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HARLEY

“Awhole week was a little excessive,” Steph grumbled.

“Nah, I don’t really think it was,” Hawk said. “Remember all that talking the doctor did about your alpha physiology? Your body trying to heal around the bullet over and over againreallyfucked you up. You’re honestly lucky you didn’t have to stay in the hospital even longer.”

I nodded and wrapped my arm around Steph’s waist. He didn’t really need my support to walk, but it made me feel better to be close to him. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

It was mid-morning, and Steph was finally being discharged. Hawk carried Steph’s things—phone charger, clean clothes, a couple beat-up, old mystery paperbacks —and I wrangled the man himself.

“Take care, Mr. Cole,” the nurse said from behind her station as we walked out. “I better not see you back here anytime soon.”

“You won’t, I promise,” Steph said.

“Damn right,” another nurse said. “Don’t overexert yourself, either. You’ve still got a lot of healing to do.”

“I’ll be sure he doesn’t,” I said through a laugh. “Thank you for everything.”

The nurses shooed us out of the hospital. Out front, Hawk hurried through the parking lot to pull the truck up to the front doors. Steph leaned against me with a happy sigh and kissed the top of my head.

“They seemed pretty eager to get you out of there,” I teased. “How bad of a patient were you?”

“I wasn’t bad,” Steph said. “Just, um, frustrated.”

“Frustrating, I bet.”

“Probably.” He shrugged. “What can I say? A dragon isn’t supposed to be cooped up like that.”

I rubbed my hand gently over his chest. Under his T-shirt, the wound was still bandaged. In my back pocket, I had the instructions for how often to clean and change the dressing. It was something I was more than happy to do. “You still need to take it easy.”

“I know, I know. I will. I’m not going to get hurt again, Harley.” He kissed my forehead. “I swear.”

Hawk pulled the truck up to the curb. He hopped out of the driver’s side and hurried over to open both the passenger side door and the back door. “Your chariot awaits,” he said with a flourish, making Steph roll his eyes.

“Wait!” A high-pitched, shaky voice cut through the air.

Blakely stood at the entrance of the parking garage.

My heart dropped to my stomach, and I blinked hard, certain I was hallucinating. But the image didn’t go away. It was really her, standing there, trembling like a leaf in a strong wind. No one had seen her since the night Sean was killed, despite the enforcers’ continuous search. It was like she’d melted into nothingness. I’d assumed she’d crossed the border or fled to Forrest. Turns out that was wishful thinking.

She looked bad. Worse than I’d ever seen her, really. Her eyes were bloodshot and almost crazed. She was shaking, pale, andcovered in dirt. Her clothes were ripped and stained with sweat. Had she been sleeping outside?

“Ace!” Blakely cried out. “I knew you’d be okay. I knew I had to come back for you!”

Something in her mind had finally cracked. Blakely had finally gone beyond delusional. She was dangerous.I glanced around the parking lot and at the doors of the hospital, but no one had noticed the commotion.

Steph and Hawk straightened up. They stood on either side of me, almost in front of me. Hawk rumbled a low growl, and I knew Steph had bared his fangs.

I shoved my way through them, putting myself between Blakely and them, and crossed my arms over my chest. “Careful, Blakely. One wrong move and I’ll put you in one of those hospital beds upstairs. Like I should’ve doneweeksago.”

Her face transformed. She went from looking shocked and relieved to see Steph, to looking like a rage-filled wild animal. Her eyes burned with anger, her mouth twisted, and her trembling suddenly stopped. “What the fuck areyoudoing here?”

She still didn’t see me as Steph’s mate. She still saw me as an interloper, an outsider—the person keeping her from what she rightfully deserved. And now, her need for revenge had completely cracked her sanity. Just like Sean’s mind had been broken, too.

“We’re calling the police,” I said coolly. “You need help, Blakely. Something’s obviously really wrong with you.”

“Yo!” Hawk shouted toward the hospital front doors. “Get out here!”

“Wrong withme?” Blakely screeched. “You’re wrong! This is all wrong!” She cast her gaze frantically between me and Steph. “You’re supposed to be withme, Ace!”