Page 89 of Lone Wolf

“It’s a possibility to consider,” Sasha replied. “That being said, I think it’s time for us all to rest. Lottie, when was the last time you ate? You look absolutely haggard.”

Sasha looped her arm with Charlotte’s and tugged her from the room despite her protests. Matéo remained near the doorway with his hands in his pockets. The tray had been demolished. It didn’t even look like any food had ever been on the plates or in the bowls.

I hung my head. “I should have saved you some.”

“No, Charlotte fed me while you were out.”

“Oh.”

He lowered his gaze to the ground. “I should…”

“I get it. Go rest.”

“You said you want to think.”

I folded my arms. “Yes, I want to think.”

“Are you sure about that, Rose?”

“Positive.”

He turned around, shoulders appearing to pull him toward me while his feet moved toward the door. The man seemed torn about leaving me by myself.

But it was important. I had to get my head wrapped around what those vampires said to us, how the letter opener was in the desk of his ancestor. His father knew about the fortress. His mother knew about Arnaud. What was I missing?

And why did it hurt my brain to try to figure it out?

The farther Matéo walked, the more relief I felt. He disappeared into the hallway, footsteps fading with every passing second. Once he was completely gone, my entire body slumped into the bed, muscles defeated by exhaustion.

That medallion makes me feel sick, I thought.But that doesn’t make sense. Everyone else is fine around it. Why am I reacting this way?

I covered my face and sank into the mattress.

Maybe I’m not his mate after all.

More confusion curled into my center. Everything around me felt way too loud, way too invasive for me to relax. The beep of the monitor and the wind whipping outside made me want to scream. Was I losing my mind? Or was I just caught in a coma?

No, it was this stupid war. It was this ridiculous bond. It was how I felt like I was fulfilling some kind of destiny while sliding off that cliff. The waves below had practically beckoned me to crash into them.

My brows knitted together.

Am I meant to die without him?

The terror that struck my heart made me hug my knees to my chest. So much uncertainty. I wasn’t sure how much more I would be able to handle. Without Matéo next to me, it was cold in here. But having him by my side with that medallion made me feel sick.

That thunderstorm did more than disorient us. It hadtrappedus. The things Domingo said were just to get us in a frenzy. He did it on purpose. And he had nearly won.

How the hell were we going to recover from that?

Maybe I was still asleep. It did feel hazy in here. My vision swam with black dust and streaks of light. Though the monitor next to me had originally been aggravating, it was now lulling me into a relaxed state, encouraging me to set the tray on the ground. I flattened on the bed, staring at the basement ceiling.

There’s one way to find out if I’ve been in a coma this whole time, I thought as I rolled to my side.I’ll just go back to sleep. And maybe when I wake up, all of this will be an awful dream.

Chapter 23 - Matéo

There’s more than one way to lose people, Maman whispered in my mind.Don’t forget that, Matéo. Don’t ever forget that.

Flashlights pierced my vision, shimmering down from the slits in the floorboards and illuminating the crawl space. They could smell us. I knew they could smell us. Even with the barriers Papa had put into place, we were sitting ducks, ripe for the plucking by the very creatures who we had been avoiding for twelve years or more.

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