Bronx’s POVI push against what feels like black walls made of tar that don’t actually exist. The more I push, the less I feel the outside world. It’s almost like I’m being suffocated from the inside out. He fucking blocked me? Over my dead body. This fuzzy white prick thinks he’s going to block me from having any control and get away with it. As soon as I can feel something, I force my way forward and grab at anything I can. A slight violet aura surrounds my consciousness, giving me more strength to fight against the confinement. At least having some of Kas’s power rubbed off on me has proven useful. When I get a firm grip on him, and yank Saint back so I can shift.“Fuck off, Bronx.” Saint sneers as he lets himself fall back. Between how hard I pulled on him and how little he fought back, I feel myself shift too quickly.I tumble forward from a height onto the floor with a hard thud. When I look up, I’m in my office with Milo and Reggie looking at me suspiciously. It looks like I f

Milo and Reggie leave the papers and photos for me to look through more carefully when I feel better. I pick up a picture of the front of a binder. There is a sticker on the front in Kas’s neat, loopy handwriting that says ‘Menae Notes’. The next few photos show snapshots of the contents. Cut outs from home decorating magazines, information about new appliances, upholstery samples, and furniture. The more photos I look at, the older the contents of the binder look. Old scraps of paper that show names and abilities associated with each. Diagrams on how to connect spells. Notes about elements that don’t exist on the periodic table. The last couple show pieces of scrolls written in ancient languages with unusual symbols and charts. This must be the binder I threw in the fireplace before they could scan everything in. I fall back on the bed and cover my face with my hands. Milo was right. If Kas would have told me she wanted to go on a suicide mission, I would have stopped her or made h

I sit in the hallway of the children’s ward and read Kas’s instructions: - Don’t lose concentration. - Think about the end goal. - Constant flow of energy. - Remove everything else from your mind, like meditating. - Move slowly. - Stop if you’re tired. The last one makes me a little more nervous though: - If anything happens to my baby, I will never forgive you. Neither will any of my sisters. I crumble the paper up in hand and hold my fist up to my forehead. Never? Like actually never? And she pulled the Menae card? Shit. I could really go for a drink right now. Another wave of dizziness washes over me in response to the thought, making me sit back and close my eyes. I take deep breaths, trying to stop the nausea from taking over again. Not now. I have to help my son. I don’t have time for this. Not now... Not now. “Alpha, you can come in. We’re ready for you.” The nurse’s quiet voice cuts through the hallway like an exploding bomb. I open my eyes with a sharp breath and

The roaring of the Blood River’s wild current crashing into the rocks draws me from my sleep. When I open my eyes, I realize I’m laying on the grass. The full moon is lighting up the raging river and everything around it with an eerie glow. The edges of my vision seem misty for such a clear, crisp night. The ground is dry, but the air smells like fresh rain and lilacs. I look around and see the river bank thirty yards away. Its banks overflowing the way they do every spring thaw. There’s a woman standing with her feet in the agitated water. Her white dress has pleated sheer fabric attached to the shoulders. It looks like she’s wearing a cape with her long, backless white dress. A silver rope around her waist holds the dress in place. Black flames with deep purple licking at the edges float two inches above her head, extending into tall, sharp points in the night sky. The points create wisps of smoke that curl in the air and disappear on the gentle night breeze. I look closer and not

Ashley’s eyes are black and extended claws, with her wolf at the surface. “Let him go, Bronx.” I lighten my grip on Reggie’s arm and stare her down. “Zinnia, calm down.” “NOW!” She growls and jumps forward in her seat, shaking the SUV. Arnie turns in his seat and reaches his arm back. “Gamma, please. Sit back. I’m not trying to restrain anyone here today.” I slowly release Reggie and hold my hands up. “Alright, see, I let go. I apologize, Zinnia. Please give Ashley back. I was sleeping. I didn’t know what I was doing.” “That’s what you said the last time.” She snarls, referring to the time I had a PTSD episode where I blacked out and almost slit his throat, thinking he was an intruder in the packhouse. “No, this wasn’t like last time. It was just a dream, but it felt so real.” I rub my hands over my face. “I’m sorry. Reggie, are you okay?” “I’m good.” He rubs his arm with his hand, then turns to Ashley. “Zinnia, it’s okay. I’m fine. Please let Ashley come forward now.” Ashle