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“I don’t see how that’s funny.”

She wiped a tear from her eye. “You will.” She looked up at the ceiling and cocked her head. “You better get going. I can hear him stirring.”

Shit.

I ran for the door, and Asher’s laughter followed me. I flipped her off, which only made her laugh harder, and rushed out to my car.

The road was bumpy, and there were a bunch of potholes, but I made it out to the main road without Draven catching up to me, then I floored it all the way home.

Mags pulled the front door open before I could reach it, and Nia tore around her to get to me.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Magnolia said as I walked in, eyeing Draven’s huge T-shirt and shorts. “Some wolf called and told us where you were, but they didn’t…Oh, shit, what happened to your face?” Mags grabbed my hand. “And your arms!”

Nia whined, and I crouched down. “I’m okay, sweet girl. I promise.” Nia said nothing, instead she pressed into my side, her body trembling. She was scared. I’d scared her.

I could only imagine how I looked. The rest of the family heard Magnolia and rushed into the entryway, including Willow.

“I’m okay.” I had a lot to tell them, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

I was pulled into the kitchen, and Else pushed me into a seat. Rose was on the chaise, and her eyes filled with tears when she looked at me. “Iris,” she whispered.

I buried my fingers in Nia’s fur to calm my familiar. “I’m okay, Roe—”

Mom cried out. “Else! I need the healing balm.”

“Already got it,” my great aunt said, handing it to Mom.

“What did you do to yourself?” Mom said as she undid the bandages that Draven had put on me while I slept. She gasped. “W-why would you do this?”

Else froze and her gaze shot from my arms to me. “There’s only one ritual that requires cuts like these.”

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry, terror and pain washing over me all over again from just the memory of being in that place. “I have some things I need to tell you,” I said.

I’d hoped, but taking Charity’s remains to Shadow Falls wasn’t the end of my task. But the vines twisting around my thigh, hadn’t moved, I’d checked in the car before I came in, and Amy, Imogen, and Marina were still missing.

I looked up at my family, my heart in my throat. “The tree that fell…I felt a pull to go there. I found a box and there was a body…bones. Her name was Charity, and she was Selene’s twin sister.” Everyone stared at me with varying degrees of shock. I couldn’t keep this from them any longer, not now. “I checked our records. Selene had crossed Charity’s name out in blood. She’d been using dark magic. Selene killed her, buried her in a lead-lined box, but it was damaged.” I turned to Mom. “Her bones were poisoning our cemetery.”

“You took her to Shadow Falls,” Else said, face draining of color.

“Yes.”

Mom cried out and gripped the chair beside her.

Else moved to stand in front of me, then took my face in her hands, her eyes glistening with tears. “How are you still alive, Iris?”

Mom sobbed, and so did Rose. Magnolia and Willow lost it, Willow yelling and Mags cursing a blue streak.

“Draven,” I whispered. My family’s reaction making it hit home even harder that I almost died. “He came for me. He saved me.”

I’d woken every half hour since I came to bed, the nightmares persistent and utterly terrifying. But that wasn’t the reason I was awake this time.

Someone was in my bedroom with me.

I flicked on the lamp and froze, my heart damn near exploding in my chest.

Draven stood there in the dark.

Instead of barking or growling, Nia jumped off the bed and trotted over to him, pleased to see him. Little traitor. She’d taken a shine to the alpha the moment they’d met.