Page 99 of Guardian

“Speak,” Christopher commanded, and the composed expression he harbored evaporated. “Now.”

He chuckled as he said, “Or what? My feeding privileges will be revoked?”

Noah smacked his lips, his current semblance contrary to his routine mask. “Ha! That’ll be the least of your worries after Alek hears what you explained.”

“Just. . . tell me already,” I intervened as my patience thinned to a fine thread.

“I did it all,” he breathed. “From the scheme to the writing along the walls to the very incident that took place during the Christmas Ball. I achieved all of it with Sonia’s help.”

There was no façade. Just pure anger that engulfed my veins. “Why?”

“You see, Alek, after her attack, I had the marks she left behind on my neck tested. The results were inconclusive. It was then Sonia delivered the treacherous documents that proved your little girlfriend’s true nature.” Kaleb’s smile dug further and revealed his elongated fangs. “I instructed you to continue with the scheme, but there was no likelihood that you’d achieve such an aim. Yet, you proved me wrong. You went the extra mile and wrecked her beyond repair, not only breaking her little pest of a heart but exposing her legitimate mutt nature.”

His laugh thundered within the room as he added, “Who would have thought you would truly have the last laugh?”

“You did all of this,” I began, my jaw tightening as I forced the words from my dry tongue, “Because she hurt your ego?”

My fingers dug into my palm, my body instinctively moving and yanking Kaleb off of the bed and onto the nearest bare wall.

“I did it because I wanted to ruin—”

A fist pierced through the air and connected against his cheek with resounding force. A burning ache settled in my skin, activating the fire I had continuously extinguished for his sake— and now, I released all of the devouring feelings, hit after hit.

Blood concealed my knuckles as Kaleb’s hands thrust against my chest, his strength absent. I heaved him deeper into the surface. Presences thinned in the air while the anger fueled my veins and intoxicated my senses.

“I should have left you for dead, you selfish bloody prick. Exactly how you’d done to me countless times before at the lake.”

“Just like you’d done to Katerina?”

I stilled, and my tight hold faded as I took a step back. “What?”

“You thought it ended at the Ambrogio’s estate?” Kaleb’s eyes gaped, and his lips twisted into a vicious grin, blood trickling from his lips and face. “Oh no, dear little brother, that’s where you’re wrong. The fun has just begun.”

I thrust him deeper into the now-dented wall as Kaleb’s resonating laugh followed. “I knew about your plans, and now, I won’t let you off so easily.”

My eyes widened as a whisper escaped my lips, “Katerina.”

She was my sole focus as I bolted.

The hope in my muscles and bones shriveled as I discovered Tristan’s body on the ground. Although his chest elevated, an empty syringe protruded from his skin.

An itch crawled through my skin as the morning rays descended from the sky. Leaves whistled against the traveling wind and settled on a notebook that lay on the ground. Between it and Tristan’s still body, strands of hair floated along a pool of blood and sharp canines.

Katerina was nowhere in sight.

I lost her.

ChapterThirty-Three

KATERINA ELI

The montage of memories was a blur through my transformation. They consumed me.

There was no lake, no house, no one. It was only me and blood all around.

The first man I ever killed was my dad. A man who had done too much and said so little. He appeared without the taunting eyes or the spiteful words, but I could still hear them. Feel them as they itched against my skin. He’d call me by all sorts of names —monster was his favorite— but the worst one was when he’d call me by my given one.

Katerina.

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