“I need more.”

With his bloodmate so close, being prevented from touching her, Remi groaned at the effort it took to maintain control.

“I’ll get it!” Paulette said, flashing to the bar.

She brought back all of the unused packs. Sinking his fangs into one of them, Remi focused on penetrating through the shields Sophie had put up to protect herself. After a moment, he felt a release and was able to gain entry.

As he filtered through the memories in Sophie’s mind, the reel of what she’d suffered, bile rose in his throat, threatening to make him vomit the blood he so desperately needed to keep down.

Sophie at first hurling curses at Hans.

Sophie then screaming for him to stop.

Sophie later begging for his mercy.

Sophie lastly kneeling, quiet and broken, at his feet.

Remi’s eyes flashed with fire, at what the man standing with a dagger to her neck had done to her in an attempt to subjugate and destroy the strong woman she had been.

He didn’t win, chér. You’re still here.

You saw it? All of it?

Oui. From start to finish.

I tried to fight. I couldn’t.

There’s no way you could have. You had to stay alive by any means necessary. You did the right thing.

Promise?

I’m gonna kill him. You’re going home with me, not him.

Remi… did you do something? Inside my head?

Non. Why?

I feel lighter, like some of it left me.

It must be because we are one. I felt a shift in my soul, too—a weight was placed on me. Sophie, I’m sharing your burden. You’re not alone in your pain, and you never will be. Work on breaking the link.

I am.

“Are we playing, or what?”

“Oui.” Remi dropped an empty bag onto the floor and grabbed another. “Shuffle up and deal, Paulette.”

“But!”

“Do it!”

“As I said earlier, fifteen million is the blind.”

“Non, Sophie is on the table for Gregor, and I am for me.”

“Remi!” Luc shouted, as Clarence, Jana, and Magno came into the room. Hans lowered his blade. “Clarence! You must do something! This has descended into madness! My brother is going insane with bloodlust, and his mate is being threatened.”

“We agreed to the game, and we will play! I’m going to win every single dime that asshole has. It will be public humiliation. My reckoning on him will be fierce!” Gregor thundered, banging his fist on the table. “The Directive cannot interfere in this!”

“Can’t?” Magno said, his voice a subtle warning. “We will involve ourselves in whatever we wish to.”

“Take Sophie from them! Please!” Remi yelled. “You don’t know what they did to her! I do!”

“You don’t know anything!” Gregor said. “She hasn’t said a word since Hans brought her in, has she?”

“She doesn’t have to speak to him aloud,” Magno rumbled. “True bloodsmates share a deep bond. Some can communicate telepathically when in danger.”

“That’s a lie!” Gregor yelled, grabbing Sophie by the arm, jerking her to him. “What did you tell him? How?”

“I... I—”

“Tell them, Sophie,” Remi said, his voice strained by the unbearable pain he was in. “All of it.”

“It’s obvious that she’s traumatized by something. Considering what Ethan found at your place, I can imagine that she was a witness to many horrors and subjected to them, as well,” Jana said, as she stepped forward, looking at Sophie while she trembled in fear. “You will release her to Remi.”

“I will not!”

He thrust Sophie at Hans, who placed the knife to her throat once more. Quick as lightning, Magno flashed to Gregor and took him by the neck.

“No one defies The Directive!”

Lifting him with one hand, Magno began squeezing, as Gregor’s legs kicked. Jana transformed into her wolf and began stalking towards Hans.

“Drop the weapon and release the girl,” Clarence ordered. “The jig is up, Hans! Everyone at the estate has been taken into custody by The Directive.”

“One more step, and I’ll open her up!”

Hans dug the blade into Sophie’s flesh, and she whimpered, as he jerked her in front of him. Scenting her blood, Remi leaped to his feet, his eyes wildly aflame at the threat to Sophie.

“Let! Her! Go! NOW!” His voice boomed through the area with such intensity that the bottles at the bar burst, showering glass all over the room.

Gregor’s head popped into the air, dissolving into dust before it hit the floor.

Aiming the fire flowing from his eyes with pinpoint accuracy, Remi shot white-hot flames into Hans’ face, singeing some of Sophie’s hair on top of her head that was below Hans’ chin.

As he screamed, he slid the blade across Sophie’s throat, slicing it open. Remi flashed to Sophie, yanking her away from him, as part of Hans’ head turned into ash, floating into the air.

“Remi!” Luc shouted.

A current of blood poured from Sophie’s neck, as Jana’s wolf tackled Hans, tore into his chest with her teeth, and ripped out his gray heart. Then she stood on the body, and it caved in under her weight, bursting into a cloud of dust. Clarence seized Vance, flipping him to face the wall, and secured him in handcuffs.

While all that was happening, Remi went to his knees and took Sophie into his arms.

“Non! Stay with me!” he cried, as red bubbles oozed from her mouth.

She coughed, spewing her life force onto Remi’s face, and raised her shaky hand to his cheek.

“Don’t let me leave you.”

“You’ve lost too much blood, Sophie! I can’t heal you anymore! I’ll have to make you vampire!”

When she nodded her consent, he didn’t hesitate. Pressing his mouth to her throat, he sank his fangs into her flesh and drank the sweetest elixir to ever touch his tongue. Her heartbeat, which had slowed due to blood loss, continued to decrease. Once its cadence was at its lowest level, Remi ripped into his wrist and placed it onto her lips.

“Come on! Drink, chér!”

After a moment, Sophie latched on. With each pull, she took him inside her, and Remi’s blood remade her and began the process of healing the wounds to her psyche as well as her body. As he had told her, the weight of her past was transferring to him so that he would also bear its burden. They would carry it together.

He closed his eyes, knowing with certainty his Thirst was finally over.

“Oui, chér. Keep going. Give me all your pain.”