Chapter 76

JACE’S POV

I missed the fucking hockey meeting. I’d never done that before, not once, not even when I’d had a split lip and a broken rib from practice the night before, not even when I’d been hungover as shit, not even when my father had been chewing me out for hours about being worthy of the damn pack. But tonight I sat in Killian’s room instead, hunched over on his bed like a complete waste, staring at the carpet until the patterns blurred, my claws pushing through just enough to sting my palms. My wolf paced under my skin, restless, pissed, snarling at me, but I couldn’t drag myself up, couldn’t even look at my stick leaning in the corner because guilt clawed me so deep it felt like I’d never breathe again.

Killian didn’t yell. That was the worst part. He sat at the desk edge, arms crossed tight, jaw like stone, eyes locked on me in that way he had when he was figuring out if I was worth the time of day or not. He’d always been the one to kick my ass, shout in my face, slam his st