WILLA
A familiar current shot through the mont my fingers touched the mark.
I shuddered violently, dragging in a sharp breath before jerking my hand away.
That feeling. I knew it. It wasn’t the bond activation. It had nothing to do with it.
This was the sa sensation I always felt whenever it was near.
My breathing turned uneven, quick and shallow as panic crawled up my spine. Wide-eyed, I scanned outside the window...
The parking lot. The swaying trees. The empty stretch of road. Nothing. And yet, the back of my neck prickled harder.
It was here. I knew it was.
The mory of our last encounter crashed into all at once. The murderous intent in its voice. The way I had nearly died.
Twice. This would be the third ti. I knew deep down it wouldn’t spare again.
My gaze snapped toward Elyse’s parents. The Maddoxes. If it ca here, they wouldn’t survive either.
As much as I loved this place, I couldn’t drag them into my nightmare. Into my ss. Fear clamped down my heart.
I yanked at the seatbelt hard enough to rip it free and lunged for the door. But Steven caught my arm before I could escape.
"Let go!" I cried, struggling against him.
I pulled harder, but his grip never loosened. He only stared at , concern etched across his face.
I didn’t care how suspicious I looked right now. I needed to get away from here. Fast.
My teeth clenched as I fought against his hold. "Let —"
"I don’t think so," he said quietly, cutting off. "Not until you tell what really happened to you."
Did any of that even matter right now? I wanted to scream at him.
If he paid enough attention, he should have realized I was terrified. That every instinct inside was begging to get away from here.
Away from all of them.
"Elyse?" Steven called, gripping my shoulders and giving a slight shake.
"Please..." My voice cracked around the word.
"Were you hurt at the party?" he demanded, his tone tightening as he ignored my plea. "That mark looks like soone tried to strangle you."
My pulse hamred harder.
"Answer , Elyse," he pressed, his voice roughening. "Did soone hurt you at that damned party?"
The sharp edge in his voice cut through my panic for a mont, replacing it with sothing else entirely.
Because honestly? Getting hurt at the party would have been easier. At least then I would have known who to bla.
At least I could have fought back. But this thing...This creature hunting — It wasn’t sothing I could point at or escape from forever.
If it finally caught , it wouldn’t hesitate to destroy . However, I wouldn’t let that happen.
"I need to speak with Alaric," Steven said abruptly, turning toward Whitney.
Only after securing my seatbelt back in place did he finally release .
"And I want the nas of everyone involved."
"She needs rest, Steven," Whitney said quickly, grabbing his arm before he could storm toward the administrative building. "And I don’t think that’s a good idea right now."
Whitney looked at , her brows drawn together slightly. There was sothing in her eyes. Sothing I couldn’t quite understand.
She held my gaze for only a second before turning toward Steven. A silent conversation passed between them instantly, one that needed no words.
Steven looked ready to argue. His mouth parted slightly, but the mont Whitney shook her head, he exhaled sharply and gave in.
"Fine," he muttered.
He adjusted the seatbelt strap across properly before walking around to the driver’s seat.
Whitney slid in beside .
The mont the door shut, she reached for my hand and squeezed gently.
"You’ll be fine," she said softly. "Trust ."
Would I?
The question sat heavily in my throat, but I couldn’t force it out.
Sothing strange was happening. Not just with the mark on my neck or the entity hunting . But with Elyse’s parents too.
The looks they exchanged. The things they never said aloud but sohow still understood between themselves.
It left confused.
The rest of the drive passed in silence. Eventually, Steven pulled up in front of an enormous building.
I stepped out of the car slowly, sliding my hands into the pockets of my blazer to warm them as my eyes swept over the unfamiliar place. At the sa ti, I tried not to look completely lost.
The mansion was breathtaking.
Dark stone stretched across modern walls, softened only by the warm light pouring through towering windows. Black steel frad sections of glass, sleek and polished enough to look like sothing ripped straight from a luxury magazine.
A narrow pool stretched alongside the house, its surface smooth as black glass, reflecting the lights glowing from the mansion beneath the evening sky.
I let out a quiet breath, trying to take everything in at once. It didn’t feel real.
I wanted to keep looking, but Whitney gently looped her arm through mine and guided toward the glass entrance doors.
The mont I stepped inside, I stopped short. The breath caught in my lungs.
The inside of the house felt completely different from the cold perfection outside.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the pool and gardens beyond, while a massive cream-colored sectional curved around a sleek black marble coffee table.
Built-in shelves lined one wall, filled with books of varying sizes alongside abstract sculptures and decorative pieces I couldn’t even begin to na.
A long fireplace stretched beneath a television larger than any I had ever seen before.
Warmth wrapped around instantly, sinking deep into my chest and stomach. And the scent, lavender mixed with cinnamon. Soft. Comforting. Holy.
Everything about this place carried the sa feeling as the Maddoxes themselves.
Safe.
Without realizing it, I slowly turned around. Steven and Whitney were both watching closely, curiosity flickering openly in their eyes.
Heat rushed into my cheeks.
I glanced down at my feet for a second before lifting my head again, forcing a practiced smile onto my face.
"Your room," Whitney said gently, nodding toward the elegant spiral staircase.
I took a hesitant step forward before stopping again, my gaze drifting back to her. For a second, uncertainty rooted in place.
This house. This family. None of it truly belonged to . I had no right to feel warm and welcod. I shouldn’t deceive them.
"I’ll show you," Whitney added softly, cutting through my thoughts, as though she already understood exactly what was running through my mind.
I followed without question.
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