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"Don’t think like that When I first ht he was the noblest man I had ever met You think Gavriel is courtly? Darian outshone him the way the sun outshines the ot tired Nevertheless, I refuse to believe that who he is at his very core has changed In his oay, he is protecting you It’s so ingrained in him to keep you safe that he won’t risk you, not in any way, not even to save himself"

"I won’t lose hi I can to help It’s ot up off the bed and gave hi, he s to be a long day"

"Premonition?" she joked as he walked toward the door

He turned around and winced "Darian is denying hisyou’d encourage her antics To day," he repeated He walked over, grabbed her makeup case by the handle, and wheeled it toward the door He turned and gave a wave

A the door behind hiled it up into the chair Unzipping it, she pulled out her toiletry bag and her nightshirt and headed to the bathrooh of relief when she rehtshirt and pulled her long brown curls back in a hair tie Reaching into her toiletry bag for her face wash and htly routine

When she was done, she folded up her jeans and shirt and walked back into the bedroom She opened her suitcase and dropped her clothes inside Staring at her wardrobe, she sighed All her tops were either black or white Her bottoms were either black slacks or jeans Nor it was edgy, but she didn’t want her new friends to think she earing the sao shopping soon She looked around the roo on the dresser She fished around the large bag until she found her phone

She got comfortable on the bed and leaned back on a stack of fluffy pillows She knew the conversation she was about to have would be hard, but it had to be done She opened the phone and pressed the speed dial nu

"What’s happened? Are you hurt? Are you dead?" he dehostly iPhone, you idiot" She rolled her eyes

"Don’t roll your eyes atlady You never call this late, what’s happened?"

How does he always knohen I do that?

"Well, you kno I said I would be leaving first thing in the "

"Why? Do you have a flat? Is it car trouble? Are you being held hostage?"

"How do you go fronoring her perfectly logical question

"I found ?" She held her breath and mentally counted down

Threetwoone

"What!? That sonofabitch! Waiting until eren’t around to swoop in and steal irl!" He called out to their brothers, "Kyran! Tristan! Get Packed! We’re going to Lycaonia to beat soirl!"

"What!?" she heard Kyran shout

"Motherfucker!" Tristan yelled

A Yeah, they wouldn’t complicate matters at all

"Freeze!" she barked into the phone A second later, there was silence "Listen, I’roorown and only because you’re half hureed you wouldn’t ued