Chapter 91
A chill runs down my spine. Panic surges through me, and I rush to the window, leaning out into the cool night air. My eyes frantically scan the ground below searching for any sign of Max. The darkness outside feels oppressive, my heartbeat thundering in my ears as I call his name again, louder this time, hoping for a response.
Max has never wandered off before, especially not at night. Swallowing a surge of panic running through me. All I find is the darkening sky before the sound of howls ring loudly through the night sky. My eyes dart to the forest surrounding the property.
“Bree!” I gasp, knowing he went searching for her.
Opening the mindlink, I pull on the link to every person within the pack.
“Max is missing; find him and lock the castle grounds down now!” The link snaps shut, and I can feel the energy of the pack shift as they all spring into action. And I don’t bother waiting; instead, I jump out of the window, knowing I need to find him before anything else does. My feet hit the ground with a jarring thud, sending a shockwave through my legs.
The impact rattles my bones, but I barely notice the pain. Adrenaline propels me forward. The cool earth beneath me feels solid and unyielding, a stark contrast to the chaotic storm brewing inside me and above me as lightning flashes across the sky in angry streaks.
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The forest is dense and gloomy, shadows dancing between the trees as the wind howls through the branches. Leaves crunch underfoot, and the scent of damp earth mixes with the sharp tang of rain from the impending storm. Fear and desperation claw at my insides, each step through the forest amplifying the dread that something terrible is going to happen. My breaths come in ragged gasps, the cold air burning my lungs as I push through the underbrush. The thought of Max out here alone, vulnerable, makes my heart. ache with a fierce, protective urgency.
Each step feels heavier as the darkness closes in, the only light coming from intermittent flashes of lightning that momentarily illuminate the twisted, gnarled roots and low- hanging branches as my pack races to catch up with me. Still,
I have a one–track mind at the moment, and that is I need to get to Max before he gets to Bree.
寧寧****中申
Aubrey
I check the chains one last time, ensuring they’re secured to the thick wooden beams in the cellar. My hands tremble slightly, not from fear of the shift with the full moon but from what I could do if these restraints fail. The cold metal feels almost comforting under my fingers, a promise of
containment. My breaths come out steady as I test each link, a routine that is as familiar as it is necessary. I take a deep breath, knowing that no matter what, I am safe down here.
The cellar air smells damp and earthy, like the kind that clings to the back of your throat. I can already sense the change in my body, an anticipatory ache that signals the beast within is waking up, and that instinct will soon take over and override
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all common sense. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I take one last look around, making sure everything is as it should be.
That’s when the door creaks open above me, spilling a slice of dim twilight into my carefully prepared prison. Max stands there in his favorite dinosaur pajamas, his tiny silhouette framed by the dying light. His wide, innocent eyes are filled with curiosity and worry, and tears shimmer in his gaze as he peers down at me. His tousled dark hair, so much like his father’s, falls into his face, and he clutches a worn–out stuffed dinosaur to his chest. Panic surges through me like electricity at the sight of him. What is he doing here?
“Max! What are you doing here?” My voice pitches high and frantic, betraying the surge of fear that grips me. He shouldn’t be here, not now. Not on the one night I’m more monster than human. If Max stays, he risks witnessing my shift, which is something that no child should ever see, one that could scar him for life when he realizes every bone in my body will break. Worse, in my altered state, I might not recognize him, and he could be in grave danger. The thought of harming him, even unintentionally, sends a chill down my spine, amplifying my panic to get him to safety.
He takes a hesitant step forward, his eyes wide and uncertain. “I… I didn’t want you to be alone.” A wave of conflicting emotions crashes over me–love, fear, desperation.
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