Page 100 of The Vixen

I walk toward him until the weight of his words slow my steps, and my feet slosh like the floor has turned to mud.

Mating ceremonies…

This is about a mating ceremony. Something urgent or shameful or both.

Luna doesn’t know.

Aubry.

Liberty.

“Liberty.” My eyes go wide. “Where’s Liberty?”

Aiden’s chronically rosy cheeks sink with what I pray to God is not remorse.

“Aiden!”

“The Bower. Aurelius just gave Thorne the order… If you hurry and find Head Keeper…”

He saves his voice instead of finishing that sentence. We both know Luna is no longer in charge. If it wasn’t clear before, it is now.

“Fuck,” I stutter out, my hand threading my hair as my jaw releases. My head swims as I turn, but my body is sure of itself. I stride back to the desk and jerk open the bottom drawer.

Smooth metal grazes my fingertips as I snake my hand beneath one of the sliders. It takes several tries before my nails catch the metal spine to one of Luna’s older books. The razor sharp tip nicks my thumb as it falls into my hand—good. The hours spent whittling one end weren’t for nothing.

I bend to secure the piece of metal into my sock before tugging my pant leg in place. Aiden says nothing about the weapon as I stand. He doesn’t try to stop me when I speed past him, my heart thumping in my ears.

The Bower is five thousand two hundred and seventeen steps from the Keep, but I cut the number in half with long strides as I sprint toward the building. Panic fuels my limbs even while my twisting gut tries to slow me down.

It’s cruel how much time there is to think while I run. Every step stretches a little further, but time slows to a crawl.

If I was a better man, I’d think of the women.

But instead, I think of Angel.

Angel—with his cropped hair and flannel blanket on move-in day, freshman year.

Angel—giving the dean a cold glare while he moaned about integrity.

Angel—with that same cold glare trained on me, the last time we saw each other.

It’s been twenty years since we shook hands as roommates the first semester, and eighteen since he told me I was the only family he had. Though this past year has been nothing butresentful, never until this moment did I believe that bond could be broken.

He took my home. He took my money. He took mylife.

But I could forgive him, if he asked.

He will never forgive me for this.

I never slow as I approach the Bower—instead, I burst through the door and down the hall where only Thorne is waiting.

No guards. Aurelius isn’t confident his Keepers would support this.

“Thorne.” I pant as I stop in front of him, the monitor for the rooms on my right. I turn to peer at it as movement on the screen catches my eye.

Both rooms are displayed, showing both women with different … mates. The sound has been turned off, but my ears hear phantom noises anyway. Tears. Cries. Pleas that go unanswered.

Too late.