Byron saw how red Alexis’s eyes were. She was hungry for blood. “Have you fed recently, Duca?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I need every one of my people in readiness for whatever is coming our way. Our resources will be stretched. We have the Principessa’s parents’ funeral at the end of the week, Daisy needs to be protected, and Sera arrives back tomorrow.”

Bhal said, “I’ll go myself and pick up Sera from the airport.”

“I’d be grateful, Bhal. I need more people surrounding her, and make sure Wilder understands how important her job is, protecting the Principessa. I feel there’s a war brewing, but whether it’s with Victorija or someone else, I’m not sure.”

* * *

Alexis felt like a thousand fires were erupting under her skin. They had been lit by Katie this afternoon. When she left Byron’s office, she didn’t know how she could stomach any more bottled blood or not touch Katie.

How could she think about living without her? But if she gave in to her lust for her blood, her body, her heart, then she would be setting herself up for more heartbreak in her long existence.

She put her foot on the first step of the staircase and closed her eyes. Alexis tried to breathe calm into her soul.

Just get up to your room and lock the door.

She ran up the stairs but stopped on the top landing. Alexis looked to her left, towards the corridor that Katie’s room was on, and then right, in the direction of her room. It was physically painful trying to make herself go right.

Alexis was fighting a greater foe than she had ever faced—her own self. Her grip weakened for a second, and then she sped off to the left and found herself in front of Katie’s door.

You don’t have to do this. Don’t do it.

Alexis could almost taste Katie. She put her hands and head on the door.

If you do this, losing her will destroy you.

* * *

Katie was lying on her bed scrolling through her iPad. She was a little bit disappointed that her teasing of Alexis earlier hadn’t worked. She had planned it all. The other night after thinking about what Alexis had been through, losing Anna, she’d decided that she had to take charge of the situation.

Alexis was stubborn, though, and so she made plans to tease the vampire out of her. Katie planned her run during the busiest part of the afternoon to hopefully catch Alexis going about her business in the house.

Katie had seen Alexis’s eyes on her before when she went out running, so she wore her skimpiest outfit and, while out running, thought up the brilliant idea of drawing blood from her hand, with the help of a bramble bush.