Mag-log in“Mom.” Nico’s voice came thin and wiry from the exam table. He pushed himself up on one elbow, swaying a little where he sat. “Stop. She saved me. She gave the plant to me as a present. She didn’t know.” He swallowed, wincing as his fingers lifted to touch his raw throat. “Please don’t blame her.”S
Ellie’s POVI was already moving before the leaf hit the ground.I dropped to my knees beside Nico. His back had bowed off the step, legs trembling as a thin line of spit gathered at the corner of his mouth. I slid a hand under his head so he couldn’t crack it on the stone and took a breath, then fo
Dominic’s POVBy the time I made it home, I was dead on my feet. And yet, there was so much to do that I hardly had time to take a thirty-minute nap before I was moving again.My Beta was waiting for me in my study, and looked up from behind the desk, giving me a curt look.“You look exhausted.”“Ni
I let myself out and stood on the porch for a moment to catch my breath.“You’re leaving already?”I jumped, whirling around to see Nico sitting on a swinging bench off to the side. He was only wearing a sweater, no coat or hat or mittens, his cheeks flushed from the cold. He didn’t seem bothered by
Ellie’s POVStephanie led me through to a sitting room off the front hall and gestured to an armchair by the fire. A tray was already set out on the coffee table between us. I sat, and she poured two cups of steaming tea.“You look frozen,” Stephanie said, sliding a cup across to me. “Drink.”I took
“What do you want?” I snapped.Vivian pulled her head back. Then lifted her wrapped hand. “You are a healer, aren’t you? Or are you going to turn me away?”I sighed, knowing that she was right. Despite our past, it wouldn’t be right of me to turn away a clearly injured person. I’d made a vow when I
Ellie POV The day of the midterm arrives like a held breath finally released.Everything I’ve been carrying for weeks.It’s strange how quiet my mind feels as I walk across campus, how all the chaos and noise that had lived in my head—Dominic’s voice, Vivian’s laughs, Karina’s threats, the constant
I let go.Lucas leaned back slightly, eyes wide, jaw flexing as he fixed his shirt. “You’re faster then I remember. Noted.”He was already turning when he added, without looking at me, “And Dominic? If she wants me around, I’ll be around. Whether you like it or not. Alpha.”He walked off.I couldn’t
Dominic POV The moment her head disappeared beneath the surface, something inside me tore open.I didn’t feel myself running. I didn’t feel the rocks under my hands. All I felt was a pull, and it was enough to drive me forward like an animal.I dove deep, eyes burning, lungs screaming.It was dark.
Dominic POV The thing about Marcus and Jake is that they don’t know how to take no for an answer.Or maybe they do, they just choose violence instead.“Come on, man,” Jake groaned, slinging an arm across my shoulders. “You’ve been brooding for, like, days. It’s depressing. Even for you.”“I’m not b







