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We were almost at the end of his property, nearing a line of trees. I expected him to just let me go, but he continued walking. We passed several birches, and the pathway was worn but otherwise indecipherable from others. The man didn’t stop walking until there was a clearing in view. He halted and faced me.

“This is out of bounds. It leads into Aethermore. Just beyond here is the Unclaimed Territory. If anyone gets you out there, that’s no longer my problem.”

My lips parted then shut again. I wanted to ask him not to report me. I wanted to know why he didn’t let his packmates have their way with me. But all that came out of my mouth was, “You should’ve killed me.”

Then, without any warning, I zapped away at vampiric speed, whizzing through the Unclaimed Territory I knew well. Had I the time, I would’ve stopped at Magdalena’s hut, but I needed to be home. I had no clue when Bellatrix was set to leave, and I didn’t need her to find out about my absence.

I hoped with all my might that no consequences would come from whatever had occurred tonight.

I hoped I hadn’t murdered someone in cold blood again.

5

THAT LOOK IN HER EYES

SYLVAN

You should’ve killed me.

The words echoed in my mind as I stormed back to the house. There was something very off about that vampire. Not just in her scent, but in that strange look in her eyes. I couldn’t put my finger on it. At first I thought it was fear, given she bore not just one bite mark, but two. I couldn’t be certain they were lycan bites, but they sure as hells looked like them.

She wasn’t lying about her memory loss. And she said she wasn’t drunk. But the aroma of euphoria nectar lingered on her skin along with a few other traces I couldn’t distinguish. She had to have been under the influence of something. And gods-fucking-dammit, that look in her eyes was burned into my mind. Haunted. Determined. Loathing. Intrigued. How could one gaze hold so many emotions?

But this vampire, Aura, wanted me to kill her? I couldn’t wrap my mind around the thought. Especially when she would’ve been damned near impossible to kill. Primal Born vampires were notorious for their invincibility, and I didn’t have a spellcaster on hand.

As I stepped through the door, four pairs of eyes turned to me. Clover’s soft yellow gaze fell on me, a nervous twitch meant to be a smile of encouragement on her lips. The omega was always a calming presence—gentle, humble, and so selfless it was self-destructive.

Evander was the first to stand, expectation in his body language and worry in his expression. “Where is she?” he asked.

“Somewhere in the Unclaimed Territory or home by now, I assume.”

The other men started talking at once. Caleb, loudest of all. “Are you fucking insane?” he asked. “First you let her into our house, then you just let her go?”

“Justice is not mine to give,” I said. “Tomorrow, I have a meeting with the Ministry. I will bring it up then. Let the panel deal with it.”

“You should’ve let us have at her,” Caleb growled.

I bared my teeth at him, and he stepped back, though the fire didn’t leave his eyes. “Dealing with her in the way you suggested would’ve been no different from their idea of justice. I refuse to stoop to the level of beast they all believe we are. Is that what you want? To earn the title of a feral beast?”

“We are what they made us,” he grumbled.

“And that”—I pointed my finger in his face—“is exactly why things remain the way they do. We must do better.”

There was silence, not agreement, but I knew I wouldn’t get much better. I could feel their collective annoyance following me out of the room. Antoine would’ve let them do whatever they wanted. He wouldn’t have allowed them to kill her in cold blood, but she would’ve been at the mercy of Caleb, who was nothing but a head full of embers. I didn’t know what to do with him, but he needed to be put in his place.

I washed up and cleaned the bathroom before putting on a fresh pair of trousers and climbing back into bed. In the darkness, the moonlight trickled through the window. I stared up at the ceiling, at the shadows that played there when I shifted, and tried to find the will to sleep. Nervous energy bubbled in my stomach over lying about being there in Antoine’s stead. But louder than all the thoughts in my head were Aura’s words.

You should’ve killed me.

If she ever wandered into Sublune Creek again, I may have no choice but to do exactly that.

6

A THREAT AT ITS FINEST

AURA

I arrived at the Nygaard Manor last night, out of breath and sweaty, to find Irving on the chaise with his legs crossed, a book casually resting in the palm of his hand. He jumped to his feet, face paler than ever, only to realize that it was just me. The breath he released was audible, even from several feet away, and his heart rate slowed. “I thought you were Bellatrix,” he said. His fearful odor was replaced by one of worry.