In the absence of hope, Damen pushed recklessly. There was not a chance in cold hell that Laurent would ever choose this fate; Damen just wanted the satisfaction of seeing the terror on his face that Damen knew must be in his heart at the sight of him.

The knife, he had not been expecting.

He pulled back, but too late: it drove through the flesh of his thumb and brought a wild burst of pain. Damen roared. It had been so long since he'd endured any wound, he felt almost in shock. None dared harm the Beast.

But what did Laurent have to lose?

The uninjured paw grabbed the knife in the Prince's hand and yanked it out of the flesh and then away from Laurent's grip by brute strength. "Never," he growled, face in Laurent's face, "do that again. Your life is worth less than nothing. I could take it from you this very second. Never forget that."