I did what I could (not knowing what the hell I was doing but still hoping) to hold him back.

“We need to give them incentive,” Etienne said to a vampire at his side. “Bring me a human.”

Fucking let me in!

In a flash, a vamp was gone.

Then he was right back, shoving a young woman who cried out in terror toward Etienne.

A teenager.

She was in her pajamas. A tight pink cami and cute pink bottoms with white and blue polka-dots on them.

She was sobbing, struggling, her fear reaching out, clawing at my flesh.

Etienne yanked her in front of him and put his hands on either side of her head.

He was going to break her neck or tear her head clean off. He was moving with a human’s speed and doing it so I could watch.

I knew it.

I knew.

I prepared to rush him, hoping Xun, Wei, and Chen gave me something that would allow me to stop this. To save one.

Just one.

Before they ended me.

Etienne’s lips curved in a sick smile.

But in the blink of an eye, faster than the girl could scream, she was no longer in his hands.

I felt a presence behind me, chanced turning, and stared at Abel, who was pushing the girl.

“Run!” he roared.

She ran.

* * * * *

In a Home Somewhere in Idaho

“Good God, honey, what is this?”

“Shh.”

“Oh my God, is that the man we saw earlier on Susannah—?”

“Shh!”

The woman sank down on the arm of the chair her husband was sitting in.

And together, they watched.

* * * * *

Gregor

“Shit, one of the dudes is there,” headphone man stated, and Gregor’s mouth got tight.

Her dreams.

Abel had gone to his mate in her dream.

“Have you located where the signal is coming from?” he asked.

“I got Control on it,” the man answered.

“Get them to move faster,” Gregor ordered.

“They’re doin’ the best—”

“Get them. To move. Faster,” Gregor hissed.

The guy nodded his head.

Gregor turned his eyes back to the monitors.

* * * * *

Delilah

“Retrieve her,” Etienne ordered.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Abel warned.

“Now,” Etienne snapped.

A vampire flew forward in a blur, but he dropped headless to the ground very visibly right beside me with Abel standing over him, the dead vampire’s head in his hands.

My man.

Awesome.

Even if that was serious gross.

Etienne turned to his other side.

“You, both of you, go,” Etienne commanded.

“We gonna do this?” Abel asked tauntingly before they did as Etienne demanded, tossing the head he held underarm like it was a soccer ball being thrown in for play. “Or are you gonna get smart real fast, get on your knees, and wait for The Council to get here and take you in so you can answer for all your fucked-up shit?”