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"Where the fuck have you been?" Onyx's deep voice growls the moment he picks up.

"Hello to you too," I reply dryly.

"I've been calling you for days. Your heat could have come back. You could have been kidnapped. You could be dead in a ditch somewhere!"

"As you can hear, I'm perfectly alive," I sigh, flopping back on the bed. "Just dealing with... a lot."

"Where are you?" His voice softens slightly.

"I'm not entirely sure. Some fancy safe house owned by Evan Blackthorn. After you triggered my Omega awakening, things got complicated."

"Complicated how?" His voice drops dangerously low.

I rub my temple. "Well, let's see. I went into heat again at a safe house with a bear shifter detective named Leo. Then I snuck out to a concert where I hooked up with a rock star. Now I'm back at Blackthorn's place where he just kissed me and ran away after getting a weird phone call."

Silence stretches between us.

"Onyx? You still there?"

"You've been busy," he finally says, his voice tight.

"Not by choice," I defend myself. "This Omega thing is... overwhelming okay and my body keeps betraying me… though sometimes I actually want it."

"You need to come to me," he says firmly. "Now."

"Actually, I was thinking the same thing. I could check on your cousin while I'm there."

"You remember my cousin?" He sounds surprised.

"Of course I do. You broke into my apartment because she's sick with the virus. How is she?"

"Worse," he admits quietly. "The shifts are happening more frequently. She can't control them."

My heart twists. "Text me your address. I'll come right away."

"Be careful."

"I'll see you soon," I reply, ending the call before I can say something embarrassing.

A knock at my door makes me jump.

"Dahlia? It's Leo. You okay in there?"

I open the door to find him leaning against the frame and waiting.

"I'm fine," I say, grabbing my jacket. "But I need to go out."

His eyebrows shoot up. "Out? After everything that's happened?"

"Onyx's cousin is getting worse. I need to see her, assess her condition."

"Blackthorn won't be happy."

"Blackthorn can kiss my ass," I snap, then soften at Leo's surprised look. "Look, I'm going whether you approve or not. You can either drive me or I'll call a cab."

He studies me for a moment, then sighs deeply. "Let me get my keys."

Thirty minutes later, we're driving through a neighborhood I've never seen before. The buildings become more widespread, trees more abundant, until we're practically in the woods.