I flinch.
My heart’s hammering so hard I can feel it in my ears.
Footsteps thud down the hallway—fast and heavy—and then Oli appears. His chest is bare, still damp with sweat, with a towel tossed over his shoulder. He slows the moment he sees Donall, but the heat in his eyes shifts instantly from curiosity to threat.
“Who are you?” Oli asks, voice calm but full of steel.
Donall turns toward him with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “My name is Donall Tyson. I’m a member of the local Enforcement Agency.”
That title slices through the room like a blade.
And Oli goes still.
Not the casual kind of still. Not relaxed. This is the kind of still that comes before a fight. Every muscle in theyoung alpha’s body tenses, and I see the flicker in his eyes as his instincts surge forward.
“What do you want?” Oli growls.
Donall’s smile returns, sharper this time. “I wanted to visit withAutumn.”
The name hits me like a punch to the gut. My breath halts. My stomach turns to stone.
Heknows.
Heknows.
I can’t breathe.
My lungs seize and the world goes fuzzy around the edges. I try to pull in air, but it’s like there’s nothing there. The pressure in my chest spikes, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.
Heknows.
Myrick pauses, confused. “Who’s Autumn?” His tone is short, confused, but not scared—not yet. “Our omega’s name is Autry.”
Donall turns to look at me again, gaze pinning me in place like a knife through glass. “Oh, no,” he says with a smirk. “It’s not.” He tilts his head. “Is it,Autumn?”
The room spins.
And I curl forward, arms wrapping tight around my knees. Dolly jumps up, then begins barking. My breath comes in short, gasping pulls that don’t fill my lungs. My vision tunnels and all I can hear is my name—my real name—echoing inside my head like a threat.
I want to scream.
But I can’t even make a sound.
Then I hear a heavy boot take a single step forward.
There’s the quietest shift of weight on the floorboards, and my instincts latch onto it like a live wire.
Oli’s growl rips through the air.
Low, guttural,feral.
“Get the fuck out!” Myrick yells, voice trembling with rage now. I can’t see them—I can’tseeanything—but I can feel the energy in the room spike, sharp and dangerous, like lightning striking too close to the house.
Myrick’s hands are on me, pulling me back as he covers my body with his.
Donall’s voice barks through the chaos, loud and final, “Be ready, Autumn! I’m coming back for you!”
Autumn.
