I barreled into the healer's ward like a freight train, and there was Molly, all alone on that gurney in the trauma bay.

Her breaths came shallow as whispers, blood pooling under her like a shallow crimson pond.

My brain flatlined. "Where's the healer...?"

I spun on Boris, tears burning hot tracks down my face. "Go find one, damn it! I need my pup breathing-I need her alive!"

Boris tore through every hall in that place, even dropped to his knees outside the head healer's office, begging like a whipped pup. Nothing. Not a single healer would budge.

"Jade, every healer in Galathia Town's tied up-Julian's got 'em all tending to Nancy's scratch."

I bit down on my lip till I tasted copper. "What about the pack office healers, then?"

Boris's face twisted in agony. "Nancy's got her claws in every resource at Payne Business-won't loosen her grip. Julian's orders: her word's law, whatever makes her smile. And get this-he said if you want Molly pulling through, head up to the penthouse suite... and grovel at Nancy's paws. Beg forgiveness on your knees."

My heart seized up, like some bastard had wrapped it in barbed wire and yanked.

Molly fluttered her eyes open in my arms, weak as a newborn. "Sis... don't... I know bending the knee to that she-wolf would gut you worse than dying... I'd rather fade out than watch you break for me... Sis, trust me-I'm no bad pup... I really thought Stuart was my forever, that's why I let him snap those pics... made you look like a fool. I'm sorry..."

Seeing her like this, half-gone and still fretting over me, cracked my chest wide open.

My fingers trembled as I cupped her cheek. "Hush now, Molly... ain't your fault. It's those twisted wolves who don't know right from wrong. You'll always be my shining star, pup-don't you forget it."

It felt like a gale ripping through the raw hole in my soul.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Hang on for me, okay? I swear, you're coming out of this."

Up in the VIP suite on the top floor, Nancy was playing the damsel, whining and nuzzling into Julian's chest about her boo-boos.

She clocked me in the doorway, and that watery-eyed innocence flipped to a vicious gleam-like a predator scenting blood. "Jade? What're you doing here? Don't tell me... you're here to make nice?"

I ground my teeth. "Yeah. You want me on my knees, head to the floor, eating crow? Fine. Long as you call off the healers and let one save my sister."

Nancy cooed at the mangy hound in her lap, stroking its fur with a sly smile, and nodded slow.

*Thud.* I dropped straight down, spine ramrod straight.

The hall filled with gawkers, murmurs buzzing like angry hornets.

"She really did it? Word on the street was Julian couldn't get enough of her."

"That was then, pup. Hearts shift like the wind in these packs."

"Hell, in alpha circles? Even a battle-scarred pair like them's just a pretty title at the end of the day..."

Every whisper clawed at the memories, shredding the Julian who'd once looked at me like I hung the moon-loyal, fierce, mine.

I nearly cracked a molar biting down.

But I bowed low anyway, banging my forehead three times on the cold tile. "Sorry, Nancy. I shouldn't have loosed that arrow-shouldn't have nicked you."

Ripping my own pride to ribbons, I lifted my head. "That square? Now send a healer for Molly?"

Nancy waved her phone like a trophy, giggling like a schoolyard bully. "Aw, Jade, old age hitting that memory? When'd I say anything about saving your pup?"

I surged to my feet. "You nodded. Right there."

"Did I?" Her laugh dripped honey and venom. "Oops, changed my mind. My little mutt just shivered-probably caught a chill. All healers on deck for him now. Tough luck."

Julian-the wolf who'd once sworn off lies like they were poison-chuckled soft, ruffling her hair. "You sly little vixen."

That did it. The rage I'd bottled exploded like a full-moon frenzy.

My eyes locked on that killer hound in her lap-the one that'd mauled folks before, even nipped at Molly once.

I slipped the blade from my belt, snatched the beast by the scruff, and slit its throat clean.

Tossed the gushing corpse back in her lap, wiped the splatter from my cheek casual as spit. "Problem solved-no more sniffles. Now, healers for my sister?"

Nancy's pretty mug twisted in pure terror, her shriek splitting the air like shattering ice. "Ah... ahhh!!"

She bawled, diving into Julian's arms. "Julian! Your mate slaughtered our Zack-waaah!"

Zack.

The name hit me like a gut punch, my grip tightening on the knife till my knuckles bleached.

Blood dripped from my fingers, steady as the other shore flowers that'd bloomed under me that cursed day.

That was the name Julian had picked for the pup in my belly-whispered it through seven months of midnight tales.

Every night, his palm splayed warm over my swell. "Zack, Daddy's here right on time with your story..."

But those hands-the ones that'd slathered on the stretch-mark salve, kneaded the aches away-now stroked Nancy's hair over and over, eyes soft in a way I'd never earned. "Easy now, baby. I've got you-no one's laying a paw on what's mine."

I chewed the inside of my cheek raw.

Julian finally deigned to look up. "Jade, enough's enough. Nancy's pure as fresh snow-can't stomach blood or filth. Your mess? No healer's touching your sister now. If Molly checks out, that's on you-your own kin's blood on your hands."

My vision dimmed for a beat.

Once upon a time, I'd been that spotless college-bound she-wolf myself.

Julian was the one who'd yanked me into the shadows, taught me to paint my paws red just to breathe another day.

Now I was too grimy for his tastes?

Fine. Whatever.

My hands were already a slaughterhouse floor- what was one more soul?

I lunged, hauling Nancy close by the collar, blade kissing the necklace of red love bites on her throat. "Call a healer for Molly, or I paint this wall with you."

Julian's face hardened to granite, yanking his piece and jamming the barrel against my temple. "Try it."

First time in all our years he'd drawn down on me. First time I'd seen that arctic chill in his stare.

I laughed, hollow and wrecked. "What the hell did my pup ever do to deserve this? She's barely eighteen! Fresh into college! How can you stand by and watch her fade?"

"All your fault!" Nancy sniveled, twisting to glare. "If you'd kept your legs closed! Jade, you still don't get it? Julian can't stand that other wolves have marked you-ruined you. Can't forget how they toyed with your shared pup! Word is, that rival pack's second-in-command had been drooling over you for years!"

Her words sliced deeper than any fang, gutting me clean.

So all this time, he'd never bought my story from back then...

What about me lopping off that second's head to guard my honor, right as he pounced? Sparking the boss to gut me open in revenge?

What about bleeding out our pup, doomed to a barren life?

Julian razing their hideout in a red haze, dropping to his knees by my bedside with vows of forever?

All for nothing?

I cracked a smile then-wild, tears streaming hot.

I shoved Nancy aside, guiding his gun barrel to my chest. "If my lights-out buys Molly a healer, pull the trigger."

Our eyes locked, his flat as a dead moon. "Nancy calls the shots here."

My voice cracked. "So if she says no... Molly's just gone?"

Dead air answered.

Rage roared through my skull, vision gone scarlet. I twisted, wrenching the gun free in a blur. "Then you can join her in the dirt!"

Barrel to his forehead, I squeezed without a flicker of doubt.

"Julian, watch out!" In a heartbeat, Nancy lunged, shoving him clear with a desperate screech.

The shot whispered past her hair, burying hot in her chest.

She crumpled light as a fallen autumn leaf, slumping into his hold.

"Nancy..." Julian's voice broke, ragged and raw, each syllable a shudder.

Then his gaze snapped to mine-ice-cold murder, like he'd already diced me to scraps.

Healers hauled me from the room as I watched the wolf who'd taken bullets for me, sworn to shield me through every storm, shatter to pieces over her-frantic, gutted, unraveling...

My fingers clamped the gun white-knuckled, pulse a faint drum in my ears.

I pushed back into the healer's ward, my gut twisting like a knife in fresh kill, but Boris had already scooped up Molly and vanished-leaving just one unread buzz on my phone.

[Jade, your pup's hanging by a thread. Got an old packmate who's a retired healer-taking her to him for a shot. Hold tight.]

By the time I screeched up to that rundown healer's clinic, the back-alley patch job was done and dusted.

Miracle of miracles, Molly pulled through.

But the delay had sunk its fangs deep-she was out cold, slipped into a coma like a stone in black water.

The old healer wiped his hands on a rag that'd seen better days. "Kept her breathing, yeah, but she's in rough shape. Without top-shelf care, I can't call when-or if-she'll wake. Jade, if you can swing it, get her to a real pack clinic. I gave it everything I had."

I thanked him from the marrow, then wrapped my fingers around Molly's limp paw, her skin cool as moonlight.

"Boris, stick close these next days-guard her like your own hide. Julian and that she-wolf won't sniff this trail."

He dipped his head, eyes heavy. "Got it, Jade. But Molly's state..."

"I'll hustle her out of Galathia Town, one way or another."

Tears splattered hot on her pale cheek, carving tracks I couldn't dam. "She's all the blood I've got left. I can't... I won't lose her too."

I scrubbed my face dry after a beat, steeling up to head back to the Payne house and scrape together a plan.

But my ride had barely nosed toward home when knuckles rapped sharp on the window-enforcers, stone-faced and badged. "Jade Stone? Julian Payne's filed on you-illegal heat, intent to maim. Step out nice and easy."

That bastard had locked in: payback for Nancy, a lesson carved deep in my bones.

The evidence stacked like a full house-I had no play, no bluff. Seven days in the hole, ironclad.

They cuffed my wrists tight, slamming me toward their prowler, and there was Julian's sleek ride idling at the enforcer pens like a predator on watch.

Nancy eased out, leaning frail on his arm post-surgery, cradling a box from that impossible-to-score bakery in Galathia Town-the one with the flaky pastries that melted like sin.

My chest lit up like a silver bullet graze.

Flash of memory: back when I was heavy with our pup, Julian dodging rival shadows just to snag those same sweets for my cravings. Got us ambushed bad.

Even after, when he dropped to his knees in tears, prying the blade from my grip mid-meltdown-swearing it wasn't on me-the scattered crumbs and blood-slick floor haunted my nights forever.

Quit sweets cold after that.

Guess I was the only one still chained to that nightmare.

Nancy's voice cut through, soft as a trap. "Jade..."

She pressed a bottle of melatonin into my palm. "Julian mentioned your heart skips beats-detention's no picnic for shut-eye. Hunted down the best from three spots just for you."

Then she leaned in close, breath like poisoned honey by my ear, shoving the pastry box under my nose. "Jade, these treats? Delectable. And your mate? Handles like a dream. Saved his life, bled for him eight years straight-what's that worth? Just a raving she-wolf in his eyes, not even a purr from me. Cool your jets in there, pup. Come out swinging smarter."

Rage boiled up, shaking me like a fever. I smashed the bottle across her cheek-glass shattering, pills scattering like buckshot. "Back the hell off!"

Her tears sprang instant, ducking behind Julian like a spooked fawn. "Julian... I just wanted her nights easier. Brought meds with my stitches still fresh-what'd I do wrong?"

I lunged, fire in my veins, but Julian blocked solid as a wall. "Jade, she's coming from a good place. Don't make me call you ungrateful."

I opened my mouth to rip him, but an enforcer shoved in, gruff and done. "Save the soap opera. Inside, now!"

Nancy burrowed into Julian's chest, eyes rolling sly. "Julian, she's feral-holds grudges like a vice. When she walks, she'll come for my throat. Seven days ain't the fix. Let me grease some paws, snuff that revenge fire for good? Please?"

My pulse hammered countdown: one thud, two, three... hitting fourteen before Julian murmured low, "Whatever keeps you smiling, baby."