NIRVANA “How did you manage to convince her to come with you?” I smirked at Knight. “I didn’t give her much of a choice.” He smiled at me, tracing my cheek with the back of his finger. “You never ceased to amaze me, sweetheart.” “They’re gonna be fine.” “I know.” He kissed me on my nose. “Our visitors are going to be here soon. Come find me later.” “Yeah. I’ll go find my best friend before she wrings her neck in the bathroom.” He shook his head in amusement before he left. We stayed at the pack house for a while while trying to build and strengthen the parameters of the compound. Dane’s expertise in his job might be our advantage. I found Kailin in her room, on the balcony, looking over the expansive vineyards. “How are you feeling? Still planning on murdering your mate?” “He’s not my mate,” she said dismissively. “Not officially, but he’s getting under your skin just right. In a good way.” “I hate you right now.” She shoved a handful of chips into her mouth and chewed them
KNIGHT “What is your plan for Kailin? It’s my business because she’s not only my cousin but also part of this pack.” “All my life, I’d never thought I would meet my mate, let alone at times like this. I didn’t stay in one place for a week. I always traveled for jobs. I didn’t like commitment because of the line of my work. The relationship is not for me.” “So you’re just gonna abandon her?” “She hates me. She hates who I am. She hates my work. I think it’s best for both of us. I’m not good for her. I will only drag her into my complicated and dangerous life. I’m sorry, but I can’t be with her.” The longer he said those words, the more his pain and struggle became visible—either from the pull of their mating bond or deep inside. He wanted to belong and be loved. “Maybe it’s time for you to quit what you are doing and start settling in one place. My cousin deserves someone better. She deserves to feel loved and respected and a mate who can provide for her needs. If you can follow o
NIRVANA I was so terrified I thought I was going to lose Kailin. If she was only human, she might not make it. I cried the entire time in the shower, washing off her blood on my skin. Watching her on the ground with blood all over her chest was the scariest thing I’d ever felt. I walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me. Knight was sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly in deep thought. “I’m going to the sight where Kailin got shot.” He didn’t even look at me. I didn’t know if he was blaming himself or if he thought that bullet was meant for me. “I’m coming with you.” His head snapped in my direction, eyes narrowing at me. “No way.” “Okay.” He seemed surprised by my reply. “What? After what happened to Kailin, I won’t be reckless anymore. Going to the tasting room was not reckless, and I thought we were safe here in the vineyards.” “Good.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll take Dane with me. We might check out where the shooting happened.” “I was thinking the
KNIGHT Dane and I followed the trail where Nirvana and Kailin left the testing room. They must have headed towards the vineyards. I knew Nirvana. She liked nature and beautiful sights for her painting ideas. “There’s blood around here.” The blood dried on the ground, and droplets were on the grass. “Yeah.” Dane scanned the area. “Did someone come here after the incident?” “No. I told Tucker to keep this site untouched.” I looked around and saw nothing but vast fields of vines. How could someone target one of them? “It’s done by a pro,” he confirmed my suspicion. “It did not come from the pack house nor that area.” He pointed north. “Exactly my thought. Nor from the woods.” “There.” He pointed at the Pinot noir vineyards. “Plants are tall. He could have hidden himself there for hours. Or, if he has a military background, he could go that far on the hill. I bet the latter because that’s what I would do. We have a good sense of smell. He wouldn’t dare trespass if he’s a werewolf.
NIRVANA “So that asshole Travis told his father about what we did in his house?” I asked Knight in disbelief. “Probably, and how he just came for payback.” Eyes filled with rage for revenge, McKaye growled out. “I should have just killed them all and made it look like an animal attack.” I looked at McKaye. “Yeah. Now, I regret letting them live. It’s all my fault my best friend just got shot.” “It’s just because you didn’t want blood in our hands, and we couldn’t have known they would retaliate. We thought we scared them enough to stop coming after us.” “Look what happened yesterday, Luka.” I pointed my finger at Kailin sitting next to Dane.” She almost died because of me. This time, the blood in my hands is my best friend’s.” I turned to Knight when he hadn’t said a word. “Go on. Just say it. Where’s the I told you so speech?” “This is not your fault, Luna,” West said. His words were supposed to make me a little better, but they made me guiltier. “They’ve been bullying us befo
KNIGHT “You should answer that,” Dane said. I had a feeling this call was something crucial. I answered the call. “Victor.” “I don’t have much time.” The moment I heard those words, I closed my eyes and prepared for the huge bomb he was going to drop. “The council just cleaned house.” Fuck. “What do you mean? Where are you?” There was no need to keep this call secret. One of the cons of being a werewolf was the enhanced hearing. Even a voice from the other line was like a loudspeaker. Dane and Nirvana heard everything Victor said. I put the phone down and put it on speaker. “I just left the council. They betrayed me. They voted me out as the head of the council. That son of a bitch called for a meeting without me. When I reported to the council, Eloh had already my chair.” The moment Dane heard what Victor had just said, he cursed under his breath. I saw with my very own eyes that he cared for Victor and could love someone. “Shit. Where are you, Victor? I’m coming to get you,
KNIGHT “Tell me then, I’m listening.” The way she said it, it concerned me. She was so relaxed on the couch while I wanted to kill everyone coming after her. Zarah turned to Victor. “By any chance, did they come in contact with Cyrius?” “Maybe during my absence, Cyrius paid a visit to Eloh, or maybe he was infected or mind-controlled. I have no idea. They removed me from my seat, Zarah. I want to kill them all.” “Because of me. It all comes down to me.” Nirvana kept blaming herself. Guilt was drowning her. “Hey.” I went to her and held her knees. “This is not on you. Months ago, you were just an ordinary girl wanting to manage a restaurant. This is why I didn’t want you in this treacherous world. I brought you in. This is on me. If I could—” “If you could, what? Reset? I swear to God, if you say that to me, I will break your face.” She wasn’t kidding. She was so angry she could smash my face. “I’m sorry, Nirvana. I love you, and I will die fighting to keep you safe.” “I know.”
NIRVANA I woke up gasping. It seemed that I was having a dream, but I couldn’t remember what it was, and I had no recollection of how I came to be in this unfamiliar room or this bed. I was not in our bed nor at the pack house. Then I remembered we were in the office talking about Cadogan, and Victor called until we argued about turning myself into the council. Zarah. “Oh, my God.” I got up from bed and went to the door. Thankfully, it was unlocked, or it left it that way. As I looked around, the house interior appeared suburban, and then the strong scents of cinnamon, musk, and herbs hit my nostrils— I could be a home spray, reeds, or a diffuser. I stepped out, barefooted, tiptoeing to find the exit. “Good. You’re awake.” I jumped at the voice behind me. My hand flattened on my chest as I turned around, trying to calm my heartbeat. “Where do you think you’re going?” Zarah asked flatly. “What did you do to me? Why am I here in your house?” “Follow me.” She gestured. She