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Time slows.

Everything blurs.

And then…memories slam into me one by one, like they are being spoon-fed to my brain.

My breath hitches as a voice comes to my mind, clear as day.

You have to be strong, Irene, because one day you’ll lead our pack to greatness. And you’ll make me and your dad so proud.

Chapter Twenty-One

LILA WINTER

“Hey? Are you doing okay?” Ethan’s voice comes out a little strangled. He holds a sleeping Lina in his arms with guilt in his eyes.

“That car came out of nowhere, Lila. I swear. I would never intentionally put you and Lina in danger. The boss gave me…the job of protecting you—I would never…”

I take Lina from his arms, my arms still weak and shaking like a lightning-struck tree that barely manages to stay rooted.

“We are okay. I’m not blaming you for anything because…we are fine.”

I’m anything but fine.

My mind works too fast, my body pumps blood inside my heart too violently, and I'm barely managing to ward off the vomit lodged in my throat.

But I can't do that in front of Ethan, because that will freak him out after we almost died.

Some maniac driver had wandered into our lane, swinging in front of us out of nowhere, and luckily, Ethan had swerved away from the car, sparing us from a very bad collision.

I’d been spooked. Not from the near-death accident, but from the sharp pain that had descended on my mind like hail.

Lina had screamed her heart out, calling my name over and over again. After the day we’d had, she’d fallen asleep twenty minutes later after I assured her everything was fine.

“I’m sorry once again, Lila. Please, if you could not mention this little incident to the boss, I’d appreciate it.”

The rain has stopped, but the dark, ominous clouds are still there.

The cool humidity is still in the air, sharp as ever, tormenting as hell.

“I won’t.” I smile. “I have to take Lina to bed, so if you’ll excuse me…”

“Yeah, sure.”

I turn around, walking into Alaric’s house like my feet are on fire. The living room is still warm with the scent of cinnamon, which happens to be Alaric’s signature scent. He must be back from the pack meeting.

The light from the fireplace flickers against the stone mantle. It’s cozy. Inviting. I feel nothing but suffocation as I take tentative steps upstairs toward Lina’s room.

Lina’s fingers are curled around mine, her tiny body leaning into me by the time we get to her room. Her breathing is shallow and steady. At least I can tell that she’s still breathing despite the shitty news the healer broke to us this morning.

Stroking her curls and placing her on the bed next to Bear, my vision is blurry due to the unshed tears as I lean in to drop a kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll fix this,” I whisper. “Even if it kills me.”

When I take a seat in one of the couches in Lina’s room, everything I’ve kept bottled up since we almost had an accident rushes inside my mind like an open floodgate.

Heaps and heaps of memories click and fall into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

I am the girl from the Moonlight Pack. Born to the Luna and Alpha of the Moonlight Pack as their only child.