I held my chin high. “I know revealing your soulmate mark wasn’t smart. You’re welcome for concealing it, by the way.”

His face paled. He balled his hands into fists at his side. “That’s different”

I rolled my eyes and banged on my chest. “I am man. Hear me roar. How dare another man be near my woman⁠—”

“Fuck, Sam. That’s not⁠—”

“Yes, it was.” I pointed at him. “I saw the mark on Cooper Bishop. I heard Sweyn’s reaction to the mark. You lost your ever-loving shit thinking your soulmate thought Cooper was her mate. You couldn’t handle it and endangered her in the process.”

“You’re right.” He hung his head and shook it. “That was my mistake, triggered by emotions, and I appreciate you covering me and protecting her. Thank you.”

I blinked and nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“But you will not survive this if you don’t make smarter decisions.”

“What if I don’t want to survive?” I cleared my throat. There, I said it. I voiced it.

He scrubbed his face with his hands, then stepped closer to me. His voice lowered, “Then you better make sure one of Heaven’s warriors uses angelic magic to kill you so Mother cannot torture you for eternity in her realm. If you want out, truly out, then run headfast into Heavenly power. That and only that will give you peace.”

My jaw dropped. But then I shook myself and licked my lips. “I’m trying here, dammit.”

“We’re almost out of here, Sam,” he whispered. Then, to my surprise, he reached up and squeezed my shoulder affectionately. “Just lie low and follow my lead. Try to stay out of the way and out of their beds. If you fly under the radar, I will get you out of here.”

“I promise I’m trying.”

He watched me carefully for a moment. “Even if I get out of here before you, if I can’t take you with me when I go, I will come back for you. No one on Heaven’s side is going to abandon you here. Do you understand?”

Tears pooled in my eyes. I nodded.

“I understand you have no choice when Sweyn demands things, but don’t do anything on your own. No more summoning, okay?”

I nodded again. “No more summoning.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Have you fed?”

My eyes widened. “No. I . . . I was wondering about that.”

“You won’t need to as often as the others, because of Lilith, but I would not go more than two weeks between feedings because you’ll need to be at your strongest at all times. Drinking vampire blood will sustain you, but drinking blood from humans makes you stronger.”

My eyes widened. “Hence the pets.”