Page 89 of Pretty When She Breaks

Blood spattered in golden hair.

He moved so fast, for a beta.

Then a potent scent that halted me in my tracks.

Not a beta.

Blue eyes met mine.

My shoulder exploded in pain.

My mind screamed at the memories, and I ached to push it all away. To numb it, like I always had. I could close my eyes and embrace the fog…

My hands gripped the desk as I stood up. I kept the headphones on as I walked out the door. She wasn’t making evil plans, she was trying to uncover what had happened to her brother. A brother who… there was something important there, but it escaped me.

“Where do we start?” Jade asked.

“I don’t know,” Laurel said softly. “My father watches me so closely, I can barely do anything.”

I took off the headphones as I opened the arched patio doors, stepping out into the sunlight. The women both turned to look at me, identical expressions of surprise on their faces. I walked over and sat down in one of the chairs.

“Julius,” I said, nodding. They’d been talking about Julius, I wanted to know more.

Hadn’t I?

“I’m sorry, you are?” Jade said.

“Not Julius,” I confirmed.

Jade snorted.

“Kaos,” I said.

“An alpha you trust?” Jade looked at Laurel, raising aneyebrow. Her gaze flicked toward the patio door, then back to my pajamas.

Laurel’s face went pink. “We’re working together toward a common goal.”

“Is that what we’re calling it nowadays?” Jade said wryly.

I chuckled.

“He’s—” She cut herself off.

She wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about us.

“It’s a secret,” I told Jade in a stage whisper. “How about a trade? You tell me why you’re talking about Julius, and I tell you what we’re doing here?”

Jade shrugged, looking at Laurel for direction.

“We don’t think he’s dead,” Laurel said primly.

“I think I owe him…something.”

Laurel’s eyes flashed, and she suddenly grabbed my arm. “We all thought he’d killed you,” she said. “What happened? How did you escape? Did he help?”

I frowned. “I don’t know…” I said slowly. “I remember bits of the fight. Not wanting to hurt him.”

I shuddered, my hands tightening on the arms of the chair. That had been the night I’d realized how broken I was.