Chapter 1

I'd never been this cold before. It was a bone-deep chill that ached in a way I couldn't describe. My limbs felt like they'd been cast in lead. I couldn't lift anything, not even a finger. The frigid December wind whipped around me, but even that felt warm compared to the chill that had settled all the way in my marrow. Even with Tor's body heat as he held me against him, I wasn't able to combat the cold.

Distantly, I knew it was due to the blood loss and that I was dangerously close to bleeding out. All of that seemed secondary to the giant fucking dragon arcing through the star-speckled sky.

"Eyes on me, beauty. Don't you dare close them," Tor said, his voice tight and frantic. "Caspian, get something to stop the bleeding."

"What do you suggest I use? I don't exactly have a medical kit in my frock coat."

"Your shirt has more fucking ruffles than a pair of pantaloons," Hades grumbled. "Useless idiot."

I heard rustling before the scent of my shadow daddy enveloped me. He'd draped his suit jacket over my chest, and the warmth of his body lingered in the fibers of the fabric. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and drawing his scent into my lungs. It didn't do much for the chill, but it was comforting in the way of chicken soup or a stuffed animal.

A strange ripping sound came from behind me before a shirtless Caspian appeared in my periphery, strips of his ruffly pirate shirt held in his hands. He made a valiant effort to make tourniquets, but I knew these wounds were too long and deep. Nothing would stop the bleeding except for stitches or maybe one of those magic healers. Alas, I didn't think anyone was carrying one around in their pocket.

A husky chuckle escaped at the absurdity of my thoughts. It hurt to laugh, though, and the sound immediately became a wince.

"Quiet now, baby doll. You need to save your strength." God, even Hades sounded worried. It really was serious.

"You're not the boss of me," I forced out.

His face came into view, brows drawn, mouth a tight line, eyes burning blue and intense. "Yes I fucking am. Now be a good girl and stop wasting your breaths. I won't lose you again."

"Asshole would never speak to me that way," I grumbled, feeling equal parts bullied and loved. If I wasn't about to pass out from the blood loss, I probably would have swooned like one of those fancy Victorian ladies in a Kerrigan Byrne novel. I wondered if the guys would think it was sexy if I flashed them some ankle. Technically, I was flashing them everything up to mid-thigh, so probably not.

"Dahlia, I swear to?—"

I clumsily lifted my arm—which was fucking hard—and slapped my fingers down on his kissable mouth. "Shadows can't talk. Didn't you?—"

Annnd his lips weren't under my fingers anymore. They were on mine. I wished I could feel them better. In fact, I wished I was fully in Tor's arms and not still on this disgusting altar.

"Save the sass for when I can properly deal with you, baby," he murmured against my lips. Then he straightened to his full height and looked off into the distance.

My gaze followed his. The dragon made a shadow in the light of the moon, cutting a breathtaking picture. As we watched, a column of flames rushed from Kai, lighting up the night and promising death to his target.

"Fucking hell, that's marvelous," Cas said under his breath, awestruck. "Guess that's the Ripper managed, then."

"Cas, go as fast as you can and get the healer. She will have something to put our girl back together. Meet us in Dahlia's room," Tor commanded, sliding an arm beneath my legs as he scooped me up.

"Wait," I protested weakly. "We can't leave Kai."

"The dragon will manage just fine," Tor said, already moving toward the castle. I think he'd have run if he wasn't worried about jostling me.

"It's what he'd want, baby doll," Hades said, keeping pace with my Viking. "Let us take care of you."

My eyes grew heavier with every step Tor took, the swaying too soothing to fight off the urge to slip into unconsciousness's comforting embrace.

"Eyes open," Hades snapped.

It took every bit of energy I had to obey. I knew they were worried. Hell, so was I. But my body and my will were not equal partners right now.

"We're losing her," Tor said, his voice sounding like it was coming from the other end of a tunnel.

"Dahlia? Dahlia, stay with us."

Hades's frantic pleas weren't enough to keep me conscious this time. Even with my eyes open, my vision faded until darkness overtook me.

When I blinked my eyes open again, I found Tor's stubbled jaw tense with worry above me.

"Hey," I breathed.

"She's back," he announced, his pace quickening as he took the stairs two at a time.

"Don't do that to us, baby doll. My rapidly unraveling control can only take so much."

"Your control," Tor muttered.

I'd have laughed if I could.

Hades trailed his fingers over my arm, or maybe his shadows did. I couldn't tell because, unfortunately, I was about to go under again.

"She's lost too much blood," I heard Tor say as my vision went dark again. "She won't last long."

"She fucking better." Hades's voice whispered through my mind even as I drifted away. "Listen to me, Persephone. I will be furious with you if you make me chase you back to the underworld. I will dredge the River Styx until I find your soul, and I won't rest until you're back by my side. You. Are. Mine. Do you understand me? Not even Death can have you."

I would have sworn his words were accompanied by a peal of female laughter, but there was no way to know for sure.

The next time I opened my eyes, we were standing in the hallway outside my room.

"Goddess, she's so pale. She looks like a ghost," Cas said from my side. I wanted so badly to turn and tell him I'd be okay, but it was too hard.

"Where's the healer?" Tor bit out.

"I'm the best kind of healer there is, Mr. Nordson. Now put her on the bed so I can help your mate." Oh my God, was that the hot Irish priest? What was he doing here?

Somehow we made it into my room. My eyes couldn't track anything anymore. I had to close them because the movement made me dizzy. Tor laid me on my bed, his barely contained growls somehow comforting.

"Oh, my sheets," I protested faintly.

"Fuck the sheets," Hades barked. "Fix her."

"I don't take orders from you," hot Irish priest said, cool as you please. If I survived the night, I definitely had to give Sunday a high five. That man's voice was sinful.

"You're certain you're okay with this, a stor? A mated vampire sharing blood with another is..."

"Caleb, you can save her. You were right to offer. Do it." That Sunday, she was a fucking star. I'd have to put her at the top of my acknowledgments in my next book.

Everything felt as though it was happening to someone else. Sort of like I was experiencing it secondhand or watching it play out on the TV. I was there, but my brain was so fuzzy I didn't feel like I was all that present. Was this what an out-of-body experience was?

I opened my eyes and saw the most beautiful pair of sapphire-blue irises looking back at me. Oh, I definitely understood the appeal of Father Gallagher.

"He's spoken for, darling. Settle down," Cas warned.

"And so are you," Tor added.

Oops. I guess I said that out loud.

I tried to wave a hand but ended up hitting myself in the face instead. "Just shopping for windows."

"Was that supposed to make sense?" Cas asked.

Sunday snickered. "She meant to say window shopping. And feel free to look all you want, sweetie. He's a work of art, definitely worth appreciating."

Before I knew it, Caleb put his wrist to his lips and was bringing the bleeding wound toward my mouth. My stomach rolled, and fear brought clarity to my addled brain. I turned away, but Hades stopped me with a gentle but firm hand.

"No... don't want to be a vampire."

Caleb's gaze was warm and kind. "You won't, lamb. It takes a great deal more than what I'm giving you to turn a supernatural creature into one of my kind."

"I'm a human," I slurred.

"No, baby doll. You're not." Hades held my head in place so Caleb could fit his wrist to my mouth. "Now drink. Take what he's offering, please, darlin'. For me."

"For all of us," Tor said.

My nose crinkled in disgust, or I thought it did. It was hard to know what the rest of my body was doing at the moment. But instead of repulsive, the first drop of the warm liquid against my tongue was surprisingly nice. Not chocolate brownie sundae nice, but not too far off from a semi-sweet red wine. That knowledge helped me relax enough to take what he was offering. It also didn't hurt that I immediately felt relief. Say what you will about vampires, but their blood was the best kind of morphine. I could see why people became addicted.

Caleb pulled his arm back, and I instinctively leaned forward, searching for more of the delicious, life-giving blood he'd offered me. "That's enough, Miss Moore. You'll drain me dry if I let you keep at it. Then my Sunday won't be so understanding."

"Been there, done that," Sunday muttered. "Zero out of ten, do not recommend."

Hades repositioned me against his chest, and I let my gaze drift over my bloodied arms. The wounds were knitting together as I watched, nothing left to indicate I'd been harmed save the dried blood coating my skin. Fuck, I felt better than I had in a long time.

"I'm not going to sparkle, right?"

"No more than you already do." Cas winked and gave me a roguish smirk for good measure.

Caleb sat back, sweat beading across his forehead, skin paler than when I'd first seen him. "Did Kingston tell you to say that? That fecking arsehole of a wolf is asking for it."

I didn't know what that meant, but I giggled anyway. Honestly, I felt so rejuvenated I thought I could do anything right now.

"No wonder you guys stay hidden," I mused.

"What's that?" Caleb asked.

"If humans found out what your blood can do, they'd capture you all and build a pharmaceutical empire out of the stuff."

"Stupider mortals have tried."

A little shiver raced down my spine, and I was instantly thankful that Caleb was on our side. He was a little scary when he wasn't saving my life and Irishing all over the place.

Sunday settled a palm on his shoulder and smiled at me. "Let's get back to our room, Father Gallagher. I need to replenish your supply."

Caleb cut her a hard glare, but there was a hint of a smile playing about his mouth as he did. "How many times do I have to tell you all I'm not a priest any longer?"

"At least one more, Father."

There was something about the way she looked at him that told me when she said ‘Father' what she really meant was ‘Daddy.' Amen, sister.

Sunday took his hand and tugged until he stood, his tall frame now towering over her. "Now let's go and leave our new friends to recuperate in privacy."

"Thank you, truly. I won't forget what you've done for my mate," Tor said, holding out a hand for the hot former priest to shake. Caleb nodded and returned the gesture.

"You'd do the same for mine, lad. In fact, I'm certain you have already."

"She's family," Tor said, as if it was that simple. I guess for him, it was.

With that, the two left, and I finally let the gravity of the night's events sink in. "Where's Kai?"

Cas glided across the room, his movements as graceful as any dancer I'd ever seen. When he reached the window, he used two fingers to pull the heavy drape away from the glass and peer out into the night. "Sky's clear. He must have landed."

"We have to find him. We have to make sure he?—"

Before I could finish my sentence, the door burst open and revealed Kai. Naked, sweaty, and streaked with dirt and scrapes.

He heaved for breath, his eyes wild and still glowing with power.

"His dragon tattoo is gone," Cas breathed.

I didn't have time to process that, though, because my dragon mate stumbled forward, one word on his lips as his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed.

"Dahlia."