“I think it’s bigger than her,” Mira said. “She might have administered it. But she didn’t make it. This was engineered.”Kara’s stomach twisted.Mira hesitated. “But… there’s something else.”Kara moved closer. “What?”“The compound… it’s mutating. Changing inside Zarek’s system. It’s like it’s trying to adapt. And there’s one thing that’s keeping it from spreading.”Zarek blinked. “What is it?”Mira looked at Kara.“You.”Kara froze. “Me?”“The bond,” Mira said. “The connection between you two. It’s stabilizing him. Slowing the spread. Your presence. Your child. It’s acting like a shield.”Zarek stared at Kara like he was seeing her for the first time.“It’s not just love,” Mira said quietly. “It’s alchemy. Whatever magic binds mates… it’s fighting the poison. But it won’t last forever.”“What do we do?” Kara asked.Mira looked between them. “You find who made it. Before it finishes what it started.”—The ride back was quiet again, but this time, it wasn’t because of fear. It was b
DREAM SEQUENCEThe air was heavy. Everything gray. Like the color had been drained from the world.I was standing in the middle of a field I didn’t recognize. The sky above was bruised and low, pressing down like it wanted to bury me. And in the center of the field—Zarek.He was kneeling. Not bleeding. Not bound. Just still.Too still.I ran to him. My feet felt like they were moving through water, each step dragging behind the next.“Zarek!” I screamed. “Zarek, look at me!”He lifted his head slowly. His eyes were dull. Lifeless. Like the bond had dimmed inside him, no longer burning.“You weren’t fast enough,” he said.“No,” I whispered, dropping to my knees beside him. “Don’t say that.”“You said you’d protect me,” he continued, voice hollow. “But you didn’t.”Tears burned down my cheeks. “I tried. I tried everything—”His eyes found mine, but they weren’t his anymore.“You knew,” he said. “You always knew I was going to die.”I shook my head violently. “I didn’t! I don’t believe
KARAThe silence in the car was stretched thin, like a wire about to snap. Linda kept her hands steady on the steering wheel as we drove down the winding road, but I could feel her muscles tense beneath her calm facade. The forest outside was growing darker, the sun dipping low behind the trees, casting long shadows across the cracked asphalt.My hand rested gently on my belly. The pup kicked once, a flutter, like a reminder. I was still safe. Still alive. And for a moment, everything was fine.Until the road ahead filled with bodies.Linda slammed the brakes. The car skidded slightly, tires scraping gravel as we came to a hard stop. I didn’t need to smell the shift in the air to know who they were. I knew the stance. The arrogance. The blood-thirst barely hidden under their skin.Wolves.Five of them. All standing in the middle of the road like they’d been waiting. One in front stepped forward, her long white hair braided back, eyes sharp and wild like a storm that hadn’t finished br
“She wasn’t always like that,” Leo snapped. “You didn’t see the version of her I did.”“I saw enough,” Zarek said. “And I made the call no one else would.”“You made the call,” Leo repeated, voice quiet now. “You didn’t hesitate. You didn’t even try to talk to me.”“What would I have said?” Zarek’s voice rose now, the calm breaking. “That the woman you loved planned to turn half the supernatural world into slaves and the other half into corpses? That she used you as a weapon and you didn’t even realize it?”“I did realize it,” Leo said, fists clenching. “Too late. But I did.”“And what would you have done?”Leo met his eyes. “I would’ve stopped her myself.”Zarek’s breath hitched for half a second.“I loved her,” Leo continued, his voice cracking. “But I loved you too. And I hated you for making me choose between the two.”“I didn’t give you a choice,” Zarek said.“No, you didn’t.” Leo’s voice was calm now, too calm. “You gave the order, then buried me like I was the one who started a
Micah stepped out of the trees slowly, hands at his sides, not threatening. He looked older now, more tired, but the sharp edge of sarcasm hadn’t dulled in his voice.“I’d say I missed you, but that’d be a lie.” Micah gave a half shrug. “You look like hell, by the way.”Leo let out a dry chuckle. “That’s because I’ve been there.”Micah studied him in silence for a moment. “You don’t look like him anymore. The Leo we knew.”Leo finally looked over his shoulder. “That Leo died in a pit and crawled out a vampire.”“You crawled out something, alright,” Micah said. “But I don’t think it’s too late.”“I do,” Leo said. “I should’ve died down there. Would’ve made things easier for everyone.”“But you didn’t.”“Yeah. I didn’t.” Leo turned, his eyes darker now, but no longer glowing. “And now what? You’re here to convince me to come back to the pack? Ask for forgiveness? Be the brother again?”“I’m not here to convince you of anything,” Micah said simply. “I’m here because I wanted to see for m
KARAThe moment we stepped out of the woods, Leo vanished. One second he was there—forehead still resting against mine, fingers wrapped around mine like he was afraid of letting go—and the next, gone like smoke in moonlight.I stood there for a second, staring into the trees, not sure if I’d imagined it all. But my heart was still racing. My wrist still bore the shape of his grip. And my mind—my mind was full of things I didn’t know how to say out loud.We returned to the packhouse in silence. Delilah flanked me on one side, her expression carved in steel. Aria moved behind us, not saying a word. I could feel their eyes on me, like they were waiting for me to fall apart. I didn’t.Linda was already waiting on the porch, arms crossed, brows pinched with worry. She didn’t ask questions. She just looked at me—and somehow, she already knew.Inside the packhouse, Zarek was pacing the length of the main hall like a caged animal. The moment he saw us, he stopped. His eyes scanned me, then De
KARALeo didn’t flinch. His eyes locked on mine, feral, glowing faintly gold under the moon. But this was not the Leo we knew. Not anymore. Something inside him was wrong—off. He was supposed to be dead. Buried. Gone.And yet, there he stood. Breathing. Smirking.Delilah edged closer beside me, her voice low. “He shouldn’t be alive. We saw him die.”“Then we buried the wrong body,” I whispered.Leo’s gaze shifted. “Touching reunion. Too bad it won’t last.”I stepped forward. “Let go. Zarek loves you. He did everything to save you.”Leo laughed—harsh, broken. “Save me? He killed the one I loved.”“That girl,” I said, voice firm, “wanted to destroy the world.”“You don’t know what love is,” Leo spat.“And you don’t know what she was planning,” I shot back. “She used you, Leo. You were her puppet.”He flinched. Just for a second.“I don’t care,” he said, voice lower now, bitter. “I would’ve burned everything for her.”“And she would’ve let you.”“I chose her.”“No. You followed her. That
“You heard what?” Kieran asked, turning sharply.Izzy’s hand trembled, the silver wine goblet clinking against the table. “Leo is dead.”The words hung heavy in the hall, louder than the music playing in the background, louder than the laughter echoing from the guests.Mark straightened from where he was tying the last of the birthday banners. “Are you sure?”Izzy nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “It was her. Kara did it.”Kieran’s jaw tensed. “Of course she did.”“But today is—” Izzy glanced around. “Today is Ronan’s birthday. We don’t need this now.”“Doesn’t matter,” Mark muttered. “If Kara killed Leo, she won’t stop there.”“She's coming, isn't she?” Kieran asked, looking toward the window.Izzy’s silence was the only answer he needed.They didn’t invite the Golden Wolf Pack. Kara wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near their borders. But somehow, deep down, Kieran knew she was already on her way.The music played louder now. Guests were arriving, exchanging gifts, and laughi
KARAMy throat burned from screaming his name.Zarek.For a second, everything went still. The cave. The cold. Even Leo.He tilted his head slightly, like he’d heard it too.“Still clinging to hope?” he asked.I spat at his feet. “You should be afraid.”Leo chuckled, slow and cold. “Your mate’s too late. He always is.”The hooded woman dragged me forward, but I yanked my arm back, digging my heels into the stone floor. “I swear, Leo, if you do this—”He stepped forward and pressed two fingers to my lips. “Shh.”I bit him.Hard.His blood hit my tongue like fire. I spit it out and shoved him with both hands. “Touch me again and I’ll kill you.”He looked stunned for a second… then smiled. “That’s more like it.”I turned to run. Anywhere. Anywhere but toward the altar glowing with red sigils and cursed candles.The woman caught me by the hair.Pain shot down my spine as she yanked me back. “You’ll walk, or I’ll break your legs and drag you.”“I’m not afraid of you,” I hissed.“You should