Page 48 of Barely Breathing

Chapter

Thirteen

I jolt awake to darkness, my heart racing before I even know why. The emergency lights pulse an angry red, each flash revealing glimpses of an institutional setting that’s all wrong. This isn’t Costin’s intimate candlelit bedroom. My limbs feel leaden, refusing to obey as I fight through a druggy haze. The phantom smell of salt water and metal hits me like a physical blow, and my stomach lurches as forgotten memories claw their way to the surface. Time is running out. I can feel it in my bones.

Dammit. Did Costin mesmerize me again? The thought sends anger coursing through me.

I push myself up, fists clenched for a fight, only to recognize my bedroom at the penthouse. The familiar space feels wrong, tainted by whatever’strying to surface in my mind. I must have slept through the entire day.

Fuck! Precious hours wasted while Paul and Diana…

My head begins to clear, but the urgency doesn’t fade. I’m alone and can’t blame Costin for this murkiness. Something darker is at work.

I try to piece together what happened. Astrid had insisted I rest while she made calls about Diana’s safety. I came back to the bedroom and took a shower. The last thing I remember is Astrid’s tea. It is the same blend she used the night they had tried to make me sign the engagement contract with Chester. I should have known better than to drink it, but after dealing with the Freemonts and werewolves, I was too exhausted to resist. I wanted a little forgetting.

I did this to myself.

Diana.

The name hits me like a punch to the gut.

My fingers fumble for my phone, nearly knocking over the sandwich and soda someone left on my nightstand. The screen glows accusingly, showing dozens of notifications. My stomach growls like a waking monster, but the hunger feels distant compared to the dread building in my chest. I force myself to take mechanical bites of the sandwichwhile scrolling through messages with trembling fingers.

Multiple missed calls from Anthony and texts from unknown numbers flood my screen. One message makes my blood run cold.“The grandparents aren’t home. No sign of the girl. Trackers are out now. Hold for more details.”

My heart stops. The half-chewed sandwich tastes like dirt in my mouth. We’re too late.

How the hell could I sleep with this going on? The guilt crashes over me. Each wave is stronger than the last. Every wasted second could mean Diana and Paul’s suffering. It could have brought us closer to whatever horror the wolves have planned.

The amulet pulses against my chest, matching my racing heartbeat. Draakmar stirs restlessly within, and I swear the dragon’s agitation feels different when I think of the child. There’s something he’s trying to tell me, something I’m missing.

“Any news? When do we leave? I need to be there.”I text Anthony back, taking multiple bites to finish the sandwich. My head clears, and I get up to use the bathroom.

Blood and moonlight.

The words echo in my head like a death knell. Two nights until the full moon. The werewolves already have Paul and now Diana is missing.

My phone dings as I return to the room. Anthonyhas written back,“Just landed in Kansas City. If she’s here, I’ll find her. I got this.”

I start to type back, but it dings again.

Anthony writes,“I took Lorelai with me. Nice lady. She wanted to help. Our mother thought it best if she was not in the city right now. Sorry if that’s weird.”

“It’s weird,”I answer, before adding,“Thanks for doing this.”

A shadow moves across my wall—too solid to be cast by the city lights below and too deliberate to be natural. My pulse quickens as the temperature seems to drop. I know who it is before I turn around. I can feel his presence like a physical weight.

“Did you know, Costin?” I demand, anger burning through the last of my grogginess.

My hands shake with barely contained frustration, but beneath the anger is that familiar spark of awareness that invariably ignites when he’s near. His presence fills the room like a physical force.

I’m starting to hate him for it.

At least, I’m telling my lying self that.

“Did you know they’d go after Paul’s daughter?” I continue. The amulet burns hotter against my skin. Draakmar feeds off my fury. “Achild, Costin. They’re after a child.”

“I warned you to stay out of this,” Costin says. His voice carries that ancient weight that reminds me he’s been a witness to centuries. What is onehuman life compared to a creature who has seen so many? “Werewolves are feral, dangerous creatures. I was trying to keep you safe.”

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