PROLOGUE
Nine monthsago
The lookon his face told me everything I needed to know.
Regret-filled eyes that had looked at me with such unguarded passion only hours before.
Deep down I’d known it would end this way, even if I’d refused to admit it to myself.
I think we both had.
And yet, he’d still led me out of the club, and I’d followed him home regardless.
Now our friendship lay in tatters at our feet, and that wasn’t the worst thing about this mess we’d made.
No, the thing that absolutely cut me up inside was knowing that even though we’d broken something that should’ve been so beautiful… I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
AXEL
Present Day
I glancedup from the pan I was stirring as footsteps sounded on the stairs.
“Hey,” I called out. “Are you staying at Nick’s tonight?”
Dathal paused in the doorway to the kitchen. “Yes. I’ll probably go to Midnight later and go home with him when it closes.” He had his phone in his hand, a common occurrence these days, and it amused me no end considering how reluctant he’d been to have it in the first place. He waved it at me. “I already checked with Rys, and he has pack members ready to take over tonight.”
My eye-roll was automatic. Another common occurrence these days. “Like I keep saying, I don’t need to be watched twenty-four hours a day.” It wasn’t that I was ungrateful—I very much appreciated the lengths everyone had gone to in order to keep me safe—but after so many weeks of being constantly aware I was never alone… it was starting to grate on me. “And is it even necessary anymore?”
Dathal gave me a flat look. It wasn’t the first time we’d had this conversation, no doubt he was as fed up as me of repeating the same old arguments. “Do I need to go over all this again?”
I sighed, turned away from him, and closed my eyes. “No. It’s just…”
I feel trapped.
Vai Zh’alek had seemingly vanished into thin air, and yet he continued to affect my life. And I was tired of it.
Tired of looking over my shoulder all the fucking time.
Tired of other people having to go out of their way to make sure I was safe.
Tired of feeling weak and vulnerable when that really wasn’t me at all.
I hated Zh’alek for making me feel this way.
Hated that he still could.
“Axel.” Dathal’s hands landed on my shoulders, grip firm and reassuring.
I leant back into his familiar warmth.
“I know this is hard for you, Cousin. I wish it wasn’t necessary. Butnoneof us would forgive ourselves if anything happened to you because we hadn’t been paying attention.” He gently turned me around and pulled me into a hug.
I needed it more than I realised.
“Accepting our protection doesn’t make you weak,” he said quietly.
I smiled. “I thought I was the mind reader?”
