Page 154 of Kingly Bitten

And I realized Darius was right. If Lilith had threatened Izzy to force Cam’s compliance, he would have agreed. Because I’d do the same.

I marveled at that realization while Calina showed me a few more items in Cam’s file. Most of it seemed repetitive with Lilith using the device to torture him, keeping him locked in a room and curled in the fetal position while she taunted him on repeat.

“What’s the most recent file on him?” I asked, checking my watch and noting we were down to ten minutes.

“The last sentence in his file says,Refresh Protocol,” she said, glancing at me as she read the date out loud.

“That’s when Lilith died.”

“I know,” she replied.

My jaw clenched.What the fuck is a refresh protocol?

The answer eluded me as Calina finished loading the final files. With a quick glance at my watch, I noted we had two minutes to escape and met her gaze. “Reminds me of our first date.”

“I’m not sure I would call that experience a first date.”

I grinned. “You ended up naked afterward.”

“Not by choice.”

“Ah, yes. I forgot. It’s all about my vampire prowess.” I grabbed her by the hips and lifted her into the air. “Legs around my waist.”

She obeyed, her irises glowing with sensual intent. “If you want to strip me after this date, I approve.”

“I do owe you a shower,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her lower back. “And we have a long flight ahead of us.”

I had to make a few calls first, but those would be quick.

Or I’d have Darius make them.

I started to phase while my mind negated the task of deferring to Darius. Luka needed to hear the news from me directly.

In person, I thought as the night air surrounded us.He needs to see the files to believe them.

Calina didn’t reply, just encircled my neck with her arms and held on while I ran toward the jets. They’d moved to a beach about two miles away from their original landing site.

When we finally arrived, Calina froze, her gaze on the moon hovering over the water.

It was like the sun all over again, only this time I was privy to her thoughts.

So innocent and young and beautiful.

She’d never seen the beach before, let alone the ocean. And she was captivated by the sight.

I gave her the moment to admire the view, wincing only slightly when I felt the ground quake beneath us. Part of me hadn’t thought the labs would detonate, that whoever led this game was bluffing.

Maybe we weren’t being watched at all.

But my instincts told me someone had been observing us the entire time.

And soon, we would find outwho.

I set Calina down on the beach, aware that she wanted to touch the sand and the water. She handed me the bag she’d slipped over her shoulder—the one holding all the devices Darius had brought to us before disappearing with Kylan—and wandered over to where the waves rolled over the edge of the beach. She knelt, her thoughts joyful and filled with awe.

I admired the view and the sweet excitement in her mind.

It made me want to ensure I was there for all her firsts, that I made every dream and curiosity she owned come true.