Page 172

CHAPTER42

“What?”I nearly drop the phone.

Across the courtyard, a few guests glance over at me as they head inside, clearly startled by my outburst.

I must’ve heard Kane incorrectly. There’s no way—

“Tonight,” the shifter adds. “They have a warrant out for your arrest. Apparently, they found a shoe of yours with blood from that witch who recently went missing.”

“Kasey,” I whisper.

As for my shoes, Iammissing the pair I left behind the night of the spell circle. Did the Politia find one of them? If so, why would it be in the woods, and how in the hell did it get Kasey’s blood on it? I was barefoot by the time the fighting out there occurred.

There must be some mistake.

I’m about to say so when Kane continues. “The Politia thinks you committed the murders.”

I can’t seem to draw in enough air. It’s one thing to be a suspect in a murder case, but they’re planning onarrestingme?Tonight?

“Goddess…” I whisper, feeling the world tilt as more guests head back inside the conservatory. “I’m innocent, Kane.” I need to say it, even though I can’t remember everything.

“If any of us shifters thought you committed these killings,” Kane says, “then friend or not, we would turn you in.”

I exhale a shaky breath. Packs are notoriously loyal but even more notoriously protective of the innocent—particularly their own.

“We believe someone’s framing you.”

It feels as though someone kicked me in the stomach.

Framed. I’m being…framed.

I’ve been so caught up in proving my innocence that I didn’t stop to wonder why my name kept popping up in the first place. I just assumed it was some combo of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being unable to prove my alibi.

I hadn’t considered the possibility that someone was deliberately leveraging my memory loss against me.

I should’ve though.

I press a hand to my brow. “Shit.”

Shit, shit,shit.

Kane’s tone sharpens. “My alpha wanted me to pass along this message: Cooperate with the authorities. We’ll send in one of our lawyers to help sort this out once the Sacred Seven are over.” Once the lycanthropes can fully control their shifts again.

I put a hand to my head. My mind is screaming, and I can’t seem to draw in enough air.

“Kane,” I say softly, “I…thank you.” What he’s saying may not prevent me from getting arrested, but knowing I have an entire pack’s backing makes the whole ordeal seem a lot less hopeless.

The lycanthrope’s voice grows deeper. “Cara told us what happened as well as she could remember. It’s not much, but it’s still enough for us to know how much you risked, saving her. From what it sounds like, they were going to force Cara into—” His next words get mangled. Kane stops, clears his throat, and continues. “A bond against her will.” Another several seconds of silence pass, and I can only imagine he’s fighting his need to shift. “We would like to hear the story of that night in your own words, once we sort out the situation with the Politia.”

“I can do that,” I say quietly.

Hearing Kane speak like this—like the leader he must be getting groomed to be—is throwing me. I had a crush on him for years, but I neverknewhim. And now I’m discovering that maybe he isn’t just some gorgeous shifter; even as young as he is, he may be a commanding member.

He hesitates, then adds, “Also, Selene, this is unofficial, butI’dlike to see you again.” His voice roughens once more, nearly to the point of indecipherability. “I’ve wanted to since I said goodbye to you that night.”

He and I left things off in a strange place—somewhere between a fling, a crush, and a near-death experience. At least, I think that’s where we left off.

“I—”