Page 74 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Jason. Tabitha. Manoj. Sai. Aidan knew all of their names and stories. The alpha did his duty to each of them, offering them his strength and mercy, holding their gaze while the light lefttheir eyes. It tore Aidan’s heart each time, and Nero felt him slip further and further into despair.

Then there was one Aidan couldn’t identify.

“I don’t know who this is. This wolf isn’t linked to any pack, nor any alpha I’m aware of. She’s young. Maybe a month old, if that.”

Zeke was the one to speak the bitter truth into being. “They’re creating rabid wolves. TheCitizensare turning humans.”

Devastated, Aidan caught himself against the cage. “Just one bite from a captured werewolf would be enough to transmit it to a human. Now that they’ve figured that out, it’d be easy to create new wolves.”

Despite the affect it was having on him, no amount of torment could make him turn against his responsibility; the wolves deserved an honorable death, no matter how they’d been created.

A singleCitizenbullet filled with liquid sunlight could potentially condemn a wolf to rabidity. Even though they had developed a vaccine, it wasn’t as effective as the werewolves had hoped—and the rates of inoculation were not rising fast enough.

The more newly turned wolves they found, the more Nero worried for Aidan. The alpha was gradually slipping into a place beyond pain. His mind sought Nina’s, sending her a telepathic ping that was immediately returned.

Nero, what do you need?

Aidan is close to the edge,he replied.We’ve destroyed nearly thirty wolves, and there are more still to come. Please warn his mate—he will need her when he returns.

Thank you, Nero, I appreciate the forewarning.A hesitation, then:Has Eden decided?

Bristling inside, Nero almost missed the wolf that lashed out at him. He barely sidestepped the claws aimed from his torso.Aidan, as if on autopilot, accounted for the movement and gave the wolf a swift ending.

No. She’s yet to make her choice. We’ll let you know.

By the time they’d cleared every cage, Nero’s hands and clothing were soaked in blood, painting a macabre picture that marred his soul.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Eden hated silence. Havingspent the last several decades in Chicago, the continuous hum of the city had become a lullaby. Nero’s home was hushed without him, and even Zia’s presence couldn’t combat the quiet.

She’d been stewing on every option available to her. Admittedly, there were few, but that hadn’t stopped her from evaluating the angles of each possibility. Earlier, she’d forgotten to speak with Nero about what would happen to him should she perish. Even though Luna had claimed it would end poorly, nothing was certain.

Across the island from her, Zia murmured, “Hey baby. What’s up?”

Startled, Eden glanced up from where she’d been pushing stray blueberries around her pie. Before her stood quite possibly the cutest child she’d ever seen. Violet eyes, atrueviolet, stared up at her. Slightly curling hair tumbled over the young boy’s forehead, his features foreshadowing the handsome man he’d become. He stood beside Zia, and Eden could instantly see the resemblance.

“Hi. I’m Eden. Who are you?”

“I’m Myko.” His lips stretched into a flat smile. “Key told me I had to come over here.”

Zia sighed and asked, “Did Key say what for? Do you need Nero?”

“Um, no?”

Brushing her thumb across his cheek, Zia shrugged and looked at Eden. “Myko is my son. We live not far from here, but Key must’ve asked him to teleport over. You don’t mind if he hangs out here, do you?”

“Not at all.” Eden smiled at Myko. “Do you want a piece of pie?”

Myko wrung his hands in front of him. This kid was too adorable for words. “No, I’m okay. I guess I’m just ‘sposed to wait?”

“Well, we could play a board game while we wait? I don’t think I’ve seen any video games while I’ve been here.”

Excitement sparked in Myko’s eyes, and he dragged her to a pile of games stacked high in the entryway hall closet. After intense discussion, they settled on Connect Four. Zia, happily reading a book on the couches across from them, smiled but didn’t interfere.

Four rounds into the game, Eden realized she’d been swindled by one of the greats. She gave him a mock glare. “You’re way too good at this, Myko. How did you manage that one?”

“You’ve gotta set a trap. If you spread them out, like this,” he pointed to the base rows, the plastic chips making a hollow sound as he tapped them, “then I can get you every time if you don’t know my strategy.”

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