Allie frowned, and then sighed with frustration and said, “Well, I’ve never been in love before. How do I know this isn’t just lust, combined with liking and respect?”

“Actually,” Magnus said gently. “I believe that might be the very definition of love.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head, and then, “Really?”

“It is, and you are,” Lucian said dryly. “Now can we clean up this mess and get out of here? I have a wife and children at home that I would like to see before the sun rises.”

When Allie turned to scowl at the man, he looked her over more closely and then shifted his gaze to Magnus and grimaced. “On second thought, Magnus, take your woman to the van. You both need blood. We can handle this.”

“Allie! Oh, thank God they found you! I’ve been so worried.”

Allie shifted to the side to look past Lucian at that cry, a smile of relief curving her lips when she saw Drina rushing toward them with Harper, Teddy, and Tricia on her heels. You couldn’t tell by looking at her that she’d had the top of her head sliced off by a machete a couple of hours earlier. The woman looked as good as new if a little pale.

“Yes, yes, we found her,” Lucian said impatiently as Drina and Tricia reached Allie and hugged her one after the other, murmuring over her head wound. “Now she and Magnus need blood, and so do you, Drina. You are still healing and pale. Harper, take the three of them to the van, give them blood, and drive them home. The rest of us can take care of this.”

“There are live mortals in the basement,” Allie heard Teddy say as Harper began to usher her, Drina, and Magnus away. “They’re locked in a room someone had written Livestock on with a marker,” he added dryly. “Some are in bad shape. They’ll need tending and their memories wiped.”

“Victor, DJ, and I will tend to them,” Lucian decided. “The rest of you drag what is left of Abaddon and Liam’s father out behind the building and burn them.”

“I am so relieved we found you before anything horrible happened. Well, more horrible than that head wound you have,” Drina said, drawing her attention. Concern cresting her face now, Drina added, “My God, your head must hurt.”

“Not as bad as it did,” Allie assured her. “And I’m glad to see you too. You were in pretty bad shape when Stephen carried me off.” She grimaced at the memory. Drina’s wound would have been a death blow on a mortal.

“You saved my life,” Drina said solemnly. “He was aiming for my neck when your shout made me turn and duck. If you had not done that I would have lost my head. I would have died.”

Allie shook her head. “Only if your head wasn’t returned to your neck quickly, and Tricia or someone would have done that right away.”