The sight of Ever Nights was dazzling with its soft outside lighting and neon OPEN sign.

Donovan pulled up to the front entrance. When she stepped onto the sidewalk something in her relaxed, a tightness unfurrowing. Like Ever Nights had become her sanctuary.

Only it wasn’t.

She had to reign in those thoughts. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Whoever had said that had to have either been very insightful or had experienced some pretty shitty days. Her worst would be if Cortez treated her as if she were just another person, no different than any other in this club. A short term visitor that didn’t really belong. No. That wouldn’t be the worst. The worst would be if he treated her as a nuisance.

She lifted her chin. She was here for Cole. She’d support him despite how she felt about Cortez. Or how he felt about her.

There was a bouncer tonight. Dane. He silently opened the door for her. She thanked him though his expression was hard, dangerous, with an edge of disdain. She supposed they all hated her now.

Inside was business as usual, music tapering from several doorways connected to the lobby and hallway.

Kenzi was there, chatting with the desk clerk, a woman Naia had never seen before. When Kenzi’s gaze casually slipped her way, she straightened in surprise, then rushed toward her. “Naia. My god. I heard about what happened.” Kenzi threw her arms around Naia, her forward momentum knocking them both off balance. When they recovered, Kenzi set her at arm’s length. “Are you okay, honey? I’m going to take you for a spa day. No arguments.” As if just processing Naia’s appearance, she blurted, “Although you look fabulous. Lady killers around the world, eat your hearts out.”

Naia smiled weakly. “Thanks, Kenzi.”

“You’re here for Cole, aren’t you?” She scanned Naia once more and gave her a conspiratorial smile. “And apparently to flaunt what the good lord gave you.”

She fought a full body flush. “It’s too much, isn’t it?”

“Never. Right this way, mon ami.” Looping their arms together, Kenzi dragged her through the club, into a room that was lit by brilliant, golden hews. Like the sun itself had taken a minute to stop in for a nightcap.

Kenzi pointed. “Just head in that direction. And just between us, it wouldn’t hurt to flip your hair as you go.”

“Huh?”

Kenzi just winked and waved goodbye, returning to the lobby. Naia looked in the direction she had pointed. All she saw was clubbers laughing, dancing, and drinking, but then suddenly the crowd parted, and she spied Cortez on the opposite side of the room with his back toward her. He was speaking with Ryder. Even from behind, she was stunned by how gorgeous he was. More so than she remembered, if that was even possible. Damn him.

His arms were folded across his front, over a solid chest she remembered tracing with her fingers. Her tongue. The grey suit he wore amplified the powerful breadth of his shoulders. From what she could see of his profile, there was more stubble there than he’d ever permitted before. And he still looked sexy as hell.

He was a colossal dream. Her very own fairytale prince.

Don’t be stupid. Fairytales only exist in books.

Attempting to fix things between them would be like crossing the ocean in a canoe, surrounded by sharks. She’d only get hurt in the end.

After taking in a fortifying breath, she swallowed, lifted her chin, and then made her way toward him. A song with a hard beat started up as she crossed the dance floor, raising the energy of the room. A couple guys tried to engage her in dance, but she ignored them, her eyes fixed on her target.

Ryder spotted her first. He blinked, taking her in from top to bottom and then mouthed something that resembled, “oh shit.”

Cortez curiously swung around. His arms dropped to his sides as whiskey eyes scanned her slowly up, then down, then back again. Adrenaline whipped through her bloodstream. Was that a shadow of desire stalking behind his eyes?

A second later she wondered if she’d imagined it. As soon as she reached him, he was back to that chilled version of himself that she hated. It was the face of rejection.

Ryder was still gaping, however, so she figured she had to look pretty amazing.

“Hi,” she said, for lack of a better greeting.

“Naia,” Cortez replied coolly with a slight incline of his head.

Formal reception? Fine. Whatever.

“I’m eager to see my brother,” she said, just as stiff.

“Of course. Follow me.” He started back through the crowd.

Dejected by their hollow interaction, Naia started to trail after him, but before she did, she caught a furtive thumbs up from Ryder. She cocked an eyebrow at him, but he’d already spun away, heading in the opposite direction.

Her heels clacked almost silently under the layer of loud music as she scurried to catch up to Cortez’s long strides. He led her back out into the lobby—Kenzi was still there, with a surreptitious smirk as they passed—then through the hallway where their disastrous meeting had changed everything, and finally through another corridor she had never seen before till they reached an elevator that only seemed to go down.

To the basement? She shivered.

Cortez noticed. “Are you cold?”

“No, just...no, I’m fine.”

He eyed her for a moment longer as though intensely wanting to question her. Not being able to read someone’s mind would do that to a guy, but he appeared to conquer his curiosity and didn’t push.

He retrieved a key from his pocket and inserted it into a keyhole in the elevator’s panel before pressing a sequence of buttons. The doors slid closed, and the compartment began its descent. The silence between them was stuffed with everything they refused to say. Naia fidgeted with her hair. The ends were still a little damp. She glanced up at Cortez. He was facing forward. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, coming up empty.

“Don’t be alarmed when you see your brother,” he broke the silence. “It is imperative that he remain contained for the time being.”

That sounded cryptic. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors parted to reveal a large, dim room walled by stone. It took her a moment to realize she was surrounded by several barred cells, like a prison from the wild west.

Cautiously, she stepped out of the elevator. Movement drew her attention to where Cole lay on a cot with his hands tucked behind his head.

Realizing he had visitors, he sat up and then zipped toward the front of his...cage. His speed was unnatural. Inhuman.

He wrapped his fingers around the bars. “Naia?”

“Oh, Cole.” She lurched forward, needing to hug those big shoulders and verify he was real, but Cortez locked one arm around her and snatched her back by the waist. The contact was a shock to her system, and suddenly she was caught between a set of conflicting desires: sink against his brawny chest like an addict getting a fix, or start throwing elbows to get to Cole.

“Let me go!”

“I can’t do that,” he informed her, his tone a low rumble that reverberated through her body. “You can’t get within his reach. He’s too young. He’d sink his teeth into you and not even realize what he was doing. He’s here for his own protection as well as others until he learns to control the hunger.”

She noticed Cole’s fangs then, bright and gleaming. A kind of garbled, horrified sob slipped out.

Cole turned sheepish. “I really fucked up this time, didn’t I sis?”

Her eyes burned as her heart shattered a thousand different ways. “No, Cole. This is my fault. I’m the one that fucked up. I should never have accepted Dante’s offer. I knew it was wrong. We should have left town when you wanted to. If we had, none of this would have happened.”

Cortez stiffened, still holding her as though fearing any second she’d leap at Cole to embrace him through the bars in a big sister thank-god-you’re-alive hug. He was right to restrain her.

“Dante would never have let us go,” Cole replied. “His plans started the moment he met you.”

Because he knew Cortez would find the woman whose mind he couldn’t read irresistible. “So you see? It is my fault.”

“Don’t,” Cole hissed. “Don’t blame yourself for this. If anything, blame him.” Cole jerked a narrowed gaze at Cortez. “He’s the one who created that monster.”

She expected Cortez to sling something back at Cole, but he remained silent. Did he blame himself too? Were they all taking on that weight?

Suddenly Cole’s breath changed. His hands tightened around the bars. He shook his head as if trying to clear it, then growled—literally growled—like an animal. “Take her away.” His voice had roughened in a way she’d never heard before. “She smells too good.” Another hard shake of his head. “I can’t.... It’s....”

She gasped at his pained expression, her throat thickening. My being here is hurting him. Trying to conceal her injured tone, she asked, “Do you...Do you want me to stay away?”

“No,” he rushed out, suddenly panicked. “Please. Visit me tomorrow. After I’ve fed.” He sneered the last.

Cortez dragged her back into the elevator. Just before the sliding doors stole him from her sight, she choked out, “I’m so sorry, Cole.”