I strained for him and my muscles bunched so tight I was going to cramp or pass out or explode.

But an alarm sounded before I blew.

The smile dropped straight off Darren’s cocky face. “Status?”

“Intruders underground,” someone said.

“Shit.” He moved away and the table creaked.

I let out a breath. I’d been so focused on him, I’d lost track of time.

Tair sprints along a white corridor, shooting and slashing and fighting to get to his goal.

Almost solid.

Pure hope swallowed up all the dark thoughts in my head. Just a few more moments and he’d be here. All I needed to do was keep Darren from locking off the room.

“Hey,” I called.

Darren and the researchers ignored me as they bustled, trying to prepare. That wasn’t going to fly.

I raised my voice. “It’s too late, Darren.”

In the quiet, Darren’s steps echoed on the tile. He stopped in front of me and just loomed there as red streaks of anger flushed his throat. “The hell did you say?”

“I said it’s too late.” The future paged too fast to follow. I couldn’t see how this would play out, but I could still see Tair and hope gave me the will to meet Darren’s eyes. I smiled. “Time’s up.”

Darren’s bare fingers hovered just short of my jaw. He couldn’t touch me yet—not while I might be dangerous—but the creepy light in his eyes was as good as a promise.

I couldn’t stop a shudder.

But that was done. However this ended, Darren would never be able to screw with me again.

The door slid open, flooding the lab with light from the corridor. I craned my neck as Tair strode in.

He was covered in blood—mostly other people’s—and sweat damped down his hair. His eyes burned gold with fierce determination, and as our gazes met, the dizzy feeling in my belly spread from my toes to my nose until it felt like soaring.

He’d come for me.

He’d chosen me.

And I was sure as hell choosing him right now.

Darren shifted, drawing Tair’s attention. “You’re going to want to step away from her.” He held a sword in one hand and a gun in the other. We’d have to talk about the sword thing—I didn’t see how that was ever going to end well—but guns were good.

The best.

“Staff out,” Tair said, deadly calm. Darren stepped back from me, holding up his hands. His face had paled to marshmallow.

The workers fled, and then the door eased shut. Tair bolted it behind them.

Air shuddered into my lungs. Apparently, I’d been holding my breath.

“You’re all right?” Tair asked.