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"I found an address."

I grip the phone tighter. "Where is she?"

Chapter 13 - Dahlia

Igrip the door handle as Leo's car follows the medical transport van carrying Mara back to the safe house. Onyx sits in the back seat; his eyes never leave the van ahead of us. The tension in the car is thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Evan's going to lose his shit when we show up with company," Leo says, breaking the silence.

"Let him," I reply, staring out the window. "Mara needs help, and we have the equipment to give it."

"I don't care what Blackthorn thinks," Onyx growls from the back seat. "My cousin is dying."

Leo's eyes meet mine briefly. "Just be prepared for a storm."

He's not wrong. The moment we pull up to the safe house, I catch sight of Evan standing at the front door, his arms crossed, and his jaw is clenched tight. Great. He's already pissed.

"Brace yourself," I mutter to Onyx as we exit the car.

Evan's icy blue eyes narrow as they lock on Onyx, then shift to the medical transport behind us. "What the fuck is this?"

"Hello to you too," I say, stepping forward. "This is Onyx Stonefang. His cousin Mara is infected with the Crimson Plague. I'm going to study her symptoms and try some treatments."

"You brought an infected shifter to my safe house?" Evan's voice drops dangerously low. "Without consulting me?"

"There wasn't time," Leo interjects, coming up beside me. "Her condition is deteriorating rapidly."

Evan's nostrils flare. "And you went along with this?"

"She's a doctor," Leo shrugs. "I'm just the muscle."

The medical team begins unloading Mara on a stretcher. She's still unconscious.

"Get her to the lab," I direct them, then turn back to Evan. "You can yell at me later. Right now, she needs help."

As Leo guides the paramedics toward the house, Evan grabs my arm. "We need to talk. Now."

"Let go of her," Onyx growls, his eyes flashing gold.

"It's fine," I say, extracting my arm from Evan's grip. "Let's talk inside. Onyx, go with Mara. I'll be there soon."

Onyx hesitates, then nods, following the stretcher into the house.

"You've got some fucking nerve," Evan hisses once we're alone on the porch. "First you disappear… again and then you return with not one but two strays?"

"They're not strays," I snap. "And this isn't about you, Evan. It's about finding a cure."

"By bringing the virus directly to our doorstep?"

"By studying a live subject in controlled conditions," I counter. "Do you want a cure or not?"

He runs a hand through his perfect hair, messing it up in a way that shouldn't be attractive but somehow is. "Of course, I want a cure. But not at the expense of your safety."

"I'm touched by your concern," I say dryly, "but I can handle myself."

"You could have called," he argues. "Give me some warning."

"Would you have said yes?"