CHAPTER 107: BETWEEN SHADOWS AMD WHISPERS

Josie

I couldn’t look at Kiel. His presence was a weight pressing on my chest, heavy enough to make my breath uneven. The air between us felt charged, but not in a good way—more like a storm brewing just out of sight, ready to break when I least expected it. So, instead of forcing myself to meet his eyes, I stepped back and murmured, "Excuse me." My voice sounded too calm for how unsettled I felt.

I turned to leave, but before I could even make it to the door, Kiel moved. Fast. He was there first, his tall frame blocking my path. It startled me so much I froze mid-step.

"You don’t want to speak to me?" His voice was low, not accusing exactly, but there was a wounded edge buried in it.

"It’s not like that," I said quickly, though my gaze still wouldn’t meet his. The truth was... I didn’t have anything to say that wouldn’t lead to another argument. "I just—" My words faltered. "I have nothing to say right now."

He exhaled slowly, his shoulders rising and falling with the weight of it. "I knew bringing Michelle here was going to cause problems," he admitted, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "But it’s time we stick together. If we don’t, she’ll find worse ways to destroy us completely. And that..." His eyes darkened. "That is exactly how we win against someone as cunning as Michelle."

I knew he was right. Every logical part of me knew it. But logic didn’t stop the anxiety swirling in my chest like a cold, relentless tide. I sighed, my fingers curling into the fabric of my sleeve. "I know, Kiel. I do. But right now..." My voice lowered, almost to a whisper. "Right now, I just want to be alone. To handle things myself."

"Josie—"

"No." I shook my head, forcing my eyes to meet his for the first time. "Because I’m terrified about the way things are going. And if I have to keep talking about it, I’m going to feel like I’m losing control completely."

His lips pressed into a thin line. I could see him trying to find the right words to sway me, but I wasn’t in the mood to be swayed.

"We can talk about this later," I said firmly, though my voice was softer than before. "Right now, I need space."

He didn’t like it—anyone could see that—but after a moment, he stepped aside. I slipped past him, not looking back, even though I could feel his eyes following me all the way down the hall.

I made it to my room, shut the door, and leaned against it for a moment, just breathing. I wanted silence. I wanted the kind of quiet where I could hear my own thoughts without them clashing with everyone else’s.

I crossed the room and was about to sink into the chair by the window when the sharp rasp of the door hinges behind me made my heart leap. The sound didn’t belong.

I spun around—and froze.

Through the window, just beyond the glass, a shadow moved. My eyes adjusted, and I saw him. Liam.

My heart slammed against my ribs, panic clawing its way up my throat. The scream tore out of me before I could stop it.

The door flew open. Two guards rushed in, scanning the room like they expected to find an intruder standing right beside me.

"What happened?" one demanded, his voice tight.

I pressed a hand to my chest and forced my breathing to slow. "I—I thought I saw something. Like a rat," I lied quickly, shaking my head as if embarrassed by my own reaction. "I’m fine. Just startled."

They exchanged a look, clearly unconvinced, but I stepped forward before they could question me further. "I just need some space," I said, my tone brooking no argument. "Please."

After a pause, they left, closing the door behind them.

The moment they were gone, I darted to the window. The glass was cold beneath my fingertips as I peered outside, scanning the area where I’d seen him. Nothing. Not even the faintest flicker of movement.

But my pulse hadn’t settled. Not even close.

I remembered his words. The last time we spoke, he’d promised—no, warned—that I would see him again. And now he’d made good on it.

I wanted to crawl into my bed and bury myself under the covers, pretending none of this was happening. Pretend that Liam was a nightmare I could shake off. But there was no pretending. Not now.

Because if Liam was here, he had a reason. And the longer I avoided it, the more dangerous it became.

I wrapped my arms around myself, staring at the window for another long moment before forcing my feet to move. If I was going to find out what he wanted, I’d have to go to him.

The hallways were quiet as I made my way toward the outer grounds. By the time I reached the gate, the two guards stationed there straightened immediately at the sight of me.

"Open the gate," I told them.

They didn’t move. "We can’t do that without permission from the Alpha."

A flicker of frustration rose in me. "This is important."

"With respect, Miss," one said carefully, "our orders are clear."

The argument began then—sharp words on my part, calm refusals on theirs. Every time I thought I’d found a loophole in their reasoning, they closed it. My irritation shifted to desperation.

"Please," I said finally, lowering my voice. "Just one of you come with me. One. That way you can see for yourself there’s no danger."

They hesitated, clearly torn. I pressed harder. "And... don’t tell the Alpha yet. I’ll tell him myself after. I just—" I stopped, letting my voice break slightly. "I just need this."

Maybe it was the plea in my tone, or maybe it was the flicker of trust they still had in me, but at last, one of them nodded reluctantly. The other stayed behind as we slipped out.

The walk to Liam’s temporary accommodation felt longer than it should have. Every crunch of gravel beneath my boots seemed too loud in the still air.

When we reached the cottage, the guard hung back outside while I stepped in.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. The second was the sight of him—Liam—sitting at a small table, eating a skinned rabbit as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The metallic tang of blood and the rich, gamey scent made my stomach twist.

I fought the urge to gag, standing as straight as I could manage. "Why did you send for me?" I asked, my tone clipped.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took his time, chewing, swallowing, wiping his mouth with deliberate slowness. The scrape of his fork against the plate felt like nails on my nerves.

When he finally spoke, his voice was infuriatingly casual. "Pretty simple, really. I want to know what you can do with your powers." He gestured toward the half-eaten rabbit. "Start by taking the meat from me."

I blinked at him, sure I’d misheard. "You’re joking."

His smile didn’t reach his eyes. "Do I look like I’m joking?"

I turned toward the door. "I’m not doing this. I came here because I thought you had something important to say, not to play whatever game this is."

"Ah." His voice sharpened just slightly, like a blade catching the light. "And that’s the problem with you, Josie. You don’t understand how far you should go. And because of that..." He leaned forward, his gaze locking with mine. "...you’re hindering yourself completely."