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“Holy shit. A false wall, and I didn’t sense it. I must be losing my touch.” Thana whipped her head around, trying to see if there were more.

“Nah, I only saw it when I went to the bathroom and realized the layout from the hallways didn’t match up quite right. It was a lucky guess. I’ll go through the new door I made and circle back. That should give you two plenty of time to compose yourselves. If you want to kiss his weewee, or whatever, hurry and get to getting. I ain’t got time to babysit your lovesick asses.”

Her brother ran through the hole in the wall before she could lob the closest thing at his head.

“I think we can wait until we’re out of this filth before you and I act on our needs.” Severin closed his eyes.

Thana knew her male was sending out his aura, looking for beings who wished to harm them—time ticked by as they both waited and searched through aural projection. Her brother crashed through the closed door on the opposite side of the space, looking pleased.

“They really were running a crew of three tonight. Thana, you’ve been here for longer than a few hours. Had there been any others here other than the two women before that fucker showed up?” Thane nodded toward the pile of ash.

“I was brought here by two men who left after they strapped me to the bed. I heard them leave and then Gideon came. There was nobody else until the two of you.” Thana knew humans walked above, but none had been anywhere near her.

“Good. Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Severin pulled her up in a gust of wind, moved up a level, and incinerated the one below with heat so intense it turned to igneous rock. One would think he was a fucking dragon, not a vampire.

“You know being in my life isn’t for the weak. I’ll have you wanting to kiss me and run me over in the same breath,” Thana murmured against his lips when they broke through to the main level of the cavern.

“I once had a therapist ask me what I say in a situation that made me anxious. When I told her I didn’t feel that emotion, she honestly didn’t believe me.”

“So what did you do to convince her?” Thana asked him, ignoring the stares of the humans who tried and failed to get his attention.

“Why are you not asking me why I went to a therapist?”

She shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“What?”

Thana licked his lips, loving the sweet taste of his mint and maleness. “You were obviously going to get your head straight. Did she fix you?”

He chuckled. “Hell no. I don’t think you can fix me, mo ghaol. What are you trying to do to me?”

“If you have to ask, I must not be doing it right.” She blinked, trying to look innocent. “I went to a shrink once. When he asked me why I was there, I told him it was to figure out why I was always fucked in the head. I asked if he could help me.”

“And what did he say?”

Severin narrowed his gaze as if he were truly interested. Thana bit her bottom lip.

“I asked him if it was normal to hit the clubs with the sole intention to get rowdy. He kept muttering Jesus Christ. I told him that Jesus wasn’t real. I think he quit working shortly thereafter.” Thana put her hand in Severin’s, loving the sparks that shot through her with that simple touch.

“I’m heading back to the club. You two good?” Thane asked, looking at the humans, then at her and Severin.

She let go of Severin and stepped into her twin’s arms. “Thank you for coming to look for me. I knew I could count on you and Sev to rescue me, even though I wasn’t actually in real danger.”

“Well, next time, maybe give one of us a little heads up before you decide to let yourself get caught by fucktwats. Rage Man there might decide to destroy the entire East Coast before rationality hits him or, you know, he hollers at me for help.” Thane pushes her back a little so she can see his sincerity.

“Oh, yes. You are certainly the most rational male on the planet. You’re both lucky I love you. Go, and tell Savage I’ll check in with him later.” She kissed her brother’s cheek.

Thane held her hand against his chest. “You no longer answer to Savage, Thana. You have a mate now. You know the rules of our kind. You and Severin are bonded mates. One cannot survive without the other. Where he goes, you go. I don’t think he and Scepter can coexist under the same roof for long periods, nor do I think they want to.”

“We can decide what happens and where we end up later. Nothing is being decided tonight. Besides, we have information that both our Family and Clan need to come together to defeat them. This Society won’t stop because we’ve taken out two sites.” She hugged Thane hard one last time, then moved closer to Severin.

“See you soon, beag deirfiúr,” Thane whispered.

“I fucking love the way you own the space you enter. Always remember nobody can steal your thunder when you’re the fucking storm, baby girl. Never bow your head or kneel for anyone, except me when we’re playing. Hold your head up and remember you’re the queen.” Severin brushed his thumb along her jaw, angling her face up to his.

Severin would never forget the light flashing in Thana’s eyes as he swept her into his arms. They both became air, floating up into the night sky heading toward the cave he’d made his temporary home.

He loved how Thana flowed next to him. Even in wind form, her steady presence comforted his beast.