The next moment I remembered Jude’s face appeared above me. I could hear an animalistic growl in the background.

“Avery.” Jude shook me.

I tried to keep my eyes open but they closed and all I could hear was Jude trying to rouse me.

“Get her out of here,” he commanded and I felt someone lift me.

I held onto them with the little strength I had, I felt like I was free falling and needed to anchor myself.

I blacked out again.

The next time I roused I opened my eyes to take in the familiar setting of my bedroom. I was in so much pain I groaned unable to take the severity of it.

“Avery.” It was Jude. There was relief in his voice.

“Ju-de,” I stammered as my body began to shake.

“You’re in shock. You’ve lost a lot of blood. We are trying to stabilize you with a blood transfusion.”

It mattered little when the pain was so intense I felt like every part of me was burning.

“Please…make…it…stop,” I pleaded.

I had endured a lot of pain since I had become a Sire but this was by far the worst.

I groaned.

“I’m going to sedate you to help with the pain,” he told me.

I continued to groan, unable to take in anything but the agony I was in.

Then I was falling into the darkness. It surrounded and consumed me.

The next time I regained consciousness I was in a cold dark cell. It reminded me of the cell I first woke up in. There were my wrists were chained. As I lay on my side on the mattress I pulled at the chains but I could not break free.

What was going on?

My body ached but the acute pain was gone. I was sweating. Disorientated and confused I could barely lift my head.

My head was pounding and I put my hand to try and ease it.

Silas. I remembered the attack in the bedroom, and how bloodthirsty he had been.

I touched the side of my neck and winced when my fingertips touched the tender skin.

And then I remembered Jude. He had found me. Memories flooded back. I remembered vaguely being carried from Silas’ room and then waking up in my bedroom.

But I had no memory how I had gotten here.

It was difficult not to compare it to the time I had woken up after childbirth to find myself imprisoned by Talon.

Was this what this was? But I was too weak to even contemplate escaping. I could barely lift my head.

I heard footsteps. They stopped outside the door to my cell. The door opened, echoing into the dark room I lay.

In the doorway was a tall man. It was too dark to see their face.

My heart beat loudly, echoing in my ears as I held my breath. The man stepped into the room.

His footsteps echoing as he walked to me. I had no way of protecting myself, so all I could do was lie there waiting to see who it was.

The moment I recognized the face I began to tear up. Silas.

He bent down beside me. “Avery,” he whispered, softly. His eyes did not shimmer red they shimmered gold.

Was I dreaming? Is this way none of what was happening was making any sense?

He kissed me gently on forehead. His lips cool compared to my heated skin.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered, my throat sore and raspy.

I reached out to touch him but the chain stopped me from reaching him.

“You were sick. You bit me.” I couldn’t understand or slot what was happening into anything I remembered.

“I was dying when you came to see me in my bedroom.” He quietened. “I remember bits and parts of it. I remember what I did to you.”

I nodded slowly, I swallowed the emotion that collected in my throat.

“Then I woke up, the fever had broken and by some miracle I was alive.” He touched my cheek gently.

“You’re okay?” I asked, searching his expression.

He nodded. “We are not sure exactly what happened but we think it’s your blood Avery. I drank so much of it, you nearly died.”

He closed his eyes briefly like he was in pain. “I almost took your life Avery.”

“You were sick.” I didn’t blame him for what happened.

The chains clanked as I dropped my hand. “Why am I here?”

“I infected you.” He rested his head to mine gently as he took a deep emotional breath.

I had never seen him like this before. He was less vampire and more human like. Emotional.

It took a few moments for the information to sink in. I was sick. I would go though what he did. I would hunger for blood so badly I would take someone’s life to get it.

“I did this to you,” he whispered.

I could hear the pain in his voice. “You weren’t yourself Silas.”

I could not blame him. To see him in any kind of pain wasn’t easy.

“You’re going to be okay?” I asked, not wanting to lift my hopes for fear the disappointment would be too difficult to take.

“This has never happened before so we aren’t sure. But I feel strong.”

I smiled at him weakly, my heart lifting. It was such a relief.

His expression solemn. “You came to me when you were told it was a lost cause. You didn’t give up on me.”

“I don’t know why you didn’t die but I would do it all again Silas. I had to see you even if there was nothing I could do to save you.”

The relief that my sons would still have a father was a relief I could not put into words. To see him suffering and in so much pain had been more painful than anything anyone could inflict on me physically.

“You saved me.” His words gentle. So unlike his usual self.

His words made me tear up.

I tried to shift but the chains made it impossible to move. “Why am I here?”

I looked around the dark cell, there was some light from the outside. It was moonlight.

“You didn’t give up on me, I’m not going to give up on you,” he declared as he knelt down beside me. I was on my side on the mattress and he moved to lie facing me. “The chains are a precaution to keep you from attacking anyone.”

I swallowed hard, feeling overwhelmed. “You’re going to stay with me?”

“Yes. We don’t know if you’re going to make it.” His voice solemn.

I had known the risks and I had taken them anyway. He had meant that much to me.

“We have given you as much pain medication to lessen the pain but it’s still going to be bad.”

I nodded. I remembered what he had been through and was already mentally preparing myself for the same. It was a miracle that he was still alive and I hoped I would be able to survive it.

“They’re busy testing my blood to ensure the infection is gone. If it is we will transfuse the blood and hope it stops the infection like it did with me.”

I frowned. “Do they know why?”

He shook his head. “We have no idea why I’m still here.”

The only thing that mattered was that he was still here.

“What about the council?” I asked, knowing that was still a danger to us and our sons.

“Everything is fine. I don’t want you to worry about anything. I need you to get through this.” He reached out to caress my cheek.

I closed my eyes and allowed his touch to tingle through me.

“I can’t lose you Avery.”

I opened my eyes. I wanted to to tell him that I would be fine but I couldn’t because it wouldn’t be the truth. There was no way to know why he hadn’t died and there was no guarantee I would either.

The pain that had waned momentarily began to pulse inside me. Stronger than before. I began to shake.

Everything outside of that I blocked out, including the man who lay beside me as I groaned in pain as the fever took hold.

He lay there for hours, never leaving my side.