of here.

“One hour until the guards change. You have to be back in your cell before then. Don’t give me any shit.

I’ll have no problem killing you, prince. ”

A warning growl vibrated up my throat, and Draven chuckled darkly as enough of the bars disappeared for him to step inside, then reappeared within seconds, locking us in together.

“Don’t mind him.” Draven grinned at me. “He’s just remembering the last time he had to warn me about how much time I had with you—only now, he won’t be getting an invite to join.”

“Are you truly healed?” I asked in a low, tight voice.

Normally, my control over my bloodlust was absolute.

I could let it rise or fall as needed, and even when I let it fully rise, all it really did was heighten my instincts and give me fangs and claws.

It didn’t significantly impact my temperament the way it did for many other Moroi.

But now, I could feel my bloodlust rising and mixing with my arousal.

The feeling was intoxicating. I had just enough rationality left to make sure Draven was actually up for this.

If he was hiding any injuries and I made them worse . . .

Warm fingers touched my chin as Draven tilted my head up until I met his eyes.

“You can unravel those chains you’re keeping on yourself.

I can take anything you throw at me.” Then he leaned down and nipped my bottom lip, causing a shiver to run up my spine.

“But before we get to that, I need you to tell me you want this and it’s not just your body’s needs clouding your thoughts. ”

“I’ve had no problem turning down previous offers.

” I traced several fingers down his chest before toying with the waistband of his pants, right above where his erection was straining to get free.

“Before you walked into my little corner of hell, I had accepted I’d be riding this out all by my lonesome.

My fingers weren’t much help. Think yours will be better? ”

Draven’s smile was positively sinful, but I caught the calculation in his eyes and suspected he saw the same in mine. We had to make the most of this time. It might be our only chance to plan our escape together. “Challenge accepted.”

In a heartbeat, I was pinned against the wall as Draven gripped my wrists with one hand and held them over my head. His other hand slid down my waist to stop on my thigh—right where the slit of the dress opened.

Then his mouth slanted over mine, and I kissed him hungrily before he broke the kiss, his lips brushing down my jaw until they reached my neck. I tilted my head to give him better access.

“Three floors separate us,” he breathed into my ear so quietly, I could barely make out the words before he nipped me. “I’m on the bottom level.”

He kissed my jawline, trailing down to my neck. I moaned when his fangs grazed my skin before he bit down hard and drank several deep gulps of my blood.

Vail let out a warning growl from outside the cell, and Draven ripped his fangs out before twisting to snarl back at him.

I seized the opportunity to slip one hand free from Draven’s grasp and wrap it around the silky strands of his hair, then yanked his head down and to the side so I could bury my fangs in his neck.

It was Draven’s turn to moan as I drank from him, enjoying the rich and intoxicating taste of his blood. Reluctantly, I pulled back and kissed his skin before whispering in his ear, “Vail is usually here. Guards check on me every hour, but they don’t stay long.”

Draven grabbed my hand that was still twisted in his hair and not so gently tugged it back up to where my other hand was still pinned against the wall.

He released me for a second to secure both wrists again, and then his free hand dove straight through the slit of my dress he’d been playing with earlier to the aching center between my thighs—where he stopped an inch away from where I wanted him.

The lust I’d barely been holding back shoved every rational thought from my mind. We’d have to share notes about our situation later.

I needed to get fucked. Hard.

“Draven,” I said in a low, throaty voice.

“Yes, love?” he asked almost absently as he traced an infuriating circle on my inner thigh.

“If you try to tease me right now, I’ll have Vail march your ass back to your own cell.” My bloodlust rose with my desire, and I felt my nails shift to claws. Draven’s gaze flicked back up to them before dropping back to meet my solid black eyes. “But not before I punish you for your insolence.”

“I think I’d like your punishments.” He grinned wickedly.

“Drav—fuck!” I screamed, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head as he speared me with two fingers and his thumb teased my clit. My hips rolled in time with each of his thrusts as he roughly fucked me with his fingers.

“Gods, you are wet,” he groaned as he curled his fingers inside me. “Although I’m a little annoyed that you’re not wearing any panties. I was hoping to rip those off you.”

“Apologies, my prince,” I panted as I tried to grind down on his hand, but Draven just tightened his grip around my wrists and drew me up another inch, forcing me to stand almost on my tiptoes.

“Not a prince anymore.”

“Trust me”—a strangled moan tore from my throat when Draven added a third finger while pushing down on my clit with his thumb—“Kier and I will always consider you our prince.”