The men hovered around Dominic, ensuring Raelyn didn't get too close and pull the daggers from his back. They glanced at Dominic and hovered closer and closer to Raelyn, excited by the energy that pulsed off her—the soothing sweetness.

She shuffled back toward the stack of drywall behind her, but couldn't fully flee, not in her current state. One of them reached down and caressed her cheek, making her lash out with her leg. One of the caught it and dragged her toward them. She slammed her hands down and howled as pain shot down her left arm.

They glanced back at Dominic. "What will he do if we take a bite of his treat?"

Another shrugged and glanced back at Raelyn. "Nothing now. Boss never said we had to let him go. I figure another few hours." He pulled her close until she lay under him. He placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned down. "You smell delightful."

A shout echoed behind him, and he turned to see his partners scattering and a dog—panting with exhaustion—lunging at them. The Great Dane grabbed a knife from Dominic's back and yanked it out. It came out unevenly, but with the knife in his spine removed, he was able to pull the other two. He stalked over to the man hovering over Raelyn and yanked him up, twisting him away from Raelyn. He turned his back to her, ensuring she wouldn't see his hand guiding the knife to slice his throat. The man dropped and Dane snarled at the three others who had assembled across from them.

Raelyn pushed herself up to her knees, trying to stand and help, but swaying with exhaustion.

"Dane, protect." Dane ran over to Raelyn and stood beside her, shielding her behind his body. She blinked slowly before collapsing to the side. Dane managed to lay down and curl around her, catching her prone body before she hit the ground. He lay his head on her lap like a seatbelt. He growled, eyeing the enemies and baring his teeth.

Dominic turned back to the three assailants, wincing as his flesh knit itself back together. The skin behind his ear burned. He reached back and sighed. Sure enough, the bonded mark was beginning to etch itself. He could do nothing to stop it now.

He flipped a dagger in his hand and lashed out, slicing through one of their forearms. He shouted, but the wound was already beginning to heal. Dominic whirled around and plunged a dagger into one of their spines, sending him to the ground. He pulled another dagger and clashed with the largest. Slipping under his arm, Dominic slicing through the tendons connecting his arm to shoulder. While he was distracted, he slid the knife through his neck, glad Raelyn was unconscious for this. It was easier to fight without trying to shield her from the gore.

The last man charged, but Dominic sidestepped at the last second. The man stopped just short of the edge, which led over two hundred feet down. When he turned, Dominic had jumped, grabbed the lip of the upper floor, and plowed his feet into the assailant, sending him plummeting down onto the construction equipment below. A loud crash echoed below, and pedestrians began to shout.

Dominic stalked over to the man who had a silver dagger stuck in his spine. Dominic pressed the knife deeper into the bone. "What will he do if we take a bite of his treat?" Dominic chuckled without amusement. "You really wanted to find out, didn't you?"

"You—" the man spluttered. Dominic ripped off the man's shirt. Among the Muci tattoos, a green gem glimmered in his shoulder just under the skin.

"You think I'd forget?" With that, Dominic stomped down on the knife, sending the silver through his spine. "This is the second time you've earned death."

Dominic glanced over to Dane and Raelyn. Dane had stopped growling, but began to whimper, poking Raelyn with his nose.

Dominic hurried over, and Dane disentangled himself from Raelyn, whimpering louder. She was cold—the bitter winter air had cut through the buildings, not to mention her blood loss. He pulled off his shirt, regretting that he had sweat so much at the gym, hating the amount of blood on it, and wishing he had accepted his coat when Crockett offered. He draped his meager shirt over her before gathering her in his arms and heading toward the stairwell.

The elevator dinged, and Iggy emerged. Crockett followed shortly behind. Dominic whirled and hopped on. Dominic pulled Raelyn closer to him, trying to warm her when Crockett shrugged off his jacket and tossed it over her.

Dominic hurried out the elevator on the first floor and Iggy ran ahead, pulling the fence open that had hidden their vehicle and jumping into the driver's seat. Dominic and Dane followed shortly behind, and Crockett kept lookout in the rear. A crowd had gathered around the far side of the building where one of Muci's fiends had fallen; sirens echoed in the distance.

Dominic slid into the car, refusing to hand off Raelyn to Crockett even as he climbed in. Dane whimpered, hovering as close as Dominic would let him. "Get us to Doc's as soon as possible." He shook his head. "Safely." He stared out the window, emotions he hadn't felt since his mother died coursing through him like water from a broken dam. "And turn up the heat. Now."

Iggy floored it, and Crockett noted the glowing pattern tracing itself behind Dominic's ear.

Crockett huffed, cold now that he had given up his coat. "I guess that's one way to get married."