登入Sage's POVI felt the blood drain from my face. Brother. Zane was Tom's brother. I knew Tom had a sibling, but he had barely ever mentioned it. I had assumed it was because the relationship was strained or painful. I had never imagined this.My mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments. "Tom," I choked out, a low undertone of shock.. "Is what he said true?"Tom did not answer. But his body language told me everything I needed to know. Zane was not lying.Zane laughed. "Have you not tried to ruin our plans before? And it did not work. The reason your life was spared was because I let you live. I showed you mercy, tom. And now you are back again? Throwing yourself into the same losing battle?""Shut up," Tom said in a dangerous tone.The chains around my body and wrist burned, and I winced. The wolfsbane was still in my system, dulling my powers, making my head spin. I forced myself to focus."Tom," I said. "Are you working with him? Are you part of this?"Tom finally looked a
Sage's POVI raised my hands in surrender. My heart pounded in my chest, but I kept my face calm. I had not sensed him at all. "Get in," the man said, gesturing with the gun toward the open door.I walked into the room slowly, my hands still raised. The space was larger than I expected, dimly lit by bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Crates and boxes were stacked against the walls, and in the center stood four people, dressed in tactical gear, their weapons holstered at their sides. They were all looking at me.And I recognized them immediately.The hunters that have been chasing me for 6months now.Their leader stepped forward. Zane. Tall, broad-shouldered, with cold eyes and a cruel smile. I had seen his face in too many nightmares.The drunk man who had led me here saw that I had been caught, and his entire demeanor changed. His shoulders straightened, and the fear in his eyes was replaced by smug satisfaction. He pointed at me and spoke quickly, his voice dripping with self-importanc
Sage's POVI reached out and placed my hand on the man's chest, stopping him from leaning closer. I gave him a slow smile, the kind that made men think they were getting what they wanted."If you want things to go further," I said, my voice low and sweet, "you can definitely find a more private place in this building than right here at the bar."The man's eyes lit up. A twinkle appeared in them, the kind that said he thought he had hit the jackpot. His smile widened, and his hand squeezed my wrist."I know a perfect spot for that," he said."Then take me there."I stood up from the stool, and the man scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his drink. He reached for my hand, and I let him take it, even though every fiber of my being wanted to pull away.I glanced back at the three men as I walked past. Kael. Vex. Cass. I gave them a flick of my fingers, a signal that I was fine. Their expressions did not change. Their eyes followed me, hard and suspicious. They did not look like
Sage's POVI looked down at my clothes. "Our outfits are not something we would wear to an all-night bar club," I said. "We will stand out the moment we walk through the door."Before anyone could respond, we heard noise and laughter coming from the bar club entrance. A group of drunk men stumbled out, their arms around a few women who were laughing just as loudly. They did not see us. They were too busy with their own revelry, heading off into the night.Kael watched them pass, and a slow smile spread across his face. "Our solutions have just walked right to us."***Some time later, I stood in the shadows of a narrow alley, wearing an outfit that I was not comfortable in at all. The dress was short, ending well above my knees, and tight in ways that made me want to tug at the fabric every few seconds. The shoes were heels, impractical and annoying. I had switched outfits with one of the women after Kael and the others had knocked out the drunk men and dumped them somewhere out of s
Sage's POVMilo shook her head. "I did not see him involved. I do not know if he is part of it or not. That is as far as I could see. The vision ended before I could get more."I pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you. You may have just saved our lives."She hugged me back, her small arms squeezing tight. "Be careful, Mom."I pulled back and looked at her face. "Rest now. Do not leave this room unless it is absolutely necessary. Lock the door behind me and do not open it for anyone except me. Do you understand?"Milo nodded. "I understand."We shared one more hug, brief but fierce, and then I stood up and walked to the door. I looked back at her one last time. She was sitting on the bed, her legs tucked under her, her eyes still holding that sharp, knowing look.I stepped out and closed the door behind me. I heard the lock click into place.I left the hotel and walked to the outskirts of the property where the others were waiting. The moon was high, casting pale light over the courtya
Sages POVFew hours later, I sat in the meeting room. it was chaos. Everyone was arguing with one another.The council members, young and old, arguing among themselves. I just sat there. My body was exhausted, my mind was numb, and my arms still ached from wrestling Zoe to the ground. Clara had been taken to the medical wing. Milo was safe in a secure location with the other children.Elder Tomas was trying to get everyone's attention. He slammed his hand on the table, called for order, begged for silence. No one listened. The arguing continued.Then Kael stepped forward. His voice covered the room."I said enough."The room went silent. Everyone turned to look at him. His face was hard, his eyes cold, his posture radiating the kind of authority that came from being an Alpha King.Elder Tomas let out a breath. "Thank you," he said. "Now, no amount of arguing is going to help us solve this issue. We need to focus on what we can do, not who we can blame."A younger council member stood







