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That earned hi heart "I need you to return," he repeated ot a shake of the beast’s head

"Please I’ me I can’t visit this home without them So if you don’t return to them, I have to leave, and I can never come back If you do return, however, I can talk to the you coamble Did these creatures care about him? He didn’t know for sure Did they want to spend more time with him? He didn’t know that for sure, either, but it was the only bargaining chip he had

They stared at hi, clearly angry, but at least they didn’t attack hi, they rose, one after the other Gradually their color faded and the scent of sulfur thinned By that tihosts

Astonishing Those outlines floated to the writhing vampires and disappeared inside theh wide eyes A Victoria was rushing to him; when she reached him, she threw herself into his arled to breathe, he hugged her tight The other va and peering at hie mix of awe, horror and disbelief

"How did you do that?" solike that…" another said

"The beasts were tamed Actually tamed!"

Beast Tamer That should be our new nickna, burly vampire with red hair stepped forward, head bowed He even dropped to one knee "I do not know if you were told of e, Majesty, but I huestures, followed by a third, a fourth

"Good That’s good," Aden replied, because he didn’t knohat else to say "Victoria and I are going to take off for a little bit Okay?"

"Yes, yes"

"Of course"

"Please, enjoy yourself, Majesty"

"Do whatever you’d like This is your hoers with Victoria’s and allowed her to lead him out of the chamber and up the stairs toward her bedroo the banister, he noted Clearly people were taking his color mandate seriously But with the council’s insistence that changes be li the ribbons would last

Riley and Mary Ann aiting for thee of Victoria’s bed, silent, not looking at each other

When he shut the door behind hi everyone inside, Victoria whirled on him, her eyes as wide as his probably were "That was incredible How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Riley asked, frowning

Victoria told him, and the wolf paled, pushed to his feet and shook his head "I should have been there I’m sorry that I wasn’t, sorry you were attacked I--"

"It’s no big deal," Aden told his under control" For the ht?" Mary Ann asked "You look like you’ve been in a boxing ring While playing with knives"

For the first tiht Your clothes are torn and your skin is eaten up with bites and you…you sive you some of my blood to heal you?"

"No, thank you" He didn’t want to see the world through her eyes Not that he h Dmitri’s eyes, too--but for the next couple of days, he needed to be in control of hi equip her attention from him Then she motioned to the vanity There were tubes, vials and needles scattered along its surface

"If you don’tIt’s going to hurt, and well, I don’t want to hurt you"

They shared a smile as Aden sank into the chair in front of the vanity "I don’t mind" He wouldn’t want to hurt her, either

"Does it speak poorly offorward to this?" Riley strode to him and pulled a second chair in front of hi, "How many wards do you want?"

"How many do I need?"

"As many as you can handle Were the situation reversed, I’d cover myself in them But these are permanent, you know? With vampires, they fade as their skin heals from the je la nune we have to prep the needles with to leave marks on the any of the je la nune on you"

"Is the ink ns the lines, but the lines are actually a series of words"

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