“This arrow’s about to serve you.” She lifts her chin,determined. “So, unless you want to be a twitching, paralyzed mess for the rest of the evening, I’d suggest you back off.”
I don’t doubt for a second she’ll follow through. Iris has always teetered just left of unhinged—maybe even embraced it—and that glint in her eye and the steady hands on that crossbow confirm she’s one bad mood away from pinning me to the wall like a taxidermy project.
Still, I don’t move.
My eyes find Rowan, as Iris called her, and I stare, hoping that something will begin to make sense.
She’s our mate, my wolf says.What more do you need to know?
She’s the hybrid from the prophecy, I remind him.The one who could unravel the very foundation of our world with a single heartbeat. She could take down the packs.
I thought they meant nothing to you?He presses.Isn’t that why we’ve been alone all this time?
I don’t dignify him with a response. It’s either silence or admit he’s not entirely wrong, and I’m not stable enough at the moment for self-awareness.
“What’s your choice going to be, Cade?” Iris asks with far too much satisfaction in her voice. “Either way, I win, so it doesn’t much matter to me.”
Gods, that smugness. I take two long strides toward her, and the tip of her arrow instantly presses against my chest, right over my heart. One more inch and it’ll do as it’s meant to.
“Don’t be a fool, Iris. I might not be able to kill you,but I can make you wish I could. I’m taking her before anyone else comes. The curse?—”
“The hell you are,” Rowan interrupts as a squirrel-looking creature climbs onto her shoulder. “You bust through the window like a feral dog, and now you think you own me? I don’t think so. Neither of you does. I’m leaving this place and pretending this was all some sort of fever dream.”
“Rowan, wait.” Iris turns toward her granddaughter, the tip of her arrow scraping across the surface of my skin.
I let out a quiet hiss of pain, making the old woman snicker as she chases after Rowan.
“Please, let me explain,” Iris begs. “I know this is confusing, but it will all make sense soon.”
Rowan barks out a short, humorless laugh. “Oh, I’m not confused at all. Actually, I feel enlightened. Turns out my mom was completely justified in running away from her medieval murder-club of a family. And guess what? I get it now. Crystal. Freaking. Clear.”
She storms out, and it’s not until the echo of her footsteps fades that Iris turns on me with a look that could strip paint.
“Look what you’ve done,” she snaps, and before I can even blink…Thunk.
The arrow sinks deep into my shoulder, just inches from my heart.
“You insane bit—” My knees buckle from the jolt of poison, and I collapse onto the broken glass, a curse stuck in my throat.
“I warned you,” Iris mutters, not even remotely sorryas she lowers the crossbow. “Stay out of my way, mongrel, before you scare her off for good.”
The door slams behind her as I let out one last roar while she leaves me writhing on the floor like some wounded animal on the side of the road.
I’ll kill her a thousand times over for this. In creative, cathartic, and deeply satisfying ways.
Just as soon as I can walk again.
Chapter 4
ROWAN
What in the ever-loving hell is happening in this place? I equal parts want to run for my life and also resurrect my mother just so I can throttle her for keeping a soap-opera-level supernatural family secret from me. She could’ve at least given me a warning—maybe a note in my birthday card.Hey sweetheart, you’re part-immortal and could possibly be cursed to become supernatural. Love you!
Regardless of the fact that I’m beginning to believe at least some of Iris’s ramblings might be true, I have to get out of NightShade. I don’t belong here, and I don’t intend to stay, especially with words like “prophecy” being thrown around with my name.
Shit!I stop and turn around, panic setting in that I’ve forgotten Archie, but his whiskers tickle my neck, showing me he’s right where he belongs.
I place a hand on his back and breathe heavily. “You’re the only normal thing I have in my life. Even if you are well-preserved for your age.”
