“Are you pregnant?” Thad asked, leaning over me, so I couldn’t help but take in his scent. Dark and foreboding, like the woods after a good rain, and the smell of a fire after it’d been extinguished. There was something else lurking there too; something dormant but begging to be set free. My eyes zeroed in on his neck, and I couldn’t help the instinct. My body ached, and I was so hungry. I lunged forward, my fangs flashing.

He drew back just in time, a dagger automatically in his hand and against my throat. Keeping the knife against me, he forced me back down on the table. Then, he leaned down into my neck and sniffed me.

I went berserk, cutting myself against his knife as I thrashed and writhed. He wasn’t my mate, and no one sniffed me but them! The other shadow demons were quick to hold me down, binding my wrists and ankles to the stone slab, just like the witch next to me. One yanked harshly on my left wing, and I shrieked in pain. The demon went white when he realized what he’d done, then fell with a thud as Thad dislocated his jaw.

“Restrain her without pain, or I’ll hurt you.”

They left my wings alone after that, shooting surreptitious glances at the small pile of ash in the corner, the only thing left of the first demon.

“She’s not pregnant. Let Severn know, I’m sure.”

I bucked again but could barely move because of the restraints. How would he know if I was pregnant? Clearly, he was bluffing, or demons had a better sense of smell than I’d thought. The shadow demons left, glad to leave the crazy half-breed and the female draken behind.

“Let me see your hand,” Thad demanded.

Not like I had a choice. He pried my hand up from the restraints, his fingers running a light, tickling path down the damaged skin. I cringed as fresh pain blossomed through my hand, responding to the white magick that thrummed in his veins, forever a part of him now.

“I don’t know if I can help. Another demon has been teaching me how to control my . . . this side of things. I will try.”

As if I were in any position to stop him. Thad put his other hand on my chest, and my blood magick flared in retaliation. His eyes glowed as my markings shone gold against my skin, but they didn’t do anything else. Some protection they were. He took his focus again to my hand, peering intently at the damage.

“Sorry.”

I didn’t have time to even wonder what for when he slammed my hand down on the stone slab, cracking open the blackened, charred skin. I did scream then, long and loud. And that was with me nearly drugged out of my mind.

“Fresh blood needs to flow and work with your blood magicks. We have to get rid of all the dead and infected skin so I can regrow it. Severn—”