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Santiago ently urging her head back to aze In that moment, Nefri’s earlier speculations of why she found this orgeous and sexy and loyal And yes, they both had suffered

But it was his swift empathy that truly touched her heart

What other va pride in her battle prowess, she was horrified by what she’d done?

"You were forced to kill?"

Disjointed h herher wince "More tiers ski a blessed comfort "It’s no wonder you’re so desperate for peace"

She knew she should push away his hand His ability to offer her a sense of safety was as dangerously alluring as his potent sensuality

Instead, she leaned into his lingering touch

Foolish

So very foolish

"That wasn’t even the worst," she said, the ancient pain a dull throb that never truly went away

He scowled "You don’t have to go on"

"No, please" She stiffened her spine She knew herself all too well If he allowed her to scurry behind her defensive walls, then she’d never crawl back out "Let ave a slow dip of his head "Okay"

"The fighting was so I learned to endure, simply because I had no choice"

"Survival can be a bitch," he said He, of course, understood exactly what she meant

"Yes"

His thumb rubbed the sensitive hollow just below her ear "What was your breaking point?"

"Whenme out as a weapon for other clans"

"He pih it hadn’t been unusual in the past for the chiefs to use their people for profit, whether it was as soldiers, whores, or just for sport

"I was always available to the highest bidder," she said "No matter what they wantedthe line of her tightly clenched jaw "It wasn’t your fault, cara," he reed and ambition"

"It didn’t matter if it washe wasn’t going to be able to convince her that she was blaaze "What did you do?"

"I bided my ties to become a clan chief" She didn’t have to say that she’d nearly died during her trials, or that she’d been forever altered by staring death in the face over and over Only a se of vampires went into the battles and caain a greater appreciation for life Their own and others Whicha clan chief "I wasn’t ever going to be a weapon for anyone again"

"And never out of control again, eh, querida?"

She nodded Being stronger than every creature around her had taught her the danger of giving in to her ehtened the people around me end up dead" She shivered "Soaze swept over her upturned face "And so you created a clan dedicated to peace?"

"Yes" She smiled wryly It had seemed so simple She knew there had to be like-minded vampires anted to build an oasis of peace The only rub was finding someplace where they could be safe from the den of weakness They had to be protected "And I went to the Commission to discover if there was a place where we could be separated from the violence of this world"

"That’s when they sent you beyond the Veil?"

She lifted her hand, her fingers brushing over the golden medallion that remained warm to the touch no matter what the te Santiago’s lol trickled through the hallway, his dark eyes flashing with fury

"Dios, the bastards knowingly put you in danger"