That answer grates on every instinct I have. My teeth ache from clenching them. I turn away before I say something I’ll regret.
Outside, wolves prowl along the perimeter, their movements a constant blur in my periphery. Two hawk shifters have come to join our ranks—friends of Neal’s from when he was a rogue wolf. The hope is they’ll deter Rip from returning as a raven, and so far, it seems to be working. We haven’t seen the ravens since.
But I don’t trust the quiet. It’s too deliberate. For all our planning, it just means Rip, Foxx, and Orem are planning too. They’re coming, and soon. I can feel it in my bones.
Grant’s new drones buzz over the property every few hours, the sound mixing with howls and conversations and footsteps. My house—our home—feels like a war camp. I’ve never hated noise this much in my life. No wonder Tobias keeps disappearing to the darkroom.
Red approaches me, holding a glass bottle that glints green in the light. “I made a tonic for Tobias,” he says softly.
“What is it?”
“Just something to calm him.”
I want to tell him calm isn’t possible. Not for Tobias. Not for any of us. But Red already knows that. He’s just trying to help.
I open my mouth to thank him—and then it hits.
The tether in my chest jerks hard, vibrating with a violent pulse that knocks the air out of me. Tobias’s panic floods through the bond so fast it makes my vision blur.
I drop the glass bottle and snap my head to the stairs. “Toby.”
I bolt up the stairs two at a time, heart hammering. Red follows behind me.
My teeth elongate, fur bristling across my skin. I throw open the door leading to the darkroom—and stop cold.
Half of the photos in the studio gallery are gone, ripped to shreds. Huge gouges dig into the walls where frames used to hang, and broken glass sparkles across the floor like frost. Beneath it all, there’s the sharp, copper scent of blood.
“Tobias?”
Nothing.
I peer into the darkroom. Empty.
Panic spikes as I shove past Red back into the hall. “TOBIAS?”
Then I see it. A thin trail of blood, dark against the hardwood. How did I miss that?
I follow it down the hall to the bathroom and find Tobias in the shower, still dressed. He’s staring at his arm in disbelief as blood drips from a cut near his palm.
“Tobias.”
He flinches, then blinks up at me. “He—he said I needed to clean up.” His voice is almost shrill, full of panic. “He—he said…”
I climb into the shower and pull him against me, clothes and all. My arms wrap tight around his trembling body. Tobias barely moves. He’s completely soaked, and the water is freezing, so I shut it off.
“Baby,” I mutter, kissing his head. My eyes burn with fresh tears. I pull away to search his face. “Are you okay?”
He flinches again and lifts his arm. “Ouch.”
The cut isn’t deep, thankfully. It was probably from the glass when he smashed the frames, but it’s enough to twist my stomach.
“Let him see it,” I say, tipping my head to Red. I can’t take my eyes off my mate. Can’t stop touching him. I need to know for sure he’s okay.
Tobias doesn’t argue, holding his hand out for Red. Red doesn’t ask us to step out of the shower. He must see how clearly in shock Tobias is, staring at the tile like he’s scared to ask what happened.
When he speaks, his voice cracks. “Did I… do something? I-I don’t—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
