He exhales slowly, his gaze flicking past me toward the clinic before settling back on my face. “There are things that don’t concern you.”

I laugh bitterly, shaking my head. “That is absolute bullshit. You don’t think Arthur’s death—a man who was like a father to me—or my grandmother’s banishment concerns me? Are you really that stupid, or do you just think I am?”

His expression softens for the briefest moment, but it’s gone so quickly I wonder if I imagined it. “This can’t go on the way it’s going. You’re going to get hurt,” he says, his voice quieter now.

Taking a step forward, I demand, “Why are you so determined to keep me in the dark? Is it because you know the truth and you’re too much of a coward to admit it?”

That does it. His eyes flash with something hot and dangerous, and he closes the distance between us in a single stride, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. “Careful, Bella,” he says, his voice a low growl that sends a shiver down my spine—but is it fear or something darker, more primeval?

“Or what?” I fire back, refusing to back down despite the heat radiating off him, the sheer force of his presence making it hard to think straight. “You’ll keep stonewalling me? Keep standing outside my clinic—just beyond the tree line—like some cryptic bodyguard who doesn’t have the balls to tell me what’s really going on?”

His hands flex at his sides like he’s trying to hold himself back. “You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” he says, his tone laced with barely restrained anger. “The woods, the Crimson Claw—this isn’t some mystery you can solve by playing detective.”

The air between us feels charged, electric. His gaze drops to my lips, just for a heartbeat, before snapping back to my eyes. The pull between us is suffocating, undeniable, but he takes a step back, raking a hand through his hair.

“Stay out of…”

“If you say, ‘the woods,’ one more time I swear to God I’ll find something to beat you over the head with. Why can’t you see that nothing is more dangerous than not knowing?”

He shakes his head, his jaw clenching. “You don’t want those answers, Bella. Trust me.”

“You have no idea what I want,” I snap. “And for the record, I don’t trust you.”

He looks as if I just slapped him across the face. “I’m trying to protect you,” he says quietly.

“From what?” I press, my voice softer now.

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he turns and walks toward his truck, his movements tense and deliberate. His words echo in my mind as he drives away.

RYDER

The stone walls seem to amplify and hold the tension hanging in the air. The Nightshade Elders sit in their usual semi-circle, their expressions grim as I stand before them. Tannis is the first to speak, her voice sharp enough to cut through the silence.

“We’ve tolerated her presence long enough,” she says, her piercing gaze fixed on me. “Bella Gordon is poking around in matters that don’t concern her. It’s a risk we can’t afford.”

“I would remind you, I’m the one who makes that decision,” I say quietly.

“She’s not a threat,” Lucas says from his spot at the edge of the room, his tone calm but firm.

Tannis scoffs, shaking her head. “Not yet. But the deeper she digs, the closer she gets to exposing us all. Do you really believe she’ll stop?”

Lucas steps forward, crossing his arms as he faces her. “She’s not some outsider looking to exploit us. She has a connection to this pack—her grandmother was one of us, no matter how much you try to ignore it. And Bella’s not just curious; she’s smart. If we work with her instead of against her, she could be an asset.”

Marlow, the oldest of the Elders, leans forward, his lined face unreadable. “You’re suggesting we let her in on our secrets?”

“Secrets?” Lucas scoffs, his voice steady. “Which secrets are those Marlow? That wolf-shifters and the Crimson Claw exist? That you banished her grandmother for no good reason? That you put Everett in power because you could control him? Are those the secrets you’re talking about?”

“Lucas,” I warn.

He shakes his head. “I got a hot news flash for you, Bella already knows. She doesn’t care about Everett or your pathetic attempts to keep what you did to her grandmother secret. She wants to know about the mutants and Arthur’s death. I suggest we guide her in such a way that she feels comfortable sharing what she finds with us. Better she works with us than against us.”

The murmurs ripple through the chamber, a mix of skepticism and grudging consideration. I stay silent, my thoughts a cataclysmic maelstrom as I listen to Lucas speak.

“She’s not a liability,” Lucas continues, his eyes darting toward me. “She’s a resource. She knows this town, she has connections to human law enforcement, to scientific labs, and her skills as a vet, a researcher and a scientist could be invaluable.”

Tannis shakes her head, glaring at Lucas. “She’s a liability, plain and simple. And the fact that you’re advocating for her inclusion only proves how reckless this idea is.”

I step forward then, cutting through the rising apprehension. “Enough,” I say, my voice firm.