Chapter 73

I was on my tenth lap, and my lungs felt like they were filled with acid. Every step sent a dull throb through my calves, but I kept my pace. I didn’t want to stop.

I rounded the corner of the track, pushing for more speed, and slammed straight into a wall of solid muscle.

I stumbled back, my boots sliding in the dirt, but Nathan didn’t even move. It was like running into a mountain. Before I could fall, his hand shot out, gripping my elbow to steady me.

“ Giving up already? ” he asked.

I wiped sweat from my forehead and forced a jagged laugh. “ Not even close. ”

His lips quirked into a small smirk, but it didn’t reach his eyes. They stayed sharp, focused on something I couldn’t see. “ That’s enough for today. ”

I pulled my arm back, frowning. “ What? Why? ”

“ My father called, ” he said. His voice dropped, turning hard and icy. “ It’s urgent. ”

The playfulness was gone. “ Then go. Don’t let me keep you. ”

He didn’t move right away. He lingered, his gaze searching my face for a long second, as if he was memorizing the

way I looked in the sunlight.

Then, he let go. He turned and disappeared toward the main house without looking back.

I stood in the center of the training field.

My skin was cooling down, and the ache in my muscles started to settle. The house was right there, inviting and warm. I could go inside, take a shower, and collapse onto the bed.

Instead, I turned and started walking in the opposite direction.

r

Jessie’s house was bright, filled with the smell of laundry and the sound of a radio playing somewhere in the back. barely had time to knock before the door swung open.

“ Emily! ” Jessie grabbed my arm and yanked me inside. “ You’re alive! ” she laughed, looking me up and down. “ I honestly thought Nathan had run you into the ground by now. ”

“ Hilarious, ” I muttered, letting myself sink into the soft cushions of her sofa. My muscles felt like lead.

“ Want something cold? ”

Everything. ”

ad with ice and something citrus.

5:56 pm

jessie sat down next to me, her eyes dancing with mischief. “ How is it … again being alive? ”

I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. It’s complicated. ”

“ That’s a very polite way of putting it, ” she chuckled.

The front door creaked open again. “ Did miss the good stuff? ”

Poppy walked in, kicking off her shoes and jumping onto the couch on my other side.

“ We’re talking about her new life with Alpha, ” Jessie said, leaning in.

“ Oh, perfect timing, ” Poppy grinned.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “ Please, don’t start p>

“ Too late, ” they said together, their voices perfectly synced.

We all broke into a laugh, and for a small window of time, the world felt regular again.

“ Anyway, ” I said, turning to Jessie. “ You and Kane? He’s your mate? ”

Her expression softened, the teasing light in her eyes turning into something warm and distant. “ It was at that

arty. My eighteenth birthday. It wasn’t a thought, ” she said, shaking her head slowly. “ It was a pull. Like my wolf inally recognized someone it had been waiting for. ”

Poppy let out a small snort, though her eyes were kind./It’s like getting hit by lightning. But, you know, the kind hat doesn’t kill you. ”

I looked at her, knowing exactly what she meant. I’d felt that same pull – maybe even stronger – the very first

noment I laid eyes on Nathan.

“ What about you? ” I asked, looking at Poppy.

A faint pink color crept up her neck. “ Marcus came to the hospital. He was there to check on you. ”

I sat up a little straighter, ignoring the ache in my ribs. “ And? ”

“ And his wolf caught my scent, ” she said, shrugging like she was trying to act casual, though her fingers were wisting a loose thread on the cushion. “ It happened instantly. ”

A dry laugh bubbled up in my chest, though it hurt my ribs. “ So, I’m literally on my deathbed, and I’m still playing natchmaker? I should start charging a commission. ”

“ Looks like it, ” Jessie joked, giving me a playful nudge.

Owen: Hey. How are you doing?

A beat passed, and then a second message popped up.

5:56 pm

Owen. It’s been a while since I heard from you. I’m starting to worry.

-A sharp pang twisted in my gut. I stared at the words until they blurred, then flipped the phone over, hiding the screen against the wood

“ Is that Owen? ” Poppy’s voice was soft, the teasing gone.

I gave a small nod.

“ What are you going to do? ”

“ I don’t know, ” I admitted. The weight of the choice felt like a physical pressure on my chest.

Jessie looked at me, her face grim. “ He was losing his mind, Emily. ”

“ Nathan didn’t even let him inside the hospital, ” Poppy added, leaning in.

I looked up, my heart thumping. “ What? Why? ”

“ He had Owen locked up in a different wing under guard, ” she said. “ Nathan knew that if he saw Owen near you, e’d lose control. He would’ve killed him just for breathing your air. ”

The room grew heavy. I looked at my phone, lying face down and dark, thinking about the two men standing on > pposite sides of a door I had closed.

My choice was clear, it always had been. But the realization that I was about to crush Owen’s world made me feel ick to my stomach.

“ Everything is … a disaster right now, ” I said, staring into my glass. “ Nathan is here. We’re trying to … figure out

vhat this is. Between us. ”

“ And what about Stella? ” Jessie asked, her voice dropping.

“ Gone, ” I replied. “ She vanished. Tessa too. ”

The girls exchanged a look. It was that heavy kind of look that said they knew more than they were letting on.

“ Are you scared? ” Jessie asked.

I took a moment. I didn’t want to lie, not to them. “ Yes. I’m terrified. ” I gripped the cold glass until my knuckles urned white. “ But I’m working on it. Next time, they won’t catch me off guard. I’m done being the victim. ”

“ I wonder where they are, ” Jessie murmured, looking toward the window. “ Running, probably. ”

“ Or planning, ” Poppy added.

“ Forget about them, ” she said, her voice dropping all the pretend – playfulness. “ What’s your move, Emily? What are you going to do? ”

My cheeks turned red. “ Nathan wants to take me to a cabin by the lake. Just for a few days. ”

5:56 pm

“ Oh? ” Jessie’s eyebrows shot up.

Just the two of you? ” Poppy asked, her eyes narrowing as a smirk played on her lips.

“ And a dozen guards said, rolling my eyes. “ It’s not exactly a romantic getaway. ”

They shared another look, but this one was different. It was full of hidden meanings and knowing smiles. It made ny stomach flip.

“ In that case, ” Poppy said, leaning in close until our shoulders touched. “ You need to know a few things before you get stuck in a house alone with an Alpha. ”

I raised an eyebrow, my heart picking up speed. “ Like what? ”

They both grinned, their eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and ancient wisdom.

“ A few little tricks, ” Jessie whispered. “ Things every woman in this pack learns sooner or later. Let’s start with the ne secret Nathan has been trying to hide from you since the day you met. ”

My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear it.

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Chapter 74

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Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.