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Theo’s mouth moves to my throat as his hand slides to the sensitive area between my legs, placing delicate but firm pressure. As he drinks from me, the combination of his movements and the pressure from his fingers is almost too much.

Choking on a gasp, my fingers curl around his shoulders as the movement quickens, becoming more urgent as my heart hammers in my chest. A cry leaves my lips as the orgasm floods through me, almost making me black out. Theo’s guttural grunt in my ear has me tightening my legs around his waist as he finishes too.

He stills for a moment, allowing me to catch my breath, his lips pressing against my temple. My hand moves to frame his face as we hold each other for a long moment. He peppers kisses down my face, finishing on my mouth before he slowly withdraws and rocks back onto his elbow, throwing a hand through his hair.

His eyes are a midnight black as his gaze sweeps over me, like he’s memorising every inch of me one final time.

‘You’re beautiful, Theo,’ I whisper, tracing the corner of his eyes.

His fingertips are feather-light as they curve over my cheekbone before he cups my face and kisses me, a long, deep kiss that has my head spinning.

Despite his blood flowing through my system, reminding me of how good it feels to be alive, I still feel tired. I force myself out of the bed and use the bathroom before falling back into his arms and drifting into a deep sleep.

When I wake, I wish I could pause this very moment.

Being wrapped in his arms makes me feel safe, like nothing could ever touch me. Now, I’m dressed for battle and we’re on our way back to Red Thorne. The trip back is much different. Kian doesn’t waste time or stop to remember that I’m human and need to relieve myself every so often. Cora and Theo are good at reminding him that I do require food, water and bathroom breaks.

My headache is getting worse, and I find myself slipping in and out of sleep the majority of the trip. A few times I steal a glance at Theo, only to find him rubbing his temples, his head pressed against the glass, almost as though he is mirroring the same sort of ache I’m feeling.

I touch my hand to his. His gaze slides to mine. ‘You okay?’ I silently mouth.

Slowly, he nods, sliding his fingers between mine. He swings his gaze back out the window, but I continue to stare at him, not quite convinced. The road narrows the closer we get, the temperature dropping and the misty feel of Red Thorne creeping up on us. The hairs on the back of my arms stand, like my body recognises the supernatural energy close by.

The sky outside the windshield is darkening as night approaches. No one has talked much for the last hour or so, the feeling in the car having shifted to a nervous energy. I glance at Kian, whose hands are steady on the wheel, his jaw locked. Cora sits deadly still, cat-like eyes cast out the window, arms folded almost protectively across her chest. Theo’s shoulders are stiff as he chews his lip, deep in thought.

My fingers curl into my sleeves as I slowly inhale and exhale, trying to compose myself and mentally prepare for the shit show we are about to walk into.

‘We’ll be underground in fifteen,’ Kian mutters, finally breaking the silence.

I’m very still, barely blinking as we continue to drive, and then Kian pulls the car over. I sit up straighter. My heart is racing, and there’s an uncomfortable churn in my stomach that makes me feel a little woozy. My hands tremble and I flex my fingers, pressing them against my thighs.

We silently climb out of the car and Kian wordlessly moves around to the boot and withdraws all the items we prepared. Cora kneels and unzips the bag we packed. She slides a knife onto her palm, giving it a casual flick. The blade spins once, twice, then lands back in her hand. It’s very clear she is deadly and experienced with knives.

I sheath my own in the strap across my thigh and reach for the others. Two at the hips, one at the small of my back, another two in each boot. I didn’t request these, but Theo must have told them about my training. I’m glad I was given weapons to be able to fight. I wondered whether I would simply be discarded as invaluable and useless, given that I’m human, but they thankfully haven’t made me feel that way at all.

Across from me, Kian checks the edge of one of his blades. His are longer than mine. Elegant and precise, like him. He doesn’t move fast, but he doesn’t need to. He straps two knives to the inside of his forearms and holsters a third at the curve of his spine. Then finally he looks at me, calm and unreadable.

‘You know what you’re doing?’ Kian asks, raising a dark brow.

I give him a blank expression. ‘Throw the sharp end first?’

He doesn’t smile, but amusement flickers in his gaze.

Theo clinks something behind me. I glance over as he pulls a small vial from the lining of his coat. Some sort of homemade contraption that Kian gave us, it creates smoke to disorientate others’ visions. I fear it might trip me up, given that they will still be able to see and get themselves out of a situation quickly. Theo tucks his own knives into his belt.

‘Everyone ready?’ Cora asks, standing to her full height and tossing the now-empty bag into the boot.

I stand, rolling my shoulders back. I fasten the crossbow across my back, the strap snug against my chest. It feels heavier than usual, like I know I will be needing to use these arrows, and I don’t want to think about who I might need to use them on.

Kian nods. We head inside, and nerves sizzle beneath my skin. The tunnel smells damp. Each step I make sounds impossibly loud compared to the light, careful steps of the vampires around me.

I duck under a low arch of crumbling stone, and I can feel the town above us, like its weight is pressing down through the earth. This used to be home. Now it feels like I’m walking into a battlefield and the people I used to know have become strangers.

Theo slows, glancing back at me. Not a word, just a look, but it steadies me more than anything else could.

We reach the break in the tunnel wall where a beam of faint light leaks in. There’s a movement that catches my eye and I yank out one of my knives, ready for an attack as two figures emerge from the darkness.

My heart stumbles. A girl blinks back at me with dark eyes and a purple streak in her hair.