CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREEZOEYI didn’t know when I fell asleep, only that it hit me like a wave, one moment I was curled under the blanket trying not to think, and the next, I was someplace else entirely.The dream didn’t feel like a dream at first.I was standing in the forest behind the pack house, barefoot, the air thick with mist. Everything was too quiet. Not a single bird or rustle of wind. The trees stretched endlessly around me, but I wasn’t cold. I was… waiting.Then, a sound, a baby crying.My heart leapt into my throat. I turned in all directions, trying to place it. It sounded distant at first, muffled, like it was echoing from far away but then it grew louder, desperate and frantic.I started running.My feet slapped against the forest floor, breath catching in my throat. I didn’t know what I was chasing or where I was going, but my legs carried me forward, deeper into the mist. Branches clawed at my arms, and something heavy pulled at my chest. I had to find
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWOGRAHAMZoey lay beside me, her back to my chest, curled under the blankets like she was trying to disappear into them. Her breathing was soft and steady, but I could tell she wasn’t asleep. Something had changed about her and she was bothered. I could feel it.She hadn’t said much since yesterday. Not after she got sick, not even after I tucked her into bed and sat beside her, quietly watching her face for clues she wouldn’t say out loud.Now, I ran my fingers gently through her hair. “You awake?”A pause, then she let out a quiet hum. “Mhm.”“What are you thinking about?”“Nothing,” she whispered.I didn’t believe her.I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “You’ve been quiet since yesterday.”She pulled the blanket tighter around her like she was trying to protect herself from something. “I’m just tired.”I knew better than to push too hard when she was like this, so I nodded and let it go for now.We got up slowly, both of us moving like the weight of
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONEZOEYI didn’t sleep after Graham left. I just lay there, still curled up on the bed, the sheets twisted around my legs like a net. My body was warm from where he had been lying beside me, but I felt cold and restless in a way I couldn’t explain. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt like my thoughts were dragging me somewhere I wasn’t ready to go.I wasn’t okay and not in the way that a long nap or a hot meal could fix. Something felt… wrong.Or maybe not wrong but just different.Eventually, I gave up on pretending to sleep. I sat up slowly, pressing my hands to my stomach. It didn’t hurt, but it didn’t feel normal either. I had felt this way all morning. It was like an ache I couldn’t place, a churning that didn’t go away no matter how much water I drank or how deeply I breathed.My footsteps echoed softly as I made my way down the corridor. The pack house was still quiet, and I could hear faint voices outside, the warriors changing shifts, the stead
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETYZOEYThe morning sun felt warm against my face, slipping through the curtains to gently nudge me awake. I shifted a little, stretching my legs under the soft covers, listening to Graham’s steady breathing next to me.He stirred too, and his voice came out low and rough. “Are you awake?”“Mmm,” I hummed, not quite ready to let go of the comfort of the sheets.He chuckled, pressing his nose against my temple. “Your hair is in my face again.”I smirked, eyes still half closed. “You love it.”He snorted like it was the funniest thing ever. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”For a minute, we lay there in silence, sharing the peaceful quiet. It felt good no talk of rogues or borders or duties, just the two of us breathing the same easy air and living life like how it’s supposed to be.He sighed, wrapping his arms around me. “You know what we should do today?”I blinked, turning my head toward him. “What?”“Absolutely nothing.” He smiled like a little boy and
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINEGRAHAMMorning brought no relief. The entire house felt charged, like a single spark could burn it down. Zoey was quiet, eyes distant, as she sat on the edge of our bed pulling her hair into a loose braid. She’d barely slept, and I could see every hour of worry in the darkness beneath her eyes.I fastened the last buckle of my belt and glanced at her. “I’m going to talk to Charlie,” I told her.Zoey didn’t reply right away, just pressed her lips together. Finally, she nodded, stiff and guarded.I stepped closer, brushed a hand across her cheek. “I’ll handle it,” I said softly.“She was out there again, Graham,” Zoey murmured, voice cracking. “In the middle of the night, acting like a ghost. What is she up to?”I sighed. “I’ll find out. Try to get some rest, okay?”Her arms folded across her chest, defensive. “I don’t like this.”“I know,” I said, kissing her forehead, “but trust me.”Before she could answer, I left, moving through the halls toward t
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHTZOEYThe morning felt too quiet, almost like the calm before a storm. I hadn’t slept much after dinner the night before. Charlie’s sudden need to speak privately with Graham still nagged at me. I kept replaying her uneasy face in my mind, and it refused to settle.By the time the sun broke over the pack grounds, I needed to talk to someone or I would go crazy. So I made my way to Hannah’s quarters. She opened the door in her robe, hair still tied up, blinking like she’d just woken up.“Zoey? You look like you didn’t close your eyes all night,” she said.I let out a heavy breath. “I don’t even know where to start, Hannah.”She motioned me inside. “Sit down. Tell me everything. Is it Graham?” She asked.I sank onto her couch. “No,” I shook my head, “It’s Charlie. Ever since I saw her looking uneasy yesterday, then asking to speak to Graham alone, I haven’t been okay. I know she’s his cousin or whatever, but I can’t trust her. You know what she did.”