Lola was gasping for air. Even though the room was massive, the windows were open, and nothing was lodged in her throat, she still couldn’t seem to catch a breath. It was as though an invisible hand was wrapped around her throat, squeezing it tighter until black dots formed in her vision. “Lola!” She saw through her blurry vision how Ash stumbled back. Someone came up in front of her. He held her shoulders and slowly sat down on the floor with her. “Breathe!” He dragged his fingers through her hair, pinning her head back as he tried to see her face. Her face was turning red from lack of oxygen. “For fuck’s sake, Lola, you need to breathe!” “Should I not have told her? Whoops!” Ash laughed, walking to the table. “Look at me. You’re okay. You’re not dying. You can breathe. Feel the air, Lola.” He moved her hair away and lifted her face. “Feel the air going in your nose, down your windpipe, and feel your lungs expanding. Don’t think about anything other than the next step of the ne

The morning started with someone banging on the door to the guest room.Lola turned and pressed her face into the pillow, trying to hide from the sun that streamed in through the curtain-less window.Yesterday was just a big ball of weird crap that she still wasn’t sure happened. She turned on her back and stared at the ceiling. Maybe it was all just a dream. Maybe she fell again, and that was why she was here with a throbbing headache and a million questions.Just to make sure, she looked up and scanned the room. Yup, still at the Blackwoods’ mansion.“What?” Lola yelled when the knocking sounded louder and louder.The door opened up. She gasped and flew out of bed.“Melissa!” Lola pulled her in for a hug and closed the door behind her.“What are you doing here?” she asked when she pulled back. Melissa’s eyes were red, with deep dark circles covering them.A small frown pressed down on her forehead, and her eyes narrowed.“Do you see this?” She pointed to her eyes. “Have I ever looke

Lola ran around the apartment. She pulled open the few drawers that were left untouched. Her slim fingers wrapped around the knob of a drawer, and she pulled it, but it wouldn’t budge. She couldn’t remember what was in the drawer. Was it clothes? Books? She had no clue, and apparently, she wouldn’t find out. Lola stepped back. The duffel bag was next to her feet on the floor with one book and a pair of shoes inside. She stood staring at the drawer, wondering not only what was in it but also realizing it was the last of her personal effects.A whipping sound echoed past her, and a large hand grabbed the knob and broke the drawer by pulling it open. He held the board in his hand and looked at Lola’s shocked face. She slowly turned her head, her eyes following swiftly but unable to take in the view. His face was covered in blood splatter. Drops fell from his mouth, and his teeth were stained crimson.“Jax?”His eyes fell down her body to her feet. He looked at the bag that lay open, and

Jax closed the door to the bedroom, throwing one last glance at Lola sleeping on the bed. He clenched his fingers around the key and stared at the keyhole. He bit down and pressed the key in, turning it and locking the door. It’s for everyone’s good, he told himself. “We’re locking her up?” Landon, Jax’s wolf, said, his voice dripping with judgment.“It’s for her own good.”“For her own good or your own peace of mind? I mean, it is easier for you to handle her when she’s locked up, no?” Even though they were one, it didn’t mean their thoughts were the same or their actions always coincided with what the other felt was right.“I can’t have her run away. Ash is right.&rd

Lola sat on the chair in the kitchen, surrounded by Jax’s family members and the scary man from the hallway.He was eyeing her with a monotone expression. It seemed that he could catch any secret she held.Lola was thinking of ways to get out, but none seemed likely to work. She wondered at that moment who these people were and what they wanted from her. Many knew about the Blackwood family and their history in this town, but Lola was not one of them. She barely knew the town she lived in, let alone the families that had been here for generations.One thought that crossed her mind more than others was Jax said that they were werewolves. Did that include his parents? Was she surrounded by supernatural beings?There was no use in pretending that they didn’t exist. She had been attacked twice now by