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I felt the compulsion sink its teeth into me, or try to, then slide right off.

Zee chuckled. “Not today, vampire.”

At least in his current state, Victor wasn’t thinking clearly enough to actually outwit us. We just had to get him subdued. Which was easier said than done.

He vanished again, moving too fast for me to track. A chair near the back of the bar toppled over.

Zee backed up to me. We stood back to back, watching opposite sides of the room for moving shadows.

“So . . . this is fun . . . Not,” Zee said, his fragment of glass raised like a dagger. “You think he’s going to stop?”

“We just gotta get him pinned, then maybe he can claw back his control.”

“Or claw us to pieces.”

“Hold up . . . I got this.” I grabbed a second chair, and smashed that one too.

Victor came hurtling out of the dark again. This time, Zee hooked his leg with Victor’s, and punched the back of his shoulder, tripping him forward.

Zee slammed him face-first into the floor. He dropped a knee between Victor’s shoulders, pinning him down. Zee’s wings fizzled into sight, adding to his weight and balance.

“Stay down, vampire!”

I dropped the bits of chair and hurried over.

Victor clawed toward me, trying to sink his sharp nails in. His jaws snapped together, spittle flying, fangs flashing.

“Not too close . . .” Zee warned. “He’s not back with us yet.”

Victor bucked and twitched, but Zee had him. For now.

I locked my gaze with his. There was a beast in Victor, a wild thing. I knew what that felt like. “Victor . . . hey . . . it’s us. We need you back, okay? We need you to get control and come back to us.”

He thrashed and growled and bucked, almost knocking Zee off. “Feeeeeeed!” Victor growled.

“Fuck . . . he’s strong. Adam, whatever you’re gonna do, do it fast.”

“I’m doing it!”

“It’s not working!”

“Victor . . .” I dropped to my knees, just out of his reach, and tried to drill my will into his. But there wasn’t much of Victor in his eyes, just wild, rabid hunger. He’d told me once that I tasted like the breaking of chains. Right now, his entire body, his heart, his mind, it all wanted me.

He claws dug into the floor, scratching it up.

“Victor?” I grabbed his wrist and held. Damn, he was strong, but so was I. An electric zap sparked up my arm. But now I had his arm, his gaze locked onto mine. He hissed through his fangs, but gradually, his thrashing subsided.

“Adam?” he growled.

“Yes, I’m here, we’re here. You’ve got this. This isn’t all of you. You’re stronger than you know.”

“Help me,” he growled.

“I am⁠—”

He bucked hard, dislodging Zee. Zee toppled off and scrabbled back onto one knee.

Victor flipped sideways, onto his back, but didn’t get up. He twitched, jerked, bucked, as though an electric current ran through him. Something inside him was trying to get out. But Victor was trying to keep it in, as best he could.