95

I leave Harriet with my son and retire to our suite. Cedric isn’t back yet. I change out of my dress and into a more casual shirt and pajama pants. After wiping off my makeup, I wash the glitter out of my hair and stretch my arms, feeling tired.

It’s quite late now. The ball is probably over.

After the excitement of the day, both the Eastern and Northern attendees will be on edge. I walk over to the window, wondering if I will get a glimpse of some of the guests walking around. To my surprise, I don’t see any guests, but I do see two familiar figures: Cassian and Maya. They’re walking together in the direction of the cottages. Maya is leaning against Cassian.

I smile. Jerry is going to lose his mind.

My smile fades in about two seconds.

Why didn’t Maya message me? She was supposed to get the test results today and tell me about them. I try calling her, but she doesn’t answer. I suppose I could wait till tomorrow, but…

Sighing, I check the time. I’ll just go talk to her. There is no way she’s going on a date with Cassian at this hour. He was most likely just walking her back to her cottage. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep without the long-awaited results. Also, after everything that transpired today, I need to talk to her. More like vent to her.

I leave the suite, wondering where Cedric has gone. Maybe I should stop by the lab first. Jerry might have the results. I know the older healer has a tendency to work late, especially these days.

In keeping with the late hour, the hallways are empty. I make my way down the staircase toward the lab. I’ve just turned the corner and am about to knock on the door when I hear something move behind me.

Maybe it’s because I’m tired that I’m too slow to react.

Before I can move, I feel five claws pierce my back.

Chapter 28

Leanna Avery

I slam forward against the door as the claws dig into my chest, right over my heart.

“You should have let him kill me,” Vivian’s voice whispers in my ear gleefully. “I’m going to kill you first and then that bastard child of yours. And I’m going to make him suffer the most.”

She moves her fingers around, and I let out a gasping scream, my body stiff with agony.

“Did you think that if you showed me mercy, it would change anything?” she hisses, her breath hot against my ear. “You are and always will be a slave, Leanna. It doesn’t matter whose fated mate you are. You are a slave, and you are my substitute. You were never good enough to have my face, and tonight I’m going to cut it right off of you.”

She retracts her claws and forces me to turn around. I try to fight back, but my injury is too grievous. I can barely move. She plunges her hand into my stomach, and I make a choking sound, blood pouring from my mouth.

“I did everything to seduce that filthy barbarian. He should’ve considered himself lucky that I was even giving him a fraction of my time. How dare he treat me so callously? Bella was a smart one. She knew your worth. She found me. My father had arranged everything. The Silver Ring Organization was going to protect me.”

Silver Ring Organization? I think dimly. What is she saying?

“But I had to come back. Of course I had to!” She sneers. “Let you be queen of the North? You’re not worthy of being a queen. Did you think you could raise your status? Did you think you could be better than me? In a higher position than me? You, who would lick my shoes if I told you to?”

She laughs angrily before grabbing my head and slamming it against the door. “You ungrateful, greedy, little bitch. How dare you pretend to be me? You were supposed to die in my palace, not become that barbarian’s mate.”

I try to summon my wolf, but I can’t feel it. It’s like our link has severed. I feel so weak!

“Once I’m done with you, I’m going to destroy all the research you’ve been doing, and then I’m going to kill that spawn of yours!”

Her words barely register on me. The only thing I comprehend is that she wants to hurt my child. It’s difficult even to draw a breath, but I don’t care. I’m not going to let her hurt Finn.

My body feels sluggish, as if she’s drugged me with something.

But most of the impact is on my wolf. I can’t feel it anymore. I force the panic aside and lift my knee to hit her in the crotch. I’m unable to use much force, but the surprise of the attack has her stumbling backward, forcing the withdrawal of her hand from my stomach.

Blood gushes out. I wrap my arms around my waist and begin running down the corridor. More like stumbling. My legs are barely able to hold my weight. Without my wolf, I can’t feel the mating bond, and it is sending me spiraling. My wounds are fatal, and I know it.

“You bitch!” Vivian catches up to me and grabs me by my hair, pulling me back and throwing me to the ground.

I may not be able to shift, but I can still use my claws. I slash her on the arm, and she jumps away, crying out in pain.

Where is everybody in this palace?! Where are the guards?!

With no other way out, I hobble back to the lab and quickly press my hand on the fingerprint scanner. Vivian is already rushing toward me. I know the door won’t close in time. I stumble in as soon as it opens and grab the closest thing to me, smashing it against her head as she enters. She goes down like a ton of bricks, and I search for the lights.

My hand hits the switch, and when light floods the lab, I look around in a dazed manner.

It’s a wreck.

It looks like a tornado tore through this place, destroying every single thing inside. All the screens and equipment that Maya purchased are broken. All the vials and the cooler where they were stored have been shattered.

What is happening? How did Vivian escape? Who trashed this place?

I need to call for help. I can feel the life seeping out of me. Without my wolf, I can’t seem to heal at my usual pace. I’m not going to make it, I realize.

Tears burn my eyes. I wanted to see Finn grow up. I wanted him to be loved. Cedric and I were finally happy. We were going to be a family. I wanted my home to be overrun by children.

As I grab the edge of the marble counter and try to look for something to raise the alarm with, I see a still figure on the ground. A few more steps, and I recognize Jerry lying there, face-down in a pool of his own blood.

“No,” I moan, falling by his side. I try to shake him, but I’m too weak. His body is growing cold. “Jerry,” I whisper hoarsely.

I can’t get words out properly. My own body is starting to shut down.

The door is open. The smell of blood should alert somebody.