Chapter 2
As we left the clinic, rain was pouring down.
Lucian walked ahead, carrying Cassia in his arms. My father held an umbrella over her, and Austin opened the car door.
No one noticed I was falling behind, or saw me bracing myself against the wall and coughing up a mouthful of blood that shimmered faintly with silver light.
Simon rushed out and shoved a bottle of painkillers into my hand.
"Elena, I'll try to find another way," he said.
"When did you say the next full moon is?" I asked.
"Seven days from now, at 11:40 PM," he replied.
"How long does it take from when the Silver Veins cross the collarbone until the heart stops?" I asked.
"It varies. Could be an hour, could be ten minutes," he said, unable to meet my eyes. "Why are you asking?"
"Just making sure I've got my schedule straight," I replied.
I walked through the rain to the parking lot, only then remembering that my car keys and handbag were in Lucian's car.
His black SUV had already disappeared beyond the rain.
Suddenly, a wave of warmth pulsed through the mate mark.
Lucian's joy was bleeding through.
He almost never smiled. Right now, Cassia was probably curled up against his shoulder, reassuring him that their baby was safe.
Meanwhile, I stood there in the cold rain, listening to the venom gnawing away at my heart.
I pressed my hand to the bite mark on the back of my neck, trying for the first time to block out the mate bond sense.
The mark seared against my skin, burning with a fierce pain.
Through our mental link, Lucian's voice came through, cold and commanding. "Stop throwing a fit. Drop the shield."
I gritted my teeth, blocking him out, layer by layer.
For eight years, his emotions washed over me like tides at any moment. I had never shut him out, not even when I was angry, hurt, or unconscious from injury.
When the last trace of our bond faded, the world fell silent all at once.
I realized that the first step to letting go of someone was simply shutting them out.
I borrowed Simon's phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in four years.
After two rings, a woman's voice came through, old and steady. "Who is this?"
"Aunt Vera, it's me," I said.
There was a brief silence on the other end. "Elena? So you finally called Northern Reach," Aunt Vera said.
I stared at the blurred lights through the rain. "Aunt Vera, do you still have the will Mom left for me?" I asked, my voice steady.
"I've always kept it safe," she answered.
"Bring it to Ashpine City," I said. "I'm reclaiming my territory, ending the bond between Lucian and me."
Six days remained before my heart would stop.
When I woke up in the guest room, Lucian was standing by the bed.
He'd already changed his clothes, and his dark gray shirt was tinged with the Iris Perfume Cassia always wore.
"Why are you sleeping here?" he asked.
"There's no room for me in the master bedroom anymore," I replied coolly.
Lucian's face darkened.
"I only slept with Cassia once. I got drunk at the victory‑feast that night, and she was right in her mating phase. This child was an accident," he said, his voice low.
I hadn't expected him to prepare such a flimsy excuse.
No Lycan would ever mix up their mate's scent, not even when they're wasted.
Besides, Cassia was my sister. When she was in her mating phase, he ought to have stayed further from her than everyone else.
"Understood," I said, pulling back the covers. "Out of my way, I'm heading to the study."
He seized my wrist. "Do you really have to talk like this?"
"What else should I say? Thank you for getting my sister pregnant, and wish you two a blissful life together?" I snapped.
"I'll take responsibility, but she'll never replace you. You'll always be my mate and the lady of Ashpine," Lucian said.
"Then what is she supposed to be to you?" I pressed.
"She's just fragile. She needs a bit more care, that's all," he replied.
I almost laughed out loud.