Chapter 40 Forty

• ANTON
• I carry Eveline inside the cabin, and the bruises covering her body make my jaw clench. Purple marks bloom across her ribs, her arms, the side of her neck where Xavier caught her too hard during combat training. Each one is a reminder of how brutal I've been.
• I didn't mean to hurt her like this. But the training is necessary—essential—if she's going to survive what's coming. I can't risk another vampire attack. Can't risk finding her with fangs buried in her throat, her blood soaking the ground, her heartbeat fading while I'm too far away to save her.