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“You should’ve fuckin’ told me it was that bastard who did that to her. That it was Drake after her.” Jasper’s voice erupted in the silence. I jerked but his abrupt words weren’t directed at me; they were at Waleron. “Jesus.” He turned and strode away and I watched him, the muscles in his back tight and his hand running through his hair as he stalked to the car then slammed his fist down on the roof. The sound echoed and I knew there had to be one hell of a dent.

When he turned around and started walking back, his eyes never left mine as the fear slid over my skin in a suffocating black tar. My fear was not of Jasper; it was what I knew had to have happened. This was worse. Way worse. There was only one possibility as to how Drake was strong enough to Trace without a Healer.

Jasper reached me and without hesitating, he wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me into him while his other hand cupped my chin. “I can protect you.” I tried to shake my head, but his hand prevented me. “I’m good at what I do.”

“You’re a killer. That is what you do.” I said it gently and I hadn’t meant it to be mean, just that it was the truth. Jasper was a killer. He was good at that. He was the hunter, not the hunted and at the moment, we were the hunted by an ancient Scar that could Trace and now . . . now he was stronger than ever. Because Drake was now vampire.

Jasper’s jaw clenched and his lips pursed together. Then his gaze drifted to Waleron as he said, “Yeah, well someone has to do what needs to be done.” I thought I saw Waleron give a microscopic nod, but I couldn’t be sure and his expression never changed.

“He’s vampire,” Waleron said as if reading my thoughts. “It’s the only way he could be strong again without a Healer.”

Xamien swore under his breath. There was no other possibility, except that Drake had gone hybrid. “Balen has a strong ability to Track vampires. We can call him.”

Balen was a Scar Tracker who was with a Talde in Toronto. He had once drunk vampire blood in exchange for saving a woman’s life. He’d nearly Transitioned into a vampire, but fought the hunger of the blood thirst and defeated it.

But it wouldn’t matter if they found Drake. If he’d Transitioned, then he was more than likely stronger than ever and would stop at nothing to find me. But why would he want me now if he didn’t need me to heal his lungs?

My legs gave out when I realized why. Jasper held me tight against him, his breath up against my neck.

Drake knew. He knew I could heal his Ink. That was why he was searching for me. It was the only possibility. The timing was right. Six months ago, I’d communicated with Waleron’s Ink. Six months ago, Drake supposedly started asking questions about a girl with scars.

“What is it?”Jasper whispered in my mind.

I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t tell anyone. If they knew I was capable of healing Drake’s Ink, Waleron would kill me and then Xamien would retaliate. But healing Drake’s Ink would make him almost undefeatable. A hybrid with an Ink so deadly the Goddess had to kill it . . .

Then it hit me. Drake wanted to change me into a vampire. I’d be a slave to him—he’d be my master. I’d have no choice but to do what he wanted and I’d be forced to heal his Ink. But I had one small advantage. If Drake got to me, I had to willingly drink his blood in order to Transition.

But no matter what, if Waleron knew, he’d never allow me to live and risk the lives of the Scars.

I looked over at Xamien who was scowling at Jasper. I loved Xamien; he was the closest I had to family and just like my mother and Talde had tried to protect me, so would Xamien. He’d even go against Waleron.

“I’ll stay with her,” Xamien said. “If he’s a vampire, then I’m better protecting her than Jasper.”

Jasper’s arms tensed around me and for a minute, I thought he was going to argue, but he didn’t and I hated that I felt disappointed. Then I was mad that I did.

“Xamien,” Waleron said in a calm, steady voice. “I need you with me. We have a better chance finding him being able to Trace. You and I are the only Scars left with the ability besides Drake.” He nodded to Jasper. “Two weeks. Take her.”

Jasper hesitated and then nodded and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the car. “Jasper wait.” He kept tugging me behind him and I looked back at Xamien who was now head to head with Waleron and the tension was palpable.

“No way am I letting Xamien have you.” Jasper’s voice was abrupt and I was startled at his choice of words. What he didn’t realize was that I hadn’t been about to say that. I’d wanted to say goodbye to Xamien. “I want my payment and I won’t get it if you land in that asshole’s hands.” He ground out the words as though he was angry at them.

I stopped as fury boiled over in my chest. “I’m already in an asshole’s hands,” I shot back.

“Very funny, princess.”

“So, now I’m a princess?”

“Yeah, you’re a fuckin’ princess. And right now, you’re my princess.” He pushed down on my head. “Get in the car.”

I did and he slammed the door.

“Max . . . or do you want me to call you Breanna now?”Xamien’s comforting voice entered my head.

“Max, sir,”I replied. That was who I was now. For six years, I was no one, something used, an object, and when I became Max, I was a person again. Xamien didn’t use me or hurt me. He just loved me for the broken girl I’d become.

I was stronger than Breanna. I fought to bury the fear Drake had instilled in me and even though it lived there still, it didn’t own me like it used to. And now Jasper . . . I looked over at him as he folded into the car. Jasper unearthed the fear and made me want to fight for the girl I was now.

“We’ll find him,”Xamien said. “You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

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