Sweet beads at my temples, my chest heaves with every sharp inhale, and my fingers tremble against her skin. My blood has never run as cold as it is in this moment. My mind pulses, reeling and racing with my brother’s command, and no matter how hard I fight it, it still threatens to prevail.
He can’t win. Not this time.
Staring deep into her eyes, I feel myself drowning. Every blink changes the contrast of my vision. One moment, I can see everything clearly, the next, it’s like everything is stained crimson, a beacon to the vampire inside of me, ready to follow my brother’s command.
My nostrils flare at the mere thought of him, hatred burning in my chest, ready to ignite like a firework in the dead of night. I’ve contained it before, garnered the ability to continue to put the fuse out when it comes to him, but now, when I can see it affecting someone who matters to me, I can’t fall victim to his cruel mind any longer.
I need to do whatever it takes to keep Elodie safe, and if that means putting an end to me so I’m no longer a threat, then so be it. It won’t stop my brother in the long run, but at least it’s another minion out from under his control.
Elodie blinks up at me, an array of emotions storming in her eyes. It makes my breath stutter, but it’s too real to absorb, so I cast my gaze down at the floor. She doesn’t fight against me, she doesn’t try to wriggle out of my hold, and she doesn’t even consider trying to make a run for it.
She should. She should get as far away from me as possible, no matter how much it hurts me to think about it. The longing burns through my veins despite her standing right in front of me, a familiar sense I’ve had only once before, and the reminder of it makes my heart ache.
The night my parents were carted away.
I shudder. Fuck knows what role I played in that. With Jude, nothing ever makes sense, and seeing myself right now, torn at his command, confirms I’ve been his puppet on a string for too long.
I’m a vampire. That’s who I am. Always. Even with my parents around. They may have wanted a better community for us, but we were still vampires first. Strong-willed, determined, and unwavering.
Now, I don’t care about any of that. I only care about the girl before me.
I just want her.
If I could make this all go away, it would just be so I could be near her.
But as luck would have it, I don’t get my own way on this. Not when I’m currently the most significant threat here.
Despite my better judgment, I look up through my lashes to meet her gaze, and the order thrums through me faster.
Serve me. Take my command.
“Argh,” I bite, teeth clenched as my skull burns. If I just do as I am told, the sensation would go away.
“Thorne?” she whispers, her voice melodious as it cuts through my thoughts, but the burn doesn’t subside this time; the need to follow Jude’s command is winning.
“SOS, what does that mean?” I bite, the corners of my eyes crinkling as I try to hold it together.
Elodie shakes her head, eyes wide with a slight tremble of panic, but there’s no fear. “Fuck knows right now, but I’m hoping,” she insists, and I huff.
“We’re past hoping, Elodie. Just press your goddamn palms against my chest and make it stop!” I shout, frustration getting the better of me, but my command only seems to make her more defiant.
“I’m not going to do that,” she states with a sense of confidence I’ve never borne witness to before, especially not from the batshit crazy girl who has stolen every piece of me.
“I’m serious, Elodie,” I warn, my voice growing louder and tighter all at once. “It’s terrorizing me. I can’t hold back much longer.” The burning sensation trickles down the back of my neck, threatening to overtake the rest of my body and leave me no choice but to follow Jude’s order.
“You won’t need to,” she insists, a soft but tense smile on her lips.
“You’re not listening,” I snap with desperation, and she takes a deep breath.
“I hear you loud and clear, Kael.” Her words are firm, but they don’t stop the way the sensation threatens to consume me. Before I can explain it to her, the sound of the door slamming open behind me makes me jolt.
My eyes narrow as I glance over my shoulder, sure I locked the damn thing when I came in. Whether I did or not, it now swings open, hanging off its hinges as two figures fill the frame.
Rion and Thorne.
Thank fuck.
“What the fuck is going on?” Rion snarls, his gaze dancing between Elodie and me, but his laser focus shoots to where my fingers are coiled around her arm.
