(Jenna's POV)Nathan's kiss was passionate and insistent and I got swept away like a piece of driftwood on the ocean in a storm. My brain screamed at me to stop, to pull away, to remind myself why I was really here. But my body... my body had other ideas.There was a comfort in his touch, a familiarity that I didn't want to part with again. It had been so painful the first time and I didn't want to feel that pain again. I just wanted to fall back into the rhythm we had once shared. I wanted to allow muscle memory to do its thing and just carry on where we had left off a year ago.I hated how much he still affected me, how easily he could make me forget why I should be mad at him. How one kiss could pull me back in time and erase all the pain and hurt and betrayal.Maybe we never really did end things properly... maybe we never got the closure we needed. I thought I had, but now... I mean, clearly I had been wrong.I finally pulled away, breaking the kiss and taking a step back. My ches
(Katelyn's POV)I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the breakfast tray Harlan had brought in earlier and placed on the table. The smell of scrambled eggs and toast wafted through the room, but eating was the last thing I felt like doing right now.He hovered beside me, encouraging me to eat, like he genuinely cared.“We've got a busy day ahead of us,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder, the gesture meant to be comforting but feeling anything but.I nodded absentmindedly, wondering what he meant by that before I stood and made my way over to the try, picking up a piece of the dry toast and nibbling at it apathetically.My mind was still miles away, stuck in the vision as I tried to contemplate a way out of here.A knock on the door broke my thoughts. Harlan made his way over to it, looking over at me before unlocking it. A few mumbled words were shared before Harlan closed the door, locking it again, then returning with a small pile of neatly folded clothes which he pl
(Katelyn's POV)My knees buckled slightly, but I managed to stay upright, my breath shallow as I tried to process what had just happened.Harlan released me and stepped back with a satisfied smile, like he had just solved some minor inconvenience."See?" he went on in that same reassuring tone. "That wasn't so bad. Let's go," he said, heading to the door.I was still reeling from the injection, but I followed him out the bedroom and down the hall. I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that was building inside me. Where were we going? What 'appointment' did we have? Why did I have to have fucking wolfsbane?!"We arrived at what had once been Alpha Jason's office, now presumably Harlan's. I had been here before... after the little altercation between Harlan and I at the party. It was different now though. I saw that some of the furnishings were different and the layout had been rearranged.Harlan gestured for me to enter. I hesitated for a moment, but then I stepped inside, unsure of wh
(Jenna's POV)Sitting at my desk in the stuffy office, I felt like I was slowly cooking in my own skin. The long sleeves of my shirt clung to me in the stifling heat, suffocating me even more than usual.It was so stupid that I had to wear long sleeves. It’s not like my tattoos made me any worse at my job. But Dr. Miller insisted. "Professionalism," he called it. I just called it bullshit.I sighed and took another sip of my lukewarm water, reminding myself that this was just a means to an end. Being a receptionist certainly wasn't my dream job, but it was a job and it meant I could save a bit of money for my own place.My thoughts wandered back to my phone call with Ryder earlier and his obvious disappointment. I'd tried everything I could to get Nathan to give me more information, but he was like a fucking brick wall in the end.I'd told Ryder that all I managed to find out was that Kate was "safe", as Nathan put it, and that she was staying in Harlan's house, but I had no clue exact
(Katelyn's POV)My stomach lurched the instant Harlan hung up the phone. Why did he want to bring Jenna here? What sinister plans did he have in store for her? For us!?Dr. Prince's words sliced through my thoughts, his eyes still fixed on me like I was some exciting little experiment. "When did these abilities first make themselves known to you?" he asked, with an eager curiosity.I swallowed hard, trying to buy myself some time before I answered the question. I was scared I might say something that landed me in more trouble. I didn't want to divulge too much, but I also had no idea where the line between too much and not enough stood.“We, uh... We had a Lunar Eclipse Celebration about a month ago,” I revealed hesitantly. "It happened for the first time that night."The doctor's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning and he turned to Harlan with obvious excitement. “Now that's an interesting thought! What if her abilities are linked to the lunar cycle?! If they first manifested
(Katelyn's POV)"Isn't this a sweet little reunion?" Harlan said, the false warmth in his tone sending a shiver down my spine. "Why don’t you take a seat, Jenna?" He gestured to one of the chairs by his desk.Jenna hesitated but complied, placing her bag at her feet as she sat down.Then, it began.He paced up and down between us, his eyes darkening with every word he spoke. “Do you know why you’re here, Jenna?” he asked innocently as he paused just in front of her.Jenna shook her head. “No, Harlan. I have no idea," she replied with an air of defiance."Alpha Harlan," he corrected her with a raised eyebrow."Alpha Harlan," she repeated, somehow miraculously managing not to roll her eyes.Harlan's face twisted into a smirk. “So, tell me, Jen, what do you know about the Elysian Line?”Jenna frowned, looking at him with utter confusion. “The what?” she asked looking at him with narrowed eyes.She didn't know. I had never told her. I didn't want to get her caught up in all my bullshit an
(Jenna's POV)I cursed under my breath as I stared down at the blood pooling on the front of my white shirt.Great. Just fucking great. There was no way I was ever getting this stain out.The thought of Harlan’s questions replayed in my mind, jumbling together with my confusion. Something about an Elijah Line? An Allegiance Line? What the hell was he even talking about? And Kate having visions? Seeing shit? Was she sick or having some kind of mental breakdown? Can't say that would surprise me after being locked up by that psychopath...Whatever it was, it was crystal clear what Harlan intended to do with me. I was leverage. He was going to use me to get to Kate. He’d bend her to his will by hurting me, and knowing Harlan’s reputation, I was not looking forward to it. Everyone knew how he was... ruthless and relentless. He clearly wanted something from Kate that she wasn’t giving him, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to help him get what he wanted.I looked around the room, searching for
(Tyler’s POV)The rumble of the rental car beneath me felt steady and monotonous, the miles stretching on endlessly as we made our way toward the Aspenwood Pack lands.I glanced over at Ryder, who was tapping his fingers restlessly on his knee, clearly agitated by how long this was taking. His frustration was almost palpable.I sighed heavily, watching the trees blur past us as I replayed the events of that morning in my mind. We’d both been dead to the world, the exhaustion finally catching up with us after what felt like an eternity of searching for Kate. I hadn’t wanted to sleep, but when my head hit the pillow, it seemed like my body made the decision for me.It was Ryder’s phone that had jolted us awake. The piercing ringtone had pulled me out of the dark depths of unconsciousness and I remember Ryder sitting up groggily, fumbling for his phone.It had been Jenna.I didn’t hear much of the conversation, just the low murmur of Ryder’s voice as he paced up and down the room.When he