Chapter 1
Clarissa
Aknock comes at the door. My eyes flutter open. It sounds so far away, and I debate on whether or not to go back to sleep. I pull myself from my slumber and roll out of Theo’s bed, the blankets tangled around my legs.
“I’m going to kill you.”
Sebastian’s voice is growling in my head. It causes me to stumble onto my feet as I rip the door open. There’s a commotion growing in the living room, and I see Theo rouse from the rug in front of the fire. I see Sebastian step back into my view, his hands around someone’s neck. Toshi bounds from the window sill and rushes to the scene as the sounds of growling and gnashing of teeth hit my ears.
Then, the head of who Sebastian’s gripping turns toward me with a devious smile and my blood runs cold.
Vlad. The wolf that tried to rape me.
He found us.
“Get back, Clarissa!” Sebastian exclaims. “Get in the room!”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask.
Sebastian tosses Vlad against the wall before he scrambles to his feet. Vlad’s smiling, his eyes on me as I back into Toshi’s body. He wraps his arms around me and turns me toward the bedroom before Vlad lashes out at Sebastian. The sound of punches hitting their target and growls are filling the small space of Theo’s apartment. The massive bear steps in between the two of them and holds them apart.
I shrug Toshi off and walk into the room, my body stepping up behind Sebastian’s.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter. He shouldn't be here,” Sebastian says.
“How did you find us?” Toshi asks.
“He stinks,” Vlad says.
His eyes fall onto Sebastian, and I can hear his clawed toes scraping against the wood floor of Theo’s apartment.
“Enough,” Theo bellows. “Vlad, why are you here?”
“I come bearing good news,” he says.
“What good news could you possibly have?” Sebastian asks.
His eyes pan over to mine before he shoves Theo’s hand off his shoulder. He dusts himself off, like Theo’s touch is dirty, before he straightens out his clothing. An expensive suit and a tailored shirt with a tie that spans the length of his torso.
“What?” I ask.
“Your Kyle is alive,” Vlad says.
“What?” Sebastian growls.
“What did you say?” I ask breathlessly.
“Kyle. Your mate. He’s alive.”
I feel the world spinning beneath my feet as I stumble backward. Toshi’s strong, lean arms catch me against his body, and I can feel tears pooling in my vision. This is a cruel joke. A cruel, nasty joke that I will not stand for.
I lunge at Vlad, sinking my claws into his shoulders as he roars out in pain.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask.
“Clarissa, stop,” Sebastian says.
“Why would you come here and say such a thing!” I exclaim.
“Clarissa, you’re going to kill him,” Theo says.
“After he forced himself on me? It’s what he deserves,” I say.
“He did what?” Toshi asks.
I can smell Vlad’s blood. I can hear his heartbeat thumping in my ears. I smell his sarcasm and his shock and his intrigue as he wiggles beneath my claws.
What I don’t smell, however, is deception.
Vlad’s telling the truth.
“Get off!” Theo says.
I feel him grab my shoulders and pry me away from the Wolf.
“Excuse me, you took advantage of Clarissa?” Toshi asks.
“Not in the way you think,” Vlad asks.
“Oh, in the way you think Toshi,” Sebastian says.