Great. If the staff had been sleeping, they weren’t anymore.

“Rook. Come here,” Dillon commanded in his best pissed-off voice. “Let me make sure this asshole hasn’t hurt you.”

“He hasn’t hurt me.” I stayed right next to Lucien as the fire grew hotter beneath his skin.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Dillon strode toward me and I wouldn’t put it past him to scoop me up like a bag of dirty laundry, toss me over his shoulder, and haul me out of Ashfall Cliff kicking and screaming.

Almost as if Lucien heard my thoughts, tiny flames gathered around his fingers. “I won’t tell you again,” he seethed. “Leave.”

“Let her come with me and I’ll leave right now.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you.”

Whisper snarled as if he agreed with his slightly deranged master.

“See? That just confirms what I think of you.” Dillon narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck do you want? Why did you kidnap her? Who are you working for?”

“Leave!” Lucien trembled as he fought for control. “I won’t ask again.”

“I told you. Let her leave with me and—”

“She’ll never go with you.”

“Ah see, that’s where you’re wrong.” Dillon smirked. “You’re playing with fire, asshole. I’ve already summoned backup and when they get here, they’ll—”

“You’re right.” Lucien cut in with a tight smile. “I am playing with fire. Want to find out what I can do without backup?” His smouldering fist came up. That scarlet ring of warning appeared around his pupils.

Okay, this had gone on long enough.

“Lucien.” Hugging his arm, I yanked his body toward me. “Calm down.”

He staggered a little, catching my eyes. “But he’s trying to take you away from me.” The scarlet ring around his pupils flickered and I saw what this was really about.

Fear.

Animalistic fear that’d rotted his soul, thanks to spending every day of the past two decades on his own.

His arm burned beneath my fingers as he whispered for my ears only. “I’ve finally found you. I finally have you, and I’ll kill him if he tries to take you away from me.” Fire ignited around his collar as if he’d kicked the furnace door down inside him. The marble pavers cracked beneath his feet.

For the first time since I’d lost my pendant, I slipped into the icy ocean that now existed within my heart—a glittering lake that promised infinite power if I only asked.

And so, I asked.

I gave myself over to the overwhelming feelings that made me human—feelings that’d always granted such agony—and arrowed all of them into Lucien.

He shuddered as a web of ice enveloped him, lacing over his clothes, his hair, his face—swallowing his fire and stealing his rage.

For a second, he just stared at me with relief and awe, then snatched me into his arms and buried his face in my hair. “See? What the fuck would I do without you, huh?”

He didn’t seem to care Dillon was watching. Didn’t seem aware of anything apart from the bond as it yanked so, so hard between us.

My heart answered every furious throb of his and I shivered as his emotions bled into me. Hot spikes of jealousy. Sharp stings of loss. Powerlessness of being trapped for so long. All wrapped up in horror of what he was capable of if I wasn’t there to stop him.

“It’s okay.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. “I’m not going anywhere, alright? He can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do, and I don’t want to leave you.” Pulling away a little, I reached up and cupped his cheeks, his skin so hot. “You will never be trapped again. And you can control it.”

Whisper twined around us as Lucien slowly nodded.

But the moment was ruined as Dillon cleared his throat and Lucien stiffened all over again. His temper flared as he grabbed my wrist and jerked me behind him.

I scowled at his overprotection but as long as he touched me—as long as I touched him...we’d be fine. Cancelled out. Nullified. Normal.

Peeling Lucien’s hand off my wrist, he frowned as I wove my fingers through his and moved to his side instead.

I could tell he didn’t like it.

But...tough luck.

Dillon was here because of me.

And despite my questions about his loyalties—despite my nervousness at everything that’d happened—he was still my friend and protector.

“Hi, Dil.” I plastered on a sunny smile, all while squeezing Lucien’s hand to behave. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“If you dare ‘Hi, Dil’ me again, I swear I’ll put you over my knee.” Dillon stepped toward me, his eyes locking onto mine and completely discounting Lucien and the panther.

Lucien bordered a bonfire again as Dillon swept his gaze over me—from head to toe, inspecting every inch like I was a car he was thinking of purchasing. “No wounds that I can see. No broken bones. No blindness or muteness or any reason whatsoever that you couldn’t pick up the goddamn phone and CALL me.”

“Careful.” Lucien bared his teeth. “Yell at her and you won’t have a tongue.”

He was a little bit terrifying and frighteningly gorgeous, and I really shouldn’t be so turned on by his jealousy.

Dillon spread his hands in a dramatic shrug. “Where have you been, Rook?” He took another step toward us—looking like he wanted to touch me—to make sure I was truly okay.

But a low growl from Lucien stopped that nonsense.

Whisper slinked forward, his shoulders low as if getting ready to pounce.

“Don’t you start, kitty cat,” I warned. “Dillon is a friend, not a snack.”

“Speak for yourself.” A trickle of heat flowed from Lucien’s body into mine. “He might end up being breakfast.”

Whisper snorted as if he was in on the joke and made a big show of revealing his fangs.

“You two.” I elbowed Lucien. “Stop trying to terrify my bodyguard.”

Dillon—to his credit—didn’t even seem surprised to see a full-grown panther acting like a guard dog. Then again...he had been in the Snowflake Corp labs, so I supposed he was used to it.

Before I could apologise for making him worry, Dillon reeled off more questions. “What are you doing here, Rook? What even is this place? Do you know how hard it was to even get here? If you didn’t pay me so well, I would’ve given up right around the fifth rickety bus ride.”

Dillon looked exactly the same—broad-shouldered, white-blond, and dressed head to toe in tactical black. His arctic-blue eyes could see a threat a million miles away, and his black jacket had more pockets and hidden weapons than most undercover agents.

Playing meek—just like he would expect me to—I gave him a sheepish smile. “I didn’t mean to give you such a fright. I’ll give you a bonus. How about that?”

“I don’t want your money, you idiot. I just want you to obey me at least once in your life and allow me to do my job.”

“Obey you?” Lucien grew hotter by the minute. “Call her an idiot again and see what happens.”

“Can you just bugger off?” Dillon snapped. “I want to talk to Rook alone. I have questions.”

“The only way I’ll leave her anywhere near you is if you’re dead.”

“Lucien...” I shook my head with an exasperated sigh. “Stop it.”

“From where I’m standing, you’re the reason she’s been missing for two months.” Dillon stood to his full height, glaring Lucien down. “You’re the problem. Not me.”

Testosterone thickened in the air.

Great.

Awesome.

This was going so well.

“Look.” I smiled. “Let’s all calm down and—”

“Come here, Rook.” Dillon had the stupidity to hold out his hand, expecting me to go to him. To put my hand in his in front of the very man who’d captured my heart and had a little arson problem.

Lucien’s eyes glimmered with ember shards. “My patience is running out where you’re concerned. Leave.”

“Not without Rook!”

Lucien sniffed as if he’d happily send Dillon flying off the cliff.