ログイン“Don't touch anything. Don't be intimidated by them. Don't make direct eye contact with my father. Don't be bothered by my mother, and you'll be fine." "Damn, Talon," I say through a nervous smile. "Am I allowed to breathe?" He scowls at me like I can't understand his fear, but in reality, I'm probably more nervous than him. How will his parents react to him bringing a random girl home to "study" and sleep over? Not just any random girl, but a human? "This is serious, Olivia. I haven't seen my parents since I moved into CrestRidge three years ago." He explains. My eyes widen. "Why not?" "It's... complicated." I set my jaw. "Doesn't bringing a human girl home make it even more complicated?" "Yes? No?" He gives an elegant shrug. "My ancestors made our money alongside humans before the war. My family isn't going to hate you for being who you are. I guess they'll just be pissed that you are the reason I came back." He casts me a sideways glance, and the butterflies in my belly go
We wait for him to say it's a joke. The Axel who raised Ryker, who cares for us with his life, would never, ever stoop so low over some grudge against humans. But maybe we don’t know him at all, cause he doesn’t deny it. “This is your fault.” Olivia’s voice dips low and dangerous. “You’re the reason for Everest’s obsession with me.” Axel runs a hand through his hair. “No, that’s not… he wanted you from the start. I just offered you—” “You offered me to him?” Olivia squeaks. “You gave me to him like some… some object? What the fuck is your problem?” “Don’t—” He growls, jumping forward. “You don’t understand what it’s like—” “To suffer?!” she barks. “To lose my family to war? To be treated badly for the sole fact I’m human? To almost die for being who I am? I know exactly what it’s like. I know it even more. You haven’t gone through half of what I’ve been through, Parker. So fucking stop.” I feel Axel’s guilt rattle through our bond, and I can’t tell whose is stronger: his for m
My heart stops. Talon takes in an audible breath, and I feel a small flutter of hope at the idea. She would do that for us? For Tally? “Don’t risk yourself for me, Miss Blackwood,” Talon says quietly after a moment. “And why not?” She moves over to him, staring at him until he looks away. “You’re worth it, Talon.” “It’s not about worth. Everest is dangerous.” “And I’m not?” Talon glances back up, hazel eyes shining like the day she saved his life. “No. Not like him. He’s evil. He’ll use his power to destroy anyone just for the fun of it. Whatever power you have, you’ve used only for good.” “Then let me use my power for good again; let me help you,” she pleads, grasping his hand. Talon startles as he looks at their joined fingers. A lump bobs in his throat. The tips of his silver hair brush over their hands, and I want him to just stay that way. To let himself be loved. He pulls his hand away, and I feel the same dissatisfaction that crosses over Olivia’s face. “How do we ev
Ryker, Talon, and I rush through the empty school building in the middle of the night. We’re not meant to be here after closing hours, but who gives a shit? Axel and Olivia got hurt. Livvy was fucking stabbed. I paid off a guard to allow us in, and the only thing filling the silence of the school halls is our shared rage. “Silver?!” Ryker growls in disbelief. “How did Everest Reed get his hands on silver?” “Better question: how did he hold it without burning his skin clean off?” “Who fucking cares about Everest Reed? What about Miss Blackwood?” Talon grits out, and we turn to him. I furrow my brows in concern. Since he found out about the videos yesterday, he’s been jittery, more jittery than usual. I took him home and he stared out the window for hours, saying nothing. He only came back to life when news of Axel broke. And of Livvy. “That bastard stabbed her. I’m going to fucking kill him,” he rages on. We share growls of agreement. We can handle Talon’s emotions late
Alpha Rick doesn’t come to see me. The day has faded to night, and true to the nurse's word, Axel and I have been hooked up to heart monitors for the night. I keep looking out the window, staring at the grey clouds and waiting for Rick to arrive and ask if I'm okay. I try to ignore that disappointed feeling I get whenever he flakes on me. I heard him beg for my life just a few hours ago, but suddenly he doesn’t care that I was stabbed? “Stop.” Axel’s clipped tone forces me out of my head. I avoid turning to him, cause I think if I have to stare at his bare, tattooed body I'll falter, “Stop what?” “Breathing so hard.” This fucking guy, “I’m breathing a normal amount.” “No you aren’t. You’re messing with my head.” I don’t know what to say to that. We aren’t exactly friends cause I saved his life, but he’s not trying to murder me, which, somehow, is an upgrade in our relationship. There’s so much I want to ask him: About Ryker, about Liana, about how to stop this flutter my hear
I leap out of bed and catch Olivia. She crumples in my arms with a small “oof” and then she stops moving. For a split, horrifying second, I think she’s dead. But then I feel her pulse beat beneath my fingertips, in-sync with mine, and I breathe a little easier. The ache in my shoulder is gone. The poison spreading around my body is no longer killing me. I don’t know what she’s done, or how she keeps doing it, but this time, I owe her my life. She’s weightless in my arms as I carry her, then drop her on one of the nurse’s beds. The ointment Marjorie and the other woman went looking for plops out from her shirt. “A distraction? Really?” I mutter, trying hard not to be amused by her. What sort of pride convinced Olivia Blackwood that she could save me better than the nurse could?And why did that pride work? The nurses will soon be back, and they’ll need an explanation for our sudden healing. I pick up the ointment, slathering the peppery oil on my shoulder. My eyes water from the







