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We stood in the elevator bank, the doors of three of four elevators opened liketo be filled

Ethan paced to one end of the short hallway, then back again, his gaze focused onprey "You will not hand yourself over to a monster"

"Ethan--"

But he took a step toward me, emerald fire in his eyes "I am your husband, and your friend, and your lover And I am also a soldier I am a vampire I am a monster, in no small part" The emerald shifted, trans another "And if I must show them that in order to protect you, I will Should it come to that, God have mercy on their souls Because I will have none"

"You know that I have to do this" I lifted my chin "And you know that I can do this"

"She will kill you"

"She will try I won’t let her Mallory won’t let her She’s a supernatural, just like the rest of us And she is a narcissist" I loweredto ets the chance, Ethan Even if worse came to worst, my life is a small price to pay for that city"

"There are other options"

"Naain, and he took a step backward, put distance between us "I want to both throttle you and lock you away"

"You could try it"

He looked back at"You think I couldn’t best you?"

We’d fought each other before, battled too many times to count We’d both won battles, lost the myself some room, then looked back at him "I know you’re torn, and I knohy, because I know you"

His face was still draith irritation, but he lifted his brows

"On the one hand, I’m your family, your life You love me, and you’re drawn to protect me That’s who you are And on the other, I’m your Sentinel, and your partner You know that I’m skilled because you trained me, and you wouldn’t have allowed any other result And you’ve helped me be brave, and that makes you proud"

He still looked irritated, but I thought that was because he kneas right And I was

"That’s our dyna to be proud, and you’re going to be worried And the sa hadn’t been rigged--you’d be King of All Vampires, and I’d have to worry about coups d’état and assassinations"

A corner of his ed?"