Seriously? You expect me to fucking believe you when you're FORCING ME TO DO YOUR BIDDING LIKE A MINDLESS MINION?
"Move quickly. Ava and Macgrath are almost there and you need to be out of sight of the house by the time they hit the driveway."
Asshole.
"I may be an asshole, but I'm only doing what's best."
For who?
I sneered even though I wasn't sure if he could see me.
"For all the vampires, witches, and werewolves like your new friends. Like me."
And you couldn't justaskfor my help?
"I knew you would say no and I need you too badly to risk that."
His words were the catalyst to the bomb of rage ticking inside me. That spark detonated inside me and I felt the first crack in the connection between Dumont's mind and mine.
I pushed harder, putting every ounce of my frustration, fear, and pure anger into the blow.
And, finally,finally, I screamed, long and out loud. My voice rolled across the open area surrounding the house and birds took flight from the trees nearby.
I could no longer hear Andre Dumont's voice over the blood throbbing in my ears and the sound of my own cry.
He must have released me because my arm fell away and my cell phone hit the ground next to my feet.
I was still screaming, my chest growing tighter and tighter with each beat of my heart.
Suddenly, Marcus appeared in front of me, his eyes glowing with blue fire.
"Merry, what's wrong? What happened?"
He looked around us as he grabbed my shoulders, searching for an enemy that I knew would be long gone.
My scream finally died away and I tried to gulp in air as the band around my chest grew excruciating.
"Marcus..." I choked. "Can't breathe."
He looked down at me and whatever he saw made his eyes flare. He leaned down so our faces were level.
"Breathe, Merry. Just one slow breath in through your nose. You're having a panic attack, but you're safe."
My legs collapsed beneath me but he swept me up as though I were weightless and managed to maneuver us both back through the window and into my room. He laid me on the bed and sat down next to me.
I tried to do what he said, but my body refused to cooperate.
"If you can't slow your breathing, you're going to pass out," he said. "I can help you but I'd have to take control—"
I shook my head, one violent motion, before he could complete his sentence. I didn't want anyone in my head right now, not even him.
His expression flattened. He could have been carved from stone.
"Then, I'll stay with you until you wake up."
I reached out and took his hand before he could move away. I couldn't speak, but I held on tightly.
The room went gray around the edges, then black, and my vision narrowed until the last thing I saw was his eyes, blazing with both anger and fear.
