Ashlyn attempted to tug Katarina away, but Katarina shook off her hold and stepped forward. Toward him.

The moment she reached him, she framed his face with her delicate hands. He had to crouch to allow the action, which wasn’t exactly a prime position to mount a proper defense—but worth it.

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked.

He drew in a breath, his usually useless lungs suddenly infused by the sweetness of her scent...as if he were coming back to life. “They are threats.”

“Wrong. There are no threats here.”

“They are threats,” he insisted.

She brushed her thumbs over the rise of his cheeks, gentle, so gentle, and yet still the action stung. But he didn’t pull away. The air between them thickened and crackled with awareness. He liked it.

The others stopped their pursuit and maintained a proper distance, whispering with incredulity.

“Is this really happening or am I hallucinating?” someone asked.

“Does the human have a magic hoo-ha?”

“You have a job to do,” Katarina reminded him, ignoring the others. “Why don’t you go do it, and I’ll take care of the threats here?”

He snorted. “You’re not strong enough.”

That earned a raised brow. “So you’ve told me.”

“Dude. Isn’t she married?” Kaia asked.

He snarled at the Harpy, though his gaze remained on Katarina. She’d lost weight and looked more fragile than ever, and yet her beauty took his breath away.

Breath he now needed to survive?

“Baden,” she said.

“Destruction,” he corrected.

“Since he’s affected by you, I’m willing to bet you’re affected by him. Why don’t I call you Baduction?” She smiled at him, inviting him to play with her. “And a hat tip to you. If your newest job is to stare at me, you’ve got it nailed.”

He didn’t know how to play, but he liked seeing her like this. Happy rather than despondent.

He shouldn’t care what she felt. Caring left him vulnerable.

He scowled at her. “Stay out of trouble today.”

“I will, but not because you ordered it. Because I’m a girl and girls are made of—”

“Sugar and spice,” he interjected, remembering the rhyme. Boys were made of snakes and snails.

“Wrong. Girls are made of vodka and ice. The two combined increase our tolerance for masculine nonsense.”

He snort-laughed. Funny girl. But the laughter died a swift death as Baden rose closer and closer to the surface, fighting with all his might.

Expression growing serious, Katarina said, “I expect you to come back unscathed.”

Did she care about his well-being? That...he would allow. “I won’t be harmed. I’m strong.” He just wasn’t strong enough to hold back Baden any longer. The warrior won the battle.

Baden shook as he returned to his normal size. He still had to bend to press his forehead against Katarina’s, but he did it, so damned glad the beast hadn’t hurt her—feeling guilty for allowing the fight to happen in the first place and worried over his friends’ reactions.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his jaw tingling from her touch.

“There you are,” she replied. “My Baden.”

Her eyes widened as the words echoed between them. Her Baden?

“Yes,” he found himself saying. Agreeing.

“On your job today...maybe don’t kill anyone?” She rose on her tiptoes and whispered, “If you can refrain, I’ll reward you with...”

He tensed with excitement as she lowered and their gazes locked. Black flooded the gray-green. Her cheeks were flushed, her respirations quickening.

“With?” he demanded.

She licked her lips as she stared at his. “Anything you want.”

Instant hard-on.

An arc of surprise passed between them...and longing. So much longing.

“I’ll refrain,” he said, and flashed to Downfall before he carried her straight to bed.

The club resided in the third level of the heavens. A haven for degenerates.

He pushed the beast’s coup to the back of his mind—wouldn’t consider the helplessness he’d just experienced.

He even pushed Katarina to the back of his mind—because he had to. If he thought about her parting words, he wouldn’t last five minutes away from her. Definitely wouldn’t complete his newest task.

He pushed through the crowd. The walls and floor were comprised of wispy clouds, allowing glimpses of black skies and bright stars, and yet both the walls and the floor were solid to the touch. To the left, a live band played, a group of women throwing their undergarments at the lead singer.