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The reality was a welcoer and hurt collided, but panic quickly overshadowed the ht club now, she never would

Eschewing stealth, she crossed the dance floor, stalked down the hall to Nate’s office, and knocked loudly No answer She tried the door Unlocked So she didn’t need his keys after all

She placed the stupid, she e with the triage nurse After hanging up, she tripped the secret door It swung open with noexactly what she’d both hoped and dreaded to find; a passageway

She took one deep, bracing breath, and started down the stairs

At the base, she beca but a cold, claustrophobic tunnel of cerowing louder, until she couldn’t hear herself think, but she could definitely feel her sto

It was real It was all real, and Nate, thatthatdickwas s a corner, she caught sight of an opening ahead A mass of bodies blocked her viehatever was beyond, but if the snarls, growls, and grotesque wet thuht club Unwelco in the middle of all this assaulted her brain, and she squeezed her eyes closed and halted for just a ain, pushing her leaden feet forward, and too late she noticed the two sentries standing just outside the entrance Her heart tripped over itself, and so did her feet, but thankfully, even as she fell forward out of the tunnel, one of the big rabbed her, smiled, and released her into the crowd Apparently, they were there to prevent people fro it

The air was ripe with the scent of blood, lust, and fury Quickly but carefully, she eased through the crowd, searching for the public entrance Once she found that, she could get the hell out of here and back to Underworld General to report the location--

A hand came down on her shoulder, and she whirled, drew a harsh, startled breath when she ca crirated

Before she could say a word, he jerked her into him, squeezed her neck, and all went black

Chapter 9

For decades, Nate had been dead, his heart littleuselessly in his chest But as Gladius’s , rubbed his bald head and told Nate about Vladlena’s foray into the fight club, Nate’s heart began to stir

No, not just stir It went mad with fear, worry, and dread That da his cold, undead self

"Release her," Nate ground out He looked past Budag’s hulking shoulder from where he stood at the tunnel threshold between Gladius and Thirst The croound up about so, and bloodlust was in the air

"No can do, va’s deep voice rattled Nate’s te for a bait match"

Nate lost it He slaht up in his face, fangs bared, ready to take a chunk of flesh out of hi to be a sacrifice--"

"Since she stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, she was no longer desirable as a sacrifice" Budag’s almond eyes crinkled with aht club The Neethul twins are enjoying her plenty as a sacrifice"

Nate didn’t waste another second Heaving Budag aside, he plowed through the crowd, shoving people out of the way as he hauled ass to the ring His heart, if it beat, would have stopped at the sight of Lena, her unifor to fend off the two elf-like de with her And there was no question that they were toying He’d seen the brothers fight, and right now, they were like hellhounds with a cornered cat

Nate didn’t think He acted Acted hiht the dee of their temporary confusion, he punched his fist into one of the ore dripped fro Neethul barely cast his dead brother a glance as he came at Nate with a deflesher, a thick chain with a razor stirrup at the end Wielded properly, the weapon could fillet a six-inch wide strip of flesh off the entire length of an arm and leave it bare to the bone

The demon was an expert with it

Shit All around, the crowd hushed, leaving only Lena’s scream and the whistle of the chain as it cut the air Nate dove to the blood-soaked sand and rolled, lashing out with his feet The razor stirrup slaht his opponent in the knees The Neethul fell but was up again in an instant

So was Nate Before the demon could do a reith the chain, Nate sla wall Sharp teeth sank into Nate’s shoulder, and son of a bitch, that hurt