Their names echo inside my head, a vicious pounding inside my chest. My lips curl back as a snarl ripples from my throat. Luc darts a look at me over his shoulder as he hits the gas.
“Ava,” he barks. “You need to stay in the car while we check things out.”
I ignore him, my eyes narrowing on the path ahead.
Like fuck am I staying in the car.
My head doesn’t feel right. The anger and terror I’ve felt for the last hour has narrowed into razor-edged focus. My breathing speeds up as I grab for the car door.
“Ava!” One of my alphas has hold of my shoulders, his face concerned as he talks to me, his face urgent.
Mine.
His words slide past me, none of them breaking through the haze. The vehicle slows, and they’re too slow to stop me as I jump out and run straight for the main house.
“Ava!”
Footsteps pound on the gravel, but they can’t keep up with me. I burst through the main doors and stop.
The room looks undisturbed at first glance. I inhale, tasting the taint of oil in the air, sulphuric and rotten. Underneath is the unmistakable iron tang of blood. Breathing it in, my eyes scan the room again, this time stopping on a familiar shape on the floor.
Leah.
My vision clears a little. Max bursts through the door behind me, Nik and Luc behind him as he grabs my arms.
“Ava,” he snaps. “You can’t just run off—,”
“Leah,” I rasp, shaking him off. “Max, help her!”
Max turns, his face paling as he spots her. “Lee.”
I drop down on her other side as Max rolls her over. Her red hair sticks together in a clump of dried blood, her eyes barely focusing on me as she blinks heavily.
“The babies,” she slurs. “He’s here. Nash is at the cabin.”
My head snaps to the stairs, Luc and Nik already pounding up them as I follow, leaving Max to look after his sister.
Luc throws out his arm as I come up behind them, turning and pinning me with a fierce glare. “You stay behind us,” he snaps quietly. “We will not be able to concentrate if you’re in danger, brat. Do you understand?”
Pressing my lips together, I dip my chin in acknowledgment. But I can’t promise him to stay out of danger.
Emery. Leo. Bastien. Where are they?
A pained groan sounds as we reach the top of the chairs. I bite back my cry as my eyes fall to the trail of blood along the floor, following it to Bastien as he limps down the hall, his hand over his side as he hugs the wall for support.
Luc is next to him in a flash, his hand landing over Bastien’s mouth as he sucks in a shocked cry. “Shh, brother,” Luc says quietly. “We’re here now. Where are they?”
Bastien nods, sinking back against the wall as he lifts his hand towards the nursery. Red glitters in the afternoon light, and he forces a smile as he spots me, held back by Nikolai. My eyes zero in on the darkened scarlet covering his white t-shirt.
“I’m alright,” he grunts. “He’s still here. He caught me outside with a bat over the head – stupid. I didn’t see him coming.”
Bastien stares at me, his eyes full of apologies.
Ducking under Nik’s arm, I run my hands over his body, suppressing a gasp as my hands come away stained with red. “Bastien,” I mutter. “Heshotyou!”
The haze descends over my vision again.
Stone is here. In our home. He’s attacked Leah, and shot Bastien. My head swivels to the nursery, the lamp Nik made casting its twirling shadows out into the hallway.
