"I don''t mind sacrificing my life for Lisa''s. But I can''t sacrifice this pack for her. I''m struggling to know how to juggle these feelings."


    The truth has my shoulders sagging, but he only nods.


    "Responsibility will always be a shackle to your decisions. It''s a good lesson to learn."


    "Better if I''d learned it before lives were lost," I mutter, full of self-deprecation.


    "Sit up straight," Jericho snaps, his voice cracking like a whip. "Feeling sorry for yourself doesn''t help anyone."


    My spine stiffens even as I flinch, scrambling to obey the older wolf before my brain catches up to his demands.


    Training is a scary thing.


    Selene''s ears perk up, and his head swivels toward the door. A few seconds later, I hear the thud of approaching footsteps. Jericho grunts, "That alpha sure took his sweet time."@@@@


    The door bursts open, and Lucas strides in, Kellan at his heels.


    Lucas''s amber eyes lock onto me, wild and desperate, and he rushes to my side. His hands skim over my arms, my face, as if reassuring himself I''m unharmed.


    "Are you okay? Did the vampire hurt you?" His words tumble out in a frantic rush, even though I''m sure he''s been informed of my safety several times.


    "I''m fine," I assure him, catching his hands in mine. "Nothing even happened to me."


    Kellan greets his father with a cool nod, a wordless exchange passing between them. They''re both stiff and standoffish, staying distant from each other, tension all over their faces.


    Lucas turns to Jericho, his brow furrowed. "What happened?"


    Jericho summarizes the situation in clipped tones—Sister Miriam''s appearance, her cryptic warning, the oddly incapacitated guards. Lucas''s face darkens with each word, a growl rumbling in his chest.


    "I knew we couldn''t trust her," he snarls, pacing the room like a caged predator. "She''s toying with us."


    They have powers, and you do nothing to learn about them. Just throw more guards around and hope it works."


    "Then what do you suggest?" Lucas asks, his jaw clenched.


    Jericho''s gaze slides to me, a calculating gleam in his eye. "You need to use every resource at your disposal. Including the ones you''re not comfortable with."


    I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest. He means me. My connection to Sister Miriam, to the vampire''s world.


    Lucas follows his gaze, his expression darkening. "No. Absolutely not. I won''t put Ava in danger."


    "She''s already in danger," Jericho retorts, his voice sharp. "You''re just too blind to see it."


    Selene whines softly, pressing her nose into my hand. I can feel her concern, her fear for me. But beneath that, there''s a steely resolve. A determination to do whatever it takes to protect our pack.


    My pack. The thought has settled deep into my bones, a weight and a warmth all at once. These people, this place—they''re mine now. My responsibility. My family.


    And I''ll be damned if I let anyone hurt them.


    I square my shoulders, meeting Jericho''s gaze head-on. "What do you think we should do?"


    Lucas whirls on me, his eyes wide. "Ava, no. You can''t—"


    "I''m not saying I''m going to run into danger again," I assure him, grabbing his hand. "I''m just willing to do things. Within reason. Without hiding. Without secrets. The reality is that I have a connection to the vampires.


    How can we use that?"


    "We don''t," he snaps. "It''s not safe."


    "And how would you have kept her safe if this Sister Miriam had spirited her away, right out of this room?" Jericho interjects. "I think it''s better to learn a little more about our opponents. How much do you know about their magic? What do you know about their cities? You''ve been throwing lives there, what have you gotten in return? It''s time to set aside pride and look at the bigger picture.


    There''s a war coming, and we''ll all lose if you can''t open your damn eyes."