"Ava."


    Someone''s gently prodding at my shoulder, and I groan, my entire body battered. Oh, right. Lucas... was an animal last night.


    "Ava."


    "What?" Now that I''m marginally awake, his voice registers in my brain. I turn my head to squint through a tangled mass of hair. I need a shower. And a brush. And, like, five cups of coffee.


    "Sister Miriam''s here."@@@@


    Sister Miri—oh.


    Sitting up abruptly, I must startle Lucas. He jumps up from the edge of the bed, hands in the air as he watches me cautiously, like I''m about to bite.


    "Sorry. I''m up."


    "I see that." Lowering his hands, he adds, "You didn''t warn me you''re such a bear when you''re asleep."


    A bear? Me?


    You bit him when he tried to wake you up earlier, and you kicked him when he tried to cover you in a blanket. Selene''s helpful, overly chipper words have my head pounding.


    The still-new string of connection to Grimoire pulses urgently, tugging and yanking every which way.


    Damn. Wake up and everyone needs you, all at once.


    "Selene said I bit you. And kicked you."


    He shrugs, politely ignoring the heat reddening my cheeks. "Take your time. Do you want to shower first?"


    "No, I''m okay—"


    But Lucas arches a brow in such a meaningful way that I pause. Damn. Do I smell like our sexcapades?


    You do. It''s everywhere. You should shower.


    "I''ll shower."


    * * *


    Sister Miriam doesn''t answer immediately. Instead, her gaze fixes on Lucas, who meets her stare with an impassive expression. His arm drapes casually over the back of my chair, a gesture that feels both protective and possessive. The tension between them thickens, and I resist the urge to squirm in my seat.


    It''s clear he has no intention of contributing to this conversation. He seems to hold respect for Sister Miriam, but there is also a cold distance between them.


    After what feels like an eternity, Sister Miriam breaks the stalemate. Her attention shifts back to me, her expression softening slightly. "Ava, how much do you know about the attack that injured Lucas?"


    I blink, caught off guard by the question. My mind races, quickly gathering the fragments of information that have been tossed my way. "Not much," I admit, feeling a twinge of guilt. I''m always so overwhelmed with what''s in front of me, I forget to ask all the right questions. But how is someone supposed to juggle this all so easily?


    "I know he was trying to save civilians, but beyond that..." I trail off. It must have been brutal. Will it upset him to hear about it, even if he doesn''t have memories of the attack? I glance at Lucas, but his expression remains unreadable. The bond in our chest has quieted, making it impossible to feel his emotions as clearly as I did yesterday.


    That is normal, Selene assures me. It is not good to feel each other so closely. You lose yourselves in your bond. That is not a good thing.


    "I see," Sister Miriam murmurs, her fingers drumming lightly on the table.


    Sweet, creamy sips of coffee do little to soothe the knot forming in my stomach. There''s clearly more to this story than I''ve been told, and I''m not sure I''m going to like what I hear.


    "Perhaps," Sister Miriam continues, her voice gentle but firm, "it would be beneficial for you to understand the full scope of what occurred."


    I nod, steeling myself for whatever revelation is coming. "Yes, I think that would help." I turn to Lucas, reaching out to place my hand over his, where it rests loosely on the table. "If that''s okay with you?"


    He gives a curt nod, his fingers tightening almost imperceptibly around mine.


    Sister Miriam takes a deep breath, her gaze growing distant as if she''s looking into the past. "It was hectic. They had just evacuated the pack lands. Many wolves were already dead, and wolves had to shut their connections to the pack bonds from the backlash of so many lives lost. They broke into several groups.


    "During the first retreat, Lucas received word about an attack on Granite City. He gathered his team to evacuate the civilians, hoping to buy time. It was the first attack on humans."


    I picture Lucas, determined and focused, leading his wolves into danger to protect innocent lives. It''s so quintessentially him that my heart aches.


    "The attackers were not rival wolves, as initially believed, and as were seen with the attack on Westwood. They were a mixed group. Vampires, rogue shifters, and even some humans."


    "Humans?" I can''t keep the surprise from my voice. "Are you sure?" This is the first report I''ve heard of humans working with the attackers.


    Sister Miriam nods grimly. "It appears there are factions within the human world that have aligned themselves with supernatural entities. Their motivations are unclear, but we can guess as to their motivations."


    Right. If these new supernaturals want to take over the country—even the world—there aren''t enough numbers. The promise of power is an allure few can resist, and humans outnumber all supernaturals by a large margin.


    The implications of this send my mind reeling.


    There''s no one we can trust. Not even humans.