Page 20

LIVIA

My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dusk light. The war cries and howls from the battle with the Whispering Pines Pack had stopped a half hour ago, and I had been going in and out of a nap for the past three.

A breeze blew through my window, and I pulled the blankets over my almost bare body to stop the goosebumps. I whimpered softly, hoping the wind would stop, but it only seemed to get stronger. So I pushed myself up in the bed and leaned against the headboard.

Caelan and Dad had forbidden me from helping them, so I had to lie here and feel nothing but guilt for causing all this pain, all this death. It wasn’t my fault that Elijah hadn’t surrendered, but… I could do nothing about it now.

The room was quiet, and I couldn’t hear much except some murmuring from outside.

After blowing out a low breath, I let my gaze drift around the room. The heat last night had nearly killed me, and all I wanted to do was sleep forever. I didn’t want to go into it again, especially not here.

Especially not around that asshole I had to call Alpha .

It was obvious that he didn’t love me or care about me, outside of me being a pack member. So why should I care about him? I hated it here, and I wanted to leave. No, I would leave. My fingers grazed against Mom’s pendant. I had to learn more about my powers.

I furrowed my brows and stared at my windowsill for a couple moments, noticing a letter with a black ribbon tied around it that hadn’t been there before. What the hell was that? There was a chair in front of my door, so I would’ve heard if anyone had tried to get in.

But it hadn’t been moved.

My stomach twisted at the thought of someone being in my room while I slept. I peered at the letter for a moment. It definitely wasn’t from Caelan, nor from Dad. Maybe it was from Chase? Though… he wouldn’t leave me a heartfelt note.

All he wanted was to fuck.

After sliding out of bed, I made it to the windowsill and peered out to see if I could find the messenger. But there was nothing, nobody. So I grabbed the letter and swallowed hard, my heart racing.

While the ribbon was tied on one side, a wax seal held it in place on the other.

One dark red crimson seal that smelled like blood.

But that wasn’t what made my stomach drop. No, it was the fact that the seal had the same symbol as Mom’s pendant, the same one those witches had given me. Was this from Esma and Circe?

After swallowing hard, I broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.

Princess,

You must return before the Whispering Pines Pack finds you.

They know who you truly are. They know the powers you hold. They’ve been trying to kill you and those like you–like your mother–for decades.

You’re the only one who can save us.

So, please, return when you can. Alone.

- E & C

My pulse quickened, and heat crawled up along my spine. The note smelled faintly familiar, a scent that I hadn’t smelled in years. And something deep inside me stirred. Maybe it was my wolf, or maybe it was something else entirely.

I paced around the room, rereading each line until the words were imprinted in my head.

None of this made any sense. What did it even mean?

And… Princess ?

Princess.

Surely, they had gotten the wrong person. How had they made it here? Who had delivered this? Was this some sick joke that my packmates were playing on me? But having it signed by E and C? Esma and Circe?

I folded the letter and re-tied the black ribbon around it, placing it in my bedside drawer.

“What are you looking at?” Caelan asked.

I slammed the drawer closed and twirled around to see Caelan standing at my door. He leaned against the frame with his huge arms crossed over his chest, making his biceps bulge in all the right ways. Don’t ask me how he got in without me hearing, stupid alpha.

Didn’t he learn his lesson yesterday when I was in heat?!

After opening and closing my mouth a handful of times, I shook my head. “Nothing.”

He stepped into my room and shut the door. “Nothing? It doesn’t look like nothing.”

I shrugged. “Well, it was nothing. Why do you care anyway?”

“You know why I care.”

“You didn’t care when I was in heat.”

He stepped closer to me and growled. “You know that I did.”

I hummed in annoyance and turned back around to shut my window. “Sure.”

Before I could say another word, he had me pressed up against the window, drawing his nose up the column of my neck. “You know what you mean to me, but we can’t be together. I’m trying to protect you.”

“Protect me from what? You? Maybe you’re just trying to protect yourself.”

Another growl left his mouth, and he drew his canines right up against my neck, right where he would mark me if he truly cared, if he truly wanted me, if I wasn’t just a girl to hook up with like I was to Chase.

“If I didn’t care about you, if I didn’t want to protect you, I would’ve left you in that arena. You know that. You know what you mean to me. And you know I’d do anything to protect you. So me not marking you while you were in heat, there’s a reason for that.”

“And what’s the reason?” I asked. “Afraid that you’ll let your wolf make your decisions like he is right now?”

I didn’t need to see him to know that his wolf was out.

To feel his wolf out. His hands were all over my body, his tongue on my neck.

His canines on my skin. I didn’t know why he had finally succumbed to his wolf and why he couldn’t let him out when I was in heat so he could satisfy me. But it didn’t matter.

If he wanted to use me, then I could use him too.

I’d savor one last night with him and then… I’d be gone. Because I needed answers. And I would do anything to get them. Even if it meant leaving. And if I had to leave, then I’d take all the time that I could to be with my mate for the last time ever.