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My mind goes to the fae woman. How could she have been so cruel to assign me to the king, knowing he was going to kill me?

My chest feels tight. Had my power not stopped him . . . My mind goes to the vision I had at the blood bank of the lifeless woman on the floor. The sound of her last shrill scream. That was supposed to be my fate.

The floor creaks as he moves toward me, and I swipe at my angry tears. Why does it hurt so bad, knowing how disposable I am? Arlo told me a million times when I’d talked about donating blood, all vampires are monsters.

Then his fingers are on my chin, forcing my face up until I’m looking at him. The touch isn’t gentle, but it isn’t harsh either, still I glare at him through blurry eyes.

“Don’t,” he says quietly. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” I snap, trying to jerk my chin away. “Like someone who finally understands she was meant to die?”

His grip tightens instantly, palm sliding to cup my jaw, thumb pressing just beneath my lip until I still. “No,” he says, voice low and dangerous. “Like someone who thinks I chose it.”

I glare at him. “You walked into that room knowing whoever you fed from wouldn’t survive.”

“Yes. Once I am close enough,” he says, eyes locking on mine, “there is no leaving. Hunger for my kind isn’t a craving. Instinct takes over. We no longer see you as human. We see you as prey.”

“That’s supposed to make it better?”

“No,” he says flatly. “I’m only saying I didn’t choose you to hurt.”

I scoff bitterly. “Right. Because I stopped you.”

His thumb presses harder against my jaw, forcing my mouth closed. “No,” he says again, slower this time. “Because if I had wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be standing here arguing with me.”

My breath stutters. “You seemed to have plenty of control while you were . . .” I grit my teeth. “Fondling me.”

“Arousal and bloodlust go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.”

“So you play with all your prey?” I demand.

His eyes flash, and I know my words are angering him, but I’ve never known when to shut up.

“No. I usually feed off elderly feeders, ones I am not attracted to, or men.” His grip tightens. “I would never intentionally harm you,” he says, each word almost a growl. “Understand the difference.”

I swallow, my voice shaking despite myself. “And what if next time I can’t stop you?”

His gaze darkens, not with hunger, but something colder. “You’ll stop me.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

His gaze softens slightly as he leans down, pressing his forehead against mine. “Because you’re mine.”

My brows scrunch.

“The bond won’t let me kill you. It will always stop me.”

“You keep saying that word.”

“Because that is what you are. Just you knowing that is unsafe. You won’t speak that word to anyone besides me. You are unsafe on this boat if anyone finds out.”

“I don’t understand.”

“For now, you don’t need to. You’ll just have to trust me.”

“I don’t!”

“You will soon enough,” he says, letting go and turning his back on me.