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Either way, it didn’t matter.

The voice was part of me now.

And it always would be.

But it wasn’t the part of me that was in control. Not now. And hopefully never again.

It wasn’t the part of me that was actually Quinn.

“Don’t,” Brent repeated, his eyes fluttering shut.

I dropped his wrist, staring at him in numb shock, unable to believe what had just happened—what I had almost done.

I had come very close to ending his life.

But I could still allow him to die. He was so close. Moments away.

He’d cost my mate everything, once. It was entirely possible he’d led the mafia hitmen straight here. He’d possibly put Derek in terrible danger.

And if I let it happen, I’d never need to see Derek look at Brent with warmth again.

Not if I just did nothing.

No, I would never have to worry about him ever again—that Derek would look at this young man, with his humanity, and wonder what might’ve been.

But Derek had cared about him. He still did. He’d said as much.

And if he had betrayed us, he could become Sadie’s problem. Or Thierry’s.

Brent, now unconscious, the muscles in his face relaxing and his lips parting, suddenly looked very young.

Far too young to die.

It only took a matter of moments to catalog everything. But time seemed to fall away as I hesitated, genuinely unsure of what I was going to do next.

I was a monster now.

That had been the core, fundamental truth I’d internalized after coming back to myself. The only good thing I was capable of was loving Derek. And I couldn’t even let myself do that fully or properly.

But was it true?

I had a choice, I realized. Did I want to let it be true?

The answer to that was simple.

No. No, I didn’t. I wouldn’t let it be true.

I was more than what Magnus had done to me.

Raising my own wrist to my fangs, I bit down. I barely felt the sting of my razor-sharp canines slicing through the tender skin of my wrist.

Dark blood welled immediately in the wound.

I pressed my bleeding wrist to Brent’s parted lips. “You’re not dying tonight,” I whispered, tears springing to my eyes as the enormity of my choice hit me. “You have to live. Please live.”

Time seemed to stand still again. Was I too late? Had my indecision cost Brent his life? If it had, I knew it was one more thing I’d never forgive myself for.

My blood ran down the sides of his mouth. His heart slowed even further.