Page 24

WREN

“Kill me. It’d be a mercy.”

My own words echoed in my ears, but the more they did, the more I was certain it was the path forward. The only way. At least with that, my death would be my choice. Ender might be a monster to some, but I felt confident he would make my death quick.

It would keep the Arcane pack safe, too. If he knew I was gone, my father might simply move on.

Ender pulled back, his amber eyes darkening. “Now, where’s the fun in that? There’s no challenge if you don’t fight back.”

There was humor in his words but rage in his eyes. The juxtaposition was potent. Just like the scent of cinnamon and cloves swirling around me. I’d never been this close to Ender or touched this much of him.

I wasn’t sure if it was the shock of seeing my father after all these years, hearing his threats, or the feeling of Ender holding me that had me dizzy. All I knew was I wanted to fade into the assassin’s calming scent. Disappear into that earthy, heady aroma.

“I’m tired,” I whispered.

Ender’s expression softened into something I’d never seen before. His fingers slid into my hair and held on. “I know.”

“I can’t go back. I won’t give him that power.”

A muscle in Ender’s jaw popped. “You will never go back.”

I wished I could believe that vow. “You don’t know him. Not really. He’ll never stop. I betrayed him, and he won’t stand for that.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t stand for anyone hurting the people I care about. We’ve flushed him out. Got him away from the protection of his pack and territory. This is where we have the upper hand.”

Gods, I wanted that to be true. Wanted us to be able to take out Bastian and all the high-level Red River wolves. I wanted to free not just myself but everyone who had been under Bastian’s thumb.

“He won’t be here alone,” I warned. “He never travels without protection.”

“I know,” Ender growled. “I saw two unfamiliar wolves in town and knew something was off.”

I shuddered, wondering if one of them had been Marcelle.

Ender stiffened beneath me, feeling my tremble. “What did he say to you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I mumbled.

“Tell. Me. What. He. Said.”

I let out a long breath. “He promised to break me. Torture me all over again. Give me to his beta so I can birth my father’s true heir.

” But that child would still be part caster.

It would still be part of me . I was just sure Bastian thought he could control them if he had custody of them from birth.

The snarl that tore through the air had my wolf howling. Fur rippled over Ender’s arms as he struggled to control his wolf. It was likely the mating bond that spurred the reaction. Ender wouldn’t have any say over those protective instincts.

He took several ragged breaths, pulled himself together, and then finally met my gaze, his eyes pure wolf. “I need to know what happened to you.”

I shook my head. “Even if I felt like taking a trip down Fucked-Up Memory Lane, it’s not a good idea. You’re too on edge.”

Not to mention that he’d likely accuse me of lying even if I did tell him.

Ender couldn’t reconcile the fact that I might be as much of a victim as he was when it came to Bastian’s cruelty.

And I wasn’t sure I had it in me to fight the battle anymore.

I wasn’t going to try to convince Ender that I wasn’t a liar or a con woman out to get him and his pack.

Ender’s fingers tightened in my hair, but his thumb was featherlight as it traced the scar on my cheek. “I need to know. To understand. I just…my wolf and my human side are at war, and I need to know the truth. Please.”

My eyes flared as I stared back at him, understanding what he was truly asking for. Mates could share memories with each other if they opened their minds. It took a lot of trust, and, for me, the cost would be agony—I’d have to let down my empath shields to do it.

My wolf gave me a stern nudge. She wanted me to share, sensed it was the only way.

Fear and anxiety clawed at me as I stared at Ender, his massive body wrapped around mine. “There’s no going back.”

This wouldn’t be us cementing the bond because that would take a claiming mate-bond mark—a bite that would tether us for all eternity. In this life and the next.

But sharing memories like this would bring us closer and mean that walking away from each other would be even harder.

I still found myself wanting to give Ender what he’d asked for. Wanting him to know the truth.

I placed my hands on either side of his face, both of us with skin-to-skin contact now, and lowered my shields.

Pain hit me in hot, fiery waves. Anger and fear. Anxiety and the tiniest flicker of hope. But swirling around it all was confusion and doubt.

I tried to ignore the agony of Ender’s emotions and opened my mind to him. I let the memories flow and just hoped like hell I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life.