Page 155 of A University of Betrayal

“I could havekilledyou yesterday!” My eyelids fluttered. “What’s wrong with you? Do you want to die so desperately? So I can break the treaty and your family can come after the pack? Are you guys reallythateager to destroy us?”

My eyes must have turned yellow, because his turned red too.

When his hands moved even a tiny bit in his trouser pockets, I immediately backed away. Not again would he throw one of those cursed knives at me or throw St. John’s wort at me. This devil’s stuff burned on the skin, and I wasn’t in the mood to break several rules at once right now. If he did that again, he’d be as dead as me this time.

“I don’t care if my clan wants to tear your little animal shelter apart,” he sighed. “I don’t want to seeyou allfail, I want to seeyoufail!” Miles’ expression had become serious, almost dark. “You think you’re something better. In control and untouchable?” He laughed bitterly. “I’m going to drag you out of your little fairytale dream.” He leaned down toward me, and for a moment I held my breath. “I’m going to destroy you, Emely.”

It sent shivers down my spine. But I couldn’t leave it at that.

An equally bitter laugh escaped me. “Believe me, you don’t want this war!”

The air around us crackled with tension. Tension that would destroy him if he didn’t learn his limits soon.

“You bet I do,” he whispered, and the low, menacing sound of his voice raised every hair on my body. “Every day I see you fail, Copeland... every damn day you lose control of your oh-so-perfect life will be a good day for me.”

Shadows flitted across his defined jawline.

“I’ll never sink that low. Before I allow that to happen, I’ll ruin you first!” I pressed out.

He laughed unenthusiastically. Then his expression hardened. “I am your downfall, Emely. And I cannot lose.” His gaze pierced mine.“Because when I fall, you fall with me.”

My heart stood still. Only when Miles turned away from me and disappeared elegantly down the hallway did I let my lungs fill with air... until I was gasping for breath.

Miles DeLoughrey had just declared war against me. And I wasn’t one to lose wars.

Gentle Breeze, Water Dripping from

Needles and Leaves, Distant Birdsong

Nordic Wilderness

“Are you okay?” asked the deep male voice from the phone.

I took a deep breath and walked along the creek, behind our estate, the phone pressed firmly to my ear, as a massive wolf flew past me. My little brother Finn jumped after him in his wolf form and rolled over Cody. In the distance, Hunter growled menacingly before leaping after him as well.

I ignored the three of them, rolling my eyes, and walked further into the forest.

“No. This place is a mess.”

I didn’t mention that my father wanted to marry me off and that my uncle seemed to be at war with the Russian Alpha. I hadn’t called for that reason.

“Was that just Hunter?” Kieran laughed gleefully on the other end.

I just snorted.

“When are you coming back?” I asked, sighing.

“Next semester,” came the curt reply I always got when I spoke to Kieran on the phone.

He was taciturn, but I was used to that. I’d rather have a quiet pack member than the wild bunch who’d just gone on a witch hunt for Cody in the meadow behind the house just because he’d stolen the calf meat for the arm-wrestling winner.

“There’s something, Emely.” He sounded worried. “Out with it.”

I sighed. But decided at the last moment against telling him about the hideous DeLoughrey or Mikhail Rolanow. Instead, I broached a minor issue.

“The Vanderwood has a co-director now. A Quatura.”

If there were any creatures Kieran loathed more than Ruisangors, oddly enough, it were the Quatura.

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