“You could die.”
“So could you.” I squeezed his hand. “We could both die. But at least we’ll do it together, fighting for our family.”
He stared at me for a long moment, something like pride and fear warring in his expression. Then he pulled me close, his forehead resting against mine.
“You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”
“And you love me for it.”
“I do.” He kissed me softly. “God help me, I do.”
We stood like that for a moment, drawing strength from each other.
The next day,Dimitri went on air and announced Selene’s death. I stayed away from the news. I didn’t want to see what they were saying. But my curiosity got the better of me, so I eventually turned on the news.
It was the exact opposite of what I was expecting. And that was because Dimitri had taken the fall for me. He’d told everyone he’d been in a tussle with Selene, and she fell on the stairs. He left me out of it completely.
Tears brimmed in my eyes as I watched the news. That was the biggest sacrifice anyone has ever made for me. He was willing to ruin his reputation, his image, to protect me. God, I loved this man so much.
Soon after, Dimitri returned. He’d put off work for to be with Adele and I. We were together, wrapped in each other's arms, when his phone buzzed.
He glanced at it, frowned, then showed me the screen.
It was a video message from an unknown number.
“Don’t open it,” I said immediately. “It could be a virus or—”
But he was already pressing play.
Ethan’s face filled the screen. His hair was disheveled, his pale skin mottled with fury. His eyes were wild, barely controlled.
“You killed her.” His voice was raw with grief and rage. “You killed my Mate. My Selene.”
My blood ran cold.
“I’m going to kill your Mate. Then I’m going to kill your daughter. And I’m going to make sure you watch as I take their life. Slowly. Painfully. And after I’m done, I’m going to make you beg for death before I finally grant it.” Ethan leaned closer to the camera. “Selene deserved better than to die at the hands of trash like you. So I’m going to make sure you suffer for what you did to her. To us. To everything we built.”
And the video ended.
Silence crashed down around us.
Then Dimitri was moving, his phone already in his ear. “Edmund. I need every available resource tracking Ethan Thorpe. Now. I want satellite surveillance, ground teams, pack informants—everything. Find him.”
He paused, listening.
“I don’t care what it costs. I don’t care who we have to lean on. Find. Him.” He ended the call and turned to me. “He’s not getting anywhere near you or Adele.”
“Dimitri—”
“He just threatened to torture and kill you. He’s declared war. And I’m going to end him before he gets within a hundred miles of you or Adele.”
His phone buzzed. I glanced at it, expecting another threat.
Instead, it was a message from Edmund.
Edmund: Located Ethan. He’s at the Ashworth estate in Montana. Alpha Cornelius is sheltering him. Multiple hostiles confirmed. They’re mobilizing.
“They’re joining forces,” Dimitri said quietly. “The Ashworths and what’s left of Ethan’s pack. They’re going to come after us together.”