Page 59 of Season of the Wolf

“Elise, we’re—”

“Ab-so-lute-ly not,” she repeated, this time breaking the statement down to syllables, like I was a child. “Do you have any idea what that would require?”

I breathed deep, nodding. “Of course I do.”

“Then why onEarthwould you even—”

“Because it’s the only way!” A breath hitched in Elise’s throat when my voice thundered through the room.

She froze, staring as we both heaved, short of breath and rattled for two very different reasons. The cause of her distress: the thought of losingme.Mine: the thought of losing her daughter.

Suppressing a frustrated grunt, I tightened my fists.

“Tell me you don’t see it coming from a mile away,” I pleaded. “Tell me you don’t see Evangeline, the daughter you love and fought so hard to bring back, eventually diving straight off a cliff thinking it’s what she has to do in order to save me,” I seethed. “Make me that promise and I’ll drop the whole thing.”

Elise’s otherwise pale cheeks flushed red, the rims of her nostrils flaring at the thought.

“Liam, I am many things, but beforeanyof them I’m a mother. And despite my blood not coursing through your veins, you’re my son. Whether you like it or not at the moment. You cannot ask me to choose to endanger your life, all with lofty hopes that you’ll survive it.” She was nearly panting with frustration when she stepped closer.

“And let’s say youdosurvive the transformation. Liam … you were born dragon,” she reasoned. “The children I turned were only human. Who’s to say that doesn’t matter? Who’s to say the dragon DNA already within you won’t somehow make you different? Uncontrollable even,” she suggested.

Her eyes softened when she took another step in my direction, placing a hand on my cheek when she said more. “Your sole purpose for evenconsideringthis is to protect Evangeline. Why can’t you see that this …‘plan’of yours has the potential to do exactly the opposite?”

I sighed, knowing everything she said had some semblance of truth within it, but—

“The answer is no.”

There was no questioning if her conclusion was final. Even with her gaze full of compassion, she was firm on this decision.

Her steps echoed through the foyer as she traipsed toward the stairs. I stood there, feeling like my heart had been ripped from my chest, my only hope shot down in an instant.

The sound of Hilda’s chair moving across the wood grated my nerves, causing my fists to tighten again. I was fully prepared for her to gloat after Elise had all but sided with her, but she didn’t. Maybe she knew how badly this stung, how hopeless I felt, because she simply retreated to her own room.

I was left standing there. Alone, powerless—both feelings weighing down on me more than they ever had in my entire life.

The flicker of hope I managed to cling to these past few weeks had just been snuffed out.

And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

Chapter Eighteen

Evie

They watched from the sidelines. All six of my brothers, not just Ivan.

My heart thundered inside my chest and I hadn’t even started training yet. I’d gotten worked up just at the idea of them coming tonight. Especially seeing as how this was the first session I’d been to in a while. Sitting with Liam through his recovery had been priority number one. Now, as a result, they’d all get to watch me make a huge idiot of myself.

Not even the danger of someone figuring out they didn’t belong could keep them home. It was Hilda who reminded them over and over that they should stay in, keep a low profile, but they wouldn’t hear of it. She warned that, if their identities were somehow revealed, if it became apparent that they were hybrids brought back using restorative magic … there would be hell to pay.

However, with a bit of encouragement from Dallas, and a timely reminder that this town was jam packed with tons of new shiftersanyway, the decision was made.

And now, a brood resembling the defensive line of a pro football team stood behind me as I walked to the mat where we would be paired up, where I’d make a fool of myself shortly.

Yup … good times.

To my left, a blonde ponytail bobbed as Beth rushed in, breathing like she’d run the whole way. My face lit up, knowing her presence would quell at leastsomeof my nervous energy.

She smiled and posted beside me when Dallas leveled a glare her way for just barely slipping in on time.

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