Page 67 of Bitten, Marked, Obsessed

“Adora,” I whisper. “That’s not werewolf. That’s not even shifter.”

She stares at the ceiling. “Then what the hell am I?”

I don’t answer. Because I don’t know.

But I do know someone who might.

“I know someone,” I say. “Someone who might help.”

Her eyes snap to mine. “Who?”

I hesitate.

“Callum,” I say. “Callum Wulfson. The one I told you.”

A flicker. Barely there—but I see it. Her face changes. Recognition. Then quickly buried under a tight, polite curiosity.

“Who is he?”

“He’s... a shifter. Like a real one. He’s helped me figure out parts of this I couldn’t on my own. He’s not like Dad. He doesn’t try to control it—he teaches you to own it.”

She nods slowly. Too slowly.

“And you trust him?”

“Yeah. More than I probably should.”

She presses her lips together. Her posture has changed—shoulders stiff, jaw set. Something in her has gone quiet. Too quiet.

And then she says, “I’ll meet him.”

Just like that.

But I don’t believe it’s that simple. Or maybe she’s agreeing because she already knowsmore than she’s telling me.

The air shifts again.

Her scent—once sunlight and worn denim and citrus shampoo—now hums like hot metal and rain-soaked forest. Something wild beneath, pretending to be tame.

I feel it. There’s someone else in there with her.

28

CALLUM

Iget the message from Elias just after dawn.

Kendall wants to meet. Today. Same place you trained her. Bring no one.

It’s not a request. It’s a whisper written in ash. Elias has become our messenger somehow. At least Kendall figured out reaching out to him is safer than going directly to me.

I don’t answer the message, all I do is go.

By the time I drop into the tunnels where Kendall and I trained under damp darkness, the sun’s just starting to peel gold over the city’s buildings.

Kendall’s already there.

She’s pacing. Jacket too big for her frame, eyes locked on the dirt like she’s arguing with it.

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