Linnea's POV
"Jericho is here with HUNTERS?" My voice comes out too high. Too scared.
Caspian's eyes flash pure silver. "Get away from the window. Now."
"But—"
"NOW!" His voice isn't his anymore—it's deeper, rougher, more animal than human.
Thaddeus grabs my arm and pulls me away from the window just as something crashes through the glass. A rock wrapped in paper lands on the floor, surrounded by broken glass.
Caspian snatches it up and reads the note. His hands shake with rage.
"What does it say?" I whisper.
He crumples the paper. "Nothing good."
"Caspian, let me see—"
He throws the paper into my hands. I unfold it with trembling fingers.
LINNEA - I know what you are. I know what that baby is. Give yourself up or we'll burn this whole place down. You have one hour. - J
The words don't make sense. "What I am? I'm human. The baby is human. What is he talking about?"
"Your bloodline." Daemon's voice makes me jump. He's standing in the doorway with my mom, both looking terrified. "Jericho must have found out about your werewolf ancestry. Someone told him."
"Who would—" Then I remember. Katie. My ex-best friend who Jericho cheated with. "Katie's dad is a hunter. Oh my God. She must have told him I moved here. Told him about the werewolves."
"How would she know about werewolves?" Mom asks.
"I don't know! Maybe she followed us? Maybe she researched Daemon?" My mind is spinning. "But why would Jericho come after me? He doesn't even want the baby!"
Caspian's jaw tightens. "He doesn't want you. He wants to kill you."
"What? Why?"
"Because hunters believe anyone with wolf blood is dangerous," Daemon explains grimly. "Even dormant genes. Even unborn babies. They'll kill you and the child to 'prevent future threats.'"
Horror crashes over me. "He wants to kill my baby?"
"He won't get the chance." Caspian is already moving toward the door. "Tad, gather the patrol. I want every wolf on the border. Nobody gets through."
"You can't fight hunters," I grab his arm without thinking. The second my skin touches his, electricity shoots through both of us. He freezes. "Caspian, they have guns. Weapons. You'll die."
"Then I die protecting my pack." He pulls away from my touch, but I see the struggle in his eyes. "This is what Alphas do."
"You're not Alpha yet—"
"I am tonight." He looks at his father. "Dad, get Roslyn and Linnea to the safe room. Lock them in. Don't open it for anyone except me or Tad."
"Caspian—" Daemon starts.
"That's an order, Dad. I'm calling my right as future Alpha." Caspian's voice carries absolute authority. "Protect them. I'll handle the hunters."
He shifts right there in the middle of the room. One second he's a man, the next he's a massive black wolf with silver eyes. The same wolf that was guarding my window.
Then he's gone, leaping through the broken window into the darkness.
"No!" I run to the window but Thaddeus blocks me.
"He knows what he's doing," Thaddeus says gently. "Come on. We need to get you safe."
Daemon leads us down hallway after hallway, deeper into the house. We go through a hidden door behind a bookshelf and down stairs into what looks like a bunker. Stone walls. No windows. One heavy metal door.
"You'll be safe here," Daemon says. "No one can break through. It's reinforced steel."
"What about you?" Mom grabs his hand. "You're not going out there—"
"I have to. I'm still Alpha. My son needs backup." He kisses her hard. "Lock the door behind me. Don't open it unless you hear my voice or Caspian's. Promise me."
"Daemon—"
"Promise me, Roslyn!"
"I promise," Mom whispers.
He leaves and we hear the door lock from the outside.
Mom sinks onto a bench, crying. I'm too numb to cry. This is my fault. Jericho came here because of me. Because I'm pregnant. Because I have wolf blood I didn't even know about.
"This is all my fault," I whisper.
"No." Mom pulls me down next to her. "This is not your fault. Hunters are monsters who kill innocent people. You did nothing wrong."
"I got pregnant. I brought danger here—"
"You're seventeen and scared and doing your best." She cups my face. "None of this is your fault, baby. Do you hear me?"
I nod but don't believe her.
Howls echo from somewhere above us. Gunshots crack through the night. Screaming. More howls.
They're fighting. Caspian is fighting.
My stepbrother. My fated mate. The guy who hates me but is risking his life to protect me anyway.
"He's going to die because of me," I choke out.
"He's going to live because he's strong and brave and—" Mom stops. "Wait. What do you mean 'fated mate'?"
Oh no. I said that out loud.
"Nothing. I meant nothing."
"Linnea Marie Thorne, don't lie to me." Mom's voice goes sharp. "What do you mean Caspian is your fated mate?"
There's no point hiding it now. "Werewolves have this thing called mate bonds. The Moon Goddess chooses two people to be perfect for each other. Destined. Forever." I take a shaky breath. "Caspian is my mate. My fated mate. And tomorrow he becomes my stepbrother."
Mom's face goes pale. "Oh my God."
"Yeah."
"Does Daemon know?"
"Yes. He wants Caspian to reject the bond. Says it's the only way to avoid scandal and keep the pack stable." Tears burn my eyes. "And Caspian agreed. He's going to reject me tonight. After he saves me from my psycho ex-boyfriend who wants to kill me and my baby."
"Honey—" Mom pulls me into a hug. "This is so much worse than I thought."
"You think?" I laugh but it sounds broken. "I'm pregnant with one guy's baby while being fated to another guy who's about to become my legal brother. My life is literally a nightmare."
More gunshots. Closer this time.
Mom and I both freeze.
"They're getting closer to the house," Mom whispers.
"Caspian said no one gets through—"
An explosion rocks the building. Dust rains from the ceiling. The lights flicker.
"What was that?" I grab Mom's hand.
Another explosion. Louder. The whole room shakes.
"They're bombing the house," Mom breathes. "Oh God, they're bombing us."
The metal door groans. Someone's trying to break through.
"Hello?" A voice calls from the other side. Male. Familiar. "Linnea? I know you're in there."
Jericho.
My blood turns to ice.
"Don't answer," Mom hisses.
"Linnea, come out. We can talk about this. I'm not here to hurt you." His voice sounds so reasonable. So calm. "I just want to understand. Katie told me everything. About the werewolves. About your bloodline. I need to know if our baby is... safe."
"Our baby is fine," I yell back. "Go away, Jericho!"
"I can't do that. Not until I know for sure." Something slams against the door. "The hunters with me? They think the baby is already turned. Already a monster. They want to kill you both. But I can protect you. If you just come out and let me verify the baby is fully human."
"How?" I demand. "How would you verify that?"
Silence. Then: "Blood test. DNA test. Nothing that would hurt you or the baby. I promise."
"He's lying," Mom whispers. "Hunters don't do tests. They kill first and ask questions never."
"I know." But my voice is shaking.
More slamming against the door. The metal starts to dent.
"Linnea, don't make this harder than it needs to be!" Jericho's voice rises. "I brought twenty armed hunters. Your werewolf boyfriend and his pack can't stop all of us. They're already losing. Half of them are dead. The other half will be soon. Just come out and no one else has to die!"
Caspian could be dead. The thought makes my chest tighten until I can't breathe.
"What do we do?" I look at Mom desperately.
She stands up and picks up a metal pipe from the corner. "We fight."
The door explodes inward in a shower of sparks and metal.
Three men in tactical gear pour through, guns raised.
But it's Jericho who walks in last, smiling like he just won the lottery.
"Hey, Linnea," he says softly. "Miss me?"