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KELLY

E ach word Jacob said hurt worse than the last. Tears burned the back of my throat, but I refused to let them fall. He’d done enough damage.

As a werewolf, I doubted I could hide my pain from him, not when he scented emotions better than I could read them. All I saw in Jacob was frustration and anger, but maybe he was better at masking his feelings.

I locked the front door behind me, taking a deep breath to steady myself before walking toward him. My focus remained fixed on the food in my hands, setting the bag and sodas on the breakfast bar. Was this his only dining space? There had to be a kitchen table somewhere. This place was too big not to have a dining room. But the only noticeable seating was two barstools tucked together. Much closer than I wanted to be with him right now.

We ate our cheeseburgers and fries in silence. I kept waiting for him to say something, anything, but neither of us relented. Fine with me. Not really. I loathed the tension simmering between us.

When we finished, I glanced around his place. Condo? Pretty sure he’d meant to say he lived in a freaking penthouse. His home was massive and much bigger than I’d expected. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Why had I taken him to my shitty apartment? I wished I could escape to one of his extra bedrooms. Why had he even asked me that? Why shouldn’t I sleep in his bed?

For weeks, we’d been trapped in a cage together. He’d helped me through the most painful experience of my life. If he hadn’t found me, I wouldn’t have made it out. Would I even know how to sleep without him beside me?

His wolf had curled against me every night. The warm fur against my cheek helped when I struggled to breathe past my fear. Was that gone now that we were free?

If Jacob wanted to sleep apart, I wouldn’t stand in his way.

The vibration of my phone snapped me from my thoughts, and I slid off the barstool, grateful for the distraction. When I pulled it from my backpack, I checked the caller ID to see a familiar number on the screen. Emma? Oh god. She was my only friend aside from Jacob.

“Who is it, Kelly?” His words sounded tight and exhausted, and when I glanced back, he was watching me.

“I have to take this. Be back soon.”

I hurried deeper into the apartment and ducked into a room, shutting the door behind me. A bathroom. Great… whoops. Too late to switch now. I turned on the faucet, hoping the noise might help drown out my conversation. Who knew what Emma might say? I hoped nothing too crazy since I was at my limit, if not past it. Should I even answer this? My thumb hovered over decline. Your mental health is more important. But I couldn’t do this to her.

“Hey, Emma.”

“Kelly! Oh my god! Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks !”

The panic in her voice hit like a gut punch. I hadn’t thought of her once this past month. But it wasn’t like I’d had much time. Or maybe I’d had too much time to reflect. Still, guilt settled on my chest like a boulder.

“I’m so sorry. I…” How was I supposed to explain that mad scientists trying to create super soldiers out of shapeshifters had mistakenly kidnapped me? Or that I was one of those shifters now? No, I couldn’t tell her any of that.

I leaned against the bathroom counter and stared up at the bright white ceiling, wishing I’d listened to my instinct and not answered. “I don’t know how to explain what happened. It’s… complicated.”

“You missed final exams!” Emma nearly shrieked. “I tried talking to campus security. Bastards. I was—and still am—really worried. Kelly, this isn’t like you. Talk to me. Please!”

I pulled the phone from my ear and lowered the volume. A headache throbbed behind my eyes, and her shouting wasn’t helping. A quick glance at my call log made my chest tighten. There were almost a hundred missed calls and even more unread texts. Several unknown numbers, possibly from the university or spam, were also there. “Please, calm down.”

“Calm down?! Kelly Anita Lopez?—”

“Listen, it’s late.” I sighed, pressing my fingers against my temple. “I’ve had a really long day. Can I call you back tomorrow after I’ve slept? It’ll be easier for me.”

“Easier…? I…” A long exhale came through the line. I wasn’t making this better, but what else could I say?

Should I just tell her? This conversation drained my remaining energy, but maybe I should just say it. Ugh. “I was taken. It was impossible to attend my finals. Just… don’t tell anyone. I need to talk with the university and?—”

“Taken?! Oh my god, Kelly! What the hell?! You vanished, and no one knew anything. I thought you were dead .”

A sharp breath hissed through my teeth. Shit. Argh! This whole thing was spiraling out of control. My fingers tightened around the phone, and it creaked in warning. “Emma, please. I?—”

“No! You don’t just ‘please’ your way out of this. Tell me you’ve spoken with the police! Who took you? How the hell did you get away?” The rustling of papers and jingle of car keys over the line sent my pulse racing.

Oh no… No, no, no!

“Emma?” My voice rose, panic flooding my veins. “What are you doing?”

“I’m coming to your place.” Confidence radiated from her voice. She was headstrong at the worst of times. “You shouldn’t be alone after being abducted. It’s not safe.”

My heart pounded in my chest. Why had I opened my mouth? I glanced at the door. The walls felt like they were closing in. This was bad. “I’m… not alone. And I’m not at my place right now?”

Stop it, Kelly! Don’t say more.

“Why was that a question?” Emma bit out the words. “Who are you with? You should’ve called me sooner.” Keys clattered in the little metal dish beside her front door. “Talk to me, Kelly. Answer my questions.”

“I’m with Jacob.” Emma knew I hung out with him. We were all in the same English class. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d come to that conclusion on her own. “We…” Keep it vague. No details. “I reached out to him? I should’ve come to you. Sorry, but I only just got back to safety… and I’m exhausted.”

Emma let out another huff. “At least you’re with someone, I guess. You had a crush on Jacob before. Is there a reason you went to him with this? You were so skittish around him before.”

I gritted my teeth, wishing she’d save the questions for later. But she wasn’t wrong. The old me would never have run to Jacob first. She would’ve overthought every word and glance from him.

I should’ve thought this through before blurting out who I was with. “Things are different now. I studied with him the night of my abduction. And… I don’t know.” What could I say to make her understand? Probably nothing. “We opened up to one another. He might have feelings for me too. So, we’re hanging out until I get things figured out with school and work. I hope you and I can get together soon, though.” All of that was largely true.

“Jacob Armstrong has feelings for you? Wow. Didn’t see that coming.” She remained quiet for a few moments. Only her breathing told me she was still there. “Maybe you made the right call. I’ve always believed love overcomes the toughest odds. I’m not saying you two love each other. Just that it can help a person through dark times. But we need to meet up. I have to see you with my own eyes.” Her words brightened a little. The sadness lingered, but at least she didn’t hate my guts. I’d been afraid she would.

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Although I wasn’t so sure about Jacob’s feelings. But I needed to stay positive, even if I wanted to lie in bed with a book and forget everything else. Venting about my feelings would be a mistake. Some memories needed to be locked away, not shared with her. “Thank you, Emma. Your words mean a lot. I’ll text you tomorrow?”

“Okay, I’ll look for your text.” Emma muffled a yawn, but my heightened senses easily picked up the sound. “If I don’t hear from you, I’m calling Jacob and making him dish. I have his phone number, too, you know.” She paused. “Now that I think about it… I haven’t heard from him lately. I tried calling him before my Physics exam, but he never answered. Maybe he’s been busy. I’m sure he’s in high demand.”

“Huh, that’s weird.” Listening to her ramble made me nervous. Would she make the connection? Guess she didn’t realize Jacob hadn’t taken his finals either. No way did I want to tell her his side of the story. Who knew what Jacob and his mom might say to the college? If Emma talked with someone about his absence being connected to mine, I’d freak the hell out. “Talk to you later, Emma. Good night.”

“Night!” She stifled another yawn. “Get some sleep, and I’m glad you’re home! Remind me to give you my spring semester schedule. When you register for your classes, you can try to join the ones I’m in.”

“Great, will do.” I ended the call.

Planning my next semester courses usually excited me, but I couldn’t think about that right now. What if the college didn’t believe me? They might think I was making all this up. I could fail my fall classes and lose my scholarships. They were the one thing keeping me afloat. Money was tight. How would I continue my studies without them?

My pulse still hammered away in my ears as I turned off the faucet. The longer I stayed in the bathroom, the more obvious it became that I didn’t want to face Jacob. No, I just needed space to breathe and get myself under control.

A slow, rolling nausea crept through me before slamming into my belly. I barely made it to the toilet. My legs buckled, sending me to my knees on the cool marble floor. The once-delicious burgers and fries betrayed me, racing back up my throat. My stomach purged itself of every ounce of food and drink I’d consumed in the past few hours.

The doorknob turned, and from the corner of my eye, I spotted Jacob standing there with concern etched on his face. “Are you okay?” The gentleness in his voice made my stomach clench, and I jerked back around to puke again.

This time, I noticed some blood in the vomit. Despite the scientists’ hopes, this couldn’t be pregnancy-related. My birth control shot lasted for three months, and I got it in early December.

What the hell? Had the scientists been lacing our awful food with poison?

As I flushed the toilet to hide it, Jacob disappeared from sight. Guess that answered his question.

How embarrassing and scary.

I wanted to bury my face in the toilet… or maybe under a pillow, even a rock. Anything to hide my mortification would work.

Within seconds, I heard the faucet run nearby. A warm hand swept my hair back as I heaved, sparing my locks from the onslaught a little too late. His other hand moved in slow, soothing circles against my back.

“I brought a washcloth when you’re ready for it, babe.”

Jacob’s kindness tugged at my heartstrings. He hadn’t left to avoid the mess but to help me. His breathing was steady, but something about it felt measured, as if he was fighting the urge to say or do more to help.

Be nice to him. He’s not out to get you.

Tears welled in my eyes. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and press my cheek against his chest. But I felt disgusting. My stomach finally settled enough for me to lean back. I closed the lid and flushed the toilet again. Ugh. The lingering scent of vomit clung to the air, and I grimaced. The fact Jacob stayed unfazed made his presence more meaningful.

“Thank you,” I whispered, accepting the washcloth. I flashed him a watery smile, then wiped off my face. “I’ll clean up before I take a shower. Just tell me where the disinfectant wipes or cleaning products are.”

Jacob crouched beside me. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. His thumb brushed along my jaw. “Don’t worry about it. Take your shower and relax, babe. You don’t have to clean anything.” His gaze flicked to my lips. “It’s not important. You are.”

Relief eased some of the tension in my shoulders. “Thanks.”

“Are you okay?” His knee brushed against mine. He was so close, his presence overwhelming. Heat radiated from his skin, and his muscles coiled like he was holding back. But why?

I pressed a shaky hand against my stomach, trying to will the nausea away. “Um…” It had to be stress or the greasy food. Or the fact my entire life had been turned upside down. But the blood…? That’s a problem for future me. “Probably just nerves?” My voice trembled. “We just escaped a crazy research facility. It’s still hard to believe we’re free. I’m afraid I’ll wake up in that cage and discover this was a dream.” My fingers tightened around the washcloth, and I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know.”

“It’ll take time for our wounds to heal.” Jacob’s hand skimmed my back, heat bleeding into my skin. “You’re shaking.” His nostrils flared as he drew in a breath. He ran his hand along my arm, then paused. “You feel cold, and your scent…” He tilted his head to the side. “It’s changed.” He placed his hands on his thighs, his knuckles turning white. “What’s wrong?”

I blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?” Did he notice the blood?

“Not sure.” He inhaled again, as if trying to place this mysterious scent. Something unreadable flickered across his face before he shut it down. “You just… smell different. Could be the stress. Your body’s working overtime.” His jaw clenched, but he exhaled through his nose like he was letting it go. For now.

Forcing a laugh, I waved a hand toward the toilet. “Baby, I did just puke my guts out.”

“Let me help you up.” With a frown, he slid his arm under mine, pulling me to my feet. “I’ll grab a towel for your shower. If you’re hungry, I can order a pizza or get something lighter for you?”

My legs wobbled as I leaned against the bathroom counter. The thought of eating something else made my belly churn again. “No, thank you. No more food right now.”

“Makes sense.” He glanced down at the toilet, then back at me. “Let me know if you change your mind. My offer stands.”

“I will.” But food was the last thing I wanted. “Thank you.”

“No problem, babe. Enjoy your shower.”

Jacob lingered a second longer than necessary. His muscles tensed like he was fighting the urge to stay. He curled his fingers into fists at his sides, then shifted slightly like he wanted to step forward. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair before he walked out.

The familiar pull of desire for him was strong, even though I knew the full moon played a role. Should I invite him to shower with me? Both of us needed one after our escape.

His words from the car echoed in my ears. I want you. Things would be okay. I had to believe that.

When he failed to return with a towel, I peeked under the sink. The scent of bleach from the disinfectant wipes stung my nose as I cleaned the bathroom. He’d told me not to worry about it, but I couldn’t leave things like this, even if the wipes’ scent made me retch.

After I finished cleaning the toilet, I turned on the shower. Hot water cascaded over my naked body as I stepped beneath the spray. Steam curled around me in a warm embrace.

I poured shampoo into my palm and scrubbed at my scalp, letting the lather drip down my shoulders. Leaning my forehead against the cool tile, I let out a shaky breath. The heat should’ve melted the tension from my body, but it didn’t.

Water rained down my arms and back, rinsing away the soap. No matter how much I scrubbed, I still felt raw. Like something lurked beneath the surface of my skin. The beast was always there, and it scared me. When would I have Jacob’s confidence with that side of myself?

Exhaustion settled deep into my bones. Everything we’d been through frayed my nerves. That was all this was… stress. Too much fear. Too little rest. It had to be.

Lifting my face to the water’s spray, I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the thoughts away. Maybe after some sleep, I’d feel normal again.

Or so I hoped.