The SUV swerved alongside us, and a window rolled down to reveal a man with a military-style haircut aiming what looked like a specialized rifle.

"Duck!" I shouted, pulling Elias sideways just as something whistled through the space where his head had been.


Acting on pure instinct, I leaned out the window and fired three shots in rapid succession. The first two hit the SUV's front tire, the third shattered their windshield. The vehicle veered wildly before spinning off the road.

I slid back into my seat, staring at the gun in my hand. "I've never fired a gun in my life."

"In this life," Elias corrected, straightening in his seat. "You were an excellent marksman before."


"You could have mentioned that earlier," I muttered, checking the rearview mirror. No sign of pursuit, but that didn't mean we were safe.

Elias took a sharp turn onto a narrow forest road. "We're close to the safe house. It's warded against detection."


"Warded? Like magic?" I raised an eyebrow. "What's next, werewolves?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he said with complete seriousness. "Werewolves are nearly extinct."

I laughed despite myself. "Of course they are."

We pulled up to what looked like an ordinary cabin nestled among towering pines. Nothing special from the outside, but something told me appearances were deceiving.

Once inside, I whistled appreciatively. The "cabin" was actually a sophisticated modern hideout with state-of-the-art security systems visible on multiple screens.

"Make yourself comfortable," Elias said, activating various security protocols. "We'll be safe here for now."

I collapsed onto a leather sofa, the adrenaline crash hitting me hard. "So, those hunters. They knew exactly where to find us. That's not coincidence."

"No," Elias agreed, his expression dark. "We have a traitor among us."

"Vivienne?"

"Perhaps." He didn't sound convinced. "Or someone else who knows about your return."

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache building. "This is insane. Twenty-four hours ago, my biggest problem was deciding what to have for dinner."

Elias approached with a glass of water and two pills. "For the headache. Your body is still adjusting to the awakening of your vampire side."

I took them gratefully. "So what now? We just hide out here while assassins hunt us down?"

"Now," he said, sitting across from me, "we finish what we started."

He rolled up his sleeve again, exposing his wrist. My throat suddenly felt dry.

"The blood sharing," I remembered. "You think it will help me remember enough to figure out who's behind this?"

"Yes." His eyes held mine. "But I should warn you—blood memories are intense. You won't just see the past; you'll feel it."

I swallowed hard. "Will I... will I remember everything about us?"

Something vulnerable flickered in his eyes. "That depends on what you're ready to remember."

The implication hung in the air between us. What exactly had Ethan and Elias been to each other? More than master and servant, he'd said. How much more?

"Okay," I decided, moving closer to him. "Let's do this."

Elias extended his wrist. "Drink slowly. The memories will come in waves."

I took his wrist in my hands, feeling his pulse beneath my fingers. This should have felt wrong, disgusting even, but instead it felt like coming home.

My fangs extended naturally—another surprise—and I bit down as gently as I could. The moment his blood touched my tongue, the world exploded into color and sensation.

_I was running through moonlit gardens, laughing as Elias chased me... I was standing beside him at an opera in Vienna, stealing glances at his profile... I was training with a sword, determined to prove my worth... I was watching him feed from a willing woman, feeling jealousy burn through me..._

The memories came faster, more intense, spanning decades of a life I'd forgotten.

Then came one that stole my breath:

_Elias's lips on mine, desperate and hungry, his hands tangled in my hair as he pressed me against a wall, whispering, "I have denied this for too long, Ethan. I cannot bear it anymore..."_

I broke away from his wrist with a gasp, blood dripping from my lips as I stared at him in shock.

"We were lovers," I whispered.

His eyes, normally so controlled, were filled with ancient pain. "Now you understand why I never told you what you truly were to me."