The walls of my room felt like they were closing in.
I had barely made it inside before I locked the door behind me, my hands shaking. My pulse was erratic, my thoughts racing
Hadelyn’s voice still rang in my ears. Nate’s warning was a ghost against my skin. I was in deeper than ever, and I had no idea how to crawl back out.
I tried to steady my breathing, but it felt impossible. Every shadow in the room felt like it was watching me, stretching toward me, suffocating me.
I needed to distract myself.
I walked to my desk, pretending like I had control over myself, like I wasn’t unraveling at the seams. I grabbed a book at
random, flipping through the pages without reading a single word. But the words blurred together, unreadable. My mind kept circling back to tonight.
Nate saying he had to cover for me.
Ethan now having a target on his back because of me.
Hadelyn’s eyes–sharp, calculating, deadly.
I swallowed hard, rubbing my temples.
This was bigger than I thought. So much bigger,
I could still hear Nate’s voice, his frustration barely masking his panic.
“You have a huge target on your back now.”
I shivered, my grip tightening on the book. The worst part was–he was right. I had known I was getting too close to something, had felt the weight of unseen eyes tracking my every move.
And now, after tonight, there was no doubt.
Someone wanted me dead.
My stomach twisted violently at the thought
A sharp bang against my door nearly made me jump out of my skin.
“Jiselle!”
Eva
Before I could move, the door slammed open, bouncing against the wall as she stormed inside.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” she demanded, slamming the door behind her. “You skip class and you pull some reckless bullshit without telling me?”
Her voice was s
The worry.
sharp, furious. But beneath that anger, I could hear it.
Last night, I hadn’t come to my room after all. I stood at the door for what felt like hours before I finally retreated to Ethan’s room Though his roommate was pissy, I slept there. I didn’t wake up until twelve, which meant I missed the first two classes:
I swallowed hard, forcing my expression into something neutral. “Eva, I-”
“Don’t you dare lie to me she cut me off, her browneyes narrowing. “I know you, Jiselle. I know when you’re hiding
something
I hesitated. My throat felt tight.
Eva exhaled sharply, raking a hand through her wild curls. “What were you even doing?”
I turned away, my hands tightening into fists. “I was just… looking into some things.”
Eva scoffed. “Looking into some things?” she repeated mockingly. “Oh, that’s great. Super reassuring.”
I forced a breath through my nose. “Eva-
Successfully unlocked!
“Jiselle, you cannot keep doing this, she interrupicu, ruile maing). You can’t go internationally putting yourself in danger. And yet, you’re sneaking around, skipping class, and you won’t even tell me why?”
Tou Know something fishy is happening at this school.
I clenched my jaw.”
“Eva-
Chapter 43 “Max”
His name hit me like a slap to the face.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my entire body locking up.
“It’s about Max, isn’t it? You’re taking the break up hard,”
Eva’s gaze softened slightly.
“I’m sorry it was all my fault with my big mouth–““No, I said, cutting her off, “It was nobody’s fault but mine. I hurt him. 1. betrayed him. I’m facing the consequences.”
She didn’t look convinced. I didn’t blame her for what she did. She was right from the beginning. I should have given him the option of staying with me, knowing the truth instead of blindly forcing him.
And the worst part was he loved me… He loved me and I took him for granted.
“I saw him today,” she said carefully.
I kept my face blank, but my heart slammed against my ribs.
“So?” I muttered.
Eva studied me, and I hated how she could see everything.
“He was training,” she continued. “With Emari,”
My stomach dropped.
My fingers curled into the fabric of my sweater as something ugly twisted inside me. I swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat.
I didn’t care
I shouldn’t care.
But moon goddess above, I did.
I’m sure he didn’t want to. I’m sure it was mandatory or something. He wouldn’t sleep wit her, right?
He wouldn’t
Eva exhaled through her nose, shaking her head. “If you don’t care, she murmured, “then why does it look like you want to rip someone’s throat out?”
I clenched my jaw. Hard
I hated how she could read me. Hated it.
I turned away, but before I could even begin to piece together an excuse, Eva’s expression shifted.
Something sharp, something worried.
“Wait…” she said slowly.
I frowned. “What?”
“You’re not talking to me about it no matter how much I beg you to, but I guess that’s because he’s my brother but eyes snapped to mine, burning with realization. “You don’t talk to Ethan either, do you?”
I froze as my stomach churned violently.
Eva sighed heavily, dragging a hand down her face. “Jiselle.”
Her
I swallowed. “I can’t talk to him. If I do then I’ll have to tell him that Nate is the reason because he’s my mate. Ethan doesn’t exactly know this.”
“What?” she snapped. “Are you going to? Before someone else tells high?”
I winced
I knew she was right
Ethan deserved the truth. He should’ve been the first person I told.
But how the hell was I supposed to tell my brother that I had been lying to him since the day been hiding the truth of my mate bond, that I had been sneaking around, training with Nate? Wanting Nate?
y we turned sixteen? That I had
That I had chosen Max, but I still hadn’t broken the bond?
That no matter how much I tried to pretend otherwise–a part of me still didn’t want to?
Eva’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You need to tell him, Jizzy” she said sadly
I opened my mouth but nothing came out. Instead, I nodded
Before she could tell me again, a faint shuffling sound caught my attention.
Chapter 43
A barely there whisper of fabric against the floor
My entire body locked up.
Eva’s brows furrowed, but before she could say anything, something slid under my door.
A small piece of paper
My breath hitched as I took a slow, shaky step forward, my pulse hammering violently.
The room felt too quiet. Too still.
My fingers trembled as I reached down, picking up the note.
It was short, simple and terrifying.
‘You’re asking too many questions. Stop. Before we stop you.”
The blood drained from my face.
My heart stopped beating for a second too long.
Eva moved closer, her breath hitching. “Jiselle…?”
I didn’t answer.
I couldn’t.
All I could do was stare at the words–cold, sharp, a knife pressed against my throat.
I turned sharply, ripping open the door–nothing.
The hall was empty.
No movement. No sound.
Just the faint echo of footsteps–already too far away.
I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the note until the paper crumpled in my palm.
I had been right.
Hadelyn wasn’t giving this up.
And now, I had to stop.
Or else.
