Chapter 2

I opened my mouth to call out — the word brother died before it left my lips.

The two girls holding me reacted instantly, clamping their hands over my mouth.

Seraphina's eyes swept the room.

She pulled a silver dagger from her jacket and pressed it against my throat.

She dropped her voice to a lethal whisper, every word deliberate.

"Hold the blade on her. She makes a sound, you draw blood."

The pounding outside became a full crash against the door.

Seraphina shoved me into one of the stall compartments.

Left two girls watching me.

The silver blade never left my neck.

She leaned close to my ear.

"Make a sound and I'll end you right here."

I clenched my fists and forced myself to nod.

The look on her face — she meant it.

If something happened to me, Mom and Dad would—

No. Absolutely not.

I'd been a lone wolf for eighteen years. I would not lose the family I'd only just found.

The door was seconds away from giving.

Seraphina called out toward it, her voice easy.

"Jaxon… Elara's not in here. I had stomach cramps, that's why I didn't answer."

She pushed the door open, one hand pressed to her stomach.

Jaxon didn't say a word. He shoved past her and stepped inside.

"Elara, are you in here? Did someone hurt you?"

Seraphina grabbed his arm.

"Jaxon, this is the girls' room. What do you think you're doing?"

"She probably wandered off to explore. It's the Academy — there's plenty to see."

She tried to push him back out. He brushed her off.

The space went quiet for a few seconds.

The phone of the girl standing beside me lit up.

A text from Seraphina.

The girl's eyes turned hard as she looked at me.

She shifted the dagger to my collarbone and pressed down, voice barely a breath.

"Don't you dare."

She dragged the blade across my collarbone in a thin, sharp line.

I bit down on my lip, sweat breaking cold across my forehead.

Outside, Jaxon let out a sudden cry and grabbed at his own collarbone where the mirrored wound had opened.

"Elara wouldn't just wander off. Something's wrong."

"Seraphina, come with me. We need to find Elara."

He answered his phone mid-step and strode out.

Seraphina waited until his footsteps faded, then shut the door.

The way she looked at me completely changed.

Like something that wanted to feed.

"Elara. I didn't expect it — Jaxon actually cares about you that much."

Her eyes went cold.

"I can't let you go home."

The girls taped my mouth shut.

Then pressed a mask over the tape.

"We move her to the abandoned silver mine outside Pack territory."

"The walls there are thick. No sound gets out."

"I want her to understand what it costs to cross me."

One girl hooked her arm through mine.

The other hid the blade under my academy jacket, point pressed to my ribs.

I didn't make a sound the entire walk out.

We were almost through the front gates when Jaxon came running from the other direction.

He grabbed the girl with the blade by the shoulder.

His voice was urgent.

"Chloe — you're in Elara's class. Have you seen her?"

"No."

Chloe yanked me forward, trying to pull us away.

I lifted my eyes slowly and looked straight at Jaxon.

His gaze caught mine. He frowned.

There was no time for him to think it through.

Chloe dug the blade point harder into my ribs.

Jaxon's hand flew to his side.

We both looked away at the same moment.

"I have to move faster."

He turned toward the car waiting at the gates.

I was being dragged forward, but I looked too.

It was my eldest brother, Silas.

Blood was seeping through his shirt at the collarbone. He walked toward the car, knuckles cracking.

"Whoever dared lay a hand on my sister — you'd better enjoy breathing while you can."

The two girls holding me went rigid.

Silas raised his eyes and looked straight toward me.

At the same moment, Chloe shoved the blade in harder.

She pressed her mouth to my ear.

"Move. Now. Or I'll finish you here."