NIRVANA I followed them into her kitchen. Well, I thought it was her kitchen, but the whole world spun. My vision felt dizzy as I hung onto Knight. The feeling was uncomfortable and gave me a vertigo effect that had almost landed my butt on the ground. “Whoa! That was something. What the hell was that, Zarah?” Archibald asked. I looked around. The place had changed. We were not in her kitchen anymore, but somewhere looked like a tomb or temple— their sacred ground. “Where are we?” “This ground is sacred like a sanctum and can never be contaminated.” She gestured for us to come around the table with a big thick book with written language I’d never seen before. There were some tools like bowls and knives and small decanters of some sort. “Dylan, stay behind. Sebastien, Knight, Archibald, and Aira will cut your palm when I tell you to drop your blood on the bowl. That’s when you do it. You should do it together for the potion to work.” “What about me?” “You will have your turn lat
KNIGHT “You can’t come with us.” We were back to the vineyards an hour ago, and now we were arguing because Nirvana didn’t want to back down. “I’m sorry, Luna, but I’m with Alpha on this.” Luka shrugged, shifting his gaze to McKaye. “Why is that? Because I’m a freaking human?” Kaleb and the twins didn’t react but held their smiles. “We all know it by now if you’re just a freaking human, Luna, but we’re with Alpha on this one. Please don’t get mad at us. We’re just protecting you,” said Kaleb. “How do you suggest to find an infected werewolf?” “I’m a good scout,” McKaye said. “You can call Kailin to stay with you and print your fingernails and toes while waiting for us to come back.” She glared further. “I don’t paint my nails, Mac. God, I hate you all right now.” She stomped away, leaving us all stunned. “Shit. She hates us,” Zander said, scratching his head. “She’s upset, but she doesn’t hate you.” I breathed deeply as I looked at them. “I’ll be right back.” I hadn’t taken
KNIGHT “Can you not say something like that? It gives me creeps.” He rubbed his arm on the steering wheel. “We’re halfway out of the territory.” I looked over the side mirror. Luka, Maddox, and the twins rode the military-grade armored truck. “So, I saw the ring on Luna’s finger. When are you planning on telling us?” I looked over my shoulder with a smile. “When I feel I want to. You know where it’s heading, Kaleb.” “Well, I’m happy for you, Alpha. I hope this virus will end soon so I can put my suit to good use.” “Thanks, Kaleb. It means a lot.” “I like Vana from the start. She’s perfect for you. You are both argumentative and authoritarian,” he said. “With hearts,” McKaye added. “Protective and fearless. Wait, Kaleb. Did Gage call you back? I’ve sent texts since last night, and he hasn’t replied. That dimwit just went out whenever he wanted without telling us where he was going.” “What do you mean Gage didn’t come back last night?” I looked at them both, alarmed. “And how I
NIRVANA “Zarah, what are you doing here?” I grabbed my coffee and I met her in the hallway. “You didn’t know?” “Did they find a sick werewolf?” Kailin asked her as we got out of the pack house. “Tucker and Dad have prepared the cell.” “It’s Gage.”’ The way Zarah said, I instantly felt the hesitation and sorrow in her voice. “What about him?” “They’re on the way to bring Gage.” That was all she said. “Gage is infected?” Blinking, I asked in shock. “How did it happen?” “That’s all I know. Knight just called me to tell me that they got one.” I held her wrist. My eyes stung with tears. “You can’t do that. You can’t experiment on him, Zarah. He’s part of our pack. I won’t let you do that.” “We have no choice.” I’d never seen Zarah so cold until now. It was like she blocked her emotion somewhere no one could reach it. “How do we know the dagger works if we wouldn’t try it?” “How do we know if it kills the virus can kill Cyrius?” “Why are you second-guessing right now, Nirvana? W
NIRVANA “What happened?” He looked devastated. Watching his pack member slowly being destroyed by a virus must have been very difficult for him. “Nothing.” I tried to smile and hugged him tight. “You’re upset.” He hugged me back. “I’m so sorry, baby, this happened to Gage.” “Thank you, sweetheart.” He sighed deeply, and he hadn’t let me go. “I hope he would be the last one. I can’t take this. Watch the people I cared about slowly dying before my eyes.” I pulled away and cupped his face. “I know this is hard, but we will do everything to find a way to stop this madness. Gage will be the last one to be infected. This has to end, Knight.” “I hope so.” Watching him so helpless almost broke my heart. “We should go.” McKaye came. “He’s cooperative, but he’s getting worse, Alpha.” “Is Zarah not here yet?” I dropped my gaze in shame. “I made a mistake. I said something terrible to her. I’m sorry.” I cried again. My tears fell like a stream. “Hey. It’s okay. I’ll call her again. Don
KNIGHT I quickly mind-linked everyone down the bunker. “Get out of there now! All of you.” My heart hammered in my chest. What terrified me was they were my best enforcers. Cyrius was targeting them. He knew exactly how we think. Then it hit me. It was probably true that he could get into the infected brings’s mind to control them. I went down with my superspeed. I found Luka was still inside, while Gage seemed to be terrified. His eyes widened as if he felt something happening inside him. “Oh, shit!” Luka saw it, too. He was just staring there, rigid, somehow shocked even to move and follow my order. “Luka!” When my adrenaline kicked in, I completely forgot that Luka and I had almost the same weight. I gripped his arm and pushed on his chest outside the vault room, landing him at Uncle Lennox’s feet. Then, I rushed out and pushed the door quickly. McKaye was fast, and his mind worked better in desperate times, just like his training and expertise in mixed martial arts. He cam
KNIGHT “You already did, Knight. I wish you could have been more upfront so we know what’s happening and how to deal with it.” “I’m so sorry, uncle.” “You didn’t realize you put me and the entire pack at risk. I’m an elder, for Goddess’s sake, and I have a say in this. I may have known something that could help you, but you chose to work with them and with vampires. Really?” I dropped my gaze as I breathed deeply. I felt ashamed and hurt that I hurt the person who trusted me and who never gave up on me when my parents were gone. “Elder Lennox, we found a book that said something that may help defeat Cyrius. The reason why we work together with the vampires is because we may need our blood to create a weapon.” Nirvana chose her words carefully, and I admired that she considered my uncle’s feelings. “What book? Where did you find it?” “After I died, Ambrose—” “Ambrose? The same Ambrose?” “Yes.” She swallowed hard. “My great great great grandfather.” “I can’t believe I’m hearin
NIRVANA “What’s going on?” I asked everyone when they received texts, except me and Zarah. When they read the message and looked at me, I raised my brows, waiting for them to break the tension inside the bunker. “What is it?” Zarah asked. Instead of a reply, Knight growled. His eyes glowed as he showed us his phone’s screen with my picture. I widened my eyes at how my picture looked— like a mug shot. “Why is my picture on your phone like I’m some kind of a criminal?” “It’s an APB, a BOLO to all werewolves. Fuck.” His face was red in anger. His jaw clenched, and his phone almost cracked in his grasp as he stared at me, so pissed off and dangerous. “Why would the Council make this sudden move?” Lennox asked. “So, I’m wanted now? They didn’t even know me, and I’m not a werewolf.” “When Knight let you become a part of his pack, he sent your profile to the council as a registration. That’s mandatory,” Zarah explained, but it still didn’t make any sense unless they knew something w