Something was wrong.
The air felt different. Heavier. There was a faint, unplaceable scent that made my wolf stir uneasily inside me.
I pushed the door open slowly, quietly.
The room was dark except for the soft glow of Adele's nightlight—a little dragon that cast gentle shadows. Her small form was curled under the blankets, her stuffed dragon clutched tight.
And standing beside her bed, illuminated by that soft dragon light, was Selene.
She held a knife. The blade caught the light, gleaming silver and deadly.
My heart stopped. Then hammered against my ribs so hard I could hear it in my ears.
"Hello, Isabella." Selene's voice was soft, almost conversational, as if we'd run into each other at a coffee shop. "I was wondering when you'd check on her. You always were such an attentive mother."
I forced calm, forced myself to think. "How did you get past security?"
She laughed, the sound brittle and slightly unhinged. "Bleach. Such a simple solution, really. Masks scent perfectly. Your guards didn't even notice me walk right past them." She gestured at herself with her free hand. "I've been here almost ten minutes. Just watching her sleep. Waiting."
The knife moved closer to Adele's sleeping form.
"Don't." The word came out low, dangerous. "Don't you dare touch her."
"Or what?" Selene's eyes were wild in the dim light. "You'll call for help? They won't get here in time. You'll try to fight me? I'm faster, stronger. I have Alpha blood running through my veins."
"Why are you doing this?" I took a slow step into the room. "You've lost everything. Your marriage, your position, your pack, your money. What more is there to gain?"
"Satisfaction." The word dripped venom. "You tookeverything from me, Isabella. My future, my life. You waltzed back into Virginia and destroyed everything I was building, everything I'd built."
"You destroyed yourself," I countered, taking another careful step closer. "You and Ethan. Your conspiracy, your schemes—"
"Schemes that would have worked if not for you and your bastard child!" Selene's voice rose, then she caught herself, glancing down at Adele. "This little mistake ruined everything. Gave Dimitri a reason to care about something other than duty. Made him weak."
"She's a four-year-old child," I cried out, the injustice burning like acid. How could anyone harbor such hatred for an innocent?
"She's a threat. And threats must be eliminated." Selene raised the knife higher. "I came to finish what the assassin failed to do."
Something in me shattered.
The instinct to protect my pup surged forth, a tidal wave overwhelming all rational thought. The urge to shift burned under my skin, no longer a slow build but a sudden, violent eruption.
My bones broke and reformed in agonizing succession, muscle fibers tearing and re-knitting. Fur pierced my skin, my senses expanding exponentially. Selene gasped, her own wolf struggling to the surface, but my shift was faster—fueled by pure, undiluted maternal rage.
When I launched myself at her, I was no longer a woman, but a massive, silver-gray wolf, a guttural snarl ripping from my throat.
Selene shifted almost simultaneously. A slightly smaller, golden-brown wolf with madness burning in her eyes met my charge.
We collided with brutal force, claws slashing, fangs clashing with a sickening crunch. We tumbled across the floor, crashing into the nightstand. The dragon lamp flew, shattering against the wall and plunging the room into near darkness, save for the moonlight filtering through the window.
Adele woke with a terrified scream.
"Mommy!"
That cry pierced me deeper than any fang. It gave me strength.
Selene's teeth sank deep into my shoulder blade, white-hot pain blinding me momentarily. But I didn't retreat. I kicked out hard withmy hind legs into her abdomen, forcing her to release her grip, then rolled, pinning her beneath me. My forepaws held her down, my fangs inches from her vulnerable throat.
Stay away from my daughter!I poured the thought into the mental void between us, a lethal intent clear even without words.
