~ KILLAN ~
Ronan takes in a deep breath and continues, "They want a fucking password for us to enter some super-secret room." Swiping at the pad, he grunts. "It’s Cowboy? Freaking Cowboy?" He pauses for a minute, then continues after Magnus responds. "If you don’t hear back from me by the morning, you’ll know who’s responsible. I’ll be sure to tell them we chatted as soon as I get inside. Just so they know their asses are grass if they fuck this up. Keep our girl safe. I’ll be in touch." "Nice." I grin and crack my neck. The wolves have the right to challenge Ronan, but killing him would earn them Magnus’s eternal wrath. He’s the male’s father-in-law. If Ronan dies, Lyra might not survive. "Can we get this over with?" "Absolutely," Ronan grunts and puts his cell away as he strides to the door, the loud boom of music nearly drowning out his voice. "The sooner we get this over with, the better." As we~ KILLAN ~ Ronan takes in a deep breath and continues, "They want a fucking password for us to enter some super-secret room." Swiping at the pad, he grunts. "It’s Cowboy? Freaking Cowboy?" He pauses for a minute, then continues after Magnus responds. "If you don’t hear back from me by the morning, you’ll know who’s responsible. I’ll be sure to tell them we chatted as soon as I get inside. Just so they know their asses are grass if they fuck this up. Keep our girl safe. I’ll be in touch." "Nice." I grin and crack my neck. The wolves have the right to challenge Ronan, but killing him would earn them Magnus’s eternal wrath. He’s the male’s father-in-law. If Ronan dies, Lyra might not survive. "Can we get this over with?" "Absolutely," Ronan grunts and puts his cell away as he strides to the door, the loud boom of music nearly drowning out his voice. "The sooner we get this over with, the better." As we
~ TESS ~ “I wouldn’t give him any cash,” I began to explain, deciding not to play things cool. Lyra had been around Garrett through the years. She knew the score. “He tried to throw a huff, but Killan stepped in, telling him he could stay until a Realtor took a look at the place. Maybe I would have let that slide, but I’ve honestly had enough. I told him to leave before I called the police.” “You know it’s not your fault, right?” Resting a hand on my leg, Lyra continued quietly, "He’s been doing this to herself for years. No one can help her but herself.” “I know.” I rested my fingers over Lyra’s and squeezed them. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed having you around.” “I've missed you too.” “So are we watching a movie or what?” I said, rising from the couch. “I’m not sure what kind of liquor Killan has, but we can raid the cabinets if yo
~ TESS ~ I don’t even get the chance to watch Killan walk out the door. The moment the men head for the exit, Lyra grabs my arm and pulls me toward the couch with a conspiratorial whisper, “Hurry up and sit down. Now that they’re gone, you can tell me everything. I want details—every last one.” Reluctantly, I trail after her, my mind scrambling to find the right words. She’s been throwing questions at me all night, casually at first—what’s he like, how does he treat you—but as the evening wore on, her curiosity sharpened, shifting into something far more... explicit. At first, I’d laughed it off. I mean, I had asked Killan to take me on his desk just the night before. It’s not like I was shy about it. But now? Now, I find myself hesitating. Because those moments—his hands on me, his breath on my skin, the way he made me feel like I was the only thing that mattered—they weren’t just about sex. They w
~ KILLAN ~ I originally planned to keep Tess out of sight from the others. She’d hate the idea of shifting in front of anyone else, and the thought alone makes my chest tighten for her. “What if we’re too far away?” I ask, my voice low. Ronan leans back in his chair, cool and confident. “I made sure to lock onto her scent. I’ll find her. When she’s ready, just howl. I’ll make sure it’s quick.” Just howl? Despite the worry knotted in my gut, I huff a dry laugh. “Yeah. I can do that.” Ronan’s phone buzzes. He checks the screen. “Figured you could.” “Any news?” I ask. Cain was supposed to check in. He and the others are keeping the rogue contained. Their orders are clear—deliver him to the hunt thirty minutes before it starts. Ronan places the phone on the counter. “Some. But first, I need a favor.” The shift in his tone
~ TESS ~ Despite everything, I can’t deny the fear curling inside me. The unknown is a beast I haven’t yet made peace with. Any warmth I’d built up in the bath evaporates under the sudden ice of uncertainty. Lyra survived her first shift. I can survive mine too... right? Plenty of people have been bitten and lived to tell the tale. But that doesn’t mean the pain won’t come. The next time I get a quiet moment with her, I’ll ask. I need to know what to expect. Grabbing the shampoo beside me, I get to work. I wash my hair, scrub every inch of my skin, and shave the light bristles that have appeared in all the places I never used to worry about. As the razor glides between my thighs, I think about how Killan’s mouth felt there. A shiver wracks my body, the memory still far too vivid. I shake it off and climb out, toweling myself dry and slipping into the soft, folded clothes he left on the counter.
~ KILLAN ~ "Going right for the throat, are we?" Cain asks, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes, a shade of blue so dark they look black, begin to glow faintly. "I left my pack because I had to." "How so?" I ask, keeping my tone even. Cain sighs, tension rolling off him in waves. "My mate activated our dream pairing." That throws me. Leaving his pack after that doesn’t make sense. “That doesn’t add up,” I say finally. “Why didn’t you wait for her?” “I did,” Cain replies with another sigh. “But for some reason, she never came. My wolf and I waited for as long as we could. Eventually, we decided we couldn’t stay still anymore. I left to find her.” “She’s here?” He shrugs, noncommittal, and I growl softly. “It’s either she’s here or she’s not.” “I don’t know where she is.” “Then why are you here?” I ask, pressing. "I need to