“Shut up, brother.” Gen stands up from her seat, her lip curling up angrily. Her hands tremble slightly, betraying some deeper emotion. “That’s Bast’s mate. We tolerate your unpleasant personality for Emma’s sake.”
Yep. Definitely Finn.I make a mental note to give him a wide berth.
“They fucking killed Lucas!”
“Our brother is dead, yes.” Gen flinches, pain flashing across her face before hardening into anger. “And maybe that should hurt more than it does. But Lucas made his choice. He didn’t care about his family—he just wanted Dad’s business. That’s the only reason he was helping you in New York and you know it.”
“Bullshit. Our brother is dead because of them.” He jabs a finger in my direction.
The raw grief in his voice makes me wish I could sink into the floor, but instead, I force myself to meet his hate-filled gaze. “And there are more coming,” I say softly. “I won’t pretend I wasn’t a part of this in the beginning, but you should know—a whole team is on their way. Delta Team. The Court’s most skilled team of assassin witches.”
The silence that follows feels like drowning. Emma’s face drains of color, her hand finding Finn’s for support.
“They won’t stop,” I continue, hating the fear that crosses her face. “I’m sorry.”
Emma steps forward, toward me, her green eyes—so like her mother’s from the photo—studying me intently. “You were sent to kill me, weren’t you?”
The directness of her question steals my breath. Through our bond, I feel Bast’s protective instincts surge, but I squeeze his hand. “No,” I admit. “I was sent for your mother. When Ireported that she was already gone, they told me you were the next target.”
Emma nods. “And now?”
“Now I have a mate and I know things theMathairsnever told me. I was lied to my entire life. I want nothing to do with them ever again.”
“Why should we believe—” Finn starts, but Emma cuts him off with a sharp gesture.
“Because she’s telling the truth. I can feel it.” She touches her stomach, an unconscious gesture that makes my eyes widen. “I just know.”
Before I can process that statement, Bast tugs me toward the door. “We can discuss this at Aiden’s. Right now, we need to move.”
A buzz of a cell phone catches my attention. Bast’s mother pulls a phone from her pocket. “Lila and Rachel are at the Alpha’s house with several of the other witches. Dave is there. We need to go now.”
“We’ll take separate cars,” Liam says, already reaching for his keys. “Faster that way.”
* * *
The drive to Aiden’s property takes us along the river, morning sun glinting off the water. Under different circumstances, it would be beautiful. Now, every shadow between the trees could hide a Salem Court assassin. Every bend in the road could lead to an ambush.
Bast’s hand finds mine across the console. “You’re making my wolf anxious.”
“Sorry.” I try to relax, but years of training don’t fade overnight. “I just… I know what they’re capable of. What I’m capable of.”
“And that’s going to work in our favor,” he emphasizes.
We round a final curve and my mouth drops open. The property looks like something between a refugee camp and a military base. Large white tents dot the sprawling lawn. Smoke rises from outdoor cooking stations where women distribute coffee and breakfast to the displaced families. Children dart between the tents, somehow maintaining their ability to play despite the circumstances.
But there’s an undercurrent of tension. Armed men and women patrol the perimeter. Wolves in both human and animal form move with purpose through the crowd.
“I did this,” I whisper. “By coming here, I brought so much danger to your door.”
“No.” Bast’s voice is firm as he parks. “Oliver, Gen’s father, did this. TheMathairssent you. And now you’re helping us fight it. You’re going to be why we can beat them. And with us, we’ll be able to get your sister out of there once and for all.”
I hope so.
We’re barely out of the truck when a massive man with silver-streaked hair strides toward us. Dave Gallagher, a man I’d first seen in the inn lobby in town. His presence commands attention—the kind of raw power that practically vibrates.
I pause, pulling Bast to an abrupt stop.
“What the hell is she doing here?” Dave demands, several of his men falling in behind him. “Have you lost your mind, O’Connor?”
