Chapter 0085

"What kind of information?"

Dad's gaze locked onto mine, unflinching. "Victor is the one who murdered Isolde."

My hand shot up to cover my gasp. "What? How does Sebastian know that? And how is Victor still alive?"

"Apparently, Victor was discovered holding Isolde's lifeless body, drenched in her blood. He fled before anyone could stop him. He's always been good at disappearing—just like when he escaped our warriors and Sebastian after they found you."

He hesitated before continuing. "Sebastian has spent most of his life hunting Victor. Now that he's close, I fear this obsession will consume him. Alistair has been speaking with him daily, ensuring he doesn't lose himself in this pursuit. He might need a friend, Evelyn."

"Of course. Sebastian is a good friend and a strong Alpha. I'll do whatever I can to help him."

Dad nodded just as Dr. Whitmore entered. The news was positive—the venom levels in my system were decreasing, Selene was regaining strength, and I would recover fully without lasting effects from the Beta's attack.

When we arrived home, a stack of books waited on the porch. My school materials, accompanied by a note. My breath caught. Could this be from Adrian? He was the one who had been leaving me secret admirer notes.

A smile tugged at my lips as I read. I outright laughed at his playful jab about not wanting me to get bored. The cheeky smiley face confirmed he was referencing me watching him train this morning.

My pulse fluttered when he wrote that he missed my smile and sharp tongue. Then he signed it—Yours, Adrian. Was that deliberate? It had to be. He'd made no secret of his claim on Selene and me. He wanted me, and though I wasn't entirely sure what that entailed, he kept surprising me. Not only had he always known who I was, but his respect for me and my family warmed me in ways I hadn't expected. He valued everything my parents had done for him.

An idea sparked as I carried the books inside. I mentally outlined my plan before scanning the mountain of assignments waiting for me. Ugh. This weekend would be nothing but studying.

I climbed into bed early. Just as I reached for the lamp, my eyes landed on the withered flowers from Adrian on my desk. The ones that started everything. Dead now, yet I couldn’t bring myself to discard them.

I slipped out of bed and padded downstairs, rummaging through the kitchen junk drawer until I found cardstock. Back in my room, I penned my response.

Sleep brought the nightmare again. Trapped. Handcuffed. Victor advancing with elongated canines, ready to mark me. Then—Theron lunged, tearing into him before ripping his head clean off. The massive wolf leaped onto the bed, pinning me beneath him in protection.

My alarm blared, and I woke tangled in sweat-damp sheets. I must have thrashed all night.

I hurried to the window, craving another glimpse of Adrian. Would he look for me? Did he truly miss me like he’d said?

He didn’t disappoint. The moment he arrived, his eyes lifted to my window. When he spotted me, that slow, knowing smile curved his lips, followed by a nod. I returned the smile, watching as he moved through drills with lethal precision. A natural leader. A born warrior.

After training, he lingered while the others left. His gaze never wavered from mine as he pointed at me, then pressed a fist over his heart. The message was unmistakable.

You have my heart.

He walked backward, maintaining eye contact, his fist still pressed to his chest until the tree line swallowed him. One last pause. Then he vanished into the forest.

I rushed to get ready for school. Dad had wanted me to take the week off, but sitting around wasn’t an option. I needed normalcy. Routine.

Predictably, Dad argued, but he’d always taught me to push through weakness. After extracting a promise that I’d call if I felt unwell, he relented. I grabbed my bag and headed out, determined to reclaim my life.