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The last remnants of the curse tore away from my body. They peeled from my muscles, bones, and blood like barbed threads being ripped free. Pain flashed through me, bright and vicious, and then vanished.

Nothing replaced it at first.

There was only stillness.

Then power rushed through me.

My body awakened with a precision I had never known as a vampire. Every muscle responded. Every sense sharpened. Balance became instinctive instead of something I had to calculate.

I rose.

My feet remained beneath me.

No stumble. No tremor. No desperate attempt to identify the nearest object sturdy enough to catch my fall.

I simply stood.

I lifted one hand, and it moved exactly where I intended. I shifted my weight, took one step, and then another. My body carried me around the chamber with effortless speed.

Carolina gasped.

“Logan.”

I stopped in front of her. The sudden halt should have sent me careening into the nearest wall. Instead, I remained perfectly balanced.

I reached for her face.

My fingers didn’t shake as they traced the curve of her jaw.

“I can feel everything,” I whispered. Wonder roughened my voice. “The speed. The balance. The strength. It was always there.”

“Show me.”

Desire darkened her eyes.

I swept her into my arms and spun her around the chamber. Her laughter filled the vaulted space as she clung to my shoulders. I knew exactly how firmly to hold her, how quickly to turn, and how gently to place her feet back on the floor.

“You’re beautiful,” I said.

“And you’re showing off.”

“I have considerable lost time to make up for.”

“You’re doing an excellent job.”

Emotion tightened my throat. “I finally feel worthy of standing beside you.”

Her amusement disappeared.

“You were always worthy.” She gripped the front of my shirt and pulled me closer. “I loved you with the curse, Logan. I love you without it. Your ability to cross a room without losing a fight to the furniture has nothing to do with your worth.”

“It improves my confidence.”

“That part is obvious.”

I kissed her.

There was no hesitation this time. No fear that I would lose my balance, knock her over, or turn the moment into another public disaster.