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The twins in Tokyo, their identical faces contorted in pleasure as I took turns with them, one watching while I fucked the other, then switching. Their slender bodies, delicate like porcelain dolls, contrasting with my roughness. I can’t even remember their names now.

The dark-skinned beauty in Cairo, spread-eagle on silk sheets, her wrists bound to the bedposts with my neckties as I devoured her, my face buried between her thighs before flipping her over and taking her from behind.

Amara, who begged me to bite her, to turn her, to keep her forever, but I declined.

A petite Asian woman in my shower in Vancouver, her back pressed against the tile, leg hitched around my waist as water poured over us. Min-Ji, a dancer whose flexibility allowed for positions I’d never experienced before.

The images continue, dozens more—a parade of faceless bodies, meaningless encounters spanning centuries. Women I’d taken, pleasured, and left without a second thought. Endless nights of physical satisfaction without emotional connection.

“Fuck!” I snarl, huffing in frustration. Goddammit, I know exactly where those images came from.

My little friend. Kemnebi.

What the fuck. Why would he do that? Tofi thinks I’m going to break her Mommy’s heart. I turn to Carla, who’s got the biggest frown on her face. I close my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Tofi sent her the images as well.

“Wow, Amari, you really don’t hold back on getting pleasure. So many women. I’m just a number to you,” she mutters, then starts to turn away from me.

I grab her arm roughly, pulling her back against me.

“This isn’t a game, Carla. My heart beats for you, only you. You saw it too, the images. Tofi just gave us an answer. They are, in fact, masking the fated scent. And most likely, your powers as a Blackwood as well. We need to get them to lift the veil and set you free.”

Carla snatches her arm from my grasp. I can see the hurt in her eyes. It bothered her to see me with so many different women. She doesn’t understand. She’ll never have to worry about that again.

“They’re doing me a favor, Amari. They are trying to spare me from the pain you’re going to inflict on me.”

I glare at her in response. “Pain, Carla?” I question, raising an eyebrow. “I believe the only pain you felt last night quickly turned into pleasure.” I say with a smug grin, but it quickly falls when I see the hurt in her eyes.

“I woke up alone this morning. Alone. No note, just a cleaned bathroom and all of your belongings gone. Did you have your ‘post-nut clarity’ so soon?”

I can see her bottom lip trembling, and my heart quickens. “I—I didn’t want to leave you, Carla. I had to. I can explain why I left.”

But before I can continue, Tofi starts sending images of what happened the night before—my heartbeat awakening, the painful thirst in my throat. Carla puts a hand to her throat as if she can feel my pain, then looks over at me.

“Okay, so you went to Midnight Moon and fed,” she mutters, removing her hand from her throat. Then her face falls. “So, who’s the lucky woman? Who got you right after I had you?”

I grin at that. She’s visibly jealous. Good. I take a step toward her, but she takes a step back, keeping distance between us.

“I didn’t go to Midnight Moon last night,” I tell her.

Tofi climbs down from the tree and moves to stand behind me, as if she’s using me as a shield from her mother. I can feel Tofi’s nervousness, and that of all the children.

Carla steps forward, her brow furrowed. “What’s going on? Tofi, why are you so upset?”

That’s when Tofi cracks. I groan when images of last night flood my mind, knowing Carla’s seeing the same images—me and Tofi visiting the radical bar, how I disarmed the man that called Carla a “witch bitch” from shooting Tofi, then images of me entering the bar, the screams, the blood pouring out open cracks at the bottom of the door.

Carla gives me a venomous glare. “You massacred that radical bar? Have you lost your mind?”

I chuckle at that because clearly, I have. I haven’t been in the right frame of mind since I first laid eyes on her. The mate bond was already working between us; we just didn’t know it. I shrug at her, then smile.

“The thirst felt similar to the newborn thirst, something I haven’t experienced in over a thousand years. And I wanted the man who called you a bitch.”

“You could have gotten Tofi killed,” she snaps at me. “I can’t handle losing another one of my babies.”

“I’d never let anything happen to them. They’re my babies too.”

“Stop!” she yells at me.

I quickly snap my mouth shut as she puts her hand over her forehead, starting to pace again, frustrated.

“I saw an image hung up on the wall in the bar. It’s what made me snap. An image of a radical proudly standing over Petra or Verde’s body,” I explain.

Tofi steps around me and sends Carla the image. Her eyes snap up, a tear escaping and running down her cheek.

“Those monsters,” she murmurs, sniffling. “They celebrated their deaths like some victory kill.”

“And I got my victory kill in return, Carla.” I bend down and grab the bouquet of roses, then slowly approach her, being careful, my hand reaching out to gently brush my fingers against her tear-stained cheek. “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you again, not ever.”

I move closer, grinning when she doesn’t pull or push me away. She leans into my palm and closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

“Are you sore? Let’s go back to your cabin. I’ll make you some hot tea.” I move my hand from her cheek and gently press it against her belly. “I’ll feed you.” I move closer, my lips just inches from hers. She gasps, but she doesn’t push me away. “And then I’ll put you to bed.”

I’ll figure out the rest tomorrow. Right now, I just want to get her out of the cold fall air. She’s practically wearing nothing.

“Amari...” she says, her hand pressing against me again. “Whatever this is, it cannot be.”

I narrow my eyes at her. Cannot be? I’ve waited over a thousand years for this woman. I don’t want to hear that shit. She looks up at me with the saddest expression in her eyes that nearly breaks me.

“Maybe that’s why I can’t feel the mate bond. I belong in the shadows.”

“You belong with me!” I hiss at her. And I don’t mean to be so cruel, but this... this is starting to piss me off. She’s my woman, and I’m keeping her. She takes a step back from me, and I grin.

Does she want me to really crack? To see darkness creeping out of me, a beast I’ve been trying to push back? She’s about to get it.

“I want you to leave, Amari. Even if you are my fated mate, I can’t.”

She starts to walk away from me, and I let the roses drop to the forest floor. I look to Tofi with a hard, menacing glare, something dark and depraved creeping out of me. I’m not losing my woman.

“Tofi, lift the fucking veil,” I growl, but she just takes off, crawling up the tree and disappearing out of view.

Fuck!

I turn around and start following Carla, smoothing my hand over my beard, over the short curls on my head, adjusting my suit. Carla looks back at me nervously, picking up her steps.

She can’t outrun me.

This conversation isn’t over.