AMARIS

Nia opened the door to my room and I stepped inside slowly, my body protesting every single movement with sharp bursts of pain.

Apart from my missing clothes that were probably blood-soaked and completely destroyed in the crash, it was almost like I had never left this space. Same bed with the same burgundy covers, same furniture arranged in the exact same positions, same view of the Gravemoon grounds through the window that I had stared at while contemplating all my terrible life choices.

My body still hurt like absolute hell but not quite as badly as it did a couple hours ago in the hospital before the doctors reluctantly discharged me against their clearly better judgment. My wolf was working overtime trying to heal the extensive damage but broken ribs did not magically knit back together instantly no matter how supernatural werewolf healing was supposed to be.

The gash on my forehead throbbed with each heartbeat and my left arm was in a sling to keep me from moving my cracked collarbone.

I looked at Nia who was hovering nearby like she expected me to collapse unconscious at any moment. "Were they able to find Victor?"

Nia’s expression darkened considerably. "No. But the twins and Cole alongside Beta Marco and some of the best warriors are actively searching the entire territory for him right now."

I sighed deeply and lowered myself carefully onto the bed, gritting my teeth as every movement sent sharp pains radiating through my ribs and chest. "No one has even bothered to tell me why Victor wants to kill me specifically. I know his fiancée Freya turned out to be Alpha Corvin’s mate but I thought he already got his revenge by causing Luna Zoya’s death. Is that not enough for him?"

Nia moved to sit on the edge of my bed, her voice dropping to something quieter and more serious. "Before now I genuinely thought he was dead. Him and Freya both. Not until he showed up at the engagement party looking very much alive."

I sat up straighter despite the pain lancing through my torso. "Wait, do you mean Freya is still alive too?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"I honestly don’t know for certain," Nia admitted, her hands twisting together anxiously in her lap. "But I know the twins and Alpha Corvin are definitely not telling me everything that actually happened during that fight a year ago when Victor staged his coup attempt."

"Why would they hide information like that from you?" I asked, genuinely confused because Nia seemed to know everything about everyone in this pack.

"I have absolutely no idea," Nia responded with a frustrated shake of her head. "But you should rest now. You need to heal and recover your strength."

"I don’t think I can rest properly," I admitted, leaning back against the headboard as carefully as possible. "Not until they catch Victor and I know for certain I am not going to wake up in the middle of the night with him standing over my bed ready to finish what he started."

"Knowing Victor the way I do, catching him will not be easy at all," Nia said grimly, her expression troubled. "He is not just smart but he knows everyone in this pack intimately. How they move, how they think, how they fight, what their individual weaknesses are. He even personally trained most of the current warriors when they were younger." She paused significantly. "So he knows all their secrets and vulnerabilities too."

"That means essentially we are all completely fucked," I stated flatly, because there was no point in pretending otherwise.

Nia smiled in a way that was absolutely not reassuring in the slightest. "Essentially, yes. We are totally and completely fucked."

Great. Just absolutely fantastic. Exactly what I needed to hear while recovering from almost being murdered by a psychopath who apparently knew everyone’s weaknesses and fighting styles.

A loud knock sounded at the door and Nia stood quickly to answer it.

But even with my weakened senses that were still recovering from the severe concussion, I knew exactly who was standing behind that door before Nia even touched the handle. I could already smell the distinctive scent of apples mixed with fur that had become achingly familiar over these past weeks, could feel the inexplicable pull of the mate bond even through solid wood and distance.

Ryker and Rowan.

Both of them, together.

Nia pulled open the door and they stood there in the hallway looking absolutely wrecked in ways that somehow made them even more attractive which was completely unfair.

Their dark hair was thoroughly messed up like they had been running their hands through it repeatedly in frustration or shifting back and forth between human and wolf forms for hours. Dirt and mud streaked their clothes and faces. Ryker’s black shirt was torn badly at the shoulder exposing skin underneath and Rowan had what looked distinctly like dried blood crusted on his knuckles. They both had that dangerous exhausted look that came from extended physical exertion.

The unfair part was how good they still looked despite being covered in dirt and blood.

Nia immediately scowled at them with clear hostility. "She is supposed to be resting."

What the fuck is she doing? I thought with rising panic flooding through me. I actually want to see them even if I probably shouldn’t.

"We just want to see how she is doing," Ryker stated, his dark eyes finding mine directly over Nia’s shoulder and holding my gaze.

"Oh, to see what other creative ways you could try to kill her?" Nia shot back sarcastically.

Wait, what?

What was she talking about?

"Nia, can you cut it out?" Ryker’s voice took on a dangerous edge.

"No I absolutely will not," Nia stated firmly, then turned around to walk back into the room toward where I was sitting on the bed. "Did you know Ryker tried to kill you?"

My eyes widened in complete shock and disbelief. "What do you mean? Are you saying he was the one who caused the accident that almost killed me?"