-Gabriel-I’m standing in a darkened alleyway, the blood of a bounty hunter slipping down my claws, while Katherine is on her knees in front of me, waiting for death. I can see her body stiffen and her heartbeat pick up… she knows I’m here.“Hello, little lamb,” I murmur, but she doesn’t turn around when she gets to her feet, so I move closer and lean my head towards her ear. “Found you.”I can hear her mournful whimper right over the storm and it takes everything in me not to take her in my arms and hold her close. I don’t want to force myself on her if it will make her run again. She turns around with a hand clasped tightly over her mouth and tears shimmer in her eyes when she sees me.“Gabriel?” she says, removing her hand to reveal a trembling bottom lip. The sound of her saying my name knocks the wind out of me and I ball my hands into fists to compose myself.I give her a smile and nod, hoping she can see the gesture, but what she does next pushes the thought of not forcing myse

-Katherine-My feet carried me before my mind could even register what I was doing and the next thing I know, I’m rushing to where Daniel is parked. “OPEN UP!” I cry out, knocking on the window. “OPEN THE FUCK UP!”The door swings open and Daniel steps out, looking confused. “Is something wrong, ma’am?”I scoff. “Is something wrong?! You’re seriously going to ask me that?!” I cry out, then feel Xenia’s hands on my shoulders.“Deep breaths, babe,” she says, stroking my hair. “Did you see anyone in front of her apartment a few minutes ago?”“No, ma’am; we just swapped shifts when I saw your front door closing.” his eyes narrow, then he does a flick with his wrist and when I look behind me, I see three wolves running behind my apartment. “What has happened?”Tears choke my throat, and I dig my nails into my palms to compose myself. “When was the last time you heard from Gabriel?” I ask, my voice laced thick with tears.Daniel thinks for a moment before he answers. “Last night, ma’am, wh

-Katherine-“Your father really meant to hurt him,” Xenia says when she sees me pulling out the last baobab arrowhead from Gabriel’s arm. It clatters into the steel bowl, joining the rest of what I’ve pulled out.50 bullets in his torso, 28 arrows broken off in his right leg, staked through the arms so viciously that it left splinters… don’t get me started on the number of arrowheads in his stomach. All that plus scars from his limbs and fingers regrowing and the UV lamps.My father wanted Gabriel to suffer, and it fucking breaks my heart.“I know,” I say, tears clouding my vision and watching as a tear falls onto his bloodied chest and slips down his side. Xenia reaches for me and I shake my head. “No, I need to do this myself. It’s my fault they caught him.”“Kat-”“No!” I exclaim, throwing down the tweezers and glaring at her. “This is on me! I shouldn’t have sent him away that night, Xen, it nearly cost him his life!”She cringes away from me, sighing. “I’ll leave you, then,” she

-Xenia-Kat is going to owe me big time for this. While she’s at home getting her lady bits wrecked, I’m out here feeling awkward as hell with two of the hottest guys in this shady-ass biker bar. She can be lucky that I love her so much.I never would have expected this town to have a bar like this, seeing that it’s so nose-in-the-air, but I suppose every perfect thing has a hidden flaw. And I’m all for flaws. Dark corners, wooden exterior with matching barstools, tables, and chairs, and honest to God jukebox blasting Sabbath, leather, boots, and cigarette smoke.Yeah, flaws are my thing. I leave Valentine and Church and walk up to the bar, signaling for the bartender. “Jack and coke - heavy on the Jack,” I order when she approaches, eyeing my chest and smirking. No fucking idea what she’s eyeing since I’m only dressed in jeans, a black tank top showing no cleavage, and a leather jacket. She puts the tumbler down in front of me, nodding. “Running a tab?” “I think I might,” I grumbl

-Katherine- “Kazimir and Eirisse Vasile from Germany, Ezra Aviet from Armenia, Nisha and Niall Deveraux from France, Dante and Demetria Principe from Italy - these are the heads of the council. They’re old, powerful, and hold sway with a lot of important people because of the snakes they’ve managed to slip into government. Like me, for instance.” Gabriel explains while we drive along the snowy mountains. He’s been trying to teach me more about these people he says I shouldn’t be scared of, but the more he tells me, the more their names haunt me. “Is there anyone I should be particularly scared - uh, wary of?” I ask, and he shoots me a look. None of them can be trusted, I know but there must be one of them who I need to be extra careful of. There always is. “Yes; Kazimir and Eirisse. They’re twins and equally vicious as the other. Eirisse has drained her Fated while Kazimir keeps his locked up, so other lives mean absolutely jack shit to either of them. Don’t let your guard down; d