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She stiffened and met my eyes.

“No,” she snapped. “I didn’t send anyone to attack your precious Coven. I swear it on my dead Sire.”I’m not that stupid.

I crossedthe threshold into our home.

Jax’s thoughts shouted at me from where he paced in the living room. He made the simple act of walking seem angry. Usually, I was able to stifle the ability so whatever thoughts filtered through became background noise, but since I focused on it with Calliope, my ability was especially sensitive.

She seemed so desolate. I took it too far—I entered the living room to find him pacing to and fro. So distracted that he did not see me. What was wrong with him? Like a storm on a rampage. He never relaxed enough for me to get much more than a few thoughts here and there, but words blared at me. Although Jax did not, or could not put into words what he felt, his thoughts indicated his guilt.

“What have you done, Jaxon?”

He jerked to a stop, and slowly turned to look at me. His eyebrows remained furrowed. Instead of waiting, I would findout myself. I made quick work of the stairs and was in Asher’s bedroom in seconds.

She lay on the floor, curled on her side, eyes closed. Her cheek pillowed against her hands, stained with tear tracks.

“You left her in this state?”

“I . . .”

Had she fallen? I’d caused this. I. . .hurt her? His thoughts continued. A stream of thoughts I’d heard in plenty of human inner dialogue. Guilt.

“What have you said to her now?” I hissed. My patience wore thin. I scooped her up into my arms.

“Where are you taking her?”

“I’m going to get her cleaned up,” I retorted stiffly.

I wantmyscent all over her. . . his thought cut off. I scoffed. He had no right. I offered him a glare, but he was too deep in his head to register my disapproval.

I said her name on purpose. To drive a wedge between us. I couldn’t keep denying the tempta—the thought faded into static.

SIXTEEN

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Cobwebs coatedmy brain and I slowly crawled free of them. With a gasp, I shot straight up. A mattress dipped under my ass. The bed sank under my weight. I curled my fingers into the brown comforter. Tobias’s room.

The events of last night rushed to the forefront of my memory. One after the other slammed into me.

Giving into Asher, Tobias . . . Jax.

A priest ate me out and I was all for it. If there was a hell, I was heading straight there. I tempted a fucking priest out of their vow of celibacy. Guilt nibbled on my conscience, realistically, though, I understood I wouldn’t have been able to force him. Oh, no, but it didn’t stop there. I incited Jax into fucking me even though I knew he hated me. All because I didn’t want to be alone. I rubbed my temples. My lust toward them was nothing new, but last night I’d turned over a new shameless leaf.

I pressed my palms into my eyes. So much happened last night. My brain reeled as events flashed behind my closed eyelids.

Asher claimed he wouldn’t let me go.

Glee surfaced, expanding in my chest, about to pop.No, calm down, his words meant nothing. I could never truly belong.

Asher was why they hadn’t offed me. Him and maybe Tobias, but that could have flown out the window with what happened last night. The dead body on the steps flashed to the forefront. My stomach twisted.

I was so tired of being scared.

Staying with them . . . as much as they could never truly care for me, was my only option other than death. I could make a stake out of something, except I knew myself. I didn’t have killing them in me—not even a little bit. I was a survivor . . . more of a runner, and above all: not violent.

I stretched out on the bed, soreness kissing my muscles. The cotton sweater tickled my thighs. I plucked the front of the top that Asher must have dressed me in. Wait, I wasn’t bound to the bed. The sconces framing the door emitted a soft glow and I scanned Tobias’s room. The metal shutters were down.

“Asher? Tobias?” I shouted. Silence. No answer. It had to be morning.