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    Chapter 0706


    When I looked down at my hands, there were two burnt marks along my palms.


    Luke cursed under his breath, raking a hand through his blond hair in frustration. "Nina," he pleaded, "I took a vow to protect you when we first met. I''ve never broken that vow."


    "Luke-"


    "No. Listen to me, Nina." His soft eyes met mine, but they shed with something intense, something primal." You have to let me do this. I''ve had my time on this, and... hell, Nina, I''d be here long after you''re gone, long after all of you are gone. Do you know how lonely that kind of existence is?"


    As Luke spoke, his eyes began to redden, and tears slipped down his cheeks; a beautiful, painful part of his human disguise. Crying was something that he hadn''t been able to do for hundreds of years.


    "At least let me go out now, doing something brave," he murmured. "Let me fulfill my vow."


    There was a long silence after Luke finished. I couldn''t believe what he was saying, didn''t want to believe it.


    But maybe he and Enzo were right; maybe we had no other choice.


    Enzo turned me gently so I faced him. His dark brown eyes pierced mine intently, bright like pools of honey against the ashen cast of his face.


    "If Luke fights in your ce, then you might still have a chance to get away," Enzo said. "Even if M doesn''t take our plea deal, then maybe you can slip away while she''s distracted during the fight. Save yourself and our child."


    His voice cracked on thest word.


    My heart shattered at the resignation on my husband''s face. Enzo had already epted our friend''s probable death in all this, if it meant our baby would get even the smallest chance at life. I couldn''t me him, but...


    It still burned.


    I buried my face against his chest, struggling not to cry. His hand gently stroked my hair. Luke watched us silently from his cell.


    "Isn''t there any other way?" I whispered.


    Neither of them answered me. And that was confirmation enough-there were no other options left. No more moves to make that wouldn''t end in sacrifice and heartbreak for someone I loved.


    In the morning, I awoke curled up against Enzo''s chest, hisbored breathing stirring my hair. The silver exposure was taking an immense toll on both of us; we didn''t have long before our wolves would be too weakened to emerge at all, sealing our fates.


    Suddenly, we heard the tramp of metal boots and jangling keys signaling the guards'' arrival. Without a word, they marched into our cell and hauled Enzo and I away to face M''s judgment, leaving Luke behind in his cell.


    Neither of us struggled anymore. What was the point?


    A few minutester, we were being shoved into M''s private chambers; she was lounging casually on top of a bed with red silk sheets, her nude body barely covered by the dark green robe she wore. The guards shoved us to our knees as M slowly rose, seeming to float across the floor to us.


    "Well? Have you decided to face righteous tradition... or a cowardly death?" she murmured.


    I lifted my chin. "I will not fight."


    Rage shed across M''s wless features before sheposed herself. "No?" she purred softly. Too softly." Then you leave me no choice."


    She casually flicked her fingers. Two guards grabbed Enzo and forced him to his feet in front of me. He struggled


    weakly, the silver having drained most of his supernatural strength. The pure exhaustion he felt was evident in his


    eyes.


    Then, another guard appeared, his silver dagger glinting in the flickering firelight, and pressed the razor-sharp de to Enzo''s vulnerable throat.


    A trickle of red slid down his skin.