LOGINChloe let out a cold laugh. "And to think I considered you a friend. Now tell everyone how you murdered my father.""I didn't kill him," Adele said, lifting her chin. "It was a heart attack."Chloe stalked toward her, each step deliberates "You're making me angry, and when that happens... I can't control what follows.""Fine! I did it!" Adele blurted. "We needed a younger alpha. And you're nothing but a freak.""Freak?" Chloe's laugh was sharp before her smile vanished. "That's a new one."Dylan stepped between them. "Kill me instead. She only did it because I asked her to. Please, don't hurt her.""How romantic," Chloe drawled. "Wouldn't you agree, Callum?" She whispered an incantation, and the heavy doors swung open. The pack entered silently. "They've requested to carry out the sentence, and I've granted permission." Chloe gave a small wave as they seized the prisoners."Chloe, wait!" Adele screamed. "I'm pregnant!" Dylan's head snapped toward her, eyes wide."That's out of my hand
Chloe strode into the grand throne room, the same place where she’d once been a contender, where she’d first crossed paths with Hunter. Just the thought of his name sent a sharp pang through her chest.Callum rose, scanning the crowd filing in. “Chloe, what’s all this?” he asked, a faint smile playing on his lips.“It’s a game,” she announced, clapping her hands. “Do sit down, won’t you?”He blinked, taken aback. “A game? What kind of game?”“The one you started, Callum. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”His smile vanished as vampires began closing in.“Shall we begin?” Chloe said, her tone light.“You can’t hurt me, Chloe,” he said quietly, almost mournfully.“Oh, right. My bad.” She muttered a quick chant, and the doors slammed shut. The vampires dropped to their knees, their gazes shifting to Callum. Chloe’s eyes hardened as she moved toward the couple she’d brought in. With a dramatic wave of her hand, she revealed Caroline and Dr. Knowles Sr.“Welcome to the games,” she declared, he
James sent her a quick message. She replied instantly, then Todd chimed in. This was it.He was halfway out the office when Adele intercepted him.“Dr. Knowles, you’ve got…”“Leave it in my office,” he cut her off, already turning to go.“She’s pinning his death on me, and that Hunter’s obsessed with me,” James halted. He spun back around.“Why aren’t you dealing with her directly? I don’t care and keep this out of work.”“I thought you two…”“Make one more assumption, and you’re fired,” James snapped.“Sorry,” she muttered, but he was already walking away.French QuarterThey were all in his apartment when James walked in. Chloe’s face was a mess of sadness and pain.He kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes.“Chloe, it’s almost over,” he said, then turned to Todd. “Alright, spill it.”“Caroline’s meeting with Dr. Knowles Senior.”“Okay, that’s normal, I guess…”“Yeah, but every time they meet, there’s some random person with them, and they look… out of it.”“No way, she wouldn
Atlanta, GeorgiaHunter sat at the window of his new penthouse. Why does everything feel off, he wondered, like something was missing. He’d left it all behind, but her name kept creeping into his thoughts. Focus on yourself, he muttered, grabbing his jacket and heading out to clear his head.He wandered aimlessly, ending up on a dimly lit street. The smell hit him first, blood. His head snapped toward the source.“Wrong place, asshole,” a young guy sneered, driving a kick into his gut.They laughed, taking turns to rough him up.“How’s this fair?” Hunter growled.One of them pulled a gun. “Oh, now you’re really asking for it,” he spat, lunging forward. He drank from him, enough not to kill him. The others scattered, leaving the man they had beaten barely clinging to consciousness. He glanced at the him.“Look at me. You want to live forever?”“What?” the man whispered, eyes widening at the sight of Hunter’s fangs. He nodded.Hunter bit him, waited for the twitching to stop, then bit h
James stepped into the bayou, Chloe’s voice echoing behind him, telling him to keep moving, she’d be around somewhere. Then Caroline appeared, her gaze sharp as she sized him up.“What do you want?” she snapped, her tone icy.“Wow, Mom. That is some greeting for your long-lost son,” James shot back.She went pale. “What? I do not even know you.”“Cut the crap,” he said, tossing a photo at her feet. She picked it up, her hands trembling slightly.“That was a lifetime ago. So what? What do you want?” she asked, defensive.“Answers,” James said firmly.“Fine. I had an affair with your father. You were the result. He took you, and I stayed away. We were both married. Happy?”“Who’s your husband?” James pressed.“Does it matter?” she muttered, her voice heavy with regret.“I’ll tell you, James,” a voice chimed in from behind her. “It’s Frank. My father. He’s dead.”Caroline froze, caught. “Alright, you’ve met your sister. Chloe’s my other child.”“Yeah, we put that together, Mom,” Chloe sa
Chloe strolled into Callum’s mansion like it was just another Tuesday. Everyone stopped dead. Callum broke the silence with a laugh, pushing himself off his throne and striding over to her. He wrapped her in a hug. “My child’s back! Look, everyone, she’s here. Where the hell have you been?”“Oh, you know, around,” Chloe shrugged, then relented. “Fine, I’ll spill. First, I got a taste of the pack life, then dipped into the vampire scene with you. But I wanted to explore my witch side, so I headed down to the bayou, met up with my sisters.”Callum chuckled, though it sounded a little forced. “Great. How’d that go?”“Let’s just say… enlightening. Found out some things about myself I didn’t expect.”“Like what?” he asked, his brow furrowing.“I can pull off a few spells, for starters. Water turns this eerie blue when I step into it, spirits pop up, weird stuff, you know?” Chloe caught Arran staring at her, intense as ever. “Callum, mind if I talk to Arran for a sec?”“Go ahead,” he said,







