Mag-log inEllie’s POVSneaking out of my own house wasn’t something I thought I would ever have to do again after the ripe age of sixteen. Those days should have been long behind me, right along with high school crushes and underaged drinking in the woods.But now here I was. Putting on dark clothes, waiting
I put my bag back on my shoulder and went to the academy.I sat through two classes without retaining a single word of either of them, turning the same thought over in my head: Dominic was walking into something he had no idea was coming, and he refused to hear me, and the pack was going to pay for
Ellie’s POVThe moment I saw her standing there, I turned to leave. Of course, Vivian’s heels clicked against the floor as she fell into step behind me.“Hello, sister. Can we talk?” she asked.“I’m busy, Vivian.”“I just want to talk.”“And I just said I’m busy.” I pushed through the door at the en
Ellie’s POVDominic’s eyes landed on me like two knives slicing across the space between us. He made no effort to hide the disdain he harbored for me in that gaze. I supposed I made little effort on my end, either.He walked up to us. Looked between me and Ryan with that familiar glint of jealousy i
Ellie’s POVDays passed, and nothing changed. Not in any ways that mattered, at least.I didn’t see Dominic much during those days. He spent most of his time out of the house, and I spent most of my time at the healer academy, going through the motions of studying and attending classes without reall
Dominic shook his head. “Oh, sure. Because acting like a good husband, giving you the space you want, trying my damnedest to show you that I care, is totally what’s been driving you away.”“You know what?” I clenched my fists. “I don’t need to do this right now. Or ever. You’re drunk, and you’re act
Ellie POV I hear him above, twig snapping, legs breaking. Sounds like a storm with no rainWith a soft thud of dirt, the scrape of claws against stone, his massive shape drops back into the pit, a bundle of snapped logs and branches clenched in his jaws.He shakes, scattering leaves and soil every
Ellie POV The mountain watches us long before we reach it.By the time we gather at the clearing at its base, the air has turned sharp enough to sting when I inhale too deeply. Cold clings low to the ground, seeping up through the soles of my boots, settling into my calves.Even in daylight, jacket
I don’t know them, but I do. From the memory. Still, I find myself stepping forward into a knot of mostly unfamiliar faces—management-track students I’ve only ever passed in hallways or worked around, never with.Their jackets are cleaner. Their posture more assured. They cluster instinctively, alre
Vivian POV As soon as Dominc left, I. Was. Pissed.Everyone was in a rush, instructors trying to orchestrate a search party, students whispering and conspiring if Ellie was even alive.Some panicked, others choosing to keep celebrating the win of the day.The clearing was now a mess, lanterns swing







