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CHAPTER ONE

“DON’T DIE Don’t you dare die” Frantic, Torin dug through a backpack cra, weapons andit with everything he’d thought he uard Fine He’d proceed without one

He hurried to his companion’s motionless form, straddled her waist Her precious life slipped aith every second that passed CPR was a last resort, but suddenly her only hope, and because they were locked inside a dungeon, no one else inside their cell, the responsibility belonged to hiuy who’d rarely ever come this close to another person

Just call me Wonder Doc

He flattened his gloved hands over Mari’s delicate chest—still, too still But rather than proceed as he should have, he found hi to savor the rare and extraordinary connection with the opposite sex So soft So luscious

What the hell a? Jaw clenched, he pushed

Crack

Too hard He’d just broken her sternum and probably several of her ribs

Guilt pierced straight through his heart, and if the organ hadn’t already been shredded beyond repair, it ht have hurt Sweat trickled down his te else broke Good Okay He pressed again and again, gradually increasing his speed But how fast was too fast? What helped? What daed?

“Coile, but resilient “Stay with me You can survive this, I know you can”

Her head lolled to the side, her glassy eyes staring out at nothing

“No No!” He checked her for a pulse, waitedbut never felt even the weakest of beats

As he returned his hands to her chest to start over, his gaze locked on her blood-splattered lips; his h to escape It would ued her, but sick was better than dead any day of the week

“Mari, please” He heard the desperation in his voice, didn’t care I can’t be the one to kill someone so sweet

Torin pushed harder, heard another crack

Hell He wasn’t some pansy crier, but damn if tears didn’t scald the backs of his eyes

He’d coirl as a friend, and despite the numerous centuries he’d lived, he didn’t have many of those He always protected the ones he had

Until her

If not for him, she never would have sickened in the first place

Again he felt for a pulse Still no beat

Cursing, he set back to work Five minutestentwenty He was Mari’s life support, the only thing standing between her and death; he would do this however long proved necessary