She met his gaze and felt his distress, even his hostility. “What exactly would accepting the double-chain mean for you that you’ve rejected so long?”

He shifted his gaze away from her, scowling and silent. After a moment, and still not looking at her, he said, “I’d be taking the first step to achieving Ancestral status.”

“And that would increase your power?”

“More than you can imagine. The gift is rare, but my brothers and I all have that capacity. It’s just that our father was a monster and none of us wants to be like him.”

“Then you can’t do it.”

He still leaned up on his elbow, his fingers playing over her arm, his thick, dark hair rumpled from sleep. She marveled at the tender feelings this closeness aroused in her—like she wanted to smooth away the furrow between his brows.

“Several of the Council of Ancestrals have been begging for me to step up for the last two centuries, to embrace my power.”

“You seem to despise the Council.”

He blinked a couple of times before adding, “I can’t believe how easy it is to talk to you.” He still rubbed her arm, and it felt good.

“I know,” she said.

He smiled suddenly, a real, full curving of his lips. “My God, I’m almost happy. It must be you.”

She laughed. Oh, my God, she laughed. When was the last time that had happened?

Her heart blossomed, a sensation that swelled and swelled.

At a moment like this, she could almost forget what he was.

And yet looking at him, his beauty, the strength of him, his tenderness with her, a spattering of gooseflesh rippled down her back and sides. She started to pull away, but he reached up, caught her lips with his, and kissed her, so of course she stayed put.

When he drew back, he added, “Don’t get ahead of this, Lily. Try not to think too far into the future. You’ll go crazy and I need you close right now. What we’re doing right now, this is good.”

Maybe he’d read the expressions on her face or maybe he’d sensed her feelings through the shared chains, but whatever it was, his words calmed her down. “Right,” she whispered. And he was right. This had to be a one-step-at-a-time process.

“I was serious before. You can’t become an Ancestral just to make traveling easier on me. It would be so wrong. Once we’re done, and we get these chains off, then you can pick up your life again.”

She drew a deep breath, trying with all her heart to actually believe the words she’d just spoken.

While Lily showered, Adrien sat outside the bathroom door, his phone in hand. He’d ordered food from his favorite restaurant and now his stomach rumbled.

He’d spoken with the owner, a fine Parisian, a human actually, who had complained that Adrien had forsaken him. He was reminded that he’d had a life once upon a time, before his world had gone all to hell. He was also reminded that there were some humans he did value.

Now he had Lily.

And freedom.

Sort of.

He couldn’t believe he was out of that prison. Despite the chains and his bondage to Lily, at least he wasn’t hanging from wrought-iron chains so fat they could have dragged elephants.

He set his phone on the floor and rubbed his wrists.

He was healed up now but the memory was still there, as though the weight of the manacles lived in his mind. He thought of his brothers and it filled him with pain.

He touched the chain at his neck. Yes he was bound, but this was still much better than the cavern. He swore to himself that he would succeed in his mission with Lily so he could defeat Daniel and free them from the hell they were enduring.

“You okay?” Lily called out.

“Fine.” His head lolled back and thumped the door.

He closed his eyes and breathed, bringing his focus back to the present. The chains kept them in constant communication so that even now he knew she was worried. No doubt if she tuned into the chains, she’d sense his own sadness and loss.

“I ordered dinner,” he called back.

“Thank you,” came muffled through the door.

He reached down and turned his phone over and over. Smartphones were good, and he kept his close at hand. Always.

His thoughts turned again to rising to Ancestral level.

God help him, he would do everything in his power to keep from taking that step. He just had to figure this out. Since Lily could siphon his power, then it was possible he could work with her, strengthen her, build her up so that she could survive the next few days until they got hold of the extinction weapon and the situation was resolved.

As for altered flight, which was his primary concern, he would have to move her slowly. It would take them considerably longer to get from place to place, but he really had no other choice given her previous reactions.

However, there was one serious problem: While flying, he and Lily would be easily visible to other vampires. In such a large world, it wouldn’t normally be a problem, but he knew in his gut he was being tracked—not in an electronic sense, but through opportunistic surveillance. Needing to seek out Rumy, for instance, who knew every underworld bastard who existed, made it likely that his adversaries would stake out The Erotic Passage.

Gabriel, his longtime mentor, had also suggested he pump club patrons for information because it was a real gathering place for the dregs of vampire society. Someone was bound to know something about the weapon.

Of course the nature of the club—and the many times Adrien had taken advantage of any number of women there—set his cock in an uproar again.

Once more he leaned his head back, this time without banging on the door, and took several deep breaths.

He felt certain he’d meet up with a few assholes that needed offing, and he’d take care of business. But how the hell was he supposed to protect Lily? If she was incapacitated by the flight, or if several assailants attacked once they’d arrived, he didn’t know what he would do.

But then he’d been battling a long time, for centuries, keeping an uneasy peace all around the world, so he knew a few tricks.

He supposed that would have to be enough.

Lily.

My God.

Lily.

When she emerged from the now steam-filled bathroom, his cock stood at full attention. He rose to his feet and gave her a curt nod, at which she frowned. He pushed the door wide and said. “I need a shower.”

Wrapped up in a towel, she gave him space, stepping back as he all but shoved his way in. She barely had time to step outside when he closed the door perhaps more forcefully than he should have. He heard her slide down the door and sit outside to wait, just as he’d waited.

“I’ll make it quick,” he called out. “Dinner will be here in a few minutes.”

“Okay. But, hey, did I do something? You looked mad.”

He glanced down at his still-firm cock and rolled his eyes. “I’m in a hungry state,” he responded, willing her to understand. When she remained quiet, he added, “And not for food.”

“Oh.” Then he heard her chuckle.

He smiled. Dammit, he liked her.

He shaved quickly then showered as fast as he could so that within a handful of minutes he was back in the bedroom with her, both of them getting dressed. This time he donned his battle leathers, which could house several daggers and two different lengths of fighting chains.

Lily put on jeans and a shirt and now towel-dried her hair. She wore no makeup, and her large eyes tracked his movements as he slid daggers down the sheaths sewn into the leather, five in all. In bottleneck pockets, the shiny black tabs of the chains locked into black clasps that gave way with a tug. The short battle chains could take a man’s head off with enough strength. It was messy work, but sometimes necessary. The longer chains could wrap around and incapacitate an opponent, while a dagger finished the job.