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“Sure you would,” I said, probably not wise to goad the male who wanted to see my entire family dead, but I was still pissed off. Willow was right; when people fucked with my family, I had trouble thinking first, but this asshole made it impossible to stay calm.

He leaned in. “Your allegations are baseless. You’re making a fool of yourself. I’d stop talking now, if I were you.”

“Or what? You’ll keep poisoning our cemetery?”

His head jerked back. “What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” I fired at him.

He tilted his head back and laughed, deep and throaty, then finally looked down at me. “Oh, that’s perfect. You’re losing the only thing that makes your family valuable.” He shook his head. “I mean, yeah, it does sound like something I’d do. But sadly, it’s not me. I kind of wish I’d thought of it first, though.”

Dammit. I thought I might actually believe him. The cemetery part anyway. There was no missing his surprise at my accusation.

“As fun as this was, I find being around you brings out my bad side.” His fingers curled into a fist at his side, then he turned on his heel and strode off.

I watched him go, and then it hit me.

It wasn’t sabotage. Something else was poisoning our cemetery.

Oh goddess.

Charity’s remains—it had to be. Our magic didn’t leave us even after we died, and that included dark magic. It poured from our bones into the ground, making our cemeteries a huge source of our power. The damage to the cemetery had only started recently. The box she was in, somehow her dark magic had to be leaking out.

I rushed from the council building and instantly felt Draven when I stepped outside. I couldn’t see him, but he was close by. He was always close by. The memory of that kiss washed over me, and I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment. He was all wrong for me. In every single way. He was also obsessed with me. And let’s not forget that he wasn’t totally sane.

I didn’t know what to do about him. But I guess I had backup, whether I wanted it from him or not. This couldn’t go on, though. I knew myself, and as messed up as it was, I wanted him as well, and if he kept this up, eventually, I would give in. Like I had with that kiss.

I’d let him kiss me again, and I wouldn’t make him stop next time. Because, obviously, I was as insane as he was.

I tapped out a quick text to Knox, letting him know I couldn’t make my shift.

I had to make sure the bones were secure.

Mom and Art were at the table in the kitchen poring over books when Nia and I finally got home. Mom looked exhausted, what with Rose and the cemetery, she’d barely slept at all. But right now, she looked scared.

“Mom, what’s going on?”

“It’s worse,” she said, her voice breaking. “The cemetery. If this carries on, if I can’t work out what’s happening, your task won’t matter, we’ll lose so much, all on our own.”

How could I keep what I knew to myself? My mom was suffering.

I sat beside her and took her hand. “I think I know what’s causing it, but if I tell you, you’ll want to help, and that can’t happen.”

She gripped my hand tighter. “You can’t tell me? It’s your task?”

“I think so, and at the very least you’ll want to offer advice, and the mother will see that as you helping, right?”

She bit her lip. “Yes.”

“Whatever this is, I don’t want you doing it alone,” Art said, worry lining his face.

“It’s okay. Relic said he’d help if I needed him, and…Draven has been as well.” He was with me constantly, I may as well use that to my advantage and put Art and Mom’s worries to rest.

Mom lit up a little. And I could almost see the hearts and flowers dancing in her eyes. She was a hopeless romantic.

I shook my head. “Don’t get any ideas. I promise you, there is no love lost between the alpha and me.” Which wasn’t a lie. There was a whole lot of something else though. Something that made my skin tingle and my heart race. Something that made me want to move closer to him and run like hell the other way all at the same time.

Mom patted my hand. “I won’t ask any questions. I know you can do this, sweetheart. I believe in you.”