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C harlotte stood on a hill, frozen in a state of disbelief and shock as below her, the city burned, the fire glowing bright against the night sky. Everything everywhere, as far as she could see, was on fire. The screaming was endless. She couldn’t see anyone below in the burning city, but she could hear the terrified screams of thousands of people.

She realized it was familiar—it was Los Angeles, and it was destroyed. Tears started streaming down her face. She couldn’t handle the anguish and pain in the screams rising from below her. It sounded like they were being tortured.

As she scanned the devastation below, she noticed movement in the flames. Distorted beings, their eyes glowing yellow, crawled in and out of the fire, triggering her fear that rose like a tidal wave. In one slow, spine-chilling movement, every single creature down in the flaming city stopped moving. Turning their heads slowly, they looked up. Thousands of glowing yellow eyes watched her. Before she could take a breath, they all started running in her direction, weaving their way through the city toward the hill she was standing on.

“Oh my god,” she whispered, backing away from the edge in panic, her back slamming up against something hard. Charlotte screamed in fright, spinning around, ready to run for her life, only to stop still in surprise. There, standing before her, was Armaros. He towered above her, his dark hair hanging loosely around his shoulders. He wore only black jeans and his big black combat boots. Intricate tattoos covered his massive, muscled chest, displaying images of wonder and writings in a language she did not understand. Around his neck hung a sparkling black stone in the shape of an oval. He was staring at her, his violet eyes glowing dimly in the dark.

“Charlotte, it is not safe for you here,” he told her, glancing down at the burning city.

“Armaros, what’s going on? Why are we here? Those creatures… they are coming for me.”

“It’s a dream, Charlotte. You are seeing a possible future,” he told her.

“A dream? Like a vision?”

“Yes, just that. We have shared many over the years, but they have begun to change. They are no longer safe for you or me. Those demons down there, Charlotte… if they get you, they can kill you, and I don’t just mean in this dream.”

Charlotte shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why have I been having them? Until I saw you that day in the cell, I thought you weren’t real. Just someone I’d conjured up in my mind, someone to save me and keep me safe in my nightmares.”

“I don’t know why I’m here. That is something I cannot answer. Until we met that day, I didn’t think you were real, either. But you need to listen to me now, Charlotte. Roman, myself, and the other angels, we are coming for you.” Armaros quickly looked over the ledge as the sound of hissing and growling came closer. The demons were nearly upon them.

“Do you mean in real life? There is a woman, and she has powers like you.”

Armaros nodded. “Yes, I know. Do not anger her. She is very dangerous. Do you know her name?” he asked quickly, moving to the cliff edge and kicking a demon back over the side.

“The men with her called her Tora,” Charlotte told him, remembering the guards talking to the woman once they’d arrived at the warehouse.

Armaros spun so fast he made her jump in fright. She’d never seen someone look so stunned. He stood, staring at Charlotte, his expression a mixture of pain and disbelief. He turned, booting another monster off the cliff. “It’s no longer safe here,” he snapped over his shoulder, punching and kicking two more off the ledge.

He took two long strides and grabbed Charlotte’s arm, looking at her, his eyes now glowing bright. “It is time to wake up now, Charlotte,” he said as he raised his right hand and gently touched his fingers to her temple.

* * *

Charlotte opened her eyes and shot up on the brown, dusty, run-down couch she’d fallen asleep on. Her head was spinning from the conversation she’d just had with Armaros in the dream or vision or whatever the hell it was she’d just had. His words still whispered in her mind.

We are coming for you.

Roman would save her again . Just knowing the giant angel was coming to get her caused a wave of emotions to hit her all at once. Her fear ebbed, knowing someone knew where she was. And yet another feeling swirled in her chest, pulling at her heart. This angel, this golden-haired, drop-dead gorgeous angel, was risking his life to save her.

Guilt shot through her. She never should have left his mansion. She should have just asked him to go check her apartment himself. But she didn’t trust him—he was still a stranger, no matter how badly her body betrayed her when he was near. Charlotte didn’t know why, but Roman made her feel things she’d never felt before, and she didn’t even know the guy. No, not guy, angel. A fallen angel.

“Have a nightmare, did we?” Tora asked.

Charlotte didn’t realize the silver-haired witch was sitting in a chair across from her.

She knows, she thought, panicking. She shook her head, trying to act as normal as possible. “Being kidnapped tends to make people jumpy,” she snapped back.

Charlotte had reached her breaking point. When they brought her to this warehouse the night before, they shoved her on this couch, and no one had bothered to talk to her or explain anything. She was thirsty, starving, and would kill for a shower.

They’d given her a small bottle of water the night before, which was long gone, and one guard threw a cold slice of pizza at her during the early hours of the morning. Looking at the dirty windows high above her, she could see the sun was setting. It had been one of the longest days of her life.

People were buzzing around the warehouse, loading things into three black SUVs parked by one of the giant doors. There were pallets loaded with boxes everywhere; some had what looked like metal ammo boxes on them, like ones Charlotte had seen in movies, while others had long wooden crates stacked high.

Down at the back of the warehouse, Charlotte could see a small, windowed office. Next to that was a door that led to a small bathroom. From what she could tell from the times she’d kicked up a fuss and they’d finally walked her to the bathroom, there were two large roller doors at the front of the warehouse, and they were the only way in and out.

“I would watch your tone if I were you. I’m in no mood,” Tora told her, annoyed.

Armaros’s warning rang through her mind. Don’t anger her .

“Look, can I please have something to eat and some water? I’m starving. I’m dying of thirst. What harm can come of giving me some food and water?”

Tora stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, then simply nodded and rose from the chair. The witch snapped orders to the closest guards, telling one to go find some food for Charlotte and another to get her some water.

Charlotte sat back on the couch, waiting for her water. She chanced a peek over at the wall to her right. A young man with what used to be sandy brown hair, now stained deep red from blood, hung from a hook above. His skin appeared to be burning from the silver chain wrapped around his hands.

They had dragged him in during the early hours of the morning, the commotion having woken her. They’d tied the man to a chair at the back of the warehouse where Charlotte couldn’t see what was happening. But then she didn’t need to see. She could hear the torture and the agony of the man’s screams. From what she’d overheard, he was a Lycan, whatever that was. Obviously not human.

They continued to torture him well into the day. By the angry yelling and cursing from the guards, he hadn’t given them anything. They’d given up around mid-day when they dragged out his bloodied, limp, unconscious body and hung him up on the hook.

Tora returned after that and walked up to the man, eyes glowing purple, murmuring to herself as she touched his forehead, then simply left. The poor guy had been unconscious ever since.

“You’re Charlotte, aren’t you?” the bloodied man whispered.

Charlotte nearly jumped off the couch. She had been sure he was still out for the count.

He slowly lifted his head, his face surprisingly healed. When they brought him back, his eye had been sealed shut, and his face beaten to a pulp. Yet here he was, staring at her with deep blue eyes and a face covered in blood but seemingly no wounds.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. My name is Declan. There are people looking for you,” he whispered, glancing around the warehouse to ensure that all the guards were preoccupied.

“How do you know this?” she asked slowly, moving to the end of the couch, trying to get closer to him.

“They sent me and others in search of these demons and to confirm they had a girl named Charlotte with them.”

“Roman,” Charlotte whispered to herself. He really is coming for me . “What are they going to do to you?”

“Shh, he’s coming,” Declan whispered, once again falling limp.

He’s been pretending this whole time, Charlotte realized. He must have been waiting for her to wake up and for Tora to leave.

The guard came back and threw a water bottle at her, then walked back over behind the pallets where some of the other guards were laughing and having a smoke, leaving her alone with Declan.

Charlotte opened the water, gulping it down. She was so thirsty she drank half of the bottle before taking a breath. She looked over at Declan, who hung there, staring at the water. He glanced at her and realized what she was thinking.

“Don’t. It’s not worth it if you get caught,” he said, shaking his head.

Charlotte ignored him. “The guards aren’t even watching us,” she said, looking around the warehouse quickly. Then, as quietly as she could, she hopped off the couch and rushed over to him, ignoring his pleas for her to stay away.

“Just shut up and drink,” she whispered, standing on her tiptoes and reaching her arm up with the water bottle, touching it to his bloodied lips.

She tilted the bottle, and he swallowed hurriedly, water running down his chin, washing some blood away and revealing tanned skin. As he watched her while he drank, she realized his deep blue eyes were the color of the ocean. He pulled his head away.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile that lit up his entire face, making Charlotte want to fan herself.

“You’re welcome.” She couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hey, what the hell’s going on?” someone yelled from across the warehouse.

Charlotte turned to flee back to the couch, but it was too late. Two guards had already made their way over to them. As Charlotte tried to sit down, one guard backhanded her so hard she spun and landed on the couch. She could feel blood pooling from the corner of her mouth, her cheek throbbing.

“Don’t touch her, you piece of shit. I made her give me the water,” Declan yelled angrily. The sound of his chains banging against the wall rang throughout the warehouse.

“Well, is that right?” one guard sneered.

Turning their attention to Declan, they started beating him relentlessly.

“Leave him alone,” Charlotte screamed, running over and trying to pull one guard off him.

The guard grabbed her by the arm painfully, punching her in the face. She fell to the ground, her head spinning as pain exploded through her face. His fist had connected with her left cheekbone, and she was pretty sure by the amount of pain she was experiencing that he’d broken it. She tried to get up off the floor; the guards were still beating Declan, who was no longer making any noise. The instant she tried to stand up, she fell back to the ground, her legs wobbly and her vision blurring.

“What the fuck?” Tora’s angry voice echoed loudly through the warehouse.

Charlotte could see Tora stalking toward them, and she was furious. The guards immediately stopped beating Declan, both now standing silently and watching the witch make her way over to them.

“You better have a good explanation for this,” she snapped, looking back and forth between them, then looking at the unconscious Declan. She turned to Charlotte, looking surprised as her eyes scanned her cheek and her bleeding mouth. Tora turned back to the guards. “What happened to her face?” she asked in a calm, deadly voice.

“I-I-I, um, hit her,” the man answered.

“Why?” Tora asked.

“We caught her giving the Lycan some water.”

Tora put her hands on her hips. “You caught her giving him water, so you took it upon yourself to hit her? The boss’s prized possession. The one thing in the world he will do anything for. And you thought to strike her and mark up her face?”

The man looked terrified as her words sunk in. “I’m sorry, so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Well, that’s pretty obvious.” With a swipe of her arm, the guard lifted off the ground, hovering in front of her. “You’re a fucking idiot, and I don’t need idiots around me causing problems.”

And with that, she flicked her wrist, whipping his head to the side, snapping his neck. His body fell limp and lifeless to the floor, his head tilted at an unnatural angle.

Charlotte’s hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stop herself from throwing up. She looked away from the dead guard and slowly crawled back to the couch, pulling herself up and sitting on it, trying to make herself as small as possible in the hopes Tora would forget she was there.

“Why would you want to help a Lycan?” Tora asked slowly, walking toward her.

Charlotte chanced a glance over at Declan. He was conscious again, his eyes darting back and forth between Charlotte and the witch, his face covered in fresh blood.

“I… I don’t understand. What’s a Lycan?”

Tora laughed, tilting her head and staring at her, then she paused, her laughter fading.

“My Goddess, you’re serious, aren’t you? You have no idea. You really are as innocent as they say.” Tora moved, sitting next to Charlotte on the couch. It took all her will not to run away from the dangerous witch.

Tora moved her hand to touch her cheek. Charlotte flinched, unable to stop herself. The witch simply smirked, grabbing her chin and forcing Charlotte to look her in the eyes. She leaned in so close Charlotte could almost feel Tora’s breath on her face.

Her eyes swirled with power as she stared at Charlotte, slowly bringing her hand up to touch her fingers to Charlotte’s forehead. Tora murmured in a language she couldn’t understand as a warm pulse of unseeable power shot throughout her face. Charlotte could feel the pain in her cheek easing until it completely disappeared. Tora’s magic healed her of her wounds. This was the second time Tora had healed her. The first had been back in her apartment after she’d sliced Charlotte’s arm open and, to her utter horror, used her blood to write on the wall.

She’s just like Armaros, Charlotte thought, getting lost in the power Tora’s eyes held.

“In a world full of supernatural creatures, being an innocent, naive mortal is definitely not a smart thing at all,” Tora whispered to her, as her eyes returned to normal and she let her go. “There are things as old as time. Before you mortals were even thought of. There are magics so ancient and powerful they would blow your little mind. And there are creatures… so many different species, some of dreams, others of nightmares, some from long-forgotten tales that would keep you awake at night. You have much to learn. It really is a shame you’re going to die, Charlotte. There is so much of the world you have left to explore. It’s quite sad you won’t get to see it before it’s all in flames,” Tora told her, then she simply rose from the couch and walked away, leaving Charlotte overwhelmed with emotions as the witch’s words sank in.

Tora didn’t get far when her phone rang. She answered quickly, glancing over her shoulder at Charlotte. “What? When? Why are you only telling me this now?” she snapped angrily. Tora hung up and started running toward the front doors. “We’ve got company. Shoot to kill!” she yelled as the sound of gunfire came from outside the warehouse.

Roman… he’s come for me. The thought sent a shiver of pleasure through her. She couldn’t help but give a small smile as she watched the guards run around, loading their guns.

“Charlotte, can you undo the shackles?”

She looked over at Declan, the screams of the guards outside startling her.

“Quick, help me get them off. I will get you out of here,” he told her as he scanned the warehouse. All the guards had disappeared to defend the front entrance.

Charlotte nodded. Adrenaline made her heart beat a million miles an hour as she hurried over to him. She had to get on her tiptoes, stretching her arms as far as she could. Despite that, she was too short to reach them. She looked around for something to stand on.

“Get that crate,” he told her, nodding his head toward a small wooden crate against the wall.

Her heart felt like it would burst as she panicked, rushing to the crate and dragging it back over to him. Please don’t come back. Fear the soldiers would see her pushed her to move faster. Charlotte climbed up on the crate, finally able to reach the bloodied shackles, desperately trying to unscrew the bolt. One down. She jumped at the gunfire getting closer.

“They’ve broken through the perimeter. You four hold the line, the rest back in the warehouse to get the girl,” she heard Tora yell.

“Oh god, oh god,” Charlotte rambled, dread making her fumble with the second bolt, her fingers now covered in Declan’s blood.

“It’s okay. Take a deep breath and focus.” His deep voice calmed her.

She stopped, took a deep breath as he instructed, and tried again. “Yes,” she squeaked in victory as the second shackle fell to the ground with a clang.

Before she could blink, Declan wrapped his powerful arms around her and spun. Her back suddenly, up against the wall, his giant body surrounding her. The movement was so fast that it left her feeling lightheaded.

The sound of gunshots was deafening. She felt Declan’s body tense as he flinched and grunted three times. Horror dawned on her, realizing he’d just been shot. He’d used himself as a shield.

Charlotte had no time to see if he was okay as he flung himself away from her, pouncing at the guard with the gun. The entire scene felt unnatural as she watched him soar through the air, almost wolf-like. There was no way a human could jump that far and high and with such speed.

Declan landed on the guard, knocking him to the ground. He sat up, punching him repeatedly with both fists so fast the movement was a blur. The guard’s eyes were glowing yellow.

Demon, the thought whispered through her mind, as the demon started fighting back, kicking Declan off him.

Declan blocked each blow, snarling like a wild animal, his eyes glowing green, his teeth growing longer like fangs. He lunged at the demon, biting a huge chunk of flesh from the guard’s shoulder. The demon screamed in agony. Declan placed his hands on either side of the demon’s head, then, in one swift movement, snapped his neck, the guard’s lifeless body falling to the ground.

Charlotte stared at the dead body. She had seen so many horrible things over the past few days. So much death. Learned that a whole secret world of supernatural beings existed, yet the sight of a dead body, whether it was a human or a demon, made her feel sick.

Declan stood, staring at Charlotte, his muscled, blood-splattered chest rising and falling, breathing heavily from the fight. She couldn’t help but stare back, his appearance disturbing. Blood stained his torn blue jeans. He had bare feet, and his hands had razor-sharp claws that she had just witnessed tearing off someone’s head with her own eyes. But it was his face that made her question if he would hurt her.

Blood covered his disheveled hair, and his eyes glowed an intense, unnatural green. His mouth was open, blood dripping from the long fangs and running down his chin. Blood from biting the demon. He recognized her fear and shook his head, his eyes ceasing to glow and his fangs disappearing as he rushed over to her.

“Charlotte, I won’t hurt you, I swear.”

“What are you, Declan? What the hell is a Lycan?” she demanded, taking a step back.

“Lycan is what we call ourselves. You mortals like to call us werewolves.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, images from movies flashing through her mind.

“I won’t hurt you, Charlotte. Roman and the angels are our allies. Lucian is our leader, I guess you could say. I am a friend.” Declan held his hands up, showing her he meant no harm.

He took a bullet for me. Three, actually , she reminded herself. Why would he put himself in danger if he wanted to hurt her?

Declan looked toward the front of the warehouse. The gunfight had made it to the doors. The guards were screaming, starting to run their way. Two of them fell to the ground, shot dead, a black fog rising and swirling above each body before seeping into the ground.

“The Lycan bullets work!” a voice yelled from the front of the warehouse.

Tora came running from around the pallets, a look of fury on her face as she spotted Charlotte and Declan.

“We need to go now,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the back of the warehouse.

Charlotte chanced a glance over her shoulder. Tora’s eyes glowed purple as she ran after them. She watched as Tora jumped, clearing the couch, only to be stopped by a man falling from the roof and landing in front of her. Giant, beautiful black wings spread wide, shimmering with a touch of silver in the bright warehouse lights.

He wore black jeans and big black combat boots. There were guns and knives strapped all over his body. In a blur of movement, he punched Tora in the face so hard she flew over the couch, landing hard and sliding across the warehouse floor, crashing into a pallet loaded with wooden crates. At least a dozen guns fell on top of her.

The angel turned, catching Charlotte’s gaze. Roman. He’s here. He came for me.

The sight of him standing there, looking menacing, with his magnificent wings spread wide in all their glory, did something to her. Even with all the chaos and danger happening all around her, this vision of him stirred something deep down in the depths of her body. Your angel, her mind whispered.

More fallen angels landed around Roman. Some were bare-chested, wings spread wide like Roman, others wearing shirts or jackets, no wings to be seen. One of the angel’s wings were magnificent, spread wide and on fire. It was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen.

Armaros landed to Roman’s left, a black shirt covering his tattooed body. He looked over at Charlotte, nodded, then headed toward Tora. All hell broke loose as the guards came running, firing their weapons.

Declan pulled Charlotte to the back of the warehouse, hiding them behind a load of pallets, blocking her view of the angels.

“He’s here. Roman. Just like you said,” she told him, catching her breath.

“You need to stay hidden. One stray bullet and you’re dead,” he told her, peering around the crates.

Charlotte ignored him, trying to peek around the crates as well, but movement above caught her attention. She let out a small scream as someone swooped down, landing in front of her and slamming Declan up against the crates by his throat. Charlotte realized it was Roman, his eyes glowing with crimson fire. He bared his teeth, his wings spread wide, blocking out the view behind him.

“Who the fuck are you?” he roared in Declan’s face.

Declan held his hands up in an act of surrender.

“Roman, stop, he helped me!” Charlotte yelled, grabbing his arm and trying to get him to let go.

“I’m a Lycan. I’m Lucian’s sired, he created me,” Declan tried to choke out as Roman squeezed his neck harder. To emphasize the Lycan part, Declan’s eyes glowed green.

“Roman, please,” Charlotte begged, still tugging on his arm, but he didn’t budge.

Roman stared Declan down for a moment, then seemed to rein himself in. He closed his eyes and gave a shake of his head, and when he opened his eyes, they had returned to the brilliant blue she’d begun to crave the sight of. He released Declan with a glare before turning his focus to Charlotte. “Are you okay?” he asked gently, placing a warm hand on either side of her face and looking her over.

Charlotte melted into his touch. “I’m fine. I just want to get out here. Somewhere safe,” she told him, guilt washing over her again. She should never have run away. This was all her fault. “Roman, I’m so sorry I stole your car and left. I had to find her. I needed to find Ava.” She had tears pooling in her eyes at the thought of Ava being tortured somewhere.

Roman looked pained, quickly pulling her into the warmth of his giant body, his arms wrapping around her.

“It’s okay, Charlotte. I will get you to safety. I’ll make sure we keep one guard alive. Maybe one of them has heard something about her.”

Charlotte nodded against his chest.

“Roman, what the fuck are you doing? We don’t have time for this! We need your help.”

Charlotte pulled away. A sandy-haired man with bright amber eyes stood behind Roman. Two long scars ran down one side of his face. Charlotte realized it was Phoenix, the man who’d given them a lift home from the club.

He was bare-chested, wearing black army-style cargo pants and the giant black combat boots that seemed to be the norm for these guys. He had guns and knives strapped all over his body, like Roman. “Reinforcements have arrived, at least forty of them. They are organized and led by a demon, but he’s not like the normal ones. I have a feeling we have finally met one of those Archdemons,” he said, wiping blood off his forehead.

Roman raised his eyebrows. “An Archdemon? We must capture him. I want everyone killed except for two guards and that demon. I want the three brought back to the mansion for questioning. Tell the others,” he ordered, and the man turned to leave. “And Phoenix. Don’t let the Archdemon get away. Capture him at all costs.”

Phoenix nodded, disappearing back into the fight.

“You,” Roman said, turning to Declan. “You are to get Charlotte out of here. If she comes to any harm, I will kill you.”

Declan rolled his eyes. “Calm down. As if I’d let anyone hurt her. I’ve just spent the last however many hours trying to keep her safe.”

Roman took a menacing step toward him. “Listen, dog, this is not a game. You will take her from here.” Roman put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “Out the back, beyond the perimeter fence, follow the train track east for a mile, and you will find an abandoned petrol station. We parked the car out back. Just tell the navigator ‘Home’ once you start the car, and it will show you the way.”

“How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?” Declan asked as bullets flew overhead.

Charlotte ducked in fright. Roman looked behind them at the brick wall, then he stepped out from behind the pellets, holding his gun up, shooting, and peering around them.

“Lucian,” he yelled, quickly ducking back to safety with them. “We will blow the wall,” he told them simply.

“What? Like, blow it up?” Charlotte asked, shocked.

Roman nodded as someone backed up, still shooting, jumping behind the pallets with them. His hair was black, and his eyes were the most intense ice blue she had ever seen. He had the same black army-style pants and combat boots as Phoenix but wore a black singlet and a black backpack. He had an assortment of guns and weapons strapped to him, giving him a menacing appearance.

“What do you need, boss?” he asked, giving Charlotte a once over. His gaze then settled on Declan, eyes going wide as he recognized him. “Declan, everyone’s been looking for you. What the fuck, man?” he said, walking over to him. “What the fuck happened?”

“The witch caught me, kept me here, tried the old torture method. They weren’t thrilled when they realized they could get nothing from me,” Declan answered.

“I don’t think that’s quite right, Declan,” Charlotte quietly spoke timidly, interrupting the two males.

All three of them looked at her.

“What do you mean?” Roman frowned.

“When they dragged you out, and you were unconscious, Tora did something to you.”

Declan looked horrified. “What do you mean, did something to me? What the fuck did she do to me?”

Charlotte looked back and forth between them all.

“It’s all right, Charlotte. This is important. What did she do?” Roman asked her gently.

“She placed her fingers to your head, one hand on either side,” Charlotte told them, lifting her hands to her own head, showing them. “Her eyes glowed, and she whispered low. It was like she was looking in your mind. It didn’t last long. She seemed satisfied once she had finished.”

“Shit,” Lucian snapped, looking at Roman. “The Lycan, the entire clan, will be in danger. She will know everything—where the compound is. Hell, Declan just got back from Europe. This is bad, Roman.”

Declan shook his head in horror. “I didn’t know. I didn’t tell her anything, I swear.”

Lucian placed a hand on Declan’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Declan. You did nothing wrong. There was nothing you could have done, even if you’d been awake.” He turned to Charlotte. “Thank God you saw what happened. Now we can warn everyone.”

An explosion rocked the warehouse.

“Fuck me. We will finish this later. Lucian, blow a hole in this wall so Declan can get Charlotte to the mansion.”

Lucian nodded, slinging the bag off his back and digging around in it. He started placing things on the wall and then sticking wires into them.

Oh my god, they really are going to blow it up!

“Um… you… you know I’m not like you guys, right? I will die.”

“No, you won’t,” Roman told her.

Lucian finished fixing the explosives on the wall, giving Roman a nod. All three turned, looking at her, and then they all approached.

Roman gently moved her backward until she was almost touching the crates stacked on the pallet. He wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her up against his chest. Her breath hitched at the feel of his warm, hard body.

“Bury your head in my chest, block your ears, and close your eyes,” he whispered to her.

Charlotte nodded, watching as Lucian walked up to Roman’s right and Declan stepped up to his left. Charlotte was now surrounded by these strong, immortal men.

An immortal sandwich. She almost giggled at the thought. Oh, how Ava would love this story. Charlotte closed her eyes, placing her hands over her ears and sinking into Roman’s chest.

The explosion hurt her ears, the ringing severe. The three males had barely moved as a mountain of iron, bricks, and rubble covered them. Charlotte coughed as smoke and dust made it almost impossible for her to see or breathe. As the dust slowly cleared, Roman’s beautiful blue eyes came into view. He was trying to talk to her, but all she could hear was the horrible ringing.

Charlotte placed her hands over her ears to ease the sharp pain, only to pull them away, feeling the thick, sticky liquid. She glanced at her hands. Her ears were bleeding.

No wonder they hurt so much. She frowned.

Roman gently grabbed her head, looking both ears over with an agonizing frown. Realizing she couldn’t hear him, he motioned with his hands. He pointed at her, then to Declan, who stood looking at her, concerned, then he pointed toward the now gaping hole in the wall.

She nodded, understanding. Roman gave her a small smile, then stepped back, allowing Declan to take her hand. Declan gave her a gentle tug toward him, pointing at the hole.

Ready, he mouthed slowly to her. Charlotte nodded.

She gave Roman a quick look, mouthing thank you to him. He simply nodded.

Roman and Lucian held up their guns and disappeared as Declan pulled her over the rubble, through the hole in the wall, and into the darkness.