LOGINChristie's POV The clock in the hallway struck two, but the sound didn't matter because I hadn't been asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Julian’s face. I saw the way his skin looked gray and the way his hand shook as he pointed that needle at my throat. I could still hear the sound of his body hitting the bookshelf when Lyon tackled him. The house felt like it was holding its breath. My mother was locked in her room, likely plotting with the new lawyers she had called, and Richard was somewhere in the east wing, probably drinking himself into a stupor. I pushed off the bed and walked out of my room. My throat was dry, and the silence of the mansion was making the hair on my arms stand up. I made my way down to the kitchen, my bare feet silent on the cold tiles. I didn't turn on the lights. The moonlight coming through the large windows over the sink was enough to show me I wasn't alone.Lyon was sitting on one of the high stoo
Lyon's POV I left Christie in the lab and walked back up the stairs. My blood was still running hot. Every time I thought about Julian lunging at her with that needle, the wolf inside me pushed against my skin, wanting to tear the man apart. I didn't care about the laws of this city. I only cared about the fact that a parasite had tried to harm my mate.I stepped into the study and closed the door behind me. Julian was slumped in a chair, his face a mess of blood and bruises where I’d hit him. Richard was standing by the window, staring out at the driveway. He looked like a man who had suddenly realized his entire life was built on a lie."He's not going to the police," I said. My voice was flat.Richard turned around. "He tried to kill my daughter, Lyon. He belongs in a cell.""If he goes to a precinct, the press goes with him," I reminded him. "They’ll drag Christie’s name through the mud. They’ll call her research dangerous. Julian wi
Christie's POV I didn’t stop running until I reached the basement. The heavy door of the lab clicked shut behind me, and I finally let out the breath I had been holding since Lyon slammed Julian into the bookshelf. My hands were shaking so hard the glass vial rattled against my fingernails. I walked over to the central workbench and set the injector down, staring at it under the bright fluorescent lights. The lab felt different now. It was no longer a room in my mother's house where I hid to escape her voice. It was a fortress. Lyon owned this floor, this house, and the air I was breathing. The thought should have terrified me, but it was the only thing keeping my legs from giving out.I pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed a slide. I needed to know what Julian was so desperate to put into my veins. I extracted a tiny drop of the cloudy green liquid and smeared it across the glass, slotting it under the microscope. I leaned in, adjusting the focus. What I saw made my blood run
Lyon's POV I didn't wait for my brain to process the move. I was already in the air. As Julian lunged, I threw my weight across the corner of the desk, my shoulder slamming into his ribs. The impact made a sickening thud. Julian gasped as he was knocked sideways, his feet leaving the floor before he crashed into a heavy bookshelf.The injector flew out of his hand. It spun through the air, the glass glinting under the study lights, before it landed on the rug right at Christie’s feet. I didn't stop. I stepped over the edge of the desk and planted my boot firmly in the center of Julian’s chest, pinning him to the floor. He groaned, his hands clawing at my leg, but I put enough pressure on his sternum to make him stop breathing for a second."Try that again," I growled, my voice sounding more like a wolf than a man. "See what happens to your neck."Christie was trembling. She stared at the small glass tube on the floor, then slowly reached down and picked it up. She held it with two
Lyon's POV I sat in Richard’s leather armchair, making sure I took up as much space as possible. The room was small, and I wanted Julian to feel every inch of my presence. My nose twitched. Obsidian was pacing in my head, baring his teeth at a scent that didn't belong in a home. The scent was coming from Julian. I wondered if the man knew that I could smell him.I looked at Julian. He was sweating despite the air conditioning. His hands were tucked into his pockets, but I could see the slight tremor in his shoulders."You look pale, Julian," I said. My voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence. "Is the stress of losing your investment affecting your health?"Julian wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "I’m perfectly fine. We are here to discuss the legal transfer of debt, not my well-being.""Are we?" I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I let my eyes wander over him. He was t
Christie's POV The look on Julian’s face changed the moment his phone buzzed. As he looked at the screen, his expression went flat. The color drained from his cheeks. He didn't say a word; he just stared at the device as if it had turned into a snake."What is it, Julian? Wasn't she bluffing?" Diane asked, her voice sharp with impatience. "Just give her the pen. Let’s get this over with before Richard gets back."Julian didn't move. "The debt," he whispered. His voice was thin. "It’s gone.""Of course it’s gone, you're settling it now," Diane said, reaching for the papers."No," Julian snapped, pulling the documents back. "I mean it’s been bought. The entire portfolio. The bridge loans, the gambling markers, the liens. Everything was transferred to a private firm five minutes ago. I don't hold the debt anymore, Diane. I have no standing here."The front door swung inward with a heavy force that made everyone freeze. Lyon walked in. He was in a dark, tailored suit that emphasized h
Christie's POVLyon didn't answer my question.He just looked at me across the kitchen table with a steady expression that gave nothing away, and then he stood up and took both our plates to the sink. I let it go. For now.I went back upstairs to check on Nima. She was still sleeping, her vitals h
Lyon's POVElder Cass had to be the last foolishness I was tolerating. Especially where Christie was concerned. "A word, Lyon," he said, his eyes still fixed on Christie like she was something that needed to be removed from the floor."You can have several," I said. "Step outside."I followed him
Christie's POV Someone had carried me to bed.That was the first thing I registered when I opened my eyes. I had sat down on the couch in the hallway outside Nima's room to rest my legs for a minute, and then nothing. I was out. And now I was in the guest room, under a heavy blanket, with no memor
Lyon's POVThe guard's words were still hanging in the air when I was already moving.Three humans. And they were with cameras.I didn't take anyone with me as I headed in the reported direction. The moment I stepped out of the tree cover and into the open, all three of them froze. Young men, mayb







