Lucas saw the door to Zoe's room was open and slowed his steps. Had she left? Would she run to avoid revealing her truth to the pack?

For some reason the air was cold the closer he got. He could see his breath, and this confused him further.

When he finally arrived at the doorway where he could peer in, he saw a dark slender figure gripping Zoe by the throat. He snarled and lunged toward the figure, but then he was slammed against the wall by a force he couldn't identify.

"Zagan, no,

" Zoe cried, resisting against the creature's grip on her.

"You assign value to this animal?

" the chilling voice released her and stalked closer to where Lucas turned over onto his side, waiting for his vision to stop spinning.

"No, of course not,

" Zoe insisted, the desperation clear in her voice though she was trying to hide it. She knew he wouldn't spare Lucas if he thought there were feelings between them.

Zagan's lips curled again at her attempted lie. How cute. He squatted over the lycan male and tilted his head in curiosity. This one didn't seem special. He extended one finger toward Lucas' forehead intent on looking deeper into the mental recesses of his mind, but when his finger was almost against the skin, he found resistance. It was as if an invisible barrier was in his way.

"Zoe, you impress me,

" he chuckled, glancing back at her. She was concentrating hard on them, perspiration pebbling her forehead and above her top lip, which was quivering.

"You never showed power like his before. Perhaps you had nothing to care about at the time.

"

"Leave him alone,

" she said with a tremulous voice.

"If you don't, I'll jump out that window and take one more alyko from you.

"

"Threats now?

" he chuckled further, piercing through the barrier she had put up between him and the lycan and digging into Lucas' temple with the claw of his thumb.

Lucas groaned and then started roaring in pain to the intrusion of this creature into his mind. Memories, thoughts, feelings, all unspoken and all personal began flipping behind his eyes as if they were being transferred—downloaded like a file from a computer, except this was excruciating.

"Stop fighting, mongrel,

" the creature said, and Lucas gritted his teeth, digging deep to try to stop whatever was happening. He would fight. That's all he knew how to do. It was what he was good at.

"Leave Zoe alone,

" he managed to say, and a choked cry came from the girl watching.

"Don't worry about her. She is mine. She has always been mine. I loaned her to Andreas who obviously didn't know how precious a gift she was,

" he said calmly as he continued to read into the recesses of Lucas' mind.

He was only entertaining a conversation with this lowly mutt in order to distract him so he could harvest more information from his thoughts and memories.

"And you couldn't appreciate or protect a gift like that either, could you? You didn't protect Cora. Your personal gift from the Moon Goddess herself,

" he smirked, feeling how deep his words sunk and the pain that bloomed large as a result. This lycan was soft. He would be easy to break.

But behind him, Zoe screamed with rage that broke free from its restraints, and Zagan suddenly flew back away from the male lycan on the ground of the hallway. He was back in Zoe's room, eyes wide at the surge of power he felt holding him down. As Lucas slowly recovered and attempted to get to his feet, the door slammed shut, separating the two from each other.

"Zoe!

" Lucas rose, weak but standing and pounded on the door, trying the handle to get it open.

Zoe couldn't respond. Her chest was heaving with the effort of keeping the door shut and the vampire on the ground.

"Let me up,

" Zagan growled.

"Then leave him alone,

" she said through gritted teeth.

"You are a prize,

" he chuckled, attempting to resist against the force she had on him, but it was shockingly difficult. He hadn't fed enough before his trip here, clearly. He was too weak to fight against Zosime.

"Let me feed from you, and I will leave him be,

" he relented.

"No, Zoe! Don't do it!

" Lucas roared now from the other side of the door, continuing to pound on it before backing away and throwing himself against it.

She felt his body hit the door like it was hitting something within her, and she flinched. She had never used this ability before. If she couldn't keep this strength up, Lucas was going to break the door down and fall right back into Zagan's grip.

"Yes, yes. I'll do it,

" she said quickly, letting Zagan up while continuing to focus on keeping the door shut and Lucas out.

Zagan stood from the cold floor, brushing the hair away that had fallen across his face. It had been a long time since he faced a true competitor like this feisty little alyko, and it was one of his own that he had created long ago. Pride swelled in his chest as he sauntered toward her.

"Swear to it,

" she said through gritted teeth as she watched him approach.

He raised his elegant hands in surrender.

"You know me,

" his lips curled into a grin.

"I cannot go back on a swear. I swear to leave him alone, dear one. Now let me taste you.

"

He extended a hand, waiting for her to offer herself. She watched him warily, further floods of memories sweeping back across her thoughts. There was more to him that she had not yet remembered until seeing his face and being in his chilling presence.

"Zoe, don't do it! Not for me!

" Lucas yelled, causing her to wince with the pounding against the door that she could feel as if it was against her chest. She was weakening, and she didn't know how much longer she could hold that door closed.

She gave Zagan her hand, and he raised his eyes with disappointment.

"Only a wrist? I guess I will make do with it,

" he said grudgingly before lowering his mouth over her and piercing her delicate skin with his fangs.

They were so sharp, she almost didn't even feel it.. But she felt him drawing that life source from her, and before too long, the room staring swimming before going completely black.