It’s New Year’s Eve. I’ve dreaded this day, but I also know it’s for the best. After eating dinner at Tyla and Sebastian’s, I stayed the night to give myself a break from Knox and Kara. However, halfway through the night, I could feel Knox’s presence close by the house. Then, soon afterward, Zayne’s energy blasted through the forest. It put Sebastian on edge because I could hear him pace the living room floor below me. When I tried to go out there, Sebastian and Tyla both stopped me. For the rest of the night, I sat by the window, my heart feeling as if it was about to burst out of my chest. I couldn’t hear their voices, but I knew Knox and Zayne were together. There was so much tension coming from the forest it suffocated me. Their energies disappeared around the same time, but I know they’re still out there, watching the house from the woods.
A knock sounds on the door, and Tyla walks in, wearing a pair of doughnut pajama pants with her curly blonde hair pulled into a bun, with a peacefully sleeping Brooke in her arms. “I wish I could sleep like her,” I whisper. I glance out the window one more time and sigh. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
Tyla’s expression softens, and I can see the worry on her face. “Me either. I wish I knew what went on out there. The good thing is that Zayne and Knox are both alive. I didn’t hear any physical fighting in the night.”
Neither did I, even though I kept waiting for it to happen. And if it did, no one was going to stand in my way of going out there. I let Tyla and Sebastian stop me last night, but it makes me wonder if I should’ve found a way out there. Standing, I turn to Tyla, and I can feel the exhaustion creep its way through my body. “What am I going to do? I feel guilty but also relieved that I’m leaving tonight. When Zayne and I get back, and Laila wakes Knox up from the sleeping spell, he’s going to see that I’m mated. I don’t know if I can handle seeing the look of betrayal on his face.” My eyes burn, and I start to feel nauseous again.
Tyla frowns. “I know it’s going to be hard. I remember Knox from all those years ago. He was always good to you.”
Rubbing my hands over my face, I wipe my tears away. “That’s what makes this so difficult. All I want is to see Knox happy and move on from this anger he has with Zayne, but nothing I say helps.”
Tyla steps forward. “You tried, Amelie. But, unfortunately, some people can’t be saved.”
I grab my boots off the floor and slip them on. “It’s not over yet.”
“Are you going home?”
Once my boots are tied, I peer out the window and then back to her. “I want to talk to Knox one more time before the party tonight. I’m hoping what I said to him last night got through. Maybe that’s why he came, to tell me he’s going to change his course.” Tyla nods, but I can see it on her face that she doesn’t hold out much hope. I kiss Brooke on the forehead and smile at Tyla. “Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I needed some space.”
Her gaze narrows. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay here until the party?”
Shaking my head, I smile down at Brooke. “I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to try to sneak in some packing.”
Tyla steps out of the way. “Just be careful. Do you want me to drive you home since you don’t have your car?”
I hug her gently to keep from waking the baby. “No, I’ll run. I could use the time to think.”
She follows me downstairs, and Sebastian is out on the porch when I walk outside. Holding his phone, he turns to me, and there’s an unreadable look on his face I can’t decipher.
“What’s going on?” I ask him.
This is one of those moments I wish Zayne and I had taken each other’s blood. Then, I’d know exactly what happened last night.
Sebastian pockets his phone. “My brother texted. You’re safe to go.”
I’m so confused I don’t know what to think. Sebastian steps out of the way, and I slowly walk down the porch stairs. Once I get past their yard and into the forest, I take off at a run. Zayne’s energy stays behind, but then it disappears. I can feel Knox getting closer by the second, but he doesn’t close the distance, not until I get to my cabin.
As soon as I get into my yard, I turn and wait for Knox to appear. He slowly walks toward me, his eyes blazing. “You’re not safe here, Amelie.”
Those are not the words I expect to hear out of his mouth. “What are you talking about?”
He storms closer, his anger palpable. “These people don’t care about you.”
“Where is this coming from? What happened with you and Zayne last night?”
Grabbing my arms, he pulls me protectively against his body. “He said he’d kill you. If I go after his mate, he’ll go after mine.”
Mouth gaping, I can’t even imagine Zayne saying that. “He wouldn’t hurt me.”
Knox growls. “Yes, he would. I made a mistake saying I’d go after his mate for revenge. You were right; it was the wrong thing to do. Everyone here knows you’re my weakness, and they’ll use you to get to me.”
He lets me go and rushes up to the door, and flings it open. “What are you going to do?” I call out, racing after him. He storms down the hall and into the bedroom Laila used to stay in when she lived with me.
Throwing open the closet door, he pulls out his bag and starts shoving clothes into it. “We’re going to the party tonight, and I’m going to finish this. Then, after that, you’re coming with me.” Dread settles in my gut, and I can’t seem to find any words to say. He glances at me over his shoulder and sighs. “I want to keep you safe, Amelie. This is the only way.”
“What are you going to do? You never answered me,” I demand.
Eyes glowing, he stares at me for a second and then goes back to packing his things. “I’m going to do what I should’ve done a long time ago.”
An overwhelming sense of nausea hits me, and the room starts to spin. Closing my eyes, I stumble back, and my legs give out beneath me. Before I hit the floor, Knox shouts my name, but it fades as I fall into darkness.
When I wake up, I’m in my bed, and the bright red numbers on my alarm clock say it’s eight o’clock. Gasping, I jump up and grab my phone out of my pocket. The room spins again, but I fight through it. There are several missed calls and texts from Laila and Tyla, but some of them are from Zayne; he must’ve used their phones. The party started at seven o’clock, and I was supposed to be there. For whatever reason, I spent the past several hours passed out. Quickly, I fetch one of my travel bags out of the closet and fill it up with as much as possible in the tiny amount of time I have. I want to be somewhat prepared for when Zayne and I leave tonight.
Heart racing, I quickly type out a text to Zayne, but the sound of the slamming front door makes me gasp and drop my phone. I toss my bag onto the floor beside the dresser to get it out of sight. Thunderous footsteps pound up the stairs, and Kara kicks open my door, her murderous glare on me. Her attention snaps to my phone on the floor, but I grab it before she can.
“Hiding something?” she growls, her eyes shifting to her wolf’s. “Could it be a text from your mate?” I stand my ground as she stalks toward me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As fast as lightning, she grabs me by the neck and slams me against the wall, making the pictures on my dresser fall to the floor and shatter. The breath escapes my lungs, and I gasp as I try to take in air. Pain radiates through my body as her claws dig into my skin.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” she hisses, her face so close to mine. “I’ve been watching Zayne for days now, wondering who his lover was. So imagine my surprise when I realized she was right under my nose.”
My hands tighten around her wrists, and I dig my claws into her; I refuse to give in. Taunting her isn’t my plan but denying the allegations will only infuriate her more. I can see that she knows the truth in her eyes, only I don’t know how. There’s no way she could’ve seen us together. “What are you going to do about it?” I hiss.
Kara growls, and it’s so loud it echoes through the room. Her claws rip at my throat, and I scream in pain as she hurls me over the bed and onto the floor. My head hits the nightstand, and a stream of warm blood oozes down my neck. And for a second, I don’t know what to do; I’m frozen on the floor with nowhere to go. The gash on my head throbs, and it pounds relentlessly, making my vision blur. Slowly, I try to sit up, but nausea overtakes me, and I fall back down.
“Zayne was supposed to be mine,” she snarls, her footsteps edging closer. “I never wanted the power like my brother. His ambition has made my life a living hell. All I wanted was to be happy like all the other royal wolves. I loved Zayne.” Her voice chokes up, and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard her sound truly sad. “He loved me too. When he let the pack banish me, I’d never felt so betrayed in my life.”
She grabs me by the hair, and I suck back the pain as she jerks me up. My body feels weak, and the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. She’s going to kill me. I’m not strong enough to defeat her. Silently, I send up a prayer to the Great Luna to give me strength.
Kara snaps my neck back, her voice right by my ear. “Zayne took away my happiness, so I’m going to take away his.”
It’s as if everything moves in slow motion. I know Kara’s about to deliver the killing blow, but I know I have to fight back, even if it’s pointless. Taking a deep breath, I focus on her wild, blood-thirsty eyes and prepare myself to strike. Then, out of nowhere, a burst of energy charges through my body, giving me a newfound strength I didn’t know I had.
A deep growl rumbles in my chest, and I squeeze her wrists, pulling her away from my neck. I feel as if I could rip her apart with no effort. The energy coursing through me is intense and something I’ve never felt before.
Kara’s eyes widen with fear. “Impossible.”
I throw her across the room the same way she did me. Her body crumples on the floor, but she gets up quickly, confusion sweeping across her face. She tries to run for the door, but I grab her by the neck and pull her back.
“You came in here to kill me,” I hiss low, my voice unrecognizable. “I shouldn’t let you live.”
My claws pierce the skin on her neck, and trails of blood drip onto the floor as she looks up at me. Finally, she closes her eyes, and a tear falls down her cheek. “Do what you have to do.”
I can’t begin to understand the life Kara’s had to live. She’s kept her identity a secret and been alone without a pack. Does she deserve to die for what she’s done? Maybe, but it’s not going to be by my hand.
“Goodbye, Kara,” I say, squeezing her neck harder. I lift her in the air and slam her so hard against the floor that it knocks her out. When I look down at my hands, they’re covered in blood, but there’s no time to clean up. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I grab my bag off the floor and race downstairs; I have to get out of the house. I can’t feel Knox anywhere close by, so it’s my only chance.
I rush downstairs, and as soon as I focus on the open door, someone is blocking the way. Leaning his shoulder against the doorframe is Knox, with his focus on the floor and holding up his phone. My heart stops the second I hear voices come over the line. It feels like I’m stuck in an eternity of hell as I listen to the conversations. All of the people who have been in my house, including Zayne, are on it. It’s all the evidence he needs to know that I’m Zayne’s mate. There’s even a recording of Zayne and me making love in the bedroom.
I drop my bag on the floor. “You bugged my house.”
His glowing blue eyes lift to mine, and I can see the betrayal in them. “I’m disappointed in you, Amelie. I thought you were on my side. I didn’t know you’d been playing me this whole time. When Kara planted the bugs, I thought she was paranoid. I honestly thought I could trust you. Guess I was wrong.”
My throat grows tight. I didn’t want to hurt Knox, and I didn’t want him to find out everything this way. “I’m sorry. I care about you, and I always will. I never wanted to hurt you.”
The rage emanating off of him is suffocating. He glares down at my bag and then back to me. “Leaving town?”
“You left me no choice. Your sister already tried to kill me.”
His jaw clenches. “Yeah, I’m glad I got here when I did. If you hadn’t taken Kara out, I would have.”
My mouth gapes. “Would you have killed your own sister?”
There’s no sense of hesitation on his face. “Yes. I told her not to hurt you, and she didn’t listen.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, and fear courses through my veins. I’ve never been afraid of Knox, but I feel it now. “What are you going to do?”
He stalks toward me. “Well, I can’t exactly kill Lyall’s mate, can I? So there’s only one solution.”
My stomach clenches, and I swallow hard. “And that is?”
Reaching for my bag, he hauls it over his shoulder, his eyes blazing. “Zayne and I are going to settle this the old way. If he wins, you’ll be free of me. If I win, you leave with me.”
Frozen in place, I stare at him in horror. I know what’s about to happen, and it terrifies me. Knox and Zayne are both royal arctics, their power equal. Anyone could win.
Knox waves a hand toward the door. “Let’s go. We have a party to get to.”
Slowly, I walk out the door, my hands trembling in fear. It doesn’t matter what happens tonight; I’m going to lose someone I love.