Ever since the night he had asked for my number and invited me out—right before catching Magnus and me together at the club—we hadn’t spoken a word.
At the thought of the word together, a sharp, sickening pang shot through my stomach. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t want to see anyone.
"Well, well. What a pleasant surprise," Dean purred, a slow, lazy smirk spreading across his handsome face. "What is a little breeder girl doing out here all by herself? Aren’t you supposed to be in class, sweetheart?"
"It’s none of your business. Move," I muttered, trying to step around him.
Dean mirrored my movement, shifting his broad shoulders to block the passage. The alley between the buildings was narrow, and his towering frame cut off my only escape route.
"Why so prickly?" He tilted his head, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. "Is Magnus not treating you right?"
"Why do you care?! Let me through!" I tried to shove past him.
"If he’s misbehaving... you know you can always come to me," he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, velvety rasp that sent a jolt of alarm through my veins.
A sudden, terrifying realization hit me like a splash of ice water. Why was he doing this?
He knew I was tied to Magnus. Was he using me to settle a score?
Lina’s toxic venom echoed in my head—her frantic rants about a brutal war brewing between the packs, about Magnus exerting ruthless pressure and driving a wedge deep into the werewolf aristocracy.
It made no sense. Magnus’s fated mate had come from the Nyland bloodline. According to the news archives, their houses had been allied for decades long before the bond flared.
Unless the articles were lying... and the war between the wolves had already begun.
"What business is it of yours?" I squeezed the words through my teeth.
Dean placed his hand against the wall right beside my head, trapping me in the narrow passage. Leaning in until his dark eyes locked onto mine, he murmured, "I like you. But you keep running away from me. Your little Doberman isn’t letting anyone get near you—he even set guards to watch your every move." He let out a cold, sharp chuckle. "He threatened to tear my head off if he saw me anywhere near you, or if I dared tell you too much. But I think I’ll take my chances."
He lunged forward to kiss me, but before his mouth could touch mine, I slammed both palms against his chest and shoved him back with everything I had.
"Don’t you dare!" I snapped, backing away and furiously wiping my lips with the back of my hand. "Don’t you dare touch me! I don’t tolerate anyone invading my space!"
Dean raised his hands in mock surrender, taking a step back with a surprised smirk.
"You really are a prickly one," he laughed softly. "A fierce little porcupine. Fine, I’ll respect your boundaries for now. But remember this: if you ever get tired of Magnus, or if he treats you badly, my offer for a date still stands. And trust me—I’ll be far more gentle and attentive than he could ever be."
"No," I cut him off cold. Ducking under his arm, I bolted past him down the narrow alleyway.
His low voice trailed after me: "Think about it! If anything happens, I’m ready to stand by you and protect you from him! You clearly have no idea how ruthless he can be. He’s a monster, Jane!"
I already know what kind of monster he is.
"Don’t bother," I threw over my shoulder without turning around. "I can handle my own problems."
I always have. I only have myself... and I’ll pull through this, too.
It took me nearly two hours of aimless walking to reach Adam’s hidden lair. I trudged across the city, watching happy couples pass by and people rushing about their lives, while inside me, nothing remained. Just a cold, hollow void.
I had no idea how I was ever supposed to look Magnus in the eye again.
Questions chased each other in a relentless loop inside my mind: Why didn’t he tell me? Why keep it hidden? Did he love her? What on earth are we to each other? What did their bond-mark even look like? Magnus’s body was covered in intricate tattoos—their mark could be hidden under any one of them. A dead mate’s mark, etched onto his skin forever...
Something about this entire story felt terribly wrong. An alpha wolf could no longer have two fated mates—if the fated mate was lost, they could only be replaced with a chosen one. There could only be one calling mark for each alpha male.
The alpha wolf’s biology could only be compatible with one breeder. Karina was a breeder of noble wolf blood... Could she have been an alpha breeder too?
Still, why did he ask me to be his girl? He clearly loved Karina—every photograph proved it in the gentle, protective way he held her.
And with me... everything was different. His sudden shift toward gentleness had only happened recently, and I had no idea what had triggered it. Was it pity? Guilt? Possession?
Nothing made sense anymore.
Reaching the secluded, ruined structure, I glanced around to ensure no pack trackers had followed me. I slipped inside and made my way down into the subterranean room where Adam usually stayed.
The sight before me made my blood run cold.
Adam was curled up on an old, sagging sofa, wrapped in a threadbare blanket, his entire frame shuddering with violent tremors.
He was burning up.
"Jane? Hey..." he rasped, offering a weak, trembling smile as he tried to prop himself up on one elbow. "What are you doing here? You shouldn’t have come... I’m sick."
I rushed to his side, dropping to my knees on the cold floor and pressing my palm against his forehead. His skin was scorching hot beneath my fingers—a dangerous, unnatural fever radiating from his body.
"Adam! What happened to you?! Are you even taking anything for this?" A fresh surge of panic washed over me, drowning out the lingering ache of my own problems.
"Yeah... trying to," he nodded weakly, his voice barely a rasp. "Doesn’t seem to be doing much, though. Askold should be back soon—he promised to bring a doctor here to check on me."
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