Chapter 47

But he couldn’t for long. The blood called out to other, more primal instincts. A long growl escaped his throat, and then the bear was forcing itself forward. The knife hit the floor as his hands changed to paws. He growled again, this time in agony, as the change overtook him. He could almost always keep the beast under control, but these little rituals dropped his guard, abolished his self-control.

The blood on his tongue drove him to new frenzies, and soon, the only sounds in the room were his hungry growls and her body rattling on the chains. 11

Sneaking out of the penthouse under a vampire’s nose was infinitely easier when the vampire was nowhere to be seen. Jesse noticed Gideon’s shoes and jacket were near the door, so he was fairly certain Gideon had returned home, but he hadn’t come to bed. And he wasn’t in the guest bedroom. Jesse assumed he was in the dungeon, but he didn’t want to risk looking and waking him up.