I need to find Lisa.


    Those uncharacteristic texts have me in a panic as I watch the commotion through the kitchen doorway.


    That''s not how Lisa texts. So either someone has Lisa''s phone, or someone has Lisa and her phone.


    Be careful. I can sense from Selene''s voice that she''s on her way, but this isn''t the time to ask how she got past the guards.


    Kellan.


    I need to text Kellan.


    But when I turn on my phone, there''s no signal.


    And the texts from Lisa are missing.


    Selene, something''s wrong.


    Understatement of the century right there.


    All of the shifters have left the kitchen, running forward to the fight. I can hear some words that have me rooted to the ground in panic, my mind spinning.


    Vampires.


    Bloodsuckers.


    The words send a chill through my bones as the commotion escalates in the living room. There''s no doubt in my mind; they''re here for me.


    I don''t know why.


    I don''t know how.


    All I know is that I need to find Lisa, and we need to run.


    Shaking off my panic, I make a decision. Lisa was with Bren, so they''re probably upstairs, in a room somewhere.


    I''m about to bolt for the stairs when the back door swings open. I whirl around, my heart leaping into my throat. A tall, slender man with long silver hair and piercing red eyes stands there, his gaze fixed directly on me. Recognition flashes in those unnerving eyes.


    "What a surprise. The second little kitten is already here." His silky voice drips with malice in an unnerving purr. It''s a beautiful sound, but only serves to send terror straight into my heart.


    My eyes dart past him and land on Lisa. Her face is a mask of sheer panic as she stares at me, frozen in place.


    At least I don''t have to hunt her down.


    But now I need to keep her safe. A human stands no chance against vampires.


    "Lisa, run!" I scream. "Get help!"


    The vampire starts dragging me toward the back door. I dig my heels in but it''s like trying to stop a freight train.


    "Come along, kitten," he purrs at Lisa, who looks between us.


    "Run," I hiss at her, but she doesn''t fight when he uses his other hand to grab her wrist and drag us along.


    Back to the kitchen. Through the back door.


    We''re being kidnapped, right out of Westwood lands.


    I glance at Lisa, who''s terrified, but has her jaw set in a stubborn line.


    I''m not going to be kidnapped again. This is what we trained for, right?


    Okay, maybe not this exact situation.


    And we definitely didn''t train against vampires.


    But I''m not weak anymore. I can fight for my freedom.


    Desperation floods through me as the vampire drags us out the door. I thrash against his grip, kicking and twisting, determined not to make this easy for him. He''s strong, impossibly so, but I refuse to be a victim again. Not after everything I''ve been through.


    As we stumble into the yard, my eyes land on a body lying in the grass. Confusion turns to horror as I realize the man''s pants are pulled down to his knees, exposing him. Bile rises in my throat as recognition hits me like a punch to the gut.


    It''s Bren.


    I almost vomit right then and there, but I choke it back. I can''t fall apart now. We have to get away.


    Lisa must see him too because she starts fighting with renewed vigor, thrashing and clawing at the vampire''s arm around her waist. He snarls in frustration, his red eyes flashing with annoyance at our refusal to come quietly.


    "Stop fighting me, kittens," he hisses, his voice laced with warning. "You''re only making this harder on yourselves."


    But we don''t stop. We can''t. Giving in means certain death or worse. I won''t let him take us. I won''t.


    In quick movements I can hardly track, he backhands Lisa across the face. The crack of flesh against flesh echoes through the night air. She crumples to the ground like a ragdoll, and my heart stops.


    "Lisa!" I scream, struggling against his iron grip. No, no, no! Please be okay. Please.


    The vampire rounds on me, his face contorted with fury. "Now look what you made me do," he snarls, spittle flying from his lips. "I didn''t want to harm my precious kitten, but you just had to be difficult."


    His words send a chill down my spine. Kitten. He called her kitten. Just like he called me.


    I don''t have time to dwell on it because he''s on me in an instant, his hands around my throat, squeezing. I claw at his fingers, gasping for air, but it''s useless. Black spots dance across my vision as he lifts me off the ground with one hand, my feet kicking uselessly in the air.


    "I was going to be gentle," he hisses, his face inches from mine. "But you just had to test my patience."


    He slams me against the side of the house, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs. Pain explodes through my body as he holds me there, pinned like a butterfly in a display case. I can''t breathe. Can''t think. All I can feel is the crushing pressure of his hand around my throat and the cold brick digging into my back.