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“And?”

I swallow thickly. “It opened its eye.”

She inhales sharply, and her eyes widen in shock.

“It looked right at me. Just for a second. And it… It knew me.”

“Fates…”

“I think—” I hesitate, then shake my head before admitting, “No, I know—I have to wake it up.”

Branwen doesn't let go of my hands, although I honestly expect her to. Heck, I wouldn’t blame her if she did. My existence hasn’t exactly made her life a walk in the park since she found out about me.

Instead, she tightens her grip and straightens her shoulders, shooting me a smile full of reckless determination.

“Alright, then. Let’s wake it up.”

Chapter 29

Vaelenor

My jaw cracks as I yawn for the five-hundredth time.

No one’s slept since Idril walked into the forest. We stood in front of that damn wall of fire until the sun rose, and Evander and Ford pulled up shortly after dawn, back early from Chicago.

We probably looked like zombies at that point. Caelan and Soren weren’t speaking, Dax’s jaw was ticking so often I was afraid he was about to dislocate it, and I couldn’t even blink without seeing those damn flames behind my eyelids.

I barely even glanced up from the fire when I saw the two males jogging around the castle and into the yard, demanding to know what the hell they walked into and where the fuck Gavran was.

Gav was inside, having given up on ordering us in hours earlier after it became clear no one was listening. I think he’d washed his hands of us at that point. He knew there was no pulling Soren and Caelan away.

And as for Dax and me?

Well, no one was talking about why we weren’t leaving. We could lie, I guess, and say we didn’t want to leave our Packmate, but Fates… how much longer were both of us going to ignore what we’re feeling? How much longer can we continue pretending like we aren’t both obsessed with the little Omega?

After sending Ford and Evander inside to get the full story from Gavran, Ford returned three hours later to give Dax and me a dressing down I can still hear.

We’re basically persona non grata from what I understand, and both he and Evander aren’t even speaking to Silas right now.

The fire’s still blazing, and no matter how far we drive in either direction, it refuses to die down. There’s absolutely no getting out of that forest.

Or into it.

The government’s no help. We’ve called in every contact we can think of, but the whole state’s overrun with disturbances. Apparently not being able to get into a forest “isn’t a priority.”

Dax even tried to rent a helicopter. Pretty sure I saw him emailing someone about actually buying one, but when he saw me watching him, he snapped his laptop shut so fast I’m surprised he didn’t break it.

“At least she has Shade,” I mutter, turning from the window with a sigh.

Caelan levels me with a disapproving glare.

“Right. She’s stuck in the woods with a giant panther who, three weeks ago, was the size of a house cat. Thank you for pointing that out. I feel so much fucking better.”

I don’t even snap back. What’s the point?

“I could be wrong, but that fire goes against about twelve city ordinances.”

I turn at the sound of Riven’s voice and find him leaning against the door frame. He’s as put together as always, in a three-piece black suit with a burgundy dress shirt and a fucking pocket watch looped across his vest.