She forced herself to let her block dissolve, now that she’d ruined the demons’ chances of a sneak attack. She’d seen Gunner fight before, these demons were no match for the warrior, and he proved it by tearing through them easily.
Still, she kept her power simmering, ready to throw up another block if necessary, and blood from her hands had pooled at her feet by the time Gunner and his brother had killed them all. At least twenty demons. Sir would be furious.
Gunner turned in a slow circle, looking for more, but there were none.
Grace had told Luna that the knights could protect her—and in a moment of weakness, the urge to go to Gunner now, to reveal herself, to ask him to take her with him, almost won out.
But she couldn’t leave Ronan behind. He was being held somewhere close, he had to be, and until she could free him as well, she couldn’t leave.
With one last look at Gunner, Luna spun and ran around the side of the house and through the back door before the sensation inside her, the one tempting her to get closer to the knight, became too much to resist.
Padding up the stairs, she eased the bedroom door open and slipped back inside. It was dark, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust.
She blinked several times at the rumpled covers on the bed.
The empty bed.
Her gaze flew around the room.
Sir stood by the window, still naked, his back to her, body held rigidly and fury rolling off him.
“Sir…”
The door slammed shut with invisible hands, the lock clicking in place, sealing her in.
She began to shake, her buried human instincts reacting to his fury all on their own. “I can explain…”
He lifted a hand, silencing her without words, and slowly turned to face her. His eyes were glowing, his yellow irises burning into her.
“You saved him,” he said, voice echoing eerily. “I gave you everything, Luna. I’ve protected you, taken care of you and your brother. I gave you all of me. My blood, my heart, my body, and over and over again you throw it back in my face?”
She shook harder. She’d never wanted any part of him. She had endured it, him, all of him, to stay alive, to protect her brother. And the only thing he cared about was how powerful she and Ronan made him.
“You are an emotionless void, my little dhampir.”
He’d said those words or variations of them to her many times, but for some reason when he said them now, she had to fight not to flinch.
“It is beyond your capabilities to care for this knight. So, what is it? Has he offered you something? Something you want? It must be something good to risk betraying me again? Are you sharing intel with them?” he asked, voice deceptively calm, but she knew better.
She shook her head. “I don’t know him. I don’t know what happened down there. I was only watching, I didn’t do anything…”
“Shhh, not another word,” he said as he moved toward her, his blazing yellow eyes never once leaving her. He closed in and took her face in his hands. “You know what happens now, don’t you? You know what happens when you betray me?”
Yes, and she’d rather be dead than endure it again.
And by the time he’d finished with her, she’d be as close to death as she’d ever been before.
Chapter 3
Gunner woke with a shout, heart pounding, body soaked with sweat. That scream, Christ, it shook him to the core. His skin was hot and cold at the same time, tingling, goose bumps raised all over his flesh.
What the hell was wrong with him?
You’re losing your mind.
It was late afternoon, nearly time to head back out and hunt, thank fuck. It was the only thing keeping his head straight. Or maybe not. Shit.
His and Rocco’s conversation about Kyler filtered through his head.
“Have you sensed her at all?”
“Sometimes, I think I do…but only when I’m asleep.”
The echo of that tormented scream was still ringing through Gunner’s head.
Could it be…
He growled and shoved the covers back. No, goddammit, she was gone. He strode across the room, dragging a hand over his buzzed hair. Thoughts like that were dangerous for his state of mind. He’d end up like Rocco if he let that shit sink in and take hold. He’d searched for her, reached out for her repeatedly—still did. Without even realizing he was doing it. Christ, several times a