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Prudence had gotten there before Dakota’s skin had begun to repair itself. She’d sat across from me outside my office and watched.

And when his skin turned from red and blistered to faintly pink, she let out a sigh.

“He’ll live,” she muttered, the slightest hint of a smile turning up her lips. “He’ll live.”

All the air escaped me in a rushed exhale. That was?—

That was wonderful.

But it didn’t change that I had stolen something from him, and even when I glanced at Prudence’s pursed lips, I could tell.

“What?”

“I...” She hesitated, looking away as if she was ashamed of what she was about to say. “I’d hoped to leave him my estate. The law of mages—we can only leave it to?—”

Too fast, she shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter,” she insisted. “This is nothing but a good thing. You saved him.”

I could hardly hear her from the ringing in my ears.

When Dakota was well enough, she and Jillian ushered me off the floor. I rose, carrying Dakota with me. It was a blessing that he was still unconscious, and just as much of one that he continued to breathe.

Jillian had the good sense to put me in a fresh shirt from the cabinet in my office before I sat down with him, but I hadn’t managed to do the buttons properly. A couple of them held on loosely in the middle, and the end of the shirt was untucked, bunched around the belt I’d never taken off, the leather cracked from the fire.

Didn’t matter. I’d lain down on the sofa in my office with Dakota on top of me, my arms wrapped carefully around him.

There, I could feel every one of his breaths, smell the scent of his skin beneath lingering smoke.

I couldn’t sleep, but I closed my eyes and told myself that this was fine. All I had to do, at least that morning, was keep Dakota safe. Let the pack surround us until—until?—

He woke up and I had to look him in the eyes knowing what he’d lost because I wasn’t strong enough to protect him.

For a long time that morning, Jillian sat at my desk. She spoke quietly as people filtered in and out with paperwork, and though I might’ve been able to figure out what she was doing, I didn’t bother putting any real thought into following it.

Even when Minori had appeared, I didn’t bother opening my eyes. Her voice was the first thing that caused Dakota to stir, and I willed her away, for all the good that did.

He pushed off of my chest, and it was like letting go of my own heart, letting it walk across the room. That—feeling so exposed, being afraid I’d see him hurt again—was the only thing that prompted me to get up. Clearly, an adequate mage could take me down, but at the very least, if Minori meant him harm, she’d have to go through me first.

I just had to manage to sit up and face the truth, laid out so plainly by Igarashi Minori.

I hadn’t only taken away Dakota’s magic or Prudence’s legacy, I’d denied Dakota his birthright, and the Igarashi family its true heir.

“You—” Minori rounded on me, red in the cheeks, her lips parted with fury. “You did this. You’ve been—you kept him this whole time?”

“I had no idea that Dakota was tied to this merger in any way before?—”

“Kosuke!” she shrieked.

I flinched, and the whole room went quiet.

Right. Dakota wasn’t even the name he’d been born with. Perhaps he’d want to change it, honor his legacy even if he couldn’t claim it.

When I fell silent, Jillian arched a sharp brow. “You can fuck all the way off with that,” she said coolly, crossing her arms and edging into the space between Minori and me. “Jax didn’t cause this. Jax did the only goddamn thing he could afteryourbrother tried to kill themboth. You’re just lucky they’re both still here to tell you the truth of it, unless you intend to keep a snake as the head of your business and the head of your family.”

Minori hissed, looking away.

Igarashi could. They could back Jiro, and it was our word against theirs, and werewolves?—