67

TEDDY

Lying next to Cassy, the room felt impossibly small, like the walls were inching closer with every passing second. Cassy had drifted off to sleep, her breath steady and calm.

But my mind was anything but.

Thoughts twisted and turned, refusing to settle. I had always known Cassy was special, but this… this was something I couldn't have imagined.

The Moon Goddess?

How was I supposed to wrap my head around that?

I slid out of bed, needing space and air. The room felt too close, too suffocating. The moon outside seemed too bright and accusing like it knew the thoughts running wild in my mind.

Because it did.

She did.

I went to the window, leaning against the cool glass with my forehead pressed to it, trying to gain some clarity.

Leila, I thought, reaching out desperately. Why didn't you warn me? Why didn't you tell me this was coming? My thoughts weren't calm. They weren't measured. They were frantic and pleading.

I felt like a man caught in a riptide, struggling to stay a