Page 14 of Second Chance By Fate

“Just save it, Violet. You’re trouble.”

“No, Steele. You’reintrouble,” she counters, spinning away.

Enzo turns to us worriedly, disconnecting his call. “The west side just got viciously attacked.”

I stare at him blankly. “By who? New Mexico again?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

Now we’re all gaping at him.

“You don’t know?” I repeat. “What does that mean?”

“It means that there is a trail of dead shifters, and no one is taking responsibility for it. I have no idea what’s going on, but we need to get over there.”

He stalks toward the door without waiting to see if we’ll follow. Jax is on his heels, but I remain in place, trying to understand what’s happening. I know that Violet can’t be responsible for a massacre, not only because she has been here, but because she’s Violet. For all the distrust I have for her, I know she is not someone capable of such extreme violence.

But if not her, then who? And why does this coincide with her arrival?

A warm hand slips into mine, shaking me out of my reverie.

“Steele, we have to go,” Violet urges me.

I pull away from her, scowling.

“You’re not going anywhere,” I tell her furiously. “You’re likely responsible for all this.”

Sadness touches her face, but she’s not deterred by my order. “I’m coming because I’m not staying here without one of you. It’s clearly not safe around here.”

I almost laugh at her reasoning, but Jax circles back to bark at us. “Are you two coming or what?”

Violet doesn’t wait for me this time and heads out of the study after Jax, leaving me no choice but to head into the night with my brothers and the witch, who is once again wreaking havoc on our household.

But why? Why would she do this? And what did she mean when she said, “Don’t hurt them”?

Chapter 5

Violet

They’re all looking at me strangely now, even Jax, and I can’t blame them. If the roles were reversed, I’d be looking at me weird, too. Nothing I can tell them will put their minds at ease, not without endangering all of us more. But they deserve answers, especially after Steele was spying on me.

I eye my former lover, wondering how it went so wrong with us. Once upon a time, I was the only woman he trusted. Now, he looks at me like I’m his enemy.

The SUV pulls up to the edge of the territory, and my heart sinks. The smell of death already permeates the air before we stop. Something else lingers beneath the surface, though, something evil that gives me shivers.

“Oh, my gods…” Jax mutters, jumping out before the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

The massacre in the pack house was clearly a surprise—the victims had been caught unaware, still in their chairs and unable to defend themselves before they were attacked.

Several Apex shifters wander around collecting evidence, but they’re shaken and pale by the violence. For all their training, they are not used to such a sight. I want to hide myself away in the car. Suddenly, I wish I’d taken Steele’s advice and stayed atthe estate alone, but the truth is, I don’t feel comfortable there, not anymore.

“Any indication of who did this?” Enzo asks the lead investigator.

“N-no,” he stutters, looking as if he might vomit.

I don’t blame him at all. This is outrageous. Someone is trying to make a distinct point, and they’ve done it.

“Someone will want to take credit for this!” Enzo rages, fury coloring his sooty eyes.

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