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“Why am I here?” Talking typically helped. It had to since it was either that or throwing up what little I had in my stomach.

“There are important matters I need to discuss with you.” His tone squeezed my stomach with unbearable nausea. “On the hospital site, I discovered these.” He pulled a piece of paper and unwrapped it, revealing canines that were longer than standard and a cluster of short hair. “They were where you and Alek were. Do you recognize them?”

I didn’t have to study them to knowherfangs and fur. But how? My hair was intact. While my gums hurt, my teeth were all there.

“No,” the lie slipped so easily. It didn’t stop the guilt from rising. Lorenzo never liked liars, but it was the only way to protect him and Lace.

“Do you remember how the intruder looked? Or what they had done to you before you became unconscious?”

“Intruder?” I thought back, digging for any crumbs my mind stuffed away. “They wore the same uniform, mask and all.”

Tristan rested the piece of paper on the table and crossed his legs. “Anything else?”

“They plunged something into me after I tried stopping them.” My hand traveled to my neck where hollow pain hovered.

“A sedative? That would explain why you were unconscious.”

“Do you think Kaleb was behind this?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Tristan responded. “If it was, it’s risky but proves his point. While he’s known to go above and beyond, I don’t see him being. . .”

“Dumb?”

“Reckless.”

Alek’s sweet, flowery scent filled the room as he stepped inside. Tristan met him downstairs in a flash, their whispers growing distant.

I eyed what rested in front of me.

Through the years, I picked up a habit of stealingherevidence. It was a way to keepherat bay. To eraseher.

But every time I stared at them, they echoedherwords.

You’re weak.

Alek and Tristan walked onto the second floor, my hands quick to rummage the scraps into my pocket as I stood. “Are they gone?” Alek nodded. “Then I’ll be accepting your offer to take the rest of the day off.” I didn’t wait for either of their responses and left for my room.

Once locked inside, I went straight to the toilet. My hand tightened around the paper in my pocket, bringing it out to the vivid light.

Snow-white fangs and raven-black fur rested on my palm. They broughtherto life. I ended it.

Even as they flushed away, one thought haunted me.

The medication was useless, time was ticking, and I needed to endheronce and for all.

* * *

Nothing compared to lakes.

They were the perfect balance. I didn’t have to compete with waves like in the ocean. It didn’t restrict me like pools. I didn’t have to concentrate on settling down my mind like in rivers.

But this wasn’t the grounds lake. It was the one in my dreams withher.

Even so,herpresence didn’t linger above the surface. Neither did it call to me. Instead, it was something else. In an instant, the water drained from the lake and leveled me against the dry ground. Then, I stood in the distinct, dimly lit room with someone that sent shivers down my spine.

We shared the same circular face and the same full pout. Creases etched across his skin, enhancing the dark circle under his large eyes— even the darkness resembling mine.

The only difference was his taunting gray eyes, the shade altering from a clouded state to deep ash as they settled on me. A rage flamed across rich olive skin as he traveled across the room to me.