The silence in the room grew heavier than ever once the doctor was gone. Nicholas ran a hand through his hair, his eyes flicking to the bottle. When he met my fiery gaze, tears welling up in my eyes already, I knew that he could tell that I had no intention of taking those pills.Not yet.“You could
KaylaJade blinked, surprised. “A witch?” she repeated.I tightened my grip on her wrist, ignoring the pain in my throat as I forced more words out. “Do you… know one?”She hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Yes. There’s one in the pack. She’s the one who taught me what I know.”I pulled in a ragged
I wanted to take the latter option. Or at least, I wanted that option available to me, rather than being forced to choose between two instances of certain death for one or both of us.Finally, Jade sank down into the chair next to the bed. “So you are insane.”I shrugged one shoulder and shot her a
KaylaI stared at the small vial in my hands, the honey-colored liquid catching the light as I turned it over and over between my trembling fingers. My vision swam, my heart pounding frantically against the inside of my ribs at what I was about to do.Was I really going to do this? Was I going to ta
The moment Nicholas saw my eyes open, he whirled to face me. Worry and fury battled in his expression, his jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscle twitching beneath his skin.My hand flew to my belly, and my eyes darted to Jade. She slowly shook her head, a silent indication that the baby hadn’
NicholasI paced the length of my office relentlessly, practically wearing a path in the carpet beneath me. My mind raced with images of Kayla—her bruised throat, her pale face as she lay unconscious in my arms. The memory almost made me sick, causing my wolf to claw at the inside of my chest.Jade
Marcus cleared his throat. “Maybe stop treating her like she’s made of glass? I mean, I get it—you’re worried. But Kayla’s spent her whole life proving herself. Being pregnant doesn’t change that.”I wanted to argue, but deep down, I knew he had a point. I’d been hovering, trying to shield her from
KaylaI rolled over in bed for what felt like the hundredth time, wincing as pain shot through my body. The digital clock on the nightstand showed 2:17 in the morning, and Nicholas still hadn’t come to bed.Not that I could blame him. Our argument earlier had been brutal—his face when he’d found out
I swallowed hard, remembering the moment I’d crushed the compass beneath my boot. “I didn’t think I had it in me,” I admitted. “My father said the relic could help me—could make my wolf emerge.”Nicholas’s eyes darkened. “I know. I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I wanted to find it for that very
KaylaI rushed to Emma’s side. Blood pooled beneath her, staining the straw-covered barn floor a sickening crimson. Jade dropped down across from me with a gasp.Marcus was there an instant later, his face twisting with anguish when he saw his sister. He shouldered past us and scooped Emma’s limp bo
I ripped the compass bracelet from my wrist, holding it high. “Is this what you want?!” I shouted. “Come take it!”The attack paused. Even Isabella halted, looking to her cohorts for guidance. The compass dangled from my fingers, swinging enticingly.“No, Kayla! Don’t give it to them!” Nicholas mana
My hand moved instinctively to my wrist, feeling the cold metal of the bracelet against my skin.“And of course,” my father added, his gaze hardening as it settled on Nicholas, “you’ll be free of this… playboy. No more confusion, no more manipulation. You’ll be where you belong—with your real family
KaylaIt wasn’t William’s presence that shook me to my core, but my father’s.Two years. For two years, I’d sat by his bedside, holding his limp hand, begging him to wake up, to move, to give me any sign he was still there. And now he walked in as if the bodily damage he’d suffered from his coma had
Once we were safely beyond earshot, I filled Nicholas in on Henry’s message as we made our way toward the old barn at the edge of the estate. Henry was waiting for us outside as we approached, and his face was grim.“He’s inside,” he said without preamble. “You’re going to want to see this for yours
KaylaNicholas stayed for dinner that night, although not for no reason. Henry was still out there somewhere, searching for the person who knocked me unconscious and took my mother’s journal, and we needed to be close in case he captured the fucker.Furthermore, we couldn’t leave my father. Not when
“A journal?” Nicholas’s expression sharpened with interest.I nodded. “I only read a few entries before… before I was knocked out. But Nicholas, she knew about Luporath. She knew where it was.”His breath caught. “Are you sure?”“Positive.” I held my wrist up, exposing the compass charm bracelet I’d
KaylaOnce Nicholas and I were alone, truly alone—we’d ensured that the basement was empty, Mindlinked Henry to quietly check the estate grounds for intruders without alerting my father, then hurried upstairs to my bedroom and closed and locked the door—I turned to him. My head was still throbbing f