“Thank you.” I leaned forward and kissed his cheek before turning back to Kian. “What was your vision?”
“You're the necromancer that Lachlan’s close with,” Lily murmured with a look of admiration, and a growl reverberated from my throat.
“Mine,” I snarled, and the guys tensed before Lily pouted her lips and looked down at her lap.
Kian came forward and swept his hand through my hair, not once looking over at Lily. “I’m yours, sweetheart.” His gaze never left mine, and Damien came up behind me, resting his hands on my hips as Kian explained, “Lachlan, I saw you tearing a hole in the wards to reunite with your sister, only for her to inject you with something just as you shifted back. There's a human specimen on the other side that takes Wren, and then it goes dark. I can't see her in the future. Please do not trust her.”
I broke Kian’s gaze to look at Lachlan, who had tears filling his eyes. “Tell me that there's another option, another vision where she doesn’t do that.”
“I’m sorry, Lachlan.” Kian shook his head, staring at Lachlan. “I love you like a brother. You know I do, and I wanted to do everything I could to reunite you with your sister, but not at the cost of our mate.”
He tilted his head back and howled—something I’d never seen him do in his regular form, and it sounded heartbreaking.
“I can explain, Lachlan,” Lily’s words were soft but panicked, and all four of us spun and snarled in her direction. “The humans promised they wouldn't ever harm you or our parents. They said that I could be free if I gave the arctic fox over to them. We could be a family again. Lachlan, just let them take her, and we—”
“Over my dead fucking body.” Damien snapped as he stepped forward, his hands twitching as his shadows coiled around him and me.
“Not at the cost of my mate.” Lachlan’s expression was one of anguish as he shook his head.
“I’ll kill her. Say the word, and she’s gone.” Damien’s gaze met mine, and I bit my lip painfully as his eyes flashed silver and a knowing smirk played on his lips. He knew I wanted to agree.
“Are you going to let them threaten to kill me like that?” She screamed at Lachlan, disbelief forming over her features as a human specimen stepped out beside her.
“So it's true,” Lachlan croaked. “All this time, I’ve been dying to be reunited with my twin… but you would actually conspire with humans to take my fated mate—my soulmate, Lily… No. We can’t be a family again. Not after this. You’re dead to me.”
She moved toward the barrier, panic encompassing her face. “Don't do this. I’m your twin!We are two parts of a whole!Who needs a soulmate when you have what we have?What would Mom and Dad say?”
“Why don't you go ask them?” He turned his back on her and came to me before cupping my face in his hands. Agony stabbed through the bond. “I love you, Wren. I’m so thankful you were so supportive of my reunion with her, but I will never let anyone hurt you. Not even her.”
“I’msosorry. I love you, Lachlan.” I sniffled as tears welled in my eyes.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. She does.” He turned to Damien and Kian with a conflicted expression. “I'm sorry to both of you.”
Damien snarled as he pushed himself closer behind me, his hand digging into my hip. “You should be, and you're forgiven. If only for our mate’s sake.”
“After this, she sides with the humans,” Kian murmured, placing a hand on Lachlan’s shoulder.
Lachlan turned toward his sister. “Disappointed is an understatement, Lily.”
“Lachlan!” she screamed for him. “Don't do this. Twins! We’re twins! We were supposed to—it was supposed to be us against the world! Why are you choosing her over me?” A sob wracked through her as Damien's glare pierced her.
“If I ever see you around my mate, I will kill you. Your relation to Lachlan won't save you, so don’t fool yourself into thinking it will.” Damien's shadows whirled around us, and we left Lachlan’s sister crying outside of the wards of the academy with a human specimen.
TWENTY-FIVE
Wren
"Ineverthoughtwe'dget here,” Thorn murmured as he swept my sweaty hair from my forehead and thrust back into me. His hands framed my face, and his coldness cooled the heat inside of me.
Our skin glowed with a faint sheet of ice as we took solace in each other the way we always did.
“Me either.” I gripped his shoulders and met his thrust with my hips.
His blueberry scent drew into my nose as I inhaled a breath.
He stroked in and out, easing himself slowly and softly and moved a hand down my body until he reached the little swollen nub and rubbed it. “Do you like this, Kit?”
“I like anything you do to me.” Pleasure swept through me as the coldness inside spread through my veins until my teeth chattered.
