CHAPTER 141 — I Wish I Cared

POV: VINE"I’m done looking at you," I said over my shoulder.I walked out of the room, my heartbeat slowing for the first time in months. With every step toward the exit, I felt the mansion—the weight of his expectations, the phantom touch of his hands, the fake charm of his voice—peeling away from my skin.By the time I reached the front gate, the air felt different. It was cold, but it was my air. I was walking out of the crypt.The sound of tires screeching against gravel cut through the evening. A sleek, high-end coupe pulled to a violent stop, blocking the pedestrian gate. The window rolled down.Rose Cartella.She was smoking a cigarette, her hair pulled back into a sharp ponytail. She leaned out, a grin spreading across her face that didn't reach her eyes."So," she said, tapping ash onto the driveway. "The rat finally ran away? Perfect."I stopped, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "Get out of my way, Rose."She laughed, a sharp sound. "Oh, I’ll get out of your way. I

CHAPTER 142 — A Sister In Disguise

POV: VINEThe morning light didn’t wake me up immediately. It was the heavy silence of the room that finally made my eyes click open.I shifted my weight slightly on the floor, feeling the stiff carpet pressing hard against my cheek. My back was so sore from sleeping on the hard ground all night.I could feel the warm, rhythmic breathing of Clyde curled up tight against my side. She was draped over me like a literal lifeline, like she was holding onto the last safe thing left in the world.Her head was tucked securely right under my chin, and her breath was hot against my neck. Her hand was gripping the front of my shirt so tightly that her knuckles looked a little white.It felt like she was terrified I might just dissolve into the ground if she let go of me for even a second. I could feel her heart beating against my ribs, slow and heavy.I just lay there on the floor, staring at the little dust motes dancing in the sliver of sunlight that had managed to pierce through the heavy cur

CHAPTER 143 — A Fresh Start

POV: VINEI frowned, feeling a cold drop in my stomach."Why?" I asked."To stabilize the bond, or whatever," Clyde said, her voice dripping with pure bitterness. "That is what she called it."She went completely silent after that, her whole body feeling incredibly heavy against mine."I know I’m the one who let it go," Clyde whispered so softly I could barely hear her. "I know I chose this path myself."A single tear fell from her eye, wetting my shirt."But it hurts, Vine," she said. "It hurts so much that I feel like I’m completely hollowed out on the inside."I didn't know what to say to fix that kind of pain, so I just kept my arm tight around her."I need a distraction," she muttered, her fingers gripping my shirt again. "I need to be absolutely anywhere else but inside my own head right now."She let out a small, miserable gasp."Seeing Jaxon every single day at school is going to be impossible," she said. "Seeing them together in the halls... it’s going to be the death of me."

CHAPTER 144 — Welcome Home, Mom

POV: ACEThe silence in my bedroom was suffocating, and it tasted like ash in my mouth.I was splayed out flat across my mattress, staring at the ceiling. My mind was a jagged, broken wreck of memories that kept cutting into me every time I tried to think.My back still burned like crazy from the whips I'd received awhile back, the skin tight and raw under my shirt. But the real physical pain in my back was nothing compared to the pain sitting right in the middle of my chest.It was a dull, constant ache that just wouldn't leave me alone. It had basically become my new shadow, following me every single second of the day.Leo was pacing back and forth in my room, his sneakers making a soft squeaking sound against the wood every time he turned around.Dax was slumped down deep in my leather armchair, looking completely exhausted. He had finally surfaced from whatever hole he’d been hiding in for the past months while dealing with his family’s business affairs.He was tossing a black hoc

CHAPTER 145 — A Mother's Cruelty

POV: ACEMy mother’s presence filled the room like a pressurized gas. She didn't sit; she prowled, her eyes sweeping over the remains of my ruined bedroom. She stopped at the foot of my bed, her gaze lingering on the discarded gear and the shadows under my eyes before she turned to the boys."Where is Jaxon?" she asked, her voice light, like a flute.Leo and Kai exchanged a hesitant look. "He’s… busy having a life crisis, Auntie," Leo muttered. "Trying to figure out some bond shit. It's complicated."She didn't press, her expression shifting into a mask of maternal concern that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Poor boy. Give him my love. Now, leave us. I need to have a word with my son."The boys didn't hesitate. They showered her with kisses, their respect for her absolute, before slipping out of the room. The second the door clicked shut, the warmth drained from her face, leaving behind a cold, empty disappointment that made the hair on my arms stand up."What exactly did I hear your f

CHAPTER 146 — A Sick Sense Of Humor

POV: VINEThe espresso machine hissed, a harsh, metallic sound that filled the small space of the cafe and drowned out the morning rush. For the first time in years, the only thing I had to worry about was whether the milk foam was smooth enough or if I’d accidentally burned the roast. It was a simple, beautiful simplicity. I was just Vine—the girl in the apron with a name tag that misspelled her name as "Vyn," and for the first time, I didn't care to correct it.Clyde was working the register, her movements quick and efficient. She’d been a natural, surprisingly enough. We hadn't talked about Jaxon, or wolves, or the Ace disaster in three days. We just drank caffeine, counted tips, and enjoyed the anonymity of our small lives.The bell above the door chimed, and a familiar, bulky figure ducked under the frame. Bluey. He wasn't wearing his varsity jacket, just a simple hoodie, but he still looked like he belonged on a battlefield.He pretty much wasn't here to waste money so he didn'