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Kade quickly slipped out of Sydney and turned her around to him to hold her. He looked her directly in the eyes, realizing the gravity of what they’d just done. He was concerned about how she’d feel now that it was over.

“I love you so very much…more than life itself.” He feathered her closed eyes with kisses. “This thing between us, here, will never happen again. But make no mistake, we helped Luca come back to us, and I will be forever grateful for what you did today.”

“No regrets, okay. We helped him, didn’t we? Is he okay?” she asked quietly. Yeah, we helped him all right. She rolled her eyes thinking about what they had just done. She hoped Luca was healed after all that.

“Yes, love, he’s healed,” Kade replied.

Sydney felt embarrassed, but didn’t want to show it. She wanted to leave and give them space. She sat up, turned around and looked at the two very naked vampires lying in bed. “Okay, so who’s hungry? I get that you vamps only need blood, but a girl like me has got to get some real food,” she joked, desperately needing the levity.

Kade and Luca looked at each other and laughed. Kade made a move to sit up, and Luca reached out to put a hand on his arm. “Kade. Sydney. I don’t know what to say, so I will just say ‘thank you’. Thank you for rescuing me. Thank you for this, now. I am not sure what to say. After I had the donor blood today, I still couldn’t function. It was like I was there but not there. I know you both took a risk feeding me,” he looked around at the sheets. “And a risk knowing it might turn out to be a little more than just feeding.” He smiled knowingly.

Luca felt refreshed but angry as he recalled every detail of his attack and capture. Remembering the look on Samantha’s face as they’d attacked, he needed to know she was safe. From the minute he’d met Samantha, he’d felt protective of her.

“Listen, I know I have been out of it, but what of Samantha? I blacked out right before her and Ilsbeth…” Luca questioned.

“Ummm…she must be on your mind, huh, Luca?” Sydney grinned, interrupting his train of thought. “I know you aren’t crazy about us human women, but perhaps this one has gotten under your skin? You did call her name instead of mine. I’m crushed,” she teased and hopped off the bed towards the door, knowing that Luca had feelings toward Samantha. She smiled, thinking that her friend could actually be attracted to a mortal. Could it be that Luca was actually growing a heart?

Kade got up out of bed, leaving Luca leaning against the headrest. He watched Sydney leave the room, pulled on his jeans and turned to his friend. A serious expression washed across his face. “Luca, let’s be clear. You are my best friend. But know that I will not be sharing Sydney with you in the future. What we did today…” He looked to the bed and then met Luca’s eyes. “We did it to heal you, to bring you back. And while I am grateful you appear well, you need to stay out of trouble. I am not sure I could do this again.”

Luca smiled. It was unusual for him do to so, given his serious nature. “Understood, Kade. Sydney is beautiful, indeed. But I have always known she was yours and yours alone. It was very hard for me to accept her blood knowing she belonged to you. Thank you again for finding me. Healing me.” Luca stood up. Realizing he was naked, he wrapped the sheet around his waist. “I need to know though. Are Samantha and Ilsbeth safe?”

“Yes, it was Ilsbeth who called me to tell me you’d been attacked. Since your absence, she’s called me a few times to let me know that Samantha was cleansed and continuing her training. She’s at the coven still.”

“Kade.” He paused, thinking through the events of his kidnapping. “Whoever did this to me weren’t after me. I mean, they could have killed me, but they didn’t. Whoever attacked us knew better than to kill me lest you would rain hell down upon them in this city. They knew who I was and left me alive. It wasn’t me they wanted. No, they were after the witches.”

“Perhaps,” Kade pondered. Was Asgear working with someone else besides Simone? “I don’t know, Luca. Why would they want Samantha? She doesn’t know what she is. Ilsbeth holds a lot of power, but I can’t imagine who would be foolish enough to try and capture her at her home. Besides the magical wards she’s set, she could literally transport herself away from the captor.”

“Kade, there’s something about Samantha. I don’t know…” Luca was troubled. Something wasn’t right. Why hadn’t they killed him? “Talk to Sydney. Get her take on what happened. I plan to rest today while the sun is up, but tonight I’m going to the coven to see Ilsbeth and the girl.”

“Luca, my friend. You refer to Samantha as a girl, yet you cannot deny she is a woman. Perhaps there is another reason why you feel compelled to see her?” Kade asked.

“A human? No way, Kade. You know I’m not into mortal women. Give me a break. I was just drained and starved for over a fucking week. I’m pissed as hell and there’s got to be a goddamn good reason why this happened. Who the hell even knew I was transporting the witches? Who else knew about Asgear and Simone’s plans to take over the city? What if there’s more to Samantha than we really know? Ilsbeth should know by now what the hell kind of magic the girl has. Is it even real? Over a week has passed and I need to know what the hell is going on over there. Something isn’t right with what happened.” Luca was steaming mad.

Luca sighed, Samantha. Remembering the first time he’d met her, he wondered why she dominated his thoughts. Something about the human woman stirred his emotions, yet he could not fathom why he would care. The pixie-sized, fair-skinned beauty had barely been holding onto reality the last time he’d seen her. After she’d been bespelled by the evil mage, Asgear, who’d turned her into a submissive and beaten her to a pulp as a prisoner, she learned that the magic had infused itself into her very being. She was now a witch. Yet, she was technically still very much a mere mortal who knew nothing about witchcraft.

The last time he saw her she’d been in ‘protection’ at Kade’s estate. Protection. Hell, who was he kidding? After they’d rescued her from her shackled existence, they imprisoned her once again, albeit in a gilded cage. Tainted by the evil, infused by magic, she could not return home. Instead, Ilsbeth, a close confidant of Kade’s and a well-respected witch, insisted Samantha go with her to the coven to be cleansed and learn her new path in life.

The very first time he’d met Samantha, she was working at Sangre Dulce. He and Kade were working a case that night. As she had stood naked before them, serving drinks to his group of vampires, Luca was instantly attracted to the submissive, red-haired beauty. Samantha, who’d been introduced to him under the false name of Rhea, had offered herself for ‘play’. Luca had turned her down. He’d been there to work the case, find clues to a killer, not fuck. And then there was the undeniable fact that she was human. Not his first choice for playing. Humans were good for feeding, but way too emotional and breakable. No, when it came to sex, he preferred a supernatural with no attachments. As for love, it simply was not an option.

The next time he’d seen Samantha, she’d been bruised and battered, a shell of the woman he’d met at the club. He wondered how such a fragile woman had survived life locked in that desolate, filthy prison cell. When he’d broken the locked metal cuffs off her naked body, Luca had cursed the monster that had injured her. Later at Kade’s house, his heart had constricted as he’d watched her come to terms with what had happened to her. With no memory of the club or her actions, she had learned of her fate as a witch.

She was shocked on discovering that she’d never return to her work, her friends, her life. Vulnerable and shaken, she’d agreed to go with Ilsbeth to the coven…as if she’d been given a choice. Her soul was tainted; Kade would have never let her return without cleansing her soul.