Page 106 of Bitten, Marked, Obsessed

“You got one shot to walk away,” I say, voice low. “And I’d take it if I were you.”

He scoffs, shoulders squared. “You think I’m scared of you?”

“I know you are.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“No?” I tilt my head. “I know you loved her. Once. I know you held her hand and kissed her mouth and told her she made your world better.”

His nostrils flare.

“And then the second she changed into something you didn’t understand, you turned her into atarget.You led these bastards to her. Followed her through the shadows like some vulture waiting for her to bleed out. With the numbers you brought, I can tell you thought she wouldn't have this many of us. You won’t win.”

He doesn’t respond. Doesn’t move.

I step even closer.

“You don’t have to understand her. You don’t even have to like what she’s becoming. But don’t pretend you ever gave a damn about her if this is how it ends. If this—” I gesture to the crowd behind him, all fire and fear “—is what you chose.”

His jaw twitches.

But he says nothing.

“Get gone,” I growl. “And pray you never see me again.”

He stares at Kendall for one long second.

“We have bigger things we’re planning. You’ll get yours, wolf,” one of them says through gritted teeth.

Then Stefan spits at the ground and turns, disappearing into the trees without another word.

His seemingly new crew follows, silent. Not brave. Just cowardly enough to live.

I don’t realize I’m shaking until Kendall touches my hand.

“Callum,” she says softly.

“I was going to kill him,” I murmur.

“I know.”

“I still might.”

She squeezes my hand. “But you didn’t. And that means more than he’ll ever understand.”

I turn to her.

She’s strong. Fierce. Still trembling under the surface. But her eyes are clear. Her jaw steady.

“I don’t know how you held back,” she whispers.

I touch her cheek, rough and gentle all at once. “You were worth it.”

The others split off to their own safe houses as we reach ours near the western ridge by nightfall. A half-buried bunker overgrown with ivy and forgotten by the city years ago. It smells like wet stone and iron and just enough security to sleep for a few hours without fear of a knife in the ribs.

Elias is already waiting.

He raises an eyebrow as we enter. “Thought you might’ve died.”

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