Page 310 of Blood & Betrayals

“Because he saw you naked. Because he got to see what does not belong to him.”

My breath hitches. “Stranger…”

“Because he saw what belongs tome,” he snarls, sounding feral. “You belong tome.”

“W-What?” My whole body tenses.

“You can enjoy the boy because I am held in check by circumstances, but in the end, it will be you and me.” His voice sounds even darker and more dangerous.

“Stranger,” I warn, but my voice shakes. I will never admit it to anyone else, but it’s not because I am afraid.

“Your name will never be Summer Morningstar,” he snarls, and the line goes dead.

113

Summer

Istare at my phone, his words circling my mind.

You will never be Summer Morningstar. You belong to me. You will never be Summer Morningstar. You belong to me.

The live feed vanishes, along with any evidence of it. Maybe I made it up. Or maybe it was a tequila-fueled dream.

Alice: Damn, did you see the ghost kicking that shifter’s ass?

Alice

Damn, did you see the ghost kicking that shifter's ass?

He obviously wanted to make a show of it. I bet everyone in the school got the alert about the live feed. My head is a complete fucking mess, and my chest is still heaving from the phone call with the stranger. I get up and pad to Alice’s room, wordlessly climbing into bed with her.

“Hey,” she says, turning to face me. I nuzzle into her, not wanting her to see my face, not wanting to talk about what just happened.

Alice wraps her arms around me and squeezes.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

I lay my head on her shoulder, the words churning inside me. The secrets, the lies, the feelings are overwhelming me. “It was the stranger,” I whisper.

“Hm?”

“The video,” I whisper again.

Alice pulls back, trying to see my face, but I nuzzle into her more. “The ghost?” she asks.

I nod.

“Why?”

I shake my head. “Just… don’t ask.”

Alice pauses for a moment before squeezing me. “Okay,” she says, not pushing.

I sigh heavily.

“What?”

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